Soccer360 Magazine Issue 97: March / April 2022 by Soccer 360 Magazine

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GABRIEL JESUS

LEAD THE WAY!

THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY

REVIVALS AND MOMENTUM GAINERS

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

TOP WINTER SIGNINGS

PROJECT REBOOT

DUSAN VLAHOVIC SIGNS BIG

TITLE RACE

BAYERN, NAPOLI, & SEVILLA CLOSE IN

ALEX MORGAN NWSL KICK OFF

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE

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SOCCER360

MAGAZINE

MARCH / APRIL 2022 | ISSUE 97

EDITOR Steven Davies

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Rob Paton ASSISTANT EDITOR Nick Calabretta ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bill Asaro GRAPHIC DESIGN Gary Robinson Nick Libertucci SUBSCRIPTION COORDINATOR Tamara Hausner WEB MASTER Nick Libertucci

6 WHAT'S INSIDE... EUROPE

06 QATAR QUALIFIERS 42 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REBOOT

english premier league 10 SURELY A SURE THING 14 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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CONTRIBUTERS Mike Barnes, Susy Campanale, Luca Cetta, Oli Coates, Sean Duffy, Thomas Unsworth, Stephen Donovan, Bradley King, Les Jones, Antonio Labbate, Alasadair Mackenzie, Lauren Maharaj, Alex Mott, Luca Persico, Adam Williams, George Rinaldi, Terrance Ross, Aman Sehdev, Andrew Tuft, Cronan Yu, Diego Jokas, Andrea Tallarita, Marco D’Onofrio, Gaby McKay, Livio Caferoglu, Judy Rauliuk PHOTOGRAPHY Les Jones & Doug Boufford - Covershots Inc., EPA, Action Images, Getty Images, Dale MacMillan, MLS Soccer, NWSL, ISI Photos MARKETING DIRECTOR Mario Calabretta

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Dale Evans

44 2022 SEASON PREVIEW 52 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY 54 THE NEW LEAGUE

WOMEN'S SOCCER 58 NWSL READY 60 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

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18 A THREE-WAY SPRINT 22 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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04 FIRST WORD 64 NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE 80 LAST WORD

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26 BECOMING THE BRIDE 30 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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34 ONE HORSE RACE 38 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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MAGAZINE

AND

GABRIEL JESUS

LEAD THE WAY!

THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY

REVIVALS AND MOMENTUM GAINERS

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

TOP WINTER SIGNINGS

PROJECT REBOOT

DUSAN VLAHOVIC SIGNS BIG

TITLE RACE

BAYERN, NAPOLI, & SEVILLA CLOSE IN

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FIRST WORD

‘WE’VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE WILLIE GROVES SET THE TRANSFER RECORD AT £100’

THE END OF THE TRANSFER FEE?

WITH CERTAIN TRENDS NOTABLY SHIFTING, GABY MCKAY PONDERS THE FUTURE OF THE TRANSFER MARKET

hen Real Madrid paid £48m to sign Zinedine Zidane from Juventus in 2001, they set a world transfer record that would stand for eight years. The same club smashed it twice in a matter of days when they signed Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo in the big summer splurge of 2009, and again four years later when they snapped up Gareth Bale for a reported £86million. Los Merengues have not lost their lust for Galactico signings, but it appears their next superstar recruit won’t cost them a penny not in terms of a transfer fee at least. We’ve come a long way since the transfer record was first set in 1893 by Willie Groves’ move from West Brom to Aston Villa, the Scotsman commanding a bumper £100 fee. Today the record stands at a massive £198m, set when Paris Saint-Germain exploited the buyout clause in Neymar’s contract to prise him from Barcelona. That move triggered a huge inflation in

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

‘THE EFFECT ON CLUBS OUTSIDE THE TOP LEAGUES COULD BE DISASTROUS’ the market - all of the top 10 most expensive transfers in history came after that move. After several quiet windows though, it’s beginning to look as though that Neymar record may never be beaten. Outside of the Premier League, spending has plummeted as clubs look to tighten their belts after the Covid-19 crisis, but it’s perhaps not just the pandemic that is putting the squeeze on transfer fees. In July 2017, just four days before Neymar completed his move to Paris, Arsene Wenger predicted a future in which huge fees would put clubs off, leading to more players moving on Bosman deals when their contracts expired. The Frenchman said prophetically: “You will see more and more players going into the final year of the contract because no club will want to pay the amount demanded…in the next 10 years, it will become usual.” Just last summer, arguably the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, followed Neymar’s path to France after the end of his contract. In that case the Argentine had wanted to stay, only to be told Barca couldn’t afford it - in part due to how they’d squandered that Neymar fee. However, Messi’s situation does point to a possible future in which the game’s greatest talents move freely. When the winter window closed on January 31, a quite staggering array of big names were free to negotiate a precontract agreement elsewhere. Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala, Ousmane Dembele and, of course, Kylian Mbappe were all in a position where they could move on in 2022 and earn their current clubs nothing, a state of affairs that would have seemed unthinkable even five years ago. For players - and agents - the benefit of such a situation is obvious. Once you hit the final six months of your deal, you are free to negotiate

ABOVE: Neymar moved to PSG for a record £198m in 2017 LEFT: Messi headed to Paris on a free transfer last summer BOTTOM: Arsene Wenger predicted that more players would move on free transfers

with anyone else, giving huge leverage. If Manchester United want to tie down Pogba, they’ll have to contend with agent Mino Raiola touting lucrative offers - real or otherwise from Europe’s leading lights. That in itself won’t end the transfer fee as we know it, but at least some clubs are keen to move to a new model. The derided European Super League included a plan for a trading model as seen in most American sports, with the owners of elite clubs sick of paying through the nose for transfer fees then stumping up for huge contracts. The 12 were forced to back away from their breakaway plan but you can bet it’ll return in some form, probably bringing back the transfer model too. While it may be tempting to look at this curb on excess as a good thing, it could have a potentially disastrous impact on clubs outside the top five leagues. The likes of Ajax, Celtic and Slavia Prague have shown the value in buying cheaply - or developing your own young talent - before selling high. Virgil van Dijk - the 18th most expensive transfer of all time - made his way to the top via the Eredivisie, the Scottish Premiership and a lower-ranked Premier League side, who all made a nice profit when he departed. No one will weep for PSG if and when the second most expensive footballer of all time leaves on a free transfer. But in a game where those outside the elite are reliant on player trading to even occasionally compete, the move to Bosman deals may not be the boon it first appears.

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QATAR WORLD CUP 2022

THE LAST TWO WINNERS OF THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP, ITALY AND PORTUGAL, HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE SAME POT IN THE WORLD CUP PLAY-OFFS. GREG MURRAY EXPLORES WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BEHEMOTHS.

WE CAN'T BOTH BE

CHAMPIONS AA

t least one of Europe’s heavyweights will not be travelling to Qatar in December for the 2022 World Cup. Both Italy and Portugal failed to make it through the qualification stage of the tournament and fate has placed them within one of the three paths to play-off glory. This may very well feel like a case of deja vu for the Italian side, who similarly failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, having fallen at the final hurdle in the playoffs to Sweden. Despite happening just four years ago, it must feel like a lifetime ago for Azzurri fans, who have since seen their team become European champions under Roberto Mancini, while also claiming the record for the longest unbeaten run in international football. As a result, the 2006 World Cup champions have good reason for being in a state of disbelief, having been pipped at the post on the final day by the impressive Switzerland team who won Group C. Mancini’s side maintained their unbeaten streak throughout, but it was their failure to score that saw Italy demoted to second with a disappointing four draws from their eight games. It is precisely this issue that has the Italians fearful for this year’s play-off campaign, as Ciro Immobile has failed to reproduce his club form for the Azzurri, managing just two goals in the qualifiers. With Andrea Belotti and

'ITALY HAVE BEEN IN THIS POSITION' ABOVE & LEFT: Euro 2020 winners Italy are in danger of missing out on the 2022 World Cup RIGHT: Record international goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Boot at Euro 2020

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

‘PORTUGAL HAVE PLENTY OF ISSUES TO IRON OUT’

THERE'S TOP SERIE BEEN A A FEW PICKSBAD MISTAKES

‘FATE HAS PLACED ITALY AND PORTUGAL IN THE SAME PLAY-OFF PATH’ Moise Kean also struggling to impress with the national team, Mancini has resorted to calling up Mario Balotelli, four years since the striker’s last appearance for his country. Whether this gamble pays off will become clear in March. Portugal, on the other side of the draw to Italy, have traditionally had no problem with international goalscoring. There is little more to be said about Cristiano Ronaldo’s phenomenal form with the national team, with the Selecao captain having recently broken the all-time record for international goals with 115. Even at the advanced age of 37, the Manchester United player won the Golden Boot at Euro 2020, despite being knocked out in the round of 16. However, Fernando Santos’s side have plenty of their own issues to iron out ahead of the playoffs. Portugal were in pole position to qualify from Group A until the final matchday, when

There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre this season as Romelu Lukaku moved on, but there are still plenty of players to keep an eye on, says CiroorDiPortugal Brita. set to miss With either Italy out on the 2022 World Cup, Greg Murray TAMMY ABRAHAM remembers some other big teams who English striker Abraham from failed to qualify for major arrives tournaments Chelsea for a reported €40m fee, boosting in the past Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after the departure Edin Dzeko Inter. The This is not theoffirst time thattoItaly have 23-year-old struggled find minutes been in this position,to and fans will beon thehoping field last season when have Thomas Tuchel that the Azzurri learned took at Chelsea still managed to from over the mistakes of but 2018. However, Italy 12 times in allwith competitions. arescore in good company, a number of

ABOVE: Portugal won Euro 2016 but could also miss this year’s World Cup BELOW: Steve McClaren endured a torrid time as England manager

they were beaten by an exceptional Serbian side who are enjoying a golden generation of talent. Dragan Stojkovic is able to call on the likes of Dusan Tadic, Dusan Vlahovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, the former bagging a goal and an assist in the 2-1 win at the Estadio da Luz. For Santos, the difficulty has been in finding a balance in a side that has for so long been built around Ronaldo’s talents. The Portuguese talisman will be 38 when the play-offs take place, and while retaining his skills as a lethal goalscorer, he is no longer a ball carrier. Ronaldo has never been one for tracking back much, which can leave the Selecao vulnerable defensively, especially in situations where opponents manage to neutralise the No 7’s threat. Confusing matters further, Portugal are currently blessed with a world-class crop of players in addition to their talismanic captain. Manchester-

other top teams failing to qualify for major FEDERICO tournaments since the CHIESA turn of the century. Fresh fromrunners-up helping Italy win the European England, in Italy’s Euro 2020 Championship 23-year-old be triumph, failed the to make it to thewill 2008 hoping to continue the explosive form European Championship, as a team he displayed the Forming boasting during the likes oftournament. Steven Gerrard and a potentially front-three Frank Lampard devastating were defeated by Croatia which also includes and at Wembley. The lossCristiano saw the Ronaldo end of Steve Paulo Dybala, it will be interesting toand see McClaren’s brief tenure as manager if coach Max in Allegri takesCapello the shackles ushered the Fabio era. off his attacking players. While England were able to rapidly turn around their failure, it took longer for a NetherlandsOLIVIER side thatGIROUD six years previously The Cup Winner has finally wereFrance World World Cup runners-up. Under Guus arrived in Serie A having linkedthe with Hiddink and then Dick been Advocaat, a movefailed to the for years and2016 will Dutch topeninsula qualify for both Euro now team up with fellow veteran striker and the subsequent World Cup, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud be tasked making their return to majorwill tournaments with the firepower andexit linkup withproviding an underwhelming last-16 at play for the Rossoneri to compete in both Euro 2020. the Champions League and Serie A. Current FIFA World Rankings leaders Belgium had an even worse blip in DENZEL DUMFRIES their international history, missing five Wing back tournaments Dumfries showcased full successive betweenthe 2004 array of hisItskills duringMarc the summer’s and 2012. was under Wilmots Championship despitewas thatEuropean the current golden generation the Netherlands crashing out ofwhom the ushered in, and 10 years later, for tournament the Czech Republic. The the upcomingtoWorld Cup may mark their 25-year-old scored twice and looks ready last opportunity to win a trophy. to Finally, fill the gap vacated Achraf Hakimi’s although lessby broadcasted in departure to PSG. Europe, Uruguay’s failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup came as a huge surprise VICTOR OSIMHEN to many in South America. La Celeste may Thehave Nigerian striker hadofa their bit ofBrazilian a start not the reputation stop season lastrivals, term.but Despite or Argentine were suffering largely injuries to and missing expected finish thirdgames in the through qualifying Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough standings, only to be beaten by Paraguay promise to make him a real danger man and Ecuador. This failure saw Uruguay heading into this campaign. Coach look to shake up their squad,New leading to Luciano Spalletti will be hoping can get the emergence of the likes of he Edinson the mostand outLuis of the attacker improve Cavani Suarez, whoand fired their 10 goals from lastat year. nationon to his a fourth-place finish the 2010 World Cup.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

QATAR WORLD CUP 2022

TOP SERIE A KIWI'S PICKS RISING

‘SWEDEN RECENTLY RECALLED ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC TO THE FRAY’

There’s a concern that Serie A has lost its lustre thisthree season as Romelu Lukaku While the top spots in CONCACAF moved on, but there are stilldrawn plentythe of World Cup Qualification have keep ancompeting eye on, says most players interestto from the sides, Ciro Brita. fourth-place team inDi CONCACAF will have a second chance at qualification TAMMY ABRAHAM English striker Abraham arrives from OCEANIA is one of the more unique Chelsea forin a reported €40mThe fee,region, boosting situations world football. Jose Mourinho’s attacking options after which encompasses the Pacific Islands, the departure of Edin Dzeko Inter.not The is the only confederation thattodoes 23-year-old struggled to find on receive an automatic spot into minutes the World the field season when Thomas Tuchel Cup. This last year’s qualification tournament took overplace at Chelsea butin still managed will take in March Qatar. Cook to score 12Fiji, times in Caledonia, all competitions. Islands, New New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon FEDERICO CHIESA Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu are slated to Fresh from helping Italy win the European participate. Championship the 23-year-old will be Of those sides, New Zealand is heavily hoping toto continue the explosive form he projected advance. Since Australia left displayed Forming the OFC induring 2006 the tournament. Kiwis have stepped potentially devastating front-three in asathe powerhouse in the Pacific Islands. whichhave alsorepresented includes Cristiano Ronaldo and They the region in each Paulo Dybala, will be interesting see of the last threeit playoffs, with their to 2010 if series coach victory Max Allegri takes the shackles of Bahrain sealing their off attacking players. second-everhis appearance in the World Cup. Almost all of New Zealand’s players play OLIVIER GIROUD professionally either in Europe or in the The France World Cup Winner has finally United States, a factor that should not arrived in Serie AForward having been be overlooked. Chrislinked Woodwith a(Newcastle) move to thehas peninsula forappearances years and will over 400 now up with fellow veteran in theteam English Premier League andstriker the Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Giroud willisbe tasked Championship. Their defense led by with providing the firepower and linkup long-time West Ham center-back Winston play for and the Rossoneri compete in both Reid two of theto top defenders Champions League Bill andTuiloma Serie A. inthe Major League Soccer:

based trio Bruno Fernandes, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias have been among the best players in their positions in Europe over the past couple of years, while there is no shortage of quality in other areas of the pitch. In addition to the household names within the squad, there are a number of players currently making a case for their inclusion in Santos’s squad. Wolves’ Jose Sa has been among the contenders for Premier League goalkeeper of the season, Rafael Leao has been thriving at Milan and Andre Silva is currently enjoying his third consecutive successful season in the Bundesliga. Given the number of young players coming through the ranks, there may be a question about whether the strongest starting XI still includes international football’s all-time record goalscorer. Furthermore, the Selecao have the more difficult opponent in the first round of the play-offs, as they face a Turkey side in solid form under new manager Stefan Kuntz. The Turkish national team failed to impress having been tipped as the dark horses of Euro 2020, however, the side boasts plenty of talent including Caglar Soyuncu Hakan Calhanoglu and Cengiz Under. Whereas Italy will be confident of progressing to the second, and final, round of the play-offs against North Macedonia, the first round will be far more trying for Santos’s team. Of course, Italy and Portugal’s loss is other nations’ gain, as the teams within play-off paths A and B have avoided clashes with the two favourites. By no means does this equate to a lack of drama, however, as path A demonstrates with Wales and Scotland sitting on either side of the draw. Gareth Bale’s side will have to overcome a highly competitive Austrian outfit if they want to progress, while Scotland face a Ukraine side that got to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. Should both teams succeed and meet in the final round, Wales and Scotland stand relatively evenly matched. Both are captained by explosive left-sided players and boast promising defensive midfielders within the Chelsea loan system, in Ethan Ampadu and Billy Gilmour. The Tartan

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

ABOVE: Sweden have brought Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic back into the fold BOTTOM RIGHT: New Zealand players celebrate while scoring

Army will most likely have the edge with the bookmakers, thanks to a strong showing at the European Championship, however the Dragons will certainly not consider themselves underdogs. Path B also has its fair share of subplots and round two could well be the story of two superstar strikers. Robert Lewandowski has, for the past two years, arguably been the best player in the world while firing Bayern Munich to domestic and European glory. The forward averaged a goal a game in qualifying, but injury left him unable to prevent his side dropping four points to both England and Hungary. On the other side of the draw is a Sweden side that recently recalled Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the fray. This is surely the last opportunity for international action for the 40-year-old, who has almost single-handedly carried his country at times in a career stretching over three decades. Now, however, Sweden have developed an impressive talent pool and with Alexander Isak and Emil Forsberg leading the line, Ibrahimovic has become plan B for Janne Andersson. In order for this clash of the titans to go ahead, Austria have to find their way past a hardworking Russia side who impressed in the last World Cup, having qualified as hosts. Likewise, Sweden will have to beat a Czech Republic team that bettered the Blagult’s performance in Euro 2020 by reaching the quarter-finals. A front line of Patrik Schick and Antonin Barak can go toe-to-toe with their opponents, while West Ham duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal have been thriving over the last 18 months. Evidently, there is plenty of quality set to miss out on the biggest stage in international football, regardless of how the play-offs play out. For this very reason, the 2026 World Cup is set to increase the number of teams from 32 to 48, looking to prevent as many of the big names from missing out. For many, expansion will serve only to lower the quality of the competition, whereas, for Italy and Portugal, the decision has come four years too late.

(Portland Timbers) and Michael Boxhall DENZEL DUMFRIES (Minnesota United FC). Wing back Dumfries showcased the full While they certainly have talent, array of his skills theagainst summer’s New Zealand willduring struggle a European Championship despite CONCACAF side that has battled through the Netherlands out in oftough the qualification and hascrashing experience tournament to has the been CzechaRepublic. The situations. This problem for 25-year-old scored twice and years looks and ready the Kiwis during non-COVID to fill theworsened gap vacated by Achraf Hakimi’s has only during the pandemic. to PSG. In order todeparture prepare for the sprint to qualification, Head Coach Danny Hay VICTOR has had his side playOSIMHEN all of their matches The Nigerian had a them bit ofmore a start in the Middle striker East, giving stop season lasttoterm. Despite suffering opportunities get in competition. injuries missing games through Recent winsand against Curacao and Gambia Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed (who made the Round of 16 in the enough recent promise to make him a real danger man African Cup of Nations) suggest that headingNew into Zealand this campaign. New perhaps may just getCoach past Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can their CONCACAF opponent come thisget the most out ofsummer. the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.

BOOKING QATAR

TOP KEEP SERIE ON A FIGHTIN' PICKS

hen it comes to CONCACAF World Cup Qualification for Qatar, all we know is that we don’t know nothing. While the January World Cup Qualifiers in the region did provide some clarity, there are still plenty of questions to be answered in the final three matches in March. Perhaps the biggest lesson that has been learned during this cycle is that Canada is the best side in the region. With three wins over Honduras, the United States, and El Salvador the Canadians (7-4-0, 25 points) have assured a top four spot in qualification. The side, coached by Jon Herdman, have dominated the region on both the attacking and defensive sides on the pitch (19 goals scored and five goals allowed, both first in qualifying). The 2-0 victory over the United States was perhaps the biggest result, partially due to the side playing without Alphonso Davies. Forward Cyle Larin’s strike in the fifth minute of the match set the tone for the game and proved to be a wake-up call to the rest of the world that they are for real. A return to the World Cup for the first time since 1986 is within their grasp. While Canada should have a smooth final round of qualification, the United States (6-3-2, 21 points) still have a bit of work to do. Things could be much worse-although the 2-0 loss hurt, they were able to get six points off El Salvador and Honduras during the last window. Had either result gone sideways their final third would look much more daunting. With the easy part of their schedule done, the real test begins in March with a home match against Panama sandwiched in between road ties against Mexico and Costa Rica. For the USMNT and coach Gregg Berhalter the mission is simple-they need to qualify before their final match against a surging Costa Rica side (4-4-3, 16 points). While a trip to Estadio Azteca and El Tri is never easy, having to qualify on the road at Estadio Nacional in Costa Rica (where they have never won) would be a tall task for the young American side. The US has had some success as of late against Mexico and should feel a point is manageable at Estadio Azteca. Any result against their bitter rivals would lighten the pressure for the Panama tie. A healthy Gio Reyna to go alongside Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Tim Weah should give Berhalter plenty of weapons to work with. The big question is: can Christian Pulisic shake off the cobwebs and become the leader that this side needs? Mexico (6-3-2, 21 points) is also looking for answers as they enter their final three matches. Much like the U.S., the side did enough to get them in prime position to qualify (wins over Jamaica and Panama, draw against Costa Rica) but didn’t look exactly like they were on solid footing. They narrowly avoided calamity in the Jamaica match, having to comeback from a goal down in the final thirty minutes, while earning a controversial penalty at home against Panama to get the 1-0 win. The Costa Rica draw was particularly damaging, keeping the fifth-place side in the thick of qualification. For El Tri, their hopes for qualification rest squarely on the shoulders of Raul Jimenez. When in form, the Wolves striker is Mexico’s best attacking player as evidenced by the work he put in against Panama. But he has struggled

ABOVE: Kyle Larin celebrates after scoring against Mexico during their QATAR World Cup Qualification match BELOW: Panama in action against Jamaica BOTTOM RIGHT: The Qatar National Soccer team are currently the lowestranked team in the competition

to get his scoring touch back since sustaining a head injury last season. His penalty kick strike was his first goal in this qualification cycle. While qualification seems likely (after the U.S. match, they will face already-eliminated Honduras and El Salvador), El Tri have to get a result against USMNT to help erase a terrible 2021 that saw the side lose both the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup. Where things get interesting is the number four spot, which would send the winner to an intercontinental playoff against OCEANIA and most likely New Zealand. Panama (5-2-4, 17 points) have consistently exceeded expectations during the hexagonal. But they hit a bit of speed bump during the last window, losing to both Mexico and Costa Rica. Their 3-2 win over Jamaica was critical to getting something out of a tough window. Things will only get harder for The Canal Men. While the road tie against the United States will be difficult, hosting Honduras (a side that always loves to play spoiler) and Canada will be no easy task either. While Jamaica, Honduras, and El Salvador are all eliminated Costa Rica (4-4-3, 16 points) are still very much in the fight. Despite having an awful start to qualifying, the Ticas have clawed their way back into it with wins over Panama and Jamaica and a strong draw against Mexico. The veteran-heavy side led by goalkeeper Keylor Navas seems to be pulling together at the right time with their defense leading the way. But is it too late? They will need to get a result at home against Canada, not an easy task considering how strong the group leaders have been on the road. While one of the three automatic spots might be a bit of a reach, the playoff still could be up for grabs. Much will depend on whether or not the U.S. has already qualified by that point. There may seem to be some favorites heading into the final window of World Cup Qualification, but things could also change quickly. Through the years the region has always seemed to have one big surprise in store for the final window. For the sides at the top, there will still be some nervy moments until the results are finalized and their spot for Qatar is sealed.

There’s a concern that Serie A has lost Justitsbecause Qatar headasinto the 2022 World lustre this season Romelu Lukaku Cup moved low in the Worldare Rankings, it doesn’t on,FIFA but there still plenty of mean the hostto nation goon, onsays and on to players keep can’t an eye the later rounds Ciro if things go their way, writes Di Brita. Greg Murray TAMMY ABRAHAM Ranked 48th in the world, the hosts of the English striker Abraham arrives from 2022 World are currently theboosting lowestChelsea for aCup reported €40m fee, ranked team to attacking have qualified for after this Jose Mourinho’s options winter’s showpiece. However, should not the departure of Edin Dzekothis to Inter. The discourage thestruggled Qatar team - who climbed 23-year-old to find minutes on10 places in the rankings 2021 alone - as the field lastFIFA season whenin Thomas Tuchel unfancied have surprisedto in took over entrants at Chelsea butoften still managed major12 international tournaments. score times in all competitions. Qatar could look to the most recent World Cup hosts, Russia, as anCHIESA example of how to FEDERICO channel home advantage intothe success. Sitting Fresh afrom helping Italy win European 70thChampionship in the rankings,the the23-year-old hosts benefitted will befrom an easy to group to storm into the knockout hoping continue the explosive form he stages, beating Spain penalties inForming the round displayed during theon tournament. of 16 before being defeated front-three from the spot a potentially devastating by Croatia. which alsothemselves includes Cristiano Ronaldo and Four years previously, and Herzegovina Paulo Dybala, it willBosnia be interesting to see impressed theAllegri 2014 World Cupshackles - if not as if coach at Max takes the offthe lowest ranked certainly as the youngest histeam, attacking players. country in the competition. Bosnia and Herzegovina had been GIROUD founded just 22 years OLIVIER prior the tournament, however, with Edin The to France World Cup Winner has finally Dzeko and the charge, arrived inMiralem Serie A Pjanic havingleading been linked with they wereto unlucky not to make it through the a move the peninsula for years and will stage.veteran striker now team up group with fellow The 2010 Ibrahimovic. World Cup hosts, South Africa, may Zlatan Giroud will be tasked have from a difficult with struggled providing to theemerge firepower and linkup group, however, underdogs Slovakia managed play for the Rossoneri to compete in both to overcome Italy to get to the knockout the Champions League and Serie A.stage in their first and only World Cup performance. Vladimir Weiss’s side,DUMFRIES led by Napoli legend DENZEL Marek put in a showcased valiant performance WingHamsík, back Dumfries the full only knocked out inthe thesummer’s last 16 by arraytoofbehis skills during eventual runners-up the Netherlands. European Championship despite 2021 the African Cup of Nations winners Netherlands crashing out of Senegal the made their surprise debut in Republic. the 2002 The World tournament to the Czech Cup as the second-lowest team in the 25-year-old scored twiceranked and looks ready tournament. Captained by Achraf currentHakimi’s manager to fill the gap vacated by Aliou Cisse, the Lions ofto Teranga departure PSG. became the second African team to reach a World Cup quarter-final, beating world champions VICTORcurrent OSIMHEN France on had the way. The Nigerian striker a bit of a start stop season last term. Despite suffering injuries and missing games through Covid-19 the 22-year-old showed enough promise to make him a real danger man heading into this campaign. New Coach Luciano Spalletti will be hoping he can get the most out of the attacker and improve on his 10 goals from last year.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

PREMIER LEAGUE

"MANCHESTER CITY ARE AIMING FOR THEIR SIXTH PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE IN 11 YEARS"

ABOVE: Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva have been in fine form for Manchester City this season LEFT: Kevin De Bruyne celebrates during an English Premier League match

SURELY A

SURE THING THERE’S A BLUE MOON RISING IN MANCHESTER AS THE 2021-22 PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE RACE HURTLES TOWARDS ITS CLIMAX, WRITES OLI COATES.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

EYE ON THE FIVE

With Manchester City the hot favourites to land their sixth Premier League title in the coming months, Oli Coates picks out five fixtures that may yet have an impact on the run-in.

he Premier League title race has produced a plethora of enthralling finishes over the years, not least when Manchester City nicked it from local rivals Manchester United on goal difference in 2012. Ten years on, things are looking a lot simpler for the Blues. If City can keep Liverpool and Chelsea at bay over the coming weeks, it will be their sixth title in 11 years. The English top flight is famous for being open and having a title race that doesn’t feature only one or two teams, as has been the case in some of the other major European leagues over recent years. However, another Premier League crown for City this term would certainly represent a commanding period of dominance for the Abu Dhabi-owned outfit. The other five titles over the past 10 seasons have been claimed by Manchester United, Chelsea (2), Leicester City and Liverpool. No other club is anywhere near City, who’ve moved to another level of performance since Pep Guardiola arrived in Manchester in 2016. The Blues may have lost out to Chelsea in

ABOVE: Manchester City celebrating one of their many wins this year BELOW: Pep Guardiola is aiming to win his fourth Premier League title in five years TOP RIGHT: Manchester United in action vs Liverpool BOTTOM RIGHT: Manchester City vs West Ham

Guardiola’s first season, but City are aiming for their fourth title in the five years since under their Spanish manager. And quite simply, the Etihad outfit have looked virtually unstoppable for some time now. After losing their opening day fixture away to Tottenham, City went on an eight-match unbeaten run in the league, winning six. They suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to bogey team Crystal Palace in late October, but responded to that setback like true champions. City won 12 games on the bounce, scoring 33 goals and conceding only seven in the process, before their winning run was ended with a 1-1 draw away to Southampton towards the end of January. No other title contender has been able to match that sort of consistency, allowing the Blues to open up a commanding lead at the top of the table. Liverpool look like the only team truly capable of reeling in the Citizens. The Reds started the season with a 10-match unbeaten run that included back-to-back 5-0 victories over Watford and Manchester United in October. However, Jurgen Klopp’s side drew four of those 10 games, even if two of those were against title rivals City and Chelsea, both on home soil.

