As far as footballing matters were concerned, there wasn’t a lot left to play for when FC Dordrecht played host to TOP Oss in their final fixture of the Dutch second-division season in May. With relegation to the third tier not at stake in the Eerste Divisie, Dordrecht and Oss were both immune from the drop and duly played out a lively 2-2 draw at the Stadion Krommedijk that saw…
The transfer window is open across Europe’s top leagues so there’s no better time to look at some young talent, aged 23 or younger, who could make a real impact. The likes of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, Barcelona’s Gavi, Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao are all world-class players that fit the age requirement, but are far too expensive for most clubs to sign. So…
French club Strasbourg appointed Patrick Vieira as their new manager on a three-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Sunday. Former France international Vieira coached Premier League side Crystal Palace from 2021 to this year. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The 47-year-old guided Palace to a 12th-placed finish and an FA Cup semifinal in his first season in charge, but was sacked mid-March following a 1-0…
Former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has announced his retirement from professional football aged 36. Fabregas calls time on a 20-year career that saw him win a host of major trophies during spells at Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea, as well as with Spain. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) “It is with great sadness that the time has come for me to hang up my playing boots,” Fabregas…
Andres Iniesta said goodbye to Japanese football on Saturday with his first league start of the season as title-chasing Vissel Kobe had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Consadole Sapporo. The 39-year-old midfielder joined Kobe from Barcelona in 2018 but has found playing time increasingly hard to come by with the latest appearance taking his playing just 94 minutes across 18 games this season. – Stream on…
The anti-discrimination “OneLove” captain’s armband banned at the men’s World Cup in Qatar will be worn in an amended version at the Women’s World Cup next month, although FIFA opted out entirely of the rainbow that is known as a symbol for LGBTQIA+ pride. FIFA unveiled eight armbands Friday that captains of the 32 teams can choose to wear in Australia and New Zealand during the tournament that runs July…
Thomas Hitzlsperger enjoyed a remarkable playing career, spanning 12 years and six clubs. His form across spells with Aston Villa, Stuttgart, Lazio, West Ham United, Wolfsburg and Everton as a marauding midfielder, saw him win 52 caps for Germany, while his ferocious left foot earned him the nickname “The Hammer.” After retiring from the sport in 2013, Hitzlsperger carved out a career as head of sport at Stuttgart and then…
Lionel Messi announcing that he is signing with Inter Miami CF has created plenty of conversation around what, exactly, he has gotten himself into. Major League Soccer is unique and full of quirks, but it’s far from the low-rent, retirement-league stereotype it’s often characterized as. This isn’t the MLS that David Beckham left behind a little more than a decade ago. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) When…
France’s highest administrative court said on Thursday that the country’s football federation is entitled to ban headscarves in competitions even though the measure can limit freedom of expression. The Council of State issued its ruling after a group of headscarf-wearing football players called “Les Hijabeuses” — the word hijab refers to the headscarf — campaigned against the ban and launched legal action. The ruling is likely to refuel the lingering…
We abbreviate history over time. As time passes, we sand down more edges and eliminate a few more details. At some point we arrived at a pretty straightforward summary of the evolution to modern soccer: The Dutch did the Total Football thing, Johan Cruyff taught it to Pep Guardiola and Pep Guardiola won eleventy kajillion trophies by perfecting it. AC Milan’s Arrigo Sacchi had his own version of that, Jose…