Soccer 360 Issue 95: November / December 2021 Holiday Issue by Soccer 360 Magazine

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MAGAZINE

RONALDO RETURNS TO MANCHESTER

CARLI LLOYD

COUNTING DOWN HER GREATEST MOMENTS

HOLIDAY WISH LIST

DREAMING BIG

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY ATTENTION SHIFTS, REAL DEALS, GAME-BREAKING COMPETITION, & MORE HARDWARE

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

ALPHONSO DAVIES MAKING WAVES FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY

“SMALLER” TEAMS MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE BIG THREE

MLS X LIGA MX

STRENGTHENING THEIR TIES ISSUE #95 $10.95 Display until January 4, 2022

SOCCER360

MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 95

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

6 WHAT'S INSIDE... EUROPE 10 16 34 58

english premier league 06 THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS 18 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

serie a

22 NEW OWNERS FOR OLD FOOL 26 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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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CHANGING OF THE GUARD NATIONS LEAGUE SPOTLIGHT HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS 2021 HOLIDAY WISH LIST

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

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Dale Evans

48 MLS X LIGA MX 50 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

WOMEN'S SOCCER

54 TOP 10 WOMEN PLAYERS 56 THE GREAT CARLI LLOYD

EXTRAS

04 FIRST WORD 62 NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE 80 LAST WORD

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MAGAZINE 95

HOLIDAY WISH LIST

DREAMING BIG

CARLI LLOYD

COUNTING DOWN HER GREATEST MOMENTS

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY ATTENTION SHIFTS, REAL DEALS, GAME-BREAKING COMPETITION, & MORE HARDWARE

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

44 WHERE TO FIND US 2

ALPHONSO DAVIES

56 We're on all of the major platforms

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

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MAKING WAVES FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY

“SMALLER” TEAMS MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE BIG THREE

MLS X LIGA MX

STRENGTHENING THEIR TIES

COVER FEATURE: RONALDO RETURNS TO MANCHESTER UTD.

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FIRST WORD

LESS CAN BE MORE

‘THE DESIRE TO PROMOTE FOOTBALL OUTSIDE OF THE TRADITIONAL POWERHOUSES IS A GOOD THING’

ALTHOUGH SOME PEOPLE ARE PUSHING FOR AN EVEN MORE PACKED FOOTBALL CALENDAR, GABY MCKAY BELIEVES LESS CAN CERTAINLY BE MORE

t’s not often that football’s governing bodies get something right, but UEFA’s new Nations League tournament has proved to be a rousing success. Largely doing away with the meaningless friendlies which used to blight the international calendar, the competition has brought a number of benefits. As well as allowing the smaller teams on the continent a chance to progress by playing against each other - and potentially reaching a major tournament at the end - the Nations League means more competitive fixtures between Europe’s top nations. It may not be a European Championship or World Cup but if you can’t enjoy Italy versus Spain or Belgium against France with an actual trophy on the line, then football really may not be the sport for you. Of course, we can’t always expect such good decision making from those who run the sport. Although international football in Europe has been given a much-needed revival, a number of plans have appeared on the horizon to suck all the joy out of things. The ethical issues involved with holding the World Cup in Qatar are well documented and persist, though even if the concerns raised by the likes of Amnesty International and Human

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

‘PLAYERS ARE HUMAN BEINGS WITH HUMAN LIMITATIONS’ Rights Watch should remain centre stage, one rather expects the narrative to be drowned once the actual tournament kicks off. In terms of the action on the pitch, World Cup 2022 will be the last in the current 32-team format as FIFA continue to tinker with a tournament most people thought was absolutely fine as it was. From 2026, a total of 48 teams will compete in the finals, with the group stage revised to a frankly ludicrous 16 groups of three teams. While the desire to promote football outside of the traditional powerhouses of Europe and South America is a good thing, simply adding more teams to the tournament risks a bloated competition and, indeed, a format which does not work. With groups of three teams in which the top two progress to the last 32, the potential for collusion is clear, such as in the infamous ‘disgrace of Gijon’ at World Cup 1982, where Germany beat Austria 1-0 in a result which suited both down to the ground, sending them both through and eliminating a furious Algeria. Sound good? How about playing it twice as often? That’s the proposal on the table from world football’s governing body, spearheaded by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Instead of a tournament every four years, the expanded World Cup would be held every two, with a truncated qualification phase. Never mind the fact that UEFA, CONMEBOL, the World Leagues Forum, the European Club Association and others including FIFPro, the global players' union, are against it - more football can only be a good thing, right? Again, there is a fair defence here in terms of the global game. At its core, FIFA’s job is to promote football around the world. Holding their flagship tournament every two years may well be about the money, but that money will boost the coffers of smaller associations around the world, many of which don’t even have a professional league.

ABOVE: The European Super League was rightly killed off in a matter of days – but Florentino Perez refuses to let go LEFT: The 2026 World Cup will be expanded to 48 countries BELOW: The new Nations League tournament has been a success, as Mbappe kisses the Trophy

In Europe and South America the cash already flows, so it’s no surprise they’re against it. One doesn’t have to think too hard to imagine what Wenger would have made of the plan while still Arsenal boss, but it’s the support of the rest of the 211 FIFA members which will surely see the plans pass. At that point, do UEFA continue to hold the European Championships every four years? What about the Copa America? At a certain point we’re just squeezing even more out of players who, well paid though they may be at the top of the game, are human beings with human limitations. More football might sound like a good thing, sure, but not when those playing it are out on their feet. And, of course, there’s one rather crucial stakeholder that hasn’t been consulted. If you’re reading this it’s safe to assume you’re a football fan - has anyone ever bothered to ask for your opinion on such radical changes?

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CR7

“EVERYONE WHO KNOWS ME, KNOWS ABOUT MY NEVERENDING LOVE FOR MANCHESTER UNITED”

CRISTIANO RONALDO HAS CALLED HIS RETURN TO MANCHESTER UNITED ‘A DREAM COME TRUE’. OLI COATES TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT PAVED THE PORTUGUESE SUPERSTAR’S PATH BACK TO OLD TRAFFO RD AND ASKS WHETHER THIS WILL BE THE FAIRYTALE ENDING THE PLAYER DREAMS OF.

THE PRODIGAL SON

RETURNS

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

RONALDO & MESSI 'S FINAL CHAPTER

here’s rarely room for sentiment in football. Indeed, it appeared that Cristiano Ronaldo was about to impose irreparable damage upon his Manchester United legacy by joining their local rivals, Manchester City. However, on one of the most astonishing days in footballing transfer history, there was a remarkable swing in the narrative as Ronaldo made an emotional return to Old Trafford instead. It’s been 12 years since the Portuguese superstar left Man United for Real Madrid in a world record deal. Ronaldo had become the best player in the world in Manchester under Sir Alex Ferguson, helping the Red Devils win three successive Premier League titles in his last three seasons at the club, in addition to the Champions League in 2008. Ronaldo scored 42 goals in 49 appearances in 2007-08, which led to him winning his first Ballon d’Or. Four more of those would follow in Madrid, where he would become Real’s record goalscorer with an astonishing 450 goals in 438 appearances. More than a century of those came in the Champions League, as Ronaldo helped fire Los Blancos to four European titles in five years, as well as two La Liga crowns and two Copa del Rey triumphs. The recent explosion in the transfer market meant that Madrid managed to turn a profit after nine seasons in the Spanish capital, as a 33-yearold Ronaldo moved to Juventus in the summer of 2018. He would go on to score 101 goals in 134 appearances for the Old Lady, winning Serie A in his first two seasons and claiming the Capocannoniere award as the top scorer in Italy’s top flight in 2020-21. He would also win the Golden Boot at this summer’s rearranged Euro 2020. However, last season was a poor one for Juventus on the whole, as they failed to claim a 10th successive Scudetto under Andrea Pirlo. The Bianconeri eventually finished fourth and only scraped into the Champions League on the final day of the campaign. This led some Juve supporters to turn on Ronaldo, claiming his obsession with his personal records and stats was to the detriment of the team as a whole. What this ignores, though, is the contribution that Ronaldo did make at the Allianz Stadium. His unerring quest for personal greatness is intertwined with his team being successful on the pitch. It’s no coincidence that Juve’s decline as a European force has been met with Ronaldo’s desire to seek a new challenge. Portugal’s – and international football’s – record goalscorer surprisingly became available this summer, after informing Juventus of his intention to leave the club. He was unhappy in Turin, with agent Jorge Mendes sounding out Europe’s top clubs in a bid to drum up interest in his biggest client among the select few who could afford him.

Oli Coates wonders how the final chapter of one of football’s greatest rivalries is going to pan out.

TOP: Cristiano Ronaldo has made an emotional return to Manchester United TOP RIGHT: Messi and Ronaldo ABOVE: Cristiano Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appearances for Manchester United in his first spell at Old Trafford LEFT: Cristiano Ronaldo smashed in a memorable free-kick against Portsmouth

There may be epilogues yet to write with Cristiano Ronaldo consistently linked with an MLS swan song and Lionel Messi with an emotional return to boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys. But as two of the foremost figures in European football, it’s time for two of the game’s greatest ever players to start etching their final stories in the sport’s history. The rivalry between these two titans began in 2008, when Ronaldo’s Manchester United knocked out Messi’s Barcelona in the semifinals of the Champions League. The Red Devils went on to lift the trophy, while Ronaldo was crowned the world’s best player in being awarded the Ballon d’Or. The following season, Messi’s Barca beat Ronaldo’s United in the 2009 Champions League final, with the Argentine also claiming the Ballon d’Or. That final would prove to be Ronaldo’s final game for United, before moving to Real Madrid for a world record fee. In terms of the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry, it was lift-off. The two players spurred each other on to unbelievable heights, as Ronaldo became Madrid’s record scorer with 450 goals in 438 appearances, and Messi Barcelona’s with 672 goals in 778 appearances. The pair would share the Ballon d’Or between them over the course of an entire decade, before Croatian midfielder Luka Modric finally ended their duopoly in 2018. Ronaldo was last crowned the planet’s best player in 2017, with Messi claiming that particular crown in 2019. Of the two, Messi would appear to be best placed to add to his personal collection after joining Paris Saint-Germain this summer, as the Ligue 1 sides were immediately installed as Champions League favourites in the wake of his arrival. Messi also ended his tortuous wait for an international trophy this summer in lifting the Copa America with Argentina. Ronaldo ticked that box when he captained Portugal to glory at Euro 2016, while he also won the Golden Boot at this summer’s European Championship at the age of 36. Messi may be two years younger than Ronaldo at 34, but this feels like the last big moves the pair will make in their quest for glory in the twilight of their careers. If Ronaldo can inspire United to a Premier League or Champions League crown, it would go down as one of his greatest achievements. Success is expected of PSG on the domestic front, but finally delivering the Champions League for the club is where Messi’s success at the Parc des Princes will be judged. Things are never dull with Ronaldo and Messi. It would be most remarkable if their final chapters failed to live up to what’s gone before. Surprise endings, heroes and villains shall be written, as both men strive for the storybook culmination to their record-breaking careers. SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

CR7

THINGS

‘RONALDO IS ON AN UNERRING QUEST FOR PERSONAL GREATNESS’

The University of British Columbia in Canada offers a sociology course about Cristiano Ronaldo.

ABOVE: The Portuguese forward won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid BELOW: Cristiano Ronaldo was the top scorer in Serie A last season with 29 goals in 33 games

Man City were interested and looked set to pull off a major coup in signing one of their local rivals’ most revered figures, with Ronaldo seemingly agreeing to return to the Premier League and have another crack at the Champions League. However, as United realised Ronaldo really could go to City, they had no choice but to step in. It was unthinkable that they let one of their greatest ever players cross the Manchester divide, even at the age of 36. For this is no ordinary 36-year-old, and following an extraordinary day of twists and turns, United brought home their prodigal son. There had been a significant charm offensive behind the scenes, which helped to grease the wheels of the move. As well as current United star Bruno Fernandes and ex-players such as Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra getting involved, legendary manager Ferguson also called Ronaldo and played a major role in convincing his former player to return. Ronaldo acknowledged this with an emotional social media post when his move to United was completed, referencing his ‘never-ending love for

Manchester United’. After stating his return to Old Trafford was ‘absolutely 100% the stuff that dreams are made of’, he would sign off with ‘PS Sir Alex, this one is for you’. Of course, current Reds boss and Ronaldo’s former teammate Solskjaer was also personally involved in the outpouring of affection. What the Norwegian is getting is a very different player from the one he played with at Old Trafford though. The modern Ronaldo is no longer a tricky winger with the erratic end product of his early years. He is a deadly finisher who primarily operates between the width of the penalty area, sniffing out chances and possessing an unerring finish. United are very much in need of a striker this season. Edinson Cavani has proven a massive hit since arriving last year but cannot play every game at 34, while Mason Greenwood is still in his formative years and with inconsistency often an issue with youngsters, he shouldn’t be relied on for the goals that appear to come so naturally to him. Ronaldo’s influence at the club will be felt both on and off the pitch. He brings a winning

Ronaldo is the fourth footballer after Steven Gerrard, Pele and David Beckham to be represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London.

3. He is one of the two footballers to have scored a goal in each minute of a game.

Many football fans only know him as Cristiano Ronaldo, however, when you dig deeper, you will find his name is a little longer. His actual name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro. You may have known that, but what you may not have known is he was named after Ronald Regan, a former U.S President who was greatly loved by Ronaldo's father.

5. Turns out, having a course about

you at a university isn't quite enough. Ronaldo has a museum in Funchal that is dedicated to his life, career, rare photos, trophies, and awards that he has won over the years. What a great way to be reminded you're the best than by a museum showcasing all your accomplishments.

6. Ronaldo became the first billionaire footballer in history as his net worth touched the ten-digit landmark in 2019.

The Puskas award was created in 2009 to reward the best goal of the year. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to win the coveted award in 2009. He won the award after he scored an impressively bewildering goal against FC Porto during the semifinals of the Champions League.

8. Ronaldo's jump generates five times

‘A RARE TALE OF ROMANTICISM WITHIN THE HARD-NOSED WORLD OF FOOTBALL’ 8

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

more power than that of a wild Cheetah as it jumps in full flight. This speed allows him to reach a height of 44cm in the air, which is more than what an average NBA player can do.

FIVE OTHER RETURNING HEROES

Cristiano Ronaldo is far from the first legendary figure to return to the club where he made his name. Oli Coates picks out five other returning heroes who made the move back to their former stomping grounds.

mentality, enormous commercial appeal and an insatiable thirst for trophies. In a squad that’s short on getting over the line in big competitions, he will be a shining light for every single member of the United squad in terms of what it means to be a winner. The Portuguese will demand excellence from everyone around him. In moving back to the Premier League, Ronaldo clearly has complete confidence in himself that he can still deliver on the biggest stages. He showed that in Serie A and at the Euros. Now it’s back to Old Trafford and a rare tale of romanticism within the hardnosed world of football. United’s squad welcomed him with open arms, and he’s sure to be an inspiration to players such as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Greenwood. Like Cavani, his movement in the box will be a joy for the likes of Paul Pogba and Fernandes, while his arrival could even motivate Anthony Martial to finally realise his potential. Either way, Ronaldo made a clear statement of intent in his first game back at United, scoring a remarkable brace in a 4-1 win against Newcastle United. The Old Trafford faithful sang his name for much of the 90 minutes, not to mention in the pubs and bars of Manchester long before and after the final whistle. The Portugal captain went on to score six

goals in his first five games back at United, including a dramatic last-minute winner in their 2-1 comeback victory over Villarreal in the Champions League. That goal came on the back of a quiet performance, but Solskjaer stuck with Ronaldo despite also bringing on Cavani as a late substitute, choosing to take off youngsters Greenwood and Sancho instead. This sums up in a nutshell what Ronaldo is all about. Many great strikers can be kept quiet for large periods, but when a chance falls in the big moments, there’s no one in world football you’d want on the end of it more than Ronaldo. At the end of the day, it’s all about him. And his muscles. But if the man keeps delivering, there can be no issues with him being the centre of attention and the one player a manager needs to keep happy above all the rest. Whether or not Ronaldo can continue to deliver, it’s sure to be a fascinating season on the red side of Manchester. There can be few excuses for Solskjaer if he fails to mount a sustained title challenge. Ronaldo could prove a transformative figure in so many ways, but the top of the Premier League is as tough as it’s been since the Portugal great left. If he can inspire United to a major trophy, Ronaldo could have the dream end to his career he no doubt envisions.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC - MILAN Ibrahimovic scored 56 goals in 85 appearances in his first spell at Milan, before moving on to Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and LA Galaxy. He returned to San Siro in 2019, and remains one of Europe’s biggest draws and most accomplished strikers, closing in on the Rossoneri’s top 10 record goalscorers.

ABOVE: Ronaldo was also the top scorer at Euro 2020, winning the Golden Boot after scoring five goals in four games TOP RIGHT: Zlatan Ibrahimovic BOTTOM RIGHT: Drogba winning the Champions League with Chelsea BOTTOM: All-time greats Ronaldo and Messi have both been involved in remarkable transfers this summer

THIERRY HENRY - ARSENAL Arsene Wenger turned Henry into one of the finest forwards of his generation, becoming Arsenal’s record scorer with 226 goals in 370 games. After moving to Barcelona, there was an emotional return to Arsenal in 2012 on a two-month loan from the New York Red Bulls, where he scored two goals in seven games. DIDIER DROGBA - CHELSEA Drogba helped Chelsea win the Premier League in each of his first two seasons at the club. The Ivorian starred against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final in his last game for the Blues, before returning to Stamford Bridge for one season in 2014 and winning the league again. CLAUDIO PIZARRO - WERDER BREMEN Pizarro just couldn’t get enough of Bremen. The Peruvian striker had four separate spells at the club, finally ending his career with Die Werderaner in 2020 on the back of a two-year spell at the Weserstadion. He delivered the goods throughout his time at Werder, scoring a total of 152 goals in 320 appearances. KAKA - MILAN AND SAO PAULO Brazilian maestro Kaka won Serie A, the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or at Milan, before heading to Real Madrid for big money in 2009. He returned to San Siro after a less successful four-year spell in the Spanish capital, staying for one season before heading back on loan to his first club, Sao Paulo, after joining MLS outfit Orlando City.

‘THINGS ARE NEVER DULL WITH RONALDO AND MESSI’ SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

EUROPEAN SPOTLIGHT

THIS YEAR’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HAS A DIFFERENT FEEL TO IT THANKS TO THE UNCONVENTIONAL DOMESTIC RESULTS IN 2020-21. GREG MURRAY ASSESSES WHETHER THE BLOCKBUSTER GROUP STAGE FIXTURES HAVE OPENED THE DOOR FOR THE SMALLER TEAMS TO MAKE THEIR MARK ON THE COMPETITION.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD ‘THERE ARE NUMEROUS GROUPS OF DEATH IN THIS SEASON’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, SUCH AS GROUP B’

‘THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HAS PRODUCED SOME UNBALANCED GROUPS’

espite football returning to a semblance of normality last season, albeit with no fans inside stadiums, many of Europe’s top-six league tables did not look as expected. In fact, only the Premier League and Bundesliga were won by the bookmakers’ favourites, with Inter Milan ending Juventus’s domination in Italy, Atletico Madrid break the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly in Spain, Sporting Lisbon securing their first league crown in 20 years and Lille taking the Ligue 1 title away from Paris Saint-Germain against all odds. As a result of the unconventional seeding, this year’s edition of the UEFA Champions League has produced some of the most unbalanced groups in the history of the competition. On one hand, Groups B, D and E contain over 80% of the winning clubs since the year 2000, while no teams from Groups A, C, or G have triumphed in the same period. This means that while some of the so-called top sides in European football are facing off in fixtures normally reserved for the knockout rounds, there is an opportunity for unknown clubs to progress through to the latter stages. Of course, past victories in the competition are a poor indicator of a team’s current strength, with Group A the prime example. In a twist of fate, the last two Champions League runnersup, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have been drawn together, alongside up-andcoming German side RB Leipzig and Belgian champions Club Brugge. This summer’s headlines were dominated by Lionel Messi’s move to French giants PSG and his reunion with Neymar. The Champions League has been just beyond the grasp of the Parisians since the Qatar Sports Investments takeover and Maurizio Pochettino will hope

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

ABOVE: Lionel Messi settles September’s clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City LEFT: Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe are stirring things up in the Champions League BOTTOM: Atalanta's players celebrate at the end of the UEFA Champions League group F soccer match between Atalanta B.C. and BSC Young Boys

‘ATALANTA ARE ENJOYING THEIR THIRD CONSECUTIVE SEASON IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE’

2021-2022

LEFT: Liverpool edged their game against Milan 3-2 BELOW, LEFT: FC Sheriff Tiraspol's defenders Danilo Arboleda (L) and Gustavo Dulanto celebrate after defeating Real Madrid

GROUPS

BELOW, RIGHT: Real Madrid's striker Karim Benzema dissapointed after Real Madrid's loss to FC Sheriff Tiraspol

GROUP A Manchester City Paris Saint-Germain Leipzig Club Brugge

BOTTOM RIGHT: Harry Kane continues to score in any league he plays in

GROUP B Atletico Madrid Liverpool Porto Milan

FAR LEFT (SIDEBAR): Inter Milan’s Arturo Vidal celebrates after scoring the 2-1 goal during the UEFA Champions League group D soccer match between FC Inter and FC Sheriff Tiraspol

GROUP C Sporting CP Borussia Dortmund Ajax Besiktas GROUP D Inter Real Madrid Shakhtar Donetsk Sheriff Tiraspol

GROUP E Bayern Barcelona Benfica Dynamo Kyiv

that the arrival of the Ballon d’Or favourite will be the catalyst needed to take the club to the next step. Early evidence suggests that this could well be the case, as despite underwhelming domestically, it was his delicious left-footed strike that secured their 2-0 win against Manchester City, the team that ended their Champions League dream last season. Messi’s departure was not just to PSG’s gain, but stripped Barcelona of their greatest asset, in a turbulent summer for the Blaugrana. Unfortunately for the Catalan club, the Champions League draw made matters worse as they were placed into Group E alongside their recent tormentors Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga champions won the competition as recently as 2020 and have shown their early ambition, beating Barcelona 3-0 while barely moving out of first gear in their opening game. Matchday two ended equally badly for Ronald Koeman’s side, as their trip to Benfica also ended in a 3-0 loss, their first ever defeat to the Portuguese side. Benfica have not won a European Cup in 60 years and haven’t got past the group stage since 2016, however, with Barcelona pointless after two games Jorge Jesus will have his eye on a second-placed finish.

Another group of European heavyweights pits recent winners Liverpool, La Liga champions Atletico Madrid and the most recent Portuguese Champions League winners Porto alongside AC Milan, who boast the second-most European Cups in history. Unfortunately for the Rossoneri, their return to the competition after eight years didn’t initially go as planned, after opening with consecutive defeats against their English and Spanish opponents. Group B started very much as expected, as Jurgen Klopp’s side carried their unbeaten domestic run into their European campaign. Likewise, despite failing to reach the heights of last season, Atletico Madrid look likely to secure their second-placed position in the table, ending the Champions League dream for Milan and Porto. Despite and in many ways because of the high-octane action of the blockbuster groups, the less-established sides have entertained in evenly-matched contests against teams of a similar level. Group C in particular has drawn together historic Champions League winners Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Sporting with current Turkish Super Lig champions Besiktas. Ajax and Dortmund have both had impressive Champions League runs over the last decade,

GROUP F Villareal Manchester United Atalanta Young Boys

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: LIKE IT OR LOATHE IT As the UEFA Europa Conference League makes its bow, Greg Murray takes a look at how the competition stacks up This season’s inaugural edition of the Europa Conference League has generated mixed emotions across the world of football. The duality of responses to UEFA’s third-tier tournament is perhaps best captured by Tottenham Hotspur, with Eric Dier claiming that Spurs ‘should be above’ it within a week of Harry Kane espousing the benefits of the extra minutes and a confidence-boosting hat-trick. The main benefit though is arguably off the pitch, particularly for smaller clubs, with the competition likely to be supported at boardroom level. Financially speaking, simply playing in the group stage earns a club £3m, a run through to the final is another £4m, while winning is rewarded with £5m. Furthermore, the champions are handed a direct route into the group stage of the following season’s Europa League, presenting an even more lucrative financial package. This may all appear of little benefit to teams of the stature of Tottenham or Roma, but can make a real difference to many of the clubs involved. The main complaint therefore is on the impact of the sheer amount of football played. Unlike the Champions League and Europa League, there is a play-off round, not to mention a preliminary knockout round, meaning that the minimum number of games played to win the Conference League comes to 15, while the maximum is an astounding 23. Whereas teams in UEFA’s primary competition have the squad depth and financial incentives to compensate for the workload, this may not be the case for the teams that finish seventh in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A or La Liga. As a result, managers will have to decide how to prioritise this new competition alongside domestic football. At best it ends up a lesser version of the Europa League, at worst an under-21 showcase.

GROUP G Lille Sevilla Salzburg Wolfsburg GROUP H Chelsea Juventus Zenit Malmo The top two teams of each group will advance to the round of 16. The third-placed teams will be transferred to the Europa League knockout round play-offs, while the fourth-placed teams will be eliminated from European competitions for the season.

‘SHERIFF TIRASPOL DID THE UNTHINKABLE BY BEATING REAL MADRID AT THE SANTIAGO BERNABEU’ SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

EUROPEAN SPOTLIGHT

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STORY LINES MESSI THRIVING AT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DESPITE LIGUE 1 STRUGGLE While the Argentine waits to get accustomed to the dynamics of Ligue 1, he has shown contrasting form in the Champions League thus far. He has scored three goals in as many matches for PSG in the UCL, including a brilliant goal against Manchester City and a brace against RB Leipzig. CRISTIANO RONALDO: MANCHESTER UNITED’S KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in all three matches for Manchester United in the Champion’s League this season, and on two of those occasions, he scored late to claim all three points for the Red Devils. Ronaldo scored a last gasp goal against Villarreal to win it 2-1 for United. On the next matchday, Ronaldo struck in the final minutes of the game to complete a 3-2 comeback against Atalanta.

‘CHELSEA’S TRIUMPH SHOWED THE BEST TEAM DOESN’T ALWAYS WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE’

AC MILAN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RETURN MIGHT END IN A GROUP STAGE KNOCKOUT AC Milan ended their seven-year Champions League hiatus this season. But, the Rossoneri are highly unlikely to make it to the next round of the competition after losing all three of their opening matches. The seven-time European champions lie at the bottom of Group B, as Liverpool occupy the top spot with 9 points. Atletico Madrid and Porto both have four points.

but have been curtailed recently by meeting the socalled big sides early on. Dortmund have seen their run brought to an end by the eventual runners-up for two years in a row, but with a great chance of topping this group, Die Schwarzgelben may be rewarded with an easier route to the final. From the fans’ point of view, this provides the opportunity to watch more of a team boasting the exciting talents of Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Giovanni Reyna. Furthermore, given that there have been just five different Champions League winners in the last decade, the possibility of a slightly different matchup in this year’s final would prevent the competition from growing stale – providing stark contrast to calls for a European Super League seeking to exclude the historically less successful clubs. However, after the first few rounds it appears that the unconventional seeding isn’t the only

BAYERN SHAPING UP TO BE THE TEAM TO BEAT FC Bayern have earned 9 points from their first three games of this season's UEFA Champions League, scoring 12 goals and conceding none - this is the best start to a Champions League season for the club, and the joint-best overall in the competition.

TOP: Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea lifts the trophy as he and teammates celebrate after winning the UEFA Champions League ABOVE: Chelsea secured an unlikely second European title last season LEFT: Chelsea also won the Champion's League in 2012

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

SHERIFF LIVING THE DREAM Who could have thought that Sheriff, a Moldovan National Division team, would top a group consisting of Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Shakhtar Donetsk halfway through the group stages? But, Sheriff have done the unthinkable as they picked up back-to-back wins against Shakhtar and Real. Despite losing to Inter in the third game, Sheriff held on to the top spot of Group C after matchday three.

2021-2022

TOPEUROPA SERIE A LEAGUE PICKS – FIRST IMPRESSIONS

DATES TO KNOW

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.

