European Super Football

Netherlands 2 - 1 Turkey The Netherlands came from behind to defeat Turkey, setting up a Euro 2024 semi-final against England. An own goal by Mert Muldur, pressured by Cody Gakpo, helped the Dutch take the lead after trailing at half-time. Turkey's centre-back Samet Akaydin had put his team ahead, heading in Arda Guler's cross after an impressive first half. He celebrated by running to the fans, kissing his badge, and kneeling to pray, while the substitutes sprinted down the touchline. However, Turkey's joy was short-lived as the Netherlands, sluggish in the first half, came alive after the break, inspired by substitute Wout Weghorst. Stefan de Vrij equalised with a header, shortly after Weghorst made a crucial defensive interception to prevent Kaan Ayhan from scoring. Turkey nearly extended their lead when Real Madrid's Guler hit the post with a stunning free-kick but failed to capitalise on their opportunities. Now, Ronald Koeman's side will face England in Do

Erling Braut Haaland scored twice on his return from injury as Borussia Dortmund secured a victory over Mainz. The Norwegian has now scored 49 times in 49 league matches for Dortmund and 70 goals in 68 matches in all competitions. That is an incredible return for someone who is still only 21. You can watch the highlights from this match in the video below. The win was Dortmund's ninth in succession at home. They now have 18 points after 8 matches. It has been a good start to the season for them and they will be hoping to push rivals Bayern Munich close this season. YouTube comments The match was spoken about heavily across YouTube and other social media platforms. One Dortmund fan said: "Haaland's 70th goal for Dortmund in under two years at the club. No words." Another added: "Reus and Haaland make such a lethal duo." Twitter reaction Dortmund's English speaking Twitter account asked a simple question: "How's everyone doing?" How’s eve

Let's have a look at all the best reaction from Old Trafford as Liverpool thrashed Manchester United. Before the game, nobody was anticipating what was going to happen over the 90 minutes or so. Reaction from those involved The Manchester United captain Harry Maguire spoke with the club's social media accounts after the game. Since he returned from injury, United have conceded eleven goals in three matches. They are clearly missing their summer signing from Real Madrid. Our captain spoke to #MUTV after #MUNLIV . #MUFC — Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 24, 2021 Speaking to Sky Sports, the Liverpool manage Jurgen Klopp added: "What can I say? Did I expect that? No. "The result is insane. It is special but we don't celebrate like crazy, we have respect for the opponents. We were lucky in some moments, United are not in their best moment." This was Liverpool's biggest win at Old Trafford since the 2008/2009 season. On that occasion, they 'only

The draw for the League Phase of the 2024/2025 Champions League phase has been made. The four Premier League teams in UEFA Champions League recently discovered their eight league phase opponents as the draw was made in Monaco for the 36 participating clubs. Manchester City and Arsenal will each face Inter Milan and PSG. The 2024 Premier League champions will face Inter at home in a repeat of the 2022/23 final, while Arsenal will travel to Italy and vice versa for their matches with PSG. Last season's Premier League top two also face an additional two Italian opponents, with City also facing Juventus as Arsenal travel to Atalanta. Liverpool will face a tough draw, facing the champions of Spain and Germany, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, at home, while also travelling to RB Leipzig and AC Milan.   Aston Villa will face Bayern Munich, whom they beat in 1981 to win the European Cup and fans will be dreaming of glory nights once again. How does the new Champions League form

 Jose Mourinho is set to become the new manager of Fenerbahce The 61-year-old will take over from Ismail Kartal, who left Fenerbahce after they finished second in the league to city rivals Galatasaray.  Despite losing just one game and recording 99 points last season, Fenerbahce finished as runners-up. How much of an impact will have Mourinho in Turkey? The club hinted at Mourinho's appointment in a video featuring the Portuguese manager directly addressing the fans with the words "See you tomorrow". Are you ready for tomorrow? 🔥😄 pic.twitter.com/PgbdiegcjE — Fenerbahçe English (@Fenerbahce_EN) June 1, 2024 Mourinho, who has previously managed Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United, is the only manager to have won the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League .  Over his 24-year managerial career, he has won 21 major honors, beginning in his home country of Portugal at Benfica and including stints at Porto, Inter Milan, and Tottenham.  Mourin

 It seems like only yesterday that the 2021/2022 Champions League final took place. However, the draw for the preliminary round of the 2022/2023 has already happened.  Let's have a look at who will be playing who. 21 June: Preliminary round semi-finals Levadia Tallinn (Estonia) vs Víkingur Reykjavík (Iceland) La Fiorita (San Marino) vs Inter Club d'Escaldes (Andorra) 24 June: Preliminary round final La Fiorita/Inter Club d'Escaldes vs Levadia/Víkingur Further information taken from the UEFA website UEFA Champions League preliminary round draw | UEFA Champions League | UEFA.com How the draw worked The champions of Estonia, San Marino, Andorra and Iceland entered the preliminary round in accordance with their ranking in the 2022/23 access list. The two clubs with the highest club coefficients were seeded for the semi-final draw: Levadia Tallinn (EST) and La Fiorita (SMR). The first draw determined the two semi-finals; the first team drawn in each tie is considered th

