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FIFA’s battle to win over top clubs ahead of the revamped 2021 Club World Cup
A 24-team Club World Cup slated for 2021 seems exciting for soccer fans around the world, but there’s something else in the water.
FIFA announced in October 2019 that the first edition of the revamped 24-team Club World Cup will take place in 2021. The announcement of the expanded tournament received some push back from major clubs who are reluctant to participate in the tournament. This fact puts the success of the tournament at risk, which depends on clubs and their willingness to compete in the worldwide tournament. FIFA is under pressure to rebrand the tournament and make it a favorite among fans as well as to address the issues raised by clubs as an integral part of restructuring the competition.
Photo Credit: FIFA.com
The main issue on the table for the recently formed World Football Clubs Association (WFCA) is the FIFA Club World Cup which will require substantial coordination between the world governing body and the clubs in order to improve the scheduled world cup contest.
The New World Club Cup format
China will host the first-ever edition of what FIFA boss Gianni Infantino calls a real showcase of the world’s best teams. The move to expand the tournament from 7 teams to 24 teams is set to be a spectacle for fans who will get to see the best teams around the globe. Eight teams will come from Europe, six from South America, 3 from Africa, Asia and North America as well as one for Oceania. The tournament is likely to close the gap on some of the inequalities that hinder the development of the game in some parts of the world. European teams have won 11 out of the past 12 Club World Cups, and South American sides reached the final eight times in the past 12 years. The move by FIFA is a step forward for the global game by offering smaller leagues an opportunity to compete against the best in the world.
“The new FIFA World Cup for clubs will be a competition which every person who loves football looks forward to. It is the first real and true world cup for the best teams and clubs in the world.”- Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
Along with dealing with the backlash from clubs, the announcement caused a storm of criticism for FIFA’s decision on choosing China amidst human rights accusations over the protests in Hong Kong and the ongoing crisis of Uighur Muslims in China after FIFA had originally set the host as Qatar. However, the deaths of migrant workers during the construction of stadiums received strong criticism from human rights organizations over the treatment of migrants in Qatar. FIFA has been accused of not paying enough attention to human rights violations, which are among the problems that Infantino is faced with in launching the revamped cup.
ECA stands by its European Agenda
Photo Credit: UEFA.com
The European clubs have disagreements with FIFA over the expansion of the Club World Cup and with none more so than Juventus and European Club Association president, Andrea Agnelli. The ECA represents 232 of the continent’s leading sides and is in charge of the UEFA Champions League. Unsurprisingly one of the fiercest critics of this move has been the Italian billionaire highlighting that the FIFA corruption scandals culminating in 2015 arrests are a reason for FIFA to focus mainly on its role as a governing body to avoid such situations. Infantino invited seven top clubs, including Manchester United and Manchester City, to hear the proposals in Zurich. As Europe’s biggest governing body with the capacity to give FIFA fierce pushback, ECA maintains that FIFA should keep its place a governing body and play its role of just regulating the sport. Angelli’s plans for European football include making the seasons in Europe more connected and taking the European game to a whole new level. He also talks of “harmonization” of transfer windows, refereeing, and a mandatory summer month of rest for the players.
His other ambitious plans to raise up the UEFA League, will most of all come head to head with Infantino’s plans for an expanded format for a worldwide tournament. Infantino has already spoken to some teams in closed-door meetings, including big guns such as Barcelona and Real Madrid with big monies promised for participation. However, Agnelli has also raised concerns on the investment and the financial backing that FIFA has promised to put into the tournament, adding that the new structures were reminiscent of FIFA’s past dealings that led to the biggest corruption scandal in football history.
Photo Credit: FIFA.com
Can FIFA’s past be rewritten?
Infantino has tried his best to revamp FIFA and move away from the high profile corruption scandal that went down in 2015 implicating long term serving FIFA president, Sepp Blatter. A number of FIFA’s top brass received prosecutions from American and Swiss authorities over their involvement in bribery. A total of fourteen people were accused and investigated for a $150 million scheme that included bribes and kickbacks. FIFA senior vice president David Chung of Papua New Guinea was banned for 6 1/2 years and Kwesi Nyantakyi of Ghana was banned for life. Sheikh Ahmad of Kuwait withdrew his re-election candidacy when implicated in bribing voters. Reinhard Grindel of Germany resigned. Infantino was also investigated and soon cleared in 2016 by the FIFA ethics committee for his use of private jets. However, skepticism around the governing body’s dealings shadows the decisions that have to be made by FIFA. The arrests were a disaster for FIFA and it can be argued that the unscrupulous dealings of the former administration have cast a wary eye from most club presidents who are of the view that FIFA should be playing a role as the governing body and nothing else.
“Some of the fiercest criticism of the new format was that FIFA failed to consult clubs on the new calendar and how the tournament will be financed. As of late, eight clubs came together to form a club representative body called World Football Club Association which serves as a platform for constructive dialogue between the clubs and FIFA.”
WFCA, a softer landing for FIFA
On WFCA, it is a friendlier alternative to ECA which has been opposed to FIFA’s current plans that are willing to cooperate with the governing body to make the flagship tournament successful in 2021. WFCA is currently made up of eight club representatives from Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Members include Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, TP Mazembe, River Plate, Boca Juniors, Club America, Guangzhou Evergrande, New Zealand’s Auckland City, and Italy’s AC Milan leaders as well. The association is hoping to grow into a global platform for clubs and adding new clubs to the list of its members. WFCA working with FIFA adds merit to FIFA’s bid for the revamped World Cup and its proposal. This platform serves as a conduit for clubs to discuss their issues with FIFA and make sure that a tournament does happen and is in accord with the rest of the club’s interests.
With 2021 around the corner, FIFA’s work to gunner full support from clubs and the WFCA’s efforts remain crucial in ensuring the success of the revamped 24-team Club World Cup scheduled for China.
Will racism ever end in Serie A?
Racism incidents have spiked in the Italian Serie A over the last couple of months. The real question is how do they move on and perhaps save the reputation of one of the best leagues in the world.
My joke is better than yours
"I don't see in the Italian league a player like Lukaku in any team, not in AC Milan, Inter, Rome, Lazio. He's one of the strongest and I like him a lot because he's one of the strongest, he's at least twice as strong as (Duvan) Zapata from Atalanta. These players have something more than the others, these are the guys who make the goals and drag the team. If they go one-on-one with you you're dead, you fall to the ground. The only way to out-muscle him is to give him ten bananas to eat." – Luciano Passirani on TopCalcio24
Believe it or not, those were the exact words uttered by a football pundit live on Italian television. Passirani immediately apologized after being probed by the presenter which was however not enough to save his job. In his mind, he was probably heaping due praise on the Belgian international packaged in a "good old joke." Bigger picture wise, those few words go a long way in trying to understand the racism issue in the context of Italian football. Without further ado, let's get it!
Investigating the problem: some fans, players and the leadership
In recent weeks, the word Serie A has become regrettably synonymous with racism. It's perhaps the first thing that most keen followers of football news and events think of at the mention of the word. There is a reason for that. To people and watchdogs outside the Serie A, racism incidents have spiked in recent weeks and months whereas insiders need to be repeatedly pinched before they could wake up and smell that wretched coffee. Put simply, "racism doesn't exist in Italy," so do many insiders and the general fabric of society believes and adheres to; and that is why it's a problem that never seems to go away.
Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates his goal with his team-mate Romelu Lukaku during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 6, 2019 in Milan, Italy.
(Oct. 5, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe
It rather continues to evolve in rearing its ugly head. You don't have to take my word for it, let's remind ourselves of how some people within the country and how they’ve explained the phenomenon.
"You have to understand that Italy is not like many other north European countries where racism is a real problem. We understand that it could have seemed racist to you but it is not like that. In Italy we use some 'ways' only to 'help our teams' and to try to make our opponents nervous, not for racism but to mess them up. Please consider this attitude of Italian fans as a form of respect for the fact they are afraid of you for the goals you might score against their teams and not because they hate you or they are racist." – Inter Milan Fan Group, Curva Nord
Number one, that was a statement from the infamous Italian fan group who sought to console their summer signing after monkey chants were directed at him, at Cagliari. Again, they seem to believe it's all simply just good banter. Let's look at another one.
“England identifies the players coming in and, if they are professional, they are allowed to play. Here, on the other hand, let’s say there’s [fictional player] Opti Poba, who has come here, who previously was eating bananas and now is a first-team player for Lazio … In England he has to demonstrate his CV and his pedigree.” – Carlos Tavecchio
So it's not just the fans who have a pretty good "sense of humor." The Italian Football Federation President between 2014-17 was eventually suspended for his comments but got back on the job and later fired. Not for his seeming despicable sense of humor but after Italy failed to make the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia, for the first time in 60 years. There are some players as who have reacted questionably in the wake of racism incidents.
Juventus defender, Leonardo Bonucci claimed that the racial abuse experienced by teammate Moise Kean at Cagliari was caused by the teenage forward as much as it was by the group of fans involved, though he later took back his comments after media backlash. “Kean knows that when he scores a goal, he has to focus on celebrating with his teammates. He knows he could have done something differently. There were racist jeers after the goal. Blaise heard it and was angry. I think the blame is 50-50. Moise should not have done that, and the Curva should not have reacted that way.” – Leonardo Bonucci
At least he mentioned they “were racist jeers.”
Sulley Muntari of Pescara react during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and Pescara Calcio at Stadio Sant'Elia on April 30, 2017 in Cagliari, Italy.
(April 29, 2017 - Source: Enrico Locci/Getty Images Europe)
By getting instances where fans, leadership and players were involved, we understand that the issue has hardly been taken seriously, no wonder it seems to only get worse. After all, science and thought leaders have taught us that the first move in solving a problem, remains simply recognition of its existence. That's hardly been the case in Serie A.
Looking back at recent reported racism incidents
How far back in time do these issues and incidents go? Well, as far as time itself goes to the very beginning. In the 21st century alone, the instances are endless. In 2010, when Juventus played out to a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan with the latter earning a precious point that helped them win the Scudetto, Mario Balotelli was chanted at by a section of the Juve fans, "there is no black Italian," they shouted in the stands. So was Samuel Eto'o in 2010, Sulley Muntari in 2017. The former Ghanaian international in fact got a yellow card for complaining that he was hearing odd noises from the stands targeted at him while playing for Pescara again, at Cagliari. He eventually walked off the pitch in protest and got suspended for it. All of Blaise Matuidi, Moise Kean and most recently Lukaku have been reduced to just monkeys playing the soccer ball at Cagliari. Fiorentina's Dalbert was also recently targeted at Atalanta, Kalidou Koulibaly and the lists goes on and on and on like a song nobody wants to hear.
“It’s obviously not just in Europe but all around the world. There could still be a few stones that still need to be turned and in light of how much we have progressed as the human race to stop slavery and many other things, we should be encouraged to do more from where we are. Perhaps the simplest of things all of us can do is firstly recognize a damaging stereotype and then call it out.”
Giorgio Chiellini of Juventus embraces Kalidou Koulibaly of SSC Napoli at the end of the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Turin, Italy.
(Aug. 30, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)
The league, players and everyone else’s response
How then have the authorities responded in the face of the seemingly unending scourge of racism that's tainting one of the best leagues in world football.
Not very impressive when it comes to the Serie A, who are responsible for reprimanding or letting loose the alleged perpetrators. The incident at Cagliari where Lukaku was involved for instance, was dismissed because of a "lack of evidence." In other words, the monkey noises weren't substantial enough for a case or they "actually never happened." The Serie A’s disciplinary judge overseeing the case, Gerardo Mastrandrea, even shied away from mentioning the word racism in his verdict. In fact, none of the incidents at Cagliari have ever been punished and we wonder why we see the same thing happening over and over again. Former Newcastle forward, the Senegalese Demba Ba took to social media to explain why he never played in the Serie A, in response to Curva Nord's annoying statement on Lukaku.
"And here's the reason why I decided not to play there when I could... And at that point I wish all the black players would get out of this league! Surely it won't stop their stupidity and hate but at least they won't affect other races." - Demba Ba, Istanbul Basaksehir
Other players such as the 2019 Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year, Megan Rapinoe called upon the football fraternity to take a stand and applauded Manchester City and Napoli players, Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly for taking a firm stance and their proactivity in fighting one of society's ugliest beasts.
Anti-discriminatory body, Fare's executive director, Piara Power speaking to the BBC has lamented that "the rot is deep" in Italy and that the "authorities themselves are not fit for purpose." Fare's Eastern Europe Development Officer, Pavel Klymenko added that the problem goes past just the football circles. "This lack of understanding runs very deep. It is not just the ultras, it is the whole system of Italian football and consequently the society."
Other organisations such as KickItOut have also been quite vocal in calling out the Italian authorities and raising an awareness on the issue.
Beyond Italian borders
Yes, Italy may have been rightfully caught in the cross fire but racism also goes beyond the South Western European country's borders. Just recently in Eastern Europe where England thrashed Bulgaria by 6-0 in the Euro 2020 Qualifiers, the match was halted twice under UEFA's new protocol upon hearing monkey chants and seeing Nazi salutes in a section of the home fans directed at English black players, Tyrone Mings and Raheem Sterling. We witnessed almost the same pattern as in Italy with the Bulgarian coach denying that he heard any odd sounds during the match. The country's Primer Minister eventually went hard on the football leadership at the wake of bad publicity, forcing the Football Chief to resign.
Mario Balotelli (R) of Italy celebrates with team-mate Claudio Marchisio after scoring his team's second goal as Philipp Lahm of Germany shows his dejection during the UEFA EURO 2012 semi final match between Germany and Italy at the National Stadium on June 28, 2012 in Warsaw, Poland.
(June 27, 2012 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)
England also has had a fair share of its incidents, most recently Chelsea's Tammy Abraham and Aston Villa's Marvelous Nakamba racially abused on social media and during the matches. Perhaps, most telling is how the English FA seem to want to handle further racism cases going forward. Manchester City's Bernando Silva has recently been charged for racially joking with teammate Benjamin Mendy on social media. In their thought process, even simple jokes maintain some of society's undesirable stereotypes.