GROUP STAGE: September 14 December 8 ROUND OF 16: February 15 March 16 QUARTER FINALS: April 5 -13 SEMI FINALS: April 26 - May 4

‘TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR’S ERIC DIER CLAIMED SPURS ‘SHOULD BE ABOVE’ THE EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE’

FINALS: May 28 ABOVE: Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (L) and teammate Eric Dier TOP RIGHT: Caglar Soyuncu of Leicester City in action during the UEFA Europa League group C soccer match RIGHT: Villarreal lift the Europa League after beating favourites Manchester United in the final

GROUP STAGE: September 16 December 9 KNOCKOUT PLAYOFFS: February 17 - 24 ROUND OF 16: March 10 - 17 QUARTER FINALS: April 7 -14 SEMI FINALS: April 28 - May 5 FINALS: May 18

BOTTOM RIGHT: Celtic are regular fixtures in the Europa League knockout stages BOTTOM: Manchester United and Villarreal battling for the ball during last season’s Europa League final.

thing negating the arguments in favour of establishing the Super League. In Group D, Sheriff Tiraspol, the first Moldovan club to ever play in the Champions League, have done the unthinkable by beating Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Thanks to an opening day victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff, whose entire squad was valued at €12m before the competition, sat top of a group that also contains 2010 winners Inter Milan after the first two rounds of matches. Elsewhere, in Group F, Atalanta are proving that they do not need an easy group in order to progress in the Champions League. The Italian club are currently enjoying their third consecutive season in the competition

GROUP STAGE: September 16 December 9

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 Murray runs the rulethe over the early ifGreg coach Max Allegri takes shackles off stages ofhis the 2021-22players. Europa League attacking The EuropaOLIVIER League has not traditionally GIROUD been a competition known forhas surprise The France World Cup Winner finally results,inwith either a Spanish English arrived Serie A having been or linked with team to lifting the trophyfor foryears the last a move the peninsula and10will years. However, this fellow campaign has striker already now team up with veteran strayed from the expected path. Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will be tasked Rangers and the Celtic, who areand regular with providing firepower linkup fixtures in the knockout both sat play for the Rossoneri to stages, compete in both bottom of their respective groups the Champions League and Serieafter A. two matches, yet to pick up a point. With a long way to go, DUMFRIES the Scottish teams DENZEL still have opportunity to redeem Wing back the Dumfries showcased the full themselves, need to start winning or array of hisbut skills during the summer’s risk being in real trouble. European Championship despite Group C, which fans and pundits the Netherlands crashing out of alike the expected to to bethe dominated by Leicester tournament Czech Republic. The City and Napoli, particularly 25-year-old scoredhas twice and looksgone ready offfi -script. Those sides by hadAchraf just one point to ll the gap vacated Hakimi’s apiece after two games, with Legia departure to PSG. Warsaw dominating the group with two wins. HavingVICTOR been among the favourites to OSIMHEN win competition the Thethe Nigerian striker outright, had a bit one of aof start two may well to Despite qualify for stop season last fail term. suffthe ering round. injuries and next missing games through Unfortunately, the unexpected Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed group enough stage results by him no means guarantee promise to make a real danger man an unpredictable knockout New stage,Coach due heading into this campaign. to the Spalletti structurewill of the Europahe League. Luciano be hoping can get At most the moment, eight of theand teams that the out of the attacker improve finishonthird in their League his 10 goalsChampions from last year. groups enter in the round of 32 of UEFA’s secondary competition. Given the financial superiority of these teams, it comes as no surprise that only one out of the last nine Europa League finals has not involved a side that has qualified by dropping out of the Champions League. For the teams in the group stage, they will do well to seek inspiration from Villarreal, who last season proved against Manchester United that the Europa League can still be won by the underdog.

KNOCKOUT PLAYOFFS: February 17 - 24 ROUND OF 16: March 10 - 17 QUARTER FINALS: April 7 -14 SEMI FINALS: April 28 - May 5 FINALS: May 25

‘VILLARREAL PROVED LAST SEASON THAT THE EUROPA LEAGUE CAN STILL BE WON BY THE UNDERDOG’ SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

EUROPEAN SPOTLIGHT

EUROPA LEAGUE STORY LINES DAVID MOYES LEADS WEST HAM TO GREAT START West Ham are only the second English side to win each of their first three group games in a single UEFA Europa League campaign without conceding. The last team from any nation to do so won the competition (Sevilla in 2019-20). David Moyes surprised the world when he brought West Ham to the Europa League ahead of the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. Can he go all the way? MANUEL PELLEGRINI ENJOYS LANDMARK 50TH EUROPEAN WIN As Real Betis cruised to a 3-1 victory over Ferencvaros, Manuel Pellegrini reached a personal landmark. It was the Chilean’s 50th European victory as a manager, who has coached five different teams in European football. 30 of those wins came in the Champions League, 14 in the Europa League, and 6 in the Intertoto Cup.

AFRICAN PLAYERS DOMINATING THE SCORING CHARTS After the first three rounds, African forwards have occupied the top spots of the scoring charts in the Europa League 21/22. Lyon’s Cameroonian striker Karl Toko Ekambi tops the list with five goals. Leicester City’s Kenyan forward Patson Daka and Napoli’s Nigeria star Victor Osimhen are in close pursuit with 4 goals each. PATSON DAKA MAKES HISTORY SCORING 4 GOALS IN A MATCH Patson Daka became the first Leicester City player to score four goals in a single match since Derek Hines in 1958 when he played in the Fox’s Europa League encounter with Spartak Moscow. Daka’s goals helped Leicester overturn a 2-0 deficit, as they won the match by 4-3.

FENERBAHCE SUFFERS FOR THEIR LACKLUSTER FINISHING Fenerbahce have outclassed all three of their Europa League opponents in their first three outings. The Turkish side recorded 1.91 higher than Eintracht Frankfurt in the xG chart. They also had higher xGs in their next two games, but failed to pick up a win yet. This means, Fenerbahce forwards need to be more clinical in front of goal to get better results.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

and appear to be getting better with every campaign. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side sat top of their group ahead of their double-header against Premier League giants Manchester United. With the tournament still in its infancy much could change, but the Bergamo side will be proud of their strong start. Given the evidence of the first two rounds, perhaps the unconventional matchups in the group stage are the result of a shift in the balance of power in football. Traditionally successful teams such as Barcelona, Milan, Juventus and Manchester United are no longer the dominant forces in their country, while sides such as Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Inter are thriving. As a result, the so-called groups of death have gone as expected, while the seemingly one-sided groups have already produced a few shock results. As Chelsea’s triumph proved last season, the Champions League does not always end with the best team winning, and instead can be the stage for the underdogs to shine.

ABOVE: After losing to Sherrif, Real Madrid bounced back and defeated Shakhtar 5-0 RIGHT: Juventus’ Federico Chiesa (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Champions League group H soccer match Juventus FC vs Chelsea FC BOTTOM: Cristiano Ronaldo (seated on pitch) of Manchester United celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning goal during the UEFA Champions League group F soccer match between Manchester United and Villarreal CF BOTTOM RIGHT: AS Roma's Henrik Mkhitaryan (R) in action during the UEFA Europa Conference League soccer match between FK Bodo/Glimt and AS Roma at Aspmyra Stadium

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NATIONS LEAGUE

DAN ROBERTS LOOKS BACK AT THE 2020-21 UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE, CASTING HIS EYE OVER THE EARLY STAGES OF THE COMPETITION AND HOW THE FINAL TOURNAMENT WAS WON

AN UNLIKELYHIT W

hile the majority of countries around the world were navigating their latest World Cup 2022 qualifiers at the beginning of October, four of the most talented squads in Europe battled it out for a less prestigious trophy – but one that has really become part of the football calendar in the last few years. It was France who ultimately won the 2021 edition of the Nations League, thanks to a controversial Kylian Mbappe winner in Milan. Spain were the unlucky runners-up, while Italy and Belgium lost out in the semi-finals and had to make do with facing each other in the thirdplace play-off. The Nations League was only introduced to the football world three years ago and it is still regarded by many as little more than a glorified friendly tournament. Yet with the potential to book berths in play-offs for future European Championships and World Cups, it is a tournament that is beginning to be treated as something more than just a chance to give a runout to younger members of a national side’s squad. A lot has happened since Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal won the inaugural final in June of 2019, of course. But this latest edition of the

NOT EVERYONE LIKES THE NATIONS LEAGUE Dan Roberts points out a couple of countries who’ve struggled in the Nations League so far

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

Nations League kicked off in September of last year and divided the UEFA nations into groups of four, and one group of three, split into four levels. The four Group A winners were the ones that ended up competing in Milan and Turin, but there was intense competition all the way through the matchdays – and in Groups B, C and D too. Group D allowed the minnows of Europe to face each other in far more meaningful games than the usual one-sided defeats they experience at the hands of the bigger teams in Euro or World Cup qualifying. The Faroe Islands were the stars of the show at this level this time around and will benefit, not only from winning a few games, but also from being promoted to Group C for the next edition. At that level, there is always an interesting mix of countries that may have qualified for

The recent Nations League finals provided further examples of the excitement of the competition, as the elite of Europe battled it out to win in Italy. France ultimately celebrated becoming just the second champions in the tournament’s history - but there are two countries that will already be fed up with this newcomer to the international calendar. GERMANY The rise of the Nations League coincided with a poor spell for Joachim Low and his Germany team. The writing was perhaps on the wall after the 2018 World Cup, but Germany lost all four of their games in the inaugural Nations League and only escaped relegation to Group B after a rethink of the format. The second edition went a little better but, facing a winner takes all game against Spain on the final match day, Germany were thrashed

ABOVE (MAIN): France won the second edition of the Nations League in October ABOVE (SMALL): Kylian Mbappe’s controversial goal proved decisive LEFT: Norway hotshot Erling Haaland couldn’t secure promotion for his country

6-0. New boss Hansi Flick may not be entirely looking forward to taking charge of his first Nations League game next year. ICELAND It is perhaps a little unfair to single out Iceland here. For a tiny nation of around 370,000 people, it was an incredible achievement for them to qualify for the 2016 European Championship. Making it out of the group stage was a dream come true – and then there was the sensational win against England in the knockout stages. But that success brought a high seeding in the all-new Nations League – and Iceland haven’t really been able to keep up. There were four straight defeats in the first edition, as Our Boys conceded 13 goals in the process. The latest tournament saw another six defeats in six games.

NATIONS LEAGUE PODIUM

NATIONS LEAGUE SCORING NAME TEAM Lukaku BEL Torres ESP Eriksen DMK Mbappe FRA Werner GER Mertens BEL Giroud FRA Berardi ITA

GLS 6 6 4 4 4 3 3 3

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?

‘INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES WERE SOMETHING OF A JOKE BEFORE THE NATIONS LEAGUE’

a major international tournament in the past but are now down on their luck – and some of the more established pot 3 or 4 nations, such as Cyprus, Belarus and Lithuania. There were signs of things to come this time from teams such as Albania and Armenia, who have now progressed to put on some fine displays in World Cup qualifying after gaining confidence in the Nations League. Although the main action is between the heavyweights of Europe in Group A, it is Group B where some of the most fascinating football takes place when it comes to the Nations League. These countries tend to be those who regularly qualify for the elite tournaments but do not have the same pedigree as the likes of Spain or France. The interest lies in seeing which ones will finish first in the group and gain promotion to Group A for the next Nations League. Erling Haaland may be one of the bright lights of European football, but even his goals were not enough to drag the rest of the Norway side to first place in their group. Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Wales will take the step up though and face the top sides on the continent in the 2022-23 edition. The fact that they will replace Bosnia, Iceland, Sweden and Ukraine suggests that there will still be a gulf between these newcomers and the current teams in Group A, however. The Group A nations are those that expect to qualify for European Championships and World Cups, so they don’t tend to look at this competition as another chance to make it through the back door. But it is that slight lack of importance given to the Nations League that makes games at this top level even more exciting at times. Italy may have been handed a relatively kind draw, but the wins and draws in their six games contributed to their record-breaking unbeaten run that culminated in this summer’s European Championship triumph. The confidence gained from winning games that weren’t just international friendlies cannot be underestimated. Belgium scored an incredible 16 goals in their six group games, losing just the once – to England at Wembley. The wait for a trophy for this latest version of the golden generation of

players from Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges continues thanks to their defeat to France at the semi-final stage. But this is another group of players who are using these fixtures as a stepping stone to greater things. France and Portugal battled it out in Group 3 of the elite level, leaving Croatia and Sweden to fight for scraps. Didier Deschamps’ men finally came out on top after managing just a goalless draw in Paris, but then going to the Estadio da Luz and coming away with three crucial points thanks to the ever-reliable N’Golo Kante. That left Spain to excel in the final group. Luis Enrique’s men managed to win all three home games without conceding a single goal and drew two on the road to sneak past Germany and make the Nations League finals. That was nothing more than Spain deserved though, considering the fact that they beat a woeful German side 6-0 in the final game of the group phase. All that action finished in November of last year. But the Nations League finals were not completed until almost a year later thanks to the rearranged European Championship. It is probably fair to say that it was something of an afterthought until the games actually came around. However, when France came back from two goals down to beat Belgium and Spain ended Italy’s impressive unbeaten streak to set up a mouthwatering final, the competition came alive. France came from behind once more in the final after Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal had opened the scoring with a wonderful strike. Karim Benzema equalised just after – and it was that questionable Kylian Mbappe finish that ultimately won the day. Italy showed in the Euros how important a good run of results can be for the confidence of the squad and winning this trophy is sure to help France as they prepare for the World Cup next year. Spain can also take a lot from the way a very young squad has gained valuable tournament experience. Luis Enrique’s side may not have ended up winning the final, but there were many that were impressed with the way they played, and Spain will now be feared in Qatar.

At the end of the second running of the Nations League, Dan Roberts asks if the Nations League is meeting its objectives When UEFA delegates met in 2013 to talk about the possibility of creating a third international tournament to go alongside the European Championship and the World Cup, there was little fanfare or interest from the wider football world. But after two editions of the Nations League, it has to be said that some of the original aims and objectives of the competition have definitely been met. There is little doubt that the smaller football associations in Europe have benefitted from having the ability to arrange matches – but also to actually win a few of them as well. International friendlies had become something of a joke before the Nations League took over their slots in the international calendar. This tournament might not be seen in the same light as the Euros or the World Cup, but these fixtures really do matter – especially for some of those smaller or weaker nations. Providing further chances to qualify for European Championships and World Cups has also proved to be a masterstroke. The format may get quite complicated at times, but attaching such importance to Nations League success has turned out to be a real winner. There are countries in the middle of World Cup qualification now that are far more confident thanks to positive results in the Nations League – and just look at the success of North Macedonia for an example of how allowing a Group D nation to qualify for Euro 2020 has raised levels of play. There will probably be further tweaks to the Nations League over the next few years, but there can be no doubt that the competition has improved the state of football in Europe – and is here to stay.

ABOVE (MAIN): Belgium scored 16 goals in six games ABOVE (SMALL): Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo lifted the inaugural Nations League RIGHT: The Nations League helped North Macedonia qualify for Euro 2020 SIDEBAR TOP LEFT: Berardi had a great Euro tournamnet, as well as a good Nations League

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

PREMIER LEAGUE

THINGS ARE RARELY DULL IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE, AS STEPHEN DONOVAN RECAPS THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IN THE ENGLISH TOP FLIGHT

THE GOOD, THE B THE GOOD

It seems like a lifetime ago since Liverpool announced the £34m signing of Mohamed Salah in the summer of 2017, to a reaction of thinly disguised scepticism from many who wrote him off as a Chelsea flop. After four seasons of relentless form at Anfield, which have seen him win all the biggest honours on his way to becoming undoubtedly one of the world’s best, he now holds the record for the quickest player to score 100 Premier League goals for the club. His goal-to-game ratio has been consistently phenomenal, eclipsing that of legendary strikers Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen to reach the century in just 151 games. The moment arrived during the second half of Liverpool’s classic 3-3 draw away to Brentford in September, as the Egyptian collected Fabinho’s superb pass and finished with typical class, securing yet another milestone for his increasingly distinguished collection.

That continued a prolific start to 2021-22 for Salah, but he took things to a completely new level with his performance against Manchester City the following weekend. After a difficult first half for his side, he was electrifying in the second, setting up the opening goal for Sadio Mane and then scoring possibly one of the best goals the Premier League has ever seen. It was his determination and game-changing quality which enabled him to win the ball on the touchline and play the perfect pass for Mane to stroke confidently past Ederson. That was good, but what happened later was simply magical. After receiving a pass from Curtis Jones, he immediately turned Joao Cancelo, left Bernardo Silva on the floor as he danced into the box before turning Aymeric Laporte inside out and arrowing a sublime finish into the far corner. It wasn’t enough to win the game, but it’ll be remembered for years to come

STORY LINES

‘SALAH’S GOALS TO GAME RATIO HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY PHENOMENAL’

GABRIEL JESUS THRIVING IN WIDER ROLE Since Manchester City did not bring in a new striker in the summer, it was expected that Gabriel Jesus would lead the line for the Citizens. But, Pep Guardiola chose to deploy Jesus in a wider role and the Brazilian has been excellent ever since. Jesus registered seven goals and two assists in his first eight matches.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

HARRY KANE A SHADOW OF HIMSELF Harry Kane wanted to leave Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but the North London outfit were adamant to keep hold of their talisman. Spurs were successful in keeping the suitors at bay, but Kane has been a shadow of his past self in the ongoing season. The England international has scored only once in eight Premier League outings for the Lilywhites this season.

LEEDS UNITED OUT OF STEAM? After securing a splendid top-half finish last season, Leeds United are struggling to hit the highs of last season. After the first nine matches, the Yorkshire team were just above the relegation zone with seven points. Did Marcelo Bielsa’s high-intensity football exhaust the players?

PREMIER LEAGUE

BAD, & THE UGLY THE BAD

At Watford, life is never uneventful. In spite of a handful of other teams making a poorer start to the season and having so recently guided the club to promotion, there was a sense of inevitability about Xisco Munoz becoming the first manager in the Premier League to lose his job. As the 13th manager in what is now the 10th year of the Pozzo family’s ownership, history dictated that any decline in performance levels would prove fatal. Munoz emerged from relative obscurity to inspire a fantastic run of form that sealed an instant return to the top flight, and the new season began in style with an impressive dismantling of Aston Villa. But then followed four defeats in six, which were accompanied by some below-par displays that undermined the owners’ confidence in the Spaniard to get things back on track. In the circumstances, it seemed extremely harsh and Munoz definitely deserves

sympathy. But then again, that’s just the way it is at Watford. As soon as the head coach stops getting the most out of his squad, he is replaced. Indeed, after 10 months in charge, Munoz lasted longer than most of his predecessors, with compatriot Javi Gracia the only one to remain at Vicarage Road for the start of back-to-back Premier League campaigns. While this revolving door policy is unique and attracts a lot of critics from the outside, the Hornets are a stable club and have achieved great success; the only real exception being 2019-20 when they sacked three different managers on their way to relegation. They’re desperate to avoid a repeat of that and so will now be pinning their hopes on the vastly experienced Claudio Ranieri to maximise the ability of the squad at his disposal. However, any dip in form and the Italian knows he won’t last long.

‘THERE WAS A SENSE OF INEVITABILITY ABOUT XISCO MUNOZ BECOMING THE FIRST MANAGER IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE TO LOSE HIS JOB’

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Liverpool's striker Mohamed Salah reacts during the UEFA Champions League group B soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool FC RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Crystal Palace's James Tomkins (R) in action against Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (L) during a English Premier League soccer match RIGHT: Watford manager Xisco Munoz reacts during the English FA third round match between Manchester United and Watford FAR RIGHT: Watford’s Xisco Munoz was the first Premier League manager to be sacked in 2021-22

MOHAMED SALAH IS INEVITABLE Mohamed Salah has picked up where he left off last season and scored ten goals in his first nine matches. The Egypt international has already scored some goals of the season contenders. Is he going to rewrite his record of scoring the most Premier League goals in a single season? The early signs prevent us from ruling out that possibility.

TUCHEL’S CHELSEA OUTPERFORMING XG Thomas Tuchel under Chelsea have been over-performing their xG. Tuchel’s men have scored 23 goals in their first nine games at an xG of 16.55. This means Chelsea have been excellent at converting half chances. It remains to be seen how sustainable this trend is. Tuchel would be hoping his team creates more clear-cut chances in the coming matches to increase their likelihood of scoring.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

PREMIER LEAGUE

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY

Success has been difficult to come by at Newcastle United for so long, but the sudden announcement of a £305m takeover by a Saudi-backed investment firm after a lengthy dispute with the Premier League and four years of negotiations, sparked scenes of jubilation outside St James’ Park. For many it signals the beginning of a much brighter future for the club. However, in the short term they still have serious issues to address. First of all there’s the question surrounding manager Steve Bruce. Whichever way you look at it, his days appear to be numbered, as with a relegation battle already on the cards this season he’s having to face constant derision from the stands. Newcastle’s home games have been played amid a volatile atmosphere, with Bruce vowing to fight on despite having to face a barrage of animosity and abuse. A poll

commissioned by the club’s supporters’ trust in October suggested some 94% of fans wanted him to be sacked. Meanwhile, the joy on Tyneside at the arrival of new owners was not shared by the other clubs in the Premier League, who were quick to raise complaints. Much of the scrutiny is on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and how that might reflect on the competition as a whole, but they are also angry at not having been kept informed as the dramatic events unfolded. The specific facts of the process are being kept confidential, with the Premier League having seemingly received all the assurances needed to approve the sale after an ongoing issue over television rights and piracy was resolved. We have certainly not heard the last of this issue, especially as it might make Newcastle a major force in years to come. But for the moment, the uncertainty on and off the pitch hasn’t gone away just yet.

FAR LEFT: Newcastle players celebrate the 1-0 lead during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United & Liverpool FC LEFT: The atmosphere at St James’ Park was volatile in the early weeks of the season

‘SUCCESS HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO COME BY AT NEWCASTLE UNITED FOR SO LONG’ AARON RAMSDALE A SMART SIGNING FOR ARSENAL When Arsenal chose to spend £24m to sign Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United, it baffled many football fans. Bernd Leno has been a great keeper for the Gunners, so the rationale for signing a new keeper was lost on many. But, Ramsdale has immediately build-up from the back with his fantastic passing range. On top of that, he has kept three shutouts in his first six PL appearances for Arsenal.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Dan Burn of Brighton celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton Hove Albion and Manchester City BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Bernd Leno for Arsenal

YOURI TIELEMANS LOVES TO SCORE LONG RANGERS Four of Youri Tielemans' nine goals for Leicester City in all competitions in 2021 have come from outside the box. No Premier League player has scored more goals from outside the box in this time.

GOING UP

Brighton have been a very talented side for some time, only for their progress to be hindered by a lack of ruthlessness. Now, though, they finally seem able to get results that match their performances. An excellent start to the season suggests they can perhaps contend for a top-half finish.

CONTINUED

& THE UGLY GOING DOWN

There were some notable casualties in the Arsenal side after three chastening defeats to open the campaign, but none more so than goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The Germany international was dropped in favour of summer signing Aaron Ramsdale, and the team’s subsequent improvement suggests he’s a long way from regaining his starting place.

UPCOMING FIXTURES

UPC FIXT

NOVEMBER

DECEM

Wolverhampton

Everton

Sat 18

Southampton

Aston Villa

Sat 18

Sat 6

Manchester Utd

Manchester City

Sat 18

Sat 6

Brentford

Norwich City

Sat 18

Sat 6

Chelsea

Burnley

Sat 18

Sat 6

Crystal Palace

Wolverhampton

Sat 18

Sat 6

Brighton

Newcastle Utd

Sat 18

Sun 7

Arsenal

Watford

Sat 18

Sun 7

Everton

Tottenham

Sat 18

Sun 7

Leeds Utd

Leicester City

Sun 26

Sun 7

West Ham Utd

Liverpool

Sun 26

Sat 20

Leicester City

Chelsea

Sun 26

Sat 20

Aston Villa

Brighton

Sun 26

Sat 20

Burnley

Crystal Palace

Sun 26

Sat 20

Newcastle Utd

Brentford

Sun 26

Sat 20

Norwich City

Southampton

Sun 26

Sat 20

Watford

Manchester Utd

Sun 26

Sat 20

Wolverhampton

West Ham Utd

Sun 26

Sat 20

Liverpool

Arsenal

Sun 26

Sun 21

Manchester City

Everton

Tue 28

Sun 21

Tottenham

Leeds Utd

Tue 28

Sat 27

Arsenal

Newcastle Utd

Tue 28

Sat 27

Crystal Palace

Aston Villa

Tue 28

Sat 27

Liverpool

Southampton

Tue 28

Sat 27

Norwich City

Wolverhampton

Tue 28

Sat 27

Brighton

Leeds Utd

Tue 28

Sun 28

Brentford

Everton

Tue 28

Sun 28

Burnley

Tottenham

Tue 28

Sun 28

Leicester City

Watford

Tue 28

Sun 28

Manchester City

West Ham Utd

Sun 28

Chelsea

Manchester Utd

Tue 30

Newcastle Utd

Norwich City

Tue 30

Leeds Utd

Crystal Palace

Mon 1 Fri 5

DECEMBER

WEST HAM HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE BEST ATTACKS IN THE LEAGUE West Ham United are playing an exciting brand of football under David Moyes at the moment. The Hammers have scored 16 goals in the league in the first nine matches, only Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea managed to score more.

THOMAS FRANK’S BRENTFORD IMPRESSING Brentford have been the surprise package of the Premier League so far. After kicking off their campaign beating Arsenal, the Bees stole a point from Liverpool and made Chelsea work incredibly hard before giving away all three points. This Brentford team do have the quality to prolong their stay in the Premier League.

