“In his first year in charge, Hansi Flick turned a Barcelona side struggling to find their identity into the ultimate entertainers. Barca won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana and also reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in six years, scoring 174 goals across 60 matches. Along with the intricate passing sequences they have traditionally been known for, the Catalans embraced directness and verticality, becoming one of Europe’s best counter-attacking sides. Here, The Athletic break down how this Barcelona side play the game. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)
How Barcelona play: Pedri’s line-breaking passes, that offside trap and how will Rashford change things?
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“When Martin Scorsese saw Fellini’s 8½ for the first time he was a student at New York University. Upon returning home, he tried to sketch his favourite scenes from memory and then set about thinking what the film was about. ‘Then you realise you don’t have to because it’s very simple really,’ Scorsese explained. Dreams. Memory. ‘It’s total fantasy.’ There’s nothing to get. Don’t try to understand. Let it wash over you in all its beauty and absurdity. Following Serie A is similar. The main plot points — who will win the scudetto, qualify for the Champions League, suffer relegation — often feel secondary to the elaborate, often mind-blowing set pieces that happen simultaneously. …”
“Chilean president Gabriel Boric has criticised the “evident irresponsibility” of CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American soccer, after violent clashes between rival fans caused a Copa Sudamericana match on Wednesday to be abandoned. The second leg of the last-16 tie between Argentine side Independiente and Universidad de Chile in Buenos Aires was abandoned in the 48th minute due to security concerns after rival fans clashed in the stands. The visiting Universidad de Chile supporters were situated in the tier above Independiente home fans, with local media reporting the trouble started before half time as rocks, toilets, sinks, seats, pieces of masonry, excrement, and stun grenades were thrown between rival fans. …”
“At first, it was just a short delay to the start of pre-season training. Players at the clubs of the Indian Super League (ISL) were assured that there was nothing to be worried about, just some administrative issues with the country’s top-flight league that needed to be ironed out. It was when another two weeks were added to the delay that concerns started to grow. Communication was minimal. Players were baffled about what the problem was. Eventually, in early July, it was 
Scissors Kick 