The Pulse of Football

Jun

2025

Goran Pandev Interview: Making changes in Macedonia is very hard, but we are optimistic about the future!

Goran Pandev, his country’s most legendary player recently took up a new role within the Football Federation of Macedonia with the sole aim of building for a better future.

By Filip Mishov

Witnessing and closely following Goran Pandev‘s playing career, first as a kid and now as a journalist in Macedonia, is remembering exactly where you were and with whom you have been during the forward’s career highlights, such was the importance of the Macedonian lifting the Champions League‘s trophy with Inter back in 2010 and then leading the national team to EURO 2020.

The Strumica-born forward is our most capped player with 122 appearances. He’s also the top scorer with 38 goals scored and perhaps most importantly, the first-ever captain to take Macedonia to a major tournament. Historic achievements establishing Goran Pandev’s status as the greatest legend in Macedonian football, but sadly, the so-called ‘Bate Pandev’ didn’t really get the farewell that he deserved when retiring from the national team, and it is fair to say that the player and the Federation have endured a rocky relationship over the years, to say the least.

Pandev admits: ‘I never really wanted a testimonial match to honour my career, as the guard of honour that I received from my teammates in my final match for Macedonia at the Johan Cruijff Arena was the best thing that happened to me.” And yet, it still feels odd that the career of the national team’s record-holder was not celebrated in an official manner, as legends like Pandev don’t often emerge from small countries like Macedonia.

Pandav is now finally in a position to make changes and thus, fix some of the issues that irritated him during his playing days – issues such as poor infrastructure, nepotism and mismanagement of the junior age group teams among many others – as the 41-year-old was appointed as the new sports director of the Macedonian national teams back in December last year. Now, six months into the job, the Macedonian legend opens up in an exclusive one-on-one interview for FotMob about the major challenges lying ahead for the federation’s new leadership.

“After many years of proudly wearing the national team’s shirt, I felt honoured to be invited by Masar Omeragić (the newly-elected president) to be part of the new leadership of the Football Federation of Macedonia. I accepted the invitation as I believe that it is necessary to spark changes in order to raise the level of Macedonian football to a much higher level. Honestly, I hope that we will forge the right path in the coming years for the next generation to continue our work, although we know that it will not be an easy task, but we are optimistic. The president, Omeragić is working tirelessly on the challenges that we encounter, but with our knowledge and support, we hope to improve,” begins Pandev.

After leading the Macedonian national team to and at EURO 2020 as captain, Goran Pandev retired from playing international football, while the Football Federation of Macedonia decided against offering a new deal to the then-coach, Igor Angelovski, and instead offered the post to Blagoja Milevski, who had been running the U21s. The record-holding captain did not agree with the federation’s decision at the time and has openly criticized the work of the new coach over recent years. Now, the newly-appointed sports director, Pandev and the coach, Milevski need to work together towards achieving the same goal, but given their past, it was only logical to ask what their relationship is like: “I would describe our relationship as professional. He is the current coach of the national team and the new leadership led by the president, Omeragić gave him their full support. Also, he started the World Cup 2026 Qualifiers well and I hope that he will make us happy and lead us to our maiden World Cup. However, he is the one deciding his own fate, as the results are a mirror of the coach’s work and I wish him good luck.”

Stefan Ristovski succeeded Goran Pandev as the captain following the latter’s retirement in 2021, but the experienced right back decided to stop playing for the Macedonian national team in 2023 due to “a strained relationship between the player and the coach” following the Lynxes’ dreadful 7-0 defeat to England in the EURO 2024 Qualifiers. Since then, the Macedonian public has strongly pushed the case for the 33-year-old to return to the fold, but Pandev does not sound optimistic despite their recent talks: “I got in touch with Stefan back in December last year, immediately after the change of leadership and I spoke with him, and there was also a meeting between the president, Omeragić and him, although I was not present at that meeting. But I told him that I also had similar concerns when I decided to stop playing for the national team back in 2014 (from November 2014 until October 2015), but Stefan has different views as he stopped playing after the appalling loss to England, and it is his decision to not return as long as Milevski is at the helm, and one we should respect by all means. He is an experienced player and a mature person who was both our, and Dinamo Zagreb‘s captain, and I believe that he could still give a lot to the national team as he is continues to play at the highest level. It was our duty to talk to him, but the final decision is his.”

The pool of eligible players to represent the Macedonian national team is modest, to say the least, and over the past couple of decades, a lot of players earned call-ups despite not being regulars at their respective clubs, or even some as free agents at the time, but were still selected to join the national team, which is a rarity in international football. The former forward offers a different perspective and cites the low level of the Macedonian First Football League as one of the reasons: “I was part of the national team for almost two decades and we have had these issues throughout that time. That is nothing new as we always had four or five players who play on a regular basis and the rest of them have been playing sporadically. Any national team’s coach is the happiest when all of his players play regularly and are physically, mentally and tactically ready. Also, it is very tricky, from a player’s perspective, when you are only involved in training and you are not playing matches. But I can assure you that our players who are playing abroad and are only involved in training for their respective clubs are much more ready to play than the ones who are playing regularly in the Macedonian top-tier as the level of our league is sadly, really low.”

However, the strained relationships and the limited pool of players for the senior national team are not Goran Pandev’s biggest concern, as the issues in Macedonian football run much deeper, and the poor management of the youth categories over the past few years is taking its toll, something I have been reporting on for years as well. One of the first decisions taken by the federation’s new leadership was replacing most of the coaches within the youth categories (U21, U19, U17, U16, U15) as Macedonia have failed to qualify for a major youth tournament since the U21 Euros back in 2017, when Blagoja Milevski was at the helm of the U21s.

“The biggest concerns are related to the youth categories because if we are mismanaging the youth, we simply cannot expect to have a quality senior side. Changing the coaches within the youth categories is a good starting point, as we have a different vision, and Georgi Hristov is the one in charge as he has broad experience in the field. Honestly, I am not too familiar with the youth categories as I have been playing abroad in the past 25 years and only now, I am getting to know more about them. The most important thing is that we have appointed professional coaches who will give chances to the talented players who truly deserve to wear the national team’s shirt and that is our main goal. We are a small country, and we do not have 100 talented players to choose from, but nowadays we have youth categories starting from U15 upwards and back in my time that was not the case. They have training camps every month and with hard work, we can develop players who will be ready to play for the seniors in the future. As I said, it will not be easy and it will take time as the mismanagement has been going on for years and that is shown by the poor results, but we need quality coaches as well, because the talent is definitely there and we hope that we can make the future better.”

