2023-24 Football Season: Managerial Exodus

[The Blaatschapen]

https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/curieus-schots ... -om-spelen

(sorry, didn't find a good english language source)

Basically, it can be beneficial for Scotland to lose against England, so that team GB qualifies for the Olympics.

Of course, the question is how many Scottish players would be selected for such a team.

But still, this irks me the wrong way.

[Bombadil]

https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/curieus-schotse-speelsters-moeten-verliezen-van-engeland-in-strijd-om-spelen

(sorry, didn't find a good english language source)

Basically, it can be beneficial for Scotland to lose against England, so that team GB qualifies for the Olympics.

Of course, the question is how many Scottish players would be selected for such a team.

But still, this irks me the wrong way.

Err.. no, the real question is how many Scottish players would lose to England for the privilege of playing for Team GB, to which the answer is - none.

[The Blaatschapen]

https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/curieus-schotse-speelsters-moeten-verliezen-van-engeland-in-strijd-om-spelen

(sorry, didn't find a good english language source)

Basically, it can be beneficial for Scotland to lose against England, so that team GB qualifies for the Olympics.

Of course, the question is how many Scottish players would be selected for such a team.

But still, this irks me the wrong way.

Err.. no, the real question is how many Scottish players would lose to England for the privilege of playing for Team GB, to which the answer is - none.

Doesn't matter.

The fact that it is at all possible is fucked up.

[Outer Sparta]

https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/curieus-schotse-speelsters-moeten-verliezen-van-engeland-in-strijd-om-spelen

(sorry, didn't find a good english language source)

Basically, it can be beneficial for Scotland to lose against England, so that team GB qualifies for the Olympics.

Of course, the question is how many Scottish players would be selected for such a team.

But still, this irks me the wrong way.

The Olympics is a glorified U23 tournament. Not high on anyone's bucket lists that's for sure.

[The Blaatschapen]

https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/curieus-schotse-speelsters-moeten-verliezen-van-engeland-in-strijd-om-spelen

(sorry, didn't find a good english language source)

Basically, it can be beneficial for Scotland to lose against England, so that team GB qualifies for the Olympics.

Of course, the question is how many Scottish players would be selected for such a team.

But still, this irks me the wrong way.

The Olympics is a glorified U23 tournament. Not high on anyone's bucket lists that's for sure.

It's women's football. Not the men's U23.

[Outer Sparta]

The Olympics is a glorified U23 tournament. Not high on anyone's bucket lists that's for sure.

It's women's football. Not the men's U23.

Ahh. Women's football at the Olympics definitely is way more important. It was a huge deal that the USWNT lost to Canada in the Tokyo semifinals.

[Militantly Mainline Episcopalians]

Is it just me or does Unai Emery look like Data from Star Trek?

[The Blaatschapen]

The dutch women beat Belgium.

England beat Scotland.

And because of goal difference, the dutch continue to the Olympic qualifier.

The time line was tense. England was ahead, the dutch take over, England takes over again, finishes, and see the dutch score one more to take over the qualifying spot.

[Outer Sparta]

In Tuesday's European football games, Sevilla are officially out of European football! They've tried so hard to finish 3rd in their group but ultimately failed to beat Lens on the final match. Despite Ramos equalizing with a penalty, Sevilla could not find another breakthrough and conceded a late Lens goal that officially marked the end of their journey. Everybody knew Sevilla were gunning for the Europa League, but their efforts were all in vain.

Man United got humiliated yet again on the European stage as they finish last in a two-man group. Copenhagen and Galatasaray finished above them, which speaks to the shambles of coaching, recruitment, and players present at Old Trafford.

[The United Bengali States]

The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 has been drawn! https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/

[Militantly Mainline Episcopalians]

Hilariously, if it weren't for the 10-point deduction Everton would be ahead of Chelsea right now.

