FirstTouch’s Top 10 Male Players of 2019

The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year Lionel Messi poses with his family at the end of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro alla Scala on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

(Sept. 22, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

In no particular order, they are the following;

1. Lionel Messi

As we have learnt in the past decade or so, it's never a top players' list if Messi is not on it. Aside from his reputation, the Argentine captain actually deserved to be on the FirstTouch's best male players for the year 2019. Barcelona may have crashed out of the UEFA Champions League in the semi-finals after capitulating in the second leg, but the 32-year-old almost single-handedly carried them that far. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner famously bagged a brace in Barca's 3-0 first-leg win over eventual champions Liverpool and was Europe's top goalscorer with 36 for the season as Blaugurana also retained the La Liga title. Messi was named the 2019 FIFA Best Men's Player of the Year, a 6th such accolade for the Barca captain.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

Talk about presence! The Italian Serie A certainly felt the arrival of the other five-time Ballon d'Or winner during the course of the year; both financially and in footballing terms. Age has proven to be just a number for the former Real Madrid striker and the all-time leading Champions League goalscorer as he bagged 21 goals in his debut Serie A season. After adding a Scudetto to his illustrious trophy cabinet, the 34-year-old also led Portugal to an inaugural UEFA Nations League title and reached a remarkable 700 career goals in the year, including 99 for his country as of 17 November.

3. Virgil Van Dijk

Mountain man, that's how some refer to the Dutch captain. The 28-year-old was just that for Liverpool, a mountain stuck in front of their goal. He was a central figure in the Reds' camp as they clinched a 6th UEFA Champions League title and their first silverware since 2012. Liverpool had a league-high 21 clean-sheets in their run up to finish second in the Premier League, a point behind champions Man City. He may have been the losing captain in the UEFA Nations League final but his performances building up to the finale was on show for everyone to see. Being named the 2019 UEFA Male Player of the Year was simply a befitting reward to an excellent player who also took home the PFA Player of the Year accolade.

4. Kylian Mbappe

Once upon a time a teenage prodigy, Kylian Mbappe is now dominating the big game, year after year. The 2018 World Cup winner continued his blistering goal-scoring form as he bagged 33 for the season, just 3 behind Messi in the whole of Europe. The 20-year-old's goals helped PSG retain the French Ligue 1 title while he also claimed the individual prize as the league's best marksman with 33 goals. Any chance that the Parisians have on challenging for the 2020 Champions League crown, also heavily hinges on the French international's goals.

Sadio Mane of Liverpool in action during the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Liverpool and FK Crvena Zvezda at Anfield on October 24, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 23, 2018 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

5. Sadio Mane

On record speaking to BeIN sport, Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger revealed that the Senegalese international was his preferred candidate for the 2019 Ballon d'Or prize. To add on to his point, Wenger praised Mane as an "efficient" player. Fellow candidate, Eden Hazard also made a similar comment later on. The 27-year-old was the joint top goal scorer in the Premier League as Liverpool finished second and bagged a total of 27 goals as Jurgen Klopp's men clinched Europe's top crown. Internationally, Sadio also helped Senegal come within touching distance of their first major title as they narrowly lost 0-1 to Algeria in the 2019 AFCON final. The flying forward had scored 4 goals in 7 matches for his country in the process.

6. Raheem Sterling

Don't be fooled by him not taking the golden boot prize. The England international has become somewhat of a goal-scoring wild card under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Sterling, 24, was involved in a total of a second league-high 27 goals, with 17 goals and 10 assists, as City retained the Premier League title. Aside from his involvement at club level which helped the blue-half of Manchester secure a historic treble, Sterling also proved handy for Gareth Southgate and England who made the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.

7. Frenkie De Jong

The 22-year-old may just be the biggest midfield talent in Europe right now. Endowed with a rare ability to tirelessly labor throughout the 90 minutes, tackling and picking offensive passes, Frenkie became central for the young Ajax side that left everybody talking. He helped the Dutch club to win a domestic treble and most famously reach the Champions League semi-finals. With De Jong, who was also a key figure for the Netherlands as they reached the UEFA Nations League finals, it's not so much about goals and assists, just pure grit, passion and precision in the middle of the park.

8. Mohamed Salah

FIFA FIFPro Men's World 11 Players of the Year (L-R) Alisson, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo Vieira, Lionel Messi, Frenkie de Jong, Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt pose for a photo during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

(Sept. 22, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

Repeating a crazily successful year as 2018 was always going to be a mountain climb for the Egyptian. Except you're a combination of Messi and Ronaldo, no one breaks as many records as Salah did in 2018, year-on-year, or repeatedly walks away with that bucket of awards. Just retaining the Premier League golden boot in 2019 was enough evidence that the Liverpool man is not a one-time wonder. The 27-year-old was unfortunate to see the hosting Pharaohs crash out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the round-of-16 but a Champions League win with the Reds could have been enough consolation.

9. Eden Hazard

It would have been extremely difficult for the football artist to miss our list of the top players. The 28-year artist to miss our list of the top players. The 28-year old may be taking time to establish himself as a Real Madrid player, but still owned the better part of 2019 in Chelsea colors. He was directly involved in a league-high 31 goals for the London club as he scored and assisted 16 and 15 times respectively. In the process, the Belgian captain helped Maurizio Sarri's men finish 3rd in the Premier League, win the Europa League title and got his big-money move to the Spanish capital.

10. Marc Andre Ter Stegen

The Germany international is arguably the best living goalkeeper and 2019 was no different. Reflex like superman saves for Barcelona and sweeper keeper moves ensured he retained his place as an internet sensation. It doesn't very much help his cause that Joachim Löw prefers veteran Manuel Neuer in goal for Germany or that Barca failed to win Europe's top prize, but his excellence is something that avid football fans of the game can never debate about. He made 85 saves for Barca in the 2018/19 season, averaging a remarkable 2.43 saves per game.

Soccer clubs, the perfect home ground for brand sponsorship?

Nani of Manchester United in action at the launch of the new adidas Predator Lethal Zones football boot. The boot, designed with five deadly zones for the ultimate ball control and to maximise power and accuracy, was unveiled on May 1, 2012 in Manchester, England. Visit www.adidas.com/football

(April 30, 2012 - Source: Getty Images/Getty Images Europe)

Which soccer fan wouldn't want to wear a Jordan brand to the field to support PSG in the UEFA Champions’ League? Which fashion enthusiast wouldn't want to spend one freaky Friday in Neymar's sneaker collection?

It is no secret that investing in soccer clubs has become the hottest global trend. Multiple organizations, betting companies included, that never used to sponsor soccer are flooding into the field. With the famous basketball based brand, Jordan’s transition from the court to the field, it has become apparent that soccer clubs are the new home ground for brand sponsorship. Every club's success is being pinned on the type of brand they wear, with individual players claiming a greater part of the influence.

History of brand sponsorship in soccer clubs

Various brand sponsorships have either made or broken teams over the years. The most notable sponsorships have undoubtedly been for Manchester United, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid's pockets. Forbes list of the richest soccer clubs ranked Real Madrid at number 1, Barcelona at number 2 and the Red Devils took the third place in 2019.

It has been said that "When the right club jersey meets the right sponsor, it can result in aesthetic perfection in a football shirt." The perfect football shirt is key to a large fan base and motivation on the field. Now we will explore the relationship between brand sponsorships and some of the biggest clubs in world football.

Paul Pogba of Manchester United celebrates scoring to make it 2-1 with team mate Marcus Rashford during the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford on April 13, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

(April 12, 2019 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

Manchester United

English football fans have the word SHARP embedded in their memory. The partnership between the appliances company and Manchester United ended in 2000 after 18 happy years together, but the jersey left a huge mark!

At the moment, Manchester United rests at the top of the Premier League when it comes to shirt sponsorship agreements. In a massive deal with General Motors, United are paid a remarkable £47m per season to wear the Chevrolet logo on their kit. The deal is the largest of its kind and runs until the 2021 season.

The Red Devils' revenue also speaks volumes about the weight of their sponsorship. They have managed to stay in the top three Forbes list of richest clubs since 2007. The Red Devils who were holding the lead for the past two years enveloped the top three this year. In 2017-2018, the club lost 8% of their value compared to the previous season. Now Manchester United is valued at $3.81 billion and surpasses its competitors by the amount of operating income in value of $238 million.

FC Barcelona– $779.4 Million

Revenue in 2019: €690.4 Million (£611.6 Million or $779.4 Million)

Previous Revenue: €648.3 Million

Total Valuation: €3.6 Billion

With revenue of €690.4 Million this year, Lionel Messi’s club Barcelona earned the second spot on the Richest Football Clubs 2018/19 list. Sponsorship deals with kit supplier Nike and the shirt sponsor Qatar Airways guaranteed them that position, although they lost to rivals - Real Madrid. In the 2019/20 season, €223 Million was raised through their broadcast rights. An increase in ticket sales also led to the matchday income reaching €144.8 Million. While the £200-million sale of Neymar did not have any impact on the club’s 2019 revenue, it increased a significant amount of the club’s total valuation to €2.98 Billion.

Gareth Bale and Luka Modric of Real Madrid chat during a promotional event by the German carmaker Audi at Carlos Sainz Center on November 4, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. Audi, who are the official Sponsors of Real Madrid, has given each player a new Audi car to promote their brand as part of the sponsorship deal.

(Nov. 3, 2016 - Source: Denis Doyle/Getty Images Europe)

Real Madrid – $847.7 Million

Revenue in 2019: €750.9 Million (£665.2 Million or $847.7 Million)

Previous Revenue: €674.6 Million

Total Valuation: €3.8 Billion

After spending almost six seasons at position 2, Real Madrid leveled up. With total revenue of €750.9 Million this year, Real Madrid currently holds the top spot in the list of Richest Football Clubs in the world.

They earned a total of €315.5 Million through the commercial deals with their jersey sponsor Emirates and kit supplier Adidas. Broadcast rights generated €251.3 Million and ticket sales generated €143.4 Million. The departure of super-costly footballers such as Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to not have diminished the club's glory!

Another notable club sponsorship is that of Arsenal and Adidas. In 2018, Arsenal's 5-year contract with Puma came to a close with Adidas coming in to take over their kit supply. This is an annual £60m deal that guarantees Arsenal the third place in the most lucrative kit deals in football, behind Barcelona’s contract with Nike and Manchester United’s contract with Adidas which are worth £140m-a-year and £75m-a-year respectively.

Arsenal last wore an Adidas strip between 1986 and 1994 during which they lifted two league titles. Nike then sponsored the club for two decades until 2014-15, before losing out to Puma. Arsenal are now in their first year with Adidas as their new kit manufacturer. The relationship has gotten off to a good start with fans already going crazy over the new shirts on social media.

Role of social media in brand sponsorship frequency

"The rise of social media in the professional sports domain can be described as revolutionary" (Larkin, fink and Tail, 2015)

Social media has been used as a flexible way to access fans and customers for soccer clubs and brands respectively. Various social media platforms have offered immediate access to information for soccer fans. Tracking and interacting with your favorite soccer club has become much easier. For companies sponsoring soccer clubs, assessing the fan base and therefore the potential market for their products also became easier. Thus business organizations have had no choice than to be responsive to the huge impact social media has on their brand awareness.

Performance tolerance of fans can be easily accessed through social media, it refers to the level of engagement fans seek with their favorite team in highs and lows. This concept has become a huge influencer of sponsors' decision to invest in a club. In essence, social media allows sponsors to track a club's success on the field, in terms of revenue and influence on their fan base. This allows sponsors to pin their brands on a club they know will raise their brand awareness and offer a guaranteed lucrative partnership. Soccer clubs with a large and resilient fan base like Manchester United, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid have found themselves in the pool of big sponsorship deals!

Neymar of PSG in action during the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on September 18, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 17, 2018 - Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)

Is brand sponsorship dependent on success on the field??

"Success means winning trophies. That target and standard has never changed for Manchester United. The progress we have made on the business side underpins the continued investment in the football side" -Ed Woodward, Manchester United Executive

As much as the Red Devils believe in success lying in winning the game not sponsorships, a different view cannot be evaded. We definitely cannot run away from the notion that success on the field and brand sponsorship are two dependent variables.

With Manchester United's recent poor results came a huge depression in their monetary value. The team's failure to qualify for this year's Champions League (Europe's most prestigious club competition) was a major blow. Manchester United then projected its revenues at £560 million to £580million this season. This is their first income reduction in over a decade.

Manchester United also find themselves in the 12th position in the premier league having not won in 11 games and scoring just 7 goals in their last 10 outings. Manchester United have begun to search for a new shirt sponsor due to rising speculations that Chevrolet, the US car brand that is paying $559 million in a seven-year deal for its logo to be emblazoned on the team’s shirts, is highly unlikely to renew the contract when it elapses in 2022.

Can it get worse for Manchester United? Well, it never rains folks, it pours!

United’s knitwear deal with Adidas, worth £750 million over 10 years, contains a penalty clause which states that failure to reach Europe’s top competition for two consecutive seasons will see Manchester United being paid £21 million less for each year outside the tournament.

Fellow fans might just want to look at this as a simple dry spell for Manchester United and not an indicator of their dependency on sponsorship on success in the field. However, Liverpool's story throws our consolation into the dip.

Liverpool’s revenues are set to rise further from the £455 million earned in 2018 after the team won the Champions League last season. Various companies are even taking extraordinary measures for the right to be associated with Liverpool. In September, US sportswear group New Balance began legal action against the European champions in a last-ditch attempt to prevent the club from signing a new shirt manufacturing deal with Nike worth £70 million a year.

"I have seen for many years, in particular, sponsors who are a big part of United’s business; they go after the hot teams. All my clients want to talk about Liverpool because they are top of the league and won the Champions League.” -Tim Crow, an independent sports marketing advisor

So I guess, on-field success does drive off-field success after all. However, Manchester United will likely remain the wealthiest club in England for the foreseeable future. The Red Devils have managed to stay in Forbes' top 3 richest clubs for more than 5 consecutive years already.

“Performance tolerance of fans can be easily accessed through social media, it refers to the level of engagement fans seek with their favorite team in highs and lows. This concept has become a huge influencer of sponsors’ decision to invest in a club. In essence, social media allows sponsors to track a club’s success on the field, in terms of revenue and influence on their fan base. ”

— Lovejoy Tabeth Munamati, FirstTouch Africa

Are individual players the major source of big sponsors??

Okay, so this is the most crucial question: "who draws big sponsors in, the best team player, the fan base or the club as a whole??

 Teamwork is indeed the dream work and for clubs like Manchester United and PSG to be part of "the list" they had to have the best team not just the best team players. A fan base with a high-performance tolerance is closely related to a high brand following. This highly influences a sponsor's decision to invest in a club. However, we cannot deny that "one man can change the world". Manchester United is a great team but Ferguson brought in more sponsors than the team's teamwork can manage now.

"United has come at a time of decline on the pitch, with the club struggling to get to grips with the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era." -Tyrone Marshall

One football finance expert mentioned that United could have been looking at the first £100m-a-season shirt sponsorship deal if they were still enjoying the success of the Ferguson years.

Looking at PSG's new partnership with Jordan, it seems apparent that Neymar was the drive. In 2016; Neymar collaborated with Jordan for a football boot, sneaker, and apparel. His collaboration with Jordan earned him great recognition in street fashion for his sneaker collection. He also earned a huge consumer chain for Jordan from his huge fan base. So when Neymar moved from FC Barcelona to PSG in 2017 the PSG-Jordan collaboration became inevitable.

Mesut Ozil of Arsenal celebrates after he scores his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on October 22, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 21, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

Future prospects

It looks like soccer clubs are going to stay in the major lucrative sector for sponsors for a long time. More sponsors that were never part of the field gamble are taking their chances with soccer as well.  The most notable brand is Jordan, which recently started sponsoring PSG. Although Jordan is new to the whole soccer sponsorship field, its entrance has been certified by the most decorated player in the history of the sport, Dani Alves. With the Jordan collection cementing PSG's reputation as street wear’s hottest football club, it is no doubt that they will produce the best on-field gear as well!

The Premier League clubs stand to earn a record £349.1m from shirt sponsorship deals in the coming season, a rise of more than 10% compared to £315.6m in 2018-19 from gambling company sponsorship. As a result, half of the Premier League’s shirts will be emblazoned with a gambling company’s logo during the 2019-20 season.