Wed 1

Southampton

Leicester City

Wed 1

Watford

Chelsea

Wed 1

West Ham Utd

Brighton

Wed 1

Wolverhampton

Burnley

Wed 1

Aston Villa

Manchester City

Wed 1

Everton

Liverpool

Thu 2

Tottenham

Brentford

Sat 4

West Ham Utd

Chelsea

Sat 4

Newcastle Utd

Burnley

Sat 4

Southampton

Brighton

Sat 4

Wolverhampton

Liverpool

Sat 4

Watford

Manchester City

Sun 5

Leeds Utd

Brentford

Sun 5

Manchester Utd

Crystal Palace

Sun 5

Tottenham

Norwich City

Sun 5

Aston Villa

Leicester City

Mon 6

Everton

Arsenal

Sat 11

Arsenal

Southampton

Sat 11

Brentford

Watford

Sat 11

Brighton

Tottenham

Sat 11

Burnley

West Ham Utd

Sat 11

Chelsea

Leeds Utd

Sat 11

Crystal Palace

Everton

Sat 11

Leicester City

Newcastle Utd

Sat 11

Liverpool

Aston Villa

Sat 11

Manchester City

Wolverhampton

Sat 11

Norwich City

Manchester Utd

Tue 14

Arsenal

West Ham Utd

Tue 14

Brentford

Manchester Utd

Tue 14

Brighton

Wolverhampton

Tue 14

Burnley

Watford

Tue 14

Leicester City

Tottenham

Tue 14

Norwich City

Aston Villa

Tue 14

Crystal Palace

Southampton

Wed 15

Chelsea

Everton

Wed 15

Liverpool

Newcastle Utd

Wed 15

Manchester City

Leeds Utd

Aston Villa

Burnley

Sat 18

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

GENOA, NICKNAMED IL VECCHIO BALORDO - THE OLD FOOL - HAVE NEW OWNERS. HERE, CIRO DI BRITA LOOKS AT WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEIR AMBITIONS ARE FOR ITALY’S OLDEST CLUB

NEW OWNERS FOR L O O F D L O THE SERIE A

fter 18 years as president of Genoa, Enrico Preziosi has finally sold the club to an American investment firm named 777 Partners. As Preziosi’s tumultuous era as one of the more colourful owners on the peninsula comes to an end, fans of Il Grifone can finally start dreaming of having a competitive team after years of going nowhere. On 23 September, 2021, Miami-based investment firm 777 partners acquired full ownership of the oldest club in Italy for a fee reportedly around the $175m mark, which also includes taking on the club’s debts. The Rossoblu announced that they had lost €33m last season due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and now become the sixth side in Serie A to be owned by North Americans along with Milan, Bologna, Fiorentina, Roma, Spezia, and Venezia. Founder and managing partner of 777 Josh Wander and his co-owner Juan Arciniegas attended their first game at the helm on 25

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

ABOVE: Mattia Destro celebrates with his teamates RIGHT: Genoa's Johan Vasquez celebrating

September and witnessed an enthralling 3-3 draw at Marassi between Genoa and Verona. They aim to inject new capital into the club and hope to make the team more competitive than they have been in recent years. Former owner Preziosi will remain as president and as a member of the board of directors, while CEO Alessandro Zarbano will continue to run the dayto-day operations. Preziosi - who had been in control since 2003 when he replaced Stefano Campoccia as president of the Grifone - threatened to sell the club many times over the past few years, but always said he would only leave the team in reliable hands. It remains to be seen whether that promise rings true in the years to come. There’s a good chance things will be a little less turbulent though. In the early days of his ownership, the 73-yearold benefitted from some favourable decisions as the Rossoblu were saved from relegation to Serie C1 alongside Catania and Salernitana.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF GENOA

‘GENOA’S REVOLVING DOOR POLICY WILL HAVE TO END IF 777 PARTNERS ARE TO STABILISE THE CLUB’ The Italian football federation’s decision to extend Serie B to 24 teams that season kept the Rossoblu up, however, the following year they would be relegated despite the Ligurian outfit winning the Serie B title. That honour was stripped from them amid allegations of match-fixing and they were duly demoted to the third tier after suffering a points deduction in punishment. Preziosi was no stranger to controversy and was caught up in many scandals during his spell as president, at one point even being banned for five years. That ban was appealed and eventually overturned to a lower sentence of four months. A deal was made and instead of jail time the toy tycoon was banned from entering the Stadio Luigi Ferraris for six months. In response, Preziosi arranged for a life-size cut-out of himself to be placed in his seat as an ironic reminder to the federation that he was still around. Trouble and strife, scandal and crisis have followed Preziosi since he took control of

the club, meaning more headlines were often written about the president than the team and their performances on the pitch. With the former owner now taking a step back, maybe the fortunes of the club can turn around on the field. Il Vecchio Balordo will attempt to climb the table and compete once again for the European places. Recently, 777 Partners have been quoted as saying they aim to “help the club reclaim its place at the top of Serie A.” However, they have a huge amount of ground to make up if they wish to compete in the upper echelons of the table. The Rossoblu finished in 11th position last term, 17th the two previous years, and have only ended a season in the top six twice since they returned to Serie A in 2007. The Ligurians only managed five points from their opening seven games of the 2021-22 season, and suffered a poor 1-0 defeat at Salernitana before the October international break. There are plenty of clubs in Serie A with designs

ABOVE: (L-R) Josh Wander, Juan Arciniegas and Adam Weiss from US investment company 777 Partners, prior to the Italian Serie A match between Genoa CFC and Hellas Verona TOP RIGHT: Stadio Luigi Ferraris BELOW: Genoa’s Domenico Criscito celebrates scoring a goal BOTTOM RIGHT: Davide Ballardini, the newest coach in the history of Genoa

With renewed hope at Marassi under fresh ownership, Ciro Di Brita takes a brief look back at Genoa’s lengthy history Genoa Cricket and Football Club was founded on 7 September, 1893, making it Italy’s oldest team with over 125 years of history. Their long and storied past has seen the Rossoblu win the Italian championship on nine occasions, including the first three titles in a row. However, the last time they won top flight was in 1924, with their most recent piece of silverware coming in 1989 when they won Serie B for the sixth time. Il Grifone have had two periods of yo-yoing between the divisions, while in 1970 and 2005 they even suffered the indignity of being relegated to Serie C1. Currently, their 14-year stay in Serie A is their best run of consecutive seasons in the top flight since the 1950s. The trophy cabinet at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris boasts nine Scudetti, one Coppa Italia, six Serie B titles, one Serie C1 championship, two Coppa delle Alpi and one Anglo Italian Cup. Supporters will be desperate for the new ownership to add to that collection.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

SERIE A CLUBS UNDER NORTH AMERICAN OWNERSHIP

SERIE A

MILAN - ELLIOT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION Il Diavolo are competing in their first Champions League group stage since the 2013-2014 season. The owners have built a youthful and competitive side that is aiming to lift the Scudetto this term, having finished second last term. BOLOGNA - JOEY SAPUTO Canadian businessman Saputo is also the president of MLS side CF Montreal. The Rossoblu have brought in some highprofile players in recent years, including Austria international Marko Arnautovic, although they could only finish 12th in Serie A last season. FIORENTINA - ROCCO COMMISSO American billionaire Commisso has high hopes for the Viola. Bringing in a young and progressive coach like Vincenzo Italiano and spending around €25m on Nicolas Gonzalez has proven that the president is willing to invest in the team.

on moving up the table. There are also a number of clubs with plenty of money behind them thanks to their more elevated status. It will be incredibly difficult for the new owners to deliver European football and start setting their sights on the Scudetto without significant investment. Yet many clubs in Serie A are able to invest large sums of money, even if the likes of champions Inter are in a precarious financial situation, which led to their summer fire sale that saw the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi depart San Siro. Not only are there plenty of clubs much further advanced in terms of their present state, Genoa’s ability to invest will be hampered by

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

ABOVE: Will the new owners get a feel for the Derby della Lanterna? BELOW: Can Genoa keep up his good start? BOTTOM RIGHT: Bologna's president Joey Saputo and his son Luca Saputo

Financial Fair Play restrictions, or what’s left of them anyway. Genoa supporters must also remember the goal of investment firms such as their owners centres primarily around one thing, and while success on the pitch and swollen bank balances are closely linked, there will be no wild and extravagant spending in an effort to take a punt on winning a trophy. Any investment will be measured and organic, with returns expected all around. This is why it sounds a little hollow and somewhat misleading for 777 Partners to start talking up their ambitions of winning the league. Meanwhile, Davide Ballardini’s position as coach

ROMA - THE FRIEDKIN GROUP Billionaire Dan Friedkin is the owner and president of Roma and aiming for the Giallorossi to win the league in the coming seasons. Hiring Jose Mourinho and spending €40m on English striker Tammy Abraham has made a big statement. SPEZIA - ROBERT PLATEK American investor Robert Platek completed the purchase of Spezia in February of this year and will hope to prolong his club’s stay in the top flight. That won’t be easy this season though. VENEZIA - VFC NEWCO 2020 LLC Businessman Duncan L. Niederauer became president in 2019 and oversaw the club’s first promotion to Serie A since the 2001-02 campaign. The Arancioneroverdi will hope to preserve their top-flight status this season and build a team that can establish itself as a Serie A mainstay.

AMERICAN INFLUENCE America’s influence on the European game is stronger than ever. Whether it is on the pitch, in the press box, in the stands, and now in the ownership box. While American ownership in the European game is nothing new, more owners are coming into the market to purchase football clubs. Whether they are a success or wanted is an entirely different matter. Here are five of the biggest European football owners that hail from the United States! THE GLAZER FAMILY (MANCHESTER UNITED) The Glazer family joined Manchester United in 2003, setting up for one of the more acrimonious ownership-fan relationships in sports. Although United have had plenty of success under the Glazers (five Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League title), it has waned in recent years. Their issues with debt and openness towards moving to a European Super League has drawn the ire of their supporters, to the point their match against Liverpool last season was cancelled due to pitch invaders and protests.

‘THE ROSSOBLU FINISHED IN 11TH POSITION LAST TERM’ is far from stable, with his job potentially up in the air from week to week. This is Ballardini’s fourth stint in charge at the club since his first spell in 2010-11. Il Grifone have had eight different coaches in the past four years, and that revolving door policy will have to end if 777 Partners are to stabilise the club and build a competitive side that wants to finish in the European places. In recent years, several young players have come through at the club, namely Federico Cassata, Paolo Ghiglione, Andrea Cambiaso and Yayah Kallon, and if the Rossoblu can lock these players down for a few more years they can start to build a decent spine of a team heading into the future.

‘IL GRIFONE FANS CAN FINALLY START DREAMING’

This term, the squad has 10 players over the age of 30 and is probably too reliant on veterans like Goran Pandev, Valon Behrami, Domenico Criscito, Andrea Masiello, and Salvatore Sirigu. Added to this mix of experience and youth are several loanees like Belgian defender Zinho Vanheusden, who is on loan from Inter, Atalanta midfielder Filippo Melegoni and Italy under-21 midfielder Nicolo Rovella, who was sold to Juventus in the summer for €18m. Il Grifone certainly have the potential to go on a decent run this season and match their 11thplace finish from last term, even more so now that there is an air of stability at the club in lieu of the arrival of the Americans. Expectations, however, will need to be managed.

STAN KROENKE (ARSENAL FC) Much like with the Glazers, Kroenke’s ownership of Arsenal has been a bit of a mixed bag. While many supporters will fondly recall the Invincible era and the multiple Premier League/Champions League titles, many more will remember their slide down the standings in recent years. Kroenke’s conservative spending and desire to create a European Super League has spurred many fans to call for him to sell the club. Despite multiple overtures, he hasn’t shown a willingness to do so prompting more consternation among Gunner supporters.

ABOVE: Will the managerial merry-go-round continue at Marassi? BELLOW: Genoa fans react after a Serie A match BOTTOM RIGHT: Liverpool playing a friendly match at Fenway Park against Sevilla FC

FENWAY SPORTS GROUP (LIVERPOOL FC) Fenway and their principal owner, John Henry, own both Liverpool Football Club and the Red Sox of Major League Baseball. The 72-year old has developed a reputation for turning around beleaguered clubs. Prior to seeing The Reds to their first Premier League/First Division title in 30 years, he guided the Sox to their first World Series title since 1919. SHAHID KHAN (FULHAM FC) Although many American owners are looked down upon, Khan is thought of favorably at Craven Cottage. An immigrant from Pakistan, Khan worked his way through college, making $1.20 an hour washing dishes while going to college. He earned his fortune in the automotive industry, eventually purchasing Fulham FC in 2013. The side has bounced in and out of the Premier League through the years but Khan continues to invest in the side, as evidenced by their strong play in the Championship. FRANK MCCOURT (MARSEILLE) McCourt, who used to own the Los Angeles Dodgers of MLB, bought the Ligue 1 side in 2016. The side has had some success under McCourt, making the Europa League final in 2016-2017 and finishing second in Ligue 1 during the 2019-2020 season.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

SERIE A

WITH ITALY THE CENTRE OF MUCH ATTENTION IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL AT PRESENT, NICK VALERIO CASTS HIS EYE ON WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON IN SERIE A OF LATE

THE GOOD, THE B THE GOOD

It was a turbulent off-season for Inter Milan, as the newly-crowned Serie A champions not only saw coach Antonio Conte leave the club, but star duo Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku also exited for Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea respectively. Renowned transfer guru Beppe Marotta brought in Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries as replacements, at a combined cost of €14m, and the pairing have linked up in spectacular fashion. Well-travelled Bosnian Dzeko is one of the most underrated strikers of his generation, leading Wolfsburg to a shock Bundesliga crown in 2009, before playing an instrumental role in Manchester City’s maiden Premier League title. The hitman was adored on the terraces at the Etihad Stadium, clinching four major honours during his time in England. Dzeko moved to Roma ahead of the 2015-16 domestic

campaign, netting 119 goals in six seasons and making such an impression he was awarded the captain’s armband during the latter stages of his time in the Italian capital. The veteran was repeatedly linked to Juventus and Inter in the 18 months prior to his departure and would have proved a smart signing for the Bianconeri as they continue to struggle without a reliable focal point. As it transpired, Marotta finally got his man in August and after the first seven rounds of action, Dzeko had registered six efforts and one assist. The Nerazzurri No 9 may be 35, but is still one of the most fearsome attackers in the division and the biggest compliment offered to Dzeko is that his predecessor has not been missed. The Serie A title has so far eluded the Bosnia and Herzegovina all-time top scorer, but there would be little surprise if Dzeko was instrumental in Inter retaining the Scudetto, despite the summer turmoil.

STORY LINES

‘EDIN DZEKO IS ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED STRIKERS OF HIS GENERATION’

ANDREA BELOTTI SEEKS TO LEAVE TORINO After six years at the club, Andrea Belotti is adamant about leaving Torino for a new destination. The 27-year old has less than one year left on his current contract and could be available at a discount price in January. Belotti has played 233 matches for il Toro across all competitions and scored 106 goals.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

MOURINHO’S HONEYMOON PERIOD OVER AT ROMA Roma won each of their first three Serie A matches under Jose Mourinho, prompting hopes of mounting a Scudetto charge. But, three defeats in their last five outings have subsided that claim to a certain degree. Some fans have already turned on the Portuguese after Roma’s humiliating 6-1 Europa Conference League defeat to FK Bodo/Glimt.

MAZZARI STARTING TO TURN THINGS AROUND AT CAGLIARI Cagliari turned to Walter Mazzari after parting ways with Leonardo Semplici following the Sardinian outfit’s poor start to the season. After two backto-back defeats, the veteran manager have steadied the ship with a draw and a win. There is still a long way to go, but Mazzari’s experience can help Cagliari escape relegation.

SERIE A

BAD, & THE UGLY THE BAD

Federico Chiesa has remarkably gone from battling for survival with Fiorentina, to talisman for club and country, in just 13 months. The flying winger shone at the European Championship and many believe the final with England would have been settled in normal time if the Ligurian had not been forced off with injury. The 24-year-old’s workload has increased significantly this season, particularly after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United. For all the criticism levelled at the Portuguese superstar for supposedly holding the Bianconeri back, the ex-Juventus No 7 still notched more than 100 strikes for the club

in just three full terms. Chiesa is one of the first names on Max Allegri’s team sheet and Roberto Mancini will not be the only nervous onlooker as the demands placed on the Ligurian to deliver on a weekly basis intensify. The Viola youth graduate’s game is very much based on pace, and Chiesa has already had four spells on the sidelines with various injuries. With the World Cup on the horizon, Chiesa will want to be fit and firing, but the Bianconeri’s refusal to adequately replace their forward line and Ronaldo’s guaranteed 30-goal haul could prove costly, not only for their domestic and European hopes, but their star performer’s summer aspirations.

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Edin Dzeko is hoping to secure his first Scudetto with Inter this season RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Inter Milan’s Edin Dzeko (C) jubilates with his teammates Federico Dimarco (L) and Martin Satriano RIGHT: Juventus’ Federico Chiesa in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match Juventus FC vs AS Roma FAR RIGHT: Federico Chiesa has become the star man for both Italy and Juventus

JUVENTUS RESURGENCE Massimiliano Allegri did not have a comfortable start to his second spell as Juventus manager. Juve were winless in their last four matches, but they have turned things around with four consecutive wins. After eight weeks of Serie A, Juventus stood 7th on the table, trailing leaders Napoli by 10 points. But, recent results suggest an improvement of form, and they could be back in the title race if Napoli drop some points in the coming weeks.

‘NOT ADEQUATELY REPLACING CRISTIANO RONALDO COULD BE DISASTROUS FOR JUVENTUS’ INTER MILAN TOP SCORERS OF THE LEAGUE, BUT THEY CAN DO EVEN BETTER Inter Milan have scored 23 goals in Serie A so far, more than any other team in the division. While it might appear that the Nerazzuri are not missing Romelu Lukaku, who left the club for Chelsea this summer for a €115 million fee, the truth is they have been squandering easy chances week in week out. If Inter forwards were more clinical, the defending champions might have been closer to the top spot than they are at the moment.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

SERIE A

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY

Success has been difficult to come by at Gianluigi Donnarumma was the spot-kick hero in the Euro 2020 final against England and deservedly scooped the player of the tournament award in the process. The towering goalkeeper memorably made his senior debut for Milan at 16 and always professed his love for the club, despite the ongoing contract wrangle which consumed much of the previous campaign. Ultimately, the European champion left the Italian heavyweights for Paris Saint-Germain shortly after his heroics in the Azzurri’s summer triumph and his old supporters quickly made their feelings known on his return to San Siro in October. Donnarumma suffered a torrent of abuse from the crowd and was visibly shaken

FAR LEFT: Gianluigi Donnarumma left Milan for Paris SaintGermain this summer

‘GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA SUFFERED A TORRENT OF ABUSE FROM MILAN SUPPORTERS WHILE PLAYING FOR ITALY AT SAN SIRO’ MILAN NOT MISSING DONNARUMMA Before suffering an unfortunate injury that will keep him out for two months, Mike Maignan had been excellent at goal for Milan. In 7 Serie A outings this season, the Frenchman had three clean sheets to his name and conceded only four goals. AC Milan did find an excellent replacement for Gianluigi Donnarumma, who left for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

during the warm-up. The 22-year-old made uncharacteristic errors during the encounter and Roberto Mancini was quick to defend the Rossoneri youth graduate who departed on a free transfer. History threatens to repeat itself next June with Franck Kessie. The talented midfielder has no shortage of suitors with Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid and his former team-mate’s new side, PSG, all interested in his services. The ex-Atalanta ace is no longer one of the first names on the team sheet after the emergence of wonder kid Sandro Tonali and has cut a frustrated figure when substituted or named on the bench from the opening whistle. Nevertheless, Pioli, much like compatriot Mancini, will implore the locals to get behind Kessie as the Milan hierarchy battle to hold on to another prized asset.

LEFT: Gianluigi Donnarumma for his newest club, Paris TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez celebrates his 2-0 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Venezia FC BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Genoa's Johan Vasquez (L) jubilates after scoring the 2-2 equalizer during the Italian Serie Serie A match Genoa CFC vs US Sassuolo Calciol

VICTOR OSIMHEN LEADING FROM THE FRONT Napoli had a flying start to their season, and their star striker Victor Osimhen has been central to their incredible form. The Nigerian has already registered nine goals and one assist for the Neapolitans this season. Luciano Spaletti has managed to bring the best out of the Nigerian by putting him on top of a 4-2-3-1 shape and combining him with the likes of Piotr Zielinski and Lorenzo Insigne.

PIOLI FACES BIG CHALLENGE Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan are the second best team in Italy after 8 weeks of Serie A, trailing leaders Napoli by only two points. But, can they sustain the momentum without two of their most important players? Theo Hernandez has tested positive for covid while Milke Maignan had to undergo a wrist surgery. With Juventus regaining their form and arch-rivals Inter Milan in close pursuit, it would be tough for the Rossoneri to hold on to their league position.

GOING UP

Marseille native Theo Hernandez has been the standout performer in his position since arriving from Real Madrid in July 2019 and his displays in Serie A have finally been recognised by Didier Deschamps. Hernandez hit the winner for France in the blockbuster Nations League last-four clash with Belgium and is arguably one of Milan’s best acquisitions in recent years.

CONTINUED

& THE UGLY GOING DOWN

Genoa finished in a respectable 11th place last term and the belief was the Grifone could finally put their fight against the drop behind them and target a top-half finish this year. The proud Ligurian outfit should have enough to retain their top flight status, but new owners 777 Partners are expecting more after forking out €150m to buy the club.

UPCOMING FIXTURES NOVEMBER Sat 6

AC Milan

Inter Milan

Sat 6

Cagliari

Atalanta

Sat 6

Empoli

Genoa

Sat 6

Juventus

Fiorentina

Sat 6

Lazio

Salernitana

Sat 6

Napoli

Hellas Verona

Sat 6

Sampdoria

Bologna

Sat 6

Spezia

Torino

Sat 6

Udinese

Sassuolo

Sat 6

Venezia

AS Roma

Sat 20

Atalanta

Spezia

Sat 20

Bologna

Venezia

Sat 20

Fiorentina

AC Milan

Sat 20

Genoa

AS Roma

Sat 20

Hellas Verona

Empoli

Sat 20

Inter Milan

Napoli

Sat 20

Lazio

Juventus

Sat 20

Salernitana

Sampdoria

Sat 20

Sassuolo

Cagliari

Sat 20

Torino

Udinese

Sat 27

AC Milan

Sassuolo

Sat 27

AS Roma

Torino

Sat 27

Cagliari

Salernitana

Sat 27

Empoli

Fiorentina

Sat 27

Juventus

Atalanta

Sat 27

Napoli

Lazio

Sat 27

Sampdoria

Hellas Verona

Sat 27

Spezia

Bologna

Sat 27

Udinese

Genoa

Sat 27

Venezia

Inter Milan

Tue 30

Atalanta

Venezia

Tue 30

Bologna

AS Roma

Tue 30

Fiorentina

Sampdoria

Tue 30

Genoa

AC Milan

Tue 30

Hellas Verona

Cagliari

Tue 30

Inter Milan

Spezia

Tue 30

Lazio

Udinese

Tue 30

Salernitana

Juventus

Tue 30

Sassuolo

Napoli

Tue 30

Torino

Empoli

Sat 4

AC Milan

Salernitana

Sat 4

AS Roma

Inter Milan

Sat 4

Bologna

Fiorentina

Sat 4

Cagliari

Torino

Sat 4

Empoli

Udinese

Sat 4

Juventus

Genoa

Sat 4

Napoli

Atalanta

Sat 4

Sampdoria

Lazio

Sat 4

Spezia

Sassuolo

Sat 4

Venezia

Hellas Verona

Sat 11

AS Roma

Spezia

Sat 11

Fiorentina

Salernitana

Sat 11

Genoa

Sampdoria

Sat 11

Hellas Verona

Atalanta

Sat 11

Inter Milan

Cagliari

Sat 11

Napoli

Empoli

Sat 11

Sassuolo

Lazio

Sat 11

Torino

Bologna

Sat 11

Udinese

AC Milan

Sat 11

Venezia

Juventus

Sat 18

AC Milan

Napoli

Sat 18

Atalanta

AS Roma

Sat 18

Bologna

Juventus

Sat 18

Cagliari

Udinese

Sat 18

Fiorentina

Sassuolo

Sat 18

Lazio

Genoa

Sat 18

Salernitana

Inter Milan

Sat 18

Sampdoria

Venezia

Sat 18

Spezia

Empoli

Sat 18

Torino

Hellas Verona

Tue 21

AS Roma

Sampdoria

Tue 21

Empoli

AC Milan

Tue 21

Genoa

Atalanta

Tue 21

Hellas Verona

Fiorentina

Tue 21

Inter Milan

Torino

Tue 21

Juventus

Cagliari

Tue 21

Napoli

Spezia

Tue 21

Sassuolo

Bologna

Tue 21

Udinese

Salernitana

Tue 21

Venezia

Lazio

DECEMBER

DEFENSIVE FRAILTIES MIGHT HURT LAZIO’S TOP FOUR AMBITIONS Maurizio Sarri said finishing in the top four is the objective of his side after taking up the baton at Lazio. The Biancocelesti are only a point away from the top four after eight match days. While their attackers have been excellent so far, particularly Ciro Immobile picking up 6 goals in 6 matches, the same cannot be said for their defence. Lazio has conceded 13 goals in their first eight matches; only Bologna conceded more among the top-half sides.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

FOLLOWMOTHE NEY LA LIGA

WITH A NUMBER OF LA LIGA CLUBS IN DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS, IAN WATERHOUSE TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT JUST WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE SPANISH TOP FLIGHT

‘LA LIGA’S POWER OVER THE REST OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL HAS WEAKENED’

oney talks in football. Hardly a headline-grabbing statement, but it is one that continues to be an ever-present fact and one that proves those with the biggest bank balances win. Or that at least is the perception. Since winning their first major domestic trophy in 1910, the Copa del Rey, Spanish giants Barcelona have appeared to be free and easy with the chequebook. It looks like it has worked too, with the Catalans boasting an impressive domestic haul of 26 league titles and 31 Copa del Rey triumphs. This is without even touching on their European exploits. Big money has been spent along the way. €160m for Phillipe Coutinho, €145m for Ousmane Demeble and €120m for Antoine Griezmann to name but three, and that trio has all been acquired within the last decade. However, now it seems excessive spending over time and a global pandemic has caught up

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

TOP: Barcelona’s financial mismanagement led to Lionel Messi’s departure RIGHT: Joan Laporta has said he hoped Lionel Messi would play for Barcelona for free

with Spain’s big movers and shakers. Current Barcelona president Joan Laporta has squarely laid the blame for the club’s reported debt of $1.6b at the hands of former president Josep Bartomeu and his administration. One of the key issues of the astronomical debt is player salaries that according to Laporta make up 103% of the club’s total income. It was inevitable then for those behind the scenes that Messi was going to have to go long before it was made public, even if Laporta has said he hoped the Argentine would stay and play for free. Huge debts with banks and the significant losses of income because of the coronavirus pandemic have also contributed heavily to the five-time Champions League winners’ financial plight, with all those years of spending beyond their means now catching up. There is no immediate quick fix either. Barcelona, like Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna, are registered organisations as opposed to limited companies, meaning you

MATTRESSES NOT LYING DOWN

cannot buy shares in the club. That means no selling a percentage of the club on the stock exchange in order to plug a financial gap, even though you can buy your way into the clubs by becoming a ‘Sociso' and subsequently a delegate. Forget the fact that this is neither cheap nor easy. The other Spanish giants, Real Madrid, are run this way too, but they took a dramatic approach in the early 2000’s as they sought to become the world’s richest club. A clever move by Florentino Perez - who was president from 2000 to 2006 and has been in the top job once again since 2009 - meant the club was able to wipe put its debt by ceding some of its training facilities to the city of Madrid and selling the rest to a number of corporations, even if there was a legal investigation into this. And so started the famous Galactico spending spree which would transform the division and force the financial hand of rival clubs. However, only really Barcelona were able to

THERE IS NO QUICK FIX FOR BARCELONA’S PROBLEMS

keep up, which started to have a detrimental effect on the rest of La Liga’s clubs. One of the reasons both clubs were able to keep well ahead of the curve was due to the old broadcasting formula, which prior to 2015 allowed each club to negotiate their own broadcast deals, known as the ‘Rights of Arena’. Naturally, broadcasters wanted eyeballs and advertising revenue and in order to get that, they had to have Real Madrid and Barcelona. With that came negotiating power for both clubs in the money game. Former giants such as Sevilla, Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao just didn’t have the bank balances to fight right at the top anymore, but a change in the broadcast regulations in 2015 to govern the collective sale of TV rights to broadcast Spanish football matches created a fairer distribution of TV money, rather than a monopoly of money heading Real and Barca’s way. It was about time too, because in 2013-14 Atletico Madrid won their first league title since

After securing a second La Liga title in seven years last season, Ian Waterhouse acknowledges Atletico Madrid’s achievement in finishing above Clasico giants Real Madrid and Barcelona ABOVE: Atletico Madrid punch above their weight year after year ABOVE (SMALL): Antoine Griezmann is on loan back at Atletico Madrid BELLOW: Dutch forward Memphis Depay poses for photographers during his presentation as new player of FC Barcelona TOP RIGHT: Atletico Madrid finished ontop of the La Liga giants last year.

