Dribble Diaries

The summer transfer window is a chaotic symphony of whispers, leaks, and last-minute drama. Amidst the cacophony, certain narratives emerge, telling tales not just of individual player movements but of club ambitions, strategic shifts, and the evolving landscape of European football. One such narrative, currently unfolding with a thrilling urgency, is Nottingham Forest's relentless pursuit of Bologna's mercurial Swiss winger, Dan Ndoye, and the intriguing sub-plot of Napoli's previous interest. As the ink dries on what appears to be a club-record deal, with Fabrizio Romano himself issuing the coveted "Here We Go!", a €40 million-plus-add-ons agreement between Forest and Bologna for Ndoye, the footballing world is left to dissect the implications. This isn't just another transfer; it's a profound statement from a resurgent Nottingham Forest, a potential turning point in their Premier League journey, and perhaps, a missed opportunity for a Napoli side naviga...

The stage is set. The countdown has begun. The UEFA Women's European Championship 2025 in Switzerland is quickly approaching, and the enthusiasm is mounting. This tournament, now a beacon of excellence in women's football, promises to deliver exhilarating matches, tactical masterclasses, and, crucially, a thrilling race for the Golden Boot. Every team dreams of lifting the trophy, but for individual players, the Golden Boot represents the ultimate recognition of their goalscoring prowess on the biggest continental stage. The history of the Women's Euros has seen legendary forwards etch their names into the record books – from Germany's Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings, who both hold the record with 10 goals in Women's Euro finals, to the more recent joint-winners Beth Mead and Alexandra Popp in 2022, each netting six. The upcoming tournament will undoubtedly see new contenders emerge, and familiar faces reaffirm their dominance. So, as we edge closer to kick-off, who ar...

The Goalkeeping Revolution at Kingsmeadow As the 2025-26 Women's Super League season approaches, Chelsea FC Women find themselves at an intriguing crossroads in their goalkeeping department.  The signing of Swiss international Livia Peng from FC Zürich has generated heated debate about the future of the number one shirt at Kingsmeadow.  After Zećira Mušović's departure, England's Hannah Hampton has been the first-choice goalkeeper. This season will be one of the most exciting goalkeeper competitions in recent WSL history. Chapter 1: Livia Peng - The Swiss Precision Instrument The Making of a Modern Goalkeeper Born in Geneva to a Chinese-Swiss family, Peng's multicultural background reflects in her versatile playing style. Her development path reveals why Chelsea identified her as a perfect long-term investment: 2018-2020 (Youth Breakthrough): Trained at Servette FC's elite academy Coached by former Swiss international goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler Developed revoluti...

An intriguing plot evolved during Spain's Nations League match against Switzerland on Monday. A little of history was on the line going into the match: no Canary Islands-born player had ever scored for the Spanish national team. So, when Spain was granted a penalty in the first half, the crowd screamed for Alvaro Morata to give Canary Islander Pedri the chance. However, the Barcelona star stepped up to the penalty spot and had his historic effort saved. Fortunately for Spain, after a lot of pinball in the box, Yeremy Pino blasted home to give his country the lead over Switzerland. Interestingly, he was the only other Canarian player on the field, and he created history. Pino and Pedri then celebrated their goal together. Quirky.

Switzerland has only competed in six European Championships throughout history. On the first three occasions (1996, 2004, and 2008), they were eliminated in the group stage; in 2016, they advanced to the round of 16 but fell to Poland on penalties; and in 2020, they advanced to the quarterfinals but lost to Spain in a penalty shootout. They've already tied their highest finish, but a victory over England would allow them to make history and defeat a country with over 60 million more inhabitants. Murat Yakin has grabbed the hearts of fans all over Europe with thrilling play and unexpected wins, most recently defeating the European Championship holders, Italy. They also held Germany to a 1-1 draw in the group stage, conceding only in the 92nd minute when Niclas Füllkrug equalised. They will not be defeated lightly, but what makes them so formidable? How does Switzerland play? Switzerland lined up in a back-three configuration, with two deeper midfielders just ahead, generating a 3-...

It seems like only a few days ago when fans around the continent sat down to watch Germany thrash Scotland in the opening match, but the quarter-final stage of Euro 2024 is already just around the corner. This summer's tournament has delivered amazing moments and some significant scalps, but none of the competition's minnows have made it to the last eight. Instead, Europe's major boys have all advanced, with the exception of incumbent champions Italy, who were eliminated in the final 16. Not all of the continent's titans have realized their full potential in Germany, but if they want to raise the Henri Delaunay Cup on July 14, they must rediscover their mojo soon. Here are the four quarter-final ties of Euro 2024, evaluated by how entertaining they will be to watch. 4. England vs Switzerland England is the least exciting team to watch at Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate's side has been very poor, especially considering the talent available. There has been little to sug...

