Best football free transfers.

At the end of the season, or midway through it, European football opens what we call a transfer window, which allows clubs to buy, sell, and loan out players. This allows clubs to boost their squads or get rid of players they don't like. It has regulations attached to it. A football free transfer typically occurs when a player's current contract expires or is about to do so. On the other hand, a free transfer in football occurs when a player switches clubs without his new club having to pay a transfer fee to his old club. This write-up lists the best free transfers we've seen in recent years. shop for football Jerseys here!

Luis Suarez

FC Barcelona - Atletico Madrid The Uruguayan forward was chased out of his former club FC Barcelona after being informed by Barca's head coach at the time (Ronald Koeman) over a phone call. After failing to join Juventus due to cheating allegations, he joined fierce rivals Atletico Madrid on September 23, 2022. He was FC Barcelona's third highest goal scorer at the time. His time at Atletico Madrid was a beautiful one, as he won a La Liga trophy, while also breaking records there, including scoring his 500th goal. To make things more interesting, he got a goal and an assist against his former club FC Barcelona and gave an iconic celebration, which people in the media thought was a sign of getting back at Ronald Koeman for the call. He left Atletico Madrid for his childhood club, Naconial, in 2022.

Sergio Ramos

Real Madrid - PSG Sergio Ramos is regarded as one of the best defenders of all time. His goal scoring abilities, and his aggressive style of play make him stand out amongst his peers.

Despite being a captain at his former club, Real Madrid, and winning 4 UCL titles with the club, including a 3-peat, he was announced to be leaving the club after 16 years of service. On the 8th of July, European giants PSG announced the signing of the Madrid star on a free transfer, which came as a surprise to many of us. It was later said that he wanted a 2-year contract and he was offered one. However, the offer expired before he could accept it. shop for football Jerseys here!

Lionel Messi

FC BARCELONA - Paris SG Highly recognized for his creative playmaking skills and his goal-scoring ability, Lionel Messi left FC Barcelona for free. This would be the most surprising transfer news of all time! Argentine forward regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, the Argentine forward has spent his entire professional career with one club (FC Barcelona). He became the club's captain in 2018 and was expected to retire from the Spanish club. The turnaround came in 2021. Barcelona found themselves in some serious financial crisis, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic and La Liga. They were forced to lay some players off while others had to take pay cuts. Surprisingly for us, Lionel Messi happened to be a victim, and the club wouldn't make adjustments for him. On August 10th, the 7-time Ballon D'or winner signed a two-year contract with PSG, with the option to extend it for another year.

Robert Lewandowski

Bayern Munich - FC Barcelona Polish forward, and one of the most successful Bundesliga players forced a move to FC Barcelona in 2022.

Although he wasn't out of contract, he was released for a fee of 45 million euros, which is going to be considered small for a player of his caliber. Despite winning literally all the club trophies with his former club Bayern Munich, Lewandoski doesn't seem to be satisfied as he forced his way out of the German club. He stopped performing in training, doing public interviews and going against his former club and was ready to pay from his own pocket. He joined FC Barcelona on a free transfer in 2022. So far, he's been living up to expectations. Want football Jerseys like Pros wear???

Paul Pogba

Manchester United - Juventus The French player and center midfielder, Paul Pogba joined Manchester United for the first time in 2011. But the lack of playing time convinced him to leave his former club for greener pastures. He joined Serie A giants Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, where he went on to win four consecutive Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. On a personal level, he won the Golden Boy award in 2013 and was named in the 2015 UEFA team of the year as he helped Juventus to their first UCL final in 12 years.

David Alaba

Bayern Munich - Real Madrid The current captain of the Austrian team, who plays as a center back for Real Madrid, is considered one of the best defenders of his time.

After over 400 appearances with Bayern, including 2 Champions League trophies, 2 trebles and other accolades to his name, like the UEFA team of the year (which he has won 3 times). Alaba was said to be looking for a new challenge after renewal talks with his former club broke down. He joined Spanish side Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2021, as they were desperately looking for a replacement for their former defender and captain, Sergio Ramos. It won't take long for Alaba to start showing his worth, as he won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and the Supercopa in his debut season. Some Real Madrid fans consider him their best signing in 2021. Want football Jerseys like Pros wear???

Antonio Rudiger

The German and Real Madrid center back is arguably one of the toughest CBs of his time. After 133 appearances for Chelsea, including a Champions League trophy, in which he played an important role, his time at the club would soon come to an end after being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid. He left Chelsea for Real Madrid on a free transfer when the English club refused to meet his wage demands. His new life at the Spanish club has been a beautiful one so far. Read the full article

Funniest football facts you should know about. 2

This is the continuation of the previous write up, uploaded weeks back. It's very important to note that some of these lines aren't factual and just sarcastic (they are added to make you laugh). As a real football fan, you'd be able to decipher which lines are true and which ones aren't.

PAID AD Here's the list below, enjoy the ride: - Barcelona is the first club owing players' salaries and still forcing them to take a pay cut. 2. Eriksen is the only player who was given a second chance by God but decided to play for the devil (Red Devils). 3. Given a chance to choose between a jail sentence for 40 years and a sentence till Arsenal wins the Premier League, any accused person will choose the former. 4. Tottenham Hotspur don't actually exist. The media talk about them and people claim to be supporters, but there's no such football club. 5. Only Chelsea has no Brazilian players in their current squad among the EPL's top 6. 6. Manchester United is the only team that has always depended on history. 7. FC Barcelona is the only club that signs old players past their prime. Now Manchester United has taken over.

8. Klopp never buys players from clubs he has coached before. 9. Arsenal is the only club that has both Jesus and Mohamed in the same team. 10. No 7 jersey, was not that famous until Cristiano Ronaldo appeared. 11. 90% of Croatia's players' names end with "ic", e.g. Modric, Perisic, Brozovic, Kovacic etc. 12. Ibrahimovic has been to all of Europe's heavyweights with 0 UCL trophies. 13. Aguero and Maradona are related. 14. 2018 Liverpool vs Man City (Mane vs Sane). 2022 Mane and Sane are teammates. 15. Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, and Zlatan Ibrahimović are the only players to have scored in every minute of the game from 0–90 minutes. Lewandoski joined the list this season.

PAID AD 16. As a defender, Sergio Ramos has more goals than the famous forward David Beckham. 17. In every generation, there is a Brazil legend. 18. Brazil is the only country to have played in every World Cup tournament. 19. Real Madrid is the only club to win 3 UCL trophies in a row. 20. Arsenal is the club with the most loyal fan base in the world. 21. Arsenal is the only team that won the Premier League unbeaten.

22. Giroud is the only player to play 90 minutes without touching the ball. 23. Chelsea always win the Champions League as underdog. 24. Manchester United love Manchester City (Take note, they are neighbors). Don't forget to comment your favorite line in the comment section below. If there's any line you need clarification on, or any funny fact you want us to add, drop it in the comment section. I promise to attend to everything. shop for football Jerseys here! Read the full article

2022 summer transfer window for big clubs.

The European 2022 summer transfer window closed on the 1st of September. And as usual, it was full of drama and speculation. From Man U trying to buy the whole of Ajax, to Barca hijacking all Chelsea's transfer targets, to De Jong rejecting all Ten Hag calls, the list goes on and on... This post highlights all the (important) players sold and bought during the window for all the big clubs, as well as the amount spent during the window. It wraps it up with stats concerning the window.

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Premier League big teams:

Arsenal's transfers. Ins: Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko (Manchester City, £30m). The following Players returned from loan: William Saliba, Mattéo Guendouzi, Hector Bellerin, Lucas Torreira, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson, Pablo Mari, Auston Trusty, Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson. Total amount spent on the purchase of players: 132m Euros.

Highest Purchase: Gabriel Jesus (52m Euros). Outs: Harry Clarke (Stoke City, loan), Omar Rekik (Sparta Rotterdam, loan), Tyreece John-Jules (Ipswich Town, loan), Mika Biereth to (RKC Waalwijk, loan), Jordi Osei-Tutu (Bochum, free), Daniel Ballard (Sunderland, undisclosed), Nikolaj Molller (FC Den Bosch, loan), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille, £10m), Konstantinos Mavropanos (VfB Stuttgart, undisclosed), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon free), Luigi Gaspar (Watford, free), Remy Mitchell (Swansea City, free), Zak Swanson (Portsmouth, undisclosed), Auston Trusty (Birmingham City, loan), Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea, undisclosed), Marcelo Flores (Real Oviedo, loan), Ryan Alebiosu (Kilmarnock, loan), Arthur Okonkwo (Crewe Alexandra, loan), Nuno Tavares (Marseille, loan), Mazeed Ogungbo (Crawley Town, loan), Bernd Leno (Fulham, £8m), Folarin Balogun (Reims, loan), Charlie Patino (Blackpool, loan), Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray, undisclosed), Pablo Mari (AC Monza, loan), Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson (Alanyaspor, loan), Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Rotherham, loan), Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand (Hull City, loan), Nicolas Pepe (Nice, loan), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Southampton, loan), Hector Bellerin (Barcelona, free). Total amount earned on the sale of players: 23.80m Euros. Balance: -108.6m Euros.

