Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2022 i World Soccer

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It was a clean sweep for African champions Senegal at the CAF awards, as Sadio Mane was voted men’s Footballer of the Year for the second time and his country won the men’s Team of the Year prize. The Bayern Munich forward, who converted the winning penalty in the AFCON 2021 final shootout in February, beat former Liverpool club-mate, Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah, and compatriot Edouard Mendy to the gong, presented at a ceremony in Rabat, Morocco. In the other men’s categories, Mane’s national team boss Aliou Cisse was Coach of the Year, while Pape Ousmane Sakho and Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr (both also Senegalese) won Goal and Young Player of the Year respectively. In the women’s awards, Nigeria and Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala retained her crown as best Player…

12 Number of clubs now in the City Football Group portfolio following the purchase of Italian Serie B side Palermo. 1 Alexandro Bernabei will become the first Argentine to play for Celtic after joining the Scottish champions from Lanus. 9 CONCACAF Women’s titles won by the United States after their1-0 victory over Canada in this summer’s final. 41 Age that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will turn at Milan after signing a one-year contract extension ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. 3 Premier League players to have played for Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea after Raheem Sterling signed for the Blues. He joins fellow forwards Nicolas Anelka and Daniel Sturridge on the list. 2024 Year by which Brentford will reopen their academy following a new Premier League rule dictating that all clubs must have…

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING Football is a mature game. Look at the12 laws drawn up by the nascent Football Association in1863 and what they describe is immediately identifiable as football. After a few years of rapid development, those laws have undergone such minor modification that the1925 change in the offside law and the prohibition of the back-pass in1992 feel like seismic events. But we do live in an age of tinkering and tweaking, and thanks in part because of the personality of David Elleray, the former referee who is now the technical director of IFAB, and in part because of VAR, the scrutiny passages of play are now subjected to create a new demand for clarity and uniformity. As the furore over what constitutes handball and offside go on, this summer has…

Andy GORAM (1964-2022) One of Scotland’s finest goalkeepers of all time began his career at Oldham Athletic in1981. His form in nearly seven years for the Latics earned him a call-up by then-Scotland manager Alex Ferguson in 1985, and a move to Hibernian two years later. In four years in Edinburgh Goram became club captain before joining Rangers in1991, replacing England goalkeeper Chris Woods. After playing every single match of the 1991-92 season, Goram became a key man in Walter Smith’s side, going on to win five league titles in six years at the club, as well as three Scottish Cups and two League Cups. In 1992-93, both the Scottish Football Writers’ Association and the Scottish PFA named him Player of the Year as Rangers won the domestic treble. It…

A common joke among Ghanaian citizens is that the Black Stars have made more “signings” in the summer transfer window than many top European clubs. Such is the excitement among fans, that some believe a new golden generation is in the making. While such witticism on social media ends just there, the fact is that Ghana are currently at their strongest in years, in terms of both squad depth and quality, following a slew of new additions to the national team. On July 5, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced that five players – Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey, Stephan Ambrosius, Patric Pfeiffer and Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer – were now available for selection after successfully completing their nationality switches. Two days later, GFA president Kurt Okraku delivered more thrilling news: Southampton’s Mohammed…

Around 20 years ago, Roma’s stadium announcer, Carlo Zampa, developed his own trademark way of naming the line-up to the home supporters. He would begin by screaming the player’s number, then his nickname (invented by Zampa himself), followed by his first name, before the crowd replied with the player’s surname. While the nicknames of Francesco Totti, Gabriel Batistuta and Walter Samuel reflected their playing abilities – “Golden Boy,” “Batigol” and “The Wall” respectively – the moniker chosen for central midfielder Damiano Tommasi said more about the man himself: “Anima Candida”, pure soul. There was always something a little different about the Italy international, who played 351 times in a ten-year career at Roma, without ever fitting the stereotype of a footballer. In 1994 he had already bucked a football trend…

History was made on September 8, 1888. That was the date of the very first league football match. But history, it seems, has been rewritten. Now the revered date of reference is August15, 1992: the kick-off of the Premier League – a brave new football world generated by a financial and technological revolution through which English football leads the way once more. Back in the late 19th century British adventurers took association football to a sporting world in which the pupils would become the masters. Now football has come home and the English Premier League is the world’s number one, and by a very long way. Its worldwide television revenues and audiences dwarf the pull of Spain, Germany and Italy. The modern, post-Bosman era of open transfer markets has enabled…

ARSENAL Manager: Mikel Arteta Key Arrivals: Vieira (Porto), Turner (New England Revolution), Marquinhos (Sao Paulo), Gabriel Jesus (Man. City), Zinchenko (Man. City) Key Departures: Lacazette (Lyon), Guendouzi (Marseille) Prediction: A busy summer has seen the Gunners significantly upgrade their squad. The returning William Saliba will also be one to watch after his standout season on loan in France with Marseille. Real contenders for a top-four finish. ASTON VILLA Manager: Steven Gerrard Key Arrivals: Coutinho (Barcelona), Diego Carlos (Sevilla), Kamara (Marseille), Olsen (Roma), Augustinsson (Sevilla) Key Departures: Targett (Newcastle), Hourihane (Derby), Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Trezeguet (Trabzonspor) Prediction: Ahead of his first full season at Villa, Gerrard has been backed in the transfer market with some intriguing new signings. Moulding them into a top-half side could be his toughest managerial challenge to…

