Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i World Soccer

For the first time, the title races in all five of Europe’s top leagues were won by the defending champions. A sign of the stagnating times, perhaps, but beneath the top layer of wealthy clubs, some great stories have taken place this season: the likes of Atalanta in Italy (page 30) and Nice in France (page 22) challenging the existing order, as well as new champions in Greece (page 28) and Poland (page 25). Much has been made of the two main European club cup Finals being contested by four English teams for the first time. Yet it is somewhat pointless to describe clubs as English when the managers and club owners are foreign, and only eight of the 44 starters in the two matches were English. Europe’s top five…

“Thanks to all those who love me, to all those who hate me. I love everyone today” FIFA president Gianni Infantino is re-elected “by acclamation” Adil AOUCHICHE (Paris Saint-Germain & France) Holland may have triumphed at the European Under-17 Championship in Ireland but the tournament’s top scorer in the finals came from beaten semifinalists France. With nine goals, Adil Aouchiche set a new record for the competition and equalled the European tournament best set by compatriot Michel Platini at Euro 84. On target in all of France’s games, bar the defeat to Italy in the semis, the 16-year-old’s goals included a hat-trick against Sweden in the group stage and four in the 6-1 quarter-final thrashing of Czech Republic. The central midfielder, who has Algerian heritage, was courted by Bordeaux, Lyon…

They may not have won any kind of trophy, but there’s no doubt Lille had a stellar campaign. In the eyes of many, they enjoyed the best of any French team, including Paris Saint-Germain. Under Christophe Galtier, Les Dogues qualified for the Champions League by finishing second in Ligue 1, fully 16 points behind PSG. But if you think that isn’t particularly impressive, think again. When the 52-year-old Galtier arrived in December 2017, it’s no exaggeration to say Lille were in meltdown. Majority shareholder and club president Gerard Lopez had brought in respected Argentinian coach Marcelo Bielsa that summer, but by November the team were second bottom, players were openly criticising his methods and the fans were ready to unfurl the “Bielsa Out” banners. On November 22, Lopez saved them…

Swapping the silverware-smelting works that is Manchester City for the role of player-coach at his old Anderlecht stomping ground, Vincent Kompany will be only too aware of the enormity of the challenge he faces at the Brussels club. Anderlecht are, to put it bluntly, a wreck at the moment. Once Belgium’s number one side by a country mile, and renowned for their continental trophy exploits in the 1970s and 1980s, Les Mauves simply no longer inspire the same awe-struck respect. This season they could only finish sixth in the league and next term they must do without European football for the first time in 56 years. Their squad is not good enough to compete for trophies in Belgium, let alone Europe, and money for new signings is tight. Just to…

Adebate is raging in Russia as to whether jailed Zenit forward Aleksandr Kokorin has a moral right to a league winners’ medal this season. Kokorin, who recently received an 18-month prison sentence for two counts of assault, is technically entitled to the aforementioned prize. Before his arrest in October and sevenmonth spell in custody awaiting trial, the Russia international did appear in three games for future champions Zenit and, according to the rules of the country’s Premier League, every member of the titlewinning squad is eligible for a medal. The all-important questions, though, are moral ones. Should someone convicted of gratuitous violence deserve such an accolade? What sort of message does it send out to the young and impressionable? And is it correct for a so-called role model to be…

Been there. Done that. Now got the European Cup. The 2019 UEFA Champions League showdown was not the best of Finals. Nor was it the worst, though the outcome had been predicted because Liverpool brought the stronger team, the deeper squad and the greater investment. Most important, however, Jurgen Klopp’s team boasted one crucial quality denied to Tottenham: the weight of experience from the same occasion a year earlier. They had no cause for pause to gauge the emotional temperature or catch their breath in the rarefied atmosphere of the world’s biggest club game. All that had been computed in Kiev. Hence it was straight down to business: into attack, into the penalty box and into the lead – courtesy of Sadio Mane’s chip, Mousa Sissoko’s handball, referee Damir Skomina’s…

MAURIZIO SARRI (Chelsea manager) “My feeling at the end of the first half was that the match was very difficult. It was our 64th match of the season and it was hot on the pitch, very difficult to play physically. At half-time I asked my players to play with more courage, even if it meant risking to lose. “I wanted my team to move the ball better, and the players did it very well in the second half. We played very good football against a very difficult opponent. “In the Europa League we played 15 matches, we won 12 and drew three, so I think we deserve to win the Europa League. “To be the first trophy of my career is not so important for me but is important for…

It will surprise no one that Paris Saint-Germain won their sixth Ligue 1 title in seven years. But what is an eyebrowraiser is that, overall, the French giants regressed during the campaign. The club’s ultra-ambitious Qatari owners have made no secret of their desire to claim the Champions League trophy sooner rather than later. That’s why Spanish coach Unai Emery was given his marching orders even after winning a domestic treble last year. His replacement, Thomas Tuchel, came in from Borussia Dortmund with a skyhigh reputation, yet only delivered one meaningful trophy, the league title. Tuchel began the season with a 4-0 win against Monaco in the Trophee des Champions. PSG then broke the record for the most consecutive wins at the start of any Ligue 1 campaign with 14,…

