elmax week day 4: Kicking The Ball

U.S. Women’s Soccer Stars Max Mayfield and El Hopper Find Love Off The Field

Washington D.C. When the US Women’s Soccer Team won against Canada in the final round of the CONCACAF W Championship, it felt almost routine. They had been dominating their competition the whole tournament after all. But for two members of the team, it would change their lives forever. When the final whistle blew and the team was celebrating their victory, cameras caught teammates Max Mayfield and El Hopper sharing a tender kiss on the field for the whole stadium– and the world– to see. A few hours later, it was confirmed in Out Magazine that they are in a relationship with an exclusive interview, marking the first time the two of them have ever discussed their sexual identities in the media.

Jane “El” Hopper, known for her impressive strikes as a forward, and Max Mayfield, a talented midfielder with quick passes, have been teammates for several years. But their connection goes beyond just playing on the same team; they have been friends since they were children before being scouted by the USWNT while in college. Soon after, the team started gaining prominence both nationally and internationally, all the while a romance was brewing between the two players.

As for why they chose to share their story with the world now, Mayfield says that it was planned weeks in advance, “We were ready for the world to know. We’ve been together for years now, there was no reason to hide. The interview was coming out whether we won or not, so I’m happy that it was prefaced with a victory.”

The announcement was met with outpouring support from their teammates, fans and the broader soccer community. It has also sparked a new conversation about LGBTQ athletes as well as same-sex relationships in the sports world. Experts have noted that this marks a significant step forward for LGBTQ representation in professional sports, especially within the traditionally male dominated world of soccer. While there is still historical stigma and fear of discrimination that makes it challenging for professional athletes to come out, Hopper and Mayfield’s story has been considered by many as courageous and inspiring.

Going forward, Hopper and Mayfield hope that their story can help others embrace their true selves and make sports more inclusive for everyone. Hopper remarks, “It’s time for LGBTQ+ athletes to feel supported and empowered in their teams and communities.” Their impact has been tremendous already, with many people expressing their resonance with the players. One parent of a teen soccer player is grateful that his lesbian daughter has role models like Hopper and Mayfield to look up to.

As the sports world takes steps towards greater inclusivity, Max Mayfield and El Hopper’s decision to share their relationship will stand as a pivotal moment in the ongoing effort to break down barriers and create a more accepting environment for LGBTQ+ athletes in all disciplines.

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has qualified for next year’s Summer Olympics after their win against Canada. And later this year, Hopper and Mayfield will be competing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup alongside their teammates.

⚽️Football Madness: Do you have any thoughts on the Pep Guardiola/Man City Premiere League scandal? Pep quoted JULIUS CAESAR at the press conference. 😆 Given what old Gaius Julius got up to, Pep might want to rethink drawing that parallel…Anyway, lots of drama and more than a bit of theatre!🎭 ⚽️⚽️⚽️ 🎭

LOL did he really. Oh Josep. What are you doing my man. I can see where he was going with it but Man City is not the Roman Republic.

I haven't been following it super closely and I'm still new enough to European football culture that I don't quite know what to make of some of it. It seems to be a pretty straightforward financial malfeasance issue to me; as far as I can tell nobody even embezzled, they just inflated the importance of their sponsorship deals. Am I missing something there? Genuine question as it's very possible. In any case, Guardiola seems to be taking it super personally.

What I'm curious about is his accusations that what, seven other clubs are conspiring against him? It seems not only wildly unlikely for that to be happening but deeply out of character for him as a person to make such statements. But again I'm new enough that maybe this is just What Pep Does. I've read enough extremely colorful footie scandal journalism at this point that I can't absolutely state that other clubs aren't conspiring to get him. It's not the Roman Republic but Manchester City isn't your local intramural club either.

The drama of football really is just...you don't see this level of sheer histrionics that often in American sport, I find it charming. All these grown-ass men either playing for or in charge of these massive properties with huge amounts of money at stake and they all pull high school nonsense constantly. And sometimes it's ninety minutes of absolute high school nonsense and then they all walk off the field and hug each other in ways that to an American read as borderline sexual. I get it, but coming at it from years and years of American college football and minor-league baseball, it really is something to witness.

My earliest encounter with football; soccer for anyone reading from the States, was watching highlights of the English Premier League games with my dad on Wednesday nights, courtesy Rothmans Pall Mall. This show was something I looked forward to, because it was something I alone shared with my dad. Prior to this time, I did not particularly love football, it was something I saw adults go crazy over and I never understood why. I remember one time when I asked my dad whilst watching an Arsenal highlight, if Arsene Wenger was the owner of the club, this question I am sure many have asked; to which he laughed and replied in the negative. It was through this show that I got conversant with the Premier League teams; Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool. The world cup in France in 1998 further solidified my love for the game, I followed every match from the opening game to the final game, my dad would come home after work and ask me the scores and I would happily tell him. France 98 was the first time I got to watch any match live, yes there was Atlanta 96, two years prior but most of the games were at midnight and we were not allowed to stay up after 9 pm. I fell in love with Manchester United watching highlights and news reports about the team, I loved seeing Giggs with his bushy chest and the mazy runs of David Beckham, the latter more than the former, cos back then David was the face of Manchester United. So when I started playing football, I drew the number 7 on my sportswear and the name Kanu. In 95 I was a lanky, skinny kid, so being called Kanu was just expected. My notebooks were filled with badges I drew of clubs I knew from watching sports news on CNN, I was fascinated by these teams but I still hadn’t any access to watching any European games live. That would change in 2003 when I left for the university and I met Atom, my small but mighty roommate, who was an ardent Chelsea fan and loved football to the T. He took me to a viewing centre for the first time to go watch Roman Abrahimovic’s marauding army. Viewing centres are popular in Nigeria, it is a small shack made out of woods, metal zincs or plastic tarps, they tend to be very hot, especially in the afternoons and if the owner was buoyant enough, they often had a fan or two to ameliorate the situation. Watching matches in viewing centres was both fun and chaotic; it was a banter field and anyone was susceptible, just pray your team does not have a bad day or other patrons would have a field day with you. Before sports betting became a thing and sort of created a neutral ground for all football fans, viewing centres could be very volatile, one minute you were laughing and rejoicing, next minute you were being beaten blue black by rival fans. In fact there have been reported cases of fan deaths in viewing centres but we still braved it because they were the only way we could get to see our beloved teams play. Prepaid cable TV was expensive then, still is, so if you couldn’t afford to pay for one, then you had no choice but to go to a viewing centre. I remember watching the reverse fixture of a Champions league tie with AC Milan which United lost after being outmatched by a Kaka masterclass; that incidence between Gabby Heinze and Patrice Evra colliding into each other after being turned around by the diminutive Brazilian magician made every United fan in that hot room a butt of cruel jokes. I went home and could not touch my meal, I was so heartbroken. Football does that to you, one minute you are ecstatic the next, you feel like someone just ripped your heart out. Football for some of us is where we go to hide and forget the struggles of our everyday lives, where we seek solace. We get to walk out with our favourite team onto the pitch and rejoice with them when they win. We follow them through 38 league games and 11 European night games, if we are lucky! We cry when they lose, refusing to eat, sometimes doing things that may seem abnormal to others. Football is practically a religion for some of us. So imagine how I fe...

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Sadio Mane 'makes decision on next club' amid Liverpool and Man Utd transfer links

Sadio Mane 'makes decision on next club' amid Liverpool and Man Utd transfer links Sadio Mane is on the verge of becoming the latest high-profile player to move to Saudi Arabia, as he is expected to join Al-Nassr and reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo.  The former Liverpool star left the club last summer to play for Bayern Munich in a transfer deal valued at £35.1 million. However, after just one season, Mane is set to depart from the Bundesliga giants.  During his time at Bayern, the 31-year-old scored only seven league goals in 25 appearances and faced a suspension in April following an alleged altercation with his teammate Leroy Sane. Bayern's manager, Thomas Tuchel, recently hinted that Mane's time at the Allianz Arena might be coming to an end, expressing his dissatisfaction with the player's performance and stating that Mane did not meet the expectations set for him.  "Basically, Sadio had an unsatisfactory season and fell short of expectations," Tuchel said. "The competitive situation is extremely high for him with Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, we have a constellation which makes it very difficult for Sadio. The player knows that too, he knows my opinion and the opinion of the club." Mane has been associated with several potential transfers, including reports from Germany suggesting interest from Manchester United and speculation about a possible return to Liverpool. However, it appears that he is now close to finalizing a move to Al-Nassr. As per L'Equipe, Mane has tentatively agreed to join the Saudi club, which also boasts former Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina in their roster. The agreement follows discussions between Mane's representatives and Al-Nassr's sporting director, Goran Vucevic, in Portugal. It's worth noting that Mane has expressed his admiration for Ronaldo in the past, making it likely that he would be excited about the prospect of playing alongside him. "I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca before this season after my move was completed," he told SportBild. "He congratulated me and told me: 'A great club. This is a great step for you'. "That says everything about the Bundesliga and underlines what I've already said: I think you underestimate the Bundesliga here. The recent performances in the Champions League prove that." And Ronaldo has claimed he has no plans to return to European football before he retires as it has "lost a lot of quality" to the Saudi Pro League. "I'm 100 per cent sure I won't return to any European club," he said. "I opened the way to the Saudi league and now all the players are coming here. I won't return to European football, the door is completely closed. European football has lost a lot of quality. "The only league that for me has a lot of quality and is at a higher level than all the others is the Premier League. The Spanish league does not have that great quality. The Portuguese league is a good league, but it is not a top, top league. The German league I think has also lost a lot. I'm sure I won't play in Europe again. I want to play in Saudi Arabia." Sadio Mane 'makes decision on next club' amid Liverpool and Man Utd transfer links Read the full article

Phone in my hand Still checking if you called I'm double-texting No, I've never been cool

Sit down to watch the Champions League final. Twitter open on my phone. All sorts of seemingly normal people I follow that are Man City fans posting about the game. All sorts of engagement. Would be fun to post online about sports and have people respond and start discussions. I post all sorts of what I think are interesting takes and get nothing. I only have 21 Twitter followers so that's probably part of the problem. I post what I think are interesting takes via comments under other people's soccer Tweets and get the occasional like. Except that one time I posted a banal comment about not liking the ruling that Rashford wasn't offside in the Manchester derby and got like 1000 likes.

