Soccer 360 Magazine Issue 98: May / June 2022

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THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY

JONATHAN DAVID LEADS THE WAY

STARS ARRIVE DOUGLAS COSTA JOINS THE PARTY

RECOGNIZABLE RETURNS

HAALAND ON THE MOVE

ENGLAND SPAIN

RECORD BREAKERS

EVER-GROWING FAN BASE

THE RISE OF VLAHOVIC FROM FIORENTINA TO JUVENTUS, VLAHOVIC MAKES AN IMPACT

PULISIC THE DIFFERENCE MAKER THE USMNT LOOK TO MAKE BIG STRIDES IN QATAR THIS WINTER

MOURINHO IMPACT • AUBAMEYANG RISING • EPL MONEY MATTERS • JUVE REBUILD

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SOCCER360

MAGAZINE

MAY / JUNE 2022 | ISSUE 98

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EDITOR Steven Davies

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Rob Paton ASSISTANT EDITOR Nick Calabretta ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bill Asaro GRAPHIC DESIGN Gary Robinson Nick Libertucci SUBSCRIPTION COORDINATOR Tamara Hausner WEB MASTER Nick Libertucci

14 WHAT'S INSIDE...

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06 QATAR QUALIFIERS 18 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLASH

english premier league 22 DIRE STRAITS 26 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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30 VLAHOVIC RISING 34 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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CONTRIBUTERS Mike Barnes, Susy Campanale, Luca Cetta, Oli Coates, Sean Duffy, Thomas Unsworth, Stephen Donovan, Bradley King, Les Jones, Antonio Labbate, Alasadair Mackenzie, Lauren Maharaj, Alex Mott, Luca Persico, Adam Williams, George Rinaldi, Terrance Ross, Aman Sehdev, Andrew Tuft, Cronan Yu, Diego Jokas, Andrea Tallarita, Marco D’Onofrio, Gaby McKay, Livio Caferoglu, Judy Rauliuk PHOTOGRAPHY Les Jones & Doug Boufford - Covershots Inc., EPA, Action Images, Getty Images, Dale MacMillan, MLS Soccer, NWSL, ISI Photos MARKETING DIRECTOR Mario Calabretta

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Dale Evans

54 CONQUERING AMERICA 58 SUMMER MOVERS 60 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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MOURINHO IMPACT • AUBAMEYANG RISING • EPL MONEY MATTERS • JUVE REBUILD COVER FEATURE: JONATHAN DAVID - TEAM CANADA

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FIRST WORD

‘VIEWERS AT HOME ARE NOT MORAL FAILURES IF THEY TUNE IN’

WITH THE WORLD OF POLITICS INCREASINGLY INTRUDING ON FOOTBALL, GABY MCKAY ASKS HOW FANS AND PLAYERS SHOULD RESPOND TO THINGS OVER WHICH THEY HAVE NO CONTROL.

AA

nd so the countdown is on. Fully 12 years after the tournament was awarded to Qatar, the draw for the 2022 World Cup has been made and this thing is officially happening.

A month long festival of football just in time for Christmas - just try not to think about the workers who died constructing the stadiums. The moral questions over Qatar have been litigated a thousand times, and there’s no stopping the tournament now the question now becomes how we react.

The problem in addressing any structural issue in football is that sooner or later a whistle blows and a game kicks off.

Whether it’s fans trying to force a change of ownership, corruption in governing bodies or human rights issues, the response is blunted by the simple fact that fans want to watch their teams play. Refusing to watch the 2022 World Cup works in principle, but realistically once the games kick off millions will be tuning in.

The second response is that the players

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WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE? ‘PLAYERS HAVE ALREADY SAID THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE A STAND’ themselves should take action, perhaps by refusing to play. Never mind the fact that England, Denmark and others have already made clear that they intend to make a stand at the tournament, the idea itself is manifestly unfair. If anyone should have been refusing to play it’s the various football associations around the world. They didn’t, they entered the qualification process. Why then should it fall on the players - the employees, in this situation to deny themselves the dream of playing at a World Cup, whatever their concerns about the ethics of the host country?

It's not just Qatar either - it seems you can’t be a football fan without geopolitics intruding into what is supposed to be entertainment.

As a Newcastle fan, you probably wanted Mike Ashley out of the club. When he was ousted there were wild celebrations in the streets, despite the club being taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The Middle Eastern nation has an appalling human rights record, but the move was waved through by the Premier League after they were assured there was no direct link to the Saudi government. Presumably PIF chairman Mohammad Bin Salman was able to prove he has absolutely no link to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

The club ownership, of course, do not speak so it’s left to manager Eddie Howe to awkwardly field questions. He certainly hasn’t covered himself in glory in that regard, brushing off talk of bombings and executions with, “I’m just here to talk about football”. At the same time, what’s he meant to say? One can argue he shouldn’t have agreed to work for those people, but once you have you can’t exactly denounce your boss in public.

Once again fans - and players - have little or no say in how the takeover came about.

That’s not to excuse those Newcastle fans who

ABOVE: The World Cup was controversially awarded to Qatar in December 2010 LEFT: Newcastle were taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund BOTTOM: It’s unfair to expect fans and players to take a stand when governing bodies will not

blindly defend the Saudi state, even sending abuse to the widow of Jamal Khashoggi, but is it fair to ask or expect one of England’s most passionate fanbases to just walk away from their team on a point of principle? Sadly it’s why sportswashing works. Paris SaintGermain’s Qatari owners will tell you that.

It shouldn’t be on fans or players to have to make these choices, or even be in the situation in the first place. Russia’s players have been denied their chance to compete at the World Cup thanks to the brutal actions of their government - a government to which FIFA and UEFA have routinely cosied up. Those organisations have now, belatedly acted but it’s not unreasonable to ask why they’re still apparently fine with Saudi Arabia and their actions in Yemen, or Israel’s in Palestine, or indeed the Qatari state itself.

So no, Christian Pulisic doesn’t have to refuse to play in the World Cup. Viewers at home aren’t moral failures if they tune in. But if you do, don’t forget about those migrant workers, 6,500 of whom have died according to human rights organisations. Note when the Qatari dignitaries refuse to shake hands with female officials. Have a look at their record on LGBTQ+ rights.

And then start thinking about how we get rid of those who put you in that very uncomfortable position.

QATAR WORLD CUP 2022

MAIN: John Stones celebrates after scoring a goal for England during the Qatar World Cup 2022 Qualifiers BELOW (SMALL): England look for redemption after falling short at the 2020 Euros

‘ENGLAND HAVE BEEN DRAWN ALONGSIDE THE UNITED STATES, IRAN AND ONE OF SCOTLAND, WALES OR UKRAINE’

IN STORE? THE DRAW FOR THE 2022 WORLD CUP WAS MADE IN APRIL, AND GREG MURRAY ASSESSES THE MAIN TALKING POINTS

TOP MISSING SERIE A FAVOURITES PICKS There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.

TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to find minutes on the field last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.

Greg Murray outlines some of the teams FEDERICO CHIESA that notably failed to qualify for the 2022 Fresh from helping Italy win the European World Cup Championship the 23-year-old will be hoping to continue the explosive form he Italy’s remarkable failure to get past North displayed during tournament.

Forming Macedonia in the the World Cup play-off s may a potentially devastating have captured the headlinesfront-three but there are which also Cristiano and plenty of includes other high-profi le Ronaldo teams that Paulo it will be interesting to see missDybala, out on the tournament in Qatar. if coach Max Allegri takes the regular shackles off Colombia are one of the his attacking players. competitors from South America and

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hen the draw for the 2022 World Cup took place on April 1 the biggest headline to emerge was, ironically, the absence of any major headlines. Unlike many previous editions of the tournament, this year’s draw failed to form a so-called ‘group of death’, nor did it pit many old rivals against one another.

What has emerged from the draw, however, is the opportunity for many of the less historically successful nations to pass beyond the group stage. Take, for example, the newly crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal who have qualified for only their third ever World Cup. The Lions of Teranga have been drawn into Group A, meaning they face hosts Qatar, Ecuador, and group favourites the Netherlands.

Given the calibre of Aliou Cisse’s squad which boasts stars such as Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, they’ll seriously fancy their chances of reaching the knockout stages. Should they manage that, the target will then be to try and go one better than the Senegal side of 2002 by making the semi-finals, a stage no African nation has reached in the tournament’s history.

Looking elsewhere in the draw, and there is a chance for Canada to emerge as surprise contenders in the Middle East. Les Rouges’ only prior World Cup experience saw them fail to score a single goal back in 1986, but things are looking far more promising this time around under coach John Herdman. The Canucks finished top of the CONCACAF qualifying table and are spearheaded by marauding Bayern Munich wingback Alphonso Davies while promising forward Jonathan David leads the line.

Progression is by no means a given for

ABOVE: The first draw for the 2022 World Cup BELOW: Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne TOP RIGHT: Italy, Colombia, Egypt, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Sweden all miss out on Qatar 2022 BOTTOM RIGHT: Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be featured in this year's edition of the World Cup

Canada in a tough Group F competing against the top-ranked international side Belgium, 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, and Morocco.

However, with six months to further develop their odds are better than ever.

Of course, one advantage of there not being any one particularly difficult group is that the top-tier teams are evenly distributed. In turn, this should provide plenty of entertaining matches on paper, the highest profile of which is the clash between Spain and Germany. Winners of the World Cup in 2010 and 2014 respectively, they’re both among the favourites to win the whole competition in Qatar, but may find progress significantly more difficult should they finish as runners-up in Group E. La Roja will certainly have the psychological edge in the upcoming clash having beaten Germany 6-0 in the Nations League in their last meeting

‘THE BIGGEST HEADLINE WAS THE ABSENCE OF ANY MAJOR HEADLINES’

so are a surprise absence, as they were GIROUD favouritesOLIVIER to qualify over the likes of TheEcuador.

France World Cup Winner has Los finally This having been said, arrived in Serie havingmatch been winners linked with Cafeteros’ most A proven are avery move to the peninsula yearsof and will much entering the for twilight their now team up withFalcao, fellow veteran striker career as Radamel Juan Cuadrado Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Giroud willthe bewrong tasked and James Rodriguez are all withofproviding firepower side 30. Therethe may be new and starslinkup in the play for the to compete in both pipeline, butRossoneri clearly, they have come too the and campaign.

Serie A. late forChampions their 2022League World Cup On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean a DUMFRIES number ofDENZEL regular World Cup attendees Wing backhave Dumfries theQatar. full from Africa failedshowcased to make it to array ofCoast his skills during theby summer’s The Ivory were beaten Cameroon European Championship despite to miss their second consecutive World the Netherlands crashing out of the Cup, while Nigeria were surprisingly tournament the Czech Republic. eliminated ontoaway goals by Ghana. The The 25-year-old twicesix and looks ready Super Eaglesscored have made out of the last to fill the gap vacated

by Achraf seven previous competitions andHakimi’s will be departuretotomiss PSG. devastated out.

From North Africa, Egypt’s penalty shootVICTOR OSIMHEN out defeat to Senegal, for the second time had a bitSalah’s of a start inThe twoNigerian months, striker saw Mohamed side stopout season last term.

Despite suffering miss on World Cup qualifi cation.

While injuries and missing games through The Pharoahs are by no means flushed Covid-19 22-year-old showed enough with starthe talent, the Liverpool winger’s promise to alone make would him a real man presence havedanger improved heading into the thisspectacle. campaign. New Coach Luciano will topic be hoping he can get Finally,Spalletti and on the of world class the players, most out of theIbrahimovic attacker and improve Zlatan and his on his 10 failed goals to from lastityear.

Sweden side make through the European qualifiers. The 40-year old may no longer be a regular starter for his country, but fans would’ve relished the final opportunity to see the charismatic forward in an international tournament.

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‘LUIS SUAREZ VERSUS THE ENTIRE NATION OF GHANA’ back in 2020, but Hansi Flick’s side are no pushovers. Die Mannschaft were impressive in the qualifiers, winning six of their last seven games and have an array of international experience.

Both the Spanish and German squads are going through a transitional period as they look to rebuild with exciting young talent such as Pedri, Ansu Fati, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. For the neutral, the November 27 match should provide top-quality viewing whereas fans of both teams will get a better idea of their capabilities.

Another key match-up drawn at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center is that between the top two in last year’s Ballon D’Or, as Lionel Messi and Argentina face a Poland side spearheaded by Robert Lewandowski. Group C is the stage for that fixture and having finally ended their long trophy drought by winning the Copa America in 2021, Argentina will be looking to add to that by lifting the World Cup for a third time. La Albiceleste’s squad might not be as star-studded as in other recent World Cups, however Angel di Maria in midfield, Lautaro

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ABOVE: Ghana have a vendetta to settle against Uruguay RIGHT: Senegal look to carry their AFCON form into the World Cup

Martinez up front and the steadying presence of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, should provide a solid platform for Messi to weave his magic.

In the other dugout, Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz’s squad looks top-heavy on paper, boasting not only the Bundesliga top-scorer but also Marseille’s Arkadiusz Milik and Fiorentina’s Krzysztof Piatek. Further Serie A contributions will see Piotr Zielinski look to boss the midfield while Wojciech Szczesny stands between the sticks. The Polish and Argentinian squads mirror each other in many ways with world-class forwards bringing star quality to an otherwise functional squad. As the two prepare to face-off in the final round of group games, the match could well be decided by which captain comes out on top.

Another individual battle worth keeping an eye on is Luis Suarez against the entire nation of Ghana. For historical context, the Black Stars felt cheated out of a place in the last four on a neverto-be-forgotten night at the 2010 World Cup. With their quarter-final match against Uruguay

‘THERE IS A CHANCE FOR CANADA TO BE A REAL SURPRISE PACKAGE OF THE 2022 WORLD CUP’ tied going into the final seconds of extra time, Dominic Adiyiah thought he’d won it with a header, only for Suarez to dramatically claw the ball off the line with his hands. Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent spot-kick and Ghana eventually lost on penalties. The 2022 World Cup draw has placed both sides together once again, and with Portugal the favourites to win Group H, Ghana will be desperate to get one over their old nemesis and claim the runners-up spot. On the subject of ancient rivalries, England have been drawn alongside the United States, Iran and one of Scotland, Wales or Ukraine. The USMT haven’t beaten the Three Lions in competitive action since their first ever meeting in the 1950 World Cup but have arguably their finest ever crop of players. More recently, at the 2010 tournament, a now infamous howler by goalkeeper Robert Green saw Clint Dempsey securing a draw for his team, with the point contributing to the Stars and Stripes’ qualification to the Round of 16.

England will be desperate to secure a win this time around as Group B could well be the most closely fought group, dependent on who out of Scotland, Wales or Ukraine make it through the play-offs.

Should the Tartan Army secure qualification, their meeting with Gareth Southgate’s side will take place just one day before the 150th anniversary of the inaugural match in international football, when Scotland hosted England on the November 30 1872. The

ABOVE: Canada could be the dark horse in Qatar BELOW LEFT: Germany's Timo Werner (C) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the 3-0 lead during a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying match BELOW RIGHT: Germany's Mesut Oezil (L) dribbling past Spain's Xabi Alonso (C) and Carles Puyol (R) during the FIFA World Cup 2010 semi final match between Germany and Spain TOP RIGHT: Lionel Messi may make his final World Cup appearence during the 2022 World Cup BOTTOM RIGHT: This tournament could be the last international chapter in the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry

two sides have faced off many times in the intervening years, with the recent goalless draw at Euro 2020 only serving to embitter the rivalry.

The incomplete nature of Group B, in addition to Groups D and E marks another chapter of World Cup history. The 2022 competition is the first time ever that the group stage draw has taken place before all 32 teams have qualified. The unprecedented circumstances of the past two years made flexibility essential in deciding the AFC and OFC qualifiers. Australia and the United Arab Emirates face off for the right to play Peru in their play-off final, while New Zealand take on Costa Rica in the other decider on June 13.

Sadly, in Europe the situation is more uncertain as the play-off semi-final between Scotland and Ukraine has been indefinitely postponed to an unfixed date due to the ongoing Russian invasion. With Wales waiting in the play-off final a winner between the two must eventually be determined, however, it is unlikely that FIFA will force the game to go ahead until the political situation is resolved. Amid widespread political controversy with the Qatar World Cup, this could see yet another unpopular decision made.

In spite of all the difficulties faced in the organisation of the tournament, hype is already building among fans and teams alike. With an established favourite in each group there’s plenty of potential for an upset, and if anything, 2022 could well be the opportunity for an underdog to shine.

LAST TOP SERIE CHANCE A SALOON PICKS There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.

TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to find minutes on the field last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.

As the 2022 World Cup approaches, a number of top players will have FEDERICO CHIESA earmarked the competition as their last Fresh from helping Italy win the European chance to secure the the 23-year-old most coveted Championship willtrophy be in football. hoping to continue the explosive form he displayed during the tournament. Forming The past 15 years has been characterised a potentially devastating front-three by the rivalry between LionelRonaldo Messi and which also includes Cristiano and Cristiano Ronaldo they competed for Paulo Dybala, it willasbe interesting to see titleMax of the besttakes player in shackles the world. if the coach Allegri the off However,his with the former turning 35 in attacking players.

June and the latter already 37, Qatar could well be the last World Cup graced by OLIVIER GIROUD either player.

The France World Cup Winner has finally Both players a selection of league arrived in Seriehave A having been linked with League and a titles, move Champions to the peninsula fortrophies years and will personal Argentina’s now teamawards, up with however, fellow veteran striker recent Copa America victory means Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Giroud will be tasked the providing two players now also tied on with theare firepower and linkup international honours. intointhe play for the Rossoneri to Going compete both winter tournament Portugal the Champions League and arguably Serie A. have the stronger of the two squads but both nations are well placed to provide a DENZEL DUMFRIES platform for their captains to havethe onefull last Wing back Dumfries showcased shot World Cupthe glory. array of his at skills during summer’s Despite their profi le, Messi and Ronaldo European Championship despite are not the only world class the Netherlands crashing outplayers of the who could betomaking theirRepublic. international tournament the Czech The swansong atscored the 2022 World 25-year-old twice and Cup. looksWidely ready considered third-best goalscorer of to fill the gapthe vacated

by Achraf Hakimi’s the past decade Robert Lewandowski departure to PSG. will be 34 when it all kicks off and will be hoping to progress Lionel Messi’s VICTOR against OSIMHEN Argentina Group The Nigerian strikerinhad a bitC.of a start Finally, although ve-years younger than stop season last fi term.

Despite suffering his PSG teammate, rumours have emerged injuries and missing games through this may be finalshowed World Cup. The Covid-19 theNeymar’s 22-year-old enough Brazil startoismake only 30 an early start to promise himbut a real danger man his careerinto andthis frequent injuries could see heading campaign.

New Coach the forward call will it quits on international Luciano Spalletti be hoping he can get football after Neymar currently the most out ofQatar. the attacker and improve sits just six10 goals below all-time on his goals fromPele’s last year. goalscoring record for the Selecao, and may well be able to bow out with another record to his name.

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GLORY

LOVE THEM OR NOT PORTUGAL ALWAYS SEEMS TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE. AS WE COUNTDOWN TO NOVEMBER DANIEL JANICAS BREAKS DOWN PORTUGAL’S CHANCES OF GLORY.

CHASERS THE PORTUGUESE WERE ABLE TO TURN HEADS WITH A NEW STYLE OF PLAY THAT DIDN’T RELY SOLELY ON THE PROWESS OF CAPTAIN CRISTIANO RONALDO.

THE TOPRONALDO SERIE A EFFECT PICKS There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.

TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to find minutes on the field last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.

OO

nce again, it was a rather difficult qualifying campaign for the Seleção as they were forced to punch their ticket to Qatar through the World Cup Playoffs.

Unlike previous years, Portugal were drawn in the toughest group with the defending European champions, Italy.

While it was anticipated that both Portugal and Italy would win their opening matches against Turkey and North Macedonia, respectively, the football Gods simply never allowed it to materialize due to the feistiness of the North Macedonians.

Instead, the Portuguese were drawn with North Macedonia in the final, with Bruno Fernandes slotting twice to send Portugal through to their sixth consecutive World Cup appearance.

Prior to the games, many pundits and analysts expected Portugal to struggle coming out of the gates, predicting that they would fail to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

However, the Portuguese were able to turn heads with a new style of play that didn’t rely solely on the prowess of

FEDERICO CHIESA Fresh from helping Italy win the European Championship the 23-year-old will be hoping to continue the explosive form he displayed during the tournament. Forming a potentially devastating front-three which also includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, it will be interesting to see if coach Max Allegri takes the shackles off his attacking players.

OLIVIER GIROUD The France World Cup Winner has finally Did you know that since donning the arrived in Serie A having been linked with colours of his nation (2003), Cristiano a move to the peninsula for years and will Ronaldo has yet to miss out on a single now team up with fellow veteran striker international tournament, holding a Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will be tasked perfect qualification record in the process with providing the firepower and linkup (10/10). play for the Rossoneri to compete in both Cristiano Ronaldo will be featuring in the Champions League and Serie A. his fifth World Cup and his tenth major tournament for the Portuguese National DENZEL DUMFRIES Football Team. If fortunate, he will Wing back Dumfries showcased the full become the first player in the history of array of his skills during the summer’s the FIFA World Cup to record a goal in European Championship despite five tournaments. While it’s unlikely that the Netherlands crashing out of the he matches Miroslav Klose’s World Cup tournament to the Czech Republic. The goal-scoring record (16), it’s more than 25-year-old scored twice and looks ready realistic to expect Ronaldo to set a new to fill the gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s high in total international appearances departure to PSG. by a footballer, which is currently led by Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa (192). At 186 VICTOR OSIMHEN appearances, Ronaldo only needs seven The Nigerian striker had a bit of a start more caps to surpass Al-Mutawa’s record, stop season last term. Despite suffering which could happen in Qatar if Ronaldo injuries and missing games through appears in four or more Nations League Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough games over the summer and fall. promise to make him a real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.

ABOVE (MAIN):: Portugal celebrate scoring a goal during a Qatar World Cup qualifying match TOP: Portugal players celebrate after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off qualifying soccer match Portugal vs North Macedonia RIGHT: Portugal fans celebrate the qualifying win FAR LEFT: Celebrations continue after Portugal scores a goal against North Macedonia

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THESE STRETCH OF GAMES, STARTING IN JUNE, IS THE PERFECT CHANCE TO OFFER SERIOUS PLAYING OPPORTUNITIES

PORTUGAL TOP SERIE A TOP SCORERS PICKS (WORLD CUP QUALIFYING) CRISTIANO RONALDO

6 GOALS

DIOGO JOTA

5 GOALS

BRUNO FERNANDES

3 GOALS

JOÃO PALHINHA

2 GOALS

OTAVIO

1 GOALS

RENATO SANCHES

1 GOALS

MATHEUS NUNES

1 GOALS

ANDRE SILVA

1 GOALS

DIOGO JOTA

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ABOVE (MAIN): Portugal player Diogo Jota (5-L) celebrates with team mates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off qualifying soccer match between Portugal and Turkey ABOVE (SMALL): Portugal's Bernardo Silva (C) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Azerbaijan

captain Cristiano Ronaldo. Throughout the last couple of tournaments, manager Fernando Santos had been known for deploying his stale, conservative tactics that have resulted in two consecutive round of sixteen exits. Since lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy back in 2016, and claiming the Nations League’s inaugural title, Santos has been regarded by many as a “stubborn mule” who’s unwilling to change or adapt his coaching style to reflect the current crop of players that he has at his disposal. With months in between the World Cup Qualifying Playoffs, and his side’s embarrassing home defeat to the Serbians, Santos had ample amount of time to reflect on his tactics that put his country in this difficult situation.

To the surprise of many, Santos didn’t just make adjustments to the roster, but he even went as far as making serious changes to the starting XI that few would’ve predicted. For starters, he yanked his usual favourite, Rui Patricio, in favour of Porto youngster Diogo Costa. Costa, while heavily inexperienced at the international level, provided Portugal with excellent ball distribution skills from the backend that hadn’t been seen before. This change in goal led to multiple chances being created from Costa alone, but more importantly, it also instilled a new level of confidence for the four defenders to have in front of their new shot-stopper.

Secondly, Santos placed Bernardo Silva in his preferred position centrally. Prior to the last two matches, Santos had always played Bernardo out wide – a position he never quite seemed comfortable in due to his lack of pace.

As evident as his play with Manchester City,

it’s unquestionable that Bernardo thrives in the No. 10 role centrally, able to pull the strings as the creative outlet that he’s meant to be.

Given his undeniable work rate and defensive contributions, this gave Santos further reassurance to make the decision to play him alongside Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park.

Finally, Santos decided to give Porto’s Otávio the nod as the starting right-winger in a 4-3-3 setup. This choice ended up shaking many heads and causing many to question Santos’ decision-making process. In the end, however, the decision became a blessing in disguise as Otávio gave the Portuguese that needed grit on the right side that they were lacking all along.

In addition, Otávio was the surprise of the semifinal matchup against Turkey, earning himself the Man-of-the-Match award with a goal, an assist, and an impressive 8.4 match rating – highest amongst all players on the pitch.

Heading into the World Cup, the Seleção have six meaningful Nations League games against Spain, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic that must be played. These matches present themselves as crucial preparation games that Santos can use to experiment with new formations, tactics, and players to see what works heading into Qatar. These stretch of games, starting in June, is the perfect chance to offer serious playing opportunities to youngsters João Félix and Rafael Leão, along with other dominant substitutes like Gonçalo Guedes and Andre Silva. As well, this is the time to allow the likes of Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva, and Bruno Fernandes to drive the bus, while

THE TOPENGINEER SERIE A OR PICKS THE DESTROYER?

There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.

TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to find minutes on the field last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.

