“The shock value is notable. The Serie A champions not making it through the Champions League league phase. The current best in class and league leaders by 10 points going out to Bodo/Glimt. Two teams exiting in the play-off round this season. Three last season. Eliminations at the hands of Belgians and the Dutch in 2025, Norwegians and Turks in 2026. Discarded players like Ivan Perisic, Noa Lang, Victor Osimhen and Jens Petter Hauge coming back to haunt their old league. Headlines calling it a “disaster”. Talk show hosts making sensationalist claims about Bodo/Glimt’s payroll being the equivalent of Catania, Salernitana, Vicenza and Benevento’s in Italy’s third division. The sheer embarrassment of it. A country’s anxieties stoked ahead of the national team’s own play-off against Northern Ireland next month, when the risk of missing out on another World Cup, the third in a row, hangs heavy once again. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Champions League knockouts: 16 teams remain, all-English ties loom in latter stages
“An entertaining Champions League play-off round is complete, with last year’s runners-up Inter comprehensively beaten by Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in one of the tournament’s biggest shocks for several years. Juventus’ task — trailing 5-2 from their first leg against Galatasary — was even steeper. … Newcastle United ensured that six English teams will be in the last 16. Anthony Gordon scored four goals in one half in the first leg as they cruised past Qarabag of Azerbaijan, clocking up the furthest competitive away trip an English side has ever made in the process. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
“… Joseph Oughourlian, owner of Racing Club de Lens, was responding to a question from The Athletic about what it would mean for Lens — a city in northern France with a population of just 35,000 — to pip Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title. With 20 matches played in Ligue 1, and 14 remaining, Lens trail the European champions by just two points, having been leading at Christmas for the winter break. They will have a keen eye on PSG’s next match, at home to Marseille in Le Classique on Sunday night. For Lens to even be in the title mix at this stage is a remarkable achievement. …”
“When UEFA changed the format of the Champions League, it was for nights like this. The Swiss model, now more famous than Swiss Cottage station on the London Tube network but not yet as famous as Swiss cheese, replaced the old eight groups of four model (less catchy) in 2024. The final day was pretty good last year, with 64 goals in the 18 games, but no big teams dropped out and the big will-they-won’t-they? of the night saw Paris Saint-Germain stroll past Stuttgart 4-1 to avoid an early elimination (wonder what happened to them). …”
“Newcastle and Paris Saint-Germain are both now in the Champions League knockout phase play-offs after a tense 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes. Both went into the game in the top eight teams — who go straight to the last 16 — but results elsewhere mean they will need two-legged play-offs to advance further. Vitinha put PSG ahead with a beautifully-placed finish after Ousmane Dembele had missed an early penalty given harshly against Lewis Miley for a handball. And though the hosts dominated the majority of the first half, Joe Willock headed in an equaliser just before the break with Newcastle’s first shot on target. …”
Galatasaray should now make the play-offs, despite a tricky-looking final-day trip to Manchester City “We are down to next Wednesday’s final-day bonanza in the Champions League, with 18 simultaneous games to close out the initial league phase. Seven matchdays in, only Arsenal and Bayern Munich have guaranteed spots in the round of 16 in March. Third-placed Real Madrid and Juventus in 15th are separated by just three points, and with some of the teams in-between them playing each other in the final round of matches, expect the table to undergo a bewildering amount of change during Matchday 8. …”
“It is almost three years since a stark verdict was delivered on the chaotic scenes that preceded the 2022 Champions League final in Paris. ‘It is remarkable that no one lost their lives,’ concluded an independent review of that fraught evening that ended with Real Madrid beating Liverpool. UEFA, as event organisers, was found to 
“When you are called out by your head coach for the ‘ridiculous’ number of goals the team has conceded so far this season, the ideal response is not to let in another four in the next game. Arne Slot did not mince his words when talking about his Liverpool side’s defensive record this season ahead of the Champions League tie against Dutch visitors PSV on Wednesday. …”
“Tottenham may have put in a more positive display against PSG than against Arsenal on Sunday, but they came away from Paris defeated in an eight-goal thriller despite twice taking the lead. Richarlison headed in during the first half after a great team move from Spurs before an incredible strike from Vitinha just before half-time drew the hosts level. Randal Kolo Muani, playing against his parent club, put Spurs back in front before Vitinha again drew the teams level with another lovely finish. Two poor goals to concede followed, though, as the early promise from Spurs evaporated. Kolo Muani made it 4-3 before Vitinha completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after a handball. PSG then had Lucas Hernandez sent off in stoppage time. …”
Gennaro Gattuso gestures during the defeat by Norway
“When the second suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest outside the Stade de France, Paul-Henri Baure was standing less than 10 metres away. It was Friday, 13 November 2015 and Baure, then aged 64 and a security officer from Marseille, was working as a steward at a friendly match between France and Germany that would become notorious for reasons nobody could have anticipated. The bomber, he was later told, had backed away from the entrance at Gate H after refusing to be patted down by another steward. Baure had not noticed him. …”
“Nuno Mendes placing 10th in this year’s Ballon d’Or vote was the award’s highest recognition for a left-back since Roberto Carlos came second in 2002. Given that Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique said ‘it means nothing’ that their talisman Ousmane Dembele won football’s most-coveted individual honour that night, he will care even less about team-mate Mendes making the top 10. Luis Enrique, though, has said Mendes is the best left-back around — and likewise with PSG’s right-back Achraf Hakimi, in his position — and utilises the Portugal international in a very modern way: making underlapping runs. …”
