“A few streets from Munich’s Odeonsplatz, away from the marble lions guarding the steps of the Feldherrnhalle and under the shadow of the Theatinerkirche’s sunshine-yellow towers, there is a monument to a place that no longer exists. Much of Munich was damaged during the Second World War. Many of the street names have changed and the buildings that could not be restored have been forgotten, along with whatever took place inside them. Cafe Gisela is long gone. From the few drawings that exist, Gisela was grand, with white tablecloths and high, patterned ceilings. And on the place where it once stood, there is now a bronze plaque mounted on a marble obelisk. It bears the Bayern Munich crest and displays the club’s founding document, signed by the first 17 members on February 27, 1900. On this day 125 years ago, 11 members of Manner-Turn-Verein 1878 (MTV) left a club meeting and headed out into the city night. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Bayern fans pay tribute to Landauer on the terraces in 2014
Bayern Munich at 125: The past, the present and the future of a German powerhouse
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“Last season, the
“The underdogs had held out for as long as possible but now, surely, it was over. Second-tier Dunkerque had somehow succeeded in weathering an almighty storm at Lille, but with five minutes of the match remaining, Andre Gomes had popped up to give the Ligue 1 side a 1-0 lead. The goal had been coming. This was the same Lille team who had beaten Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and thrashed Feyenoord 6-1 en route to securing direct qualification for the Champions League last 16. …”
“You could argue that Emile Smith Rowe’s goal did not stand out in last weekend’s wider collection of finishes. Fulham ran out 2-1 winners against Nottingham Forest, with their opener coming from a well-worked sequence that saw Adama Traore cut inside onto his left foot before delivering a delightful ball for the onrushing Smith Rowe to head home. …”
“Liverpool’s tilt at the 2024-25 Premier League title is beginning to look like a procession. This trip to the Etihad was meant to be one of Arne Slot’s biggest tests but his side negotiated it with minimum fuss, closing out victory thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah (of course) and Dominik Szoboszlai to move 11 points clear at the top of the table. Our experts analyse where the game was won and lost and where it leaves the campaign. …”
Leeds striker Joel Piroe celebrates with a young fan after scoring against Hull. Daniel Farke’s side currently top the Championship ahead of Sheffield United.
“Being in the right place at the right time is a priceless skill. It is often the result of understanding space and knowing when to time your off-ball movement. In 
“The Champions League’s new format may have given every team only two possible opponents in the round-of-16 draw but that has done little to dampen the excitement now that we know the eight ties. 
“Morocco’s run in this World Cup has been exhilarating. Led by Paris-born coach Walid Regragui, who took over only three months ago, the Atlas Lions have exceeded all expectations, defeating three former European colonial powers (Belgium, Spain, and Portugal) and are now up against France. From the mass prayer sessions in Indonesia to the celebrations on the streets of Somalia and Nigeria, this team has won the hearts of millions—Africans, Arabs, Muslims, and migrants who see themselves in this team. Images that will endure: playmaker Hakim Ziyech’s light-footed turns, midfielder Sofian Amrabet—dubbed Minister of Defense—and his barreling runs, and team captain Achraf Hakimi’s post-match embrace of his mother, who worked as a domestic in Madrid, Spain, while raising her children. But for Moroccans, it’s also the Moroccan takeover of the Qatari stadiums that has captivated the world: the pulsating drums, castanets, colorful outfits, and elaborate songs. …”
“When a manager turns a match around in the second half, the logical question to ask is: what did they change at half-time? That was the first question Juventus’ head coach, Thiago Motta, was posed on television last night after his side changed the tide against Inter to earn a 1-0 Serie A home win. … Then in the post-match press conference, Motta was asked again about his half-time message, and explained that he’d talked about ‘the usual things’ alongside ‘small details’. …”
“It was a moment many watching the game may have missed — but it has become increasingly common for Andoni Iraola and Bournemouth fans. As Milos Kerkez passes backwards under instruction from Bournemouth team-mate Antoine Semenyo during Saturday’s match at the St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton forwards Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu start to press the intended recipient, Dean Huijsen. Centre-back Huijsen controls the ball with the studs of his right boot, then rolls it to open up his body. …”
“Gunnar Nielsen’s 
“Jude Bellingham was sent off on Saturday for swearing at a referee — but the Real Madrid midfielder insists the incident that saw him shown a red card was a ‘miscommunication’. Bellingham says his red card against Osasuna was down to referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero misinterpreting him swearing as an insult directed at the official. Carlo Ancelotti explained at full time the sending off was a mix-up over Bellingham’s use of the phrase’f*** off’, which he claims was used to voice his confusion over a decision as opposed to abuse the referee. …”
“One of the most successful and lucrative commercial rights partnerships in football is ending. On Tuesday, it was announced that 
“Lloyd Kelly’s first start of 2025? Against Bromley of League Two, English football’s fourth tier, in the FA Cup’s third round on January 12 as one of nine Newcastle United changes to their previous line-up as coach Eddie Howe fielded a largely second-string side. Kelly’s second start of 2025? Against Dutch title holders PSV on February 11 in a Champions League play-off to decide who goes forward to the round of 16 next month as the 26-year-old defender made his home debut for Juventus, 36-time champions of Italy and two-time winners of the European Cup/Champions League (among their nine appearances in the final). …”
“Football very rarely goes to plan. AC Milan’s new strike force were supposed to quickly start scoring a lot of goals. Feyenoord selling their best player was supposed to mean their season was over. Bayern Munich were supposed to crumble away from home again. Oh, and VAR was supposed to eradicate horrendous refereeing decisions. As you can see from last night’s Champions League play-off knockout clashes, the sport rarely fails to disappoint when it comes to predictability. Here Tim Spiers analyses the key talking points from Wednesday evening’s matches. …”
“Erling Haaland scored against Real Madrid for the first time in his career. And then scored another. But Manchester City still lost at home to the Champions League holders. It will have felt all too familiar for Pep Guardiola and his team as they threw away a 2-1 lead with four minutes of normal time to play at the Etihad, being stung first by one of their former players, Brahim Diaz, and then the tireless Jude Bellingham, who steered the ball home from close range in added time. Oh, and earlier in the game Kylian Mbappe had scored with his shin. …”
“Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the US captured global attention, signaling a monumental shift in both American and international politics. Sitting among some of the wealthiest people on the planet was FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and his presence has raised eyebrows. In the weeks following the inauguration, Infantino has posted about Trump on Instagram more than any other world leader. Under normal circumstances, this might not seem unusual, given that the US is set to host the FIFA Club World Cup later this year and will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. …”
The fans who vanish from the terraces live on in the memories of the supporters they leave behind.