Real Madrid and Barcelona may be the two sides regarded as Spain’s elite pair, but there is another side who continue to almost fly under the radar and punch above their weight year after year. Atletico Madrid once again showed the steel and fight no doubt derived from manager Diego Simeone to claim their second La Liga title under their Argentine boss last season. There are many reasons to believe the side affectionately known as the Mattresses could repeat that feat and successfully defend the league title for the first time since 1951. Barcelona’s financial crisis will no doubt bridge the money gap somewhat, but the continued shrewdness of the club and how they operate, alongside Simeone’s tactical nous, once again proved pivotal. As did the arrival of Luis Suarez, in a prime example of the Barca gap being bridged and Atletico taking advantage. Simone knew he had to change tactics to accommodate the striker and did, switching from a 4-4-2 to a 3-4-3 and sometimes a 3-5-2, to provide more attacking intent for Suarez. It worked, and while Barcelona and Real Madrid battled their own internal demons, the other Madrid club went about their business. The signs of progression are there for all to see and proof that strong management right through a club can reap rewards. Atletico are still well behind on player salaries compared to their big two rivals. For example, when Atleti and Real met each other in the 2020 Supercopa de Espana, the total wages of Real’s best possible starting XI was £3.5m per week. Atletico’s total wages per week of the best possible XI was £1.67m. Real ended up winning but only on penalties. Based on wages, Atletico have no right winning La Liga but they do, and with fairer distribution of money and a crisis at rival clubs, Atletico’s stock and grip on Spanish football are only getting higher and tighter. SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

LA LIGA

‘LA LIGA’S STRICT SALARY CAP IS BASED ON PREVIOUS REVENUE AND SPENDING’ 1996, trumping both Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, Atletico still received less TV money that season than Cardiff City, who finished bottom of the English Premier League. How can that be? The 2015 broadcast change did not bridge the gap completely though. Some 10% of the pot was reserved for Spain’s second division, the Segunda, while only 50% of the remaining money was distributed equally among the top 20 sides in La Liga. Then there is merit money, which is based on performance and resources generation, leaving Real and Barca still earning more than the rest and perhaps rightly so.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

ABOVE: Barcelona are in a mess financially after the Nou Camp stood empty during the coronavirus pandemic BELOW: Diego Simeone has beaten the odds to twice lead Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title TOP RIGHT: Memphis Depay BOTTOM RIGHT: Antoine Griezmann RIGHT: Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos

As we have seen though, this did nothing to curb the extravagant spending of Spain’s top two, essentially pricing out the rest of the division. However, with an increase in spending and reduction in income it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. Throw in a global pandemic and a financial crisis was always on the cards. With players leaving Barcelona and Real holding back resources, La Liga’s power over the rest of European football has weakened somewhat. Blow after blow seems to be the story for Real and Barca this year, with the Madrid club’s president’s failed attempt at creating a

SPANISH SALARY CAP

‘MONEY TALKS IN FOOTBALL’ European Super League spectacularly backfiring and causing those clubs involved untold embarrassment and condemnation from fans. It is not all doom and gloom though. The competition in La Liga looks set to be fiercer than ever this year and bold financial moves have been made. In the summer, the league agreed a private equity investment deal with CVC. Worth a reported $2.58b, the deal essentially sees CVC buying 11% of the TV revenue over the next 50 years. The sudden injection of cash into Spanish football is set to be distributed among clubs to

spend on modernisation projects and upgrading infrastructure. It can also be spent of staff too, which is a short-term win for the smaller clubs. Once again, Barcelona and Real Madrid, along with Athletic Bilbao, are contesting the deal. The other 39 clubs in Spain’s top two divisions all approved it. Does this mean the end of Real Madrid and Barcelona’s crazy spending? Probably not, but it does give the immediate future of La Liga the appearance of a more competitive landscape, which was much needed. Money will always talk in football, but in Spain that voice is becoming somewhat fairer.

ABOVE: Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos left Spain for Ligue 1 and Paris Saint-Germain this summer ABOVE (SMALL): Sergio Ramos has been with Real Madrid since 2005 BELLOW: Florentino Perez was a key figure in the failed European Super League project TOP RIGHT: Raphael Varane for his former team Real Madrid

In light of Spain’s new salary cap, Ian Waterhouse takes a look at what it’s meant for La Liga’s biggest clubs Money in football has a habit of playing a disappearing game at times, with vast transfer fees all but evaporating into agents’ and players’ bank accounts before the news has even hit the headlines. However, in an attempt to curb overspending, Spain’s La Liga introduced a strict salary cap that is worked out for each club per season based on previous revenue and spending. At the start of the 2021-22 season, Barcelona’s was slashed by 65%, which is the key reason why Lionel Messi had to make his tearful departure from the Nou Camp. From being able to spend £389m, the drop to £138m almost overnight hit the club hard and led to a fire sale. But what about their biggest rivals, Real Madrid? Much has been made of Barca’s debt, but Real hardly came out of the salary cap reduction smelling of roses. Los Blancos’ spending was reduced from a hefty £400m to £253m for this season, representing a 46.75% drop. Not as severe as Barcelona’s, but still a shocking turn of events for a club that has built success on paying big wages. No wonder then that Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Martin Odegaard are no longer part of the club. After so many years of writing blank cheques, the money men are finally catching up with football’s elite and starting to get a grip of unmanageable long-term financial plans that seem to have no way of generating profit. The proposed European Super League was the top teams’ quick fix, which went pear-shaped even more quickly, and although the clubs may not agree, surely for the long-term good of the game and in the spirit of competition, sometimes less is more. Are the days ridiculous spending in football coming to an end? Probably not, but clubs may start to be a little savvier in their transfer dealings. SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

MONEY, MONEY

MONEY TALKS

MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND. AND FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, IN MANY RESPECTS IT DOES TOO FOR FOOTBALL. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT MANY PLAYERS RECEIVE CAN SOMETIMES BE RIDICULOUS. EVEN AT THE VERY ELITE LEVEL.

5. KYLIAN MBAPPE $566,000 PER WEEK

ere are the 10 highest paid players in Europe and the World as of 2021. This list only comprises players contractual worth at their respective clubs. It does not take into account the money the players may receive from their sponsorship deals or external sources of income.

Mbappe's shining future and glistening present explains the huge paycheck that he receives at such a young and aspiring age. However, is the lowest of the three Paris Saint-Germain stars who feature in this list. Despite a summer of unrest due to a poor European Championship performance and transfer links to Real Madrid, Mbappe’s current contract lasts until the end of the 2023/24 season.

10. ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI $483,000 PER WEEK At the bottom of this list is FIFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2020 Lewandowski. Having extended his contract at the start of the 2019/20 season, Lewandowski proved his worth in that season by being top scorer in all three competitions of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League, whilst his team secured a treble in their own rights. Lewandowski was only the second male player to do this behind Johan Cruyff, which probably explains why he is worthy of being on this list.

4. GARETH BALE $690,000 PER WEEK Despite a somewhat declining career, Bale remains an incredibly wealthy and highly paid player. Often seen infrequently playing for Real Madrid in cup matches, Bale was loaned out to former club Tottenham Hotspur last season. Although playing infrequently but playing well when he had the opportunity to, Bale doesn’t seem like the sort of player who should be receiving this kind of money whilst being in mediocre form.

9. EDEN HAZARD $500,000 PER WEEK The first Real Madrid player on this list, Hazard's past few seasons have been less than amazing compared to his glorious form at Chelsea. Now 30 years-old, the Belgian secured the contract until 2024. Hazard's now mediocrity remains an enigma, and Real may be looking to offload him sooner rather than later.

3. LUIS SUAREZ $793,000 PER WEEK Suarez's shock move before the beginning of last season from cash-strapped Barcelona to Atletico Madrid effectively gifted the La Liga title to the red side of the Spanish capital. Their main talisman, taking much after the flamboyant and aggravated behaviour of both his manager and former teammate Diego Costa, demonstrates the increasing and serious threat that Atletico pose domestically and in Europe. Despite being considered to many as a move that was a 'downgrade', Suarez remains on a more than sizable contract.

8. DAVID DE GEA $517,000 PER WEEK The Manchester United stalwart has dedicated over a decade in being the Red Devils main man, and looks unlikely to change for a few seasons yet. The Spainiard signed from Atletico Madrid and seemingly his continual prowess in the No.1 spot has rewarded him a contract that is the 9th most valuable in European and World football.

2. NEYMAR $836,000 PER WEEK

7. KEVIN DE BRUYNE $531,000 PER WEEK

Despite the obscurity that the transfer of Neymar from Barcelona to PSG poised onto the footballing world, the splendid skill that Neymar continues to possess when it is most desperately needed makes him incredibly valuable. His larger than life contract however does not demonstrate how infrequently he has played for Paris SaintGermain, typically only racking up just over 20 appearances per season. Neymar demonstrates the assets that the deep pockets of PSG could possess, but even Neymar isn't as financially or sportingly superb as our final character on this list...

Having initially been oversighted by Chelsea, who purchased him in 2012 and sold him on two years later, De Bruyne and his most recent contract renewal surely shows what the Blues missed out on. De Bruyne won Premier League player of the 2019/20 season, and being central to Pep Guardiola’s style of management and tactics at Manchester City, the humongous contract that the Belgian has is probably worth every penny to City.

6. CRISTIANO RONALDO $531,000 PER WEEK The first signing from this summer on the list, Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford has already been publicised and romanticised to the highest degree. Although the club is suffering from managerial and coaching issues, Ronaldo’s presence on the pitch is in no doubt the most welcoming aspect of the start of a mediocre beginning of the season for the club. Although 37 years-old now, I doubt there are many who don’t see Ronaldo’s contract as a small price to pay to see a continual shining star.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

1. LIONEL MESSI $1,325,000 PER WEEK FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Luis Suarez Kevin De Bruyne Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi

Not much description is needed. Messi's emotional and captivating move from Camp Nou to the bright lights of the Parc Des Princes has been greatly financially beneficial to the player. And it's not hard to see how he's worth all the money that the club pays him. Despite a slowish start to the season and a delayed debut, Messi has shown that he can do it for just about any club, with his true wonder being shown in the Champions League most recently in PSG's win over RB Leipzig. Logically, the greatest player who continues to grace the field should be the one that's paid the most. Messi proves this piece of logic.

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FEARGAL BRENNAN TAKES A LOOK AROUND THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM LA LIGA

LA LIGA

THE GOOD, THE B THE GOOD

With Barcelona’s ongoing civil war potentially creating a new seat at the table in Spain’s La Liga title shootout, Real Sociedad have seized their chance to challenge Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. The Basque outfit have looked to step up a gear in the opening weeks of the 2021-22 campaign after suffering defeat to Barcelona on the opening weekend. Narrow wins and a tightened-up defence have been the key factors for Imanol Alguacil’s side and they look ready to fight on all fronts in the coming months. Some smart recruitment over the summer boosted Alguacil’s options, but his most important business was in retaining his key names. Alexander Isak and Mikel Oyarzabal both caught the eye at Euro 2020 with Sweden and Spain respectively, but La Real and Alguacil

flatly refused any chance of a sale. In response, the duo have picked up from where they left off last season, with Oyarzabal in particular in red-hot form after netting some vital goals in the early stages of the campaign. The main challenge for Alguacil and his players will be balancing the pressure of a hectic schedule in 2022, with midweek Europa League games quickly followed by La Liga action. La Real came up short in that sense last season, but there is growing confidence of their young stars being another year older and wiser, while experienced campaigners are still up for the challenge. They do face some key games before the end of 2021, but if Alguacil and his team can hold their nerve in the coming months, Sociedad could be a dark horses in the title race.

STORY LINES

‘REAL SOCIEDAD ARE HOPING TO JOIN THE TITLE RACE IN SPAIN’

ANTOINE GRIEZMANN AND JOAO FELIX CAN BE THE FUTURE OF ATLETI’S ATTACK Luis Suarez continues to be a reliable source of goals for Atletico Madrid. But, Antoine Griezmann’s resurgence in form and glimpses of promise from Joao Felix suggest Atletico Madrid are ready to move on from the Uruguayan. Suarez, who scored six goals in nine appearances for Atleti this season, is out of contract in 2022.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

VINICIUS JUNIOR THE WORK HORSE Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has made 32 ball carries that ended in a take-on in LaLiga this season; the most of any player in the competicion. Besides, he has made the most drives into de box of any player in the competition.

VALENCIA THE MOST TIME WASTING TIME IN THE DIVISION Interesting statistics have emerged over the amount of play time in La Liga. Much has been made about the amount of time the ball spends in play in La Liga this season, with Real Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini, among others, making their discontent heard. But how does each team contribute to the ball staying in play? Thankfully, Opta have done the digging. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they found that Jose Bordalas‘ Valencia have the ball in-play the least with an average of just 48.4 minutes per game.

LA LIGA

BAD, & THE UGLY THE BAD

Barcelona’s issues have proven to be one of the biggest soap opera stories in La Liga so far in 2021-22, with the Catalan giants seemingly in a constant state of crisis. The summer exit of Lionel Messi exposed not just deep-rooted financial instability within the club, but the widespread mismanagement behind the scenes in Catalonia. Barcelona’s inability to register Messi’s contract extension with La Liga due to concerns over their financial problems was the front-page story in August, but their shortcomings have continued into the new season. Messi’s exit was followed up by a game of cat and mouse to try and register other new players including Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero and move on some of their other highest earners. New president Joan Laporta failed to offload any of those causing the most problems on permanent deals. Antoine Griezmann and

Miralem Pjanic joined Atletico Madrid and Besiktas on loan respectively, sharing their lofty wages as part of the agreements. The embattled Laporta has continued to hit out at the previous regime and the poor standards of his predecessor Josep Bartomeu within the Blaugrana’s boardroom. However, with critics labelling Laporta as a showman in the ongoing crisis, he has stretched to a new level of absurd of late, after saying he believed Messi would play for free in 2021-22. The president claimed he thought Messi would make an 11th-hour pledge to tear up his new contract and continue his 21-year association with the club on a nominal deal. His claims of La Liga being wiling to accept such a bizarre deal have not been substantiated and Barcelona fans are frustrated by the suggestion, due to its likely impracticality both for the club and Messi.

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Imanol Alguacil’s Real Sociedad made a superb start to the season RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Real Sociedad's midfielder Mikel Merino (L) celebrates after scoring the 1-1 tie during the UEFA Europa League group B soccer match between Real Sociedad and AS Monaco

‘LIONEL MESSI’S EXIT EXPOSED BARCELONA’S HURRY FOR A REPLACEMENT STAR’

RIGHT: Barcelona president Joan Laporta said he expected Lionel Messi to play for free FAR RIGHT: Spanish midfielder Ansu Fati (C) poses during a press conference during Fati's contract renewal ceremony

KARIM BENZEMA IN THE FORM OF HIS LIFE Karim Benzema continues to spearhead Real Madrid’s attack with his incredible link-up play and finishing prowess. The Frenchman has scored nine goals and assisted seven more in only nine appearances. The 33-year-old is arguably the best striker in the world currently.

GRANADA MADE A MISTAKE LETTING GO OF DIEGO MARTINEZ? Granada had their ups and downs under Diego Martinez, but the decision came as a shock when it was announced Diego Martinez would leave the club. Robert Moreno, who had an infamous 13-match coaching spell at Monaco, came in as the replacement. And so far, Granada have failed to impress. It took them eight matches to pick up their first win, making it the worst start in the history of the club.

YOUTH GIVES BARCELONA HOPE Barcelona are going through a tough phase. The club is still trying to cope with the departure of Lionel Messi, who had been a mainstay at the club for more than a decade. While Barcelona struggle to keep up with Europe’s elites at the moment, the rise of young talents like Sergino Dest, Ansu Fati, and Pedri have given the club a beacon of hope. A brighter future awaits!

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

LA LIGA

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY

The potential of a European Super League mooted by 12 of Europe’s biggest football clubs in 2021 threatened to tear up the fabric of the beautiful game across the continent. What followed was an enormous groundswell of opposition to the plans from angry fans in reaction to the total disregard paid to them by club owners in relation to the concept. Nine of the 12 initial members withdrew from the project in what went down as a historical 48 hours within European football and a major PR climbdown from all six Premier League clubs. However, despite an almost unilateral acknowledgement of an overstep by club ownership, La Liga’s Clasico duo Real Madrid and Barcelona have remained as members of the cursed club along with Serie A giants Juventus. Despite the project either being permanently rejected, or merely placed on

the back burner, both clubs have refused to back down in their insistence of it being an inevitable move for European football. Barcelona have been the quieter of the two clubs on the controversial subject, with Los Blancos president Florentino Perez the biggest advocate for the maligned idea due to his personal involvement with it. UEFA’s decision not to pursue or implement any financial or competition sanctions on any remaining members has only emboldened Perez and his backers, with the project seemingly now mothballed in the Spanish capital until a later date. The halting of disciplinary measures against either Real Madrid or Barcelona means the project has not been fully extinguished by UEFA, with growing rumours of the PIF-backed buyout of Newcastle United a new stepping stone towards resurrecting the idea in future, despite the ongoing fan ire towards it.

FAR LEFT: Real’s Karim Benzema (L) celebrates after scoring the 5-0 lead during the UEFA Champions League group D soccer match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid LEFT: Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has been a key figure behind the despised European Super League TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Osasuna's players celebrate the 1-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Osasuna and Rayo Vallecano

‘REAL MADRID AND BARCELONA ARE STILL PART OF THE EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE’ DAVID ALABA’S BALL PROGRESSION QUALITY ADDS TO THE REAL MADRID ATTACK David Alaba has made 141 carries in La Liga this season (87 progressive carries) - only Vinicius Junior made more among Real Madrid players in the competition (148/98). Alaba has been an excellent replacement for Varane so far, adding considerably to the Real Madrid attack, besides patrolling the defence.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Quique Sanchez Flores reacts during a La Liga match BOTTOM RIGHT: Atletico Madrid looks to have another great couple of months in this year's La Liga campaign

REAL SOCIEDAD’S DREAM START Real Sociedad sat at the top of the La Liga table following matchday 10. Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil had to cope with absences every week. Alexander Isak has missed three games, Carlos Fernandez is out long-term, while midfield maestro David Silva has only featured four times. At one point, there were nine players unavailable at the same time. Despite all those obstacles, the White and Blues outdid expectations in the first ten weeks of their La Liga campaign.

GOING UP

Alongside Real Sociedad’s rise up the table, the other surprise package since the start of 2021-22 in La Liga has been Osasuna. Jagoba Arrasate’s side lost just two of their opening nine games to put themselves into top-four contention, while the coach’s conservative approach has yielded some key results.

GOING DOWN

CONTINUED

& THE UGLY

Jose Bordalas’s departure has sent Getafe into a downward spiral in 2021-22 with no wins in the first two months of the season. His replacement Michel has since been dismissed, with Quique Sanchez Flores handed the unenviable firefighting job of trying to keep Getafe in the top-flight in the coming months.

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Levante Cadiz FC Barcelona Granada Elche Real Sociedad FC Sevilla Rayo Vallecano Atletico Madrid Getafe Osasuna Villarreal Real Betis Espanyol Alaves Cadiz Real Madrid Athletic Bilbao Mallorca Valencia Celta Vigo Granada Atletico Madrid Real Sociedad Getafe Elche Levante FC Sevilla Rayo Vallecano FC Barcelona

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Mallorca Valencia Cadiz Real Betis Villarreal Athletic Bilbao Alaves Osasuna Espanyol Real Madrid Getafe FC Sevilla Granada Levante Celta Vigo FC Barcelona Real Sociedad Atletico Madrid Elche Rayo Vallecano Real Betis Espanyol Elche Atletico Madrid Osasuna Mallorca Valencia Alaves Cadiz Villarreal

MARCELINO MADE BILBAO ROCK SOLID DEFENSIVELY Marcelino’s Athletic Bilbao have conceded only five goals in their first nine matches, which earned them a top half spot in the table. Unai Simon, Inigo Martinez and Dani Vivian have proven to be a reliable core in defence that will keep teams shut out.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

PERFECT 10 ? N R E Y A B R FO BUNDESLIGA

CAN BAYERN MUNICH DO WHAT NO TEAM IN ANY MAJOR LEAGUE HAVE DONE AND WIN 10 LEAGUE TITLES ON THE TROT? MICHELLE OSEI BONSU TAKES A LOOK

‘SINCE 2013, BAYERN MUNICH’S GRIP ON THE BUNDESLIGA HAS LARGELY REMAINED UNCHALLENGED’

“E

ach season 18 teams all get together, but really it’s a matter of when Bayern Munich win the title with everyone else there to make up the numbers.” “The Bundesliga is the most predictable league in Europe – because we all know who the winner is going to be before the season starts, and it will be, of course, Bayern Munich.” “Bayern Munich have turned what used to be an exciting league into a one-horse race, with the real battle being for Champions League and Europa League football, as well as to avoid the drop.” Comments like this have often been made about Germany’s top flight over the past decade or so by avid fans, casual observers and pundits alike. While it may seem a bit harsh or exaggerated, there is some truth in them. Since becoming the first German side to win the treble in 2013, Bayern have ensured that their grip on the Bundesliga crown has largely remained

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

ABOVE (MAIN): Bayern Munich have lifted the Meisterschale in each of the last nine seasons ABOVE LEFT: Gerd Muller and Franz Beckenbauer were two of the world’s finest players in the 1970s RIGHT: Neuer has been around for all 9 of Bayern's titles

unchallenged. Indeed, Borussia Dortmund in 2012 were the last team other than Die Roten to clinch the title. Unfortunately for Die Schwarzgelben, they have occasionally come close, but always seem to be undone in Der Klassiker, a highly-anticipated fixture that has been mostly one-way traffic in Bayern’s favour for quite some time. It is not the first time the Bavarian titans have enjoyed a period of largely unchallenged supremacy over the German football landscape. While many people, including this author, are too young to have personally witnessed icons like Franz Beckenbauer and the late Gerd Muller in their heyday at Bayern’s former home the Olympiastadion, the 1970s, and especially the middle of that decade, saw a period of unprecedented dominance – both in Germany and on the continent. For it was during that time that Bayern won three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976, which, to put into perspective, is exactly

ONE-PARTY RULE

With Bayern Munich dominating the Bundesliga, Michelle Osei Bonsu takes a look at other clubs who’ve held an iron grip over their domestic leagues in the past

half the number of total trophies they have won so far in that competition. However, the next two decades or so after this period were a turbulent time for Bayern, with plenty of highs, lows, and drama that became a sort of tawdry soap opera at times. Out of all of this, arguably, one could say that the team’s nadir was the 1991-92 campaign, during which they finished just five points above the relegation zone. And although Bayern went through a revival during the earlier part of the noughties, namely winning their fourth Champions League title during the 2000-01 season – their first in 25 years – it was not really until 2007 that they began taking the steps that have now seen them enjoying the success we are all observing today. In 2007, Die Roten decided to totally overhaul their squad. They shipped out no less than nine players, including notable names like Owen Hargreaves, who was sold to Manchester United for €17m, Claudio Pizarro, Roy Makaay and

‘BAYERN MUNICH BECAME THE FIRST GERMAN CLUB TO COMPLETE THE TREBLE IN 2013’

Hasan Salihamidzic, while star midfielder and fan favourite Mehmet Scholl decided to hang up his boots. In came World Cup stars Luca Toni on an €11m deal from Fiorentina, Miroslav Klose from Werder Bremen for €15m and Franck Ribery, who cost €26m from Marseille. Plus, a 17-yearold Toni Kroos was promoted from the youth team. This paid dividends and then some. Bayern never slipped below first in the table as they cruised to the league title, with Toni scoring 24 goals in the Bundesliga and 39 across all competitions, forming a formidable partnership with fellow new signing Ribery in the process. Despite the Italian departing the Allianz Arena following reported disputes with new manager Louis van Gaal, Bayern’s progress was barely dented, as Arjen Robben had arrived along with the Dutchman and created his own impressive collaboration with Ribery. Still, there was the issue of Oliver Kahn’s retirement, which meant that the Bavarian

ABOVE: Bayern Munich signed prolific striker Robert Lewandowski on a free from rivals Borussia Dortmund BELLOW: Munich's Bastian Schweinsteiger (C) celebrates with the Championship Trophy in 2013 TOP RIGHT: Borussia Dortmund were the last team aside from Bayern to win the Bundesliga back in 2012

No club in any of Europe’s five biggest leagues has ever won 10 consecutive titles. Bayern are currently on nine, while only Juventus have come close before. From 2012 to 2020, La Vecchia Signora reigned supreme in Serie A, before seeing their unprecedented run ended by Inter Milan last season. Due to the competitive nature of the Premier League, it’s little surprise that no team has come anywhere near to winning 10 in a row, with Manchester United doing a three-peat on two occasions, from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2007 to 2009. Meanwhile, Olympique Lyonnais enjoyed success in France from 2002 to 2008, when they won seven Ligue 1 titles in a row. Paris Saint-Germain may have surpassed that had they not been pipped to the title by Monaco during the 2016-17 campaign, thus ending a four-year winning streak. Over in Spain, Real Madrid have won five in a row in two instances, from 1961 to 1965 and from 1986 to 1990. In Scotland, Celtic went close with nine before losing out to Rangers last term, but no major team has ever reached 10. There are, however, clubs in smaller leagues who’ve not only hit that magical number, but have even surpassed it. For instance, Lincoln Red Imps are not a team that many outside Gibraltar had heard much of before they made an appearance in the Champions League in 2014. Founded in 1976, Lincoln have won a whopping 24 league titles, including an unprecedented 14 in a row from 2003 to 2016. They are also the holders of the longest unbeaten streak in European football history, managing 88 games undefeated between 2009 and 2014. There are quite a few others to win 10 or more, including teams from various Eastern European countries, such as BATE Borisov, who claimed 13 titles between 2006 and 2018. Another to enjoy over a decade of dominance are Norwegian side Rosenborg, with 10 of their 13 titles from 1992 to 2004 won under the leadership of Nils Arne Eggen. Although it hasn’t been done just yet in a major league, Bayern have a great chance to achieve this monumental milestone at the end of this season. SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

BUNDESLIGA

THINGS

‘NO CLUB IN ANY OF EUROPE’S FIVE BIGGEST LEAGUES HAS EVER WON 10 CONSECUTIVE TITLES’

By beating Barcelona 3-0 at the Camp Nou on the opening day of the 2021/22 Champions league matchday Bayern has extended their record starting run in the Champions League as a result of their success. FCB has now won 18 consecutive Matchday 1 matches in the tournament. The run began with a 2-1 victory over Celtic at the Olympic Stadium in the 2003/04 season.

Robert Lewandoski holds the record for most goals scored in a single campaign when he scored 41 goals in the 2020/21 season to surpass Gerd Muller`s 49 year old record of 40

powerhouse had to make do without a topnotch goalkeeper until the arrival of Manuel Neuer from Schalke at the start of the 2011-12 season. Despite this upgrade, Bayern had to settle for second best in all major competitions, with Dortmund winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, while Chelsea triumphed on spot-kicks in the 2012 Champions League final. That would be the last time that happened. A year later, Bayern made history as the first German side to win the treble, and they haven’t looked back since. Yes, it took them until 2020 to win their sixth Champions League title, but the Meisterschale has remained firmly in Munich for the past nine seasons and counting. Along the way, they continued their tactic of cherry-picking the best talent from their rivals. That had started with Klose’s acquisition back in 2007, but really picked up steam in 2012 with the arrival of Neuer, followed by several Dortmund players, including Mario Gotze in 2013, Robert Lewandowski on a free in 2014

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

ABOVE: Bayern secured their second treble in eight years in 2020 BELOW: Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps went 88 games unbeaten during their 14-year reign as champions SIDEBAR TOP: Lewandowski celebrates one of his many goals SIDEBAR BOTTOM: Neuer has appeared for Bayern Munich in the Champions League one hundred times now

and Mats Hummels two years later. This trend hasn’t showed any signs of stopping, with even managers not immune from Bayern’s spell. This summer they moved quickly to replace outgoing boss Hansi Flick with Julian Nagelsmann, the young tactician who had burst onto the scene with Hoffenheim and played a key part in RB Leipzig’s recent success. Nagelsmann, meanwhile, wasn’t alone. Along with him arrived two players who were also instrumental in Leipzig’s run to the 2019-20 Champions League semi-finals, French defender Dayot Upamecano for €42.5m and Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer for €16m. Bayern have also gone outside the Bundesliga to source talent, with signings like Javi Martinez, Kingsley Coman, Corentin Tolisso and James Rodriguez immediately coming to mind. However, the fact that they’ve experienced few issues in luring players from their rivals – whether it be by waiting for them to run down their contracts in the case of players such as

3. By avoiding defeat in Matchday 3 of

the 2021/22 Champions league, on 20th October against Benfica, Bayern extended the longest unbeaten run away from home in the history of the competition to 20 matches (16 wins, 4 draws). Their last defeat was at Paris Saint-Germain in September 2017.

Robert Lewandoski holds the club record of scoring in 19 consecutive games which came to an end in a game against Greuther Furth in September 2021.

5. Manuel Nuer made his 100th

appearance for Bayern Munich in the champions league in match against Benfica on 20th October 2021 to make him the fourth player to reach the milestone after Oliver Kahn(103), Phillip Lahm (105) and current teammate Thomas Muller (127)

CAN MONOPOLIES BE AVOIDED?

