Champions League: Barcelona on brink ahead of Bayern Munich trip December 8, 2021 The last time that Barcelona were absent from the Champions League knockout stages, Lionel Messi was yet to make his debut and Gavi, the club’s newest star, hadn’t even been born. But 18 years later that scenario could come to pass again on Wednesday evening, depending on the outcome of the club’s make-or-break final Group [...]
PSG midfielder in custody over team-mate attack investigation November 10, 2021 Paris Saint-Germain Feminine’s Aminata Diallo has been taken into police custody following an alleged attack on a her team-mate Kheira Hamraoui . The PSG midfielder is accused of hiring masked men to injure Hamraoui to reduce competition for playing time. According to French media, Hamraoui was dragged out of her car by two men and [...]
Uefa hands clubs power over Champions League rights in joint venture with ECA October 13, 2021 Uefa will take a step into the unknown on Thursday when it formally launches its search for an agency to help it make more money from the men’s Champions League. European football’s governing body has worked hand in glove with its favoured partner, Team Marketing, since the inception of its flagship competition almost 30 years [...]
Why Spain’s LaLiga believes Uefa and other leagues should follow its lead October 1, 2021 Spain has a long and rich tradition of shaping how football is played. It has given us the great Real Madrid sides of the 1950s; Pep Guardiola and his all-conquering Barcelona; the national team who swept all major men’s international tournaments from 2008 to 2012; tiki-taka. Britain may be the birthplace of the game but [...]
Juventus v Chelsea: Fallen Old Lady setting out on road to recovery September 29, 2021 Juventus have endured a more turbulent year than most clubs yet there ought to be some spring back in the step of the Old Lady when they face Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday. Over the last few days, the most successful team in the history of Italian football have recorded significant victories off [...]
Paris Saint-Germain boast bigger stars but Man City have found better way to spend their billions September 27, 2021 The subplots will be as numerous as the superstars when Paris Saint-Germain host Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. It’s Qatar v Abu Dhabi in the battle of the state-backed modern-day mega-clubs. Mauricio Pochettino v Pep Guardiola. El Cashico, if you absolutely must. Fitness permitting, and perhaps most intriguingly of all, it [...]
Champions League 2021-22: Which are the easiest and hardest groups? September 14, 2021 The Champions League returns in earnest this evening when the group stage gets under way, with holders Chelsea mong those in action. Despite the use of a seeding system to make the draw fairer, some groups appear to pack a lot more pedigree than others. So which is the hardest Champions League group and which [...]
A brief history of cryptocurrency in football – and how blockchain technology might shape our experience of the game in future August 30, 2021 Bitcoin and cryptocurrency have reimagined finance and money as concepts. Now more than ever, however, blockchain technology and, more specifically, NFTs and tokens are disrupting everything else. And that includes human culture. NFTs especially have captivated millions of people around the world. This is because we, as humans, have an innate desire to collect and [...]
Uefa chief Ceferin hails ‘correct decision’ as away goals rule is scrapped from European club football June 24, 2021 European football is breaking with more than 50 years of tradition and scrapping the away goals rule. Uefa has used the away goals rule to separate teams who finished level after a two-legged tie since 1965. Instead, from next season Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League ties that finish level will go straight [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Ukraine told to change Russia-baiting Euro 2020 kit; Germany muscles in on London NFL patch; beIN and Channel 4 bag rights deals June 10, 2021 Euro 2020 may not have started yet but it has already kicked off between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine tweaked the nose of Russia earlier this week when it revealed a Moscow-baiting new football kit, to be worn at Euro 2020. The yellow shirt features a map of Ukraine that includes Crimea, which Russia annexed in [...]