Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 99 i Soccer 360 Magazine

ATALANTA The Bergamo club missed out on European football for the first time in six years under ultra-attacking coach Gian Piero Gasperini last term. La Dea slumped to eighth and after three consecutive Champions League appearances, they will target Europe again. It could be a make or break season for veteran coach Gasperini, who has added exciting new recruits Ademola Lookman and Ederson to a squad already full of seasoned internationals. Atalanta’s offensive approach often leaves them open at the back but Gasperini is unlikely to change a formula that has been both thrilling and effective in recent years. MANAGER: Gian Piero Gasperini KEY ARRIVALS: Demiral (Juventus), Ederson (Salernitana) KEY DEPARTURES: Pessina (Monza), Sutalo (Dinamo Zagreb), Del Prato (Parma), Gollini (Fiorentina), Reca (Spezia), Lovato (Salernitana) LAST YEAR FINISH: 8th BOLOGNA…

AUGUST 28TH Salernitana v Sampdoria Verona v Atalanta Fiorentina v Napoli Lecce v Empoli AUGUST 30TH Sassuolo v AC Milan Inter Milan v Cremonese Roma v Monza Empoli v Verona Sampdoria v Lazio Udinese v Fiorentina Juventus v Spezia Napoli v Lecce SEPTEMBER 1ST Atalanta v Torino Bologna v Salernitana SEPTEMBER 3RD Fiorentina v Juventus AC Milan v Inter Milan Lazio v Napoli SEPTEMBER 4TH Cremonese v Sassuolo Spezia v Bologna Verona v Sampdoria Udinese v Roma Monza v Atalanta Salernitana v Empoli Torino v Lecce SEPTEMBER 11TH Atalanta v Cremonese Bologna v Fiorentina Empoli v Roma Inter Milan v Torino Juventus v Salernitana Lazio v Verona Lecce v Monza Napoli v Spezia Sampdoria v AC Milan Sassuolo v Udinese SEPTEMBER 18TH AC Milan v Napoli Bologna v Empoli Cremonese…

GONZALO HIGUAIN – NAPOLI TO JUVENTUS In July 2016 the Bianconeri smashed their transfer record when they shelled out €90 million for Gonzalo Higuain from rivals Napoli. The Argentine hitman levelled the all-time goal-scoring record the previous season when scoring 36 times for the Partenopei. Pipita played just 149 times in all competitions for the Old Lady before unsuccessful loan moves to Milan and Chelsea before mutually terminating his contract with the club in September 2020. JOAO MARIO – SPORTING CP TO INTER While the Portuguese midfielder may have not ever been a one-time record signing at Inter, in 2016 his €40m plus transfer fee from Sporting Clube de Portugal was one of the highest ever paid by the Milanese club. Under coach Luciano Spalletti, he found himself warming the…

10.) MEAD SETS THE TONE IN OPENER Hosting a major tournament is never an easy task. The weight and expectations have crushed even the strongest of sides. For England, the pressure was tenfold given the country’s footballing history and the lack of silverware in the cupboard (Prior to this year’s tournament no England side had won a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup). Although it wasn’t an easy opener against Austria, an early goal from Beth Mead in the 10th minute gave the side the momentum it needed to secure the result and start their run on the right foot. 9.) GEYORO HITS A HAT TRICK The opening weekend of the tournament was supposed to be highlighted by a major matchup between France and Italy. The French ruined the…

There are few players in world football who have won more trophies than Giorgio Chiellini. The Juventus icon helped lead his former club to nine straight Serie A championships along with a Serie B title, five Coppa Italia and five Suppercoppa Italiana triumphs. However, he ultimately cemented his legacy across the globe when he captained the Azzurri to a European Championship in the summer of 2021. It only makes sense that a team looking to win their first MLS Cup would bring in a defender with the experience of Chiellini. It isn’t easy making a midseason move to MLS, but the 38-year-old hasn’t needed much time to adapt to his new environment. “A player of his caliber, he prides himself on not making mistakes, and he can get on the…