MAN CITY V MAN UNITED - 6 MARCH Manchester United have shown improvement under Ralf Rangnick, but that will face its toughest test when the Reds head to the Etihad Stadium for the second Manchester derby of the season. City cruised to a 2-0 victory in the first one at Old Trafford, but United won three of the four derbies prior to that, drawing the other. LIVERPOOL V MAN UNITED - 20 MARCH If United do bitter rivals Liverpool a favour two weeks before, this clash at Anfield could be a monster occasion in the title race. Liverpool thrashed United 5-0 at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign, having been 4-0 up at half-time, but any form of victory for the hosts in the return could be even bigger in the context of their season. MAN CITY V LIVERPOOL - 9 APRIL How many points the two main title protagonists drop in the weeks before their date in Manchester scheduled for April will set the tone for this encounter. It could be Liverpool’s last chance to stay in the race, or provide City with an opportunity to deal a fatal blow to their visitors’ title aspirations. LIVERPOOL V EVERTON - 23 APRIL Man City are at home to relegation-threatened Watford in this gameweek, so victory in the Merseyside derby will be paramount for Liverpool if the title race is still close. The Reds have a strong record against the Toffees at Anfield, but Frank Lampard will be desperate to get one over Jurgen Klopp in his first derby, with the two men having clashed on the sideline in the past. WEST HAM V MAN CITY - 15 MAY With Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea all finishing with home games you’d expect them to win, City’s trip to top-four hopefuls West Ham in the penultimate round of fixtures could be crucial. Liverpool and Chelsea are both away too, at Southampton and Man United respectively, so if City haven’t wrapped up the title by this point, matchday 37 could be a pivotal one.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

PREMIER LEAGUE

LIVERPOOL LOOK LIKE THE ONLY TEAM TRULY CAPABLE OF REELING IN MAN CITY

The Reds lost their first game of the campaign 3-2 away to West Ham in November, bouncing back from that by winning their next six. That got them right back in the mix, but two draws and a defeat in a run of three straight away games against Tottenham, Leicester and Chelsea in late December and early January, along with some postponements, saw Liverpool lose serious ground to City. Chelsea fared even worse over the winter. The Blues were hoping to build on last season’s European triumph and mount a sustained title challenge in a bid to claim their first Premier League title since 2017. They did well to hang on for a draw against Liverpool at Anfield despite going down to 10 men in the first half, but a 1-0 home defeat to City in September brought them back down to earth. After losing to the team they beat in the Champions League final four months previously, Thomas Tuchel’s side went unbeaten in eight, before losing a London derby away to West Ham at the death. They responded with a late victory of their own against Leeds, but then went on an awful run of only one win in seven matches from mid-December to mid-January. The Blues’ only defeat during that spell was

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

ABOVE: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has a tough task reeling in the champions BOTTOM: Tottenham manager Antonio Conte didn’t stand a chance in this season’s title race BOTTOM RIGHT: Tottenham Hotspur celebrating RIGHT: Ralf Rangnick has improved Manchester United but the Reds remain way off the pace

another 1-0 loss to City, but all the dropped points well and truly dumped the west London club out of the title picture. It would take a remarkable loss of form from City for Chelsea to get back into it, while overhauling Liverpool is going to be incredibly tough too. Despite finishing second last season, Manchester United are nowhere near a title challenge. The Reds went into the campaign full of optimism after bringing Cristiano Ronaldo home to Old Trafford, with the arrivals of Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho expected to take United to the next level. Those expectations were looking promising after the Reds won four of their first five matches, drawing the other away to Southampton, but then a run of only one win from seven matches cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his job. The Norwegian rebuilt the foundations at Old Trafford that had been decimated by Jose Mourinho, but painful defeats to rivals Liverpool and City, followed by a 4-1 humiliation at relegation-threatened Watford saw the curtain fall on Solskjaer’s time at the wheel. Tottenham were another club looking to rebuild from the ashes of a toxic Mourinho

BEST OF THE WINTER SALES

‘JANUARY SAW THE BIGGEST EVER NET SPEND IN A WINTER TRANSFER WINDOW’

After Premier League clubs spent almost £300m in the January transfer window, Oli Coates assesses where the bulk of that outlay went. reign, with Spurs fans hopeful of mounting another title challenge this season under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo. The Portuguese had worked wonders at Wolves, but those hopes quickly evaporated amid a string of dour performances. Antonio Conte arrived in north London at the start of November, on the back of his title triumph with Inter last season, where the Nerazzurri ended Juventus’s nine-year stranglehold on Serie A. The Italian coach went through his first nine games unbeaten, winning six, but the gap to the leaders in both league position and quality was clearly demonstrated in his first loss, as Tottenham went down 2-0 against rivals Chelsea. The January transfer window showed the Spurs hierarchy appear set to back Conte in terms of how he takes the club forward, and there may be hope of a title

ABOVE: Kieran Trippier joined Newcastle from Atletico Madrid in January BELOW: Dele Alli ended his Tottenham nightmare in joining Everton on deadline day TOP RIGHT: Newcastle brought in the likes of Chris Wood

challenge next season if appropriate funds are provided. No amount of funds would’ve helped them catch City this season, and that goes for most of the clubs in the league. The Blues are operating on a different level at present, despite continued concerns about their lack of an out-and-out goalscorer. That’s probably the only thing that’s kept the likes of Liverpool within reach, although City’s superb defence and ability to share the goals around the team has paid dividends so far this term. The holy grail for City, their owners and indeed their manager, remains the Champions League. It’ll be interesting to see how the resumption of European duties affects City, Liverpool and Chelsea, but barring a minor miracle, the Premier League trophy will be heading back to east Manchester come May.

The gross spend of around £295m in January 2022 was more than four times the amount Premier League clubs splashed out in last year’s winter transfer window. It was the second highest spend we’ve ever seen in a January window, although the net spend of £180m was the highest since the winter shopping window was introduced in 2003. The bottom five clubs in the table accounted for more than half of the expenditure, with newly-rich Newcastle United unsurprisingly the biggest spenders as the new Saudi Arabian regime strives to preserve the club’s Premier League status. The Magpies spent approximately £85m on new players, including Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes, as well as Matt Targett and Dan Burn. Everton spent big on the likes of Nathan Patterson and Dele Alli, although the latter’s £40m transfer fee is heavily incentivised, while Donny van de Beek also headed to Goodison Park on loan from Manchester United. The Reds didn’t bring in any players themselves, but also sent out Anthony Martial, Amad Diallo and Axel Tuanzebe on loan. Manchester City invested an initial £14m on highly-rated Argentine prospect Julian Alvarez, but the 22-year-old will remain at River Plate for the rest of the season. The Blues are weaker up front after allowing Ferran Torres to move to Barcelona, but Pep Guardiola’s side remain hot favourites to retain their Premier League title. Liverpool look like the only club who could realistically topple City, and they’ve strengthened by bringing forward the signing of Luis Diaz from Porto. Jurgen Klopp wanted to wait until the summer, but interest in the Colombian forward from other European powerhouses changed those plans. If Diaz is part of a Liverpool side that somehow manages to take the title back to Anfield, Guardiola’s failure to strengthen his attack during the January transfer window would have to go down as a serious mistake by the City manager.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

PREMIER LEAGUE

BETTER BEST STEPHEN DONOVAN CASTS HIS EYE OVER THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE PREMIER LEAGUE

THE GOOD

Some people may challenge the widely accepted notion that the Premier League is the best league in the world, but aside from the exceptional quality we’ve seen so far this season and the growing assembly of elite managers, there is still the ready supply of spectacularly dramatic moments which surely settle the argument once and for all. One such moment came in January when Tottenham substitute Steven Bergwijn scored twice in a matter of seconds deep into stoppage time to snatch a remarkable 3-2 victory for his side away to Leicester City, at the end of an entertaining and incident-packed encounter at the King Power Stadium. Tottenham created numerous chances throughout the game but found themselves trailing 2-1 almost five minutes into time added on and with only seconds to spare, as the expectant home supporters prepared to celebrate an impressive win - only for Bergwijn,

introduced late on by boss Antonio Conte, to complete a stunning turnaround. The Dutchman was in the right place to smash in the equaliser from close range after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s pass wasn’t dealt with by the Leicester defence, and it seemed like Spurs had salvaged a point - but they went one better. Youri Tielemans gave the ball away straight from the kick-off, allowing Harry Kane to play a perfectly weighted pass through for Bergwijn, who in the 97th minute was able to round goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and shoot in off the post. At 94 minutes and 52 seconds, Tottenham set a new Premier League record for the latest time to be behind in a match before going on to win, and for Bergwijn it was a potentially defining night in his career at the club. Tipped for a move away during the January transfer window going into the Leicester game, he delivered a most timely reminder of his ability.

STORY LINES

‘TOTTENHAM SET A NEW PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD WITH THEIR LATE WIN’

Ex-Chelsea player Craig Burley has gone in hard on Chelsea for their celebrations after winning the Club World Cup beating Palmeiras. Burley, who played for Chelsea between 1989-1997, went on an astonishing rant on ESPN where he slated his former club. He labeled the Club World Cup as a showpiece event and insisted Chelsea should be more concerned about not being able to mount a formidable Premier League title charge.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

Former Manchester United defender Phil Neville has admitted that the club received ‘better decisions by the referees’ during his playing career. United often appeared to receive preferential treatment from officials during the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson, much to the annoyance of rival clubs and fans. And now a video posted to Twitter has gone viral after Phil Neville became the latest person to admit to the favoritism United received.

Jake Humphrey is not impressed by the lunch offering at Manchester United. The BT Sport presenter shared a photo of the food provided as he hosted coverage of United’s game against Southampton. Humphrey’s scrambled egg and mashed potato was compared to prison food, it looked that bad.

THE BAD

The Christmas and New Year period was even more difficult than normal for almost everyone in the Premier League, as an exponential rise in Covid-19 cases resulted in numerous matches being postponed, including some at very late notice. However, as Manchester City made light of the situation to pull clear in the title race, rivals Chelsea fell away dramatically and in the space of a few weeks, saw their hopes of reclaiming the crown totally bite the dust. It was all going so well for Thomas Tuchel’s side, who led the table at the beginning of December, before a defeat to West Ham

United began a sequence of only two wins in nine Premier League outings up to the middle of January. This run culminated with a 1-0 loss at Man City, who collected maximum points during the same timeframe. Despite possessing a squad with remarkable strength in depth, a Covid outbreak seemed to disrupt their rhythm and affect the team mentally. Having become renowned for keeping clean sheets, they suddenly started to concede more goals, with a depleted Everton escaping from Stamford Bridge with a 1-1 draw and Brighton making them look ordinary in holding them twice by the same scoreline.

Meanwhile, injuries to rampaging wing-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James arguably unsettled the balance of the side and made them less effective going forward. Throughout that time, Tuchel was frequently left to bemoan the hand he’d been dealt, and things were made even worse by Romelu Lukaku, who stated in a television interview that he was unhappy with his role at the club. Their record signing soon apologised after being dropped for the draw at home to Liverpool, but the whole episode compounded a punishing winter for Chelsea, where success in the Carabao Cup was the only consolation.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Steven Bergwijn scored two goals at the death to earn Tottenham victory over Leicester City RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Steven Bergwijn (R) of Tottenham in action during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16, second leg match between Dinamo Zagreb and Tottenham Hotspur

‘CHELSEA SUFFERED A MISERABLE WINTER’

RIGHT: Romelu Lukaku was forced to apologise after giving a television interview that criticised his role at Chelsea FAR RIGHT: Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel struggled to cope with off-field issues as his side fell out of the title race

Arsenal have had a dig at Tottenham's lack of recent success - via the unusual route of their online shop. The Gunners' north London rivals have had a hard time winning any trophies in recent years, last lifting the League Cup in 2008. Arsenal have poked some fun at their local foes by displaying a cheeky message when fans browse their shop. Any attempt to checkout without adding anything to the shopping cart is met with a message that reads: "Your basket is as empty as Tottenham's trophy cabinet." Arsenal have said that the message had not been officially approved to appear on their site and was later removed.

Manchester United have stopped selling Mason Greenwood's shirt online and Nike has announced an end to its working relationship with the forward following “disturbing allegations” made against the England international. The 20-year-old was suspended by United after images and voice recordings of alleged offences were circulated on social media.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

PREMIER LEAGUE THE UGLY

The return of supporters and the atmosphere of full stadiums at the start of this season after a year of largely playing behind closed doors was and continues to be a thrill to behold. It’s almost as if match-going fans have reminded us all how their presence adds so much more to the footballing spectacle. However, some fans have taken things way too far, with a concerning rise in unsavoury incidents over recent months. After the disorder outside Wembley which marred the Euro 2020 final in July, behaviour among a small but very visible minority has spoiled an increasing number of games. In January alone, four players were struck by objects thrown from the crowd. A lighter was aimed at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in their win over rivals Tottenham, while Burnley’s Matthew Lowton and Aston Villa duo Matt Cash and Lucas Digne received on-field

treatment after being hit by plastic bottles against Leeds United and Everton respectively. It’s an issue not just confined to the Premier League either, as two League One fixtures saw lengthy stoppages due to offensive chants from the stands, and Cardiff City offered to pay fellow Championship club Bristol City for structural damage supporters caused to their stadium. Flares and pitch invasions are also becoming more frequent, with examples such as in the Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool, and Leicester City’s FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest. All this is being backed up by the statistics, as figures released in January showed a 47% rise in football-related arrests in England compared to 2019-20, before the start of the pandemic. Although the situation is far less serious than it was decades ago, a worrying trend has begun to develop and the police are set to meet with the Premier League and other stakeholders in order to address these issues.

ABOVE: Lucas Digne needed treatment after being struck by a missile thrown from the stands against former club Everton

‘FULL GROUNDS HAVE REMINDED US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MATCH-GOING FANS’ Romelu Lukaku has taken to social media to send a cryptic message just weeks after being forced to apologise to Chelsea fans for a controversial interview. Lukaku admitted that he wasn't enjoying the tactical setup at Chelsea while saying that he hoped to return to Inter one day, with the Belgian forced to apologize shortly after. The striker posted a simple message on his public Snapchat, saying: "If you have to force it then it probably doesn't fit."

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

LEFT: A lighter was aimed at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Wolverhampton players celebrating BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Jesse Lingard in action

Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne has revealed that Michael Owen was his favorite player growing up. The Belgium international midfielder cited the former Liverpool striker's 1998 World Cup goal vs Argentina as the main reason he idolized the forward. De Bruyne would have been seven years old at the time that Owen scored that goal, telling BT Sport when asked who his childhood idol was: "Michael Owen. When I was young, it was Michael.’’

GOING UP

They’ve gone about their business very quietly and efficiently, but Wolverhampton Wanderers are slowly emerging as surprise contenders for a top-four place. Appointed in the summer, manager Bruno Lage has done an impressive job, with his tactical awareness making his side competitive in every match and extremely difficult to score against.

GOING DOWN

This has been a largely miserable season for Jesse Lingard, and not of his own making. Having chosen to stay at Manchester United last summer after being promised more firstteam football, that hasn’t materialised at all, and now yet more frustration awaits after being denied a January move at the eleventh hour.

TOP 6 PREMIER LEAGUE WINTER SIGNINGS 2022 Liverpool's Luis Diaz reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Leicester City

Burnley had access to €30 million in funds after selling New Zealand international Chris Wood to Newcastle. Sean Dyche chose to reinvest €14 million of it to bring in Wout Weghorst, who had hit 20 Bundesliga goals last season. The Netherlands international had a stellar debut against Manchester United as he bagged an assist in Burnley’s 1-1 draw against the Red Devils. Kieran Trippier’s move to Newcastle sees him return to the Premier League after a two-and-a-half-year stint with Atletico Madrid. The right-back was the first signing made by the Public Investment Fund, kicking off a new era in the Tyneside club’s history. Atletico Madrid received €15 million upon sanctioning the transfer. Lucas Digne has been among the Premier League’s best left-backs recently. A consistent performer for most of his Everton career, Digne flattered to deceive this campaign. A move was imminent, and the Merseyside club couldn’t help but accept Aston Villa’s €30 million bid for the player. Newcastle United spent around €100 million in January, and €42.1 million of that money went to securing the signing of Bruno Guimares from Lyon. The Brazilian midfielder had caught the eye of several clubs across Europe, including Premier League giants Arsenal. The fact that a relegation-threatened club managed to snap him up ahead of the Gunners shows that the Newcastle revolution is set to begin. Liverpool were one of the few Premier League giants to make a significant signing in January. With their €45 million acquisition of Luis Diaz, Jurgen Klopp will look to provide competition to the likes of Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota. Like Salah, Mane and Jota, Diaz is also a goalscoring winger. Klopp has had immense success in turning promising gems into world-class players, and the 25-year-old is expected to tread along that route. On Deadline Day of the January 2022 transfer window, Cristian Eriksen signed for Brentford, marking his return to the Premier League. Since he was a free agent, the Bees did not have to pay a transfer fee for him. He was solid in the league when he represented Tottenham Hotspur. Brentford fans will be hoping for the Dane to recreate his past exploits. He has signed a six-month contract until the end of the 2021-2022 season. Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen is presented as a new player of English Premier League soccer club Brentford F.C.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has offered an update on Youri Tielemans' contract situation amid reports that Liverpool and Arsenal are both interested in signing the Leicester midfielder. The Leicester boss has previously admitted that Tielemans has "reached a point where he's going to be attractive for other teams" and "has to ensure he looks at every option". Rodgers has now also conceded that the Foxes are not in a position to prevent their best players from moving on if a bigger opportunity arises elsewhere. The Belgian's current deal at the King Power Stadium runs out in 2023 and it has been reported that he won't be signing an extension.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

SERIE A

BELOW (MAIN): Napoli’s forward Dries Mertens (L) jubilates after scoring a goal during the Coppa Italia round of 16 match between SSC Napoli and ACF Fiorentina LEFT: Napoli's Juan Jesus

‘NAPOLI HAD A DREADFUL DECEMBER’

a three-way

sprint CIRO DI BRITA TAKES A LOOK AT THE TEAMS INVOLVED IN THE SERIE A TITLE RACE AND THE BIG GAMES THAT COULD DECIDE THE DESTINATION OF THIS SEASON’S SCUDETTO

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

FIVE CRUCIAL FIXTURES IN THE TITLE FIGHT

hings really started to heat up in the Serie A title race after Milan’s victory in the Derby della Madonnina in early February cut Inter’s lead to just one point. A three-way sprint is starting to look likely now heading into the spring, with Milan and Napoli breathing down Inter’s neck. Oliver Giroud’s brace for Milan in their 2-1 derby victory over Inter on February 5 certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons at the top of the Serie A table. That was the first loss for the Biscione since October, when they suffered a 3-1 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico against coach Simone Inzaghi’s former side, Lazio. By the end of that weekend, they were sitting just one point ahead of the Rossoneri and Napoli, however, they still had a game in hand. The Nerazzurri’s unbeaten run had lasted 14 matches and included six clean sheets in a row, proving just how difficult last season’s champions are to beat. In contrast, Stefano Pioli’s side ended a twomatch winless run in the derby, after a shock 2-1

ABOVE: Can Luciano Spalletti lead Napoli to their first title since 1990? BELOW: Ibrahimovic is leading by example TOP RIGHT: Napoli in action against AC Milan BOTTOM RIGHT: Inter Milan vs Roma

home defeat to Spezia and a hard-fought goalless draw with Juventus at San Siro the previous week. Meanwhile, Napoli put a dreadful December behind them where they won only one of their five leagues that month, including home defeats to Atalanta, Empoli, and Spezia by winning four on the bounce. The Partenopei went on a strong unbeaten run at the start of 2022, while Luciano Spalletti’s men seem to be over the bad luck that saw their squad decimated by injuries and Covid-19 absences between November and January. As we head into spring, the Serie A title race appears to be a battle between Inter, Milan, and Napoli, although Juventus may believe they have a chance of re-entering the debate. The Azzurri had set the early pace in the first few months of the season, winning their opening eight games before Jose Mourinho’s Roma battled to a goalless draw at the Olimpico in October. The Rossoneri leapfrogged Napoli at the top of the table by going unbeaten through their first 12 matches, before back-to-back defeats to Fiorentina and Sassuolo at the end of November. The Neapolitans reclaimed top spot following an excellent 4-0 victory over Lazio at the Stadio Diego Armando

‘MILAN HAVE SURPRISED MANY BY LASTING THIS LONG’

With three teams likely to be battling it out for the Scudetto, Ciro Di Brita points out five key dates for your calendar NAPOLI V MILAN - 6 MARCH Milan travel to Naples in the first week of March in what could prove to be a massive clash in the Scudetto race. Victory for either side would provide them with a huge boost for their final 10 fixtures. JUVENTUS V INTER - 3 APRIL The Derby d’Italia will be played on matchday 31 and Juventus will be happy to derail Inter’s title challenge. The Bianconeri have improved under Max Allegri as the season has progressed and this trip to the Allianz Stadium is a tough one for the champions. NAPOLI V ROMA - 16 APRIL After Roma put on a defensive masterclass in the reverse fixture, we can expect Jose Mourinho to deploy similar tactics in the return. The home crowd will do their best to pull the ball into the away net, but Napoli’s ability to break down the Giallorossi could be huge for their title hopes. INTER V ROMA - 24 APRIL Mourinho returns to San Siro for the first time in the league in matchday 34, with both teams needing a victory for different objectives. With Milan travelling to the capital to play Lazio the same weekend, this Milan-Rome double-header could be pivotal in the title race. MILAN V ATALANTA - 15 MAY Milan host Atalanta on the penultimate day of the season, with Rossoneri fans hoping their title aspirations are still alive at that point. If they are, this will be a huge game against La Dea, with Inter travelling to Cagliari and Napoli hosting Genoa over the same weekend and all three having winnable fixtures on the final day.

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SERIE A

‘OLIVER GIROUD PUT THE CAT AMONGST THE PIGEONS' Maradona on matchday 14, prior to their meltdown in the lead up to Christmas. In the meantime, champions Inter, who got off to a rocky start by dropping points in four of their opening nine games, cemented their title credentials with a 3-2 win at home over the Partenopei on November 21. That victory propelled the Nerazzurri into an eight-match winning run and the top of the division, before a goalless draw in Bergamo halted the train. The coming months are crucial for this Scudetto love triangle. Milan are out of European competition already, which may help them in the title race. Inter face two ties with Liverpool in the Champions League last 16, the first coming just four days after their trip to Naples. The Azzurri, meanwhile, head to Barcelona in the Europa League knockout rounds straight after that top-of-the-table clash. In the Coppa Italia,

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ABOVE: Are Milan too dependant on Olivier Giroud for goals? BOTTOM LEFT: Inter hope Simone Inzaghi can lead them to back-to-back titles BOTTOM RIGHT: Inter's Edin Dzeko celebrates after scoring RIGHT: Ivan Perisic is keeping up his production

the two Milanese clubs will meet again in the semi-finals. That potentially heated twolegged affair between title rivals during the home stretch would of course be beneficial to Napoli, who exited the cup in the round of 16. On the domestic front, things will really begin to heat up from March onwards, when Juventus welcome Inter to the Allianz Stadium for the Derby d’Italia and Milan travel to the Maradona. Inter will also host Fiorentina and Roma, while Milan will need to overcome Atalanta at home before a tough test on the final day of the season with continual thorn in their side, Sassuolo. Napoli must travel to Bergamo to play Atalanta, before hosting Fiorentina and contesting the Derby della Sud with Roma in back-to-back games at the start of April. The

‘THE COMING MONTHS ARE CRUCIAL FOR THIS SCUDETTO LOVE TRIANGLE’

Partenopei travel to Spezia on the last day of the season, while the defending champions have a home fixture against relegation-threatened Sampdoria. Napoli have played plenty of expansive and expressive football this season, but their main weakness is breaking down the more pragmatic teams who set up to sit deep and physically ruffle their feathers. Striker Victor Osimhen will hope to put his injury and Covid woes behind him and finally get a good run in the team. The Nigeria international lifts the Partenopei into another dimension when he is on the pitch, with his pace unsettling opposition defenders and opening space for his supporting cast to exploit. Milan, on the other hand, have surprised many by lasting this long into the season fighting it out at the top of the table. Their detractors claim they

ABOVE: Stefano Pioli is gunning for his first major honour as a coach BELOW: Krzysztof Piatek is one of the players tasked with replacing Vlahovic BOTTOM RIGHT: Dusan Vlahovic moved to Juventus from Fiorentina in January

are too reliant on the experience of veteran forwards Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to stay the distance. The pair may have a combined age of 75 but continue to be the Rossoneri’s main source of goals. Inter, meanwhile, are more physically robust than the other two sides. Inzaghi’s men are happy to grind out results rather than receiving plaudits for playing beautiful football, although the style of play has arguably improved since last season’s title triumph. Driven on by their midfield dynamo Nicolo Barella, the Nerazzurri have the deepest squad and are favourites to retain the Scudetto. Of course, anything can happen in football and there are likely to be plenty more twists and turns in the title race as we head into the business end of the season.

