Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 102 i Soccer 360 Magazine

The record for the number of managerial changes in a Premier League season was not only surpassed in 2022-23; it was shattered into a million pieces. From the opening weeks to the depths of the run-in, as the months went by either side of the World Cup, news of another coach being dismissed was astoundingly frequent, with three clubs alone sacking two bosses along the way and no fewer than six hiring head coaches on an interim basis until the summer. All this in a season where Watford - a club renowned and mocked in equal measure for its hire-and-fire policy - were not even in the top-flight. So what are the reasons for these changes? Towards the bottom, 2022-23 saw the most congested relegation battle in years, and club…

Napoli captured an unforgettable third Serie A crown as their rivals collapsed in a season punctuated by another scandal involving Italy’s biggest club. Counted out as also-rans after losing a clutch of key players, Luciano Spalletti’s team wasted no time in building a substantial lead and ultimately sauntered to an astonishing first Scudetto in 33 years. Title favourites Milan and Inter were unable to match their fine Champions League showings as they stuttered badly in domestic football, while Juventus were plagued by controversy off the field. The Bianconeri were deducted points for financial irregularities connected to the inflated value of player transfers, only to have them restored on appeal and then partially taken away again. Amid the chaos elsewhere, Napoli emerged as clear and deserved winners. Captain Lorenzo Insigne, defensive…

As is the case with so many football-related competitions in Spain, the battle for the La Liga Golden Boot has been a battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Karim Benzema was looking to carry on from last year and score the goals that would hand his Madrid side yet another league title, while Barcelona - after some budgetary adjustments - brought in Robert Lewandowski to bring some cheer back to the fans at the Camp Nou. The idea was that he would also help his new club win a league title for the first time in four seasons. Barca are not used to going so many years without a league trophy, of course. The last time the club experienced such a La Liga drought was back at the start of…

In the words of LL Cool J, FC Barcelona supporters would not call their UEFA Women’s Champions League title a comeback. After falling just short last season and looking down a 2-0 deficit against Wolfsburg in this year’s finals, Barcelona enacted sweet revenge on the footballing world scoring three dramatic goals to earn the 3-2 win and claim top honors. After a run through the Champions League groups stage and knockout rounds which saw the side outscore opponents 37-8, the expectation was that Barcelona would come out of the gates swinging. But the Wolfsburg defense, which allowed just ten goals in the lead up to final, was also on point, limiting possession in the midfield and restraining midfielders Patricia Guijarro, Aitana Bonmati, and Keria Walsh from creating any attacking chances.…

After Canada, Mexico, Panama, and the United States do battle in the CONCACAF Nations League the four sides will join the top sides of Central America and the Caribbean as well as Qatar for three weeks of action in the United States. While on the surface the four sides would appear to be the front-runners for top honors in both competitions, how they respond to having to play two competitions in such a short period of time could play a role in their success or lack thereof. After playing a grueling European club season and a World Cup, the miles are certainly being added on. In terms of whether or not the sides would use this as an opportunity to field experimental rosters to rest their World Cup veterans that…

JULY 20-AUGUST 20 Australia and New Zealand host the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup as the women’s game continues to go from strength to strength. The world’s best players are set for battle, with Eden Park in Auckland staging the opening match on July 20 GLOBAL BRAND: Eight teams make World Cup debut in expanded 32-team tournament. European teams dominated 2019 knockout stage with seven quarter-finalists, but lost out to eventual winners Team USA Appearances by confederation ON TARGET: Canada captain Christine Sinclair (inset), leading international goalscorer in women’s game, is set to play in her sixth World Cup Most international goals: Women AUSTRALIA: WORLD CUP RECORD The Matildas harbour title ambitions after beating European champions England in April NEW ZEALAND: WORLD CUP RECORD Football Ferns aiming to use home advantage to…

Death, taxes, and Sevilla winning the Europa League. There are some constants in the universe and since the inception of the Europa League seeing the Rojiblancos in the final is just a given. This season was no different as the Spanish side claimed their seventh Europa League title, holding off Roma 1-1 in regulation to earn the 4-1 result in penalties. Although this Europa League title was Manager Jose Luis Mendilibar’s first with the side, he followed the Sevilla playbook to winning a title: dominate possession, don’t take too many chances, and play a tight, defensive style. Despite the 1-1 scoreline, Sevilla maintained possession for long portions of the match (64-36) while forcing Roma to chase down passes (574-237 for passes completed). Sevilla’s dominance on the ball was certainly on…