"Betting’s dominance is even more pronounced in the Championship, where 17 out of 24 club shirts will show a betting logo, meaning 27 of England’s top 44 clubs have agreed to do so." -Rob Davies

"Soccer clubs around the world are welcoming to the myriad of sponsorships.  In the digital world, soccer organizations are looking to sign deals with globally recognized brands, despite the product or purpose of the sponsor. Interested companies looking to sponsor soccer teams are paying large sums of money in hopes that fans will associate their favorite team with a sponsor’s business and thus raise profits". -Scott Phillips

Which of Barcelona’s youth prospects have the best chance to succeed?

Giovani Dos Santos (R) of Barcelona kisses his teammate Ronaldinho as he celebrates his goal during the UEFA Champions League Group E match between Barcelona and Stuttgart at the Camp Nou stadium on December 12, 2007 in Barcelona, Spain.

(Dec. 12, 2007 - Source: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Sport)

A brief history of Barcelona’s impressive youth academy

FC Barcelona is a club that can only be described with three strong words; undisputed, unmatched, and remarkable. For the team to continue to flow and develop there is a need to develop young players and suit them well into the first team as some current players in the main squad will be reaching retirement age soon.

La Masia is a footballing residency that opened its doors to young players for talent development and it is renowned for producing world-class players, cons, and individuals that leave a mark on the football pitch that cannot be erased.  A former Barcelona player Pep Guardiola, who is now popularly regarded as a coach who builds up phenomenal teams in famous leagues like EPL and La Liga once said: "The player who has passed through La Masia has something different to the rest, it's a plus that only comes from having competed in a Barcelona shirt from the time you were a child."

For many years La Masia has emerged as fruitful grounds by producing exceptional players that find their way to the first team of Barcelona at a young age, and two notable examples are Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez who need no further details of explanation as they are well known worldwide even outside football circles.

For the past 10 years, after the transition of La Masia from its old location to a 20,000 square foot building, they have been able to attend to numerous young players for personal development and training. However, the culture, style of play and ethos has always remained the same at the club and very little effort is shown to make any changes. What’s commendable is how over the past years La Masia has been developing young players for life off the pitch through self-worth training, public speaking, interview handling, networking, personal brand management, savings and investment to mention but a few.

One of the key administrators of La Masia Academy said: “Personal growth is just as important as professional growth for our young players.” La Masia is greatly supported and imbued by a rich pool of quality coaches at the youth level, and this is similar to clubs such as Ajax and Paris-Saint-Germain. From the period of 2008 up to 2017, most players in the Barcelona main team came through the La Masia academy and in 2011, the first eleven was inundated with La Masia products including Gerald Pique, Andres Iniesta, and Cesc Fabregas. Everything was looking square shaped for the academy.

Changes began to happen when La Masia Academy faced a decrease in the number of graduates each year, as a result having an impact on the number of players to making it into the first team as some were not top-level players as required to grace a Barcelona first team jersey. In 2018, Valverde came under intense pressure when he put a full first eleven without any graduate from the La Masia academy. It was absolutely unorthodox and this was happening for the first time in 16 long years! It was vivid that there was a challenge with the system. It seems that only 1 out of 10 academy players make it to the first team or at least contribute to that level of competence.

So near yet so far recruits in recent memory

There are quite a number of recruits in the young team that could have had a huge influence in the main Barcelona team, namely the Dos Santos brothers.

Jonathan and Giovani Dos Santos were recruited from France and that is where Barcelona took interest and invited them for a trial which they both passed in 2008. Jonathan Dos Santos was included in the Barcelona B team by Louis Enrique and went on to be favored by Pep Guardiola during his early years as a coach at the club.

In October 2009, Jonathan Dos Santos made his debut when he appeared as a substitute against Cultural Leonesa. The same year he appeared as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan. Jonathan could not find a way in the first team permanently as he did not reach the highly expected performances from a typical Barcelona midfielder. He moved to Villarreal for three seasons and then finally joined an American club called LA Galaxy. As for his brother Giovani, it was difficult to succeed with the attacking quality Barcelona had, henceforth, he joined Tottenham in the summer of 2008. He failed dismally at the EPL side as he only managed 33 appearances in 4 years, with a record of 3 goals and only 3 assists. He moved to Villarreal where his game matured abruptly and after a few seasons of improving his resume, he quickly left to join his brother at LA Galaxy in 2015.

“In 2018, Valverde came under intense pressure when he put a full first eleven without any graduate from the La Masia academy. It was absolutely unorthodox and this was happening for the first time in 16 long years!”

— Farai Maringa, FirstTouch Africa

Sergi Samper of FC Barcelona runs with the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between FC Barcelona and APOEL FC at the Camp Nou Stadium on September 17, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain.

(Sept. 16, 2014 - Source: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe)

Borjan Kirkic was one of the most prominent players during Giovani’s time at Barcelona and needless to say, he rose quickly compared to the Dos Santos brother and they were both competing for the same position. At 17 years old he made his debut in a Champions League match for Barcelona and some called him “the New Messi”. He had great agility, technique, and strength. He played alongside Ronaldinho, Xavi, and Samuel Eto’o. However, everything changed when he started suffering from depression. According to the Guardian, he clearly expressed that anxiety completely overwhelmed him and that’s when everything exploded and this affected his mental health. He hopped from club to club until he finally found his feet at Montreal Impact in the United States of America.

Another La Masia player who could not match the expectations and quality to be part of top-level Barcelona’s first team was Adama Traore, a man who sprints like a cheetah that never runs out of breath. He made his debut at age 17 after coming on as a substitute for Neymar. Traore is said to be the fastest player thus far with his pace reaching an impressive score of 96 on EA Sports’ FIFA. In 2014, he won the UEFA Youth League with Barcelona and this catapulted him for trial in the first team. However, after not being able to make it in the Barcelona team, he moved to Aston Villa and now Traore is playing for Wolves where he made great history in 2018 by accomplishing 248 successful dribbles that year, 58 more compared to Lionel Messi.

Dennis Suarez and Sergei Samper are also ex Barcelona young stars that left Las Masia and could not fit perfectly in the Barcelona first team. Apparently, Dennis Suarez is now playing for Celta De Vigo and Sergei Samper is making an impact at Vissel Kobe.

Barcelona’s hopes to continue the success of the first team is still under work and much hype is given to five key players namely, Riqui Puig, llaix Moriba, Oriol Busquets, Ansu Fati and Juan Miranda.

1. Riqu Puig

He is a massive midfielder with great articulation on dribbling, passing and possesses great skill mastery. He commenced his real career at Barcelona at a tender age playing under the under 16 team. He made his amazing debut with the Barcelona B team against the ever-revolving Gimnastic Tarragona in the 2017/2018 season. The debut performance attracted a lot of attention and it exuded a promising future to become one of the best footballers in the future. For the 2018/19 season, he will be playing for Barcelona B and hopefully, he will join the first team.

Riqui Puig of FC Barcelona runs with the ball during the Joan Gamper trophy friendly match between FC Barcelona and Arsenal at Nou Camp on August 04, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.

(Aug. 3, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The notion that he will stay, however, is a mirage, and fans who would want him to stay may be disheartened as his future at Barcelona is not certain. According to rumors, Valverde mentioned that there is a lot of competition for his position at Barcelona, therefore he is not the first priority. Puig would be a great player coming from Las Masia and make waves in the first team, however, what the Barcelona coach said, implies that is not yet good enough.

Patrick Kluivert, the director of Barcelona youth football, insists that Puig should go for a loan in January despite the young man desiring to stay with the Catalan club. Henceforth, he is likely to move to a new side in the January 2020 transfers and who knows, he may attract the interest of other teams if he performs well.

2. IIaix Moriba

This is a player that is constantly likened to Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, not only because of his style of play, but also his looks and body stature.      

Born on 19 January 2003, the young man has been raised at La Masia academy and has great potential to make it to the first eleven of Barcelona. Looking at his age, when he reaches 20 years, most players like Lionel Messi will be aging and he will obviously have an upper hand to replacing some Barca giants who are reaching retirement age.

It is being said that he is the most paid player in the Barcelona B team, and he recently signed a three-year contract with the Catalan giants that will expire in 2022. Talking of the future? IIaix is certainly rising to the occasion with his massive dribbling skills, clever passes, and remarkable agility. Without a shadow of a doubt, he is the future of Barcelona’s midfield for the upcoming years if he maintains and even excels the current work ethic he possesses.

3. Oriol Busquets

The Dutchman, who is aged 20 years old, arrived at the age of 8 for development at the La Masia academy. He and IIaix Moriba can actually have a strong midfield cover if they are to be put in one team. Barcelona is showing that this young man is one of the hopes for Barcelona’s future midfield as he is being loaned to FC Twente with no option to buy.

He signed a contract with Barcelona until 2021 and if he performs exceptionally well, his future to be in the first eleven can be guaranteed. He has been a fixture in the first-team training and last season he was called up to participate in the Copa del Rey quarter-final game in the Camp Nou and the team won 2- 0. One notable achievement is that he scored a goal against Valencia Mestalla at the Miniestadi stadium.

Ansu Fati of FC Barcelona looks on during the Liga match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC at Camp Nou on October 06, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.

(Oct. 5, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

4. Ansu Fati

“Why re-sign Neymar?” someone may ask. La Masia academy has a star-like Ansu Fari, who can score goals and play well just like Neymar. Apart from that, he is a young man with exceptional passion, and skills that can catapult the Barcelona team to greater heights. Lionel Messi commended Ansu Fati especially after his debut against Real Betis. He went on to score his first goal against Club Osasuna, and the future looks bright for him.

The 16-year-old was commended by one of the best players in the world, if not the best, Lionel Messi and on that basis, he is certainly Barcelona’s hope for the first team in the few years to come if he maintains his composure and articulation.

5. Juan Miranda

Juan Miranda is a 19-year-old left-back that grew immensely well in the La Masia academy and apparently he is on a loan from Barcelona to FC Schalke 04. The team he is currently playing for is a strong team that has always done well on a global stage particularly on the UEFA Champions’ League platform.

With the likes of Gerald Pique reaching retirement age in the few years to come, Juan Miranda is bound to fill in the defensive gaps if he finishes strong at his current place of abode in football.  Juan has the capacity to play center back and left-back as he has shown strong agility, strength, and precision in his craft.

His notable achievements include winning the UEFA Youth League at U19s level, and the UEFA Euro under 17s. He is one of the best hopes for Barcelona’s defence team once Gerald Pique and Jordi Alba reach close to their retirement ages. It is imperative to note that he signed a three-year contract extension with Barcelona in 2018, and inserted a $200 million buy-out clause into the deal, which somehow secures his long term future with the Catalans.

Parting Note

Barcelona team is flooded with world-class talented individuals within the La Masia academy who can be developed to become exceptional players that will leave a mark that cannot be erased. Given that the proper attention and time is given to the upcoming young players and not put intense pressure on them, they will grow to become stable players not only for Barcelona but for other clubs they will go to on loans or transfers.

Put aside the 93% of Spanish women following in the footsteps of the USWNT, protests over pay and working conditions are just starting

Patricia Guijarro of FC Barcelona celebrates with her team mates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Women's Chamoions League round of 32 2nd leg between FC Barcelona Women and BIIK Kazygurt at the Mini Estadi on September 26, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.

(Sept. 25, 2018 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The unfortunate state of affairs

Players in Spain’s top-flight women’s league are in talks with the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs after a strike that saw eight games postponed on November 16th. The strike was in protest over the payment structure in the Primeira Division with players demanding a salary revision and better working conditions. Despite being one of the top women’s leagues in the world, players in the league feel that they are receiving the short end of the bargain from the authorities and after a year of failed negotiations, the players finally took decisive action on the matter. The protest is the first of its kind in Spain and an overwhelming 90% of the players from the 16 clubs represented in Primeira Division signed up to take part in the strike. The standoff came to an end after the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs moved to reopen negotiations.

The players have since reduced their demands to about €16,000 as the minimum wage from the initial €20,000. They are also asking for protection in the case that protects their maternity rights, working conditions and an increase in the minimum hours per week from 20 to 40 hours. One major challenge is that many of the players in the league are not considered full-time players and are only employed on a part-time basis which cuts their earnings drastically. This type of situation can be seen all over Europe for example in England, players in the Women’s Super League women earn an average of £18,000 whereas the male players in the English Premier League earn an average of £2.6 million a year leaving some to have to supplement their football careers with jobs to make ends meet. Spain is just the latest to experience the current wave sweeping across women’s football of players demanding fairer working conditions. Football is one of the most unequal sports and for the women playing in the game, their voices can now be heard loudly; “enough is enough, we want a fair system.”

 USWNT: World Champions and women’s rights icons

The fight for better pay by women’s teams is all about fighting the system and demanding more equitable conditions and there is no better representation for this fight than the USWNT. Recently the world watched as the United States won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and immediately took the win as an opportunity to voice their issues in the press and sending a message to the world about the state of women’s football. Many would know of the ongoing dispute between the USWNT and the United States Soccer Federation over an unequal pay structure between the women’s and men's sides that has been playing out for a number of years. USA Women’s football team are champions and heroes off the field for their activism in the face of what they deem to be gender discrimination. In 2016, five players namely Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Rebecca Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo and Alex Morgan also filed a wage discrimination complaint against their employers, the USA Soccer Federation. In March 2019, 28 players signed a class action lawsuit revealing details of perks and benefits that only the male team receive which included private jets and winning bonuses that were substantially higher for the US Men’s team. A big argument for the USWNT is that their record is far more impressive with more games and trophies won that the male team but receive substantially lower salaries and benefits.

“To create a snapshot of the odds against female footballers we can take a look at the fact that Lionel Messi earns more in salaries that the professional women players in the top seven leagues combined.”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

 The example that USWNT has set in deciding to battle it out with their employers has undoubtedly caused the issue to be brought to the forefront and has had a cascading impact on the rest of women’s football. Their decision to take the fight to the public has seemingly inspired other players to do the same. Players speaking out on this issue, are actually starting to make a difference. For example, Norway's women’s football team won equal pay in 2017 after the men’s team forfeited some of their benefits. In other cases, the associations and the players settle their disputes outside of court and in private as in the case of the Australian national team which reached a deal where they would be awarded the same pay as the men’s team. The Matildas will also be allowed to travel business class for international travel and a commitment from the national governing body to raise coaching standards. Fighting this battle on the public domain has its benefits and most importantly that fans can see it all play out as is the case of USWNT. Fans have since backed and supported the team in their quest for equal pay chanting, “equal pay” as the players went up to receive their medals during the FIFA World Cup final. USWNT fearless approach in demanding fair compensation has galvanized support for the cause and a growing movement around equal pay in the United States and in the worldwide media. Although the USWNT case was under mediation, the talks stopped after what the federation was unwilling to meet the demands set by the players. Megan Rapinoe the co-captain and most vocal player said, “When [US Soccer] is ready to have a serious conversation about equal pay, I think the conversations will go better."

Megan Rapinoe of the USA celebrates after scoring her team's first goal during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France.

(July 6, 2019 - Source: 5021154/Getty Images Europe)

Steps being taken by players around the world

In Italy, the Women’s team is still considered amateurs according to law and therefore they are currently allowed to earn up to €33,000 before taxes because of the amateur status a law that is archaic. Football in Italy is not traditionally a woman’s sport and as such there are many barriers for women. Despite this, the Italian women’s team qualified for their first World Cup in 20 years and made it to the quarter-finals. The momentum from their World Cup performance has led to more Italians backing the women’s team. The conditions in Italy still represent a culture that views football as a male sport, however, the perceptions in the country are beginning to shift due to the performance of the women’s team to qualify for the World Cup, whereas the Azzurri failed to qualify for the men’s edition in 2018.