ITALY’S WINTER WINDOW With only Premier League clubs spending more than Serie A in the January transfer window, Ciro Di Brita takes a look at where most of the money went Juventus were probably the biggest winners of the January transfer window, receiving large fees for two players from Tottenham Hotspur - whose new director of football is former Bianconeri chief football officer, Fabio Paratici. The London club paid €19m for Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, with another €6m in potential add-ons, while also paying €5m up front to loan Dejan Kulusevski, with an obligation to buy for a further €35m. The Old Lady then went out and snapped up the services of Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina in a deal worth a possible €80m. The Serbian striker’s contract at the Stadio Artemio Franchi would have run out next summer, meaning that the Viola probably did very well negotiating that fee for a player heading for the exit in a year’s time. The Turin giants also signed Switzerland international Denis Zakaria from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach. Inter brought in Robin Gosens from Atalanta to add to the many wing-backs already at the club, while Felipe Caicedo reunites with his former Lazio coach, Simone Inzaghi. Milan’s only piece of business was bringing in young Serbian striker Marko Lazetic from Red Star Belgrade, while Napoli also only made one signing with the arrival of Axel Tuanzebe on loan from Manchester United. Tricky winger Jeremie Boga moved from Sassuolo to Atalanta for €18m, while Roma brought in Sergio Oliveira from Porto and Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Arsenal, bringing their total of English players up to three after Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham. Fiorentina replaced Vlahovic with Krzysztof Piatek, Arthur Cabral, and Jonathan Ikone, hoping those three can match the goal threat they lost by selling the Serb. Sampdoria brought in several players on loan to bolster their squad in their battle to avoid the drop. Stefano Sensi arrived from Inter, along with Tomas Rincon from Torino and Andrea Conti from Milan.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

SERIE A

STEPHEN KASIEWICZ ASSESSES THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM THE SERIE A SEASON SO FAR

SLOW AND STEADY THE GOOD

The triple loss of coach Antonio Conte, leading scorer Romelu Lukaku and influential wing-back Achraf Hakimi led many to write off Inter's title chances before the 20212022 season even started. The exodus of the influential coach, and the unexpected departure of the talismanic Lukaku to Chelsea in particular, prompted a bout of deep soul-searching concerning the club's future direction and objectives. Yet the Nerazzurri continue to prove the sceptics wrong, as they remain in firm contention to win a second successive championship and claimed the first silverware of the campaign. The Supercoppa Italiana victory over Juventus was a signal of intent, the often-denigrated Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez scoring a late winner to prompt joyous celebrations on a dramatic night at San Siro.The appointment of Simone Inzaghi to replace Conte was not met with overwhelming approval by the Inter tifosi. Nevertheless, the 45-year-old steadied the ship and integrated

new signings Edin Dzeko, Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries seamlessly into a squad already stocked full of internationals. In February, Inter overcame Roma in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, Sanchez netting a stunning long distance rocket as Inzaghi's side rebounded from a crushing 2-1 derby defeat against city rivals Milan. The outcome of the Derby della Madonnina was a major setback, the rejuvenated Ivan Perisic side-footing home unmarked in the box before Olivier Giroud claimed a late double as Milan surged back to secure the local bragging rights. Nevertheless, it may not have a significant impact on a riveting Scudetto race in which Inter, Milan and Napoli have all been a lap ahead of the chasing pack. A resurgent Juventus, bolstered by the expensive addition of brilliant young striker Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina, cannot be entirely discounted. However, Inter look fully equipped for the long haul, regardless of the constant sniping from the legion of detractors who play down their Serie A chances.

STORY LINES

‘SIMONE INZAGHI HAS STEADIED THE SHIP’

Atalanta’s Jeremie Boga is the first outfield player to have not received a single yellow card in his first 100 Serie A appearances in the three points for a win era (since 1994/1995).

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

Since his Serie A debut in 2015/16, Edin Dzeko has scored five league goals against Napoli: only Ciro Immobile (six) has had more against them in the process.

In their Serie A clash against Udinese, Verona scored at least four goals in the league for the fifth time this season. They had never done it more than three times in a single season before.

THE BAD

The transition from top-level player to elite coach is often littered with insurmountable obstacles. Former Milan legend Andriy Shevchenko is a glaring case in point. As a player he won the Scudetto and Champions League in seven successful seasons with the Rossoneri from 1999 to 2006, frequently scoring angle-defying goals that cemented his place among the great pantheon of forwards to grace San Siro. His return to Italian football was not as memorable. The Ukrainian failed to guide relegationthreatened Genoa to a single Serie A victory and was unceremoniously sacked after just

11 games in charge. Miami-based investment company 777 Partners, who took control of the Grifone from deeply unpopular long-term owner Enrico Preziosi in September last year, made the imaginative appointment in the hope Shevchenko could inspire a squad sorely lacking in belief. It was a major gamble that backfired spectacularly. The 45-year-old had served as Ukraine head coach for five years, guiding his country to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. Yet he cut a forlorn, helpless figure on the sidelines as Genoa consistently underperformed during his short coaching reign. Shevchenko, assisted by former Milan teammate Mauro Tassotti, only recorded one win in the Coppa Italia

against fellow strugglers Salernitana, as Genoa languished in the bottom three throughout his brief tenure. The low point came in a demoralising 3-1 Derby della Lanterna defeat. City rivals Sampdoria comprehensively outplayed the Rossoblu in a one-sided contest, which signalled the beginning of the end for Shevchenko. His fate was sealed in a familiar venue, as Milan eliminated Genoa from the Coppa Italia in extra-time at San Siro. Banners of support from the home fans were of little consolation for a former star player thrown in at the deep end, in the unforgiving world of Italian football.

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Simone Inzaghi has a great chance to win the Scudetto in his first season at Inter

‘ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO’S RETURN TO SERIE A DIDN’T GO TO PLAN’

RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Inzaghi celebrates with his players ABOVE: Genoa's ex-head coach Andriy Shevchenko (L) poses with Josh Wander, founder of 777 Partners fund, during his presentation RIGHT: Sampdoria defeats Genoa FAR RIGHT: Andriy Shevchenko’s return to Italian football was short-lived

Robin Gosens has revealed that he rejected a big-money transfer to Newcastle in January, despite claiming that he "could probably have secured a few more generations of my family with this money." Gosens enjoyed a stellar 2020-21 campaign with Atalanta that earned him a spot in Germany's Euro 2020 squad, and he also impressed during that tournament despite his country's disappointing last-16 exit.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

Roma boss Jose Mourinho threatened to walk away from his pre-match press conference as he snapped at reporters. The Special One took exception when he was asked about the squad harmony within the Giallorossi dressing room. It has been claimed that Mourinho launched into an X-rated rant at his players following their 2-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat to Inter Milan.

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SERIE A THE UGLY

The long, drawn-out sale of talented striker Dusan Vlahovic to bitter rivals Juventus provoked a ferocious, hate-filled backlash from Fiorentina ultras. The Viola's hardcore fans hung threatening banners outside the Stadio Artemio Franchi, filled with crude, racist insults, labelling the Serbian attacker a 'mercenary' among other inflammatory remarks, in the lead-up to his January move to Juve. The club's Italian-American owner, Rocco Commisso, was also targeted for allowing the €80m deal to go through, despite publicly criticising both Juventus and Inter for alleged Financial Fair Play breaches. A banner portraying Commisso as the Joker from the Batman movie series was deliberately placed on Florence's famous Ponte Vecchio in protest. The Special Branch of the city's police launched investigations to find the culprits, as the forthright Commisso suggested he could walk away from the club amid the fallout of

FAR LEFT: Dusan Vlahovic’s departure brought the wrath of Fiorentina fans

‘DUSAN VLAHOVIC’S MOVE TO JUVENTUS PROVOKED A FEROCIOUS BACKLASH FROM FIORENTINA ULTRAS’ Zlatan Ibrahimovic enjoyed a day off by cruising around town in his €450,000 electric Ferrari. The AC Milan star, 40, looked ice-cool as he showed off his gold supercar to stunned onlookers. Ibrahimovic bought the Ferrari SF90 Stradale as a birthday present to himself in October. The hybrid luxury vehicle boasts a four-litre turbocharged V8 engine, and has a whopping 986hp when paired with its electric motor.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

the Vlahovic saga. The billionaire was incensed with the criticism and warned that after spending €314m - including the cost of an expensive new training centre - on Fiorentina, he would carefully consider his future at the Tuscan club. Prolific attacker Vlahovic joined a growing list of high-profile players to make the switch from Fiorentina to Juventus. When Italy playmaker Roberto Baggio left the Viola for Juve in 1990, it led to riots on the streets of Florence. Azzurri wingers Federico Bernardeschi and Federico Chiesa also followed the same path in recent years, but the loss of leading goalscorer Vlahovic proved a tipping point for Fiorentina supporters sick of losing their best players to the Bianconeri. Meanwhile, Lazio ultras gathered outside the club's Formello training ground bemoaning a barren transfer window and high ticket prices. Coach Mauricio Sarri was unimpressed as Lazio failed to make any significant reinforcements and demanded a more direct role in future player recruitment.

ABOVE: Dusan Vlahovic's last game for Fiorentina before being transfered to juventus LEFT: Vlahovic has joined the likes of Chiesa and other high profile Juventus strikers TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Olivier Giroud settled the Derby della Madonnina in emphatic style BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Samir Handanovic faces competition from Andre Onana

Radja Nainggolan revealed that he turned down offers from Chelsea and Juventus because he wasn’t interested in the money. The Belgium midfielder had a rather unique career, spending a number of years in Sardinia with Cagliari, where he became a cult figure. A successful spell in Rome followed, before he made a rather unsuccessful move to Inter. Last summer, he signed for Royal Antwerp, ending his association with Italy for the first time in his career.

GOING UP

Two goals in the Derby di Milano showed veteran French striker Olivier Giroud is far from finished, despite an injury-marred first season in Italy. The 35-year-old endeared himself to the Rossoneri support with a crucial double in a stirring comeback win, which kept Milan in a thrilling title race with city rivals Inter and Napoli.

GOING DOWN

Criticised for his erratic distribution and glaring errors, it has been a testing season for Inter's Slovenian goalkeeper, Samir Handanovic. The 37-year-old failed to prevent Olivier Giroud from netting the winner in the Derby della Madonnina and will face competition from Cameroon international Andre Onana at San Siro next season.

TOP 6 SERIE A WINTER SIGNINGS 2022 Fiorentina's forward Jonathan Ikone in action during the Italian serie A soccer match ACF Fiorentina vs Genoa

Ainsley Maitland-Niles may have failed to make favorable headlines at Arsenal, but only three Serie A matches into his new adventure at Roma, and he is already one of Jose Mourinho’s favorites. Roma have paid Arsenal €500 thousand in loan fee to bring him to the Italian capital for the remainder of the season. Roma have no option to buy Maitland-Niles permanently at the end of the season, but if he continues to impress in Italy, the Giallorossi will likely find the way to buy him out. Stefano Sensi carried a reputation as one of Italy’s finest talents when he swapped Sassuolo for Inter Milan in summer 2019. Unfortunately, a series of injury setbacks hampered his progress at Meazza, forcing the Nerazzurri to send him to Sampdoria on a short-term loan to provide him with time and space to regain his confidence. Sampdoria will only pay the wages of Sensi throughout the loan period; there is no loan fee involved. Jonathan Ikone’s move from Lille to Fiorentina went through without much media coverage, but the French star could be one of the revelations in the second half of the season. During his illustrious three-and-a-half-year stint at Les Dogues, the 23-year-old earned four caps for the France national team and grew into one of the most skilful players in Ligue 1. Ikone warranted a €15 million transfer fee. Atalanta are not known for spending large sums of money on signings, but when they splash out €22m on one player, rest assured that they know what they are doing. Following an underwhelming episode at Chelsea, Jeremie Boga has taken Serie A by storm, establishing himself as one of the best wingers in Italy’s top-flight over the past couple of years. Bursting runs down the flanks, coupled with lightning-quick feet and a keen eye for goal, earned the 25-yearold a household status at Sassuolo. But time has come for Boga to take his career to the next level, and competing for a top-four finish in Serie A should motivate him to try and repay Atalanta’s trust for making him the club’s record signing. When it comes to Serie A transfers in January, Dusan Vlahovic’s mega-money switch from Fiorentina to Juventus is, without any doubt, the icing on the cake. Despite playing for a mid-table team in Serie A, Vlahovic has been by far the most prolific player in Italy’s top-flight in the last couple of seasons, earning a lucrative €70m move to Juventus as a reward. Signing Vlahovic was not the only masterstroke Juventus pulled off in January. They also acquired Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria for a bargain price of €8.6 million. The Swiss international can transform the Juve midfield that has been vastly lacking in quality this season.

Ex-Fiorentina & Sampdoria star Flachi has returned to pitch at age 46 following 12-year ban for cocaine. The ex-Serie A forward, who played over 100 games in the top tier of Italian football between 1993 and 2010, returned in the fifth tier. With a desire to end his career on his terms, Flachi has made a return with fifth-tier outfit Signa 1914 near his hometown of Florence after training with the club throughout the past five months.

Juventus’ Denis Zakaria celebrates after scoring the 2-0 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match Juventus FC vs Hellas Verona FC

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

LA LIGA

BELOW (MAIN): Sevilla FC's Rafa Mir (L) celebrates after scoring during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Madrid and Sevilla FC LEFT: Sevilla players celebrate a win

‘THE LA LIGA TITLE RACE IS EDGING TOWARDS A TWO-HORSE RACE’

CAN THE BRIDESMAIDS

BECOME THE BRIDE? AS LA LIGA’S TITLE RACE ENTERS ITS FINAL STAGES, FEARGAL BRENNAN ASKS WHETHER IT’S ALREADY A TWO-HORSE RACE

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

FIVE FIXTURES TO LOOK OUT FOR ‘EXPERIENCED REAL MADRID ARE UP AGAINST UPSTARTS SEVILLA IN THE TITLE RACE’

he 2021-22 La Liga title race finds itself edging towards a two-horse race in the final stretch of the domestic season. However, despite the longheld assumption of an El Clasico scrap between age old foes Real Madrid and Barcelona, or Los Blancos doing battle with their cross city rivals and defending Spanish champions, Atletico Madrid, there is a new contender for the title this term. Atletico and Barcelona look to have left themselves with too much to do in 2022. After making sluggish starts to the season, Diego Simeone has struggled to reignite his battle-weary champions and the Xavi-inspired revolution is taking time to bear results in Catalonia. That state of transition has created a gap in the title race and Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla have seized their own chance to go on and challenge Real Madrid down the final straight. Carlo Ancelotti’s smooth return back to the Santiago Bernabeu last summer has achieved the desired goal for Los Blancos, with their experienced

ABOVE: Real Madrid and Sevilla appear to be in a two-way title battle BELOW: Real Madrid and Karim Benzema are leading the way TOP RIGHT: Barcelona and Real Madrid in action earlier this season

stars once again responding positively to the Italian’s light-touch coaching mantra. Real’s ability to turn on the burners and power on at the top of the table means Atletico and Barcelona’s inconsistency has been ruthlessly punished. But with the more traditional powers flailing in reaction to Madrid, Sevilla have risen to the challenge as a dark horse ready to land a major hit. Sevilla have failed to break the MadridBarcelona hegemony in the last two decades, with the club gaining a painful reputation of falling apart at crunch periods in the season. Title challenges have come and gone for Sevilla in recent years with a mantle of always the bridesmaid becoming an agonising and expected pattern for their frustrated fans. However, Lopetegui appears determined to learn the lessons of the past, with Sevilla looking to bury their nearly-men ghost in 2022. If Sevilla do manage to stay the course and push Real Madrid all the way, they will need certain things to count in their favour, and some of those will simply not be within Lopetegui’s control. Neighbours Real Betis look to have slipped away in terms of their own title challenge, while Sevilla will hope that

Feargal Brennan picks out five key dates in La Liga from now to the end of the season REAL MADRID V BARCELONA 20 MARCH El Clasico is El Clasico, regardless of either side’s standing in the league and Barcelona would love to upset Real Madrid’s title charge. However, Los Blancos have a dominant recent record in this fixture with five straight wins, and Barca have not won in Madrid since 2019. BARCELONA V SEVILLA - 3 APRIL The end-of-season run-in will be littered with acid tests for Lopetegui’s Sevilla in their quest for the title. Despite Barcelona fans wanting to do anything to stop Real Madrid from clinching the title, Xavi’s developing side need some big results to seal a Champions League place, and they are unbeaten at home in league action against Sevilla since 2002. SEVILLA V REAL MADRID - 17 APRIL Real Madrid’s trip to Sevilla could be a straight title decider if the gap between them is narrowed to a single result by mid-April. It could be all on the line for Sevilla in this game and their reaction will be crucial, as they have not won at home against Los Blancos since 2018. ATLETICO MADRID V REAL MADRID 8 MAY In a similar sense to Real’s clash with Barcelona, Atletico’s only bonus could be landing a blow to their neighbour’s title tilt. Simeone has secured a home draw in three of their last four league meetings at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, and two points dropped could be huge for Los Blancos. ATLETICO MADRID V SEVILLA - 15 MAY Sevilla head to the Wanda on the penultimate weekend of the season with the stakes potentially sky high in Madrid. Lopetegui will hope his charges are still in the title race, with Simeone’s outgoing champions likely to still need points to seal a top-four spot. SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

LA LIGA

Barcelona continue along their unsteady path of readjustment and Atletico put their metaphorical eggs into the Champions League basket. Lopetegui wants a straight shootout with Ancelotti in the coming weeks to ensure the challenge remains one dimensional for his players, and also that Real Madrid underestimate Los Nervionenses. Keeping hold of Diego Carlos and Jules Kounde in the winter transfer window was a crucial step in the right direction for Sevilla, as their 13 goals conceded by the start of 2022 was the lowest in the division, with the defensive pair crucial to that solidity. Their miserly back line has provided a base for Sevilla to build from, but loan signing Anthony Martial needs to hit the ground running at the other end of the pitch to ensure Lopetegui’s challengers are not outgunned by their all-star rivals. Old habits do die hard in La Liga, and Ancelotti’s calm experience means Madrid will be tough to hunt down. However, Sevilla sense this as a nowor-never chance for glory, as they aim to land their second Spanish title, with their only other

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

ABOVE: Diego Simeone admitted his Atletico Madrid side may have peaked last season TOP RIGHT: Atletico Madrid's defender Mario Hermoso (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring RIGHT: Suarez aims to bounce back after a great season last year BELOW: Carlo Ancelotti is looking to land his first La Liga title in his second spell at Madrid

triumph coming all the way back in 1946. On the flip side, Ancelotti knows this road well, having won league titles in Germany, Italy and England during his glittering coaching career. The lack of a La Liga title was a noticeable asterisk against his name during his first spell in the Spanish capital, but he has a great opportunity to put that right this time round. That extra strain of motivation will be a genuine factor for the Italian coach as his battle-hardened squad look to click into title mode in the latter stages of the season. While Sevilla do look poised to offer a more streetwise challenge to Madrid, Ancelotti has a squad packed with seasoned winners. The presence of Thibaut Courtois, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema and others puts Real on a different level of title nous, despite the summer exits of defensive lynchpins Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane. Ancelotti has a significant card to play with his team’s experience and enduring worldclass talent, particularly with Modric and

‘BARCELONA WERE LA LIGA’S HIGHEST SPENDERS IN JANUARY’

Benzema, and it is an ace up the sleeve that is not available to any other coach in Spain. As the title race tightens up and Sevilla look to cut the gap, Madrid’s April trip to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan could decide it, with Ancelotti holding a head-to-head edge as it stands. If, as expected, the race for the title and the top four create a two-tiered battle from March onwards, Ancelotti versus Lopetegui will have the eye-catching undercard of Simeone versus Xavi in the final weeks of the campaign. Both managers have admitted to growing frustration over their respective campaigns, with Simeone acknowledging that maybe he did extract the last fight from the bulk of his squad in last season’s title win and Xavi battling against both a financial and an identity crisis in Catalonia. Atletico and Barcelona will be confident of sealing a Champions League

ABOVE: Barcelona legend Xavi needs time to rebuild the team BELOW: Julen Lopetegui is dreaming of snatching the title away from the club he briefly coached BOTTOM RIGHT: Barcelona spent big on Ferran Torres in January

spot via La Liga in 2022, despite the latter suffering an embarrassing group stage exit in this term’s competition, but there could be a crucial summer ahead at both clubs. Simeone and Atletico have been synonymous with each over for over a decade, but the Argentinian will want solid guarantees over his ability to redevelop the squad ahead of next season. Xavi’s hands have been freed to bring in new faces, with Ferran Torres, Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all arriving at the Camp Nou in January, but there is still a sense of the club drifting in an unclear direction, despite the green shoots of a new generation of La Masia stars emerging. The final months of the La Liga 2021-22 season promise to be intriguing at the top of the table.

SURPRISE SPENDERS After appearing short of funds in the wake of Lionel Messi’s departure, Feargal Brennan points out Barcelona’s significant spending in January Barcelona were the highest spenders in La Liga during the January window, with Xavi bringing in four new faces at the Camp Nou as part of his ongoing legacy development at the club. Ferran Torres’ £49m move from Manchester City was the only outlay though, with a six-month loan deal for Spanish international Adama Traore and free transfers for Dani Alves and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Torres and Traore both have real potential to develop into world-class players for Barcelona, but the other moves continue the idea of a scattergun approach from the Catalans, with ageing stars Alves and Aubameyang both somewhat risky investments for Xavi - despite the lack of a transfer fee. Real Madrid opted against any moves in the market, with Ancelotti showing confidence in his current squad in the title race. Atletico, meanwhile, brought in full-back cover in the shape of Reinildo Mandava and Daniel Wass, following the departure of Kieran Trippier to bigspending Newcastle United. Anthony Martial’s arrival on loan at Sevilla was Lopetegui’s big incoming move and the former AS Monaco star needs to justify the move goals in Andalusia after falling out of favour at Manchester United. The rest of La Liga was littered with shrewd loan moves rather than big-name arrivals, as the race for the Europa League hots up in 2022. Midfield pair Giovani Lo Celso and Bryan Gil both waved goodbye to north London and Tottenham Hotspur for a La Liga return, with short-term loans to Villarreal and Valencia respectively, as Antonio Conte looks to reshuffle his options at Spurs. In the relegation battle, Getafe boss Quique Sanchez Flores weaved his magic in the loan market with deals for Borja Mayoral and Oscar Rodriguez, while veteran striker Lucas Perez joined Cadiz on deadline day.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

LA LIGA

FEARGAL BRENNAN RUNS THE RULE OVER THE SPANISH TOP FLIGHT IN THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

OPEN SEASON THE GOOD

The poor first half of 2021-22 for Barcelona and defending champions Atletico Madrid has opened the door for other title challengers. Carlo Ancelotti’s return to Real Madrid has provided a renewed solidity at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, with Los Blancos in pole position at the start of the calendar year. However, a mixed run of results in January has hinted at a vulnerability within Ancelotti’s experienced squad, with Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla primed to pounce. The Andalusians have failed to smash the Real, Atletico and Barcelona dominance of the Spanish top flight since 2001, but they have stepped up a gear this season. Sporting director Monchi continues to be an enigmatic figure in the background, with former Madrid coach Lopetegui turning the team into a winning machine on the pitch. Consistency in the second half of the campaign will ultimately decide their fate, but some

crucial moves in the January transfer window have provided an insight into their plans. Lopetegui has previously been forced to sell certain players if a big money offer landed at the doors of the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Defensive duo Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos were both linked with moves away from the club during the most recent window, with the latter the subject of two bids from Premier League side Newcastle. However, Monchi and Lopetegui withstood the pressure to sell either player, with the pair forming a solid centre-back partnership so far this term. Alongside the retention of Kounde and Carlos, Lopetegui has also addressed his side’s lack of goals, with Sevilla the lowest scorers in the top four at the start of 2022. The loan arrival of Manchester United star Anthony Martial could prove to be the spark Sevilla need in their battle with Real Madrid, as the Frenchman arrives in Spain with a point to prove.

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‘SEVILLA ARE LOOKING TO SMASH THE BIG THREE’S DOMINANCE OF LA LIGA’

Real Betis’s 4-2 away win at Levante was the ninth time they won a match by scoring at least four goals in LaLiga this season, more than any other campaign for them in the competition ever.

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Barcelona have now gone 24 games unbeaten in a row vs Espanyol in La Liga (W18 D6) and they recorded the best unbeaten run by any team in any type of derby in the competition’s history (23 games for Real Madrid vs Atlético between 2000 & 2013).

21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal reveals he watched Real Madrid for the first time in Mallorca. Nadal, ranked at No. 5 in the world, is a huge football fan and Real Madrid is his favorite team. Nadal’s uncle was playing for Mallorca, but he appeared at the arena wearing the famous whites of Real.

THE BAD

Valencia’s end to the 2020-21 season saw them clinch their lowest La Liga finish since 1988, as an ongoing civil war between the fans and owner Peter Lim looks set to explode. Supporters have called for Lim to sell his stake in the club in recent years, after growing frustrated by his declining leadership at the Estadio Mestalla. However, Lim has refused to even consider a departure from his role, with head coach Javi Gracia the eventual fall guy for their 13th-

place finish last term. Lim turned to Getafe’s Jose Bordalas as Gracia’s replacement at the start of 2021-22, with the Alicante-born coach developing a strong reputation for maximising tight resources during his time in Madrid. But despite some early optimism over Bordalas’s disciplinarian approach providing much-needed solidity for Los Che, they have struggled to even break into the top half this season. Despite an initial bounce under Bordalas, and a positive end to 2021, Valencia are way off the pace to secure a Champions League place this season, as discontent

bubbles up behind the scenes. A strong run before the end of the campaign could see Bordalas deliver a Europa League spot at the end of his first season, but that will not save him from real scrutiny this summer. Los Che’s fanbase is one of the most demanding in Spanish football, with an insistence on keeping pace with their rivals in the capital and Barcelona. Despite their star clearly falling of late, Bordalas will be held to the same unrealistic standards, despite the evidence of the club only managing three top-four finishes in the last nine seasons.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla are in the title race RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Sevilla's Oliver Torres celebrates scoring a goal RIGHT & ABOVE: Valencia players celebrate scoring FAR RIGHT: Many Valencia fans want Peter Lim out of their club

Presidents of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain came together at one of the best restaurants in the world, a day before their teams' Champions League clash in Paris. The battle for Kylian Mbappe has created unprecedented tension between the clubs, but a dinner before the match is part of Champions League protocol, so Florentino Perez and Nasser Al-Khelaifi shared a table for a few hours on Valentine's Day at the Restaurant Guy Savoy, voted the world's best restaurant in 2020.

‘VALENCIA SUPPORTERS HAVE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS’ Barcelona boss Xavi was forced to apologise after Ronald Araujo directed insults towards Espanyol players in their 2-2 draw at the RCDE Stadium. Araujo, who had been substituted at half time through injury became involved in a confrontation with Nico Melamed as Espanyol midfielder left the field. Araujo appeared to shout and indicate ‘two’ to Melamed as a provocation over Espanyol’s potential relegation to the Segunda Division in 2022 and Xavi was not impressed by the Uruguayan.

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LA LIGA THE UGLY

The deadline day arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has gone down as one of the stranger pieces of Barcelona transfer activity in recent seasons. Aubameyang took the controversial step of flying himself out to Barcelona in the final hours of the winter transfer window, with the Arsenal squad away at a warm weather training camp in Dubai, as he tried to force through a move to the Spanish giants. However, despite the traditional back and forth on deadline day, Barcelona confirmed a deal was essentially done as the window slammed shut on January 31. Yet despite eventually securing his ‘dream’ move to Catalonia, the swirling story of his soap opera style exit from Arsenal has dominated the start of his new chapter in Barcelona. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta publicly took the

captain’s armband away from the Gabonese international at the end of 2021, following repeated Covid-19-related rule breaks. Arteta’s hard-line approach extended to omitting him from his squad for over a month, before sanctioning a mutual consent departure for the 32-year-old. Arsenal will continue to pay Aubameyang’s eye watering salary until the end of the season, as the Gunners agreed a financial compromise with Barcelona to secure the deal. But despite an eventual untangling of their ties, Aubameyang was quick to indicate Arteta’s stance was the key factor in his exit from the Emirates Stadium. Barcelona head coach Xavi will hope the lingering animosity between Aubameyang and Arsenal reduces as he settles at the Camp Nou, but the experienced striker will be under immediate pressure to show his enduring class in front of goal and prove Arteta’s instincts wrong.