THE GOOD There is plenty of debate as to whether a playoff system really belongs in soccer, but the postseason races in both the Eastern and Western Conferences this year are proving why they do. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, there can be no denying how much more interesting they make the season for fans of most teams in the league. Heading into the final months of the regular season, there are numerous teams that still have the potential to squeak into the playoffs and potentially win the MLS Cup. “If we can take that urgency to make the most of our remaining games while continuing to move in the right direction, adding the new pieces that we have, as they continue to gel and find the…

Istanbul is finally set to stage the Champions League final next May, after two years of having one of the sport’s biggest games moved from the Turkish capital. The showpiece of European club football had been promised to the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in 2020 and then 2021 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The final is obviously still a long way off, as the Champions League group stage has only just been finalised. But now that the clubs know their initial opponents, the main order of business can begin. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE As usual, all eyes will be on the mega-rich clubs. The wealthy owners of both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain will be becoming anxious that the most glittering prize of all has eluded them so far. Could…

Karim Benzema excited just about everyone - outside of Barcelona - last season as he repeatedly scored late goals to help Real Madrid to the final of the Champions League. In the end, the France international scored 15 goals in the competition and was the top goalscorer. It was the first time that he had won that honour and he continued a changing of the guard at the top of the game. Barcelona and Real Madrid didn’t win every Champions League of the 2000s and 2010s, but Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo certainly did their best for that to happen. From 2007 to 2019 one of those two incredibly talented footballers topped the goal charts in Europe’s most prestigious club competition. The only other name on the list is Neymar,…

The careers of Romelu Lukaku and in particular Paul Pogba have taken on a trajectory almost akin to a yo-yo, and now they both find themselves back at the place where they have enjoyed their biggest highlights to date, in Serie A with Inter and Juventus respectively. There was a sense of homecoming for both, such was their eagerness to return to somewhere they are loved by a club and its supporter base, after record-breaking moves back to the English Premier League fell dramatically short of expectations. For Lukaku, in his mind it is very much a case of righting the wrongs of his decision to leave the San Siro to re-join Chelsea in the summer of 2021, having endured a disappointing season last term. Upon returning to Inter on…

ALMERIA Almeria dramatically clinched the Segunda Division title on the final weekend of the 2021-22 season to edge out rivals Eibar and Real Valladolid. Rubi’s reward for securing promotion is a crack at La Liga in the months ahead, but their summer transfer business does little to inspire optimism of anything other than a relegation battle in 2022-23. The majority of their hopes will rely on Umar Sadiq’s ability to convert his 18 second tier goals from last season into a solid top-flight return, with the Nigerian international making his La Liga debut. MANAGER: Rubi KEY ARRIVALS: Milovanovic (Partizan Belgrade), Pozo (Sevilla), Guedes (Vitoria Guimaraes), Babic (Red Star Belgrade), Mende (Lorient), Sola (Barcelona), Kaiky (Santos), Svidersky (Manchester United), KEY DEPARTURES: Bunuel (released) LAST YEAR FINISH: 1st in La liga 2…

AUGUST 21ST Athletic Bilbao v Valencia Atletico Madrid v Villarreal Real Sociedad v Barcelona Elche v Almeria Girona v Getafe Girona v Celta Vigo Real Betis v Osasuna Elche v Real Sociedad Rayo Vallecano v Real Mallorca Almeria v Sevilla AUGUST 28TH Getafe v Villarreal Barcelona v Real Valladolid Espanyol v Real Madrid Cadiz v Athletic Bilbao Valencia v Atletico Madrid SEPTEMBER 4TH Celta Vigo v Cadiz Real Mallorca v Girona Real Madrid v Real Betis Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid Sevilla v Barcelona Osasuna v Rayo Vallecano Athletic Bilbao v Espanyol Villarreal v Elche Valencia v Getafe Real Valladolid v Almeria Girona v Real Valladolid SEPTEMBER 10TH Rayo Vallecano v Valencia Espanyol v Sevilla Cadiz v Barcelona Real Madrid v Real Mallorca Getafe v Real Sociedad Elche v Athletic…

