European Super Football

The second season of UEFA's third competition is about to start Clubs qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions. It is the third tier of active European club football competitions, after the Champions League and the Europa League. England's representation in the upcoming season will be West Ham. They finished 7th in the Premier League. First contested in the 2021–22 season, the competition serves as the bottom level of the Europa League, which was reduced from 48 to 32 teams in the group stage. It was eventually won by A.S. Roma after an fascinating season. UECL: Roma win Europa Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The draw for the first qualifying round of the 2022/2023 competition. Let's have a look at who will be playing who. Bala Town (WAL) vs Sligo Rovers (IRL) A relatively short trip for both of these sides will have been welcomed.  Sligo's Rovers record in European com

 UEFA Europa Conference League Semi-final first leg: West Ham United 2 - 1  AZ Alkmaar West Ham's dreams of a first major trophy since 1980 are still alive. They came from behind to secure a Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg win over AZ Alkmaar at their London Stadium. Pre match - the West Ham fans created an incredible atmosphere The Hammers' hopes of reaching the final in Prague on 7 June were hanging by a thread when Alphonse Areola made a mess of saving Tijjani Reijnders' low shot four minutes before the break. However, David Moyes' side turned the tie on its head after half-time. <Click here for more news from the London Stadium> The Hammers had former Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan to thank for offering them a way back into the contest when he recklessly punched Jarrod Bowen in the face as he arrived late to challenge for a high ball the England man actually headed over. After Ryan took an age to take his position for the penalty, Said Benrahm

England's path to the 2022 World Cup hit a stumbling block when they were held to a 1-1 draw against Hungary. In a slightly subdued atmosphere once order had been restored (more on that further down this story).  Hungary took the lead in the 24th minute when Luke Shaw fouled Loic Nego and Roland Sallai sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way from the penalty spot. England were level on 37 minutes afted John Stones turned in at the far post after Tyrone Mings and Declan Rice touched on Phil Foden's free-kick. More football news from around Europe can be found here.  Watch the highlights from the match in the video below Game marred by crowd violence Hungary fans fought with police in the opening minutes of their World Cup qualifier against England at Wembley. Almost 1,000 Hungary fans booed as the England players took the knee before kick-off. The Metropolitan Police said "minor disorder" broke out as they arrested a fan for "a racially aggravated public order offenc

Gianfranco Zola is another football icon that a wonderful career He is an Italian football manager and former footballer who played predominantly as a forward. He was most recently the assistant manager of Chelsea. Quick summary of his career He spent the first decade of his playing career playing in Italy, most notably with Napoli, alongside Diego Maradona and Careca, where he was able to win the Serie A title, and at Parma, where he won the Italian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup.  He later moved to Chelsea, where he was voted the Football Writers' Player of the Year in the 1996–97 season. During his time at the club, he won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup, and the Community Shield.  Who remembers this wonderful goal against Manchester United? In 2003, he was voted Chelsea's greatest player ever. You could even argue that he played a crucial part of Chelsea's rise to become a force across England and then the continent. With

Kylian Mbappé scores late and sinks Spain to clinch the UEFA Nations League for France You can watch the highlights from the entertaining match in the final below. The video was posted by Sky Sports Football.  The final four of the UEFA Nations League brought three fantastic nights in Milan. The champions had twice to come from behind to lift a still unfamiliar trophy. When it came to the moment that decided its destination, there in the madness was Kylian Mbappé. Spain were not happy about Mbappé's winner. He had been clearly offside when he was released by Theo Hernández and Eric García admitted he had trouble accepting Anthony Taylor’s explanation that his tiniest of touches had played the Frenchman back onside again. It was certainly a cruel way to lose any match, never mind a final. This is the place for more football news from across Europe.  Comments from around the internet On The Guardian, one fan commented on the post match story:   "Well done by France. In the en

UEFA has confirmed that the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland will host the 2028 European Championships . The joint bid was unopposed after Turkey withdrew to focus on a bid with Italy for Euro 2032, which was also confirmed at a meeting in Switzerland. Check out this video from  FAI TV - YouTube The UK and Ireland focused on Euro 2028, with UEFA's approval, after they had previously cancelled a plan to be Europe's preferred candidate for the 2030 World Cup. London's Wembley Stadium and Glasgow's Hampden Park hosted games at Euro 2020. Wembley hosted the final after what proved to be a hugely controversial day where there were reports of carnage and hooliganism outside the stadium.  Matches at Euro 2028 are set to be held at 10 different grounds, including Wembley and Hampden Park alongside Cardiff's Principality Stadium and Dublin's Aviva Stadium. Belfast's Casement Park and Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock stadium, the former unbuilt while the

