Real Madrid, the reigning European champions, announced this past summer that they may boycott the 2025 Club World Cup. This came after FIFA revealed that the competition would be heavily expanded. The tournament has typically been contested by just seven clubs. Nevertheless, the new competition, which is set to be played in the United States next summer, will now feature 32 teams.

Just days after Real’s statement, FIFPro, the global soccer players union, announced legal action against FIFA. While the case was triggered by several decisions by the governing body, it essentially centers around the Club World Cup. FIFPro officially represents nearly 65,000 professional soccer players across the globe.

2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri then claimed that players could soon go on strike if FIFA keeps increasing fixture lists. Several players, including Real’s Thibaut Courtois, supported the remarks by the Manchester City star. Rodri unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury just days after the claim.

Wenger has worked extensively with FIFA since Arsenal departure

FIFA is attempting to combat the overwhelming backlash by implementing the new task force. Following his departure from coaching, Wenger was hired by FIFA to become their Chief of Global Football Development. In the role, the Frenchman is essentially responsible for growing and developing the sport.

Along with this position, Wenger also works as a key member of the Football and Technical Advisory Panel. The job allows the former manager to submit input on potential official rule changes in the sport. Wenger has since pushed for a controversially major alteration to the offside law.

FIFA is asking Wenger and the task force to discuss player welfare issues with “key stakeholders” in soccer. “The objective of the task force is to examine how suitable and effective safeguards for players can be implemented, also taking into account practical considerations from operational, medical, regulatory, and legal perspectives,” read a FIFA statement.

Following the talks, the task force will then make their recommendations regarding the issue. FIFA claims that the panel will also review “scientific research” on players’ physical and mental health in dealing with fixture congestion. According to the governing body, the task force is expected to work on the task throughout the “coming weeks.”

Wenger previously voiced support for expanded Club World Cup

Despite coordinating a task force on player welfare, the 2025 Club World Cup is expected to go on as planned. Wenger is notably a vocal proponent of the controversially expanded tournament. In fact, the Frenchman previously claimed that increasing the Club World Cup to 32 teams will help make soccer more “global.”

Along with defending FIFA’s decision to expand the fairly unpopular competition, Wenger also believes players are essentially treated better now than ever before. The former coach claimed that the “welfare of the players… has increased dramatically” in recent decades. Wenger made the assertion by pointing to various improvements in injury prevention, recovery work, and nutrition.

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Vinicius’s Real teammates echoed the Brazilian star’s sentiments. None of the Spanish club’s players or representatives were in attendance on the night. The move by the reigning European champions was mostly ridiculed for being selfish.

Following the event, Vinicius took to social media to voice his frustrations. “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready,” the winger wrote on X. Because the remark could fall under different connotations, Reuters later attempted to get clarification on the statement.

According to the news agency, the player’s management team responded by saying that “the football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system.” Vinicius previously signed on with Roc Nation Sports after the American company acquired Brazilian agency TFM in 2023.

Brazilian star has been combating racial abuse in Spain for years

Vinicius has regularly been the target of racial abuse since he joined Real in 2018. As a result, the star has been vocal about making changes within the system to combat the deplorable acts. He was in tears while publicly speaking on the issue earlier this year.

Despite claims that the star may move away from Real because of the ongoing problem, Vinicius asserted that he would remain in Spain to play for the team that he loves. According to the Brazilian, leaving the club would “give the racists exactly what they want.”

LaLiga officials have seemingly been slow in attempting to curb racial abuse during matches. A Spanish court, however, recently gave a Mallorca fan a 12-month suspended sentence for hurling racial insults during two separate matches. One of the players to be abused was Vinicius.

The ruling was later applauded by LaLiga president Javier Tebas. The league executive claimed at the time that soccer supporters who commit racial abuse should receive jail time. Nevertheless, it remains unclear if the outcomes of similar cases will follow this path.

Brazilian outlets attribute Vinicius Ballon d’Or loss to Copa America

Although the comments made by Vinicius Junior’s management staff are certainly eyebrow-raising, reports out of Brazil have a different take on the issue. Multiple media outlets in the player’s home country essentially blamed the Ballon d’Or snub on Brazil’s failure at Copa America 2024.

Despite entering the tournament as one of the favorites, Brazil shockingly fell at the quarterfinal stage. Uruguay topped their South American rivals in the match following a penalty shootout. Vinicius did not play in the game after picking up yellow cards in the team’s two previous fixtures.

Personal accolades are certainly a significant factor in the Ballon d’Or voting process. However, team success, both for club and country, also plays a major part in selecting a winner as well. This is a specific area where Rodri separated from Vinicius in the voting.

While Brazil struggled, Rodri guided Spain to the Euro 2024 championship. The midfielder’s stellar display earned him plaudits as the tournament’s best player as well. In total, Rodri has only lost once in his last 85 total games between Spain and City.

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Almost immediately after the news regarding Ten Hag broke, Amorim became the frontrunner to succeed the Dutchman at United. Before being heavily linked with United, the Portuguese coach was expected to potentially replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Nevertheless, the reigning English champions will reportedly not step up efforts to target Amorim at the moment. City officials are still hopeful that Guardiola will sign a new contract extension and remain at the helm. The Spaniard’s current deal is set to expire in June. With City seemingly out of the way, United has a free run at Amorim.

The coach has also given the Red Devils the green light to discuss an agreement with Sporting. Because he is still under contract with the Portuguese club, United brass have to pay his release clause. This fee is reportedly around $11 million. Negotiations are expected to move quickly, as the Red Devils want Amorim on the sidelines for their matchup with Chelsea on Sunday.

Portuguese coach would bring key experience to his new club

Amorim’s managerial stock has skyrocketed in a relatively short amount of time. At just 39, he is currently seen as one of the top young managers in all of Europe. He has previously guided Sporting to the double in his first full campaign in charge. The coach then followed this up with another Primeira Liga title this past season.

Not only has Amorim collected trophies at Sporting, as well as Braga before that, but he has done so while taking over tough situations. Both Portuguese top-flight teams were struggling before he arrived. Assuming he does join United, Amorim will bring experience in successfully righting the ship with him to Manchester.

Along with possessing positive character and leadership traits, Amorim should boost player development at United. In particular, the coach has a history of developing young players into stars. This would certainly seem to benefit current Red Devils such as Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, and Leny Yoro.

Tactically, Amorim prefers a 3-4-3 formation, which typically transitions to a 5-2-3 when out of possession. Holding on to the ball, however, is key for the Portuguese coach. Under Amorim, Sporting currently dominates the Primeira Liga with an impressive 65% possession rate. The club also leads the league with 25 total shots per game and a successful pass rate of nearly 90%.

Amorim would likely need ample time to turn things around at United

United and its fans will welcome these figures. At the moment, the Red Devils do not even come close to any of these specific statistics. However, while Amorim is a top choice for United, patience would be mandatory.

For instance, there are clear squad issues up and down this United roster. Despite spending over $700 million on new players during the Ten Hag era, the Red Devils still need significant changes within the team. As a result, it could take time for the club to begin challenging for a Premier League title. Hiring Amorim should be a long-term project.

Amorim, or any other manager that would enter the fray, should also not expect this spending spree to continue in January. The Guardian claims that the new manager will have limited funds during the next transfer window.

United has attempted to balance the books in recent months due to the previous overspending. The club is also shelling out a hefty sum by making the managerial change. Along with paying Amorim’s salary and his $11 million release clause, United also has to pay Ten Hag a $17 million severance package.

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Both league and club executives are currently discussing potentially changing the division’s annual schedule to begin in the fall and extend to spring. The move would essentially flip the calendar, as current MLS campaigns run from spring to fall each year.

There are several benefits to changing the MLS schedule. Moving to a fall-to-spring season would better align the division with top global soccer leagues. It would move the North American league’s transfer market to a similar timeframe as those in place in Europe as well. The change would also, perhaps most importantly, help MLS boost broadcasting ratings.

While the change is not yet set in stone, it could open the door for MLS to introduce an “Apertura, Clausura” format. The schedule is currently in place in Liga MX. Each Mexican top-flight soccer season is split into two different tournaments.

Apertura (opening) typically takes place from July to December each year. Clausura (closing) then runs from January to May. Each competition has its own champion after the completion of playoff matches. The two-part season is becoming more popular amongst Latin American soccer leagues.

A split MLS season would keep current fans interested

Implementing a split season would seemingly help keep fans engaged straightaway as clubs battle to win the opening part of the campaign. If the calendar changes are made, this “Apertura” season could run from August to November. The Clausura would then give teams a clean slate to try to win the latter competition from February to May.

Having two different smaller seasons should boost fan interest throughout the two different campaigns. This would be a fairly stark contrast to the current format of the MLS regular season. Many Americans feel as if the regular season is mostly meaningless, as more than half of teams currently qualify for the playoffs.

Another key benefit of the Apertura/Clausura format would be to give MLS teams a substantial winter break. Assuming a fall-to-spring calendar switch is coming, northern clubs would likely have to play home games in the bitter cold. This would affect several teams, including Minnesota, Chicago, New England, and Toronto.

Nevertheless, having split seasons could give these northern clubs time off from late December to early February. This is generally regarded as the coldest period of the year. The league currently only has two main stadiums with retractable roofs at the moment.

The move would also likely confuse potential new MLS fans

While introducing Apertura and Clausura seasons has benefits, there are drawbacks to the move as well. The move would likely find support from many soccer supporters, particularly from Latin America, who have followed the sport for a lengthy period. The concept for these fans is not exactly something new.

However, fans used to American sports will presumably have a hard time grasping the split-season move. MLS remains far behind other top professional sports in overall interest in the United States. In fact, MLS only grabs a fraction of viewership figures compared to other American sports.

As a result, league brass has been attempting to attract more fans to the division in recent years. While MLS does continue to get bigger, making confusing alterations to the league’s schedule could hinder its future growth goals.

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According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Bundesliga side wants up to $65 million for striker Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian international has been a smash hit since he arrived at the German club in 2023.

Marmoush originally signed on with Frankfurt as a free agent. The center-forward joined at the time after spending eight years on the books with fellow Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. He, however, only played 48 total senior matches for the club, because he spent time on loan with St. Pauli and Stuttgart.

Before joining Frankfurt, Marmoush struggled to impress in Germany. In fact, the striker only managed to score 16 goals in six total seasons between the three teams. Nevertheless, he has flipped a switch ever since signing with Frankfurt.

For instance, the Egyptian attacker netted 17 total goals throughout his freshman 2023/24 season with his new club.

He has since followed up this impressive scoring streak by scoring an incredible 10 goals in 11 matches to start the current campaign. His nine Bundesliga goals currently lead the entire German top flight. Not only is his scoring for fun, but Marmoush has also racked up seven assists as well.

Marmoush reportedly ‘dreams’ of Liverpool transfer

The forward’s stellar form has attracted multiple top teams across Europe. One interested club, in particular, is reportedly Liverpool. Plettenberg claims that the Reds are seriously monitoring a potential deal for Marmoush.

In fact, the reporter even goes as far as to say that the English team has already reached out to the player’s camp. Frankfurt officials are also apparently aware of the discussions between the two sides.

Marmoush, according to the reporter, “dreams” of a switch to a big Premier League club. As a top English side, the Reds would not have an issue persuading the center-forward to join the team.

Liverpool’s efforts to sign the striker could be helped by his international teammate. Mohamed Salah and Marmoush both currently feature in the Egypt national team. The dynamic duo recently played together for the Pharaohs during the 2024 African Cup of Nations in January. Egypt, however, lost in the round of 16 of the competition after Salah suffered a hamstring injury.

Frankfurt star could be a possible Salah replacement

While Salah may be helping Liverpool grab Marmoush, the Frankfurt forward could also be deflecting the potential loss of the legend. Salah is currently in the final year under contract with the Reds. This means that he may very well depart the club as a free agent in June.

Liverpool obviously wants to keep Salah and get the star to sign a new contract. This, however, has not yet occurred, and it is looking increasingly likely that he will possibly leave the team after the current campaign. Saudi Pro League officials have been heavily linked with a move for the 32-year-old winger.

Marmoush is typically deployed as a center-forward at Frankfurt. Nevertheless, the attacker is versatile enough to play several different positions. In fact, he has mostly been utilized out on the left flank for his national team. Marmoush can also play on Salah’s right-hand side and even as an attacking midfielder as well.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Eibner

The federation, along with the U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association, HBO, and production company Park Stories, are currently working on the film.

Park Stories generally focuses on creating documentaries surrounding premier athletes and sports brands. The company has previously helped produce original content involving Zion Williamson, Sha’Carri Richardson, and current USMNT star Tyler Adams.

The talented midfielder has unfortunately only managed to play four total matches for Bournemouth so far since moving to the Cherries in 2023.

HBO crews have been working on the doc since 2022

The upcoming documentary series will follow the USMNT as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup. While the tournament is now less than two years away, production crews have apparently been following the team since 2022. This came immediately after the previous World Cup in Qatar.

The USMNT endured a mediocre showing at the tournament in the Middle East. After finishing second in their group, the Stars and Stripes were emphatically knocked out of the competition by the Netherlands.

Haji Wright scored the lone goal for the Americans in the 3-1 defeat in Al-Rayyan.

Nevertheless, the Americans will look to improve in the next World Cup tournament on home soil. Cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States will co-host the competition in the summer of 2026.

11 of the 16 venues, however, are in America. This means that the USMNT should play most of their matches on their own turf.

In the meantime, the USMNT will play a host of friendlies and official matches before the 2026 tournament. They are next set to face Jamaica twice in the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals in November.

Doc will give an unprecedented view of USMNT under Pochettino

HBO’s documentary will also give some interesting insight into the USMNT’s life under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. U.S. Soccer managed to surprisingly grab the highly-rated Argentine coach following the dismissal of Gregg Berhalter this past summer. As production has been following the USMNT camp since 2022, Berhalter’s departure should be in the docuseries.

The Pochettino era began with a 2-0 victory over Panama earlier this month. The victory was essentially payback for a previous defeat to the Central Americans at Copa America 2024.

Pochettino, however, then suffered his first defeat with his new team against bitter rivals Mexico just three days later. Nevertheless, the USMNT was without several key stars for the rare fixture south of the border.

The upcoming docuseries will give American soccer fans an unprecedented view of the USMNT and U.S. Soccer. It remains to be seen how much footage of the hiring process of Pochettino will be shown. However, details involving the acquisition would certainly be interesting to supporters of the team.

The multi-part docuseries, which is without a title, will likely exclusively hit HBO Max at some point in 2026. HBO previously dropped the company name from its streaming service in 2023. Max recently reached 103 million total subscribers, a new record for the on-demand over-the-top streaming service.

Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The governing body revealed back in May that they were creating a working group to look into the viability of the matter.

This group was put in place to gain information and then recommend whether or not to adjust current rules. Currently, FIFA laws block leagues from playing official league matches overseas. However, this could soon change depending on the panel’s advice.

Working group to include multiple FIFPro members

On Thursday, FIFA gave a new update on the working group. The governing body claimed that the panel will include 14 officials.

This will include members from several different associations and organizations. This includes a representative from each FIFA confederation, two members from the World Leagues Association, and two officials from FIFPro.

The inclusion of the latter is particularly interesting due to an ongoing lawsuit between the organizations.

FIFPro, the global soccer players union, previously announced legal action against FIFA due to the expansion of multiple competitions. Several star players have recently hit out at the governing body for fixture congestion.

In their statement regarding the working group, FIFA claimed that the panel’s main objective will be to review possible alterations to the FIFA Regulations Governing International Matches. This is the law that prevents league matches taking place overseas.

The group will look into two specific aspects of the rule. Firstly, the panel is set to review “the rules, procedures, and processes for authorizing interclub football matches or competitions.” Next, they will then look at the particular “criteria to be applied” for moving such games.

FIFA claims, just as they did in May, that the group will rule on the situation “in the coming months.”

LaLiga wants Atleti-Barca game moved to Miami in December

The issue of playing foreign league games abroad has become an increasingly hot topic in recent months. There were previously suggestions that the Premier League could soon come to the United States. The move, however, is fairly unlikely to occur at the moment.

Nevertheless, Liga MX and LaLiga fixtures seemingly have a much higher chance of taking place in America in the near future.

The president of Club America, the most popular Mexican soccer team, revealed this past summer that a league match could be played north of the border this season. Club America’s home arena, Estadio Azteca, is currently undergoing renovations.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas is also pushing for a Spanish top-flight game to come to America. In fact, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona recently agreed to play their December matchup in Miami. The move, however, is not exactly popular with everyone within the clubs. Atleti’s third captain, Jose Gimenez, has publicly denounced the potential move.

The fixture change has to have the backing of both FIFA and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The governing body of the sport in Spain previously blocked Barca’s efforts to play Girona in Miami in 2019. FIFA’s formation of the aforementioned working group will help determine their stance on the situation.

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FC Series was previously introduced in 2015 and has regularly featured some of the best clubs from across the globe. Brazilian top-flight teams, however, have been a mainstay in the tournament. São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro, Flamengo, and Palmeiras have all previously won the competition.

The most recent rendition of the FC Series, played this past summer, involved several marquee European sides. This included eventual winners Manchester City and also Barcelona, AC Milan, and Chelsea. Tournament organizers opted to relabel the competition because most of the recent matches were played outside of Florida.

Fierce Brazilian rivalry match comes to US for first time

Nevertheless, the competition will return to its original roots in January. The upcoming series of matches are perhaps highlighted by Superclássico Mineiro. Atlético and Cruzeiro, both from the city of Belo Horizonte, have one of the most intense rivalries in all of Brazil. The January fixture will be the first time that the two teams face off in the United States.

Along with the rivalry match, the final game of the series will be between Atlético and Orlando City. The Floridian side recently grabbed the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference section of the 2024 MLS playoffs. They face Charlotte in the competition. The triumphant side could potentially play Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami in the following round.

Three out of the four FC Series matches are at Orlando’s home stadium. However, São Paulo will also play an unknown team at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 19. Currently, Inter Miami plays its home fixtures at the arena. It remains unclear if Lionel Messi’s club will be the final team to feature in the January competition.

Ticketing info released as schedule not yet complete

São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro, and Cruzeiro are all currently in the top half of the 2024 Brazilian Serie A standings. As a result, the trio is looking to qualify for prestigious South American tournaments at the end of the season.

Historically speaking, no club has earned more Brazilian top-flight points than São Paulo. Tricolor Paulista has also collected six total Serie A titles in their illustrious history. Atlético and Cruzeiro have performed well in the division as well. The Belo Horizonte duo have combined to grab seven league titles.

Presale information for all four matches of the upcoming FC Series is currently available on FCSeries.com. Tickets officially go on sale to fans on Thursday, Oct. 31.

January FC Series Schedule:

Wednesday, January 15 – Cruzeiro vs. São Paulo – Inter&Co Stadium

Saturday, January 18 – Atlético Mineiro vs. Cruzeiro – Inter&Co Stadium

Sunday, January 19 – São Paulo vs. TBA – Chase Stadium

Saturday, January 25: Orlando City vs. Atlético Mineiro – Inter&Co Stadium

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The tandem played alongside side each other at Lille for three seasons before Weah departed for the Juve. Not only did the duo feature together, but they became close friends in France. The connection certainly makes sense, as both stars have somewhat similar backgrounds.

Both Weah and David were born in Brooklyn, New York, before moving to other areas of the world. Although David later opted to represent Canada, they are also two of CONCACAF’s top players at the moment. Weah has enjoyed life, particularly as of late, with Juve. David, on the other hand, is widely regarded as the confederation’s best striker currently plying their trade in Europe.

Weah previously claimed to have talked up Juventus to ‘best friend’ David

The Canadian center-forward has gotten off to a stellar start to the current campaign with Lille. David has racked up ten goals in 15 total matches with the French side so far this season. The prolific display has made Lille officials worry about their star player’s future. David is currently in his final year under contract at the club and is likely set to depart in June as a free agent.

Transfermarkt currently values the striker at around $48 million, but he can be signed for free due to his expiring contract at Lille. Because of this situation, David has garnered the attention of several top teams. Barcelona, Inter Milan, Newcastle, and Juve are among the clubs to be linked with the Canadian.

Nevertheless, Juve believes Weah can help attract David to their club next summer. The USMNT midfielder previously revealed that his Canadian “best friend” had specifically asked about Juve in 2023. Weah even admitted that he told David to join him at the Old Lady in the future. Although the striker did remain with Lille, there is a solid chance that the two players can reunite in Italy next summer.

David could help Juve’s current scoring problems

Reports out of Italy even claim that Weah has continued to discuss Juve with David in recent weeks. Cristiano Giuntoli, the Serie A club’s director, is also allegedly a long-time admirer of the Canadian forward as well. Any deal regarding David, however, will not be cheap.

Although the striker will be a free agent, his potential salary and corresponding agent fees are significant. Pending free agents typically ask for higher wages because they know that teams do not have to pay a transfer fee. For instance, Lloyd Kelly is currently Newcastle’s joint second-highest earner after joining the club as a free agent from Bournemouth.

Juve will want David to help their struggling offense. The club has only managed to score 11 Serie A goals so far this season. This is the lowest tally of any team in the top nine of the table. The Old Lady, however, remain third in the standings due to their stout defense. Manager Thiago Motta’s club has only conceded one total league goal during the current campaign.

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The Swede finished the 2023/24 campaign with 21 Premier League goals. This was the third-highest figure among English top-flight players. Only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer managed to score more goals in the season. Overall, Isak has netted 36 goals in 74 total appearances with the Magpies.

As a proven goalscorer, big English sides such as Arsenal and Chelsea have garnered interest in the striker. Newcastle, however, holds some power in the situation due to Isak’s contract. The star’s current deal does not expire until the summer of 2028. As a result, the club does not have to offload arguably their most prized asset.

Isak wants pay raise, Champions League qualification

Nevertheless, there are seemingly issues on the player’s side of the situation that could affect Isak’s Newcastle future. The 25-year-old star reportedly wants higher wages and the ability to play in the UEFA Champions League. Isak currently earns around $8 million per year. While not a small sum, it is now the fifth-highest salary at the club.

Newcastle is also now not featuring in any European competition this season after finishing seventh in the table in May. Isak and the Magpies previously played in the Champions League in the last campaign for the first time since 2023/04. They were, however, unable to reach the knockout stage after featuring in the ‘group of death’ alongside PSG, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund.

Howe was asked about the club’s contract negotiations with Isak on Friday. The coach did not exactly ease fan fears and even pointed to potential spending issues within the club. “That’s a slightly more complex situation,” Howe told reporters.

“Regarding contracts, I’m not involved in those discussions day to day. With Alex, he’s got a long contract anyway at the football club and we have to be really careful with our spending due to profit and sustainability rules (PSR). It’s not a clear-cut situation.”

“We of course love him [Isak] and are desperate for him to stay at Newcastle for many years and score loads of goals for us. I don’t see a short-term issue with his contract.”

Howe to Isak: ‘Focus on football’ going forward

Because Isak is on a long-term contract, Howe asked his star striker to “focus on football” looking ahead. Newcastle has work to do if they are to qualify for next season’s Champions League. The Magpies currently sit ninth in the English top-flight standings after winning just three of their first eight league matches.

Howe and Isak will next have to face Chelsea, a team that has been linked with the center-forward, on Sunday. The Magpies will also host the Blues next week during a Carabao Cup round of 16 fixture. Newcastle’s upcoming schedule does not get any easier, as they will play Arsenal three days after the cup match.

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Postecoglou initially deployed Moore on the right flank on the night. However, after the halftime break, the youngster switched to his preferred left side. It was in this position where Moore truly excelled. Spurs midfielder James Maddison joked after the victory that he thought they “had Neymar on the left wing.”

During a press conference on Friday, the Spurs manager was asked about Moore’s performance and Maddison’s subsequent comments. Postecoglou claimed that while comparisons can be difficult for young players, Moore is mature enough to handle the Neymar links.

“I think we all understand with young players, you have to be careful, but after the game, I don’t get the sense that that’s going to affect Mikey at all,” said Postecoglou. “There’s no denying he was great last night. I thought he was great the whole game, especially in that [second] period. It’s exciting for us.”

Postecoglou has carefully managed Moore’s Premier League minutes

Moore is widely seen as Tottenham’s most valuable teen prospect at the moment. There were, however, fears earlier this summer that the budding star would leave the club for another venture. Nevertheless, Moore eventually signed a three-year contract with Spurs just before the start of the 2024/25 season.

Despite his talent, Postecoglou has been careful not to rush Moore straight into the action. For instance, the winger has only played a total of 21 minutes in Premier League play during the current campaign. He was not even named in the squad for the team’s first four games in the division.

However, Moore has been given more opportunities in the Europa League. Both of his senior starts for the club have come in the European competition. While Moore does not have a goal or assist, his performances have been widely praised by pundits and fans. These glimpses have also caught Postecoglou’s attention.

Spurs coach claims Mikey Moore can ‘start any game’ now

Although the manager is being careful with the teen sensation, he has now admitted that Moore can begin to be used more often, even in the demanding Premier League. “He’s ready to start any game,” continued the coach. “I just feel, especially with younger players, you’ve got to be really careful about their introduction into senior football.”

“He’s still physically growing. You have to take that into account, so I think he’s ready to play, to start a Premier League game, for sure. But for me, it’s about making sure, for us, that we develop Mikey in the right way and so far, whatever we’ve asked from him, he’s made a good impact.”

Moore will get his next chance to impact an English top-flight match on Sunday, as Spurs are set to face Crystal Palace. The South London side currently sits in the relegation zone thanks to having the worst scoring record in the league. A win on the weekend for Spurs, on the other hand, could lift them into the top four.

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Since the takeover, Chelsea has signed nearly 40 new players in the transfer market. The plethora of new additions cost the ownership team around $1.4 billion. BlueCo has attempted to offset this incredible spending by offloading dozens of unwanted players.

As a result, just three senior players remain in the current squad from the 2021/22 season. Reece James and Ben Chilwell are the most prominent players on this list. The defenders have both dealt with a series of injuries in recent years though. Third-string goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli also previously joined the club in 2021. The shot-stopper, however, has only played one match for the Blues.

Only 4% of Chelsea’s recent signings were over 25 years old

Not only has BlueCo overhauled Chelsea’s roster, but they have mostly focused on signing young talent. For instance, a new report from the CIES Football Observatory shows that only 4% of the club’s recent signings were players over the age of 25.

Along with Bettinelli, the Blues also brought in veteran center-back Tosin Adarabioyo back in July. The former Fulham star was 26 when he signed with Chelsea as a free agent. None of the West London team’s current roster entered the fray over the age of 30. Bettinelli is the club’s only player in the squad over the age of 27.

Not only has Chelsea avoided targeting older, more experienced players, but they have also mostly signed prospects under the age of 21. According to the aforementioned report, 52% of the club’s current players were signed in this age bracket. This is the third-highest percentage of any team in Europe’s top five leagues. Only Strasbourg (79%) and Eintracht Frankfurt (60%) have signed more U21 players than the Blues.

Strasbourg’s similar interest in youth players is not exactly surprising, considering they share ownership with Chelsea. BlueCo purchased the French side in the summer of 2023 for around $81 million. The move was seen as a way for Chelsea to use Strasbourg as essentially a feeder club.

BlueCo is attempting to follow in Red Bull’s footsteps

BlueCo’s strategy with Chelsea and Strasbourg is to spend money on highly-rated youth players, develop the talent, and then see significant rises in squad valuations. This move theoretically allows ownership to hold on to budding prospects on long-term contracts while also preventing a need for extreme spending in the future.

Nevertheless, perpetually purchasing relatively unproven players is also a risky business. This was evident in Chelsea’s embarrassing first season under the BlueCo umbrella. The Blues finished 12th in the Premier League table after winning just 11 matches in the division all season.

Chelsea, however, did bounce back to sixth in the English top-flight standings after the 2023/24 campaign. While not exactly where they need to be, it was a sign of improvement. The Blues currently sit in the same place in the table at the moment.

BlueCo’s youth movement between Chelsea and Strasbourg shows that they are attempting to become the next powerhouse in youth soccer. Red Bull is widely regarded as the premier soccer setup for developing young talent. The German conglomerate owns stakes in several clubs across the globe, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls.

The organization typically, particularly in Europe, opts to bring in young talent to develop. RB Leipzig, Red Bull’s top team, signed nearly half of their current players (48%) under the age of 22. This is currently the sixth-highest rate of any top-five European team. Red Bull recently announced that they will invest in French side Paris FC in the future.

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The 2025 Club World Cup, in particular, is set to expand from seven clubs to 32 next summer. The tournament is being held in the United States as essentially a warmup to the 2026 World Cup the following year. UEFA also opted to make major alterations to the Champions League as well. The decision increased the total number of annual games played in the competition from 125 to 189.

The moves forced FIFPro, the global soccer players union, to threaten legal action against FIFA. Real Madrid, the reigning Champions League winners, warned that they would boycott the next Club World Cup as well. Foden’s club teammate Rodri also recently claimed that players could go on strike to combat the issue. The Spanish star suffered a season-ending injury just days after the remarks.

