Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i World Soccer

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The Premier League is an incredibly sophisticated business, but it needs to get up to speed with the need for release or buy-out clauses in players’ contracts. In La Liga, such clauses are mandatory under Spanish employment laws and prevent sagas such as the Alexander Isak story that dominated the pre-season narrative in England. For Liverpool, Isak was the most-coveted centre-forward in the summer 2025 transfer window. For Newcastle, Isak was a rebel without a clause. There has, so far, been little desire for such clauses in English football. Pity. They would simplify and speed up the often wearisome protracted transfer. They would prevent low-ball offers. Basically, stump up or stomp off. A cynic would suggest that the unwillingness to embrace more clauses is because transfer sagas all add more…

In June, Platense beat Huracan to win the Argentinian Apertura, a remarkable achievement for a club that had never won a senior trophy in their previous120 years of existence. But it was a notable achievement also because Platense were led by a managerial duo–and even in the modern game, in which most major clubs have multiple layers of sporting director, the orthodoxy says that the best form of governance for a football team is one clear leader, an uncomplicated chain of command, a benign (ish) dictatorship. Sergio Gomez, who turned 44 in July, had a largely unremarkable career in the lower reaches of the Argentinian professional game. Favio Orsi, seven years his senior, was a midfielder of no greater distinction who ended up playing for FC Jazz in Finland. They…

“I don’t think it changes the Premier League’s view on this at all, we don’t have any plans to play matches abroad. It’s not anywhere near my in-tray and it’s not a debate around our table”Premier League chief Richard Masters reacts to news that Italy and Spain are exploring playing top-flight matches abroad 20,200 Projected capacity of Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium after a proposed redevelopment is completed ahead of the 2027-28 campaign. 10 Years that Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes spent away from Boca Juniors before re-joining his former club in July from Roma. 28 Penalties taken in the UEFA Champions League qualifying shootout between Hamrun Spartans of Malta and Lithuanian champions Zalgiris, with the Maltese side eventually prevailing11-10. £50m Reported option-to-buy fee agreed between Everton and Manchester City if the Toffees…

The Comoros Islands are among the youngest footballing nations in the world, having joined FIFA in 2005 and played their first full international in December 2006. It seems almost incredulous that less than two decades on, the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago has a chance of World Cup qualification, with two key clashes in September likely to determine their fate. The Comoros sit in second place in Group I of the African qualifiers with 12 points, three behind leaders Ghana but three ahead of Mali, the other powerhouse in the section. Next up is atrip to play against the latter. Success in Bamako coupled with awin over the Central African Republic afew days later would set up the potential of adeciding clash in Ghana in October. Only the group winners qualify…

Serie A is bidding to make history by taking a match abroad for the first time. If given the green light, it could represent a watershed moment. For years, decision-makers at the top of Italian football have explored ways of staging league games abroad in order to promote their brand, build fanbases and generate extra revenue. This season, the clash between Milan and Como has given them the opportunity to do just that. UEFA and FIFA are considering the proposal to switch the match to Australia, specifically the city of Perth. The idea, which will also need to be approved by the Asian Football Confederation and Football Australia, has already received the backing of Italy’s governing body, the FIGC. Until now, FIFA has vetoed all such requests for what it…

MLS ALL-STARS 2025 SQUAD GOALKEEPERS Dayne ST CLAIR (Minnesota United & Canada) Brad STUVER (Austin FC & United States) Yohei TAKAOKA (Vancouver Whitecaps & Japan) DEFENDERS Maximilian ARFSTEN (Columbus Crew & United States) Guilherme BIRO (Austin FC & Brazil) Tristan BLACKMON (Vancouver Whitecaps & United States) Michael BOXALL (Minnesota United & New Zealand) Alex FREEMAN (Orlando City & United States) Jakob GLESNES (Philadelphia Union & Norway) Andy NAJAR (Nashville SC & Honduras) Miles ROBINSON (FC Cincinnati & United States) Kai WAGNER (Philadelphia Union & Germany) MIDFIELDERS Sebastian BERHALTER (Vancouver Whitecaps & United States) Cristian ESPINOZA (San Jose Earthquakes & Argentina) EVANDER (FC Cincinnati & Brazil) Carles GIL (New England Revolution & Spain) Diego LUNA (Real Salt Lake & United States) Hany MUKHTAR (Nashville SC & Germany) Jeppe TVERSKOV (San Diego FC & Denmark) Obed VARGAS (Seattle Sounders & Mexico) Philip ZINCKERNAGEL (Chicago Fire & Denmark) FORWARDS Tai BARIBO (Philadelphia Union & Israel)…