As Bayern Munich close in on an unprecedented 10th successive Bundesliga crown, Michelle Osei Bonsu asks what can be done to avoid such dominance Lewandowski, or splashing the cash on talents including Upamecano – remains a bone of contention for many of the team’s critics. In doing so, they argue, Bayern have systematically weakened the Bundesliga to the point that no team has a realistic fighting chance, and in doing this, Die Roten lack the necessary competition to keep themselves sharp for continental competition. Still, they did win the Champions League in 2020, and despite disappointing last term, are viewed as one of the favourites to win it again this season. Nonetheless, it remains a sticking point for many, especially when compared to other leagues such as the Premier League, which don’t have one sole dominant entity. Even Serie A, which was monopolised by Juventus for years, has now changed dramatically, as evidenced by Inter’s Scudetto win last season.

Meanwhile, over in France, Paris Saint-Germain have mostly controlled the narrative, but there are others, such as Lille and Monaco, who have been able to force their way into the conversation in recent years. But should Bayern be blamed for this? What about the other teams who are willing to sell their best assets for some coin? Or the players who refuse to commit to another deal, preferring to run down their contracts for the chance to play at the Allianz Arena? It is a complex matter that doesn’t have clear-cut answers. However, one thing is certain: something will have to change at some point. As to when it will occur, only time will tell. Whether it will be just a natural turn of fortunes – as no team can remain on top forever – or something else occurs, will indeed be very interesting to see.

ABOVE: Julian Nagelsmann moved from Leipzig to Munich this summer BELOW: Gerd Muller and Franz Beckenbauer were two of the world’s finest players in the 1970s TOP RIGHT: Wolfgang Holzhauser has suggested a four-team play-off to decide the Bundesliga champions

‘ONE TEAM ALWAYS WINNING IS BORING’

Continued success is usually a good thing, but what about when it’s to the detriment of everyone else? There’s a reason why monopolies are heavily frowned upon and in many countries, regulations have been put in place in an attempt to prevent them. It’s only natural that some teams will enjoy more success than others, not least because of greater spending power. One team always winning is pretty boring though, as has been the case for the best part of a decade in the Bundesliga. During the 2018-19 campaign, German fans did get a taste of an entertaining title battle for the first time in years, with everything set to be decided on the last day of the season. Ultimately, much to the disappointment of many neutrals, Bayern came out on top yet again after cruising to a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, leaving Borussia Dortmund supporters crushed. There have been some interesting suggestions to bring competition back to the Bundesliga, with former Bayer Leverkusen CEO and Bundesliga president Wolfgang Holzhauser suggesting a fourteam play-off to decide the champions at the end of the regular season. On paper, it sounds interesting. But given that Bayern have had few issues in readily beating their nearest title rivals, it may not be the best solution for levelling the playing field. That may require something even more dramatic, perhaps involving restrictions on how many players a team can take from their rivals. Given Bayern’s deep pockets, they could easily look elsewhere for talent, but their domestic rivals would at least be a little safer. All in all, it’s a difficult situation in which there appears to be no clear winner. Apart from Bayern, of course, who for the foreseeable future, will continue to dominate the Bundesliga, with everyone else struggling to catch up. SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

BUNDESLIGA

FEARGAL BRENNAN HAS A POKE AROUND THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE BUNDESLIGA

THE GOOD, THE B THE GOOD

Patrik Schick’s goalscoring form at Euro 2020 was the driving force behind the Czech Republic’s push into the knockout rounds of the tournament over the summer. Three goals in the group stage provided a shock platform for the Czechs to edge their way into the last 16, with his spectacular halfway line strike against Scotland at Hampden Park ultimately winning being named as the goal of the tournament. The striker’s hot streak in front of goal carried on into the knockouts, with a goal in both their last-16 and quarter-final games. Despite no one bettering his total of five goals for the tournament, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the Golden Boot thanks to his superior assist record. Schick’s form opened the possibility of a bounce effect rippling on into the summer transfer market, with his all-

action style catching the eye across Europe’s big hitters. However, despite the speculation over his club future, 13 goals in all competitions in 2020-21 persuaded Bayer Leverkusen to fight hard to retain their key man at the BayArena. Leverkusen’s faith in him, coupled with Schick’s confidence boost, have paid dividends in the opening weeks of the campaign, after the forward netted seven goals from his first eight Bundesliga games. Schick’s goals at the back end of last season helped to ensure another European qualification spot in 2021-22 and he will face another fresh test of his levels in the coming months. Gerardo Seoane will be looking to make a real impact in both Bundesliga and Europa League action in his first season at Bayer, and Schick’s form and goals will be key to their progress in 2022.

STORY LINES

‘PATRIK SCHICK’S GOALSCORING FORM WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE CZECH REPUBLIC’S PUSH INTO THE EURO 2020 KNOCKOUT’

MANUEL NEUER ON TRACK TO DETHRONE OLIVER KAHN Manuel Neuer won his 300th Bundesliga game (in his 447th game) when he kept a clean sheet in Bayern Munich’s comfortable 4-0 win over Hoffenheim. Only Oliver Kahn has more wins in Bundesliga history (310). Neuer can make that record his own with only 11 more Bundesliga wins.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

JUDE BELLINGHAM BECOMING BORUSSIA DORTMUND’S MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER AMID HAALAND HYPE Jude Bellingham has caught the eye playing for Borussia Dortmund this season. The 18-year-old has made himself a regular name in Marco Rose’s starting XI. Playing a supporting role to Haaland, Bellingham has contributed two goals and two assists in nine appearances. With Haaland set for a long-term injury layoff, Bellingham can take on a more advanced role and spearhead the BVB attack.humiliating 6-1 Europa Conference League defeat to FK Bodo/Glimt.

MARCO ROSE LOVES SIGNAL IDUNA PARK Marco Rose has had a flawless home record at home since he took charge of Borussia Dortmund. Rose became the first Borussia Dortmund manager to win each of his first five home games. He will be hoping to extend that run even further.

BUNDESLIGA

BAD, & THE UGLY THE BAD

Despite the positivity of Schick’s goals driving Bayer Leverkusen up the Bundesliga table in the opening weeks of 2021-22, Seoane has been hit by an unexpected injury blow for veteran midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger. The Austrian international has established himself as a genuine fan favourite at the club, following his 2016 move from Bundesliga rivals Mainz. However, despite playing a key role in their engine room in the following seasons, his 2020-21 campaign was cut short by a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in January. The club opted for surgery on the injury, with a determined Baumgartlinger making a rapid recovery. He made a cameo appearance in their final game of the season against Borussia Dortmund, and was subsequently permitted to join up with the Austria squad for Euro 2020.

But despite appearing to have made a full recovery from the operation, the Leverkusen medical staff raised concerns over it again this summer. In the face of long-term fears arising both from surgery and not sorting out the issue, the 33-year-old schemer has now undergone a second procedure on his knee. The latest update comes as a huge blow for both Baumgartlinger and Seoane, with Leverkusen missing one of their most experienced campaigners for the majority of the season ahead. Current estimates from the club hint that he is unlikely to be back in action before the final weeks of the campaign, with his contract at the BayArena also expiring in June 2022. Fans will be hoping they have not seen the last of Baumgartlinger in a Leverkusen shirt, but the signs do not look positive for a speedy return as it stands.

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick has continued his fine form at Euro 2020 into the Bundesliga season

‘BAYER LEVERKUSEN FANS WILL BE HOPING THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF JULIAN BAUMGARTLINGER’

RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick reacts after scoring a goal in a Bundesliga match RIGHT: The latest update on Baumgartlinger's injury comes as a huge blow for Bayer’s coach, Seoane FAR RIGHT: Julian Baumgartlinger is recovering from a second serious knee operation

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN Robert Lewandowski seems set to claim another Bundesliga Golden Boot honour as the Poland striker already racked up ten goals in nine appearances. Lewandowski has won all of the Bundesliga Golden Boots since Pierre Emerick Aubameyang won it in 2016/17.

WOLFSBURG SACK MARK VAN BOMMEL Wolfsburg have moved quickly to replace sacked head coach Mark van Bommel by promoting assistant Michael Frontzeck on an interim basis. Van Bommel was shown the door, following an eight-match winless run in all competitions. Frontzeck, 57, steps up from his role as assistant to Van Bommel until further notice, with Wolfsburg ninth in the Bundesliga, bottom of their UEFA Champions League group and out of the DFB Cup.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

BUNDESLIGA

THE GOOD,THE BAD, & THE UGLY

Borussia Dortmund fans have carved out a reputation for themselves as some of the most vocal and passionate supporters in German top-flight football. Die Schwarzgelben’s ultras have turned Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion home into one of the most intimidating fortresses in Europe, while they have also found themselves at the forefront of a string of fan protests in recent seasons. From previous opposition to game scheduling within the Champions League to vocal sentiments against the possibility of a European Super League earlier this year, fans have become a powerful force to be reckoned with by UEFA. However, the start of the 202122 campaign ignited a new objection from supporters, with Dortmund fans upset with kit manufacturers Puma over their controversial shirt design.

Puma, who have designed Dortmund kits since 2012, took the controversial step of omitting the club’s iconic badge from their third strip for the new season. The move mirrored similar designs from Puma for other clubs across Europe, but it was Dortmund’s fans whose anger sparked mass protests, leading to both the club and Puma issuing an apology. However, due to the ongoing sponsorship and manufacturing agreement between both parties, the kit is set to remain in place, albeit with reduced outings, until the end of the current season. Dortmund fans have called on the club to negotiate an immediate change with Puma during the European competition hiatus over the winter months at the end of 2021, with a potential announcement expected from the club hierarchy at the start of 2022.

FAR LEFT: Puma’s design for Borussia Dortmund’s third kit led to fan fury LEFT: Marco Reus models the new Dortmund third kit from Puma TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Bayern's head coach Julian Nagelsmann reacts during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayern Muenchen

‘BORUSSIA DORTMUND AND PUMA APOLOGISED TO FANS ABOUT THEIR BADGELESS THIRD KIT’ ANTHONY MODESTE KEEPS ON DELIVERING FOR KOLN Anthony Modeste has been FC Koln’s Mr. Dependable this season with six goals in nine Bundesliga outings. He scored his first Bundesliga brace since 2017 to salvage a point in the Rhine derby which, at half-time, had seemed beyond their reach. But, but the second half belonged to Modeste, who single-handedly secured Cologne a point and reached the landmark of 50 goals for the club.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Sascha Burchert of SpVgg Greuther Furth and Marco Meyerhofer celebrate with teammates after their victory in the penalty shootout of the DFB Cup second round match between TSG Hoffenheim and Greuther Furth

MAXIMILIAN ARNOLD BECOMES MOST CAPPED WOLFSBURG PLAYER VfL Wolfsburg’s Maximilian Arnold surpassed Diego Benaglio at 260 Bundesliga appearances for the Wolves becoming the player with the most Bundesliga matches in the club’s history. The midfielder played full 90 minutes in Wolfsburg’s 2-0 defeat to Freiburg. landmark of 50 goals for the club.

REECE OXFORD LIVING UP TO HIS POTENTIAL AT AUGSBURG After an impressive 20/21 season, Reece Oxford has had a strong start to the new season for Augsburg. Besides being a commanding presence in the Augsburg backline, the 18-yearold scored his first senior goal for the club when he headed in the opening goal In Augsburg’s 1-1 draw with Arminia Bielefeld.

GOING UP

Julian Nagelsmann has hit the ground running in his new role as Bayern Munich coach, with the pressure of managing the Bundesliga’s leading superpower driving him on. The Bavarians will be challenged by Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund this season, but the early signs look very positive for the defending champions in their quest for an unprecedented 10th title in a row.

CONTINUED

& THE UGLY GOING DOWN

Greuther Furth were tipped to struggle following their promotion from the second tier and Stefan Leitl’s side have found it tough going so far in 2021-22. With a daunting set of fixtures coming up before the end of 2021, they could find themselves cut adrift in the second half of the campaign.

UPCOMING FIXTURES NOVEMBER Fri 5

Bayern Munich

Freiburg

Fri 5

Bochum

Hoffenheim

Fri 5

FC Koln

Union Berlin

Fri 5

FSV Mainz

Monchengladbach

Fri 5

Greuther Furth

E. Frankfurt

Fri 5

Hertha Berlin

Leverkusen

Fri 5

RB Leipzig

Dortmund

Fri 5

Stuttgart

Bielefeld

Fri 5

Wolfsburg

FC Augsburg

Fri 19

Bielefeld

Wolfsburg

Fri 19

Dortmund

Stuttgart

Fri 19

FC Augsburg

Bayern Munich

Fri 19

Freiburg

E. Frankfurt

Fri 19

FSV Mainz

FC Koln

Fri 19

Hoffenheim

RB Leipzig

Fri 19

Leverkusen

Bochum

Fri 19

Monchengladbach

Greuther Furth

Fri 19

Union Berlin

Hertha Berlin

Fri 26

Bayern Munich

Bielefeld

Fri 26

Bochum

Freiburg

Fri 26

E. Frankfurt

Union Berlin

Fri 26

FC Koln

Monchengladbach

Fri 26

Greuther Furth

Hoffenheim

Fri 26

Hertha Berlin

FC Augsburg

Fri 26

RB Leipzig

Leverkusen

Fri 26

Stuttgart

FSV Mainz

Fri 26

Wolfsburg

Dortmund

DECEMBER

FLORIAN WIRTZ: GERMANY’S NEXT SUPERSTAR? Florian Wirtz has had 10 goal involvements in his first eight appearances for Bayer Leverkusen this season. Only Mohamed Salah, Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland, and Robert Lewandowski have more goal involvements than the 18-year-old. Florian Wirtz appears to be the next superstar in the making. Watch out MBappe and Haaland!

BAYER LEVERKUSEN DOMINATING OPPONENTS Bayer Leverkusen have been impressive under Gerardo Seoane so far. Leverkusen have been in the winning position for the longest proportion of ball-in-play time (64%) in this season's Bundesliga. That means, Bayer Leverkusen have been in control of their games most of the times.

Fri 3

Bielefeld

FC Koln

Fri 3

Dortmund

Bayern Munich

Fri 3

FC Augsburg

Bochum

Fri 3

FSV Mainz

Wolfsburg

Fri 3

Hoffenheim

E. Frankfurt

Fri 3

Leverkusen

Greuther Furth

Fri 3

Monchengladbach

Freiburg

Fri 3

Stuttgart

Hertha Berlin

Fri 3

Union Berlin

RB Leipzig

Fri 10

Bayern Munich

FSV Mainz

Fri 10

Bochum

Dortmund

Fri 10

E. Frankfurt

Leverkusen

Fri 10

FC Koln

FC Augsburg

Fri 10

Freiburg

Hoffenheim

Fri 10

Greuther Furth

Union Berlin

Fri 10

Hertha Berlin

Bielefeld

Fri 10

RB Leipzig

Monchengladbach

Fri 10

Wolfsburg

Stuttgart

Tue 14

Bielefeld

Bochum

Tue 14

Dortmund

Greuther Furth

Tue 14

FC Augsburg

RB Leipzig

Tue 14

FSV Mainz

Hertha Berlin

Tue 14

Leverkusen

Hoffenheim

Tue 14

Monchengladbach

E. Frankfurt

Tue 14

Stuttgart

Bayern Munich

Tue 14

Union Berlin

Freiburg

Tue 14

Wolfsburg

FC Koln

Fri 17

Bayern Munich

Wolfsburg

Fri 17

Bochum

Union Berlin

Fri 17

E. Frankfurt

FSV Mainz

Fri 17

FC Koln

Stuttgart

Fri 17

Freiburg

Leverkusen

Fri 17

Greuther Furth

FC Augsburg

Fri 17

Hertha Berlin

Dortmund

Fri 17

Hoffenheim

Monchengladbach

Fri 17

RB Leipzig

Bielefeld

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

MLS & LIGA MX

BY SEAN MASLIN

A MATCH MAD "THE SUCCESS OF THE LEAGUES CUP WITH JUST A SMALL NUMBER OF TEAMS HAS SPURRED BOTH LIGA MX AND MLS TO EXPAND THE COMPETITION." TOP LEFT: Columbus will find themselves in the CONCACAF Champions League after winning the MLS Cup in 2020 TOP RIGHT, TOP: From left: Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla and MLS commissioner Don Garber. TOP RIGHT, BOTTOM: The competition between the two leagues has been developing through increasingly interesting story lines for many years now.

ome things just go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Major League Soccer and Liga MX? For years, the two leagues have been courting one another and trying to find a way to further strengthen their ties. After the announcement of the expansion of the Leagues Cup in 2023, another successful All-Star Game, and the 2026 World Cup looming one has to wonder: Is a full merger on the horizon? The courtship of MLS and Liga MX has perhaps been one of the most open secrets in club football for years. Throughout the years, reports and hints have been dropped about the desire for both sides to continue to strengthen their ties, with the end result normally being more friendlies and opportunities for matches between their top sides. That both leagues have continued to dominate the CONCACAF Champions League seems to have also pushed the two leagues closer, looking to create more intercontinental matches minus the nuisance

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

that is the CCL. Enter the Leagues Cup. Founded in 2019, with just four teams the Liga MX/MLS tournament has blossomed in just two years. Although LigaMX still has gotten the best of their neighbors to the north, the competition has been a bit more competitive with games being played in the middle of the season of both leagues. That was also reflected in the ratings with the Leon-Seattle Sounders generating huge ratings for Univision. The success of the Leagues Cup with just a small number of teams has spurred both Liga MX and MLS to expand the competition. In July, the two leagues announced a swath of changes to the Leagues Cup competition. Starting in 2023, all Liga MX and MLS sides will compete in the knockout tournament with games scheduled to take place over the summer. Perhaps the most important detail though is that both leagues will suspend their regular season in order to fit the matches in. That final point seems to indicate that there are broader possibilities in play here. The chief

difficulty that the leagues currently face is that they operate under different formats and different schedules. While MLS plays MarchDecember with no breaks, Liga MX operates under a two season format with the Apertura (January-May) and Clausura (July-December). Finding the time where all teams are in peak form and where players will not be overloaded has been a huge challenge for CONCACAF in running their Champions League. That competition often runs with very long breaks between matches which ultimately harms the product and stymies interest. This competition, at least on paper, resolves those issues and opens up the doors for larger opportunities such as a combined league. With MLS operating as a single entity and LigaMX having recently made moves to end their promotion-relegation system there aren’t the hurdles that say the European super clubs faced with creating their own league back in the spring. The timing of a 2023 expanded Leagues Cup also has implications for the 2026

DE IN VEGAS LAST FIVE LIGA MX CHAMPIONS YEAR 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017

TOP (MAIN) Last seaon's Liga MX champions, Cruz Azul, hoisting the trophy TOP (SMALL): Germán Berterame, Liga MX's mos prominent scorer, celebrating for hit team, Atlético San Luis RIGHT (SIDEBAR): Leon hoists the Liga MX Trophy after a season affected by COVID-19 in 2020

World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Given that the Mexican Football Association is working with U.S. Soccer on the largest World Cup ever, it seems that a tournament run by their top flight domestic leagues is almost a dry run for three years later. Should both competitions succeed on the pitch and at the gates, neither party will really want to abandon their partnership. There are still a number of questions that come with the LigaMX-MLS relationship. Much like with the rancor that the European sides faced with forming their super league, a Liga MX-MLS merger would rankle football purists in both Mexico and the United States. While the US’ decentralized model makes it easier for MLS to merge with Liga MX, the negative reception that it would receive would be fierce. The same could also be said in Mexico, especially from clubs whose chances of promotion would all but be eliminated. The other big question is what would happen to the Canadian sides?

So far, the Canadian Soccer Association and MLS have coexisted peacefully despite at times having different goals and motivations. The expanded Leagues Cup competition will undoubtedly receive the CSA’s seal of approval, but a merger of the two leagues would certainly be seen as a threat to their own domestic league: The Canadian Premier League. Given that FIFA in the past have been lukewarm to domestic leagues merging, some concessions would need to be made in order to include Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. While a full merger may still be a number of years off, the ties between Liga MX and MLS are only getting stronger. There may still be many hurdles to come, but a successful Leagues Cup tournament would certainly clear the way for greater cooperation.

CHAMPION Cruz Azul Leon UANL Santos Laguna Guadalajara

2ND Santos Laguna UNAM Leon Toluca UANL

LAST FIVE MLS CHAMPIONS YEAR 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

CHAMPION Columbus Seattle Atlanta Toronto Seattle

2ND Seattle Toronto Portland Seattle Toronto

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

MLS

FINISHING FRENZY MARCO D’ONOFRIO DIGS DEEP INTO THE WORLD OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER WITH THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

THE GOOD Competitiveness. Despite how people may feel about playoffs in soccer, nobody can deny that Major League Soccer produced one of the wildest and most exciting finishes to a season ever this year with a wild playoff race. In the Eastern Conference, third place and eighth place were separated by just three points in the final month of the regular season. It's the difference between hosting an opening round playoff match and missing out on the dance entirely. It wasn't as tight of a race in the Western Conference, but still far too close to call going into the final stretch. Fifth place through eighth place were separated by just two points, making every moment of every game critical. The biggest criticism of the playoff system in MLS has always been that a team who finishes sixth or seventh in the standings can go on to win the league's most prestigious prize. However, the system also allows teams and their fans to stay invested in the product – even if they didn't have a strong start to the season. The MLS salary cap is another controversial topic with both fans and journalists alike, but it is continuing to show that it works exactly as the league intended. The salary cap was put in place to ensure parity across the league and that all teams would be able to compete – regardless of financial status. The league has put mechanisms in place, such as Designated Players and Targeted Allocation Money, so that the wealthier clubs have the option to spend more money if they desire. But there is still a level of financial accountability that teams are forced to navigate through that isn't necessarily seen in the top leagues around the globe. When MLS was founded in 1993, it was done so with the concept of ensuring

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

‘FANS LEAVING A STADIUM SHOULD NEVER FEEL HARD DONE BY WHEN IT COMES TO THE USE OF VAR’

GOING UP

every team could compete with each other both financially and on the pitch. While not everything is exactly even across the board, the league continues to be one of the most competitive and intriguing on the planet.

FC Dallas homegrown forward Ricardo Pepi continues to generate a buzz across the pond, being linked to the likes of VfL Wolfsburg, Ajax and Genoa. The 18-yearold is the latest American to catch the eye of Europe after enjoying a breakout season. He has a bright future ahead of him. The Portland Timbers have been red hot to end the MLS regular season and are showing themselves to be a much more talented side than many expected. It's no coincidence that the team struggled without Sebastian Blanco in the lineup, but since he returned from injury they have been nearly unstoppable. The 20-year-old Julian Araujo has been a fundamental part of the Los Angeles Galaxy this season, as they continue to build for the future. Araujo opted to switch allegiances from the United States men's national team to Mexico and the right-back could prove to be a valuable pickup for the CONCACAF giants. Toronto FC youngster Jacob Shaffelburg has been sensational down the stretch for his club, despite the disappointing season they've had. The 21-year-old winger has really shown the progress he has made throughout the campaign and could become a vital member for both club and country in the coming years.

THE BAD VAR. Fans of the beautiful game have had mixed feelings since the introduction of VAR and there are times when it isn't difficult to see why. It has been used in a variety of ways depending on the league, but ultimately the objective of the system is to ensure the call made on the pitch is the correct one. While it can be frustrating to see a game stalled due to a VAR intervention or check, if the correct call is made in the end, then most will forget about the time they had to wait to ensure the officials got it right. This is why fans get so frustrated with VAR when the wrong call is still made on the pitch. Major League Soccer fans need look no further than Toronto FC's match at BMO Field against Inter Miami as a perfect example of VAR not being used correctly. Toronto FC should have gone a goal up when Jacob Sheffelburg's effort clearly crossed the goal line before Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman pawed it away. VAR did not intervene with both TFC fans and players astonished with the decision on the pitch. The situation was only made worse when the visitors were awarded a penalty kick in injury time. While the penalty was the correct call, Inter Miami clearly had a player inside the box when the kick was taken, which should have nullified it. Instead, VAR was again not used and the home fans were left outraged. Fans leaving a stadium should never feel hard done by when it comes to the use of VAR. While they may not be happy with the decision on the pitch, they should at least be able to understand why it was made. On that particular night at BMO Field, fans left the stadium with the feeling that VAR had let them down once again by getting the call wrong.

THE UGLY Scheduling. FIFA has been trying to convince MLS since it first began play in 1996 to follow the official international calendar to no avail. The league has always maintained its stance that they believe it is critical to the success of MLS that the season takes place from March to November/December. Given the cold climate during the winter months and the competitive sports landscape across North America, it is easy to see where the league is coming from. Most fans have even been able to accept this, despite not necessarily always agreeing with it either. However, while it may not always be possible to halt the MLS campaign to allow for international breaks during the more critical international windows, it really needs to be considered. When it comes to high-stakes games for Canadian, American and other CONCACAF national teams, it becomes more difficult for fans to comprehend why MLS is still playing matches when everyone is focused on international football. They also shouldn't have to see their favourite club team play without their biggest stars during a critical part of the season. For example, CONCACAF is in the final stage of World Cup qualifying, with the final eight teams fighting it out for three guaranteed spots for Qatar next year. There is also an opportunity for the fourth-placed team to qualify through a playoff as well. However, despite the heavy presence of MLS players during these qualifiers, the league still scheduled important games. International players were forced to choose between trying to help their club get into the playoffs or their national team get to the World Cup. It is an unfair situation to put players in and even more unfair to ask fans to simply accept it. A solution has to be found to help alleviate the situation - even if it means shortening the MLS regular season to allow for more time off.

ABOVE (OPPOSITE PAGE): Ricardo Pepi has been in sensational form for club and country alike BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Jacob Shaffelburg thought he’d found the back of the net against Inter Miami ABOVE: The Portland Timbers have been red hot to end the MLS regular season RIGHT: Since Sebastian Blanco returned from injury, Portland have been nearly unstoppable. BELOW: It has been another long and difficult campaign for FC Cincinnati, who’ve struggled since joining MLS in 2019 TOP RIGHT: Julian Araujo BOTTOM RIGHT: Chris Albright, General Manager of FC Cincinnati

GOING DOWN It has not be an easy start to MLS life for FC Cincinnati, who have remained in the basement of the standings since they joined the league in 2019. This year may be their worst season ever though and they are just hoping new general manager Chris Albright can work the same magic that he did in Philadelphia. FC Dallas weren’t great last year, but they were a playoff team. The same cannot be said about the club this season, as they have struggled mightily at the bottom of the Western Conference. They have had few bright spots, including Ricardo Pepi, but like so many other youngsters FC Dallas have developed in recent years, he also looks destined for bigger things. The United States men's national team has not looked like the dominant force many thought they would be in World Cup qualifying thus far. They haven't been terrible, but they look far from the side that won the Gold Cup this past summer.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

MLS

ALL DESIGNATED PLAYERS ARE IMPORTANT TO THEIR TEAM, BUT SOME ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS. MARCO D’ONOFRIO TAKES A LOOK AT THE TOP 10 DESIGNATED PLAYERS OF THE 2021 MLS SEASON…

IMPORTS & EXPORTS

1. CARLES GIL (NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION) Carles Gil has been the biggest reason for the New England Revolution's success on the pitch this season, leading the league in key passes by a mile. The Spaniard has been fantastic setting up his teammates and providing important assists when they need them the most and will continue to play a big role for New England going forward. No team in all of Major League Soccer had more assists than the Revolution in 2021 and Gil can be thanked for that as he was always looking to setup his colleagues. He was named MLS Player of the Month for June having provided five assists in just three games played.

