World Soccer 07.2024

2024 OLYMPICS FOOTBALL PREVIEW
Lowdown on the men and women’s tournaments i n Paris
July 2024
116
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As Messi mania swept This special edition A collection of interviews Coinciding with its 60th The greatest coach of all
football, we were there showcases some of the including Kaka, Ronaldo, anniversary, we chronicled time or a flawed genius?
every step of the way to biggest rivalries in football Cruyff, Sacchi, Xavi, Pele, the history of the Euros You decide after reading
track Leo’s epic journey. from across the globe. Klinsmann and Wenger. – from 1960 to 2020. this dedication to Pep.
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has ever seen, and explain time top scorer in men’s Platini, Maradona, Zidane, Cantona, Bergkamp, Manchester City’s rise and
what made them so iconic. international football. Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Beckham and more. Leicester’s shock title win.
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A look at the European A record of the finals, A definitive history of the

Cup years (1955-1992) teams and players from World Cup finals, looking
and the iconic stars that the Champions League back at every tournament
graced the tournament. era (1992-2022). between 1930 and 2018.
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July 2024
15
FEATURES THE WORLD THIS MONTH
People in the news...on and off the pitch
4 In pictures
10 From the Editor
11 Obituaries
12 Keir Radnedge Football fought the law
13 Books this month
14 Jonathan Wilson
Ancelotti: uncomplicated, unruffled, unbeatable
15 On the radar Euro Under-17 talents
16 Ins & Outs
17 ESM Golden Shoe
18 ESM XI 20
HEADLINERS
20 Serhou Guirassy
21 Greenland
SPOTLIGHT
22 Ademola Lookman
26 Viktor Gyokeres
30 Olympiacos make history EYEWITNESS
Eyewitness on the Greek club’s historic European triumph 34 Tanzania
SEASON REVIEW 34
39 Stories of the season
48 Champions League
50 Europa League
52 Europa Conference League
54 England
56 Spain
58 Germany
60 Italy
62 France
64 Portugal
66 Netherlands
FACE TO FACE
68 Tom Saintfiet 82
TURN BACK THE CLOCK

70 European Golden Shoe
74 Paris 1924 Olympics
38 2023-24 season review WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
The complete record of the European domestic campaign 82 UEFA Champions League review
83 Club World Cup
MY BIGGEST GAME
114 Dejan Savicevic
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Exclusive reports from our worldwide United Arab Emirates
network of correspondents Libertadores & Sudamericana
P L U S 102 Palau 103 Results, tables, fixtures

WORLD SOCCER 3
THE WORLD THIS MONTH
The global game caught on camera
4 WORLD SOCCER
Germany…Kaiserslautern fans
cheer their team on prior to
the German Cup final clash
against Bayer Leverkusen
WORLD SOCCER 5
Thailand…dejected Thailand
players react after exiting
2026 World Cup qualifying
(more on page 86)
Brazil…teenager
Endrick salutes
the Palmeiras fans
after playing his
last game for the
club before moving
to Real Madrid
Saudi Arabia...Cristiano
Ronaldo is inconsolable
after his team Al Nassr
lose the Saudi Cup
final on penalties
(more on page 98)
6 WORLD SOCCER
IN PICTURES
Colombia…players of Santa Fe and Atletico

Bucaramanga clash on a rain-soaked pitch
during the Colombian Apertura 2024 final
(more in next month’s issue)
Belgium…supporters of KV Oostende
stage a funeral for their club after it was
declared bankrupt (more on page 40)
Turkey…Fenerbahce fans
turn out in their thousands
at the Sukru Saracoglu
Stadium to greet incoming
manager Jose Mourinho
(more on page16)
WORLD SOCCER 7
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FROM THE
EDITOR
“Chaos reigns at Olympiacos”, ran the headline of
World Soccer’s review of the 2022-23 Greek season, as
Nick Bidwell described a campaign of “wall-to-wall chaos”
at the Piraeus outfit. Compare and contrast that verdict
with the scenes in Athens at the end of May, as Ayoub El
Kaabi’s goal helped them become the first Greek team to
win a European trophy – a victory made all the sweeter
by doing so at the home of their arch-rivals, AEK.
They say a week is a long time in politics; a year
in football must be an absolute eternity.
The last 12 months have certainly delivered on the
pitch and, in this issue, we’ve attempted to tell the
full story of the 2023-24 European season; from
Bayer Leverkusen’s shock Bundesliga triumph to
the more predictable dominance
of Manchester City, Real Madrid, In this issue,
Internazionale and Paris Saint-
we’ve attempted Done deal…Spanish
Germain. We’ve also dived into the newspapers announce
continent’s smaller leagues and

to tell the full Mbappe’s arrival
the major UEFA club competitions, story of the SPAIN

while also looking further afield to 2023-24
title races in Tanzania, Australia, European season Mbappe completes
Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. ‘dream’ move to
Alongside all that, this issue is also a celebration
of strikers – fittingly so, as Harry Kane is officially
Real Madrid
France captain Kylian Mbappe described his long-
confirmed as the 2023-24 ESM Golden Shoe winner awaited move to Real Madrid as a “dream come
– as we applaud the goalscoring exploits of Serhou true” after the transfer was confirmed in June.
Guirassy, Ademola Lookman, Viktor Gyokeres, The deal, worth a reported €15 million a
season in salary plus a €150m signing-on bonus
Francesco Camarda and Kevin Phillips. to be paid over five years, brings to an end one
As you read this, the European Championship and of the longest-running transfer sagas in recent
football history; Mbappe had been linked with a
Copa America will be in full swing. We will, of course, move to the Spanish capital ever since bursting
tell the full stories from both Germany and the United onto the scene with Monaco in 2015-16.
“Nobody can understand how excited I am
States in next month’s issue. right now!” Mbappe declared via Instagram. “So
In the meantime, please enjoy this comprehensive happy and proud to join the club of my dreams.”
review of the 2023-24 season. And remember, if it hasn’t Confirmation of the move did, however, bring
to an end another of Mbappe’s dreams: that of
been a particularly good one competing in his home city at the Paris Olympics
for you and your team, don’t (more on page 78) later this summer.
“My club’s position was very clear, so from that
despair; things could feel very moment on, I think I [knew] I won’t be taking part
different this time next year in the Games,” Mbappe told reporters at Euro
– just look at Olympiacos. 2024. “I’m joining a new team in September,
so it’s not the best way to start an adventure.”
Instead, Mbappe will head to America for Los
Jamie Evans, Managing Editor Blancos’ pre-season tour, taking in friendlies
against Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea.
10 WORLD SOCCER
GLOBAL FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE
“We have reached a point where we cannot discount any

action. We will always try to exhaust all diplomatic
avenues…but unfortunately time is against us”
PFA chief executive Maheta Molango warns players may be forced to strike over the congested football calendar
OBITUARIES
His son Tyrese, who plays in the

Championship for Stoke City, led the
tributes: “He is my idol, the one who I
wanted to be when I grew up,” said the
24-year-old. “He was the life and soul
of every party and room he blessed,
a one-in-a-million person that was
loved by everyone.”
In a club statement, Arsenal said:
“We are devastated to learn that our
former striker Kevin Campbell has died
after a short illness. Kevin was adored
by everyone at the club.”
Everton said: “Everyone at Everton
is deeply saddened by the death of our
Kevin CAMPBELL Fans’ former striker Kevin Campbell at the age
favourite
(1970-2024) …Kevin
of just 54. Not just a true Goodison Park
“The coldest of finishers, but the warmest Campbell hero and icon of the English game, but an
of men,” began the BBC’s video obituary incredible person as well – as anyone who
to Kevin Campbell. As a mountain of ever met him will know. RIP, Super Kev.”
tributes poured in after his death was
announced in June following a short illness, Tommy BANKS
it is difficult to think of a better choice of (1929-2024)
words for the player and the man. Believed to be England’s oldest living
At almost every club he played for, international before his death in June,
WALES Campbell was celebrated for his goals on Banks won six Three Lions caps in 1958,
the pitch and adored for his personality including four at that year’s World Cup.
Wales and Page off it: as a homegrown hero at Arsenal,
where he won four trophies including the
The left-back spent the bulk of his career
at Bolton, winning the 1958 FA Cup.
part ways league title in 1991, as a ruthless finisher
at Nottingham Forest, whom he fired to Gerhard AIGNER
Wales have sacked manager Rob Page after Premier League promotion, and as a (1943-2024)
three and a half years in charge. saviour of Everton and West Bromwich A former referee, Aigner served as
The 49-year-old had worked with the Albion, both of whom he helped UEFA’s general secretary from 1989
Football Association of Wales (FAW) for seven achieve unlikely survivals. until 2003, playing a key role in the
years, initially as manager of the U21s and then It is perhaps at Goodison Park where creation of the Champions League.
as assistant to the senior side, before eventually Campbell is most adored. The striker
replacing Ryan Giggs in the top job. arrived on Merseyside in March 1999 Matija SARKIC
Under his guidance, Wales reached the on loan from Turkish side Trabzonspor. (1997-2024)
last 16 at Euro 2020 and qualified for Qatar At Everton, he rediscovered his form Born in Grimsby, Sarkic came through
2022, their first World Cup appearance since and love of football – and the fans loved the youth ranks at Anderlecht and Aston
1958. But the former defender, who won 41 him back. Quickly dubbed “Super Kev”, Villa, going on to play for a host of English
Welsh caps, ultimately paid the price for failing he scored nine goals in eight games to clubs before joining Millwall last summer.
to reach Euro 2024, as the Dragons were steer the Toffees to safety, earning a A Montenegro international, the goalkeeper
eliminated by Poland in the play-offs. permanent contract and going on to was named man of the match in June’s
“On behalf of myself and the entire FAW, become the club’s captain. friendly with Belgium, his last game.
I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Rob for his In January 2005, he joined West
commitment and dedication to his roles for the Brom with the club rooted to the bottom
national teams,” said FAW chief executive Noel of the table, where they remained as
Mooney. “Under Rob Page’s leadership, our late as March. Yet with key goals against
Cymru men’s team has achieved significant Manchester City, Birmingham City and,
milestones and victories which have created especially, relegation rivals Crystal Palace,
many incredible memories for our nation.” he helped them complete a dramatic
Among the early favourites to replace Page is “Great Escape”, as the first-ever club
Osian Roberts, another former Wales assistant to survive Premier League relegation
coach, who recently led Italian side Como to after lying bottom on Christmas Day.
Untimely
promotion from Serie B (more on page 45). Campbell ended his career at Cardiff …Matija
Turn to page 16 for more Ins & Outs City, before entering the media. Sarkic
WORLD SOCCER 11
Keir
RADNEDGE
THE INSIDER
Football fought the law – and nobody won

From FIFPro v FIFA to Manchester City v the Premier League,
legal disputes threaten to overshadow football for years to come
The words were specific from a man Not at all. The man so depressed Taking on the the golden standard. Had Pozzo
who not only knew his football but by his gaze into the future was Premier League… lived two years more, he would
Manchester City
could boast a place in its history: Vittorio Pozzo, the only manager are ready for have seen his belief apparently
“I fear intensely for our game of to win two successive World Cups legal battles be vindicated by Pele’s Brazil.
football. Only money matters today (with Italy in 1934 and 1938). He was As the first World Cup televised
and the game will eventually end talking not through a mystic medium worldwide in colour, the 1970 finals
up being suffocated to death by but back in 1948, some 76 years ago. have often been held up as a
its own golden collar.” Pozzo died in 1968. He had seen watershed; football’s Wizard of Oz
moment, when it stepped out of
Maybe soon the top sports lawyers will enjoy a a front door in sepia Mexico into
a brave new world of Technicolor.
high-profile popular status to match the footballers Television money and its associated
advertising and sponsorship soon
Was this one of these doom and football evolve from amateurism followed, providing riches that turned
gloom merchants prophesising a into professionalism, from weekend the old structure on its head. Very
collapse into chaos after the Bosman pastime to mass entertainment, soon, the club game surpassed the
ruling? Or fear of the influence of from local rivalry to statement value of national team football. Club
television riches, the explosion in of international supremacy. When football is a weekly televisual vehicle.
number and size of international Pozzo died, winning the World Cup National team football cuts in only
competitions, or Manchester City’s was the ultimate achievement in the occasionally. Hence FIFA’s desperate
challenge to the Premier League? days when national team football set pursuit of club gold.
12 WORLD SOCCER
BOOKS
THIS
MONTH
Here is a major flaw in the expanded pitch. Similarly, no law says that rules but its very decision-making
FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off the Premier League must survive process, the so-called “tyranny of
next year in the United States. Club forever. One day we may reflect that the majority.” In the background runs
football is week-by-week, month-by- Manchester City’s four-in-a-row title the insoluble concern over football
month, season-by-season, year-by- sequence was the beginning of the as a vehicle for sportswashing.
year – so what intrinsic value is end for what the esteemed Brian City’s overriding focus off the BRING ME
THAT HORIZON
offered by a club joust staged once Glanville dubbed the “Greed Is pitch later this year will be the
By Miguel Lourenco
every four years? One reason the Good League”. Premier League’s 115 financial Pereira (Pitch
Latin Club Cup of the immediate post- Football’s statutes used to insist fairplay charges – charges they Publishing, £14.99)
war years was rendered redundant by that associations, leagues, clubs and strongly deny. Of course, the City
the European Cup was that the overall players should not use the courts Football Group, if its owners are not Bring Me That Horizon
is a fascinating quest
winning nation was computed only of the land on pain of expulsion, comfortable with Premier League into the heart and soul
once every four years. hence the relief on the creation of membership, could always sell up of Portuguese football,
Reports from Spain suggesting the Court of Arbitration for Sport and divert their petrodollar zillions tracing a route north to
that Real Madrid had no interest in 1984. Every sporting entity was in any one of their other 12 clubs south, island to island,
in the new Club World Cup due to supposed to accept CAS as the around the world. without forgetting the
concern about the wear and tear ultimate dispute adjudicator; that The end of the road for an profound connection
with Africa and Brazil.
on their players were soon quashed; naive hope was blown out of the imploding Premier League as we From Eusebio’s glorious
club president Florentino Perez water by Jean-Marc Bosman’s know it? Why not? Nothing lasts career to Candido de
would never pass up between lawyers in securing their revolutionary forever. Oliveira’s adventures
€50 million and €150m for freedom-of-tenure judgment from It may come as a surprise to some, as a British intelligence
four summer weeks’ action. the European Court in 1995. but football existed happily and agent, it reveals there’s
Meanwhile in June, FIFPro Simultaneously, UEFA with its successfully at all levels of society much more to Portugal’s
football heritage than
submitted a legal claim against financial fairplay regulations and for more than 100 years before the Ronaldo and Mourinho.
FIFA to the Brussels Court the Premier League with its profit phenomenon of the Premier League;
of Commerce regarding the and sustainability rules have sought to it will continue to exist after the
International Match Calendar, impose their own subjective controls Premier League has self-destructed
claiming that the current schedule on clubs’ freedom of operation – and and the money-grabbers and
is “overloaded” and “unworkable”. yes, that freedom does include the sportswashers have moved on.
Everyone else is going to court, so right to go bankrupt. The doom and gloom merchants
why not the players’ association? Now the game has just seen can go with them. They will not be
Maybe soon the top sports lawyers Manchester City challenge the missed. Association football will survive.
will enjoy a high-profile popular status Premier League not only over In Ponderano, northeast of Turin,
to match the footballers. The club its Associated Party Transaction Pozzo may rest easy in his grave.
world is heading, at increasing pace, TOO GOOD TO
beyond even Pozzo’s feared endgame BE FORGOTTEN
with winners and losers decided not By Ben Dobson (Pitch
Publishing, £18.99)
out on the football pitch and not even
in the committee rooms, but in the This book revisits
courtroom. the ten-year golden
Too late for common sense era from 1975 to 1985
to prevail. This is a quality notably when the hegemony
of the major big-city
lacking in football governance ever clubs in England was
since the game’s popularity exploded challenged and, at
out of its own control and into the times, usurped. Three
financial stratosphere. Perez and FIFA wise men of the North
supremo Gianni Infantino believe they East – Brian Clough,
can ride the tiger, but tradition tells Bobby Robson and
Lawrie McMenemy
us there are no guarantees. – delivered success
Tradition was usurped when on the pitch for
amateurism was overthrown Nottingham Forest,
by professionalism; when club Ipswich Town and
football grew more important than Southampton, as well
the national team game; when the as a sense of pride in
the communities of
Football League was abandoned the towns and cities
by the Premier League; when they put on the map.
technology intruded onto the Prophetic…Vittorio Pozzo, Italy’s World Cup-winning manager of the1930s, poses with his team
WORLD SOCCER 13
Jonathan
WILSON
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Uncomplicated, unruffled, unbeatable

Carlo Ancelotti is the personification of Real Madrid’s relentless pursuit of Champions League crowns
Six times in the past 11 years, Real
Madrid have won the Champions
League. With most serial winners or
multiple champions, there is a sense
that they have moved the game on
tactically in some way. The Italian
winners of the 1960s gave us
catenaccio. Ajax gave us Total
Football. The English champions of
the late ’70s and early ’80s a robust
pressing game. More recently, Arrigo
Sacchi’s Milan and Pep Guardiola’s
Barcelona took football in a new
direction. What have this Real
Madrid done? They’ve won football
matches, often by producing a
moment of individual magic
just when it was needed.
This season’s campaign was
not quite like that of two years ago,
when in every round they looked
out only to somehow turn the tie
around: three goals in the final half
hour against Paris Saint-Germain,
an 80th-minute equaliser and
extra-time winner against Chelsea, in their spending. Kylian Mbappe is Champions League Ancelotti, like Zidane, is not an
then two astonishing stoppage-time their first Galactico signing since Eden No.5…Ancelotti ideological coach. The two biggest
lifts the trophy
goals and an extra-time winner Hazard in 2019. Jude Bellingham may for a fifth time influences over Zidane’s tactical
against Manchester City. But still, have cost €103 million and Aurelien thinking appear to have been
Marcello Lippi and Aime Jacquet,
Ancelotti is so unruffled on the touchline. He never but he is essentially a player-
whisperer, somebody who can coax
seems to be in a flap, never appears to panic. He great performances from the great,
exudes belief and the players pick up on that largely it always seemed, by trusting
them. Ancelotti is perhaps a little
RB Leipzig, Manchester City, Bayern Tchouameni €80m, but both were more interventionist, his education
Munich and Borussia Dortmund will young players on the way up, not remarkably varied as he played
probably all feel they had the chances pre-existing stars.
to come through. It became a cliché: Yet somehow that old ability has
Real Madrid find a way. Somehow, remained. They still cling on, they still
opponents miss opportunities get away with things, and they still
against them, opposing goalkeepers score just when they need to. Belief
and defenders make mistakes; their is a huge part of it. They are still Real
own players produce moments of Madrid. The more they pull games
extraordinary genius. out of the fire, the less it concerns
Is it enough to say that them that the game is in the fire and
they simply have better players? the more confident they are that they
Probably not, but clearly that is can withdraw it the next time. It helps
part of it – or it certainly was in that Ancelotti, like Zidane before him, Unflappable…
Carlo Ancelotti’s first spell in charge is so unruffled on the touchline. He Ancelotti is
of Madrid, or under Zinedine Zidane. never seems to be in a flap, never a calming
presence on
More recently, though, post-COVID, appears to panic. He exudes belief Real’s touchline
Madrid have been more restrained and the players pick up on that.
14 WORLD SOCCER
U1
7
Eu
r os
under Nils Liedholm, Arrigo Sacchi
and Fabio Capello; given that
background, little wonder that
he is essentially a pragmatist.
In the modern world, in which
it has become so familiar to speak
of coaching philosophies, it can be
easy to underestimate Ancelotti. There
was nothing complicated about the
Francesco
4-3-1-2 he favoured in the Champions
League final, with Vinicius Junior and
Rodrygo as a pair of mobile roving
forwards, Jude Bellingham behind
them although at times as a false
CAMARDA
nine, operating on the platform of a
midfield three in which Toni Kroos was
(Milan & Italy)
metronomic, supported by the energy Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos,
and elegance of Federico Valverde Mario Gotze: four of the players to have been
and Eduardo Camavinga. In the first named the European Under-17 Championship
half they were too open, Vinicius and Player of the Tournament. Now, Camarda has
Bellingham perhaps playing too high. added his name to that illustrious list.
A quick tweak at half-time and, from The 16-year-old had already generated Mihajlo CVETKOVIC
the hour on, Madrid were in control. plenty of excitement after making his debut (Cukaricki & Serbia)
Ancelotti’s in-game changes, his for Milan at the age of 15 last November, Already a first-team regular in the Serbian
substitutions and subtle tinkerings, becoming the youngest player in Serie A top flight, the 17-year-old striker struck four
almost invariably have a positive history in the process. goals during Serbia’s run to the semi-finals.
impact. A marauding centre-forward, Camarda was
And yet there is an oddity about particularly effective in the final, running the Chido OBI
Ancelotti. He has won five Champions Portugal defence ragged with a display packed (Arsenal & Denmark)
Leagues, two more than any other with powerful dribbling, clever movement and Also eligible for England and Nigeria, the lanky
manager in history, and yet he has devastating finishing, scoring twice in a 3-1 win. front man helped fire Denmark to the last four,
only won six league titles across a Having recently signed his first professional where they bowed out to eventual winners Italy.
30-year managerial career, 25 years contract, the forward is expected to blossom Currently attracting interest from Bayern Munich.
of which have been spent at the very under Milan’s new head coach Paulo Fonseca.
highest level. He is the only manager Mikey MOORE
to win a league title in each of Rodrigo MORA (Tottenham Hotspur & England)
Europe’s five major leagues, and yet (Porto & Portugal) England’s top scorer at the finals with four goals,
he has only won it twice in Spain. It’s The finals’ Golden Boot winner with five goals, Moore made his Spurs debut in May, becoming
not a bad record as such, and it’s likely following on from jointly-topping the scoring the club’s youngest-ever Premier League
to get better in the coming seasons as charts for his club in the UEFA Youth League. player aged just 16 years and 277 days.
Barcelona face financial and political
meltdown, but it’s not great.
It may be that the very calmness,
the sense of perspective, that makes
him so effective in knockout ties,
means that Ancelotti lacks the almost
sociopathic drive that carries the most
successful managers through a whole
season at maximum level. But in the
Champions League he is supreme,
and offers a welcome reminder
that, while tactical philosophies
are indisputably important, man-
management and creating the
right environment still matters.
Players are not robots yet.
WORLD SOCCER 15
“Normally a coach is loved after victories. In this case I feel

that I am loved before the victories...I promise you from this
moment, I belong to your family. This shirt is my skin”
Jose Mourinho announces his arrival as manager of Istanbul giants Fenerbahce
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

45 Moves That Caught Our Eye This Month
EUROPE SERGIO RAMOS PEDRO LIMA & LUIS GUILHERME
The Spanish defender ended his second spell Wolverhampton Wanderers and West
ENZO MARESCA at Sevilla, with a move to MLS rumoured. Ham United both signed 18-year-old
A former assistant to Pep Guardiola, the Italian Brazilians. Wolves paid £8.5m for right-back
left Leicester City to take charge at Chelsea. JAGOBA ARRASATE & VICENTE MORENO Lima from Sport Recife, while Palmeiras winger
After the departure of Javier Aguirre, Mallorca Guilherme joined the Hammers for £25.5m.
FABIAN HURZELER poached Arrasate from Osasuna, who then
After steering St Pauli to the 2.Bundesliga title, hired ex-Almeria boss Moreno to replace him. LLOYD KELLY
the 31-year-old left Germany for Brighton. Newcastle United signed the left-sided
PACO LOPEZ defender from Bournemouth on a free transfer.
WAYNE ROONEY After their relegation from La Liga, Cadiz
After an unsuccessful spell at Birmingham City, hired Lopez to replace Mauricio Pellegrino. TANGUY NDOMBELE
Rooney returned to the EFL with Plymouth. Tottenham released the French midfielder.
FERNANDO TORRES
VINCENT KOMPANY Atletico Madrid named their former HIROKI ITO
The Belgian manager left relegated Burnley to Spain striker to manage their B Team. Bayern Munich paid Stuttgart €30m
take charge of German giants Bayern Munich. for the 25-year-old Japanese defender.
NURI SAHIN
Borussia Dortmund appointed their former ALEIX GARCIA
midfielder as head coach to replace Edin Terzic. The Girona midfielder joined German
champions Bayer Leverkusen for €18m.
MATS HUMMELS
Dortmund also said goodbye to 35-year-old FERNANDO SANTOS
Surprise
appointment
centre-back Hummels, whose contract expired. The former Portugal and Poland boss took
...Vincent charge of the Azerbaijan national team.
Kompany MIROSLAV KLOSE
Germany’s all-time record scorer took STANISLAV CHERCHESOV
ANTONIO CONTE charge of second-tier side Nuremberg. Russia’s coach at the 2018 World Cup took
The former Italy, Juventus, Chelsea, Inter and charge of Kazakhstan’s national team.
Tottenham manager was hired by Napoli. JOSE MOURINHO
After narrowly missing out on the Turkish title, SOUTH AMERICA
MARCO BARONI Fenerbahce hired Mourinho as their manager.
The coach left Verona for Lazio, replacing Igor DAVID OSPINA
Tudor who exited after less than three months. GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST The Colombia goalkeeper returned to first club
The ex-Rangers coach also moved to Istanbul, Atletico Nacional after two years with Al Nassr.
VINCENZO ITALIANO, THIAGO MOTTA, taking charge of 2021 champions Besiktas.
RAFFAELE PALLADINO, ALESSANDRO NESTA ASIA
After leaving Fiorentina, Italiano took charge of VITOR BRUNO
Bologna to replace new Juventus boss Motta. Porto promoted Bruno from assistant manager LUIS ALBERTO
Palladino replaced Italiano at Fiorentina, with after the departure of Sergio Conceicao. The midfielder left Lazio for Al Duhail in Qatar.
Nesta then taking his place at Monza.
BRIAN PRISKE IGOR STIMAC & SUNIL CHHETRI
PAULO FONSECA & BRUNO GENESIO The ex-Denmark defender left Sparta Prague India sacked coach Stimac after their 2026
Ex-Roma and Lille boss Fonseca was appointed to replace Arne Slot as Feyenoord head coach. World Cup hopes ended, while record goalscorer
by Milan after Stefano Pioli stepped down. Lille Chhetri retired from international football.
replaced him with former Rennes coach Genesio. GENNARO GATTUSO
Hajduk Split hired the Italian as head coach. CONCACAF
FRANCK HAISE & WILL STILL
After Francesco Farioli exited to join Ajax, ROBBIE KEANE HIRVING LOZANO
Nice appointed Haise from Lens, who then The Irishman left his job as Maccabi Tel Aviv The Mexico and Napoli winger announced he
hired ex-Reims coach Will Still to replace him. manager after just one year in charge. will join MLS side San Diego in January 2025.
GARCIA PIMIENTA TOSIN ADARABIOYO GONZALO PINEDA & NICO ESTEVEZ

Sevilla hired the Las Palmas and ex-Barca B Chelsea snapped up the 26-year-old Both Atlanta United and FC Dallas fired
coach to replace Quique Sanchez Flores. centre-back from Fulham on a free transfer. their coaches after poor MLS seasons.
16 WORLD SOCCER
ESM
EUROPEAN SPORTS MEDIA
King Kane
Bayern Munich frontman Harry Kane has
Golden Shoe Surprise package...
clinched the European Golden Shoe after winner...Kane runner-up Guirassy
scoring 36 league goals in the 2023-24
campaign. In doing so, he becomes only the
second English winner of the coveted prize
after Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips
in 1999-2000 (more on page 70).
Kane’s tally equals that of last year’s
winner Erling Haaland, and it means the
Bundesliga has now provided the ESM
Golden Shoe winner in three of the past
four seasons (Robert Lewandowski won it
in 2020-21 and 2021-22 also with Bayern).
As in former years, the award winner is
decided on points using the UEFA coefficient
ranking system, which rewards players in the
most competitive leagues. Hence marksmen
from England, France, Germany, Spain and
Italy benefit from a points multiplier of two.
The ranking includes regular domestic league
games only and not play-offs or cup matches.
ESM GOLDEN SHOE 2023-24: FINAL RANKINGS

Pos Name Goals Factor Pts
1 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) 36 2 72

2 Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart) 28 2 56
3= Erling Haaland (Manchester City) 27 2 54
3= Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) 27 2 54
5= Artem Dovbyk (Girona) 24 2 48
Pos Name Goals Factor Pts Pos Name Goals Factor Pts
5= Lautaro Martinez (Internazionale) 24 2 48 27= Heung-min Son (Tottenham Hotspur) 17 2 34

