Soccer 360 Magazine

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INSIDE

MAY / JUNE 2019 ISSUE 81

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MAGAZINE

2019 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP PREVIEW

MLS FEATURE

MLS VS. LIGA MX KINGS OF THE NORTH TOP 10 TRANSFERS

04 06 12 16 18 20

KICK OFF WOMEN’S WORLD CUP COPA AMERICA GOLD CUP U20 WORLD CUP U21 EUROS

81

COPA AMERICA READY

THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY STATS, FACTS AND LEADERS

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

YOUNG GUNS

EUROPA LEAGUE

DIAMONDS

SUMMER HEADLINERS

2019 GOLD CUP • 2019 U-20 WORLD CUP • 2019 EURO U-21 • EURO 2020

22 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 26 EUROPA LEAGUE

english premier league 28 THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY 30 MESUT OZIL 32 AROUND THE LEAGUE

serie a

38 THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY 40 NICOLO ZANIOLO 42 AROUND THE LEAGUE

la liga ISSUE #81 Display until July 4, 2019

COVER FEATURE: MESSI LEADS THE WAY FOR ARGENTINA AT THE COPA AMERICA FESTIVITIES THIS SUMMER.

THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

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48 THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY 50 ANTOINE GRIEZMANN 54 AROUND THE LEAGUE

bundesliga

60 THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY 62 TIMO WERNER 64 AROUND THE LEAGUE

mls 68 70 74 76

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY IN FOCUS: CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SUMMER TRANSFER TARGETS AROUND THE LEAGUE

80 IN FOCUS: ICELAND 82 90TH MINUTE 88 LAST WORD

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EDITOR Steven Davies

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MAGAZINE 72

ONE ON ONE

MARCO ASENSIO PAULINHO

GOLDEN BOY

MAKING A COMEBACK

MILAN CASHES IN ON GOLDEN KEEPER

ZLATAN DIEGO COSTA

BARCA BLUES

DEPARTURES AND INJURIES

2018

COUNTDOWN

ENGLAND RISING

THE THREE LIONS LOOK FOR INTERNATIONAL HARDWARE

TEN OUT OF TEN

ITALY 10’S

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TOP 10 CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

PAGE 30 MEZUT DONE

PAGE 50 GRIEZMANN GOING ?

PAGE 40 IS ROME HOME ?

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PAGE 62 WERNER TO KOP ?

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KICKOFF

MLS SPOTLIGHT

MLS SHOWS THE WAY

EUROPE MAY BE THE TRADITIONAL HOME OF FOOTBALL BUT THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH THE OLD COUNTRY SHOULD LEARN FROM MLS, STARTING WITH THE SUPPORTER CULTURE, GABY MCKAY WRITES.

A

few years ago, a video from a Seattle Sounders match went viral in Europe for all the wrong reasons.

In the clip, a young man with a microphone turns to his fellow fans and leads them in a chant. “Come on Seattle!” he yells, his eyes bulging from his head. A smile spreads across his face as the crowd responds. “Fight, and win!” he concludes, to the echo of those he’s addressing.

To European eyes, used to ultras and some of the world’s most bitter derbies, it came across as a little…well, lame. But while it’s easy for those across the pond to sneer at MLS, this season has shown that fan culture in the traditional home of football isn’t always something to be proud of.

In the space of a little under a month, there were at least three high-profile instances of racism in big matches. England’s black players were subjected to monkey noises in their European Championship qualifier against Montenegro, and Moise Kean came in for the same treatment against Cagliari while playing for Juventus. The Italian is 19, while Callum Hudson-Odoi, who made his England debut in Montenegro, is only 18.

In Scotland, a man has been banned from Hearts’ Tynecastle Stadium for screaming a racial slur at Marvin Bartley, a midfielder for their city rivals Hibs. This in a season where officials, managers and players have been hit by coins, and the Kilmarnock manager decried the anti-Catholic abuse he received from Rangers fans.

The issue of anti-social behaviour within football stadiums has been discussed to death, and blaming the sport for what are clearly wider societal issues is reductive at best, and harmful at worst.

Italy’s deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, demonises immigrants and evokes Benito Mussolini on social media — in that climate is it any wonder we see an increase in racism in stadiums? When Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly was targeted with monkey chants

by Inter fans, the club condemned it in the strongest possible terms. Salvini compared it to boos aimed at Leonardo Bonucci by Milan fans.

Across Europe there’s been a surge from the far-right, pushed by anti-immigrant sentiment whipped up by populists in the wake of the migration crisis. As Britain struggles with the vote to leave the EU, and the anti-immigration tide which drove it, a Tottenham Hotspur fan was banned for throwing a banana at Arsenal’s PierreEmerick Aubameyang.

That, sadly, a common sight in the 1980s, but with the rise of more extreme politics some unsavoury elements are creeping back onto the terraces. Celtic and Rangers’ rivalry has always had its roots in sectarian hatred, but veteran fans have spoken of hearing songs they haven’t since the 1970s.

It’s easy to make the case that these problems are societal ones rather than football ones, but maybe in this case Europe could learn something from Major League Soccer. American politics is hardly less divided than in Europe, given the President based his election campaign on building a wall on the southern border to keep out “drugs, crime and rapists”. Yet to hear racist abuse at an MLS game would be unthinkable.

The league is the most diverse professional sports League in North America, and that’s reflected in the stands too. While 16% of the United States identifies as Hispanic, 26% of soccer fans do — hence MLS using social media in Spanish and English.

Even when a team from a largely white area meets one with a large Hispanic fan base, it would be unthinkable to hear racist

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

‘Officials, managers and players have been hit by coins’ chanting from one to the other. Watch LA FC vs. LA Galaxy and you’d be waiting a long time to hear any anti-Hispanic sentiment. Watch Rangers vs. Celtic and you’ll hear something sectarian in the first five minutes.

No-one wants to lose the passion and depth of feeling from European football, but there are limits. Similarly, it’s easy to laugh at that earnest Seattle supporter, but a fan culture can’t be developed overnight.

MLS fans understandably want to emulate their European counterparts, but there are lessons which could do with travelling to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

ABOVE (MAIN): Juventus striker Moise Kean was subjected to abuse by the Cagliari fans BELOW: A banana was thrown at Arsenal's PierreEmerick Aubameyang RIGHT: European clubs could learn from MLS

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FEATURE • SUSO

FRANCE READY, GAME ON! ON JUNE 7TH AT THE PARC DES PRINCES THE 2019 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP WILL KICK OFF WHEN FRANCE HOST SOUTH KOREA IN GROUP A ACTION. WHAT WILL FOLLOW IS A MONTH OF SOME OF THE BEST FOOTBALL IN THE WORLD WITH CLOSE MATCHES, NEW SUPERSTARS, AND SOME WORLD CLASS HIGHLIGHTS. BUT WHO WILL END UP ON TOP? HERE IS A LOOK AT THE FULL FIELD:

Group A FRANCE How did they qualify? Tournament hosts Best result at a World Cup: Fourth (2011) Head Coach: Corinne Diacre Players to keep an eye on: Goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi (Lyon), midfielder Amandine Henry (Lyon), and forward Eugenie Le Sommer (Lyon) Outlook: Les Bleues are teeming with confidence, having lost just twice in two years and having beaten the United States handily at home in January. It is a side that will have a lot of experience (five players with 100 caps) but also some youth to it as well (Grace Geyoro of Barcelona in particular). But can they deliver when everything is on the line? France has never won a title at the senior level and playing at home just amplifies the pressure.

Prediction: First Place in Group A; Eliminated in Quarterfinals

NIGERIA How did they qualify? Won the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations Best result at a World Cup: Quarterfinals (1999) Head Coach: Thomas Dennerby Players to keep an eye on: Goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi (Rivers Angels), Forwards Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona), and Francisca Ordega (Shanghai WFC) Outlook: Nigeria have been consistent in making it to the World Cup but they have struggled to make it beyond the Group Stage. The problem seems to stem from scoring. or a lack thereof. Since that Quarterfinal run in 1999 they have been knocked out of the Group Stage four times, scoring just five goals. Oshoala and Ordega have the right amount of speed and technical ability to cause problems for defenses as evidenced by their run during AFCON play.

Prediction: Fourth Place in Group A

LEFT: The hosts look to win on home soil.

SOUTH KOREA How did they qualify? Finished fifth in the AFC Asian Cup Best result at a World Cup: Round of 16 (2015) Head Coach: Yoon Deok-yeo Players to keep an eye on: Defender Kim Hye-ri (Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels), midfielder Lee Min-a (INAC Kobe Leonessa), and forward Ji So-yun (Chelsea) Outlook: The Taeguk Nangja have had an interesting few months: having not allowed a single goals during World Cup qualification but having barely qualified as the fifth seed. Their recent run of friendlies has also been a bit inconclusive, soundly defeating Argentina, New Zealand, and Romania while getting trounced by Australia and China. Their success seems to stem around their ability to hit the back of the net. So-yun has had a strong run of form with Chelsea but will need to do more in a tough Group A. Prediction: Third Place in Group A; Eliminated in Round of 16 NORWAY How did they qualify? Finished first in Group 3 in UEFA Qualifying Best result at a World Cup: Champions (1995) Head Coach: Martin Sjogren Players to keep an eye on: Defender Maren Mjelde (Chelsea), Caroline Graham Hansen (Wolfsburg), and Lisa Maria Karlseng Utland (FC Rosengard) Outlook: Norway seems to be in a bit of trouble having three of their last four friendlies and failing to secure the services of the Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg for the tournament. The Grasshoppers need a spark which seems to suit Utland, who scored seven goals during qualifying.

Prediction: Second Place in Group A; Eliminated in Round of 16

ABOVE: Team Korea in action and posing for their squad picture.

ABOVE (SMALL): Nigeria celebrating their qualification LEFT: Norway will be hoping to win their first title since 1995

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Group B CHINA How did they qualify? Finished third in the AFC Asian Cup Best result at a World Cup: Second place (1999) Head Coach: Jia Xiuquan Players to keep an eye on: Goalkeeper Zhang Yue (Beijing BG), Defender Li Dongna (Tianjin Huisen), and Forward Ma Xiaoxu (Dalian Quanjian) Outlook: Can China win the big one? That is the big question entering into France for China who placed third in the AFC and second in the Asian Games. However, they have taken a bit of a sputter losing two matches during the Algarve Cup by a goal each time to Norway and Denmark. If they can finish in the top two and avoid an upset against Spain or South Africa the sky is the limit.

Prediction: Second Place in Group B; Eliminated in Round of 16 GERMANY How did they qualify? Finished first in Group 5 in UEFA Qualifying Best result at a World Cup: Champions (2003 and 2007) Head Coach: Martina Voss-Tecklenberg Players to keep an eye on: Defender Lena Goesling (Wolfsburg), Midfielder Sara Dabritz (Bayern Munich), and Forward Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg) Outlook: The two-time Champions are the favorites to make out of Group B and, depending upon the draw, a favorite to win it all. Popp could be one of the breakout stars of the tournament should she find her scoring stroke. She is won it at the U-17 level and the U-20 level so she certainly has the pedigree. One area of concern: goalkeeper.

Prediction: First Place in Group B; Second Place

SOUTH AFRICA How did they qualify? Finished second in the 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations Best result at a World Cup: First appearance Head Coach: Desiree Ellis Players to keep an eye on: Defenders Janine van Wyk (Houston Dash) and Lebogang Ramalepe (Ma-Indies) and Forward Thembi Kgatlana (Beijing Phoenix) Outlook: Banyana Banyana will be making their first appearance in the Women’s World Cup and the big question is can they walk away with some points? If they have any ambitions of doing so they will need to get some goals from Kgatlana, who was named as the Best Player at the AFCON tournament. At 22 years old she could be a breakout star in this year’s tournament.

Prediction: Fourth Place in Group B

FIXTURES GROUP STAGE JUNE 7- JUNE 20 ROUND OF 16 22 June 2019 • 15:00 • Match 38 Winners Group B vs 3rd Group A / C / D

SPAIN How did they qualify? Finished first in Group 7 of UEFA Qualifying Best result at a World Cup: Group Stage Head Coach: Jorge Vilda Players to keep an eye on: Defenders Marta Torrejon and Irene Paredes (both from FC Barcelona) and forward Jennifer Hermoso (Atletico Madrid) Outlook: La Roja have the world’s attention after narrowly losing to the United States and drawing with Germany and Belgium.

This is a very tough group with tournament favorites China and Germany, but if they can hold their own and get the full three points against South Africa they should be through.

Prediction: Third Place in Group B; Eliminated in Round of 16

22 June 2019 • 18:30 • Match 37 Runners-up Group A vs Runners-up Grp C 23 June 2019 • 17:30 • Match 39 Winners Group D vs 3rd Group B / E / F 23 June 2019 • 21:00 • Match 40 Winners Group A vs 3rd Group C / D / E 24 June 2019 • 18:00 • Match 41 Runners-up Group B vs Winners Group F 24 June 2019 • 21:00 • Match 42 Runners-up Grp F vs Runners-up Grp E 25 June 2019 • 18:00 • Match 43 Winners Group C vs 3rd Group A / B / F 25 June 2019 • 21:00 • Match 44 Winners Group E vs Runners-up Group D QUARTER-FINALS 27 June 2019 • 21:00 • Match 45 Winners Match 37 vs Winners Match 39 28 June 2019 • 21:00 • Match 46 Winners Match 40 vs Winners Match 41 29 June 2019 • 15:00 • Match 47 Winners Match 43 vs Winners Match 44 29 June 2019 • 18:30 • Match 48 Winners Match 38 vs Winners Match 42 SEMI-FINALS 2 July 2019 • 21:00 • Match 49 Winners Match 45 vs Winners Match 46 3 July 2019 • 21:00 • Match 50 Winners Match 47 vs Winners Match 48 THIRD PLACE PLAY-OFF 6 July 2019 • 17:00 • Match 51 Losers Match 49 vs Losers Match 50

Group C AUSTRALIA How did they qualify? Finished second in the 2018 AFC Asian Cup Best result at a World Cup: Quarterfinals (2007, 2011, and 2015) Head Coach: Ante Milicic Players to keep an eye on: Defenders Steph Catley and Elise Kellond-Knight (both of Reign FC) and forward Sam Kerr (Chicago Red Stars) Outlook: Australia are one of the dark horses of this year’s tournament after a strong run through World Cup qualifying and a series of positive friendlies. The Matildas have a highly organized defense led by Catley and Kellond-Knight and one of the best strikers in the world in Kerr, a two-time NWSL Golden Boot winner. As long as the Matildas can avoid a slip up in an inexperienced Group C they should go far in this tournament.

Prediction: First Place in Group C; Third Place BRAZIL How did they qualify? 2018 Champions of the Copa America Femenina

Best result at a World Cup: Second Place (2007) Head Coach: Vadao Players to keep an eye on: Defender Erika (Corinthians) and Midfielders Formiga (AC Milan) and Marta (Orlando Pride) Outlook: This may be Marta’s last, best chance at winning a World Cup title, raising the stakes for this side. She is undoubtedly one of the best players in soccer but does she have the quality around her to make the push to the top?

Prediction: Second Place in Group C; Eliminated in Quarterfinals ITALY How did they qualify? Finished first in Group 6 of UEFA Qualifying Best result at a World Cup: Quarterfinals (1991) Head Coach: Milena Bertolli Players to keep an eye on: Defender Elisa Bartoli (Roma), Midfielder Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), and Forward Valentina Giacinti (AC Milan) Outlook: The Azzurre are back in the World Cup for the first time in 20 years and are looking to shock some teams. If they are to make it to the knockout stage it will because of the play of their attack. Giacinti

ABOVE: Germany are predicted to go to the finals, yet fall short and become the 2019 runners-up

2019 FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP FINAL 7 July 2019 • 17:00 • Match 52 Winners Match 49 vs Winners Match 50

PAST WINNERS Year 2015 2011 2007 2003 1999 1995 1991

Champ USA Japan Germany Germany USA Norway USA

2nd Plc Japan USA Brazil Sweden China Germany Norway

Score 5-2 2-2* 2-0 2-1 0-0* 2-0 2-1

*In 2011, Japan defeated USA 3-1 on penalties *In 1999, USA defeated China 5-4 on penalties

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

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FEATURE • SUSO has scored 18 goals for Milan this season and is considered to be one of the top young strikers in the world. Italy’s defense has also been on point, allowing just four goals during qualifying.

Prediction: Third Place in Group C; Eliminated in Round of 16 JAMAICA How did they qualify? Finished third in CONCACAF Qualifying Best result at a World Cup: First appearance Head Coach: Hue Menzies Players to keep an eye on: Defender Konya Plummer (University of Central Florida), Midfielder Cheyna Matthews (Washington Spirit), and Forward Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (University of Tennessee) Outlook: Perhaps the biggest surprise of this year’s tournament is the appearance of the Reggae Girlz who eliminated pretournament favorites Costa Rica and Panama en route to earning a spot in Paris.

Menzies has brought in a large number of players and so organization and chemistry might be an issue. But keep an eye on Shaw, who scored an astonishing 19 goals during qualification.

Prediction: Fourth Place in Group C

Group D ARGENTINA How did they qualify? Winners of the CONCACAF-CONMEBOL Intercontinental Playoff Best result at a World Cup: Group Stage Head Coach: Carlos Borrello Players to keep an eye on: Defender Aldana Cometti (Sevilla), Midfielder Estefania Banini (Levante), and Forward Sole Jaimes (Lyon) Outlook: Which Argentina will show up? Is it the Argentina that walked through the Group Stage of World Cup Qualification? Or is it the side that was swept in the Cup of Nations, failing to score a single goal. La Albicelestes need to get Banini started or it might be another quick three and out.

Prediction: Third Place in Group D; Does not advance based on Third Place Ranking ENGLAND How did they qualify? Finished first in Group 1 of UEFA Qualifying Best result at a World Cup: Third Place (2015) Head Coach: Phil Neville Players to keep an eye on: Defender Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Midfielder Jill Scott (Manchester City), and Forward Ellen White (Birmingham City) Outlook: The Lionesses in four years have gone from dark horse to one of the tournament favorites, a testament to the level of progress that the women’s game has made in England. Now the question is can they win it all? Beating Japan and drawing with the United States in a Cup warm-up is one thing but the pressure will be on in the knockout stage.

Prediction: Second Place in Group D; Eliminated in Round of 16 JAPAN How did they qualify? Finished first in the 2018 AFC Asian Cup Best result at a World Cup: Champions (2011) Head Coach: Asako Takakura Players to keep an eye on: Defender Saki Kumagai (Lyon), Emi Nakajima (INAC Kobe Leonessa), and Forward Yuika Sugasawa (Urawa Red Diamonds) Outlook: The Nadeshiko’s iron-clad defense is back with Kumagai leading a new, young group of defenders into the World Cup. Takakira has placed an emphasis on attacking during recent friendlies, giving the side a bit more balanced even if results haven’t gone their way. If they can find it Japan may make it back to the final.

Prediction: First Place in Group D; Fourth Place

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

SCOTLAND How did they qualify? Finished first in Group 2 of UEFA Qualifying Best result at a World Cup: First appearance Head Coach: Shelley Kerr Players to keep an eye on: Defender Rachel Corsie (Utah Royals FC), Midfielder Kim Little (Arsenal), and Forward Jane Ross (West Ham United) Outlook: The Tartan Army are coming to Paris. Scotland will be making their first appearance at the Women’s World Cup and the first time a Scottish side has made an appearance at any World Cup since 1998.

Sure, there will be revelry but this side is coming to get results. With established veterans in Corsie, Little, and Ross this side will not be an easy out for anyone.

Prediction: Fourth Place in Group D

OPPOSITE PAGE FIRST ROW LEFT: Bronze favourites, Australia.

OPPOSITE PAGE FIRST ROW RIGHT: Brazil looking to finally win one.

OPPOSITE PAGE SECOND ROW RIGHT: Italy would like to prove their history wrong, and go further than the Quarters.

OPPOSITE PAGE THIRD ROW LEFT: 2011 Champions Japan, look to go far OPPOSITE PAGE THIRD ROW RIGHT: England players celebrating.

OPPOSITE PAGE BOTTOM: Argentina is predicted to exit the tournament at group stage. Will they prove us wrong?

Group E CAMEROON How did they qualify? Third Place in the 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations Best result at a World Cup: Round of 16 (2015) Head Coach: Ngachu Enow Players to keep an eye on: Defender Yvonne Leuko (Strasbourg) and Forwards Gaelle Enganamoult (Malaga) and Gabriele Onguene (ZFK CSKA Moscow) Outlook: Cameroon made an immediate impression in their first and only World Cup appearance, defeating both Ecuador and Switzerland before taking China to the limit. The competition will be a bit more of a challenge this go-around with a tournament favorite in Canada and a dark horse in Netherlands. Can they do it one more time?

Their defense, which allowed just four goals during qualification, will play a big role in determining their fate.

Prediction: Fourth Place in Group E

MOST GOALS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CANADA How did they qualify? Second Place in CONCACAF Qualification Best result at a World Cup: Fourth Place (2003) Head Coach: Kenneth Heiner-Moller Players to keep an eye on: Defender Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint Germain), Midfielder Desiree Scott (Utah Royals FC), and Forward Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns) Outlook: Canada on paper should be one of the top 2-3 sides in this year’s tournament.

But can they deliver? Defensively the side seems set with Lawrence, Kadeisha Buchanan, and Shelina Zadorsky firmly in control. But on the attack they still are looking for a second option behind Sinclair.

They have scored just two goals in their last five matches which should be a bit of a worry to their supporters.

Prediction: First Place in Group E; Eliminated in Quarterfinals NETHERLANDS How did they qualify? Defeated Switzerland in a UEFA playoff match Best result at a World Cup: Round of 16 (2015) Head Coach: Sarina Wiegman Players to keep an eye on: Defender Desire van Lunteren (Freiburg), Midfielder Jill Roord (Bayern Munich), and Forward Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal) Outlook: The Lionesses have improved by leaps and bounds in just a short period of time in women’s football. The defending European Champions come into this tournament teeming with confidence, having lost just once in ten matches. Miedema and Roord have created a unique one-two partnership that will create some serious highlights in Paris. A final appearance might sound like a reach but a final four spot isn’t out of the question.

Prediction: Second Place in Group E; Eliminated in Quarterfinals

TOP RIGHT: Canada looking to go far with their strong team.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Netherlands hope for a successful tenure

NEW ZEALAND How did they qualify? First place in OFC Qualification Best result at a World Cup: Group Stage (1991, 2007, 2011, and 2015) Head Coach: Tom Sermani Players to keep an eye on: Defender Abby Erceg (North Carolina Courage), Midfielder Katie Bowen (Utah Royals), and Forward Rosie White (Chicago Red Stars) Outlook: New Zealand have had no problem qualifying out of Oceania. But they haven’t had much success when they get to the World Cup, failing to win a single match in four tries. Will this year be any different? They are bringing a veteran heavy side to Paris and a coach in Sermani with extensive coaching experience in the tournament. That might be enough to get the Football Ferns some points and to possibly advance.

Prediction: Third Place in Group E, Does Not Advance Based on Third Place Ranking

Team Brazil Germany USA USA China Germany Norway Ann Germany Norway Canada

Name Marta Birgit Prinz Abby Wambach Michelle Akers Sun Wen Bettina Wiegmann Kristin Aarønes Heidi Mohr Linda Medalen Christine Sinclair

Gls 15 14 14 12 11 11 10 10 9 9

Marta

MOST Matches 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Team USA USA Brazil USA Germany Japan USA USA Norway Norway

Name Kristine Lilly Abby Wambach Formiga Julie Foudy Birgit Prinz Homare Sawa Joy Fawcett Mia Hamm Bente Nordby Hege Riise

GP 30 25 24 24 24 24 23 23 22 22

Kristine Lilly

HIGHEST ATTENDANCE Tournament Canada 2015 USA 1999 China 2007 Germany 2011 USA 2003 China 1991 Sweden 1995

Average Attendance 1,353,506 1,214,209 1,190,971 845,751 679,664 510,000 12,213

BOTTOM RIGHT: New Zealand players pose with children.

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

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FEATURE • SUSO

Group F CHILE How did they qualify? Second Place in the 2018 Copa America Femenina Best result at a World Cup: First appearance Head Coach: Jose Letelier Players to keep an eye on: Goalkeeper Christiane Endler (Paris Saint Germain), Midfielders Francisca Lara and Karen Araya (Sevilla) Outlook: Chile make their debut at this year’s World Cup after a strong run through Qualification that saw them beat the likes of Argentina and Peru while drawing with Colombia. They haven’t had as much luck of late losing four of their last five matches. It only gets tougher from here with the United States and Sweden on the docket.

Prediction: Fourth Place in Group F SWEDEN How did they qualify? Finished first in Group 4 of UEFA Qualifying Best result at a World Cup: Runners-up (2003) Head Coach: Peter Gerhardsson Players to keep an eye on: Defender Jonna Anderson (Chelsea), Midfielder Kosovare Asllani (Linkoping), and Forward Fridolina Rolfo (Bayern Munich) Outlook: Sweden ran through UEFA Qualifying and seem poised and determined to finally go over the top at the World Cup. Their high-flying attack, which scored 22 goals during qualification, will be on full display in France with Asllani being the center of the attention. If she can find her scoring stroke Sweden will be a tough out.

Prediction: Second Place in Group F; Eliminated in Round of 16

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THAILAND How did they qualify? Fourth Place in the 2018 AFC Asian Cup Best result at a World Cup: Group Stage (2015) Head Coach: Nuengruethai Sathongwien Players to keep an eye on: Defender Duangnapa Sritala (Bangkok), Midfielders Kanjana Sungngoen (Chonburi) and Wilaiporn Boothduang (Dhurakj Pundit) Outlook: The Chaba Kaew are back after earning the respect of the world in the previous World Cup. But their supporters might wish their form was a bit better. They have lost nine of their last ten matches and just narrowly made it through qualification.

Against a Chile side with a chip on their shoulder and two tournament favorites in Sweden and the United States this might be a quick tournament for Thailand.

Prediction: Third Place in Group F; Eliminated in Round of 16 UNITED STATES How did they qualify? First Place in CONCACAF Qualification Best result at a World Cup: Champion (1991, 1999, 2015) Head Coach: Jill Ellis Players to keep an eye on: Midfielder Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars) and Forwards Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC) and Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride) Outlook: The tournament favorites have hit a bit of a bumpy patch early in 2019 drawing against England and Japan and losing to France in Paris. Winning back-toback World Cups has never been done on either the Men’s or Wormen’s side and part of the reason is because of the physical and mental it places on a side. If the U.S. can do it they will need to get a spark from some of their younger players. Look for Mallory Pugh and Tierna Davidson to play a big role for the USWNT. Prediction: First Place in Group F; World Cup Champions

ABOVE: Defending champions, USA, look to defend their title.

LEFT: Sweden are looking to be a force to be reckoned with.

LEFT BOTTOM: Thailand players shake hands with referees.

COPA AMERICAT

CONMEBOL

2019 COPA AMERICA FIXTURES: GROUP STAGE: JUNE 14-24 • QUARTER FINALS: JUNE 27-29 • SEMI-FINALS: JULY 2-3 THIRD PLACE GAME: JULY 6 • FINALS: JULY 7

12 NATIONS WILL VIE FOR THE 2019 COPA AMERICA WITH THE USUAL SUSPECTS OF BRAZIL, URUGUAY AND ARGENTINA THE FAVOURITES, NICK DORRINGTON WRITES…

‘With the likes of Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino in attack, Brazil look well-placed to succeed.’

Up for grabs

Brazil will play host to the 46th edition of the Copa America this summer, with six venues across five cities welcoming the 10 South American nations and two invitees from Asia. This will be the fourth and last edition to take place a year after the preceding World Cup, with a further tournament scheduled for Colombia next year to begin the new timetable.

The Favourites

Brazil are worthy favourites to lift their ninth Copa America trophy despite poor performances in the last three editions. Not only were they the clear class of the field in the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup, but they have won the Copa America on each of the previous four occasions they have hosted it. They will also benefit from the stability of being one of four South American teams to have kept their coach from the previous World Cup cycle.

Tite’s side were disappointed with their quarter-final elimination at Russia 2018, and it would also be fair to say that they have not been especially convincing in subsequent friendlies. They are, though, unlikely to come across a side during the Copa America who combine the talent and tactical competence of the Belgium team that knocked them out of the World Cup. With a near watertight defensive unit and the likes of Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino ready to strike in attack, Brazil look well-placed to succeed.

Uruguay have previous in terms of spoiling

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GROUP A BOL

PER

BRA

VEN

GROUP B COL

QAT

ARG

PAR

GROUP C ECU

JAP

CHI

URU

Neymar remains the star of Tite’s Brazil side

Gabriel Jesus will be a key part of Brazil's success.

ATIME a Brazilian party on home soil and are probably the most solid of the other likely contenders. They matched Brazil in reaching the last eight at last year’s World Cup and have an interesting generation of midfielders coming through to supplement a strong defensive unit and the longstanding attacking partnership of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez.

Argentina were the losing finalists at both the 2015 Copa America and the one-off Copa America Centenario the following year but have endured a tumultuous time since. Their disastrous World Cup campaign, where they edged through the group stage before falling in the last 16, was overseen by the third of their four coaches in that time. Over the last three years, they have handed international debuts to a full 41 players, including 17 under current incumbent Lionel Scaloni.

On the plus side, there are some promising players starting to emerge in some of their problem positions, and even with deficiencies still evident in certain areas, they have enough talent in their squad, including, of course, Lionel Messi, to reasonably be considered one of the favourites if everything comes together for them. But a pair of poor friendly performances in defeat to Venezuela and a victory over Morocco in March showed just how much work Scaloni still has to do if he is to find the right formula for success.

Colombia also made the knockout rounds in Russia last year, and were losing semifinalists at the Copa America Centenario three years ago. They have a good squad, highlighted by James Rodriguez, and outside of the three previously mentioned teams, the largest number of players playing Champions League football. The absence of the injured Juan Quintero will deprive them of some ingenuity in midfield, but if new Coach Carlos Queiroz’s Iran side were anything to go by, Colombia will be a well-organised and combative counterattacking unit.

Getting the best out of Lionel Messi is crucial to Argentina’s chances

PLAYERS TO WATCH Barcelona's Arthur.

Argentina Head Coach Lionel Scaloni

South America has a rich history of producing some of the best players the game has ever seen and there will be plenty of exciting performers on show in Brazil. The likes of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar are obviously the star attractions, but there are a number of interesting younger players who will also be hoping to make an impression.

Barcelona’s Arthur is starting to establish himself as a potential temposetter for Brazil, while Giovani Lo Celso may well prove to be the top-quality midfielder Argentina have long been seeking. Federico Valverde, Lucas Torreira and Rodrigo Bentancur will hope to build on their promising relationship in centre of the pitch for Uruguay.

Venezuela’s wonderfully elastic goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez will get plenty of action, and it is worth keeping an eye out too for Ritsu Doan, a young and dynamic wide forward for Japan.

Federico Valverde

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CONMEBOL The Dark Horses

THE COACHES

As the two-time reigning champions of the Copa America, one would expect Chile to be amongst the prime contenders for this year’s edition. But it has since become clear that those triumphs represented the pinnacle of what their golden generation would achieve, and that those coming through to replace them are unlikely to reach the same heights.

Chile have been weak in defence and lacking a coherent game plan since Reinaldo Rueda took charge early last year. If the likes of Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez produce their very best, they might just be able to drag Chile into the latter stages of the competition, but they are certainly more of an outside bet than outright favourite.

Peru made plenty of friends with their neat, attack-minded football at last year’s World Cup but nevertheless suffered a groupstage exit in their first participation since 1982. Ricardo Gareca became a national hero for overseeing their qualification and has remained at the helm of a squad that developed as a unit throughout the last cycle and will benefit greatly from his continuation in the role.

Peru were semi-finalists at the 2015 Copa America, but if there is one thing holding them back from a repeat performance this time around it is their wastefulness in front of goal, exemplified by their friendly defeat to El Salvador in March in which they outshot their opponents 19 to one but lost 0-2. If they can find their finishing touch, they will be worthy outsiders.

Japan and Qatar are the two entrants from the Asian federation. No invited team has ever won the competition — although Mexico did reach the final in 2001 — but given that these two teams met in the final of the Asian Cup at the turn of the year, they should certainly not be discounted. When Qatar were announced as participants, they seemed little reason for concern among the South American nations. By the time the group stage draw was made at the end of January, they had progressed to the Asian Cup Final, where they would defeat Japan a couple of days later. Qatar’s ascent will make Group C the tightest of the three.

Uruguay’s long-serving coach Oscar Washington Tabarez

The Also-Rans

There can be no doubt that Venezuela have a promising generation of young players, many of whom are picking up good experience at smaller European clubs, and they also produced an eye-catching 3-1 friendly win over Argentina in March. But they have struggled with consistency, and their hopes of a good showing this summer and a genuine shot at qualifying for their first World Cup thereafter could well be hamstrung by institutional cost-cutting occasioned by the precarious financial and political situation in the country Paraguay have a solid squad but need a couple of their younger players to really push on if they are to be contenders for World Cup qualification. Last summer, they moved quickly to appoint former Mexico Coach Juan Carlos Osorio to lead them through this cycle but that project ended abruptly when he departed for personal reasons. His replacement, Eduardo Berizzo, utilises a relatively similar style of play but takes up the position after failed spells at

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both Sevilla and Athletic Club. On the back of just three wins and 12 defeats in their last 16 internationals, it is hard to see Paraguay putting together a good run.

Ecuador started the last World Cup qualification process superbly but tailed off badly as the campaign wore on and eventually finished comfortably shy of the top five. They have shown well at Under-20 level recently, winning the South American Championship at that level earlier this year, but it will take a while for those players to filter into the senior team. At this stage, they are unlikely to make significant progress.

Institutional instability, a constant turnover of head coaches and a lack of quality players mean that Bolivia come into the Copa America as the tournament’s most likely whipping boys, especially as they have the toughest mix of group-stage opponents of any team in the tournament.

ABOVE: A successful Copa America for Alexis Sanchez could ease the pain of a difficult year at club level BELOW: Eduardo Berizzo struggled in La Liga but can rehabilitate his career with Paraguay

Uruguay’s long-serving coach Oscar Washington Tabarez is the only coach in the field to have previously won the Copa América, having led his country to success in the 2011 edition. At 72, he is comfortably the oldest.

He is also one of just five to have previously led a team into the tournament, alongside Chile’s Reinaldo Rueda, Peru’s Ricardo Gareca, Venezuela’s Rafael Dudamel, and Hernan Dario Gomez, back for a second spell in charge of Ecuador.

Argentina’s 40-year-old boss Lionel Scaloni is the youngest and also the most inexperienced, as this is his first job as a Head Coach at any level.

Similarly inexperienced, World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar are led by Felix Sanchez, a young Spaniard long-involved in youth development in the country prior to taking over the senior team role.

After an unexpectedly short World Cup campaign, pressure could build on Brazil’s Tite if his team suffer an early exit this summer. He, Rueda and Scaloni are likely the only ones for whom underperformance could prove fatal.

Tite, brazil's coach.

LIONEL

DATE OF BIRTH (AGE): Jun 24, 1987 (31) PLACE OF BIRTH: Argentina, Rosario CITIZENSHIP: Argentina HEIGHT: 1,70 m POSITION: Right Winger

WORTH

MESSI

INTERNATIONAL GOALS: 65 INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 129

597 GOALS 238 ASSISTS 69 YELLOWS 0 REDS *as of april 17, 2019

1

5 Ballon d'Or

3

UEFA Player of the Year

4

UEFA Champions League

9

La Liga Title

6

Copa Del Rey

1

U20 World Cup

SOCCER360 MAY â&#x20AC;¢ JUNE 2019

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2019 Gold Cup

GOLD CUP

2019 GOLD CUP IMPORTANT DATES: GROUP STAGE: JUNE 15-26 • QUARTER FINALS: JUNE 29-30 SEMI-FINALS: JULY 2-3 • FINALS: JULY 7

THE UNITED STATES, MEXICO AND CANADA AGAIN LEAD THE WAY IN THE GOLD CUP BUT, TOM SCHOLES WRITES, THERE’S MORE TO THE 2019 EDITION OF THE TOURNAMENT THAN THAT… United States Coach Gregg Berhalter has some young talent ready to take the Gold Cup by storm

‘Both the USMNT and Mexico have some exciting, intriguing talent to call on.’

T

he CONCACAF Gold Cup, held every two years between countries in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, has regularly seen future stars of the participating countries begin their rise, or establish their legend.

LAFC’s Carlos Vela is an example of the former, as the Mexico forward started to become an integral part of El Tri during the 2009 edition, inspiring his country to victory then and in 2015. Landon Donovan is more in the latter camp, as he helped the United States to four tournament victories across an 11-year span.

Mexico and the United States might now use the competition as a chance to blood new players into their set-up ahead of the Copa America, if invited, or the World Cup, if qualified, but other nations, who don’t have the same quality in depth, take the Gold Cup as a chance to play high level, competitive football. The tournament may be dominated by the United States and Mexico, but they’re far from the only points of interest.

The 2019 Gold Cup will be the 15th edition of the tournament, which succeeded the CONCACAF Championship in 1991. It’s also the first time Gold Cup fixtures will take place outside the United States, Canada or Mexico, as Costa Rica and Jamaica will host two games each. There are 15 venues in the United States hosting matches — the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with a capacity of just over 90,000, is the biggest, while Chicago’s Soldier Field has been named as

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GROUP A

GROUP B

GROUP C

GROUP D

The Gold Cup is Tata Martino’s chance to see Mexico in competitive action for the first time

the location of the final on July 7. Beginning on June 15, the tournament this year takes place during the domestic MLS season, which means the League will break for the opening week and resume on June 21.

This is also the first time the Gold Cup has had 16 competing teams, up from 12 in 2017. The expanded format has given the likes of Bermuda and Guyana, making their competition debuts, a chance to appear in the tournament proper. Curacao, who debuted in the 2017 tournament, are also back and Nicaragua also qualified again for their third-ever Gold Cup campaign.

The 2017 tournament saw Jurgen Klinsmann’s United States Men’s National Team win their sixth Gold Cup, beating Jamaica in the final thanks to goals from Toronto FC’s Jozy Altidore and Jordan Morris of Seattle Sounders. To illustrate just how much has changed in the two years since, Klinsmann has since left his post, Michael Bradley won the tournament’s Golden Ball award for the best player, and Imagine Dragons were popular enough to have two songs as the official anthems of the tournament.

Mexico and the United States will again be front-runners to win the whole tournament, while it’s a whole new world for debuting pair Bermuda and Guyana. Bermuda, with Queens Park Rangers forward Nahki Wells as their star player and ex-Stoke City striker Kyle Lightbourne as manager, sharing duties with his club Robin Hood FC, have never been in a major tournament

Carlos Vela made his name at the Gold Cup a decade ago and remains crucial to Mexico

GOLD CUP QUALIFYING Qualifying for the biggest Gold Cup in history wasn’t the most straightforward affair — unless you were one of the six countries to reach the tournament automatically…

The qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup is perhaps unlike any other qualification campaign in the world.

Six teams qualify without kicking a ball while 34 other teams have to outplay each other in order to grab the remaining 10 spots.

The six teams who automatically qualified were Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, United States and Trinidad and Tobago, due to their World Cup 2018 Hexagonal performances, while the other 34 nations played four games — two at home, two away. The top 10 teams would then qualify into the Gold Cup and then into the CONCACAF Nations League, a new format which will help ease qualification into the 2021 Gold Cup. Sound complicated? It’s quite simple now, but wait until the Nations League kicks in…

A BRIEF HISTORY The United States and Mexico dominate the history of the Gold Cup, which dates back now almost 30 years…

The history of the Gold Cup is largely dominated by the United States, with six wins and Mexico — seven wins. Canada took a solitary win in 2000, where they beat a Tino Asprilla-led Colombia team in the final 2-0.

The Gold Cup officially started in 1991, replacing the old CONCACAF Championship [same format, new name] with the United States winning the first title. The Gold Cup has since been used as a way for nations to build a rapport amongst themselves and to prepare for major tournaments in the future, with Gold Cups usually falling between World Cup and Copa America years.

Even with the biggest field in tournament history, the 2019 edition will follow much the same path — some countries will use it as preparation for other tournaments, and some will give it their all. But with more young stars than in the past taking part, it’s a tournament to take notice of. before. Guyana, meanwhile, are managed

by Michael Johnson, who made almost 600 appearances as a defender in English football for Notts County, Birmingham City, Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday.

Not only have the Golden Jaguars also never qualified for a major tournament before, at one point they went years without so much as playing an international fixture. Neither side will be content to simply make up the numbers, though, and might consider taking a point from one of the region’s big boys as a successful tournament.

The Gold Cup will be the first competitive fixtures for the USMNT under the stewardship of Gregg Berhalter, who eventually replaced Klinsmann’s successor Bruce Arena after a protracted search. It’s also the first opportunity for Tata Martino, newly-installed Coach of Mexico and formerly of Barcelona and Atlanta United, to see his players in competitive action.

Both bosses have some exciting, intriguing talent to call on.

For Berhalter, there are youngsters such as Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams who are in line for a lot of game time, as Berhalter puts his stamp on the squad — his own Core Four. International veterans such as Bradley,

The 2019 Gold Cup will be the 15th edition of the tournament.’

ROLL CALL 16 teams will take part in the 2019 Gold Cup, the most yet. These are they, and their best-ever performances…

Mexico -

Winners in 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011 and 2015

United States -

Winners in 1991, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2017

Canada -

Winners in 2000 DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks should also remain part of the group, too.

Mexico will be led again by the likes of Vela, Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez and Raul Jimenez, giving Martino a powerful front-line, and younger players such as PSV Eindhoven’s exciting Hiring Lozano and Real Betis’ teenage star Diego Lainez as Mexico prepare some of their young talent for the future.