At the very end of a season unlike any he had ever experienced before, Valencia coach Marcelino Garcia Toral sat there wearing a smile twice as wide as his face. Outside the Benito Villamarin stadium in Seville, it was late, it was hot and the fans were singing, celebrating winning the Copa del Rey – their first trophy in 11 years. For Marcelino, at 53, it was a first ever. He had never even beaten Barcelona before. Now, at last, he had – and in a Final. Valencia’s centenary season had culminated in triumph. “We won!” Marcelino grinned, slapping at the desk as if it was a set of bongo drums. “I feel an immense happiness that’s impossible to describe; you feel like laughing.” And so he did. “Inexplicable,” he…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Partizani won their first title since 1993, finishing a clear distance ahead of Kukesi, who again finished as runners-up. Last year’s champions Skenderbeu, who were handed a 10-year UEFA ban for match fixing, dropped back to fifth. CUP WINNERS Kukesi won the Cup for only the second time in their history, beating Tirana 2-1 in the Final. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Partizani go into the Champions League first qualifying round, Kukesi and Teuta enter the Europa League first qualifying round along with Laci who were sixth but qualified as Skenderbeu are under a UEFA ban and Flamurtari were denied a licence. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Bottom-placed Kamza dropped out of the league and were demoted to the third tier as punishment for violence at a league game where…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Sarajevo spent the most of the season at the top of the table, but a poor run of form in the final third of the season almost cost them the title. Luckily for them, the opposition kept shooting themselves in the foot. CUP WINNERS Sarajevo confirmed their domination by beating Siroki Brijeg 3-2 on aggregate in the Final. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Sarajevo will play in the Champions League, while Zrinjski and Siroki enter the Europa League. Fourthplace Zeljeznicar failed to get a licence so their place went to Radnik Bijeljina. RELEGATED/PROMOTED GOSK Gabela and Krupa are replaced by Borac Banja Luka and Velez Mostar, who both have big support. PLAYER OF THE SEASON Mersudin Ahmetovic had one of his best seasons since returning from…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON APOEL won their seventh straight title. AEK Larnaca were unimpressive in the first half of the campaign but came with a late run to secure the runners-up spot. Third-placed Apollon played some excellent attacking football but let themselves down in their top-six encounters. CUP WINNERS AEL Limassol claimed a first cup win since 1989, upsetting favourites APOEL 2-0 in the Final. Inspired throughout by Cape Verdean keeper Vozinha, they took the lead through Dosa Junior and Marko Adamovic sealed victory in the second half. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE APOEL will be in the hat for the Champions League first qualifying round and have their hearts set on a fifth-group phase appearance. Limassol outfits Apollon and AEL join AEK Larnaca in the Europa League. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Rock…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON The only unbeaten league champion in Europe this term, PAOK were a united machine who secured their first title since 1985. The key moments of the season were home and away victories over nearest challengers Olympiakos. CUP WINNERS For the third consecutive year, PAOK overcame AEK in the Final, with a solitary goal from Chuba Akpom a minute before the break. AEK dominated territorially for long periods in the second half but lacked creativity and the PAOK defence was as watertight as ever. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE PAOK and runners-up Olympiakos head for the Champions League sifting process, the former starting in the third qualifying round, the latter in the second round. AEK, Atromitos and another Salonika side, Aris, will take part in Europa League…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Maccabi Tel Aviv lost once in 36 games and clinched the title in double-quick time, with the celebrations beginning a full two months before the end of the campaign. They ended up a record 31 points ahead of second-place Maccabi Haifa. CUP WINNERS Tel Aviv outfit Bnei Yehuda lifted their second cup in three years by defeating Maccabi Netanya 5-4 on penalties in the Final. At the end of extra time, the two sides were level at 1-1. Yehuda midfielder Yuval Ashkenazi scored the decisive spot-kick. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Maccabi Tel Aviv will be hoping to appear in the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2015-16. Maccabi Haifa, third-placed Hapoel Be’er Sheva and cup winners Bnei Yehuda must try to find…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Sutjeska dominated the campaign and successfully defended their title, playing an efficient and attractive brand of football. CUP WINNERS Buducnost beat Lovcen 4-0 in the Final to claim their first silverware for two years and a first trophy in the coaching career of ex-Montenegro national coach Branko Brnovic. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Sutjeska go into the qualifiers for the Champions League, while Buducnost, Zeta and Titograd take part in the Europa League qualifiers. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Mornar were relegated and replaced by Mladost Ljeskopolje. In the playoffs, Rudar retained their top-flight status but Lovcen swap places with Kom. PLAYER OF THE SEASON Zeta’s teen striker Nikola Krstovic helped his side to win a place in Europe. With 17 goals, of which none were penalties, he was the…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON After avoiding relegation on the final day of last season, Piast Gliwice stunned everyone by becoming Polish champions for the first time. They won 1-0 away to title favourites Legia Warsaw in early May and overtook them at the top of the table with three games to play. CUP WINNERS Thirty-six years after their first success, Lechia Gdansk lifted the Polish Cup once more. Piotr Stokowiec’s side beat Jagiellonia Bialystok 1-0 in the Final with a late goal from Artur Sobiech. Holders Legia Warsaw went out to second-tier Rakow Czestochowa. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE In the Champions League for the first time, Piast Gliwice will start in the first qualifying round. League runners-up Legia Warsaw and fourth-place Cracovia go into the first qualifying round of…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Zenit won the title by eight points from last term’s champions Lokomotiv Moscow, clinching the league three rounds from the end of the tournament. It was their fifth win in modern Russian history, having also finished top of the Soviet League in 1984. CUP WINNERS Lokomotiv added the cup to their league runnersup spot, beating Ural Yekaterinburg 1-0 in the Final for a record eighth success since 1996 and for the sixth time under Yuri Semin. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE While Zenit and Lokomotiv are no strangers to the Champions League, thirdplace Krasnodar are in the qualification stage for the first time in their 11-year history. The Europa League berths are taken by Moscow clubs CSKA and Spartak, along with Arsenal Tula. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Yenisey Krasnoyarsk…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Slovan Bratislava won their first league title in five years, which was awarded soon after as the club’s equally long-awaited new stadium was unveiled. They won the league with six rounds left to play – the earliest title win in the history of Slovak football. CUP WINNERS Spartak Trnava made up for a miserable season by beating Zilina to win the Final in Nitra. Teenage striker Robert Bozenik had pegged back Spartak’s lead in normal time, but then saw his spot-kick saved when a 3-3 draw took the game to penalties WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Slovan Bratislava are in the seeded half of the first qualifying round draw for the Champions League. Spartak Trnava, DAC and Ruzomberok all enter the Europa League at the first…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON In January, Galatasaray were eight points behind leaders Instanbul BB. Four months later, the tables had turned, with Gala wrapping up their second consecutive national crown, sealing the deal with a home win over IBB on the penultimate weekend of the season. CUP WINNERS Trailing to an Elvis Manu goal, Galatasaray came from behind to draw level through a Sinan Gumus penalty and then beat Akhisar 3-1 with goals in the closing minutes from Sofiane Feghouli and Mbaye Diagne to win the cup for a recordextending 18th time. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Galatasaray will feature in the Champions League group phase draw. Istanbul BB will join them if they are successful in the eliminators. Besiktas go straight to the Europa League group stage, while Trabzonspor…