FEDERICO CHIESA Fresh from helping Italy win the European Championship the 23-year-old will be hoping to continue the explosive form he displayed during the tournament. Forming a potentially devastating front-three which also includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, it will be interesting to see if coach Max Allegri takes the shackles off his attacking players.

notable veterans such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe seek much-needed rest heading into the summer. Given that there isn’t too much at stake with these games, that should allow Santos to inject new blood into the lineup with Vitinha, Pedro Gonçalves, and potentially Fabio Vieira to see what they can offer in semimeaningful outings. Most importantly, though, this also gives Santos the time to groom a new young centreback that Portugal is in desperate need of with the aging Pepe (39) and Jose Fonte (38). Other than Ruben Dias (24), there aren’t any other young, dominating centrebacks being developed which is deeply problematic heading into the scorching-hot Middle East.

Portugal possess one of the deepest and most talented rosters heading into the World Cup. They have enough in goal to keep them at bay (Patricio, Sá & Costa), their fullbacks are well-stocked with prime talent (Cancelo, Guerreiro, Mendes & Dalot), their midfield boasts a lethal combination (Bernardo, Bruno, Renato & Neves/Palhinha), while their attack is led by the greatest international player of all-time (Cristiano Ronaldo) mixed with a dangerous support cast (Jota, Félix, Leão, etc.). With a squad of this caliber, there’s simply no reason why Portugal can’t go the length of the way. On their day, Portugal can compete and

ABOVE: Cristiano Ronaldo (R) of Portugal celebrates after scoring a goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 group A qualification soccer match between Portugal and Ireland BELOW: Portugal player Pepe celebrates after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off qualifying soccer match

match with anyone on talent alone, but their Achilles’ heel has always been their coach and what tactics he decides to deploy. If Santos can muster up the right formula for this group, then it’s going to be hard to stop them in their tracks. But that’s a big “if” to ask, and if “ifs” always materialized then Cristiano Ronaldo would’ve already lifted the World Cup Trophy above his head.

OLIVIER GIROUD The France World Cup Winner has finally arrived in Serie A having been linked with Fernando Santos has been public enemy a move to the peninsula for years and will No. 1 for quite some time, especially with now team up with fellow veteran striker his side’s recent short comings in the Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will be tasked previous European Championship. While with providing the firepower and linkup he loves to stick with his conventional play for the Rossoneri to compete in both 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 tactics, many pundits, the Champions League and Serie A. analysts, and even fans have called for him to adopt a 3-5-2 formation, which would DENZEL DUMFRIES better serve his squad given their strength Wing back Dumfries showcased the full in fullbacks. With the explosiveness array of his skills during the summer’s and speed that João Cancelo and Nuno European Championship despite Mendes possess on the flanks, mixed with the Netherlands crashing out of the the creativity and hunger that Bernardo tournament to the Czech Republic. The Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Renato Sanches, 25-year-old scored twice and looks ready and João Palhinha all hold, the setup to fill the gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s would allow for this type of talent to departure to PSG. play in their preferred positions. With an abundance of riches at virtually every VICTOR OSIMHEN position, Santos has the key to unlock The Nigerian striker had a bit of a start Portugal’s hopes of potentially lifting a stop season last term. Despite suffering World Cup. It’s up to him to show whether injuries and missing games through he’s truly The Engineer or simply The Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough Destroyer of Portugal’s current Golden promise to make him a real danger man Generation. heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.

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QATAR WORLD CUP 2022

THE BIGGEST SURPRISE IS CANADA, WHO WILL BE MAKING THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE 1986.

EXPECT THE

UNEXPECT WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION IS A TRUE-LIFE EXPERIENCE. FOR PLAYERS AND TEAMS, NO ONE LEAVES A QUALIFICATION CYCLE THE SAME AS THEY STARTED. SOME MATURE AND GROW AND BECOME A MUCH BETTER SIDE AS THE MATCHES UNFOLD, WHILE OTHERS FALL APART AND FALL TO THE WAYSIDE. THE 2022 CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION CYCLE IS NO DIFFERENT. WITH ALL THE MATCHES NOW COMPLETE AND THE WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION PICTURE LARGELY COMPLETE (HELLO, COSTA RICA!) HERE ARE TEN LESSONS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED AHEAD OF QATAR 2022.

TOP CONCACAF SERIE A BEST PICKSXI There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says Ciro Di Brita.

10.) NORTH AMERICA IS AT THE TOP OF THE TABLE For the first time in CONCACAF World Cup Qualification history, all three automatic spots will be coming out of North America with Canada, Mexico, and the United States advancing to Qatar. Of the three sides, the biggest surprise is Canada, who will be making their first appearance since 1986.

9.) MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR OPPORTUNITIES Canada’s story is perhaps the most CONCACAF-y of CONCACAF stories. The side was originally slated to be placed in a second-tier bracket where their best chance of qualifying would come via a playoff against the first-tier bracket and then an intercontinental playoff. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, the federation had to reverse course, going back to the more traditional format. That, coupled with two extra teams added to the final round, gave Canada and new coach Jon Herdman extra incentive to speed up their development process and go for a top three spot.

TED

TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure of Edin Dzeko to Inter. The 23-year-old struggled to find minutes on the field last season when Thomas Tuchel took over at Chelsea but still managed to score 12 times in all competitions.

MAIN (OPPOSITE PAGE): Canada celebrating their win as they qualify for the World Cup SMALL (TOP, OPPOSITE PAGE): Home-grown Lucas Cavallini has been an integral part of Canada's sucess ABOVE: The USMNT celebrates after winning a CONCACAF qualifying match LEFT: USA International Weston McKennie is a key part of Juventus as well BELOW: Alphonso Davies in action for Canada

FEDERICO CHIESAMILAN BORJAN Fresh from helping Italy win the European Championship the 23-year-old will be This World Cup Qualifi cation cycle was hoping to continue the explosive form he marked byduring some the incredible performances displayed tournament.

Forming from across alldevastating eight sides.front-three Here is the a potentially best also XI from the region as selected which includes Cristiano Ronaldoby and 360 Magazine reporter PauloSoccer Dybala, it will be interesting to see Sean Maslin. if coach Max Allegri takes the shackles off his attacking players.

GOALKEEPER Milan BorjanGIROUD (Canada) OLIVIER The France World Cup Winner has finally arrived in SerieDEFENDERS A having been linked with Ronald Rica), a move to theMatarrita peninsula(Costa for years and will Walker (United States), now teamZimmerman up with fellow veteran striker Moreno (Mexico), andtasked ZlatanHector Ibrahimovic.

Giroud will be Alistair Johnson (Canada) with providing the firepower and linkup play for the Rossoneri to compete in both MIDFIELDERS the Champions League and Serie A. Weston McKennie (United States), Michail Antonio (Jamaica), DENZEL DUMFRIES Christian Pulisic (United States), Wing back Dumfries showcased the full Herrera (Mexico) array ofHector his skills during the summer’s European Championship despite FORWARDS the Netherlands crashing out of the Cyle to Larin and tournament the(Canada) Czech Republic.

The Jonathan David 25-year-old scored twice(Canada) and looks ready to fill the gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s RESERVES departure to PSG. Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico), Kendall Waston (Costa Rica), VICTOR OSIMHEN Anibalstriker Godoyhad (Panama), The Nigerian a bit of a start Brendan stop seasonAaronson last term.(United DespiteStates), suffering Tylerand Adams (United States), injuries missing games through Tajon Buchanan (Canada), Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough Jimenez promise Raul to make him a(Mexico) real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve TYLER ADAMS on his 10 goals from last year.

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QATAR WORLD CUP 2022

FANS WERE GREETED WITH THREE MATCHES IN A TEN DAY SPAN. 8.) JONATHAN DAVID AND CYLE LARIN LIKE TO SCORE. A LOT. For Canada to advance, they were going to have to find some consistent goalscorers. While the side has had many notable goalscorers through the years, they have always lacked that finishing touch in the key moments. After years of scouting and development, they found two in this window in David and Larin. Of the two, Larin is perhaps the biggest surprise story.

After a rocky start at Besiktas, the former Orlando City SC striker found his form through the National Team, scoring 13 goals during qualification. David, meanwhile has been on a tear for both club and country, scoring 9 goals for Canada and 13 for Lille.

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7.) SNOW QUALIFIERS ARE GREAT… One of the biggest moments of World Cup Qualification was the Canada-Mexico match in Edmonton, Alberta. Taking place during a snowstorm in November, the match at the time was the biggest in Canadian men’s soccer for quite some time. The rowdy Edmonton crowd made the match downright difficult for El Tri. Larin’s brace and subsequent snow angel will live in the minds of Canadian soccer fans for generations.

6.)...BUT PLAYING IN SUBARCTIC TEMPERATURES PROBABLY ISN’T A GREAT IDEA This World Cup Qualification cycle was unique in that as opposed to the typical ‘two games per international window’ fans were greeted with three matches in a ten day span. That condensed schedule caused matches to be played in late November, January, and February.

That led to some rather frigid games in the single digits, including a USA-Honudras match in Minnesota that was in the single digits.

While this isn’t the first time that a CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier was played in miserable temperatures, that multiple players suffered from frostbite showed how dangerous the match truly was. CONCACAF has to put a stop to the weather shenanigans or someone might get hurt.

ABOVE: Canada's starting eleven in Orlando, on March 25th, 2022 RIGHT: The Qualifier between Canada and Mexico was played with alot of snow, and alot of cold fans LEFT: Cyle Larin has been scoring alot of goals for Canada for quite some time now

5.) NEVER COUNT OUT THE TICAS About midway through the Qualification window, it looked like Costa Rica might be done.

The generation of Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz, Celso Borges, and Joel Campbell had led the side for so many years to the highest of highs, but in a region that was becoming increasingly younger, they seemed to be out of place. But the side won six of their final seven matches to earn the fourth spot and a chance to qualify for Qatar in an intercontinental playoff against New Zealand.

TOP CANADA SERIE A TOPPICKS SCORERS CYLE LARIN

13 GOALS

JONATHAN DAVID

9 GOALS

ALPHONSO DAVIES

5 GOALS

LUCAS CAVALLINI

5 GOALS

TAJON BUCHANAN

3 GOALS

JUNIOR HOILETT

3 GOALS

MARK-ANTHONY KAYE

2 GOALS

ATIBA HUTCHINSON

2 GOALS

JONATHAN DAVID

4.) OCHOA IS STILL EL TRI’S BEST GOALKEEPER At the start of this World Cup Qualification cycle, many in the Mexican press were asking if Guillermo Ochoa was perhaps past his prime and it was time for Tata Martino to look elsewhere. Shaky performances against the United States and Canada in November that both resulted in losses certainly didn’t do him any favors. But the 36 year old goalkeeper turned things around in 2022, earning six clean sheets and helping El Tri secure their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance.

3.) THAT CHRISTIAN PULISIC IS THE USMNT’S MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER One of the misconceptions about football is that a team’s most important player is always their best player. Christian Pulisic is a perfect example of this. While Pulisic started the Qualification cycle as the United States Men’s National Team’s wonderkid, over the last two years the US have been blessed with many more young talented players than the Chelsea midfielder. But when it came down to it, time and time again the 22 year old was asked to stand up and deliver for his country. Whether it was the goal off of the bench against Mexico in November or the hat trick against Panama, Pulisic showed that when it came to the big moments he was ready.

ABOVE: Ochoa has been Mexico's ace through many different World Cup qualifications ABOVE (SMALL): Mexico celebrate after winning a match during qualifiers BELOW: Tajon Buchanan is a young gun that will prove vital to Canada's success

2.) THE REGION IS GETTING YOUNGER Outside of Costa Rica and a bit of Mexico, this qualification cycle was marked by the emergence of young, exciting new talent across the region. While Canada (Larin, David, Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan) and the United States (Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Giovanni Reyna, Brendan Aaronson) will get the most publicity players such as Leon Bailey (Jamaica), Diego Lainez (Mexico) and Alex Roldan (El Salvador) all emerged as leaders of their sides during a wild six months.

1) IT TAKES A LOT TO UNDO BAD Performances…But It Is That Much Sweeter To qualify for this year’s World Cup, both Canada and the United States had to confront some old ghosts and figure out who they were.

That is much easier said than done. For Canada, it was erasing thirty years of stops and starts, heartache, and rocky performances (especially on the road). As for the U.S., their demons were much more recent. The 2018 performance, or lack thereof, shook the game to its core and forced a complete overhaul of the roster and in U.S. Soccer. Neither team was guaranteed a spot in Qatar 2022 and both had a few nervy moments (moreso the United States) but in the end they both made it. Now the fun part begins.

THIS QUALIFICATION CYCLE WAS MARKED BY THE EMERGENCE OF YOUNG, EXCITING NEW TALENT ACROSS THE REGION

TOPUSA SERIE A TOPPICKS SCORERS CHRISTIAN PULISIC

5 GOALS

RICARDO PEPI

3 GOALS

ANTONEE ROBINSON

2 GOALS

BRENDEN AARONSON

2 GOALS

WESTON MCKENNIE

2 GOALS

WALKER ZIMMERMAN

1 GOALS

TIMOTHY WEAH

1 GOALS

SERGINO DEST

1 GOALS

RICARDO PEPI

TOP CONCACAF SERIE A FINAL PICKS TABLE CANADA

8 WINS

28 POINTS

MEXICO

8 WINS

28 POINTS

USA

7 WINS

25 POINTS

COSTA RICA

7 WINS

25 POINTS

PANAMA

6 WINS

21 POINTS

JAMAICA

2 WINS

11 POINTS

EL SALVADOR

2 WINS

10 POINTS

HONDURAS

0 WINS

4 POINTS

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

AS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REACHES THE SEMI-FINAL STAGE, DAN ROBERTS WEIGHS UP THE CHANCES OF THE FOUR REMAINING CLUBS

ENGLAND & SPAIN

dominance KARIM BENZEMA’S GOALS HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN REAL MADRID'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RUN

AA

fter 120 games, the Champions League has come down to two ties pitting England against Spain.

The football hotbeds of Manchester, Liverpool and Madrid are joined by a relative minnow in the form of Villarreal. But all four sides left in the competition will believe that they have what it takes to play three more games and lift the most iconic of trophies.

Manchester City will get a chance to beat the most decorated club in the tournament’s history when they take on Real Madrid, while Liverpool will have to deal with a Villarreal team that has already upset the supposed natural order of things by dumping Juventus and Bayern Munich out of the competition.

Pep Guardiola will return to face another Madrid team in the last four, but not before Manchester City host Real at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg. It goes without saying that a good result for the Premier League club is vital there, but Guardiola certainly has the players capable of hurting the La Liga champions-elect.

Real Madrid have looked very impressive going forward, with the pace of Vinícius Júnior supplying the seemingly timeless Karim Benzema with the opportunities to accentuate his goal-scoring legend status. It is a mixture of youth and experience that has worked for them so far, although whether City will give

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LEFT: Benzema about to walk out of the tunnel during a Champions League game BELOW: Benzema celebrating one of his many goals this Champions League tournament.

2022

‘UNAI EMERY'S VILLARREAL QUICKLY BECAME THE SURPRISE OF THE TOURNAMENT ’

DATES TO KNOW

SEMI FINALS: April 26 - May 4 FINALS: May 28

EUROPA LEAGUE SUPREMACY

Dan Roberts looks at the last four of the Europa League and how that competition is shaping up

SEMI FINALS: April 28 - May 5 FINALS: May 18

SEMI FINALS: April 28 - May 5 FINALS: May 25

ABOVE: Unai Emery’s tactical wizardry has inspired Villarreal’s unexpected run to the last four TOP RIGHT: Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Barcelona to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League

the older heads a chance to breathe remains to be seen. After three consecutive seasons departing the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, City managed to make it all the way to the big showpiece last year before losing to the familiar foes of Chelsea.

Guardiola, the players, the fans and - above all - the club’s wealthy owners, will not want to go through all that pain to finish runners up again.

In the other semi-final Liverpool have been treated to what, on paper, looks like the kindest draw. After a potentially tricky group stage - and a round of 16 tie against Inter Jurgen Klopp’s side dealt with Benfica without too much trouble and now get to face the latest neutrals’ favourite, Villarreal.

Klopp was able to rest the majority of his usual starting XI for the second leg at Anfield after a convincing 3-1 victory in the first leg in Lisbon the week before. With Liverpool gunning for trophies on multiple fronts, some downtime for the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mané was much appreciated. But now Liverpool will need to be wary of Villarreal and the tactical genius of Unai Emery.

This season’s Europa League continues to enthral, with some big names exiting the competition at the quarter-final stage. After rejuvenating Barcelona’s dreams of success this year, Xavi was unable to oversee a predicted second leg victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Camp Nou. Thousands of German fans had descended on the Catalan city for the game and cheered their side on to a win that sets the Bundesliga club against West Ham United in the semi-final.

That fixture will be a repeat of the last time West Ham made it to the last four of a European competition. The Hammers went on to lose to Anderlecht in the 1976 European Cup Winners’ Cup but will now be one of the favourites to win the Europa League this year after dumping Lyon out.

The other semi-final will be played between Red Bull Leipzig and Rangers. Leipzig are aiming to become the ninth club to go and win the Europa League after transferring in from a third-placed finish in the Champions League group stage. There has not always seemed the appetite for this competition shown by sides that have dropped down, but the Bundesliga team have now beaten Real Sociedad and Atalanta to reach the final four.

Rangers kept the hope of an all United Kingdom final alive by eventually overcoming Braga in Glasgow. This was the only quarter-final that went to extra time but the Portuguese team were reduced to nine men by the end and narrowly lost out on a semi-final berth.

The two semi-finals look set to be just as exciting as what has gone before, with some battling UK teams facing Bundesliga opposition. An all-German final is also a distinct possibility, of course - and that hasn’t happened since 1980 when Eintracht Frankfurt last won the trophy against Borussia Monchengladbach.

RIGHT: Villarreal’s Etienne Capoue (C) in action during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, second leg soccer match Juventus FC vs Villarreal FC BOTTOM RIGHT: FC Barcelona´s Ronald Araujo reacts during the UEFA Europa League quarter final

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

KLOPP’S SIDE DEALT WITH BENFICA WITHOUT TOO MUCH TROUBLE’

ABOVE LEFT: Klopp celebrates with Salah after winning the Round of 16 in this year's Champions League ABOVE RIGHT: Liverpool are aiming to lift the Champions League for a seventh time BOTTOM LEFT: Pep Guardiola is hoping Manchester City can go one better than in 2021 BOTTOM RIGHT: Manchester City celebrates

It is to his credit that Emery doesn’t seem to be bitter about his treatment by the English media after an unsuccessful time in charge of Arsenal. He was only able to lead the Gunners to a Europa League final in his time in London, compared to the haul of trophies he brought in at Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain. Now he has masterminded Villarreal’s journey to the last four for the second time in the club’s history, 16 years on from the first.

The Yellow Submarine only qualified for the Champions League by winning the Europa League last season but edged out Atalanta in the group stage before dispatching European giants Juventus and Bayern in successive knockout rounds. Liverpool and Klopp would do well not to underestimate Villarreal - and especially whatever Emery has up his sleeve in the semi-final.

Even with Liverpool’s supposedly easier route to the final in Paris at the end of May, it is Manchester City who remain the favourites to win the Champions League this season.

Although Real Madrid look like they will win their domestic league - and managed to

come back against both PSG and Chelsea to reach this stage - there is a feeling that Carlo Ancelotti’s side may have reached the end of the European road. Benzema’s goals can only do so much and Manchester City will surely not gift the French striker as many chances as he has been afforded in the two previous rounds.

With both EPL clubs at home in the first leg of the semi-finals, it is tempting to predict that the ties may be all but over by the time everyone leaves for Spain the week after. That will definitely be the aim for both Manchester City and Liverpool, as they look to make it too difficult for Real Madrid and Villarreal.

It isn’t too hard to believe that will happen either, with both the Etihad and Anfield being daunting stadiums to visit at this stage of the competition.

Without the away goals rule to help them, Real Madrid and Villarreal might well look at those away legs as an opportunity to test their relative defensive strengths before counting on their own support at the Bernabéu and El Madrigal respectively to see them over the line and into the final. If anything, it might

2022

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LEADING SCORERS Robert Lewandowski

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

13 GOALS

KARIM BENZEMA

12 GOALS

SEBASTIEN HALLER

11 GOALS

MOHAMED SALAH

8 GOALS

CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU

7 GOALS

LEROY SANE

6 GOALS

KYLIAN MBAPPE

6 GOALS

ARNAUT DANJUMA

6 GOALS

RIYAD MAHREZ

6 GOALS

CRISTIANO RONALDO

6 GOALS

Sebastien Haller

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2022

A NEW LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT

2022

EUROPA LEAGUE LEADING SCORERS

James Tavernier

JAMES TAVERNIER

6 GOALS

KARL TOKO EKAMBI

6 GOALS

GALENO

6 GOALS

PATSON DAKA

5 GOALS

RICARDO HORTA

4 GOALS

MISLAV ORSIC

4 GOALS

MOUSSA DIABY

4 GOALS

BORJA IGLESIAS

4 GOALS

ALEKSANDR SOBOLEV

4 GOALS

ELJIF ELMAS

4 GOALS

2022

CONFERENCE LEAGUE LEADING SCORERS Cyriel Dessers

CYRIEL DESSERS

8 GOALS

TAMMY ABRAHAM

8 GOALS

YIRA SOR

6 GOALS

OLA SOLBAKKEN

6 GOALS

AMAHL PELLEGRINO

5 GOALS

LUIS SINISTERRA

5 GOALS

GAETAN LABORDE

5 GOALS

ARTHUR CABRAL

5 GOALS

PEP BIEL

4 GOALS

ERIK BOTHEIM

4 GOALS

THE WINNER BETWEEN LEICESTER CITY AND ROMA WILL BE FAVOURITES TO WIN THE CONFERENCE LEAGUE be Villarreal who hold the upper hand in that respect, as their smaller stadium might well produce a more febrile atmosphere for Liverpool to deal with.

The ties seem perfectly set up though.

Manchester City may not have conceded many at home this season, but Liverpool have not been as tight at the back at Anfield in Europe. Whereas it is fair to say that both Real Madrid and Villarreal have come as far as they have thanks to their performances on the road, those away wins have usually come in the second leg of their knockout ties, when the need for a victory has been paramount.

Whether the Spanish sides can repeat those achievements when a more defensive display is needed remains to be seen.

Not many thought that English and Spanish clubs would dominate the Champions League this season - with one more side from each league making it to the previous round as well.

With Barcelona taking some time away from the Champions League spotlight, the English media has been fairly disparaging about the quality of La Liga. Manchester City and Liverpool will be hoping that kind of arrogance will not come back to bite them in the coming weeks.

The first ever Europa Conference League has reached the semi-final stage and Dan Roberts points out that there are some familiar faces still in contention

ABOVE: Jose Mourinho reacts during a Conference League match TOP RIGHT: Feyenoord players celebrate making it to the Conference League Semis BELOW: Leicester City head coach Brendan Rodgers attends a press conference BOTTOM RIGHT: Olympique Marseille's players celebrate , as they will be featured in the Semi-Finals of the Conference League

The inaugural Europa Conference League has reached the semi-final stage with all the drama and excitement of a competition designed to give smaller clubs and leagues the opportunity of continental glory. That’s not to say that there are not some very experienced clubs making up the last four.

Two sides parachuted in from Europa League group stage disappointment will take on two original Europa Conference qualifiers for the right to play in the first third tier final for 23 years in Tirana at the end of May. Although all four clubs still left in with a chance have European pedigree, the winners of the semi-final between Leicester City and Roma will probably be installed as the new favourites to lift the trophy. Leicester were able to go to Eindhoven and come away with a very impressive 2-1 victory against PSV to make it through, while Roma slayed a few demons of their own beating Bodø/ Glimt in the Stadio Olimpico.

Jose Mourinho’s side had been humiliated by the Norwegian champions in the group stage of the competition, losing 6-1 away from home and only managing a 2-2 draw at home. But a Nicolò Zanioli hat-trick fired the Giallorossi into the semi-finals and he could be key to any further success.

Feyenoord face Marseille in the other game, with both teams winning their quarter-final second legs to proceed. The Dutch club have been unable to make it further than the group stage in European competition in recent years, so this performance has been something of a blast from the past for the Feyenoord fans.

But they will face stern opposition in the form of Jorge Sampaoli’s Marseille. The French club failed to make it out of a very tricky Europa League group but have looked very good in this competition - and are doing well domestically too.

Therefore, it seems as though all four clubs have a case when it comes to claiming the first ever Europa Conference League title in May.

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2022

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PREMIER LEAGUE

"ANOTHER CLEAR EXAMPLE OF

SPORT WASHING?" ABOVE: Fabian Schar is a key piece to the team's roster LEFT: Fabian Schar (center), assisted

by Newcastle's Dan Burn (L), reacts after scoring the 1-0 lead goal against Tottenham during an English Premier League soccer match

Straits?

E R I D R O , S E O LOCAL HER

WITH VAST SUMS OF MONEY NOW ACCESSIBLE TO NEWCASTLE UNITED, OLI COATES REFLECTS ON THE RECENT TAKEOVER OF THE CLUB.

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2022

ADVENTURES SO FAR AWAY

eE

very time they play at their St James’ Park home, Newcastle United walk out to a tune called Going Home. This is the theme from British film Local Hero, for which Mark Knopfler wrote and produced the soundtrack.

The Dire Straits frontman is a lifelong Newcastle fan, but the question must be asked whether the music icon is still comfortable with his debut solo single still being so closely linked to his local club. For while the takeover of the Magpies

by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was predominantly greeted with unbridled glee on Tyneside, not everyone is quite so overjoyed at what is another perceived attempt at sportswashing.

The unfettered joy among the majority of Newcastle supporters was in no small part down to the fact that Mike Ashley’s toxic 14year reign at the club was finally over. Yet while fans consistently directed their vitriol at the Sports Direct owner and his purported lack of investment, nobody can accuse Ashley of buying Newcastle to cleanse the severely damaged

As Newcastle readjust their goals ahead of the 2022-23 season and set their sights on Europe, Oli Coates recalls the Magpies’ last foray into the Champions League.