2. RAUL RUIDIAZ (SEATTLE SOUNDERS) The 30-year-old Peruvian has been sensational for the Seattle Sounders ever since arriving in June 2018. He picked up the pace this year, as he battled to be the league's top goal scorer all season long. He was also named to the MLS All-Star team earlier this year and it wasn't even a debate. He led the MLS playoffs in scoring in 2019 the last time the Sounders won the MLS Cup and seems to only be getting better with every season he spends in North America. While he is a Designated Player, his $2.1m annual salary is an absolute steal for the contributions he continues to make. 3. GUSTAVO BOU (NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION) The second New England Revolution Designated Player in the top three, but when you absolutely dominate the regular season like the Revolution have in 2021, it only makes sense that their Designated Players have had strong seasons. The Argentine joined the Revolution in the middle of the 2019 campaign, but is really enjoying a breakout year in 2021. He was named the MLS Player of the Month in July after scoring five goals and providing one assist during the month. He was also named to the MLS All-Star team for the first time in his career. 4. EMANUEL REYNOSO (MINNESOTA UNITED) The 25-year-old Argentine quietly joined Minnesota United last September from Boca Juniors, but made a big splash once he arrived in North America. He set a single season MLS record last year with the most assists in playoff history with a total of seven in 2020. He was also the first player in league history to have multiple three-assist games in the same postseason. This year, he has kept up the momentum in Minnesota by contributing in multiple ways and being the creative force behind the attack. He had the second most key

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

THE EMERGENCE OF RICARDO PEPI Marco D'Onofrio dives deep into the American phenom everyone is talking about

FC Dallas had already proven themselves to be one of the top clubs on the continent for developing young stars, with the likes of Weston McKennie, Reggie Cannon and Chris Richards all emerging from the academy and flourishing for top clubs in Europe. However, it is Ricardo Pepi that has the world talking about the team's esteemed academy. The 18-year-old put the world on notice with standout performances for his country during a critical World Cup qualifying campaign. The United States missed out on the world's most prestigious tournament four years ago and are relying on youngsters like Pepi to get them to Qatar. Pepi started in three of the United States' opening six games of the final round of qualifying, scoring three goals and providing an assist for his country. If it isn't the FC Dallas man leading the line, the Americans do not have many other alternatives. We've seen Theoson Siebatcheu of Young Boys and Gyasi Zardes of the Columbus Crew also play in that position, but without the same success as Pepi. The United States still have a long way to go before punching their ticket to Qatar, but their supporters will feel a lot better for their chances of qualification to the World Cup this time around than they did four years ago and in large part it is thanks to the contributions of Pepi. It'll be worth keeping an eye on where the prodigy ultimately ends up playing his club football too, but expect him to make a big move across the pond to Europe sooner rather than later. FC Dallas’ Ricardo Pepi looks like a star of the future

Written by: John DeBenedictis Author of the Book, The Last 9 Seconds-The Secrets to Scoring Goals

THE DAVIES FACTOR

passes in all of MLS during the regular season and is a bargain at just $1m per season. 5. ADAM BUKSA (NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION) The 25-year-old made his debut for the Poland national team in September, scoring against Albania in World Cup qualifying. After an incredible season playing in New England, he is now a regular member of his national side playing alongside the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski. The striker contributed offensively for his club in a big way by more than doubling the amount of goals he had last year, while also providing assists when required to as well. The Revolution are a talented squad and have found three Designated Players who complement each other well both on and off the pitch.

On Oct 13th, at BMO field in Toronto, Alphonso Davies scored a special goal for Canada in their FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Panama that may change the course of Canadian Soccer History. It was an incredible turning point for Canada. Never before have Canadian soccer fans been blessed with a player who could single handily turn a game around and score a world class goal. So here are the top 10 reasons why that goal may change the course of Canadian soccer history.

1. It gave Canada 3 points to catapult them over Panama to third place in the Octagon. The top 3 make it to the World Cup in 2022. If they make it, this goal will be remembered as a major turning point. 2. It was the goal that created a new Canadian Superstar to not just soccer fans, (who already knew that) but to all the non-soccer fans in Canada.

6. JAVIER 'CHICHARITO' HERNANDEZ (LOS ANGELES GALAXY) The Mexico international got off to an incredibly fast start to the season and was named MLS Player of the Month in April/May as a result. He had seven goals and an assist in his first seven games of the year, ensuring the Greg Vanney-era in Los Angeles got off to a proper start. While he hasn't featured in as many games as most players on this list, he still deserves credit his contributions with the Galaxy. When he is not on the pitch, Los Angeles are clearly not the same team and it is obvious how much of an impact he makes when he is in the starting XI. 7. LUIS NANI (ORLANDO CITY) Playing in his third season in MLS, Luis Nani has been standout player for his club helping to score goals and provide assists. Despite having turned 35-years-old in November, the Portuguese winger earned a spot in the MLS All-Star team for the second time in three seasons playing and showed no signs of slowing down. He may go down as the greatest player in Orlando City history when all is said and done, but fans are hoping that he will be sticking around for years to come. 8. ALBERT RUSNAK (REAL SALT LAKE) The Slovakian midfielder is now in his fifth season in Utah as he continues to be a key contributor for his side. Real Salt Lake battled to make the playoffs all season long, but without Rusnak in the line-up they wouldn't have come close. He concluded another campaign near the top of the league for assists and continues to be a massive presence for his club. After a disappointing year last year, the 27-year-old has rebounded nicely to be one of the top Designated Players in the league in 2021. 9. JOAO PAOLO (SEATTLE SOUNDERS) Joao Paolo's loan to Seattle was made permanent at the beginning of the year and it has been a deal the Sounders have not looked back to regret at all. The central midfielder has been a force in the middle of the pitch for the Sounders and has been a constant in the starting XI. The Brazilian reached double-digits in assists as well for the season as he has been able to contribute on both sides of the pitch. He was also named to the MLS All-Star game for the first time in his career. 10. HANY MUKHTAR (NASHVILLE SC) The 26-year-old German became the first Designated Player in Nashville's history when he signed from Danish club Brøndby IF. His debut season didn't exactly go as planned, scoring just four goals in 15 games, but he has been a real revelation in Nashville this season. He scored his first hat-trick in MLS on July 17, breaking the league record for the fastest hat trick from the start of the game. He found the back of the net in 10th, 13th and 16th minutes of the game to lead his club to victory.

3. This goal puts Canada on the world football map. The goal has already been shown across the world on TV. No men’s Canadian goal has ever done that before.

4. There will be an influx of organizations looking for players from Canada in more serious ways to find gems like Davies, David, and more at a low cost. A player that they can develop for their own teams or to sell at huge profits.

5. Sponsors will start looking at sponsoring Canadian Soccer teams. Generally, in Canada, pro and semi-pro teams have a tough time finding sponsorship money. If Canada can produce highlights that get millions of views, then maybe sponsors would like to get their logos in there somehow.

6. Media attention for soccer has always been lagging the other sports in Canada. The topic in sports media on the day of the game was the start of the hockey season, not soccer. Many fans switched to the soccer game and caught Davies’ goal and stayed with soccer for the rest of the game. The day after, soccer was the #1 talking point in Canadian sports media. Future games will get more attention setting new heights in attendance records and TV ratings.

TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Carles Gil has been instrumental to New England Revolution in 2021 BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Emanuel Reynoso for Minnesota United TOP: Mexico’s Javier Hernandez makes LA Galaxy a better team when he’s on the pitch RIGHT: Nani for Orlando City BELOW: Joao Paolo's for his team, Seattle Sounders BOTTOM RIGHT: The historic 75 metre dash goal, scored by Alphonso Davies will go down in history

7. More Canadian kids will start looking to become the next Alphonso Davies and score a goal like his for their country. Not for Real, Liverpool, Bayern, Juventus, Barcelona, or Man United, but for Canada! 8. Many potential Canadian players opt to play for other countries based on their heritage rather than Canada. This will change going forward. The possibility of getting to a World Cup with Canada could increase a players’ net worth. Owen Hargreaves chose England over Canada and Bryan Cristante, who played for Italy in Euro 2020 instead of Canada and just two examples. In the future, playing for Canada will be considered.

9. Canadian sports fans, not just soccer fans will start tuning into soccer a lot more if Canada actually gets into the Men’s FIFA World Cup and there will be more new fans for life. 10. This goal signifies the coming of a superstar who is Canadian. Superstars build fans for the game. Just look at what Michael Jordan did for basketball or what Wayne Gretzky did for hockey in the USA. Tiger Woods practically saved golf. Superstars are vital for selling a sport or team. When someone wears a team jersey because of a player’s name, they advertise the game and the team. Imagine kids around the world wearing a Canadian jersey with Davies’ name on the back. What better advertising for a country can there be? There you have it, my top 10 reasons why the goal by Davies against Panama will rapidly change Canadian Soccer history. It was a HUGE GOAL. The goal has opened the eyes of many to Canada. The game, and the business of soccer in Canada will change faster than ever because of this goal.

SCAN HERE TO WATCH THE AMAZING ALPHONSO DAVIES GOAL!

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

2021 TOP TEN WOME "MIEDEMA CONTINUES TO BREAK SCORING RECORDS AND REDEFINE THE ROLE OF THE STRIKER IN THE WOMEN’S GAME."

021 saw some incredible performances in women’s football. Across multiple leagues and for both club and country, the women’s game provided many exceptional performances and moments that reminded us all why we love the game. But who were some of the top performers? Here are the top ten performers from 2021!

9.) SAM KERR (AUSTRALIA/CHELSEA) Kerr finally broke through in the FA WSL, leading the league with 21 goals last season. Getting her club side to the Champions League Finals and her home of Australia to the bronze medal match are huge achievements for the player. Now the question is: can she take it to the next level in 2022?

10.) CHRISTINE SINCLAIR (CANADA/PORTLAND THORNS) The world’s all-time leading goalscorer finally got her due at the Summer Olympics, leading a young Canadian side to their first-ever Gold Medal. At 38 years old, she hasn’t slowed down helping the Thorns win the NWSL Challenge Cup (she scored their only goal in regulation and bagged the first penalty in sudden death) and lead the side to the top of the table.

8.) CHRISTIANE ENDLER (CHILE/LYON) Endler had an incredible 19 clean sheets for PSG last season, working closely with Wendi Renard to build one of the most dominant defensive units in football. She made the move to Lyon in the offseason which may prove to be the difference in the battle for the Ligue 1 title.

"KERR LEAD THE FA WSL WITH 21 GOALS LAST SEASON. " 54

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

7.) LUCY BRONZE (ENGLAND/MANCHESTER CITY) Bronze anchored a City backline that allowed just 13 goals during the 2020-2021 season, second lowest in the FA WSL. At right-back, she is one of the best players in the game at reading when to make a run on the attack and when she needs to track back and stop a counter-attack. Great Britain’s 1-0 victory over Japan at the Summer Olympics was a textbook example on how to defend the counter-attack, led by Bronze making several key stops in the second half. 6.) MEGAN RAPINOE (USA/OL REIGN) American players haven’t had much success this year at both the international and club levels, but Rapinoe seems to be the exception to the rule. In limited time with her club side OL Reign, she has netted five goals and helped a young side move back into the NWSL Playoffs. While most USWNT supporters would like to forget the Summer Olympics, Rapinoe eliminating the Dutch in the Quarterfinals and snagging a brace in the Bronze Medal match deserve recognition. 5.) WENDI RENARD (FRANCE/LYON) Anytime your team allows just six goals in a campaign then it is a pretty good season. Renard has become a staple in French football for her leadership on the backline and her ability to manage a match. Although the results for both Lyon and France were not quite what they were looking for, Renard still shined and assuming both sides can fix their small issues, she should have another stellar season in 2022.

ABOVE: Vivianne Midedema posing in her Arsenal kit ABOVE (SMALL): Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler BOTTOM LEFT: Sam Kerr for Chelsea BOTTOM: Wendi Renard, star defender for Lyon TOP LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Megan Rapinoe smiling during a match with her team, OL Reign

MEN’S FOOTBALLERS 4.) MAGDALENA ERIKSSON (SWEDEN/CHELSEA) Eriksson was the anchor for a Chelsea side that allowed only 10 goals during the FA WSL and was named to the PFA’s Best XI at the center-back position. Her defensive efforts led Chelsea to their fourth title and a second place showing in the Champions League. For Sweden, she led the backline to a silver medal in the Summer Games in Tokyo. 3.) JENNIFER HERMOSO (SPAIN/FC BARCELONA) Hermoso’s six goals in Champions League play helped Barcelona win their first-ever title a huge moment for Spanish football. Spain has also benefited from her strong year, going undefeated throughout 2021. With Barcelona looking to defend their title and Spain looking to make a big impression at the 2022 Euros, the future is bright for Hermoso.

2.) FRAN KIRBY (ENGLAND/CHELSEA) Kirby is the ultimate comeback story. After being diagnosed with a heart condition two years ago, she came back with a vengeance for Chelsea, scoring 16 goals and tallying 11 assists for the Blues. For her efforts, she won both the PFA and WFP Player of the Year awards. While an injury unrelated to her condition knocked her out of the Olympics, she should be more than ready to build off of 2021 and take the top spot.

1) VIVIANNE MIEDEMA (NETHERLANDS/ARSENAL) At just 25 years old, Miedema continues to break scoring records and redefine the role of the striker in the women’s game. Her ability to continue to put both Arsenal (16 goals in 2020-2021) and Netherlands (10 goals at the Summer Olympics, an all-time record) on her back and score timely goals make her a great striker. That she makes her teammates around her better and allows them to compete against the best sides in the world make her the top player in the game.

TOP RIGHT: Jennifer Hermoso celebrates a goal BOTTOM LEFT: Canadian icon, Christine Sinclair BOTTOM RIGHT: Fran Kirby for her Chelsea

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

"THE THREETIME WORLD CUP AND TWO-TIME GOLD MEDAL WINNER FOR THE UNITED STATES ANNOUNCED HER RETIREMENT"

CARLILLOYD'S C

arli Lloyd has hung up her boots. In September the three-time World Cup and two-time Gold Medal winner for the United States announced her retirement from the game at the end of the 2021 season. Her career was revolutionary. Coming at a time when access to women’s matches was becoming more readily available across the world, her attacking prowess fundamentally altered the way the women’s game was viewed. Soccer 360’s Sean Maslin breaks down some of her biggest moments of her career and the

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

GREATEST HITS TOP (SMALL): Lloyd kissing the FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy RIGHT: Lloyd celebrates after scoring a goal versus Italy in the 2011 qualifying playoff

impact that they had on the development of not just the women’s game, but on the game as a whole. THE RETURN (2011 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING INTERCONTINENTAL PLAYOFF) 2010 was a tough time for both Lloyd and the United States Women’s National Team. With Lloyd still coming back from a knee injury, the United States struggled at the 2010 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Tournament, losing to Mexico and finishing third. Failing to secure the automatic qualification spot, the

"WITH HER SECOND GOAL, SHE BECAME THE FIRST PLAYER EVER TO SCORE TWO GAME-WINNING GOALS IN AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL FINAL. "

USWNT had to play in a two-game playoff series with Italy. Fully healed from her knee injury and with a World Cup spot on the line, Lloyd delivered, playing every minute of the series and scoring three goals. THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER (2008 SUMMER OLYMPICS) Lloyd versus Marta. Sports are often marked by rivalries and in women’s football in the 2000s there are few that are as big as Lloyd versus Marta. The two strikers have redefined the role in the women’s game and provided so many highlights for young players to emulate at home. Their biggest match against one another was the 2008 Summer Olympics Gold Medal match, where both players traded attacking chances only to come just short. In extratime, it was Lloyd that would lift her side to victory, with a cracking strike to earn Gold. THE BRACE (2012 SUMMER GAMES GOLD MEDAL) After losing in the previous World Cup Final to Japan, the USWNT came into the 2012 Summer

Games final looking for a bit of revenge. In front of 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, the U.S. got one back on their rivals with Lloyd scoring twice to give them the early advantage and the gold medal. With her second goal, she became the first player ever to score two game-winning goals in an Olympic Gold Medal final. THE HAT TRICK (2015 WORLD CUP FINAL) Getting a hat trick in any match is special, but in a World Cup Final it makes you a legend. Lloyd joined Geoff Hurst as being the only other player to ever score a hat trick in a World Cup Final. So scoring a hat trick in the World Cup final is pretty difficult, right? Here’s the kicker when it comes to Lloyd’s performance: she scored a hat trick in the first 16 minutes of the match. This final felt very much like the rubber match between the two sides, with the victor getting to lay claim to being the top team of the era. Lloyd and the USWNT attack put any question about who was the top side away early, hammering the vaunted

Nadeshiko defense and earning the 5-2 win. In a game where there were so many incredible performances from the USWNT, Lloyd’s is at the top. THE FA CUP WINNER (2017 FA WOMEN’S CUP FINAL) Lloyd’s time in Manchester City may have been brief but she certainly made a major impact. In the FA Women’s Cup Final against Birmingham City, she made her mark heading home City’s third goal of the match to put the match away. Although her time in England was limited, it provided the club system a much-needed shot in the arm. Her signing showed both the English FA and club owners the possibilities if they invest in the women’s game. It also opened the door for many American superstar players to make the jump to Europe.

TOP (MAIN): Lloyd and her two Gold Medals TOP (SMALL): Lloyd and her teammates celebrate their success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics TOP LEFT: Two iconic captains, Lloyd and Marta TOP RIGHT: Lloyd holding up the 2017 FA Cup

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

EUROPEAN HOLIDAY SPOTLIGHT 2021

HOLIDAYWIS AS SANTA GETS READY TO DUST OFF HIS SLEIGH AND DROP DOWN CHIMNEYS ACROSS THE GLOBE, OLI COATES PUTS TOGETHER HIS HOLIDAY WISHLIST OF THE 10 THINGS HE’D LIKE TO SEE IN FOOTBALL IN 2022

A NON-LEAGUE YOUTH COACH IN ENGLAND WAS FINED AND BANNED FOR TAKING HIS PLAYERS OFF THE PITCH IN PROTEST AT HOMOPHOBIC ABUSE’ KICK OUT THE BIGOTS Unfortunately, as the calendar flips to 2022, football is still being plagued by racists and bigots. Homophobia and abuse are prevalent, yet authorities still seem incapable of kicking out those who offend. Indeed, given a nonleague youth coach in England was fined and banned by the Liverpool County FA for taking his players off the pitch in protest at homophobic abuse, what chance have we got? The only way we can get real, tangible progress is through greater inclusion. This means at all levels of the sport, from youth and grass roots football to top-flight boardrooms. If fans can’t be educated though, let’s work harder to get rid of them with lifetime bans.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

FULL STADIUMS The Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the sporting world, laying waste to lower league and grass roots football while reducing capacities in some of the biggest leagues. Finances have been wrecked, with the damage looking like it’ll take years to repair for some clubs, while others have folded completely. Full stadiums packed with raucous fans has brought the Premier League to life this season, with the likes of Serie A announcing capacity crowds are expected to return in 2020. As the last 18 months have shown us, football is somewhat meaningless in empty, sterile stadiums with no fans to give games meaning. Which leads us on to the following…

A SUCCESSFUL WORLD CUP Leaving aside the politics and the reported human rights abuses for a minute, there are very real concerns about what a winter World Cup in Qatar is going to look like. For starters, the country has little history as a footballloving nation, with very real fears swirling around that stadiums will be far from capacity. That would be a massive shame, not only because the state-of-the-art facilities built for the showpiece are quite frankly jaw-dropping. As the shining light in the football calendar, the World Cup lifts and enthrals us once every four years and the moments it creates last a lifetime. Let’s hope this year’s isn’t a bust.

TOPFIVE SERIE A FOOTBALLING PICKS FIGURES TO WATCH IN 2022

SH SHLIST

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.

THERE’S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT MEDIA PUSH IN THE COUNTRY TO BRING GREATER EXPOSURE AND EQUALITY IN FOOTBALL STOP FIFA RUINING THE WORLD CUP It’s always been hard to justify the World Cup going to Qatar, with FIFA’s recent history closely linked to bribery and scandal. It’s even harder to justify a World Cup every two years, as the world governing body attempts to switch its signature event from its usual quadrennial format. The reason why the World Cup is the greatest show on Earth is because its rarity makes it special, while the in-house feasibility studies into making it biennial have been a farce. Throw in the damage it would do to the growing women’s game and youth football, not to mention player health and long-term career prospects, and it’s clear FIFA’s greed-fuelled plans must be stopped.

BIGGER CROWDS AT WOMEN’S GAMES It’s been reported in the UK that public interest in women’s sport has grown significantly since the start of the pandemic. There’s been a significant media push in the country to bring greater exposure and equality in football, with Women’s Super League matches being aired on Sky Sports. Still in its infancy as a professional sport, we need bigger crowds to attend women’s matches across the European continent and beyond, as much of the world bids to catch up with the United States. Whether you have young children you’d like to get interested in football, and particularly young girls, or you’re heading to a game with your friends, tickets are usually both affordable and accessible.

TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): The Allianz Arena in Munich shows its support to the LGBTQ+ community BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Manchester United legend Sir Matt Busby once said that ‘football is nothing without fans’ BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia amid remarkable scenes, but FIFA want to dilute this with a biennial tournament TOP: Rapinoe shoots a penalty shot during a match against Portland BELOW: Brazil's Gabigol (2-L) celebrates with his teammate Neymar Jr. (L) after scoring against Uruguay, during the CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 qualifier soccer match between Brazil and Uruguay TOP RIGHT: Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring

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 we prepare the fl ip thethe calendar tooff a ifAs coach Max Allegri takes shackles new year, his Oli attacking Coates names five movers, players. makers, groovers and people he’d just like to shake GIROUD in 2022 OLIVIER The France World Cup Winner has finally GIANNI INFANTINO arrived in Serie A having been linked with Compared his predecessor, a move to the to peninsula for years Sepp and will Blatter, Infantino looked striker like a now team up with initially fellow veteran Boy Scout. However, the FIFA Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud will president be tasked has shown his true a greedy with providing the ficolours repowerasand linkup leech determined toto wring everyinlast play for the Rossoneri compete both pound, dollar andLeague euro out of Serie the game the Champions and A. for himself and his administration. Expect Infantino and his cronies to ramp up the DENZEL DUMFRIES propaganda for a biennial World the Cupfull in Wing back Dumfries showcased the run-up toskills the FIFA congress in 2022. array of his during the summer’s European Championship despite YASIR AL-RUMAYYAN the Netherlands crashing out of the As governortoofthe theCzech PublicRepublic. Investment tournament The Fund ofscored Saudi Arabia, which ledready 25-year-old twice and looks October’s takeover of by Newcastle United, to fill the gap vacated Achraf Hakimi’s Al-Rumayyan was named as the club’s departure to PSG. non-executive chairman. Following the protractedVICTOR acquisition, it remains to be OSIMHEN seen investment puts The whether Nigerian the striker had a bitgroup of a start its money its mouth is suff during stop season where last term. Despite ering next year’sand January andgames summer transfer injuries missing through windowsthe to reignite the Toon’s fortunes. Covid-19 22-year-old showed enough promise to make him a real danger man KYLIAN MBAPPENew Coach heading into this campaign. As the heir apparent to Cristiano Luciano Spalletti will be hoping heRonaldo can get andmost Lionel asattacker the planet’s the outMessi of the and leading improve player, world watching onthe hisfootballing 10 goals from lastisyear. Mbappe’s next move with bated breath. Whether he signs a new contract at Paris Saint-Germain or leaves on a free transfer to join the likes of Real Madrid, his future will be seismic for European football. ERLING HAALAND Likewise Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland. The Norwegian sensation reportedly has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave on the cheap in the summer of 2020. Dortmund will no doubt try to get him to sign a new contract, but almost every leading European club will try to tempt him away from the Westfalenstadion. JURGEN KLOPP October 2022 will mark seven years as Liverpool manager for the German tactician. Klopp had seven years as Mainz boss, followed by seven years at Borussia Dortmund. Questions are already being asked as to whether the decorated coach will continue at Anfield in 2022-23, with some even suggesting Liverpool should grant their manager a sabbatical to ensure he doesn’t depart for good.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

EUROPEAN HOLIDAY SPOTLIGHT 2021

‘MARCUS RASHFORD IS WHAT A ROLE MODEL LOOKS LIKE’

SORT OUT YOUR PESETAS, LA LIGA 2022 marks 20 years since Spain gave up their peseta for the euro. During that time, Spain have won the World Cup and the European Championship twice, while La Liga has contributed nine of the last 20 Champions League winners. Right now though, the Spanish top flight is a mess. Barcelona’s financial mismanagement has been exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic, while Real Madrid don’t appear to have their books in order either. La Liga president Javier Tebas may decry state-owned clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, but he needs to look a lot closer to home if he really want to address football’s financial troubles.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

EURO CONSISTENCY VAR has come on leaps and bounds in 2021, helped primarily by the light-touch approach to interventions at the rearranged Euro 2020. We still need the main European leagues, including Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Premier League to work more closely together though, in order to achieve greater consistency. Although consistent decision making can be tough to find in individual leagues, the more different countries and their refereeing bodies work with each other to find common ground, the better European competitions including the Champions League and Europa League will be.

SPEAK UP As the modern world empowers individuals to have more of a voice than ever thanks to social media channels and cutting-edge technology, we’re seeing a larger number of footballers get involved with matters outside the field. Exhibit A is Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford, who has received an MBE and a doctorate for his efforts in tackling child food poverty in the UK. We need more players like him to use their loud and powerful voice to effect positive change. Those people - including certain politicians - imploring sportspeople to ‘stick to what they know’ are starting to look like dinosaurs who perhaps are envious of the power held by a younger generation more in tune with social issues than themselves.

TOP2021 SERIE A FAMOUS PICKS FIVE

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.

‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO HATE RONALDO IF YOU LOVE MESSI, AND VICE VERSA’ BEERS ON THE TERRACES With safe standing sections being trialled in Premier League football stadiums, one of the major wishes of supporters across the country was addressed in 2021. Now we need to allow fans to have a beer while standing and cheering their team on. Drinking alcohol in sight of the pitch has been banned in the UK since 1985, but the footballing landscape is very different to those hooligan-blighted days. Virtually every other sport allows fans to have a drink while watching a game, and it’s high time we gave back that right to football supporters. If it doesn’t work, change it back again.

MESSI AND RONALDO TO RELEASE A CHRISTMAS SINGLE Okay, so this would technically have to happen in the dying embers of 2021, but if they did, it’d still be number one in the charts well into 2022. Just think, two of the greatest players of all time, decked out in Christmas jumpers, canoodling by the fire under some mistletoe while giggling at videos of their goalscoring exploits. On a serious note, isn’t it time we stopped comparing Messi and Ronaldo to each other? You don’t have to hate one of them if you love the other. They’re both unbelievable players who’ve brought so much joy to football fans around the world, and we should enjoy them both while we still can.

TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Marcus Rashford has been awarded an MBE on account of his campaigning against child food poverty BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): La Liga President Javier Tebas has some financial sorting to figure out BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Referee Georgi Kabakov checks the VAR replay during a UEFA Champions League match TOP: We’ve seen Messi and Ronaldo together suited and booted, but how about if they were donning Christmas jumpers instead? BELOW: Lionel Messi lifts the Copa America for Argentina TOP RIGHT: Robert Lewandowski celebrating

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. GIROUD At the endOLIVIER of a year like no other, Oli The France World Cup nally Coates remembers five Winner players has whofimade arrivedheadlines in Serie Ainhaving been linked with football in 2021 a move to the peninsula for years and will now team up with fellow veteran striker ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI Zlatan Ibrahimovic. GiroudPolish will bestriker tasked If it weren’t for Covid-19, with providing would the firepower and had linkup Lewandowski surely have a play for the Rossoneri to compete in both Ballon d’Or to his name. It feels like a the Champions League and Serie A. scandal that individual honours weren’t handed out in 2020 despite most DENZEL DUMFRIES major leagues playing to a finish, with Wing back Dumfries showcased the full Lewandowski’s goalscoring exploits array of his skills during the summer’s unfortunately failing to be recognised. European Championship despite the Netherlands out of the MARCUS crashing RASHFORD tournament to the Czech Republic. The A remarkable young man who made 25-year-old scored twiceoff and looks ready just as many headlines the pitch as to ll the gap vacated bycommitment Achraf Hakimi’s hefidid off it, Rashford’s to departure PSG.UK saw him fighting child hunger to in the take on the government, applauded by opposition VICTOR fans and OSIMHEN receive both an MBE The striker had bit of a start and Nigerian a doctorate from thea University of stop seasonForget last term. Despitemiss suffering Manchester. his penalty in the injuries missing games through Euro 2020and final, this is what a role model Covid-19 the 22-year-old looks like.showed enough promise to make him a real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach JORGINHO Luciano Spalletti will be 2020 hoping he can Speaking of the Euro final, Italyget the most outJorginho of the attacker and quietly improve playmaker spent 2021 onabout his 10his goals from last year. going business of becoming one of the world’s finest midfielders. After winning an unlikely Champions League crown with Chelsea, the former Napoli man played a starring role for the Azzurri in their European Championship triumph. GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA Jorginho lost out on the Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament award to teammate Donnarumma, who was barely out of the headlines in 2021. Another contract saga at AC Milan resulted in the talented goalkeeper leaving Serie A for Paris SaintGermain, where he couldn’t get a game before being jeered by Italy fans at San Siro in October’s Nations League defeat to Spain. LIONEL MESSI Finally, he did it. No, we don’t mean leaving Barcelona, which he of course did to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free after more than 20 years in Catalonia. Messi finally won a major trophy with his native Argentina in 2021, lifting the Copa America after losing four previous finals with his country, including at the 2014 World Cup. SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

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WHO SAID WHAT “I asked to leave because from the moment I decided that I didn't want to extend [my contract], I wanted the club to receive a transfer fee to bring in a quality replacement. It's a club that's given me a lot, I've always been happy during the four years I've been here. I wanted everyone to come out of this stronger, leave hand in hand and make a good deal. I said, if you don't want me to leave, I will stay.”