After a fantastic 2021-2022 campaign which saw attendance numbers shattered (including 91,000 for the Quarterfinal match between Real Madrid-FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou) and television rating records broken UEFA’s focus now more than ever seems to be solely on growing their now very popular tournament. This summer’s European Championship only seems to have further emboldened the region’s governing body. It also doesn’t hurt that the structure of the Champions League, now mirroring the men’s with a group stage and a knockout stage, has created some excellent matches and fierce rivalries. The one constant during all of this change though has been Lyon. The defending champions come into this year’s tournament once again as the favorites, having won Europe’s top club competition a record eight times and six of the…

‘THERE ARE SIMPLY NOT MANY PLAYERS IN THE WORLD WHO CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON A MATCH LIKE GARETH BALE’ When Los Angeles FC began MLS play in 2018, they did their best to ensure they wouldn’t be second class citizens in their own city. After all, they play in the same town as the Los Angeles Galaxy who are the most successful club in league history. Having won five MLS Cups and two Supporters’ Shields, the Galaxy had a 22-year head start on their new rivals. However, LAFC assembled a talented team ready to compete immediately in their inaugural campaign. It didn’t take them long to win their first trophy either, as they lifted the Supporters’ Shield in 2019 by setting an all-time MLS record for most points in…

‘PRIOR TO SEATTLE’S TRIUMPH, NO MLS SIDE HAD WON THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.’ Sometimes even 68,000 home supporters can sound uncertain. Back in May, the Seattle Sounders walked onto the pitch in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League against Tigres of Mexico with an incredible opportunity and a ton of weight on their shoulders. After securing a 2-2 draw in Mexico City, the Sounders looked to end the curse that had afflicted not just their team but all Major League Soccer sides when playing in the continent’s club competition. Despite the nerves and the weight of history on their backs, Seattle took down Tigres 3-0 to earn top honors and perhaps send another sign that the battle for continental supremacy may be changing. When it comes to any…

FIFA WORLD CUP Qatar 2022 NOVEMBER 20 - DECEMBER 18 ‘QATAR HAS NEATLY SIDESTEPPED THE MAJORITY OF PROBLEMS AHEAD OF THE OPEN GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT’ When Qatar was announced as the host for the 2022 World Cup eyebrows were justifiably raised. The country had never played in the competition and was smaller than any other nation to host, not to mention the fact that summer temperatures peaked at around 50 degrees Celsius. Since then, public opinion has evolved from one of surprise to that of outrage as a number of scandals have emerged both about Qatar’s bid for the competition and its preparations for kick-off in November. Even with the potential bribery case aside, issues such as human rights abuses, cultural divisions and even accusations of state-funded terrorism has…

FIFA WORLD CUP Qatar 2022 NOVEMBER 20 - DECEMBER 18 SOME ENGLISH FANS WERE CALLING FOR MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE TO BE SACKED AFTER A COUPLE OF HIS TACTICAL DECISIONS DIDN’T QUITE PAY OFF. Some English fans were calling for manager Gareth Southgate to be sacked after a couple of his tactical decisions didn’t quite pay off. In the second loss against Hungary, in a child-only Molineux atmosphere, Southgate fielded a side with a relatively low amount of international experience, with the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher and Jarrod Bowen coming into the side. One criticism of England during Southgate’s tenure has been a lack of tempo or intensity, and that has been more prominent than ever this year. England looked flat, and a controversial second yellow…

MUSK CREATES STINK Tesla CEO Elon Musk jokingly announced plans to buy the football club in an extravagant tweet that has sent football fans into meltdown. Many United fans thought that the US billionaire was truly interested in buying the club and expressed their delight. But their hopes were nipped in the bud when Musk clarified that he was joking and he wasn’t interested in acquiring any sports teams. United fans are not fond of the current owners of the club as they hold them responsible for the club’s drastic decline over the past few seasons. SOCIAL CASH COW Sports data analysts Bonus Finder, per The Mirror, have crunched the numbers and worked out which finely-tuned athletes rake in the most cash per social media post. Cristiano Ronaldo tops the…

