Soccer 360 Magazine Jan/Feb 2019 Edition

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MAGAZINE

GOLDEN MODRIC

ONE ON ONE BUSQUETS SZCZĘSNY

NATIONS LEAGUE LOOKING AHEAD

ADA HEGERBERG WOMEN’S BEST

79

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

FINAL 16

RED REDEMPTION KLOPP’S SPOTLIGHT

2019 DIFFERENCE MAKERS DEFINING THE MOMENTS

360 AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR • COACH OF THE YEAR GAME OF THE YEAR • HOWLER OF THE YEAR TRANSFER OF THE YEAR • YOUNG GUNS

• ATLANTA TAKES THE PRIZE • MLS REBOOT • YOUNGSTER POOL • THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY

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2 January / February 2018 Soccer360Magazine.com

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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INSIDE JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 ISSUE 79

SOCCER360

04 KICK OFF

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MAGAZINE

GOLDEN MODRIC

79

ONE ON ONE BUSQUETS SZCZĘSNY

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

NATIONS LEAGUE

FINAL 16

LOOKING AHEAD

RED REDEMPTION

ADA HEGERBERG WOMEN’S BEST

KLOPP’S SPOTLIGHT

2019 DIFFERENCE MAKERS

DEFINING THE MOMENTS

360 AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR • COACH OF THE YEAR GAME OF THE YEAR • HOWLER OF THE YEAR TRANSFER OF THE YEAR • YOUNG GUNS

COVER FEATURE: GOLDEN MODRIC WINS THE PRIZES

• ATLANTA TAKES THE PRIZE • MLS REBOOT • YOUNGSTER POOL • THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY

mls 06 10 12 14

ATLANTA UNITED REBOOT 2019 THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY AROUND THE LEAGUE

english premier league 18 21 22 24

LIVERPOOL JOSE MOURINHO THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY AROUND THE LEAGUE

serie a 30 32 34 36

SUSO ONE ON ONE: WOJCIECH SZCZESNY THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY AROUND THE LEAGUE

la liga ISSUE #79 Display until March 6, 2019

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42 44 46 48

REAL MADRID ONE ON ONE: SERGIO BUSQUETS THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY AROUND THE LEAGUE

bundesliga

54 RED BULL FAMILY 58 THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY 60 AROUND THE LEAGUE 64 HENRY’S HOMECOMING 68 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 72 EUROPA LEAGUE 74 THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS 78 IN FOCUS: JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW 80 UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE / EURO 2020 84 86 90 96

PAGE 68 TROPHY CHASERS

SOCCER 360 AWARDS BALLON D’OR 90TH MINUTE LAST WORD

PAGE 18 LIVERPOOL REDEMPTION

PAGE 76 THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

PAGE 30 SUSO'S STOCK

2 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

PAGE 44 SERGIO BUSQUETS

PAGE 64 HENRY’S HOMECOMING

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Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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KICKOFF The selfish gene LUKA MODRIC ENDED THE CRISTIANO RONALDO-LIONEL MESSI DOMINATION OF THE BALLON D’OR, BUT GABY MCKAY QUESTIONS THE POINT OF INDIVIDUAL AWARDS IN A TEAM SPORT…

L

ast month Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric was awarded the Ballon d’Or, the first player not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to be given the award since 2007.

The 33-year-old is also the first Croatian player to be given the prize since the Balkan nation achieved its independence in 1991. There is no question that Modric is a wonderful, elegant player, or that he had a stunning 2018. The midfielder won his third Champions League on the spin with Real Madrid, and inspired his country to the World Cup final.

What is less unanimously agreed is the decision to give the Ballon d’Or to Modric, with Ronaldo’s sister bizarrely blaming the mafia for the loss while Messi failing even to reach the top three was greeted with howls of derision from his many fans around the world.

There is some merit to their complaints though. If the Ballon d’Or is intended purely to reward individual excellence, the statistics are very much on the side of the two men who have dominated voting for over a decade. In the 2017-18 season, Ronaldo scored 54 goals in 55 games and provided 11 assists. Messi managed 46 goals with one game fewer, and provided 18 assists. Modric, meanwhile, got five goals and 11 assists in his 59 games for club and country.

Many would argue, with some justification, that the Croat was a key man in teams which achieved extraordinary success — but what, then, is the point of handing out individual awards in a team sport? Modric wouldn’t have been in the World Cup Final

4 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

ABOVE: Luka Modric won the 2018 Ballon d’Or

‘Luka Modric is the first Croatian player to be given the prize’

‘The trophy almost always goes to attacking players’ were it not for a late Mario Mandzukic winner against England, and it was Ronaldo’s goals which fired Madrid to their Champions League triumph. Is Messi to be punished for playing in an insipid Argentina team over the summer?

The Ballon d’Or, and individual awards in general, have come to mean far more over recent years, fuelled in part by the duel between Messi and Ronaldo. It’s widely accepted that Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain in the hope of winning the Ballon d’Or, while Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann have also openly coveted the prize.

A similar phenomenon has played out in the world of tennis, with the ‘Big Four’ of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray competing not only for Grand Slams, but to be world No. 1. That makes sense in an individual sport, but what value does an individual award have in a team sport like football?

A microcosm of this increasing individual focus in football can be seen with a visit to the Juventus museum in Turin. In the gallery are the Ballons d’Or of two club legends, Omar Sivori and Pavel Nedved. The former’s is a small, plated football on a varnished wooden plinth. The Czech, however, was awarded a huge, glittering trophy which one would struggle to life above one’s

head. Nedved was, of course, the ultimate team player, and one suspects he’d trade that trophy for the Champions League he missed out on in 2003. And yet the difference in the trophies is telling.

There are other issues with the Ballon d’Or, and similar trophies like FIFA’s The Best awards. For one, the trophy almost always goes to attacking players. Lev Yashin remains the only goalkeeper ever to have been given the Ballon d’Or, while Fabio Cannavaro was the last defender to win it back in 2006.

In some respects a creative midfielder like Modric winning is a positive step, but what of Xavi Hernandez, Andrea Pirlo or Pep Guardiola? Other players never to win the prize include Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon and Ryan Giggs.

Is Buffon a better player than Messi? It’s a ridiculous question, given their respective roles have absolutely nothing in common.

So why then do we accept an award being given to the notional ‘best player in the world’ every year?

Fans will remember Messi, Ronaldo and Modric for the players they were and the trophies they won as part of a team, not how many times they were given a somewhat arbitrary individual prize, based on criteria which are at best unclear and at worst unfair.

ABOVE & BOTTOM LEFT: Cannavaro was the last defender to win the Ballon d’Or BOTTOM RIGHT: The trophy itself has changed since Omar Sivori won it in 1961

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

From Newcome

MARCO D'ONOFRIO EXPLAINS ATLANTA UNITED’S METEORIC RISE FROM JOINING MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER IN 2017 TO TOPPING IT IN 2018.

“Atlanta United ensured December 8 was an evening talked about for generations to come”

ABOVE: Tyler Adams isn’t 20 yet but he’s a crucial part of the New York Red Bulls teams.

BOTTOM RIGHT: (OPPOSITE PAGE) Bradley WrightPhillips is a big admirer of his teammate

I

t was a cold windy night in late October at the stadium-by-the-lake in Toronto.

Just like we had seen so often over the past three years, BMO Field was where the winner of another major trophy would be decided. It was almost exactly how Major League Soccer had envisioned the final day of the regular season would play out: Toronto FC hosting Atlanta United with first place in the Eastern Conference and the Supporters' Shield on the line.

Only the defending MLS Cup champions had already been eliminated from playoff contention and while Atlanta were playing the Reds on the field, they were actually in a head-to-head battle with the New York Red Bulls. A win for Atlanta would not only give them their first ever piece

ABOVE: Atlanta United did in two years what some teams couldn't do in more than 20 seasons

of silverware, but it would also see them break the all-time record for most points in a season which their hosts had set just the year before.

The press box was full of Atlanta United staff waiting and desperately watching on as they saw their dream slowly slip away. It took just nine minutes for Toronto's Lucas Janson to find the back of the net and by the 21st minute Atlanta were down 2-0. The game ultimately ended in a 4-1 defeat. The players quickly rushed back to the dressing room to see what had transpired between the Red Bulls and Orlando City SC. They learned New York had pulled off the 1-0 victory and for the third time in Red Bulls' history they were the Supporters' Shield

mers to Champs THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BACK

Marco D'Onofrio takes a peak at the CONCACAF Champions League draw and whether this could finally be the year an MLS team is victorious.

The draw for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League took place in early December with MLS being represented

by Toronto FC, Sporting Kansas City, Houston Dynamo, Atlanta United, and the New York Red Bulls.

Last season, Toronto came closer than any other MLS club to winning the tournament, but lost in the final in a heart-breaking penalty shoot-out to Chivas Guadalajara. They also had one of the most difficult paths to get to the final, having to take on the Colorado Rapids and three consecutive Mexican clubs – Tigres, Club America, and Chivas.

This year though, the draw has been much kinder as they play Panamanian side Independiente in the Round of 16 before meeting either Sporting KC or Toluca in the quarter-finals if they advance. The New York Red Bulls also mounted a serious run in the continental competition last season, reaching the semi-finals before ultimately being eliminated by the eventual champions.

The tournament has always been won by a Mexican club and with the continual growth of MLS both on and off the pitch, 2019 could finally be the year a team from MLS wins the tournament.

The competition kicks off before the MLS regular season, with the first Round of 16 game taking place on February 19th. It'll conclude with the second leg of the final on May 2nd.

RIGHT: Mexican clubs have dominated the CONCACAF Champions League but five MLS clubs are aiming to change that TOP RIGHT: Josef Martinez was named the 2018 MLS MVP, after shattering the MLS single season goalscoring record with 31 goals.

“Atlanta did in two years what New England and New York couldn't do in 23 years – win the MLS Cup."

champions, breaking the points record in the process.

Unlike for Atlanta though, the Supporters' Shield didn't seem like too big of a deal for the Red Bulls. After all, it was the third time in the past six years that they ended the regular season with more points than any other team in MLS. This wasn't the trophy their fans nor players really wanted. They were looking for the one piece of silverware that had always alluded them – the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy presented to the winners of MLS Cup. One of the 10 original MLS franchises, the Red Bulls had never been able to win the League's most prestigious prize.

As fate would have it, the two teams who proved they were the best in the League throughout the campaign would meet in the Eastern Conference final for a chance to participate in and host MLS Cup 2018.

The Red Bulls couldn't have drawn up a better scenario for themselves to finally get over the hump. New York had played Atlanta United four times during the regular season since the MLS newcomers joined the League last year and never had Atlanta been able to pull off a victory. The Red Bulls and their supporters could almost taste the champagne on their lips as they dreamed of an MLS Cup at Red Bull Arena.

But even after the greatest points haul in MLS regular season history, it was an all too familiar scene for the Red Bulls and their fans. They entered the first leg at MercedesBenz Stadium in Atlanta full of hope and optimism, but left with their tail between their legs and a 3-0 deficit to overcome.

Whether it was the brilliance of Coach Gerardo Martino, the stellar performance

by Atlanta United on the pitch, or the incredibly intimidating atmosphere that 70,016 helped create on a Sunday in Georgia, the Red Bulls completely capitulated under the pressure. It was the fourth time in New York's history that they

had been eliminated from the Eastern Conference Final, only playing in MLS Cup once – back in 2008. Atlanta had finally beaten the Red Bulls.

“The first thing we can say is that we’re finally able to beat them,” Martino said with a big smile on his face after the first leg. “I think the team did a good job. It was a team win and we didn’t suffer aside from the two situations on set pieces. I think we were solid defensively. We’ll have to analyse it to see if the difference was deserved.”

With a 3-0 lead heading into Red Bull Arena, the second leg was a mere formality.

The game ended 0-0 and Atlanta United had earned the right to host the biggest match in their short franchise’s history.

Unlike that forgettable evening in Toronto a couple of months prior, the Five Stripes ensured that December 8 was going to be one that would be talked about in Atlanta for generations to come. The fans sure did their part, selling out MercedesBenz Stadium and shattering an all-time attendance record. Not only was the 73, 019 in attendance the most for an MLS Cup game – beating the previous record of 61, 316 set at Gillette Stadium in New England back in 2002 – it was the most in attendance for any previous MLS game in history.

Josef Martinez scored his fourth goal of the playoffs after 39 minutes to give the home team the lead – one that would never be relinquished. It was a brilliant performance

by Atlanta as they controlled the game and allowed the Portland Timbers very little.

Franco Escobar made it 2-0 in the 54th minute to seal the victory and send the capacity crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium into a frenzy. Atlanta had done in two years what the likes of New England and New York couldn't do in 23 – win MLS Cup. “It just took the right combination of city, of venue, of training ground and of players, most importantly,” said Atlanta and USMNT Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

ATLANTA R THE NEW KIDS HAVE WON IT! IN DECEMBER ATLANTA UNITED FC REACHED THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN IN MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER, WINNING THE 2018 MLS CUP IN A 2-0 RESULT OVER THE PORTLAND TIMBERS. IN JUST TWO YEARS’ TIME THEY HAVE RISEN THROUGH THE RANKS OF MLS AND BECOME ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CLUBS NOT JUST IN THE U.S., BUT ACROSS THE WORLD. IT HELPS THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN A BIT OF A LIKING TO THEM. THE CLUB ROUTINELY FILLS MERCEDES BENZ STADIUM, PACKING IN 70,000 FANS FOR EVEN THE MOST ROUTINE OF MATCHES. HERE ARE THE TOP THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ATLANTA UNITED FC.

Despite winning the Supporters' Shield three times, Bradley Wright-Phillips has yet to win the MLS Cup

goalkeeper Brad Guzan following the victory. “It all started with the vision from Arthur Blank [Atlanta United owner]. He’s the man behind all of this. He thought that it could prevail, the sport, a team in this city and it all started with his belief. And Darren, Carlos, Paul, who’s obviously left, but those guys, they did their homework in terms of putting together this team, this roster from Day 1. Now, to celebrate like we are now after year 2, it’s huge.”

To put things in perspective, Minnesota United – who also joined the League in 2017 – hasn't come to close to even qualifying for the playoffs, let alone be crowned champions. In fact, they haven't even begun play in their new soccer-specific stadium Allianz Field yet. The Five Stripes not only became MLS champions over the same period but destroyed all kinds of attendance records along the way.

Atlanta have done everything right as an

10 THEIR OWNER REALLY LOVES SOCCER. organization and as a city. The club brought in top players, a world-renowned Coach, and built a state-of-the-art training facility that will also help develop local talent.

While the fans supported the team’s vision by walking through the turnstiles in droves and ensured that the club not only had the top seven attended regular-season games in MLS history, but also set a record with 901,033 supporters showing up throughout the regular season across 17 games in 2018, a truly remarkable feat.

They have raised the bar when it comes to MLS investment and became League champions as a result. With multiple clubs expected to begin play in MLS over the next few years, it’s hard for any of them not to be inspired by what Atlanta United have done. They made it look easy though and as most teams have found out, winning in MLS is anything but.

MLS DEVELOPING TOP TALENT Marco D'Onofrio explains why Manchester City were so eager to sign American youngster Zack Steffen.

It had been known for a while that the Vancouver Whitecaps' teenage sensation Alphonso Davies was headed for Bayern Munich, but he isn’t the only young MLS talent to be scooped up by another Champions League contender.

Zack Steffen, who made his name in Columbus with the Crew will also be plying his trade in Europe, but in England with Manchester City. The English giants secured the 23-year-old's services in a transfer believed to be worth $7.5-10m after the youngster was named 2018 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.

Steffen had been garnering interest from across the pond for quite some time, but the Crew always managed to keep hold

of their star man. As recently as July, they had turned down an offer from English Championship side Bristol City for $3.9m.

But when a club as big as Manchester City comes calling, it's difficult for any player to say no.

Steffen had always let it be known that his intentions were to play in Europe one day. “My goal is to go back to Europe, whenever that is," he told the official MLS website in July. “I don’t have that much of a say…it’s when teams want to come in and talk. But my goal is to go back over there at some point.”

Steffen is far from the first American goalkeeper to make the move to England.

He follows in the footsteps of other American greats, including the likes of Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, and Brad Friedel.

Much has been said about Atlanta’s owner Arthur Blank and his fortune.

The co-founder of Home Depot and the owner of the Atlanta Falcons has a net worth of about $4.7 billion dollars. But Blank has shown himself to be more than just a very wealthy owner: He is also a big soccer fan and a big family man.

He met his current wife, Angela Mancuga, through their kids who played on the same soccer team.

Arthur Blank

9 ATLANTA WASN’T ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE AN MLS CLUB.

At this point it seems like a given that MLS would want to go to Atlanta. But that wasn’t always the case. Blank had originally placed a bid for an MLS club in 2008. However, due to a budget crisis in the Georgia state government that bid was withdrawn. They filed again in 2011 and faced stiff resistance. The Southeast, despite its dominance in college soccer, has been perceived to be disinterested in soccer for many years. It was a huge gamble for the league to come here. It paid off.

8 IT TOOK MORE THAN TWO YEARS TO DEVELOP THE CLUB.

The myth with expansion teams is that they are created quickly with little planning or thought put into it. While that may have been true in the past things seemed to have changed. Their President Darren Eales, has been with the club since 2014 and their Development Academy has played matches dating back to the 2016-2017 season.

7 ATLANTA DOESN’T WIN TITLES TOO OFTEN.

Prior to United claiming the Cup the last time a Atlanta professional sports team had won a title was the 1996 Atlanta Braves. Since that time fans in the area had seen the Braves hold on to faded glory for too long, the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association tread water, the Atlanta Falcons squander a big lead in Super Bowl LI and the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League pick up and leave. It is a city that has a proud athletic history but really struggled to make a dent in terms of silverware.

6 SOME VERY INTERESTING NAMES HAVE ALREADY PASSED THROUGH THEIR HALLS.

MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Zack Steffen is off to Premier League Manchester City

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Setting up an expansion side is often a case of doing a bunch of things and seeing what sticks. At times the halls can be a rotating door of players, coaches, and personalities. Atlanta’s 2017 was no different. Players like Kenwyne Jones (yes, that Kenwyne Jones), Tyrone Mears (formerly of Burnley and Bolton), and Chris McCann (formerly of Wigan) have all featured for the club in their first two years. Even BBC personality Alan Green was with the club for the first season, serving as their lead broadcaster for local coverage.

A RISING

Alan Green Kenwyne Jones

5 THEY HAVEN’T ALWAYS PLAYED AT MERCEDES BENZ STADIUM

File this under: Not everything goes according to plan in year one. Despite trying to have Mercedes Benz open in time for their first match ever the stadium wasn’t ready for kick-off in 2017. So the club had to improvise.

For the first half of the stadium they played at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Georgia Tech University. They went 6-2 at their temporary stadium showing that sometimes it is not just the venue, but the players on the pitch.

Mercedes Benz Stadium

Tata Martino

4 THE PURPLE LIONS PASSED ON MARTINO The Tata Martino-Atlanta partnership has been a match made in heaven. But it almost never came to be. Orlando City SC reportedly were interested in the former Argentina Men’s National Team manager after they had fired Adrian Heath. However, they passed on him when they were looking for a coach. Two years later Atlanta and Martino have a title while Orlando doesn’t even have a playoff win.

3 THEY PLAY THE KIDS

As previously mentioned Atlanta has had a Youth Academy program for close to three years. Their club in the Development Academy has already been extremely successful, finishing first in the Southeast Division in the U-16/U-17 and U-18/U-19 age groups. Players that have already come up through their system include Chris Gloster of Hanover 96, George Bello, and Andrew Carleton.

2 THEY DO A LOT OF WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.

Like any new neighbor Atlanta have done quite a bit to immerse themselves in the community and to be a positive part of it.

That includes building free subway soccer fields, five a side pitches that were designed to give kids underserved communities the chance to play the beautiful game in a safe location.

1 THE CLUB HAS DREAMS BEYOND THE CUP.

So they have won the Cup. Now what? More trophies and more silverware. As opposed to some clubs that will rest on the laurels of their win Atlanta seems to be building for greater heights. In the immediate future that includes the CONCACAF Champions League, which they will be a part of in February. MLS desperately wants to win that tournament and even though there will be some turnover in the squad, Atlanta looks primed to take it.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

MLS ReBoot 2019

SO MANY QUESTIONS, SO LITTLE TIME. WITH THE FINAL WHISTLE BLOWN ON MLS CUP 2018 IT MARKED THE END OF A WILD, UNPREDICTABLE SEASON IN THE TOP LEVEL OF FOOTBALL IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. BUT AS WE HAVE SEEN THROUGH THE YEARS IN MLS THE END OF ONE SEASON IS REALLY JUST THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER.

#10 WHAT WILL THE VANCOUVER WHITECAPS DO WITH ALL OF THEIR ALPHONSO DAVIES MONEY? It is a clean slate for Vancouver. After years of treading water the club finally went into ‘rebuild mode’ this offseason scrapping pretty much their entire roster and firmly ending the Carl Robinson era.

New Head Coach Marc Dos Santos has been given the keys to build the club from the ground up and he has a rather huge chip: the transfer money acquired from selling Alphonso Davies. Davies was sold for about $13 million dollars to Bayern Munich giving Vancouver some good cap flexibility.

While not all of that goes back to the Caps a significant will still be coming in their direction and it will be interesting to see how dos Santos spends it. #9 WILL FC CINCINNATI BE ATLANTA UNITED FC OR MINNESOTA UNITED FC IN YEAR ONE? Expansion sides either tend to be really good or really poor in year one with very little deviation. For every side like Atlanta United that takes the league by storm there is a Minnesota United that is still

10 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

struggling to find its identity. What makes FC Cincinnati such an interesting case is that they have beaten MLS sides in US Open Cup play with some regularity. Can that success give them an edge in MLS season one? #8 WILL WONDO BAG THE ALL-TIME GOAL SCORING RECORD? San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski came very, very close to taking home the all-time goal scoring record. He stands at 144, just one shy of Landon Donovan’s 145. Sounds like a simple task, right? On paper yes but the Earthquakes have gone through a reboot this season, adding Matias Alymeda as coach and clearing out a ton of contracts. A move seems unlikely so will he want to put his boots back on for one more season with less time and a new boss? #7 CAN THE LEAGUE AND THE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION AGREE ON A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT? The current agreement will expire at the end of the 2019 season and it will be interesting to see what moves each party makes to avoid a lockout. Both sides

ABOVE: Alphonso Davies LEFT: Chris Wondo TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Toronto FC MID (OPPOSITE PAGE): Ben Olsen BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Zlatan Ibrahimovic BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): #playthekids

have issues that they would like to revisit (free agency, travel, schedule, solidarity payments) and will likely take months to work out. The league has never had a work stoppage but given the economic strides the league has made that may change. #6 WILL TORONTO FC BOUNCE BACK? Toronto FC may have proved last season that there is such a thing as a hangover season. After claiming a treble in 2017 TFC fell short of their CONCACAF Champions League goal, failed to make the MLS Cup Playoffs, and left 2018 with just a Canadian Championship crown. 2019 may be a bit different though with The Reds bringing back mostly the same crew and finally getting a rest (When they kick off CONCACAF Champions League play they will have been off since October). Will rested legs be enough to get TFC back on track? #5 CAN BEN OLSEN KEEP HIS JOB? D.C. United’s manager has survived years of penny-pinching, raccoons, and spurious roster decisions since taking the job in 2010.

But can he now deliver an MLS Cup title?

United were the hottest club in the league down the stretch. But their season ended in heartbreak. He is on his final year of his contract with the club so expectations are high that with Wayne Rooney, Lucho Acosta, and Bill Hamid they can get back to the top of the league. #4 ZLATAN AND ?

The Los Angeles Galaxy are in crisis mode.

After another disappointing season the legendary side enter 2019 offseason in which quite literally anything can happen.

They have Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But other than that it is one big question mark. It is a strange spot for the five-time MLS Cup Champions to be in, given their past glory.

But it is a necessary one. The club is in need of a fresh start and it looks like they will get it. #3 WILL MORE TEAMS #PLAYTHEKIDS? After years of waiting 2018 seemed to be the year in which MLS Youth Academy systems paid off. Sides like FC Dallas, Atlanta United, Sporting Kansas City, and the New York Red Bulls showed the value of giving kids minutes in significant matches.

Will the rest of the league follow suit? #2 CAN AN MLS SIDE FINALLY WIN THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? It was another year of heartbreak for MLS in the CCL with Toronto FC narrowly losing out to Chivas Guadalajara in the final. The Reds will be back in the 2019 edition, joined

by Atlanta United FC, the Houston Dynamo, the New York Red Bulls, and Sporting Kansas City. All five sides on paper seem to have the players and the skills to take it to the rest of the region. But so many times on paper doesn’t translate to the pitch. #1 CAN ATLANTA GET THE BAND BACK TOGETHER? United have taken the league by storm and in just two years have re-written the rules when it comes to expansion teams. But the question is can they do it again in year three. Tata Martino is already gone and by the time this goes to press Miguel Almiron might be as well. Other role players will likely get huge deals with teams looking to taste glory so it will interesting to see what Atlanta does to maintain their hold on the league.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY

WANNABEES

THE GOOD

A historic year in any League deserves recognition and praise, but Josef Martinez of Atlanta United deserves more than most for the incredible season that he had down in Georgia. It was a record-breaking season for the former Torino front man as he broke the single season goal total and did so comfortably, scoring 31 times to pass the mark of 27 set by Bradley Wright-Phillips, Chris Wondowlowski and Roy Lassiter.

Martinez also played an integral part in Atlanta’s run through the MLS season and the postseason playoffs, scoring crucial goals to see them in the final.

Martinez also broke two more impressive records during the course of the season by scoring in nine consecutive games and grabbed his sixth hat-trick during his time with the Five Stripes, a record amount for a single player in MLS history. Others, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney, may have had iconic moments and grabbed more headlines around the world than Martinez, but there is no denying that the Venezuelan was the MVP of the season and could have put a case forward for winning the vote by a larger margin.

Zlatan came second in the voting and second in the scoring charts — both times behind Martinez — but while the

12 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

ABOVE: THE GOOD, Josef Martinez ABOVE LEFT: THE BAD, NYCFC/ LAFC LEFT: THE UGLY, Nick Rimando

S

future of Atlanta’s attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron is uncertain and Coach Tata Martino is departing at the end of the season, the franchise knows that with Martinez on their books, they have a bonafide superstar and a franchise player who has the ability to lead the team to further success in the future.

THE BAD

When the postseason schedule was released and seedings were officially wrapped up at the end of the regular season, you would have been forgiven for expecting a strong run from one of, if not both of, New York City FC and Los Angeles FC given their respective campaigns.

Instead, what we saw was two teams that could have been so much better and rather than give us some classic games along the way, we got the opposite with LAFC crashing out in the first round against Real Salt Lake in a controversial tie and NYCFC bowing out in tame fashion against a Atlanta side that was superior, but not unbeatable.

In NYCFC’s case, perhaps it was too much to expect a side that had a captain whose future was up in the air playing a team who had changed Coach and style halfway through the campaign. While they made the playoffs with ease in the end, it wasn’t without it’s bumps and bruises along the way. Over two legs, not many teams can beat Atlanta but you would expect a team with the players that NYCFC has to put up a better showing than they did.

As for LAFC, it’s ironic that if their neighbours the LA Galaxy had pipped RSL to that final playoff spot in the Western Conference, perhaps LAFC would have had that extra bit of motivation to get one over their rivals. Instead, they bowed out in a controversial match marred by the fans against an RSL team that had their number.

Disappointing from both sides but at least this short playoff experience for these two sets of players and management will stand them in good stead for next season, when more will be expected from them.

THE UGLY

Football is meant to be an escapism from reality. When you buy your ticket and enter the stadium through the turnstiles, whatever is happening on the outside is barricaded off by what you’re about to witness on the inside. If you have troubles on the outside, you leave them at the gates and forget about them for the 90 minutes of action on the field.

Unfortunately, some spectators are unable to take in the game and not act like complete idiots, in particular during the match between LAFC and Real Salt Lake.

The game itself should be remembered as a thriller, a great advertisement of what MLS can offer but instead what we saw was Nick Rimando, the RSL goalkeeper, pelted with trash after his side equalised, delaying the game for five minutes.

It was a game that should have had onlookers fawning over the quality on show, the style of play and the excitement that came along with it but in the aftermath there was little choice but to ignore the action and focus on the trouble, which shouldn’t be the case in this day and age.

LAFC and the official supporters group, the 3252, released a statement condemning not only the throwing of objects but also homophobic chants from a minority of fans when Rimando was taking a goalkick.

It was a memorable tie, a classic MLS fixture if there ever was one, but now it will go down as the game with the trash-throwing and homophobic abuse, the opposite of what the sport should be about.

GOING UP / DOWN GOING UP

The US Men’s National Team have finally announced their new Coach after more than a year since the Bruce Arena era came to an end, with Columbus Crew boss Gregg Berhalter appointed. With a trainer finally in place and one that overachieved massively with the Crew given the off-field problems at the club, the USMNT finally have a manager to build a squad around.

2018 MLS STATS

TOP GOALSCORERS NAME Josef Martinez Zlatan Ibrahimovic Bradley Wright-Phillips Mauro Manotas Gyasi Zardes

TEAM GOALS Atlanta 31 LA Galaxy 22 NY Red Bulls 20 Houston 19 Columbus 19

TOP ASSISTERS NAME Borek Dockal Luciano Acosta Nicolas Lodeiro Maximiliano Moralez Sebastian Giovinco

TEAM ASSISTS Philadelphia 18 D.C. United 17 Seattle 16 NYCFC 16 Toronto FC 15

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE TEAM Atlanta United Seattle Sounders Toronto FC LA Galaxy Minnesota United Orlando City New York City FC Los Angeles FC Vancouver Whitecaps Portland Timbers

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE 53,002 40,641 26,628 24,444 23,902 23,866 23,211 22,042 21,946 21,144

GOING DOWN

What started as a promising year for NYCFC with David Villa and Patrick Vieira at the helm ended with a disappointing playoff run and neither one of Villa or Vieira in the Big Apple.

With their captain gone and Dome Torrent having a big job on his hands to keep NYCFC challenging with no stadium to call their own, it’s looking like a make or break off season for them.

AVERAGE SHOTS PER GAME TEAM AVERAGE SHOTS/GAME Kansas City 17.1 New York City FC 15.7 Los Angeles FC 15.5 Atlanta United 15.0 Columbus 14.6

PASS ACURACY TEAM Kansas City Columbus Los Angeles FC Atlanta United Toronto FC

TOTAL PASS ACURACY 83.8% 83.8% 83.6% 83.4% 83.1%

ASSIST TO GOAL SCORER GOAL SCORER Josef Martinez Cory Burke B. Wright-Phillips Kei Kamara Ignacio Piatti

ASSISTED BY Julian Gressel Borek Dockal Alejandro Gamarra Alphonso Davies Alejandro Silva

TEAM Atlanta Philadelphia NY Red Bulls Vancouver Montreal

ASSISTS 7 6 5 5 5

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

13

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“” QUOTES

SHIRTY ZLATAN

Major League Soccer have revealed the top 25 shirt sellers of 2018. It should come as no surprise that Zlatan Ibrahimovic tops the list. The Swede scored 22 goals in 26 games for LA Galaxy, but unfortunately was not able to help his team reach the playoffs after a final match day collapse. Second on the list, is another Los Angeles star, Carlos Vela of Los Angeles FC. The league’s top goal scorer, Josef Martinez sits third, while Wayne Rooney and Miguel Almiron round out the top five. Six through ten has Schweinsteiger, David Villa, Giovinco, Dempsey and Barco.

THE BIG ELF

Will Ferrell, a part-owner of Los Angeles FC, spent some quality time with the fans during their last home match of the season. The comedic actor led the Black & Gold fans in chants, taking his spot in the capo stand. Not many owners get as involved with the fans as Ferrell does and while he may not have a role in the day-today activities of the club, it’s still cool to see someone in his position participate and interact with fans.

“There is not a piece of truth in that “He’s” — Former story. I don’t know why this is coming up. I never was in touch with him.” Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner has strongly denied reports that the club is interested in signing Mario Balotelli, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

NOT SO FAST

“We believe in this roster and this team and this group of players. They competed at a high level very recently…

So I don’t think there’s any rationale for any sort of overhaul or major change in this roster.” - Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko believes in the quality of players currently on the roster, and despite poor results this season, he isn’t planning to change it up too much.

“I feel like at the end of the season, it will be the right time to go to Europe.

I’ve been in my comfort zone for this whole season … you have to step outside of it and really test yourself … all the stories of the best players in the world have something like that.” - New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams is ready to move on and take the next step in his career as he heads to sister team RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

“I’ve said it before that I am going to be here as long as they want me. I am happy here, I feel like I’m at home.” - League MVP Josef Martinez has reiterated his desire to remain with Atlanta United for as long as he’s wanted.

14 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

Usually, and this is something that should be changed, away goals are still valuable if a tie goes to extra time. However, in the MLS playoffs, the away goal rule works differently. If after the 180 minutes the aggregate score is level, taking into consideration the away goals rule, the away goals tiebreaker no longer applies in the extra time period. Well, someone forgot to tell Portland Timbers about that as the players thought their game against Seattle was over since they had two away goals to Seattle’s one and initially celebrated a victory at the final whistle. Luckily for Portland, they went on to win in a penalty shootout to spare their blushes.

DIDIER QUITS

Didier Drogba has made his final ever appearance as a professional footballer. The 40-year-old lost his last game as Phoenix were beaten by Louisville City in the United Soccer League Cup final.

Following the game, Drogba applauded the Phoenix fans as they serenaded him. He then invited his teammates to join him in interacting with the fans.

Drogba was seen consoling some fans and thanking others.

The Ivorian had an illustrious career having played over 750 games, scoring 365 goals and winning 17 trophies. But, perhaps what he’ll be most remembered for was that night in Munich, looking at you Chelsea fans.

FIRST IS BEST

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first goal in his MLS debut has been voted as the AT&T Goal of the Year. The big Swede scored a stunning long-range strike in the Los Angeles derby. It was the turning point in that match as the Galaxy came back from a three-goal deficit to win after an extra-time winner from Zlata himself. He would go on to score 22 goals during the season and was also named as the 2018 MLS Newcomer of the Year award.

MORE EMLS

Major League Soccer and video game developer EA Sports have expanded their eSports partnership by adding an additional three teams to the eMLS competition for the 2019 season. Atlanta United, DC United and FC Cincinnati will join the FIFA series tournament alongside the current 19 outfits. This leaves Los Angeles FC and Real Salt Lake as the only two MLS sides without representation in eSports. All events are played exclusively on PlayStation 4 with the eMLS Cup won this year by Houston Dynamo.

VIRTUAL WINS TOO ?

A virtual tour of the new Minnesota United stadium gave fans a glimpse of the inside and sparked a flurry of season ticket sales. The club has sold 14,500 season tickets before the completion of their new stadium. Minnesota have introduced a fully digital ticketing platform for their fan base and say the club’s membership base grew by 20 per cent in 2018. The platform was built to give supporters a 360-degree view from any seat inside the Allianz Field stadium.

NO BULL

The New York Red Bulls are reportedly considering entering a naming rights agreement for their Red Bull Arena stadium after the club held talks with betting companies over a possible deal. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the New York Red Bulls have been trying to secure a naming rights sponsorship deal for three years now. If the club can strike an agreement, a deal could be worth over $4 million per year.

BY THE NUMBERS 31 Josef Martinez finished the regular season as the top goal scorer with 31 goals.

3 The New York Redbulls have won three Supporters Shields in the last six seasons.

72.6 Portland goalkeeper Jeff Attinella saved 72.6% of shots in MLS road games this season.

167 Sebastian Giovinco attempted 167 shots. Of those, only 51 were on target resulting in 13 goals.

PUTT IT HERE

Internacional de Futbol Miami has cleared a major hurdle in its efforts to secure land to build a stadium. Plans to transform the Melreese Country Club, a city-owned golf course, was supported by close to 60% of voters in a referendum. This will allow the new MLS expansion franchise to negotiate a lease for the estate.

FUNNY…NOT

Minnesota United decided to troll Zlatan Ibrahimovic prior to their match. While announcing the players of Los Angeles Galaxy on the big screen, the club displayed an image not found screen instead of the 36-year-old’s photo. Ibrahimovic however got the last laugh, as he scored and helped the LA Galaxy to a 3-1 victory.

BMO ON BOARD

Montreal Impact have signed a new, long-term sponsorship deal with the Bank of Montreal (BMO) Financial Group, extending their current sevenyear partnership. The agreement means that BMO will continue to be the club’s shirt sponsor, though no information has been disclosed regarding the fee or duration of the deal. Montreal is one of two clubs sponsored by BMO, the other is fellow MLS franchise and rivals Toronto FC.

IKER ON FIRE?

Chicago Fire are monitoring the possibility of signing FC Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas next summer. The 37-yearold, former Real Madrid stopper has re-established himself as Porto’s number one this season. Casillas has been with Porto for four years now, and with his contract expiring in June 2019, he may very well leave the club for a new adventure in Major League Soccer.

MIAMI’S NEW HOME ?

SHIRT SPONSORS

Major League Soccer is ready to increase its teams’ kit sponsorship inventory by accepting shirt sleeve partners starting next season. The potential new deals could be worth between $500,000 and $1 million per year to the MLS teams able to find a sponsor. The potential earnings show just how far behind the league is to the top clubs as Manchester United’s deal with Kohler is worth as much as $26 million per season. Nonetheless, this is a good step forward for MLS and will surely help the league grow. With MLS having a league-wide kit supply deal with Adidas, a new line of income will be welcomed by most clubs, as they’re limited to one main sponsor.

NEW US BOSS

The United States national team have finally announced a new head coach, after a year without one. Former Columbus Crew coach Gregg Berhalter is the new coach for the U.S. men’s national team. Berhalter has coached Columbus since 2014 and failed to win any hardware during that time. He did lead the team to the MLS Cup finals in 2015 and the Eastern Conference finals in 2017. Berhalter also played for a variety of teams, including the U.S. national team, LA Galaxy, Crystal Palace and 1860 Munich.

RIOS TO NASHVILLE

Nashville won’t be joining MLS until 2020 but they’ve already taken the first step in building their roster.

Nashville’s MLS team announced the signing of Daniel Rios from Liga MX side Chivas de Guadalajara.

The 23-year-old Mexican striker has been with Chivas since 2015 but has spent most of that time on loan, including a spell in the United Soccer League (second-tier of US soccer). Rios has also been a part of the Mexican national team at various youth levels.

Around N. America

MORE SILVERWARE

Inter Miami’s majority owner Jorge Mas has revealed that Marlins Park is a leading possibility to serve as the club’s temporary home when they join the league in 2020. The baseball stadium in the city’s Little Havana neighbourhood is a $634 million facility with a retractable roof that opened in 2012 and is home to MLB’s Miami Marlins.

Other options include the Hard Rock Stadium and the Florida Atlantic University Stadium in Boca Raton. Meanwhile, Inter Miami are hoping to start construction on their permanent home as soon as possible, and could move in as early as mid-2021.

This year marked the debut of the Campeones Cup, a one-off match featuring the reigning champions of MLS and Liga MX. The cup was formed as part of a growing and deepening partnership between the two leagues and it could already see changes made to the format. Commissioner Don Garber said that the two leagues are exploring the possibility of expanding the event into a tournament with multiple teams. He also said that doing so would take precedence over entering MLS teams in the Copa Libertadores.

NY ROSSI

Giuseppe Rossi would love to play in MLS for either the New York Red Bulls or New York City FC. The 31-year-old has been out of contract since May and is ready to return to the pitch. The American born, Italian international has played in some of the world’s best leagues but an injury laden career has prevented him from reaching his full potential.

Rossi, who is from the New Jersey area, is currently training with the Red Bulls so perhaps a more permanent arrangement is on the cards in the off season.

ASTROS OUT

Orlando City SC have announced a new training facility to be completed by July 2019. What was previously the spring training complex for Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros, will now be converted to be exclusive to Orlando City and the Orlando Pride. The training facility will feature four full-size grass fields, a fitness, training and recovery centre, a film review room, players’ lounge and dining area. There will also be 30,000 square feet of office space for staff and media.

DID YOU

KNOW?

WORLD CUP EXPANSION

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America will be an historic event as it will be hosted by three nations and will feature an expanded 48 teams. Concacaf president Victor Montagliani sees the tournament as an opportunity for the federation to leave a mark on the world stage. With the tournament still many years away, the qualifying process has yet to be determined, including whether or not the host nations get an automatic spot as well as how many spots are allocated to each federation. There is the potential for Concacaf to have eight nations in the 2026 edition, which would double the region’s current record of four.

GAME FOR A CHANGE

New England Revolution and Chelsea have confirmed that they will play a friendly as part of their campaign against anti-Semitism. The match, being dubbed as “Game for Change”, will be played in the spring of 2019 at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Both club owners, Robert Kraft and Roman Abramovich, will donate $1 million to the fight against anti-Semitism, and all proceeds from ticket sales will go towards the cause as well.

VILLA BECOMES VIRRA

ATLANTA GOLD

Forbes’ annual valuations of MLS’ most valuable teams sees Atlanta United surpass the LA Galaxy as the league’s most valuable club. Atlanta United have taken the league by storm in their first two seasons, quickly becoming one of the best organizations both on and off the pitch. With a valuation of $330 million, Atlanta tops the list followed by the Galaxy at $320 million.

MARTINO COTY

Atlanta United’s Gerardo Martino has been named as the 2018 MLS Coach of the Year. Martino has helped guide Atlanta to a record-setting regular season and a second-consecutive playoff berth.

Atlanta set a new single-season wins record with 21, tied the previous all-time point’s record of 69 and outscored every MLS club this year, achieving consecutive 70-goal seasons for the first time in MLS history. Martino received close to 33% of the vote, beating out LAFC’s Bob Bradley, 22%, and Sporting Kansas City’s Peter Vermes, 11%.

David Villa’s time at New York City FC and Major League Soccer has come to an end. The 36-year-old will be joining former teammate Andres Iniesta in Japan at Vissel Kobe, after scoring 80 goals in 124 appearances for NYCFC. Villa announced his decision through a video he posted to YouTube, where he paid tribute to everyone associated with the franchise and the fans.

The forward spent four seasons with New York as its first captain, but felt the time has come for him to move on and experience something new.

• Carli Lloyd has eight hattricks for the US Women’s National Team, tied for the most in team history.

• The US men’s national team fielded their youngest ever starting eleven in the modern era in their match against Italy with an average age of 22 years and 71 days.

• Atlanta’s Josef Martinez has broken the combined MLS regular season and playoffs goal record passing the 33 scored by Roy Lassiter in 1996.

• Josef Martinez’s goal in the MLS Cup Final was the first goal scored in the first half since Kei Kamara’s goal in the 2015 Final.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

15

Around N. America

ST. LOUIS STADIUM

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen approved a tax incentive package to build a downtown soccer stadium. This is a significant step in the city’s effort to have a professional franchise. The ownership group, consisting of World-Wide Technology CEO Jim Kavanaugh and the Taylor family, owners of rental car company Enterprise, made their intentions clear back in October of wanting to attract an MLS franchise. The owners will cover most of the stadium cost, which is good for the citizens. MLS plans to award two more franchises, but as of yet no word on when or where.

BY THE NUMBERS

KALLMAN FLUSH

Minnesota United defender Brent Kallman won more than $62,000 in four days at the World Poker Tour’s Seminole Rock ‘N Roll Open, an amount close to his Major League Soccer salary of $85,000 per year. Kallman finished two spots from the final table at the tournament.

Despite his success at the tables, Kallman insists he is not contemplating a career change.

“I have seen some laughable things in the press, clearly we are never going to loan one of our players out and we are certainly not going to let them go for the 'chump change' that I have seen in some reports. If it's a proper, serious offer then it's something we would consider, but not for the laughable figures that I have seen mentioned in the press.” - Atlanta United president Darren Eales on highlyrated playmaker Miguel Almiron and where his future with the club lies.

UNITED UNION

“The more MLS has evolved and grown, not only can we bring a specific type of South American, now we bring a different diversity. From more experienced to young, different arrays of players that can contribute to the league.

I think the eyes of South America have always been in this league, but I think there’s more credibility. Every year MLS earns more credibility in South America.”

- Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese sees Major League Soccer as a priority league for South Americans as more and more join the league each year.

Players in the United Soccer League Championship, the second tier of US soccer, have formed a union for collective bargaining. The USL Players Association will be recognized as the players’ exclusive bargaining representative with the league. This is part of the process in building and sustaining a professional soccer league.