Is Julen Lopetegui moving to London? It has been reported that Julen Lopetegui has agreed to become the next manager of West Ham at the end of the season. Update - It has now been announced that David Moyes will definitely leave the club at the end of the season. While nothing has been finalised, the 57-year-old is close to making a return to management after leaving Wolves in August of last year. The current West Ham manager, David Moyes, has started mounting pressure due to a poor run of results. The Hammers have won only one of their last nine Premier League games, and were eliminated from the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They were recently thrashed 5-0 by Chelsea on Sunday, leaving them ninth in the table. Moyes has repeatedly fended off questions about his future at the club, but it has now been confirmed that he will leave the club at the end of the current campaign.  The former Spain and Real Madrid coach, Lopetegui, has been linked with several jobs since leaving

It's time to explore the stars of Euro 2024. Who was your favourite player from the tournament? We asked some of our contributors what they thought and examined how their careers might develop over the next few years.  Nico Williams - Spain Athletic Bilbao's talented winger stood out in Spain's 1-0 victory over Italy. He scored a powerful goal in their 4-1 win over Georgia and netted a brilliant finish in the final against England. Throughout the summer, he has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, as they reportedly consider him their top target. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Georgia Georgia's 23-year-old striker Kvaratskhelia made a significant impact for Georgia during Euro 2024, and there are rumours that PSG is interested in signing him. Despite his side losing in the last 16, Kvaratskhelia has gained more admirers. His club Napoli have set a value of £85.2m for him, which might be too high for PSG. There are also reports linking Liverpool to the player. Ho

Manchester City 4 - 2 Chelsea Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to lead Manchester City to a 4-2 pre-season victory over Chelsea in Columbus. Haaland, 24, scored two quick goals in the first five minutes, taking advantage of two mistakes by Chelsea.  The first goal came from a loose pass by Tosin Adarabioyo, with Levi Colwill fouling Haaland for a penalty, which the Norwegian scored after a re-take. Haaland then doubled City's lead, intercepting a misplaced pass and scoring.  Pre Season: Celtic thrash Chelsea (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Click here for more Manchester City news and stories In the second half, City added two more goals, with Raheem Sterling's mistake allowing Oscar Bobb to score, followed by Haaland's hat-trick goal after another error from Malo Gusto. Despite Chelsea scoring twice, City secured the win.  Both managers blamed the "dry" pitch for the errors. City will now face Manchester United in the Community Shield, while Chelsea will pla

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) Rememb

Gareth Southgate's England have arrived in Germany, facing a crucial test to determine if they are genuine contenders or simply a team that falters when it matters most. Southgate’s tenure – whether it concludes at the end of Euro 2024 or continues beyond – should always be assessed against the chaos he inherited.  Appointed permanently in November 2016, Southgate has since led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, the Euro 2020 final, and the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. World Cup 2022: How England's journey came to an end  As the England players settle into their base in Germany, there is much to be hopeful about. Southgate has fostered a positive atmosphere within the squad, with players now enjoying representing their country without the heavy burden of expectations. He has also rekindled a sense of goodwill from the fans and the wider public towards the team and himself. This tournament carries a sense of urgency – a ‘now or never’ moment – following the World C

Romania 3 - 0 Ukraine Romania secured their first European Championship victory in 24 years with an impressive win over Ukraine in Group E. Captain Nicolae Stanciu unexpectedly put Romania ahead in the 29th minute , hitting the top corner with a superb strike from 20 yards out. Razvan Marin then extended Romania’s lead after 53 minutes, with a long-range shot that slipped under Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.Four minutes later, Denis Dragus sealed the win by tapping in Dennis Man's cross from close range. Romania’s only previous win at the Euros came in 2000 when a late Lonel Ganea penalty secured a 3-2 victory over England in the group stage. Ranked 24 places below Ukraine in the world rankings, Romania had prepared for the Euros with lacklustre goalless draws against Bulgaria and Liechtenstein. However, supported by a sea of yellow in Munich, they were given an early boost when Lunin’s poor clearance was intercepted by Man, who set up Stanciu for a splendid first-time shot

 Lionel Messi has been named men's player of the year at the 2022 Best Fifa Awards. The World Cup winner beat French forwards Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to the prize. He captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, and scored 27 goals in 49 games for club and country in 2021-22. Liam, a Manchester United fan, told us: "You have to say, he deserves it. The World Cup was the crowning glory of this career." In a long statement, Messi told the media: "It's amazing. It's an honour for me to be here tonight and win this award. Without my team-mates I wouldn't be here. It was an amazing year and I achieved the dream that I've been hoping for so long and finally, I managed to achieve it." Manuel, a PSG fan, was delighted with Messi winning the award: "He deserves this award. However, more for his performances with Argentina then PSG sadly. I don't think we have seen the best of him in Paris." This is a full list of the other wi