PAID ADS Chelsea transfer news: Ins: Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Carney Chukwuemeka, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Gabriel Slonina, Denis Zakaria, Conor Gallagher, Armando Broja. The following returned from loan: Emerson, Ethan Ampadu, Michi Batshuayi, Gabriel Slonina, Abdul-Rahman Baba, Matt Miazga. Chelsea spent a total of 281.19m Euros on the purchase of players. Outs: Timo Werner, Emerson, Billy Gilmour, Romero Lukaku, Michy Batshuayi, Malang Sarr, Kennedy, Antonio Rudiger, The following left on free transfers: Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Marcos Alonso, Matt Miazga, Jake Clarke-Salter, Charly Musonda Jr. The following left on loan transfers: Callum Hudson Odoi, Ethan Ampadu, Gabriel Slonina, Abdulrahman Baba. The following are without clubs: Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Saul Niguez (end of loan). Total amount earned on the sale of players: 58 million euros Their highest player signed is Wesley Fofana, who stands at 80.40 million euros. Balance: -223.19m.

Manchester United Ins: Antony, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Martin Dubravka (loan), Christian Eriksen (free), Hannibal Mejbri, Alvaro Fernandez, Alejandro Garnacho. The following players returned from loan: Dean Henderson, Anthony Martial, ad Diallo, Andreas Pereira, Axel Tuanzebe, Hannabal Mejbri, Facundo Pellistri, Alvaro Fernandez. Total amount spent on the purchase of players: 240.33m Euros . Buy your original football jerseys here >>> Outs: Andreas Pereira, Eric Bailly.The following left on free transfers: Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Edison Cavani, Juan Mata The following left on loan: Alex Telles, Dean Henderson, Amad Dallo, Hannibal Mejbri, Alvaro Fernandez, Lee Grant (Retired). Total amount earned on the sale of players: 13.25 million Euros. Balance: -227.08m. And their highest purchase is Anthony.

PAID ADS Manchester City: Ins: Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Manuel Akanji, Sergio Gomez, Stefan Ortega(free transfer). The following players came back from loan: Pedro Porro, Julian Alvarez, Yangel Herrera, Ko Itakura, Yan Couto, Zack Steffan, Issa Kabore, Nahuel Bustos, Arijanet Muric(GK), Ante Palaversa, Marlos Moreno, Daniel Arzani, Diego Rosa, Ryotaro Meshino, Thomas Agyepong. Total amount spent on Purchase: 139.50m Euros. Outs: Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Pedro Porro, Ko Itakura, Arijanet Muric. The following players left on free transfers: Fernandinho, Daniel Arzani, Ryotaro Meshino, Ante Palaversa, Marlos Moreno, Yangel Herrera, Zack Steffan, Yan Couto, Issa Kabore, Nahuel Bustos, Diego Rosa, Thomas Agyepong. Their highest player purchase this window is Erling Haaland 60.9m Euros. Total amount earned on Sales: 159.90 million Euros Balance: +20.40m

Liverpool: Ins: Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho, Calvin Ramsay, Arthur Melo (loan).The following players returned from loan: Marko Grujic, Rhys Williams. Total amount spent on purchase: 90:30m Euros. Outs: Sadio Mane, Neco Williams, Takimi Minamino, Marko Grujic, Ben Davies. The following players left on free transfers: Divock Origi, Sheyi Ojo, Ben Woodburn, Sepp Van Den Berg, Rhys Williams, Loris Karius. Their highest purchase is Darwin Nunez.(75m Euros) Total amount earned on sale: 80.70m Euros. Balance: -9.60m

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LaLiga

FC Barcelona Ins: Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Robert Lewandowski. The following players came on free transfers: Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin, Marcos Alonso, Ez Abde, ALex Balde End of loan: Coutinho, Fransisco Trincao, Miralem Pjanic, Inaki Pena, Alex Collado, Rey Manaj. Outs: Philippe Coutinho, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Francisco Trincao, The following players left on free transfer: Miralem Pjanic, Riqui Puig, Martin Braithwaitr, Oscar Mingueza, Neto(GK), Rey Manaj, Moussa Wague, Dani Alves, Nico Gonzalez, Sergiño Dest, Clement Lenglet, Ez Abde, Alex Collado, Samuel Umtiti. End of loan: Adama Traore, Luuk De Jong. Total amount spent on the purchase of players: Barca net spend this window is 115M (according to All football). Their highest player purchase is Raphinha, for 58m Euros.

Real Madrid Ins: Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio The following players came on free transfers: Rudiger, Miguel Gutierrez. The following players returned from loan: Antonio Blanco, Alvaro Odriozola, Borja Mayoral, Reinier, Takefusa Kubo, Victor Chust. Total amount spent on the purchase of players: 80m Euros (Aurelien Tchouameni. is the only player paid for). Outs: Casemiro, Borja Mayoral, Takefusa Kubo, Miguel Gutierrez, Victor Chust. The following players left on free transfers: Luka Jovic, Isco, Marcelo, Gareth Bale. Loan transfers: Reiner, Antonio Blanco. Total amount earned from the sale of players: 92.5m Balance: +12.15m Euros.

Conclusion

Judging the transfer window on the amount spent will be unfair if the players tend to return the wanted result. Don't forget to comment the club you think has the best summer transfer window in 2022, based on amount spent and players performances. CREDITS: TRANSFERMAKRT Read the full article

Football funniest facts you should know about

Here are some funny and real plots you should know about. These post is basically meant to be sarcastic and not taken seriously. some of these lines aren't true and based on "hasty generalizations", but they are indeed related to the players or clubs they are tagged with. shop for football Jerseys here! As a real football fan, you should be able to figure out which lines are true as you read along. If you need clarifications on any lines, feel free to drop your questions in the comment box below, I'll be more than eager to clear your doubts.

- Liverpool begins each season by taking on teams that have just been promoted. - There is no left back in Belgium - Every year, Barca creates a young superstar. - Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared out of nowhere. - KDB always wears the same hairstyle - Every year, Ajax, Benfica, and Monaco produce a new starting eleven; sell them, then do it again. - Thomas Muller never had a young age - Buffon never changes 40 - Burnley's home uniform is static. - For the past 8 years, CR7 has performed the same celebration. - Florian Thauvin disappeared after the 2018 world cup - Neymar rarely scores a header

13. Zinchenko appeared out of nowhere and he was bought for 1m Euros 14. Sadio Mane never gets injured 15. Ajax's home kit never changes 16. Phil jones hasn't renewed he's still at Manchester united 17. Lautaro Martinez has the same haircut since he was born 18. PSG only plays at night 19. Fabrizio Romano never sleeps 20. Manchester city has been using the same shirt sponsor for the past 12 years 21. Villareal has only one jersey 22. Bayern loses to Gladbach every season 23. Toni Kroos has been wearing the same pair of boots since 2015 24. Mo Salah rarely scores free kick. 25. Chelsea is the only holder of the Europa League and the Champions League 26. Football is not a british game, it's actually a Chinese Which of this lines do you consider totally untrue and not to be considered sarcastic(funny) since it's not close to being true? And which comes to your as a surprise? comment your thoughts below. Read the full article

Best football trios we'd miss

The definition of "trio" is "the group of three people or things". Today, the word trio only resonates in our heads when these three stick together. While these players have phenomenal individual stats, they have blended really well to create good teammates that can wreck havoc on the opponent on the pitch. In this post we'd be talking about the greatest football trio in recent times, how they got separated, and their current status. Here's a list of football trios (in recent times) that will greatly be missed. If you didn't get to witness them, I advise you to watch their highlights on YouTube!

Messi - Neymar - Suarez The Trinity was brought together by Luis Enrique (ex-Barcelona coach). During their time, Messi was the best number 10, Suarez was the best number 9, and Neymar was the best number 11. You can imagine the kind of chaos FC Barcelona cooked for the world with that combo. This football trio scored more goals than the entire Madrid squad in 2015 with 122 goals! They went on to break their own record the next year with 131 goals. They are arguably the best goal scoring trio in football They have one Champions League, two La Liga titles, and one Club World Cup, including a treble. All these in four seasons. The fun fact about this trio? They are good friends off the pitch. It ended when Neymar left for PSG for a record-breaking fee of 222 million as the most expensive signing at the time. Currently, Neymar and Messi play for PSG, while Suarez is yet to find a new club after leaving Atletico Madrid.