It's obviously not just in Europe but all around the world. There could still be a few stones that still need to be turned and in light of how much we have progressed as the human race to stop slavery and many other things, we should be encouraged to do more from where we are. Perhaps the simplest of things all of us can do is firstly recognize a damaging stereotype and then call it out.
How much longer?
As far as Italy is concerned, they have been very slow in understanding and combating the racism but there's certainly some hope. For instance, the Italian Football Federation President, Gabriele Gravina has recently spoken of how they are looking into VAR to help identify all perpetrators in the stands and a campaign involving one player from all 20 Serie A sides is being organized by the league. Sustainable results from all these are yet to be seen but the noise from outside, calling out Italy is definitely piling pressure on the inside and might work out for the greater good!
UEFA Champions League Preview (Matchday 2): Group A
Real Madrid vs Club Brugge
Galatasaray vs PSG
Karim Benzema attends "El Corazon de Sergio Ramos" premiere at the Reina Sofia museum on September 10, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.
(Sept. 9, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)
Group A
Real Madrid v Club Brugge – Tuesday, 01 October 2019
Zidane’s charges are expected to brush Brugge aside at the Bernabeu. Nothing less than a comprehensive victory will appease the Madrid faithful who were humbled to a 3-0 loss at Paris on matchday 1. Even though marquee summer signing, Eden Hazard, is yet to come alive in white, Benzema and the decent start to their La Liga campaign which has seen them occupy pole position after 7 matches offers enough hope that the real, Real could actually be back. A 0-0 draw over the weekend at Atletico was another piece of evidence that Zidane might have calmed the waters in the Spanish Capital.
That’s the expectation. But it’s actually easier said than done against the Belgian side who labored to a 0-0 opening draw against a Falcao inspired Galatasaray. Even more, their African contingent of Percy Tau, Diatta and Diagne showed what they can do if given the chance with a glorious display in 5-0 win over Mechelen during the weekend. No Champions League match is easy going and this one won’t be any different.
Galatasaray v Paris St Germain - Tuesday, 01 October 2019
The tide is on the French champions’ side to continue blowing opposition away and not least the Turkish champions. Quite frankly, it’s what they have repeatedly done in the UCL group stages for the past 2-3 seasons. This time, a 3-0 opening night win over Madrid could have been the best of them. Injuries have trouble Tuchel’s side in recent weeks with Mbappe, Cavani, Choupo-Moting amongst others having been forced to watch from the sidelines. Neymar who has scored all three goals in PSG’s last three, 1-0 league wins has won back the fans, settled the camp and convincingly re-integrated himself into the side after the summer transfer woes. The Brazilian will not play on Tuesday due to the ongoing ban for his comments last term but best guaranteed, PSG have enough firepower to own the night in Istanbul, provided they put their game faces on. One player you really should look out for is the summer signing from Everton, Idrissa Gana Gueye and of course Mbappe who just returned. The Senegalese international has already won hearts in Paris with his heart-on-sleeve performances in the middle of the park.
As for Galatasaray, the Turkish champions have enough champions league experience to know how to set-up against opposition such as PSG. At home, still riding on the wings of the summer arrival of Falcao and boosted by the disciplined performance that saw them earn a point at Brugge, they really must be fancying themselves to cause an upset.
We shall see how that will work out.
Which of the newly promoted clubs from the Championship have the best chance of staying up?
Let’s play fortune-teller and ponder on who will most certainly avoid the Premier League relegation chop. The lavish spenders of Aston Villa, Teemu Pukki’s Norwich City or the Blades of Sheffield?
ROBERT MUGABE’S PASSION
This week marks the passing and mourning of one of the most popular figures on the face of the earth. A Pan-African hero in the eyes of some and stubborn villain to others, rightfully polarizing opinions because of his reign as Zimbabwe’s President and audience arresting remarks. Pleasantly or unpleasantly. One bit of Mugabe’s less polarizing characteristics was his passion for the game of football. He once shared about his allegiance to Barcelona and Chelsea, also citing that whenever his team scores, he would also be scoring at home; kicking everything much to the disgruntlement of his surviving wife. In the same spirit of polarizing opinions, let’s look at a matter which will always be a subject of contrasting opinions but a joy to unpack and rediscover.
Of the English Premier League’s three promoted teams; Aston Villa, Norwich City and Sheffield United, who will likely survive the relegation chop and retain their place amongst the top 20 football clubs in the country?
Teemu Pukki of Norwich City is blocked by Trevoh Chalobah and Gwion Edwards of Ipswich Town during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Norwich City at Portman Road on September 2, 2018 in Ipswich, England.
(Sept. 1, 2018 - Source: Stephen Pond/Getty Images Europe)
HOW THEY MADE IT
Surprisingly for some, the Claret and Blue Army were the side that wasn’t guaranteed automatic qualification from the Sky Bet Championship amongst all three. Villa finished 5th in the 2018/19 Championship season, marginally making the top 6 and gaining a guaranteed play-off spot. They had to take the longer route to secure qualification, beating West Brom over a two legged semi-final before confirming their return to the Premier League for the first time since 2015, with a 2-1 win over then Frank Lampard’s Derby County.
It wasn’t any easier for Norwich and United who were persistently consistent throughout the whole campaign to secure first and second place finishes respectively, ahead of a pack of other 23 Championship clubs who are as competitive as they come. All gunning for those promotion places. Norwich were crowned champions after a remarkable run that saw them finish 5 points ahead of second-place Sheffield United and their Finnish star-man, Teemu Pukki who terrorised defenders, walking away with the top goal scorer award for his 29 goals.
Why don’t we look at each of these sides in depth to understand how they play, what exploits are being hinted at by their 2019 summer transfer window business and getting to know the players on their rosters that we should keep tabs with.
“ Most importantly, the sides who will still be able to grind out results when the momentum and cheers of attaining Premier League promotion fades, because it will, are the very same teams who will avoid the chop.”
Dean Smith manager of Aston Villa during a press conference at Villa Park Stadium on October 15, 2018 in Birmingham, England.
(Oct. 14, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)
ASTON VILLA
By any standard, Villa have been the most outspoken side of the three, majorly for their rich history and summer spending spree. With a resume of a top Premier League side adorning their history records that includes 7 top flight titles, 7 FA Cups, a European Cup now famously known as the Champions League amongst many others; it becomes difficult to understand why the Villa Park residents got the chop in the first place. For a sense of scale, they have won 5 more top flight titles than Tottenham, amassed over their rich 144-year history. But that’s a story for another day, a Mugabe refresher has surely been an enough history lesson for the day. Let’s look at their tactics and play fortune teller at their overall chances in the 2019/20 Premier League season.