As the Bundesliga embarks on its 60th edition, no one, it seems, is particularly keen to break out the bunting and the champagne. Although not exactly in an existential crisis, the German top flight most definitely has lost a degree of lustre of late. The big picture, once a valuable old master, now is in need of some restoration. Is it any wonder that the merchants of gloom are in the ascendency? After ten years of total Bayern Munich dominance – and no sign of the Bavarians loosening their grip on Bundesliga power – competition at the top of the table has essentially dried up. Marquee players are either voting with their feet and heading off, or hell-bent on doing so, with ace striker Erling Haaland quitting Borussia Dortmund for…

ATALANTA Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini Key Arrivals: Demiral (Juventus), Ederson (Salernitana) Key Departures: Pessina (Monza), Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb), Del Prato (Parma), Gollini (Fiorentina), Reca (Spezia), Lovato (Salernitana) Prediction: After three intoxicating seasons in the Champions League, even reaching the quarter-finals in 2019-20, Atalanta return to normality this year, not having qualified for any European competition. Time for Gasperini to regroup and rebuild. BOLOGNA Manager: Sinisa Mihajlovic Key Arrivals: Lykogiannis (Cagliari), Aebischer (Young Boys), Ferguson (Aberdeen), Cambiaso (Juventus) Key Departures: Hickey (Brentford), Svanberg (Wolfsburg) Prediction: Having finished16 points clear of the relegation zone last season, Bologna might be a little more ambitious than that13th-place finish. Transfer activity has been rather modest so far, though. CREMONESE Manager: Massimiliano Alvini Key Arrivals: Tsadjout (Milan), Ghiglione (Genoa), Radu (Inter), Vasquez (Genoa), Sernicola (Sassuolo), Chiriches (Sassuolo),…

For many relatively unknown strikers, the Eredivisie has been a stage to make a name for themselves. History shows that finishing as the league’s top scorer has often been the springboard for a transfer to better and more lucrative leagues, even for players lining up for minnows. The most recent example is Giorgos Giakoumakis, who scored 26 goals for VVV-Venlo as the club were relegated in 2020-21 to earn a lucrative transfer to Celtic. This time, however, the scoring charts should be led by proven, well-known strikers, after the arrival of some unexpected transfers. Two former top scorers return to the Eredivisie while an unfancied club pulled off a coup that surprised everybody. Luuk de Jong, after a season on loan at Barcelona, returns from Sevilla for a second spell…

Last season finished with the rather familiar feel of the two previous campaigns: Club Brugge topped the table, following a compelling regular season and dramatic play-offs. The league’s revelation, Union Saint-Gilloise, lacked the stamina to sustain their almost perfect record as the season neared the end. In the play-offs, Brugge, much more experienced and cooler under pressure, won the crucial double-header against the Brussels-based club to retain their Pro League title – a fifth domestic crown in seven seasons. It had not been a smooth ride. Brugge failed to progress from the group stage of the Champions League, spent €10 million in the winter transfer market and parted ways with successful coach Philippe Clement, the architect of their two previous league triumphs. After clinching the title, club chairman Bart Verhaeghe…

The Swiss Super League has seen more than its share of one-horse races over the past few seasons but this time there are signs it could serve up a little more in the way of drama. At least three teams, all of them under new managers, are seen as capable of mounting serious title challenges – holders Zurich, Young Boys and Basel. Having confounded predictions by winning last season’s title by a whopping 14 points, Zurich might find it more difficult to defend their crown. Manager Andre Breitenreiter, the architect of their campaign, has followed the welltrodden path to the Bundesliga to join Hoffenheim and been replaced by Franco Foda, previously with Austria. Foda took Austria to the last16 at Euro 2020, where they ran Italy close, and the top…

As the Euros got underway in England it was not the sight of 70,000 at Old Trafford to watch England’s opener, or nearly 20,000 in Sheffield to see Netherlands play Sweden, that underlined the prospects for growth in women’s football. Even more significant was the revelation that the Football Association had rejected several offers from private equity companies to buy the Women’s Super League. The suitors wanted to capitalise on the success of the Euros as the WSL headed into what promises to be another breakthrough season with Liverpool back in the top tier and several clubs increasing their commitment. Private equity companies have invested heavily in sport in recent years. According to US analysts PitchBook, these mainly US-based companies spent $51 billion in the sector last year, $22 billion…

