“Manchester City have launched their appeal against an independent commission’s decision that the club broke Premier League spending rules via a ‘Disguised Funding Scheme’ that helped them inflate income and reduce costs to the tune of £900million ($1.19billion). It leaves City facing the most serious of punishments. While the scope of this has not been confirmed, sanctions could include relegation to lower divisions, massive fines and even the prospect of having titles stripped. City have vowed to fight back, branding the independent commission’s decision ‘unsafe’, while their chief executive Ferran Soriano has referred to a Premier League ‘conspiracy theory’. …”
NYT/ATH (Video)
Inside the Manchester City guilty verdict: Hidden costs of bonuses, alleged £100m breach in 2017-18
“It was a seemingly innocuous email, sent on a Wednesday morning in January 2017, that started everything. A few days earlier, Manchester City had beaten West Ham United 5-0 in the third round of the FA Cup. It was Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge. Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero, all symbols of City’s ascent to English football’s elite, were among the scorers. But this email would herald a new era in the club’s history. Arriving in the inbox of a senior official at City, it appeared to have been sent by an employee from European football’s governing body, UEFA, and contained a link to a financial compliance report. …”
NYT/ATH (Video)
“At this stage, the narrative changes. No longer should it be a debate about whether the Premier League would dare to drum Manchester City out of England’s top division. Now the question takes another form: how can you justify anything else? Attitudes can only harden now that the first official judgment has been published, subject to an appeal, and the sheer scale of deception is increasingly, and jarringly, clear. Nobody ever thought it would be pretty. We knew, City being City, that the numbers would be eye-watering. We knew there would be mountains of paperwork, legal arguments, redactions and recriminations. Even so, it was still quite something to read 
“How bad could it be, really? How serious can a breach of arcane financial regulations be, really? Just how damning can accountancy be? Even after Friday’s revelation that 
“There was a stir when 
“So it turns out none of that was real. Nothing that happened in English football between 2009‑10 and 2017-18 that involved Manchester City actually happened. City beating Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford? Fake. Sergio Agüero’s 94th‑minute winner to 
“Moments before munching on a salad at an upscale Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, Andrés Cantor was stopped by a worker for a brief conversation in Spanish. After dinner, another worker hailed him down to take a photograph together near the car valet stand. … Cantor is a soccer celebrity currently starring in his 10th men’s World Cup. But his great physical skill is not precision dribbling of Lionel Messi or the acceleration of Kylian Mbappé. It is his buoyant and limber voice. As a play-by-play announcer for the Spanish-speaking network Telemundo, Cantor must capture the explosive moment whenever a player finds the back of the net. And he does not treat ‘gol,’ or ‘goal,’ as a typical one-syllable word. He enthusiastically elongates it, stretching the word for upward of 10 seconds, while curling his lips and cupping his hand near his ear. …”
“Spain beat England 3-2 in a highly entertaining and open Nations League game at Wembley, with the World Cup winners extending their record unbeaten run to 39 games. Thomas Tuchel’s side did have the visitors rattled for the middle period of the game and could have gone 3-1 up had Harry Kane not missed a second-half penalty. 
“Manchester City have spent much of the last decade dominating the Premier League but for the last three and a half years there has been a very different battle to fight. City, English football’s champions in six of the last nine seasons, were charged with over 100 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules in February 2023, leaving the legacy of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering team under a cloud, even as a new era is beginning under Enzo Maresca. 
“It’s the place where points are lost and never to be seen again, according to a popular social media meme. Draw a line from 
“The qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations begin on Thursday, with 48 countries competing to earn spots in Africa’s biggest football tournament. Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda will cohost AFCON 2027, as the competition returns to East Africa for the first time in 51 years. Divided into 12 groups, the teams will be involved in a six-round qualifying process that runs to March next year. Here’s everything to know about AFCON 2027. …”
“In the end, Steve, Brian, Gaz or similar, he’s just not done the job he was hired to do. The job? The one he was hired to do? He’s not done it. How can I put this? There are three things here. The job. The being hired. The doing it. And him. Four things. And if you put those things together, there is no clear equation of … no linear semiotic cluster, he’s not, he’s just not, what I’m saying is … How many times have you heard variations on this statement in the few short, tender weeks since 
“When UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham embarked on his trip to the United Nations in New York, he might not have been expecting a question about football fans drinking alcohol in grounds. Burnham firmly believes the law that prevents supporters from having a beer at their seat during a match is outdated. It’s a position the 
“Xavi Hernandez and Jurgen Klopp shared the points as they got their careers as international managers underway, in a frenetic Nations League game between the Netherlands and Germany that ended 1-1 The Dutch began with a spring in their step and thought they’d taken the lead when Virgil van Dijk headed home an early Tijjani Reijnders corner, only for VAR to rule it out for an extremely-soft looking Brian Brobbey block. But it was Klopp’s team that went 1-0 up when Felix Nmecha scored from close range just after the half hour mark. The Dutch were furious, as Brobbey had gone down with a hamstring injury, but there was no reason for Germany for stop playing — and, to be fair, they didn’t. Brobbey had to be substituted, as did Kai Havertz a few minutes earlier — news that will concern Sunderland and Arsenal fans respectively. …”
“Who is the best player in the Premier League? It’s a simple question with a complicated answer — one that The Athleticwill continue to attempt to answer throughout the 2026-27 season. This is the second instalment of our Premier League Player Rankings, in which we use form, data and the eye tests of Phil Hay and Tim Spiers to assess exactly who the division’s top 50 footballers are. 
