European Super Football

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...

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...

 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...

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....

A closer look at this season's Champions League and its new format Paris Saint-Germain have secured their first Champions League title, bringing to a close a season marked by the most dramatic revamp of the competition in more than 30 years. Author | Peter Grainger Inter Milan fans in the Champions League semi-final Since the introduction of the group stage in 1991–92, the tournament had largely followed a familiar pattern: teams placed in groups of four, facing each other home and away before progressing to a knockout stage. This season broke from tradition. Under the new format, 36 teams took part in a single league phase. Each club played eight matches against eight different opponents, four at home and four away. The league phase concluded at the end of January, followed by the usual knockout rounds. But the question remains: did it work? PSG will say it did. The French champions lifted the trophy in Munich despite finishing 15th in the league phase and having to come throu...

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 achieveme...

Manuel Akanji has joined Italian club Inter on a season-long loan deal. The Swiss international moved to City from Borussia Dortmund in September 2022 and has made 136 appearances for the Blues. Author | Peter Jobes A closer look at his City career During his time at the Etihad Stadium, he won seven trophies, playing a central role in the club’s historic Treble in his debut season and in the following campaign, when City became the first English men’s side to secure four successive league titles. In total, Akanji lifted two Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League , the FIFA Club World Cup, the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup during his spell in Manchester. The defender featured 48 times in the 2022/23 season, scoring in the emphatic 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final at the Etihad. He also started the FA Cup final win over Manchester United and was heavily involved in the build-up to Rodri’s decisive strike in the Champions ...

 It's time for you to read about another football icon. Jaap Stam is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a centre-back and is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation. A brief introduction Stam played for several European clubs including PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Lazio, Milan and Ajax. More icons The start of a fantastic career On August 15th 1992, Stam made his professional debut for FC Zwolle in a 1–1 draw against SC Heracles in the Eerste Divisie. He became a first-team regular right away and moved to Eredivisie club Cambuur Leeuwarden for the following season, but relegated in his first season which brought him back into the Eerste Divisie.  Two seasons performing well at Cambuur earned him a transfer to Eredivisie club Willem II. At Willem II, he immediately impressed at the Eredivisie level and earned a transfer to PSV Eindhoven despite only making 19 appearances. Icons: Henrik Larsson (eurosuperfoot...

 Let's explore some of the best Champions League and European Cup finals. There have been some truly memorable encounters in the final of the competition since it started in the 1950s. Real Madrid 4 - 3 Stade de Reims: 1956 A football match that you have probably never heard of. This was actually the first final of the European Cup. Real Madrid triumphed in what would prove to be the first of five consecutive title in the competition. On this night, the Spanish giants came back from behind to win 4–3. This was thanks to goals from Alfredo Di Stéfano and Marquitos, as well as two goals from Héctor Rial. Benfica 1 - 4 Manchester United: 1968 A memorable night where Man United became the first English side to win Europe's premier competition.  United took the lead from Bobby Charlton's header eight minutes into the second half. Jaime Graça's 79th-minute equaliser meant the match went into extra time. United scored three times in seven minutes in the first extra tim...

 AC Milan 1 - 1 Feyenoord (Feyenoord won 2-1 on aggregate) AC Milan’s Champions League campaign came to a crushing end as they were held to a draw by Feyenoord in the second leg of their knockout play-off at the San Siro. Author - Jack L Stadium - San Siro The Rossoneri had the perfect start, overturning their 1-0 first-leg deficit within just 36 seconds. Santiago Giménez, facing his former club, scored the fastest goal of this season’s Champions League, reigniting Milan’s hopes of progression. However, their chances took a major hit when Theo Hernández was sent off in the 51st minute after picking up a second yellow card. Feyenoord capitalised on their numerical advantage, with substitute Julián Carranza heading in the decisive goal in the 73rd minute, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory for the Dutch side. The last-16 draw on Friday will determine whether Feyenoord will face Inter Milan or Arsenal next month. Champions League: 2024/2025 More news from Feyenoord can be found here ...

The first sliding doors moment we are going to explore involves Manchester United and Alan Shearer. Author - Liam C In the summer of 1996, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson made a huge effort to sign England striker Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers.  Shearer was the most prolific goal scorer in English football at the time, having just won the Premier League Golden Boot in both 1995 and 1996.  Ultimately, Shearer chose to join his boyhood club, Newcastle United, for a then-record fee of £15 million. However, an alternative scenario in which Shearer decided to sign for Manchester United could have dramatically affected both the club and the footballing landscape in the Premier League. The Old Trafford club decided to sign a certain unheard-of Norwegian at the time. He didn't do too badly... So, what if Shearer moved to Manchester United in 1996? In this alternate reality, Manchester United sign Shearer and he joins a team fresh off winning the Premier League and...

Let's take a closer look at the career or 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. Author | Peter Grainger 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, an individual La Liga season and the Copa América. He also holds the record for most internationa...

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...

Manchester City v Real Madrid Preview We explore what has the potential to be the match of the season. Author - Macca A clash between two of the biggest forces in English and Spanish football is nothing new. When Manchester City and Real Madrid meet in the UEFA Champions League, it will mark the fourth consecutive season they’ve faced off in the knockout stages of Europe’s elite club competition. However, this time, it’s in unfamiliar territory—the playoffs. Under the tournament’s new format, only the top eight teams in the expanded league phase secured direct passage to the last 16, and both City and Real fell short. City scraped through in 22nd place after a comeback win at home to Club Brugge in their final group match, while Real had a rocky start, losing three of their first five games before recovering to finish 11th. For the fourth season in a row, one of these European giants will see their Champions League run cut short by the other. City’s performance in this playoff...

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 ...

It has been another dramatic season in the Champions League. In the final, Real Madrid faces Borussia Dortmund. Which side will come out on top? How did Real Madrid reach the final? The recently crowned Spanish champions snatched an incredible semi-final victory, scoring late goals to beat Bayern Munich and set up this Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. UCL: Real Madrid progress after astonishing drama (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) In a previous round, Madrid had knocked Manchester City out on penalties. They beat City in a dramatic quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium, ending the 2023 winners' hold on the Champions League.  After Antonio Rudiger's penalty secured the victory for Real Madrid, City's players slumped in despair, while what seemed like dozens of Real players and officials headed off to their supporters tucked in the far corner of Etihad Stadium. After this match, Francis, a Real Madrid fan, told us: "I am so happy that we progre...

"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 wa...

 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...