Dean Smith was appointed Villa Manager in October2018 and went on to win them promotion in the same season for the first time in 4 years. Smith is the man they have retained for the English job to ensure survival in the top flight, at least this year. Their opening match against Tottenham gave an idea of what they are trying to do; stay humble, defend as unit, keep the big guys at bay and try to hit them on the counter. An age old tactic which works, well sometimes. Another key component of their style of play is their 12th man, the Villa fans who are relishing a return to the Premier League. They quite honestly almost turned the Tottenham Hotspur stadium into Villa Park. As a result, a superb grit for the day with heart on sleeves, Villa opened the scoring through McGinn and looked poised to get something from the game before individual mistakes costed them late on to inspire a Spurs 3-1 comeback victory. For a significant spell in the match, Smith’s boys had the 2018 UEFA Champions League finalists on the ropes. They’ve obviously picked up a few more points since then, staying humble against “superior” opposition and taking the game to mid-table sides such as what they did at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace. Their expensively assembled squad is yet to fully sync but early signs signal they had a plan in almost curling out all the players that earned them promotion and bringing in over 11 more in the summer. Let’s explore how they did it.
Transfer business
The new owners who took over in 2018 really outdid themselves and put it out for all to see that they mean business. Villa were the 2nd biggest EPL spenders in the summer, splashing a total of over £144.5m for over 12 players. Only the two Manchester Clubs spent more, albeit for a less number of players. Their observable style of play suggests that they are not really trying to outplay everyone, but just having enough quality in the right areas to hit the big boys on the counter, enough experience and character to stay on the grind for the extremely demanding 38 match Premier League season. They brought in players from all around Europe with top flight experience that include Egyptian Trezeguet, Zimbabwean Marvelous Nakamba, Douglas Luiz from Manchester City, former England goalkeeper Tom Heaton from Burnley, Tyron Mings from Bournemouth amongst many others. Villa also retained the sought offer services of budding English talent, Jack Grealish who’s been tasked to captain the side in the new season. It remains to be seen whether overhauling almost the entire team was the wisest thing to do given the example of Fulham who did virtually the same thing, spending almost as much money but still guaranteed a chop, ahead of all others. It takes time to build proper team chemistry or else a side will always look less than the sum of its parts. Fulham learned that the hard way in the 2018/19 season and Villa fans would be hoping that won’t befall them.
Verdict: Before they were relegated in 2015, Villa had stayed in the Premier League for 24 years. The club and the fans probably feel they belong there. Despite their summer spree, at best, I see Villa doing just enough to stay in the top flight. Their recently assembled squad need a significant amount of time to vibe and play as a proper unit.
Norwich City Head Coach Daniel Farke celebrates victory after the Sky Bet Championship match between Norwich City and Leeds United at Carrow Road on April 28, 2018 in Norwich, England.
(April 27, 2018 - Source: Stephen Pond/Getty Images Europe)
NORWICH CITY
They were deserving 2018/19 champions in the Sky Bet Championship. A total points tally of 94 is no joke and one that was achieved through sheer determination and team spirit. Premier League history hasn’t however been very kind to the Canaries, always coming in and almost immediately booted out every time in recent years. Above many other things, their survival hopes will mainly be a test of their mentality and maturity to compete at the highest level. They clearly have the quality and experience in all the right places to do well, evidenced by a 1st position finish in the Championship were they outcompeted teams such as Villa, Middlesborough, Leeds, West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United amongst many others. They will need to live beyond their previous relegation chop demons but up to that mantra they chose for themselves upon winning the Championship, “we are Premier League.” In their opening EPL match, they hardly couldn’t have had a more intimidating opponent than the European champions, Liverpool. The Canaries showed a little bit of naivety by trying to match Jurgen Klopp’s men play for play and found themselves 4-0 down by the stroke of half-time. Whatever Daniel Farke said to them during the break worked. A more disciplined and collected approach saw them frustrate the Reds, and pulled one goal back through Teemu Pukki to ensure the match finished 4-1.
Norwich can match anyone on their day as we saw in their nail biting and narrow 3-2 loss to Chelsea at Carrow Road. We have also seen them blow away NewCastle by a 3-1 scoreline, showing great dynamism going forward and putting it on plain tables that they mean business.
Transfer business
The Canaries actually spent the least amount of money amongst all the 20 Premier League teams in the window. A total expenditure of just £1.1m saw them bring in Sam Byram, Daniel Adshead and Josip Drmic permanently while Ibrahim Amadou, Ralf Fahrmann and Patrick Roberts signed on loan. It doesn’t look like that kind of budget would be enough to help them to stay up. However, their strength remains the team chemistry and fighting spirit that was a major ingredient in gaining promotion. Farke’s men managed to more or less retain that crop of players and provided they are not harboured by injuries on some of their key players, they still have enough quality to cause anyone problems and stay put in the English top flight. One player they will surely be hoping will be fit throughout the whole campaign is the Finnish forward Teemu Pukki, who just cannot stop scoring at the moment. He shook-off the Premier League feeling and brought forward his golden boot winning form to the top flight. The 29-year-old has now scored 5 goals in 4 matches and pretty much amongst the league’s top marksmen.
Daniel Farke’s boys probably have Wolves as a great inspiration to what they are trying to achieve. Nuno’s men attained promotion in the 2017/18 in the same circumstance as Norwich after winning the Championship, remained a bit conservative in the transfer market and pushed themselves to secure a 7th place finish, earning passage to some elusive continental football in only their first season. That doesn’t obviously happen all the time but Norwich could surely be asking the why not questions.
Verdict: They will also do just enough to stay alive in the Premier League. History has taught us that the ability to score goals could be slightly more important than just avoiding to concede in the race to EPL survival. The Canaries have shown early enough that they have goals in them, if they can keep it tighter at the back, they will be more than fine.
Chris Wilder manager of Sheffield United looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday at Bramall Lane on January 12, 2018 in Sheffield, England.
(Jan. 11, 2018 - Source: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images Europe)
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Despite a long and considerably wealthy history worth telling to even more generations to come, the Blades had stayed out of the Premier League the longest amongst the three. They last played in the top flight in the 2006/07. It is the same club that gave African players such as the Zimbabwean Peter Ndlovu, the chance to make their names bigger at the grandest stage. They quite fairly have been the least spoken of amongst the three promoted teams. Firstly, because a Championship title win obviously granted Norwich a greater audience and so did Villa’s play-offs matches. Early signs from their opening Premier League matches suggest that they are all about that old-school shoulder to the wheel grind. The Blades seem not to be trying to outplay or out manoeuvre anyone but just doing the basic things of defending, staying compact and scoring very well. Their patience was rewarded with an opening day point won at Bournemouth after they scored late-on to brings the scores to a 1-1 stalemate. Chris Wilder’s boys picked up their first 3 points at home to Palace in a similar conservative way of playing, using their fans’ passionate support as a clutch to be more composed going forward and neatly tucking away their chances.
Transfer business
Dejection for players of Sheffield United during the npower League One, playoff final between Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium on May 26, 2012 in London, England.
(May 25, 2012 - Source: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Europe)
It was quite decent for a side that just gained promotion. A bit more reasonable than the lavish way of Villa nor the extremely stringent Norwich way. The Blades splashed a total of £43m to bring in players such as the former Bournemouth forward, Lys Mousset, Phil Jagielka from Everton and Oliver McBurnie from Swansea They also held to quite a number of their Championship players which virtually make them fall in the category of Norwich as far as squad depth and team chemistry is concerned.