5= Lois Openda (RB Leipzig) 24 2 48 30= Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim) 16 2 32
8 Alexander Sorloth (Villarreal) 23 2 46 30= Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) 16 2 32
9 Cole Palmer (Chelsea) 22 2 44 30= Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) 16 2 32
10= Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting) 29 1.5 43.5 30= Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) 16 2 32
10= Luuk de Jong (PSV) 29 1.5 43.5 30= Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla) 16 2 32
10= Vangelis Pavlidis (AEK Athens) 29 1.5 43.5 30= Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) 16 2 32
13 Alexander Isak (Newcastle United) 21 2 42 30= Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) 16 2 32
14= Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) 19 2 38 30= Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco) 16 2 32
La Liga’s top
14= Jonathan David (Lille) 19 2 38 scorer...Girona 38= Simon Banza (Braga) 21 1.5 31.5
14= Phil Foden (Manchester Cit ) 19 2 38 striker Dovbyk
38= Mateo Cassierra (Zenit) 21 1.5 31.5
14= Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon) 19 2 38
38= Edin Dzeko (Fenerbahce) 21 1.5 31.5
14= Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) 19 2 38
38= Lawrence Shankland (Hearts) 21 1.5 31.5
14= Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) 19 2 38
42= Ermedin Demirovic (Augsburg) 15 2 30
14= Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) 19 2 38
42= Olivier Giroud (Milan) 15 2 30
21 Mauro Icardi (Galatasaray) 25 1.5 37.5
22= Amahl Pellegrino (Bodo/Glimt) 24 1.5 36 42= Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim) 15 2 30
22= Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 18 2 36 42= Borja Mayoral (Getafe) 15 2 30
22= Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) 18 2 36 42= Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid) 15 2 30
25= Kevin Denkey (Cercle Brugge) 23 1.5 34.5 42= Rafa Mujica (Arouca) 20 1.5 30
25= Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord) 23 1.5 34.5 Gyokeres... 42= Victor Osimhen (Napoli) 15 2 30
27= Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille) 17 2 34 the joint-highest 42= Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) 15 2 30
finisher outside
27= Ante Budimir (Osasuna) 17 2 34 the “big five” 50 Ramon Mierez (Osijek) 19 1.5 28.5
ESM MEMBERS: A Bola (Portugal), Fanatik (Turkey), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany), La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy), Kicker (Germany),
Marca (Spain), Nemzeti Sport (Hungary), De Telegraaf (Netherlands), Tipsbladet (Denmark), Elf Voetbal (Netherlands), World Soccer (England)
WORLD SOCCER 17
ESM XI
EUROPEAN SPORTS MEDIA
MAY 2024 (including June 1)
SEASON RANKINGS
Cumulative votes through the season
GOALKEEPERS
Yann Sommer (Internazionale) 24
Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus) 9
Lukas Hradecky (Bayer Leverkusen) 8 Thibaut Josko Mats Granit Vinicius
Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid) 8 Courtois Gvardiol Hummels Xhaka Junior
Real Madrid Manchester City Borussia Dortmund Bayer Leverkusen Real Madrid
Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund) 7
Marcin Bulka (Nice) 6 ●●● ●● ●●●● ● ●●●●
●● ● ●●● ● ●●●
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) 5
Alisson (Liverpool) 4
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona) 4
Ederson (Manchester City) 2
David Raya (Arsenal) 2
Mile Svilar (Roma) 2
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Real Madrid) 1
Lucas Chevalier (Lille) 1 GVARDIOL
Paulo Gazzaniga (Girona) 1
Kamil Grabara (Copenhagen) 1
Nordin Jackers (Club Brugge) 1 XHAKA VINICIUS
Mike Maignan (Milan) 1 JUNIOR
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia) 1
Christos Mandas (Lazio) 1
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) 1
HUMMELS
Alexander Meyer (Borussia Dortmund) 1
Juan Musso (Atalanta) 1
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) 1
Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) 1 COURTOIS
Andre Onana (Manchester United) 1 KROOS EL KAABI
Ivan Provedel (Lazio) 1
Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion) 1
RUDIGER
DEFENDERS
Alex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen) 40
Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) 28
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) 27
Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid) 23
Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen) 19 FODEN LOOKMAN
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen) 15
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) 13 CARVAJAL
Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City) 12
Alessandro Bastoni (Internazionale) 11
Federico Dimarco (Internazionale) 11
Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund) 11
Kyle Walker (Manchester City) 11
Ben White (Arsenal) 10
Bremer (Juventus) 8
Ruben Dias (Manchester City) 6
Joao Cancelo (Barcelona) 5
Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona) 5
Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen) 5
Benjamin Pavard (Internazionale) 5
William Saliba (Arsenal) 5
Francesco Acerbi (Internazionale) 4
Gabriel (Arsenal) 4 Antonio Dani Toni Phil Ayoub Ademola
Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) 4 Rudiger Carvajal Kroos Foden El Kaabi Lookman
Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur) 4 Real Madrid Real Madrid Real Madrid Manchester City Olympiacos Atalanta
Jean-Clair Todibo (Nice) 4 ●●● ●●●●● ●●●● ●●●●● ●● ●●●●●
Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur) 4 ●●● ●●●●● ●●●● ●●●●● ●● ●●●●
Conor Bradley (Liverpool) 3
Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna) 3
Dante (Nice) 3
Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) 3
Stefan de Vrij (Internazionale) 3 Andreas Christensen (Barcelona) 1 Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) 1 Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) 5
Federico Gatti (Juventus) 3 Sebastian Coates (Sporting) 1 John Stones (Manchester City) 1 Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) 4
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) 3 Danilo (Juventus) 1 Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund) 1 Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) 4
Odilon Kossounou (Bayer Leverkusen) 3 Oscar De Marcos (Athletic Club) 1 Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen) 1 Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta) 3
Gianluca Mancini (Roma) 3 Zeno Debast (Anderlecht) 1 Filippo Terracciano (Milan) 1 Adrien Rabiot (Juventus) 3
Waldemar Anton (Stuttgart) 2 Eric Garcia (Girona) 1 Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal) 1 Joey Veerman (PSV) 3
Ronald Araujo (Barcelona) 2 Miguel Gutierrez (Girona) 1 Fikayo Tomori (Milan) 1 Nicolo Barella (Internazionale) 2
Yan Couto (Girona) 2 David Hancko (Feyenoord) 1 William Troost-Ekong (PAOK) 1 Aleix Garcia (Girona) 2
Matteo Darmian (Internazionale) 2 Theo Hernandez (Milan) 1 Destiny Udogie (Tottenham Hotspur) 1 Yangel Herrera (Girona) 2
Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale) 2 Isak Hien (Atalanta) 1 Lucas Vazquez (Real Madrid) 1 Curtis Jones (Liverpool) 2
Mario Hermoso (Atletico Madrid) 2 Goncalo Inacio (Sporting) 1 Leny Yoro (Lille) 1 Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta) 2
Jules Kounde (Barcelona) 2 Florian Lejeune (Rayo Vallecano) 1 Mohammed Kudus (West Ham United) 2
Arthur Masuaku (Besiktas) 2 Tino Livramento (Newcastle United) 1 MIDFIELDERS Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa) 2
Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica) 2 Jhon Lucumi (Bologna) 1 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) 44 John McGinn (Aston Villa) 2
Andy Robertson (Liverpool) 2 Castello Lukeba (RB Leipzig) 1 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) 25 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Internazionale) 2
Jordan Teze (PSV) 2 Ian Maatsen (Borussia Dortmund) 1 Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) 23 Ismael Saibari (PSV) 2
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United) 2 Koki Machida (Union Saint-Gilloise) 1 Phil Foden (Manchester City) 21 Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) 2
Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich) 2 Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United) 1 Rodri (Manchester City) 17 Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) 2
Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid) 2 Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid) 1 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) 13 Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen) 1
Nathan Ake (Manchester City) 1 Maximilian Mittelstadt (Stuttgart) 1 Declan Rice (Arsenal) 13 Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig) 1
David Alaba (Real Madrid) 1 Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid) 1 Hakan Calhanoglu (Internazionale) 12 Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund) 1
Sam Beukema (Bologna) 1 Stefan Posch (Bologna) 1 Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) 11 Giacomo Bonaventura (Fiorentina) 1
Daley Blind (Girona) 1 Luca Ranieri (Fiorentina) 1 James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur) 9 Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund) 1
Olivier Boscagli (PSV) 1 David Raum (RB Leipzig) 1 Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen) 9 Maxence Caqueret (Lyon) 1
Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton) 1 Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund) 1 Cole Palmer (Chelsea) 6 Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) 1
Lilian Brassier (Brest) 1 Fabian Schar (Newcastle United) 1 Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) 6 Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid) 1
18 WORLD SOCCER
TEAM OF THE SEASON

(Based on cumulative votes through the season)
Yann
Sommer
Internazionale
SOMMER
24 total votes
Antonio
Rudiger
Real Madrid
23 total votes
Virgil
van Dijk
Liverpool
CARVAJAL RUDIGER VAN DIJK GRIMALDO 27 total votes
Dani
Carvajal
Real Madrid
28 total votes
Alex
Grimaldo
Bayer Leverkusen
40 total votes
Florian
Wirtz WIRTZ BELLINGHAM VINICIUS
Bayer Leverkusen
JUNIOR
25 total votes
Vinicius
Junior
Real Madrid
26 total votes
Jude
Bellingham
Real Madrid
44 total votes
MARTINEZ KANE MBAPPE Kylian
Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain
26 total votes
Lautaro
Martinez
Internazionale
26 total votes
Harry
Kane
Bayern Munich
42 total votes
Thomas Delaney (Anderlecht) 1 Tijjani Reijnders (Milan) 1 Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos) 4 Paulo Dybala (Roma) 1
Ederson (Atalanta) 1 Rodrigo Riquelme (Atletico Madrid) 1 Kai Havertz (Arsenal) 4 Edin Dzeko (Fenerbahce) 1
Wataru Endo (Liverpool) 1 Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund) 1 Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid) 4 Niclas Fullkrug (Borussia Dortmund) 1
Rasmus Falk (Copenhagen) 1 Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig) 1 Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) 4 Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) 1
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) 1 Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid) 1 Christian Pulisic (Milan) 3 Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester United) 1
Chris Fuhrich (Stuttgart) 1 Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain) 1 Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) 3 Mauro Icardi (Galatasaray) 1
Gavi (Barcelona) 1 Alexander Sorloth (Villarreal) 3 Alexander Isak (Newcastle United) 1
Pedro Goncalves (Sporting) 1 FORWARDS Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) 3 Rafael Leao (Milan) 1
Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion) 1 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) 42 Julian Alvarez (Manchester City) 2 Romelu Lukaku (Roma) 1
Isco (Real Betis) 1 Lautaro Martinez (Internazionale) 26 Jeremy Doku (Manchester City) 2 Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) 1
Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) 1 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) 26 Evanilson (Porto) 2 Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) 1
Enzo Le Fee (Rennes) 1 Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) 26 Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord) 2 Lois Openda (RB Leipzig) 1
Pierre Lees-Melou (Brest) 1 Erling Haaland (Manchester City) 19 Sebastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund) 2 Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna) 1
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Milan) 1 Rodrygo (Real Madrid) 12 Diogo Jota (Liverpool) 2 Victor Osimhen (Napoli) 1
Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United) 1 Artem Dovbyk (Girona) 9 Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) 2 Goncalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain) 1
Ivan Martin (Girona) 1 Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart) 9 Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich) 2 Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) 1
Weston McKennie (Juventus) 1 Ademola Lookman (Atalanta) 9 Savio (Girona) 2 Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta) 1
Scott McTominay (Manchester United) 1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 9 Rafa Silva (Benfica) 2 Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) 1
Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion) 1 Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) 9 Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco) 1 Marcus Thuram (Internazionale) 1
Hidemasa Morita (Sporting) 1 Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting) 7 Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) 1 Leandro Trossard (Arsenal) 1
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen) 1 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) 7 Jonathan David (Lille) 1 Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord) 1
Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United) 1 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) 6 Memphis Depay (Atletico Madrid) 1 Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) 1
Mario Pasalic (Atalanta) 1 Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen) 5 Luis Diaz (Liverpool) 1 Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) 1
ESM MEMBERS: A Bola (Portugal), Fanatik (Turkey), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany), La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy), Kicker (Germany),
Marca (Spain), Nemzeti Sport (Hungary), De Telegraaf (Netherlands), Tipsbladet (Denmark), Elf Voetbal (Netherlands), World Soccer (England)
WORLD SOCCER 19
Headliners
Serhou Guirassy
Stuttgart’s prolific and in-demand Guinean centre-forward led
the charge as his club claimed a shock Champions League berth
ll across Europe,
the 2023-24
campaign has
been defined by
the rise of the
underdog, yet
few sides boast
a story as remarkable as Bundesliga
outfit Stuttgart and their star striker
Serhou Guirassy. Bayer Leverkusen
have rightly received plenty of credit
for their unbeaten domestic season
and run to the final of the Europa
League, but it is the Swabians who
had to work from a lower base.
Last season, Stuttgart battled
relegation, escaping by the very skin
of their teeth via the promotion-
relegation play-off. A year on, they
have not only qualified for football’s
premier club competition, but did
so by finishing ahead of Bayern
Munich in the Bundesliga.
Since winning their third Bundesliga
crown in 2006-07, it has been a tale
of woe and underachievement for
the Reds. Much of the intervening
period has been spent barely keeping
their heads above water under various
experienced managers, from Christian
Gross to Huub Stevens to Bruno
Labbadia. April 2023, he inherited a team Polished diamonds… that, taking the club to new heights
Instead, they turned to a anchored to the foot of the table. Guirassy celebrates through a mix of positive football,
with Deniz Undav
42-year-old novice - a decision For a self-professed fan of the club and Enzo Millot aggression and player development.
that proved a masterstroke. Former where he spent his formative years, Stuttgart’s squad is littered with
Bayern Munich youth coach Sebastian saving Stuttgart from testaments
Hoeness had little to recommend him the drop would have to Hoeness’
at senior level beyond a two-year been satisfying by Stuttgart’s squad is littered with management
stint in charge of Hoffenheim itself. But Hoeness testaments to Sebastian Hoeness’ – Maximilian
and, upon his appointment in went far beyond management, but the biggest success Mittelstadt,
story is star striker Serhou Guirassy Chris Fuhrich
and Waldemar
Anton earned
call-ups to Germany’s Euro 2024
squad, French youngster Enzo Millot,
signed for €1.5 million in 2021, has
flourished, as has Brighton loanee
Deniz Undav who finished with 18
Bundesliga goals and also earned a
Germany call-up for the Euros – but
the biggest success story is Guirassy.
Recognised as a prodigy in his
younger days, the Guinea international
striker has enjoyed the best season of
his career at the age of 28. His 28
league goals – 35 per cent of the club’s
Key influence Bundesliga total – may have fallen
…Guirassy with
Stuttgart coach eight short of Harry Kane’s Golden
Sebastian Hoeness Boot-winning tally, but adjusted for
20 WORLD SOCCER
PEOPLE ANDPEOPLE
PLACES IN THE
AND PLACES NEWS
IN THE NEWS
Greenland
Danish territory launches bid to join CONCACAF
– but FIFA membership remains a long shot
minutes-per-goal and Guirassy’s t was May 13, when a courier FIFA has admitted no new members
mid-season injury, he was firmly the delivered an application from since then and, despite support from
equal of the England international. the Greenland Football the Danish Football Association (DBU),
The key to his sudden explosion? Association (KAK) to the Miami Greenland are highly unlikely to be the
Self-belief and trust, both factors headquarters of CONCACAF next new member of the world body. At
Hoeness has sought to foster within directly addressed to general its recent congress in May 2024, FIFA
the squad. “There is no secret, really,” secretary, Philippe Moggio, quietly changed its own entry criteria
he told German publication DW. “I formerly requesting membership to mirror that of UEFA, prompting KAK
haven’t changed much. We have a of the North, Central American to race to get its CONCACAF bid lodged
good coach, a good team, we have and Caribbean federation. in case any changes made in Bangkok
everyone’s trust and that’s important. The move came after years of affected their application.
Trust really matters in football.” prevarication on behalf of KAK, which Even if Greenland are accepted
Born in Arles, France, Guirassy took inevitably came to the conclusion that into CONCACAF as its 42nd member,
up football “for fun” and stood out for despite cultural and political links with they will join six other associations
his physicality and skill at a young age. Europe – Greenland is an autonomous in the region – the Dutch islands of
His talent saw him snapped up by Lille territory of the Kingdom of Denmark – Bonaire and Sint Maarten, and the
from Laval at the age of 19, but he UEFA membership would never happen. French territories of French Guiana,
struggled to live up to the expectation Greenland’s national team head Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint
and was often beset by injuries. This coach Morten Rutkjaer said: “We Martin – in now being stuck at this level.
prompted something of a nomadic are convinced that membership in KAK president Kenneth Kleist said:
career, with the player never putting CONCACAF is the right opportunity and “The partnerships with DBU and KSI
down roots anywhere. development for Greenlandic football. It [the Iceland Football Association] mean
A 2016 move to Cologne, in search will provide an attractive platform where that we are organisationally strong as we
of a change of scenery, exposed him clubs and national teams will play more start the dialogue with CONCACAF.”
to German football for the first time, international matches and tournaments. The Greenlanders will be happy with a
but his playing time was modest. “I was “This is an incredibly exciting time chance to provide greater opportunities
young, I don’t remember what age for Greenlandic football. Our application for its footballers, whose only current
I was, but I was injured a lot,” Guirassy for CONCACAF membership marks a senior competitive outlet is the football
said. “I played a few games and scored significant step forward in our ambitions tournament at the biennual Island Games.
some goals, even in the Europa to compete at a higher level. We have Rutkjaer adds: “Through our
League. But that’s football. It’s difficult worked hard to get here, and I am connections among the existing
sometimes. You need to overcome convinced that this will inspire our member countries in CONCACAF, we
those hard times and never give up.” players and develop our football culture.” will expand our knowledge and network,
While it remains to be seen whether KAK’s membership of UEFA has so we know what to prepare for with all
his injury worries are well and truly been blocked since the European national and club teams...I am sure that
a thing of the past, Guirassy is very body decided to make membership these matches will be a huge motivation
much seizing the present. He opened of the United Nations a key criterion – for all young players in Greenland.”
the campaign with 14 goals in eight a belated decision to keep out Gibraltar CONCACAF membership would
matches, scoring with every one of and pacify politicians in Spain, which lays provide the opportunity to play in the
his first eight shots on target, and claim to the British overseas territory. Nations League and Gold Cup qualifiers,
has allied that efficiency with all- After appealing to the Court of along with club and futsal tournaments.
round centre-forward play that Arbitration for Sport on the basis For CONCACAF’s existing members,
his role models would be proud of. that this change was made after their the prospect of a trip to the Greenlandic
“I like to identify myself with the application, Gibraltar were admitted in capital of Nuuk would be daunting given
style of [Karim] Benzema, [Robert] 2013 and joined FIFA three years later the distances involved. From Suriname
Lewandowski,” he said. “I like Kane’s Greenland coach… along with Kosovo, whose application on the northern tip of South America,
style of play. He’s good at everything. Morten Rutkjaer had faced opposition from Serbia. for example, to Greenland is 6,700km
He helps his team-mates and he direct – but in reality even longer given
scores goals.” the lengthy travel connections.
The Guirassy market is set to be Lack of a suitable ground would make
a bullish one this summer, with links playing in Nuuk difficult in the short-
from all over Europe materialising term, but KAK has initiated a strategic
by the minute. What happens next is partnership with KSI, which will include
anybody’s guess, but the 28-year-old hosting Greenland’s home matches.
knows he has a good thing and is in no Greenland v Bonaire in Reykjavik in
hurry to uproot himself again. “I don’t CONCACAF Nations League Group C is
want to leave for the sake of leaving,” an unlikely international fixture, but one
he said. “I feel good here in Stuttgart.” that could be coming some time soon.
Oluwashina Okeleji Steve Menary
WORLD SOCCER 21
Ademola Lookman
22 WORLD SOCCER
SPOTLIGHT
HAT-TRICK
HERO
Ademola Lookman wrote his name into
European football’s history books with
a hat-trick in the Europa League final
Words: Oluwashina Okeleji
F
or one night only, Ademola the biggest stage and with the highest
Lookman was the best of stakes. In the intervening period,
footballer in the world. Lookman underwent something of
The setting was Dublin, a refining under the fiery gaze of Gian
and the occasion was the Europa Piero Gasperini, a coach famed not only
League final. While all of the talk for punching well above the weight of
leading into it was Bayer Leverkusen’s his teams, but for empowering strikers
fairy-tale unbeaten run, their opponents, like few others can.
Atalanta – who had already dispatched With hindsight, it was never going
both Liverpool and Marseille – were to be that simple. Watching the Nigeria
determined to write their own story. international put Bayer Leverkusen to
Lookman, who most Italian the sword, it was hard to reconcile his
publications had as starting on conviction and menace on the night
the bench on the morning of the with Gasperini’s comments following
final, was cast in the lead role. The March’s 1-1 draw against Sporting in
26-year-old was immense, thrice the round of 16: “Sometimes he hides
striking at the heart of the Germans, from the game,” the Atalanta manager
each goal better than the last, and in said, before offering clarification and
doing so entering the exalted company context to his assessment. “We all see
of some of the sport’s greatest players: the potential and speed of Lookman,
Alfredo Di Stefano, Pierino Prati, Ferenc but it must be admitted that he didn’t
Puskas and Jupp Heynckes – the only used to play so offensively. He used to
other men to score a hat-trick in the score six or seven goals a year, whereas
final of a UEFA club competition. now he is quick, skilled in dribbling,
It was a redemptive end to a and even strong in heading.
challenging second season in Italy for “I believe that when he approaches
the Charlton Athletic youth product. the penalty area, he can become a key
The 2022-23 campaign, his first after player for our team.”
arriving from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig The player himself admitted as
for a fee of €9m rising to €15m, was much in an interview with The Athletic,
defined by instant impact; although detailing the work that had gone into
truncated by injury in the run-in, he making him a more efficient attacking
finished the season as Atalanta’s top machine: “[Gasperini] is very big on
scorer in Serie A and was named their playing forward and creating many
Player of the Season, signposting opportunities to score goals,” Lookman
better things to come. said. “For me, he has made my football
That promise did not quite much simpler in how I think about it.
materialise. Or perhaps in light of “I feel like I understand football a lot
events in Dublin, it is more appropriate more now. Previously, I never used to
to say it only did so belatedly, albeit on view football the way I view it now.
WORLD SOCCER 23
SPOTLIGHT
From boy to man…

Lookman during
his first season at
Charlton Athletic
Caption
When I watch games, I look for certain It was a closing act that
things in terms of movements and marked a transition from boy to
spaces – those little details that I man for the shy and unassuming
never really used to look for before.” player, who also finished as Nigeria’s
It has been a study in gradual top goalscorer at the Africa Cup of
progress, timed for detonation at Nations in January. All three of his
just the right moment. His brace – strikes in the Ivory Coast came in
and overall performance – against the knockouts as well, two of them
Milan in early December was, looking against arch-rivals Cameroon.
back, probably the first indication of The Super Eagles would ultimately
something brewing underneath the fall short, edged out by the host nation in
surface, as he posted a Man-of-the- the final, an outcome that represented
Match display in a famous 3-2 victory. a huge missed opportunity. It no doubt
There was also a match-winning turn fuelled Lookman’s resolve to seize the
later that month against Lecce, a 1-0 moment when another chance at
win decided by the sort of lethal immortality presented itself.
shooting that Alonso’s Leverkusen His goals – arriving late on the
would have no answer for five defender’s blindside to convert a
months on. cut-back, skipping past a challenge
While Lookman finished two to curl into the bottom corner from
goals shy of his league total from the edge of the box, and crashing a
2022-23, he scored five goals in shot into the roof of the net having
European competition this term – created some space with a stepover –
all in the knockout stages, and all were all, in obvious ways, a fulfilment
altering the game states of the of Gasperini’s assessment, with a
respective ties: one against Sporting, header the only thing missing.
which drew La Dea level on aggregate, Once described as having “stunk
one against Marseille in the semi-finals in training” by former RB Leipzig
to give his side the lead on aggregate, head coach Jesse Marsch, it was
and that treble in the final to bring not always a given that Lookman
glory back to Bergamo. would fulfil his sizeable potential.
Ademola Lookman
Stuart Gray recalled. “It was a case of

[us] restricting the time he wanted out on
the training pitch, the amount of shots he
would take, to make sure he had enough
energy for us at the weekend.”
At Leicester City the following
season he scored eight and assisted
five as the Foxes reached the Europa
Conference League semi-finals but, while
the attraction was mutual, the club could
not justify the outlay to make his loan
deal permanent, and were on the
cusp of a negative spiral anyway. “His
professionalism was unbelievable and the
only sad part for us was at the end of
that season, we had a clause where we
could have bought him for £14 million,”
Brendan Rodgers, who was Leicester
boss at the time, told TalkSport.
So strong was the impression he
made that Lee Congerton, who left
Leicester to take up a role as Atalanta’s
head of recruitment, took Lookman
to Serie A. In
Gasperini, he
“I feel like I understand football a found a manager
This is a player who was promoted Hat-trick hero…
lot more now” who has made
to the Charlton senior set-up at the age Lookman stands with an art form out
the match ball and Ademola Lookman on working with
of 17, and who scored on his debut both his medal after the Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini of polishing
for RB Leipzig and for Everton, the latter Europa League final undesirables into
an impudent dink as a substitute in a gleaming gems.
famous 4-0 drubbing of Pep Guardiola’s season. While he was clearly valued And, in doing so, Lookman has found
Manchester City. Yet, at the age of 24, within the hierarchy, the coaching staff himself. Where once there seemed a
Lookman had already turned out for had little use for him. And so began a debate over his best position, now the
five different clubs, and was in danger spate of loans. player is unequivocal: the “inside wide
of being written off as a journeyman. With Fulham in 2020-21, he left area” is where he does his best work.
Despite that eye-catching scored four and assisted another four, Where once his reserved persona
introduction on Merseyside, the young but suffered relegation and came to be made him a difficult read for coaches,
forward struggled for playing time and remembered for his failed stoppage- now he is a leader of men, even if not
impact as Everton cycled through time Panenka attempt at the London entirely by design.
managers. Stadium against West Ham United, a “I don’t like talking because I am
In January 2018, it was decided that game the Cottagers lost 1-0. His work more of a listener. If you listen more,
he should go out on loan and, defying ethic shone through, however, in what you learn more,” he tells World Soccer.
the preference of Goodison dugout was a bleak campaign played out to “Some people enjoy talking and that’s
incumbent Sam Allardyce, Lookman empty stadiums during COVID. “He fine. I only do my talking whenever
opted against a move to Derby County would stay back for hours working it is necessary.”
in favour of going abroad. Destination: on technical work, taking free-kicks, Turn to page 50 for a review
RB Leipzig. With five goals in 11 mostly crossing or shooting,” assistant coach of the Europa League final
substitute appearances, Lookman hit
the ground running in Germany, sowing
the seed for a return down the line.
In the meantime, he returned to
Everton to find yet another manager,
this time Marco Silva, in office. Yet again,
minutes were difficult to come by, and
while Silva labelled him a “fantastic
player”, insisting it was “really important
to keep him”, Lookman never found
continuity under the Portuguese
manager, and was all too grateful when
RB Leipzig came back for him, this time
on a permanent basis. “I didn’t have to
think too long about returning,” he said.
The second spell was nowhere near
as smooth, however. Under another
new manager in Julian Nagelsmann,
Key influence…
Lookman played the equivalent of four Lookman with Gian
matches in minutes across the whole Piero Gasperini
WORLD SOCCER 25
SPOTLIGHT
The story of Sweden

striker Viktor Gyokeres’
career has been one of
upward trajectory – and
there’s plenty more to come
from the Sporting superstar
Words: Bence Bocsak
Viktor Gyokeres
I
t’s becoming a craze in Portugal: when he finished high school at 16 that
Sporting supporters walking around he felt ready to uproot his life and join
the Estadio Jose Alvalade before Brommapojkarna.
matchdays with their hands placed Yet, despite being so sought after, he
over their mouths and their fingers didn’t initially stand out at his new club.
intertwined. They do it in homage to “When I became the head coach, he
the club’s new icon, Viktor Gyokeres, was not one of the best players there [in
who does the same gesture every time the Under-19 team],” Savic says. “He was
he scores. Something he’s been doing a good player, but we had much better
at an unprecedented frequency since players who we also sold before we
he arrived at the club last summer. sold him. I had Joseph Colley, who was
The Sweden international scored the outstanding player in my team, and
43 goals in his debut season and led we sold him to Chelsea. There were
the club to its second league title under also others who were in front of him.”
Ruben Amorim. In the process, he has What stood out about Gyokeres was
established himself as one of the most not his quality but his desire to improve.
coveted strikers in world football. But He may not have been the best player in
his rise to the top has been far from the team, but he had the best work ethic.
straightforward. There was a point in “He had the mentality to train hard,”
his career when his coaches doubted Savic says. “He was a really hard-
whether he would even make it to working player. His preparation for
the very top of the game. training was really professional even
Spotted by IF Brommapojkarna at a young age. He worked really
scouts as a 12-year-old playing for his hard in the training sessions.”
local club IFK Aspudden-Tellus, Gyokeres That work ethic was instilled by his
was not initially open to a move. father, Stefan, who had played football
“He was not ready to move at the himself for Stugun and IFK Ostersund
time,” Dalibor Savic, who coached in Sweden before becoming an
Gyokeres for Brommapojkarna’s assistant coach at Gyokeres’ first club,
Under-19 team, recalls. Aspudden-Tellus. Stefan helped his
Other teams tried to poach son understand the importance of a
Gyokeres from Aspudden-Tellus, professional mindset from a young age.
but as a teenager he wanted He also took care of his development
to stay close to his outside of Brommapojkarna, employing
roots. It was individual coaches to work on improving
only his son’s game.
SPOTLIGHT
Portuguese league
champion…Gyokeres
“Viktor did a lot of extra training by lifts the 2023-24
himself, paying an extra individual coach Primeira Liga trophy
to work on his technique,” Savic says.
“I know that he also paid an individual
coach to work on his strength and his
physical ability.”
At Brommapojkarna, Gyokeres
gradually adjusted to his new
environment. Coming from a semi-
professional background to one of the
best academies in Sweden, it took him
a while to slot into the team, but when
he did he showed the kind of form that
Sporting supporters have witnessed in
his debut season. In total, Gyokeres
played two seasons under Savic and
scored 28 goals in 27 appearances.
“He was a goalscorer from a young
age. You can see that he was always in
the right position to tap it in or to shoot
from long distance because he has a
really strong shot from distance.
“But he also had the quality and
the nose to see where the situation
was going to go and come to where
the ball was going to appear to score
goals inside the box.”
That combination made him
a frightening prospect for young
defenders in Sweden, and it
was why he was flagged as a
player with the potential to be
promoted to Brommapojkarna’s
first team when the club was
relegated to Sweden’s third tier.
After relegation, Brommapojkarna
underwent major changes at first-team
level. A new coach arrived in former
Sweden international, Olof Mellberg,
and a lot of the club’s first-team
players moved onto pastures new.
Instead, they hedged their bets
on youth to solve the squad
overhaul and, as a result,
Gyokeres was promoted
to the first team alongside
several of his team-mates
from Savic’s Under-19 team.
“Being relegated absolutely helped
him get more first-team opportunities,”
Savic says. “It was crucial for him. The
gap between Under-19 football and the
third tier is not huge, so it was easy for
him. That year he scored a lot of goals,
and he was a key player for
Brommapojkarna.”
In his debut season, Gyokeres
scored seven goals in 19 league
games and helped Brommapojkarna
earn promotion back to Sweden’s
second tier, where the young forward
really exploded onto the scene. With
13 goals and eight assists in 29
appearances, he helped his team
earn back-to-back promotions.
“He got a fast development playing
First loan spell… Viktor Gyokeres
Gyokeres in action
at St Pauli in 2020
he is much more than just an old-