And I'll burn that bridge when I get to it Yeah, I'm on fire

She asked me why I was a Manchester City fan once and I had to think about it. My reasons aren't great. I little over a decade ago when NBC Sports started showing the Premier League in the US, I wanted to pick a team. I was already a fan of the international tournaments every 2 years, i.e. the World Cup and the Euros. I was off and on interested in the Champions League. But the EPL on NBC looked so good on TV, I wanted to follow a team. I didn't want to pick the English version of the Yankees or Cowboys, so the big teams were off the list. Going too small would be stupid. So maybe just outside the big teams, but nothing captured my interest.

I felt pulled to Manchester because that felt comparable to where I grew up in Western PA/Northeast OH, but United was out due to the big club rule. Then I saw City competing for the title with them in the spring of 2012. Then I watched the final matchday of the season, saw Aguero score the winner in stoppage time and was hooked. Then I saw Noel Gallagher was a fan and I was more hooked. But I only watched them off and on for the next few years, going in and out of cord cutting. Then Pep came and we had cable, didn't follow the Centurion season that closely, but fell in love with the 2018-19 domestic treble team and was hooked even further. I'd say I've watched >90% of their games from the 2018/19 season onward.

It's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do) And that's on you If you wanna take off, baby, you do you

So Man City won the treble. They were amazing this year. Especially Mar/Apr/May when they were relentless in the league, forcing Arsenal to buckle under the pressure, and steamrolling everyone in the knockout stages of the Champions League, culminating in a dismantling of Real Madrid in the semis. They sort of muddled their way through the final few weeks, but that happens sometimes. They got the job done.

Overthinking (Overthinking) You know I'm really good and you're a miracle You're so misunderstood I get so lost in your mind (I'm so lost) Daddy, teach me this lesson a thousand times

Being an American fan of European sports is funny sometimes. On an object level I literally can't quite understand the critique of the fans of other clubs complaining about how this feels. I'm like, if you are a Man United fan or Liverpool fan this isn't supposed to feel good. Then I realize on a meta level it all makes sense. They are doing whatever they can to diminish what their rivals accomplish, perfectly normal.

It's also weird sometimes being a non-expert at the sport but following along the team for the entire season and watching entire games, seeing experts on TV and hearing experts on podcasts say things that are wrong and your realize everyone is full of it. Like the complaints about Pep overthinking it by starting Ake over Walker, when it was obvious for City fans who have been paying attention. And the takes that Lautora Martinez obviously messed up by going for goal rather than squaring it for Lukaku, when it wasn't that obvious.

It's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do) And that's on you If you wanna take off, baby, you do you

The celebrations have been great. The joy from Pep, the players, the fans...it's been fun to watch. Feels like it's been building for a few years, as City has been the best team in Europe for a while now, just couldn't get over this last hurdle. And for the fans, there's one less thing the red side of Manchester has over them. Pep looks different than he did 12 years ago in Barcelona, like he understands the magnitude of this accomplishment a little more now. And I hope Jack Grealish has gotten some sleep.

I put down your pain, but I'll pick it up again It's all blue That's why I fit in with you You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do) And it's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do)

I remember when the Steelers won their first Super Bowl of my lucid lifetime. I was first happy for Bettis, as it was a long time coming from him. Then I thought of Cowher, as it was a longer time coming for him. But ultimately it was more about me, I waited my whole life. That's who I was happiest for, myself.

Sat in my car 'til the song stopped playing See, I'm blue with or without you, baby Sat in my car 'til the song stopped playing See, I'm blue with or without you, baby

I keep scrolling Twitter and Reddit for more fan reactions, more expert reactions. I keep watching ESPN FC and keep listening to them say the same thing over and over about this team. At some point this will get old, but I feel compelled to keep soaking it in for now.

It's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do And that's on you If you wanna take off, baby, you do you

Pep's contract is for 2 more seasons, so hopefully he stays for those at least. One more would make 10, so I'd love an additional year to make a full decade, but that's probably too optimistic. So another league title, another Champions League title, they could both happen. And who knows what happens next. They money would still be there, but you need the coach too. I watch the revolving door of coaches at the other biggest clubs in the world and realize City has been spoiled to have Pep for 7 seasons. Would be absurdly spoiled to get him for 9 or 10.

I put down your pain, but I'll pick it up again It's all blue That's why I fit in with you You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do) And it's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do

We cut off cable again so unless I do something about that, we'll miss half (or more) of their league games next year. With ESPN+ and Paramount+ we'll see all of their Champions League and FA Cup and League Cup game. Peacock will get us half (or less) of their league games. Is that enough? We'll see. There's only so much you can do to arrange your life around following a soccer team 4000 miles away across an ocean. But it's been really fun so far.

I bet you do too

Opinion | This Ramadan Showed How France Isn’t Comfortable with Muslim Athletes

— Opinion By Rokhaya Diallo | April 22, 2023

Jaouen Hadjam fights for the ball during the French L1 football match between AJ Auxerre and FC Nantes in France on April 16. (Arnaud Finistre/AFP/Getty Images)


PARIS — In nominally secular France, Muslims who participate in public life always seem to struggle with observing the month of Ramadan in peace.
Nowhere has this been clearer than the world of sports, and particularly football, a point of national pride. But all too often, a national pastime quickly becomes an opportunity for officials to stigmatize Islam, a religion as French as any other.
Ramadan, of course, is the holy month when Muslims are expected to fast every day from sunrise to sunset. But sadly, it’s far more difficult than it should be to follow this command and to play soccer in France.

For starters, Nantes cut its new Algerian defender Jaouen Hadjam because he refused to stop fasting during home games. “There is no controversy,” said Antoine Kombouare, the team’s manager, defending his decision. “It is not a punishment. I set rules. It’s his choice, and I respect it.”
In a separate incident, the French Football Federation (FFF) sent a message to all referees. The FFF said: “It has been brought to the attention of the Federation of match interruptions following the breaking of the Ramadan fast. These interruptions do not respect the provisions of the statutes of the FFF.”
Events such as these put France at odds with our neighbors.
In Britain, for instance, the Premier League allows players to have a quick break for a bite. In Germany, the head of referees announced last year that he would support any club that would allow a Ramadan break. The Netherlands’s championship has also allowed players to break their fast, and no controversy followed when Italy and Spain likewise permitted athletes to eat according to their faiths during a match.

But not in France — France is somehow always the exception.
Once more, our country’s troubled relationship with anything related to the observance of Islam in public life sparks a controversy. “In 2023, a match can be stopped 20 minutes for any number of reasons, but not for a drink of water,” lamented football player Lucas Digne.
France has a peculiar approach to secularism — as we call it, “laïcité.” Under the auspices of our secularism, the FFF bans any “political, religious or ideological” discourse. They even threaten those who don’t respect that ideal with “disciplinary proceedings or prosecution.” But in what kind of society, truly, is drinking water or eating a snack a form of proselytism?
Worst of all, this is not even an accurate reading of France’s brand of secularism, which maintains not only the separation of church and state, but the neutrality of the state. As reiterated by Nicolas Cadène, a laïcité expert, football players, as private citizens who play for teams managed by private companies, do not have to be “neutral.” It would be absurd to insist that they separate themselves from their beliefs once they are on a field, as if the field somehow transforms them into different people or removes them from their individual identities.
This is not the first time the FFF has decided to go against an athlete’s most basic individual rights. The organization, for instance, does not allow female players to wear a hijab on the field, which contradicts FIFA’s global policy of allowing athletes to cover their heads as long as they match the color of their jerseys.

Granted, women wearing the hijab have long been seen as an issue in France. In 2004, France banned “ostentatious” religious signs, understood to include the hijab, in public schools. In 2010, it became the first European nation to ban face coverings — such as the niqab, which covers a woman’s face. And women who wear the headscarf regularly face unwarranted scrutiny in any form of public life.
In recent years, the French athletic brand Decathlon marketed a runner’s hijab only to be attacked by government ministers in French President Emmanuel Macron’s cabinet. Before that, there was the controversy over the “burkini,” a swimsuit that allows observant Muslim women to go swimming in public while also respecting modesty. In the wake of devastating terrorist attacks in 2015 and 2016, the swimsuit was depicted at the time as being tantamount to a national security threat, even by left-wing politicians.
The irony is that each of these cases — wearing a hijab to run, putting on a burkini to swim or playing soccer while observing Ramadan — show Muslims participating in public life, not withdrawing from it. This is not “separatism.” This is citizenship in the truest sense of the word. If only the French elite could understand that.
As Paris is set to host the next Olympic Games in 2024, the stance of a prominent French sports federation does not exactly make the City of Light look the most enlightened — at least when it comes to welcoming athletes from a variety of diverse cultures.

hi i don't watch football but lots of football blogs are talking about this super league thing and i'm interested to know what's happening. do you mind explaining to me what is it and why is everyone angry about it?