Mo Salah - Roberto Firmino - Sadio Mane Jurgen Klopp brought Liverpool back to it's glory days with these three. This football trio were so fast, they could tear defense apart in minutes. Roberto Firmino helped with his intelligence while Salah and Mane with their dribbling skills and speed. They complemented each other so well that the broke plenty of goal records under Klopp. They helped Liverpool win their first league title in about 30 years, entered the champions league finals three times in four years, winning one of them, and a club world cup. The trio scored a total of 250 goals together. In 2022 they got broken apart by Mane who forced a move to Bayern Munich. Salah and Firmino still remain at Liverpool.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale At the time of MSN, Real Madrid needed something similar to match up their arch rivals FC Barcelona. The BBC trio proved to be competent enough to do so. The football trio scored 97 goals in their first year together. They spear-headed the record breaking Champions League three-peat, all having note worthy UCL final goals. And four Champions League trophies in total. In addition to the two La Liga titles won. They redefined the counter-attacking style of football in their time. They broke apart after five years when Cristiano moved to Juventus. Currently, Benzema is still playing for Madrid, Bale plays for an American team, MLS, while Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to his childhood team, Manchester United.

Xavi, Iniesta and Busquest We still don't know how Pep Guardiola cooked this but they'd go down as the most perfect Midfield trio in recent years. The fun part? They are all Spanish players, meaning they played together for club and country and the three were starters! They were know for their great passing abilities and vision. They were the heart of the team at the time. Xavi and Iniesta remain the only two midfielders to appear in the Ballon d'or top 3 more than once! From 2008-2015, they won't 3X UCL, 5X La Liga, and 2X CWC, excluding some other minor cups not mentioned. They broke up when Xavi left in 2015. Currently, Xavi coaches FC Barcelona, Iniesta plays for a Chinese club and Busquest still a Barcelona player. In conclusion, it is a dream of every football club to have their players team up together, to create magic that beautifies the moment. The easiest way this can be achieved is when players have a good relationship on and off the pitch. Also, getting more playing time together. Other trios not mentioned above include:

Neymar - Mbappe - Cavani: They got broken up when Cavani left for Manchester united. Currently, Neymar and Mbappe still play for PSG while Cavani is yet to find a new club as he has run out of contract with Manchester united. Ribery - Robern - Robert Lewandoski: They got broken up in 2019, when Ajren Robben and Franck Ribery left the club at the same time. Currently, Lewandoski plays for FC Barcelona, Ajren Robben came back from retirement to play for his boyhood club Groningen while Franck Ribery plays for Serie A club Salernitana. Don't forget Modric, Kroos and Casimero. I didn't add them because they are yet to be separated. Which of these trio do you consider the greatest? drop your thoughts in the comment box below. Read the full article

The most expensive football transfers are not worth it.

One of the characteristics of big clubs is that they are big spenders. We took a look at the most expensive football transfers, and from the list, it is safe to say most of them are not worth the price or even close. Players are being purchased for their capabilities and perceived worth. But super expensive transfers in most cases aren't worth it. Interest from big clubs is another basic reason why player prices are being raised unrealistically. In this write-up, we'll be naming the 6 most expensive football transfers and their performances in their respective clubs, compared to the price paid for them. Neymar Jr It is as if PSG are just beginning to realize their mistake. PSG spent a mouth-watering 222m on Neymar Jr. in August 2017. The owners are obviously rich, and they made Ney the highest earner in the club then. Their biggest reason for buying Neymar then was to win the club's first ever Champions League. Rumor also has it that Neymar was also desperate to leave FC Barcelona because he felt like he was playing in Messi's shadow. A move to PSG will see him lead a team. Since Neymar's arrival at PSG, he has never really delivered any outstanding results for the club. His Ballon d'or ranking keeps dropping with each passing season, he's now known for constant injuries, and has failed to win then the Champions League of which was the sole reason for his buying. There are now several reports of PSG offering the player to FC Barcelona for just 50 million euros!

Kylian Mbappé The second on the list, Kylian Mbappe, was also bought by PSG. Well, this one is really worth the price tag of 180 million euros. His recently renewed contract will see him become the highest paid footballer at the moment. Mbappe is known for his speed and finishing abilities. If he's placed on the market for 200 million, some clubs will be willing to pay the amount. On the other hand, he's not an injury-prone player as compared to Neymar, making him a good asset for the club. Some clubs are still betting on his future. Real Madrid are ready to accept him when he runs out of contract with PSG. He'd be the only on this list to defy this law!

Ousmane Dembele after the sale of Neymar Jr, FC Barcelona needed a replacement. They picked French player Ousmane Dembele After his first match, where he gave an assist, he was reported to have suffered a hamstring injury and was ruled out for four months. He was given the medical greenlight on January 2, 2018. A couple of weeks later, he was injured again and was ruled out for another 4 weeks. His injury record has almost tarnished his image at the Spanish club. As at the time of writing, Dembouz has missed 102 matches for FC Barcelona due to injuries. Since the arrival of the new coach, Xavi, he's yet to report any cases of injury. He seems to have a great future ahead of him.

Phillipe Coutinho The fourth most expensive transfer of all time is the little Brazilian magician, Coutinho. If you don't know him, at least you should know "the guy who never misses his curly shots from outside the box." Since Ousmane Dembele's arrival at FC Barcelona never seemed to be yielding any good fruit any time soon, the club decided to go for some other big name. And this time they went hunting for Philippe Coutinho. Although he was never really riddled with injuries like Dembele, he saw a massive drop from his top-notch levels. Considering the price paid for him, fans' patience began to wear thin, and they soon started losing love for him. He was loaned to Bayern Munich a year later, where he seriously flourished. On returning to FC Barcelona, he became a flop again, and Barcelona was beginning to be a new curse for him. He was loaned to Aston Villa on January 1, 2022. He's been having a beautiful run since his arrival at the new club. Barcelona and Phillipe Coutinho was never a good deal!

Joao Felix A club like Atletico Madrid signing a player over 100m for the first time says a lot. Although Joao Felix is highly regarded for his skills and his versatility in offensive positions, he has never really lived up to his price tag. Some claim it's due to the style of play at Atletico Madrid, but how can someone who has played with the likes of Deigo Costa, Suarez, and Cristiano Ronaldo in the national team still have problems adapting to a club style of play? He played a total of just one season at Benefica and was sold for 127 million to a club like Atleti. He's not even a regular starter on the national team. Joao Felix has to be a really bad deal for Atletico. Despite being a gifted player, he still hasn't been crucial and can be easily replaced without any hurt being felt by the team. Probably Atleti's worst signing.

Antoine Greizmann His story at FC Barcelona is very similar to that of Philippe Coutinho. He was also bought as a replacement for Neymar, after the signings of Dembele and Coutinho didn't to go according to plan. He was doing really well at Atletico Madrid as he was their key player at a point. He won the Europa league, super cup, supercopa and was also nominated for the Ballon d'or. His arrival at Barcelona was expected to be a good deal, considering the caliber of player he is and the amount paid. He also didn't live up to the expectations set by the club, although his work rate is outstanding, he is expected to score more goal and provide more assists as a forward that he is. He played 101 matches for FC Barcelona, scoring just 33 goals and assisting 14 others. He was later sent back to Atletico Madrid on loan. Conclusion: As the saying goes, "to whom much is given, much is expected." Some of the above listed players had average performances, but regardless of their performances, the club and football fans will always demand more considering the price paid. Spending big on players isn't evil, but as seen above, it's not ideal in most cases. Read the full article

9 young players who got their breakthrough last season

In the just concluded season, some young players got their breakthrough into Europe's biggest leagues limelight. A lot comes into play when trying to determine the market value of players. Some of which are: Age: Younger players with talent are worth more than older players, even if they are legends. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are around the 100m tag, while a player like Mbappe is around the 200m tag. Playing position: Forwards are believed to be the game-deciders, they are more rated and wanted compared to any other role on the pitch. This makes wingers and strikers more expensive as compared to other roles on the pitch. In order of importance: forwards > Midfielders > defenders > goalkeepers. Nationality: no hates to any league, but we can't ignore the fact that Europe's footballers are always more expensive as compared to any other part of the world regardless of how much talents you have. English players are considered the most expensive. Other determining factors include contract duration, playing characteristics, productivity, and popularity. We will be checking this based on their market value raise in the just concluded season.