ABOVE: Newcastle United’s St James’ Park is now home to the world’s richest football club ABOVE (SMALL): Newcastle's head coach Eddie Howe reacts during the English Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester United BELOW: The Bobby Robson statue outside of St. James Park TOP RIGHT: Iconic Newcastle Coach, Sir Bobby Robson BOTTOM RIGHT: Newcastle's Laurent Robert (C) takes the ball past Juventus' Pavel Nedved (R) while Lilian Thuram (L) runs back during the Champions League Group E match at St. James's Park in Newcastle 23 October 2002

reputation of a country linked to horrific human rights abuses and the murder of a dissident journalist.

The Premier League ratified PIF’s £300m takeover following “legally binding assurances” that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia won’t be in control of Newcastle United - despite the fact that PIF is a sovereign investment fund whose governor is Yasir Al-Rumayyan, a close ally of Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. And that until recently, six of PIF’s other seven board members were government ministers.

Amanda Staveley, who led the consortium that also includes her husband and fellow PCP Capital Partners director Mehrdad Ghodoussi, as well as the Reuben brothers, has said: “Human rights we take very seriously, but our partner is PIF, not the Saudi state. The separation issue has been resolved.

It’s not sportswashing. It’s investment.”

Yet football clubs make for notoriously risky - and often poor - investments for those looking to turn a profit. Especially when clubs are flailing in the Premier League relegation zone and in real danger of dropping down to the far less financially rewarding Championship, as Newcastle were when this takeover was completed.

It’s exactly 10 years since Newcastle United last qualified for Europe. In only their second season back in the Premier League following a year in the Championship, Alan Pardew led the Magpies to a fifth-placed finish in 2011-12.

That brought Europa League football to St James’ Park the following campaign, but you need to go back nearly another decade to find Newcastle’s last foray into the Champions League proper. The Magpies failed to get through the qualifiers in 2003-04, the season after they made it to the second group stage in the main competition.

Iconic manager Sir Bobby Robson guided Newcastle to fourth place in the Premier League in 2001-02. After coming through a qualifier against Zeljeznicar Sarajevo 5-0 on aggregate, the Magpies went on to lose their first three group games of the competition proper.

Newcastle didn’t even score a single goal in losing to Dynamo Kyiv, Feyenoord and Juventus, but then secured a memorable 1-0 home victory over Italian giants Juve on match day four to spark a remarkable revival.

They followed that up with a 2-1 home win against Dynamo, before a last-minute Craig Bellamy winner away to Feyenoord in their final game sent them through to the second group stage.

Newcastle were handed an even tougher draw against Barcelona, Inter and Bayer Leverkusen.

They still made a decent fist of it though and managed to finish third with seven points from their six games, predominantly due to a pair of 3-1 victories over Leverkusen, the second of those featuring an Alan Shearer hat-trick.

The English striker would also grab a brace in their next game, a 2-2 draw against Inter at San Siro, but it wasn’t enough to haul them back into contention for the knockouts. A 2-0 defeat at home to Barcelona in the final match remains Newcastle’s last appearance in the Champions League proper.

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PREMIER LEAGUE

"IT'S NOT

SPORTWASHING, IT'S AN INVESTMENT" The value of investing in a football club often comes with the prestige linked to being involved with one of the biggest and most marketable brands on the planet. For a club like Newcastle, it’s going to take many hundreds of millions to transform the club from relegation fodder to title contenders. Indeed, the outlay will likely have to go well beyond the billion pound mark to turn them into an English superclub.

Manchester City have spent an eye-watering £1.8bn since Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Mansour bought the club in 2008. That astonishing investment has brought 13 major trophies so far, transforming the Citizens from middling also-rans who’d been in the third tier of English football less than a decade before, to a European superpower who reached their first Champions League final last year.

Despite the glory on the pitch, that investment has yielded little in terms of financial returns for the Abu Dhabi United Group. The returns haven’t been about profit but prestige. A route into the Western world via the Premier League’s gilded corridors for a regime long associated with human rights abuses of their own.

Sportswashing, if you will.

Apart from Leicester City’s miraculous triumph in

"IT’S TWO DECADES SINCE NEWCASTLE QUALIFIED FOR THE

ABOVE: Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi front minority stakeholders PCP Capital Partners BOTTOM: Alan Shearer scored a hat-trick in one of Newcastle’s last Champions League games RIGHT: Newcastle Players celebrate a win

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE" 26

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2015-16, every club that has won the Premier League since Mansour bought City has spent more than £1bn from the day of the takeover.

The total number of trophies won by each club correlates directly with their outlay.

The pathway to success is clear; spend as much money as you possibly can. This isn’t always a foolproof method of course. You only have to cast your eye over to Ligue 1 and Paris Saint-Germain to see that.

The French giants have failed to land Europe’s biggest prize, the Champions League, while Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and company also failed to even win the Ligue 1 title last season. Despite adding the likes of Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Achraf Hakimi to their ranks last summer, the Parisians still cannot break their continental curse.

Domestic success should be a near guarantee now for PSG. Chelsea, on the other hand, are far from a sure thing for the Premier League title, but have won the Champions League twice in the last decade.

The Blues’ rise to prominence is based on the £2.1bn spent since Roman Abramovich pitched up in 2003.

Money

FOR NOTHING

"FOOTBALL CLUBS ARE OFTEN

POOR INVESTMENTS"

The Russian’s takeover of the west London club was also a form of sportswashing, protecting the oligarch in the wake of the carve-up of wealth witnessed at the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

There was little by way of intense scrutiny back in 2003, with Abramovich’s reign ended by the UK government’s sanctions following Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine.

Have Chelsea fans ever cared about where their wealth came from? Not on the face of it. The club have enjoyed a period of unprecedented success over the last two decades, while fans took it upon themselves to chant Abramovich’s name during a tribute to Ukraine soon after war broke out and the sanctions on their owner were announced.

This goes a long way to show how warped priorities become not only in football, but also life in general, when the prospect of power and success is dangled in front of people. On the whole, Newcastle’s supporters have decided to turn a blind eye to the off-field controversy in the hope they can see a winning team once

ABOVE: Yasir Al-Rumayyan is governor of the PIF and Newcastle United chairman BELOW: Former owner Mike Ashley TOP RIGHT: Kylian Mbappe and Neymar’s megamoney moves to PSG split apart the European transfer market

more at St James’ Park.

And their club have been doing their utmost behind the scenes to give themselves the best chance of flexing their sizeable newfound muscles in both the short and long term. Others may be attempting to raise the drawbridge and stop Newcastle splashing the cash, but the Magpies are fighting tooth and nail to prevent newer, more stringent spending caps from coming in.

And their club has already shelled out nearly £90m under the new owners, sinking their teeth deep into the transfer market during the January window to ensure they don’t lose their top-flight status in what would’ve been an immediate hammer blow to the new regime.

That appears to have worked. The question now is whether Newcastle are going to be able to continue spending and rise to the top of English and European football.

State ownership is often bemoaned by many in football. Oli Coates takes a look at the reasons why.

Football has always been a money game.

The haves and the have-nots. But never has competition in European football been so intrinsically linked to a club’s bank balance.

The dawn of the Champions League and Premier League era has been heralded for the perceived improvement of the game as a whole, but it’s been to the huge detriment of countless clubs and leagues across the continent too.

The money has poured in, with state ownership causing huge damage to European football and putting even greater distance between the haves and have-nots. For many, the two main culprits are Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

The reason for this is that these two clubs have inflated football’s financial market beyond most people’s wildest imaginations. The Abu Dhabi United Group’s takeover of City in 2008 was a watershed moment for European football, instantly catapulting the Premier League also-rans into a different stratosphere in terms of spending potential.

Three years later, Qatar followed Abu Dhabi into European football, as Qatar Sports Investments purchased Ligue 1 outfit PSG. The ensuing years have been scarcely believable in terms of numbers.

Neymar’s move from Barcelona to Paris in 2017 cost PSG an eye-popping sum just short of £200m, while Kylian Mbappe also came to the Parc des Princes in the same summer, initially on loan but subsequently for a fee almost as vast.

The ripples of distortion caused by those transfers in particular, as well as City’s lavish spending on talents both great and not very good, are still being felt. It cost City £100m to prise Jack Grealish from Aston Villa last summer. The likes of Philippe Coutinho, Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele have all moved for north of £100m too.

Everywhere you look, huge sums are being spent on players. Many clubs have gone bust or are reeling from over-expenditure, including Barcelona who had to let Lionel Messi leave for free last year.

Love or hate them, financial fair play measures are surely the only way to protect football as a whole. Forget that City and PSG are still yet to win the Champions League. Indeed, forget the elite clubs at the top of the game altogether.

There’s much more at stake than that.

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PREMIER LEAGUE

GREAT RETURN STEPHEN DONOVAN REFLECTS ON THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE PREMIER LEAGUE IN 2022 SO FAR

THE GOOD

To the millions of people around the world who watched on in horror at the events at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium on that Saturday in June 2021 when Christian Eriksen suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest on the pitch during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 clash with Finland, it was simply an immense relief that his life was saved. At the time, the idea of the star playmaker even resuming his career seemed rather fanciful, let alone being back performing at the top level within a matter of months.

However, sometimes miracles do happen both in sport and in life, and so the sight of him making his debut for Brentford as a substitute against Newcastle United on February 27 was genuinely uplifting. That momentous day arrived after a long and determined period of recovery, where he successfully proved that he was fit enough and - more importantly - ready to return to competitive action.

Having seen his contract with Inter mutually terminated after Serie A rules prevented him from playing with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, the 30-year-old trained with former clubs Odense BK and Ajax before moving to London to join Brentford at the end of January.

Managed by his fellow Dane Thomas Frank, a week following his debut came Eriksen’s first start for the Bees away to Norwich City. He helped his new team to a crucial victory and from there it’s got better and better, with his first goal back in the Premier League arriving in an incredible 4-1 victory away to Chelsea.

Not only has his quality lifted Brentford to the brink of securing a second successive season of Premier League football, he also announced his return for Denmark by scoring with his very first touch against The Netherlands, and then found the net again on his first game back at Parken, meaning he’s firmly on course to achieve his target of playing at this year’s World Cup.

STORY LINES

‘THE SIGHT OF CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN MAKING HIS DEBUT FOR BRENTFORD WAS GENUINELY UPLIFTING’

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Ralf Rangnick admitted that Manchester United were "humiliated" by rivals Liverpool once again as the manager conceded that the club's longtime rivals are "six years" ahead of the Red Devils. Man Utd were once again battered by Liverpool, as they followed up a 5-0 loss to the Reds earlier this season with a 4-0 defeat at Anfield.

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Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has revealed he had misconceptions about former teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before the Gabon international arrived at Arsenal. The French attacker was signed by the Gunners in 2017 from Lyon, six months before the Aubameyang joined him at the club from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund. The two became good friends at the club later on and Lacazette insists Aubameyang’s social media activities don’t reflect his real personality.

Manchester United have now conceded more goals against Liverpool (74) than against any other opponent in the competition.

THE BAD

A home defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League ensured that it would be a full five years without a trophy for Manchester United. This fact brings with it constant reminders of the club’s gargantuan stature and the £1.3bn they’ve spent on transfers in less than a decade, but what makes it more inexplicable is that not so long ago, even one season without silverware was regarded as a shock as well as a failure.

The era-defining success with Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm now feels like a world away, as the formidable forces of bitter rivals

Liverpool and Manchester City have left United trailing in their wake. Many of the world’s best players still come to Old Trafford and in terms of individual quality, their current squad should be mounting a Premier League title challenge and not being mere also-rans in Europe.

However, the truth is that unlike the clubs they are aiming to compete with, United lack a clear strategy both on and off the pitch.

And this season, it’s been particularly evident that their problems run deep. The arrival of interim boss Ralf Rangnick in December ought to have steadied the ship, but results and performances have

remained underwhelming, often relying on moments of individual brilliance to keep their top four hopes alive. The stats don’t make for pleasant reading either, with regular criticism of their work rate, and inability to score from set-pieces. Elsewhere, key players such as Marcus Rashford and captain Harry Maguire have completely lost their form, and the general sense of unrest around the club is demonstrated by a succession of unwelcome rumours. It all means that whoever takes over from Rangnick may have to oversee a major transformation in order to end their trophy drought.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Brentford's Christian Eriksen in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford FC and Newcastle United

‘MANCHESTER UNITED WILL TRY TO BREAK THEIR 5 YEAR TROPHYLESS DROUGHT’

RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen is presented as a new player of English Premier League soccer club Brentford F.C. TOP: Manchester United have continued to underperform under Ralf Rangnick RIGHT: Bruno Fernandes in action

Liverpool and Manchester United fans held an applause for Cristiano Ronaldo during their Premier League match following the death of the forward’s newborn son.

Chants of “Viva Ronaldo” were heard from the away end at Anfield before the home fans broke out with a rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” after seven minutes - a nod to Ronaldo's shirt number at United.

Ronaldo missed the match to be with his family, having announced that they had lost their son, with partner Georgina Rodriguez also giving birth to a baby girl.

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has revealed that Netflix's hit series 'Top Boy' is his go-to show to watch in his downtime. The former Liverpool captain also explained that he is "fascinated" with the crime genre in general, consuming books and documentaries on the topic. Gerrard outlined his viewing habits in an interview with former Manchester United defender Gary Neville on the Sky Sports program, The Overlap.

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PREMIER LEAGUE THE UGLY

The morning of February 8 brought universal shock and outrage as a sickening video posted to social media showed West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma physically assaulting one of his pet cats. The condemnation of the centre-back’s behaviour has been predictably fierce, with his leading sponsors severing ties with him and the UK’s leading animal charity taking legal action.

While handing Zouma a hefty fine and taking strong disciplinary measures, West Ham stopped short of suspending the Frenchman and have continued to name him in their starting line-up, a decision which has also been roundly criticised. On every single appearance he’s made since, boos from the crowd have accompanied Zouma’s every touch of the ball.

That all began just hours after the video surfaced, when to the total astonishment of many he played in a 1-0 victory at home to

Watford that same night. All eyes were fixed on the former Chelsea man throughout and after the game manager David Moyes spoke of his own disappointment, but defended his decision to start Zouma, claiming that his responsibility was to ‘pick a team that gave me the best chance of winning the game as manager of West Ham’.

Following this, the Hammers have also seen some sponsors end their association with the club, and the backlash came flying in their direction with strongly-worded statements from numerous prominent figures both inside and outside of football, including their own supporters’ trust.

However, that didn’t lead to a change of tack and indeed, the whole affair has placed an unwelcome taint on what has been another excellent season for West Ham on the field.

As for Zouma, whose cats were removed in the wake of the incident and his fine paid to various animal welfare organisations, he faces a severely uphill battle to restore his reputation.

FAR LEFT: Kurt Zouma has continued to play for West Ham despite his actions

‘WEST HAM HAVE BEEN ROUNDLY CRITICISED FOR CONTINUING TO NAME KURT ZOUMA IN THEIR LINE-UP’ Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey says they will soon become a “massive club" on par with Manchester City and PSG following the club's big-money takeover. A Saudi Arabian-led consortium bought the club from Mike Ashley in October and promised to transform the Magpies into a side capable of competing with the Premier League and European elite. The appointment of Eddie Howe as manager and significant investment in players in January has already helped steer the club away from the relegation zone, but Shelvey says this is only the beginning.

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ABOVE: Zouma, injured, gets help from teammates LEFT: Kurt Zouma lifting the Champions League trophy with Chelsea TOP LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Martin Odegaard of Arsenal celebrates scoring BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Martin Odegaard is helping to inspire Arsenal towards the Champions League TOP & BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Norwich City in action against Liverpool

Arsenal youngster Emile Smith Rowe has grabbed attention for his newest tattoo, but perhaps not in the way he would have hoped. The midfielder's latest artwork depicts a lion under a cracked clock with Roman numerals on it. But the 21-year-old's new ink has generated some discussion among fans, as many believe they have spotted an error. At a glance, Smith Rowe's newest tattoo appears to have a mistake in the Roman numerals. The clock has 13 numbers on it rather than 12, plus it has the number four written as IIII instead of the more recognized IV. However, inspiration for the tattoo appears to have come from the cover art from a Nancy Drew point-andclick adventure game, 'Secret of the Old Clock'.

GOING UP

Martin Odegaard arrived at Arsenal with a point to prove after being allowed to leave Real Madrid. It’s taken some time, but he’s now showing everyone why he was tipped for greatness at such a young age, producing a succession of sparkling performances to propel the Gunners towards Champions League qualification.

Mason Mount (20 goals & 21 assists) is one of just two Englishmen to both score 20+ goals and provide 20+ assists for a Premier League side in all competitions since the start of last season alongside Harry Kane.

GOING DOWN

They might always sweep the board in the Championship, but once again the top-flight has proven a bridge too far for Norwich City, as another relegation at the first attempt looms large. Despite the appointment of Dean Smith as manager in November, familiar failings have come back to haunt them.

Mohamed Salah is the first player in Premier League history to score 5 goals against Manchester United in a single season.

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SERIE A

“IT WILL BE UP TO MAX

ALLEGRI

LEFT & ABOVE:: Juve splashed the cash for their new striker

NOW TO DEVELOP A GAME PLAN THAT CAN GET THE

VERY BEST OUT OF

VLAHOVIC.”

Vlahovic F O E S I R E H T

AFTER JUVENTUS SPLASHED THE CASH TO SIGN THE PROLIFIC DUSAN VLAHOVIC FROM FIORENTINA IN JANUARY, CIRO DE BRITA LOOKS AT THE SERBIA INTERNATIONAL’S RISE TO BECOMING ONE OF EUROPE’S MOST FEARED STRIKERS

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c

False

"VLAHOVIC

DAWNS

IS SET TO APPEAR IN THE 2022 WORLD CUP IN QATAR LATER THIS YEAR FOR

Ciro Di Brita picks out five players whose light dimmed after their first seasons in Serie A

SERBIA"

DD

usan Vlahovic was named Serie A’s best young player in 2020-21 and hit the ground running at the start of this season, prompting Juventus to splash the cash to sign the youngster from Fiorentina in January. An impressive start to life in Turin has only helped to cement his emergence as one of Europe’s outstanding strikers, and further enhance his meteoric rise to the top; one which began in relative obscurity.

Vlahovic made his professional debut in February 2016 at the age of 16 for Partizan Belgrade in the Serbian SuperLiga, becoming the youngest debutant in the club’s entire history. His record-breaking first goal arrived a couple of months later, and after being scouted by several top European clubs such as Juventus and Arsenal he signed with Fiorentina on his 18th birthday, making his debut in September 2018.

Vlahovic scored 17 times in Serie A for La Viola in the first half of this season including a hat-trick at home against Spezia at the end of October, establishing himself as the leading scorer in the top-flight and attracting reported interest from

ABOVE: Can Vlahovic lead his country into the World Cup knock-out rounds?

BELOW: El Shaarawy hasn’t built on his first Serie A campaign TOP RIGHT: Roma's Juan Manuel Iturbe reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and Atalanta Bergamo BOTTOM RIGHT: Fiorentina's Krzysztof Piatek celebrates after scoring the 1-0 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match between ACF Fiorentina and Hellas Verona FC

many of Europe’s top clubs.

He also netted three times in the Coppa Italia for his former side before making the move to the Allianz Stadium in the winter transfer window in a deal worth €80m in total, €70m upfront and the rest in performance-related bonuses. Vlahovic will earn €7m a year on a contract that runs until 2026, while his agent reportedly received €11m. This adds to the ever-continuing, controversial long list of massive fees garnered by representatives of footballers. The Juve board will see that as money well spent on someone who scored 21 times last season for a struggling side.

By the end of 2021, the youngster had smashed in his 33rd goal of the calendar year in Serie A making him the only other player born after 2000 besides Erling Haaland to have scored at least 40 goals in Europe’s top-five leagues. The 22-year-old’s goalscoring record clearly interested the Old Lady who swooped in to poach yet another starlet from the Stadio Artemio Franchi to add to the likes of Federico Bernardeschi and Federico Chiesa who made the move in recent years.

For such a massive rivalry between the two clubs there have been several high-profile exoduses from Florence in the past which

JUAN MANUEL ITURBE The Argentine-born Paraguay international scored eight times for Hellas in 2013-2014 while also providing four assists for the newly promoted side, His displays kept the club up and caught the attention of Roma who shelled out €22m to purchase the then 21-year-old.

Unfortunately for the Giallorossi the move never worked out and Iturbe was eventually loaned out to the likes of Bournemouth, Torino, and a couple of clubs in Mexico.

KRZYSZTOF PIATEK In 2018-19 the Poland international became the first player to score in each of his opening seven Serie A games since Gabriel Batistuta.

By January the then 23-year-old had found the back of the net 19 times for Genoa and a €35m transfer to Milan was announced later that month. His time at San Siro was cut short and by the following year, he was in the Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin. The striker is currently back in Italy with Fiorentina where he hopes to reignite his career.

SALVATORE SCHILLACI The hero of the 1990 World Cup when his six goals almost helped Italy to the Final; “Toto” as he is affectionately known joined Juventus in 1989 and scored 21 times in all competitions, helping the Bianconeri to the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup titles. In 1992 he moved to Inter, however injuries cut short his time there and eventually by 1994 he was playing in Japan for Jubilo Iwata.

STEPHAN EL SHAARAWY El Shaarawy burst onto the scene at San Siro in 2011 after a big-money move to Milan from Genoa. The youngster scored 16 times in all competitions during the first half of the 2012-2013 season but never fulfilled that early promise. Currently, he is at Roma where he spends most of his time on the bench.

IGOR PROTTI The long-haired striker shared the Capocannoniere title with Giuseppe Signori in the 1995-96 season after scoring an impressive 24 times for relegated Bari. Lazio came calling the following summer but his time in the capital was unsuccessful and he was released two years later after a loan spell at Napoli.

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SERIE A

“LA VIOLA FANS WILL CERTAINLY MISS THE STRIKER WHO WAS COMPARED TO

GABRIEL BATISTUTA.”

of course has angered the fans at the Franchi.

Arguably, the transfer of Vlahovic to Juve was a shrewd piece of business by President Rocco Commisso as the attacker’s contract with I Gigliati was due to come to an end in 2023 and they could have lost him for free. Sporting director Daniele Prade was reluctant to offer the salary that Vlahovic wanted last season, so contract extension talks broke down and the door was left open for the striker to walk out in January.

La Viola fans will certainly miss the striker that was compared to their former legendary Argentine hitman, Gabriel Batistuta. For this writer, the comparisons with Batigol were not so much for his style of play but for the way he thundered the ball into the net; some of his goals were certainly reminiscent of the ones smacked in by the long-haired number nine.

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ABOVE: The young Serb burst onto the scene with Fiorentina BELOW: Allegri hopes to build a team around Vlahovic RIGHT: Juventus' forward Dusan Vlahovic celebrates after scoring the 1-2 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Empoli FC vs Juventus FC

The Belgrade native made a reasonably good start for Juve as he adjusts to being at a club of their size and stature during a period of relative transition, marking his debut with a goal against Hellas Verona in a 2-0 win before a match-winning brace away to Empoli a few weeks later. He also scored in his Champions League debut, a 1-1 draw at Villarreal in February, however his new side crashed out of the competition after a 3-0 defeat at home in the second leg.

It will be up to Max Allegri now to develop a game plan that can get the very best out of the forward who admittedly seemed isolated and cut adrift in their Derby d’Italia loss at home to Inter at the start of April.

Allegri’s style has been called too negative in the past, so Vlahovic will hope that caution is thrown to the wind, and he gets to lead

Journey A FAMILIAR

Ciro Di Brita looks at five players who have moved along the well-trodden path from Florence to Turin ROBERTO BAGGIO There were riots on the streets with up to 50 people injured after the “Divine Ponytail” left Florence for Juventus in 1990 for a then worldrecord transfer fee of £8m. The rivalry between the clubs was born that day with La Viola fans despairing of the departure of their favourite son, who had spent five years with the club.

FEDERICO BERNARDESCHI Bernardeschi joined Juventus for €40m on a five-year deal in the summer of 2017 after starring for La Viola in the three previous seasons. The golden boy of Italian football has never really fulfilled his early promise and could be set to leave the Allianz Stadium this summer as his contract is set to expire. the line of a side that plays attractive attacking football. On the other hand, it seems unlikely the Juventus Coach will change his pragmatic approach, but moving forward he will hope that Vlahovic’s goals can lead the club to ultimately regaining their former dominance in Italy.

That may also require more consistency in the selection of those around him, as Vlahovic has already started in attack alongside Moise Kean, Alvaro Morata, and the soon to be departed Paulo Dybala since arriving at the club.

Vlahovic is set to appear in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year as Serbia take on Brazil, Switzerland, and Cameroon in the group stage. The Eagles finished unbeaten at the top of their qualifying group ahead of the likes of Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. The Juventus forward has scored seven times in 14 internationals to date, three of which came in qualification. Serbia’s strike force will pose problems for their World Cup rivals as Fulham’s

ABOVE: Roberto Baggio’s move from Fiorentina to Juventus was the beginning of a trend BELOW: Federico Chiesa also moved from Fiorentina to Juventus TOP RIGHT: Juventus’ Federico Bernardeschi jubilates after scoring the 2-0 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match Juventus FC vs Cagliari Calcio BOTTOM RIGHT: Chiellini for Italy during the Euro 2020 tournament.

Aleksandar Mitrovic also scored eight goals in qualifying and could be deployed alongside his younger teammate to form a devastating attack. Before the main event in the winter will be a raft of Nations League Group B games for Vlahovic and Serbia to warm up with against Norway, Sweden, and Slovenia.

Back on the peninsula, however, the Bianconeri will be hoping he can score the goals that will keep his side in the top four and the Champions League qualification places as that Derby d’Italia loss seemingly ended their outside chances of lifting the Scudetto. The Coppa Italia is their only remaining chance of silverware this season, so Juventus will hope that winning that competition could be the launchpad for further progress next term when they will undoubtedly have to rebuild a side around their newly acquired talented striker.

FEDERICO CHIESA The young winger joined the Old Lady in 2020 in a deal that could be worth around €60m after all variables are included. The son of former Parma striker Enrico starred for Italy during their European Championship win and spent four successful seasons at the Stadio Artemio Franchi scoring 34 times in 153 appearances. The 24-year-old is currently on the sidelines after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury that has impacted both Juve and the Azzurri.

