The headlines, as they always do, belonged to Lionel Messi. In a 6-2 win for Inter Miami over the New York Red Bulls, the legendary Argentine either scored or assisted all six goals. No player had made four assists in a single Major League Soccer match before. Everyone at Chase Stadium for last weekend’s match saw something special.
And yet the performance of another Inter Miami player was profound in its own way. In only his second MLS appearance after joining the South Florida outfit from Corinthians last month, Matias Rojas found the back of the net twice – both goals from Messi assists. The Paraguayan could be Inter Miami’s secret weapon for the rest of the season.
Rojas is a good fit for the team Tata Martino has forged over the first few months of the 2024 campaign. The 28-year-old is attack-minded in the way he plays. He likes to push into advanced areas of the pitch and make late runs into the box from midfield, like he did in the demolition of the Red Bulls.
Inter Miami might not have needed Rojas had Diego Gómez not gone down with an ankle injury last month, but the 21-year-old’s absence pushed the club into the transfer market to find a replacement and Rojas ticked all the boxes. His technical ability – and versatility – has allowed the Paraguayan to settle in quickly at Chase Stadium.
Deployed on the left side of a midfield three after coming off the bench for the start of the second half, Rojas was extremely influential, registering two shots on target, three passes into the final third and one successful dribble. As a ball carrier, creator and goal threat, the 28-year-old more than proved his worth alongside Messi, Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets.
Inter Miami have adopted a two-pronged approach in the transfer market. While they have signed legendary stars in the form of Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Jordi Alba, the South Florida club has also looked to South America to add depth. The capture of Rojas represented the latter.
It was an opportunistic move that made the most of a dispute between Rojas and Corinthians over image rights. The midfielder had only been at Corinthians for a year, but the Brazilian club ultimately decided to move him on rather than continue a contractual tussle. Inter Miami were the ones to benefit from this.
Fernando Redondo was another opportunistic capture. The young Argentinean midfielder had been linked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe after an impressive showing at last year’s U20 World Cup, but Inter Miami offered him the chance to play with his hero. The pull of Messi has helped the club attract new players that otherwise would have been out of their reach. Expectations are higher for Inter Miami than any other team in MLS history. Their squad is the strongest ever assembled in the league and many predicted they would sweep all before them in all competitions in 2024. An early exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup was a blow, but in MLS, the Herons are living up to their billing as the Supporters’ Shield pacesetters.
There are obstacles ahead for Inter Miami. In particular, this summer’s Copa America means Messi will be unavailable for a key stretch of the MLS season with Suárez also expected to be at the tournament. Maintaining a Supporters’ Shield challenge through this period might prove beyond Martino.
For the time being, though, Inter Miami are setting the standard at the top of MLS – and they are getting stronger. The summer will be tricky, but the Herons are building momentum with almost every match they play at the moment. Indeed, Inter Miami have won four league matches in-a-row and have scored 16 goals in the process.
Inter Miami will need more than just Messi to achieve their objectives for the season and that’s why the addition of Rojas could be significant. The Paraguayan provided a hint of what he could offer in his cameo off the bench against RBNY with his opening strike one of the Goals of the Season so far in MLS. There could be much more to come.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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AC Milan supporters are unhappy. That comes with the territory of watching your closest and fiercest rivals stroll to the title, but there is more to the Rossoneri’s malaise than Inter’s Scudetto success. This is a team that should, according to the banner displayed by Milan fans during Sunday’s match against Genoa, be performing better.
Stefano Pioli is widely expected to bear the brunt of this frustration at the end of the season when the 58-year-old will most likely leave as Milan manager. Discussion has already turned towards potential candidates to replace Pioli with the San Siro club reportedly already talking to a number of targets.
Julen Lopetegui was believed to be one of those targets until a negative reaction from supporters to AC Milan’s interest in the Spaniard ended negotiations. Lopetegui is now close to taking over at West Ham, leaving the Rossoneri at square one in their efforts to find a new manager that both fits their criteria and appeases the fans.
Sérgio Conceição has emerged as a contender over the past few days. The Porto manager is believed to be interested in a switch to Serie A and is ready for the next step in his managerial career having reached the end of a cycle in his current job. Conceição is expected to hold talks with new Porto president André Villas-Boas before the end of the week. Things could move quickly.
There are, however, some concerns over Conceição’s style of play. The 49-year-old is renowned for his conservative approach which has helped Porto achieve success in Europe, but Milan fans might expect their team to play a more attack-minded game considering the talent in the San Siro dressing room. Fans could bore of Conceição quickly.
Paulo Fonseca is another name reportedly on the shortlist. The 51-year-old is doing an excellent job at Lille and is widely seen as one of the most exciting coaches working in European football right now. In contrast to Conceição, Fonseca likes his teams to control possession and play through teams with the ball. Milan would be more attractive under his stewardship.
That Conceição and Fonseca are both on the club’s shortlist doesn’t say a lot about the vision they have for the team. Conceição and Fonseca are good candidates, but there isn’t much to link the two in terms of how they view the game. Do the Rossoneri decision makers really know what they want from their next manager?
A whole host of other names have also been linked with the AC Milan job that hasn’t even been vacated yet. Thiago Motta has earned admirers for pushing Bologna into top four contention in the Serie A table this season with Zlatan Ibrahimović reportedly an advocate for the hiring of the former midfielder.