GROUP STAGE DRAW August 25th GROUP STAGE September 6 - November 2 ROUND OF 16 DRAW November 7 ROUND OF 16 FIRST LEG February 14 - 22 ROUND OF 16 SECOND LEG March 7 - 15 KNOCKOUT STAGE DRAW March 17 QUARTER FINALS FIRST LEG April 11 - 12 QUARTER FINALS SECOND LEG April 18 - 19 SEMI FINALS FIRST LEG May 9 - 10 SEMI FINALS SECOND LEG May 16 - 17 FINALS June 10, 2023 Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul GROUP STAGE DRAW August 26th GROUP STAGE September 8 - November 3 * Knockout Round ROUND OF 16 LEGS March 9 & 16 QUARTER FINALS LEGS April 13 & 20 SEMI FINALS LEGS May 11 & 18 FINALS May 31, 2023 Puskas Arena, Budapest GROUP STAGE DRAW August 26th…

ARSENAL There was immense disappointment for Arsenal at the end of 2021-22 after they failed to secure a Champions League place, but coach Mikel Arteta is clearly overseeing real progress at the club and so they’ll have every chance of going one better this time. The arrivals of former Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko are statements of intent and considerably improve what is already an exciting squad full of attacking talent. If they can find the mental resilience to go with their style, then it should be a very strong season for the Gunners. MANAGER: Mikel Arteta KEY ARRIVALS: Viera (Porto), Turner (New England Revolution), Marquinhos (Sao Paolo), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Zinchenko (Manchester City) KEY DEPARTURES: Lacazette (Lyon), Guendouzi (Marseille) LAST YEAR FINISH: 5th ‘MIKEL ARTETA…

AUGUST 20TH Spurs v Wolves Crystal Palace v Aston Villa Everton v Nottingham Forest Fulham v Brentford Leicester City v Southampton Bournemouth v Arsenal Leeds United v Chelsea West Ham United v Brighton Newcastle United v Manchester City Manchester United v Liverpool AUGUST 27TH Southampton v Manchester United Brentford v Everton Brighton v Leeds United Chelsea v Leicester City Liverpool v Bournemouth Manchester City v Crystal Palace Arsenal v Fulham Aston Villa v West Ham United Wolves v Newcastle United Nottingham Forest v Spurs AUGUST 30TH Crystal Palace v Brentford Fulham v Brighton Southampton v Chelsea Leeds United v Everton AUGUST 31ST Arsenal v Aston Villa Bournemouth v Wolves Manchester City v Nottingham Forest West Ham United v Spurs Liverpool v Newcastle United Leicester City v Manchester United SEPTEMBER 3RD…

Barcelona’s 2014-15 season is widely regarded as one of the Blaugrana’s greatest ever campaigns. Success on the pitch was spearheaded by the terrifying trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez who between them netted an unprecedented 122 goals in all competitions. To put that into perspective, that is more than Cordoba, Almeria, Eibar, and Granada managed throughout the entire league season combined. The club achieved its second continental treble winning the La Liga title, the Copa Del Rey, and the Champions League - defeating Juventus 3-1 in the final hosted in Berlin. Off the pitch, it appeared there was plenty to celebrate too. FC Barcelona’s managing board released the club’s financial statement and for the first time since its inception in 1899, total income topped the €600m mark, recording…

