⚽️ ⚽️ Football Thread ⚽️ World of Football ⚽️

[BangaloreaN]

Mohun Bagan pip Mumbai City to win maiden League Shield

Mohun Bagan Super Giant players celebrate after beating Mumbai City FC in the last league match.

KOLKATA: As referee Venkatesh R blew the final whistle, the entire Mohun Bagan SG bench huddled around Antonio Lopez Habas, hugging and exchanging high fives with him. In the middle of the Salt Lake Stadium, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, Dimitri Petratos and others began dancing and jumping in joy.
It was party time for Mohun Bagan, the new winners of the Indian Super League’s coveted Shield.


It was their tryst with history. They won the championship last season but their trophy cabinet was missing the ISL Shield — still considered the real big prize after the end of a home-and-away league.
It was quite a statement of intent made by Habas’ team in achieving that goal as they pipped Mumbai City FC to the post with a 2-1 win, thus topping ISL 2023-2024 group stage as winners and conquering the throne of Indian domestic football in style.

Goals from Liston Colaco (20th minute) and second half substitute Jason Cummings (80) set the green-and-maroon brigade to a comfortable lead. Although Lallianzuala Chhangte reduced the margin in the stoppage time (90+2), it was not enough for Petr Kratky’s visitors, who needed at least a draw to defend the Shield.
Mohun Bagan finished the league this term with 48 points from 22 matches, a point ahead of Mumbai City and with a place guaranteed in the AFC Champions League 2.
It was a tale of many firsts for Mohun Bagan. Their maiden Shield-winning triumph since the award was introduced in the 2019-2020 season came on the back of their first win against Mumbai City in nine meetings.

[BangaloreaN]

ISL final: Mumbai City FC break Mohun Bagan Super Giant hearts with a come-from-behind win at Salt Lake



Second half strikes by Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Bipin Singh, and Jakub Vojtus ensured that Mumbai City FC settled the scores against the home side Mohun Bagan Super Giant in front of a capacity crowd to draw curtains on the 10th season of the ISL





Mumbai City FC defeated Mohun Bagan Super Giant at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium to emerge as the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 Cup Winners on Saturday. (PHOTO: ISL Media)Mumbai City FC beat Mohun Bagan Super Giant 3-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium to emerge as the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 Cup Winners at the final in Kolkata. The Islanders came from behind after Jason Cummings handed the Mariners a lead late in the first half. Second half strikes by Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Bipin Singh, and Jakub Vojtus ensured that the Petr Kratky-coached side settled the scores against the home side in front of a capacity crowd to draw curtains on the 10th season of the ISL.

In proceedings slightly identical to the final of ISL 2020-21, when both these teams had squared off in the summit clash, a similar hero came up, as Bipin Singh notched an 81st minute strike to help his men avenge the loss that they succumbed to in the title decider at this very venue. In the first-ever ISL grand finale held in Kolkata, Mumbai City FC returned the happier of the two teams winning their second ISL final, with both of them coming against the Mariners.

Both sides treaded a cautious line in the opening half, focusing on holding their shape, playing to their strengths, and not giving away too much to work on for the opposition. However, Mohun Bagan Super Giant drew first blood thanks to their fierce offensive duo of Dimitrios Petratos and Cummings.
Petratos hasn’t been afraid to test his luck from distance often in this campaign. As the opening essay of the game was concluding, he unleashed a shot that caught Mumbai City FC goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa off-guard. The custodian fumbled the effort; with Cummings present right there like a fox in the box to bury the chance in the 44th minute and ensure that his team entered the break with a lead in hand.
The Islanders naturally decided to shake things up in the second half. They adopted newer tactics, involving a long ball from Alberto Noguera to their Argentine striker Jorge Pereyra Diaz eight minutes into the second half. Diaz’s sharp offensive instincts were right there on display, calmly bringing the ball down, steering near Vishal Kaith and slotting the ball into the back of the net to equalise the scores.
An unfortunate knock picked by Diaz in the 72nd minute opened the floodgates for the comeback by the visitors. As the striker was taken off the field, Slovak striker Vojtus replaced him and was central to both the goals that Mumbai City FC scored after that.

ISL 2023-24 Final Results

Mumbai City FC 3 (Jorge Pereyra Diaz 53’, Bipin Singh 81’, Jakub Vojtus 90+7’) – 1 Mohun Bagan Super Giant (Jason Cummings 44’)

ISL 2023-24 Season Awards

Golden Glove – Phurba Lachenpa (Mumbai City FC)
Golden Boot – Dimitrios Diamantakos (Kerala Blasters FC)
Emerging Player of the League – Vikram Partap Singh (Mumbai City FC)
Player of the League – Dimitrios Petratos (Mohun Bagan Super Giant)

[BangaloreaN]

What a list of football’s 50 most valuable clubs tells us about the global state of the sport


A top 50. Usually the preserve of music charts, NFL draft pundits’ big boards or TripAdvisor restaurant guides. They are less common in football.
What is common in football is talking about money — this season’s Premier League, for example, has almost been as influenced by financial fair play (FFP) regulations as it has by the play itself.
Sports-business analysis website Sportico has released a list of what it says are the sport’s 50 most valuable clubs — calculating revenue streams based on figures published by club accounts, before then using “team-specific multipliers”.
These multipliers are “based on multiple factors, including: historical sales, market (size, saturation and interest by prospective owners), strength of brand, on-field performance (historical and recent), terms of facility lease, debt burden and additional obligations, as well as expected future team and league economics”.
Business magazine Forbes also provides a similar catalogue — the Forbes Football Rich List.
Football is large and contains multitudes, such as culture, politics, and romance. But it is also a business.
This, then, is what Sportico’s top 50 tells us about the state of the game worldwide.

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MLS is rapidly growing in value

Which league has the most representatives in the top 50? The Premier League would be the obvious guess.
But 20 clubs in Sportico’s list are from Major League Soccer (MLS) — just under 70 per cent of the entire league.
Los Angeles FC ($1.15bn) are the highest-ranked MLS club at 15th, but Atlanta United, Inter Miami, LA Galaxy and New York City FC all make the top 20, too.
While big-city sides from the North American league are towards the top of the list, smaller markets are also represented in a boon to MLS’ development — the likes of Austin FC (21st), Portland Timbers (30th), Columbus Crew (37th), FC Cincinnati (38th), and Nashville SC (40th).
Los Angeles FC supporters celebrate a goal last month


There may be confusion over this.
The majority of those clubs are not household names in Europe, the way Premier League teams are among the sport’s fans in the United States. Revenues in MLS are low, its clubs do not often turn a profit, and they do not have access to UEFA’s lucrative prize pot for those competing in its continent-wide competitions.
But the valuations take into account an asset’s long-term potential — and MLS clubs are positioned far better than many mid-table European counterparts.
For one thing, the absence of relegation in the MLS model gives its teams a higher income floor — while the league’s cost-control measures, together with existing, modern stadiums, means they have the structure to one day maximise revenues. This year, season-ticket sales and revenue grew by 15 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.
Interest is growing — high-profile player arrivals, headlined by Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami, have boosted the league’s global profile, with MLS also signing a lucrative 10-year broadcasting deal with Apple in 2022.
The impending co-hosting of the World Cup in 2026 is another boost on the horizon. Mexico, another of that tournament’s co-hosts (Canada is the third), has three clubs represented — Club America (25th), Guadalajara (31st) and Monterrey (48th).
Lionel Messi’s move to MLS has benefited the entire league

