European Super Football

Juventus 1 - 1 Sporting Juventus’ search for a first Champions League victory of the season goes on after they were held to a draw by Sporting CP in Turin. Author | Jack L Stadium | Allianz Stadium Dusan Vlahovic levelled midway through the first half, cancelling out Maxi Araujo’s early strike, but Luciano Spalletti’s side were unable to build on their new manager’s bright start. Sporting, buoyed by two wins from their opening three group fixtures, struck first in the 12th minute when Araujo drilled a low shot in off the post. The visitors almost doubled their lead moments later, only for Trincao’s deflected effort to come back off the crossbar. Juventus eventually found some rhythm  Vlahovic forced a superb save from Rui Silva before finally finding the net with a precise finish from Khephren Thuram’s cross. It was the Serbian forward’s first goal from open play in 10 matches, a timely reminder of his quality as uncertainty over his future continues to linger. A third Champions ...

A managerial change in Turin Juventus have dismissed manager Igor Tudor following Sunday’s defeat to Lazio. Author | Frank L Juventus fans v Dortmund The Croatian took over from Thiago Motta in March, but has struggled to turn the team’s fortunes around. Under his management, the side endured an eight-match winless run, leaving them eighth in Serie A. Sunday’s loss marked Juventus’ third consecutive defeat in all competitions. In a statement, the club said: "The club thanks Igor Tudor and his entire staff for their professionalism and dedication over the past few months and wishes them all the best for their future careers." Juventus confirmed that Massimiliano Brambilla will take charge for their Serie A match against Udinese on Wednesday.  The Old Lady sit six points behind league leaders Napoli and have not won in their last five league fixtures. In the Champions League, they are 25th in their group, having drawn twice and lost once in their opening three games. A closer l...

Juventus 4 - 4 Borussia Dortmund Englishman Lloyd Kelly struck a dramatic equaliser in the sixth minute of added time to rescue a point for Juventus following an eight-goal spectacle at home to Dortmund. Author | Andrea Stadium | Allianz Stadium The centre-back, who joined from Newcastle in the summer, had earlier conceded a penalty that allowed Dortmund to take a 4-2 lead. He made amends when he met Dusan Vlahovic’s 94th-minute finish with a headed goal two minutes later. The match provided a remarkable second-half display, with all eight goals coming after the 51st minute and Juventus recovering from conceding three times. It was only the second Champions League match to see eight goals scored in one half, following Bayern Munich’s 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb last season. READ MORE |  Arsenal start Champions League campaign with a win The first half offered little indication of what was to follow, with both sides largely cancelling each other out in midfield during a ...

Juventus 2 - 0 Manchester City Manchester City’s struggles continued as they suffered a potentially damaging defeat to Juventus, leaving their Champions League knockout stage hopes hanging by a thread. Author - Macca Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie sealed a crucial win for the Italian side, bolstering their chances of progressing automatically as one of the top eight teams in the league phase. For City, however, it marked yet another setback in a torrid run of form, with just one win from their last 10 games in all competitions and a seventh defeat during this miserable spell. The result leaves City languishing in 22nd place in the Champions League standings, with only two group games remaining. They face Paris Saint-Germain away on 22 January and host Club Brugge a week later. The top eight teams secure automatic progression, while those finishing between ninth and 24th must navigate a two-legged play-off. City remain just one point above PSG in 25th...

Juventus 0 - 4 Arsenal Arsenal continued their impressive form under interim manager Renee Slegers, securing a victory over Juventus in the Women's Champions League. Author - Olivia T Goals from Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius, Mariona Caldentey, and Caitlin Foord extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run to five matches since Slegers stepped in following Jonas Eidevall’s resignation. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as Juventus frequently challenged Arsenal’s defence and posed a threat on the counter-attack. However, the Gunners consistently looked the more likely side to score and were finally rewarded for their attacking determination just before half-time, when Maanum finished off a well-worked passing move from close range. Click here for Women's Football news and stories Substitute Blackstenius doubled the lead with a brilliant solo effort, driving into the box after a pass from Caldentey and beating Pauline Peyraud-Magnin at her near post. Spanish forward Caldentey then mad...