Star has yet to score a Premier League goal this season

Foden was expected to continue his stellar display following an incredible 2023/24 campaign with City. The attacker was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year after scoring 19 goals and adding eight assists in Premier League play last season.

Nevertheless, Foden has yet to score in the English top flight during the current campaign. He has even struggled to get ample playing time under manager Pep Guardiola this season. The midfielder has only been named in one of the Spaniard’s starting XI in the Premier League. Foden failed to make a real impact on the opportunity.

Following a massive 5-1 win against Sparta Progue on Wednesday, a game in which Foden scored and assisted goals, the attacker pointed to the intense 2023/24 season. The England international featured in 69 total games during the previous campaign between club and country.

“Last year, there were so many games,” stated Foden. “I put everything I could into it. I came back a little bit fatigued, which is normal. Rodri came back like that as well, a few players really.”

“It’s normal how many games we play — you have to burn out at some point. I’m making steps in the right direction and trying to get back to my best.”

Man City is still thriving without key contributions

Despite the lengthy season between club and country, Foden managed to remain relatively healthy in the campaign. For instance, the attacker was available for selection for every game during the entire 2023/24 season. The star has not missed a match due to injury since 2021. He was, however, previously sidelined with an illness and an appendectomy.

Nevertheless, the minor injuries that players, including Foden, endure take a toll on their bodies. “I had a bit of fatigue coming back from last year, a bit of illness,” continued Foden. “A few niggles as well. A few things added together.”

“But if you speak to any player, they’ve all been through the ups and downs of football. It was just a bump in the road if you like. I’m delighted I’m back and enjoying my football.”

While Rodri is on the sidelines and Foden has yet to hit full stride, City still has not lost a game this season. The reigning English champions remain just one point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. They also sit comfortably in third place in the Champions League league phase.

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Cushing being linked with Arsenal Women certainly makes sense. The English coach previously managed fellow WSL side Manchester City for nearly seven years. Not only was he at the helm of one of the top English women’s teams for a while, but he earned multiple trophies as well. Cushing collected four trophies during his time with the club, including the 2016 WSL championship.

The previous triumph means that Cushing is one of only three coaches to win the WSL in the last decade. Former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes dominated the division by collecting eight of the last 10 league titles. Along with Cushing, former Arsenal boss Joe Montemurro also won a WSL championship during this timeframe.

Arsenal Women target Nick Cushing ahead of NYCFC’s playoff run

It remains to be seen, however, if Cushing would be interested in swapping Major League Soccer for the WSL. The Englishman has been at the helm of NYCFC since the summer of 2022. He departed Manchester City’s women’s team to join the MLS side. Although he has only compiled a win rate of 35% in just over 100 total matches in America, Cushing does have the club in the 2024 MLS playoffs.

NYCFC has the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference bracket of the tournament. As a result, Cushing will lead his team against Cincinnati in the first round of the playoffs. The matchup is scheduled for Monday, October 28th, in Ohio. If NYCFC can triumph they could potentially face off against rivals New York Red Bulls in the second round.

The club’s place in the postseason competition will cause Arsenal problems in their quest to sign Cushing. The WSL side would seemingly benefit in their pursuit of the coach if NYCFC suffered defeat next week.

Arsenal would also likely have to pay compensation to NYCFC, a club that shares ownership with bitter rivals Manchester City, to sign Cushing. The coach’s current contract does not expire until after the 2025 MLS season.

Move would be a major statement for women’s soccer

Assuming Cushing does jump ship and return to England, it would be a massive signing for Arsenal and the WSL. Women’s soccer, particularly in England and the United States, has seen a gigantic spike in fan interest in recent months. This is evident in a recent report that WSL has more than tripled its broadcasting viewership since inking a deal with YouTube.

Cushing, however, is not Arsenal’s only managerial option at the moment. The Gunners are also apparently not in a major rush to appoint a new permanent head coach. Renee Slegers is currently leading the team temporarily and will likely continue doing so shortly. The Dutch coach has managed to win both of her matches in charge of the team so far.

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The Athletic writer Paul Tenorio reports that league officials and club owners are discussing the potential alteration. While nothing is set in stone just yet, many MLS executives view the move as a way to better align with the top soccer leagues worldwide. Most top European divisions typically play their matches from August to May each season.

Along with having a similar schedule as top foreign leagues, MLS officials also see other major benefits to the move. Perhaps most importantly, the North American division would have the same transfer markets as prominent European leagues. This could help better position MLS as a global powerhouse.

MLS executive vice president of sporting product and competition Nelson Rodriguez, however, told The Athletic that it is “too soon” to truly determine if the change will occur. Nevertheless, there is hope around the league that the new schedule could be implemented after the 2026 World Cup.

Calendar change would likely boost MLS TV ratings

Potentially aligning with European leagues is certainly a major positive in the schedule change. Here in the United States, the move could also help MLS gain more traction in television viewership. At the moment, MLS playoffs have to compete nationally with the powerful NFL, college football and MLB postseason.

American football easily dominates broadcasting ratings as the most popular professional league in America. College football and MLB also regularly attract massive viewership figures as well. Along with these popular leagues, NBA and NHL seasons also begin during the fall months.

Flipping the calendar would place MLS playoffs in a less competitive timeframe. The argument in favor of the current calendar is that the summer does not have the most popular American sports. Therefore, MLS has more of an opportunity. Yet, there are other major sporting events in the summer, such as international tournaments, that take viewership. Yet, those are regular-season matches in the thick of the summer. Shifting the schedule puts the most important MLS games in a more open slot. Those would be played in April and May if the change is made. This would put the soccer league head-to-head with the NBA and NHL playoffs, as well as the MLB regular season.

Fans and players would also avoid the increasingly oppressive heat

MLS fans who attend games could also benefit from the scheduling change. Many matchups in the division currently play throughout the grueling summer months. More than one-third of MLS clubs currently play home matches in the southern half of the country.

As a result, a plethora of fixtures are played in warm areas during the hottest time of the year. Due to the ongoing effects of climate change, these scorching scenarios are only getting worse. Having fewer summer games in the intense heat would be better for fans, as well as the players.

Select northern teams, however, would likely have issues with the schedule change. Clubs like Montreal, Toronto, Minnesota and New England all play in outdoor arenas. Nevertheless, MLS officials can help combat the issue by scheduling away games during the harshest winter months of these teams.

The league already does not have an issue making specialized scheduling decisions to benefit their clubs. Montreal played their first six MLS regular season games on the road this season due to frigid temperatures in February and March. The Canadian club can also use the domed Stade Olympique as their alternate home during colder months.

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Fellow English top-flight teams attempted to block the deal because of direct ties between PIF and the Saudi state. The Premier League, however, sanctioned the purchase after receiving “legally binding assurances” that the Saudi state would not have control over the team.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters then tried to limit worries over the deal weeks after it was completed. Masters claimed that there was a “corporate difference” between PIF and the Saudi state. He also attempted to ease concerns by claiming that the division has the power to “remove the consortium as owners of the club” should they “find any evidence to the contrary.”

WhatsApp messages leave egg on the face of Premier League officials

New evidence now suggests that Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, controlled the 2021 takeover of Newcastle. This is according to leaked WhatsApp messages from former Magpies director Amanda Staveley. The British businesswoman officially brokered the deal between Ashley and PIF. She recently departed the club after selling her minority shares.

The messages obtained by The Telegraph highlight Salman’s direct involvement in the deal. The Saudi Prince even personally signed off on key decisions during the takeover.

As Ashley and PIF were in the negotiation phase, Staveley attempted to push the deal along via WhatsApp. The businesswoman informed the sellers that “the Crown Prince is losing patience” in the pending deal and that the governor of PIF was “trying to… convince the Crown Prince not to pull out.”

Staveley then received help from the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom to get an agreement in place. Weeks later, the Newcastle executive sent more messages claiming that she needed to “update the Saudi Ambassador at 4 PM, as he needs to update the Crown Prince.”

Staveley also claimed that Lord Gerry Grimstone, previously the UK’s minister for investment, assisted in the deal. According to the businesswoman, Grimstone “pushed behind the scenes and made it very clear that their preference is for the deal to go ahead.”

This all comes after former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed that his government had no involvement whatsoever in PIF’s takeover of Newcastle. Johnson made the assertion in an official written parliamentary answer.

Newcastle deal led to the Premier League enacting APT rules

Staveley has since defended her WhatsApp messages through a statement from her lawyers. The attorney told The Telegraph that she “only ever referenced the Crown Prince in his capacity as chairman of PIF.” The statement also labeled suggestions that the Saudi state is controlling Newcastle as “illogical.”

It remains to be seen what the Premier League will do with this new information. Nevertheless, team execs in the division are likely to have an ‘I told you so’ moment with top-flight officials. Newcastle’s takeover also had a direct impact on the recent mayhem involving associated party transactions (APT).

Manchester City, linked with the United Arab Emirates, previously sued the Premier League over the laws. APTs are transactions between companies/parties under the same ownership.

The division implemented the rules right after PIF completed the takeover of Newcastle. Both City and Premier League officials claimed victories after the outcome of the court case. The seemingly split decision only causes more chaos in the situation.

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According to The Guardian, Liverpool earns a base annual fee of about $39 million from Nike. This particular figure is significantly less than what other top Premier League clubs receive in similar kit deals. The agreement, however, also includes several bonuses that help the Reds make more money.

For instance, performance-related rewards, commercial tie-ins, and 20% royalties on jersey sales help boost Liverpool’s income quite drastically. These extra bonuses can see the Reds earn closer to $77 million each season.

This particular sum would be more in line with other big English clubs. Arsenal and Chelsea both rake in around $77 million in their kit deals. The Gunners currently have a deal in place with Adidas, while the Blues are signed with Nike.

Adidas agreement will see Liverpool generate more funds

Liverpool recently opened a tender process to field offers for a new kit deal to begin in 2025. Although Nike and Puma attempted to sign with the Reds, Adidas bid the highest price. As a result, the German sportswear company will become Liverpool’s next jersey supplier for the next five years.

In the deal, the Reds will receive at least $77 million annually from Adidas. The Guardian claims that the potential final price tag could even reach a little higher.

Manchester City currently makes about $85 million each year in their agreement with Puma. Assuming the Liverpool and Adidas fee is worth a bit more than the base fee, the Reds could receive similar funds as the reigning English champions.

Soccer finance expert Mo Chatra has, however, claimed that Liverpool’s new deal with Adidas could reach as high as $130 million. Chatra backs up the assertion by revealing that Nike, due to their current partnership with the club, had the option to match any new deal.

The American company’s resistance suggests that Adidas offered the Reds notably more money. Nevertheless, Manchester United, generally seen as the most popular English soccer club in the world, currently has a $116 million kit deal with Adidas.

This is the highest price for any kit deal among Premier League teams. It seems unlikely that Liverpool would receive significantly more money from the sportswear company than their rivals.

Reds currently lead the Premier League under new coach

Liverpool is currently off to a flying start so far this season. Many expected the Reds to suffer early in the campaign due to a managerial change. Legendary German coach Jurgen Klopp departed the club in May. Arne Slot subsequently replaced him.

Interestingly enough, Klopp previously wore Adidas sneakers on the sidelines despite the team’s deal with Nike. The coach was able to don Adidas shoes because of a personal agreement with the German company.

Slot, however, has the Reds atop the Premier League table heading into matchday nine. Liverpool has only lost one top-flight game to start the season. This defeat came at the hands of Nottingham Forest in mid-September. The Reds will attempt to keep their lead in the standings as they face Arsenal in London this weekend.

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Ten Hag’s position with the team looked to be getting even worse last weekend. Brentford took a lead at Old Trafford into the break following a header from Ethan Pinnock. The coach’s halftime talk, however, seemed to motivate his players, as the Red Devils scored two second-half goals to take the three points.

Despite the win, United brass has reportedly been working behind the scenes to sound out potential Ten Hag replacements. Team officials even recently met to discuss the coach’s position in the team. The outcome of the lengthy summit resulted in the Dutchman keeping his job. This could seemingly change with more poor results in the near future though.

Thomas Tuchel was recently heavily linked with a move to the club, should they fire Ten Hag. Nevertheless, the German coach has since accepted a position with the England national team. Tuchel, however, is certainly not the lone option for the Red Devils.

United CEO reportedly met Xavi in Spain

According to Mail Sport, United has also contacted former Barcelona coach Xavi regarding the situation. The news outlet claims that the two sides have discussed the coaching role in Manchester two separate times in recent months.

The talks were led by United chief executive officer Omar Berrada and three other key figures at the club. Berrada, who only just recently arrived at the team, reportedly flew to Barcelona last week to have a face-to-face meeting with Xavi.

Sources with the Red Devils have played down the trip to the Catalan city due to the 2024 America’s Cup. The prestigious yacht race was off the coast of Barcelona. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United’s minority owner, also supports the sailing team INEOS Britannia. The British yacht eventually lost the competition to a team from New Zealand.

Xavi, who has claimed that he wants to manage a club outside of Spain, departed Barca after the 2023/24 season. The former star midfielder previously guided the club to the 2022/23 LaLiga title. He then declared that he was leaving the Catalan club back in January. Although Barca brass talked him into staying, the team eventually fired the coach in May.

Club is working behind the scenes despite giving current coach another chance

United officials are seemingly giving Ten Hag ample time to turn things around. They are not going to make a rash decision in the situation. Nevertheless, they are also doing their due diligence for preparations in case they do make a managerial change.

Assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy would likely become a solid short-term solution should the Red Devil opt to sack Ten Hag. The fellow Dutchman came into the fray ahead of the current campaign. United, however, also needs to have a more permanent plan in place should they make the drastic decision.

One manager who may resist a potential switch to Manchester is Thomas Frank. The Brentford boss has done a fantastic job with the Bees since taking over in 2018.

Frank has been linked with United in recent months. Recently, he claimed that he is more than happy with the West London club. The Dane has asserted that moving to a bigger club, such as the Red Devils, would not make his life any better.

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The Norway international has returned to partial training but does not appear to be ready to face the Reds. Bukayo Saka is also a major doubt for the upcoming fixture as well. The star winger has missed the team’s last two matches due to a leg injury while on international duty with England.

Following Arsenal’s slim 1-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, manager Mikel Arteta told reporters that Saka is “unlikely” to play Liverpool. The Englishman has four days to recover from the setback but has not trained at all since suffering the setback. Odegaard and Saka are undoubtedly Arsenal’s most important offensive players.

Defensive trio could miss match against the Premier League leaders

Along with potentially missing key creative stars, Arteta will likely have to shuffle his defense at the weekend. William Saliba will miss the Liverpool fixture after receiving a controversial red card against Bournemouth. The center-back was sent off for a tactical foul 45 yards away from goal. As a result, the world-class defender will be suspended for the next Premier League game.