Verdict: They seem the least likely to stay up amongst the three for me. I am not entirely convinced they have enough goals in them even though their defensive work is quite commendable.
WHEN THE NOISE FADES
Key to the trio’s survival hopes is the ability to turn up week-in and out with a mentality worthy of the Premier League, not just trying to survive. Most importantly, the sides who will still be able to grind out results when the momentum and cheers of attaining Premier League promotion fades, because it will, are the very same teams who will avoid the chop.
Who do you think will most likely stay up?
Are Sarri and Chelsea a good fit going forward?
The Blues of West London have already secured a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League and are in their second cup final of the campaign as they square off with Arsenal in Baku for the Europa League trophy. Relatively good successes, papering the cracks that has marked Chelsea’s season. Where do we go from here?
“It is this tinkering of the squad which earned him much respect in Italy, with Mertens managing a total of 28 goals at the end of the 2016/17 season. ”
Often times clubs find themselves in positions where making a change in management is necessary for the progression of the club. That was the case at Chelsea Football Club at the end of the 2017/18 season after a hostile atmosphere had taken over the dressing room with players allegedly fed up of the reign of Antonio Conte. Also, the prospect of a certain Maurizio Sarri possibly switching to the West London club and introducing a new brand of football was too good an opportunity to let pass. In the end, the former Napoli boss flew over to join the English Premier League and with him, he brought Jorginho, his anchor-man and the rest of his Sarriball. With one game to go in the 2018/19 season, Chelsea have secured a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League but it papers over the cracks as they have struggled for almost all season. Here’s a review of whether Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea are a good fit.
Napoli's coach Maurizio Sarri greets coach player Gonzalo Higuain during the TIM Cup match between SSC Napoli and Hellas Verona FC at Stadio San Paolo on December 16, 2015 in Naples, Italy.
(Dec. 15, 2015 - Source: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images Europe)
The Philosophy
Having watched last season’s UEFA Champions League tie between Manchester City and Napoli, you could tell that Sarri’s football philosophy was up there with best. Its focus on an intense pressing much-like the famous Jurgen press, the unique transitional one-touch football spearheaded by Jorginho in a deep-lying midfield role and an unorthodox frontline typified by a false 9 tactic justified all the noises about the manager. It is no surprise that Maurizio Sarri grew popular and rose to prominence in a relatively short period. Despite being a banker, his passion for a unique brand of football saw him join Pescara in the Italian Serie B back in 2005. It is here that he implemented his ideas which have evolved into the tactics he later on deployed at Napoli and most recently, Chelsea. Sarri left Pescara, joined Empoli for a short stint before making a move to Italian giants Napoli. It is here that he really made a name for himself. The next part of the article reviews his time at Napoli.
Naples
June 11, 2015 marked the day that Maurizio Sarri signed for Napoli and replaced Rafa Benitez as the manager of the club. This was his first move to a top European club and he aimed to stay at the top. In his first season, he brought with him, Elseig Hysaj, Pepe Reina and Allan, who became the stalwarts for the subsequent campaign in which Napoli finished second in the Italian Serie A, behind Juventus. They played an integral role in a successful campaign together with the Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain who scored a record 36 goals in the league before being signed by Juventus in July 2016. With this loss, came a transition in the manager’s game plan as he vetoed against signing a like-for-like replacement for the forward, instead trusting in Belgian wing wizard Dries Mertens and moving him into a central role. It is this tinkering of the squad which earned him much respect in Italy, with Mertens managing a total of 28 goals at the end of the 2016/17 season.
In terms of form, Sarri’s Napoli enjoyed purple patches in which the club made it to first position in the Italian Serie A, ahead of Juventus but they somehow capitulated towards the end of the season. In the end, the Italian left for Chelsea in 2018, having failed to lift a single trophy with Napoli despite the club having played some of the best football the fans had seen in the San Paolo Stadium.
London
The best managers always want to test themselves in the best competitions and leagues in the world. Maurizio Sarri is no different. He resigned at Napoli and switched to a West London club, Chelsea. To some, this was a shocking move considering the manager’s CV which lacked the critical factor - trophies. The Italian replaced Antonio Conte at Chelsea, who won the English Premier League and an FA Cup. Before him, Rafa Benitez had won the UEFA Europa League and Roberto Di Matteo won the UEFA Champions League. Despite all the success with the club, all of them were sacked by the owner of the club. Roman Abramovich has always been ruthless whenever he felt the club was not moving in the direction that he wanted hence the axe being called on these managers. The constant demand for success at the club and Sarri’s lack of contribution to the trophy cabinet at his previous clubs looked a mismatch. Nonetheless, the manager made his way to the club for the 2018/19 season.
Maurizio Sarri, Manager of Chelsea arrives prior to the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on October 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.
(Oct. 19, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe
Sarriball in England
Chelsea fans were over the moon when they beat Arsenal 3-2 at the Stamford Bridge on the 18th of August, 2018. They were not just happy about getting an edge over their rivals but also the style of football they witnessed in just their second English Premier League game under Maurizio Sarri. Having been used to defensive and counter-attacking football under Conte and Mourinho, it was probably their first time seeing their club dominate their opponents in terms of possession, shots on target, chances created, etc. This performance was followed by an electrifying run of form that saw Chelsea blowing teams away in the English Premier League. For a minute, I was convinced they would have a say in the title race. Sarriball proved to be working until Mauricio Pochettino delegated man-marking duties to Dele Alli in the match between Chelsea and Tottenham. Jorginho was followed by the England international all-game and stiffled Chelsea’s usual route of a quick transition. As a result, Chelsea succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham and everything went downhill from there.
The lack of consistency saw the club fall behind Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United at the turn of 2019. Contention among the Chelsea faithful grew at season-end due to Sarri’s stubborn decisions throughout the campaign. Many a times came where a switch in positioning between N’golo Kante and Jorginho were required but the manager stuck to his preferred tactics which saw them drop unnecessary points in the season run-in. The lack of flexibility in his game plan and the unpopular decision of moving Kante from his preferred defensive midfield position to a more attacking role left many heads shaking. Sitting in 6th position with 8 games left in the EPL, Sarri’s future looked bleak. However, they still managed to sneak into a 3rd place position ahead of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United thanks to a run of disappointing results from the aforementioned clubs. This league position masks the dreadful season that Chelsea have had. Also, it clouds the major issue of player management by Maurizio Sarri.
“Sitting in 6th position with 8 games left in the EPL, Sarri’s future looked bleak. However, they still managed to sneak into a 3rd place position ahead of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United thanks to a run of disappointing results from the aforementioned clubs. This league position masks the dreadful season that Chelsea have had.”
Player Management
The appointment of a new manager only means two things for football players; either business as usual or considering pastures anew. The latter has been the case for club captain Gary Cahill who captained the club in the title winning campaign just 2 seasons ago under Antonio Conte. Last season, he still played a significant role in their FA Cup run which yielded a trophy at the end of the 2017/18 season. This season, Cahill was frozen out of the team by Maurizio Sarri preferring David Luiz and Rudiger as the long-standing shields protecting the goal-line. The England international did not get any explanation from the manager and said, “I find it difficult to respect Sarri who has not respected what some of us have won with the club.” The defender was bitter about his treatment by the manager who has given him only 2 appearances in the English Premier League since his arrival and has not explained why he does not play as much as the other defenders.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Europa League Group L match between Chelsea and FC BATE Borisov at Stamford Bridge on October 25, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.