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American ownership stands superior

Aaron Sorkin’s 2012 TV drama series The Newsroom began with a famous, if controversial, monologue.
Asked to explain why America was the greatest country in the world, Jeff Daniels’ main character broke into an impassioned rebuttal of that statement.
“We’re seventh in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number four in labor force, and number four in exports,” he rails. “We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending.”
Perhaps it’s time to add another category to those three — football club ownership.
On top of 19 MLS clubs (a 20th team on the list, Toronto FC, are Canadian-owned), a further eight clubs among the 50 are at least part-owned by American individuals or companies, including Manchester United (first), Liverpool (fourth), Arsenal (eighth), Chelsea (10th), AC Milan (14th), Lyon (23rd) and Roma (24th).
That is a total of 27 — over half the list.
Liverpool have won both the Premier League and Champions League under American ownership



In the Premier League, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that 14 of its 20 clubs — the number needed to secure a decision-making majority, could be American-owned in the next two years. Nine are already — with Ipswich set to make it 10 next season after they secured promotion last weekend, though Burnley may be relegated. Everton being taken over by 777 Partners would make another, while half of the four play-offs teams — West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United — are another two. Brentford are up for sale currently as well.
The direction of travel is clear. Football — the global sport — is increasingly becoming an American sport.

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The Premier League is still top dog in Europe

After the 20 teams from MLS, the next most-represented league is, unsurprisingly, the Premier League with nine clubs: Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City (sixth), Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur (ninth), Chelsea, West Ham United (27th), Newcastle United (32nd) and Aston Villa (44th).
Italy’s Serie A has six clubs included — Juventus (11th), Milan, Inter Milan (16th), Roma, Napoli (33rd) and Atalanta (45th) — although you’ll notice that none of them are in the top 10.

Germany has four — Bayern Munich (fifth), Borussia Dortmund (12th), RB Leipzig (43rd) and Eintracht Frankfurt (46th). But Bayer Leverkusen — who have already won the 2023-24 Bundesliga title and are five games away from an unbeaten treble, do not make the top 50.
Spain has three clubs (Real Madrid, second; Barcelona, third; Atletico Madrid, 13th), France two (Paris Saint-Germain, seventh; Lyon), and aside from Ajax of the Netherlands (26th) and Portugal’s Benfica (35th), no other European league is represented.
Leverkusen do not make Sportico’s top 50

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Concern for top-heavy La Liga?

In the form of Madrid ($6.06billion) and Barcelona ($5.28bn), La Liga has two of the three most valuable football clubs on Earth. With Atletico sitting 13th ($1.62bn), the cumulative total of those three alone ($13bn) is bigger than any full league, except for the Premier League and MLS.
However, those are the only three La Liga clubs in the top 50 — fewer than Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga — showing that for all its top-end talent, there is a significant competitive imbalance within the league. Spain’s TV revenue distribution is the most unequal of Europe’s top five leagues.
Though Girona, part of City Football Group, are second in the league with four games to go, they are nowhere near the top 50, having only been promoted to the top flight at the end of the 2021-22 season, and seem unlikely to prove regular sparring partners for the big three.
Barcelona and the Madrid clubs mean the Spanish league will always have a sharp end — but the demise of fairly-recently successful sides Malaga (2012-13 Champions League quarter-finalists) and Deportivo La Coruna (semi-finalists in the same competition in 2003-04), both now playing in the regional third tier, shows how vulnerable some of the country’s clubs can be.
It is just one statistic, but La Liga’s stadium-fill figure is 83 per cent, compared to the Premier League’s 97 per cent, illustrating some of the issues hiding behind the top three.
El Clasico is La Liga’s big show, but are Madrid and Barca too dominant?

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Manchester United’s brand remains strong despite troubles

According to Sportico, Manchester United are valued at $6.2billion, over $140m more than Madrid, making them the most valuable football club in the world. Forbes, incidentally, places Madrid higher, as well as Barcelona — it hasn’t put United top since 2018.
United have struggled on the pitch since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson as their manager — they are without a Premier League trophy since his final season of 2012-13, and are just eighth in the league table with three games to go, but their position in Sportico’s list shows just how strong their brand remains.
Though five clubs produce more revenue than United’s $778million (Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, City, PSG), their global fanbase, position in the strongest league, and massive deal with Adidas all help their valuation.’
INEOS’ recent acquisition of 25 per cent of the club for $1.3billion would value the entire operation at over $5.2bn.

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Everton’s troubles underscored

Everton have played more seasons of top-flight football than any other English club, are founder members of the Premier League, and are soon to move into a state-of-the-art dockside stadium.
Yet current owner Farhad Moshiri cannot find suitable buyers — and Everton’s failure to crack the top 50 underscores their difficulties.
A quick refresher.
Moshiri has agreed a deal worth some $685million (£548m at the current exchange rate) with Miami-based 777 Partners, but that looks set to collapse amid doubts over 777’s funding and accusations of fraud in a U.S. lawsuit.
Sportico’s report values Everton at less than $550million — but Moshiri needs far more than that if he is to settle his debts, finance the remaining stadium costs and cover the club’s annual losses. There is effectively a gap of over $150m between what Moshiri needs and what any viable owner would be willing to pay — and that is why Everton could find themselves lurching towards administration.
Everton’s new stadium is nearing completion

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West Ham are the Premier League’s ‘best of the rest’

In better news for Premier League clubs, one interesting question is: which of its members, outside the traditional ‘Big Six’, would be deemed most valuable?
The contenders? Both Villa and Newcastle have excellent stadiums, wealthy ownership, and are pushing for European football. Newcastle played in the Champions League this season, Villa look set to qualify for next season’s edition.

Brighton & Hove Albion, though in a slump on the pitch over the past month, recorded a profit of over £120million, are known as one of the Premier League’s best-run clubs and played in Europe this season.
However, Sportico says the Premier League’s best of the rest are West Ham United, apparently worth some $725million, compared to Newcastle’s $700m and Villa’s $600m.
Why? West Ham’s east London base gives them some obvious advantages when it comes to commercial revenue, with a huge market on their doorstep, while their deal for the stadium that hosted the 2012 Olympic Games is also extremely advantageous.
West Ham’s move to the London Stadium has been an undoubted success

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State owners seeing a return on investment

When Newcastle were bought by a group led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) for £305million in October 2021, co-owner Amanda Staveley said: “It’s not sportswashing, it’s investment.”
That is highly debatable. But as an investment alone, Newcastle are rapidly making money. In just over two years, according to Sportico, the club have almost doubled in value to $700m.
This is not unique.
When Qatar Sports Investment completed its takeover of Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, the sum paid valued the French club at €100million. That valuation has since increased by 3,700 per cent — to $4.05billion.
In 2008, Manchester City were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), a private equity company with strong links to the United Arab Emirates’ government. ADUG insists the two are separate. The price ADUG paid was £200million. That has since increased to $4.75bn, a return of 1,800 per cent.

[BangaloreaN]

Liverpool confirm Arne Slot as new manager


Arne Slot


Former Feyenoord coach Arne Slot was Monday confirmed as Jurgen Klopp's successor at Liverpool by the Premier League club.
The club said in a statement that the Dutchman, 45, had "agreed a deal to become the club's new head coach" and would take up the position on June 1, subject to a work permit.
Slot has been in charge of the Dutch team since 2021, and won the Eredivisie league title in 2022-23 along with the KNVB Cup this season, while Feyenoord also reached the Europa Conference League final in his first season at the club.