The Macedonian diaspora (estimates around +700.000) is increasing as more and more people are deciding to move abroad due to various geopolitical and economic reasons among many others, and subsequently, there are a lot of young footballers around the globe who are eligible to represent the Macedonian national team. For example, one of them was Tottenham Hotspur‘s Dejan Kulusevski who opted to play for Sweden instead of Macedonia and when asked whether the federation is doing enough to expand the players’ pool with these type of players, Pandev says: “I disagree that we are not doing enough for them to play for our national team, I would rather say that most of them do not have a desire to play for Macedonia. One of the first things that we did as a new leadership was get in touch with over 50 young and talented players who are eligible to play for Macedonia, and I was the one who personally got in touch with most of them, only to realise that a lot of them are simply not interested in playing for our national team and that is a dealbreaker for me. You should feel proud when you are called upon to play for Macedonia and if you do not have that desire, what is even the point. I had very difficult and long seasons when playing in Serie A and I had to change flights up to four times just to get back to Macedonia to play for the national team. But it was a huge honour of mine to wear the national team’s shirt, nowadays, we have this problem and additionally, we have parents, children, agents who are getting involved in their decision-making process too.”

Macedonia’s sole appearance at a major tournament came, as mentioned, back in 2021 with Pandev leading the national team at EURO 2020, an achievement which Pandev describes as “the most important one in his career and a childhood dream come true”, but how long will the national team wait for the next major tournament? “Let us be honest, we all want Macedonia to be part of every European and World Championship, but let us take Italy as an example. They did not qualify for the last two World Cups and Serie A is one of the best European leagues. If you look at our squad and the issues we are facing, it is not that simple, although you and I will be the happiest men on Earth if we always played in major tournaments. But we have to be honest with ourselves, we simply do not have the quality to play regularly at major finals at this moment.”

*Macedonia have made a decent start to World Cup qualifying*

The Blagoja Milevski-led squad have a match against Belgium on 6 June at the Toshe Proeski national arena in Skopje and three days later, face a trip to Kazakhstan as part of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. The Lynxes have started the qualifiers with a promising win in Liechtenstein and a home draw with Wales.

“I believe in achieving positive results, but at the same time, I think these next couple of matches will be the most difficult ones given that they come at the end of the season. Although that applies more for Belgium than for us because they obviously have more world-class players in the top leagues around Europe. They are the favourites, no doubt about it, but I believe in our squad, and we showed both against Liechtenstein and Wales that we possess quality. With the help from our supporters, we can compete against Belgium and I hope that the stadium will be full to support the boys.”

Last but definitely not least, history has taught the Macedonian nation that many have spoken and only a few have delivered, and it is difficult to be optimistic about the future given all the unfulfilled promises over the years, but as Goran Pandev brought rays of hope during the national team’s darkest days, now his influential presence within the Football Federation of Macedonia is doing the same, and only time will tell whether things can and will get better.

“For me the role (sports director) is not important, we should act and be like a family and work towards achieving the same goal. And that goal is to raise Macedonian football to a higher level and improve the infrastructure, which is crucial too. But I think that with people like Georgi Hristov, Agim Ibraimi and Ilija Najdoski all led by Masar Omeragić who does not have any sentimentality towards anyone, we can change things for the better. I am excited to be here, because I am optimistic, but we all must work professionally in the same direction and believe in ourselves. It is very hard to do this and it was much easier to play, believe me. Our mentality is a negative one by nature and regardless of what you do, there will always be critics. But we are hoping to bring life to Macedonian football for the new generations and for a better future. Trying to spark change in Macedonia is very hard and we will need time.”

(Images from IMAGO and courtesy of the Football Federation of Macedonia)

You can follow the World Cup qualifiers with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

*Any republishing or translation of the interview without a direct reference and link leading to the author or original site of where it was published is strictly prohibited

Jun

2025

Will Carlo Ancelotti succeed as Brazil’s first foreign head coach?

After leaving Real Madrid as the most decorated head coach in the club’s history, Carlo Ancelotti will be kept busy as he has taken up a job in charge of the Brazilian men’s national team. In doing so, he has become the first foreigner to lead the Seleção, who seem in desperate need of a refresh after consistently underwhelming of late.

By Neel Shelat

By all metrics, Brazil are the most successful nation in the history of the FIFA Men’s World Cup. They are the only side to have appeared at every single edition of the tournament and have lifted the trophy a record five times. Naturally, then, their record of 76 wins in 114 matches is also the best.

Should they fail to win the global crown next year, though, they will have to endure their longest World Cup trophy drought. In fact, the Seleção have only progressed past the quarter-finals once in the last five editions – and even that semi-final ended disastrously. Naturally, pressure has been building edition after edition, and it could go further yet after the arrival of one of the most successful active coaches in world football.

Brazil’s disappointing recent record

One of the main reasons why Brazil have had to turn to a foreign head coach for the very first time is that the last few years have been among the worst in the Seleção’s history as far as results go. Although they will almost certainly seal their spot at the next World Cup, they are currently on course for their worst qualification campaign under CONMEBOL’s current format.

*CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying state of play – with four rounds to play*

The first part of their campaign went particularly badly, as they lost three consecutive games for the first time since 2001 after being defeated by Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina. Although they managed to steady the ship to a decent extent thereafter, they still need a couple of results to get over the line.

Meanwhile, the Seleção suffered further disappointment in the Copa América as they were knocked out of the quarter-finals on penalties against Uruguay. In fact, they only just got to the knockouts after drawing two of their three group games against Costa Rica and Colombia.

Unsurprisingly, there has been quite a bit of turnover in the coaching department through this period of poor results. Carlo Ancelotti will be Brazil’s fifth different head coach since the start of the last World Cup – a stark contrast from the previous five who lasted a total of two decades altogether.

Can Ancelotti get the most out of an unusual squad?

As Ancelotti steps into the world of international football for the first time in his coaching career, he will face a very different challenge from what he is used to. Besides getting significantly less time to work with his players, he will now have to make squad selection decisions from a pool of players which he cannot alter.

As it happens, Brazil’s current crop of players has presented a few selection headaches that have troubled previous coaches. The toughest decisions have had to be made in the attacking department. Brazil obviously have an embarrassment of riches including superstars such as Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha, but lack an elite striker. Some recent coaches have elected to call upon domestically based talents including Flamengo’s Pedro and Botafogo’s Igor Jesus, but Ancelotti has gone striker-less in his first squad.

*Forward options in Ancelotti’s first Brazil squad*

In this respect, the Italian tactician might just be the best man for the job. He has quite a track record of getting unconventional attacks to click, including most recently at Real Madrid. Los Blancos might have left a good deal to be desired in 2024/25 as their new-look attack led by summer signing Kylian Mbappé jarred a fair bit, but their work in the previous campaign was excellent as Ancelotti pulled off a masterstroke with Jude Bellingham as the chief central attacker in a striker-less system.