MOISES CAICEDO - BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION Having only broken through late on in 2021-22, Moises Caicedo has rapidly become one of the Premier League’s top midfielders. The Ecuadorian was one of the key linchpins in Brighton’s fantastic season and at only 21, has the full range of attributes and oozes class on the ball. The Seagulls staved off interest from Arsenal in the January transfer window, but expect more bids to come. ERLING HAALAND - MANCHESTER CITY Without question, the player of the season. Everyone expected goals when Erling Haaland arrived from Borussia Dortmund in last summer’s headline transfer, but surely few could have anticipated the extraordinary feats he has achieved. Sensationally finding the net more than 50 times in all competitions, Haaland has been more or less unplayable…

VALENCIA - 31 YEARS (1970-71 TO 2001-02) Like Napoli in Serie A, Valencia also had to wait for more than three decades to win La Liga as the behemoths of Real Madrid and Barcelona dominated the Spanish top-flight. Despite a sizeable support they lacked the financial might to challenge the dominant big two. In the club’s golden age, they claimed a hat-trick of titles in the 1940s and only captured a fourth after 24 years in 1971. It took a further 31 years for Valencia to reach the promised land again as under the stewardship of Rafael Benitez, they sealed a memorable La Liga triumph in the 2001-02 campaign and followed it up with another just two years later. LIVERPOOL - 30 YEARS (1989-90 TO 2019-20) From the mid-1970s until…

ARNAU MARTINEZ - GIRONA It is hard to believe the Girona right-back is just 20 years old, but his speed and strength were a major part of the White and Reds run to a top half finish. His battles with Vinicius Jr were a season highlight and shows the huge potential this young man has, so he’ll be one to watch in the years to come. ISI PALAZON - RAYO VALLECANO Palazon has been a revelation this season, starting 95% of Vallecano’s games and was involved in nearly a third of his side’s goals scoring nine and supplying five assists. His displays were one of the main contributing factors towards Rayo’s impressive 11th place finish. MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN - BARCELONA The 31-year-old kept a monstrous 26 clean sheets in his…

‘Messi taught me to work hard to not only be a better footballer but also a better man.’ THIS SEASON FOR YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THE SEASON YOU WON THE WORLD CUP. CAN YOU TRY AND PUT INTO WORDS WHAT IT MEANT TO YOU? It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to represent my country - but to win The World Cup so early in my career is priceless. We had not won the trophy for so long it was a real historic moment for the country - and I feel so privileged that I was a part of it. YOU HAD ONLY BEEN PLAYING IN EUROPE 6 MONTHS WHEN THE WORLD CUP STARTED AND ENDED UP BEING NAMED “YOUNG PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT.” HOW DID THAT FEEL?…

“EVEN AS SPAIN’S EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AND WORLD CUP WINNING SIDES WERE DISASSEMBLED, THERE WERE FEW SIGNS OF AN IMMINENT DECLINE” BY THE NUMBERS 10 EURO 2024 WILL BE HELD IN 10 DIFFERENT CITIES ACROSS GERMANY, INCLUDING BERLIN, DORTMUND, AND HAMBURG. 14TH THE 2024 EURO COMPETITION WILL BE FROM JUNE 14TH - JULY 14TH 14TH GERMANY WILL QUALIFY FOR IT’S 14TH STRAIGHT EURO TOURNAMENT EURO 2024 DATES TO KNOW GROUP STAGE June 14 - June 26 REST DAYS June 27 - 28 ROUND OF 16 June 29 - July 2 REST DAYS July 3 - 4 QUARTER FINALS July 5 - 6 REST DAYS July 7 - 8 SEMI FINALS July 9 - 10 REST DAYS July 11 - 13 FINALS July 14 Spain’s golden era of international dominance from 2008 to 2012 gave…

The Lions haven’t qualified for a tournament since Euro 2000 and will be hoping to end their years in the international wilderness. With Erling Haaland and a supporting cast that features Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, Leo Ostigard, and Alexander Sorloth, the Norwegians will cause problems for any side. GEORGIA Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has lit up Serie A and the Champions League since he joined Napoli last summer. The brilliant winger’s five goals in six games helped his country to win promotion to Nations League B, and he will be integral to their hopes of reaching a first ever major tournament. GREECE The Euro 2004 winners have found life very difficult in the decade since their most recent major tournament appearance, but good form in the Nations League suggests they are gradually…

