Dribble Diaries

As Antonio Rudiger successfully netted the fifth penalty in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Manchester City, Real Madrid demonstrated their European pedigree once more, advancing to the competition's semifinals against all odds. The Premier League side was obviously the most challenging opponent the Merengues could have faced in the tournament, especially given Carlo Ancelotti's terrible record against them. The majority of the joy from that triumph has subsided, as Real Madrid prepares to meet another European giant, Bayern Munich, in the first leg of the semifinal tomorrow. While Manchester City was the most in-form side in the current edition of the league, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are unquestionably two of the best teams in the competition's history. Matches between the two sides have become the stuff of European legend, and the rivalry is justifiably nicknamed the "European Clasico". According to the official UEFA website, the two teams ha...

Between 2020 and 2021, Robert Lewandowski had the most successful period of his career with FC Bayern. However, the Polish international did not win the Ballon d'Or. However, there are suspicions that the 2020 prize will be handed retrospectively. Lewandowski has not lost hope in this regard. Even at the age of 35, Robert Lewandowski maintains an impressive goal-scoring record. This season, the Barça attacker has 20 goals and nine assists in 43 competitive appearances. However, the striker unquestionably had his best years at FC Bayern. Lewandowski also sees it this way. He told Sport BILD that 2020 and 2021 were the best years of his career. A friend recently texted me this statistic: "I scored 100 goals in 85 games." In both years, the Pole was named FIFA World Player of the Year, but he was denied the Ballon d'Or. Retrospective honor for Lewandowski?  However, there are now suggestions that the 2020 prize may be handed retrospectively. Regardless of the delay, Lewa...

Four talking themes ahead of the Champions League semi-finals, including a clash between England's biggest stars and Paris Saint-Germain's soft centre. Kane and Bellingham go head-to-head Only two English players have won the Champions League with a foreign club: Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves, who won in successive seasons with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich from 2000 to 2002. This week, the former teams of that couple compete for a spot in the final, with English influence once more at the forefront of their concerns. Harry Kane's Bayern Munich will face Jude Bellingham's Real Madrid in continental competition, pitting arguably England's most influential players against foreign powers. Kane has been Bayern's shining light this season, scoring 42 goals and being personally involved in 10 Champions League goals, a joint-record for an English player in a single season with David Beckham (1998/99 and 2001/02) and Steven Gerrard (2007/08).  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧 England...

Leicester City will return to the Premier League next season, having won the Championship with a 3-0 victory over Preston North End. The Foxes may still reach 100 points if they beat Blackburn at home on the final day of the season, showing their superb overall campaign as they return to the top division after only a year away. While the squad has changed slightly this year following relegation and the appointment of Enzo Maresca as head coach, some familiar faces remain in the Leicester lineup, most notably top scorer Jamie Vardy, who has 16 Championship goals this season despite coming off the bench as frequently as he has started. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has a dozen goals and more than that many assists, while Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard, and Ricardo Pereira are all regulars. Harry Winks, a £10 million signing from Tottenham, and Stephy Mavididi, both vital players who have led the squad to triumph this season, have joined those from their last Premier League season. Leicester's...

Thiago Silva has declared, with tears in his eyes, that he will leave Chelsea in the summer, bringing his four-year spell at Stamford Bridge to an end. South American joined the Blues in 2020. Has won the Champions League while in England. Expected to return home at 39 years of age. After his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired, the talented Brazilian defender joined the Blues as a free agent in 2020. He has been working on short-term contracts since then, but there will be no extension in 2024. Silva, 39, is anticipated to return home after previously indicating that he wants to complete his career at Fluminense, where it all began. That decision will be made after creating many unforgettable memories in west London, with the South American giving an emotional message to Chelsea fans. Silva stated on the club's official website: "Chelsea means a lot to me. I came here with the aim of remaining for a year, but it ended up being four years. Not only for me, bu...

On Saturday, La Liga saw new developments in the fight for the Pichichi honor. As much happened in route to Girona's defeat of Las Palmas. Míchel's Girona team won 2-0 in Gran Canaria after traveling there earlier today. David López was the first to score, and Artem Dovbyk completed the scoring just shy of the hour mark, propelling the Blanquivermells to second place in the La Liga table, ahead of Catalan neighbors Barcelona. In the process, the latter increased his lead as the leading scorer in Spain's premier division. Dovbyk scored from the penalty spot against Las Palmas, giving him five goals in his past four outings and 19 overall this season. This is two more than second-placed Jude Bellingham, who missed Real Madrid's victory over Real Sociedad on Friday due to a case of gastroenteritis. The Pichichi prize moves away from the capital and towards Girona.

