Association Football 2023/2024 Discussion Thread

[Mike88]

Ronaldo is an idiot.

A clear example of someone who doesn't know how to leave the stage and thinks that everyone is against him.

[Mike88]

Ronaldo is axed from United.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/20513997/man-utd-terminate-cristiano-ronaldo-contract/

[NewYorkExpress]

https://twitter.com/TimesSport/status/1596896413236875264

MLS getting Messi? Sign me up!!!

[NewYorkExpress]

Following an early exit in the World Cup, Mexico has essentially fired manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino.

Who will be next to manage El Tri? Someone like Marcello Gallardo (former Manager of River Plate), Diego Aguirre (Most recently manager of Cruz Azul) or possibly Gonzalo Pineda (manager of Atlanta United, also where Martino was previously manager before becoming manager of Mexico) would be where I'd look first.

[NewYorkExpress]

Following an early World Cup exit, Roberto Martinez is out as Belguim Manager.

There's going to be a decent number of clubs interested in Martinez. Maybe an Atletico Madrid, which probably should let go of Diego Simeone if they want to improve on fifth in La Liga in the  New Year?

[Santander]

Ronaldo looks set for Saudi Arabia for an obscene ~€200m/yr that makes Mbappe look underpaid.

https://www.marca.com/en/world-cup/2022/12/05/638ddff822601dd0348b45a5.html

[NewYorkExpress]

Ronaldo looks set for Saudi Arabia for an obscene ~€200m/yr that makes Mbappe look underpaid.

https://www.marca.com/en/world-cup/2022/12/05/638ddff822601dd0348b45a5.html

Makes you wonder why Newcastle United, which is being run by the Saudi Government hasn't put in a bid for him.

[NewYorkExpress]

Luis Enrique out as Spain Manager.

I have to think the job is Pep Guardiola's if he wants it. It's questionable if he's willing to leave Manchester City midseason though.

[Santander]

Luis Enrique out as Spain Manager.

I have to think the job is Pep Guardiola's if he wants it. It's questionable if he's willing to leave Manchester City midseason though.

Outspoken Catalan nationalist Guardiola will never get the Spain job.

[NewYorkExpress]

Luis Enrique out as Spain Manager.

I have to think the job is Pep Guardiola's if he wants it. It's questionable if he's willing to leave Manchester City midseason though.

Outspoken Catalan nationalist Guardiola will never get the Spain job.

Well, that I had no idea about. Obviously, that would be disqualifying.

[JGibson]

US Soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who is covering the World Cup in Qatar, died while covering the Netherlands v. Argentina quarterfinal game that went to penalties in which the Argentines won.


Boston Globe:

Soccer journalist Grant Wahl collapsed and died while at Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal between Argentina and Netherlands in Qatar.

Wahl’s brother Eric, posting on Instagram, wrote that Grant Wahl was given CPR and taken by Uber to a hospital, where he died, according to his wife, infectious disease expert Dr. Celine Gounder. Wahl, a renowned soccer writer for Sports Illustrated for more than two decades, had gone to the World Cup to work both for CBS and his own subscription newsletter.

[...]

He made headlines early in the tournament by trying to enter a Cup venue in a rainbow T-shirt, “in support of LGBTQ rights in a country where same-sex relationships are illegal.” Wahl reported he had his phone taken from him during a long confrontation at the stadium media entrance, though he was eventually allowed to enter without changing the shirt.

[Mike88]

And another one goes: The Portuguese head coach, Fernando Santos, was also fired.

[NewYorkExpress]

Over in Australia, the Melbourne Derby between the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City FC was abandoned after fans violently threw flares onto the pitch.

Australian A-Leagues club Melbourne Victory has said that it is "devastated" and issued a formal apology after its fans forced the abandonment of a clash with local rivals Melbourne City by staging a violent pitch invasion, an incident which Football Australia has promised will lead to "strong sanctions."

Planning on staging a joint-walkout in the 20th minute to protest league administrators the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) decision to sell hosting rights to the leagues' men's and women's grand finals to Sydney for the next three years, both City and Victory fans began throwing flares onto the AAMI Park playing surface before they made their exits, with one appearing to hit a camera operator for broadcaster Network Ten.


Fans had already ignited flares and small fireworks throughout the preceding 20 minutes, with City fans hurling a number of projectiles onto the pitch in celebration of Aiden O'Neill's 11th-minute opener.