The 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match contested between Aberdeen and Real Madrid <More news and stories involving Aberdeen> It was the 23rd European Cup Winners' Cup final, a football tournament contested by the winners of each qualifying nation's national cup. The competition was eventually disbanded in the late 1990's but it often provided some special moments. This particular triumph was led by one of the greatest football bosses of all time.  SAF gains a 1983 Cup Winners Cup medal at last. The legendary manager can add one more to his vast collection, with UEFA recently granting a medal for this iconic success. The thought of a Scottish team outside of Glasgow winning a European trophy is almost unthinkable now. Depite Fergies huge part in this success, only the starting players and five substitutes received winners' medals after a famous win over Real Madrid. His Assistant manager Archie Knox and midfielder Dougie Bell, who mis

Let's take a look at another football icon. This time it's Walter Smith He achieved legendary status as manager of Rangers. He won 21 trophies in two spells making him the second most successful Rangers boss ever. Walter Smith as a player Smith was a defender that played more than 200 games for Dundee United. He quickly began his coaching career under Jim McLean when a pelvic injury forced him to retire early. Throughout his career, he also played for Dumbarton and had a loan spell at Dallas Tornado in the North American Soccer League. He was destined for a career in coaching and management. Becoming a legend at Ibrox When Souness left for Liverpool in April 1991, Smith was appointed interim manager.This was made permanent in May 1991, after the club clinched another league title. Six more league titles in succession followed under Smith's tenure, including a domestic treble in 1992–93. He also won the Scottish Cup and the League Cup three times each. Smith took Rangers

Let's take a look at another football icon. This time it's Wayne Rooney. Early career Rooney joined the Everton youth team at the age of nine and made his professional debut for the club in 2002 at the age of 16. He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club, before moving to Manchester United. Move to Manchester United He cost the Old Trafford club£25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window. He would have a fantastic career at Manchester United. He won 16 trophies and became the only English player, alongside teammate Michael Carrick, to win the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup. Rooney scored 253 goals for United in all competitions to make him their top goalscorer of all time, with 183 Premier League goals being the second-most scored by a player for any single club, behind Sergio Agüero Rooney's 208 Premier League goals make him the Premier League's second-top scorer of all time. He also has

Manchester United 0-1 Atlético (aggregate 1-2) Renan Lodi headed the only goal against Manchester United to edge Atlético into the last eight The first half was high on endeavour but low on chances. It saw Anthony Elanga ]denied by the head of Jan Oblak from a low Bruno Fernandes cross before Rodrigo De Paul's deflected shot was pushed away by David de Gea. João Félix did have the ball in the net for the visitors, but Marcos Llorente had strayed offside before teeing up the Portuguese striker. It proved a short reprieve for United. João Félix's back-heel released Antoine Griezmann, who stood up an inviting cross to the far post for Renan Lodi to head in. The Red Devils increased the pressure after the break, and nearly levelled when Jadon Sancho's ferocious volley fizzed just over. Raphaël Varane thought he had forced extra time with a thumping header from Alex Telles' free-kick, but Oblak continued his stunning resistance as Atlético dug in to see out the remaining t

We're getting closer to the Champions League Group Stages Rangers 2 - 2 PSV After drawing a tense play-off first leg with PSV Eindhoven at Ibrox, Rangers' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League group stages hang in the balance. Check out this video from  Footy Adventures - YouTube Despite a lack of refinement at times, Michael Beale's side kept them alive ahead of the second leg in the Netherlands. A tense Ibrox erupted with joy when Abdallah Sima shaped in a superb opener just before the interval. A hard-fought lead would not last for long, as Ibrahim Sangare scored on the hour following an outrageous stepover from Ismael Saibari. More football news from across Scotland. Rangers were back in front after substitute Rabbi Matondo smashed Cyriel Dessers' teasing delivery into the net. Four minutes after that strike, Luuk de Jong diverted a towering header to ensure these sides will meet for a second leg in Eindhoven with both eyeing a place on the biggest stage.

Franz Beckenbauer is a German former professional footballer and manager.  Quick summary of his career During an illustrious career, he was nicknamed "The Emperor" because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the field, The first name "Franz" is reminiscent of the Austrian emperors. He is widely regarded to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He was a versatile player who started as a midfielder, Beckenbauer made his name as a central defender. He is often credited with having invented the role of the modern sweeper. Very few players have had that level of impact on the sport.  Club career At club level with Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1967 and three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976. The latter feat made him the first player to win three European Cups as captain of his club. He became team manager and later president of Bayern Munich. After two spells with the New York Cosmos, he

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

It's time to look at another football icon.  This time it's Nemanja Vidic.   A quick summary of his club career  After establishing himself at Red Star Belgrade during the early 2000s, Vidić moved to Spartak Moscow in the summer of 2004. His form for club and country prompted a £7 million transfer to Manchester United in January 2006.  The video below contains some of his early career moments. Footage from DelijeTube on YouTube Vidić established a prominent defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand the following season, and was eventually selected as the new team captain of Manchester United at the start of the 2010–11 season. His captaincy ran over the course of four seasons, until his departure in July 2014. He played his last home match for Manchester United on 6 May against Hull City, in which he received three standing ovations: one during a pre-match presentation for him by Sir Bobby Charlton, the second when he came on as a substitute for Phil Jones, and the thir