(Oct. 24, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)
Danny Drinkwater also faced the wrath of Sarri this season. The English Premier League winner with the Leicester team a couple of years back has been deemed surplus to requirements and has since been excluded from first team duties. There is no way back for Drinkwater and he must be ready to make a move come the end of the season if he is to revive his career at top flight football.
Apart from these two who received brutal treatment from the Chelsea coach, Ruben Loftus Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi have also been robbed off some crucial minutes in the first team this season. The Italian boss ignored the calls from the fans to play their academy products with the two being forced to watch from the stands despite their counterparts putting in poor performances. Kovacic and Barkley have not been reliable since the beginning of the season but Loftus Cheek was never seen in the mix until of late. The fans found it hard to understand why the manager could not make decisions that seemed obvious to them and left it late before they could see the midfielder being given a chance in his preferred advanced midfield role.
For Callum Hudson-Odoi, he had to submit a transfer request and push for a move to Bayern Munich before Sarri could realise that he had a talented teenager with potential to be a star in European football. All season, his defence when asked about the 18-year old was that he had to work on his defensive contribution yet he was barely given a chance to prove whether or not he had made progress. It seems as if the club forced Sarri to include @Calteck10 in the starting mix because the player was handed consecutive starting berths post the winter transfer window. He was unfortunate to pick up an Achilles injury which ruled him out for the rest of the season. It remains to be seen if the manager has changed his mind on these young players or whether the decisions were out of his hands. Nonetheless, the transfer ban imposed on Chelsea does not help his cause.
Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea (C) celebrates victory in the penalty shoot out with team mates during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final Second Leg match between Chelsea and Eintracht Frankfurt at Stamford Bridge on May 09, 2019 in London, England.
(May 8, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)
Chelsea’s Transfer Ban
Chelsea FC have been handed a ban that prevents them from buying players in the next two transfer windows. They were given an opportunity to appeal the decision but to no avail. FIFA have stood firm to the FFP rules which have allegedly been broken by the club’s approach to signing foreign U-18 players. That said, Chelsea are left helpless and will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat if they are to challenge for any trophies in the upcoming season. Maurizio Sarri came in late and had little preparations before the start of the 2017/18 season. He managed to get a few players in before the transfer window shut. Losing Cesc Fabregas to Monaco in January 2019 did not help as he was left with no adequate back-up to Jorginho. This provides a challenge for the Italian coach who was looking forward to the transfer window to get the players that suited his style of play. This means that Sarri has to put his trust in the current squad and the players from the youth academy. And that could potentially be the break that Chelsea needed after the owner Roman Abramovich changed his transfer policy in the past few years. He has since reduced his influence on the transfer market and somewhat follow the self-sustaining method that is growing popular in England.
Chelsea have an academy that sends out at least 20 players on loan every season. Possibly, it might be time for them to get a chance now that the club cannot go over Europe and identify the finished products. What’s certain is that Sarri will face a tough time to include young players in his plans because of his rigid philosophy.
Now what?
Chelsea are set to play Arsenal in the final of the UEFA Europa League on the 29th of May 2018. A win for them would mean another trophy added to their cabinet and something to mask their substandard performances all season. However, a defeat against Arsenal would not change much as they have already secured a UEFA Champions League spot for next season. Although Sarri might not be the ideal manager to integrate youth team players into his squad, it would still be a surprise if the club decides to sack him. He has not had enough time and resources to implement his philosophy. I think he has at least one more season at the helm of Chelsea FC.
What do you think?
Is Karim Benzema the best striker in Real Madrid’s club history?
As far as unsung heroes are concerned, Benz definitely ranks high in that category. The Frenchman has been in the books of the La Liga club for almost a decade and really staking a claim as the greatest striker the club has had. Is there really a case for him though?
Raul Gonzalez of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring Real's first goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on April 12, 2009 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) * Local Caption * Raul Gonzalez
(April 12, 2009 - Source: Denis Doyle/Getty Images Europe)
Is Karim Benzema the best striker in Real Madrid’s club history?
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, commonly referred to as Real Madrid is undeniably one of the most decorated clubs on the face of the earth. The Spanish giants have won everything there is to win, on countless occasions. With 33 La Liga titles, 13 UEFA Champions League trophies and 4 FIFA Club World Cup accolades to show for it, what else can a fan ask for. Their rich history is painted by some of the greatest names in the game of football that braced the white colors and terrorized teams in Europe, and beyond. Think of Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Santillana, Hugo Sánchez, Raúl and the recently departed Cristiano Ronaldo who have all scored more than 200 goals for the club. In the midst of all this, there has been a growing debate about the case of French forward, Karim Benzema. Some make a claim for him being the greatest striker that the club has seen. Before disregarding this view. Let’s explore his journey.
Joining Madrid as a youngster
As expected of the biggest clubs in the world, only the best players across the continent make it to the first team of the Los Blancos. Some have to wait until they hit their prime age which can be way into their late 20s. For instance, a world-cup winner in Zinedine Zidane, only captured the attention of Real Madrid at the age of 29 and moved to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 2001. Such is the demand for quality at the club. Their blockbuster transfer policy targeting the best players in the world has since been referred to as Galactico signings. In the case of Karim, the forward joined Real Madrid from Lyon at the age of 21 in a deal believed to be in the region of $50 million. He had only managed to score 43 goals in 112 appearances which amounted to 4 French Ligue 1 titles. Unlike Zidane, he had no FIFA World Cup winners’ medal. This attests to Benzema’s talent as a kid which caught the eye of Madrid and allowed him to become the third most expensive signing on their books in 2009 only after Ricardo Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. No doubt, Benzema was privileged to join Real Madrid at such a young age.
Slow Start
Just like any player that joins the Real Madrid dressing room, Karim Benzema had huge shoes to fill. At the time, he faced competition from the club captain Raul Gonzalez, a striker regarded to be one of the best the Spanish National team has ever had. Also, there was a certain Gonzalo Higuain, the prodigy from the Real Madrid B team that was making waves and staking a claim for a seat at the big table. Really, Benzema had no right to ask for anything. In a total of 33 appearances, he scored just 9 goals compared to Gonzalo Higuain’s 24 goals in 44 appearances. Despite the marginal goal return, the then Real Madrid coach, Jose Mourinho had seen enough from the youngster to force club legend, Raul to the exit door. Consequently, Raul left the club the following season and the striking responsibilities were left to the pair.
“How Benzema’s movement drew Chiellini out of position before releasing the ball to Ronaldo who slid it through to Dani Carvajal on the right flank. From that moment, you could tell this was a goal scoring move...”