What do you do when the 2022 World Cup is fast approaching and your current team is not good enough to qualify, while recent investment in young talent is not expected to pay dividends for a few more years yet? In China’s case, they are starting to think about bringing in outside help – and not just with the return of Marcello Lippi as coach. For the first time ever, China could consider selecting players born outside the Middle Kingdom. The 71-year-old Italian knows better than perhaps any outsider that China – a country of 1.4 billion that has only qualified once for the World Cup, back in 2002 – still lacks the required talent. His first spell in charge of the national side ended after 27 months, in January,…

“I think we’re compatible, but Zidane will decide” Real Madrid signing Luka Jovic thinks he can play alongside Karim Benzema after his €60m transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt ■ AFRICA CAF in crisis over Final and Ahmad arrest Confederation of African Football president Ahmad is facing a mounting crisis after the CAF Champions League Final ended in chaos and he was arrested by French police who are investigation corruption allegations. Just days before the Africa Cup of Nations was due to kick off in Egypt, CAF officials ordered that the abandoned second leg of the Champions League Final between Esperance and Wydad must be replayed later this summer at a neutral venue. Just hours after the decision was made at a CAF executive committee meeting in Paris, Ahmad was arrested at…

Infantino’s African problem Within hours of Gianni Infantino’s reelection as FIFA president, the smile was wiped off his face by the latest farcical twist within CAF. As Infantino was assuring the world that his new FIFA was as bright and shiny as Jurgen Klopp’s teeth, French police were waiting to pounce on African confederation president Ahmad over corruption allegations. To rewind: Swiss lawyer Infantino was elected in 2016 to serve out the remaining three years of the term to which banned and disgraced Sepp Blatter had been voted in 2015. Infantino had been parachuted in by European federation UEFA after its own president, Michel Platini, had been banned himself over a murky financial deal with Blatter. Hence Infantino stood for reelection this year in Paris to a first of a…

“Things which have nothing to do with sports have defeated sports and football on this occasion” A spokesman for the Montenegro federation confirms the sacking of coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic for boycotting the Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo IN EUROPE A winner of three consecutive Serie A titles during his time as coach of Juventus, ANTONIO CONTE replaced Luciano Spalletti at Internazionale, while PAULO FONSECA left Shakhtar Donetsk and joined Roma. Former Real Madrid and Spain coach JULEN LOPETEGUI took charge of Sevilla, while ASIER GARITANO replaced Abelardo Fernandez at Alaves. After 11 years with Manchester City, VINCENT KOMPANY became playercoach at Anderlecht and took the Premier League club’s head of academy coaching, SIMON DAVIES, to Belgium with him. Swansea City boss GRAHAM POTTER was appointed manager of Brighton & Hove…

Three years ago, Uli Forte was appointed coach of Zurich with a handful of games left that season in a bid to save the 12-time national champions from relegation. Ultimately, he failed, but he did lead the team back to the top flight at the first attempt. And now Forte faces an almost identical job with Zurich’s neighbours, Grasshoppers, after the country’s most successful club of all time crashed out of the Swiss Super League. After a dramatic final two months of the season – which featured a change of president, three coaches and two matches abandoned – a 6-1 defeat at Young Boys means Grasshoppers will play in the Challenge League next term for the first time since 1951. The club’s problems have been building up ever since they…