It will be quite interesting to see how Brazil set up in attack in their next matches, though it could take some chopping and changing before they find the right formula.

Defensive issues might yet cause problems

While Brazil’s attack has struggled to get going in some of their recent games, their bigger problem has definitely been on the defensive front. They are currently averaging over a goal conceded per game in their World Cup qualification campaign and have kept the joint-fewest clean sheets.

*CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying clean sheets*

This could well remain a concern for Brazil going forward. As we have previously written, the defensive side of the game consistently was an issue for Ancelotti at Real Madrid. His side’s press was always quite disorganised, and their block was far from being the most solid too. Things got worse for them last term as the addition of Mbappé to a side that already had Vinícius meant that the team was left with two effective passengers when out of possession. Their questionable collective defending cost them dear in all matches against domestic rivals Barcelona, and they ended the season with only the fifth-lowest xG conceded in LaLiga.

Especially in international football, a solid defensive block can prove extremely useful as the ability to close down spaces largely limits most attacks that inevitably are individual-driven. The return of some currently-injured centre-backs such as Éder Militão and Gabriel could well prove helpful in the future, but Ancelotti will need to prioritise working on the team’s collective defending if they are to set themselves up for success in North America next year.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

2024/25 season review for the three EFL divisions

We asked our regular Football League columnist to write up his thoughts after attending all three of the play-off finals held at Wembley late last month, and after reviewing the automated Team of the Season producing by the FotMob player ratings in each division.

By Sanny Rudravajhala

It was 249 minutes into the EFL Playoff Final trilogy when my mind cracked. I found myself enchanted by three blue and yellow balloons which, through the power of physics, had found their way to the upper echelons of Wembley Stadium, floating towards the roof. Filled solely with air, the warm currents emanating from the AFC Wimbledon fans had caused them to whirl towards the heavens rather than bob along to pitch side. We were approaching the interval after a non-event of a first half in the League Two Playoff Final but thankfully I (and a few others among the 50,947 present) was snapped out of my reverie by Myles Hippolyte’s strike from the edge of the box and the ensuing Wimbledon celebration.

Are these finals actually any good? It’s a question I’d arrived at after Charlton’s cagey 1-0 victory over Leyton Orient the day before, but then I remembered Tommy Watson’s last gasp Sunderland winner and the wall of noise, sea of red pyro powder and the all-round Mackem madness that had accompanied it as they reached the Premier League.

The stakes are high – it’s all or nothing and it allows players and fans to have their Wembley moment. We can’t take it away, even when it descends into a live sequel to Albert Lamorisse’s 1956 classic, The Red Balloon.

All three promoted sides will need to bolster their squads and Sunderland will have to work hard to make sure they don’t lose any more of their talented stars in the same way that they’d already lost Tommy Watson to Brighton before the final even kicked off. But now’s not the time for me to be bursting any promotion party balloons.

Let’s have a look back at season 2024/25 and what better way than picking out some key players from the various FotMob Teams of the Season.

Top performers in the Championship

Ok, ok, yes, I know. Josh Maja up front is a bit of anomaly. If anything, it’s quite fitting that out of the top 13 scorers in the division, Maja is one of only five recognised strikers.

His inclusion with a 7.2 rating is down to an electric start, in which he scored seven goals in seven games, including an opening day hat-trick before a calf injury saw him miss West Brom’s remaining 21 games from January onwards, leaving him the joint-seventh top scorer with 12 league goals. It was a season of ‘what could have been’ for the 26-year-old and for the Baggies, after Carlos Corberán left for Valencia and their season petered out under the now-departed Tony Mowbray.

Joel Piroe on 19, as the division’s top scorer, is the name that should therefore be included up front, with the streaky Borja Sainz on 18 being capable of scoring the spectacular, as well as completely disappearing, who is another that could have made the starting XI. I’m a ‘wait and see’ on Piroe next season – perhaps his cuteness will find a way in the Premier League but he does not have that conventional forward physicality – but then again, will Leeds even need that?

Brownhill and Tanaka is a fantasy pairing in midfield.

Josh Brownhill’s outstanding campaign eclipsed anything he’d achieved so far in his career, and that of all his midfield peers. The 29-year-old has been a revelation since being given the Burnley captaincy by Scott Parker. 18 goals and 6 assists speak for itself – let’s see how he does with another crack at the Premier League.

The elegant Ao Tanaka has been a fulcrum for Leeds this season. He seems to be able to read the game quicker than anyone else and whether it’s picking out passes or nicking the ball from an opponent, everything looks easy to him. Even his slide tackling is aesthetically pleasing. Get ready for some beautifully crisp 4K Premier League slow-mos.

Junior Firpo – FotMob star man may soon be gone?

Our top performer may well have played his last game for Leeds. Out of contract this summer, the left-back’s performances have caught the eye of a host of clubs, with reports around a move to AC Milan swirling. The left-back has been vital in overloading opponents, turning up in the box with vital goals and the former Barcelona man has been unstoppable when marauding forward, setting up 10, despite missing chunks of the season through injury.

FotMob’s star man in League One: Lewis Wing

Stop me when you’ve spotted the pattern in Lewis Wing’s shot map pitch graphic (below). Yes, you’ve got it. Give him just a moment on the ball and he’ll try and bop one in from distance. It doesn’t matter whether it’s 30 yards out or the halfway line, he’ll give it a go. And seven of his nine goals completely befuddle the xG stats. All of this has been whilst Reading have been in turmoil, with their future hanging in the balance.

News of Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair’s takeover is a huge relief for its fans and indeed for the EFL, and one of the new ownership’s first acts was to give him a new three-year contract. A thoroughly deserved reward for standing up for the club when it needed him the most and one that the fans didn’t see coming.

Their captain is hard-working defensively too and Reading will be aiming to re-build the team around Wing but given how well their young squad did in such challenging circumstances, The Royals will be challenging for the Championship next campaign. What wonderful news to see out the season.

‘Wonder-unc’ David McGoldrick – League Two’s FotMob Star

It was a Thursday night, and I was shattered, slumped on the sofa, the kids had taken my last ounce of strength. And then I see another bald bloke with a beard, in his late 30s who has yet again pulled off the seemingly impossible. Even by his standards, David McGoldrick’s vital equaliser from distance against Bradford was incredible. It actually made me just burst out laughing. McGoldrick is doing it for all of us tired dads. He’s showing us that there’s world out there beyond lower backpain, overpriced craft beer and reminiscing about the starting XIs from the 2006 ‘Gerrard’ FA Cup Final.