  And then there were eight. Following an exciting Round of 16, EURO 2024 resumes on Friday with a magnificent quartet of quarterfinals. Here are the top five questions we're asking ahead of the game.  Can Spain spoil the hosts' party? It's undoubtedly the most memorable tie of these quarter-finals, and it should have been the final. Spain, arguably the greatest team in EURO 2024 so far, faces a Germany squad that has wowed in every game so far. La Roja was stunned early in their Round of 16 match against Georgia on Sunday, but after a poor start, they gradually warmed into the situation and eventually shown all of their abilities to advance to the final eight. Luis de la Fuente's side has impressed throughout, but Nico Williams on the left wing has received special attention in recent weeks. The Athletic Club winger has been linked with moves to Liverpool, Chelsea, and Barcelona this summer, and if you weren't a regular LaLiga watcher last season, you can see why. ...

Arrivederci agli Azzurri, campione d'Europa no more. Italy's defence of their European crown ended prematurely and timidly on the same pitch where they won their fourth World Cup. Marcello Lippi's team secured themselves of immortality in Berlin 18 years ago, whereas Luciano Spalletti's side received only ignominy. They were devastated by their setback. Nevertheless, Switzerland triumphed magnificently. They have long been overshadowed by their neighbours, but a first success against Italy in three decades followed their elimination of France in Euro 2020. Switzerland has made the last eight European Championships in a row, after not reaching the quarterfinals since 1954. Now they are on the verge of history. Fresh off coming within a few minutes of defeating Germany, Murat Yakin's team demonstrated why they are one of the tournament's best. They played with the togetherness that Italy lacked, as well as the clear game plan that the Azzurri required. They have t...

After a brief hiatus, EURO 2024 resumes this weekend with four knockout matches, beginning with Italy and Switzerland facing off in Berlin. Germany's injury-time equaliser guaranteed the Swiss finished second to their opponents in Group A, but they remain unbeaten in their past seven games, winning one and drawing two. Italy also finished second in their group, but needed a 98th-minute equaliser against Croatia to get to the knockout stages. Luciano Spalletti has made six changes since that game, with the excellent Riccardo Calafiori sidelined for being booked twice in three games. Federico DiMarco is also missing due to injury, so Gianluca Mancini and Matteo Darmian take over in defence, while Nicolo Fagioli and Bryan Cristante replace Jorginho and Pellegrini in midfield. Federico Chiesa and Stephan El Shaarawy are flanking Gianluca Scamacca. Switzerland has kept things more simpler, with Silvan Widmer missing due to suspension and being replaced by Ruben Vargas. Who do you ...

  The European Championship has recently grown in size and quality to unprecedented levels. Since Euro 2016, the tournament has grown from 16 to 24 teams, giving smaller countries a better chance of reaching the competition's finals, as illustrated by first-time qualifiers Georgia in 2024. However, the knockout stages have become more accessible to participants. Instead of the top two sides automatically qualifying from the group stage and all remaining sides returning home, a number of third-placed teams at the Euros now reach the last 16. The top two finishers in each group go to the knockout stages, just as they did before the Euros expanded. The leading and second-place teams in each of the six groups will automatically advance to the Euro 2024 round of 16. However, finishing outside of the top two does not mean the end for participating nations. In actuality, the four best performing third-placed teams in the group stages will advance to the round of 16, despite facing some d...

Steve Clarke says Scotland's true identity was revealed in the 1-1 draw with Switzerland, which keeps their Euro 2024 chances alive. The Scots were beaten 5-1 by Germany in their first Group A encounter in Munich on Friday, leaving the Scots manager and the Tartan Army seeking a response, which they received. Scott McTominay's shot was deflected in by Swiss defender Fabian Schar in the 13th minute, but Xherdan Shaqiri levelled in Cologne in the 26th minute after Anthony Ralston made an error. Germany has six points, Switzerland has four, and Scotland has one heading into their final game against pointless Hungary on Sunday in Stuttgart. "It was what we expected," added Clarke, who confirmed that defender Kieran Tierney will miss the match against Hungary due to an injury sustained while being carried off on a stretcher. "This is how we've been playing as a team for the past three to four years. This is why we are at a huge competition. "I believed the...

Xherdan Shaqiri may be nearing the end of his career, but he seemed to turn back the clock at every big event for Switzerland, and he did so once more Saturday evening in spectacular fashion. He made history as the first Swiss player to compete in seven major events when he faced Scotland. Then, in unbelievable manner, he reached the back of the net, pouncing on a defensive error to curl past Angus Gunn with his country's first shot on goal to equalize. In doing so, he has became the only European player to score in the last six major competitions (three European Championships, three World Cups).   ⚠️| QUICK STAT • World Cup 2014: ⚽️. • EURO 2016: ⚽️ • World Cup 2018: ⚽️. • EURO 2020: ⚽️⚽️⚽️ • World Cup 2022: ⚽️  • Euro 2024: ⚽️🆕 Xherdan Shaqiri has just became the first player to score in each of the six major championships. 🇨🇭🌟  He also won double figures in key tournaments and has the potential to win more. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he is the first player from Nort...