Canada can also feel confident going into the tournament, with Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies looking like playing a key role for the country. Besiktas’ former Orlando City striker Cyle Larin also has the chance to show what he’s made of and remind any doubters of why he got a big move to Europe in the first place. Also worth keeping an eye on is Jafar Arrias of Curacao, a 23-year-old forward playing in the Eredivisie with Emmen and if Curacao are to spring a surprise, he’ll be central to it.

The big names and world-class talent may almost all be with the United States, Mexico and Canada, the only three countries to ever win the Gold Cup, for Bermuda, Guyana and more, the Gold Cup is more than just a tournament. It’s a chance to unite a country through sport and dream for 90 minutes, maybe longer. One of the United States, Mexico and Canada will surely win the competition but just being in the mix is as great an achievement for some countries. The United States, Mexico and Canada will get the lion’s share of the attention but some countries and some of their players will get to live their dreams this summer, and that’s something to celebrate in itself.

TOP: Chelsea-bound Christian Pulisic should be one of the stars of the tournament ABOVE: Nahki Wells and Bermuda are making their Gold Cup debut

Honduras -

Runners-up in 1991

Costa Rica -

Runners-up in 2002

Panama -

Runners-up in 2005 and 2013

Jamaica -

Runners-up in 2015 and 2017

Trinidad and Tobago Third in 2000

Martinique -

Quarter-Finals in 2002

El Salvador -

Quarter-Finals in 2002, 2003, 2011, 2013 and 2017

Haiti -

Quarter-Finals in 2002 and 2009

Cuba -

Quarter-Finals in 2003, 2013 and 2015

Nicaragua -

Group Stage in 2009 and 2017

Curacao -

Group Stage in 2017

Bermuda Debut

Guyana -

Debut

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IN FOCUS

U20 WORLD CUP

NEW BOYS NEW RECRUITS

BY COLIN MILLAR

Jadon Sancho wasn’t part of England’s Under-20 World Cup squad in 2017 and represents the next generation of England superstars

GROUP A

‘Before the 2017 edition, England had little pedigree in the Under-20 World Cup.’

T

he Under-20 World Cup is the biggest global tournament in youth football and it has helped launch the career of a number of big names in the sport. In 2005, Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to the title while 14 years earlier, Luis Figo was the star as Portugal lifted the tournament.

Yet before the 2017 edition, England had little pedigree in the competition. The last time they had progressed to the semifinal stage was 1993 – only four of whom (Nicky Butt, Nick Barmby, Alan Thompson and David Unsworth) would be capped at senior level. They failed to make the 2015 competition while two years earlier, they propped up their group. That squad had included Ross Barkley, John Stones, Harry Kane and Eric Dier, all of whom would subsequently star for the senior side.

That being said, the winds of change had already been blowing in English youth football. The Under-17 side had won the European Championship twice – in 2010 and 2014 – the first title since the 1984 Under-21 edition. Eight of the Under-20 squad who jetted out to South Korea in 2017 had been part of the 2014 success – Freddie Woodman, Jonjoe Kenny, Dominic Solanke, Dael Fry, Adam Armstrong and captain Lewis Cook. It was a culture of winning that would repeat itself.

Expectations were not high prior to the

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tournament – reflected in England being third seeds in the four pots for the group stage draw – but the Three Lions topped a tricky group including hosts South Korea and Argentina. Ademola Lookman’s goal defeated Costa Rica in the Round of 16, while Dominic Solanke’s strike eliminated Mexico at the quarter-final stage. Both Merseyside-based forwards were on hand for the 3-1 semi-final success over Italy – Solanke of Liverpool netting twice with Everton’s Lookman also on the scoresheet again. It was a goal from another Goodison Park striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which proved enough for the final success over Venezuela.

Of the 21-man squad, 17 were based in the Premier League, with Middlesbrough’s Fry and Harrison Chapman, Luke Southwood of Reading and Charlton defender Ezri Konsa the only exceptions. Everton were the best represented club with five – Lookman and Calvert-Lewin were joined by defenders Kenny and Callum Connolly along with midfielder Kieran Dowell. Chelsea had three and Liverpool had two, although Solanke’s switch from Stamford Bridge and Anfield, which had been agreed before the tournament, would reverse those figures.

The best-established player in England’s top flight is Calvert-Lewin – who has now made 89 first-team appearances for The Toffees, scoring 11 goals. He had joined the

GROUP B

GROUP C Lionel Messi helped inspire his country to success in the 2005 edition of the Under-20 World Cup

club in a £1.5m deal from Sheffield United the previous year, while his goal in the decider ensured he became only England’s third player to score in a world final after Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. He currently has a deal at Goodison Park until 2023 and is establishing himself as a workhorse in attack, stretching opposition defences and displaying good hold-up play along with providing an aerial threat.

The other Evertonians have had varying degrees of success – Connolly has made only one first-team appearance amid a raft of loan spells but fellow defender Kenny has made 39 appearances. Lookman was already more experienced – he had joined the Merseysiders in January 2017 from Charlton in a deal initially worth £7.5m, but has been frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities. Naturally a winger, his best spell of form came during a loan spell with German club RB Leipzig in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign, when he netted five goals in 11 outings.

There are similar tales of woe for other young English stars hoping to breakthrough at top half Premier League clubs. Solanke scored just once for Liverpool in 27 appearances before being allowed to join Bournemouth – for whom he has not yet scored – in a whopping £19m deal in January 2019. Liverpool’s two other youngsters from the 2017 squad, Sheyi Ojo

GROUP D

GROUP E

GROUP F

2019 U20 WORLD CUP IMPORTANT DATES: GROUP STAGE: MAY 23-31 • ROUND OF 16: JUNE 2-4 • QUARTER FINALS: JUNE 7-8 • SEMI-FINALS: JUNE 11 • THIRD PLACE GAME: JUNE 14 • FINALS: JUNE 15 and Ovie Ejaria, have also only featured on loan deals elsewhere since.

Chelsea duo Fikayo Tomori and Jake Clarke-Salter have been two names added to the club’s lengthy list of loan departures, while Tottenham midfielder Joshua Onomah has not played for his parent club since the success due to loan deals at Aston Villa and then Sheffield Wednesday. Teammate Kyle Walker-Peters, now aged 22, has had more joy at the club but still has made only 17 first-team outings.

There has been more success across North London for Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

One of his main strengths is versatility – comfortable in midfield, full-back and as a winger, playing a part in him passing the 60 appearances mark for the Gunners. He has been equally trusted by Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery at The Emirates Stadium and looks set to earn full international duty for England in the coming years.

The one player of that 2017 class who has played at senior level is Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook, who has excelled on the South Coast since his 2016 switch from Leeds United. Another who is now aged 22, the central midfielder represented his nation at six junior levels before earning his first full cap in a 1-1 draw against Italy in March 2018. Cook has continued to impress at club level for the Cherries despite being frustrated by persistent ankle problems.

Whilst there are several of the successful

TOP FIVE UNDER-20 WORLD CUP FACTS SOUTH AMERICAN DOMINANCE Argentina have won the competition (six times) more than any other, while Brazil are only one trophy further back.

No other nation has lifted the trophy more than twice in their history. Brazil – who are not in this year’s edition – do outdo their fierce rivals in terms of the numbers of finals, pipping them by nine to seven.

Under 20 side performing admirably in England’s top flight, it is too early to say that any will reach the level of elite status within the game. In fact, it is a younger generation – Jadon Sancho, Callum HudsonOdoi, Aaron Wan Bissaka and Marcus Rashford among them – who have caught the eye more and look set for huge futures within the game. England’s 2017 success however has raised the bar both in terms of expectations and performances, while it has given tangible success to the nation’s rapidly improving youth coaching.

BELOW, MIDDLE TOP: Versatile Ainsley Maitland-Niles is growing into an important first-team squad member at Arsenal

FRENCH FAVOURITES France could land the senior World Cup and Under-20 version within a year of each other if all goes to plan in Poland, Colin Millar writes.

France are the bookmakers’ favourites to triumph in this year’s tournament in Poland. Les Bleus are champions of the senior World Cup and continue to produce a host of exciting young players. Jean-Clair Todibo joined Barcelona from Toulouse in January while defensive partner Dan-Axel Zagadou is a regular for Borussia Dortmund. Exciting winger Moussa Diaby and Moussa Sylla – of Paris SaintGermain and Monaco respectively – are two players to keep an eye on. France are strongly fancied to win the trophy.

Argentina are also in the running, with most of their squad home-based. Only four of their squad are not playing in their homeland but one is their captain Nehuén Pérez – a highly-rated defender at Atletico Madrid. Portugal are another nation to look out for, with their defender Rúben Dias – who has already clocked over 50 appearances for Benfica – arguably the tournament’s most experienced player.

Other top seeded nations for the tournament include hosts Poland and Uruguay, the South American champions. The United States are also in contention with a strong squad including five players based at Bundesliga clubs along with 17-year-old Barcelona forward Konrad de la Fuente.

Mexico – who could call upon highlytalented Real Betis playmaker Diego Lainez – are also one of the teams to fear in the tournament, while Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa provide the representation from Africa.

There are notable qualifiers from less established football nations too. 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar are in the finals as are Oceania’s Tahiti, while Panama and Honduras ensure representation from Central America.

Failing to break into the first-team at both Chelsea and Liverpool, Dominic Solanke has moved on to Bournemouth

RECENT EUROPEAN SUCCESS Each of the past three tournaments have been won by sides from Europe.

England’s 2017 crown followed on from Serbia’s victory over Brazil in the showpiece two years earlier, while France lifted the 2013 edition. In total, seven European nations have lifted the trophy.

GHANAIAN CHALLENGE Ghana are not in this year’s trophy but have historically provided the strongest African representation. They are the only side from the continent to lift the trophy (in 2009) while they also lost the deciders in 1993 and 2001. Indeed, they have recorded five finishes either in the semi-finals or better – stronger than any European side.

Under-20 World Cup-winning captain Lewis Cook has impressed at Bournemouth

GOLDEN BALL HONOURS LIST The award for the tournament’s best player has been won by some prestigious names over the years. Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Paul Pogba have all scooped the prestigious award while the last two editions have been won by Adama Traore and Dominic Solanke.

ARGENTINA DOMINATE THE GOLDEN BOOT Aguero and Messi have also won this award, but the tournament record for goals scored is held by their countryman Javier Saviola, who netted 11 times in 2001. Italy’s Riccardo Orsolini lifted the 2017 prize.

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IN FOCUS

EURO U-21 CHAMPIONSHIP

Euro Rising

ITALY ARE THE MAIN HOSTS OF THIS SUMMER’S EUROPEAN UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP. NO COUNTRY HAS WON THE TOURNAMENT MORE TIMES THAN THE AZZURRINI, BUT CIRO DI BRITA ASKS WHY IT’S 15 YEARS SINCE ITALY’S LAST UNDER-21 TRIUMPH…

Two goals in the 2000 final marked Andrea Pirlo as a star of the future

GROUP A

‘It was three tournament triumphs in a row in 1996 via a penalty shootout win over Spain.’

T

he European Under-21 Championships debuted in 1978 and in that inaugural year Italy reached the quarter-finals, before being beaten 2-1 over two legs by England. Two more quarter-final exits followed in 1980 and 1982 before a semi-final loss to England in 1984. Two years later they were defeated on penalties by Spain. But despite not managing to win the competition, some of the players brought through in those years went on to make up the squad that won the 1982 World Cup – including Fulvio Collovati, Beppe Dossena, and Giovanni Galli.

Cesare Maldini replaced Azeglio Vicini as Coach in 1986 when Vicini took over the senior team. He’d spent 10 years in the post and laid the groundwork for Maldini to succeed. The new man’s first tournament, in 1988, saw Italy exit again at the quarter-final stage, beaten by an exciting France side that featured a young Eric Cantona. Two years later Italy were beaten on away goals in the semi-final against a Yugoslavia XI that boasted such talents as Sinisa Mihajlovic, Dejan Savicevic, Roberto Prosinecki, Davor Suker, and Zvonimir Boban.

It was in 1992 that Italy’s dominance of the competition started, as they won their first tournament by beating Sweden. That success was followed by another two years later, when Portugal were beaten in extra time in the first final to be played as a one-off encounter, not a two-legged fair.

It was three-in-a-row in 1996 via a penalty shootout win over Spain. Maldini’s side

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finished the game with nine players but the likes of Fabio Cannavaro, Christian Panucci, Alessandro Nesta and Francesco Totti saw them over the line.

Maldini then left to take over the senior team, leading Italy to a World Cup quarterfinal appearance at France ’98, but the longevity of the former Milan man wasn’t replicated by his successor. Rossano Giampaglia had been assistant to Maldini and duly took over as Under-21 Coach but lasted just a year, his short tenure deemed a massive failure, as Italy failed to so much as qualify for the 1998 Under-21 tournament.

An embarrassing 2-0 defeat to Georgia was the lowest of low points.

Marco Tardelli was appointed to replace Giampglia and took his young charges all the way in the 2000 edition, beating the Czech Republic 2-1 in Slovakia. Andrea Pirlo scored both goals in the final and was partnered in midfield by future long-time teammate and current Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso. The Czechs did get a measure of revenge two years later as they knocked the Azzurrini out of the tournament at the semi-final stage.

Tardelli was succeeded in the summer of 2002 by his former Juventus and Italy teammate Claudio Gentile, one World Cup winner taking over for another. Gentile claimed what has proved to be Italy’s last Euro Under-21 title in 2004, beating Serbia and Montenegro 3-0 in the final. Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Barzagli were stalwarts of that side but that was the highpoint for

GROUP B

Cesare Maldini delivered Italy’s first Euro Under-21 triumph in 1992

GROUP C

2019 U21 EUROS IMPORTANT DATES: GROUP STAGE: JUNE 16-24 • SEMI-FINALS: JUNE 27 • FINALS: JUNE 30

EUROPEAN UNDER-21 ROLL OF HONOUR YEAR 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

WINNER Yugoslavia Soviet Union England England Spain France Soviet Union Italy Italy Italy Spain Italy Czech Rep Italy Netherlands Netherlands Germany Spain Spain Sweden Germany

RUNNER UP East Germany East Germany West Germany Spain Italy Greece Yugoslavia Sweden Portugal Spain Greece Czech Rep France Serbia Ukraine Serbia England Switzerland Italy Portugal Spain

OLD HEADS, YOUNG SHOULDERS LUIGI DI BIAGIO CAN CALL ON SOME PLAYERS WITH SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AS HE PREPARES TO END ITALY UNDER-21S’ TROPHY DROUGHT… PLAYER G. Donnarumma G. Mancini R. Mandragora N. Barella N. Zaniolo L. Pellegrini P. Cutrone M. Kean F. Chiesa

POS G D M M M M F F F

CLUB Milan Atalanta Udinese Cagliari Roma Roma Milan Juventus Fiorentina

AGE 19 22 21 22 19 23 21 19 21

Gentile — the Azzurrini failed to get past the group stage in 2006 and he left the job shortly after.

Pierluigi Casiraghi was hired to lead the team in the 2007 edition but again the young Blues didn’t pass the group stage. He then followed that early exit with a semifinal loss to Germany in 2009. In qualifying for Euro 2011, Casiraghi oversaw a playoff defeat to Belarus and was understandably sacked soon after.

Ciro Ferrara arrived in the hot seat and rebuilt a side that featured Lorenzo Insigne, Marco Veratti, and Ciro Immobile that qualified for the 2013 tournament while playing some exciting football.

Ferrara soon left to take the Juventus job and Devis Mangia stood in for the summer’s competition. A final defeat to Spain was seen by some as a step towards a return to competing for trophies but things haven’t quite gone that way.

Luigi Di Biagio has been in the job for six years now and has been guilty of underperforming in the finals on two occasions. In 2015 his side failed to get out of the group with a squad that featured Daniele Rugani, Alessio Romagnoli, Cristiano Biraghi, Federico Bernardeschi, Domenico Berardi and Andrea Belotti, who have all gone on to represent the senior team. In the opening game of that tournament he made some questionable selection choices, and the Azzurrini blew a lead against a Sweden side that went on to win the Cup. They at least got out of the group in 2017 but took a heavy beating from the Czech Republic along the way, and again Di Biagio was accused of getting his selection wrong when heavily rotating his team. A 1-0 win

‘Luigi Di Biagio may argue that it’s his job to prepare players for the senior team and not be obsessed with winning.’ over a Germany side that was already through to the next round saw Italy squeak into the last four, but there they were outplayed by Spain.

Di Biagio may argue that it’s more his job to prepare players for the senior team and not be obsessed with winning, but Italy’s pedigree and track record in the competition mean the expectations are high, with at least a final place the aim.

The Coach is surely on his last chance to deliver a trophy, with this year’s tournament being played on home soil just to add to the pressure. Regardless of how he views his job, Di Biagio’s side have to be considered among the favourites and with players the calibre of Alex Meret, Nicolo Barella, Federico Chiesa, Nicolo Zaniolo and Moise Kean, there can be no excuse if the Azzurrini don’t deliver.

TOP: Federico Bernardeschi was part of a talented squad that disappointed in 2015 ABOVE: Current Coach Luigi Di Biagio is under pressure to end the youth team’s trophy drought RIGHT: Goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma brings an experience to the team that belies his young age

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Young Guns CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEW BOYS

THE 2018-19 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HAD MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE OF STARLETS, INCLUDING FRENKIE DE JONG, MATTHIJS DE LIGT AND EDER MILITAO. SAMUEL BRIDGES TAKES A CLOSER LOOK…

T

he Champions League, football’s premier club competition, a knockout tournament where heroes reach new heights and zeros are criticised even more harshly than in domestic competition. With Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Inter, Paris SaintGermain and Bayern Munich all missing from the latter stages of the 2018-19 edition, it’s worth asking why the historical big boys but modern minnows Ajax and Porto have flourished this season after being lost in the continental wilderness. Their policy of putting youth first is a major factor.

It’s the club from Amsterdam that have stolen the most headlines this season, firstly for the mega money sale of Frenkie De Jong to Barcelona, set to be completed in the summer of 2019, secondly [and more importantly] their ruthless 4-1 humiliation of defending triple European champions Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

De Jong, who starred in both legs against the Merengues, has become a favourite for his close control and passing abilities, but it must be asked if the Blaugrana board have been too hasty in spending around £80m on a 22 year-old who has only gotten an extended run of starts in the first team this season and will be competing against the youthful Arthur Melo and Carlos Alena, who are of a similar age and already performing to a higher level than the Dutchman.

De Jong is not the only young talent Ajax have on their hands however. Matthijs De Ligt, the 19-year-old centre-back, captain and Netherlands international, already has over 100 professional appearances for the club and has also been linked with Barcelona as they look to move on the underperforming Samuel Umtiti.

Standing tall at 6ft 2 inches, the teenager’s awareness and presence in the box have earned praise from the great Giorgio Chiellini, a man not easily impressed.

However, Ajax’s two Dutch starlets are not the only youngsters worth noting, as they also house a full Brazil international in David Neres, a tricky winger with an eye for goal.

The former Sao Paolo man is yet to attract the attention of a major Spanish side, but at just 22, there is more time available. Neres is rumoured to be of interest to Tottenham Hotspur, a fellow Champions League quarter-finalist, and ambitious Everton.

Nevertheless, Neres is not the only young Brazil international to impress during the 2018-19 Champions League. Eder Militao is a quick, agile and aggressive defender akin to the World Cup-winning, Bayern Munichbound Lucas Hernandez, and has in fact been so outstanding that Real Madrid have spent £50m to secure his signature from Porto this summer.

Leading the Portuguese side’s defensive line like a veteran during their controversial win over Roma during the last 16, slotting in across all four defensive positions, the 21-year-old, was signed for just £4m from Sao Paolo last summer. His proficiency at full-back and in the middle of defence is likely why he caught Madrid’s attention, as it is for the same reasons they splashed £30m on Sergio Ramos 14 years ago.

The difference this season with Porto is that instead of selling their best players for large profits last summer, as they do

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‘Frenkie De Jong, has become a favourite for his close control and passing.’ most seasons, they instead decided to keep Yacine Brahimi, Hector Herrera, Alex Telles and Moussa Marega. With all being early to mid-20s, the Portuguese giants still have plenty of youth about them, but seeing their results change dramatically by having a more experienced, tighter-knit squad could potentially change their transfer policy forever.

Further North in Europe was the potential rise of another sleeping giant in Europe, with Lyon making waves in the Champions League for the first time in a decade.

Another club building their future on youth and vibrancy, Lyon have been shaped their XI around the magnificent midfield duo of the hard-working and highly intelligent Tanguy Ndombel, 22, and the controlling and technical Houssem Aouar, 20.

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have become accustomed to facing the Premier League’s defensive deep blocks, but were blown away at home from the high press of Ndombele and Aouar in a 2-1 win which frankly flattered the hosts at the Etihad Stadium, while the Manchester club could only claim a point in France, and that thanks to two costly defensive errors from Lyon. The French duo control the press and speed of Bruno Genesio’s side, a remarkable achievement for two so young, and will be attracting interest from larger clubs with ageing middle men such as Juventus, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Lyon’s Champions League journey may have ended at the last 16, but as it was to Barcelona and took a late push from the Blaugrana at Camp Nou to send them home, it is more than excusable.

‘Eder Militao is a quick, agile and aggressive defender… and Real Madrid have secured his signature.’

But while it’s primarily the second tier of Champions League clubs that have nurtured youth this season, in an effort to thrive in a game that becomes more financially-reliant with each passing season, some of the continent’s big boys have also allowed younger players their chance to shine. Juventus, among the tournament favourites at the start of the season, are often controlled from the centre of midfield by 21-year-old Uruguay international Rodrigo Bentancur, who was signed as part of the deal that took Carlos Tevez to Boca Juniors in 2015.

Moise Kean has also exploded onto the scene at Juve since the turn of the year.

Blessed with pace, skill and strength, the Juve youth product is one of the key components of a fresh-faced Italy team, joined by Cagliari’s Nicolo Barella, Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo and Udinese’s Rolando Mandragora. Although only Zaniolo has played Champions League football, they should all appear in the competition in the near future.

While there’s no guarantee that young players who break through at the top level will fulfil their potential — the names Joe Cole, Ricardo Quaresma, Nicolas Gaitan and Ryan Babel come to mind — recent years have seen Gareth Bale, Marco Reus, Antoine Griezmann, Marco Verratti and Kylian

Mbappe, among others, come to the fore.

They’ve all benefitted from being at clubs that value young talent and offer a strong platform and, if necessary, a shop window for bigger clubs. They avoided getting too much, too soon, and their clubs benefitted as well.

With Frenkie De Jong and Eder Militao already destined to face off in La Liga’s Clasico next season, time will tell how they and their peers fared after catching the eye in the 2018-19 Champions League.

OOPPOSITE PAGE: Barcelona were so impressed by Frenkie De Jong they wrapped up his signature before the end of the season ABOVE: Real Madrid did likewise for Porto’s Eder Militao BELOW: Dusan Tadic proved it’s not only youngsters making a difference in the Champions League

GOLDEN OLDIES It’s not just the kids that are alright in the 2018-19 Champions League. As Samuel Bridges notes, some players at the other end of their career have stood out too…

Just as every Champions League season has its best young players, there are also those late bloomers and age-defying greats that attract much attention for their standout performances.

Dusan Tadic, now 30-years-old, had enjoyed a consistent yet unspectacular career before Ajax picked him up this summer for around £10m. Fast forward six months and he is now the spearhead for a club that reached the latter stages of the Champions League — not bad for someone who narrowly avoided relegation with Southampton last season. The Serbia international was especially impressive in Ajax’s 4-1 win over Real Madrid, netting a scorcher from just outside the box and running Los Blancos’ defence ragged.

This season we have also seen two former Real Madrid men impress together at a new club, with both Iker Casillas and Pepe lining up for Porto.

Casillas has proven to still be one of the best goalkeepers in Europe despite turning 38 at the end of May, while Pepe is still as uncompromising and terrifying as ever at 36. Both put in colossal displays to survive and two-legged onslaught from Roma during the last 16, even if Pepe was very lucky not to see red in both games, but that is the story of the Portugal international’s career.

Along with the older stars popping up once again, we have also seen Giorgio Chiellini lead the Juventus line like a warrior, while Barcelona’s old head Gerard Pique has been a pillar in defence, as well as his unusual penchant of becoming an auxiliary striker when needed.

Iker Cassilas

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINALS

WANDA METROPOLITANO

HOSTING THE BEST 2018/19 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES AND DATES

VS

VS

1st Legs (Semi-Finals) 30 April – 1 May 2019

2nd Legs (Semi-Finals) 7–8 May 2019 Final Saturday, 1 June 2019

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Standing proudly on the eastern outskirts of Madrid – Spain's capital and one of the world’s most innovative cities – is the Wanda Metropolitano, a pioneering arena that boasts some of the finest cutting-edge technology in modern construction. Indeed, Atletico Madrid's new home opened its doors in 2017 to the acclaim of being the first 100% LED stadium in Europe.

In today's increasingly digitalised and connected world, the Wanda Metropolitano very much belongs in the 21st century.

The stadium offers guaranteed 4G mobile coverage and very soon 5G too. As if that wasn't enough, the arena also features a 360º ribbon board display that spans over 530m2, the only one of its kind to be found across the LaLiga Santander grounds.

Once you set foot inside the stadium, the sound of 68,000 die-hard Atleti fans accompanies the breathtaking light and sound extravaganza offered up by Philips ArenaExperience, with the two combining to turn every matchday into a veritable delight for the senses. All of this technology makes the Wanda Metropolitano the ideal venue for major sporting events, such as the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League final it's set to host in June, and concerts, with the stadium's 336 LED floodlights able to display over 16 million colours. Less than two years after its inauguration, the arena has already welcomed the musical talents of Bruno Mars and Iron Maiden, as well as having hosted corporate events of major brands, who have been suitably impressed by the more than 20 multi-functional rooms within the complex.

Despite having established itself as a leading financial and cultural centre,

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

Atletico's stadium isn't just about the technology. References to the club's decorated history abound in the streets surrounding the arena, with the club having successfully managed to retain the essence of its iconic former home, the Vicente Calderon, and the glorious nights played out on the banks of the Manzanares river.

As they make their way down the Avenida Luis Aragones, named after the former player, coach and a man who was the very embodiment of what Atletico stands for as a club, supporters are greeted by over 160 commemorative plaques that pay tribute to those who have clocked up over 100 appearances for Los Rojiblancos.

The Paseo de las Leyendas celebrates the Atleti careers of the likes of Paolo Futre, Gabi, Fernando Torres and Diego Forlan and offers fine views of the biggest flag to be found anywhere in the country, which waves proudly over the stadium.

A considerable 338m2 of red-and-white fabric flaps tirelessly as it battles against the wind, an image that instantly brings Los Colchoneros' never-say-die attitude to mind.

All of the above make the Wanda Metropolitano far more than your run-ofthe-mill stadium. It's a new arena that's befitting of one of the most dedicated and passionate fan bases in world football. This season has seen Atletico's membership figures hit a historic high with over 123,000 members (including 57,718 season-ticket holders) on the club's books. These loyal supporters are more than prepared to stick with their team through thick and thin in their longing to once again taste LaLiga Santander glory.

YOUTH VS. EXPERIENCE Many clubs will put their faith in youth — but some value experience instead.

Which is the best path to success?

Samuel Bridges considers Porto’s example.

One of the oldest questions in football, but still remains as relevant as ever today. A youthful, vibrant squad or a clan of older players that have hit every curveball the game can possibly throw?

As expected, the answer is not black and white, but perhaps white and blue, as Porto have yo-yoed between winning the competition to group stage exits over the past 15 years, giving them a unique insight as to what is truly needed for Champions League success.

It all started in 2004, when a youthful Jose Mourinho, against all odds, guided Porto to the Champions League title with sheer grit and determination. Alltime greats such as Deco and current Porto Coach Sergio Conceicao were mainstays in the Porto starting XI, but it was also an oddball general squad, including Edgaras Jankauskas, the only Lithuanian to ever lift the trophy, and Dimitri Alenichev, a high-profile, bigmoney Roma flop.

With an average age of 27.7, the Dragao had a middle-aged squad, while the Monaco side they demolished 3-0 in the final, despite having arguably more talent, had an average age of 25.2, among the youngest in the competition.

That suggests that a squad needs time to bond and develop mentally to achieve greatness, no matter the general level of ability.

Now in 2019, Porto reached the quarterfinals for only the second time since lifting the trophy with an average age of 27.2, the same as their last quarterfinal appearance in 2015. Although this suggests that quality and a mix between youth and experience is important, the average age of the squad being over 27 in Porto’s three most successful seasons over the past 15 years suggests that it is experience that makes the difference.

A Symphony of Power and Acceleration

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EUROPA LEAGUE FEATURE

Diamonds In The Rough THE TOP SPOTS IN THE EUROPA LEAGUE SCORING CHARTS ARE DOMINATED BY RELATIVE UNKNOWN PROSPECTS THIS SEASON, GREG MURRAY ASSESSES THEIR POTENTIAL.

A

lthough dismissed by some as the lesser European competition, the Europa League has long been a testing ground for many of the world’s hottest prospects. Players that have yet to forge their reputation have a chance at competing on a continental scale, putting themselves in the shop window for more prestigious clubs. While Olivier Giroud has led the scoring table and is now a relative veteran of the game, alongside the World Cup winner have been three strikers waiting for their chance at the big time.

The oldest, and most established of the trio is Wissam Ben Yedder, the latest in a long-list of Sevilla forwards to thrive in the continent’s secondary competition. The Rojiblancos saw their progression halted in the round of 16 by Slavia Prague, ending the Frenchman’s chances of surpassing his London-based compatriot, yet the diminutive striker’s performances have certainly caught the attention of a number of clubs. A penalty against Espanyol took the forward to 68 goals for the Spanish side, making him their 10th highest top scorer in less than three seasons – with a personal record of 16 League strikes this season.

In fact, it is the club that a Ben Yedder brace knocked out of the Champions League last year, Manchester United, that has been most strongly linked with the Sevilla man, who will no doubt be delighted to have seen his recent progress.

At just 170cm the former Toulouse star is very much an atypical forward and has been predominantly fielded in a front two alongside Munir El Hadadi or Andre Silva this season, dropping deep to carry the ball forward and spark attacks. Given that Alexis Sanchez is unlikely to continue his United career past this summer, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may see Ben Yedder as the perfect replacement to energise his side’s revolution.

Vying for Europa League goals with the Frenchman, and quite possibly intended as his replacement at Sevilla this summer, is Munas Dabbur. The RB Salzburg forward may have a different style of play, operating as a traditional No. 9 in a front three, but has matched Ben Yedder goal for goal not only in the Europa League but domestically this season. Having been linked with Liverpool during the January transfer window, the Israeli striker signed instead for Sevilla, although was loaned back to his club for the remainder of the season.

Dabbur has not allowed the transfer to distract him from his performances, and has helped fire his side to a commanding lead in the Austrian Bundesliga, hitting four in a win over Austria Vienna. Having started his career at Maccabi Tel Aviv, the striker facilitated his side’s first Israeli championship win in a decade whilst still developing his craft. Since then, Dabbur has transformed into the ideal all-round forward, dominant in the air whilst absolutely clinical with the ball at his feet.

Sevilla’s Joaquín Caparrós has clearly identified the Israeli as the perfect partner to another January purchase, Munir. And, with the club in contention for a top four finish in La Liga, we could well see the duo competing in the Champions League next season.

Sitting with these two is arguably the Europa League’s hottest prospect, Luka Jovic. The 21-year-old has had a break-out campaign for Eintract Frankfurt, a club that has exceeded expectations yet again this

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LEFT: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be looking to sign Ben Yedder.

BELOW: Sevilla have a knack for spotting goalscorers and Wissam Ben Yedder hasn’t disappointed

‘Wissam Ben Yedder is the latest in a long-list of Sevilla forwards to thrive in the Europa League.’

EUROPA LEAGUE SEMI FINALS

EUROPA LEAGUE ALUMNI

The 2018/19 UEFA Europa League Quarter Finals:

Goals in the Europa League can propel a striker to the very peak of football.

Greg Murray picks out a few who took that route…

A number of illustrious names have made the Europa League their own, with the likes of Alan Shearer, Adritz Aduriz, Edison Cavani and Radamel Falcao all finishing as top scorer over the past two decades. However, no player benefitted more from doing so than Didier Drogba, who scored six in helping Marseille reach the final, prompting his career defining move to Chelsea — level with another former Blue Mattia Kezman.

Marseille may have lost the final to Valencia, with a red card to Fabian Barthez far from helping their cause, but goals against Inter, Newcastle and Liverpool ensured that Drogba became the most wanted striker in the world that summer.

Edison Cavani

LOW-PROFILE STARS It’s inevitable that the strikers get the attention but, Greg Murray notes, there’s been excellent performances across this pitch in this season’s Europa League.

Strikers invariably catch the headlines in firing their teams to victory, yet there are a number of players in less glamorous positions worth keeping an eye on in the run in to the final.

Kalidou Koulibaly has been linked with almost every top team in Europe, having starred in the Napoli back line over the past few years. Phenomenal athleticism combined with great timing in the tackle and surprising ease on the ball has put the Senegalese defender at the top of a number of wish lists – although Aurelio De Laurentiis may only accept a bid over €100m.

Elsewhere, Benfica have continued their tradition of churning out top quality youth-prospects with Greek goalkeeper Odisseas Vlachodimos making a name for himself, protected by Ruben Dias at centre-back and Alex Grimaldo on the left of defence. The trio are all under the age of 24 and could well be on their way to bigger clubs in the summer.

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT (GER) VS CHELSEA (ENG) ARSENAL (ENG) VS VALENCIA (SPA) SEMI-FINAL: MAY 2 & MAY 9 FINAL: MAY 29

THE FINALS: BAKU OLYMPIC STADIUM season, despite the club losing their Coach, Niko Kovac, to Bayern Munich over the summer. Addi Hutter, the replacement, built on his predecessor’s attacking approach, implementing a 3-4-1-2 formation with Jovic starting on the left of a trident, with Sebastien Haller as a No. 10 and Ante Rebic on the right.

The formation has suited Jovic down to a tee, helping the forward to approach 20 League goals, including five against Dusseldorf, breaking the record for the youngest player in the Bundesliga to do so.

This has been a trend throughout Jovic’s career, as he also holds the record as the youngest player to feature in the Eternal Derby, featuring for boy-hood club Partisan Belgrade against Red Star, at the age of just 16 years, nine months and 25 days.

Despite his status as a wonder-kid in Serbia, the striker’s career appeared to have stalled following a move to Benfica in February 2016, where his failure to lock-down a starting berth saw a drastic drop in market value. This allowed Frankfurt to bring Jovic in on a two-year loan, with just a reported €5m option to make the move permanent.

Given that there are rumours circulating of an incoming €50m bid from Barcelona, as a potential replacement for Luis Suarez, Frankfurt may be wise to cash in on a player that has scored more than 10 goals just once in five seasons of regular professional football.

In five of the last six editions of the Europa League, the top scorer has finished on eight goals or fewer, meaning the Frankfurt man could well consider himself unlucky not to be dominating the charts with seven. With a point to prove, and momentum on his side, Jovic could become the first man to break the 10-goal barrier since the player he modelled his game on, Radamel Falcao.

ABOVE: Munas Dabbur could be Ben Yedder’s replacement at Sevilla BELOW: Eintracht Frankfurt look set to turn a huge profit on Luka Jovic, with Barcelona interested

Construction of the 225,000-square-meter Stadium on a 650,000-square-meter site was completed in February 2015. The sixstory, 65.7 meter structure near Boyukshor Lake, Baku, Azerbaijan, opened on 6 March 2015. The main tenant of the stadium is Azerbaijan's national football team, who moved from their previous home at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium. In June 2015 the stadium served as the main venue for the European Games, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, and the athletic games. The venue is intended to host the quarterfinals and three of the group games for UEFA Euro 2020. A green area is being developed around the stadium, which is accessible via public transport.

The stadium hosted athletics and ceremonies during 2015 European Games.

The Stadium hosted all of Qarabag's Champions League group stage matches in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League.

The stadium is scheduled to host the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday 29 May 2019.

OPENED: LOCATION: OWNER: CAPACITY: SURFACE:

March 6, 2015 Baku, Azerbaijan Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan 68,700 Grass

Kalidou Koulibaly

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THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY

THE GOOD

Wilfried Zaha could have been one of English football’s lost talents after his unhappy spell at Manchester United. His vibrant form in 2018-19 is confirmation that his short stay at Old Trafford didn’t derail his career permanently, and another example of a player and a club fitting each other to a tee.

Zaha came through at Selhurst Park and a series of prodigious displays convinced United to pay £10m for him in January 2013, with a further £5m to come depending on various factors. Sir Alex Ferguson’s last signing, Zaha returned to Palace for the rest of the 2012-13 season before heading north.

By the time he got to United permanently, Ferguson was gone and David Moyes was in his place.

Moyes gave Zaha his debut in the Community Shield, but after that the Ivory Coast international had to wait, and wait, and wait. Zaha didn’t appear in the first team again until October, in the League Cup, and didn’t get a Premier League appearance until December.

He ended the season on loan at relegated Cardiff, and started the next — with Moyes sacked and replaced by Louis van Gaal — back at Palace, again on loan. The difference was stark and immediately seen,

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as Zaha scored a late equaliser against Newcastle in his first appearance back home, and only half-a-season passed before the return was made permanent.

He’s gone from strength-to-strength ever since. Roy Hodgson has fashioned a hardworking side that is reliant on Zaha to produce a moment of magic — too reliant — but, now 26, he’s able to cope with the pressure. Zaha has won Palace’s Player of the Year award three times in a row and should make it four at the end of the current campaign, and while more goals would turn him into a true Premier League heavyweight, it’s pleasing to see Zaha back on track.

THE BAD

Consistency is a much-desired but rarelyfound quality in football. Managers want it from players and from referees, so is it too much to ask that the men on the touchline show some themselves? Not in terms of team selection or tactics but, in Neil Warnock’s case, reaction to controversial decisions.

“It’s the best League in the world but the worst officials,” Warnock ranted after Chelsea had an offside goal allowed against his Cardiff City team. “It’s a sickener. It’s soul-destroying. My players feel like they

ABOVE (MAIN): Wilfried Zaha ABOVE (LEFT): Neil Warnock LEFT: Christian Kabasele OPPOSITE PAGE, FAR ABOVE RIGHT: Brenden Rogers OPPOSITE PAGE, FAR BOTTOM RIGHT: Slavisa Jokanovic

have been kicked in the teeth. I don’t deserve officials like that…there is no excuse, it’s criminal.”

Warnock was within his rights to be frustrated, disappointed, and even angry — Cesar Azpilicueta was clearly offside, and Cardiff missed out on valuable points in their relegation fight. But when the roles were reversed, and Sol Bamba was offside when he scored the winning goal against Brighton in November, it was a laughing matter for the veteran manager: “My wife doesn’t read tea leaves but she did tell me that my luck is going to change,” he joked.

Chris Hughton wasn’t laughing. That defeat was his team’s second in a row after a run of three straight wins. Who knows how the Seagulls’ season might have gone if the flag had been raised?

Of course, neither Azpilicueta’s goal nor Bamba’s are the only incorrect calls made this season, and Brighton and Cardiff aren’t the only teams effected either. But that’s the point: officials, like players and managers, make mistakes.

Perhaps Warnock is more circumspect and self-analytical in private, and his public outbursts are a concerted effort to sway officials in future fixtures.

It’s not any official’s fault that his Cardiff team have spent the season fighting relegation. Maybe Warnock should spend more time asking why his team are one of the worst in the League than calling for officials to be something he can’t be himself.

THE UGLY

Racist abuse hasn’t only hit English players in the last few weeks — and it hasn’t only been heard outside of the country either.

The Euro 2020 qualifier between England and Montenegro was marred by abusive chanting from the home fans in Podgorica, the most high-profile case, but not an isolated one.

Watford’s Christian Kabasele shared some of the ugly messages he received on social media, Wilfried Zaha did the same — and not for the first time this season — and clubs and players below the top flight took action and issued complaints when their players or they themselves were targeted, either online or in the real world.

A season ticket holder at Brentford was arrested for allegedly racially abusing Derby County’s Duane Holmes, Wigan Athletic reported a message directed at winger Nathan Byrne to police as a hate crime and Northampton Town players revealed they were racially abused when walking through Nottingham prior to playing Notts County.

It’s easy to call for harsh punishments against Montenegro for the incidents in the game with England, and the usual platitudes were trotted out in response to the domestic incidents too. But will there be action taken? Montenegro will be fined or forced to play behind closed doors for the behaviour of the people in the stands. Is the same going to happen domestically?

Everyone in a position of power in English football says the right things. But rarely is anything ever done. Would a fan think twice about racially abusing a player on Twitter if their club was going to be punished for it? Unlikely, because it’s not a rational act. Yet for all the anti-racism campaigns, all the supportive t-shirts and slogans, the situation seems to be getting worse.

Racism is a problem of English society, not just English football, but pretending it only happens abroad isn’t the solution.

Going UP Going DOWN

STATS SO FAR Sergio Aguero

TOP SCORERS PLAYER Sergio Agüero Mohamed Salah P.E. Aubameyang Sadio Mané Harry Kane Raheem Sterling Eden Hazard Jamie Vardy A. Lacazette Paul Pogba

TEAM Man. City Liverpool Arsenal Liverpool T. Hotspur Man. City Chelsea Leicester City Arsenal Man. Utd

G 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 15 13 13

GOING UP

TOP ASSISTS PLAYER Eden Hazard Christian Eriksen Ryan Fraser Leroy Sané Paul Pogba Andrew Robertson Raheem Sterling Joao Moutinho Callum Wilson Raúl Jiménez

TEAM Chelsea T. Hotspur Bournemouth Man. City Man. Utd Liverpool Man. City Wolves Bournemouth Wolves

A 12 12 12 10 9 9 9 8 8 7

CLEAN SHEETS PLAYER Alisson Ederson Kepa Arrizabalaga Jordan Pickford Hugo Lloris Martin Dúbravka Neil Etheridge K.Schmeichel David de Gea

TEAM Liverpool Man. City Chelsea Everton T. Hotspur Newcastle Utd Cardiff City Leicester City Man. United

CS 18 16 13 11 11 10 9 8 7

Brendan Rodgers left Liverpool as something of a laughing stock, a walking middle-management cliché. He returned to the Premier League with Leicester City at the end of February with a clutch of medals from his time at Celtic, and looks a good fit for the Foxes.