Versatile defender Jurrien Timber is a major doubt against Liverpool as well. The Dutchman last featured for the Gunners in a Champions League matchup with Paris Saint-Germain three weeks ago. Nevertheless, Arteta previously stated that Timber may face Shakhtar on Tuesday, so the defender is likely nearing a comeback.

Despite this potentially positive news, Arsenal suffered another injury setback against the Ukrainian side. Riccardo Calafiori required a substitution late in the victory due to an apparent knee issue. The Italy international was able to walk off of the pitch without much of a limp. Arteta, however, later labeled the problem as “not great news” following the game.

There were also concerns regarding right-back Ben White on Tuesday. The fellow defender exited during the halftime break. Nevertheless, the manager told reporters after the game that the decision was solely tactical. White previously picked up a yellow card and the Spaniard did not want to risk going down to 10 players.

Arteta says Arsenal will be “flying” against Liverpool despite injuries

The series of injuries will be a massive worry for Arsenal fans heading into such a big game. While it is still very early in the season, a potential defeat for the Gunners would leave them seven points behind league-leading Liverpool.

Arteta, however, proclaimed that his team will be ready for the challenge at the weekend. The manager told reporters on Tuesday that “we’ll be flying” come Sunday. The remark came after the Gunners looked lethargic in the second half against Shakhtar.

Arteta’s comment suggests that Arsenal will stick with an attacking lineup against the powerful Reds. Possibly going with a more defensive style could be a more pragmatic approach. The coach, on the other hand, is ready to go for it to help make up ground in the Premier League title race.

The Gunners will have a slight advantage in preparations for the game as they will have an extra day of rest. Liverpool traveled to Germany to face RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

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His final appearance in a Roma jersey came as a second-half substitute for current Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. The game also happened to be the Egyptian winger’s final fixture in Italy, as he joined the Reds weeks later.

Totti played his entire 24-year senior club career with Roma. During his illustrious career, he scored 307 goals in 786 total appearances. Both of these feats are current Roma records by some margin. The player with the second-most Roma goals, Roberto Pruzzo, has less than half of Totti’s total. The legendary attacker collected three major trophies with the club, as well as the 2006 World Cup with Italy.

48-year-old Roma legend: ‘I’d be ready in two months’

Although Totti has been on the sidelines for seven years, he now claims that multiple top Italian clubs have asked him to reconsider retirement. “I must train well to play in Serie A. Some Serie A clubs called me recently,” said Totti during a recent event. “It happened last month, and they made me think about it.”

“I felt a bit of craziness. I asked myself: ‘Why do they still look for me after so many years?’ But I’d be ready in two months. Never say never in life. Some players returned to playing after some years.”

There is, however, one particular team that Totti would never join. The Italian legend claimed that he would refuse to sign a contract with Lazio. Roma and Lazio have had a bitter rivalry ever since their first meeting nearly 100 years ago. The Derby della Capitale is widely considered to be one of the fiercest intra-city derbies, not only in Italy but the world.

“Lazio? I wouldn’t even consider it,” continued Totti. “I’d be ready in two to three months. I’m still playing at 48. If I had to do something crazy, I’d do it in Italy, not abroad, but it is crazy.”

Totti claims that he was not ready to retire in 2017

Along with potentially making a comeback at the age of 48, Totti also made interesting claims regarding his previous retirement. “When you turn the page, you never know what awaits you. [Retirement] wasn’t my choice, but in that moment, it has to be experienced differently from the context,” stated Totti.

“Maybe that’s also why I’ve had that thing inside me. It’s true that there’s a beginning and an end to everything. I didn’t want it and so that window remained open.”

Before departing Roma in 2017, Totti experienced several injury issues that hampered his final season with the club. For instance, he endured five different minor setbacks throughout the campaign, as well as two different illnesses. Injuries, particularly a hamstring problem, also forced the legend to only feature in 13 total Serie A matches during the 2015/16 season.

Immediately after he retired from the pitch, Totti worked as a director with Roma. The move, however, only lasted two years due to differences with former chairman James Pallotta. The second departure ended his 30-year association with the famed team.

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The loss was already the team’s fifth defeat of the young season. Four of these poor results have come in Premier League play. Outside of the Spurs debacle, the Hammers also previously dropped home matches against Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Chelsea. Their other loss came on the road against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup in September.

All five of West Ham’s defeats so far this season have come against fairly tough opponents. However, the string of poor home showings is surely a worrying sign for the club’s brass. As a result, the Hammers sit just five points outside of the relegation zone.

Julen Lopetegui has defensive issue at West Ham after big transfers

Despite these concerns, The Guardian is claiming that West Ham’s ownership will be patient with Lopetegui. The Spanish manager only just entered the fray this past summer after David Moyes departed the club. Moyes was respected by team officials and their fans for guiding them to the 2022/23 Conference League title.

However, the Hammers struggled to compete in the massively important Premier League in recent seasons. Lopetegui was widely seen as the man to take the club to new heights. Nevertheless, this has not happened just yet.

West Ham’s ownership also backed their new manager this summer by spending $155 million on a series of new stars. This spree was highlighted by pricey moves for Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Luis Guilherme, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The expensive quintet was also joined by loan moves for Jean-Clair Todibo and Carlos Soler.

While the club was widely praised for their summer deals, many of the moves are yet to pay off. A significant portion of West Ham’s issues this season have come at the defensive end of the pitch. They have conceded multiple goals in half of their league matches. Only three other teams have allowed more goals in the division than the Hammers.

The club’s lone Premier League clean sheet came against Crystal Palace in August. Palace currently has the lowest number of goals in the entire English top flight.

Club is now linked with their former assistant coach

West Ham ownership reportedly feels that Lopetegui is still the right person for the job. The Guardian report points to the coach implementing a new style of play with ten new summer additions to the squad. Because of this, the club will not make a knee-jerk reaction to the slow start of the season.

Although they are giving Lopetegui a real chance, West Ham also reportedly has an idea of who they could replace him with in the future. Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg is claiming that the Hammers are keeping tabs on Edin Terzic.

The Croatian most recently managed Borussia Dortmund from 2022 to this past summer. West Ham officials will also be quite familiar with Terzic. The coach previously worked as an assistant under former manager Slaven Bilic from 2015 to 2017. The Hammers, however, may not be able to wait too long to make a decision. The reporter also asserts that Terzic has already been contacted by AC Milan.

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The latest celebrity from the United States to be interested in a foreign club is A$AP Rocky. The 36-year-old New York rapper has been a prominent figure in the music industry since 2011.

Music, however, is far from the rapper’s only business venture. Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is also part of the fashion industry as well. He has personally collaborated with brands such as Guess, Gucci, Puma, and Bottega Veneta. Rocky also previously launched a Canadian whisky brand called Mercer + Prince. The rapper is dating billionaire singer and businesswoman Rihanna as well.

Club owner says deal with rapper to come ‘ASAP’

While a deal between Rocky and Tranmere Rovers is not yet completed, the club’s joint owner, Mark Palios, has hinted that an agreement is imminent. Palios previously purchased the League Two side along with his wife Nicola in 2014. The Englishman formerly played a majority of his playing career with the club throughout the 1970s and 80s.

Palios recently discussed the situation regarding his team during an interview with Sky Sports. “It’s been no secret over the past two years that we’ve been trying to attract investment into the club, although we’re not formally for sale,” said Palios.

Reports claim that A$AP Rocky is part of an investment group that wants to purchase an 80% stake in the team. The group is currently being led by celebrity lawyer Joe Tacopina. The attorney’s former clients include Donald Trump, Michael Jackson, Alex Rodriguez, and Joran van der Sloot. Rocky and company will pay around $19 million to take control of Rovers.

“While I’m not confirming that A$AP Rocky is part of a consortium one way or the other, there are a number of people out there,” continued Palios. Nevertheless, the current Rovers co-owner coyly responded to a question of when a deal will be completed by saying: “ASAP.”

A$AP Rockey entering uneasy on-field situation at Tranmere Rovers

In a separate interview, Palios also recently discussed an influx of American investors looking to English soccer. “At the moment, if you’re looking at that particular group of people, the U.S. market is very attractive,” the businessman told talkSPORT.

“You’ve got the example of Wrexham recently, you’ve got the World Cup coming up there, you’ve got 85 million Americans watching English football. There’s actually a gap in the market which just happens to coincide with where we are in terms of development and taking it to the next stage.”

Tranmere Rovers have experienced a rollercoaster ride since Palios took the reins a decade ago. For instance, the club previously fell to the National League before earning promotions back to League One. However, the Rovers fell to League Two following the 2019/20 season. The English team has remained in the fourth division ever since.

Rovers find themselves 16th in the League Two table after 11 matches in the current campaign. The club has not won a match in the division since the final day of August. Teams that finish 23rd and 24th in the final table will drop down to the National League at the end of the season.

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Nevertheless, Rashford’s form has plummeted ever since signing the lucrative deal. The United star managed to grab just eight goals and six assists all of last season. This disappointing goal output coincided with the club finishing eighth in the Premier League standings. It was their worst-ever final place in the modern era.

The new-and-improved deal means that Rashford now earns just over $20 million per year with the Red Devils. Only Real Madrid flop Casemiro currently earns a higher salary at the club. While the winger’s contract extends to June 2028, multiple teams have shown interest in signing the Englishman.

A new report claims that Bayern Munich may even attempt to pry Rashford away from United as early as January. The German giants could need a new wide player if Kingsley Coman and/or Leroy Sane depart the club. Both stars have been heavily linked with a move away from Bavaria in recent months.

United is hopeful that Rashford can continue string of positive performances

Rashford’s future has essentially been shaky ever since last year. So far this season, the winger has shown glimpses of his dynamic 2022/23 campaign. This includes netting a goal and providing an assist in a hectic 3-3 draw with Porto in early October. Rashford then followed this up with a stellar display against Brentford at the weekend.

The winger did not score against the Bees, but he did grab an assist and created a game-high four chances. Following the comeback victory, United manager Erik ten Hag praised Rashford and hoped that the quality performances can continue.

“I think we all know [Rashford] is capable of a lot and when he has this attitude then he will score, as he did in Porto, but also giving assists as he did in Porto and today,” claimed the Dutch coach.

The two recent games, however, accounted for half of Rashford’s matches with a direct goal contribution this season. United officials will want the winger to continue making a difference on the pitch to justify his massive contract. If not, the club could very well be open to offloading the star soon.

French duo joins Bayern in targeting Rashford

As Rashford is tied down until 2028, the Red Devils will set a fairly high asking price if they were to opt to sell the star. Bayern most likely would not have a problem striking a deal with the English side. The German club could also unite Rashford with England international teammates Harry Kane and Eric Dier. Nevertheless, the Bundesliga side will almost certainly face competition to sign the Englishman.

Paris Saint-Germain was previously linked with Rashford for much of the recent summer transfer window. The French club, however, ultimately failed to agree a final fee for the United winger. Along with the two massive European powerhouses, fellow Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille is also expected to show interest in Rashford.

Marseille recently made headlines for signing multiple controversial players this past summer. One of these stars, Mason Greenwood, is a former teammate of Rashford at United. Bayern and PSG are both more high-profile clubs, but Marseille could entice the English winger with potentially more guaranteed playing time.

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As hosts of the competition, the United States receives an extra slot. The Seattle Sounders previously booked a place in the tournament due to their triumph in the 2022 Champions Cup. Mexican trio Monterrey, Leon, and Pachuca also earned a spot at the competition because of similar successes.

Until now, FIFA had not publicly revealed whether it would award the final spot to the winner of the Supporters’ Shield or MLS Cup. Miami recently collected the Supporters’ Shield by having the best record in the league’s regular season. The Herons will also be favorites to win the MLS Cup, but the playoffs will not end until early December.

FIFA, we believe will not wait until the outcome of the MLS playoffs to pick the final team for the Club World Cup.

The move ultimately comes down to the governing body having difficulty selling broadcasting rights to the competition. Apple was previously in line to grab the media right for the tournament. Nevertheless, negotiations between the two sides broke off earlier this summer.

FIFA hopes Lionel Messi’s Miami will boost interest in the tournament

After Apple dropped out, FIFA launched an invitation to media companies to bid for the rights to the competition. As of press time, however, no broadcaster has signed up to televise the tournament next summer.

FIFA is now attempting to draw more interest in the 2025 Club World Cup by selecting Miami. The move is coming despite the fact that the MLS Cup final is seven weeks away. The governing body is well aware that the Floridian team is undoubtedly the most popular American soccer side worldwide.

Although the Herons only just began MLS play in 2020, interest in the team skyrocketed after they signed Lionel Messi last summer. Despite now being 37, Messi remains one of the most popular sports figures on the planet.

His advancing age also has not hindered his performances on the pitch either. In fact, the Argentine superstar has an incredible 19 goals and 12 assists in just 22 matches this season with Miami.

With a lack of interest from TV broadcasters in next summer’s competition, FIFA needs – in our opinion – Messi to sell the competition to the world. While other MLS teams could be worthy of a selection as well, Messi’s Miami will undoubtedly attract the most interest.

Club World Cup games could be free to watch on FIFA+

Recent rumors suggest that Saudi Arabia wants to invest money into the Club World Cup. If that happens, FIFA could use its streaming service FIFA+ to broadcast the games as a last resort.

The free streaming service is owned by the governing body of the sport. The move would allow all of the competition’s games to be streamed worldwide on the service. Saudi Arabia, particularly their tourism department, could then become the main sponsor for the tournament.

It remains to be seen, however, how much the Middle Eastern nation would pay for the sponsorship rights.

FIFA previously valued a broadcasting partnership for the Club World Cup at around $4 billion. Apple balked at this massive price tag in July after reportedly being willing to go as high as $1 billion

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He is currently featuring in the young ranks at Chelsea, where his father, Michael, was previously the director of football.

Emenalo initially made his international debut with the England U15s in early 2023.

The budding star also played three more fixtures with the nation’s U16s later that year. Nevertheless, Emenalo then recently swapped allegiances to the United States U17s. The midfielder made appearances against Germany and Czech Republic youth teams in September.

Despite the switch, England is not giving up on having Emenalo on their side. The Telegraph has reported that England U17 manager Neil Ryan named the youngster in his most recent squad. The English youth team is set to play qualifiers for the Euro 2025 tournament.

Prospect’s father brought him to Chelsea at the age of eight

Emenalo was born in Arizona while his father began working behind the scenes at Chelsea. Michael Emenalo, a previous Nigerian international, moved to the United States to play college soccer at Boston University.