SUPER STAND-BY CUP

– Kylian Mbappe opened up about the reports of him wanting to leave PSG amid rumours of a move to Real Madrid during the last transfer window.

SERIE A ... Y'ALL

“I admire Karim not only because of the goals he scores but how he makes his team play. His teamwork is what I like the most about him. He is a great player.” – Robert Lewandowski has plenty of love for Karim Benzema and the contribution he makes in Real Madrid’s style of play.

Genoa has become the latest Italian club to come under American ownership as Miamibased 777 Partners acquired the club from long-time owner Enrico Preziosi. Genoa are now the sixth Serie A side with U.S. owners following AC Milan, Fiorentina, Roma, Spezia and Venezia. A published statement revealed that 777 Partners purchased 99.9% of the club’s capital, while also injecting fresh funds and assume certain related liabilities. According to reports, the deal was worth around $176 million. In addition to Genoa, 777 Partners also own a stake in LaLiga side Sevilla and UK basketball team London Lions.

The Super League story takes another turn after a Madrid judge demanded UEFA comply with an injunction ordering the suspension of disciplinary proceedings against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. A claim was filed with a commercial court in Madrid by the Super League arguing that UEFA should be prevented from taking any action against the involved clubs under European free trade laws. UEFA announced back in May that the three member clubs that had not disowned the project would face charges, however this recent ruling prevents the European football governing body from doing so. Meanwhile, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who is the public face of the Super League project, continues to insist that the project continues and that it is currently on “stand by”.

DID YOU KNOW? •

Eintracht Frankfurt’s 2-1 Bundesliga win against Bayern Munich was the club’s first victory away to Bayern in 21 years. They also snapped Bayern’s 9-game winning streak.

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Cristiano Ronaldo scored just two hattricks in Serie A, both came against Cagliari. One at the Allianz Stadium and the other at the Sardegna Arena.

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Gianluigi Donnarumma (right) was handed the captain’s armband in Italy’s third place final against Belgium. In doing so, he became the youngest Azzurri captain since Gianni Rivera in 1965.

“The atmosphere on my home debut was crazy. I’d never played in front of a crowd like that, and to think it was only half full… And when the crowd started singing my name – it was like a dream!” – 18 year-old American Joe Scally is loving life at Borussia Monchengladbach and the fans love him back. In addition to chanting his name on matchdays, they also voted him as Gladbach’s Player of the Month for August.

TAKING BABY STEPS PUMA and COPA90 are teaming up to launch a monthly editorial series and documentary that follows professional footballer Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir as she has a baby and sets out to return to football. The editorial series, which began in October and will run through to July 2022, documents her training schedule and life as a mother as she balances family life and career, while the documentary will be released sometime next summer. The captain of Iceland’s national team will give insight into her journey with advice and expert guidance from professionals on her body changes through the process and her post-pregnancy recovery.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

SOCCER - HOLLYWOOD STYLE A new initiative from LaLiga which sees the use of cinematic cameras in live broadcast has earned the Spanish league the Innovation Prize at SPORTEL Awards 2021. The award winning matchday technology, in partnership with MEDIAPRO, was built to bring football fans closer to the players and improve the broadcast experience. The award LaLiga received recognizes a sports sequence that demonstrates innovation in production, image and technology. The images are produced thanks to a lightweight, mirror less cinematographic camera mounted on a Steadicam. The duality of the camera provides both a cinematic look more commonly seen in video games, and the broadcast look we are all familiar with.

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MORE ROOM AT THE KOP Liverpool have confirmed the proposed expansion of the Anfield Road Stand will go ahead. 7000 more seats will be added to the stand, taking Anfield’s overall capacity to more than 61,000. Construction will take place throughout the season and will not affect any matches for Liverpool. The redevelopment of the stand is expected to be ready for the 202324 season and its design will see the lower tier refurbished with a new upper tier built above it. It will also feature improved concourses and sports bar lounge facilities.

A GAME CHANGER - THE ALL NEW

2021 NISSAN ROGUE

HOWLIN' WOLVES

Wolverhampton Wanderers have teamed up with Warner Music UK’s Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA) to launch a record label, becoming the first UK football club to do so. Wolves Records will see artists benefit from the reach of the Premier League football club’s global audience while also gaining from ADA’s marketing and distribution expertise. The label is inviting track submissions from local, national and international solo acts, bands and producers via their website wolvesrecords.com.

INTERPOL STAR AT 60 The vice-president of Suriname, Ronnie Brunswijk made his professional football debut at 60 years old. Ronnie recently lined up for Inter Moengotapoe, the team he owns, against Olimpia from Honduras in a CONCACAF League match. The Suriname VP started the match and played 53 minutes in what as a 6-0 loss. Unfortunately for Brunswijk, he was not able to play the second leg because he is wanted by Interpol for drug trafficking crimes and therefore cannot leave Suriname.

MOVE TO YOUR OWN BEAT

A NEW HOPE

JUST BAD MANAGEMENT, FOLKS When Barcelona announced that they would not be able to resign Messi given the financial difficulties the club is facing, it sent shockwaves through the football world. The financial situation of the LaLiga club was barely discussed, to no surprise, as arguably the greatest footballer ever was going to suit up for another team. How did one of the biggest clubs in the world find themselves in such a situation? Well part of the reason are the extravagant bonus payments the club paid out. Add-ons included in the contracts of two unnamed Barca players were revealed and they were very generous. One player had an €11 million bonus for playing at least half of the team’s games in one season. Some of the other bonuses included, €1.2 million for getting through the Champions League group stage, €3.6 million for winning the treble and €15 million as a loyalty payment for not joining a rival club and completing their contract. This is just one example of how poorly managed the club’s finances were under previous president Josep Maria Bartomeu and how the wage bill got so out of hand that they were unable to resign club legend Lionel Messi.

INNOVATION THAT LOOKS OUT FOR YOU

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PEP TALK

SOLAR STADIUM Bundesliga side SC Freiburg have opened up a new eco-friendly stadium that has the capacity to become climate-neutral. Hailing from Germany’s greenest and sunniest city, the football club is following in the city’s long-standing commitment to sustainability. Like their previous stadium, which is Germany’s first solar-powered football stadium, the new one will also be equipped with solar panels onto its roof. The solar panels are estimated to generate around 2.3 million kilowatt-hours per year, almost 10 times as much as the previous stadium. Alongside the solar panelled roof, the stadium will also recycle energy generated from a nearby manufacturing plant to heat the stadium. Energy storage batteries will also be used in case of a power failure on site or at the local grid. All that and the addition of electric car charging batteries, plug-in spots for e-bikes/e-scooters and smartphones and over 3500 parking places for push bikes is expected to make the stadium climate-neutral.

Ricardo Pepi is having a breakthrough season, quickly becoming one of the brightest stars of Major League Soccer. He even has several European clubs keeping an eye on him as a potential signing come the transfer market. The 18-year-old is also featuring and scoring for the U.S. national team, however there was a time when people thought he would never represent the USA and instead play for Mexico, the country his parents are from. Ricardo grew up watching Liga MX and the Mexican national team and as he grew older, attended both the United States and Mexico U17 training camps. From there, he would constantly get called up by the U.S. youth teams and eventually caught the eye of senior coach Gregg Berhalter who included him in the squad for World Cup qualifying last September. When asked about his decision to choose the U.S. over Mexico Pepi said, “It was a difficult decision. I thought about it for three or four years and I had to talk a lot with my family and the people I trust the most. It was a decision made with my heart.”

REALITY SOCCER TV The BBC is launching a new show that will give former footballers a second chance to make it pro. Back In The Game will follow former academy players from various clubs across the country, some of which are big clubs, as they are put through rigorous training by top coaches in an attempt to earn themselves pro contracts. Making it as a professional footballer is very difficult. For many it just doesn’t work out for whatever reason, sometimes through no fault of their own. This show will provide many an opportunity to try again. Following the weeks of training, scouts from clubs around the country will attend a match where the players will have a chance to impress, and hopefully impress enough to earn a contract.

DID YOU KNOW? •

At 33 years and 144 days, Sergio Aguero has become the oldest player to score in his El Clasico debut in the 21st century.

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David Alaba (right) is the fifth Real Madrid player to score on his El Clasico debut.

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Giovanni Simeone is the first Hellas Verona player to score 3+ in a Serie A match v Lazio this is his second hat-trick in the competition, both against a Maurizio Sarri's side.

MLS / LIGA BROMANCE Minnesota and the Allianz Field will host the 2022 Major League Soccer All-Star Game. The match is scheduled to take place on August 10 with the opponent set to be announced at a later date. After the 2021 edition saw the MLS All-Stars take on Liga MX’s, there is a good possibility that the Liga MX versus MLS theme continues, especially given the close relationship between the two leagues and the numerous other competitions created between the two federations.

DR. RASHFORD ! Marcus Rashford received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester, becoming the youngest ever recipient of one from the university. At 23 years old, Rashford was awarded the honorary doctorate for his campaign against child poverty. At the ceremony, Rashford urged politicians to get out into communities as he continues the fight. Last year, the Manchester United forward launched a successful campaign to persuade the government to provide free meals to vulnerable youngsters in England throughout the school holidays. On a separate occasion he raised £20 million in donations from supermarkets for various groups tackling child poverty.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

MELLOW STATUE Landon Donovan has joined David Beckham outside Dignity Health Sports Park after a bronze statue was unveiled by LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer. Donovan won the MLS Cup six times, four with the Galaxy and two with the San Jose Earthquakes. Outside of MLS, his career also took him to Germany and England, but it was in MLS that he made a name for himself. The 39-year-old left a huge impact on the league and helped grow it to where it is today. In fact, the MVP award has been named after him. Today, Donovan is coach and vice president of soccer operations of United Soccer League side San Diego Loyal as well as a part owner of Swansea City.

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DID YOU KNOW? •

Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak (right) has become the first player to both score and assist against Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano.

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Atletico Madrid have won more points from losing positions than any other side in the top five European leagues in 2021 (25) and they’ve won the most points after conceding the first goal of the game in LaLiga this season (8).

EVERYONE LOVES MESSI According to Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid were interested in signing Lionel Messi and wanted Luis Suarez to convince him. Upon hearing the news that Messi was not going to resign with Barcelona, Simeone reached out to Luis Suarez to call Messi and see if there was any chance the Argentine would move to Madrid. Suarez and Messi are of course very good friends so if anyone could try and persuade him to join another team in Spain, it would be the Uruguayan.

EVERYBODY LOVES TO BE "GREEN" The English Football League has launched a Green Clubs scheme to help its 72 member clubs make positive environmental changes. The league will partner with Forest Green Rovers owner Dale Vince and his environmental accreditation scheme ‘GreenCode’. No surprise that Forest Green Rovers are involved in the process as they were recognized by the United Nations and FIFA as the world’s greenest football club. Green Clubs will provide support and guidance to help clubs introduce changes that will improve their environmental impact. The EFL won’t just be looking at their member clubs to make positive changes as they will also look within their own organization to ensure they are practicing what they preach.

LOWLY TEAMS NOT WANTED The idea of Premier League B teams playing in the English lower divisions is not one that will happen any time soon, at least according to English Football League chair Rick Parry. This idea has been circling around for a while now and was core to last year’s ‘Project Big Picture’. The desire from some Premier League clubs is still there though, as many are keen on the idea to help develop their young players. Despite the rejection of this idea, Parry did concede that changes are coming in 2024 to accommodate however the European competition structure will look like, especially to the EFL Cup.

SUPER WOMAN The Women’s Super League Hall of Fame has recently been introduced and the first four inductees have been revealed. England legends Fara Williams, Rachel Yankey, Kelly Smith and Emma Hayes will be the first women to be inducted into the WSL Hall of Fame. Williams has played in almost every season of the WSL since its inception. This season is the first WSL season without her after she retired last season. Williams is also England’s record cap holder, making 172 appearances for the Lionesses. Yankey had a successful career with Arsenal, winning every competition in the country, while Smith also enjoyed a fruitful spell at Arsenal with a career lasting over 20 years for club and country. Kelly Smith is England’s current record goal scorer. Emma Hayes rounds up the four, the current Chelsea boss is the longest-serving manager in the WSL with over 150 games in charge. She has also won the division four times.

COP SECRET - HANNES SAVES THE DAY Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson has put away his gloves for the camera. The 37-year-old was part of Iceland’s famous run at Euro 2016 which saw them beat England in the round of 16. Two years later, Halldorsson was making headlines again, saving a Lionel Messi penalty at the World Cup. Now, his time on the pitch has come to an end. Many footballers end up staying in the sport once they retire in some capacity, but for Halldorsson that is not the case. The ex-footballer is now a film director. His latest film Cop Secret is one he directed and co-wrote. The movie was shown at the BFI London Film Festival and was positively received across Europe.

45 MINS EVERY FIVE DAYS .... PHEW! World football players’ union, FIFPRO, is proposing compulsory breaks to prevent player burnout. According to a workload report for men’s football, top professionals are playing more than two-thirds of their minutes during a season in the ‘critical zone’. The critical zone is identified as appearances of at least 45 minutes in matches less than five days apart. Consistent exposure to such playing conditions can lead to greater risk of injury and thus affect the length of a player’s career. The union wants to give players a break after as few as three matches in the critical zone, which is between two and eight matches per season. There has been a growing call to reduce match calendars for players as more games keep being added and their breaks shorten.

RUMMA DOES A RUNNER Gianluigi Donnarumma does not have the best relationship with Milan fans after leaving the club for Paris Saint-Germain this summer. It wasn’t so much that he left that bothered Milan fans, but rather his attitude and ungratefulness to the club that gave him the opportunity to become the player he is today. Perhaps then it was no surprise when Donnarumma was booed by fans during Italy’s Nations League semi-final versus Spain at the San Siro. Donnarumma is not letting that get to him though as the goalkeeper, during an interview, had a removable tattoo of the Milan logo printed on his right arm. When asked if he would then make it permanent, he said he would.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

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2020 / 2021 TATTOOS Napoli teammates Lorenzo Insigne and Giovanni Di Lorenzo got tattoos to celebrate their Euro 2020 triumph with Italy. Di Lorenzo got a large one on his right calf which features the trophy with ribbons in Italian flag colours. Behind the trophy there is what looks like the Italy jersey, with the crest, his number 2 and the score line of the match against England. Insigne on the other hand, got a tattoo of the European Championship trophy on the inside of his leg.

IT'S PROPHETIC, REALLY

READY OR NOT...

Prophetic dreams from his mother’s friend led Olivier Giroud to AC Milan, after previously rejecting offers from Everton and Inter in the past. According to the Frenchman’s autobiography, a friend of his mother, called Nicole, contacted them to reveal prophetic dreams she had about potential switches to Everton and Inter not bringing Giroud the satisfaction he was looking for. The French striker revealed during an interview that he was recently told by Nicole that he wouldn’t get called up to the national team, and in fact he wasn’t.

According to leaked UEFA documents, national team coaches will have just one week to prepare for the 2022 World Cup. With the next edition of the World Cup being held in Qatar, FIFA decided to schedule the showpiece tournament for November and December to avoid the intense summer heat in that region. With a start date set for November 21, it comes at a time where most domestic seasons across Europe are in full swing, so domestic leagues will have to take a pause for a few weeks as players will be occupied elsewhere. Now according to these documents, players will be released to their national teams by clubs from November 14. That isn’t much time for coaches and players to prep for the tournament.

DID YOU KNOW? •

Only three times in Premier League history has a side conceded their 5th goal of the game by the 50th minute - Burnley 1-6 Man City (2010) Southampton 0-9 Leicester (2019) Man Utd 0-5 Liverpool (2021).

MEN SHARE MAN. UTD. Manchester United put 9.5 million shares up for sale but did not receive any proceeds from them. Said to be worth £137.12 million, the shares were made available on the New York Stock Exchange. The shares are listed in the names of directors Kevin and Edward Glazer and represent about eight percent of the family’s combined ownership. Earlier in the year, Avram Glazer sold £70 million of shares, which the club received nothing from. It appears that the fall-out from the failed European Super League project is still being felt at Manchester United, a project the Glazers were heavily involved in.

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Mathias Jattah-Njie Jorgensen (left) has scored in four EPL games and has finished on the losing side on each occasion. He is the only player score in 4+ games in the competition while losing every time.

FRENCH GET ORGANIZED The French first division announced that starting from the 2023-24 season, the number of clubs will decrease from 20 to 18. Four clubs will be relegated from Ligue 1 at the end of the 2022-23 season, and just two will be promoted from Ligue 2. In addition to announcing these reductions, the league also confirmed that there will be a six week break across November and December next year to accommodate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

NEYMAR OUT-PUNCHES MBAPPE HEAVY HITTERS Manchester United have a new number 7 and Cristiano Ronaldo may not want to fight for it. UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov was invited to watch a Red Devils match and was given a jersey as a gift with his name and the number 7 on the back. Khabib posted his visit to Instagram and captioned it, “… I hope Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham wouldn’t mind that I got number 7.” Ronaldo and Khabib are actually close friends, first meeting each other while CR7 was playing for Real Madrid. The two even came face-to-face as if they had just finished a pre-fight weigh-in and shared the images on social media.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

Neymar and Kylian Mbappe tested their strength on a punching machine and Neymar came out on top with the higher score. You may be familiar with the popular fairground attraction that tests someone’s punching power by punching the hanging bag which then flies back into place and hits a sensor. The highest attainable score is 1000 and there have been some people who have gotten close. Conor McGregor for example registered a 932, while boxer Andy Ruiz Jr got 967. As for PSG teammates Neymar and Mbappe, they didn’t score as high as the 900s, but they still registered some decent scores. Neymar received a 798 beating Mbappe’s score of 673.

NO-ONE LIKES THE RAIN Tammy Abraham left Chelsea in the summer to join Jose Mourinho at Roma. It was not an easy decision to make for the 24-year-old, especially because Chelsea is his boyhood club. But, after falling out with Tuchel, Abraham needed a change of scenery in order to get some playing time and keep growing his career. The England forward has enjoyed a good start at the Italian capital, earning himself a call-up to the national team after a year absence. During an interview, Abraham revealed what Mourinho’s first words were to him as he tried to convince the striker to join him in Rome. Mourinho said to Abraham, “do you want to enjoy some sun or stay in the rain?” That sounds like a pretty convincing argument.

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WHO SAID WHAT “It's just a money game, and we have to be honest about it. For UEFA, it's extra money and it's an extra game because it's on TV… Next year we have a World Cup in November, we'll have to play until the latter stages of June again. We will get injured. Nobody cares about the players. In June, after a long season, you'll have to play four games in the Nations League, you'll get two weeks holiday. That's not enough for players to continue for 12 months at the highest level. If we never say anything, it's always the same. They're against the Super League, but they just do the same. They put extra games… Now you hear that they want to put a European Championship and a World Cup every year. When will we get a rest? Never. In the end, top players will get injured and injured and injured. ... We are not robots. It's just more and more games, and less rest for us, and nobody cares." ” – Thibaut Courtois had much to say against UEFA and FIFA over the number of fixtures following the third-place match against Italy in the UEFA Nations League.

Actor Daniel Craig’s time as the iconic James Bond has come to an end and with that questions arise over who will be the next Bond. During an interview with Jamie Carragher, Daniel Craig was asked about Jurgen Klopp becoming the next 007, who after having a good laugh, suggested that Klopp would make a great Bond. Klopp acknowledged the idea but quickly shot it down saying, “If I walked out of the water in swim shorts, the whole of the world would turn off.”

BRIGHTON BITES Arsenal defender Gabriel probably doesn’t like facing Brighton & Hove Albion all that much after losing a tooth for the second time against them. Following the scoreless draw between the two sides, the Brazilian was seen walking around the pitch looking for his tooth after losing it during a collision during the match. Gabriel collided with Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in the second half which resulted in the defender losing a tooth. This was the second time Gabriel lost a tooth during a game and remarkably the previous time was also against Brighton. Gabriel later posted an update on Instagram after making a midnight visit to the dentist to sort out the problem.

FIFA AFFAIR IS OVER

“Barcelona published a statement saying that I wasn't going to carry on, and from then I was asking myself where I was going to end up. I was lucky to be contacted by various clubs and one of them was Paris Saint-Germain. I'm grateful to the club. They treated me well from the beginning. They showed that they really wanted me. I had other offers, but I have to say that we came to an agreement quickly with PSG” – Lionel Messi admitted to receiving other offers after leaving Barcelona last summer but ultimately decided to join Paris SaintGermain.

EA Sports and FIFA may be parting ways after the two organizations reportedly had a big fall-out over licensing costs. According to reports, FIFA wants to charge EA double the amount for the license and allowing EA to monetise off the name beyond the game. Double the amount would cost EA $1 billion+ every four years. The popularity of the franchise has made it a big money maker and FIFA wants more of that revenue. EA are now looking into the possibility of changing the name of the series moving forward, so FIFA 22 could be the last in the series to have this name. Regardless of what happens, this will not affect their other official partnerships, meaning club names and players would still be included.

DID YOU KNOW? •

Lionel Messi is the first South American footballer to score 80 international goals.

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It took Roberto Mancini (right) 44 matches to reach 30 wins with Italy. That is the fewest amount of matches in Italy’s history to reach that milestone.

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Matteo Pessina is the first Italian player to score with Atalanta in the Champions League, his was the club’s 31st goal for the team in the competition.

CALL IT A DAY Jese Rodriguez has had a toxic relationship with on and off again girlfried Aurah Ruiz. Their relationship has gotten bad enough to where they took each other to court. Rodriguez accused Aurah of harassment after she claimed that he had neglected his duties of being a father, they later reached a settlement. In a different occasion, Aurah was a contestant on Spain’s Big Brother in 2018, and Jese allegedly spent €5000 in text messages to have her eliminated. More recently there were reports that Aurah hit Jese with a car following an argument after attending a concert together. Both Aurah and Jese have denied those claims.

POTATO CHIPS UTD. Manchester United have a strange clause in their Carrington training ground deal. In the event a war breaks out, they are legally required to change their training ground to a potato farm. When Sir Alex Ferguson took charge at the club, they were training out of a ground he felt was too open for the press and the public and was a bit small for the growing club. In 2000, they opened a new training complex in Carrington after acquiring land there. However, in order to complete the deal, they needed to accept certain clauses, one of which would turn the training ground to a potato farm. In addition to that, the club also needs to leave one or two acres for Canadian geese who would flock there.

YA GOTTA LOVE THAT GPS Losing a cup match can be heart-breaking, especially after a hard-fought game. If there was no match at all though, how would that feel? A team in France were knocked out of the Coupe de France in the fourth round after they showed up late to the match thanks to a mix-up with the GPS which sent them to the wrong town. Tarbes, who play in the sixth tier, were drawn against Vabres-L’Abbaye. Instead of heading there, they ended up in Vabre, a different town some 90km away from where they were supposed to go. Tarbes did eventually make it to the correct town, but they showed up at what would have been half-time. There were images of them running to the stadium, but unfortunately for them their lateness resulted in disqualification.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

90TH MINUTE

RPS CHAMP Gianluigi Buffon will go down as one of the greatest ever goalkeepers in world football, but for the time being he is still playing after returning to his old club Parma. He may also go down as one of the best players of rock, paper, scissors. A video was posted on social media featuring Buffon defeating all of his Parma teammates at rock, paper, scissors. One by one, they each stepped up to take him on, but none were able to defeat him.

DIRK SHOT THE SHERIFF Dirk Kuyt had some harsh words for Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol saying, back in August, “the Champions League is a competition for champions, but teams like Sheriff Tiraspol have nothing to do with the Champions League.” Well it appears that Kuyt was wrong. Following Sheriff ’s incredible 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, manager Yuriy Vernydub responded to Kuyt’s comments saying, “It was a great player, Dirk Kuyt, who said there is no place in the Champions League for Sheriff. So I'm very happy to destroy his perfect world. At the moment, I am very happy after this game against such a big club like Real Madrid. This is so emotional. Some big name players said before there's no place in the Champions League for a team like Sheriff, but it's our place and we proved it."

FIRE BRANDING AGAIN Chicago Fire FC have gone through another rebrand after unveiling a new crest. The new crest came from a fan-focused project that saw more than 20,000 people add their voice to the development of the club’s new identity. Starting from the 2022 season, Chicago Fire’s new crest will be used, replacing the current one which lasted just two years. The new crest has a number of elements that were inspired by the city and club, including the red and blue featured on the city of Chicago flag.

WRAP THEM IN A REEEEALLY LONG SCARF The Columbus Crew have launched a new campaign, “Wrap Them In Support” in partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to support the hospital’s On Our Sleeves movement for children’s mental health. Currently running through to May 2022, fans, community members and businesses can participate in the campaign by purchasing specially-designed Wrap Them In Support fan scarfs. The campaign has the goal of selling enough scarves to set an official Guinness World Record for the longest chain of sports fan scarfs. On next year’s Children’s Mental Health Day, May 7, fans will come together and attempt to set the record.

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FIREMEN FINALISTS Chicago Fire FC has been named a finalist for the 22nd Annual Citizens Awards, a prize given through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Through the work the club did with their Chicago Fire Foundation, they were nominated in the category of Best Commitment to Education Program, making this just the second time in 22 years that a sports team was named a finalist in the category.

NO CONCUSSIONS HERE, THANKS Gerard Pique joined forces with Spanish streaming star Ibai Llanos to organize the world’s first Balloon World Cup. 32 teams from countries all around the world participated and in the end, Francesco de la Cruz of Peru was crowned champion, the first-ever world champion. So what exactly is this Balloon World Cup? Well, it is a game many have probably played before. Played by two or more people, the aim of the game is to hit a balloon around a room with each person trying to prevent it from touching the floor. Players must hit the balloon once and it needs to be hit in an upward direction. Points are scored when an opponent is unable to prevent the balloon from touching the ground.

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Napoli got into the Halloween spirit by releasing a unique jersey. The cobweb covered shirt is a limited edition design as only 1,926 of them are available for purchase, which is the year the club was founded. The kits were announced with a spooky video by the club and were worn in Serie A against Torino and Bologna. According to Napoli themselves, this was the first time a football team wore an official alternative kit for Halloween.

GOOD, BUT NOT ENOUGH England will be playing their next UEFA Nation’s League match behind closed doors after they were punished by UEFA for a “lack of order and discipline” regarding the Euro 2020 final. Alongside the match crowd ban, the Football Association was also fined €100,000. Because it is UEFA handing down the punishment, it will only apply for UEFA competitions, therefore World Cup qualifying remains unaffected. Many people, without tickets, stormed Wembley trying to make their way inside to watch England play the final causing scenes of disarray and chaos both outside and inside the stadium.

SPUR LOVES CHELSEA Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli was seen in a date with "Made In Chelsea" newcomer Nicole Berry. They were joined by Chelsea FC star Ben Chilwell, 24, and Nicole’s model pal Sofia Cretaro at Sexy Fish restaurant in London’s Mayfair — before heading to Chiltern Firehouse.

IT'S JUST A GAME... A Manchester United supporter has shocked fans on social media after cameras caught him asking and receiving Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino's shirt. The Brazilian centre-forward, 30, was making his way down the tunnel before a young fan called for his top. He reappeared at the side of the pitch where he gifted the male individual his top, with the fan then giving a sheepish look in the hope no-one noticed. Unfortunately for the lad, the Sky Sports cameras filmed the incident, with football fans left in disbelief at him asking for a rival player's shirt.