Antonio Conte has been linked with the Milan job in the past and is still out of work after leaving Tottenham Hotspur last season. However, Conte is more likely to take over at Juventus where recent reports claim the former Chelsea and Italy boss feels he has some unfinished business. Some claim Conte has already spoken to the Old Lady.
Then there’s Roberto De Zerbi who until recently appeared restless at Brighton. Napoli wanted De Zerbi to replace Luciano Spalletti last summer and the 44-year-old has so far resisted a return to Serie A despite interest from more than one club. Milan’s sales pitch, however, might be more compelling than anything else made to De Zerbi.
Roberto Martínez, Maurizio Sarri, Mark van Bommel and Francesco Farioli are also candidates reportedly being assessed by Milan who are doing everything they can to ensure their next appointment is the right one. Sacking Pioli – who won the Scudetto only two seasons ago – only makes sense if his replacement represents a step forward.
However, there is a point at which such a broad process becomes scattergun. Milan find themselves at a critical crossroads in their recent history and need a more accomplished manager to take them to the next level. It’s possible they will find that figure this summer, but the stakes are increasingly high.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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In this weekend preview we summarise the best five games to follow on your match feed. And make a couple of suggestions for matches that you may otherwise miss.
In a change to the pattern of recent weeks, Manchester City are the title rival who play first in the Premier League this weekend. In fact, they kick off the penultimate full round of games, at Fulham, in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.
City have a fantastic record against the Cottagers, with Pep Guardiola’s charges unbeaten in the previous 18 meetings between the two. Should City make that 19, they’ll move two points above Arsenal with two games to play. With that recent history, Arsenal fans may already be looking towards City’s game in hand, the Tuesday night trip to the Gunners’ North London rivals, Tottenham, as the best opportunity to see them drop points.
Fulham have been inconsistent this season, form that has seen them rooted in a lower mid-table position, safe from any fear of relegation, and equally capable of upsetting a big side (see the win vs. Arsenal on New Year’s Eve) or going on a run of one win in seven, as is the case at the moment. They can boast one of the better defensive records in the division – they’re conceded at a rate of 1.5 goals per game, but they only have the 13th best scoring record – at 1.4 goals per game, which tallies with their league position.
Manchester City, of course, don’t have that issue, particularly with the league’s top scorer, Erling Haaland seemingly finding form again just in time for the run-in.
Arsenal, then, will know exactly what they need to do to keep pace, or go back above, Manchester City when they take to the field at Old Trafford on Sunday. A meeting with Manchester United, their old title rivals from the 90s and 2000s, probably isn’t the best timing for this current Arsenal side who simply cannot afford to slip up in either of their remaining fixtures (they face Everton on the final day).
That said, the Manchester United side that lost 4-0 away at Crystal Palace last Monday night bore little resemblance to the team that was going toe-to-toe with Arsenal, and often lifting the Premier League trophy during the period previously mentioned. Erik ten Haag appears to be clinging on to his job as manager with United winning just two of their last 10 league games. February’s four back-to-back wins feel like a long time ago now, and yes, there is the FA Cup Final to look forward to, but a top six finish could now, arguably, be out of their hands.
Mikel Arteta’s side have stood up admirable in the last few weeks, winning their last four games with an aggregate scoreline of 13 to two. And the Gunners appear to have the back bone to take this title race all the way to the final day, providing they get some kind of favour from City’s remaining opponents.
You may have already seen our specialised preview for Saturday’s Old Firm Derby – if not, you can read that here. And you may remember the big billing we gave the last meeting between Rangers and Celtic that took place a little over a month ago.
At that point, Rangers trailed Celtic by a point and had a game in hand on their Glasgow rivals. The title race was well and truly on. But after a thrilling 3-3 draw that ebbed and flowed both ways, it was felt the result was a better one for Celtic. And that’s how it has panned out with Celtic winning all three of their consequent league matches, while Rangers have won two, drawn one, and lost one, thus wasting their one game advantage.
Now, with a win in this game, with only two further rounds to play, Celtic could all but wrap up what would be their 54th league title. A figure that would move them within one of Rangers’ record of 55, although we’re aware some fans dispute that latter figure.
A win for Rangers, however, would breathe new life in to this title race and leave us with two very exciting match days to look forward to.
Who will come out on top on Saturday afternoon? Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, who appears reinvigorated in recent weeks, or Philippe Clement, the man who arrived at Rangers in October and completed revived the Ibrox outfit?
Elsewhere in Europe, this Sunday, there’s another derby between two city rivals who are virtually neck-and-neck at the top of their respective league. And that comes in Denmark where Copenhagen south siders Brøndby take on FC København.
Here, just a point separates the two sides – in Brøndby’s favour – with four games to go. The Superliga format is similar to Scotland in that the main league has now split in two and this game will mark the second and last meeting between the two rivals during this stage of the campaign.
Brøndby started the second portion of the season with a huge comeback win at FCK, fullback Sean Klaiber scoring a 93rd minute winner against their arch-rivals in a game that finished 2-1. Since then, Brøndby went four games unbeaten, albeit they only picked up one other win, before they then lost to Midtjylland last weekend. København have won their last three to close the gap between the two sides.
Midtjylland also remain in the mix as they sit level on points with København, so in truth, this is really a three-horse race, or four, if you still want to include Nordsjælland who are another two points further back in fourth! Whatever the result, this could be an exciting league to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.
We’ve included this game, between a side already crowned Bundesliga champions, and Bochum, who could still do with a win to ease any lingering relegation play-off fears, for one reason only. And that is for you all to make sure you’re following along to see whether Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen can extend their unbeaten season to an amazing half century of games across all competitions.