Seriously, the plot armor on Everton is absolutely bonkers. Like, for the past few years they've just done enough to barely squeak by, surely a penalty like this would do them in! Except no, it just so happens to be the one year that Everton's back to being halfway competitive in the Prem and the newly-promoted teams are the worst crop in the last several years.

[The Blaatschapen]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... fenerbahce

[Outer Sparta]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/dec/29/t-shirt-row-saudi-arabia-based-turkish-super-cup-final-postponed-galatasaray-fenerbahce

I will never understand why Super Cup games (which are pretty much just glorifield friendly cups anyway) are hosted outside of the league's nation. I get that it's supposed to be for money, commercialization, and advertisement revenue, but it really doesn't make sense for anybody involved (not the players, and certainly not the fans) to have to travel outside to watch a rather meaningless game.

[Ayytaly]

Last year my beloved Argentina won the 2022 World Cup (much to my surprise and suspicion) and now...

I'M BACK AND I'N BETTER THAN EVER!

As an Argentine I am sorry you guys have to deal with that old fart. However since Mexico is our group opponent

CHE BOLUDO ¿CUANTAS COPAS TENES?

Good luck against Poland. They're nothing without Lewa.

Hahahaha

Thanks, man, hopefully, you win the World Cup this time. Prove the Euros that the America's can compete against them

You're a real one Aché! A true homie!

[Tinhampton]

The Telegraph have now revealed that Newcastle have set fire to their Castore deal in light of unrelated concerns about product and service quality. They'll be getting their kits from Adidas after this season and it's likely that Villa will follow suit.

Aston Villa will now also be contracting with Adidas from next season onwards. The Telegraph very confidently predicts that the deal will not be held up despite Aston Villa's owner also owning 7% of Adidas.

[Outer Sparta]

Football news review:

- It'll be Chelsea and Liverpool in another Carabao Cup final. The Blues and their 600m worth of transfer window buys will get the chance to win their first trophy in forever, even if it's a Mickey Mouse one. Liverpool had an easy route to the final and edged out Fulham to book their Wembley place.
- Salah's hamstring injury forced him to return to Liverpool and seek medical treatment and rehab. Depending on the progression, he aims for a return to Egypt and help them in their AFCON journey.
- French megastar Kylian Mbappe's future is uncertain, but Real Madrid is the most likely destination should he not re-sign with the Qatari-owned PSG.
- A disappointing season for Sancho at Man United forced him out on loan to Dortmund back at his old club. His overall Man United future is unlikely to improve after the fall-out with Ten Hag.
- Klopp announced he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season with other staff members expected to leave as well. A succession plan is vital for the Reds in what will inevitably be a busy offseason.

Table review:
Prem - Liverpool are in pole position and enjoy a two-point advantage over the Abu Dhabi-owned Man City. Pep's squad will be delighted at seeing De Bruyne back after a long injury layoff. Stones, Akanji, Haland, and Ederson have suffered recent injuries but are expected to return in the upcoming days. Arsenal and Aston Villa are tied with 43 points apiece. Man United, Chelsea, and Newcastle have been major disappointments as they languish far outside the CL qualification spots. Sheffield United, Burnley, Everton, and Luton are the biggest at-risk teams for relegation.
La Liga - Abu Dhabi-owned Girona are still atop of the table with Real Madrid so far looking like their biggest challengers. Barcelona have been below-par so far, while Las Palmas are also huge surprises sitting at 8th. Football terrorism specialists Getafe are in 10th while Europa League merchants Sevilla are one point above Cadiz sitting near the relegation dungeon.
Bundesliga - Leverkusen are on top and sit four points above perennial league farmers Bayern, where any result below 1st will be a huge disgrace, especially so this year now that they made that huge splash for Kane. Stuttgart's surprising campaign puts them at 3rd with the breakout of Guinean forward Guirassy. Nothing else is totally surprising except for promoted Heidenheim currently sitting at 9th while last season's Cinderella story Union Berlin sit three points above the relegation chopping block.
Serie A - Juventus and Inter fight back and forth while Milan are a distant 3rd at the moment. The Turinese team has surely benefitted from a lack of European football as they looked to start fresh after the recent turmoil on the club's financial department. Fiorentina and Bologna look impressive while Roma and Napoli sit outside of qualification spots. Roma sacked manager Jose Mourinho and Napoli have significantly fell off after Spaletti left, with Rudi Garcia and current manager Walter Mazzarri failing to turn the ship around.
Ligue 1 - nothing much to cover given Qatar will farm another league title. Nice, Brest, Monaco, Lille, and Reims round out the top six. Lyon are in 16th and look to recover after their disastrous start and avoid relegation.