Hellas Verona 0 - 3 Juventus Juventus continued their strong start to the Serie A season with a commanding 3-0 win over Hellas Verona, keeping their perfect record intact after two matches.  Dusan Vlahovic was the best player on the pitch scoring twice, while young Nicolò Savona made an impressive impact by finding the net on his full debut. Both sides came into the match on a high, having secured 3-0 victories in their opening games. Verona, fresh from an upset against Napoli, gave Daniel Mosquera his first start. Meanwhile, Juventus, coping with injuries to key players like Khephren Thuram and Tim Weah, entrusted Nicolò Savona with a senior debut at right-back. Click here for more Juventus news and stories You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the official Juventus YouTube account.  A closer look at what happened The game kicked off with high energy, with Gleison Bremer making crucial blocks to deny Verona early opportunities....

Raheem Sterling to Juventus? He is currently a target of interest for Juventus, with speculation increasing over his future. Sterling was given the weekend off after not being included in their squad to face Manchester City. It’s understood that Juventus would need to reduce their current wage bill before making a concrete move for Raheem Sterling, with forward Federico Chiesa among the players who might be shown the door. There’s also the question of whether Sterling would be willing to relocate his young family, who are reportedly well-settled in London, for a move to Italy. Premier League: 2024/2025 season news and stories  Latest news from Serie A  However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Chelsea are eager to part ways with the player they signed from Manchester City in 2022 for £47.5 million. Chelsea are open to letting Sterling go before the transfer deadline, a decision that would help them save on his reported £325,000-per-week wages. The fact Chelsea r...

Here we go again New plans for a revamped European Super League (ESL) have been unveiled following a significant court decision.  Picture from a banner protesting the European Super League in 2021 This latest court ruling declared it illegal to prevent clubs from joining an alternative league. The proposed league features 64 men's teams and 32 women's teams, posing a direct challenge to current UEFA competitions. Manchester United, initially a key player in the original ESL concept  but later withdrew amidst heavy criticism, has confirmed their ongoing commitment to UEFA tournaments.  Despite the controversy, United's stance remains unchanged, emphasizing their dedication to working constructively with UEFA, the Premier League, and other clubs through the European Clubs Association for the betterment of European football. Previous Super News articles on the European Super League Clubs Announce New Super League Competition (greatermanchesterfootball.blogspot.com) Reme...

Ahead of the start of the 2023/2024 Champions League Group Stages This article will explore some of the best matches from this stage of the competition. When did Europe's premier competition introduce a Group Stage? Since the 1997–98 season, the competition has allowed multiple entries from certain countries. It added a round-robin group stage in 1992. For a brief period between 1999 and 2002, there was a 2nd Group Stage introduced. The best Group-Stage matches  Tottenham Hotspur 2-7 Bayern Munich (2019-20) By smashing seven goals past an almost hapless Tottenham Hotspur team that had no answers to their attacking prowess at home, Bayern Munich revealed a glimpse of what was to come in the season they lifted their sixth UEFA Champions League title! For Spurs, this set the tone for what was a poor season after they came so close to European success the previous campaign. Monaco 8-3 Deportivo de La Coruña (2003-04) The 2003-04 season was a fairytale run for Monaco in the UEFA Ch...

 Juventus 0 - 1 AC Milan Olivier Giroud scored the winner as AC Milan qualified for next season's Champions League with a narrow win against Juventus. The defeat ended Juve's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. The home side started the match aggressively, knowing that only a win was good enough to maintain their slim hopes of securing a top-four finish. Massimiliano Allegri made enforced changes to his team as their star striker and top scorer Dusan Vlahovic was sidelined.  Davide Calabria crossed from the right for the France striker to head in the winner for the Rossoneri. Alexis Saelemaekers had a low shot saved by Wojciech Szczesny as Milan probed for a second goal. Click here to find more AC Milan news and stories. Milan have now completed a league double against Juventus for just the third time in the last 50 years. They are now secure in fourth place, with Inter, Lazio and champions Napoli having already qualified for next season's Champions League. Aft...