Israel came very close to a real sensation. In the 40th minute of the European U19 Championship final in Trnava, western Slovakia, their U19 side surprisingly took a1-0 lead against England. Three days before that, Israel had beaten France – tipped by many as the tournament favourites – and it looked like they were on the way to another upset. Led by the technical and intelligent Oscar Gloukh in midfield, they dominated the first half. Gloukh, 18, only made his senior debut for Maccabi Tel Aviv in March. He became one of the stars of the tournament, impressing with his ability to carry the ball forwards, and he showcased that perfectly in the counter-attack that led to Israel’s opener, turning inside the penalty area and finishing beyond England goalkeeper Matthew…

AUGUST 5 Crystal Palace v Arsenal AUGUST 6 Fulham v Liverpool Bournemouth v Aston Villa Leeds United v Wolves Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton Everton v Chelsea AUGUST 7 Leicester City v Brentford Manchester United v Brighton West Ham United v Manchester City AUGUST 13 Arsenal v Leicester City Aston Villa v Everton Brentford v Manchester United Brighton v Newcastle United Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur Liverpool v Crystal Palace Manchester City v Bournemouth Nottingham Forest v West Ham United Southampton v Leeds United Wolves v Fulham AUGUST 20 Bournemouth v Arsenal Crystal Palace v Aston Villa Everton v Nottingham Forest Fulham v Brentford Leeds United v Chelsea Leicester City v Southampton Manchester United v Liverpool Newcastle United v Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur v Wolves West Ham…

AUGUST 14 Fiorentina v Cremonese Juventus v Sassuolo Lazio v Bologna Lecce v Internazionale Milan v Udinese Monza v Torino Salernitana v Roma Sampdoria v Atalanta Spezia v Empoli Verona v Napoli AUGUST 21 Atalanta v Milan Bologna v Verona Empoli v Fiorentina Internazionale v Spezia Napoli v Monza Roma v Cremonese Sampdoria v Juventus Sassuolo v Lecce Torino v Lazio Udinese v Salernitana AUGUST 28 Cremonese v Torino Fiorentina v Napoli Juventus v Roma Lazio v Internazionale Lecce v Empoli Milan v Bologna Monza v Udinese Salernitana v Sampdoria Spezia v Sassuolo Verona v Atalanta AUGUST 31 Atalanta v Torino Bologna v Salernitana Empoli v Verona Internazionale v Cremonese Juventus v Spezia Napoli v Lecce Roma v Monza Sampdoria v Lazio Sassuolo v Milan Udinese v Fiorentina SEPTEMBER 4…

Manchester Utd 3 Leeds Utd 0 1997-98 Premier League, Old Trafford In a career that included two Champions League winners’ medals and five Premier League titles with Manchester United, Wes Brown’s most cherished moment is where it all started – his first-team debut for the Red Devils… When I look back on my career, the match I remember more than any other might surprise people. I won the Champions League with United, lifted loads of trophies and realised every dream I could have had and more in my time with the club, yet the game that means more to me than any other was my first-team debut against Leeds United in May1998. Arsenal had already won the Premier League title, so the boss put a few of the young lads…

6 ISSUES FOR ONLY £12 Don’t miss this special offer – just £2 per issue Pay just £12 for your first 6 issues of World Soccer – saving 67% Continue to Save 36% after your trial – save on newsagent prices! Never miss an issue with FREE UK delivery direct to your door DON’T MISS OUR P WORLD CU SPECIAL Subscribe now and you’ll receive our World Cup 2022 special issue as part of your 6-month trial offer!* • Our World Cup 2022 special will go on sale in October • You’ll get the expert guide to all 32 teams including squad pen pics, tactics, opinion & interviews • The bumper edition will also come with a massive World Cup 2022 wallchart Subscribe online now shop.kelsey.co.uk/WSCP722 or call 01959 543 747…

The FA has announced that a ban on heading will be trialled in Under-12s football for the start of the coming season. The move comes in the wake of growing research that suggests ex-footballers are more likely to die from brain diseases than other people. In 2020, Sir Bobby Charlton was diagnosed with dementia, with his fellow World Cup winners Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles joining a long list of former players to pass away with the disease. Children under11 are already not coached to head the ball during training, and heading at youth level may soon become a thing of the past. “Should the trial be a success, the aim is to then remove deliberate heading from all football matches at U12 level and below from the 2023-24 season,”…

THE INSIDER Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini are innocent – but do not expect to see them strutting their stuff again on the world football stage. Their days in the sun as all-powerful presidents of FIFA and UEFA respectively are long gone. Even the innocent verdicts from a Swiss criminal court in Bellinzona over the infamous matter of a 2m Swiss francs payment back in 2011 has not relieved the two old friends turned enemies of all the judicial clouds hanging over their heads. Nor will it make any difference whatsoever to the bans imposed at one time or another by the FIFA ethics committee. That ship has also sailed. To understand the complexity of issues quite beyond the grasp of the Swiss judiciary means trekking all the way back…