Players on loan from MLS teams to USL clubs will still be represented by the MLS Players Association, provided they meet the minimum salary requirements.

NEW CREST

FC Cincinnati have unveiled its crest ahead of their inaugural season in Major League Soccer next season. The club is keeping its name and maintaining the same blue and orange colour scheme it has been using in the USL. The crest however, has gone through a makeover. The redesign was spearheaded by Interbrand, who were involved with the new Juventus crest. The shape of the crest is now pentagonal, and features a white sash separating the club’s colours. The crown of the old logo is gone, and the winged lion has been updated. The seven points on its mane represents the seven hills of Cincinnati, the three feathers of the wing represent the three seasons they played before joining MLS. FC Cincinnati will be the 24th club in the league next year.

WOMEN UNITE

The US Women’s National Team agreed to an Opendorse social media partnership. The US Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) has signed a deal with the athlete marketing platform Opendorse.

The partnership will provide players from the team a solution to build their brands and collaborate with partners online.

Players will be able to approve and share content on their various social media platforms, while also giving their partners the opportunity to benefit.

More than 4000 athletes use Opendorse to share content, with a cumulative following of more than one billion.

1.4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic was involved in a goal 1.4 times per 90 minutes with 22 goals and 10 assists in 26 games played, 2053 minutes.

70k+ Atlanta United welcomed 70,526 spectators to their playoff game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against New York City FC. 18 Borek Dockal was the league leader in assists with 18.

132 Evan Bush made 132 saves this season, the most in the league.

HOUSTON CANCER DEAL

Houston Dynamo have signed a multi-year shirt sponsorship deal with MD Anderson Cancer Center, making it the first season-long cause-related jersey partnership in the history of Major League Soccer. The logo will be displayed on the front of their jerseys starting next season. As part of the agreement, the Dynamo and MD Anderson plan to host cancer prevention education, survivorship celebrations and philanthropic initiatives in their fight to end cancer. A portion of ticket sales will also be donated to MD Anderson and fans will have the option to donate during the purchasing process

MLS BEST XI

“Let’s raise a trophy. I believe in this club and I believe that we can be champions.

This American journey has been very special for me and my family. I love being a part of the Chicago Fire and we appreciate how the city has embraced us with open arms. I will see you in Chicago next year.” - Bastian Schweinsteiger will return to Chicago Fire next season after re-signing with the club for another season. He will remain a designated player in 2019.

16 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

With the MLS regular season over, the awards are being handed out. Despite only playing half a season, Wayne Rooney made Major League Soccer’s Best XI. Rooney joined D.C. United in the summer and had an immediate and lasting impact on the team. The Englishman is joined by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and top goal scorer Josef Martinez. Columbus goalkeeper Zack Steffen made the team, alongside defenders Kemar Lawrence and Aaron Long of the New York Red Bulls and Chad Marshall of Seattle. Midfielders Luciano Acosta (D.C.), Miguel Almiron (Atlanta), Ignacio Piatti (Montreal) and Carlos Vela (LAFC) also feature on the best XI.

BULLS MVP

The New York Red Bulls announced their end of year team awards and have named Bradley Wright-Phillips as the team’s MVP. Wright-Phillips had another great season with the Red Bulls, becoming the fastest player in MLS history to reach 100 goals, doing so in just 159 matches.

LITTLE DALLAS

FC Dallas have finally revealed their United Soccer League One team. The new team will be called North Texas SC. Club president Dan Hunt wants the team to represent the entire Dallas metropolitan area with players in the system coming from Fort Worth and beyond. Matt Denny will be in charge of filling out the roster for the 2019 season, as well as looking at various stadium options outside of Toyota Stadium. North Texas SC will not wear The FC Dallas uniform, but rather have their own unique kits. The USL League One team is an integral part of FC Dallas’ development plan for younger players.

TIMBERS AWAY

The Portland Timbers may open the 2019 MLS season with as many as 12 consecutive games on the road. That would be the single longest road trip to open a season in MLS history, beating Sporting Kansas City’s 10-games back in 2011.

NEW CREW DIGS

A new $230 million downtown soccer stadium is being proposed as the next home for the Columbus Crew. Plans were unveiled by the potential new ownership group, led by Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, as they work toward taking over the franchise. The new owners would invest $645 million into the project that would hold 20,000 people. The 33-acre site would also include a riverfront park, 885 new residences and other business ventures. Mapfre Stadium would not be left empty, as the plan would be to remodel it into a practice facility with a community sports park around it.

JOSEF MVP

Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez has been named 2018 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player. The Venezuelan broke the league’s singleseason record for goals, netting 31 times this season, helping Atlanta score an MLS-high 70 goals in 2018. Martinez was a finalist for the 2017 MLS Newcomer of the Year and has been named into MLS Best XI for the second time. It took Martinez just 54 games to score 50 goals.

CONCACAF DRAW

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Major League Soccer will have five representatives in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League, and they have learned Join our community, and get the latest info.

Join all-MLS our community, and get the latest info. their fate after the draw took place. There will be no tie in the round of 16, and just one MLS v Liga MX matchup, while defending champions Chivas de Guadalajara did not qualify for the 2019 edition. Houston Dynamo will take on Guatemala’s Guastatoya, while last year’s finalists, Toronto FC face Club Atletico Independiente of Panama. Sporting KC go up against Liga MX side Toluca, Atlanta United play Costa Rica’s Herediano and the New York Red Bulls face Club Atletico Pantoja of the Dominican Republic. The Concacaf Champions League will again feature a 16-team knockout tournament beginning in February. The winner will represent Concacaf at the 2019 Club World Cup.

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TORONTO NOMINATIONS

Concacaf have unveiled the nominees and opened voting for the sixth annual Concacaf awards, with lots of MLS representation. The awards honour both players from Concacaf members playing around the world as well as players playing in leagues within the Concacaf region. Toronto FC led the way for MLS representation with a total of seven nominations after their run to the 2018 Concacaf Champions League final. The Male Player of the Year features three MLS nominees, Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto FC, LAFC’s Carlos Vela and Kemar Lawrence of the New York Red Bulls.

ALEX AGAIN

Alex Morgan was voted the 2018 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the year. This is the second time Morgan has won the award, after first winning the honour in 2012 when she finished the year with 28 goals and an Olympic gold medal. Last year, in 19 appearances, Morgan scored 18 goals, a team high, and picked up three assists. She now sits just two goals shy of the century mark, a milestone DID YOU she will no doubt reach this year.

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WOMEN’S WC DRAW

The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup draw took place in December as the 24 participants learned their fate. The United States were drawn in Group F, where they will face off against Sweden, for the fifth consecutive World Cup, Thailand and Chile. The Americans will open up their tournament against Thailand on June 11 where they will seek to defend their title and win a fourth Women’s World Cup. Canada, on the other hand, were placed in Group E with Cameroon, New Zealand and reigning European Champions Netherlands. The Canadians will begin the tournament on June 10 against New Zealand. The top two finishers in each group will advance with the four top third-place finishers to the knockout phase, all hoping to reach the final on July 7.

KNOW?

• Los Angeles FC have accomplished the best regular season for an MLS expansion team, earning 57 points.

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• Atlanta United have set a new MLS record for total home attendance at 901,033 across 17 games, and a single-season average of 53,002.

• Chad Marshall of the Seattle Sounders became just the second outfield player and fourth overall player to have played 35,000 MLS regular season minutes.

• For the second time in MLS history, backto-back MVPs faced each other in MLS Cup.

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PREMIER LEAGUE

Red Redemption FORMERLY ENGLISH FOOTBALL’S MOST SUCCESSFUL CLUB, LIVERPOOL HAVEN’T WON THE LEAGUE TITLE SINCE 1990. CAN THEY OVERCOME THE MIGHT OF MANCHESTER CITY TO END THAT DROUGHT, DARYL HAMMOND ASKS…

‘In three years, Jurgen Klopp has produced boundless entertainment but no trophies to show for it’

W

ith his toothy grin, bellowing guffaw and celebratory bear hugs, Jurgen Klopp is a larger than life character in the Premier League. Genuine expressions of delight, such as the sprint onto the pitch to celebrate a 96th-minute Merseyside derby winner, will see the German remembered fondly when he eventually leaves Anfield.

But that’s not what Klopp wants to be remembered for.

“Nobody wants to look back in 10 or 20 years and say ‘So the best time we had without winning anything was when Klopp was here. It was so funny and all that stuff,’” he insisted. “That’s not really something you want to achieve.”

Now three years into his tenure at Liverpool, the 51-year-old’s heavy metal football has produced boundless entertainment but no trophies to show for it, coming closest in their recent Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.

This year they look a different beast, and may have to find an extra shelf or two in the trophy cabinet. A third of the way into the campaign they made their best start to a League season, staying unbeaten in their first 13 games and collecting a record 33 points.

For the first time in a while, the Reds are

18 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

LEFT: Jurgen Klopp rarely hides his emotions and that’s endeared him to the Liverpool fans

‘Liverpool have to rely on their rivals stumbling’ 1990 MEMORIES LIVERPOOL SAT ATOP THEIR PERCH FOR MUCH OF THE 20 YEARS PRIOR TO 1990 AND THE DECADE BEGAN WITH A FAMILIAR SIGHT. BUT THAT WAS AS GOOD AS IT GOT FOR A SOON-TO-BE FORMER SUPER POWER… Who would have thought when Alan Hansen lifted the First Division trophy in 1990, 28 years later Liverpool would still be waiting for their next League title? For a club that dominated the 1970s and 80s, it seemed like business as usual. Little did the celebrating supporters know that it was really the end of an era.

Having lost the 1988-89 title race in dramatic fashion as Arsenal won at Anfield to steal the trophy from the Reds’ grasp, the campaign that followed as much more straightforward. Kenny Dalglish was still officially the Liverpool player-manager, but made only one substitute appearance. He left the goalscoring to the likes of John Barnes, and returning prodigal son Ian Rush, back from an unhappy spell at Juventus.

They scored 22 and 18 goals respectively as Liverpool outgunned the opposition, racking up 78 goals in their 38 games.

Southampton, who finished seventh, were closest with 71, while runners-up Aston Villa could muster only 57.

Liverpool were also the League’s best defensive side, conceding only 37 times, as captain Hansen recovered from the injuries that dogged him the previous season. He would retire as a player in 1991, as injuries struck again and forced him to sit out the entire 1990-91 season.

Dalglish’s side ended the season nine points clear of Villa and came second to Arsenal a year later, but dropped to sixth in 1991-92 as age of the Premiership — now the Premier League — dawned and Manchester United prepared to take over as the country’s dominant force.

in position to mount a legitimate title challenge. Despite boasting 18 domestic League titles in their history, the Reds have never won the Premier League in the competition’s 26-year history and fans are more than a little desperate for it. There are even websites dedicated solely to mocking the Merseyside club by counting time down to the second since they were the best team in England.

Not that they haven’t tried. Runners-up in 2002, it was really a battle for second with Manchester United, as Arsenal won the title by seven points. A thorn in their 2008-09 title bid was the emergence of 17-yearold Italian forward Federico Macheda for Manchester United, who, on his debut, scored a superb 93rd minute winner against Aston Villa. He did the same a week later, scoring in a 2-1 win over Sunderland. Those extra four points were crucial as it proved the margin of victory Manchester United boasted over the Reds.

Liverpool’s most recent title tilt was an incredible watch for neutrals but may also be responsible for one or two heart problems fans endured. Leading the League with three games to go, captain Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip handed Demba Ba a goal, Chelsea a win, and Manchester City the title. Crazy wins such 4-3 against Swansea, 5-3 against Stoke City and 6-3 at Cardiff City showed Liverpool, backed by the mercurial Luis Suarez, could score for fun, but conceded goals almost as easily.

The latest failure served as a great admonishment. Defence wins titles, and callous regard for it does not. On the evidence of Klopp’s first two seasons, he did not heed that warning and was mercilessly criticised by fans and pundits alike for his refusal to bolster his backline.

In his first two years he only spent £12m on defenders, before splashing out £75m on Vigil Van Dijk. It may yet prove a bargain, as he looks to be the player who turned Liverpool into legitimate contenders.

The Dutchman looks so perfect a centreback one would think he had been created in a video game. A giant at 6ft 4in with a

leap that makes him dominant in the air, yet still rapid enough to chase down most centre-forwards, Van Dijk is the real deal.

But perhaps his greatest assets are mental.

He reads the game well, tackles strongly and is a great organiser, talking non-stop to his teammate. The former Southampton man is the kind of character they have lacked at the back since Jamie Carragher retired in 2013.

Netherlands teammate Davy Klassen hailed Van Dijk as one of the best defenders in the world, while Watford striker Troy Deeney admits he hates going up against him.

“He’s too big,” Deeney complained. “He’s too strong, too quick, too good on the ball, loves fighting, [has] a good head of hair…”

Perfect in the vein eyes of Deeney, Van Dijk is an even greater force together with young defender Joe Gomez, with the two Klopp’s preferred pair at the back. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown believes they could go down as ‘one of the best centre-back partnerships the Premier League has ever seen.’ On the evidence of this season, his assertions do not seem farfetched. Liverpool had only conceded five goals after 14 games, compared to 15 goals by the same time last season.

ABOVE: Liverpool have lots to celebrate.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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PREMIER LEAGUE

‘Manchester City finished 25 points ahead of Liverpool’

Van Dijk isn’t the only recent arrival making an impact either. Some of this season’s acquisitions, such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker, have made an impact at their respective ends of the pitch, with Naby Keita and Fabinho still settling into the side.

But while Liverpool have certainly bolstered, the strength of their opposition can’t be ignored. Chelsea look revolutionised under Maurizio Sarri and Arsenal are a solid side managed by Unai Emery, but right now Manchester City are the team to beat.

Under the stewardship of celebrated and decorated manager Pep Guardiola, the Citizens cantered to the title last season with a record 100 points.

Klopp has made no secret of his admiration for both their Coach and the style of football he holds so dear, with the two having already locked horns in Germany when he managed Borussia Dortmund and Pep Bayern. “Watching them is really good,” he acknowledged. “My respect for Pep Guardiola couldn't be bigger, he is the world's best manager and that makes it so difficult, but so exciting to play his teams.”

Klopp was one of the few managers to consistently get the better of Pep Guardiola last year, winning 4-3 in the League and knocking City out of the Champions League, but over the course of last season Manchester City finished 25 points ahead of Liverpool in the table. Guardiola’s side have only strengthened since by adding former PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez, and still look indomitable this year.

In terms of pure entertainment, to some Klopp’s football surpassed Guardiola’s. But while Manchester City’s symphony under Pep hits the third movement strongly, Liverpool’s attack, featuring the feared threesome of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, have hit a few bum notes this year.

Those three will still get goals, but Liverpool also have to rely on their rivals stumbling to open things up. Manchester City being only good, rather than impossibly great, is the best thing they can hope for, praying they overburden themselves.

Last year, Liverpool didn’t win any of their three matches played around the time of their Champions League tie against Roma and named a weak side for a Merseyside derby sandwiched between European games against City. With the Champions League such a credible competition, even the League can become a distraction.

Klopp pinned all hopes on European success and it came back to bite him.

The 3-1 loss to Real Madrid was his sixth cup final defeat in a row, and he is now trophyless in as many years. A mantelpiece of loser medals must surely irk a winner like Klopp, as well as fans who are growing increasingly expectant. Klopp has spent over £380m on players in his time at Liverpool, of which £160m was splashed this summer alone.

While some of that money has gone into replacing high-profile departures such as Phillipe Coutinho, who joined Barcelona for £142m, it raises expectations as to what this Liverpool side should achieve.

‘This is our year’ is a phrase often used to taunt Liverpool fans for what supporters of other clubs feel is their unrealistic optimism after a few decent results. But this year the Liverpool faithful have every right to be a little bullish. Outpacing Manchester City to claim first place in the Premier League will be a Herculean task, but Klopp may finally have the team to do it. If anyone is going to stop City, it’s Liverpool.

ABOVE: Liverpool beat Manchester City in one-off encounters but finished 25 points behind the champions

20 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

Left: Defeat in the Champions League Final meant another season without a trophy

TITLE RACES MANCHESTER CITY HAVE BEEN A STEP AHEAD OF LIVERPOOL IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON. IF THE TITLE RACE GOES TO THE WIRE, IT WON’T BE THE FIRST TIME…

MANCHESTER CITY 2011-12

“Aguerooooo!” The legendary commentary of Martin Tyler conjures up memories of Manchester City’s magnificent title win. On the cusp of their first ever Premier League title, City went into the final day of the season level on points with rivals Manchester United, but boasting a better goal difference.

United recorded a routine 1-0 win against Sunderland but Roberto Mancini’s City struggled, going 2-1 down to Queens Park Rangers despite having a man advantage.

Edin Dzeko equalised in the 92nd minute, but there was still time for Sergio Aguero to find a 94th minute winner and send fans into delirium.

LEICESTER CITY 2015-16

The unlikeliest of Premier League winners. Less than a year before, Leicester City looked set for relegation, scraping a few late results together to ensure survival. With the appointment of Claudio Ranieri, additions such as unknown talent N’Golo Kante and form of top goal scorer Jamie Vardy, they began an ascent to the top that did not stop. The Foxes were top at Christmas and soon all challengers fell by the wayside with Tottenham closest.

In the end Leicester didn’t have to kick a ball to win the League. Players and fans watched the TV with glee as Spurs drew 2-2 with Chelsea to seal the biggest underdog story in sporting history with two games to spare.

BLACKBURN ROVERS 1994-95

After finishing fourth in 1992–93 and runners-up in 1993–94, 1995 was to be Blackburn Rovers’ year. They signed Chris Sutton from Norwich City for an English record £5m to partner prodigious talent Alan Shearer, who scored 34 League goals that season.

The title race with Manchester United went down to the last day of the season with Alex Ferguson’s side playing West Ham and Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish returning to Anfield. He got no favours from the side he once played for, losing 2-1 thanks to a 90th minute Jamie Redknapp free-kick All United had to was win, but they were held 1-1 at Upton Park to grant Blackburn their first League title in 81 years.

The sacked one JOSE MOURINHO WAS SACKED BY MANCHESTER UNITED A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS AFTER MONTHS OF UNREST. ANDREW TUFT LOOKS AT WHY THE OLD TRAFFORD HIERARCHY FINALLY MADE A CHANGE.

WHO'S NEXT? THE MANCHESTER UNITED JOB IS ONE OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE AND DIFFICULT IN FOOTBALL AND WITH OLE GUNNER SOLSKJAER BROUGHT IN AS CARETAKER MANAGER UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON, WE LOOK TO WHO COULD BE NEXT IN LEADING THE RED DEVILS.

Zinedine Zidane

Zizou is almost the anti-Mourinho. A brilliant player and almost universally liked, Zidane has been regularly linked with the Old Trafford job even before there was a vacancy. Three Champions League successes makes his a glittering CV, winning the competition more times in three seasons than Mourinho has in his entire career. But Zidane is still a coaching neophyte, and Real Madrid’s performance in La Liga during his tenure was somewhat lacking. It’s also unclear if Zidane has any ambition to manage in the Premier League, or anywhere else.

Two-and-a-half years in the Santiago Bernabeu spotlight may have been enough for a lifetime.

Antonio Conte

The man who succeeded Mourinho at Chelsea duly left Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018 and ticks a lot of boxes — his experience in the Premier League and Champions League and the more engaging style of play of his teams are likely to be high on the list of criteria for a permanent appointment.

But Conte left Chelsea under a cloud after his relationship with his superiors deteriorated in Mourinho-like fashion.

United could be forgiven for wanting a Coach who might be a bit easier to get along with. Appointing Conte would be from the frying pan into the fire.

The axe fell after Man. United lost to liverpool

S

hortly before 10am local time, on Tuesday December 18, Manchester United released a statement confirming that Jose Mourinho had been relieved of his duties as manager. It was a short, business-like message — only seven lines long, 65 words ending a tenure that promised much but delivered more rancour than revolution. “Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect,” the statement began. “The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future.”

The final passage offered a brief outline for where United go next: “A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager.” With that, Mourinho’s time was up, United giving themselves roughly six months to work out how to catch-up to the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, all clubs they used to look down upon.

The axe fell days after United were beaten

by Liverpool. It wasn’t so much the result that did for Mourinho — even Sir Alex Ferguson occasionally lost at Anfield — but the manner of it, the latest in a growing line of listless performances. For an expensivelyassembled team — £360m was spent on transfer fees alone during Mourinho’s twoand-a-half years at the club — results on the pitch started poorly, had a slight uptick, and then plummeted back down.

United ended Mourinho’s first season in charge, 2016-17, in sixth place, but qualified for the Champions League by winning the Europa League. A year later, they were second but distantly so to Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City side, the 19-point gap equivalent to a chasm. United were back in sixth at the time Mourinho was sacked, still 19 points off the leaders.

The gap between Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Mourinho’s United looked significantly greater than 19 points in what proved to be the Portuguese’s final game in charge.

Outsiders…

Where the Merseyside Reds were vibrant, organised and clinical, the Red Devils were sluggish, disjointed and sloppy.

Mourinho himself inadvertently summed up the difference in his post-match interview.

“They play 200 miles per hour with and without the ball. I am still tired just looking at [Andy] Robertson,” he admitted, but stopped short of questioning why his team were incapable of doing similar, and why they were persisting with converted winger Ashley Young at left-back and lacked Robertsons of their own across the pitch.

Perhaps in the January transfer window and beyond, Mourinho would have finally addressed issues in defence, midfield and attack, but perhaps it would have been throwing good money after bad. Mourinho’s habit of lambasting players that he signed as not good enough won’t have helped convince the United board to back him, either.

Yet, the Glazer family and Executive ViceChairman Ed Woodward shouldn’t escape criticism for the club falling so far behind its competitors. But they have spent money — in near-record sums — and only had to show for it a few minor trophies, tepid-atbest performances and a lot of unhappiness among fans and players. In the end, keeping Mourinho simply wasn’t worth the cost.

ABOVE: Jose Mourinho’s unhappy Manchester United tenure came to an abrupt end

BELOW: A strained relationship with Paul Pogba was just one of the factors behind Mourinho’s departure

Some left-field suggestions were made in the immediate aftermath of Mourinho’s departure. Eddie Howe isn’t an outlandish name given how he built Bournemouth from lower League strugglers to Premier League regulars, and former Monaco Coach Leandro Jardim would be an intriguing appointment too. Could Massimiliano Allegri be tempted from Juventus in the summer? Would Didier Deschamps fancy another crack at club football?

But Arsene Wenger? David Beckham?

Mark Hughes? There’s more likelihood of Mourinho and Paul Pogba holidaying together this summer than any of those three getting the job.

MOURINHO’S UNITED STATS 144 - Jose Mourinho was in charge of 144 competitive 89m - No one signing cost more than the £89m United games as Manchester United manager paid Juventus for Paul Pogba. The midfielder’s 84 - 84 of those games ended in victory for the Red relationship with Mourinho publically deteriorated Devils, including a 2-1 win over champions Leicester 3 - Mourinho has three Premier League titles to his City in the 2016 Community Shield in Mourinho’s first name, something he reminded the Press of after fixture in charge United lost at home to Tottenham in August 32 - 32 of Mourinho’s 144 games were drawn 19 - United ended the 2017-18 season 19 points adrift 28 - Mourinho lost 28 games, including his last fixture in of champions Manchester City, and were the same charge — 3-1 at Liverpool distance away from leaders Liverpool when Mourinho 126 - United scored 243 goals during Mourinho’s time as was let go manager and conceded 117, giving the Portuguese a 18m - Mourinho is due to receive in the region of £18m in goal difference of +126 compensation from United after his contract was 11 - Mourinho signed 11 players as United manager and terminated with 18 months still to run — he signed a reports out of the club after his departure insisted he contract extension in January 2018 got the players he wanted

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY

Aiming High

THE GOOD

Burnley fan Scott Cunliffe is aiming to raise £10,000 for charity by running to each of Burnley’s 19 Premier League away games, a total distance of 3,000 miles in his RunAway Challenge initiative.

The 44-year-old will set off from Burnley’s Turf Moor home for each trip and by December he had already covered almost 2,000 miles as the Clarets went to Southampton, Fulham, Wolves, Cardiff City, Manchester City, West Ham and Leicester City.

Even the journey to City’s Etihad Stadium was the equivalent of running more than a marathon, while a December tripleheader of London clubs — Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal — put the charity worker on the road for 14 consecutive days, getting home from the Spurs run and setting off for the Emirates Stadium the same day and racking up 400 miles.

The idea came as Cunliffe looked for a way to help his recovery from the PostTraumatic Stress Disorder and depression he suffered with after working in Indonesia and East Timor, where he witnessed a number of distressing events. “Running was a major part of my therapy in overcoming this,” he said.

22 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

Money raised through Cunliffe’s JustGiving page will be distributed among community projects of all 20 Premier League clubs.

“There's a lot more common ground in football than any adversity or bitterness that goes with it,” he explained. “There's rivalry, but more unity than it gets credit for - as an away fan you see that all the time, you chat to fans from opposition teams and it's just natural and normal.”

Cunliffe is following — almost literally — in the footsteps of Everton fan Michael Cullen, affectionately known as Speedo Mick, who raised almost £100,000 for a number of charities in the 2016-17 season.

Starting off swimming the English Channel — and promoting his efforts by attending matches in just his swimwear — Cullen later endeavoured to walk to every Everton fixture, including an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

THE BAD

Mark Hughes’ sacking by Southampton at the beginning of December brought the curtain down on a tenure that should rank as one of the poorest in the history of the Premier League. What’s worse is that Hughes will be handsomely rewarded for his failure, and no doubt return to the top flight with another club before long.

ABOVE: THE GOOD, Burnley ABOVE LEFT: THE BAD, Mark Huges LEFT: THE UGLY, PierreEmerick Aubameyang

Hughes was dismissed with the Saints 18th in the table, having been appointed in March when they were a point above the drop zone. The Welshman’s brand of ugly, physical football and perpetually dour postmatch interviews, where he was always quick to apportion blame to anyone other than himself, never endeared him to the Southampton supporters. A record of three wins in 22 League games didn’t help either.

The former Blackburn, Manchester City and Stoke City manager might argue he achieved what he was brought in to do — namely, keep Southampton in the Premier League. But with little to suggest he’d repeat the feat this year, Southampton made a change. For his efforts, Hughes receives £6m in compensation.

Avoiding relegation was undoubtedly worth more to Southampton than the millions they’ve paid out to Hughes, but it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Hughes’ compensation works out at £2m per League game won, and, it shouldn’t be forgotten, he was in charge of Stoke for much of last season but was sacked before the Potters were relegated. Hughes was also dismissed by City and Queens Park Rangers, and it’s estimated he’s earned £18m in compensation alone.

It’s not Hughes’ fault that clubs keep appointing managers of his ilk — and the huge sums of compensation could be viewed as receipts for the terrible planning that gets clubs into the situation where they need a ‘safe pair of hands.’ Hughes, though, isn’t that, as Southampton eventually realised.

GOING UP / DOWN GOING UP

Moussa Sissoko impressed for Newcastle in the season the Magpies were relegated, and looked like being something of a coup when he was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2016. A £30m price tag was maybe a little steep but for a hard-running, physical midfielder with Premier League and international experience, not as out of line as sum transfer fees paid by clubs in England’s top flight.

It’s safe to say though that Sissoko has struggled in London, and within a year he was being touted with a move away from Tottenham. But without an exit in 2017 or 2018, Sissoko stayed part of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad and eventually came good. Spurs went unbeaten in November across all competitions, scoring five goals without conceding any in reply, and Sissoko featured prominently — so much so he was nominated for the November Player of the Month award.

NEW FACES ON THE PITCH AND IN THE DUGOUT, THE INTRODUCTION OF TECHNOLOGY, A BATTLE FOR THE TITLE AND THE NATIONAL TEAM TO CONTINUE GROWING WOULD ALL BENEFIT THE PREMIER LEAGUE, ANDREW TUFT WRITES. Phil Foden is one of English football’s starsin-waiting but needs game time

FAITH IN YOUTH

There is some exciting, young English talent on the fringes of the Premier League’s leading clubs — Phil Foden at Manchester City, Liverpool’s Rhian Brewster, Ethan Ampadu of Chelsea and Ainsley Maitland-Niles at Arsenal to name just a few.

Hopefully more will follow Harry Winks’ path at Tottenham Hotspur and break into the first team on a regular basis.

THE UGLY

A thrilling North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur was marred when a banana skin was thrown onto the pitch, towards Gunners striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, from a Spurs supporter.

More in-keeping with the poisonous nature of 1970s and 80s English football than the more tolerant modern game, the action was quickly condemned from all sides and the alleged perpetrator arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence.

It was claimed the banana skin was thrown at Aubameyang without any racist implications intended.

“Behaviour such as this is completely unacceptable and the supporter in question will be issued with a ban,” a Tottenham spokesperson said, while a representative from the Premier League added: “Discriminatory behaviour has no place in football or society as a whole.”

The 70s and 80s produced some iconic players and moments, positive ones, for English clubs, but they were at the same time a Dark Age. The football was rough and ready and the facilities for and treatment of supporters a disgrace.

Today the football is often brilliant, and while ticket prices and other costs are out of control, there is at least greater consideration for the consumer — as the men, women and children filling stadiums are today.

In a divided Brexit Britain, there’s justifiable concern over the direction of the country’s discourse. What can be hoped is that the North London derby incident isn’t representative of the crowd today. “I've played against Spurs and I've taken a lot of abuse but never ever has it been racial,” former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said.

“It's not only embarrassed Spurs but it has embarrassed the Premier League because it has gone around the world.”

There’s a famous image from the 80s of John Barnes, the sublime Liverpool winger, kicking away a banana skin thrown at him during a Merseyside derby. It was hoped that Barnes was kicking such attitudes into the past, where they belong. After the Emirates Stadium incident, that may sadly not be the case.

FIVE for 2019

COACHING REPRESENTATION

Sol Campbell’s appointment as Macclesfield Town manager in late November brought the number of BAME Coaches [Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic] in England’s four tiers to eight — out of 92.

A version of the NFL’s Rooney Rule was introduced in the Football League at the start of 2018 but if there has been an improvement in representation, it’s happening at a glacial pace. Will 2019 be any better?

GOING DOWN

The number of England-qualified players is falling and falling. Stars being imported from outside England and playing week in, week out in the Premier League is not a new phenomenon.

Indeed, it’s a major reason why the Division has progressed to being the most-followed of all major Leagues. The sheen and skill of having the best of the rest of the world, added to home-grown players, makes the Premier League what it is.

Yet England manager Gareth Southgate is having his hands tied tighter and tighter by the amount of non-English players in the English top flight. The weekend of November 30-December 1 saw only 54 English players take to the field in the 10 Premier League fixtures, a record low.

BETTER BY VAR

The Premier League will introduce Video Assistant Referees after performing non-public tests for during the first part of the 2018-19 season, and the Carabao Cup has had VAR in selected matches too.

VAR is to be rolled out across the top flight for 2019-20 and with it should come an end to serious refereeing mistakes — and the habit of struggling managers blaming officials for their own team’s failings.

ENGLAND CONTINUE PROGRESSION

One of the biggest positives of 2018 in English football was the performance of the England team — not just reaching the final four of the World Cup, but the way they did it.

Gareth Southgate’s young charges largely won over a cynical, jaded fan-base by playing enterprising football with a confidence that stopped short of arrogance. They should go from strength-tostrength in 2019.

A REAL TITLE RACE

The Premier League doesn’t have the same predictability problem as the Bundesliga or Serie A, but that’s not to say everything is rosy.

The last five seasons have produced three different winners — Manchester City and Chelsea twice, Leicester City once — but only City’s win in 2013-14 was a real race as they beat Liverpool by two points. A to-the-wire contest would be nice.

Only eight of the 92 professional clubs in England are managed by BAME Coaches — that should change

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

23

Around England

“” QUOTES

“He has his… beliefs, his superstitions.

Everyone does. For example, he won’t touch the match ball ever. Even if we’re losing, the ball goes out and we need to get the ball back in play as fast as possible, he won’t go near it. No way – he won’t touch it” - Chelsea midfielder Jorginho reveals one of Maurizio Sarri’s many superstitions.

AND A CRAB IN YOUR UNDIES

Lancaster City’s youth team player, Tom Preston, thought he was texting the club’s physio for some advice about his bruised foot. However, unaware to Preston, he texted someone completely different, a Rob Wilson, who went along with it and pretended to be the club physio. Tom was looking for some recommendations to help the swelling on his right foot and Rob told him to put a sirloin steak on it for 10 minutes. Rob played the part brilliantly, convincing young Tom to not only put a steak on his foot but send a photo as well.

SLOW POKE

Veteran Morecambe winger Kevin Ellison is not happy with his FIFA 19 card. The 39-year-old is not able to do what he used to in his younger years, but he’s still annoyed with the pace rating EA Sports gave him. Kevin has been given a 35 rating for his combination of sprint speed and acceleration, making him one of the slowest players in the game. The winger jokingly took to twitter after he had been trending, for his low rating, to try and convince EA Sports to increase his rating claiming age discrimination.

IT'S IRONIC

“I’m here with my buddy James, he wants me to come to West Ham, but I’m saying they cannot afford me.” - Zlatan Ibrahimovic jokingly rules out a move to the London-based club in a video with big Hammers fan and late-night talk show host James Corden.

Some West Ham fans have launched a GoFundMe page to try and tie down star player Declan Rice.

The 19-year-old has established himself as one of the most promising young players in the Premier League, but talks between the player and the club have stalled.

According to some reports, Rice wants £40,000 per-week, while West Ham are refusing to go higher than £21,000 plus bonuses. In order to help the club give Rice what he wants, some fans started a fundraising page. The page has been met by mixed reactions and has failed to raise any money in the first 24 hours. One person, Michael, put it best. Why should fans help pay a footballer £40,000 a week, when many of them [the fans] earn less than £40,000 a year?

HELLO....TV IS EASIER

“We are getting reports on approximately 5000 players a month – it’s becoming a big process.” Wolverhampton Wanderers sporting director Kevin Thelwell has detailed their approach for maintaining their success and remaining in the Premier League.

Whether he is exaggerating or not, 5000 players is a crazy amount of footballers to follow.

Colin Perreira and his guide dog Sid regularly travel 440 miles to attend every Hemel Hempstead’s home games in the National League South (sixth tier of English football).

Colin is currently studying at the University of Plymouth, meaning he travels five-and-a-half hours by train to attend the matches. The 23-year-old, who is partially sighted, attends all games home or away with his Golden Retriever Sid. For his dedication and loyalty, the club has given Colin a free season ticket.

Guendouzi reacts to Marouane Fellaini pulling his hair as the two squared off in midfield. Perhaps Fellaini regrets cutting his hair…

24 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

A fan-made petition has been started calling for a statue of former Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha to be built outside the King Power Stadium. The petition, set up on change.org has amassed over 35,000 signatures.

Another fan-made petition was set up as well to have the King Power stadium renamed after the 61-year-old.

Leicester City have responded to that petition, stating they would be open to the possibility of renaming their stadium after Vichai. Vichai was one of five people who sadly lost their lives after his private helicopter crashed in the stadium parking lot following Leicester’s match with West Ham United.

CALL IN LOAN

Ex-Everton and Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe called out his former teammate Stephane Sessegnon on social media over an unpaid debt owed to him and Celtic midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu.

Anichebe recently played with Sessegnon at West Brom until 2016, alongside Mulumbu, before they moved on to different clubs.

Sessegnon apparently asked to borrow £10,000 from both Anichebe and Mulumbu and has failed to pay back the combined £20,000. Anichebe took to Instagram to call out Sessegnon, frustrated that his calls and messages are being ignored and that if anybody knows Sessegnon to please let him know. The post didn’t stay up long, as it was quickly deleted.

IT'S BULL

Sport scientists have spent plenty of time and money in creating and achieving the perfect sports drink to have prior to, during, and after a match.

However, Queens Park Rangers midfielder Josh Scowen prefers a can of Red Bull over the likes of Gatorade or Powerade. Just seconds before coming on as a substitute, the midfielder was spotted drinking a Red Bull. While fizzy drinks before, during and after a game isn’t recommended, perhaps Red Bull is an exception. After all, it does give you wings.

A BEDTIME READ

Amazon Prime has secured the rights to Steven Gerrard’s upcoming documentary, “Make Us Dream”. The documentary recounts the former Reds captain’s time at the club, a career that saw him win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and the League Cup. The documentary will give a glimpse into the world of elite football.

QUITE RIGHT

“There was a little hint of jealousy I think. He does not digest, perhaps, being short-haired, I think” - Arsenals’ Matteo

SRIVADDHANAPRABHA STADIUM ?

The International FA Board (IFAB) are looking to adopt penalties that are only one shot, meaning that rebounds would be removed. It would mean that the ball would be dead once the keeper had saved the penalty and a goal-kick would be awarded. IFAB are also discussing the possibility of banning subs in stoppage time to combat time-wasting - managers often make changes in injury time to kill some time and see the game out.

DID YOU

KNOW?

• Harry Kane scored 8 goals for England in 2018, the most in a calendar year since Wayne Rooney in 2014.

• England have lost just 2 of their last 27 home matches.

JERSEY MILK

• Callum Wilson is the first ever Bournemouth player to score for England and first player since Marcus Rashford to score on his England debut.

Players swapping jerseys at the end of the match with one another is nothing new, it happens all the time. These days though we are seeing more and more fans receiving jerseys from the players, mostly kids who are holding up signs asking for their jersey. Well, it looks like fans are getting more creative and persuasive in attempting to get a jersey from their favourite footballers.

One woman at a Liverpool match swapped a gift for Mohamed Salah’s shirt. The Liverpool star was seen with a box of Thornton’s chocolates from Corne Port Royal Classic Assorted collection after the match heading back into the changing room.

BY THE NUMBERS 44 There were 44 passes in the build-up for Ilkay Gundogan’s goal versus Manchester United.

8 Sergio Aguero has scored 8 goals in Premier League Manchester derbies, putting him level for most with Wayne Rooney.

39 James Milner’s 39-game unbeaten streak when scoring has come to an end following Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Paris SaintGermain.

2 Arsenal versus Huddersfield saw only 2 shots on target.

SORRY FOLKS

Oleksandr Zinchenko was hoping to make an appearance for Manchester City in their Champions League match against his former side Shakhtar Donetsk. The 21-yearold Ukrainian was involved in the pre-match press conference and even bought 27 tickets for family and friends, hoping they would be able to see him in action. However, the youngster didn’t get to feature in the match, and he wasn’t even included in Pep Guardiola’s squad for the game. Poor guy.

A REAL FAN

Leeds United paid tribute to one of their oldest and longest supporting fans after she passed away. Edna Newton was a season ticket holder at the club for 64 years and attended her first Leeds match back in the 1930s. Her first season ticket cost just £4. The fans held a minute-long applause in the 64th minute during their match against Nottingham Forest with her picture appearing on the big screen. The club also placed flowers and a scarf on her seat. Edna passed away at the age of 94.

Around England

“NO LONGER EXISTS” ??

Back in 1985, a legislation was introduced prohibiting fans from consuming alcohol while attending football matches. Now a number of Football League clubs want the ban to be lifted. Several clubs, including Accrington Stanley, Port Vale, Forest Green Rovers and Sunderland are behind the movement to have the law changed.

Many of the clubs believe the law change would provide fans with a better matchday experience and decrease binge drinking before matches and during half time. The change in law would also provide clubs with an increase in revenue. The law was introduced in response to hooliganism in the UK, a problem that no longer exists, at least not at the same scale.

SHOULD HE STAY OR GO?

A polling station was set up outside of Old Trafford where Manchester United fans had the opportunity to vote on the future of Jose Mourinho. The ballot ran for a week looking to settle the issue of whether Mourinho should remain or leave as Manchester United manager. Over 50,000 supporters casted their vote with 55% of fans voting “remain” in the Manchester Referendum. A result that is not surprising as United fans seem to be split down the middle on whether or not Mourinho should stay. The referendum was not set up by the club, but rather by ‘The Sportsman’ an online site covering sports content and live events.

BEDROOM JOY

A young fan asked his dad for a changing room style place to hang out in and his dad delivered. The father converted his son’s bedroom into a recreation of Tranmere Rover’s official dressing room. The room includes a wall with a quote from former Tranmere footballer, Johnny King above some replica shirts, with a bench underneath for extra seating. He even has a place to hang up his boots. This is definitely one of the coolest bedrooms a kid can have.

THE RICH GET RICHER

Former EPL executive chairman Richard Scudamore received £5 million as a "goodbye gift" from the 20 EPL clubs. All 20 clubs contributed £250,000 - that’s a massive goodbye present, especially for someone who earned an annual salary of £2.5 million. That means he pocketed double his annual wage. This did not sit well with many people as the money could have been put towards other matters, such as the community.

SHEIK YOUR MONEY

EPL TO GET VAR

There have been some reports that Saudi Arabian prince Mohammad bin Salman is interested in purchasing Manchester United for a massive £4 billion. Salman is worth £850 billion, meaning he’ll have no problems dishing out that kind of money. The massive bid could persuade current owners Avram and Joel Glazer to sell the club, giving them a £2.2 billion profit. Forbes currently values Manchester United at around £3.2 billion, with Mohammed bin Salman ready to add an additional £800 million on that valuation.

VAR will be used in the Premier League starting next season after being officially confirmed.

The technology has been utilized in cup competitions in England as trials, but will now be fully integrated into the top tier of English football for the 2019/20 season. The Premier League clubs voted in favour of the change and will now join Serie A, the Bundesliga and La Liga to have the video assistant referee incorporated. While VAR comes with its fair share of criticism, over time with more trials and a defined process and procedure it can be a real positive for the sport.

HUSBAND MANAGER

Football Manager is an incredible in-depth sophisticated management simulation game that can take over someone’s life. One person was awarded a place in the Guinness World Record book after playing a single game for 154 seasons, while someone else played 1000 years on a previous edition of the game. After reading that, does it surprise you that the game has been cited as a factor in 35 divorce cases back in 2012? Yes, you read that correctly. There have been at least 35 divorce cases in the UK in which the game has been cited as a factor in the break-up. Who knows what that number is at now…

ENOUGH CAVE BOYS

Manchester United welcomed the Thai youth football team who spent more than two weeks trapped in a cave. The Wild Boars football club received an invite from Manchester United who were special guests of Jose Mourinho as they toured Manchester’s training ground, following their appearance on ‘The Ellen Show’ where they got to meet Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

I GOT YOUR NUMBER

England faced the USA at Wembley in a match that celebrated Wayne Rooney’s career with the Three Lions, and Jordan Pickford came prepared. A photo of the Everton shot-stopper’s water bottle went viral after someone noticed that all possible USA penalty takers and their preferred side was written on it so he would have quick access to that information if needed. This is not the first time Pickford has used the water bottle trick. The England goalkeeper made a crucial save on Carlos Bacca during the World Cup round of 16 after his water bottle was swapped for one with instructions on which side each Colombia take would go.

ROCK, PAPER, RED CARD

A referee was given a three-week suspension by the Football Association (FA) after deciding who kicked off the match by a game of rock, paper, scissors as opposed to a coin toss.

David McNamara was in charge of a Women’s Super League match between Manchester City and Reading when he accidentally forgot the coin in his dressing room. Under the laws of the game, a coin toss is a requirement and unfortunately for David, given it was a televised game, he was pushed for time and decided to have the players play rock, paper, scissors instead of finding a coin.

COTTAGE LIFE

Claudio Ranieri has returned to the Premier League after being appointed Fulham’s new manager following the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic. The Cottagers have had a terrible start to their return to the Premier League after winning just one game in their first 12 matches. With Ranieri’s return, Fulham are the first team since Leicester City back in 2015/16 to be 5000/1 to lift the Premier League trophy. His main objective this season will be saving Fulham from relegation. If Fulham survive, there will be quite a few people taking those 5000/1 odds next season.

IT'S MINE TO SELL

Leicester City fans who attended the match against Burnley received a variety of commemorative items for free, from special edition match programs to bags and scarfs, all in tribute to the late Vichai Srivaddhanprabha. Following the match however, different listings appeared on eBay with people trying to sell the items they received and make a profit off the occasion. Of course, these actions have been met with anger from other Leicester City fans.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

25

NEVER CHANT ALONE

Around England

SHHH...

“I spoke to him before I signed for Chelsea. Every day, seriously, he was telling me that Chelsea was the best club for me. He said Chelsea was a big club where you can win trophies every season. For that reason I signed, so thank you, Joe Cole” - Eden Hazard reveals the player who convinced him to sign for Chelsea. Hazard and Cole were teammates at Lille before the Belgian made his move to Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool’s Anfield is widely recognized as one of the most iconic football grounds in the world, famous for its European nights and the singing of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. However, a Fulham supporter was not impressed with the atmosphere he experienced.