Manchester City are waiting to learn if Ederson will be out for the rest of the season after injuring his shoulder in the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest. The goalie, who was replaced at halftime after being injured in a clash with Forest's Willy Boly, left the City Ground with his arm in a sling. "It doesn't look good," said manager Pep Guardiola. "We see tomorrow with the doctor." Stefan Ortega replaced Ederson against Forest, and the Brazilian may now miss the remaining Premier League games against Wolves, Fulham, Tottenham, and West Ham, as well as the FA Cup final against Manchester United. Ortega has made 17 appearances this season, keeping a clean sheet against Arsenal in the Premier League and Tottenham and Chelsea in the FA Cup, and he also appeared in the 3-3 tie with Real Madrid after Ederson returned from injury. Guardiola believes City cannot afford to drop a point if they want to keep the title. Arsenal defeated Tottenham earlier on Sunday, and ...

Castello Lukeba, an RB Leipzig defender, is said to have piqued the interest of both Manchester United and Chelsea after a good season in the Bundesliga. Leipzig paid a high price for Lukeba, reportedly €34 million (£29 million), when he transferred from Lyon last summer. However, the German side has frequently functioned as a stepping stone for players who aspire to play at the highest level, and it is not uncommon for young talents to move on fast. According to FootMercato, Manchester United has been studying the 21-year-old for "several weeks," while Chelsea has recently expressed interest. Both clubs could say goodbye to at least one senior centre-back this summer, with Manchester United yet to exercise an extension option on Raphael Varane's expiring contract and 39-year-old Thiago Silva expected to depart Chelsea and return to club football in Brazil before retiring. Leipzig are thought to have no plans to sell Lukeba this summer. However, his contract has a €70 mil...

Inter fans mocked Juventus by displaying a massive Scudetto with the number 14, which they won by default in 2006 following the Calciopoli Scandal. Inter fans are celebrating their 20th Scudetto with a home Serie A match against Torino, mocking their arch-rivals Juventus before kickoff.   Ultras exposed a massive Scudetto with the number 14 at San Siro. It was an obvious reference to the Serie A championship they won in 2006 after the Calciopoli scandal. Juventus finished top that season but were relegated to Serie B after a notorious referee fiasco. Milan finished second but were penalized points for their involvement, therefore third-placed Inter became Serie A winners. During last week's derby della Madonnina, Milan fans mocked their city rivals, claiming Inter had only won 19 titles on the pitch. Massimo Moratti, former Inter President, responded by claiming that if erroneous referee decisions had not been made, Inter would have already won 25 Serie A titles. Today, Inter fans ...

Paris Saint-Germain have been named Ligue 1 Champions with two games remaining, after second-placed Monaco suffered a 3-2 defeat to Lyon. The French giants, who are also in the Champions League's final four, squandered a chance to win the title on Saturday night with a 3-3 draw with Le Havre, but it was only a matter of time before Monaco slipped up, and they were named Champions barely 24 hours later. It means that with three games remaining, they are 12 points ahead of second-placed Monaco and cannot be caught, securing their second consecutive title and tenth Ligue 1 victory in 12 seasons. Though led by Kylian Mbappé's 24 goals, which are certain to earn him the Golden Boot, Luis Enrique's team will have to find a way to cope without him next season if he confirms his move to Real Madrid, which is considered one of the sport's worst kept secrets. For the time being, they are celebrating their accomplishment together, and they may do it again next month if they eventu...

Real Madrid will compete with arch rivals Barcelona for one of Spanish football's most sought-after young stars. According to Marca, Real is close to signing Aliaksei Mayorau. Mayorau, a 12-year-old Belarusian attacker, has long piqued the interest of clubs around Europe as a result of his achievements with Cerdanyola. Despite his youth, Mayorau is regarded as a rising star, with his touch, quick feet, explosive pace, eye for goal, and intelligence all of exceptional quality for a player his age. The two teams dominating the fight for his signing have long been Clásico rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid. The former even invited Mayorau to Montjuïc to attend one of the club's first-team matches. The Blaugrana's efforts, however, appear to be in futile. This comes as Marca confirms that 'the choice has already been taken' and that the teenage attacker would sign a contract with Real Madrid. Barca, and all other interested parties, have been informed that Mayorau's f...