FELIPE MELO The Brazilian midfielder spent the 2008-2009 season with La Viola before heading to Turin for a €25m fee after putting in some good performances for the Selecao in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Back then I Gigliati were a Champions League team under Coach Cesare Prandelli, however Fiorentina fans would not have been too upset by the news of his transfer to the Bianconeri.

GIORGIO CHIELLINI The old veteran began his Serie A career with La Viola in 2004-05 season, playing 37 times and scoring three goals as a left-back. Chiellini was signed by Juventus in the summer of 2004 for €6.5m from Livorno but was sold in a co-ownership deal to Fiorentina for €3.5m.

The defender probably wasn’t in Florence long enough for fans to have become too attached.

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SERIE A

STEPHEN KASIEWICZ ASSESSES THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE SERIE A SEASON SO FAR

TITLE ASPIRATIONS THE GOOD

Milan’s greatest domestic and European achievements were built on impregnable backlines with Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta unequivocally considered greats of the modern game.

Fiyako Tomori and Pierre Kalulu may never join such exalted company but the unlikely central defensive partnership has been integral to the Rossoneri’s quest for an elusive Serie A title.

The trophy-laden halcyon days of Milan success in the late 1990s and early 2000s are distant memories yet Tomori and Kalulu resemble something of a throwback to a past era.

England international Tomori, 24, has been a revelation; a combination of old-fashioned toughness, ready to sacrifice his body in the tackle and a tactfully astute distributor with an athletic turn of pace.

Kalulu, 21, began the season on the substitute’s bench as a versatile full-back capable of filling in on either flank but way down the club’s pecking order.

But then, a season ending anterior cruciate ligament knee injury sustained by influential team leader Simon Kjær in December 2021 changed everything.

Kalulu was handed a rare opportunity out of position, at first playing alongside former Italy international Alessio Romagnoli and then Milan youth product Matteo Gabbia before becoming a regular first-team starter.

The young Frenchman, who joined Milan in the summer of 2020 from Lyon, has flourished alongside Tomori; his controlled aggression, timely interceptions and passing range all becoming dependable attributes.

The glaring lack of a prolific forward has not held Milan back as they aim to clinch a first title since the 2010-11 campaign with Kalulu even netting a brilliant curler from distance as the Rossoneri defeated Empoli at San Siro in March.

Alongside French international goalkeeper Mike Maignan and left-back Theo Hernandez, the continued good form of the rock solid Tomori-Kalulu combination will be essential to Milan’s title aspirations.

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‘FIKAYO TOMORI HAS BEEN A REVELATION FOR MILAN

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Inter Milan cult hero Adriano was on the stands for Copa Italia’s semifinal Derby Della Madonnina between Inter and Milan. The Brazilian was invited

by Inter as their guest of honor.

Adriano won four Serie A titles with Inter between 2004 and 2009. He was tipped to be one of the best center-forwards of all time, but his career was derailed by depression following the death of his father.

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Lautaro Martínez has been involved in each of the last three goals scored during the first five minutes of play in the Milan derbies (two goals and one assist).

Ian Wright was impressed by Tammy Abraham’s assist against Napoli and the Roma striker thanked the Arsenal legend on social media. The Giallorossi stretched their unbeaten run to 12 Serie A games following a one-all draw against Napoli at the Stadio Maradona. A late goal from Stephan El Shaarawy allowed the Giallorossi to pick up a point in Naples. The Italy international was inspired by a brilliant assist by Abraham, who was praised on social media by Wright.

THE BAD

The early Champions League exits of Juventus and Inter added weight to the tired narrative that Italian football is still in a period of decline.

No club from Italy advanced beyond the round of 16 in Europe’s most prestigious and lucrative competition for the second year in succession.

The same old clichéd arguments about financial disparity, ground ownership issues and historic match fixing scandals were again copied and pasted by those with scant knowledge of the Italian game.

While the money chasm is an undoubted element in trying to attract the best players

to Serie A, as sovereign wealth funds and billionaires spend recklessly in the English Premier League and at Paris Saint Germain, there was little to separate Inter and Liverpool.

Squad depth aside, an Inter team packed full of seasoned internationals pushed the Anfield club all the way in a first leg settled by a sublime Roberto Firmino header and Mohamed Salah deflection at San Siro. Lautaro Martinez struck a brilliant winner as the Italian champions had Alexis Sánchez sent off in the second leg, losing out 2-1 on aggregate in a fiercely competitive tie.

Juventus remain the only Italian club able to match the continent’s big spenders, but

despite shelling out a total of €80 million to sign star striker Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina in January, they could not find a way past modest Spaniards Villarreal. It took Vlahovic just 33 seconds to score as Juve drew 1-1 in Spain. The return fixture in Turin was an unmitigated disaster as the Bianconeri dominated before falling apart late on, conceding two penalties and three goals in a humiliating home defeat.

Although significant improvements must be made there was enough evidence to show the gap between the best of Serie A and the European elite is far from unassailable.

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Milan’s Fikayo Tomori jubilates after the 1-1 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and FC Inter

‘NO CLUB FROM ITALY HAS ADVANCED BEYOND THE LAST 16 OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN SUCCESSION’

RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): AC Milan’s Pierre Kalulu (L) challenges for the ball against Torino’s Wilfried Stephane Singo ABOVE: Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez jubilates after scoring during the Italian serie A soccer match RIGHT: Trent Alexander-Arnold (R) of Liverpool in action against Lautaro Martinez (L) of Inter during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 FAR RIGHT: Jordan Henderson

Juventus legend Marco Tardelli has joined calls for Alessandro Del Piero to become Juventus president. The legendary number 10 left the club in 2012 when he was not offered a new contract, continuing his playing career at Sydney FC and Delhi Dynamos until retirement in 2015. He had not been back to Allianz Juventus Stadium since that wave goodbye in 2012, until Juve’s recent 1-1 draw with Bologna, given a standing ovation by the crowd.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

Juventus full-back Mattia de Sciglio says he believes more Italian youngsters should move abroad and play in foreign leagues to enrich their experience.

The Italy defender returned to Turin in the summer after a oneyear loan spell at Lyon, where he made 33 appearances last term.

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SERIE A THE UGLY

As clubs across Italy unified to oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine one section of Verona ultras made a repulsive statement which shocked an entire nation.

The often toxic rivalry between Verona and Napoli’s hardcore fans dates back decades, but a group of the Curva Sud Verona ultras set a new low with a gesture of stunning insensitivity prior to a meeting between the two clubs.

A strategically placed banner was hung outside the Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium featuring Russian and Ukrainian flags with the coordinates of the city of Napoli underneath.

The blatant implication that Russia should make the southern city of Napoli their next military target triggered a tidal wave of outrage from every facet of Italian society, from opposition clubs, coaches, supporters, and politicians.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio called the banner ‘sickening’ and ‘shameful’ and questioned whether those responsible could

FAR LEFT: Luciano Spalletti, coach of Napoli, was disgusted with the banner, among others

‘THE GAP BETWEEN THE BEST OF SERIE A AND THE EUROPEAN ELITE IS FAR FROM UNASSAILABLE’

Atalanta have lost six games in the second half of the season for the first time since 2015/16 (under Edoardo Reja): this is the first time in the Gasperini era.

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even be considered football fans. Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti denounced the perpetrators and said they should be removed from the stadium.

Verona had launched an appeal for donations to help those affected by the war in Ukraine, but the club’s admirable efforts were overshadowed by further repulsive behaviour from the stands.

An already depressing situation was exacerbated during the match. Verona ultras continually used discriminatory language to denigrate Napoli and the south of Italy. If that was not bad enough, they also repeatedly racially abused defender Kalidou Koulibaly and striker Victor Osimhen, who scored both goals, as the Partenopei claimed a 2-1 away victory.

The Italian league authorities issued token fines and ordered the partial closure of the Bentegodi stadium for one match. Yet the leniency of the punishment was unlikely to function as a deterrent for a misguided ultra group whose abhorrent conduct provoked revulsion and disgust throughout Italy & beyond.

ABOVE: Verona’s ultras provoked disgust with a shameful banner against Napoli LEFT: The rivalry between Napoli and Verona goes back for decades TOP & BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Tammy Abraham has enjoyed a recordbreaking first season with Roma TOP & BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Paulo Dybala is leaving Juventus in the summer after seven years

For the 14th time in their history, Inter and AC Milan faced each other four times in a single season (this is the first since 2004/05) - in seven of the previous 13, the Rossoneri had remained unbeaten in all four seasonal matches.

GOING UP

Roma forward Tammy Abraham set a new record for goals in a debut season at the Giallorossi in a spectacular first campaign in Italy. The former Chelsea attacker surpassed legendary strikers Gabriel Batistuta and Vincenzo Montella after netting a double in Roma’s three-goal derby win against Lazio at Stadio Olimpico.

GOING DOWN

Injury-plagued Paulo Dybala will leave Juventus at the end of the season after new contract talks broke down. It’s a sad end for the 28-year-old Argentinian forward, who will depart the Bianconeri upon the completion of his seventh term in Turin as doubts emerged about his form and fitness in the last year.

‘TAMMY ABRAHAM SET A NEW RECORD FOR GOALS IN A DEBUT SEASON AT ROMA’ Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic received a visit fom his wife in the hospital room where he is undergoing treatment for leukemia and gave an update to fans. The tacticfian had originally been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in July 2019 and made a full recovery after treatment including a bone marrow transplant. The illness came back earlier this year and Mihajlovic returned to the hospital, but has not stopped working, maintaining contact with his staff and the Bologna squad via video calls.

Stephan El Shaarawy has scored all his 3 goals in this campaign from the 90th minute onwards; he has netted the most goals (3) in this period of play in the Serie A 21/22.

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LA LIGA

"AUBAMEYANG HAS ENJOYED AN INSTANT REVIVAL

UNDER XAVI"

MAIN: Aubameyang made a perfect start to life at Barcelona LEFT(SMALL): Aubameyang celebrates with a flip

Auba ON FIRE

BARCA’S MOVE FOR PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG CAME FROM NOWHERE, FEARGAL BRENNAN ASKS IF HE IS XAVI’S MISSING JIGSAW PIECE?

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Chaos TO CALM?

‘AUBAMEYANG’S ROLE ON THE

LEFT OF A FRONT THREE SEEMS TO HAVE REIGNITED HIS BEST FORM’

BB

arcelona pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the January transfer window, as new boss Xavi made a bold move for Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The veteran striker had seen his relationship with Mikel Arteta completely deteriorate at the back end of 2021, after being stripped of the captaincy by the Basque coach for returning late from an authorised trip to France.

Arteta’s hard-line approach towards his star man saw him removed from the first team and it was initially greeted with a mixed response from Gunners fans as they pushed for a return to the Premier League elite. However, a positive season in North London bought Arteta some extra credit over the situation with supporters begrudgingly accepting the Spaniard’s call was the right one, despite Aubameyang’s talents in front of goal. Having been one of Arsene Wenger’s final signings for Arsenal back in 2018, Aubameyang went on to find the net 92 times in 163 appearances in all competitions before his move to Barca.

‘BARCA HAVE RECOVERED SOME SENSE OF FINANCIAL STABILITY, BUT THINGS ARE STILL

ABOVE: FC Barcelona's PierreEmerick Aubameyang (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring the 4-0 lead during 'El Clasico', BELOW: Joan Laporta, President: Barcelona have taken the first small steps towards restoring financial stability TOP RIGHT: Messi was the biggest loss in the mess at Barcelona BOTTOM RIGHT: Josep Bartomeu, former Barcelona President, is being blamed for the financial mess by current President, Joan Laporta

His start to life in Catalonia was tinged with further controversy, as Arsenal agreed to tear up his ongoing contract, and pay off the final six months of his deal. That move allowed financially hamstrung Barcelona to sign him as a free agent without the need for a transfer fee. But with the dust finally settled over his acrimonious departure from English football, Aubameyang has enjoyed an instant revival under Xavi.

Arteta’s decision was never based on footballing reasons, with the proAubameyang camp claiming Arsenal boss was blinded by his disciplinarian mentality over the Gabonese international, in relation to persistent breaches of club discipline.

However, with a talented young squad under his management, Arteta had to be seen to be sticking to his word and maintaining a united front over the issue.

Aubameyang has fired back, claiming Arteta was the sole reason for his decision to leave, and subsequently accept Barcelona’s offer, with Xavi now the clear beneficiary.

Aubameyang’s early form at the Camp Nou has ramped up the pressure on Arteta, starting with nine goals in his first nine games to inspire their recent resurgence under Xavi, including a hat trick against

Feargal Brennan looks at Barcelona’s 12 months of financial hell in 2021/22 The eventual departure of Lionel Messi ahead of the 2021/22 season unmasked over a decade of deep-rooted financial mismanagement behind the scenes at Barcelona.

Barcelona’s inability to register Messi’s extension - even with a 50% wage drop for their iconic captain - would have broken La Liga rules due to their awfully bloated wage bill, if Messi signed.

Despite a rush to offload big earning squad players, the dye was cast, and Messi brought down the curtain on his incredible, era-defining Barcelona career.

The following civil war saw new president Joan Laporta firmly lay the blame with his predecessor Josep Bartomeu, as he claimed the club needed a total financial overhaul. Senior stars followed Messi’s initial lead by agreeing to salary cuts, to balance the books, and bring Barcelona’s operating revenue back into the black.

With Messi’s exit finally confirmed, Barcelona were able to register their summer free transfers, with staggered announcements on Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia due to a budget tightrope being walked.

The club has recovered some sense of financial stability, but their moves in the January window demonstrate how complex and broken things still are, with transfer listed Samuel Umtiti offered a new contract, on reduced terms, to complete their swoop for Ferran Torres from Manchester City.

BROKEN’

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LA LIGA

'AUBAMEYANG HAD SEEN HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MIKEL

ARTETA

COMPLETELY

DETERIORATE AT THE BACK END OF 2021’

Valencia and a brace in Barcelona’s infamous 4-0 El Clasico win away at champions elect Real Madrid in March. A portion of Aubameyang’s return to form is built on still having a point to prove to Arteta, with Xavi carefully rebuilding his confidence, by reminding the world the former Borussia Dortmund speedster is still a world class operator.

Critics of Arteta have claimed Xavi has made Aubameyang ‘feel loved’ again in Spain, and while there is some truth in this, his situation was only moving in one direction at Arsenal. His career was stuck in neutral, with Arteta sticking to his guns, and a textbook ‘confidence player’ being left to spin his wheels on the sidelines. A sensation of ‘feeling wanted/loved’ has played a positive role for Aubameyang but he is simply showing his 2020 zip and joy at playing football regularly again.

Xavi has also tasked him with the mantle of being the elder statesman in his attack, alongside fellow January signing Ferran Torres and loan arrival Adama Traore. Xavi is still assessing the picture within his new squad and his summer will be spent making decisions on

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ABOVE: Arsenal’s head coach Mikel Arteta (R) and his player PierreEmerick Aubameyang (L) celebrate with the trophy after the 2020 English FA Cup final TOP RIGHT: Aubameyang’s fallout with Mikel Arteta led to his departure from Arsenal RIGHT: Xavi has helped reignite Aubameyang’s best scoring form BELOW: Aubameyang’s future role at Barcelona could be determined

by Ansu Fati’s recovery

how to marry his experienced heads with a glittering class of stars emerging from La Masia. Aubameyang’s role on the left of a front three seems to have reignited his best Arsenal form, easing past defenders and scoring goals, with Thierry Henry comparisons appearing to regather more weight.

The main question over what is next for Xavi and Aubameyang rests within both his contract situation and his remaining years at the highest level. His current contract runs until the end of the 2024-25 season but Barcelona’s decision to include a ‘safety net clause’ allowing them to break his deal in 2023, at no cost, shows their tentative feeling towards long term expectations in regards to Aubameyang.

If the situation remains positive, both parties look set for a fruitful 12 months at least with Xavi confident of launching a title challenge right from the first kick in 2022-23.

Aubameyang still has a 20-plus goal season in his locker, but he is perhaps unlikely to have more than one, given the fact he will

Fall Out BOYS

After Aubameyang’s positive start at Barcelona, Feargal Brennan looks into other stars who have headed for La Liga after ending on bad terms with a former boss.

DAVID BECKHAM - MANCHESTER UNITED TO REAL MADRID Former England captain Beckham joined Los Blancos in 2003 after finding himself on the wrong end of a stray boot kicked in his direction by Sir Alex Ferguson in the United dressing room. Beckham’s class eventually shone through in Madrid with a 2007 La Liga title for the Galactico star.

‘FIGO’S

DECISION TO CROSS THE EL CLASICO DIVIDE MADE HIM PUBLIC ENEMY NO.1 IN

RUUD VAN NISTELROOY - MANCHESTER UNITED TO REAL MADRID Van Nistelrooy followed Beckham’s path in the summer of 2006 after a falling out with Ferguson effectively ended his Old Trafford career. Two league titles in Madrid, and the La Liga Golden Boot in 2006-07, gives him an edge on Beckham as another ‘one that got away’ under the legendary Old Trafford boss.

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR - MANCHESTER CITY TO REAL MADRID Adebayor’s most infamous fall out came during his time with Arsenal earlier in his career, but there was a real sense of his time at the Etihad Stadium being more than up as he joined Real Madrid in 2011 after finding himself out of favour under then-City manager Roberto Mancini.

BARCELONA’

turn 35 next summer. Xavi is only likely to keep one of Ousmane Dembele or Traore ahead of the new campaign with one slot in his attack occupied by the remaining player. The club has high hopes of turning Torres into the world class star which Manchester City fans only caught glimpses of with the return of Ansu Fati also having a major impact on Aubameyang’s future.

Fati’s battles against injury have significantly set his career back in the last 12 months, with the Spanish international starlet struggling to stay fit enough to force his way back in Xavi’s plans.

Concerns over when he will be back, and crucially, if he will be the same electric goal machine as before, are causing some

ABOVE: Real Madrid's Portuguese mieldfielder Luis Figo, in February of 2004 BELOW: Ruud van Nistelrooy moved to La Liga after falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson BOTTOM RIGHT: David Behkam for Real Madrid

awkward conversations at the Camp Nou. If Fati returns to full power this summer, Aubameyang could find himself as the odd one out for Xavi, but the reality could be more logical.

The break clause was inserted to guard Barcelona against an expensive mistake in the transfer market, but also with Fati’s recovery in mind. If Fati needs a season to fully reset his role in the squad, an in-form Aubameyang offers a perfect rotation option, plus the opportunity to cut ties in 2023, with Xavi’s Plan A in full effect, and Aubameyang enjoying a positive end to his professional career.

LUIS FIGO – BARCELONA TO REAL MADRID Figo did not openly fall out with Louis van Gaal at Barca, but his decision to cross the El Clasico divide in one of Europe’s most sensational transfers for a world record transfer fee at the time, made him public enemy No.1 with the La Blaugrana fans back in 2000.

DIEGO COSTA – CHELSEA TO ATLETICO MADRID Spanish international Costa made no secret of his desire to return to Atletico in 2017 with his infamous videos of partying in Brazil sending a message to Antonio Conte of his intention to leave the Blues.

Conte then responded by texting Costa to say he was no longer in their first-team plans.

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LA LIGA

FEARGAL BRENNAN ASSESSES THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE LA LIGA SEASON SO FAR

RECOGNIZABLE THE GOOD

Game really does recognize game when it comes to Barcelona FC and the return of club legend Xavi to the Camp Nou has fitted like a hand in a glove in 2022.

Despite the old cliches surrounding his decision to head back to Catalonia, the former La Blaugrana boss is looking forwards, and not backwards, as he aims to bring the club back to the top table.

The club’s policy of hiring former iconic players as managers has generally yielded success (minus his predecessor Ronald Koeman) with Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola all dominating by adopting the ‘Barcelona Way’.

While Xavi has not abandoned the club’s incredible history, and famed talent production line, the 42-year-old has addressed the elephant in the room with an unshakable honesty.

Lionel Messi’s exit in August 2021 unmasked their inherent reliance on the Argentinian

superstar as the club appeared to be dropping into mid-table based on one departure.

Resting on their laurels would not do for Xavi as he sensed an opportunity to completely flip the script and create his version of Barcelona 2.0.

La Masia, which produced Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba as the spine of Guardiola’s all conquering team, has restarted in recent seasons, and Xavi is the ideal candidate to mould the next generation.

The crucial change comes in an upgrading of tiki-taka to meet the demands of elite football in 2022, with higher pressing on opponents and less focus on possessional dominance.

Teenage starlet Pedri is the best example of this in 2022, after returning from injury to boss Xavi’s midfield.

Xavi never misses an opportunity to shower the Canarian metronome with praise but his remodelling of him could turn the 19-year-old into a Barcelona all-time great in the coming years.

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‘XAVI IS DETERMINED TO CREATE HIS VERSION OF BARCELONA 2.0’

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Joaquin Sanchez has suffered his 200th defeat in La Liga 596 matches - W240 D156), the first player to reach this milestone in the history of the competition (Jose Ramon Esnaola-178 losses).

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A Barcelona supporters' group boycotted the team's game against Cadiz in La Liga because of their Europa League loss against Eintracht Frankfurt. The Grada d’Animacio announced the action as they hit out at the club for allowing around 30,000 Eintracht Frankfurt fans into Camp Nou as the Spanish side lost 3-2 at home to go crashing out of the tournament.

Valencia have only attempted five shots in their game against Villarreal, their lowest tally in a single LaLiga away game this season.

THE BAD

Madrileño and Catalan dominance of the La Liga title has been a common theme for decades within Spanish football and despite initial hints at a fresh outside challenge, 2022 looks set to follow the same pattern at the top of the pile.

The Top Three has included a combination of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in every season since 2012 with a vague scattering of Valencia, Villarreal, Sevilla and Deportivo La Coruna all looking to land a punch since 2000. Indeed, Valencia’s triumph under Rafael Benitez back in 2004 was the last

time a club other than the current Top Three lifted the La Liga title.

With Barcelona struggling in the post-Messi era, and Atletico’s title defence effectively over by the end of 2021, there was a yawning gap to challenge Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in the second half of the campaign.

Andalucian pair Real Betis and Sevilla have traditionally played the role of ending the calendar year like a lion but reaching March with their roar firmly tamed.

That has proven to be the case yet again in recent months, with the pressure of keeping up the pace proving too much for both sides,

despite the experience of Julen Lopetegui and Manuel Pellegrini on the bench as the going got tough.

Ancelotti’s measured light touch has eased Los Blancos clear in the title race and the reigniting of Atletico and Barcelona as traditional powers has killed off any chance of an outside title tilt from a dark horse.

The stubborn cynicism surrounding a changing of the guard in La Liga continues to be proven correct, with Xavi’s return only reinforcing Barcelona’s hand, and the chances of a potential new kingpin in Spain are further away than ever ahead of the 2022/23 season.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Xavi smiling at a press conference RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Xavi is determined to change things at the Camp Nou ABOVE: Atletico Madrid has been rising again RIGHT: Real Madrid has also been rising.

FAR RIGHT: Barcelona has sealed the three way title race again

Isco has hit back at a fan's suggestion he has been leaking Real Madrid's starting XI to the media. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has been releasing his starting XI two hours ahead of recent matches, earlier than the usual confirmation. It has been reported Ancelotti's reason for doing so is because he is aware of a "mole" in the Madrid dressing room who has been providing a Spanish radio station with the team news.

‘CYNICISM AROUND THE CLOSED SHOP OF THE LA LIGA TITLE RACE CONTINUES TO BE PROVEN RIGHT’ Gerard Pique's part in securing the deal to take the Supercopa de Espana to Saudi Arabia has been revealed after leaked audio disclosed the Barcelona star in discussion with Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales over financial details.

The governing body broke with tradition in 2019 to announce an expansion of the traditional Super Cup format, set to be played in Jeddah. Now though, leaked audio obtained by El Confidential has shed light on the part Pique's company Kosmos played in convincing the RFEF to make the move, outlining discussions over how much would be needed to convince teams such as Real Madrid to take part abroad.

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LA LIGA THE UGLY

Real Madrid’s march to the La Liga title has not been all plain sailing in 2022 for Carlo Ancelotti with Los Blancos grateful for the points they already have in the bank in domestic action from early in the season.

An early Copa del Rey exit, at the hands of Athletic Club, was compounded by a 4-0 El Clasico humbling at home to Xavi’s revitalised Barcelona in March.

However, as Ancelotti’s charges have found themselves forced to fight for points, rather than cruise on to wins, they have caused a negative tailspin over coverage.

Their 2-1 win away at Celta Vigo was dominated by controversy on the night in Galicia as the visitors were awarded three penalties inside a crazy 90 minutes of action.

Karim Benzema converted two spot kicks either side of being denied by Matias Dituro - but the post-game atmosphere was toxic,

‘REAL BETIS AND SEVILLA TEND TO END THE CALENDAR YEAR LIKE A LION BUT BEGIN MARCH FIRMLY TAMED’ Barcelona coach Xavi says Real Madrid do not have the same pressure to play well in every game that his side have. Madrid progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League despite an unconvincing performance in the second leg of their last-eight clash with Chelsea. Xavi feels his side have an obligation to win in style, whereas their rivals can scrape through matches.

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as Celta captain Iago Aspas accused referee Pablo Gonzalez of fixing the result in Real Madrid’s favour.

Aspas was left incensed after the game claiming “all Gonzalez needed to do was award a fourth penalty and take it himself”.

Rivals railing against Real Madrid is nothing new in Spanish football, as despite having supporters dotted all across the country, they remain symbolic of superiority and a rigged system.

Ancelotti brushed off Aspas’ anger, with his trademark indifference to controversy, but the incident left a sour taste on social media, with the other 18 sides offering a collective shoulder shrug in support of Celta.

Pro-Real Madrid bias will continue to be the accusation levelled at Ancelotti et al, and while it is ignored by the majority, it maintains a status quo of perceived inequality and protection around a club that’s been described as a ‘state institution’.