Next season, for the first time in 42 years, Berlin will have two clubs in the Bundesliga: the well-established Hertha and top-flight neophytes Union, who defied the odds to see off Stuttgart in the promotion/relegation play-offs. Union’s margin of victory in the two-legged repechage might have been as thin as gossamer, only prevailing on the away-goals rule after a pair of drawn encounters – 2-2 in Stuttgart, 0-0 on home turf in the return – but no one can say that the unfashionable Berliners do not deserve their moment in the sun. While Stuttgart were undoubtedly the better technical side, what they crucially did not have was Union’s intense work ethic. “Vollgas” (full throttle) is a phrase you often hear in German football circles and, under coach Urs Fischer, Union…

Eleven years ago, not long after he had arrived in Italy to coach Internazionale all the way to a Champions League trophy, Jose Mourinho came up against a relatively unknown coach in Gian Piero Gasperini. In those days, “Gasp” was in charge of a useful Genoa side that featured players such as Argentinian striker Diego Milito, Brazilian midfielder Thiago Motta and full-back Domenico Criscito. Surprisingly, Genoa held league leaders Inter to a 0-0 draw at the San Siro on that October 2008 day, even though Genoa had finished the game with just 10 players. La Repubblica’s match report the next day said of what had looked like a disappointing result for the champions: “Genoa played a very handy, tactically very shrewd game, shutting down Inter in midfield and stopping them…

JURGEN KLOPP (Liverpool manager) “Both teams had not played for three weeks so getting the rhythm was difficult and also there were the different circumstances with two English teams playing one another and, near the end, Alisson had to make a few saves. “He played a sensational game and looked unbeatable and we also scored our goals at the right moments. Usually after a Final I have to explain: ‘How did you lose this game?’ but this time I want to enjoy the moment for all the people round the world who were with us and are celebrating crazily. “We had a sensational night but my feeling is mostly relief for my family because the last six times we always flew on holiday with a silver medal which doesn’t feel…

Being the first winners of the Nations League is a joyous moment for the Portuguese people. “We will go down in history,” said coach Fernando Santos moments after his team had conquered Europe for the second time in three years. And there was not much sign it was a secondary trophy s tens of thousands of Selecao fans packed into Porto’s Praca dos Aliados to welcome the team and revel in victory late into the night. The triumphant atmosphere was an echo of the Euro 2016 celebrations – and Santos promised there is more to come: “This is a team of the future. It’s a continuous process and we have shown what Portuguese football is all about. The future is in safe hands.” It is difficult to argue with him,…

For the seventh consecutive season, Bayern Munich were the first vehicle across the Bundesliga finishing line, albeit with the odd puncture and mechanical breakdown en route. By Bayern’s stringent standards, it was a distinctly sub-par campaign. More often than not, the football they produced was gritty and functional rather than eyecatching, and in a two-month period last autumn the Bavarians were very poor, losing to Hertha Berlin, Borussia Monchengladbach and arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund, and carelessly dropping points in drawn home games with Freiburg and Fortuna Dusseldorf. As the winter winds kicked in, Bayern’s chances of another title were registering below zero. While Dortmund were sweeping all before them, down south in Munich the overwhelming impression was that of a club going nowhere. In late November they were placed as low…