The Irishman has 17 goals from 35 games and each one of them is a work of art. With his instep, does he arc a ball into the top corner, or does he simply bend time and space to his whim to achieve the same aim? This is a question that even FotMob cannot yet articulate. But, for Notts County, his injury before their semi-final second leg with Wimbledon was terminal. Could we have seen Notts County go up instead of Wimbledon otherwise? We’ll never know. Once a ‘wonderkid’, now a ‘wonder-unc’, McGoldrick will, surprisingly, be looking for a new club after turning down a new contract at Meadow Lane.

And there we have it; I’ve ventured into the surreal towards the end of this. Perhaps the season has finally caught up with me. But we’ll be ready to go again, and I wonder what colour balloons will be floating around Wembley, this time next year…?

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the EFL on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Inter Miami back at home for Columbus visit

Inter Miami’s game at home to the Columbus Crew on Saturday night is their last before their Club World Cup participation begins. Going into it, they have familiar reasons to be optimistic, but also all-too-familiar problems in defence.

By James Nalton

The leak hasn’t been fixed

Inter Miami have now shipped 15 goals in their last five games, and their 26 goals conceded in total is the sixth-most in the 15-team Eastern Conference.

They did, however, round off that run of five games with a 4-2 win against the side at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, CF Montréal, in midweek.

Beyond the goals they eventually scored, Montréal had more good chances in key moments earlier in the game but couldn’t take them, and Inter Miami went on to take a 3-0 lead in the second half.

Going into that game, Montréal had scored the fewest goals in the conference, so the number of chances they created was still a worry for Javier Mascherano’s side.

On top of the worries about their defensive setup, there are personnel problems in those deeper areas too, with injuries to Jordi Alba, Tomás Avilés, Yannick Bright, and Gonzalo Luján ruling them out for the Columbus game in addition to others not expected to feature, including David Ruiz, Baltasar Rodríguez, and Drake Callender.

Suárez and Messi back in tandem

Lionel Messi scored the opening goal against Montréal, fired into the bottom corner from outside the area, and from then on it was the Messi and Luis Suárez show.

Messi set up Suárez for Miami’s second and it was the Uruguayan who made it 3-0.

Suárez then set up Messi for his second and the team’s fourth goal, as the pair performed a 1-2 before Messi executed one of his trademark chipped finishes over an onrushing goalkeeper.

The issue for Miami has never really been about these attacking players, but more about what they can do with the team setup behind them.

Though the defence remains shaky, on this occasion, the two star forwards bailed them out.

Against the Columbus Crew, they’ll be hoping for something similar in attack, but something much different in defence.

The Crew

Columbus have not been their usual selves lately. Wilfried Nancy’s team is on a run of five games without a win, which includes one defeat among four draws.

The Crew went on a similar run last year which lasted seven games, so Inter Miami will hope they have caught them at the right time, especially having beaten them once already this season.

They have also not kept a clean sheet since March (11 games ago), while Miami’s last shutout came in that game against the Crew in April.

The familiar traits are still there with Columbus, and they top the league for average possession, passes per game, and total touches in the box, but lately, this has not led to wins.

Prediction

The last five Inter Miami games have seen 26 goals scored in total, so the one thing you can usually predict with certainty in this unpredictable league is goals in Inter Miami games. Their absences and the Crew’s inability to keep clean sheets could lead to another high-scoring draw.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from MLS live this season with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

PSG vs Inter Milan: Legacy, Ambition, and the Battle for Europe’s Cultural Crown

On Saturday night in Munich, the Champions League Final won’t just decide Europe’s best club side of 2024/25. It’ll say something bigger. About what matters now in football. About who gets to define legacy. About the stories cities choose to tell through their teams.

By David Skilling

Paris Saint-Germain. Inter Milan. One chasing validation, the other defending memory. Both carrying the weight of cities that see themselves as more than football towns, they’re cultural powerhouses, creative capitals, and engines of global identity.

So when the whistle blows in the Allianz Arena, don’t just think about tactics or titles. Think about what’s really at stake.

Two Cities, Two Visions

Milan is built on tradition. Not just footballing tradition, though they have that in spades, but institutional, generational, made-in-Italy tradition. Inter’s legacy is rooted in eras. Helenio Herrera. Javier Zanetti. Mourinho’s treble. Their identity is passed down like an inheritance. It’s not just who they are, it’s how they win.

Paris, by contrast, has always been about identity. Fashion, art, cinema, architecture, the world’s taste flows through its veins. And yet, in football, they’ve often been on the outside looking in. Only one French club has ever lifted the European Cup. It wasn’t PSG. Not yet.

This final isn’t just about who wins. It’s about which city gets to make the next cultural statement on football’s biggest stage.

What It Means for Paris

For PSG, this isn’t about justifying spending. That story’s been told. This is about belonging.

Paris is a global city with a local football complex. For all the lifestyle collaborations and sold-out tours, the club still walks into European competition without a seat at the grown-up table.

That changes if they win. A first Champions League trophy would mean more than prestige, it would cement Paris as a true football capital. Not just of aesthetics, but of achievement. Not just of hype, but of history.

It would also mean something for French football as a whole. Ligue 1 has long been viewed as Europe’s fifth wheel, this win would shift that conversation. It would be the biggest club triumph in French football in over 30 years.

And let’s not forget the symbolism of this squad. No Mbappé. No Messi. No Neymar. This is the most low-key version of PSG we’ve seen in years, and they’re the ones that could get it done.

There’s a rawness to this group. A sense of collective purpose replacing individual shine. And if they do lift the trophy, it will be the first time PSG feel less like a project, and more like a club that has found its own voice.

What It Means for Milan

Inter are no strangers to this stage, but it’s been a while. Their last Champions League win came 15 years ago. The core of that team is now in the boardroom or the media. That’s the thing about legacy, it fades if you don’t top it up.

Beating PSG wouldn’t just be a football win, it’d be a cultural message. That older establishment still matters. That tactics, cohesion, and continuity can still beat ambition, branding, and capital.

Milan, the city, understands this better than most. It’s seen fashion empires rise and fall. It knows timelessness beats trend. And Inter, for all their challenges this season, still represent that older code.

A win wouldn’t just be about football, it would echo across the city. Through the cafes, bars, and every household where Inter is part of the family fabric. In a city that lives and breathes both sport and style, Inter’s resurgence means something culturally powerful.

It would also remind Europe that the Italian game is still capable of leading from the front. Serie A clubs may not dominate the financial tables, but they still know how to navigate the chaos of a Champions League run.