FAR LEFT: Despite their progress, Lopetegui’s Sevilla have fallen short again in 2022 ABOVE: Ancelotti’s experience makes him the perfect foil for criticism of Real Madrid LEFT: Pedri’s stock has continued to rise under Xavi with the La Roja set to star for Spain at Qatar 2022 TOP & BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Fernando Llorente and Eibar are ready to come back to La Liga

Sergio Aguero has revealed he is collaborating with Disney Plus and ESPN. The former Manchester City, Barcelona, and Argentina striker retired from playing football in December last year and has been out of action since then.

But he has a new project in the works, as he prepares to enter a new phase by contributing to the Disney+ and Star+ streaming platforms.

DIEGO SIMEONE RATED GOING UP

Basque side Eibar look on course to bounce straight back to the top-flight this summer having shown real grit after being relegated in last place in 2021. The club have gained a growing off-beat fan base in recent years and their return will be a huge boost for the proud locals.

GOING DOWN

As one Basque team comes up, another looks certain to be heading down to the second tier with Alaves’ six-season spell virtually over.

The club have gone through three managers in their attempts to avoid relegation but they look doomed after a campaign where they’ve consistently struggled to score goals.

The Argentine has been coaching in LaLiga for over a decade, here are five things you might not know about El Cholo.

Since Diego Simeone took over Atlético de Madrid’s dugout in 2011, the Argentine has won eight trophies, more than any other manager in the history of Los Rojiblancos. He was, is and always will be a club legend, for what he did as a player and for what he is achieving as a coach. He is one of the most famous tacticians in the world, but there are a few things you might not know about him.

HE FORMED PART OF ATLÉTICO DE MADRID'S HISTORIC DOUBLE Before Simeone was a LaLiga Santander-winning coach of the current warrior-like Atlético de Madrid team, the Argentine was also a fearsome midfielder who lifted many trophies, including a LaLiga Santander and Copa del Rey double with the Rojiblanco outfit in 1995/96. He even scored on the final day of that league season, when Atleti defeated Albacete 2-0 to clinch the title. A mobile, technical and aggressive box-to-box midfielder capable of stopping, starting and finishing moves, Simeone starred for over a decade in LaLiga Santander, first with Sevilla FC and then in two different spells as an Atlético player.

HIS CERTAINTY THAT HE’D PLAY FOR ARGENTINA When he was 17, Simeone was called up to the Argentina U20 team. However, he and another member of the squad, Antonio Mohamed, had the wrong time and arrived late. So, they went to catch a public bus and, since they had no money, Simeone turned to the driver and said: “One day I will be a professional footballer. I will play for Argentina. Remember my name and his too. Don't forget us. We just need a small favour.” The driver drove the two young men a few kilometres, before they ran the remaining distance.

NO DOUBTS WHEN ATLETI MADE THE CALL Simeone didn’t hesitate when the call came in from Atlético de Madrid in December of 2021. After hearing from the Spanish club and putting the phone down, his son Giuliano – now on the books at Atlético de Madrid B – said “So you’re going to be going up against Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?” and then “Doesn’t Radamel Falcao play there?” “Yes” and “yes,” came the replies. With his family as excited as he was, Simeone embarked on this new adventure.

Real Madrid have been lucky in the Champions League this season, says former Italy striker Antonio Cassano, who cannot remember a player who has developed under Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti. Real have beaten PSG and Chelsea in the knockout stages to set up a semi-final clash with Manchester City. It means Ancelotti is now the only coach to have reached Champions League semi-finals in four different decades - but Cassano isn't convinced.

HIS TITLES AND RECORDS On his way to winning eight trophies as a coach – the two LaLiga Santander championships, plus two Europa League titles, two UEFA Super Cups, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup – the Argentine has broken various records. A 2-1 victory over Athletic Club in March 2021 was his 309th in charge of the team and that saw him overtake the legendary Luis Aragonés to become the Atleti coach with the most victories ever.

Furthermore, he is already the man to have been head coach at one LaLiga Santander club for the second-most matchdays in a row. Miguel Muñoz’s 417 league games in a row is the target in this category and Simeone would clinch this record in 2022/23.

HIS ROLE IN ATLETI’S TRANSFORMATION Simeone has put Atleti in the top 10 of UEFA’s club coefficient rankings and kept them there since 2014, something that was unthinkable when he assumed the position. He openly talks about the club’s growth and the year-on-year progress being made off the pitch too, not least with the move from the old Vicente Calderón to the new state-of-the-art Wanda Metropolitano, a transition that was as seamless as it was thanks to Simeone and the way he kept achieving positive results and kept conducting the fans during matches as if they were his orchestra.

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BUNDESLIGA

‘HAALAND’S AGENT WILL DEFINITELY BE STEERING HIS CLIENT TOWARDS THE PREMIER LEAGUE OR

LEFT: Although injuries have kept him out for spells this season, Haaland remains hopeful of making a move to a bigger club this summer

LA LIGA’

Haaland's next move AS THE SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW LOOMS EVER CLOSER, MICHELLE OSEI BONSU CONSIDERS THE POTENTIAL PLACES DORTMUND’S STAR ERLING HAALAND COULD BE PLAYING HIS FOOTBALL NEXT SEASON

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ALSO ON

Their Way? Michelle Osei Bonsu takes a look at five other Bundesliga strikers who could be making a switch this summer

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI BAYERN MUNICH Although it’s hard for some to imagine Robert Lewandowski and Bayern Munich parting ways, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. For starters, the Polish international will be 34 this summer, and time is running out if he wishes to challenge himself outside of Germany, where he’s won everything a player could win at club level. As such, he might opt to try to make a switch, with Barcelona having been bandied about in the press as a potential suitor.

‘LEWANDOWSKI

MAY LOOK FOR A NEW CHALLENGE THIS SUMMER’

EE

very summer transfer window has its fair share of “will he or won’t he?” stories regarding players who might be on the move, and Erling Haaland is, once again, among those that has fans and pundits buzzing. Partially thanks to his vocal agent Mino Raiola stoking the flames as he is well known to do to drive up interest in his clients, but mainly due to his undisputed talent, it is no surprise that the 21-year-old is a target of numerous big clubs across Europe.

That’s despite Haaland struggling with numerous injuries that have kept him out of the Borussia Dortmund side for periods of this season, although he’s still their top marksman in all competitions.

Many reports indicate Haaland has a release clause of €75 million - below his current market value but still a hefty price tag that dramatically limits the number of clubs who could seriously make a bid to add him to their squad.

For example, it immediately rules out the vast majority of teams in Serie A. Although Juventus did spend €100 million on Cristiano Ronaldo

ABOVE: Lewandowski may be transfering this summer, while looking for a new challenge.

BELOW: Andre Silva in action for RB Leipzig BOTTOM RIGHT: Marcus Thuram may be on his way as well

‘THE PORTUGUESE INTERNATIONAL ONLY JUST ARRIVED AT RB LEIPZIG

in 2018, €90 million on Gonzalo Higuain in 2016, and most recently, about €70 million on young Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic, the Bianconeri won’t be among the teams bidding for Haaland’s services, considering they have already signed Vlahovic in 2022.

Inter and AC Milan realistically won’t be throwing their hats in the ring, although the Rossoneri in particular could theoretically benefit from a younger striker considering their current options. However, Milan are still very much a work in progress - as evidenced by their meek showing in the Champions League - and Haaland’s agent will definitely be steering his client towards the Premier League or La Liga, both of which can promise higher salaries (and a larger commission for Raiola as well as his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, who is also one of his representatives).

Some may ask, “What about Ligue 1, specifically Paris Saint-Germain”? Les Parisiens certainly have the cash, as evidenced by their high-profile signings of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in recent times. But buying stars and actually winning big continental prizes are two entirely different things. One can have a team full of superstars, and for instance, PSG’s attack,

ANTHONY MODESTE - FC KÖLN Modeste has played a significant role in keeping his side afloat, but some reports indicate that despite him having a contract until June 2023, the former French under-21 international could be on the move this summer. A big part of this is his salary; he currently makes approximately €3.5 million per annum, and given that he is now 34, the club could be looking to find a way to cut costs.

ANDRE SILVA - RB LEIPZIG The Portuguese international only just arrived at RB Leipzig last July on a fiveyear contract after a highly successful two seasons with Eintracht Frankfurt, so it’s highly unlikely he will be departing so quickly. That hasn’t stopped some from speculating about other clubs closely tracking him, such as Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and even Crystal Palace.

CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU - RB LEIPZIG Nkunku has been even more prolific in front of goal than his Leipzig teammate Silva this season, and has a contract that expires in 2024. Given that he was once on the books at Paris Saint-Germain, Les Parisiens apparently have been mooting the possibility of bringing him back to the Parc des Princes as they desperately try to hang on to Kylian Mbappe beyond this summer.

MARCUS THURAM - BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH Being the son of any football legend certainly is never easy, and Marcus Thuram has had to work harder than most to get himself out from the looming shadow of his father, Lilian. Injuries have seen his once-solid form take a downward turn as he’s struggled to maintain a position in the starting XI at Gladbach, so could his club opt to cut their losses this summer?

LAST JULY’

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BUNDESLIGA

‘THE ARRIVAL OF SOMEONE LIKE HAALAND TO MAN CITY WOULD TAKE AN ALREADY FEARSOME ATTACK TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL’ which now includes none other than seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, is certainly the envy of many observers worldwide. However, getting them to all be in sync is an entirely different proposition, as was shown in their disappointing loss against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Haaland will want to be a major player on whatever team he joins, and it’s hard to see there being any room for him in an already congested PSG line-up.

Meanwhile, although Bayern Munich certainly would be interested in him - after all, die Roten have developed a rather unfortunate reputation for swiping the best talents from their opponents in the Bundesliga - it’s very clear that the Norwegian (and his agent) want his next destination to be outside Germany.

As such, that leaves the Premier League and La Liga, with three teams in particular being touted as the biggest contenders to secure his signature: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester City.

The Spanish giants are always on the hunt for the next big thing, but it’s hard to see Haaland going to either. Why? For starters, Barcelona

have already spent big on upgrading their strike force, namely signing Ferran Torres from Manchester City in January. They also added veteran Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while Ousmane Dembele, who has divided opinion during his time at Camp Nou, appears to have worked his way back into Xavi’s good graces. As such, there doesn’t appear to be room for Haaland - although that would not stop the Blaugrana from possibly making a move, albeit their finances are not the strongest at the moment. Plus, their capitulation to a heavily unfavoured Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League certainly will have given Haaland much food for thought.

Barcelona’s eternal rivals Real Madrid have been linked with Mbappe, and Haaland’s camp have already put out some noise that he wouldn’t be entirely comfortable with playing alongside the French star. And who can blame him? Mbappe is a World Cup winner and a player tipped to clinch the Ballon d’Or at some point. A frontline of Mbappe and Karim Benzema really doesn’t

ABOVE: Guardiola’s side could become the dominant force in England and Europe if Haaland turns out to be the missing piece of the puzzle TOP RIGHT: It’s been a breakout season for the striker, who was born in France but plays his international football for the Ivory Coast BELOW RIGHT: Mbappe could be a teammate of Haaland's in the near future BELOW LEFT: Timo Werner could be a front runner to replace Haaland at Dortmund

‘HAALAND AND MBAPPE TEAMING UP MIGHT BE THE

DREAM OF GAMERS, BUT

IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN

REALITY’

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WHO COULD REPLACE

Haaland?

With a move away from Signal Iduna Park pretty much a certainty for Erling Haaland, Michelle Osei Bonsu casts an eye over some potential options to replace the big Norwegian up front

‘TERRIER

MARTIN TERRIER - RENNES The 25-year-old has been having an outstanding season so far as Rennes have proven to be one of the surprise packages in Ligue 1. Terrier’s performances have been a big part of their success, and as such, he could potentially represent a relatively affordable option for Dortmund to bolster their strike force this summer.

COULD BE A RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE OPTION FOR

DORTMUND’

leave room for the Norwegian - especially as Benzema himself does prefer the traditional number 9 position and has done exceedingly well since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.

Consequently, that leaves one cash-rich side who could afford his services and where he’d be most likely to fit in: Manchester City. The Citizens have made no secret of their interest in him, and have been desperately seeking for a true centre-forward for quite some time to give their attack that added edge. Furthermore, he already plays for a side that, to some extent, plays at a high tempo similar to City’s approach. His 194cm frame makes him quite dominant in the penalty area and can hold his own against defenders something that City are lacking at the moment.

Considering that Pep Guardiola’s side have led the way in the league despite the lack of a true number nine, the arrival of someone like Haaland would obviously take an already fearsome attack to a whole other level.

It indeed would be quite interesting, on a

ABOVE: The 25-year-old has been largely under the radar but is now enjoying a standout season in the French top flight BELOW: The Czech international, Patrik Schick, may be a great replacement for Haaland

personal basis, should he sign for City. Not only was he born in England, but his father also plied his trade for the Citizens from 2000 to 2003. Although he started out well, the last two years of Alf-Inge’s career with Manchester City was unfortunately marred by a series of injuries that restricted him to a smattering of appearances over his threeyear period with the club.

Finally, with Haaland expected to leave this summer, where does this leave Dortmund?

Well, die Schwarzgelben are no strangers to losing their key strikers, with both Robert Lewandowski and Aubameyang departing Signal Iduna Park in previous seasons. They’ll just have to do what they have always done: pick themselves up and move on. In a league that has been strangled by Bayern Munich to the point that most people can predict the league winner even before the first whistle, Dortmund, like all other competitive sides in Germany, will be firmly focused on finishing as high in the table as possible.

DARWIN NÚÑEZ - BENFICA Although Benfica won’t be able to win the Primeira Liga title this season, leading scorer Núñez has been generating quite a bit of buzz in Europe. The 22-year-old Uruguayan international is enjoying his best season in his nascent career, and this has garnered considerable attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

While Dortmund will face an uphill battle to secure his signature, receiving a good price for Haaland could put them in a position to make a bid.

SÉBASTIEN HALLER - AJAX One of the great things about the Champions League is that there’s always a breakout star. Ajax’s Sébastien Haller definitely has put himself in contention for that honour with his impressive goalscoring exploits for the Dutch side, which included a record 10 goals in the group stage. The Ivorian international, who is no stranger to the Bundesliga after spending two seasons with Eintracht Frankfurt, could represent a solid option for Dortmund - although he certainly won’t come cheap.

PATRIK SCHICK - BAYER LEVERKUSEN The Czech international initially struggled to find his footing in the Bundesliga after a frustrating spell in Serie A, but this season, that appears to be firmly behind him. Schick has been quietly doing his part to help Bayer Leverkusen contend for a top four spot, and subsequently a place in next season’s Champions League. With that in mind, Leverkusen will be loath to let him go, especially to a rival side such as Dortmund, but if die Schwarzgelben do get, as expected, a nice sum for Haaland, they just may be able to make a strong case.

TIMO WERNER - CHELSEA Despite retaining the confidence of Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, Werner has struggled to reach the same heights he once did at RB Leipzig. With the Blues set to have new owners, they could be making some major changes this summer, and Dortmund certainly would have no issue bringing in someone who played for a rival side. Werner’s familiarity with the Bundesliga could be an added bonus.

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FEARGAL BRENNAN ASSESSES THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE BUNDESLIGA SO FAR IN 2022

GROWINGATTENTION THE GOOD

Bundesliga matches have attracted growing worldwide attention in the last decade as the German top-flight works overtime to present itself as a fan-focused league with supporters at the heart of it.

The idea behind a ‘stripping back’ of certain unpleasant aspects of the matchday experience, has presented the Bundesliga as a refreshing option for fans, in a sport which is continually becoming more financially driven, and distanced from supporters.

From the iconic scenes of the Yellow Wall, at Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park, to their fervent opposition to the European Super League, the Bundesliga has become a bucket list choice for football fans.

The positivity behind German football and fan enjoyment was backed up by hard data in 2018, as a CIES Football Observatory study labelled the Bundesliga as the ‘world’s best

STORY LINES

‘THE BUNDESLIGA HAS BECOME A BUCKET LIST CHOICE FOR FANS’

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Julian Nagelsmann says he has had around 450 death threats in the wake of Bayern Munich's Champions League elimination. Bayern were knocked out at the quarter-final stage this week after losing to Villarreal.

The coach revealed that he has received abuse on Instagram since their loss and added that his mother is also being targeted.

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Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn stressed that contract negotiations are not "like an online manager game" as the club remain in discussions with Robert Lewandowski amid the striker's uncertain future. Lewandowski's contract is set to expire in 2023, and the forward has been linked heavily with a move to Barcelona in recent weeks. But Kahn says that the two sides have a lot of negotiating to do before anything is finalised as Bayern fully expect to have their star goalscorer back next season.

supported league’. The study - which followed up on their 2015 version - looked at 51 national leagues, based across 42 nations, with the Bundesliga coming out on top for average fan attendances.

While the Bundesliga remains part of the ‘top five’ European leagues, outside perceptions often place it behind the Premier League and La Liga, due to the ongoing dominance of Bayern Munich.

But the league continues to lead the way, ahead of other European rivals, as they welcomed back full capacity crowds before the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

On the continent, Italy, France and Spain have all staggered total returns to stadiums, as part of overall COVID-19 restrictions being eased.

But Bundesliga chiefs have worked tirelessly, alongside fan groups and sports bodies, to speed up the process, and allow domestic and international access to the ‘best supported league in the world’.

THE BAD

Despite the notable surge of the feel-good factor surrounding fan returns, and the general sensation of Bundesliga football moving towards a positive post-pandemic footing, the existing financial impact of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on club and league finances.

The first and second tiers of German football have been hit hard by slashed matchday revenue, television payments and overall revenue since the start of 2020, with new figures showing a noticeable drop up to the end of 2021. The Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 saw a combined dip of over 10% in profitable

revenue brought in, with a new tally of €4.05bn, according to the latest figures from the German football league (DFL) accounts.

The drop off in overall revenue has been blamed on a string of COVID-19 related factors with matchday income undoubtedly taking the biggest knock-on effect, based on two seasons where games have been played either behind closed doors or in front of limited crowd numbers. The latest data suggests a whopping 95% reduction in money accrued by clubs on matchdays, falling from €650m in 2018-19 down to €35.5m in 2021. This follows a growing trend of static movement within Bundesliga

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Signal Iduna Park has a famed reputation as a cauldron of fan power

BUNDESLIGA

‘THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 HAS WREAKED HAVOC ON BUNDESLIGA FINANCES’

RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Marco Reus is a key reason for fans to come to Signal Iduna Park RIGHT: Bundesliga clubs have seen a whopping dip of 95% in matchday revenue FAR RIGHT & ABOVE: Despite remaining as footballing powerhouse, even Bayern Munich have been hit by the financial impact of Covid-19

Taiwo Awoniyi is the first Union Berlin player to score 13 goals in a Bundesliga season. The Nigerian touched the landmark finding the net in Union’s Bundesliga clash against Eintracht Frankfurt.

finances - primarily due to the pandemic - but also with clubs reconsidering their long-term fiscal strategies, to ward against overstretching themselves in the coming years.

With just 10 of the 36 clubs involved in the two divisions turning a post-tax profit in 2021, expenditure has decreased, with significantly less tax paid to the German government, and widespread redundancies and cuts across all levels. The picture looks bleak, and many clubs face an uncertain future, with a reliance on fans returning in massive numbers likely to decide their fate in the coming months.

Borussia Dortmund‘s Tom Rothe is the 18th teenager to score at least one #Bundesliga goal this season.

No campaign in the competition's history has seen more different players score at least once before their 20th birthday.

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that Giovanni Reyna has suffered a muscle and tendon injury that will prevent him from playing again this season. Reyna has missed over 100 days of the 2021-22 campaign due to injury, featuring in just 13 games across all competitions as a result.

The 19-year-old started in BVB's latest Bundesliga outing against Stuttgart, having only just returned from a serious hamstring issue, but only lasted six minutes before limping off.

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BUNDESLIGA THE UGLY

However, just as Bundesliga clubs are making major financial decisions, the league could break a transfer record this summer.

Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Braut Haaland looks set to be the transfer story of the summer with his future looking increasingly uncertain as Marco Rose gears up for a bidding war.

Despite an injury disrupted campaign, Haaland’s incredible goalscoring figures have continued to impress across Europe, with Manchester City and Real Madrid the two main players in a possible tug-of-war.

Haaland’s Dortmund contract includes a €75m release clause, which is activated at the end of 2021/22, but Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke is certain to play hardball over his star asset.

Watzke has openly confirmed his knowledge of clubs interested in the former Red Bull Salzburg man, but neither he, nor the club, are under any pressure to sell.

A €75m release clause is likely to be the start

‘DORTMUND CEO HANS-JOACHIM WATZKE WILL PLAY HARDBALL OVER HAALAND SALE’ Barcelona and Liverpool-linked Bayer Leverkusen star has revealed that Lionel Messi is his role model.

The 18-year-old has been one of the breakout performers of the season in the Bundesliga, with his success not going unnoticed by suitors such as the Blaugrana and the Reds. "I actually had a few posters hanging in my room, [like] Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele and Aubameyang, for example," Wirtz told Sky Sport Germany. "My first jersey, however, was Messi's Argentina jersey. "

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of Haaland’s transfer saga with Dortmund able to push the figure beyond €100m if needed.

Regardless of whether both City and Real Madrid stay in the race past the €100m mark remains to be seen, with Kylian Mbappe’s future playing a role in Haaland’s next move.

If Haaland departs, he is almost certain to break the €105m record of Ousmane Dembele’s 2017 move to Barcelona, but the escalating list of additional costs could sour prospective buyers from a making a firm offer.

A minimum of €90m is expected to prise him away from Dortmund, as a base fee, with performance related add-ons totalling around €10m.

But the addition of Haaland’s father, Alf Inge, and agent Mino Raiola, into the mix, could make or break a deal, with the pair in line to receive around €30m each.

In total, alongside a five-year contract of more than €40m annually, a bloated deal, in excess of €350m could put the breaks on even the financial juggernaut of City, unless a compromise is reached.

FAR LEFT: Haaland unbelievable form has put him on the radar of every major European side ABOVE: Coach of Dortmund, Marco Rose LEFT: Watzke is confident of holding the key cards in any possible Haaland sale TOP & BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Werder Bremen players in action and celebration TOP & BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Stuttgart seem set for relegation

Bayern Munich legend Arjen Robben completed his first marathon, which he described as "not fun" while admitting "I made it, but that's about it!". Robben enjoyed an illustrious 21-year playing career with spells at Groningen, PSV, Chelsea and Real Madrid before joining Bayern in 2009, where he won eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League. Robben was one of the thousands to take part in the annual Rotterdam marathon. The 38-year-old completed the race alongside former Olympic speed skater Erben Wennemars, posting a respectable time of three hours, 13 minutes and 40 seconds.

GOING UP

Werder Bremen look set for an immediate bounce back to the top-flight this summer following their disastrous relegation in 2021.

Die Grün-Weißen ended one of the longest unbroken top tier streaks last season with their first relegation since 1982, but are on course to emerge on top in a tight Bundesliga 2 promotion race.

For the first time since 2008-09 (Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV), European semifinals will be played by two German clubs without Bayern Munich participating. RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt have both made it into the Europa League last for this season.

GOING DOWN

The Bundesliga relegation picture remains unclear ahead of the final few weeks of the campaign but VfB Stuttgart fans will be wary of Bremen’s slip in 2021 with another big name on a slippery slope in 2022. Die Roten only returned to the top-flight in 2020 and are desperate to avoid a second relegation in six years.

SC Freiburg have reached the final of the DFB-Pokal for the first time in their club history. Freiburg are the first side to reach the final despite playing away from home in each round since Werder Bremen in 2008-09.

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‘COSTA ALSO PROVIDES THE GALAXY WITH INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE’ Douglas Costa has adapted well to life in Los Angeles thus far

CONQUERING

america wW

MARCO D’ONOFRIO TAKES A DEEP DIVE INTO DOUGLAS COSTA’S WINTER MOVE TO THE LOS ANGELES GALAXY

hen Douglas Costa opted to make the move across the pond and try a new experience in Major League Soccer, many were left wondering what the 31-year-old was still able to bring to the table following his rather unsuccessful loan spell with Gremio in Brazil.

The veteran hadn’t exactly been obliterating the opposition in his native land, scoring three goals and providing just two assists in 26 appearances for Gremio. However, it has become abundantly clear that the Galaxy believe in the winger considering they have signed him as a Designated Player through the 2023 season.

“Douglas is a world-class player and a proven champion at the highest level. His capacity to create and finish will add yet another level to our attack,” said Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney when Costa was signed.

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“We are excited to integrate him into the team as we push toward the start of the season.”

Costa not only gives the Galaxy one of the league’s top wingers, but he also provides the club with international exposure considering how well known he is around the globe. He has three goals and six assists in 31 appearances for Brazil and has represented his country at both a Copa America and a World Cup. He would also have played in the Copa America Centenario that was held in the United States in 2016, but a left thigh injury forced him to pull out of that tournament.

“Douglas is an exceptional talent who has played at some of the biggest clubs in the world,” said LA Galaxy technical director Jovan Kirovski. “He is a big addition to our team, and we believe he will be a difference-maker in MLS.” The move is an initial six-month loan from

ACROSS THE POND

Marco D’Onofrio discusses five important players who are making the move from Europe to MLS in 2022.

Gremio, with the player signing a one-and-ahalf-year deal with the Galaxy following it. He will obviously need some time to adapt to his new surroundings, but the skillset he provides the Galaxy is undeniable - even if he is no longer in the prime of his career. The Brazilian is also confident that it will work out.

“I wasn’t worried about coming here and adapting,” Costa said, via the Los Angeles Daily News. “It was more about doing something new and coming to a new country.”

“Truthfully, I feel great, my teammates have done everything to help me adapt,” he said.

“I’m still adapting. It’s a new league that’s still growing. I’m happy to be here.”

He also seems to be fitting in well with his teammates, confirming that fellow Designated Player Javier Hernandez has played a big role

LORENZO INSIGNE - TORONTO FC While he is still with Napoli trying to help them win their first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona, the signing of Lorenzo Insigne by Toronto FC cannot be understated. It’s a massive pick up for a club looking to get back to the success that they had during the days of Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore.

ABOVE: The Swiss international left Lyon immediately when he heard of the Chicago Fire’s interest in him.

