At the end of their sensational and surreal Champions League elimination of Valencia in Spain on March 10, a 4-3 second-leg win (8-4 on aggregate) in an empty stadium Atalanta’s players gathered in front of a TV camera, holding up a T-shirt with a dedication written across the chest. “Bergamo, this is for you,” it
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There are two primary truths in modern European soccer. 1. Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Of the 12 teams averaging at least two points per match in Europe’s five biggest leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1) before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to the coronavirus, eight were enjoying at
Think of it as football’s Y2K, the legal bug in the system that could — if unaddressed — unleash havoc if 2019-20 competitions continue past June 30. More than one out of five players in Europe’s Big Five leagues — English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1 —
We’re no closer to knowing when soccer might return to action given the global reaction to slowing the coronavirus outbreak, but there’s still a lot happening in the broader soccer world. Gab Marcotti reacts to the main talking points in the latest Monday Musings. Jump to: Finish the season in isolation? | Juve’s pay cut
On March 21, Cormac “Doolsta” Dooley was supposed to be at SxSW in Austin, Texas, defending his 2019 eMLS Cup title while representing as Nashville SC’s esports athlete. Instead, he was sitting on a chair in his childhood bedroom, playing a two-match series against the Columbus Crew’s Graham “SKaMzZ1992” Ellix. With a pandemic spiraling across
Welcome to our latest European football notebook, featuring contributions from ESPN writers across the continent. In this edition, Arsenal’s star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ponders whether to stay or go, top defender Kalidou Koulibaly hints at a PSG move, Barcelona move on from a recent signing and much more. Jump to: Aubameyang in limbo? | Bielsa
Heading into Matchday 30 of the 2018-19 Premier League season, things were looking pretty good at Old Trafford. Manchester United hadn’t yet lost a league match under their interim manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They were sitting in fourth place and thanks to a stunning, last-second road victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Round
On a typical Friday morning before a Saturday game, Alejandro Bedoya would be doing pregame things: a light workout, team meetings and getting ready to play the San Jose Earthquakes at Subaru Park. Because of coronavirus, this was not a typical Friday. It was Friday, March 13, and the Philadelphia Union captain had plenty of
Remember playing dodgeball? Remember the kid who didn’t really want to play anymore, and so he would race madly toward the other team, knowing that he’d either miraculously eliminate everybody or, more likely, get out within seconds, before perhaps walking off with a wry grin? On Feb. 22, AC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis visited
It’s blatantly obvious that sports are not the most important thing in the world, especially now. If or when they can still be staged safely, however, sports can still provide an immense and welcome distraction. If nothing else, so can the piece you’re reading right now. With the coronavirus spreading throughout Europe and North America,
Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League in remarkable fashion as Atletico Madrid stunned the holders to secure a 4-2 aggregate win — and a place in the quarterfinals — with a 3-2 extra-time victory Wednesday at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s side produced a masterclass inside normal time, but they were restricted to a single Georginio
Of the eight round-of-16 matchups in the Champions League, just two are effectively settled after the first leg. (Sorry, Chelsea and Valencia.) Three of them feature heavy favourites (Man City, Barcelona, RB Leipzig) against long underdogs (Real Madrid, Napoli, Tottenham), but the odds haven’t meant much over the past few years. Beyond those, there are
Janusz Michallik explains how Robert Lewandowski impacts Bayern beyond just scoring goals. Bayern Munich remain No. 1 in the latest Top 10 and there are moves up the ladder for Juventus and Barcelona. Liverpool, though, are going the other way. Goals from Thomas Muller and Leon Goretzka gave Bayern a victory against Augsburg that, coupled
ORLANDO, Florida — Thierry Henry is annoyed. He grimaces. He extends his hands for emphasis, palms to the sky. It is a look the world has seen before. Since the start of a 20-year playing career that included spells at some of the world’s most important football clubs, Henry has held his teammates, the journalists
Of the eight last-16 matchups in the Champions League, just two are effectively settled after the first leg. (Sorry, Chelsea and Valencia.) Three of them feature heavy favorites (Man City, Barcelona, RB Leipzig) against long underdogs (Real Madrid, Napoli, Tottenham), but the odds haven’t meant much over the past few years. Beyond those, there are
Missed any of the action around Europe this weekend? From a derby full of talking points between Manchester United and Manchester City, more coronavirus cancellations/postponements to a three-team title race in Italy that just became a two-horse race, Gab Marcotti is here to catch you up with all the talking points in the latest Monday
It was in the away dressing room at Goodison Park that Bruno Fernandes confirmed to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the rest of Manchester United’s coaching staff that he is the right fit for the Norwegian’s Old Trafford revolution. Fernandes had scored with a stunning long-range effort to earn a 1-1 draw with Everton but after
Gab Marcotti explains how the decision was made to close all games to fans in Italy through April 3. The FC panel debate how the rescheduled Serie A fixtures will affect the race for the Scudetto. Nicky Bandini discusses with Gab Marcotti and Mina Rzouki as to why Juventus are at a disadvantage against Inter.
Heavily tipped to join Manchester United in the January transfer window, Erling Haaland — football’s hottest prospect this season — instead chose Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund as the best place to continue his football education. It has turned out to be a smart decision, with no let-up to his remarkable goal-scoring streak. So what’s behind
Despite getting walloped by — squints, removes glasses, squints again … puts glasses back on — Watford over the weekend, Liverpool are going to win the Premier League. (Exiting the FA Cup at Chelsea on Tuesday will do little to stop this, either.) FiveThirtyEight’s projection model gives Jurgen Klopp & Co. a greater than 99 percent
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