fashioned centre-forward.
“When he decided to go deep
and take the ball with him, he was
unstoppable,” Savic remembers. “You can
see it even now when he goes on a run
from the halfway line, nobody can stop
him. He’s so strong at carrying the ball.”
“Viktor is two-footed and difficult
to defend. He is also fast and good
in one-v-one situations,” Trulsen adds.
In the end, Gyokeres was never able
to express his talent at Brighton, but he
moved on to Coventry City where, under
Mark Robins, he gradually established
himself as one of the best forwards in
the EFL Championship.
“We always knew he could play that
style of football in England. You could
see his progress at Coventry, he was
playing really good football,” Savic says.
Entering the prime of his career
in the third and second tier,” Savic was a very motivated footballer who at Sporting, the sky is the limit for
says. “There was a bit of doubt always worked hard on himself and what’s next – even according to Savic,
[before relegation to the third tier]. often grabbed a few balls after training who never would have envisaged the
If Brommapojkarna had played to take shots. He was an honest, reliable career his protégé would go on to have.
in the first division, I don’t think he and strong-willed character. He was very “Now, it’s no question that he is a top
would have played as a starter. In the focused on taking his next step in footballer. As soon as he made the move
second division, it would have been professional football.” to Portugal with his physique, fitness level
50-50 because and determination,
the technical it was clear he was
part of his
“Now, it’s no question that he is a top footballer. As going to score
game was soon as he made the move to Portugal...it was clear a lot of goals. It
not at the level he was going to score a lot of goals...now he’s on was a smart career
Olof [Mellberg] top of the world and can choose to stay or leave” move. Now he’s on
wanted it to be. top of the world
Gyokeres’ former coach, Dalibor Savic
It helped him and can choose
that they were to stay or leave.”
in the third tier, and they had to play At St Pauli, instead of playing his Wherever that choice might take him,
him. He got to develop a lot quicker and preferred number nine role, Gyokeres Gyokeres will undoubtedly continue to
show them that he can score a lot of was often used on the wing due to succeed. He’s proven time and time
goals and that he had selling potential.” competition in the forward line, which, again that he cannot be written off.
It also helped that after his debut according to Trulsen, helped to hone To many, becoming an icon at Sporting
season in the first team, Gyokeres went his craft: “He was often used as a may be the pinnacle of their career,
to represent Sweden at the Under-19 winger, which didn’t hurt him.” but for Gyokeres there are many
European Championship in Georgia, Many may classify Gyokeres as more steps to go.
where he was named in the Team of a typical goal-poaching number nine. Turn to page 64 for a review of the
the Tournament after finishing joint-top But to the men who worked with him, 2023-24 Portuguese league season
of the scoring charts with three goals.
It was those performances that
Sky Blues star…
attracted the attention of Brighton, Gyokeres scored
who brought him to the club at the 43 goals for
beginning of the 2018 January window. Coventry City
At Brighton, Gyokeres went into the
club’s academy set-up. He had brief
moments in the first team, but struggled
to make an impact under manager Chris
Hughton. Despite continuing his excellent
goalscoring form for the club’s Under-21s,
the young forward was sent out on
several loans, with his most successful
spell at St Pauli. Gyokeres spent a
season with the German side and
played a key role in helping the club
avoid relegation from the second tier.
“He was very important for us during
the season,” the club’s assistant coach at
the time, Andre Trulsen, recalls. “Viktor
WORLD SOCCER 29
eye
campaign was one misstep away from
falling into a second season mired in
mediocrity. A controversially disallowed
winner in Volos eventually forced the
witness Alec McQuarrie reports

government to introduce measures
painfully reminiscent of the COVID-19
pandemic. Olympiacos fans rioted when
the 88th-minute decision didn’t go
their way and tear gas from police only
succeeded in dispersing both sets of
players who got caught in the crossfire.
The match was suspended, as
were the next weekend’s fixtures at
the request of Greek referees. Two days
after the 2-2 draw, which was eventually
GREECE
finished over an hour later, a result that
left Olympiacos languishing in fourth in
The light and shade the Greek Super League – and already
out of the Europa League – their coach
of Greek football Diego Martinez was given his marching

orders.
With no football on, fans turned to
The 2023-24 season was a crash, of all the madness were Olympiacos. the midweek volleyball derby against
bang, wallop of a rollercoaster ride Despite finishing third in the league arch-rivals Panathinaikos. Hooligans
in Greek football. On the pitch, four for the second year in a row – missing clashed outside the arena and a
teams were locked in an oscillating out on a top-two spot in consecutive 31-year-old riot policeman was shot in
title race until the last, while a Greek seasons for the first time in 30 years the leg with a flare. The officer tragically
club won a senior men’s UEFA to end a period of unparalleled died in hospital within a month.
competition for the first time ever. domestic dominance stretching all Since records began in 1983, at least
Off the pitch, however, it was the the way back to 1997 – the team from 13 people have died in Greece as a
same old sad story, with fan violence Piraeus suffered from a severe case of result of football hooligan violence.
continuing to steal the headlines main character syndrome, obstinately That includes 29-year-old AEK
and even leading to the death of a refusing to exit the spotlight. Athens fan Michalis Katsouris
Greek police officer. At the centre But in early December, their who was stabbed to death in
30 WORLD SOCCER
History makers…
Olympiacos players
celebrate with their
fans after reaching the
Europa Conference
League final
WORLD SOCCER 31
eyewitness
Shootout hero…Tzolakis in the quarter-final

penalty-shootout victory over Fenerbahce
clashes with Dinamo Zagreb ultras

back in August 2023.
The phrase “ποτέ ξανά ” (“never
again”) has long been used in Greece
in relation to football-related deaths.
But fatalities were getting more
frequent, not less. The government had
had enough. Two months, they figured,
was sufficient for everyone to learn their
lesson. Behind-closed-doors football
was back, long after it fell out of fashion. ensure a Europa Conference League Europa Conference Ahead of the second leg against
And by everyone, they meant football play-off berth. League winners… Maccabi, Mendilibar’s charges were
Olympiacos players
fans from every club in the top flight. Carvalhal’s replacement, Jose Luis celebrate after given a 2.5 per cent chance of
This was not received well by the Mendilibar, arrived in February with the beating Fiorentina qualification by OptaAnalyst.
public, and especially at clubs like memory of last season’s Europa League But by half-time, they were
Kifisia, a north Athens club embarking success at Sevilla still fresh in his mind. astonishingly 3-0 up and the tie was
on their maiden Super League season. However, fans doubted how the former level at 4-4. Eran Zahavi’s penalty put
Ted Philipakos, president and creative Eibar boss would
director at soon-to-be promoted settle in Piraeus,
Athens Kallithea, could understand having only ever Every fairy-tale needs a hero, and who better to
the frustrations of the blameless played and managed score the dramatic winner in the 116th minute
clubs and fans. in his native Spain. than Ayoub El Kaabi?
“The punishment was an Concerns were
overreaction,” said Philipakos. “And aggravated when
I want to be extremely careful saying Olympiacos suffered a catastrophic the Israelis back ahead on the hour,
that because a person died due to 4-1 home defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv, but Olympiacos were not discouraged.
unconscionable behaviour at a sporting then managed by Robbie Keane, in the Ayoub El Kaabi produced a ludicrous
event that isn’t an outlier. It’s the way Europa Conference League round of 16. The dark side of rocket of an overhead kick five minutes
things have been for too long. The Then, a damaging 3-1 home loss to Greek football…AEK later. And in extra-time, Stevan Jovetic
fans stand in front of
government and the public at large Panathinaikos dropped them to fourth a makeshift memorial and Youssef El-Arabi put the tie to bed.
are rightfully disgusted and fed up, in the table, 15 points off the top. to Michalis Katsouris The miraculous 6-1 win was the club’s
and something does need to change. biggest-ever victory in Europe.
“But at the same time, it’s something Turkish giants Fenerbahce were up
that happened at a volleyball match, next. They hadn’t lost a league game
and you punished the entire football away from home all season and had
environment. For the smallest clubs, won 3-0 at Belgian league leaders
who are just trying to survive, both in Union Saint-Gilloise in the previous
the league and financially, to close round. But by the 57th minute in
their stadiums was heavy handed.” Piraeus, they were 3-0 down.
Two months is a long time in Fener kicked into gear and reduced
football, and even longer at Olympiacos. the deficit to 3-2, setting up a tense
Martinez’s successor, Carlos Carvalhal, second leg in which they scored after
was sacked even before the return of 11 minutes. Two hours passed and
fans in February. The Portuguese boss, the teams were still locked at 3-3 on
though, did manage one crucial result: aggregate. At this point, 21-year-old
his first game in charge, a 5-2 win over academy keeper Konstantinos Tzolakis
Serbian outfit TSC Backa Topola, to was handed a Herculean task. The
32 WORLD SOCCER
GREECE
midnight. Instead, fans packed into

the carriages to head one stop south
and no one in Piraeus slept, even if Ayoub El Kaabi
they tried. From star of CHAN to King of Greece
They had more than enough reason
to celebrate. Their first-ever European It has been a long time coming but, at the age of 31,
final, and Greece’s first since 1971, was Ayoub El Kaabi is finally fulfilling the potential he
being held at their bitter rivals AEK first demonstrated as a 24-year-old at the 2018
Athens’ brand new OPAP Arena. Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
Meanwhile in the league, each of That it took the Morocco international striker
the “Big Four” had a mathematical that long to gain everyone’s attention owes to a
chance of taking the title. AEK were humble upbringing that forced him to park not
favourites, having led the standings only his education, but his interest in football. Until
since late April. Although Olympiacos’ the age of 21, El Kaabi earned a living for himself
race ended with defeat to PAOK, they and his family as a carpenter on the streets of
could still deny AEK when they faced Mediouna, near Casablanca.
them in the penultimate league game Thankfully, the cream of his talent rose to the top:
of the season. Once again, the main at the urging of friends, he took up playing for local
characters refused to move out of the club ES Lalla Mariam, before catching the eye of
spotlight and a 2-0 win at a delirious Casablancan side RAC in the second division.
Karaiskakis handed the crown to PAOK. His star turn at the CHAN, however, cast him in the
“I was devastated,” lamented lifelong brightest of lights. As Morocco hosted and won the
AEK fan Vaggelis. “I was ready to go 2018 edition of CAF’s competition for players based
to the Agia Sophia and celebrate. in their domestic leagues, El Kaabi – who by now was
But despite that, this has been the starring at RS Berkane – scored nine goals in five
most exciting season in the history starts and was named the tournament’s best player.
of Greek football.” His exploits sparked a scramble of interest, and
Dimitris Vergos, AEK Athens’ reporter while he has since gone on to play for five more clubs
for Gazzetta.gr, agreed: “I can’t ever – and represent the main Morocco national side at
remember a season with four teams the World Cup – El Kaabi’s movement, aerial prowess
still in the race so late on. Maybe in and composure have made him a reliable source of
young Greek was made first-choice the mid-2000s there were three teams goals throughout his career.
just one month before and had only going for the league. This season and Even so, Olympiacos could not possibly have
saved one out of eight penalties in his the previous season have been the expected this level of return when they signed
fledgling senior career. Three astounding most impressive for sure. I think the him from Qatari club Al Sadd last summer.
saves followed, and Tzolakis’ name was fact that the Greek league has become On the way to the Greek club’s first-ever European
etched into the annals of myth and more competitive has helped all the trophy, El Kaabi’s goals – including a UEFA record 11
legend. big four clubs of Greece.” in the knockout stages, five of which came in two legs
The good news continued less than And even though they finished third, against tournament favourites Aston Villa in the
a week later, as Olympiacos’ Under-19s Olympiacos supporters wouldn’t dispute semi-finals – have led the way to success in the
became the first Greek team to win a it either. Their fairy-tale season got the Europa Conference League. Capping off a stellar
UEFA competition in any age group, triumphant ending it deserved – an campaign with the extra-time winner in a nail-biter
romping to a 3-0 final win against Milan. extra-time 1-0 victory over Fiorentina to of a final against Fiorentina was all too fitting.
The seniors also found themselves seal the Conference League crown. AEK Oluwashina Okeleji
in unchartered waters. Aston Villa, fans will rightly criticise the inexcusable
European Cup winners in 1982 and – yet highly predictable – damage to
challenging for a Champions League their stadium. Unfortunately, there will Champion...
El Kaabi kisses
place in the Premier League, were always be villains in Greek football. the ECL trophy
heavy favourites to brush aside the But every fairy-tale needs a hero,
first-time semi-finalists. and who better to score the dramatic
But once again, Mendilibar’s men winner in the 116th minute than Ayoub
made a mockery of expectations and El Kaabi? A late bloomer, the 31-year-
produced a tactical masterclass at Villa old was still playing in the Moroccan
Park. El Kaabi netted a clinical hat-trick top flight in 2021. His debut season
in the 4-2 thriller and the Karaiskakis in a UEFA competition saw him steal
prepared itself to burst the eardrums of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema
everyone within a five-kilometre radius and Radamel Falcao’s joint-record for
in the return tie. most goals in the knockout rounds.
The bars around Piraeus were packed He and the rest of the squad,
hours before the second leg. Supporters along with Mendilibar, will forever be
chanted, whistled and cheered like the remembered as legends in the cafes
players could hear them; you wouldn’t and bars scattered around the docks
be surprised if they could. But the of the Greek capital. On balance,
decibel level was nothing compared to Olympiacos were not the best team
the cacophony of car and motorbike in Greece in 2023-24, but their
horns that greeted the conclusion of season will never be forgotten.
the 2-0 triumph. The train platform Turn to page 52 for a review of the
north to Athens was deserted at Europa Conference League final
WORLD SOCCER 33
eye
witness Alasdair Howorth reports
TANZANIA
The biggest derby

you’ve never heard of
“Today, dust and sweat!” districts near picturesque beaches,
The chant rings out across the African labourers and porters who
stadium with flares lighting up the were brought to the city for work
night sky as thousands of fans taunt were forced to live in a settlement
their city rivals. known as Kariakoo (the word literally
These scenes would be expected is the Swahili-ized version of “carrier
in huge footballing cities like Glasgow, corps”). In their time off, labourers
Madrid, Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro. would play football on the nearby
Instead, it is the humid equatorial air Jangwani grounds, eventually leading
of Dar es Salaam that is lit up by the to the formation of Jangwani Sports
supporters of Young Africans SC as Club in the 1920s.
they celebrate a title-winning victory The British colonial government,
over their fierce rivals Simba SC in fearful of young African men organising
the Kariakoo Derby. and potentially overthrowing their rule,
It’s not just the 40,000-plus banned African football clubs until
Yanga fans that celebrate as they 1934, when the rules were relaxed,
leave the Benjamin Mkapa National allowing the New Young club to
Stadium; half of Tanzania will have been form and join the local league.
erupting in celebration, from the tightly Yet the club’s early years were
packed streets of Dar es Salaam to defined by in-infighting. By 1936,
the sleepy villages on the slopes of one group of fans had broken away to
Mount Kilimanjaro. That is how deeply form their own club, Stanley FC, which
the rivalry between East Africa’s would eventually be renamed Simba
biggest clubs go. As one fan puts Sports Club, while the original team
it: “If you’re Tanzanian, you’re either went on to become Young Africans
Simba or Yanga – there is no neutral.” Sports Club – AKA Yanga.
Between them, the two clubs have While Simba incorporated local
won the Tanzanian league 52 times Arabs and were seen as relatively
in 65 years, including every title over indifferent to colonial rule, Yanga
the past decade. Two neighbouring retained their anti-colonial identity
teams dominating a particular division and played a key role in bringing about
is not unheard of, but what sets the an independent Tanzania. Like many
Kariakoo Derby apart from other other major clubs in Africa – Al Ahly in
local rivalries around the globe is Egypt, Wydad Casablanca in Morocco
how intertwined the clubs are. In and USM Alger in Algeria – Yanga
fact, they were once the same team. served as a place for disgruntled
In the 1920s, Dar es Salaam was Africans to meet and organise. Such
a relatively young city, founded as was the importance of Yanga fans to
the colonial administrative centre of the independence movement, that
then German East Africa. While the the Tanganyika African National
Europeans lived in beautiful colonial Union – the political party
34 WORLD SOCCER
Kariakoo Derby
...Yanga v Simba
WORLD SOCCER 35
eyewitness
that ended colonisation and was led by model until 2016 when they opted to Crunching challenge lots of policing, plenty of violence and
Julius Nyerere, the father of Tanzania move to the 50+1 model where fans …two players vie often a heavy-handed separating of
for the ball in the
– actually adopted Yanga’s green kit still retain a majority of shares but Kariakoo Derby supporters pre-match. But in Dar
as the party’s colour. also have external investment. es Salaam, the pre-match is more
It’s this proximity that has created That shared ownership has gone Credit for all images: festival than battleground.
Loveness Bernard
such a heated rivalry between the beyond Dar es Salaam and allowed All along Taifa Road next to the
two clubs. They don’t simply share the clubs to reach every corner of the National Stadium, there are stages
a city; they don’t even just share a country where they both have official blaring Afrobeats and Amapiano,
neighbourhood; they share a past fan groups in every large town. From beer tents are in full flow and mouth-
as one club. Mbeya on the southern border with watering selections of Swahili food are
Both sides still have their Zambia, to Kagera on the banks of on offer in the shade provided by long
headquarters on different sides of Lake Victoria, travelling fans from gazebos. Aunties decked out in green or
Kariakoo, which is no longer a small Simba and Yanga often outnumber red sit selling anything from club phone
settlement but East Africa’s largest the home support. cases to vuvuzelas. The contempt Yanga
market. And both clubs have been But despite the clubs being arguably and Simba fans have for each other is
able to retain a deep intimacy with the most fervently supported south of one of twins who fight and play in equal
their fanbases in large part thanks to the Sahara, it is not one that is divided measure.
their ownership models. For Yanga’s along community or sectarian lines. Over past decades, the clubs had
entire history, the club has been Despite the passion, there is remarkably little, if any influence beyond Tanzania’s
completely fan-owned and controlled little aggression between fans. Most borders and at best could be considered
by members. Simba followed a similar fierce rivalries in the world feature the biggest derby only in East Africa, the
36 WORLD SOCCER
TANZANIA
where you can watch every single

match from anywhere in the world.
And the results have been borne out
on the pitch. Simba are now Champions
League regulars and in 2023 were one
of the eight teams invited to play in the
newly-created African Football League,
a project first announced and supported
by Gianni Infantino and FIFA.
Yanga made their return to
continental competition in 2016 after an
18-year hiatus when they played in the
CAF Confederation Cup (the equivalent
of the Europa League). In 2022-23,
they made an historic run to the final
where they lost to USM Alger, before
this season making a return to the
Champions League where they, along
with Simba, qualified for the quarter-
finals. In fact, Tanzania was the only
country to have two representatives
Jubilant…Yanga supporters celebrate their crucial 2-1 derby victory against Simba
in the last eight of the competition.
Where the remarkable growth of the
continent’s least successful footballing long-time rights holders to the Tanzania two teams is seen best though is not
region. But over the last few years, the Premier League, Azam TV, signed a new in the club game but at international
Kariakoo Derby has become one of the TV deal worth $100 million over ten level. Prior to 2024, no player from
most watched matches in the whole of years, more than double what it paid Simba or Yanga had represented a
Africa and in terms of passion, spectacle for the previous deal. national team outside of East Africa
and cultural importance now rivals the Not only has that deal put money at the AFCON. But in this year’s
fiercest derbies in North Africa. into Simba and Yanga’s pockets, it tournament in Ivory Coast, Yanga’s
That change started in 2016 with has also improved the standards of Stephane Aziz Ki played every match
Simba’s change in ownership model, the league as a whole both on and off for Burkina Faso, his team-mate Djigui
a model which allowed for 49 per cent the pitch. TV infrastructure has been Diarra was Mali’s starting goalkeeper
of the club to be bought by Mohamed installed at every ground, smaller teams and Simba’s Henoc Inonga Baka was
Dewji, Tanzania’s richest man and have professionalised and now provide Chancel Mbemba’s centre-back partner
Africa’s youngest billionaire. stiffer competition for the two giants. in DR Congo’s run to the semi-finals.
Dewji’s investment brought It’s a truly remarkable
near immediate success rise from the backwaters
with the club returning to
“If you’re Tanzanian, you’re either of African football. As little
the African Champions Simba or Yanga – there is no neutral” as five years ago Yanga were
League in 2018 for the first in a position where, as one
time in 15 years. They have been regular Even the refereeing has drastically administrator put it: “We didn’t even have
qualifiers since and claimed their biggest improved as with more eyeballs and enough money to eat”. Now, thanks in
result in the competition in 2021 when camera angles bringing greater part to April’s 2-1 victory over their
they beat Africa’s most successful club, transparency, instances of corrupt old rivals, they are celebrating a third
Al Ahly of Egypt, 1-0 in the group stage. officiating almost vanished overnight. consecutive Tanzanian league title.
Yanga responded, not by Not only that, but with Azam As other leagues in Africa struggle
restructuring the model of their holding sole rights to the league, to compete with European football for
club but instead bringing in record they can broadcast across the world. global attention, or fail to attract fans
Festival atmosphere… investment in the form of sponsorships. Ten years ago, the Tanzania Premier to stadiums because of government
the scenes outside the However, the single most impactful League was an obscure league in a restrictions, the Kariakoo Derby is
Benjamin Mkapa
National Stadium investment came not from either club nondescript corner of African football. rapidly establishing itself as the biggest
before kick-off but from the league itself. In 2021, Now it is the only league in Africa spectacle in African club football.
WORLD SOCCER 37
2023-24
SEASON
REVIEW
Albania P43 Hungary P46 Scotland P43 & P46

Austria P42 & P45 Israel P47 Serbia P40
Azerbaijan P46 Italy P41, P45 & P60 Slovakia P46
Belgium P40 Luxembourg P46 Slovenia P46
Bosnia & Herzegovina P46 Malta P47 Spain P44 & P56
Bulgaria P46 Moldova P42 Switzerland P41 & P46
Croatia P40 Montenegro P46 Turkey P39
Cyprus P47 Netherlands P66 Ukraine P46
Czech Republic P47 North Macedonia P47 Wales P46
Denmark P47 Northern Ireland P46
England P54 Poland P43 & P46 Champions League P48
France P62 Portugal P64 Europa League P50
P L U S
Germany P44 & P58 Romania P47 Europa Conference League P52
Greece P30 Russia P47 Stories of the season P39-47
38 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
TURKEY
Police escort Despite such impressive numbers,

...Fenerbahce Galatasaray did suffer a scare in the
players leave the
pitch after beating penultimate round of fixtures, losing
Galatasaray1-0 1-0 on their own patch to closest rivals
Fenerbahce in a hot-tempered derby.
Suddenly, a six-point lead at the top of the
table was reduced to three. But Buruk’s
men held firm, eventually sealing the
deal with a 3-1 win at lowly Konyaspor.
It is to Fenerbahce’s immense credit
that they kept up. Outstanding on their
travels, especially in a ten-game winning
streak, and only losing once all season,
they frustratingly came undone by
a number of draws against inferior
opponents – though in fairness, their
tally of 99 points would usually be more
than enough for top spot. League runners-
up in each of the past two seasons, it is
now ten years since Fener last struck
championship gold.
Unfortunately, a thrilling title race
was overshadowed as the image of the
Turkish game took a beating. In December,
the Super Lig was suspended for a week
after Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca
dashed onto the pitch and punched
referee Halil Umut Meler at the end of
a league match against Rizespor. Within
a few days, Istanbulspor supremo Ecmel
Faik Sarialioglu would ignite another bad
behaviour storm, so incensed by an
officiating call in an encounter with
Trabzonspor that he ordered his
team off, forcing a postponement.
In March, Trabzonspor fans stormed
the pitch to brawl with security staff and
Fenerbahce players. Fener chairman
Ali Koc threatened to withdraw his club
from the league but said it was the
VIOLENCE OVERSHADOWS
TURKISH TITLE RACE
rock-solid backline proved by Argentine striker Mauro Icardi, who “least preferred option”, with members
A
Turkish champions
the key building block as scooped the Golden Boot with 25 goals, …Mauro Icardi leads eventually voting down the proposal. Fener
the celebrations
Galatasaray successfully they set new standards at the top of the for Galatasaray were still protesting in mid-April, fielding
defended their Super Lig title. table, finishing with a record-breaking their youth team in the Turkish Super Cup
In 38 top-flight fixtures, the Cimbom only points tally of 102, winning 33 games and walking off after 60 seconds with Koc
conceded 26 goals, with long-serving (another Turkish top-flight record), and earlier telling a news conference: “It is time
Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera especially productive in the second half for Turkish football to be reset.” Undeniably
amassing a remarkable 17 clean sheets. of the season, winning 17 games in a row true – although whether the appointment
Gala, under the astute stewardship of between January and May – a record of Jose Mourinho as coach will help calm
head coach Okan Buruk, fully deserved that has every chance of standing the things down remains to be seen.
to claim their 24th league crown. Led test of time. Nick Bidwell
WORLD SOCCER 39
EURO SEASON REVIEW
BELGIUM
ANOTHER DRAMATIC CLIMAX
F
ew top-flight leagues do game. Several women’s teams have 777 Partners, remains precarious.
grandstand finishes quite like withdrawn from the top flight citing Results in continental competitions
the Belgians. Last year, Toby financial difficulties. reflect the state of Belgian football.
Alderweireld’s stoppage- In the men’s game, second-tier Belgian clubs increasingly struggle
time strike on the very last day of the KV Oostende were declared bankrupt, in the Europa League. Instead, they
season crowned Antwerp champions. with fans attending their stadium in compete in the lowest tier of European
This May, the denouement was almost early June to say farewell to the club club football, the Europa Conference
as spectacular: Club Brugge simply and vent their dismay at previous League. Club Brugge reached the
needed a draw to top the table, but owners Pacific Media Group, while semi-finals against Italy’s Fiorentina
Pitch invasion…
went 1-0 down to crosstown rivals the fate of Standard Liege, owned Club Brugge keeper but lost 4-3 on aggregate.
Cercle Brugge with eight minutes of by Miami-based investment firm Simon Mignolet Samindra Kunti
the season left. Cue drama and a VAR
intervention. The ref chalked off the goal
for offside in the build-up play and Club
Brugge, with new manager Nicky Hayen,
won their 19th league crown.
For the third season in a row, Union
Saint-Gilloise missed out on the title by
a whisker. The Brussels-based club lost
their first four matches in the play-offs
after finishing the regular season top,
nine points ahead of Club Brugge – a
tally that was halved at the start of the
play-offs.
The existence of the play-offs remains
controversial, but their ability to produce
drama is undeniable. Still, cinematic
endings can’t brush over the myriad of
problems in Belgian football: the lack of
cost control by clubs, fan violence, poor
refereeing, problematic owners and the
underdevelopment of the women’s
CROATIA
HAJDUK COLLAPSE AS DINAMO REIGN AGAIN of the title race. Ultimately Dinamo’s
It should have been an exciting Hajduk, table-toppers at the winter experience – sealing a seventh title in
end to a curse-breaking season for break, would eventually crash to third, a row – made the difference, ahead of
Hajduk Split and their 19-year quest for mainly due to a springtime slump that brimming youth in Rijeka, who were the
domestic glory. The outcome, however, saw them fall to four successive league most consistent team in terms of style.
turned into a nightmare for big-name defeats, including 1-0 losses to both Three of Rijeka’s players lining up for
January signings Ivan Perisic, Josip Dinamo and fellow title rivals Rijeka. Croatia at the Euros, and six overall from
Brekalo and co, as the finale to the The dynamics in which the glossy the Prva HNL, is somewhat testament
Croatian league season saw arch-rivals team of stars failed to even finish Open-top bus parade... to a quite memorable domestic season.
champs Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb claim yet another title. runners-up summarised the nature Juraj Vrdoljak
SERBIA
PARTIZAN HAND TITLE TO ETERNAL ENEMIES RED STAR

By winning their seventh league title summer. He was replaced by the The reasons for the drop-off?
in a row, Red Star Belgrade continued returning Vladan Milojevic, who had The loss of key players, particularly
their utter domination of the Serbian guided Red Star to back-to-back Serbia Under-21 defender Mihajlo Ilic
SuperLiga. A look at the final table and titles in his first spell in charge. to Bologna; a loss of form for top scorer
an 18-point cushion over rivals Partizan When the season resumed in Matheus Saldanha, who netted 14 goals
suggests that it was a smooth journey, February, Red Star, without the before Christmas then just three in the
but that doesn’t tell the full story. distraction of Champions League new year; a hapless change of coach in
After a 2-1 win in December’s football, made no mistakes, notching up late April, with Igor Duljaj replaced by
Eternal Derby, Partizan went into the 16 wins and two draws. Partizan stayed his assistant, Albert Nadj. As the season
winter break top of the league, one in touch until April, when they went into collapsed, so did the team’s support,
point ahead of their Belgrade rivals. free-fall, suffering four straight defeats with ultras boycotting home games
This proved to be the last game of Red – including a 3-2 setback in the Eternal and demanding the resignation
Star’s Israeli coach Barak Bakhar, who Derby where they were 2-1 ahead Champions again… of the club’s leadership.
arrived at the Belgrade Marakana last with 88 minutes on the clock. Red Star Belgrade Vladimir Novak
40 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
ITALY
MOTTA LIFTS BOLOGNA TO NEW HEIGHTS
T
here was a time when
Bologna were the most
important team in Italy –
even more so than Juventus,
Milan or Inter. In the 1930s and 1940s,
the Rossoblu won the Scudetto four
times (1935-36, 1936-37, 1938-39
and 1940-41) and two Mitropa Cups
(1932 and 1934), the forerunner
of today’s Champions League.
They had a second golden age,
between 1961 and 1964, winning the
last of their seven league titles and a third
Mitropa Cup, with the likes of legendary
Italy midfielder Giacomo Bulgarelli and
the Danish striker Harald Nielsen.
Now, 60 years after their last
participation in the top continental
competition, Bologna have qualified
for the 2024-25 Champions League.
In the intervening decades they
experienced almost everything: two
Italian Cups in the 1970s, a double-
relegation down to Serie C in the 1980s,
and a UEFA Cup semi-final appearance by Giovanni Sartori, the resourceful Historic achievement Motta was snapped up by Juventus
in 1999, with several promotions and technical director that made his name …Bologna have at the end of the season to replace
never played in the
relegations in between. with Atalanta. Champions League the sacked Massimiliano Allegri,
At the start of the 2023-24 season, It is no coincidence that Bologna’s and Bologna moved quickly to find
European qualification was beyond most fantastic season coincided with the his replacement: Vincenzo Italiano.
observers’ expectations for Bologna – explosion of previously unfulfilled talents The 46-year-old has previous when
the Champions League was unthinkable. like Joshua Zirkzee, Lewis Ferguson and it comes to overachieving, having led
Yet, with expert coaching and smart Riccardo Calafiori, who, placed in the Fiorentina to three cup finals in the last
recruitment, they achieved it. right context, achieved performances two years, but is yet to win silverware.
Head coach Thiago Motta crafted a that earned them the attention of all Bologna will be happy as long as he
hugely impressive collective effort out of the big teams in Europe. can pick up where Motta left off.
a squad of players carefully assembled It was also no great surprise when Emanuele Giulianelli
SWITZERLAND
SWITZERLAND’S FALLEN GIANTS