“When 
West Ham and Millwall players shake hands before kick-off at 
“In some football matches, we simply remember the result. Whenever Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid meet, it is dramatic scenes that stick in the memory. Sergio Ramos’ 93rd-minute equaliser that helped Real Madrid win a 10th European Cup in 2014, 
“While Thomas Tuchel continues to 
“By now, you’ll probably have seen the clips of Brighton & Hove Albion’s press against Arsenal. They make for compelling viewing. Of course, it’s hard not to be impressed by sequences of well-choreographed pressing. There is something exhilarating about any complex action that requires a level of collaboration from multiple agents in order for it to come off. We see it in nature in the murmurations of starlings or the communal behaviour of a shoal of fish. On top of this, a well-worked press also fulfils one of the primary requirements for any football fan watching their team: the impression of effort. There is nothing a fan enjoys more than the players of their team exerting themselves around a football pitch. 
“The boos are what generate the headlines — ‘Tottenham Hotspur booed off after winless league start continues’, etc. — but what hits you harder is the silence. Football stadiums are meant to be cacophonous arenas of celebration, singing, unfiltered joy and, yes, of aggro and anger and despair and misery and questioning life decisions. But silence? Before a ball has even been kicked? There is something askew here. It’s midday, 30 minutes from kick-off and Aston Villa are in north London for one of English football’s oldest and grandest top-flight fixtures. The atmosphere, though, doesn’t feel at all like one of anticipation, despite more than 60,000 people all heading to the same venue. …”
“… Some truths transcend culture. Some myths appear and reappear in every tribe and community across the globe. And in every sport in every nation in every continent, we all share one unchanging tradition: Overreacting way too soon into a season. The sample size is small. The season is long. The teams are still finding that magic we call ‘gelling.’ (Especially this year with a record number of new managers or head coaches in the Premier League.) And yet. We are human beings, and we are entitled to our overreactions! It’s called passion. So, with the season’s first international break upon us and Premier League action halted until October 10, we figured it was time: Welcome to the overreactions and hot takes edition of the Soccer Weekender. …”
“Wrexham have bought The Turf pub that stands next to The Racecourse Ground. The deal for the iconic venue, arguably the most famous pub in football after featuring heavily in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, has been struck between Wrexham Holdings, the club’s parent company, and Admiral Taverns. Wrexham’s purchase of The Turf, which continues to welcome hundreds of overseas fans every week, is seen as an important part of a development plan that has the new £69.1 million ($92.4m) Kop stand at its heart. …”
“Diego Simeone said it had been a special week in Madrid, a ‘tremendous energy about the city’, and it closed the way he wanted. He had enjoyed the Formula One, he said, and he had enjoyed going to see Shakira. He enjoyed this even more, at least he did by the time the last of many, many blows on the referee’s whistle brought it to an end, sending him sprinting up the tunnel punching the air. Two-nil up against 10 men through goals from Álex Grimaldo and Jonathan David, seemingly in control, a late strike from Antonio Rüdiger awoke old ghosts and brought tension to the final minutes, but they had done it. …”
“This was a happy homecoming for Andoni Iraola. Liverpool’s head coach did not have to wait long into the new season to return to his former club Bournemouth and he will have taken huge satisfaction in claiming a 1-0 victory, even if the performance was not always convincing. The crucial moment came in the 57th minute as Alexander Isak swept in from close range after Cody Gakpo’s cross deflected into his path. After that it was down to the defence to close out a third consecutive league clean sheet — the first time they have achieved that since the start of the 2024-25 campaign — to secure the points. …”
“Arsenal’s turbo-charged start to the new season has come to a shuddering halt. The Premier League champions’ perfect record across all competitions was shredded by a 3-0 defeat at an inspired Brighton & Hove Albion, who celebrated their 125th anniversary (an occasion which saw them wear a special edition shirt) in style. The hosts were simply too intense for Arsenal to handle. They were 2-0 down by half-time courtesy of long-range strikes by Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas and the game was effectively killed off by Chema Andres’ header early in the second period. Kai Havertz saw one effort saved by Bart Verbruggen in an otherwise toothless performance by Mikel Arteta’s side. …”
