Dribble Diaries

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has spoken out about Real Madrid's plan to boycott the 2024 Ballon d'Or presentation following the Spaniard's victory. The 28-year-old made history earlier this week by becoming the first Etihad Stadium player to win the accolade, which acknowledges the finest footballer in the world for both club and nation during the previous year. Rodri became the first classic defensive midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or since German football idol and legend Lothar Matthaus, yet many will argue that the Manchester City star is far more than just that. However, most of the discussion surrounding the ceremony, both before and after it took place, focused on Real Madrid and the Spanish club's decision to skip the evening after learning that Vinicius Jr would not be winning the title ahead of Rodri. The La Liga club's stance was in stark contrast to Manchester City's one year prior, when many had expected Erling Haaland to win the trophy o...

Dani Olmo announced his exit from RB Leipzig. The Spain international took to social media on Friday to bid goodbye to the Bundesliga club after four years. Olmo joined the Red Bull team in 2020 and has since won two DFB Pokals and the German Super Cup. A fledgling club with a young player... We grew up, earned our first awards, and created history together. Two Cups and the Super Cup are just a few of the many memorable events that will stay with me. Thank you! @RBLeipzig, you will always be in my heart. Although no confirmation has been issued yet, all sources indicate that the 26-year-old will be officially revealed as a Barcelona player soon.

Legendary center back Pepe officially announced his retirement from football on Thursday, capping a 23-year career at the top. The 41-year-old started his career with Marítimo before joining Portuguese giants Porto. Next came a move to Real Madrid, followed by a farewell tour with Besiktas and Porto. His career was memorable, with 141 caps for Portugal, including the 2016 EUROs victory. Here are some of his top moments from 878 games and 34 awards. A Los Blancos legend. Following an outstanding performance for Porto, Pepe joined Real Madrid in 2007, where he formed an excellent connection with Sergio Ramos at the back. He played there for ten seasons, winning 13 championships and making 334 appearances. ⚪️ Real Madrid unveiled new signing Pepe #OTD in 2007. The rest is history. "It was great to spend ten years at the world's largest club. "I was very happy the first day I arrived in Madrid," Pepe stated in his retirement statement. "After 10 years I left with ...

On Sunday, the Three Lions will take on La Roja in Berlin. Gareth Southgate feels Spain are the rightful favourites for Sunday's Euro 2024 final, warning his England squad that they must be "perfect" to end the country's 58-year drought. Southgate's team is on their way to Berlin for their first major event final away from home, having defeated the Netherlands on Wednesday night thanks to Ollie Watkins' dramatic late winner in the semi-final. While England has been reluctant to warm up to the tournament, saving their finest performance for the Dutch following a sluggish group stage, Spain has looked like the summer's strongest squad since the first round of matches. Luis de la Fuente's men defeated pre-Euros favourites France in the last four on Tuesday after defeating Croatia and holders Italy in the group stage, as well as hosts Germany in the quarter-finals. With La Roja also benefiting from an extra day's rest before the final, Southgate insis...

Bayern Munich has completed the signing of midfielder João Palhinha from Fulham. The Portugal international was supposed to move to the Allianz Arena last summer, but a deadline-day transfer fell through when the Cottagers couldn't find a substitute. Palhinha led the Premier League in tackles throughout both of his seasons with Fulham and has long been a target for Bayern. Bayern have now succeeded a second time around, agreeing to a deal worth €51 million with €5 million in possible add-ons. Palhinha made 79 appearances for the Cottagers over two seasons, scoring eight times.

Alvaro Morata, a striker for Spain and Atletico Madrid, is close to joining Serie A heavyweights Milan, and negotiations are underway. The Rossoneri have decided to part ways with Joshua Zirkzee, who appears to be on his way to Manchester United. However, they have identified an option for the player, which appears to be Morata. Gianluca di Marzio has stated that the move for Morata is getting closer, with more progress expected following the EURO 2024 final between England and Spain over the weekend. Positive communication has taken place between the two parties, and it appears that his participation in the final is merely delaying the move. According to reports, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been vital to the deal, and he has been lobbying for the Spaniard's signing. The feeling is that an agreement with Morata on terms will be reached soon, and things appear to be going well.