The Fulham supporter posted a video on Twitter criticizing the Liverpool fans for how quiet they were, captioning the post “Anyone want to tell Liverpool that they’re 2 goals up?”

CONOR ON HIS BACKSIDE AGAIN

Manchester United aren’t having their best season ever, currently struggling to break into the top four. Due to their struggles, the odds of the Red Devils winning the league title are 150/1, so someone decided to check what’s more likely to happen and the list may surprise you. According to the bookies the following is more likely to occur than Manchester United winning the Premier League title: Conor Mcgregor to face Floyd Mayweather in UFC, Manchester City to get a record 110 points, Alan Pardew to be the next England manager, Usain Bolt to sign for Manchester United and Margaret Thatcher to be the front side of the new 50 pound notes.

DID YOU

KNOW?

NOT A HAPPY WAYNE The mid-November international friendly between England and USA at Wembley Stadium was used to help raise money for the Rooney Foundation. The English Football Association had planned to have various bucket collection points both inside and outside Wembley so that supporters could donate. However, none of the 68,000 in attendance were able to donate because there wasn’t a single person collecting money, despite the FA having a license to collect charitable donations.

The FA said they were unable to set up the collections areas and find volunteers due to a lack of time. Wayne Rooney’s charity has missed out on thousands of dollars because of this.

LOVE HATE “I am watching to improve my English.

Peaky Blinders is good but it is difficult, from Birmingham. And it’s very aggressive. But it’s good, it’s good.” Unai Emery revealed that he’s a fan of the BBC’s period crime drama and is using it to learn the English language as he continues to adjust to his new surroundings.

AnalysisFC conducted their first ever Premier League rivalry survey in order to find out which Premier League Team is the most disliked. It may come to you as a surprise, or perhaps not, that Manchester United are the Premier League’s most unpopular club. 13 Premier League clubs view the Red Devils as one of their top three biggest rivals, making them the most hated club in the league. Liverpool are the second most hated, followed by Tottenham in third place, Chelsea in fourth place and Arsenal in fifth. Leicester City are the most liked club among other fans as they finished at the bottom of the list.

SPUR THEM ON

“I asked Messi about people in England saying: ‘You would not do so well on a cold, wet night in Stoke.’ He said: ‘They should have seen the pitches I played on in Rosario.’” - Well there you have it, Messi finally responds to the burning question on whether he would be able to perform on a cold night in Stoke.

One of Tottenham’s ads has come under scrutiny after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint that the ad was misleading. To promote their new stadium, and take a dig at their city rivals, Tottenham launched a campaign with the phrase, “The only place to watch UEFA Champions League in London.” Of course, Chelsea and Arsenal weren’t too pleased with the advert, seeing as both clubs are in the Europa League this year, but they might have the last laugh. Tottenham may very well be knocked out of the Champions League before they actually open and move into their new stadium. The ASA has released a statement saying the ad was likely to have breached their advertising rules.

WITH OPEN ARMS

“I've seen some of the questions about that QPR game - honestly, yeah, people always remember the Aguero goal - but that is fine, because without my goal that goal would not have been possible... and with both of them we won the league. So I am fine with that!” - Edin Dzeko discussed the crazy Manchester City versus QPR match in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything)

26 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

Leicester City have banned a fan from the King Power Stadium after he climbed over a barrier and ran onto the pitch to hug the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s son. The incident took place after the match against Burnley, and the fan received a three-month ban from the stadium as a result.

The fan, Tom Merry, said he couldn’t help himself and just wanted to give Khun Aiyawatt a hug.

WEMBLEY LODGERS

• Jadon Sancho was the first outfield player to start for England while playing for a club outside of the UK since David Beckham in 2009.

• Only two other sides have had fewer points after their opening 12 Premier League games than Fulham’s five. Everton in 1994/95 and QPR in 2012/13.

• For the first time in English top-flight history there are three unbeaten teams after 12 matches.

• Tottenham have beaten Crystal Palace 1-0 in each of their last five Premier League meetings, making it the longest run of consecutive identical results between two teams in English topflight history.

March 2014.

Tottenham have been granted permission to stay at Wembley Stadium for the remainder of the 2018-19 season should they need to. The Spurs were supposed to move into their new stadium mid-September, but delays with construction have constantly pushed their movein date back. The London club already confirmed that they would continue to play all of their home fixtures at Wembley until at least the start of 2019, however, there are concerns that their new stadium won’t be ready until the spring. For now, Tottenham are covering all their bases by ensuring they have a place to play while they wait on the opening date of their new stadium.

BOY GETS GIFTS FOR BEING BAD A young fan stormed the pitch to celebrate with the players after Alexis Sanchez scored for Chile, only to slip and fall on the grass into some of the players.

Sanchez was the first to comfort the young boy, who was in tears, and escorted him to the side of the pitch. The Chilean then posted an Instagram video and photo of him with the young fan in the dressing room after the game where Sanchez gave him his shirt and boots.

TICKET PRICES UP?

British banking firm Barclays has extended its sponsorship deal with the Premier League by three years, prolonging its association until 2022. England’s top flight has agreed a £31.5 million deal to renew the partnership with the financial institution. The new deal will see a 15 per cent increase on the previous deal, extending one of the longest running partnerships in British sport. The Premier League currently earns over £100 million per year from commercial partners and is set to make over £5 billion in domestic TV revenue over the next three years.

THE CHELSEA SYNDROME

BY THE NUMBERS

According to a report by Sportcal, Chelsea are the first international soccer club to air a pre-match show produced specifically for the club’s fans in China. The London club are producing 15 episodes of their studio production ‘The Chelsea Report’ in hopes to strengthen ties with their Chinese following.

The ten-minute-long segments will be in Mandarin and will include video highlights as well as match-day analysis, team news and fan engagement sections. Chelsea are supposedly the fastest growing soccer team on the Chinese social media platform Weibo this year.

MAN CITY RENO

120 Wayne Rooney has ended his international career with 120 appearances, second only to Peter Shilton for most caps for England’s men’s national team.

Manchester City are interested in increasing the capacity of 104 There was their Etihad Stadium by 8000. just 104 seconds The club have reportedly held between Jesse talks with supporters discussing Lingard’s and the potential expansion of Trent Alexanderthe stadium. If they go ahead, Arnold’s goals for renovations will be made to England in their friendly versus the North Stand, increasing USA. capacity from 55,000 to 63,000. City would love to start the two-year construction work next summer in hopes to have it completed in time for the 2021/22 season.

FABULOUS SOCCER SKIN

Mesut Ozil and Mathieu Flamini have collaborated to launch a new skincare range made entirely from sustainable products. Named Unity, the collaboration was made to provide support towards efforts against climate change. The packaging for their products is made from renewable bio plastic sugarcane, which helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions, while the brand has pledged to only use naturally sourced and sustainable ingredients.

SOCCER GROUND COFFEE

Liverpool and Arsenal have both announced regional deals with Italian coffee brand Lavazza. The deals see Lavazza become the official coffee partner of the two clubs, meaning they will be the exclusive coffee supplier at both the Emirates Stadium and Anfield.

The coffee brand will also benefit from pitch side LED advertising and will also be referenced on the clubs’ digital media platforms. Lavazza have also created Liverpool branded coffee machines, which can be purchased directly from the coffee company.

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HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE

Burnley have become the 18th Premier League club to sign a sleeve sponsorship agreement.

The Clarets have agreed a deal with financial services provider AstroPay to become their sleeve sponsor for the rest of the season. Since the start of last season, Premier League clubs have been able to sell shirt sleeve sponsors, with only Newcastle and Tottenham without one at present.

SPURS' SWEET SWOOSH

Tottenham have announced a 15-year extension to their kit supply deal with Nike. The deal will be one of the longest soccer club deals in Nike’s history, and follows the initial multi-year deal signed in the summer of 2017. This new deal will see Nike supply kits for Tottenham until at least 2033 and is reportedly worth £30 million per year. The extension was announced by the club’s chairman Dan Levy who also announced a number of other brand partners including Audi, IWC Schaffhausen and EA Sports.

TRAVEL COMPLEX

There are reports that Manchester City are looking into building a training base in London to have a second home when they travel south. The club believes they can gain an extra edge by staying in their own camp as opposed to hotels when they play away.

This new training complex would incorporate similar features to their current £200 million facility in Manchester; it will be a small-sized replica of their current training ground.

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GLOVE LOVE

David de Gea has donated his gloves worn in his 250th Premier League game to a non-league goalkeeper Jordan Dawes who suffered a stroke at just 18 years old. One of her ex-teammates uploaded a photo of her as she urged fans to support her. David de Gea, who is Jordan’s favourite player and inspiration, saw the post and responded by offering to send her his gloves. Jordan of course was ecstatic upon seeing David’s tweet.

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Around England

“Put it this way, if that was Jose, he’d have got sent straight to the stands as soon as he got back to his technical area.

It’d be a 25-game ban – I dread to think.”

- Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that had Mourinho celebrated a game winning goal the way Klopp did against Everton, he would have received a more severe punishment from the FA.

“Another example of the ridiculous sexism that still exists in sport – why do women still have to put up with that?

What questions did they ask Mbappe and Modric? I’d imagine something to do with football. And to everyone who thinks people are overreacting and it was just a joke… it wasn’t. I’ve been involved in sport my whole life and the level of sexism is unreal.” - British tennis star Andy Murray hit out at the co-host of the 2018 Ballon d’Or awards, Martin Solveig, for asking Ada Hegerberg if she knew how to twerk.

“It’s a big competition. One of the greatest in the world. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring but I believe that every great player, at least one day, has to play in the Premier League.” Neymar expresses his admiration for the Premier League on a video posted to his YouTube channel. Premier League fans, start dreaming!

“For example, you have two young players starting out their careers. Both play for the same team, both have done the right thing which is buy a new house for their mothers… But look how the newspapers get their message across for the young black player and then for the young white player. I think it is unacceptable, both innocent, have not done a thing wrong but just by the way it was worded.” - Raheem Sterling speaks out against the media coverage of black footballers and the role it plays in fueling racism and aggressive behaviour.

28 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

BUT THE BOY GOT GIFTS

IT WASN’T ME

Manchester United have been charged by UEFA after two pitch invasions during their Champions League match against Juventus.

Cristiano Ronaldo was of course the focus of both incidents at Old Trafford. The first fan ran across the pitch during the match and shook Ronaldo’s hand, while two other fans tried to get to Ronaldo after the final whistle.

United have been fined €8000 for the incidents. This is the second time Manchester have been fined by UEFA this season following a €15,000 fine for the late kick-off of their match against Valencia.

FAN ARRESTED THAT’S FUNNY

Derby games are always heated as the two rivals battle it out on the pitch for bragging rights. While the games may be intense both on and off the pitch, there are certain things you just don’t want to see, and have no part in the sport.

During the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham, a Spurs fan was arrested after he threw a banana skin at Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The incident occurred after Aubameyang converted an Arsenal penalty in the first half, and as he celebrated, a Spurs fan launched a banana skin in his direction.

According to reports, the fan was arrested following the incident.

THE LADY BUG

England will host the 2021 UEFA Women’s European Championships after their bid to host was successful. Wembley will host the final, while a number of other stadiums of varying sizes have also been included in the bid. Women’s soccer is growing quickly in the UK, where over 45,000 fans attended last season’s FA Cup final at Wembley. The English Football Association have also announced that it will be investing an additional £50 million in women’s and girls’ soccer over the next six seasons.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has revealed that he is in talks to sell the club. The news, if true, will be welcomed by many fans who are hoping Rafa Benitez will be handed a hefty transfer budget to strengthen the squad and help fight off relegation.

However, given the timing of this news, a number of fans are skeptical and feel it could just be an excuse to not spend money in the January transfer market.

Nonetheless, there are reports that there are at least two bidders who have proven to be serious about buying the club, both of whom wish to remain anonymous in order to get the deal done. Mike Ashley has set an asking price of more than £300 million.

WHAT A GOOD IDEA

BY THE NUMBERS 3 Pep Guardiola has lost 3 league games against Chelsea as a manager, more than any other opponent.

10 PierreEmerick Aubameyang scored with 10 consecutive shots on target in the Premier League.

1000 Pedro’s goal versus Fulham was Chelsea’s 1000th Premier League home goal, becoming the third club to reach this milestone after Manchester United and Arsenal.

Chelsea have partnered with social media marketing agency We Are Social Sport, to run a campaign that will find the club’s first gamer. The London club is searching for an esports star to represent them in the inaugural ePremier League tournament which kicks off in January 2019. The tournament is being run by the Premier League in partnership with Electronic Arts, and will feature each club in the top-flight field an entrant. Chelsea launched the campaign with Gianfranco Zola featuring in a video alongside Eden Hazard and David Luiz.

NO GIFTS FOR KLOPP

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been charged for running on to the pitch when he celebrated his side’s Merseyside derby winner.

Klopp ran to goalkeeper Alisson Becker after Divock Origi scored the winning goal in the sixth minute of stoppagetime to celebrate the goal. The German has apologized for his actions but the Football Association has charged him with misconduct and fined him £8000.

EVER READY GUNNERS

Arsenal have installed a giant battery to reduce emissions from Emirates Stadium. The Gunners will be able to recycle enough electricity to fuel their own home fixtures after installing a 3MWh battery storage system.

Developed by Pivot Power, the unit is designed to meet peak levels of energy consumption and stores enough power to run the stadium for 90 minutes - the equivalent of 2700 homes for two hours. The installation will allow for 80 percent of Arsenal’s matchday energy use to be recycled.

WHAT A DIVOCK

We’ve all probably seen those tweets where a fan promises to do something, sometimes drastic, if something were to happen. Well one Liverpool fan followed through with his tweet - “If Origi scores I’ll get a ‘Divock’ tattoo”. The Belgian scored a dramatic 95th minute winner, pouncing after Jordan Pickford fumbled the ball. Three days after the derby, this fan went to a local tattoo shop and went through with his promise, he got ‘Divock’ tattooed on his leg.

HE'S CHUFF CHUFFED

Swindon Town supporter Derek Elston was celebrated recently and presented with a special shirt to commemorate his 2000th consecutive game. The last time Derek Elston missed a Swindon Town match was December 5, 1981. Since then, he has made six trips to Wembley, seen six promotions and seven relegations and taken a water bus to ensure he didn’t miss a game. What makes this even more remarkable is that Derek does not or has ever lived in, or near, Swindon. He grew up in Watford and then moved to Northampton, both about an hour and half away from Swindon, a 140-mile round trip just for a home game. How did the love affair begin?

It began thanks to his love for trains, as Swindon was the main works on the Great Western Railway.

MATTEO CELEBRATES

Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi celebrated the North London derby victory against Tottenham by taking to the streets. The French midfielder was spotted by Gunners supporters in the back of his cab and wound down his window to toast the delighted fans with fist bumps and hugs. He even allowed some to ruffle his hair. Even after the car pulled away, Guendouzi leaned further out of the car and gestured for fans to continue celebrating. A video of the incident was posted on Arsenal’s social media.

BET ON LOSER

A betting company offered odds on Romelu Lukaku making embarrassing mistakes in the match against Arsenal. Leading up to the match, the Belgian striker has been mocked after a number of clumsy performances for Man United. Betting company, Betfair, gave people the chance to place some bets on what misfortune Lukaku would go through. There were a number of options available, including 5/2 to fall over the ball and 33/1 to assist an Arsenal goal. Betfair had him at 2/1 to dribble the ball out of play, 7/1 to have a wayward shot go out for a throw-in and even 50/1 to score an own goal.

AROUND THE HOUSES

Two Wolverhampton Wanderers fans took a rather unorthodox route to Newcastle to support their team at St. James’ Park. Steve Horton, alongside another fan, travelled to the Spanish city of Benidorm in Alicante, courtesy of Ryanair, to get to the match, as it was far cheaper than getting the train. A ticket from Wolverhampton to Newcastle would have cost around £114. However, a flight from nearby Birmingham to Alicante cost about £30, while a direct flight from the Spanish city to Newcastle is as little as £15. That’s a £69 saving.

A GAME CHANGER - THE ALL NEW

NISSAN ROGUE 2019

GENTLEMAN MO

Mohamed Salah, following his performance against Bournemouth, in which he scored a hat-trick, refused to take the Man of the Match award. During a post-match interview with James Milner by his side, Salah refused the award, instead insisted that his captain, Milner, keep it to commemorate his 500th Premier League appearance. Milner has become the 13th player to reach this milestone, and the second youngest to do so following Gareth Barry.

WE WANT YOU

As per the recent ‘Football Leaks’ there have been allegations against Chelsea, who reportedly paid Andreas Christensen’s father Sten around £600,000 over a four-year period from 2012.

Andreas, at the time, was 15 and it’s suggested that the fee was paid in order to guarantee the defender joined Chelsea. This kind of agreement would break Premier League rules, so Chelsea hired Sten as a scout, a role he never fulfilled. In internal emails about contract negotiations, Chelsea refer to the payment as a “parental salary”. Both parties have declined to comment.

FANS SUSPENDED

Chelsea have released a statement announcing that they have suspended four supporters from attending games pending further investigations into alleged racial abuse suffered by Raheem Sterling. The incident occurred during Chelsea’s match against Manchester City, where video shows a Chelsea fan directing a racial slur at Sterling as he retrieved the ball from the touchline.

VISITING “FANS” ARE THE DISABLED ONES

Disabled Manchester United fans have called for netting to be up at Old Trafford to protect them from missiles thrown by visiting away fans. The supporters’ section where the disabled fans sit is right below where the visiting fans are housed. Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association (MUSDA) say flares, bottles filled with urine, coins and pies thrown have landed in their section. Netting was used for the Champions League games against Juventus and Young Boys, and MUSDA is looking to make that permanent.

DID YOU

KNOW?

IT BELONGS IN A CLASS BY ITSELF

• Manchester United have come back to win a UEFA Champions League game with two goals in the final five minutes of a match for the first time since the 1999 final vs Bayern Munich.

• Liverpool have lost three consecutive Champions League away games for the first time in their history.

• Mohamed Salah is the first Liverpool player to score an away hat-trick in the Premier League since Luis Suarez in March 2014.

• During Brighton & Hove Albion’s match against Crystal Palace, two substitutes scored in the first half of a game for the first time ever in the Premier League.

• Since returning to the Premier League, Leicester City have conceded more goals against Tottenham than any other team.

INNOVATION THAT LOOKS OUT FOR YOU

SERIE A

So far, Su-so Good FROM BEING SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS AT LIVERPOOL TO BEING STRONGLY LINKED WITH REAL MADRID, SUSO’S CAREER TRAJECTORY IS ON THE UP. CIRO DI BRITA PROFILES MILAN’S LITTLE GEM.

FACTFILE NAME: Suso BORN: November 19, 1993 (Cadiz, Spain) HT / WT: 1.77m / 70kg POSITION: Midfielder CLUB: Milan SEASON CLUB 2012-13 Liverpool 2013-14 Almeria 2014-15 Liverpool 2014-15 Milan 2015-16 Milan 2015-16 Genoa 2016-17 Milan 2017-18 Milan 2018-19 Milan

APPS GOALS 20 0 35 3 1 1 6 0 2 0 19 6 37 7 50 8 18 5

‘Suso’s stock has risen hugely over the past 18 months’

J

esus Joaquin Fernandez Saenz de la Torre, better known as Suso, is the 25-year-old diminutive, explosive winger plying his trade for sleeping Italian giants Milan. From being on the fringes at Liverpool when he arrived as a small and slight teenager to being talked up as a transfer target for consecutive Champions League winners Real Madrid, the Spaniard’s stock has risen hugely over the past 18 months. But what does that mean for his time at San Siro? Is it coming to an end, or has it only just begun?

LIVERPOOL

Suso joined the Anfield side from boyhood club Cadiz in 2010 and went straight into the Liverpool academy, where he continued his footballing education before signing his first professional contract when he turned 17 a few months later.

In 2012 he made his debut for the Reds in a Europa League tie against Young Boys of Bern and impressed manager Brendan Rodgers so much that he would go on to make his Premier League debut three days later at home against Manchester United.

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Suso would end up featuring 20 times in total in all competitions that season as the Reds finished a disappointing seventh in the table while also going out early in the Cups.

ABOVE: He made a good early impression at Milan but needed a loan at Genoa to prove himself

ALMERIA

LEFT: Suso got few chances at Liverpool and had to move on to progress in his career

In the summer of 2013 Suso joined Andalusian side Almeria on a season’s long loan deal from his parent club Liverpool.

With the Merseyside club signing the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho to bolster the forward positions of a goal-shy side, game time would have been at a premium for the youngster. In a period when his burgeoning talent was just beginning to blossom it was important that he found himself a club where he could be certain of getting minutes on the field.

In a tough but fruitful year back in Spain he made 35 appearances in total in all competitions while finding the back of the net three times. The highlight came when he scored the winner in a 2-1 win away at Espanyol which started off of a run of three wins in row that pushed the Rojiblancos out of the relegation zone and ensured their stay in La Liga.

MILAN

On his return from loan to Liverpool, Suso arrived at a club that had just narrowly missed out on winning their first League title in 25 years and it appeared there would still be no place in a line-up that include Coutinho, Sturridge and Luis Suarez. One appearance in the League Cup against Middlesbrough, which saw him score in extra time and force the tie to go to penalties, was all he got in a six-month period.

Once again, the young Spaniard had to go in search of a new club where he could realistically fight for space on the pitch. He was tipped to join Milan once his contract expired in July of 2015 but instead he arrived early at the San Siro in January of 2015, signing a four-year deal with the Rossoneri paying out €1.3m in compensation to the Premier League side.

Two weeks later he made his debut, coming on for the last 10 minutes in a Coppa Italia loss to Lazio, and he would have to wait until April to get his first taste of Serie A action.

GENOA

With a new Coach taking the hot seat at the Giuseppe Meazza, Suso found himself outside of new boss Sinisa Mihajlovic’s plans and featured just twice in the first half of the 2015-16 season. He joined Ligurian outfit Genoa in January 2016 and under Gian Piero Gasperini’s tutelage he began to shine and show off his dribbling technique and ability to find space between the lines, cut inside and let fly with his left foot, more than once evoking the style of Dutch wizard Arjen Robben. A stunning left footed hat-trick against Frosinone in April was accompanied by two goals in the 3-0 derby win over rivals Sampdoria in May, making the winger one of the hot topics in Italy that spring.

RETURN TO MILAN

With Mihajlovic gone and yet another trainer in Vincenzo Montella installed as the new Coach of Milan, Suso returned to Milanello and set about winning himself a starting role in the new look side.

After an impressive pre-season he soon made the right wing role his own and scored his first goal for Milan in a 4-2 loss to Napoli in the San Paolo. A brace in the Derby della Madonnina in a 2-2 draw with Inter was his personal highlight of the 20162017 season, where he featured 37 times in all competitions while hitting the back of the net on seven occasions in Serie A. Suso also made an impression at international level in 2017. Having played for Spain at every age group from Under-17, including starring in the European Under-19 Championships in 2012 as Spain won the trophy, he made his senior bow in a November 2017 friendly with Russia.

Unfortunately for Suso, Montella was shown the door the same month and Gennaro Gattuso was installed in his place. Montella had been happy to give the Spaniard more of a free role and relied on him to stay high up the pitch while out of possession. More upheaval didn’t bode well for the midfielder.

Suso need not have worried. It’s been under Gattuso’s mentorship that the boy from Cadiz has finally shown the best of his technical ability. In Gattuso’s first year in charge, Suso scored seven goals, claimed 16 assists and showed he can fulfil his defensive duties too. It’s no exaggeration to say Suso has become one of the first names on Gattuso’s team sheet as Milan fight for a Champions League place.

PENINSULA PROMISE Suso wasn’t the first youngster to leave the Premier League for Serie A in search of regular playing time, and he won’t be the last…

Player Transfer

Premier Serie A Current League Apps Apps Club

P. Pogba G. Rossi M. Salah J. Cuadrado L. Alberto I. Falque F. Fazio S. Savic B. Dzemaili K.P. Boateng

3 5 13 13 9 1 20 11 0 23

M. Utd-Juve M. Utd-Prma Chl-Rma Chl-Juve Lpl-Lazio Totnhm-Gen Totnhm-Rma M. City-Fior Bltn-Torino Prtsth-Milan

124 62 65 90 47 134 82 86 239 91

Man Utd N/A Lpl Juve Lazio Torino Roma A. Madrid Montreal Sassuolo

THE FUTURE

Suso signed a contract extension at Milan in September 2017, tying him to the club until 2020. But the deal contains a clause that has fuelled the reports of interest from Madrid, as a bid of €38m would allow Suso to speak with any club outside of Italy, although only in the first two weeks of July.

Milan have made noises about renewing the contract and removing the foreign clubs clause altogether, but with Madrid in a state of flux after the brief tenure of Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari keen to stamp his authority on the squad, Los Blancos could still test Milan’s resolve in January. Milan would receive a hefty fee for Suso’s services, but at what cost to their Champions League aspirations?

The Spain international could though be tempted

by La Liga giants Real Madrid

Regular coaching changes didn’t help Suso’s development but Gennaro Gattuso has provided stability

SPANISH INVASION Suso isn’t the first Spaniard to wear Milan colours, but not all of his compatriots have succeeded at San Siro…

Player Position Seasons Apps Goals D. Lopez P. Reina D. Vila B. Krkic G. Deulofeu F. Torres S. Castillejo J. Moreno

Goalkeeper Goalkeeper Defender Attacker Attacker Attacker Attacker Attacker

2014-16 2018- 2011-13 2012-13 2017 2014-15 2018- 2001-02

37 5 1 27 18 10 14 27

0 3 4 1 1 9

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

31

SERIE A

SZCZE ONEonONE on

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WOJCIECH SZCZESNY HAD THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK IN THE SUMMER OF TAKING OVER THE NUMBER 1 JERSEY FROM BUFFON. HERE THE JUVENTUS SHOT STOPPER TELLS SOCCER 360 HOW HE PREPARED FOR THE ROLE, TAKING ADVICE FROM CRISTIANO RONALDO, AND WHY HE WILL ALWAYS BE AN ARSENAL FAN. - THOMAS UNSWORTH

ZESNY YOU WERE GIVEN THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK OF REPLACING BUFFON – ARGUABLY THE GREATEST GOALKEEPER OF ALL TIME. JUST HOW HARD WAS THAT? For me it was easy because Buffon is irreplaceable – so I am not replacing him.

I am the new number one goalkeeper for Juventus and that is totally different to replacing Buffon. My job is to stop balls flying into the net for Juventus – not to replace Buffon.

YOU HAD A SEASON TO LEARN OFF BUFFON WHEN YOU WERE THE BACKUP KEEPER – JUST HOW MUCH DID YOU LEARN FROM THE GREAT MAN? I knew I had to take a step back and that for a season I had to learn – but at the same time I still played games. It was the best career opportunity I could have asked for – I had one year to learn off the best while I prepared. He really helped me to mature as a player – not with just what I learned on the training ground but also with the way he communicated with the defenders in the dressing room. Watching him is the best preparation I could have asked for.

LIKE BUFFON CAN YOU SEE YOURSELVES AT JUVENTUS UNTIL YOU ARE 40?

I see myself here for a long time – but I am not sure I will be anywhere when I am 40. At 25 things are easier – but I saw what Buffon had to put in to be playing at that level at 40. It is a huge sacrifice.

JUVENTUS HAVE DOMINATED ITALY IN RECENT YEARS AND COME SO CLOSE IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. DO YOU FEEL THIS SEASON IS THE ONE YOU WIN IT? I hope so – I came here to help the team win as many trophies as possible – and of course The Champions League is one of them.

JUVENTUS HAVE WON SERIE A FOR THE LAST 7 SEASONS IN A ROW – YOU LOOK ON COURSE TO MAKE IT 8?

That is the plan – I don’t want to be first goalkeeper in many seasons who doesn’t win the Championship with Juventus. We can’t get complacent – but we have the belief we will win it.

10 Things TO KNOW

BY LAUREN MAHARAJ

YOU SAID HOW HARD YOU FOUND IT TO LEAVE ARSENAL AFTER SO MANY YEARS? It was a club I loved, a club I still love, I was there since I was 16 years old. It was a place I wanted to spend my career – but I had to think with my head and not just my heart.

JUST HOW MUCH OF A BOOST WAS THE SIGNATURE OF RONALDO? There is not much more to say about Cristiano that people have not said. He is the best, he is great professional, he is a goal machine, and of course a player of his quality will boost any team.

WE HEAR HE IS EVEN HELPING YOU SAVE PENALTIES? (Laughs) That’s true – in the game against Milan he told me to move early against Higuaín’s penalty because they are so powerful. It was good advice – I saved it!

AND YOU HAVE EVEN BEEN GIVING HIM FREE KICK ADVICE? (Laughs again) I was on international duty with Poland and I scored a great free kick in training. We like to have fun – so I put it on Instagram tagging in Ronaldo letting him know I could give him tips whenever he wanted…

A QUICK LOOK ON YOUTUBE SHOWS YOU ARE QUITE THE PIANO PLAYER – HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? In my house music is on 24/7. My wife is a musician – and I love to play the piano.

Music is so important for me – I play the guitar as well.

1. Wojciech Szczesny was born in Warsaw Poland, a city passionately behind the country’s most prolific club – Legia Warsaw. Szczesny proudly began his career there and debuted for the club at the ripe age of 15 years.

2. Much like other cultures, certain forms of dance are taught to children as a pastime at a young age - Wojciech Szczesny was no exception to this rule. Prior to his footballing career, he practice d ballroom dancing until the age of seven. It’s a fact he finds embarrassing to reminisce about now.

3. The Polish keeper spent most of his more formative years in England at Arsenal before heading to Italy. He started with the Gunners academy team in 2006 and progressed to the first team at 19 years of age.

4. Wojciech Szczesny made his first-team debut with the Gunners in September 2009 against West Bromwich Albion in the Carling Cup. He later made his full Premier League in December 2010 against Manchester United.

5. In November 2014 he became only the 11th goalkeeper in the Arsenal’s history to reach the milestone of 50 games with no goals conceded. In total, Szczesny has made 181 appearances for the Gunners and has won two FA Cups and one Community Shield.

6. Szczesny has had full international status for Poland since 2009.

He claimed his first international cap on November 18, 2009, against Canada in a friendly.

7. The Polish keepers chance at international glory on home soil did not go as planned when the 2012 Euro's were hosted in his home country of Poland. In the sides opener against Greece, Szczesn y was sent off for a foul in the 68th minute and managed to rule himself out of appearing for the rest of the tournament.

8. Maciej Szczesny - Wojciech's father - was also a goalkee per.

He made only seven appearances internationally for Poland between 1991-1996 and played exclusively in the Polish top division for Legia Warsaw, Widzew Lodz, Polonia Warsaw and Wisla Krakow. He won four league titles at each of these sides as well.

9. Footballing blood clearly runs within the family as Szczesn y's brother Jan also plays as a professional keeper in the Polish top division. Currently, his brother Jan players for Polish side Gw ardia Warszawa.

10. Although Szczesny sported a memorable career at Arsenal as the clubs main keeper for many years, it was his loan move to Roma that leads to his ultimate return to form. It was during that spell that Szczesny felt he became “the best he had ever been”.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

33

THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY

Honor First

THE GOOD

The bitter rivalry between Juventus and Fiorentina is well documented, with the acquisition of local lad and Viola idol Federico Bernardeschi further heightening the ill-feeling between the sides after the Italian winger sealed his switch to the Bianconeri in July 2017. Fast forward 18 months and it’s Federico Chiesa at the centre of a tug of war that could see Fiorentina lose another of their prized assets to their fierce rivals. But a touching gesture prior to the first meeting of the season between the sides, in memory of the late Davide Astori, showed how football pales into the background at times of tragedy.

Nevertheless, in a heart-warming moment and one of the images of the campaign to date, the champions and Fiorentina put their differences to one side as Juve Giorgio Chiellini, on behalf of his teammates, placed flowers in front of the Fiorentina bench before the League clash on December 1.

The gesture earned widespread respect from not only the football community, but the Florence natives.

Chiellini, of course, was a colleague of Astori at international level, and the duo formed a close relationship during their time with the national team. Bernardeschi,

34 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli were all notably applauded upon their arrival to Astori’s funeral in March and the elegant defender will live long in the memory as his peers continue to honour his legacy.

In October 2018, Fiorentina left-back Cristiano Biraghi, making only his third appearance for Italy, netted a dramatic 92nd minute winner as the Azzurri squeezed past Poland in their Nations League clash, and it was the poignant celebration which struck a chord. Biraghi notably played alongside Astori in defence last year and while the three points did enough to ensure the four-time world champions avoided demotion to the second tier of UEFA’s new tournament, for Biraghi, it was a moment of reflection as he looked up to the sky and thought of his dear friend.

The 26-year-old has often cited Astori as an instrumental figure in his call-up to the national setup.

THE BAD

Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s blockbuster summer arrival, Juventus’ attacking options included Douglas Costa, Gonzalo Higuain, Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala and Federico Bernardeschi. And that’s without even mentioning Juan Cuadrado and Marko

ABOVE: THE GOOD, Chiellini ABOVE LEFT: THE BAD, Higuain LEFT: THE UGLY, Di Francesco

GOING UP / DOWN GOING UP

Koulibaly deserves to be mentioned alongside the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Thiago Silva and Sergio Ramos as the best defenders in the world.

The Partenopei general was a colossus against Paris Saint-Germain as Napoli held the French champions 1-1 on Champions League matchday four, and his perfect tackle to stop Kylian Mbappe bursting away through on goal was the talk of social media post-match.

GOING DOWN

Paulo Dybala, somewhat surprisingly, only struck once in November and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic permanent fixtures in the Juventus line-up, the diminutive forward must improve his numbers dramatically to ensure he – and not Douglas Costa – is claiming the final berth in attack.

How Ronaldo’s arrival was going to impact Dybala was a question asked almost as soon as the blockbuster transfer was confirmed, and the answer so far is firmly in the negative, with only two Serie A goals in the first three months of the season.

Pjaca, further highlighting the extraordinary depth of resources at Max Allegri’s disposal.

The Italian tactician tended to rotate Higuain and Mandzukic during the 201718 campaign to good effect, with both forwards enjoying regular playing time and sharing the workload. Of course, with Ronaldo in town, someone had to make way, and much to the shock of his teammates, it was Higuain who was ushered out the door.

The former Los Blancos attacker, who had played and won honours alongside Ronaldo during their four seasons together at Santiago Bernabéu, was quickly cast aside despite being just two years in to the Bianconeri contract he signed in July 2016.

The Brest-born hitman had little choice but to accept his fate, with Chelsea and Milan his only options of a temporary switch, with former boss Maurizio Sarri extremely keen on taking the player with him to London.

Sarri and Higuain connected during their time in Naples and while Sarri had no malice towards his star attacker, Higuain gave up everything to pursue his move to Juventus.

Fast forward to November 11 and one of the biggest fixtures in the League calendar as Milan hosted Juventus, and the Argentine came face-to-face with his friends and former teammates. The visitors ran out 2-0 winners on the night but the big talking point was the actions of Higuain. The 31-year-old, usually so mild-mannered, and rarely involved in controversy or on field skirmishes, received his marching orders in the closing stages of the showdown.

Higuain first missed a penalty to put his side ahead, before letting the occasion – and his emotions – get the better of him as he berated the referee for showing him a yellow card – it was quickly followed by a second yellow. The Diavolo loanee was visibly devastated and arguably wouldn’t have self-destructed if Milan were playing anyone else in the Division.

THE UGLY

Following Roma’s dismal 1-0 defeat away at Udinese towards the end of November, Coach Eusebio Di Francesco publicly tore in to his troops for their abject performance.

The former Sassuolo tactician, renowned for his usually calm temperament, didn’t hold back, claiming his men lacked desire and hunger, before criticising their mentality.

Di Francesco was rightfully lauded in the 2017-18 campaign for his tremendous efforts in guiding the Lupi to not only a third place finish, but a semi-final berth in the Champions League. The Giallorossi trainer earned rave reviews, and was heralded as a future Italy boss, such was the scale of his achievement and the expectation was Roma would go from strength to strength this year, particularly after transfer guru and Sporting Director Monchi was able to bring in so many of his first choice targets in to the club.

In truth, while the prodigious talents of Justin Kluivert, Nicolò Zaniolo and Ante Ćorić may eventually flourish, what Roma needed was a core of seasoned professionals, but unfortunately, a combination of a never-ending injury list and lack of experience have contributed to an inconsistent first half of the domestic campaign.

From a goalscoring point of view, leading marksman and attacking figurehead Edin Dzeko is so important and if the Bosnian is not on his game, those around him fail to step up and help the goal machine. As of early December, the ex-Manchester City title winner only had two Serie A efforts to his name. In contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo has double figures and with Patrik Schick also misfiring, alarm bells are ringing.

With Inter and Napoli battling it out to be Juventus’ runner-up, Roma face a real fight on their hands even to get in to contention for a top four spot with Milan, neighbours Lazio and surprise package Torino all faring well.

FIVE for 2019

WILL SOMEONE FINALLY STOP JUVENTUS? WILL BOTH MILAN CLUBS RETURN TO FORMER GLORIES? AND WHAT OF THE PROBLEMS ON AND OFF THE FIELD, TOM SCHOLES ASKS…

Juventus lifting the Scudetto has become a toofamiliar sight

SOMEONE STOP JUVE

Juventus look set to win yet another Scudetto, but how wonderful would it be to see another title challenge like we saw last season?

That’s nothing against Juventus or their brilliant Coach and squad, but a healthy Serie A with a strong title challenger against the Old Lady would be a huge benefit to the League.

MILAN MAKE WAVES

If you can have one Milan side doing well in Serie A, it’s a good thing. But if you have two, it makes the League so much stronger.

If Milan and Inter can get it together long enough to compete with each other for a Champions League place, then Serie A will become a much more interesting place.

GENOA END THE MERRY-GO-ROUND

Ivan Juric might be the unluckiest Coach in European football. Since 2016, Jurcic has managed Genoa three separate times, but each time he’s been sacked and replaced by someone else, the most recent occasion being Cesare Prandelli.

It would be a huge achievement for the club if they can keep Prandelli for longer than six months.

EUROPA LEAGUE WILDCARD

The Europa League race has been rather exciting in the first six months of 2018, but in 2019 it would be so fun to see clubs such Sassuolo, Torino, Fiorentina and Atalanta keep up their European push and challenge Lazio for their Europa League spot.

A bunch of new teams in the European mix keeps the League fresh and competition keeps teams on their toes, which could be the perfect situation in Serie A this season.

MOVE FORWARD ON RACISM

A huge issue in Italian football has been racism in the past few years and in the words of Kevin-Prince Boateng of Sassuolo, ‘nothing has changed.’ And he’s right, but it would be a huge positive for Italian football to have harsh sanctions on both fans and players when they’re caught using racially offensive language — it would massively improve the image of the League both in Europe and across the globe.

Serie A would benefit hugely from the Milan clubs duking it out at the top of the table again

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

35

Around Italy

“” QUOTES QUOTES

PRETTY CONVINCING

LA LIGA TO USA

Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic dressed up as a crocodile for Halloween in reference to his signature trick.

After blocking a free kick against Barcelona he got behind the wall and laid down, preventing the ball from hitting the back of the net.

CR7 IS THE MAN

Cristiano Ronaldo has officially become the most followed person on Instagram. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has surpassed pop star Selena Gomez, who had been the most followed person for the past two years, with over 145 million followers. The ‘CR7’ brand is massive. The 33-year-old, alongside his Instagram followers, has 120 million followers on Facebook as well as 75 million followers on Twitter. A study of the impact Ronaldo’s arrival had to Juventus has revealed massive increases to their online impressions and engagements, which translates to an increase in revenue for the Bianconeri.

“He [Ronaldo] used to play European games, Champions League games, then go back to the training ground and have an ice bath at 3 in the morning… Forget Instagram, and the social media and the image, this kid works harder than any other footballer on the planet to be the best.” - Cristiano Ronaldo’s former

Juventus’ Chief Revenue Officer Giorgio Ricci has backed current plans in La Liga to take regular season games to the US by suggesting it would be a good option for Serie A to follow suit.

Ricci believes it would boost the worldwide popularity of the game and would help Serie A in striving to be among the world’s most commercially successful leagues.

Seeing the obstacles La Liga is facing to get it done, Ricci is mindful of organizing the process in the right way, whatever that may be.

GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER

According to reports in the Italian media, television rights for Serie A matches are too expensive to succeed overseas. Based on a study, economics news outlet Il Sole 24 Ore claims that the current Serie A model is failing as an export product. The report also says that the league has yet to capitalize on Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival.

STADIUM LOVE

“I would bench press and had specific tests to work out which weight to lift during different periods of the season.

I leg pressed 500kg and with one leg I managed to lift 310kg.” - Inter legend and current Vice-President Javier Zanetti revealed his secret to success was the physical shape and condition he kept himself in, particularly in strength training.

AS Roma have revealed that they will be donating €150,000 to the family of Liverpool fan Sean Cox. The club will provide €100,000 through its Roma Cares Foundation, while club president James Pallotta will be adding a personal donation of €50,000. Sean Cox was attacked outside of Anfield before Liverpool’s match against Roma in the Champions League last season. Roma have said that they would be working closely with the Cox family on more fundraising initiatives, allowing them to cover ongoing costs for Sean over a multi-year period. Roma supporter Filippo Lombardi has since has been sentenced to three years in prison for violent disorder.

YES… BUT NO

Inter winger Keita Balde Diao was called up to the Senegal squad for a 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifier but was unable to feature because of an embarrassing mistake. The Senegal FA sent all the required information to the wrong Inter email address and because the club didn’t have any notice of the call-up, the Nerazzurri refused to let him join up with the national side. The president of the Senegalese FA admitted to the error himself, issuing a statement explaining why Keita would not be able to feature.

RED TICKET

“I want to wait for June and start again with a new project. In three months I could change my mind and deny everything, but I've always thought of it this way.” - Antonio Conte has explained that he would rather return to football management in the summer as opposed to during the season.

36 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

Former Roma midfielder, Leonardo Paredes has been accused of purposely getting sent off so he could fly to Argentina and attend the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate at La Bombonera. Paredes, who currently plays for Zenit St. Petersburg, grew up in the Boca academy and made some appearances for the club before moving to Italy in 2014.

KNOW?

• Lorenzo Insigne is the first Italian player in Champions League history to score in five successive home matches in the competition.

• Francesco Acerbi has started every match since October 2015.

teammate Phil Neville shares an anecdote about his work ethic and determination to be the best. It’s that mentality and work ethic that is surely keeping the 33-year-old in discussion for who is currently the best player in the world.

AFTER THE FACT

DID YOU

• Empoli’s 3-2 win over Atalanta was the first time in their history that they won a Serie A match after trailing by two goals.

• In each of the last five Serie A seasons, Fiorentina have reduced their average age, becoming the youngest team this season.

• Sampdoria’s 99th minute equalizer against Lazio is the latest ever Serie A goal recorded.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed by Inter and AC Milan to work together on producing a fully modernized shared stadium. That means that both clubs’ stakeholders agreed that operating a shared arena makes financial and administrative sense for both parties. A joint task force has been formed to analyze all possible options in order to come to an ultimate conclusion. Some of the options include a complete renovation of the San Siro or building a new stadium elsewhere.

COFFEE TIME

Lazio have signed a deal with Caffe Mamanero that will see the coffee manufacturer become an official partner of the club. As part of the single year agreement, the coffee company will have branding present at the Stadio Olimpico via LED ad boards, their brand will be displayed at press conferences and in other marketing initiatives throughout the year. Caffe Mamanero will also offer fans some special opportunities including tours of the stadium, tickets to some of the biggest games and access to the team’s training ground.

BUY ITALIAN

Clubs in Serie A could soon be rewarded for selecting players developed by the Italian youth system over their league viewership, according to a report. The Italian government has recommended that revenues from broadcast rights should be distributed to clubs who favour home-grown talent, in hopes to improve the fortunes of the national team.

BY THE NUMBERS 100 Dries Mertens has reached 100 goals with Napoli in all competitions.

60 The month of December saw 60 Serie A games played, second most behind April 1934 which had 61.

AI FOR FANS

100+ Gianluigi Donnarumma has played over 100 consecutive Serie A matches for Milan.

MAIN MAN ZHANG

Inter have officially appointed Steven Zhang as their new president.