sure! what follows is a very poor explanation i’m sorry

basically, every football season we have the champions league (UCL) hosted by UEFA. participants include the top four of the bigger domestic leagues and the champions of the smaller leagues (e.g. real madrid, barcelona, atletico madrid, and sevilla qualified based on their standings in la liga, the spanish league, but only slavia prague of czech qualified for ucl this season). there is more to the determination of the participants but i’m just keeping it simple since it’s not super relevant

through this system, participants are generally determined by merit. a club might be in the ucl one season but might not qualify the next. it’s all dependent on quality of performance.

yesterday, though, 12 very popular (i won’t say biggest because lol) clubs in europe announced that they had formed the European Super League (ESL). these include the “big six” clubs of the premier league (english league), the popular teams of spain/la liga (real madrid, barcelona, atletico), and the popular teams of italy/serie a (juventus, ac milan, inter milan). essentially, they’re all breaking away from the UCL to do this. 

how this super league works is that these 12 teams will simply never not qualify! they’re in there forever. there’s five qualification spots but the primary point is that there’s no relegation no qualification for these 12 teams etc it’s just the “big dogs” all gathering together so they can only play one another. 

no passion or spirit or merit is involved in this.

most critically though, not only are the “founders” of this super league (florentino perez, andrea agnelli, joel glazer, who are the presidents of real madrid, juventus, and manchester united respectively) all billionaire businessmen, many of the other clubs involved are backed by that sort of money (e.g. manchester city with its “oil money,” chelsea with its billionaire businessman owner roman abramovich). 

so, as you can imagine, they’re all acting in the main interest of what most businessmen are focused on. 

$$$$$$$$$$

by forming their own super league, these businessmen clubs obtain access to greater control over TV deals and money rewards. they no longer have to compete nor share anything with “smaller” teams. they’re hoarding the cash for themselves.

also? fucking jp morgan is financing the damn thing!

summarily, this is just a lil football monopoly they’re constructing. which is such a shame for football because it’s turning a very beloved sport into very little more than a money machine. and it hurts especially since admittedly, these are some very popular (okay fine i’ll say it, “big”) clubs involved who have tremendous followings. yes, there are a number of fans who really do oppose this (as you have seen), but there are also some who just do not give a fuck. they’ll watch their club wherever they play, doesn’t matter the ethics, the principles, whatever behind it. so if the super league proves successful... well. i really hope not.

UEFA, and it seems many domestic leagues, are doing what they can to stop this but really it’s just a bunch of threats (e.g. threats to kick these clubs out of their domestic leagues, deduct points, kick them out of the UCL, strip them of their badges, ban players of these clubs from competing in national tournaments like the world cup). UEFA’s not such a great organization either but at the moment i guess they’re the lesser evil. we’ve yet to see whether UEFA will uphold any of these threats should developments with the ESL continue. 

some players have already spoken out (bruno fernandes of manchester city, ander herrera of paris saint germain) but there’s not really much else we can do beside sit and wait to watch football meet its demise see what happens.

tl;dr: capitalism baby. she’s ugly.

A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction

Life is beautiful and life is cruel. This is a window into the souls of the victorious and the vanquished. In a way, football did come home during the summer of 2021. Follow along Amelia’s journey, navigating the football world as a tactical analyst for the Italian football team, with a brother and father part of the three lions. Will Amelia leave Italy and come back to England? Will she leave the Serie A for the Prem? Will she set aside the bianconeri stripes for new colours, leaving behind friendship for love? Maybe she can have both...

Wow - the response i received in a little under 24 hours since i posted the first taste of part 1 has truly bowled me over! I wasn't expecting that reaction & tbh i would have been happy if 2 people wanted to read this story hahaha! So, i've been writing in the background & the first few parts have already been proofed and are ready to go. HOWEVER! I am open to your suggestions so please please let me know what you think and how you want to see Amelia's story play out. As far as i'm concerned, this fic is as much yours as it is mine! So please enjoy this first part, in its entirety, and let me know your thoughts! Love always,

Steph xx

UPDATE as of 31/07: I've made some additional editing changes due to some feedback about the confusion between ben white (her brother) and ben chilwell (not her brother LOL). Nothing has been added to the story, just the addition of either surname has been added where i think it could be more straightforward - for future readers!

Part 1 | prima parte

warnings; none - maybe a bit of angst? (what sibling rivalry doesn't have a bit of angst)

word count; 1978 words

writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter.

next update; Sunday 25/07 5pm AEST. Updates will be twice weekly at this stage. Probably Wednesday’s and Sundays from next week!!

link to fic masterlist here

The world of football, no matter how big it may seem, is as tight as a close-knit family. Whether its management staff, senior players, scouts, academy players, business developers, medical team, groundskeeper - everyone knows someone who knows someone else involved in the sport. For Amelia White, it was a family affair.

Having grown up with her father as a senior tactical analyst for many different clubs throughout his career, and an older brother currently playing for Brighton in the Premier League, there was no opportunity for her to escape the fanaticism of the sport. It was what her household lived and breathed, football. Most would think that, with her brother being as successful as he is now, her childhood was shadowed by her brother's success but that's not the case. She capitalised on her ability to think both logically and creatively, and absorbed all of the information her father could give her as if she was a sponge, to establish a name of her own in the sport and advance her career in the sport. At the age of 21 she upped and left the comforts of her home in West London, accepted a position at Juventus within their graduate program & worked her way up the ranks to be their youngest tactical analyst by the age of 24.

So far in her career, the support of her mother, father & brother were unmatched by any. They were all so proud of her for making her own name, proving herself and succeeding in one of the most competitive football leagues in the world. She was smart, tactful, both meticulous and ruthless in her approach to her career and the success of her players. Because after all, they were her players. She worked day in and day out, studying them and their opponents, drafting performance plans and set pieces for every possible outcome of the play, so that they could perform at their best. They had her trust and faith, and she had theirs. This is probably what her family was most proud of, and wished her every success, until she was appointed as a tactical analyst for the Italian National Team for the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament. Which happened to be the same tournament that her brother had received his call up to the Three Lions. Which was the current level at which her father was a senior tactical analyst for the English National Team. The Euro 2020 Tournament was about to be a real family affair...

10 July 2021

It had been 2 months since she last had any contact with her family. 3 months ago, Amelia signed a contract with the Federcalcio, the governing body of football in Italy, to become the Azzurri’s tactical analyst for the foreseeable European Football Championship. In turn, her silky signature at the bottom of the agreement, also constituted a digital and physical contact ban with members of her family that were also involved with the tournament...her father and her brother.

At the time of the contract, and against her better judgement, Amelia hadn’t told her family of her opportunity. She knew her father would be proud, but her brother would be bitter. Her mother was switzerland, completely neutral and rooting for both of her children - but that's not how football works. No matter your role you have a job to do, and you do everything you can to make sure it is your team that lifts the trophy at the end of the tournament. So, on May 23rd her family congratulated her for another successful season at Juventus, and unbeknownst to them, said goodbye for the next 2 months. Until the day before the final match of the tournament, Italy v. England.

Her heart dropped when England won their semi final match against Denmark. She wanted nothing more than for her brother to be happy and for her father to succeed, but she didn’t want to have to go up against them in the final. Ultimately, she knew they were good, but she also knew that she could hold her own and compete with the best. Having a close relationship with her brother, up until this period, meant that she often paid attention to the premier league. This was a major benefit to her as she had already started analysing the azzurri’s opponents. It was her job to know what foot Raheem Sterling preferred to pass with, what direction Declan Rice preferred to take the ball up the field, what direction of receiving the ball did Harry Maguire struggle the most with. So that's how she spent the three days between matches, solidifying her knowledge of her opponents & predicting the plays her dad would be instructing the English team to complete, to attempt to outperform the Italians. However nothing would prepare her for the knock on her suite door, or for what was on the other side…

_____________________________________________________________

“Ciao Amelia, vieni con me per favore. abbiamo organizzato una visita supervisionata con tuo fratello prima della finale di domani sera. sorpresa!” (hi amelia, come with me please. we have arranged a supervised visit with your brother prior to the final tomorrow night. surprise!). I stood there in shock staring at one of my players & closest friends, Federico Bernardeschi. I was a person who didn't enjoy spontaneity, who thrived off of preparation and organisation. I needed the opportunity to overthink every situation so that I could prepare for every possible outcome. This was not my idea of a good time. Of course I missed my brother, but I know just how volatile he can be. Nevertheless, I grabbed my jacket and shoved my sneakers on before following Fede down the hall and into a blacked out van that was waiting to take me to St. George’s Park for my family reunion.

Upon arriving, and after a stern pep talk from Fede (who was my appointed supervisor for the visit - not sure I would say he was the most responsible choice but he did talk some sense into me) I walked into the main entrance and saw my father leaning against the reception desk waiting for me.

“Papa!!” I called as I walked over to him, ready to smother him with my love and affection. My father, Dean White, and I had as good of a relationship as possible, being that he was always heavily involved with my brother Ben’s footballing career as well as his own. I think when I came along, my father didn't know how to be a girl dad, so he took my mothers advice and just involved me like he would Ben. I was glad that I would be seeing him first, and he would be taking me to see my no-doubt pissed off brother.

“Dad, this is Fede, one of my players”

“Ciao Dean, it’s very nice to meet you but i am also her bodyguard for this evening” Fede introduced himself to my father and they exchanged pleasantries. I had a look around the foyer of the facility until I heard my name brought up in conversation.

“Amelia, come on. The boys are just over here. I don’t think you have long before heading back to your camp” My dad called to me. Boys? As in...more than just my brother?

“Hahaha that's funny dad, just show me to his room and we can have our screaming match there. Should only be about 20 or so minutes”

“Ben’s not in his room, we have a recreation room for the players and staff to lounge about and relax in. Pretty sure he’ll be in there. Come on, you’ve never been scared of your brother before. Why start now?” Before I knew it, Dad was leading us through some doors and into a large common area with bean bags, pool tables and couches - all occupied by current first team members of the English National Football team.