Having long decided she would not be joining Norway at the World Cup, Ada Hegerberg knew the Champions League had to be her stage this year, and she stole the show with a leading role. The Ballon d’Or winner, who has not played for her country for two years in protest at the national federation’s treatment of female players, scored a 17-minute hat-trick in Budapest as Lyon brushed aside Barcelona to secure a sixth title, and their fourth in succession. It was further confirmation that while the big beasts of European football are stirring – this was Barca’s first Final but will not be their last – Lyon remain peerless in the women’s club game. Chelsea pushed them hard in the semifinals, and Wolfsburg at times tested them in the…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON In a new format, with the number of teams increased from 10 and 12 and the league split into two after they had all played each other twice, Red Bull Salzburg led from the front, winning their first 10 matches, clinching another title with three games to spare. CUP WINNERS RB Salzburg completed the double by beating Rapid Vienna 2-0 in the Final with goals from Patrick Farkas and Munas Dabbur. Third-tier Grazer AK beat Austria Vienna 2-1 in the quarter-finals, but were walloped 6-0 by Salzburg in the semis. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Salzburg go into the Champions League group stage as Austria moved up in the UEFA coefficients and runners-up LASK Linz are in the third qualifying round. Wolfsburger are in the Europa…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Ludogorets won their eighth title in a row, a figure that puts them third in the all-time list of champions, behind CSKA with 31 and Levski with 26. CUP WINNERS For the first time the Final was between Plovdiv rivals Botev and Lokomotiv, with the latter winning with a goal from Slovenian striker Alen Ozhbolt. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Ludogorets will take their place in the Champions League qualifiers, with cup winners Lokomotiv Plovdiv and second placed CSKA Sofia in the Europa League, along with Levski, who beat Etar in a play-off. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Vereya were expelled by the Bulgarian Football Union after repeated warnings from UEFA over suspected match-fixing, with Septemvri Sofia also demoted. Tsarsko Selo and Arda are promoted. PLAYER OF THE SEASON Todor…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Chinese-owned Slavia Prague were the dominant force in a new-look league format. Leaders for all but a fortnight of the 30-game regular season, they made winning the title a formality with a 3-1 victory over nearest rivals Viktoria Plzen in round two of a new sixgame championship group. CUP WINNERS Four days after clinching the league title with a 0-0 draw in Ostrava, Slavia beat the same side 2-0 in Olomouc to win their first league-and-cup double since the second world war. Tomas Soucek opened the scoring with a penalty and Lukas Masopust added the second. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Last season’s champions Viktoria Plzen join Slavia in the Champions League. After a disappointing season, third-placed Sparta Prague must settle for the Europa League, along…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON PSV dropped crucial points after the winter break, with Ajax clinching the title on the penultimate match day. A 34th title had emotional and symbolic value as it was Abdelhak Nouri’s shirt number. The champions scored 119 goals – the third-biggest haul in the competition’s history. CUP WINNERS Prior to claiming the league title, Ajax won the cup for the first time in nine years. In a one-sided Final against Willem II in Rotterdam, they were simply too good for the Tilburg side and won 4-0 with goals from Daley Blind, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (two) and Rasmus Kristensen. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Since Holland no longer has an automatic berth anymore, Ajax and PSV will join the Champions League preliminaries. Feyenoord and AZ, who finished third…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON For the fourth consecutive season, Dudelange reigned supreme, clinching the title in improbable fashion on the penultimate weekend of the campaign. Three-nil down after 70 minutes at Hostert, they snatched a late win. Esch clubs, Fola and Jeunesse, were second and third respectively. CUP WINNERS Dudelange secured the double with a 5-0 victory over an inexperienced Etzella Ettelbruck side. Not that the latter did not put up a fight, holding their opponents goalless for almost an hour. Etzella’s fate was sealed when defender Losseni Keita was sent-off after 65 minutes. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Dudelange’s reward for winning the league is an invitation to the first round of Champions League qualification. Fola Esch, Jeunesse Esch and fourth-placed Progres Niederkorn have a shot at making the…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON After finishing fourth in 2018, Linfield bounced back to dominate, winning the title with three games to spare by a margin of seven points from runnersup Ballymena United. Andrew Waterworth, with 17 goals, was key for the Blues, along with Jordan Stewart and Jamie Mulgrew. CUP WINNERS There was consolation for Crusaders’ poor league performance with a 3-0 victory over Championship side Ballinamallard United to win the cup for the first time in 10 years. Midfielders Jordan Forsythe and Philip Lowry were on target, along with substitute Ross Clarke. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Linfield start in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, while the Europa League plays host to Crusaders, Ballymena United and play-off winners Cliftonville. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Larne, backed by the millionaire founder…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Upon losing 2-0 to Portimonense in January, Benfica dropped to fourth, seven points adrift of leaders Porto. Rui Vitoria was sacked, B-team coach Bruno Lage was promoted and the team won 18 and drew one of their remaining 19 matches to finish top of the pile. CUP WINNERS Having already beaten Porto on penalties to win the League Cup in January, Sporting did the cup double by beating the same opponents in May, with skipper Bruno Fernandes scoring in all seven games they played in the competition WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Benfica go into the Champions League group stage, while Porto will have to negotiate two qualifiers to join them. Sporting, Braga and Vitoria Guimaraes will be in the Europa League, the latter two having…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Celtic overcame the loss of boss Brendan Rodgers to Leicester City in February to seal an eighth successive title, finishing nine points ahead of Rangers. Defeat at Ibrox in December saw the Glasgow rivals level at the winter break but a 2-1 win over Rangers in March ended their challenge. CUP WINNERS Winners a record 39 times, Celtic beat Hearts 2-1 in the Final, with two goals from Odsonne Edouard, to lift the trophy for a third successive season for the first time. Victory also meant Celtic delivered Scottish football’s first “treble treble” WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Celtic enter the Champions League first qualifying stage, while runners-up Rangers will be in the Europa League and join third-placed Kilmarnock in the first qualifying round along with…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Maribor marched to a record 15th league title despite a late 3-0 hiccup at home to nearest rivals Olimpija. It proved to be one of only four defeats all season. CUP WINNERS Olimpija gained a consolation cup win over Maribor in Celje. Austrian midfielder Stefan Savic scored twice before Maribor veteran Marco Tavares pulled one back deep into stoppage time. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Maribor enter the Champions League at the first qualifying round stage. In the Europa League, cup winners Olimpija and thirdplaced Domzale will be joined by debutants Mura of Murska Sobota, who gained two straight promotions to reach the top tier in 2018. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Krsko weren’t at the races and ended 13 points from safety. Five defeats and two draws in their…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Shakhtar Donetsk easily won the title for the third time in a row. The signing of former Dynamo Kiev striker Junior Moraes was key and he was the league’s top scorer with 19 goals. Brazilian skipper Taison was equally important with 12 assists. CUP WINNERS Shakhtar won the cup for a 13th time and made it four in a row. In the Final they won 4-0 against Inhulets, a second-tier side from a village with just 7,000 inhabitants. Brazilian newcomer Tete, who was recruited in the winter for €16m, scored twice. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Shakhtar will go directly to the Champions League group stage, while Dynamo Kiev are in the third qualifying round. Olexandriya are in the Europa League group, while Zorya Luhansk and…

