European Super Football

After a crazy season for Burnley, we have to ask one question. What's next for the Turf Moor club? The latest in a series of articles that will look at how teams did throughout the 21/22 season, and ask how they could improve for next season. In our first season summary, we spoke about Man City being crowned champions. Then we asked are Tottenham ready for the Champions League? Now for a look at the other end of the table After a dramatic final day Burnley were relegated from the Premier League as a home loss to Newcastle United condemned them to the Championship. At the start of the day, Burnley were above Leeds on goal difference, but Jesse Marsch's side won 2-1 at Brentford to end the Clarets' six-year spell in the top flight. Immediate reaction Burnley defender James Tarkowski told the media : "We’re devastated but over the season we've not been good enough. We need to be better than we have been and we've got our just reqwards by not doing enough. "

Manchester City 5 - 0 Newcastle  Manchester City shrugged off the disappointment of their Champions League semi-final exit to thrash Newcastle United and open a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League. 🔵 Man City open up a three point gap at the top 🔵 #MCINEW pic.twitter.com/fsxtff4YBg — Premier League (@premierleague) May 8, 2022 City took advantage of Liverpool's draw with Tottenham Hotspur with an impressive response that strengthened their position at the Premier League summit and markedly improved their goal difference. Chris Wood wasted a glorious early chance for Newcastle to add to City's nerves. They paid the price when Raheem Sterling headed Pep Guardiola's team in front after 19 minutes. Aymeric Laporte added a second before half-time after Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka fumbled Ilkay Gundogan's volley and Rodri made sure of the victory with a near-post header from Kevin de Bruyne's corner just after the hour mark. Phil Foden struck in

We all love a dramatic end to the season Let's explore some of the best and most iconic title races in the history of English football. Will the 2024 race for the title match any of those listed below? Leicester City, Tottenham and Arsenal in 2016 An odd one to choose perhaps, but this was a fascinating title race. It was a two-horse race for a period, but Spurs finished third. Leicester won the title that season thanks to the form of former Non-League player Jamie Vardy. Many described it as the greatest-ever sporting achievement.  Following this title win, Leicester players struggled to match what they achieved during that season. They were even relegated in 2023. They quickly recovered to win the Championship in 2024, once again being inspired by Vardy. Liverpool and Arsenal 1989 Throwback to 1989 when Arsenal managed to clinch their 9th league title at Anfield in the most dramatic night in club history pic.twitter.com/YSqyids0H9 — Throwback Arsenal (@ThrowbackAFC) August 22,

There has been a huge transfer announcement  Harry Kane, the England captain, has completed a move to Bayern Munich, the German champions, agreeing to a four year contract. This transfer marks the conclusion of a record-setting spell with Tottenham Hotspur. The transfer has been completed for an initial sum of around 100 million euros (£86.4 million), and there are additional provisions for performance-related bonuses.  For Spurs. he has etched his name into the record books as their leading goal scorer of all time. He has netted an impressive 280 goals in a total of 435 appearances for the club. Kane has won the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions - in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2020-21. With 213 goals from 320 games in the English top flight, he needed just 48 more to break Alan Shearer's Premier League scoring record. Kane, who is also England's all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals and was the top scorer at the 2018 World Cup, has never won a major tr

 Another day. Another Manchester United transfer rumour. The Red Devils have entered the race for RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo, who has a £52m release clause this summer. Manchester United and Real Madrid are reportedly among the clubs maintaining a watching brief on Dani Olmo this summer. The Spanish international is excelling for Red Bull Leipzig, and he has a clause that becomes active this summer when he can leave for £52million. Olmo recently starred for Spain against Brazil, where he was utilised in the number ten position where he scored a superb individual goal. He dribbled through Brazil's defence before finishing with a curling left-foot shot to give Spain a 2-0 lead in a 3-3 draw at the home of Real Madrid.  United are assessing targets across Europe for attacking and creative options, and Olmo may be of interest depending on their budget and departures in the summer. The Red Devils are also in the market for a forward, centre-back and full-back this summer plus a ce

The shortlist for Ballon d'Or 2022  has been announced, and there have been some interesting developments. Let's take a look at some of the talking points. No Messi and Neymar! Lionel Messi and Neymar have not been included on the 30-man shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. The Argentina international has won the most Ballons d'Or in history with seven, but he did not make the list despite scoring 11 goals in 34 matches for Paris Saint-Germain last season. His team-mate Neymar is also not on the list. He played just 28 times for PSG last season in an injury-hit campaign. Kylian Mbappe does make the list. Recognition for the Lionesses  England's Euro 2022 success has been recognised. Millie Bright, Beth Mead and Lucy Bronze have been nominated for the women's Ballon d'Or, awarded to the best female footballer of 2022. Women's Euro 2022: England win after dramatic final (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Who could win it? Real Madrid's Karim Benzema,