Leverkusen have been notorious for scoring a lot of late goals in recent weeks, rescuing draws, or winning games from losing positions with an extraordinary knack for persistence, something we coined Xabi-Time in a recent article (here). The 49th game in their run fits this profile perfectly, and it came in the home leg of their Europa League semi-final against Roma on Thursday night. Leading 2-0 from the first leg in Rome, Leverkusen then conceded twice from the penalty spot, meaning the tie was level on aggregate heading in to the final 10 minutes of the game. But then, as they have done on countless occasions recently, Leverkusen pulled one back.
That would have been enough to win the tie, but Alonso’s side were never going to settle for that, they’re aiming for a full invincible season, and so they carried on knocking on the door, eventually equalising through substitute Josip Stanišić in the 97th minute!
Leverkusen, then, are still on for the treble. They have the league in the bag and there’s still the DFB Pokal Final and Europa League Final to come. And for reference, the 49-game unbeaten streak is a European record since the introduction of UEFA club competitions in the mid-1950s.
Plus two further suggestions from a little deeper in your match feed…
Sunday’s Women’s FA Cup Final is a notable one in England as it does not include one, or two of Manchester City, Chelsea, or Arsenal – the current top three in the WSL – for the first time since 2005!
Manchester United were the losing finalists last season, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, so they have something to prove in a game that they at least have some recent experience of. Opponents Spurs have never made it this far in the competition and it can be argued that this game is therefore the biggest in their 39-year history.
In the league campaign, United sit fifth in the table, seven points above sixth placed Spurs. And the sides played out a 2-2 draw just a couple of weekends ago, the first time Spurs have managed to take points off United in five previous meetings. United won the earlier fixture this season by four goals to nil.
On Saturday, we get the first leg of the Asian Champions League, a competition that has been raging since 1967. And it’s set to be a big game with Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos taking on Al Ain, the most successful side to stem from the UAE Pro League.
For all their recent success at home, Yokohama have won two of the last five J.League titles, and finished as runners-up in two of the other three during that period, they have not made a continental final of this magnitude since losing the 1989/90 final. Things haven’t started so well this season under the management of former Socceroo and Premier League stalwart, Harry Kewell, with the side currently sat 11th in the league after 12 rounds.
Al Ain, notably, knocked out Saudi giants Al Hilal in the semi-finals, and saw off Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the round before that. They too are well off the pace in their domestic league but they appear to have some serious momentum behind them on the continental stage.
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As recently as two months ago, Celtic appeared to be in crisis. Protests against the club’s board were staged at several matches with one banner reading “Celtic board, on your heads be it” as Brendan Rodgers’ team seemingly allowed the Scottish Premiership title race to swing towards Rangers.
Heading into Saturday’s final league Old Firm Derby of the season, though, Celtic can effectively clinch yet another championship. The trophy won’t be handed out at Celtic Park, but a home victory would put Celtic six points ahead of Rangers with two games left to play. It would be all over…Bar for the fat lady singing.
Rodgers deserves credit for the way he turned around Celtic’s season to put them on the brink of a 12th title in 13 years. There was a point at which the Northern Irishman looked detached – disinterested, even – from the situation he’d entered by returning to Glasgow last summer. Now, though, he is once again driving the Hoops forward
Celtic are currently on a run of five wins from their last six league with their only stumble coming in a 3-3 draw away to Rangers which, in the context of everything, was a positive result. Indeed, that point at Ibrox could prove to be the most important in Celtic’s entire season given it put the title race back in their own hands.
While Philippe Clement has revitalised Rangers since his appointment in October, the Belgian has yet to beat Celtic. The Hoops were the more proactive of the two teams in the last Old Firm Derby and they are expected to play on the front-foot again on Saturday. Rangers might not be able to handle the attacking threat of their rivals.
After a difficult start to the season, Kyogo Furuhashi has found form in recent weeks, scoring twice in last weekend’s win over Hearts. Rodgers initially struggled to find a role for the Japanese forward, but has more recently deployed him in a position where he can get on the end of chances in and around the box.
Ange Postecoglou’s departure for Tottenham Hotspur left Celtic in ideological limbo. Rodgers prefers a more considered possession-based game and several players struggled with the transition between the two managers at the start of the season. Kyogo, perhaps more than any other player, embodied this.
There were times earlier in the season when Celtic were simply too slow and laboured on the ball to break down low defensive blocks. Rodgers, however, has done a lot to inject some intensity to his team over the last few weeks with James Forrest providing some much-needed forward thrust in recent games against Dundee and Hearts. He will likely start on Saturday.
The return of Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor from injury has also raised Celtic’s performance levels in the centre of the pitch while Cameron Carter-Vickers has finally provided some defensive consistency after a long period on the sidelines. As the treatment room has emptied at Celtic Park, the Hoops’ results and performances have improved.
“I don’t think there is any doubt [Celtic are ready], we’ll arrive into this weekend’s game and this will probably be the best version of the team that I’ve had since I’ve been here [in the second spell],” said Rodgers. “When you look at the injuries we’ve had, right the way though, the disruptions, it felt like at the weekend was about there, virtually, in player availability and where the team is at. And in terms of fitness as well.”
Matt O’Riley has flourished under Rodgers this season with the Danish international used in a more advanced midfield position than was the case under Postecoglou while centre back Liam Scales has emerged as one of the surprise packages of the season. Progress has been slower than many fans would have liked, but it has been achieved.