One player who has been vocal about the issue in Italy and who is behind the movement to usher in Italian football into the modern era is Juventus player Barbara Bonansea. She believes that the increase in viewership should correspond with the remuneration for female players; “If there’s more coverage of our games and more sponsors come in, then we deserve more, too.” It is common that the women’s teams which in most cases have better records than the men’s teams do not get rewarded in an equitable manner for their exploits on the field. Taking the issue to the African continent, Africa’s most successful women’s team, Super Falcons have also been vocal in the conversation around unequal payment systems. While participating in tournaments, the men's team receives $10,000 for a win and $5,000 for a draw while the Super Falcons can expect $3,000 and $1,500. The Super Falcons have demonstrated in protest of unpaid allowances. Forward, Desire Oparanozie called for equal pay noting that the teams were just as successful as the men’s; "We are the most successful female team in Africa, yet we have the largest disparities between men's and women's pay," Super Falcons have won 11 AFCON titles and the last three competitions. Progress is being made elsewhere in Nigeria, in Edo State, where the women and men’s teams are going to be paid the same after the authorities saw that paying women less was more of a gender issue than a performance issue. It’s a small win for women’s football in Nigeria and with time, this trend will catch on to the rest of the continent.

Jackie Groenen of the Netherlands kisses the trophy following the Final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 between Netherlands v Denmark at FC Twente Stadium on August 6, 2017 in Enschede, Netherlands.

(Aug. 5, 2017 - Source: Maja Hitij/Getty Images Europe)

 What will it really take to achieve equality?

To create a snapshot of the odds against female footballers we can take a look at the fact that Lionel Messi earns more in salaries that the professional women players in the top seven leagues combined. The gap is saddening and reveals a desperate need for change. This is possibly the start of a push back from players on the working conditions and it’s good and welcome progress the sport. As Megan Rapinoe puts it, a paradigm shift and a completely new way of looking at women’s football is necessary if the change is ever to come to the game. Equal pay might still be an ideal today but through the continued work of women in the sport, it could soon be a reality. To achieve equality, we are talking about having to look beyond just beyond revenues that women earn and start making headway on trying to invest in teams and marketing of the sport. The women’s game is a long way to go in terms of receiving as much investment and attention it needs.

Jada Whyman of Western Sydney Wanderers FC and Sam Kerr of Perth Glory speak on stage during the 2018/19 A-League Season Launch at Fox Studios on October 15, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

(Oct. 14, 2018 - Source: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images AsiaPac)

It’s a system-wide problem, even at the FIFA Women’s World Cup the players received less amount for an appearance fee and the tournament prize is only a fraction of the prize money awarded at the FIFA Men’s World Cup. The prize money for the 2019 FIFA World Cup was $30 million, twice the amount paid in the previous tournament. In 2018 FIFA prizes for the Men’s tournament went up to $400 million, a difference of more than ten times. FIFA has promised to invest half a billion dollars in Women’s game over the next few years. Progress is being made. For example, it increased the number of teams for the world cup to 32 from 24 as a way to boost women’s football and create space for talent. Although FIFA is not in charge of how prize money is distributed in each of the federations, there is room for regulations that allow female players to receive their fair share from the National federations.

Final thoughts

Currently, the male game is more popular and receives resoundingly more attention than the female game. Women’s football is more popular than it has ever been and as such, it is the appropriate time to iron out the issues in the game. Some countries that have reached positive agreements after giving equal pay at the national team level including New Zealand, the Netherlands proving that it is not so difficult to reach an equitable decision. These players are simply asking to be able to play the game as professionals just like in the men. It’s yet to be seen what will come out of the negotiations between the players and the authorities in Spain. The hope is that this strike can be added to the list of wins in women’s football.

League of Future Stars: Seven former French Ligue 1 players thriving in the Premier League

French Ligue 1 has been the name of the top division in French football league since 2002, before that it was called Division 1. The league in its original form was inaugurated in 1932, two years after professionalism in French football became legal. The first season featured 20 teams, the same number of teams that are included in Ligue 1 today. Ligue 1 is the top tier of the French football league system, one level above the current Ligue 2, and apparently it has been dominated by one team called PSG for many years.

There are a quite number of stars who left the French Ligue and went on to become living legends and some are still playing to build the legacy. In this article we are delighted to cover the stars that left the French Ligue 1 and are still building their careers as living legends, making an impact and leaving a mark that cannot be erased.

Per Mertesacker of Arsenal is challenged by Fabinho Tavares of Monaco during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between AS Monaco and Arsenal at Stade Louis II on March 17, 2015 in Monaco, Monaco.

(March 16, 2015 - Source: Michael Steele/Getty Images Europe)

1. Fabinho

Full name: Fabio Henrique Tavares

Nation: Brazil

Club Team: Liverpool FC

Position: Defensive Midfielder

Year of Birth: 1993

Bought from: Monaco

Fabinho, full name Fabio Henrique Tavares, is a patrolling defensive midfielder who agreed a deal to join Liverpool from AS Monaco on May 28, 2018. The midfielder officially became a Red on July 1 and took the No.3 shirt for the team's first pre-season friendly of the summer against Chester FC. Jürgen Klopp preached patience when it came to the Brazilian's adaptation to English football after five seasons in Ligue 1. He would make his debut for the club on September 18, 2018, when he appeared as an injury-time substitute in a 3-2 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield in the Champions League. The win over Paris Saint- German was one that will be talked for ages in Liverpool’s football history and it is imperative to note that Fabinho contributed immensely to that memorable win.

Fabinho was born in Sao Paulo in 1993, but his first professional club was Rio side Fluminese. He left there for Rio Ave Portugal in June 2012 without making a first team appearance. However, after just a month in northern Portugal he was loaned to Real Madrid's reserve side Castilla for the 2012-13 season and made his debut towards the end of the season.

He was handed his first start in Liverpool colors against Chelsea in the third round of the League Cup where the Reds were beaten by 2-1. It was towards the end of October, though, where Fabinho began to find his feet in Klopp's side. Man of the Match performances against Red Star Belgrade and Manchester United quickly followed, providing a boost to disappointed fans. A defensive midfielder who can play in either full-back position, Fabinho's versatility was a factor in Jurgen Klopp's decision to sign him with Emre Can's contract expiring in June 2018. Despite not being an attacking player, he scored an impressive 23 goals in 167 Ligue 1 appearances for Monaco over five years. Still coming to terms with Jurgen Klopp's intense fitness and training methods, Fabinho has had to be patient. Notable achievements for Fabinho include but not limited to winning the French Super Cup with AS Monaco in 2017, and the UEFA Champions League and Supercup in the year 2019 as a Liverpool player.

Anthony Martial of Monaco in action during the Emirates Cup match between Valencia and AS Monaco at the Emirates Stadium on August 2, 2014 in London, England.

(Aug. 1, 2014 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

2. Anthony Martial

Full name: Anthony Jordan Martial

Nation: France

Club Team: Manchester United FC

Position: Forward

Year of Birth: 1995

Bought from: AS Monaco

Playing youth football for Les Ulis, Martial began his professional career at Lyon, and then transferred to AS Monaco in 2013 for a fee of €6 million. He was a member of Monaco's squad for two seasons, and signed for Manchester United in 2015 for an initial fee of £36 million which could potentially rise to £57.6 million. This was the highest fee paid for a teenager in football history even before the potential increase. He scored in his first match for the Red Devils and was named the Premier League Player of the Month in his first month in English football.

A youth international for France from under-16 to under-21 level, Martial made his senior debut in 2015. He was named in their squad for UEFA Euro 2016.

On 30 June 2013, AS Monaco announced they had signed Martial to a three-year contract for a fee of €5 million-plus bonuses. On 24 November, he made his first league appearance for the club at the age of 17, replacing Radamel Falcao after 63 minutes and playing a part in Mounir Obbadi's goal which gave victory away to FC Nantes. He scored his first goal for the renowned club on his first start, a 2–0 win over Rennes at the Stade Louis II six days later. His campaign was disrupted by a sprained ankle against Valenciennes in December. On 27 January 2014, he extended his contract until June 2018.

In his second season at Monaco, Martial scored nine goals in 36 Ligue 1 games, starting on 5 October 2014 when he came on as a substitute for Lucas Ocampos, he gained a 1–1 draw at reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain with a last-minute strike from close range. He scored twice against a 10-man Bastia on 13 March 2015 in a 3–0 home victory. On 26 June, he further extended his link with the team until 2019.

On 4 August 2015, Martial scored his first goal in European competition, in a 4–0 home win over BSC Young Boys in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League; Monaco advanced 7–1 on aggregate.

Anthony then joined the Red Devils on transfer deadline day during the summer of 2015 and made his mark by scoring an excellent debut goal as a substitute against Liverpool, which immediately won the love and respect of the fans. That famous strike later won the club’s Goal of the Season award during the annual prize-giving night at Old Trafford, beating off competition from Marcus Rashford.

Martial finished the 2015/16 season as United’s top scorer with 17 goals from 49 appearances and that included a dramatic added-time winner during the FA Cup semi-final victory over Everton, which led to earning a winners’ medal following the 2-1 extra-time win over Crystal Palace in the final. That wrapped up a superb maiden season in which the Reds forward emphasised his massive potential.

The 2016/17 campaign, his first under the management of Jose Mourinho, yielded eight goals from 42 appearances, plus three trophies in the form of the FA Community Shield, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League. The 2017/18 season, saw the no.11 shift up a gear once more, his explosive pace and instinctive eye for goal making him a key part of United's attacking armory. Either sharing attacking duties with Rashford or being unleashed as part of a front three with Marcus and Lukaku, Martial surpassed his goals total from the previous season. Five goals in United's opening eight games, plus a run of form in January meant that the Frenchman ended the season with 11 goals in all competitions.

Anthony enjoyed a good first half of the 2018/19 season and was voted Player of the Month for October by fans after a series of impressive performances. On 31 January 2019, Martial signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until June 2024, with the option to extend for a further year. Following Romelu Lukaku's move to Inter Milan, he switched back to United's no.9 jersey and quickly got off the mark for 2019/20 season with the second goal in the 4-0 rout of Chelsea at Old Trafford, giving an early indication that he will thrive on the responsibility of playing down the middle and compensating for the lack of the Belgian's goals.

Benjamin Mendy of Monaco in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between Manchester City FC and AS Monaco at Etihad Stadium on February 21, 2017 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

(Feb. 20, 2017 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)

3. Benjamin Mendy

Full name: Benjamin Mendy

Nation: France

Club Team: Manchester City FC

Position: Left-back

Year of Birth: 1994

Bought from: AS Monaco

Benjamin Mendy arrived at City from Monaco, signing a five-year deal in July 2017. In the two seasons since, the Frenchman has suffered a number of injury set-backs, but evidenced his quality in 23 appearances in which his high energy, attacking approach to the full-back position thrived.

Mendy began his career with Le Havre, where he played more than 50 league games, before joining Marseille in 2013. He impressed at the Stade Velodrome, making 101 appearances in three seasons and gained a reputation as one of the best full-backs in the French top flight.

His performances earned him a move to Monaco, where he was a key component of Leanardo Jardim’s side’s improvement. His surging runs down the left flank were central to the Red and Whites’ success in the 2016/17 season, claiming the Ligue 1 title and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

It was in Europe where Mendy and Monaco particularly impressed, with notable scalps against City and Borussia Dortmund in the knockout stages, whilst domestically, he was named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. He enjoyed a strong start to his City career, winning his first five games and keeping four clean sheets in the process, but his debut season was ruined by a knee injury which kept him out until April 2018.

His return saw him selected for France’s 2018 World Cup squad, where Les Bleus were victorious, but his 2018/19 campaign was again hampered by injuries. He made 16 appearances in total and registered five assists as City lifted the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Community shield. Mendy is a World Cup winner, two-time English title winner, English FA Cup winner, English League Cup winner and French Cup winner.

“The 2017/18 season, saw the no.11 shift up a gear once more, his explosive pace and instinctive eye for goal making him a key part of United’s attacking armory. Either sharing attacking duties with Rashford or being unleashed as part of a front three with Marcus and Lukaku..”

— Farai Maringa, FirstTouch Africa

Bernardo Silva of AS Monaco runs with the ball during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England.

(Sept. 13, 2016 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

4. Bernardo Silva

Full name: Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva

Nation: Portugal

Club Team: Manchester City FC

Position: Midfielder

Year of Birth: 1994

Bought from: AS Monaco

Born in Lisbon, Silva came through Benfica's youth academy. He began playing for Benfica B in 2013 and was promoted to the first-team in 2014, playing a few minutes with the latter. He was on loan at the Ligue 1 side Monaco during the 2014–15 season, with Les Monégasques making the move permanent in winter 2015. After winning the national championship with them in 2017, he was signed by English club Manchester City for a reported fee of £43.5 million. He subsequently won the Premier League and EFL Cup in his first season in England, following this up with a domestic treble the following season. He had a significant role in City becoming the first men's team in England to win a domestic treble, also being named Manchester City's Player of the Year in 2019.

Silva made his senior debut for Portugal in 2015 after previously being capped by Portugal youth teams at under-21 and under-19 levels. He was selected in Portugal's squads for the 2017 Confederations Cup, 2018 World Cup and 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals on home soil, winning the latter tournament as its best player.

In the 2018 World Cup, Bernardo played in all four games as Portugal reached the last 16. His second season in Manchester proved even better on both a personal and team level. City swept all the four trophies domestically and the 24-year-old was sensational throughout. He recorded 13 goals and 14 assists in 51 appearances, winning Man of the Match in the Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea and ending the campaign as the Club’s Player of the Season. Early in 2019 he signed a contract extension which keeps him at City until 2025.

Alexandre Lacazette of Olympique Lyonnais in action during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg match between AS Roma and Olympique Lyonnais at Stadio Olimpico on March 16, 2017 in Rome, Italy.

(March 15, 2017 - Source: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images Europe)

5. Alexandre Lacazette

Full name: Alexandre Lacazette

Nation: France

Club Team: Arsenal

Position: Forward

Year of Birth: 1991

Bought from: Olympique Lyonnais

Born in Lyon, Lacazette began his senior career at the city's largest club Olympique Lyonnais at age 19, after impressing as a member of the team's youth setup. He initially played as a winger, but was converted into a striker. This success led him to start for the side regularly by 2012, where at age 21, he helped the club win a Coupe de France and a Trophée des Champions title.

During his time at the club, Lacazette developed into a regular goalscorer, becoming renowned for his prowess in front of goal, as well as his team-first mentality, gaining comparisons to Ian Wright by Gérard Houllier. Lacazette also helped the club make a return to the UEFA Champions League, and contributed heavily to Lyon's runner up finishes in Ligue 1 in the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons. Lacazette recorded league-high 27 goals, and won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for his performances. Despite this, the club failed to win any additional trophies, and Lacazette began voicing his desire to leave.

After being honored in three Ligue 1 Team of the Year designations, as well as in a UEFA Europa League Squad of the season, Lacazette was the subject of, at the time, a club-record transfer to English team Arsenal in 2017, when he moved from Lyon in a deal worth £46.5 million. In England, Lacazette captured a FA Community Shield title in his debut season. In his second season, he was named the club's Player of the season, and gained praise for his strike partnership with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as he helped Arsenal reach the UEFA Europa League final.

Lacazette made his debut for the senior side of the France national team in 2013, after he represented his nation across all youth levels. The 28-year-old was a key contributor in France's victory in the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where he scored the match-winning goal in the final against Spain. The Arsenal striker continues to add value to the Arsenal team as they continue pursuing to become part of the premier league top 4.

Tiemoue Bakayoko of Monaco in action during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Juventus and AS Monaco at Juventus Stadium on May 9, 2017 in Turin, Italy.

(May 8, 2017 - Source: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images Europe)

6. Tiemoue Bakayoko

Full name: Tiémoué Bakayoko

Nation: France

Club Team: Monaco (On loan from Chelsea)

Position: Defensive Midfielder

Year of Birth:1994

Bought from: AS Monaco

Due to his ability to break up play, the defensive midfielder is considered to have all-round ability, as well as possessing physical power and athleticism, with France national team manager Didier Deschamps describing him as “a complete midfielder.”

Bakayoko joined the academy at Rennes at the age of 13. At 14, he was turned down by the Clairfontaine academy. His senior career began at Rennes where he made 24 appearances before moving to Monaco in 2014 for £7 million. In his first two seasons at the club, Bakayoko made 31 Ligue 1 appearances, but was a regular starter in the 2016–17 season, contributing to Monaco's Ligue 1 title win as well as being named in the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League squad of the season. In 2017, he joined Chelsea for £40 million. Bakayoko made his first senior international appearance for the France national team in March 2017. This man has so much potential and he is growing to become a living legend if continues to work hard and push himself to the limits.