How has the world of football translated onto the small screen? We have picked some excellent documentaries and TV series that are worth a watch. Dream Team Dream Team was a drama that aired on Sky One from 1997 to 2007. It chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club. It was more dramatic than many of the Netflix and Amazon Prime series based on real-life football teams.  Renford Rejects A series that examines and explores the grassroots side of football. The centre of this show is a five-a-side school football team, made up of aspiring players who had been turned down by their school team. They were named Renford Rejects when a rival player sabotaged their league entry form. They ultimately decided to stick with the name as it suited the outcast nature.  Welcome to Wrexham An American sports documentary series that premiered in August 2022. It documents the events of Wrexham A.F.C. It was told by the club's owners Rob McElhenn

Lets look at what all the newspapers are saying across the continent. The rumour mill is rather busy at the moment.  Premier League rumours and stories Liverpool are reportedly ready to trigger the £75m release clause in Sevilla and France defender Jules Kounde's contract this month, with Chelsea and Real Madrid also interested in him. Chelsea's German defender Antonio Rudiger, out of contract in the summer and yet to sign a new deal with the European champions, is said to prefer a move to Real Madrid over Paris St-Germain if he leaves London.  Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani has committed himself to Manchester United for the rest of the season after talks with boss Ralf Rangnick. In terms of incoming players, United have discussed a move for Borussia Monchengladbach's Denis Zakaria this month. They are yet to make a bid for the Swiss midfielder.  FA Cup: Man United hold on to beat Aston Villa  Newcastle's hopes of signing defender Sven Botman during the January tran

As the January transfer window gets closer, let's have a look at some of the news and rumours. The constant changing in managers at all levels is starting to have an impact. Several reports have indicated that Tottenham and Manchester City are interested in signing 21-year-old Fiorentina and Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic in January. However, they would need to pay around 70 million pounds.  Donny van de Beek has decided to leave Manchester United in January. The Dutch midfielder has found minutes hard to come by since his move from Ajax in September 2020. Could a new manager at Old Trafford change his mind? Reports in Birmimgham Live indicate that Wolves are interested in signing him. It has been reported in (90min) that Manchester United put off a move for now-Tottenham manager Antonio Conte because of his £250m transfer budget demands. An article in The Mirror says: "Manchester United believe that Zinedine Zidane's close relationships with Cristiano Ronaldo and Rap

The January transfer window is approaching.  As expected, the number of rumours about the latest transfers have exploded. Let's have a look at the best of them. Bundesliga Borussia Dortmund will look to put together a deal to try to persuade Norway striker Erling Braut Haaland to stay with them. The 21-year-old's future at the club set to be decided by the end of February.  Bayern Munich are interested in signing Leeds United's Raphinha. Despite rumours suggesting otherwise, it has been reported that no agreement has yet been made and he could easily end up signing for Liverpool. Premier League Newcastle United hope to complete a deal to bring in Atletico Madrid and England right-back Kieran Trippier next week and, after an injury to Callum Wilson, they will also try to sign a forward over the next few weeks.  Chelsea have asked about the availability of France left-back Theo Hernandez, who AC Milan will not consider selling for less than 60m euros. Wolfsburg's Max

How has the world of football translated onto the small screen? We have picked some excellent documentaries and TV series that are worth a watch. Dream Team Dream Team was a drama that aired on Sky One from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club. It was certainly more dramatic than many of the Netflix and Amazon Prime series that are based on real-life football teams.  Sunderland ‘Till I Die Sunderland ‘Till I Die is a documentary series focusing on Sunderland A.F.C. The first series showcases their year in the Championship and a second successive relegation. During the second series, fortunes start to improve for the Tyne and Wear side, but it ultimately ends in heartbreak as they lose in the League One Play-Off Final. All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur This is a documentary series focusing on the 2019–20 season of Tottenham Hotspur. It showcases a difficult season for the club, beginning with the sacking

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

 Fulham 5 - 0 West Ham United Raul Jimenez continued his impressive resurgence, scoring another goal as Fulham convincingly defeated a lackluster West Ham, marking their second five-goal triumph in just five days at Craven Cottage. The Mexican forward opened the scoring by heading in Joao Palhinha's cross, notching his fourth goal in five league games. Under Marco Silva's management, Fulham dominated the first half, with Willian adding a second from Andreas Pereira's cut-back and Tosin Adarabioyo out-jumping Kurt Zouma to head in the third from a corner. Despite Lukasz Fabianski denying substitute Harry Wilson, Fulham's dominance continued, culminating in them sealing their second 5-0 victory of the week. This awful performance from West Ham, devoid of energy and ideas, saw them overwhelmed within 18 minutes, leaving Fulham fans delighted with another stellar home display. Fulham, who struggled initially, now boasts 15 goals in their past four games, a stark contras