The missiles hurled in the 20th minute, however, kick-started a spiralling series of events that saw City goalkeeper Tom Glover, attempting to clear a projectile that had landed near him off the field, throw a flare off the pitch and back into the Victory supporters. This then led to a host of fans storming onto the pitch in scenes reminiscent of the violence between Nice and Marseille in 2021.

For anyone not familiar with Australian football, the Victory are the current club of former Manchester United star Nani, while Melbourne City FC, like the name indicates, are a feeder club of Manchester City (same owner and all).

[Mike88]

Spanish media is reporting that Ronaldo is really going for Al Nassr, with a contract bellow 200 million euros per season. The same report says that no other club has expressed interest in Ronaldo.

The other story is that Ronaldo will be the ambassador of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2030 World Cup. The problem? Portugal has also a bid, together with Spain, for the same World Cup. If this is really true, it would be hilarious.

https://www.abola.pt/nnh/2022-12-22/fifa-marca-avanca-que-ronaldo-pode-ser-adversario-da-candidatura-iberica-ao-mun/969672

[NewYorkExpress]

The Carabao Cup had an instant classic today, as Manchester City knocked off Liverpool 3-2 at the Eithad Stadium.

[NewYorkExpress]

Cagliari, which is hovering just above relegation in Serie B just made an amazing hire to replace the recently sacked Fabio Liverani, bringing in Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri's got an English Premier League title (Leicester City's miracle run in 2015-16), and assuming he can bring Cagliari into the promotion playoffs (in addition to only being three points above relegation, they are only four points back of Ternana, the bottom team in the Serie B promotion playoff), he might be able to bring them promotion, and maybe recreate his Leicester City miracle with Cagliari.

[Donerail]

Cagliari, which is hovering just above relegation in Serie B just made an amazing hire to replace the recently sacked Fabio Liverani, bringing in Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri's got an English Premier League title (Leicester City's miracle run in 2015-16), and assuming he can bring Cagliari into the promotion playoffs (in addition to only being three points above relegation, they are only four points back of Ternana, the bottom team in the Serie B promotion playoff), he might be able to bring them promotion, and maybe recreate his Leicester City miracle with Cagliari.

One would think the more relevant parallel here is the time he took Cagliari from Serie C to Serie A. Perhaps he can recreate his Cagliari miracle with Cagliari?

[NewYorkExpress]

Cagliari, which is hovering just above relegation in Serie B just made an amazing hire to replace the recently sacked Fabio Liverani, bringing in Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri's got an English Premier League title (Leicester City's miracle run in 2015-16), and assuming he can bring Cagliari into the promotion playoffs (in addition to only being three points above relegation, they are only four points back of Ternana, the bottom team in the Serie B promotion playoff), he might be able to bring them promotion, and maybe recreate his Leicester City miracle with Cagliari.

One would think the more relevant parallel here is the time he took Cagliari from Serie C to Serie A. Perhaps he can recreate his Cagliari miracle with Cagliari?

I'm sure that's what Cagliari is looking for, but the Leicester City example is more recent.

[JGibson]

Arsenal come back from a 1-nil halftime deficit to win 3-1 over West Ham with former Manager Arsène Wenger in attendance at the Emirates. They go 8 points up on Manchester City (7 on Newcastle), pending the City v. Leeds game Wednesday.

The PL is back.

[NewYorkExpress]

Don't look now, but Liverpool's on a hot streak. They beat Aston Villia, 3-1, and have now won four of their last five competitive matches in a row, their only loss being against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Also, they've apparently reached a deal for PSV winger Cody Gakpo for roughly 37 million pounds.

[NewYorkExpress]

https://twitter.com/AlNassrFC/status/1608933062288769024

[Santander]

Arsenal 7 points clear on New Years Day if this result holds... Who would've predicted this?

January transfer window will be very interesting.

[JGibson]

Arsenal 7 points clear on New Years Day if this result holds... Who would've predicted this?

January transfer window will be very interesting.

I knew they'd be Top 4 at this point, but 7 points clear of title favorites Manchester City? Makes me happy.

[NewYorkExpress]

A couple of surprises today.

First, Aston Villa takes down Tottenham Hotspur 2-0, and second, Lens takes down a PSG side playing without Neymar or Lionel Messi, 3-1.

Lens is currently second in Ligue 1, seven points behind PSG.

[NewYorkExpress]

Following Real Madrid's loss 2-1 loss to Villarreal and Barcelona's 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid this weekend, Barcelona is now three points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga after sixteen matches.

A reminder that the next El Clasico is March 23 (assuming neither team faces each other in the Copa del Rey before then.).