Romeo LAVIA (Southampton) With only two Manchester City appearances to his name, Southampton supporters may have been entitled to ask: “Romeo who?” particularly after their club spent an initial £10.5 million on the18-year-old. Yet Lavia arrives at St. Mary’s with a burgeoning reputation. Signed from Anderlecht in 2020 with a glowing reference from former City skipper Vincent Kompany, the Belgian was only 16 when he established himself in the club’s Under-23 side. He was named Player of the Season as they won the Premier League 2 title in 2020-21, before making his senior debut against Wycombe Wanderers in last season’s Carabao Cup. A defensive midfielder with an impressive passing range, his first-team prospects at the Etihad were harmed by the arrival of Kalvin Phillips. But at the age of 18…

Vincent Kompany’s coaching career might still be fresh, but in Burnley he has found a club that is not so dissimilar from his old club, Anderlecht, at least when surveying the annual accounts: the Clarets labour under a huge debt, even more so after relegation from the Premier League. Ever since owners ALK Capital completed a leveraged takeover last year, Burnley’s finances have nosedived spectacularly. Kompany said the club’s “extreme transparency” convinced him. Anderlecht’s balance sheet had been precarious for years, but when the club, in 2018, landed Kompany, an in-house icon and longstanding luminary at Manchester City, it was a major coup. A disciple of Pep Guardiola, he promised progressive football. But amid endless boardroom shuffles and a limited spending budget, Kompany, whose insistence on a possession game relented,…

Monza have been promoted to Serie A for the first time in their history. That in itself is incredible news, but it is made even more remarkable by the identity of the club’s bosses: Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani. No, this is not a joke. No, we have not gone back 30 years, to when the duo were all the rage at Milan while building one of the strongest and most successful teams in football history. In September 2018, Berlusconi was enjoying lunch at his mega Villa San Martino in the tiny municipality of Arcore, 30km from Milan, together with Galliani. Now past 80 years of age, the three-time Italian prime minister had been out of football for more than 12 months, having sold his beloved red-and-black toy to the…

MAKING OF MESSI As Messi mania swept football, World Soccer was there every step of the way, and this special 100-page bookazine tracks Leo’s amazing journey with club and country. GREATEST RIVALRIES From Rome to Cairo, Glasgow to Buenos Aires, Milan to Shanghai and Budapest to Rio de Janeiro, this edition showcases some of the biggest rivalries in football. FACE TO FACE This issue features a collection of interviews with footballing icons, including Maradona, Kaka, Zidane, Xavi, Ronaldo, Cruyff, Sacchi, Pele, Klinsmann, Shearer and Wenger. HISTORY OF THE EUROS Published specifically to coincide with the European Championship’s 60th anniversary, World Soccer chronicles the history of the Euros, from 1960 through to 2020. PEP TALK The greatest manager of all time or a flawed genius? You decide after reading this special…

After an underwhelming season, Paris Saint-Germain’s summer overhaul has been defined by a drastic change in tone. “Dreaming is one thing, reality is another,” explained club president Nasser Al Khelaifi to Le Parisien. “These days we have to be realistic. We don’t want to be flashy or bling-bling anymore, it’s the end of the glitter.” Mirroring the City of Light’s glamour, Paris’ ostentatious “bling-bling” philosophy has defined the QSI era and Al Khelaifi’s lurch across football’s ideological spectrum was astonishing. Al Khelaifi was, in fact, repeating new de-facto sporting director Luis Campos’ ideas for running the club after his arrival amid the sacking of coach Mauricio Pochettino. Although it’s uncertain whether Campos’ elite scouting ability will be useful in Paris, he’s instigated a common sense approach and appointed the QSI…

AUGSBURG Manager: Enrico Maassen Key Arrivals: Bauer (Greuther Furth), Maier (Hertha Berlin), Demirovic (Freiburg) Key Departures: Gregoritsch (Freiburg), Moravek (released), Finnbogason (released) Prediction: On the evidence of an inconsistent past12 months, FCA are relegation candidates. New coach Maassen, who used to manage Dortmund’s reserves, has a reputation for nurturing youth but will have his work cut out here. BAYER LEVERKUSEN Manager: Gerardo Seoane Key Arrivals: Hlozek (Sparta Prague) Key Departures: Alario (Eintracht Frankfurt), Fofana (Nuremberg) Prediction: With one of the best attacking tridents in the country – Patrik Schick, Moussa Diaby and Florian Wirtz – Leverkusen have every chance of another top-four finish. Wirtz, currently recovering from a cruciate ligament injury, should be back in September. BAYERN MUNICH Manager: Julian Nagelsmann Key Arrivals: Mane (Liverpool), Gravenberch (Ajax), Mazraoui (Ajax), De Ligt (Juventus)…

Exactly two weeks after beating Liverpool to the Champions League trophy, Los Blancos secured another victory over the Reds: the signing of much-coveted France and Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. Both finalists had sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old over the course of the 2021-22 campaign, alongside the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and the Premier League’s Manchester clubs, but the pull of the Champions League and La Liga winners was ultimately too strong. The capture somewhat softened the blow of missing out on Kylian Mbappe in May, and Real Madrid clearly took joy in clawing back some PR points at Tchouameni’s official unveiling, with their new signing openly revealing to the media how he rejected Mbappe’s calls to join the French giants. Mbappe1-1 Real Madrid. The fact that president Florentino Perez…