“Clock-watching. It’s a cherished element of the workday for uninspired office employees, but for referees, timekeeping is serious business. And this season, their handling of it is under more scrutiny than ever. That is because the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that sets the sport’s laws, introduced a suite of tweaks this season designed to curb time-wasting. These measures include a 10-second limit for substituted players when leaving the pitch. If they take longer, their replacement is not allowed to enter the pitch for a further minute. Referees have also been instructed to use five-second countdowns for goal kicks and throw-ins. …”
“Thomas Tuchel has admitted there are times when he craves greater control in matches. But the England head coach feels the more chaotic, adrenaline-fuelled nature of the Premier League will remain his template as he targets glory at Euro 2028. Tuchel described his team as ‘maybe not the most economical to play football’ in terms of their habit of constantly playing at full throttle. They 
“Alessandro Costacurta lasted 15 minutes of his first game at San Siro. He was, admittedly, not playing, but tagging along to watch his older brother’s favourite team. … But happily, far from the last. Costacurta was recruited into Milan’s academy a year later and played 663 times for their first team – helping them win Serie A seven times and the European Cup five, either side of its Champions League rebrand. Only his fellow defenders Paolo Maldini (902) and Franco Baresi (719) have made more appearances for the Rossoneri. Many of those were alongside him. …”
“Three months ago, Iran was one of the biggest stories in football as Team Melli arrived at the World Cup to try to play in the US, a country that had been bombing and firing missiles at Tehran and other targets. A disallowed goal and a last-minute effort that hit the bar in the final group game against Egypt confirmed Iran’s group‑stage exit – 
“WHEN Leicester City won the Premier League in 2016, it was something of a modern fairy-tale. The club was not what anyone would have classified as small, but Leicester were not accustomed to silverware and they were largely in the shadows of bigger, more-resourced rivals. The successful squad of 2016 was built on a budget, but a hard-working, committed team deservedly finished as champions. It was a triumph for honest endeavour and a core unit that included a decent goalkeeper, solid defenders, one or two outstanding midfielders and a difficult-to-handle striker in the form of his career. The hub of the squad cost no more than £ 40 million, a small percentage of the money spent by the usual title contenders. It seemed too good to be true. …”
“Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd. A helter-skelter 4-3 win against Norwich City has been secured in added time. In the directors’ box, owner-chairman Steve Gibson blows out his cheeks while a euphoric stadium falls over itself with happiness and relief. This really mattered. 
“THERE are surprise early leaders in the Bundesliga in the form of Freiburg, who won 5-0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach, taking their tally for the season to 10 goals in three games. Freiburg’s Yannik Engelhardt and Igor Matanovic scored two apiece. After the game, Gladbach’s third defeat of the campaign, coach Eugen Polanski became the first Bundesliga coach to be sacked this season. Polanski was appointed a year ago and had a win rate of 29.73% in his 37 games with Gladbach. Borussia Dortmund also maintained their 100% record with a 3-0 win against Paderborn with goals from Serhou Guirassy, Maximilian Beier and Marcel Sabitzer. Bayern Munich made hard work of beating newly-promoted Elversberg, who fell to their first defeat since arriving in the top flight. Harry Kane and Lennart Karl scored Bayern’s goals. Augsburg kept pace with the leaders but were denied a 2-1 win by a last-minute goal from Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick. Frankfurt picked up their first win at Mainz with Can Uzun netting twice in a 3-1 win. …”
“Dominik Szoboszlai’s sensational strike sealed Liverpool’s progress into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup via a 3-1 home win against Tottenham, with all three goals being particularly impressive. With Spurs searching for a late equaliser, the Hungary international connected sweetly on the half-volley with Cody Gakpo’s pass looped from 25 yards out, giving goalkeeper Martin Dubravka no chance. 