ABOVE RIGHT: Jesús Jiménez for Toronto FC BELOW: Luquinhas, presented by the New York Red Bulls

in helping him get settled in.

"Chicharito has been one of the first players, alongside Victor Vazquez, to make sure I've adapted quickly to the team and on the field," Costa said. "We're trying to make sure we're connecting and making scoring opportunities for the team."

The Brazilian was able to find the back of the net for the first time in MLS against the Seattle Sounders in just his third game in the North American top-flight after working out a set-piece play with Chicharito. He is quickly becoming an important part of Vanney’s side and gives the tactician plenty of options given his creativity on the ball and the space he frees up for his teammates.

“I think as his legs get under him over more time, he’ll continue to be more dangerous in

DOUGLAS COSTA LOS ANGELES GALAXY After struggling the last couple of seasons to find a permanent home, the Brazilian opted to make the move to MLS and join the most successful franchise in league history as a Designated Player. He has adjusted well to his new surroundings so far and could make a real impact on Greg Vanney’s side.

JESÚS JIMÉNEZ - TORONTO FC The Spanish striker joined Toronto FC from Gornik Zabrze of Poland’s top division with little fanfare. Most TFC fans had never heard of Jiménez when he first arrived, but it wouldn’t take long for them to become familiar with him.

Contributing to four of TFC’s opening seven goals of the season, he’s quickly become a crucial member of Bob Bradley’s squad.

XHERDAN SHAQIRI - CHICAGO FIRE Unlike Insigne, Xherdan Shaqiri decided to leave French club Lyon midway through the campaign to join the Chicago Fire immediately for the start of the 2022 MLS season. The 30-yearold has the ability to play in multiple positions and brings with him plenty of experience. It’s no wonder fans of the Fire were so excited when they heard of his impending arrival.

LUQUINHAS - NEW YORK RED BULLS The New York Red Bulls signed the 25-year-old from Polish club Legia Warsaw. The midfielder isn’t necessarily a goal-threat but is quite fast and offers a ton of flexibility. He was signed as a Designated Player and could be a real under-the-radar signing when all is said and done.

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MLS

‘COSTA IS QUICKLY BECOMING AN IMPORTANT PART OF VANNEY’S SIDE’

ABOVE: Douglas Costa for Bayern Munich LEFT: Another great trophy-winner will be coming over to the MLS in Douglas Costa BOTTOM: The Italian is the biggest name to move to MLS in 2022, even if TFC fans have to wait until after the Serie A season to see him live.

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and around the goal,” Vanney said. “I feel like whenever he’s on the ball, we can be very dangerous. Because he’s hard to stop in the one-on-one, which means he can get into different types of space. I’m pleased with the progression.”

Costa has been searching for a new home since leaving Juventus to join Bayern Munch on loan in October 2020 and it looks like he may finally have found one in Los Angeles after a couple of difficult seasons. While he did manage to win the Bundesliga title with Bayern, he didn’t contribute a whole lot and was returned to Juventus at the conclusion of the campaign. He was then loaned out to Gremio in Brazil, before joining the Galaxy as a Designated Player.

Despite the plethora of experience he has playing around the globe, there are still some unique aspects to MLS and soccer in North America that may take a little while longer to get used to. Unlike most other top leagues, MLS has a salary cap system in place ensuring parity across the board. MLS has never seen a team with nine consecutive championships like Juventus did in Serie A. There is also the aspect that some MLS teams play on turf, which is extremely rare in Europe.

"Most games are even, there's not one team that's above another. Playing on turf, it's something that has been a problem for me to adapt to. I didn't have that when I played in Brazil."

The Brazilian is not the only European arrival to have an issue with some of the turf pitches in MLS, with Sebastian Giovinco often criticizing the hybrid grass pitch at BMO Field during his time in Toronto. But he will have to learn to make the most of it as it isn’t going away anytime soon. There are currently eight teams across the league playing on either hybrid grass, field turf or polytan.

IS 2022 THE YEAR OF CHICHARITO? ‘CHICHARITO LOOKS REJUVENATED AND EXCITED WHICH IS A TERRIFYING THOUGHT FOR MLS DEFENDERS’ “We continue to put sand on the grass,” Giovinco said famously back in 2018. “The (CFL) Argos play (there), TFC 2 plays (there).

Everybody plays on this field and every game we lose a player (to injury). This is not possible.”

Fortunately for Costa, the Galaxy play their home games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson which has real grass. There have been few if any complaints over the years by Galaxy players or opponents about the pitch. Costa is far from the Galaxy’s first high-profile signing either.

The club has been known to splash the cash on international superstars when needed. After all, they were the club that was able to convince David Beckham to make the move to MLS and as a result, helped create the Designated Player rule in the first place. Besides Beckham, the likes of Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and of course the aforementioned Hernandez are just some of the internationally recognizable names the Galaxy have signed over the years.

It will not necessarily be easy for Costa to live up to some of the expectations set by previous Designated Players considering Keane helped the Galaxy win three MLS Cups and a Supporters Shield during his time with the organization. However, the club have missed out on the playoffs in four of the past five seasons and haven’t had very much success since winning three MLS Cups in four seasons from 2011-2014.

It’ll be interesting to keep an eye on Costa and the Galaxy this season as Vanney continues to shape the team in the way that he sees fit. He arrived in Los Angeles last year after spending six-and-a-half seasons with Toronto FC, helping them win their first ever MLS Cup

After an incredible start to the campaign, Marco D’Onofrio looks at whether 2022 could be the season Javier Hernandez brings glory back to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

ABOVE & TOP RIGHT: The Mexican international is playing in his third season with the Los Angeles Galaxy, looking to lead them to MLS silverware.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Keane helped the Galaxy win three MLS Cups and a Supporters Shield BELOW: The Los Angeles Galaxy coach is tasked with getting the most out of his newest superstar, Douglas Costa

in 2017. He is hoping to find the same success with the Galaxy and may have assembled the squad to do it. While there are still questions surrounding Costa, if Vanney can get the most out of his newest weapon, then the potential for Los Angeles in 2022 is unlimited considering all the talent they already have.

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez had been a dream signing for MLS clubs for years prior to his arrival in Los Angeles with the Galaxy in 2020. Although it was a shame that one of the greatest to ever play for the Mexican national team's first season happened during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, fans were happy to see the striker plying his trade in MLS. The striker only managed to start seven games in 2020, scoring just two goals.

He did much better in 2021 putting up 17 goals and providing three assists, but a calf injury and other setbacks meant he could only feature in 21 games. However, 2022 is quickly gearing up to be the year of Chicharito.

The 33-year-old has been on fire to start the campaign and has become nearly unstoppable for defenders. He’s scoring goals at will and looks healthier than ever. With the addition of Douglas Costa as well, he has a new teammate to link up with.

His success early on hasn't gone unnoticed either as he was named the MLS Player of the Week in week five of the campaign after his brace helped the Galaxy beat the Portland Timbers on the road at Providence Park. His excitement couldn’t be contained after the victory.

“To come here, take the three points, it’s amazing,” he told reporters.

Chicharito looks rejuvenated and excited which is a terrifying thought for MLS defenders. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to bring the club their record-setting sixth MLS Cup, but he certainly looks more destined to do it in 2022 than ever before.

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2022 MLS PREVIEW

WHO IS THE NEXT ONE TO MAKE IT A BIG? MARCO D’ONOFRIO COUNTS DOWN A FEW NAMES TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS SUMMER.

SUMMERMOVES

TT

he Major League Soccer summer transfer speculation is heating up! With the league getting younger and younger, more and more European sides are knocking at their door trying to find the next Tyler Adams, Alphonso Davies, or Brendan Aaronson.

GOALKEEPER- GABRIEL SLONINA (CHICAGO FIRE FC) Slonina, 17, is already one of the top goalkeepers in MLS and is leading a resurgent Fire side back into the playoff picture. Multiple La Liga and English Premier League sides have reportedly expressed interest in Slonina so it appears to be a matter when and not if he will head to Europe.

DEFENDER- MILES ROBINSON (ATLANTA UNITED FC) Through his tight defensive marking and excellent work in building attacking chances from the back, Robinson has quickly become one of the top defenders in MLS. The 25 year old center-back has expressed interest in staying in Atlanta, but interest only seems to be picking up. As evidenced by Miguel Almiron, Atlanta will pull the trigger if they can get a strong offer.

DEFENDER- WALKER ZIMMERMAN (NASHVILLE SC) This one might seem a little out of left field given that Zimmerman is 28 years old. But with Nashville and the USMNT, he has proven himself to be a leader both on the defensive end and on set pieces. His experience and skillset are very similar to that of Geoff Cameron, who became a fixture in the Premier League/English football in his mid to late-20s.

Given Nashville’s MLS Cup ambitions, a sign and then loan back to Nashville to finish the season may be the best option.

DEFENDER- ALISTAIR JOHNSTON (CF MONTREAL) Johnston is one of the top right-backs in MLS and a rising star within the Canadian Men’s National Team. He has shown rather quickly that he can time his runs perfectly while avoiding being caught on the counter-attacks.

If he can continue to work on his passing, European club teams will come calling soon.

MIDFIELDER- SIMON COLYN (VANCOUVER WHITECAPS/JONG PSV) Colyn’s situation is interesting because he is actually currently out on loan from the Whitecaps with Jong PSV, Eindhoven’s reserve team. He has had a strong season in the Eerste Divise and so the question is whether he will make the deal a permanent one (his loan ends in June). He hasn’t cracked Jon Herdman’s CANMNT lineup in quite some time so that may play a role in his next decision.

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TOP: Gabriel Slonina in goal for Chicago Fire MIDDLE LEFT: Miles Robinson for Atlanta United FC MIDDLE RIGHT: Walker Zimmerman for a press release of Nashville FC LEFT: Alistair Johnston for Nashville FC

2022 MLS PREVIEW

MIDFIELDER- CADE COWELL (SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES) Cowell is one of the top wingers in MLS and is one of the few bright spots for a struggling Earthquakes side. The 18 year old Homegrown player has excellent footwork and fantastic vision for picking out his teammates in the box.

The one thing holding him back is San Jose’s disorganized front office. Although a longshot, he could still make a case for a spot at the World Cup if he can play for a better side.

MIDFIELDER- MOSES NYEMAN (D.C. UNITED) Nyeman appears to be the next of D.C. United’s homegrown players to be making the jump abroad. His speed and precision passes in the midfield make him a dangerous player for any defense. At 18 and with 32 appearances under his belt for the Black and Red, this could be a very big year for him. D.C. finally seem to be getting the idea that they need to re-sell their Homegrown players at the peak of their value, as evidenced by Kevin Paredes heading off to VFL Wolfsburg in the winter.

MIDFIELDER- PAXTEN AARONSON (PHILADELPHIA UNION) Aaronson, the younger brother of Red Bull Salzburg’s Brendan Aaronson, has become a key cog in the Philadelphia midfield. Much like his brother, he his work on and off of the ball is impeccable and can transition a side from a defensive to attacking posture at a variety of speeds. The Union won’t move him this summer unless they are out of the playoffs. But a transfer and then loan back isn’t exactly out of the question.

FORWARD- FACUNDO TORRES (ORLANDO CITY SC) Torres, 21, has breathed new life into the sleeping lion that is the Orlando City attack.

The Uruguayan international speed and pace have broken apart MLS defenses all season long. He’s already become a regular on Uruguay’s eighteen man roster and seems to finally be breaking through into the starting eleven. If he can make their Copa America roster and keep up his form, European suitors will come calling.

TOP: Simon Colyn for Vancouver Whitecaps TOP RIGHT: Midfielder Cade Cowell for San Jose SECOND ROW FROM TOP, LEFT: Moses Nyeman, in action for New England Revolution SECOND ROW FROM TOP, RIGHT: Paxton Aaronson for Philadelphia Union THIRD ROW FROM TOP, LEFT: Adam Buksa celebrating THIRD ROW FROM TOP, RIGHT: Facundo Torres posing for Orlando City FC RIGHT: Alan Velasco celebrates scoring a goal for FC Dallas

FORWARD- ADAM BUKSA (NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION) Buksa demolished MLS defenses last season, scoring 16 goals in 31 appearances. The Polish international has expressed an interest in returning to Europe, to cement his spot with the National Team ahead of the World Cup. What will be interesting to see is if Arena would be willing to do it. Given the Revs playoff ambitions, it will have to be a very strong offer.

FORWARD- ALAN VELASCO (FC DALLAS) Velasco just got to Dallas this offseason, but he has already made a name for himself as one of the top attacking talents in MLS. The 19 year old Argentine has electric speed and can tear apart defenses with his diagonal runs towards goal. This window might be a bit early, but if he can get the Dallas attack rolling European suitors will follow.

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MLS

MARCO D’ONOFRIO ASSESSES THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE MLS SEASON SO FAR

FINISHED1ST THE GOOD

The Canadian men's national team didn't just qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986, they did it in emphatic fashion by topping the CONCACAF qualification table. In finishing ahead of both Mexico and the United States, who are ranked ninth and 13th in the world respectively, the Canadians proved they are no longer anybody’s little brother.

Les Rouges drew with both Mexico and the United States on the road, while pulling off massive victories on home soil against both sides. Although they did lose two of their last three games of qualification, the Canadians already knew the job had been done by then.

"We can go into this World Cup with absolutely no fear," Canadian head coach John Herdman said after his team's final game of qualification against Panama. "No one really expects Canada to go and win it. I don't think many people would expect us to get out of

the group... [But] we've travelled thousands of miles, we've played lots of minutes, we've kicked every ball, we've never quit, and we're on our way to Qatar. [We're] No. 1 in CONCACAF. I'll sleep well tonight."

What makes the feat even more special is that so many players making the difference on the international stage are currently plying their trade in Major League Soccer or were initially developed by the league. Alphonso Davies, Cyle Larin, Richie Laryea and Tajon Buchanan are all playing in Europe but originally came up through the ranks and made their name in MLS. As the Canadian men's national team aims for a successful new era and becomes more and more relevant in international competitions, MLS will continue to play a crucial role in the development and harnessing of young Canadian talent from across the country.

‘CANADA CAN GO INTO THIS WORLD CUP WITH ABSOLUTELY NO FEAR’ THE BAD The United Soccer League (USL) has an ambitious and aggressive plan to one day surpass MLS as the top league in the United States. The last thing that the United States soccer scene needs though is more fragmentation and fighting amongst leagues who claim to have the best interest of players and teams at heart. Instead of working with MLS to help grow the game across the country, the USL is actively looking to compete with the league and one day surpass it.

“It’s a very ambitious league, and we’ve got an aggressive and ambitious growth trajectory ahead for the league and its clubs,” USL President Jake Edwards said in an interview with The Bee. While Canada has the Canadian Premier League which sits at the top of the Canadian soccer pyramid, it only has three teams playing in MLS and the league was thought to be necessary in order to help get young Canadians more time on the pitch - which has proven to be the case thus far.

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Instead of competing with MLS or USL teams, the CPL has worked alongside teams in MLS to help young Canadians live out their dream of playing professionally in their own country.

Currently, the USL has three divisions (Championship, League One and League Two) and unlike in MLS where there is no promotion or relegation, the USL uses a more traditional European format that sees teams move up or down based on their performance.

“The USL is focused on both growth and differentiation in the domestic landscape,” Edwards said. “Differentiation from the MLS, differentiation from other structures of sports here, as well as alignment with the global structure of the game of football, with the global norms of the structure of the sport.”

The concern is whether the United States sports landscape really needs another domestic league and whether dividing fans and resources is the best way to develop the game from coast-to-coast.

THE UGLY After being sent off for receiving his second yellow card against Costa Rica, Canadian international Mark-Anthony Kaye was subject to verbal and racial abuse online by unwelcome "supporters". Canada had the opportunity to clinch their first World Cup berth in 36 years in Costa Rica but were unable to do so after falling 1-0 to Los Ticos at Estadio Nacional.

"Canada Soccer strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and is appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at a member of our squad on social media," the Canadian Soccer Association said in a statement.

"Such vile and disgusting behaviour is

unacceptable. Full stop. We will do all we can to support our players -- who have given everything to represent our country honourably -- while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible."

It was a stark reminder that even in a country as diverse as Canada, racism still exists and can become prevalent at any time. The 27-year-old has played a key part in Canada's qualifying campaign, but those ignorant folks hurling abuse his way didn't seem to care.

Canada's head coach John Herdman spoke to members of the media following the contest in Costa Rica and made it abundantly clear that the Colorado Rapids' midfielder had the

support of the entire locker room. He explained just how much guilt Kaye was feeling over being shown a red card.

"I just had a moment with him (at half-time) and said 'Look, (it's) football, we learn.

Pressure does things to people. It's normal.

We love you. You're our brother. And we move forward. We'll fight again together.' That was it.

"I mean, the lad's devastated. Absolutely devastated. He knows what that meant tonight."

Regardless of what happens on the pitch, there is never an excuse for such horrific comments that are made online and through social media.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

LEFT & TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): The Canadian international was subject to racist abuse online after being sent off with two yellow cards against Costa Rica.

RIGHT & BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): The USL President has ambitious plans to grow and expand the ever growing league.

‘IT WAS A STARK REMINDER THAT EVEN IN A COUNTRY AS DIVERSE AS CANADA, RACISM STILL EXISTS’

LEFT: While the Brampton native is currently playing in Turkey’s top league with Besiktas, he began his professional career with Orlando City after being drafted first overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

ABOVE: The young Canadian midfielder is expected to play a big role in the national team for years to come BELOW: The season is still young, but the Italian tactician is quickly running out of time to turn things around in Vancouver.

GOING UP Ismael Kone has made quite the name for himself already, despite only making his professional debut with CF Montreal on February 22. The 19-year-old Canadian is already being touted as the heir to long-time stalwart Atiba Hutchinson with the national team and has become an important part in Montreal’s lineup in MLS.

GOING DOWN It’s been a horrific start to the season for the Vancouver Whitecaps, who have struggled to get the year started the way they would have liked. Losing three of their first four opening games and drawing the other isn’t exactly how head coach Vanni Sartini envisioned his first full season in charge to start.

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WOMEN'S SOCCCER

THEY DON’T COME MUCH BETTER THAN TONI DUGGAN. THE MERSEYSIDE MAESTRO HAS BEEN KICKING A FOOTBALL HER ENTIRE LIFE. GREW UP A DIEHARD LIVERPOOL FAN BUT GOT HER BIG BREAK WHEN SHE SIGNED FOR EVERTON IN 2007. AIME CRIPPS LOOKS AT THE WONDERFUL ATHLETE.

M

ade her mark with Manchester City where she lifted the Women’s Super League trophy before mastering tiki-taka football with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

The striker has seen it all.

From Champions League finals to World Cup medals. Duggan has played with some of the world’s best footballers in recent years, or more importantly: they’ve had the chance to play with her.

They say winners aren’t born; they’re made.

But in the case of Duggan, she was always meant to be a footballer. More than that, she was always meant to be a game changer.

“Wanting to be a professional footballer when I did, not many people really understood why I’d choose that type of life for myself.

Women’s football wasn’t really ‘recognised’ at that time. It wasn’t on the television, there weren’t that many female role models in the game - and if there were, you didn’t know about them because women’s football wasn’t visible in newspapers. So, when I said I wanted to pursue a career in football people were shocked. Including my family. Especially my two brothers. They were my biggest critics! But that was probably because I was better than them at football!” Toni Duggan and ‘taking no for an answer’ are words that don’t belong in the same sentence. But it’s only by overcoming challenges, that one of the world’s top strikers has developed a dogged determination to play the game she loves.

“I think one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had as a footballer is making sure I continue to believe in myself. Especially at the beginning when I was facing a lot of criticism and scepticism for wanting to play football.

Even at that age, you’re still trying to find your place in the world. Where you want to live, what you want to do or what type of person you want to be! They’re big things for young people to comprehend, let alone all while trying to break down barriers and play a male dominated sport . But something inside of me - I don’t know what it was, maybe the support of my Mum - just kept my belief alive. I knew I’d find a way to play football, even if I had to

"NOT MANY PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHY I’D CHOOSE THAT TYPE OF LIFE FOR MYSELF."

MERSEYSIDE MAESTRO

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ABOVE: Toni Duggan on her custom midfielder maestro throne RIGHT: Toni stretching before her training

move far away to somewhere like America. I knew I’d do it. Now, I can sit here and proudly say, I’ve been a professional footballer for almost ten years. I am really proud of myself for sticking with my decision at such a young age.” Something the football world is also grateful for.

Duggan’s advocacy for change has been apparent from the very beginning of her career.

She is a player that’s always wanted to make sure women’s football is at the cutting edge of advancement. Her time in Spain only helped to further fuel her desire to level the playing field. “When people talk about equality, they immediately think players are referring to pay.

But when I talk about equality in football, I am also talking about an U16 boys’ team getting priority over pitches instead of a women’s first team. I am talking about inadequate facilities on and off the pitch for female players. I’ve played games in Spain before - at a time when football wasn’t professional - and match officials were drawing the penalty spot onto the pitch five minutes before kick-off.”

Duggan’s bravery to routinely speak up on issues within women’s football - as well as her prowess on the pitch - is why she’s a perfect fit for the Predator Edge campaign.

“We can talk about my achievements in terms of trophies and medals, but the thing I am most proud of is the role I’ve played in the development of women’s football so far. Knocking down boundaries, fighting for change, standing up for other players and proving to everyone that ‘we’ are good enough! adidas has been incredible since I joined the brand in helping players like myself to achieve those things. I never thought I’d be a part of a boot launch like the Predator Edge.

I just wanted to be a professional footballer!

And I didn’t know what came with that, but I certainly didn’t think I’d follow in the footsteps of someone like Steven Gerrard. It’s the proudest moment of my career to date, and I hope it shows other kids that it’s the norm for huge campaigns to be fronted by both men

and women.” Representation matters. And without the likes of Duggan, football would be a sport that doesn’t reflect its fans. The people who make the game what it is. A beautiful one.

Some things are written in the stars, and despite Duggan’s initial disbelief when asked to be involved in the Predator Edge campaign, destiny was definitely at play. “My first pair of boots were actually a pair of Predators ! The Predator Precisions with the velcro tongue, and the iconic white, red and black colours. I felt like the coolest kid when I wore those! I’d walk onto the pitch full of confidence, and that’s something you still feel when you’re an adult.

When I get a new pair of boots nowadays, as soon as I put them on, I genuinely feel like a kid again! It’s a great feeling.” Duggan’s joy at being able to help little girls be ‘seen’ as a result of the Predator Edge campaign is just another indication of her determination to keep moving women’s football forward.

“I’ve had messages from parents before who’ve taken their little girl to buy boots and they ask them: ‘Is this the boys’ section?’ Because when they look around, all they see are images and videos of male players. It makes them feel ‘different’ just for wanting a pair of boots. And now thanks to this campaign, girls can look up and say they want to wear the same boots as Wendie Renard, or Abby Dahlkemper and I think that’s amazing! Visibility is so important as it means people don’t feel out of place in an environment they belong in.”

For someone who’s played thousands of football matches and worn hundreds of boots, Duggan’s love for the game is just as strong as it was when she signed with The Toffees fifteen years ago. The sweet victory of success hasn’t gone to her head. And maybe that’s because of her brothers and their criticism, or the fact she’s still - at heart - that girl from Liverpool that can’t believe she’s playing football for a living. One thing is for certain though, her role on and off the pitch has inspired countless girls and young women to follow in her footsteps.

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

NEW ARRIVALS With the 2021-2022 European calendar closing soon, time is running out for American and Canadian players playing abroad to show their stuff at the club level. With World Cup Qualification set to kick off this summer, here are some of the players that have impressed this season.

On the Canadian side, defender Ashley Lawrence and forward Jordyn Huitema have both been critical members of Paris St. Germain’s run into the knockout rounds. PSG have never won the competition, finishing in second place twice in 2014-2015 and 2018-2019. But they seem primed for a deep run in this year’s competition and possibly a chance at winning the Ligue 1 title.

Ashley Lawrence

Jordyn Huitema

"JORDYN HUITEMA HAS ALSO BEEN A CRITICAL MEMBER OF PARIS ST. GERMAIN’S RUN INTO THE KNOCKOUT ROUNDS." In Italy, Julia Grosso has had a smashing campaign for Juventus, helping the side stay at the top of the Serie A race and nearly eliminating Lyon in the Champions League. She hasn’t quite earned a spot in the Canadian starting lineup but that may change this spring in World Cup Qualifying.

Julia Grosso

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IN LATE MARCH, THE UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH BETWEEN REAL MADRID AND FC BARCELONA SHATTERED NOT JUST RECORDS, BUT ALSO PUT A BIG NAIL IN THE COFFIN OF THE SEXIST TROPES THAT HAVE FOLLOWED THE GAME SINCE ITS INCEPTION. SEAN MASLIN WRITES

RECORD BREAKERS

FF

or a sport where low scores are common, football does seem to love its big numbers. While it is certainly more common for a men’s football match to hit 91,553 fans for one game, for women’s football it carries a whole different meaning.

The match itself was a brilliant display of football and for the growth that the Spanish game has had in recent years.

The two sides traded leads early with Mapi Leon (8’) scoring for Barcelona and Olga Garcia (16’) and Claudia Zornzona (46’) scoring for Madrid. But Barcelona, the defending UEFA Champions League winners, stormed ahead with goals from Aitana Conca (52’), Claudia Pina (55’), Alexia Putella (62’), and Caroline Hansen (70’). While Barcelona’s scoring output was certainly noteworthy, so to was the resolve of the young Madrid side who really came into their own this Champions League season.

While the game was exciting, the crowd support is perhaps even more important.