“During the 
“Pep Guardiola described it as ‘the best lesson you can take’. Abdukodir Khusanov’s language teacher might beg to differ. The Manchester City manager was talking after Khusanov endured a difficult debut against Chelsea recently, when the 20-year-old gave away a goal and picked up a yellow card inside the first five minutes. Asked whether he considered substituting Khusanov at that point, Guardiola replied: ‘Well, I have to learn Russian or Uzbek to communicate with him. He doesn’t speak English.’ On the same day, at the other end of the country, another player who arrived in the Premier League without a word of English was enjoying the best moment of his career so far. Dango Ouattara, who joined Bournemouth from the French club Lorient two years ago, scored a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest. …”
“In football the concept of a ‘trio’ is generally reserved for a group of three who play in the same department of a team. We talk about an attacking trio, a midfield trio or a defensive trio. But Arsenal’s tactical approach in their comprehensive 5-1 victory over Manchester City was all about a trio down one flank. Left-winger Leandro Trossard, left-centre midfield Declan Rice and left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly combined excellently throughout the game. Arsenal’s passing network from the game tells the story neatly. There’s almost no connection between the equivalent players on the other flank. But Trossard, Rice and Lewis-Skelly played close together, operated in each other’s zones, and spun their way into good positions in behind. …”
“Arsenal fans — or indeed, supporters of [insert team you support here] — may feel aggrieved at recent refereeing decisions, but at least you haven’t had to play against 12 men. That’s unless you’re a supporter of Dutch side Heerenveen, who were on the wrong end of one of football’s most basic rules being flagrantly breached during their top-flight match against Fortuna Sittard at the weekend. Visitors Fortuna made a late double substitution with Heerenveen — now managed by legendary former Dutch striker Robin van Persie — 2-1 up. But only one of the players getting replaced actually left the field. The match resumed, the 12 men of Fortuna won a throw-in and from that, albeit after the error was spotted and rectified, a corner which brought their equaliser, and the match ended as a draw. …”
“Liverpool this season have been very good at being good enough. There have been very few games in which they’ve dismantled the opposition. They have won fewer league games by more than three goals than Tottenham have, but ended the day nine points clear at the top with their closest rivals to play the defending champions on Sunday. If 
“The faces surrounding Cesc Fàbregas were glum, yet he spoke like a conquering general: bellowing praise at his troops as he strode among them, pointing at his eyes then pounding a fist into his open palm. ‘We devoured them! We devoured them! 
“There has been a trend towards younger, or at least more progressive, managers in France of late, and largely to good effect. The football played by Will Still, Luka Elsner and Liam Rosenior is innovative, modern and genuinely thrilling to watch. Older managers are also making their mark. Franck Haise is doing much the same at 
“Arsenal dominated the Premier League champions at the Emirates Stadium, beating Manchester City 5-1 to keep pressure on Liverpool at the top of the table. Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead within two minutes through Martin Odegaard before Erling Haaland equalised with a thumping header early in the second half. City were only level for a minute or so, though, before Thomas Partey restored Arsenal’s advantage. From then, the home side were in total control. Impressive 18-year-old full-back Myles Lewis-Skelly and forward Kai Havertz added more goals, before an outstanding curling strike from 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, on as a substitute, added further gloss in stoppage time. …”
“One of the familiar tells of St Pauli’s standalone attitude to their kit, until recently, was the sleeve patch advertising a local brewer. Astra make much of their alternative worldview too, as well as their attachment to the location of their microbrewery in the Reeperbahn. Like the football club, they see themselves at the heart of St Pauli’s community. Astra’s logo, spray-painted on the main stand at Millerntor, is particularly evocative of where they’re at. It’s a red heart with an anchor piercing the top, a nod to the city of Hamburg’s maritime heritage resembling a sailor’s tattoo (which is why it always looked so satisfying on the upper arm of St Pauli’s jerseys). …”
Scissors Kick 