Football Thread: Here We Go!

[Outer Sparta]

*Old thread taken over from Minoa*

Now that the 2021-22 season is over, our attention turns to the next. The transfer window will be opening up and that opens the door for some big moves. The 2022-23 season will be hectic as the World Cup takes place in the oil nation of Qatar, a place that's still hotter and hot in the winter. Of course, who will win and what will happen?

[The Blaatschapen]

Dutch eredivisie fixtures: https://nos.nl/sport/voetbal/uitslagen/ ... dstrijden/
Dutch eerste divisie fixtures: https://nos.nl/sport/voetbal/uitslagen/ ... dstrijden/

Please add them to the OP

On the Dutch side, many are concerned about getting Ajax into the CL, and PSV, AZ, Feyenoord into the Europa League. And given the budgets, Ajax is likely to end up #1 this season and PSV #2 in the domestic league.

The lower Dutch professional league has NAC Breda (my team <3) trying to get back to the Eredivisie, together with Excelsior, Cambuur, De Graafschap as major contenders. And Den Bosch has some severe issues with their kind of former owner whose purchase was declined by the KNVB (Dutch FA).

[Minoa]

Dutch eredivisie fixtures: https://nos.nl/sport/voetbal/uitslagen/ ... dstrijden/
Dutch eerste divisie fixtures: https://nos.nl/sport/voetbal/uitslagen/ ... dstrijden/

Please add them to the OP

Thanks for the suggestion. I’m on it, and I also add Euro 2020 via NOS. I totally understand the idea of having multiple countries for their 60th anniversary since the first finals: but even without politics, it is a huge challenge to move the players and the tournament staff between stadiums by air (and possibly by rail between some cities, such as London and Amsterdam)

[Minoa]

Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49451896 and https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49491632

I have to tell you that the English Football League has decided to expel Bury F.C., but they have given Bolton another 14 days to find a buyer. It is a painful and tragic night for Bury F.C.’s fans, who had yesterday volunteered to prepare the stadium for the next match that will never come.

Just over an hour before the deadline, C&N Sporting Risk (the company who wanted to bail out Bury) decided that it could not proceed with the takeover bid. C&N Sporting Risk was seen as the last hope for a troubled club who had just been promoted from League Two in the previous season.

[Abercontin-Jereaux]

Is it weird for a Singaporean to cheer on BHA(Brighton and Hove Albion)?
For some reason I do and I'm happy with Graham Potter.
Anyways LAFC is taking the MLS by storm. And FC Cincinnati… lets not dwell on that.
Speaking of MLS, St Louis has been awarded the 28th(?) team in the expansion. I have a gut feeling Sacramento and Charlotte are next.
Minoa, Please add the following for no reason:
La Liga(Spain)
Ligue 1(France)
Bundesliga(Germany)
Serie A(Italy)
MLS(USA)

[Ayytaly]

Last time Bolton was this relevant was when Muamba nearly died due to cardiac arrest in 2012. Grim.

[Abercontin-Jereaux]

Last time Bolton was this relevant was when Muamba nearly died due to cardiac arrest in 2012. Grim.

The pains of being a lower league team...

[Bombadil]

Cambridge United continue to freak out at any danger of breaking into the top 10 of the table in League Two, they were sat at the frankly vomit-inducing heights of 3rd before Sunday results fell their way and they're currently at 11th.

I think it's ridiculous the enormous cash that floats around the PL doesn't make it down the leagues and smaller clubs struggle to make it every season.

[Minoa]

The monetary advantage of the Premier League has been the subject of blame by many fans of Bury F.C., and a cartoonist from The Guardian linked it to general concerns about social inequality… but that is for the UK Politics Thread.

EDIT: Bolton has been bailed out.

[The Blaatschapen]

The monetary advantage of the Premier League has been the subject of blame by many fans of Bury F.C., and a cartoonist from The Guardian linked it to general concerns about social inequality… but that is for the UK Politics Thread.

EDIT: Bolton has been bailed out.

Well, there is a thing to be said about lower league player wages.

I earn more than the average player of Helmond sport. Yet they will beat 95% of all footballers(professional and amateur)

I am not in the 94th percent of all programmers.

Also, I turn 35, as a footballsr, I'll be retired or considering soon, unless my name is Buffon. But as a programmer I can go 20 years more. At least. (Buffon can go 30 more)

[Abercontin-Jereaux]

I think it's ridiculous the enormous cash that floats around the PL doesn't make it down the leagues and smaller clubs struggle to make it every season.