Rodgers’ first five games in charge produced four wins and one defeat, and that came in his first game and via a 92nd-minute goal.

While it’s true Leicester didn’t have to face any of the League’s top teams in that spell, it’s hard to argue with the results. Rodgers’ image should be rehabilitated by the end of next season.

GOING DOWN

Fulham came up via the play-offs for the 2018-19 season, and immediately set about shooting themselves in the foot. The Shahid Khan-owned Cottagers signed 14 players in the summer, and Coach Slavisa Jokanovic suddenly couldn’t pick a first-choice goalkeeper, never mind a first-choice XI. Jokanovic named three different goalkeepers in Fulham’s first 10 League fixtures, employed a variety of formations and varying combinations of defenders, midfielders and attackers, all in mostly in vain and none really given a chance to succeed or fail. He himself was dismissed in November and his successor, Claudio Ranieri, only lasted until the end of February — relegation followed shortly after. Fulham’s top flight return must go down as one of the most confused campaigns in the League’s history.

Alisson

As of match day 34

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OZIL OUT? SUMMER HEADLINE MAKERS

MESUT OZIL HAS ENDURED A FRUSTRATING SEASON AT ARSENAL AND RUMOURS ARE MOUNTING THAT HE COULD LEAVE IN THE SUMMER. STEPHEN DONOVAN ASKS WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE MERCURIAL PLAYMAKER…

FACTFILE NAME: Mesut Ozil BORN: March 20, 1984 (Germany) HT / WT: 1.83m / 76kg POSITION: Midfielder CLUB: Arsenal

‘This season has felt like the beginning of the end for Ozil at Arsenal’

O

n a Monday evening in October 2018, the Premier League witnessed one of its outstanding individual displays as Arsenal came from behind to seal a 3-1 victory over Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium. The hosts produced a scintillating comeback, all orchestrated by the brilliance of Mesut Ozil, who served a reminder of the profound extent of his ability.

Handed the captain’s armband for the night, the 2014 World Cup winner was the instrumental architect for all three of his team’s goals. He netted the first himself, making a difficult volleyed finish look dismissively easy after linking up sumptuously with right-back Hector Bellerin. His defence-splitting pass then helped set up the second for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who also scored the third, following a breath-taking move where Ozil was involved no less than three times in the build-up.

It was a truly memorable performance, yet sadly for the playmaker it acts as an exception to the rule in what has largely been a frustrating season. Instead, lengthy absences from the starting XI and persistent rumours of an uneasy relationship with manager Unai Emery have combined to cast serious doubt on his

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future, with a move away in the summer for Arsenal’s highest paid player beginning to look an increasingly realistic prospect.

More or less an automatic first choice during the previous regime under Arsene Wenger, Ozil has found himself in and out of the team in 2018-19. There’ve been times where he’s remained on the substitutes’ bench for the full 90 minutes, or even omitted from the match day squad altogether, apparently for tactical reasons.

It’s therefore ironic that he’s been named as captain for a number of the games he’s started.

When given the opportunity this season he’s only delivered occasionally, with that performance against Leicester the high point. In some games, he simply struggled to make a telling contribution, and afterwards the manager has not been afraid to move him to the sidelines. He’s swiftly become a victim of the rotation policy, often competing with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi, and the Juventus-bound Aaron Ramsey for a place in the team.

It has acted as a curious sub-plot throughout Emery’s reign to date. A player of Ozil’s calibre and creativity should be continually thriving in an Arsenal side that’s full of exciting and ruthless attacking talent, but instead it has seemed that in some

SEASON 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

CLUB Schalke 04 II Schalke 04 Schalke 04 W. Bremen W. Bremen W. Bremen Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal

APPS GOALS 1 0 23 0 30 2 47 5 46 10 1 0 53 10 52 7 52 10 2 0 40 7 32 5 45 8 44 12 35 5 25 5

LEFT: Mesut Ozil has fallen out of favour for much of Unai Emery’s first season in charge at Arsenal OPPOSITE PAGE ABOVE: Arsene Wenger brought Ozil to North London in 2013 and rarely left him out of the team

A SUMMER OF CHANGE

‘There is a growing sense Ozil isn’t as central to Arsenal’s hopes as he used to be’ games, Emery has viewed him as something of a tactical liability and decided to leave him out.

This has led a number of other questions to be asked. Does Emery not trust Ozil to perform a certain role for the team?

Has anything been happening behind the scenes? Are there doubts over the player’s commitment?

There’s definitely an argument to say that Ozil doesn’t quite have the capacity or indeed the mentality to play the kind of relentless, high-energy football that Emery has favoured in some matches. He’s shown that he can work hard for the team and put in a defensive shift, but it’s hard to imagine the 30-year-old being full-blooded and really going after the opposition.

Arsenal did exactly that in both of their Premier League meetings with rivals Tottenham earlier this season. Ozil only appeared for a total of 18 minutes across the two games, while his teammates took a powerful approach, brimming with intensity.

They showed a high tempo going forward, and a collective desire to win the physical battle. It’s debatable that with less creative freedom, Ozil would’ve made such a tireless contribution, and Emery clearly felt the same way.

The former Germany international is no stranger to scrutiny, having often divided opinion among supporters and pundits ever since he made the move to North London from Real Madrid in a dramatic club record deadline day deal in the summer of 2013.

His quality has never been disputed and he’s provided numerous standout moments, yet criticism has frequently been levelled at him over a casual demeanour, an inability to perform consistently in the big games, and most significantly a perceived lack of work rate, something that Emery demands in spades against the strongest and most dangerous opponents.

In contrast, his place in the side was rarely threatened under Wenger, whose style focused first and foremost on the team’s sharp and often irresistible attacking play, rather than matching the strengths of the opposition. However, even before this season there has become a growing sense that Ozil isn’t quite as central to Arsenal’s hopes as he used to be.

He struggled for form and consistency throughout a turbulent 2017-18, which culminated in a stormy end to his international career amid claims he was unfairly singled out for criticism by German media and received little support from the DFB in the wake of his side’s disastrous 2018 World Cup. Despite that, Arsenal still pulled out all the stops to keep him.

With his existing contract fast coming to an end and the risk of losing him on a free transfer increasing each day, the Gunners agreed terms with Ozil on a £350,000 per

week deal, committing him to the club until 2021. Perhaps it was cutting off the nose to spite their face, but more than a year on, the lucrative salary has given Emery and the new sporting director a major stumbling block if they do indeed decide to try and cut their losses.

Any potential suitor would be unlikely and very possibly unwilling to match Ozil’s current terms, taking into account his relative lack of game time, and the fact the best years of his career are now probably behind him. A loan deal seems much more likely, with talk of interest from Paris SaintGermain and Inter, but even then it relies on him being keen on the move.

His intelligence and creativity would surely fit in well at PSG, where the football is incisive and attack-minded, utilising the pace of Kylian Mbappe and the trickery of Neymar. The question is whether he would be a better option than what the French champions already have, and if he’s even willing to leave North London, where he feels very much at home.

Emery has so far given little away on Ozil’s future, though the player’s agent did come out in January to state his client was ‘100 per cent committed to Arsenal’, adding that he wanted to stay for at least the whole of the remaining two years of his contract.

Should he not leave in the summer, he’ll still be a very useful option and will make more starring contributions here and there, but not as an essential part of Emery’s plans.

It’s likely that as the Spaniard continues to shape his squad and bolster his attacking midfield options over the coming transfer windows, Ozil will have fewer opportunities to show his class.

For that to happen would be a shame for such a gifted player, as well as costly for the football club as his contract runs down.

But if anything, it would be an emphatic statement from Emery that it’s his Arsenal team, one built firmly around his own ideas and philosophy that he hopes will eventually be a lot better equipped to challenge for the Premier League title than the side he inherited.

Either way, this season has felt like the beginning of the end for Ozil at Arsenal.

His playing time has been reduced and will only become more limited, so he appears to have a choice ahead between simply taking the money or rising to a new challenge.

There looks set to be a busy summer ahead at Arsenal, and as Stephen Donovan explains, some long-serving players are likely to leave There is much talk over the long-term future of Mesut Ozil at Arsenal, as the German seemingly heads closer to the exit having endured a difficult campaign. However, he is not the only longserving player at the club whose days could be numbered, with manager Unai Emery set to make further changes to his squad during the summer transfer window.

Indeed, the future of Aaron Ramsey has already been decided.

Signed from Cardiff City in 2008 when he was only 17 years of age, the Wales international has been a key player for a number of years, but like Ozil, he’s found himself in and out of the team this term. Having failed to agree terms on a new contract, he will join Juventus in July, leaving a gaping hole in Arsenal’s midfield options that may only increase should the out-of-favour Mohamed Elneny also leave.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech began the season as first-choice, but after losing his place to Bernd Leno, has announced his upcoming retirement after a wonderfully distinguished career in the Premier League. Meanwhile, injury-ravaged striker Danny Welbeck may be allowed to leave in order to re-launch his career elsewhere, a sad end for a player who always delivers promise.

There is increasing speculation that Unai Emery’s long-term plans do not include Ozil

MESUT'S MAGIC MOMENTS In nearly six years at Arsenal, Mesut Ozil has produced some memorable moments of quality. Stephen Donovan looks back on some of his highlights When Arsenal signed Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, he looked to be a landmark arrival in their bid to return to the top of English football. It hasn’t quite happened that way and he’s rarely lived up to expectations in the big games, but there have been some outstanding moments of quality along with three FA Cup triumphs in 2014, 2015, and 2017.

If the German has proven anything during his time in North London, it is that few players in the world can match his ability to produce a telling pass or a clever assist. He has consistently been one of the leading assist-makers in the Premier League over the last five years, ranking second only to Christian Eriksen in that time, and ahead of the likes of David Silva and Cesc Fabregas during that period. His best season was 2015-16, when he finished with 19 assists from 35 appearances.

In terms of scoring goals, Ozil has never been especially prolific.

However, it is the outstanding performances that have defined his stay; not quite as consistently as the club and fans have hoped, yet he has still lit up the Emirates Stadium on numerous occasions.

2018 was a difficult year for Ozil and the future looks similarly uncertain

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AROUND ENGLAND

“” QUOTES

“I am not interested in who judges me.

God judges me one day and that is the only thing I am interested in. What other people say about me I couldn’t be less interested.” - Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says his achievements as Liverpool manager will only be judged by God and not by the trophies he wins.

“Unless there’s a proper deterrent put in place I don’t see these things changing so I think you have got to deduct points from clubs. And the punishment for the individual has got to be much more severe than 14 weeks in a cell.” - Rio

BORED WITH PALACE

Wall Street based owners of Crystal Palace, Joshua Harris and David Blitzer, are looking to sell their stake in the Premier League club three years after investing in the team, according to reports. The duo have enlisted the help of an investment bank to handle the sale, with reports suggesting talks have already been held with at least one USbased financial firm. Joshua and David, who also own the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, acquired stakes in Crystal Palace in late 2015. Alongside club chairman Steve Parish, the two men each own an 18 percent controlling share in the London club.

NOBODY WANTS “REAL” ANYMORE

According to reports, Manchester United are in talks with telecommunications firm Vodafone over implementing a 5G data network at Old Trafford.

The two parties are in talks regarding the fitting of highspeed fibre optics in the stadium so it will be ready for 5G. This will make it one of the first UK venues to install the next-gen mobile network, which is said to be 100 times faster than 4G. The 5G network will be used to capture behind-the-scenes content from team training as well as virtual stadium tours. It could even go as far as conducting TV interviews with players on the pitch using holograms of presenters from the studio.

BRIAN CLOUGH IMPROVEMENT

Second-tier side Nottingham Forrest have announced plans to increase the capacity of their stadium to 38,000 seats following the extension of their lease on their historic home.

The redevelopment includes knocking down the existing Peter Taylor Stand and building a new 10,000-seater structure in its place. The revamped stand will include a club museum, a new club shop, a range of hospitality lounge options, restaurants and executive boxes. The Brian Clough and Bridgford Stands will also be improved, while the surrounding area of the stadium will also see renovations.

WORK FOR TOFFEE

Premier League club Everton have been named as one of the best places to work in the UK for the second consecutive year. The club moved up 25 places from last year to 71st in the 2019 ‘Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For’ list, an annual ranking and survey of some of Britain’s top employers. Everton were the first football club to feature in the rankings after last year’s appearance. During the past 12 months, the club introduced various employee benefits, including enhanced maternity and paternity pay, upgraded learning and development programmes, and tangible opportunities for internal progression.

Ferdinand calls for more severe action following an epidemic of pitch invasions.

NO WANDERING

“When you marry, the number one will be family, wife and kids, and then football. I want to make sure that while I play at the top level, football can be number one. You don’t know how long you can play at the top level” Tottenham’s Son-Heung Min explains why he won’t get married during football career.

OFFICIAL BEER FOR WOMEN

Budweiser has become the official beer of the England women’s national team. The agreement with the Lionesses marks the brands first venture into women’s football, joining Lucozade Sport as an official team partner.

Budweiser has had a long-standing relationship with the Football Association, having invested more than $1.7 million directly into English football. As part of this new agreement, Budweiser will work together with the Lionesses in their preparations for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, as they aim to grow the profile of the women’s game.

NO MORE NIKE

“It's almost like it's not who you play, it's who you get to referee and who is going to have a flag in their hand nowadays, it's just as important. The best league in the world and probably the worst officials at the minute. He [Smart] is saying that Willian blocked his view, but it wasn't a six inch one. Either side you should be able to see he's two yards offside.” - Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock was not happy following his sides controversial 2-1 loss to Chelsea which saw Azpilicueta equalize from a clear offside position.

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Manchester City have confirmed their rumoured kit deal with Puma after announcing a global longterm partnership with the German sportswear brand.

From July, Puma will replace Nike as the exclusive kit supplier for the club across all their teams, men’s, women’s and youth teams. There have been some conflicting reports, but the latest figure is that the agreement is worth a massive £650 million over the ten years. That would make it the second most valuable kit contract in the Premier League behind rivals Manchester United and adidas. This new arrangement with Puma marks a significant upgrade on the club’s current deal with Nike. As part of this agreement, Manchester City’s sister clubs in Australia, Spain, Uruguay and China will also be wearing Puma.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed plans to increase the capacity of their Molineux Stadium to as many as 50,000 seats. The club’s chief executive Laurie Dalrymple and chairman Jeff Shi told Sky Sports that work on expanding their current 32,000 seat home could begin as early as this summer. The proposed development would take place in several stages over the coming years.

The news of this should relieve fans’ fears that the owners were looking to leave Molineux, which has been the team’s home since 1889.

DID YOU

KNOW?

BUY, BUY, BUY

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has told the club’s official supporters’ trust that summer transfer plans will not be affected by the cost of the new stadium. Last summer, Tottenham became the first team in Premier League history to not sign any players since the start of the transfer window. They also failed to make any additions in January as well. However, this summer is shaping up to be a different story. A report released by the supporters’ trust details a meeting with Daniel Levy where they were told that money has been set aside for signings in the summer, with more available should the club sell players.

• Tottenham were the first English team to win their home leg of a Champions League knockout tie against German opposition since 2011.

• There are only two players who have scored Premier League hat-tricks on Valentine’s Day, Matt Le Tissier in 1994 and Michael Owen in 1998.

• Manchester United have eliminated the reigning FA Cup holders more than any other side – 10 times.

BY THE NUMBERS 50 Javier Hernandez is the first Mexican player to score 50 Premier League goals.

5 England have scored 5+ goals in consecutive matches for the first time since 1984.

161 Nicolas Otamendi received his first red card with Manchester City after making 161 appearances.

IT'S NOT LIKE EVERTON

NOTHING BETTER TO DO

Liverpool goalie Loris Karius has reported his loan club Besiktas to FIFA over unpaid wages that date back four months. There are multiple reports that Karius had taken legal action against the club back in February. If proven true, Besiktas could face a points deduction or a potential ban from international competitions. Karius is on loan at Besiktas until 2020, and remains in constant contact with his parent club Liverpool.

Friendly banter between friends who support different teams is nothing new, but what one guy did probably is. Newcastle fan Dane took things to a new level after he travelled over 100 miles to let his friend know how the match ended between their two teams. Newcastle were 2-0 down to Everton at St. James Park, but a determined Newcastle side turned the tie around and took all three points with a 3-2 comeback win. Following the match, Dane took to the road and travelled over 100 miles to pay his friend a special visit. He walked up to the door, rang the doorbell and waited for his friend to open. Once the door was opened he shouted “3-2 hahaha” and walked away.

WITH REAL MCSPIT

eBay is a place where you can find interesting and sometimes weird items to purchase. It can also be a place to buy something rare. Well, someone put Sir Alex Ferguson’s final chewing gum as Manchester United for sale on the site and it sold for a whopping £390,000. Ferguson was in charge at Manchester United for 26 years and probably went through thousands of packets of chewing gum. A fan picked up his last ever chewing gum and placed in a glass/wooden case. To be fair to the seller, they did mention that it was rumoured to belong to Sir Alex, and all proceeds went to the Manchester United Foundation.

BABY IN STADIUM?

In one of the most random moments ever seen during a football match, Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino was seen posing for a photo with a woman’s baby. The Brazilian was going through an intense warm-up during half-time of the Merseyside Derby, possibly preparing to enter the game, but instead of seeing him take his coat off, there was a shot of him having his picture taken with an infant that had been passed over to him by a random lady.

CUTTING-EDGE SCIENCE

An incredibly disgraceful scene took place in the English second division during the Midland’s derby between Aston Villa and Birmingham. A pitch invaded ran onto the pitch in the first half and struck Villa captain Jack Grealish in the back of the head. He did very well not to retaliate and ultimately, he had the last laugh, scoring the winning goal in the second half. As for the fan, he has been jailed for 14 weeks and given a 10-year ban from all football grounds. Birmingham have also banned him for life from attending a match.

PAID TO YELL

Manchester United are looking to introduce an ‘Atmosphere Section’ at Old Trafford next season as they try to boost noise levels for next season. The club will introduce a dedicated section within the first tier of the Stretford End, about 1200 seats, for singing and chanting. Alongside that, the club also revealed that they are freezing ticket prices for the eighth season in a row.

PISH, PASH MASH

Manchester City have announced a multi-year partnership with sports drink Gatorade, which will also cover their women’s team. Gatorade will be listed as the official sports nutrition partner of Manchester City Women. As part of the deal, Gatorade will assist women’s team by providing the players access to its portfolio of products, equipment and cutting-edge science through its Gatorade Sports Science Institute. In addition, City and Gatorade will collaborate on video content to be shared on the club’s digital channels.

CHELSEA BOOTED

FIFA have denied Chelsea’s appeal to have their transfer ban frozen while the club appeals the decision to ban them from making transfers for a year. In early March, FIFA announced that Chelsea had been punished for breaking the rules over the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18. Their punishment is a two-transfer window ban, which means Chelsea won’t be able to register any new players in the summer or January transfer window next year. Other clubs have faced similar punishments in the past, but they were allowed to buy players during their appeal.

A change to FIFA’s appeal panel chairman may be the reason why Chelsea was not granted the same treatment.

A STAPLE DIET

DUMB & DUMBER

Everton’s Jordan Pickford was caught on camera stealing from the club’s training ground. During a Sky Sports report, Pickford was seen in the background giddily running away with a handful of stationery supplies.

Shortly after, an Everton employee is seen chasing after him as if he was a misbehaving student. If you knew nothing about the England goalkeeper before, now you know he’s a big fan of A4 paper and enjoys being a little mischievous.

Nike have continued with their recent mash-up kits, this time with Manchester City. Following Barcelona and Inter, City are the third team to get the mash-up treatment and it hasn’t gone done well with fans. Nike’s mash-up kits for Barcelona and Inter were in celebration of their long-standing partnerships (20 years each), but in Manchester City’s case it’s… who knows. The American kit manufacturer have made nine kits in six years for Man City, and will make way for Puma next season.

If you do want to get your hands on one, it will be pretty difficult as Nike have only produced 6000 shirts, each individually numbered.

REAP THE BENEFITS

A professional FIFA player is giving out FIFA 19 lessons for £17 an hour. ‘REAPERZz’ is offering one-on-one lessons on how to get good at EA Sports’ franchise game, no matter the console you use. Bookings are available and can be arranged through social media. The 22-year-old has over 21,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel and has a FIFA record of around 1000 wins and 300 losses predominantly playing in the weekend league and Division Rivals. If anyone is interested in improving their game then contact him and see if he can help.

LEAVE RIGHT AT HOME

League Two side Port Vale are looking for left footed players to sign. The club held a ‘Left-Footer Talent Identification Day’ during the Easter half term break to try and find left footed players. The club posted an advert on their twitter page seeking players between the ages of 7-14 who have the potential to play Academy football. Who knows, maybe they’ll find the next Messi.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Colin Lee, at 79-years-old, is still playing football, making him the oldest goalkeeper in Britain.

He started playing back in 1949, and has played for six different teams throughout his 73-year career. Despite his age, Colin has no intention of hanging up his boots anytime soon, and wants to keep playing into his 80s. Colin started his career as a center back but soon found excitement playing in between the sticks. The 79-year-old still plays most Saturdays with his 50-year-old son and 21-year old grandson Tom.

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AROUND ENGLAND DID YOU

KNOW?

“I think Tottenham for two or three years have been one of the best teams in England… For the Premier League it is good – new stadium, they have top players. But at the end you know Chelsea won a lot of trophies, they have not, so I hope this continues.” - Eden Hazard takes a dig at Tottenham’s lack of silverware following the opening of the club’s new stadium.

• Manchester United were the first team to make three first half substitutions during a Premier League game since Burnley in 2015.

BANK ON IT

Banking group Barclays will become the first title sponsor of English football’s Women’s Super League in a multimillion-pound partnership running until 2022. According to the FA, this is the biggest investment in British women’s sport by a brand, with reports suggesting the deal is worth more than £10 million. The deal will see the league renamed to Barclays FA Women’s Super League. This isn’t Barclays first involvement in football, the banking group were title sponsors of the men’s Premier League between 2004 and 2016 and are still the league’s official banking partner.

EXPENSIVE MOLDE

“The pressure is immense at this stage of the season because whoever makes a mistake now is going to be remembered forever. You miss a chance after 15 or 20 games then nobody remembers it, but everybody remembers Steven Gerrard slipping [in 2013/14 to dent Liverpool's title chances].” - Paul Merson warns title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool that any mistakes they make now in their fight for the title will be remembered forever.

The wait for who was going to replace Jose Mourinho at Manchester United is finally over.

There has been plenty of speculation and rumours surrounding who would get the job, whether it was going to be Zidane or Pochettino.

But now, the speculation is done. Manchester United have announced that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be their permanent manager after he signed a three-year deal. As a gesture of goodwill, Manchester United will pay Molde around £500,000. The Norwegian signed a three-year contract with Molde back in early December before taking over at Old Trafford as a caretaker a couple of weeks later. Solskjaer has had an immediate and positive impact on the club following Mourinho’s spell in charge.

UMBRO DEAL

“I told the England guys a week ago that you (England) should win the Euros. I think they are favourites, with France.

I see the guys already established, and those coming up, so the future looks really good.” - Kevin De Bruyne says England are favourites to win Euro 2020.

“Fortunately, they did not choose to go on strike and their loyalty to the club cannot be questioned, unlike the players' decision, which unfortunately has a negative rather than a positive logic behind it. I am not quite sure what the players think striking will achieve.” Bolton Wanderers owner Ken Anderson has questioned the loyalty of his players after they went on strike over unpaid wages.

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Everton have announced a multi-year extension of their technical partnership with sportswear brand Umbro. The deal will see Umbro continue to provide kits and training wear for the Premier League club’s men’s, women’s and academy teams. The new agreement will take affect at the start of next season. Umbro have been the club’s official kit supplier since the 2014/15 season, while the first time they teamed up was back in the 1970s.

SWEET FA

The Football Association (FA) has confirmed that chief commercial and football development officer Mark Bullingham will be its new chief executive. He will succeed current chief executive Martin Glenn, who is stepping down from the role at the end of the current season. Bullingham joined the FA back in 2016 as commercial and marketing director where he helped pin down key sponsorship deals with Nike and Barclays as well as drive record viewership and engagement figures on FA digital channels. This appointment means that the FA has beaten both the Premier League and the English Football League to hiring a new chief executive. The announcement came amid rumours that the FA is looking to rebrand as the English Football Association (EFA) in an effort to improve its image on the global stage as it prepares to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

TRENT BOOT EXTENSION

Liverpool and England star Trent Alexander-Arnold has signed an extension to his boot deal with Under Armour worth a reported £6.4 million over four years, or £1.6 million per year. If the reported figures are true, this will be one of the most lucrative boot contracts in English football, and makes his deal worth considerably more than his Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk. Trent’s deal with the US sportswear brand ranks second in the England squad in terms of boot sponsorship value, with Harry Kane’s Nike deal worth more.

PATCH INVASION

The Premier League has helped international police shut down illegal subscription streaming service following the world’s largest anti-piracy investigation to date. The league launched the probe back in 2015 as part of their global effort to combat the redistribution of its content. The investigation uncovered a complex international technological infrastructure underpinning an illegal IPTV business. In total, five arrests were made in relation to crimes including intellectual property theft, fraud and money laundering. Three of the five have been sent to prison following court appearances and have been jailed for a total of 17 years for conspiracy to defraud. During its operation, the business is estimated to have made around $9 million.

• There has never been a Premier League match where all 22 players in the starting XI were English.

• Trent AlexanderArnold is the youngest ever player to assist three goals in a single Premier League match.

• Brendan Rodgers has failed to win his opening league game as manager at all four of his previous clubs in English football.

VOTED BY WHOM?

‘Goal’ has been voted the greatest football film of all time. The film follows Santiago Munez’s journey to football stardom, from the streets of Los Angeles to St. James Park in Newcastle.

The young man went from working at a Chinese restaurant to playing in front of thousands of people.

‘Goal’ beat out a number of films to take the top spot including the sequel ‘Goal 2’, ‘The Damned United’ and ‘Bend It Like Beckham’.

APRIL FOOL

Fulham decided to join in on the April Fool’s fun, however their fans were not happy about it. The London-based club tweeted that they were set to become the first side in Premier League history to adopt double-digits on every shirt, meaning 3 would be 03. Given the club’s current situation, sitting near the bottom of the table and already relegated, some fans did not take well to the joke. One fan responded, “40 would have been some nice digits to have” in reference to the average number of points needed to not get relegated.

MANY CHILDREN HELPED

The Bradley Lowery Foundation has raised over £3 million to help children with illnesses. The foundation was set up in honour of the brave 6-year-old who lost his battle with a rare form of cancer, but not before capturing the hearts of football world. Bradley passed before he was set to go to the United States for pioneering antibody treatment, in which £1.3 million was raised to help him. His mother Gemma helped raise the £3 million which has helped more than 30 children.

KICK RACISTS OUT

The Premier League launched a campaign featuring Raheem Sterling and Virgil van Dijk, alongside others, to fight racism. The ‘No Room for Racism’ campaign ran from March 30 to April 8 with a clear message: racism is not acceptable in football. No Room for Racism and Kick It Out branding featured across the various stadiums during the two rounds of fixtures. Team captains also wore special armbands in recognition of Kick It Out’s contribution to fighting discrimination over the last quarter of a century. The campaign was started after a meeting between the league and clubs where they agreed that more needs to be done to promote inclusion and diversity in football.

A CANNY DEAL, PET

BY THE NUMBERS 100 David de Gea has recorded over 100 Premier League clean sheets for Manchester United.

106 Claudio Ranieri was in charge of Fulham for only 106 days.

Two consortiums are interested in buying 71 Roy Hodgson, Sunderland, according to reports. It is at 71 years old, is believed that the club’s Netflix series, the oldest person which documented their relegation to to manage a League One last season, caught the eye Premier League of some investors. There are two groups game. who are interested in buying the club from owner Stewart Donald for £50 million. One is European-based and the other American. Donald completed a takeover of the club less than a year ago for £40 million, and has already revealed that he had rejected approaches from interested parties back in November.

A GAME CHANGER - THE ALL NEW

2019 NISSAN KICKS

NEW/OLD KIT FOR MAN U

Manchester United’s 2019/20 home kit appears to have been leaked, and it looks like it’s inspired by their Champions League win in 1999. The jerseys will be once again made by adidas. The club crest is set to be within a shield, just like it was back in Barcelona on that famous night in 1999. The adidas shoulder trim will be a darker red as opposed to the black of this year. White shorts and black socks will complete the kit.

HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE

Newport County’s 2019/20 shirt will feature the names of fans in order to raise money for Fraser Franks, who was forced to retire due to a heart problem. Supporters can have their names imprinted on a third kit for £50 with all proceeds from the sale going towards Fraser and his family.

Fraser, who is only 28, made 34 appearances for the club after joining from Stevenage last summer, and captained Newport in their heroic FA Cup win over Leicester in January. The jersey, which was designed by Fraser, features the club badge in amber with the rest of the kit in white. The names will make up a ‘v’ across the chest.

MOVE TO YOUR OWN BEAT

KICK THE HABIT

Harry Kane has revealed his serious plans to become an NFL star in the future. The Tottenham striker would like to end his career by switching sports and becoming a kicker. In an interview with ESPN, Kane expressed his desire to play in the NFL in 10 or 12-years’ time. Harry Kane is a huge New England Patriots and Tom Brady fan, so much so that he travelled to Atlanta to watch Brady win a record sixth Super Bowl. The striker also got the opportunity to meet Brady afterwards and snap a photo together.

NO WORK FOR GABBY

Former Aston Villa and England forward Gabby Agbonlahor has announced his retirement at just 32 years old. The striker has been a free agent since last summer after leaving Aston Villa and has been unable to find a new club. The announcement was made through an Instagram post. Over his career, Agbonlahor played nearly 400 games for Aston Villa and is the club’s record Premier League goal scorer with 75 goals.

RED-BREASTED BRISTOL

Bristol City have unveiled their new crest which sees the return of the robin. The Championship club, who are often referred to as ‘The Robins’, have not had the bird feature on their crest since 1949. Following a consultation which gathered thousands of responses, the robin will make its long-awaited return. The year 1894 will also feature on the badge, as the club celebrates 125 years.

SPURS TO CHINA

Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham will take part in this summer’s International Champions Cup. This year’s edition of the pre-season tournament sees 12 teams play 18 matches in three continents. United and Tottenham travel to Singapore for matches against Serie A sides Inter and Juventus before facing off against each other in Shanghai, China.

Tottenham will then finish their tournament off at home in their new stadium against Inter, while United end in Cardiff against Milan. As for Arsenal, all three of their matches will be played in the United States where they will face off against Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Roma.

INNOVATION THAT LOOKS OUT FOR YOU

AROUND ENGLAND

BY THE NUMBERS

SURGING AHEAD

“I wouldn't personally agree with it [walking off]. I would rather go and win the game because that would hurt them even more. They're trying to get you down. If you do walk off the pitch as a group, then that makes them win. If you score a goal to win the match, then that's even a better feeling which beats them.”

- Raheem Sterling believes it’s better to score and win when faced with racism than it is for a team to walk off the pitch.

“Obviously it's sad [to have to prepare yourself for that] but when countries only get fined what I probably spend on a night out in London then what do you expect? You see my manager [Mauricio Pochettino] get banned for two games for just being confrontational against Mike Dean at Burnley. Yet a country can only get fined a little bit of money for being racist. It's just a bit of a farce at the minute.” - Danny Rose argues that racism will continue to be a problem as long as offending parties are fined such a small amount.

Sergio Aguero is being tipped to upset the odds and beat teammate Raheem Sterling and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk to the PFA Player of the Year award this season. Aguero was incredibly named in the Team of the Year for the first time only last season, despite years of consistent scoring at the top level. Netherlands international van Dijk is the front-runner for the award, and has been for much of this season, having helped turn Liverpool into Premier League title contenders.

PLEASE DON’T GO

Chelsea are keen to hold on to their young star Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, even if he refuses to sign a new contract. The Blues fought off a number of bids from Bayern Munich in January, even with the 18-year-old submitting a transfer request. The club are hoping to convince him to stay long-term, but lack of playing time under Sarri is not making their case any easier. Despite his minimal playing time, the winger was called up to the England senior squad. His talent and potential has not gone unnoticed. Hudson-Odoi’s contract expires in the summer of 2020.

THE SACK RACE

Jose Mourinho, who was sacked by Manchester United last December, is hoping to get back to managing as he eyes a move to France. According to reports, Mourinho is hoping to take over at either Lyon or Monaco. The Portuguese was previously linked with a return to Real Madrid while Solari was in charge, but the appointment of Zidane has ended any chances of that happening. Other clubs who are believed to be considering hiring Mourinho include another of his former clubs Inter, as well as Paris Saint-Germain.

WILL IT HAUNT ROY?

“It was a great finish, but I didn’t see the mask thing. I’m quite happy I only saw it now because I probably would have lost my head if I saw that. I think you’ve got to wear the mask and do all that stuff when you know you’re going to win the game.” - Watford’s Troy Deeney mocks Wolves’ Raul Jimenez over his mask celebration during their FA Cup semi-final clash.

Roy Hodgson accidentally sold the wrong player while in charge of Liverpool, according to reports. Alex Kacaniklic was tipped to be the next big star to come out of Liverpool’s academy, but was sold to Fulham instead. According to the player himself, Hodgson sent the wrong Alex to Craven Cottage during the 2010 summer transfer window. Roy Hodgson really wanted to bring Paul Konchesky to Anfield after coming off a good season with Fulham, and in order to sweeten the deal he included two youth players.

Kacaniklic said he was on the phone with Roy, before signing for Fulham, when he realized he offered the wrong Alex.

MY BRAIN HURTS

“I'll absolutely refuse. Heurelho deserves it and should play without a doubt. He has never let this club down and never will. He was fantastic today.” - Watford’s number one goalkeeper Ben Foster has jokingly refused to play in the FA Cup final if he’s selected over Heurelho Gomes.

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Sir Alex Ferguson raised over £400,000 for the National Health Service (NHS) as a thank you for the life-saving operation. Sir Alex underwent emergency brain surgery last May after he suffered a seizure at his home. As a thank you, the former Manchester United boss threw a star-studded charity bash to raise funds for the NHS. Hundreds of people paid to have dinner alongside Fergie and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at an event which was hosted by actor James Nesbitt.

A TV IS CHEAPER

138 England featured two players aged 18 or younger for the first time in 138 years, last doing so in 1881.

A cap on ticket prices for away fans in European club competitions is set to be 18 At 18 years announced by the continent’s old, Callum leading clubs and UEFA. Following Hudson-Odoi complaints last year from is the second youngest player to Bayern Munich and Liverpool start a competitive fans regarding ticket prices at match for England Anderlecht and Porto, a working after Wayne group was set up to look into the Rooney in 2003 matter. Bayern fans boycotted (he was 17). the match to Anderlecht because 100 Mike Dean of high ticket prices. As for this is the first referee season, Liverpool and Porto to hand out 100 agreed to keep prices down red cards in the for each other’s fans in their Premier League.

Champions League quarter final 693 After 693 tie. Meanwhile, Manchester United days, Tottenham decided to subsidise the £102 cost finally returned of an away ticket at the Nou Camp “home” after by charging Barca fans the same opening their new price at Old Trafford. That kind of stadium. tit-for-tat pricing could prove for very expensive away days, something a cap can fix.

PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS

Former Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski (that's him on the right) spent the international break wrestling legendary sumo champion Hakuho Sho in Japan. The German, who is now playing for Vissel Kobe in the J-League, is embracing the Japanese culture and immersing himself into it as much as possible. Hakuho Sho showed Podolski the ropes by putting him in the traditional mawashi (loincloth) worn by wrestlers before stepping onto the doyho to fight. The World Cup winner shared his experience with his followers on social media.

MY NICE GRASS !

Tottenham are hoping that their new stadium could one day host the Super Bowl.

At the start of next season, Tottenham will share their stadium with the NFL, having agreed with the league’s governing body to share NFL matches between themselves and Wembley.

It will become the first Premier League stadium to host NFL matches, and if you are concerned for the pitch, don’t worry. The ground was designed with that agreement in place, as a retractable grass pitch was placed over an artificial pitch.

PETTY CASH

Raheem Sterling paid for 550 students from his old school to go the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

He has paid for the tickets and travel for students at Ark Elvin Academy. The children traveled up to Manchester to watch the team train before heading back down to London where they witnessed City secure a spot in the final with a 1-0 win. It is a great gesture from one of the frontrunners to win Premier League Player of the Year.

NOW HE MAKES GUN NOISES

Football rivalries can sometimes hit close to home or even at home, especially when family members support different teams under the same roof. It can at times make for some unpleasant interactions. Well, one Arsenal fan is looking to solve the issue with some outside help from a hypnotist.

Thanks to Harry Kane winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup, a man’s six-year-old son decided to become a Tottenham fan. Upset at his son’s choice to break the family tradition of supporting the Gunners, the dad offered up to £3000 to any hypnotist that is able to help. Yes, he wanted a hypnotist to make his son an Arsenal fan.

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LIVERPOOL TWITS

Twitter, at least for a brief moment, changed their header to a picture of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino following an exchange with one of their users. It started when Twitter’s official account tweeted “truth or dare?” to their 56 million followers and a Liverpool fan replied “dare.” This prompted Twitter to dare the fan to change his header to a picture of Everton, which he begrudgingly accepted. Twitter than returned the favour by changing their header to the Liverpool duo. So, I guess it’s fair to say, Twitter is a Liverpool fan.

Tottenham made a world-record profit of £113 million after tax last year. The sharp rise in income as a result of player sales, hosting home matches at Wembley and a Champions League run, the club’s profit surpassed the £106 million reported by Liverpool earlier this year. The extra capacity at Wembley allowed Tottenham to sell around 340,000 extra tickets.

Fans will be hoping that the record-breaking profit will be used this summer on some signings after the club failed to sign anyone during the last two transfer windows.

Everton have investigated an alleged incident involving one of the players, believed to be goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The investigation relates to a video posted on social media which appears to show the England keeper in the middle of a scuffle in Sunderland. Following their investigation, the club decided to discipline Pickford for his involvement in the fight, it is unknown exactly how.

The scuffle occurred after his fiancée was insulted during a night out.

CAVEAT EMPTOR, CARDIFF

FIFA have granted Cardiff City and Nantes extra time to submit full details of the transfer of Emiliano Sala as the clubs look to schedule face-to-face talks. The French club called on FIFA to intervene after Cardiff City failed to make the first payment of the £15 million transfer fee for Sala, who tragically died in a plane crash on while traveling from France to Wales to complete the move.

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• Manchester United are the first team in Champions League history to advance to the next round after losing by 2 or more goals at home in the first leg.

• Leroy Sane is the first player to record three assists in a Champions League knockout game since Franck Ribery in 2012.

Can ‘The Drake Curse’ determine the Premier League champions this year? Some Liverpool fans are hopeful after rap star Drake posed for pictures with Sergio Aguero on his UK • Raheem tour. Essentially, whenever the Sterling is the Canadian musician bumps into first England player to score someone involved in sport, that a hat-trick at person or team goes through a Wembley since spell of bad luck. For example, Jermain Defoe the Kentucky basketball team in 2010. have not won the NCAA • Huddersfield title since 2012, the Toronto Town have Raptors haven’t reached a become just the conference final in years and second team Conor McGregor lost to Khabib in the Premier after he brought Drake out League era to at the weigh-in. Now, the curse has found its way to the football get relegated world. Drake posed for a picture with Arsenal striker Pierre Emerick before the end of March.

Aubameyang in London and the following game he failed to score as Arsenal lost 1-0 to Everton. Jadon Sancho also posed with Drake while he was performing in Germany, and Dortmund lost 5-0 to Bayern Munich. Aguero also posed with Drake, and he subsequently missed a penalty in the Champions League quarter-final match against Tottenham. Whether or not the curse has ended is yet to be seen, but Liverpool fans are hoping it hasn’t.

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THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY

THE GOOD

Arkadiusz Milik arrived at Napoli to much fanfare in August 2016. The giant Pole joined for a fee in excess of €35m from Dutch giants Ajax and was widely tipped to continue his rich goalscoring form in Italy.

Indeed, Milik hit the ground running, netting a brace on his club debut against Milan, endearing himself to the passionate Azzurri faithful and also struck doubles against Bologna and Dynamo Kiev shortly after.

Patron Aurelio Di Laurentiis was understandably delighted with his capture until the Tychy native suffered injury on international duty. Milik was on the receiving end of a rough challenge that won his nation a penalty, but it came at a cost.

The striker spent the following four months on the sidelines recovering from a knee ligament injury and Napoli struggled in his absence.

Fast forward to September 2017, and Milik’s agony returned. The Rozwój Katowice

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youth graduate picked up the same injury, but in his other knee, and was forced to spend a further five months on the treatment table, just as it appeared he was fit and firing for the start of the 2017-18 campaign.

In testament to the Pole’s determination and desire to succeed, Milik emerged as a late substitute in the clash with Chievo in April of last year and got the first goal in the comeback. Napoli went on to win 2-1, prolonging their title hopes for another week as Maurizio Sarri lamented the loss of his talented attacker at the beginning of the term.

The 2018-19 campaign has been good to Milik, and deservedly so. While compatriot Krzysztof Piątek has hit the headlines, the Napoli ace too has in excess of 20 goals in all competitions and the duo are worthy successors to icon Robert Lewandowski.