The leadership winds of change continue to swirl as the Bundesliga embarks on its 63rd campaign. For the second consecutive year, no fewer than six clubs–exactly a third of the league fraternity–decided to recalibrate their head coaching options. Whether it is the big guns of Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig, freshly-promoted Cologne, former Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg, or the more modest Augsburg, patience is likely to be in short supply. Last season, three of the six newly-arrived coaches only survived for a few months and the pressure will be especially intense at Leverkusen, where ex-Ajax and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag faces the unenviable task of filling the void left by the departure to Real Madrid of the inspirational Basque Xabi Alonso. Even the most ardent Leverkusen…

The history of Portuguese football over the last 40 years is inextricably intertwined with the rise and domination of FC Porto under the stewardship of their former president, the late Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa. However, the club has mimicked a story as old as human civilisation itself of a prevailing empire that failed to move with the times and fell into decadence. When Andre Villas-Boas beat the octogenarian Pinto da Costa in a landslide victory to become the new club president, it heralded renewed hope and a fresh start. But a disastrous season saw the Dragons fall even further behind Lisbon rivals Benfica and Sporting, in addition to sullying their proud international record with an embarrassing European campaign. Ahead of his second season at the helm, Villas-Boas knows the…

Just a decade after playing in Turkey’s amateur divisions, Kocaelispor return to the Super Lig for the first time since 2008-09. Based in the coastal city of Izmit, some100km east of Istanbul, Kocaelispor were a fixture in the top flight for much of the1980s and1990s–narrowly missing out on the league title in 1992-93. Twice winners of the Turkish Cup, the latter triumph of 2002 remains deeply symbolic for the people of Izmit, which was devastated in1999 by an earthquake that left 500,000 homeless. It helped forge an unbreakable bond with their fanbase; even at their lowest ebb in the fifth tier, Kocaelispor could still attract crowds of 20,000 for some matches. Now their loyalty will be rewarded with league visits from the likes of Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray to the…

New Rangers manager Russell Martin needs no reminding of the enormity of the job he faces in Glasgow. Taking an axe to the established order is no task for the faint-hearted, and the former Swansea City and Southampton boss will be well aware of the recent Premiership supremacy of cross-town rivals Celtic, champions 13 times in the last14 years. Rangers’ solitary triumph in that period–under Steven Gerrard in 2020-21–continues to gnaw away at the psyche of the Ibrox faithful and already a portion of them are targeting Martin, in their eyes the wrong appointment. The critics may have felt vindicated after the club began the new season with underwhelming draws against Motherwell and Dundee. While Martin, intelligent and strong minded, was deservedly lauded for winning promotion to the English top…

Every day at 9am local time, all of Ukraine stops for a minute’s silence to honour and remember the victims of Russian aggression. It was amid a similar atmosphere that the new season of the Ukrainian Premier League began, with the symbolic first kick of each game taken by a wounded soldier or officer. Naturally, in such conditions, football is far from the most important thing. Yet Ukrainian clubs have continued to play on, even those that were forced to leave their cities. This season, refugees like Shakhtar Donetsk and Zorya Luhansk have been joined by Metalist-1925 Kharkiv, who return to the top flight after a year’s absence. Since the start of the war the club from the city of a million people, located just 26km from the Russian border,…

Turkey has always attracted big-name signings, but rarely has it landed so many at once–many of whom still have their best years ahead of them. Each of the “Big Three” have invested heavily. Defending champions Galatasaray spent €75 million to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli after his 37 goals on loan last season. He will have chances created for him by Germany winger Leroy Sane, who arrived on a free transfer from Bayern Munich. Fenerbahce have only lost five league matches in the last two seasons, but have no silverware to show for it. To rectify that, Jose Mourinho’s side have signed three former Premier League players: striker Jhon Duran, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and full-back Nelson Semedo, along with ex-PSG centre-back Milan Skriniar following last season’s loan. As for Besiktas,…