We had not yet reached July and Porto’s best player in 2021-22 (Vitor Ferreira), Sporting’s best player (Pablo Sarabia) and Benfica’s best player (Darwin Nunez) had all said goodbye to Portugal’s Primeira Liga. Frustrating as it is, Portuguese football fans have long got used to its feeder league status. While it is disappointing to witness the annual exodus of star performers, the huge transfer fees earned and subsequent success of ex-Liga players at the world’s top clubs only goes to prove Portugal has become the perfect finishing school for elite footballers. If anything, the conveyor belt honing the technical and tactical attributes of young players in Portugal is becoming increasingly prolific and the processing of pure football talent is accelerating. Benfica and Porto sold Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, respectively,…

Any team aspiring to knock Olympiakos off their golden Super League perch know only too well that the odds are stacked against them. Top of the pile in each of the last three seasons, and in 20 of the last 24, Olympiakos effectively have a monopoly of power, so far ahead that the chasing pack (the Salonika pair of PAOK and Aris, plus Athenian outfits AEK and Panathinaikos) need binoculars to spot them. Last season was just one more example of Olympiakos cracking the whip and the rest cowering in the corner. By the end of the campaign, Olympiakos had opened a massive 19-point lead over PAOK in secondplace. While Olympiakos only suffered three defeats all season, every one of their pursuers were beaten at least ten times. Such is…

Love for the Italian approach to the beautiful game continues to spread like wildfire at forward-looking Istanbul club, Fatih Karagumruk. After recruiting a string of former Serie A players – including goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano and striker Fabio Borini – Karagumruk swooped in June to appoint Italian football god Andrea Pirlo as their new head coach. Pirlo, once a playmaker extraordinaire for Juventus, Milan and Italy, began his managerial career with Juve two years ago, but only lasted one season after finishing a disappointing fourth in the 2020-21 standings. Following a12-month sabbatical, Pirlo, 43, is now ready to jump back on the merry-go-round, replacing former Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel as Karagumruk’s team leader. Pirlo has signed a one-year deal reportedly worth around €1.5 million plus bonuses, and has reassembled his old…

Awer Mabil converted the decisive penalty in June for Australia to book their berth at the World Cup, expertly tucking away the Socceroos’ sixth kick of the shootout against Peru in Doha to settle matters. It was, he said, a “thank you to Australia on behalf of my family”. Mabil was born in a refugee camp in Kenya as his parents fled the conflict in South Sudan. His family were offered sanctuary in Australia, and he has since gone on to become an international footballer. The South Sudanese community in Australia totals over10,000, many of who were resettled Down Under from the refugee camps dotted across East Africa. It is from this migrant community that South Sudan’s football team have looked for reinforcements as they take aim at a first-ever…

Gerard Pique’s playing career may be nearing its end but the Barcelona defender is in his salad days as a club owner and this season his revolution in the Pyrenees will face its biggest test as FC Andorra – the club that Pique’s Kosmos Holdings bought only three and a half years ago – makes its debut in the Spanish second tier. Founded in1942, FC Andorra joined the Spanish league system six years later and reached the third tier (Segunda Division B) in1981, remaining at that level for17 years. For the next 20 years the club drifted around the Catalan regional divisions, until Pique’s Kosmos Group arrived in December 2018. The takeover produced immediate results, with the club winning the regional First Catalan Division with a 2-0 final-day victory over…

AUGUST 7 Angers v Nantes Clermont v Paris Saint-Germain Lens v Brest Lille v Auxerre Lyon v Ajaccio Marseille v Reims Montpellier v Troyes Rennes v Lorient Strasbourg v Monaco Toulouse v Nice AUGUST 14 Ajaccio v Lens Auxerre v Angers Brest v Marseille Lorient v Lyon Monaco v Rennes Nantes v Lille Nice v Strasbourg Paris Saint-Germain v Montpellier Reims v Clermont Troyes v Toulouse AUGUST 21 Angers v Brest Clermont v Nice Lille v Paris Saint-Germain Lyon v Troyes Marseille v Nantes Monaco v Lens Montpellier v Auxerre Rennes v Ajaccio Strasbourg v Reims Toulouse v Lorient AUGUST 28 Ajaccio v Lille Auxerre v Strasbourg Brest v Montpellier Lens v Rennes Lorient v Clermont Nantes v Toulouse Nice v Marseille Paris Saint-Germain v Monaco Reims v Lyon Troyes…

After what feels like the first summer break from men’s football in a very long time, the 2022-23 campaign is almost upon us, and what a fascinating season it promises to be. On paper, we are set for some familiar-looking podiums at the top of Europe’s major leagues come May and June 2023, yet in reality the upcoming campaign has the potential to be one of the most unique and unpredictable ever. In a word, the cause of that unpredictability is: Qatar. The interruption of a winter World Cup is sure to have huge ramifications to the upcoming campaign. The hope is that this will mean less predictability, as even the big boys are thrown into disarray, and outsiders earn a one-off shot at the title or Champions League qualification.…