2023 GOLD CUP PRELIMS SCHEDULE The 2023 Gold Cup Prelims will take place between June 16-20, 2023, at DRV PNK Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, FL), and will include two direct elimination rounds. For Round One, the 12 participating teams were divided into six pairings. The schedule for the Round One matches is as follows (listed in ET)NThe three Round Two matchup winners will advance to the 2023 Gold Cup Group Stage. 2023 GOLD CUP GROUP STAGE 2023 Gold Cup Group Stage action will take place between June 24 – July 4 and will feature 16 nations divided into four groups of four. The 12 Concacaf national teams, which qualified directly through their performances in the Concacaf Nations League group stage, the guest participant, AFC Asian Cup Champions Qatar, and the three…

16.8 Bruno Fernandes assisted the most xG of any player in the PL in 2022-23 (16.8), although his teammates scored only 8 goals from those passes. EASY PEASY West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has claimed that he would easily score 30 goals a season if he was at Manchester City. Erling Haaland can lay claim to the single greatest debut season in Premier League history after racking up 36 goals in the league. After spending all year disrespecting established defenders, Haaland is unsurprisingly picking up all of the end of season awards. However it seems that Hammers striker Antonio doesn’t think that highly of the 22-year-old’s achievements, claiming on the FILTHYFELLAS Podcast that he’d have scored 30 this season in the same position. 5 Mauricio Pochettino will be the…

June 15 - Mohamed Salah, 31st Birthday, Liverpool, Egypt Salah has achieved numerous individual accolades, including two PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards, three EPL Golden Boots, the EPL Player of the Season, the EPL Playmaker of the Season, and finished third for the Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2018 and 2021. He received the 2018 FIFA Puskás Award for his goal in the first Merseyside derby of the 2017–18 season. In 2023, Salah became Liverpool’s EPL top goalscorer surpassing Robbie Fowler. June 17 - Jordan Henderson, 33rd Birthday, Liverpool, England He was named FWA Footballer of the Year. In 2022, Henderson lifted the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. An England international, Henderson has over 70 appearances for his country since his debut in 2010. He has appeared…

To say that West Ham United winning Europa Conference League title was a long time coming is a bit of an understatement. Given that the last time that the London-based side had claimed European honors none of their current players were even born and their manager David Moyes was 2 it is a bit of testament to their supporters for how long they have waited. After years of waiting the side finally did it, defeating Fiorentina 2-1 to claim their first European trophy since 1964-1965’s Cup Winners Cup. After a Conference League campaign which saw the Hammers outscored their opponents 27-7 and Fiorentina netted 32 goals, the expectation coming in was that it would be a high scoring affair. But those that traveled to the Fortuna Arena in Prague were…

The events of recent years have shown that it takes something quite exceptional to even threaten the prospect of Manchester City being dethroned as Premier League champions, but for so much of 2022-23, a thrilling challenge from Arsenal was on course to provide it. Showing a level of quality and consistency few would have predicted at the start of the season, the Gunners surprised everyone by leading for most of the way only to be overpowered in the run-in by City, who finished the season like an all-conquering juggernaut to claim their fifth title in six years. With the 2022 World Cup slap-bang in the middle of it, this was a season unlike any other, and even with the phenomenal Erling Haaland stamping his mark upon the Premier League by…

If there is one player that currently encapsulates what is wanted from a striker, it is Manchester City’s Erling Haaland. It is strange to think that there were a few pundits questioning whether the Norway striker would be able to score goals in the English Premier League. They obviously hadn’t been watching his performances in the Bundesliga over the previous two and-a-half seasons. He has averaged more or less a goal per game for City, helped win the Premier League, and propelled the team towards the treble with goals throughout their FA Cup campaign and - most significantly - in the Champions League. It is fair to say that buying Haaland has been a success. It could be argued that Manchester City did not really need to spend just over…

GIOVANNI DI LORENZO - NAPOLI Inspirational, unflappable and equally effective in defence or attack the right sided defender was one of the symbols of Napoli’s incredible title triumph. The Italy international cemented his place in club history as the dependable captain who led with quiet authority as the Partenopei sealed an unexpectedly dominant Scudetto success. KIM MIN-JAE - NAPOLI Handed the unenviable task of replacing club legend Kalidou Koulibaly, the South Korean centre-back defied all expectations to become an impregnable defensive anchor for Napoli. Lightning quick and unbeatable on the ground or in aerial duels, the Korean monster quickly established himself as one of the finest defenders in the league. KHVICHA KVARATSKHELIA - NAPOLI The unheralded Georgian winger’s spellbinding dribbling skills and spectacular goals led to lofty comparisons with the…