Steven replaces outgoing Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir, who has held the role for the last five years. The 26-year-old is the son of Zhang Jindong, Chairman of Suning Holdings Group, majority stakeholder in the club.

A Cristiano Ronaldo Christmas sweater may be the best gift you could give to a massive Ronaldo fan. The sweaters were spotted on eBay and were selling for just £13.99. Ronaldo’s face is featured on the front wearing a Christmas hat, surrounded by a wreath.

HE JUST LIKES CHICKEN

Patrice Evra is very active on social media and is perhaps one of the best footballers to follow. However, the former Manchester United and Juventus star went too far with his Thanksgiving Instagram post. The 37-year-old celebrated the holiday by posting a video that featured him spanking, caressing, kissing, salting and biting a raw chicken. To absolutely no surprise, the video left a lot of people stunned, leading to Evra posting a follow up video explaining his actions and admitting he did go too far when he sucked on the toes of the chicken.

YOU CAN’T DO THAT, REF

During a match in Italy’s seventh tier, the referee awarded a penalty after a player was penalized for swearing in his own box. The game between Bacigalupo and Barracuda needed to be replayed after ref, Salvatore Sangiovanni, essentially invented his own rule. Salvatore heard a Barracuda player use coarse language and awarded Bacigalupo a penalty. The penalty proved crucial as Bacigalupo won the game 3-2. Barracuda issued an immediate complaint and the ref himself admitted to his error, leading to the game to be replayed.

1 FOR YOU, 2 FOR ME

Super-agent Mino Raiola was at the centre of a FIFA probe following Pogba’s then world record transfer to Manchester United. According to some reports, Raiola had a contract with Juventus that if Pogba was sold for the minimum agreed price of £77 million, the agent would pocket £15.3 million. In the end, he took £23 million from Juventus alone. FIFA investigated the deal, but ultimately took no further actions because of an unclear legal position.

Sampdoria owner and president Massimo Ferrero is under investigation by the Italian tax police for fraud. The allegations Ferrero faces are of embezzlement, fraud, issue and use of false invoices, money laundering and use of money, assets or benefits of illicit origin. Suspicion was aroused after a contract was signed with a company for the redevelopment of the clubs training ground. That company however, is run by Ferrero’s daughter and manages cinemas. The Sampdoria owner has denied the allegations.

Around Italy

INTER LADIES

Napoli are reportedly looking to seal a new kit manufacturing deal with Adidas. The Serie A side, who currently have their kits provided to them by Kappa, are prepared to cut short their agreement in order to secure an agreement with Adidas. Napoli’s deal with Kappa expires in 2020, but Adidas’ new deal with star player Lorenzo Insigne could be a catalyst for a potential collaboration.

UGLY RONALDO

TAXING TIMES

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has finally elected a new president, almost a year after its vacancy. Gabriele Gravina, who was the former president of Serie C, ran unopposed and received 97.2 per cent of the votes at the election assembly. He has taken over from Carlo Tavecchio who stepped down following Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia last summer. The 65-year-old previously stood as one of three candidates in an unsuccessful election in January where none of the contenders received the necessary votes to win.

NAPIDAS ?

47 It took Fabio Borini just 47 seconds to score after coming on as a substitute versus Dudelange in the Europa League.

8 Sergio Pellissier has scored 8 Serie A goals against Lazio, his favourite opponent.

TOP DOG

AS Roma have introduced a new chatbot to its customer service team, which has been named ‘Botistuta’ by the supporters, via a Twitter fan-poll, in tribute to one of the clubs beloved strikers. Roma worked with a British software developer, We Build Bots, to build an interface capable of answering fan questions through Roma’s Facebook Messenger. The use of artificial intelligence will help improve the club’s customer engagement online and hopefully increase their response time.

Inter have announced the creation of their first women’s team by acquiring the naming rights to the ASD Femminile Inter Milano soccer club. The club, who currently play in the second tier of women’s soccer in Italy, will officially take on Inter’s name following a deal approved by the Italian Football Association. The club plans to develop a link between the various youth categories and the new first team so that they can achieve the highest sporting objectives in the near future.

ROMA BOSS

AS Roma have renewed their partnership with fashion brand Hugo Boss for the current season. The deal sees Hugo Boss supply the club with exclusive team wear, with their latest clothing lines to be worn by the Roma players for Serie A games and any formal club occasions. The fashion brands portfolio includes some big European names, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris SaintGermain and Tottenham.

THUGS AWAY

A linesman in Italy’s eighth tier has been banned from football for five years after head-butting one of the players. The incident occurred during a match between A.S.D. Buggerru and Monreale Calcio, when in the second half a Monreale player who had been substituted tried to grab the ball by the sideline to get play restarted quickly. His actions resulted in a scuffle with the assistant referee and the official head-butted the Monreale player. A fight broke out between the two sets of fans following the incident as the assistant ref was designated by Buggerru. The match was subsequently and rightfully abandoned.

A TIMELESS GIFT

Mauro Icardi had a season to remember last year, finishing as the league’s Capocannoniere, or top goal scorer, alongside Lazio’s Ciro Immobile. To celebrate the achievement, the Inter captain bought all his teammates Rolex watches because he said that he wouldn’t have been the top goal scorer without them.

Icardi must have been in a generous mood as even the new summer arrivals received a watch. The Argentine didn’t forget about his ex-teammates either as both Rafinha and Joao Cancelo received a Rolex as well. Icardi’s actions have led to Bari striker Simeri promising to do the same, but instead of Rolex’s, Casio’s.

MARK OF RESPECT

Serie A players and coaches stepped onto the pitch during matchday 13 with a red mark on their faces in a campaign to fight violence against women. This was the second year of the initiative after its introduction last season.

Many players showed their support off the pitch as well posting photos of themselves with their wives and partners on social media. The women wore red lipstick and a mark of the same colour was smeared across the cheeks of the footballers.

LITTLE ITALY

Italy will host the European Under-21 Championship this summer and the group stage draw leaves them with a difficult route to the semi-finals. The Azzurrini were drawn with Spain, Belgium and Poland, in what could be called the group of death.

The tournament consists of three groups of four, where the three group winners and the best runners-up qualify for the semi-finals. The tournament begins June 16 and will run until June 30 – Italy will look to add to their competition leading 5 titles.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

37

Around Italy

“The fans have the right to be annoyed, we respect that, but they must be conscious of the fact they know nothing about football. I like tennis and basketball, I have played both since I was a kid, and I get angry when my team loses, but I would never offer tactical advice because I have no idea about it. It’s a general problem, fans of every team should understand that.” - Roma defender Aleksandar Kolarov’s response to criticism of the team by the fans.

100% CONFUSED

The majority and minority shareholders of Parma are waging a legal battle for control of the Serie A club.

Back in 2015, Parma went bankrupt and had to begin again from Serie D under the ownership of a group of local businessmen under the name Nuovo Inizio. In June 2017, following their promotion to Serie B, the owners sold 60 per cent of the shares to Chinese businessman Jiang Lizhang’s Desports group.

Then, on October 24, 2018 the Nuovo Inizio conglomerate resumed control of the club by purchasing 60 per cent of the shares, leaving Jiang Lizhang with 30 per cent and the remaining 10 per cent to small shareholders. The Chinese investors are now taking legal action to regain control as they see the recent changes to be invalid and inconsistent with the principles of good faith.

MARIO WANTS GOALS

As is customary in Italy when someone passes away, a poster is printed and placed around the town announcing the sad news as well as information regarding the funeral. Well, one Juventus fan had an unusual request on his funeral notice.

Mario Stefanini was 77 years-old when he passed away and was a big Juventus fan, so on his funeral notice it read, “In lieu of flowers, please send CR7 goals.”

PUNCH UP

“We have to be ready for the Euros.

We need to qualify for the Euros and be one of the candidates to win. That’s our objective.” - Roberto Mancini sets his objectives leading up to and for the European Championships in 2020.

Jonathan De Guzman has launched an attack on Napoli, accusing the chief medic of derailing his career and director Cristiano Giuntoli of punching him. De Guzman as owned

by Napoli from 2014 to 2017, although he spent most of that time on loan to Carpi and Chievo and made only 36 appearances for the Partenopei. In an interview with a Dutch site, De Guzman revealed that he had stomach pains and the chief medic’s suggestions did not help. Then Giuntoli was furious with De Guzman because he promised to leave in the summer transfer market but didn’t. The two got into a big fight and Zuniga had to pull them apart.

SELL, SELL, SELL

“I was afraid I’d have to stop playing football, I was told I’d have to stop for at least three months. I got a check-up every month and this time they told me everything was OK and I could return to training.” - Milan defender Ivan Strinic was diagnosed with cardiac hypertrophy at the beginning of the season and was ordered to spend three months on the sidelines.

“I was really, really disappointed with the fact that I'd played a great European Championship and then I was discarded for nothing. Then there were the excuses, but they were all pathetic. Why was I playing 50 games for Roma if I was leading the same life [I was being criticised for]?” - Radja Nainggolan reflects on his disappointment at not being called up for the Belgian national team for the 2018 World Cup and has vowed to never play for Belgium again.

38 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

GOOD DOG

Journalist Federico Ruffo was the victim of an arson attempt following a recent investigative report for Italy’s public national broadcaster he was involved in, which looked into the mafia links with members of the Juve ultras groups. There was also the death of Juventus fan Raffaello Bucci, who was working for the club, and collaborating with police. While it was ruled to be a suicide, wiretaps suggest he could’ve been threatened. According to some reports, Ruffo was at home when, in the middle of the night, a red cross was painted on his walls and gasoline was poured on the doorway.

A barking dog raised the alarm and the arsonists were chased away.

SUPER CUP CONFIRMED

The Italian Ambassador in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has urged the Lega Serie A, Juventus and Milan to go ahead with the Italian Super Cup on January 16, 2019. The match has been confirmed to be played in Jeddah, even after many people, including Amnesty International, have called for it to be moved to a different venue following the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and their human rights record.

WHAT GOES AROUND…

Silvio Berlusconi claims that he lost last year’s Italian general election because of Li Yonghong. Berlusconi feels that 2.5 million Milan fans punished him for selling the club to someone who wasn’t capable. So, maybe his polls are correct, and Milan fans did want to punish him, or maybe they just don’t want him running the country again.

DID YOU

Inter will need to earn close to €50 million on player sales by June 30 in order to meet their Financial Fair Play obligations, according to some reports. The Nerazzurri are currently operating under restrictions as part of a settlement agreement they made with UEFA, which has been extended into a fourth year. It is possible that they may need to sell one of their star players to make up the €50 million.

KNOW?

TOTTI HOF

Francesco Totti was honoured as an inductee into Roma’s Hall of Fame during an emotional ceremony prior to their Champions League match against Real Madrid. Totti of course is a club legend, having spent his entire 25-year career with the Giallorossi. Roma officially inducted Totti into their Hall of Fame immediately after he retired at the end of last season, but delayed the public ceremony to honour him. Totti was visibly touched during the ceremony as fans chanted his name and held up banners to thank him for his service to the club.

RIDING THE GRAVY TRAIN

British fund Lindsell Train have increased their stake in Juventus from 10 percent to 11.3 percent, making them the biggest shareholders after the Agnelli family. Despite recording a loss for the 2017/18 season, the club’s share prices rose in the wake of the Cristiano Ronaldo signing.

Exor, the holding company controlled by the Agnelli family, has a 63.77 percent stake in the club.

MAX BENCHED

Max Allegri received the Panchina d’Oro (Golden Bench) award for best Italian Coach of 2018. Allegri defeated Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri and Lazio’s Simone Inzaghi to the award. Max Allegri has now become the coach with the most Panchina d’Oro victories with four after winning it in 2008/09 with Cagliari, 2014/15 with Juventus and last year with Juventus as well.

REF OUT OF ORDER

• With Cesare Prandelli replacing Ivan Juric at Genoa, this is the first time since 2006/07 that all 20 Serie A coaches are Italian.

• Juventus striker Moise Kean is the first Italy player to have been born in the 21st century, February 28, 2000.

• Mario Mandzukic’s opening goal against Milan was the 100th Juventus goal scored against the Rossoneri away from home.

Andrea Conti and Paolo Maldini received bans after they berated a referee. After a youth game against Chievo, in which Conti played in to get back into match shape, Conti was spotted catching up to the ref at his locker room and insulted him all the while preventing him from entering the room. The Milan defender was given a three-match ban for the incident, while director Maldini was also given a ban for entering the referee’s room and insulting him. According to reports the two men were furious with the ref because he was mocking Maldini’s son Daniel during the match, called another player fat and made fun of a third player for wearing braces.

OOOOOPS

Former Juventus striker Vincent Pericard has claimed that his career with the Bianconeri ended early because of an accidental text message to Roberto Bettega’s girlfriend.

Pericard, at the time, was considered one of Europe’s top prospects when he joined Juventus, but later became a journeyman in English football. While at Juve, Pericard was having Italian lessons with a beautiful tutor, and one evening he decided to message her, inviting her for a drink. Unfortunately, for Pericard, the tutor was the girlfriend of Juventus legend and then vice-chairman Roberto Bettega. Of course, things didn’t go well for him once Bettega found out, and Pericard was subsequently loaned out to Portsmouth. What could have been, if not for that text…

YOU CAN’T COME IN

The saga in Italy’s second and third divisions is finally over. The Italian football federation (FIGC) has ruled that Serie B should continue with 19 teams, while all Serie C sides should resume playing. Following the bankruptcies of Avellino, Bari and Cesena, Serie B decided not to replace them. A number of teams in Serie C launched legal appeals to be added to Serie B, which have been heard in various levels of court and after a back and forth between the clubs and the league, a decision was finally made to keep Serie B at 19 teams.

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THIS LONG IN PRISON

2006 World Cup winner Vincenzo Iaquinta has been sentenced to two years in prison for illegally holding firearms amid links with the Calabrian mafia. The 38-yearold was found guilty following the conclusion of the largest investigation into mafia activity in Northern Italy. Evidence showing Iaquinta with mafia members emerged during the process, though he says he is innocent and was only being punished for being born in Calabria.

RICH ROMA

Roma made close to €84 million from their run to the Champions League semi-finals last season, second only to winners Real Madrid. UEFA released a breakdown of the financial distribution from last season’s competition, which revealed Roma as the second-highest earners, making even more than finalists Liverpool. The figures released only take into account prize money and television money from UEFA, they do not include ticket sales.

Juventus earned just over €80 million after being knocked out in the quarter-finals, while Napoli made just under €39 million after being eliminated in the group stage.

THIRSTY WORK

IF YOU LOVE CHEESE, WELCOME TO YOUR NEW SHOPPING ADVENTURE…

Inter have announced a two-year partnership with PepsiCo-owned Gatorade. The deal sees Gatorade served as the official sports drink of the Nerazzurri for the remainder of the season and the 2019/20 campaign. The collaboration strengthens Gatorade’s ties to soccer, adding to their partnership with the UEFA Champions League which began in 2015. This partnership, they said, represents the shared values both parties have in terms of determination and a desire to achieve increasingly ambitious goals.

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SOUR GRAPES

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has said he is interested in purchasing a club in England. It’s hard to say if this is just more talk from De Laurentiis in expressing his frustration surrounding Napoli’s San Paolo stadium. De Laurentiis wants to renovate the stadium, and in order to do so, he would need to purchase it from the city. If the city does not allow him to buy the stadium, the Napoli president has said he will take the club away and build a new ground elsewhere.

BY THE NUMBERS 100 Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first player to win 100 Champions League matches.

77 Roma had 77% possession in the first half against Udinese.

ZLATAN UNITED

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for many of the world’s top clubs over his career, whether it was in Serie A, La Liga, the Premier League, or Ligue 1. In promoting his new book ‘I Am Football’, the Swede posted an image on Instagram revealing his dream XI, consisting of players he had as a teammate. In net he has Gianluigi Buffon with Lilian Thuram, Thiago Silva, Alessandro Nesta and Maxwell making up the back four. The midfield three consists of Patrick Vieira, Xavi and Pavel Nedved, while up front there’s Zlatan, of course, with Messi and Ronaldinho. He also listed Julio Cesar, Iniesta, Cannavaro, Gattuso and Seedorf as subs. That’s a very good team.

300 Leonardo Bonucci has played more than 300 games as a starter in Serie A. 876 Giovanni Simeone ended his 876 minute goal-drought in Serie A after scoring against Sassuolo.

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Around Italy

NEW GRADS

Leonardo, Paolo Tagliavento, Morgan De Sanctis and Cristian Zaccardo have graduated from Coverciano after completing sporting director courses with the Italian Football Federation. Leonardo is currently Milan’s technical director, while De Sanctis and Zaccardo retired from professional football. De Sanctis is currently Roma’s team manager. Tagliavento stopped refereeing at the end of last season to begin a new career in sport management.

WHAT A STEAL “If you come here and know that we’re bottom of the table with a three-point penalty, you must realise it’ll be a battle to the end. What irritated me was that we all worked so hard to understand his style of football, absorb and implement it. His approach was not something we were accustomed to at Chievo, but we tried our best. Just as we were starting to get to grips with it, he walks away!

That really angered me, because it was like throwing away a whole month.” Sergio Pellissier did not hold back after coach Giampiero Ventura resigned as Chievo manager after just four games.

“My mum doesn’t want me to [drive], she’s scared! Sooner or later you get used to the Neapolitan style of driving which is… peculiar. I gave my car to my brother, I rented one here.” - Fabian Ruiz on adjusting to life in Napoli following his move from Real Betis.

Serie B side Palermo has been sold for €10 (yes, you read that correctly) to a Londonbased company, as confirmed by outgoing owner Maurizio Zamparini. The 77-year-old owned the club since 2002 and during that time he appointed more than 40 managers.

Zamparini stepped down as club president last year following a failed takeover bid, but has managed to sell the club now for a “symbolic price” to Global Futures Sports.

The new owners will work towards settling the club’s outstanding debt of €22.8 million and will also put in plans to build a new stadium and training centre.

midfielder Gianluca Mancini shows his love for Inter icon Marco Materazzi by getting a tattoo in his honour.

“I had specific conditions, not difficult ones, but it was a long list. The problem was that after 20 minutes PSG said yes to everything! I’m a man of my word, so I said: ‘if you agree then I can come’.” Zlatan Ibrahimovic reveals he didn’t want to sign for Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 as he was happy at Milan following a difficult period at Barcelona.

40 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

THATSA MA BOY

THE OLD LADY DUNKS

“I was 16 years old and playing in the Fiorentina youth team, but I got a tattoo of the number 23 in honour of Marco Materazzi. I liked the idea of a visible example of my football idol.” - Atalanta

After 10 years of domination by Ronaldo and Messi, someone else has finally won the Ballon d’Or trophy. Both of Ronaldo’s sisters took to social media to display their displeasure with the results. Elma Aveiro posted a photo of her brother with one of his five Ballon d’Ors with the caption, “Unfortunately this is the world we live in, rotten, with mafia and *expletive* money.”

His other sister, Katia Aveiro, posted a picture and wrote, “Best player in the world… for those who understand football of course.”

Are they justified or are they just upset?

IS IT STILL LIVE?

Serie A’s marketing and media rights consultant Infront Sports has launched an augmented app allowing spectators to stream matches they attend. The platform features a chatbot to assist fans during match day. Sampdoria fans were the first to test the new platform during their 4-1 win over Bologna.

• Juventus have progressed to the Champions League last 16 in five consecutive campaigns for the first time in their history.

• In their last seven games played, Italy have failed to score in the first half.

• Giorgio Chiellini is just the seventh player to reach 100 appearances with the Italian National team.

BY THE NUMBERS 3 On matchday 14, Sampdoria scored 3 goals with their first 3 shots.

GO GIORGIO

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini is the only Italian to be included in UEFA’s 50 candidates for its Team of the Year. He is joined by teammates Miralem Pjanic, Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo, who won a third consecutive Champions League title last season. Other Serie A stars included in the 50 are Roma pair Kostas Manolas and Edin Dzeko, their former goalkeeper Alisson, and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.

ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

AND THE WINNER IS…

KNOW?

• Italy have kept three clean sheets in a row for the first time since March 2017.

Sassuolo coach Roberto De Zerbi has rejected allegations he was pressured by the local mafia into signing two players for Foggia. De Zerbi was with the club from 2014-16, and a statement from a prosecutor claims that the team signed two players knowing they had no significant sporting talent. The players were Antonio Bruno, son of former mob boss Rodolfo, and Luca Pompilio. De Zerbi has come out with a statement via his lawyer denying allegations of impropriety.

Juventus have teamed up with the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for a special themed night dedicated to the Serie A side. For Brooklyn’s match against Toronto, the Barclays Center arena was decorated with Juventus branding.

Prior to tip-off, a watch party was held for Juventus’ match against Inter, with it being broadcasted on screens across the arena.

This was the first time an Italian soccer team collaborated with an NBA franchise during an NBA match. Juventus club ambassador David Trezeguet was in attendance alongside the club’s mascot Jay.

DID YOU

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has hit out against Financial Fair Play, saying it doesn’t work. UEFA have introduced the measures to try and ensure financial stability, but clubs like Manchester City and Paris-Saint Germain have been accused of evading it. De Laurentiis insists that Financial Fair Play does not work and that it is not applied.

If it were applied, De Laurentiis says that half of the Serie A clubs would have to close down.

IVAN A NEW CAR

Ivan Gazidis has officially begun his tenure as Milan CEO. The former Arsenal chief is reportedly being paid €4 million per year to lead the club back to its former glory.

Gazidis was able to double Arsenal’s revenue during his time there and Elliot Management are looking for him to so the same at Milan.

His first few tasks at the club will include a meeting with Fly Emirates to renegotiate the contract, and Puma to present a new business plan. Milan is also looking to get an automobile sponsorship, with the Audi deal expiring two years ago.

66 Udinese’s match against Sassuolo ended their run of 66 games without a 0-0 draw.

43 Juventus, with 43 points, have equaled the best ever start after 15 matchdays in the top five European leagues during the threepoint era.

DON'T MESS WITH ME

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has introduced stronger sanctions to fight violence against referees. The changes were made following a number of incidents in the lower leagues. Violence that does not require medical attention is subject to a minimum one-year ban, while acts that do require medical assistance will receive a minimum two-year ban. The sanctions cover everyone including coaches, directors and players.

Boys

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AWARD WINNERS

The Serie A awards were handed out for the 2017-18 season at the annual ‘Gran GalĂ del Calcio’ ceremony. The awards were voted on by the AIC (Italian Players’ Association). The Serie A Team of the year includes four Juventus players, two from Lazio, two from Roma and one each from Inter and Napoli: Alisson; Cancelo, Koulibaly, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Pjanic, Milinkovic-Savic, Nainggolan; Dybala; Icardi, Immobile. Other award recipients include Gianluca Rocchi for Referee of the year, Sandro Tonali for best player in Serie B and Max Allegri for coach of the year. As for the Serie A Player of 2017-18, Mauro Icardi received the most votes and took home the prize.

ECG ERROR?

Tests have allegedly showed that former Fiorentina captain Davide Astori had extra heartbeats less than a year before his tragic death last March. According to reports, Astori took two electrocardiograms in July 2016 and July 2017 in order to be declared fit to play. However, both tests showed small clues that his heart didn’t work correctly.

A professor from the University of Padua, an expert in the field of cardiology, suggested that the ex-Viola captain should have been subjected to more in-depth examinations. The prosecutor has since opened an investigation.

MORE ITALIANS IN

Italian Football Federation director, Michele Uva, has confirmed that the third UEFA competition will permit an additional Italian team to participate in Europe. The new competition was recently confirmed by UEFA and is set to start in 2021. The participation of smaller federations will increase, aiming to have the smaller clubs that do not reach the final phases of the Champions League and Europa League to still have a part in European competition.

La LigaTitle Here LA LIGA

REAL MADRID SOUGHT TO SALVAGE THEIR SEASON BY FIRING JULEN LOPETEGUI AND THEY HOPE THE IN-HOUSE APPOINTMENT OF SANTIAGO SOLARI WORKS. EUAN MCTEAR LOOKS AT WHAT THE ARGENTINE OFFERS.

‘Julen Lopetegui'S TERM ONLY LASTED 138 days’

I

‘For some, it was a headscratcher that Solari had even been appointed at all.’

42 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

t certainly worked out the last time Real Madrid promoted the Coach of Castilla, their B team, to the first-team head coaching role. Zinedine Zidane managed to win nine trophies in just two and a half years in charge of Los Blancos, including three Champions League titles, so why couldn’t it happen again with Santiago Solari?

The Argentine was the chosen one to take over once the decision was finally made to put Julen Lopetegui out of his misery and to sack the Basque after posting a record of seven wins, three draws and six defeats and after a 5-1 humiliation in October’s Clasico.

At first, Solari was a temporary appointment. Real Madrid had a fortnight to evaluate him before having to decide on whether or not to offer a permanent contract, but a record of four wins from his first four games, with 15 goals scored and just two conceded, convinced them that he could do the job. He was duly handed a contract until 2021.

For many, the length of the deal was a shock. For some, it was a headscratcher that Solari had even been appointed at all. His time at Castilla had been underwhelming and the club even considered replacing him as the B team’s boss during the summer months, following two seasons in which they’d finished 11th and then eighth in their group in the Segunda B, the 80-team third tier of Spanish football, when the objective had been promotion. The start to the 2018-19 campaign was much better, but it wasn’t as if Solari had been pulling up trees since day one.

For Solari, Castilla had been his first taste of coaching in the Spanish footballing pyramid, after having previously earned his stripes at the lower levels of the Real Madrid academy. His route into management and then to the Real Madrid first-team job was almost identical to his former teammate Zidane’s, but there are a

ABOVE: Julen Lopetegui was sacked after just 138 days in charge.

LEFT: Santiago Solari was brought in as a temporary appointment and then given a permanent deal to 2021.

couple of important differences to keep in mind.

One is that Solari’s results at Castilla weren’t as impressive as the Frenchman’s, as Zidane boasted a winning percentage of 46 percent, compared to the Argentine’s 37 percent. The other key difference is that Zidane possessed a certain unmatchable aura, the kind that could bend the club’s superstars to his will. Solari, who played for the capital city club between 2000 and 2005, may have been next to Zidane in many of the title-winning photos plastered on the walls of the club museum, but he was never front and centre. He was never a Galactico.

From day one, Solari has been keen to play down comparisons with Zidane. “Zidane you cannot compare with anyone,” he told reporters at one press conference. “He was a legend as a player and was someone who I had the good fortune to battle and sweat alongside.

“As a Coach, he might be the most successful in Real Madrid's history,” Solari continued. “I look at him too as a great human being. So we should not compare him with anyone. Leave him alone in his greatness.”

However, it’s inevitable that Solari will be measured against the Coach who so recently led Los Blancos to an unprecedented three consecutive Champions League titles and who was promoted into the job in similar fashion.

Countless articles have appeared in the local newspapers linking Solari’s decisions to those made by his predecessor’s predecessor.

So what about Solari’s decisions? What has he changed at the club since taking over from Lopetegui? The main difference is that the 42-year-old has been playing his squad members in their natural positions as much as possible. Lopetegui was reluctant to use raw talents like backup right-back Alvaro Odriozola and backup left-back Sergio Reguilon whenever Dani Carvajal and Marcelo were injured or suspended, but Solari trusted the 22-yearold and 21-year-old enough to play them in his first matches. Similarly, he brought Marcos Llorente back from the footballing wilderness to replace Casemiro when the Brazilian was out injured and the young defensive midfielder did an excellent job of filling in for the starter. Part of this has to do with his belief in young players, which also explains why the likes of Vinicius Junior, Fede Valverde and Javi Sanchez have also seen their playing time dramatically increase.

Tactically, there has been a shift back to the kind of vertical football that worked so well for Real Madrid over the previous three campaigns, with wide players like Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius earning more playing time at the expense of silky passers like Isco. Lopetegui tried to install a possessionbased style at the club, but the long series of side-to-side passes often failed to pose issues for opposition defences. Across Solari’s first month in charge, average possession in League matches was down to 57 percent, compared to the 66 percent under Lopetegui, while passes per game dropped from 411 to 162. At the same time, goals per game increased from 1.4 to 2.0.

It remains to be seen whether or not this can be sustainable. The get-the-ball-inthe-box-as-quickly-as-possible tactics of old worked so well because Real Madrid had one of the best penalty area predators in the game in Cristiano Ronaldo. Getting the ball into the feet of Karim Benzema or Mariano Diaz isn’t quite the same. Against certain teams, this plan simply won’t work.

This was the case in the 3-0 loss away at Eibar in late November, Solari’s first setback on the job after starting off with four victories in a row. Eibar batted away everything that was thrown into their penalty area, while their high line also frustrated the visitors from the capital’s long-ball game, with Benzema caught offside seven times, a record for the striker.

The good news for the Argentine tactician is that, like every Real Madrid Coach, he’ll

WOE-PETEGUI

be judged on what happens in Europe, where the opposition are more ambitious and less likely to play in the style of teams like Eibar. Los Blancos will come up against teams they can trouble through direct football and teams they can counter attack against, as they have been doing in the Champions League over the past three years.

They still harbour hopes of challenging for the league title and the fact that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have been dropping points like Hansel and Gretel do breadcrumbs means that there is still a chance they could win the domestic championship. The focus, though, will be on Europe and this may be the most likely opportunity for collecting major silverware in Solari’s debut season.

With the Champions League as competitive as ever, the reality is that there is a strong chance that Real Madrid’s tight grip on the European Cup will loosen in 2018-19. What that would mean for Solari is unclear. He has a contract until 2021, but few coaches at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu are ever allowed to leave on their own terms. Zidane was an exception in that regard. Failure to lead Real Madrid to victory at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, the home of their neighbours Atletico Madrid, in June’s final could be costly for the rookie tactician, especially with several coaches who boast impressive CVs set to become available in the summer. Solari is not Zidane, even more so if he fails to achieve the immediate success of the French icon.

JULEN LOPETEGUI’S TIME IN CHARGE OF REAL MADRID WAS COMPLICATED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, GIVEN THE NATURE OF HIS EXIT FROM THE SPAIN TEAM, EUAN MCTEAR WRITES. Julen Lopetegui wasn’t doomed to fail at Real Madrid, but the manner of his appointment certainly didn’t help him as he embarked on the challenge.

Having agreed to join Los Blancos after the World Cup, the 52-year-old was dramatically sacked by the Spanish FA on the eve of the tournament and, therefore, took over at Real Madrid as one of the most divisive figures in Spanish football.

His first match was a very tricky one and a very important one, as he took his new team to Estonia to face Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. Following an even 90 minutes, which ended with Marcelo missing a game-winning chance, Diego Simeone’s side triumphed in extra time for a 4-2 win.

At that point, Lopetegui was already up against it and, following a promising start to the season, a 481-minute goal drought between September and October saw them drop points in Europe and in domestic competition, quickly warming up the hotseat.

A narrow 2-1 win at home against Viktoria Plzen bought the under-fire Coach some more time, but the 5-1 humbling they suffered at the hands of Barcelona in El Clasico in October spelt the end for a man who started the year dreaming of winning the World Cup and who ended it having been sacked from two of the biggest jobs in world football.

LOOKING LONG-TERM ABOVE: Real Madrid topped their Champions League group with a round to spare and now target a fourth consecutive title.

BOTTOM: The 18-year-old superstar Vinicius Junior has played much more under Solari after earning just 12 minutes under Lopetegui.

SANTIAGO SOLARI HAS A CONTRACT UNTIL 2021, BUT HE MIGHT NOT MAKE IT PAST THE SUMMER. THIS IS, AFTER ALL, REAL MADRID… The lengths of managerial contracts don’t mean as much at Real Madrid as they do at other clubs, so the fact that Santiago Solari has a contract that runs until 2021 isn’t a guarantee that he’ll start next season in the dugout of the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Of course, he is in an excellent position to remain in charge and the collection of at least one major trophy in 2018-19 would massively help his cause. But what if Real Madrid decide to look elsewhere?

The dream candidate for the Spanish club is Mauricio Pochettino. They have long admired the Tottenham boss, but were aware that he was unattainable in the middle of a season and couldn’t go after him in October. He may even prove to be unattainable in the summer, but he’d be a perfect fit due to his track record of working with young players, his reputation as one of the top tacticians in the sport and the fact that he has experience of La Liga from his time playing and coaching at Espanyol.

Arsene Wenger, Antonio Conte, Roberto Martinez and Guti were all also mentioned as options when it came to replacing Lopetegui, but for one reason or another they weren’t preferred to Solari. For Wenger, he was too late. For Conte, he was seen as too volatile. Martinez was thought to be too unproven at this level. And Guti was too raw. These perceptions may have changed by the time the summer comes, so they may once again be linked with what is one of the biggest jobs in football.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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LA LIGA

BUSQ SERGIO BUSQUETS IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MIDFIELD PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. HERE THE BARCELONA STAR TELLS SOCCER 360 HOW HE STAYS HUNGRY, WHY HE DOESN’T MIND BEING A SNOW PLOUGH, AND THAT NOBODY COMPARES WITH MESSI

BY THOMAS UNSWORTH

SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN AT BARCELONA YOU HAVE WON 28 TITLES – COULD YOU EVER IMAGINE THAT LEVEL OF SUCCESS? I remember my first hope was to make the first team – I could never have imagined everything that has come after.

WHAT KEEPS YOU HUNGRY FOR MORE? Everything that has been achieved is in the past – I am always looking for more success with the team. Once I am retired, I can look back – but at the moment I am only looking at this season and it being another successful one.

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WE KNOW AT BARCELONA ALL TROPHIES ARE CONSIDERED IMPORTANT – BUT IS THERE SOMETHING EXTRA SPECIAL ABOUT THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? There is – it is a very special competition that I have been able to win 3 times. The way we exited the competition last season hurt – and we want to make it right this season.

BARCELONA ARE THE FAVORITES ALONG WITH MANCHESTER CITY AND JUVENTUS – DOES THAT MEAN ADDED PRESSURE? No not really – because the expectation is always there for Barcelona to win The Champions League. We believe we can – but there are many strong teams. You have mentioned 2 of the best – but there are more.

QUETS on ONEonONE YOU ARE REGARDED AS ONE OF THE BEST MIDFIELD PLAYERS IN EUROPE – WHO WAS YOUR IDOL GROWING UP? I am not sure I had an idol – but there were players I liked to watch who I had tactical similarities with. Firstly, there was Patrick Vieira – and then later Xavi and Yaya Toure who of course I got to play with.

Xavi once called you the snow plough “CLEARING ALL BEFORE YOU.” IS “THE BUSQUETS ROLE” UNDERAPPRECIATED? It is not important for me – I don’t need the lead role. The strikers who score the goals get the big plaudits and I am happy with that. I am not selfish I would rather they score. I love the role that I play.

SINCE YOU WERE A TEENAGER YOU HAVE BEEN AT BARCELONA – WAS THERE ANY OTHER OPTION TO BE ANYTHING BUT A SOCCER PLAYER? For me no – football was everything to me growing up. As a kid you would find it impossible to see me without a football.

YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW TOP LEVEL PLAYERS WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA. YOU HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN QUITE CRITICAL OF IT IN THE PAST HAVEN’T YOU? It is not for me – there are so many issues with it – with fake profiles and people just using it to say whatever they want. I don’t even like to message my friends and family – I prefer to pick up the phone and have a conversation.

YOU HAVE PLAYED WITH MESSI FOR MANY YEARS – IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SAY THAT HASN’T ALREADY BEEN SAID ABOUT THE LITTLE GENIUS? I do not think so. There are many great players – but with Messi he stands alone – there is no comparison. He has been the best for many years and he will be the best until he decides to retire.

THE NEW YEAR IS WHEN THE FIGHT FOR TROPHIES HEATS UP – WHAT IS THE AMBITION THIS SEASON? To win everything. I am not going to say we are going to prioritise this over that – because at Barcelona the ambition is always to win everything.

10 Things TO KNOW Puyol gave Busquets his number 5 to wear

1. The Spaniard was relatively obscure when he joined FC Barcelona first team almost a decade ago in 2008.

But since then, Busquets has become one of the club’s most creative players alongside titans like Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

2. The prolific midfielder has only ever played professionally for Barcelona. He recently renewed his contract through to 2023 with a buy out clause of €500m.

3. Busquets made such a massive impression at Camp Nou that despite only becoming apart of the club’s first team in 2008, he made his international debut for Spain less than a year later in 2009.

4. Since debuting internationally for Spain, the midfielder helped the country win the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championships.

5. Barcelona legend, Carles Puyol’s requested for his comrade Busquets inherit his #5 jersey after he retired in 2014. The two had a strong relationship during Puyol’s years at the club.

6. The Busquets name has been among the Barcelona elite since before Sergio’s first team appearance. The Spaniard’s father was a keeper for the club in the 1990s – mainly as a back-up.

7. The 30-year-old has been able to maintain firstteam status for a decade but continues to be widely underrated for just how vital he is to the Barcelona winning framework. Former club gaffer – Luis Enrique – hailed him as one of the best midfielders in world football.

8. Busquets averages a 90% passing accuracy. A statistic that directly influences Barcelona’s attacking prowess as 76% of his passes are forward ones.

9. Busquets sports an Arabic tattoo on his left forearm, which translates to "A thing for you, the life in my country". The tattoo was dedicated to his maternal grandfather to whom he was very close.

10. Internationally Busquets has only notched two goals in over 111 appearances for his country and seven for Barcelona in 300 appearances.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY

Freefall Time

THE GOOD

La Liga is definitely not short of top quality goalscorers, and while Uruguay international Cristhian Stuani might not be the most recognisable name from the Spanish top flight, he is certainly proving that he can cut it with the best strikers in 2018-19.

After forgettable spells in both Italy and the lower leagues in Spain, he joined Middlesbrough in 2015, and after that did not work, out he headed back for Spain for another bite at the cherry, with Girona.

At 32, he is certainly making up for lost time – particularly when you consider that he did not make a top flight appearance in Europe until the age of 24 – and he is quietly leading the way in the La Liga scoring charts.

He netted 21 League goals in Girona's debut in La Liga in 2017-18, bettered only by four players last season, and his form so far in this campaign is disproving any doubts that he could be a one season wonder.

Stuani's performances are easing the expected hangover from the departure of Girona's former Coach Pablo Machin, to Sevilla, as the Catalan side enters into only their second ever season in La Liga.

He has consistently been the vital difference for Girona this season, with key goals

46 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

against Villarreal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, leading the line and providing a platform for their younger attackers to thrive.

With Stuani slowly beginning to feel the breath of more and more of La Liga's leading defenders on his neck, he has incorporated a greater amount of link up play into his all round play, allowing Pedro Porro and Patrick Roberts to thrive in the space behind him, all the while still ensuring he is on hand to provide the finishing touch when needed.

THE BAD

Athletic Bilbao are in a state of La Liga freefall, entering the crucial Christmas and New Year period with just one win, and the Basque side are in very real danger of relegation from La Liga for the first time in their 120 year history.

Answers are never easy to find in these situations, but the common theme in their decline does appear to be the exit of Ernesto Valverde, to Barcelona, back in 2017. Valverde secured a period of consistent European qualification, and League placings not seen at the club since the title wins in the early 1980s, during his four seasons at the helm.

He was replaced at the start of last season

ABOVE: THE GOOD, Cristhian Stuani LEFT: THE BAD, Athletic Bilbao BOTTOM, OPPOSITE PAGE: THE UGLY, Gerard Pique

GOING UP / DOWN GOING UP

Alaves are the only one of La Liga's lesser lights that have manage to maintain their form, and remain in the European qualification spots.

Much of their success has been down to the pragmatic approach of Abelardo Fernandez, who has built a solid defensive unit with Ibai Gomez and Ruben Sobrino excelling in attack.

Tough tests lie ahead for former Spain international defender Abelardo, but they are flying high as the season approaches half way.

by Cuco Ziganda, his former reserve team Coach. However he proved to be a disaster, finishing in 16th, their lowest finish for over a decade. The club moved to replace him in the summer with former Celta Vigo and Sevilla boss Eduardo Berizzo to provide some stability.

But he has already been relieved of his post following the horror start to the season, with the club's board looking to be proactive in their attempts to stop the rot at San Mames, and avoid the relegation scramble of Ziganda in 2017-18.

With an ageing squad, including Aritz Aduriz, Raul Garcia and Markel Susaeta, approaching the end of their careers, major surgery was needed in the summer, but it didn’t happen in the crossover between Ziganda and Berizzo.

And now, with just 11 points gained from their opening 14 games, Athletic face some huge fixtures over December and January.

The club have again looked internally for a solution, with Gaizka Garitano promoted to first team coach, and charged with the task of overseeing a dramatic turnaround to save Los Leones from a disastrous slide into the relegation zone on a permanent basis.

FIVE for 2019

FROM A LACK OF THOUGHT FOR MATCH-GOING FANS TO MORE EXCITEMENT AT THE END OF THE SEASON, COLIN MILLAR SUGGESTS HOW SPANISH FOOTBALL CAN IMPROVE IN 2019.

Barcelona have won the Copa del Rey four years in a row — the competition needs a new winner

THE UGLY

GOING DOWN

Atletico Madrid were rocked by the news that striker Diego Costa will be out of action for three months foot injury.

Costa has been getting back to his old self in November, scoring against Barcelona and causing headaches defenders across La Liga, however he will sidelined until at least March after undergoing surgery.

Diego Simeone could dip into the transfer market in January, or call on Nikola Kalinic or Gelson Martins to partner Antoine Griezmann in the Los Rojiblancos attack, but Atletico’s hopes of success — domestically and on the European front — will rest a great deal on how Cholo and his team cope.

Barcelona's start to the 2018-19 La Liga season has been a positive one, as they seek to retain their League title, in the face of their great rivals Real Madrid's enduring a testing time.

The Catalans established a narrow lead over the chasing pack, at the top of the table, and Ernesto Valverde's side secured their passage into the knockout stages of the Champions League for the 15th consecutive season.

However the former Athletic Bilbao Coach has had quell rumours of potential rifts between certain senior players in the early stages of the campaign.

Gerard Pique's row with his teammates was an issue for Valverde to address in his postmatch Press conference following their first defeat at Camp Nou since in September 2016, against Real Betis in November.

Barca are still the team to beat in La Liga, but the row between Pique and Luis Suarez, and then Arturo Vidal, at full time of the 4-3 loss has opened supporters eyes to potential frictions in the squad.

Suarez was reportedly unhappy at Pique not passing on to him on a number of occasions during the match, and the Spain international later rowed with summer signing Vidal, after a mix up between them saw Betis scored their winning goal.

Pique, who retired from international duty following the 2018 World Cup, is regularly the recipient of excessive criticism in the domestic media, and moved to diffuse the situation by dismissing it as a minor incident, and an inevitability following a defeat and the end of their proud home record.

But it worth keeping an eye on for the remainder of the campaign as Barcelona chase back to back title wins for the first time since 2016 under the management of Luis Enrique.

FEWER MONDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT MATCHES

A standard La Liga weekend round of games includes matches which are not technically on weekends – 20% of them, if not more.

These games are often poorly-attended with particular clubs — those not in European competition — affected.

This is good for TV companies, but highly inconvenient for fans who work long hours during the week — some games kick-off at 21:00 local time.

MORE THOUGHT FOR MATCH GOING FANS

Early-morning kick-offs, games played in high heats, excessive ticket prices, shoddy facilities and being treated with contempt are among the problems for football fans in Spain.

Fan representatives need to be appointed to address this myriad of concerns. At a time when La Liga is fixated on expanding abroad, they shouldn’t forget the supporters on their own doorstep at the same time.

THE RETURN OF FALLEN GIANTS

Everyone loves a fairy-tale and the promotions of Girona, Leganes, Eibar and Huesca are heart-warming. Yet perhaps the balance has tipped – there are a host of Spanish clubs struggling in the lower leagues.

Real Zaragoza, Real Mallorca, Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna are just four. Big clubs bring big crowds, nostalgia and real interest – it would be beneficial to see them return.

A DIFFERENT COPA DEL REY WINNER

Barcelona have won the Cup competition four years in a row. For the last eight seasons, only Barca, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have lifted the trophy.

Yet between 1999 and 2008, none of those clubs won the Copa del Rey but eight different clubs did. That was fun, and it would be better if the competitions were less predictable and more open.

A PROPER TITLE RACE

Last season Barcelona won the League by 14 points and did not lose a game until they had already won the title. It is all change this season – Barca dropped 13 points in their first 13 games alone.

Any League will suffer without a proper title race and it ensures the top clubs in the Division operate on their highest possible level.