 Let's explore all the key moments from a dramatic night in the Europa League Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0 - 1 Roma (Roma won 1-0 on aggregate) Jose Mourinho's Roma reached the Europa League final after holding Bayer Leverkusen to a goalless draw in the second leg of the semi-final. Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen side could not find the breakthrough as Jose Mourinho delivered a tactical masterclass.  You can hear what Mourinho had to say in the video below. Footage:  JOSÉ MOURINHO | POST MATCH INTERVIEW | BAYER-ROMA - YouTube Is he still the Special One? Click here to read the latest Mourinho news stories. Can the iconic manager win yet another European trophy? His side can look forward to a second European final in as many years having not reached one for 31 years before last season. Who would they be facing though? They would have to wait another 30 minutes before finding out. UECL: Roma win Europa Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Sevilla 2 - 1 Juventus (Sevi...

Let's take a look at some of the greatest Champions League semi-finals.  With the 2023 Champions League semi-finals just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to look back at some legendary matches at this stage of the competition.  From AC Milan to Manchester United and Didier Drogba to Zinedine Zidane, iconic clubs and players have come of age and built their modern mythology in these matches. However, which games were the best?  AC Milan v Monaco - 1994 The Champions League was still a very different competition when it officially changed its name from the European Cup in the earlier part of the 1990s.  In this game against Monaco, Milan went up early through Marcel Desailly but suffered a significant setback when Alessandro Costacurta was sent off after 40 minutes. However, they were determined not to let their advantage slip. In the end, they only held their lead but also added to it with further strikes in the second half. The season would only get bet...

 It's time to explore another football icon. This time it's Patrice Evra A brief summary He is a French football coach and former professional player. Originally a forward, he mainly played as a left-back.Evra served as captain for both Manchester United and the France national team. His former manager Sir Alex Ferguson praised Evra for his leadership, also describing him as one of the best left-backs in Europe. <Click here to read about more icons> The start of Evra's career Evra was born in Senegal and arrived in Europe when he was a year old. Evra started his career with the Italian club Marsala. The following season, he joined Monza but returned to France a year later to play for Nice where he was converted into a full-back. In 2002, he joined Monaco and was part of the team that reached the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final.  Becoming a Manchester United legend Evra's performances for Monaco culminated in a move to English club Manchester United in January...

 Napoli 5 - 1 Juventus Goals from Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Amir Rrahmani, Victor Osimhen and Eljif Elmas earned a memorable 5-1 victory for Napoli. The visitors from Turin were roundly jeered by home supporters in Naples when they appeared. Juventus had won eight straight games without conceding a goal and were also able to hand Federico Chiesa his first start since tearing his cruciate ligament over a year ago. More news from Itaaly>>> However, Napoli took the lead in the 14th minute. Wojciech Szczesny brilliantly parried an acrobatic shot from Kvaratskhelia but Osimhen headed in the rebound, the first goal Juventus had conceded in 770 minutes. Napoli never looked like losing the game, even when Angel Di Maria pulled a goal a few minutes before half-time For all their problems, Juventus had only conceded seven in the top flight this season beforehand and sit third, level on points with second-placed AC Milan. However, this was a breathless Napoli display, ...

It was a dramatic night in Group H of the Champions League One giant of European competition won't be playing in Europe's premier competition after Christmas. Paris Saint Germain 7 - 2 Maccabi Haifa Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both scored two goals as Paris St-Germain thrashed Maccabi Haifa to reach the last 16 of the Champions League. Neymar and Carlos Soler also scored while Shon Goldberg scored an own goal. Messi's two goals mean he becomes the first player to score 80 goals in the group phase of the Champions League. PSG top Group H with 11 points from five games, the same as Benfica, while Juventus, who have failed to qualify, and Maccabi Haifa have three.  Highlights from  BT Sport - YouTube One YouTuber commented: "Mbappe and Messi's link-up is phenomenal. Their quick passes are insane!" Another added: "Messi is just something else, people can say whatever they want about the opposition, but football will never ever see anyone like him again. ...