Under Carlo Ancelotti, Milik is thriving, and both tactician and club are reaping the

BELOW (BIG): Mauro Icardi/Wanda Nara BOTTOM LEFT: Moise Kean LEFT: Arkadiusz Milik OPPOSITE PAGE, MIDDLE TOP: Duvan Zapata OPPOSITE PAGE, MIDDLE BOTTOM: Robin Olsen

rewards of a natural goalscorer finally clear of injury.

THE BAD

Mauro Icardi is no stranger to controversy.

The Argentine’s personal life has been well documented, and it seemed his relationship with Inter fans hit rock bottom in 2015.

Roberto Mancini was in charge for his second spell at the club, and suffice to say the return did not meet expectations. The Nerazzurri finished in a humiliating eighth place in the table, a whopping 32 points behind eventual victors Juventus.

The tifosi expect, and a Champions League finish is a minimum requirement for a club who won Europe’s greatest honour only nine years ago. Tempers boiled over in February 2015 following the 3-1 loss against Sassuolo on home soil as Icardi and the Inter ultras engaged in a war of words. The spat was revisited in the South American’s autobiography and Icardi was forced to backtrack on his comments, thought the damage was ultimately done.

Goals win over fans, and in the short term Icardi was able to co-exist with the fervent natives, until the latest episode in February 2019. Inter reportedly requested Icardi found a new agent to replace wife Wanda Nara, who has repeatedly made public her disputes with the Inter hierarchy. Nara is in the headlines on a regular basis, and both parties have been at deadlock for the best part of 18 months as talks over a new and improved contract drag. Icardi was stripped of the captaincy and spent two months on the sidelines as his side struggled to maintain their European aspirations.

Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, his time in Milan appears to be coming to an end, but he has age on his side and we must not forget on his day, could play for any club on the continent. The ex-Barcelona striker is a sure-fire guarantee of 30 goals a season but must do his talking on the pitch if he is to reach the very top.

THE UGLY

A criticism often levelled at Max Allegri is his reluctance to start youth. The Coach won six Serie A titles and built an outstanding squad, but the youngest regular in the side is Joao Cancelo, who is 25-years-old.

Allegri saw his squad decimated with injuries at the turn of the year, with Mario Mandzukic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Miralem Pjanic and Paulo Dybala all out at various stages, opening up an opportunity for the likes of Federico Bernardeschi and youngster Moise Kean to feature.

Bernardeschi had his best game in a Juventus shirt against Atletico Madrid in the return leg at Allianz Stadium and the Italian has visibly grown in confidence since. In the case of Kean, the prodigiously talented Italian has had to be more patient, and he too made an impression against the Spaniards.

Kean is fourth in the striking queue behind Ronaldo, Mandzukic and Dybala but has proven his ability every time he has taken to the field. He hit eight goals from 10 appearances between January and April and was instrumental in one of the Bianconeri’s best team performances this campaign. The 19-year-old hit a brace in the 4-1 triumph against Udinese and offered fresh dynamism upfront.

The striker also struck in both of Italy’s Euro 2020 qualifying matches and could potentially be the man the Azzurri can pin their hopes on for the next decade.

Kean has immense potential, but was sadly involved in an ugly scene after netting against Cagliari at the beginning of April.

The Vercelli-born attacker was racially abused from the Sardinian supporters and has received widespread support for the continent. Similar scenes have recently taken place in England and notably Montenegro, where Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose endured abuse during the Three Lions’ trip to Southeast Europe.

Going UP Going DOWN

STATS SO FAR Krzysztof Piątek

TOP SCORERS PLAYER Fabio Quagliarella Krzysztof Piątek Duván Zapata Cristiano Ronaldo Arkadiusz Milik Francesco Caputo Ciro Immobile Andrea Belotti Andrea Petagna Josip Iličić

TEAM Sampdoria Milan Atalanta Juventus Napoli Empoli Lazio Torino SPAL Atalanta

G 22 21 20 19 17 14 14 12 12 11

TOP ASSISTS GOING UP

Duvan Zapata has been earmarked as a replacement for Mauro Icardi at Inter and it is easy to see why. The burly Colombian is in the form of his life and can’t stop scoring. The Nerazzurri will have competition from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and rivals Roma, who are both keen on the hitman.

GOING DOWN

Robin Olsen arrived in the capital as Alisson Becker’s successor following the Brazilian’s record move to Liverpool but has struggled to get to grips with the League. Olsen is reportedly under threat after just one season with Roma and is expected to be moved on in the summer.

PLAYER Alejandro Gómez Dries Mertens José Callejón Suso Fabio Quagliarella Josip Iličić Manuel Lazzari Cristiano Ronaldo Mario Mandzukic Lorenzo Insigne

TEAM Atalanta Napoli Napoli Milan Sampdoria Atalanta SPAL Juventus Juventus Napoli

A 10 8 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 5

CLEAN SHEETS PLAYER Samir Handanovic Salvatore Sirigu Emil Audero W. Szczesny Andrea Consigli G. Donnarumma Thomas Strakosha Lukasz Skorupski Luigi Sepe Marco Sportiello

TEAM Inter Torino Sampdoria Juventus Sassuolo AC Milan Lazio Bologna Parma Frosinone

CS 15 13 11 11 10 10 9 9 9 8

Samir Handanovic

As of match day 32

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ZANIOLO TO GO SUMMER HEADLINE MAKERS

THE YOUNGSTER HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF SERIE A’S TOP TALENTS THIS SEASON, AND HAS ALREADY BEEN LINKED WITH JUVENTUS. BUT, ASKS GABY MCKAY, WOULD HE BE BETTER OFF DEVELOPING WITH ROMA?

FACTFILE NAME: Nicolo Zaniolo BORN: July 2, 1999 (Massa, Italy) HT / WT: 1.90m / 79kg POSITION: Midfield CLUB: Roma SEASON 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

CLUB APPS Virtus Entella 7 Inter 0 Roma 29

T

GOALS 0 0 6

hey say you should never make the same mistake twice, but it appears that lesson hasn’t quite made it to the Nerazzurro half of Milan. Inter are legendary for their transfer blunders, a pattern established in the mid-1990s.

Roberto Carlos lasted just one season before being sold to Real Madrid, for a loss of three billion Lire. The Brazilian went on to be revered as one of the greatest attacking left-backs of all time.

In 2002 they allowed Clarence Seedorf to join Milan in exchange for Francesco Coco, only to see the Dutchman go on to make over 400 appearances for the city rivals, winning two Champions League titles.

Perhaps most famously, Andrea Pirlo was allowed to move to Milan in a strange swap deal involving Dražen Brnčić. Pirlo went on to become arguably the best midfielder of his generation, while Brnčić never made a single appearance for Inter.

This year fans of the Nerazzurri, as well as enduring a seemingly never-ending crisis at their club, are experiencing painful deja vu looking at the form of Roma’s young talent Nicolo Zaniolo.

In the summer, Inter decided to reunite Coach Luciano Spalletti with Radja Nainggolan, the Belgian midfielder he had so much success with at Roma. Nainggolan has always been a difficult player, but Spalletti was able to get the best out of him

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‘No sooner had he made his breakthrough with Roma was Zaniolo linked with a move away’ and make him arguably the best midfielder in Serie A. After numerous incidents of ill-discipline, not to mention Nainggolan’s heavy smoking habit, the Giallorossi were ready to consider a sale, but not on the cheap. With Financial Fair Play restrictions hanging over them, the only choice for Inter was to offer players in exchange.

The loss of Davide Santon was hardly greeted with despair at San Siro, and the departure of an unknown 19-yearold seemed a small price to pay to get Nainggolan. The midfielder joined Inter for €38m, made up of a €24m transfer fee, plus Santon and Zaniolo, valued at €4.5m.

Fast forward nine months and Nainggolan has been a total bust, beset by injury problems and looking a shadow of his former self. Zaniolo, meanwhile, has become one of the hottest properties in Italian football.

An early indication of the potential the 19-year-old possesses came in September, when then-Roma Coach Eusebio Di Francesco handed him his first start for the club — away to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Giallorossi were well beaten on the night, but Zaniolo didn’t look overawed and the fact he’d been selected at all gave an idea of the esteem in which his Coach held him. Over the next few months he was used

ABOVE: Nicolo Zaniolo arrived at Roma as part of Inter’s move for Radja Nainggolan LEFT: The youngster was given his Roma debut away to Real Madrid and immediately looked at home

WHO IS ZANIOLO? Nicolo Zaniolo burst onto the scene in the middle of the season. Gaby McKay explains where the Roma starlet came from…

The son of former striker Igor Zaniolo, Nicolo was born in Massa in 1999.

His father spent his entire career in the lower Leagues of Italian football, helping Messina reach Serie A in 2003 and turning out for Genoa in Serie C1.

Having been born in Tuscany, Nicolo first joined the youth system at Fiorentina, which in recent years has produced talents such as Federico Bernardeschi and Federico Chiesa, son of Enrico. The Viola released him in 2016 though, and Zaniolo dropped down the divisions to join Virtus Entella, eventually making his debut in March 2017.

It took just seven League appearances for Inter to be convinced of his talent, paying the Serie B side €1.8m, plus another potential €1.7m in bonuses, to take him to Milan.

Zaniolo was immediately placed in the Primavera team, and was the top-scorer for the 2017-18 season with 13 goals. His only first team appearance came in a pre-season friendly with WSG Wattens, but he had already caught the eye of Roma sporting director Monchi.

“Inter didn’t want to sell Zaniolo, they’re not stupid,” the Spaniard said last year.

“Given that they wanted to take Radja though, it was only logical they’d have to give something up.”

The former goalkeeper’s record as sporting director was patchy, but getting €28m plus Zaniolo for an ageing Nainggolan may well come to be seen as another Monchi masterstroke.

ON THE RADAR Juventus aren’t the only club being linked with Nicolo Zaniolo. Gaby McKay considers the suitors for the Roma starlet…

Despite not having made a single Serie A appearance before this season, Zaniolo has already been linked with Arsenal and Juventus.

The latter are always on the look-out for new talent, especially within Serie A, as the signings of Paulo Dybala, Federico Bernardeschi and Mattia Perin have proven in recent years. Given the level of his performances, and the tenderness of his years, they’re unlikely to be the only clubs linked with a move for Zaniolo.

The 19-year-old is intelligent with his dribbling, possesses the coolness of finish of a much older player, and has shown a real talent for intelligent through balls in tight areas. He was called up for Italy before he’d even played in Serie A, and was given his debut by Roberto Mancini against Finland earlier this year. Add that to his impressive League form and there’s no way his name isn’t written in scouting notebooks across Europe.

The Juventus and Arsenal links are already there, but expect talk of Chelsea with their propensity for signing players and Coaches from Italy. Manchester City are always on the lookout for promising youngsters too, and which young footballer wouldn’t want to work with Pep Guardiola?

When Zaniolo arrived as part of a deal which saw the hugely popular Nainggolan leave the club, a shrug was about the best reaction he could have hoped for. Now fans of the Giallorossi will have a nervous summer spent desperately hoping they can hold on to their star man.

‘When Serie A returned for 2019 after the winter break, Nicolo Zaniolo became the key man’ sparingly, but the games in which he did start made it clear the attacking midfielder was no mere squad player.

Zaniolo started the return leg with Real Madrid, as well as the games away to Fiorentina and Juventus — not to mention at home to former side Inter. As Nainggolan struggled up north, a deal which had initially incensed Roma fans suddenly began to look a lot less problematic — and then came the turn of the year.

When Serie A returned for 2019 after the winter break, it was Zaniolo who became the key man in Eusebio Di Francesco’s side. The youngster scored the opener in a 3-2 win over Torino, before providing two assists against Atalanta in the following game.

He followed that up with a goal against Milan and a fine performance in a 3-0 win over Chievo, before scoring a double against Porto in the Champions League.

Suddenly, Zaniolo was the hottest young star in Italy.

In March he received his first cap for the national team, coming on as a substitute for Marco Verratti against Fi-land, but Roberto Mancini had recognised his talent long before. Zaniolo was called into the Azzurri squad for the first Nations League matches, before he’d experienced a single Serie A minute. Though he didn’t play, it was a clear indication he was in Mancio’s thoughts.

As seems inevitable with any promising talent in Serie A, no sooner had he made his breakthrough with Roma was Zaniolo linked with a move away. Arsenal were rumoured to have spoken to his representatives, but one name loomed above all the others — that of Juventus.

This season the Bianconeri have tightened their grip on Serie A into a stranglehold, winning the Scudetto by April and blowing their competition out of the water. Their success, not to mention the forwardthinking step of building their own stadium, has given them a financial advantage the rest of the League cannot match, a particularly galling situation for Roma who are stuck in limbo over their own stadium project The Old Lady doesn’t want to let go of her crown any time soon, and in many ways the signing of Zaniolo would be a shrewd one.

The Juve midfield has been neglected in recent transfer windows, and the signing of a young Italian player would be smart both practically and politically. The Bianconeri

have always prided themselves on providing the bulk of players for the national team, and it’s obvious why they’d want a 19-yearold who has already been capped by the Azzurri.

Nor would it be the first time Juventus have strengthened while weakening their rivals.

Roma fans will remember the Old Lady activating Miralem Pjanic’s release clause in 2016, only to snatch Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli with the same method a few weeks later.

The move would make sense for Juventus then, but what about Zaniolo himself?

While a transfer to the perennial champions would be attractive in a number of ways, he may well be better off staying at Roma.

Though the club is in chaos after the departures of Di Francesco and sporting director Monchi, there is still a project in the capital which is based around young players. Justin Kluivert, Patrik Schick and Cengiz Under are fellow up-and-comers, and this season has shown he’ll be given the chance to play. That isn’t always the case in Turin — just ask Daniele Rugani.

Zaniolo could do with the playing time too, as despite his clear and obvious talent his game still has some of the rawness of youth.

He has looked tentative when passing forward at times, which is understandable as a youngster thrown into the games he has been.

To fulfil his potential as an attacking midfielder though he’ll need to add more of a carefree, fantasy element to his game, as well as producing more consistently.

Following that hot streak after the winter break — admittedly in a struggling team — Zaniolo didn’t produce a goal or assist in his next seven club games.

If he’s to become the trequartista his talent indicates he can be, Zaniolo needs stability, something which is in short supply at Roma right now. He also needs to play, and that’s not something which would be guaranteed at Juventus, or if he moved abroad at such a tender age.

In the Italian capital he’s part of a project, and just needs the right Coach to get the best out of him and his teammates. And if he wants tips on becoming a truly world class fantasista? Francesco Totti’s office door is a pretty good place to start.

Zaniolo has already made Inter regret allowing him to leave in exchange for a busted Belgian, he shouldn’t risk regrets of his own by moving away from Roma too early.

ABOVE: Zaniolo was calledup by his country without ever playing a Serie A match

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

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“”

DID YOU

KNOW?

QUOTES

“I can only learn from him. It happens every day. I’m just trying to stay ready by training to my fullest. There are a lot of records to break, and I’m ready to break them.” - Juventus and Italy forward Moise Kean said he is learning a lot from teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.

CR7 IS TOPS AGAIN

US TO GIVE ADVICE

According to reports, AC Milan and Inter have turned to US investment bank Goldman Sachs to evaluate the feasibility of their new stadium project, both from a financial and operational standpoint. Barcelona also appointed Goldman Sachs last year to advise on their redevelopment of the Camp Nou, and now it appears that the Milan based clubs are looking to the same firm to help fund their plans. The latest reports suggest that the two clubs plan to build a new 60,000 seat San Siro to be ready by 2023 for a cost of about €600 million.

PEP TO JUVE?

Pep Guardiola has ruled out a move to Juventus at the end of the season, saying he could stay even longer than his current Manchester City contract. A report in Italy came out claiming that Guardiola had reached a verbal agreement with Juventus to replace Massimiliano Allegri in the summer. However, Guardiola denied those claims and stated he would only leave if he is sacked before his current contract expires in 2021.

OLD LADY BOOST

“I returned to Italy and agreed a deal for €20m, but an agent with links to the Nerazzurri interfered, wasted time and Manchester City were able to get him.

I’d agreed to take Casemiro for €5m, but Inter preferred M’Vila. They asked me what I thought about Gabigol. I replied: ‘I’m against it.’ You all saw how that went.” - Massimiliano Mirabelli, formerly Inter’s chief scout, claims he agreed deals for Inter to sign Gabriel Jesus and Casemiro, but they went for Yann M’Vila and Gabriel Barbosa instead.

“It’s difficult to say now, but things are going well and he’s in great shape. I think he can keep going like this. Fabio can play football, you know…” - Roberto Mancini is coy on whether Quagliarella could end up playing at Euro 2020, taking up a similar role of Antonio Di Natale at Euro 2012.

Juventus’ shares received a big boost in their value following Ronaldo’s hat trick to overturn their first-leg defeat and advance to the Champions League quarterfinal. Passage to the quarterfinal will see the Bianconeri cash in close to €10.5 million in additional payments. On top of that, the following day, after the game, their shares went up 16 percent, topping the leaderboard on the Milan stock exchange.

10 JERSEYS

Inter and Nike have collaborated in creating a one-off jersey to celebrate their 20 years of partnership. The special jersey was worn during their 3-2 win in the Milan derby, and featured 10 different versions of shirts that they’ve worn over the past two decades. Five styles were mashed together on the front, and another five on the back. Amongst the featured jerseys is the 1998-99 shirt worn by Brazilian legend Ronaldo, their centenary version from 2008-09, and the kit from a year later when they won the treble. The special edition jersey was first unveiled during Milan fashion week, as model Winnie Harlow wore it on the catwalk.

ESPN have ranked the top 100 most famous athletes of 2019.

Through their sports analytics group, they ranked each athlete based on a formula they put together that considered three fame factors. These factors are, search score – which measures how often a name is searched, endorsements dollars and social media followers. After going through their calculations, it perhaps was unsurprising to see that Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list. Ronaldo placed higher than Lebron James, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Roger Federer, who round out the top five.

• Italy’s 6-0 victory over Liechtenstein was their biggest victory in almost 57 years.

• Italy had not scored six goals in a single game for 26 years.

• Prior to their defeat away to Genoa, Juventus had not lost away from home in Serie A since November 2017.

• Roma have not kept an away clean sheet in the Champions League for 12 years.

• The last time Milan completed the double over Udinese was the 2007/08 season.

PSYCHIC RONALDO

Patrice Evra shared a Whatsapp conversation he had with Cristiano Ronaldo before Juventus’ round of 16 second leg against Atletico Madrid. The conversation shows just how confident Ronaldo was heading into that match, as they looked to overturn a 2-0 deficit. Evra messaged Ronaldo saying he is counting on him for the second leg, and Ronaldo responded “We gonna pass bro. Home we smash them”. That’s exactly what they/he did. Juventus went on to win the match 3-0 thanks to Ronaldo’s hat trick.

ENOUGH WANDA ALREADY

MotoGP star and Interista, Valentino Rossi alongside his girlfriend, decided to celebrate Carnival festival by dressing up as Mauro Icardi and his wife/agent Wanda Nara. The festival takes place before Easter in different locations around the world, with people usually dressing up for the occasion.

Valentino dressed up in a full Inter kit, while his girlfriend, Francesca Novello, wore a black dress with a pink suit jacket and blonde wig.

TEAM RONALDO

“The month of August could be a good opportunity to play a few Serie A games around Europe. Why not start the Serie A season in Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid or Barcelona? It wouldn’t be a betrayal of the fans, because at the end of the day most of them would be at the beach and far away from their home towns.” - It’s never a dull moment when it comes to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who revealed his idea for getting more people in the stands during August.

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A number of fans, both Juventus and Genoa supporters were not happy with Allegri’s decision to give Ronaldo the day off. In fact, they were so upset that they were threatening to return their tickets because of his absence.

According to some reports, fans were even protesting outside Genoa’s headquarters.

There’s no doubt that Ronaldo brings people to the stadium, but hopefully the upset Genoa supporters attended the match anyways, as their side went on to beat Juventus 2-0, ending the Bianconeri’s undefeated status in Serie A this year.

YOUNG LADIES AT OLD LADY

A record-breaking 39,000 fans attended the Allianz Stadium for Juventus Women vs Fiorentina Women. The Bianconeri hosted Fiorentina in a top of the table clash in front of a sell-out crowd. This was the first match that the Juventus Women played at the Allianz Stadium, recording a 1-0 victory. Prior to this match, the record attendance for a women’s match in Italy had been 14,000. This follows the large attendance numbers seen throughout Spain.

BY THE NUMBERS 500 Giorgio Chiellini has played over 500 matches for Juventus in all competitions.

The fifth player to do so.

NAUGHTY NIKE

Nike have been hit with a €12.5 million fine for blocking cross-border sales of football merchandise of some of Europe’s best-known clubs.

The European Commission said Nike’s illegal practices occurred between 2004 and 2017 and relates to licensed merchandise for Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, Inter and Roma. The focus of the case is on Nike’s role as a licensor for making and distributing licensed merchandise featuring a football club’s brands. The investigation revealed that Nike’s actions deprived fans in other countries of the opportunity to buy their clubs’ merchandise such as mugs, bags, bed sheets, stationery and toys.

THE I IS HERE

18 Before Quagliarella’s second goal vs.

Liechtenstein, Italy’s last 18 goals were scored by 18 different players.

SORRY LUCAS

Milan midfielder Franck Kessie has been fined for the argument he had 50 Juventus went 31 rounds with teammate unbeaten in Serie Lucas Biglia after A before their 2-0 he was subbed off loss to Genoa. in the derby against 4 Kevin Inter. According to Lasagna has reports, Kessie was scored 4 goals in fined €40,000 for his five matches his indiscretion. The played at the San incident occurred Siro in Serie A. during the second half after Kessie was subbed off and seemed irritated. Biglia, who was seated on the bench, said something to him and it sparked a furious reaction from the Ivorian. Kessie had to be physically restrained by Abate, Rodriguez and Borini. Both Biglia and Kessie went to the media mix zone together after the match to apologize for the incident.

RONALDO BACK TO CHINA

The big summer preseason tournament known as the International Champions Cup is back, and they’ve just released the fixture list. There will be four Serie A sides participating in the competition this summer, Juventus, Inter, Milan and Roma. Juventus will play all three of their matches in Asia between Singapore and China. There are some reports that suggest the Bianconeri decided to play in Asia to avoid the risk of Ronaldo being detained by US authorities in regards to his current investigation.

All three of Roma’s games on the other hand will be in the United States. Inter, meanwhile, will play their three matches in three different countries, starting in Singapore, then China, and ending their tournament in London. As for Milan, their first two matches will be played in the U.S. with their final match against Manchester United to be played in Cardiff.

I’LL PASS ON ITALY

Bayern Munich right-back Rafinha admitted that he rejected the opportunity to join Napoli last summer. Rafinha played under Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern for two seasons, and could have rejoined him at Napoli. The Brazilian said that he was in contact with Ancelotti often during the summer holidays but ultimately did not feel like going to Italy, out of loyalty to Bayern. The 33-year-old has played in Italy before, during the 2010-11 season with Genoa.

L’ARTE DELLA PASTA ITALIANA

IT'S A FARM OFFER

Moise Kean’s father claims Juventus still owe him two tractors, while they’ve also stopped giving him tickets to Serie A matches. According to Kean’s father Biorou Jean, he promised Juventus that he would keep Moise in Italy after he and his wife separated, and she wanted to move him to England. In return, he asked the club for two tractors, of which he has yet to receive.

On top of that, Biorou also claims that they stopped giving him tickets and taking his calls. Moise quickly distanced himself from the comments with a post on Instagram.

THE I IS HERE

YOU WANT, YOU KEEP

Juventus President Andrea Agnelli has said that FIFA plans to make drastic changes to the loan system.

In what will surely shake things up for teams, FIFA is looking to implement new rules so each team cannot loan out more than 10 players. These changes are expected to come into effect as big clubs are stockpiling increasing quantities of young talent and farming them out to smaller sides.

7611 Pine Valley Drive, Unit 28, Woodbridge, ON @amapastai • amapastai.com • 905.851.3444

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ITALY PICK ONE

“My rapport with the Coach is very clear.

I grew up in the Rossoneri academy, I am a Milan fan and hope this will always be my jersey.” - Patrick Cutrone insists that he has no intention of leaving Milan despite the arrival of Piatek and his lack of playing time.

THEY NEED A HOLIDAY TOO

All of Italy’s top clubs are standing by their plan to boycott a 24-team Club World Cup. FIFA is planning to debut the new-look tournament in 2021, but Andrea Agnelli, President of the European Club Association, made it clear that they will not budge from their opposition. The tournament would run from June 17 to July 4, placing it between World Cup qualifiers and various international tournaments. FIFA are clearly trying to milk the club game and make more money than they already do, but how much football can these players be expected to play? The tournament as is works. Now it may not be the biggest competition in the world, but at the end of the day it consists of the top team from each confederation and that’s the way it should be.

According to reports, Roma have narrowed down their list of managerial candidates to two people, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri and Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini. Sarri is believed to be the preferred choice for Roma President James Pallotta. Roma may find it difficult to negotiate with and for Sarri, even if he is fired, given the ongoing issues revolving around Antonio Conte’s dismissal last summer. Gasperini, on the other hand, has been doing a fantastic job at Atalanta, taking the club into Europe with a mix of youth and experience, not to mention the high turnover in players through the transfer market. However, one deterrent for Gasperini is his previous experience with a big club, as he only lasted five games in charge of Inter back in 2011. In the meantime, Claudio Ranieri has been appointed care taker until the end of the season.

ITALIAN IN CHARGE AGAIN

China have appointed former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro as their new coach. The 45-year-old will split the role with his existing position in charge of Chinese Super League team Guangzhou Evergrande (very FIFA career mode like). However, it is not clear whether he will be China’s permanent coach or whether it’s just a temporary arrangement.

Cannavaro succeeds his former coach and fellow World Cup winner Marcello Lippi at the helm.

“It was such an emotional night, even just sitting on the bench. I want to thank the crowd, as they gave such a warm welcome.” - Fabio Quagliarella thanked Italy fans in Udine for the warm reception as the 36-year-old made his first Azzurri appearance since November 2010.

PAUL’S DREAM

“The situation with stadiums in Italy goes beyond all logic. This is a country that has incredible passion and culture for football. Yet today Italy are behind Gabon, who organised the most recent Africa Cup of Nations, when it comes to stadiums.” - FIFA President Gianni Infantino citing stadium infrastructure as a major issue affecting Italian football.

“It’s true that Kaka is my idol and was the best in the world, but I’m just starting out and hope that, if God wills it, I can achieve the same results he did at Milan.” - Lucas Paqueta thanks Milan for helping him settle in and hopes to achieve the same success of Kaka donning the red and black.

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There are reports that Juventus are ready to battle it out with Real Madrid to resign Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba this summer. Many believed that Pogba was definitely leaving Manchester with Mourinho in charge, but the Frenchman has had a resurgence in form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

However, despite his improved performances, Pogba cast some doubt over his future when he said that Madrid is a ‘dream move for anyone’. Juventus are looking to utilize their close relationship with his agent Mino Raiola to bring him back to Turin. They are reportedly already looking at ways to finance the move.

CORRUPTION IN SERIE A ….. NO!

The saga around Roma’s new stadium just continues to drag on as a new proposal to move the Stadio Della Roma project to an area near Fiumicino Airport has emerged after yet more arrests and delays. The plans to build in the Tor di Valle site were finally approved by local authorities, only for the whole affair to be caught up in a possible corruption investigation. The situation remains up in the air after further arrests and with the politicians involved in approving the project either quitting or being dismissed.

Reports suggest that Roma President James Pallotta is prepared to sue the local council in order to get the stadium built.

WITH OPEN ARMS

Matteo Politano’s agents says that Inter will take up their option to buy the Sassuolo winger in the summer. Inter signed Politano on loan for €5 million with a €20 million option to buy last summer. The 25-year-old has had a good season with the Nerazzurri, quickly inserting himself in the starting eleven. He adapted well to the step up in quality and pressures of a big team, and even proved himself in the Champions League.

DID YOU

KNOW?

AMBASSADOR TOTTI

Former Azzurri stars Francesco Totti and Gianluca Vialli will be Italy’s ambassadors at Euro 2020.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced that Totti would be an ambassador for the city of Rome, which will host four games at the continent-wide tournament.

Vialli, on the other hand, will represent various volunteers in the Italian capital during the competition.

• In the top five European leagues, Milan are the team to have fielded on average the youngest starting XI in 2019 (24 years and 88 days).

• Moise Kean, at 19 years-old, is the second youngest ever goal scorer for Italy.

• Matias Vecino’s goal was the fastest goal scored in a Milan derby in Serie A since Pato’s goal in April 2011.

YES BUT NO

Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina has revealed that Italy could abolish buyback clauses in transfers. Buyback options were only permitted in Italian football last summer, when it was being run by a commissioner as a new president was yet to be elected.

Gravina will have to propose the amendment of the rule to the Federal Council in order to make the change. Last summer, the only high-profile buyback in Serie A saw Juventus sell defender Magnani to Sassuolo with a right to repurchase for €12 million.

A NICE GESTURE

BY THE NUMBERS

Cagliari and Fiorentina have announced that they are creating a five-a-side football pitch in Bethlehem for all children to come together in the name of Davide Astori. The defender passed away over a year ago at the age of 31 of an undiagnosed cardiac irregularity. Cagliari and Fiorentina are the two clubs he spent most of his career, so in his honour, they will come together, alongside the Friendship and Peace Playground, to set up a football pitch for children to play.

599 Torino had a run of 599 minutes without conceding prior to Frosinone’s goal against them.

MALDINI BACK FOR ITALY

36 At 36 years of age, Fabio Quagliarella is the oldest goal scorer in the history of the Italian National team.

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Could we see another Maldini play for the Azzurri senior side soon? Maybe.

101 Jordan Daniel Maldini, son of Paolo Veretout’s goal against Inter came and grandson of Cesare, after 101 minutes. recently received his first call-up for the Italy Under-18 squad, his first official match in an Italy jersey. Time will tell if the dynasty continues, but for now the 17-year-old currently plays with the Milan primavera youth team and not as a defender like his father and grandfather, but as a forward.

WHO ME ?

Sampdoria striker Gregoire Defrel was reportedly involved in a police chase before crashing his car under the influence. According to reports, a breathalyser test showed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood. Defrel has had his driving license seized and faces disciplinary action. Sampdoria came out with a statement after denying that Defrel was involved in a police chase, as they verified the events that took place, at police headquarters in Genoa.

SLAP-HAPPY SAMP

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini reacted to his red card during his club’s 2-1 win at the Marassi by pushing Sampdoria secretary Massimo Ienca, who fell to the ground. Sampdoria President Massimo Ferrero hit out at the Atalanta boss for his unsporting behaviour. Gasperini initially denied slapping the Sampdoria employee, but video evidence showed otherwise.

Nonetheless, Gasperini avoided heavy punishment as he was fined €15,000 and received a one match touchline ban.

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DRIBBLING WITH THE STARS

Former Roma, Juventus and Inter striker Daniel Osvaldo is a contestant on Ballando Con Le Stelle, the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars. Osvaldo spent most of his career and life in Italy, and retired from football at the age of 30 in order to focus full-time on his music career and band, Barro Viejo. The singer will have to show off different kind of footwork if he hopes to go all the way and win.

ULTRA UNCOOL

In a rather bizarre moment, Juventus fans were heard exchanging insults with each other.

Juventus’ ultras in the Curva Sud exchanged insulting chants with the rest of the stadium during their Serie A match against Udinese. The Ultras have been on strike for months in protest of a rise in ticket prices, and have been aggressively shushing anyone who tries to celebrate a goal. While they usually stay silent throughout the match, they broke that silence to chant insults to fans in other areas of the stadium who they see as ‘fair-weather’ fans. The bulk of the crowd reacted with jeers and insults of their own to create a strange atmosphere.

WHEN FREE IS NOT FREE

Juventus spent €37 million on commissions to various agents during the summer transfer window of 2018, including a whopping €15.86 million for Emre Can. While Emre Can came as a “free agent” from Liverpool, there was nothing free about the transfer.

Through the financial papers released by the Bianconeri, it was also revealed that Jorge Mendes pocketed €11.5 million for his role in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo. That’s on top of the over €100 million paid to Real Madrid. Even contract extensions pay big for agents.

Miralem Pjanic extended his contract until 2023 and his agent received €2.22 million in commission. Many of these fees will be spread out over the course of the players’ contract so they won’t have an immediate effect to the club’s budget.

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• Cagliari have scored more goals from crosses this season than any other Serie A side.

“I am not the one who should reflect on the situation. The referees should reflect and pay the fines instead of me.

I have been in this profession for 15 years and often find myself dealing with referees who are still teething and think they know everything, so are forced to make difficult decisions they are not accustomed to making. At times they send you off without any reason, then I have to pay the fines or get suspended.”

- Torino Coach Walter Mazzarri insists it’s not his fault that he keeps getting sent off for dissent.

ROMA OPEN HOUSE

Roma have opened their new club headquarters in the Eur area of the city.

The brand-new offices were unveiled with a ceremony attended by a number of high profile people, including the Mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Club director Mauro Baldissoni highlighted the change of location for their offices as the biggest improvement, bringing the club back to the centre of the city. Now if only they could get their stadium sorted out…

NO SALE PRICE

There will be no discount for Tiemoue Bakayoko. Chelsea have no intention of giving Milan a discount for the Frenchman, according to reports, as they want the full €38 million. The midfielder arrived on loan for €5 million with an option to buy at the end of the season for €35 million plus an additional €3 million in bonuses. After a rough start, Bakayoko has become a key figure in Gennaro Gattuso’s team and a fan favourite, scoring his first goal for the club in the derby against Inter.

HOME SWEET HOME

“Bravo! And tell Bonucci that he’s lucky I wasn’t there. Instead of defending you he does that? Wow, I am honestly shocked.

I love you, brother” - Mario Balotelli was not happy with Bonucci’s words that Moise Kean was partly to blame for being racially abused by some Cagliari fans because of his goal celebration.

NOT THE EASTER SPIRIT

A major supermarket chain in Italy came under fire after one of its stores were caught selling ‘Rubentus’ goods. The Conad supermarket in the Sardinian town of Oristiano was found selling Easter cakes with the inscription ‘Rubentus’ – a derogatory nickname for Juventus. The nickname is a combination of Juventus and the Italian verb ‘rubare’ which means ‘to steal’ and was given to the Bianconeri by rival fans who accuse them of cheating/match fixing.

A LOT OF BULL “This mediation is humiliating for Inter fans and for those who love Inter. The need to mediate with someone just to get him to pull on the shirt that they love. It’s humiliating” - Luciano Spaletti speaks out on the issues facing the club and their former captain Icardi. While things may seem to have gotten better, this summer will show where they truly lie.

According to reports from the Mirror, Juventus have the world’s third-richest football club owners, while Inter rank ninth.

The newspaper writes that the Agnelli family have a combined wealth of €11.9 billion, making Juve the Serie A side with the biggest backing. Inter’s owner, on the other hand, Zhang Jindong has a personal wealth of €5.9 billion. The richest club owner may be a surprise, or it may not. It is not Manchester City’s Sheikh Mansour nor is it Paris SaintGermain’s Nasser Al-Khelaifi, but rather co-founder of Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz - owner of the Red Bull family of teams. He is worth close to €20.3 billion.

GONZALO GONE

“We need new stadiums, not only in Milan but also every other Italian city…

We’re working on a law that makes it quicker, easier and less expensive to build new sports facilities because families have the right to go and see a game in peace.” - Deputy Italian PM Matteo Salvini is tired of committing thousands of security and police to monitor outside and inside the stadiums with old systems, without cameras and without exits or emergency access points.

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Gonzalo Higuain has announced his retirement from international football. The 31-year-old had been increasingly snubbed by Argentina in recent months after poor performances during his loan spell at Milan.

He hasn’t looked too good at Chelsea either.

With other players like Lautaro Martinez, Mauro Icardi and Paulo Dybala, it’s hard to see Higuain getting another call up anytime soon. Higuain, who is currently out on loan at Chelsea, is still owned by Juventus. He ends his international career with 31 goals in 75 appearances.

Atalanta have announced that their last two home games of the season will be played at the Mapei Stadium, home of Sassuolo. The venue change comes as their home, the Stadio Azzurri d’Italia, undergoes restructuring work that will continue throughout the summer, in order to accommodate the building crew. This won’t be anything new for Atalanta, who have used the Mapei Stadium as their home base during last season’s Europa League run, as their stadium does not meet UEFA standards.

Interesting note from this change, Atalanta “host” Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium during the final match day of the season.

NEW ROMA OWNERS?

According to reports, the Qatari government in considering investing in Roma or Milan as they look to expand their football portfolio and add to their ownership of Paris SaintGermain. Roma owner James Pallotta may sell the club if the Stadio della Roma project continues to stall, with the Giallorossi already sponsored by Qatar Airways. Milan on the other hand, are owned by an investment management firm, an ownership group that does not have long term plans to keep it. Elliott Management may very well sell once the club’s accounts have been settled and plans for a new stadium are approved.

SAMP UP FOR GRABS TOO?

Sampdoria are in the centre of takeover rumours as reports continually come out regarding the sale of the club. Despite all these rumours, President Massimo Ferrero has repeatedly denied that any offers were made and that he has no intention to sell the club. TeleNord claim that Ferrero brought in a company to value the club, and after going through all assets they found a valuation of between €120 million and €140 million. The fact that this company was brought in suggests that at the very least, Ferrero is open to negotiations.

• In the three times Roma has reached extra time in the European Cup /Champions League, they’ve been eliminated every time.

• Lazio have won a Serie A derby by 3 goals or more for only the second time ever.

• Milan have always finished in the Top-4 when they’ve had at least 42 points after 24 match days.

BY THE NUMBERS

INTER BATTLE WE GO

Inter find themselves locked in a legal battle with David Beckham’s Major League Soccer expansion franchise Inter Miami over the name and logo. This legal battle started because Inter (Milan) filed a US Patent and Trademark application to make ‘Inter’ an exclusive brand name in the U.S. back in 2014. In response, MLS and Inter Miami have filed a claim of opposition, arguing that the relevant consumers (fans) do not associate the term ‘Inter’ with one soccer team. They also argue that ‘Inter’ by itself is not a source indicator in connection with goods or services associated with soccer.

6 Inter are unbeaten in their last 6 Serie A Milan derbies.

COMO HELP SENT

Serie D side Como have been sold to British company SENT Entertainment Ltd. The fans and management alike are hoping that the club’s financial problems will end after 15 years. The club were in Serie A as recently as the 2002/03 season, but have since dropped to the lower levels of Italian football.

In that time, Como went bankrupt twice. The first time in December 2004 and then again in 2017. The new owners, a video production company, pledged in a statement to bring back economic stability and new resources for the club.

12 Gigio Donnarumma, at 20 years old, already has 12 caps for Italy.

Buffon at the same age, only had one.

2500 Juventus have been reigning Serie A champions for over 2500 days.

OUR VISION OF A FAMILY WAGON The all new Volvo V60 is a versatile family wagon that helps you make the most of every moment.

72 Only 72 seconds passed between Dzeko and Pellegrini’s goals vs Frosinone.

FORZA ROBERTO

Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini won the Enzo Bearzot Award, beating out Gian Piero Gasperini and Gennaro Gattuso. The award is a recognition given to Italian football managers annually, created in honour of 1982 World Cup winning coach Enzo Bearzot. Mancini succeeds Eusebio Di Francesco, who won the award last year, and is the first national team coach to win the award since Cesare Prandelli in 2011. The recipient is chosen by a jury made up of Italian Football Federation chief Gabriele Gravina, honorary presidents Giancarlo Abete and Marco Galdiolo alongside several journalists. Mancini has revived the national team, playing more attacking football and including a number of young players in the squad.

ARE YOU THE BOSS?

The Inter ultras have finally made their voices heard regarding the Mauro Icardi situation. The Curva Nord issued a statement telling Icardi to leave the club, as his behaviour must not be tolerated any longer. Following a meeting amongst its members, they came to a unanimous decision. They believe that Icardi has demonstrated that he does not have the character to be the captain or unite the dressing room. Through the statement, they made it clear that, to them, Icardi is no longer part of Inter and will be treated accordingly.

HELI OF A WAY TO GO

As far as retirement send offs go, this is definitely up there with the most creative ones ever. Usually, when a player is playing his last ever game, he may be substituted off in order to receive an applause from the fans. The player may do a lap around the pitch at the end of the game, or maybe even address the fans with a heartfelt goodbye. Ignazio Barbagallo had something different in mind. During the Catanese Third Category championship match between Viagrande and Nebrodi in the Italian amateur leagues, a helicopter landed on the pitch and three mean-looking guys, two of which were wearing balaclavas, jumped off. They immediately ran towards Barbagallo and dragged him onto the helicopter before taking off. While it looked real, it was in fact a stunt. He wanted to go out in the most unique way possible, and he accomplished that. Barbagallo received a football ban until the end of June, which doesn’t matter since he’s retired, while the club have been fined €200 and are suspended from competition until May 31.

DON’T TEACH DRIVING

Roma winger Stephen El Shaarawy will teach football to disabled children in order to avoid a criminal conviction.

This relates to an incident back in 2016 when El Shaarawy got into a car accident where a 70-yearold man was taken to hospital with whiplash injuries. The winger has already paid damages to the victim, but has now been ordered to teach football in Rome for the next five months as a form of community service. Once completed, the case should be closed for good.

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THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY

THE GOOD

Everyone loves a narrative. Everyone loves a romance. And everyone loves a home town hero. The story of Iago Aspas and Celta Vigo has all three rolled into one.

Since returning to his boyhood club in 2015 the Moana-born forward has been central to their La Liga and Europa League progress, however a serious calf injury disrupted his 2018-19 campaign.

In his absence, the Galician side slipped down into relegation trouble, with his on-off return becoming intrinsically linked with their chances of survival. Despite going through three Coaches this season, and numerous rows with the powers that be in La Liga, Aspas has been the motivation for Celta fans.