Kane won and converted a first-half penalty to help England win a tense semi-final battle. Ronald Koeman slammed the decision to award England a penalty as his Netherlands team suffered a bitter 2-1 defeat in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. Harry Kane was brought down in the area by Denzel Dumfries after firing a shot over the bar, and the referee initially ignored England's penalty demands. However, Felix Zwayer was asked to check the pitchside monitor following a VAR review, and he inevitably awarded the penalties, which Kane hammered into the bottom corner. That brought England level in Dortmund in the first half, after Xavi Simons' stunning opening had given the Dutch an early lead, leaving Koeman extremely upset.  "What do you do as a defender?" Koeman stated during his post-match press conference. "This is not a penalty." Dumfries intended to block the ball. Then the shoes collided. Such VAR verdicts devastate football." An increasingly cagey semi-f...

Gareth Southgate praised England's latest late-night performance, but the much-criticized manager's complete attention swiftly shifted from a memorable semi-final victory to Sunday's European Championship final against Spain. Three years after losing the continental final to Italy on penalties, the Euro 2020 runners-up earned another chance at glory in Berlin this weekend. England disappointed at the start of this summer's tournament, with fans turning against manager Southgate, but performances have gradually improved as they moved into the knockout stages. Jude Bellingham's magnificent overhead kick rescued their blushes in the round of 16 against Slovakia, sparking a 2-1 extra-time victory, before defeating Switzerland on penalties after a 1-1 quarter-final draw. Another 120 minutes were scheduled after Harry Kane's contentious penalty cancelled out Xavi Simons' goal, only for substitute Ollie Watkins to seal a 2-1 semi-final victory at the death. ...

England vs. Netherlands: A Tight Contest with High Stakes in Euro 2024 Excitement grows as England faces a determined Dutch team. Alan Shearer, a voice renowned with smart football commentary, recently discussed the forthcoming England vs. Netherlands match with Betfair. With the atmosphere sure to be electrifying in Dusseldorf, excitement is growing for what promises to be a thrilling experience. "It will be a beautiful event. "The fans in Dusseldorf were incredible," Shearer said, mentioning the lively environment fans are generating. His remarks reflect the excitement felt by fans: "My kid came over to watch the game with his friends and he was remarking how fantastic the atmosphere was. "The England fans have been fantastic, and they will be the same on Wednesday." Key Players and Strategies: What to Expect. This encounter is more than just another game; it is a watershed event in Euro 2024. England, under Gareth Southgate's leadership, is not on...

The English invented football. Then they ran out of creative ideas, so the Dutch redesigned it. And, if that is an oversimplification, a semi-final can appear to be a meeting of neighbours who misunderstand one other. English league records have been set by a Dutch-influenced team, with Johan Cruyff passing on Total Football concepts to Pep Guardiola, who has helped Manchester City win four consecutive domestic crowns. The victory in Dortmund on Wednesday may be attributed to Dutch players who profited from their experiences in England, or to English footballers who benefited from Dutch or Dutch-inspired Premier League management. The English can import the Dutch directly in pursuit of tactical nous, technical expertise, and a degree of sophistication that their own game does not often provide. Manchester United and Liverpool, England's two most successful and renowned clubs, have Dutch managers; in fact, in the last 37 years, United has had two Dutch managers and none from England...

Randal Kolo Muani scored early in France's Euro 2024 semi-final versus Spain, their first goal from open play. However, a surprise goal from teenage phenom Lamine Yamal leveled the game before Dani Olmo's powerful strike deflected off Jules Koundé and into the net. France would huff and puff in the second half, but the damage was done. Spain had won, eliminating the pre-tournament favourites from the competition. France lost the midfield duel. France's rock-solid defence had been at the heart of their journey to the semi-finals, and for the first time since arriving in Germany, it was tested in the first half by a team who appeared at ease working the ball between the lines. Didier Deschamps' midfield of Adrien Rabiot, N'Golo Kanté, and Aurélien Tchouaméni struggled to protect the backline against a swarm of Spanish players willing to float and shift around the pitch, creating increasingly difficult angles for the white shirts to snuff out. France preferred Rabiot a...