After furthering his career across Europe, the senior Emenalo was then part of San Jose’s original Major League Soccer team in 1996.

Michael then worked as the director of player development at the Tucson Soccer Academy in 2006 before his move to Chelsea. It was with the Blues where the older Emenalo made a name for himself.

The executive was key in helping the English club sign stars such as Juan Mata, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, and N’Golo Kante. Michael eventually moved on to be the director of football at Monaco and then held a similar role with the Saudi Pro League.

Landon signed on with Chelsea at the age of eight. This came as his father was still at the helm of the West London club. Although Michael has moved on, Landon remains a key prospect with the Blues. His position with Chelsea could very well boost England’s chances of making the midfielder an official Three Lions players in the future.

Pochettino could help USA tempt budding star

Nevertheless, U.S. Soccer could have an ace up its sleeve in the situation. The organization recently hired Mauricio Pochettino to become the manager of the USMNT. The Argentine coach is considered to be a top manager and has worked with several massive clubs in his career. One of these clubs happened to be Chelsea.

Pochettino managed the Blues for the 2023/24 season before stepping away from the team earlier this summer. Despite giving Chelsea a boost, the coach clashed with club executives on a series of issues.

However, Pochettino is likely very aware of Emenalo from his time in West London. U.S. Soccer will almost certainly try to use their Chelsea links in order to help entice Emenalo to officially join their ranks. Youth players do not have to fully commit to an international team until they feature for the actual senior side.

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The German is a top coach, but many fans and pundits in England were against the decision. Concerns were raised because of the fact that Tuchel is not English. Nevertheless, the organization opted to pick the best overall candidate for the position.

Arteta was asked about the situation on Friday during a regularly scheduled press conference. The Spaniard defended the FA’s decision and also claimed that he was not approached by the governing body regarding the job opening. However, he also admitted that while is not from England, he would be open to managing the national team some day.

“I’ll tell you right now, the feeling I have being here for 22 years,” stated Arteta. “I have that feeling towards it because I always feel respected, welcomed, and inspired by this country and the history of football and how you get treated daily. I think that’s something you should be really proud of.”

FIFA previously blocked Arteta from playing for England

Arteta previously left his native homeland in 2002 to join Scottish side Rangers on a permanent deal.

Although he did return to Spain with Real Sociedad two years later, the midfielder signed on with Everton in early 2005. Arteta remained on Merseyside until 2011, when he joined Arsenal.

As a player, Arteta represented Spain at various youth levels early in his career. However, the star midfielder never actually played a single game for the senior Spain team. Because of this, there were talks between Arteta and the England national team to flip his allegiance.

The discussions came when Fabio Capello was managing the Three Lions. Both sides hoped that Arteta could feature for England at the 2010 World Cup, but FIFA ultimately blocked the move.

While he never featured for England, Arteta claimed that he would have jumped at the opportunity. “I would have done it,” continued the coach. “I was very realistic, looking at the players Spain had at the time and how big a challenge I had. You need to know your level, that is very important. Look in the mirror. In the end, it didn’t happen. But it was good at least to think about it.”

Spanish coach may have to be patient to get England opportunity

Arteta may be open to managing England one day, but it may not come anytime soon. Tuchel, assuming the Three Lions do not completely fall apart, will be in charge through to the 2026 World Cup. The next major competition for England after the tournament in North America will be Euro 2028.

The Arsenal manager also recently signed a new contract extension with the Gunners in September. As Arteta is thought of extremely highly within the club, the Spaniard won’t leave Arsenal anytime soon. Along with a new three-year deal, Gunners brass also opted to give their manager a significant pay raise.

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Unsurprisingly, the Scotland international has found fitting in at his new club rather easy. Under new manager Antonio Conte, McTominay has been a mainstay in the middle of the pitch.

Not only is he receiving ample playing time, something that he desperately wanted at United, but the midfielder is also contributing in attack for his new team.

McTominay already has two goals and an assist in five total Napoli fixtures so far this season.

United manager blames finances after club spends $716 million on players

Ten Hag was asked about his former player once again ahead of his team’s matchup with Brentford. The manager claimed that the club was essentially forced to sell McTominay due to financial restrictions.

“No, I’m very happy for Scott,” proclaimed Ten Hag.

“As I said when he left, I didn’t want this but it is the rules. The club has to deal with the [Financial] Fair Play rules, and the rules are not great.

“The rules are, I would even say, bad, but that is the situation created by the rules and it forced us to make this decision.”

While the Dutchman criticized Premier League rules, United only have themselves to blame in the situation. The Red Devils have splashed out $716 million on a plethora of new players since Ten Hag took over in 2022.

Not only have United spent heavily in recent seasons, but many of the deals have not exactly panned out. These shaky deals include paying huge fees for Antony, Casemiro, Mason Mount, and Andre Onana.

Along with splashing the cash on the squad, United brass specifically signed several new midfielders to compete with McTominay. This includes the $75 million agreement for Casemiro but also moves for Christian Eriksen, Sofyan Amrabat, and, most recently, Manuel Ugarte. The deal for the Uruguayan came on the same day as the club sold McTominay to Napoli.

McTominay was not getting enough playing time at United

Outside of financial issues, McTominay was open to leaving United in order to receive more playing time. Ten Hag, despite claiming that he did not want the midfielder to leave, regularly kept the Scot on the bench. For instance, McTominay only started 18 of the club’s 38 Premier League matches last season.

Despite barely starting games throughout the 2023/24 campaign, McTominay was undeniably one of the club’s most important players.

In fact, the midfielder racked up ten total goals in the season. Only center-forward Rasmus Hojlund and captain Bruno Fernandes managed to score more goals for the club.

Not only did McTominay rack up goals, but he also scored significant strikes for United. Following a late game-winning goal against Aston Villa in February, it was revealed that the midfielder’s goals were worth more points than any other Premier League player of the season.

Without McTominay’s positive influences, United have struggled to score goals so far this season. Before defeating Brentford, United’s record stood at five goals in seven English top-flight games.

They did, however, seemingly get back on track by scoring twice against the Bees on Saturday.

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Nevertheless, this particular stipulation has not been triggered yet, and the two sides are likely renegotiating the proposal. Suarez’s base wages with Miami are just $1.5 million. This makes the Uruguayan forward the third-highest-paid player on the team. Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets currently make significantly more money, though.

Suarez’s base salary, however, does not tell the entire story. Previous reports suggested that the striker could reach up to $10 million in annual income. This extra compensation includes bonuses based on multiple factors, including his goal tally.

Suarez says his lawyer is negotiating new Miami contract

While Miami fans stress over the situation, Suarez attempted to ease concerns on Friday. The South American star told reporters that his representatives are currently discussing a new contract with the team. “My lawyer is talking to the club, but I am with a calm mind,” stated Suarez.

“I am going to finish the season in the best possible way, which is what I wanted, and to show the club that one comes with desire, feels good physically, and with the hope to continue being part of the history of this club.”

Suarez previously announced his retirement from the Uruguay national team in early September. The move made some suggest that he could also soon hang up his boots with Miami as well. Nevertheless, the striker claimed that he “wants to enjoy football a little more” following his departure from La Celeste.

Miami manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino also discussed the situation on Friday as well. The coach claimed that he would love to have Suarez return for at least another season. “Of course, all the high-class players like Luis that we can have and put together much better,” claimed the coach. “So surely if the possibility is given that it will happen.”

Striker has silenced critics with an impressive season

There were initial concerns over Suarez’s fitness when he signed the contract with Miami. After, the center-forward was about to turn 37 and had been dealing with injury problems late in his career. Worries mostly centered around an ongoing knee issue.

Suarez, however, has silenced any doubts regarding his health by posting some impressive statistics in America. The legendary striker has racked up 22 goals and 10 assists in 33 total matches with Miami. Martino has given Suarez time off to rest, but the forward has remained healthy with his new team.

In MLS play, Suarez currently ranks fourth in the division with 18 goals. Only Christian Benteke, Cucho Hernandez, and Denis Bouanga have netted more scores than the Uruguayan. Suarez’s stellar display has earned him a nomination for the 2024 MLS MVP award.

With Suarez and Messi leading Miami’s attack, the club remains on pace to record the most points in an MLS season. Interestingly enough, the Herons can grab the record with a win in their final regular season game against the New England Revolution on Saturday. The Revs currently hold the mark for the most points in a campaign, after grabbing 73 points in 2021.

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As a result, Guardiola, the highest-paid Premier League manager, is set to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign. The Spanish coach’s future with City has been one of the most-followed soccer stories in recent months. While he has yet to give a definitive answer regarding the issue, a move behind the scenes at City may help sway his decision.

Txiki Begiristain, City’s director of football, recently announced that he would be leaving the club after 12 years on the job. Guardiola and Begiristain have a close relationship after previously working together at Barcelona.

The Spanish duo were first teammates at the Catalan club in the 1990s. They then later worked together at the Spanish side as executive and manager. Begiristain eventually left Barca for City in 2012 and essentially helped the English team attract Guardiola four years later.

Guardiola: ‘A part of me is leaving’ with Begiristain

Guardiola was asked about the upcoming departure of his close friend during a press conference on Friday. “Part of me is leaving,” proclaimed the coach. “A friend of mine, an architect who created one of the best teams at Barcelona, and here. Personally, he will be missed a lot.”

“He made me balanced in this job. I’m so energetic, and when we lose, I want to destroy everything, and he always said, ‘Take a moment.’ In all the families, we have to move on, and the club will move on.”

Guardiola was recently linked with the England national team job before the Football Association (FA) eventually hired Thomas Tuchel. The Spaniard was asked multiple times on Friday if he discussed the role with the FA. Guardiola, however, opted not to confirm or deny the talks. Nevertheless, the City manager did confirm that he does want to manage a national team.

City star says club already has future Guardiola replacement in mind

The admission comes as City goalkeeper Ederson has claimed that the club may already have a Guardiola successor lined up. “I believe the club already has the next manager in mind,” Ederson told TNT Sports Brazil. “The day Pep decides to leave, they will try to follow the same line of work. Of course, it would be a great loss. I have no doubt about that because you are talking about the best coach in the world. I see a club very well prepared for post-Guardiola [era].”

Current Sporting manager Ruben Amorim has links with a potential move to City if Guardiola resists a new contract. The move would seemingly make sense for multiple reasons. First of all, Amorim is a highly-rated young coach who will undoubtedly join a top team in the future.

On top of this, Sporting’s Hugo Viana will replace Begiristain next summer. Viana has been the director of football at the Portuguese club since 2021. The executive would likely want to bring Amorim with him to City in June, assuming Guardiola is not in place.

Whatever Guardiola decides, City will give their coach as much time as he wants to sort out his future. It remains unclear if the outcome of the club’s ongoing court case will affect the coach’s final call. While Guardiola has not officially made a final decision, he did admit on Friday that he will depart Manchester “sooner or later.”

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While James has been sidelined since early August, Maresca told reporters on Friday that the full-back is finally fit. “Reece James is available. He is back. He worked with us all the international break,” the coach responded when asked about the team news heading into the weekend. “Finally, he is back.”

Maresca was then asked if the club captain could handle the demanding responsibilities he asks of his full-backs. Malo Gusto has typically filled in for James during the current campaign.

“First of all, he has to be fit and then slowly we will see,” claimed the coach. “The most important thing for Reece is finally he is fit. We have many players that are versatile and can play in different positions.”

Chelsea coach could opt to rest James in certain games even if fit

Maresca also made claims that James now cannot handle playing two games in a week because of the physical demands. Due to growing fixture congestion, most big clubs regularly have multiple matches per week throughout their season. Chelsea falls into this category due to their involvement in the Conference League. The Blues also remain in the Carabao Cup as well.

Both of these competitions typically schedule fixtures during the middle of the week. Premier League matchups are then usually reserved for the weekends.

“Reece’s body cannot play for instance twice a week so one of the solutions is that we are going to try and manage him the same way we are doing with Romeo [Lavia],” continued Maresca.

“In this moment I think this can be the solution (to play him once a week). In the future? I don’t know. The solution is to go slowly. In the future, we may be able to use him in the week but in this moment we need to use him once a week.”

James has missed nearly 130 Chelsea matches due to injury

The coach’s comments are certainly reasonable. After all, James, despite only being 24, has suffered a plethora of injuries throughout his career. The defender has been sidelined for 129 total fixtures since the start of the 2019/20 season. During the same timeframe, James has made 158 total appearances for the Blues.

Because he cannot play twice in one week at the moment, Maresca will likely rest James during secondary competitions. This means that the defender, even if fit, could remain on the bench during Conference League and Carabao Cup matches. As a result, he would then be free to feature in more Premier League fixtures.

When healthy, James is widely regarded as one of the top right-backs in all of Europe. Although Gusto is a solid backup option, Chelsea benefits when the Englishman is in the lineup. Because of this, Maresca has to be careful in dealing with his star. James and the Blues are next set to face Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.

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Following the near triumph, Wilshere led the team up to third in the U18 Premier League table last season. After a shaky freshman campaign in league play, the Arsenal U18s have only lost five of their last 29 fixtures in the division. They are currently unbeaten under Wilshere to start the 2024/25 season.

Wilshere’s positive impact on the youngsters has grabbed the attention of his former teammate and Arsenal senior manager Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard discussed Wilshere and his future during a press conference on Friday.

“He’s been great,” Arteta told reporters. “Everyone knows about his career, about his character and he’s a really special personality. His attachments to the football club are unique.”

“He has this aura and charisma and a way of connecting with people. He’s been an inspiration for the kids because of his history, what he did, and the manner that he did it. What happens next is his decision.”

Wilshere has ties with the new sporting director at Norwich

According to ESPN, Wilshere will remain with the Arsenal U18s for one more match before departing for Norwich. The youth side hosts Aston Villa on Saturday morning. Norwich is also playing around the same time, as they will face Stoke away from home. Assuming a deal is soon finalized, Wilshere could be on the sidelines for Norwich’s following game against Preston North End on October 22nd.

Wilshere, however, will not become the head coach of his potential new team. Johannes Hoff Thorup remains in place after signing a three-year deal with the club in May. Instead, the former Arsenal star will assist the 35-year-old Thorup. Wilshere will essentially replace former Norwich assistant coach Narcis Pelach, who recently departed Norwich last month to become manager of Stoke.

While Wilshere has yet to officially join Norwich, he already has close ties to the team’s sporting director Ben Knapper. The executive previously worked with Wilshere during a lengthy spell with Arsenal. Knapper initially began with the Gunners as an analyst before becoming their loans manager in 2019. He then left Arsenal to join Norwich in 2023.