“Dean mate, don’t normally see you down here after 7pm. Oh look at that, someone let the trash in.” A loud mouthed player, that I used to adore as if he was my own brother, calls out as he notices us enter the room. And just like that, I shake off my nerves, stand in front of my taller & more argumentative bodyguard, relax my shoulders and stare into the eyes of Kyle Walker - daring him to challenge me and push me further.

“Relax Kyle, Benjamin White - your sister is here to see you.” Dad cut Kyle off. I didn’t need him to defend me against Kyle’s harsh comments, I could defend myself.

“Wow, I thought hell would freeze over before I got the opportunity to speak to you. Of course, I didn't realise hell would look quite like seeing you in that shade of blue.” My brother, Ben, spoke bitterly at me as he approached me from the other side of the room. This, coupled with Walker’s exclamation earlier, got the attention of the majority of the players scattered about.

“Ben, if you let me explain in private I'm sure you will be able to understand why things had to be this way” I tried to reason with him. Letting go of my always-defensive guard and pleading with my big brother to open his mind to see my side of the story.

“As if I would even talk to you right now, the night before the final, you’re probably here to try and get some insider information. Boys make sure you don’t say anything to her, she’s as sly as they come” Ben’s words were as sharp as a knife - but I knew what I had to say would cut him deeper.

“Ok that's enough! You are ridiculous! What did you expect me to do? Not take the job because you’re my brother? This is my career we are talking about here” I challenged him. “If you think for one second i stopped supporting you then you must be even more stupid than i thought. Of course this isn't the ideal situation, I'm proud of you for reaching a final but I'm just as proud of myself for doing the same thing.” I got progressively closer to my brother, who stood there with his hands beside himself, unable to get a word in.

“I came tonight to wish you good luck, to tell you I loved you, to give you a hug and tell you to stay safe and play smart. Whilst I still wish all of this for you, I now want you to know that I want you to play your best so I can be better than you. I can show you exactly how good at my job I am. I want you to know that no matter what way you play the ball, I'll be right there waiting for you. I am prepared for this, I hope you are too - so that it will feel that much more sweet when we beat you” I sneered at my older brother, who at this point, is quite visibly feeling a mixture of shock and embarrassment.

I take a step back, let out a breath and shake the tension from my shoulders. Breaking eye contact with my brother, I look briefly - yet confidently - at the other players in the room and take a step back. I turned to my dad, who was looking at me solemnly, as though he wasn’t happy with my outburst but understood it came from a place of frustration with my sibling. Walking up, giving him a kiss on the cheek and wishing him luck, I turned to look at Fede and began to walk to the door. This interaction with my brother, although supposed to be a nice moment shared between siblings, has only gone and motivated me to be at my best tomorrow, to prepare my players to go to war and to come out the other side victorious.

Part 2 | seconda parte

I have a genuine question. I don’t mean this in a mean way at all, I just really want to know it. Why are you an Atlético fan? Because of Anto? Or because you idk actually like the team? I’m really interested because truthfully I always thought no one likes them. Every single one of my friends who likes football hates Atlético. And by that I really mean it when I say hate. As Thomas Müller once said “ they’re the biggest brawlers in european Football”. They just play so dirty, it’s annoying to watch. Anytime they play against mine or one of my friends teams were always just worried that they will injure our players because frankly, they don’t give a shit about others. Now other teams definitely do play very dirty every now and then as well but Atlético does it every. Single. Time.

So again I don’t mean it in a mean or hateful way, I’m just genuinely interested. I know you’re not from Madrid, so Atlético probably wasn’t your Club ‘by birth’, so I’m really curious on knowing why Atlético. And is Atlético perceived differently where you live? Maybe it’s just a thing here of being over dramatic when it comes to Atlético.

Usually the moment someone says "no offense" or "this isn't meant in a mean way" and then proceeds to rip something apart in their next statements, the first is usually a lie.

I got into Atleti in....2015 / 2016 because of Fernando Torres because I loved him at Liverpool and wanted to know how he was doing after he left Chelsea. Then came my love for Anto.

Yes Atleti can play defensively and often frowned upon, they also play a lot of fucking boring football. There have been things, such as the City game that I didn't like and can't say I approve of. I will never agree with their style of play always but they're my team. A team which continuously fills their 68, 456 seat stadium with fans which you don't believe exists. However, I've seen more head injuries and injuries in general within the premier league than what I've ever seen Atleti cause. Son broke someone's ankle (unintentionally and he was deeply sorry and cried over it but it was the result regardless). A Leeds player got stretchered off yesterday with a knee fracture. Hell, even yesterday during that same Leeds / City game there was a head collision. Why aren't teams who give actual injuries rather than dirty tackles given the same shame as what Atletico receive?

Atleti are a defensive team, and attacking teams find that frustrating to go up against a team which would rather defend than power through. They know the only way to break through is to piss them off and it works. They're hot headed, they argue and when tempers are rising, yes, they retaliate. There have been plenty of games I've watched where the opponent has known this and goes down easily after contact because they know it's enough to win something.

To say that they're a team who make it their priority to go out there and purposely injure any player they can come into contact with is, quite frankly and I say this unapologetically, bullshit. I would love to know who your and your friends team are to be able to look back on those matches and see how we played against yours.

I'm from England and so most people who have a say on Atleti are those who do not follow La Liga and only have comments to make during European nights. It's easy to make a villain out of a team that you don't watch week in and week out.

wait holy shit i understand nothing about football, but what's happened?

I'll try to summarize in brief terms! Basically, the current structure of European club football is like this: Every country has a domestic league with a promotion/relegation system. For example, the English Premier League, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy etc. are the top flight of football in those countries. It's a pyramid system with multiple flights, there are 2nd tier leagues whose best teams get promoted up to the top league, and the bottom teams from the top league get relegated to the next tier down every season and so on. Each league plays for their own domestic league title and domestic cup. The clubs in the top tier leagues also compete to participate in the UEFA Champion's League (UCL) which is a European knock out style competition where all the top clubs from each country compete to be the European champions, it's a huge deal. Basically depending on the quality of the league they can send a certain number of clubs to the UCL, so for example the top 4 Premier League and La Liga teams qualify. There's another competition called the Europa League for the next teams down as well. Theoretically this means even the smallest clubs have the opportunity to compete at the highest level, and the top teams can never get complacent because they're not guaranteed to play. A bad season where a top team finishes 5th means that year they don't play in the UCL. A small team can work their way up the pyramid to the highest tier and then work on qualifying for UCL/UEL. It's not a perfect system obviously and there have been a lot of issues, there's so much corruption, and reform was needed (and being worked on).

A couple of days ago though, 12 of the top clubs in Europe announced a breakaway Super League, where the best clubs in Europe would regularly compete with each other. It would replace the Champion's League. The 15 founding clubs would always be guaranteed to play (even though some have not even been able to qualify for UCL regularly in recent years) and there would be 5 spots for other teams from all of Europe. The idea is this would create excitement about football again and provide more competitive matches between the best clubs. The sort of exciting matches we all wait for to see at the UCL, we would just get to see every week and it would eliminate "less exciting" games. But the idea got pretty immediate backlash. At the end of the day it's clearly all about the biggest clubs making more money. They'd play more "big" games between big teams with big stars in big stadiums around the world and get big sponsors. The teams would win big money. It eliminates competition and pressure, it compromises the integrity of the sport, it fucks over football fans and players, it would destroy smaller clubs who would never have a hope of competing at the top level. It's just all a mess. And like, imo, if we see those games every week it would not hold any of the excitement of a Real Madrid vs Liverpool UCL final anyways. It's all just glorified friendlies between the richest clubs. Obviously none of the managers or players were consulted even though they're the ones who play the sport, it's all the club owners and presidents whose only motivation is greed. But even now a lot of the clubs involved are having second thoughts because of the backlash apparently, and some reportedly were more pressured into participating for fear of being left behind than actually wanting to join. Chelsea reportedly pulled out first and a lot of teams seem to want to follow. So we'll see how it goes. But if this does end up going through it would completely disrupt the system of football in Europe right now. There's talks from UEFA and FIFA (the European and global football associations/governing bodies) that teams could be banned from all domestic and European competitions for participating and players could be banned from international competitions with their national teams (so like, the Euros and the World Cup). It's all a nasty mess.

Miedema Volkskrant interview

Interesting interview with Vivianne Miedema in the Dutch paper De Volkskrant, December 29th 2020.

She is the socially-minded top shooter among women's soccer players. Vivianne Miedema (24) has been an ambassador for War Child, which cares about the suffering of children in war zones, for a year now.

Vivianne Miedema is the top marksman in the English women's league with an average of one goal per game: 53 goals in 52 duels. The striker of Arsenal and Oranje is the face of the English league. These days in London they recognize her on the street. 'If I turn on the TV, there's a good chance I'll see myself within five minutes.' With a laugh: 'That's why the TV is off now. But I also enjoy it and I'm in a position to make women's soccer bigger. I take that opportunity.'

Miedema is a self-confident, young woman with self-mockery and ability to put things into perspective. 'We are also frustrated that no one can come to our matches, that I can't go home for Christmas, but that's all part of it. We have to set the right example.'

What is it, one time not going to Holland, compared to the situation of teammate Jennifer Beattie, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer? She had surgery and immediately said she wanted to play soccer again. 'We are supporting her as best we can.'

Miedema let the year 2020 come to mind. In the beginning, when corona had just broken out, you saw solidarity everywhere, fighting for a better world. Now it's more me me me again. It's just a difficult situation for everyone.'

