Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 90 i Soccer 360 Magazine

Football has always had a rather tenuous connection with the concept of the New Year. The practice of throwing out the old and bringing in the new that January or February represents for much of the world’s population has very little relevance to the game. All the major European leagues are in full swing and the process of renewal doesn’t really begin until after the Champions League final in June. In 2020 though the football community is just as keen to step into a new year as the rest of the world. The planet has been gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic and all its associated hardships, while the game has lost some of its greatest legends. Things won’t change overnight on December 31 – or even on February 13 for…

His impact on world football has been tremendous, but his effect on the Italian game was positively seismic. He ripped up the unwritten rule that teams from south of Rome had no hope of winning the Scudetto. He took a club that had made an art form out of underachievement and made it a European heavyweight. By his mere presence, he helped to ensure that Serie A became the undisputed best league in the world. In the process, he won the undying love of an entire city. The tale of Maradona’s Neapolitan adventure can be told in a series of images which remain crystal clear in my mind. The first is of a bright, sunny day at the San Paolo stadium with a little figure in its center circle. He…

"THE PREMIER LEAGUE IS HIGH ON ENTERTAINMENT VALUE. ITS UNPREDICTABILITY MAKES IT STANDOUT." It feels like it was just yesterday that Liverpool were wrapping up their first Premier League title in history. It feels like just last week Bournemouth and Watford were still playing in the top-flight. But just a few months later, we are back into another absorbing Premier League season that has offered so much entertainment and surprises. Liverpool and Manchester City have remained in the reckoning despite the emergence of Chelsea and Tottenham. Manchester United have been underwhelming but are doing just enough to remain within touching distance, while Arsenal are amid a relegation fight despite doing so well in the Europa League. With so much already behind us, here we look at some highlights of the…

"AC MILAN AND INTER MILAN HAVE WOKEN UP" If there is a league that has offered up more entertainment, it has to be the Italian league. The Serie A in past seasons has usually been flat and unentertaining for those looking for competition. But this season, it has been different. Four teams are looking like genuine title contenders, while perennial winners Juventus struggle. AC Milan and Inter Milan have woken up while rookie manager Andrea Pirlo is still finding his feet at Juventus. At the other end of the table, Crotone, Torino and Genoa battle to stay in the top flight with Spezia and Fiorentina equally on the brink. With half of the season already played, we look at the big talking points in the Serie A so far in…

1. REAL, TANGIBLE CHANGE Barely a week seems to go by without another issue of racism, prejudice or perceived shortages of education. From black players regularly receiving racist abuse from the stands and on social media to Millwall fans booing their team taking the knee, and the controversy in the Champions League fixture between Istanbul Basaksehir and Paris Saint-Germain, it’s sickening to see these kinds of things in 2020. We hope for real, significant change in 2021. It has to start with authorities like UEFA and FIFA getting tougher with sanctions, but education and inclusion of minorities at club board level and players’ unions are also necessary. 2. FULL STADIUMS Talk about not knowing what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. For many football fans around the world, being starved of…

FAREWELL MARADONA Instagram - The world was left stunned when Diego Armando Maradona, arguably the game’s greatest ever player, passed away. Napoli, one of the clubs his sheer talent transformed into champions, paid their respect with a video from the archives of the man himself lifting the Scudetto. RESPECT US Twitter - Arsenal lost the North London derby to bitter rivals Tottenham and Gunners midfielder Granit Xhaka coming in for some stick from fans. However, when one fan said Xhaka is only good enough for Augsburg, the Bundesliga side replied with this witty tweet. SPONGEBOB, A FAN Twitter - Ever wondered who SpongeBob Squarepants supports? No? Us neither, but now we know: SpongeBob Squarepants is a Borussia Dortmund fan after helping the club launch a new fashion collection in this…

HOMMAGE SHIRT The Juventus home kit design for the 21/22 season has surfaced on the internet. The kit would be a homage to the Bianconeri’s current stadium Allianz Arena’s 10 year anniversary. Next year's shirt will see the return of the classic black and white stripes, and will be a crewneck with a small opening, with the sponsor and emblem details that should remain in gold. A customized graphic will then be inserted on the jersey, to celebrate the Stadium and its first 10 years. A NIGHT ON THE TOWN Juventus stars Federico Chiesa and Matthijs de Light went on a double date with their partners recently and they had a great time talking about football while enjoying some excellent truffles! De Light’s girlfriend Annekee Molenaar revealed the news as…

