Champions League draw: Best and worst case scenarios for Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle August 30, 2023 On the face of it, Thursday’s Champions League draw will be just like any other: a gathering of club suits for a glossy and unnecessarily long ceremony peppered with former stars of European football and stilted banter. But there will be something unique about this year’s draw: it will be the last to follow the [...]
Uefa outlaw long contract transfer loophole exploited by Chelsea June 29, 2023 Chelsea and other clubs will no longer be able to exploit a transfer loophole by handing new signings long contracts after Uefa outlawed the practice. Eight of Chelsea’s most recent signings, including Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and new arrival Christopher Nkunku joined on extra-long contracts, some lasting until 2031. The strategy helped the Blues to [...]
European football chief Ceferin plays down fears of talent drain to Saudi Pro League June 19, 2023 Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin insists he is not worried about the Saudi Pro League’s ambitious transfer policy stripping European football of its top stars. Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Neves have already followed Cristian Ronaldo in moving to Saudi, where a major investment programme from the Public Investment Fund is also reported to be [...]
Manchester City celebrate treble with bus parade in front of thousands June 12, 2023 The victorious Manchester City side who last Saturday secured a historic treble celebrated this evening with an open-top bus parade through the streets of Manchester. Players, as well as manager Pep Guardiola and other club staff, were seen atop a number of double decker buses. The parade was initially delayed due to bad weather but [...]
Trevor Steven: Manchester City won’t rest until they have caught Real Madrid June 11, 2023 By winning the Champions League for the first time, Manchester City have planted their flag in the history books and equalled Manchester United’s treble, but I don’t think this achievement is about legacy. It’s about how they become Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. And there isn’t a magic answer; it’s about sustained and absolutely [...]
Treble-winning Manchester City deserve more credit, says Pep Guardiola June 11, 2023 Pep Guardiola hopes Manchester City’s treble-clinching Champions League victory will see his team get the credit they deserve for an era of extraordinary success. City edged out Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul on Saturday night to become kings of Europe for the first time and only the second English team to complete the continental treble. [...]
Man City vs Man United 1999: How would 2023 treble stack up? June 4, 2023 As the result of a match, where a trophy was up for grabs, turned Manchester blue yet again, City went within one win of an iconic treble – something English football has not seen since United’s feat in 1998-1999. So with their 2-1 FA Cup final win over United leaving Pep Guardiola’s side two thirds [...]
Guardiola: My Manchester City legacy is already exceptional May 16, 2023 Pep Guardiola insists his legacy at Manchester City is “already exceptional” despite his team’s failure to win a European trophy. City can take a major step towards remedying that when they face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Etihad Stadium tonight, having drawn 1-1 in Madrid last week. [...]
Trevor Steven: Treble is in sight for Pep Guardiola’s best Manchester City team yet May 16, 2023 Manchester City couldn’t ask for a much better chance to beat Real Madrid and reach another Champions League final than the one they face tomorrow. City are fortunate to have home advantage for a second leg in which they know exactly what they will have to do, having drawn 1-1 in Spain last week. After [...]
Carlo Ancelotti concocting plan to beat ‘unstoppable’ Manchester City May 9, 2023 Carlo Ancelotti has challenged his Real Madrid team to beat an “unstoppable” Manchester City side when the Champions League heavyweights collide in the semi-finals on Tuesday. Treble-chasing City have hit top form in the run-in and head to the Spanish capital with 15 wins and a draw from their last 16 games. Top scorer Erling [...]