He made a substitute return in the away game at Getafe back in early February, but broke down in during his warm up in the next game, and with it, Celta's survival hopes looked to be gone.

The tears of frustration shed by the former Liverpool man only deepened the neutral love for Aspas, and when the club announced he had completed his rehabilitation in time for the crunch tie with relegation rivals Villarreal, eyes turned to the Estadio Municipal de Baladios.

His return was Hollywood vintage with

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two goals, including a winner from the penalty spot in the dying minutes. The tears returned – although this time of joy – as the survival dream looked back on. Aspas then netted three goals in two La Liga games, giving Celta their best run of form since August 2018, and a new found confidence that edged them out of the bottom three.

Celta, inspired by Aspas, were able to put daylight between themselves and the bottom three, avoiding a return to the Segunda Division. They remain forever indebted to their home town hero.

THE BAD

La Liga went into the final stages of the 2018-19 season with the relegation picture still not fully drawn. The more established names of Villarreal and Celta Vigo battled hard against an embarrassing demotion to the second tier, and Real Valladolid slipped back into the conversation.

Despite a strong start to their first La Liga season since 2013-14, with just two defeats from their first 10 games, Vallodolid have struggled to maintain that form in 2019.

The first half the season was built on solidity at the back and pragmatism in attack, with four 1-0 wins and four 1-1 draws forming the bedrock of their form in 2018.

But that sense of a plan, however boring it

BOTTOM: Oscar Plano LEFT: Iago Aspas

OPPOSITE PAGE (BOTTOM MIDDLE): Diego Costa OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT TOP: Gaizka Garitano OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT BOTTOM: Huesca

Going UP Going DOWN

GOING UP

Athletic Bilbao turned their season around with Gaizka Garitano at the helm. In 16 games since mid-December, they collected 28 points and made a late push for a European place.

Poor results in the first half of the season left them with ground to make up on Sevilla, Valencia and Alaves, but the Basques went into the run-in as one of the form teams in the League.

GOING DOWN

Huesca had looked dead and buried at the turn of the year, but one defeat in six games in February led to talk of a great escape.

It was a false dawn, however, and the final month of the season approached with the club six points adrift and Barcelona and Valencia among the teams Huesca still had to play.

may have appeared, vanished in the spring months as mid-table security was swapped for a relegation battle, with the first three months of 2019 bringing only two wins.

Coach Sergio Gonzalez has one of the smallest squads in La Liga, and he has generally stuck with the same core of his starting XI through good times and bad this season, however the lack of goals is woefully bad.

They are by far the least potent side in La Liga. No one in the squad has come close to reaching double figures this season, with Sergio left with little choice but to persevere with the misfiring Enes Unal and Oscar Plano Pedrana in the final weeks of the campaign.

If Valladolid do find a way to stop the slide, it is unlikely to be pretty. It would be more likely based on what they did at the start of 2018-19 — make themselves very hard to beat and grind out draws and narrow wins in the hope that Celta and Villarreal slip up.

STATS SO FAR Lionel Messi

THE UGLY

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa is rarely out of the headlines for long and Los Rojiblancos' title-defining clash with Barcelona threw him back into the limelight – albeit for controversial reasons.

Diego Simeone's Nou Camp game plan was thrown out of the window after the Spain international was shown a straight red card in the first half by referee Gil Manzano for using offensive language. Manzano later confirmed he dismissed Costa for using language that insulted his mother, and Costa was facing a long ban if found guilty by the League’s disciplinary committee.

After investigation, the Spanish Footbal Federation did indeed find Costa guilty, handing him an eight match ban. The incident came at Atletico's biggest pressure point of the season, and his Coach cut an unforgiving figure at full time, declining to defend his player.

The Argentine's point was clear. If Costa did insult the referee then he deserved his red card and a ban. But if it is not certain that he did aim to insult Manzano, then another case of Barcelona bias has been revealed.

It is unlikely to lead to a major breakdown, or Costa leaving the club, but his suitability for big games will continue to be questioned right the way into next season.

Costa will be hoping that his relatively quiet record since returning to the club he left in 2014 will go in his favour in the coming weeks. That said, a red card on his second La Liga debut in January 2018 almost seemed inevitable for his returning pantomime villain character.

From there it has been fairly quiet for the abrasive front man — a one game ban in 2018-19 for five bookings in League action has been his only other suspension prior to the incident in Catalonia.

TOP SCORERS PLAYER TEAM Lionel Messi Barcelona Luis Suárez Barcelona Cristhian Stuani Girona Karim Benzema Real Madrid W. Ben Yedder Sevilla Iago Aspas Celta Vigo Antoine Griezmann Atlético Madrid Raúl de Tomás Rayo Vallecano Charles Eibar Jaime Mata Getafe

G 33 20 18 18 16 15 14 14 13 13

TOP ASSISTS PLAYER TEAM Lionel Messi Barcelona Pablo Sarabia Sevilla Jony Alavés Jordi Alba Barcelona Antoine Griezmann Atlético Madrid Santi Cazorla Villarreal W. Ben Yedder Sevilla

A 12 11 11 9 8 8 8

CLEAN SHEETS PLAYER J. Oblak M. ter Stegen David Soria Neto Iago Herrerín Sergio Asenjo Pau López Fernando Pacheco Courtois Ivan Cuellar

TEAM Atletico Barcelona Getafe Valencia Athletic Villareal Real Betis Deportivo Real Madrid Leganes

CS 18 14 10 10 9 9 9 8 8 8

J. Oblak

As of match day 32

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SUMMER HEADLINE MAKERS

Griezmann Going?

HAVING JUST TURNED 28, ANTOINE GRIEZMANN IS VERY MUCH IN THE PRIME OF HIS CAREER. EUAN MCTEAR WONDERS IF HE’LL LOOK FOR A SUMMER TRANSFER AFTER A TROPHYLESS SEASON WITH ATLETICO MADRID…

FACTFILE

At the age of 28, Antoine Griezmann has still only ever played for two clubs.’

NAME: Antoine Griezmann BORN: March 21, 1991 (Macon, France) HT / WT: 1.74m / 69kg POSITION: Striker CLUB: Atletico Madrid SEASON 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

CLUB R. Sociedad R. Sociedad R. Sociedad R. Sociedad R. Sociedad Atl. Madrid Atl. Madrid Atl. Madrid Atl. Madrid Atl. Madrid

“I

APPS 39 39 38 35 50 53 54 53 49 41

GOALS 6 7 8 11 20 25 32 26 29 19

’m used to transfer rumours by now,” Antoine Griezmann told reporters after a match in March.

“But, to be honest, I’m getting a little bit fed up with them.”

The Atletico Madrid forward has spent most of his 20s in the rumour mill. First, he was the hot prospect at Real Sociedad and was linked with numerous Spanish clubs before settling on a move to Atleti in 2014. Then his performances in the Spanish capital elevated him to superstar status, especially in 2016 when he finished third in the voting for the Ballon d’Or. Suddenly he was one of the VIPs at the annual transfer market soap opera awards.

Yet, at the age of 28, he has still only ever played for two clubs. The amount of times he is mentioned on the back pages of the summer’s newspapers is disproportional to the actual number of transfers he has completed.

That, though, doesn’t mean he wasn’t close to packing up his bags and leaving in the past two summers. In 2017, the Frenchman decided to stay as he felt he couldn’t move on while the club were under a transfer

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Antoine Griezmann considered a switch to Barcelona in the summer of 2018

embargo and, therefore, unable to reinvest whatever fee they’d have collected for his sale. “I have stayed mainly because of the ban,” he stated in an interview that summer.

“Atletico needed me now more than ever and I felt I had to stay. It would be dirty to leave. I wouldn't have been myself, or the person that I feel I am today, if I had left this club in that way.”

It wasn’t a long-term commitment, but it did kick the can down the road for a little while. Then came the summer of 2018 and the infamous ‘The Decision’ documentary.

Having been continually linked with an exit at the end of the 2017-18 season, and with Barcelona offering him money, prestige, a better platform for winning trophies and the chance to keep his family in Spain, Griezmann seriously considered the offer from Camp Nou and filmed a documentary about his decision-making process.

As it was aired on the night of June 14, not even the Spanish sports newspapers knew what the outcome was going to be. Everything had been kept top secret.

Sport websites even had two drafts written up, one for a possible announcement

MIDFIELD MOVES ON

‘Suddenly he was one of the VIPs at the annual transfer market soap opera awards.’ of a transfer and one for his potential commitment to staying at Atletico. In the end, he announced that he was going nowhere and renewed his contract to 2023.

Contracts don’t mean everything, though.

On the same day that the No.7 penned a new deal, so too did Lucas Hernandez and the left-back is now with Bayern Munich.

There are many who wonder, therefore, if Griezmann’s fresh commitment to the club from last summer had an expiry date of just one year. With his release clause of €200m reportedly dropping to €120m in the summer, he remains affordable, at least compared to the other superstar talents in the game right now. Perhaps more importantly, he is gettable as the release clause system that exists in Spain means a club cannot stop a player from leaving if the exact fee stated in the contract is deposited at the League’s headquarters.

But would he want to go? And where would he go? Barcelona are believed to have gone cold on the forward, while they’re still a little hurt at the rejection of 2018 and the manner in which the player announced his decision. Many Blaugrana fans adopted the ‘well, we didn’t want him anyway’ line after last summer’s documentary, meaning he’d hardly be the most popular arrival at the club.

A cross-city move to Real Madrid could

make some footballing sense, but Griezmann is wise enough to know that it wouldn’t be worth it because of the outrage this would spark back at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano. He has seen the way that the likes of Theo Hernandez and Thibaut Courtois have been made public enemies one and two because of their decisions to swap red and white for plain white. Courtois had toy rats thrown at him at a recent derby and his legend plaque outside the ground was covered in beer, spit and paint.

Griezmann won’t want to throw his Atleti legacy in the trash like that.

Then there are the options outside of Spain, which he has never been as keen on. A return to France and to Paris Saint-Germain would make more sense than the options of England, Italy and Germany, but the presence of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe mean that the Ligue 1 champions’ attack is already crowded.

There are disadvantages with every possible transfer away from Atleti, at least in the current environment, so the best outcome for Griezmann could be to stay put, especially with Diego Simeone having signed a new contract and having committed his near future to the club.

It’s true that Los Colchoneros were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16 stage this season, a far earlier exit than a

BELOW: The forward’s brace against Marseille in the final of the Europa League helped his side to a 3-0 victory.

Thomas Partey and Rodrigo Hernandez have taken over the Atletico midfield, helping the team move on from inspirational captain Gabi…

The departure of Gabi in the summer of 2018 could have been a knockout blow for the Atletico Madrid project. As captain, he had been the glue holding the entire team together throughout the successful Diego Simeone era and he decided to finish off his career in Qatar, leaving a leadership void and also a sporting one.

Yet Atleti have been able to cope without the club legend thanks to the partnership that has developed between Thomas Partey and Rodrigo Hernandez. The former moved from Ghana to join the Rojiblanco academy at a young age and has taken steps forward each season, while the latter arrived from Villarreal last summer and hit the ground running.

Together they’ve formed a winning tandem in the middle of Los Colchoneros’ 4-4-2, and a very interesting one given that they are two different kinds of players. Thomas is a more defensive option and one who does the dirty work that Gabi used to do, running from box to box to put out fires wherever needed. Rodrigo, meanwhile, is a pass master and viewed as the successor to Sergio Busquets in the Spain team.

They work so well together, though, partly because Thomas is far more creative and offensive-minded than some give him credit for and partly because Rodrigo is better in defensive play than is widely believed. Perhaps they make each other better, drawing out the other’s hidden qualities. Perhaps they’ll get even better.

Thomas Partey

Rodrigo Hernandez

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

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SUMMER HEADLINE MAKERS By winning football’s greatest prize, Griezmann’s need to rack up the medals at club level has been lessened.

Ballon d’Or candidate like Griezmann would like, but the superstars of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich suffered the same fate. It also has to be kept in mind that they were massive underdogs in their tie against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus.

It wasn’t a surprise or an embarrassment to lose that tie to the Italians. The disappointment stems from the manner in which they blew a two-goal lead.

In La Liga, Atleti remain competitive and have been the closest challengers to Barcelona in each of the past two seasons, much more so than Real Madrid. The problem for Simeone’s side is that Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona have been so ruthless domestically. Atleti are getting better and better, but so too are the Catalan club.

There have been opportunities for Griezmann to win some silverware with his club in the past year. Before 2018, the only trophy he’d ever won in his career was the Spanish Super Cup of 2014, which he collected just after arriving. Nothing followed in the subsequent four years until the Europa League triumph of 2017-18, which the Frenchman was decisive in and which he won in Lyon, near where he grew up.

That was further validated by the UEFA Super Cup victory over Real Madrid in August, while Griezmann, of course, also got his hands on the World Cup in the summer.

That World Cup win is more important for Atletico than it may at first seem, as it could sufficiently feed the player’s hunger for glory long enough for him to reject the Goliaths of the footballing world. “I want to win things and have reached a point where nice play and scoring goals isn’t enough,” he said after the Euro 2016 disappointment.

By winning in Russia, that itch has been scratched for a while.

So will Griezmann depart the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano in the summer of 2019? Probably not. Given the lack of viable alternative options out there, given the fact that Diego Simeone is staying put, given the medals he has been able to collect in the past year and given the fact that he renewed his Atleti vows just last summer, there are far more reasons for the forward to stay where is than to move. Griezmann still has some chapters to write in his Atletico Madrid story.

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DID YOU KNOW? Antoine Griezmann facts He was born on March 21, 1991, at Macon, France, to Alain, a town councillor and Isabelle, a former hospital cleaner. He is of German and Portuguese descend.

KICK START Antoine Griezmann was rejected by a host of French clubs for being too short.

Finally he impressed scouts from La Liga side Real Sociedad and joined the club's youth set-up in 2005.

BIGGEST IDOL One of Antoine Griezmann's biggest idols is David Beckham The French forward plays in long-sleeved shirts in honour of his idol... David Beckham.

Griezmann also claims he wears the No7 shirt as it was the number most famously worn by Becks.

PARTY BOY IN 2012, Griezmann was banned from representing his nation, France, at any level. for skipping a training camp so he could hit a Paris nightclub with some pals from the Under-21 squad.

GOOD MATE GRIEZMANN'S nickname is 'the Uruguayan' due to his love of the South American drink 'mate'.

He has a cup of the herbal, caffeinated beverage every morning to kick-start his day.

AGENTLESS Unlike most footballers, Griezmann has no agent after splitting with his former representative in 2016.

The French star has managed to negotiate an £85m release fee clause in his contract, though...

BAD MEMORIES GRIEZMANN was playing for France at the Stade de France during the horrific terrorist attacks of November 2015.

31. While his sister Maud was besieged at the Bataclan theatre, managing to escape in the ensuing chaos.

TOPS LA LIGA Antoine Griezmann has more La Liga Player of the Month awards than Lionel Messi The Striker has incredibly managed to win more La Liga Player of the Month awards than Lionel Messi.

38. Griezmann has managed to get his hands on the gong twice, while Messi has just one to his name.

FRENCH HEART GRIEZMANN insists he had no desire to switch allegiance from France to Spain, despite living his entire adult life in the latter nation.

However, the Atletico man does claim he has developed a 'Spanish temperament', as while he speaks mostly in French, he only gets angry in Spanish.

HIGH STANDARDS ATLETICO boss Diego Simeone reckons there are only two players on the planet who could be deemed better than Griezmann... Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Instagram @Antoine Griezmann

WHERE HAVE ALL THE LEFTBACKS GONE? Lucas Hernandez is moving to Bayern Munich and replacing him won’t be easy in what has become a problem position for Diego Simeone…

He may have started the season in Atletico Madrid colours, but he is finishing it in Munich after agreeing a transfer to Bayern. Lucas Hernandez’s rights are being transferred to the Bavarian giants at the end of the 201819 season and the left-back has already moved to Germany to have surgery on a knee injury and begin his recovery.

His departure was such a surprise for Atletico that replacing him won’t be easy. At just 23 years of age, the World Cup winner was supposed to be the future of their defence, especially as he can play both left-back and centreback. Filipe Luis was already being pushed out of the team in order to give Lucas more left-back minutes, so much so that the Brazilian was reportedly considering a transfer of his own.

Now, though, Lucas has gone and a disgruntled Filipe Luis might also follow him out of the door. There are no more senior left-backs left.

Left-back has already been a problem for Atletico all season as a result of injuries to the aforementioned defenders, requiring right-back Juanfran and midfielder Saul Niguez to fill in on the left of defence. This is not an experiment that Diego Simeone will be rushing to repeat, as it hasn’t worked out well.

There is a need to bring in some justadd-water left-backs for the 2019-20 season, but there are several clubs looking for talent in that position this summer, many more than usual, and finding them won’t be easy.

The relationship between Griezmann and Diego Simeone is excellent and the Coach is staying put.

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SPAIN

“” QUOTES

STILL THE BOSS

NOT THE BAD GUY

Sevilla coach Joaquin Caparros has revealed that he has been diagnosed with chronic leukemia. The 63-year-old made the announcement in the post-match press conference after the 2-0 win at Real Valladolid, but insisted he will remain in charge.

Rival fans chanted Lionel Messi’s name and gave the Barcelona ace a standing ovation after a wonder-goal and hat-trick against Real Betis. The Barcelona maestro, 31, scored an incredible hat-trick to inspire his side to a 4-1 win at the Benito Villamarin.

“We were a very good team. Inside and outside of the pitch. Our relationship was very special. I really miss these moments.” - Ex-Barcelona star Neymar admits he misses special moments with Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez - while returning to training for Paris Saint-Germain.

SAINT LIONEL

Lionel Messi is very good - but he's not God. That's the official word from the man closest to the Lord Almighty as Pope Francis clarified that the Barcelona superstar "isn't God." The Argentinian's record-breaking career has led many fans to use the moniker D10S to describe him, a combination of his shirt number and the Spanish word for God. The 31-year-old is widely recognized as the greatest of all time, but Pope Francis stopped short of comparisons with the Lord Almighty when discussing his compatriot.

NOT THIS TIME

“My son [Thiago] is always looking on YouTube and he saw a video. He asked me why in Argentina they want to kill me! But I like to keep going. I still want to win something with the national team.” - Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi’s Panenkastyle free-kick stole all the headlines as Barcelona beat Espanyol. The Argentinian superstar opened the scoring by chipping a set-piece over the wall and seeing it hit the back of the net after a mix-up between Espanyol defender Victor Sanchez and his keeper.

But Madrid based newspaper Marca saw things differently.

Instead of naming Messi as the goal scorer, Marca awarded an unwanted own-goal to Sanchez.

is adamant to continue his quest for an international trophy with Argentina despite being criticized over his national team form.

ON THE 'ED

Real Madrid could turn to Ed Sheeran should they fail to nab Eden Hazard from Chelsea in the summer. The four-time Grammy Award winner urged Los Blancos to sign him after he posted a video of him in action in Brazil... though it's probably best he sticks to singing.

Sheeran took to Instagram to show himself enjoying a kickabout with his friends during the South American leg of his world tour.

Wearing a shirt with "Edinho" on the back, Sheeran was left redfaced after missing an open goal from two yards. Uploading the clip to his 27.4 million Instagram followers, he quipped: "@ realmadrid sign me up plz." But it’s safe to say the likes of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema won’t be worrying too much about losing their place to the Brit.

THAT'S NOT ME

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has humorously shared a series of lookalikes on Twitter that include TV alien Alf and Amy from The Big Bang Theory. The defender was originally inundated with requests to contact doppelganger Pablo Schreiber before he decided a make a collage of some of his favorites.

CALL ME FISHKNEE

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• Against Barcelona, Atletico Madrid shot-stopper Jan Oblak conceded his first goal from outside the box in LaLiga this season.

LIFE IMITATES ART

Real Madrid coach Radomir Antic has claimed that Luka Modric's figures in terms of goals and assists do not justify his Ballon d'Or award.

midfielder Andres Iniesta confessed that he would have relished the prospect of lifting more Champions League trophies in his time at the Camp Nou.

KNOW?

• Karim Benzema has scored five LaLiga braces this season as a Real Madrid player only one away of his best record in a single season in his LaLiga career.

• Excluding Lionel Messi (11) and Cristiano Ronaldo (9), Barcelona’s Luis Suarez is the only player to score 20+ goals in LaLiga in four consecutive seasons in the 21st century.

“It doesn't make sense, as he doesn't make assists or score goals.” – Former

“I would have liked to win more Champions Leagues, but I think that people should feel proud of what they have achieved, because that's what made them happy.” - Former Barcelona

DID YOU

Real Betis ace Sergio Canales has turned his knee surgery scar into a fishbone tattoo. The attacking midfielder, who recently earned a Spain national team recall, revealed he had given up on playing for his country after a series of injuries, with his knee badly affected.

A young Bangladeshi architect has earned fame after his digital drawing of footballer Lionel Messi was matched in real life six years later. Suhas Nahian's 2013 artwork shows Messi dribbling past a group of players in green and white, leaning his head forward as one of the defenders grabs his red-andblue Barcelona jersey. Photos of Messi shot during a recent match against Real Betis show him in an almost identical pose, complete with one defender on the ground as the Argentinian charges through.

ANTOINE’S DOCUMENTARY Netflix has released a documentary on Atletico Madrid’s World Cup winning star Antoine Griezmann. “Antoine Griezmann: The Making of a Legend” is a onehour documentary that will show the obstacles and successes Griezmann has continued to have throughout his career.

ANOTHER THRONE FOR MESSI

BY THE NUMBERS 24 Getafe CF keeper David Soria has completed 24 punches in LaLiga this season, more than any other keeper in the Top 5 European Leagues.

65 Joaquin Caparros has won 65 LaLiga games as SevillaFC manager, more than any other manager for the team ever (Helenio Herrera 64).

335 Barcelona star Lionel Messi has become the player with the most wins in LaLiga history (335), surpassing the ex-Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas (334).

JUST BATTY

Valencia C.F. have found themselves in a legal dispute with DC Comics over the use of the image of a bat on their club crest, which famous comics publishers DC comics claim has too much of a resemblance to the Batman logo. The bat can also be seen on the outside of Valencia's Mestalla stadium, as well as on the inside, painted on the seats of the ground's biggest stand. The bat has been an image synonymous with the region of Valencia, as well as Catalonia and the Balearic Islands since the 1200s.

There's little doubt that Lionel Messi deserves a throne for what he achieves on the football pitch, but for now he'll have to make do with some trainers.

The Argentine has been presented with several pairs of shoes that feature references to the popular show. After they were presented to him by Adidas, the forward shared a video on Instagram offering fans a close-up of the footwear.

THE REAL DEAL

Real Madrid have officially launched plans for the redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium at a presentation attended by Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena on Tuesday afternoon. Already seven years in the making, Real were given the go-ahead for the work by the Madrid city council recently and work is expected to begin soon on the project, which it is estimated will cost between €525m and €575m to complete.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Amazon will offer a glimpse into the life of one of the most famous soccer players in the world, with a new documentary series about Sergio Ramos, captain of Real Madrid and the Spanish national side. The half-hour series will run to 8 installments showing the daily life of the sports star. The as-yet-untitled Ramos series is in production. It will bow on Amazon Prime Video later this year. The streamer said the documentary will show what it takes to become an elite sports star, as well as looking at Ramos’ personal life and interests.

CHECK IT OUT

More images of season appear to have been leaked on social media, seemingly confirming the bold new design similar to that of the Croatia national team's iconic checkered pattern doing the rounds of Twitter. In a bold departure from the traditional stripes, the Catalan giants could be rocking a brand-new look - a move which would surely make Ivan Rakitic feel right at home.

SUPERSTAR RAMOS

Real Madrid and Spain superstar Sergio Ramos will play a small role in the final season of popular HBO series Game of Thrones, it has been revealed. The four-time Champions League winner secretly took time out to film with the Game of Thrones cast in Spain last year and will play an as yet unknown part in the show's season eight finale.

YOU CAN’T REFUSE

Sevilla sporting director Monchi is hopeful his return to the club will be akin to the Godfather II film following up to the first film. The critically acclaimed crime drama films are often referenced as a rare case of when a second film in a series is better than the original.

Monchi is back at Sevilla after two years away, having been the club’s sporting director between 2000 and 2017, following a mixed stint at Roma.

NOT GOING

Barcelona have withdrawn their support to play a La Liga match in Miami following a board meeting, it has been confirmed. The Catalan giants had previously voiced their support for playing their scheduled late January clash at Girona in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

UP TO BAT

LaLiga’s Valencia will swap Adidas for Puma from next season in a €4 million a year kit deal that will run through to 2022. The new Puma deal is understood to be double what Adidas were paying in a five-year deal. Puma were previously Valencia’s kit supplier from 1990-93.

BARCA IN 5G

Barcelona announced plans to incorporate 5G mobile technology into the Espai Barça redevelopment project of their Camp Nou stadium and surrounding facilities.

Camp Nou will become the first football stadium in the world to offer dedicated standard 5G coverage. The technology promises to 'enable the exploration of new and more immersive ways of enjoying sports events from home as if actually being in the stadium.'

IT’S ALL TOO MUCH

Santi Cazorla was left inconsolable after missing a penalty that would have lifted Villarreal out of the relegation zone. Villarreal were narrowly defeated 2-1 away by Real Betis, leaving them 18th in La Liga with just seven matches remaining. And following the match, Cazorla was heartbreakingly left in floods of tears inside the stadium as one of Villarreal's management staff tried to console the playmaker.

ANY WAY YOU LIKE IT

LaLiga has launched its OTT streaming service, LaLigaSportsTV, which offers fans coverage of live LaLiga 1|2|3 content, as well as other Spanish sports. The LaLigaSportsTV app is available in eight languages (English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russia and Indonesian) for smartphone and tablet, while the smart TV service can be accessed in English and Spanish.

HERE'S OUR OFFER

Barcelona accidentally sent the contract details of highly-rated academy player Ilaix Moriba Kourouma to Espanyol, report ESPN FC. The report claims the Blaugrana are trying to tie him down to a new long-term contract and had meant to email the offer to his agent, rather than their Catalan rivals.

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

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SPAIN LIONEL MISSES RONALDO

“All I said to Costa was to calm down and to stop talking to the referee. I asked do you want a four match ban?” - Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has moved to end speculation that he looked to antagonize Diego Costa after the Atletico Madrid forward was sent off at the Nou Camp.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi considers longterm rival Cristiano Ronaldo as ‘on the same level’ as him and wishes he had remained in Spanish football. The two players won nine Ballon d’Or titles between them in consecutive years between 2009 and 2017, with an intense sporting rivalry when Ronaldo was at Real Madrid. The Portuguese superstar left the Spanish capital last summer to join Juventus in a €100m deal, with the two still widely recognized as the world’s greatest players.

CAN'T BUY ME LOVE

NOT AGAIN NEVILLE

Valencia appeared to jokingly mock former manager Gary Neville after responding to a fan's demand that they follow back or the Sky Sports pundit would take over again. The La Liga club replied 'You've got a new follower' to the tweet, but added the clarification that they were fully behind current boss Marcelino. Neville endured a difficult spell at Valencia in what was his first role as manager of a senior club side.

Espanyol have hit back at Barcelona defender Gerard Pique’s claims that he earns more than their first-team squad: “Our values cannot be measured by money.” Earlier this week, the former Spain international claimed on Movistar+ TV in Spain: “I have more money than Espanyol have in their entire budget.” The claim had come ahead of Saturday’s La Liga meeting between the two Catalan rivals, which the Blaugrana ended up winning 2-0.

“It was the pinnacle of everything we were achieving at the time. It was a period when our success seemed at its most emphatic and that game was the perfect demonstration. The idea of how we wanted to play and our superiority on the pitch was clear. It was the ultimate high point.” - Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has described his side's 3-1 win over Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final as the greatest moment in the club's recent history.

ESPORT EXPANDED

Barcelona have expanded its eSports presence by signing a team to compete in Rocket League. This marks Barça’s second venture into competitive eSports. The club already has a team in eFootball.

Pro, a Pro Evolution Soccer league developed by game publishers Konami and current Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

Barcelona are only the second European soccer club to launch an affiliate Rocket League team, following French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

NEW NIKE SHIRT

“Technology is good, but I'm seeing something that goes beyond that and it is a disgrace” - Levante president Quico Catalan has blasted the use of VAR as a ‘disgrace’ after feeling his side were harshly treated during a 3-2 defeat at Athletic Club.

Nike will launch a limitededition remake of Barcelona's stunning 1998/99 home shirt to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Barcelona's famous La Liga victory in 1999. Luis Figo, Patrick Kluivert and Rivaldo immediately spring to mind as this simplistic but effective design, most famous for centered badge and Nike swoosh.

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

Espanyol defender Adria Pedrosa has received abuse aplenty on social media after he swapped shirts with Barcelona's Lionel Messi following his side's 2-0 derby defeat at the Nou Camp. Despite it being a derby, 20-year old Pedrosa set about asking the five-time Ballon d'Or for his shirt on the pitch and Messi was happy to oblige, with the exchange caught on camera.

“Every year we are robbed by the great teams, every year we have players taken from us and that is because we have the best youth system in Spain. Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao are the clubs who do this, I must come out and say this because it hurts us.” Villarreal president Fernando Roig has criticized Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao for ‘stealing’ youth players from the club.

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DON’T EAT AND PLAY The Spanish FA has imposed restricted kick-off times for La Liga matches between late May and mid-September based on health grounds. From now on, no matches can commence before 7.30pm local time between May 20 to September 15 – ruling out lunchtime and afternoon matches.

The Spanish FA have said this arrangement has been approved by all levels of their organization following a consultation process that had begun last year.

SHHH, IT’S VICTOR

Former Barcelona goalkeeper and Spain international Victor Valdes has admitted he is enjoying life away from the media spotlight. In a rare interview on Spanish radio, the 37-year-old talked about tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in March 2014 against Celta Vigo – which effectively ended his career at Barcelona. Valdes had deleted all his social media accounts after he announced his retirement in 2018 and has been mostly living under the radar ever since.

TIT FOR TAT HEROES CRY TOO

Iago Aspas was left in tears on the bench as his two goals gave Celta Vigo a chance of avoiding relegation. The exLiverpool forward, has just come back from a two-month injury lay-off, was left crying tears of joy and relief on the bench at the end of the game after being taken off to a standing ovation from home supporters.

DID YOU

KNOW?

• Real Sociedad striker Willian José is the only forward to have scored & been sent off both in a single LaLiga game this season.

• Sevilla FC winger Bryan Gil is the first player born in this century to provide an assist in the Top 5 European Leagues.

• Luis Suarez scored twice from outside of the box against Atletico Madrid; the first time he scored a brace from outside of the box in his Barcelona career.

• Jan Oblak has saved 81 of 100 shots on target faced in LaLiga this season (81%), the best percentage for a keeper in the Top 5 European Leagues (at least 13 games played).

Barcelona have defended their ticket pricing structure despite complaints from Manchester United that their charges are excessive. The Catalan giants are charging €120 for travelling United fans for the Champions League quarter-final – the highest in United’s history outside of finals. The English club announced they would subsequently charge this amount for Barca fans at Old Trafford, and they would use the price difference to subsidize their own fans travels.

NO MORE SWOOSH

BY THE NUMBERS

La Liga have confirmed their 23year partnership with Nike will end at the end of the season - with Puma to take over as the league's ball manufacturer for the 2019-20 campaign. Puma have signed a mega money three season deal to produce all footballs for the Spanish top flight, bringing an end to one of the longest collaborations in European sport.

NOT QUITE EINSTEIN

Former Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello states Barcelona star Lionel Messi is â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of three geniusesâ&#x20AC;? in football, along with Pele and Diego Maradona. The former Italian boss was making the comments in relation to former Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, now at Juventus, whom he does not believe is at the same level.

4 Celta Vigoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Iago Aspas has scored four braces in LaLiga this season, more than any other Spanish player in the Top 5 European Leagues.

6 CD Leganes are unbeaten in their six LaLiga matches against Alaves (W2 D4), scoring at least once in each of those games 9 Nine AtlĂŠtico's players have been sent off against Barcelona since Simeone era, triple than against any other opponent in all competition in the process.

PARTY ANI-MELO

Boys

Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo has apologized to his teammates and Coach Ernesto Valverde for flying to Neymarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday party in February.

The two are Brazilian international teammates but Arthur, who joined the Catalan club from Gremio last summer, was part of the Barca squad to face Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey two days later. The 22-year-old started the match at the Camp Nou but injured his hamstring, as he later attracted criticism for his actions.

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MORE CHINESE SOCCER

La Liga have agreed a collaboration with the Chinese Super League with the aim of helping football grow in China, it has been confirmed. A statement on La Ligaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website has confirmed that not only will the two leagues be working in partnership, but also the clubs within them.

BENZEMA BURGLED

The house of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was robbed during Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s El Clasico clash against Barcelona, say reports in Spain. The Frenchmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house was robbed in the Spanish capital in the midst of the match, according to a report on Spanish TV show El Chiringuito.

THE TERROR IS OVER

Alaves ultra group Iraultza 1921 have suspended its activity indefinitely due to "pressures, sanctions and prohibitions."

The group has often been in conflict with the La Liga disciplinary committee and has been accused of promoting violence in the stands and creating a hostile environment for visiting fans.

MORE SOCCER DOCUMENTARIES

LaLiga North America is launching an English-language documentary series centered on the stories and lives of LaLiga fans in the US. The 12-episode series dubbed the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;United States of LaLigaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is expected to air in August, with the first completed episode featuring a Deportivo la CoruĂąa fan from New York City. LaLiga, Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top-flight soccer division, entered into a 15-year joint venture partnership with Relevent Sports Group last year. The partnership aims at promoting the league across the US and Canada.

ALL ABOARD

Sevilla have confirmed Vueling as their official airline partner in a short-term deal running until the end of the 2018/19 season. No financial details of the agreement have been disclosed, but the airline has secured branding at Sevillaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ramon SĂĄnchezPizjuĂĄn Stadium as part of the contract. This is the second deal of this nature that Vueling has secured in LaLiga, with the low-cost airline inking a deal with Valencia in February.

AROUND ??????????

SPAIN DID YOU

KNOW?

ESPANYOL TO HELP CHINA “Of course, I would rather that it was a Real Madrid player who matched it, but those records are in place to be broken.”

- Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas has congratulated Barcelona's Lionel Messi for equalling his La Liga record of 334 victories but admitted he wanted it to be a Real Madrid player.

RCD Espanyol have secured a strategic partnership with Chinese soccer school San Gao FC. The La Liga outfit will utilize the partnership to develop their brand in China whilst providing elite training methods to the school. San Gao is one of the largest and most prestigious soccer academies in China with 4000 students enrolled.

A GOOD MOVE

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the governing body for soccer in Spain, has announced a twoyear partnership with express transport company Seur.

The agreement will see Seur become the official supplier of transport and courier services to all of Spain's men's and women's national soccer teams. In addition to the senior sides, the deal also covers the U-21 team, as well as beach soccer, futsal and all other categories.

THE NEW FACE OF SOCCER

“I still consider myself one of the best, even though the Spanish press wants to kill me. I feel very strong, I'm calm because I train well and play well.” - Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has claimed he does not understand why Spanish media are so critical of him, claiming they want to 'kill' him after a poor performance.

La Liga have launched a new virtual assistant to provide fans with more information through voice and text. The service, which will use artificial intelligence (AI) and the cognitive services of tech giant Microsoft, will give fans access to news regarding all LaLiga competitions and clubs across multiple devices, including Samsung’s Bixby, Google Assistant and Skype. Among the information provided by the service will be schedules, classification, results, player and club statistics, and videos of major moments in games.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Valencia have agreed a new partnership deal with Scientiffic Nutrition, which sees the company become the club's official sports supplement. The length and financial details of the LaLiga club’s agreement with the fiveyear-old supplement company were not disclosed. Valencia join fellow Spanish top-flight club Real Betis and Racing Santander on Scientiffic Nutrition’s roster of partners.

MESSI GUTTED

Former Real Madrid midfielder Guti was asked to pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has more talent than Cristiano Ronaldo but the “self-made” Juventus talisman is more ambitious, according to Real Madrid great Guti. Messi and Ronaldo’s standing among the greats of football is often debated, with the pair winning five Ballons d’Or apiece and numerous club and individual awards.

BARCA DOLLARS

Barcelona are looking to raise €100 million (US$112 million) to launch their own investment fund, according to Palco23. The Spanish business outlet says that the LaLiga champions have been exploring the project for two years with the aim of creating a testing platform for new technologies. Barcelona are apparently not willing to contribute capital to the initiative, and would instead provide the knowledge and expertise of their staff to assess which startups have the potential to succeed in the market by testing them at the highest level.

ONLINE REVISTA “Perhaps because of what we’re seeing this year, I could say that Iago is more important for Celta than Messi for Barca.” - Iago Aspas is more important to Celta Vigo than Lionel Messi is to Barcelona, according to Celta teammate Brais Mendez.

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Barcelona are making their club magazine Revista Barça available digitally for the first time. Spanish soccer giants Barcelona are making their club magazine Revista Barça available digitally for the first time.

Available to club members, the La Liga outfit have released a free app for smartphones and tablets on the Google Android and Apple iOS platforms to deliver the magazine’s digital edition in Catalan or Spanish.

• Nobody scored more direct free-kick goals than Lionel Messi (20) in Europe’s top five leagues in the last five seasons.

• Real Madrid have won 100% of their LaLiga games this season with Keylor Navas this season (4/4).

BY THE NUMBERS 17 With their defeat vs Rayo Vallecano, Valencia have lost after 17 games without losing (W10 D7), that was the best run for a team in the Top 5 European Leagues (all comps).

“Barcelona wanted to pay me more, but we wanted we wanted the best project, which was at Real Madrid.” - Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has confirmed that he turned down a move to Barcelona prior to his switch to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2018.

• FC Barcelona are one of only three teams that Diego Simeone has never defeated as Atletico manager in LaLiga (14 games), after Mallorca (three) and Racing Santander (one).

I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING

10 Valencia’s Dani Parejo has missed his first penalty (vs.

Rayo Vallecano) in LaLiga since March 2017 (vs.

Sporting de Gijon) after ten penalties scored in a row (his best run in the competition).

Philippe Coutinho has denied ever taking part in an interview which has been reported by the 'Daily Mirror'. The Brazilian 1 Real Madrid forward, via his current club have conceded FC Barcelona, claims he hasn't only one foul in spoken to the British newspaper the opening 45 where they posted articles about minutes against Eibar, the fewest his future as well as the match in a single game against Manchester United in the at half-time in all Champions League. It isn't the first competitions this time a 'ghost interview' involving a season.

Barca player has appeared in the British press. Luis Suarez and Leo Messi have also been victims to these types of reports ahead of a big match against an English side.

AHYE ST IN T E M GA SOCCER360 SOCCER360MAGAZINE.COM Follow us on

La Liga have announced a sponsorship and broadcast rights partnership with Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW). The deal, which runs until the end of the 2020/21 season, sees La Liga become a top-tier partner of the organizing body of professional beach soccer, granting expansion opportunities for Spanish clubs, as well as the ability to reach new audiences with prominent brand exposure. La Liga will also hold Spanish broadcast rights to BSWW competitions, via its over-the-top (OTT) platform, LaLigaSportstv, with a specific focus on Spanish clubs and players, as well as the national team.

La Liga contributed €15.7 billion (US$17.9 billion) to the country’s economy during the 2016/17 season, according to a new study by consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The recently released report shows that the economic impact equated to 1.37 per cent of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that year, with the soccer industry generating as many as 185,000 jobs.

In a a bit of Twitter banter, Kappa Spain just reacted to the leak of the Barcelona 19-20 fourth kit by Nike, claiming that it uses a design of their creation. The picture shared

by Kappa puts the leaked Barcelona shirt next to the Kappa-produced shirt of Catalan rugby team Unió Esportiva Santboiana, which does feature a relatively similar look.

The captain reads "When do we get the commission?"

RONALDO MAYHEM

The new-look Spanish Supercopa, which will increase from two teams to four, will commence in January 2020, according to Cadena Cope. The report claims the full details will be made available by the Spanish FA soon, with all matches set to be played away from Spain.

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Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has claimed the club ‘couldn’t afford’ to sign Paul Pogba in the summer of 2016, when he joined Manchester United.

The 26-year-old, who is under contract at Old Trafford until 2021, joined United from Juventus at that time in a €95m deal – then a world record deal. The Blaugrana have since spent more money on signing Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele, following the €222m sale of Neymar to Paris SaintGermain the following year.

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LET THEM STAND

Atletico Madrid ultras refused to take their seats behind the goal until the 12th minute against Girona at the Wanda Metropolitano.

El Frente Atletico were protesting against their treatment by Diego Simeone's players after their Champions League defeat to Juventus.

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GREASING THE WHEELS

Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe has spoken of his admiration for Real Madrid Coach Zinedine Zidane by claiming only Pele is comparable.

The France international met the famous former Brazil international in Paris and said that he only held Zizou on the same level of admiration as Pele. Madrid have been heavily linked with a summer bid for MBappe, with significant investment in the squad expected during the close season.

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KARIM IS THE BEST

Real Madrid defender Alvaro Odriozola has hailed team mate Karim Benzema as the best centre forward in world football at the moment. The former Real Sociedad player was speaking after Benzema netted a late winner in their 3-2 victory over Huesca, his 15th La Liga goal of the season. The 31-yearold has made a crucial difference for Los Blancos during an inconsistent campaign, and Odriozola is in no doubt about his star quality.

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THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY

THE GOOD

There has been a proper title race in the Bundesliga this season. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have fought toe-totoe throughout the season, and even if the Bavarians do pull ahead by the time the final whistle blows on the campaign to claim a seventh straight title, it’s been a breath of fresh air.

Dortmund might not feel that way, though.

They were six points clear at the winter break after Bayern’s shaky start to the season, but fell to second place as the finish line came into view. It’s a long time since Bayern last had to come from behind to win the League.