WHAT CAN'T RONALDO DO? Instagram - It seems being one of the greatest footballers of all time isn’t enough for Cristiano Ronaldo and a career in music could be on the cards once he hangs up his boots – that is if this Instagram post is anything to go by. THE STATS SAY IT ALL Twitter - Milan winger Jens Petter Hauge had the game of his life against Sparta Prague. Just check out these incredible stats – the 21-year-old is a big talent for the future. Oh, and spot the mistake in the Tweet too! BORUSSIA PARK HAS EYES Instagram - If you’re a football team with the name Borussia in it, chances are you’re pretty handy at social media. As well has nailing the jokes, Borussia Monchengladbach are…

IT'S FAKE NEWS Instagram - Paul Pogba pulled no punches as he called out a British newspaper and insisted they were printing unfounded stories about him. His agent waded in too, and went on to say Pogba will never play for Manchester United again. A day later Pogba played for United. THE HAM Twitter - Jose Mourinho is quietly one of the most entertaining Instagram accounts going. A recent highlight was the strange sight of the Tottenham manager with summer signing Sergio Reguilon and a L500 ham that was reward for the left-back’s performance against Manchester City FIFA’S KIND WORDS Facebook - FIFA president Gianni Infantino made a heartfelt eulogy following Diego Maradona’s passing, which goes to show the impact the Argentine had on everyone in the game. ZLATAN AGREES…

1960: Born Oct 30 in Lanus, Buenos Aires province 1970: Joins Los Cebollitas under-14 team 1976-1981: Plays for first division club Argentinos Juniors 1981: Signs for Boca Juniors, wins first division championship 1982: Joins Barcelona for world-record $8 million 1984: Sold to Napoli for more than $10 million. Elevates team to most successful era in its history 1986: Captains Argentina to victory at World Cup in Mexico. Scores two most famous goals - Hand of God and Goal of Century - in quarter-final against England 1990: Argentina knock host nation Italy out of World Cup but lose final against Germany 1991: Banned for 15 months after positive cocaine test 1992: Joins Spanish Club Sevilla 1993: Returns to Argentina to play for Newell’s Old Boys 1994: Expelled from World Cup in…

When Jose Mourinho was appointed Tottenham manager a year ago, the player on everyone’s lips was Harry Kane. With Mourinho’s explosive approach to man-management and often defensive tactics considered, many feared that Kane would suffer. Kane and Mourinho won’t work, was the consensus. But fast forward 12 months later, the Englishman has become arguably Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenant. Kane has transformed into an all-round player since Mourinho came in, taking his game to another level. The England captain was before now known as a poacher in the box, but this season he has added another string to his bow, creating goals. The Spurs man has taken on more playmaking responsibilities, dropping deep between the lines and creating chances for his fellow forwards. The move deeper has seen him top the…

"DIEGO SIMEONE'S ATLETICO MADRID HAVE HAPPILY EMERGED AS TITLE FAVOURITES" THE GOOD With Real Madrid and Barcelona struggling to pick up results with any consistency in the opening months of the 2020-21 season, Atletico Madrid have happily emerged as title favourites. Diego Simeone has reignited some of the old battling firebrand attitude within his squad and that defensive resilience has formed the bedrock of their early season with an incredible two goals conceded in their first 10 games of the campaign. Instilling a strong defensive backbone in his team has been a priority for Simeone, after undergoing a transition in 2019-20 following the key exits of Juanfran Torres, Diego Godin and Filipe Luis from the Spanish capital. Los Rojiblancos now look to be back to their street fighting and tactically…

"ONE THING REMAINS TRUE. BAYERN MUNICH ARE STILL THE TOP TEAM, AND THE ONES TO BEAT" We’ve seen plenty of drama so far this season in the German Bundesliga, but one thing remains true. Bayern Munich are still the top team and the ones to beat. This season the Bavarians are being run close by Leverkusen and Leipzig, and while traditional second-place finishers Dortmund are struggling a little, you cannot rule them out. Schalke 04’s woes from last season have continued into this season despite a change of coach while Bundesliga new boys Stuttgart, are exceeding expectations. With the first half of the season played, we look at a few talking points in the season below. BIGGEST SURPRISES When Stuttgart got promoted to the Bundesliga on the last day of…

“THEY ALSO REMAIN AS UNPREDICTABLE AS EVER, ENSURING INTEREST IN THE LEAGUE UNTIL THE VERY LAST GAME.” THE GOOD While many European football traditionalists are quick to criticize the MLS' playoff format, it has certainly provided some of the most entertaining games the league has ever seen. They also remain as unpredictable as ever, ensuring interest in the league until the very last game – the MLS Cup final. With the league opting to go with a knockout format for the duration of the entire playoffs last season, we've already seen wild finishes that nobody could have seen coming. In 2020, the top two teams during the entire regular season were knocked out in the opening round. Last year's finalists Toronto FC were eliminated by expansion side Nashville SC, who…