Vinicius Jnr: was known for his inability to score goals two seasons earlier. Although he has always been a threat, we can't be oblivious to his ability to get past defenders with his speed and create big chances. The reverse is the case now, as the Brazilian has netted an incredible sum of 22 goals and assisted 20 others. in 52 matches for Real Madrid. Two seasons ago, he scored just 6 and assisted 7 in 49 matches. 2021/22 will be his best season yet, as he won the La Liga and the UCL, also scoring the only goal in the UCL final. His market value rose from $44m to 110m in the just concluded season! Christopher Nkunku: The French player is one of the most wanted by European top clubs this summer. The RB Leipzig player played a total of 50 matches, scoring 35 goals and providing 19 assists. He was one of the most productive players regarding goals contributions for last season. His market value increased from $47.3m to $71.5 m by the end of the season.

Pablo Gavi: The Spanish center midfielder who's known for not lacing his boots and his good performances, was pushed ahead of talent like Riqui Puig for FC Barcelona and his country, Spain. He's the youngest player to ever feature in Spain's senior team (at just 17 years of age). He's featured in 47 matches for FC Barcelona, scoring 2 goals and assisting 6. His market value rose from $27.5m to $66m. Reece James: The English footballer will definitely be regarded as one of the best right backs at the moment. His manager, Thomas Tuchel, described him as "strong and influential". The Chelsea player featured in 39 matches for club, scoring 6 and assisting 10. (Really good stat for a 22 year old right back). James is definitely going to be one of Chelsea's most regarded assets. His market value increased from $44m to $60m. Click here to see the full list. Rafael Leão: The Portuguese forward who plays for Serie A giants, won the Serie A trophy with his team for the first time in about 10 years. He's a very versatile player, with the ability to play on both flanks, and he's also a prolific dribbler. Some even call him the Portuguese Mbappe. 23 year old Leão played a total of 42 matches, scoring 14 goals and assisting 12. His market value rose from 27.5m to 55m.

Gonzalez Pedri: Barcelona's golden boy and central midfielder who's just 19 years of age has found a spot on Europe's big stage. The football media regard him as one of the most promising footballers in the world. He plays a free role, which allows him to roam on the pitch. He's well known for his ability to get out of tight spaces. He might as well be consider a versatile player, as he can play on any flanks and also in different midfield positions. He won the golden boy award of 2021. Due to injuries, he played a total of 21 matches for FC Barcelona last season, scoring 4 goals and assisting 1. His market value increased from $77m to $88m. Emile Smith Rowe: Rowe is an attacking midfielder, he sometimes play as a winger for Arsenal or his National team England. He has established himself as an important player for the club. He's very clever in possession and full of energy. His work rate backs this up. He played a total of 37 games for the Gunners last season, scoring 11 and assisting 2 others. His market value has increased from $19.8m to $44m in the past season.

Jude Bellingham: The Dortmund player is one of the most coveted players in Europe's biggest clubs. He remains the club's youngest player to join the Dortmund senior team at 16 years old. He was the Kopa runner up in 2021. After his performance against City in the Champions League, Pep Guardiola thinks he lied about his age or he's just too mature for that age. He plays really well as a central midfielder. In the previous season, he played 44 matches with Dortmund, scoring 6 and assisting an astonishing total of 14. His market value rose from 60.5m to 82.5m. Phil Foden: One of Pep Guardiola's finest weapons, the English player is the youngest holder of the Premier League medal. He is also the youngest player to both start a match and score in the knockout stages of the UCL. He's blessed with the ability to drift past opponents; no wonder he's become a regular player for Man City at a young age. The 22-year-old played a total of 45 matches for club, scoring 14 and assisting 11. His market value increased from $88m to $99m in the just concluded season. Other players that aren't mentioned includes Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus), Sebastin Haller (Ajax) Which of these players do you consider hyped and who is most worth it to you? Drop your comments below. CREDITS: Bleachers Reports Read the full article

FOTM. EmperorA Fan of the month. June.

As a sign of appreciation, EmperorA decided to introduce a "Fan of The Month" platform, abbreviated as FOTM. This will be a measure of appreciating our favorite fans in a particular month. We'll be giving them a space to feature on our website and social media pages, by interviewing them. This month, we'll be awarding two people. The first will be Oniyele Anjola. He's the brain behind our DLS22 tournament. A student at the Federal University of Technology Akure, currently studying cyber security. Here are key points from the interview carried out in his WhatsApp DM.

The player and event that made you fall in love with football: Luis Suarez, I was sent to call someone from the viewing center, and it happened to be the day Suarez scored 4 goals against Norwich. Since then, I've followed Luis closely. Favorite football club: FC Barcelona Favorite player: Luis Suarez. Why do you like FC Barcelona: basically because of Luis Suarez. I used to be a Liverpool fan, when he was sold to FC Barcelona, I followed and when he was sold to Atletico Madrid, I followed. But Xavi made me fall in love with Barca again. Besides since Suarez stopped getting playing time, I was busy watching FC Barcelona matches. Do you consider Xavi a world-class coach? To be honest, no. But we won't deny the beauty he restored to Barca. But champions league next season should decide. Which Barca loss hurt you the most? I think Liverpool 4-0 comeback. I was heartbroken at that point (laughs) and we'd just suffered a similar loss to Roma a season before. To be honest, I expected Barca to do better. I still can't wrap my head around that incident. So basically, I was served breakfast and at the same time had to watch my team lose. And the next day, I'd get serious "bants" from Ronaldo fans in class.

Which Barca match made you the happiest? El Clasico 5-1 win for Barca. Where Suarez scored a hattrick, even without Messi on the pitch. I don't think I'd ever be able to forget that match, I still have the highlights on my phone. Messi or Ronaldo, and why? Messi. I think Messi is the metric used to judge football. He's the greatest playmaker, has a better goal ratio than Ronaldo, one of the best dribblers, and the awards are there to speak for him. How else do we prove the GOAT? Although I like Ronaldo because he rarely disappoints his fans in big matches, Messi is quite the opposite. Who's your favorite coach and why? Pep Guardiola. I just consider him really intelligent, he spends the money and it's always worth it. Aside his champions league curse, with Pep you can beat anyone. Do you think he's the best coach? Kind of. But there's this guy, Hansi Flick. That Bayern former coach. Fear him(laughs). Which player would you pick as a role model and why? Andres Iniesta. He was so humble and was hated by none, I've never seen him in the media for any evil reasons, not even a red card all through his European career. I think he's someone every young player should look up to. He has good manners! Can we ask you some personal questions? Sure, go ahead

FOTM: Personal Questions.

Why do you like and support EmperorA? I must admit, football news is interesting with Emperor. Hobbies? Reading, listening to music, coding and thinking. What do you think about? Omo... A lot o(laughs). I overthink a lot. I must admit, it's my bad habit. Are you in a relationship? No. Your "no" sounds blunt, can you tell us why? Relationships these days are basically for sex, if you need goals, call Ronaldo, tell him to give you Messi's number. Rate EmperorA on a scale of 10. 9.5 The remaining 0.5? Try dey do giveaway, we sef dey try for you(laughs). What do you hate and like about yourself? I like the fact that I'm a good person and I don't have to fake it, I'm quite skillfull too and that boosts my self esteem. I hate the fact that I find it difficult to say no, although I'm working on myself. Thank you for your time. We'll see you some other time. Click here to see the interview of our second FOTM Our Second FOTM is Adediran Dolapo. Mostly responsible for Chelsea's news and their live updates. He has always delivered! A student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, currently studying transport planning and management.

The player and event that made you love football. Didier Drogba (shows emotions). I was at home with my family, watching the 2012 final against Bayern. We were a goal down with less than 10 minutes left. I started beating fast (God ABEG lol). Then Drogba went to Mata to discuss a few things. Minutes later, Mata took that corner and Drogba scored that goal that gave us the equaliser and also triggered our UCL title in 2012. I was very much excited. Favourite club and why? Chelsea, It's been my favourite right from birth, can't explain why. I've always been a blue. It's in the genes. Maybe because they won the EPL title the year I was born (laughs). Favourite player: Cristiano Ronaldo. Do you consider your coach a world class coach and why? Thomas Tuchel is of course world class In less than a year he won 3 major competitions for us. Got to the finals of the competitions, he met CFC playing, Beat pep thrice, Ancelotti, Mou(Without conceding a single goal in 3 matches) and many more Made Chelsea players who they are today. If You could change something about your club, what would it be? My attack, I'd sign Núñez but he has a deal with Liverpool already. Your Favorite coach? I'll pick TT. Messi or Ronaldo and why? Ronaldo, of course. Why? He's the greatest player of all time. It shouldn't be a debate.