[The Champions League]

Football news review:

- It'll be Chelsea and Liverpool in another Carabao Cup final. The Blues and their 600m worth of transfer window buys will get the chance to win their first trophy in forever, even if it's a Mickey Mouse one. Liverpool had an easy route to the final and edged out Fulham to book their Wembley place.
- Salah's hamstring injury forced him to return to Liverpool and seek medical treatment and rehab. Depending on the progression, he aims for a return to Egypt and help them in their AFCON journey.
- French megastar Kylian Mbappe's future is uncertain, but Real Madrid is the most likely destination should he not re-sign with the Qatari-owned PSG.
- A disappointing season for Sancho at Man United forced him out on loan to Dortmund back at his old club. His overall Man United future is unlikely to improve after the fall-out with Ten Hag.
- Klopp announced he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season with other staff members expected to leave as well. A succession plan is vital for the Reds in what will inevitably be a busy offseason.

Table review:
Prem - Liverpool are in pole position and enjoy a two-point advantage over the Abu Dhabi-owned Man City. Pep's squad will be delighted at seeing De Bruyne back after a long injury layoff. Stones, Akanji, Haland, and Ederson have suffered recent injuries but are expected to return in the upcoming days. Arsenal and Aston Villa are tied with 43 points apiece. Man United, Chelsea, and Newcastle have been major disappointments as they languish far outside the CL qualification spots. Sheffield United, Burnley, Everton, and Luton are the biggest at-risk teams for relegation.
La Liga - Abu Dhabi-owned Girona are still atop of the table with Real Madrid so far looking like their biggest challengers. Barcelona have been below-par so far, while Las Palmas are also huge surprises sitting at 8th. Football terrorism specialists Getafe are in 10th while Europa League merchants Sevilla are one point above Cadiz sitting near the relegation dungeon.
Bundesliga - Leverkusen are on top and sit four points above perennial league farmers Bayern, where any result below 1st will be a huge disgrace, especially so this year now that they made that huge splash for Kane. Stuttgart's surprising campaign puts them at 3rd with the breakout of Guinean forward Guirassy. Nothing else is totally surprising except for promoted Heidenheim currently sitting at 9th while last season's Cinderella story Union Berlin sit three points above the relegation chopping block.
Serie A - Juventus and Inter fight back and forth while Milan are a distant 3rd at the moment. The Turinese team has surely benefitted from a lack of European football as they looked to start fresh after the recent turmoil on the club's financial department. Fiorentina and Bologna look impressive while Roma and Napoli sit outside of qualification spots. Roma sacked manager Jose Mourinho and Napoli have significantly fell off after Spaletti left, with Rudi Garcia and current manager Walter Mazzarri failing to turn the ship around.
Ligue 1 - nothing much to cover given Qatar will farm another league title. Nice, Brest, Monaco, Lille, and Reims round out the top six. Lyon are in 16th and look to recover after their disastrous start and avoid relegation.