Bulgaria appeared in four World Cups in a row between 1962 and 1974 and then, with their Golden Generation of the1990s, reached the semi-finals at USA ’94. But since 2002, the Bulgarians have been absent from the FIFA finals. Where did it all go so wrong? The short answer is that in a small country like Bulgaria, with a population a little over six million, players like Hristo Stoichkov, Krasimir Balakov, Borislav Mihaylov, Yordan Letchkov and Emil Kostadinov do not come along very often. That generation was succeeded by Dimitar Berbatov, Martin Petrov and the country’s most capped player, Stiliyan Petrov, but that trio have all been retired since 2011, and there has been little to shout about since. Critics compare the situation with that of Croatia, a country with…

SOLOMON ISLANDS MAKE HISTORY The Solomon Islands defeated ten-women Papua New Guinea 3-2 in extra-time to win the Oceania Nations Cup for the first time, having twice been pegged back by the holders. With no qualification at stake for other tournaments, New Zealand did not compete, with the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu and hosts Fiji making up the rest of the field. ASIAN CUP TO KICK OFF IN PERTH The draw for the 2026 Asian Cup revealed the opening game to be Australia versus Philippines in Perth on March1. South Korea and Iran, who clinched the final place in qualify, are also in the group. Sole debutants Bangladesh were drawn with holders China, Uzbekistan and North Korea. Favourites Japan are grouped with Vietnam, Chinese Taipei and India. SMITH…

Bermuda did the double at the 2025 Island Games football tournament on the Scottish island of Orkney. The tournament was staged in Scotland for only the second time–having previously being held in Shetland in 2005–but lack of accommodation forced the organisers to reduce places in an already oversubscribed men’s tournament from16 to12. A number of sides then withdrew due to costly accommodation, including three-time winners Guernsey. Attempts to bring in late replacements were not successful, and the tournament went ahead with ten sides, which led to a complicated format. Winners of the three groups qualified for the semi-finals with the fourth place going to the second-placed team with the best record. However, in the four-team Group A, results against the bottom side did not count. The Norwegian Isle of Froya…

AUGUST 15 Girona v Rayo Vallecano Villarreal v Real Oviedo AUGUST 16 Alaves v Levante Mallorca v Barcelona Valencia v Real Sociedad AUGUST 17 Celta Vigo v Getafe Athletic Club v Sevilla Espanyol v Atletico Madrid AUGUST 18 Elche v Real Betis AUGUST 19 Real Madrid v Osasuna AUGUST 22 Real Betis v Alaves AUGUST 23 Mallorca v Celta Vigo Atletico Madrid v Elche Levante v Barcelona AUGUST 24 Osasuna v Valencia Real Sociedad v Espanyol Villarreal v Girona Real Oviedo v Real Madrid AUGUST 25 Athletic Club v Rayo Vallecano Sevilla v Getafe AUGUST 27 Celta Vigo v Real Betis AUGUST 29 Elche v Levante Valencia v Getafe AUGUST 30 Alaves v Atletico Madrid Real Oviedo v Real Sociedad Girona v Sevilla Real Madrid v Mallorca AUGUST 31 Celta…

AUGUST 23 Genoa v Lecce Sassuolo v Napoli Milan v Cremonese Roma v Bologna AUGUST 24 Cagliari v Fiorentina Como v Lazio Atalanta v Pisa Juventus v Parma AUGUST 25 Udinese v Verona Internazionale v Torino AUGUST 29 Cremonese v Sassuolo Lecce v Milan AUGUST 30 Bologna v Como Parma v Atalanta Napoli v Cagliari Pisa v Roma AUGUST 31 Genoa vJuventus Torino v Fiorentina Internazionale v Udinese Lazio v Verona SEPTEMBER 13 Cagliari v Parma Juventus v Internazionale Fiorentina v Napoli SEPTEMBER 14 Roma v Torino Atalanta v Lecce Pisa v Udinese Sassuolo v Lazio Milan v Bologna SEPTEMBER 15 Verona v Cremonese Como v Genoa SEPTEMBER 21 Bologna v Genoa Cremonese v Parma Fiorentina v Como Internazionale v Sassuolo Lazio v Roma Lecce v Cagliari Napoli v Pisa…

WOMEN’S EURO 2025 Group A Jul 2–Thun Iceland 0 Finland1 (Kosola 70) Jul 2–Basel Switzerland1 (Riesen 28) Norway 2 (Hegerberg 54, Stierli 58 og) Jul 6–Sion Norway 2 (Nystrom 3 og, Graham Hansen 84) Finland1 (Sevenius 32) Jul 6–Bern Switzerland 2 (Reuteler 76, Pilgrim 90) Iceland 0 Jul 10–Geneva Finland1 (Kuikka 79 pen) Switzerland1 (Xhemaili 90+2) Jul 10–Thun Norway 4 (Gaupset15, 26, Maanum 49, 76) Iceland 3 (Jonsdottir 6, Eiriksdottir 84, Viggosdottir 90+5 pen) Group B Jul 3–Sion Belgium 0 Italy1 (Caruso 44) Jul 3–Bern Spain 5(Gonzalez 2, 43, Lopez 7, Putellas 41, Martin-Prieto 90+3) Portugal 0 Jul 7–Thun Spain 6(Putellas 22, 86, Paredes 39, Gonzalez 52, Caldentey 61, Pina 81) Belgium 2 (Vanhaevermaet 24, Eurlings 51) Jul 7–Geneva Portugal1 (Gomes 89) Italy1 (Girelli 70) Jul 11–Bern Italy1 (Oliviero10) Spain…

On the morning of July 3, I typed the words “Diogo Jota” into the Getty Images search bar. The most recent results showed the 28-year-old celebrating the Nations League triumph with his Portugal team-mates. With a bit more scrolling, he was parading the Premier League trophy through the streets of Liverpool. Filtering the search to “entertainment” showed him getting married to Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children. Just 11 days after the wedding, he was killed in a car crash with his brother Andre Silva; a stark reminder that life can be short and cruel, and that football is secondary. This issue is dedicated to Diogo Jose Teixeira da Silva.…

In1862 whenJohn Charles Thring, a clergyman and master at Uppingham public school, was attempting to codify association football, he came up with a label: The Simplest Game. Deceptively simple. He proposed ten Rules of Foot-ball; now we have 17 Laws of Football, hedged about with a plethora of modifications, guidelines and protocols. Beyond all that lurks a forest of rules and regulations that have turned the game into a playground for lawyers and accountants, never mind agents. Ideally, the game should boast governing bodies focused on the purity of football but that ship sailed a long time ago. Consider the International Football Association Board (IFAB) with its constant meddling; it did not even wait for the annual meeting to jump in earlier this year with a stricture about a double-kick…

Jorge COSTA (1971-2025) Jorge Costa played 383 games as the aggressive heart of Porto’s defence in the1990s and early 2000s. The pinnacle of his club career came under Jose Mourinho when he captained the Dragons to an extraordinary run of successes, including the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the Champions League in 2004. Also played 50 times for Portugal between1992 and 2002. Costa went on to coach Braga, CFR Cluj in Romania and Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien among others. The late former Porto club presidentJorge Nuno Pinto da Costa called him “a symbol of our club’s soul,” while Mourinho described him as “the embodiment of leadership.” Sergio CAMPANA (1934-2025) A member of the Italian Football Hall of Fame, recognised not only for his career as a centre-forward for hometown club Vicenza…

His knee patched up after an operation, his body rested after time at his game farm in native Mozambique and on the coast in Portugal, the 72-year-old Carlos Queiroz is showing no signs of slowing down. He will be leading Oman’s bid for a first-ever World Cup place, appointed inJuly to replace Rashid Jaber after they had failed at the first attempt but have another chance via Asia’s fourth round in October. Oman will play against Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in a mini-league tournament to determine a place at the finals. They each play a single game against each other in Doha, and the group winners qualify for next year’s tournament in North America, while the runners-up get a further opportunity in a two-legged play-off in November. Praised…

The Cosmos are back. For the third time, America’s most famous soccer club will take to the field. From 2026 onwards, the Cosmos–dropping “New York” from their name–will feature in the United Soccer League One, the third tier of the domestic pyramid, playing out of the historic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey. It’s in the Garden State, at the Giants Stadium, that the Cosmos enjoyed their glory days and introduced football to mainstream America. Pele, with Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto in his slipstream, provided the star power and drama. The perception of soccer as an outward, foreign eccentricity was replaced by one of sex and rock and roll. The club–like the rest of the North American Soccer League (NASL)–flourished briefly before collapsing. In 2010, Paul Kemsley, the former…

Arne Slot won the Premier League withJurgen Klopp’s players. Liverpool’s head coach has now added his own choices, especially the formidable, technical Florian Wirtz, and the team look even stronger than when motoring to last season’s Premier League title. It is hard to argue against the case for Liverpool to win a 21st title, and the Kop will take particular pleasure in moving clear of Manchester United as the English club with most titles. Liverpool are firmly back on their perch and Wirtz could cement them there. For £116m including add-ons, much is inevitably expected of the Germany international. Doubters claim Wirtz will need time to settle in a new country and league. That’s an unnecessarily cautious and downright negative prognosis. Wirtz speaks good English and joins a club with…

Internazionale are arguably the strongest and most consistent Italian club of the past five seasons, during which they have won two league titles (2020-21 and 2023-24) and reached two Champions League finals (2023 and 2025). Yet Inter’s failure to win anything last season, a campaign in which they consistently led the title race and fell at the final hurdle in Europe, seems certain to leave a heavy mark. New coach Cristian Chivu, a former defender for Romania, Ajax, Roma and Inter, faces a very difficult task to reshape and motivate his squad. That traumatic drubbing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain left a huge dent in their confidence. The Inter side that had eliminated Bayern Munich and Barcelona in four utterly titanic quarter-final and semi-final ties in March and April…

Reigning Dutch champions PSV are set to have their primacy challenged by two men who played in the 2010 World Cup final. The question is, which one will be the most successful–John Heitinga on his return to Ajax, or Robin van Persie in his first full season at the helm of Feyenoord? Heitinga and Van Persie are the figureheads of a generation that, so far, has failed to make an impact in club football since their playing days ended. Joris Mathijsen (sacked as technical director at ADO Den Haag), and Dirk Kuyt (trying to restore his career at second-tier Dordrecht after relegation with Beerschot in Belgium) have both been unsuccessful. Mark van Bommel, though a champion with Antwerp, was sacked by both PSV and Wolfsburg, while the likes of Wesley…

Once regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in world football, Germany striker Youssoufa Moukoko is attempting to rebuild his career with Danish champions Copenhagen. Flick through the history books of the Champions League, UEFA Youth League, the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team, and you will see Moukoko’s name crop up regularly among the youngest goalscorers and appearance-makers. But it has been a testing period for the young striker who turns 21 in November. Following his sensational breakthrough as a teenage tyro, he has since failed to deliver on his early promise and, after returning from an unsuccessful season-long loan spell at Nice, which featured just two goals in11 appearances, he was sold to Copenhagen for €5m in July. It has been a busy window…

Following on from brilliant back-to-back promotions, Falkirk are embarking on their first Scottish Premiership campaign in15 years. Having recorded an unbeaten league season in League One in 2023-24, the Bairns followed that up by overcoming a late wobble to claim last season’s Championship title on the final day of the season. Head coach John McGlynn has been named PFA Scotland Manager of the Year for the past two years, bringing him within reach of a record three wins. Given Falkirk’s recent rise, he has seen little need to overhaul his squad. Six of the starting XI in the opening day 2-2 draw with Dundee United also played under McGlynn in League One, including last year’s Championship Player of the Year Calvin Miller. The only major additions are goalkeeper Scott Bain…

Sampdoria have made sweeping changes this summer on and off the pitch as they seek to put the worst season in their 79-year history behind them. Only an extraordinary set of circumstances prevented the once-proud club, which boasted stars of the calibre of Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini and Ruud Gullit, from dropping into Italian football’s third tier for the first time. Relegated from Serie A in 2023, Sampdoria were widely expected to challenge for promotion last season. Instead, they finished in the automatic relegation places following a disastrous campaign in which they won only eight of their 38 Serie B matches. Three head coaches, including the legendary Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo, were sacked and nearly 40 different players selected as they tried to arrest the slide. It appeared to be…

It’s not just that the Saudi Pro League clubs have significantly deeper pockets and bigger stars than the rest of Asia, but also that all the games from the quarter-finals will take place in Saudi Arabia. If Real Madrid and Manchester City can’t beat Al Hilal, then what chance do clubs from Iraq, Uzbekistan and Malaysia have? In the last edition, which ended in May, all three of the Kingdom’s clubs (owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund–having these in the same tournament doesn’t seem to be a big problem for the Asian Football Confederation, unlike UEFA and its rules and regulations around multi-club ownership) reached the last four. Al Ahli knocked out four-time winners Al Hilal to reach the final and beat a Kawasaki Frontale team that had seen…

MOST REMOTE CLUB Cut adrift in the mid-Atlantic, Santa Clara–based in Portugal’s Azores archipelago–hold the unique distinction of being the most geographically isolated top-flight club in Europe. Almost 1,000km of ocean separate the islanders from Madeira outfit Nacional, their nearest domestic rival, while every other away game requires a1,500km flight to the mainland, equating to more than one full lap of the planet over the course of the league season. But the club has refused to let geography hold them back. They followed up promotion back to the Primeira Liga in the summer of 2024 with a fifth-place finish in the top flight last term, qualifying for Europe as a result. At the time of writing they remain in contention for a Conference League berth–if they qualify, they would be…

EUROPE 2025-26 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Second Qualifying Round–Champions Path Jul 22-23: RFS (Lva)1-4 Malmo (Swe); Hamrun Spartans (Mlt) 0-3 Dynamo Kyiv (Ukr); Pafos (Cyp)1-1 Maccabi Tel Aviv (Isr); Lincoln Red Imps (Gib) 0-1 Red Star Belgrade (Srb); Noah (Arm) 1-2 Ferencvaros (Hun); Lech Poznan (Pol) 7-1 Breidablik (Isl); Copenhagen (Den) 2-0 Drita (Kos); Rijeka (Cro) 0-0 Ludogorets (Bul); Shkendija (Mkd)1-0 FCSB (Rou); Slovan Bratislava (Svk) 4-0 Zrinjski Mostar (Bih); KuPS (Fin) 2-0 Kairat (Kaz); Shelbourne (Irl) 0-3 Qarabag (Aze) Jul 29-30: Dynamo Kyiv (Ukr) 3-0 Hamrun Spartans (Mlt) (agg 6-0); Red Star Belgrade (Srb) 5-1 Lincoln Red Imps (Gib) (agg 6-1); Drita (Kos) 0-1 Copenhagen (Den) (agg 0-3); Zrinjski Mostar (Bih) 2-2 Slovan Bratislava (Svk) (agg 2-6); Kairat (Kaz) 3-0 KuPS (Fin) (agg 3-2); Malmo (Swe)1-0 RFS (Lva) (agg 5-1); Maccabi…

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FORGOTTEN FOOTBALL CLUBS By Philip O’Rourke (Pitch Publishing, £19.99) Forgotten Football Clubs of Great Britain and Ireland is a nostalgic journey through the histories of clubs that left an indelible mark on the sport, yet no longer exist. This book turns the spotlight on 50 defunct teams from around England, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland–such as Druids, Wanderers, Renton and Corinthians–uncovering their rich and varied stories. JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN By Neil FredrikJensen (Pitch Publishing, £14.99) Journey into the Unknown explores the early years and development of pan-European football competition alongside a changing British attitude to overseas teams. It charts how European club competition became an exciting spectacle, introducing audiences to crack eastern Europeans, skilful Latins and ultraefficient Germans.…

Every defeat is a crisis for the manager of a major international football nation, and particularly so during a season leading up to the World Cup finals. Luciano Spalletti knows this only too well, sacked as head coach of Italy after a 3-0 loss away to Norway in their opening qualifying game. He was the first victim, but will not be alone in his fate. The demise of Spalletti was quickly followed by the exit of Poland manager Michal Probierz, who quit after a defeat to Finland and the declaration of star striker Robert Lewandowski that he wouldn’t play while Probierz was in charge. Who else could be in the firing line as we enter the early months of autumn when nations play a series of matches crucial to their…

“I had promised to Sinisa that I would come to Red Star Belgrade, and now I am here”After being released by Internazionale, a tearful Marko Arnautovic reveals that he joined Red Star Belgrade as a promise to his friend and former coach, the late Sinisa Mihajlovic, who won the European Cup with the Serbian club in1991 Montse TOME Following Spain’s defeat to England in the 2025 Women’s Euros final (more on page 86), La Roja parted company with Tome and named Sonia Bermudez as head coach. Jason PUNCHEON After leading Akritas Chlorakas to promotion last season, Puncheon had to resign as he does not have his UEFA Pro Licence, mandatory for top-flight coaches in Cyprus. Nolberto SOLANO The ex-Newcastle United and Peru star took charge ofPakistan after their FIFA ban…

Based in a village of fewer than 1,500 inhabitants, and having almost gone out of business as a third-tier club just seven years ago, the fact that Mjallby exist at all is an impressive feat. That they play in the Allsvenskan, the highest level of Swedish football, is even more remarkable; that they’re on track to lift their first-ever league title is a borderline miracle. On August 9, they visited the home of reigning champions Malmo and secured a 3-1 win to maintain a four-point lead at the top of the table. Malmo were runaway winners in 2024, claiming their fourth title in five years and a record-extending 27th overall, but this result left them in fifth place, 13 points off top spot. Mjallby undoubtedly benefitted from the kind of…

From a baseball game played at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago to the modern iterations celebrated by all the United States’ major sports leagues, All-Star Games always have been something of a spectacle. Despite sports’ quest to make each competition mean something, the All-Star game rewrites that script and states proudly that it is an exhibition, a game to enjoy once and think about no more. Being named an “All-Star” is a prize to be savoured–it provides extra recognition, a bonus and the trip to the game with your family in tow–the deserved spoils of a good first half of the year. So, it is no surprise that Major League Soccer’s version once again sits at the nexus of the culture clash the league so often finds itself navigating:…

When Xabi Alonso was unveiled as Real Madrid’s new manager in May, he captured the significance of the moment: “The start of an era.” For the Bernabeu faithful, Alonso’s return evokes fond memories. From 2009 to 2014, the elegant midfielder helped guide the club to a La Liga title, two Copa del Rey trophies and the long-awaited 2014 Champions League triumph, “La Decima”–although he was suspended for the dramatic final victory itself against Atletico Madrid. His appointment invites inevitable comparisons to another former player who made the leap to the Real Madrid dugout, Zinedine Zidane. Under Zizou’s leadership, Los Blancos captured two La Liga crowns and an unprecedented hat-trick of Champions League titles. Madridistas will be hoping lightning strikes twice. Perhaps more surprisingly, Alonso’s arrival drew praise across enemy lines.…

If Paris Saint-Germain approached last season with uncertainty, that is certainly not the case this time around. This time last year, Les Parisiens headed unwillingly into the new campaign Kylian Mbappe-less, only to find that the grass was greener on the other side. But even if manager Luis Enrique was insistent that PSG would emerge stronger following the Real Madrid forward’s departure, there was an element of mystery heading into the Ligue1 campaign and rivals, some of whom had heavily invested to strengthen, sensed that. Doubts and uncertainties have been replaced by a universally accepted truth: PSG are not only the best in France, they are the best in Europe. Defeat to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final has not changed those perceptions. The response from rivals is one…

Kieran Tierney’s second Celtic debut, at home to St Mirren on the first day of the Scottish Premiership season, with a standing ovation from 60,000 fans, endorsed the 28-year-old’s decision to return after six years at Arsenal. Celtic received £25 million for Tierney in 2019 and, six years later, he returned as a free agent after turning down English and European suitors, including Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. “I thought it was now or never, in terms of coming back to Celtic,” Tierney admitted. “If I hadn’t come back now, and signed somewhere else, I wouldn’t want to come back at 33, when I had slowed down. I am in a good place just now. I am still young and feel I have lot to achieve and a lot to give.”…

Lechia Gdansk are simultaneously a club with huge potential and also the biggest unknown in Polish football. The two-time Polish Cup winners (1983 and 2019) have one of the most beautiful stadiums in Europe and a large fanbase, which includes Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki. Last year, they returned to the top flight, but have endured a bumpy ride since then. Finding themselves in the relegation zone in December, their English technical director Kevin Blackwell turned to John Carver, then assistant to Scotland manager Steve Clarke, to come in as Lechia’s head coach until the end of the season. After a positive start under Carver, beating relegation rivals Slask Wroclaw 1-0, they were struck with a suspension of their league licence from the Polish FA for…

Welcome to Arminia Bielefeld, the yo-yo club of the top three German divisions which now is the most unlikely of football boomtowns, still basking in the glow of their magical efforts of last season: the third division title and logic-defying run to the German Cup final. Not so long ago, this was a club on the slide: relegated from the Bundesliga in 2022, falling into the third tier the following season and then narrowly avoiding another demotion. So what a shock it was for the Blues to suddenly have the angels on their side last term, winning friends all over the country with their amazing performances en route to the final, a run that featured the scalps of four top-flight sides (Union Berlin, Freiburg, Werder Bremen and the mighty Bayer…

“Your coaching journey began back in 2006, when Slaven Bilic asked you to join his coaching staff with the Croatia national team… To be honest, at that time I didn’t think at all about working as a coach. After Slaven was named national coach, he came to me and asked me to be his assistant. At first, I declined, because I wasn’t really interested. But eventually I changed my mind and soon I was totally into it. I found pleasure working in football. I got my coaching badge, up to UEFA Pro licence, and I realised that football was still my life. Football gave me everything and this was a chance to give something back. It’s great when you can have a job which fulfils you and I’m happy that…

While the European Championship stole much of the spotlight this northern hemisphere summer, it was not the only continental tournament taking place–nor the only one with a dramatic finale. The night before England’s penalty-shootout victory over world champions Spain, Nigeria rallied from 2-0 down to stun holders and hosts Morocco to take the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title with an 88th-minute winner amid penalty VAR controversy. The following week the Copa America Femenina in Ecuador delivered a final that had almost everything, concluding with Brazil defeating Colombia on penalties after a pulsating 4-4 draw. But while the Euros were breaking attendance records and confirming women’s football’s place in Europe’s sporting calendar (more on page 86) elsewhere it was a different story. The familiar complaints of misogyny, under-investment and corruption…

As soon as the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League season finished in May with Karim Benzema lifting Al Ittihad’s tenth league title, the headlines were focused on which stars were going to leave European clubs for those in Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman, and which of the big names already there would leave. Whatever the changes on the pitch, the likelihood is that the “Big Four”, owned by the Public Investment Fund, are going to dominate once again from August. There are, however, deep pockets elsewhere, with Al Qadsiah and newly-promoted Neom SC hoping to expand that exclusive club. Perhaps the most intriguing move was that involving Jorge Jesus. The veteran Portuguese boss led Al Hilal to a dominant title in 2023-24, setting a new world-record winning streak of 34 along the…

AUGUST 15 Liverpool v Bournemouth AUGUST 16 Aston Villa v Newcastle United Brighton v Fulham Sunderland v West Ham United Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley Wolves v Manchester City AUGUST 17 Chelsea v Crystal Palace Nottingham Forest v Brentford Manchester United v Arsenal AUGUST 18 Leeds United v Everton AUGUST 22 West Ham United v Chelsea AUGUST 23 Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur Bournemouth v Wolves Brentford v Aston Villa Burnley v Sunderland Arsenal v Leeds United AUGUST 24 Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest Everton v Brighton Fulham v Manchester United AUGUST 25 Newcastle United v Liverpool AUGUST 29 Aston Villa v Crystal Palace AUGUST 30 Chelsea v Fulham Manchester United v Burnley Sunderland v Brentford Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth Wolves v Everton Leeds United v Newcastle United AUGUST 31 Brighton…

AUGUST 22 Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig AUGUST 23 Bayer Leverkusen v Hoffenheim Eintracht Frankfurt v Werder Bremen Freiburg v Augsburg Heidenheim v Wolfsburg Union Berlin v Stuttgart St Pauli v Borussia Dortmund AUGUST 24 Mainz v Cologne Borussia M’gladbach v Hamburg AUGUST 29 Hamburg v St Pauli AUGUST 30 Hoffenheim v Eintracht Frankfurt RB Leipzig v Heidenheim Stuttgart v Borussia M’gladbach Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen Augsburg v Bayern Munich AUGUST 31 Wolfsburg v Mainz Borussia Dortmund v Union Berlin Cologne v Freiburg SEPTEMBER 12 Bayer Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt SEPTEMBER 13 Freiburg v Stuttgart Heidenheim v Borussia Dortmund Mainz v RB Leipzig Union Berlin v Hoffenheim Wolfsburg v Cologne Bayern Munich v Hamburg SEPTEMBER 14 St Pauli v Augsburg Borussia M’gladbach v Werder Bremen SEPTEMBER 19 Stuttgart v…

AUGUST 15 Rennes v Marseille AUGUST 16 Lens v Lyon Monaco v Le Havre Nice v Toulouse AUGUST 17 Brest v Lille Angers v Paris FC Auxerre v Lorient Metz v Strasbourg Nantes v Paris Saint-Germain AUGUST 22 Paris Saint-Germain v Angers AUGUST 23 Marseille v Paris FC Nice v Auxerre Lyon v Metz AUGUST 24 Lorient v Rennes Le Havre v Lens Strasbourg v Nantes Toulouse v Brest Lille v Monaco AUGUST 29 Lens v Brest AUGUST 30 Lorient v Lille Nantes v Auxerre Toulouse v Paris Saint-Germain AUGUST 31 Angers v Rennes Le Havre v Nice Monaco v Strasbourg Paris FC v Metz Lyon v Marseille SEPTEMBER 13 Auxerre v Monaco Brest v Paris FC Lille v Toulouse Marseille v Lorient Metz v Angers Nice v Nantes Paris…