Swiss football has seen a rather perhaps, never in serious danger of
dramatic changing of the guard in suffering relegation – thanks in part to
recent years. Between 2002 and 2017, the struggles of both Grasshoppers and
FC Basel won 12 of the 16 top-flight bottom club Stade Lausanne Ouchy –
league titles, including a run of eight in but alarm bells will be ringing.
a row. Since then, the club have endured Financial losses suffered during the
a barren run, with Young Boys winning pandemic caused issues, accelerated
six of the last seven trophies having not by mismanagement at board level. In
won it prior to that since 1986. Basel’s Fallen giants October 2023, they conceded ten goals
…FC Basel
fifth-place finish in 2022-23 was their in four straight defeats without reply. By
lowest since 2000-01 – but things scraped survival by beating FC Thun, that point, they’d won just one game in
were about to get worse. scoring a 97th-minute equaliser 11 and sat bottom; it felt unprecedented.
When the Swiss Super League, as from the penalty spot in the first leg, Fabio Celestini replaced Heiko Vogel
part of a re-format, was split into the then winning the tie with another in the dugout and ultimately steered them
championship and relegation groups stoppage-time goal in the second leg. to safety, but Basel are still searching
back in April, Basel and Grasshoppers, While Basel have been drifting for for a way back to the top. In a further
Switzerland’s two most successful some time, this season was a shock damning indictment, Switzerland went
clubs, were in the bottom half. to the system. Switzerland’s most to the European Championship without
Grasshoppers, who won the last of successful European club, qualifying a Basel player for the first time since
their record 27 titles back in 2002-03, every year since 2000 and reaching Euro ’96. It could be a long time
have struggled for some time now – the Champions League group stage until both they and Grasshoppers,
relegated for the first time in 68 years a record eight times, finished ninth Switzerland’s two former powerhouse
in 2019 – so slipping into the relegation in the regular season to drop into clubs, reassert themselves.
play-offs was no great shock. They the relegation group. They were, Harry De Cosemo
WORLD SOCCER 41
EURO SEASON REVIEW
AUSTRIA
STURM GRAZ
DETHRONE SALZBURG
A
fter a decade of
dominance by Red
Bull Salzburg, Austria has
a new champion following
the success of Sturm Graz.
Sturm’s first league title since 2011
– and fourth overall – came through
a combination of stellar performances
and an uncharacteristic wobble by
Salzburg’s energy drink-backed
behemoth.
Despite not being able to go
toe-to-toe with Red Bull financially,
Sturm have smartly recruited several
of their key players from Salzburg,
including star midfielder Alexander
Prass and defensive pair David
Affengruber and Jusuf Gazibegovic.
Heading into the championship
group after 22 regular games, when
each team’s points tally is halved, April where, despite throwing away a Usurped…Sturm to the 2023 cup and two Bundesliga
Sturm sat two points behind Salzburg. two-goal lead, they emerged from the Graz celebrate runners-up finishes.
at Salzburg’s
Arguably, the most important result scene of their semi-final triumph with Red Bull Arena As players and fans painted Graz
in the title run-in didn’t even come in a crucial 2-2 draw. black and white with an open-top
the league: a 4-3 victory in Salzburg Sturm drew their next two to take bus parade, they will now look forward
in early April in the Austrian Cup semi- the title down to the final day, when to playing in their first Champions
final proved psychologically decisive. a 2-0 victory over Austria Klagenfurt League group stage in 24 years.
Perpetuating a dreadful run from the cemented an unassailable two-point As for Salzburg, head coach Gerhard
reigning champions, Salzburg then took advantage to add the title to the cup, Struber paid for the failure with his job,
just five points from a possible 18 in secured following a 2-1 win over sacked before the end of his first
their next six games. Rapid Vienna three weeks earlier. season, with Jurgen Klopp’s former
Seizing the initiative, Sturm won Central to the success is manager assistant Pep Lijnders arriving to
their next four on the bounce before Christian Ilzer. Since being appointed replace him for 2024-25.
returning to the Red Bull Arena in late in July 2020, he has also led Sturm James Kelly
MOLDOVA
UNIQUE FORMAT HELPS PETROCUB END SHERIFF DOMINANCE

Red Bull Salzburg weren’t the format – in its second season under Aiming to build on this season’s
only side to see a long title-winning this guise – is such that the top six success – and also emulate Sheriff’s
streak come to an end in 2023-24. have their points wiped out before successful strategy of recruiting talent
In Moldova, Sheriff Tiraspol’s run of entering the championship round, from Africa – Petrocub announced a
eight Super Liga titles in a row was so they all start on zero with ten partnership with an unnamed African
brought to an abrupt halt by first-time games to decide the title. company at the start of 2024, before
champions Petrocub Hincesti, who Petrocub put together a brilliant appointing Nana Yaw Amponsah
also won the cup to become the only unbeaten run in the championship (former CEO of record Ghanaian
Moldovan side other than Sheriff to round, all but sealing the title with champions Asante Kotoko) as
do the double in the 21st century. a 2-1 victory against Sheriff to open their new club president.
Sheriff, of course, had previously up a five-point gap between the two Of course, the impact of that is
garnered international attention in with three games remaining. Another yet to be felt, so it was a local core that
2021-22, famously beating Real defeat, to third-placed Zimbru Chisinau, delivered the title. Chief among them
Madrid at the Bernabeu in the was the final nail in the coffin for Sheriff’s was captain and star striker Vladimir
Champions League group stage. hopes of a ninth straight title. Ambros, whose return of ten goals
This surprising outcome can be Instead, the trophy headed and eight assists made him the
partly explained by the unique format to Petrocub for the very first time, best attacker in the league.
of the Moldovan league, which meant the only professional club in the Defending the title will be a tough
that Sheriff had no advantage at the tiny town of Hincesti. A shock result, task, particularly given the league’s
turn of the year despite finishing six undoubtedly, although Petrocub have format, but the days of Moldova being
Claim to fame...Sheriff
points clear at the top of the regular finished second in each of the last famously won at the a one-club league appear to be over.
season. The eight-team Super Liga’s three seasons. Bernabeu in 2021 Neel Shelat
42 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
POLAND
WISLA’S ROLLERCOASTER SEASON
W
isla Krakow became sensationally won the Polish Cup, beating left the club and the squad is set for
sensational winners of the top-flight sides 2-1 in the quarter-final, more changes. But Krolewski remains
Polish Cup in 2023-24, semis and final itself, where they overcame optimistic: “Wisla’s situation is and will be
but supporters’ euphoria Pogon Szczecin after a stoppage-time [for] a while difficult in terms of finances,
was quickly followed by heartbreak. equaliser and an extra-time winner. but not like a few years ago, when we
With 13 league titles and five Yet, perhaps nursing a post-cup had to be careful that the club would
domestic cups, Wisla are one of the hangover, Wisla then took only one point not go bankrupt from month to month.”
most decorated clubs in Poland but from their final four league matches to Kazimierz Moskal, a former Wisla
have endured some difficult recent years. finish tenth, three points off the play-offs. Viva La Wisla… player and a promotion winner with LKS
On the verge of bankruptcy in 2019, the “We have exceeded the scale of Wisla supporters Lodz in 2023, was announced, for the
club was rescued by Jaroslaw Krolewski, emotions, both in a positive and during the Polish third time as coach. “I’m back, now
Cup final
an IT industry entrepreneur, academic negative sense,” said Krolewski. Credit: Dariusz it’s time for Wisla,” he announced.
and philanthropist. With the help of Rude and Ramirez have both since Kurowski Dariusz Kurowski
Wisla player Jakub Blaszczykowski,
who returned to Krakow after many
years abroad with Borussia Dortmund,
Fiorentina and Wolfsburg, Krolewski
set about rebuilding the team.
Yet, after a huge turnover of players
as the club sought to get back on its
feet, Wisla suffered relegation to the
second tier in 2022. They made it to
the play-offs in their first attempt at
promotion back to the Ekstraklasa,
but suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat
at home to minnows Puszcza.
In December last year, Krolewski took
the controlling stake of shares and, as
chairman, recruited Spanish coach
Albert Rude. It was an appointment
based on analysis done by Krolewski’s
data company Synerise, as well as a
belief in the merits of Spanish football:
Rude joined sporting director Kiko
Ramirez and nine players as part
of a growing cohort of Spaniards.
With this Spanish Armada, Wisla
ALBANIA
EGNATIA’S ROAD TO GLORY PAVED WITH TRAGEDY

In Roman times, Via Egnatia was the Partizani in the table and then the final. on the pitch after the final whistle.
name of the road that, as a continuation “Our president was able to take The victory of the league was
of the Via Appia, connected the port Egnatia from the third division to dedicated to Raphael Dwamena, the
of Durres, on the Adriatic Sea, to win two cups and now the league Ghanaian striker who tragically lost his
Byzantium, the modern Istanbul. That in just three years of top flight”, said life on the pitch playing for Egnatia in
road gives the name to Egnatia, the goalkeeper Alen Sherri, who celebrated November: “We played every match
side that won the Albanian top flight the victory of the Albanian Cup, with for Rafa and this helped us to turn
Tragedy...ex-Ghana
for the first time in 2023-24, pipping the club thus completing the domestic forward Raphael the pain into strength”, said Sherri.
the holders and 17-time champions double, by proposing to his girlfriend Dwamena Emanuele Giulianelli
SCOTLAND
FALKIRK’S INVINCIBLE SEASON

Falkirk went the entire League One the campaign, the 2022-23 Scottish
season unbeaten to return to the Scottish Cup semi-finalists sealed the title with One Player of the Season after topping
Championship after five seasons away. five games to spare, celebrating by the scoring charts with 23 goals.
A stellar return of 27 wins and thrashing Montrose 7-1 away from After outplaying Championship
nine draws ensured John McGlynn’s home at the end of March. winners Dundee United in November
Bairns wrote their names into Scottish In May, McGlynn was named PFA with a 4-2 victory in the Challenge Cup
football history, becoming the first Scotland Manager of the Year ahead of quarter-final, Falkirk will now look to push
invincible side over a 36+ game Celtic’s double-winning Brendan Rodgers for a return to the Premiership for the
PFA Scotland Manager
season outside the Old Firm. (more on page 46), while 24-year-old of the Year...Falkirk first time since the 2009-10 campaign.
Having scored 96 goals across winger Callumn Morrison won League boss John McGlynn James Kelly
WORLD SOCCER 43
EURO SEASON REVIEW
GERMANY
HISTORIC PROMOTIONS FROM 2.BUNDESLIGA
O
ver half a century after top-flight promotion to wildly celebrate; could well come down to how suitably
hosting the sailing regatta equally significant was the fact that the they replace him in the dugout.
at the 1972 Olympics, the “Boys in Brown” ended 2023-24 well If Fortuna Dusseldorf had kept
German coastal city of Kiel clear of Hamburg, the first time they their heads in the play-offs, a trio
has another sporting claim to fame – had ever finished higher their city rivals. of second-division sides would have
as the home to Holstein Kiel, who All credit to highly impressive young travelled all the way in the promotion
will shortly become the 58th club coach Fabian Hurzeler, 31, whose well- wagon. After winning 3-0 at Bochum
to compete in the Bundesliga. balanced, dynamic side combined the (who came 18th in the Bundesliga), the
One of the most prominent amateur meanest backline in the division with tie appeared done and dusted, only for
sides in the north of the country in the precise and attractive approach play. His a sensational reversal of fortune in the
pre-Bundesliga period, Holstein had exploits have led to Brighton securing return, Bochum cancelling out the deficit
Bundesliga-bound…
genuine top-flight pretensions twice his services for next season, and how Holstein Kiel players before prevailing in a penalty shootout.
before in recent times, losing in the well St Pauli fare in the Bundesliga celebrate promotion Nick Bidwell
play-offs to Wolfsburg in 2017-18 and
Cologne in 2020-21. But literally no
one thought they had a chance of a
divisional upgrade this season, after
the departure of no fewer than 16
players last summer, including influential
skipper and centre-back Hauke Wahl
and brilliant winger Fabian Reese.
It says everything about the calibre of
the decision-makers at the Storks – and
especially coach Marcel Rapp – that
instead of a campaign of transition, the
second-division runners-up spot was duly
secured with the engine room of Lewis
Holtby, Steven Skrzybski, Philipp Sander
and Patrick Erras much to the fore.
Hamburg-based cult club St Pauli,
an outfit synonymous with the party
atmosphere at their Millerntor home
ground and the radical politics of its
fanbase, deservedly emerged as the
leading light in 2.Bundesliga, pipping
Holstein Kiel to the title. Absent from
the Bundesliga since 2010-11, the
St Pauli Nation not only had a sixth
SPAIN
FALLEN GIANTS DEPORTIVO ON THE UP

Rarely mentioned in the same breath names when they joined the mix. earned a first-place finish in the north
as Liverpool’s stunning comebacks Poor finances and a lack of group and promotion. A 6-3 aggregate
against Milan and Barcelona, or the direction had provided the backdrop win over Castellon – champions in the
latter’s astonishing remontada against to the Galicians’ extraordinary slump. parallel southern league – won the
Paris Saint-Germain, Deportivo La Two relegations between 2018 and category outright, reigniting positivity.
Coruna’s 5-4 aggregate win over 2020 nearly led to fourth-level It became real when ex-Arsenal striker
Milan in the 2003-04 Champions football, narrowly avoided when Lucas Perez, back in his native city as
League quarter-finals (a 4-1 away the Spanish pyramid underwent captain and talisman, drilled home the
defeat followed by a 4-0 home win) restructuring. free-kick to secure second-tier promotion
is still among the competition’s Supporters have experienced against Barcelona Atletic. Veteran players
most wondrous turnarounds. pure agony. A cancelled final-day Salva Sevilla, 40, and Mikel Balenziaga,
However, the word comeback has game against Fuenlabrada, who had 36, boosted their push. Homegrown
taken on a different meaning at Depor players unavailable amid the COVID stars such as David Mella are the future.
since 2020. Until recently, La Liga’s pandemic, controversially sealed the During away trips to play minnows,
1999-2000 winners – then boasting historic fall to the third division. Tight or when facing La Liga B-teams, some
stars like Dutch striker Roy Makaay, losses against Albacete and Castellon opposition supporters would say: “Depor
Spanish playmaker Fran and Brazilian ended bids to bounce back. shouldn’t be in this league”. Now they’re
quartet Mauro Silva, Djalminha, Donato So, when coach Imanol Idiakez’s not, and the 34,000-capacity Riazor,
and Flavio Conceicao – were battling men were in relegation trouble last Deportivo hero… their confirmed home for another
Lucas Perez re-joined
to escape Spain’s semi-professional December, hope was scarce. But stellar his hometown club for 25 years, is awaiting better days.
third tier, a black hole of 102 regional form, unbeaten in their final 21 games, the third time in 2023 Henry Flynn
44 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
ITALY
PARMA AND COMO BACK IN THE BIG TIME
O
ne famous club, Parma,
and another famous city,
Como, will make welcome
returns to Serie A next
season as the dominant winners and
runners-up of this year’s Serie B. In
front by December, Parma won the
title with two games to spare, three
points ahead of Como.
Coached by former Napoli and
Juventus player Fabio Pecchia, Parma
are yet another famous Italian name
to have been rescued by US capital,
having been bought by the American
tycoon Kevin Krause in 2020. Currently,
Milan, Roma and Bologna are also
controlled by North American
trust funds or corporations.
Parma’s return to Serie A, three
years after they were last relegated,
represents a major success for Krause,
a businessman with Italian roots who
appears to have enthusiastically
embraced the Parma cause. ten years later in 2014. By 2018, Serie B champions knows what Como supporters
A younger generation of fans however, Parma had remarkably …Parma celebrate would have thought seeing names
promotion
may not realise, but back in the 1990s, climbed straight back to Serie A like shareholder Thierry Henry and
Parma were one of the biggest names with four successive promotions. Jamie Vardy in the stands of Sinigaglia
in Italian and European football. Twice Similarly, Como have also enjoyed a stadium during the last match of the
winners of the UEFA Cup (1995 and meteoric rise. As recently as five years season to celebrate promotion.
1999) and one-time winners of the ago, the club was struggling in Serie D, Perhaps it is no surprise. After
European Cup Winners’ Cup (1992), for but now they are celebrating a return to all, the Indonesian brothers Robert
much of that decade Parma were the Serie A 21 years after their relegation and Michael Hartono have attracted
only Serie A side to go stride for stride from the top flight. several big names since buying the
with the two strongest Italian clubs of To say that the club is very different club in 2019. Cesc Fabregas ended
the era, namely Milan and Juventus. now from what it was back in 2003 his playing career there, before taking
Those were the halcyon days when would be an understatement; who his first steps as a coach with the club.
players of the ilk of Gianfranco Zola, As the Spaniard does not yet have his
Hernan Crespo, Hristo Stoichkov, UEFA Pro licence, he coaches the team
Lilian Thuram, Tomas Brolin and in a shared role with ex-Wales coach
Faustino Asprilla graced the Stadio Osian Roberts, with former Chelsea
Ennio Tardini. Iconic figures such as captain Dennis Wise overseeing
Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi and Italy operations as CEO.
goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon also both The Hartono brothers are among the
broke into the big time at Parma. richest owners in Italian football, so this
The 2004 collapse of Parma summer is likely to be filled with plenty
paymasters Parmalat, the multi- of transfer activity and a few more big
national dairy giant, put the club on a names arriving on the shores of Italy’s
downward spiral which saw it eventually most famous lake.
collapse and then obliged to start off Como coach… Paddy Agnew and
again from Serie D (amateur level) Cesc Fabregas Emanuele Giulianelli
AUSTRIA
AUSTRIAN GIANTS RETURN TO TOP FLIGHT

Twenty years on from winning an ahead of closest challengers Ried to with Sturm Graz prevailing 3-2, but
Austrian Bundesliga and cup double, mark the end of a tumultuous journey. haven’t played in the top flight since
Grazer AK returned to the country’s The supporter-owned club were forced GAK were relegated in 2006-07 after
top flight. Having heartbreakingly to restart in Austria’s lowest division and receiving a 28-point deduction for
thrown away the title to Blau-Weiss have had to record seven promotions to entering administration.
Linz on the final day of last term, re-reach the top flight they last graced However, two decades after defeating
GAK bounced back to go one 17 years ago. Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield in a Champions
better this time around. Promotion will also see the top-flight League qualifier, GAK’s large and loyal
Historic…Grazer beat
Sitting top of the second tier since renewal of the Graz derby. The city’s Liverpool in the 2004- fanbase can dare to dream again.
mid-September, GAK ended ten points two clubs met in this season’s cup, 05 Champions League James Kelly
WORLD SOCCER 45
EURO SEASON REVIEW
EUROPEAN LEAGUES ROUND-UP
BUSINESS AS USUAL
A
s Bayern Munich and them though as they celebrate their Champions again to their dominance, Brendan Rodgers’
Red Bull Salzburg both third consecutive league crown and …Celtic celebrate side also won the Scottish Cup.
with the Scottish
saw their eras of domestic tenth in 11 years, 25 points ahead Premiership trophy In Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk
dominance end at 11 of their nearest rivals. continued to defy expectations by
and ten consecutive league titles Neither Ludogorets or Qarabag won winning their third title in a row.
respectively, Ludogorets established their leagues with as much authority Despite losing a number of their
themselves as by far the most as The New Saints won Wales’ Premier foreign players in the wake of
dominant league team in Europe after League though, as the Oswestry-based Russia’s invasion, the club has gone
winning the Bulgarian league title for side went the entire season unbeaten, from strength to strength thanks to a
the 13th season in a row. If they retain winning 30 of their 32 games en route number of homegrown stars, especially
it again in 2024-25, they will match to their third consecutive title. 21-year-old attacking midfielder
the all-time European record, jointly The recent struggles of FC Basel Heorhiy Sudakov, who scored the
held by Skonto Riga (Latvia) and (see page 41) have paved the way goal that sealed the title in a 1-0
Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar). for Young Boys of Bern to assert victory over Dynamo Kyiv towards
At one stage, Azerbaijan’s Qarabag themselves as the top dogs in the end of the season.
also had that record in mind and, if it Switzerland, as they won their sixth Elsewhere, both Hungary and
wasn’t for a 90th-minute defeat on the title in seven years. Likewise, Rangers Slovakia’s titles were retained once
final day of the 2020-21 season, they continue to trail Celtic in Scotland, again, as Ferencvaros and Slovan
would now be celebrating their 11th as the Bhoys won their third title in Bratislava each won their sixth
title in a row. That won’t trouble a row and 12th in 13 years. Adding consecutive league titles.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

In Poland, a year after Rakow – and Montenegro. In the latter, FK continuing a meteoric rise that began
Czestochowa won their first-ever Decic finished top just four years after with a takeover by millionaire Kenny
league title, Jagiellonia Bialystok did winning promotion from the second Bruce in 2018. This season’s triumph
exactly the same thing, pipping Slask tier. It was also the first season in was even more dominant than the last,
Wroclaw to the crown on head-to- Montenegrin history that neither as they collected 90 points and only
head goal difference. of the traditional giants Buducnost lost twice all season.
There were first-time champions also or Sutjeska finished in the top two. Elsewhere, Borac Banja Luka in
in Luxembourg – where Differdange 03 Larne proved that they are here to Bosnia & Herzegovina and Slovenia’s
finally got the their hands on the title stay as the dominant club of Northern Celje each won their second titles in five
after years of knocking on the door Ireland by retaining the league title, Larne...NIFL champions seasons.
46 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
TRADITIONAL GIANTS BACK ON TOP

Romanian giants FCSB have Maccabi Tel Aviv didn’t have to season in a row, the Maroons went
endured a difficult time in recent wait quite so long to win the Israel toe-to-toe with Slavia Prague at
years. Off the pitch, a legal dispute Premier League – for a record 25th the top of the table but, by winning
forced them to change their name time – but were still relieved to end a their 14th crown, Sparta have now
from Steaua Bucharest, and on sequence of three titles in a row for won twice as many Czech titles
it, the Red and Blues finished arch-rivals and 15-time champions as their city rivals following the
runners-up an excruciating seven Maccabi Haifa, who finished in league’s formation in 1993 after the
times in eight seasons since their second place, 11 points adrift. dissolution of Czechoslovakia. As
last league title in 2014-15. That Meanwhile in the Czech Republic, a result of his title-winning exploits,
run was finally brought to an end Sparta Prague defended the Czech manager Brian Priske replaced
this year, as they sealed their 27th First League title for the first time Feyenoord-bound Arne Slot as Feyenoord coach.
title with three games to spare. since 2000-01. For the second …Brian Priske
LATE DRAMA SPARKS WILD SCENES
S
everal European leagues with 84 minutes on the clock, the score to Silkeborg. Even with an AGF
were settled in dramatic was 1-1. But the defending champions equaliser, at half-time Brondby were
circumstances. were rescued by a goalkeeping howler, on course to win the league by one
First, to Russia, where as Artur’s shot squirmed past the Rostov point. But the picture was turned on
three teams had a shot at the title keeper, sparking wild celebrations and its head within seven minutes of the
on the final day of the season, and bringing the title back to St Petersburg restart, as Midtjylland came out firing
two of them – Krasnodar and Dynamo for a sixth straight year. and scored three quick goals to take
Moscow – went head-to-head. Starting At the start of May, the top flight in the lead in both the match and the
the day top, Dynamo knew that victory Denmark could have gone any one of title race. When Brondby conceded
would give them their first-ever Russian four ways, but by the final day that had again just before the hour mark,
Premier League crown, and first league been whittled down to just two: Brondby the title looked sewn up.
title since 1976. But instead, a goal and Midtjylland. With the former ahead But the drama wasn’t done yet
from Colombia striker Jhon Cordoba only on goal difference, Midtjylland had as Brondby equalised five minutes
put Krasnodar in the driving seat, giving to better Brondby’s result to win their later. Yet, by surging forward in search
the 16-year-old club their shot at a fourth title. of the match-winner that would bring
first-ever trophy. After half an hour, Brondby were Match-winner… them the title, they were caught on
Zenit forward Artur
All they needed was for Zenit to in dreamland: beating AGF Aarhus 1-0 celebrates scoring the counter and conceded again.
drop points at home to Rostov and, while Midtjylland trailed 2-0 at home against Rostov To add insult to injury, Midtjylland
also conceded late on to draw 3-3,
meaning that a point would have been
enough for Brondby to take the trophy.
The fixture list in Cyprus could
hardly have produced a more tense
finale, as the two leading sides, APOEL
and AEK Larnaca, met on the last day
level on points. After nine minutes, the
score was 1-1 and a classic appeared
to be on the cards. But as it turned out,
there were no further shots on target
and APOEL took the title courtesy
of their better head-to-head record,
leaving AEK to curse a 92nd-minute
equaliser they’d conceded in their
previous game.
Neither the Maltese nor North
Macedonian leagues quite made it to the
final day, but were settled by top-of-the-
table clashes in the penultimate games.
Hamrun Spartans saw off Floriana in
spectacular fashion, beating their rivals
5-0 away from home to seal the Malta
Premier League. In North Macedonia,
Struga and Shkendija each finished on
64 points, with the former sealing the
trophy on their head-to-head record
having won 2-0 against their rivals
a week before the final day.
WORLD SOCCER 47
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REVIEW
2024 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
WEIGHT OF HISTORY GIVES

REAL 15TH CROWN
determined Dortmund
in Wembley final
W
ho needs a super Cups in 11 years, the Madrid of European champions cascade of statistics and records awaits.
league? Real Madrid Fernando Hierro powered to three in …Real Madrid captain Madrid’s 18th appearance in the final
Nacho lifts the trophy
claimed membership five seasons, the Madrid of Cristiano was seven more than next-best Milan
for themselves alone Ronaldo four in five campaigns, and now and their trophy collection more than
by extending their haul of European the overlapping Madrid of Toni Kroos double the Rossoneri’s seven.
crowns to 15. History was too powerful have celebrated a fifth in nine years. On an individual level, the retirement-
an opponent for a Borussia Dortmund Kylian Mbappe has arrived to bound Kroos, his substitute Luka Modric,
wrecked emotionally and technically strengthen the mix for the next era. captain Nacho and Carvajal matched
by those always-inevitable late goals. Yet, at 25, he is a junior in terms of old-timer Paco Gento’s record of six
Dani Carvajal, smallest man on Champions League success despite winners’ medals (though Gento, to
the Wembley pitch, headed the first being older than Vinicius Junior (shortly honour his memory, played every
to spark the Dortmund implosion which turning 24), Rodrygo (23), compatriot minute of his finals in an era before
presented Vinicius Junior with Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga (21), and Aurelien substitutes and squad lists).
second. Goalscorers grab the headlines Tchouameni (24) and Arda Guler (19) Individual record too for the
and their achievements are written in who both remained on the bench at imperturbable Carlo Ancelotti. He
the record books, but equally significant Wembley. Not to forget Madrid’s other has won the cup five times as a coach
here was the defiance of goalkeeper new recruit Endrick (soon to turn 18), – two with Milan, three with Madrid –
Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian, fit too of which so much is expected. in addition to his double as a Milan
Rued miss…Niclas
late to make his country’s Euro 2024 So while the champions danced in Fullkrug hits the post midfielder. No manic dancing around
squad, laid the foundations for glory delirium around Wembley, a further with a first-half shot the technical area or frenzied dashes
with a sequence of fine saves before down the touchline for the Italian. His
and after the interval. aura of cool self-assurance appears
Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and inspiration enough. More to Ancelotti
Sir Alex Ferguson were among the than meets the eye. He masterminded
admiring high-profile spectators who this season’s double despite the
witnessed Madrid’s latest triumph in departure of attack leader Karim
the 69th final of the club world’s most Benzema and serious injuries to
prestigious event. Remarkably, this was David Alaba and Eder Militao
Madrid’s first appearance in any of the as well as Courtois for so long.
eight Wembley finals. Victory was their Even Ancelotti may have been
fifth Champions League-La Liga double. surprised by the first-season impact
This story was – and is – all about of Jude Bellingham. The 20-year-old
a remarkable football dynasty. The cost Madrid a club-record €103m last
Madrid of Paco Gento (Di Stefano- summer from Dortmund, ironically,
inspired, obviously) won six European struck 23 goals in all competitions
48 WORLD SOCCER
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REVIEW
2024 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
including Clasico WHAT THEY

winners against SAID
Barcelona, was
hailed La Liga
Footballer of CARLO ANCELOTTI
the Year and may (Real Madrid coach)
collect even more “I never get used to this, because it
individual awards was very difficult, more than expected.
if he continues In the first half, we were a bit lazy and
they played the way they wanted. In
to perform so the second half, we were better, more
impressively for balanced. A final is always like this. It
both club and seems a dream but it is reality. These
country in the wins are all about the history and
rest of 2024. tradition of the club and, of course,
the quality of the players. The club is
All credit a family, we work altogether without
to Dortmund problems and the atmosphere in the
for chasing Madrid dressing room is really good. No big
off their stride in egos, everyone really humble. It was
the first half. the victories over Manchester City and Opening goal…Dani
not difficult to manage the squad
Carvajal heads Real this season.”
First, Karim Adeyemi ran clear behind Bayern Munich, back a decade to the
Madrid in front
the Madrid defence only for Courtois to 2014 extra-time despatch of Atletico
force him wide; Niclas Fullkrug hit a Madrid in Lisbon. As Ancelotti had
post and saw the ball ricochet back
across the face of goal; the quicksilver
Adeyemi forced a sharp save from the “These wins are all about the
Madrid keeper who then dived low to history and tradition of the club and,
his right to beat away a low drive from of course, the quality of the players”
Marcel Sabitzer. The other side of the
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti
interval saw Courtois pull off another
DANI CARVAJAL
crucial save to deny a diving header (Real Madrid goalscorer)
from Fullkrug. said: “When you play against Real “After the first half we didn’t deserve
Yet Real have made a habit Madrid you play against history.” The to go into the changing room with the
of suffering adversity on their way most powerful weapon of all, it seems. score level but this is football. This year
I decided I would go forward for the
through these crunch games and Keir Radnedge
corners and, as I always tell my family,
soon the warning signs were lighting determination is the key to my career.
up. Madrid had rearranged the midfield We had prepared the strategy just right.”
and a Kroos free-kick provided a first
test for Gregor Kobel. The keeper saved EDIN TERZIC
(Borussia Dortmund coach)
at the expense of a corner from which
“It was a fantastic journey this year
Carvajal skimmed a header over the bar. in the Champions League, a great
Dortmund failed to heed the lesson. campaign. It’s tough to find the right
Rodrygo forced another left-wing words. Performance-wise we played a
Decisive goal… great game, but we also found out why
corner, Kroos delivered once more Vinicius Jr. scores Madrid became European champions
and Carvajal sneaked in front of Real’s second goal
for the 15th time. They are always so
Fullkrug yet again to head home. effective and this is something we missed.
Now Madrid were on cruise control. I am proud we showed everyone that
Kroos, Camavinga, Bellingham and 2024 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL we came here not just to play a game
June 1 – Wembley Stadium, London but to win. We came very close. It was
Nacho all threatened before the
small things missing. Congratulations
England youngster capitalised on BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0 to Madrid. To keep this kind of hunger,
Ian Maatsen’s loss of focus and laid to go and win it again, you see why
on a sixth Champions League goal they are the true champions.”
of the season for Vinicius. REAL MADRID 2
Dortmund will wonder all summer (Carvajal 74, Vinicius Junior 83)
about how they let the match escape HT: 0-0 Ref: Slavko Vincic
them. Glory was within their grasp but
a repeat of the underdog upset against
Maatsen Carvajal
Juventus in 1997 proved beyond them.
Mats Hummels and Marco Reus were Brandt Adeyemi Valverde
(Haller 80) (Reus 72)
Wembley losers again, as in 2013; odrygo
Sc lotter ck M o 90) diger
loanee Jadon Sancho returned to
Manchester United with “only” b Can Full ug B lingham Cam i ga C rt MATS HUMMELS
a runners-up medal. Malen 80) oselu 85) (Borussia Dortmund defender)
Humm s cho “We had four chances and we should
The facts and figures should not Vinicius have scored one of them. We should
detract from the Madrid mystique Sabitzer Sancho Junior Kroos
also have defended better with their
(Bynoe- (Vazquez (Modric 86)
that invades their own players’ psyche Gittens 87) 90+4) goals. But there is no one to blame
Ryerson Mendy
and undermines the opponent, no for that. Madrid have been doing it
matter how late in the day. Wembley Coach: Edin Terzic Coach: Carlo Ancelotti like that for what seems 100 years.”
was no coincidence. Look beyond
WORLD SOCCER 49
EUROPA LEAGUE REVIEW
2024 EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL
ATALANTA END LEVERKUSEN’S

