What Ligue 1 Loses and Germany’s Bundesliga Gains…For Free   France is French and Germany is German, but borders can be fluid things. Back in 800 A.D., Charlemagne’s empire knew no Franco-German border, and the succeeding Holy Roman Empire included substantial French, Italian and Slavic territory. In today’s world, the football transfer system respects no border…

Chelsea FC have finally sorted their ownership troubles with the Todd Boehly-led consortium confirmed as the new owners. The sanctions imposed on Roman Abrahimovich meant Chelsea was unable to run like a proper sports franchise.   Having resolved the dilemma, the club can now plan for the future, which will see a major squad rebuild.…

Serie A has enjoyed a resurgence in recent seasons, with Atalanta and Roma impressing at different levels in Europe and AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Napoli engaging in a tightly contested title race this campaign.   Among the many reasons for the league’s rise has been a crop of exciting, young Italian talents playing across…

When Ruben Loftus-Cheek began to emerge under Jose Mourinho in Chelsea’s 2014/15 Premier League-winning season, everyone thought that he was a world-beater in the making. His performances caught the eye and the potential was there for everyone to see. About seven years down the line, Loftus-Cheek is part of the Chelsea first team but he’s…

The 22-year-old French goalkeeping sensation has become a staple between the sticks for a top-heavy Leeds squad.   The final weekend of the 2021–22 Premier League season was poised to be a classic standoff across the board, with the champion, European qualification, and relegation yet to be decided after 37 matches. At the bottom of…

Kouadio Koné is a young midfielder who has been making waves in the Bundesliga with his performances for Borussia Monchengladbach. A product of the Toulouse youth system, Koné recently made the move to Germany in an £8 million transfer, but he has already adapted well to the physicality and pace of the German topflight.  …

James Maddison, as always, confounded his critics and admirers at different points of the 2021-22 season. He ended the campaign as the jewel in Leicester City’s crown, integral to their rebound, but started it as a thorn in the side of Brendan Rodgers, dropped from the starting eleven due to shoddy workmanship off the ball.…

The defensive lynchpin, and a vital cog in AC Milan’s youngest team to win the Serie A title, Fikayo Tomori has progressed massively since leaving Chelsea.   Playing the most minutes of any outfield player in Milan’s Scudetto-winning outfit, the importance of Tomori to Stefano Pioli’s side cannot be understated. And now, the centre-back has…

Eyebrows were raised when Real Madrid poached 17-year-old Vinicius Jr from Flamengo in the summer of 2017 for an eye-watering €46 million. Too young to even join Los Blancos at the time of his transfer due to international transfer restrictions, he arrived in the Spanish capital in 2018 with the weight of the world’s heavy…

The relationships between fans, players, and clubs in the world of football is one that I struggle to find similarities with when comparing to the sporting culture here in America. Human beings, just like you and I, transcend the realm of mere mortals and evolve into deities despite their nationality, race, or religion.   Whether…