I think its because the Premier League is what draws soccer fans around the world. Almost no one who's not an Englishman wants to watch Preston North End go against Millwall or something. People only know the big teams like Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea and so on. So they'll get that enormous sum of money.
But then I agree more money must be given to the smaller clubs, if that's what you're talking about.

Cambridge United continue to freak out at any danger of breaking into the top 10 of the table in League Two, they were sat at the frankly vomit-inducing heights of 3rd before Sunday results fell their way and they're currently at 11th.

Its either they lost heavily, or the other teams won with a big gap.

Okay I get why. It's the start of the season, so results will be very close, as well aa the points. Since they lost, they remain at 8 points. But those who won and have 9,10,11 points leapfrogged him. Then, we have goal difference...

[Lillorainen]

I think it's ridiculous the enormous cash that floats around the PL doesn't make it down the leagues and smaller clubs struggle to make it every season.

I think its because the Premier League is what draws soccer fans around the world. Almost no one who's not an Englishman wants to watch Preston North End go against Millwall or something. People only know the big teams like Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea and so on. So they'll get that enormous sum of money.
But then I agree more money must be given to the smaller clubs, if that's what you're talking about.

Some people have even ended up knowing Leicester City some time ago. ^^

But yeah, smaller clubs are generally unlikely to gain international attention, thus less cash - that's not different in England than elsewhere. Ever heard of the SC Paderborn? If you're a German football fan, most certainly (they just managed it into Bundesliga for the second time within their history; first time was in 2014/2015). If you're from abroad, most certainly not - you'll be likely to know the FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, the Big Ones, and there is an increasing likelihood, that football fans from the UK have already seen them live in the stadium - and maybe not even in England, considering the differences in ticket prices between England and Germany ...

[Bolgano]

Premier League: Liverpool
He has a good team and follows the same steps as Manchester City

Liga Santander (Spain) Atletico Madrid/Barcelona
In recent years the battle for the league was between Barcelona and Real Madrid but the latter after losing Cristiano changed to this team, while Atletico Madrid has a better team than Real, so this league will be the most exciting of all.

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich/Borrusia Dortmund
Bayern Munich always wins it but Dortmund has a great team to try to defeat him this season

Serie A: Juventus
as always Juventus

Ligue 1: PSG
As Always PSG

Eredivisie: Ajax/PSV/Feyernod
The three logicians who can win but as last year Ajax will achieve it

Scotish Premier League: Celtic
As always Celtic

MLS: L.A Galaxy/Atlanta United
Both teams are doing their thing in their conferences and I hope they reach the final, although it will be difficult who will win this if it was the final I will support Atlanta since there is a Venezuelan and I am from Venezuela while the Galacticos with the Legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic will become difficult this match

UEFA Champions League: Liverpool/Barcelona/Bayern Munich
In Liverpool being current champions are already favorites for their team and their style of play those of Barcelona would have won the last 2 champions if they were not for those miraculous comebacks of Rome in 2017-18 and Liverpool 2018-19 but this year they can take revenge of those eliminations while the German team is another power of Europe and can win this if they play as in recent years or as in the epoch of Guardiola

Euro 2020: Germany/England/France/Belgium
Germany has a great team to fight in this competition something that they did not achieve in the World Cup while England with its performance in the last world cup and its young players can even win a World Cup in the future France for being the World Champion and some of the best teams in the world and Belgium with their Premier League stars alongside Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois, their best players in Spain almost won the World Cup but failed against France.

[Abercontin-Jereaux]

Some people have even ended up knowing Leicester City some time ago.

Thanks to King Power! And don't forget Wolves.
IDK if a similar thing will happen though. It'll be interesting to see a Championship struggler or a League 1 high flyer make it.

[Abercontin-Jereaux]

MLS: L.A Galaxy/Atlanta United
Both teams are doing their thing in their conferences and I hope they reach the final, although it will be difficult who will win this if it was the final I will support Atlanta since there is a Venezuelan and I am from Venezuela while the Galacticos with the Legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic will become difficult this match

Nope. LAFC will win the Western Conference. LA Galaxy has Zlatan, but LAFC has Diego Rossi.