Atletico Madrid look the most likely to provide a real challenge to Barca

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

47

Around Spain

“” QUOTES

“If you look at Ramos, he has more mistakes than me but he’s at Real Madrid. With Ronaldo, when you make a mistake, it’s 5-1, 5-2 and nobody sees the mistake. I’m quite unlucky, when I make the mistake it’s 1-0.” - Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren takes a swipe at Sergio Ramos sparking a feud between the two that may have been boiling up since last season’s Champions League final.

“I don’t know what the club are thinking.

It’s strange because I don’t have much of by contract left, but I plan to end my career here.” - Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba admits he finds it strange that the club have yet to offer him a new contract.

Alba has 18 months left on his current contract and is remaining calm regarding an extension because he knows an offer will arrive sooner rather than later.

IDEA FOR HOME Ever needed to use the washroom during a game and couldn’t wait until half-time? Well, if you’re a Real Madrid fan at the Santiago Bernabeu you don’t need to worry about missing any of the action.

The club have decided to install video screens on urinals at the stadium, allowing fans a chance to watch the game as they relieve themselves. Fellow La Liga side Leganes have already implemented a similar system.

DID YOU

KNOW?

BIG SPENDER

Former Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho reportedly has unpaid debts of up to €2 million.

He has also had his passport seized due to the money he owes. However, when it came to paying back that debt, Brazilian authorities found that he only had €6 in his bank account.

Ronaldinho, alongside his brother, were fined for illegal construction in a protected area. The Ballon d’Or winner put up his property for mortgage in hope of paying off the debt, but he had no luck due to the high interest rate.

DIRTY MONEY

According to a BBC reporter as part of the ‘Football Leaks’, Barcelona received two cash payments in relation to fielding Messi, Suarez and Neymar during the 2017 International Champions Cup. Barcelona would only receive full payments of $4 million and $9.75 million for their matches against Manchester United and Real Madrid if Messi, Neymar and Suarez all played at least one half each in both games. Not only were there stipulations for receiving full payments, but there were also punishments for failing to do so. If Messi did not play their pay would be cut $750,000. If Neymar and Suarez didn’t play the pay would be cut $600,000 and $450,000 respectively. If all three failed to play, the deducted fee would have been $2 million. The trio did feature in both games, netting Barcelona close to $14 million in a week.

A MESSY AWARD

“Yeah, I was surprised by that, to be honest. What can you say? It makes the award look a little diminished, although it was obviously a great goal by Salah.”

– Gareth Bale was shocked that his acrobatic goal in the Champions League final did not win the Puskas Award for the best goal of the year, while Salah’s goal was met with some controversy. Many people argued that his Puskas winning goal wasn’t even the best goal he scored that season.

“Now we can see that Messi was competing for the Ballon d’Or against Florentino Perez, not Cristiano.” - Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s opinion on Luka Modric winning the Ballon d’Or

48 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

• Brais Mendez is the first player to score on his Spain debut since Iago Aspas in 2016, both as Celta Vigo players.

La Liga president Javier Tebas is open to the possibility of naming an award after Lionel Messi. Javier said that the creation of such an award could happen once the Barcelona superstar decides to retire from professional football.

The league president believes it would be a good idea to create a trophy in the future for the best player of that season which features Messi’s name on it. Messi has been playing at Barcelona since he was a young teen and has won five Ballon d’Or’s so far in his career.

I CAN FIRE YOU

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos ‘liked’ an Instagram post that attacked teammate Thibaut Courtois. Following Madrid’s thumping 5-1 loss in the Clasico against Barcelona, a Real Madrid/ Ramos fan account uploaded a post bashing a few players including Courtois, Nacho and Raphael Varane. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Sergio Ramos liked the post. Clearly there is something not right within the Real Madrid camp, Lopetegui has already been sacked and reports have come out suggesting Ramos is the leader of the team, meaning he can approve any changes or hiring’s to the coaching role.

THE BABY APPROVES Shakira, alongside being an international pop star, has now added soccer mom to the list of who she is. The Colombian musician, who has two sons with Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, posted a video of her reaction to her son scoring a goal during a Barcelona youngsters training session. Shakira threw her arms in the air and ran down the touchline celebrating the goal.

• Santiago Solari is the first Real Madrid manager to win his first four competitive matches since Manuel Pellegrini in 2009.

• Karim Benzema has scored at least 10 goals in nine of this last ten seasons for Real Madrid in all competitions.

• For the first time ever in all competitions, Barcelona have lost a game in which Messi scored two or more goals.

• Marc ter Stegen is the German goalkeeper with the most appearances in La Liga.

NIKELONA JERSEY

Nike and Barcelona are celebrating their 20th anniversary of their partnership by releasing a limited edition mash up jersey. The limited-edition jersey features elements of all Barcelona kits worn by the club over the last two decades, from the 1998/99 season to 2017/18. It’s an interesting design to say the least, and like all things, the jersey has been met with mixed reviews. Nevertheless, Barca fans will be eager to pick one up.

A REAL MISTAKE

Everyone tries extra hard at the beginning of a new job.

The nerves, the excitement, they can get to you. That’s what happened to new Celta Vigo manager Miguel Cardoso when he accidentally thanked rivals Deportivo during his opening press conference at his new job. Miguel thanked ‘Real Club Deportivo’ instead of Real Club Celta. The manager quickly realized what he had done and corrected himself. Hopefully for Miguel this isn’t a bad omen for how his time at his new job is going to go.

COUCH POTATO OUSMANE

Barcelona fans are not happy with Ousmane Dembele’s behaviour after not showing up for the start of their league game against Real Betis. Dembele was left out of the squad for that match due to a technical decision. Per club rules, all players are required to go to the stadium 15 to 45 minutes before the start of the match and go to the dressing room at half time, except for certain circumstances. Dembele arrived at the Camp Nou two minutes after kick-off. This follows another incident where the Frenchman did not show up for training and could not be contacted for an hour and a half over the phone.

Reports have since come out that the talented Frenchman has an addiction to video games and junk food.

BY THE NUMBERS 14 Julen Lopetegui only managed 14 games for Real Madrid. The second fewest in club history.

30 There were 30 passes in the build-up to Phillipe Coutinho’s goal for Barcelona against Real Madrid.

45.8 Since the 2018 World Cup, David de Gea has only saved 45.8% of the shots he’s faced for Spain, 11 from 24.

TOUCHE

Dejan Lovren and Sergio Ramos have gotten themselves in a bit of a feud recently and it stepped up a notch after the duo faced off during a UEFA Nations League match.

Following Croatia’s last-minute winner against Spain in Zagreb, Lovren went live on Instagram and bragged about elbowing the Spain captain, Ramos. He even posted a picture of the incident and captioned it “Good Morning Croatia”. Some Ramos fans responded by editing Lovren’s Wikipedia page. The page was edited to read, “Known for elbowing Sergio Ramos and losing numerous finals and claims to be the best defender in the world.”

BETIS ON AMAZON

MAYBE NOT THE USA

La Liga have launched a petition to gain support for their proposal to host league games in the United States. Despite a lack of support, La Liga has moved ahead with preparations for a league game in Miami between Barcelona and Girona in January. The league’s North American branch has launched a campaign with a petition, looking for home grown support to get the match approved amid claims it will harm soccer in the US. So far, none of La Liga president’s proposals have been supported by the required governing bodies to have the game go ahead.

Real Betis have partnered with ecommerce giant Amazon that will see the La Liga side launch its official shop on the site in five European countries. Betis will add online stores to Amazon Spain, Italy, France, Germany and UK, becoming just the second side worldwide to do so, following Napoli. Alongside this season’s replica kits, other merchandise and items from previous seasons will also be available. This partnership comes as part of Betis’ international development strategy.

MORE MADIDAS

Real Madrid are set to sign a massive, record-breaking ten-year deal with Adidas.

The two parties are looking to extend their partnership until 2030. The extension will reportedly be worth €1.1 billion, which would see Adidas pay more than double the annual €52 million it currently commits to the La Liga club. If confirmed, the deal would see Los Blancos surpass rivals Barcelona’s kit deal with Nike and make Real Madrid the highest paid club on Adidas’ roster, exceeding their current deal with Manchester United.

WHERE TO GO

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is considering offers from Qatar, China and the US to host the next edition of the Spanish Super Cup, which features the previous season’s winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey. The US proposal is headed by entertainment company Relevant Sports, the company behind the controversial plans to stage La Liga games in North America. After this year’s Super Cup being held in Morocco, the RFEF is in favour of taking the match outside of Spain with Qatar and China thought to be favourites to host the match next year having made the most attractive financial offers.

CAN’T SIGN FROM LFC

According to some reports from AS, Barcelona agreed to not sign any Liverpool players for three seasons following the Coutinho move. In what was a long, dragged out transfer story beginning in the summer of 2017, Philippe Coutinho finally signed for Barcelona the following January. While a big loss for Liverpool, they seemed unaffected as the side reached the Champions League final. The good news for Liverpool is that there are still two seasons to go before Barca can sign anyone from their team. While, the good news for Barcelona is that they have some good young talent to potentially replace the ageing Suarez and Messi.

NO TO MEDIAPRO

Spanish broadcast company Mediapro, have reportedly had a €300 million bid for the naming rights to Barcelona’s Nou Camp rejected. The agency’s Chief Executive said that discussions were held between the two parties over a potential deal that was to be paid over a 20-year period. Talks between the two eventually broke down after Barcelona demanded that Mediapro withdraw their lawsuit against the club’s former president Sandro Rosell. Barcelona have been searching for a naming rights partner for almost three years now, with an agreement seen as a key part of the funding for the club’s planned renovations of the stadium.

EIBAR PRIDE

Eibar president Amaia Gorostiza has spoken of her pride of the club’s board being comprised of a female majority. Amaia says that it reflects the Basque city and society. There are no restrictions or policies in place at the club to have more women employed, but it’s rather a reflection of the city where women have always had a big role in society. Eibar have become a regular in La Liga following their inaugural promotion in 2015 and are currently the only side in La Liga to have a female CEO.

YES TO BARCERONA

Barcelona CEO Oscar Grau is not ruling out the club giving their backing to play La Liga games in China sometime in the future. Barcelona are very much on board with La Liga’s desire to feature league matches outside of Spain having already agreed to play against Girona in Miami. La Liga have recently moved some kick-off times earlier in order to appeal to the Asian markets. There are new markets, more fans to reach, and more money to make with potential sponsors and TV rights, but where does it end? How far will they go in appealing to all these different markets?

GOOD FOR YOU

Real Betis midfielder William Carvalho and Wolverhampton goalkeeper Rui Patricio have moved to help former club Sporting CP economically. The two former Sporting captains both left the club this summer amid off-field chaos.

Now, both Carvalho and Rui Patricio announced on their financial support over social media while also calling on other former players and fans to consider doing the same.

RAMOS BLACKMAIL

More Football Leaks were dropped revealing that Real Madrid captain, Sergio Ramos allegedly failed a drug test he took the day before the 2017 Champions League Final. The report also states that UEFA covered it up and took no action.

Both Real Madrid and Ramos have responded by denying the claims. Ramos has said that the publication threatened him with the news a month and a half before it leaked.

WHAT A PIQUE

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has been fined €48,000 for driving while having no points on his license. The offence took place in August and driving without points on your license is always classified as a crime, with the maximum punishment set as a six-month prison sentence. This isn’t Pique’s first incident. The former Spain international was fined €10,500 back in 2014 following an altercation with an officer, while in 2011 he was caught holding his son in his arms instead of having him in a child-seat.

Around Spain

SOAPY SANCHEZ

Real Betis star Joaquin Sanchez admitted he would love to have his own TV show when he eventually retires from football.

The 37-year-old is under contract until June 2020 but is wasting no time in planning his post-retirement move. What that TV show would be about, who knows. He hasn’t given much details on that. Perhaps he will star in some new Spanish show.

THE GLOVES ARE OFF

Sevilla’s Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium will compete against Vienna and Tbilisi for the right to host the 2021 Europa League final. The formal proposals from each venue must be submitted to UEFA by February 15, 2019. An executive committee will then decide upon the winner. The last time the city of Seville hosted was the 2003 UEFA Cup final, when Porto defeated Celtic 3-2. Sevilla have a special relationship with the competition, having won it more than any other club and five times since 2006.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

49

PAY YOUR TAXES!

Around Spain

Gareth Bale is the latest player to face allegations of unpaid tax in Spain, with the country’s revenue agency demanding €337,000. Bale has reportedly not declared his full image rights dating back to 2013, when he arrived in Madrid.

The Welshman has €200,000 of unpaid tax plus €100,000 in fines and €37,000 in interest. Bale joins Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and a number of other stars across Spanish football to have been caught up in similar legal issues.

“Courtois went to Real Madrid and earned the title of being the best goalkeeper in the world, but when he was with us Keylor Navas won the prize when he was at Levante... It’s much more difficult to play at Atletico than at other places because our story has always been more about work and effort.” Diego Simeone thinks Griezmann should have won the Ballon d’Or but believes Atletico Madrid players are less likely to be chosen for individual awards using an example from the 2013/14 La Liga best goalkeeper award.

Griezmann joked about the European Cup being more important than the World Cup after Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or. Griezmann finished third in the Ballon d’Or standings behind Ronaldo.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has criticized the proposed tax hikes in Spain and believes it could damage the league’s global standing. The government is proposing a tax hike which would include a 4% tax increase for incomes over €300,000. This would impact a number of Spain’s highest earners. If passed, Lionel Messi would now need to pay 52% on tax earnings as opposed to 48%.

Tebas fears that the tax increases will lead to as many as 20 elite players to depart from La Liga, and as a result they are working on a strategy to mitigate the impact as much as possible.

Real Madrid have denied their forward Vinicius Junior from attending the South American Under-20 tournament.

The tournament runs from January 20 to February 13 and the 18-year-old could be involved with Brazil.

However, Brazil Under-20 coach Carlos Amadeu has come out and said that Real Madrid have ruled out allowing any of their players to participate, because it is not on FIFA’s international calendar. Vinicius Junior in the meantime, is remaining hopeful that the club will reverse their decision and allow him to play.

SHARING PEPE “The journey has been very long and tough, but because of that I am even happier about all that is happening now… It is true that I have had to win a lot for this to happen, such as three Champions League title in a row and reaching the World Cup with a nation as small as Croatia, something that was unimaginable. Only then have others realised that football isn't just goals, goals and goals.” - Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric has credited his success this year on hard work and believes people have realized that football isn’t just goals.

Milan and Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina is helping to rescue troubled Spanish club Real Murcia by becoming a shareholder. Reina announced via Twitter that he purchased shares in the club, although he did not confirm how many shares he purchased, and urged others to follow suit. Real Murcia have had several changes of ownership recently, and now the third division side have been opened to the public. The club were offering shares at €1.22 for a minimum of ten.

DAVID VS GOLIATH

“To play the Copa Libertadores 10,000 kilometres away from home is shameful because our supporters have been robbed of the chance to watch it.” River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo hit out against CONMEBOL’s decision to move the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final to Madrid.

50 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

Atletico defender Lucas Hernandez has received a plaque on the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano’s Walk of Legends recently after making his 100th appearance for the club. Atletico Madrid gives out these plaques to players who have hit the 100-appearance milestone. The 22-yearold can now add another achievement to his list for 2018 which includes the Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and the World Cup.

DID YOU

KNOW?

YEAH, I’M THE TAXMAN

YOU CAN’T GO “It’s a pity that a Frenchman did not win. Maybe the European Cup is more important than the World Cup.” - Antoine

LUCAS HITS CENTURY

Not all clubs compete in numerous cup competitions, and thus have few opportunities to celebrate something. Well Eibar found the perfect occasion for a celebration.

The small Basque club defeated the mighty Real Madrid for the first time in their history, and they did it in style, with a 3-0 victory.

Club president Amaia Gorostiza went down to the dressing room, following the game, with a bottle of champagne. She opened the bottle before some of the players sprayed it around. Great scenes emerged of celebration and jubilation on a historic day for the club.

NO BLACK HOLE

• Real Betis coach Quique Setien is the only away manager to win at the Bernabeu and Camp Nou in La Liga in the last 10 seasons.

• Inaki Williams After conquering India with is the first the titles of Atletico Kolkata in player to score the Superleague during 2014 a brace at the and 2016, Atletico Madrid have Metropolitano returned to the country after versus Atletico signing a partnership with the Madrid in all competitions.

TATA Group. The alliance between the two will see the development • Thibaut of headquarters of the TATA Courtois is the Atletico Madrid Football Academy fourth player to in different cities across the play for both Real Madrid country. They will become centres and Atletico in of sports excellence led by the the Champions club’s professionals who will live League. in India to supervise. Furthermore, a group of young Indian talents will be chosen to participate in a long-term international comprehensive training programme to be held by Atletico in Madrid.

QUIET BURGLERY

Barcelona defender Jordi Alba’s house was reportedly robbed while he was in Italy for the Champions League match against Inter. The reports suggest that a group of people broke into the Spanish defender’s house and emptied the family safe. The thieves entered through a window on the upper floor and robbed the safe and rooms on that level. Alba’s family were on the ground floor of the villa and apparently didn't notice.

EUROVEGAS PLANS

Images of how the structure for how the EuroVegas project might look features the badge of La Liga side Getafe.

The Cora Global Group have presented new plans for the project after the previous plans were abandoned. The development will be called Elysium City and will cost a projected €3.5 billion in casinos, hotels, leisure and shopping centres, a heliport, golf courses, a sports centre and a 40,000seat stadium. With the images featuring Getafe’s logo, there is speculation that the club will move to the new structure.

DANI IS A FAVOURITE

BY THE NUMBERS

The city of Leganes has named Dani Carvajal as a favourite son. The award is presented to certain individuals who have done something special for the area.

Carvajal, who is from Leganes, a small city south of Madrid, was recognized at the Jose Saramago Civic Centre where the mayor of Leganes presented him with a special certificate. Dani Carvajal received the award for his achievements with Real Madrid, and becoming one of the best rightbacks in the world.

12 Barcelona have won their Champions League group for the 12th time in a row.

FREE BALLS FOR AFRICA

Three festive township tournaments in South Africa were again supported by La Liga over the holiday period. The KwaMahlobo Games, the Scara Ngobese Memorial Games and the New Year’s Cup drew thousands of fans to their venues throughout December. La Liga supports the tournaments by providing them with merchandise, kits, soccer balls and other equipment that they might require. The tournaments ran from December 15 to January 5, and consisted of 48 participating teams. La Liga, over the past few years, has secured partnerships with federations and leagues around the world in order to make their league more recognizable.

65 It took Nikola Vlasic 65 seconds to score for CSKA Moscow against Real Madrid 1947 Prior to this season, the last time Real Madrid had a negative goal difference after 10 La Liga games was the 1947/48 season.

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EXCITING ESPORTS

La Liga, in partnership with Electronic Arts, has announced the second edition of the Virtual La Liga eSports Santander tournament.

The competition has already commenced and will run through to May 2019. This year’s winner will walk away with an increased prize of €10,500, while the runner-up will receive €5250 and the semi-finalists will get €2625. Building on last season, where more than 2 million spectators were reached, the second edition of the tournament will feature a more competitive format and longer season. The regular season will consist of nine rounds of open competition, with each round lasting two weeks, beginning with online qualification and leading to a live showdown for the finalists of each round. Points will be awarded to the best performing competitors, and after the nine rounds are completed the 16 highest ranked competitors will be invited to the playoffs on May 11, 2019.

LA LIGA ON THE ROAD

La Liga have launched a new project as part of their latest installment of the leagues internationalization strategy which aims to bring the competition closer to every fan around the world.

La Liga Exhibition is the creation of a roadshow which will travel the world and bring the league’s history closer to fans. Mexico will host the first La Liga Exhibition in February 2019. The roadshow will also have areas dedicated to women’s football, corporate social responsibility projects through the La Liga Foundation, international sport projects and more. Fans will also be able to enjoy all the action with league fixtures broadcasted live in fan zones.

REAL MAD FOR REAL MADRID

According to Google data, Real Madrid were the most searched for team around the world in 2018. The reigning European champions topped internet searches in a total of 97 countries, leading several English clubs and Barcelona. The news comes after realmadrid. com finished 2017 as the most visited football club website in the world, with a worldwide audience of 1.1 million unique users. Manchester United finished second on the list with 884,000 while Barcelona rounded out the top three with 748,000.

EQUALITY FOR WOMEN

The Spanish Football Federation has modified its regulations in order to allow clubs in the country’s top two women’s divisions to sell their own naming rights.

The change comes in response to top-flight clubs already featuring sponsors in their names, like Granadilla Tenerife Egatesa (Egatesa is a Tenerife-based meat business). The Spanish football federation is hoping that the law change will encourage more external sponsors to sign deals with clubs, thus increasing revenue throughout the women’s game in Spain.

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Around Spain

GERARD – THE CLUB OWNER There has been speculation in the Spanish media that Gerard Pique has purchased La Liga 123 club Reus. CF Reus Deportiu are a Catalan-based club who are in Spain’s second tier, the first time they have been in the top two divisions in their history. While Pique has spoken of his desire to buy a football club, the defender has denied these reports as being false. It is thought that if Pique does buy a football club, it won’t happen until after he retires.

FILL THOSE SEATS “His words annoyed me a lot, because they are not true. Dani is telling a story that is far from the reality, and yes Betis may have erred by not signing a deal many months earlier but the player stalled for months. From my point of view it was clear that he was thinking only of himself and not about Betis, and ultimately it led to an exit that was not pleasant for anyone.” - Real Betis vice-president Jose Miguel Lopez Catalan responded to Dani Ceballos’ claims that his exit from the club was Betis’ fault, who stalled on a new deal and told lies about him to their fans.

According to research conducted by Spanish industry outlet Palco23, attendance in the country’s top two tiers of football have risen by 7.3 percent so far this season.

At the end of November, around 5.25 million spectators had attended the 295 games played across La Liga and the Segunda Division. This was the first time in history that more than 5 million tickets were sold across the two divisions in Spain before Christmas. La Liga is currently averaging an attendance of 27,500 so far this season.

FAMOUS GO FREE

The investigation into perjury of Luka Modric has been dropped by a court in Croatia. The charges related to the trial of former Dinamo Zagreb director Zdravko Mamic. Zagreb’s county court has confirmed that the charges, which could have led to a five-year jail sentence, have been dropped. The Croatian midfielder was alleged to have falsely said he had signed an annex to his contract in July 2004, despite reportedly telling investigators in 2015 it was only signed when he was playing at Tottenham.

CHAMPION VAR

“It’s true that we’d have loved to go through, but at least we’re staying in the highest tier. I also think there’s a team under construction with many young players. We’ll go step by step and put our faith in this group of players, who are sensational. There’s the obvious inclusion of a new generation. The Coach has all our confidence to bring through these young players.” - The Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales expressed his disappointment in Spain not qualifying out of their UEFA Nations League group, but is nonetheless happy with the work Luis Enrique is doing.

The UEFA Executive Committee has confirmed that VAR will be introduced into the Champions League this season. The technology will be implemented from the Round of 16 onwards. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, back in September, confirmed the technology would be introduced next season, however pressure from the clubs has brought this date forward. VAR is already in use across a number of top European leagues and was even used in last summer’s World Cup.

OLE LADIES

Spain have won the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Mexico 2-1 in the final. They have become the fifth country to win the tournament and have redeemed themselves after losing the 2014 final. Spain finished the tournament unbeaten, winning four and drawing two of their matches, while scoring 14 goals and conceding just three. New Zealand rounded out the podium by defeating Canada in the thirdplace match.

THAT’LL TEACH YOU

“But I can say that this is the best group that I have played with. Here we are a team. In other places some feel bigger than the rest, but here they are all on the same level, they are humble and they want to win.” - Cristiano Ronaldo heaps praise on his new teammates at Juventus while taking a sly dig at his ex-team Real Madrid.

52 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

Spanish police have stopped Boca Juniors ultra Maxi Mazzaro from entering the country at Barajas Airport and have sent him back to Argentina. Maxi claimed that he wasn’t going to the Copa Libertadores final second leg at the Bernabeu, but was instead making his way to Barcelona to spend Christmas there with his family. Maxi Mazzaro is considered to be one of the most violent Boca fans, and as such the Spanish authorities did not want to take any risks, thus denied him entry.

DID YOU

BITE-SIZED TATTOO

Luis Suarez recently took some time out to get himself a new tattoo. The Uruguayan striker got his famous three finger goal celebration inked onto his neck.

The three raised fingers are in honour of his family, and he never fails to give each one a kiss after scoring. Suarez revealed the new tattoo to OTRO, a new social network that creates content with footballers.

THE NEW TOP DOG

Luka Modric is the best player in the world. Whether you agree with that or not, he has the awards to prove it. Having already won FIFA’s The Best award and UEFA’s Player of the Year 2017/18, the Croatian was also crowned the winner of the Ballon d’Or. Modric defeated Cristiano Ronaldo, Griezmann and Mbappe in a vote completed by journalists from around the world.

The midfield maestro was crucial in Madrid’s Club World Cup and Champions League victories, while also captaining his country to a historic World Cup final spot. This win marks the first time in 10 years, since Kaka, that Ronaldo or Messi did not win.

KNOW?

• Real Betis was the last team in the top five European leagues to score a first half goal.

• Kangin Lee is the first Asian player to play for Valencia.

• Luis Suarez is the first Barcelona player to score a hat-trick in El Clasico in La Liga that isn’t Messi since 1994.

• October’s El Clasico was the first match in all competitions without both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo since December 2007.

• Eibar have defeated Real Madrid for the first time in their history, and they did it in style with a 3-0 victory.

JUST PLAY SOCCER !

The Copa Libertadores final, South America’s equivalent to the UEFA Champions League, featured two teams from arguably the biggest and fiercest rivalry in football, Boca Juniors and River Plate from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first leg, played at Boca’s iconic La Bombonera, ended in a 2-2 draw, leaving it all to play for in the second leg.

However, the second leg was postponed after Boca’s bus was attacked by River thugs on its way to El Monumental stadium. Following a failed attempt to stage the match a day later, the South American football governing body (Conmebol) decided to move the game to the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, where they felt security was more reliable than in any of the other nine South American member countries.

THUGS SPOIL IT FOR REAL FANS

The decision to move the Superclasico Copa Libertadores final to Madrid was not a welcomed one by the fans. River Plate fans were hurt and saddened because they had lost home advantage. Only 4000 tickets were allocated to the fans from each club, but with a large number of Argentine expats living in Spain, the Conmebol president was hoping to maintain the unique atmosphere the Superclasico provides. At the end, River Plate went on to win the match 3-1 and were crowned champions of South America. It has been reported that a number of Boca Juniors and River Plate fans have been fired from their jobs because they travelled to Madrid to watch the Superclasico after not being allowed to take time off work. One River supporter who lives in Barcelona, spent £180 to go to Madrid, only after the £1500 he spent on a two-day trip to Buenos Aires to see the match there that never took place.

MESSI NOT THAT GOOD - PELE

Brazilian legend Pele recently slammed Lionel Messi after claimingelections the Argentine FIFA President following at an star has only one skill.Congress The 78-year-old heavily criticized Messi, Extraordinary in February therefore saying that bothtrust he and Maradona are better came at a time when in the administration him.

Pelepopular said that you was cannot compare a of the than world’s most sport at its heads the ball and shoots with lowestfootballer ebb. Like who his predecessor, Infantino is legs to someone who only uses his left and Swiss, both but as a lawyer and professional football can’t head ball well.

As canabe administrator, thethe new man presents farimagined, Messi fan did not take the criticism well and slicker,one more credible, personality. made thread on Twitter brandishing Pele as Entering theaFIFA presidential race as a the biggest fraud in football late substitute after his former bosshistory.

Platini The fan went on to dispel Pele’s 1283 goals, stating thatforced many of goals, 526, came from unofficial matches, while also stating he was had been to those leave it, the multilingual outperformed outscored in every World Cup he participated in.

Infantino is a smoothand/or operator, personable rather than charismatic. As he acknowledged in an emotional victory speech, FIFA’s reputation needs to be restored, but there is a very BLATTER’S MISTAKES Thelong Ballon d’Or has SEPP been awarded to the best footballer way to go to achieve that aim. It is tempting to by France Football magazine since 1956 where of the year EXCLUDING HIS SEXIST WAYS, remain sceptical, but after garnering their 115 votes editorial staff puts together IN a shortlist of COMMUNITY, 30 players. To TROUBLES THE GAY against the 88 for his closest rival, thedetermine favourite the winner, leading journalists from all overHERE the AND FALLING OFF A STAGE, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa,world, Infantino restricted to oneARE voteSOME per nation.

According to reports, OF SEPP BLATTER’S does at least have a mandate to press ahead the journalist from Comoros, who voted inHIS theTIEM Ballon MISTAKES DURING ASd’Or FIFA with reform. this year, does not exist. Not only does the newspaper he PRESIDENT. For many of its member associations,represents been inactive for six years, but they have never particularly those in the developing world, had anyone with his name work for them.

FIFA represents a reliable source of cash.

THE TIME HE SUGGESTED Infantino has said that he flew the equivalent ELIMINATING DRAWS of five times around the world, meeting and Showing greeting the men whose he needed and and the fans Valencia have beenvotes struggling this season, are exactly how in touch with the game he is, Blatter once suggested who would betheir gladdiscontent of the development money the clubsmodern making heard. Following draw with that draws should eliminated. promised by at thehome, new FIFA Sevilla manyboss. supporters directed their anger towards "EVERY GAME SHOULD HAVE A The spread of the football gospel around theLim was seated. Mr. the director’s box where owner Peter WINNER," globe Lim is one of surprised the fundamental reasons was to be the objectfor of so much criticism and he told a German journalist in "WE SHOULD HAVE THE COURAGE FIFA’s decided existence, will need to meetings with2004. tobut act.Infantino Peter Lim scheduled directors TO INTRODUCE A FINAL DECISION IN balance this with his reform thewhy the team has been and the coach to seekagenda answersand as to EVERY GAME OF FOOTBALL. THAT IS need for transparency to keep hisinvestments membership disappointing after his big in the summer, and WHAT I WANT." why some of those new signings aren’t even playing.

That, of course, is not what everybody else

GHOST VOTER

HOT CROSS BOSS

wants.

‘The challenge In the run-up to the 1994 World Cup, I SPY WITH MY LITTLE CAM facing Infantino Blatter also suggested that games should Second division team Granada have filed a police report after be divided into four quarters, presumably is to reform some an of their staff discovered spy cameras hidden in various to appease the American broadcast areas of their stadium and sports facilities. were organisation whose sponsors who were The liningcameras FIFA's pockets. hidden inside volumetric sensors and fire alarms. The club have name has become accused former operations’ director, Angel Gonzalez Segura, for synonymous with being responsible for the installation.

In CALLED total, three cameras have THE TIME HE CRISTIANO been found hidden by entrancesRONALDO to the dressing rooms, as well A ‘SLAVE’ corruption’ as the sports equipment’s storehouse. The cameras have been

subsequently removed. In 2008, Blatter pulled his foot out of – especially those who voted for his chief his mouth long enough to suggest that opponent – onside. The new Swiss boss gave Manchester Utd’s desire to keep Cristiano a nod in that direction too in his post-election Ronaldo from joining Real Madrid was address. tantamount to “MODERN SLAVERY.” Ronaldo, the Brazilian one, was in New York An early understanding ofReal whatValladolid, an InfantinoYes, you read that correctly. In Sepp’s eyes, City as president of holding an international megastar who gets paid led FIFA might look like the new eases meetings in the USasoffices of man La Liga.

The upwards of €250,000 per week to do his himself into thetook role the can opportunity be seen fromtohis Brazilian spend some dream job is comparable to a slave. election manifesto.

Alongside additional time at Madison Square the Garden where he Unless Madrid start making Ronaldo build money promised to member associations, attended his first a pyramid as Florentino Perez whips him Infantino’s glossy election document was as the NBA game while dressed as a Pharoah, this is not a built around reform and good NY governance, Knicks faced good parallel. democracy and participation and the football Brooklyn Nets. development.

Ronaldo posed for Infantino clearly stated his belief that with Knicks’ photos THE TIME HE TALKED ABOUT “fundamental reforms must beFrench at the heart player Frank SCRAPPING THE OFFSIDE RULE of FIFA to ensure that it regains the trust Ntilikina as of the two both the football world and the wider public. exchanged jerseys.

In 2010, Blatter was inspired by a These reforms need to be structural but also conversation with his hockey equivalent Newcastle legend, 322 Lionel Messi cultural in nature. In this respect, FIFA must was Leandro Negre to suggest SCRAPPING Alan Shearer has won over demonstrate that it has the strength and at the THE OFFSIDE RULE. It was abolished in also present 322 games in the hockey in the nineties, and Blatter assumed determination to reform itself into a modern, basketball game, first division, the which is a worthy its success could be translated to the well governed, institution posing with Kristaps most ever for a beautiful game. leader Barcelona for the world’s number Porzingis. one sport.” player.

As you can imagine, absolutely no one else This is the crux of the task facing Infantino, at FIFA agreed.

802 Gareth Bale the seemingly insurmountable challenge has ended his of reconstructing an organisation whose drought of 802 very name has become synonymous with minutes without corruption, asinthe suspensions and a goal La multiple Liga THE TIME HE CHOSE QATAR TO HOST arrestsafter triggered by the present investigations scoring A WORLD CUP. testify. against During Huesca. his election campaign, Infantino “Of course, it was a mistake. You know, one unveiled a 90-day plan to reform FIFA. “I 2004 Real makes a lot of mistakes in life. The technical think it’s now or never,” he said, introducing Valladolid have report indicated clearly that it was too hot his proposals of reporters at London’s not woninafront La Liga in summer, but despite that the executive Wembley Stadium. have to take this game against “We a committee decided with quite a big majority opportunity, to take a turn, to make a better side from Basque that the tournament would be in Qatar.”

Country FIFA and work since for football in a united way, in Well, we’re all human aren’t we Sepp? We all March 2004. a positive way.

This is the right moment to do make mistakes. This one isn’t your mistake that.” 5 Juan Mata though, of course. No. Of course not.

Inevitably, much of the reform promised by is just the fifth Infantino is of the variety, vital to Spaniard tostructural score 50to goals in the the need fix the organisation but unlikely to League. of those who follow capturePremier the imagination THE TIME WHEN HE LET ALL OF football 1byOnly buying season tickets or regularly THE CORRUPTIONS AND BRIBERIES 1 team handing over their hard-earned cash at the HAPPEN. from the second Lionel Messi travels in style with his own luxury private jet. The division it to ticket office onmade matchday.

Here is just one of the many: thean Copa del Reygauge Barcelona However, important of whetherstar has a private jet that was designed for him and his Round of 16, the family, and boasts a number of incredible features.

TheJack tail of the Former FIFA Vice-President Warner Infantino is likely to be successful is provided other are from plane has the steps to feature family’s wasthe revealed be thehis recipient ofnames. over by those who15backed him. Unsurprisingly, it number 10, while the first division. £720k in bribes frombathrooms a company and controlled jet includes its very own kitchen, has two can was some of the big names in The the European byalso a former Qatariand football official. seat 16 people. The chairs can be folded turned into Jack eight Diego 400came game who out with the most fulsome Warner’s sons also payments Simeone has Capello and beds.

Messi does not own the plane itself, but received rather leases it. in support, with Fabio Jose Mourinho hundreds of thousands. overhigh-profile 400 Nonetheless, Messi is enjoying his the jet-set lifestyle. amongcoached Infantino’s backers. games for Atletico Mourinho was enthusiastic in his support Madrid. of Infantino. “I think he’s very capable, very

GOING THROUGH HOOPS

‘Infantino flew the equivalent of five times around the world, UEFA President meeting and former French ALL NEW 2019 and legend Michel FORD RANGER Platini had eyes greeting on the top job at the men FIFA. whose experienced, with a complete knowledge votes he of everything around football and its needed and organisation,” the Portuguese said.

Ahead of the election process at the February who would Extraordinary Congress, the FIFA membership be glad of approved a package of reforms to pave the developway for significant improvements to the governance of global football, including clear ment separation of political and management money’ functions, limits on the length of time

FIFA officials can remain in office, greater recognition and promotion of women in ORDER YOURS NOW to enshrining football and a commitment human rights in the FIFA statutes.

With the new reform package on the table, Infantino was elected to office to implement it, but it will be a slow and gradual process for change to be embedded and implemented.

In the meantime, this autumn will see the beginning of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup finals. The controversial decisions to award the tournament to Russia – and to Qatar in 2022 – ALL FORDS ARE CREATED EQUAL... were anTHAT integral part of the DIFFERENCE allegations aimed IT’S THE DEALERSHIP MAKES THE at FIFA that eventually led to Blatter’s downfall. legacy of years ON, of mismanagement 12 CarrierThe Drive, Toronto, M9V 2C1 and maladministration will not be eradicated (On Highway 27 just south of the 407) overnight and, to that extent, Infantino’s Call 416-741-6221 challenge is an unenviable one. A fundamental cultural change must take place. That will not www.summitford.com happen quickly, but it will influence how FIFA is perceived in future and how Infantino’s time in office will be judged.

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S360 71

Family Matters BUNDESLIGA

RED BULL’S FORAY INTO THE FOOTBALL WORLD HASN’T BEEN WITHOUT CONTROVERSY AS THE DRINKS GIANT TAKES OVER CLUBS AROUND THE WORLD. WHO BENEFITS FROM BEING PART OF THE FAMILY, MICHELLE OSEI BONSU ASKS…

CORPORATE FOOTBALL Corporations owning football clubs isn’t new, even if Red Bull are taking it further than any of their rivals have before…

Red Bull Leipzig, and its American sibling the New York Red Bulls, are not, of course, the only teams named after their corporate sponsors. In the Netherlands, there is PSV Eindhoven.

Ranked among the nation’s big three, clubs along with iconic Ajax and Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven was founded in 1913 as a team for employees of Dutch technology conglomerate Philips.

Last season, the team, currently led by former player Mark van Bommel, finished top of the Eredivisie and although their foray into this year’s Champions League was a frustrating enterprise, they will be again dominant in domestic affairs.

Meanwhile, Germany has been a hotbed for company-owned clubs, with some hostility. Wolfsburg, owned by auto giant Volkswagen, Bayer Leverkusen, property of pharmaceutical concern Bayer, and Hoffenheim, owned and financed by mogul Dietmar Hopp, have been the target of opprobrium from opposition fans, the Press and even officials from other clubs. They’re variously accused of lacking ‘tradition,’ ‘history’ or ‘real fans.’ Supporters of the clubs in question dismiss the other side as sour grapes.

In neighbouring Austria and Red Bull Salzburg — known as FC Salzburg in UEFA competition due to sponsorship restrictions — the opposition to the corporate takeover was so strong that some supporters split and formed their own club, taking the discarded SV Austria Salzburg name.

Although the ‘new’ Austria Salzburg play in the amateur tiers at a stadium that seats around 1,600 people, a long way from the days when the club finished top of the Austrian Bundesliga, for these most die-hard of fans, that doesn’t matter. They would rather follow a team with what they see as a true identity, rather than one ‘controlled’ by a corporate giant.

But the corporate model isn’t going away any time soon, and has even been replicated in a fashion by Manchester City’s owners, the City Football Group, which controls clubs in England, North America, Spain, Japan, Australia and Uruguay. It’s a model that clearly pays dividends for those running it, and any fan complaints are often quieted by trophies. This marriage of football and business is something we might see far more often in coming years.

54 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

“R

ed Bull gives you wings”.

That slogan, which has been translated into dozens of languages worldwide is as well-known as any global corporation’s motto. However, conquering the world one energy drink at a time clearly was not enough for the Austrian entity, which was founded by Dietrich Mateschitz in 1987. So they turned to the sporting world, and what better way to get involved than football, arguably the world’s most popular sport?

The project began in April 2005, when Red Bull bought SV Austria Salzburg. The venture, though, didn’t go down well with the Salzburg supporters, particularly when the new ownership tried to re-write the club’s history and claim it was founded in 2005. SV Salzburg actually dated back to 1933, but didn’t win their first Austrian Bundesliga title until 1994, making waves by reaching the UEFA Cup Final that same year. But in the years leading up to the Red Bull takeover they fell on difficult times, leaving them ripe for the taking.

Since 2006, they have been the dominant force in Austrian football. Of their 12 titles, nine have come in the Red Bull years, along with all five of their Austrian Cups. In fact, Salzburg haven’t finished lower than second in the table since the Red Bull takeover, allowing them to be a fixture in European competition for more than a decade.

With a foothold in the company’s native Austria, Red Bull turned their attention towards the United States and the

struggling New York/New Jersey Metro Stars. Not surprisingly, this was a much smoother operation, particularly when it came to fan reception. The MetroStars had only been in existence since 1994 and the sport remained an up-and-coming thing in the United States. There were few die-hard fans who fought the takeover or went off to form their own protest club. But showing they had learned from past mistakes, Red Bull didn’t try to change history and claim the MLS outfit was founded in 2006, keeping the 1994 origin for New York Red Bull.

The project continued in 2009, with the acquisition of fifth-tier German side SSV Markranstadt, who became RB Leipzig.

The objective was simple – to go from the amateur leagues to the Bundesliga in eight years. They achieved it in seven, when die Bullen secured top-flight promotion on May 8, 2016, thanks to a 2-0 win over Karlsruher. A year after that, Leipzig would make further history by qualifying for the Champions League as they finished as Bundesliga runners-up, betting the campaigns of established sides such as Hamburg, Schalke and Borussia Dortmund.

Naturally, their arrival on the Bundesliga scene was not welcomed by most clubs, but that was no surprise. Older clubs such as Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen, are still viewed with suspicion and hostility due to their corporate backers, and they are Bundesliga grandees, not upstarts.

In just a few years, Red Bull spread their

ABOVE: Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz saw football as a way to expand his empire TOP: A controversial takeover of Austria Salzburg was the first step TOP (opposite page): RB Leipzig upset the established order in German football by surging through the Leagues

wings to from Austria, to the United States and back to Germany. Clearly, they have ambitions beyond Europe and North America, too. The corporation has also gone into Brazil and Ghana, establishing Red Bull Brasil and Red Bull Ghana in 2007 and 2008 respectively, although the Ghanaian venture folded in 2014.

With the club in Austria, Germany and the United States owned by the same entity, it makes the transfer of personnel theoretically much easier. But who does that benefit? Like Salzburg, New York Red Bulls have been solid in their domestic League since the huge injection of corporate funds and associated restructuring. Leipzig, by contrast, are a newly-formed club younger than the majority of people who actually support it.

But just recently, the Red Bulls have lost Coach Jesse Marsch to their Bundesliga cousins, who decided to quit his position to become an assistant at Leipzig. Marsch’s move may have kept him in the Red Bull family, as opposed to joining, for example, a rival MLS club such as New York FC, but it’s unusual for a No 1 to leave for a job as a No 2 — even more curious when Marsch’s tenure at the Red Bulls was the most successful in franchise history since the club was renamed.

After taking over from fan favourite Mike Petke, who was regarded as a huge success himself, Marsch went even further — in his three-and-a-half seasons at Red Bull Arena, he clinched one Supporters’ Shield an a

LEFT: Struggling New York/New Jersey Metro Stars were soon rebranded to New York Red Bull

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BUNDESLIGA HOME FROM HOME

Timo Werner has been a confident staple in the production of Leipzig.

runners-up spot in the US Open Cup while twice topping the Eastern Conference.

So, given this, why would he opt to abruptly leave in July 2018 – just days before the Hudson River Derby, a newlyfounded rivalry with New York City FC – to serve as second-in-command to Ralf Rangnick, whose side finished in sixth in the Bundesliga last term?

It wasn’t the first time Marsch had come close to a move abroad. As early as January 2017, two years into his stint in New York, reports surfaced that he could take the bench at a European club. That club just happened to be Red Bull Salzburg, though nothing came of the gossip and both parties quickly quashed the rumour.

But with Red Bulls younger Tyler Adams

following Marsch in swapping New York Red Bull for RB Leipzig, it’s one-way traffic for the moment, and to the Bundesliga representative’s benefit. That’s not to say this couldn’t turn into a fully equal relationship as MLS continues to grow and develop, with a rising German starlet choosing to cross the Atlantic Ocean in the opposite direction, but that seems a long way away, if it ever happens at all.

What is more likely is the moves such as those of Marsch and Adams become increasingly common. From a Red Bull position, it does benefit Leipzig at the expense of the American arm of the family, but it’s still keeping talent in-house, part of the network. And that’s exactly how the project was envisioned when it began.

Jesse Marsch MLS Coach of the year in 2015

Tyler Adams won’t be the first American to head to the Bundesliga, with some of his compatriots forging successful careers in Germany.