UNBEATEN RUN
by becoming the first

team to beat Bayer
Leverkusen in a year
B
ayer Leverkusen were
the heavy favourites and
main event for many heading
into this Europa League final.
Their former nickname of “Neverkusen”,
borne out of the club’s habit of missing
out on silverware, had evolved into
“Neverlusen” after a run of 51 games recent heartbreak with three final Opener…players Amorim’s Portuguese champions were
unbeaten. Just two finals separated defeats in the last six seasons. The watch as Ademola repeated when they met again in the
Lookman scores
Xabi Alonso’s side from an entire most recent of those had come just a Atalanta’s first goal round of 16.
season undefeated: Atalanta in the week before this final in Dublin, when They then shocked Anfield – ending
Europa League and second-tier Dusan Vlahovic’s fourth-minute goal Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of winning the
Kaiserslautern in the German Cup. gave Juventus the win. Europa League as part of his Liverpool
Perhaps it’s fitting that Atalanta are Even so, La Dea had come through farewell – with a stunning 3-0 victory,
nicknamed La Dea – the Goddess – as every tough scenario they had faced making the 1-0 defeat in the return
many felt that they would need divine in the Europa League with aplomb. leg inconsequential.
intervention to overcome this challenge. They topped a group containing The semi-finals pitted Gian Piero
Their only major trophy had been the Sporting, Sturm Graz and Rakow Europa League Gasperini’s side against Marseille,
champions…Atalanta
Coppa Italia in 1962-63, but that very Czestochowa undefeated. The 2-1 lift their first-ever drawing 1-1 at the Velodrome before
competition had caused plenty of victory and 1-1 draw against Ruben European trophy another resounding 3-0 win in the
50 WORLD SOCCER
EUROPA LEAGUE REVIEW
2024 EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL
home leg to earn their place in Dublin.

Who can say whether La Dea had
WHAT THEY
the footballing Gods on their side for SAID
the final – but they did have Ademola
Lookman.
Atalanta had done a brilliant job GIAN PIERO GASPERINI
of suffocating a Leverkusen side that (Atalanta coach)
“Winning with Atalanta is one of those
had so often looked imperious this
footballing fairy tales that rarely crop up.
season and it took just 12 minutes It gives scope for meritocracy: there is
for their reward to come. When Davide still scope for ideas and doesn’t have
Zappacosta’s low cross teasingly made its to come down to cold, hard money.”
way across the box, Exequiel Palacios was with the first major trophy of his career. Hat-trick hero…
caught flatfooted as Lookman ghosted Gasperini initially stood to the side Lookman scores his
third goal of the final
in to clinically open the scoring. with an expression of the purest pride
A quarter of an hour later, Amine when Berat Djimsiti lifted the trophy
Adli’s wayward header evaded all of his aloft and Musso fell to his knees with
team-mates and landed at the feet of joy, before the manager took his own
Lookman, the worst person possible moment to get his hands on the
from the German champions’ point silverware.
of view. Atalanta couldn’t have
asked for anything better, as
the Nigeria international Who can say whether La Dea had the ADEMOLA LOOKMAN
(Atalanta’s match-winner)
nutmegged Granit Xhaka and footballing Gods on their side for the final “The past two years I’ve been able
curved a beautiful effort into – but they did have Ademola Lookman to take my game to a new level on a
the bottom corner. more consistent basis. Maybe it could
The Werkself had already have come earlier. But it’s come now
worked themselves out of difficult That same pride he showed will have and I’m pleased with the progress I’ve
made. This is just the beginning and
situations during their Europa League been felt by the Atalanta supporters I hope for more nights like this and to
run. Patrik Schick’s goals in the 93rd that had made it to Dublin and those get better and better. That’s the key.”
and 98th minute of the last-16 second still in Bergamo, where Gasperini and
leg took Leverkusen past Qarabag, all his players solidified their status as
three of their goals against West Ham eternal heroes.
United came in the 83rd minute or later, Danny Lewis
before two more late goals ensured
they saw off Roma in the semi-final.
Despite that, it was becoming apparent
that Atalanta in the final would be a
comeback too far – even for Xabi
Alonso’s specialists.
Alex Grimaldo had the opportunity XABI ALONSO
to offer his side renewed hope, but the (Bayer Leverkusen coach)
Spaniard couldn’t lift the ball over Juan “It hurts, for sure, but we need to
Dejected…Leverkusen live with this pain in a positive way.
Musso as the goalkeeper raced out to players react to the Try to transform it into good energy
shut him down. Musso then denied him final whistle for the next thing. But it’s football, the
again in the second half by decisively normality is not to get defeated in the
claiming Florian Wirtz’s floated ball. 52nd game, normally you have much
As had already been demonstrated, 2024 EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL earlier in the season. So, it’s been quite
May 22 – Aviva Stadium, Dublin exceptional what we have achieved and
Lookman wasn’t going to be denied, we have to be really proud. Probably,
and the entire Aviva Stadium was left ATALANTA 3 we’ll need some time but, for sure,
watching on in awe once again. With a (Lookman 12, 26, 75) today it’s painful but it’s deserved.”
quarter-hour remaining, he received the
ball from Gianluca Scamacca and glided BAYER LEVERKUSEN 0
past Edmond Tapsoba before rifling an
unstoppable strike into the top corner, HT: 2-0 Ref: Istvan Kovacs
becoming the first man to score a
hat-trick in a one-legged European
Ruggeri Stanisic
final since Pierino Prati for Milan (Toloi 91) (Boniface 46)
in the 1969 European Cup. Kolasin c Lookman Frimpong Ta soba
(Scalvini 6) (Tella 81)
Lookman rightfully stole the
pmeiners Palacios
headlines, but there were fantastic (Andrich 6
Atalanta performances across the uss Hien Sca cca dli ah K ar JONATHAN TAH
pitch with the midfield pairing of (Toure 4) (Bayer Leverkusen captain)
Ederson Xhaka “Huge disappointment, of course. When
Ederson and Teun Koopmeiners you’ve come this far, you want a different
putting in a particularly impressive shift. i De Ketelaer Wirtz Hi result. That’s the mood. Nevertheless, we
In the dugout, 66-year-old Gasperini (Pasalic 57) (Schick 81) have to go on, we still have an important
Zappacosta Grimaldo game. We have to allow the pain right
had come up against the most talked- (Hateboer 84) (Hlozek 68)
about head coach in Europe this now, but it will continue from tomorrow.”
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini Coach: Xabi Alonso
season and convincingly emerged
WORLD SOCCER 51
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE REVIEW
2024 EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE FINAL
GREEK LEGENDS
W
atching the joyous their first trophy in over 40 years Historic…Olympiacos for a major tournament since 2014,
post-match scenes in in 2023, and long-suffering Roma captain Kostas while no Greek team has made it to
Fortounis lifts the
Athens, it was hard to winning the inaugural trophy in 2022. Europa Conference the Champions League group stage
escape the fact that, for The wider impact on Greek football League trophy since 2020, but this trophy ensures that
all their faults, UEFA’s decision-makers cannot be understated. Discussions of two Greek clubs will enter qualifying for
do get some things right, and the coefficients and league rankings may not the Champions League in 2025-26, and
introduction of the Europa Conference set the pulses racing, but for countries offers hope of football being revitalised
League is certainly one of those things. like Greece, they are central to creating across the country. Not that Olympiacos
The victors celebrating an historic more nights like this. It was only 20 years supporters were overly concerned with
night was not a one-off. This is the third ago that the Greek Super League was improving the European prospects of
season in a row that the Conference ranked the sixth best in Europe, with their fellow Super League teams, as
League winners have thoroughly three teams in the 2003-04 Champions they revelled in winning the trophy
enjoyed a rare evening in the spotlight. League group stage. Those three clubs at the home of their local rivals AEK.
In becoming the first Greek side to win – Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK For Fiorentina, this was yet another
a senior men’s UEFA club tournament, Athens – then provided the bulk of heartbreaking defeat – their third cup
Olympiacos followed fellow history- Greece’s Euro 2004-winning squad. final loss in a little over a year, having
makers West Ham United, who won The national team haven’t qualified lost in the same stage of the competition
last season just a fortnight after losing the
Coppa Italia final to Internazionale. In the
history of the club, they have reached six
European finals, and lost five of them.
If it wasn’t for that weight of history,
they could have been forgiven for thinking
that this was to be their year. The Italian
side had the kind of run to the final that
can convince a team that they have their
name written on the trophy, scoring eight
goals in the 80th minute or later, including
two in extra-time in the quarter-final
victory over Viktoria Plzen.
Disallowed…Nikola Yet perhaps the mental scars of last
Milenkovic’s first-
half goal is ruled year were too much to overcome. Eight
out for offside of the team that started in the 2023
52 WORLD SOCCER
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE REVIEW
2024 EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE FINAL
WHAT THEY
SAID
JOSE LUIS MENDILIBAR

(Olympiacos coach)
“I feel immense joy and happiness that
I have helped make the [Olympiacos
fans] feel this way; I dedicate this victory
to them. I am happy we have achieved
Match-winning something our club has never done
goal…Ayoub El Kaabi before. We’re going to celebrate it
watches his header properly and then we’re going to
go into the net start working on what comes next.
“The good thing is that it’s not just
final were in the XI in Athens, with Europa League, Jose Luis Mendilibar about thinking about Olympiacos, it’s
Argentine centre-back Lucas Martinez became only the second manager about thinking about Greek football. It
Quarta promoted from the bench and to win a European club trophy with will be very good for Greek football and
loan signings Andrea Belotti (Roma) and different clubs in successive seasons. for Greek people to believe more. Greek
football has to believe more in itself.
Arthur (Juventus) also in the line-up. Only Rafael Benitez, who won the “Everything has been very fast.
Martinez Quarta’s centre-back UEFA Cup with Valencia in 2004 and I hope there is more time, and that
partner, Nikola Milenkovic, had the ball the Champions League with Liverpool in that time when I will be here, things
in the net after nine minutes, but a year later, can claim the same record. continue to go well and this is not just
his glancing shot was a flash of a night or a short time. I hope
this gives us time to be here for a long
ruled out by an offside This is the third season in a row that the Europa time and do very good things.”
flag. It was a scruffy
finish from a mishit Conference League winners have thoroughly
cross, symptomatic enjoyed a rare evening in the spotlight
of a game filled with
enthusiasm but lacking in quality. Mercilessly sacked by Sevilla in
Fiorentina’s Giacomo Bonaventura and October, Mendilibar has written himself
Olympiacos winger Daniel Podence tried into Olympiacos folklore. It will be a
to provide a spark, but the longer the long time before he, El Kaabi and
game went on the more that nerves and the rest will be forgotten.
fatigue replaced the energy and intensity Jamie Evans
AYOUB EL KAABI
that had defined the opening exchanges. (Olympiacos’ match-winner)
Fiorentina had the better chances, but “We all won it together. We thank all
profligacy has been a defining feature of of our people: we are all together,
their campaign. Although they were the one family.”
joint-top scorers in the competition, they VINCENZO ITALIANO
also had one of the least efficient attacks, (Fiorentina coach)
averaging around ten shots for each of “It’s disappointing for the second time.
their 25 Conference League goals. In It’s disappointing because again, we had
the final, they had a total of 17 efforts Wasteful… many situations to score goals, but the
Fiorentina had lads did everything they could. I don’t
but hit the target with just four of them. chances to win think we deserved to lose this game.
In contrast, Olympiacos’ Ayoub El the game “It is a huge disappointment for me,
Kaabi was clinical just when his team because the third final we played the
needed him to be. Before Santiago right way, but we still don’t have the
Hezze’s cross in the 116th minute, the 2024 EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE FINAL maturity, the know-how, that little
May 29 – Agia Sophia Stadium, Athens extra to win in a one-off match.
Moroccan had precious little to feed on “The team played the way a final
– just a couple of half-chances, one of OLYMPIACOS 1 should be played. We had chances to
which ended with him being clattered by (El Kaabi 116) take the lead. You need to be clinical in
Fiorentina keeper Pietro Terracciano. He these games, but they scored at the end.
was not about to waste his opportunity, FIORENTINA 0 It’s disappointing because it’s difficult to
go all the way in Europe and nobody has
pouncing on the bouncing ball inside the dominated us in the last two years.
six-yard box to deftly glance a header AET HT: 0-0 Ref: Artur Soares Dias
“In games like this, losing leaves a
into the back of the net and spark wild bitter taste in your mouth. But we have
celebrations. It was his 11th goal of the laid a good foundation. Fiorentina have
Ortega Dodo a lot of talented youngsters, and we
tournament, adding to the five he’d ) Gonzalez
Fortounis have to pick up where we can improve.
scored in the Europa League (three in (Jovetic 73)
(Beltran106)
We had a good run but, once again,
the group stage, two in the play-offs). borra Arthur ilenko c we fell just before the finishing line.”
Carm (Duncan 74
Fiorentina weren’t done though, and
moments later a clever one-two saw la is Chiquinho El aabi Bel ti Bonaventu Te ac no
Jonathan Ikone bearing down on goal, (Horta 77) (El- bi Nz 59) (Barak 82)
Retso 120+ artinez
only for three Olympiacos defenders to Mandragora Quarta
hurl themselves in the way of his shot. Hezze
Podence Kouame
The ball was cleared, and that was that. (Masouras106) (Ikone 82)
Rodinei Biraghi
Amid all the talk of Greek heroes (Ranieri106)
writing legends, a Spaniard quietly made Coach: Jose Luis Mendilibar Coach: Vincenzo Italiano
history. A year after guiding Sevilla to the
WORLD SOCCER 53
ENGLAND
JAMIE EVANS
Record four in
a row for City
Pep Guardiola’s side sweep to unprecedented
fourth consecutive Premier League title
Is there anything left to write about everyone else. Guardiola, Phil Foden,
Manchester City that has not already Rodri, Erling Haaland and the rest deserve
been said? Yes, Pep Guardiola is a genius; to have their successes celebrated rather
yes, their squad is littered with talent and than have asterisks placed against them.
has been superbly constructed with As Jonathan Wilson argued in last
excellent recruitment; yes, they have month’s World Soccer, Guardiola’s
accrued and maintained a huge unparalleled ability to evolve, to
advantage over their rivals thanks to the constantly find new tactical solutions,
wealth of their Abu Dhabi owners; and is central to his ability to continue
yes, the 115 charges from the Premier dominating. Foden, long regarded as
League continue to hang over their heads. a huge talent, delivered his best season
Their fourth consecutive league title to date with 19 league goals and eight
– an unprecedented achievement in the assists. Rodri set an extraordinary record
history of English football – was greeted in by going 74 matches without losing,
some quarters with begrudging respect, while Haaland retained his Golden Boot
in others with indifference. That quickly with 27 goals. The focus should be on
turned to anger when the club’s hierarchy their excellence, but City’s owners make
celebrated another title by taking the it hard to ignore the background noise.
Premier League to court over Associated If those off-field debates are hard
Party Transactions, which, they say, to stomach for City’s stars, spare a
discriminate against the club’s owners. thought for their rivals. Arsenal produced
In the style of Ederson’s howitzer of a a season’s performance that would have
left foot, City have booted all their off- been enough to win the title in most of
field issues far downfield, ensuring that the Premier League’s other 31 seasons,
they continue to hang over the pitch for including 2022-23. They even came
the foreseeable future, overshadowing out on top in the head-to-heads,
their success. Which really ought to beating City at home and drawing at
irritate City’s star men as much as the Etihad, yet still fell two points short. Defining ultimately concluded with something of
Mikel Arteta’s side, who possessed moment…Phil a whimper, suggesting that his decision
Foden celebrates
the league’s best defence and were scoring a hat-trick to step down was indeed the right one.
hugely improved by the arrival of against Aston Villa His replacement, Arne Slot, has plenty
Declan Rice, seem to be on the verge to work with but plenty to improve.
of something special – although major That might also be an apt description
silverware needs to arrive soon. for the job that Mauricio Pochettino
They will take inspiration from the walked into at Chelsea last summer. The
journey of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, Blues’ chaotic recruitment strategy gave
who went toe-to-toe with City for a few the Argentine a difficult task and, as late
years before finally winning the title in as April, they were still in the bottom half.
2019-20. The German’s reign at Anfield, A late rally, guiding his young squad to
which at one stage looked like it might sixth and European football, was one of
Runners-up…Arsenal pushed champions City close end with as many as four trophies, the more underrated achievements of
TEAM OF THE SEASON

THE BREAKDOWN
CUP FINAL EUROPEAN RELEGATED AND PLAYER OF

It says something QUALIFIERS PROMOTED TEAMS THE SEASON
Destiny Phil
Udogie Foden for City’s recent After failing to claim a Luton, Burnley and Erling Haaland
(Tottenham Hotspur) (Manchester City) dominance that fifth Champions League Sheffield United may have topped
Manchester United spot, only England’s going straight back Manchester City’s
Gabriel Declan Erling were cast in the role top four – Man City, down and the swift scoring charts, but it
(Arsenal) Rice Haaland
Jordan (Ar nal) (Ma c ester Cit ) of plucky underdogs Arsenal, Liverpool returns of Leicester was Phil Foden that
Pickford for the FA Cup final, and Aston Villa – will and Southampton delivered for the
(E erton)
William Rodri Ollie and their 2-1 win go to the group stage. suggest a worryingly champions when they
Saliba anchester City) Watkins may well have saved Man United’s FA Cup widening gap between really needed him.
(Arsenal) (Ast n Villa)
Erik ten Hag’s job. win took them into the Premier League His hat-trick in April’s
Liverpool won the Europa League and Championship; 4-1 win over Aston
Ben Cole
White Palmer the League Cup in alongside Tottenham, Ipswich Town’s Villa was a defining
(Arsenal) (Chelsea) February, beating while Chelsea head to shock promotion moment for him
Chelsea 1-0. the Conference League. offers a ray of hope. and the title race.
54 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
ENGLAND: PREMIER LEAGUE
campaigns were both undermined by

injuries. For the former, this season
was always likely to be something
of a comedown after surprisingly
qualifying for the
Fond farewell… Champions League last
Jurgen Klopp season. Spurs initially
exceeded expectations
by winning eight of their
first ten games, before
returning to the pack as
the season progressed,
but Ange Postecoglou
has certainly brought
a sense of fun back
to North London after
the dour years of Jose
Mourinho and Antonio
Conte. The standout game? November’s
4-1 defeat to Chelsea, a scoreline which
tells only a fraction of the story. Reduced
to nine men, Spurs continued to attack
with a frighteningly high line, and might
even have nicked a win before conceding
two goals deep into stoppage time. It is
an approach that may not necessarily
produce results or silverware, but it is
undeniably entertaining.
The Australian’s arrival and impact is
symptomatic of the Premier League’s
current status as the go-to destination
for the world’s most ambitious
managers. The season ended with 13
different nationalities represented in the
dugouts, with Crystal Palace’s impressive
Austrian boss Oliver Glasner the last of
those to join, as coaches
City have booted all their off-field issues far practically queue up to
test themselves in the
the year, but wasn’t enough to keep him in downfield, ensuring that they continue to English top flight.
a job. He was replaced by Leicester City’s hang over the pitch for the foreseeable future More new faces will
Championship-winning boss Enzo Maresca. arrive next season, as
It would have been a shock to most often defined by injuries, United were a familiar one says goodbye. Only Alex
fans in early May, as Chelsea leapfrogged particularly badly affected, spending Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have
Manchester United with a 5-0 win over the majority of the campaign without a managed more Premier League games
West Ham before the Red Devils lost natural left-back and forced into using 14 than David Moyes, who stepped down
4-0 at Crystal Palace, if they’d been told different centre-back pairings. Even so, from West Ham after four and a half
which of those two managers would still they rarely resembled a well-coached or years in charge. The 61-year-old was
be in a job next season. Erik ten Hag’s improving team and, despite receiving a not always popular in East London,
side regressed after an encouraging first vote of confidence from the club’s new but will go down in the club’s history
season under the Dutchman, ultimately co-owners, the Dutchman’s job will be books after winning the Europa
ending with their lowest-ever Premier vulnerable if matters do not improve. Conference League in 2023. He
League placing of eighth. In a season Likewise, Newcastle and Tottenham’s will be back, somewhere, soon.
COACH OF NEWCOMER
THE SEASON OF THE SEASON
Occasionally, a For all their problems,
manager and a Manchester United’s
club prove a perfect academy continues to
fit for each other, produce talent, as
and so seems to be evidenced by the
the case with Unai performances of
Emery and Aston Kobbie Mainoo.
Villa. The Villans The teenager often
overachieved provided the club’s
significantly under only positive from the
the Basque coach base of midfield, while
by qualifying for the also chipping in with Game of the season…
Champions League. Overachieving…Aston Villa manager Unai Emery valuable goals. Tottenham v Chelsea
WORLD SOCCER 55
SPAIN
JARED TINSLAY
Bellingham, the
star of the show
The Real Madrid sensation was La Liga’s
standout performer in the 2023-24 campaign
Jude Bellingham had just helped Real challengers Barcelona, if you can even
Madrid clinch their sixth Champions call them that.
League trophy in 11 years with an In reality, it ended up being a fairly
assist for their second goal against stress-free final run-in for Real Madrid.
Borussia Dortmund in the final at Granted, Michel’s daring Girona, who
Wembley, but it was what he did after were playing only their fourth top-flight
the game that left some fans speechless. season ever, provided an exceptional
Put on the spot by Real Madrid TV, narrative and were just two points behind
he conducted his first interview solely Los Blancos after 22 gameweeks, but
in Spanish, and to an impressive level their February head-to-head ended
too given his short time in the country 4-0 to Carlo Ancelotti’s side. From
– a feat that might have had David there on, it was more of a canter
Beckham and Gareth Bale blushing. than a race for the title.
Perhaps it’s a marker of the consistently Still, Girona fans can look forward
brilliant season he had that, by the end to their first experience of Europe’s elite
of it, his off-field talents would actually competition next season after recording
astonish more than his on-pitch display; their best-ever La Liga finish, which
fans have simply grown accustomed to included doing the league double
his ability with a ball at his feet. What it over regional rivals Barcelona.
definitely highlights is his desire to form a They also became the first team to
bond with the club and their supporters, break up the Madrid-Barcelona-Atletico
ending the interview with their famous top three in more than a decade – the
rally cry: “Hala Madrid”. latter finishing fourth to seal Champions
Hala Madrid, indeed. One league League football for the 12th consecutive
defeat all season, to city rivals Atletico season.
Madrid in gameweek six, saw them Girona will be without star man Savio
finish ten points above their nearest next season though, who finished ahead
of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo with the
league’s most successful dribbles, as
he officially becomes a Manchester
City player this summer. Hey Jude… a quasi false nine just behind Vinicius and
More clubs are bound to be circling Bellingham’s Rodrygo, he was able to help fill the gap
celebration was
Girona’s other standout performers too, a familiar sight left behind by Karim Benzema, with last-
with talented young full-backs Miguel minute winners in both Clasico clashes
Gutierrez and Yan Couto and Ukrainian the “guinda del pastel” – cherry on top –
forwards Artem Dovbyk and Viktor of a spectacular debut season in Spain.
Tshyankov all said to be attracting interest. The England midfielder would be the
For Real Madrid, Bellingham was first to admit that his side’s success was
the star of the show – only Villarreal’s a team effort, though – Dani Carvajal,
Alexander Sorloth and Pichichi winner promoted to the captaincy group last
Girona…La Liga’s fairy-tale story of 2023-24 Dovbyk bettered his 19 goals. Playing as summer, edged Couto as the league’s
TEAM OF THE SEASON

THE BREAKDOWN

Following a 1-1 draw, QUALIFIERS PROMOTED TEAMS THE SEASON
Miguel
Gutierrez Athletic Club beat Real Madrid, Almeria and Granada A few players recorded
(Girona) Savio surprise finalists Barcelona, Girona both finished on 21 more goal involvements,
(Girona)
Mallorca 4-2 on and Atletico Madrid points, with Cadiz but none had more of
Dani Vinicius penalties to clinch clinched the joining them in the an impact than Jude
Vivian Junior
Unai thletic Club) Toni Jude ( a Madrid) their 24th Copa del Champions League relegation zone after Bellingham in his
Simon Kroos Bellingham Rey title and their spots, with Athletic four years in the top debut season in Spain.
Ath tic Club (Re Madri ) ( eal Madrid)
Antonio Artem first major honour Club and Real tier. Leganes and Real This century, only three
Rudiger Dovbyk since 1984. The Sociedad qualifying Valladolid earned players (Cristiano
(Real Madrid) Isco ( rona)
(Real Betis) players celebrated the for the Europa League direct promotion Ronaldo, Ruud van
triumph by travelling and Real Betis from Segunda, with Nistelrooy and Ronaldo)
Dani
Carvajal 12 kilometres up earning a spot in the Real Oviedo and scored more in their
(Real Madrid) the river Nervion Conference League Espanyol contesting first season with
on an historic barge. play-off round. the play-off final. Real Madrid.
56 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
SPAIN: LA LIGA
September, then announcing his intention

to leave the “cruel and unpleasant” role in
January, before being convinced to stay in
April and then getting sacked in May.
His second full season in charge
was equally as underwhelming for
Barcelona supporters as it was
overwhelming for the mister, who
spoke of the emotional stresses of
being Barca boss. It came across on
the touchline, too – in his playing days
he received just two red cards across
900 games for Barcelona and the
Spanish national team, yet he was sent
to the stands three times in 2023-24.
On the pitch, he was hoping to build
on his side’s 2022-23 title success but
instead his team seemed to regress in
style, with trial-and-error tactics and lack
of a clear game plan denting their hopes
both domestically and in Europe.
Speaking of former Barcelona
bosses, Ernesto Valverde was among
the contenders for Coach of the Year
after helping Athletic Club record their
highest league finish since 2015-16 and
lift their first major trophy, the Copa del
Rey, in 40 years.
The Basque club were one of the most
exciting sides to watch in the second half
of the season, with their infectious high-
press and fast-paced style bringing back
the best vibes to San Mames, where they
lost just one game all season – to Real
Madrid on the opening week.
In contrast, Almeria had to wait until
the final game to notch their first and
only home victory of the season. They
were the first team to suffer relegation in
2023-24 – followed
by Granada and then
Girona provided an exceptional Cadiz – despite being
best right-back, Antonio Rudiger bore leaving Luka Modric narrative and were just two the league’s third
the weight of Real’s centre-back injury as the club’s elder points behind Real Madrid biggest spenders
crisis alongside the highly adaptable and statesman in after 22 gameweeks last summer.
equally impressive Aurelien Tchouameni, midfield after the A final mention
while Toni Kroos was faultless in his finale. Croatian extended must go to Isco,
The German, who ended the season his stay in Spain for another year. who won 19 Man of the Match awards
with a league-high 94.7 per cent pass Kroos wasn’t the only legendary in just 28 league starts for Real Betis
completion rate, had the media on strings La Liga midfielder to depart at the end in an incredible career revival that likely
regarding his future at the club, before of the campaign. Barcelona coach Xavi would have seen him make Spain’s
announcing his impending retirement provided his personal rendition of the Hokey European Championship squad if it
ahead of the Champions League final, Cokey, first signing a contract extension in wasn’t for a fracture in his left leg.
Outstanding…
COACH OF NEWCOMER Jude Bellingham
It might be a tad harsh It goes without
on Carlo Ancelotti, saying that Jude
whose title-winning Bellingham has
side lost just once all been the best
season and ended with newcomer to
95 points, but Girona’s the league, but
Michel deserves all honourable mentions
the plaudits after an go to Barca starlets
historic campaign with Lamine Yamal and
a squad who well Pau Cubarsi, and
over-performed Girona’s on-loan
their pre-season winger Savio.
expectations. Impressive…Girona head coach Michel
WORLD SOCCER 57
GERMANY
NICK BIDWELL
From Neverkusen
to Neverlusen
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen end Bayern
Munich’s 11-year Bundesliga dominance
in exceptional and invincible style
It is difficult to say which was the delighted to be willing accomplices,
most impressive aspect of Bayer soaked up every word of his discourse
Leverkusen’s title win. Flawless in and in no time at all, an altogether new
their pre-match analysis and war- team emerged, one with much more
gaming, breathtaking in their capacity structure on the pitch and far more
for collective and individual execution, pronounced will-to-win.
and blessed with the steeliest of team Few teams adhere to the old adage
mindsets, Xabi Alonso’s side achieved “they never know when they’re beaten”
immortality in 2023-24, not only quite like Leverkusen. In the 2023-24
securing their first-ever German campaign, they scored 15 goals in all
league title, but going undefeated competitions in stoppage time, and
throughout, the only invincible side 33 after the 80-minute mark.
in 60 years of Bundesliga history. Few other clubs in Europe cut such
After 11 seasons of Bayern Munich an impressive figure as Leverkusen this
dominance, it was always going to season. Brilliant at keeping possession
take something special to knock the and maintaining control, so explosive
Bavarians off their elevated perch, and
the Werkself certainly produced the
stuff of dreams, so masterly that
they managed to win no fewer
than 28 of their 34 fixtures.
Incredible to think that prior to
his arrival at the BayArena in October
2022, Alonso had never taken charge
of a professional first team. But what
a root and branch transformation
he has overseen in the Rhineland, ferocious exponents of Gegenpressing
turning a side previously infamous and vastly improved when defending
for inconsistency and reckless deep. In short, they had no weaknesses,
abandon into a thoroughly a tribute to Alonso’s obsessive attention
professional winning machine. to detail and ability to communicate
Alonso’s natural and inspirational with his players.
authority as a winner stems from Top marks should also go to
his magnificent playing career, his Leverkusen’s head of recruitment,
outstanding work as a defensive in attacking mode – the incisive tone Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes, who
legend…
midfielder for Liverpool, Real Madrid, usually set by outstanding creative Xabi Alonso back in the summer of 2023, resolved
Bayern Munich and Spain, for whom director Florian Wirtz and marauding all of the club’s problem positions in the
he picked up every top honour in wing-backs Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie transfer market. Veteran Switzerland
the game. The Leverkusen squad, Frimpong – extremely flexible tactically, international Granit Xhaka came in
TEAM OF THE SEASON