Klopp announced in January that he would leave Liverpool at the end of this season and, after much speculation, Slot confirmed on Friday that he would become Liverpool manager.
On Sunday, after Liverpool's final game of the season, a 2-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Klopp led the Anfield crowd in a song for the incoming manager.
Slot was linked with the Tottenham Hotspur job at the end of last season before signing a contract extension at Feyenoord, and his aggressive, attacking style attracted Liverpool to entice the Dutchman to the Premier League.

Liverpool ended the season third in the Premier League, nine points off champions Manchester City, while Feyenoord finished runners-up to PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie.
Slot was given a rousing send-off by the Feyenoord fans after their final league game of the season on Sunday, a 4-0 home win over Excelsior, as the 45-year-old's three-year spell at the club came to an end.

This season, Feyenoord were denied a repeat of their title win only by an impressive PSV, who have lost once, while Feyenoord have suffered defeat twice, the same as last term, to finish nine points of the pace.
Slot's success and entertaining brand of football has previously attracted interest from English clubs, including Crystal Palace and Leeds United, before Spurs tried to persuade him to join them at the end of last season.
He decided to remain at Feyenoord, extending his contract, but the approach from Liverpool proved irresistible, and Slot will now have the tough task of replacing the much-loved Klopp who leaves after nine years at the club.

[BangaloreaN]

കളിക്കാർക്ക് പൊന്നുംവില നൽകും, യൂറോപ്പിലെ കിരീടംവെച്ച രാജാവ്; പെരുമയിൽ റയൽ

ലോക ഫുട്*ബോളില്* തിളങ്ങുന്ന വമ്പന്*താരങ്ങളെ തങ്ങളുടെ പാളയത്തിലെത്തിക്കുക എന്നത് റയലിന്റെ പതിവു രീതിയാണ്. 1950-കളില്* സാന്തിയാഗോ ബെര്*ണബ്യു റയലിന്റെ പ്രസിഡന്റ് സ്ഥാനത്തെത്തുന്നതോടെയാണ് ഇത്തരമൊരു സംസ്*കാരം ക്ലബ്ബില്* രൂപമെടുക്കുന്നത്




ക്രിക്കറ്റ് ലോകത്ത് എതിരാളികളില്ലാതെ കുതിച്ചിരുന്ന ആ പഴയ ഓസ്*ട്രേലിയന്* ടീമിനെ ഓര്*മയില്ലേ? 1999 മുതല്* 2007 വരെ തുടര്*ച്ചയായി ലോകകപ്പും 2006-ലെ ഐ.സി.സി. ചാമ്പ്യന്*സ് ട്രോഫിയും ഉള്*പ്പെടെ സ്വന്തമാക്കി എതിരാളികളുടെ പേടിസ്വപ്*നമായിരുന്ന ആ മഞ്ഞക്കുപ്പായക്കാരെ. ക്ലബ്ബ് ഫുട്*ബോളിലേക്കെത്തിയാല്* ആ ഓസീസിനൊപ്പമോ അതിന് ഒരുപടി മുകളിലോ ആണ് സ്പാനിഷ് ഫുട്*ബോള്* ക്ലബ്ബ് റയല്* മാഡ്രിഡിന്റെ സ്ഥാനം. ഈ കളി ഞാന്* ജയിക്കാന്* വേണ്ടി മാത്രം കളിക്കുന്നതാണെന്ന സിനിമ ഡയലോഗ് ഫുട്*ബോള്* മൈതാനത്ത് അന്വര്*ഥമാക്കുന്ന മാഡ്രിഡ് സംഘം. ഓസീസിനെ പോലെ ജയിക്കാനായി ഏതറ്റംവരെയും പോകുന്നവര്*. ടിക്കി ടാക്കയോ ടോട്ടല്* ഫുട്*ബോളോ പോലെ കാല്*പ്പന്തുകളിക്ക് റയല്* മാഡ്രിഡ് എന്ന ക്ലബ് തങ്ങളുടെ വകയായി എന്തെങ്കിലും സംഭാവന നല്*കിയിട്ടുണ്ടോ എന്നു ചോദിച്ചാല്* ഇല്ലെന്നുതന്നെയാണ് ഉത്തരം. എന്നാല്*, യൂറോപ്പിലെ ചാമ്പ്യന്*മാരെ കണ്ടെത്താനുള്ള പോരാട്ടത്തില്* അവരോളം വരില്ല മറ്റാരും.


ചാമ്പ്യന്*സ് ലീഗും റയല്* മാഡ്രിഡും എന്നത് ആര്*ക്കും ഇന്നോളം നിര്*വചിക്കാനാകാത്ത പരസ്പര പൂരകങ്ങളാണ്. ആദ്യം യൂറോപ്യന്* കപ്പും പിന്നീട് 1992-ല്* ചാമ്പ്യന്*സ് ലീഗായി പരിണമിക്കുകയും ചെയ്ത ടൂര്*ണമെന്റില്* ഇതിനകം 18 ഫൈനലുകള്*, അതില്* 15-ലും വിജയം. 1955-ല്* യൂറോപ്യന്* കപ്പിന്റെ ആദ്യ പതിപ്പുമുതല്* തുടര്*ച്ചയായി അഞ്ചു കിരീടങ്ങള്*. കഴിഞ്ഞ 10 വര്*ഷങ്ങള്*ക്കിടെ ആറ് കിരീട വിജയങ്ങള്*. ചാമ്പ്യന്*സ് ലീഗ് വിജയങ്ങളില്* രണ്ടാമതുള്ള എ.സി. മിലാന്റെ പേരിലുള്ളത് ഏഴു കിരീടങ്ങള്*. അതിനേക്കാള്* ഇരട്ടിയിലേറെ ട്രോഫികള്* ഇപ്പോള്* റയലിന്റെ ഷെല്*ഫിലുണ്ട്. ക്ലബ്ബ് ഫുട്*ബോളിലെ വലിയ ടൂര്*ണമെന്റുകളില്* റയല്* ഇന്നും പിടികൊടുക്കാതെ പായുന്ന കുതിരയാണ്.

ജൂണ്* രണ്ടിന് ചരിത്രമുറങ്ങുന്ന വെംബ്ലിയിലെ ഫുട്*ബോള്* മൈതാനത്ത് ചാമ്പ്യന്*സ് ലീഗ് ഫൈനലിന്റെ അവസാനഫലം എന്തായിരിക്കുമെന്ന ധാരണ അവിടെ കൂടിയിരുന്നവര്*ക്കെല്ലാം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. കളിക്കാര്*ക്കും വെംബ്ലിയില്* തിങ്ങിനിറഞ്ഞ കാണികള്*ക്കും ടി.വിയിലൂടെ മത്സരം കണ്ട കോടാനുകോടികള്*ക്കുമെല്ലാം അറിയാമായിരുന്നു. കാരണം വലിയ മത്സരങ്ങള്* കളിച്ചുള്ള പരിചയം റയലിനോളം ഉള്ളവരായിരിരുന്നില്ല ജര്*മനിയില്* നിന്നുള്ള ആ മഞ്ഞക്കുപ്പായക്കാര്*. എന്നിട്ടും ആദ്യ പകുതിയില്* ജേഡന്* സാഞ്ചോയും നിക്ലാസ് ഫുള്*ക്രുഗും കരീം അഡെയെമിയും മാര്*സെല്* സബിറ്റ്*സെറും എമ്രെ കാനും ജൂലിയന്* ബ്രാന്*ഡിറ്റുമെല്ലാം റയല്* പ്രതിരോധത്തെ വിറപ്പിച്ചു. ആദ്യപകുതിയില്* ദൗര്*ഭാഗ്യം മൂന്നുവട്ടം അവര്*ക്ക് ഗോള്* നിഷേധിച്ചതോടെ മത്സരത്തിന്റെ ചിത്രം ഏതാണ്ട് വ്യക്തമാകുകയായിരുന്നു. രണ്ടാം പകുതി പക്ഷേ കാര്*ലോ ആഞ്ചലോട്ടിയെന്ന തന്ത്രജ്ഞന്റേതായി. 85 മിനിറ്റും ആദ്യ ഇലവനുമായി കളിച്ച റയല്* അതിനകംതന്നെ രണ്ടു ഗോളടിച്ച് മത്സരം സ്വന്തമാക്കിയിരുന്നു.