England have confirmed their 26-man squad for the European Championships Gareth Southgate has revealed his final 26-man squad, and some notable names are missing. Manchester City's Jack Grealish, Manchester United's Harry Maguire, and Tottenham's James Maddison have all been left out. Burnley's goalkeeper James Trafford, Liverpool's defender Jarell Quansah, Everton's defender Jarrad Branthwaite, and Liverpool's midfielder Curtis Jones, who were part of the initial 33-player shortlist, have also not made the cut. Manchester United's Luke Shaw who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since mid-February, is part of the squad. This has come to the surprise of many but his experience and nature as one of England's best left-backs probably swung that in his favour. Euro 2024 news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) International Friendly: England start Euros prep with a win (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Goalkeepers Dean Henderson (Cr

Let's have a look back at one of the most controversial moments of recent history. Many of the world's biggest clubs said they were forming a new competition. The European Super League. You can read the initial report from Greater Manchester Football by clicking the link below Clubs Announce New Super League Competition (greatermanchesterfootball.blogspot.com) At the time of the announcement, the story said: AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined the new competition as Founding Clubs.   It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.  Proposed format of the competition Twenty participating clubs with fifteen Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in

A player has left the Premier League Dele Alli has completed a season’s loan move from Everton to Besiktas that gives the Turkish club the option to buy the midfielder. Alli has experienced a disappointing spell at Everton since joining from Tottenham last January, making 13 appearances, including two as a substitute this season. Besiktas have an option to buy for £6m before 1 January or for £8m after that until June. Alli will otherwise return to Everton, where he would have one year on his contract. Everton signed Alli on a free but have to pay Spurs £10m if he makes 20 appearances for them. Further add-ons are dependent on team and individual achievements. Besiktas are level with the top club, Fenerbahce, after three matches. Besiktas supporters gave Alli a raucous welcome when he arrived at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul to seal his transfer. Winger Nicolas Pépé has left Arsenal to join Nice on loan for the 2022-23 season. The Ivory Coast international returns to Ligue 1, having p

Two huge derby matches and a meeting of English football giants are headlining Women's Football Weekend The event sees the women's club game become the focal point of the domestic football schedule in England during the international break in the men's game.  Birmingham City v Aston Villa Aston Villa and Birmingham City Women continue their league campaign as they face each other in the Second City derby. The match gives Villa an opportunity to open up a 10-point gap between themselves and 12th-placed Leicester City, a gap which would go a long way to seeing them secure Women's Super League status so early on in the season. 🎙️ @cwardy7 spoke to the media this morning to discuss Sunday's #SecondCityDerby ... pic.twitter.com/26dvfgOTkj — Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) November 12, 2021 Everton v Manchester United Manchester United Women make the short trip to Everton. They are unbeaten in their last three WSL games. In October, they beat Birmingham 2-0 at S

 We are going to explore Burnley's 2023/2024 season. This was the 142nd season in the history of Burnley Football Club and their first season back in the Premier League since the 2021–22 campaign, following promotion from the EFL Championship in the previous season.  They also participated in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. After losing 2–1 at home to West Ham United on 25 November 2023, Burnley became the second team in English league history (after Newport County in 1970–71) to lose their first seven home matches of the season. The streak was then ended the following game when they beat Sheffield United 5–0. On 11 May 2024, they were officially relegated from the Premier League following a 2–1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur. They finished the season in 19th position.  Their form in the cup competitions wasn't much better. They only made it to the 4th round of the EFL Cup and couldn't make it past their first hurdle in the FA Cup.  A look at some of the key moments from their seaso

 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

 Where will Ewan Ferguson be playing his football next season? Tottenham are among the Premier League sides interested in signing the Brighton sensation. Some reports have also indicated that Man United are also in the hunt to sign the 18-year-old this summer. Chelsea are also monitoring Ferguson’s situation as he continues to gain admirers in the Premier League.  Shining on the big stage The video below shows his recent goal for Brighton in the FA Cup against Grimsby. His side face Manchester United in the next round. Will he shine against The Red Devils at Wembley. Roberto De Zerbi’s side are also in the race for European qualification this season. The Seagulls are level on points with sixth-place Liverpool with a game in hand on the Anfield side.  Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The striker signed his first professional contract with the Seagulls on his 18th birthday in October 2022. At this point, he became Brighton’s fifth youngest-ever player when he