Even in a domestic league that is as far off the radar as that of Costa Rica, there is an established order, an accepted duopoly rarely breached. In the Liga FPD, Saprissa and Alajuelense – and sometimes the ever wily Herediano – ordinarily trade the championship like a jealously shared possession. But not this season. The hierarchy was breached by the unlikeliest of upstarts in tiny San Carlos from the agricultural town of Cuidad Quesada, northwest of the population centres around the capital, San Jose, that harbour the country’s footballing powers. Having started the 2018-19 campaign as top-flight newcomers after winning promotion from Costa Rica’s Segunda Division the previous season, San Carlos’ ascent to the title was extraordinary. There were, however, signs from the outset, and during their ultimate run…

Halfway through the group phase of the 2019 Libertadores Cup, reigning champions River Plate of Argentina had yet to win a game. The previous year’s winners, Gremio of Brazil, were in an even tighter spot with just one point from three games and facing a possibility that even three wins would not be enough to make it to the knockout stage. In the end, both teams got through – as did most of the big names in the competition. Just two former winners fell by the wayside, and for Penarol of Uruguay it was the seventh consecutive group-phase elimination. The other casualty were Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro, bundled out quickly as a consequence of poor defending – which was no surprise to anyone who saw them last year. Of the last…

MESUT OZIL The Arsenal midfielder and his new wife, Amine Gulse, asked their wedding guests to forego the traditional gifts and instead donate to a charity which funds operations for children in developing countries. The gesture paid for 1,000 children around the world to have lifechanging surgery. THE McGINN BROTHERS John McGinn scored for Aston Villa as they beat Derby County 2-1 in the play-off Final to reach the Premier League, while his elder siblings – Stephen and Paul McGinn – were both in the St Mirren side that ensured the Scottish side’s Premiership safety the day before with a penalty shoot-out victory over Dundee United. KYLIAN MBAPPE The 20-year-old PSG forward’s strike for France in their Euro 2020 qualifying defeat of Andorra was his 100th senior career goal. ERLING…

A target too VAR? Is there something wrong with VAR? I don’t mean a quibble or two about the way it operates. I mean the whole idea of this elaborate set-up of additional referees and a bank of monitors that spew out replays at all speeds from all angles. The target is clear enough: to make sure the referee gets the calls right. Which means we’re seeking perfection. I’ve never doubted that is a worthy aim and I think that would be true of most football devotees who have seen too many games where a wrong call, thanks to imaging technology, is known to be wrong by all except the ref. It is an absurdity that had to be corrected. But I am having some second thoughts about this –…

Average England performances raise doubts about Southgate After their somewhat mediocre showing in Portugal, England under Gareth Southgate look towards a demanding new season. The ever-recurring question of a playmaker – a Pirlo, a creative inside-forward as they once were called – is with us again. There was not one to be seen in the recent tournament and a sad series of injuries has marginalised Jack Wilshere. In the recent competition, Harry Winks, the 23-year-old Tottenham Hotspur prospect was absent, not being match fit. His previous international appearances have suggested that he could be the man for the job and he certainly deserves an extended chance. Coming up promisingly on the rails is the precocious Manchester City player Phil Foden, who can only improve with regular appearances in the Premier…

Second-favourites to be relegated, behind promoted Zaglebie Sosnowiec, Piast Gliwice defied the odds to become Polish champions for the first time. Having only avoided the drop thanks to a victory in their final game of last season, coach Waldemar Fornalik’s position looked extremely vulnerable should Piast begin badly again this term. However, his side made a good start to the campaign and were in the top half of the table when the league split, although nobody at the time thought of them as serious title contenders. Instead, the championship looked like a twohorse race between favourites Legia Warsaw and Lechia Gdansk, who had surprisingly led the table during the regular Ekstraklasa season. But then, in the top eight, Champions Group play-offs, Piast beat Lechia 2-0 in Gdansk and Legia 1-0…

Proudly clad in black and white, fans of PAOK are spending their summer partying after the team claimed its first Greek league title in 34 years and then completed the domestic double with a 1-0 win over AEK in the Cup Final. Cup winners for the last three seasons, PAOK have a reputation for saving their best for knockout competitions. But this term the team from Thessaloniki also displayed their consistency and staying power in the Super League race, with 26 victories in 30 fixtures and becoming one of only two sides – the other being Panathinaikos in 1963-64 – to remain unbeaten in a top-flight campaign. “This is the craziest group of players and fans you could wish to have”PAOK skipper Vieirinha The unbridled joy of the PAOK faithful…

For 18 years, his way of play has shown football’s romantic side. But now, 35-year-old Robin Van Persie has called it a day, marking the end of a career for one of Holland’s all-time greats who should have collected much more silverware but instead learned some valuable lessons. It was a journey that turned him from a unbearable rebel into a well-balanced family man. The difference between his two spells at Feyenoord could hardly have been more pronounced. A highly gifted and successful youngster but hard to control, he was “Mr Positivo” in his last two injuryprone seasons in Rotterdam. This time he played with an eye for the fans and helping his club in every way he could. It was clear that a different, more mature and well-balanced family…