ടോണി ക്രൂസ്, ലൂക്ക മോഡ്രിച്ച്, നാച്ചോ, ഡാനി കാര്*വഹാല്* |

ടോണി ക്രൂസിനും ഡാനി കാര്*വഹാലിനും ലൂക്ക മോഡ്രിച്ചിനും നാച്ചോയ്ക്കും ഈ കിരീടനേട്ടം ഫുട്*ബോളിന്റെ ചരിത്രപുസ്തകത്തിലെ അടയാളപ്പെടുത്തല്* കൂടിയായി. ഇവരുടെ പ്രൊഫഷണല്* കരിയറിലെ ആറാം ചാമ്പ്യന്*സ് ലീഗ് കിരീടനേട്ടമായിരുന്നു ഇത്.


2014 ചാമ്പ്യൻസ് ലീഗ് ഫൈനലിൽ ഗോൾ നേടുന്ന റാമോസ് |

ചാമ്പ്യന്*സ് ലീഗ് ടൂര്*ണമെന്റുകളില്* വീറും വാശിയും പുറത്തെടുക്കുന്ന റയലിന്റെ സ്വഭാവത്തിന് ഉദാഹരണങ്ങള്* നിരവധിയാണ്. 2014-ലെ ഫൈനലില്* അത്*ലറ്റിക്കോ മാഡ്രിഡായിരുന്നു റയലിന്റെ എതിരാളി. ക്വാര്*ട്ടറില്* ഡോര്*ട്ട്മുണ്*ഡിനെയും സെമിയില്* ബയേണ്* മ്യൂണിക്കിനെയും തകര്*ത്തെത്തിയ റയലിനെ പക്ഷേ ഡിയഗോ സിമിയോണിയും സംഘവും വരച്ചവരയില്* നിര്*ത്തിച്ചു. 36-ാം മിനിറ്റില്* ഡിയഗോ ഗോഡിന്റെ ഗോളില്* അത്*ലറ്റിക്കോ മുന്നിലെത്തുകയും ചെയ്തു. 90 മിനിറ്റും ആ ലീഡ് നിലനിര്*ത്താന്* സാധിച്ച അത്*ലറ്റിക്കോയ്ക്ക് പക്ഷേ ഇന്*ജുറി ടൈമില്* പിഴച്ചു. മത്സരം അവസാനിക്കാന്* നിമിഷങ്ങള്* മാത്രം ബാക്കിനില്*ക്കേ ഒരു കോര്*ണറില്* തലവെച്ച് സെര്*ജിയോ റാമോസ് റയലിനെ ഒപ്പമെത്തിച്ചതോടെ മത്സരം അധികസമയത്തേക്ക്. പിന്നീട് അത്*ലറ്റിക്കോയെ നിഷ്പ്രഭരാക്കുന്ന റയലിന്റെ പതിവുപ്രതിഭാസമാണ് ലിസ്ബണില്* കണ്ടത്. 110-ാം മിനിറ്റില്* ബെയ്*ലും 118-ാം മാഴ്*സെലോയും 120-ാം മിനിറ്റില്* ക്രിസ്റ്റ്യാനോയും വല കുലുക്കിയതോടെ 4-1 ജയത്തോടെയാണ് റയല്* കിരീടവുമായി മടങ്ങിയത്. ചെറിയൊരു പഴുതുകൊടുത്താല്* റയല്* എങ്ങനെ പ്രതികരിക്കുമെന്നതിന്റെ ഉത്തമ ഉദാഹരണമായിരുന്നു ഈ ഫൈനല്*.


സലായെ ഫൗൾ ചെയ്യുന്ന റാമോസ് |

2016-ലെ ഫൈനലില്* ഇതേ അത്*ലറ്റിക്കോയെ പെനാല്*റ്റി ഷൂട്ടൗട്ടില്* കീഴടക്കി കിരീടമണിഞ്ഞ അവര്* 2017-ല്* യുവെന്റസിനെ 4-1ന് തകര്*ത്തെറിഞ്ഞാണ് കിരീടമുയര്*ത്തിയത്. 2018-ല്* ക്വാര്*ട്ടറില്* യുവെന്റസിന്റെയും സെമിയില്* ബയേണ്* മ്യൂണിക്കിന്റെയും കടുത്ത പോരാട്ടം അതിജീവിച്ചാണ് റയല്* കലാശപ്പോരിനെത്തുന്നത്. എതിരാളികള്* ലിവര്*പൂളും. ജയിക്കാനായി എന്തും ചെയ്യുന്ന റയലിന്റെ മോശം ഗെയിം പ്ലാനും ഈ മത്സരത്തില്* കണ്ടു. ലിവര്*പൂളിന്റെ മുന്നേറ്റത്തിലെ പ്രധാനി മുഹമ്മദ് സലായ്*ക്കെതിരേ 30-ാം മിനിറ്റില്* സെര്*ജിയോ റാമോസ് പുറത്തെടുത്ത ഒരു കാടന്* ടാക്കിള്* മത്സരത്തിന്റെ വിധി നിര്*ണയിക്കുന്നതായിരുന്നു. സലാ പരിക്കേറ്റ് മടങ്ങിയതോടെ ചെമ്പടയുടെ മുന്നേറ്റത്തില്* സാദിയോ മാനേ ഒറ്റപ്പെട്ടു.

കരീം ബെന്*സേമയുടെ ഗോളിന് മാനെയിലൂടെ തിരിച്ചടിച്ചെങ്കിലും 64-ാം മിനിറ്റിലെ ഗാരെത് ബെയ്*ലിന്റെ അവിശ്വസനീയമായ ഗോള്* കളിയുടെ ഗതിമാറ്റി. 83-ാം മിനിറ്റില്* വീണ്ടും സ്*കോര്* ചെയ്ത ബെയ്ല്* റയലിന് സമ്മാനിച്ചത് ഹാട്രിക്ക് കിരീടമായിരുന്നു. പിന്നീടുള്ള മൂന്ന് സീസണുകള്* ചാമ്പ്യന്*സ് ലീഗില്* റയലിന് കിരീടമില്ലാക്കാലമായിരുന്നു. എന്നാല്*, 2022 സെമിയില്* മാഞ്ചെസ്റ്റര്* സിറ്റിയെ അവിശ്വസനീയമായി കീഴടക്കിയ റയല്* ഫൈനലിന് ടിക്കറ്റെടുക്കുമ്പോള്* എതിരാളിയായ ലിവര്*പൂള്* ഒരുങ്ങിയത് ഒരു പകവീട്ടലിനായിരുന്നു. പക്ഷേ, മൈതാനത്തിറങ്ങിയപ്പോള്* റയല്* യഥാര്*ഥ റയലായി.