7. David Luiz

Full name: David Luiz

David Luiz of Paris Saint Germain in action during the pre-season friendly match between SSC Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain FC at Stadio San Paolo on August 11, 2014 in Naples, Italy.

(Aug. 10, 2014 - Source: Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images Europe

Nation: Brazil

Club Team: Arsenal

Position: Centre Back

Year of Birth: 1987

Bought from: PSG

After starting out at Vitória, David Luiz moved to Benfica, remaining with the club for five seasons. He joined Chelsea in January 2011, winning the UEFA Champions League during the 2011–12 season. In the following season, he won the UEFA Europa League. In June 2014, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £50 million, a world-record transfer for a defender, and won all four domestic competitions over his two seasons in French football. His resume is absolutely out of this world and he is one of the best defenders of all time despite some mistakes he has made over the years of his career. He returned to Chelsea in August 2016 in a £30 million transfer deal.

David Luiz made his full international debut for Brazil in 2010 and has since earned over 50 caps for his country. He was a member of the Brazilian teams which won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and reached the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and has also represented his nation in two editions of the Copa América. David Luiz continues his career at Arsenal where he is working hard in developing a strong and undisputed defense system for Arsenal football club.

Parting note

All the mentioned players moved to French Ligue 1 and made a remarkable impact, which attracted the interest of other leagues particularly the English Premier League teams and that is where all of them are playing now. They continue building their careers as living legends and hopefully will create unforgettable moments in the English Premier League that will catapult them to even greater clubs, greater history positions and greater sponsorship deals.

With Lyon’s domestic and European dominance, who realistically has a chance to challenge them in 19/20 season?

Olympique Lyon fans beat drums during the Women's Champions League match between Lyon and Wolfsburg at Stade de Lyon on March 29, 2017 in Lyon, France.

(March 28, 2017 - Source: Christopher Lee/Getty Images Europe)

The UEFA Women’s Champions League is currently underway and there is one question hanging in the air when it comes to Europe’s biggest club competition. Over the years, Olympique Lyonnais has sustained its position as a dominant force in women’s football, it can easily be said that they are the most prolific team in the world today. Who would be able to match Lyon and take over the European crown? Is it even possible with the current heavyweights that constitute Lyon’s squad? What they have managed to achieve puts them amongst the greatest teams in the world. This team is arguably the most accomplished team in women football as we speak. They are the most feared and sought after team in the world, loved and revered for their game and their championship values.

Why is it difficult to beat Lyon?

Years after the UEFA Women’s Champions League was formed, there are still only a few teams that can go against this formidable squad. The world’s finest players want to play for the team, as a result, they have a talent pool of incredible players such as the Norwegian Ada Herderberg and England’s Lucy Bronze who have been key in the team. This dominance has resulted in Lyon being a team that others look up to. Some have called them the best team assembled in history and this is not to exaggerate and sensationalize the feats that Lyon have been able to achieve in France and Europe. While winning the European Cup is an accomplishment that most teams dream of, Lyon have consistently had the reigns both domestically and in Europe. Once again, few teams can claim such a record and not even teams in the males’ game. The greatest thing to watch about Lyon is the consistency, for fans, it’s satisfying to know that your team is going to be consistent.

“If we needed another example of Vivianne Miedema’s greatness and as a dominant figure on the pitch, the Netherlands’ all-time top goalscorer is this season’s UCL top goal scorer ahead of the aforementioned Ada Hegerberg, netting 10 goals in 4 matches of the competition so far.  ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Vicky Losada of FC Barcelona conducts the ball under pressure from Delphine Cascarino of Olympique Lyon during the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Final 2nd Leg match between FC Barcelona Women and Olympique Lyon Women at Mini Estadi on March 28, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.

(March 27, 2018 - Source: Alex Caparros/Getty Images Europe)

Lyon Factsheet

Olympique Lyonnais Féminin was formed in 1970 in the historic city of Lyon and since then has risen in leaps and bounds with record-breaking accolades spanning both domestically and in European football. OL have an astonishing seventeen domestic French league titles to their name. Maintaining that top position can be attributed to their dominance which has attracted the best players and continues to be the place of choice for the world’s most talented players. When the Ballon D’Or award was finally set to be awarded to a woman for the first time, six women from the team were nominated namely, the brilliant Lucy Bronze Amandine Henry, Saki Kumagai, Dzsenifer Marozsan, Marta, and Ada Herderberg who eventually walked away with the prestigious award. The Norwegian has recently smashed another record by becoming the all-time top goalscorer with fifty-two goals in fifty UEFA Women’s Champions League games. Lyon have also claimed their most recent player accolade, the 2019 UEFA Women’s Best Player Award which went to defender Lucy Bronze, the fourth Lyon player in the last four years to receive this prestigious award. Award after award has helped serve as evidence to the fact that they are just the greatest team in the world right now. The facts have it that Lyon is not only highly successful in the women’s game but also in comparison to the achievements of male teams that have been around for much longer.

 However, the top teams that have the potential to knock Lyon from European dominance include:

 PSG

We cannot talk about any rivalry in France that is more prominent than that of PSG and Lyon. Although OL has won most of the titles in Division 1 Féminine, PSG has always been next in line. In the last 9 seasons in the domestic league, they have managed to lose only two games. In France, PSG are two-time cup winners and no strangers to the UCL, making it to the finals in 2015 and 2017 losing to Frankfurt and Lyon on the respective occasions. PSG have a team that has a wealth of experienced, captained by 41-year old veteran Formiga. Similar to their male counterparts, PSG Feminine have a young star, Marie-Antoinette Katoto who was last season’s Ligue 1 top goal scorer and with five goals in the tournament so far. A controversial decision by France head coach Corinne Diacre to leave the 20-year-old striker from the 2019 World Cup squad raised eyebrows, with Diacre explaining that the PSG striker was not meeting up to 100% of her talent. Katoto has continued to be the key in PSG’s domestic and European campaign this season.

isa Evans, Emma Mitchell and Kim Little of Arsenal Women celebrate with the trophy after the WSL Continental Cup Final between Arsenal Women and Manchester City Ladies at Adams Park on March 14, 2018 in High Wycombe, England.

(March 13, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)

Arsenal

Coming back from a five-year hiatus from Champions League football, the energy that they have been bringing to the games in the Champions League has been electric. They won last season’s Super Cup and are currently the only English team to qualify for the 2019/20 UWCL quarter-finals. Arsenal are former UCL champions themselves, lifting the cup in 2007. The current campaign has started off well for the Gunners, with a brilliant showing in the recent round of sixteen showcase against Slavia Prague whom they beat 13-2 on aggregate. Arsenal’s squad also has a good number of talents to boast of. One such major talent is the young Dutch phenomenon, Vivianne Miedema who is the heart of Arsenal’s attack with her spectacular goal-scoring abilities. She’s quickly becoming one of Europe’s most valuable players at just the age of 23. If we needed another example of Vivianne Miedema’s greatness as a dominant figure on the pitch, the Netherlands’ all-time top goalscorer is this season’s UCL top goal scorer ahead of the aforementioned Ada Hegerberg, netting 10 goals in 4 matches of the competition so far.  Another Dutch player and Arsenal’s top woman is Jill Roord, the 22-year old midfielder who joined the North Londoners this summer from Bayern Munich after two years in the Bundesliga. After being drawn on the same side as Lyon in the Quarterfinals, it is likely that Arsenal will meet Lyon in the semi-finals if they go through past PSG.

 Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg achieved a treble in the 2012-2013 season, winning the Bundesliga title, domestic cup and going on to win the UEFA Champions League. Stephan Lerch’s team holds the second-most consecutive wins in the UEFA Champions League finals after Lyon. The Bundesliga has been dominated by Wolfsburg, having won five titles in the last six seasons. The She-wolves are unbeaten in their domestic games and could go on to meet the French champions, Lyon in the finals. The pressure will be on Wolfsburg who have an anchor in Pernille Harder, an inspirational figure in the squad to lead them to a possible second-ever UCL title.

Dzsenifer Marozsan of Olympique Lyon battles with Isabel Kerschowski of VFL Wolfsberg and Babett Peter of VFL Wolfsberg during the Women's Champions League match between Lyon and Wolfsburg at Stade de Lyon on March 29, 2017 in Lyon, France.

(March 28, 2017 - Source: Christopher Lee/Getty Images Europe

Barcelona

Last year’s runners up could potentially face Lyon in the 2020 UCL final. In last year’s meeting, Barca was overwhelmed by a strong Lyon side that put four past their goal to win a fourth UCL title in a row during last season’s competition. The Spanish giants have four domestic titles to boast of in the Primera División. Barca’s team is so solid that as many as 15 of its players were called up to their respective national teams. Star player Lieke Martens who suffered an injury during the world cup is set to return to the field for the UCL quarter-finals. Barcelona faces another tough opponent in domestic rivals and current league champions Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 8.

Conclusion

Lyon has shown the world that they are a brilliantly assembled team that consists of the best players in the world; an unstoppable force and a formula for repetitive titles. Their unmatched dominance is just another example of why they deserve to be called the best team in the world. They have also shown that the women’s game should be paid attention to as they cease not to deliver performances that continue to garner them titles and a much-coveted reputation. It’s a difficult exercise to point which team has the potential to topple Lyon but as years go by, other teams are definitely getting stronger and making it harder for Lyon to retain their European dominance.

 The first leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals will be held in March 2020 with the semi-finals happening on April 25-26 and May 2-3. Be on the lookout for more stories as the competition unfolds. 

Brazilian team culture and the infectious recipe for success

"Fera" Káingang of the ethnic Káingang, in the village Conda, which gives name to the Chapecoense stadium, on December 02, 2016 in Chapeco, Brazil. Players of the Chapecoense were killed in a plane accident in the Colombian mountains. The Arena Conda, a field of the Chapecoense wretched, owes its name to the leader of an indigenous people who incarnated in the past the fierce character of a hobby that in its origins sat literally on a hill. This humble football field was inaugurated on 24 January 1976, three years after the constitution of the team, with only the green grass, without bleachers that would shelter the players, but under the name of a character that marked his future.

(Dec. 1, 2016 - Source: Buda Mendes/Getty Images South America

Colonization: the blessing from the curse

So when the Portuguese colonized Brazil and restricted all cultural practices in a bid to westernize and tie the Brazilians down, they had no idea that they were initiating the Genesis of a chronic and infectious golden football culture.

As soccer was introduced by those who had seen the western ways, the Brazilians began to play it in their own style (dribbling, creativity and speed being their aim, for which the once head coach Dunga was once criticized). The Brazilians used this style of football as their only link to culture which was a soccer and dance fusion that they often referred to as "Ginga (meaning sway)". Generations were born into this and as soccer became a more prominent part of the entertainment world, Brazil moved in with a fresh and unique dribbling style that marked their place in soccer history. Soccer became more than just a game to them; it became an art, a culture, a way of life and a breath of freedom and hope for every kid in the streets of Rio.

Futsal, a game that focuses on embracing the creativity of what Brazilians call "Ginga" and rewards dribbling and explosive movements was the source of the Brazilian soccer players’ mad skills. Pele once referred to Futsal as a sport that made one think, play fast and the transition to soccer easier. The large population of Brazil, competitive rivalries like Argentina and the winning habit also contributed to Brazil's success in soccer. Skills were nurtured at a tender age to produce some of the world's best players, the most notable being Pele "O Rei", (the king) from a poor family in Mina's Gerais.

"It's simple, soccer in Brazil is like karate in China," said Godwin Munamati, a dedicated Zimbabwean soccer fan.

The Seleção has managed to secure a place in people's hearts beyond Brazil not only because of how soccer is part of their culture but their team spirit, persistence, love and appreciation for the Seleção itself, support from their biggest fans (Brazil, the soccer nation itself) has continued to propel them further despite bumps along the way.

Brazil fans cheer prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Cameroon and Brazil at Estadio Nacional on June 23, 2014 in Brasilia, Brazil.

(June 22, 2014 - Source: Buda Mendes/Getty Images South America)

Teamwork making the dream work

The Seleção has displayed strong team unity on various occasions in and out of the game, on and off the field.

Besides togetherness between the players themselves, the Seleção rallied around a common cause and belief in a higher power. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup after their unexpected win, three players including Lucio and Kaka knelt face down on the field to give thanks to God, followed by an entire team. Several Brazilian players continued with their public display of faith thereafter, like the old saying goes "a family that prays together stays together". When Lucio became captain after the 2006 World Cup defeat, he continued to lead the team through that belief. Lucio always pointed out that life was more than winning and losing, encouraging the team to look beyond every loss,

"Anyone who thinks that he has everything but does not have Jesus doesn't have anything," Lucio once mentioned in an interview, encouraging the team to not let a winning streak of the past or future make them complacent. In addition, an idea of looking at soccer as more than just a game of scoring and whining after every loss was ingrained. It became a religion in which their passion and belief resided, bringing the team together and shielded their bond against the various loses that came and propelled them to a distinct and notable level of their own regardless of wins or losses. Thus Brazil remains the best national team to grace the soccer fields with a combination of humility, faith, creativity and flexibility on the field.

Selflessness and celebration of others' success and appreciation of each member of the Seleção and the Brazilian soccer family as a whole came not only from the players themselves but from the coaches as well. In 2007, coach Dunga focused on de-emphasizing individual players and treated all players as equals no matter how established one was over the other. He gave non-established players from not so popular clubs a chance to join the Seleção, “finding unity in diversity". One of those players was Fabiano who then won top goal scorer in the 2009 FIFA Confederations cup with 5 goals in 5 matches.

Unbeatable? (“a seleção Invicta!”)

The players' passion for the Seleção, the fans' appreciation and positive vibe saw Brazil acquiring five World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002), winning the title two consecutive times and becoming the first nation to win the World Cup title outside of its continent. During the 1978 world cup, in one match the field seemed to have been tempered with, in another match the referee seemed to be biased but Brazil remained the only unbeaten team in the tournament. In 2013 they won the FIFA Confederations Cup with Neymar, Fred and Julio Cesar scooping awards when Luiz Felipe Scolari was back as the team's coach .

"Ginga's Karma"

“Moving away from our perceived “weirdness” that makes us completely distinct we risk losing the essence of success, for success stems from that which makes us distinct.”

— Lovejoy Tabeth Munamati, FirstTouch Africa

Neymar (R) and Ronaldinho of Brazil in action during a Brazil training session at Wembley Stadium at on February 5, 2013 in Wembley, England.

(Feb. 4, 2013 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

Brazil began to suffer a dry spell after their 2002 World Cup win. Despite harboring the finest soccer players, they have failed to win a World Cup title since then. Could this be karma punishing Brazil for trying to adjust to the European formalized way of playing soccer while drifting from their precious "Joga Bonita" (play beautiful) concept of Ginga?

One soccer fan even commented on David Levine's article (the origins of la Joga Bonita), "Europeans invented soccer but Brazilians mastered it”, so in essence moving towards Europe’s formalized football skill could have led to the invasion of the dry spell.

Pele, the legendary Brazilian footballer cried over the same issue, saying he was crying over the loss of Brazilian soccer as he knew it, “I cried watching that game and not just because of the score. I cried because I do not know what happened to the joy of Brazilian football. Maybe this summer in the Olympics and Copa America, we can remind the world of how Brazil plays soccer, but it will not be easy. I fear we have lost our way. There is no ginga”. Pele had won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970 (ESPN) with ginga and he considered Neymar as the only true current ginga player on the squad. Neymar had unfortunately sustained a leg injury at that point. However, the coach at that time was working on bringing the ginga spirit back to the team and the team did begin to regain its stamina with notable Olympic gold medals to its name from 2016.

The movement from the cultural way of playing may have caused a huge drift in the Seleção's team spirit too, leading to questions about their togetherness as a team. “Everybody knows that Brazil has the best players in the world, but do we have the best team in the world? “, the Brazilian sports minister of 1998 once questioned.

A series of failures followed, seeing Brazil becoming the first nation to be eliminated in the first round while holding the World Cup crown in the 1982 World Cup although they were named the greatest team never to win the world cup.