Canaries are trying to get back to the Premier League

The Canaries have remained in the second-tiered Championship following relegation from the Premier League in 2022. After a shaky 2022/23 campaign in which they finished middle of the pack, Norwich nearly earned promotion back to the top flight last season. Nevertheless, they eventually crashed out of the playoffs against Leeds in the semifinal stage.

This season, Norwich finds themselves seventh in the 24-team table after nine matches. The Canaries are currently led by star Spanish winger Borja Sainz and USMNT striker Josh Sargent. The duo has combined to rack up 11 goals and five assists in league play.

Wilshere and Norwich will forever have links together in English soccer because of the former midfielder’s stunning goal against the Canaries in 2013.

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The Germany international’s current contract with Leverkusen is set to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season. As previous negotiations stalled, Tah was seemingly set to be sold by the German club at some point this summer. Teams typically prefer to sell a prized asset, rather than watch them potentially walk away for free.

Despite links to a plethora of clubs ahead of the current campaign, the defender remained with Leverkusen. Although he stayed with the reigning Bundesliga champions, he is widely expected to leave the club in June.

As a pending free agent, Tah can begin discussing potential contracts with teams outside of Germany in January. The center-back will certainly have plenty of suitors in the coming months.

Juve wants to replace injured star defender ASAP

One team, in particular, that wants Tah is Juventus. The Italian side, however, may not want to wait until next summer to make a move. Reports out of Italy claim that the Old Lady is looking to beat the competition by signing the defender during the January transfer market.

Juve’s willingness to jump the gun essentially comes down to a significant injury to their star center-back. Bremer recently suffered an ACL setback early in their Champions League matchup with RB Leipzig on October 2nd. Due to the issue, the Brazilian star is now likely to miss much of the 2024/25 season.

While Juve wants to add Tah to the squad, making the move in January could prove to be costly. Assuming they were to win the German’s sweepstakes next summer, the Old Lady would only have to pay Tah a salary. However, Juve, or any other club, must give Leverkusen an ample transfer fee if they want to sign the defender in the middle of the season.

It remains unclear what kind of fee the German club would demand. On top of this issue, Juve also apparently has to offload another player before possibly signing Tah. The Serie A side remains committed to balancing their books. Arthur and Danillo are two potential stars that could make way.

Seven clubs join Juventus in monitoring Jonathan Tah

Juve is hoping that they can entice Tah to join them and, in turn, resist other offers. The Italian club is reportedly willing to give the center-back an annual salary of between $4.3 million and $5.4 million. This particular pay scale would be in line with what Bayern Munich also supposedly offered Tah earlier this summer. Although the defender did not move on to Leverkusen’s biggest rival, he could still make the switch in June.

Along with Bayern, Juve will have to fend off interest in Tah from several other top teams across the continent. Inter Milan, Barcelona, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United are all reportedly keeping tabs on the pending free agent. Leverkusen would certainly welcome a possible bidding war come January, rather than have Tah exit as a free agent next summer.

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The incredible display was Messi’s second international fixture after recovering from an ankle injury. Messi missed both of Argentina’s September matches because of the issue. Without the star, La Seleccion dropped one of the games against Colombia. The legendary winger also remained on the sidelines for nine total Inter Miami fixtures as well.

After his stellar performance on Tuesday, Messi claimed that he is enjoying the moment in the autumn of his career. “It is very nice to play here feeling the affection of the Argentina fans,” proclaimed Messi. “It makes me emotional to listen to how they shout my name. We all enjoy this connection with the fans, and we love playing at home.”

Feeling ‘like a kid again’ after vintage performance

After acknowledging that he will not be an Argentina player forever, Messi was asked directly about his possible retirement plans. The 2022 World Cup winner responded to the inquiry with a relatively cautious answer.

“I didn’t set any date or deadline about my future,” said Messi. “I’m just enjoying all this. I am more emotional than ever and taking all the love from the people because I know these can be my last games.”

Messi did, however, point to the benefits of playing alongside youthful teammates. The veteran featured on the right wing alongside Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, and substitute Nico Paz. The trio has an average age of just over 23. Paz, 20, collected his first cap on the night. He also provided an assist to Messi for the final goal of the game.

“It’s a joy to be present and appreciate this moment. Being surrounded by younger teammates, given my age, makes me feel like a kid again,” continued Messi said. “I find myself doing silly things because I feel so comfortable. As long as I maintain that feeling and can continue contributing to the team, I plan to be here enjoying [the national team].”

Messi ponders retirement or Argentina representation in 2026

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was also asked about Messi’s future following the big win as well. The coach asserted that the decision was solely up to the superstar. Nevertheless, Scaloni claimed that he wants Messi to remain in the squad “as long as he can.”

The biggest question mark regarding Messi’s future is whether or not he will feature at the 2026 World Cup. He will turn 39 during the group stage of the competition. This is typically a time when most soccer players hang up their cleats because of injuries or a decline in ability.

Messi, however, certainly does not seem to be declining very much. He is still scoring goals and providing assists at an incredible rate. Because of this, it seems likely that the Argentine superstar will feature at the tournament in the United States if he is fit enough to play.

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It happened to be the first time since 2012 that the USMNT played a friendly on Mexican soil. The hosts ended up beating their opponents 2-0 in the feisty affair. After the defeat, a frustrated Pochettino urged patience from the American fans. After all, the coach only just recently entered the fray, and his squad on the night was without multiple key players. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Ricardo Pepi were among the stars to miss the match.

USMNT has recently avoided scheduling overseas friendlies

While the loss to Mexico is certainly disappointing, it should also be a learning experience for U.S. Soccer. The USMNT usually plays well at home, particularly against fellow CONCACAF teams. The organization is quite aware of this, which is why they typically schedule fixtures in the States.

Tuesday’s loss in Mexico was only the USMNT’s third match outside of America since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Stars and Stripes also traveled to Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago in 2023. Both of these fixtures were CONCACAF Nations League matches.

Playing top opponents, especially abroad, will be the best way for Americans to prepare for major tournaments. Outside of Mexico, the USMNT is generally favored to win against every other CONCACAF team in the region. These are the only two teams from the confederation currently inside the top 35 of FIFA’s rankings.

Before preparations for the last World Cup, U.S. Soccer sparingly scheduled tough matches overseas. For instance, the USMNT played in Switzerland in May of 2021 and faced off against England and Italy across the pond in late 2018. The Americans could not manage to win any of these significant tests.

The last time that the Americans won an away game against a fellow FIFA top 20-ranked team came back in 2015. Germany hosted the USMNT in June of that year at RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. The Americans triumphed on the night thanks to goals by Mix Diskerud and Bobby Wood. The goalscorers have not featured for the national team since 2016 and 2018, respectively.

Pochettino’s team needs to face top teams to improve

U.S. Soccer may defend the decision to avoid top overseas friendlies by pointing to the placement of Copa America 2024 and the 2026 World Cup. The typical South American competition was hosted by the United States earlier this summer. The prestigious worldwide competition in two years is also coming to America as well.

However, the USMNT could better prepare for top matchups in big competitions by putting themselves in tougher environments. This was evident in the team’s dismal display at Copa America 2024. If the Stars and Stripes are to improve under Pochettino, they are going to need to schedule games against more competitive teams. This is particularly the case with fixtures away from home.

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The decision to appoint a foreign coach has not exactly been received well by a significant section of England fans. Along with selecting Tuchel, there have also been claims that the Football Association (FA) did not even approach a single English coach for the position.

Former Newcastle star Alan Shearer even asserted that Magpies manager Eddie Howe was not interviewed by the governing body. Howe was arguably the top English option for the England job. Nevertheless, Mark Bullingham, CEO of the FA, poured cold water on these claims.

Speaking at Tuchel’s initial England press conference, Bullingham told reporters that “some English candidates” took part in the interview process. Bullingham refused to name these specific contenders, though. The organization, however, ultimately opted to hire Tuchel based on his coaching abilities.

“Our aim is to win a major tournament and we believe Thomas gives us the best possible chance to do that,” stated Bullingham. “We just wanted the best person for the job. We owe it to the nation and the players to do that.”

German coach not yet sure if he will sing national anthem

Tuchel attempted to downplay the issue by praising both the England job and their home stadium of Wembley. “I’m excited and honored to be here,” proclaimed the coach. “I just read a quote from Pele in the building, and it said: ‘Wembley is the heart, the capital and the cathedral of football,’ and I think he is absolutely right.”

“It’s the biggest job in world football. I am sorry that I have a German passport, but I give the greatest respect to the country.”

Amid the concerns over Tuchel being German, the new Three Lions manager discussed singing the national anthem before matches. Tuchel, who will not be on the sidelines until 2025, claimed that he has not made a decision just yet.

“Your anthem is very moving,” continued Tuchel. “I have experienced it a few times, at the FA Cup final, for example. I have until March, I will always show my respect to the country. But I will take my time.”

Lifting silverware will silence English critics

Hiring Tuchel is a very bold and risky decision by the FA. Outside of his nationality, Tuchel brings excessive baggage to the Three Lions. The German has found success practically wherever he goes, but he tends to depart teams sourly. He previously endured fractured relationships with upper management at PSG, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Ultimately, concerns surrounding his passport and his strong personality will all fade away if he can deliver a trophy. England has not collected a significant title since the 1966 World Cup. This comes as the Three Lions have been at least co-favorites to triumph at multiple tournaments in recent years.

Tuchel has the players in the England squad and the coaching ability to lift a major trophy in the near future. He now has to deliver, or the pressure may be too much to handle for him and the FA.

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Three other CONCACAF clubs, all from Mexico, will also feature at the upcoming Club World Cup as well. Monterrey, Leon, and Pachuca all qualified thanks to similar Champions Cup triumphs as Seattle. Nevertheless, as hosts, the United States has another club at the tournament. Inter Miami is likely the final American team, but FIFA has not confirmed the move yet.

Sounders will play all of their Club World Cup group games at Lumen Field

As the current marquee American club in the competition, FIFA has rewarded Seattle with multiple home games. The governing body announced on Tuesday that all three of the club’s group-stage matches will be at Lumen Field. Seattle could then also play again at their home arena if they progress to the knockout stage.

“Six games of the FIFA Club World Cup will take place in this stadium, and the three games of the group stage of the Seattle Sounders will take place here,” proclaimed FIFA president Gianni Infantino while posing inside Lumen Field.

“So, we want to hear some noise, and the World Cup [noise record] being broken in this stadium by the Seattle Sounders fans during the FIFA Club World Cup next year.”

Seattle regularly features near the top of the annual MLS attendance figures. The Sounders averaged the third-most fans in stands among all teams in the division in each of the last two seasons. Lumen Field has a general max capacity of just under 38,000 fans during MLS matches. The arena, however, can accommodate up to 72,000 people in the stands for other events.

Seattle’s stadium currently features artificial turf. Natural grass inside the arena was not possible due to the city’s frequent rain totals. Officials believed that real grass would suffer because of the weather conditions. Despite this, FIFA generally forces venues to install real grass for their competitions.

FIFA is forcing host stadiums to change their names for the tournament

There will be 63 total matches in the expanded 2025 Club World Cup. The tournament is happening across 11 different American venues. Assuming all, or at least a vast majority of the games, will split evenly between the 11 stadiums, Seattle receiving six fixtures is slightly above average. It remains unclear which arenas will host fewer matches.

Lumen Field is hosting six total games. The arena will go by a different name for the duration of the competition. FIFA is forcing the 2026 World Cup host stadiums to change their names. For instance, Lumen Field will be simply “Seattle Stadium.”

FIFA’s decision to temporarily rename host stadiums ultimately comes down to sponsorship issues. The governing body has strict rules over branding and will only allow official FIFA sponsors at the competition.

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The original charges stemmed from accusations from three different women. However, testimonies from several additional alleged victims led to even more charges. In the end, Mendy faced charges of eight rapes, one attempted rape and one sexual assault. Due to the circumstances, the court denied Mendy bail at the time.

Mendy was, however, eventually acquitted in the cases and was set free. Following the legal result, the full-back signed with French side Lorient as a free agent in the summer of 2023. The club currently features in Ligue 2, the second-tiered division in the country.

Mendy is suing Man City for $15 million in unpaid wages

Nevertheless, Mendy’s time in court is not over yet. The defender is suing his former club for unpaid wages. As a result of the previous issue, City allegedly stopped paying Mendy his salary immediately after his arrest. These wages totaled around $650,000 each month.

Along with his base wages, Mendy also had certain stipulations in his contract for additional bonuses. This included a $1.1 million reward for appearing in at least 60% of City’s games. Mendy was going to receive a $1.3 million bonus for Champions League qualification and another $1.5 million in image rights. In total, Mendy is demanding $15 million in unpaid wages from the club.

The defender claims that without this money, he essentially went broke due to legal fees, bills, and child support. As a result, his agent and multiple City players chipped in to help out their struggling teammate.

Mendy specifically named Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez as players who lent him money at the time. Silva is currently the only one of the trio to still be playing for City. Sterling eventually moved on to Chelsea and now Arsenal. Mahrez, on the other hand, landed a massive contract to play for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.

City execs allegedly left Mendy on read after trial

In a recent appearance in court, Mendy alleges former City executive Omar Berrada told him that he would receive his City salary if he cleared the charges. The defender then claimed that his messages to Berrada and club CEO Khaldoon al-Mubarak earned no replies after his acquittal. Berrada recently departed the reigning English champions for rivals Manchester United.

“I would have thought that Manchester City, of all clubs, would appreciate the lack of control and anger that a person or entity has with being charged with false allegations given the Premier League allegations that they are facing,” read Mendy’s witness statement.

“At no point have Manchester City apologized to me or even acknowledged how their actions almost cost me everything. I believe that it is fair and just for me to be paid the wages that I would have earned but for being falsely arrested for crimes that I did not commit.”

Mendy also faced a British tax problem earlier this year. The issue was, however, resolved after the Frenchman paid a $915,000 bill. The case regarding the unpaid City wages wraps up later this week.

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Following his retirement as a coach, Ferguson transitioned into an ambassador position at the club. While his exact duties in the role were a bit vague, team brass rewarded the legend with a significant salary. The Scot was receiving $2.8 million annually in the position.

The Athletic is reporting that Ferguson was told that he would no longer receive the contract during a recent face-to-face meeting. The consultation was with United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Sources with the news outlet claim that the former manager handled the move well. Ferguson is expected to remain a non-executive director at United and will likely still attend matches at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe faces criticism at United again for axing Ferguson

According to The Athletic, the decision ultimately came down to reducing costs at the club. Ratcliffe has essentially attempted to clean house and limit spending since arriving in February. The British billionaire, however, has received heat throughout his short time at the club for making several unpopular moves.

Ratcliffe previously canceled an annual awards party for United’s women’s team without informing the players. Instead, those involved with the women’s side had to learn about the decision via social media. The move came at a time in which some women’s players at the club felt “disregarded” compared to others at rival teams.