‘PIERREEMERICK AUBAMEYANG MUST PROVE MIKEL ARTETA WRONG’ Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig was filmed autographing a pig while leaving training. No explanation was given but many observers noted it was simply another normal day at Barcelona, where things are a bit different to other clubs. The 22-yearold came through La Masia and made his debut for Barcelona’s first team toward the end of 2018, but he’s failed to establish a place in the side in the manner younger players like Pedri and Gavi have.

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FAR LEFT: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang secured a ‘dream’ move from Arsenal to Barcelona ABOVE: Arsenal will be paying Aubameyang's salary until the end of the season LEFT: Mikel Arteta publically removed Aubameyang's captain's band TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Gaizka Garitano looks set to lead Eibar back into La Liga BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Alessio Lisci has been left with too much to do at struggling Levante

Espanyol midfielder Sergi Darder has opened up about his struggles with mental health and depression in an interview with ESPN’s Sid Lowe with comments carried by Marca. “In 2020 I realised and accepted that I wasn’t well,” Darder said. “I’m not going to use the word depression because there are people who are having a hard time, they’re sick, but I needed help. I wanted to be a footballer, have a house, a car, a family, children. I had everything and I wasn’t happy. I had to change.’’

GOING UP

Eibar’s relegation from La Liga in 2021 hit hard among neutral fans in Spanish football, as the likeable Basque side saw their top-flight stint ended. However, they have shown resilience and adjustment in the Segunda Division under new boss Gaizka Garitano, and they should have enough in the tank to seal an immediate promotion.

GOING DOWN

Levante’s top-flight run of five seasons looks likely to end in 2022, after a disastrous managerial collapse at the Ciutat de Valencia. Paco Lopez’s sacking after no wins from their first eight league games was followed by no wins in seven for his replacement Javier Pereira, leaving third boss Alessio Lisci with too much to do to in 2022.

TOP 6 LA LIGA WINTER SIGNINGS 2022 Mexican striker Jesus 'Tecatito' Corona poses for photographs during his presentation as new player of Sevilla FC

His time at Arsenal ended on a seriously sour note, but get him in the right system and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can still score goals. The Gabon international joined Barcelona on a free transfer, with Arsenal bearing the most of his salary till the end of the season. Beyond that point, Barcelona will assume full responsibility for his wage, but it will not be anywhere near the mammoth €415,000-perweek wages the Gunners used to pay him. Anthony Martial had a dream start to his Manchester United career, but it didn’t quite work out in the end. Dropped from the Man United first XI, Martial was desperate to move on and agreed a loan to Sevilla with lower wages. The Frenchman is a talented forward and might rekindle himself in a different climate. Although Ferran Torres did not blow us away during his spell at Man City, he was showing signs of developing into an extremely exciting centre-forward prior to getting injured in the Nations League. Barcelona did not make the best decisions in recent history, when it came to big money signings. But, spending €55 million for someone as promising as Ferran Torres appears to be a wise decision. The name of Daniel Wass may not spark your enthusiasm at first glance, but the man has been a permanent La Liga fixture over the past eight years. Tactical prowess, versatility and endless work rate make the Denmark international a type of player every coach would like to have at their disposal. Atletico Madrid spent €2.7 million to bring the 32-year-old at Wanda Metropolitano. Rafinha Alcantara did not reach the career heights his brother did. He has an impressive CV regardless, having past affiliations with the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. With Real Sociedad fighting tooth and nail to secure Champions League football for next season, having a player of Rafinha’s qualities should come in handy. The White and Blues will not pay any loan fee to PSG for Rafinha. Since swapping Twente for Porto in summer 2015, Jesus Corona has been one of the most entertaining players to watch in European football, let alone the Primeira Liga. Sevilla sporting director Monchi managed to convince Porto to part ways with the Mexican striker in exchange of €3 million.

Atletico Madrid's midfielder Daniel Wass (C) participates in his team's training session at Wanda Sports City in Majadahonda

Camp Nou will be known as Spotify Camp Nou from now as music streaming platform Spotify has struck a €280 million endorsement deal with the Catalonian giants. This is the first time the iconic stadium went through a name change since it replaced Camp de Les Corts as Barca’s home ground in 1957. With Spotify's new deal, the club will finally get the income they need in order to attempt the transfers they want next summer.

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BUNDESLIGA

‘BAYERN MUNICH LOOK SET FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED 10TH STRAIGHT TITLE’ ABOVE (MAIN): Munich's Robert Lewandowski (R) celebrates with teammate Jamal Musiala after scoring the 4-0 lead during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Muenchen and VfL Wolfsburg ABOVE (SMALL): Bundesliga Players celebrating after one of their leagueleading wins

a one horse

race

WITH THE BUNDESLIGA TITLE RACE ENTERING ITS FINAL STAGE, MICHELLE OSEI BONSU TAKES A LOOK AT THE STATE OF PLAY

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THE GAME CHANGERS Michelle Osei Bonsu looks ahead to five key dates to keep an eye on in the latter months of the season BAYERN MUNICH V BAYER LEVERKUSEN - 5 MARCH Facing Bayern is no small task, but Leverkusen will be motivated by more than just revenge for their humiliating 5-1 loss in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Die Werkself could still have an eye on second place when they visit the reigning champions in early March.

‘BAYERN MUNICH AVOIDED THE JANUARY SALES’

o club in any of Europe’s biggest leagues has ever won 10 titles in a row. Bayern Munich look set to do just that in May. As has been the case in prior campaigns, once the Bavarian titans have seized top spot, it is nigh impossible to dislodge them. This time around, Julian Nagelsmann’s side took charge on matchday four, and have not looked back since. They have not been flawless, but have generally looked relatively comfortable as they march on towards an unprecedented 10th consecutive league title. Key to their success, of course, has been Robert Lewandowski. Despite turning 33 last August, the striker continues to score goals at an outstanding rate. The Polish star lost out to Lionel Messi in the voting for the coveted Ballon d’Or prize in late November - raising quite a few eyebrows around the world - but has not let the disappointment slow him down one bit. Having broken Gerd Muller’s 49-year-old record for most goals in a single campaign by netting 41 times last term, Lewandowski is well on track

UNION BERLIN V KOLN - 2 APRIL With both teams potentially still in contention for Champions League football next season, this game could be crucial. Given how congested things are in the top half of the table, points gained or dropped in fixtures like this could ultimately decide who features in Europe next term.

ABOVE: Bayern Munich are cantering towards another Bundesliga title BELOW: Record-breaking Manuel Neuer looks as good as ever BOTTOM RIGHT: Borussia Dortmund vs RB Leipzig

to win a fifth consecutive Torjagerkanone and tie with Muller for the most top scorer prizes won. Players like Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick and Borussia Dortmund’s Norwegian ace Erling Haaland are doing their utmost to force their way into contention. But barring a significant injury layoff, Muller’s record of seven Torjagerkanone prizes will be matched by Lewandowski at the end of this season. While Lewandowski’s hot streak has obviously been central to Bayern’s success, other players have done much more than just make up the numbers. One such man is Thomas Muller, who has evolved from an outand-out goalscorer to key assist provider. For the past two campaigns, Muller has led the charts when it comes to assists, setting a single-season record of 21 during 2019-20. Given the rate he’s going at this time around, he looks certain to break that record by the time the current term ends. Meanwhile, Serge Gnabry continues to grow in influence for Die Roten this term. The 26-year-old marked a personal milestone on matchday 16, when he scored a hat-trick against boyhood club Stuttgart to take his tally to double figures for the sixth straight season. To put that into perspective, only

BORUSSIA DORTMUND V RB LEIPZIG 2 APRIL Leipzig have seen their fortunes improve following Jesse Marsch’s sacking and Domenico Tedesco’s arrival, and could challenge for a top-four berth. Die Roten Bullen are not a side to be underestimated and they have caused their fair share of trouble for Dortmund in the past. BAYERN MUNICH V BORUSSIA DORTMUND - 23 APRIL While this game is highly unlikely to change the course of the title race, Der Klassiker is always unmissable. From Dortmund’s perspective, beating Bayern probably won’t help them in this season’s title race, but it could give them renewed belief for a tilt at the Meisterschale next term. FREIBURG V UNION BERLIN - 7 MAY Based on the performances of both Freiburg and Union Berlin so far this season, this tie could be massive in the race for Europe. At the start of the 2021-22 campaign, few predicted that Freiburg or Union Berlin would be among the teams jostling for Champions League football, yet here they are.

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BUNDESLIGA

‘ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI HAS BEEN KEY TO BAYERN’S SUCCESS’

Lewandowski has managed to replicate and better that achievement - and Gnabry is not even an out-and-out striker. These are just a handful of players who have played their roles in getting Bayern to where they need to be, but one must not forget another key to the team’s success has been their solid defence, shepherded by the evergreen Manuel Neuer. The 36-year-old is set to break Oliver Kahn’s record for most victories as a shotstopper by the time the current campaign comes to a close, having already matched that during Bayern’s hard-fought 3-2 win over RB Leipzig on matchday 21. As things stand, it will take a collapse of epic proportions for Bayern Munich not to be on the winner’s podium this May. Die Roten are simply head and shoulders above the rest of the chasing pack and with everyone getting in on the action, it’s no shock that they are again the highest-scoring team in the league. A closely-contested title race would have been

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ABOVE: Robert Lewandowski was unlucky to miss out on the Ballon d’Or RIGHT: Ricardo Pepi is the most expensive MLS export to Europe BOTTOM LEFT: Union Berlin have been a breath of fresh air since arriving in the Bundesliga BOTTOM RIGHT: Anthony Modeste celebrating a goal for Cologne

exciting for rival fans and neutrals alike. Yet despite that being highly unlikely at this point, there’s still plenty to play for, including a spot in the Champions League. Before Bayern seized control of the table on matchday five, there was another team on top of the pile. Wolfsburg burst out of the gates and led the way, but that joy was short-lived. The team have gone from being potential dark horses in the title race to now barely hanging on to their top-flight status by the skin of their teeth, as they look to avoid being dragged down to join teams like Greuther Furth, Augsburg and Stuttgart in the dreaded relegation scrap. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund will again have to hope they will have better luck in the title race next season. Die Schwarzgelben, who finished in third last time around, are now firmly focused on securing Champions League football. Marco Rose’s side aren’t alone in this

COMINGS AND GOINGS

JULIAN NAGELSMANN IS GOING A GREAT JOB AT THE ALLIANZ ARENA

endeavour, with Leverkusen especially keen to have their say. After finishing sixth and settling for a spot in the Europa League last season, Die Werkself will naturally aim to feature in the Champions League next term. One team that have surprised many is Union Berlin, who are shaping up to be the next Leipzig - albeit with a deeper history. Die Eisernen secured top-flight status for the first time during the 2019-20 season, but one would not think them to be the new boys on the block based on the way they have held their own this season. It would be a monumental achievement in their journey thus far if they could secure a top-four spot. While Union Berlin have garnered quite a bit of attention, Koln have been quietly making steady improvements as well. Considering Die Geissbocke finished 16th last term, their

Michelle Osei Bonsu assesses the Bundesliga’s movers and shakers from the January transfer window

ABOVE: Julian Nagelsmann coaching his succesful team BELOW: George Bello has said he’s trying to model his game on David Alaba BOTTOM RIGHT: Zenit's Sardar Azmoun (L) scores the 2-1 goal against Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga

showings so far have been impressive, spearheaded by the strong performances of loyal striker Anthony Modeste. Given they’re out of the DFB-Pokal, Koln can fully focus on finishing as high in the table as possible. A Europa League spot is within the realm of possibility if they can maintain their form. Depending on how things go between now and May, the battle for the last three Champions League spots could get really interesting. Koln, Leverkusen, Dortmund and Union Berlin, plus other potential contenders including RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim, could all be jostling for a place at Europe’s top table. This would set up an intriguing scrap that should keep fans and neutrals entertained with the title already pretty much settled.

Bayern Munich didn’t create much of a buzz in the January transfer market. They did, however, bring in Chinese international shot-stopper Liu Shaoziyang from partner club Wuham Three Towns. The 18-year-old has been loaned straight out to Austrian Bundesliga club Austria Klagenfurt, and Die Roten will track his development as the season progresses. Bayern will say goodbye to defender Niklas Sule when the season ends, with the German international becoming the latest to cross the Munich-Dortmund divide on a free transfer. Bayern weren’t eager to add reinforcements this winter, although they have been linked with making moves for Chelsea defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen in the summer. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund were also quiet during the January window. It’s a bit surprising that given Erling Haaland and Gio Reyna’s struggles with injuries and the former being linked with a move away, that Die Schwarzgelben didn’t reinforce their attacking options. Leverkusen, by contrast, were more active, signing Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun from Russian outfit Zenit. The 27-yearold was set to join in July, but after some smart negotiations, Die Werkself were able to get their player six months earlier. A number of the teams struggling to stay afloat, such as Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld, made some of the most interesting signings this January, bringing in young American prospects Ricardo Pepi and George Bello from FC Dallas and Atlanta United respectively. Bello was born in Nigeria but went to the USA as a youngster and plays as a leftback. Pepi, meanwhile, arrived for $20m - making him Augsburg’s most expensive signing, as well as the most expensive transfer by a MLS player to Europe. Both Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld will hope their investments pay dividends, not least in securing their top-flight status come the end of the season.

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BUNDESLIGA

FEARGAL BRENNAN TAKES A LOOK AT THE WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN THE BUNDESLIGA WITH A ROUND OF THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY FROM GERMANY’S TOP FLIGHT

MOMENTUM GAINERS THE GOOD

RB Leipzig’s decision to bring in Jesse Marsch as Julian Nagelsmann’s replacement at the start of 2021-22 was initially greeted with fan skepticism. The Bundesliga giants have enjoyed a strong relationship in player exchanges with their partner club in recent seasons, but coaches were viewed as different. Marsch’s move to the ‘top job’ between the two clubs was seen as a leap of faith on the German side of the deal, despite his strong coaching reputation. The managerial merrygo-round, triggered by Nagelsmann’s move to Bayern Munich, saw a reshuffle across the big names of German football, with Marsch handed his golden chance. However, a mixture of pressure and poor performances saw the American unceremoniously removed from his post after just five wins from 14 league games in charge at the Red Bull Arena. That showing in

domestic action, coupled with a Champions League group stage exit, albeit in a group containing Manchester City and Paris SaintGermain, proved too much for Marsch to withstand. The club gave themselves some time before appointing a permanent successor, with former Schalke 04 head coach Domenico Tedesco eventually drafted in. Tedesco was rumoured to be on Leipzig’s shortlist prior to appointing Marsch, after he opted not to renew his deal at Spartak Moscow in 2021. However, despite the early-season issues, Tedesco has lit a fire under the RB Leipzig squad following his arrival, as they look to push for a Champions League qualification spot in 2022. Andre Silva and Christopher Nkunku have been the main beneficiaries of Tedesco’s early bounce effect, with those two players reportedly rejecting January exits from the club. Now it’s up to both players and coach to continue the momentum down the stretch.

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‘DOMENICO TEDESCO HAS LIT A FIRE UNDER THE RB LEIPZIG SQUAD’

Borussia Dortmund have officially confirmed the signing of Niklas Süle on a free transfer in the coming summer. The Germany defender confirmed last month he will not sign a new contract Bayern Munich and will be a free agent in the summer. Bayern paid around €20m to sign Süle from Hoffenheim back in 2017 and he has gone on to make more than 150 appearances for the Bavarians.

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Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland named the seven strikers he thinks were better than him - but would back himself in a crunch tie. The seven was made up of five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski from rivals Bayern Munich. Three of the remaining five strikers also ply their trade in the Premier League with Tottenham hero Harry Kane, Roberto Firmino of Liverpool and Chelsea man Timo Werner - who has struggled to replicate his form from Germany at Stamford Bridge. New Barcelona ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is on the list, as is the man he replaced at the Nou Camp, Sergio Aguero, who was forced to retire last year.

THE BAD

Alphonso Davies has become the latest Bayern Munich star to report long-term health concerns following a positive Covid-19 infection within the club camp. The defender tested positive for the virus in early January, with boss Julian Nagelsmann confirming he would be out of action for an unspecified period of time as a result. Davies, who has established himself as a key figure within the Bavarians’ squad in recent seasons, has also missed out on international duty with his country. Canada national team head coach John Herdman was without his

talismanic full-back for their 2022 World Cup qualifiers at the start of the year, as the Reds bid for a first World Cup place since 1986 in Qatar. Davies’ teammate, and Bayern’s midfield metronome Joshua Kimmich, has also suffered with complications following a positive test. Kimmich previously stated his controversial position on not taking a Covid vaccine, while not objecting to a future inoculation, with a subsequent lung problem impacting his staggered first team return. Nagelsmann has confirmed secondary tests for Davies have indicated a heart inflammation,

FAR LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Domenico Tedesco has made a good start as RB Leipzig coach

BUNDESLIGA

‘ALPHONSO DAVIES HAS REPORTED LONGTERM HEALTH CONCERNS DUE TO HEART ISSUES’

RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku (R) celebrates with teammates RIGHT: Julian Nagelsmann will be without Davies FAR RIGHT: Alphonso Davies is hoping to recover from Covid-related complications ASAP

Bayer Leverkusen and up-and-coming brand Castore have announced a longterm kit supplier deal until 2027. Sportswear brand Castore will make their first step in Germany in 2022 - Bayer Leverkusen's will be the brand's first-ever Bundesliga team.

with the club’s medical team opting for further investigations, and a removal from competitive action as the issue is explored. The former RB Leipzig coach did not hold back in his assessment of the situation, voicing his frustration at the lack of clarity, and his worried concern for a valued squad member. Davies will be privately confident of featuring again this season, but Nagelsmann’s plans have again been hit by key absences, as they aim for a Bundesliga title defence and Champions League challenge in the coming months.

Max Kruse is the second player in Bundesliga history to convert at least one penalty for four different clubs (Union Berlin, Gladbach, Werder and for Wolfsburg), previously only Stefan Kuntz had done so.

The new head of the German Football League, Donata Hopfen, has admitted she would be open to the idea of introducing a play-off system to decide the winner of the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich are well on their way to securing a 10th consecutive Bundesliga title and there are hopes that a play-off format would increase the likelihood of a new name on the trophy. The likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig would be the most open to the idea - given that they are normally Bayern's closest challengers, but unsurprisingly Bayern boss Julien Nagelsmann has dismissed the notion of introducing them.

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BUNDESLIGA THE UGLY

Outspoken Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has found himself front and centre in an odd war of words surrounding the club’s rumoured interest in Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland. The Norwegian’s incredible goalscoring form has continued into the 202122 campaign, with the 21-year-old continuing to turn heads across Europe. Haaland looks certain to be at the centre of a transfer tug of war this summer, with his release clause at Signal Iduna Park dropping to €75m in June. That price is well within the budgets of Europe’s superpowers, as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris SaintGermain all monitor the situation with interest. However, despite his links to City via his father, and previous comments hinting at a desire to play for Real Madrid in future, Bayern remain the logical move for the former RB Salzburg

‘THOMAS MULLER HAS BEEN HORSING AROUND WITH BAYERN MUNICH TARGET ERLING HAALAND’ Bundesliga bought ads in Atlanta, Washington and Dallas newspapers for George Bello, Kevin Paredes, Ricardo Pepi and Justin Che—who all joined Bundesliga clubs in the January transfer window. Bundesliga has attracted a large number of young talents from the US, and it intends to expand further in the American soccer market.

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striker. Haaland’s phenomenal numbers have expanded his profile into a world-class forward, while Robert Lewandowski’s advancing years possibly open up a gap that needs filling at the Allianz Arena. But, despite his club looking to keep themselves in the running to sign Haaland, Muller offered a tongue-in-cheek response when asked about the chance of teaming up with him in Bavaria next season. As part of an interview with Bild, Muller was asked if he would be excited by the prospect of feeding assists to Haaland, to which he responded with his preference for feeding his horses and rabbits. Muller’s remarks appear bizarre when read out of context, but the club are unlikely to be pleased by his cryptic answer on the situation, as they aim to keep pace in the race to sign the prolific striker.

FAR LEFT: Thomas Muller horses around with Erling Haaland ABOVE: Haaland reacts during a Bundesliga match TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): St. Pauli look set for promotion to the Bundesliga BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Stuttgart seem set for relegation

FC Koln boss Steffen Baumgart missed his side's game against Freiburg because of Covid-19, but he was still kicking every ball while watching from his living room. In a hilarious video posted to TikTok, the Koln coach is seen screaming at his players on the television at the top of his lungs. And they could probably hear him from the stadium as the Bundesliga outfit recorded a precious 1-0 win over Freiburg without their manager on the sidelines.

Borussia Dortmund left-back Raphael Guerreiro wants to sit down with the club to discuss a new deal in the near future. The Portuguese left-back expressed his love for BVB, but also stressed the financial significance of a new contract. Since he is 28 years old at the moment, it’s likely to be the last big contract he pens in his career. Guerreiro's current deal expires in 2023.

GOING UP

St. Pauli, the left-wing kings of the German second tier, look well placed to clinch a return to the top flight for the first time since 2011. Timo Schultz’s side face a promotion battle in the second half of 2021-22, but he will be confident the goals of Austrian star Guido Burgstaller can secure their place back in the big time.

GOING DOWN

VfB Stuttgart again find themselves in deep relegation trouble, after being relegated to the 2. Bundesliga as recently as 2019. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s struggling team are mired in a scrap to avoid the drop, with Greuther Furth likely to have already slipped to an immediate return to the second tier as the other automatically relegated side.

TOP 6 BUNDESLIGA WINTER SIGNINGS 2022 Jonas Wind of Denmark in action during the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying soccer match between Israel and Denmark

VfL Wolfsburg have signed Denmark forward Jonas Wind for €12 million from FC Copenhagen. The club identified the 2021 Denmark Footballer of the Year as Wout Weghorst’s replacement, who joined Premier League outfit Burnley for €14 million. Eintracht Frankfurt loaned in Ansgar Knauff from Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the season. The highly-rated 19-year-old is primarily a winger, but he can also operate as a right-back or a right wingback. Frankfurt paid a €400,000 loan fee to BVB for Knauff. Bayer Leverkusen pulled off one of the best winter deals in Germany as they landed Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun on a meagre €2.5 million transfer fee. Sardar Azmoun had built an impressive goalscoring resume at Zenit Saint Petersburg and was out of contract at the end of season. Borussia Monchengladbach signed Marvin Friedrich from Union Berlin for €5.5 million, which is actually half the 26-year-old center-back’s market value. While their midfield has lost Denis Zakaria to Juventus for only €8 million, perhaps Friedrich’s arrival can return some of the defensive strength they so desperately need. Germany U-21 international Julian Chabot moved to FC Koln from Sampdoria as the club’s defensive recruit. It’s a loan deal (€0.3m) with option to buy (€2,7M), which could become an obligation upon reaching certain condition. Augsburg were actually one of the highest spending clubs in Bundesliga as they spent a total of €16 million to acquire Ricardo Pepi from FC Dallas. The 19-year-old center-forward attracted quite a lot of attention during his years in the MLS and USL1, in which he managed to score 27 goals in 73 appearances across all competition.

Marvin Friedrich celebrates after the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and SC Paderborn 07

Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski (2.6), Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick (2.1), and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland (2.1) are the only three players in Europe's big five leagues who are averaging more than two shots on target per 90 mins this season (500+ mins).

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

project

AS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GETS SET TO TURN 30 IN ITS CURRENT GUISE, DAN ROBERTS ASKS WHETHER THE CHANGES HAVE BEEN FOR THE GREATER GOOD?

reboot II

t is almost 30 years since UEFA decided to do away with the old format of what used to be known as the European Cup. A major rebrand and rethink changed the old knockout competition between the champions of Europe’s leagues into the multi-stage, multi-format behemoth we know today. There have been a few changes over the years. It is fair to say that this season’s Champions League is nothing like the 1991-92 European Cup. But that is not to say that everyone thinks that the modern way is best – or even that every alteration has been celebrated and kept. There had been games between champions since the late 19th century, but the European Cup came into being for the 1955-56 season after a pair of French journalists persuaded UEFA to launch a competition based on the South America Championship of Champions that had been in existence since 1948. Only 16 clubs took part in that inaugural season, with Real Madrid beating Reims 4-3 in the final in Paris. The Spanish club then went on to win the first five finals and create an early domination of European football. Ties were played on a home and away basis, with the club scoring more goals on aggregate going through. The final was the only round of the competition decided by a one-off game. The main difference between the old European Cup and the modern Champions League was – somewhat ironically – that only the champions of each domestic league were invited to compete. The reigning European champions were also allowed to participate the following year, no matter whether they had won their domestic league or not. Critics of the modern competition point to the fact that it was only the best of the best that were able to truly call themselves champions of Europe. No club was able to finish fourth in their league and then go on to claim the European Cup the season after. The knockout format also meant that teams had little scope for playing poorly. They were not able to draw a few games and then sneak into the round of 16 like today’s clubs. A preliminary round was introduced very early on for the smaller club champions of Europe. But the knockout format stayed largely the same, with a first round consisting of 16 teams remaining in effect until the 1966-67 season. The first round was then extended to 32 teams, but due to some clubs receiving byes in some years it did mean that Ajax could win the European Cup in 1973 only playing four rounds of football and just seven matches in total. Even with this limited format, the bigger clubs of Europe tended to succeed. After Real Madrid’s early dominance, the title was shared by the likes of Benfica, Inter, Ajax and Bayern Munich. Feyenoord were probably the first

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

‘THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS A MULTI-STAGE, MULTI-FORMAT BEHEMOTH’ ABOVE & RIGHT: Chelsea had to play 13 games en route to their underdog victory last year TOP LEFT: Real Madrid won the first ever European Cup in 1956 LEFT: Sergio Ramos with the Champions League trophy with the modern-day Real Madrid

2022

DATES TO KNOW

QUARTER FINALS: April 5 -13 SEMI FINALS: April 26 - May 4 FINALS: May 28

QUARTER FINALS: April 7 -14 SEMI FINALS: April 28 - May 5

surprise winners in 1970, before Nottingham Forest continued the English takeover in the late 1970s that continued up until the banning of the country’s clubs following crowd trouble and violence at the 1985 final. The absence of the English champions made no difference to the format, however. It was still a strictly knockout competition until the 199192 season, when a group stage was introduced for the first time. The first and second rounds were still played as usual, but then there was a quarter-final stage consisting of two groups of four, playing on a home and away basis. The two group winners – Sampdoria and Barcelona – then went on to play in the final. It was only a minor tweak, but one that changed the way the competition was played completely – and one that signalled the biggest shake-up in the history of the European Cup the very next year. The Champions League began in the 199293 season with UEFA teaming up with a marketing company to rebrand the tournament and increase broadcasting rights and income for the clubs involved. Initially there was not that much difference, as all clubs still had to progress through at least one knockout round before the group stage. A semi-final round was introduced the next year, before a group stage more akin to the one we know today appearing for the 1994-95 season. There were no knockout problems for the big clubs now, as the likes of Milan, Bayern Munich and Barcelona received a pass straight to the lucrative group stage just for being the top-ranked champions. At this point it was still only the champions of each domestic league that competed. But in 1997-98 the runners-up also qualified, as UEFA wanted more of the bigger clubs competing in its premier competition and not so many ‘minnows’. By the turn of the century, more clubs from the top leagues were allowed to

FINALS: May 18

QUARTER FINALS: April 7 -14 SEMI FINALS: April 28 - May 5 FINALS: May 25

‘CHAMPIONS HAVE PLAYED EACH OTHER SINCE THE LATE 19TH CENTURY’

play in the Champions League and the format even included two group stage rounds for a few years to accommodate all the extra teams. The current format has remained much the same since 2004 though, allowing the big clubs to start in the group stage and the smaller teams playing a series of qualifying rounds to join them. UEFA would argue that the fans want to see the biggest clubs challenging for the trophy and not exposed to a shock defeat in a one-off tie early on. With so much TV money involved these days, it is only these elite clubs that can afford the best players – meaning that they are generally the same ones competing in the later rounds each year. In recent seasons, the gap between the haves and have-nots has only grown, with Chelsea’s triumph in 2021 now considered something of a shock. That is something of an irony, considering they were one of 20 members of the doomed European Super League proposed by the clubs themselves in 2021, in direct competition to UEFA’s Champions League. It is a shame that it has become all but impossible for a smaller club to come through and be crowned champions of Europe today, even if the better sides do end up lifting the iconic trophy. UEFA has already announced that the competition will change dramatically from the 2024-25 season, with the group stage scrapped altogether in favour of a 32-team league where each club plays 10 games each. Whether this plan will be altered before that season kicks off remains to be seen. Either way, it is fair to say that money influences the majority of decisions now and the European Cup has come a long way since two journalists envisaged a competition between champions all those years ago. Many people would say that not all changes have been for the better – but the thoughts of the fans are not always UEFA’s priority it seems.

WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON? Dan Roberts takes a look at five major changes to European football since the introduction of the Champions League NO MORE EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS’ CUP The Cup Winners’ Cup ran from 1960 until 1999 and was regarded as the second most prestigious club competition after the European Cup. Domestic cup champions qualified for a competition that provided 32 different winners in its time. BEGINNING OF THE EUROPA LEAGUE The UEFA Cup, the third of the three club competitions, was rebranded as the Europa League in 2009, with a group stage similar to the Champions League. Spanish clubs have enjoyed this competition since the change, winning eight of the 12 finals so far. INTRODUCTION OF THE EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE After over 20 years of only two European club competitions, the Europa Conference League was introduced for the 2021-22 season. The idea behind adding a third competition was to give clubs from lower-rankled nations more chance of continental football. BIG-MONEY CLUBS GIVEN BETTER CHANCE OF WINNING The whole idea of the Champions League was to ensure that the wealthier, more famous clubs of Europe had a better chance of winning the competition – and to make money from lucrative TV deals. The broadcasters want to show the big teams, so they are given byes to the seeded group stage to give them a better chance of progressing. MORE BREAKAWAYS PLANNED Even the almost-guaranteed group stage appearance has not been enough for the supposed elite of Europe though. A group of 20 top clubs proposed a virtually closed-shop European Super League last year to maximise TV rights and profits. The idea was soon shot down, but we haven’t seen the last of breakaway leagues and competitions.

ABOVE: Ajax won the 1973 European Cup by playing only seven games LEFT: Real Madrid have won the European Cup/ Champions League a record 13 times RIGHT: The famous big-eared trophy - officially known as the Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens - has had its current design since 1967 FAR RIGHT: Aguero with the Europa League Trophy in 2010

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

2022 MLS PREVIEW

SEASON PREVIEW

2022 MLS READY! BY: SEAN MASLIN

ATLANTA UNITED FC

CHARLOTTE FC

2021 RECORD: 13-9-12, 51 points (Fifth Place, Lost In First Round Of Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Gonzalo Pineda KEY PLAYERS: DEF Miles Robinson, MID Luiz Araujo, FWD Josef Martinez KEY ADDITION: MID Oswaldo Alonso (Minnesota United FC) KEY DEPARTURE: DEF Anton Walkes (Trade-Charlotte FC), FWD Ezequiel Barco (River Plate-Loan), and DEF George Bello (Arminia Bielefeld)

2021 RECORD: Did Not Play HEAD COACH: Miguel Angel Rodriguez KEY PLAYERS: DEF Christian Fuchs (Leicester City), DEF Jaylin Lindsey (Sporting Kansas City), DEF Anton Walkes (Atlanta United FC), DEF Joseph Mora (D.C. United), FWD Ben Bender (University of Maryland-College)

OUTLOOK: 2021 was a tail of two halves for Atlanta with the side struggling to get out of the gate and ending the season winning eleven of their final sixteen matches. Bringing Pineda in certainly helped. However, having a fully healthy Martinez leading the attack made the biggest difference with the Venezuelan international scoring seven goals during that stretch. The transfer of Bello leaves a bit of a hole in the defense but if Alonso can provide some support, then the side should be fine. Keep an eye on Araujo, who came through midseason last year and provided balance in the midfield. If he can find his attacking stroke, Atlanta may be line for another title.

OUTLOOK: The newcomers of the 2022 season, Charlotte FC enter very much as an unknown quantity. Management has placed an emphasis on building the defense, landing dependable veterans Fuchs, Mora, and Walkes to go alongside youngster Lindsey. The big question for this side is up top with Bender, the number one overall pick out of Maryland, and Vinicius Mello, the 19-year-old from Internacional, making up an exciting, but raw tandem.

CHICAGO FIRE FC

FC CINCINNATI

2021 RECORD: 9-18-7, 34 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Ezra Hendrickson KEY PLAYERS: GK Gabriel Slonia, MID Mauricio Pineda, and FWD Chinoso Offor KEY ADDITIONS: GK Spencer Richey (FC Cincinnati), DEF Rafael Czichos (FC Koln), and MID Xherdan Shaqiri (Lyon) KEY DEPARTURES: FWD Robert Beric (Option Declined) and MID Francisco Calvo (Option Declined),

2021 RECORD: 4-22-8, 20 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Pat Noonan KEY PLAYERS: MID Allan Cruz, FWD Luciano Acosta, FWD Brenner KEY ADDITIONS: FWD Dominique Badji (Colorado Rapids) and GK Alec Kann (Atlanta United FC) KEY DEPARTURES: MID Florian Valot (Miami FC) and MID Caleb Stanko (PAS Gianna)

OUTLOOK: After another disastrous season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Fire made a complete overhaul this offseason changing the logo and bringing in Hendrickson and Shaqiri. Hendrickson’s extensive experience in the youth academies at both the Crew and Sounders makes him the perfect coach to lead an incredibly young Fire side.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

OUTLOOK: It is kind of difficult to get out of the bottom of the standings when one is conceding seventy-four goals in a season. Cincinnati made a step to remedy this in the offseason, bringing in a defensive-minded coach in Pat Noonan. But the lack of moves to shore up the defense should have fans worried. On the attack, keep an eye on Brenner, who led the side with eight goals last season.

2022 MLS PREVIEW

COLUMBUS CREW

D.C. UNITED

2021 RECORD: 13-13-8, 47 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Caleb Porter KEY PLAYERS: MID Darlington Nagbe, FWD Gyasi Zardes, and FWD Lucas Zelaryan KEY ADDITIONS: MID Yaw Yeboah (Wislaw Krakow), MID James Igbekeme (Real Zaragoza) KEY DEPARTURES: DEF Harrison Afful (Charlotte FC) and DEF Aboubacar Keita (Colorado Rapids)

2021 RECORD: 14-15-5, 47 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Hernan Losada KEY PLAYERS: GK Bill Hamid, MID Edison Flores, MID Julian Gressel, and MID Moses Nyeman KEY ADDITIONS: MID Ted Ku-DiPietro (Loudoun United FC), DEF Brad Smith (Seattle Sounders FC), and FWD Taxiarchis Fountas (Rapid Vienna) Key Departures: MID Paul Arriola (FC Dallas) and MID Kevin Paredes (VFL Wolfsburg)

OUTLOOK: For the Crew, this offseason has been less about making major changes and more about getting healthy. Major injuries to Kevin Molino, Artur, Aidan Morris, and Zardes all hampered the Crew’s title defense in 2021. Newcomer Yaw Yeboah should help alleviate some of the pressure on Zelarayan, who is one of the top playmakers in the league.

OUTLOOK: Once again, United supporters are wondering what their side is trying to be. After selling Arriola and Paredes in the offseason with minimal in return, the side are during a rebuild. That is not necessarily a bad thing as the side seems more willing to invest in their Academy program. But it leaves the senior team at a disadvantage. Fountas is an unproven attacker and a gamble for a side that will struggle to score goals. All hope on the attack depends on Ola Kamara, who has been rumored to be leaving, as well as Flores and Gressel remaining healthy.

INTER MIAMI CF

CF MONTREAL

2021 RECORD: 12-17-5, 41 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Phil Neville KEY PLAYERS: FWD Gonzalo Higuain, FWD Robbie Robinson, MID Gregore KEY ADDITIONS: DEF DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray), GK Clement Diop (CF Montreal), and FWD Leonardo Campana (Wolverhampton-Loan) KEY DEPARTURES: FWD Federico Higuain (Retired), MID Rodolfo Pizarro (CF Monterrey), FWD Blaise Matuidi (released)

2021 RECORD:12-12-10, 46 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs, Won The Canadian Championship) HEAD COACH: Wilifred Nancy KEY PLAYERS: FWD Romell Quioto, MID Djordje Mihailovic, DEF Zachary Brault Guillard KEY ADDITIONS: DEF Alistair Johnston (Nashville SC), DEF Gabriele Corbo (Bologna-Loan) KEY DEPARTURES: DEF Mustafa Kizza (Option Declined)

OUTLOOK: Entering year three, Miami still seems like it is searching for a personality. Despite featuring the Higuain brothers and Matuidi, the side only scored thirty-six goals last season, tied for second lowest in the league. There seems to be a youth movement developing within the club with Robinson (4 goals last season) and Midfielder Edison Azcona leading the charge. It may not bring success this season, but it should benefit the club in the long-term.

OUTLOOK: Montreal came within just a whisker of making the Eastern Conference playoffs, a testament to the work that Nancy put in quickly after taking over as Head Coach. The club’s spine of Brault-Guillard, Mihailovic, Quioto (9 goals), and Mason Toye (7 goals) is one of the strongest in the league. Adding Johnston (one of the top young Canadian defenders) and Corbo (an Italian Youth National Team player) to a defense that struggled at times should push them back into the playoffs in 2022.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

2022 MLS PREVIEW NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

NEW YORK CITY FC

2021 RECORD: 22-5-7, 73 points (Supporters Shield, Eastern Conference Semifinalist) HEAD COACH: Bruce Arena KEY PLAYERS: MID Gustavo Bou, MID Carles Gil, and FWD Adam Buksa KEY ADDITIONS: FWD Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), MID Sebastian Lleget (Los Angeles Galaxy), and DEF Omar Gonzalez (Toronto FC) KEY DEPARTURES: GK Matt Turner (Arsenal-will be leaving in June), MID Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge)

2021 RECORD: 14-11-9, 51 points (Third Place, MLS Cup Champion) HEAD COACH: Ronny Deila KEY PLAYERS: FWD Valentin Castellanos, GK Sean Johnson. KEY ADDITION: MLS Cup Trophy! KEY DEPARTURE: MID James Sands (Rangers-Loan)

OUTLOOK: 2021 was an important season for the Revs, with the side winning their first-ever Supporters Shield. However, their dramatic elimination on penalties in the Conference Semifinals ended the season on a sour note. The front office went into full ‘win now’ mode in the offseason, adding Altidore, Lleget, and Gonzalez to an already veteran-heavy side. The hope is that Lleget can replace Buchanan’s speed and playmaking ability while Arena can get reignite Altidore and Gonzalez. While that certainly sounds feasible the club has yet to solve the biggest question: What will they do when Matt Turner heads off to Arsenal? That is a massive hole for a side with MLS Cup ambitions.

OUTLOOK: It is hard to improve upon a season in which one wins the MLS Cup, but NYCFC will look to expand their trophy case in 2022. Aside from Sands heading off to Rangers, the side remains unchanged from the team that shocked the league en route to their first title. For NYCFC to get back to the podium they will need another robust performance up top from Castellanos (19 goals) and Heber (16 goals).

NEW YORK RED BULLS

ORLANDO CITY FC

2021 RECORD: 13-12-9, 48 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Gerhard Struber KEY PLAYERS: GK Ryan Meara, DEF Aaron Long, and MID Caden Clark KEY ADDITIONS: MID Lewis Morgan (Inter Miami FC) and FWD Jesus Castellano (Yaracuyanos) KEY DEPARTURES: MID Daniel Royer (Free Agent) and MID Sean Davis (Nashville SC)

2021 RECORD: 13-9-12, 52 points (Sixth Place, Defeated In The First Round Of The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Oscar Pareja KEY PLAYERS: FWD Alexandre Pato, MID Mauricio Pereyra, and DEF Joao Moutinho KEY ADDITIONS: FWD Facundo Torres (Penarol), FWD Ercan Kara (Rapid Vienna), and MID Cesar Araujo (Montevideo) KEY DEPARTURES: FWD Daryl Dike (West Bromwich Albion), FWD Nani (Venezia), and MID Chris Mueller (Aberdeen)

OUTLOOK: Last year, the Red Bulls were devastated by injuries and by inconsistent play on the attack. Having Long fully healthy helps resolve the first part. The question now is can they get enough goals to keep up in the Eastern Conference. Having Clark’s loan from RB Leipzig helps but Patrick Klimala (eight goals in twenty-one matches) needs to prove his value, or it will be another long season for Struber’s side.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

OUTLOOK: The Purple Lions are ready to roar in 2022. Despite losing Nani and Dike, management made a huge splash in picking Uruguayan international Torres and Austrian international Kara. Those two, coupled with another strong campaign from a rebuilt Pato, could put Orlando in prime position for some silverware.

2022 MLS PREVIEW

PHILADELPHIA UNION

TORONTO FC

2021 RECORD: 14-8-12, 54 points (Second Place, Eastern Conference Semifinalist) HEAD COACH: Jim Curtin KEY PLAYERS: MID Brendan Aaronson, MID Leon Flach, DEF Kai Wagner, and DEF Olivier Mbaizo KEY ADDITIONS: FWD Mikael Uhre (Brondby) and DEF Anton Sorensen (Homegrown Player) KEY DEPARTURES: FWD Kacper Przyblko (Chicago Fire)

2021 RECORD: 6-18-10, 28 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Bob Bradley KEY PLAYERS: FWD Lorenzo Insigne, MID Jonathan Osorio, DEF Carlos Salcedo KEY ADDITIONS: Insigne (Napoli), Salcedo (Tigres), and Bradley (LAFC) KEY DEPARTURES: FWD Jozy Altidore (New England Revolution), FWD Yeferson Soteldo (Tigres), and DEF Richie Laryea (Nottingham Forest)

OUTLOOK: The Union made very few moves in the offseason, banking on an additional year of seasoning may lead the young side to greater fortunes. Adding Uhre to replace Przyblko is not an exact like-for-like trade but the Danish international should step in perfectly. The big question is whether the side can maintain their momentum through the season with Aaronson and Wagner both off to Europe in the summer. Keep an eye on Flach, who broke out midway through the 2022 campaign and will be asked to handle greater responsibilities this season in the midfield.

OUTLOOK: Toronto are the biggest dark horse in the Eastern Conference. The Reds cleared house in the offseason, bringing in Insigne and Salcedo while also making a major managerial change with Bradley taking the helm. Those moves, coupled with better luck in terms of injuries, should push TFC back into the playoffs. If they can get more depth in the midfield, they may be able to reach even bigger heights.

AUSTIN FC

COLORADO RAPIDS

2021 RECORD: 9-21-4, 31 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Josh Wolff KEY PLAYERS: MID Diego Fagundez and MID Cecilio Dominguez KEY ADDITIONS: MID Daniel Pereira (Virginia Tech), DEF Zan Kolmanic (NK Maribor), and MID Jhojan Valencia (Deportivo Cali) KEY DEPARTURES: DEF Matt Besler (retired) and MID Ulises Segura (Saprissa)

2021 RECORD: 17-7-10, 61 points (First Place, Conference Semifinalist) HEAD COACH: Robin Fraser KEY PLAYERS: FWD Jonathan Lewis, MID Mark Anthony-Kaye, and DEF Lalas Abubakar KEY ADDITIONS: DEF Aboubacar Keita (Columbus Crew) and MID Max Alves (Flamengo) KEY DEPARTURES: DEF Auston Trusty (Arsenal FC-Leaving In July), MID Kellyn Acosta (LAFC), MID Cole Bassett (Feyernoord), FWD Dominique Badji (FC Cincinnati)

OUTLOOK: Austin had a fantastic debut season in terms of crowds and stadium experience. The on-field product, however, left a lot to be desired. Although the partnership of Fagundez-Dominguez in the midfield should be stronger in 2022, the club still lacks depth up top. Kolmanic, 21, is one of the top young European left-backs and a potential steal for the fledgling side.

OUTLOOK: After a successful 2021, Colorado took the offseason and…rebuild? The Trusty and Bassett deals will hurt in the short-term, but their transfer values will benefit their club in the long-term. That is not to say the side cannot compete; the additions of a veteran defender like Keita and a speedster like Alves are solid replacements. But the Acosta trade will really hurt, especially in the big matches.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

2022 MLS PREVIEW FC DALLAS

HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

2021 RECORD: 7-15-12, 33 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Nico Estevez KEY PLAYERS: MID Paxton Pomykal, FWD Jesus Fereira, and DEF Matt Hedges KEY ADDITIONS: GK Maarten Paes (FC Utrecht-Loan), MID Paul Arriola (D.C. United), and FWD Alan Velasco (Independiente) KEY DEPARTURE: MID Ricardo Pepi (FC Augsburg) and MID Justin Che (TSG Hoffenheim-Loan)

2021 RECORD: 6-16-12, 30 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Paulo Nagamura KEY PLAYERS: FWD Darwin Quintero, MID Darwin Ceren, and DEF Tim Parker KEY ADDITION: FWD Sebastian Ferreira (Club Libertad) KEY DEPARTURES: DEF Maynor Figueroa (released) and DEF Oscar Boniek Garcia (released)

OUTLOOK: Dallas were once again the talk of the offseason, shipping Pepi off to Augsburg for a reported $20 million. The additions of Arriola, one of the most creative outside midfielders in MLS, and Velasco, a 19-year-old Argentina youth international, are results of that transfer and two deals that immediately put Dallas back into playoff contention. If Pomykal and Fereira can shake off a poor 2021 campaign The Hoops may have a chance at a deep run towards the Cup.

OUTLOOK: The Dynamo struggled to score last season so its little surprise that they made a big splash in picking up Ferreira, who scored thirty-eight goals in the last two years for Libertad. Beyond that though the side have been quiet. Given his track record at Sporting Kansas City II for giving younger players opportunities, Nagamura may be wanting to use this season to rebuild.

LOS ANGELES FC

LOS ANGELES GALAXY

2021 RECORD: 12-13-9, 45 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Steve Cherundolo KEY PLAYERS: FWD Cristian Arango, FWD Carlos Vela, and MID MoonHwan Kim KEY ADDITIONS: MID Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids) and FWD Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (New York City FC) KEY DEPARTURES: MID Eduard Atuesta (Palmeiras) and MID Bryce Duke (Inter Miami FC)

2021 RECORD: 13-12-9, 48 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Greg Vanney KEY PLAYERS: FWD Javier Hernandez, MID Efrain Alvarez, and DEF Julian Araujo KEY ADDITION: MID Douglas Costa (Juventus-Loan) and MID Raheem Edwards (LAFC) KEY DEPARTURE: MID Sebastian Lleget (New England Revolution),

OUTLOOK: LAFC had a rare sputter last season, failing to make the playoffs for the first time in their existence. The club parted ways with long-time manager Bob Bradley and brought on Cherundolo, who has an extensive amount of coaching experience in the U.S. and Germany. The cupboard is not bare in LA in terms of talent. Arango had fourteen goals in 2021 and Moon-Hwan dominated in the midfield. Adding Acosta and Tajouri-Shradi should help their depth. The question is if he can repair a strained locker room, which was a major contribution for their slide last season.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

OUTLOOK: On paper, the Galaxy should be contending for the MLS Cup this season. With Douglas Costa joining a rejuvenated Chicharito (17 goals in 2021) and two up-and-coming talents in Alvarez and Araujo Vanney has the blueprint for a big run. But LA really have not done much to improve their depth and against sides that can match their attacking prowess, they will struggle.

2022 MLS PREVIEW

MINNESOTA UNITED FC

NASHVILLE SC

2021 RECORD: 13-11-10, 49 points (Fifth Place, First Round Of The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Adrian Heath KEY PLAYERS: MID Wil Trapp and MID Robin Lod KEY ADDITION: FWD Bongokhule Hlongwane (Maritzburg United) KEY DEPARTURES: MID Ethan Finlay (Austin FC) and MID Ossie Alonso (Atlanta United FC)

2021 RECORD: 12-4-18, 54 points (Third Place-Eastern Conference, Conference Semifinalist) HEAD COACH: Gary Smith KEY PLAYERS: MID Hany Mukhtar, FWD CJ Sapong, and DEF Walker Zimmerman KEY ADDITION: MID Sean Davis (New York Red Bulls) KEY DEPARTURES: DEF Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal), FWD Jhonder Cadiz (Loan declined)

OUTLOOK: The Loons ‘never say die’ attitude propelled them to their second consecutive playoff appearance in 2021. Can they build off it 2022 and get some silverware? Much of that will depend upon Lod, who had a breakout campaign last season with nine goals. In the defense, look for Dayne St. Clair to take on more responsibility in goal.

OUTLOOK: Nashville followed up their inaugural season with an even stronger 2022, dominating on both sides of the pitch. Mukhtar and Sapong formed one of the strongest 1-2 attacking combinations in the league (27 combined goals). Trading Johnston to get Jack Maher (their first-round pick in 2021) more time is a gamble. But the addition of Davis as a defensive midfielder should help offset any issues.

PORTLAND TIMBERS FC

REAL SALT LAKE

2021 RECORD: 17-13-4, 55 points (Fourth Place, MLS Cup Finalist) HEAD COACH: Giovanni Savarese KEY PLAYERS: MID Dairon Asprilla, FWD Yimmi Chara, and FWD Felipe Mora KEY ADDITION: MID David Ayala (Estudiantes) KEY DEPARTURE: MID Diego Valeri (Lanus)

2021 RECORD: 14-14-6, 48 points (Seventh Place-Western Conference, Western Conference Finalist) HEAD COACH: Pablo Mastroeni KEY PLAYERS: MID Damir Kreilach, FWD Rubio Rubin, and GK David Ochoa KEY ADDITIONS: FWD Sergio Cordova (FC Augsburg-Loan) and MID Scott Caldwell (New England Revolution KEY DEPARTURE: FWD Albert Rusnak (Seattle Sounders FC)

OUTLOOK: It is hard to improve upon a year in which one misses an MLS Cup trophy because of penalties. This may be why Timbers management were quiet this offseason. While the team will certainly miss Valeri’s spark and leadership, Ayala is a nice long-term replacement. Keep an eye on Mora, who had a terrific eleven goals in his first season for Portland, as a possible Golden Boot winner.

OUTLOOK: Last year’s Cinderella side will be hoping that their magic has not run out in year two of the Mastroeni era. Between the posts, Ochoa is one of the best goalkeepers in the league and the heir apparent for El Tri. While their defensive unit is strong, they will need another robust performance from Kreilach (16 goals in 2021) and Rubin (eight goals in 2021) to make back into the playoffs.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

2022 MLS PREVIEW SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

2021 RECORD: 10-13-11, 41 points (Did Not Make The Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Matias Almeyda KEY PLAYERS: MID Cade Cowell, FWD Jeremy Ebobisse, and DEF Tommy Thompson KEY ADDITION: DEF Francisco Calvo (Chicago Fire FC) KEY DEPARTURE: FWD Chris Wondolowski (Retired)

2021 RECORD: 17-8-9, 60 points (Second Place, Lost In The First Round Of Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Brian Schmetzer KEY PLAYERS: MID Joao Paulo, FWD Nicolas Lodeiro, FWD Raul Ruidiaz, FWD Jordan Morris KEY ADDITION: FWD Albert Rusnak (Real Salt Lake) KEY DEPARTURE: DEF Brad Smith (D.C. United)

OUTLOOK: On paper, with a core of Cowell (USYNT international), Thompson (157 appearances for the Quakes at just 26), and Ebobisse (20 goals in last two years) San Jose should be set for a playoff run. But given Almeyda’s public arguments with management over lack of spending and his future cast a big shadow over this side. Without the wonder of Wondo, one must wonder if this side can keep it together for a full season.

OUTLOOK: Despite crashing out of the playoffs in the first round, the Sounders are one of the favorites to win MLS Cup. The addition of Rusnak (11 goals in 2021) to go alongside a fully healthy Morris, Ruidiaz, and Lodeiro will give even the strongest of defenses nightmares. The loss of Smith will hurt but the Sounders management should expect a strong second season from Yeimar Andrade, who just earned his first cap from Colombia.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

2021 RECORD: 17-10-7, 58 points (Third Place, Lost In The First Round Of Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Peter Vermes KEY PLAYERS: FWD Daniel Salloi, FWD Johnny Russell, DEF Graham Zusi KEY ADDITION: FWD Marinos Tzionis (Omonia) and FWD Robert Voloder (NK Maribor) KEY DEPARTURE: DEF Jaylin Lindsay (Charlotte FC)

2021 RECORD: 12-9-13, 49 points (Sixth Place, Lost In The First Round Of Playoffs) HEAD COACH: Vanni Sartini KEY PLAYERS: FWD Brian White, GK Thomas Hasal, and FWD Cristian Dajome KEY ADDITION: MID Sebastian Berhalter (Columbus Crew SC) KEY DEPARTURE: GK Maxime Crepeau (LAFC), MID Simon Colyn (PSVLoan), and MID Janio Bikel (Vicenza-Loan)

OUTLOOK: While other sides spent the offseason splashing cash and making big moves, Sporting stuck to their tried-and-true strategy of bringing back trusted veterans like Zusi and Roger Espinoza. Losing Alan Pulido in the preseason to a season-ending injury complicates Vermes’ starting XI plans, but Salloi (19 goals in 2021) and Russell (16 goals in 2021) should make up for that loss.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

OUTLOOK: The ‘Caps made one of the more curious moves of the offseason, shipping off Crepeau and giving the starting spot in goal to Hasal, who is twenty-two. While management is high on Hasal, he has not played in a year and only has sixteen appearances at the professional level. That is a big gamble for a side that was looking primed for a deep playoff run.

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MARCO D’ONOFRIO TAKES A LOOK AT THE WORLD OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER WITH THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

REDS REVIVAL THE GOOD While there had been a plethora of speculation and rumours running rampant that Toronto FC could lure 2020 Euro Cup winner Lorenzo Insigne away from Napoli, very few envisioned it actually happening. This was surely too daunting a task - even for the club that managed to sign Sebastian Giovinco in his prime. After all, Insigne was still the captain of Napoli and a big part of Luciano Spalletti’s squad. But the temptation of a massive payday and a better lifestyle for his family was too much for the 30-year-old to turn down. As a result, he will be plying his trade at BMO Field this summer, helping the Reds try to win their second MLS Cup. It was a tremendous coup from Toronto that will ultimately benefit the entire league. The Reds also signed 28-year-old Mexican international defender Carlos Solcedo as a Designated Player, continuing the trend of signing younger stars in the primes of their career. In the past, teams far too often

prioritized older household names that may have brought more exposure to the franchise but ultimately less success on the pitch. Toronto are far from the only team focusing on younger talent for their Designated Player spots, with a variety of other teams following the same strategy. Orlando City signed 26-year-old Austrian international Ercan Kara, while the Philadelphia Union brought in 27-year-old Mikael Uhre and FC Dallas acquired 19-year-old Alan Velasco. Of all the new Designated Players in MLS in 2022, Insigne is the oldest. Other than him and Alexander Ring of Austin FC, the other 10 new Designated Players are all under the age of 30. While MLS still has a long way to go before we start seeing a migration of global stars in their prime choosing to play in North America, the mere fact that TFC were able to sign someone of Insigne’s quality during such a crucial stage of his career is proof of the substantial growth the league has made over the last decade.