Evolution of Striking Role
Having followed football in the past two decades, one can witness the evolution of the game which has resulted in an increase in the demand of ball-playing abilities from all 11 players inclusive of the goalkeeper. In the present day, strikers are seen leading the press when out of possession and are pivotal in counter attacking football where their hold-up play is questioned and they are tasked with feeding the ball to the wide channels. Jose Mourinho was way ahead of his time and quickly noticed that Benzema was not just capable of fitting this role, but also maintain a fair number of goal returns. As such, Benzema had an edge over Gonzalo Higuain even though the Argentinian was more ferocious in front goal. For about 3 more seasons, the pair were used interchangeably with Higuain undoubtedly more efficient in scoring goals but he could never get it around his head as to why he was not a clear starter in the Real Madrid team. As a result, he gave up and left for Napoli in 2013, leaving the reigns in Karim Benzema’s hands. It is fair to say that Real Madrid have not lived to regret that decision considering the hefty $44 million sum paid by the Italian club for a player struggling to keep Benzema off the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo (R) of Real Madrid CF celebrates scoring their opening goal with teammate Karim Benzema (L) during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 25, 2014 in Madrid, Spain.
(Oct. 24, 2014 - Source: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Europe)
Complementing Cristiano Ronaldo
As established, Karim Benzema had outstanding playmaking abilities. His unselfishness on the pitch, often saw him drifting out wide creating space for Ronaldo to occupy the central positions where he created the most havoc from and scored unthinkable number of goals. In Ronaldo’s best years of his career, he was playing with Karim Benzema, the striker that sacrificed a lot for the Portuguese international to achieve greatness and earn a mention among the talk of the best players of all time. Take a moment to reflect on Ronaldo’s opener in the UEFA Champions League final against Juventus in 2017. How Benzema’s movement drew Chiellini out of position before releasing the ball to Ronaldo who slid it through to Dani Carvajal on the right flank. From that moment, you could tell this was a goal scoring move as the Juventus defence was left confused as to whom will receive the final pass in the box. Benzema drew another defender in Barzagli. In the end, Ronaldo tapped home the goal from the edge of the edge of the eighteen area and sped off to the corner flag for his trademark goal celebration. We saw this on several occasions. The pair stroke up a devastating partnership which saw Ronaldo finishing off most of the moves and Benzema being hailed the master or genius behind the goals. Apart from that, one also ought to consider his defensive contribution in the new shape Madrid team especially in the absence of Gareth Bale. Cristiano Ronaldo was the only player free of defensive duties in the Real Madrid team which meant that his partner had to do most of the dirty work. Benzema covered the ground in tight matches like the El Classicos where Barcelona had most of the possession and the Los Blancos had to do a lot of chasing. All this he did knowing that if he could manage to thread through just one ball in between the lines to Ronaldo, he was the only player who could turn half a chance into a goal. Therefore, Benzema adapted his game to bring out the best in Ronaldo. This adaptation should never be underestimated considering Benzema was an out-and-out striker capable of scoring goals on his own. In addition, the best players must have the ability to adapt to a situation and perform at any club. The likes of Kaka failed to live up to expectations partly due to the fact that he could not adapt his game as he was used to being the main man in his previous club. That said, Benzema should be respected for being able to adapt his game to suit the team and survive in the club for as long a time as he has done. A decade to be specific.
Karim Benzema of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on May 26, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine.
(May 25, 2018 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)
Form after Ronaldo
Post the Cristiano Ronaldo era, Benzema is leading the line for Real Madrid with little competition for a starting berth. This season, he has managed to score a total of 31 goals across all competitions and is the second highest goal scorer in La Liga with 21 goals, only behind Lionel Messi. Karim’s finishing abilities had been doubted over the past 9 seasons when Ronaldo was there as he was doing more of the creating but he is beginning to show his natural skill which is to sag nets. With 5 matches to go, the Real Madrid forward is on course to outscore all the traditional forwards in the league, i.e. the number 9s, precisely what is expected of strikers at Real Madrid.
The Accolades
The talk of the best in modern day football involves the individual contribution and the collective achievements won by the players. The debate about Messi and Ronaldo boils down to Ballon d’Ors and UEFA Champions League crowns. Although Benzema is yet to win the Ballon d’Or, he has done the most in winning everything winnable at club level. The table below shows Benzema’s achievements in comparison with other Real Madrid players in his position.
Name UEFA Champs La Liga FIFA Club WC Total Accolades
Benzema 4 2 4 10
Di Stefano 5 8 1 14
Raul 3 6 2 11
To date, Benzema has a total of 10 major trophies just 4 shy of Di Stefano’s achievements. This is promising for the striker who has just turned 31. He looks indispensable at the heart of the front line and with Zidane returning to the club, his fortunes look promising. Furthermore, the eras in which these players played for Madrid is different. Di Stefano and Raul were privileged to play in an era when Real Madrid was dominating domestically. The level of competition from the rivals was not as stiff as of the present day. That said, Benzema is at a disadvantage and has to inspire his team to change the narrative.
Individual Stats
The most interesting part for some. The numbers that reflect the individual’s contribution to the game.
Name Goals Scored No. of Appearances
Benzema 222 462
Di Stefano 323 741
Raul 308 396
From this, it is evident that Benzema has the least compared to the rest. However, this does not take anything away from his individual contribution as he was playing with Ronaldo, and made sure that the player became the greatest goal scorer Real Madrid have ever had. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a record total of 450 goals in 438 appearances. Without Ronaldo, Benzema could have easily doubled his tally as long as he was given the respect his predecessors had when leading the team from the last third of the pitch.
Verdict
In conclusion, I think it is justifiable to consider that Karim Benzema is among the finest strikers that Real Madrid has seen. As established, his individual talent combined with his unselfishness on the pitch has had a ripple effect on the performances of other players like Ronaldo, and consequently, the team. Despite not playing in an era of dominance by the Spanish giants like his foes, he still managed to stake a claim among the greatest Los Blancos strikers. I think Karim has a good shout for being the best. What are your thoughts?
10 January Transfers Everyone Wants To See: #2 Houssem Aouar
Next up on our list is the 20-year-old of Algerian descent, a possible “reincarnation” of Xavi Hernandez who has been twisting heads and legs in the French Ligue 1.
No matter how good some players are, football players or otherwise – they kind of need a bigger turf or neighbourhood to show that they belong, to prove that they have the “it” factor. Such is the story of some of the most exciting professional footballers in the game today, they can only become as big as the club they play for and we have a few names that many would want to see move to other pastures. Some have been rumoured away from their clubs and some haven’t but sooner rather than later, transfers are inevitable. Coming in on number 2 on our list is another Ligue 1 player.
Houssem Aouar of Lyon is challenged by Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City during the Group F match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester City and Olympique Lyonnais at Etihad Stadium on September 19, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
(Sept. 18, 2018 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe)
Do you remember the midfield maestro, Barcelona’s Xavi. The not so tall Spaniard who could mark anyone out of possession no matter their shape or size but mostly known for literally controlling the midfield by spraying all sorts of passes onto his teammates. Or are you perhaps excited with one of Barcelona’s most recent acquisitions in Arthur Mello, one tipped to be the long awaited replacement to Xavi. There is another copy of the two, short and also unique in his own playing style but just as dangerous. Olympique Lyonnais’ 20 year-old Aouar is simply remarkable. His maturity and simplicity with the ball has made him one of the hottest midfield prospects. Against the likes of Fernandinho or David Silva, Aouar came out on top in all of Lyon-Manchester meetings in this year’s UEFA champions league group stage. He can get out of any situation regardless of the number of opponents surrounding him and has been equally “guilty” of picking out the likes of Memphis Depay, Ivorian Maxwell Cornet or Burkinabe international Betrand Traore in unimaginable positions.
