European Super Football

The relationship between English football fans and international football can be mixed.  Some see it as a refreshing change, offering a chance to follow their national team and watch players from different clubs come together to represent their country.  Author - Liam C Others view it as an unwelcome interruption to what they care about most, causing frustration and even outright disdain. In many ways, it’s a love-hate relationship that has become a regular feature of the footballing calendar. More disruption Some fans of the big Premier League clubs might be annoyed that this current break is the 2nd one in an already-packed schedule. Some teams such as Nottingham Forest have started to build momentum. A break for these fans could feel like a real mood-killer. That same level of passion doesn’t always translate to the international stage, especially outside major tournaments.  Another major point of contention has been the risk of injuries. A couple of injuries at this stage of th

It's time for another big discussion. What's the point of the UEFA Nations League? Launched in 2018, this was UEFA’s bold attempt to revitalise international football in Europe.  Author - Sean M Picture of the Nations League logo uploaded by  Nazionale Calcio | Flickr With an aim to replace often tedious friendlies with competitive matches, the competition promised more meaningful games, chances for national glory, and an innovative league structure.  Opinions remain divided on whether the competition has truly improved international football. This big discussion article will examine strengths and weaknesses.  Strengths of the competition  Competitive games not friendlies One of the primary reasons for launching the Nations League was to eliminate the ‘friendly fatigue’ plaguing international football. Traditional friendlies often failed to engage fans, lacking the intensity and consequence that competitive fixtures provide. In contrast, the Nations League gives each game a t

England 2 - 2 Belgium Jude Bellingham late on to secure a draw for England in a friendly against Belgium, preventing a second consecutive defeat at Wembley. More reaction to #ENGBEL coming up on https://t.co/kHngVy25Il https://t.co/SFvnhfj4d4 — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) March 27, 2024 Having lost at home to Brazil, Gareth Southgate's reshuffled side was a mixed bag. They displayed good potential at times in attack but they were vulnerable at the back, and this was ruthlessly exploited by Belgium before Bellingham's dramatic intervention seconds from time. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a rare error, his first to cost a goal in 60 international appearances, when his poor clearance led to Youri Tielemans putting Belgium ahead after 11 minutes. Ivan Toney scored his first international goal on his first England start, equalizing from the spot just six minutes after he was brought down by Jan Vertonghen. Click here to read more news and stories

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

 It's time to explore another football icon. This time, it will be our first female player with Alex Scott. Alexandra Scott MBE is an English sports presenter, pundit, and former professional footballer. Known mainly as 'Alex Scott', she mostly played as a right-back for Arsenal. Scott made 140 appearances for the England national team and represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics. More Women's Football news can be found here Becoming an Arsenal legend At club level, Scott has had three separate spells with Arsenal, punctuated with a season at Birmingham City in 2004–05 and three years in the American Women's Professional Soccer with Boston Breakers.  Scott was a key figure in Arsenal's historic "Quadruple" season in which they won every trophy they were involved in. In fact, they are the only team in the history of English football, across the men's and women's game, to win four major competitions in the same season. This list

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

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

 England 0 - 1 Iceland England wrapped up their preparations for Euro 2024 with a dismal defeat against Iceland at Wembley. Manager Gareth Southgate made several changes following Monday’s win against Bosnia-Herzegovina at St James’ Park in Newcastle, but he will have been deeply disappointed with the team's lacklustre performance. Iceland, notorious for their victory over England at Euro 2016, easily exploited England's poor defending. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who replaced Jordan Pickford, might have done better with Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson’s low shot after 12 minutes. Harry Kane missed a great chance for England, while Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, one of the brighter performers, also had opportunities. However, Southgate’s side looked rusty as they finalised plans for their opening Euro 2024 match against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on 16 June. England appeared vulnerable at the back throughout the match, with Iceland creating chances to extend their lead after the break. Interna

It will be all change for Manchester United this weekend Their match against Ipswich will see a new face in the dugout as Rúben Amorim takes charge for the first time. Flickr user  freeela sawkaka | Flickr  explores the new manager's tactics The deal to bring Amorim from Sporting Lisbon was finalised on 1 November, but the Portuguese club requested he remain until the international break before moving. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had been serving as interim manager following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal, has also departed. The former United striker was not included in Amorim’s plans for his backroom staff. Amorim's first challenge will be this trip to Ipswich Town. He's expected to introduce his favoured 3-4-3 formation, marking a significant shift from the four-man defence United played under Ten Hag. However, preparations for the match has been disrupted. Many United players have been away on international duty and might only return two days before the game. United fans will

The UEFA Nations League group stage involves all 55 Uefa countries and was brought in to replace international friendlies with more meaningful games, involving promotion and relegation. The finals of the competition are considered a proper tournament, with the winner getting a sterling silver, 7.5kg, 71cm tall trophy.  Italy 1-2 Spain post match reaction Two first-half goals from Manchester City ’s Ferran Torres set Spain on course for a win at the legendary and iconic San Siro stadium. This earned then a place in the Nations League final. Italy rallied in the second-half but an 83rd minute goal from Lorenzo Pellegrini wasn't enough to extend their long unbeaten run.  It was a superb game and a great showcase for the competition. This was two international sides that were close to their best and putting on a show for the fans. It has given the Spanish side an opportunity to start a relatively new era with a trophy and provides them with a boost ahead of next year's World Cup.