There are a number of reasons for

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ABOVE LEFT: Alexia Putella celebrating a goal during the Real Madrid & Barcelona match ABOVE RIGHT: Real Madrid's Olga Carmona (L) celebrates with teammate Esther Gonzalez after scoring the 1-1 goal RIGHT (SMALL): Claudia Pina celebrates after scoring the 2-1 lead during the UEFA Womens Champions League quarter final soccer match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona ABOVE (OPPOSITE PAGE): Barcelona celebrate in front of the record amount of fans

this. First, it is the setting. The names Real Madrid and FC Barcelona may stir up fond memories of packed houses at the Camp Nou or Bernabeu, high-priced signings, and big television contracts. However, in women’s football Spain is only just starting to take the game seriously. The La Liga Primera Division has been in existence since 1988 but salaries are still very low with full-time players making a minimum of 16,000 Euros per year. The league also still employs part-time players, who make just 12,000 Euros per year. Considering that these wages were only won via a players strike in 2019 shows how much progress still needs to be made in changing the culture within sports.

The fight for respect that Women’s Football has had is one that all women’s sports have encountered. One of the arguments that those opposed to providing female players with better benefits is that no one wants to watch the games and thus it is a waste of money. Getting 91,553 supporters to come to the Camp Nou not only proves that this argument is flawed, it also shows that for years those who run football at both the club and international level have underestimated the power of the women’s game. Clubs and football associations, both inside of Spain and across the world, finally seem to realize that young girls want to play for FC Barcelona or Real Madrid as much as young boys and they certainly want to show their support by

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

"WHILE IT IS CERTAINLY MORE COMMON FOR A MEN’S FOOTBALL MATCH TO HIT 91,553 FANS FOR ONE GAME, FOR WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IT CARRIES A WHOLE DIFFERENT MEANING."

NEW ARRIVALS (CONTINUED)

In England, Shelina Zadorsky continues to hold the line for Tottenham Hotspur, who are still in line for FAWSL top four finish.

At 29, she is one of the top defenders in world football and primed to have a major impact for club and country this spring and summer. CANWNT supporters watching the FAWSL will also need to keep an eye on Deanne Rose, who has had a breakout season for Reading, whose strong run in January and February pushed them out of relegation.

As for the United States, Catarina Macario has had a superb season for Lyon pushing the side back into the Champions League knockout rounds and to the top of the Ligue 1 table.

USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski seems to be a big believer in the 22 year old and if her club form continues, she may end up unseating a veteran in the American starting eleven.

Tania Wassmuth

Sam Kerr

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

2022

LAST 10 leading WINNERS scorers 2021 BARCELONA 2020 LYON 2019 LYON 2018 LYON 2017 LYON 2016 LYON 2015 FRANKFURT 2014 WOLFSBURG 2013 WOLFSBURG 2012 LYON

T. WASSMUTH 9 A. PUTELLAS 8 J. HUITEMA 6 C. MACARIO 5 C. GIRELLI 5 M-A. KATOTO 5 L. SCHULLER 4 A. HEGERBERG 4 R. BACHMANN 4 S. KERR 4

buying their merchandise. Spain isn’t the only country or the only women’s sport where this narrative seems to be dying. Attendance in the FA Women’s Super League has reached record highs this season, despite COVID-19 restrictions. In Mexico, the 2021 Liga MX Femenil final between Monterrey and Tigres drew 51,100 fans in a game that was decided in penalties. Even the United States, who has long led the way in terms of development for women’s club football, has seen marked improvement in followership. Last season’s matches drew on average 500,000 television viewers on CBS and Paramount +, a staggering improvement considering games just two years prior had audiences of less than 100,000.

The same could also be said for the Women’s National Basketball Association, whose ratings and audience numbers have skyrocketed since 2020.

While the attendance number at the Camp Nou is highly important in terms of the broader fight in legitimizing women’s sports, it is also important to note which game it surpassed.

The previous record holder was the 1999 FIFA World Cup final between the United States and China, considered to be one of the most important matches in women’s football history. That match not only started the boom in women’s football, it also kickstarted the dominance of the U.S. in guiding the future of the game.

That notion of America being the leader in the growth and development of women’s football has been at times a very difficult pill for traditionalists to take, especially in Europe. Now that the major European clubs and football associations seem to finally understand the importance of women’s football, there has been growing sentiment that sooner rather than later that they will overtake the U.S. both in terms of results and in drawing power.

It is never easy building a football club. For the supporters of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona’s women’s teams, who have suffered through decades of underrepresentation, low pay, and low resources March’s Champions League match is vindication that they do belong and that they can be a giant in the game. Although there are still many, many more hurdles to overcome it is good to see progress being made and equal opportunity for all.

Shelina Zadorsky

Deanne Rose

MAKING A NAME

Puma officially announced the signing of Julia Grosso.

Julia, aged 21, made her senior debut for the Canadian Women’s National Team in 2017 and recen tly signed for Juventus making her debut in January.

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WHO SAID WHAT “I think the greatest sadness will be yours, as you won’t get to watch me play anymore. You should enjoy it now, because you’ll never see the likes of me again” – Just another classic quote from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Here he is speaking of his eventual retirement, whenever that will be.

A FROSTY GREETING FITTING TRIBUTE “Both teams of Manchester City and Liverpool, those two teams have been built together and recruited over a period of five or six years, all of them under the premises of how do the coaches want to play. This is what has to happen. That far, I can go right now. I told the board this is what has to happen. Whenever the new head coach is clear, it has to be: ‘How does he want to play and what kind of players do we need for that?’ Then we come back to DNA, speed, physicality, tempo – what do we need? This team does not lack technical players; it can do with more physicality”

Manchester City unveiled a statue of their all-time leading goalscorer Sergio Aguero outside the Etihad Stadium on the 10th anniversary of his title-clinching goal against Queens Park Rangers. That goal won City their first league title in 44 years. Aguero scored 260 goals for the club over 10 seasons, helping them win five Premier League trophies, one FA Cup and six League Cups. The 33-yearold left Manchester at the end of last season and joined Barcelona on a free transfer, but was forced to retire soon after due to a heart condition.

During a trip to Norway for Roma’s quarter-final tie against Bodo/ Glimt in the Europa Conference League, Jose Mourinho was walking towards a group of fans to meet them and perhaps take photos and sign autographs. As he walked over, someone threw a snowball in his direction. Unhappy with the gesture, the Roma coach walked away from the fans and headed towards his ride. Unfortunately for those who were there hoping to get a photo or autograph with Mourinho, the snowball thrower ruined that opportunity for them.

DID YOU KNOW? •

Barcelona are the first team t match after conc After not conc LaLiga, Barcelona gave up three o in just 30 minutes in their mat Levant

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Leonardo Campana (right) has et name in the history books of Int becoming the first player to score a f

– Ralf Rangnick suggests that the Manchester United board must let the next manager change up the squad to fit their style if

NEW RULES FROM UEFA

they are to compete against City and Liverpool.

UEFA Executive Committee approved new economic rules that will come into effect in June. The new rules will be introduced in hopes to achieve financial sustainability across European football. Starting with the 2023/24 season, clubs will be able to spend 90 percent of their income, followed by 80 percent the season after and from then, only 70 percent of their total revenue can be spent. Financial Fair Play will be no more as Financial Sustainability takes its place. Failure to comply with the new regulations will result in financial sanctions and could even include sporting ones as well.

“They weren’t best pleased were they! I had quite a few lighters thrown at me, so maybe it’ll help them stop smoking. But, we’ve seen it a lot, people getting hit, it was quite close to me but none hit me. I know when it’s late in the game you get frustrated but, you shouldn’t throw stuff onto the pitch and try to hurt people.”

– Andy Robertson was not happy with Benfica supporters throwing objects at the Liverpool players during their match, but he tried to look at the positives.

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IN SEARCH OF...

The Bayern Munich World Squad project is back for a second time after the global project was a big success following its launch last year. Talented Under-19 players from around the world will get the opportunity to potentially fulfill their dream of becoming professional footballers. Players born in 2004 or 2005 who wish to be a part of the World Squad should send Bayern an application video that is no longer than 90 seconds, where they can show off their individual skills. In 2021, 654 players from 64 countries submitted an application for a place in the squad. Those selected will be invited to an international training camp and also play against Bayern’s Under-19 team in the summer.

THE CORRECT SHIRT ?

A piece of history has been auctioned off as the shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the controversial “hand of god” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup was put up for sale. According to Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, the shirt is “on a small list of the most important sports memorabilia items in the world.”

Following the game, Maradona swapped shirts with England midfielder Steve Hodge, who lent it to England’s National Football Museum in Manchester. However, according to Maradona’s daughter Dalma, the jersey Steve Hodge received from Maradona was not the one he wore when he scored his goals.

90TH MINUTE

JEALOUS ROONEY Cristiano Ronalo’s return to Manchester United was widely welcomed by fans, however there were others who did not think so. Many have made Ronaldo the scapegoat for Manchester’s poor form. Some ex-footballers question whether Ronaldo is the right man to help the team out. Former teammate Wayne Rooney, speaking on Sky Sports, said that it should not be considered a successful transfer, suggesting the club needs younger and hungrier players. Rooney then posted a photo of him from the Sky Sports programme where Ronaldo commented “Two Jealous”, probably referring to the comments Rooney made alongside Carragher.

91,648 A new attendance record was set in women’s football as 91,553 people packed the Camp Nou to watch Barcelona defeat Wolfsburg in the Women’s Champions League.

AND THE WINNER IS ...

Changes are coming to how the Ballon d’Or will be awarded ahead of the next ceremony following the controversy around Lionel Messi winning for a seventh time ahead of Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Salah.

France Football’s editor-in-chief Pascal Ferre confirmed that there will be four new changes. Firstly, the award period will now fall in line with the main European season instead of the whole calendar year meaning that August will be considered the end of the year.

This means that performances from the 2022 World Cup will be considered for the 2023 award. Secondly, three people including Didier Drogba, will be involved in compiling a more structured list of nominees. Thirdly, there will be restrictions on who can vote for the men’s and women’s award based on their countries FIFA ranking. Lastly, the award will not only consider a player’s individual performance, but also the collective performance, the type of player and their fair play record. Whether or not these changes will actually make a difference we’ll have to wait and see.

50 Cristiano Ronaldo has reached 50 career hat-tricks at club level following his three goals against Norwich.

FEELING BLUE More than 800 Manchester City fans participated in the 2022 Blue Run around the Etihad stadium and City Football Academy. City in the Community fundraiser organized the 2.5km or 5km run to raise money for their mental health programme. Tens of thousands of pounds was raised. As part of the run, participants covered themselves in blue paint to show their support.

9.5 Sean Dyche was Burnley manager for 9.5 years - appointed by the club in October 2012. He was the Premier League’s longestserving manager.

AUSSIE DISNEY

NOT TOO HAPPY

Disney is adding more content to their streaming service after announcing an agreement with Football Australia which will see a new Disney+ Original featuring the Australian women’s national team. The docuseries will follow the Matildas as they prepare to co-host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The behind the scenes look into the team will chronicle the highs and lows of professional football, covering their experiences during the 2020 Olympics and the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

Barcelona fans aren’t the only ones upset with former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu as evidenced by Gerard Pique’s attack on him. Pique defended Bartomeu in the past, but after some time and new information came to light, he too has lost all trust in the former president.

Bartomeu was heavily criticized with how he handled the club’s finances, leaving the club in a mountain of debt. In addition to that, he was also involved in a scandal which saw Barcelona chiefs accused of hiring a public relations company to manage the club’s reputation. That PR company was allegedly asked to criticize the reputations of a number of senior players, including Lionel Messi and Pique. Said Pique, “He tells Leo and me to our faces that he didn’t know anything. We tell him that we accept that he didn’t know anything, and that we hoped he would take the appropriate measures.

And then I find out that he did. That he lied to my face about such a serious incident.”

BAD BOY RONALDO

DID YOU KNOW? • Carlo Ancelotti (right) is the first coach t four consecutive dec the semi-finals with Juv with A with Real Madrid and no

•

Brighton & Hov second team in Premier League history t have won at both Arsenal and Tott consecutive Premier League mat

Following Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Everton, footage emerged online of Ronaldo knocking a mobile phone out of a boy’s hand as he walked off the pitch and headed for the tunnel. Cristiano took to Instagram to apologize for the incident, “It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game. I would like to apologize for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship.”

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GOTTA LOVE YOUR GOLF

WHO SAID WHAT

Saturday afternoon, Harry Kane provides a couple of assists to help Tottenham defeat Aston Villa 4-0 and later that evening he got on a plane and jetted across the Atlantic Ocean to arrive in time for the final round of The Masters at Augusta National. Kane loves golf, so it probably doesn’t surprise some that he would make the trip. While there, the England striker admitted to sometimes being more nervous teeing off at golf than when playing football.

“I was expecting a much more aggressive question, more negative and violent after I listened to you on the radio. I didn’t expect such an easy question. My conclusion is that you are much more aggressive and violent on the radio but when you come here you poop yourself a little bit in front of me.”

– Jose Mourinho hits back at a journalist who attacks him on the radio but loses that aggression when talking to him in person during a press conference.

PITCH INVASION TOO EASY During a Primeira Liga match between Porto and Vitoria de Guimaraes, a fan walked onto the pitch and attempted to kick two Vitoria players. The pitch invader approached the captain of Vitoria initially holding out his arms but then appeared to kick him. Shortly after, he attempted to take a swing at a second Vitoria player, but the player got out of the way in time. Eventually, the pitch invader was restrained but not before other players rushed towards the scene. The ease at which people seem to find their way onto a football pitch recently is something that needs to be addressed.

“I don’t like it when they boo Bale, he’s a historic player for Real Madrid. When they boo Bale, they boo the history of the club.

We need the supporters behind us and when they whistle one they whistle us all.”

– Casemiro stands up for his Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale who was once again subjected to booing from the Madrid fans

DID YOU KNOW? •

Italy’s loss to North Macedonia (right) w their first ever loss at home in a W Qualifier. Prior to then, they w

after making his first appearance at the Bernabeu since February 2020.

•

Germany and Spain hav in the same World Cup group for the f time. Germany are unbeaten in their pre

GIVING VEGANS A BAD WRAP

“The sky’s the limit. I think we’re going to just continue to get better and better and we’re going to continue to improve.

We’re going to be ready to go there at the World Cup and put ourselves really on the map. We’ve got a lot of confidence and we believe that we can do well.”

– Atiba Hutchinson is ready to show the world who Canada is at the 2022 World Cup.

Seven pieces of fried cauliflower and four sticks of celery. That is a meal you will find on a trip to Stamford Bridge and you can enjoy it for £8. It doesn’t look very appealing and the portion size will do nothing to satisfy your hunger. In an effort to offer vegan options, Chelsea have introduced a number of items including a vegan pizza and halloumi and falafel wraps. Those might be a better option.

FAST SWEDISH LADIES With UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 coming up in the summer, new kits are being launched for the nations who will be competing. Sweden, who will be one of the favourites to go on and win the tournament, recently released a new jersey which features details on how they can be stopped.

It’s an interesting strategy, but that is the confidence Sweden will be entering the tournament with. This comprehensive guide on how to stop Sweden was designed for their upcoming opponents this summer. Here is some of what you can read in their guide, “Sweden is one of the fastest playing teams in the world and also one of the very best at counterattacking. Do everything you can to reclaim the ball once you lose it.

Sweden will turn 52 per cent of counter-attacks into shots.”

STATUE FOR SRIVADDHANAPRABHA Leicester City have unveiled a statue of their late chairman Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha outside the King Power Stadium. Commissioned by his family, the statue is ‘an embodiment of his magnificent legacy in a place which brought him so much personal joy.’ Khun Vichai tragically passed away in a helicopter accident outside the stadium in 2018. The current first team squad were in attendance of the unveiling alongside Claudio Ranieri, the 2016 title-winning team, other former players, Craig Shakespeare and Nigel Pearson.

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DID YOU KNOW? •

Villarreal hav semi-final for the second time in their histor having done so pre where they lost 1-0 on aggregate t

•

Karim Benzema (right) is the fourth play to score a hat-trick in back-t League games aft Ronaldo and Luiz A

MORE MONEY THAN SENSE?

HULL OF A GOOD TIME

A dad spent over £3000 so his son could watch Cristiano Ronaldo play live and unfortunately, he has yet to feature at any game they have attended. Chris Broome and his 12-year-old son have been to two games hoping to see the Portugal forward play and maybe bring out his “siuuu” celebration. The first attempt was back in 2020 when the father and son travelled to watch Ronaldo play for Juventus, a game Ronaldo did not feature in after being rested. The second attempt was from this season’s Manchester derby at the Etihad where Ronaldo picked up a hip flexor injury and did not play. Perhaps third time’s a charm.

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali announced that he will take 500 fans on holiday at the end of the season. Having just bought the team in January, the new owner wants to reward fans for their loyalty. During a fan event, Ilicali told supporters that there will be an all-inclusive, five-star holiday to Antalya, Turkey. The fans who attended most games will have priority, while a lottery will help determine some of the other attendees, and some tickets will be given out to charity. In total 250 people will be selected at the end of the season, with each person able to bring a guest.

A RED CARD ... PLUS

TIKTOK TICKING ALONG LaLiga broadcasted a match live on TikTok, as Spanish broadcasters Gol decided to show the match between Real Sociedad and Real Betis live through its TikTok account. The Spanish league continues to move towards building new audiences and reach viewers at different places. This was the first Spanish league match broadcasted through TikTok and may not be the last.

EXTRA EXTRA TIME According to some reports, the Portuguese Football Federation wants to trial 60-minute football matches at a youth tournament.

Halves would be reduced to 30 minutes, and the clock will only run while the ball is in play. For it to be an official trial, they would need to get approval from the International Football Association Board, the organization responsible for controlling the laws of football.

If they give the go-ahead, the Portuguese Football Federation will commission a university to analyze the data and provide a report on the findings. In contrast, FIFA is looking into the possibility of extending playing time to 100 minutes by adding more lenient stoppage time. This could be something introduced in time for the 2022 World Cup in November. The point of both trials is to tackle the issue of effective playing time. As much as half-an-hour is lost between the ball going out of play or because of fouls. For Infantino, his goal is not so much to extend the clock, but rather allow for more stoppage time should the referee deem it necessary.

Killing time while being substituted is part of the game. From walking over to shake the referee’s hand, to applauding the fans to removing your shin pads, these are some of the techniques players have used. Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini used a whole list of techniques. 93rd minute, Pellegrini walked over to Mancini to put transfer the captain’s armband to him, all while the ref hurried him off the field. Pellegrini then proceeded to pull down his socks, remove a shin pad and started to untie his laces.

At that point, the ref booked him for time wasting, rightly so.

PROTEST FALLS FLAT German artist Volker-Johannes Trieb protested against FIFA’s decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar by leaving 6500 deflated footballs outside FIFA headquarters in Switzerland. According to some reports, as many as 6500 migrant workers in Qatar may have lost their lives working in construction over the past 12 years, including the stadiums that will be used in November. He placed a football for each life lost with the message, “Conscience of the world, you are a stain of shame” printed on each ball, but with just a few months until the event kicks-off, it seems like those voices were just ignored.

9

Pep Guardiola has reached 9 Champions League semifinals (Four with Barcelona, three with Bayern Munich and two with Manchester City). That is the most in the history of the competition.

CRAFTY SCOT A Celtic fan who was unable to acquire a ticket to the Old Firm clash against Rangers came up with a workaround to be able to attend the match. The supporter said he applied for a job as a kiosk assistant in order to gain access to the stadium. After showing up for his shift on the morning of the match, he hid in the bathroom until Celtic fans were allowed to enter the stadium and later blended in with them. In the end, the effort was worth it as Celtic went on to win the match 2-1.

25 Ciro Immobile is the first Italian to score 25+ goals in three different Serie A seasons.

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ASLEEP AT OLD TRAFFORD ... SURELY NOT

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A lucky Manchester United fan and a guest may wake up in a luxury suite overlooking the pitch at Old Trafford. This incredible experience, dubbed the ‘Suite of Dreams’, is made possible through a competition set up by Mariott Bonvoy in partnership with the club. A suite will be transformed into a guest room where a lucky pair will spend the night and take part in a number of behind-the-scenes experiences which include watching the team train, a tour of the stadium, the opportunity to meet club legends, and matchday tickets.

This will be the first overnight stay at Old Trafford.

Despite firing 33 shots against Bologna, AC Milan failed to score a single goal against them.

ALL FOR SHOW A YouTuber decided to test out three designer football boots to see if they actually make a good football boot. The three boots consisted of a pair from Stella McCartney x adidas collection, the KING Platinum 911 Legacy by sports car Porsche and a $950 Gucci shoe, the Ultrapace R. After trying each boot, it will perhaps not surprise you to hear that they weren’t very good, a regular pair of football boots would be better and cheaper.

WC EXCITEMENT The first song from the official soundtrack for the World Cup in Qatar has been released. Titled ‘Hayya Hayya (Better Together)’, the song features Qatari singer Aisha and American artists Trinidad Cardona and Davido. The song was performed live during the World Cup draw. According to FIFA, the song “epitomises the excitement of a football festival that will light up the world later this year”. Other songs are set to be released leading up to the tournament’s start in November.

SAFETY NET Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas and his wife welcomed 30 Ukrainian refugees into his mansion.

Navas bought 30 beds and placed the refugees in his home theatre, providing them food and clothes as well. His wife Andrea also took to social media to appeal to people to offer their help by donating supplies and clothes to organizations providing aid to Ukraine and its refugees.

DID YOU KNOW? •

At 17 years, 336 days, Chic goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina (below) has k his 9th c any other player bef history.

•

Nine o MLS goals for Minnesota United hav scored in the 75th minute or lat

RASHFORD HONOURED BY WILLY

IT WAS MODESTE :) Following Bayern Munich’s Champions League exit to Villarreal, a drunk FC Koln fan made his way onto the empty pitch.

What he was doing there, who knows. But he made his way, rather slowly, onto the pitch and knelt in front of the corner flag as if celebrating a goal. On his way to the pitch he had a pretty bad fall and was seen limping afterwards. He was spotted again later, limping, leaving the stadium singing Anthony Modeste’s name, a striker who plays for Koln.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED? During a match in a regional league in Spain the two sides were drawn at 1 when the hosts went on a break in the 89th minute.

The attack was stopped when an assistant manager ran onto the pitch and tackled the player before walking off as if nothing happened. The two teams came together after in a small brawl and the assistant manager was sent off for unsporting behaviour. In the end, the game finished 1-1, so mission accomplished for the assistant manager.

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Marcus Rashford has launched a new program that aims to help youngsters feel confident about their finances. The 24-year-old, in collaboration with NatWest and the National Youth Agency, created a program that offers support and guidance for young people to develop a positive mindset around money. The program will be trialled at select community centres before being rolled out nation-wide. This is yet another program Rashford has pushed or developed for the youth in the UK. Just last year, he received an honour from Prince William in recognition of his campaign to support vulnerable children during the pandemic.

SERIE A CHEATS Investigations and hearings are under way in Serie A after some clubs have been allegedly inflating transfer costs in order to declare ‘fake’ profits. According to reports, Napoli are accused of inflating the cost of players involved in the Victor Osimhen deal by €20 million, while Juventus had accumulated up to €60 million in fake profits.

Paperwork of these deals show large inflated capital gains, particularly in exchange deals. These allow clubs to swap players and register them as being worth more than their transfer market value, which in turn enables them to balance the books. Napoli’s deal for Osimhen with Lille was officially for €71.2 million. Of that, €20.1 million was made up of four player exchanges, four players that never featured for Lille and were in fact released from their contracts a year later. Juventus have done something similar, inflating the transfer value of some of their players like Sampdoria goalkeeper Emil Audero, Manolo Portanova and Elia Petrelli. These extra profits were not significant enough to where the clubs would not have been able to register for the Serie A season, so they are not facing a points penalty. The most likely outcome of the investigation would be fines.

NEW LOOK FIORENTINA Fiorentina are the latest team to release a new modern logo as they look toward creating a brighter future for the club. The logo consists of a white diamond bordered in purple with a purple V at the bottom topped by a red lily and will be used starting from next season. Along with the new crest, Fiorentina also released a manifesto, from which a new club slogan emerged, “Play to be different.” Like all new logos, there were mixed reactions amongst the fans, with those welcoming the change and others who would have preferred to stick to the original.

90TH MINUTE

DID YOU KNOW? •

Gyasi Zardes (right) sc season goals for Columbus Crew. Sinc joined them in 2018, no other Americ scored as man

•

DC United suffered two back t defeats conceding late goals against A United and Austin at home. They are the fi team to conc minute or later since Houston in August 2018.

WWEEEEEEEEE Leicester City’s James Maddison channeled his inner WWE superstar when he speared a friends of his. The England midfielder posted the video to TikTok and tagged the WWE in his caption, saying ‘@WWE you know where I am’. Perhaps a career in professional wrestling awaits Maddison after his football playing days are over.

A HELPING HAND FROM BAYERN Bayern Munich is helping the refugees from Ukraine with a new program. Together with the Munich Social Department, the club has pushed ahead with a housing project. It will accommodate 15 Ukrainian refugees with disabilities. In addition, the record German champions have started the "We move together" program. The aim is to provide young people from Ukraine with free training opportunities on the club's campus.

GREEN WITH ENVY Givanildo V. De Sousa, the Brazilian pro soccer player also known as "Hulk," has welcomed a baby with his wife Camila, who is the niece of his ex-wife. The couple welcomed their first baby together, a daughter named Zaya, according to Hulk’s Instagram post. De Sousa is also dad to sons Ian, 13, and Tiago, 11, plus 8-year-old daughter Alice, with ex-wife Iran Angelo, who is Camila's aunt.

BOMB ALERT Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has received a bomb threat to his home. The threat was reported to Cheshire Police, who conducted a sweep of the England international's home on Thursday afternoon before confirming that "no suspicious items" were discovered. Maguire has two young children with his fiancée Fern Hawkins.

GOT SPANISH? Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski has been linked with a summer move to Barcelona. He will enter the final year of his contract next season and if he doesn’t agree to new terms with the Bavarians soon, he might be available for a discounted price once the summer window opens. While no official news is out yet, Robert’s wife Anna Lewandowski has fueled the La Liga speculations with a recent social media post. On Instagram, Anna Lewandowska posted a picture of Mallorca in her story and wrote: "Hello guys. I'm starting to learn Spanish. Do you have any tips? Let me know!"

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WHO SAID WHAT “Those who criticize Lukaku have a short memory, because when he first arrived in London, he scored goals and did very well.