THE BREAKDOWN

Granit Xhaka QUALIFIERS PROMOTED TEAMS THE SEASON
Alex
Grimaldo struck the only Bayer Leverkusen, Darmstadt and After leaving Arsenal
Edmond ( ayer Leverkusen) Chris goal of the game as Stuttgart, Bayern Cologne fell through last summer following
Tapsoba Fuhrich
(Bayer Leverkusen) (St ttgart)
Bayer Leverkusen Munich, RB Leipzig the Bundesliga seven years in England,
Granit completed the and Borussia trapdoor, to be former Borussia
Xhaka
Gregor Jonathan ( ayer L verkusen) Harry domestic double Dortmund earned a replaced by the M’Gladbach midfield
Kobel Tah Kane with victory over Champions League promoted northern maestro Granit Xhaka
B D rtmund Bayer Leverkusen) (B e n Munic )
Angelo second-tier side berth. Eintracht duo of second-tier returned to Germany
Stiller Kaiserslautern, despite Frankfurt and champions St Pauli in some style. He
Odilon (Stuttgart) Florian
Kossounou Wirtz playing the entire Hoffenheim will and runners-up shone all season at
(Bayer Leverkusen) (Bayer second half with ten compete in the Holstein Kiel, the the BayArena as the
Jeremie
Frimpong men following Odilon Europa League, and latter of whom have team’s key strategist,
( ayer Leverkusen) Kossonou’s red card. Heidenheim in the never previously the on-field extension
Conference League. played in the top flight. of coach Xabi Alonso.
58 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
BUNDESLIGA: GERMANY
Bundesliga top scorer…Harry Kane’s 36

goals weren’t enough for Bayern Munich
was, for the most part, bare;

one often had the impression that
a sizeable portion of the squad were
not busting a gut, possibly reacting to
the abrasive man-management style
of coach Thomas Tuchel with a spot
of quiet quitting.
Tuchel received his marching
orders as early as February, though
he was “allowed” to stay on until the
end of the season. Not that he was
solely to blame for Bayern’s plight.
For at least
Few other clubs in Europe cut such an impressive ayears couple of
now,
from Arsenal to provide ballast and figure as Bayer Leverkusen this season complacency
intelligence in the engine room; the has been
ex-Benfica left wing-back Grimaldo a whopping 18 points adrift of Invincible… accumulating in all quarters in Munich.
delivered his own unique brand of roving Leverkusen and finally had to make Leverkusen In marked contrast to Bayern,
players celebrate
influence, assist-making and set-piece do with third place in the standings, during February’s Stuttgart wrung every last drop of
accuracy; and Nigeria forward Victor it was a dramatic fall from grace. While 3-0 victory over potential from their largely unheralded
Boniface – acquired from Belgian outfit Harry Kane settled in immediately after Bayern Munich ranks, sensationally overachieving as
Union Saint-Gilloise – weighed in with arriving in Germany from Tottenham – league runners-up. Just 12 months ago,
14 vital Bundesliga goals, an excellent netting an incredible 36 goals to top Stuttgart narrowly avoided relegation;
return for someone who spent three the national scoring charts – too many now they and their impressive young
months on the sidelines early this year of the moving parts at the Allianz Arena coach Sebastian Hoeness have the
with a groin injury. simply seized up. At right-back, central Champions League to look forward
For Bayern, who finished the season defence and midfield, the cupboard to for the first time since 2009-10.
COACH OF NEWCOMER
Xabi Alonso. In the 19-year-old Sweden
space of 18 months, defensive midfielder
the brilliant young Hugo Larsson
Basque coach has proved an instant
gone from rookie hit at Eintracht
boss to the hottest Frankfurt following
property in world a move from Malmo.
football management, Only rarely do
recently resisting teenagers play with
several lucrative such intelligence,
job offers to stay awareness and eye
at the BayArena. for a killer pass. Teenage talent
Leverkusen’s midfield maestro…Granit Xhaka …Hugo Larsson
WORLD SOCCER 59
ITALY
PADDY AGNEW
Inter cruise to
title number 20
Simone Inzaghi’s Internazionale shrug off
all challengers before sealing the Serie A
title in style against their biggest rivals
Monday, April 22, 2024 was a day In the end, their dominance was even
that many Internazionale supporters more devastating than that of Napoli
had written into their diaries months in 2022-23. Inter ended the campaign
ahead of time. As Inter’s triumphant 19 points ahead of their closest rivals
cavalcade towards a 20th Serie A – Milan, of course. Last season, Napoli
title picked up seemingly irresistible had finished 16 points clear of surprise
momentum through the springtime, runners-up Lazio.
it became clear that not only would In a sense, the intense city rivalry
April 22 be the day when Inter could underpinned Inter’s dominant season.
mathematically wrap up the title, they First definitive signs that Inter would
could do so against their long-time city be a problem for everyone came last
rivals Milan. September when they drubbed Milan
So it proved to be. Inter’s 2-1 victory 5-1 in the first derby of the season.
at the San Siro saw them seal the title Both teams had made good starts to
with five games to spare on a cold the campaign, winning their first three
and wet evening when the inclement games, so the emphatic Inter win
conditions did little to dampen Inter seemed auspicious.
enthusiasm. To some extent, Inter’s Perhaps the next crucial indicator
march to victory recalled that of came early in February when Inter
Napoli a year earlier. beat Juventus 1-0 at the San Siro. At
It was not so much a matter of if the time, Juve had appeared capable
they would win the Scudetto as when. of making a fight of it for the title and
had come into the game just one
point behind Inter in second place.
Juve, however, were re-dimensioned
by the defeat which left Inter with a
four-point lead and a game in hand.
Little wonder that Turin daily La
Stampa commented: “Even if it is not
over until it is over, and there is always
the risk of something unimaginable,
Inter already have their hands on
the title, and do so with merit...” Campioni…Inter Inter’s only disappointment came
In a campaign when they averaged players celebrate in the Champions League where they
after sealing their
75,000 fans at the San Siro, and when 20th Scudetto were eliminated in a penalty shootout
captain Lautaro Martinez closed the with a 2-1 win by Atletico Madrid in the last 16. In all
season as leading scorer in Serie A on over Milan probability, Inter had only themselves
24 goals, eight more than second- to blame, having gone two goals clear
World-class coach…Simone Inzaghi placed Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus, on aggregate of Atletico in the return
TEAM OF THE SEASON

THE BREAKDOWN
ITALIAN CUP FINAL EUROPEAN RELEGATED AND PLAYER OF

Federico This final is likely QUALIFIERS PROMOTED TEAMS THE SEASON
Dimarco
(In er) to pass into football Bologna will play Salernitana went With 24 goals,
Riccardo history, not so much in the Champions down with a whimper, Lautaro Martinez
Calafiori
(Bologna)
for Juventus’ 15th League for the first winning just two enjoyed his most
Lautaro
Teun
Martinez Coppa Italia victory time, joining Inter, league games all prolific league season
Koopmeiners
Michele De Alessandro (Ata nta) Hakan er) but for their coach Milan, Juventus season. Sassuolo’s and captained Inter
Gregorio Bastoni Calhanoglu Massimiliano Allegri’s and Atalanta, with 11-year spell in Serie A to the title. Fellow
( onza) (Inter) (Inter)
Lewis remarkable explosion Roma and Lazio came to an end, and Argentine and former
Joshua
Ferguson
Zirkzee of anger late on. The in the Europa Frosinone went down Inter striker Diego
(Bol gna)
Bremer (Bo gna) outburst saw him League, and two- after a final-day Milito says simply:
(Juventus) sacked by the club, time runners-up defeat. Parma and “He is an extraordinary
Raoul replaced by Bologna’s Fiorentina having Como came up from player who scores,
Bellanova
(To no)
Thiago Motta. a third crack at the Serie B, as do play- who battles for his
Conference League. off winners Venezia. team, a real leader.”
60 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
ITALY: SERIE A
to overcome uncertainty about

its immediate future following a
change of ownership in late May. US
investment fund Oaktree announced
itself as the new owner of Inter after
previous owners, Chinese multi-
national Suning, failed to pay off a
€395 million debt on money borrowed
three years ago in the wake of a crisis
prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As of May 22, 2024, funds managed
by Oaktree Capital Management, LP
own FC Internazionale Milano,”
Oaktree said in a statement.
The change of ownership, which
has been “in the air” for some time,
will clearly herald a period of relative
uncertainty. The good news for Inter
fans is that club CEO, Beppe Marotta,
who has been a key figure in the
creation of what is now the most
powerful team in the land, is likely to
remain a key figure in the transitional
period of ownership change.
Suning leave after eight highly
successful years which saw Inter
win two league titles (2021, 2024),
two Italian Cups (2022, 2023) and
three Italian Super Cups (2021, 2022
and 2023) not to mention two losing
European finals (Europa League in
2020, beaten by Sevilla, and last
year’s Champions League, lost to
Manchester City). The club’s young
president, 32-year-old Steven Zhang,
had said that Suning wanted to put
Inter back at the top table of European
football and, to a large extent, they
managed just that.
Suning also leave behind a
formidable squad, brilliantly handled
and coached by Simone Inzaghi, who
has clearly entered the thin
Simone Inzaghi has clearly entered the oxygen zone of world-class
coaches. Defenders Francesco
thin oxygen zone of world-class coaches Acerbi, Federico Dimarco and
leg before conceding two goals for a Matteo Darmian, midfielders
2-2 draw and subsequent shootout. Leverkusen in the Europa League final. Nicolo Barella and Armenian Henrikh
Italian football did compensate, at Making reparations in the 2024-25 Mkhitaryan, Turkish playmaker Hakan
least partly, for that disappointment Champions League will doubtless Calhanoglu, French newcomer Marcus
thanks to Atalanta’s sparkling 3-0 come right at the top of the Inter Thuram and, above all, captain and
triumph over hitherto season-long seasonal agenda next year. Before central striker Martinez are all among
unbeaten German champions Bayer that, however, the club will have the best Serie A has to offer.
Star signing
COACH OF NEWCOMER …Marcus
THE SEASON OF THE SEASON Thuram
In qualifying Bologna Not only did
for the Champions Marcus Thuram
League, Thiago score 13 goals for
Motta pulled off Inter in his first
a minor miracle. season in Italy
Their intelligent after joining from
possession football, Borussia M’Gladbach
organisation and last summer, but
work-rate owe alongside captain
everything to him. Martinez he also
Taking on Europe’s made a vital
best with a new Juventus-bound contribution to
Capocannoniere...top scorer Lautaro Martinez coach will be tough. …Thiago Motta Inter’s title win.
WORLD SOCCER 61
FRANCE
LUKE ENTWISTLE
PSG’s age of
dominance
continues
Paris giants win their third consecutive Ligue 1
crown in Kylian Mbappe’s final season
“The star is the collective,” proclaimed whims of the biggest personalities in
club president Nasser Al Khelaifi as the dressing room, Luis Enrique made
Paris Saint-Germain wrapped up the big calls and was empowered to
their third-successive Ligue 1 title, do so. His decision to relegate the
underlined their dominance by departing Mbappe to a bit-part player
winning the two remaining domestic – a justified one – was not met with
trophies, and reached a Champions internal opposition. The post-Mbappe
League semi-final for the first time in era was being prepared for with the
three years. This season, branded as Frenchman still at the club, oftentimes
“transitional” by the club’s hierarchy, looking on from the bench.
will of course be remembered as the It was Les Parisiens’ early form that
epilogue of Kylian Mbappe’s seven-year allowed for the withdrawal of Mbappe to
stay at PSG – a chapter that was almost be without consequence; by February,
never written, and the official end of the title was all-but assured. Monaco
the unyielding “bling-bling” era. made an early statement, netting 15
Left out of the pre-season tour goals in their first five matches, but
and the first game of the Ligue 1 their defensive fragility and home
campaign, the France captain was form put paid to their challenge.
then re-integrated into the first-team
set-up, “saved” by Luis Campos and
Luis Enrique, as he himself described
it. He would go on to score 27 Ligue 1
goals, delivering another Ligue 1 title
and winning the league’s Golden Boot
for the sixth successive season. But, by
his own admission, it wasn’t his finest
campaign and despite his considerable
statistical contribution, he felt like an
accessory to PSG’s success, not the
reason behind it.
Instead, it was the authoritative Luis his one and only season at the club,
Enrique who eclipsed Mbappe in this failed to find the solutions in attack.
new iteration of PSG that is shedding Struggling to blow teams away, Le Gym
itself of its stars and putting the Nice faced the opposite issue. Madrid-bound… began to fall the wrong side of fine
manager at the heart of the project – The best defence in France and Kylian Mbappe margins around the turn of the year.
as it should be. Whilst the Spaniard’s the fourth-best in Europe’s top-five Their title charge fell by the wayside,
predecessors were subservient to the divisions, but Francesco Farioli, in as did their Champions League hopes.
TEAM OF THE SEASON

THE BREAKDOWN
CUP FINAL EUROPEAN RELEGATED AND

The French Cup QUALIFIERS PROMOTED TEAMS
Bradley Kylian
Locko Mbappe has become a With the expanded Cash-strapped
(Brest) (PSG) competition for Champions League Clermont’s three-
the underdog with format, Brest join year stint in Ligue 1
Leny Vitinha Toulouse and Nantes PSG and Monaco came to an end after
Yoro S
Marcin (Lille) Aleksandr Pierre-Emerick winning the most in automatically a bottom-place finish,
Bulka Golovin Aubameyang recent editions. But qualifying for next and they are joined in
ice) (Monaco) ( arseille)
Jean-Clair Pierre not this year, as PSG year’s competition, Ligue 2 by Lorient
Todibo Lees-Melou beat three of Ligue 1’s with Lille in the play- and Metz. Yo-yo
(Nice) (Bre )
top six, including Lyon offs. Nice and Lyon clubs Auxerre and
in the final, to lift the will compete in the Angers return, as
Wilfried Edon
Singo Zhegrova trophy, underlining Europa League and do Saint-Etienne
(Monaco) (Lille) their domestic Lens head into the Impressive… – a fallen giant
dominance. Conference League. third-placed Brest back on the rise.
62 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
FRANCE: LIGUE 1
The complementarity of sporting

director Gregory Lorenzi and head
coach Eric Roy has been the driving
force for Les Pirates’ historic fairy-tale
season, but with European football
on the horizon for the first-time ever
next season, bigger challenges await.
Just behind them, Lille, who have
already lost Paulo Fonseca, could see
their youthful and talented side picked
apart this summer. Les Dogues, who
swiftly appointed Bruno Genesio as
a replacement, aren’t the only ones
approaching next season with a new
manager; five out of Ligue 1’s top ten
will see a new man in the dugout come
August – some of those changes have
been enforced, others by choice.
After burning through Laurent
Blanc and Fabio Grosso at the start
of the season, Lyon won’t be making
another managerial appointment having
struck third time lucky with Pierre Sage.
He inherited a team rock-bottom of
Ligue 1 in December, and as recently as
February they were still in the relegation
zone. However, by May, they were up
to fifth and in the French Cup final.
If a team ever had a season of two
halves, it was Lyon.
Les Gones comfortably beat the
drop but Clermont, in Pascal Gastien’s
final season in charge, did not. They
are joined in Ligue 2 by Lorient and
Metz, both of whom were too reliant
on individual brilliance, which was in
too short supply; Nantes, Le Havre
and a youthful Strasbourg side led
by Patrick Vieira can perhaps count
themselves lucky.
All of those bottom-half teams will
look to emulate Brest next season by
defying the odds and mounting an
assault on the top half of Ligue 1.
Others will have their sights
Kylian Mbappe felt like an accessory to set higher; PSG, without their
With perennial challengers and fierce stars, are heading into the
rivals Marseille – who went through PSG’s success, not the reason behind it unknown and their rivals
three managers in a turbulent year – may smell blood. However,
Champions…
nowhere to be seen, PSG sauntered to that of Rennes and Lens, provided Luis Enrique, the new star in the City
PSG captain
the title, despite recording their worst Brest, tipped by many for relegation, Marquinhos lifts of Light, is certainly well enough
points-per-game average since 2015. to secure an unlikely qualification for the Ligue1 trophy equipped to prolong Les Parisiens’
Marseille’s shock drop-off, as well as next season’s Champions League. age of dominance.
PLAYER OF COACH OF NEWCOMER

THE SEASON THE SEASON OF THE SEASON
No player was as Eyebrows were raised Wilfried Singo
fundamental to a when Eric Roy, out wasn’t Monaco’s most
team’s success as of management since high-profile signing
Pierre Lees-Melou 2011, took charge of a of the summer but
was to Brest’s. The Brest side in the drop he soon garnered
combative midfielder zone last season. But the most praise with
is enjoying a mid- having saved them from consistently solid
career revival, laying relegation, he then defensive displays,
the groundwork to developed a squad of punctuated by
drive Brest towards journeymen and stars moments of pure
an historic Champions of unrealised potential brilliance, leading
League qualification. into shock Champions Miracle worker… the Principality club Star signing…
League challengers. Brest boss Eric Roy to second place. Wilfried Singo
WORLD SOCCER 63
PORTUGAL
TOM KUNDERT
Sporting scale
new heights
Ruben Amorim leads record-breaking
Sporting to the top of Portuguese football
Sporting won their second Portuguese the team under the 39-year-old coach,
championship title in four seasons at a but one of the most exciting and deadly
canter, finishing ten and 18 points ahead in recent years in Portugal, as reflected
of rivals Benfica and Porto respectively. in the statistics. Sporting hit 141 goals in
The triumph consolidates the standing 54 matches in all competitions, never
of Ruben Amorim as the most exciting failing to find the net in the league.
young Portuguese manager since Jose The Lions also clocked up their highest
Mourinho burst onto the scene two number of victories in a single league
decades ago. campaign (winning 29 of 34 games),
Under Amorim, the Lisbon club accumulated their highest points total
have won as many league titles in four (90) and won every one of their home
seasons as they did in the previous 38. games, which was also a club first.
While the 2020-21 victory was based A huge contribution to the goalscoring
on a watertight defence and narrow capacity can be attributed to number nine
wins, this Sporting team has evolved Viktor Gyokeres. Eyebrows were raised
and flourished into an unstoppable when Sporting smashed their transfer
multi-faceted attacking outfit. record on a Swedish striker playing in the
“This is the team that plays the English second tier, but the fee of around
best football since I’ve been here,” said €24 million proved money well spent.
Amorim. “It has different facets that Gyokeres was a force of nature, bullying
makes it a more unpredictable side. It’s defences from north to south of Portugal
the most complete in all phases of play.” on his way to 43 goals in all competitions,
Sporting’s thrilling offensive game his unremitting energy ensuring there was Emphatic… drafted in against Porto, or the prolific
made it not only the best version of no let-up from his team-mates throughout Sporting broke strike-rate of veteran striker Paulinho
several records en
the season. While Gyokeres was the star route to the title despite usually starting on the bench.
of the show, other individuals enjoyed Sporting fans face a nervous summer
magnificent seasons, notably midfielder with an array of their best players likely
Pedro Goncalves, rejuvenated winger to attract interest, although the architect
Francisco Trincao and midfield enforcer of their newfound success seems to be
Morten Hjulmand, another hugely staying. Amorim was strongly linked with
successful summer recruit. Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham United
Above all else, Amorim’s brilliant but, at the time of writing, it appears he
management was reflected in the fact will stay in the Portuguese capital for at
that practically the entire squad played least one more season. Having a crack at
a part in the title win at one point or the new Champions League format with
another: the spectacular two-goal an ever-improving team is an appealing
salvo by young Mozambican wing-back challenge, or so Sporting fans hope, but
Geny Catamo to beat Benfica 2-1, the things change quickly in football and
Individual brilliance…Angel Di Maria’s displays outstanding display by forgotten centre- money could talk.
weren’t enough for runners-up Benfica back Eduardo Quaresma after being For a perfect example of fast-
TEAM OF THE SEASON

THE BREAKDOWN

Sporting missed QUALIFIERS PROMOTED TEAMS THE SEASON
Nuno Pedro
Santos Goncalves out on the double Sporting and A first season in four Sporting’s record
(Sporting) (Sporting) after an eventful final Benfica qualified decades with no island signing proved a snip
against rivals Porto. directly for the clubs was quickly as Viktor Gyokeres
Otavio Morten Rafa Jeremiah St Juste Champions League rectified as Santa enjoyed a sensational
(Porto) Hjulmand Mujica
Ricardo (Sp ting) A ouca) headed the champions group phase. Porto Clara (Azores) and debut campaign in
Velho in front before being go into the group Nacional (Madeira) Portugal, scoring 43
(F rense)
Sebastian Joao Viktor sent off as Evanilson stage of the Europa were promoted. AVS goals and providing
Coates Neves Gyokeres equalised. In extra- League, while Braga beat Portimonense in 14 assists in 50
(Sporting) (Benfica) (S rting)
time, Iranian striker will have to qualify the play-off to replace games, all the more
Mehdi Taremi scored to join them. Vitoria the Algarve club in the remarkable when
Rodrigo Angel
Gomes Di Maria from the penalty de Guimaraes will top flight, and northern it emerged he had
(Estoril) (Benfica) spot in his final compete in the teams Vizela and been carrying a knee
game for the club. Conference League. Chaves went down. injury all season.
64 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
PORTUGAL: PRIMEIRA LIGA
“This is the team that plays the best football

changing fortunes, one need only look
since I’ve been here” an astonishing
to the red half of Lisbon. One year ago, Sporting coach Ruben Amorim 23 league titles
Roger Schmidt was being lauded from and seven
the rooftops having guided Benfica to than a convincing game plan. In this international trophies, including twice
the title and endearing himself to the tense background, president Rui Costa becoming champions of Europe.
fans by saying: “If you love football, you came out in defence of his coach, stating But Porto have struggled to
love Benfica.” Well, the love affair was that the German will remain in charge maintain their position at the pinnacle
fleeting. Benfica’s fans were fiercely – a risky move, with presidential of Portuguese football amid financial
critical of the team’s stodgy football, elections on the horizon. mismanagement. In April, Andre
accusing Schmidt of failing to get If Benfica’s season was traumatic for Villas-Boas obtained a crushing victory
the most out of a squad packed their supporters, Porto’s was no better in the presidential elections, winning
with top-quality players. and marked a huge turning point in the 80 per cent of the vote to oust Pinto
“For Benfica to win the league, we history of the club. In 1982, Jorge Nuno da Costa. Coach Sergio Conceicao, who
would have had to break our points Pinto da Costa became president and had lent his backing to the historical
total,” retorted Schmidt, but although transformed what had previously been president, left at the end of season
the Eagles kept pace with Sporting until a provincial outfit into the dominant as Villas-Boas attempts to arrest the
the final month, it was more down to the force at home and an authentic decline by implementing sweeping
individual brilliance of Angel Di Maria European heavyweight, winning changes at the Estadio do Dragao.
Complete
COACH OF NEWCOMER midfielder
THE SEASON OF THE SEASON …Morten
Ruben Amorim “They’ll have to Hjulmand
bounced back from forgive me, but
a disappointing Morten Hjulmand
fourth-placed finish is a more complete
in 2022-23 to guide player in his position
Sporting to a second than predecessors
championship title in Joao Palhinha,
four years, crushing Matheus Nunes and
the opposition and Manuel Ugarte,” said
breaking the club’s Amorim. High praise,
record for points, considering that trio
wins and goals Lisbon native… were sold for over
Sporting’s record signing…Viktor Gyokeres along the way. Ruben Amorim €125m combined.
WORLD SOCCER 65
NETHERLANDS
KLAAS-JAN DROPPERT
Glory for PSV,

crisis for Ajax
PSV sweep to record-breaking title win,
while Ajax endure their worst-ever season
PSV head coach Peter Bosz has many still the team to beat. After all, other
admirers, including the late Johan Cruyff, than Orkun Kokcu joining Benfica, their
due to his attack-minded and attractive successful title-winning team from the
football. But for every fan, there is also a season before remained in place.
critic. Before this season, his style of play But PSV made some shrewd signings
had never led to collecting silverware at in Jerdy Schouten (Bologna), Noa Lang
the highest level. Not that he hadn’t been (Club Brugge), Sergino Dest (on loan
given the opportunity; Bosz had been at from Barcelona), Malik Tillman (on loan
the helm at Ajax (with whom he lost the from Bayern Munich), Hirving Lozano
2017 Europa League final to Manchester (Napoli) and Ricardo Pepi (Augsburg).
United and Jose Mourinho, a coach in Though they conceded the fewest goals
every sense his opposite), Borussia in the league (21), it was their attacking
Dortmund and Lyon – not exactly firepower that overwhelmed opponents,
clubs hopeless at gaining prizes. notching 111 goals in 34 matches.
But this campaign, the 60-year-old Under Bosz, PSV simply set new
finally silenced the doubters after standards. They equalled their own
leading PSV to their 25th Eredivisie record of 17 consecutive wins, which
title – and he did so in style. dated back to 1988 when the Eindhoven
At the start, there was no indication outfit won the treble (national title,
that things would be any different for national cup and European Cup); they
Bosz this time around. Defending lost only once all season, against NEC
champions Feyenoord – who managed Nijmegen, but not until matchday 27
to keep coach Arne Slot on board for – a result ending a 42-match unbeaten
another year despite serious interest sequence in the league – and also Dominant…PSV and later Jordan Henderson either
from Tottenham Hotspur (and before his clinched their biggest-ever away win only lost once failed to deliver or suffered long-term
all season
subsequent move to Liverpool) – were (an 8-0 victory at Heerenveen) one injuries. Hooligans disturbed games
week before claiming the title, finishing and damaged their own stadium after
seven points clear of Feyenoord. a defeat to arch-rivals Feyenoord. Ajax
It was an incredible performance, then lost the return in Rotterdam by
which all the more exposed Ajax’s a 6-0 scoreline – their biggest-ever
disastrous campaign, as the Amsterdam defeat in De Klassieker.
club suffered the worst season in their And the chaos didn’t end there. Alex
history. In a nutshell, director of football Kroes, the man who was brought in as
Sven Mislintat and head coach Maurice the messiah to help solve the crisis, was
Steijn were fired as Ajax slipped to rock suspended by the club after it emerged
bottom. More humiliation followed in the that he bought more than 17,000
national cup when they were eliminated publicly-traded shares in Ajax, a listed
by fourth-tier amateur club Hercules. company, roughly one week before his
Signings like Benjamin Tahirovic, Borna appointment as CEO was made public.
Humiliating…Ajax lost 6-0 to Feyenoord in April Sosa, Josip Sutalo, Georges Mikautadze In the Amsterdam boardroom, notorious
TEAM OF THE SEASON