Another title triumph would do little to silence the complaints of supporters and pundits who justifiably claim Celtic must do more in the transfer market to take the next step in their development, but it would reflect how fortunate they are to have one of the most accomplished, experienced coaches in British football right now at the helm.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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It is set to be an odd weekend in the Premier League. For the first time in a while, Manchester City play their game before their rivals and have the opportunity to move into top spot. It is also a weekend in which the reigning champions will be rooting for neighbours and FA Cup final opponents Manchester United. Aston Villa could claim a top four place while Nottingham Forest, if results go their way, could guarantee their survival.
Manchester City travel to Craven Cottage for the early kick-off on Saturday looking to make it 19 games unbeaten against Fulham. Pep Guardiola’s men have won 16 and drawn two of their previous 18 clashes between the sides and it is very much a favourable tie for the champions.
A win here would lift them two points clear of Arsenal with two games left to play. It puts them in a very commanding position. The champions romped to a 5-1 win when these two sides met back in September.
They face Fulham at a good time too with Marco Silva’s men currently winless in three. Combine that with the fact Erling Haaland has found his goalscoring form again and everything points to a Man City win.
The Premier League’s leading scorer has seven goals in his last four matches in the English top-flight. He netted four in the 5-1 win over Wolves last weekend to take his haul for the season to 25.
Can Spurs keep their season alive?
Tottenham Hotspur are seven points off of the final Champions League place with a game in hand over Aston Villa. However, Ange Postecoglou’s side have just three matches remaining. Time really is running out for them to turn this around. A win is desperately needed to keep their hopes of a top four finish alive.
They host a Burnley side on Saturday afternoon who are also in dire need of a win. The Clarets are five points away from safety with just two games left. Anything other than a win against Spurs would see them relegated.
To say there’s a lot at stake would be an understatement.
Spurs have lost four on the spin and have conceded 13 goals in these defeats. They aren’t in the greatest of form and this drop-off has occurred at the worst possible time. The top four hopefuls have also conceded a minimum of three in three of the four matches.
However, they have won their previous three against the Clarets.
Burnley had been on a three match unbeaten run prior to their 4-1 loss to Newcastle United last weekend. At one stage, it did appear as though they might play their way out of trouble. That heavy loss to the Magpies has put them in a win or be relegated situation though and they are without a clean sheet in 19. It isn’t looking good for Vincent Kompany’s men but this is what makes this match-up so intriguing – it impacts both ends of the table.
One more result for Forest
The evening game on Saturday sees Nottingham Forest host Chelsea at the City Ground.
If results go their way, Forest could retain their place in the Premier League this weekend. At the time of kick-off, they will know the Luton Town score and they will know whether or not a single point is all that will be needed to be playing Premier League football next term.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side won their last outing away to Sheffeld United to halt a four-game winless run. They are, however, without a clean sheet in 12 and have scored just six goals in their previous five outings. It is an awful combination. They aren’t scoring enough goals and they aren’t able to keep the opposition out.
They face a Chelsea side making a late dart for a Europa Conference League place. The Blues could end the weekend in sixth if they win at the City Ground and Newcastle United fail to beat Brighton at St James’ Park.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men are unbeaten in three and looked impressive in their 5-0 win over West Ham United last weekend. Having said that though, they are winless in their last six away matches. So this isn’t a foregone conclusion, despite their positive form over recent weeks.
Old rivalries revisited
Manchester United welcome title hopefuls Arsenal to Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Gunners could kick off in unfamiliar territory. If City beat Fulham, Mikel Arteta’s side will head to Old Trafford in second position. They’ll be playing catch-up and there aren’t many games left. A poor result here could derail their dreams of a first place finish before their final game of the Premier League season. There is no room for error.
Arsenal head into this game in good form though having won four on the spin. They have also kept three clean sheets during this period, in the process guaranteeing David Raya the Golden Glove.
Arteta and his team travel well. In fact, they have the best away record in the Premier League having taken 39 points from 18 matches.
By comparison, the Red Devils are a little erratic at home. Erik Ten Hag’s side have failed to win eight of their 17 matches at Old Trafford and are without a clean sheet in nine games. They were hammered 4-0 by Crystal Palace last time out and need a win to keep their European aspirations alive.
They played a part in ending Liverpool’s title hopes. They could do the same to Arsenal here.
Champions League football for Aston Villa?
Depending on what happens elsewhere, Villa could already have secured a top four finish before this game even kicks off. Alternatively, they could guarantee a Champions League place with a win over Liverpool on Monday night.
Again, like elsewhere this weekend, there is a lot to play for at Villa Park. Unai Emery’s side have struggled over recent weeks. They are winless in two Premier League matches and lost to Brighton last time out. They have won just four of their previous 10 games in the English top flight and have kept just two clean sheets during this time.
They’ll need to dig deep, especially after playing in a demoralising Europa Conference League semi-final defeat on Thursday, to get anything out of this game.
Liverpool guaranteed a top three finish but will want to end Jürgen Klopp’s reign as manager on a high, so they will be looking for three points. After all, they could still be in a title race if results elsewhere go in their favour. The Reds are, perhaps surprisingly, unbeaten in seven against Villa. It tends to be a difficult fixture for Klopp’s side but what a way to end matchday 37.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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It remains to be seen whether or not FC Porto will finish a season trophyless for the first time since 2016/17, with the Dragons set to face off against Sporting on May 26 in the final of the Taça de Portugal. However, one thing’s for sure: for the first time in nearly a half-century, there’s a new sheriff in town.