Upon first glance, the Premier League looks like it would be, well, the premier destination for Americans seeking to ply their trade abroad. After all, there is no new language to learn, and the long history between the United States and England makes settling in much more straightforward.

However, it’s the Bundesliga that seems to be the big draw – tricky language barrier and all – for Americans. Today the talk focuses on talents such as Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic, as well as up-and-coming names Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Caleb Stanko (Freiburg), Weston McKennie (Schalke) and Jonathan Klinsmann (Hertha Berlin), who, of course, is the son of Jurgen. Sargent, like Pulisic, has been described as a wonder-kid due to his exploits with Werder Bremen, including netting on his debut, when he scored with his first touch of the ball. In the process he became the youngest player ever score in club history in a December clash with Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Others, like Bobby Wood (Hamburg), Fabian Johnson (Gladbach), John Brooks (Wolfsburg) and Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt) have been mainstays in the Bundesliga for some time and have been all part of the USMNT in various capacities over the years.

But before any of these players became known to American and German football fans, there were others who paved the way and made it feasible. The first-ever American player to make the trip was Andy Mate. Although he was born in Hungary, he eventually became a naturalised United States citizen after moving to America following the 1956 Hungarian revolution.

Although his time in Germany was brief due to the presence of legendary striker Uwe Seeler in the same team – he only made six appearances for Hamburg during the 1964-65 season – it still made it a possibility for others to follow in his stead, including Tom Dooley.

It took over two decades for Dooley to become the second American to feature in Germany, but Dooley spent the bulk of his professional career in German football’s various tiers, and eventually played for the likes of Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the UEFA Cup and the Bundesliga.

He was the first, and, to date, only American to lift the Bundesliga title.

Then, of course, there’s US football icon Landon Donovan, who featured for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Michael Bradley, who had a spell at Borussia Monchengladbach. Both Donovan and Bradley are interesting cases, as each also featured for other teams in Europe’s big five Leagues, with Donovan having several loan spells at Everton and Bradley going even further by trying his luck in Serie A with Chievo and Roma after a brief loan with Aston Villa.

So, Tyler Adams will just be the latest in a small but steadily growing line of players who have decided to say goodbye to America and ‘hallo’ to Germany in search of a new footballing adventure. It’s clear that American players have found a unique home from home across the pond – and it’s not England as would have been expected.

Tyler Adams and Jessie Marsch left New York for Leipzig, staying part of the Red Bull family

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THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY

To The Fans

THE GOOD

Football fans don’t always get the credit they deserve. And they very rarely get treated well by the powers that be in the beautiful game, with concern over money and global TV rights often paramount over the views of the fans.

But not always in Germany. The Bundesliga is often heralded as the perfect model for football fans, compared to the big money ticket of the Premier League for example.

And when the fans needs aren’t central to the decision making, you can bet they make their voices heard.

In recent seasons they’ve protested rising ticket prices, the threat to the 50+1 rule and the impact of the globalisation of the game.

And big on their agenda has been Monday night matches. While Monday Night Football has been a staple of the Premier League since its inception, it’s a relatively recent phenomenon in Germany. One that hasn’t gone down well.

The German supporters were instantly against it when it was first introduced to the Bundesliga last season, feeling that it was inconvenient, disrupted their week and was a decision that was taken for TV rather than them. Of course they protested, with Dortmund fans completely boycotting Monday night fixtures and Eintracht

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ABOVE: THE GOOD, Borussia Dortmund ABOVE LEFT: THE BAD, Niko Kovac LEFT: THE UGLY, Schalke

Frankfurt fans throwing tennis balls onto the pitch during one Monday match.

Now it seems they’ve got their way with the Bundesliga confirming in November that Monday night matches would be discontinued when the next media rights deal was negotiated ready for the 2021-22 season. As you might expect, this isn’t good enough for fans. Watch this space.

THE BAD

Reports at the beginning of November suggested that four Bayern Munich players have created a ‘veritable opposition’ to Coach Niko Kovac.

Reports first surfaced after the draw with Bundesliga minnows Freiburg at the Allianz Arena. This was just before Bayern slipped seven points behind the old enemy, Borussia Dortmund, when losing to their great rivals 3-2 at the Westfalenstadion.

Reportedly, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben, Frank Ribery and Mats Hummels are all in opposition to the former Bayern star’s methods at the Allianz, in particular the lack of game time that each of them has received. According to Kicker they are pushing for the Croatian to be sacked and have even limited their effort in matches to engineer poor results that will force the board’s hand and rid them of a head coach that was only appointed this summer.

The 47-year-old has spent most of his half season at the helm under constant pressure due to results that have seen his side slip to fourth in the table and nine points behind Dortmund at the time of writing. At the back end of November, he was given the dreaded vote of confidence from Chief Executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge but did receive a standing ovation from 350 Bayern fans when he visited a fan club in Inzell at the start of December.

There is talk of ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger waiting in the wings to take over from Kovac if he is given the chop.

Whatever the merits of Wenger, or the results Bayern have achieved under Kovac, the last thing that any football fan wants to see is players deliberately not trying and fighting for the cause, especially when things aren’t going well.

THE UGLY

Schalke are taking allegations of sexual assault from a female fan in their crowd ‘extremely seriously.’

The story broke following their game at home to FC Nurnberg at the end of November when a female fan said she was repeatedly groped by a man in the stands at the Veltins Arena. She has also alleged that she was told by a steward to “go home and watch on TV” if she did not like it.

A complaint was filed immediately after the game, by a 22-year-old woman, according to police in Gelsenkirchen. The police also confirmed that they have opened a criminal investigation and, that at the time of writing, there are trying to identify the man.

They are also investigating the conduct of the steward.

The word from the club is that they are taking the allegations “very seriously”, adding “we are in the process of getting an overview and working in close cooperation with the police”. An internal investigation from the club is underway.

There was at least more positive news for women in football as Aga Hegerberg won the first-ever Women’s Ballon d’Or. The Norway and Lyon striker finished ahead of Wolfsburg’s Denmark international Pernille Harder, Germany’s Dzsenifer Marozsan and England’s Lucy Bronze, who both also represent Lyon.

Hegerberg’s coronation was marred by presenter Martin Solveig, who crassly asked her if she ‘knew how to twerk?’ He received a steely ‘no’ in reply and rightful condemnation on social media.

GOING UP / DOWN GOING UP

Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho has been enhancing his reputation in the Bundesliga since the start of the season.

The 18-year-old former Manchester City winger was involved in 10 Bundesliga goals for Dortmund, scoring three and assisting seven, even before the New Year.

The Englishman further enhanced his credentials on the international stage with a dazzling performance in a recent Wembley friendly against the USA. Sancho had made his debut against Croatia in a UEFA Nations League fixture, becoming the youngest player since Duncan Edwards in 1955 to make his senior bow for the Three Lions.

FIVE for 2019

THE BUNDESLIGA PROVIDES GREAT ACTION WEEK IN, WEEK OUT, BUT FEARGAL BRENNAN HAS FOUND FIVE THINGS THAT WOULD IMPROVE THE LEAGUE FOR 2019…

The goals of Robert Lewandowski and Paco Alcacer are fuelling their clubs’ title challenge

BAYERN BACK IN THE TITLE RACE

Despite Borussia Dortmund establishing a lead at the top of the Bundesliga, it would be foolish to rule out Germany’s superpower – Bayern Munich.

Dortmund are in the box seat to claim their first League title since 2012, won under Jurgen Klopp, but Bayern will look to rise to the challenge in 2019 as they chase a seventh successive title.

LEWANDOWSKI VS. ALCACER

GOING DOWN

Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac continues to divide opinion. While Champions League performances have been strong, Bayern’s Bundesliga dominance seems on the wane. Kovac has been widely credited as the driving influence behind the return to form of Renato Sanches, but reportedly has four first team players calling for his head.

November’s 3-2 loss to Dortmund certainly didn’t help and having been touted as one of the brightest young trainers in Germany by virtue of his success at Eintracht Frankfurt, it’s fair to say his tenure at the Allianz Arena isn’t going to plan. He wouldn’t be the first Coach to struggle under the intense lights of FC Hollywood, either.

Poland international Robert Lewandowski has a new goalscoring rival this season, after topping the scoring charts in three of the past five seasons — Paco Alcacer has emerged as the new threat following his loan move from Barcelona.

Borussia Dortmund have shown the faith in the former Valencia man by already taking up the option to sign him permanently after Alcacer reached double figures before Christmas.

DORTMUND’S YOUNGSTERS TO TAKE THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BY STORM

The driving force behind Borussia Dortmund’s fantastic start to the season has been new Coach Lucien Favre’s willingness to put his faith in youth.

Achraf Hakimi, the 20-year-old defender on loan for Real Madrid, 18-year-old England international Jadon Sancho and 19-year-old centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou all played a key role in the club’s excellent first half of the season.

RANGNICK TO REIGNITE RB LEIPZIG

Ralf Rangnick returned to the club he led to promotion into the Bundesliga back in 2016 following the exit of Ralph Hasenhuttl.

However the veteran Coach has only been brought in on a caretaker basis, with Julian Nagelsmann set to take over for the 2019-20 season.

Rangnick has got die Bullen back into contention for a Champions League spot for next season, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.

A GERMAN SIDE IN A EUROPEAN FINAL

The Bundesliga has dropped off the map in terms of European finals in recent years, with the Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund final of 2013 the last time a German side appeared in the showcase fixture.

Dortmund and Bayern have saved their best form for Europe this season, with Schalke also qualifying for the last 16. The chances of a German appearance in the final in Madrid look more likely.

A real title race would electrify the Bundesliga after years of Bayern Munich dominance

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Around Germany

“” QUOTES QUOTES

NAG, NAG, NAG

Thomas Muller’s wife was forced to apologize to Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac after expressing her opinions on social media following the club’s draw against Freiburg. Muller started the match on the bench and it wasn’t until the 70th minute that Kovac decided to bring him on. His wife, Lisa, clearly wasn’t happy with Thomas not starting as she posted a photo of Kovac and Muller on the sidelines with the caption “More than 70 minutes until he finally has a brain wave.”

Thomas tried to play down the incident after the match, but it didn’t work. Bayern later released a statement confirming that Lisa Muller apologized to Kovac.

INTERNATIONAL WOLF

Wolfsburg has partnered with MLS club Orlando City SC. Through this partnership, the clubs will share knowledge of men and women’s football and youth academies. The clubs will also benefit from best practices of overall club infrastructures, including marketing and sales divisions. This is the second transatlantic partnership Wolfsburg have entered into. Wolfsburg have been working with amateur U.S. side Chattanooga FC since January 2017.

BY THE NUMBERS

“I’m in good shape, no question, and I’ve always said that I can help any team when I’m healthy and in rhythm over a longer period of time. But saying this is ‘the best Reus ever’ is a little over the top for me. That would also mean that it won’t get any better, but it’s still getting better.” - Marco Reus says there is more

250 Jerome Boateng has made over 250 appearances in the Bundesliga.

room for him to improve and is enjoying his role as an attacking midfielder.

OH, THAT’S WHY LET’S GO…. WATCH TV

“They’re always open to just seeing your ability and, hopefully, if you’re good enough then you get your chance. That’s what the Bundesliga is all about. They believe in you, they trust you and, even if you’re so young, they wouldn’t get you out here if they didn’t really believe in your ability.” - Jadon Sancho endorses the Bundesliga as the place to go for young footballers.

“He’s 33 years old, a senior. He would’ve cost us €100m, so it’s a deal we’d never have done. If he was 24 then it would’ve been one we completed with our eyes closed.” - Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness claims his club would never spend that kind of money on a ‘senior’ like Cristiano Ronaldo. This is the second time Bayern have publicly criticized Juventus for the Ronaldo signing.

“I’d like to stay because I feel the love of the fans. That’s true here in Munich, and actually the entire Bayern family.” - James Rodriguez reiterates his commitment to Bayern Munich despite claims he’s had a falling out with coach Kovac and would like to leave.

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Bayern Munich and Marriott hotel have launched a new way to enjoy a football match. A new addition at the Allianz Arena allows fans to watch a match while lying in bed. The Marriott Courtyard suite at the arena offers a great view of the pitch, a fireplace for those cold winter nights and a television. This has been made possible thanks to Marriott becoming Bayern’s official hotel partner until the end of 2020.

SLAP-HAPPY FRANCK

Bayern’s Franck Ribery has admitted that he was involved in an altercation with a reporter. Patrick Guillou said that the 35-year-old winger was responsible for Borussia Dortmund scoring twice against Bayern Munich, so in response the former France international allegedly slapped and insulted the reporter. According to German newspaper, Bild, the Bundesliga champions issued a statement regarding the issue confirming that there was an altercation between Ribery and Guillou.

ULTIMATE KIT

Adidas will soon release a Bayern Munich limitededition jersey that was created in collaboration with EA Sports for FIFA’s Ultimate Team feature.

Last year the kits were exclusive to FIFA Ultimate Team, but this year, fans will be able to purchase the kits as well. The kit design has been leaked via ‘Footy Headlines’ and sees a similar concept to the grey Adidas Parley kit. This will be the first Bayern jersey available to feature the EA Sports logo and will cost around €80. Adidas is set to make these collaborative EA Sports jerseys for Juventus, Manchester United and Real Madrid as well.

THE TWELFTH MAN

Most Bundesliga clubs have an unwritten rule that reinforces their love for the fans, never assign the number 12 shirt to a player. Currently, only Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg have assigned the number 12 shirt to a player.

It’s not in the rule book or anything, but the chances of seeing a No.12 on the back of a Bundesliga jersey are slim.

Ever wondered what the white T in the crowd is during a Bayern Munich match at the Allianz Arena? If you have watched a Bayern home match, you’ve surely seen it. The T is the logo of Deutsche Telekom, a major sponsor of the club. The formation of the letter in the stands by spectators is part of the sponsorship agreement between the two parties. In total, around 58 people, all Telekom trainees and employees, form the human T, and they can either apply for a seat in the section or win the right via competition.

POCKET CHANGE

42 The game between Freiburg and Werder Bremen had 42 shots, more than any other Bundesliga match this season.

930 Borussia Dortmund made 930 successful passes against Club Brugge in the Champions League, the second most since 2003/04.

15 15 different players have scored for Borussia Dortmund on the first 12 match days, a new Bundesliga record.

Bayern Munich can once again look back on very satisfactory results from the previous financial year. The Bavarian club have announced a recordbreaking revenue of €657.4 million for the 2017/18 financial year. That is an increase of almost three percent compared to the previous year. However, net profit dropped to €29 million from €39 million.

THAT’S MORE LIKE IT

The sports tribunal of the German Football Association (DFB) has fined Borussia Dortmund €50,000 for the incidents in the away fans section during the Bundesliga match against TSG Hoffenheim. In addition to the fine, the DFB have also banned away fans from all matches against Hoffenheim for the next three seasons. These fines and punishments come after the Dortmund fans directed large scale abuse towards Hoffenheim patron Dietmar Hopp through the use of posters, banners and songs.

ONLY 1 VARIETY - HEINZ

The head of Dutch Soccer Federation, Michael van Praag, said it was Bayern CEO and then European Club Association head Karl-Heinz Rummenigge who defused a serious threat of a breakaway European Super League.

The revelations of the ‘Football Leaks’ showed that Bayern Munich had actively explored the legal feasibility of leaving the Bundesliga and joining an exclusive Super League along with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and other European heavyweights.

MORE SHADY DEALS

Documents obtained by the German press has revealed some shady information about current FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s ongoing push for the approval of two new competitions to be controlled by a mystery consortium in return for $25 billion. The documents reveal the scope of Infantino’s plan and the identity of the consortium behind the bid for the rights of the two competitions, Club World Cup and a proposed World League for national teams. Infantino has also proposed selling control of almost all of FIFA’s rights, including the World Cup itself, FIFA would maintain 51% ownership. The consortium is led by a British advisory firm and London-based investment company, both with close ties to Saudi Arabian investors. FIFA’s own legal counsel conducted an internal review of the plans and cited numerous legal problems and urged Infantino to limit the proposal to the Club World Cup and World League. They were subsequently fired.

MINT GREEN ULTRAS

2021 UEFA CUP

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has officially confirmed that FC Bayern, alongside the city of Munich, will apply to host the 2021 UEFA Champions League final at the Allianz Arena. Despite Bayern’s disappointment of losing the 2012 final to Chelsea at home, they look back fondly of playing a final at home and would like to get another opportunity to do so, and with a different result this time. The Allianz Arena should be a strong contender to win the bid. If successful, 2021 would be the fourth time Munich hosts the final after doing so in 1993, 1997 and 2012.

Bayern Munich fans are not happy with this season’s kits. This all started back in May 2018 when Bayern debuted their new home kit for the 2018/19 season. The fans unveiled a banner protesting the blue accents and shorts in the home kit, with many pointing out that the colour blue is the main colour of their traditional rivals 1860 Munich. It didn’t end there. Once the away kits were unveiled, the fans again displayed their displeasure by putting stickers and signs of protest over the kits. They even protested midgame because of them, and the fans have a right to be upset. Bayern’s current away kits have a mint green and purple combination, absolutely nothing to do with Bayern’s traditional colours of red and white.

ONLY ON THE TABLE

Bayern Munich held a competition through the Paulaner fan dream campaign “Kick of your life” where six fans from South Tyrol had qualified for the chance to face off against Wagner, Javi Martinez and Kinglsey Coman. The Bayern trio entered the table football arena of Paulaner brewery in Munich ready to take on the six fans. In teams of two, the table football experts took on the Bayern stars and left them no chance, as the visitors from Italy won every match.

THE NEW CURRENCY

James Rodriguez has introduced digital ‘JR10 Tokens’ for people to purchase and redeem for exclusive offers in order to expand his brand. James has auctioned off some of his personal belongings that people bid on using JR10 Tokens. The items that were available included a pair of signed, match-worn boots, a signed match-worn jersey (Colombia or Bayern) and a JR10 commemorative coin gift box.

Through this process, James has become the first person in the world to make true the trading and circulation of personal digital assets.

HELP THE HOMELESS

Borussia Dortmund through their foundation “leuchte auf” contributed €5000 towards the renovation of the Streetworker-Café. The café is run by Dortmund based association “Bieber.

Burmann for you e.V.” who have been engaged in charitable projects across the city since 2016.

The Streetworker-café is a shelter for young persons without a home. The shelter has offered refuge for up to 100 homeless young people and has provided a degree of stability that is often lacking in their lives.

OK TO BUILD

SC Freiburg have received the building permit for its new stadium. Nearby inhabitants where the new stadium is to be built voiced their concerns, but the club will work in coordination with them to resolve any issues.

Construction of the new stadium will accommodate around 35,000 spectators with the goal of completing the arena by the summer of 2020.

THE LION'S SHARE KINGS

The Bundesliga has outlined a new growth strategy to connect with soccer fans in Africa. The league plans to take advantage of the advancement in technology to deliver targeted media content and increase viewership across the continent.

Bundesliga’s International Chief Executive Robert Klein has highlighted Africa’s technological growth as an entry point to explore new options using digital platforms.

SPANISH FOR MUNICH

Bayern Munich have launched a Spanish language online shop as the club continues to grow its presence in Latin America. The store will have a similar feel to its German and English versions, and will feature over 1200 products ranging from replica shirts to household accessories. The German champions have fan clubs in 14 countries across Latin America including Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Costa Rica, and have more than 11 million social media followers in the area.

Around Germany

GREEKS TWEEK TIX

Bayern Munich fans have demanded that UEFA open disciplinary proceedings against Greek champions AEK Athens after claiming they were overcharged at the Champions League match in Athens. The visiting supporters were charged €35 and according to some research, fans in the equivalent sections in the home end were only charged €15, while fans directly beneath the away end paid as little as €10.

If the research is deemed accurate by UEFA, AEK Athens would be in breach of Article 19 of European Football’s governing body’s Safety and Security Regulations which states that ticket prices for visiting supporters must not exceed ticket prices paid for by the home supporters in a comparable category/section.

PACO YOUR BAGS

Borussia Dortmund have activated their €23 million option to sign striker Paco Alcacer from Barcelona. Alcacer’s start to his Dortmund career has been nothing short of brilliant as the Spaniard netted nine goals in his first eight appearances, averaging a goal every 44 minutes. Paco will sign a four-year contract at the end of the season. The former Valencia striker found his time at Barcelona difficult prompting a two-year absence from the Spain national team. However, since his move to Dortmund, Paco has put himself back in the national team conversation and if he continues in his fine form, will surely lock up the spot as Spain’s first choice striker.

ULI AND PAUL DRAMA

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has banned club legend Paul Breitner from sitting at the VIP stand at the Allianz Arena. The two played together for Bayern between 1970 and 1974, but have had a falling out recently after Breitner publicly criticized Hoeness for a press conference held by the Bayern bosses. The club’s management held a press conference to defend their players and coach following criticism from the press and Breitner was not impressed.

14 YEARS FOR SOCCER BOMBER

Sergej W. has been convicted of planting the bomb that damaged Borussia Dortmund’s team bus in 2017, and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Prosecutors wanted life imprisonment for 28 counts of attempted murder, following three bombs planted roadside exploded as the team bus made its way to the Westfalenstadion before a Champions League quarter-final match. The trial lasted 11 months and in addition to the 14 years in prison, the 29-year-old will also have to pay Marc Bartra €15,000 for the injuries he sustained. Sergej said that he did not intend to injure anyone and had hoped to make close to £3 million on the stock market if Dortmund’s share prices fell.

DID YOU

KNOW?

• All of Sandro Wagner’s Bundesliga goals have been from inside the box.

• Lukasz Piszczek has surpassed Stefan Reuter’s record for most Champions League appearances for Dortmund.

• Franck Ribery has become Bayern Munich’s oldest goal scorer in the Champions League.

• Matchday 12 was the first time in Bundesliga history 3 goals were scored in the first minute.

• Fortuna Dusseldorf’s Dodi Lukebakio is just the sixth player to have scored a Bundesliga hat-trick at Bayern and the first player since 2001 to score a hat-trick against Bayern.

• The German national team is without a win in their last 5 competitive games, the longest winning drought since the late 1970s.

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BY THE NUMBERS

DENVER COLLABORATION

Bayern Munich have partnered with the University of Denver which will see the Bundesliga side help young players looking for a career in sports. Bayern will share their coaching philosophy and expertise with the students while they complete their higher education. Through the partnership, Bayern will have access to the university’s training facilities as well as collaboration in research programs.

“Surely I sometimes wonder where I would be without all the injuries. On the other hand, six years ago the doctors told me that I could no longer play professional football. I was 22 years old, had no education, no studies, and was almost left with nothing. Now I'm still here. That's why I do not want to complain.” - Daniel Didavi of Stuttgart looks back at the number of injury setbacks he’s faced in his career, and while it may be frustrating, is thankful to still be able to play.

“He has a very, very big heart and with that he gets to the point. If you talk to him for just five minutes, then you realize that he is a very honest person and I enjoy every second I can talk to him.

It was an absolute honour and a great privilege to train and play under him. He is an incredibly good person and they are getting less and less in the business.”

- Bayern star Leon Goretzka has nothing but love for his former Under-21 coach Horst Hrubesch, while also shedding some light into how he sees the football world.

HOLY MOVE ROBBEN

Arjen Robben has announced that he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

The Dutchman spent 10 successful years with the Bavarians and will surely go down as a club legend.

Throughout his time with the club, Robben won seven Bundesliga titles, five DFL-Supercups, four DFB-Pokal medals, one Champions League and a UEFA Super Cup. He also established himself as one of the best wingers in the game, with his lethal left foot. Robben plans to continue playing football, but what and where his next move will be remains to be seen.

manager Oliver Bierhoff explains that while it is harder for Bundesliga clubs to attract the best players, it is becoming a go-to place for many young players to develop.

11 Borussia Monchengladbach’s Raffael has scored in each of his 11 Bundesliga seasons.

FITBIT CHEAT

100 Thomas Muller earned his 100th cap for Germany. He is the 15th player to reach this milestone.

Ex-Bayer Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling has confessed that his wife, Norina, would regularly take fitness tests for him throughout his career. Kiessling revealed that during preseason preparation, the players were handed a heart rate monitor that saved all their runs. Since his wife is very athletic, she saved some runs on the heart rate monitor, making it difficult to determine whether or not Kiessling went on his daily runs. Since he was in a talking mood, Kiessling admitted to never doing 100 percent of the runs in any preseason.

CREDIT TO THE WOMEN

BUNDESLIGA IN INDIA

The German Football League (DFL) has agreed a long-term partnership with the IMG Reliance agency to promote football and the Bundesliga across India. The deal will see the DFL and Bundesliga sides work to grow football in India through various activities, including the launch of a youth development system focused on grassroots initiatives. The deal also opens clubs up to exploring technical and commercial partnerships in India.

In addition, the DFL will organize friendlies to be played in India and set up match screenings and fan parks to allow fans to experience the Bundesliga.

NO MONDAY NIGHTS “It seems that the Bundesliga has become more of an education league.

We can’t pay the salaries that are paid in England. And now some young players from England and also from France, who don’t find the space or spots in their country, come to Germany and have good stadiums and a good quality league.” - German national team’s general

3 Germany have only scored 3 goals in their last 6 competitive games.

The German Football League (DFL) announced that they will remove Monday night fixtures from their Bundesliga schedule. The DFL only as recently as 2017 introduced the new Monday night fixture to the calendar, but it has proven unpopular amongst fans. The Monday games will remain for the duration of the current broadcast rights deal which expires at the end of the 2020/21 season. But, moving forward, in negotiating for the next broadcast contract, the Monday evening match will be cut. Under the new contract, it is the DFL’s intentions to move the Monday fixture to Sunday afternoon.

Visa has become the first ever sponsor of UEFA women’s soccer after UEFA unbundled the inventory from men’s soccer.

The seven-year partnership will run through 2025 and will see Visa support women’s soccer across all levels of the game.

Visa will become the main partner of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and all subsequent UEFA Women’s European Championships, including the Under-19 and Under-17 editions as well as Futsal. The financial services company will also support UEFA’s marketing platform, Together #WePlayStronger, which was set up to encourage more girls and women to play soccer.

WC PAYOUT

“I feel at home here, and there’s a familiar feeling to it. The fans support the players, even if they don’t play well.”

- 18-year-old American Josh Sargent has nothing but love for his new club Fortuna Dusseldorf.

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FIFA have paid out over $209 million to 416 clubs from 63 member associations for the World Cup in Russia this past summer. FIFA has a responsibility to redistribute the revenues of the tournament among the entire football community and clubs deserve to share in the success, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Because clubs released their players, who are under contract, to participate and play with their national teams, FIFA has given them a cut of the revenue. In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich received the highest amount, $2.6 million, followed

by Borussia Dortmund with $2.07 million and Borussia Monchengladbach with just over $2 million.

SANTA LIVES IN DORTMUND

Borussia Dortmund made their annual visit to the Dortmund children’s hospital, something they’ve been doing for 23 years now, becoming a festive tradition. Many excited youngsters waited at the entrance as they got the chance to meet their favourite players. The players made their way around the hospital bearing gifts and spending time with the children. Following their visit to the hospital, the first-team players attended another traditional event, the Christmas party with the fan clubs. There were over 1400 delegates from 750 fan clubs in attendance. Some of the players got behind the bar and poured drinks for the fans.

PRETTY GOOD IDEA

Ugly Christmas sweaters are all the rage during the holiday season. Many Bundesliga clubs have sweaters available for purchase in their fan shop, but Hannover 96 does not. Despite demand for ugly Christmas sweaters being high, club management was not convinced by what was being offered by the manufacturers. For ecological reasons, the sweaters are made almost exclusively of polyester, Hannover 96 decided not to offer them. They are however, hoping that as they re-evaluate their options each year, they find a manufacturer that meets what they are looking for.

ITALIAN TRADITION AND QUALITY 1969

FEET MADE FOR SITTING

Kinglsey Coman has had a difficult year. Last February, he sustained a syndesmosis ligament tear which required surgery and thus missed out on the World Cup in Russia. After recovering from the injury, Coman was back in the squad for Bayern’s first Bundesliga game of the 2018/19 season, and suffered another syndesmosis ligament tear. The Frenchman has recently returned to the pitch after undergoing a second foot operation.

Now, the 22-year-old says he will consider retiring if he gets another foot injury. Coman said he does not want to go through a third foot operation, and will accept that his foot isn’t made for playing at a high level.

DID YOU

KNOW?

• Hertha BSC are the first team to concede a penalty in each of the first 4 matches of a Bundesliga season.

• The last 7 Bayern Munich managers all won their first Champions League match without conceding a goal.

• For the first time in Champions League history, two German managers of foreign teams faced each other, Jürgen Klopp with Liverpool and Thomas Tuchel with PSG. • Bayern Munich’s loss to Hertha Berlin on matchday 6 was their first loss during Oktoberfest in eight years.

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Football Leaks has revealed the interesting and bizarre contract clauses some players have. Schalke defender, Matija Nastasic can only wear Adidas trainers as part of his contract with the German club. His contract also states that if he proves to the team that he cannot wear Adidas shoes for medical reasons, he is allowed to wear a different brand. But, as soon as the proof is no longer given or valid, he must play and practice with Adidas shoes. PSG on the other hand, are paying their players to behave respectfully. This includes giving Neymar €2.5 million a year for not criticizing the manager’s choices and €375,000 per year for greeting fans before and after games.

HONG KONG PHOOEY

Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian threatened to take legal action against Anthony Modeste and Cologne after the German club revealed they re-signed the striker. The 30-year-old left for Tianjin in July 2017 for a reported fee of €35 million, signing a contract until the end of 2020. However, Modeste got into a contract dispute with Tianjin in the summer and subsequently terminated his contract, claiming the club owed him money. Tianjin appealed to FIFA and then issued a statement reminding both parties that Modeste is still registered with them and revealed they are prepared to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if needed. During the appeal process to FIFA, Modeste signed for Cologne, who announced his arrival offering him a contract until 2023. FIFA ruled that Tianjin has to pay Modeste his outstanding salaries while also concluding that the player had no good reason to terminate his contract.

AN APPLE A DAY…

Allianz Arena has introduced Apple Pay and other digital innovations as part of their plans to enhance fan experience. Fans who own and use iPhone’s or Apple Watches will be able to use Apple Pay at all kiosks and fan shops in the stadium.

Bayern have strengthened their relationship with Apple, having already partnered with Apple Music. The club are also working with Apple to offer fans a convenient digital ticket solution.

Fans are able to load their tickets into their Apple Wallets and can then use an Apple device to enter the stadium.

TASTE THE TRADITION

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Henry’s Homecoming HAVING BEEN ONE OF THE GREATS OF HIS ERA AND WORKED AS ROBERTO MARTINEZ’S ASSISTANT WITH BELGIUM, THIERRY HENRY IS NOW IN CHARGE OF MONACO. BILLY WILKINSON LOOKS AT THE DIFFICULT START HE’S ENDURED…

‘Thierry Henry lost seven of his first 10 games, drew two and won only one in the League’

A

return to his boyhood club to begin his coaching career was meant to be a football romantic’s dream. However, it hasn’t worked out that way for Monaco’s new Coach, Thierry Henry, as he finds managerial life tougher than he possibly imagined.

It’s easy to envision great players becoming great Coaches. After all, an extensive knowledge and feel for the game is surely transferable whether you’re playing on the pitch or watching it all unfold before you.

But that’s not always the case, and some of the most celebrated players in the sport’s history have struggled when taking to the dugout.

Former Coach Leonardo Jardim had left Monaco languishing in 18th place, before Henry, who played in the Principality between 1994 and 1999, took over in midOctober. After his arrival, Monaco dipped down to 19th and crashed out of the Champions League. Along the way they lost seven of his first 10 games, drew two and won only one in the League. And some of those losses were eye-watering, including a 4-0 home drubbing to Club Bruges and defeats to Paris Saint-Germain in back-toback games.

To understand how Henry got to this point, it’s important to take a look back at his overall career. There are not many players who have a better footballing CV than the three-time Premier League winner, and that’s not even including the managers he played under.

Henry came through the club’s youth academy, and made 105 appearances before leaving for Juventus. He was initially blooded by Arsene Wenger after a spell at the national academy, the much-vaunted

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ABOVE: Thierry Henry started his playing career at Monaco and returned to begin life as a Coach BOTTOM LEFT: What will a rough start at Monaco mean for Henry’s future on the bench?

WHO ARE MONACO?

Clairefontaine. Having impressed in Ligue 1, largely on the left wing, the Old Lady made their move and Henry found himself playing under Carlo Ancelotti next.

The torrid time Henry experienced in Turin has been well-documented. He lasted only six months in Serie A, and it wasn’t due to a lack of playing time that he was so unhappy.

Henry featured 16 times for the Turin club, but only scored three goals. Juve paid £11m for Henry and were eager to recoup their outlay, allowing Henry to head to Arsenal for a reunion with Wenger.

Despite struggling to adjust to the English game and a dip in his confidence from his days in Turin, Henry still finished the 199900 season with a mightily impressive 17 goals in 31 games. After being separated for five seasons, Wenger had clearly decided it was time to transform his young winger into the striker he’d always envisioned him to be.

Rather famously, the transition from winger to striker proved to be a masterclass for both parties. During his time with the Gunners, Henry scored 174 goals in 254 goals to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. Particular highlights include scoring 24 goals and assisting a further 20

ABOVE: Henry's time at Belgium was a great prelude.

BOTTOM: President Vadim Vasilyev with Henry

Not one of Europe’s true heavyweights, Monaco are by no means small fry either. Owner Dmitry Rybolovley has a net worth of almost $7bn, but there’s more to the club than that…

Monaco are not only one of France’s richest clubs but one of the richest clubs in terms of history. Fans of Les Monégasques have seen eight Ligue 1 wins, spanning five different decades whilst they’ve finished runners-up seven times. To go with those title wins, they have five Coupe de Frances along with one Coupe de La Ligue.

It wasn’t just the 2016-17 season where Monaco caught the attention of Europe’s elite. In 2003-04, Didier Deschamps’ side made it all the to the Champions League final in Gelsenkirchen, where they lost to Jose Mourinho’s Porto. Along the way, teams such as Deportivo La Coruna, Real Madrid and Chelsea fell before the French side.

Alas, by 2011 Monaco were a fallen giant.

The club were languishing in Ligue 2 but a shining light in the form of Russian billionaire, Dmitry Rybolovlev, acquired the club for a token €1. After promotion in May 2013, Monaco attempted to force their way into Europe’s elite clubs by spending lavishly on players such as Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho.

Within a year, Colombian pair Rodriguez and Falcao had been shipped off.

Monaco’s Vice-President Vadim Vasilyev started that there were two ways to go — to spend a lot of money or to ‘build up an intelligent project and base yourself on your academy and sound principles of working and scouting.’

Since the summer of 2014, Monaco have stuck to their word.

It’s hard to argue with the success of the ‘intelligent project.’ A small handful of the players to pass through Monaco’s team since 2014-15 include Kylian Mbappe, Anthony Martial, Layvin Kurzawa, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Bernado Silva, Yannick Carasco and Thomas Lemar, each one vaunted as among the best in their positions in the word.

Rybolovlev is though not without his controversies. His name came up in the Panama Papers tax avoidance scandal, he has been involved in a fraud investigation — where he denied any wrongdoing — and accusations of thirdparty ownership of players, outlawed by Financial Fair Play, have been levied too.

Dmitry Rybolovley

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WHO ARE MONACO?

‘Few players have had the schooling of Henry, working under Arsene Wenger, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola’ during the 2002-03 Premier League season, while the following season he scored 30 goals in 37 games to help the club to an undefeated Premier League campaign.

However, whilst paying off the debts that had been accumulated by building the Emirates Stadium, Wenger had adopted a policy of selling his key players once they reached the age of 30, or just before if he was sensing they were beginning to decline.

Despite his record, Henry was no exception.

After the 2006-07 campaign, in which he only featured in 17 games, Arsenal’s best ever player was snapped up by Catalan giants Barcelona to help the Pep Guardiola revolution. Under Guardiola, Henry became part of arguably the greatest club side ever, Total Football reincarnated, as Guardiola’s Barcelona dazzled and blew away everyone before them.

The trophies continued. After two Premier League titles at Arsenal, as well as two FA Cups and a Champions League runnersup medal, Henry won two La Liga titles, the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, proving to be a crucial part of Barca’s global domination, and being exposed to the brilliant ideas and

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methods of Guardiola.

Henry wound down at New York Red Bulls, scoring more than 50 goals in fewer than 150 appearances, before hanging up his boots in December 2014. Almost four years later, after working briefly with the Arsenal youth team, appearing as a television pundit and assisting Roberto Martinez with Belgium, he was ready to take the plunge into management.

Few players have had the schooling of Henry, working under Wenger, Ancelotti and Guardiola. In his opening Press conference, Henry insisted he wouldn’t follow the exact path of any of his managers, instead aiming to merge a combination of their ideas into the Thierry Henry way. Perhaps that’s where he’s gone wrong. Each of his teachers ploughed their own furrow — borrowing from one or all of them is likely to lead to a confused approach.

There’s still time for Henry to turn things around at Monaco. It’s not all doom and gloom, either. A playing career spent at the top level is also a shortcut to managing at the top level. If it doesn’t work out at Monaco, Henry’s reputation and his easy charm will ensure he gets further

ABOVE & BOTTOM: Arsene Wenger gave Henry his debut and moulded him into one of the world’s greatest forwards TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Henry also played under Pep Guardiola, part of the all-conquering Barcelona side BOTTOM RIGHT: Henry isn’t the only great of the past decade to enter coaching — Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have done the same

Thierry Henry isn’t the only 2000s star finding his feet on the bench.

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, cornerstones of Liverpool and Chelsea, have branched out too…

Steven Gerrard, appointed by Scottish Premier League side Rangers in summer 2018, has had the proverbial mixed bag. His team have gone from top of the League to out of the Cup, giving the former Liverpool captain a baptism into the true nature of being a football manager.

Success for Rangers will always be measured against Glasgow rivals Celtic, though, and by that measure Gerrard is performing well. The clubs have been neck-and-neck for most of the campaign, although Gerrard did lose his first Old Firm derby in September. For a man well-versed in derbies after ruling the feisty Merseyside version, that’s not something that will sit well.

Rangers have also impressed in Europe, looking more competitive than expected in their Europa League group.

Drawn against La Liga’s Villarreal, Austrian powerhouses Rapid Wien and tricky Russians Spartak Moscow, it wouldn’t have been a shock to see the Gers down in fourth place.

Back in England, Gerrard’s former England teammate Frank Lampard is in charge at Derby County. The Rams, in search of a return to the Premier League, took a gamble on the former Chelsea midfielder, who had no coaching experience prior to taking the post at Pride Park. Gerrard, by contrast, at least had a spell in charge of Liverpool’s Under-18s.

Lampard though is a true rookie, albeit a serial winner as a player. The battle to get out of the Championship is one of the most competitive anywhere in football, and Lampard’s Derby have been at times impressive but generally inconsistent. They’re in the play-off mix and not out of the automatic promotion race either, leaving all to play for in the second half of the season.

But in the age of superstar salaries, it’s heartening to see Gerrard, Lampard and Thierry Henry, legitimately three of the biggest and most successful players of their era, eschewing the comfort of punditry and imparting their experience on to a new generation.

AROUND LIGUE 1 In December, the French state was plagued with several anti-government riots. The riots forced the cancellation and delay of several Ligue 1 fixtures. Matches across the country were affected. A moment of silence is also set to be held in memoriam of the Strasbourg tragedy.

Both Guingamp and Amiens FC are currently flirting with relegation in the French top flight. Both clubs are suffering to stay in the top table before slipping into Ligue 2 yet again.

However, it was Amiens who put two away against Guingamp to take them into the top half of the table for the first time since September.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot has spent most of his tenure in the Capital fighting for more playing time, more club interest and a more lucrative deal.

Rabiot’s contract is set to expire and he has yet to accept any offers from PSG thus far.

Meanwhile, interest from Tottenham, Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool lingers.

opportunities, for better or worse.

It’s also easy to forget that Henry’s only 41. When he was announced as Jardim’s successor there were a number of onlookers who felt it was too early for Henry — that maybe he should have cut his teeth elsewhere first — and with hindsight, it’s hard to disagree with them. But maybe Henry’s competitiveness and confidence came into play. He backed himself to succeed, and still might, but it’s been a nightmare start.

Henry can take solace from the fact that some of the game’s greatest managers have had their share of rocky patches. Ancelotti, one of the most decorated Coaches in history, was sacked by Juventus two years after Henry left the club, while Wenger was hounded out of Arsenal. If Henry doesn’t last the course at Monaco, it won’t be the end for him. It would be step back, for sure, but if he learns from the experience then in the long run, it’d be two steps forward.

His big name might have played a part in getting the Monaco job but Henry can’t be accused of taking an easy first post. Jardim won the title ahead of the financial might of PSG in 2016-17, at the helm of a thrilling young side that also reached the last four of the Champions League. Since then, though, the squad has been gutted, Monaco unable to replace the talent lost at nearly the same rate.

Kylian Mbappe, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy, Fabinho and Joao Moutinho were all sold after the 2017 success. Jardim didn’t even get a chance to develop the replacements, sacked after winning only one of Monaco’s first nine Ligue 1 fixtures in 2018-19. From title winners little more than a year ago, Monaco are firmly in a relegation battle.

So Henry finds himself having to fight fires in his first position as a Coach. It may prove to be too big a job, even if it’s easy to see why he took it — a return to his first club, with the emotional capital that brings, in the top flight of a major European League. It’s also clear why Monaco made the appointment — a big name to revitalise the club, inspire the players who, to a man, would have looked up to Henry as he was winning titles at major clubs. It could still prove to be a match made in heaven, but there’s a lot of work still to do.

Adrien Rabiot

Mario Balotelli has successfully spent two years in Ligue 1 under the OGC Nice banner. He has become a reliable and interestingly enough a much quieter character in the French Riviera. However, Balotelli has openly admitted he wants to leave the club at the end of the season. Perhaps due to his brash reputation or a lack of interest, no move offers have materialized.

PSG gaffer Thomas Tuchel has only worked with Neymar since the beginning of the season yet is starting to find his repetitive injuries frustrating. Neymar picked up yet another adductor injury during his outing against Bordeaux - the same injury he returned from international duty with.

Highly rated Ajax star Frenkie de Jong has evaded being clear on his future in the Netherlands. French champions, PSG, are heavily focused on attaining the 21 year old and have reportedly offered a whopping €75million for his services. De Jong has declared “Maybe I’ll stay, maybe I’ll leave.”

Stade de Reims are set to unveil a statue of the great Raymond Kopa, who sported the clubs shirt in their European Cup finals in the 1950’s. The modern day squad are currently only returning to the French top flight, having last been in European football in the 1960’s and can only dream of experiencing a European night at this point.

Lyon sport some of the sport’s most precious jewels and Houssem Aouar is no exception. He is so highly rated that Pep Guardiola calls him incredible. Aouar averages 2.4 shots, 44 passes and 2.8 tackles per game in the Champions League.

He is currently being fawned over by the Emiliano Sala likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Nantes striker Emiliano Sala has been regarded as the most prolific Argentinian player in Europe thus far in the 2018/2019 season. Up until November, Sala found he back of the net in Ligue 1 more than his superstar counterparts such as Higuaín, Icardi, Agüero or Messi.

No one can forget the Henry's time at New York.

By mid November, juggernauts PSG had won a consecutive 14 Ligue 1 matches in a row after overcoming Toulouse 1-0. Their winning streak was later snapped with draws against Bordeaux and Stratsbourg.

Regardless, the club are well above the rest with a whopping 14 points ahead of second place heading into Christmas.

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CHAMPS LEAGUE

Trophy Chasers WITH THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN ITS WINTER RECESS, OLI COATES TAKE A LOOK AT WHO’S STARRED, WHO’S FLOPPED, AND WHO’S IN LINE TO LIFT THE ICONIC TROPHY AT ATLETICO MADRID’S METROPOLITANO STADIUM.

Roma working hard to bring Champions League glory to Italy

“Lionel Messi looks as brilliant as ever”

New look Fellaini looks to bring his team further into the competition

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HISTORY MAKERS

“The Champions League is the final frontier for Manchester City” TOP OF THE POPS

Five teams went through the group stages unbeaten, and of those five, Porto amassed the highest points tally after winning five and drawing one in Group D. True, the competition was nowhere near as fierce as in other sections, but the Portuguese champions won all of their games after a 1-1 draw at Schalke in the first round of fixtures. That includes an entertaining 3-2 victory away at Galatasaray in their final match, never an easy place to go.