The powers that be at Bundesliga heavyweights Bayer Leverkusen have identified an emerging defensive player from Real Madrid as a summer target. That's according to the German newspaper Sport Bild. Is Xabi Alonso and his team looking for real talent? Rafael Marín. Marín, a 21-year-old center defender, has spent the season on loan at La Liga club Alavés. The Spaniard has established himself as an important member of Alavés' backline, and his performances have long earned plaudits in both his native country and throughout Europe. According to media rumors, Marín is prepared to join Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid first-team squad next season. Only a few days later, however, it was confirmed that the stopper had found his way onto the radar of a prominent European club. According to Bild, Bayer Leverkusen, the recently crowned German champions, have identified Marín as a top target for one of the club's central defenders who are expected to leave in the summer. According to ...

  On Saturday, Bayern Munich's head coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged two new personnel problems in his squad. This is due to happenings in Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this afternoon.  The Bavarians, for their part, defeated Eintracht 2-1 at the Allianz Arena to prepare for their upcoming Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid. However, it appears that their eventual success was not without cost. During the 90-minute match on Saturday, both Konrad Laimer and Matthijs de Ligt were forced to leave the game early. Speaking to the media after the match, Thomas Tuchel admitted that the pair's exits were due to respective injury blows: "Konny Laimer has twisted his ankle and sustained a capsule injury." Matthijs de Ligt has a knee ailment involving the inner ligament. We need to check if they're both fit by Tuesday." Just three days before meeting the aforementioned Real Madrid, Bayern Munich's timi...

            While Bayern Munich has already lost the Bundesliga crown, the only bright spot this season has been Harry Kane's form. The Englishman scored twice as Bayern easily defeated Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday afternoon. The former Spurs player scored a brace, including one from the penalty spot, to increase his season total to 35 goals in 31 Bundesliga games and 42 in all competitions, a personal record. In the process, the 30-year-old became the first Bundesliga rookie to score or assist against every league opponent in a single season. It's only personal consolation for Kane, who appears to have abandoned London for the comforts of Bavaria in an attempt to get closer to silverware. However, breaking records and pushing your career goalscoring total for club and nation to 400 is no easy task. In brighter news for Kane and Bayern, they are still alive in the Champions League, facing the daunting prospect of a semi-final against Real Madrid....

Sheffield United are the first team to be officially demoted from the Premier League this season. The Blades have had a terrible season, winning only three games and conceding a record-breaking 97 goals with three games remaining. It is a record for a 38-game season and falls just three short of Swindon's all-time Premier League record, which is expected to be broken in the coming weeks. Their long-feared fate has now been confirmed by a 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United at St James' Park, with the Blades taking an early lead but finally losing. It leaves them with only 16 points and nine to play for, meaning they can no longer reach 17th-placed Nottingham Forest (who have 26 points). Will they, like Leicester City, return to the top flight at the first opportunity? 

Six talking points ahead of the Premier League weekend, including Liverpool's need to toughen up, Phil Foden's outstanding form, and an acid test for Arsenal. Liverpool must toughen up against the Hammers.  Liverpool's title chances appear to be dead following a thumping defeat in the Merseyside Derby in midweek, the Reds' second loss in three league games, leaving them down but not out. Their defeat against Everton was extremely different from the Liverpool we've come to know under Jurgen Klopp. His team was outworked and outfought, and the Reds were frightened by set pieces. Both Everton goals came from dead balls into the area, and Liverpool looked vulnerable throughout the game, something David Moyes will have taken note of ahead of Saturday's noon clash with West Ham at the London Stadium. Moyes' teams are generally excellent at set-pieces, and more than a fifth of West Ham's goals this season have come from them. Liverpool should ready for another ...

 The Premier League has stated that Manchester City's financial fair play complaint will be heard shortly. Pep Guardiola's team is accused of 115 violations of the league's Profit and Sustainability standards between 2009 and 2018. A conclusive hearing into the Blues' accusations has yet to be scheduled, but Richard Masters has provided a likely date. According to the Telegraph's Ben Rumsby, the league's CEO indicated that City's appeal will be heard in the "near future". Pep Guardiola's side may win their sixth title in seven seasons, and fourth in a row, if they can overtake Arsenal at the top. 