The new minority owner also opted to fire around 250 total employees at the club. This particular figure represents around 20% of their entire workforce. The decision is expected to save United around $12 million. Some of these employees were non-soccer staff.

Nevertheless, several of those departing were youth coaches. Much like previous incidents involving Ratcliffe, the coaches fired also reportedly felt blindsided by the call. The Athletic also claims that Ratcliffe’s decision to make major cuts within the organization saddened Ferguson.

United continues to spend heavily on player transfers

Despite the cost-cutting measures, United remains to be one of the biggest English spenders in the transfer market. They have shelled out around $718 million on a series of new players since the summer of 2022. This timeframe coincides with the hiring of head coach Erik ten Hag.

Nevertheless, many high-priced transactions in recent years have not exactly panned out. Undoubtedly, the worst deal by United brass during this time was Antony’s $103 million move from Ajax. The winger has five goals and three assists in 53 total Premier League matches with the Red Devils.

Antony, however, is not exactly the lone hiccup in the team’s transfer plans. Several other new players, including Casemiro, Mason Mount, and Andre Onana have all faced criticism as well.

Ten Hag’s future with United is also up in the air after yet another slow start to the season. Assuming that club brass ends up firing their manager, they will have to pay the Dutchman a hefty settlement. This comes just months after the team shockingly rewarded the coach with a contract extension.

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Lee Carsley was eventually named interim head coach of the national team. The former Republic of Ireland midfielder has been on the sidelines for England’s last four fixtures. Carsley got off to a solid start, winning his first two games in charge. The results seemingly boosted the coach’s chances of becoming the team’s permanent manager.

Nevertheless, a loss to Greece on October 10th quickly soured the feeling surrounding Carsley. Although England was able to get back on track under the interim coach against Finland, it seems as if the FA will move in a different direction.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is the FA’s top target for the England job. The Spaniard’s future is currently in the air, as his contract at the club is set to expire in June. It remains to be seen, however, if Guardiola would be interested in a future role with the Three Lions.

Tuchel brings excessive baggage with on-field success

The FA’s decision to hire Tuchel is understandable. After all, the German is widely considered one of the top soccer coaches in the world. He has worked with some of the top clubs throughout his career, including Borussia Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich.

Not only has Tuchel received big jobs, but he has delivered practically everywhere he has gone. In fact, the German lifted trophies with all four of these prestigious clubs. Overall, he has collected nine titles between 2017 and 2023. This includes Ligue 1 and Bundesliga triumphs, as well as the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League trophy with Chelsea.

Despite these successes, Tuchel is undeniably a handful to work with. Following his dismissal from the Blues, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly described the German as a “nightmare” to deal with. Tuchel also endured similar issues with team brass at PSG and Bayern as well.

A constant theme in Tuchel’s issues with his former clubs generally involves differences of opinion in player transfers. This obviously would not exactly become a problem with a national team. However, transfers have not always been the German’s sole concern. Tuchel’s overall strong personality has hindered relationships within the hierarchy of the aforementioned clubs.

Tuchel would be a massive gamble by the England FA

Undoubtedly the biggest question regarding the German is whether or not he would be worth the hassle. Some could say that perhaps England needs a more combative figure at the helm to help bring actual trophies.

Nevertheless, signing the German would seemingly go against how the governing body typically functions. The FA has generally selected a head coach who fills somewhat of an ambassador role in the position.

They have opted to pick managers in recent years who are a bit reserved and willing to conform to upper management within the national team setup. Tuchel, however, would not fit into this category.

Picking Tuchel as England’s next manager would certainly be a risky move by the FA. Along with the massive baggage he will bring, the German will also likely cost a pretty penny. If the German’s managerial run at falls apart, something that we have seen multiple times before, the move would be a costly mistake.

Tuchel will become just the third non-British full-time manager in England’s history. Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italy’s Fabio Capello were previously head coaches for the Three Lions.

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Saka was substituted in the 51st minute of the Nations League fixture. Greece went on to shock England 2-1 thanks to a late goal from Vangelis Pavlidis.

After initial tests on the lower leg issue, Saka has returned to Arsenal for additional assessment. As a result, the star will miss England’s trip to Finland. The Three Lions finish out their international break against the Eagle-Owls on Sunday, October 13th.

Results from the scans at the North London club are not yet known. Arsenal, however, will resume their 2024/25 season with a trip to the South Coast next weekend. Bournemouth hosts the Gunners in a Premier League matchup on Saturday, October 19th. It remains to be seen if their star player can be fit enough for the fixture.

Saka has featured heavily for club and country in recent years

The setback comes as several international players have publicly griped about increasing schedules. Manchester City superstar Rodri recently claimed that players may eventually go on strike to combat fixture congestion. Several other prominent players then backed up Rodri’s assertion.

The midfielder subsequently suffered a major knee injury just days later. As a result, the Spaniard will miss the remainder of the campaign.

Not only are more and more matches taking place, but Saka, in particular, has featured heavily in recent years. Despite being just 23, the Arsenal star already has 42 total England caps. He has been the starting right-winger in each of his national team’s last 10 total games. Seven of these appearances came during Euro 2024.

Saka also plays most matches for Arsenal as well. In fact, the winger has been in manager Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup in 115 of the team’s last 121 Premier League games. His last appearance in the English top flight as a substitute came 18 months ago during a matchup against Leeds in April 2023.

Arteta has relied heavily on Saka due to his importance to the team. The star has racked up 43 goals and 34 assists in league play since the start of the 2021/22 season.

Arsenal are already dealing with injured captain

Saka’s setback comes just weeks after club captain Martin Odegaard also endured an injury while on international duty. The Norwegian midfielder has been out since early September with a nasty ankle issue.

Without their main playmaker in the middle of the pitch, Arsenal has lacked creativity at times in recent weeks.

Rumors have circulated that Odegaard apparently suffered a setback in his efforts to return to the pitch. These assertions, however, have since been debunked by Sky Sports.

Along with arguably their top two players, Arsenal also saw Kai Havertz and Thomas Partey recently withdraw from international duty this week. Nevertheless, the issues for the duo are not serious concerns. The Gunners will need a fully fit squad this season if they are to finally top Manchester City for the Premier League title.

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MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the tournament final. The arena is currently the home of the NFL duo the New York Giants and New York Jets.

There will be some unique changes to the arenas across North America. First of all, FIFA is forcing all of the stadiums to have real grass pitches. This means that arenas with artificial turf must lay down sod for official games.

However, the governing body is also making host stadiums temporarily change their official names for the tournament. Instead of their typical names, each arena will be known as whichever major city they are in/near. For example, MetLife Stadium will be the New York New Jersey Stadium.

World Cup will see official stadium branding hidden

The move by FIFA ultimately comes down to sponsorship issues. The governing body has strict rules over branding. They will only allow official FIFA sponsors at the tournament.

As a result, corporate stadium naming rights must not be in use. Not only will each stadium have a generic name, but all typical stadium branding will be hidden.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president of the Miami Host Committee, recently addressed the issue. Miami is one of the 2026 World Cup host cities, winning a 2022 vote. The city, by way of Hard Rock Stadium, will present four group-stage matches, as well as three knockout round fixtures. One of these late matches will be the third-place game.

“All branding and all signage has to be covered, those are the FIFA rules,” claimed Lutoff-Perlo earlier this week. “There are restricted categories for sponsorships, but those only apply to our highest level of packages. We have lots of levels of donor sponsors and that field is wide open for everyone.”

FIFA was not creative in coming up with new arena names

Americans will find it unusual to see official stadium branding hidden. Along with causing potential confusion at the 2026 World Cup, FIFA also opted to tie certain stadiums to cities outside of where the actual arenas are.

For instance, Hard Rock Stadium will be “Miami Stadium” for the competition. Nevertheless, the arena is not technically in the city of Miami. A similar issue also includes SoFi Stadium, AT&T Stadium, and the aforementioned MetLife Stadium. Gillette Stadium, which will be “Boston Stadium,” is actually located 30 miles outside of Boston in Foxborough, Massachusetts as well.

List of American host stadium names for the 2026 World Cup:

Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta Stadium

Gillette Stadium – Boston Stadium

AT&T Stadium – Dallas Stadium

NRG Stadium – Houston Stadium

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City Stadium

SoFi Stadium – Los Angeles Stadium

Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Stadium

MetLife Stadium – New York New Jersey Stadium

Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia Stadium

Levi’s Stadium – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

Lumen Field – Seattle Stadium

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AS then picked up the story and claimed that Catalan police, called Mossos d’Esquadra, had to intervene. According to the Spanish news outlet, the fight was between groups of Albanian and Romanian workers. Construction managers at the scene eventually dismissed those responsible for the brawl.

Friday’s issue is not the first time that Camp Nou workers have fought at the arena. Back in May, several construction employees also scuffled just outside of the stadium’s main gate. Some of those in the brawl at the time had to go to the hospital to receive treatment.

The ongoing construction of Camp Nou is currently being led by Limak, a private Turkish conglomerate. The company focuses on cement and energy but tourism as well. Along with handling construction at the famed stadium, Limak is also reportedly in charge of security while renovations continue.

Barca recently gave a positive update on stadium plans

News of the latest brawl at the stadium comes just days after the club gave updates on the makeover.

Elena Fort, the institutional vice president of Barcelona, told reporters on Monday that the club expects to return to the arena before the end of the year.

Nevertheless, renovations will continue for the next few years and will not be complete until 2026. As a result, the fan capacity at Camp Nou will have a limit of 66% until the construction is finally done.

“We are working to return at the end of the year, from here there are many factors,” stated Fort. “The exact day has to be modulated. In the summer of 2026, the project should be finished – that is our forecast.”

The Catalan club has lost major money by not playing at the arena

While Camp Nou is being rebuilt, the club play home matches at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The nearly 100-year-old arena was previously known as Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic. Fort claims that the temporary move across town has cost the club serious money.

“The move to Montjuic has meant losing €100 million,” continued the exec. “We need income and we have to find a balance between the affordable prices for the members who access the passes and the way to operate the new stadium.”

Barca has been playing all of their home fixtures at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys since the start of the 2023/24 campaign. While the Catalan club collected the LaLiga title the year prior at Camp Nou, they finished second behind rivals Real Madrid last season. Barca’s first three league losses of the 2023/24 campaign came in their temporary home.

Hansi Flick has overseen a fantastic start to the current campaign. In fact, Barcelona top the Spanish top-flight table at the moment. Team officials are hoping that the club can return to Camp Nou on December 15th, when they host Leganés.

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Speaking on the Player/Manager podcast, Ream was asked about working with Pochettino. “The camp has been good. It’s been intense,” claimed the center-back. “We were out on the field today for two hours, which is probably the longest training session I’ve had with the national team in 14 years. [Pochettino] is very likable but very demanding.”

Ream previously made his USMNT debut back in 2010. This came at a time in which Bob Bradley was the team’s manager. Following Bradley’s firing in 2014, the USMNT has had eight different coaches, including Pochettino. Ream, however, was not part of the setup all of this time.

The defender was excluded from the USMNT roster various times throughout the years. Instead, Ream featured the most for his country under Klinsmann and Berhalter. Klinsmann was in place with the Stars and Stripes from 2011 to 2016. Berhalter, on the other hand, was hired in 2018.

Pochettino putting more pressure on Ream and USMNT stars

Other key players in the USMNT setup have echoed Ream’s remarks about Pochettino. Fulham star Antonee Robinson also recently pointed to an increase in intensity under the new coach. Ream and Robinson previously played together at the West London club for four seasons.

Attackers Josh Sargent and Brenden Aaronson commented earlier in the week about Pochettino’s demands as well. The duo both specifically pointed to a new increased intensity inside the USMNT camp.

Intensity certainly seems to be a focal point for the USMNT players, especially Ream. The defender has been very vocal lately about the lack of intensity in the team under Berhalter. The veteran American touched on the issue following a disappointing 2-1 loss to Canada in September. Mikey Varas was the USMNT interim head coach for the match.

“You can’t coach intensity,” claimed Ream. “At the end of the day, you have to look in the mirror…Everybody can get to a certain point physically, but can you deal with the ups and downs mentally? And can you bring the intensity to every single training session and every single game? And if you don’t, you’re going to get punished, and you’re going to get results like we did today.”

New coach makes his USMNT debut

Pochettino, despite links with the job for weeks, will finally get his first chance to show just how much of a difference he can make this weekend. The USMNT hosts Panama on Saturday night in Austin, Texas.

The game will also give the Americans a shot at revenge as well. Panama topped the Stars and Stripes earlier this summer at Copa America 2024. However, the fixture featured an early red card by American midfielder Timothy Weah.

Following the Panama rematch, Pochettino will then get his first taste of the bitter rivalry with Mexico. The big game is on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in the Guadalajara area. It is the first time that the Americans will face their fiercest rivals for a friendly on Mexican soil in 12 years.

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Forest officials felt as if three different penalty decisions went against them during the 2-0 loss. These incidents involved Everton defender Ashley Young’s tackle inside the box on Callum Hudson-Odoi early in the second half. Forest also felt as if they should have received additional penalties due to a separate tackle by Young, as well as a handball incident.

Taylor, however, waved away all of the claims. Attwell also failed to intervene in the trio of controversial calls. According to Forest, Attwell did not help make the correct calls because he is a Luton Town fan. The Hatters were in a relegation with Forest at the time of April’s game. Luton eventually suffered the drop, while Forest remains in the Premier League.

FA claims Nottingham Forest earned fine for victimizing referee

Following the defeat, an independent panel ruled that Forest should have had at least one penalty during the game. Despite being partially correct in their gripe, Forest has now been hit with a $980,000 punishment for the post.

The governing body claims that Forest publicly questioned the integrity of the officials involved in the match. As a result, the club, according to the FA, brought the game into disrepute. The FA also asserted that Attwell was a “victim” because of the social media post. Forest’s perceived overall lack of genuine remorse attributed to the massive fine as well.

While the fine is substantial, the FA called for an even bigger punishment. The organization wanted to fine the club over $1.3 million for the public remarks. Nevertheless, the governing body eventually settled on the $980,000 fine.

Forest immediately proclaimed that they would appeal the harsh financial penalty. “Nottingham Forest Football Club is extremely disappointed with the decision of the Regulatory Commission to impose a £750,000 fine concerning comments posted on social media following our Premier League fixture against Everton on Sunday, April 21,” stated the club.

“We are particularly concerned that The FA, in its submissions, sought a sanction ‘in excess of £1,000,000.’ We believe that this request, along with the subsequent fine, is wholly disproportionate and the club will be appealing the decision.”