This evening, everyone's talking about Lamine Yamal, who became the youngest ever scorer in a European Championship, but another man is proving to be La Rioja's hero this summer. The man in question is Dani Olmo. Four minutes after Yamal's effort, the Spaniard scored his third goal of the tournament, giving Spain the lead and taking him to the top of the golden boot statistics. Dani Olmo is the first ever Spanish player to score in three consecutive knockout round games at a major international tournament. ◉ vs. Georgia (L16) ◉ vs. Germany (QF) ◉ vs. France (SF) And he’s only started one of those matches. 👀 He made history as the first Spanish player to score in three consecutive knockout games, despite being a replacement for two of them! Though the death of Pedri will leave Spain devastated, it has allowed another hero to shine.

EURO 2024 heats up once more, with European powerhouses Spain and France vying for a berth in the competition's final this weekend. The two teams face off in the Allianz Arena, with the winner facing one of England or the Netherlands in Sunday's main game. Spain has been forced to change their pack due to injuries and bans, with Pedri out of the tournament and Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand suspended following their late quarter-final victory over Germany. In their stead, Luis de la Fuente has chosen veteran duo Nacho Fernandez and Nacho Monreal, with Dani Olmo replacing Pedri as the only other move. Spain's XI: Unai Simon, Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Olmo, Williams, Yamal, and Morata. Meanwhile, France has implemented two reforms of its own. Didier Deschamps has dismissed Atletico Madrid attacker Antoine Griezmann in favour of Ousmane Dembele, while Adrien Rabiot returns from suspension to replace Eduardo Camavinga in the midfield. Randal...

This evening, Spain and France will face off in the Euro 2024 semi-finals, a fixture with a long history. The teams are no strangers to meeting on major occasions, and ahead of their Euro 2024 semi-final, we've compiled a list of five notable matches between Spain and France. France defeated Spain 2-0 in the 1984 European Championship final. France felt as if their first big event was on the horizon after reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 1982, and a home European Championship two years later gave the ideal platform for victory. Les Bleus blitzed their way to the final thanks to Michel Platini's brilliance, scoring eight goals in four games - including back-to-back group-stage hat-tricks - to set up a showdown with Spain in Paris. Platini was the irrepressible face of the French team, but the Ballon d'Or winner was accompanied by an all-star cast. Luis Fernandez had joined a midfield group that included Platini, Alain Giresse, and Jean Tigana, known as the carre magiq...

Lamine Yamal is one of the few players always worth watching at Euro 2024, which attracts a lot of defenders, so Luis De La Fuente is determined to help the 16-year-old see better team solutions. In training, the Spain manager took Yamal aside and told him, "If you have three players on you, there's an area where we have superiority - we must get the ball there, not by dribbling, but by passing quickly." This is Spain, after all. De La Fuente has hastened the team's transition away from dogmatic possession, primarily through the deployment of Yamal and Nico Williams, but the strategy remains based on the underlying idea. The identity is deeply embedded. Such guidance resulted in perhaps the most beautiful play of Euro 2024, a magnificent one-touch passing move against Germany that transformed defence into attack. It has been lacking in many teams. The French half is unlikely to have any regions of numerical superiority, which is a flaw in De La Fuente's semi-final...

The stages for the Euro 2024 semi-finals have been established in Munich and Dortmund. Here are the four most pressing questions before of those matches. Will Southgate persist with the changes? After being so careful with change this summer, England manager Gareth Southgate stunned many with his significant system overhaul against Switzerland. Without the suspended Marc Guéhi, the manager chose to bolster his backline by bringing in Ezri Konsa and switching to a three-man defence, though pre-match indications that Bukayo Saka would be fielded as a left wing-back were thankfully unfounded given how he saved the day on the right with a Man of the Match performance in securing a semi-final against the Netherlands. England met fire with fire by copying the Swiss' 3-4-2-1 structure, but with Ronald Koeman set to remain with his fluid 4-2-3-1, will Southgate stick with his new system or revert to his previous form? Luke Shaw came on for his first appearance of the tournament and prov...