State-of-the-art technology designed to speed up offside decisions will be used in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, FIFA has confirmed. By combining a sensor inside the ball with a network of synchronised cameras charting the position of every player on the pitch, technology will now be able to assess offside decisions. If a player is offside, the VAR will be alerted and can relay the information to the on-field referee. According to the trials that took place at the Arab Cup and Club World Cup, offside VAR decisions were made up to 45 seconds faster. FIFA’s head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, said: “We are very positive. It is ready.”…

A HISTORY OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL IN 100 OBJECTS By Andy Bollen (Pitch Publishing, £16.99) A History of European Football in 100 Objects: The Alternative Football Museum reveals the shocking hidden history of European football. Along the way you’ll meet Dundalk’s one-armed super striker, Austrian legend Matthias Sindelar and the Italian George Best. Bollen’s insightful take on the game is compelling and at times poignant. It is an exhibition for every curious football fan. GOODISON MEMORIES By Steve Zocek (Pitch Publishing, £16.99) Goodison Park, the home of Everton since 1892, has witnessed highs and lows and been graced by the likes of Dixie Dean, Tommy Lawton, Bob Latchford, Gary Lineker, Pele and Eusebio. As the Toffees prepare to move to the waterfront, Goodison Memories celebrates that legendary stadium with vivid recollections…

IN EUROPE ⌂ Athletic Bilbao announced the return of ERNESTO VALVERDE for a third spell. The former Barcelona coach has taken charge of more games for the Basque side than any other manager. ⌂ MESUT OZIL joined Istanbul Basaksehir after his Fenerbahce contract was torn up by the club. ⌂ Paris Saint-Germain appointed CHRISTOPHE GALTIER to replace Mauricio Pochettino, and Marseille hired IGOR TUDOR following Jorge Sampaoli’s decision to quit. ⌂ Ajax captured Netherlands left-back OWEN WIJNDAL for €10 million from AZ, while Galatasaray signed HARIS SEFEROVIC on loan from Benfica. ⌂ Burnley striker WOUT WEGHORST joined Turkish side Besiktas on loan and Norway forward JOSH KING left Watford for Fenerbahce. Meanwhile, Fulham’s former record signing JEAN-MICHAEL SERI joined Hull City on a free transfer. ⌂ Birmingham City named Republic…

AT THE HEART OF THE GAME When the chance comes you simply don’t say no to becoming manager of Manchester United, however daunting the task of rejuvenating a major sporting institution consumed by chaos and despair might look. Cynics and sceptics, and maybe his best friends too, will have told Erik ten Hag this job is mission impossible – but still he could not resist the siren call. The end of the last Premier League season found United at their lowest ebb since the1970s. They endured a shambolic campaign that saw the hapless, over-promoted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally removed as manager, before stand-in boss Ralf Rangnick was reduced to hopeless irrelevance. Five years have passed without a trophy and the club’s supporters are restless; furious with the mostly absent American…

With the slogan “Dream Bigger” plastered across the Parc des Princes, only a few French players in their squad and having spent nearly €400 million on two forwards not so long ago, Paris Saint-Germain under Qatari ownership don’t accurately represent Ligue1. But new coach Christophe Galtier does. An uncharacteristically lowkey appointment, Galtier epitomises France’s stoic, results-focused football of the last decade and has far more in common with Ligue1’s unfashionable, journeyman coaches than any of QSI’s previous managers. Nevertheless, his arrival signals a revolution. Lacking an overarching football philosophy, unlike the game’s elite managers with whom he’ll now compete, the 55-year-old’s13 years as a coach have been chameleonic. Having rescued Saint-Etienne from relegation in 2010, Galtier’s positive team, led by a young Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, were third-highest scorers in the 2012-13…

As Hungary recorded historic victories over England in the UEFA Nations League earlier this summer, everyone at MTK Budapest was brimming with pride. The nation’s success felt like one of their own. Five MTK academy graduates featured in the games – the most out of any club in Hungary – including 17-year-old Zalan Vancsa, who became the youngest player to debut in the national team since1918. Vancsa, who was acquired by the City Group in a record deal for the Hungarian league during the January window, is among an exciting group of players – alongside Andras Schafer (Union Berlin), Dominik Szoboszlai and Peter Gulacsi (both RB Leipzig) – to have emerged from MTK’s academy in recent years. But this is not a recent phenomenon; developing young players has always been…

On the evidence of last season, Manchester City and Liverpool are far ahead of the rest of the Premier League, and more than worth their places in a conversation about the competition’s finest teams of all time. In a normal season, it would be fair to expect them to continue their battle for trophies across four competitions once again. But this will not be a normal season. The final weekend of action before the World Cup interrupts proceedings comes on November12-13. How will players perform in the build-up? Will there be a drop-off in intensity as players seek to avoid injuries ahead of the tournament, or will the prospect of earning a spot on the plane inspire greater performances? And what about the tournament hangover after the Premier League resumes…