After 42 years at the helm, Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa’s reign has come to an end following the results of the Porto presidential election on April 27, which saw André Villas-Boas come away with over 80% of the vote to oust the 86-year-old. But just what exactly does this mean for the present and future of the Portuguese giants? Let’s dive deeper.
A change has come
After winning the 2021/22 Primeira Liga title with a Portuguese league record 91 points as well as the Taça de Portugal, FC Porto would regress to a second-place finish in 2022/23, missing out on the title to Benfica on the final day of the campaign and the chance to pick up three domestic trophies. This season, however, they have watched from the sidelines as Benfica and Sporting dueled it out for the championship – the latter securing the league title on Sunday following Benfica’s 2-0 loss to Famalicão. The Dragons sit 10 points behind Benfica, one point above Braga and six above Vitória, and they are in grave danger of missing out on a top-three finish for the first time in 48 years.
Sérgio Conceição’s side will host crosstown rivals Boavista on Sunday in the Dérbi da Invicta before traveling to Braga on the final day, and if they can beat Sporting in the Cup Final, they will go level with Benfica as the most successful team in Portugal with 85 trophies. Since taking charge in 2017, Conceição has put an end to Benfica’s run of four league titles in a row and won 10 trophies – including three league championships – but it seems his tenure could well be coming to an end sooner rather than later.
Is Conceição on his way out?
As the presidential elections edged closer, Pinto da Costa pulled two rabbits out of his hat. First, he announced the permanent acquisition of Sérgio’s 21-year-old son Francisco. Having sold him to Ajax for €5 million in 2022, Porto brought him back on loan last summer before signing him on a contract through 2029 for a fee of €10 million. Porto waited a month to announce the deal, and as a kicker, they even gave Francisco a 20% resale clause. If Porto sell Francisco for €60 million – the full value of his release clause – then Francisco would be entitled to €12 million of the transfer fee.
Secondly, they announced the renewal of Sérgio Conceição’s contract (which was set to expire in the summer) through to 2028, with one catch: if Pinto da Costa lost the election, the contract could be mutually voided, allowing him to leave for free. Both strategies failed, a coy admission from the club’s fanbase that, whilst Conceição will go down as one of the most successful managers in Porto’s history, his tactics have gone stale after seven years at the helm.
Since the start of 2024, Porto have drawn to Sporting, Boavista, Rio Ave, Gil Vicente and Famalicão, whilst they’ve also lost to Vitória, Estoril and Arouca, dropping points in 12 of their 32 matches. Indeed, Porto’s total goals scored (60) is inferior to Sporting’s goal differential (+63), and after seven straight top-two finishes, the Dragons are guaranteed to finish, at best, in third place. However, if Villas-Boas is to turn the tide at Porto, it’s clear that changes are needed not only at the manager position, but the sporting director role as well.
Porto under fire from FFP
Over the past decade, Porto have found themselves under constant scrutiny from Financial Fair Play (FFP) due to a lackluster business strategy that has seen them lose various starters like Yacine Brahimi, Chancel Mbemba and Héctor Herrera on free transfers, with Mehdi Taremi set to become the latest as a move to Inter edges closer. They were recently found in violation of FFP rules and will pay a fine of €2m in order to avoid incurring a ban from European football, and it seems that another player exodus could be on the cards.
Whilst Porto have had quite a few big-money sales in recent years, they’ve also had their fair share of expensive signings that haven’t quite panned out. In the summer of 2022, Porto splurged a combined €31.6 million on Gabriel Verón, Stephen Eustáquio, Samuel Portugal, André Franco and Marko Grujić, whilst they also shelled out a club-record €20 million plus €2.5 million in add-ons on Braga’s David Carmo. The following summer, they spent €35.44m on Iván Jaime, Nico González, Alan Varela, and Fran Navarro and added Jorge Sánchez and Francisco Conceição on loan from Ajax, whilst they lost their indispensable playmaker Otávio, who joined Al-Nassr for €60 million.
Otávio’s departure has deprived Porto of much-needed creativity and unpredictability in the final third, and nobody has managed to fill the void. From that list, there have been far more flops than successes – Carmo, Navarro, and Verón departed on loan in January, whilst Portugal, Grujić and Eustáquio are bench players. As for Sánchez, Jaime and Franco, they were recently forced to train apart from the first-team squad alongside Toni Martínez after running afoul of Conceição.
Can Villas-Boas unite Porto?
“Football is subject to a lot of variables, and when things go wrong, normally it’s when the top disappears.” It’s been nearly three years since I spoke to André Villas-Boas in Lisbon, and it’s fair to say that this statement of his has stood the test of time. Villas-Boas’ sole season in charge of Porto would see the club win the Primeira Liga, the Supertaça, and the UEFA Europa League, and 13 years later, he returns to a Porto that finds itself in crisis both on and off the pitch.
In November, the club’s general assembly broke into chaos after members of the Super Dragões, Porto’s main ultra group, reportedly attacked those who spoke out against the Pinto da Costa reign. Over the past 18 months, Villas-Boas has faced threats, harassment, and vandalism, but he hasn’t let that stop him from pursuing the presidency. All of this did, however, prevent him from traveling to the Estádio do Dragão on election night to celebrate his victory over fears for his safety. The 46-year-old Porto native has already led his boyhood club to a treble and ended Pinto da Costa’s dynasty, but now, he faces a new challenge: restoring pride and unity to a Porto side that finds itself teetering on the brink.
