Because of the European Championships, Olympics, Gold Cup, and Copa America, most European teams have yet to do much business in the transfer window. Traditional powerhouses like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Juventus have made relatively few moves, whilst some smaller teams have been making smart, under-the-radar moves. In this article we’ll look at who has made the best moves in each of Europe’s top five leagues according to UEFA.…
Recently, Africa has become a hotbed for young talent. Future stars are making names for themselves. Take Egyptian (and African) champions Al Ahly: Ahmed Hegazy, Trezeguet, and Ramadan Sobhi who have all recently transferred to successful European teams. And Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca have sold Yassine Bounou, who has since become one of La Liga’s best goalkeepers. South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns have moved Percy Tau and Keagan Dolly to first tier…
In January, I wrote an article on the Egyptian Premier League. At the time, many fans were growing frustrated with UEFA and European soccer in general, and the later planning of the Super League didn’t help. In the article, I encouraged readers to look into other leagues, mainly Egypt’s Premier League. Now, seven months later, Egypt – and possibly the world’s – most successful club have claimed yet another trophy.…
The UEFA team of the tournament has been announced, with the best performers at every position making the team. (You can find that list here.) The list is solid, but I thought I’d make a list of who I think should have made the team. Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy Who else could it be? Gianluigi Donnarumma was named player of the tournament and was instrumental for Italy, helping them win…
In a tight game that ultimately went to penalties, Italy defeated England to win the 2020 European Championship. After taking the lead in the second minute from a Luke Shaw strike, England sat back and defended. This is a strategy that worked for them the entire tournament, as the Three Lions had not conceded in the four games where they had scored first. It almost worked again in what would…
The final of the 2020 Euro has arrived, and, a couple years ago, this result could not have seemed farther away. These two teams have struggled in recent history. At the 2014 World Cup, England failed to make it out of the group stages. Italy were in the same group and also managed to be eliminated, as Uruguay and Costa Rica got the better of both teams. In the 2016…
The final four teams of the Euros have been decided. The big teams continued to drop, as Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic, and Ukraine were all eliminated. Belgium had been ranked as the top team in the world according to FIFA, and Switzerland was ranked thirteenth. But who eliminated these teams, and who could still win the tournament? Spain (P)1-1 Switzerland It looked like the stars were aligning for the Swiss…
For the first time since signing with Barcelona in 2000, Lionel Messi is officially a free agent. These past few seasons, Messi has made his displeasure with the Blaugrana clear. Last season he pushed for an exit, only denied because the clause allowing him to move for free expired. Messi ended up staying with Barcelona, hopeful for success. Individual success happened, with Messi scoring 38 in all competitions and collecting…
Just when you think you have it all figured out, everything changes. After the Czech Republic beat the Netherlands (which you can read about here), everyone assumed that would be the biggest upset of the Round of 16. The impressive Dutch side that won Group C lost handily to the Czechs, and that was that – except Switzerland had different plans, shocking France on penalties. When it looked like both…
Unlike the Champions League, the Euros (and World Cup) have only one leg in the knockout stages. If you win, you advance. There’s no room for error, as four teams have already found out. Austria, Wales, the Netherlands, and Portugal have been eliminated in the Round of 16, and four more will be eliminated in the coming days. But who has been eliminated, and who has advanced? Denmark 4-0 Wales…