ANDONOVSKI SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND THAT POST-OLYMPICS THERE MAY BE A CHANGING OF THE GUARD WITH HIS VETERAN PLAYERS. After eight long months, the United States Women’s National Team was back. When the USWNT took the pitch in Breda it marked the first time since their 3-1 win against Japan on March 17th that the side had actually played a game together. For a team that through the years had grown together primarily because international football was the only game in town that is certainly a marked change from the norm. The good news is that business will certainly be picking up for the USWNT come 2021. With the Olympics still slated to go on in Tokyo and the potential for a changing of a guard there are more than a…

‘ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI NETTED 34 LEAGUE GOALS LAST SEASON AND CONTINUED THAT SPECTACULAR SCORING RATE THIS TERM BY SCORING 12 TIMES IN HIS FIRST NINE BUNDESLIGA GAMES.’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR: ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI, BAYERN MUNICH AND POLAND Robert Lewandowski netted 34 league goals last season and continued that spectacular scoring rate this term by scoring 12 times in his first nine Bundesliga games. The 32-year old found the back of the net on 42 occasions before December was out as Bayern Munich lifted the league title, German Cup, Champions League, European Super Cup and German Super Cup. The Poland international’s haul of 42 goals and five trophies this calendar year makes him Player of the Year. YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR: ERLING BRAUT HAALAND, BORUSSIA DORTMUND AND NORWAY Erling Braut Haaland…

Arrigo Sacchi once said that, “Football is the most important of the least important things in life.” While he didn’t make this quote in 2020 it certainly applies to the current state of affairs. With our world still coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of a vaccine on the horizon, football fans are starting to think ahead. After watching games for months on television the possibility of returning to games is on the horizon. But the big question that has yet to be answered is just what sporting events will look like. While football is certainly not the only industry that has suffered during this pandemic it has definitely taken a hit. Despite the major television contracts, sponsorship deals, and partnerships football clubs across the world are struggling…

Age creeps up on you and nothing dates you more than your love of the beautiful game. Who were your heroes growing up? Which players or teams first really got you hooked on watching football, made you realise this was the sport that would define your life? What it also does is mark milestones in your existence, seeing goals that bring back a Proustian rush of memory, returning you to the elated state you were in at that very moment when you first saw the ball travel towards the net. Don’t fight the emotion, embrace it. The first thing to make you realise time is passing rapidly is when your heroes hang up their boots. Inevitable, of course, but still emotional seeing Francesco Totti or Alessandro Del Piero wave goodbye…

It was in LaLiga that Maradona took his first steps in European football, joining Barcelona for a then-world-record fee of $7.6 million after starring in his home country for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors. Joan Gaspart, who was the vice-president at Barcelona at the time, later revealed in interviews that the Barça directors who went to Argentina to work on the signing had to travel in a tank because the Argentine authorities feared for their safety. Prizing Maradona away from his loyal fans in Buenos Aires was tough, but it was worth it. Barcelona had acquired an elite player. Injury and illness meant Maradona didn’t play as many games for the Blaugrana as the club had hoped, but when he did take to the pitch of Europe’s biggest stadium it…

‘ROSSI WENT HOME WITH NOT JUST A WINNER’S MEDAL, BUT THE GOLDEN BOOT, GOLDEN BALL AND 1982’S BALLON D’OR’ 14 days after the tragic passing of Diego Armando Maradona, the footballing world was dealt another shattering blow as Paolo Rossi died at the age of 64. The Tuscan native was suffering from a longterm, undisclosed illness and his loss has sent shockwaves around Italy, and, indeed, the world. Beyond his on-field achievements, the plaudits have flooded in, above all, for a man and friend. “His smile, his kindness and his way of life will be sorely missed,” devastated teammate Giuseppe Bergomi told reporters. Former Juventus colleague Zbigniew Boniek praised the striker’s human qualities. “With Paolo Rossi I haven't just won trophies, with Paolo Rossi I lived through the best things…

The first halves of the 2020-21 Champions League and Europa League campaigns were fascinating affairs, with excitement and surprise in spades. And though the lack of supporters in stadiums has removed the atmosphere for the biggest European nights, it has arguably contributed to more unpredictable results than ever before. There were 32 teams in the Champions League group stage when it got underway on October 20, representing 14 countries. Some were dreaming of reaching the final, scheduled for May 29 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Turkey, while some were almost expecting to be there. The competition was marred when it was alleged an assistant referee in the Istanbul Basaksehir vs. Paris Saint-Germain fixture in December used a racist term towards Pierre Webo, one of the Istanbul coaches. The match…