(Images from IMAGO)
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In one sense, you could argue that David Sullivan has a point. After all, it’s now been eight years since West Ham United moved into The London Stadium. If Spurs can challenge – albeit increasingly intermittently, these last couple of years – for a place in the Champions League, where the real money is, and if Arsenal can return there after six years away, as another London club with a 60,000+ capacity stadium, why shouldn’t West Ham too?
But there is something about the way in which West Ham have treated David Moyes that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Generally speaking, supporters are fairly tolerant of the cut-throat world of football’s hirings and firings, but there are protocols of respect that clubs should follow, and this is all the more accentuated when the man concerned has managed the club with a reasonable amount of distinction.
Furthermore, while West Ham United do indeed occupy a 60,000+ stadium in London, if Sullivan did believe that simply moving into a big stadium would turn his club into one of English football’s giants, then he seems to have underestimated what a challenge that might turn out to be.
When Moyes brought the Europa Conference League trophy back to The London Stadium last year, it was their first major trophy since the 1980 FA Cup. They won 14 out of 15 games in the Conference League and drew the other one. They’ve been a Championship club three times since the formation of the Premier League. When Moyes took them to sixth in 2021, it was their joint second-highest ever final league position.
Now, it might be argued that this Europa Conference League win was something of a red herring, masking a distinctly underwhelming Premier League season, during which they spent seven weeks in the bottom three and both started and finished the season weakly, with four points from their first seven games of the season and six from their final seven.
There is a case for saying that Moyes could have sailed off into the sunset after that trophy win, but…should he? After all, that was a year ago and West Ham’s 2023/24 has been…not too bad. They seem likely to end the season in the top half of the Premier League, while their thirteen league wins have included beating Chelsea, Brighton, Manchester United, Spurs, and Arsenal. They reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League and only fell at that stage to Bayer Leverkusen, who are currently 15 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and unbeaten in all competitions this season.
The decision to meet Rúben Amorim for a bit of a chat last month was, as per the modern argot, pretty classless, a view that Amorim seemed to acknowledge himself in subsequently apologising for having met with the club. And during his previous spell in the Premier League at Wolves, Julen Lopetegui, who will succeed Moyes at the end of the season, was hardly known for expansive, attacking football. Although it’s fair to say that he joined a Wolves team that was scrapping to avoid relegation, it remains the case that they were the lowest scoring in the Premier League last season with 31 goals, while they also conceded six against Brighton, five against Arsenal, and four against Leeds.
The challenge at West Ham will be a different one, but what will the expectations for him actually be? Lifting a European trophy won’t be an option. The Hammers won’t be playing European football next season. Should they finish ninth this season, to improve upon that they’ll have to do better than one or more of Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Spurs, Newcastle, Chelsea, or Manchester United. Not all of these clubs are in a particularly great condition at the moment, but there don’t seem to be many easy wins in the business of leapfrogging there, either.
Moyes’ record at The London Stadium isn’t flawless. The 2022/23 Premier League season was a significant blot, while his reported insistence on bringing in Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City; a player with an unenviable injury record who gave away an equalising goal against Bournemouth on his debut and then got, to the surprise of no-one, injured after eight Premier League appearances. His loan period at The London Stadium already seems to be over. It might well be argued that bringing in an England international on loan to plug a gap in midfield was a decision that made perfect sense at the time, but his injury record was there for all to see.
But these feel like quibbles, relatively speaking. David Moyes is one of West Ham’s more successful managers, certainly of the Premier League era. Going back further, Ron Greenwood won the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup, John Lyall won the FA Cup twice, and Harry Redknapp took them to a record high fifth place finish in the Premier League. But these three managers are from very different eras, in which three or four straight defeats weren’t ordinarily a reason to get rid of a manager. When David Moyes arrived at West Ham United, he arrived at a deeply unhappy and divided club. He stabilised them and finally brought a trophy back to East London. For that, West Ham United supporters should certainly be grateful, and it feels as though David Sullivan should have been rather more grateful too.
(Images from IMAGO)
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Up until this season, Thiago Motta’s managerial career had been a good deal less remarkable than his playing career. A gifted and aggressive midfielder in his time, who graced the pitch in Barcelona, Paris, and Milan, the Brazilian-born 41-year-old won 30 caps for Italy, reached a European Championship final, claimed two Champions League winner’s medals and a total of eight league titles in three different countries. Compare that to being fired after two months as head coach at Genoa and lasting a single season with Spezia, and life in the dugout was not proving quite as successful. But in 20 months with Bologna, all that has changed.
Despite the incredible job he has done with the Serie A club, who now sit in the top four and are guaranteed a place in the Champions League next season, Motta is unlikely to reach his two-year anniversary at a club all the same. Not because they want rid of him, though. Instead, this time it’ll be because overtures have been made his way by much bigger clubs, seeing his potential, his leadership, and his tactical acumen as being a good fit for themselves.
In the summer, Thiago Motta’s contract at Bologna ends; they’ve attempted to renew but with Juventus circling, Barcelona previously linked, and even Manchester United mentioned as a possible destination, it seems he’ll be departing the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara for a grander, more historic…And possibly bigger-spending club.