Bayern Munich and Barcelona were two of the other teams who breezed through without a defeat. The Bundesliga giants couldn’t get the better of Ajax home or away, conceding a 95th-minute equaliser to the Dutch outfit at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Bayern won all of their other games though, inspired by the tournament’s top scorer so far, Robert Lewandowski.

Second in the scoring charts is Lionel Messi.

Barcelona’s little magician has six goals to his name, and looked as brilliant as ever as he helped his team to top spot in Group B. Qualifying alongside Ernesto Valverde’s side is Tottenham, who pulled off a stunning comeback from the brink of elimination.

The Premier League outfit failed to win any of their opening three games, losing

their first two. However, they sealed their spot in the knockout rounds with a narrow victory over Inter at Wembley, before a point at Camp Nou where they enjoyed more possession than Barcelona. It may have been a weakened Barca team, but it still contained two of the world’s most expensive players, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele, while Messi was on the pitch when Spurs equalised late on.

Paris Saint-Germain scored more goals than any other team in the group stages, banging in 17 across their six matches.

Neymar got five of those, with the darling of world football, Kylian Mbappe, netting three. PSG’s vibrant attack spurred them on to top their group ahead of Liverpool, who only secured their progress to the last 16 on the final matchday with a nerve-jangling 1-0 victory over Napoli at Anfield.

Fellow English side Manchester City found the going a little tougher than the Premier League, but went on to top their section by five points from Lyon. Crosstown rivals Manchester United pulled off a throwback late show to win from behind against Juventus in Turin, but Jose Mourinho’s side were outplayed by the Old Lady in their first meeting at Old Trafford. Paulo Dybala starred in that game, while Cristiano Ronaldo reminded his old club what they’ve been missing since he left English shores.

TOP: Manchester City is looking to go all the way BOTTOM: Bayern is looking strong as always RIGHT: Real Madrid are looking to make history by winning the Champions League for the fourth time in a row MAIN (OPPOSITE PAGE): Lionel Messi looked as good as ever as Barcelona made safe passage through the Champions League group stage

THERE’S MORE NARRATIVES TO FOLLOW THAN SIMPLY WHO DID OR DIDN’T MAKE IT OUT OF THE GROUP STAGE. AS OLI COATES WRITES, HISTORY IS WAITING TO BE MADE… Real Madrid may not be in top form this season, and that’s hardly a surprise after losing Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer.

The Portuguese scored 105 goals in 101 Champions League appearances for Los Blancos, helping them to four titles in five years. Last season’s triumph completed a hat-trick for the Bernabeu outfit, making them the first team to win the Champions League three times in a row in its current format.

The last team to win the European Cup in its former guise in three successive seasons was Bayern Munich, who did so between 1974 and 1976 with the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller in the side. Ajax accomplished the feat in the three seasons prior to that, inspired by the legendary Johan Cruyff. This is the kind of company Real are already keeping with their current run, but they’re also going up against themselves in their quest to rewrite the record books.

Los Blancos won the first five iterations of the European Cup, with Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas among the names to lift the trophy between 1956 and 1960. Real Madrid are the only team to have won Europe’s premier club competition more than three times in a row. Whether the current crop of stars — which includes Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric — can make it four in a row, remains to be seen.

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CHAMPS LEAGUE DARK HORSES

TOP OF THE FLOPS

It’s been a tough old season for Monaco so far. Ligue 1 champions in 2017 and runners up last year, the principality club’s exciting young team has been shorn of stars like Mbappe, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko in the last 18 months. They’re hovering around the French top flight’s relegation zone at the winter break, despite bringing in former player Thierry Henry as their new boss. His appointment did little to inspire an upturn in European form, as Monaco won just a single point in the Champions League group stages.

Unfortunately for AEK Athens fans, that was one more than their side managed.

The Greek side lost all six of their fixtures against Bayern Munich, Ajax and Benfica, failing to score in five of those. There was also serious disappointment for Inter Milan supporters, as they watched their team toil at home to PSV Eindhoven in their final fixture. A victory over the Dutch side would’ve seen them through, but a 1-1 draw sent them crashing out early and into the Europa League.

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January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

TOP: Monaco is showing the affects of losing their stars LEFT: Icardi's wife looking worried BOTTOM: Inter falls to PSV TOP RIGHT: Porto is the dark horse everyone is forgetting about BOTTOM RIGHT: Hazard looks to bring success to his club

REAL MADRID HAVE DOMINATED THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE THE LAST FEW YEARS BUT, OLI COATES WRITES, THERE COULD BE A SHOCK WINNER THIS YEAR… Although the Champions League has been dominated by European powerhouses in recent years, the next surprise package is only ever around the corner. From Jose Mourinho’s Porto in 2004, to the same manager’s unlikely triumph with Inter six years later and Chelsea’s success against Bayern Munich in the German giants’ own backyard in 2012, this competition’s had its fair share of underdogs.

Leading the pack this season is a Borussia Dortmund side who spent Christmas top of the Bundesliga tree.

Die Schwarzgelben only lost away at Atletico Madrid in the group stages, which came after Lucien Favre’s dynamic side had dismantled their Spanish opposition 4-0 on home soil.

With Marco Reus fit and firing, Paco Alcacer’s goals seeing his loan move from Barcelona made permanent in November, and English youngster Jadon Sancho setting tongues wagging, Dortmund could spring plenty of surprises this season.

Despite his successes in previous years, it’s virtually impossible to see Jose Mourinho inspiring his Manchester United side to glory this term. The Portuguese still has the ability to produce tactically astute performances, particularly away from home, but the Red Devils have lost their sparkle. The opposite is true for Ajax. With exciting youngsters like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, Erik ten Hag’s side are developing in the image of the great Ajax teams of yesteryear.

It’s tough to see them going all the way, but they won’t be an easy opponent for any of the big guns. With teams like Ajax, Dortmund, Tottenham and Porto looking like they can give most teams a run for their money, the knockouts are set to be as intriguing as ever.

2018/19 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES AND DATES 1st Legs (Round of 16) 12–13 & 19–20 February 2019 2nd Legs (Round of 16) 5–6 & 12–13 March 2019 Quarter-Finals Draw Friday, 15 March 2019 1st Legs (Quarter-Finals) 9–10 April 2019 2nd Legs (Quarter-Finals) 16–17 April 2019 Semi-Finals Draw Friday, 19 April 2019

WHO’S GOING ALL THE WAY?

Manchester City are the favourites to win their first ever trophy on Europe’s grandest stage. Pep Guardiola’s side smashed countless records on their way to winning the Premier League last season, and they have a great chance of landing the continent’s biggest prize. If the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and David Silva can stay clear of injury, City have the players and style of football to beat any team in Europe.

The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place at the Etihad Stadium, and this is the final frontier for the Blues. It’s a huge moment in Guardiola’s career, after he failed to taste European glory at Bayern Munich following two triumphs with Barcelona.

His old club are second favourites with the bookmakers, and it’s impossible to count out any team that contains Messi.

The same could certainly be said of the Argentine’s eternal rival Ronaldo. The Portuguese made a slow start to life in Italy by his own exalted standards, but the Champions League’s record goalscorer has hit his stride. He’s lifted the famous trophy

1st Legs (Semi-Finals) 30 April – 1 May 2019 2nd Legs (Semi-Finals) 7–8 May 2019

in five of the last 11 seasons, and Juventus spent big on a man well into his thirties in a bid to win this competition for the first time since 1996. The Old Lady have lost in the final five times since then, including in two of the last four campaigns.

Last season’s beaten finalists, Liverpool, are certainly in the mix. Jurgen Klopp’s side are much stronger defensively this season, with Virgil van Dijk marshalling their back line and Brazil No.1 Alisson between the sticks.

The injury Mohamed Salah sustained in Kiev last May hampered his World Cup campaign with Egypt, and seemed to affect him in the early stages of this season. However, Salah is back to his best after scoring the goal against Napoli to send the Reds into the knockouts, and that makes Liverpool a genuine contender.

Providing they’re kept apart in the draw, it’s not hard to see the Spanish trio of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all in the semi-finals. Diego Simeone’s Atleti are one of the best teams in the world when it comes to knockout football, despite losing in the final twice to bitter rivals Real in recent seasons. This year’s final is being held at their own stadium, which can only serve as added motivation.

Final Saturday, 1 June 2019

2018/19 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 MATCHUPS ROMA VS PORTO TOTTENHAM VS DORTMUND LYON VS BARCELONA ATLETICO VS JUVENTUS TOP: Manchester City are the favourites to win this season’s Champions League — Pep Guardiola has been there before ABOVE / LEFT: Paris Saint-Germain have a fearsome forward line and will be dangerous in the knockout rounds BOTTOM LEFT: Schalke stands in the way of Man City the favourites.

“Paris Saint-Germain scored more goals than any other team in the group stages”

MAN. UNITED VS PSG AJAX VS REAL MADRID LIVERPOOL VS BAYERN SCHALKE VS MAN. CITY

Second Prize THE RACE TO WIN THE EUROPA LEAGUE LOOKS MORE HARD-FOUGHT THAN EVER WITH SEVERAL BIG-NAME CLUBS INVOLVED. STEPHEN DONOVAN ASSESSES THE CHANCES OF THE FRONTRUNNERS.

T

he 2018-19 season marks the 10th year of the UEFA Europa League in its current format. During that time it’s been a competition that has divided opinion and fluctuated in prestige, but one key aspect has remained consistent: the nine previous editions were all won by sides that expected to be among the elite and playing in the Champions League.

Spanish duo Atletico Madrid and Sevilla have three wins apiece, while Porto, Chelsea, and Manchester United all have a single triumph to their name. If anything, this suggests that Europe’s secondary tournament is considered hugely important by the continent’s biggest name clubs, especially now that a potential last chance to qualify for the Champions League is the reward for lifting the trophy.

This season looks set to be one of the most competitive yet heading into the knockout stages, as the last 32 is sprinkled with teams who aren’t as used to being down in the second tier of European football, including those who have dropped down from the Champions League. This will raise the stakes even higher and lead to a more tantalising battle for the ultimate prize, with several intriguing match-ups along the way.

The Europa League is known to produce occasional shocks, such as Ukrainian side Dnipro reaching the final in 2015, and Sweden’s Ostersunds making it through the group stage last term. However, this time around it’s hard to look beyond the favourites, and as well as quality, determining the winner may come down to how much of a priority it becomes to each of these respective clubs.

Since their last success in this competition in 2016, Sevilla have made significant strides in the Champions League, including a fine run to the quarter-finals in 2018.

But a disappointing seventh-place finish in La Liga meant they only just scraped into Europe for this season, having to come through three qualifying rounds to even make the group stage. From there, they only just made the last 32, but their experience may make them strong contenders again.

This La Liga season is shaping up to be extremely competitive, but the presence of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and an improving Real Madrid means there’s no doubt that the Europa League represents a much more realistic chance of silverware for Sevilla even if they ended 2018 in the title hunt. They have prioritised it in the past to great effect, and will almost definitely do so again, barring a continued challenge for their domestic title.

Meanwhile, the man who led Sevilla to all three triumphs between 2014 and 2016 is hoping to mastermind another victory.

Unai Emery has made a strong impression at new club Arsenal since taking over in the summer from the long-serving Arsene Wenger, and this competition offers the perfect opportunity to crown his first season in charge.

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Arsenal are still becoming accustomed to playing in the Europa League, having qualified for the Champions League for 20 consecutive seasons until 2017-18.

Last year they just fell short in their bid to end Wenger’s reign with a trophy, and with the prospect of a sustained tilt at the Premier League title still some way off and a place in the top four far from an absolute guarantee, this is arguably their best chance to return to the top table.

They needed only four games to make it through the group stage, breezing into the last 32 without ever having to field a full-strength side. When the competition resumes in February, the Gunners’ full attacking prowess is sure to be unleashed, and the deadly finishing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette will give them more than a fighting chance.

Indeed, an English winner looks like an entirely realistic prospect. Just like Arsenal, rivals Chelsea qualified for the knockout stages after just four games, winning them all without ever really having to break stride. Manager Maurizio Sarri could even

'The Europa League is Arsenal’s best chance to return to the top table’

LEFT: Sevilla have won the Europa League three times in recent years and will hope to do so once again

BOTTOM: Arsenal’s Unai Emery has achieved an unrivalled amount of success in the Europa League

EMERY'S EUROPA LEAGUE Given their Coach’s previous success in the Europa League, Arsenal are wellplaced to win this season’s competition.

Stephen Donovan looks more closely at the Spaniard’s fine record.

Arsenal’s performances and results in the group stage of the Europa League suggest that they are going to extremely difficult to stop for any of this season’s leading contenders. For Unai Emery, it was simply business as usual, and having already won the competition three times in the past, he looks the ideal person to bring that long-awaited European trophy back to the Emirates Stadium.

All of Emery’s victories came in successive years while in charge of Sevilla, and were delivered courtesy of an unbreakable winning mentality, tactical nous, and the crucial knowledge and experience of how to negotiate two-legged knockout ties. He will be aiming to instil the same qualities at Arsenal, and he certainly has the personnel within his squad to achieve great things.

Achieved between 2014 and 2016, those three triumphs were equally memorable. The first of them demanded great resilience as they held a strong Benfica side to a goalless draw before winning on penalties. In 2015, they held off a determined effort from surprise package Dnipro to win 3-2, while a year later they impressively overturned a half-time deficit to convincing beat fivetime European champions Liverpool.

With that record, Arsenal supporters should have every right to feel optimistic that Emery can deliver once again.

THE DARK HORSES Away from the leading contenders, there are other teams looking to cause a surprise in the Europa League this season. Stephen Donovan examines some of the dark horses.

If results in the group stage are anything to go by, then there are two less heralded sides that are making a strong case to be considered as having an outside chance to win this season’s Europa League.

Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg made it all the way to the semi-finals in 2018 before losing to Marseille, and so far they’ve proved it wasn’t a flash in the pan, cruising through a potentially tricky group that included Red Bull Leipzig and Celtic with a 100% record.

Competing in the Europa League proper for the eighth time in 10 seasons, they’ve grown into a free-scoring force and upset many of the established order, restoring Austria to the map along the way. Although their squad isn’t full of big names, talented young midfielder Hannes Wolf is apparently on the radar of several of Europe’s top clubs.

Meanwhile, the re-emergence of Real Betis has continued. Riding high again in La Liga after a sixth-place finish last term, they’re looking a force to be reckoned with in Europe. Spanish clubs have dominated the rest of the continent in the last five years, and Los Verdiblancos will be eyeing a glimpse of the success enjoyed in the competition by bitter rivals Sevilla.

EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 32 afford to make a number of changes to his starting XI and give fringe players a chance to impress as they sailed through a straightforward group with ease.

The Blues are playing with a sense of freedom under Sarri, who so far is exceeding expectations given the uncertain atmosphere around the club when he took over in the summer. Despite their victory in 2013, the Europa League is a competition they are not used to competing in, but in what looks set to be such a close battle for the top four in the Premier League, it could prove their salvation as the season progresses.

There’s a lot of quality on show at Chelsea, but one suspects that if they were to end up coming out on top, Eden Hazard will be right at the heart of it. The Belgian can undoubtedly count himself now as one of the best players in the world, as the quality and fear factor he brings is almost unrivalled in the Premier League. As the tournament reaches its final stages, he could make all the difference and ensure yet another season of silverware at Stamford Bridge.

In the last 32, Chelsea and their fellow frontrunners will be joined by the eight sides to drop down from the Champions League, of which Napoli look to be the strongest. It’s not a familiar situation for Coach Carlo Ancelotti, but having lost out to Liverpool by the narrowest of margins, he’ll be determined to grasp this second opportunity. They are struggling to keep pace with Juventus at the top of Serie A, so this may be the club’s best chance of securing that elusive trophy, and with the likes of Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne they certainly have the quality in attack to do just that.

Fellow Champions League drop-outs Inter and Valencia may also count themselves as being in with a chance, and this just illustrates how open this competition will be from the moment it restarts. Numerous clubs across Europe are intent on returning to the very highest level and feel as though it’s their rightful place, so it all promises to be an exciting journey to the final in Baku.

TOP: One of Europe’s outstanding players, Eden Hazard may be the man to fire Chelsea to Europa League glory BOTTOM: The Europa League is unfamiliar territory for Napoli Coach Carlo Ancelotti

The 2018/19 UEFA Europa League Round of 32 match-ups: VIKTORIA PLZEŇ (CZE) VS DINAMO ZAGREB (CRO) CLUB BRUGGE (BEL) VS SALZBURG (AUT) RAPID WIEN (AUT) VS INTERNAZIONALE (ITA) SLAVIA PRAHA (CZE) VS GENK (BEL) KRASNODAR (RUS) VS LEVERKUSEN (GER) ZÜRICH (SUI) VS NAPOLI (ITA) MALMÖ (SWE) VS CHELSEA (ENG) SHAKHTAR DONETSK (UKR) VS FRANKFURT (GER) CELTIC (SCO) VS VALENCIA (ESP) RENNES (FRA) VS REAL BETIS (ESP) OLYMPIACOS (GRE) VS DYNAMO KYIV (UKR) LAZIO (ITA) VS SEVILLA (ESP) FENERBAHÇE (TUR) VS ZENIT (RUS) SPORTING CP (POR) VS VILLARREAL (ESP) BATE BORISOV (BLR) VS ARSENAL (ENG) GALATASARAY (TUR) VS BENFICA (POR) MATCHES ARE ON 14 AND 21 FEBRUARY ROUND OF 16 DRAW: FEBRUARY 22 ROUND OF 16: MARCH 7 & MARCH 14 QUARTER & SEMI-FINAL DRAW: MARCH 15 QUARTER-FINAL: APRIL 11 & APRIL 18 SEMI-FINAL: MAY 2 & MAY 9 FINAL: MAY 29

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2019 DIFFEREN THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

NOT TOO LONG AGO, LUKA MODRIC LIFTED THE 2018 BALLON D’OR — THE PRIZE AWARDED TO THE BEST PLAYER ON THE PLANET OVER THE PRECEDING 12 MONTHS. FEW FOOTBALL EXPERTS WOULD HAVE PREDICTED IN JANUARY 2018 THAT THE CLASSY CROATIAN WOULD WIN THE AWARD, DOMINATED BY CRISTIANO RONALDO AND LIONEL MESSI IN THE PAST DECADE. AS WE EMBARK ON ANOTHER YEAR OF FOOTBALL, JARED TINSLAY LOOKS INTO HIS CRYSTAL BALL TO PREDICT WHICH PLAYERS AND COACHES WILL DECIDE AND DEFINE THE MAJOR MOMENTS THIS YEAR — THE 2019 DIFFERENCE MAKERS...

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2018 DIFFERENCE MAKERS WHO WERE THE PLAYERS WHO MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE BIG MOMENTS IN 2018? HERE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO DECIDED THE BIG TROPHIES AND GRABBED THE HEADLINES…

LUKA MODRIC

10. HOUSSEM AOUAR

The Champions League winner led his national side Croatia to their first ever World Cup final as captain, winning Player Of The Tournament, and then lifted the Ballon d’Or to end Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 10-year dominance of the prestigious trophy.

There are so many emerging young talents immediately labelled wonder-kids, and after Houssem Aouar’s impressive display against Manchester City in the Champions League last year, he was another to gain the tag.

Yet when the person doing the labelling is Pep Guardiola, you tend to take note.

The former Barcelona player and Coach once earmarked a young Andres Iniesta as being capable of retiring Xavi Hernandez – something he did, winning 32 trophies for the Catalan titans along the way. Guardiola has an eye for spotting talent, and a big move could be on for the 20-year-old Lyon midfielder in 2019.

WAYNE ROONEY

9. GARETH SOUTHGATE

Last year was certainly an exciting one for fans of the England national team – and Gareth Southgate was key to that. Since taking charge, the Three Lions manager has shown a real desire to nurture youth, rebuild an on-field identity and reconnect with fans.

Getting to the World Cup semi-finals was considered a major achievement for his young side, but they’ll look forward to another challenge in 2019 – and a chance to get their hands on their first major trophy for over 50 years. Harry Kane’s goal against Croatia means they’ll feature in the inaugural Nations League finals this summer, and Southgate’s leadership and tactics will be vital if they’re to succeed.

8. FRENKIE DE JONG

Ajax’s academy is renowned worldwide for its quality, and two graduates have stood out in recent seasons. Centre-back Matthijs de Ligt and versatile midfielder Frenkie De Jong are believed to be future superstars, and at the end of last year the Eredivisie club reportedly set their price tags. Midfielder De Jong was valued the higher of the duo at around £66m, and Barcelona are reported to see him as a natural replacement to Sergio Busquets as their deep-lying anchor man.

If the deal does happen, he’d form part of an exciting three-man midfield alongside Barcelona’s fellow young talent Arthur.

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Prior to his signing, DC United were bottom of the Eastern Conference with 11 points from 14 matches. After Wayne Rooney joined from Everton in the summer, they went on to win 10 of their next 17 games and reached the play-offs in sensational fashion.

GARETH BALE

The Champions League final was finely poised at 1-1 before Gareth Bale entered the pitch, but his incredible bicycle kick in the 64th minute turned the game on its head and helped Los Blancos win their third consecutive European trophy.

GIOVANNI SIMEONE

After beating Juventus in April, Napoli were in a great position to stop the Turin team from lifting their seventh straight title, but fell to a 3-0 defeat by Fiorentina, and a Giovanni Simeone hat-trick, the following weekend that basically handed the title back to Juve.

ENCE MAKERS 7. MAURICIO POCHETTINO

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A slightly speculative name on this list, but Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly one of the most-wanted managers on the planet.

His Tottenham Hotspur team play some of the most attractive football in the Premier League, and he’s been hotly linked to become a future Real Madrid Coach.

Reports in Spain suggest that current Madrid boss Santiago Solari accepts that he’s their fill-in until the summer, and that Pochettino is high on President Florentino Perez’s list. The consequences of Pochettino leaving Tottenham for La Liga could be huge, with stars such as Harry Kane and Dele Alli potentially following him out the door – and that’s why the exEspanyol boss features on this list.

6. LIONEL MESSI

Lionel Messi is one of the most-effective game changers on the planet, but he started a mission in 2018 – one he hopes will come to a successful conclusion in 2019.

On becoming Barcelona club captain last summer, after Andres Iniesta’s departure to Japan, he made a Champions League pledge in his first public address to fans.

“We promise that this season we will do all we can to bring that beautiful trophy back to the Camp Nou,” he said.

Of course, you’d expect Messi and co to do all they can for European success, but Leo’s imperious performances in the Group Stage suggests it really is his main objective for 2019.

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5. JADON SANCHO

Jadon Sancho used 2018 to break into the England squad and become an important member of an incredibly exciting Borussia Dortmund side, but it looks like he could take his game to the next level in 2019.

Sancho’s confidence seemed to grow by game at the end of 2018, and he was increasingly happy to try new tricks and be direct in his running at defenders. If the winger can continue to progress at such speed in 2019, the Bundesliga title could really be heading to Westfalenstadion for the first time in six seasons – and England will have a great shot at Nations League glory.

4. JURGEN KLOPP

The Premier League trophy hasn’t been retained by a club since Manchester United did it in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.

City look the most likely to achieve the feat since The Red Devils managed it almost 10 years ago, but Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are on their tails.

The last time Liverpool really felt in a title race was in 2014-15, but they ultimately slipped up in the final weeks of the season.

It will be down to Klopp to ensure that the ghosts of that season don’t re-appear, and that his squad don’t become engulfed by the increasing pressure and expectations placed upon them as the season goes on.

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THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS

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2018 DIFFERENCE MAKERS AS EVER, THE PEOPLE OFF THE PITCH — THE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE BOARDROOMS AND OFFICES AROUND THE WORLD — WHO WILL HAVE THEIR SAY IN FOOTBALL IN 2019…

GIANNI INFANTINO — FIFA PRESIDENT

Gianni Infantino is understandably one of the most important people in football, so he’ll always have a big say on major matters, such as La Liga’s request to play matches in the United States – something he refuses will happen in 2019.

THE GLAZERS — MANCHESTER UNITED OWNERS

They say they don’t plan to sell, but Man. United’s owners the Glazer family could receive bids from abroad for the club in 2019, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman reportedly interested in offering £4bn for the club.

FLORENTINO PEREZ — REAL MADRID PRESIDENT

3. NEYMAR

The Brazilian trick machine is always going to be considered one of the game’s most effective difference makers, but this year he could have as much an impact off the field as on it. He’s said to be slightly unsettled in Paris, and rumours are strife that he fancies another move in 2019.

The Parisians paid a world record fee for Neymar in the summer of 2017, and his valuation is considered to have risen to around £263m. Prospective buyers would have to break the world record once more, so a lot depends on how feasible a deal really is.

2. EDEN HAZARD

“Real Madrid is the best club in the world. It is my dream since I was a kid.” Those were the words of Eden Hazard last October when he was asked about a potential move to the Spanish giants.

Signing a new contract with Chelsea or not, he’s laid out quite clear that he fancies a move to the European champions – and you can’t really blame him. He’s easily one of the most technically gifted players in the world, so a move to the European champions will get him the exposure he needs to challenge for a Ballon d’Or podium spot – rather than an eighth-place finish like in 2018…

1. KYLIAN MBAPPE

Perhaps it’s no surprise that one of last year’s World Cup final scorers, and the 2018 tournament’s Best Young Player, is top of this list of 2019 difference makers.

But the reason he’s our No 1 is his desire to win Europe’s most prestigious trophy – the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe grew up with a soft toy of the trophy, and once said in an interview that he places Champions League glory above World Cup success. The exciting talent’s motivation is great news for PSG fans, who’ve seen their club dumped out of the competition before the semi-finals in the last five seasons.

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La Liga Presidents are elected on what they promise to bring to the club, and last summer Perez said Real Madrid would reinforce the squad with “incredible players”. They didn’t reinvest all of the Cristiano Ronaldo money, so he’ll likely be getting his chequebook out this summer.

FIFA DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE

The branch of FIFA capable of imposing sanctions on clubs is currently weighing up its decision on whether Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester City will face transfer bans for breaches of rules. Their verdict will have a drastic effect on each side’s transfer activity in 2019.

MINO RAIOLA — FOOTBALL AGENT

Transfers can often depend on the relationship a player’s agent has with a club, so a lot of European giants will be making acquaintance with Raiola. One of the agent’s clients is Ajax wonder-kid Matthijs de Ligt, widely regarded as one of the best young defenders around.

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WITH THE SEASON MID-WAY THROUGH, SOME PLAYERS HAVE BOOSTED THEIR REPUTATIONS, WHILE OTHERS HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS. GREG MURRAY PICKS OUT ONE OF EACH FROM EUROPE’S TOP FIVE LEAGUES.

WILFRED ZAHA

The live-wire winger has been amongst the top players outside the top six for the past three seasons, and has been almost single-handedly dragging Crystal Palace up the table at times.

An ill-fated move to Manchester United back in 2013 has dissuaded suitors in recent years, but Zaha has moved on from the 20-year-old that struggled to fit into the post-Alex Ferguson era.

Should a big club to make a move this winter, they would be getting an electric, exciting winger who got nine goals last term, despite his club breaking the record for the worst start to a season.

Crystal Palace would hate to lose Wilfred Zaha in January

Danny Drinkwater

DANNY DRINKWATER

Drinkwater’s move to Chelsea in the summer of 2017 reeked of a panic-buy at the time, and there has been little evidence to the contrary since. The Premier League winner with Leicester can be forgiven for visions of re-uniting with his former teammate N’Golo Kante, with the duo’s partnership for the Foxes earning both players plaudits. However, the English midfielder has failed to establish himself under both Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri, and recently has been touted for a move to West Ham, or to re-unite with Claudio Ranieri at Fulham.

Could Marco Verratti benefit from leaving Paris Saint-Germain?

MARCO VERRATI

A perhaps slightly more controversial inclusion in the list given Marco Verratti’s Paris SaintGermain are top of Ligue 1 and qualified for the Champions League knock-out stage. However, for a man previously described as the next Andrea Pirlo and the future of the Italian national team, the diminutive midfielder has failed to take his game to the next level. This is not to say that the former Pescara man is not a top-level player, but for whatever reason, be it dearth of competition, managerial instability, or a lack of emphasis on transitional play, Verratti may be better off taking his talents elsewhere, with Juventus harbouring a long-term interest.

Marco Verratti has failed to take his game to the next level’

NABIL FEKIR

A far less surprising mention goes to Lyon’s Fekir, who saw a move to Liverpool fall through over the summer, reportedly on medical grounds. The versatile attacking player has failed to quite replicate the goalscoring form that saw him notch 18 strikes in Ligue Un last season, but has continued to impress in the Champions League. Despite the French side’s stellar performances in the European competition, their business model relies heavily on the selling of star players, with Alexandre Lacazette, Karim Benzema, Corentin Tolisso and Michael Essien all coming through the Lyon talent factory. As Liverpool are still sniffing around, Fekir’s name may soon add to the list of Lyonnais alumni.

CHRISTIAN PULISIC

The Borussia Dortmund winger is an interesting case, as he has found himself on the sidelines having starred last season for the Bundesliga heavyweights. The emergence of Jadon Sancho, who has made the left flank his own, has made Pulisic old news at the club, at just 20, and limited him to sporadic League starts this season. Blessed with blistering pace and lethal in a one-on-one situation, while willing to work hard on the pitch, the American winger would be an ideal fit for the Premier League, and has recently been linked with Chelsea.

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Nabil Fekir

A move from Borussia Dortmund would give Christian Pusilic a fresh start

JAMES RODRIGUEZ

James Rodriguez’s career trajectory hasn’t quite gone in the direction that many predicted when the midfielder burst onto the scene at the 2014 Brazil World Cup. A move to Real Madrid that summer saw the Colombian struggle to break into the first team, overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, leading to a two-year loan move to Bayern Munich last season.

However, with the Bavarian club unlikely to exercise their option to buy, Rodriguez will be looking for yet another move and another new start this summer, and will certainly attract attention from the world’s top clubs.

NICOLO BARELLA

One of the lesser known names on the list, Barella came up through the Cagliari youth system before breaking into the first team in 2014. Since then, the diminutive midfielder has become one of the hottest prospects in Italian football, making his debut for the Italy senior side this season, aged just 21. Comparisons to Andrea Pirlo fail to represent Barella’s dynamism, with his playing style more akin to a young Steven Gerrard than any of his legendary Italian compatriots. The Sardinian native has made no secret his desire to move to the Premier League, although he may benefit from experience with a bigger Serie A club before he makes the switch.

ANTONIO CANDREVA

Candreva has been a victim of Inter’s recruitment policy, with the Milan club’s purchases of Keita Balde and Matteo Politano leaving the former Lazio man down the pecking order on the right wing. Far from a fan favourite, the Italian international did his reputation little good by failing to score for Inter last season, despite making 36 appearances, not to mention playing a key role in Italy’s failed World Cup qualification campaign. With his 32nd birthday approaching, Candreva has lost the pace that made him a star in Rome, and only has a few years left at the top level.

However, the Coppa Italia winner offers top-level experience, not to mention a real threat from set-pieces, and, with a point to prove, would be a valuable addition were he to move.

James Rodriguez’s future at Bayern Munich remains unclear

‘James Rodriguez is looking for yet another new start’

Nicolo Barella

Antonio Candreva

Real Madrid’s instability has been bad news for Isco

Brais Mendez

ISCO

Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez, better known as Isco, is a bizarre case, as he fits both into the categories of a top-level player, but also one that has lost favour at his club. With Real Madrid currently a team in transition, Santiago Solari has placed his faith in Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez on the wings over Isco, leaving the Spain international side-lined.

Aged 26, the attacking midfielder should be entering his prime, and will want to be the first name on the team sheet, although due to Madrid’s strong financial position, a reported $800m release clause means it will take a massive offer to prise him away from the Champions League holders.

BRAIS MENDEZ

Another relatively unknown quantity, the Celta Vigo player has attracted the interest of a number of foreign clubs for his impressive performances this season.

Mendez, who can operate on either flank and through the centre, is at his best cutting in from the right wing, utilising his thunderbolt of a left-footed shot, which has also seen the Spaniard pose a threat from setpieces this season. Far from a traditional winger, Medez is a physical presence, convincing Leicester City to reportedly make an inquiry for a January transfer.

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Inaugural Success THE FIRST PART OF THE FIRST-EVER UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE WRAPPED UP IN NOVEMBER. COLIN MILLAR LOOKS AT THE HIGHS AND LOWS AND CONSIDERS WHERE THE TOURNAMENT GOES NEXT…

“Portugal will be in the finals with England, Switzerland and the Netherlands.”

A

s the camera panned across the stands of a packed-out Wembley, fans could be seen hugging, many waving flags and singing along to ‘It’s Coming Home’ as it blasted out across the PA system. Of course, the defining moment in England’s calendar year had been delivered four months earlier as Mario Mandzukic’s stoppage time winner deservedly booked Croatia into their first ever World Cup Final and ensured that it wasn’t coming for fans of the Three Lions after all. Yet the supporters in the stadium that night still felt they had something to celebrate as Gareth Southgate’s side triumphed in their Nations League group with a win over Croatia.

There is always a distinct sense of a sporting hangover when the world’s most prestigious football tournament draws to a close. Players are fatigued, fans equally so, and the euphoria fades into a distant memory as summer turns into autumn. In previous years, European sides embarked upon a lengthy – and at times tediously drawn-out – two-year qualification process for the European Championships, a process which was regularly interjected with friendly outings.

Often it felt like everyone was going through the motions. It was a tired format that was in need of a rejuvenation, and UEFA delivered the necessary refresh that its 55 member nations required.

The Nations League was at first met with great confusion, as tends to be the case with any semi-radical change to the football calendar. Yet initial fears of befuddlement

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ABOVE: England extracted a degree of revenge over Croatia following their World Cup semi-final

were swiftly forgotten with the tournament delivering exciting clashes between wellmatched teams in which nearly every game carried a degree of significance.

Each night of the tournament saw two of Europe’s top 12 nations go head-to-head, and as it progressed it saw 2014 world champions Germany relegated along with Croatia, beaten by France at the final hurdle of the summer’s World Cup in Russia. No match was predictable and the added layer of competitiveness and necessity for quick results saw players devote more energy and vigour into their performances than in previous stale qualification tournaments.

The results were even better with none of the usual suspects reaching the last four of the competition and a chance to win the inaugural tournament outright in Portugal next summer. The hosts will be there along with England, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Three of those sides achieved their target in thrilling circumstances – Switzerland needed to come from 0-2 down to defeat Belgium 4-2, and won 5-2. England were facing relegation from League A unless they defeated Croatia, and with 12 minutes remaining they trailed 1-0 at Wembley. But they inflicted to Zlatko Dalic’s side what had been dealt to them in summer, by netting two late goals to turn the situation

FIVE NATIONS RESURRECTED

BY THE NATIONS LEAGUE

“The football was scintillating and is precisely why football is the world’s most popular sport.”

THE NETHERLANDS

The Dutch have missed out on the most recent European Championships and World Cup but an exciting new side, containing Ajax young stars Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie De Jong among others, topped a group including France and Germany. They will be in the finals in Portugal this summer.

SWITZERLAND

Vladimir Petkovic’s men have built a reputation based on pragmatism and a steely defence rather than a flowing attack, but in their two Nations League home games – against Iceland and Belgium – they netted a remarkable 11 goals. Their comeback from two goals down to defeat the Red Devils was particularly remarkable.

SCOTLAND

RIGHT: Gibraltar celebrated their first ever competitive victory with a shock win in Armenia.

on its head. Instead of topping the group, Croatia were relegated while Gareth Southgate’s men progressed to Portugal.

The Netherlands – absent from each of the last two major international tournaments – also secured their place, pipping world champions France, with two last-gasp goals to rescue a point away to Germany in the final match. The drama was unbeatable, and it was consistent. The edge-of-the-seat nature of the football was scintillating and is precisely why football is the world’s most popular sport.

It was not just the glamorous League A teams who benefitted from the reshuffle, with mid-ranking teams now seeing an opportunity for a significant boost in FIFA rankings and to join Europe’s elite nations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Sweden and Ukraine all battled their way to group victories in League B, with all promoted and one spot automatically allocated to the 2020 European Championships. The same was also true of League C, where Scotland, Serbia, Finland and Norway all have the opportunity of glory next summer.

However, the real winners of the new competition were the 16 nations who fell into League D, the lowest ranked nations within Europe, sides who had become so accustomed to defeat that a low-scoring loss was often considered a success.

Teams who rarely tasted draws never mind victories were suddenly afforded a new lease of life with their outlook totally transformed. Take Andorra for example – between 2002 and 2016 the nation of just 77,000 inhabitants played 103 international matches, winning just once, drawing seven and losing a whopping 95 times. Between 2017 and 2018, the period which included six Nations League games, they won three and drew seven of their 14 outings. Kosovo, only recognised by UEFA as an independent nation in May 2016, are now unbeaten in their last 10 matches, winning eight, having lost their previous nine in a row.

Scotland have not qualified for a major tournament finals since 1998 and have suffered numerous heartaches in the years since. However, they have now been presented with a glorious opportunity to end that run. Three victories in a row ensured they were promoted to Group B and have a playoff spot for the 2020 European Championships.

KOSOVO

Only two years after being recognised

by UEFA, Kosovo are now on a ninegame unbeaten run and into Group C of the Nations League. Vice-captain Valon Berisha plays for Lazio while they have players in the German and Dutch top flights alongside Belgium, Croatia and Switzerland. A nation who have momentum and are worth keeping an eye on.

GEORGIA

Formerly part of the USSR, the nation have never qualified for a major finals since the Soviet bloc split but they now have an exciting young squad.

They have lost just three of their last 19 internationals and dropped just two points in their Nations League group.

Vladimir Weiss’ side may be under the radar but their future looks bright.

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FIVE MEMORABLE NATIONS LEAGUE MATCHES

“The real winners were the 16 nations in League D, the lowest ranked within Europe” Bernard Challandes’ side were one of four teams to be promoted from League D, alongside Belarus, Georgia and Macedonia.

But the good-feel stories went far beyond the group winners. Luxembourg, so often the whipping boys of qualification groups, collected 10 points from their six matches.

Azerbaijan lost just one of their six group games but missed out to Kosovo while Gibraltar – who had never previously won a competitive match of football – won twice.

Remarkably, their first victory was away at highly-fancied Armenia002C whose side contains star forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Of course, the format is not yet perfect and tweaks would be welcome, but the same is true for any football competition. Friendlies have not been eliminated entirely – threeteam groups mean that in each round of matches, one of the sides will have a free matchday. It is an imperfect solution but four-team groups would be preferable, even if this may compromise the closeness of the final standings.

There were also grumblings that the format was not clear and whilst that could not be said of the promotion/relegation concept alongside each of the four League winners going head-to-head in their own playoffs for a spot in the 2020 European Championships, it is still not a perfect format. Relegation may benefit nations in future years for qualification, due to facing supposedly inferior sides, for instance.

Yet football is meant to be fun, to have an element of unpredictability and to keep the fans engaged. Many venues were packed out with players and fans alike not taking anything for granted. This could certainly be said for England, who ended their year on a high-note after their painful summer exit to Croatia. The Nations League offers hope and the chance of redemption. International football, for so many years said to be struggling, has been reborn in 2018.

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SPAIN 2-3 ENGLAND OCT. 15, 2018

Before this meeting in Seville, Spain had six points from six and they had been on a 27-game unbeaten run (excluding their penalty shootout loss to Russia).

Yet a double from Raheem Sterling and a Marcus Rashford strike saw them three goals down at half-time. Second half Paco Alcacer and Sergio Ramos efforts could not prevent a shock result

CROATIA 3-2 SPAIN NOV. 15, 2018

ABOVE: It was not all smiles, as Germany suffered relegation to Group B of the Nations League LEFT: Only two years after being recognised as a nation by UEFA, Kosovo won promotion to Group C

A remarkable second-half saw five goals fly-in in Zagreb – Andrej Kramaric and Tin Jedvaj gave the hosts the lead but Dani Ceballos and Ramos struck back in a thrilling, end-to-end encounter.

Croatia won it deep in stoppage time with full-back Jedvaj the unlikely twogoal hero in a memorable match.

SWITZ. 5-2 BELGIUM NOV. 18, 2018

With just one defeat in 31 internationals and winning each of their first three Nations League games, it was inconceivable that Belgium would not win their group. Less so after Thorgan Hazard struck twice early on in Luzern.

Yet incredibly, the hosts scored five – including a Haris Seferovic treble – to complete a stunning turnaround.

POLAND 2-3 PORTUGAL OCT. 11, 2018

European champions Portugal progressed to the Nations League finals this summer, which they host. They won a thriller in front of nearly 50,000 fans in Chorzów with Andre Silva and Bernardo Silva among the scorers for the visitors. Fernando Santos’s men were unbeaten through their group which also included Italy.

ARMENIA 0-1 GIBRALTAR OCT. 18, 2018

Surely the most remarkable match of the Nations League unfolded in the Armenian capital of Yerevan. Joseph Chipolina’s penalty five minutes after the break clinched Gibraltar’s first ever victory as a FIFA nation, and despite the hosts having an incredible 35 shots on goal and 78% – they could not find a way through.

EURO 2020 Qualifiers

HERE’S A LOOK AT THE 10 QUALIFYING GROUPS FOR THE UEFA EURO 2020, WHERE THE TOP TWO FROM EACH GROUP WILL ADVANCE TO THE TOURNAMENT, WHILE THE REMAINING FOUR SPOTS WILL BE DETERMINED VIA PLAY-OFFS. SINCE THE 2020 EDITION WILL BE CONTESTED ALL ACROSS EUROPE, NO NATION WILL GAIN AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION. Will there be a different champion in th 2020 installment of the Euros?

GROUP A

GROUP B

GROUPC

GROUP D

GROUP E

ENGLAND

PORTUGAL

NETHERLANDS

SWITZERLAND

CROATIA

CZECH REPUBLIC

UKRAINE

GERMANY

DENMARK

WALES

BULGARIA

SERBIA

NORTHERN IRELAND

REP. OF IRELAND

SLOVAKIA

MONTENEGRO

LITHUANIA

ESTONIA

GEORGIA

HUNGARY

KOSOVO

LUXEMBOURG

BELARUS

GIBRALTAR

AZERBAIJAN

GROUP F

GROUP G

GROUP H

GROUP I

GROUP J

SPAIN

POLAND

FRANCE

BELGIUM

ITALY

SWEDEN

AUSTRIA

ICELAND

RUSSIA

BOS. & HERZEGOVINA

NORWAY

ISRAEL

TURKEY

SCOTLAND

FINLAND

ROMANIA

SLOVENICA

ALBANIA

CYPRUS

GREECE

FAROE ISLANDS

FYR MACEDONIA

MOLDOVA

KAZAKHSTAN

ARMENIA

MALTA

LATVIA

ANDORRA

SAN MARINO

LIECHTENSTEIN

Qualification kicks-off on March 21, 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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S360 AWARDS

THE SOCCER 360 PLAYER OF THE YEAR - LIONEL MESSI, BARCELONA AND ARGENTINA The fact that Messi finished only fifth in the Ballon d’Or voting is a reflection of the ridiculous standards he has set, rather than any drop-off in quality. Over the calendar year, the Barcelona superstar made 51 appearances for club and country, scoring 47 goals and providing 24 assists. Those are utterly ludicrous numbers, and Messi remains the best player on the planet.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring record is even better, and Luka Modric did indeed have a brilliant year, but Messi is on another planet.

COACH OF THE YEAR - ZLATKO DALIC, CROATIA Given their heroics in reaching the World Cup final in the summer, it’s often forgotten that Croatia had a tortuous qualification campaign. Dalic was brought in just two days before the final group match, Ante Cacic receiving his marching orders after a series of poor results.

Not only did he take them to the tournament in Russia, his side thrashed Argentina in the groups and game through a gruelling knockout round to go all the way to the final.

Croatia were actually the better team against France, and even though they lost Dalic deserves enormous credit for what he achieved in such a short space of time.

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ABOVE LEFT: Cristiano Ronaldo’s foot connected with the ball over 2m off the ground ABOVE RIGHT: David De Gea made the blunder of the year against Portugal LEFT: Lionel Messi finished only fifth in the Ballon d’Or voting

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR - KYLIAN MBAPPÉ, PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN AND FRANCE It’s easy to forget that Mbappé is still just 19-years-old, such has been his impact since he burst on-to the scene with Monaco.

After helping PSG to win the domestic treble in France, the youngster starred for his country at the World Cup. Mbappé destroyed Argentina with a brace in the Last 16, before scoring to make it 4-1 against Cro-atia in the final.

PSG paid around €180m to sign the striker, but even that may end up being worth it as he looks primed to become the next global superstar once Messi and Ronaldo walk into the sunset.