ആല്*ഫ്രെഡോ ഡി സ്*റ്റെഫാനോ |

ഗലാറ്റിക്കോസ് പോളിസി

ലോക ഫുട്*ബോളില്* തിളങ്ങുന്ന വമ്പന്*താരങ്ങളെ തങ്ങളുടെ പാളയത്തിലെത്തിക്കുക എന്നത് റയലിന്റെ പതിവുരീതിയാണ്. 1950-കളില്* സാന്തിയാഗോ ബെര്*ണബ്യു റയലിന്റെ പ്രസിഡന്റ് സ്ഥാനത്തെത്തുന്നതോടെയാണ് ഇത്തരമൊരു സംസ്*കാരം ക്ലബ്ബില്* രൂപമെടുക്കുന്നത്. അന്ന് പണമെറിഞ്ഞ് ബെര്*ണബ്യു റയലിന്റെ തട്ടകത്തിലെത്തിച്ചത് ആല്*ഫ്രെഡോ ഡി സ്*റ്റെഫാനോ, ഫ്രാന്*സിസ്*കോ ജെന്റോ, റെയ്മണ്ട് കൊപ്പ, ഹെക്ടര്* റിയാല്*, ഫ്രാങ്ക് പുസ്*കാസ്, ജോസ് സാന്റാമരിയ എന്നീ വമ്പന്*മാരെയായിരുന്നു. അക്കാലത്ത് ക്ലബ്ബ് ഫുട്*ബോളിലെ റയലിന്റെ ആധിപത്യത്തിനു പിന്നിലും ഈ ട്രാന്*സ്ഫറുകള്* തന്നെയായിരുന്നു. ഗലാറ്റിക്കോസ് പോളിസി എന്നറിയപ്പെട്ടിരുന്ന ഇത്തരം ട്രാന്*സ്ഫറുകള്* പിന്നീട് സജീവമാകുന്നത് 2000-ല്* ഫ്*ളോറെന്റിനോ പെരെസ് റയലിന്റെ ചുമതലയേല്*ക്കുന്നതോടെയാണ്. ഫുട്*ബോള്* ലോകത്തെ അക്കാലത്തെ സൂപ്പര്*സ്റ്റാറുകളെല്ലാം പിന്നീട് റയലിന്റെ വെള്ളക്കുപ്പായമണിഞ്ഞു.


2004-ലെ റയൽ ടീം ലൈനപ്പ് |

2000-ല്* ചിരവൈരികളായ ബാഴ്*സലോണയില്*നിന്ന് 60 ദശലക്ഷം യൂറോയ്ക്ക് ലൂയി ഫിഗോയെ റാഞ്ചിയതായിരുന്നു ആദ്യ സൈനിങ്. തന്നെ ജീവനായിക്കണ്ട ബാഴ്*സലോണ ആരാധകരില്*നിന്ന് ഇതിനെത്തുടര്*ന്ന് ഫിഗോയ്ക്ക് നേരിടേണ്ടിവന്ന ആക്രമണങ്ങള്*ക്ക് കണക്കില്ലായിരുന്നു. തൊട്ടടുത്ത വര്*ഷം 73.5 ദശലക്ഷം യൂറോയ്ക്ക് ഇറ്റാലിയന്* ക്ലബ്ബ് യുവെന്റസില്* നിന്ന് സിനദിന്* സിദാനെയും റാഞ്ചി. 2002-ലോകകപ്പിനു പിന്നാലെ ബ്രസീല്* സൂപ്പര്*സ്റ്റാര്* റൊണാള്*ഡോയെ ഇന്ററില്*നിന്ന് സ്വന്തമാക്കിയത് 45 ദശലക്ഷം യൂറോയ്ക്കായിരുന്നു. 2003-ല്* മാഞ്ചെസ്റ്റര്* യുണൈറ്റഡില്*നിന്ന് ഡേവിഡ് ബെക്കാമുമെത്തി. 37.5 ദശലക്ഷത്തിന്റേതായിരുന്നു ട്രാന്*സ്ഫര്*. തൊട്ടടുത്ത വര്*ഷം ലിവര്*പൂളില്*നിന്ന് മൈക്കല്* ഓവനെയും മാഡ്രിഡിലെത്തിച്ചു. 2005-ല്* സാന്റോസില്*നിന്ന് റൊബീഞ്ഞ്യോയേയും സെവിയ്യയില്*നിന്ന് സെര്*ജിയോ റാമോസിനെയും പെരെസ് റയലിന്റെ ഭാഗമാക്കി. ഇതിനെല്ലാം മുമ്പ് 1996-ല്* ഇന്ററില്* നിന്ന് റോബര്*ട്ടോ കാര്*ലോസിനേയും റയല്* സ്വന്തമാക്കിയിരുന്നു. ഫുട്*ബോള്* എന്ന കായികവിനോദത്തിനെ ഇത്ര ഭംഗിയായി മാര്*ക്കറ്റ് ചെയ്യാനറിയാവുന്ന മറ്റൊരു ക്ലബ്ബ് ഇല്ലെന്നുതന്നെ പറയാം.


റയലുമായി കരാർ ഒപ്പിടുന്ന ബെക്കാം, ക്ലബ്ബ് പ്രസിഡന്റ് ഫ്*ളോറെന്റിനോ പെരെസ് സമീപം |

തുടക്കത്തില്* വലിയ വിജയമായെങ്കിലും 2003-ന് ശേഷം തുടര്*ച്ചയായി മൂന്ന് വര്*ഷം റയല്* സീസണ്* പൂര്*ത്തിയാക്കിയത് ഒരു കിരീടംപോലും ഇല്ലാതെയായിരുന്നു. വേതനം വര്*ധിപ്പിക്കണമെന്ന ആവശ്യം അംഗീകരിക്കാതിരുന്നതിനെ തുടര്*ന്ന് ലോകത്തിലെ തന്നെ മികച്ച ഡിഫന്*സീവ് മിഡ്ഫീല്*ഡര്*മാരില്* ഒരാളായ ക്ലോഡ് മക്കലേലെ ടീം വിടുന്നതും ഇക്കാലത്താണ്. സൂപ്പര്*താരങ്ങളാല്* സമ്പന്നമായി ടീമില്* ഇതിനിടെ ഈഗോ പ്രശ്*നങ്ങളും തലപൊക്കി. കളിക്കളത്തില്* ഒരേ സ്ഥാനത്തിനു വേണ്ടി ഒന്നിലേറെ താരങ്ങള്* രംഗത്തെത്തിയതോടെ പരിശീലകര്*ക്കും അത് തലവേദനയായി.