It's time to explore another icon of the football world. This time it's Romário. Early career Romário was spotted playing for Olaria, a small club from the Rio de Janeiro suburb. He was first taken to the junior team of Vasco da Gama, where once promoted to the senior team, he won two state league titles in 1987 and 1988. This earned his first call-ups to the national team. He quickly came to international attention, becoming the top scorer at the 1988 Olympic football tournament. Move to Europe Like all exciting Brazilian attacking players, he was a man who wanted to prove himself in Europe. Shortly after the 1988 Olympics,  he moved to PSV Eindhoven, where he won the Eredivisie in 1989, 1991 and 1992. He started to develop a cult following across the continent, and it wasn't long before some of the world's biggest clubs were interested in signing him.  After a lot of deliberation, his next destination was to be Barcelona. The video below explores some of the best

 AC Milan have completed the signing of Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea on a four-year contract. The two clubs did not disclose the fee involved. However, it has been reported that Milan will pay £15m plus add-ons. The 27-year-old had been at Stamford Bridge since he was a youth player. He has scored seven goals in 155 club appearances, winning two Premier League titles, the Europa League and the Uefa Super Cup. The midfielder has also had loans at Crystal Palace and Fulham where he made an additional 54 Premier League appearances. It has already been a busy summer of outgoings for Chelsea. They have sold Kai Havertz to Arsenal and Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City. Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly have moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli, and N'Golo Kante has agreed a deal with fellow Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. What are people saying about the move?  Lauren, a Chelsea fan, was sad to see him go. She said: "When he played for Sarri he looked like the real deal. He su

The 2022 Europa Conference League Final will be the final match of the first season of Europe's newest club football tournament organised by UEFA.  It will be played on 25 May 2022 at the Arena Kombëtare in Tirana, Albania between Roma and Feyenoord. Let's have a look at how both teams reached the final. Roma 1 - 0 Leicester City (Aggregate 2-1) Leicester City missed out on a place in the final after losing 1-0 at Roma. Tammy Abraham's powerful header for the home side was the difference as Leicester struggled to make a decent impact at the Stadio Olimpico. The striker's goal was enough to prevent Leicester from reaching a first European final after the first leg finished 1-1. The Roma manager was clearly emotional after the game. José Mourinho in tears after reaching the Conference final. Might not be the biggest final in his career, but man does this show how much he loves the game. Imagine not loving this man. pic.twitter.com/ZNXoAGqzOq — Xav Salazar (@XavsFutb

Anderlecht 0-1 West Ham United West Ham move closer to qualification from their UEFA Europa Conference League group They away side left it moderately late to get the only goal, a well-worked one finished off by Scamacca. The Hammers were indebted to a wonderful stop from Areola shortly afterwards. It was an entertaining game between two sides. Let's have a look at some of the best reaction One reporter said: "Anderlecht looked to spark something when Raman came on – but it was the visitors' substitutes that sealed the match. Rice, Lucas Paqueta and Scamacca all involved in the goal that won it for the visitors, well finished by the latter. A deserved win for West Ham." West Ham manager David Moyes told the UEFA website: "I am incredibly proud of the team's performance. We both created chances but we definitely created the better ones. So I feel we deserved to win tonight. We can go to the next game at home with full confidence." West Ham midfielder Fl

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Divock Origi will leave the club in the summer. The 27-year-old Belgium striker is out of contract at the end of the season, having not played enough games this term to trigger a one-year extension to the deal. Origi has been linked with AC Milan and a number of other clubs across Europe.  This Guardian report seems to indicate that he has agreed a move to the San Siro.  Divock Origi agrees to join Milan when Liverpool contract expires this summer | Liverpool | The Guardian This video from YouTube user  Luke Galea  explores some of his best moments at the Anfield club. Despite scoring some memorable goals for the club, he has been unable to hold a regular place. This has been exemplified by the fact he has only featured in 35 matches over the last two seasons. He could still play a part in Liverpool's dramatic end to the season. He could add another Premier League and Champions League winners medal to the one's listed below. Pre

Luis Figo is our latest icon to feature on European Super Football. Figo's journey to becoming a global superstar was remarkable.  With his immense skill, versatility, and unmatched determination, Figo etched his name in football history and left an indelible mark on the sport. In this article, we will delve into the career of this legendary footballer, also exploring one of the most controversial transfers of all time. Shining at Sporting  Figo's passion for football was evident from a young age. He joined the youth team of Sporting Lisbon, one of the renowned Portuguese clubs. His exceptional performances in the youth setup quickly caught the attention of scouts, and at just 16 years old, he made his debut for the senior team. Luis Figo in his Sporting Lisbon days is one of the greatest finds ever. pic.twitter.com/RV3ComIvLE — Old Days Football (@OldDaysFootball) March 22, 2016 The Sporting Lisbon days helped Figo hone his skills and build a strong foundation. His t