Black Lives Matter While soccer lay dormant for a time, sport raised its voice against injustice. 'Black Lives Matter, for example, in which America and the United Kingdom are leading the way. We still kneel before games. Soccer is a great example where everything and everyone can come together. You see that in our team as well.'

She knows that men's soccer is more diverse. 'Women's soccer is several years behind. In youth leagues you see more and more mixed, dark teams. That development is positive. At Arsenal we don't have any dark-skinned players at the moment. Ten years ago it was unthinkable for many black families to allow their daughters to play soccer. In the next ten years that's going to change.'

A lot has changed since Miedema made her entrance into professional life as a girl. 'Nobody expected the growth of women's soccer to be so great. That also has to do with developments in the world, with women power. That movement is also helping us. At the same time, the level is rising, while we still have 100,000 steps to take. As for myself, I have an excellent income and can save easily. Girls in the Netherlands, and also in England, don't earn much yet and often have to do something on the side.

That is going to change, she thinks. It continues to grow, especially with three consecutive tournaments three years in a row: Olympic Games, European Championship and World Championship. That's great. Becoming more visible. Take the Champions League: the NOS broadcasted it for the first time via a live stream. Until recently it was nowhere to be seen. If that changes, it's easier for sponsors to get on board, to get recognition.'

Matches in the English league can be seen on the app FA Player, on BT, commercial TV, and sometimes on the BBC. 'We have world stars running around in the Dutch national team these days. That's inspiring for young girls. It's up to us routiniers to bring youngsters in and make them feel comfortable to be able to give as many players a good future as possible. I don't play soccer for money. I also pass that on to young girls. If you base your choices on that, you have forgotten who you are and what you are playing soccer for. Money should never be the driving force.'

Fit and hungry The 24-year-old Miedema remains fit and hungry, no matter how hypothermic she celebrates her goals. Six months without soccer, from March to September, has done her good, after all those double years with club soccer and internationals. With friend and teammate Lisa Evans, she took the car to Scotland, where Evans is from.

We spent four or five months there. Switching off from soccer for a while. I've never enjoyed exercises in the gym and running so much. That says it all. I play soccer because I like the game. Tactically I just want to be good enough that you don't have to run alone. But during the lockdown it was the only option, to not have to sit inside.

'Lisa was my pt, my personal trainer. We were super fit for the new season. In Scotland we had so much freedom. We went hiking, walking. Soccer, tennis, padel. For six months it was a normal human life.'

She started studying: for the Uefa B trainer's diploma, plus a master's in Football Business. That's the first time since she left for Germany as a 17-year-old to play soccer at Bayern. 'I never had the energy, the will and the time to study again. Now I do, and it's fun.'

Constantly broadening her horizons is one of her goals. For example, she has been an ambassador for War Child for a year now, which cares about the suffering of children in war zones. She already noticed during the World Cup in France (2019) that children were following her. I already loved War Child as a child. My mother was an assistant mother at school. Of course I could play a little sport. At every charity run it was up to me whether we raised enough money.

My mother made me aware of the fact that we in the Netherlands, I in any case, have a good position, and that in the rest of the world it is not so easy. During the World Cup I was in my bubble, but after that I saw pictures and movies. Sport is a distraction for many children, which allows them to eliminate suffering and have fun.'

She was previously with the Dutch national team in South Africa, where the team visited townships in Cape Town. 'When you see how much fun you can give children with sport, you want to do it as often as possible. I will never forget how two girls of about 9 years old ran up to me afterwards and wanted to hug me, as a thank you. That was so special, they didn't have to think about danger or violence. With War Child I hope to make a nice trip.

Gigantic response By necessity, in 2020 she was an ambassador who stayed inside. 'Online I was able to do a lot. Movies, videos with examples of exercises. I get a huge response from all over the world. Not only from children, also from parents, from people who like what I do. For me, recording a video like this is a small thing and I can make a lot of people happy with it. Stretching, moving, playing soccer, playing sports. And sometimes get to interact by putting everyone else to work.'Children also take initiatives by raising money. 'It's nice to see kids showing social agility, especially now that we have to keep today's youth somewhat in check and steer them in the right direction.'She laughs a little at that term, youth of today. 'If you are a part of something, you are all in it together. That's why I play soccer and I don't play tennis. Kids push each other to do the best they can for other kids.'Now the season is back in full swing. She is top marksman of all time in the English Premier League and was recently chosen again in Fifa's team of the year. European champion, second in the world. And then she still has a soccer life ahead of her. 'I would like to say that I will continue for another ten years, but you never know. I would prefer to stop at my peak.'Again with a laugh: 'I've broken quite a few records, so maybe I'm already at my peak. But I'm definitely not someone who wants to continue at the highest level if I can't take it anymore. I also hope that people around me will then say: Viv, it's not sitting out anymore, please, stop it.'Miedema bettered Nikita Parris' British goalscoring record in October, with the difference that her predecessor scored about one goal every two games, while Miedema needs one game for a goal.  'I can only run out, but above all I want to help the team. One hundred goals for the national team would be very nice.' She is on 70 and is the all-time record holder. Most of the goals I can still remember. They are all in my head.'

https://www.volkskrant.nl/sport/topschutter-vivianne-miedema-voetbal-niet-voor-het-geld-leer-ik-jonge-meiden~b27b2994/

Sadio Mane 'makes decision on next club' amid Liverpool and Man Utd transfer links

Sadio Mane 'makes decision on next club' amid Liverpool and Man Utd transfer links Sadio Mane is on the verge of becoming the latest high-profile player to move to Saudi Arabia, as he is expected to join Al-Nassr and reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo.  The former Liverpool star left the club last summer to play for Bayern Munich in a transfer deal valued at £35.1 million. However, after just one season, Mane is set to depart from the Bundesliga giants.  During his time at Bayern, the 31-year-old scored only seven league goals in 25 appearances and faced a suspension in April following an alleged altercation with his teammate Leroy Sane. Bayern's manager, Thomas Tuchel, recently hinted that Mane's time at the Allianz Arena might be coming to an end, expressing his dissatisfaction with the player's performance and stating that Mane did not meet the expectations set for him.  "Basically, Sadio had an unsatisfactory season and fell short of expectations," Tuchel said. "The competitive situation is extremely high for him with Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, we have a constellation which makes it very difficult for Sadio. The player knows that too, he knows my opinion and the opinion of the club." Mane has been associated with several potential transfers, including reports from Germany suggesting interest from Manchester United and speculation about a possible return to Liverpool. However, it appears that he is now close to finalizing a move to Al-Nassr. As per L'Equipe, Mane has tentatively agreed to join the Saudi club, which also boasts former Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina in their roster. The agreement follows discussions between Mane's representatives and Al-Nassr's sporting director, Goran Vucevic, in Portugal. It's worth noting that Mane has expressed his admiration for Ronaldo in the past, making it likely that he would be excited about the prospect of playing alongside him. "I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca before this season after my move was completed," he told SportBild. "He congratulated me and told me: 'A great club. This is a great step for you'. "That says everything about the Bundesliga and underlines what I've already said: I think you underestimate the Bundesliga here. The recent performances in the Champions League prove that." And Ronaldo has claimed he has no plans to return to European football before he retires as it has "lost a lot of quality" to the Saudi Pro League. "I'm 100 per cent sure I won't return to any European club," he said. "I opened the way to the Saudi league and now all the players are coming here. I won't return to European football, the door is completely closed. European football has lost a lot of quality. "The only league that for me has a lot of quality and is at a higher level than all the others is the Premier League. The Spanish league does not have that great quality. The Portuguese league is a good league, but it is not a top, top league. The German league I think has also lost a lot. I'm sure I won't play in Europe again. I want to play in Saudi Arabia." Sadio Mane 'makes decision on next club' amid Liverpool and Man Utd transfer links Read the full article

Why José Mourinho is problematic

I’m not a fan of José Mourinho and whilst I can come around to his tactics, I really doubt I will ever like him as a person.

Football is a very misogynistic, homophobic, racist and generally disrespectful place where people, especially powerful people, are not held accountable for their actions and words. This post is an accumulation of some of the very worrying things Jose has said and done over the years, that he has never acknowledged nor apologised for. I think that it’s important to keep these things in mind especially now, because the “José is a great person” idea is on the rise again. Whilst someone like Sergè, who also said some really disrespectful things, but someone who apologised for them and was willing to learn from his mistake, has his mistakes constantly brought up again, we are ignoring and burying all the things that are really wrong with our manager. 

And if the club have asked Sergé to acknowledge and apologise for his statements (the right move), then we should do the same with Mourinho, who was much older when he said those things and had and has a lot more power and reach. 

Homophobic

In 2012, as Real Madrid manager, Mourinho was caught on camera using “marocones” (which means faggot in English) to refer to the referees pre champion league match agains CSKA Moscow. 

This is a link to the video [x]  it’s about 20 seconds in.

The European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) released a statement [x] calling for action, which includes this:

Louise Englefield, Co-president of the EGLSF, an organisation representing over 17,000 lesbian gay bisexual and trans (LGBT) athletes across Europe, said: “Homophobia is unacceptable from anyone in football, much less from one of the game’s most senior figures. We are deeply disappointed that Mr Mourinho is casually using homophobic terms of abuse in his workplace. It is especially sad that these comments have been made during the International Football v Homophobia campaign week. This is a time during which the European football community should be joining forces to tackle discrimination and prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people . As long-standing partners of the FARE network, we call on UEFA to take action and impose appropriate sanctions.”

And yet nothing ever happened, no apology, no acknowledgment and no sanctions.