In 2012 they were ranked 11th in the FIFA ranking and this was the first time they were not in the top ten with this position being their lowest since FIFA rankings were introduced.

After the 1-7 semi-final defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup, that saw Felipe Scolari resigning, the fans booed their team off the field with Neymar injured and Thiago Silva serving a one-match suspension. This had to be the Seleção’s biggest and most embarrassing defeat. From 2014 to 2016 Dunga returned as coach but failed to return the team's momento and was sacked

Wayne Rooney of England (L) battles for the ball with Ronaldinho of Brazil during the International friendly between England and Brazil at Wembley Stadium on February 6, 2013 in London, England.

(Feb. 5, 2013 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

Never give up (“nunca desistir!”)

After various violent tackles by the Portuguese defenders in the 1966 world cup, Pele had vowed to never play in the World Cup again but he returned in 1970 and they won leading to their squad being named the best ever. The squad consisted of Pele, Captain Carlos Alberto Torres, Jarzinho, Tostao, Gerson and Rivellino.

After going 24 years without winning a World Cup title or even reaching the finals (their best place being third place in 1978) Brazil regained momento and scooped the title in the 1994 and 2002 World cups. After winning the World Cup in 2002, Brazil saw itself suffering another long period of no major titles to date with the exception of their Olympic wins.

However, throughout this dry season which was in turn exacerbated by injuries of major players like Neymar, match suspensions like Thiago's 2014 substitution, coaches resigning and court cases, the fans remained the nation which breathes soccer and the Seleção’s backbone. There were moments when fans felt degraded by the Seleção’s losses and loose hold on their throne but their belief in their winning spirit as the soccer nation and the unity they commanded through soccer refrained them from throwing their love for the Samba Boys into the trash and this kept the team going reminding them that whether they win or lose, they would remain the unique seleção, the heart of soccer, the football nation! o pais do futebol as they would call themselves.

In conclusion, the Brazilian team culture is a vast concept on its own that incorporates the way soccer is indented in their culture with skills that are developed from a tender age. From the way they love and appreciate their national team, to the way they display commendable team spirit and how they never give up but remain proud members of the Seleção even after a trail of miserable and humiliating loses .This has not only created a special place in the hearts of football fans in the soccer nation alone but all over the world, the Seleção’s team culture is infectious and it has propelled them to success in World Cup tournaments and success in capturing people's hearts even when they are losing.

Brazil has become the standard for comparison in African football too,

The Brazil players salute the fans at the end of the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 Semi Final match between Brazil and Uruguay at Governador Magalhaes Pinto Estadio Mineirao on June 26, 2013 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

(June 25, 2013 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images South America)

"Brazilians play smart football which is not all about scores, they emphasize on the importance of skill and dribbling rather than scoring like we do here, Brazil nurtures talent, they are simply good, God blessed them like that, being Brazilian and not being good in soccer actually seems like a shame," commented Gledy and Mufaro Sharara.

I also remember growing up, as a girl, interested more in Barbie dolls than football but I knew that Ronaldinho existed nonetheless and apart from his handsome face and long hair, I knew he had amazing skills and we used to watch his dribbling videos all the time. So basically the Seleção infection has been there for a while and its most probably sticking around as African counties are also incorporating soccer skills development in ECD programs.

“I think we have suffered indeed. We lost but that's sport, winning and losing, we did not want to lose this way but at least the team kept going until the end. At 6-0, at 7-0, they kept going. We have families and people that support us, nobody needs to tell us what that means. I am not ashamed to say I was a member of the team which lost 7-1, I am not ashamed, I am proud of my teammates.”- Emotional Neymar's speech at a press conference after he got injured pretty much sums it all... ir selecao ir! (Go Selecao go!)

Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of OGC Nice signals a more competitive Ligue 1 but they are no PSG

Jim Ratcliffe CEO of INEOS meets staff at the Grangemouth plant as the first ship carrying shale gas from the US arrives in the Firth of Forth on September 27, 2016 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The tanker is the first of eight shipping ethane from US shale fields, in a two billion dollar investment by chemical company INEOS.

(Sept. 26, 2016 - Source: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Europe)

Building for the future

Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man, has taken over ownership of Ligue 1 club Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice. Ratcliffe opted to buy Nice after previously being linked to Chelsea and Newcastle and being in talks with the English clubs. The billionaire is also the owner of the Swiss second division side, FC Lausanne-Sport. The purchase of OGC Nice seems like a natural progression from second-tier ownership to a first division team of one of Europe’s biggest leagues.

 OGC Nice will gain the much needed financial injection due to Ratcliffe’s investment. He has fully backed current manager Patrick Vieira, the former Arsenal player who took the reins of the club in 2018.  Ratcliffe seems to want to work with Vieira to get Nice, who finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season, to play European football in the next five years.  With the bigger budget, the Aiglons have brought talented young players onboard during the transfer window, namely Kasper Dolberg from (Ajax), Adam Ounas (Napoli), Alexis Claude-Maurice (Lorient) and Stanley Nsoki (PSG) to name a few. 

Ligue 1 attracting money from abroad

Ligue 1 has its fair share of billionaires buying into the franchise and it’s fast becoming a trend for European, American and Middle-East investors to inject their money into the first tier league.  A number of Ligue 1 teams have been taken over by investors from the US or the Gulf in recent years. Although it may be for-profit, more times than not, investing in a football club is a risky investment. Sports teams have a special appeal for billionaires while being able to make them money and also as a fun hobby driven by love for the game. On the business side of sports, the commercialization of media rights is highly lucrative and may drive billionaires to invest more and more into football teams.

 Ligue 1’s appeal as an investment destination is undeniable; the league has been gaining prominence globally with Neymar’s move to PSG in 2016 and the young talent it’s producing like Ivorian midfielder and former Lille player, Nicholas Pepe and Kylian Mbappe. Ratcliffe follows Nasser al-Khelaifi, Qatari businessman and owner of PSG who took over the club in 2011 for €120 million and the Russian billionaire and owner of AS Monaco, Dmitry Rybolovlev who were among the first to pick up on the opportunities in France. Joseph Da Grosa, the American billionaire who bought Girondins de Bordeaux for €75 million euros in 2018 and Olympique de Marseille belongs to another American billionaire, Frank Court who bought the team in 2016.

“In some cases, financial backing does not translate to titles and trophies, case and point Manchester United who spent heavily on buying players but still struggle to make it to the top of the league.  ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Nice's French midfielder Adrien Tameze (C) celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League football match between OGC Nice vs SV Zulte Waregem on November 23, 2017 at the "Allianz Riviera Stadium" in Nice, southeastern France. / AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE

(Nov. 22, 2017 - Source: AFP)

OGC Nice may not necessarily be the next PSG

There is no team, however, that has had as much financial injection as PSG which features among Europe’s elite group of the richest clubs. PSG’s financial backing outweighs most of the Ligue 1 teams causing a disparity that has some of the other owners claiming PSG as having an unfair advantage in their ability to spent big on players and attracting the top talent. Girondins de Bordeaux owner Joseph Da Grosa has called PSG the bullies of Ligue 1. PSG has a big influence in the French top division and is the most decorated club in the league and top earners to having one of the most star-studded squads in the world, featuring players such as Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva.

Kylian Mbappe was reported to have setback PSG a €180m to sign from to Monaco and Neymar’s move made headlines as PSG paid a staggering €222 million to Barcelona to sign the Brazilian in 2017; double the cost for Ratcliffe to buy a full stake in  OGC Nice. Neymar’s move to Ligue 1 was an obvious show of PSG’s financial might, however, the controversies surrounding a return to Barcelona and injuries have also prevented the team from profiting from his arrival.  Tuchel’s men have won six titles in the last eight years since Nasser al-Khelaifi under Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011 and continues to dominate Ligue 1.

Fabio Cannavaro jokes with Patrick Veira during the Laureus Football Challenge presented by IWC Schaffhausen as part of the 2011 Laureus World Sports Awards at the Emirates Palace on February 7, 2011 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

(Feb. 6, 2011 - Source: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Europe)

Up to this point, teams like OGC Nice have a hard time competing with PSG’s world-class players and overflowing financial backing. PSG will continue to have a financial advantage over fellow Ligue 1 clubs. The scenario is not unlike the financial disparity that happens across the channel in England where the top six teams have a larger endowment than the other clubs in the league or the case of Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. In some cases, financial backing does not translate to titles and trophies, case and point Manchester United who spent heavily on buying players but still struggle to make it to the top of the league. 

Despite committing to developing Cote d’Azur side, Ratcliffe’s strategy shies away from spending on individual players like Ligue 1 counterparts PSG. OGC Nice’s season has been off to a slow start grabbing one point in five matches and lie 15th on Ligue 1 standings.

His commitment

For Jim Ratcliffe and OGC Nice, it is unlikely to be any record-breaking signings as he has already alluded. However, Ratcliffe has goals to make OGC Nice compete in Europe regularly over the next few years. Jim Ractliffe plans to finance OGC Nice in the coming years to improve position in the league, and developing facilities of the club.

What’s the reason for Argentina’s woes and how can they change the narrative?

Rabbit out of the hat

Almost everyone in the Argentine football circles knows about their once "unofficial Godfather," the controversial Julio Grondona, as he is referred to by several media outlets. The man who oversaw the affairs of the Argentine Football Association for something close to 40 years as if it was a monarchy, also having some unpopular influence in FIFA. Counter-intuitively, La Albiceleste's football somewhat thrived during his tenure but was also dying slowly and unnoticeably like a degenerative disease.

It all became apparent at his demise in 2014 when a supposedly democratic election to replace the forefather, raised a middle finger towards the whole of Argentina's football fraternity. It was a rabbit out of the hat moment, less of a lucky redemptive moment but a curse springing out of nowhere. Two candidates, one who preached reform and the other a perceived perpetuation of Grondona's iron fist regime lined up for voting as 75 members of the association went to the polls. A ridiculous and unmathematical 38-38 tie was the result, yes, out of the 75 votes cast, with the latter candidate eventually getting the nod.

Five years later, things have never been the same as far as Argentina's football is concerned.

Beginning of the end

Lionel Messi, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Marcos Rojo, Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Rodrigo Palacio, Ezequiel Garay and Sergio Aguero of Argentina celebrate defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between the Netherlands and Argentina at Arena de Sao Paulo on July 9, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(July 8, 2014 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images South America)

The election did hint on the beginning of the end and so did the team's performance on the pitch in the same period, though not obvious to the eye. This was the same 2014 where Lionel Messi led La Albiceleste to the World Cup final against Germany in Brazil. Everyone had been rooting for the talisman to bring home the only prize missing from his illustrious trophy cabinet and indeed, he had put on a show worthy of praise and honor. He, in fact, walked away with the Golden Ball prize, the award for the best player of the tournament, howbeit reluctantly receiving it. He wanted more, their people wanted more, a chance to redeem a nation by winning a first major senior trophy in close to 21 years had been tombstoned by the Germans in the final. To be fair, it was not only Messi who had rearranged highways and landscapes on their way to the final. The whole of the White and Sky-Blues had punched way above their weight and just like the Germans, could have exhausted all their drive and winning mojo in that tournament.

Although they were not the most talented squad, players like Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Mascherano and Gonzalo Higuain were the crème de la crème. As few as they were, their quality did rub on the likes of Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero, with the whole unit fighting like gladiators, giving even what they didn't have for football and country. It was not just the World Cup, La Albiceleste had phenomenally appeared in 2 of the 3 prior Copa America finals before Brazil 2014. They would then appear in two more finals after 2014, however, they were unlucky not to get their hands on some elusive silverware on all the occasions.

Most or nobody could have known, but that run in which they lost no match in regulation time during the whole of the 2014 FIFA World Cup was a fat lady sings moment, almost the end of an impressive era.

Their 2018 World Cup run was just a symptom

The degeneration became apparent during the 2018 World Cup in Russia where the casual football fans witnessed a shocking performance by the South Americans.

Lionel Messi (L) and Pablo Zabaleta of Argentina look dejected after their 1-0 defeat against Germany in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(July 12, 2014 - Source: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images South America)

The seasoned Jorge Sampaoli who had masterminded Chile's Copa America triumph and done a great job at Sevilla looked way out of his depth at the helm of the White and Sky-Blues. Bizzare tactics and formations that left out key players such as Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala, Angel Di Maria on the bench for the likes of the unheralded and untested Christian Pavon and Maximiliano Meza got everybody talking. Sampaoli himself was crucified on social media to say the least. Of course, he did deserve some of the criticism, but even he was just a symptom and scapegoat of a much rooted and bigger problem. Preparations for the Russia tournament were far from ideal. Sampaoli was even appointed to save Argentina of the bushes of missing out on the World Cup in 48 years after a poor qualifying campaign that was rescued by a Messi hat-trick against Ecuador on the final day. A result that became Sampaoli's only competitive win prior to Russia. Scheduled international friendlies didn't help him thoroughly prepare either with a couple getting cancelled, for instance, the Jerusalem one had poor funding from the federation being a major obstacle (which we will thoroughly explore in the next section). It was during such preparations in March 2018 that Argentina suffered their record-equalling defeat at the hands of Spain, a 6-1 humiliation, which Messi was hardly able to finish as he made his way into the tunnel.

In the end, their 1-1 draw against Iceland, 0-3 loss to Croatia and a last-minute fortuitous 2-1 win over Nigeria that granted them passage into the round-of-16 were all actually not shocking but deserved results. La Albiceleste were eventually knocked out of the round-of-16 by eventual champions France with a 3-4 scoreline.

AFA Shenanigans

In 2019, results have barely improved either. A third-place finish at the 2019 Copa America clouded just how dismal their overall performance had been. An opening 0-2 loss to Columbia, a dull and lucky draw against Paraguay and an eventual win over lowly ranked Qatar were enough to send them through as one of the best 3rd placed teams. Something which shouldn't have been the case for the 2-time world champions. Their governing footballing body, the Argentine Football Association (AFA), has had a lot to do with this, if not everything to do with it. Let's look at only a few of the issues;

Players of Argentina look dejected after losing the Copa America Brazil 2019 group B match between Argentina and Colombia at Arena Fonte Nova on June 15, 2019 in Salvador, Brazil.

(June 14, 2019 - Source: Felipe Oliveira/Getty Images South America)

a. The 2014 Election

Surely without getting any more evidence; the circumstances surrounding the succession outlined in the introduction tells a lot about the cancer of corruption damaging the institution. Corruption itself as a phenomenon basically means more money to people behind the scenes and less towards the development of the game where results are expected. This can even be further evidenced by the following two other concerning issues.

b. Managerial appointments

It's very hard to explain Argentina's recent managerial struggles given just how endowed they are in terms of managerial talent as a nation.

Think Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Marcelo Bielsa, Gerardo Martino only to mention but a few. They have a pool of renowned tacticians which has been headlining UEFA Champions and Europa League finals as well as the most competitive domestic leagues in Europe. But who have they appointed instead in recent times, Edgardo Bauza, Jorge Sampaoli and the current caretaker coacher Lionel Scaloni, Sampaoli's assistant who has been barely tested. Maybe the top guys are not just interested in the national team job, but for them not to be, there should be a good reason why. It's fair to assume that such former international players and sons of the soil would be at least patriotic enough to want to help revive their country's football. The former Barcelona manager, for example, Martino quit his role after somehow having only 12 players ready at his disposal heading into the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.

Simply put, AFA actually seems to be holding back in financing top managerial appointments.

c. National team logistics

Many would remember that the Argentinean captain, Lionel Messi once quit the national team. It was immediately after the 2016 Copa America where they lost to Chile in the final. The five-time Balon d'Or winner had himself missed a penalty during the final shoot-out. Messi would then eventually cite poor professionalism and far from ideal logistics by the administrative body as reasons for him quitting. For someone who had given so much over the years and still not managing to help his nation regain major silverware in over 20 years, you would understand the frustration. He was tired especially given the fact that AFA didn't seem to be pulling their own weight. Messi obviously returned to international duty after a presidential and public plea.

More of friendly matches scheduled in the less known parts of the world for financial gains, only if AFA can guarantee the appearances of top players such as Messi and Aguero has also been damaging the team's competitiveness. They are treating their stars as cash cows.