"ATLETICO MADRID HAD TO PLAY A CRUNCH LALIGA MATCH WITHOUT THEIR KEY MARKSMAN LUIS SUAREZ" The effects of the Coronavirus is still strongly felt in the world of football and it's more strongly felt in LaLiga than any other major league in the world. The novel virus has taken its toll on the league and inadvertently upset the table of power, somehow creating a level playing ground for all teams in Spain. The economic and financial constraints imposed by the pandemic has made it impossible for top teams who have been known to attract the best prospects and gleefully splash out cash to sign them, to suffer. The past summer transfer window has been a rather quite one for the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid in terms of arrivals…

When Tim Bezbatchenko left Toronto FC for the Columbus Crew following the 2018 season, many couldn't fathom the decision. Why would the former Reds general manager choose to leave what had become one of the biggest clubs in Major League Soccer with a plethora of resources for a team that had been on the brink of relocation? The answer proved to be simple. He wanted to return home. Bezbatchenko's parents had been Crew season ticket holders since the club's inception and he had the opportunity to rebuild his hometown club as the president and general manager of the team. “It’s a tough one because we really settled in Toronto,” Bezbatchenko said in an interview at the time. “We fell in love with the city and we weren’t going to leave…

The end of Major League Soccer’s regular season can be viewed as the start of the business end of the campaign — the MLS Cup Playoffs — but in terms of judging overall, consistent performance, the regular season is the most accurate measure. This is why the Supporters’ Shield should be considered the most prestigious award in MLS, and also why the regular season comes into its own when using data to measure performance. The variables and variety of opposition allow players to show their quality over long periods and in different scenarios. That’s not to discount the importance of the playoffs and the intrigue and entertainment they provide, but the end of the regular season feels like a good time to look at the standout performers in this unique…

Despite all of the obstacles thrown their way, women’s European club football is stronger than ever. After a tough spring season which saw play shut down due to COVID the European women’s club teams have rebounded with a strong summer and an even better fall. With the UEFA Champions League kicking into high gear in December the European sides are looking to finally break through and show the world what they can do. At least initially, it looked as if the league that would benefit most from this extra attention would be England and the FA Women’s Super League. After an offseason which saw the likes of Rose LaVelle (Manchester City), Samantha Mewis (Manchester City), Alex Morgan (Tottenham Hotspur), Christen Press (Manchester United), and Tobin Heath (Manchester United) join their…

MEN AWARDS The Football governing body on Wednesday revealed the shortlisted candidates for seven of the individual trophies that will be presented at its annual award ceremony. Despite the distraction of the COVID-19 pandemic that has seen France Football cancel its annual Ballon D’or ceremony for this year, FIFA has scheduled the award ceremony for December 17th, 2020. The seven individual prizes selected from the male and female categories include; The Best FIFA Women’s and Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s and Men’s Goalkeeper, The Best FIFA Women’s and Men’s Coach, and The Puskas award. Eleven players were included for the best player award in the men’s category, with the Premier League heavily represented. Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara—formerly of Bayern Munich—are the four Liverpool…

"We have to remember VAR was introduced for the first time two years ago, not 20 years ago. VAR is helping football, it’s certainly not damaging football. We must not make a confusion between VAR and maybe sometimes wrong decisions which are taken because of the wrong way in which VAR is used, maybe in some places because of the lack of experience of those who are using VAR."- FIFA President Gianni Infantino responds to growing criticism of VAR, saying that the system is still evolving and that overall it’s helping the game more than it is hurting it. "I think the continued success of young Americans coming to the league and getting opportunities to play is going to attract more young players. Playing in Europe is one thing, but…

“THE CANADIAN IS NINTH IN POSITION, WITH A VALUE OF $133.5 MILLION” On 3 November, the CIES Football Observatory released its biannual transfer value list and ranked Alphonso Davies in the top 10. The Canadian is ninth in position, with a value of €133.5 million. And he was the youngest footballer in the top 20 ahead of Erling Haaland, who is in No. 15. Alphonso’s brilliant year for Bayern Munich culminated in a series of personal awards and milestones including being included in the UEFA Champions League squad for the 2020 season. The youngster introduced himself truly to the world in Lisbon, leading to big names in the industry to label him as the best left-back in the world. He was also the recipient of the Lou Marsh Trophy for…