What will disappoint the neutrals more than Bayern finally sneaking back to the top of the table was the manner of the win in Der Klassiker that took them there. They put their old enemy to the sword in a blitz of a first half at the Allianz Arena that saw them 4-0 up at the break. Even Dortmund’s Thomas Delaney had to admit that they were schooled in the first half.

For the neutrals hoping for a different name at the top of the Bundesliga standings come the end of the season, they can only hope that Dortmund have enough fight left in them. When the sides met one-on-one in April, it was barely a contest.

But having the destination of the title decided in the run-in, regardless of the gap between the teams in a 90-minute encounter, is something to be positive about. While the signs point to it being Bayern’s title once more, this has been a title race worthy of the name.

THE BAD

Early April saw the resignation of DFB President Reinhard Grindel after he came under increased pressure following allegations around his earnings and reports

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he accepted a €6,000 watch. There was also continued dissatisfaction with the way he was running the DFB and his focus on enhancing the overseas appeal and commercial opportunities for the German game.

He was accused in late March of failing to declare additional income of €78,000 for being chairman of a media management company in 2016 and 2017 that was a subsidiary of the DFB. This income was on top of his salary as president. Whilst the watch was given to him by Grigoriy Surkis, a UEFA Vice-President, executive committee member and Ukrainian businessman.

On these accusations Grindel said: “Everyone who knows me knows I am not greedy and have been dealing with compliance issues for years.

“Mr Surkis had no financial interest in the DFB,” Grindel continued. “He never asked me for any support, then or after. It was clear at the time he would not run again for UEFA’s Exco, to which he no longer belongs. There was and is no conflict of interest for me.”

There has been growing dissatisfaction towards the tenure of Grindel following his various initiatives to increase the overseas audience of the Bundesliga including Monday night matches and late kick-offs. He was also criticised for the way he handled the Mesut Ozil affair and the extension of Joachim Low’s contact as head coach of the national team before the disastrous World Cup in Russia. He was also seen to criticise Low’s decision to permanently drop Mats Hummels, Thomas Muller and Jerome Boateng before then claiming to the contrary.

THE UGLY

Racist abuse has again resurfaced all across Europe with reports of incidences during

ABOVE: Bayern vs.

Borussia Dortmund LEFT: Reinhard Grindel

Going UP Going DOWN

STATS SO FAR Robert Lewandowski

GOING UP

He announced himself to the Bundesliga with a real bang in April. RB Leipzig’s Matheus Cunha hit an exquisite chip against Bayer Leverkusen straight after leaving two defenders in his wake with a Zinedine Zidane-esque turn.

The 19-year-old Brazilian sensation was signed in the summer for €15m and has made 21 Bundesliga appearances this season. After this goal, it’s safe to say he’s arrived, and he’s one to watch next season.

TOP SCORERS

GOING DOWN

PLAYER R. Lewandowski Luka Jović Paco Alcácer Andrej Kramarić Yussuf Poulsen Marco Reus Sébastien Haller Timo Werner Ishak Belfodil Kai Havertz

VAR has had a troubled life in its early infancy with controversial decisions in the Champions League and questionable omissions in England’s FA Cup, and it seems there’s no escape of the video refereeing mistakes in Germany either.

Eintracht Frankfurt were so unlucky to be denied a penalty by VAR in their match with Schalke, the opposition’s Twitter feed even exclaimed they didn’t know why it wasn’t given.

They did get a penalty in stoppage-time however, winning the game 2-1.

TEAM Bayern Munich E. Frankfurt B. Dortmund Hoffenheim RB Leipzig B. Dortmund E. Frankfurt RB Leipzig Hoffenheim B. Leverkusen

G 21 17 16 15 15 15 14 14 13 13

TOP ASSISTS PLAYER Jadon Sancho Joshua Kimmich Filip Kostić Sébastien Haller Thorgan Hazard Max Kruse Thomas Müller Mario Gotze R. Lewandowski Florian Neuhaus LEFT (TOP): Matheus Cunha LEFT (BOTTOM): Eintracht Frankfurt vs.

Schalke BELOW: Germany vs. Serbia

matches in England, as well that which was directed towards England players in their recent away match in Montenegro.

Unfortunately, German football has been marred by similar problems following the national team’s outing against Serbia in the northern city of Wolfsburg. During the game, home fans were heard directing racist abuse towards Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan. The incident was first brought to light by German journalist and basketball expert Andre Voigt, who made a video detailing the abuse that came from three fans sitting behind him during the game.

This led to police in Germany opening an investigation into the incident on International Day Against Racism, of which several Bundesliga clubs took part. Three men between the ages of 30 and 40 surrendered to police late on the Thursday night, the day after the game.

A statement by the DFB condemned the actions, while confirming that the purchaser of the seats had been identified. The statement also encouraged fans to report such instances immediately by contacting stewards. The DFB also commented: "Football, like society, is diverse. Insults, discrimination and exclusion have no place in football."

This isn’t the first time the national team has had problems with racism and sects of the far right within its supporter base.

TEAM A B. Dortmund 13 Bayern Munich 11 E. Frankfurt 10 E. Frankfurt 9 Borussia Mön. 9 Werder Bremen 9 Bayern Munich 8 B. Dortmund 7 Bayern Munich 7 Borussia Mön. 7

CLEAN SHEETS PLAYER Péter Gulácsi Yann Sommer Manuel Neuer Koen Casteels Roman Bürki Lukáš Hrádecký Kevin Trapp Rune Jarstein Jiri Pavlenka Oliver Baumann

TEAM CS RB Leipzig 15 Borussia Mön. 12 Bayern Munich 11 VfL Wolfsburg 9 B. Dortmund 8 B. Leverkusen 8 E. Frankfurt 7 Hertha BSC 6 Werder Bremen 6 Hoffenheim 5

Peter Gulacsi

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Timo's Time?

SUMMER HEADLINE MAKERS

TIMO WERNER HAS LONG BEEN LINKED WITH A MOVE TO LIVERPOOL — AND SOME OF EUROPE’S OTHER BIG CLUBS ARE SAID TO BE CIRCLING TOO. MICHELLE OSEI BONSU ASKS WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE GERMANY HITMAN…

BARCA BLUNDER?

Naby Keita’s first season at Liverpool should serve as an example to Timo Werner, Michelle Osei Bosnu believes, after the midfielder struggled to get to grips with English football.

Although the prospect of playing in the Premier League will certainly seem appealing to any player – let alone a rising young star like Timo Werner – the grass really is not always greener on the other side. Just look at the case of his former teammate Naby Keita, who has failed to make a big splash in his first season in England.

The Reds spent big on his services but it hasn’t reaped immediate dividends.

Keita has proven to be a fair acquisition but Liverpool spent £48m on him and would have expected a little more than that for their money.

Widely viewed as one of the biggest talents in Germany, a lot was expected of Keita, particularly as Liverpool moved heaven-and-earth to sign him from RB Leipzig. The deal was agreed in 2017 but he didn’t move to England for another 12 months, but Liverpool were determined to get their man and wanted him locked up before anyone else got there.

When he did get to Anfield, at 23, he was given the No. 8 shirt most famously worn by iconic captain Steven Gerrard.

If that was a sign of what was hoped for, he’s fallen short. Injuries didn’t, as his start to the season was disrupted by muscular problems.

But there’s significant competition for places too, and Keita simply didn’t do enough to show he should be picked ahead of his teammates. Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum formed a strong partnership and Keita’s fellow new arrival Fabinho stepped up his game too after a slow start. Then there’s the versatile, hard-working James Milner, and Alex OxladeChamberlain, who impressed in midfield before a long-term injury.

That all leaves Keita in a conundrum.

When he’s healthy, there’s no guarantee he’ll play. It’s a situation Werner could find himself in if he chooses Anfield as his next destination.

Three highly successful seasons later, Timo Werner has been linked with a move to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.’

O

n November 10 2013, Stuttgart beat Freiburg 3-1. That game would have just been any ordinary match in the Bundesliga calendar, except for the fact that history was made on the day.

A certain young striker by the name of Timo Werner found the back of the net twice, and at just 17 years of age, this feat made him the youngest ever player in Bundesliga history to score a brace in a match.

Werner went on to score a total of four goals in his debut season in the top flight, and continued to be a consistent starter for Stuttgart over his next two seasons.

While he never hit double figures during his time there, the rising talent still managed to rack up over 50 appearances – making him the youngest ever player to reach this milestone, until it was broken in 2018 by Kai Havertz. Unfortunately, Stuttgart were not able to hang on to their rising star following their relegation at the end of the 2015-16 season, and their loss proved to be ambitious side RB Leipzig’s gain, as they snapped up the burgeoning talent that summer.

Three highly successful seasons later at Leipzig, and he has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool among his rumoured suitors.

Bayern Munich, of course, have sat up and taken notice – which is no surprise, as die Roten are notorious for snapping up all of their rivals’ best players at a drop of a hat.

But the fact that the Reds were apparently sniffing around during the winter transfer window and could possibly make an offer this summer raises some questions as to whether he would suit the team’s all-action style at Anfield.

To answer these questions, one must take a look at who exactly Timo Werner is? Born on March 6, 1996 in Stuttgart, Germany, he took his first footballing steps at his hometown club, starting out with die Schwaben at the age of six. His father,

Günther Schuh, plied his trade as a winger for 07 Ludwigsburg as well as Stuttgarter Kickers and played an instrumental role in his son’s success – but unlike his father, Timo opted to eventually play as a centreforward like his idol, Mario Gomez, who he would eventually get the opportunity to play alongside at international level just over a decade later.

Werner opts to play under his mother Sabine’s maiden name – perhaps in a bid to establish his own identity separate from his father – and he has done that in leaps and bounds. In 2017, he was part of a young and untested squad fielded by Joachim Low at the Confederations Cup, scoring three goals and providing two assists as Germany lifted their first ever trophy in Russia.

For his efforts, he was awarded the tournament’s Golden Boot, and naturally, there were high expectations when he was named to die Mannschaft’s 23-man squad when the team returned to Russia last summer to try to defend their World Cup crown.

But the ‘curse of the World Cup’ struck once again as Low’s side were humiliated and eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 1938. Werner failed to have any impact whatsoever, despite featuring in all three of Germany’s three group stage games, against Mexico, Sweden, and South Korea, but he was one of the few players who generally escaped significant harsh criticism from the press.

Nonetheless, at 22, he just so happened to be the same age as two icons – Diego Maradona and Brazil’s Ronaldo – when they featured for their respective nations at World Cups and made their tournament debuts. And it was Ronaldo himself who handed Werner his Golden Boot prize back in 2017, while Maradona was reportedly among the first to congratulate him on his feat. In 2017, during his first full season at senior level with the national team, Werner netted seven times in just 10 appearances,

ABOVE: Timo Werner burst onto the scene with Stuttgart before switching to RB Leipzig BOTTOM LEFT: Naby Keita left Leipzig for Liverpool in 2018 but it hasn’t all gone to plan for the midfielder

FACTFILE NAME: Timo Werner BORN: March 6, 1996 (Germany) HT / WT: 1.80m / 75kg POSITION: Striker CLUB: RB Leipzig

FOLLOWING IN KLINSMANN’S FOOTSTEPS Timo Werner wouldn’t be the first Germany striker to head to the Premier League — and if he ends up as beloved at Liverpool as Jurgen Klinsmann was at Tottenham Hotspur, he’ll have done well…

Should Timo Werner make the possible move to the Premier League — with Liverpool or any other English side — he would be following in the footsteps of none other than Jurgen Klinsmann, who signed with Tottenham Hotspur during the 1994-95 season.

Klinsmann was not exactly met with open arms by English fans nor the English press – namely because of his part in West Germany crushing Three Lions’ supporters hearts at the 1990 World Cup. Still, he quickly won Spurs followers over with his self-depreciating brand of humour, responding to diving allegations with a celebration poking fun at the claims, and netted a respectable 21 goals in the League, 30 in all competitions, in his first spell at White Hart Lane. He returned three years later and while he couldn’t replicate the same form, he remains a fan favourite to this day.

Should Werner swap German football for English, he’ll be out for the same kind of impact. Whether that comes this summer, or at some point in the future, remains to be seen.

SEASON 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

CLUB Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart RB Leipzig RB Leipzig RB Leipzig

APPS

GOALS 34 4 33 3 36 7 32 21 45 21 29 16

and although his output dramatically dropped in the following year as he and Germany endured a frustrating 2018, nine goals in just two years at senior level certainly is nothing to sniff at.

Nor are 42 goals across all competitions for RB Leipzig in his first two seasons under Ralph Hasenhüttl. That is truly an impressive outlay, especially considering that he had netted just 14 in total during his first three for Stuttgart. He showed no signs of slowing down in his third term, now under the tutelage of Ralf Rangnick. And it is not only his natural goalscoring ability that earned him the attention of other clubs, but it is also his blistering pace – he has been clocked at running the 100 meter-dash in just over 11 seconds.

Pacey, strong and with an eye for goal?

Sounds a lot like another young hotshot that Liverpool boss Klopp noticed just over a decade ago when coaching Borussia Dortmund and turned into a global superstar. When Robert Lewandowski arrived at Signal Iduna Park in the summer of 2010, he was a little known, 22-year-old raw talent from Polish outfit Lech Poznan, where he had finished as the League’s top scorer. It was under Klopp’s guidance that Lewandowski grew into the world-class talent that he is today and earned him a move to the Allianz Arena. Clearly, if those rumours are to be believed, Klopp believes he can do the same with rising talent Werner.

On paper, Werner is already miles ahead of Lewandowski, however – already having won a title at national level – and is already playing at a more established club in a bigger League. But is he the right fit for Liverpool? Unlike Dortmund, which were an up and coming outfit with largely unknown and non-established players, the Reds are already stacked with a top-notch front line boasting the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane. Then there’s Xherdan Shaqiri, who has proven to be a game-changer from the bench and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who is certainly another exciting option once back to full fitness. Yes, Werner is a versatile player who can go anywhere across the frontline, but where exactly would he fit in?

Although Liverpool will certainly be battling on multiple fronts next season and thus will have to rotate their squad, Werner is clearly a player who will benefit from weekly first team football. Unless the Reds anticipate some departures among their big three – that is, either one of Salah, Firmino, or Mane – this summer, it is hard to see how this burgeoning talent would get the game time to flourish under Klopp. Would he be happy to feed off mere scraps left behind by his more established colleagues? It would be a huge step down from being the focal point at Leipzig, where he enjoys being the star of the show week in, week out and is among the top scorers for die Bullen.

Then again, the ever busy rumour mill has linked two of the Liverpool trio with moves away from Anfield this summer: Salah to Juventus and Mane to Real Madrid.

However realistic those moves are depends on who one asks and who one chooses to believe. Hypothetically, if one or more of these two left, there could be room for Werner at Anfield, but then what about the likes of Shaqiri and Oxlade-Chamberlain, both of whom are knocking at the door for a regular run-out in the starting XI? Werner has reportedly stalled on signing a contract extension with his current employer as he weighs his options, and that’s a sign that his head has already been turned by the prospect of possibly playing in the Premier League. However, he may want to weigh things very carefully, as a year ago, one of his colleagues made the switch over to Anfield – and things have not gone as swimmingly as he would have expected. Werner is young enough for his career to recover from a poor decision, but perhaps the key is to make the right decision in the first place.

TOP LEFT: He’s part of Germany’s new, post-World Cup 2018 generation BOTTOM LEFT: Liverpool have an established front — will there be a place for Werner?

BOTTOM LEFT CORNER: Werner’s compatriot Jurgen Klinsmann took the Premier League by storm in the 1990s

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BRACELET KING

FC Nürnberg midfielder Alexander Fuchs met fashion designer Fabio di Salvo in person and gifted him a signed jersey of his. Fuchs is a great fan of Salvo’s work and regularly wears leather bracelets produced by the 24-year-old.

QUOTES

“They know how to play football, but they have no idea about contracts and the business.” - Former Deportivo La Coruna president Augusto César Lendoiro is not convinced of Bayern Munich bosses Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s administrative skills.

“It's no secret that I didn't have a good relationship with the coach in Berlin.

The fun was taken out of the football for me there. I couldn't clear my head, because I knew that I wasn't on the same wavelength with the coach. Then you don't play football well.” - Former Hertha BSC midfielder Sinan Kurt takes a swipe at Pal Dardai whom he played under at the German capital club.

GERMAN LEGENDS

The German football Hall of Fame of has been officially opened at a star-studded event at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Sports journalists from across Germany voted last year to induct the first class of Hall of Famers. Only players who had finished their career at least five years ago were eligible. Member of the 2014 World Cup-winning team could therefore not be included in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame XI includes Franz Beckenbauer, Uwe Seeler, Lothar Matthäus, Günter Netzer, Sepp Meier, Paul Breitner, Matthias Sammer, Andreas Brehme, Gerd Mueller, Fritz Walter and Helmut Rahn and Sepp Herberger as manager. Except for the sick Gerd Müller, all eight survivors were present at the ceremony.

to invite his friends and family to a party after Bayern München's game against Borussia Dortmund isn't well received

by Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.

“You don’t see a player making over 50 sprints in a game every day. When it comes to this, I'm one of the top players. That's why my nickname is Speedy Gonzales.” - Fortuna Düsseldorf striker Benito Raman believes he is fast enough to be named as one of the fastest attackers around.

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All 3343 Eintracht Frankfurt fans away to Fortuna Düsseldorf walked out of the game at half time protesting Bundesliga’s Monday night fixtures. DFB have already announced to scrap Monday matchdays from season 2021/22 but the fans continue their protest demanding immediate abolition of the trend.

325 Kyriakos Papadopoulos made his first competitive appearance for Hamburger SV in 325 days when he took the field for the DFB Cup quarter finals against Paderborn.

10 Bayern Munich have reached the semifinal of the German Cup for a record 10th successive season.

45 Ante Rebic, Luka Jovic and Sébastien Haller have been involved in 45 of 53 Bundesliga goals scored

by Eintracht Frankfurt.

9 Werder Bremen’s Max Kruse was involved in 9 goals (6 goals, 3 assists) in March 2019, more than any other player in the Big 5 leagues in Europe.

A NICE GESTURE

Borussia Dortmund have donated one million euros for the expansion of the Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem in Israel.

Every year more than a million people visit Yad Vashem as the world's largest memorial site for the victims.

Construction on the approximately 4,200 square-foot memorial center is expected to begin in August this year.

HIGH FLYING TECH

“I wouldn't do that as a player, particularly not after such a game. You don't know how the game ends. If he had asked me, I would have advised him against it.” - Jerome Boateng's decision

IT’S YOUR LOSS

BY THE NUMBERS

The matchday 28 meeting between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund broke all previous TV records for Bundesliga games as it was broadcast in more than 200 countries. 25 cameras were used for the match at Allianz Arena; four more than usual Bundesliga games. A remote-controlled slow-motion camera, a state-of-the-art corner flag cam, a drone and a flycam with augmented reality were also used to cover Der Klassiker.

IT’S A FARE, COP

Bundesliga football clubs can be requested to pay for police deployments at high-risk matches, according to a German court rule, much to the dismay of the league. Ruling on a case brought by the German Football League (DFL) against Bremen police, the federal administrative court in Leipzig found that it was legitimate to charge a fee "for special police deployment at high-risk events of a commercial nature". The league had filed the lawsuit against Bremen police after they sent a bill to the DFL for a massive deployment during a derby match between Werder Bremen and Hamburg in April 2015.

KIDS PLAYING WITH FIREWORKS

Fortuna Düsseldorf have been fined €52,000 by the DFB sports court for the misconduct of its supporters at the Bundesliga match in Mönchengladbach on November 4. Düsseldorf ultras burned 53 pyrotechnic articles in the arena which led to multiple interruptions of the game.

PARTY TIME

Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boetang caused a stir by planning a post game party ahead of their crunch clash with title rivals Borussia Dortmund. The party was scheduled to take place just 3 hours after the match in Munich’s elite P1 club & bar. Besides Bayern Munich players, former sprint star Usain Bolt, singer Lena Meyer Landrut, Jerome's brother George Boateng, presenter Palina Rojinski, and a number of German rap greats, such as Capital Bra, Kurdo, Luciano and Samra were on the guest list.

SNOW GOAL

Snow had a big impact on the matchday 25 clash between Hannover 96 and Bayer Leverkusen, the former denied a certain goal as the ball became stuck on the line. When midfielder Genki Haraguchi broke the line and rounded the goalkeeper, they seemed set to half their opponents' lead but the Hannover star was left in awe as he saw his shot stopped on the line by the snow! The game ended 3-2 in Leverkusen’s favor.

6 Pierre-Michel Lasogga has scored 6 goals in the DFB Pokal 2018-19, the only Hamburger SV players to score more often in a single season in the competition were Jimmy Hartwig and Horst Hrubesch (7 goals each, 1980-81).

BAYERN CREDIT

Bayern Munich have launched a credit card in the Chinese market as part of the co-branded credit card deal they signed with the Industrial Bank of China (CIB).

Bayern and CIB will also host fan events in Beijing during major Bundesliga matches. Bayern’s presence in China includes an office in Shanghai that opened in 2016 that has established a number of fan events and youth development programs in the country, as well as organizing Bayern’s pre-season tours.

DUELING FANS

Schalke 04 have announced the launch of a new location-based augmented reality (AR) app. The platform, which was developed

by Berlin-based startup Forward Gaming, will enable fans of the Bundesliga outfit all over the world to compete with each other to unlock club-related rewards and prizes. Upon opening the mobile gaming app, users will be confronted with virtual boxes containing questions about Schalke and the club’s history. Fans who provide a correct answer will then receive rewards such as rare trading cards. Users will be able to exchange their trading cards with other members, while they can also challenge fellow supporters to a ‘duel’ in order to test their Schalke knowledge against other fans.

MORE MUNICH MALLS

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED

Bayern Munich brilliantly paid tribute to The Beatles ahead of their clash against Liverpool on Tuesday. The Bundesliga giants sent social media into meltdown when they recreated the iconic Abbey Road album cover. Mats Hummels, Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer were the four stars picked to take part.

They even got into character by wearing hilarious black wigs as they recreated the iconic image. The image shows the four players walking across a makeshift zebra crossing on their training pitch.

SWAPSIES

LORD OF THE NÜRBURGRINGS

FC Nürnberg have started a football library in the city of Nuremberg. The collection comprises about 350 titles, including works of fiction as well as children's books, biographies of players and coaches as well as literature about the 1st FC Nuremberg, but also other clubs and their history.

FAIRNESS IN SPORT - #1

FC Nürnberg have been awarded by Makkabi Germany with the "Maccabee 2019" for tolerance, openness and fairness in sport. In the German sports community, the prize honors clubs and initiatives that take the connecting thoughts of sport and the decisive action against discrimination and exclusion particularly to heart.

THAT’S MORE LIKE IT

Hannover 96 have raised over €6,000 under their "Haste mal 'ne Mark?" campaign. The club asked its fans to donate in favor of projects for homeless people. For more than six weeks, the club have collected the funds in 96 fan shops and other collection points throughout Hannover.

The proceedings will be used to fund housing projects around Hannover for those in need.

DID YOU

MONTE CARLO AND BUST

KNOW?

Wolfsburg coach Bruno Labbadia recently gave his players a three day leave which Robin Knoche used for a very special trip. Knoche will soon marry his girlfriend Anna-Lena Görgens, and he had his bachelor’s party with six close friends in Monte Carlo.

WITHOUTANET

Wolfsburg have stamped a 10 pm Wi-fi ban for its academy residents. The academy trainees will not be allowed to access the internet after 10 pm so that they could get adequate rest and focus on their football. German international Julian Brandt, Under-21 European Champion Maximilian Arnold and DFB Cup winner Robin Knoche are some of the notable alumni of the prestigious VfL academy.

I’M WATCHING YOU

Because their matchday 28 opponents FC Augsburg had sent spies to training in previous years, Hoffenheim sat guard to make sure no one was watching them practice ahead of the game. Club staff kept a close watch as Die Kraichgauer prepared to take on Manuel Baum’s men.

After several riots on the train, the police have granted a ban on entry to the entire city of Leipzig for about 150 supporters of Hertha BSC. The accused supporters were held at the Leipzig train station and charged with vandalism.

CLEAN CITY 500

FC Nürnberg is offering to give away 500 tickets for the club’s home encounter with Bayern Munich. The tickets will be given to 500 volunteers who will work to clean up the football fields and playgrounds around the city of Nuremburg. The club aims to create a better sporting environment for the adolescents and youth of Nuremburg through the program.

Borussia Dortmund have linked up with blockchain specialist Fantastec to be featured on the company’s digital collectibles platform. Dortmund follow English soccer side Arsenal in signing up to the SWAP platform, after the Premier League outfit became the first soccer club to team up with Fantastec back in February.

The platform allows fans to swap content safely and securely online and also includes social networklike features to enable fans to feel the same levels of confidence and trust as if trading in-person.

LEIP-SICK

Bayern Munich have announced plans to open an expansive new retail space and hotel in the city centre by December 2020 in a bid to increase brand exposure.

The planned 3,500 square metre FC Bayern Welt project in downtown Munich is currently being constructed behind a façade based on the historic building built in 1872 that stands at the Weinstrasse location. The concept has been established alongside development owner Nymphenburg Immobilien AG and Hild and K Architects.

OOOH, MORE RAINBOWS

To celebrate diversity, VfL Wolfsburg put on a special rainbow themed kit for their Bundesliga match against Fortuna Düsseldorf. The special Wolfsburg kit comes with the colorful #VielfaltLogo (Diversity-Logo) instead of the VW logo. Originally, it was intended to wear rainbow numbers, but that was not allowed by the league.

VfL Wolfsburg already has been using a rainbow captain armband since the start of the season.

SHORT MEDIUM VIDEO

Borussia Dortmund made a short video about Marco Reus' 'funny kit ritual' that went viral. Marco Reus' "signature move" for Borussia Dortmund is nothing you would first expect for the striker - it is not a certain strike or pass but that he is pulling down his kit very often during the match.

He is making this to adjust the fit of the Puma BVB shirt. He is already doing it without thinking about it. The video was wittingly captioned “When you ask for medium but you’re a large, that’s what happens.”

• Borussia Dortmund forward Paco Alcacer has outperformed his xG value by 7.5 goals this Bundesliga season, the second-best value in Europe’s five biggest leagues in 2018-19 behind only Lionel Messi.

• 1. FC Heidenheim Robert Glatzel is only the second player to score a hat-trick in a DFB Cup away game at FC Bayern München, the first had been Andreas Wagner in a 5-4 victory for Osnabrück in 1978.

• Bayern Munich have won every game in the German Cup in which Thomas Müller has scored (19 games), a record in the competition.

• As of April 3, Bundesliga ranked highest (3.12 goals per match) in terms of goals scored per match among top 5 European leagues.

• Huub Stevens is the first Schalke 04 coach to win 100 Bundesliga games.

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HERTHA BEAR

“You look at the games and suffer, of course, that there is so little going on. It hurts when I'm watching.” - Wolfsburg winger Felix Klaus feels saddened by the recent woes of his former employers Hannover 96.

SPECIAL FRIENDS

Umbro have released a set of special-edition jerseys for FC Schalke 04 and 1. FC Nürnberg for their gameweek 29 Bundesliga clash. Schalke 04 and Nürnberg have a special friendship for about 35 years. Over the years countless other individual associations between FC Schalke 04 and 1.

FC Nürnberg have been established.

IT WAS THE BLEACH

“Even Obama and the Pope would not have had a chance” - Ex-Hannover 96 president Martin Kind believes he had no choice but to step down from his position amidst fan fury and lack of board room support.

Bruno Labbadia reveals he didn’t get to have a bachelor’s party as football took center stage in his list of priorities.

Bayern Munich and Germany forward Serge Gnabry has provided us with a rare boot spot as he wore a blackout version of the next-generation Adidas Nemeziz 19 football boot in the Euro 2020 qualifiers match against Netherlands. Gnabry wore the 19.1 laces version of the Adidas Nemeziz 19 - the Three Stripes brand will also release a laceless version of the boots, the Adidas Nemeziz 19+. The boots are due to be officially released late in May ahead of the Champions League final.

star Benjamin Pavard apologizes for kicking and pushing SC Freiburg’s Keven Schlotterbeck.

Leon Gortezka mistakenly wore a Bundesliga shirt while playing Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League. The Bavarians home kit has a Qatar Airways emblem on its arm in addition to the T-Mobile logo on its chest. UEFA prohibit the use of two sponsors so they have launched an official investigation regarding the mix-up.

In order to provide a genderneutral stadium experience, the Volkswagen Arena provided “unisex” washroom facilities, besides regular male and female washrooms, to fans attending the game between Germany and Serbia. Visitors also got to choose themselves whether they want to be controlled by male, female or various supervisors (m / w / d).

SORRY, MATE

VfB Stuttgart start Benjamin Pavard texted SC Freiburg defender Keven Schlotterbeck to apologize for his misconducts during the game between Stuttgart and Freiburg. Pavard kicked Schlotterbeck in the 57th minute and then pushed back, and saw the yellow card.

TOAD IN HERTHA’S HOLE

“Bravery, readiness to fight, full energy.

Ready to fight for the victory! Power rangers fit the best” - Mainz 05 coach Sandro Schwarz on the question of which fictional characters would most likely characterize his team.

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11 Bayern Munich have scored 10 goals from corners, more than any other team in the Bundesliga this season.

9 SC Freiburg is the first team in this season of the Bundesliga to muster 9 shots against Bayern Munichin the first half.

Hertha’s new stadium plans have faced a major setback as the proposed land for housing relocations for the construction of the stadium has been declared as a natural reservation. The 24 apartments currently located at the stadium acquisition area were planned to be shifted at the Baumann meadow.

The area has a number of ponds which are major breeding zones for various species of toads.

520 Suat Serdar has scored his first goal in all competitions for Schalke 04 (29 games) and his first goal after 520 days - in October 2017 he scored in the Bundesliga for Mainz against Frankfurt (1-1).

WE ALL LOVE A PARADE

Where others make climbing tours or whitewater rafting, Mainz 05 has its own kind of teambuilding: Rosenmontag aka the Rose Monday parade! Mainz players dressed up in costumes, took part in the procession and interacted with their fans throughout the day.

SPONSOR MIXUP

MAKE YOUR MIND UP

“I want to be a good role model for the young, you do not do that.” - Stuttgart

9 As of April 4, Werder Bremen forward Milot Rashica has scored 9 goals in all competitions in 2019, only Robert Lewandowski has scored more goals among Bundesliga players (11).

Schalke 04 have released a video that gives us a sneak peek at the club’s possible away kit for the 2019/20 season. The video shows Alessandro Schöpf, sidelined for the rest of the campaign, secretly stepping into the club's laundry room to smuggle Nuremberg's 18-19 away kit into the mix. After the wash cycle, Schalke's staff notices a never-seen-before Schalke 04 kit.

WE NEED MORE BOOTS

“I did not celebrate my bachelor party at all, I had to play football. And at the age of 21, I paid 500 marks for my wedding, and that's all I had.” - Wolfsburg manager

Now it's official: Around four months after the birth, the polar bear girl in the Berlin zoo finally got a name - "Hertha"! The zoo has confirmed. The name comes not by chance - Berlin's Bundesliga side Hertha BSC has taken over the sponsorship. With a funny video clip, the football club had previously applied for the sponsorship. On social media, in February, the club released a clip reminiscent of the beginning of the movie "Lion King": Hertha mascot Herthinho, a brown bear, is holding a plush mini polar bear in the Olympic Stadium. "Hertha is a beautiful name! Don’t you think?”, it said.

173 VfB Stuttgart have scored 173 goals against Eintracht Frankfurt, more than any other team in their Bundesliga history.

THEIR LOSS

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB did not show a Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg because German referee Bibiana Steinhaus was officiating, German media reported, citing Iranian media.

The broadcast was reportedly canceled because the country's strict Islamic regulations do not allow the showing of images of women wearing clothes that reveal large amounts of skin, such as football shorts.

CAFFEINE FIEND

Oscar Wendt (33) is the only Borussia Mönchengladbach outfield player who was named in the starting XI of the team’s first 26 Bundesliga fixtures.

In the "foal podcast" Wendt has revealed his fitness secret - coffee makes the Swede so lively! Wendt says eight cups of coffee a day is the norm for him-one after getting up, one before leaving for training, one before training, one after training, one at lunch, one in the afternoon, one at dinner, one at 10.30 pm.

ZERO-GRAVITY GOAL

Eintracht Frankfurt are in the record books for the first ever zero-gravity goal, as board member Fredi Bobic teed up Sébastien Haller at an altitude of 8,500 metres at the BigCityBeats WORLD CLUB DOME – Zero G 2019.

The event takes place in a converted Airbus A310 that is normally used by the ESA for astronaut training and scientific experiments.

DENNIS THE BIKER

VfB Stuttgart left back Dennis Aogo used to pedal on the street himself, now he earns millions as a professional. He has not forgotten where he comes from - the VfB professional donated two percent of its salary to the kickfair project. Kickfair is an initiative aimed at allowing less fortunate young talents to pursue their full footballing potentials.

The 32-year-old visited a kickfair organized camp in Offenburg to explain the project to the kids and took the field with them afterwards.

ITALIAN TRADITION AND QUALITY 1969

CHINA CUP

Bayern Munich are to close out their 2018/19 season with a friendly against the China national team in Beijing. The German record champions will contest the “Allianz China Cup” in the Chinese capital on 29 May at the Beijing National Stadium, 11 days after the conclusion of the Bundesliga season.

SCHALKE SALT

Whenever you think that things are not getting any worse, that's exactly what happens: Schalke fans had to travel home in a rival plane. After travelling nearly 500 miles to watch their side get hammered 7-0 by Manchester City, Schalke fans had salt rubbed into their wounds when they had to fly back to Germany on a Borussia Dortmund-branded plane. According to media reports the plane was used for the Eurowings flight from Manchester to Düsseldorf.

Eurowings later on claimed the use of the airline was purely coincidental.

G.O.A.T.

After a 7-0 humiliation of Schalke 04 at the hands of Manchester City, ex-Schalke professional Max Meyer (23) has spoken on Instagram – taking a slight dig at former manager Christian Heidel, who was relieved of his duties just after the match. A now-deleted post shows a profile picture of Heidel, to the word "Goat" and a goat. Goat means goat in English, but at the same time it is the acronym for "Greatest of all times" in the sports world.

It was posted in a sarcastic tone by the Crystal Palace star, who didn’t have an ideal relationship with Heidel during his stay at the German club.

DID YOU

KNOW?

• Since his debut in August 2006, current Borussia Mönchengladbach manager Dieter Hecking has managed more Bundesliga games than any other manager (411).

SINGAPORE DEAL

FC Bayern has agreed a partnership with the Singapore Sports Council (SportSG) in Singapore. The youth partnership between the German record champions and SportSG will involve the international youth tournament series “FC Bayern Youth Cup” alongside with FC Bayern coaches exchange and education programs. The signing ceremony took place at the Jurong East Stadium with Klaus Augenthaler, FC Bayern’s Hall of Famer, as participant.

TASTE THE TRADITION

• Eintracht Frankfurt are playing the best Bundesliga season of their history after 27 games (49 points) • RB Leipzig forward Yussuf Poulsen is the first Dane since Bochum's Peter Madsen2003-04 to score 13 goals in a single Bundesliga campaign.

• Paco Alcacer is the first player in Bundesliga history to score 5 goals in the 90th minute in only one season.

• Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac failed to win any of his 6 games vs. SC Freiburg as a manager in the Bundesliga.

Fine Italian Foods.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Sepp Maier, who had turned 75 on 28 February, received warm applause from the 75,000 full house at the Allianz Arena before the home match against VfL Wolfsburg. Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and president Uli Hoeneß presented the Bayern legend with a bouquet of flowers and a photo from his last match for FC Bayern in 1979.

IT’S A KEEPER

Thomas Müller has named a foal born in his stable Manuel after his Bayern Munich colleague Manuel Neuer as it was born on the birthday of the goalkeeper.

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THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY

THE GOOD

It has to be said — it’s a shock to see Cincinnati do so well so early into their MLS life. The fans have been magnificent and taken to MLS like a duck to water, creating a great atmosphere for the Orange and Blue’s home games, showing their enthusiasm for every kick of the ball, every tackle won and every goal scored. What’s perhaps even more surprising is the way the team has performed.

Alan Koch’s side doesn’t contain a player at the level of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney or Carlos Vela yet they’ve played some very entertaining stuff, winning two games, drawing two games and losing two of their first six. Darren Mattocks and Fernando Adi have shown they can still put away the goals when needed, and have put in strong performances even when not on the scoresheet.

Opening the season against Seattle Sounders at Century Link Field and Atlanta United in Georgia may have seemed like a start from hell for Cincinnati, but they came through having taken a point against the Five Stripes, which is respectable.

A 5-0 defeat against the Sounders was chastening, but Cincinnati didn’t let it impact them once the final whistle sounded.

Cincinnati may not be the flashiest team in

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MLS and don’t have the world-recognised superstars of LA FC, Atlanta or LA Galaxy, but what they lack in star power they make up for in effort, intelligence and sheer desire to win. Already, fans have come to expect a strong, resilient performance from the new club and big things could lie ahead for the team. Watch this space.

THE BAD

Even if you expected a fall back to reality for Atlanta United, the way the season started would have seemed a far-fetched prediction. The reigning MLS Cup champions lost Tata Martino to the Mexico national team in the off-season, and Miguel Almiron joined Premier League Newcastle in January, so obviously there was going to be a period of adjustment, but new Coach Frank de Boer has struggled to get his side to click.

Atlanta failed to win any of their first four fixtures and were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League, and while the panic button hasn’t been hit quite yet, the fingers of Arthur Blank and Darren Eales are hovering over it, too close for comfort for de Boer. After getting only a few weeks at Crystal Palace, the last thing the former Ajax, Barcelona and Rangers defender needs is another short spell on the bench.

ABOVE (MAIN): FC Cincinnati fans ABOVE (LEFT): FC Cincinnati celebrates LEFT: Atlanta United OPPOSITE PAGE, FAR ABOVE RIGHT: Carlos Vela OPPOSITE PAGE, FAR BOTTOM RIGHT: Frank de Boer OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM LEFT: NYRB losing in the Champions League

To avoid that, de Boer needs to find a way to get Atlanta’s remaining stars — namely Josef Martinez, Pity Martinez and Ezequiel Barco — firing. And they need to show why they are the team’s Designated Players. Right now, there’s a real risk of the previously-strong connection between club and fans being lost.

Atlanta have been booed off the pitch more than once this season, so the supporters clearly aren’t afraid to show what they think. De Boer will get the benefit of the doubt to begin with but results and performances need a dramatic improvement if he’s to have any longevity in the post.

It was always going to be a difficult transition, from the fast, attacking style of Martino to de Boer’s slower, methodical approach, but for players of this quality, it shouldn’t have been this hard. While the players should take the blame, ultimately the responsibility lies with de Boer. Rightly or wrong, it’s at his feet the problems eventually fall and if there’s no sign of better on the horizon, his tenure in MLS will be short-lived.

THE UGLY

Has a set of performances in one competition in one season ever been so bad, so disappointing and so embarrassing they’ve forced an entire League, an entire country, to rethink the way they approach not just that competition, but an entire sport?

Maybe, but for MLS and football in the United States, the events of the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League should be the wake-up call to make much-needed changes. Houston Dynamo, Atlanta United, New York Red Bulls, Sporting Kansas City and Toronto FC were all humiliated by continental opponents at various stages in this season’s tournament, but there hasn’t been the major outcry that should have followed.

Perhaps because of the scheduling of the CCL and MLS it’s not taken as seriously by supporters. It clashes with the start of the domestic campaign, and fan attention is elsewhere. Subconsciously or otherwise, club concerns take precedence for fans of teams not in the tournament.

On one hand, that’s understandable. Do supporters of the Premier League’s nonChampions League teams really care if all English representation is eliminated before the latter stages? Probably not. But they, like the MLS teams in the CCL, are representing the country and the League, and their success speaks to the health or otherwise of the domestic competition.

Will this season’s performances provoke a bevy of changes from the MLS hierarchy?

It’s doubtful. But while MLS is growing and developing, and is more respected now than it used to be, the League still has a long way to go and a lot to learn. If the powerbrokers want MLS to be renowned for positive reasons, then its teams can’t be bounced around in the CONCACAF Champions League every season.

Going UP Going DOWN

STATS SO FAR Diego Rossi

TOP SCORERS PLAYER Carlos Vela Diego Rossi Zlatan Ibrahimović Jozy Altidore Wayne Rooney Memo Rodríguez

TEAM LA FC LA FC LA Galaxy Toronto FC D.C. United H. Dynamo

G 8 6 6 5 4 4

TOP ASSISTS PLAYER Carlos Vela A. Pozuelo Mauro Manotas Nani Nicolás Lodeiro Adama Diomande Alberth Elis Jonathan Osorio Darwin Quintero Nick DeLeon Diego Valeri Latif Blessing Federico Higuaín

TEAM LA FC Toronto FC H. Dynamo Orlando City Seattle LA FC H. Dynamo Toronto FC Minnesota FC Toronto FC Portland LA FC Columbus

A 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

CLEAN SHEETS PLAYER Zack Steffen Bill Hamid Stefan Frei Evan Bush Tyler Miller Spencer Richey

TEAM Columbus D.C. United Seattle Mtl Impact LA FC FC Cincinnati

CS 4 4 3 3 3 2

GOING UP

Former Arsenal and Real Sociedad forward Carlos Vela arrived last season as the first Designated Player in LAFC’s history, and as their first captain too. He’s started the 2019 campaign like a house on fire.

In pre-season Vela was tipped as a front-runner to be MLS Most Valuable Player, considering he’d had a year to settle in to the League and learn his role in Bob Bradley’s team. With his goals and general play this season, particularly a magnificent showing against the San Jose Earthquakes, he’s living up to that billing.