Premier League pushing for paradoxical mid-game player interviews

Sports leagues, especially the Premier League, do not take kindly when clubs, players or coaches publicly question officials. Despite this, the English top flight is considering forcing players to conduct halftime interviews during games. Players exiting the games in the second half could also immediately answer questions from the media.

Implementing these interviews, potentially seconds after heated moments, would open a can of worms for the Premier League. The division wants to cap criticism but making players speak in tense situations would only exacerbate these concerns.

Fans, on the other hand, would rather hear directly from referees after games. Premier League officials have received heat for regularly making incorrect decisions in recent years. Despite the subpar refereeing, the English top flight remains the most popular soccer league in the world.

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Closed leagues, such as Major League Soccer, however, remove these potential dangers. These North American clubs know they are safe each season and will always have a place in the top division. Nevertheless, this lack of jeopardy undoubtedly brings less meaning to many matches throughout the season. The topic of promotion and relegation has been debated here in the United States for years now.

Data proves that many second-tiered leagues face the most risk

Research company Twenty-First Group Limited has now analyzed soccer leagues from all over the world to determine which teams face the greatest jeopardy. Their findings overwhelmingly show that second-tiered soccer teams mostly encounter the most danger.

The company specifically took a look into three different categories. The first section examines which leagues face the most jeopardy in promotion and title races. According to the statistical results, the top five leagues for title-race danger are all second divisions.

Germany’s 2. Bundesliga leads this category due to recent enthralling title and promotion races. Along with tight races to earn promotion, historically top teams in the German second tier have also found it difficult to get back to the Bundesliga. Former German champions Hamburg, Hertha Berlin, and Schalke are all currently stuck in the second division.

Highest Jeopardy Promotion and Title Races

Second divisions also face danger in relegation and continental qualification battles

The second category studied by Twenty-First Group Limited involves relegation battles. Unsurprisingly, Saudi Pro League teams have the most to lose from suffering the drop. The Middle Eastern division has gained significant attention in recent years due to a massive influx of money.

This huge financial boost, however, mostly only involves the top teams in the league. Because of this, relegated SPL clubs will receive drastically less cash in the second tier.

England’s Premier League also predictably ranks highly on the list. Nevertheless, three second divisions are included in the top 10 rankings. Teams from Spain’s LaLiga 2 face the third-highest jeopardy in relegation battles.

Highest Jeopardy Relegation Battles

Finally, the company claims that clubs in Argentina’s Primera Division have the most jeopardy in promotion playoff races and continental qualification. The division regularly fields six teams in the prestigious Copa Libertadores. The annual tournament is regarded as the top club competition in South America.

However, three second-tiered leagues ranked highly on this particular list as well. Italy’s Serie B, England’s Championship, and Spain’s LaLiga 2 all finished inside the top five of these rankings.

Highest Jeopardy Promotion Playoff Races and Continental Qualification

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Portuguese star Joao Felix signed with Chelsea from Atleti for around $57 million on August 21st. The playmaker previously played for the Blues on loan for the second half of the 2022/23 campaign. In a separate but corresponding move, Chelsea sent English midfielder Conor Gallagher to the LaLiga club in a $45 million agreement.

Following these moves, Omorodion looked likely to join Chelsea. The Blues, however, apparently had worries over the forward’s ankle injury. Because of the hesitations, the striker eventually joined Porto in a unique deal.

The Portuguese side paid Atleti $16 million for 50% of his sporting rights. Porto also has the option to buy an additional 30% of his rights in the future for just $5.5 million each year.

Spanish striker: ‘God didn’t want’ move to West London

Omorodion has now opened up about his hectic preseason during an interview with Spanish television network RTVE. The striker told the media company that the failed Chelsea move was because God did not want him to join the team.

“I had a very difficult summer,” stated Omorodion. “We had a really bad time because, in the end, everyone knows that I was close to signing [with Chelsea], but it’s true that if it didn’t happen, it was for a reason because God didn’t want it.”

“I’m also very grateful to Porto for giving me the opportunity when things looked at their worst, and I’m very happy with where I am now. I’ve left the past behind and now I’m focused on what’s coming to me.”

Porto, particularly because of the aforementioned terms of the transfer, appears to have struck gold in the signing. Omorodion has already racked up seven goals in as many matches so far with the Primeira Liga team.

Two of these scores came during a recent Europa League matchup against Manchester United. The 20-year-old striker was arguably the best player on the pitch throughout the game as he tormented Chelsea’s rivals.

The youngster could be set for role with Spain in the near future

Omorodion made the claims regarding the unsuccessful Chelsea transfer while on international duty with Spain’s U21s. The center-forward also recently helped Spain win the 2024 Olympic Games in France earlier this summer. Although he only started one game at the tournament, Omorodion scored in the match against Egypt.

The striker’s display for Porto and his youth national teams will undoubtedly catch the attention of Spanish national team manager Luis De la Fuente. La Roja currently ranks third in the world by FIFA after collecting the Euro 2024 title. While Spain remains one of the top teams in the world, they are not rife with talent at the center-forward position.

Captain Alvaro Morata is typically the team’s typical starter in the position. Omorodion, however, could soon become a key player for Spain. De La Fuente is also not afraid to give youngsters prominent roles in the team as well. Gavi, Pedri, and Lamine Yamal have all recently become mainstays under the manager, despite their ages.

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The South Carolinian club was originally founded in 2018 and began play the subsequent season. Local entrepreneur and politician Joe Erwin has been the team’s primary owner since this timeframe. Nevertheless, multiple investors have since entered the fray, now including Ronaldinho.

The ownership group announced in 2021 that they were creating a professional women’s team as well. Greenville Liberty SC began featuring in the USL W League in 2022. This is the fourth-tiered women’s division in the nation. In the new deal, Ronaldinho also joins the ownership group of the women’s club.

Midfielder is one of the most decorated soccer stars of his generation

Ronaldinho is widely regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time. The Brazilian playmaker collected a host of trophies during his career. This includes back-to-back LaLiga triumphs with Barcelona as well as the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League title.

After departing the Spanish giants, Ronaldinho helped guide AC Milan to the Serie A championship in 2011. After a 10-year stay in Europe, the superstar traveled back to his homeland to finish out his playing career. He currently remains the only player to have ever won a World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores, and a Ballon d’Or.

“We are honored to welcome Ronaldinho into the Triumph family,” stated Erwin. “His influence in the sport is unmatched, and his presence within our ownership group speaks volumes about the direction we are heading as a club. Ronaldinho’s involvement will not only elevate our club’s profile but also inspire our players, fans, and the entire Upstate community.”

Brazilian proclaims excitement in helping to grow the sport

Ronaldinho specifically pointed to Greenville’s youth setup as a main reason for his attraction to the organization. “The emphasis the Greenville Triumph and Liberty place on youth play through the boys and girls youth academy teams, and the level of competitive excellence of the Triumph professional team and Liberty pre-professional team is impressive,” said Ronaldinho.

“For me and our group, this is an opportunity to support soccer’s growth at all ages and levels, and to be part of a community that values international presence and a unique blend of cultures.”

The superstar was seemingly brought into the fray at Greenville due to his connections with business partner Wallace Cheves. The fellow investor is also now a member of the organization’s ownership group as well.

Outside of the business connections, a partnership between Greenville and Ronaldinho may seem a bit surprising. After all, several high-profile celebrities, including David Beckham, Will Ferrell, and Reese Witherspoon, all currently own pieces of top MLS teams.

Nevertheless, Ronaldinho’s involvement in Greenville will likely now inspire thousands of young soccer players in the area. The global superstar brings a plethora of international experience and attention to the 57th-most popular metro area in the United States.

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However, the other half of the league’s matches have found a new home. These 66 annual WSL games were previously available to stream on the FA Player. The FA’s platform is a free service that airs several English soccer competitions. Nevertheless, the WSL inked a deal earlier this summer with YouTube.

The move means that all 66 non-televised WSL matches can now be watched on the league’s official YouTube channel. Unlike league fixtures on Sky Sports and the BBC, soccer fans from all over the world have access to these YouTube games.

More than a quarter of a million people watched a recent WSL game

According to viewership figures obtained by The Guardian, WSL’s deal with YouTube is already paying off. The news outlet claims that the previous most-streamed WSL game on the FA Player garnered just over 78,000 views. This specific match was Arsenal’s home fixture against Bristol City during the 2023/24 season. The Gunners thumped their opponents by a score of 5-0 on the day.

While the current WSL campaign is still young, YouTube viewership is showing incredible growth. For instance, more than 250,000 people streamed a recent women’s match between Arsenal and Leicester in late September. The figure represents a new viewership record for a non-televised WSL match. Arsenal grabbed a slim 1-0 victory in the game thanks to a lone goal from Frida Maanum.

Overall, WSL matches streamed on YouTube so far this season have already reached over 1.5 million total views. This figure also only counts live fixtures and not match replays, which are also available on the media platform.

The impressive viewership total is also likely directly amplified by the fact that Arsenal has had two of their first three WSL games on YouTube. Arsenal women continue to lead the pack in fan interest among WSL teams. In fact, the Gunners previously had by far the most match-going fans of any team in the division last season.

Along with the massive viewership figures for the Leicester game, a recent WSL matchup between Arsenal and Everton also reached 148,000 views. The two teams eventually played out to a scoreless draw. The game, which was played at Emirates Stadium, was attended by over 25,000 fans.

Negotiations over the new WSL broadcasting deal continue

WSL’s deal with YouTube coincided with the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) taking over control of the division. The Football Association (FA) previously ran the professional women’s league. The WPLL is an independent, club-owned organization.

Strong viewership figures in the early stages of the 2024/25 WSL season are good news for the league and the WPLL. Sky Sports and the BBC are currently in their final year under contract to broadcast half of the division’s figures. Negotiations, according to The Guardian, remain ongoing between all parties but the WSL could likely see a significant boost in broadcasting revenue in the future.

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Southgate was previously named England manager way back in 2016. While the coach won 60% of his matches in charge of the team, he could not lead the Three Lions to a trophy. Along with the close calls at the last two European Championships, England finished third in the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League.

Southgate says he will take an extended break from the sidelines

While he could not deliver for England, Southgate has been heavily linked with the Manchester United job in recent months. Current coach Erik ten Hag remains in the hot seat despite recently receiving a contract extension. Nevertheless, it seems as if the Red Devils may have to pick another option if they were to make a managerial change.

Speaking at the European Club Association general assembly on Thursday, Southgate claimed that he will not return to management soon. “I won’t coach in the next year for sure. I’m certain of that,” stated Southgate. “I need to give myself time to make good decisions.”

“When you come out of a really big role, you need to give your body time. You need to give your mind time. I’m enjoying my life, so there’s no rush.”

Along with wanting a break from coaching, Southgate also insisted that he would not take over another national team. The Englishman appears content to have solely managed his home nation. This assertion means that Southgate would only return to coaching with a club.

Before joining England and their U21s, the manager was previously at the helm of Middlesborough from 2006 to 2009. The former defender/midfielder played his final five seasons with the Yorkshire club and then transitioned to become their manager. Southgate recorded a win rate of just 30% with Middlesborough.

Southgate – Man United: Manager talks up ‘different opportunities’ than coaching

Southgate, however, also seemingly hinted at a possible position with a club behind the scenes. Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently announced that he was joining Red Bull to be their global head of soccer. The company currently owns multiple clubs around the world, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and New York Red Bulls.

“I’m fortunate that there are lots of different opportunities that are presenting themselves. The business side of football is really interesting,” continued Southgate.

“I’ve been invited to speak at Harvard and there’s lots of exciting life experiences to have. I’m 54 and want to enjoy and be really motivated for the next 10 to 15 years of my life and the most important thing is to give myself time to make good decisions.”

England, now with Lee Carsley as interim manager, is next set to face Greece on Thursday. The Three Lions will then travel to play Finland three days later. Carsley has won both of his first two games in charge of the team.

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Due to these issues, the ex-employees seek monetary compensation from the club and the league. These potential damages include lost wages and benefits and payments for emotional distress.

The new lawsuit comes just three months after a former Wave employee made similar accusations against the team. Brittany Alvarado, a former Wave video and creative manager, claimed that team president Jill Ellis helped create a discriminatory workplace.

Alvarado took to social media to call on the NWSL to fire Ellis in July. However, The former USWNT manager refuted the allegations and remains in the role. Ellis also combated the claims by filing a defamation suit against the former employee.

Plaintiff alleges she was sexually assaulted by Wave coworker

The new lawsuit against the Wave and NWSL is seemingly a continuation of Alvarado’s previous claims. The five plaintiffs allege that top Wave officials helped create an abusive work environment. These allegations include reports of sexual assault, racial discrimination, and harsh retaliation for taking time off of work to care for sick family members.

Instances of sexual harassment were also apparently not taken seriously by the club and the NWSL. One of the unnamed plaintiffs alleges that she was sexually assaulted multiple times by a coworker in 2022. “Jane Doe,” as labeled in the lawsuit, did not immediately report the problems out of fear of retaliation.

The plaintiff, however, claims that she did eventually inform a supervisor of a toxic work environment. According to the lawsuit, Wave officials placed Jane Doe on leave the following day and then terminated her contract three days later. Following the firing, Jane Doe claims to have asked the club about ways to report an assault by a coworker. Wave officials allegedly responded by emailing the former employee a workers’ compensation injury form.

NWSL once again faces toxic workplace allegations

NWSL’s involvement in the lawsuit comes from allegedly not doing enough to help the former Wave employees. The league did investigate the claims, but the plaintiffs allege that the league’s previous inquiries merely centered around whether or not Wave execs knew about the assaults. The investigations were also hindered due to specific verbiage of the claims.

“Horrifyingly, defendant NWSL told plaintiff Doe during the investigative read out that defendant Wave had not been on notice of her sexual assault because she used the word ‘assault’ instead of the phrase ‘sexual assault’ when reporting the incidents,” read the lawsuit.

“Defendant NWSL’s own policy does not use the term ‘assault.’ Rather, it uses the vague term ‘misconduct.’ There is no reason to require a sexual assault survivor to use magic language when reporting.”

An NWSL spokesperson refuted the lawsuit in a statement given to ESPN. “The safety, health, and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority,” stated the spokesperson.

“We take serious any and every report of potential misconduct, hire qualified independent investigators to review those allegations thoroughly, and act when allegations are supported by the facts uncovered. We will not comment specifically about an active legal matter.”

The latest lawsuit comes after the NWSL supposedly introduced reforms to workplace policies. A previous sexual abuse scandal in 2021 rocked the league and led to the firing of half of the division’s coaches. Two NWSL team owners were also forced to sell their clubs at the time as well.

Photo: Imago