 Scotland 1 - 3 England In a raucous Hampden Park friendly, England continued their modern-day superiority over Scotland.  Scots last won this fixture in 1999, but hopes of a 42nd win appeared ominously faint as Phil Foden's opener silenced the stadium before Jude Bellingham added a second. A shaken Scotland eventually awoke the home crowd as Harry Maguire sent Andy Robertson's cross screeching beyond Aaron Ramsdale. A mesmerizing Bellingham assist enabled Harry Kane to score England's third as a result of England's classy play and intricate movement. Top of their European Championship qualifying group with five wins from five and facing an England team held by Ukraine on Saturday , Steve Clarke spoke before the match about the desire to see how much his team had narrowed the gap between themselves and England. An almost ruthless first half from Gareth Southgate's team offered a sobering reply. After a slick, composed and controlled performance, the visitors des

Viktoria Plzeň 1 - 0 Hearts After overcoming a shaky start and edging towards a commendable goalless draw in the Czech Republic, Hearts' hopes were dashed when Daniel Oyegoke accidentally turned a late cross into his own net. Plzen's Cadu delivered a dangerous ball into the box, which caught Oyegoke off guard. The Hearts defender could only watch in dismay as the ball struck his thigh and sailed into the corner of the net. It was a bitterly frustrating conclusion, especially as Hearts had grown into the match, standing toe-to-toe with their more seasoned Czech opponents , who were competing in Europe for the 15th consecutive season. Lawrence Shankland came close with two shots from the edge of the box just before half-time, and Kenneth Vargas missed two opportunities when a cooler head was needed. However, solid goalkeeping and resilient defending kept Hearts in the game and nearly secured them a vital draw. UEFA Europa League and Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogsp

Let's take a closer look at Lionel Messi.  The Argentian player is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever. How did his career develop? What were his best moments? Keep reading for the story of a football legend. Quick summary Messi has won seven Ballon d'Or awards and six European Golden Shoes. In 2020, he was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona.  With the Spanish giants,  he won a club-record 35 trophies. This included ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four Champions Leagues. He is known for being a prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker. Records He holds the records for most goals in La Liga, a La Liga and European league season, most hat-tricks in La Liga and the Champions League, and most assists in La Liga, a La Liga season and the Copa América. He also holds the record for most international goals by a South American. Messi has scored over 7

 It's time to explore another football icon. This time it's Denis Law Denis Law had a fantastic career and many older fans of Manchester United still refer to him as The King of the Stretford End. Early Life of Denis Law He grew up in an Aberdeen Council Flat and was the youngest of six siblings. His dad George Law was a fisherman, and this fact would later feature in a chant created by Manchester United fans.  He supported Aberdeen and watched them on the terraces when he had the money to do so. He got his first pair of football boots as a teenager after receiving them as a present. The obsession with football led to Law turning down a place at the local grammar school as their sport of choice was Rugby.   The start of a glorious football career After being scouted by Huddersfield Town, he was eventually signed by the Yorkshire side in April 1955. Not long after, he had an operation to remove his quint. This greatly improved his self-confidence. Following Huddersfield’s r

Let's have a look at all the reaction from another dramatic night of Champions League football. Atlético Madrid 0 - 0 Manchester City (Agg:0-1) City produced a  disciplined performance to hold off the challenge of Atletico Madrid - and set up a Champions League semi-final showdown with the Spanish side's city rivals Real. Knowing a clean sheet would be enough to seal the tie, City kept their cool in the face of a hostile home crowd and intimidation from a physical Atleti side showing far more ambition than in the first leg. The Manchester City boss told BT Sport: "It is the champion of Spain and they played with energy. Overall we are in the semi-finals, it is well deserved. The opponent is so tough, all the teams in the Champions League come here and suffer so it is important we go through." Tough and intense one, but we withstood it well! On to the semis! 💪🏼💙 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/XOWfk6w0xA — Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) April 13, 2022 UCL: A memorable

 England 1 - 2 France Football won't be coming home for Christmas England are out of a World Cup but, this time, it was in a desperately agonising quarter-final defeat. This time, more than any other time, and against the world champions France, it felt very different. They were not outplayed. They did not retreat. Instead they lost a tie which they should have won, which they deserved to win and which will sear into Harry Kane - Harry Kane of all people - who missed the penalty kick that would have forced extra-time; Kane missed the penalty that would have confirmed him as England’s all-time record scorer, with 54 goals, one ahead of Wayne Rooney.  History beckoned but for Kane but it wasn't to be. At the end Gareth Southgate wrapped his arms around Kane but he was in another place, staring into the distance. It felt incredibly sad after a fine performance laced with controversy. It was another player that was key for France The pre-match debate centred on how England could st