GOING DOWN

You have to feel some sympathy for Frank de Boer. He arrived in Atlanta having to maintain what Tata Martino had left behind — a widely successful, hugely popular team — and had to maintain that momentum even as he lost a key player in Miguel Almiron.

But no one could have foreseen just how poor a start the Dutchman would have. De Boer’s opening weeks on the Atlanta bench passed without a win in MLS, and elimination from the CONCACAF Champions League after a comprehensive first leg defeat against Monterrey. His style of play hasn’t taken, and the pairing of de Boer and Atlanta United already looks an ill-fitting one.

Zach Steffen

As of April 15, 2019

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IN FOCUS CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

KINGS OF THE NORTH WITH THE CREATION OF THE CANADIAN PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTING IN THE EXPANSION OF THE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP, THE 2019 EDITION WILL UNQUESTIONABLY BE THE BIGGEST YET. IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, MARCO D’ONOFRIO TALKS TO THE OTTAWA FURY’S DAVID MONSALVE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES IN THE COMPETITION, WHAT IT MEANS TO HIS TEAM AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

‘The Canadian Championship is a tournament you have to work for. It’s not just two games and you’re in the final.’

M

any laughed at the idea of a domestic Canadian Cup competition when the Canadian Championship was first introduced in 2008. At the time, the country only had one Major League Soccer team – Toronto FC – while both the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact played in the USL. But despite their status as Canada’s only MLS side, Toronto FC did not win the inaugural edition of the tournament like most had envisioned. The Impact shocked the country and their Canadian rivals by becoming the first ever Canadian Championship winners. It was a sign of things to come and a true statement about just how wildly unpredictable the tournament would prove to be.

“We were just upset at the fact we didn’t win,” said Ottawa Fury goalkeeper David Monsalve, who was with Toronto FC at the

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ABOVE: David Monsalve’s Ottawa Fury are eager to prove they belong with the best in Canada LEFT: Jonathon Osorio was named the George Gross Memorial Trophy winner OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: No player has made more appearances in the Canadian Championship than the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Russel Teibert.

OPPOSITE PAGE MIDDLE BOTTOM: Sebastian Giovinco remains the alltime Canadian Championship top scorer with six goals

‘It’s a passage to the CONCACAF Champions League, something that every club wants to be a part of.’

time. “I think we automatically assumed that we were better because we were going up against a USL team, or at least that’s the feeling I got. We quickly realized that wasn’t the case.”

Winning the competition provided the Impact with their first ever berth into the CONCACAF Champions League. After all, it was the first time since 1992 that CONCACAF had awarded a Canadian side entry into the continental competition, and it quickly became evident the game was growing across the country.

11 years later, the Canadian Championship has expanded and grown in ways once thought unimaginable. With the creation of the Canadian Premier League, the 2019 edition of the tournament will see a total of 13 teams from five different Leagues fighting it out for the Voyageurs’ Cup. It is by far the largest number of teams to ever compete for Canada’s domestic Cup, with more than double the six entrants that participated last year.

“It’s been insane,” said Monsalve. “Even from five years ago. Now that it’s grown to the size it’s grown, it gives it a little bit more legitimacy. It’s a tournament you have to work for. It’s not just two games and you’re in the final.”

The winner of the Canadian Championship continues to earn a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, which helps to ensure that all teams participating take the tournament seriously. It is currently the only way a Canadian team can directly qualify for the most prestigious club competition in the region. Even after Toronto FC won both the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in 2017, they were only awarded a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League because they beat out their Canadian rivals in the Cup tournament.

But even more important than qualification in the continent’s most prestigious club competition are the bragging rights that come with lifting the Voyageurs’ Cup, and that is certainly the case for Monsalve’s Fury. After Ottawa opted to remain in the USL when the CPL came calling, the Fury

ALE ALE ALEJANDRO!

It hasn’t taken long for Toronto FC’s newest Designated Player Alejandro Pozuelo to make a name for himself in MLS. Marco D’Onofrio looks at the Spaniard’s instant impact at his new club.

It was never going to be an easy task to come in and try to replace the greatest player in Toronto FC history – Sebastian Giovinco. However, it took Alejandro Pozuelo just one game to have people almost forgetting that the Atomic Ant ever even dawned the red of TFC. On a chilly Friday evening in March at the stadium-by-the-lake in Toronto, Pozuelo exceeded all expectations in his Major League Soccer debut. Not only did he setup a ridiculous goal that was finished by Jozy Altidore, he then found the back of the net twice himself. His first was from the spot, as he scored a cheeky and quite gutsy Panenka penalty kick by chipping the ball past New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

“Saturday I had dinner with the President and [he] said we need somebody to shoot penalties,” explained Pozuelo following his debut.

“I came to [do that], so the first one I shoot I'll do the panenka. He said, 'You're crazy.' I said, 'No, I'll do [it].'”

His second was even more remarkable, chipping the ball from inside the box to beat Johnson once again, easily a goal of the year candidate already. The Spaniard received a standing ovation as he walked off the pitch at BMO Field.

It wasn’t just the fans that Pozuelo had left in awe, though.

“The chip was outrageous,” said Altidore minutes after the game. “It's one of those things you see from the bench, but you don't think he's really going to chip from there. The level of difficulty to score like that in your debut, that's 10 out of 10 from me, for bravery and skill and technique. It was something to see.”

While it remains early days and the Spaniard still has a long way to go before even coming close to matching the accomplishments of Giovinco in MLS, he has certainly silenced many of the critics who questioned why TFC had invested so much money into the former Genk captain in the first place.

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IN FOCUS CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

understand the Canadian Championship is a real opportunity to send a message to the rest of the country. “It is definitely a big deal to us,” Monsalve confirmed. “It’s a passage to the CONCACAF Champions League, something that every club wants to be a part of.

“It allows us to prove that we belong in the conversation with TFC, Montreal and Vancouver,” he continued, “but also to show the CPL and the rest of Canada a decision was made that I think was the right decision, and we as a collective think was the right decision. To show we are playing at a high level and that we can make it far in this tournament is definitely a priority.”

The 2019 edition of the tournament will be contested over a total of five rounds with the League 1 Ontario champion, Première Ligue de soccer du Québec champion and four Canadian Premier League sides competing in the opening round. Three more CPL teams will enter in the second round before Ottawa, the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact begin play in the third round.

As Toronto FC were last year’s winners, they will not have to enter until the semifinal, when the majority of participants have already been eliminated. There were some in the CPL camp though that weren’t impressed with the fact that the Fury got to enter the tournament in the latter stages. Monsalve believes it’s only right. “As happy as I am that a League is starting in Canada, and I think we obviously all should be, the reality is that they haven’t even played a season yet, so to categorize them above anybody else at this point is unfair and something they have to prove,” the goalkeeper explained.

“I’m not knocking the CPL at all. I have a lot of friends in the League, a lot of guys who have been great on teams I’ve been part of.

But at the end of the day, to automatically say that Ottawa should be in the latter stages of the tournament would be unfair, and we’d be taken for granted for all that we’ve done in the tournament and League play.”

Despite failing to win the inaugural Canadian Championship back in 2008,

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Toronto have by far been the most successful team. They’ve won seven of 11 tournaments played and finished as runnerup on two separate occasions. On the flip side, Vancouver have struggled mightily throughout the tournament’s history, winning it just once in 2015.

A non-MLS team has not won the tournament since the Impact accomplished the feat in 2008, but Monsalve doesn’t believe that is any reason to think that it can’t happen again. “I think sport in general is about moments,” he argued.

“In that moment, if you are doing well the sky is the limit. It doesn’t matter who you are. I think for us, we feel like we are the strongest we’ve been for a while and we feel confident that we can take it to the next level.”

Regardless of who comes out on top and which team [or League] earns bragging rights for the next year, the fact that the Canadian Championship now has 13 teams competing in it is proof that the game is continuing to grow and expand across the country.

The impact it has had at the youth level in Canada has not been lost on Monsalve either, as he expresses his delight that youngsters coming up today have more opportunities and a better developmental system in place to chase their dreams than he did as a fledgling goalkeeper.

“I look at the U-20 squad I was part of in the 2007 World Cup in Canada and I think less than 10 or 15% of the players are still playing,” he noted. “Probably 60% of those guys didn’t even make it past that tournament. It got to a certain point where you just dropped off.

“Kids today though are home-grown players. That means they’ve been a part of a system their whole youth career. That’s already a step up from where I had been. I went from playing rep soccer in the Toronto area to professional within the same year.

That’s just insane.”

Indeed, domestic soccer in Canada has never been in better shape than it is today and with a home World Cup on the horizon, anything is possible.

ATLETI ARE COMING

ABOVE: Straight out of the new Canadian Soccer league, York 9 will be looking to make an impact during their debut year.

TOP RIGHT Atletico Madrid coach, Diego Simeone BOTTOM RIGHT: The MLS all-star game will be held in Orlando this year.

Marco D’Onofrio looks towards the MLS All-Star Game, with Atletico Madrid named as this year’s opposition.

Orlando City SC will host the MLS All-Star game for the first time in the franchise's short history, with the game taking place on July 31. The 2019 edition will continue the format of featuring an MLS All-Star team playing against an elite team from Europe.

This year it will be Spanish giants Atletico Madrid who will make the move across the pond to take on North America's finest at Orlando City Stadium. Last year, a record of 72, 317 jammed into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to watch Juventus defeat the MLS All-Star team in a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1.

MLS switched to the current format back in 2005, with the All-Star team winning seven of the 14 matches played against European clubs, including against the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur.

Manchester United are the only team to have won two games against the MLS All-Stars.

The finest in MLS have not won an AllStar game, however, since 2015, when they defeated Tottenham 2-1 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado.

Atletico are not the first team from Madrid to play in the summer showdown, with Real Madrid defeating the MLS All-Stars in a shootout just two years ago at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Los Blancos had become the first ever La Liga side to take on the challenge.

While the game is ultimately just a friendly, it is an opportunity for Major League Soccer to show the skill they have in the League and to earn bragging rights against a top European club.

TOP 10 TRANSFERS

MLS TOP 10 TRANSFERS THE SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW IS NEARLY UPON US! WITH THAT COMES ENDLESS SPECULATION ABOUT PLAYERS COMING AND GOING IN MLS. IN PARTICULAR OVER THE LAST FEW SEASONS IT SEEMS AS IF FOR EVERY BIG NAME SUPERSTAR COMING IN THERE ARE ONE OR TWO EXCELLENT PROSPECTS HEADING OUT. SO WHO ARE THE LIKELY INDIVIDUALS TO TEST THE WATERS IN EUROPE? HERE ARE TOP TEN PICKS:

10.) EFRAIN ALVAREZ (LOS ANGELES GALAXY)

Alvarez just joined the Galaxy and is only 16 years old yet rumors have alread5.y surfaced that he may be on the move. His speed and first touch have impressed in just a few matches this season. But more is expected as he gains experience, which should have European sides calling.

9.

9.) PITY MARTINEZ (ATLANTA UNITED FC)

Durkin has been previously mentioned as a potential transfer target for the past two years, with Benfica reportedly being the most interested. He just turned 19 years old and is already a starter with United in their defensive midfield. United do seem a little skittish with selling players but given that he will likely be at the U-20 World Cup his departure would have a minimal impact on the starting eleven.

7.

Rossi just turned 21 and is starting for one of the top sides in the Western Conference in LAFC. He is still is finding his scoring stroke but early results look promising.

If he can get his side going early expect European teams to come looking for his services.

1.) LUCIANO ACOSTA (D.C. UNITED)

Acosta very nearly left for Paris St. Germain for this winter with the deal breaking down depending on who you talk to. But Acosta is in the final year of his contract, he now knows his value to a top level club, and D.C. would like to keep him. So either he will get a massive payday from United or a massive payday from someone else. Keep an eye on the always fun ‘signs with another club and gets loaned back to United for the remainder of the season’ option.

7.) ALBERTH ELIS (HOUSTON DYNAMO)

Ellis nearly left this winter but the Dynamo held on to La Panterita. Elis hasn’t shown any signs of disappointment in Houston’s decision but if the Dynamo slide in the standings they may be more open to moving the Honduran international. He certainly could help a side with their attacking problems-he has scored 21 goals in the last two seasons for Houston.

Pomykal has shot up the chart in terms of top young defenders in MLS in part due to Coach Luchi Gonzalez giving him a chance this season (he was Pomykal’s coach at the Academy level). The 19 year old from Lewisville, Texas has all of the technical skills to play at the top level but may need some more seasoning before he makes the jump.

2.) DIEGO ROSSI (LAFC)

You might be saying to yourself. ‘Wait, didn’t he just sign with Atlanta?’ The answer is yes but Martinez has made it clear that he wants to play in Europe. At 25 going on 26 his time is running out and given Atlanta’s early troubles they may look to sell while they can still get the most value.

8.) CHRIS DURKIN (D.C. UNITED)

3.) PAXTON POMYKAL (F.C. DALLAS)

2.

5.

6.) MAURO MANOTAS (HOUSTON DYNAMO)

Manotas is another young striker that Houston have in their arsenal that they may end up parting with for the right price. His situation is a little different that Elis in that he just signed a long-term deal. But if the right suitor were to come along with the right price Houston wouldn’t blink in pulling the trigger especially given that Manotas has targeted the Golden Boot this season.

5.) ANDRE BLAKE (PHILADELPHIA UNION)

Blake has had interest in Europe for a number of years now but has for the most part been held back due to visa issues and the state of Jamaican football. But those seemed to finally be cleared and all signs but to the goalkeeper leaving The City of Brotherly Love either this summer or winter.

He is 28 years old which is right around when goalkeepers reach their prime so expect interest to pick up.

4.) GIANLUCA BUSIO (SPORTING KANSAS CITY)

The 16 year old has already broken through Sporting’s senior roster and has made the most out of his limited playing time.

Sporting are still stinging from moving Erik Palmer-Brown on a free transfer so they may be looking to get the most out of Busio while they still can.

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1.

3.

Overcoming LIGA MX

Almost Perfect As opposed to last season, where Toronto FC took Chivas de Guadalajara to penalties in the final, it wasn’t even close.

T

hose were the words of Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes prior to the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal match against Monterrey. He was asked what his side would need to do in order to get past the giants of Liga MX. His statement, while lacking in confidence, was at least honest and, as it turns out, correct.

Despite having rested some of his players the week prior, Sporting were stomped 5-0 putting an end to theirs and MLS’ CCL hopes for 2019.

As opposed to last season, where Toronto FC took Chivas de Guadalajara to penalties in the final, it wasn’t even close. Atlanta United FC, Houston Dynamo, and New York Red Bulls were all soundly defeated

by Monterrey, UANL, and Santos Laguna in the Quarterfinals. Toronto FC didn’t even make it that far losing to Independiente of Panama, a team that plays in a stadium of 3,000 and has never even made it to the CCL before.

Like in many year’s past the immediate reaction is to consider what went wrong or what is missing from keeping MLS sides from winning in the tournament. The schedule has certainly been discussed, with the argument that the MLS sides are at a disadvantage because their seasons are just starting. The influx of players and coaches is also a hotly contested topic and something that Atlanta United fans will certainly point to as a reason for their early demise.

What’s interesting is that opposed to year’s past their just isn’t the rancor and the teeth gnashing over the early exit. There seems to be two reasons for this. First, the coverage and interest in the tournament seems to have waned. While it wasn’t uncommon to see half empty stadiums for CCL matches in year’s past this year seemed to be particularly problematic. That games were

shown on obscure streaming services didn’t seem to help. CONCACAF has also made it increasingly in recent years for media to become credentialed for the tournament, making covering the matches even more challenging.

Second, MLS seems to have found the level of respect that they have long sought not through beating LigaMX in the standings, but through being a pipeline for talent to Europe. The league has found success in recent years in either developing their own talent and selling them off to European sides or being the middle man for young talent from South America and even Mexico to go to bigger teams across the pond.

That level of validation, that the league is of a certain quality and a place players of a certain caliber want to come to, seems to have calmed the nerves of a supporter base that has long sought recognition.

There is also a third reason that is perhaps a bit more telling than the first two: that CONCACAF are openly seeking other options to replace their current tournament.

Rumors and speculation have long swirled that a competition between CONCACAFCONMEBOL is on the horizon. FIFA have also been hinting at expanding the Club World Cup, which has been MLS’ true goal.

If the league can get either to occur then there becomes less of a need to compete in the CCL. The CCL is entering an interesting phase.

Although the tournament has made some marked improvements by getting rid of the group format it still hasn’t captured the attention like the AFC Champions League or even more popular events like the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League. If it cannot find a way to make the tournament more competitive and more appealing to supporters it may become even more an afterthought in North American soccer.

Coach Peter Vermes

Santos Laguna regularily defeats MLS teams in tournaments.

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AROUND ??????????

NORTH AMERICA

“” QUOTES

PLASTIC ONLY

BY THE NUMBERS

The Mercedes-Benz Arena, home of Atlanta United, has gone cashless.

The ownership group claims that transitioning to cashless transactions allows the venue to move away from its wholedollar unit pricing model, an initiative introduced to speed up transaction times. Going cashless allows for greater flexibility in adjusting food and beverage prices more regularly. Payments can only be made via card or mobile, and for visitors without cards or mobile payment options, ten kiosks will be installed across each level of the stadium where cash can be loaded onto prepaid Visa debit cards.

60 60% of the current Designated Players in MLS have been capped for their national teams.

LA10FC UNDEFEATED

“Obviously it’s projected that from now into the future [the league] gets better, “He’s” —aFormer but I see big change with respect to incoming players. Now young players are coming, whereas before older players that were practically retired came.” - San Jose coach Matias Almeyda believes the image of MLS is changing as its becoming increasingly attractive for top young players.

ORLANDO PUB

Orlando City have opened a new themed restaurant and bar at the Orlando International Airport. Located in the airport’s pre-security main terminal, City Pub features game day inspired cuisine such as chili, pork tacos and a brisket burger. The décor of the restaurant and bar is dedicated to both Orlando City SC and their National Women’s Soccer League affiliate Orlando Pride. Adorned in the club’s signature purple, the pub is decorated with official soccer balls, team jerseys, scarves and other soccer related items. In addition, large televisions have been installed and travelers can purchase official club merchandise at the venue.

31 MLS clubs have signed 31 new players to Homegrown Player contracts this offseason.

100 Alex Morgan has reached the 100 goal mark for the U.S. women’s national team after her goal against Australia.

Italian soccer legend, Alessandro Del Piero, has revealed that he is an owner of a small soccer club based in Los Angeles. The World Cup winner initially kept his involvement in LA10 FC private, but decided to go public after the team went undefeated to gain promotion to the highest level of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), a semi-professional organization. Del Piero invested in the club in partnership with Edge Americas Sports, of which he is a co-founder. The former Juventus striker named the club after his number ten shirt, while the team also plays in a black and white kit similar to that of Juve’s.

MORE TOURNAMENTS

“It’s simple. First in my life is my wife and children. The best option for me and for my family is here. The problems for the wives in Arabia; also, for the football. It’s very different: MLS will go up; there is a lot of money in Saudi Arabia, but the football is not interesting.” - Alejandro Pozuelo on explains his decision to join Toronto FC and MLS despite interest from Saudi Arabian side Al Ahly SC.

Concacaf has given its backing to US Soccer’s plans for a new inter-continental national team tournament involving ten South American teams in 2020.

The new tournament would be a one-off and not a long-term replacement for Copa America and would feature the ten South American teams, plus six from Concacaf. It would be a traditional format, featuring a group stage followed by knockout rounds. In a letter to the South American federations, US Soccer president has guaranteed a share of almost $200 million in appearance fees, subsidised travel and bonuses, with the winner promised an $11 million prize. Despite these efforts, South America’s decision to shift the Copa America to coincide with the quadrennial European Championships, starting in 2020, could spoil the proposal.

LADIES EXPAND

The organizers of the women’s International Champions Cup (ICC) have confirmed the pre-season soccer tournament will expand to eight teams following the success of last year’s first outing. Relevant Sport launched the ICC’s first female competition last year to run alongside the men’s edition, which launched in 2013, comprising of four clubs representing Europe and the US. North Carolina Courage came out on top, defeating Lyon in the final. The new format will see eight teams compete this summer, four from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and four from the rest of the world.

DON IS THE MAN

Major League Soccer has extended Commissioner Don Garber’s contract for a further five years, keeping him in the league’s top job until at least the end of the 2023 season.

Garber has been in charge since August 1999, three years after the formation of the MLS. He has since seen a transformative period of expansion in the league, as the clubs more than doubled in size, from 12 to 27. Don Garber will also remain chief executive of Soccer United Marketing, the league’s commercial arm, as well as serving on US Soccer’s board of directors.

“The team is number one. I always say that players can win games for you but teams win titles.” - Atlanta United coach Frank de Boer emphasizes the importance of the collective to be greater than the sum of each player in order to win more silverware.

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MAJOR APP UPDATE

Major League Soccer has launched a new flagship app that will provide fans with access to highlights, tickets, merchandise and fantasy information. The app was released ahead of the start of the 2019 MLS season and can be personalized with team colours and other touches based on the individual user’s club preference. The league’s main goal for the app is to improve the game day experience. This is the first major update for MLS’s mobile experience since it took all of its app development in-house.

CONCACAF IS EXPANDING

The Concacaf League will expand from 16 to 22 clubs starting from this year. The expansion will include five additional teams from Central America and one side from the new Canadian Premier League. The competition will remain a knockout tournament, with a preliminary round set to kick off in July. The six winners of those two-legged ties will join the top nine ranked Central American clubs and the runner-up of the Caribbean Club Championship in the round of 16. Moreover, alongside the champions, the next best five teams will also qualify for the 2020 Concacaf Champions League.

FABULOUS WITH A FEW GRASS STAINS

COACHES, TAKE NOTE

New York City FC had a special guest at their match against DC United, Sesame Street favourite Grover. Grover quickly got into the action, sharing photos and videos on his social media account as he embraced his role as New York’s new unofficial assistant coach, providing some useful tips such as “kick the ball with your feet” and “use the parts of your body at the very bottom”… wise words. While no goals were scored, Grover did score a personalized jersey.

Major League Soccer and adidas teamed up with four stylists, Sara Gourlay, Pierre Davis, Andrew Andrade and Corey T. Stokes, to reinterpret all 24 club jerseys. It’s safe to say, there were some unique outfits as a full-scale fashion show took place in Los Angeles, with 48 different looks. The showcase was used to emphasize that soccer uniforms can also be accessed by a wider community to symbolize city identity and pride. The curated looks were presented by high profile athletes and models including LAFC star Lee Nguyen and LA Galaxy’s Efrain Alvarez.

IS THAT THE BABY KICKING?

IT'S A LOCK

Inter Miami owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas have announced plans to play the team’s first two seasons at Ft. Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium, while they work towards building their permanent home at Miami Freedom Park. The club had previously explored the possibility of making Marlins Park, Hard Rock Stadium or Florida International University its temporary home, however they ultimately went with Lockhart Stadium.

Once Inter Miami move into their new home, the Lockhart Stadium site will be used for the club’s USL side as well as a training ground for the first team.

GAITAN ON FIRE

Chicago Fire have signed former Benfica and Atletico Madrid playmaker Nicolas Gaitan on a free transfer after the Argentine was released by Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang. They acquired him with Discretionary Targeted Allocation Money and Targeted Allocation Money.

Gaitan started his career with Boca Juniors before joining Benfica in 2010. At Benfica, he won three league titles and helped the club reach back-to-back Europa League finals.

Nicolas Gaitan also has 16 caps with Argentina and reached the final of the Copa America Centenario in 2016.

ALL BETS ARE ON

Major League Soccer have announced that Roar Digital LLC, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings PLC, will be the league’s first exclusive sports betting partner. The multiyear deal also makes MGM the league’s first official gaming partner. The deal comes after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May 2018 that allowed states to legalize, regulate and tax sports wagering. Less than a year later, eight states now offer legal sports wagering. Professional sports leagues are hoping that the spread of legal sports betting will help engage fans and drive up the value of their teams.

WIEL BE SEEING YOU

Toronto FC and defender Gregory van der Wiel have mutually agreed to part ways. This comes as no surprise as van der Wiel had already been apart from the team for some months. The Dutchman was sent home from preseason camp on January 23 after a reported altercation with head coach Greg Vanney. He also pretty much confirmed his departure from the club via an Instagram post. Since the incident, van der Wiel had been training on his own at the team facility.

Gregory van der Wiel signed with Toronto in February 2018 and made 34 appearances for the club, registering four assists.

FANS HAVE TO WAIT

There has been a slight change to Nashville’s move-in date to their new soccer specific stadium. What was originally projected for a mid-2021 opening, it now looks like the move in date will be for the start of the 2022 MLS season. Nashville’s CEO Ian Ayre explained this decision in an open letter to the club’s fans, stating that it will be more beneficial for both the club and its fans. The change will allow more adequate time for construction, testing and commissioning. Until then, Nashville SC will play at Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

MLS – MESSI LED SOCCER

Is Messi thinking about a move to Major League Soccer sometime soon? Well, according to Atlanta United midfielder Pity Martinez, Messi asked him about the league. Martinez, in an interview on Argentine television, revealed that Messi enquired about MLS and how it was during the international break as the two took part of the Argentina squad. Whether it’s just curiosity or Messi is genuinely interested in joining the league remains to be seen.

Sydney Leroux Dwyer, one of the biggest names in women’s football, has returned to pre-season training five-and-a-half months pregnant. Sydney took to social media and posted a photo of her training with the caption, “I didn’t think I’d be starting off preseason 5.5 months pregnant but here we are.” The American international says she’s just doing non-contact stuff, like ball work. Like most things, there are people who say she shouldn’t be doing any training, and then there are those who are praising her work ethic. Gotta love the internet…

FAKE BECKHAM

If you haven’t seen it yet, then you should definitely head over to YouTube and watch it.

Late night host James Corden “punk’d” David Beckham with a hilarious fake statue prank.

Prior to Beckham’s legacy being commemorated by LA Galaxy for his role in growing Major League Soccer, James Corden decided to have some fun by having a fake statue made. Corden, with the help of actors and some LA Galaxy staff members, set up a showing of the statue before it was to be set up outside the stadium. Beckham was not impressed with the statue and yet he was still able to be so polite throughout it all.

ONE HUNDRED CLUB

Montreal Impact attacker Ignacio Piatti is the latest player to join the Major League Soccer “100 Club” with 100 combined goals and assists in regular season play. Piatti is the 44th player in the leagues history to score a combined 100 goals and assists, and is the ninth fastest player to accomplish the feat with 127 appearances. The overall leader of combined goals and assists is MLS history is Landon Donovan with 281, while Sebastian Giovinco is currently the fastest player to reach the 100 mark, doing so in 95 games.

HALL OF FAME LIST

The official list of eligible candidates for induction into this year’s class for the National Soccer Hall of Fame has been released. Candidates are evaluated from three categories, players, veterans and DID YOU builders. Former MLS players Edson Buddle, Kenny Cooper, Todd Dunivant and Donovan Ricketts are among those entering their first year of eligibility. Some of the people included in the group eligible for induction under veteran status include, Greg Vanney, Chris Armas and Mike Burns.

As for the builder’s category, Sunil Gulati, Tim Leiweke and • A Major League Lothar Osiander are among the contenders. In order to Soccer record six homegrown be inducted, the person would have to be on at least 66.7 players started percent of the ballots. The class of 2019 will be announced for Real Salt in late September.

KNOW?

NEW STADIUM FOR NY

Lake against Los Angeles FC.

New York Yankees president Randy Levine, in an appearance on Bloomberg TV, suggested that a stadium announcement for New York City FC could be made this year. Levine brought up the MLS team’s hunt for a soccerspecific home, stating that they, alongside City Football Group (both owners of the club), are in active negotiations to get a new stadium in New York and hopes to have an announcement this year. New York City FC are owned by both the City Football Group (owners of Manchester City amongst other football clubs) and Yankee Global Enterprises (owners of the New York Yankees) with a minority ownership stake.

• Among the current 655 players in MLS, 245 of them have been capped by their national teams.

• The Portland Timbers and Colorado Rapids faced off in the coldest game in MLS history with a temperature at kickoff of 18°F or around -8°C. • 40 different players had 10+ goals in the 2018 regular season.

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

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AROUND AROUND??????????

NORTH AMERICA WE’VE CHANGED THE RULES

“I think this is kind of sad because this is for him and it should be for us, because we play at home. Doesn't matter who comes here, got to come to support us and cheer harder for us, and not for the opponent. I think that's the way it should be.” - Vancouver midfielder Felipe was not too pleased with the home crowd showing Zlatan Ibrahimovic some love.

The International Football Association Board officially unveiled a number of expected changes to the FIFA laws of the game; however, those changes will not be implemented in MLS until next season. The adaptations include more specific guidelines for when a ref should call a handball, a change to the substitution procedure to make subbed off players exit the pitch via the nearest boundary, changes to booking team officials and also changes to goal kick restarts. These changes will go into effect in all FIFA sanctioned competitions that begin after June 1, and because this MLS season has already started, the changes won’t apply until the 2020 season.

WE’RE SO INCLUSIVE

Major League Soccer is the most diverse professional league in North America, including all sports.

According to some data compiled by Major League Soccer, the player pool shows 73 countries of birth represented. On top of that, the data also shows that the average age in the league continues to drop. The leagues data shows that the global representation across MLS ranks as the most of any professional soccer league in the world, and more than any sports league in North America.

BY THE NUMBERS 25 25 TAM (Targeted Allocation Money) players were signed during the offseason in MLS.

ACOUSTIC BLUES

Nashville’s MLS expansion team have officially unveiled their team name, crest and colours during a special event. The name will remain Nashville SC as fans were adamant about keeping the name. The team’s colours will be acoustic blue and electric gold. As for the club crest, it is intended to evoke sound waves in tune with the city’s reputation as “Music City.” Nashville are the league’s 24th franchise and are owned by the investment group, Nashville Soccer Holdings, LLC, led by John Ingram. His partners include Minnesota Vikings owners Mark, Zygi and Leonard Wilf as well as the Turner family.

27 The average age of the current designated players in Major League Soccer is around 27 years of age.

10 FC Dallas scored 10 goals from outside the box last season.

100 Wayne Rooney’s goals vs Real Salt Lake was the 100th different opponent he has scored against for club and country.

3352 Prior to his goal against Philadelphia, Michael Bradley went 3352 minutes without scoring a regular season goal.

THE MINNESOTA FIZZ

“I want to be a coach on the national team. I want to influence the next generation. The experiences I've had are too valuable. I need to be a part of what's happening with our next youth national teams, and I'll continue to fight for that every day I can.” - U.S.

Minnesota United have signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with PepsiCo, making Pepsi the official soft drink partner of the team. PepsiCo will also act as the exclusive beverage provider at the club’s new Allianz Field, serving a number of their different brands which includes Pepsi and Mountain Dew. Minnesota United’s new $250 million stadium is scheduled to open mid-April.

Women’s soccer legend Brandi Chastain revealed her desire to get involved with the national team set-up as the women’s game continues to grow.

COACH GARY

“I’d like to be at a point where we’re somewhere between 14 and 16 teams in the CPL. At that point, I’d be seriously starting to think about promotion and relegation. I’ve been clear about that from the start.” - Canadian Premier League commissioner David Clanachan on where he sees the league in five years’ time.

Nashville SC have announced that current head coach Gary Smith will be their coach when the club joins Major League Soccer in 2020. This will be Smith’s second stint in MLS, who coached the Colorado Rapids to the 2010 MLS Cup championship during his four-year tenure from 2008 to 2011. Despite winning Colorado’s only league title to date and having a winning record in the league during his spell in charge, he left the club in heated circumstances.

Gary went on to manage Stevenage in England before he returned to the U.S. to coach NASL side Atlanta Silverbacks from 2014 to 2016. From there he joined Nashville ahead of their inaugural USL campaign last year.

REF SELF-SUBBED

When you watch a soccer match you usually see players being substituted, however during week 1 of the season, a referee had to request one. Assistant referee Kevin Klinger motioned for a sub in the first half after suffering what looked like a muscle injury. The fourth official Malik Badawi swapped places with Klinger and the match proceeded.

A 409-405 FINAL SCORE

“I promised my son three goals, and because of a bad pass, it didn't happen” - Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to fulfill a promise he made to his son after only scoring two goals in the game against Portland

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New York City FC alongside Rockefeller Center hosted the second annual 24-hour game in front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Once again, over 700 people participated in the soccer match with the final score of 409-405 in favour of Team Alex Ring over Team Maxi Moralez. Designed to encourage soccer fans to play more, move more and live more, the 24-hour fiveon-five game was played kicked off on Friday March 8 at 4:00PM and finished at 4:00PM Saturday March 9. There were over 500,000 people in attendance throughout the 24 hours, including two sesame street coaches.

FANS WILL PICK NEW KIT

New kit designs are always a subject of hot debate amongst fans, both for and against. Not many fans, if any, get the opportunity to have a say in or be a part of the design process. Fans of Philadelphia Union will get that chance. The Union have invited a super fan to be involved in the 2021 kit design process, where they will get to participate and get an inside look into how the first team’s kit comes to life. In order to select that special one, the club launched a contest where fans were able to nominate themselves online by uploading a photo of themselves on Twitter using the hashtag #UnionSuperfan. The top 2 fans were selected by Union players and the winner was chosen via a fan vote on social media.

WEBBY AWARD

The introduction of Los Angeles FC last season launched the start of a new Los Angeles rivalry, one that has presented more than its fair share of captivating storylines. Dubbed ‘El Trafico’, for LA’s infamous traffic issues, the new rivalry was already up for an award. Major League Soccer’s series “El Trafico: Birth of a Rivalry” was among the finalists in the sports category for the prestigious Webby Awards, presented to the internet’s best videos.

FIFA President following elections at an Extraordinary Congress in February therefore came at a time when trust inManchester the administration According to reports, United and Ecuador captain of the Antonio world’s most popular sport at was at itsLeague Soccer as his next Valencia is looking Major lowestdestination. ebb. Like his predecessor, After a decadeInfantino with the is Red Devils, this season Swiss, looks but aslikely a lawyer to beand his professional last. At least,football that’s what his father Luis told administrator, the new man presents a far Ecuadorian media.

Luis revealed that Antonio has received a slicker,two-year more credible, personality. contract offer from an unnamed MLS side. Alongside Entering FIFA presidential race asand a a Chinese Super League thisthe MLS club, West Ham, Inter late substitute former boss Platini club haveafter alsohis been rumoured to be interested in acquiring his had been forced tosummer. leave it, the multilingual services this Infantino is a smooth operator, personable rather than charismatic. As he acknowledged in an emotional victory speech, FIFA’s reputation needs to be restored, but there is a very long SEPP BLATTER’S MISTAKES way to go to achieve that aim. It is tempting to Philadelphia Union’s doolsta WAYS, defeated LA EXCLUDING HIS SEXIST remain sceptical, but after garnering 115 votes Galaxy’s GGGodfather 2-1COMMUNITY, on aggregate TROUBLES IN THE GAY against the 88 for his closest rival, the favourite to claim the eMLS Cup 2019. Doolsta’s AND FALLING OFF A STAGE, HERE Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, Infantino eMLS Cup win completes a perfect 2019 ARE SOME OF SEPP BLATTER’S does at least have a mandate to press ahead season for the 18-year-old, having won MISTAKES DURING HIS TIEM AS FIFA with reform. both League Series One and Two. With PRESIDENT. For many of its member associations, the victory, he earned $25,000 and 850 particularly those in the developing world, FIFA Global Series Points, which gives FIFA represents a reliable source of cash. him aTHE big boost in his attempt to qualify TIME HE SUGGESTED Infantino has said that he flew the equivalent for this ELIMINATING summer’s FIFADRAWS eWorld Cup. In the of fivemeantime, times around the world, and he qualified tomeeting represent the United States, alongside fellow finalist GGGodfather, Showing exactly how in touch with the greeting the inaugural men whose votes he needed at the eNations Cup whichand took place in April. modern game he is, Blatter once suggested who would be glad of the development money that draws should eliminated. promised by the new FIFA boss.

"EVERY GAME SHOULD HAVE A The spread of the football gospel around the WINNER," he told a German journalist in who has already announced he’s globe Arjen is oneRobben, of the fundamental reasons for Bayern Munich atwill theneed end to of the season, 2004. "WE SHOULD HAVE THE COURAGE FIFA’s leaving existence, but Infantino TO INTRODUCE A FINAL DECISION IN could be reform bringing his talents to Major balance this soon with his agenda and the EVERY GAME OF FOOTBALL. THAT IS League Soccer. The Dutch is set to be need for transparency to keep hiswinger membership WHAT I WANT." a free agent at the end of the 2018/19 season, That, of course, is not what everybody else which means he can sign for any club outside of wants. the transfer markets. In fact, MLS sides can sign In the run-up to the 1994 World Cup, free agents up until the roster freeze date, which Blatter also suggested that games should is August 30. Throughout his career, Robben be divided into four quarters, presumably has made 96 appearances for the Netherlands, to appease the American broadcast scoring 37 goals. He has been at Bayern Munich sponsors who were lining FIFA's pockets. since 2009, scoring over 140 goals and racking up over 100 assists in over 300 games. Robben has made a career out of tormenting defenses THE TIME HE CALLED CRISTIANO with his speed and left foot, something any MLS RONALDO A ‘SLAVE’ team would love to have.

In 2008, Blatter pulled his foot out of – especially those who voted for his chief his mouth long enough to suggest that opponent – onside. The new Swiss boss gave Manchester Utd’s desire to keep Cristiano a nod According in that direction too inthe his Chicago post-election Ronaldo from joining Real Madrid was to reports, Fire are address. tantamount to “MODERN SLAVERY.” looking to exit their lease at SeatGeek Stadium, An early understanding an InfantinoYes, you read that correctly. In Sepp’s eyes, with the intention of of what returning to Soldier Field an international megastar who gets paid led FIFA lookseason. like as the eases formight the 2020 Thenew clubman are also exploring upwards of €250,000 per week to do his himselfa into the role can be seen from histhe team potential rebrand that could see dream job is comparable to a slave. election Alongside the additional ridmanifesto. themselves of the Fire name.

The Fire have Unless Madrid start making Ronaldo build moneybeen promised to member associations, trying to get out of the lease for almost a pyramid as Florentino Perez whips him Infantino’s glossy a year now. election Any dealdocument they makewas would involve while dressed as a Pharoah, this is not a built around reformcash and payout good governance, a significant towards the debt on good parallel. democracy and participation and football the stadium. The current stadium was hoped development. to spark development in the area, but has only proven to be a massive financial drain on the Infantino clearly stated municipality.

On his topbelief of thethat financial issues, its location THE has been weight around the Fire as TIMEaHE TALKED ABOUT “fundamental reforms at the heart well. Located 15 must miles be southwest of downtown Chicago, the stadium is not easily accessible SCRAPPING THE OFFSIDE RULE of FIFA to ensure that it regains the trust of from the city core. both the football world and the wider public.

In 2010, Blatter was inspired by a These reforms need to be structural but also conversation with his hockey equivalent cultural in nature. In this respect, FIFA must Leandro Negre to suggest SCRAPPING DID YO Uthe strength demonstrate that it has Atlantaand United superfan Waka Flocka THE OFFSIDE RULE. It was abolished in hockey in the nineties, and Blatter assumed determination to reform itself into a modern, needs help finding his championship ring. itslost success well governed, institution which is arapper worthy The announced that he his could be translated to the leader for the world’s number Atlanta one sport.”

United 2018 MLS Cup ring whilebeautiful game.

As you can imagine, absolutely no one else This is the crux of the task facing Infantino, at the high times festival and is confident at FIFA agreed. the seemingly insurmountablethat challenge one of his fans, or a nice person, will • Every club of reconstructing an organisation whose return it.

Waka Flocka posted the news gained at least very name has become with onto his twitter account asking that if five points fromsynonymous corruption, as the multiple suspensions and it to direct message him anybody finds losing positions THE TIME HE CHOSE QATAR TO HOST last year.by the present arrests triggered asinvestigations soon as possible. He received his ring A WORLD CUP. testify. During his election campaign, Infantino from Atlanta president Darren Eales • The U.S “Of course, it unveiled aWomen’s 90-day plan to reform FIFA. “Ithe city’s first title since the was a mistake. You know, one following makes a lot of mistakes in life. The technical think it’s now or never,” introducing Braves won the World Series in 1995. national team he said, report indicated clearly that it was too hot his proposals in frontto of reporters at London’s are looking in summer, but despite that the executive just Wembleybecome Stadium.

“We have to take this committee decided with quite a big majority the to second opportunity, take a turn, to make a better that the tournament would be in Qatar.”

Colorado Arsenal in to retain FIFA andnation work for football in aThe united way, inRapids will host Well, we’re all human aren’t we Sepp? We all World Cup friendly to match a positivethe way.

This is the rightamoment do this summer. The two clubs are scheduled to face makeGoods mistakes.

ThisThis one will isn’tbe your mistake trophy. off on July 15 at Dick’s Sporting Park. one of four that.” though, of course.

No.Arsenal Of course not. matches will have • Josef Martinez Inevitably, much of the reform promised by during their pre-season in only Infantino is is the of the structural variety, vital to the United States, the other in MLS the need player to fix the organisation but unlikely to history to three coming from the capture the imagination of those who follow THE TIME WHEN HE LET ALL OF record three International Champions football by season tickets or regularly THE CORRUPTIONS AND BRIBERIES hatbuying tricks in a Cup. It will also be Arsenal’s handing over their hard-earned cash at the HAPPEN. single season first time playing in Colorado. ticket office on matchday. twice.

Here is For just one of the many: the Rapids, this will However, an important gauge of whether • FC Cincinnati be an opportunity to test Former FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner Infantino scored is likelytheir to be successful is provided againstoftop was revealedthemselves to be the recipient over by those first whoever backed MLShim. Unsurprisingly, it but also for £720k in bribesopposition, from a company controlled was somegoal of the big names in the European with their the fans to see a team like by a former Qatari football official.