‘SIGNING INSIGNE IS A MAJOR COUP FOR TORONTO’ THE BAD With the success of the Canadian and American men’s teams during World Cup qualifying, Major League Soccer should take a lot of pride in the fact that the majority of players representing the two nations are either currently playing in the league or were developed through some part of it. With that said, it must be concerning that so many of the biggest and brightest domestic stars are deciding quicker than ever that they’d rather continue their professional career in Europe. While it is great to see players like Alphonso Davies and Christian Pulisic at some of the world’s biggest clubs like Bayern Munich and Chelsea, questions must start being asked when the league will be able to convince such players to stay home and play the game in the same city they grew up in. While MLS has proven it can attract young stars from around the globe, they still have some issues keeping their best local talent.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

Tajon Buchanan, Richie Lareya, Ricardo Pepi, Daryl Dike, James Sands, Cole Bassett and Justin Che are all examples of young talented Canadian and American players leaving during the January transfer window to pursue other opportunities across the pond. Pepi, Dike and Sands were ranked numbers one, two and three in the 2021 MLS top 22 under 22. While it may ultimately prove to be beneficial for the national team as it will allow these players to test themselves against some of the biggest names in the world, it also shows the lack of interest these players have of staying in MLS. If the league is going to ever take the next big step forward, they will have to start raising the quality to the point that even local talent believes it is the best place for them. The MLS Cup is far from the most prestigious club prize in the world, but that could all change one day.

THE UGLY The United States took some inspiration from Canada’s recent victories over their CONCACAF rivals and decided to host their game against Honduras on February 2nd at Allianz Field in Saint Paul – home of MLS club Minnesota United. The belief was that ensuring the game be played in cold temperatures would provide a massive boost for the home side, as the visitors were not used to playing in such extreme temperatures. “It’s inconceivable that a power in every sense would bring you here to play a game and get a result,” said Honduran head coach Hernan Dario Gomez prior to kick-off. The game commenced in -16ºC temperatures,

while the wind chill was -29ºC by the time it ended. It is officially the coldest professional game to ever take place on American soil. Gomez was forced to withdraw both goalkeeper Luis Lopez and forward Romell Quioto, who had both been showing signs of hypothermia at half-time. “Soccer shouldn’t be endured this way. I’ve got all my players getting treatment, some players getting an IV,” Gomez vented afterwards, leading the criticism of the US. While CONCACAF nations like Honduras deserve little sympathy after years of organizing and hosting games played during the middle of the day in some of the hottest months so that their opponents would have

to endure the extreme heat, players should not have to worry about hypothermia when representing their country. Unlike Canada, the Americans have a plethora of stadiums and cities to choose from to host World Cup qualifiers, including in places with a warm climate. The Americans were looking to give themselves a big advantage which clearly worked, but did they really need to put players in danger in order to obtain it? The United States likely would have beaten Honduras on home soil regardless of where the game was played, so the fact that lives were put in danger unnecessarily isn’t something the country should be proud of.

THE GOOD, BAD, & UGLY

ODDS MAKERS Crystal Ball or a good Guess? MLS Soccer 360 Reporter Sean Maslin’s picks for top teams, players, and who will end up with the coveted wooden spoon this season. Eastern Conference Playoff Teams: 1.) New York City FC 2.) Philadelphia Union 3.) New England Revolution 4.) Toronto FC 5.) Atlanta United FC 6.) CF Montreal 7.) Columbus Crew Western Conference Playoff Teams: 1.) Sporting Kansas City 2.) Seattle Sounders 3.) Nashville SC 4.) Portland Timbers FC 5.) Colorado Rapids 6.) Minnesota United FC 7.) FC Dallas LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Lorenzo Insigne decided to move across the pond to play at BMO Field with Toronto FC RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Insigne, captain of Napoli, continues to lead his Italian club until he must join TFC BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Daryl Dike left Orlando City for West Bromwich Albion in January LEFT: Gregg Berhalter had no issues with his team hosting Honduras at Allianz Field in Minnesota in the middle of winter ABOVE: MLS has issues keeping hold of the best local talents like Ricardo Pepi BOTTOM: Mamadou Fall is poised for a big season during his second year in Los Angeles

Supporters Shield: NYCFC U.S. Open Cup Champion: Philadelphia Canadian Champion: Montreal Wooden Spoon: Houston Dynamo Does an MLS team win the CONCACAF Champions League? Yes- Seattle. MLS Cup: Seattle over Philadelphia

MVP: Daniel Salloi (Kansas City) Golden Boot: Josef Martinez (Atlanta) Golden Gloves: Sean Johnson (NYCFC) Defender of the Year: Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal) Rookie of the Year: Ben Bender (FC Charlotte) Coach of the Year: Bob Bradley (Toronto)

GOING UP Defender Mamadou Fall ended up starting 16 games and featuring in 19 for Los Angeles FC last season, proving to be a pivotal part of Bob Bradley’s squad. Despite the tactician taking off to Toronto, the 19-year-old Senegalese starlet should continue to play a big role in Tinseltown.

GOING DOWN After reaching the top, there’s usually only one way to go, but New York City FC’s descent down the table may happen much quicker than fans were anticipating. With the likes of James Sands, Jesus Medina and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi all departing during the offseason, it’ll be difficult for the club to match the success they had in 2021.

Best XI: GK: Johnson (NYCFC) DEF: Carlos Salcedo (Toronto), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville), Donovan Pines (D.C.), Alistair Johnston (Montreal) MID: Cristian Roldan (Seattle), Luiz Arajuo (Atlanta), Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto), and Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire FC) FWD: Salloi (Kansas City) and Martinez (Atlanta)

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

the next

MLS

big thing MARCO D’ONOFRIO DISCUSSES THE CREATION OF MLS NEXT PRO AND THE IMPACT THAT IT COULD HAVE ON THE GAME IN NORTH AMERICA.

‘LEICESTER CITY STRIKER JAMIE VARDY CO-OWNS ROCHESTER NY FC’

hen Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States’ successful bid to host the 1994 World Cup, one of the immediate objectives was to grow the game locally and create a robust developmental system in order to harness young talent. While one simply has to look at the success of the American and Canadian men’s national teams during their qualifying campaigns for the 2022 World Cup to see the impact that MLS has already made on developing young talent, there is still more that can be done.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

ABOVE: Premier League star Jamie Vardy co-owns Rochester NY FC LEFT: Giovani dos Santos came to the MLS with help from Targeted Allocation Money RIGHT: The MLS began because the USA promised a tier 1 soccer league while bidding for the 1994 world cup. TFC was the first Canadian Team to joing the league.

TORONTO FC SNUB THE ATOMIC ANT

The creation of the Canadian Premier League wouldn’t have happened if there wasn’t a strong belief that many other talented young Canadians have been falling through the cracks and not reaching their full potential. Despite the CPL only starting in 2019, it has already proven to be beneficial for the game across Canada. The good news is that there will be even more resources put into developing young players across North America, with MLS announcing the creation of MLS NEXT Pro. The league will kick off in 2022 for its inaugural season, allowing MLS teams to give more playing time to players who may not be able to get much of it with the first team. Its ultimate intention is to create an integrated player pathway from MLS NEXT right through to first-team football. “MLS NEXT Pro is a new professional league that establishes a unified and accelerated professional pathway between our academies and the first teams of MLS and independent clubs throughout North America,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber in a press release. “Off the field, MLS NEXT Pro will provide a

ABOVE: The MLS Ecosystem FAR RIGHT: Sebastian Giovinco BELOW: The pro player pathway through the MLS Leagues

platform to drive forward diversity, develop and nurture talent, while bringing soccer to new markets and new fans around the country.” MLS NEXT Pro guidelines allow for teams to carry 35 players on their active roster – 24 slots may be filled by professional players, while 11 may be filled with amateur players. There will also be a maximum of five MLS NEXT youth academy players per team on the field during an official match. Unlike in MLS, there will be no salary cap and no salary limits in place for player compensation. While most teams in the league are affiliated with MLS clubs, independent organizations will also be involved as well. In its inaugural season, there will be 20 teams playing that are affiliated with MLS clubs, while Rochester NY FC will be the only independent club in 2022. “We are thrilled that Rochester NY FC will be the first independent club to join MLS NEXT Pro,” announced club co-owners David and Wendy Dworkin. “Rochester established itself as a winning club with the Rhinos, and we are pleased to add a new chapter in the city’s

‘MLS NEXT PRO ESTABLISHES A UNIFIED AND ACCELERATED PROFESSIONAL PATHWAY’

Marco D'Onofrio discusses Toronto FC’s decision to not bring back club legend Sebastian Giovinco. Toronto FC fans suffered through a terrible 2021 campaign in which the club missed out on the postseason entirely. The club have already brought in a new head coach and made several major signings including the likes of Lorenzo Insigne and Carlos Salcedo. However, they also had the opportunity to bring back a club legend but opted against it. 2015 MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco had made it clear he was desperate for a return to Toronto with the Reds and had even joined them during their preseason training cam in Florida. “I have a lot of respect for Sebastian in that he’s made it clear to us that he would like to finish his career in Toronto in the right way and we’re very respectful of that,” TFC President Bill Manning said in January. It looked like a deal was near, but the Italian inked a contract with Sampdoria instead. According to the 35-year-old, it was only after he was told he had no place in Toronto that he opted to return to Serie A. “As you all know, I had been training with Toronto until 10 days ago,” Giovinco said upon his return to Italy. “I had almost closed a deal with them, but then it collapsed. I was told that I was not in their plans. Three days later, I received a call from Sampdoria. I want to enjoy every moment here.” Not long after Giovinco announced his move to Sampdoria though, TFC announced they had signed Spanish forward Jesus Jimenez, effectively closing the door on any possible return for the Atomic Ant.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

MLS

THE DESIGNATED PLAYER RULE WAS CREATED TO ALLOW DAVID BECKHAM TO MOVE TO MLS

ABOVE: David Bekham during an LA Galaxy press conference LEFT: David Bekham in action for LA Galaxy BOTTOM: Lorenzo Insigne will join Toronto FC in July

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

rich soccer history as Rochester NY FC. We are excited to develop the future international stars of soccer, right here in our local community. By joining this league, Rochester is on the cusp of the future and the evolving global game of soccer.” David and Wendy Dworkin co-own the team with Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, who also expressed his excitement of the move in a press release. “We look forward to showcasing Rochester as a premier professional club and are excited to kick off that process by helping to launch the inaugural season of MLS NEXT Pro in 2022,” said Vardy. “Joining this league, full of opportunity for communities, fans, players and staff – on the pitch and off – is a tremendous point of pride for our club.” The league has already announced that eight more MLS-affiliated clubs will join in 2023, with the likes of Atlanta United, Austin FC, Charlotte FC, D.C. United, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and Nashville all sitting out for the debut campaign. MLS NEXT Pro also suggested there will be even more independent organizations added to the league as well in 2023 and beyond. MLS NEXT Pro appointed two executives who will lead the league in its first season. Charles Altchek has been named President, with former Toronto FC general manager Ali Curtis named as Senior Vice President of Competition and Operations of MLS NEXT Pro. “Charles and Ali have the experience, enthusiasm and values to lead the growth and development of MLS NEXT Pro,” Garber declared when the appointments were announced. “They will partner with MLS-

BETTER FOR MLS? Marco D’Onofrio looks at five major changes we’ve seen in MLS over the years. EXPANSION INTO CANADA MLS was founded because the United States agreed to create a Division 1 professional soccer league during their bid to host the 1994 World Cup. While the first decade of the league’s existence saw it limited to just American teams, Toronto FC became the first Canadian side to enter in 2007. The Reds made a huge impact on fan culture in the league, with the atmosphere their supporters created at BMO Field. The league now has a total of three clubs that play north of the border. MORE SOCCER-SPECIFIC STADIUMS When MLS first kicked off in 1996, most teams were playing in massive NFL stadiums that were far too large and often still had American football lines on the pitch. Optically, it was terrible to watch on television, as the pitch barely resembled anything related to soccer and the stadiums were largely empty. That all changed with teams building arenas designed for soccer. MLS currently boasts 20 soccer-specific stadiums, with more on the way.

‘THE LEAGUE KICKS OFF IN 2022’ affiliated and independent teams to bring professional soccer to more communities throughout North America.” Altchek being named President comes as no surprise, considering he was Senior Vice President of League Growth and Operations at MLS. He was largely responsible for leading the planning and development of MLS NEXT Pro since its inception and is the perfect man to oversee it during the first season. “MLS NEXT Pro completes Major League Soccer’s pro player pathway, connecting our youth academies through to our first teams,” Altchek stated in a press release. “As we continue to push the future of soccer forward in the United States and Canada, player development, community, innovation and diversity form the pillars of MLS NEXT Pro. The inaugural season in 2022 will be another historic moment for the sport.” While Curtis doesn’t have the direct experience developing MLS NEXT Pro like Altchek, he did work in MLS offices for eight years before his roles with the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. “I’m excited for the opportunity to join Charles in building and launching MLS NEXT Pro,” said Curtis. “MLS NEXT Pro will enhance the quality of all players, coaches, referees, and executives along the development pathway and it is an important step to the growth of the sport in North America leading up to the World Cup in 2026.” It’ll be quite a while before the impact of the new league can be fully analysed on its success in developing young players and growing the game overall in North America, but it certainly is an exciting step in the right direction.

ABOVE: Ali Curtis is Senior Vice President of Competition and Operations of MLS NEXT Pro RIGHT: Ali Curtis joined TFC as a general manager back in 2019, but soon parted ways BELOW: Sebastian Giovinco was told that he was not in Toronto FC’s plans

‘SEBASTIAN GIOVINCO WAS DESPERATE FOR A RETURN TO TORONTO FC’

DESIGNATED PLAYERS The Designated Player Rule is nicknamed the 'Beckham Rule’, as it was a mechanism to help bring superstar David Beckham to MLS. Since the inception of the rule, it has helped attract some of the biggest stars in the world, including Thierry Henry, Andrea Pirlo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steven Gerrard, Sebastian Giovinco and Wayne Rooney. TARGETED ALLOCATION MONEY Much like the Designated Player Rule, Targeted Allocation Money was introduced to help bring in bigger stars and improve the quality of the league. The rule provides teams with the flexibility to buy down a player's salary so they aren't considered a Designated Player using their TAM. When initially introduced, in 2015, it allowed the Los Angeles Galaxy to cover the majority of Omar Gonzalez's salary so he was no longer considered a DP and they could sign an additional DP – Giovani dos Santos. AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION When the league was forced to contract the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion in 2002 due to huge economic losses, MLS went from 12 teams to 10. However, it wasn’t long after that the league would undergo an aggressive expansion strategy that saw MLS go from 10 teams in 2003 to 20 teams by 2015. The league didn’t stop there, as MLS has continued to add franchises with a total of 10 teams scheduled to enter between 2017 and 2023.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE 2022 SEASON IS JUST ABOUT UNDERWAY! TO CELEBRATE THEIR TENTH SEASON, SOCCER 360 MAGAZINE’S SEAN MASLIN HAS TEN BIG QUESTIONS AHEAD OF THE 2022 CAMPAIGN!

GAME ON! SAN DIEGO, LED BY FORMER MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER CASEY STONEY, WILL FEATURE USWNT STAR STRIKER ALEX MORGAN

10.) WHO ARE THE SAN DIEGO WAVE AND ANGEL CITY FC? This season marks the debut of two new teams into the NWSL: San Diego Wave and Angel City FC! While expansion teams can at times be a little lacking in terms of play on the field, the two California-based sides seem to be ready to win now. San Diego, led by former Manchester United manager Casey Stoney, will feature USWNT star striker Alex Morgan and longtime defender Abby Dahlkemper. Meanwhile, Angel City have added Christen Press and New Zealand international defender Ali Riley. 9.) WHO CAN STOP TRINITY RODMAN? Rodman, 19, took the league by storm last season, scoring eight goals and tallying seven assists for the Washington Spirit. Her breakneck pace, coupled with her tactical finishing instantly made her one of the top players in the league, an astounding achievement considering her age. That she was also a key figure in the Spirit’s NWSL title run makes her 2021 even more special. If she can keep it up in 2022 then the Spirit may need to add to their trophy case. 8.) WHO CAN CLAIM THE CHALLENGE CUP? For the third consecutive season, the NWSL Challenge Cup will kick off the NWSL season. The regional tournament has become a favorite among fans and has given teams a chance to get into fitness ahead of the season. Last year’s champion, the Portland Thorns, are primed to make it a second tournament in a row with their veteran heavy lineup.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

ABOVE: Alex Morgan sporting her new team's logo on a beach in San Diego RIGHT: Trinity Rodman in action for Washington Spirit BOTTOM RIGHT: Will this be Christine Sinclair's final season?

7.) IS THIS CHRISTINE SINCLAIR’S FINAL SEASON? Sinclair has been the rock for both the Thorns and the Canadian Women’s National Team, scoring an incredible 236 goals for club and country. While she is still going strong at 38, the Thorns will likely start looking at her heir apparent. Sophia Smith had a strong season with six goals in 2021 and will likely be given a heavy workload while Sinclair is away for World Cup Qualification. 6.) CAN FRANCH CLOSE THE GAP FOR THE CURRENT? The Kansas City Current’s first season back in the NWSL wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. The side finished at the bottom of the standings and allowed 36 goals, second worst in the league. Management placed an emphasis on improving their defense with Goalkeeper Adrianna Franch being the centerpiece. French is a two-time NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year and one of the best defensive organizers in the league.

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

KEEP AN EYE ON RACING LOUISVILLE JAELIN HOWELL, WHO WAS SELECTED SECOND IN THE 2022 NWSL DRAFT.

5.) WHO CAN BE THE NEXT USWNT SUPERSTAR? Each NWSL season, there always seems like there are 1-2 players who catch fire and earn themselves a spot on the USWNT. Last season, it was Trinity Rodman. Keep an eye on Racing Louisville Jaelin Howell, who was selected second in the 2022 NWSL draft. Howell has already made two appearances for the USWNT and was a two-time Hermann Trophy winner (the MVP of college soccer) for the Florida State Seminoles. Louisville has a nice mix of veteran goalscorers in Jessica McDonald and Nadia Nadim up top to finish Howell’s passes. If she can find her scoring touch, she could have a breakout season in her rookie year.

ABOVE MAIN: Nadia Nadim is a veteran star who now plays for Racing Louisville ABOVE SMALL: Second pick Jaelin Howell will be a start for Louisville this season BELOW, LEFT: Gotham's Caprice Dydasco is looking for another defensive player of the year award

4.) WHO WILL WIN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR? Based on history, the answer seems to be simple: Becky Sauerbrunn. In the league’s ten years of operation, the Portland Thorns centerback has won the award five times. Although she is 36 she is coming off one of her best seasons for club and country. Keep an eye on Caprice Dydasco of Gotham FC, who won the award in 2021.

3.) WHO WILL BE THE MVP? When it comes to the MVP in any sport, history shows that the award tends to go to a player that can score. Last season, the NWSL bucked that trend giving the award to Jess Fishlock, the Welsh midfielder of the OL Reign. Fishlock and the Reign are two of the top contenders for the NWSL title and if she can get the side to the mountaintop, the MVP may very well be hers. 2.) CAN THE SPIRIT REPEAT? The biggest question on the field is if Washington has within them to make it two NWSL Championships in a row. On the field, there is little question about their talent and depth. Captain Andi Sullivan and Rodman are two of the top attackers in the league surrounded by USWNT veterans Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnett. Having the ownership question resolved too should help. Repeating is no easy task but the Spirit should be in the conversation.

1) WILL THE LEAGUE BE A BETTER ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE IN WOMEN’S SOCCER? For as much as 2021 was a watershed year for the league on the pitch, it could not overcome the incredible amount of controversy off of it.With multiple coaches fired due to abuse scandals, accusations of poor working conditions for players and referees, racial abuse, and pay disputes between ownership and the players there was a very dark cloud hanging over the entire season. That last year’s title was won by the Spirit, a side whose coach was fired over abuse accusations and a power struggle between ownership, is fitting for what a mess 2021 was for the league. 2022 is a pivotal year for the NWSL. Though the league has made progress over the last six months in addressing these issues, things are far from perfect. The supporters and players of the NWSL through the years have given the league leeway with the hope that eventually things would pay off. But the abuse accusations broke the trust that existed. The league has to figure out how it can earn that trust back. There are great opportunities for long-term growth but first the league has to show that it wants to be a positive advocate for change.

BELOW, CENTER: Washington Spirit lifting the NWSL Chalenge Cup BELOW RIGHT: Jess Fishlock, the 2021 NWSL MVP

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

THE UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL IS JUST RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! AHEAD OF THE FINAL IN TURIN, SOCCER 360’S SEAN MASLIN HAS A LOOK AT THE TOP TEN MOMENTS IN THE COMPETITION’S FINALS HISTORY.

CHAMPIONS AHEAD 10.) PRINZ CLOSES OUT WALDASTADION (2002) The first-ever UEFA Champions League Final (then called the UEFA Women’s Cup Final) was a watershed moment for women’s football. It was also a major moment for football in general as it was the final match of the famous Waldastadion in Frankfurt. So it was only fitting that German football legend Birgit Prinz would score the game-clinching goal for F.F.S. Frankurt over Swedish side Umea. While the Waldastadion looks much different today (it was rebuilt for the 2002 World Cup) it will forever be remembered as the place where the Women’s Champions League began.

9.) SCOTT LIGHTS SPARK FOR ARSENAL (2007) It is difficult to determine exactly when England became not just a men’s footballing nation but a footballing nation as a whole, but Alex Scott’s incredible performance across two legs in the 2007 UEFA Women’s Cup Final for Arsenal may just be it. The legendary right-back scored the first goal for Arsenal in the first leg against Umea. In the second leg at Borehamwood, she led the backline in a shutout of the Swedish side to help the Gunners become the first-ever English UEFA Women’s Cup champions.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

ABOVE: Barcelona with the 2021 Women's Champions League Trophy RIGHT (MAIN): Alex Scott with the 2007 Champions League (then called Women's Cup) trophy RIGHT (SMALL): Alex Scott after retirement reporting with BBC Sports

‘SCOTT LED THE GUNNERS TO BECOME THE FIRST-EVER ENGLISH UEFA WOMEN’S CUP CHAMPION’

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

8.) WOLFSBURG MAKES IT A DOUBLE (2014)

6.) TURBINE HOLDS OFF LYON (2010)

Prior to the 2014 Champions League, Wolfsburg were heavily favored to claim their second title. There was just one problem: they would have to get past Marta and a highscoring Tyreso side. With four lead changes it looked like the game might go into extra time. But Martina Muller scored with a cracking strike in the 80th minute to give Wolfsburg top honors.

The sun would shine brightly on Turbine just four years later in the Champions League Final. In the first final under the rebranding, Turbine goalkeeper Anna Felicitas Sarnholtz would make three key stops in penalties to help lift the German champions over a young upstart Lyon side.

7.) FRANKFURT WINS THE ALLGERMAN FINAL (2006)

It wouldn’t take long for Lyon to get their revenge against Turbine. In the 2011 final the new kids on the block would take the lead against their German counterparts thanks to goals from Wendi Renard and Lara Dickenmann. Lyon would go on to run the decade, winning seven of ten UEFA Champions League finals.

5.) LES LYONNAISES GET THEIR REVENGE (2011)

One of the biggest rivalries in European women’s football is F.F.C. Frankfurt and Turbine Potsdam. The two sides have only ever met in a UEFA final once, the 2006 Women’s Cup series. Frankfurt showed their attacking prowess in the first match, putting up a 4-0 win. In the second leg Turbine showed some promise, but Frankfurt shut the door on any notions of a comeback with a 3-2 win.

TOP: Wolfsburg Women's with the 2014 Champions League Trophy ABOVE: Frankfurt Women's team celebrating their 2006 Women's Cup Win LEFT: Turbine winning the 2010 Champions League RIGHT: Lyon hoisting the 2011 Champions League Trophy

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

‘LEGENDARY KEEPER BOUHADDI STOPPED IMPORTANT PENALTY KICKS TO BECOME CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE MULTIPLE TIMES’ 4.) BARCELONA’S BIG MOMENT (2021)

2.) HEGERBERGER’S HAT TRICK (2020)

If at first you don’t succeed, always try again. Two years after Barcelona suffered heart ache in the Champions League Final, The Blaugranes came storming back in the 2021 Final, ripping favorites Chelsea 4-0. While the match itself was one-sided, Barcelona winning the title is the most important. For a footballing nation that for years ignored women’s soccer it was a sign that things are changing and that the rest of the world needs to take notice.

For years, Ada Hegerberger’s work had gone unnoticed in the footballing world. That was until 2020 when the Lyon striker became the first player in Women’s Champions League Final history to score a hat trick. The Norwegian international wasted little time to make an impact, netting all three goals in the first half hour.

1) KEEPER CONVERTS IN ALLFRENCH DERBY (2017)

3.) BOUHADDI SHUTS DOWN WOLFSBURG (2013)

In Women’s football the biggest derby is Lyon-Paris St. Germain. So it should serve as no surprise that the two sides would meet in a Champions League Final. Much like their league matches in 2017, the final at Cardiff was a 0-0 nail biter with both sides coming close to taking the advantage. In penalties the two sides traded goal-for-goal until Bouhdadi scores the game-winner at 7-6.

Making one penalty kick stop in a Champions League final is difficult, but making two penalty kick stops back-to-back is almost impossible. In the 2013 Final, Bouhaddi made the impossible a reality by stopping Wolfsburg captain Nilla Fischer and Elise Bussaglia in consecutive chances to help Lyon win their third Champions League title.

TOP: Bouhaddi has helped Lyon win plenty of hardware ABOVE: Asisat Oshoala with the 2021 Champions League trophy LEFT: Ada Hegerberger with her Balon D'or Trophy RIGHT: Lyon hoisting the 2017 Champions League Trophy

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

NEW AGAIN

WOMEN'S SOCCCER

rowth and expansion in American women’s club soccer is no longer just tied to the first division. This season marks the return of the United Soccer League W-League, the new second division in U.S. Women’s Club Soccer. The league will begin play in May 2022 with 30 teams from across the United States. The word ‘return’ is key when speaking about the W-League because this isn’t the first time that the league has operated. From 1995 to 2015, the USL (which also runs the second, third, and fourth divisions in American men’s club soccer) ran the W-League with multiple divisions and teams from across the United States. Although the league was amateur, the league provided valuable experience and opportunities for players to get game experience out of college. Women’s club soccer in the United States has a very complicated past, with multiple leagues stopping and starting so that level of consistency provided stability during some very dark times. When the league folded in 2015, it left a very major gap in American women’s soccer. As opposed to leagues in other parts of the world, the lower divisions of American men’s and women’s soccer are typically filled with players who are either a.) college players looking for additional training in the offseason (men’s and women’s college soccer only runs in the fall) and b.) professional players who are looking to get back into the top level. While both sides have had trouble finding financial stability, the women’s game in particular has struggled to create a pipeline from the top division to the lower divisions.

for top college/amateur players to get game times in a professional environment is a huge step in the right direction. That the league is also working with a mix of teams from NWSL (North Carolina Courage and Racing Louisville) top youth club teams (Manhattan SC and Cedar Stars Academy) should make for some excellent matches and a great chance for players to grow.