Zoom out beyond this season and it’s not hard to see why. Motta had never had a season as coach where he wasn’t fighting relegation up until last term; guiding Bologna to a ninth-placed finish was as notable for them as for himself, though. It was their best campaign since 2012, over a decade previous, and only just shy of their best finishes at all in the modern era – seventh in 1997 and 2002. Prior to that, you have to go back to the 60s and 70s for anything better.
Fourth spot for this season, then, would prove near-historic. And he’s done it by giving the home fans magnificent outing after magnificent outing: only the two Milan clubs have won at Bologna this term, over six months apart. They have been relentless on home soil, including a run of ten clean sheets in 13 matches at one stage.
Needless to say, they are among the finest in the league with several defensive metrics: joint-second in goals conceded per 90, third for clean sheets, fourth-best for xG against, joint-first for tackles per game.
And yet there’s plenty more to them than just a resolute group who are tough to break down – it’s not entirely a team in their manager’s own mould as a player, after all. Motta has spoken before about his wish to see flexible systems with players who rotate positions, offering up five, six, or even seven players to attacking phases of play. His base system might be a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 – he’s used both a single and a double-pivot in midfield this term – but similarities of play remain regardless of systemic changes. His centre-forward is a catch-all: creative, an outlet, good link play and good finisher. Joshua Zirkzee has fitted the bill well this season, mustering 15 goals and assists in Serie A. Riccardo Orsolini and Alexis Saelemaekers have been productive alongside him or from wider and deeper flank areas, both as schemers and direct runners.
Motta hasn’t made it a terribly complicated system, but instead has set up his team to allow his players to flourish in their own ways, doing what they are good at.
They are not necessarily like a dominant Inter Milan or Juventus at their best, high volumes of territory advantage and constantly in the opposition penalty box – Bologna rank only ninth in Serie A for touches in that zone. They’re also 19th for corners, seven for goals, 12th for accurate long balls and 12th for possession won in the final third.
But they’re also behind only Napoli for average possession per game. They’ve created just a handful of big chances fewer than Juventus. Only Inter and AC Milan have scored more goals on the counter-attack than them this season.
This is a triumph of the collective, a togetherness and a cohesion which has seen them be better than other teams, more consistent than them and, ultimately, place higher than them. That is Motta’s true recipe for success this term and the truer reflection of Motta’s ethos as a player – and that is also what will almost certainly land him a far higher-profile job this summer.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Of course, they say that it all comes down to eleven players versus eleven, and in one extremely obvious sense it does. But by the time you reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, it’s more than that. It’s one institution against another. For the rest of us, peering up at this distant summit, it’s all a matter of who’s a little further away at any given time.
Before last night’s semi-final match, when asked what it would take for Real Madrid to reach the final, Carlo Ancelotti replied, “Brain and heart”. Don Carlo. As economical with his words as he is luxurious with his tailoring habits. Such is their aura that it can be easy to persuade yourself that Real Madrid winning this tournament is inevitable, but it’s not like that any more. They’ve only won it once in the last five years. Once you’re in the closed shop, things get competitive.
Bayern Munich arrived for this game at a definite crossroads. From out of nowhere, Bayer Leverkusen have ended their 11-year run as the champions of Germany. From somewhere even more surprising – and ‘Neverkusen’ running a marathon at the speed of Usain Bolt on all fronts this season has been pretty surprising – third tier Saarbrücken knocked them out of the DFB Pokal in the Second Round.
It was inevitable, therefore, that Thomas Tuchel’s job was dependent on winning this fixture. Were Bayern Munich to win, the Champions League – all they have left – would still be possible. Lose and their season would be very suddenly and very definitely over. As, most likely, would be Tuchel’s time at the Allianz Arena.
Small wonder Bayern were cautious for much of the first half, deeply encamped in their own half as Real Madrid waited for a gap to exploit. The quality of players on the pitch ensured that there were a few chances. Manuel Neuer pulled off a string of outstanding saves, including one double-save from Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo which proved beyond reasonable doubt that they simply make adults younger, these days.
Tuchel wasn’t the only member of the Bayern party with something to prove. Harry Kane went to Munich to win trophies and, well, that hadn’t been going so great. He can hardly be held responsible for this. Going into this match, he’d scored 36 in 32 in the Bundesliga this season and 44 in 45 in all competitions. He’s done his bit.
And when Bayern did attack, he was the main conduit of their best attacking play. After six minutes, he almost got his toe on the end of a low cross sent skidding across the box by Serge Gnabry. Later in the half, his low shot had to be tipped round the post by Andriy Lunin. But it was an injury that would indirectly cause the first major shift in the balance of the evening, when Gnabry twanged a hamstring and had to be replaced by Alphonso Davies.
Davies had never scored a Champions League goal before, but he more than made up for that almost exactly midway through the second half. Kane, if anything, was the provider, moving the ball down the left-hand channel for Davies, who cut in and fired an unstoppable rising shot past Lunin. It looked like a classic smash and grab, all the more so when Real had an equalising goal disallowed after Nacho shoved Mats Hummels over as the ball was deflected in off Matthijs de Ligt.
But when you’re playing Real Madrid, you’re not just playing eleven players. You’re playing the institution, the crushing weight of their history, the howling, baying crowd. And when things start to turn, they can turn very quickly.
With five minutes to play, Tuchel withdrew Kane and shifted to a more defensive position. Two minutes later, substitute Mato Joselu, who’d only been on the pitch for five minutes himself, scored after Neuer, so previously brilliant, spilled a harmless looking shot into his path. Three minutes later, after being incorrectly ruled out for offside, Joselu scored again, this time from close range.