AUGSBURG Last season saw Augsburg avoid the drop with some room to spare, as their 38 points earned over the course of 34 matches was enough to guarantee safety. Now under the tutelage of a new manager, Enrico Maasen, die Fuggerstadter will hope to compete for a place in the top half of the table. It naturally will not be easy, as they’ve seen several players depart, but Augsburg have attempted to mitigate this by making some key signings from other rival teams. Time will tell, however, if this time around will spell better fortunes. MANAGER: Enrico Maassen KEY ARRIVALS: Bauer (Greuther Furth), Maier (Hertha Berlin), Demirovic (Freiburg) KEY DEPARTURES: Gregoritsch (Freiburg), Moravek (released), Finnbogason (released) LAST YEAR FINISH: 14th BAYER LEVERKUSEN Bayer Leverkusen are among a cluster of teams…

AUGUST 20TH Bayer Leverkusen v Hoffenheim Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen FC Augsburg v Mainz Stuttgart v SC Freiburg Wolfsburg v Schalke 1. FC Union Berlin v RB Leipzig Eintracht Frankfurt v Cologne Bochum v Bayern Munich SC Freiburg v Bochum AUGUST 27TH Hertha Berlin v Borussia Dortmund Hoffenheim v FC Augsburg Mainz v Bayer Leverkusen RB Leipzig v Wolfsburg Schalke v 1. FC Union Berlin Bayern Munich v M’gladbach Cologne v Stuttgart Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt SEPTEMBER 3RD Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim 1. FC Union Berlin v Bayern Munich Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg Bochum v Werder Bremen Stuttgart v Schalke Wolfsburg v Cologne Eintracht Frankfurt v RB Leipzig FC Augsburg v Hertha Berlin M’gladbach v Mainz Werder Bremen v FC Augsburg SEPTEMBER 10TH Bayern Munich v Stuttgart…

STEVEN GERRARD Steven Gerrard would probably like a re-do of his time on the pitch with the Galaxy, as he was often injured and didn’t win any individual or team awards in North America. However, he did help the Galaxy sell a lot of jerseys and raise the team’s profile even more across the globe. ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC While the Swedish striker only played in Los Angeles with the Galaxy for two seasons, he made quite the impression on and off the pitch. Although he didn’t help the club win any silverware, he was named MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2018 and was an MLS All-Star in both seasons he played. Perhaps most impressively though, his ridiculous goal during his debut against Los Angeles FC was voted as the greatest…

The Premier League is the most lucrative football league in the world. It is the home to some of the biggest stars in world football, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah; as well as hiring some of the most impressive and forward-thinking managers like Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel. Major League Soccer, meanwhile, has seen its league attracting more attention with bigger names from world football being drawn to the league each year. Most recently, Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini joined LAFC making them favourites for the MLS Cup with many bookies. While Lorenzo Insigne rocked up with his Italian friends in Toronto making them an outside bet for the playoffs after a poor start. On top of these, Wayne Rooney has taken over as the head coach…

FIFA WORLD CUP Qatar 2022 NOVEMBER 20 - DECEMBER 18 RAHEEM STERLING Raheem Sterling famously grew up ‘in the shadow of the Wembley arch’, in the London borough of Brent, and has now become quite possibly the Three Lions’ best player. Directness, progression and goal threat are all key attributes for wingers in Southgate’s system, and Chelsea’s new star fits the mould to a tee. One point of interest is that Sterling’s move to Chelsea could mean he is playing in a very similar role for both club and country, which will make him even more familiar with the role, and could lead to a terrifying prospect in Qatar. TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD A man who seems perfect for the right wing back role for England is Trent Alexander-Arnold. His spot is…

Magdalena Eriksson (29) September 8 Club: Chelsea Women's • Nation: Sweden For her performance over the years, and especially after Chelsea's WSL title winning 2020–21 season, Eriksson was hailed as one of the best defenders in Europe. She was part of the Swedish squad that won silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[21] Since then, Eriksson represented Sweden at every major tournament, namely UEFA Women's Euro 2017, 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, 2020 Summer Olympics, and UEFA Women's Euro 2022. At the 2020 Olympics, she won the silver medal after Sweden lost to Canada in the final. Luka Modrić (37) September 9 Club: Real Madrid • Nation: Croatia Luka Modrić is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, and as the greatest Croatian footballer ever. In 2018,…