There could be more, but who else wants to continue hearing about such pathetic stunts by Argentina's football governing body.

“Two candidates, one who preached reform and the other a perceived perpetuation of Grondona’s iron fist regime lined up for voting as 75 members of the association went to the polls. A ridiculous and unmathematical 38-38 tie was the result, out of the 75 votes cast, with the latter candidate eventually getting the nod.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Pablo Zabaleta (L) and Lionel Messi of Argentina look on with teammates after being defeated by Germany 1-0 in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(July 12, 2014 - Source: Martin Rose/Getty Images South America)

A drying talent pool

Contrary to popular belief, the current Argentinean squad is not actually very talented and balanced. After mentioning names of aging stars that include Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Icardi, Manuel Lanzini and Lautaro Martinez; the rest of their team members' names are not as glamorous and neither do they have crucial first-team roles at their respective clubs.

Even the above crop of excellent forwards, they are just that, forwards and they all can't play together at once. Take the 26-year-old Juventus forward for instance, Dybala, he has made little impact on the international stage because he is most effective from a position and role undertook by arguably the biggest talent of the century, Lionel Messi. The same can also be said about Lanzini; Icardi, Aguero and Higuain. No wonder coaches like Sampaoli ended up dropping some popular names on the bench.

On the face of it, this may look like karma is residing in Argentinean football right now, perhaps by having mothers give birth to and nurse only forwards in the current generation. Not really. Their current footballing structure is to be blamed for letting this happen. They are no longer as impressive in being a convincing conveyor belt of talent. La Albiceleste won the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2001, 2005 and 2007 and of their 20-man 2018 World Cup squad in Russia, seven of those were U20 World Cup winners from 11 or 13 years previously. Now in their last three U20 World Cup squads (2011, 2015, 2017), only two players featured in Russia. Evidence that the pathway to the first team for youth players has become less straight forward.

It is because of that reason that many talented players could be "leaking" from their current system.

Lionel Messi of Argentina football team player arrives to compete in the 2018 World Cup at Zhukovsky airport on June 9, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

(June 8, 2018 - Source: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images Europe)

Spare the rod on Messi

It's fair enough to argue that the case we have presented so far is enough to exonerate Messi from being the scapegoat of the national team's woes. Punditry commentary such as "he doesn't mark for the ball, he is not a good leader, he doesn't care about his country enough," should be trashed.

If it were not for Messi's stunning free-kicks and late solo goals against the likes of Iran, they wouldn't have made the 2014 World Cup final. Argentina might have not made even the Russia finals if the talisman had not bagged a hatrick against Ecuador in their 3-0victory on the final match-day of the qualifiers. It was only the 32-year-old who scored a competitive goal for Argentina between November 2016 and the commencement of the 2018 World Cup finals. So when he lost his cool against Brazil or Chile in the 2019 Copa America finals, understand he had more than one good enough reason to justify a mere normal human emotional outburst.

To say the criticism on La Albiceleste's all-time leading goal scorer has been unfair, it's a gross understatement. Where can Argentina go from here Their challenges and shortcomings surely seem obvious now, but how do they turn it around? It's simple at least on paper, AFA just has to do the opposite of what they've been doing right now. They should take good care of players on international duty, schedule friendlies that make competitive and not just financial sense, become more international in establishing a clear pathway to the senior team for the youth players, recruit vastly experienced managers amongst many other things.

If their recent 6-1 friendly victory over Ecuador is anything to go by, maybe they've started the rebuilding process with youthful players under Lionel Scolani.

Here is what the gaffer said;

"It was a positive tour. We got what we wanted which was that the kids get some minutes and for them to be able to show that they could be here. I'm excited because of the way they understand what it means to play with this shirt. There are five or six players which are the base of my team. They don't need to play as much anymore because they've shown and have given us so much.

After that you could win or lose because the best team doesn't always win. No one is unbeatable but this is a national team that will be difficult to beat." – Lionel Scolani

Will racism ever end in Serie A?

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.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

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!

Will this be Leicester’s strongest season in the Premier League since their 2016 Championship?

Leicester reacts to Leicester City's Premier League Title Success on May 03, 2016 in Leicester, England.

(May 2, 2016 - Source: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images Europe)

Be afraid, be very afraid!

With Arsenal on the ropes and down on the floor, a familiar foe was standing right over their carcasses; Jamie Vardy. Two goals for the English international in a 3-0 victory for the Foxes meant that the Gunners had officially become his favorite customer. With a tally of 8 goals against them in the Premier League, against no else has he scored more. Rodgers' boys had not only inflicted a third loss in three matches for Emery's charges; but pulled off a Thanos and the magical stones on them. With 3 snaps of the fingers, more of rippling of the net in this context, Arsenal's hopes of finishing in the top four had vanished into thin air, almost at the speed of Leicester light or sound of their red agonies. The Foxes themselves had almost nothing to lose but plenty of pride to gain. A top 7 finish was almost out of reach given how well Wolves and Everton had performed in the preceding month leading to the fixture. Rather, on that 28th of April 2019, a bloody message had been imprinted on plain tables with the claws of a Fox, "they were coming for all of them when the season restarts." This time not as Foxes wearing sheep clothing, as they did in the 2015/16 when they won the Premier League title with odds of 5,000-1. But as the real deal, untamed and unleashed!

Statistically 3rd best in the Premier League?

Back to the main question, could 2019/20 really be Leicester's strongest season since winning the title in 2016? Well, the short answer is an emphatic yes! Just for kicks, since the appointment of former Liverpool manager in February of 2019, only champions Manchester City and European champions Liverpool have won more Premier League points than the King Power residents. Not a bad company to keep. If we are to extrapolate this historical data, we learn that it's pretty realistic for them to finish 3rd behind the aforementioned two. Not to worry, we are not putting all our eggs in that one basket, there is more wind in their sails, but first; let's look at how they've started.

“Upfront, we all know what they’ve got; some good old English speed and killer instincts in Jamie Vardy. The befitting introduction to this piece. The 32-year-old scored 14 goals in 17 Premier League appearances since the arrival of Rodgers on March 3. Only Aubameyang and Mane came close to that record with 12 goals each. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Jamie Vardy and James Maddison of Leicester City applauds fans after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leicester City at Anfield on October 05, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 4, 2019 - Source: FELIPE TRUEBA/Getty Images Europe)

Foxes don't false start

At the time of writing this piece, Leicester were in 4th place, just two points off second-placed Manchester City. It had only been 8/38 games into the season but the table quite accurately told how the 20 teams had fared. The Foxes in particular could have been higher up the pecking order given their performances had been miles, better than the results. That rampant display against Arsenal at the close of the 2018/19 season was indeed no clouds without rain. In their first 8 matches of the new campaign, they lost only two.

A narrow 0-1 lost at Manchester United and 1-2 away at Liverpool. In the latter, the Reds actually needed a 90+5 Milner penalty to get all 3 points and register a successive 17th Premier League win. They were unlucky not to get a win at Chelsea after coming from behind to take the game to the Blues and eventually secured a point. At home against Tottenham, the Foxes soundly beat the 2019 Champions League finalists by a 2-1 scoreline. Also included in the 8 games is an emphatic 5-0 win over Newcastle. Clearly, they look more than ready for the challenge. Super competitive against the big guns and ruthless when matched up with the so called lesser opposition.

Wilfried Ndidi of Leicester in action during the pre-season friendly match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Molineux on July 29, 2017 in Wolverhampton, England.

(July 28, 2017 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

A well balanced and vicious squad

The mix is just right. It's no fluke that they've performed the way they did. After Manchester City and Liverpool, Leicester arguably boast of the most balanced squad. Forget the price tags, star names and focus on the word "balanced." Let's actually look at how they line-up. Even after losing Harry Maguire to Manchester United in a world record deal for a defender, Johhny Evans and Caglar Soyuncü look like a good combination of experience and youth. No wonder they've conceded only 7 goals, a 2nd best record in the division after Liverpool and tied with Sheffield United.

The modern game is all about full-backs flying up and down the flanks, and the Foxes have two of the best in the division. Ben Chilwell who is mostly preferred by Gareth Southgate in the current England setup and the dynamic Ricardo Perreira who recorded the 4th highest tackles in the league last season. Wait, did we forget Schmeichel? The skipper goalkeeper needs no introduction and his sure displays in goal has him continue staking a claim among the best there is. From the middle of the park and going forward, they're even better. All of the 22-year-old Nigerian international, Wilfried Ndidi who has consistently and statistically been among the top two tacklers in the league since the 2017/18 season, the £40 million signing in Youri Tielemans and Newcastle top goal scorer from last season in Ayoze Perez; provide depth and options. Time will not allow us to exhaust the insurmountable talents of Harvey Barnes, Hamza Choudhury, Demarai Gray, Marc Albrighton or the man from Sampdoria, Dennis Praet and maybe everyone's favorite, the puppet master who pulls all the strings, James Maddison. But the point is more than clear, their midfield is loaded!

Upfront, we all know what they've got; some good old English speed and killer instincts in Jamie Vardy. The befitting introduction to this piece. The 32-year-old scored 14 goals in 17 Premier League appearances since the arrival of Rodgers on March 3. Only Aubameyang and Mane came close to that record with 12 goals each. Even as a backup, the former Manchester City and Nigerian forward in Kelechi Iheanacho could be lethal enough if afforded the opportunity. It get's even more interesting when we learn about the ingenuity of the man who organizes them.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Leicester City celebrates victory with Wes Morgan of Leicester City after the Premier League match between Leicester City and AFC Bournemouth at The King Power Stadium on March 30, 2019 in Leicester, United Kingdom.

(March 29, 2019 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

They've got Rodgers, Brendan Rodgers!

Let's get one thing clear, joining Leicester is not a step up for the Irishman but a step up for the club. Brendan Rodgers' CV is up there for everyone to see and his talents are no strange to the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp is not the first man to bring Liverpool within touching distance of the league title since 1989-90, Rodgers did it in the 2013/14 campaign. Only needing two wins to clinch the coveted prize, the Reds blew up a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at Crystal Palace that effectively handed the Premier League title to Manchester City. How good a job the now 46 year-old had done in that race cannot be overemphasized. He bloodied the likes of Raheem Sterling and set-up Luis Suarez for worldwide success.

Rodgers' next job at Celtic was more silverish and fruitful, winning the Scottish treble twice between 2016-18 In all, he left Scotland with 7 titles in 3 years to his name. In feeding their ambition, calling upon the tactician is almost as good an appointment as it gets. Even more, Rodgers himself returns with a slight knack to prove a point in the Premier League after Liverpool gave him the sack. It's the intersection of ambition. Little wonder they've already upped their game; the manager knows the league, knows how to win and has great experience working with young English players which Leicester have in abundance.

If you want be a little bit cynical, you could argue that amongst the so called big 6 teams, perhaps only four have better managers as per their CVs. United's Solskjaer and Chelsea's Lampard have been barely tested but we won't hinge on that, knowing it doesn't always work like that.

Right place at the right time, as traditionally top sides falter

Leicester as a club tested the highest glory, liked the smell and have always been back for more ever since. They've sacked managers such as the Premier League winning manager himself, Claudio Ranieri, Craig Shakespeare and Claude Puel for doing only enough to stay in the top flight. Their boldness has perhaps seen fortune knocking on their door. For the first time in quite a number of years, the traditional big 6 sides look shaken.

Jamie Vardy of Leicester City (l) celebrates after scoring the first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Leicester City at St. James Park on September 29, 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 28, 2018 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe)

Obviously not Liverpool and highly doubtful of City even after starting the campaign very strangely losing to Wolves and Norwich. Manchester United are languishing in the bottom half of the table and their young and unbalanced squad look like they would have punched way above their weight if they finish within the top 6. It looks like 3rd place will be Arsenal's to lose as we may need rocket science to understand what's really going on at Tottenham, and the young Chelsea side look no better than the Foxes. Wolves who finished above Leicester last campaign look burdened by Europa League commitments and West Ham seem decent with record signing Sebastian Haller up top and the talents of Yarmolenko, Lanzini somewhere in the mix; but even Premier League winner in Manuel Pellegrini is still pondering on how to fix his defence. What about other last season's big performers in Everton and Watford? At this point, they both look like they are fighting just for their lives. The former were in 18th place after 8 games and the latter rock-bottom in 20th, courtesy of non-existent strike force and managerial crisis respectively, howbeit amongst many other things.

Foxing their way through

With all of an extremely talented and balanced squad, tactically astute manager, an ambitious board and the vulnerable state of state of the top 6, the stage looks set for the 2015/16 Premier League champions to fox their way through. Well, except if other sides exponentially improve their performances. At this rate, the Foxes are unlikely going to wait for that to happen but rather continually go for the jagular!

Is Manchester City’s success just a reflection of their bank account?

Manchester City has been reported to be the most valuable club in the English Premier League. Pep

Guardiola’s current squad cost £702 million to assemble; the highest of any other club in Europe. City are current EPL Champions and favorites to compete for the title this season, currently sitting in second place behind Liverpool. In the five years between 2015- 2019, the only clubs that spent more than City are Juventus and Barcelona. Guardiola’s men won the domestic treble last season further cementing their position among Europe’s elite but their financial endowment has worked hand in glove with Guardiola’s visionary leadership.

Pep Guardiola looks on during the Pro Am for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on May 23, 2018 in Virginia Water, England.

(May 22, 2018 - Source: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images Europe)

 Josep Guardiola, the manager who lacks nothing

Guardiola’s prolific career spans over three of Europe's best leagues and major successes in each one of those leagues earned him recognition among the most accomplished managers in history. He won the La Liga four times with Barcelona and the treble. In Germany, he had similar success winning Bundesliga for three consecutive years. Barcelona, Bayern, and Man City are all large clubs with big budgets to sign players. Throughout this managerial career, Guardiola has had a huge financial backing to construct the best teams that the leagues have seen. Pep Guardiola’s impact at Manchester City has surpassed previous managers in both achievements and expenditure.

Manchester does not spare the cost to buy players and this led to their Premier League rival, Jurgen Klopp claiming that Manchester City lived in a “fantasy land”. Klopp himself has spent much less than Guardiola since taking over as a manager at Anfield. Arguably, when a manager has access to all the financial resources they need, there is more room for success without having to make it work with less talented players. Guardiola has spent more at Manchester City than at Barcelona and Bayern Munich combined. The reason behind this being the need to rejuvenate the squad after coming to a team of 11 players over the age of 30 according to the Spaniard. Most of their players have each costed the team between €50 and 100 million showing that they do not have to be conservative when they want a player. The Cityzens have not made nearly as much selling players as they spent buying. They spent around £500 million net in the last five years whereas Liverpool made profits of selling the likes of Phillippe Coutinho. Money is just not an issue for Manchester City which justifies their freedom to recruit talented players at a premium. Many of the Man City signings have succeeded at the Etihad and have been part and parcel of the outstanding overall success of the club in the past few years.

“Sheikh Mansour’s investments into the club have exceeded £1.4 billion which has essentially contributed to turn Manchester City into a European powerhouse that spares no cost in buying the top-rated players.”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Bernardo Silva of Manchester City celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during the Group F match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City at Metalist Stadium on October 23, 2018 in Kharkov, Ukraine.

(Oct. 22, 2018 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

 Most Expensive Manchester City signings

 Let’s just quickly look at some of their high profile signings.

 #10 - Eliaquim Mangala, £42 million

The French center-back joined City in 2014 but failed to have an impact in defence. He has spent most of his time at City on loan to Everton and Valencia. The 28-year old was signed by Manuel Pellegrini and did not make it to Pep Guardiola’s first team.

 #9 - Bernardo Silva, £43 million

City signed Bernardo Silva in July 2017 from Ligue 1 powerhouse Monaco, after he had helped the French team secure a league title and a semi-finals spot in the Champions League. The Portuguese playmaker won Man City’s player of the season in his second season at the Etihad.

 #8 - Raheem Sterling, £44 million

Then 20-year old Sterling made his high profile move from Liverpool in 2015. Since his arrival at Etihad, he’s been progressively becoming better each season for City with his best campaign in 2017/2018 season where he netted 23 goals and created 17 assists in 46 games.

 #7 - Kyle Walker, £45 million

Kyle Walker made his move to Manchester City from Spurs in 2017 on a five-year contract. The former Tottenham player has been touted to be on the way out after Pep Guardiola signed João Cancelo from Juventus this year.