AJACCIO Manager: Olivier Pantaloni Key Arrivals: Mangani (Angers), Hamouma (Saint-Etienne), Alphonse (Maccabi Haifa), Vidal (Montpellier), Spadanuda (Aarau) Key Departures: Kalulu (Lorient), Mattoir (Almere City), Elisor (Seraing) Prediction: Despite adding much-needed Ligue1 nous, the Corsican club’s squad remains underpowered having overachieved in a weak second tier. With no one hitting double figures last season, goals will be a major concern for the relegation favourites. ANGERS Manager: Gerald Baticle Key Arrivals: Fofana (Le Havre), Eneme-Ella (Brighton), Abdelli (Le Havre), Blazic (Ferencvaros), Hunou (Minnesota United), Sima (Brighton) Key Departures: Cho (Real Sociedad), Fulgini (Mainz), Cabot (Lens), Thomas (Caen), Magnani (Ajaccio), Lage (Brest) Prediction: Coach Gerald Baticle’s dynamic reimagining of traditionally stoic Angers quickly ran out of steam last term, barely passing the 40-point mark. With swathes of stalwarts departing, Baticle will have to temper…

A difficult winter is coming for Italian football fans. At the end of a year that saw the national team on a helter-skelter ride from triumph at Euro 2020 to non-qualification for the Qatar World Cup, Italy will, for the second consecutive time, miss out on the greatest football show on Earth. How will this impact on the new Serie A season, due to begin with Sampdoria v Atalanta on Saturday August 13? In a time of worldwide economic recession, the World Cup debacle merely adds another demoralising element. One intriguing item in the 2022-23 season, however, sees the return to Serie A of media magnate Silvio Berlusconi and his ever-faithful right-hand man Adriano Galliani, with their newly-promoted Monza team. Together the pair plotted the huge success of the Milan…

ALMERIA Manager: Rubi Key Arrivals: Milovanovic (Partizan Belgrade), Pozo (Sevilla), Guedes (Vitoria Guimaraes), Babic (Red Star Belgrade), Mendes (Lorient), Sola (Barcelona), Kaiky (Santos), Svidersky (Manchester United), Key Departures: Bunuel (released) Prediction: The newly-promoted club, backed by Turki Al Sheikh’s resources, are on their ninth coach in as many seasons but seem to have found a winner in Rubi. He suffered relegation with Levante in 2015-16 but has nurtured a team spirit that will be hard to crack. They should survive. ATHLETIC BILBAO Manager: Ernesto Valverde Key Arrivals: Guruzeta (Amorebieta) Key Departures: Ezketia (Racing Santander), Nunez (Celta Vigo) Prediction: After a two-and-a-half-year sabbatical, during which he published a second photography book, former Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde returns to the dugout. His task will be to help secure European football for Athletic Club…

Since Red Bull’s arrival in Salzburg, it has usually been a case of when, rather than if, they will win the championship, and it is hard to imagine that this season will be any different. Salzburg have won the title for the last nine seasons, and13 of the last16, often by runaway margins:18 points in both 2013-14, when they scored110 goals and finished with a goal difference of +75, and again in 2017-18. Not even a new format, where the teams’ points totals are halved after two thirds of the season, has been able to stop them and they have still coasted home by15-point margins in each of the last two seasons. The run has been interrupted only by Rapid Vienna (2007-08), Sturm Graz (2010-11) and Austria Vienna (2012-13). The…

Ange Postecoglou’s stark transformation of Celtic was perhaps summed up best by his side’s 7-0 win against St Johnstone en route to regaining the Scottish Premiership. The thrashing was a mission statement about Celtic’s football under the Australian manager. It contained two goals from Matt O’Riley – one of which was a stunning finish to complete a 41-pass move – the 21-year-old rightback who had not even been on the radar of most Celtic fans before his signing from MK Dons in January, while two of Postecoglu’s J. League recruits, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, were also on the scoresheet. Celtic Park’s 60,000 sell-out crowd loved what they saw, as Postecoglou delivered on the promise he had made after arriving from Yokohama F. Marinos in June 2021: “I just want…

World Soccer’s October issue features our comprehensive preview of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League campaign. With the draw, fixtures and profiles on all 32 teams, including talking points and spotlights on the star players, coaches and youngsters to watch, you’ll be provided with the ultimate guide to the new campaign. Plus, don’t miss our special review of the 2022 Women’s European Championship, expert analysis of the summer transfer window and our continued countdown to Qatar 2022, plus regular monthly features such as World Service, EyeWitness and incisive comment from in-house columnists Keir Radnedge and Jonathan Wilson. Print £5.99 Digital £3.99 ORDER NOW shop.kelsey.co.uk/WSC22 Or Call: 01959 543 747 You may have missed… SAVE 10% when you spend £25 or more VOUCHERCODE: WSCSHOP22 Also from the publishers of NEW – European…