Racist

Josés stance on racism is an interesting one, because he has publicly stated that he is opposed to direct racism, yet does apparently not believe that there is an underlying structural racism problem in the world and in football.

About coaching opportiunities for black coaches

In 2014, when questioned whether football needs a Rooney rule, which in the NFL ensures that ethnic minority candidates are adequately represented in the interview process for head coaching positions, he said this: 

When asked if he felt football was doing enough to bring in black managers and whether he felt a quota should be introduced, Mourinho said: “There is no racism in football. If you are good, you are good. If you are good, you get the job.” “If you are good, you prove that you deserve the job. Football is not stupid to close the doors to top people. If you are top, you are top.” [x]

At the moment of publication of this article, only two of 92 clubs in the top four divisions in English football had a black manager. And only four black managers have ever worked in the premier league. 

His statement warranted this lengthy response from the then FIFA Vice-President Jeffrey Webb. [x] Who points to a much larger problem of lack of enthnic people in power in football in general.

About Hair

“I want to push the young players on my team to have a proper haircut, not the Rastafarian or the others they have.”

I don't have the exact source but it’s mentioned in multiple “best of José quotes articles [x]  [x]

Misogyny

Dr. Carniero

The most obvious place to start talking about Mourinho and his issues with misogyny is his treatment of Dr. Eva Carneiro who was the Chelsea first team doctor from 2009 until september 2015. During the first Game of the 15/16 season against Swansea Dr. Carneiro and chief physiotherapist Jon Fearn were called into the pitch by the referee to attend to Eden Hazard who had gone down. It was towards the end of the match and Chelsea had already had Courtois sent off and were therefore down to 9 men. Under the laws of the game, the medical staff is only allowed on the pitch if the referee summons them and once they have been summoned it's their duty to attend to the player. Mourinho took an issue with both of them rushing onto the field, because it left his team temporarily with 8 outfield players and so he allegedly called Dr. Carniero “filha da puta” which translates to “daughter of a bitch/whore”. He says he didn’t use the female version, but that he said “filho da puta”  and that “swearing is a part of football”. This then led to a lot of discourse about whether it was actually abusive language towards a woman or not. 

The more damning thing happened later in the press conference. 

“I wasn't happy with my medical staff because even if you are a medical doctor or secretary on the bench, you have to understand the game.If you go to the pitch to assist a player, then you must be sure that a player has a serious problem. I was sure that Eden didn't have a serious problem. He had a knock and was very tired.My medical department left me with eight fit outfield players in a counter attack after a set piece and we were worried we didn't have enough players left.”

“You have to understand the game”, especially when aimed at a woman already comes with enough negative and misogynistic connotations. And there was no lack of “understanding of the game” in this instance, it was their duty to attend to the player according to the rules. Maybe he should have had a word with Eden Hazard about not feigning injuries instead.

But this is not where this ends. Following this incidence, Fearn (a Man) was removed from first team matches and Dr. Carniero was removed from all first team duties such as training sessions, matches and even entering the team hotel. And as Duncan Castles, one of Josés mouthpieces in the british press then reported: 

Mourinho is said to have held reservations about Carneiro’s role within the first-team squad since at least last year. While there is no question about her professional abilities, the Portuguese coach was concerned that the dressing room dynamic was affected by the presence of a female. According to a source, some players had expressed misgivings to the coaching staff about the set-up, arguing that it forced them to alter their usual behavior in a team environment.  [x]

The same women that had worked with Chelsea's first team for 6 years and under 4 different managers just suddenly became a problem with Josés arrival. Maybe there were some players that complained about her, but José should have told them to get over it. Sadly, I can’t link you to the original source of these quotes because the website does not exist anymore but here are some more articles referring to the same quotes. [x] [x]

Her dismissal went to court and she and Chelsea ended up settling the case. 

This whole thing ties into the larger issue of misogyny in football, this is an interesting article about how 2/3 s of the women in football face sexist discrimination. [x]

Montse Benitez

Rafael Benitez’ wife Montse Benitez made a joke, in 2015, about Rafa cleaning up Josés messes because Rafa just got the Real Madrid Job and she said “we tidy up his messes”, but afterwards added that it was understandable because there are only so many top clubs out there. 

The first part of his response is very much ok:

“The lady is a bit confused, with all respect. The only club where her husband [directly] replaced me was at Inter Milan, where in six months he destroyed the best team in Europe at the time.”

The second part however wasn’t:

“And for her to think about me and to speak about me, I think she needs to occupy her time — and if she takes care of her husband’s diet, she will have less time to speak about me.”

He told her to get back into the kitchen and that is such a backwards thing to say to women.  [x]

Generally Women 

In 2013, whilst complaining about Arsenal players complaining to the officials he said

“ you know they like to cry” and then added “Football is for men, or for women with fantastic attitude.”

José mourinho used being a woman as an insult to emasculate Arsenal players. Which is incredibly sexist. 

His post match tirade also includes some lovely xenophobia for good measure, which is a bit hypocritical coming from José. (I want to remind all Spurs fans that there was massive outrage after the United match, when similar criticism was aimed at Lamela)

"You know, they like to cry," Mourinho said. "That's tradition. But I prefer to say, and I was telling it to the fourth official, that English people – Frank Lampard, for example – would never provoke a situation like that. "Players from other countries, especially some countries, have that in their blood. So, if there is contact or an opponent is aggressive, they don't keep going. But this is English football. Foreign players are bringing lots of good things. They come here because they are talented. But I prefer English blood in football. English blood in this situation is: 'Come on, let's go.' Mikel's tackle is hard and aggressive but football is for men or for women with fantastic attitude. It's true."

[x]

Generally problematic things he has said

Him calling Wenger a voyeur is not included but he did end up actually apologising for that. 

2006: "Sometimes you see beautiful people with no brains. Sometimes you have ugly people who are intelligent, like scientists," [x]

Me being a scientist probably makes me even more annoyed with this statement, but honestly can we get rid of this stupid idea.

 2005: “Ricardo Carvalho seems to have problems understanding things, maybe he should have an IQ test, or go to a mental hospital or something.” [x] 

Statements against him that he took to court

A journalist for spanish newspaper Marca wrote about José during his time at chelsea:

“the type of person who would flee after knocking someone down"

A letter from Mourinho's lawyers then read:

"In our eyes this phrase is... degrading and was used in a manner which was completely unnecessary in the critique."

Chelsea also took action against a former Barcelona director after he posted the following on twitter during a match against Manchester City.

"It's lamentable the psychopath celebrating goals as if he was a player." 

[x]

Which is utterly ironic when taking all the things he has said about others into account.

A lot of these quotes are older, but judging from his recent choice of words, the constant emasculation of his players also shown in a documentary meant to make him look good, he might not be saying these things publicly anymore but the subtext and undertones still remain, therefore not really making it look like he has learned from his past mistakes and has become a better person in the slightest. Also, these quotes are just the tip of the iceberg of what kind of a human being José Mourinho really is. He is an incredibly manipulative individual that chooses all of his words, especially those to the press, really carefully and if these quotes are things that he chose to say deliberately, then I’m worried about what other opinions he has that he does not voice to the public. But if someone treats him like he does others he has an issue with it.

He can be an interesting individual to watch and his amount of arrogance can be fairly entertaining, but his general lack of respect for his players and staff shouldn't be overlooked especially in a world which is trying to move towards the future. And a footballing world at least saying that they are trying to remove discrimination from the game. 

I don’t want him to be sacked, but I would really like to remind people of the kind of person he is and for him to acknowledge these statements and apologise for it. But because this is football and Agueros actions with the lines-woman were dismissed because he is “a good person” I doubt that that will ever happen. 

2020: Unprecedented Times

Most people, at the start of the year, had high hopes for 2020. For many, it was the start of a new decade (though, ask anyone on the street and the start of a decade is open to debate). Here in Australia, the start of 2020 merely carried on the disasters of 2019. Beset by bushfires all along the Eastern coast, we watched as our tourism numbers slump as the denizens of Sydney wore masks as a means to fight the harmful effects of smoke inhalation. Many small businesses, particularly in small towns, felt the brunt of the natural disaster. Homes were destroyed by the thousands. Worse was the fact that livelihoods that were dependent on visitors from all around the world (in particular, China) were also badly affected.

Why would anyone come to Australia, after all, when there was smoke in the air and the air quality was teetering on dangerously toxic?

Many hoped that once the fires had petered out, however, life would return to normal. Little did they know that by March, the world would be caught in the grips of COVID-19. After all, though there were the occasional news headlines of a new disease plaguing China in early January (which resulted in me warning my grandmother that maybe she not go over to celebrate the Year of the Rat), most people were focused on Donald Trump’s impeachment.

Then, of course, there was the assassination of an infamous Iranian general:  Qasem Soleimani. Once again, the world’s attention was arrested by the acts of the United States of America. Most were worried that the tension between Iran and the United States of America would boil over. At the time, it almost felt like a repeat of Trump’s antagonism towards North Korea.

In the United Kingdom, Brexit was well underway. After his re-election in December 2019, Boris Johnson continued his negotiations for a way that Britain could leave the European Union.

On a more personal scale, Australia was wracked by sport club funding scandals and climate change protests.

As for me, I was more concerned about the video game delays. Now that I write this, in December of 2020, I look back and think that perhaps it was appropriate for Cyberpunk 2077 to have been delayed until next year in order to fix the bugs that have the plagued the title ever since launch. Still, I was also vastly disappointed that Vampires the Masquerade II would not be releasing anytime soon. And saddened to hear that The Last of Us Part II had been pushed back.

