Twenty-five years ago, when quizzed about the differences between club football and international football, legendary Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi had one simple conclusion. “Football should always be played at the highest possible level,” he declared, “and no club will ever reach the level as an international side.” That was conventionalRead More →
Rather than at the World Cup in Russia a month later, the competitive part of Christian Pulisic’s season ended with a 3-1 defeat in Hoffenheim on May 12. Borussia Dortmund’s woeful trip to provincial region of Kraichgau was perhaps a fitting denouement: Overall, 2017-18 has been a frustrating 10 monthsRead More →
England — Liverpool have announced a deal to sign Brazilian midfielder Fabinho from Monaco. The clubs agreed a transfer fee worth up to €50 million (￡44m), a source told ESPN FC. The provisions of the deal should see Liverpool pay a guaranteed fee of €45m, with a maximum of €5mRead More →
Josh Sargent scored on his debut as a youthful United States side beat Bolivia 3-0 in an international friendly in Chester, Pennsylvania on Monday. Sargent became the fourth-youngest American to score, making an audacious interception of a goalkeeper’s pass over his head to put the ball into the net inRead More →
They don’t have a song for Jordan Henderson at Liverpool. The Kop used to have a chant about the midfielder and Brendan Rodgers, but ever since the former manager was sacked in October 2015, the man now wearing the captain’s armband at Anfield has quite literally become the team’s unsungRead More →
I’m not being cheeky or doubting you, but you do know Sergio Ramos’ red-card record, don’t you? The infamous story about Real Madrid’s captain and how many times he gets sent off, yes? No. Wait! Not the one about how another expulsion would land him squarely on a quarter-century ofRead More →
The sporting world in the United States is about to change and become something unrecognisable. Monday’s decision from the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) legislation that has, for decades, outlawed sports betting in the U.S. is a very big deal. And asRead More →
Michel Platini has admitted he “did a little trickery” with the 1998 World Cup group stage draw to try and ensure hosts France and reigning champions Brazil would fulfil “everyone’s dream” by meeting in the final. Platini was a co-organiser of the 1998 tournament along with late French Football FederationRead More →
England — Three hours before kickoff, vendors staked out little pieces of concrete in front of Old Trafford, doing steady business selling scarves that honored various Man United figures past and present. A fan walked up and asked for two of Sir Alex Ferguson, who remains a powerful presence aroundRead More →
How about that for a boomerang? In the binary world of Spanish football, this was the sort of gaffe that does double damage. Right now, Barcelona should be sitting back and enjoying the fruits of a Double-winning campaign that saw them go undefeated in La Liga. Maybe send their oldRead More →