“When you have spent 17 years stuck behind the Electrical Contractors’ Association, the Edinburgh College of Art, and the European Cockpit Association in Google’s search results for the acronym ‘ECA’, it probably is time for a makeover. So, when the hundreds of delegates arrived at the European Club Association’s 32nd general assembly in Rome this month, they actually found themselves at the first general assembly of European Football Clubs, which is a good name for a lobby group that represents European football clubs. …”
“Matchday 2 of the 2025-26 Champions League provided us with the season’s first taste of jeopardy. The 
“Less than four months after Paris Saint-Germain lifted their inaugural Champions League title by thrashing Inter, the 2025-26 edition is upon us. The 36-team league phase of Europe’s premier club competition kicks off on Tuesday, with Arsenal facing Bilbao’s Athletic Club in one of the two early kick-offs. There are plenty of other highlights this week too, with Bayern Munich facing Chelsea in a 
“France struck early through Michael Olise and sealed the points with a late Kylian Mbappé breakaway to open their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Ukraine in Wroclaw, Poland. Mbappé’s 82nd-minute strike, set up by his Real Madrid teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni at the end of a rapid counterattack, took the forward to 51 international goals, drawing him level with Thierry Henry in second place on France’s all-time scoring list behind Olivier Giroud, who has scored 57. … Italy opened Gennaro Gattuso’s reign as coach with a 5-0 home win over Estonia in World Cup qualifying, wasting chances for almost an hour before exploding in the final stages of the second half to turn dominance into a rout. …”
“It is just 90 days since Paris Saint-Germain claimed their first Champions League with 
“Welcome to the 13th edition of The Athletic’s Transfer DealSheet for the summer 2025 transfer window. Our team of dedicated writers, including David Ornstein, will take you inside the market to explain the deals being worked on. The transfer window is open and will run until September 1. The information found within this article has been gathered according to The Athletic’s sourcing guidelines. Unless stated, our reporters have spoken to more than one person briefed on each deal before offering the clubs involved the opportunity to comment. Their responses, when they were given, have been included. We aim to bring you analysis you can trust about what is happening at Europe’s leading clubs and the latest information we’re hearing from across the market. This year, The Athletic’s football finance writer, Chris Weatherspoon, will be adding to our analysis of the transfer market. …”
“The final for the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup is set. After a valiant fight from teams across the globe, from South America, to the Middle East, to Africa, East Asia and Oceania, it is two European titans who collide in the showpiece final on Sunday, July 13. Much has been made of the gruelling calendar the summer tournament has thrust upon its participants, but Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have outlasted the rest in the searing American heat in their hunt for the trophy — and healthy prize fund on offer. …”
“‘Let’s hear it for the boys — make some noise!’ cries the voice over the public address system at Park Hall Stadium on a beautiful summer evening. It’s July 8, in Oswestry, an English market town that’s only three miles from the Welsh border and where the whistle has just sounded to start a Champions League first qualifying round first-leg tie between The New Saints (TNS), the Cymru Premier title winners, and KF Shkendija of North Macedonia. Typically, the kick-off in these early Champions League fixtures is regarded as the curtain-raiser to the new season and a sign that club football is finally back. Except club football never went away this summer. …”
“Sixty-two games down, one game to go, 192 goals scored and almost 2.5million people through the turnstiles. The Club World Cup has thrown up more questions than answers, but when it comes to identifying the best team on the planet, there is surely no debate. Any lingering doubts were blown away in the stifling heat of East Rutherford, New Jersey, as 
“If the starting line-ups contain names such as Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman on one side, with Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the other, there is a high probability of entertainment. Yet how both teams approach the game factors in whether we see the individual flair or not. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich didn’t disappoint the audience on Saturday, with their proactive and positive approaches resulting in a 
“It was billed as the game of the Club World Cup and it did not disappoint. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich produced a breathless game that had just about everything in Atlanta, and not all of it good. There was a serious injury to Bayern’s Jamal Musiala, two second-half red cards for PSG’s Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez and late drama with an overturned penalty decision in the French club’s favour. Musiala’s injury was the most serious incident, the German international badly damaging his left ankle in a collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. It left both sets of players shocked and cast a cloud over this occasion. …”
“With apologies to the fans of the clubs that have been eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup, it’s a relief that this tournament’s penchant for upsets and excitement hasn’t ended after the group stage. Like 
“This is where the Club World Cup gets serious. Football’s new-look global competition may not have convinced every sceptic so far, but the line-up for the last eight offers an intriguing mixture of European aristocrats, Brazilian excellence and even an outsider in 
“The Club World Cup begins on Saturday, June 14, when Inter Miami take on Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. How will Lionel Messi and friends get on? Are they likely to get out of Group A? And what about Real Madrid? The world’s biggest club have replaced Carlo Ancelotti with Xabi Alonso, their former midfielder, and signed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen in the mini transfer window before the tournament. 