After COVID-19 swept across the globe and taken hold in most countries and continents (which now extends to Antarctica thanks to a few Chileans testing positive), I watched as stupidity rose to the fore. Lockdown protests, the politicisation of the wearing of masks and the attacks on East Asians. Despite the severity of the virus and how infectious it was, I was disheartened to see so many people flout social distancing rules and break lockdown requirements. Most notably among the rich and famous such as politicians and NRL (National Rugby League) players.

Of course, being in Australia, our bid to ‘flatten the curve’ proved incredibly effective. Articles I’ve read indicate that this was mostly due to Australian’s observance of laws and regulations, as well as our trust in science. In fact, I’ve heard the refrain, ‘at least we’re not America’ spoken quite a few times this year. And honestly, after looking at the statistics, with the Land of the Free having upwards of 18.5 million cases with 326,000 (and counting) deaths, I couldn't agree more to the sentiment.

The whole ‘do as we say, not as we do’ approach by its President further served to fracture society and gave rise to conspiracy theories that served no purpose but showcase the height of people’s ignorance and distrust. It didn’t help that most Western countries also placed more importance on the ‘economy’ than people’s lives. Many global leaders were of the opinion that the ‘cure should not be worse than the disease’ and that a few deaths to keep the budget afloat was a necessary evil. 

Well, to that, I say, ‘Bah! Humbug!’ Without acting decisively and quickly, many nations have ruined their economy AND seen their people die in droves. When people are falling sick and suffering from long-term effects, they’re hardly likely to spend money. Nor will they be able to contribute to society and be able to continue working. Instead, you’ll be saddled with additional welfare taxes. By going hard and fast, closing down the economy for two months, maybe three, you can bounce back harder and stronger without fear of contagion.

Now, many countries are struggling with high numbers of new infected each day AND an economy that’s in tatters. Good job. 

It also doesn’t hurt to give back to the community and help struggling businesses. Schemes such as Jobkeeper and Jobseeker (at least in Australia) were able to alleviate some of the stress for many workers. And honestly, perhaps if the world had implemented a universal basic income, this would also enable people ensure their basic needs are met without sinking into poverty.

The fact that so many only see the short-term rather than long-term is astounding. And as for Sweden’s model? The less said about it, the better. ‘Herd immunity’ without a working vaccine? Madness. Utter madness. Particularly when the virus is airborne.

After enjoying a decent summer, numbers rose again in Europe and much of it was back under lockdown. A new strain, that has proven much more infectious, was discovered in the South of England! Trump tested positive for COVID-19, but to the dismay of many, he recovered quite quickly.

But 2020 did not end there. Once again, the struggles between ethnic minorities were brought again to the limelight. The death of George Floyd saw the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and served to highlight the disproportionate number of those living in poverty and in prison. As a person of colour myself (being of East Asian descent), I tried to explain some of this to my colleagues. But some of them saw Black Lives Matter as a predominantly American issue - and disregarded the fact that many Indigenous Australians were also in prison, caught in a vicious cycle of crime and violence.

It wasn’t long, however, that Australia experienced its own second wave in Melbourne, due to breaches in hotel quarantine. And honestly, it came as a surprise when it also happened in Adelaide and we learned that they weren’t testing hospital workers or those in high-risk workplaces on a REGULAR basis. You would have thought that all workers that transported aircrew or worked as security for those quarantining in hotels would be temperature-checked and given a swab every few days (or at least once a week). But no.

This is why we can’t have good things. 

Christmas in Sydney has also been somewhat neutered by the fact that there has been another sizeable outbreak in the Northern Beaches local council. And, of course, many people in Greater Sydney have been barred from other states. Gotta love those hard state borders where we treat each other as separate countries. Still - if it protects the people, the Premiers will stop at nothing. Even if it means families can’t be together. But better that than seeing Australia become the United States of America. 

Jumping from COVID-19, 2020 also saw an explosion in Beirut due to the storing of large amounts of ammonium nitrate at the port. Approximately 178 people were killed and more than 6,500 were injured. Locust swarms in Africa  descended upon crops, threatening food supply and livelihoods for millions of people. The West Coast of the United States of America suffered from catastrophic wildfires. Meanwhile, in south-east Asia, countries were hit by flooding and typhoons. As a side note, Armenia and Azerbaijan  restarted their ongoing feud. 

And to cap it all off, 2020 decided to further traumatise the future generation, a suicide video was uploaded to Tiktok. 

And oh, the US election. Where our favourite President tried to delay and impede mail-in-votes. In the days following the 3 November 2020 election, the world eagerly watched as the votes were counted and each state was certified. Trump, as is always his way, attempted to claim victory in the early hours of the morning of 4 November 2020, before deriding voter fraud with no evidence to substantiate his claims.

The weeks that followed saw a number of lawsuits that were lodged. Most, of which, were simply dismissed out of hand. And while his supporters have continued to claim that fraud was evident in the 2020 election, there has been no substantial pieces of evidence provided. Affidavits and hearsay, fortunately, do not a case make.

In Australia, our once promising relationship with China took a turn for the worse. While instances of racism, after the initial COVID-19, did not help, it also seemed that the finger pointing among government officials and demands for inquiries into wet markets only served to fuel the fire between the two nations. After initiating a trade war with the United States of America, China then saw fit to put significant tariffs on Australian beef, barley, wine and coal (to name but a few). 

The spat between Australia and China also took on a more insidious tone when several Australian journalists were forced to flee.

And with the unveiling of alleged war crimes committed by Australian troops in Afghanistan, the relationship between the two nations have come to an all-time low. China’s tweet of a doctored image that had an Australian soldier about to cut the throat of an Afghan child saw our Prime Minister taking to social media to demand an apology. 

All in all, 2020 has felt like both an incredibly short and long year in equal measure. For an introvert, such as myself, it’s been mostly the same. In fact, I can’t believe that it’s already at an end. Though my gaming has continued, as has my writing, I felt like I hardly interacted with any of my friends or did anything conducive to my social skills. While I’ve been made permanent at my place of work, it’s also felt a little stagnant. For a good long while, particularly in March, it felt like we were on the cusp of something huge and terrible. As the numbers climbed, I desperately wanted a hard lockdown to be called when leaders vacillated. 

2021 does not promise to be much better. While vaccines have rolled out in several countries, it’ll be a long time coming before the world manages to attain a sense of normalcy. For this blogger, I look forward to just kicking back and finally getting my hands on a PlayStation 5.

As for anyone that has worked on the front lines during this pandemic, I just want to say a big hearty ‘thank you.’ All of  you have sacrificed so much and seen so many terrible things. I wish that we all listened to your warnings instead of inundating emergency rooms thinking COVID-19 was a hoax.

Remember: keep at least 1.5 metres away from another person, wash/ sanitise your hands regularly and wear a mask if you can’t socially distance or are in an enclosed space. 

Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day.

Bless you all! Thanks for your concern! The side effects of my first jab have subsided but, as it happens, I’ve been through all of this once before! I definitely caught the virus in late 2019: terrible flu symptoms, lost my sense of taste and sense of smell, and managed to shake it off in 24 hours. My immune system dealt with it, mate, bosh! Have some of that! I didn’t need any more virus a.k.a. vaccination to kick-start my immune system. My immune system works! My body ain’t pretty but it works!

Many of you don’t follow football and probably don’t give a monkeys about it but – for me – it is the best soap opera! There’s always some bloody drama going on! Right now, the drama and controversy have been turned up to 11. You couldn’t make it up. On any normal day, Tottenham Hotspur sacking their manager would have been the big story but that has totally been over-shadowed by the proposal of a European Super League: six teams from England: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, three from Spain: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, and three from Italy: AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus. At present, the big clubs in France, Germany and Holland are not interested. Amazingly, although the UK made a big song and dance about leaving Europe, the football world wasn’t interested in Brexit! The concept of Europe is a big part of the football economy. Me – personally – I think it’s a brilliant idea! It’s bound to be repetitive, probably full of corruption (as so much money is at stake) and it will fail miserably but, finally, my team may win a cup and maybe even the Premier League title? Today, the 14 other clubs in the Premier League meet with UEFA (Union of European Football Associations). Hopefully, it will be simple and straightforward? Throw these six greedy and arrogant teams out of the Premier League, cancel relegation, then promote the top six teams from the Championship: Norwich City, Watford, Swansea, Brentford, Bournemouth and Barnsley. Also, this ‘super’ league would stop the same teams winning the domestic trophies every season! Bring it on!

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of my status. Pucker up! Special snogs for you. Have a tremendous and tumultuous Tuesday! I love you all.

And, if you’ve read any of my books and enjoyed them, please go back to Amazon and leave a little review.

Depth

In Jules Verne’s novel of the same name, the protagonists journeyed Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The title is popularly thought to refer to the ocean’s depth, but actually refers to distance travelled: the greatest depth actually reached is four leagues.

In my analysis of the depth of European national teams, I’ve gone one further: I’ve looked at Europe’s top five leagues, home to the fifteen top-ranked teams under UEFA’s club coefficients. They’re all familiar names. The top tier is Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, and Man City. The next rung is made up of Atlético Madrid, PSG, Manchester United, and Liverpool, Sevilla, followed by Arsenal, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Spurs, and Roma.

I have looked only at regular players. This means at least 25 appearances so far in the 2020/21 season, including all competitions and sub appearances - these teams have all played over 40 games, so this allows a fair discount for rotation.

Only three national teams can make up a 23-man squad from these teams. 

This will come as a surprise to many. In the build up to Euro 2020, there has been plenty of discussion about the teams to watch. One of the first names on anybody’s list is Belgium, who are seen to have some of the best depth of any squad. They don’t even come close to making the cut. They only have five regular players in the top 15.