THE BREAKDOWN
CUP FINAL EUROPEAN RELEGATED AND

Feyenoord won QUALIFIERS PROMOTED TEAMS
Sergino
Dest the Dutch Cup PSV and Feyenoord Volendam and Vitesse
(PSV) Tjaronn Malik for the 14th time, enter the Champions went straight down,
Chery Tillman
(NEC) SV)
defeating NEC League group phase, replaced by second-tier
David Nijmegen 1-0 in with Twente in the champions Willem II
Hancko
Lars (Feyenoord) Joey Luuk a match that was preliminaries. AZ will and runners-up
Unnerstall Veerman de Jong interrupted twice join the Europa League, Groningen. Eighth-place
( ente) ( V) SV)
Jerdy because of with Ajax in the NAC won the play-offs
Schouten fireworks and qualifiers. Ninth-placed spectacularly, beating
(PSV) Mats Vangelis
Wieffer Pavlidis smoke. The Go Ahead Eagles will Excelsior 7-6 on
(Feyenoord) A Rotterdam club play in the Conference aggregate in the final
Lutsharel
Geertruida played all their cup Cup final match-winner League preliminaries (6-2 win, 4-1 loss), to
(Feyenoord) matches, including …Igor Paixao scored after surprisingly claim the Rotterdam
the final, at home. Feyenoord’s goal winning the play-offs. club’s top-flight spot.
66 WORLD SOCCER
EURO SEASON REVIEW
NETHERLANDS: EREDIVISIE
PSV equalled their own record of 17

for its different power groups, Kroes consecutive wins, lost only once all season Their finances, or lack
was eventually re-instated but not of them, are an immediate
before being demoted from general
and clinched their biggest-ever away win threat to their existence.
manager to technical director. Things don’t look good for
In light of all the chaos, it could the top flight, following an 18-point the club that, thanks to their close ties
be argued that finishing fifth and deduction – a record sanction imposed by with Chelsea in the Roman Abramovich
collecting a ticket for the Europa the Dutch FA (KNVB) – after they “failed days, once had the likes of Mason Mount,
League preliminaries wasn’t such a to meet the requirements of the licensing Dominic Solanke, Bertrand Traore and
bad result after all – not that anybody regulations” and provided “incorrect Armando Broja on their books.
in Amsterdam would agree. One thing information” to authorities. A crowd-funding campaign has been
is for certain: new coach Francesco “Although this is a dark day for launched among the fans, with former
Farioli, arriving from Nice, will face a everything and everyone who cares players Wilfried Bony, Lewis Baker and
monstrous task rebuilding the team. about Vitesse, this is the harsh reality,” Matt Miazga among those to donate, but
But if you think that Ajax reached an said interim general manager Edwin much more water is needed under the
all-time low, things can always get worse Reijntjes in a statement on the club’s John Frost Bridge that transverses the
– just ask Vitesse. The Arnhem club were official website. “Such a punishment river Rhine to help keep a rudderless
relegated, ending their 35-year spell in was inevitable.” Vitesse afloat.
Loan star
PLAYER OF COACH OF NEWCOMER …Malik
THE SEASON THE SEASON OF THE SEASON Tillman
Once deemed not After last year’s After arriving at
good enough for promotion, Alex PSV on loan from
Cambuur’s reserves, Pastoor led Almere Bayern Munich
Jerdy Schouten took City to a decent 13th last summer, Malik
an unorthodox road place in their maiden Tillman scored nine
playing for unfancied appearance in the goals and assisted
ADO Den Haag, Telstar, Eredivisie. Often ten from left wing,
Excelsior and then seen as a wise guy persuading the
Bologna. Regularly and stubborn, he Dutch champions
dropped into the decided to quit to sign him on a
defence to initiate after the season to permanent deal
PSV’s attacks. recharge his batteries. until 2028 for a
Netherlands international…Jerdy Schouten reported €12m.
WORLD SOCCER 67
TOM SAINTFIET
“The final goal is to

reach the World Cup
and write history”
The well-travelled Belgian coach speaks to World Soccer after taking
charge of the Philippines – his 11th international coaching role
Why did you decide to take where we were close to getting points, There are several promising players, such as
the job as head coach of the showing we’re on the right track. We are Michael Baldisimo from San Jose Earthquakes,
Philippines national team building a completely new team, integrating and Dylan Demuynck, a former Belgium youth
after your success with Gambia? younger players to prepare for the 2027 Asian national team player. Zico Bailey, who has shown
Many people saw it as a strange move Cup and beyond. We’ve been reaching out to quality in the USL, is also notable. We’re in talks
going to the Philippines. I was in Gambia players worldwide, from Europe, North America with many players globally, and I believe they
for five and a half years, improving our FIFA and beyond. It’s a diverse mix, and we need will strengthen our squad significantly.
ranking by 56 positions and qualifying twice time to build cohesion. We’re planning training
for AFCON, reaching the quarter-finals in camps and friendlies to develop the team. You have coached in many countries.
2021. I felt I needed a new challenge. I believe we’re on the right track and will be Was this a personal choice, and what is
Despite talking to big African countries competitive in upcoming tournaments. your ultimate goal as a football coach?
like Ghana and Cameroon, the Philippines’ It wasn’t on purpose to travel so much, but
new and ambitious board approached me What are the next steps and expectations it has made me stronger. I learn every day,
professionally. They have potential and clear for the team? everywhere I work. I learn from cultures,
plans. My desire to prove myself and open Our immediate goal is to qualify for the 2027 I learn from other coaches, and I learn a
doors in Asia made me take this step. Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, that’s the goal our lot from mistakes. This constant learning
federation asked of me. We’re preparing for the helps me develop as a coach.
What is the current state of football [ASEAN] Mitsubishi Electric Cup in November, I’m 51 years old and have been coaching
in the Philippines? aiming to reach the semi-finals. Long-term, we for 27 years. Since 2008, I have been a
The Philippines has a complex situation. aim to be competitive in Asia and eventually national team coach in 11 countries and have
The domestic league recently expanded from qualify for the World Cup in 2030. It’s a coached 104 official FIFA games. Despite this
five to 15 teams, but the level is diverse. Many step-by-step process, but I’m confident in our experience, I always strive to develop further.
players aren’t born in the Philippines but have direction. Success in regional tournaments is I have the advantage of adapting very easily
Filipino heritage and play abroad. We’ve been crucial for building momentum and credibility. to different cultures and styles. I speak several
working to find and convince these players to languages fluently: English, French, German
join the national team. It takes time due to How close are the Philippines to and Dutch, and have basic knowledge of Arabic
passport issues, but we see potential. Our qualifying for major tournaments? and Spanish. This linguistic ability helps me
infrastructure is improving, with plans for We’re not at the World Cup level yet, but immensely in my work, allowing me to
a new national stadium surface. The local we’re getting closer to qualifying for the communicate effectively with players
league includes both Filipino and foreign Asian Cup. Our recent game against Vietnam from diverse backgrounds.
players, mainly from Southeast Asia, Japan, [a 3-2 defeat in Hanoi], despite the loss, was Countries like Tunisia, Algeria, Cameroon,
South Korea, and other countries. highly praised. As our team develops and Nigeria and Ghana have shown interest in my
players get more familiar with each other, coaching style. My ultimate goal is to coach at the
You played four matches in the 2026 I’m confident we’ll qualify for the 2027 Asian World Cup, not just to be there, but to achieve
World Cup qualifiers and lost all of them… Cup. The World Cup is a longer-term goal, great results. I’m an international coach, just like
I hate losing, but it was somewhat expected. but success in the Asian Cup and regional many others, and I’m always striving to improve.
We played strong teams in Iraq, Vietnam and tournaments will help attract more talented The final goal is to reach the World Cup and write
Indonesia, who have historically been tough players to our cause. Consistent performance history. Being at the World Cup represents the
opponents for us. It’s disappointing, but we’re and building a strong team foundation are key pinnacle of a coach’s career, and I am
rebuilding the team, making it younger and steps toward achieving our World Cup ambitions. determined to make a significant
more competitive. We need time to impact there, showcasing the skills
integrate new players and improve. Can you name a player or two to watch and potential of the team I lead.
Despite the losses, there were moments out for in the future? Interview by Emanuele Giulianelli
68 WORLD SOCCER
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THE CLOCK
PHILLIPS’
GOLDEN YEAR As Harry Kane wins the 2023-24 ESM Golden Shoe,
Sean Cole looks back to the turn of the century to
remember the last Englishman to win the award
A
mong the many distinguished A speculative gamble turned into a sure First Division, they were still tipped for
names in football history to thing. He became a club legend, scoring relegation. As their top scorer in each
have claimed the European 130 goals in 235 appearances. of the previous two seasons, Phillips
Golden Shoe since 1967-68, While the responsibility of scoring was crucial to the Black Cats’ survival
there are only two Englishmen. When goals can be made to feel like a burden, hopes, but many questioned whether
Harry Kane became the latest winner particularly at a club like Sunderland he was up to the challenge.
of the award, it was no great surprise: where fans are more desperate than Rodney Marsh, a former England
England’s all-time record goalscorer most to see their team succeed, Phillips international now working as a pundit,
and a €100 million signing for one saw it as a pleasure and a privilege. suggested that Phillips would struggle
of Europe’s super clubs notched 36 He flourished where others wilted. to score five goals; that comment stung
Bundesliga goals for Bayern Munich en “Some people say great strikers and helped fuel his success. “I was
route to the prize. When Sunderland’s are cold-blooded. They’ve got a steely desperate to prove him wrong. That
Kevin Phillips won the award after the look in their eye. Kevin did it with a really spurred me on,” Phillips admits.
1999-2000 season, it was less expected. big smile on his face,” says Niall Quinn, Still, even he must have felt like the
“I had to come through the hard way,” Phillips’ strike partner during this golden doubters might have a point after being
says Phillips, reflecting on his belated period. “He played as if it was the easiest humbled by Chelsea on the opening day.
rise to prominence. “To be told at 18 thing in the world to score. It became He barely got a kick as Sunderland were
that you’re not good enough and then infectious for him.” thoroughly outclassed at Stamford
to go on and achieve all those goals Powerful in the air and with an Bridge. Once the supporters had left,
you dream of as a young kid is always assured touch, Quinn was a towering Peter Reid took his team back out to
satisfying. To prove people wrong along presence and an experienced target the centre circle and unleashed hell
the way is great. It was an immense man. Although Phillips didn’t have the in front of an empty stadium.
season and something I’ll remember same physical stature or top-flight “It was tough love and a big wake-
for the rest of my days.” pedigree, he was a livewire around up call. Instead of going on the coach,
Football has many remarkable the box and a clinical finisher. When you’re dragged into the middle of the
stories of triumph over adversity, but paired together, those differences helped pitch to sit around and get a lecture
Phillips’ transformation from non-league them bring the best out of each other. like that,” recalls Quinn. “We looked
right-back to Europe’s most prolific striker “Niall got a new lease of life with me like we were going to be cannon fodder
was astonishing in its scale and speed. coming in,” explains Phillips. “We didn’t because, quite frankly, 4-0 was kind to
After being released by Southampton, he do an awful lot on the training pitch. We us. We had a lot of soul-searching to do.”
played in defence for Baldock Town until just fed off each other. We’d try not to be Reid’s uncompromising intervention
he was briefly moved up front to cover more than ten or 15 yards apart. Quinny worked and the players responded. Three
for injuries. His prospects changed almost was always the focal point and I played days later, Sunderland beat Watford 2-0,
overnight and he never looked back. off him, whether I was coming round the with Phillips scoring a brace against his
Seizing an unexpected opportunity, front for a lay-off or running in behind former club. After blasting home a
Phillips soon turned professional with from a flick on. We just hit it off. At penalty, his second goal showed real
Watford. Two-and-a-half years later, times, people couldn’t cope with us.” quality. Bringing the ball down on his
he signed for Sunderland, who had just In 1999, Sunderland returned to the chest, he dropped a shoulder to make
been relegated from the Premier League. Premier League. Despite dominating the space and curled a shot into the top
70 WORLD SOCCER
TURN BACK THE CLOCK
corner from 30 yards.

Just two games in, Phillips already
felt like he belonged at this level.
“That hunger and desire was there.
It’s a massive relief for any striker when
you get your first goal, so to get two…
I was off and running,” he says. “I was
lucky enough to be in a side that was
creating chances for me and it just felt
right. I didn’t have to adjust my game
an awful lot.”
Once Phillips started scoring, he
couldn’t stop. He’d reached five goals
by the end of August, dismissing Marsh’s
concerns with laughable ease. On a
rain-soaked night at St James’ Park,
his perfectly measured chip secured a
famous win over rivals Newcastle United.
That result ignited Sunderland’s
season, sparking a run of ten wins
from 14 games that propelled them up
to third by Christmas. Teams couldn’t
match their energy and intensity. They
played forward quickly, forcing their
opponents onto the back foot.
Momentum and pressure would build,
with Quinn and Phillips ready to pounce.
“I think we caught a few teams off
guard with our style of play. We were
very direct because of the partnership
Niall and me struck up. We had two
good wingers who liked to get wide, two
attacking full-backs and some aggression
in the midfield area, so we
had a good balance. Having
two strikers in the team,
getting balls into the box was
the gameplan. Then it’s all
about the movement.”
Team spirit and togetherness were
key ingredients. The players cared for
each other and were brimming with
confidence. Phillips felt untouchable.
In September, he grabbed a hat-trick
against Derby County with three unerring
close-range finishes. His team-mates are
credited for supplying the ammunition.
“I was lucky enough to play with David
Beckham in the England squad. For me,
Nicky Summerbee was right up there in
terms of his delivery from crosses. Having
him out on the right-hand side was like
a dream come true for me and Niall.
We had Michael Gray bombing on from
left-back. Stefan Schwarz would cut
inside and slip him in. It’s about the
quality into the box from wide areas
and we certainly had that.”
At the start of December, Sunderland
took revenge on Chelsea in front of a
raucous home crowd. Quinn and Phillips
led the charge, scoring twice each in
an emphatic 4-1 victory. Phillips’ first,
a viciously-struck volley that dipped
and swerved away from Ed de Goey,
Off the mark…Phillips
was the pick of the bunch. celebrates scoring his
“We’d found our way by then and we first Premier League goal
European Golden Shoe
“It’s incredible. Little old me from

Stevenage, sitting alongside some of the
greats,” he says. “No one can ever take
that away from me. I certainly never set
out to become a European Golden Shoe
winner. When I got the call, I thought
someone was winding me up. I didn’t
know that such a thing existed.
“Once it had sunk in, I got the invite
to go for a dinner to accept the award.
We had a match at the Stadium of Light
that night, so they brought the boot and
presented it to me on the pitch. That was
even more special because it was in front
of our fans. It was a great feeling.”
Although Phillips was courted by
several giant clubs that summer, he
chose to stay with Sunderland. Goals
were starting to get respect,” says Quinn. least in part, of defiance. Deadly finisher… continued to flow throughout his career,
“We rattled them. It was one of the best After snatching at a few chances, a “King Kev” volleys but never quite like that fairy-tale season
home against Chelsea
atmospheres of any game I’ve ever been pep talk from Reid helped Phillips regain where anything seemed possible. The
at in my life. The noise was so loud. The his composure and the milestone goal unique circumstances surrounding his
punters were giving it everything and we arrived at home to West Ham United in achievement made it all the more
were responding.” the penultimate game. Phillips fed the extraordinary.
That performance proved just how ball out wide to Summerbee and darted “The amazing thing was he
far Sunderland had come in the space into the box to convert a pinpoint cross. wasn’t pushing his agent to get away to
of a few months. The callow newcomers In celebration, he flashed the fingers and Manchester United or Arsenal. He gave
had matured into a strong and fiercely thumbs of both his hands three times, his all to the club,” says Quinn. “People
competitive side. Marcel Desailly, a World signalling that the look back and say:
Cup-winning centre-back with France magical 30 had ‘He could have
18 months earlier and renowned for his been reached. “When I got the call, I thought won a load if he’d
composure, was hauled off at half-time Phillips didn’t someone was winding me up. I didn’t brought that to
after being run ragged by Quinn and realise it at the know that such a thing existed” a top club’, but he
Phillips. The Black Cats ended the day time, but he would was comfortable
Kevin Phillips on winning the European Golden Shoe
ten points clear of their opponents. be crowned the at Sunderland. He
Top spot was in sight, until top scorer in the was a hero there.
Sunderland’s form collapsed in the whole of Europe, not just the Premier “Harry Kane is phenomenal and I’m
second half of the campaign. Although League. A complete novice at the highest sure Kevin won’t be the slightest bit
Phillips kept scoring, including a brace level before that season, he suddenly jealous at rubbing shoulders with him
against Newcastle, they went 11 games had the era’s finest strikers – Andriy as the second Englishman to bring that
without a win and slipped to seventh, Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Raul and prize home. I think it just sums up how
agonisingly just short of European Gabriel Batistuta – trailing in his wake. good Kevin was that he did it for a
Black Cats team-mates
qualification. Racing Santander’s Salva Ballesta was …Nicky Summerbee team that finished seventh in the
Still, this did nothing to dampen closest to keeping pace with 27 goals. and Niall Quinn Premier League.”
Sunderland supporters’ excitement.
Both the club and the city were enjoying
a long-awaited resurgence. A new state-
of-the-art ground was packed to cheer
on a team that played with verve and
passion, only losing three home games
that season.
“The atmosphere at the Stadium of
Light was unique,” says Phillips. “It started
in the tunnel before the game, with the
music that we played. The roar walking
out onto the pitch. You could see the
fear in the opposition’s eyes. It was a
hostile place. A real fortress.”
Nobody had scored 30 goals
in a Premier League season since
Alan Shearer four years previously.
The Newcastle and England captain
had claimed that he didn’t think anyone
else would reach that target because
the standard of defences had improved
so much, giving Phillips even more
motivation. He acknowledges that
this was another success born, at
WORLD SOCCER 73
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THE CLOCK
PARIS ’24
This summer’s Olympic Games marks the 100th anniversary of
Uruguay’s football victory at the 1924 Olympics, a tournament
where the beginning of the sport’s globalisation can be traced
Words: Tim Vickery
T
here was great regret in showed its potential as the world’s
Uruguay earlier this year number one spectator sport, and the
when the nation’s Under-23 moment when a World Cup became
side failed to qualify for the inevitable.
Paris Olympics. It meant that Marcelo Initially the Olympic football
Bielsa’s men had missed out on the tournament was contested by club sides.
chance to celebrate a centenary of After it was taken over by national teams
huge significance – the Paris Olympics in 1908, Egypt in 1920 became the first
of 1924, when little Uruguay arrived participant from outside Europe. The
unknown and unheralded and swept North Africans were back again in 1924,
their way to the gold medal. along with the United States, but it was
It is a key moment in the history of Uruguay who went off with the glory
this little country, established in the 19th and captured the public imagination.
century as a buffer state between Brazil Just over 3,000 spectators watched
and Argentina. As Ondino Viera, coach their opening game, an extraordinary
in the 1966 World Cup, put it: “Other 7-0 destruction of Yugoslavia. And
nations have their history. Uruguay then the crowds started to swell, curious
has its football.” to see the exotic South Americans as
But even in Uruguay’s absence, the they beat United States 3-0, cruised
celebration of the centenary of 1924 5-1 past hosts France and overcame
should go ahead in Paris. That year’s the Netherlands 2-1 in the semi-final.
Olympic tournament is important to For the decider against Switzerland,
everyone; Uruguay’s gold medal is thousands were locked out of the
effectively the birth of the modern Colombes stadium, unable to watch
globalised game. It is when football Uruguay put on another show and
74 WORLD SOCCER
Paris ’24
One hundred years on...

Paris will once again host
the Summer Olympics
WORLD SOCCER 75
TURN BACK THE CLOCK
win gold with a 3-0 triumph. With 20 who, as professionals, were not eligible ld
goals scored and just two conceded, for the Olympics. But Hanot was more m
S
the victory could hardly have been impressed by the Uruguayans: “These
more conclusive. But mere numbers fine athletes,” he wrote, “who are to
could not do justice to Uruguay’s the English professionals like Arab
achievements. This was not just thoroughbreds next to farm horses.”
a case of what they had done – The conclusion was obvious, both
it was how they had done it. from the football played on the field
The French public were astonished. and from the number of spectators
Writer and sports enthusiast Henry de watching from the stands: there had to
Montherlant wrote: “Here we have real be a competition open to all, amateur
football! Compared to this, what we and professional alike, to find out who
knew before, what we played, was really was best. This call was reinforced
no more than a schoolboy’s hobby.” four years later, when Uruguay won
Gabriel Hanot was one of the game’s another gold in Amsterdam – the
key movers and shakers, and would go football medals in 1924 and 1928
on to be the brains behind the launch of are the only gold ones the country has
the professional French league and the ever won. And so the first World Cup
European Cup. A former international – without the presence of the English,
himself, by 1924 a journalist, he had who stayed away – was duly played in
never seen anything to compare with
the Uruguayan team. He praised their
“marvellous virtuosity in receiving the “Here we have real football! Compared to this,
ball, controlling it and using it,” their what we knew before, what we played, was no
“impeccable technique,” the way they more than a schoolboy’s hobby” more than exotic,
had “pushed towards perfection the art unknown outsiders.
Writer Henry de Montherlant on Uruguay’s 1924 performances
of the feint and swerve and the dodge, Perhaps the
but they know how to play quickly and Europeans should
directly” and concluded that “they 1930, staged and won by Uruguay. have been better informed. The Copa
created a beautiful football, elegant History often carries with it a America had started in 1916, and had
but at the same time varied, rapid, sense of inevitability, and so it is already been disputed seven times, four
powerful and efffective.” ell worth considerin matters f on b Urugu e
Paris ’24
that won the first Copa America

in 1916 in Argentina – while Europe
was tearing itself apart on the Somme
– included two black players: rapid
striker Isabelino Gradin and cerebral
midfielder Juan Delgado. In Paris
eight years later, there was talented
midfielder Jose Leandro Andrade,
the first black player that most
Europeans had seen.
Andrade was one of a group from
that young team in Paris who were
still around to win the inaugural World
Cup six years later. There was captain
and centre-half Jose Nasazzi, with the
imposing air of a dockside shop steward.
And the stars – one of Italian origin and
the other born in Spain – were Hector
Scarone and Pedro Cea, inside-forwards
who traded passes at electrifying pace
and giddying angles. Both weighed in
with goals during the Paris ’24 campaign
– with five and four respectively – while
centre-forward Pedro Petrone used his
the perspective of, say, the mid-1890s, of Uruguay’s leaders. This was a country Going for gold… rocket shot to score seven. All of these
there was nothing inevitable about the ready and hungry for new things – and one of the gold players sailed to Paris as young men in
medals won
prominence of Uruguayan football just one of them was football. by Uruguay 1924 and six years later were in at the
a few years later. So how did it happen? And the secret of birth of the greatest show on earth.
The answer lies in the dynamics of Uruguay’s success A century on from Colombes 1924,
the British Empire, in patterns of was that it was the latest generation of Uruguayans will
immigration and in social policy. drawing on the not be present in Paris. But such is the
South America, and especially resources of its importance of that side that all those
its southern cone, was an informal entire male on parade in the Olympic football
part of the Empire, and the British population tournament this summer are the
brought football along with their earlier than descendants of, and owe a debt to,
navy and their ownership of utility its much the great team that wore the sky
companies, especially the railways. bigger blue shirt a hundred years ago.
In the early years, teams from visiting neighbours.
warships were the most glamorous The same
opponents for local sides. And Penarol, sequence
one of the country’s traditional big two of events was
teams, began life as the Central seen elsewhere
Uruguayan Railway Cricket Club. in South America
It was the British, then, who – football was
introduced football to Uruguay, and brought in by the British,
there was always an influence of the taken up by the local elites and
Scottish passing style in the local game. moved downwards through society.
But the interesting aspect, of course, But this happened much more quickly
is what the locals did with the game in Uruguay, and not by chance.
– and the most important point is that If the country was going to be
they seized on it with rapid enthusiasm. so small, then it had to be smarter.
Immigrants were pouring in, From the late 19th century, Uruguay
especially from Italy and Spain. In saw itself as a model nation, with an
the early years of the 20th century, excellent public education system.
more than a third of the population of It was a literary society before its
Montevideo, the commandeering capital neighbours, with a popular press
city, was foreign born. This was a new, helping to spread the development
young country. More than 70 per cent of football. It set up a prototype welfare
of the population were under 30 – an state, with an eight-hour day, giving its
astonishing statistic, particularly given citizens time for leisure activities.
the slightly musty sense of melancholy This is the backdrop to those
that the country can give off these days, great early Uruguay teams. They
when so many of its young move abroad. were legitimate representatives of
Back then it was shiny and thrusting – the country’s working class. They
with advances in refrigeration making had taken football, with its First World
it much easier for the country to enrich prestige, and reinterpreted it as a more
itself by selling beef abroad. Visitors balletic sport full of twists and turns
were struck by the youth and ambition and joyful improvisations. The team World Cup heroes…Lorenzo Fernandez, Pedro Cea and Hector Scarone in1930
WORLD SOCCER 77
T
EN
A ’S
M
R N EN
U M
TO
No big names, no big crowds

Lack of star power and difficulty in selling tickets leads to further
questions over football’s Olympics future ahead of Paris 2024
T
here will be no Endrick, the Gold medallist
…Argentina
global game’s newest breakout coach Javier
star, and no third-consecutive Mascherano at
gold medal for Brazil at the the 2004 Games
Olympic Games in Paris after the
defending champions failed to qualify.
From the penalty spot, Neymar sent
Brazilian fans at the Maracana at the
2016 Olympic Games into a delirium, as
the “futebol nation” at long last claimed
the elusive Olympic title. Five years later,
Brazil defended their crown. Yet, behind
closed doors in Tokyo because of the
global health crisis, football was once
again relegated to an afterthought in
the Olympics cosmos.
Not everyone shared that sentiment
though. On the back of playing the
Copa America that summer, Richarlison
flew to Japan and in draining conditions
steered Brazil to the final as the South
Americans were taken to extra-time by
Spain. The then-Everton forward was
stretching the limits of his physical
endurance. competition is an Under-23 event
Richarlison’s quest goes to the heart with three players above the age of 23
of the conundrum of the Olympic permitted in every squad. The result is
tournament: how is the competition makeshift teams that, at least from a
perceived and, crudely stated, what is European viewpoint, have not attached
the value of an Olympic medal? Outside too much importance to the competition.
of Europe’s limited endearment for the But, like Brazil in 2016 where the
tournament, the majority of participants fans and media at times succeeded
believe the competition carries in drowning out all the other sports,
significant weight. That sentiment is a some teams will prioritise the finals.
reflection of the balance of power in the France coach Thierry Henry omitted
Olympics berth
global game. And so, without Brazil and Kylian Mbappe from his squad, despite sealed…Argentina
their potent yellow shirt and the imagery, the Parisian claiming that he “wanted qualified for Paris
a new champion – with the men’s final to play” in the event on home soil. 2024 behind South
American Under-23
scheduled ahead of the women’s final Realistically though, his captaining champions Paraguay
for the first time – will be crowned on of the senior team at Euro 2024 back in February
August 9 at the Parc des Princes, the
main venue of the tournament along
with six other cities, with the Stade France, USA, Guinea, New Zealand Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine
de France hosting the athletics.
Much depends on the squad A France want to relive the golden summer of
1984 when they claimed gold in Los Angeles. B Argentina’s opener v AFCON U23 champions
Morocco will serve as a good benchmark to
lists the participant managers The hosts qualified automatically and kick-off assess the seriousness of the South Americans’
their tournament against USA at Marseille’s Velodrome quest for gold, two decades after they claimed victory
call up. The Olympic football before playing New Zealand, Oceania’s representatives, in Athens. Javier Mascherano returns to the stage, but
tournament is not a part of and Guinea, the last team to qualify for Paris. The West this time as manager, and he can count on an impressive
guide
the international calendar African nation beat Indonesia 1-0 in May to complete talent pool with Claudio Echeverri, Ezequiel Fernandez
and therefore FIFA does the Olympic line-up and will feature in the tournament and others. Iraq, with star man Ali Jasim, claimed bronze
Group
not require clubs to release for only the second time, having participated in the at the recent Under-23 Asian Cup, while war-torn Ukraine
1968 Games. The Kiwis have too little opposition in keep defying the circumstances at both senior and youth
players for the tournaments. their region and won the qualifying tournament by levels, reaching the semi-finals of the Under-23 Euros
That has always been hammering Fiji 9-0 in the final. It will, however, be to book their spot with Shakhtar Donetsk’s Heorhiy
problematic – as well hard to repeat their sixth-place finish from Tokyo. Sudakov among the tournament’s top scorers.
as the rule that the
78 WORLD SOCCER
and his arrival at Real Madrid was and thereby avoid Argentina in the
always going to complicate matters. quarter-finals. The South Americans
Instead, France’s overage slots went are bidding to rekindle their fortunes of
to strikers Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon Athens 2004 when they beat Paraguay
and Crystal Palace’s in-form Jean-Philippe to claim gold under Marcelo Bielsa. TO WATCH
Mateta, as Henry opted against picking That side included Javier Mascherano,
a third over-23 player in favour of who now leads the team as coach.
youngsters that he has worked with in Like Richarlison in 2021, Mascherano
his role as Under-21s coach. Mateta’s had already featured in a Copa America
Palace team-mate Michael Olise also finals that summer before going on to
made the cut but, highlighting the claim Olympic gold. Four years later,
difficult in picking an Olympics party, he won gold again in Beijing alongside MARKO Absent…Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi
PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Warren Lionel Messi, but he will be without STAMENIC
Zaire-Emery – originally the only his old team-mate this time in Paris. (New Zealand) choose carefully, and it would be too
players to be selected for both the “It would be two, three straight Tidy and strong much to play two straight tournaments.”
midfielder set
Olympics and Euro 2024 – were later months of not being with the club, Instead, creative responsibilities will
for a big summer
withdrawn along with four other players. and more than anything I’m not at an move from Red Star likely fall to another MLS player, Atlanta
With such strength in depth, the age to be in everything,” the Inter Miami Belgrade. The first United’s Thiago Almada, who wore the
hosts will expect to top their group, forward told ESPN Argentina. “I have to Kiwi to score in the No.10 shirt when shining in the qualifying
UEFA Champions tournament at the start of the year.
League since 1994.
Few things would have granted the
Olympic football tournament legitimacy
or attention quite like the presence of
Messi, the defining player of the last
era of football, or Mbappe, the defining
player of the current one. Their absence
is a blow – albeit not a surprising one
IBRAHIM ADEL – to the competition’s organisers who,
(Egypt) according to a report in French
Promising newspaper Le Monde in May, still
right-footed left-
winger. Made three
have around a million seats to sell.
sub appearances Which other country, then, could provide
in Tokyo, but has the star factor that the tournament needs?
endured a difficult Spain, of course, also have Euro 2024
season with injuries. commitments to focus on, and may be
scarred from 2021 when exciting young
midfielder Pedri went to Tokyo after
starring at Euro 2020 and has arguably
yet to recover. Liverpool may be set for a
dispute with Egypt coach Rogerio Micale,
who wants to select the talismanic
PAU CUBARSI Mohamed Salah despite the forward’s
(Spain) apparent struggles since January’s Africa
Cut from Spain’s Cup of Nations. The United States’ focus
Euro 2024 squad will inevitably be on their hosting of the
as La Roja look to
avoid a repeat of Copa America, while Japan confirmed that
overplaying another thrilling forward Take Kubo will also miss
starlet with the the tournament to focus on pre-season
world at their feet. with Real Sociedad. In other words,
this will be a tournament for emerging
talents rather than genuine A-listers.
Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Rep Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel Ultimately, the suffocating three-week
C Spain will be favourites to top a winnable group
and compete for medals as the tournament D Asian champions Japan will be narrow favourites
in the most open group. In 2021, the hosts had
festival of swimming, judo, athletics and
the rest leaves little time for football.
progresses. In Tokyo, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Mikel a formidable team with Wataru Endo, Take Kubo, Perhaps it should be no different;
Oyarzabal, Marco Asensio and Bryan Gil all formed part Maya Yoshida and Takehiro Tomiyasu, but fell short of a
of the squad and much will depend on which overage medal. Mali return for the first time since 2004 when they perhaps men’s football – ever since
players Spain can take to Paris. The Uzbeks are Asia’s reached the quarter-finals. At the U23 AFCON last year, 1928 when the Olympic tournament
second-strongest team with a nucleus of skilled players, right-back Fode Doucoure, centre-back Ibrahima Cisse still served as a World Cup – is no
including Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov. Egypt and midfielder Mamadou Sangare were among their most longer relevant. It’s a theme that
count on coach Rogerio Micale, who guided Brazil to impressive stars. Paraguay are the other South American
resurfaces every four years and then
Olympic gold in 2016 and spent time in Saudi Arabia representatives and could be dark horses after pipping
with Al Hilal, but his side’s preparations have not always Argentina – Diego Gomez is certainly one to watch. fades again as quickly as it came. That,
been smooth sailing. The Dominican Republic upset Completing the quartet, Israel, under ex-Standard Liege however, will be of little concern to
Jamaica and Guatemala to clinch their ticket to Paris. and Charlton boss Guy Luzon, apply a defensive style. the team that wins the gold medal.
Samindra Kunti
WORLD SOCCER 79
T
M ’S
EN
A EN
U OM
RN
TO W
Going for Gold in Paris