“Brace yourselves, the World Cup countdown officially starts…now. … Having 16 more teams means even more of the globe’s best players can showcase their talents on the biggest stage, but who do we expect to be the protagonists next summer? Some names might be obvious, others might not have even earned their first international cap or play for countries whose qualification hangs in the balance. It’s a tricky assignment, but it is fun to try. So, almost one year out, this is The Athletic’s shortlist of those predicted — or expected — to light up World Cup 2026. …”
“On November 23, 2010, a lunch was hosted at the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president. Among President Nicolas Sarkozy’s guests that day were Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, now the Emir of Qatar, and Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, who was Qatar’s prime minister at the time. Also in attendance was the legendary French footballer Michel Platini, then-president of UEFA, European football’s governing body, and a member of the FIFA executive committee that was about to hold a vote to decide which countries would host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. …”
“From the dugout at San Siro, Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco were helpless. The Inter captain and his team-mate — a hometown hero and lifelong fan of the club — had already been taken off against Barcelona. A 2-0 first-half lead had been cut to 2-1, the visitors equalised soon afterwards, and then, with only three minutes remaining, Inter’s dream of reaching the Champions League final was apparently shattered, as Raphinha completed a remarkable remontada. …”
“Arsenal face a trip to the French capital next week with a one-goal deficit after losing at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. Just like the tie against Real Madrid in the quarter-final, the Emirates crowd created a raucous atmosphere before kick-off for their side’s first Champions League semi-final in 16 years. But Ousmane Dembele put PSG in front after four minutes to quieten the home support with his 25th goal in 2025. …”
“At the end of the first half of extra time against Lyon, the TV cameras caught Ruben Amorim with his tactics board out. You might not be far wrong if you believed that the board merely had one straight line on it, bottom to top, indicating for Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire to move to centre-forward, and little else. ‘We’re probably short on attackers,’ 
“Aston Villa are out of the 
“Time can make fools of us all. Even supercomputers. Barring some sensational results in the quarter-final second legs this week, there are probably only five teams left who can win this season’s 
“It’s been a breathless start to the game. After conceding inside the first two minutes, France Under-21s lead 2-1 against an England side who have just hit the post. Enzo Millot, the France captain, picks up possession midway inside his own half and sweeps a lofted pass out to the right. Only Rayan Cherki knows why he chose to do what he did next. …”
“Fifteen of the 16 clubs left in the 
“Watch the video without sound, without context, and you will be forgiven for wondering what exactly is going on. 
“… Those are the big three iconic Parisian landmarks. On Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes, Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain showed 
“If Liverpool’s loosely-defined ‘luck’ in the Premier League is a real thing then consider the not-so-compelling narrative in the 
“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. …”
“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. 
“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 
A mural of Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke on the approach to the Emirates Stadium
“Heartbreak, again, for Monaco. Despite another nip-and-tuck match against Paris Saint-Germain – much like their meeting in Ligue 1 three weeks ago – Monaco were cruelly felled at the death in the Trophée des Champions. Ousmane Dembélé scored the only goal of the game in the 92nd minute, finally beating Monaco’s second-choice goalkeeper Philipp Köhn, who put in a fantastic display. The real star of the show though – as has been the case all season – was Monaco manager Adi Hütter. …”
Scissors Kick 