TIMO'S ORANGE WHINE GUM Timo Werner left fans in stitches after looking distraught at being handed an orange wine gum during Chelsea's win over Norwich. The Blues forward suffered an injury against Malmo in the Champions League which made him unavailable for selection at the weekend. But that didn't stop the 25-year-old from grabbing the headlines for his sweet-related dismay. The German was caught by the cameras just as he was being handed a wine gum by a member of the Chelsea backroom staff. But he was by no means pleased with what he was given, looking on furiously as he received an orange-flavoured one. And the moment provided a great deal of hilarious social media reaction.

ONE BAD GAME...OUT! Jesse Lingard has liked a post from a Cristiano Ronaldo fan page calling for the sacking of Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Instagram post in question showed a series of images from the side's recent humiliating loss against Liverpool, with the caption rounded off by the hashtag #OleOUT. It's not known whether this was an intentional move by Lingard, who has largely been used as a rotational player by the Norwegian this season.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

DID YOU KNOW? •

Watford’s Josh King (left) is just the third player to score a Premier League hat-trick against a side he's previously played for in the competition, after Andy Cole (for Man Utd vs Newcastle) and Marcus Bent (for Wigan vs Blackburn).

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Mason Mount is the 20th different player to score a Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea, with only Arsenal (21) having more different hat-trick scorers in the competition.

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WHO SAID WHAT

Manchester United endured a torrid afternoon after a demoralising 5-0 defeat to Liverpool, a game which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer described as his "darkest day" managing the club. While the Norwegian's coaching qualities are being brought into question, his character as a person cannot be disputed after doing the last thing anyone would want to do after such a chastening result. The legendary ex Red Devils striker still took the time to sign autographs and pose for pictures with United fans, who still appeared to be in good spirits despite the recent horror show on the pitch.

“I think it’s my last World Cup. I see it as my last because I don’t know if I have the strength of mind to deal with football any more. So I’ll do everything to turn up well, do everything to win with my country, to realise my greatest dream since I was little. And I hope I can do it.” – Neymar revealed that the 2022 World Cup may be his last as he no longer has the strength of mind to deal with football. If that’s the case, it may be his last chance to win a major trophy with his country.

"FANS" STRIKE AGAIN :( Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman's car was targeted by furious Barcelona fans after the Blaugrana’s 2-1 El Clasico defeat to Real Madrid. He was driving away from the stadium when the fans confronted his vehicle, with some banging on the bonnet of the Audi and insulting him while he was driving.

DID YOU KNOW? •

Karim Adeyemi (right) is the youngest German player to score a brace in the Champions League at 19 years and 254 days. The previous record holder was Thomas Muller, who did so at 20 years and 2 days old.

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Sam Johnstone’s assist for Jack Grealish against Andorra was the first assist provided by a goalkeeper in a European World Cup qualifier since Asmir Begovic for Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 2017. “Your football is faster, more tactical and more aggressive. In this sense there’s no comparison with the American game. There are no margins for error here: if you make a mistake, you are punished. You will concede a goal. In MLS it doesn’t necessarily work like that. And then, in Italy the players are even more physically structured.” – Gianluca Busio describes some of the differences he has noticed between Serie A and MLS.

...AND MY DAD'S BIGGER THAN YOURS WHY ??? Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has collaborated with Adidas and fashion designer Stella McCartney to co-create the world's first 100% vegan football boot. The limitededition, gender-neutral boot - priced at €280 (£236) - fuses the distinct design, innovation and sustainable values of McCartney with the expressive style and elite performance requirements of World Cup winner Pogba. In addition to the above, the latest performance innovations from the Predator franchise uses materials and components closely analysed to ensure they conform to both vegan and elite performance standards.

Bastian Schweinsteiger has recalled an incident from his brief spell at Manchester United, in which he angered David De Gea by claiming that his German teammate Manuel Neuer was a better stopper. The midfielder joined United in 2015 from Bayern Munich, lasting only 18 months at Old Trafford before being transferred to MLS side Chicago Fire. The 30-year-old is alleged to have asked his new teammate who was better out of himself and Neuer - although in hindsight, De Gea may wish that he never bothered.

ROCK ON, TIM “I don’t know, but I’ve always said if I didn’t want to be here next season, I wouldn’t have come from the beginning. There are many things to be decided but what I want to do is enjoy this season that I am here. And what has to happen will happen.” – Hector Bellerin dropping hints that perhaps his time at Arsenal is over and he may look to make his loan to Real Betis a permanent move come the summer transfer window.

RONALDO ALMOST BOSS Legendary Brazil striker Ronaldo Nazario revealed that he turned down an opportunity to buy both Brentford and Charlton Athletic, before choosing to invest in Spanish side Real Valladolid. Prior to becoming Real Valladolid president, the former Inter Milan star had shares in North American club Fort Lauderdale Strikers before they were dissolved in 2017.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia did his impression of The Rock last night by performing the WWE legend's finishing move during a game. Sporting KC beat Seattle Sounders 2-1 in the fixture at Lumen Field but there was an utterly bizarre and controversial moment in the early stages of the second half. Melia, in challenging Cristian Roldan for the ball in the box, decided to morph into 'the People's Champion' by slamming him to the turf. It was like watching The Rock going up against Stone Cold Steve Austin in their prime, with Melia somehow only getting a yellow card and not seeing red for his WWE-style maneuver. The extraordinary incident promptly went viral, to the point that even Dwayne Johnson himself became aware of his antics being replicated in the MLS. Reacting on Twitter, the wrestler-turned-actor branded the move "devastating" but admitted that Melia should have been given his marching orders.

90TH MINUTE

A SCARY BREAK-IN A Premier League star was attacked by masked thugs with machetes in his own home and tied up along with his girlfriend, according to disturbing reports. The player, who has not been named, was attacked and dragged around his house by a gang of balaclava-clad thugs who broke into his house during the international break. The group of yobs infiltrated the secluded mansion during the recent international break, believing the footballer had travelled aboard to represent his country. But the player had been released from the squad and was watching his international teammates on TV before the robbers broke in.

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NO THANKS Joshua Kimmich has confirmed he's unvaccinated despite raising millions for his Covid-19 campaign during the pandemic. His 'WeKickCorona' initiative raised £6 million to support Germans struggling amid the virus outbreak. But despite his efforts against Covid-19, the 26-year-old confirmed reports that he's unvaccinated. The Bayern Munich star cited the lack of long-term studies as reason for his reluctance to take the vaccine.

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Bruno Fernandes has opened up about his traditional pre-matchday ritual, and it left Manchester United teammate Jesse Lingard understandably stunned. The Portugal midfielder has said he has to drink a cappuccino at 11:30pm the night before a game. Otherwise, he simply won't sleep. The Portugal international was speaking to Lingard in a video for the YouTube channel KFC UK and Ireland.

YOU WIN SOME ... YOU LOSE SOME - GROW UP ! A section of AS Roma's travelling support confronted first-team players following their shock 6-1 defeat against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt - and they straight up refused to accept Lorenzo Pellegrini's apologetic shirt gesture. It was a night to forget for Jose Mourinho's side in the Europa Conference League.

MESSI, MESSI, MESSI Alphonso Davies packed Lionel Messi on FIFA 22 while streaming and he absolutely lost his mind. The Bayern Munich and Canada star is an avid FIFA player and regularly goes live on his channel thatboydavies19 to his 127,000 followers. After Messi's card popped up his reaction was utterly priceless, with Davies letting out a deafening scream before excitedly chanting Messi's name.

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90TH MINUTE Kadeisha was named the Big12 Athlete of the Year and was nominated for a 2017 ESPY Award for Best Female College Athlete.

Thomas Lemar (26) November 12 Club: Atletico Madrid Nation: France

⬆ Sergino Dest (21) November 3

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Club: Barcelona Nation: USA • Enjoys playing the drums in his spare time and was even spotted a few times playing as part of a band on the streets of Amsterdam.

Marcelo Brozovic (29) November 16 Club: Inter Nation: Croatia • Is an advocate for everything crypto. His twitter account is @brozocrypto.

⬆ Kadeisha Buchanan (26) November 5 Club: O. Lyon Nation: Canada

ALL'S FAIR IN FOOTBALL Atalanta players and staff didn't manage to get much sleep on the eve of their crucial Champions League tie at Old Trafford, after being kept awake by alarms in the early hours of the morning. Manchester's Radisson hotel's fire alarm was set off six times as the Italian side attempted to get some much-needed rest. Hotel tricks by opposition fans are nothing new in football, as down the years we have seen plenty of underhanded attempts to put a travelling team off the night before a crucial match.

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TOUCHY, FEELY DE GEA Manchester United recovered from 2-0 down to a claim a much-needed 3-2 Champions League victory over Atalanta at Old Trafford, and fans have spotted David De Gea's superstition every time the Red Devils score. A video surfaced on the internet after the match which showed De Gea celebrating each goal by touching his own crossbar.

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DRAKE MEETS CANADA https://www.instagram.com/p/CVBUBWAlqOQ/ The Canadian men’s national team beat Panama at BMO Field, continuing their undefeated start to World Cup qualifying. After the match, Drake met up with the squad posing for pictures with Buchanan, Davies and Eustaquio.

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Cristiano Ronaldo was bizarrely chased down by a crazed fan, with a steward almost taking out the Manchester United match winner. Ronaldo popped up in the dying stages of their Champions League clash to score a dramatic header to secure a big win. And after his heroics on the pitch, a supporter sprinted towards the Portuguese superstar - appearing to want his shirt. But the match stewards stopped him from approaching the Man United forward, with one of the stewards nearly taking him out in a hilarious sequence.

Newcastle United have released a statement asking for supporters to stop wearing Arab-style outfits following the club's recent Saudi-backed takeover. Ever since the multi-billion-dollar three-party consortium purchased the struggling Premier League outfit from Mike Ashley, it seems Magpies fans haven't stopped celebrating. But a small portion of supporters have picked up some unwanted attention after they were seen wearing Arab robes and headdresses when the takeover announcement was made as well as at match days.

FROM THE PITCH, TO THE ICE HAPPY BIRTHDAY LION https://www.instagram.com/p/ CVUDpZQK7wD/ Olympic gold-medalist Vanessa Gilles was invited to a National Hockey League game in her hometown of Ottawa as a guest of honour, which meant she took part in the ceremonial first puck during the pregame.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUpMGq4rp5s/ Paul Pogba was invited to celebrate the 40th birthday of the self-proclaimed lion, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

90TH MINUTE

⬆ Saul Niguez (27) November 21 Club: Chelsea Nation: Spain

Fridolina Rolfö (28) November 24 Club: Barcelona Nation: Sweden

James Maddison (25) November 23 Club: Leicester City Nation: England

ALL FORDS ARE CREATED EQUAL... IT’S THE DEALERSHIP THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Goncalo Guedes (25) ➡ November 29 Club: Valencia Nation: Portugal

NEYMAR DOESN'T LIKE IT Neymar loves dishing out nutmegs on opponents but when someone does it to him, it appears as though the Brazilian doesn't like it one bit. Footage has emerged of Paris SaintGermain training prior to the 3-2 win over RB Leipzig and Neymar did not enjoy having the ball rolled through his legs. In a rondo exercise, teammate Ander Herrera humiliated Neymar with a nutmeg pass and the former Barcelona forward fell to the floor. Herrera celebrated in the face of Neymar, going over to him with his fists in the air. All looked nice and jovial, wlth Lionel Messi cracking a big smile. But then when Herrera got the ball again, Neymar made him his target. He went in extremely late on the Spaniard and kicked him wildly with his left foot. Still, Herrera took it all very well and was laughing before returning back to his feet.

2 0 2 1 B R O N C O

DID YOU KNOW? •

Raul de Tomas (left) is the first Espanyol player to score against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the same LaLiga season since Raul Tamudo in 2007/08.

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Half of the 2021 men’s long list of 30 nominee’s for the Ballon d’Or have been nominated for the first time in their careers. Veterans like Azpilicueta and Chiellini as well as youngsters like Pedri and Haaland.

WATCH YOUR STUFF Oriana Sabatini and Paulo Dybala's houses were burgled during Juventus' Champions League win over Zenit in Russia. The robbers managed to steal the footballer's expensive watch collection.

DAVIES HAS THE MOVES https://www.tiktok.com/@alphonsodavies/ video/7022729718151531781?is_copy_url=1&is_ from_webapp=v1 Probably one of the best footballers to follow on TikTok, Alphonso Davies is showing off some of his dance moves in one of his latest posts.

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BARCA REUNION IN PARIS https://www.instagram.com/p/CVfezw1L3fb/ Former Barcelona teammates Ronaldinho and Messi caught up with each other after the Brazilian was invited to a Paris Saint-Germain match.

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A former footballer is facing up to ten years in jail after allegedly faking his own death and pretending to be dead so that his ex-wife could get a multi-million-dollar insurance payout. In 2016, during his time with lower league side VfB Huls, it was reported that Hiannick Kamba had been tragically killed in car crash in his home country of Congo. But four years later, Kamba miraculously reappeared in Germany, alive and well. Kamba's ex-wife Christina allegedly collected a 'six-figure life insurance payment' after the player's supposed death.

OFF IS OFF !

One of the funniest moments of this season’s Champions League feast of action came at the Parc des Princes before a ball was even kicked between Paris Saint Germain and RB Leipzig. Kylian Mbappé was standing in the tunnel just moments before walking out onto the pitch when the referee's whistle prompted the perturbed superstar to suddenly raise his arms in the air, like you would do when swatting away a wasp at a picnic. Teammate Marco Verratti was also taken aback by the high-pitched whistle, but his response was more conventional as he squinted his eyes and covered his left ear.

DO THE PINK WALK :) FOR EVERYONE ELSE

Napoli star Drie Mertens' wife Katrin Kerkhofs is the new Pink Ribbon Walk ambassador. She promised to take 10,000 steps a day to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Towards the end of Roma’s 0-0 draw against Napoli in Serie A, Jose Mourinho was sent off by referee Davide Massa. However, this still didn’t stop the 58-year-old from coaching his players. Footage has emerged showing Mourinho instructing his players from behind the dugout. We’re pretty sure that’s not allowed, Jose! Mourinho uploaded the video to Instagram and wrote: “When you have no ticket and you desperately want to watch a great football game.”

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While Liverpool are a bigger threat in the race for the Premier League title, everyone connected with Manchester City would have enjoyed seeing United on the other end of a thrashing. And one individual who summed up City's feelings was Fernandinho's son, Davi Roza. Davi was active on social media during the game and he absolutely loved what he was seeing. He sent a trio of posts to his Instagram story mocking United. The first of which came at half-time, where he posted an image of the scoreline alongside seven laughing emojis. The youngster, just 11 years old, then mocked United fans who left the game early. He then posted an image of his father laughing after United's 5-0 defeat.

Ian Waterhouse

TWO’S COMPANY https://www.tiktok.com/@fcsm/ video/7022708358998281473 After both suffering heavy defeats on the same weekend, Spartak Moscow posted a TikTok of the cartoon characters Tom (with a Manchester United logo) & Jerry (with a Spartak Moscow logo) sitting next to each other depressed.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

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Man. United’s 5-0 defeat to Liverpool was only the second time in 617 top-flight league appearances that Cristiano Ronaldo (left) ended on the losing side by 5+ goals in a match, the other was a 5-0 defeat as a Real Madrid player against Barcelona in Nov. 2010.

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Liverpool are only the second team in English top-flight history to win consecutive away games by a margin of 5+ goals without conceding themselves, after Manchester United in February/March 1960.

THAT’S ENOUGH! https://www.tiktok.com/@brentfordfc/ video/7019957442511473926 Brentford came up against a wall in Edouard Mendy during their West London derby with Chelsea, failing to score a goal against the Senegalese international. They let out some of their frustration with a TikTok post.

TARGET PRACTICE https://www.tiktok.com/@bundesliga/ video/7018941996773494022 Is Haaland is part robot? In an impressive video, the Dortmund striker stacked three balls, one on top of the other and then proceeded to kick each one individually into the top corner where a target was placed.

90TH MINUTE

LEO CHASED Lionel Messi was chased by a Marseille fan while playing for Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday evening. The little Argentine was featuring in his first 'Le Classique' since moving to France from Barcelona in the summer. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner was in a threatening attacking position when the fan reached him, but obviously had to bring a halt to play immediately once he realised what was going on.

SOCK IT TO HIM Gerard Pique's every move, on and off the field, is a story, but his acquisition of a 100,000 euro Porsche has been overshadowed by the socks he wore to buy it. The Barcelona centre-back posed for a photo with the car dealer he bought the car from, which was then uploaded to Instagram. Despite the photo of the shiny new car, however, the comments on the post were mainly about the 34-year-old's socks. Even former teammate Marc Bartra joined in on the mocking.

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MID-LIFE FERRARI

Pep Guardiola told a Brighton steward to come and sit with him in the dugout prior to Manchester City's 4-1 win over the Seagulls. As the steward sat down, Guardiola put his arm around his shoulder before pointing up into the crowd. It is unclear what the Spaniard wanted to chat about. But he was certainly in a mischievous mood.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic recently celebrated his 40th birthday by buying himself a Ferrari. He shared a photo of the car on his social media accounts with the caption: ‘Happy Birthday to Zlatan.’ Alongside his new car, the Sweden striker was also presented with a big cake at a Milan training session. There he celebrated with all his teammates and other members of Milan’s staff. It did not end there though for the Swede, as his wife Helena organized a surprise party for him. The guest list at that party included Paul Pogba, Gennaro Gattuso, Donnarumma, Cassano, Galliani and more.

ADELE SPURS THEM ON

VENI, VIDI, VICI - VINI

Pop superstar Adele made Tottenham Hotspur feel her love ahead of the Spurs’ clash with West Ham as she belted out 'Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur' in her hallway. The singer, 33, may reside in Beverly Hills these days - but she hasn't forgotten her hometown glory. Standing in her hallway, the multi-platinum star proudly sang the iconic Tottenham chant at the top of her lungs.

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has set up an organization, Instituto Vini Jr, in his home country that uses technology and sport to educate young Brazilians. Vinicius knows how tough it can be for less fortunate children to get a good education and thus get accepted to federal universities, which are free for students who get accepted. Therefore, through his institute, he launched an education app that uses football to engage children. The app was already implemented at his old school in Rio, and there are plans to expand into more schools. The 21-year-old says he was inspired by fellow athletes LeBron James, Lewis Hamilton and Marcus Rashford, to help out others.

LOVE OF THE GAME

DO NOT NUTMEG NEYMAR

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVfHXTxArov/ Despite being sent off against Napoli, Jose Mourinho was still trying to coach his team from the stands. The Roma manager posted the video to his instagram account and captioned it, “When you have no ticket and you desperately want to watch a great football game.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVS508rr9XQ/ Ander Herrera, like the rest of his teammates, was participating in a rondo training drill; keep away. During the drill he managed to nutmeg Neymar who did not take it so well. The Brazilian then tripped Herrera, not to worry though, it was all in good fun.

DOPPELGANGER https://www.instagram.com/p/CVSg307qLAe/ Liverpool star Mohamed Salah got his waxwork double done by Madame Tussauds London. As the real Salah puts it, the one in white doesn’t have to watch what he eats.

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

90TH MINUTE In 2018, Martens was ranked 22nd in Forbes’ list of the Most Powerful Women in International Sports.

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Demi Stokes (30) December 12

ER B M E C E D

Club: Manchester City Nation: England

Lieke Martens (29) ➡ December 16 Club: Barcelona Nation: Netherlands

DECREPID OLD LADY The Nou Camp is in such a bad condition that Barcelona are not even allowed to turn on the ovens inside the stadium, says vicepresident Elena Fort. The club is preparing renovation work on their tired old stadium, with many issues in need of repair. As well as caterers being unable to use ovens, light panels are monitored during matches to make sure a fuse is not blown.

NO LOVE, JUST FAULTS Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly been told he must tear down an 'illegal' tennis court and extension he built at one of his Portuguese homes. The Manchester United hero, 36, was forced to get rid of a rooftop gazebo at his Lisbon penthouse earlier after being threatened with legal action.

GET THEE HERE

Erling Haaland's Yorkshire accent wowed fans as he swore at Jude Bellingham and ordered him into training. Leedsborn Haaland interrupted Bellingham's attempted announcement on the FIFA 22 video game by taunting his Borussia Dortmund team-mate. Haaland has publicly acknowledged that he is a Leeds United fan, where his father used to play.

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WORD BANK FIELD FIFTY FOOTBALLER GAME GOAL GOALKEEPER INTERNATIONAL ITALIAN MILAN PLAY

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ACADAMY APPEAR APPEARANCE AWARD CAREER CLUB CONTEST DEBUT ESTABLISHED FANS

Ian Waterhouse

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

PLAYER PROFESSIONAL RECORD REPUTATION STADIUM STYLE TEAM TOURNAMENT TRANSFER WINNING

Barcelona have been slammed for an embarrassing post on their official Twitter account which sees Memphis Depay perform a pointless piece of skill to make a straightforward pass to Jordi Alba. The footage came from Barça's slender 1-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev to keep their Champions League hopes intact after two bruising 3-0 defeats to Bayern Munich and Benfica respectively. Depay is out on the left-hand side and simply passes the ball with his left foot while swinging his right up in the air.

A HAPPY ENDING https://www.instagram.com/p/ CVdjgABNpla/ There was some trouble between Mauro Icardi and his wife Wanda Nara that made it out in public. Rumours of a divorce, of Icardi retiring, all sorts of soap-opera stuff, but it seems that the two have worked it out.

WHAT ARE THOSE?! https://twitter.com/FootballlForAll/ status/1453040333722370052 Many people like to wear small shin pads, the smaller the better. Anything big and bulky feels uncomfortable and like it’s weighing you down. But, is there such a thing as too small? Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita may have found some.

90TH MINUTE Fikayo Tomori (24) ➡ December 19 Club: AC Milan Nation: England

THE ROAD TO QATAR

Born in Calgary, Canada to Nigerian parents, Fikayo Tomori could have represented Canada, Nigeria or England at senior level. He chose England.

Karim Benzema (34) December 19 Club: Real Madrid Nation: France • A film about his life was released in 2017 titled ‘Le K Benzema’ which chronicles his rise through the ranks at Lyon and global stardom at Real Madrid.

Jorginho (30) December 20 Club: Chelsea Nation: Italy

Stephen Eustaquio (25) December 21 Club: Pacos de Ferreira Federico Chiesa (24) Nation: Canada October 25 Club: Juventus Christen Press (33) Nation: Italy

December 29 Club: Angel City FC Marcus Rashford (24) Nation: USA October 31

• She co-founded an eco-conscious fashion brand Club: Manchester United with three of her U.S. teammates called Re--Inc. Nation: England

A "CLEAN" SHEET ??? Newcastle United finally have new ownership. After an agreement was reached in April 2020, a Saudi Arabia-led takeover of the club was locked in talks with the Premier League for months as they failed to pass the league’s owners’ and directors’ test. In the end, the two parties were able to reach an agreement with the Public Investment Fund completing the purchase for just over £300 million. The Premier League were left satisfied after discussions with the Public Investment Fund that the Saudi state would have no control of Newcastle. Fans of the club are no doubt excited about the change in ownership as they’ve failed to win any domestic silverware since 1955 and have sat in mediocrity for decades. However, public opinion differs given Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 with Amnesty International calling on the Premier League to focus on human rights issues and “sportswashing.”

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GYM BUDDY Man City star Riyad Mahrez works out in gym with stunning fiance and daughter of Real Housewives of Cheshire Taylor Ward. Ward posted videos of herself working out with her husband at the exclusive CPASE gym in Cheshire.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/ CVQThDAp211/ Alphonso Davies has a big sneaker collection. The Canadian has a room dedicated to his sneakers with some still unopened in boxes.

https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/ status/1449762016969826305 Jordan Pickford’s water bottle comes with cheat sheets taped to it. During Everton’s match against West Ham United, a photo of his bottle was taken which showed details on West Ham’s potential penalty takers.

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LAST WORD

DON’T PRETEND THERE’SMORALITY IN FOOTBALL PROTESTS OVER THE EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE, CELEBRATIONS IN THE STREETS AT A TAKEOVER FROM A DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC REGIME - THERE’S NO REAL MORAL COMPASS IN FOOTBALL FOR SUSY CAMPANALE

Football is a business, whether we like to admit it or not

am increasingly tired of the morality police approach to the world of football, from fans, the media, players, clubs and above all authority figures. People are more than happy to harp on about the emotional importance of the sport and the duty they have to uphold certain standards on and off the pitch, at least until it suits them, then cast all that aside and embrace the money with unabashed glee. The Super League project ultimately did not fail because of the fans, governments or any other individual pressure group. It faltered because the whole affair was handled so incredibly badly that a majority of clubs backed out within 48 hours, fearing the mess this organisation would create given such power. The announcement was amateurish and chaotic, shoved through without any warning to supporters or even the coaches of the clubs involved. FIFA aren’t allowed to do that with their proposal of a World Cup every two years, but

SOCCER360 NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2021

TOP: Newcastle United fans don’t care who owns the club as long as they get results BELOW: Supporters harp on about morality of free transfers more than dubious owners

they are still trying everything they legally can to force it through. Relying on votes from the smaller countries, particularly in Africa and Central America, who otherwise have to wait four years for a genuine top-class continental tournament, Gianni Infantino is attempting to outnumber the protesting nations and get this idea passed before anyone has time to genuinely think about it. The World Cup is an event precisely because it comes every four years, much as the Super League would stop Barcelona against Bayern Munich being quite the same if it was a regular occurrence. The fixture list is already overstuffed as it is, what we don’t want is to see the sport we love saturate life so much that we get sick of it. Mark my words, you might not think it’s possible to be bored of football, but we are approaching that point if these plans go ahead. Don’t bother buying the routine propaganda FIFA are spinning about this idea allowing for nations to have their time in the spotlight more often. Having the World Cup every two years is purely and simply about generating more money, getting thoroughly ill-equipped and even more ill-advised nations to host, without the time to ramp up the protest over whatever human rights violations, financial shenanigans or other scandal will get swept under the carpet for the summer. Staging the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 really was a stunningly bad idea on so many levels. Even putting aside the validation of a country with such an appalling human rights record, just the impracticalities of staging a summer tournament in the desert in a country with barely any football culture should’ve raised a few alarm bells. Moving the entire thing to November and December 2022 was the icing on the cake of terrible ways to get away from an appalling initial concept. If you thought the Super League was bad for the sport, wait until you see what’s being done in the name of football in Qatar.

How laughable that the same people who complained the Super League was immoral and a betrayal of football will happily welcome Newcastle United’s new Saudi owners with open arms to the Premier League and, if they spend wisely, eventually the Champions League. The fans or columnists who say Milan supporters were right to jeer Gianluigi Donnarumma when he was wearing the Italy jersey at San Siro, just because he left them as a free agent for Paris Saint-Germain, don’t particularly care who owns the same club. Silvio Berlusconi, obscure Chinese flash in the pan Yonghong Li, current vulture fund investors Elliott Management, they really don’t mind as long as the big transfers get paid for. Inter fans celebrated in the streets when Suning funded a Scudetto-winning side, but when the well runs dry, suddenly they start wanting a more Italian presence at the helm, or at least someone reliably rich to keep pumping in the cash. Football is a business, whether we like to admit it or not, and the response to who runs a club varies spectacularly depending on results. Newcastle United supporters had street parties when Mike Ashley sold up to PIF, the investment arm of the Saudi royal family. The Premier League suddenly cleared them to complete the takeover once the piracy row was resolved, proving the ‘fit and proper person’ test for ownership was more about money and TV rights than morality. They’re hardly alone. None of the supporters of these effectively state-owned clubs like PSG and Manchester City genuinely care who is pulling the strings, as long as the stars and trophies keep flooding in. Just ask Barcelona, who are being run into the ground by decades of mismanagement, if they would complain at an oil-rich magnate taking over and wiping their debts. If ever we needed proof that Financial Fair Play hasn’t been remotely effective, just ask how Barcelona managed to rack up €1.35bn in debt. As long as the results arrive, people are prepared to overlook pretty much anything.

Assigning the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was ridiculous on every level

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