റൊണാള്*ഡീന്യോ |

ക്ലബ്ബിന്റെ മുന്* പ്രസിഡന്റുമാരില്* ഒരാള്* ഒരു വെടിപൊട്ടിക്കുന്നതും അക്കാലത്താണ്. സുന്ദരനായ ഡേവിഡ് ബെക്കാം റയലില്* കളിക്കാന്* അനുയോജ്യനാണെന്നും ബാഴ്*സലോണയിലെത്തിയ ബ്രസീലിന്റെ റൊണാള്*ഡീന്യോക്ക് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ രൂപംവെച്ച് റയലില്* കളിക്കാന്* സാധിക്കില്ലെന്നുമായിരുന്നു ആ കമന്റ്. റയലിന്റെ കാര്യത്തില്* അത് സത്യവുമായിരുന്നു. എന്നാല്*, സൗന്ദര്യത്തിലല്ല കാലിലെ കളിയിലാണ് കാര്യമെന്ന് റൊണാള്*ഡീന്യോ അധികം വൈകാതെ റയലിന് അവരുടെ മൈതാനത്ത് തന്നെ കാണിച്ചുകൊടുത്തു. 2005 നവംബര്* 19-നായിരുന്നു സ്പാനിഷ് ഫുട്*ബോള്* ചരിത്രത്തില്* തന്നെ ഇടംനേടിയ ആ എല്* ക്ലാസിക്കോ മത്സരം അരങ്ങേറിയത്. കളിതുടങ്ങി 15 മിനിറ്റിനുള്ളില്* തന്നെ സാമുവല്* ഏറ്റുവിലൂടെ ബാഴ്*സലോണ മുന്നിലെത്തി. പിന്നാലെ സാന്തിയാഗോ ബെര്*ണബ്യുവില്* റൊണാള്*ഡീന്യോ എന്ന ഫുട്*ബോള്* നര്*ത്തകന്റെ അഴിഞ്ഞാട്ടമായിരുന്നു. 59-ാം മിനിറ്റിലും 77-ാം മിനിറ്റിലും റയലിന്റെ പ്രതിരോധം പിളര്*ന്ന് അയാള്* തൊടുത്ത വെടിയുണ്ടകള്* ചെന്നുപതിച്ചത് രൂപത്തിന്റെ പേരില്* അയാളെ കളിയാക്കിയവര്*ക്കു നേരെയായിരുന്നു. എഴുന്നേറ്റ് നിന്ന് കൈയടിച്ചാണ് ബെര്*ണബ്യുവില്* അന്ന് തടിച്ചുകൂടിയ റയല്* ആരാധകര്* റൊണാള്*ഡീന്യോയ്ക്ക് ആദരമര്*പ്പിച്ചത്. റയലിന്റെ മൈതാനത്ത് ഒരു ബാഴ്*സലോണ താരത്തിന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന അപൂര്*വ ബഹുമാനം. കച്ചവട ബുദ്ധികൊണ്ട് ഫുട്*ബോളിന്റെ സൗന്ദര്യത്തെ വിലയ്ക്ക് വാങ്ങാനാകില്ലെന്ന് അന്ന് റയല്* പഠിച്ചു.

എന്നിട്ടും റയല്* തങ്ങളുടെ ഗലാറ്റിക്കോസ് പോളിസിയില്*നിന്ന് പിന്നാക്കം പോയില്ല. 2009 മുതലായിരുന്നു ഇതിന്റെ അടുത്ത ഘട്ടം. 2009-ല്* എ.സി. മിലാനില്*നിന്ന് 67 ദശലക്ഷം യൂറോയ്ക്ക് ബ്രസീല്* താരം കക്കയെ ബെര്*ണബ്യുവിലെത്തിച്ചു. അതേവര്*ഷം തന്നെ ലിയോണില്*നിന്ന് കരീം ബെന്*സേമയുമെത്തി (30 ദശലക്ഷം യൂറോ). ഫുട്*ബോള്* ലോകത്തെ ഇളക്കിമറിച്ച ട്രാന്*സ്ഫറായിരുന്നു അടുത്തത്. 94 ദശലക്ഷം യൂറോ എന്ന റെക്കോഡ് ട്രാന്*സ്ഫര്* തുകയ്ക്ക് മാഞ്ചെസ്റ്റര്* യുണൈറ്റഡില്*നിന്ന് ക്രിസ്റ്റ്യാനോ റൊണാള്*ഡോയെ എത്തിച്ചതോടെ മുന്നേറ്റത്തിലെ റയലിന്റെ കരുത്തിന് പകരംവെയ്ക്കാന്* മറ്റാരുമില്ലെന്ന സ്ഥിതിയായി. പിന്നാലെ സാബി അലോന്*സോയും ഏയ്ഞ്ചല്* ഡി മരിയയും മെസ്യുട്ട് ഓസിലും ലൂക്ക മമോഡ്രിച്ചും ഗാരെത് ബെയ്*ലും ടോണി ക്രൂസും 2014 ലോകകപ്പിനു ശേഷം ജെയിംസ് റോഡ്രിഗസുമെല്ലാം റയലിന്റെ പളയത്തിലെത്തി.


2009-ലെ റയൽ ടീം ലൈനപ്പ് |

ഫസ്റ്റ് വിസിലിനു മുമ്പ് മൈതാനത്ത് നെഞ്ചുവിരിച്ചുനില്*ക്കുന്ന അവരുടെ സ്റ്റാര്*ട്ടിങ് ലൈനപ്പ് തന്നെ എതിരാളികളുടെ പേടിസ്വപ്*നമായി മാറി. എന്നാല്* പൊന്നുംവിലയ്ക്ക് ടീമിലെത്തിച്ചവരെ യാതൊരു ദാക്ഷിണ്യവുമില്ലാതെ പുറത്തിരുത്തുന്നതിനും റയല്* മടിച്ചില്ല. അവരുടെ സൈഡ് ബെഞ്ചിനുപോലും സൂപ്പര്*താരങ്ങള്* ചന്തംചാര്*ത്തി. വിടരും മുമ്പ് അവര്* തല്ലിക്കെടുത്തിയ പ്രതിഭകളും നിരവധിയാണ്. ജെയിംസ് റോഡ്രിഗസും ബെയ്*ലും തന്നെ ഇതിന് ഏറ്റവും മികച്ച ഉദാഹരണങ്ങള്*. പിഴിഞ്ഞ് പിഴിഞ്ഞ് ചാറ് വറ്റുമ്പോള്* യാതൊരു കുറ്റബോധവും തോന്നാതെ തങ്ങളുടെ സൂപ്പര്* താരങ്ങളെ കൈയൊഴിയാന്* അവര്* യാതൊരു അമാന്തവും കാണിക്കാറില്ല. ക്രിസ്റ്റ്യാനോ റൊണാള്*ഡോ തന്നെ ഉദാഹരണം. കിരീടനേട്ടങ്ങളുടെ പെരുമ ആവോളം അവകാശപ്പെടാനാകുമെങ്കിലും ഫുട്*ബോളിന്റെ വശ്യമായ സൗന്ദര്യം അവര്*ക്കന്യമാകുന്നത് കളിക്കാരോട് തെല്ലും വൈകാരികമായ അടുപ്പം സൂക്ഷിക്കാത്ത പച്ചയായ ഈ കോര്*പ്പറേറ്റ് കച്ചവടബുദ്ധി കൊണ്ടാണ്.

[BangaloreaN]

Chelsea appoint Enzo Maresca as manager


Chelsea have appointed Leicester manager Enzo Maresca as their new boss on a five-year contract with the option of an extra year.
The Italian replaces Mauricio Pochettino, who left by mutual consent on 21 May after just one season at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca, 44, took charge of the Foxes in June 2023 and led them to the Championship title last term.
"To join Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a dream for any coach," he said. "It is why I am so excited by this opportunity.
"I look forward to working with a very talented group of players and staff to develop a team that continues the club's tradition of success and makes our fans proud."
Maresca, who will begin his new role on 1 July, is Chelsea's sixth managerial appointment in five years and the fourth since American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought the club in May 2022.