The media always pairs Real with the mercenary turtle, don't they, regardless

[Outer Sparta]

Football news review:

- It'll be Chelsea and Liverpool in another Carabao Cup final. The Blues and their 600m worth of transfer window buys will get the chance to win their first trophy in forever, even if it's a Mickey Mouse one. Liverpool had an easy route to the final and edged out Fulham to book their Wembley place.
- Salah's hamstring injury forced him to return to Liverpool and seek medical treatment and rehab. Depending on the progression, he aims for a return to Egypt and help them in their AFCON journey.
- French megastar Kylian Mbappe's future is uncertain, but Real Madrid is the most likely destination should he not re-sign with the Qatari-owned PSG.
- A disappointing season for Sancho at Man United forced him out on loan to Dortmund back at his old club. His overall Man United future is unlikely to improve after the fall-out with Ten Hag.
- Klopp announced he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season with other staff members expected to leave as well. A succession plan is vital for the Reds in what will inevitably be a busy offseason.

Table review:
Prem - Liverpool are in pole position and enjoy a two-point advantage over the Abu Dhabi-owned Man City. Pep's squad will be delighted at seeing De Bruyne back after a long injury layoff. Stones, Akanji, Haland, and Ederson have suffered recent injuries but are expected to return in the upcoming days. Arsenal and Aston Villa are tied with 43 points apiece. Man United, Chelsea, and Newcastle have been major disappointments as they languish far outside the CL qualification spots. Sheffield United, Burnley, Everton, and Luton are the biggest at-risk teams for relegation.
La Liga - Abu Dhabi-owned Girona are still atop of the table with Real Madrid so far looking like their biggest challengers. Barcelona have been below-par so far, while Las Palmas are also huge surprises sitting at 8th. Football terrorism specialists Getafe are in 10th while Europa League merchants Sevilla are one point above Cadiz sitting near the relegation dungeon.
Bundesliga - Leverkusen are on top and sit four points above perennial league farmers Bayern, where any result below 1st will be a huge disgrace, especially so this year now that they made that huge splash for Kane. Stuttgart's surprising campaign puts them at 3rd with the breakout of Guinean forward Guirassy. Nothing else is totally surprising except for promoted Heidenheim currently sitting at 9th while last season's Cinderella story Union Berlin sit three points above the relegation chopping block.
Serie A - Juventus and Inter fight back and forth while Milan are a distant 3rd at the moment. The Turinese team has surely benefitted from a lack of European football as they looked to start fresh after the recent turmoil on the club's financial department. Fiorentina and Bologna look impressive while Roma and Napoli sit outside of qualification spots. Roma sacked manager Jose Mourinho and Napoli have significantly fell off after Spaletti left, with Rudi Garcia and current manager Walter Mazzarri failing to turn the ship around.
Ligue 1 - nothing much to cover given Qatar will farm another league title. Nice, Brest, Monaco, Lille, and Reims round out the top six. Lyon are in 16th and look to recover after their disastrous start and avoid relegation.

The media always pairs Real with the mercenary turtle, don't they, regardless

Real Madrid is the only non-oil team that can sign the French turtle.

[Outer Sparta]

Football news review of the past week:
- Xavi is reportedly leaving Barcelona after this season, citing the pressure that came with such a high-profile job. Barcelona have been disappointing so far, finding themselves 3rd in the table with less than stellar performances throughout the season.
- Kylian Mbappe looks to prefer Real Madrid, but negotiations are still ongoing.
- Japan bow out of the Asian Cup to Iran, while South Korea's haramball produced lucky wins against Saudi Arabia and Australia.
- Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal are eliminated from AFCON. Meanwhile, South Africa and DR Congo look to be the Cinderella stories of the competition.