What It Means for the Game

This final doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It matters to every club watching from the outside.

In boardrooms across Europe, decision-makers are taking notes. Is this the year legacy beats leverage? Does the win come from calculated cohesion or financial strength? What model, old or new, is really built to last?

The winner in Munich sets the tone not just for next season, but for the next era. The result won’t just influence fans. It will ripple into scouting policies, commercial positioning, and even ownership strategies.

Football always moves fast. But nights like this act as anchors, moments everyone keeps referring back to when trying to figure out what really works.

By the time kick-off arrives on Saturday night, everything else in football will have stopped.

It’s the last match that matters before the summer begins. No domestic drama left. No other finals to compete with. The spotlight is firmly on these two teams.

This is what makes the Champions League final different: it’s not just a match, it’s a global cultural event. Viewed by hundreds of millions around the world.

For the players, it’s a one-game referendum on legacy. Win it, and you become part of football’s permanent story. Fall short, and the moment fades fast, no matter how well you played.

For the clubs, it’s a reputation-defining night. Not just for fans, but for sponsors, for recruits, for narrative. Paris wants to stop being seen as football’s nearly men. Inter want to remind the world they’ve never really left.

This final doesn’t just crown a champion. It freezes a moment in football history, watched, remembered, and replayed for generations.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow the Champions League Final on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: PSG and Inter set for Champions League showdown

It’s old money vs new money, the club who’ve failed consistently in Europe for years against the one with six European trophies. So have PSG broken their curse, or will Inter’s nous see them through in this year’s Champions League final?

By Ian King

Contrasting domestic run-ins but deserved finalists

PSG have lost five games in the Champions League and just two in Ligue 1 this season, with a domestic double already secured. They blasted their way through to the final by decimating the English presence in the competition over the course of the knockout stages, beating Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal in successive rounds to get to the final.

Successive 1-0 defeats to Bologna and Roma last month handed the Serie A title to Napoli, but Inter have only lost once in the Champions League this season, a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in a League Phase match when they’d already qualified for the next round. They beat Feyenoord, Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the knockouts to get this far.

History

Somewhat surprisingly, these two have never met in a competitive European match before. The last time they did meet was in a friendly played at the National Stadium in Tokyo in August 2023, which Inter won 2-1.

PSG have one European trophy to their name, the 1995/96 Cup Winners Cup. Inter’s record is somewhat stronger. They’ve won the European Cup / Champions League three times, the last of which came in 2010, and they last appeared in the final in 2023. They’ve also won the UEFA Cup / Europa League three times.

Key Players

Ousmane Dembélé, with 33 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions this season, is the obvious star man for PSG, but those looking for a Parisian goal from somewhere else might want to pay attention to Désiré Doué, who’s scored 13 himself from the wing. PSG have scored 147 goals in all competitions this season – 33 more than Inter – and they have four players in double-figures for goals.

Inter have had 21 different goalscorers this season, so their goals can come from just about anywhere. It may be worth keeping an eye on Denzel Dumfries, the roving defender who’s scored 11 goals in all competitions for them this season. And the Dutchman starred in both legs of the epic semifinal against Barcelona.

Team News

Inter’s big loss is Valentín Carboni, who tore a cruciate ligament in October and won’t be back until next season. Benjamin Pavard and Piotr Zielinski had knocks which saw them miss their last Serie A match of the season at Como, but both should be back for this.

PSG’s only absentee is Presnel Kimpembe, but he’s only played two league games for them in the last two seasons, so that’s no great surprise. Neither have any suspensions.

Prediction

PSG really are something of a conundrum, the team that improved for losing Messi, Mbappé and Neymar. The Qatari money that’s been poured into the club over years has made their European failures a source of constant amusement, for those interested in such things, but this season they’ve felt… different. It’s a tribute to head coach Luis Enrique that he’s turned them around to this extent.

Inter, meanwhile, stray close to that cliche of the Italian club with the savoir-faire to pull something out the bag on any big occasion, and they’ve already beaten two of the favourites to get this far. But this season’s PSG have looked different, and it’s felt as though their name has been written on this year’s Champions League for a while. This has been the season of teams who don’t usually win things, winning things, so let’s go for 2-1 PSG as an appropriate season-ender.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the Champions League Final with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Goran Pandev Interview: The Inter treble-winner hoping for fresh Champions League success

A member of Inter’s treble-winning squad and an ‘Interista’ through and through, Goran Pandev reveals the secrets behind the making of José Mourinho’s legendary squad and roots for Simone Inzaghi to win the Champions League.

By Filip Mishov

It’s been 15 years since Inter last won the Champions League back in 2010 after defeating Bayern Munich in the final at the Bernabéu in Madrid, and thus, became the first-ever Italian club to claim the treble, a historic feat unmatched by any other Italian side since.

A vital part of the Nerazzurri’s legendary squad that season was Goran Pandev, one of only three Macedonian players, alongside Ilija Najdoski and Darko Panchev , ever to have lifted Europe’s most coveted trophy (the latter players won the old European Cup with Red Star Belgrade back in 1990/91).

On the 22nd May, the actual 15th anniversary of arguably the club’s greatest success, and ahead of this season’s final between Inter and Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Saturday, I sat down with the so-called ‘Il Grande Macedone’ for an exclusive one-on-one interview for FotMob.

We revisited the magical night in Madrid, talked about the making of Massimo Moratti’s iconic squad, discussed the influence of The Special One and finally, we looked ahead to the upcoming final as the Macedonian is rooting for his former teammate and dear friend, Simone Inzaghi to lead Inter to European glory.

“Winning the Champions League is every kid’s ultimate dream when one starts playing football, as the Champions League is simply the pinnacle in football, and I definitely achieved the biggest success in my career with Inter. However, my road to success was not easy at all, as I come from a small country like Macedonia, and it was not straightforward at all. But with a lot of self-belief as well as hard work and with the help of my family, my friends, and even former coaches from the Macedonian national team and in the clubs that I played for, my childhood dream came true, and I am really, really happy about winning that trophy,” begins Pandev with a proud smile on his face.

The Strumica-born forward’s club career was at a crossroads in the summer of 2009 after the in-form Macedonian expressed a desire to experience a new challenge during the summer transfer window and subsequently, Lazio’s owner – Claudio Lotito froze Goran Pandev out of the squad in Rome. The player even raised the issue with Italian football’s governing body and after spending six months on the sidelines, Pandev was ultimately released from his contract by the ruling of Lega Calcio in late December. He was free to join any club, but a certain Portuguese coach had been closely following the legal battle.