With more than ten minutes of stoppage-time to play, Thomas Tuchel could have done with a striker like Harry Kane, but that was the one player definitely not at his disposal, and in addition to that his team had also switched to a more defensive formation.
Whether bad luck or bad judgement on Tuchel’s part, even this was almost overshadowed 13 minutes(!) into stoppage-time, when the ball was hooked into the goal by De Ligt, only to be ruled out for an offside that was flagged and whistled strangely early. It may well have been that the player in question, Noussair Mazraoui, was offside, but it seemed strange that there was such reticence to forensically review the decision.
And in those chaotic final few minutes, Thomas Tuchel’s position at Bayern Munich surely came to its end. As for much of this season, Harry Kane did what he could, but it wasn’t quite enough. If there is a Curse of Kane, it’s a curse that happens to him rather than one that he causes. If there was a curse on anybody in Madrid last night, it was on Manuel Neuer, for allowing a poltergeist to occupy his gloves with three minutes to play, and on Thomas Tuchel, who couldn’t overcome the weight of history that came crashing down on upon both him and his team in the Bernabéu.
(Images from IMAGO)
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Freshly-crowned Serie A Champions Inter have run away at the top of the league this season despite their significant financial difficulties, thanks in no small part to their shrewd transfer business – explored here. They have leveraged the free agent market particularly well and look set to repeat the trick this summer, with Mehdi Taremi’s move to Milan all but officially announced.
As far as value for money is concerned, few if any of the world’s top teams are doing as good a job in the transfer market as Inter have been doing in recent years. Besides their excellent identification of players whom they can sign for cut prices or even as free agents, their squad planning and preparation going into windows is concerned.
Inter look set to deliver yet another transfer business masterclass this summer as they have already gone about identifying potential signings and reportedly even struck some deals, including one that will see Mehdi Taremi join the club after his contract at FC Porto runs out in June.
This move will not only be an important one for Inter but also a huge one for Iranian and Asian football as one of their biggest stars is joining a club that has consistently competed at the world’s highest level of late. Even more impressive is the journey the 31-year-old striker has been on to reach this point in his career.
Unique Road to Europe
Taremi will surely be one of very few if not the first person to join a champion of one of Europe’s big five leagues having previously played for a team in the second-tier league of an Asian country.
He spent his youth career at a couple of local clubs in his hometown Bushehr before getting a break at the senior level for the city’s most historic team, Shahin Bushehr. After a couple of years, he took a break to complete his mandatory military conscription period before returning to football at the start of the 2013/14 season with Azadegan League side Iranjavan, whose youth academy he came through.
With an impressive return of 12 goals in 22 games, Taremi caught the attention of clubs around the country and was picked up by Persepolis, Iran’s most successful club in the summer of 2014. After taking a season to settle back in the Persian Gulf Pro League (in which he still scored 7 times), he took off and never slowed down.Taremi scored close to 40 goals in the two subsequent seasons, almost moving to Rizespor in Türkiye between them before signing a contract extension at Persepolis. His next transfer finally came in January 2018 when he joined Al Gharafa, with whom he spent the next year and a half, impressing both in the Qatar Stars League as well as the AFC Champions League.
Finally, after spending almost a decade playing senior football in Asia, Taremi moved to a club in Europe.
Prolific Record in Portugal
Portuguese side Rio Ave signed the Iranian international after his contract at Al Gharafa expired in what would prove to be one of their best transfer moves in recent memory. In his very first season in the Primeira Liga, Taremi averaged 1.1 goal involvements per 90 and finished as the league’s joint top-scorer, besides crossing 20 goals across all competitions.
Thanks to his prolific record in front of goal, Rio Ave recorded a memorable fifth-place finish and entered the Europa League qualifiers. However, he unsurprisingly attracted interest from bigger clubs including Porto, who signed him for just under €5 million that summer in another deal that looks like an absolute bargain in hindsight.
Taremi has crossed 20 goals in each of his three full seasons for Sérgio Conceição’s side, getting as many as 31 last term! He brings a lot more than goals to the table too, as his movement at the top of the line can open spaces for his teammates to operate in, he can use his body very well to hold up the ball and he is excellent at linking up with his teammates.
On top of all that, he can also create chances for his teammates with great regularity having broken into double digits in terms of assists in the Portuguese league in two of his three full seasons at Porto.
Role at Inter
Taremi seems the perfect signing for Inter this summer. They do need another striker in their squad as Alexis Sánchez and Marko Arnautović have not been in the best of form and look set to leave at the end of their contracts this summer.
Taremi’s well-roundedness means he alone might be able to replace both of them. Simone Inzaghi encourages his strikers to be dynamic in their movement and positioning in his favoured 3-5-2 formation, but they do end up operating in slightly different roles. Marcus Thuram tends to be the one who leads the line more and often runs in behind, while Lautaro Martínez drops into the space opened up between the lines and sees the ball at his feet more.
The Iranian international should be able to play both roles, so ideally Inter will hope to manage their forwards’ game time by picking any two of their three rather than having a clear first-choice strike partnership as they have done this season. Besides load management, Taremi should also help Inzaghi tweak his game plans for different types of opposition depending on who he starts alongside.
Of course, there is no such thing as a completely free transfer in football as players command hefty wages, but Taremi should surely prove to be worth every cent of his reported €3 million annual salary.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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