Table review
Prem - Man City is now a point ahead of Liverpool after the Reds go down to Arsenal at the Emirates. It's a crucial win for Arteta's side as they look to challenge Man City while keeping Aston Villa and Tottenham at bay. Chelsea's loss to Wolverhampton drops them down to 11th. Luton snatched at draw against Newcastle as well as a win over Brighton as they look to keep the fairy tale alive.
La Liga - Abu Dhabi drops to 2nd as Real Madrid hold a slim two-point advantage. The race for continental competition is anyone's as Barcelona, Atletico, and Athletic Bilbao look to secure spots.
Bundesliga - Leverkusen's draw to Monchengladbach drops their advantage over perennial farmers Bayern Munich to just two points. The Bavarian side still faces many questions whether they can actually mount a title challenge, especially concerning Tuchel and the coaching staff.
Serie A - Inter's win over Juventus gives them a noticeable cushion for top spot. While Milan are still a distant 3rd, they look to get back into the swing of things. Napoli is still having a terrible season with crappy results left and right, with questions into the future of stars such as Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia.
Ligue 1 - Nothing much to say here. But L'OL fans have some reason to cheer as they finally put themselves out of the relegation hole with a crucial win over bitter rivals Marseille.

[Risottia]

Serie A - Inter's win over Juventus gives them a noticeable cushion for top spot.

1-0 at home on a Juve own goal.
Seriously, Juve is incredibly disappointing. Not being able to draw at San Siro against a team who is still playing for the CL and has just returned from the Italian Supercup?

[Ardsk]

Football news review of the past week:
- Xavi is reportedly leaving Barcelona after this season, citing the pressure that came with such a high-profile job. Barcelona have been disappointing so far, finding themselves 3rd in the table with less than stellar performances throughout the season.
- Kylian Mbappe looks to prefer Real Madrid, but negotiations are still ongoing.
- Japan bow out of the Asian Cup to Iran, while South Korea's haramball produced lucky wins against Saudi Arabia and Australia.
- Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal are eliminated from AFCON. Meanwhile, South Africa and DR Congo look to be the Cinderella stories of the competition.

Table review
Prem - Man City is now a point ahead of Liverpool after the Reds go down to Arsenal at the Emirates. It's a crucial win for Arteta's side as they look to challenge Man City while keeping Aston Villa and Tottenham at bay. Chelsea's loss to Wolverhampton drops them down to 11th. Luton snatched at draw against Newcastle as well as a win over Brighton as they look to keep the fairy tale alive.
La Liga - Abu Dhabi drops to 2nd as Real Madrid hold a slim two-point advantage. The race for continental competition is anyone's as Barcelona, Atletico, and Athletic Bilbao look to secure spots.
Bundesliga - Leverkusen's draw to Monchengladbach drops their advantage over perennial farmers Bayern Munich to just two points. The Bavarian side still faces many questions whether they can actually mount a title challenge, especially concerning Tuchel and the coaching staff.
Serie A - Inter's win over Juventus gives them a noticeable cushion for top spot. While Milan are still a distant 3rd, they look to get back into the swing of things. Napoli is still having a terrible season with crappy results left and right, with questions into the future of stars such as Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia.
Ligue 1 - Nothing much to say here. But L'OL fans have some reason to cheer as they finally put themselves out of the relegation hole with a crucial win over bitter rivals Marseille.

As a Nigerian, we are winning the AFCON, but I'm surprised Morocco and Senegal didn't even go to semi-finals, guess Hakimi failed

[Outer Sparta]

Football news review of the past week:
- Xavi is reportedly leaving Barcelona after this season, citing the pressure that came with such a high-profile job. Barcelona have been disappointing so far, finding themselves 3rd in the table with less than stellar performances throughout the season.
- Kylian Mbappe looks to prefer Real Madrid, but negotiations are still ongoing.
- Japan bow out of the Asian Cup to Iran, while South Korea's haramball produced lucky wins against Saudi Arabia and Australia.
- Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal are eliminated from AFCON. Meanwhile, South Africa and DR Congo look to be the Cinderella stories of the competition.