Which match hurt you the most? Describe the moment. Real Madrid's 2nd leg in this last UCL campaign. Although we won the 2nd leg but got disqualified on aggregate. I felt so sad... But I love the play... that was one of the best moments I've seen CFC play. Pick A Player as a role model and tell us why. RONALDO, He's more of a complete player. Off the pitch he does charity, I love him. Your scariest opponent in the UCL. All the UCL teams. Can we ask personal questions? Okay (shows signs of not being comfortable with it)

FOTM: Personal Questions.

Hobbies? watching football, playing games (on phone or PS), Movies are not my thing, but I watch them. So I can't call it a hobby. Let me guess, you use Chelsea while playing games, right? Not really. I use Chelsea or Liverpool. While playing DLS, I don't get to select a team, but I make sure Chelsea players are in my line up. Why do you like and support EmperorA? because it gives a good view of sport, especially football. Are you in a relationship? Yes. Can you remember where you met? (Reluctant at first), we met at a church program about 3 or 4 years back. What do you hate and like about yourself? I love myself for being me. I hate myself for tolerating too many sh**. Rate EmperorA out of 10. 9, I'd have given a 10 but you need to stop trolling or saying negative things about my GOAT (laughs). Dolapo refuses to divulge more about his personal life. As you can see, he's a keeper and a good husband. Read the full article

Should arsenal still be tagged a big club?

When we talk about big clubs, a lot of factors come into play in deciding which football club is tagged as big and which isn't. Here with EmperorA, we give updates on Europe's biggest clubs, which we think are: In the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City, and Manchester United. from La Liga: FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid. From Serie A: Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan. From Bundesliga: Bayern Munich and Dortmund From Ligue 1: PSG alone. These clubs are picked based on their performances in recent years. You'd be shocked to see some of these clubs mentioned above are not even in the greatest clubs of all time. In this post we'd be giving you two sides of Arsenal FC, and you'd be left to decide if they are worth being called a big club or not.

Reasons why Arsenal is a big club.

1. The third club with the most Premier League trophies: Arsenal, founded in 1886, has won an astonishing 13 league trophies, being the third on the list behind Manchester United (with 20 trophies) and Liverpool FC with 19 trophies. The next on the list is Everton with 9 trophies. This is enough to buy prestige for the club's all time image. Their 2003/2004 run where they were undefeated in the league gave them the title of "the invincibles". 2. A record of 14 FA Cup trophies The FA Cup consists of over 700 English teams from various divisions of English football. It's a knockout style of competition. Arsenal holds the record for the team with the most FA Cup trophies in history. They won their first in 1930 and went on to win 12 more, the last coming in 2020. 3. The 11th most valuable club in the world. The value of a club is checked based on many factors like stadium capacity, sponsorships, player salary caps, etc. Based on the reports released by Forbes this year, Arsenal happens to appear 11th on the list of most valuable soccer teams, with a value of about 2 billion dollars. This comes after the club suffered a 27% loss from the previous year. They'd have been in a better position on the list. 4. 10th club with the biggest fan base. It's fair to say Arsenal has the best fan base. I say this because they are loyal to the team despite the club's tough times in recent years. Arsenal is estimated to have around 80.1m fans. The amount of social media followers on Facebook, Instagram and twitter are the biggest factor in judging this metric. All these aspects are what give Arsenal a spot in the stands of the greatest clubs in the world. But in recent times, Arsenal's form has been more like an average team or, worse, a small club, as most of us will call it.

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Reasons why Arsenal shouldn't be tagged as a big club.

1. Champions League appearances The last time Arsenal appeared in the Champions League was in the 2016-17 round of 16. That was about 5 years ago! Just to think of it, they've been consistent for the past 20 years prior to the 2016/17 season. At a point, the champions league would look incomplete without Arsenal in it. Although their performances in the competition aren't good enough for a club of that caliber. In the past 10 years, they've not passed the RO16 in the Champions League. To top it all off, Arsenal has zero Champions League trophies. 2. Premier League trophies The last time Arsenal won the premier league was in the 2003/2004 season, about 18 years ago. Although they hold the record of the third teams with the most EPL titles, and they also boast one of the team that has never been relegated from the League competition, but I don't think all those accolades count or justifies their form in the past few seasons. 3. They don't know how to keep talents On this note, likening the gunners to Dortmund, Ajax and Monaco who sell their talented players out to bigger clubs won't be bad. Some of the victims of this trade are Alexis Sanchez, Chamberlain, Robin Van Persie and many others. This makes them look like a club without ambitions. Whenever a bigger clubs comes calling for one of Arsenal's talent, they don't seem to put up a fight or even interested in putting one up one.

The recent ones that hurts the fans the most has to be Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil. Although they didn't leave because of a sale, but Arsenal should learn to preserve their talents regardless. Statistically speaking, even a clueless fan knows arsenal isn't a small club. But all the important records held by the club like being the invincibles, are records held by another team too ( Preston North End about 116 years ago). And these records doesn't vindicate their recent form. Clubs like Sevilla and Villarreal stands a chance to being compared to current arsenal. Should Arsenal be tagged a big team or not? Comment your thoughts below. Credits: Ojo Mohamed. Read the full article

Should arsenal still be tagged a big club?

When we talk about big clubs, a lot of factors come into play in deciding which football club is tagged as big and which isn't. Here with EmperorA, we give updates on Europe's biggest clubs, which we think are: In the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City, and Manchester United. from La Liga: FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid. From Serie A: Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan. From Bundesliga: Bayern Munich and Dortmund From Ligue 1: PSG alone. These clubs are picked based on their performances in recent years. You'd be shocked to see some of these clubs mentioned above are not even in the greatest clubs of all time. In this post we'd be giving you two sides of Arsenal FC, and you'd be left to decide if they are worth being called a big club or not.

Reasons why Arsenal is a big club.

1. The third club with the most Premier League trophies: Arsenal, founded in 1886, has won an astonishing 13 league trophies, being the third on the list behind Manchester United (with 20 trophies) and Liverpool FC with 19 trophies. The next on the list is Everton with 9 trophies. This is enough to buy prestige for the club's all time image. Their 2003/2004 run where they were undefeated in the league gave them the title of "the invincibles". 2. A record of 14 FA Cup trophies The FA Cup consists of over 700 English teams from various divisions of English football. It's a knockout style of competition. Arsenal holds the record for the team with the most FA Cup trophies in history. They won their first in 1930 and went on to win 12 more, the last coming in 2020. 3. The 11th most valuable club in the world. The value of a club is checked based on many factors like stadium capacity, sponsorships, player salary caps, etc. Based on the reports released by Forbes this year, Arsenal happens to appear 11th on the list of most valuable soccer teams, with a value of about 2 billion dollars. This comes after the club suffered a 27% loss from the previous year. They'd have been in a better position on the list. 4. 10th club with the biggest fan base. It's fair to say Arsenal has the best fan base. I say this because they are loyal to the team despite the club's tough times in recent years. Arsenal is estimated to have around 80.1m fans. The amount of social media followers on Facebook, Instagram and twitter are the biggest factor in judging this metric. All these aspects are what give Arsenal a spot in the stands of the greatest clubs in the world. But in recent times, Arsenal's form has been more like an average team or, worse, a small club, as most of us will call it.

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Reasons why Arsenal shouldn't be tagged as a big club.

1. Champions League appearances The last time Arsenal appeared in the Champions League was in the 2016-17 round of 16. That was about 5 years ago! Just to think of it, they've been consistent for the past 20 years prior to the 2016/17 season. At a point, the champions league would look incomplete without Arsenal in it. Although their performances in the competition aren't good enough for a club of that caliber. In the past 10 years, they've not passed the RO16 in the Champions League. To top it all off, Arsenal has zero Champions League trophies. 2. Premier League trophies The last time Arsenal won the premier league was in the 2003/2004 season, about 18 years ago. Although they hold the record of the third teams with the most EPL titles, and they also boast one of the team that has never been relegated from the League competition, but I don't think all those accolades count or justifies their form in the past few seasons. 3. They don't know how to keep talents On this note, likening the gunners to Dortmund, Ajax and Monaco who sell their talented players out to bigger clubs won't be bad. Some of the victims of this trade are Alexis Sanchez, Chamberlain, Robin Van Persie and many others. This makes them look like a club without ambitions. Whenever a bigger clubs comes calling for one of Arsenal's talent, they don't seem to put up a fight or even interested in putting one up one.

