European Super League: Fight for future of football to play out in European Court of Justice July 10, 2022 Luxembourg may not be a football superpower but it is in the tiny state over the next two days where the future of the game, and potentially many other sports besides, will be decided. Fifteen months on from its launch and swift collapse, the European Super League is to be the subject of a hearing [...]
Paris Saint-Germain exec blasts LaLiga: ‘The last person we’ll take lessons from is Javier Tebas’ June 16, 2022 Paris Saint-Germain executives have issued a withering retort to LaLiga president Javier Tebas after the Spanish football chief accused the French club of breaking financial rules. LaLiga announced on Tuesday that it has lodged a formal complaint about Qatar-owned PSG’s spending with European football’s governing body Uefa. It follows PSG retaining the services of superstar [...]
Champions League final: Trauma of Liverpool fans raises serious questions for Uefa May 29, 2022 When Uefa moved the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris three months ago in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the assumption was that it would result in the smooth execution of the biggest match in club football. Regrettably, the footage and testimony of many Liverpool fans and neutral observers who attended the [...]
Champions League final not about revenge over Real Madrid, says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp May 26, 2022 Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists revenge is not top of the agenda when his team face Real Madrid in the Champions League final again on Saturday. The Spanish giants beat Liverpool in the final four years ago, when Reds forward Mohamed Salah was forced off early with a shoulder injury sustained in a tangle with [...]
Manchester City were stupefied in Madrid. They need to find the smelling salts and fast May 5, 2022 Of all the astonishing facets of Real Madrid’s latest Champions League miracle this week, perhaps the eeriest was what it did to Manchester City’s players in the second leg of their semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu. Under Pep Guardiola, City have become one of the most meticulously orchestrated teams on the planet. They have swept [...]
Carlo Ancelotti: Management’s Mr Cool banishing his comeback demons with Real Madrid May 3, 2022 Carlo Ancelotti added yet another achievement to one of the best CVs in football at the weekend when his Real Madrid team, who face Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday night, won the Spanish title. It made former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and AC Milan coach Ancelotti the only manager ever [...]
Dominant English football clubs eye rare clean sweep of all three European trophies April 27, 2022 English clubs can complete a clean sweep of three European club trophies – Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League – this season, a feat not seen for more than 30 years, writes Frank Dalleres. Vienna, May 1990: Frank Rijkaard darts on to a pass round the corner from Marco van Basten, sprints clear [...]
Trevor Steven: If Liverpool pull off the quadruple the achievement will never be repeated April 26, 2022 Who is the best English club side of all time? The Liverpool of the 1970s? Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United? If the current Liverpool team can do the previously unthinkable and complete the quadruple over the next few weeks then it will unquestionably be them. Already EFL Cup winners, they are in the FA Cup [...]
Arsenal have reconnected with fans this season but on-field slump threatens to undo good work April 20, 2022 Since the dark days of lockdown, Arsenal have been engaged in a major branding exercise aimed at reconnecting with supporters. Club staff have conducted thousands of interviews with fans in the UK and overseas, particularly in Los Angeles and Shanghai, in an attempt to gauge what they had been doing right and where they had [...]
Trevor Steven: Chelsea must rise above off-field uncertainty against Real Madrid April 5, 2022 Chelsea go into their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid in a uniquely challenging position, because of the sanctions placed on their owner Roman Abramovich. Having been in a comfortable position for so long, there is now uncertainty surrounding the future of the club which will be affecting it from top to bottom. Until it [...]