“After the opening weekend of this season, the Premier League trumpeted a record of 100 per cent accuracy in key decisions made by match officials. Across those first 10 games, it listed 21 key match incidents (KMIs), ranging from penalty appeals and potential red-card challenges to goals being double-checked for possible offside. The league’s KMI panel agreed that the on-field officials had made correct decisions in 18 of the 21 cases — and that ‘following VAR intervention, 100 per cent of calls were deemed correct’. But that wasn’t quite the case. …”
“While London has a host of top-flight clubs and Liverpool have been regular contenders, the story of the 
“Kiat Lim wanted to see 
“The Manchester derby was dominated by two controversial refereeing calls, with the goal from Erling Haaland — finally given after a long VAR check — proving decisive in City’s 1-0 away win. That came after an hour, with the striker looking offside as he slotted home a Josko Gvardiol cross, only for VAR to find him onside due to the position of United defender Patrick Dorgu’s foot as the ball came in. It was also decided that a diving Enzo Fernandez did not interfere with play as he tried to head the cross in before Haaland’s back-post finish. On Sunday evening, 
“A below-par Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw by Fulham at Anfield, a result which maintains their unbeaten start to the season but will surely be viewed as a missed opportunity. The visitors had lost their opening three Premier League games and have looked vulnerable defensively under former Liverpool right-back Alvaro Arbeloa, but Andoni Iraola’s side could not take advantage. There was a full league debut for Bradley Barcola but he had a quiet afternoon as the home side failed to follow up their Champions League victory against Atletico Madrid with another win. …”
“Premier League representation is low when it comes to the 16 attacking players on 
“
“ASK any fan from the north and they will tell you the real passion in the game is found in cities like Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. It is true these locations have long been at the heart of the sport and to some extent, the capital city was an underachieving metropolis for many years. But in terms of seats sold at matches and the number of football clubs – at all levels – London is a major hub in every sense of the word. In fact, according to historian and stadium expert Simon Inglis, only Argentina’s Buenos Aires can boast a greater football presence. …”
“If things had worked out differently, 
“Old photos of Manchester United’s history fill the walls of the Old Nag’s Head public house in the city centre and many feature the club’s illustrious European history. There’s George Best with the European Cup in 1968, manager Sir Matt Busby and Best with the big cup too. There’s a bleak snowy field in Munich after the 1958 air disaster, a huge 1968 colour picture of a toothless Nobby Stiles parading the European Cup with his sidekick Paddy Crerand equally jubilant. Best again, wearing a sombrero in Lisbon in 1966 
Richard Hughes has left Liverpool. Who will replace him?
“Welcome to week three of The Athletic’s Premier League performance table — a ranking system that really does not appreciate tightly-contested matches. In case you missed 
“THE first ‘big six’ clash of the season saw two clubs with a 100% record come face-to-face. Arsenal played host to Chelsea at the Emirates but the hosts received a shock in the first minute when Morgan Rogers netted his second goal since arriving from Aston Villa. Former Chelsea man Kai Havertz scored the equaliser in the 25th minute with a shot that goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez should probably have stopped and the game was clinched by Martin Ødegaard in the 50th. Arsenal showed they are out to retain their title and Chelsea suggested they are a better equipped side than last season, but they are still some way from being contenders. Manchester City also have a 100% record after beating Coventry City with a goal from Erling Haaland. Liverpool secured their first win under new manager Andoni Iraola as they beat Ipswich Town at Portman Road (pictured). …”
Torino’s Nikola Vlasic equalises from the spot against Inter Milan in Serie A
“As Stefan R left the stadium of his favourite German football team in the summer of 2019, a powerfully built man dressed in black approached him, grabbing his arm. Then, at least two other men appeared from behind. He was surrounded. The men had been waiting for him on the street and the chilling message that followed was delivered at speed. … Stefan, whose name has been changed in this article for safety reasons, had promoted a banner that championed diversity, hanging it from one of the terraces at Stadion an der Gellertstrasse, the home ground of Chemnitzer FC, around 150 miles south of Berlin, during a German cup game against Hamburg. The lettering was presented in rainbow colours and included the words ‘cosmopolitan’ and ‘tolerant’. Stefan had previously been involved in a supposedly apolitical fans’ group where some of the fringe members harboured Islamophobic and anti-refugee views. …”
The banner at Chemnitzer FC that put Stefan R in danger.
“Three league games played, 
“It was 6pm on 5 July in 
“Lamine Yamal struck twice for Barcelona as they demolished Valencia 5-0 on Sunday to maintain their 100% start in La Liga. The reigning champions moved three points clear at the top of La Liga after Jose Mourinho’s 
“I never believed it would actually happen. Not really. Not until this week, when, for the first time, there was a sense, as The Godfather makes so abundantly clear, that you really can get to anyone. 
“When Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the penalty spot on Sunday afternoon, all eyes were at first on him. Understandably so: Manchester United’s captain had missed two penalties in pre-season. But after Fernandes duly converted for the second goal of his hat-trick against Ipswich Town, it was Youri Tielemans’ antics in the background that drew attention. As Fernandes undertook his trademark run-up, Tielemans mirrored him exactly, sidestepping and stuttering in synchronisation. …”
Bournemouth might have unearthed another top talent in Alvaro Rodriguez
“… That is how one senior Atletico Madrid source described the situation surrounding Julian Alvarez this summer. Although deadline day ended with Alvarez staying at Atletico, the fallout from the window’s most bitter transfer saga is only just settling — and the story is far from over. 