So what makes this W-League different from its predecessors? The biggest change seems to be in the USL. Since the W-League folded, the USL on the men’s side has pivoted from being a loose association of clubs with a Wild West mentality for rules to a league that has grown exponentially in under ten years. That the league has broken free of Major League Soccer while securing a major television contract for all of its leagues (it currently operates under a three level system with a Championship, League One, and League Two) is a tremendous sign of how far it has come.

That growth will not just be limited to the field. The league has also committed to improving opportunities for women in sports, aligning itself with Women in Soccer, an organization that helps connect women with opportunities and education opportunities within the game.

Much like it did with the men’s side, the USL seems focused on incremental growth with the W-League. While the 2022 season will be for amateur players only (the league calls itself ‘a preprofessional league’) the opportunity

ABOVE: The brand new league has founding members as teams, such as the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC LEFT: Sarah Fuller, who onces played college football, is now the goalkeeper for Minnesota Aurora FC of the USLW

In terms of next steps, the W-League really has left that open-ended. Growth and expansion are certainly on its mind, in particular with sponsorship and finding a streaming/television partner (one would expect their rights to be tied into the USL when that television contract comes up). Much will depend on the success of the first season and if the league can create a foundation of supporters to build off of. The opportunity is there, now it is time to deliver.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

90TH MINUTE

WHO SAID WHAT “It's quite the trend. And word is getting around of course that many Americans are developing well here in Germany. There's a lot of competition in the league and within the teams so you can really improve here. Of course, I want to get better here in one of the strongest leagues in the world… The popularity of football back home is growing, but it's true that other sports get much more attention. For me personally it's a big allure to be a player in a sport that's the absolute #1 in its country.”

MORE RULES FROM FIFA

– American George Bello speaks of the allure the Bundesliga has on young American talents as they look to improve their game and fulfill dreams of playing football at the highest levels. so far as he tries to rebuild the club.

“They are doing an excellent job, especially with young players, but football is still very physical and not tactical. Gianluca Busio was regarded as a promising young player in the USA and he can become a champion in Italy. Tanner Tessmann is also an excellent footballer.”

GIVE ZIMA A RED CARD An NFT of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland sold for more than $600,000, surpassing a record set by one of Cristiano Ronaldo. The NFT of Haaland generated a lot of public interest from people all over the world, unsurprisingly, considering he is one of the most coveted young talents in the sport at the moment. The digital soccer trading card was sold through an online auction, and as it entered the final minute, the value of the top bid almost doubled. In the end, user Zima Blue secured the NFT with a winning bid of 265.1 Ethereum, valued at the time at $687,000.

FIFA have announced new rules which will limit the number of players clubs can sign and send out on loan internationally. Clubs will be limited to eight international loan signings in and eight loaned out from next season, which will drop to seven the following year and then remain at six from the 2024-25 season onwards. With this new rule, FIFA are hoping to improve the development of young players, promote competitive balance and prevent clubs from hoarding players. These rules will not apply to homegrown players or those under 21 years of age. A limit will also be placed on players being loaned out per season between the same two clubs, three, while sub-loaning to a third club will be prohibited. Although these rules affect international transfers, FIFA said national associations will have three years to bring their own similar rules to cover domestic loans.

DID YOU KNOW? •

David de Gea (right) was the first goalkeeper in six years to win the Player of the Month award. The Manchester United keeper won the award for January. Southampton’s Fraser Forster was the last keeper to win the award back in 2016.

•

The United States’ World Cup qualifier against Honduras was played in freezing temperatures, -17 degrees Celsius or 1 degree Fahrenheit. It was so cold that two Honduran players came off due to hypothermia.

– Portuguese footballer Nani spent two years in Major League Soccer with Orlando City before recently moving to Serie A side Venezia. When asked about the development of MLS, the 35-year-old praised the growth of young players.

PUNCH ABOVE

“I am so happy to be here. The important thing is to have fun when you play. I am looking forward to playing with the coach. I’ve known him from Inter, he is a winner and that’s what I wanna be. It’s also part of why I came here. I am going to listen to him. – Dejan Kulusevski is looking forward to working with Antonio Conte at Tottenham. Ironically, the same Kulusevski sited Conte and his system as a reason why he rejected joining Inter in favour of Juventus.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

PLASTIC IS BAD Manchester City and Tottenham have joined forces with Heineken UK for a new campaign to remove plastic fans from football. The #NoPlasticFansHere campaign wants to remove fans of plastic from football and instead push them towards more sustainable alternatives. Heineken commissioned a sculptor to create life sized plastic fan sculptures made of recyclable plastic waste. The sculptures were on display at both Tottenham’s and Manchester City’s home stadium to highlight the sustainability efforts both clubs have made and are making. Tottenham was named the Premier League’s greenest club last year, while Man City’s initiatives saw them successfully install a new pitch that recovers two thirds of irrigation, 70% of which is captured rainfall. This means that all watering of the pitch is 100% rainwater, reducing their water usage. Heineken, for their part, offer more sustainable cups for events as alternatives to single use plastic.

World champion boxer Oleksandr Usyk made his professional football debut, coming on as a substitute for Ukrainian second-division side FC Polissya. The 35-year-old fighter has been training with Polissya during the club’s winter training camp as they prepare for the league opener in March. This switch in sports comes potentially weeks ahead of his second fight and rematch with Anthony Joshua. Usyk defeated Joshua back in September at Tottenham’s stadium. Whether or not Usyk makes the move to football permanent depends on how the club feels about him. According to the club director, if Usyk strengthens the team, they will offer him a professional contract.

YOU'RE SUCH A CARD Torino defender Alessandro Buongiorno really wanted to get booked in the match against Udinese so he would be safe to play the derby with Juventus. Unfortunately for him, the ref knew exactly what he was up to and didn’t give him the caution he wanted. With one yellow card away from suspension and not wanting to risk picking one up the following game, which would make him miss the derby, Buongiorno decided to take off his jersey while being substituted and even walked up to the referee to show him that. The ref saw right through that and refused to give him a yellow card.

90TH MINUTE

20-TEAM TOURNEY SOON?

400

There are reports that Serie A may be planning a 20-team tournament in the United States during the World Cup later this year. The league plans to host a tournament in order to keep the Serie A players not taking part in the World Cup active during the break. Serie A’s CEO and marketing director recently spent some time in New York, to see if there would be some “interest” (money). Whether or not this goes ahead remains to be seen as many details need to be finalized, but one thing is for sure, Italian soccer fans would rather be watching Italy at Qatar then some random tournament in the United States.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the first person to reach 400 million Instagram followers. The 37-year-old was also the first person to reach 200 million followers back in 2020, meaning he doubled his followers in two years.

4 DUSAN CARE ABOUT $$$

SHIRTY BAYERN

Dusan Vlahovic is one of Juventus’ most expensive signings following his transfer from Fiorentina. The 22-year-old joined the Turin club in a deal worth €80 million in total, with a further €11 million paid to his agent. Vlahovic is Juventus’ fourth most expensive signing behind Matthijs de Ligt (€85 million), Gonzalo Higuain (€90 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo (€117 million). The Serbian striker will be the club’s main figure moving forward as they build a squad around him. With 17 goals in 21 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina this season, and a goal on his Juventus debut, Juve fans will be hoping that form continues as the club plays catch-up in the Scudetto race.

A report from Euromerica Sport Marketing revealed that Bayern Munich sold 3.2 million shirts last year in Europe, more than any other football club. Real Madrid were second with 3 million shirts sold, followed by Liverpool with 2.4 million, Manchester United with 1.95 million and Juventus rounding up the top five after selling 1.42 million jerseys. The other clubs making up the top 10 include Barcelona, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.

VfL Bochum are the first team to score 4 goals in the first half against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga since 1975.

15 Senegal are the 15th different nation to win the Africa Cup of Nations after securing the title for the first time in their history.

HE JUST CAN'T STAY AWAY

SPOTTY CAMP NOU

Roberto Carlos came out of retirement for one game after agreeing to join an English pub team for charity. The Real Madrid icon turned out for pub side Bull-In-The-Barne United, who play in the Shrewsbury and District Division One. The club brought in Roberto Carlos for one game as part of a charity auction on eBay. The pub team entered a raffle after paying just £5. The raffle was in aid of Football Beyond Borders, a charity set up to change the lives of young people passionate about the sport but are not fulfilling their potential at school.

Barcelona have secured a new major sponsorship deal with Spotify. The deal is set to be worth €280 million and it will span across three years. It will include shirt sponsorship rights for both the male and female teams, as well as the naming rights of the Camp Nou. Spotify will have the right to change the name of the stadium, though it is likely they will just add their name before or after Camp Nou. This deal will provide Barcelona with a big boost and should help increase their LaLiga salary cap next season.

YA CAN'T COME IN

TOO FORMAL?

BAD BOY MASON

A video was posted to social media showing Jack Grealish being refused entry to a bar in Manchester. The incident was a result of confusion over the venue as Grealish, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez later left to attend a dinner at a different venue. There has been some trouble with players enjoying a night out in the past. In fact, not too long ago, Grealish and Foden were dropped after returning to training in poor condition after a night out in December. This time around, all is good. Guardiola said he had no problem with it, though he joked about them not inviting him, “I’m so upset because they didn’t invite me. I don’t like it. Hopefully next time they can invite me for dinner.”

New Everton manager Frank Lampard came to Dele Alli’s defence after the midfielder was criticized by former England manager Glenn Hoddle for how he was dressed at his Goodison Park welcome. Dele Alli joined Everton during the winter transfer market from Tottenham and was introduced to the fans during a match. Said Lampard, “I don’t care what car he drives, what clothes he wears, as long as I get a lad that comes to training every day, wants to improve every day. The modern day has moved on, it’s changed.”

Following shocking images and audio files that circulated social media, Mason Greenwood has been suspended by Manchester United until further notice. Subject of a police investigation, the 20-yearold was arrested and later released on bail for disturbing allegations. United have removed all merchandise related to Greenwood from their club online store and sent an email to all supporters who have purchased a Greenwood jersey this season to offer an exchange. Sportswear giants Nike have also dropped him from their list of sponsored athletes in response to the allegations.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

90TH MINUTE

CHECK YOUR FACTS FIRST

WHO SAID WHAT “Coming into contact with the others was easy for me as I knew a bit of Italian thanks to my grandmother’s origins. My integration was also helped by the fact that there are several players who speak French, I found guys I knew and in the end what the coach asks of me on the pitch is not too complicated for me, because I know what he expects from me. It’s more about adapting to the referees who have a tendency to whistle for lighter contacts than they do in the Premier League.” – Milan striker Olivier Giroud talks about his first few months adapting to a new team and league, siting his Italian origins and the French-speaking contingent already at the club. Regular viewers of Serie A will not be surprised to hear that referees call more fouls than in the Premier League.

“If I were Haaland and I wanted to win the Ballon d’Or, I wouldn’t go to the same team as Mbappe.” – Gerard Pique has advised Haaland on where his next move should be, and with Mbappe widely regarded to be joining Real Madrid, perhaps a move to Barcelona would be better suited for the Norwegian striker.

Arsenal decided to troll rivals Tottenham on their official store website. When clicking on an empty cart, the following message appeared, “Your basket is as empty as Tottenham’s trophy cabinet”. Spurs haven’t won a trophy since their 2008 League Cup victory over Chelsea. Meanwhile, in that same time frame, Arsenal have collected eight trophies between the FA Cup and Community Shield. Arsenal fans were quick to share their reaction to the club’s dig on social media, while Spurs fans came to their clubs defence. One Tottenham fan felt the need to point out just how many trophies they have won. Turns out, at least according to Arsenal, that it was an error. It was posted to the site without checks and approval.

WOOF ... CALM DOWN STEFFEN FC Koln manager Steffen Baumgart missed a game because of Covid, but he was still very much into it while watching from his living room. The German manager was so immersed into the action that his dog tried to calm him down. In a video posted to TikTok, the Koln coach is screaming at his players on the television, pacing up and down, pretending to kick the ball as he cheered on his side. Baumgart was so into the game that he almost accidentally sat on his dog. This caused his dog to get up and try to restrain him by climbing onto his back.

DID YOU KNOW? •

Jeremie Boga is the first outfield player to not receive a single yellow card in his first 100 Serie A appearances since the 1994/95 season.

•

Theo Hernandez is the third highest scoring defender in Serie A in AC Milan’s history, behind Paolo Maldini and Aldo Maldera.

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Diego Simeone (right) is first for most wins by a foreign manager in LaLiga history with over 235.

RSPCA GETS CLAWS INTO KURT

“I don’t have a problem with them [Barcelona, Madrid, Juventus]. But after they stabbed me and UEFA, I think it’s up to them to call. In the same way that the earth is flat, they still think the Super League exists. At the same time, they were the first to sign up to play in the Champions League this season.” – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin takes a swipe at the remaining three clubs of the European Super League, comparing them to flatearthers.

West Ham defender Kurt Zouma is under fire after a video of him kicking one of his cats like a ball and slapping it out of a child’s hand surfaced. Over 100,000 people have signed a petition calling for justice as they look to get him prosecuted for animal cruelty. He has issued an apology, however he could still face criminal prosecution if the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) considers the videos to contain illegal behaviour and reports it to police. The RSPCA has since seized his two cats, while West Ham fined him two weeks’ wages - £250,000.

ULTRAS NOT HAPPY Paris Saint-Germain ultras are not happy with the team, bashing the club’s transfer policy and business outlook. Yes, you read that correctly, PSG fans are not happy with the transfer policy. In a letter written to the club chiefs, including president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo, the ultras complained about the club ‘piling up stars like a spoiled child’, without concern for a sporting plan, adding that the club has lost its DNA. Their statement also mentions the obsession with selling expensive merchandise, the lack of attention given to youth academy players and the women’s team.

SADIO GIVES HELPING HAND Sadio Mane suffered a concussion during Senegal’s match against Cape Verde at the Africa Cup of Nations and was taken to hospital as a precaution. While there, Mane heard of a child who suffered terrible injuries after being hit by a motorbike. The family was distraught as they could not afford treatment, so Mane covered the costs for them. Mane is building quite the reputation of using his fortunes to help others. Just last year, the Liverpool forward donated £500,000 for a new hospital to be built in his hometown. He also funded a new school there as well, donating £250,000.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

90TH MINUTE

DID YOU KNOW? •

Vlahovic and Zakaria scored a goal on their Juventus debut, joining an elite club including Baggio, Higuain, Mandzukic, Vieri, Inzaghi, Vidal and Kulusevski.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his daughter Karna (right) are the first father and daughter duo to play for Manchester United. 19-year-old Karna made her debut for United’s women’s side during an FA Cup match against Bridgewater United.

GOOD BUDDIES

NEW TOY FOR ZLATAN

Ousmane Dembele was very excited about Barcelona signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Aubameyang started his first game with the LaLiga giants on the bench and a video surfaced of Dembele asking the entire Barcelona bench to move over just so he could sit beside the ex-Arsenal striker. The two of course played together at Borussia Dortmund before both going separate ways in the 2017-18 season, Dembele to Barca, Aubameyang to Arsenal. During the 2016-17 season, the two scored 37 goals between them under Thomas Tuchel.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic added a new car to his collection, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale. It is the first plug-in hybrid car offered by Ferrari and only 500 of them were made. The hybrid luxury has 986hp, boasts a top speed of 211mph and can go from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds. The Swede has a number of Ferrari’s in his collection, among other sports cars, including a rate Ferrari Monza SP2, valued at £1.4 million.

NO TO SOCIAL MEDIA Manchester Utd coach Ralf Rangnick is not happy with his players’ use of social media. He wants his players to stop using online platforms to publicly contradict himself and the club. Rangnick claimed that Martial did not want to play for United prior to his move to Sevilla, a claim that Martial strongly denied on Instagram. Lingard took to twitter to let his followers know that the club advised him to take a break, contradicting Rangick who said Lingard asked for some time off.

BLIND LEADING.... Aston Villa midfielder Remi Allen was not happy with the choice of kit colours selected by the Women’s Soccer League match chief for their match against West Ham United. Following the match, Allen took to social media to highlight how the kits chosen for both sides could cause visual issues for color-blind individuals. Allen, who is color blind herself, said it made her job on the pitch more challenging. Fans who watched the game on television agreed with Allen, saying it was difficult to tell the difference on TV.

FINAL FOUR FORMAT

ODION - HOMETOWN HERO Former Manchester United striker, Odion Ighalo, left Nigeria when he was 17 years old to pursue a career in football. Since then, he has made a name for himself playing for clubs all over the world, from Watford in England to Granada in Spain, from Changchun Yatai in China to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Throughout his career, the 32-year-old never forgot about his hometown. Using the money he’s earned from the sport, Ighalo funded an orphanage in a suburb in northern Lagos. The orphanage houses between 30 to 40 children and has separate apartments for boys and girls. They take in babies and pledge to look after them until they reach 18, providing them with schooling and all other necessities.

365 DRINKS Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney marked the one-year anniversary of them buying Wrexham by paying for 365 drinks for fans. The actors posted a flyer on social media thanking the fans for their support over the past year and also informed them that they put 365 gin and tonics behind the bar for fans to enjoy. Given the tie with Ryan Reynolds, Aviation Gin was of course used to make the drink.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has proposed a new ‘final four’ format in the Champions League from the 2024-25 season. Currently, teams play home and away in the semi-finals for the right to meet in a one-off final. Following the final eight event that was put on display in 2020 due to the pandemic, the format was considered a big success. This opened up the opportunity to pursue a similar format permanently, something UEFA president Ceferin has been discussing with various club presidents. Said Ceferin, “It’s a simple equation to solve – we would just need to compensate clubs for the revenue they would lose from hosting the semi-final matches. That is possible. It would come in for the 2024-25 season at the earliest. But I doubt it could be done that quickly.”

5 Gerard Pique is 5th on Barcelona’s all-time appearances list, sitting behind Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets.

Cameroon’s #10 Vincent Aboubakar scored 8 goals at the Africa Cup of Nations making him the tournament’s top goal scorer. He averaged a goal every 73 minutes.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

90TH MINUTE

SPEAKER IN THE HOUSE A Nottingham Forest fan somehow brought massive speakers into the stadium and blasted Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ following the club’s away victory at Blackburn. The song is played at Forest’s City Ground after a win and because this match was away from home, this confident fan decided to bring a slice of home with him to Blackburn. The away fans were loving it and sang along in celebration as the players walked over to thank them for their support.

33 Canada’s men’s national team are currently ranked 33 in the FIFA World Rankings, their highest ever ranking.

CHANCES OF HAPPENING - CLOSE TO ZERO Tottenham are reportedly preparing a bid to host the 2026 Super Bowl at their stadium. It would be the first time ever the NFL showpiece is staged outside the United States. Whether or not the bid will be successful is uncertain, the time difference alone presents an obstacle in doing so. It would have to be a very late kick-off in London in order to hit the primetime U.S. viewing slot. Hosting the Super Bowl is said to generate over $300 million for the host city, but that doesn’t include the costs of staging the event. The NFL chooses a venue for the big game after a bidding process, based on meeting various criteria as opposed to the financial offer made. Winning this bid could potentially provide Tottenham with a boost in their search to find a naming-rights holder for the stadium. The NFL has been pushing to expand interest overseas recently, London has hosted a number of games already and next season the NFL will also be heading to Mexico and Germany for regular season games.

VAR TO GET AN UPGRADE SOON CR 6.5 ... Cristiano Jr., Cristiano Ronaldo’s son has joined Manchester United. The 11-year-old has been playing with the Red Devils academy since Cristiano rejoined the club, but has now officially joined the club. Georgina Rodriguez shared the news on Instagram, posting a photo of the occasion. It looks like the number 7 is staying within the Ronaldo family. Cristiano senior has said in the past that he will not pressure his son to play football, and leave that decision up to Cristiano Jr. Nonetheless, it must have been a proud moment for the 37-year-old.

VAR may be getting an upgrade soon as FIFA continues to trial limb-tracking offside technology. The semi-automated VAR was in use during the Club World Cup and will be rolled out at the World Cup in Qatar later this year. The new system disallowed its first-ever goal at the Club World Cup, as AlJazira’s Alameri Zayed saw his goal called off against AS Pirae. The aim of the new system is to reduce the time it takes to make an offside decision, and it will also provide fans with more clarity around each decision. The AI tech uses between 10 and 12 cameras to create 3D models of player’s skeleton to determine whether any part of their body is offside. Following its use at the upcoming World Cup, the new VAR system may be introduced in major domestic leagues as early as the 2023/24 season.

DID YOU KNOW? •

Kai Havertz scored the game winning goal in both the Champions League final and the following Club World Cup final. He is the first player to do so since Lionel Messi in 2011.

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Max Kruse (left) has scored at least one penalty for four different Bundesliga clubs, becoming the second player to do so in the competition’s history.

WATCHING SOCCER IS GOOD FOR YOU - BOFFINS A study conducted by BetVictor in partnership with the University of Leeds found that it may be good for your health to watch football. A group of Leeds fans were selected and analyzed to discover whether or not there were health effects of watching live football. The group of fans were physiologically and psychologically monitored over three games. Two of those games were at the stadium, with the third being in a controlled environment. Heart rate, blood pressure and mood were the three areas monitored. During the study, they found that the positive stress from elevated heart rates was similar to a moderate cardiovascular workout which is a good health benefit. Unsurprisingly, a win was found to improve a person’s mood for 24 hours, while a loss had the opposite effect. Attending a match in person also increased heart rates by 11% over watching the match on television.

A SLICE OF THE ACTION According to some reports, UEFA have taken legal action against a restaurant in Germany over the name of a pizza. The European football governing body have gone after a small pizzeria called Pizza Wolke because they called one of their pizzas the “Champignons League”. The name translates to ‘Mushroom League’, which sounds more like a Mario Strikers cup name. However, UEFA feel it is an infringement on their trademark ‘Champions League’ brand and thus violates their licensing law.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

HAVE A FANS NIGHT

ROONEY STILL HAS FANS

Patrice Evra is rumoured to be making his debut in the boxing ring during a star-studded event in London on April 2. The ex-Manchester United full back is set to debut on the undercard of the fight between the ‘Iranian Hulk’, Sajad Gharibi and Martyn Ford. Evra may not be the only ex-footballer fighting that night. Former Tottenham and Portsmouth midfielder Jamie O’Hara will be fighting weight loss specialist and life coach, Kris Boyson.

A young Manchester United fan attending a Derby County match, left his seat and ran up the touchline to get a selfie with Wayne Rooney. Rooney of course is the manager at Derby and an ex-Manchester United player. The young fan successfully got a selfie with Rooney and then ran back up the touchline to his seat, with no stewards in sight. Rooney may not have been in the mood for a photo given his side were down 3-1 at the time, but he obliged nonetheless.

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WHO SAID WHAT “Of course, we have a trauma from June 12, but since then we have found our bearings so that Sabrina is OK with me going to the gym for a few hours and to the practice field. She trusts that when I go, I always come back. My goal is to play at the World Cup in Qatar. This has been my mindset all along. I’m sure I can come back because I don’t feel any different. Physically, I’m back in top shape”

The UEFA Women’s Champions League averaged 3.57 goals per match during the group stages or a goal every 25 minutes.

– Christian Eriksen speaks of the support his girlfriend Sabrina gives him as

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he looks to comeback and maybe represent Denmark at the World Cup. Eriksen has signed with Premier League side Brentford.

NO LOVE, JUST FAULTS

“I don’t know when I’ll keep playing until, maybe about 40, we’ll see. I have to take it step by step, enjoy what I’m doing. I feel good physically, which is important, mentally as well. I’m at a huge club, the best club in the world without a doubt, and I’m working hard to keep my level as high as possible. I’m almost 37 and I feel great to be honest.”

One of the most bizarre things occurred during the English Championship match between Birmingham City and Luton Town involving a steward. Birmingham fans were protesting against the owners of the team by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch so a steward decided to just walk on and pick up a ball after it was thrown, while the game was going on. Luton were on the attack in the 20th minute of the match when Elijah Adebayo controlled the ball inside the opposition’s box, but the play was halted after a steward walked onto the pitch, picked up the ball and threw it back into the crowd, just a couple of feet away from play. Someone must not have attended the training session for stewards.

Marseille have scored 200 goals against Metz in Ligue 1, making them the first team to score 200 goals against a single opponent in Ligue 1 history.

– Luka Modric is not ready to hang up his boots, confident he still has more to give.

MUST'VE BEEN PLAYING THE TROTTERS NOTHING BETTER TO DO “It [not finishing in the top four] has always been a concern since Ole left the club. That was one of the reasons why he probably had to leave the club and of course results like Southampton doesn’t make things any easier.” – Ralf Rangnick says that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have some of the blame if Manchester United miss out on a top four spot

A Manchester United supporter was pranked by two Liverpool fans. The United fan drove 400 miles, from Sheffield to Aberdeen, Scotland, to meet a woman, only to discover it was all fake and he was set up. The 39-year-old met a woman on Facebook and ended up driving nine hours to a remote farm in Scotland to continue the love affair following weeks of online flirting. When he arrived at the house, there was no one there. Three hours later, he received a phone call from the Liverpool fans and they confessed it had been a trick.

this season.

HARDLINE REFS UEFA referees have been asked to play their part in safeguarding the image of the sport by ensuring trends on the pitch that harm the game are cut out. At a winter course for top refs in the region, match officials were instructed to take firm action against players over-reacting to mild fouls, pressuring refs into handing out cards and efforts to trick the ref by diving. UEFA Referees Committee chairman Robert Rosetti had this to say, “We’re worried, we don’t like to see these incidents happening. They damage the game and its image. Such conduct is not respectful – nor does it show a spirit of fair play when players, for example, try to deceive a referee or put pressure on the referee to caution or dismiss an opponent.”

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

Athletes are asked for autographs a lot, it’s become a normal part of their career. Being asked by so many people for autographs has probably led them to signing quite a few strange things, including a pig. Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig was asked to autograph a pig while leaving training one day and it was all caught on video. Based on the reactions of others nearby, it seemed like just another ordinary day at Barcelona.

NWSL DEAL The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and its players’ association agreed to their first collective bargaining agreement. The agreement will run through the 2026 season and will see a minimum salary of $35,000 introduced, almost a 60% increase, with a 4% yearly raise. In addition to increased salaries, players will also see retirement fund contributions, life and health insurance and housing. Eight weeks of parental leave and up to six months in paid mental health leave have also been included in the agreement. The NWSL is in their 10th season as the top women’s professional league in the United States, and this season two new teams will join the league, Angel City and the San Diego Wave.

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BIG CHEQUE Trinity Rodman was the NWSL rookie of the year last season, and now the 19-yearold will become the highestpaid player in league history after signing a contract extension with Washington Spirit. The four-year deal is set to be worth $1.1 million according to reports. The daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, Trinity was the youngest player in league history to be drafted into the NWSL and has the potential to become one of the best players in the women’s game and next star for the USWNT.

ANYONE ELSE FOR ... TENNIS ? A bromance may be brewing between Sadio Mane and tennis superstar Rafael Nadal. Following Nadal’s win at the Australian Open, which made him the most successful Grand Slam player in history, Sadio Mane sent the Spaniard a video message congratulating him on the victory. A week later, Mane and Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations and so Nadal returned the favour and sent a video message of his own to the Liverpool forward.