 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

"Champions League Varane..." Raphaël Varane is a former French professional footballer who played as a centre-back for Real Madrid, Manchester United and the France national side. Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football Varane playing for France. Photo credit -  Xavier NALTCHAYAN | Flickr The start of his career with Lille Varane began his career at French club Lens, starting with their youth team. Ahead of the 2010–11 season, he began training with the senior squad and appeared on the bench in several league games. He made his professional debut in 2010 at just 17 years old.  Becoming an iconic defender at Real Madrid After one season as a professional, he joined Real Madrid, where he spent ten years, from 2011 to 2021, winning eighteen trophies. These included three La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey, four UEFA Champions League titles , and four FIFA Club World Cups.  Known for his pace, composure, and partnership with Sergio Ramos , many fans believe that he was in

Raúl González Blanco, known to most within football as Raúl, is considered one of the most important players in the history of Real Madrid. He is regarded as one of the greatest Spanish players of all time and also one of the best forwards ever. Key events in his career He started his career in the academy of the Atlético Madrid before later moving to Real Madrid's youth academy and played at its various levels. He signed professional terms in 1994. He spent 16 years of his career playing for Real Madrid and is the club's second all-time top goalscorer with 323 goals and has the most appearances in the history of the club, with 741. With Los Blancos, Raúl won six La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, scoring in two finals, four Supercopa de España titles, one UEFA Super Cup and two Intercontinental Cups.  Throughout his time in Madrid, he would have played with some of their greatest ever players. This includes the likes of Zidane, Roberto Carlos, David Beck

Everton 0 - 3 Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton's young manager, Fabian Hurzeler, made an impressive start to his Premier League career, delivering a victory that left Everton's final season at Goodison Park off to a dismal start. Everton, who have called Goodison Park home since 1892, will be relocating to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock at the beginning of next season. Everton fans created a fantastic atmosphere before the match. At just 31, Hurzeler became the Premier League's youngest-ever permanent manager, and his Brighton team showed no mercy towards their opponents. The first half was fiercely contested, with tackles flying in from both sides. Everton's Jack Harrison had an early goal disallowed for offside, while Brighton's Joao Pedro struck the post with a powerful low shot. Brighton took the lead through Kaoru Mitoma's simple finish at the back post, following excellent work from debutant Yankuba Minteh, who had been linked with a move to E

England 2 - 1 Switzerland Harry Kane is now level with Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 England goals as England came from behind to beat Switzerland in a friendly at Wembley. The home side were grateful for the excellence of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the first half but they still fell behind when Breel Embolo's England were second best to the confident Swiss but were handed a route back into the game when Fabian Frei's error ended with Luke Shaw providing an emphatic finish for England's equaliser in first-half stoppage time. Marc Guehi, Kyle Walker-Peters and Tyrick Mitchell all made their debuts as England completed the turnaround with 12 minutes left when Kane scored from the spot after VAR adjudged that Steven Zuber had  handled from a corner. Kane scored with his usual expertise and now stands just four goals behind England's record marksman Wayne Rooney. Reaction England manager Gareth Southgate told Sky Sports: "Really good test, we know they are a very g

This is the place for some of the biggest announcements from the August 2024 Transfer Deadline Day Raheem Sterling - Chelsea to Arsenal on loan Raheem Sterling finalised a last-minute transfer deadline move to Premier League rivals Arsenal. The 29-year-old has agreed to a season-long loan with Mikel Arteta's team.  This decision came after the England international was told that he was not part of new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca's plans. Jadon Sancho - Manchester United to Chelsea on loan with an obligation to buy Raheem Sterling in @Arsenal red 📸🔴 pic.twitter.com/GL7kbReq7K — Premier League (@premierleague) August 31, 2024 Chelsea has secured a loan deal for Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho until the end of the season.  The agreement includes an obligation for Chelsea to permanently sign the 24-year-old England international for a fee ranging between £20-25m next summer. Sancho playing for Mancheter United. Photo credit  Thể Thao 11M | Flickr Eddie Nketiah - Ar

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