The dreaded European Super League is back in the news again This video from Tifo Football explores how the original idea fell apart. Keep reading this article for the latest news on the European Super League. It now appears to be back in the news again.  What's being said? In an article for Sky Sports, it was reported that the chief executive of the company behind the previous failed project has claimed that a new European Super League with no permanent membership could be up and running by the 2024/25 season. There has also been an interesting article in The Financial Times. ESPN are reporting some of the developments and what it could mean. Are we close to the idea being relaunched? A22 Sports Management -- the company that launched the European Super League in April 2021 -- appointed a new chief executive, Bernd Reichart, who claimed it would be relaunched within three years. This comes against the backdrop of legal action taken by the three remaining Super League clubs (...

Let's have a look at another football icon. This one's a keeper Edwin van der Sar is a Dutch football executive and former professional player who is currently the chief executive of AFC Ajax.  Time at Ajax and Juventus He began his senior playing career in the early 1990s; he is considered to be a member of the club's golden generation and was part of the Ajax team that won the UEFA Champions League in 1995. He left Ajax for Juventus in 1999 He spent two years at Juventus but his time there was mixed. After a series of mistakes, he lost his place in the summer of 2001, after the Bianconeri purchased Italian international goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from Parma for approximately £32.6 million, a world-record fee for a goalkeeper. Unwilling to remain as second-choice behind Buffon, Van der Sar made it clear he wished to move on after two years in Serie A Fulham Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) On 1 August 2001, Van der Sar opted to play in England and ...

Would Paulo Dybala be a good fit at Stamford Bridge? Reports across Europe believe that Chelsea do intend to join the pursuit of soon-to-be free agent Paulo Dybala once the club's protracted takeover has been resolved. Following a long period of negotiations, the Argentinian forward has rejected Juventus' most recent contract earlier this year, and most believe he will now leave Turin in the summer after seven glittering years in Turin. Further rumours indicate that Juve's decision not to improve their proposal was motivated by the January arrival of Dusan Vlahovic and the Serb's terrific start to life with the Bianconeri. Despite the 28-year-old's fitness issues over recent time, several leading European sides have been linked with a free transfer, including Juve's Serie A rivals Inter and Atletico Madrid in La Liga. One Chelsea fan told us: "This would be a fantastic signing for us!" Other news and rumours It has also been reported in additional ...

Roma 3 - 4 Juventus Roma and Juventus produced one of the best games of the season. The home side with 3-1 up with only 20 minutes left. However, there was a stunning comeback from Juventus.  Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini also had a late penalty saved after Matthijs de Ligt was given a second yellow card for handball. The win keeps Juventus in fifth place, but they are only three points behind Atalanta. Roma stay in eighth place, and Jose Mourinho said his side suffered a psychological collapse. You can watch the highlights in the video below. Footage from the Serie A YouTube channel.  More reaction This is one of many tweets posted by the Juventus account after a wonderful match had been concluded. 𝘼𝙖𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚... 😮‍💨 How are your heart rates after that, Bianconeri?? 📈 #RomaJuve #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/UBasDhIUMJ — JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) January 9, 2022 The Roma account posted the thoughts of Jose Mourinho: "3-1 and 3-2 are different scorelines bu...

Another day and another look at a football icon.  This time it's Edgar Davids. The Dutch midfielder won several trophies throughout an eventful career. Summary of his career After beginning his career with Ajax, winning several domestic and international titles, he subsequently played in Italy for Milan, and later enjoyed a successful spell with Juventus, before being loaned out to Barcelona in 2004. He went on to play for Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Ajax. Having struggled with injuries for two years, Davids returned to competitive football during a brief spell with Crystal Palace before retiring at the age of 37. In 2012, he was appointed player-manager at the English League Two club Barnet. He resigned by mutual agreement as a manager in January 2014.  He was capped 74 times by the Netherlands. He also scored six goals for his country represented his country at major tournaments.  Davids is regarded as one of the greatest and most recognisa...