 Barring a spectacular collapse by Real Madrid, Barcelona will relinquish their La Liga title in rather quiet fashion. The Catalan giants' poor start to the season convinced Xavi that stepping down as head coach this summer was the right option, and his departure could spark considerable upheaval at a club that is still struggling financially. Players will inevitably have to leave to make room for new arrivals, with Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, and Ronald Araujo among those rumored to be on their way out, and Barcelona will look for other ways to raise funds as well - president Joan Laporta enjoys a good lever or twenty, as we all know. The question is, what does Barcelona need to do to match the playing field with a Real Madrid squad that will most certainly have Kylian Mbappe and Endrick next season, as well as Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo? The following would be an excellent starting point...  1. Alexander Isak.  Alexander Isak would be a relia...

 Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has stated that watching Darwin Nunez miss a wonderful opportunity against Everton was disheartening, given his prior performances this season. Nunez has only scored once in the Premier League in his last nine appearances and has struggled in front of goal. The attacker was once again wasteful on Wednesday night, as Liverpool lost their first Merseyside derby at Goodison Park since 2010. The Uruguayan smashed a sitter straight at Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford when through on goal, and Owen confessed he couldn't believe what he saw. The former Liverpool striker recalled Nunez's spectacular finish a few weeks back, when he chipped the Brentford goalie. Owen admitted that he couldn't believe the same striker shot straight at the goalkeeper despite having a gaping goal in front of him. On Premier League Productions, the former Red stated, "The Nunez finish just made my brain explode tonight." "I just can't believe s...

  It has been claimed that the Spanish government intends to intervene in the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), citing the continued disarray that has occurred there in recent weeks. The Federation has yet to appoint a new president, with the main candidate temporarily suspended amid continuous suspicions of corruption within Spain's football regulatory body. UEFA is not pleased with the scenario, and according to Diario AS, they may ban Spanish clubs from participating in their competitions if it is determined that the Spanish government's political intervention violates its regulations. They did so with his Russia and its clubs when the conflict in Ukraine began. If this were to take effect, La Liga clubs would be unable to compete in the Champions League, Europa League, or Europa Conference League. Furthermore, Spain would be unable to compete in the UEFA Nations League or the European Championship.

 Marta, a Brazilian legend, has announced her retirement from international football following this summer's Olympic Games. "If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go or not, this is my last year with the national team," the 38-year-old told CNN Esportes in an interview slated to run this weekend. "There comes a point when we must acknowledge that the time has come. I am really calm about it because I am very optimistic about the progress we are making with young athletes," she said. Marta, a six-time World Player of the Year, is Brazil's all-time leading goal scorer, having won two Olympic silver medals, two Pan American Games, and three Sudamericano Femenino titles. She is also Brazil's leading scorer at the World Cup, with 17 goals, and the veteran Orlando Pride striker believes she will retire with a positive outlook for the Verde-Amarela. "We have a very qualified team, with very talented girls and, ...

  Liverpool continue their search for a replacement for Jurgen Klopp, as the club's long-time manager prepares to leave Anfield in the summer.  Following a successful tenure with the Reds, determining the best succession plan will be critical to the club's aspirations of a smooth transition away from the Klopp era. But what's the latest on Liverpool's managerial search? Who is in the frame? We take a peek. Xabi Alonso  Xabi Alonso was named as the early candidate to succeed Klopp, with the former Liverpool midfielder having excelled at Bayer Leverkusen. After inheriting a difficult team last season, the Spaniard guided Leverkusen out from the relegation zone and into European competition. Alonso has carried that momentum into a spectacular season at the BayArena in 2023/24. Leverkusen have been crowned Bundesliga champions for the first time in their 120-year existence, winning the title with five games remaining to end Bayern Munich's 11-year reign. Die Werkself ha...

Can Chelsea be perfect again?  "Our team worked a lot to reduce opportunities as a whole. You can only accomplish this collectively, not individually. Today, the entire team did a good job. "Everything has to be perfect for you to get close to winning a game of football [against Barcelona]," Emma Hayes stated after Chelsea's 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Women's Champions League semi-final, and that was the heart of their success. They defended as a team, attacked as a team, maintained their collective structure, and executed the game plan flawlessly. Can they repeat it in the second leg at Stamford Bridge? It may be difficult to make lightning strike again, but the determination will be there. Hayes wants a sellout crowd at Stamford Bridge because her team "deserves to play in front of a full house to give ourselves the best possible chance." There is no better opportunity for a sellout audience than history beckoning.  Match report: Barcelona ...