THE GIAMPIERO VENTURA CAREER SUICIDE AWARD - JULEN LOPETEGUI, SPAIN AND REAL MADRID The eponymous Ventura was in with a chance of winning this one, but in a Moonlight/La La Land shocker he’s been beaten to the punch by Lopetegui.

Spain went into the World Cup among the favourites, and their Coach’s stock had never been higher after swatting aside Ventura’s Italy in qualification.

Just days before the tournament though, Lopetegui agreed to take the Real Madrid job without telling the Spanish FA. He as quickly fired, then lasted just 14 games at Santiago Bernabeu before being given his marching orders after winning only six games.

60 AWARDS 2018 ‘Gigi Buffon suggested referee Michael Oliver had a “trashcan for a heart”’ GAME OF THE YEAR - ROMA 3-0 BARCELONA Most ‘Game of the Year’ headlines for 2018 will quickly be followed by the words ‘Red Dead Redemption 2,’ and it’s Roma’s own redemption which stands out as the greatest match of the year.

The Giallorossi had been beaten 4-1 by Barcelona at Camp Nou, and most assumed they were simply playing for pride back in Italy. A sold out Stadio Olimpico started to believe when Edin Dzeko opened the scoring after just six minutes, and a Daniele De Rossi penalty put them within one. The Lupi laid siege to the Barça goal, and were rewarded when Kostas Manolas headed in from a corner late on. Roma qualified for the semi-finals on away goals, in one of the most remarkable comebacks of the Champions League era.

GOAL OF THE YEAR - CRISTIANO RONALDO, JUVENTUS VS. REAL MADRID Gareth Bale in the Champions League Final, Benjamin Pavard at the World Cup, Mohamed Salah’s Puskas Award winner — there were some spectacular goals in 2018.

The pick of the bunch though was CR7’s spectacular overhead kick against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Ronaldo’s foot connected with the ball 2.38cm from the ground — for context, that’s 20cm taller than Kareem AbdulJabbar — leaving Gianluigi Buffon helpless.

The goal was so spectacular that the home fans in Turin rose as one to applaud it. Little did they know Ronaldo would sign.

THE GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI BEST RANT AWARD - GIANLUIGI BUFFON, REAL MADRID VS. JUVENTUS This highly sought-after award is named for Il Trap’s famous diatribe while in charge at Bayern Mu-nich, in which he insulted his players - “weak like a bottle empty!” — and the media — “Coach is not idiot!” - in broken German.

Perennial challenger Jose Mourinho went close with his 12-minute monologue back in March, but there can only be one winner.

Incensed by a late penalty given against Juve in the Champions League, Buffon tore into referee Michael Oliver in the post-match interview, suggesting he had “a trashcan for a heart” and should have been in the stands eating crisps rather than officiating the game.

THE CHRIS IWELUMO MISS OF THE YEAR AWARD - MATT RITCHIE, BURNLEY VS. NEWCASTLE This particular award is named after Iwelumo’s quite unbelievable miss for Scotland in a World Cup qualifier against Norway. It’s fitting then that a fellow Scotland international takes the crown for 2018, with Matt Ritchie proving singularly unable to hit a barn door.

A save from Joe Hart was pushed out to the far post, and the winger had the simple task of slotting into an empty goal on his stronger left foot. To the disbelief of everyone at Turf Moor though, Ritchie somehow contrived to screw the ball wide.

Fortunately for him, his side managed to take a 2-1 win.

ABOVE LEFT: Kylian Mbappé is already a superstar at just 19-years-old.

HOWLER OF THE YEAR - DAVID DE GEA, PORTUGAL VS. SPAIN David De Gea is seen by many as the best goalkeeper in the world, but it’s fair to say the Manchester United man didn’t exactly bolster that claim over the summer.

With Spain in disarray ahead of their first World Cup match, following the departure of Lopetegui, they faced an Iberian derby against Portugal.

The score was at 1-1 just before half-time when Cristiano Ronaldo took a speculative shot from just out-side the area. It wasn’t CR7’s best hit, and indeed was straight at De Gea. Somehow though the goalkeeper allowed the ball to bounce off his hands and into the net.

TRANSFER OF THE YEAR - CRISTIANO RONALDO, REAL MADRID TO JUVENTUS Fresh from winning the Champions League for a third year in a row, Ronaldo strangely described his time with Real Madrid in the past tense in his post-match interview. Most took that as being a ploy for a bumper new contract, and when rumours emerged of an offer from Juventus they were initially dismissed. Slowly though it became clear that there was something in the talk, and in July Juventus President Andrea Agnelli took a private plane to Greece, where CR7 was on holiday. Hours later the transfer was officially confirmed, with the Bianconeri smashing the Serie A transfer record by shelling out €100m for the reigning Ballon d’Or.

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BALLON D'OR

Modric The Machine

IT WAS GOING TO TAKE A SPECIAL 12 MONTHS TO DISLODGE CRISTIANO RONALDO AND LIONEL MESSI FROM BALLON D’OR GLORY. LUKA MODRIC DELIVERED AND THEN SOME, WRITES FEARGAL BRENNAN.

‘Modric’s World Cup performances verged on superhuman for stamina and mental strength’

2018

ended as the year in which Real Madrid’s Luka Modric broke the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi Ballon d’Or dominance, and it’s a measure his impact for club and country that he has gone where many of his peers have failed to. Modric’s win was scrutinised by certain quarters, but he has been a rare example of matching domestic and international form within the same calendar year.

The year began in low-key fashion for Real Madrid and Modric, following an inconsistent start to the 2017-18 campaign, with Barcelona 13 points clear of their great rivals. Zinedine Zidane made clear his intention to throw his weight behind a Champions League pursuit, confident they would get the points together for a top four finish.

A European focus is certainly not unique at the club, and Zidane’s confidence was backed up by a squad of players that have been there and done it – with Modric

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at the heart of it. Modric started five of the six knockout games on route to the Final, as Los Blancos saw off the domestic champions of France, Italy and Germany, with Modric answering a variety of questions on the way.

In each game he demonstrated his experience and quality in possession, but also his leadership, a skill which has been vastly understated during his career. Zidane utilised Modric’s versatility in the engine room in these games, as part of a deeplying pivot alongside Casemiro, or in an advanced role to counter-press in away games. Alongside his fellow superstars, Modric had to regularly call on his game management skills to push Madrid on, handing out lessons to some of the best young midfielders on the planet along the way.

The final against Liverpool typified Modric’s role in Madrid’s run, blocking out the intensity and drama of the occasion, to coldly make the critical difference. It was Modric that steadied the midfield after

ABOVE: Luka Modric and his family at the Ballon D'Or Awards.

A NUMBERS GAME

14

— Luka Modric picked up a total of 14 awards, citations and trophies in 2018, including a third consecutive Champions League winners’ medal and fourth overall, a place in the FIFA FIFPro World XI and the 2018 Ballon d’Or, breaking the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly.

58

— Modric played 58 games for club and country in the 2017-18 season, including all 13 of Real Madrid’s victorious Champions League campaign and 15 appearances for Croatia as they qualified for Russia 2018 and reached the World Cup Final for the first time.

566

Liverpool’s high-pressure start, confident in his ability to pick the lock when needed.

That duly proved to be the case as the Reds suffered a death by a thousand cuts, eventually sealing the Croatian’s fourth Champions League title.

Madrid then ended the campaign in the black, sealing a top four finish domestically too. But many of their players headed for the World Cup in Russia only days after the Champions League Final, leaving little time for respite.

This concern over burnout was a dominant theme surrounding Modric in the pretournament build-up. The question was asked: at 32, would he retain the durability for an international competition on the back of a long season at club level?

With 2018 considered the final chance for Croatia’s Golden Generation to make a splash on the world stage, Modric wasn’t the only one scrutinised. There were concerns over Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, too, but the Croatia midfield, marshalled

by Modric, proved to be among Coach Zlatko Dalic’s most reliable weapons.

Indeed, Modric’s performances verged on superhuman for stamina and mental strength.

Calmness, and a Modric penalty, won the day in their opener against Nigeria, before a masterclass against Argentina. With the exception of Messi, the Croatian camp were confident that they could go toe-to-toe with the two-time winners, and they did just that with the standout performance of the

group stages. Croatia pressed Argentina all over the park, with their ability to apply the ruthless touch apparent, as Modric scored and conducting things from midfield. Dalic deployed Modric as hybrid of a No 6 and a No 8, preferring Rakitic in an advanced role, with the Madrid man allowed freedom to dictate, in between his Barca rival and Inter’s Marcelo Brozovic.

In the knockout rounds that Modric switched into almost robot mode, showing an indefatigable desire and steely mentality to drive Croatia on. Despite missing a penalty in extra time against Denmark in the last 16, he refused to hide, and scored in the shootout to see Dalic’s side through.

Against Russia it was rinse and repeat, with another marathon tie and another goal in a penalty decider, and Modric’s comments ahead of Croatia’s semi-final with England dismissed claims of Croatian tiredness after an arduous road to the last four.

And he was proved right. Modric’s performance in the semi-final echoed many throughout his storming 2018, punctuated with an innate ability to tip the balance of the game, not be cowed by opposition bluster, and strike the killer blow in a game of immense magnitude.

Croatia came up short in the final against France, but not through lack of effort or guile. It was Modric who was rewarded with the Golden Ball for best player at the World Cup, over any of Les Bleus’ charges, for his inspiration and non-stop desire to push Croatia to untouched heights.

‘Zinedine Zidane utilised Modric’s versatility in the Champions League’

TOP RIGHT: Luka Modric’s Ballon d’Or win was recognition for his form for Real Madrid…

TOP LEFT: …and his inspirational displays as Croatia reached the World Cup Final BOTTOM: Zinedine Zidane used Luka Modric to great effect to win Real Madrid’s third straight Champions League

— 566 of Modric’s 636 Champions League passes were successful. That equates to an 89% pass completion ratio.

94 — Modric’s pass completion ratio for the final against Liverpool shot up to 94%. Only his Madrid teammate, Toni Kroos, put up better figures of players who started the match. Madrid went on to win 3-1.

7

— Modric played in seven games at the World Cup finals, captaining Croatia in every appearance and scoring twice, against Nigeria and Argentina.

63

— Modric covered a lung-busting 63km at the World Cup, the most of any player from any nation present in Russia. That includes 9km in the Final defeat to France alone.

694

— No player at the World Cup played more minutes than Modric’s 694, including extra time in the Round of 16 penalty shootout win over Denmark, the Quarter-Final shootout victory over hosts Russia and the Semi-Final triumph over England. Croatia came from behind in all three games.

1

— Modric is the first Croatian to win the Golden Ball for best player at the World Cup, the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award, the Best FIFA Men’s Player award and the Ballon d’Or, doing so all in the same calendar year.

2007

— 2007 was the last time a player other than Ronaldo or Messi topped the Ballon d’Or voting, when Kaka, then of Milan, was successful.

Modric dedicated his victory to ‘all the players who probably deserved to win but didn’t.’

33

— Modric turned 33 in September and wants to play on for a few more seasons. “I have two years left [on his Madrid contract] and hopefully one more. The club shows me a lot of affection and I’d like to retire at Madrid.

I want to keep enjoying this club,” he said.

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BALLON D'OR

Ada Hegerberg's Cla LAUREN MAHARAJ

because obviously, I didn’t want to twerk in front of millions of people

W

ithout a doubt, Ada Hegerberg is one of the most clinical players in the women’s game. This season alone the Norwegian scored a magnificent 31 goals in 29 matches for Olympique Lyon.

Since joining the giants, Hegerberg has engraved a deep mark on the French game domestically and among her competitive counterparts.

It is fitting that in 2014 her place of virtue became Lyon after a senior career throughout Norway and Germany. It is a known fact that the female side of the game flourishes on French soil – particularly amongst clubs such as Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain. Lyon are easily the most decorated French side in the Division 1 Feminine with a whopping fourteen league titles to their name and a boastful first team with top-notch players such as Canadian phenom Kadeisha Buchanan, Wendie Renard and Eugenie Le Sommer. But to put this kind of power in perspective one must see silverware. For Lyon, it not just the history, the club or its players, but also the sheer truth of their success.

The club are currently considered the strongest female side in world football, having won five Champions League titles including three in a row between 2015 and 2018. Therefore, it comes with little surprise that a talented player such as Hegerberg would fit in perfectly with the club and its titanic ambitions. Currently, the Norwegian boasts over 120 goals in 95 appearances and began her Lyon career in striking style back in 2014 with a whopping 26 goals in 22 matches. With such an impressive goal-scoring prowess, team success and silverware to enhance the fact, it is simply a perfect fit for a player such as Hegerberg to

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RIGHT: Ada poses with her Balon d'Or

Class in Controversy "I want to thank France Football, for letting us have this opportunity. It's such an important thing for women's football and together we'll make a difference. write history and attain the first ever Ballon d'Or Féminin.

After winning the award, Hegerberg admitted to the New York Times that being the first woman to lift the prestigious award would inevitably be the most massive thing to happen in her young career. In fact, despite producing numbers on the score sheets better than that of some of her male counterparts and sporting a gigantic trophy cabinet with a premier side in France, it is only now - after the dazzling Ballon d’Or ceremony and a sprinkle of controversy - where Hegerberg is finally being commercially recognized.

It was truly unfortunate that her newfound recognition was spoiled from a piece of unnecessary controversy involving the ceremony DJ who requested her to “twerk” after accepting her award. The hurricane of debate that spewed from the incident reinforced a deeper need, we all much acknowledge. That is that, yes, there is still a conversation to be had surrounding the idea of sexism in women’s sport, the slanted opportunities for female athletes professionally and our need to respect

their craft the way we do their male counterparts.

However, it was Hegerberg who has calmed the storm and led the media towards a better outlook during the flurry – her career. “Things blew out of hand,” Hegerberg remarked to the New York Times. “In that situation, I didn’t take it bad, at all. I just said ‘no’ and turned because obviously, I didn’t want to twerk in front of millions of people. So it was kind of like an ironic ‘no,’ and I had a laugh because I was there doing the Ballon d’Or, and that was the only thing I thought about.”

The 23-year-old’s maturity towards the intensely scrutinized situation was humbling and also a fantastic companion to the important speech she made whilst accepting her award. "This is a huge step for women's football," she said.

"I want to thank France Football, for letting us have this opportunity. It's such an important thing for women's football and together we'll make a difference.

I'd like to leave with some words to young girls all over the world. Please believe in yourselves."

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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BY SEAN MASLIN

90THTHMINUTE

SOCIAL MEDIA

CURTAIN CALL DROGBA

ROUND-UP MODRIC WINS BALLON D’OR Luka Modric rounded off a 2018 to remember by adding the Ballon d’Or to his existing haul of a Champions League winners’ medal, World Cup runners-up medal and Best FIFA Men’s Player crown.

O

n November 22, 2018 the man known as Drogba hung up his boots. In an interview with the BBC the Chelsea legend announced that he was retiring from football after a 20-year career. While many were sad to see him go another thought also popped into the heads of those who had lost touch with the superstar

STERLING SLAMS NEWSPAPERS Raheem Sterling took aim at English newspapers in an impassioned Instagram post, which claimed they ‘fuelled racism’ in football.

The Manchester City forward explained how black teammate Tosin Adarabioyo was negatively portrayed in comparison to white colleague Phil Foden.

INTER WELCOME ZHANG Inter swore in Steven Zhang as their new President with an epic video of the 26-year-old – son of Nerazzurri owner Zhang Jindong – immerse himself in the Milan landscape and ask, ‘I’m ready. Are you?’

SOLVEIG SAYS SORRY French DJ Martin Solveig tweeted a video of him apologising after he asked first-ever female Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberk to twerk on stage. However, he was criticised for blaming his level of English – when he spoke to the Olympique Lyonnais striker in French.

SOLVEIG GETS ROMA TREATMENT Roma responded to the Martin Solveig controversy in the only way their Twitter admin knew how – by posting a video of him supposedly greeting DJs in Ibiza and giving the Frenchman the silent treatment..

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“WAIT, HADN’T HE ALREADY RETIRED?” While that might be perceived as a knock it really isn’t intended to be. As opposed to other sports where a player retires and that’s it, with football it can be a bit more difficult to decipher. Player’s careers often continue into their 40s and sometimes 50s playing in regions far away from the limelight and for varying motivations.

For Drogba his reasons for staying on with Phoenix Rising FC were pretty clear. "It's the best way to end, helping some young talent to develop," he said."To give something back to the game was the best way to finish as I have learned so much in the game."

Over the past two seasons Drogba has been doing just that for the United Soccer League side. Although his numbers did drop off in year two for the Rising (14 appearances and 10 goals in 2017 versus 12 appearances and 7 goals in 2018) he still remained a valuable player for the club. In the USL playoffs he scored three times including a cracking goal against Orange County SC to help his side to the finals. While the Rising did come up just short in the finals, losing 1-0 to Louisville City FC it was still a fantastic season for a side that has never really tasted postseason glory.

While he might not have played as much as some of the other players on the side, Drogba was still very much an important key to the Rising program. Since coming on as a part-owner and part-player the club has seen a rapid development in their Youth Academy program as well as in their infrastructure. Not all of that can be tied to Drogba (additional local financing and an increased supporter’s base certainly helps) having him present and his name tied to it

gives the club more leverage.

Phoenix has often been a desired region for those who want to build the game in the United State. Although the Rising are based in Tempe it is included in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, which is the twelfth highest population in the United States.

Although the temperatures particularly in the summer can be a challenge it has proven to be a soccer hotbed. Both American and Mexican National Team matches have averaged 50,000-70,000 spectators in indoor facilities in the region. But club sides haven’t had the same level of success.

Enter Drogba. In an editorial that he wrote for the AZCentral he explained his reasoning for joining the club. “When I was leaving Montreal Impact, I had offers from around the world. They came in from Brazil, England, France, even China. But one stood out. It was different. It was a new club in Phoenix, and after a series of long conversations with the club’s ownership – most often Berke Bakay, the governor of Rising who I knew from my time playing in Turkey – I really started to feel like maybe this was the right project for me,” he wrote. “It was a unique opportunity to be a part of something from the ground up. It also allowed me to become a team owner and begin the transition to my post-playing career.”

With his boots hung up the post-playing career part of his job with the team will come more into focus. On the field, the club looks primed to make another run at the USL title with several of their key parts coming back.

Off of the field is the bigger question. Ownership has made very clear that they want to make the jump to Major League Soccer.

Getting a stadium is the first step to making that happen. In March the club unveiled renderings for a 20,000-seat stadium.

Although it would be outdoors, the club has made assurances that it would be built to maximize shade and cooling. The potential tantalizing part for local residents is that the $250 million-seater would be privately funded.

While much still has to be decided it is clear that Drogba’s influence on and off of the pitch has boosted the club’s chances of making the jump to the top division. Whether they can continue their success without him on the pitch will be something that he and the club will have to adjust to in 2019.

TOP: Drogba looking on as he plays for Ivory Coast

AWAY DAYS

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Paris, a popular holiday destination for those who seek culture, art and gastronomy over lazy beach days, open bars and all you can eat buffets, has always been one of those cities that many yearn to visit in their travel bucket lists.

However, during the past decade, the glorious French capital has opened its doors to a new breed of tourist, the travelling football fan. Located on the west outskirts of the city on the Rue du Commandant sits the Parc de Princes, a 48,000 seating UEFA category four football stadium, home to Paris Saint-Germain, one of the continent’s fiercest football clubs.

Although the club, founded in 1970, does not boast the history of Manchester United, Juventus or Barcelona, the likes of George Weah, Dominique Rocheteau and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have passed through the club, offering excellent pedigree, while the current crop is led by Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe, three of the greatest forwards in the modern game.

But the football on offer is not the only delicious treat in Paris. Independent bakeries can be found on almost every street, creating their own takes on worldwide favourites like croissants and pain au chocolat, while if you are brave enough, a strange but popular option is available in chocolate and pistachio escargot. During the winter months, France’s national dish is readily available, named Pot-au-Feu, a rustic stew consisting of steak, vegetables and spices.

However, it’s not just during winter that Paris can be chilly, with lows of 10 degrees Celsius observed during the summer months, while standing atop of the Eiffel Tower during at any time of year offers a freezing experience. But, the delicious complimentary Champagne takes the edge off, and the daily firework displays brighten up the cold night sky.

If you are afraid of heights, the city’s chief landmark is not the only thing to see in Paris. The Louvre offers extensive art galleries and is home to the Mona Lisa, the Sacre-Coeur is a beautiful chapel with historical, political and religious importance to the city. You can even pay tribute to a rock music god, as the Doors’ Jim Morrison was laid to rest at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

For travelling football fans, Paris’ unique charm and

endless list of activities can still keep you occupied before and after kick-off, and if the stars on the pitch aren’t enough for you, celebrities such as Jay-Z, Beyonce and Leonardo Dicaprio have been seen in the stands of the Parc de Princes on occasion, giving the Parisian club a unique pull which the likes of United, Barca and Juve cannot match.

With progression in the Champions League becoming the main aim of PSG, the city will be hosting more away days than ever in the coming years, and although the trip may be long and expensive, Paris presents an away day like no other. With so much history and culture in France’s capital city, a simple trip to watch your team play could become the trip of a life time.

Neymar is the headline attraction in the Paris SaintGermain team

SOCIAL MEDIA

ROUND-UP PART 2 ROBBERY NO MORE Bayern Munich reacted to news of Arjen Robben’s departure by publishing a picture of him and partner in crime Franck Ribery celebrating together, with a tifo of them in the background. The pair were known as ‘Robbery’ – a portmanteau of their surnames.

The iconic Eiffel Tower is far from the only attraction worth seeing in the French capital

MEXICO COWBOYS BRANDING

The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has signed a four-year deal that will see the national soccer team play annual matches at the AT&T stadium in Dallas, Texas.

The agreement, brokered by the Major League Soccer (MLS)-owned Soccer United Marketing, will see the team play one match a year at the home of the National Football League’s (NFL) Dallas Cowboys through 2022, starting from next year.

The deal aims to build on the Mexican team’s popularity and commercial potential in the States by providing an annual Super Bowl of sorts for fans, which will include a fan festival in downtown Dallas whenever the team is playing in the US city.

In addition, the Mexican team will participate in year-round community initiatives involving the local Hispanic population, while MLS franchise FC Dallas will host watch parties geared towards sustaining the city as a hub for Mexico fans.

The Mexican soccer team have a strong following in the US, and their five games in the country this year, most recently at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, averaged 63,500 fans a game.

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RIVER CELEBRATE COPA River Plate generated almost 200,000 Facebook likes when they posted a celebratory picture after their Copa Libertadores triumph over arch-rivals Boca Juniors, which read ‘The Best Ever’.

BALOTELLI CALLS OUT MILAN FANS In an attempt to deflect criticism of his own performances, Mario Balotelli accused Milan fans of lacking ‘recognition and respect’ for his time spent at the club. An bizarre Instagram story, even by his standards.

EVRA CARESSES A CHICKEN

Arturo Vidal has not had the best of starts to his Barcelona career, and his frustrations seemed to come to a head when he posted an angry emoji as an Instagram story after a three-minute cameo against Tottenham.

50M TWEETS FOR THE TITLE!

Borussia Monchengladbach cheekily asked the Bundesliga on Twitter how many retweets they needed for the title. The answer? Fifty million.

Safe to say, we won’t be seeing a League decided over social media any time soon.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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SOCIAL MEDIA

ROUND-UP PART 3 ICARDI BUYS INTER SQUAD ROLEXES As a token of his gratitude for running out as Serie A top goalscorer last season, Mauro Icardi bought Rolex watches for all of his Inter teammates, plus Rafinha and Joao Cancelo.

A GOOD READ THE WINTER MONTHS CAN BE A DIFFICULT TIME FOR ANY NORTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL FAN. WHILE THERE ARE CERTAINLY MANY GAMES TO WATCH ON THE TELEVISION THE STANDS ARE EMPTY AND THUS THERE IS PLENTY OF IDLE TIME. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF BOOKS TO READ DURING THIS TIME. HERE ARE TEN OF THE BEST NORTH AMERICANTHEMED SOCCER BOOKS TO READ DURING THE WINTER BREAK.

THIRTY-ONE NIL: ON THE ROAD WITH FOOTBALL’S OUTSIDERS: A WORLD CUP ODYSSEY (JAMES MONTAGUE) If you have ever wanted to learn about soccer’s minnows then this is the perfect read.

THE UNITED STATES OF SOCCER: MLS AND THE RISE OF SOCCER FANDOM (PHIL WEST) West combs through the wild west that was the late 1980s and early 1990s of American soccer and delivers a solid, thorough analysis of the times.

ONE ON ONE WITH

RONALDO REUNITES WITH SIR ALEX Cristiano Ronaldo used his trip to Old Trafford for Juventus’ Champions League clash with Manchester United to have a photo with mentor Sir Alex Ferguson after he recovered from emergency surgery.

SALAH CATS AND DOGS Mohamed Salah spoke out against plans in his home nation of Egypt to export stray animals abroad, amidst fears they will be used for food. “This won’t happen and can’t happen," tweeted the Liverpool ace, alongside images of his pet cats.

2019 IS LOOKING LIKE IT WILL BE A BIG SEASON FOR NICHELLE PRINCE. PRINCE, 23, IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE TOP YOUNG FORWARDS IN THE GAME. SOCCER 360 MAGAZINE’S SEAN MASLIN SPOKE WITH PRINCE ABOUT HER GOALS NEXT SEASON FOR BOTH CLUB AND COUNTRY.

EIGHT WORLD CUPS: MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE BEAUTY AND DARK SIDE OF SOCCER (GEORGE VECSEY) Like many North Americans who have fallen in love with the game New York Times writer George Vecsey started right around the 1980s. His travels through the game serve as the perfect backdrop to when Canada and United States were also becoming more exposed to what the beautiful game could offer.

SOCCER: CANADA’S NATIONAL SPORT (LES JONES) Jones take a deep and methodical look at over 150 years of history of Canadian soccer and pulls out some fantastic stories and bits of information.

SOCCER WARZ: INSIDE AMERICA’S SOCCER FEUD BETWEEN MLS, NASL, AND USL (KARTIK KRISHNAIYER) No one knows the lower divisions of American and Canadian soccer quite like Kartik Krishnaiyer. In Soccer Warz Krishnaiyer breaks down the current structure, provides insight into the motivations of all the major decisionmakers, and looks at the future of how the game will grow in both countries.

After US President Donald Trump tweeted a need for France to be made ‘great again’, Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy replied ‘don’t worry’ with two stars, symbolising his country’s World Cup victories.

92 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

SOCCER IN A FOOTBALL WORLD (DAVID WANGERIN) An American ex-pat takes a deep dive into his former home countries desire,or lack thereof, to learn the game. Plus the immortal question of ‘soccer versus football’ is finally answered.

THE BECKHAM EXPERIMENT (GRANT WAHL) David Beckham signing with the Los Angeles Galaxy shook the footballing world. With access to all of the key decision-makers Wahl looks at the motivations to bringing the Beckham brand to America and what it might mean for the global game.

RED CARD: HOW THE UNITED STATES BLEW THE WHISTLE ON THE WORLD’S BIGGEST SPORTS SCANDAL (KEN BENSINGER) The FIFA corruption scandal rocked the footballing world and Bensinger’s book he looks at how the United States was key in bringing down Sepp Blatter.

AMONG THE THUGS (BILL BUFORD) No book has provided more insight into the motivations and mindset of soccer supporters quite like Buford’s take on English football in the 1980s.

NICHELLE PRINCE

SEAN MASLIN: HOW HAS YOUR OFFSEASON BEEN SO FAR? Nichelle Prince: It has been good! I first had to go through CONCACAF with Canada so that first month out of the season I went straight into camp and then I got a little bit of rest after that. But for the last few weeks I have been training so it has been good. It is great to be back and it is nice to get the chance to work on a few things that you wouldn’t usually get the chance to work on.

SM: IF YOU COULD SUM LAST SEASON UP FOR THE DASH IN ONE SENTENCE WHAT WOULD IT BE? NP: I would say forever changing [Laughs]. We started out a lot different than we finished and we grew and we learned. I think that our team was forever changing and we had to keep on progressing and learning from a coach [Vera Pauw, who left in the offseason] that was kind of unfamiliar to us.

SM: WHAT DO YOU FEEL THAT HOUSTON NEEDS TO DO TO MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS NEXT SEASON? NP: I think we just need to have a good season from start to finish. From the first game all of us need to be on the same page. Of course we are not going to be as good in the beginning as we are in the end but we need to make sure we are getting points early on and that we are connected as a team. We cannot lose points early on in the season.

MENDY REPLIES TO TRUMP

ONCE IN A LIFETIME: THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF THE NEW YORK COSMOS (GAVIN NEWSHAM) The Cosmos inspired a generation to pick up a ball and play the beautiful game. Newsham’s book details all of the highs and lows of one of the world’s most famous football teams.

SM : 2019 IS A BIG YEAR FOR THE HOUSTON DASH BUT IT IS ALSO A BIG YEAR FOR THE CANADIAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM. HOW EXCITED ARE YOU WHAT IS TO COME NEXT YEAR? NP: I am very excited. This will be my first World Cup year and it is going to be a big year for me with the Dash and with the National Team. I believe I can make big strides at both stages and I think this year could be a big stepping stone for my career. So for now I just want to be prepared and be ready because it is all coming pretty fast.

SM: WHAT WOULD MAKING THE WORLD CUP ROSTER MEAN FOR YOU? NP: Oh it would be so huge. I remember watching it four years ago on my couch and cheering on the girls and wishing I was in that spot. So being on the team would be huge for me. It would be nice to see all of the work that I have put into my career and all of the support that I have received from friends and family show that it was all worth it. I was at the [2016] Olympics and I didn’t get a whole lot of minutes so for this tournament I really want to be a starter and be someone that can help the team on the field.

SM: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHEAT DAY MEAL? NP: I love sushi. Every now and then that is my go-to meal.

SM : IF YOU COULD GIVE A YOUNG FORWARD ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR MAKING IT IN THE PROS WHAT WOULD IT BE? NP: I think as a forward sometimes you think, ‘Oh you are just a forward or a finisher.’

But once you get to the higher stages you have to be an allaround good player. You have to have the pace, you have to defend well, and you have to put in the extra work. So I think it is just about making sure that you aren’t relying on just being a great finisher and great in front of the goal. You have to be a great all-around player and that is what it takes to make it at the top levels and play at the National Team.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF…

90THTHMINUTE

CLAUDIO RANIERI

EARLY DAYS Born in 1951 in Rome, Claudio Ranieri signed his first professional playing contract with Roma but only made six appearances in two years at the club and even had a one-month loan stint at Siracusa before signing for Catanzaro in 1974 where he would go on to spend the next eight years.

Man Walking’ and donated the proceeds to London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital. To this day is considered a fan favourite who was harshly sacked by the ruthless owner. He also returned to Spain with Valencia and Italy, with Parma, Juventus, Roma and Inter, after he left Stamford Bridge, and spent time in charge of Monaco.

FIRST COACHING ROLE Ranieri’s first job in management was at Campania Puteolana in 1987, however a year later he was in charge of Cagliari and took the club to two successive promotions, going from Serie C to Serie A whilst also winning the Coppa Italia Serie C title in 1989.

GOING GREEK Ranieri seriously hampered his reputation in 2014 when he took over as head Coach of the Greece national team. Three defeats and a draw in just four games meant that Ranieri was sacked only four months after taking the job, a European qualifying defeat to the Faroe Islands proving to be the last straw.

REIGN IN SPAIN After success in Italy, Ranieri moved to Spain and guided Valencia to the Copa Del Rey trophy in his second season in charge thumping, Atletico Madrid 3-0 in the final. He also won the Intertoto Cup in 1998 and during a second stint with Los Che, won the UEFA Super Cup in 2004.

BLUE IS THE COLOUR Ranieri next headed to England for a four-year stint at Chelsea in which he became a popular figure but was sacked for rival Jose Mourinho. The axe fell in May 2004 despite Ranieri guiding the club to the semi-final of the Champions League and runners-up spot in the Premier League.

AFTER CHELSEA Following his dismissal by Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, Ranieri wrote a book called ‘Proud

T H E

ROUND-UP PART 4 NEYMAR AND SON Neymar shared a cute moment with son Davi Lucca in front of the cameras, when the Paris SaintGermain star brought him along for a Brazil Press conference.s.

MIRACLE WORKER A surprise appointment in the summer of 2015, Ranieri and Leicester did the unthinkable by winning the 2015-16 Premier League title at odds of 5000/1.

He was sacked nine months later after a difficult start to the season but remained close to the club, donating half of his £3m payoff to the club’s charitable foundation, and attending a memorial service for Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash in October 2018.

BACK TO ENGLAND After a season in France with Nantes, Ranieri replaced Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham, with a brief to keep the Cottagers in the Premier League. Ironically, Jokanovic was Ranieri’s first signing as Chelsea manager.

WAYNE ROONEY

B Y

SOCIAL MEDIA

LAN UNVEIL GAZIDIS Milan unveiled new CEO Ivan Gazidis to the world in a short video on Twitter, where the former Arsenal man professed his confidence about taking the Rossoneri ‘back to where they belong’..

WAYNE ROONEY SAID GOODBYE TO INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL WITH A FINAL APPEARANCE AT WEMBLEY IN ENGLAND’S WIN OVER THE UNITED STATES. DAN ROBERTS HAS THE NUMBERS ON A LENGTHY CAREER.

N U M B E R S

17 Years and 111 Days – Wayne Rooney became England’s youngest ever player when he made his debut against Australia in 2003. Theo Walcott now holds the record.

734 – There was more than two years – 734 days to be exact - between Rooney’s 119th cap against Scotland and his final appearance against the United States.

17 Years and 317 Days – Rooney became the youngest ever

22 – Wayne Rooney led his side out as England captain on

goalscorer for England when he found the net against Macedonia in a Euro 2004 qualifying match.

120 – England’s most capped outfield player. Only

goalkeeper Peter Shilton had more caps with 125.

2 – His passionate style of play sometimes went too far

and he saw red against Portugal at the 2006 World Cup and again against Montenegro in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

53 – Rooney is the all-time top goal scorer for England – he surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton’s record in 2015.

10 – Rooney scored two goals in a game on 10 different

occasions – but never got an England hat-trick.

1 – Rooney’s performances at major tournaments sometimes attracted criticism – and he only ever scored one World Cup finals goal, against Uruguay in 2014.

22 occasions, taking the armband on a permanent basis in 2014 after Steven Gerrard’s international retirement.

6 – Rooney’s 120 England appearances were made for six different managers – Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McLaren, Fabio Capello, Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce and Gareth Southgate.

Gareth Southgate felt it was right to give Rooney the chance to say goodbye to the England faithful

VALENCIA’S ‘TRUE’ FANS Valencia President Anil Murthy became even less popular when he only acknowledged the ‘true’ fans who stayed to watch Los Che labour to yet another draw with Sevilla.

NORTH LONDON IS RED Arsenal couldn’t help but take a dig at neighbours Tottenham Hotspur after their 4-2 comeback win in the North London derby, declaring that part of the English capital was ‘red’.

VILLA REUNITES WITH INIESTA David Villa and Andres Iniesta shared a customary snap after confirmation of the striker’s switch to Vissel Kobe.

The pair enjoyed huge success together with Barcelona and Spain.

Soccer360Magazine.com January / February 2019

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U-20 READY

LUCA MODRIC WORD SEARCH ATTACKING AWARDS CAPTAIN CHAMPION CLUB CROATIA DEEP-LYING DEFENSIVE FANS FINALS

GOAL GOLDEN BALL LEAGUE MATCHES MIDFIELDER NATIONAL NIKE PLAYMAKER PRECISION PREMIER

REAL MADRID RIVALRIES ROYAL SPAIN STADIUM TEAM TEN TOURNAMENT TRADITIONAL VISION Use the Word Bank to

Luka Modric

Find all 30 Words

Word Bank Qualifying through CONCACAF is never easy. No matter the age level the region always seems to produce a few spoilers and some serious heartache. After having seen their senior side just one year ago fail to make it past the dreaded Hex the United States under-20 team faced an even taller task: an expanded field. But the young Americans showed their mettle getting past the field to claim top honors.

This year’s tournament was slightly bit different than what sides had faced in the past. In their continued efforts to give the minnows of the region more experience CONCACAF announced that the tournament would be expanded to 34 teams. The top sides in each of the six groups would then move on to a threeteam two-group second round. The sides that finished first and second out of each group earned an automatic spot in the 2019 U-20 World Cup. The teams finishing at the top of each table facing one on other in the CONCACAF finals.

That produced several fascinating upsets including Panama pulling past Canada in the Group Stage. While the Canadian side did not feature many of their top players, losing to Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Canal Boys will certainly give pause to those who were hoping for a World Cup run. They weren’t the only side to face some tough competition. Despite being heavy favorites to win the entire tournament Mexico (4-1-0, 13 points) only narrowly squeaked past Jamaica (4-1-0, 13 points) based off of Goal Differential (+29 to +21). While the Reggae Boyz can certainly hang their hats on a solid tournament, they may rue the own goal and penalty drawn in their 2-2 draw with El Tri that halted their chances at all 3 points. Mexico’s (1-1-0, 4 points,+1 GD) luck continued into the second round where they narrowly got past Panama (1-1-0, 4 points, +1 GD) to earn top honors in Group H with Fair Play points coming

ATTACKING AWARDS CAPTAIN into play (-1 to -2). Meanwhile in Group CHAMPION G the United States (2-0-0, 6 points) CLUB steamrolled the competition going CROATIA undefeated and not allowing a single goal.

The final at IMG Academy in Bradenton, DEEP-LYING Florida would see two of the region’s DEFENSIVE giants do battle in what was expected FANSto be a tight, close affair. But as is the case FINALS in football very often what is expected GOAL never came to fruition. With a steely GOLDEN BALL determination and a desire to prove the LEAGUE next generation could do better than MATCHES the last the United States pulled away MIDFIELDER early and never looked back, downing NATIONAL their neighbors to the South 2-0. NIKE Alexis Mendez, a Los Angeles Galaxy product PLAYMAKER who would go on to move to SC Freiburg PRECISION days after the tournament, scoredPREMIER twice to give the US the win. For his efforts in theMADRID REAL final and his eight goals throughout the RIVALRIES tournament Mendez was honoredROYAL with the Golden Ball and Best XI. SPAIN Mendez wasn’t the only AmericanSTADIUM to win individual honors. Goalkeeper Brady Scott TEAM was the recipient of the Golden Glove TEN (Koln) while Sergino Dest (Ajax), TOURNAMENT Chris Gloster (Hanover 96), Mark McKenzie TRADITIONAL (Philadelphia Union), Brandon Servania VISION (FC Dallas),Ayo Akinola (Toronto FC), and Ulysses Llanez were named to the Best XI. Mexico’s Jose Macias of Chivas won the Golden Boot and was a member of the Best XI along with his El Tri teammates Gilberto Sepulveda (Chivas) and Diego Lainez (America) While the tournament may be over additional challenges lay ahead for Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and the United States. All four teams will be playing in the 2019 World Cup in Poland and will be aiming to give CONCACAF their first-ever U-20 title. While the road to World Cup glory might be treacherous having run the gauntlet in the region these sides have proven that they can handle anything that is thrown at them.

N A T I O N A L V A T V C E Y O L P F N I A P S T R L B

D H S I E M H N P R E O L E L B K R R A D L L I L I B G

B E D Z B B O L A J S U U U G S Z E O V N A C L M V K C

A X E A P I K D M R Z O B R W D H M Y P N S A U B A C K

U V L P P T I M C B Z S F G N R X I J I G B N Z D L H I

K D I M L T P R A E C O J I M A I E F N N M E E Z R P X

S Q A S I Y O O V N V B G J I W M R T E I O T Y W I A Y

C E N C T O Y N C A P L S O F E A L N T C L X K D S A S

V A O I X G N D G T M X C N I M O W K T A B S H W P R R

L G A T Z E A G X P N K I G E G X N Q O T A G D R M E Y

R E K A M Y A L P A T I B Z L F M X G C T F L E A G U E

S E H C T A M Z I C P N T I D Q E U G N A W C A U P O Z

N I K E K N N K B R Z M J A E M C D I U R I R A Y C G Q

P B I Z M U T P Q N U R F J R G U E F D S X J F R O B Y

BIRTHDAY BOYS JANUARY: Eden Hazard January 7th Club: Chelsea Arjen Robben January 23rd Club: Bayern Munich Luis Suarez January 24th Club: Barcelona Sebastian Giovinco January 26th Club: Toronto FC

FEBRUARY: Cristiano Ronaldo February 5th Club: Juventus Neymar February 5th Club: Paris Saint-Germain Christian Eriksen February 14th Club: Tottenham Mauro Icardi February 19th Club: Inter

94 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

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LAST WORD

THE FIGHT TO ENSURE FAIRNESS IN FOOTBALL IS DOOMED TO FAILURE, WRITES SUSY CAMPANALE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WOULD RISK RUINING THE SPORT.

ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND SPORT

F

ootball isn’t fair. It never has been and in a way it never will be. A team can dominate a match for 89 minutes and still lose. We’ve seen it happen so many times, including in Cup Finals.

Everyone is clamouring to find new ways to make the game fair, to create an even playing field where everyone is guaranteed an even chance of success, but that is impossible. More than that, it ought to be impossible.

If everyone started on the same level, there’d be no fairy-tales. There’d be no Leicester City winning the Premier League. The tragic death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash just outside the stadium where he celebrated that astonishing sporting achievement just over two years ago is further proof that life, and sport, just isn’t fair. It is unpredictable, in good ways and bad. We simply have to relish every moment and accept just how little control we have over any of it.

Nothing gives you stronger emotions than sport. Nothing. Seeing your team beat the odds, having gone years with so little to celebrate and then winning when completely unexpected: you can’t beat that sensation. There are Manchester United fans whose dying thoughts as their lives flash before their eyes will include the comeback to win the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich.

Financial Fair Play is a sham, but then we always knew that. There is far too much money in the sport to balance that out and accountants far too skilled to let genuine rules be imposed anyway. Again, though, complete equality would ruin the sport.

The introduction of VAR is by no means a guarantee of justice

‘UEFA must avoid the creation of the socalled Super League’

SUPPORT

YOUR TEAM

OFFICIAL GEAR FROM ALL THE BEST LEAGUES IN STOCK NOW

JERSEYS • JACKETS

HATS • BALLS • T-SHIRTS

SHOES • SCARVES

TEAM UNIFORMS

CALENDARS • FLAGS

COME SEE WHY PEOPLE SAY IT’S

Some clubs exist by developing young talents and then selling them on at vastly inflated prices. This is a system everyone benefits from and that’s how it should be.

What UEFA and the sport absolutely must avoid is the creation of the so-called Super League. Leaked documents show plans to invite big clubs – or at least ones who were big – to remain in this top flight with no chance of relegation for a decade.

There is no success without the danger of potential failure. Football is not a sport that lends itself to the status of an exhibition match, because you can’t make a game entertaining without there being anything at stake. It generates emotions because it feels important to the fans and the players.

There is one area where fairness can be provided, or at the very least approached, and that is with the introduction of VAR. The Video Assistant Referee system has crept its way into the sport in dribs and drabs, making those left behind look positively antique in comparison. Soon we’ll view those days before VAR with the same befuddled disbelief that there was a world before the Internet and mobile phones. Some of us are feeling that way already, seeing Manchester United secure passage to the Champions League Round of 16 thanks to a goal with an evident

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96 January / February 2019 Soccer360Magazine.com

The fact it shouldn’t have happened is what made Leicester City such a fairy-tale

Marouane Fellaini handball offence. UEFA have listened, learned and agreed to start using the technology from the knockouts this season, although the Europa League remains out in the cold, like the only person you know without an iPhone.

Yet VAR is no guarantee of fairness at all.

Yes, it is ideal for objective situations like offside and whether an incident was inside or outside the box, but when it comes to fouls in the penalty area, it remains what it always was: a human being making a subjective decision. In case anyone wanted confirmation of just how brittle the sense of justice is around this technology, Piero Ceccarini stepped up with the ultimate example.

Questions were asked in the Italian Parliament after the coming together between Juventus defender Mark Iuliano and Inter striker Ronaldo in that infamous 1998 Serie A match. Nerazzurri Coach Gigi Simoni said ‘history would have changed’ if VAR had been in place at the time.

Ceccarini decided to prove him wrong by assuring even having seen the incident again on a slow-motion replay, and still 20 years later, he would not have awarded a penalty, insisting Ronaldo ran into Iuliano.

When it comes to sport, justice is in the eye of the beholder.

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