The recent ones that hurts the fans the most has to be Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil. Although they didn't leave because of a sale, but Arsenal should learn to preserve their talents regardless. Statistically speaking, even a clueless fan knows arsenal isn't a small club. But all the important records held by the club like being the invincibles, are records held by another team too ( Preston North End about 116 years ago). And these records doesn't vindicate their recent form. Clubs like Sevilla and Villarreal stands a chance to being compared to current arsenal. Should Arsenal be tagged a big team or not? Comment your thoughts below. Credits: Ojo Mohamed. Read the full article

Premier League final matchday saga

According to rankings, the Premier League is considered the best domestic league in Europe. And we are probably about to witness plenty of drama as we approach the final matchday, which is set to take place on the 22nd of May, with all Premier League teams starting at the same time by 4pm (Nigerian time)..Here are some of the dramas set to unfold on the final matchday:The Premier League winner will be decided on the final matchday.Unlike other top European Leagues like the LA Liga and the Ligue which has been decided the final matchday, the Premier League on another hand has seen the top two giants fight it to the end. With Manchester City leading it's fierce rival with only one point. Manchester City and Liverpool with 90pts and 89 pts respectively.The Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, will be at Man City's Etihad stadium on Sunday with the genuine trophy, while a replica presentation team and trophy will be at Anfield in case Liverpool wins the title.Manchester City takes on Aston Villa while Liverpool takes on wolves on Sunday. A draw or loss from City and a win from Liverpool will see the reds win the trophy We patiently anticipate as the drama unfolds.The Top 4 will be decided on the final matchday.Sitting in the top 4 positions in the league grants you an automatic seat in the UCL. Chelsea FC have already secured a place in the Champions League, sitting in 3rd position in the Premier League. Arsenal and Tottenham are set to battle for the number 4 position as Arsenal has handed Spurs an easy spot with their recent league losses.Tottenham and Arsenal with 68pts and 66pts respectively. A win from Arsenal and a loss from Tottenham is the only escape route for Arsenal. Tottenham has a goal difference of 24 while arsenal has 9. A draw from Tottenham will still see them ahead of Arsenal, based on goal difference.Aside that Tottenham seems to be taking on an easier opponent Norwich which is the last on the league table compared to Arsenal taking on Everton which is 16th on the table. It is football, and anything can happen.The Europa League spot will be decided on the final matchday.The fifth and sixth positions in the league get to secure a spot in the Europa League group stage next season. Manchester United's poor performance this season has seen them fight for a in the Europa League.Manchester United and West Ham, with 58pts and 56 points, respectively, play against Crystal Palace (13th position on the league table) and Brighton (11th position). A loss against Crystal Palace, and a win for West Ham is the only escape route for West Ham. although they are better than Manchester United with goal difference.The relegation will be decided on the final matchday.The relegating teams in the Premier League are the three teams with the lowest rank on the table. As it stands, Leeds, Watford and Norwich City are down for relegation. But with the final matchday in sight, Leeds seem to stand a chance against relegation as they share the same points as Burnley (35pts).Burnley are ahead of Leeds based on goal difference only. Burnley with (-18GD) and Leeds with (-38GD). Burnley take on Newcastle (12th on the table) while Leeds City take on Brentford (11th on the table) on Sunday. A win or draw for Leeds and a loss for Burnley is the only escape route for Leeds.The golden boot will be decided on the final matchday.The Golden boot award is given to the highest goal scorer in the league. As it stands, Mohammed Salah is leading the top scorer race with 22 goals, including 5 penalties. The second on the top scorer list is Heung-Min Son, with 21 goals and 0 penalties.This is a close call, and the final matchday could turn the tables around or give a boost to the winner. On Sunday, Tottenham take on Norwich, and Liverpool take on Wolves. It's definitely worth anticipating.The top assist will be decided on the final matchday.The newly introduced "Premier League Playmaker award" is given to the player who creates the most Premier League goals for his teammates.At the moment, Mohammed Salah leads the race with 13 assists, followed by his fellow teammate Alexander Arnold with 12 assists. As they take on Wolves, things might change or remain the same. Sunday decides!The golden gloves will be decided on the final matchday.The Golden glove is given to the goal keeper with the highest number of clean sheets in a Premier League season. Alisson Becker (Liverpool's goalkeeper) and Ederson Moraes (Manchester City) are in a tie with 20 clean sheets each. As Liverpool go against Wolves and City against Aston Villa, things might change or stay the same. We leave on Sunday to decide!With all these dramas left alone for the final Premier League matchday, it's safe to say the EPL deserves the award for the best domestic league. Comment your predictions for each of the 7 categories mentioned above. Read the full article

Stats against Liverpool vs Real Madrid UCL final

As usual, the Champions League of 2021/22 gave us a show we'll always look back on. We'll get to see Liverpool play against Real Madrid in the UCL final after plenty of dramatic performances amongst both teams. Its safe to say they earned their spot in the final. The match is to take place on the 28th of may, in Paris. Here are some stats which are to be considered against the finals, most especially for those of us into sport betting.STATS 1.REAL MADRID ROAD TO FINALS- PSGFirst Leg: PSG 1-0 Real MadridSecond Leg: Real Madrid 3-1 PSG- ChelseaFirst Leg: Chelsea 1-3 Real MadridSecond Leg: Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea- Manchester CityFirst Leg: Manchester City 4-3 Real MadridSecond Leg: Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester CityLIVERPOOL ROAD TO THE FINALS- Inter MilanFirst Leg: Inter Milan 0-2 Liverpool Second Leg: Liverpool 0-1 Inter Milan- BenficaFirst Leg: Benfica 1-3 LiverpoolSecond Leg: Liverpool 3-3 Benfica- VillarealFirst Leg: Liverpool 2-0 VillarealSecond Leg: Villareal 2-3 LiverpoolLiverpool seems to have had it easier than Real Madrid throughout the tournament. Will this be their easiest tie yet?STATS 2.Whenever Liverpool play an European Cup/UCL final. their opponents were in white.1997, Borussia Mochengladbach were in white.1978, Club Brugge were in white.1987, and 2018, Real Madrid were in white.1984, Roma were in white.1985, Juventus were in white.2005 and 2007, AC Milan were in white.2019, Tottenham Hotspur were in white.2022, Real Madrid will be in white.STATS 3.The last time Real Madrid lost an European cup final(1981):OPPONENT: Liverpool.LOCATION: Paris.Will history repeat itself?The last time Real Madrid vs Liverpool met in the Champions League final was a world cup year(2018). Same repeating itself this year. Football is soo blessed with history!It no wonder why Guinness rated football as the most interesting sport. What are your predictions for the UCL final? comment it below.CREDITS: ADEDIRAN DOLAPO Read the full article