Chelsea endured a mixed 2023-24 but won their final five games to end the campaign in sixth and qualify for the Europa Conference League.
The Blues also finished runners-up in the Carabao Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Several candidates were on a shortlist following Pochettino's departure, including former Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna and Brentford's Thomas Frank.
Chelsea's co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart said Maresca "deeply impressed us in our discussions leading up to his appointment" and his "ambitions and work ethic align with those of the club".
The Chelsea players not on international duty this summer are scheduled to return to the club for pre-season under Maresca on 4 July as they prepare for a tour of the United States.
Maresca's coaching staff at Leicester, including former Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero, will work alongside him at Stamford Bridge.


Maresca the 'first and unanimous choice' for Chelsea

Maresca was the first and unanimous choice among Chelsea's decision-makers.
Sporting directors Winstanley and Stewart have been working 17-hour days leading up to his appointment, alongside influential co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali.
The Italian is believed to be a good fit for Chelsea's model, a highly data-driven and sports science approach, in which the various departments at the club have input.
The club is moving away from a manager-led recruitment process, leaving the manager to focus on football, which was at times a point of friction between former boss Pochettino and the ownership.
Maresca is comfortable working in this structure and excited to focus on improving players and preparing for matches with strong resources.
He has already asked the data department for profiles on every player, including academy stars and even key club staff, as he looks to get a head start ahead of his official start date on 1 July.
It is a sign of the excitement among the new coaching staff to work with this squad as they look to add a striker and, potentially, a further defender, as Chelsea close in on a move for Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo.
Maresca is expected to take several academy players in pre-season, including Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong, with some senior players expected back late from international duty at Euro 2024 and Copa America.
Chelsea are excited to see how Maresca's tactical approach will work with their group of players, and believe his association with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the world, is a major positive.


Maresca's journey to Stamford Bridge


As a player, former midfielder Maresca had spells in England, Spain, Greece and his native Italy.
He had a short stint at West Bromwich Albion as a teenager before joining Juventus in 2000, while at Sevilla he scored twice in the club's Uefa Cup final win against Middlesbrough in 2006.
Maresca's first taste of senior management arrived in 2021 but he lasted just 180 days with Italian club Parma, winning only four of his 14 games in charge.
The Italian, who previously had a stint in charge of Manchester City's under-23 side, returned to the club to work as manager Pep Guardiola's assistant in June 2022.
After playing a role in City's Treble-winning campaign in 2022-23, Maresca moved to King Power Stadium and succeeded in getting Leicester back to the Premier League at the first time of asking as champions.
The Foxes were 12 points clear at the top of the Championship in mid-February and, despite going on a run of six defeats in 10 league games, they found form again in April to wrap up the title.
Alongside their league success, Leicester also reached the last eight of the FA Cup, but lost a quarter-final to Maresca's new club Chelsea.
Leicester said in a statement they were "disappointed that Enzo has decided at this stage he no longer wants to be part of our vision" having established "promising foundations during his single season in charge".
The club added: "However, with Enzo's decision made and the board's terms for his departure met, we wish him well in his future endeavours.
"He leaves with the appreciation of everyone at the club for his work in helping us to achieve an immediate return to the Premier League during the 2023-24 season."

[BangaloreaN]

Napoli name Antonio Conte new coach after turbulent 2023-24 season

Conte is the fifth Napoli coach of the last year in a chaotic period for the club which in the 2022-2023 season won their first Serie A title since 1990, but finished a disappointing 10th the following year. read more


Antonio Conte had previously coached Juventus and Inter Milan in Serie A.


Former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte was on Wednesday named the new coach of Napoli, the Serie A club that aim to start afresh after a disappointing campaign.
“Welcome Antonio,” wrote Aurelio De Laurentiis, the club’s president and owner, in a post on X that was accompanied by an image of Conte signing his contract.
Conte, who had previously coached Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan, has inked a three-year deal that reportedly is worth €8 million ($8.7 million) per season.
“I can promise you one thing. I will do my utmost to grow this team and this club,” Conte said.

De Laurentiis described Conte as a “high-level coach and a leader who is going to allow us to rebuild at the conclusion of a cycle”.

Benvenuto Antonio! pic.twitter.com/HHtEkixxb3
— AurelioDeLaurentiis (@ADeLaurentiis) June 5, 2024

Conte is the fifth Napoli coach of the last year in a chaotic period for the club which in the 2022-2023 season won their first Serie A title since 1990, when Diego Maradona was still strutting his stuff.
But the coach who won the title, Luciano Spalletti, left last summer and southern Italy’s biggest club went through three managers on their way to a dismal 10th-place finish this season.
Napoli ended the season 41 points behind new champions Inter as Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri and Francesco Calzona, who joined on a short-term contract, all failed to live up to Spalletti’s historic title win.

Spalletti is now in charge of the Italian national team.
Conte has been charged with taking Napoli back up the table, and has a pedigree which will give fans hope of a quick turnaround in fortunes.
The 54-year-old has won four Serie A titles, three with Juve and one with Inter in 2021, and was also a Premier League winner with Chelsea in 2017.
Conte will almost certainly have to do without star striker Victor Osimhen, who is a target for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
However Napoli’s other key forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is under contract until 2027 and Conte has reportedly demanded that the Georgia winger not be sold despite reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

[BangaloreaN]

Turkish Giants Fenerbahce Rope in Jose Mourinho as New Manager

Next season, Jose Mourinho will make his managerial comeback with Fenerbahce, as the Turkish Super Lig team have introduced the experienced Portuguese coach as their new head coach on Sunday. This would be the 2-time UCL winner's 10th club in charge in his illustrious managerial career.

Fenerbahce will be Jose Mourinho's 10th club in his managerial career.

Ex Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been officially introduced as the new head coach of Turkish giants, Fenerbahce Football Club on Sunday. Following days of rumors, Fenerbahce confirmed through a post on the social media platform X early Sunday that Mourinho would be presented at a ceremony at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

"Saracoglu is waiting for its new coach Jose Mourinho and its great fans at 19.00!", the Turkish club said in the announcement.

Mourinho, celebrated for his successful tenures with teams like Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United, will be charged with guiding Fenerbahce to their first league championship since the 2013-14 season. Despite mounting a strong title challenge this season, Fenerbahce came up short, ending in second place behind their rivals Galatasaray, who clinched the league by three points. Six pivotal draws were a significant setback to Fenerbahce's title hopes.

This move signifies Mourinho's return to management following his departure from Roma in January, where he spent two and a half years. During his tenure, he secured the Europa Conference League title in 2022 and was involved in numerous high-profile conflicts with referees.

Mourinho's appointment marks his first managerial position outside the top five European leagues since 2004, when he departed Porto for Chelsea after clinching the Champions League. Throughout his illustrious career, he has amassed numerous trophies and stirred considerable controversy both on and off the pitch.

Fenerbahce's recent campaign was overshadowed by a fierce battle for the title and disagreements with Turkish football governing bodies, highlighted by a notable event where the squad left the pitch in protest during the Turkish Super Cup clash. Mourinho's wealth of expertise and history of triumphs will play a crucial role as he endeavors to rejuvenate Fenerbahce and recapture their past dominance, wresting domestic supremacy back from Galatasaray. The introduction ceremony promises to be a momentous occasion for Fenerbahce supporters, eagerly anticipating Mourinho's arrival and the commencement of a fresh era under his guidance.