FROM AN AFRICAN NURSERY TEAM TO A BIG EUROPEAN CLUB In 2017, Wolfsburg were keen on signing Osimhen after his youth team breakthrough. He was then transferred from Lagos’ Ultimate Striker Academy to Wolfsburg for $3,970,225, as he became one of the most expensive players signed directly from an African youth team to a top European club. RECORD-BREAKER AT THE 2015 U17 WORLD CUP During the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile, Osimhen broke the long-standing record of nine goals in a single tournament previously held by Florent Sinama Pongolle and Souleymane Coulibaly, by scoring 10 goals in seven matches, including a hatrick in the finals. As a result, he won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball awards for his standout performances. ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE AFRICAN TRANSFERS…

JOSELU - ESPANYOL The season may have ended in relegation for Joselu’s Espanyol side, but it was not for his lack of effort and ability. A return of 16 goals earned the former Real Madrid man bronze in the race for the Golden Boot, a debut for the Spanish national team, and potentially a transfer back into the top-flight. ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI - BARCELONA It would be harsh not to include the league’s top goalscorer with 23 as one of La Liga’s standout performers. In fact, no other player reached the magic 20 mark. Add to that his seven assists and that it was his first season in Spain, and it is not hard to see why the veteran striker earns his place.…

‘BARCELONA’S CAROLINE GRAHAM HANSEN: THE UNSUNG HERO AND KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS’ 10.) BERGER ‘I LOVE PENALTIES’ It is not often that one hears a goalkeeper say that they actually enjoy penalties but one can certainly understand why Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger would feel that way. The German international goalkeeper was put to the test in the second of Chelsea’s tie against Lyon, having to go against one of the top attacking sides in the tournament in an event that never favors the goalkeeper. But she pulled it off, making two diving saves on Wendi Renard and Lindsay Horan to pull off the 4-3 result and book their spot in the semifinals. 9.) MJELDE MAKES IT! Berger wouldn’t have had the chance to make it to penalties if Chelsea did…

Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr may have reduced the global glare on the former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar, but his commitment to Portugal is undimmed in 2023. Ronaldo has made no secret of his intention to play on to, and potentially beyond, his 40th birthday, for both club and country. That timeline would keep him right on track to captain Portugal at the Euro 2024 finals, but his single mindedness and commitment to remaining in competitive physical shape, may mean he keeps the flame burning past that cut-off date. Ronaldo’s desire to remain ahead of Lionel Messi is another aspect of his international perseverance, as 198 caps and 122 goals, puts him top of both all-time international lists and well clear of his old…

When Wayne Rooney opted to sign with D.C. United in the summer of 2018, many quickly assumed the star striker was merely looking to cash in one last large paycheque before calling it quits. It seemed like that was even more the case when he decided to head back to England with Derby County barely 12 months later despite still having two years left on his contract in Major League Soccer. However, after taking over as manager of Derby and failing to prevent the crisis-hit Rams from being relegated from the Championship, the former England international resigned from his position and ultimately returned to D.C. United in July 2022 as the club’s new head coach. This proved that he really did want to help the club succeed, even if he…

#10 CAN MACARIO RECOVER IN TIME? USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has attempted to do a soft reboot of the team, bringing plenty of new faces. The problem is that the injuries have stacked up and players that were previously called upon to step up will either be out of the tournament (Mallory Swanson) or will be a tournament time decision (Catarina Macario). Not having Macario, who already has eight goals in seventeen appearances for the USWNT would be a crushing blow for the side. But coming back too early from an ACL tear is a very delicate situation as well. #9 WHO WILL RUN THE MIDFIELD? The USWNT have a very strong midfield with the likes of Lindsay Horan, Andi Sullivan, Rose LaVelle, and Kristie Mewis all serving as…

GROUP A DID YOU KNOW? New Zealand were the first women’s national team to compete in all seven FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments IT’S THE FIRST-EVER DUAL-HOST WOMEN’S WORLD CUP It’ll also be the first senior World Cup to have more than one host since the 2002 men’s tournament held in Japan and South Korea. NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL NEW ZEALAND FERNS AIMING TO REWRITE HISTORY New Zealand’s women’s football team has never made it to the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup™, despite playing in five editions of the tournament. However, with the 2023 edition being held on home soil and as top seeds in their group, the Football Ferns see it as a golden opportunity to rewrite history. The team’s head coach, Jitka Klimkova, aims to change the team’s…