 #6 - John Stones, £47.5 million

Stones joined City from Everton to Manchester City in 2016. The English defender was signed for a wholesome £47.5 million price tag. The 25-year old is the first choice center-back for the English national team and has turned out to be a good investment for Manchester City.

Sergio Aguero of Manchester City celebrates with the Community Shield trophy following his side's victory during the FA Community Shield between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on August 5, 2018 in London, England.

(Aug. 4, 2018 - Source: Clive Mason/Getty Images Europe)

#5 - Benjamin Mendy, £52 million

Mendy was signed from Monaco on a five-year contract in 2017, breaking the record at the time for the most expensive full-back. One of the most expensive defenders in the League, Mendy has had a series of injuries that have kept him from playing much at Manchester City.

 #4 - Kevin De Bruyne £54 million

The Belgian has been at the club since 2015. Since signing a 6-year contract to switch from Wolfsburg to Manchester City, De Bruyne is now a key figure on the pitch as City’s playmaker. The 28-year-old midfielder currently stands at 50 assists for the Blues.

 #3 - Aymeric Laporte £57 million

The French defender has been crucial to the Manchester City defence since his arrival in 2018 from Atletico Bilbao. Laporte’s exploits in the EPL has resulted in him being regarded as the second-best center-back in the league behind, 2019 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year in Virgil Van Dijk.

 #2 - Riyad Mahrez £60 million

Leicester City’s former talisman became a City player for £60 million, a price tag that made him the first player to break the £60 million mark for the club in 2018. He has been one of the best players for Manchester City this season, taking advantage of Leroy Sane’s injury to prove his worth.

 #1 - Rodri £62 million

Coming from Atletico Madrid, the midfielder is expected to take the place of 34-year old Fernaninho as a key figure in City’s midfield. The rated player came at a premium because of his reputation and instinct with the ball. Rodri’s contribution to the team is most critical when Fernandinho retires.

 Manchester City’s humble beginnings

City have not always had the enormous financial resources they have today and was an outsider to the elite clubs of Europe. The club’s fortunes turned when the current Manchester City owner, billionaire businessman and member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought the club in 2008. City won three league titles and made record profits since its change of ownership into the Abu Dhabi billionaires’ hands.

Before coming into the picture, Manchester City was far from being a championship team constantly finishing mid-table. His investment has largely been responsible for taking City from mid-table regulars to league title winners. The investment has gone into extensions to the Etihad Stadium state of the art facilities. Sheikh Mansour’s investments into the club have exceeded £1.4 billion which has essentially contributed to turn Manchester City into a European powerhouse that spares no cost in buying the top-rated players. In the 11 years since buying the club, City has won 9 trophies and 3 league titles. City’s success gained the English team, fans across the globe and catapulted them to the position of the most valuable club in the Premier League. The money has also been coming in for City with an annual turnover of £581 million earning, £9 million behind top earners and rivals Manchester United who bagged £590 million in the most recent year.

Bernardo Silva of Manchester City controls the ball under pressure from Georginio Wijnaldum of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfield on October 7, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 6, 2018 - Source: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)

 Manchester City and Liverpool Rivalry

Jurgen Klopp and Guardiola have to battle it out this season for the league title. Liverpool has been on a near-perfect run which has cemented their chances of taking the title from rivals City. Manchester’s luck has fallen through, falling behind Liverpool by 8 points. The biggest challenge that the club is facing happens to be a shaky defence that has made critical mistakes, costing the champions six points against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Norwich. Aymeric Laporte’s injury has been a major setback as the first choice center-back who will need more time on the sidelines, recovering from a meniscus injury picked up early on in the season.

 Guardiola has had to find a temporary suitable combination, which has meant that his defence needed to adjust, pairing up with players they had not been used to playing with. John Stones and Kyle Walker have taken the baton alongside the ageing duo of Nicholas Otamendi. Joao Cancelo, City’s record signing full-back has not played a major role this season as Guardiola’s first-choice. The current defence lacks depth which could cost City the title, as Liverpool charge on, eight points ahead of the champions. Fernandinho moved into the defensive position this season, making a way in the midfield for new signing Rodri. The switch has been far from stable at times, the Brazilian proving that his natural position is in midfield.

Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi with the Premier league trophy after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Huddersfield Town at Etihad Stadium on May 6, 2018 in Manchester, England.

(May 5, 2018 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

 Conclusion

The biggest clubs in the world are usually well endowed with the financial capacity to buy players without sparing the cost. The elite clubs have the cash to continue buying the players that the manager needs and at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has been no different. It’s true that the Spaniard, has been fortunate to have financial access for most of his managerial career and has used this privilege to create some of the best teams, the football world has ever seen including the current Manchester City squad.

 To respond to the question, “Is Manchester City’s success just a reflection of their bank account?’’ The short answer is yes. They have been transformed by their access to financial resources via the Arab world. A big part of why the Cityzens have been able to succeed is a reflection of their bank account but Guardiola’s touch has also contributed immensely. Let’s face it, you also need to know which players to buy and how to organize them.

EURO2020: From the heights of glory in 2014 to the dumps; Die Mannschaft struggles explained

Breaking hearts, they've been mostly known for being masters at breaking hearts and crushing dreams. Now, you have to persistently pinch us to understand that Germany being a case of broken hearts and crushed dreams is no Matrix movie, it's almost as good as reality gets. But how did we seriously get here?

(L-R) Thomas Mueller, Manuel Neuer, Mesut Oezil and Philipp Lahm of Germany celebrate a 7-1 victory over Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between Brazil and Germany at Estadio Mineirao on July 8, 2014 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

(July 7, 2014 - Source: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images South America)

The Mineirão Incident

It might not be the beginning of Die Mannschaft's free fall but definitely a moment in history worth reminiscing, for neutrals that is. Back in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, Brazil vs Germany, eight world titles between them; it was a fixture loaded with so much promise and had the world on its feet, anticipating to watch football entertainment at its best. It was supposed to be an edge of the seat encounter decided on fine margins and would have taken rocket scientists to study the performances and understand how one side outdid the other. But what happened? The churning German machine flipped the script! Only forty-five minutes into the match, they were 5-0 up and had already scored all sorts of goals. Long range shots, finesses, headers and you name it. Mesut Ozil in particular, had picked up his magic wand and reincarnated himself as a combination of Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Captain America and you get the idea. Almost like an Avengers movie. Rumors say, one of the main talking points during their half-time talk was a directive to tone it down a little bit, in bid to be more respectful to the hosts. It's no suprise how that worked out, the likes of Andre Schurrle came in and wanted in on the act. At the end of the day, Brazil had received seven digits! A 7-1 scoreline capped it all. A classic Germany side, ruthless and unrelenting. Now five years later, it looks like they used up all their vibranium on that day and in that championship. The cookie has crumbled.

“Controversially, retiring Boateng, Hummels and Mueller in the name of “fresh faces” looked like Löw dusted the mirror only to see his face looking back, straight at him.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

The end of the line

Prior to their World Cup triumph in Brazil 2014, the Nationalelf had to dig, claw and climb several times with no success. It was almost poetic justice that they became world champions in Brazil. Under the guidance of Jurgen Klinsmann at home in 2006, Miroslav Klose scored a ton of goals and Lukas Podolski won hearts by pipping the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo to the FIFA Young Player of The Tournament Award, as Germany ran riot only to be denied by Italy in the last few minutes of a semi-final extra-time. They dusted themselves, Joachim Löw picked up the pieces and unleashed the likes of Mesut Ozil and Thomas Mueller in South Africa 2010. Once again, scoring goals for fun including a 4-0 thrashing of Diego Maradona's Argentina in the quarter-finals. You guessed it, history repeated itself and the then 3 time champions were outdone by a Carles Puyol header in the World Cup semi-final against eventual champions Spain. In light of all this, it’s hard to contest that the ever consistent Germany deserved to finally conquer the world in Brazil for the 4th time. However, the generation of players that had lived through the so near yet so far moments since 2006 which included Philip Lahm, Klose and Lukas Podolski; had inevitably come to the end of their lines. They had given it the sweat of their youth over the years and to expect them to give more past 2014 could have been a difficult ask. Much of Germany's early to late 2000s dominance was used up in Brazil. It went with the Lahms. Now the obviously next sensible thing would be to raise a new generation to pick up the mantle right?

How did that go?

(L-R) Timo Werner of Germany, Mats Hummels and his team mate Mario Gomez react during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group F match between Korea Republic and Germany at Kazan Arena on June 27, 2018 in Kazan, Russia.

(June 26, 2018 - Source: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images Europe)

The champions' curse

It's a thing. After Italy won the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the Azzuri failed to go past the group stages in 2010 and even totally missed out on the 2018 Russia finals for the first time in 60 years. So did Spain, after winning the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the coveted World Cup in South Africa 2010, for only their first time, they ran out of steam in Brazil 2014. Infamously humiliated by the Netherlands in the group stages as they lost 2-5 and like Italy, bowing out before the knock-out rounds. We all thought Germany's proven consistence would break the duck but "the champions' curse," proved stronger. Joachim Löw's men were also kicked out of the 2018 World Cup group men were also kicked out of the 2018 World Cup group stages by Mexico and Sweden, even losing to lowly ranked South Korea in their final group match. Clearly, their misfortunes post 2014 could be excused by the champions' curse. Maybe the fire just dies out after winning as complaceny sets in. But is that all?

Square pegs, round holes

Forget the superstitions for a minute, Germany's issues can also be equally attributed to the way they've been setting up. The National Eleven gaffer clearly tried coping the winning formula from 2014, setting up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, employing the same personnel, howbeit with a few tweaks in one or two positions that had been vacated by those who had retired. He forgot to give a more keen eye to the upcoming talent and also fix some problems which had been overshadowed by the glory of 2014. For instance, one of their problem areas right now, the left-back position dates back to Brazil 2014. Löw had to use Benedikt Howedes, a natural center-back as a make shift option in that position. It worked then but was no permanent solution. Dortmund's Nico Schulz is the latest to be tried in that position, who has done well but likes to go forward more than is necessary. It is quite ironic that a second fiddle Germany team won the Confederations Cup in Brazil 2014 whereas the main side failed to progress past the group stages of the World Cup. The younger side had their own of the World Cup. The younger side had their own culture and rhythm which helped knit them as a unit. Borrowing the likes of Goretzka and Timo Werner to take up roles in the main side wasn't going to work straight away. The German technical team were naïve to think that Werner would just be the next Klose or Podolski and churn out goals. He would be the first Werner and it could have worked better if they studied his individual style of play and gradually fitted him into the team. That idea of direct transfer and replacement of talents is one of the reasons why players like Reus, Werner, Goretzka and Sane have done well at club level but not so much in a German shirt. In short, it's not a lack of talent to fill the shoes of the 2014 champions that they lack. They are just failing to organize and get the best out of them.

German national football team coach Joachim Loew gives a press conference on the eve of the friendly match against Italy in Milan on November 14, 2016. / AFP / GIUSEPPE CACACE

(Nov. 13, 2016 - Source: AFP)

No one is above the Löw?

How do you question someone who has steadied the ship for close to 13 years and on most occasions produced results? It's very unlikely. Such is the case of the national team coach, Joachim Löw. An argument to phase him out together with some more experienced campaigners who departed cannot clearly be unfounded. Somehow, it’s almost treasonous in German circles. Essentially, a new team and generation work better with new set of eyes to identify it. That's what Kovac is doing at Bayern and Favre at Dortmund to keep the continuity. Controversially, retiring Boateng, Hummels and Mueller in the name of "fresh faces" looked like Löw dusted the mirror only to see his face looking back, straight at him. Nomatter how he has switched formations and personnel, the results have barely changed. Just recently, the Dutch embarrassed them to a 4-2 loss in the 2020 Euro Qualifiers. That was after they finished last in the League A of the inaugural UEFA Nations League tournament. Since October 2017, they won just 8 of 21 matches, losing a record 6 times in 2018 alone. They only beat a nation ranked 18th or higher once in that period. It's like they're stuck in a tailspin. For how much longer though and could Löw still be the man to turn it around?

When backstage, takes centre stage

It's a compound of issues surrounding the Germany national team, and not least the off-the-field debacles. In that same period where their struggles kicked in, Mesut Ozil, the five-time German footballer of the year retired in bizarre fashion. The mercurial playmaker released a long statement explaining how he felt racially discriminated against by the DFB who also spoke back sharply with a few other national players going for or against Ozil. It all started hinting at the possible division and unrest in the German camp which could have been a key factor also contributing to the poor results. Just recently, Bayern Munich President, Uli Hoenes spoke out threatening to stop sending their players for national duty if the veteran goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer was removed from the number 1 spot. Seriously, where does that happen? Barcelona shot-stopper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen has gained worldwide acclamation for Superman-like reflexes and sweeper role for the Blaugrana but still remains the second choice to the 32- year-old. Even after the former missed out the bulk of 2017-2018 season due to injury, only managing 3 Bundesliga appearance in before the World Cup, Neuer still surprisingly got the nod ahead of Ter Stegen. The German football house clearly needs to be put in order.

Serge Gnabry

Image Credits: Skysports

Rays of sunshine in dark clouds

We have talked all about the doom and gloom surrounding the National Eleven, but one thing we have learnt throughout history is that German Football is an institution. Quite capable of reinventing itself and bouncing back to glory. After crashing out of the 2002 and 2004 UEFA European Championships group stages, they remarkably revived to make the next four semi-finals. In addition, players like Serge Gnabry who has scored 11 times in his 10 caps for Die Mannschaft, the unblooded Jann Fiete Arp, Leroy Sane, the uniquely huge and quick Nicklas Sule and Joshua Kimmich are still 24 or younger and can only get better. More interesting to me is the creative Kai Havertz, one interesting to me is the creative Kai Havertz, one tipped not to directly replace Mesut Ozil but help carry on the creative mantle, seems quite special. The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder became the youngster player to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances and at 20 years of age, more is definitely coming from him. They are down and out, but still uniquely endowed with the talent and experience to conquer the world yet again.

The only real question is when? The German fans would be hoping its sooner rather than later!

PSL: Can the tides turn for AmaZulu or are they destined for relegation?

After securing just two points in their first five games of the 2019/20 ABSA Premiership Season, the AmaZulu board gave coach Cavin Johnson the sack. Understandable fears for a club who’s no stranger to the chop of relegation. Former Polokwane City mentor, Josef Vukusic has since taken the reins at the Durban club and led them to a first league victory over Cape Town City that lifted them off the foot of the table. Even under the guidance of the Slovakia born coach who led Polokwane to a 5th place finish in the 2018/19 campaign, can AmaZulu fight the “demons” of their mediocre history or a fifth relegation chop from the top division is looming?

“Usuthu themselves have known all too well that, on the wrong side of history and time is where they have frequently operated. They know they are supposed to be a big club and competing with the best there is in South Africa, so what do they do when they don’t find themselves in that position? They wing it, in an unorthodox style.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

image courtesy of Amazulu FC

The pride of the Zulu people

Most football clubs all over the world are formed or named after Metropolitan cities, they themselves tend to possess a history as rich as the cities they are named after and evolve in a strikingly similar fashion. We are talking of the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, the Milan clubs, Olympique Lyonnais, River Plate only to mention but a few.

That’s not AmaZulu. Losely translated, the name itself means “the Zulu people.” First founded in 1932, it has since been largely recognised and appreciated as a source of pride for one of the most distinctive tribes in Southern Africa and the largest in the country. You guessed it, the Zulu tribe. A whole people with a history of dominance and assimilating other clans dating back to the periods where raiding was an economic activity in the Southern-most part of Africa. The infamous Shaka Zulu is an instance of that dominant and howbeit bloody history.

Provided one is a stranger to South African history, they could still understand the weight and pride of a team formed 87 years ago by Zulu migrant workers and had eMbelebeleni, a Royal Kraal as its headquarters. Even the influential King Zwelithini is associated with the club, at least recognised and honoured by a side who bear the name of the tribe he leads. But how much of that history and pride has translated to an equally distinctive identity on the pitch?