[BangaloreaN]

Indian Football: Sunil Chhetri, generational talent and eternal leader, walks off into the sunset

Sunil Chhetri retires from international football after making 151 appearances and scoring 94 goals.

Sunil Chhetri takes a lap of honour after playing his final match for India | Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFPAfter the post-match hugs and handshakes had been done with, Sunil Chhetri went on a solo lap of honour at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan while his teammates waited near the dugout.
In many ways, the lap around the stadium, after India’s disappointing draw against Kuwait in their 2026 Fifa World Cup Qualifying second round match, summed up Chhetri’s career in the Indian jersey.

For most of the 19 years he played for the Indian team, he was often the lone shining light, single handedly providing the few moments of joy for fans.
A crunch penalty dispatched with ease, netting hat-tricks when required and harrying defenders twice his size just through sheer will. And on Thursday night, even at 39, he was attempting more sprints than any other player on the pitch.

But in what was probably India’s biggest match in a long time, Chhetri unfortunately could not deliver. It is not a slight on the man who has routinely stepped up for the country over for almost two decades. After all, it’s not everyday you see male footballers score 94 goals in 151 matches for their national team.
Now, less than two months short of turning 40, age is catching up to the striker. The hunger and determination is still there to be seen, but perhaps the pace and endurance has declined – the Chhetri from two years ago would have buried Liston Colaco’s cut back on Thursday.


After being redeployed to the No 10 role (positioned just behind the striker) behind half-time substitute Rahim Ali, Chhetri was not able to dictate the attacks like he did through most of his career.
But unlike many legendary athletes across sport, Chhetri realised he needed to step away to help his team continue moving forward. One last perfectly-timed move from the Indian icon. His one last selfless act for his team.

It is not an easy task to condense Chhetri’s impact on Indian football in a few hundred words. Ever the consummate professional, Chhetri has laid the benchmark for his successors on and off the field.
At one of his last press conferences, Chhetri, when asked how he would like to be remembered. He kept his answer simple: “A very good looking and hardworking player.”

It was an answer typical of the man to be self-deprecating even when stating the truth.
Chhetri never shied away from calling himself and his teammates out after poor performances. Neither did he try to deflect blame or wriggle his way out of trouble via pithy excuses. No one has been a bigger critic of Chhetri than himself.
“We did not play the way we should have,” he said after a particularly hurtful loss to lowly Guam in 2015. “It was very disturbing and disappointing. To come back to the dressing room knowing that you have not given your best is not a happy feeling at all.”
But his responsibilities to his team went beyond all that happened on the pitch. In most of his interactions with fans and the media, he would always end with a fervent plea to continue supporting Indian football and ensuring that stadiums are packed to the rafters for India matches.

During the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai, barely 2,000 fans turned up for India’s tournament opener against Chinese Taipei, in which Chhetri scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win. Before the next match against Kenya, which was the forward’s 100th match for country, Chhetri took to social media to plead with fans to come out to watch the national team.
“It is not fun to criticse or abuse us on the internet,” he said. “Come to the stadium and do it to our faces. But please come to the stadiums and watch us.”
The impact was immediate. Thousands of fans braved heavy rains to watch Chherti score twice to lead India to a 3-0 win. He would score three more goals in the following two matches as India lifted the title.
A couple of years later, Chhetri’s leadership off the field was once again on display. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Chhetri decided to use his social media reach for good by handing over his X, formerly known as Twitter, account to people working for Covid-19 relief.

A true leader on and off the pitch who will be dearly missed.
But most of all, Chhetri’s humility will be sorely missed. He has never been one for showboating or for extravagant celebrations. In an age where athletes are often guilty of letting fame and fortune get to themselves, Chhetri has been the shining example of a model athlete.
Even while being the centre of a frankly over-the-top felicitation ceremony after the match against Kuwait, Chhetri partook in it even to keep all the administrators and power brokers happy.
As Chhetri walks away after a glittering career, what will his legacy be defined as? Will it be as the record appearance maker and goalscorer? Will it be his longevity? Or will it be him carrying Indian football on his back for nearly 20 years?
Chhetri’s departure signals a seismic shift in Indian football not felt even when IM Vijayan or Bhaichung Bhutia retired. The team’s lynchpin and leader from the front, Chhetri leaves a massive void which Igor Stimac and Indian football will be hard-pressed to fill.
Chhetri walks away as a generational footballer whose absence will be painfully felt in the coming years.

[BangaloreaN]

Greenland football association applies for CONCACAF membership


Greenland has submitted an application to CONCACAF for membership in the confederation, which governs international soccer in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, according to social media posts by the Football Association of Greenland and the men’s national team manager Morten Rukjaer.
CONCACAF declined to comment on the posts or the status of Greenland’s application.
“With this application, Greenland is taking a historic step on the international football scene,” Rukjaer wrote on Instagram.
The application would be a milestone in a multi-year quest to level up international football in the country, as reported in 2022 in Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq. Greenland has a population of just over 56,000.
Though Greenland is geographically part of North America, politically it is an autonomous territory of Denmark. Its path to joining Europe’s confederation, UEFA, has been blocked due in part to a UEFA statute stipulating that membership may only be offered to football associations “based in a country which is recognised as an independent state by the majority of members of the United Nations.”
Tønnes Berthelsen, the chairman of the application committee for the country’s football association, told Sermitsiaq that Denmark also did not support Greenland’s efforts to join UEFA.
The Faroe Islands, also a Danish overseas territory, was officially recognized by FIFA in 1988 and joined UEFA in 1990. FIFA does not recognize Greenland’s national football team, which primarily plays games against other Nordic states and smaller territories.
If Greenland were to join CONCACAF, it would become the seventh member of the confederation not to be recognized by FIFA. The other six are all overseas territories of European nations – primarily France (Martinique, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Saint Martin) along with the Netherlands (Sint Maarten and Bonaire).
Should Greenland play at home in its capital city of Nuuk, Toronto would be the closest home venue of a CONCACAF nation at just over 1,700 miles (2,800 km) away, with most Central American and Caribbean countries lying at least 3,400 miles (5,400 km) away.


Greenland National Team Announces Application to Play Soccer in CONCACAF


The North American family of soccer-playing nations may soon have a new member—and to say its climate is different from the rest of CONCACAF is an understatement.
Greenland has formally applied to become CONCACAF's 42nd member, the autonomous territory's soccer federation announced in a Tuesday afternoon Facebook post. The frigid, sparsely populated island has had a national soccer team outside the jurisdiction of FIFA since 1980.

"Greenland is taking a historic step on the international football scene by officially applying for membership in the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)," the body wrote in Danish, translated through Google Translate. Attached were letters in Greenlandic and Danish confirming the application.
A decade has passed since Bonaire, a special municipality of the Netherlands, became the newest CONCACAF member in 2014.

Greenland, which is under Danish jurisdiction, has sought to join UEFA in the past but has been met with roadblocks due to a lack of infrastructure. The territory normally plays nearby Scandinavian teams like the Faroe Islands and Iceland; its last game against a CONCACAF member was a 3-2 loss to Bermuda in July 2023.

Approximately 56,000 people live in Greenland despite its status as the world's largest island. Its national stadium, Nuuk Stadium, seats 2,000.