A young midfield anchor of Algerian descent, showing signs of maturity, incredible ability but still with a lot of growing to do, will he stay or will a new club be so blessed to have him?
Christmas Cheer for Africans in the Premier League
We compiled the top moments from the English Premier League’s Matchday 18 that continued to see many familiar faces on the top of their game. This 3-way Golden Boot race between Aubameyang, Salah, and Kane is only getting started.
Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal (9) celebrates with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as he scores his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Cardiff City and Arsenal FC at Cardiff City Stadium on September 2, 2018 in Cardiff, United Kingdom.
(Sept. 1, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)
Matchday 18 of the English Premier League, the final round of matches before Christmas, was headlined by African stars – a befitting festive gift for the continent and the world. We captured a few of the moments we wouldn’t want anyone to miss.
Double Christmas gift from Santa Aubameyang
Arsenal’s inform striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added to his tally by netting a brace that handed the Gunners a 3-1 win over Burnely at the Emirates. He opened the scoring with a sliced out foot shot as the end of a flowing Arsenal move, engineered by Mesut Ozil. The Gabonese international then doubled the advantage in the second period, blasting the net from the near post after his strike partner, Alexandre Lacazette had ushered the ball into his path. Auba is still top of the premier league scoring charts on 12 strikes followed by Mo Salah and Harry Kane who are both on 11.
One season wonder?
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Southampton FC at Anfield on September 22, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
(Sept. 21, 2018 - Source: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe)
Magical Mohamed Salah remains the talisman for top of the table Liverpool with his latest showing being a sublime performance at Wolves. The Egyptian drew first blood by beating Rui Patricio with the deftness of touch struck with his shoelaces as he finished Fabinho’s cross which was something a little over half a chance. He then setup Virgil Van Dijk for his first premier league goal for Liverpool with perfectly timed cross into the box. The matched ended 2-0 to the Reds and the only questions asked after the game were of those who had labelled the 26-year-old a one season wonder. Apparently, they are nowhere to be found.
Schlupp helps Palace engineer the biggest of upsets
The biggest piece of news from the weekend was that of Manchester City’s surprise 3-2 defeat by Crystal Palace at home. The champions opened the scoring through IIkay Gundogan’s perfect header but it was the Ghanaian, Jeffrey Schlupp who levelled matters from an unlikely scenario, dribbling past two defenders before slotting the ball past Ederson. Townsend, Milivojevic then got in on the act, wrapping up the points for Roy Hodgson’s men before De Bruyne scored a consolation goal in the closing moments of the game.
2019 AFCON Qualifiers: (Weekend Report) Bafana floors Seychelles, Ighalo hatrick & more
It’s a wrap as far as Matchday 3 of the 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations is concerned. Quickly get up to speed with how your heroes have fared.
Matchday 3 of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers is well behind us now and it didn’t just depart without leaving some memories that will live forever.
Odion Ighalo of Nigeria the International Friendly between England and Nigeria at Wembley Stadium on June 2, 2018 in London, England.
(June 1, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)
The South African men’s national football team were the biggest entertainers of the weekend, scoring at will and showing off some quick pass attacking football against the Seychelles. It was the visitors who opened the scoring for Bafana in the 23rd minute as Nigel Hoareau unfortunately blasted a wondrous goal into his own net. After that, all hell broke loose for the Pirates. As the rain stopped, it started raining goals and the Southerners took turns scoring an assortment of goals - some from set pieces, with a number for them as a result of successive one touch passing, they call it shoe-shine piano at Mamelodi Sundowns. Tau, who plays from English Premier League side, Brighton on loan in Belgium was amongst the goals but the night belong to Lebo Mothiba. The 22-year-old forward who plays for the French Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg assisted strike partner, Tau, for the fourth goal of the match in spectacular fashion after he had thumped in a rocket in the first half. He was always involved in the thick of the action and sure looks like an exciting prospect for Bafana. Stuart Baxter’s men now lie top of group E, above Nigeria and are on course to qualify for Cameroon 2019. Next up, they travel to Seychelles on Tuesday for the return fixture.
In the West, Nigeria were hostile hosts to the Mediterranean Knights of Libya running out as 4-0 winners on the day. Chinese Super League based forward, who was far from being impressive at the 2018 world cup for the Super Eagles, Odion Ighalo won some hearts. The 29-year-old bagged the first hatrick of his international career which sent him top of the scoring charts together with Zimbabwe’s Knowledge Musona who is also on four goals so far in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers tournament. Many Arsenal fans will be delighted to hear that Alex Iwobi continued his impressive club form as he controlled the game, also serving up a delightful assist for Ighalo’s second.
Zimbabwe's midfielder Kudakwashe Mahachi (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group B football match between Algeria and Zimbabwe in Franceville on January 15, 2017. / AFP / KHALED DESOUKI
(Jan. 14, 2017 - Source: AFP
Elsewhere, Zimbabwe stunned DR Congo in Kinshasa as they consolidated their position at the top of group G after a hard fought 2-1 win. Substitute, Bolasie pulled one back for the Leopards late on towards stoppage time but Ronald Pfumbidzayi’s strike coupled with Musona’s moment of brilliance had already done the damage. Zim’s neighbors, Botswana, look like they are effectively out of contention for the 2019 AFCON after suffering a 3-0 defeat in Burkina Faso leaving them rooted at the bottom of group I in which the trio of Mauritania, Angola and Burkina Faso are all on 3 points after 3 matches. The Malagasy people are on the verge of celebrating a historic event as the Madagascar national team moved a step closer to qualify for their maiden AFCON tournament after seeing off Equatorial Guinea, 1 - 0 away from home. Should Barea get a second over Equatorial Guinea in Madagascar on Tuesday and provided Senegal repeat the classy performance that earned them a 3-0 win over South Sudan, the two will effectively secure spots at the 2019 AFCON finals.
Tunisia still boast of a perfect record after beating Niger 1-0 in Tunis, Uganda saw off Lesotho 3-0, Namibia fought themselves back into contention beating Mozambique 2-1 from behind, away from home and Morocco narrowly edged Comoros 1-0.
Stay tuned for matchday 4 as the return legs for matchday 3 come to our screens with a few nations eyeing early qualification. Two teams from each group will earn spots at the first 24-team AFCON to run from the 15th of June to 13th July in Cameroon. Who are you rooting for?
Here is a list of the full results, tables and upcoming fixtures.
“As the rain stopped, it started raining goals and the Southerners took turns scoring an assortment of goals - some from set pieces, with a number for them as a result of successive one-touch passing, they call it shoe-shine piano at Mamelodi Sundowns.”