“I joined Inter in the January transfer window after I had a difficult six months of being sidelined at Lazio and José Mourinho insisted that I signed for him. He was a big influence on all of us and not only on me because I was one of the younger players in the squad, but he had influence on much more experienced players like Javier Zanetti and we know what the Argentinean has done for Inter and about his role as captain. José Mourinho definitely had a big influence as he was the one who wanted Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder and Lucio as well, and he simply made a team that breathed as one and we did the unthinkable that season. I think that for many years to come the Italian clubs will have a hard time trying to replicate our success.”

The Macedonian forward made 27 appearances, scored three goals and recorded six assists across Serie A, Coppa Italia and the Champions League in the record-breaking 2009/10 campaign, and Inter’s no. 27 was also part of the starting XI for the final against Bayern Munich.

When asked whether the squad believed in success ahead of that game, he says: “Of course, we had confidence because when you put on Inter’s shirt, you feel a certain amount of weight on your shoulders and you have to give your best. Inter’s shirt means a lot to Italian football, and we won the Champions League after a gap of 45 years, with Inter’s last title in the competition back in 1964/65. We had a top squad led by José Mourinho, but I think Massimo Moratti deserves the biggest praise as he built that squad. It took him a long time to make a winning team and to win the Champions League. In the previous years, Inter had so many great players, and still could not win it. We made it the greatest success in the history of Inter, and when you write yourself with golden letters in Inter’s history, it means that you have done something special in your career.”

Inter secured 37 wins, drew 13 times and suffered only six defeats on the way to completing the treble. They scored 98 goals, which speak volumes about the quality of the squad, but according to Pandev, the decisive factor was the tight-knit bonds between the players in the dressing room: “This team had everything, it had character, it had quality, and we had players like Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder, Lucio, Walter Samuel and I can go on and on, as all of them were top players. Also, I believe that we had the best coach in Europe at that time in Mourinho, and that was proven by the results we achieved and the discipline we had. We were a squad of 22-23 players and everyone played at a very high level, all were a part of their respective national teams as well, and it was not easy to create this team, but we worked as a family, and we had a big friendship between us and I think that made the difference.”

Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito formed a lethal partnership and together with Goran Pandev, became an attacking trident in which each player knew his task. Pandev hails the role of the Cameroonian on and off the pitch.

“We had a lot of talent in the squad, but I think with bringing Samuel Eto’o in, this team gained a lot of experience and acquired that winning mentality because before he came to Inter, he’ won the Champions League’s won it all with Barcelona. He was playing at the highest level, and he brought that winning mentality to the dressing room, his attitude both in training and on the pitch made the difference that season. Also, Diego Milito had a phenomenal season as he scored the key goals in the Coppa Italia, scored in the last match against Siena, and scored a brace against Bayern in the Champions League final, which was the icing on the cake.”

Goran Pandev and Simone Inzaghi spent five years together at Lazio during their playing days and the forwards even led the Rome-based club’s attack together on a few occasions. The former describes the latter as his dear friend and speaks with great admiration about the work of Inzaghi as a coach, and Pandev is closely following Inter and has even visited the squad a few times throughout this season.

“I have watched almost all the matches in the Champions League this season and they play good together and are being compact as a team. With Simone Inzaghi and Giuseppe Marotta coming in, Inter changed a lot, both from tactical perspective and in the transfer market as well. It is an experienced and quality side and that is shown by the results achieved as this will be their second final over the past three years. The Champions League is a very difficult competition where the best players and teams play and Inter has been playing at a high level in Europe for two or three years already, and that gives them hope ahead of the final.”

Inter’s path to reaching the Champions League final involved a semi-finals classic against Barcelona, which needed 13 goals to decide the winner and Pandev found watching the match nerve-racking: “It was an amazing match, one to get a heart stroke as we say (in Macedonia). Not only for me, but for all the players and fans that were present at San Siro. After the goal we conceded at 2-3, no one believed that Inter would defeat Barcelona. But the experience, the self-belief, the luck and the help from God, because you need to be also lucky in that moment for Francesco Acerbi to find himself in the penalty box in the 93^rd minute and in that situation, that is the real character of this team. As I previously said, Inter’s shirt is very heavy when you put it on, and it demands for trophies to be won, and I believe in this team, I think they have the quality to win the Champions League.”

Even though Lautaro Martínez & co. might become the first Inter squad to win the Champions League since 2010, Pandev says “I don’t think the squads can be compared because we played in a different formation with different tactics and I think those are completely different squads. Even though the Italian media likes to compare this team with the 2010 squad, I think there are a lot of differences. To be honest, I think the quality of Italian football is much lower today than it was 15 or 20 years ago.”

Goran Pandev himself is not a big fan of 3-5-2, but he offers a tactical insight into how Simone Inzaghi has mastered the formation with the help of his players: “I think that these two teams know each other very well and this final will be decided in the middle of the pitch. Inter play just a little bit more defensive football than PSG as they like to counter-attack with Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco, who are the ones making the difference. Also, Marcus Thuram is a very dangerous striker and one who attacks the free space really well, we just hope that Lautaro will be 100% ready for this game as he was recently injured. Inter are destined to play 3-5-2 as I think they won’t change this approach which brought us so much success this season.”

Luis Enrique is the architect behind the current Paris Saint-Germain’s squad and Pandev maintains huge respect for the Spanish coach, but also adds that watching Inter on TV and live in the stadium, is a completely different experience, and disagrees with the claims that Inter play defensive football under Inzaghi.

“I prefer 4-3-3 more, but both teams play attacking football if I am being honest. Everyone thinks that Inter are playing defensive football, but when Dumfries finds space to get to the opponents box, there are four or five players there like Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolo Barella who are quality players and then you have Martínez and Dimarco on top of that. Everyone thinks that this system is mainly a defensive one, but when you watch Inter live, it is quite the opposite. When they have the ball in possession, they play with a lot of freedom in the wide areas, and it quickly converts to an attacking formation. Luis Enrique is an excellent coach, and we know what the Spaniards are like, and I think that he’s made a perfect team at Paris Saint-Germain, a team that was built by him. Every player is a technically gifted footballer, and I think after the big stars left, PSG are playing much better football.”

“I will be present in Munich and watch the final live. I hope for Inter’s victory, but anything can happen over the course of one match. Paris Saint-Germain has a quality team, a young team with some great talent. The experience is on Inter’s side and I think Inter deserve the trophy. They had a lot of injuries during crucial parts of the season with key players being out. I hope Inter will win the Champions League especially because of Simone Inzaghi, who is a very good friend of mine and I really hope that he will lift the trophy.”