Four English clubs monopolising the two European club Finals was historic. The only surprise, as efficient Chelsea kicked off the Premier League party by swatting away a poor Arsenal, is that the football powers in Germany, Spain and Italy had managed to prevent it until now. The Premier League is the richest in the game, with its clubs generating a record £4.5billion last year. English clubs can pay the highest transfer fees and wages, thus they are able to appoint many of the best coaches and sign most of the best players. Logic and the law of averages suggest that English clubs should have more success than any other country in European club competition. But UEFA has only itself to blame for events this past season after its own rule…

Manchester City made history by becoming the first team in England to win a domestic treble of League, FA Cup and League Cup. But despite the exciting football played by Pep Guardiola’s team, City’s middle eastern owners have struggled to overcome accusations of “sportswashing” and “reputation laundering”. Like their Qatari counterparts at Paris Saint-Germain, City’s Emirati owners have been accused of using their vast wealth to distort the competitive balance of the Premier League. Sheikh Mansour’s investment in City has now passed £1.3billion since 2008 and City have again attracted the attentions of UEFA’s Financial Fairplay watchdog. The other side of the very expensive coin is that Abu Dhabi’s millions have produced a football team coached by Guardiola that has played some mesmerising football, culminating in a 6-0 annihilation of…

There was a cruel, if poetic justice about the manner in which Juventus wrapped up a 35th league title with a 2-1 home win against Fiorentina. Notwithstanding the fact that, for many reasons, this was an historic night, there was a strangely anti-climatic feel to the occasion. The Turin powerhouse had just become the first club from the big five European leagues to win eight consecutive domestic titles. Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo had just become the first player to have won the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A treble. And yet even though Colombian star Juan Cuadrado jumped around like a crazy man, spraying white foam on the heads of team-mates and coach Massimiliano Allegri, these celebrations somehow looked just a tad ritualistic. The point is that, four days earlier,…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON The most attack-conscious team in the country, Genk claimed a fourth national title, after 1999, 2002 and 2011. The club from east Flanders were in pole position for most of the campaign. Club Brugge pushed them close, but ultimately had too many off days. CUP WINNERS Second division Mechelen were the giant-killing heroes in the Final, coming from behind to beat topflight Gent 2-1. Man of the match for Mechelen was right-winger Nikola Storm who fired home his side’s equaliser and then set up the winner for Chilean defender German Mera. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Genk were rewarded with a short-cut to the Champions League group phase, while Club Brugge are in the qualifiers. Standard Liege, Antwerp – who beat Charleroi in an end-ofseason play-off…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Dinamo Zagreb became the first team to break the 90-point barrier since the league was reduced to 10 teams and were on the top from day one. Arch-rivals Hajduk were far from at their best, finishing fourth. CUP WINNERS Huge favourites going into the Final, Dinamo Zagreb were unable to break down a strong Rijeka defence and were beaten 3-1. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Dinamo Zagreb will start in the second qualifying round of the Champions League. Cup winners Rijeka finished second in the league and start in the Europa League third round, while thirdplaced Osijek will play in the second round. Hajduk Split go into the first round. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Rudes won just three of their 36 league games and were relegated long before the…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Copenhagen’s decision to keep faith with boss Stale Solbakken paid off, and after a close battle with Midtjylland in the regular season they romped away with the title in the final Championship round of 10 matches, with two derby victories against Brondby at crucial moments. CUP WINNERS Midtjylland beat Brondby on penalties after a tense Final finished 1-1. It was a first cup triumph after four previous Final defeats and a great success for boss Kenneth Anderson, who stepped up after 13 years as youth coach midway through the season when Jess Thorup left for Gent. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Copenhagen go into the second qualifying round of the Champions League, while Midtylland are in the third qualifying round of the Europa League. Esbjerg are…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Ferencvaros led the table from the second game of the season to the finish to win a record 30th league crown, brushing aside a bid by 2018 champions MOL Vidi. The club’s five-figure average home gates were a huge advantage. CUP WINNERS MOL Vidi made up for the loss of their league title with a 2-1 win over Honved thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Anel Hadzic. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Ferencvaros will be unseeded participants in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. Cup winners MOL Vidi, a revived Debrecen and Honved are the three representatives in the Europa League. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Tracksuited keeper Gabor Kiraly bade farewell to an 882-match career, as Haladas were relegated. A last-day dogfight attracted a 12,000-plus crowd to…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Valletta and Hibernians finished the season on 58 points, so the league was settled for the first time with a play-off, which Valletta won on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Valletta’s 25th league title means they are now joint second in the all-time list, one behind Sliema Wanderers. CUP WINNERS Two weeks after being crowned champions, Valletta were denied a second successive double, beaten on penalties after a 4-4 draw in the FA Trophy Final by Balzan. Alfred Effiong scored all four of Balzan’s goals and also put away the decisive spot-kick in the shoot-out. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Valletta will start their 12th consecutive European campaign in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. League runners-up Hibernians and third-place Gzira United join cup…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Shkendija won the title by 15 points from Vardar, and club owner Lazim Destani is now seeking to build a new stadium in Tetovo as, up to now, the team have had to play their European games in the National arena in Skopje. CUP WINNERS Akademija Pandev, the club founded by former national skipper Goran Pandev, won their first trophy, beating Makedonija in the Final on penalties after a 2-2 draw. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Shkendija will compete in the Champions League qualifiers. Akademija Pandev, Shkupi and Makedonija go into the Europa League. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Belasica and Pobeda were relegated, with Borec and Struga promoted. PLAYER OF THE SEASON Central defender Visar Musliu was consistently impressive for Shkendija, who had the second-best record in the league…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON CFR Cluj were champions for the second year in a row after a torrid season at the club. They had four coaches and suffered player strikes but still finished ahead of FCSB, who were runners-up for the fourth year in a row. Viitorul came third. CUP WINNERS Owned and coached by Gheorghe Hagi, Viitorul beat Astra Giurgiu 2-1 after extra time in a tense Final. More than 70 per cent of Hagi’s side are academy products and the captain is his 20-year-old son, Ianis. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE CFR will be in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, while FCSB and fourth-placed Craiova go into the first round of the Europa League qualifying phase. Having won the Cup, Viitorul will play in the…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Red Star won the title, finishing 12 points clear of Radnicki Nis and 18 points ahead of third-place Partizan. The margin was even greater before the split – Partizan trailing by 30 points – after which the clubs start with halved points. CUP WINNERS Partizan denied Red Star the domestic double, winning 1-0 in the Final to claim the cup for a fourth successive season. The winning goal was scored by centre-back Bojan Ostojic, who only got back in the team when the club’s third coach of the season, Savo Milosevic, took charge. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Red Star will take part in the Champions League qualifiers, while Partizan, Radnicki Nis and fourthplace Cukaricki will participate in qualification for the Europa League. RELEGATED/PROMOTED Backa Backa…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Young Boys retained the title with eight matches to spare – the most of any Super League winner since the 10-team began in 2003. It was a second league title in a row – and 13th overall – for a side who won their first 10 games, including a 7-1 thrashing of Basle. CUP WINNERS Basle won the cup for the 13th time, beating Thun 2-1 in the Final. Albian Ajeti gave Basle a 23rdminute lead and Fabian Frei appeared to make the game safe with a second after 77 minutes before Dejan Sorgic pulled one back for Thun, who last reached the Final in 1955 WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE Young Boys go into the Champions League playoff round and runners-up Basle the second qualifying…