This is not the last decade, when every Premier League club seemed to have a Belgian star. Courtois and Mignolet kept goal for Chelsea and Liverpool respectively. Kompany and Vermaelan were the rocks at the heart of City and Arsenal’s back lines, and Alderweireld joined Vertonghen at Spurs. Hazard, de Bruyne and Lukaku were the centre of Chelsea, City and United’s attacks. The same clubs picked up Boyata, Fellaini, Januzaj, Chadli, Benteke, Origi and Bashuayi as part of the world’s new footballing superpower.

Courtois now plays for Real Madrid, and Alderweireld and de Bruyne are still in place, but other than Origi’s spot on Liverpool’s bench the rest have fallen out of the spotlight. Eden Hazard has struggled with injuries since his own move to Madrid, but most have simply passed their prime, or failed to realise their potential. 

Leicester City are leading a second wave with Tielemans, Praet and Castagne.  Mertens is 33 and still a regular at Napoli. Lukaku deserves recognition at Inter Milan, whose coefficient should be higher. Hazard’s brother Thorgan has 19 appearances for Dortmund. But by the terms of this search, only his teammate Meunier and Atleti’s Carrasco join Courtois, de Bruyne and Alderweireld in making the list. They still have some big hitters, but the wave of talent has passed.

Portugal are another team considered amongst the favourites. They have Man City trio Cancelo, Dias and Bernardo Silva, Liverpool’s Jota and United’ Fernandes, some of the best players in the league this year, together with the likes of Atlético’s Felix and Juventus’s Ronaldo. But again, they are nowhere close to having a whole squad of top level players. Only 9 make the list. As with Belgium, they make up the rest of their squad from their own domestic league, and players from second-string teams (including what seems like half of the Wolves squad).

You could argue that it’s more important to have five world-class players than 50 decent ones, and that’s a fair point, but it’s not what I’m looking at here. I’m talking about squad depth, and Portugal simply don’t have it. Neither do Belgium, despite what many of us suspect, given our recent memory of their players’ dominance.

There are two other sides of a similar class. Wales, Scotland, Croatia and Denmark have three players on the list, which is an interesting comparison to Belgium’s five (although, as noted above, a dominant midfield was enough for Croatia’s first team to go far in the 2018 World Cup). Portugal, on nine, are sandwiched between two other big footballing nations: the Netherlands (7) and Italy (11). 

The former aren’t exactly a shock, given that they met Portugal in the 2019 Nations League final. But after the break-up of the Ajax side that starred in that year’s Champions League, they look a little less secure. They should really have another player on the list in the form of de Vrij, with Inter Milan harshly marked down, like we saw with Belgium and Lukaku. But the injury to van Dijk is a massive blow, like Hazard is to Belgium, and they are otherwise fielding a lot of squad players: Bergwijn, van de Beek, Wijnaldum and Ake all technically play for the Premier League’s biggest teams, but they aren’t exactly their star players. They have de Jong at Barca and de Ligt at Juve, but not a great deal more.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that the top five teams represent the top five leagues. You could say it’s inevitable, that even the biggest teams will have a preference for domestic players and so these nations will have players at those teams. You could argue that Portugal and the Netherlands might be better represented if only Porto or Ajax had made the cut. 

Indeed, 7 of Italy’s 11 come from Juve and Roma, with PSG contributing Kean, Verratti and Florenzi and Chelsea’s Jorginho making up the set. Not that half the Juve team is something to be lightly dismissed, and if anything there can be an advantage to having a squad used to playing together. But Juve aren’t quite what they were, and that famous Italian rear-guard are well past their prime, with Barzagli retired, Chiellini and Buffon warming the bench and Bonucci now 33. 

Italy also have the benefit of players at other domestic clubs, like the two Milan teams who are at least the equal of a Porto or an Ajax, and others like Lazio’s Immobile. They’re short on star-power, but they have an actual world class manager in Roberto Mancini, and their recent results have been consistently impressive. They are one of four teams with a chance of winning the 2021 Nations League after the Euros are done, but everybody seems to write them off because they lack Portugal’s big names.

Germany have a similar story. Their list is much larger, jumping from 11 to 21 players, but again there is a domestic advantage: nine of those players come from Bayern, and a further four from Dortmund. But as Bayern may be the best team in the world, having nine of their regulars less a caveat and more of a boast, with that same advantage of having existing relationships and fluency. Adding the likes of Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Julian Draxler to Bayern’s midfield, and Germany are as impressive as any team in the world.

But again, they aren’t really rated as one of the sides to watch in the tournament. This might be because of how the numbers are distributed: having 21 players at top sides is impressive, but they can only play three or four midfielders at a time, so having nine or so of the best midfielders in Europe doesn’t really help them more than Portugal having a few of them. They also have three of the best goalkeepers, but look a little bare in defence and up-front, not helped by the decision to exile Boateng, Hummels and Muller since 2018 (a self-inflicted punishment no other nation has to face).

France are the first team to clear the hurdle of 23 players for a squad, with one to spare. They are also the first to have those players spread relatively evenly over all of the required positions. In fact, their squad depth is deeply impressive. Using only Premier League players, they could select a fairly decent group: Lloris, Areola, Fofana, Zouma, Digne, Laporte, Mendy, Saliba, Doucouré, Mendy, Guendouzi, Kante, Pogba, Ndombele, Sissoko, Martial, Lacazette, Giroud. Not all world-class footballers, but that would still be one of the top handful of sides in the Euros.

But then they have players across the rest of Europe. As well as two Man City defenders, they have two defenders at most of Europe’s biggest clubs. PSG just beat Bayern Munich with Kimpembe and Dagba in their backline, and played Kurzawa against Barcelona in the previous round. Bayern have Hernández and Pavard, who won the 2018 World Cup final on either side of Barcelona’s Umtiti, since displaced by Lenglet, and Real Madrid’s Varane, who shares his club with Ferland Mendy.

Further forward, those four teams provide the firepower of Mbappe, Toilsso and Coman, Dembele and Griezmann, and the exiled Karim Benzema (as with Germany, a self-inflicted punishment, although in this case it doesn’t seem to hold them back). A.C. Milan, currently top of the Italian league, have another two defenders in Hernandez and Kalulu. Atlético Madrid have Lemar and Moussa Dembele. Juventus have Rabiot. 

Then there are highly rated players like Upamecano, Aouar, Fekir and Ben Yedder at other sides across the German, French and Spanish leagues. I went with regulars from the top 15 clubs as a rough metric for the best 159 European players, on the basis that football is a meritocracy and the best players tend to either increase the standing of their club or move to a bigger one, but obviously there are big fish in small ponds as well - the exceptions to the rule, and much harder to quantify.

France could probably field two or three squads and they would all make it out of the group stage. Before Belgium and Portugal, they are the first team which get mentioned in terms of Euro 2020 squads, and in their case the hype is fully vindicated. But, strangely enough, they are only third in terms of this list. England pip them by just one player, although that’s two if you subtract Benzema.

Weirdly, England are ahead of them. Again, this is thanks to having a lot of domestic teams in the selection, and indeed almost none of the English players are abroad: Tripper at Atléti and Sancho and Bellingham at Dortmund are the only three of the twenty-five, and they might not even make the squad. That’s less than any of the other comparable nations. 

But the Premier League contingent are also spread out between the teams, so there is no teamwork advantage like Germany have with Bayern. Instead, there is the potential disadvantage that England’s team is made of club-level rivals. As with Germany, the distribution of the players is a problem. It is no good having 50 players on the list if they are all strikers, and England’s list of 25 has five right-backs and no goalkeepers (the opposite of Germany).

The English list is forward-heavy, and most of them won’t make the squad. Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Sancho, Foden, Saka, Nketiah, Hudson-Odoi and Abraham appear for the top clubs in the same positions, and face competition from the likes of Grealish and Calvert-Lewin from elsewhere in the league. In the absence of the injured Joe Gomez, England really only have two top centre-backs, with Curtis Jones and Rob Holding unlikely to even appear as subs. 

The base number is therefore not as impressive as it seems, and about eleven of these players aren’t in Gareth Southgate’s plans. But perhaps that is testament to the depth at other club sides, with players like Rice, Phillips and Lingard appearing in midfield as well as those up front. It’s also true that England only have four players in the top 5 clubs, compared to five for Portugal, ten for France and Spain, and twelve for Germany. They may have more decent players, but fewer superstars. 

That’s right: Spain are top. They have a massive 29 players on the list, and only 14 of those are at Real, Barca, Atléti and Sevilla. Every team on the list has a player with the exception of Liverpool and Dortmund, and even they have Thiago and Morey just a few appearances short. That shows the depth they have even beyond this list. Chelsea’s Kepa and Alonso, City’s Garcia, Arsenal’s Mari, United’s Mata also don’t make the cut, and neither do 17 players who have appeared for Barcelona or Real Madrid this season.

They could make a back line of Gerard Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Dani Carvajal and Sergi Roberto, with the likes of Isco and Ansu Fati ahead of them, and that’s on top of the 29 players who appeared enough to make the list. Atlético have even more, and most sides in La Liga are predominantly Spanish, with the likes of Iago Aspas and Gerard Moreno (one of the most in form strikers in Europe) further down the table. Spain aren’t mentioned in the same breath as the likes of France, Portugal and Belgium when discussing favourites for the tournament, but I think a lot of people are sleeping on the sheer depth they have available. 

They won the 2020 Nations League group they shared with Germany, beating them 6-0 in November, and underperformed in the 2018 World Cup having sacked their manager on the eve of the tournament. They also won all of the games they played at home, and will be playing most of their Euro 2020 games in Bilbao. The host advantage is often a huge factor for international tournaments, and this time around Italy, the Netherlands, England, Spain and Germany will have an edge. In the group of death between Germany, France and Portugal, could playing in Munich make the difference for the Bayern contingent?