“A lot more people are realising that there’s more to football than the Premier League and England. I speak to a lot of English players and they always say: ‘How come players from Brazil or Argentina move at 16, 17 yet English players don’t seem to go out of England a lot.’ I think it’s definitely a positive that many young English players want to leave England and are willing to try something new, to learn new languages and a different style of play. That’s only going to benefit them and the national team as well.”
- England international, Fikayo Tomori, on his recent move abroad to AC Milan from Chelsea.
“I know it was a big disappointment for the fanbase that Frank was sacked and, as I said before, I have the biggest respect. I was a huge fan of Frank as a player. To see how he played, he was one of the key figures who demonstrated what the club was all about. I have the biggest respect for him and his legacy. I can’t change the situation for him. The decision was made and I was handed the opportunity. It’s not my fault.”
- New Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel paid tribute to Frank Lampard and acknowledged that some of the club’s fans will be upset with the decision to sack a club legend.
“When I arrived at Real Madrid, I lost 12 kilos immediately. Then I gained them back. Nutella was one of the club sponsors and each month they would give us five kilograms of the product.”
- Former Real Madrid and Italy player Antonio Cassano revealed he gained 14 kilograms in seven months while at Madrid because he ate Nutella straight from the jar.
CONCACAF 2021
The 2021 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League is set to kick off in April. The tournament usually concludes in late April, but given the current global situation, the calendar had to be adjusted. This could potentially give Major League Soccer clubs a bit of a boost considering they would normally be entering the competition during their preseason preparations. Despite some pretty good performances in recent years, including some final appearances, an MLS club has not won the competition in over two decades. In fact, Liga MX clubs have won the last 15 editions, asserting a dominance not seen by any other nation in any other confederation around the world. This year’s edition will start with the round of 16, with each round being contested over two legs. The final though will be just a single game, hosted by the highest performing club in the earlier rounds.
FORTNITE PLAYERS
Fortnite and the world of football have collaborated with the inclusion of playable skins. 23 clubs, including teams such as Manchester City, Juventus, Milan, Seattle Sounders and LAFC. Players of the popular free-to-play Battle Royale game can dress their character in the kits of clubs from across the globe. They can also “emote” using Pele’s iconic goal celebration. Players can choose from 10 different options of male and female outfits, all of which are cosmetic in-game purchases and do not provide any advantages.
JAIL TIME FOR MAYOR
The mayor of Turin, alongside four others, was convicted and sentenced to a year and six months in jail in connection with a stampede during a public viewing of the 2017 Champions League final. More than 1600 people were injured, including two women who later died. Over 30,000 people gathered in the city square to watch Juventus take on Real Madrid when some thieves used pepper spray to cause confusion in an attempt to rob some of the fans there. The crowd however, were blocked in the enclosed square, leading to people getting injured. Because of this, the mayor and four others were tried and convicted for allegedly not having taken enough precautions for a large-scale event, including not drafting an exit route in case of emergency. Mayor Chiara Appendino has stated that she would appeal the decision. As for the four thieves who provoked the chaos, they were convicted on murder charges and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
BREAKAWAY SUPERLEAGUE
FIFA, in unison with the six continental confederations, released a statement regarding the formation of a breakaway superleague being discussed among a number of top European clubs. In an effort to dissuade the talks and formation of this superleague, FIFA has stated that any players who feature in any breakaway league would be banned from playing in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The idea of a European Super League is nothing new, in fact, talks of a new tournament have been ongoing for some years now. This tournament would effectively replace the UEFA Champions League, something that doesn’t sit well with UEFA or any of the other governing bodies in the sport. The move to release a statement and ban players from competing in international tournaments shows that there is a growing concern that the threats of a breakaway league could be more than just a negotiating tactic from big clubs looking to earn more money.
DID YOU KNOW?
■ At age 17 years and 274 days Luca Netz (shown right) became the youngest Bundesliga scorer of Hertha Berlin when he found the net against VfB Stuttgart.
■ Lionel Messi has scored in 17 consecutive years in the Champions League since 2005. Only ex-Real Madrid star Raul Gonzalez has scored in as many consecutive years in the Champions League (1995-2011).
■ Manchester United’s 4-0 away win against