HOW THE LEAGUE WAS WON Despite sitting in an unfamiliar second spot in the table at the end of the first phase, behind Barry Town United, The New Saints won an eighth consecutive title. They secured the championship with two games to spare, winning all but one of their 10 second phase matches. CUP WINNERS The Welsh Cup also went to The New Saints who won 3-0 in the Final against Connah’s Quay Nomads with a brace from Ryan Brobbel and one from Greg Draper. Nomads also reached the Final of the Scottish Challenge Cup before losing 3-1 to Ross County. WHO QUALIFIED FOR EUROPE TNS start in the Champions League qualifiers, while runners-up Connah’s Quay Nomads and third-place Barry Town United go into the Europa League, along with the…

For the second consecutive A-League Grand Final, the post-match headlines were made by VAR, not the players. Last year, malfunctioning equipment meant VAR was unable to rule out Kosta Barbarouses’ winner for Melbourne Victory against Newcastle Jets, even though James Donachie had been clearly offside when he provided the cutback for Barbarouses. In 2019, the equipment worked perfectly, but even technology still needs human beings to interpret the pictures – and Kris Griffiths-Jones didn’t see a “clear and obvious” enough error to overrule the linesman’s flag that denied Sydney a goal against Perth Glory. The problem was, while Griffiths-Jones was only operating to the limits of his brief, almost everyone else believed that Michael Zullo was onside and the goal should have stood. It was probably a blessing that Sydney…

African club competition Finals have previously produced some barely believable drama – like when a player cut himself to pretend he had been struck by an object from the crowd – but this year’s Champions League plummeted to new depths. Officially, the outcome is still to be resolved after Morocco’s Wydad walked off the pitch 30 minutes from the end of the second leg in Tunisia, claiming a conspiracy over the Video Assistant Referee. Or, rather, the lack thereof. Initially the hosts, Esperance, were declared winners on the night, after a 90-minute stand-off as Wydad refused to play on, and handed the trophy – only to be told less than a week later to return the trophy and their medals. CAF’s executive committee came to the bizarre conclusion that “the…

EUROPE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Semi-finals 1st legs Apr 30 Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 0 Ajax (Hol) 1 (Van de Beek 15) HT: 0-1. Att: 60,243. Ref: Mateu Lahoz (Spa) Tottenham: Lloris-Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen (Sissoko 39), Wanyama, Trippier (Foyth 80), Eriksen, Alli, Rose (Davies 79), Llorente, Lucas Moura. Ajax: Onana-Veltman, De Ligt, Blind, Tagliafico, Schone (Mazraoui 65), De Jong, Ziyech (Huntelaar 87), Van de Beek, David Neres, Tadic. May 1 Barcelona (Spa) 3 (Suarez 26, Messi 75, 82) Liverpool (Eng) 0 HT: 1-0. Att: 98,299. Ref: Kuipers (Hol) Barcelona: Ter Stegen-Sergi Roberto (Alena 90+3), Pique, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Vidal, Rakitic, Busquets, Philippe Coutinho (Nelson Semedo 60), Messi, Suarez (Dembele 90+3). Liverpool: Alisson-Gomez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Milner (Origi 84), Fabinho, Keita (Henderson 24), Salah, Wijnaldum (Roberto Firmino 78), Mane. 2nd legs May…