Craziest Champions League comebacks in recent years

The Champions League is the most admired and fought for trophy in European football. It has most of the thrilling performances we don't get in our various leagues of football. It can be unfair to say that the best club wins the Champions League, because the knockout stages suggest otherwise.Teams with players with big names are seen to be knocked out of the tournaments by average or small teams. These kinds of situations keep all teams on their toes, both the best, the average, and small teams. Another interesting feature of the Champions League is the 2nd leg, in which we see insane comebacks that amaze us. It is fair to say anything is possible in the UEFA Champions League. Here are 5 craziest comebacks in UCL in the last decade:PSG vs Manchester UnitedFirst leg: Manchester United 0-2 PSGsource: Getty Images.In the Round of 16 of the UCL, 2019, Manchester United overturned a 2-goal deficit away from home. It was in the early days of Sir Ole Gunner, Manchester United's coach at the time. And the red devils were having a fun ride. Manchester United played a good game despite not having some of their important players available.PSG was obviously the better side even during the match but luck wasn't on their side. Romero Lukaku capitalized on two defensive mistakes in the 2nd and 30th minutes respectively and a late penalty strike by Marcus Rashford help Manchester United seal a spot in the RO8. The 'away goal' rule at the time was the most important and deciding factor of the game. In aggregate, it's 3-3 for both clubs.At the end, it was beginning to look like the great PSG are so good at losing out in the biggest European competition, champions league.Juventus 3-0 Atletico MadridFirst leg: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Manchester UnitedRonaldo got fined for this celebration against Atletico Madrid.Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Simeone don't seem to get along with each other on the pitch.Quick fact: All through Diego Simeone's rule in Atletico Madrid, he has only conceded 4 hat-tricks and all 4 from Cristiano Ronaldo.With the fact stated above, you see why they both don't get along on the pitch.Diego Simeone was so happy with his team home win that be went ahead to celebrate in a way that got him sanctioned later on. In the return leg, just like we all expected, Diego Simeone would park the bus to defend his 2-0 win in the first leg. They ended up having 0 shot on target throughout the match.Ronaldo was the man of the hour, stepping up in the big games like a norm, he scored a hattrick, including a penalty to make it 3-2 on aggregate. That was the first time Juventus progressed in the champions league after a first leg loss since 2005/06.Ajax 2-3 TottenhamFirst leg: Totteham 0-1 Ajax Ajax are known to be that small team who annoys the big ones in the competition. They might not end up winning the tournament, but they are also sure to cause some exciting havoc with the little time they have in the tournament. Totteham was set to be their next victim this time in the Semifinals (2019). After a 0-1 lead at home, Ajax scored two first half goals. To a normal person and definitely everyone, the game is finished.But then there was Lucas Moura whose hattrick sent Tottenham to their first ever champions league final with his hattrick. The last goal coming in the 6th minute of added time. It was all tears for both teams after the match, but joy for Tottenham players. Roma 3-0 BarcelonaFirst leg: FC Barcelona 4-1 RomaBarcelona was having a fun ride in the champions league 2018 without any loss until the return leg against Roma. After a 4-1 win at home, the team looked a bit comfortable or maybe luck just wasn't on their side.Looking at the Caliber of players they had at the time, the comeback from Roma was shocking although well deserved and they proved to be hungrier than Barca throughout the match .Goals from Eden Dzeko, De Rossi, K Manolas saw Roma seal a win in the quarter finals.Roma was obviously the underdog, and having nothing to lose, they went all out to get what they wanted. They had twice as much shots on target as Barcelona in match.1# livescore site with live odds, fixtures, results, standings, free betting tips, match predictionsLiverpool 4-0 BarcelonaFirst leg: Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool For the second season in a row, Barcelona's first loss in the Champions League contest will be the one to kick them out of the tournament. FC Barcelona were obviously struggling but they've managed to display beautiful performances and had a foot in the finals of the 2019 champions league. To make the work easier, Liverpool was without two of their most important forwards, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. The game looked finished even before it started with Lionel Messi's fine form. To our surprise, Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum, two of the most unlikely heroes stole the night with two goals each to put Liverpool in the finals. It was the second time Barcelona will forfeit a 3 goals lead from the first leg of the champions league, the first against Roma, a season before. The last here is Barcelona 6-1 PSG, read about it here.Which was the most surprising? Share your experience below. Read the full article

Football legends without a world cup goal.

The FIFA world cup also known as the world cup has to be the biggest football tournament in the world.The tournament is played at every 4 years interval since it's inception In 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 and that was because of the world war II.And if this is the case, it's fair to say every European footballer gets to play an average of 3 world cup tournaments in their career. Some are lucky to play more, while others less.Despite regarded as the most prestigious tournament in football, some legendary footballers don't have a good record in it. This doesn't diminish their worth in any way.Here's a list of 6 great footballers without a world cup goal:Zlatan Ibrahimovic Ibrahimovic is one of the decorated footballers. He's very well known for his controversial replies and his claims to be a god. At 40 years of age, he's still running the game, with 31 trophies and over 570 goals to his name. He's one of the four active players with over 500 goals for his club.With all these accolades he's earned, he doesn't have a world cup goal. Although he does not have a fair number of world cup appearances due to reasons like suspensions and injuries, it is so surprising to see that a player of his class doesn't have a world cup goal to his name.He appeared in the World Cup in 2002 and 2006. In 2010, he wasn't named in the world cup squad for his country. He's currently retired from international duties.Luis FigoLuis FigoLuis Figo is a retired Portuguese player that played as a winger in sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.In total, he's played 570 games for clubs, scoring 93 goals.In the national team, he was awarded the player with the most appearances for Portugal national team, with 127 caps, later broken by Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Moutinho.He is also considered on of Portugal's greatest players of all time. For the national team, Figo has played 127 games, and scored 32 goals with no world cup goal.He has featured in two different world cup tournaments, in 2002 and 2006.ADVERTISMENTFrank Lampard.The England and former Chelsea player is regarded as one of Chelsea's greatest. For the record, he won the premier league player of the decade (2000-2010).He also holds the record for the goals scored by a midfielder in the Premier League and the highest number of goals from outside the box.He's currently a coach at Everton after a bad run with his former club Chelsea. He scored 29 goals in 126 appearances for his national team england and none of them in the world cup.The England midfielder have featured in three different world cup tournaments, and has no goals in them.Pavel NedvedPavel NedvedYou probably don't know him, this might be the first time you're hearing him name.He is regarded as one of the greatest players of his time according to various sources.Described as one of the most successful players to come out from Czech republic, he spent most of his senior career in Juventus, Lazio, Sparta Prague.Scoring 110 goals in 501 appearances for club and 18 goals in 98 appearances for country.He's only appeared in one world cup tournament, where Czech lost all Matches in the group stage with Nevded being the captain in one of the 3 matches. Sergio RamosRamos is regarded is one of the greatest defenders of all time. As at the time of writing he, he plays for PSG. He played as a center back from Real Madrid for 16 seasons, and was a captain for 6 more seasons.He's known for his aggressiveness and doesn't mind getting his name in the books or getting his hands dirty when the team needs it. Ramos would definitely go down as one of the most carded players in football history. He's showed the qualities of a leader during his time at Real Madrid scoring important goals, including penalties.Sergio Ramos has featured in 541 senior career matches for club, scoring 77 goals in those and 195 appearances for country, scoring 23 goals.Despite winning the FIFA world cup in 2010 with Spain National team, he has no world cup goal.Robert Lewandowski.This has to be the most surprising. Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best No. 9 in the last decade.A Bayern Munich striker as at the time of writing and also the captain of his national team, Poland. He's also one of the five active players with over 500 goals. In 133 appearances for his national team, Lewi has scored 75 goals, none of them in the World Cup. This shouldn't come as a surprise as he has qualified for the UEFA World Cup just once and that was in 2018 when he played just 3 matches and lost all 3 matches in the group stage.He'd get another opportunity to try in 2022 as Poland had qualified for the World Cup.Which one is most surprising to you, comment your thoughts below. Read the full article

Footballers and their ex girlfriends saga

Our favorite footballers also have a life outside their careers, just like we all do. Sometimes we don't get to know what happens in their private lives, only what happens on the football pitch. In this post, we'll be talking about some footballers' past relationships and a drama they were involved in. Kelvin De Bruyne's girlfriend cheated on him. The current Manchester City star, Kevin De Bruyne, dated Caroline Lijnen, who reportedly cheated on him with his former teammate and countryman, Thibaut Courtois. Although Caroline Lijnen gave her reason for doing so, when she stated in an interview that De Bruyne cheated on her with her best friend, and Thibaut Courtois treated her better than De Bruyne, this goes against the usual 'bro code' that the guys follow. Bro Code ***: Thou shalt not sleep with a bro ex, unless she's supper hot or he's out of town. How Thibaut Courtois's relationship went with Kelvin De Bruyne after the incident is still not clear to the public, but what many assumed to be De Bruyne's revenge was his penalty goal against Real Madrid in the first leg of a Champions League draw in 2020. Where Thibaut Courtois was the goal keeper. You definitely don't want to miss that! (laughs). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ9j6mVy_UM Mario Icardi and Wanda Nara Mario Icardi as at the time of writing, is a PSG forward. Mario Icardi is indeed a striker (laughs), and I'll prove it to you. Maria Icardi and Lopez (Wanda Nara's ex-husband) used to be teammates at FC Barcelona before moving to Sampdoria. They played alongside each other and went on vacations together. Things took a different turn when Icardi was caught having an affair with Lopez's wife. Icardi would go on to marry Wanda Nara and even appoint her as his agent. As if that was not enough, Icardi was caught and reported to be cheating by his wife on three different occasions, where he begged and made up with her.

Mario Icardi and his wife Wanda Nara. Mario Icardi met his childhood hero (Lopez). -Became teammates and close friends with him and his family. - had an affair with Lopez's wife and even went as far as having Lopez's kids tattooed on his arm! -marries his wife and assigns her the agent role. Indeed, a "finisher and more" (laughs). Ronaldo and Irina Shayk. Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina dated for five years (2010–2015) before breaking up. Rumours had it that they broke up due to the fact that Irina didn't get along well with Cristiano's mother. After the break up, Irina did something I will consider childish by asking anyone who only saw her as Cristiano's Ronaldo ex girlfriend to unfollow her. She lost 11 million followers in 24 hours! The real CR7 effect. Neymar and Bruna Marquezine.