Not much is the shortest answer.

image courtesy of Amazulu FC

A yesterday that still influences today

Old and successful clubs around the world have at least one thing in common, they sustain takeovers and reinvent themselves with time. AmaZulu haven’t been the best at this, not even second best. Numerous splits and take-overs back in time ensured the club changed names over 4 times and changed ownership at least 5 times. Different people with dissimilar visions came in and before one had successfully saw his through, change kicked in. Fundamentally, it is for that reason that one of the oldest clubs in South Africa have had to constantly find its identity while becoming an epitome of mediocrity. Their best ever finish in the top flight league since they were renamed to AmaZulu in 2005 has been 7th in the 2017/18 season which became 9th when Ajax Cape Town had their points docked for fielding an eligible player, literally the mediocre of a league boasting of 16 sides. They’ve been relegated 4 times from the division and face an uphill battle of staying alive in the ABSA Premiership after recording just 5 points after 8 games.

Just like wine, clubs are supposed to be bigger and better with age if you would consider the likes of Arsenal, Al Ahly, Orlando Pirates or TP Mazembe but that’s not AmaZulu, it’s like they are stuck on a treadmill or fell flat on their face whilst on it.

Buying PSL status

Usuthu themselves have known all too well that, on the wrong side of history and time is where they have frequently operated. They know they are supposed to be a big club and competing with the best there is in South Africa, so what do they do when they don’t find themselves in that position? They wing it, in an unorthodox style. To date, Usuthu have bought top flight status twice. Firstly, from Dynamos in 2005 when Dr. Patrick Sokhela took over the ownership of the club from from Mr. Sisa Bikisha. After Usuthu were relegated in the 2014/15 season and failed to win back promotion in the 2016/17 campaign, they returned to the top flight by purchasing the status of Thanda Royal Zulu.

This in itself underlies one of the problems in the culture of the club; preferring shorter routes to success rather than systematic and patient building.

Denis Suarez of Manchester City beats the Amazulu defense during the Nelson Mandela Football Invitational match between AmaZulu and Manchester City at Moses Mabhida Stadium on July 18, 2013 in Durban, South Africa.

(July 17, 2013 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

Ambition assessment

In light of history and even their status now, how ambitious are they really? Very ambitious in my opinion. Just in 2012, when they celebrated their 80th year since formation, they played a friendly match with Premier League side, Manchester United which they narrowly lost 1-0, mingling with the big guys, just as other big teams do. Their fundamental issue possibly remains not the desire or ambition to stay in the top flight or even better, for titles, but how they go about doing it. For the longest time, there hasn’t been real evidence of grassroots work and structures to support such dreams and henceforth they remain castles in the air. Over the years, they have built their house without a proper foundation or had the foundation flipped and switched before the house could stand; no wonder they are where they are right now.

A future they want vs an all too familiar one

As mentioned earlier on, with only 5 points won after 8 matches and sitting not so pretty on 15th position, the fight for survival could get even uglier with rock-bottom Chippa United expected to benefit from the “new manager bounce,” after acquiring the services of Norman Mapeza who led Zimbabwean side, FC Platinum to two consecutive league titles in the past two seasons. Their new gaffer, Vukusic is no stranger to the PSL having led Polokwane City to a 5th place finish last term, but his appointment comes as a mere mercenary like acquisition and is needed to ironically help one of the oldest South African clubs, find their identity.

Should they be relegated, it could be tougher trying to buy another club’s PSL status these days and they will have no choice but to really built sustainably. As of now, they have to build that ship as it sails, still 22 more games to go in the season, a lot can still change.

There is a future they want and ought to have by virtue of their long history and there is that one which has ocassionally followed them, that fight for stability continues.

EPL: Who is to blame for Manchester United’s current state?

Sir Alex Ferguson speaks to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United on the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final second leg match between FC Barcelona and Manchester United at Camp Nou on April 16, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.

(April 15, 2019 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

Manchester United have managed to collect nine points this season from seven fixtures, their worst start in 30 years. United have struggled in recent years and the 2019/20 season has started off with no signs of an improving situation at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have failed to win away from home since February 2019 and have been beaten by Cardiff and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, with a recent loss to West Ham intensifying skepticism of any quick revival. Recent string of poor results have cemented the fact that the club is in a poor state of affairs and even club legend, Ole Gunnar Solskjær who’s at the helm, seems to also be struggling to get the club in order.

Finding a manager to fill the shoes of Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United was once the exact opposite of what it is now, cup titles and English Premier League dominance were the norm. The Red Devils are a shadow of their former selves with big spending on players and no clear direction. No manager has been able to replicate the astronomic success of Alex Ferguson who retired having won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles. Alex Ferguson’s record with Manchester United surpasses any other manager in the history of the English Premier League. Since his retirement, four managers have attempted to take the mantle and six years on, the struggle to find a manager to take the Reds to their former glory is ongoing. The different managers after Fergie, have fallen way short in of his legacy.

“Ole Gunner Solskjaer has managed to get rid of players like Smalling who were perceived surplus to requirements but the move to get rid of Lukaku without a replacement, left a big gap in the attacking third that Rashford alone cannot fill and Daniel James although a highly talented player, he too is not on the level of the likes of Sergio Aguero and De Bruyne, a calibre of players that United need, to yet again compete with the best there is. ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Louis van Gaal manager of Manchester United celebrates with winning goalscorer Anthony Martial of Manchester United after victory in The Emirates FA Cup semi final match between Everton and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on April 23, 2016 in London, England.

(April 22, 2016 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho; Who messed up less?

Manchester United with David Moyes at the helm were a disaster. They finished seventh in the league after having won it the previous year. The former Everton manager, had huge shoes to fill at Old Trafford coming in straight after Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. The general feeling was that he was just not the right fit for the team and unsurprisingly he swiftly exited Old Trafford. Louis Van Gaal’s services were quickly enlisted to replace Moyes after an impressive World Cup with the Netherlands in 2014. The Dutch initiated a rebuilding stage by bringing in new players to the squad. The biggest fee he paid for a single player was £44 million on Anthony Martial and more players who did not live up to the hype when they were signed included Memphis Depay, Angel Di Maria and Marcos Rojo. LVG’s biggest achievement was winning the FA Cup with the club but finished outside the top four in fifth. His unpopularity with players for his managerial style and tactics made it impossible for him to stay longer at United.

Then in came Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese’s stint in Manchester was a period of hope for. He brought vision and star power and players to the club, including United most expensive player of all time, Paul Pogba. The “Special One” spent two years at Manchester United and led the club best post-Ferguson, when they finished in the top two for the first time in four seasons in the 2017/18 season. During the summer transfer window, he spent £140.9 million on Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba as well as a free transfer of the majestic Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

During his time at Old Trafford, Mourinho won quite a number of trophies. The Community Shield, Europa League and the FA Cup. However, in the 2018/2019 season, they trailed 24 points behind champions City and struggled defensively. The tension between Paul Pogba and Mourinho soured and it had become clear that Mourinho was on his way out of Old Trafford.

Ed Woodard’s misplaced priorities

Ed Woodard is the executive vice president of the club and the key decision maker at Manchester United, the man who hires and fires managers. He has been blamed for making decisions that have set the club back years. When Mourinho wanted to find a centre back to replace Chris Smalling he needed the backing of Ed Woodard. If he had followed the instincts of Mourinho, someone whom he had hired and trusted to lead the team it could have been a different story for Manchester United under Mourinho in his second season with the club. Ed Woodard has spared no expense in rebuilding the team, investing large sums despite the unsuccessful campaigns and losing out on big payments by missing out on the UEFA Champions League. Salaries of Manchester United players like Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez who left to join Inter Milan on loan were the highest in the league. The downside of the exorbitant salaries is that some players like Sanchez who didn’t perform to the level that was expected, become more costly than they are actually worth. As the club continues to invest heavily into signing new players, a remedy that the club needs to finally bounce back, Ed Woodard has been in the process of attempting to overhaul the recruitment process and structure at the club. A top priority at the moment for the role of Sporting Director is Edwin van der Sar, who is the current CEO of Ajax. The Dutch club has been impressive in the past seasons and its leadership, the strategy is what Ed would like to see at Manchester United.

Jose Mourinho manager of Manchester United appeals as assistant coach Michael Carrick looks on during 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: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe)

Hits and misses with signings

Man United have bought 29 players since Sir Alex Ferguson left. Some have been big assets to the club and the majority have failed to live up to their potential. One case is that of Alexis Sanchez who was signed by Mourinho, for a position that Anthony Martial had been excelling at. It was generally a bad idea that ended up costing the team a season without an effective left-wing player which Mourinho later realised and brought the Frenchman back into the picture.

If we look at players like Memphis Depay, he was not a good fit at Manchester United but has now become a star player in the French Ligue 1 with Lyon. Di Maria was also no good fit at the Red Devils and therefore lasted one year. Now at PSG, it is a different story. It is also understandable to blame van Gaal for failing to extract the potential from some of these players.

 The first player signed when Mourinho came in was Eric Bailly, a defender who has been inconsistent from the onset. He is a player that is prone to injuries and on the field, is prone to risky last ditch tackles that gift opponents, penalties. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is about the most exciting player United has had in the last four seasons and he was a free transfer to the team. What Ibrahimovic brought to Man United with his sharp and fast thinking on the ball as well as efficiency in front of the goal. Fred, who had a massive £60 million price tag, on the other hand has failed to impress at Old Trafford. The Brazilian has made only 29 appearances in 15 months.

Ole Gunner Solskjaer has managed to get rid of players like Smalling who were perceived surplus to requirements but the move to get rid of Lukaku without a replacement, left a big gap in the attacking third that Rashford alone cannot fill and Daniel James although a highly talented player, he too is not on the level of the likes of Sergio Aguero and De Bruyne, a calibre of players that United need, to yet again compete with the best there is. Troubles with Paul Pogba who wanted to move to Real Madrid this summer have caused some uncertainty for Man United with the Frenchman ultimately saying wants out of Old Trafford. Pogba is a big part of Man United and the most valuable player on the pitch. The question of him staying or going seems to be a question of his star power and value he brings to the club but his desire to leave might lead to more headaches for Man United going forward.

Manchester United manager David Moyes talks with Steve Round and Phil Neville during the Rio Ferdinand Testimonial Match between Manchester United and Sevilla at Old Trafford on August 9, 2013 in Manchester, England.

(Aug. 8, 2013 - Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe)

The verdict

Who really is to blame for the current state that Manchester find themselves in? The last six years have been a period characterized by an unclear strategy for the club, and players that have not flourished despite the impressive talents they brought to the club. The bulk of the blame must go to Ed Woodard for failing to support Jose Mourinho who had made steady progress to reviving the club’s title hopes. Mourinho despite his bad choices also made many good ones that brought the club some glory for winning a few titles. Some of the blame will also go on the different managers that bought in players that were too expensive for what they actually brought to the table.

It is commendable that OGS has also invested in young players that can help to actually rebuild the team with their talent and potential for a subsequent amount of time. Solskjaer has made some of the best acquisitions this season, signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Place, Harry Maguire and Daniel James. It is yet to be seen if the £80 million investment on the English centre-back was worth it or it is just another one of the wasted investments as we have seen so many times in the past. It’s still to be seen whether Ole could turn around the fortunes of Manchester in a way that is similar to what Jurgen Klopp did at Liverpool a few seasons ago and has now recently steered them to a UEFA Champions League title and are also currently favorites alongside Manchester City to win the league.

 Let us know what position you think Man United will finish this season?

UEFA Champions League Preview (Matchday 2): Group H

Tammy Abraham of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea FC at Molineux on September 14, 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 13, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Group H

Valencia vs Ajax- Wednesday, 02 October 2019

These two might be fancying themselves for the group winners spot after excellent displays on matchday 1. Valencia edged Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge while last season’s semi-finalists dispatched Lille by 3-0. Ajax in particular weren’t really at their best despite what the score line suggests. The Eredivisie champions enjoyed themselves a little too much, showboating excessively with manager Erik Ten Hag and talisman, Hakim Ziyech calling themselves out on the relaxed performance. Ajax will definitely not afford to have any more such luxuries when they travel to the Mestalla. Despite their unsteadying backroom changes, Valencia have done relatively well. Just this past weekend, they recorded a rare and famous 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao. A fortress in Spanish football.

It’s a close one, the winner here will be one of the favorites to progress to the knock-out stages.

LOSC Lille vs Chelsea- Wednesday, 02 October 2019

Lille choked on opening night at Ajax, which was understandable, considering their long-time absence from Europe’s biggest club football tournament. The French club can definitely not be any worse than they were against Ajax and Chelsea should expect a tough match against last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up. Nigerian international Victor Osimhen is one of the players who has to level up his weekend’s performance if Lille are to get a result against a Chelsea side who have seemingly found their identity under new boss Frank Lampard.

Group H seems to be one of the most unpredictable groups this season. Let’s get popcorn and soda as it unfolds.

UEFA Champions League Preview (Matchday 2): Group G

Julian Nagelsmann manager of 1899 Hoffenheim catches the match ball during the Group F match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Shakhtar Donetsk and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at Donbass Arena on September 19, 2018 in Donetsk, Ukraine.

(Sept. 18, 2018 - Source: Joosep Martinson/Getty Images Europe)

Group G

Zenit St Petersburg vs Benfica- Wednesday, 02 October 2019

They looked like outsiders on opening night but a point secured at Lyon has gotten people seriously looking at the Russians. Zenit should be favorites at home when they welcome the Portuguese champions, Benfica. The latter are themselves not without talented individuals in their squad with the ever reliable Pizzi and Seferovic who scored in their 1-2 opening loss to Leipzig, a balanced encounter that was decided on fine margins. Experience could prove the difference with Benfica needing a whole lot more of it.

Leipzig vs Lyon- Wednesday, 02 October 2019

Julian Nagelsmann’s remarkable rise to coaching has continued in Red Bull Leipzig colors with the young gaffer having tasted his only league defeat of the new season over the weekend against Schalke. The 32-year-old coach and his charges are definitely within touching distance of challenging for the Bundesliga this season and enjoyed a fruitful trip to Benfica on opening UCL night. Last season’s round-of-16 finalists, Lyon will prove a more challenging opposition under the Brazilian, Slyvinho. All eyes will be on star-striker Timo Werner to continue firing Leipzig to the top as they look to reach the knock-out stages for the first time in their history.

UEFA Champions League Preview (Matchday 2): Group F

Antoine Griezmann of FC Barcelona runs with the ball during the Joan Gamper trophy friendly match between FC Barcelona and Arsenal at Nou Camp on August 04, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.

(Aug. 3, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Group F

Slavia Praha vs Borussia Dortmund- Wednesday, 02 October 2019

Slavia Praha just might be the surprise package of this season. Might be. They reached the Europa League quarter-final last year, narrowly losing to eventual champions Chelsea. On their opening champions league night at Inter, they showed promise with a hard-earned 1-1 draw against one of the most in-form teams in Europe. On Wednesday, they welcome a side without a lack of attacking talent, Borussia Dortmund. Lucien Favre’s men must be feeling hard done by with a consecutive set of league draws, that have left them 8th on the Bundesliga table, 3 points off champions Bayern Munich. Without Hummels in the side, their defense which lacks experienced leadership has been guilty of letting in some more goals than needed. The Black and Yellow will be hoping to pick up on their impressive performance in an unlucky 0-0 draw against Barcelona on matchday 1 when they travel to a tricky Slavia Praha.

It’s still very much an open group with all four teams on a single point.

Barcelona vs Inter Milan- Wednesday, 02 October 2019

This must be the fixture of the round. The Spanish champions are looking anything but stable even after getting all 3 points against Getafe over the weekend. They needed an assist from star goalkeeper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen and fed off a defensive error by the Getafe shot-stopper to get the win. A growing injury list that has since sidelined teenage sensation Fati, Dembele and skipper Messi has them possibly biting their nails when they welcome Antonio Conte’s men who have won all their 6 Serie A league matches this season, effectively giving Juve a run for their money in the title race. Furthermore, Manchester United flop, Alexis Sanchez looks re-energized after he scored twice on his debut over the weekend in a 4-1 win over Sampdoria, even though he got sent off later on for a second yellow.

Who knows what might happen when a shaky Barca faces possibly the best Inter side since the heroes of 2009/10 who won a treble under Jose Mourinho.