[HUElavia]

Here's my Personal Predictions for the top leagues for this season:

EPL- Liverpool (They're going to continue their work from last season and win their 1st title in 3 decades)

La Liga- Atletico Madrid (Possibly the team with the best depth in La Liga, they can definitely win the title)

Bundesliga- Bayern Munich (No surprise here, but Dortmund will put up a tough fight for the title)

Serie A- Juventus (Still will win by a big margin, but Inter Milan will start to look much like their team from the 2000s)

Ligue 1- PSG (No surprise from this farmers league, the Parisians should have enough depth to outplay their closest competitors for the title)

Liga Nos- Porto (With Benfica losing their wonderkid, I think Porto will capitalize and take the title and win it in honor of Casillas)

RPL- Krasnodar (An up-and-coming team that is doing decent so far should be the big upset this season)

Eredivisie- Ajax (Still have some solid players, can repeat the league title, but will have to suffer for it due to the exits of de Jong and de Beek)

Europa League- Sevilla/Porto/Arsenal (These three have strong enough teams to win it all, especially Sevilla who essentially runs this competition with the most titles)

Champions League- Real Madrid/Juventus (These two teams are hungry for the UCL title, Madrid wants to claim it back after last season's horrible exit, Juventus want their first title in almost 25 years with one of the GOATs of Football)

[Bolgano]

Here's my Personal Predictions for the top leagues for this season:

EPL- Liverpool (They're going to continue their work from last season and win their 1st title in 3 decades)

La Liga- Atletico Madrid (Possibly the team with the best depth in La Liga, they can definitely win the title)

Bundesliga- Bayern Munich (No surprise here, but Dortmund will put up a tough fight for the title)

Serie A- Juventus (Still will win by a big margin, but Inter Milan will start to look much like their team from the 2000s)

Ligue 1- PSG (No surprise from this farmers league, the Parisians should have enough depth to outplay their closest competitors for the title)

Liga Nos- Porto (With Benfica losing their wonderkid, I think Porto will capitalize and take the title and win it in honor of Casillas)

RPL- Krasnodar (An up-and-coming team that is doing decent so far should be the big upset this season)

Eredivisie- Ajax (Still have some solid players, can repeat the league title, but will have to suffer for it due to the exits of de Jong and de Beek)

Europa League- Sevilla/Porto/Arsenal (These three have strong enough teams to win it all, especially Sevilla who essentially runs this competition with the most titles)

Champions League- Real Madrid/Juventus (These two teams are hungry for the UCL title, Madrid wants to claim it back after last season's horrible exit, Juventus want their first title in almost 25 years with one of the GOATs of Football)

What do you think of Brasileirao?

[Bolgano]

MLS: L.A Galaxy/Atlanta United
Both teams are doing their thing in their conferences and I hope they reach the final, although it will be difficult who will win this if it was the final I will support Atlanta since there is a Venezuelan and I am from Venezuela while the Galacticos with the Legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic will become difficult this match

Nope. LAFC will win the Western Conference. LA Galaxy has Zlatan, but LAFC has Diego Rossi.

That is very even, so anyone can win

[Minoa]

To be honest, Liverpool is doing pretty well although it is too soon to tell if the head-start will continue.

One also has to remember that going through a whole Premiere League season without losing a match only occurred once since 1992 (i.e. Arsenal, 2003–2004).

[Minoa]

Qatar 2022 got a new logo yesterday: https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/fifa ... m-revealed

The t in Qatar is a bit too long, but the typography is not bad after correcting the extended t.

Other than that, it sort of reminds me of porcelain. I know Harrods is one place to find porcelain art, but mass produced porcelain items for home and garden is something that I am not an expert in.

[Molonia]

Here's to hoping Finland can qualify for the Euros!

[Fartsniffage]

Qatar 2022 got a new logo yesterday: https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/fifa ... m-revealed

The t in Qatar is a bit too long, but the typography is not bad after correcting the extended t.

Other than that, it sort of reminds me of porcelain. I know Harrods is one place to find porcelain art, but mass produced porcelain items for home and garden is something that I am not an expert in.

Surprisingly few dead slave workers in the logo. They should look at that.

[Ayytaly]

Champions League- Real Madrid/Juventus (These two teams are hungry for the UCL title, Madrid wants to claim it back after last season's horrible exit, Juventus want their first title in almost 25 years with one of the GOATs of Football)

Doubtful. CR7 is horrid and not a team player. And Madrid is a shadow of its own past.

Liverpool vs Ajax might be the most potential final in 2020.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

It's amazing how quickly women footballers have started aping male footballers in the way they speak. The monotone and the cliches.

[Communist Joshenia]

It's amazing how quickly women footballers have started aping male footballers in the way they speak. The monotone and the cliches.

Are you referring to Rapinoe and the other American women soccer players?