SENEGAL FANS HAPPY Senegal’s football team were welcomed by thousands of people upon their triumphant return from the Africa Cup of Nations. With fans sitting on top of cars and dancing on the streets, the party was just beginning for the players and citizens. The Monday following the final was declared a national holiday as celebrations lasted well into the night. Senegal defeated Egypt on penalties in the AFCON final, winning the trophy for the first time in the nation’s history.

MENTAL HEALTH Wayne Rooney was joined by Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire, and Johnny Evans with their wags Lucia Loi, Fern Hawkins, and Helen McConnell. The Manchester United legend is the latest football star to be the subject of a documentary from Amazon Prime. The documentary will tell the story of Rooney's rise from the junior leagues in his home town of Liverpool to becoming Manchester United's record goalscorer. The film will also take a look at the ex-England international's personal life, with Rooney going into detail on his mental health.

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BABY ON THE WAY Former Miss Belgium Noemie Happart and Atletico de Madrid number 21 Yannick Carrasco are expecting their first child together. The couple tied the knot in June 2017. While studying psychology at the University of Liege, Happart entered the 2013 edition of the Miss Belgium pageant.

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SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

90TH MINUTE

2006

WHO SAID WHAT

Prior to Mike Maignan’s assist for Rafael Leao, the last Serie A assist by a Milan goalkeeper was by Dida in 2006 against Ascoli.

“It’s true, I wanted to be a police officer. I only played with friends until I was 18, I hadn’t played in any youth sector. When I returned home, I was sure that I wanted to follow in my grandpa’s footsteps and become a police officer, then I moved to Holland and everything changed.” – Being a footballer was not a dream Robin Gosens had growing up, but he’s made

DID YOU KNOW?

quite the career out of it. The 27-year-old has represented Germany at the highest level and recently signed for Serie A side, Inter.

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Junior Adamu's goal for FC Salzburg in the 21st minute against Bayern Munich was the earliest by a substitute in a UCL game since Thierry Henry against Slavia Prague for Arsenal in October 2005 (also 21st minute).

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Aged 18 years and 318 days, Harvey Elliott (right) is the youngest player ever to start a European Cup/Champions League match for Liverpool. “No single player can ever be bigger than the club. My conclusion last August was that re-signing Ronaldo was likely to create more problems than it solved for United. If his United reunion is limited to one season, letting him go will solve more problems than it creates” – Ex-Liverpool star Jamie Carragher believes bringing back Cristiano Ronaldo was a mistake for Manchester United.

AZZURRA HAS ARRIVED Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni and his partner Camilla Bresciani announced the arrival of their first child together - a baby girl named Azzurra Agnese. Alessandro and Camilla started dating back in May 2020 and they are going very steady at the moment. Camilla Bresciani is a successful entrepreneur with her own brand. She is also a model and a fashion lover. Camilla Bresciani has her own clothing brand called No Pasa Nada.

WELCOME TO LOVE360 MAGAZINE :) Aston Villa footballers Alisha Lehmann and Douglas Luiz made their relationship Instagram official. Lehman posted a picture of her and Luiz passionately kissing on her Instagram with a caption that said: "Te amo" which translates to "Love you". Luiz responded in the comments by saying "I love you amor". Before dating Luiz, Lehmann was in a relationship with her compatriot and PSG forward Ramona Bachmann. The love story of the two women became a BBC documentary, where Lehmann confessed that Bachmann was her idol growing up.

“No one ever really took me seriously, so I’m not going over there just to collect a cheque and ride off into the sunset. I’m going to push myself, I’m going to push Aaron and continue to help him get better and help myself get better.”

PILAR OF SOCIETY Pilar Rubio and Sergio Ramos attended the Louis Vuitton show as part of Paris Fashion Week. Pilar Rubio and Sergio Ramos changed their lives last summer when they moved to Paris after the footballer signed for Paris Saint Germain F.C. Although their professional commitments force them to be traveling to Spain constantly, the couple is adapting to the Parisian life quite well and in their last public appearance they have rubbed shoulders with VIPS like Naomi Campbell.

– USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner is looking forward to joining Arsenal this summer and warns Aaron Ramsdale that he will be hunting for his spot.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has found love with Miss Spain Universe 2020 Andrea Martinez. The goalkeeper went public with the 28-year-old model in an Instagram post. His relationship apparently helped him come out of the slump he had been going through. The Spaniard was instrumental in Chelsea’s Club World Cup win.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

6 6 of the last 12 Africa Cup of Nations finals have gone to extra time. Of those six, five of them have been after a 0-0 draw.

90TH MINUTE

FINE FOODS

DID YOU KNOW? •

Borussia Dortmund is the first German side to concede four goals to Scottish opposition (4-2 loss vs Rangers) since Hibernian won 4-0 at Rot-Weiss Essen - the fourth ever European Cup match back in September 1955.

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• Mohamed Salah (right) is only the second player to score against both AC Milan and Inter Milan in the same Champions League season, after Peter Crouch for Tottenham in 2010-11.

WANNA MEDDLE? Ferran Torres supported his girlfriend Sira Martinez Cullell during the CSN2* Real Club de Polo de Barcelona at the Royal Polo Club. The 21-year-old, who is former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique’s daughter, won silver and bronze medals.

THE LOI-DOWN Marcus Rashford confirmed he is back with his girlfriend Lucia Loi as he took to Instagram to share a slew of loved-up snaps. The football ace, 24, was thought to have split from the university graduate in February last year after eight years together because of 'lockdown pressures', and their break-up was reported three months later.

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FAN PROOF? Lego has released an incredible 5,876-piece replica of the Real Madrid’s home stadium Santiago Bernabeu. The launch of the 14cm tall model coincides with the 120th anniversary of the football club and the 75th anniversary of the magnificent stadium. The replica’s lift-off roof allows fans to delve deeper into the stadium to see the famous grass patterns that are mowed into the pitch, the tunnel, the dugout and the iconic Real Madrid branding around the stadium.

TRUTH HURTS Manchester United have been the brunt of jokes among English football fans with many mocking them for their misfortunes this season. And it appears even Cristiano Ronaldo’s son, Ronaldo Jr, knows they aren’t very good. Footage has emerged of Ronaldo Jr. agreeing when a fan asked him: “United are s***, aren’t they?” In reply, he nodded his head and said yes. Wonder what Ronaldo Senior thinks about that!

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90TH MINUTE Caroline Seger is the most-capped European with over 215 appearances.

⬆ Paul Pogba (29) March 15 Club: Manchester United Nation: France • Nicknamed ‘il polpo Paul” (Paul the Octopus) at Juventus.

MARCH

Edin Dzeko (36) March 17

⬆ Nikita Parris (28) March 10

Club: Inter Nation: Bosnia & Herzegovina • Andriy Shevchenko was his idol.

Club: Arsenal Nation: England

Lize Kop (24) March 17 Club: Ajax Nation: Netherlands

Caroline Seger (37) March 19 Club: Rosengard Nation: Sweden

14 Man City have become the 14th team to score 200 goals in the UEFA Champions League.

800 James Milner made the 800th appearance of his senior club career (275 Liverpool, 203 Man.City, 136 Newcastle United, 126 Aston Villa, 54 Leeds United, 6 Swindon Town) during Liverpool’s 2-0 away win against Inter Milan.

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ONE TOO MANY HITS ON THE HEAD ?

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Kyle Walker sent his Manchester City teammates a video message ahead of the 5-0 thumping of Sporting CP in the Champions League. The England defender was suspended for the fixture after picking up a needless red card in the dead rubber group stage game against RB Leipzig. The former Spurs right-back was wearing one of his England caps, holding a Champions League Man of the Match trophy and with his silver runners up medal around his neck. While some people could see what Walker's intentions were, many felt his message was a little strange and might not age too well.

BLONDE JACK Jack Grealish has changed up his hair once again opting for a full blond look and keeping it long. The Manchester City forward posted images to social media last week which showed him for the first time ditching the longer hair for a shorter style. But he took to the field against Fulham in the FA Cup and in the Premier League with Brentford a few days earlier rocking his trademark headband and just a trim.

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FRUSTRATED WITH TED Manchester United players have 'jokingly' likened assistant manager Chris Armas to fictional American coach Ted Lasso at the club's Carrington training base. A report from ESPN has made a number of suggestions within the United camp, including claims that players are becoming frustrated with Ralf Rangnick's methods.

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MCKENNIE SHOWING LOVE

PUNCHING BAGS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOU!

Weston McKennie’s reaction to Denis Zakaria’s goal for Juventus on his debut went viral, with the American appearing just as, if not more, excited than the goal-scorer himself.

If you are looking for a new ab workout then perhaps you should try the one Zlatan Ibrahimovic shared on his socials.

Roma celebrated Jose Mourinho’s birthday with a surprise cake and champagne in the locker room. The Portuguese tactician, who turned 59, blew out the candles and gave the first slice to captain Lorenzo Pellegrini.

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Inter Milan full-back Denzel Dumfries has revealed his teammates were 'insulted' by a meal combination and he promised to never do it again. The Netherlands international has confessed he adds chicken to pasta al pesto, which is traditionally served with no meat. Dumfries told UEFA's official website: "Food is very important in Italy. Two weeks ago they all got mad at me for adding chicken over pesto pasta. For them an insult to pasta. I will not do it again."

A fiery Twitter debate began when Piers Morgan posted a picture of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr after he scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals. The 56-yearold TV personality wrote: "Great to watch a Beckham who can actually play football..." - a response that certainly got people talking social media. Morgan snapped back with another controversial claim. "Take away the crossing & free-kicks, he was a fame-hungry snail with dumb haircuts who only won that much because of the truly great players around him."

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

90TH MINUTE

⬆ Manuel Neuer (36) March 27 Club: Bayern Munich Nation: Germany

ALL FORDS ARE CREATED EQUAL...

N’Golo Kante (31) March 29 Club: Chelsea Nation: France • A career in accounting was his backup plan had football not worked out.

IT’S THE DEALERSHIP THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Teemu Pukki (32) ➡ March 29 Club: Norwich City Nation: Finland

SCARY CR7 VIDEO Football fans have been left baffled by Cristiano Ronaldo's bizarre Instagram live, with Rio Ferdinand even commenting. Ronaldo went live on the social media platform as he entered his private sauna. At one point, over 700,000 viewers were watching as the 37-year-old stared into the camera, not saying a single word. Ronaldo also showed people his back garden, with former Manchester United teammate Ferdinand confused by the video. "What you doing bro," he asked, accompanied with three laughing face emojis.

2022 BRONCO

DID YOU KNOW? •

Brighton have never won away against Man Utd in all competitions, drawing two and losing 11 of their 13 visits.

2022 F-150

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Kai Havertz (left) is the first player to score the match-winning goal in the both the UEFA Champions League final and then the subsequent FIFA Club World Cup final since Lionel Messi for Barcelona in 2011.

GORDON - A BAD INFLUENCE ? Brooklyn Beckham’s eight-minute cooking show is costing an eye-watering £74,000 ($100,000) to produce a single episode, according to stunning reports. The 22-year-old model and photographer is channeling his passion into cooking rather than following in his dad's footsteps. Cookin’ With Brooklyn is available on Watch Together via Facebook Messenger’s streaming service, with Beckham’s eldest son embarking on his fledgling chef career.

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QUIET, I’M TRYING TO NAP Koln manager Steffen Baumgart was unable to be on the sideline due to covid, so during his side’s match he was very animated while watching from home. Too animated according to his dog, who was trying to calm him down.

2022 BRONCO SPORT

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MOVE DOWN PLEASE Dembele asked the entire row to move over a seat so he could sit next to Aubameyang.

2022 MACH-E

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90TH MINUTE

RONALDO VALENTINE CARD IN BAD TASTE

Moonpig has removed a card featuring Cristiano Ronaldo from sale and apologized ahead of Valentine’s Day. The product featured a picture of the Manchester United and Portugal star with a message that read ‘nothing will stop me from scoring this Valentine’s Day’. Ronaldo was accused of sexually assaulting a woman called Kathryn Mayorga in a hotel room in Las Vegas 13 years ago, although he strenuously denies these allegations. Now, the online card and gift company have removed the card from their website after social media users kicked off over it, which was described by one as ‘incredibly ignorant’.

Ferran Torres is the 50th player to score on his European debut for Barcelona (major European competitions)

SHIRT PLEASE PSG knocked five goals past Les Dogues at the Stade Pierre Mauroy as Mauricio Pochettino's side extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to 13 points. After the final whistle, Gomes bumped into Lionel Messi in the tunnel. Initially, it looked like Gomes expected the 34-year-old to hand over the number 10 shirt and walk off. But to his surprise, the former Barcelona man gestured that he wanted Gomes' shirt in return. It made for great viewing.

ALL ABOUT THE POUT Cristiano Ronaldo has posted a message on social media after he was criticized for storming straight down the tunnel following Manchester United’s frustrating draw with Burnley. Ronaldo was dropped from the starting line-up at Turf Moor but was used as a second-half substitute as United were held to a 1-1 draw away from home. The Portuguese failed to applaud the travelling United supporters at full-time and instead headed straight for the dressing room. Ronaldo appeared to indirectly address the criticism, posting an image of himself interacting with a young United supporter to his Twitter account. "Children are and will always be the best thing the world has to offer, and we must protect them at all costs," Ronaldo wrote. "Supporters are and will always be the best in football, and we must respect everything they face and endure for their clubs."

GET IT ON Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford couldn't help but crack a smile when he was greeted by a fan wearing an inflatable T-Rex costume at St James' Park. Newcastle secured all three points against Frank Lampard's side- a win that could prove hugely important in their fight to secure Premier League status. St James' Park was understandably rocking throughout the clash and to add to the occasion, former Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford conceded three times. The 27-year-old, who spent 15 years with the Mackems between 2002 and 2017, was welcomed to St James' with a chorus of noise and well, one fan dressed as a dinosaur.

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Manchester City are the first team in UCL history to lead an away game by 4+ goals at half-time in the knockout stages of the competition.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ousmane Dembele might not be the most popular person at Barcelona, which is probably why he moved everyone else on the bench just so he could sit next to his buddy. Ahead of Barca’s game against Atletico Madrid, the French forward was booed by the home fans, with Xavi later asking them not to do so. Dembele obviously felt he wasn't too popular amongst the squad either, as he asked six other substitutes to move seats, just so he could sit next to former Borussia Dortmund teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the match.

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Anthony Martial (left) is the first Sevilla player to score in his #EuropaLeague debut since Wissam Ben Yedder in Sept. 2018.

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Unai Simon (right) is the first Athletic goalkeeper to score an own goal in LaLiga this century. In total, Athletic have scored 32 own goals in the competition - a record only surpassed by Espanyol (34) and Atlético de Madrid (33).

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BOTTLE FLIP CHALLENGE

EGGSTREMELY EXCITED

SUPERHERO TEAM

Barcelona have a fun training routine that combines the bottle flip challenge with tic-tactoe. In order to make a move in tic-tac-toe, the player needs to successfully flip a bottle.

Juventus striker Alvaro Morata was very excited after pranking his wife Alice. Poor Alice was just minding her own business having a snack when Morata walked up to her and crushed an egg on her head. Shocked at what just happened, Alice sits there while Morata laughs.

With the new marvel filter added to TikTok, Alphonso Davies used it to build his team of 3 marvel heroes to protect him from 3 other marvel heroes. It doesn’t look good for Davies.

Ian Waterhouse

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

90TH MINUTE

MO THE REF

100 Karim Benzema started his 100th Champions League game for Real Madrid when Los Blancos faced PSG at Parc des Princes, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo.

NOT DOING IT Kalidou Koulibaly refused to lift the Africa Cup Of Nations trophy by himself amongst a crew of corporate people. Senegal won the prize for the first time in the country's history after a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win over Egypt in Cameroon. The trophy was taken into the stands where they were a host of different representatives from various federations, with Koulibaly escorted up there. It seems as though Koulibaly was being asked to do a solo trophy lift after it was handed over by Cameroon president Paul Biya. But the Napoli defender was not having it in the slightest. He walked back down with the trophy in hand, shared an embrace with manager Aliou Cisse and waited to lift it with the whole squad. The men in suits might not have been best pleased by Koulibaly's snub but football fans loved his antics.

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Mo Salah was destroyed by Africa Cup Of Nations final referee Victor Gomes when he offered to let the Liverpool star take charge of the game. Salah was beaten by club colleague Sadio Mane and Senegal, who won their first AFCON title thanks to a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory. It was a frustrating night for Salah and he was overcome with emotion at the final whistle, with Mane consoling him in a touching moment. And in the first half, Salah was rinsed by the match official when he was complaining over a decision. Salah protested a yellow card for one of his teammates but Gomes was not having it whatsoever. The South African sarcastically got his yellow cards and whistle out and went to hand them over to Salah, asking "Do you want to referee?"

TEARS FOR THE OLD MAN Harvey Elliott's father had an extremely emotional reaction to watching his son score his first-ever goal for Liverpool. Elliott returned to action following a sickening ankle injury at Leeds United, making a cameo appearance against Cardiff City in the FA Cup. And he marked his comeback with a brilliant goal. The exciting midfielder scored a stunning volley in his side's 3-1 victory at Anfield. His moment of magic prompted a tear-jerking reaction from his old man who broke down in tears as he watched on from the main stand. Twitter user Saad Wadia captured the wholesome moment.

GARY T-BAG MAN

Diego Simeone just recorded his 235th win as Atletico Madrid manager - and became the foreign La Liga manager with the highest number of wins, surpassing Ferdinand Daucik.

Gary Neville hilariously pulled out his best impression of Prison Break character T-Bag after he told Declan Rice that Wayne Rooney called him that for “years.” Theodore Bagwell, AKA T-Bag, was one the key villains in the 2005 hit TV show. T-Bag’s physical appearance has led to eerie comparisons with Neville. Speaking to Rice as part of a 41 Q&A segment for Sky Bet’s The Overlap, Neville found the subject of T-Bag being brought back up. When asked for his favourite TV programme, Rice responded: “Prison Break.” Neville suggested Rice would poke fun at him over the iconic Prison Break character, but the West Ham star had no idea people called him T-Bag and burst out in laughter.

799

In the Spezia vs Fiorentina game, Krzysztof Piatek scored his first Serie A goal in 799 days after the last one scored in the competition, in December 2019, against Bologna, with Milan.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY CR7! Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 37th birthday recently with a large CR7 cake. The Portuguese international is still going strong with his football career.

Instagram

LIFE AT LEICESTER CITY Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall provided followers with an inside look into what a day of a professional footballer may be like. His day starts with breakfast at the training ground before going through various exercises, stretches and study sessions.

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CHEAT SHEET Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal understandably left his water bottle on the pitch after losing the Africa Cup of Nations finals, he had other things on his mind. Someone found it later and it contained info on each Senegal player’s penalty-taking preferences.

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

90TH MINUTE

RISING JUVENTUS STAR AND U.S. INTERNAT IONAL

Jenna Hellstrom is Kent State’s all-time leader in 12 different career and single-season categories, including goals and assists.

Duvan Zapata (31) April 1 Club: Atalanta Nation: Colombia

WESTON MCKENNIE Weston McKennie

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Jenna Hellstrom (27) ➡ April 2 Club: KIF Orbero Nation: Canada

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SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder had told his players that the trip to Manchester United in the FA Cup is not "a shirtswapping situation". The former Sheffield United manager wanted his players not to be star struck and they delivered. The Championship side sealed a memorable 1-0 victory against the Red Devils and knocked them out of the competition.

SPICY DAVID'S MENU Manchester United legend David Beckham has revealed that he loves indulging in his favorite steak meal when wife Victoria Beckham leaves the house. Beckham, who tied the knot with Victoria in 1999, claimed his wife’s clean-eating habits will “rarely deviate” her from “grilled fish” and “steamed vegetables.” The Inter Miami co-owner and president has now shared how he loves to “secretly” cook his favorite meal when the Spice Girls star isn’t at home.

POLISH MY CUP ? Manchester United are hiring someone to polish the trophies in their stacked cabinet. United are among the most successful clubs in world football, with a record 20 league titles, three European Cups, 12 FA Cups and five League Cups to their name. And in their Old Trafford museum, the Red Devils are looking for a new employee to keep on top of the silverware and ensuring its shine does not disappear. According to the job advert, as per The Sun, the role will see the candidate "provide essential support assisting with the organisation of the Museum’s exhibition program along with cleaning and redisplaying the permanent displays which will be major parts of the job role” among other various tasks such as "assisting with the creation of displays, collection management and dealing with public enquiries".

CELEBRATION AUGUST TEXAS AUGUST

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SERENADING FANS

HANDSHAKE OR FIST BUMP?

Rayo Vallecano reached their first Copa del Rey semifinal in 40 years. After achieving this, the fans sang to their team as they celebrated the occasion.

Newcastle higher-ups celebrating a victory after the final whistle provided us with one of those awkward, handshake, oh no, fist bump, what are we doing, ah forget it moments.

90TH MINUTE Keira Walsh (25) April 8

Petersburg

Krestovsky Stadium

Isco's favourite number 22, is tattooed on his right elbow.

Club: Manchester City Nation: England

The Road to Saint Petersburg

Sadio Mane (30) April 10 Club: Liverpool Nation: Senegal • Holds the EPL record for the fastest hattrick, scoring 3 goals in 176 seconds.

Isco (30) ➡ April 21 Club: Real Madrid Nation: Spain

Marko Arnautovic (33) April 19 Club: Bologna Nation: Austria • He is fluent in six languages, including English, German, Dutch and Serbian.

Mallory Pugh (24) April 29 Club: Chicago Red Stars Nation: United States

WRONG SHIRT Fans were left seriously confused after Ferran Torres' Barcelona shirt did not have the club crest or Nike logo during the 1-1 draw with Napoli in the first leg of Europa League play-offs. Torres had a normal shirt in the first half like the rest of his teammates but then, for reasons still unclear, he had a predominantly blank jersey for the second half. To make the whole thing even more bizarre, it's emerged that Torres did not even notice his plain shirt until the end of the game and nobody from Barca picked up on it.

MORE INTERESTED IN THE GUYS A football fan was left stunned aftrer spotting Antonio Conte and Claudio Ranieri while out for Valentine’s Day dinner with his girlfriend. The couple could barely believe it when Tottenham boss Conte and former Leicester and Watford manager Ranieri took the table next to them. After intending to go out for a romantic meal, the fan appeared to pay more attention to the Italian managers. In a TikTok video, Conte and Ranieri are seen sharing a laugh and a joke at the posh Bombay Brasserie in South Kensington, London. The social media user couldn’t resist capturing the moment between the pair, but it’s safe to say his girlfriend looked far from amused. And to compound her misery, the starstruck fan even made sure to grab a selfie with the pair after dinner.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov will sit down with Cristiano Ronaldo and try to convince his friend to stay at Manchester United. The UFC legend has been close pals with Ronaldo since the forward’s Real Madrid days. Ronaldo, 37, returned to Manchester United this summer after leaving Juventus but already his future is in doubt. Rumors suggest he might leave United in summer if the Red Devils fail to qualify for the Champions League.

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Senegal captain Koulibaly comforted Mohamed Abdelmonem of Egypt following the Africa Cup of Nations final in which Senegal defeated Egypt 4-2 on penalties.

Southampton trolled Tottenham manager Antonio Conte after the Saints came back to beat Spurs 3-2.

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SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

LAST WORD

AMBITION MUST ALWAYS TRUMP MONEY THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW SHOWED US THAT FOR ALL THE ACCUSATIONS THAT PLAYERS ONLY SEEK MONEY, MORE ARE NOW DECIDING WITH THEIR HEART RATHER THAN THEIR WALLET, WRITES SUSY CAMPANALE

he cliche of the modern football player is someone obsessed with status, cash and the kind of salary package that makes them more in one day that most of their fans do in a whole year. Wages have spiralled completely out of control and need to be reined in, but while there are still some who follow the dollars, we are increasingly seeing athletes consider their sporting ambitions first and foremost. Robin Gosens put it perfectly when he revealed the offer that was on the table from Newcastle United could’ve paid for several generations of his family to be perfectly well-off for life. That is not an easy thing to turn down, knowing you could provide for everyone you love for decades. It would’ve been in the Premier League, that is true, but ultimately the German international opted for a less lucrative gig at Inter. The same scenario played out in

SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022

ABOVE: Dusan Vlahovic chose Juventus rather than any of the Premier League opportunities BOTTOM LEFT: Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne could be a game changer for MLS and Toronto FC BOTTOM RIGHT: When Barcelona came calling, Adama Traore had no doubts

Serie A when Dusan Vlahovic turned down a much higher salary at Arsenal, infuriating his Fiorentina fans by joining arch-rivals Juventus. Money might be a more important factor when you get into your 30s and can see the end of your career looming, but before that, ambition has to be the primary factor in the decisionmaking process. Arsenal and Newcastle in particular, and to a lesser degree Tottenham Hotspur, saw several of their top transfer targets snub them in favour of less lucrative contracts. The draw of playing in the Premier League only goes so far now, as people have realised it’s an increasingly closed shop in the title race. If you are not at Manchester City or Liverpool, you can pretty much forget about going for the trophy. Even a Chelsea side that won the Champions League isn’t going to mount a genuine challenge domestically. When it comes to the Magpies, their nouveau riche approach to the transfer window was fooling nobody. This remained a team battling against relegation and that was not going to change overnight after the arrival of their wealthy new owners. Arsenal and Spurs fans assumed Vlahovic was going to rush towards them, while Tottenham were left high and dry by Adama Traore as soon as Barcelona came calling. They overestimate the appeal of clubs who every season find themselves scrapping just to enter the top four, and usually failing at that. These clubs simply do not represent a draw for anything other than money. Even they can’t compete with Major League Soccer on that score, so Lorenzo Insigne will leave his beloved Napoli for Toronto FC as a free agent for reportedly the biggest salary package ever seen in MLS. The Insigne deal is seen as something of a game changer in North America, attracting a player at the peak of his career and so soon after he started to gain some international recognition, thanks to his performances for

Italy at Euro 2020. Canadians will have to learn how to say tiraggiro – a one-word smooshing together of the words tiro a giro, meaning a curling shot – the effort they will no doubt see a lot of next season. While Sebastian Giovinco was younger, he also joined Toronto FC because he had no prospects at Juventus, his time spent largely on the bench or out on loan. Gonzalo Higuain saw MLS as a retirement league, as many top stars have done before him, but Insigne has genuine quality and star power with plenty more to give. It used to be assumed that any Italy player going to America was effectively giving up on international duty, but times have changed. Insigne is enough of a fixture in Roberto Mancini’s side to keep getting selected, just one of many Italians now scattered around the globe and gaining valuable experience outside of Serie A. The globalisation of football will only continue to grow, as those who traditionally did not travel well – above all English and Italian talents – are finally realising they can flourish outside their narrow domestic parameters. Even Mario Balotelli, that man who never seems to be out of chances in his career, earned an Azzurri recall after rediscovering his form in Turkey playing for Adana Demirspor. Of course, another reason for players focusing more on ambition than money is the example set by those who made the wrong choice. Gianluigi Donnarumma could’ve been in the Champions League with Milan, yet he is languishing on the bench at Paris SaintGermain as second choice behind Keylor Navas. Franck Kessie could soon follow in his footsteps, as his agents seek an outlandish salary that few clubs are prepared to provide. Hopefully we’ll see the end of the bidding wars, replaced by the presentation of a genuine long-term strategy to convince players to join a club that suits them. Who knows, it might even convince a few clubs to develop a strategy where it has clearly been lacking.

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Soccer360 Magazine Issue 97: March / April 2022

Articles inside

NWSL READY

THE NEW LEAGUE

2022 SEASON PREVIEW

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REBOOT

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

ONE HORSE RACE

QATAR QUALIFIERS

BECOMING THE BRIDE

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

A THREE-WAY SPRINT

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

SURELY A SURE THING

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY