Association Football 2023/2024 Discussion Thread

[NewYorkExpress]

The battle for the Premier League getting intense as we get to the home stretch. Liverpool and Manchester City both won today, with Liverpool beating Newcastle 1-0, and Manchester City obliterating Leeds United 4-0.

Both teams next have their UEFA Champions League Semifinals to worry about, with Liverpool traveling to Villarreal and Manchester heading to Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid. 

[JGibson]

Burnley may yet survive, when about a month ago, they were set to go down to the Championship. Everton and maybe Leeds's PL survival chances are in danger.
Norwich City has officially been relegated and Watford all-but so.

[NewYorkExpress]

With Real Madrid's La Liga title, Carl Ancelotti becomes the first head coach to win all of Europe's Big Five leagues.

He previously won the Serie A title with AC Milan, the English Premier League with Chelsea, France's Ligue 1 with PSG, and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

[NewYorkExpress]

Arsenal with a critical 2-1 win over West Ham United to give their Champions League chances a massive boost.

Everton gets a critical win over Chelsea as they try to avoid relegation, but they have another tough match against Leicester City next Sunday, while their nearest competitors, Leeds United and Burnley, face Arsenal and Aston Villa respectively, with Burnley's match being on Saturday.

[Santander]

Calling the French league one of the "Big 5" is a bit of a joke tbh, although the media has jumped on that the last few years. Ignoring the fact that the Portuguese and Dutch leagues have 10 European Cups between 5 different winners between them compared to the French league's 1 which was one by one of the most corrupt teams in history...

[JGibson]

Calling the French league one of the "Big 5" is a bit of a joke tbh, although the media has jumped on that the last few years. Ignoring the fact that the Portuguese and Dutch leagues have 10 European Cups between 5 different winners between them compared to the French league's 1 which was one by one of the most corrupt teams in history...

The Big 7 would be a better definition: The Big 5 + Eredivisie (NED) and Primeira Liga (POR).

[JGibson]

Bournemouth makes its return to the Premier League, as it clinched the other automatic promotion place in the Championship with a 1-nil win over Nottingham Forest.

Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town have locked up playoff places for the right to be the final team promoted into the Premier League. Two of Sheffield United, Luton Town, Middlesbrough, and Millwall have a chance to clinch playoff spots.

[NewYorkExpress]

Villarreal almost knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League today. The Yellow Submarine had a 2-0 lead halfway through, and were this close to forcing the game to extra time, and possibly penalty kicks, before Liverpool rallied for three goals in the second forty-five minutes for a 5-2 aggregate victory.

Meanwhile, tomorrow we have the second leg of the Manchester City/Real Madrid match from Santiago Bernabeu, and the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Final between the Seattle Sounders and Pumas UNAM.

[Santander]

Villarreal almost knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League today. The Yellow Submarine had a 2-0 lead halfway through, and were this close to forcing the game to extra time, and possibly penalty kicks, before Liverpool rallied for three goals in the second forty-five minutes for a 5-2 aggregate victory.

Looking like almost taking the game to extra time at half-time is not almost winning.

[Santander]

The other serial bottler oil emirate club bottles it again. Congrats to the best manager in the world!

[NewYorkExpress]

The other serial bottler oil emirate club bottles it again. Congrats to the best manager in the world!

I have to wonder if Pep Gaurdiola is in any danger of being fired. For all of the domestic success, that he's had at Manchester City, you'd have to think he should be able to win the Champions (or any other European trophy).

[Alcibiades]

Wow, one of the all time great UCL ties. An instant classic over both legs.

[Santander]

Wow, one of the all time great UCL ties. An instant classic over both legs.

To think that the Bernabeu witnessed both this and the Sheriff match in one Champions League season...

[NewYorkExpress]

The Seattle Sounders are CONCACAF Champions!!!

[Alcibiades]

Wow, really fantastic achievement by Rangers, while Frankfurt get the final they probably deserved to reach in 2019.

[afleitch]

Fu......

[NewYorkExpress]

The Europa Conference League Final matchup is set.

It'll be Roma vs Feyernood for the trophy.

[NewYorkExpress]

Fu......

I take it you are a Celtic fan?

[afleitch]

Fu......

I take it you are a Celtic fan?

Correct!

[Mike88]

I'm sorry for my ignorance, but I just realised that there's an Europa Conference League. xD xD

I never heard of it before...

Wow, one of the all time great UCL ties. An instant classic over both legs.

Amazing game. I was rooting for Madrid, and that turnaround in just 5 minutes was just, wow, beautiful. And to see City lose like that, perfect.

[NewYorkExpress]

Chile accuses Ecuador National Team full back Byron Castillo, playing for Guayaquil side Barcelona of being ineligible to play for Ecuador. 

The Chilean Football Federation on Thursday asked FIFA to rule on the eligibility of an Ecuador player, alleging he used a false passport and birth certificate and throwing into question the Andean side's participation in this year's World Cup.

Chile said it had proof that Barcelona of Guayaquil full back Byron Castillo was born in Tumaco, Colombia, in 1995 and not in the Ecuadorean city of General Villamil Playas in 1998 as stated on his official papers.

Documents used in the filing to FIFA and seen by Reuters purport to show his "forged" birth certificates as well as an internal Ecuadorean investigation acknowledging inconsistencies in his documentation.

"All this is obviously well known by the FEF (Ecuadorean Federation)," the Chilean federation said in a statement. "The football world cannot close its eyes to so much proof. These serious and irregular practices in the registration of players cannot be accepted, especially when we are talking about a world competition."

It said it had sent evidence to FIFA asking it to investigate. FIFA acknowledged it had "received a formal complaint from the Chilean FA" but declined to comment further.

Reports from Ecuador in 2021 said Castillo had been ratified as an Ecuadorean citizen, enabling him to play for the national side.

Castillo made his debut five months after that decision, which was reported in the newspaper El Telegrafo.

The Ecuadorean FA dismissed on Thursday what it said were "unfounded rumours" designed to destabilise the Ecuadorean Football Federation by those who want to prevent its participation in the Qatar World Cup.

"We must be emphatic [and state] that Byron Castillo is Ecuadorean for all legal effects," a statement said.

Castillo's possible ineligibility could spell trouble for Ecuador, one of four South American teams who have so far qualified for the Qatar World Cup in November and December.

Castillo played in eight of Ecuador's 18 qualifiers, matches in which they picked up 14 of their 26 points. The Andean side finished fourth in the 10-team qualifying table, the last automatic qualifying spot.

If they lost points for the games in which Castillo appeared they could miss out on a place in Qatar.

[NewYorkExpress]

Empoli just blew a 2-0 lead to allow Inter to come back and tie their game up at 2-2 halfway through at the San Siro/Stade Gisueppe Meazza.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Silvio Berlusconi's dream of taking Monza to Serie A at last after 40 seasons at the second level may have to wait another year! It looked extraordinarily likely after last week's dominating result, but Perugia need the victory to have a prayer for promotion themselves, dropping Monza to 3rd on an extremely competitive table. They'll be a slight favorite over Brescia, Pisa and Benevento in the promotion playoffs. (e: officially 37% per 538)

Instead, Cremonese will be at the top flight for the first time since 1996.


The relegation battle is now incredibly intense after Genoa makes up for their late penalty miss against Sampdoria by converting on a 96th minute penalty to stun Juventus out of nowhere. Still almost certain to be relegated, but they have a prayer.

[NewYorkExpress]

Mikel Arteta has signed an extension with Arsenal that will keep him at The Emirates Stadium through 2025.

[JGibson]

It's official. Watford are relegated to the Championship with their 1-nil loss to Crystal Palace. One relegation place is left to be decided, and one of Burnley, Leeds, or Everton will join Watford and Norwich.

The Championship Playoffs to nab the final promotion place to join the Premier League alongside Bournemouth and Fulham is now all set:
#3 Huddersfield Town v. #6 Luton Town, #4 Nottingham Forest v. #5 Sheffield United