1 Hannibal MEJBRI (TUNISIA) The19-year-old midfielder made eight times as many appearances for his national team Tunisia as he did for club side Manchester United last season, but he will be hoping Erik ten Hag’s faith in youth will improve his chances of regular football at Old Trafford and a spot in the Eagles of Carthage’s World Cup squad come the winter. With his flying mop of curly hair, Mejbri has been a conspicuous presence for the North Africans over the last ten months, making appearances in the FIFA Arab Cup, Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup play-offs, plus the shock Kirin Cup win in Japan this summer, albeit mostly from the bench. A former French youth international at U16 and U17 level, there are high hopes that…

The 2021-22 Saudi Professional League season was one for the ages. It actually lasted for ages too, starting in mid-August 2021 and finishing over ten months later. There were breaks for World Cup qualification, the Asian Champions League, the death of United Arab Emirates president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in May, and Asia’s Under-23 Championship (which Saudi Arabia won in June without conceding a goal), before it finally ended on June 27. Heading into that final round of games, title rivals Al Hilal of Riyadh and Jeddah’s Al Ittihad were level on points. At the other end of the table, Al Hazm had long been doomed but there were seven other teams in genuine danger of taking one of the other two places in the drop zone. At…

UEFA Super Cup This season’s European Super Cup takes place in Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium between Champions League winners Real Madrid and Europa League victors Eintracht Frankfurt. Remarkably, it is the first meeting between the two sides since the1960 European Cup final, when Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas each scored hat-tricks on the way to a 7-3 victory and Madrid’s fifth successive win in the competition. The final will be the penultimate of its kind, with UEFA planning to introduce a four-team format for 2024. Women’s World Cup qualifiers The final round of European qualifying matches for Australia & New Zealand 2023 takes place from September1 to September 6. Sweden, Spain, Denmark and France have already qualified, and group leaders Netherlands, England, Norway, Italy and Germany will expect to join…

AUGUST 5 Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayern Munich AUGUST 6 Augsburg v Freiburg Bochum v Mainz Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen Borussia M’gladbach v Hoffenheim Cologne v Schalke Stuttgart v RB Leipzig Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin Wolfsburg v Werder Bremen AUGUST 13 Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg Bayern Munich v Wolfsburg Freiburg v Borussia Dortmund Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt Hoffenheim v Bochum Mainz v Union Berlin RB Leipzig v Cologne Schalke v Borussia M’gladbach Werder Bremen v Stuttgart AUGUST 20 Augsburg v Mainz Bayer Leverkusen v Hoffenheim Bochum v Bayern Munich Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen Borussia M’gladbach v Hertha Berlin Eintracht Frankfurt v Cologne Stuttgart v Freiburg Union Berlin v RB Leipzig Wolfsburg v Schalke AUGUST 27 Bayern Munich v Borussia M’gladbach Cologne v Stuttgart Freiburg v Bochum Hertha…

AUGUST 14 Almeria v Real Madrid Athletic Bilbao v Mallorca Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano Cadiz v Real Sociedad Celta Vigo v Espanyol Getafe v Atletico Madrid Osasuna v Sevilla Real Betis v Elche Real Valladolid v Villarreal Valencia v Girona AUGUST 21 Athletic Bilbao v Valencia Atletico Madrid v Villarreal Celta Vigo v Real Madrid Elche v Almeria Espanyol v Rayo Vallecano Girona v Getafe Mallorca v Real Betis Osasuna v Cadiz Real Sociedad v Barcelona Sevilla v Real Valladolid AUGUST 28 Almeria v Sevilla Barcelona v Real Valladolid Cadiz v Athletic Bilbao Elche v Real Sociedad Espanyol v Real Madrid Getafe v Villarreal Girona v Celta Vigo Rayo Vallecano v Mallorca Real Betis v Osasuna Valencia v Atletico Madrid SEPTEMBER 4 Athletic Bilbao v Espanyol Celta Vigo v Cadiz…

AFRICA Final Tables 2021-22 BENIN Championship Round North Relegation Round south Relegation Round Plate Final Jun15: ASPAC 0-2 Tukunnin CAMEROON Group A Group B *Deducted 3 points Final Stages Relegation Play-Off Jul 1: Yafoot 0-1 Panthere Semi-Finals Jun 30: Eding Sport p0-0 Canon; Les Astres 0-2 Cotonsport Third-Place Play-Off Jun 30: Canon 3-2 Les Astres Final Jul 3:Eding Sport1-1p Cotonsport CAPE VERDE Group A Group B Group C Final Stages Semi-Finals Jun 24-25: Academica do Mindelo 2-2 Rosariense; Botafogo 0-0 Palmeira Jul 1-2: Palmeira 0-0 Botafogo (agg 0-0); Rosariense 0-4 Academica do Mindelo (agg 2-6) Final Jul 8:Academica do Mindelo1-0 Palmeira ETHIOPIA GHANA IVORY COAST KENYA *Enter relegation play-off MAURITANIA MOROCCO RWANDA SAO TOME E PRINCIPE TANZANIA *Enter relegation play-off TUNISIA Group A Group B Championship Round *Awarded 3 points…