Performance – Inside World Football

Bayern drop Mané for punching Sane after Man City loss

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:47:48 +0000

April 14 – Bayern Munich have dramatically dropped Sadio Mané and fined the Senegal forward following reports that he struck teammate Leroy Sané after Tuesday’s Champions League 3-0 loss to Manchester City.

According to German media, Sane suffered a cut lip in the altercation and the pair, who were also seen arguing on the pitch late in the game, had to be separated by teammates.

“Sadio Mane will not be included in the FC Bayern squad for this Saturday’s home match against 1899 Hoffenheim,”

Dortmund head ranking of Big 5 U20 players getting game time, Arsenal are only EPL team in top 20

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 00:30:14 +0000

April 14 – A ranking by the CIES Football Observatory of the percentage of minutes played by footballers who had not yet turned 20 in domestic league matches found Denmark’s Nordsjælland top with an astonishing 37% of minutes played.

The data analyses the last five years played by 1,168 clubs in 76 leagues worldwide.

Slovakia’s MŠK Žilina and Septemvri Sofia of Bulgaria are the next highest ranked clubs globally, followed by two Venezuelan clubs (Mineros de Guayana and Deportivo La Guaira),

Aussies scout talent for 2026: Alex Robertson opts to follow in family footsteps

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 06:01:16 +0000

April 4 – Alex Robertson, a box-to-box midfielder, has pledged his international allegiance to Australia despite representing England at both U17 and U18 levels.

The Scottish-born rising star, twice named on the bench for Manchester City this season, has followed both his father and grandfather by representing the Socceroos.

Robertson turned down the opportunity to play for England, Scotland and Peru — where his mother was born — as he believes in Australian head coach Graham Arnold,

Wrexham deliver last minute drama as they chase a Hollywood-style happy ending

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 06:11:23 +0000

April 11 – Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney celebrated in the stands as Wrexham, the club they took over in 2020, moved closer to promotion in dramatic fashion on Monday.

The Welsh club have shot to international box office fame through the documentary television series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, which charts the fortunes of the team since the sale to Reynolds and McElhenney.

Wrexham have played in the fifth-tier National League for the last 15 years but are on the verge of a return to the professional ranks in League Two of English football.

Kompany’s bounce back Burnley return to Premier League at first attempt

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 00:12:06 +0000

April 11 – Burnley are back in the big time. With seven matches to spare, the Clarets clinched promotion to the Premier League with a 2-1 victory against Middlesbrough, the culmination of Vincent Kompany’s one-season transformation of the club.

The Belgian guided Burnley back to the top flight after dominating the entire season, moving 19 points clear of third-placed Luton to ensure automatic promotion.

“It’s Easter and there are seven games to go and we’re already celebrating,” said Kompany.

Argentina bump Brazil off top slot in World Rankings, France take second

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 18:46:22 +0000

April 8 – World Champions Argentina, with wins over Panama and Curacao in the last international window, have returned to the top of the FIFA rankings, replacing Brazil who slipped to third behind France.

Argentina have not topped the rankings for six years. France secured their second place spot with wins over the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland in Euro 2024 qualifying.

The top 20 showed little change with no new teams breaking into the ranking though Senegal (18th,

US women continue to dominate FIFA rankings ahead of World Cup 2023

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 03:21:11 +0000

April 6 – While the men’s World Ranking has seen Argentina take over at the top, the women’s ranking, with teams deep into their April international window, sees the USA still dominant in top position, one they have held since 2017.

The ranking, released March 24, updated with 112 international matches played since December 2022 and included the Play-Off Tournament for the Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand that kicks off this July.

‘Last man standing’ – Klopp says he has only kept his job based on past performance

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 06:03:23 +0000

April 4 – Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp has bemoaned the rate at which Premier League managers are losing their jobs and says he’s only still at his club because of past successes.

Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on Sunday with the club sitting 11th in the league, hours after relegation-threatened Leicester City off-loaded Brendan Rodgers. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur parted company with Antonio Conte late last month.

Klopp is the longest-serving current manager in the English top flight,

Potter bumped by Boehly’s billions, Rodgers leaves Leicester

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 05:15:19 +0000

By Andrew Warshaw

April 3 – The number of Premier League managers who lost their jobs in the same season stretched to a record 12 on Sunday after Chelsea parted company with Graham Potter and Leicester off-loaded Brendan Rodgers.

Whilst Rodgers’ departure from relegation-threatened Leicester after four generally successful years in the job was greeted with slight surprise given a dramatic fall from grace despite undoubted coaching ability, the reaction paled into insignificance compared with the brutal dismissal of Potter who lasted less than seven months.

Has Messi’s bubble burst? PSG fans whistle discontent as Lyon win and Barca rumours grow

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 05:04:24 +0000

April 3 – Lionel Messi’s name was met by whistles from his own Paris St-Germain fans on Sunday before they fell to a seventh defeat of 2023 at home to Lyon.

Messi is in his second campaign at PSG but went into Sunday’s game with increasing speculation regarding a potential return to Barcelona.

Disgruntled supporters whistled after hearing his name announced in the starting lineup, the second time the Argentina captain had been booed at home.