(Image from IMAGO and courtesy of the Football Federation of Macedonia)

You can follow the Champions League Final with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

The second part of the exclusive interview focuses on Goran Pandev’s new role as sports director of the Macedonian national teams and will be released in early June ahead of Macedonia’s match against Belgium in the World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.

*Any republishing or translation of the interview without a direct reference and link leading to the author or original site of where it was published is strictly prohibited

May

2025

All is not well for the Red and Black side of Milan

AC Milan supporters are pointing fingers at the club’s ownership after the Rossoneri suffered their worst league season for a decade.

By Graham Ruthven

Banned from taking flags and banners on to the Curva Sud, Milan’s ultras had to improvise to get their point across during the final game of their club’s crisis season. “Go home,” read the message sent to the Rossoneri’s American owners by thousands of supporters choreographed into giant letters. RedBird Capital aren’t welcome at San Siro.

By every measure, Milan’s 2024/25 campaign was calamitous. They finished eighth in Serie A, their lowest league finish for a decade. They changed managers midway through the season, after hiring Paulo Fonseca only last summer, and considered making another change in March, according to reports. Questions over Sérgio Conceição’s future persist.

Supercoppa glory at the start of the year counted for something, as did the run to the final of the Coppa Italia, but the failure to make it past Feyenoord in the Champions League round of 32 was a season-defining flop. Even worse was that Feyenoord made it through despite selling their top scorer (Santiago Giménez) to Milan in January.

Antonio Conte reportedly wanted the Milan job only for the decision makers at San Siro to pass him over in favour of Fonseca who only lasted until the end of December, and was only hired because fans rebelled against the club’s first-choice candidate, Julen Lopetegui. Conte, meanwhile, led Napoli to the Scudetto with a less talented squad than the one he would have inherited as Milan manager.

Over and over again, Milan have made bad decisions, leading to the breaking point reached in the last few weeks. “There is anger and frustration among the fans, feelings we share,” Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani explained. “Today a season ends. The next one will start right away tomorrow. There can’t be just one reason if we’re so far below expectation. There are several things we need to sort out because next season can’t be like this one.”

Since taking over three years ago, RedBird have done everything possible to paint themselves as methodical, modern owners. Gerry Cardinale, founder of the New York-based investment firm, has spoken about “winning smart,” but AC Milan aren’t winning and they certainly aren’t doing much smartly.

Sacking Paolo Maldini as sporting director wasn’t smart. The legendary former defender had played an important role in building a title-winning squad that included the likes of Rafael Leão, Theo Hernández, Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud. When Maldini publicly insisted that Milan needed to spend more to stay at the top of Italian football, he was dismissed. For many fans, this made him a martyr.

Zlatan Ibrahimović arrived as Maldini’s replacement, but not in any official capacity. Instead, the Swede has operated as a consultant in a way that has caused confusion over his true influence over transfer strategy and other front office matters. Ibrahimović has been blamed for many of the bad decisions made recently. His presence at Milanello is murky. Nobody really knows what he does.

Of course, Milan are far from the only Italian club under American ownership. Atalanta, Hellas Verona, Fiorentina, Inter, Parma, Roma and Venezia all have American owners with Canadian Joey Saputo in charge at Bologna. Serie A has significant upside and has welcomed North American investment to keep up with the other Big Five leagues.

Milan fans, however, are sceptical of RedBird’s true intentions as owners. They aren’t in it purely for the football, they’re in it to make money as an investment fund with over $10 billion of assets around the world. Success on the pitch might be a byproduct of this focus, but many question whether RedBird will ever be able to find the right balance.

“For my investors, who focus on terminal value appreciation, my job is to position AC Milan to contend for the Scudetto every year, qualify for the Champions League every year, and go through the Champions League competition as far as possible every year,” said Cardinale in an interview. “That’s what maximises cash flow and brand value.”

Things could get even worse for Milan this summer. Manchester City are interested in Tijjani Reijnders and have opened talks over a summer move for the Dutch midfielder, one of the few Rossoneri players to come out of this season with any credit. Leão and Hernández are also being linked with clubs in the Premier League and Saudi Pro League.

RedBird have rejected suggestions they could sell up or reduce their ownership stake at the very least, reiterating their stated plan to restore Milan as a genuine force at the top of Italian football. The reality, however, is that the Rossoneri haven’t been so far adrift of Italy’s elite in a long time.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Serie A with FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Angel Gomes: Out of contract at Lille and in demand back in England

Friday, May 23, 2025. Napoli found themselves on track to miss out on the Scudetto to Inter until the 42nd minute, when, despite being manhandled by Cagliari’s Gabriele Zappa, Scott McTominay completed an audacious scissor kick to open the scoring in a 2-0 home victory. A few minutes later, in Seville, Antony picked up a through ball from Isco and bended it into the back of the net with a world-class finish, breaking the deadlock in a 1-1 draw vs. Valencia.

By Zach Lowy

Both McTominay and Antony have hit extraordinary heights since departing Manchester United this season – the former winning Serie A’s Most Valuable Player after guiding Napoli to the league title, the latter spearheading Real Betis to the UEFA Conference League Final. However, they’re far from the only players who have taken their game to a new level after leaving the Theatre of Dreams. Plenty of former Red Devils like Anthony Elanga and Marcus Rashford have found a new lease on life since decamping to greener pastures, and one player in particular could be in line for a Premier League return this summer.

Born in Edmonton, England, Angel Gomes is the son of Angolan-born Portuguese youth international Gil Gomes as well as the godson of Manchester United legend Nani. Gomes joined United’s renowned Carrington academy in 2006 and ascended through the ranks, eventually replacing Wayne Rooney for his debut on May 21, 2017 and becoming the youngest player since Duncan Edwards in 1953 to play for United.

That same year, Gomes won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year and steered England to victory in the FIFA U17 World Cup. However, his slight 5’6” frame caused him to be overlooked by José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, prompting him to leave United in 2020 for Ligue 1 side Lille. Gomes was promptly loaned out to Portuguese outfit Boavista, where he racked up six goals and six assists (including a stunning goal from the halfway line vs. Moreirense) before heading back to northern France.

Whilst he wasn’t able to help Lille retain their Ligue 1 title, he did manage 30 appearances across all competitions and win the 2021 Trophée des Champions. An attacking midfielder by trade, Gomes was utilised as a right winger, a left winger, and a No. 10 in his debut campaign in France and emerged as a valuable impact sub, but under the watchful eye of Paulo Fonseca, he solidified a starting spot in a more central area. Forming a stalwart midfield trio alongside Benjamin André and André Gomes, Gomes impressed as a deep-lying playmaker, capable of popping up in different areas and filtering passes between the lines for his teammates. Similarly to the great Andrés Iniesta, Gomes used his biggest question mark – small stature – as a virtue, with his low centre of gravity enabling him to weasel out of pressure and keep the ball glued to his boot, before chiseling out an opportunity for his teammates.