After he got injured and then said that he missed Inter, that created a bit of a mess with the fans. He wanted at all costs to return to Chelsea, but he should’ve stayed at Inter after a season at such a high level.

He made that choice and it was a big mistake, in my view.”

– Patrice Evra defends Lukaku from recent criticism he has received over his current form at Chelsea, but also admitted that it was probably best for him to have stayed at Inter.

Beto is just the third Portuguese to score at least 10 goals in a single Serie A season after Rui Costa and Cristiano Ronaldo.

MILAN SET TO EXPAND Milan have announced a new partnership with Konami as they look to expand into the world of gaming and esports. Konami will become the club’s first official training wear partner starting from next season, in a deal worth €45 million over seven years.

This means, the eFootball logo will feature on the training shirts. The deal will probably not restrict them to just the Konami football game as they will likely still be licensed to EA Sports for the FIFA games and the new game UFL, a free football game launching later in the year.

23 Canada topped the Concacaf World Cup Qualifying group with 23 goals, the most of all teams involved in the third round of qualifying.

HOME AND AWAY “Sport is made of victories and defeats.

Sometimes there are incredible victories, like ours’ at the Euros. We are still the defending champions and we’ll be so for the next two years. Great emotions can emerge and lead to even bigger victories than the ones we obtained.”

– Roberto Mancini reflects on what Italy needs to do to move forward after missing out on the World Cup for a second straight time.

There were rumours about Mancini stepping down as coach, but in the end decided to stay on board and continue the work he started which led the Azzurri to a European Championship last summer.

STREAMING FIFA

“He certainly provides a lot of different ways to hurt you, whether it’s with his final pass, his production in the box, his size or physicality. Obviously he’s an excellent finisher, so I’m looking forward to that challenge” – USMNT center back Walker

FIFA has launched a new streaming platform, FIFA+, which will have free live games from competitions around the world and documentaries. The new platform will also have an archive of every World Cup and Women’s World Cup match ever recorded.

The service will launch with a feature-length documentary on Brazilian legend Ronaldinho along with a number of other films, through the FIFA Originals title created by outside production companies. As for live broadcast of games, they will be geo-blocked so as to not compete with existing right-holders.

According to a FIFA statement, by the end of 2022, they will be streaming the equivalent of 40,000 live games per year from 100 different member associations across all confederations.

Zimmerman is looking forward to going up against Harry Kane and England at the World Cup in November as the two were paired together in

DID YOU KNOW?

Group B.

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RB Leipzig have reached the final o DFB Pokal for the third time in the last f years, more often than any other t timeframe.

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Filip Kostic (right) is the first player t sc against Barcelona at Camp Nou sinc Pernambucano for O. Ly the UCL.

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Away fans tend to travel in big numbers in continental competitions like the Champions League and Europa League, but probably not as big as the Frankfurt fans do. The second leg, quarter-final Europa league tie between Barcelona and Frankfurt was played at the Nou Camp, but it could very well have been at a neutral venue. Over 20,000 Frankfurt fans got their hands on a ticket to the match and attended the game. It was a good game to go to as well, with the German side coming out 3-2 winners, advancing to the semi-finals. At the end of the game, Barcelona manager Xavi and the players were not happy with the number of away supporters that were present saying they would look into how this happened.

POTTY HUMOUR Ryan Reynolds celebrated the birthday of fellow Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney by unveiling a plaque at the stadium. In celebration of Rob’s 45th birthday, Ryan posted a video on his Instagram account standing in the stadium toilets. In the toilets, Ryan revealed an engraved gold plaque at a urinal with the message, “This urinal is dedicated to Robert McElhenney on his birthday – April 14th. With love from Wrexham AFC. Paid for by Ryan Reynolds.”

90TH MINUTE

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The Whitecaps have the few worst goal difference (-8) through sev of a season in the club's history

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BITTER SWEET MOMENT Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez have shared the first picture of their newborn daughter following the news that her twin brother sadly passed away. The couple posed for a family picture inside their Manchester home with all their children, Cristiano Junior, 11, Alana, four, twins Mateo and Eva, also four, and their newborn baby daughter, who the footballer sweetly held in his arms.

HUMMEL PUMMEL? What a drama about Mats Hummel’s love life! After the dating rumors about “GNTM” model Celine Bethmann, she confirmed that the two were dating. But that’s not all: a real social media beef broke out between her and his still-wife Cathy Hummels. After Bethmann had confirmed the dating rumors, she allegedly missed Mats Hummels’ wife Cathy via Instagram direct message. The two continued their beef on Instagram. After Bethmann’s announcement, Cathy Hummels finally followed up with a freshly posted family picture including herself, Mats and their son Ludwig.

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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstars Neymar Jr and Marco Verratti caught up with the world's No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic while they were in Monaco to watch the ATP Masters game of Fabio Fognini. Djokovic, who was at the venue preparing for his own match, took a break and met with the footballers for a game of 'keepie-uppies'.

Djokovic turned to Twitter to share a video of his meeting with Neymar and Verratti. In a video uploaded by Djokovic on his official Twitter handle, he can be seen taking part in a game of keepie-ups with Neymar and Verratti. The trio played the game with a football-sized ball designed to look like the one they use in tennis tournaments. Djokovic impressed the bystanders with his amazing football skills but was ultimately the first to drop the ball, thus losing the game to Neymar and Verratti.

VAN DE BEEKETTE Donny van de Beek and girlfriend Estelle Bergkamp have become parents for the first time after welcoming their daughter into the world. Their baby, called Lomee, will have inherited genes from two famous footballers.

Her dad is a full Netherlands international currently on loan at Everton from Manchester United.

And Lomee's grandad on her mother's side is none other than Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp.

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90TH MINUTE Walker's brother was a punter for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.

⬆ Ellen White (33) May 9 Club: Manchester City Nation: England • England women’s all-time top goal scorer.

MAY

⬆ Frenkie de Jong (25) May 12 Club: Barcelona Nation: Netherlands

Walker Zimmerman (29) ➡ May 19 Club: Nashville SC Nation: USA

Caroline Seger (37) March 19

Richarlison (25) May 10

Club: Rosengard Nation: Sweden

Club: Everton Nation: Brazil

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Athletic Club’s Inaki Williams has played every LaLiga game for the last 6 years. He has not missed one LaLiga game through injury, suspension or non-selection.

60 Recently announced new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has a career win percentage of over 60%.

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GREEN TIME FOR MLS

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Austin FC’s beloved Verde team is going green beyond the pitch, joining the Green Sports Alliance (GSA) in its mission to support sustainability. In a timely statement released Friday, April 22, to align with Earth Day, the Major League Soccer team announced its new collaboration with GSA to promote sustainability initiatives in the club and at Q2 Stadium. The new partnership means that Austin FC will begin to collaborate with an experienced group of teams and venues to ensure that sustainability and environmental issues remain vital considerations in how Q2 Stadium operates.

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David Beckham got creative while With the UEFA Women’s EURO kicking off at celebrating Easter this year – by sharing Old Trafford this July, UEFA has unveiled the a carrot with the family’s new pet rabbit, tournament’s first Hat Trick heroes: a trio of Coco. The former Manchester United and fun mascots who are making their debut in Real Madrid star posted a clip of himself to the metaverse. Kai, Robyn and Ashley appear Instagram, in which he and the bunny could as interactive characters in ‘The Road to UEFA be seen nibbling down on the vegetable Women’s EURO’ game on Roblox and star in a skills together, “Lady and the Tramp”-style. challenge and edu-tainment series on YouTube alongside Europe’s top players, which will also be distributed via the UEFA Football in Schools program. This groundbreaking campaign aims to appeal directly and This season Napoli are the t authentically to young the most penalty goals sc girls and boys on platforms European Leagues (nine), Lorenz they consume daily. UEFA first among the players (eight). are joining other global No Serie A outfield player has w companies including more games than Lautaro Martíne Nike and Nickelodeon considering all competitions sinc by hosting the game on arrived in Italy in 2018/19 campaign.

Roblox, a platform that has over 50 million daily active Juventus have reached their 21st C Italia Final, at least five more than an users – of which over 50% side in the competition. are children under-12.

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TACTICAL GENIUS

A DREAM COME TRUE

PART-TIME SINGER

During Manchester City’s pre-match press conference ahead of their first leg quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid, Pep Guardiola went on about how he was preparing an incredible tactic.

Kyle Walker decided to have some fun with it.

Every kid growing up playing soccer dreams of one day playing at the World Cup. Here is the moment that dream became reality for Alphonso Davies as he watched Canada secure a spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Dries Mertens showed off some of his other talents, singing a duet for his teammate Fabian Ruiz’s birthday.

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90TH MINUTE ⬆ Rodrigo De Paul (28) May 24

Juan Cuadrado (34) ➡ May 26

Club: Atletico Madrid Nation: Argentina

Club: Juventus Nation: Colombia

Kyle Walker (32) May 28

Lindsey Horan (28) May 26

Club: Manchester City Nation: England • Kept a clean sheet in his 10 minute cameo as goalkeeper during a Champions League match.

Club: O. Lyon Nation: USA • She turned down a scholarship after high school to pursue a career in football, signing for PSG.

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WHO'S THE REAL BOSS? Wanda Nara is once again at the center of the controversy over the information that the Argentine journalist Karina Lavicola has brought to light. Lavicola accused Wanda of of promoting a huge lie to make everyone believe that she is the representative of her husband, Mauro Icardi. "It's a lie that she is Mauro's representative. That is a well-crafted story that she put together to give herself importance, but when it comes to negotiating she is not the one who goes to sit down and negotiate. That's a lie," he revealed. As previously believed, Icardi left the one who had been his agent for more than ten years in October 2015 to leave that place to Wanda, whom he had married a year earlier.

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Eintracht Frankfurt have not lost any o 5 away games in UEFA club c Spanish sides – no team played so man matches in those competitions awa teams without ever losing (excl. qualifiers).

2022 F-150

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Ciro Immobile (left) is the fi player to have scored 25+ goals in 3 diff Serie A campaigns and the third in gener after Gunnar Nordahl and Stefano Nyers.

LALIGA'S DIRTY LAUNDY IS OUT AGAIN The intrigue and plotting behind the scenes of Spanish football has been laid bare – again – after a conversation between two of the country's legendary players, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique, was leaked. It concerns a power struggle between Luis Rubiales, the head of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and David Aganzo, who leads the country's players' union (AFE). Marca claims that the Barcelona defender, Pique, and Rubiales were looking for support to remove Aganzo from his position. It appears Pique sought the opinion of Ramos, now at Paris Saint-Germain, who revealed details of the powerplays between Rubiales and Aganzo. It is alleged Pique then sent a recording of the conversation to Rubiales, which has now been shared in the Spanish media sparking a feeding frenzy in the Spanish press.

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Francesco Totti scored four fantastic goals in a game of a five-a-side footy, showing that the Roma legend hasn’t lost his scoring touch.

Wigan’s goalkeeper went down injured during a match so a fan in the stands dressed in a goalie kit started warming up. He even motioned to the Wigan bench for a sub.

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THERE YOU ARE - A JAGUAR David Beckham presented his son Brooklyn and daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz with a $500,000 classic Jaguar after they got married at her billionaire father Nelson's $103 million compound in Palm Beach, Florida. The Inter Miami FC president requested for the car to be painted a light blue, however asked that his name for the unique color would remain confidential. The ex footballer, 46, is an investor of restoration company Lunaz which electrified and re-engineered the 1954 Jaguar XK140, having taken a a 10 percent stake in June 2021.It is the product of thousands of hours of work from the company’s 120 strong team of craftspeople, designers and Electric Vehicle (EV) technicians and was built entirely in-house at the home of Lunaz in Silverstone, England.

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Barcelona have sc in #LaLiga this season, the most in the t European leagues 2021/22 lev Reims, their highest record for Blaugr alongside 2014/2015, sinc campaign.

In one of the most random sporting propositions of the year so far, rap legend Snoop Dogg has promised an all-expenses paid party involving champagne and Indian food if Celtic are crowned Scottish Premiership champions. Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr, known by many as Snoop Dogg, has been a Celtic fan for 17 trophyladen years. Back in 2005, the 50-year-old American rapper was staying at the Raddison Hotel in Glasgow when he was given a green and white striped jersey in Glasgow

by DJ Big Al. Ever since, 'Snoopy' has been vocal about his support for the Hoops. In fact, he once considered making an offer for the Scottish club in 2012 before asking then-Celtic boss Neil Lennon if he could be a mascot for a 2013 European clash against Juventus. Unfortunately, that didn't happen [imagine the scenes if it did], but Snoop's love affair with the Hoops continues to this day.

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Sergio Herrera (right) is the first goalk to save tw game since Sergio Asenjo against Getaf February 2018.

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Espanyol have have play home games without losing against Ray Vallecano more than against an opponent without suffering defeat (W11 D5).

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Borussia Dortmund have been praised by football supporters after their happy hour deal went viral on social media. Dortmund fans are able to buy six pints of beer for just £11.50 during a special happy hour ahead of kick-off at Signal Iduna Park. Fans can carry all six pints at once by using a Herrenhandtasche XL, which translates to man's handbag. An image of a fully stocked Herrenhandtasche XL has gone viral after being posted by Twitter account Footy Bevs, which shares photos of beer from football clubs around the world.

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Watford may need more from Roy Hodgson if they are going to avoid relegation this season. After this beautiful assist in training, maybe a spell on the pitch for the 74-year-old isn’t a bad idea.

Shining on the pitch takes a whole new meaning with these limited-edition adidas Predator Edge boots with Swarovski crystals.

A Manchester United fan tweeted actor Ryan Reynolds asking him to buy the club. Ryan, who owns Wrexham in the National League, replied back, “I’m already seeing someone.”

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DID YOU KNOW? •

Only Lionel Messi (168) and T (144) have provided more assists than Angel Di Maria (129) in the Big-5 European leagues since 2010/11.

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Sevilla’s Jesus Corona (left) is the fi Mexican player to sc Liga game since Carlos Vela f in 2015.

37 Thiago Silva is the oldest player to ever play for Chelsea in the Premier League at 37 years old.

MOVE TO ZERO COLLECTION Barcelona forward Ansu Fati is the face of Nike's latest Underwear Spring & Summer collection - a product that is made with at least 75% recycled fibers. The 19-year-old Spain international, who is regarded by many as one of the world's best young players, recently announced the campaign while wearing the Nike Dri-Fit Essential Micro and Nike Dri-Fit Ultra-Stretch Micro. Following the success of last season's 'Move to Zero' collection, the new product range from Nike Underwear has been redesigned with sustainability in mind and is made with at least 75% recycled fibers.

5

FOUL MOUTH PRAISE

Prior to Mohamed Salah this season, no other player has ever scored 5 goals against Manchester United in a single season.

GOAT EMOJIS HERE Alejandro Garnacho removed Sergio Aguero's pinned comment about Lionel Messi on his Instagram post with Cristiano Ronaldo - and pinned the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's instead. Teenage sensation Garnacho was an unused substitute in United's 3-2 win over Norwich City, a game dominated by Ronaldo. The 37-yearold scored a hat-trick and gave his match ball to Garnacho at full-time before embracing the youngster. Garnacho posted an image of the pair captioned: "Greatest of all times..." along with goat emojis. It saw former Manchester City and Argentina striker Aguero reply with: "Because you still didn't play with the best pa @leomessi." Garnacho had that comment pinned on the post initially, until Ronaldo himself showed appreciation with a fist emoji. He immediately pinned that ahead of Aguero's which fans on social media noticed.

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MY MOMENT TO SHINE It’s not every day you get to walk onto a football pitch, so when that opportunity came for this young boy, he embraced it with open arms and enjoyed every second of it.

Gary Neville has admitted he was guilty of "slightly unprofessional" commentary after praising Hannibal Mejbri’s eventful cameo for Manchester United against Liverpool. Hannibal was brought on as a second-half substitute in United's 4-0 defeat at Anfield, with the 19-year-old replacing Anthony Elanga in the 84th minute of the match. After seeing his side concede a fourth goal, Hannibal took out Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson with a late challenge a minute later – earning himself a yellow card in the process. He then risked a second booking just moments later with another full-blooded tackle, this time on Naby Keita. While commentating on the match for Sky Sports, Neville said he was "proud" of Hannibal. "To be fair, at least the kid's showing a bit of something," said Neville. "Honestly, it takes a young kid to come on and show the rest of them how to sprint to the ball and put a challenge in. I’m actually proud of him. Maybe Angel Di Maria has been he doesn’t like the idea of involved in over 200 goals Liverpool players passing in all competitions for Paris round him. I wish the rest of Saint-Germain. them were the same."

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MCDONALD’S DRIVE-THRU Score a goal against title-rivals Liverpool and then off to McDonald’s drive-thru for some happy meals.

Kevin De Bruyne shared a snippet of his family life.

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FOOTBALL LEGEND IN TORONTO In what caught many people by surprise, football legend Ronaldinho was in attendance for a Toronto FC match. While there he exchanged jerseys with Dwayne De Rosario, a former Toronto FC and Canada player. The very next day, he was courtside for a Toronto Raptors game.

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90TH MINUTE Sebastian took Judo lessons growing up but his love for soccer came out on top.

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Sebastien Haller (28) ➡ June 22 Club: Ajax Nation: Ivory Coast

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Rebekah Vardy attempted to sell a story about the arrest of footballer Danny Drinkwater to The Sun, the High Court has heard. But the court has been told that Vardy, the wife of Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, was turned down because the newspaper had already been leaked the story by an individual at the police station.

The claim has emerged as part of Vardy's ongoing 'Wagatha Christie' libel battle against Coleen Rooney, the wife of former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

Coleen Rooney has accused Rebekah Vardy of leaking her family's private information as well as false stories to The Sun – claiming she identified her as the culprit responsible following a sting operation on social media.

Vardy denies the accusations and is suing Rooney for libel.

US National Team & Chelsea FC R L P U C D L R O W D N S R O R C L T E T R R E Y A L P G O P D C W N G L O I I C C E W N S C C N E I S O E A D S S A A U U A C E C R C I L G C S A A G S Y L W R R S L A O G R S U E I E R C S L C O A D D C I A R N Y S S Y M E D A C A T N A E M D M A E T M O A R A E O U A Q N H N N A E A G S U D C L U O E U R S A O M N A O E T N P E S C C E L E B R A T I O N P B N C H E L S E A U B A A A U A T E U A U S T I N F C R P G N W S O E R T I R E N S A I L C A S T R I K E R E R G O C A D E A M E R I C A N R T S S E A D A O R E A T E R O L I I P N S N I E A P I L N S C S L S A N N N C A T A I O A N S E B L E E E A T N U A O B L A A A L S A P N I I T A A I R L N A A R I A D A T S O C G E S R L A N O I T A N C Q C R A A A M A S B L C N O A T T H R E N G L A N D W Q T S E G N U O Y E L I T A S R E V S

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TRUTHFUL NEWS Roberto Carlos has told a fan that Kylian Mbappe is joining Real Madrid in the summer during a revealing conversation. MBappe’s PSG contract is up at the end of the season, with the 23-yearold heavily linked with a blockbuster move to the Spanish giants. And it appears the deal is nearing completion. Well, that's according to Real legend Carlos who claims Mbappe is indeed heading to Madrid this summer. A fan asked the legendary Brazilian if the Frenchman is signing for Real, to which he replied: "Yes, he is."

MERSEYSIDE LOVE ALL AROUND Cristiano Ronaldo has thanked Liverpool supporters for their "respect and compassion" after a minute's applause was held for the Manchester United star and his family during the Manchester United Liverpool match at Anfield. Liverpool fans planned the gesture after Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez announced that their twin son had died during childbirth. Understandably, Ronaldo missed the match at Anfield, which ended in a 4-0 win for Liverpool. In the seventh minute of the game, all four stands of the stadium rose to applaud Ronaldo and his family, with Liverpool fans singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

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Club: Everton Nation: France

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BROTHERLY LOVE

IT’S FASHION

Kylian Mbappe and his brother Ethan could be the next brother duo to take the football world by storm, though it might be a few more years before we see them playing together as Ethan is 8 years younger.

Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips was spotted wearing some boots you are more likely to see on a catwalk runway then on the streets.

90TH MINUTE Kevin has his own clothing line called ‘KDB’.

Mohamed Salah (30) June 15 Club: Liverpool Nation: Egypt • Once met with a thief and gave him money in an effort to help him out.

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Lionel Messi (35) June 24 Club: Paris Saint-Germain Nation: Argentina • His first Barcelona contract was written and signed on a napkin.

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CONTRACTOR ... CHECK Everton Football Club has signed an agreement with Laing O’Rourke which will see the contractor deliver the next and final phase of development of the Club’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. A main construction contract, signed by both parties, will see Laing O’Rourke complete construction of the Club’s new 52,888-capacity waterfront stadium, while also providing Everton with greater certainty as to the cost of the remaining stages of the project.

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Real Madrid moved a step closer to the La Liga title on Wednesday with a 3-1 win at Osasuna. Madrid had to wait until the final minute of extra time to wrap up the match but it could have been a lot more comfortable for the visitors had striker Karim Benzema not missed two penalties in the space of seven second-half minutes. It was an uncharacteristically wasteful performance from Benzema and fans have spotted a hilarious moment in the final minute of the match when the striker was left for dead in foot race – not by an opposition player, but by Spanish referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.

After playing a forward ball to one of his teammates, Benzema then sprinted forward to join the counter-attack. De Burgos Bengoetxea, also keen to keep up with play, set off running alongside Benzema in the center of the pitch. The referee gradually pulled clear of the Frenchman, with the move eventually ending in a goal for Vazquez.

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300 James Ward-Prowse has made over 300 Premier League appearances. He is the seventh youngest player to reach this achievement.

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NAVAS WHO? Neymar showing off some of his goalkeeping skills as he dives over a bed and parries a ball away channeling his inner Keylor Navas.

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TENNIS MEETS FOOTBALL Tennis star Novak Djokovic did some keep-ups with PSG stars Neymar and Marco Verratti. One of them ended up dropping the ball, who do you think it was?

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LAST WORD

FOOTBALL IS ALL ABOUT ALCHEMY THERE IS NO MAGIC FORMULA FOR SUCCESS IN THIS SPORT, WRITES SUSY CAMPANALE, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN INGREDIENTS THAT WORKED IN ONE RECIPE WON’T FAIL IN ANOTHER SETTING.

FF

ootball is the most complex and unpredictable of sports precisely because there are so many different elements that need to come together. It is a team sport where one individual can do very little without help from their companions.

A single goal can secure victory, even when the other side has dominated possession and opportunities. It is a complex alchemy of ingredients and they need to be in the right environment to come together, which can change from one game to the next. We seem to forget that when judging a team, a player or a coach, but it’s worth remembering before launching outrageous accusations or flinging improbable praise.

Italy won UEFA EURO 2020 by being the best team in the competition, the most consistent and the side that ultimately deserved to lift that trophy at Wembley Stadium. The same squad failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, again, deservedly.

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ABOVE: No matter how many stars are thrown together, PSG can’t create that alchemy BOTTOM LEFT: Romelu Lukaku is one player at Inter and a totally different one at Chelsea BOTTOM RIGHT: Italy deserved to win EURO 2020 and did not earn their place at the 2022 World Cup

Both things can be true and do not negate each other. It was pitiful to see some people rewrite history, claiming the Azzurri’s victory just eight months earlier was a “fluke” and that Roberto Mancini ought to be sacked. A few even claimed Mancio had “achieved nothing” in his tenure, conveniently forgetting the 37-match all-time new unbeaten world record for a national team, which by the way was earned during the European Championship triumph.

Memories are short in football, we know that, but there’s more to the way people are evaluating and re-evaluating teams nowadays.

The assumption is that any success seen before was a stroke of luck, nothing more than a strange combination of events that weren’t deserved at all. You don’t see the same attitude in other walks of life or even sport, like an actor being in a terrible film and therefore the Oscar-winning performance earlier in his career was nothing but a lucky break.

Romelu Lukaku is a perfect example of this rather strange approach many people, especially on social media, take to evaluating football players. He was an excellent striker at Inter, essential to their Scudetto victory and prolific with the right kind of service provided to him by Antonio Conte’s team. Put him in a Chelsea shirt with totally different teammates and a manager in Thomas Tuchel who has the opposite tactical approach, the results are inevitably not going to be the same. That does not mean the Belgium international is a terrible player, nor that he only shone in Serie A because it is a ‘farmer’s league’, whatever that means. Put Lukaku in Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur and you’d get a very different performance.

In other areas, players have their own individual characteristics and cannot be expected to tick every box. Gianluigi Donnarumma has never been good with the ball at his feet, everyone knew that was a weakness, but he remains one of the finest shot-stoppers in the game.

Rather than damn him for not being able to dribble away from Karim Benzema, perhaps Paris Saint-Germain should focus more on not passing it back to him when he is under pressure from one of the best strikers in the world. Acknowledge different players have their own strengths and cannot simply be replicas of others.

Barcelona look like a totally different team since Xavi took over from Ronald Koeman in November 2021. Some of that was down to the club intervening in the January transfer window with the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traoré and Ferran Torres, not to mention still trying to fill the void left

by Lionel Messi last summer. There is such a special alchemy required for a football team to really work, a change of coach is the most obvious element you can adjust, as well as the easiest for a club to rely on, finding that scapegoat.

If you want to know why football is the most alchemic of all the sports, look at PSG. No matter how many coaches and superstar players come through Parc des Princes, they simply don’t gel as a unit. Every year their attempts to buy Champions League success are doomed to failure, because they are trying to throw together delicious ingredients that don’t work in conjunction, like a casserole with lamb, chocolate and crab meat. All tasty, just not in the same mouthful. What they need in Paris is some bread, legumes, perhaps rice to soak up the juices, to provide a balanced meal that won’t give their supporters indigestion.

Yet no matter how many times they falter, do you hear people saying Neymar, Kylian Mbappé or Messi are over-rated? Does anyone consider their previous successes a freak occurrence?

This is a team sport and there is no magic formula for success. That’s why we love it, and why it makes us suffer so.

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