Table review
Prem - Man City is now a point ahead of Liverpool after the Reds go down to Arsenal at the Emirates. It's a crucial win for Arteta's side as they look to challenge Man City while keeping Aston Villa and Tottenham at bay. Chelsea's loss to Wolverhampton drops them down to 11th. Luton snatched at draw against Newcastle as well as a win over Brighton as they look to keep the fairy tale alive.
La Liga - Abu Dhabi drops to 2nd as Real Madrid hold a slim two-point advantage. The race for continental competition is anyone's as Barcelona, Atletico, and Athletic Bilbao look to secure spots.
Bundesliga - Leverkusen's draw to Monchengladbach drops their advantage over perennial farmers Bayern Munich to just two points. The Bavarian side still faces many questions whether they can actually mount a title challenge, especially concerning Tuchel and the coaching staff.
Serie A - Inter's win over Juventus gives them a noticeable cushion for top spot. While Milan are still a distant 3rd, they look to get back into the swing of things. Napoli is still having a terrible season with crappy results left and right, with questions into the future of stars such as Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia.
Ligue 1 - Nothing much to say here. But L'OL fans have some reason to cheer as they finally put themselves out of the relegation hole with a crucial win over bitter rivals Marseille.

As a Nigerian, we are winning the AFCON, but I'm surprised Morocco and Senegal didn't even go to semi-finals, guess Hakimi failed

AFCON compared to other tournaments has more of a shock factor. You have compelling storylines where underdogs who play for teams in Africa or in Ligue 2 go toe-to-toe with continental superstars who play at the top European clubs.

[The Champions League]

Football news review of the past week:
- Xavi is reportedly leaving Barcelona after this season, citing the pressure that came with such a high-profile job. Barcelona have been disappointing so far, finding themselves 3rd in the table with less than stellar performances throughout the season.
- Kylian Mbappe looks to prefer Real Madrid, but negotiations are still ongoing.
- Japan bow out of the Asian Cup to Iran, while South Korea's haramball produced lucky wins against Saudi Arabia and Australia.
- Egypt, Morocco, and Senegal are eliminated from AFCON. Meanwhile, South Africa and DR Congo look to be the Cinderella stories of the competition.

Table review
Prem - Man City is now a point ahead of Liverpool after the Reds go down to Arsenal at the Emirates. It's a crucial win for Arteta's side as they look to challenge Man City while keeping Aston Villa and Tottenham at bay. Chelsea's loss to Wolverhampton drops them down to 11th. Luton snatched at draw against Newcastle as well as a win over Brighton as they look to keep the fairy tale alive.
La Liga - Abu Dhabi drops to 2nd as Real Madrid hold a slim two-point advantage. The race for continental competition is anyone's as Barcelona, Atletico, and Athletic Bilbao look to secure spots.
Bundesliga - Leverkusen's draw to Monchengladbach drops their advantage over perennial farmers Bayern Munich to just two points. The Bavarian side still faces many questions whether they can actually mount a title challenge, especially concerning Tuchel and the coaching staff.
Serie A - Inter's win over Juventus gives them a noticeable cushion for top spot. While Milan are still a distant 3rd, they look to get back into the swing of things. Napoli is still having a terrible season with crappy results left and right, with questions into the future of stars such as Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia.
Ligue 1 - Nothing much to say here. But L'OL fans have some reason to cheer as they finally put themselves out of the relegation hole with a crucial win over bitter rivals Marseille.

As a Nigerian, we are winning the AFCON, but I'm surprised Morocco and Senegal didn't even go to semi-finals, guess Hakimi failed

Here after the Ivorian home win

[The Marineri Islands]

As a Nigerian, massive congratulations to Côte d'Ivoire. From the way we played, we didn't deserve to win the final. To win tournaments, you have to be consistent and we had a stinker in the most important match of all. Well done, Ivorians.

[Tinhampton]

Not an April Fool: Fenerbahce could vote to leave the Turkish league tomorrow after their players were attacked by Trabzonspor supporters. Amazingly, this is not the most serious act of violence to have happened in the Super Lig so far: the entire league was suspended for a few days in December after Ankaragucu's president, who was permanently banned from football in the aftermath, punched a referee towards the end of their match with Rizespor.