Jack game who came with the most fulsome first everout shot Arsenal up close.

Warner’s sons also received payments in in league play. support, with Fabio Capello and Jose Mourinho the hundreds of thousands. among Infantino’s high-profile backers.

Mourinho was enthusiastic in his support of Infantino. “I think he’s very capable, very

ANTONIO TO CROSS POND

EMLS CUP WINNER

ROBBEN IN DA HOOD

‘The challenge facing Infantino is to reform an organisation whose name has become synonymous with corruption’ BRUSH FIRE AHEAD

‘Infantino flew the equivalent of five times around the world, UEFA President meeting and former French ALL NEW 2019 and legend Michel FORD RANGER Platini had eyes greeting on the top job at the men FIFA. whose experienced, with a complete knowledge votes he of everything around football and its needed and organisation,” the Portuguese said.

Ahead of the election process at the February who would Extraordinary Congress, the FIFA membership be glad of approved a package of reforms to pave the developway for significant improvements to the governance of global football, including clear ment separation of political and management money’ functions, limits on the length of time

FIFA officials can remain in office, greater recognition and promotion of women in ORDER YOURS NOW to enshrining football and a commitment human rights in the FIFA statutes.

With the new reform package on the table, Infantino was elected to office to implement it, but it will be a slow and gradual process for change to be embedded and implemented.

In the meantime, this autumn will see the beginning of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup finals. The controversial decisions to award the tournament to Russia – and to Qatar in 2022 – ALL FORDS ARE CREATED EQUAL... were an integral part of the allegations aimed IT’S THE DEALERSHIP THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE at FIFA that eventually led to Blatter’s downfall. legacy of years ON, of mismanagement 12 CarrierThe Drive, Toronto, M9V 2C1 and maladministration will not be eradicated (On Highway 27 just south of theInfantino’s 407) overnight and, to that extent, challenge is an unenviable one. A fundamental Call 416-741-6221 cultural change must take place. That will not www.summitford.com happen quickly, but it will influence how FIFA is perceived in future and how Infantino’s time in office will be judged.

A FAN… OR A NICE PERSON

KNOW?

ARSENAL AT DICKS

Come and enjoy the best of Modern Italian Cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere.

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2020 EURO

2020 EUROS IMPORTANT DATES: GROUP STAGE: JUNE 12-24 • ROUND OF 16: JUNE 27-30 QUARTER FINALS: JULY 3-4 • SEMI-FINALS: JULY 7-8 • FINALS: JULY 12

ICONIC ICELAND

AFTER ILLUMINATING EURO 2016 WITH THEIR PERFORMANCES ON AND OFF THE PITCH, ICELAND DISAPPOINTED AT LAST SUMMER’S WORLD CUP. OLI COATES ASKS IF OUR BOYS CAN COOK UP A THUNDERSTORM ONCE AGAIN NEXT YEAR.

E

veryone loves an underdog — unless they’re playing against your own team, of course. At Euro 2016, Iceland became most people’s second team on the back of some wonderful performances and their iconic Viking Thunder Clap. Things haven’t gone too well since then though, so can Our Boys get it together and qualify for the next major international tournament?

The next European Championship will take place across 12 cities in 12 countries with venues including the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, Munich’s Allianz Arena and Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, with the semifinals and final all being held at Wembley Stadium. Four years ago, France did the honours all on their own.

Iceland came into the tournament on the back of an excellent qualifying campaign, as they finished second to the Czech Republic in a group the Netherlands failed to get out of. Despite that, few expected the tiny nation to have any impact on the first tournament they’d ever qualified for.

They soon set about making their mark on the competition though, holding Cristiano Ronaldo and eventual champions Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening group game.

They repeated that result against Hungary, before securing their place in the knockout stages with a 2-1 victory over Austria.

Not only had Iceland got out of the group in their first ever tournament, they didn’t lose a game and finished above a major footballing nation in Portugal. The best was to come in at the last 16 stage, as Lars Lagerback’s side recovered from the setback of conceding an early goal to England to beat the Three Lions 2-1.

Even as they lost 5-2 to hosts France in the quarter-finals, it was a seismic result for Icelandic football and one that thrust the country into newfound territory. Our Boys built on the success of their memorable campaign by sauntering through qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. They won seven of their 10 fixtures to finish top of a group that included eventual runners-up in Russia, Croatia, as well as Ukraine, Turkey and Finland. They only lost twice — away to Croatia and Finland — and entered the World Cup full of optimism.

Everyone who had taken Iceland into their hearts at Euro 2016 were excited to see how they would get on in their second major international tournament.

However, the second time certainly wasn’t a charm as Iceland crashed out at the group stage. Things started brilliantly, and shared a striking similarity to their Euro 2016 campaign as they drew 1-1 with another footballing giant. Lionel Messi couldn’t inspire Argentina to victory, but that was as good as it got for Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side, who bowed out after defeats to Nigeria and Croatia.

The Nations League brought little respite for Our Boys and new Coach Erik Hamren, as they lost all four of their matches against Switzerland and Belgium. It was a tough draw in the top tier of Group A sides, but Iceland conceded 13 goals and scored only one themselves.

After failing to win any of their next three friendlies, it took them to a disastrous

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“Around 8% of Iceland’s population were in Nice when they beat England at Euro 2016” ABOVE: Iceland’s victory over England at Euro 2016 was a seismic moment for the country RIGHT: Iceland have a number of Premier League players in their ranks, including star man Gylfi Sigurdsson TOP RIGHT: Iceland’s fans are known around the world for their stirring Viking Thunder Clap

record of 15 games without a win, going back to their World Cup warm-up fixtures.

Thankfully, that run was finally ended as they got their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign off to a good start in beating Andorra 2-0 away.

Their group isn’t going to be easy though, with world champions France routing them 4-0 in their second match. However, three home games are coming up in June, against Albania, Turkey and Moldova. That run of fixtures will go a long way towards determining whether Iceland reach Euro 2020.

They’re certainly in with a great chance. It’s hard to see France dropping many points at all, so Iceland can rely on Les Bleus taking points from all of their rivals. Win their next three matches, and Our Boys should be in prime position to finish second in Group H. There’s plenty of experience coursing through the Icelandic ranks, and that could be crucial over the next six months of qualifiers. The 23 players called up by Hamren for March’s double-header with Andorra and France boasted 967 caps.

Only four players were aged over 30, while there’s also young talent coming through in the form of Albert Gudmundsson and Arnor Sigurdsson. More of that’s needed over the coming years, and sustained success in the form of qualifying for tournaments will only help.

That, and continued efforts to get youngsters playing, with every children’s school in Iceland now boasting an artificial five-a-side pitch. It wasn’t too long ago that

ROLL OF HONOUR A little more than a decade ago, Iceland were getting turned over 3-0 by the likes of international minnows Liechtenstein. A lot’s changed since then though, and Iceland — a country with a population of just 340,000 — have secured some wonderful results against some of the world’s biggest footballing nations over the last four and a half years.

NETHERLANDS Iceland headed into Euro 2016 qualifying having to negotiate a group containing the Czech Republic, Turkey, and one of the giants of the European game, the Netherlands. After winning their opening two matches against Turkey and Latvia, the Dutch were up next for Our Boys. Incredibly, Iceland won 2-0 in Reykjavík, thanks to a first-half brace from Gylfi Sigurdsson.

PORTUGAL Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, Joao Moutinho, Joao Mario, Andre Gomes — a Portugal side packed with household names took the lead through former Manchester United winger Luis Nani in the first half of their Euro 2016 opener against Iceland. Lars Lagerback must have given some half-time team talk, though, as Our Boys came out for the second period and fought their way back to claim a 1-1 draw courtesy of a Birkir Bjarnason equaliser.

ENGLAND After securing their unlikely progression to the Euro 2016 knockout rounds, everyone thought Iceland’s journey would come to an end against England.

Roy Hodgson’s side were hardly pulling up any trees at the tournament, but a team containing the likes of Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Dele Alli was expected to breeze past Our Boys — especially after Rooney’s early penalty put the Three Lions in front. Iceland were back on terms less than two minutes later though, with Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s 18th-minute goal turning out to be the winner.

CROATIA After losing 2-0 in Zagreb earlier in qualifying for World Cup 2018, Iceland were heading for a perfectly respectable goalless draw against a team featuring Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic back in Reykjavík. Our Boys produced a stunning finale to the game though, as Hordur Bjorgvin Magnusson hit a last-minute winner to send the home fans wild.

ARGENTINA After qualifying for last summer’s World Cup top of their group, preparations for Russia 2018 didn’t go according to plan. Iceland failed to win any of their six friendlies in the run-up to the tournament, losing four times. However, they pitched up to the main event and upset one of the pre-tournament favourites, drawing 1-1 with an Argentina side boasting such riches as Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria. Alfred Finnbogason cancelled out Aguero’s opening goal just a few minutes after the Manchester City man had put Argentina in front.

FRANCE Less than three months after Les Bleus became world champions in Russia, Iceland headed across to French soil and nearly caused a major upset. The visitors went 2-0 up against Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and co, but France benefitted from an 86th-minute own goal before Mbappe salvaged a draw for Didier Deschamps’ side with a last-minute penalty.

kids would have to play on gravel during the freezing cold winter months.

There are other factors that could affect this qualifying campaign. The next two matches against Albania and Turkey are in June, which is questionable scheduling following a long and gruelling club season.

You might think the players would be given a full summer off, but that’s not the case.

There may be pressure from certain clubs to see their players get a longer rest before the start of the new season. Premier League outfit Everton, for example, could have a Europa League qualifying campaign on their hands starting at the end of July, which would be a nightmare for their pre-season plans, and could throw Gylfi Sigurdsson’s involvement into doubt.

Irrespective of that, there clearly needs to be improvement from Iceland’s players after their lengthy winless run. The evidence from their last qualifying campaign suggests that they’re more than capable of getting back up to speed though.

A tightly knitted group that knows exactly how they’re supposed to play, they were somewhat overmatched in the Nations League. The defeat to Nigeria at the World Cup is the one that really jars, but there have been plenty of results over the last few years that suggests there’s more to come from this golden generation of players before they’re consigned to the annals of time. Don’t be surprised to see them hook things up before 2019 is out, and cause an upset or two next summer.

When Iceland beat England at Euro 2016, it’s estimated that around 27,000 Icelanders were in Nice. That equates to 8% of the country’s entire population. We can only imagine how many people would flock to the English capital if Iceland make it as far as the semi-finals next summer and prove their most famous victory was no mere fluke.

TOP 5 INTER'L UNDERDOGS Tiny population? Check. Remote location? Check. Little football history?

Check. There are a number of reasons Iceland head into almost every game they play as the underdogs, but their current generation of players has often defied the odds and given hope to international minnows across the globe. They also conjure up memories of the little guys who’ve brought joy to tournaments down the years, so here we take a look at five of our favourites.

BELOW TOP: Croatia's magical run in the 1998 World Cup was halted by the hosts and eventual winners, France BELOW MIDDLE: South Korea reached the Semi-Finals in front of the home crowd.

BOTTOM: Greece won the 2004 Euros against all odds.

NORTH KOREA, 1966 A country that’s more used to making other kinds of headlines in recent years, North Korea were all over the back pages at the 1966 World Cup. English fans will remember the tournament as the only time they’ve ever tasted glory on the grandest stage of all, but it was memorable occasion for other reasons.

Not least that North Korea became the first Asian team to reach the knockout stages of the competition, beating Italy in their final group game. Incredibly, they were 3-0 up at half-time of their quarter-final against Portugal and just 45 minutes from the semis. However, Eusebio scored four times in the second period as the European giants won 5-3.

DENMARK, 1992 Denmark weren’t even supposed to be at Euro 92, after failing to get through the qualifying rounds. However, they snuck in through the back door when Yugoslavia were banned due to a UN Security Council resolution, and certainly made the most of the opportunity. They got through the group stage at the expense of England and France, before beating the Netherlands on penalties in the semi-finals. World champions Germany lay in wait in the final, but a Danish side featuring Peter Schmeichel, Brian Laudrup and John Jensen triumphed 2-0 in Gothenburg.

CROATIA, 1998 A country that had been torn apart by war and only separated from Yugoslavia in 1990, few expected Croatia to stick around at France 98 for too long. The Vatreni had other ideas though, making it all the way to the semi-finals courtesy of an unbelievable 3-0 quarter-final victory over Germany. They went down 2-1 to hosts France in the semis, but won the third-place play-off against the Netherlands, with Davor Suker netting the winner.

SOUTH KOREA, 2002 Almost 40 years after their neighbours shocked the world, South Korea hosted the tournament along with Japan in 2002. It was the first time the World Cup was held in Asia, and once again Italy were the victims in the story. Guus Hiddink guided South Korea through a group containing Poland, the United States and Portugal, beating the latter 1-0 in their final match. Next up was a 2-1 victory over Italy, before another stunning performance to beat Spain on penalties to reach the semi-finals.

Germany needed a 75th-minute Michael Ballack goal to see off the plucky Koreans and reach the final.

GREECE, 2004 Before heading to Euro 2004, Greece had only ever appeared at two major tournaments in their entire history.

Their football wasn’t pretty, and they relied on some lionhearted defending, dangerous set pieces and plenty of welldrilled organisation, but the Galanolefki managed to emerge from a group containing hosts Portugal, Spain and Russia.

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ROUND-UP WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF Ajax’s media team sent chills down the spines of many a fan before their Champions League last 16 second leg against Real Madrid in March, producing a video that saw various family members give the Dutch side’s players emotional support during a telephone call. It had the desired effect as they thrashed Madrid 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

KEAN SILENCES RACISTS Moise Kean did not shy away from being subjected to racial abuse during Juventus’ 2-0 win at Cagliari in April, bravely standing arms outstretched in front of the perpetrators after he scored. “The best way to respond to racism,” wrote the Italy starlet as a caption for his goal celebration.

ZINEDINE ZIDANE

First team debut Zinedine Zidane made his first team debut for Cannes in the French top flight in 1989. In his first full season, the midfielder helps propel Cannes to fourth place in the League, reaching the UEFA Cup for the first time.

Bordeaux bound Zidane signed for Bordeaux in 1992, where his accomplished performances in midfield lead to a first cap for France in 1994. Bordeaux reached the UEFA Cup final in 1995-96 where they fell to Bayern Munich. Zidane went on to become Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 1996.

Joining Juve Chased by several suitors, the 24 year old Frenchman signed for Juventus that summer. He hit the ground running by winning the Scudetto in his first season but the Bianconeri lost in the Champions League Final against Borussia Dortmund. Zidane helped Juventus retain the Scudetto the following season but they again lost in the Champions League Final — to Real Madrid.

Finest hour Zidane became the hero of all France due to his exploits in the 1998 World Cup Final. His two goals, both from set pieces, are instrumental in helping Les Bleus defeat Brazil 3-0 to win the World Cup for the very first time.

Galactico Zidane moved to Real Madrid for a then-world record fee of €77.5m. Just like at Juventus, he made an instant impact, scoring the winner against Bayer Leverkusen in May 2002 to finally win the Champions League. He also played a starring role to help Real Madrid win the League title in 2003 and was named FIFA World Player of the Year.

STARS DEFEND KEAN Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci sparked controversy when he said Kean had provoked the Cagliari fans into racially abusing him. That prompted a furious backlash from the likes of Paul Pogba, Memphis Depay and Raheem Sterling, the latter of whom sarcastically wrote, ‘all you can do is laugh.’

HOME SWEET HOME It’s been a long time coming, but Tottenham Hotspur finally moved into their new stadium in April – and they made sure everyone knew.

Crystal Palace were forced to stand and watch a musical montage play out, complete with a firework display, before a ball was kicked. Spurs went on to win 2-0.

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TOP 5 U-20 WORLD CUP STARS

Zinedine Zidane made a shock return to Real Madrid in March, having walked away from Santiago Bernabeu less than a year earlier. Here’s a rundown of Frenchman’s career to date…

Final impact Having already announced his retirement at the end of his Real Madrid contract, Zidane’s swansong was the 2006 World Cup. He produced several inspirational performances as France reached the final, but an altercation with Marco Materazzi saw Zidane sent off in his last-ever game. France would go on to lose on penalties.

Back to the Bernabeu A hiatus followed, but Zidane wasn’t away from the game for long. In 2009 he became an adviser to Madrid President Florentino Perez, and a year later began working with Madrid Coach Jose Mourinho. After that he became Madrid’s sporting director and, in 2013, assistant to Carlo Ancelotti, and then in charge of the B team, Real Madrid Castilla.

Managing Madrid Rafael Benitez’s sacking in 2016 saw Perez appoint Zidane as his replacement after little more than 18 months in charge of RM Castilla. Given a two-and-ahalf year contract, Zidane oversaw a 5-0 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna in his first game.

Instant success Inexperience proved no barrier to success as Zidane quickly became one of the most decorated Madrid Coaches in the club’s history. His first tenure saw Madrid win three Champions Leagues, La Liga, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. After lifting his third Champions League as Coach, he resigned.

Back again Short disastrous spells for Julen Loeptegui and Santiago Solari forced Perez to turn back to Zidane, who has been out of work since quitting but was strongly linked with a number of posts, including Manchester United.

Solari was sacked after Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League by Ajax, and Zidane was back after a 10-month break.

The 22nd Under-20 World Cup takes place in Poland this summer and the tournament’s history is highlighted by some of the game’s greats first making their mark internationally. Billy Wilkinson picks five…

DIEGO MARADONA (ARGENTINA) – JAPAN 1979 The 1979 FIFA World Youth Championships, as the competition was then known, was only the second edition of the competition but played host to one of the greatest players to ever grace the game. Despite his teammate Ramon Diaz topping the goalscoring charts, the Golden Ball award went to Diego Maradona, who scored six goals including a number of matchwinners, and dictated the play of every fixture.

Seven years later in 1986, El Diego had upgraded from the World Youth Championship to the World Cup, where he was also awarded the Golden Ball for best player. A club career containing two Serie A titles, a UEFA Cup, a Coppa Italia and a pair of domestic trophies with Barcelona make for a very respectable club haul too.

DAVOR SUKER (CROATIA) – CHILE 1987 The Under-20 Yugoslavia team in 1987 was stacked full of versatile talent from all over Eastern Europe.

The star man however was of course Davor Suker, who finished the competition with six goals as well as a nerveless penalty in the shoot-out to decide the final.

The Osijek youth product would play twice for Yugoslavia and 69 times for Croatia, becoming their all-time top scorer, as well as turning out for Sevilla, Real Madrid and Arsenal, among others. His crowning moment however came in 1998, when he finished third on the FIFA World Player of the Year podium, behind Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane.

DANI ALVES (BRAZIL) – UAE 2003 When it comes to individual prizes, the attention is normally directed towards attackers, and so it was the case in the 2003 edition, held in the United Arab Emirates, with the hosts’ Ismail Matar and Brazil’s Dudu winning the Golden and Silver Ball respectively.

However, the Bronze Ball was awarded to a 19-year-old right-back named Dani Alves.

The Brazilian had already been picked up by Sevilla

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J A N E I R O

Few locations on the planet are quite as evocative as Rio de Janeiro, with its stunning scenery, thriving culture and, of course, football. Nick Dorrington provides a guide…

The mere mention of Rio de Janeiro stirs up postcardperfect visions of beautiful beaches, sensuous sounds and iconic landmarks: Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon; bossa nova, samba, carnival; Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain. But also Garrincha, Romario, Ronaldo; Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense; and the temple of Brazilian football: the Maracana.

There are many sides to Rio but football is never far from view. The city currently boasts four top-flight teams, and tickets can be purchased online to watch Botafogo at their Nilton Santos Stadium, Flamengo or Fluminense at the Maracana or Vasco da Gama at the endearing Sao Januario. Flamengo also compete in the national women’s League, while Bangu, Madureira and Portuguesa all ply their trade in the men’s fourth division.

This summer, the Maracana, one of only two stadiums to have hosted two World Cup Finals, will also be one of six venues for the Brazil-hosted Copa America, which runs from June 14 to July 7. Three group-stage encounters, including Chile versus Uruguay, one quarter-final and the final itself will all be played at the famous, near 80,000-capacity stadium. With Brazil the pre-tournament favourites, there may well be celebrations to be seen.

Historically curious visitors will enjoy the football museum within the Maracana grounds and also the smaller Flamengo museum at the club’s headquarters in Leblon. The Liga Retro store in Ipanema offers a wide range of classic football shirts for those seeking

a souvenir. But from the street art depicting stars past and present, to the informal games that spring up on the beach or in parks, there is plenty for any football fan to take in.

Otherwise, Rio is a city that is there to be enjoyed.

Find a spot on the beach, lay back and relax or stroll the promenades, making refreshment stops at the many bars and kiosks selling ice creams, tropical fruit juices or something stronger. As the sun begins to descend, grab a drink and straddle the Urca sea wall to watch it disappear behind Christ the Redeemer.

When it comes time to fill up, there are a multitude of Brazilian steak houses — churrascarias — offering as much meat as you can eat. Fish lovers will want to seek out the unassuming Arataca in Copacabana, with its seafood stews and other dishes, and the salt cod fritters at Bar do Gomez in the arty Santa Teresa district. Spazziano’s vegan buffet is well-reviewed.

From there, it is onwards into the night. Live music fans can catch the Monday samba party at Pedra do Sal, bossa nova at the Vinícius Show Bar or a spot of Jazz at TribOz. Bip Bip in Copacabana is another renowned venue. Lapa has long been regarded as Rio’s nightlife centre, but Botafogo is an up-andcoming zone with plenty of quirky bars, while a more informal scene congregates around the Praça Santos Dumont square in Gavea.

Rio certainly has its ugly side, but for the fleeting visitor, particularly for football fans, its heady mix of entertainment and enchantment is hard to resist.

The statue of Christ the Redeemer is one of the world’s most iconic landmarks

LIONEL MESSI (ARGENTINA) – NETHERLANDS 2005 The 2005 Under-20 Argentina team wasn’t exactly dripping with future talent. While there was the likes of Sergio Aguero, Lucas Biglia and Pablo Zabaleta, the name on everyone’s lips after the tournament was one Lionel Messi. The La Masia prodigy scored six goals as the South American side stormed to the finals, where Messi himself scored twice as Nigeria were defeated 2-1. After his tournament success, young Messi made 17 appearances in La Liga under Frank Rijkaard, before breaking out in 2006-07 and he hasn’t stopped since.

Success with the national team still evades arguably the greatest of all-time but nine La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and six Copa del Rey trophies speak for themselves.

PAUL POGBA (FRANCE) – TURKEY 2013 The story has not yet been entirely written for Paul Pogba but we have a pretty good idea as to where it’s heading. Going into the tournament, the then-Juventus midfielder had started 27 games as the Old Lady stormed to a second straight Scudetto.

Remember the one about Gus Poyet learning he had been sacked by Brighton and Hove Albion live on air?

That was arguably topped by former Chelsea man Florent Malouda finding out he had left Swiss side FC Zurich by mutual consent. “Really, I didn’t know that…?” he replied. Not very mutual, then…

BOLOGNA GO VEGETARIAN April Fools’ Day spawned several cringeworthy efforts from clubs around the world, but the best of a bad bunch came from Bologna after they announced their new stadium would be the first in Italy to offer a fully vegetarian menu. Not that big of a deal – until you realise Bologna is the world-famous home of mortadella. Sacrilege!

Germany’s victory over Argentina in 2014 was the second World Cup Final at the Maracana

in 2002, but the tournament signalled his meteoric rise and the next step in the evolution of the athletic and technically-gifted full-back. Alves’ trophy haul underlines his generational talent, with eight League titles across three countries, three Champions Leagues and an eye-watering amount of domestic trophies – 14 to be exact.

MALOUDA MYSTIFIED

FINO ALLA FINE

However, his performance in Turkey seemed to elevate his game to another level, completely dominating games in a manner that first drew comparisons to compatriot Patrick Vieira. After winning the Golden Ball, Pogba would go on to win four more Scudetti and a pair of Coppa Italia trophies before moving back to Manchester United. The midfielder is arguably still yet to fulfil his potential but looks set to stamp his mark in the pantheon of great midfielders.

Juventus performed one of the great Champions League comebacks in March, when they overturned a 2-0 deficit against Atletico Madrid, winning 3-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie. “All for one and one for all,” wrote Cristiano Ronaldo, whose hattrick proved pivotal in Turin.

A glimpse of Paul Pogba’s quality was provided in the 2013 tournament

Diego Maradona’s first worldwide impact came in the 1979 tournament

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BEACH SOCCER READY

STUDENT MEETS THE MASTER Having received a signed shirt from Pele last year, Kylian Mbappe took things one step further when he met his idol in person at a promotional event in April. As it stands, the Paris Saint-Germain forward looks to be on a similar path to greatness, with a World Cup winners’ medal already to his name.

IT’S A BOY! Antoine Griezmann welcomed the newest member of his family to the world in April as he posted a heartfelt picture of baby Amaro’s hand. Rather lowkey from the Frenchman when you consider he took out a primetime slot on Spanish TV to announce he was staying at Atletico Madrid…

NEYMAR RAGES AT REF Neymar didn’t hold back after Paris Saint-Germain went out to Manchester United in the Champions League, courtesy of a last-gasp penalty awarded by VAR. What followed was an expletive-laden rant from the Brazilian on his Instagram Story – and a UEFA charge to boot.

ZIZOU RETURNS Real Madrid’s response to being humiliated by Ajax in the Champions League last 16 didn’t disappoint as they brought back Zinedine Zidane, less than a year after he led Los Blancos to three straight successes in Europe’s elite club competition. As iconic Zizou is, both as a player and Coach, they say never go back…

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The first beach soccer facility in Canada officially opened in 2017 under the name of Canada Beach Sports. Located in the greater Toronto area, the facility hosts 3 official beach soccer courts that can convert into 6 foot-volley courts. The court sizes, beach soccer balls and even quality of sand meet the standards set by FIFA and Beach Soccer Worldwide for professional tournaments including the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Interest in beach soccer among Canadians isn’t new according to the co-founders of the facility. “Many of the country’s top amateur players compete in large beach soccer tournaments throughout the world. Last year, we had teams come out to our facility to train for tournaments in the US, Portugal and Italy. Until now, they never had the means to train for these big tournaments at home.” Youth players have really taken to the facility as well. “We haven’t had a youth team yet who didn’t fall in love with beach soccer the first moment they stepped onto the sand. All of their soccer imagination comes out. Kids start trying moves and acrobatic kicks that they might never try on the grass. The toughest part about introducing beach soccer to youth teams is getting the players off the sand at the end of their session.”

Many of the world’s top clubs have utilized beach soccer in fine tuning their players. Teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG have installed sand pitches right into their training grounds. Training on sand is used to increase the strength, agility, coordination, conditioning and balance in professional athletes. Sand training is also used when

recovering from injury, mainly because this type of training has been shown to lower post-training muscle soreness compared to workouts on other surfaces.

“If you look at the many of the countries that produce the world’s most technically gifted players, they have embraced all three versions of the beautiful game; field soccer, futsal and beach soccer. Kids from countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and Italy get the opportunity to enjoy each version and benefit from the different skills that these versions provide.”

Since the opening of Canada Beach Sports, the facility has been getting great support from the top Beach Soccer players around the world. They even had the opportunity to meet with Madjer, a FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup winner with Portugal and arguably the greatest beach soccer player of all time. “It was an honour to meet with Madjer in Toronto. He has offered his support to us in our quest to introduce and grow the game of beach soccer in Canada.”

The goal for Canada Beach Sports isn’t to take away from the game of soccer that Canadians know, but rather continue growing the game of soccer in Canada by providing players the opportunity to enjoy every version of the beautiful game. “Youth players in this country have really started to benefit from the introduction of futsal into our system. Our goal is to do the same with the introduction of beach soccer. Young inspiring players can learn skills related to beach soccer such as flicks, aerial ball control and volleys and transfer those skills onto the grass.”

BY736 THE NUMBERS — FA CUP21,5072018-19 – 736 teams took part in the FA Cup, including qualifying rounds, with the opening fixtures being played all the way back in August as an extra preliminary round.

The first-round proper didn’t get started until November.

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– The average attendance of the four FA Cup quarter-final fixtures with the Wolves vs. Manchester United tie boasting a crowd of 31,004.

5

– The number of teams who made it through to the main section of the FA Cup from the first round proper onwards. These are made up from the 32 teams who made it through the qualifying rounds, 4 teams from League One and League Two and 44 teams from the Premier League and Championship.

– The number of goals League Two Newport County’s Padraig Amond has scored in the competition, the most of anyone prior to the final.

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– The attendance of seventh-tier side Haringey Borough Football Club’s first round-proper clash with AFC Wimbledon, with the Dons snatching the win in the 90th minute courtesy of Mitchell Pinnock.

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– The total number of replays that have had to be played from the first round proper onwards.

434

– The number of goals scored in the FA Cup from the 1st round proper onwards prior to the final, with 224 coming from the side considered the home team in the tie.

– The 2018-19 season is the 138th edition of the FA Cup, with Arsenal the most successful club in tournament history. The Gunners have won the Cup 13 times, but were knocked out of this year’s competition

by Manchester United at the Fourth Round stage.

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LaLiga North America have announced the launch of LaLiga Academy Canada, the league’s first academy in North America. The academy will offer a world-class development program and pathway to professional soccer careers and school scholarships.

Training will come directly from UEFA Pro-certified LaLiga coaches, where players will be taught best practices from the league’s top clubs. Alongside teaching techniques, skills and fitness, the training will also emphasize the importance of high-stakes decision making, physical, emotional and cognitive development. Players won’t be the only ones to benefit from this Academy, as there will also be dedicated development programs for coaches as well.

LaLiga is committed to supporting the growth of soccer in Canada, especially leading up to the 2026 World Cup. The league wants to support Canada in producing a sustainable pipeline of world-class professional players for Canadian clubs and the national team. LaLiga Academy will open up to boys and girls from U6 to U18 starting with a location in the Greater Toronto Area, followed by expansion into other provinces. All players will have a personalized development program, with the top talents joining a year-long intensive training program where elite players will earn a trip to Spain for a summer training camp.

For further information, visit canada.laligacademy.com

Africa Cup of Nations

The Africa Cup of Nations is perhaps one of the most overlooked competitions in world football.

It’s quite an unfortunate fact considering the competition presents some of international football’s most rigorous and hard working teams.

One must think about previous World Cup appearances from countries such as Nigeria or Ivory Coast, who boast well-seasoned players and even stars that are widely considered dark horse favourites in marquee competitions. So why does the hype for the Africa Cup of Nations not stand up to that of other continental competitions such as the Copa America? That’s a question that could be naught if football fans tune into the 2019 instalment of the Africa Cup of Nations purely for the teams and players it will feature this year.

Hosts Egypt - presently remembered for their crash

by Lauren Maharaj

out of the 2018 World Cup – is best known for their talisman Mohamed Salah. Unfortunately for the hosts, their group draw has been nothing short of terrible, especially if their aim is to win the cup in their own nation.

Egypt are in Group A - which based on FIFA rankings – can be considered the toughest group in the competition. They will go up against the likes of Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe, and even if they win their group, they could end up with a tricky match against South Africa in the last 16. Salah’s Egypt have been champions of Africa more times than any other nation in the competition, having only lost twice in 25 matches at home, posting them up as a clear favourite.

Even though the Egyptians have been handed a headache going into their host tournament, it is the teams in Group D who will have the most trouble progressing past the group stage.

According to rankings, Group D is considered the ‘group of death’ featuring Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Namibia. Three countries out of the four in this group have previously won an Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco last winning it in 1976, Ivory Coast twice in 1992 and 2015 and South Africa in 1996. On top of this, Group D perhaps boasts the most African stars including Eric Bailey, Serge Aurier, and Wilfried Zaha. It is fair to say that the modest nation of Namibia is the weakest link in this equation.

Finally, the likes of Nigeria - a team well versed in international competition – are well placed when it comes to group placement. They are set to face Guinea and Cup newcomers Burundi and Madagascar. Nigeria boasts an amazing international record having remained unbeaten since their last appearance at the 2018 World Cup. This feat is likely to extend when they head to Egypt this summer.

Wilfred Zaha is one of many stars competing in Group D the "Group of Death

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations is nothing short of the absolute drama, competitive fixtures and international glory that other competitions offer.

Even just a review of the groups themselves, the fixtures and the countries involved should be a well-rounded example of that fact. The competition opens opens with Egypt against Zimbabwe on the 21st of June with the final taking place on July 19, 2019.

IMPORTANT DATES Group Stage: June 21 - July 2 Round of 16: July 5 - July 8 Quarter Final: July 10 - 11 Semi Final: July 14 3rd Place Playoff: July 17 Final: July 19 SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2019

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ROUND-UP PART 4 YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE Liverpool fan Sean Cox miraculously left hospital in April, a year on from being attacked by Roma ultras, suffering a serious brain injury and spending time in a coma. Ahead of his appearance at a charity match to raise money for his treatment, he said ‘thank you’ in a short video posted on Twitter.

LUCKY TO BE ALIVE Former Fiorentina and Parma goalkeeper Sebastien Frey admitted he was lucky to be alive in March, having revealed on Instagram how he recovered from a virus that ‘debilitated me completely’. The 38-year-old made almost 600 appearances during his career and played twice for France.

IN-STORE

PUMA Football has launched the Hacked Pack, inspired by players who use their technique and skill to hack the game and take it to New Levels, featuring a disruptive look for the FUTURE and PUMA ONE boots. Influenced by the visual identity of computer programming code, the Hacked Pack combines deep digital blacks and vibrant 8-bit greens. The Hacked Pack’s digital camo effect will daze and confuse opponents as players hack the game with speed, agility, and flair, turning heads green with envy. The new boots can be seenworn on pitch by PUMA Football players including Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suàrez, Sergio Agüero, Romelu Lukaku, Samuel Umtiti, and Jan Oblak and can be purchased exclusively from PUMA.com and selected football specialists.

Alongside the new boot pack, PUMA have also announced their new long-term partnership with La Liga, becoming the Spanish league’s new official technical partner starting from the 2019/20 season. PUMA will produce the official match ball for all games in Spain’s top-two leagues. As one of the top football leagues in the world, reaching over 2.5 billion viewers in 183 countries this sponsorship agreement will strengthen PUMA’s position as a leading global APPEARANCES football brand.

ARGENTINA ASSISTS AWARD BARCELONA BLUE CAPTAIN CHAMPION CLUB DRIBBLER ESTABLISHED FIFA FOOTBALLER FORWARD GOALS GOLDEN BALL LA LIGA LEAGUE MEDAL MESSI NATIONAL PLAYMAKER Stars collide as the UEFA Champions League PROFESSIONAL heats up. A ball of energy for Europe’s top club RECORD competition. The vibrant, colorful design SEASON of the competition's official game ball is inspired by SENIOR the venue in Madrid. Seamless and thermally TEAM bonded for increased accuracy, a true touch TENand TOURNAMENT low water uptake, it has a textured surface that WORLD CUP further optimizes performance.

Word Bank

LIONEL MESSI

WORD SEARCH APPEARANCES ARGENTINA ASSISTS AWARD BARCELONA BLUE CAPTAIN CHAMPION CLUB DRIBBLER

BAYERN BRING IN LUCAS Bayern Munich have lost their competitive edge in recent years, hitting a new low after their last-16 exit to Liverpool in the Champions League. However, they followed up their deal for Benjamin Pavard by announcing in April they would also sign fellow World Cup winner Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid.

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SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2019

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Lionel Messi

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R A W Z T C D L I C X L X Y F N T G P Q U B B Y Z P S T

R E L L A B T O O F A B Z V X O S O C Z N P U C C A E Y

E G F T E X R D A N L P C U U A Y L D I P R Q H U R C S

G O P E V R R M O A N V T R O Q G D U S B Q N O S T N E

L A A N B I E I D Z P O N A P B M E V M F V O L B T A J

W L B L B H S E P P U A S W I V Q N I Y A X M B F R R F

D S U B K S M A L U M Z L A G N G B B Z E E R C T V A Z

K E L M E H D W A E C G Z W E G B A H Z H E T K Y H E J

F E H F P L D S N F E D K T B S Z L W Y K Y R N G K P Z

R W O S A S Y T O O U T L Z N V A L D A H O D K D F P Y

O R A L I J R D I R G W A R Z D O R M V I P X U S Z A D

P L I M C L D H T W A O A O O T N Y G N S Z I E E E M V

S G M W S W B Y A A E B G C M W A X E E D T Z M L E L Y

BIRTHDAY BOYS

THE REAL RONALDO Patrice Evra is never one to do things in small doses, and that was the case when he posted a screenshot of his WhatsApp conversation with Cristiano Ronaldo, in which the forward said Juventus would ‘smash’ Atletico Madrid. The Old Lady went on to do just that, with a little help from their No 7.

ESTABLISHED FIFA FOOTBALLER FORWARD GOALS GOLDEN BALL LA LIGA LEAGUE MEDAL MESSI

MAY

Thibaut Courtois May 11 Club: Real Madrid

There are a number of summer tournaments kicking off in June, including the Women’s World Cup, the Copa America, the African Cup of Nations and the Gold Cup. With all these tournaments, comes new jersey releases. It’s an opportunity for fans to get their nations latest shirt, and for collectors to add to their collection.

This year, for the first time ever, there are some kits exclusive to the women’s team, meaning they were made specifically for the Women’s World Cup. Also, for the first time since the 1950 World Cup, Brazil will have a white away jersey, in celebration of their 100th anniversary of their 1919 Copa America win.

Romelu Lukaku May 13 Club: Manchester United Eugenie Le Sommer May 18 Club: Olympique Lyon Marco Reus May 31 Club: Borussia Dortmund

JUNE:

Lorenzo Insigne June 4 Club: Napoli Christine Sinclair June 12 Club: Portland Thorns Lionel Messi June 24 Club: Barcelona Kevin De Bruyne June 28 Club: Manchester City

A W A R D S D A N R L U S F I L M S A W N U P M B Q G F

F P Q T A F I F T D F L C K P H E N L Y F T Q U E K X Z

V X I H A D K C E S P C D J A S S I S T S V I C O S G T

B A R C E L O N A A E P Z Z D N O I P M A H C N C Q S Z

Z O D R O C E R S L S P I Y D X X B O P Q Y T K A O X I

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360

THE LAST WORD

PERHAPS IT’S TIME WE STOP FIGHTING THE LOSING BATTLE AGAINST A EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE AND EMBRACE IT, WRITES SUSY CAMPANALE.

SHAPING THE SUPER LEAGUE M

aybe it’s time we admit that resistance to a European Super League is futile. We’ve been moving towards it for years, even decades, and the lack of competition in the top five European Leagues is becoming an issue, regardless of Financial Fair Play rules.

They don’t work, they penalise the mid-tolarge clubs while allowing the biggest to flourish via loopholes and flagrant disregard for the regulations, and only increase the sense of injustice when they were meant to create a level playing field.

If justice does not apply to everyone, then it applies to no-one. We see clubs forced into a form of sporting austerity to fit with financial parameters set by UEFA, while others like Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain fork out millions on recordbreaking transfers. They might get a fine, a slap on the wrist or a limitation on their squad size, but nothing that will genuinely damage their prospects or status. We’d be better off just getting the richest clubs to buy as many players as they like, as long as they are loaned out for free to the smaller sides, also giving them performancerelated development fees. Consider it a redistribution of the wealth of talent.

I have long said that the basic problem with the sport now is there are too many clubs. The resources are being so keenly concentrated in the hands of the few that the others scramble for crumbs just to survive. We’ve seen so many sides go bankrupt, while others are content just to be utterly mediocre if they avoid relegation by a handful of points each season.

I would have some suggestions for resolving these multiple issues and forming not precisely a European Super League, but a version of it to suit all parties. Those

When sides like Juventus, PSG and Barcelona have titles wrapped up before spring has sprung, they need more competition

‘The main problem with the Champions League is the format.’’

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who complain this would rob them of local battles and the domestic interest are the same who baulked when the European Cup turned into the Champions League, including – shock horror – clubs that were not their domestic title holders. I am old enough to remember when people were complaining that one country could have two representatives in the tournament, as that meant it was no longer a battle of true champions, but of nearly-rans and hasbeens. In reality, who doesn’t want to watch Manchester United vs. Inter rather than Bayern Munich vs. Riga FC? The main problem I see with the Champions League is the format. These tiny group stages and then straight into the knockout rounds mean you can reach the Final with a bit of luck in the draw and a couple of good results. Does it make you undoubtedly the best side in the competition? Of course not.

So much depends on fortune, whether it’s injuries around the time of the toughest match or a ricochet off the woodwork going in your favour. The first round group stage is too brief and limited to really get a feel for how a team stacks up to the other main competition. The same goes for the World Cup or European Championship at international level. It’s genuinely rare to see the best team win and some of the greatest can go out relatively early because of one bad result.

I would suggest changing the format of the The current Champions League format is too narrow and based on fortune, whereas a League table would reward consistency

Champions League to make it effectively a League, everyone facing everyone else, home and away, with one big table. At the end of that, like MLS, the team on top can win a Supporters Shield-type trophy and have bragging rights for their consistency against all opposition. The top clubs can then go head-to-head in play-offs for the European version of MLS Cup, at the time when traditionally we get into the quarterfinals of the Champions League. If a team finishes last by a pre-agreed points gap, they can be relegated or go into a play-off with a side trying to get into the Champions League.

In turn, the domestic Leagues would be reduced to a maximum of 16 teams. This is big enough to enjoy rivalry and a proper season, but also cuts the number of clubs to ensure no mid-table floundering. I’ve long said that 20 sides are far too many for a domestic division and just encourages mediocrity.

It might seem radical, but this would keep the European Super Leaguers happy, still be within UEFA remits and provide some genuine competition between the best on the continent. With Juventus winning an eighth consecutive Scudetto in April, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona pretty much with the titles wrapped up before spring has sprung, the time is right for the strongest to face each other on a regular basis.