After leading Lille to a fifth-place finish in 2022/23 (a massive improvement on their previous 10th-place finish) and winning the U21 Euros with England, Gomes swapped his No. 20 shirt for the No. 8, previously worn by Lille icons like Michel Bastos, Moussa Sow, Salomon Kalou, and Xeka. With great power comes great responsibility, and Gomes did just that by steering Les Dogues to a fourth-place finish in 2023/24 and qualification to the UEFA Champions League. Gomes proved adept at maneuvering out of pressure, constantly scanning the pitch and staying wary of danger before manipulating his body weight in order to dodge a tackle whilst remaining balanced. However, he also showed off his incisiveness and killer end product, finishing as the joint-top assist provider in Ligue 1 and ranking sixth for progressive passes completed in Ligue 1. Reinvented as a midfield architect, Gomes thrived at dropping between the centre backs and picking up the ball in deeper areas, opening up his hips to receive on the front foot and drawing in opposing players before exploiting the press with ease.

“Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team,” stated Fonseca, who departed in the summer of 2024 and was replaced by Bruno Génésio. “When we have Angel closer to the attack, when he plays between the lines, he is more decisive. He understands timing and space and his positioning changes his intentions.”

The 2024/25 season hasn’t been quite as kind to Gomes, who departed their Ligue 1 opener vs. Reims after being knocked unconscious, suffering a busted lip, and being carried off on a stretcher following a collision with Amadou Koné. Whilst Koné was sent off and suspended for four matches, Gomes remained in a jocular mood, joking that “someone should remind him next time to not jump for a header.” He returned in time to make his debut for England’s senior team, playing in their UEFA Nations League matches vs. Finland and Ireland and becoming the first player to represent England whilst employed by a French side since Trevor Steven in 1992. Gomes played in each of Lille’s next nine league matches before suffering a calf injury, eventually returning to the side on January 10 for his first appearance in 61 days and coming off the bench in a goalless stalemate vs. Auxerre, before playing 10 minutes vs. Strasbourg.

*Gomes’ season summary since leaving Manchester United*

Gomes was then given a starting opportunity as an attacking midfielder in Lille’s 4-2-3-1 formation, opening his Champions League account in a 6-1 thrashing of Feyenoord, completing 29 out of 31 passes (including two key passes), and coming out on top in four out of four ground duels, before exiting at halftime in a 4-1 win vs. Saint-Ètienne. He was an unused substitute for their next three matches before returning to the side on March 1, where he lasted just 45 minutes before being replaced by Ethan Mbappé. Little did he know it, but that would be the 134th and final appearance of his Lille career. With Gomes showing no signs of renewing his contract, Génésio elected to drop him from the side for the final three months of the campaign en route to a fifth-place finish.

It wasn’t the fairytale ending that he would have hoped for, but Gomes can nevertheless leave the Stade Pierre-Mauroy with his head held high. Across his four years in France, he transformed from a wonderkid to the real deal, a player who could impose himself on proceedings with his elaborate disguised passes, his tenacious counter-pressing, and his deliberately executed dribbles out of the press. He developed a seamless chemistry with Jonathan David, who will also depart Lille on a free this summer, and showcased an ingenuity and precision in retaining possession and advancing the ball forward with telepathic accuracy, but he also showed his mettle out of possession in terms of winning back the ball and making crucial interceptions.

Eight years after becoming the first player born in the 2000’s to play in the Premier League, Angel Gomes looks set to return to the Premier League just as he left it: on a free transfer. Manchester United, West Ham, Everton have all registered interest in the English midfield maestro, whilst Tottenham Hotspur have also put out feelers for Gomes, who is on track to become the latest Lille player to move to England after Amadou Onana, Sven Botman, Carlos Baleba and Leny Yoro. He needed to escape the blinding lights of the Premier League in order to flourish, but at 24 years of age, Gomes is finally ready to make his mark in England’s top-flight and challenge for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the every game from French football on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

May

2025

Preview: Betis meet Chelsea in the Conference League Final

Real Betis and Chelsea go head-to-head in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday at the Tarczynski Arena.

By Matt Smith

Both sides will be looking to end their season on a high, lifting a trophy in Europe after impressive seasons domestically. Betis finished sixth in LaLiga, qualifying for the Europa League, while Chelsea ended their season in the Champions League places thanks to a final-day win over Nottingham Forest.

It’s been almost 20 years since the two sides faced each other. Betis and Chelsea went head-to-head during the 2005/2006 Champions League campaign.

Team news

Betis could be without some key players heading into this game, with former Arsenal defender Héctor Bellerín among those on the treatment table. Marc Roca, Diego Llorente, and Chimy Ávila will also be unavailable, while Giovani Lo Celso is a doubt.

Chelsea will welcome the return of Nicolas Jackson after his sending off against Newcastle United saw him sit out the Premier League run in due to suspension. Enzo Maresca has often heavily rotated his side for this competition, but it will be interesting to see if he goes full strength for the final.

Betis’ defensive solidity has helped them get to the final

The loan signing of Antony from Manchester United has helped Betis’ production in the final third, but it’s their defensive solidity that has helped them reach the final of the competition. Conceding just 0.9 goals per game, only bettered by their opponents Chelsea, Betis have been difficult to break down in Conference League.

Finding the back of the net has actually been a bit of a struggle for Betis in the competition. Despite creating 24.5 expected goals (xG), the Spanish outfit have scored just 1.6 goals per game.

Chelsea have flown through the competition

It’s difficult to argue that Chelsea haven’t been the best side in the competition so far this campaign. Scoring more goals and conceding fewer than any other team in the Conference League, Maresca’s side have been mightily impressive despite heavily rotating their squad.

The Blues have also averaged more possession per game than any other team, creating the most big chances and the most touches inside the opposition box.

Nkunku a different animal in Europe

Christopher Nkunku has endured a difficult time at Chelsea since his arrival from RB Leipzig, struggling to make an impact in the Premier League. The same can’t be said for his production in Europe, providing eight goals and assists combined in the competition.

As mentioned, Maresca has fully utilised his squad in the Conference League, giving the likes of Nkunku the opportunity to impress. The French international has flourished in Europe this term, so he could be the difference for Chelsea if Maresca continues to trust him.

Prediction

This will undoubtedly be the toughest test Chelsea have faced so far in the tournament, and Betis have been in impressive form. We’re going for a 1-1 draw in normal time, with Chelsea lifting the trophy at the end of the night.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the Conference League Final with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.