The duo dated for six years, from 2012-2018. There's a video making waves on the internet showing Neymar standing alone while his ex girlfriend was holding another man in a wedding ceremony. In the video, Ney was standing alone, all suited up, watching them both with his hands in his pocket. The TikTok videos says Neymar promised her to be there on the happiest day of her life. But further research shows it was a wedding of a friend while they were still in a relationship, and Bruna Marquezine was one of the bridesmaids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua8oNgjuwtw Looking at the videos, you'll see that she was all dressed in blue, like every other woman in the video. Drop your thoughts in the comment box below. Read the full article

10 life lessons I've learnt being a football fan.

I honestly can't remember the first time I watched football. Just like many of us, we just grew up loving a particular football club, most of the time because our parents or others love it. With time, we became integrated with that football club and shared their wins and losses. Remember going to sleep angry because your club lost a match? At lost has been happening in the football world, and I felt I should relate these occurrence with real life situations. I hope you can learn one or two things from them:

ADVERTISMENT To whom much is given, much is expected Ask Ronaldo and Messi Like the saying goes, "with great power comes great responsibility." Whenever these two play for a losing team, they become the headlines. By now, they should both have gotten used to it. Maybe they are the highest paid footballers, but I can say the main reason for these expectations is because of what they have achieved and what they stand for in the football world. Just like in real life, a lot is expected from people in authority, firstborns, fathers, students and any other positions humans might hold. Get used to it and act accordingly. You can't fit into everything

Ask Philippe Coutinho and Eden Hazard These players were outstanding players in their former clubs. They changed their clubs and all of sudden, nothing went well for them despite high expectations. Philippe Coutinho was loaned to Bayern and performed well, returned to Barca, and became a flop again. Loaned to Aston Villa and he's still delivering. I think this happens in real life when we try to be everything to everyone, we end up being unhappy ourselves. Find where you're loved, appreciated and accepted and stay there!

You need a good team This can't be over emphasized. Like the saying goes, "if you hang around with 5 millionaires, you're bound to be the next". We're products of our circle. Who we hang around with says a lot about us. Energy is so contagious! In the football game, great footballers look like average ones when dey are not in the right team. On the other hand, average footballers look like great ones in the right team. Good leaders are very important Ask Jürgen Klopp and Xavi There are other beautiful football coaches, but these are just my favorites at the time of writing. Remember when Liverpool used to be more like a normal team until Klopp came along and now Liverpool is arguably the best team in Europe? Remember how bad Barca used to be after the departure of Messi and how good they are now since the arrival of Xavi? The same applies to humans; good leadership creates a vision and helps the team to achieve it. Don't forget, "when a group of lions is led by a dog to war, they all die like dogs. When a group of dogs is led to war by a lion, they'll fight like lions. " In summary, find yourself a mentor!

No one is irreplaceable. Ask Messi and Ronaldo When Lionel Messi left Barcelona, do you remember how much they suffered? When Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid, we all saw the setback they experienced. But with time these two teams got back to their competitive levels. The same thing applies to us humans. No matter how important someone is, when they leave, we'll definitely find a way to survive without them. In most cases, we'll forget them with time. Favoritism is everywhere Ask Ragnick and Maguire Football fans, at one point or another, have this player they dislike(ed) due to poor performance but keeps showing up in the starting 11. Despite how much havoc Maguire brings to Manchester United, he still ends up starting. It happens everywhere in the world, not only in your country. Even parents can't love their children equally. Moreover, we're all victims or beneficiaries of this. Like someone said, "if it happens in our favor, it's connection, if it goes against us, it's corruption." To keep this post easier to read, I've split it into two pages, scroll down to get page two. Create your own luck Ask Cristiano Ronaldo and other competent strikers. Maybe we all feel luck is when something happens by chance. But I feel we should re define it to "when opportunity(Chance) meets preparation" We are so fond of insulting Ronaldo for scoring one touch goals(Tap in as we might call it). But seeing it in another way, this guy places him self in the right position, at the right time, with the right skill. Imagine if one of those is missing, we definitely won't place him among the greats. It's very important as humans to get the right skill sets so when opportunity comes, we can grab them and call ourselves lucky.

Have good friends Ask Messi and Suarez, Ronaldo and Marcelo Remember when Suarez gave Messi a hattrick of assists in a single match just to help him win another golden boot? Remember when Marcelo assisted Ronaldo to score a tap in just to have his hat trick against Bayern Munich? Having good friends can be the difference between a miserable life and a happy one(I'm a living example). Good friends will go out of their way to make you happy and see you win. It gives you reasons to live, love life, create memories.... The beauty of good friendship cannot be contained in this post. Being a loner is not really fun. Find someone to share your life with. If you don't have at least one good friend, I'm advising you to start searching. It is really nice to see our "I" turn into "we".

Favorites don't always end up winning Ask Champions League How many times in the champions league have we predicted the winners and ended up being wrong? Big teams get thrown out by small ones, at times experiencing shocking defeats. Although this happens in various leagues too, but Champions League exits makes the headlines. Relating this to real life, we can see that it isn't all that stupid going against the greats. Have you come to take note of something, the greatest people in the world aren't always the ones that inherit wealth from their parents, or the ones with the most certificates. At times the odds are stacked against you. If you have a great idea, it's always worth a try.

Money isn't everything Ask PSG and Manchester United These two amongst other clubs have spent a lot of money to purchase the first players in the world, and still nothing to show for it. Money is very important, and very much needed. But money won't solve all your problems, and most importantly, money won't make you happy unless you're poor. Imagine how much good a million will do for someone who doesn't have anything to eat. Then imagine someone who has three square meals every day, clothes to wear, and a place to live. A million naira will only help you buy material things, and these things don't give happiness. Think about a phone, a shirt, or something else you bought a while ago. Does it still freak you out today like it did back then? Regardless, don't underestimate the power of financial independence. But always have it at the back of your mind that happiness isn't in money, it comes from being satisfied with what we have and making the most of it. Don't hesitate to drop your thoughts in the comment box below, and share if you enjoyed it. Read the full article

Ballon d'Or makes amendments to its rules for winners

Ballon d'Or, which is seen as the most prestigious football award, made some new amendments to its rules for choosing its new winners. The changes, announced on Friday, will take effect from the next award ceremony, which is said to take place in October, according to various reports.

Change 1: New Calendar

Since its inception in 1956, the Ballon d'Or has been presented at the conclusion of the calendar year, forcing voters to evaluate performance over two half-seasons (January-July and August-December). The trophy will be given at the end of the football season, beginning with the current fiscal year (2021-2022). (from August 2021 to July 2022). from the beginning of major championships to the end of big international events. "We end up with a definition of the performances to be counted and judged," explains Pascal Ferré, editor-in-chief of France Football. As a result, the awards will be given out in August 2022. The World Cup in Qatar (November 20–December 18) will be considered for the awarding of the 2023 Ballon d'Or.

Change 2: A new method for compiling final lists

Every year, the editorial staff of France Football and L'Equipe choose 30 men and 20 women to be "candidates" for the Ballon d'Or. From now on, three new jurors will be recruited to produce these lists: In the last vote, Ambassador Didier Drogba and the last two foreign journalists were voted most essential. As a result, France Football reports that the Vietnamese Truong Ahn Ngoc (from The Thao & Van Hoa media) and the Czech Karolina Hlavackova (from Ruik media) have disclosed the same quinté of the 2021 winners. They will be a part of the list-making process. 2019 Ballon d'Or voters and who they voted for

Change 3: A decrease in the number of voters

After the lists were established, 170 journalists from around the world were asked to vote for the future winners. France Football announces a switch to "an elite of true connoisseurs." There will now only be 100 votes for the men chosen from the top 100 countries in Fifa's ranking. The top 50 countries in the ranking for women will be considered. All of this is done in order to avoid "fanciful" votes, according to "FF."

Change 4: The "player's career" requirement has vanished.

The final change is that France Football has removed the criterion "player career," which was the third factor considered by voters. "A way of viewing the Ballon d'Or race as an open competition rather than a private preserve," writes Pascal Ferré. In recent seasons, voters have sometimes interpreted this as an "anti-Messi" rule. The three requirements are as follows: 1. individual achievements and the decisive and outstanding nature of the candidates; 2. collective performances and the prize list gathered during the season; and 3. the player's quality and sense of fair play.

Which of this rules don't you like? please comment your thoughts below and don't hesitate to share this post if you enjoyed it. Read the full article