There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold
medal in the women’s football tournament this summer
O
nly one host nation has
ever won gold in women’s
Olympic soccer – the United
States, unsurprisingly, in
Atlanta 1996, the first time the event
was included at the Games. In the
six since, five of which were held in
countries who could be considered
contenders, only Brazil in 2016
even reached the semi-finals.
This is half of the historic trend
France are seeking to buck at Paris
2024; the other half is their own
reputation for choking.
France have produced a series
of outstanding players, many of
whom featured in the Lyon team that
until Barcelona’s recent emergence
dominated women’s football. Yet
prior to this year’s UEFA Nations
League, Les Bleues had never
appeared in a major final.
They lost that match to Spain
and, given its novelty, the Nations
League is yet to be regarded as
a notable prize anyway. But it was
progress nevertheless. Previously,
France had reached a solitary semi-
final in each of the World Cup (2011),
Olympics (2012) and European
Championship (2022).
This time – they are trying to
convince themselves – it will be
different. In hiring Herve Renard, the
French Football Federation, now under
more enlightened administration, made
a statement choice. The World Cup, in
which they went out in the quarter-
finals to hosts Australia following a
nerve-shredding, lengthy penalty
shootout, came early for him, but he World champions
has now had 15 months at the helm. …Spain will be
favourites in Paris
Until a home defeat in Saint-Etienne France, Colombia, Canada, New Zealand
in early June to England, they were on
an impressive run of form this year, they ought to qualify from. A Group A includes the hosts and holders, and
both are expected to make it into the knockouts.
Despite the recent defeat to England, France
Group guide
having won away to the Lionesses and While Renard has had time to
have been in good form while Canada, after a poor World
Sweden and also beaten Germany, settle, Emma Hayes is being pitched Cup, are unbeaten since October. Colombia were one of
all in competitive matches. into the Games within weeks of taking the World Cup’s breakout successes and with Chelsea’s
Perhaps that defeat was a wake-up the reins of the United States. That’s Mayra Ramirez and Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo in their
call, or perhaps it will simply add to the not strictly true – she was appointed ranks will fancy their chances of avenging New Zealand’s
1-0 win when the teams met in the 2016 Games. That is
anxiety that a host nation with a record in November and has been influencing
one of only two Olympic wins for New Zealand. But while
of bottling it in the big games is bound team selection and tactics under their playing resources are modest, the Football Ferns
to feel. A good start in the opening assistant Twila Kilgore. But it was not performed creditably in a brace of matches in Bogota
game in Lyon against Colombia until she had finished leading Chelsea in December (0-0, 0-1), so Las Cafeteras will be wary.
is crucial. However, it is a group to their fifth successive Women’s Super
80 WORLD SOCCER
League title that she could officially success in the new Nations League,
get on the grass with the players. meaning World Cup finalists England/
From afar, Hayes has overhauled Team GB missed out and Germany
a squad that to an extent had been made it. But having qualified, they
allowed to grow old together. Her first TO WATCH could do well.
XI, for a 4-0 win over South Korea in The team to beat, however, are
Colorado in June, did not have a single clearly Spain – only Italy have done
player who started the 2019 World Cup so since La Roja’s World Cup triumph.
final triumph. Mallory Swanson, who That shock 3-2 defeat in Pontevedra
missed the 2023 World Cup debacle, in December snapped a run of eight
when the US went out in the last 16, successive wins, including the World
scored twice – her first goals since SJOEKE NUSKEN Cup final. Spain’s response was to
Spot secured…
returning from a serious knee injury. (Germany) go and beat three top-ten teams –
Australia players
celebrate qualifying Hayes rotated nine starting players In a tournament in Sweden, Netherlands and France
for her second game, a 3-0 win over which versatility is – in the next three games. The last
prized, Chelsea’s
the same opponents in Minnesota of those was the Nations League
23-year-old could
three days later. That is more starters be a key player. final, a new bauble to add to their
in those two games than the 18 places World Cup star.
available for the Olympic squad, rather Who qualifies with Spain is wide
underlining her need to evaluate players open. In the four Olympics since the
fast. Debuts were also awarded, including tournament was enlarged to 12 teams,
to 16-year-old Ajax wonderkid Lily four points has always been enough to
Yohannes (now just turned 17), who qualify as one of the two best third-
scored ten minutes into her bow. placed teams, but three points has
The US have a favourable draw but RACHEAL
KUNDANANJI
a tricky group. If the tournament goes (Zambia)
as the seedings suggest, they will avoid Left Africa at 18 to
both France and Spain until the final, play in Kazakhstan.
but making such assumptions is a risky Now the world’s most
business. First, they must negotiate expensive female
footballer signed for
a group featuring an Australian team €735,000 by Bay FC
which is resilient but will miss star striker from Madrid CFF.
and captain Sam Kerr, a Zambian team
good going forward but less sound
defensively, and Germany.
The latter, normally so reliable,
are an unpredictable factor. Finalists
in Euro 2022, they tanked at the World France coach…Herve Renard will be aiming to
guide the hosts to their first-ever major trophy
Cup a year later, going out in the group
stage. However, under 73-year-old CATARINA only done so once. In other words, one
MACARIO
interim coach Horst Hrubesch, who (USA) win is not enough so it will be interesting
will hand the reins to men’s Under-17 Won bronze in Tokyo to see whether teams look to bank
World Cup-winning coach Christian but only played six an early draw, or go for wins.
Wuck after the Games, they have minutes, and missed As usual, the matches kick-off before
looked much happier. the 2023 WC injured. the official opening ceremony with all
Under Emma Hayes,
They are perhaps fortunate to be at who signed her for 12 teams playing on July 25 beginning
USWNT coach…Emma the Olympics. UEFA previously entered at 5pm local time. Marseille, Bordeaux,
Hayes will go to her Chelsea, it may be
first tournament as their best World Cup finishers, but this Macario’s time. Lyon, Nice, Nantes and Saint-Etienne
United States boss time changed the system to reward all host matches with the final at the
Parc de Princes, Paris, on August 10.
The gold medallists are likely to be
USA, Zambia, Germany, Australia Spain, Japan, Nigeria, Brazil American or European, but individual
B The strongest group, which could lead to only
two qualifying as teams take points off each C Extraordinarily, the world champions are the
only debutants in the tournament, illustrating
matches are harder to call.
The finalists will play six matches
other. Emma Hayes has had little preparation how meteoric Spain’s recent dominance has in 17 days at the end of a long club
time with her new American charges, but the four- been. Qualifying as Nations League winners, they will
time winners should progress. 2016 gold-medallists start as favourites. Japan buckled under the pressure season for most European-based
Germany are looking in much better shape than when of hosting in the last Olympics, but a more mature side players. With only 18 in the squads,
Down Under last year. Nicely balanced, they have plenty may play with greater freedom this time. The Nadeshiko it will be a test of versatility, stamina
of experience but also some young talent. The other also thrashed Spain 4-0 at the World Cup. Two-time and the medical staff, as well as talent.
teams are a tale of strikers absent and present. Australia silver-medallists Brazil, reviving after a bad World Cup,
Unlike the men’s tournament, there are
will miss Sam Kerr while Zambia, though defensively will be buoyed by reaching the CONCACAF W Gold Cup
frail, have three forwards signed by NWSL clubs for final, losing unluckily 1-0 to the US. Nigeria return after no age restrictions, a good chance of
significant fees this year: Racheal Kundananji (Bay FC), a 16-year absence. A strong World Cup, in which they plenty of elite players being involved,
Barbra Banda and Grace Chanda (both Orlando Pride). beat Australia, shows they should not be underrated. and a highly valued prized to play for.
Glenn Moore
WORLD SOCCER 81
Women’s Football
Glenn Moore
Barcelona retain
European crown
Catalan giants lift the UEFA Champions
League for second consecutive year
There was never really much doubt but, create a chance better than the clear
in front of 50,827 mostly Blaugrana header Gilles had spurned shortly
fans in Bilbao, Barcelona’s women before the opening goal.
confirmed that this is their era. Instead, it was Barca who struck,
The 2-0 Champions League final late substitute Putellas converting a
triumph over Lyon was Barca’s third in cutback from Claudia Pina to the joy
four years and, significantly, their first of her team-mates, a sweet finish to
against Lyon in three finals. The baton a wretched couple of years with injury.
has passed over the Pyrenees. “We didn’t have our best game, but
Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, we’ll come back,” said Lyon’s Bilbao
the two most garlanded of their players, native Damaris Egurrola. European champions Barca will also have a new coach, with
scored the goals but for once neither There is no reason to think they will …Alexia Putellas lifts Jonatan Giraldez exiting for NWSL outfit
dominated. Instead, the key performers not. Their age profile is similar to Barca, the trophy for Barca
Washington Spirit (whose owner Michelle
were winger Caroline Graham Hansen – if older in the crucial midfield area, but Kang is coincidentally in the process of
especially in the first half – Patri Guijarro it is not yet clear how changes in the buying a controlling stake in Lyon).
and, as Lyon threw crosses into the box ownership will work out and there will “People thought the team’s
late on, Lucy Bronze. Which goes a long be a new face in the dugout too. performances might dip [after
way to explaining the success of this After the match, Lyon head coach the announcement],” he said. “We
team: there are so many match-winners, Sonia Bompastor said: “We are going to showed that wasn’t the case today.”
so many players who can be relied upon digest this disappointment and see what Whoever takes over will inherit a
to turn up on the big occasion. we have to work on in order to come winning machine that has tied up most
After an opening hour in which back with the ambition of winning this of its players on contracts – with the
Barcelona controlled the match without Champions League,” but she herself is exception of Keira Walsh, who has been
much threatening a goal, the deadlock bound for Chelsea as Emma Hayes’ linked with a WSL return – and remains
was broken via a fortuitous deflection. successor. hungry for more silverware. As Bonmati
said, when asked if she would ever be
“I’m such an ambitious person. I’m almost never sated: “Anyone who knows me will say to
satisfied with my work. I always want more” you, ‘She’ll never have enough.’ I’m such
an ambitious person. I’m almost never
Barcelona goalscorer Aitana Bonmati
satisfied with my work. I always want
Guijarro and Mariona Caldentey released Spaniard Pedro Martinez Losa had more.”
Bonmati on a familiar inside-forward run been mooted as her replacement but, Nevertheless, with both teams
into the box and her cross-shot diverted under contract to Scotland until 2027, plus semi-finalists Chelsea changing
off the leg of Vanessa Gilles and past the 48-year-old quickly ruled himself coaches, next season offers a degree
Christiane Endler. out. Instead, ex-Arsenal and Juventus of unpredictability at the sharp end that
The goal woke up the previously boss Joe Montemurro was appointed. the competition needs. Between them,
passive French champions and they After winning titles in England and Italy, Lyon and Barcelona have won the last
pushed bodies forward, but failed to the Australian arrives with a strong CV. nine titles, and only three other teams
– Chelsea, Wolfsburg and Paris Saint-
Germain – have reached the final.
This year, Chelsea lost a tight
semi-final to Barcelona: after winning
1-0 in Catalonia they went down 2-0 at
home, in a match to an extent decided
by contentious refereeing decisions. PSG
lost the other semi to Lyon, beaten by a
goal in both legs (3-2 away, 2-1 at home).
While Chelsea adjust to Bompastor,
PSG, who have endured much internal
strife and coaching churn in recent
years, may have some stability under
Opening goal… Jocelyn Precheur, who will be their
Aitana Bonmati scores
Barca’s first goal with longest-serving coach since 2021
a deflected shot if he gets to Christmas.
82 WORLD SOCCER
Lukewarm response to Women’s Club World Cup
FIFA Congress…Gianni Infantino announced the Women’s Club World Cup in Bangkok in May
It remains to be seen whether request for mandatory rest periods of

Barcelona’s Champions League victory 28 days in the off-season and a 14-day
Another contender, Wolfsburg, are has also earned them a place in FIFA’s mid-season break were ignored.
also facing change, as next season will inaugural Women’s Club World Cup, The Women’s League Forum,
be the final one with Tommy Stroot as which was announced at the Bangkok who claim they unsuccessfully asked
coach. The 35-year-old has rejected a congress, as planned for early 2026. for a meeting with FIFA on numerous
contract extension but all parties appear No further details have been occasions, are unhappy with the
happy for him to see out his final season. forthcoming, but there is already increase in weekends set aside for
Who else might threaten? Like the disquiet among both players and internationals, which they argue will
Lady Wolves, Bayern Munich and Arsenal leagues in the sport’s more established add to player workloads and limits
were knocked out early this year – there areas. The Women’s League Forum “leagues’ opportunities for expansion
was unpredictability in the competition’s rejected FIFA’s claim to have consulted that is part of their pathway to
initial stages – but should be in the frame “thoroughly with all stakeholders” over commercial sustainability.”
even if the latter have unexpectedly the new match calendar into which the Undermining such arguments are
released Vivianne Miedema. new club event is being shoehorned. activities such as Arsenal taking their
Arsenal will again be in first-round Players’ union FIFPro, though players to Australia for one match in
qualifying, as will Paris FC, Eintracht consulted, said key recommendations between the end of the WSL season
Frankfurt, Fiorentina and two of this for mandatory rest periods were not and Euro 2025 qualifiers.
season’s unexpected quarter-finalists, incorporated. Adding further to the increasingly
Ajax and Benfica. Wolfsburg, PSG, The January/February scheduling congested calendar, FIFA also announced
Manchester City, Real Madrid, Roma is far from ideal for the European a second global women’s club competition
and Juventus come in at the second competitions, which will have just played annually from 2027 in years when
round, as do quarter-finalists Hacken. re-emerged from a winter break, nor the Women’s Club World Cup was not
The other surprise last-eight team, the North American and Nordic ones taking place. This would be similar to
Norway’s Brann, have not qualified. who will be in the off-season – although the men’s proposed Intercontinental
Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern and Chelsea with the game’s dual calendars, finding Cup, which features the six confederation
are the only direct entrants to the group a good time to play is always difficult. champions with the UEFA representative
stage for what will be the final Champions For some, the answer to that receiving a bye to the final. Given the
League season under the current format, conundrum is simple: “Never”. As ever, strength of the NWSL, it would seem
before the women follow the men in Captain’s it is the elite clubs and players whose logical that in the women’s event the
contribution…
adopting a version of the Swiss-system Alexia Putellas workload will grow, encouraging the CONCACAF and UEFA teams both
in an expanded 18-team league phase. adds the second former to stockpile more of the latter enter at the semi-final stage.
at the expense of smaller clubs, and Who qualifies for the Women’s Club
increasing their relative wealth. World Cup remains unknown, as does the
For clubs and players outside venue. If following the men’s example it
Europe and North America, however, will be Brazil, the following year’s World
as with the men’s equivalent, the Cup hosts, but Saudi Arabia may well be
competition will offer opportunities interested which could cause issues.
to grow. It should attract sponsors and Looking at the bigger picture, the
media interest and, for players, playing creation of such a competition highlights
experience and transfer possibilities. the incredible progress of the women’s
To make room, one of the six game in the last decade. Five years ago,
international windows has been only Europe and South America even had
removed (September), but others were a continental women’s club competition
extended so there will not be fewer while those in Asia and CONCACAF are
international matches. FIFPro’s just being inaugurated next season.
WORLD SOCCER 83
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JAMES TIM STEVE SIMON

NALTON VICKERY MENARY HILL
CONCACAF South America Palau Australia
2026 World
Cup qualifiers
& CONCACAF
Champions Cup
JOHN
DUERDEN
MARTIN MARK Asian 2026
DEL PALACIO GLEESON World Cup
LANGER qualifiers, Saudi
African 2026 Arabia & UAE
Mexico World Cup
qualifiers 86
98
94 90 99
92 NEWS 96
86 Asian 2026 World Cup qualifiers
88 CONCACAF 2026 World Cup qualifiers
90 African 2026 World Cup qualifiers
92 CONCACAF Champions Cup
94 Mexico: LigaMX
96 Australia: A-League
98 Saudi Arabia: Saudi Pro League
P L U S
99 United Arab Emirates: UAE Pro League
100 Copas Libertadores & Sudamericana
102 Palau
CONCACAF RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES

champions 103 Club football
...Pachuca
111 Internationals A-League winners...Central Coast Mariners triumph
WORLD SOCCER 85
Asia
JOHN DUERDEN
China’s hero…
Singapore keeper
Hassan Sunny makes
another save v Thailand
Second round
of World Cup
qualifying concludes
The race to North America 2026 is whittled down to 18 teams
IFA was ready to have never going to take it easy – the have to improve if they are to progress.
F
a party on the final Taegeuk Warriors and their supporters India started the day second in Group A
matchday of Asia’s revel in their superiority in this rivalry, but needed a win at the home of Asian
second qualifying in front of 65,000 in Seoul. champions Qatar to be sure. That may
round for the 2026 Paris Saint-Germain midfielder have seemed daunting but, having
World Cup in June. Lee Kang-in, who is looking increasingly already qualified, the hosts selected
For a while it looked as if China, India comfortable on the international stage a number of young players and India
and Indonesia were all going to make alongside Son Heung-min (who finished duly took a first-half lead. India were 17
it through to the final 18 that would joint-top scorer in the round with seven minutes from glory only to concede two
compete for Asia’s eight automatic goals alongside Qatar striker Almoez Ali), late goals, allowing Kuwait to overtake
qualifying spots, meaning that around scored to give Korea a 1-0 win. China, them with a 1-0 win against Afghanistan
three billion people would still be in then, just had to pray that Thailand would – coached by ex-Sheffield Wednesday
with a chance of making it to North not beat Singapore by three clear goals. defender Ashley Westwood.
America. In the end, Indonesia made Their prayers were answered – but Indonesia are having a great year and
it comfortably, India missed out and only just. In the 86th minute, Jaroensak deservedly took second place in Group F
Chinese fans were on tenterhooks Wonggorn scored his first international behind Iraq, who won all six. Helped by a
right until the end. goal to put Thailand 3-1 up in Bangkok, young team and a number of naturalised
In Group C, at the start of play but the hosts could not find the final goal players, the traditionally underachieving
on June 11, China needed a point from to take themselves through, and China Merah Putih finished four points clear of
their trip to South Korea to take second squeezed into the next stage. The War regional rivals Vietnam. Amazingly for a
place, with the top two from each of the Elephants only had themselves to blame team that has never won Southeast Asia’s
nine groups of four progressing. Few at after missing plenty of chances. Chinese regional championship, Indonesia are now
home thought they would get it; after all, supporters took to social media to leave the sole representatives from the region
they had defeated their neighbours just positive reviews for the food stall owned of around 650 million in the last 18. The
twice in 37 previous encounters. Korea by Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, likes of Thailand and Vietnam – top dogs
had already made it through, but were but they will know that their team will for the past few years – have missed out.
86 WORLD SOCCER
WORLD SERVICE
Up
da
FINAL STANDINGS
te
Grou A P W D L GD Pts
1 Qatar 6 5 1 0 +15 16
2 Kuwait 6 2 1 3 0 7
3 India 6 1 2 3 -4 5
4 Afghanistan 6 1 2 3 -11 5
Grou B P W D L GD Pts
1 Japan 6 6 0 0 +24 18
2 North Korea 6 3 0 3 +4 9
3 Syria 6 2 1 3 -3 7
4 Myanmar 6 0 1 5 -25 1
Grou C P W D L GD Pts
1 South Korea 6 5 1 0 +19 16
2 China 6 2 2 2 0 8
3 Thailand 6 2 2 2 0 8
4 Singapore 6 0 1 5 -19 1
Grou D P W D L GD Pts
1 Oman 6 4 1 1 +9 13
2 K r zstan 6 3 2 1 +6 11
3 Malaysia 6 3 1 2 0 10
4 Chinese Taipei 6 0 0 6 -15 0
Grou E P W D L GD Pts
1 Iran 6 4 2 0 +12 14
2 Uzbekistan 6 4 2 0 +9 14
3 Turkmenistan 6 0 2 4 -10 2
Increasingly 4 Hong Kong 6 0 2 4 -11 2
comfortable on the
international stage Grou F P W D L GD Pts
...South Korea star
Lee Kang-in
1 Iraq 6 6 0 0 +15 18
2 Indonesia 6 3 1 2 0 10
3 Vietnam 6 2 0 4 -4 6
4 Philippines 6 0 1 5 -11 1
Grou G P W D L GD Pts
1 Jordan 6 4 1 1 +12 13
2 Saudi Arabia 6 4 1 1 +9 13
3 Tajikistan 6 2 2 2 +4 8
4 Pakistan 6 0 0 6 -25 0
Grou H P W D L GD Pts
1 UAE 6 5 1 0 +14 16
2 Bahrain 6 3 2 1 +8 11
3 Yemen 6 1 2 3 -4 5
4 Nepal 6 0 1 5 -18 1
Grou I P W D L GD Pts
1 Australia 6 6 0 0 +22 18
2 Palestine 6 2 2 2 0 8
3 Lebanon 6 1 3 2 -3 6
4 Bangladesh 6 0 1 5 -19 1
Japan and Australia both won all six Perfect records a fine year for the men from Amman level on points with Iran, and Kyrgyzstan.
games without conceding a goal. The …Australia and who reached the final of the Asian Cup They finished second behind an Oman
Japan both won
former helped North Korea by thrashing all their group in February and will fancy their chances of team who recovered from a disappointing
Syria 5-0 in the last game with DPRK games without a first-ever appearance at the World Cup. Asian Cup campaign to take top spot.
overcoming Myanmar to take second. conceding a goal Saudi Arabia are still waiting to find It all moves up a gear in September
Meanwhile, Palestine finished second their rhythm under Roberto Mancini, but when the fun will really begin. In the
behind the Socceroos in their best-ever were never really in danger of not making third round, the top two from the three
qualification campaign, sealing the deal it. The same can be said of Iran under the groups of six will qualify for North
with a game to spare against Lebanon. lesser-known coach Amir Ghalenoei. The America automatically, while those
Jordan won their final game in Saudi United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also in third and fourth will go into another
Arabia 2-1 to take top spot ahead of the made it without much fuss to increase group stage. There, the group winners
hosts. Both went through but now Jordan the representation from West Asia to ten. will qualify, and the runners-up will
will be ranked higher when the draw is Central Asia have two in Uzbekistan, play-off to decide the region’s inter-
made for the next stage. It has been who strolled through their group finishing confederational representatives.
WORLD SOCCER 87
CONCACAF
JAMES NALTON
Second round of World

Cup qualifying underway
Favourites perform largely as expected, yet Cayman Islands dominate the headlines
te
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he Cayman Islands after an eventful international window following this historic win soon turned Second round
T
were the unexpected for the Caribbean islands, who went to disappointment as US visa issues begins…Guyana’s
Omari Glasgow and
story of the opening into this qualifying phase as one of prevented them from travelling to Cuba Jose Angel Cordoba
games in the second the lowest-ranked teams in the for their second game in the group. of Panama fight for
round of 2026 World region (197th). Though travel to the United States the ball in Group D
Cup qualifying in the A dramatic 91st-minute goal from was not directly involved, several of
CONCACAF region, as events on and off 18-year-old Joshwa Campbell, against the Cayman Islands team are students
the pitch led to joy and disappointment the second-highest-ranked nation in who study in the US and use the Visa
in equal measure for the British Group A, Antigua & Barbuda, gave the Waiver Program, via the Electronic
Overseas Territory. Cayman Islands a late 1-0 victory and System for Travel Authorization (ESTA),
All teams involved will have a long sparked wild celebrations in George which allows them to travel to college
time to dwell on these results, as the Town. It was the first time they had won without having to go through the
next set of games won’t be played a World Cup qualifying game and also visa application process. Since 2021,
until June 2025. The Cayman Islands their first clean sheet since the 2019 however, Cuba has been designated
will have more to ponder than most Nations League, but the jubilation by the US Department of State as
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Headline group
…players of
Honduras and
Cuba battle
in Group A
Perfect start…Jose Luis Rodriguez scored in both of Panama’s victories
a “state sponsor of terrorism” and have liked to win their opening games the Nations League, when the region
anyone who travels to the country is more convincingly. They may have had will continue to produce storylines
then ineligible for the Visa Waiver one eye on the Copa America as they on and off the pitch.
Program. only managed a 1-0 victory against the
Attempts were made to play the Dominican Republic in Kingston, before
game at an alternative venue, but almost giving up a 3-0 lead in a 3-2 CURRENT STANDINGS
forcing Cuba to play its home games win over Dominica in Roseau. All that
away from Cuba through no fault of matters at this stage, though, are points Grou A P W D L GD Pts
their own was inconsistent with the on the board, and the six collected put 1 Honduras 2 2 0 0 +7 6
integrity of the competition. Jamaica level with Guatemala. As with 2 Ca man Islands 1 1 0 0 +1 3
“I don’t want to risk any of these Groups C and D, it will be a surprise 3 Antigua & Barbuda 2 0 1 1 -1 1
boys’ ESTAs or student visas being to see a change in the top two. 4 Bermuda 2 0 1 1 -5 1
removed, for one game,” Alfredo Though Trinidad & Tobago occupy 5 Cuba 1 0 0 1 -2 0
Whittaker, president of the Cayman the second spot in Group B, they
Islands FA, told local news outlet could only draw 2-2 with Grenada Grou B P W D L GD Pts
the Cayman Compass. in the group opener in Port of Spain, 1 Costa Rica 2 2 0 0 +7 6
2 Trinidad & Toba o 2 1 1 0 +6 4
which could make
3 St Kitts & Nevis 2 1 0 1 -3 3
The Cayman Islands’ jubilation things a little more
4 Grenada 2 0 1 1 -3 1
difficult than they
soon turned to disappointment would have hoped
5 Bahamas 2 0 0 2 -7 0
as US visa issues prevented further down the line. Grou C P W D L GD Pts
them from travelling to Cuba It could have been 1 Curacao 2 2 0 0 +5 6
worse had they not 2 Haiti 2 2 0 0 +3 6
At the time of writing, the game managed to come back from two goals 3 St Lucia 2 0 1 1 -1 1
has been postponed, with CONCACAF down in that game, but they are now 4 Aruba 2 0 1 1 -2 1
yet to make a public decision on its only one point ahead of St Kitts & 5 Barbados 2 0 0 2 -5 0
outcome. If arrangements can’t be Nevis and two behind group favourites
made to play the game at a later Costa Rica who won both their games. Grou D P W D L GD Pts
date, the Cayman Islands could be The game between Trinidad & Tobago 1 Nicaragua 2 2 0 0 +7 6
forced to forfeit the match, triggering and St Kitts & Nevis will be a key 2 Panama 2 2 0 0 +4 6
an automatic 3-0 win for Cuba, match-up to look out for once 3 Guyana 2 1 0 1 0 3
who lost their opening game 3-1 qualifying resumes next year. 4 Montserrat 2 0 0 2 -5 0
Group F, where Suriname are 5 Belize 2 0 0 2 -6 0
to group favourites Honduras.
Elsewhere, the beginning of this the only team with a perfect record Grou E P W D L GD Pts
second round went as expected for the after two games, could also be more 1 Guatemala 2 2 0 0 +9 6
most part, with the higher-ranked teams unpredictable. The team from pot one 2 Jamaica 2 2 0 0 +2 6
occupying the top two spots in four of of the draw, El Salvador, only managed 3 Dominican Rep 2 1 0 1 +3 3
the six groups with two games played. a 0-0 draw with Puerto Rico in San 4 Dominica 2 0 0 2 -7 0
The top two from each group of Salvador, which potentially opens up 5 British Virgin Islands 2 0 0 2 -7 0
five will qualify for the third round the group and gives Puerto Rico and
where they will then get a chance Suriname hope of reaching the next Grou F P W D L GD Pts
to join hosts Canada, Mexico, and the stage. 1 Suriname 2 2 0 0 +7 6
United States at the 2026 World Cup. The quest for a chance to qualify 2 Puerto Rico 2 1 1 0 +8 4
Curacao and Haiti won two from for the World Cup will continue next 3 El Salvador 2 1 1 0 +2 4
two in Group C, as did Nicaragua summer. In the meantime, the 2026 4 St Vincent/Grenadines 2 0 0 2 -5 0
and Panama in Group D. co-hosts will re-join the rest of 5 Anguilla 2 0 0 2 -12 0
In Group E, Jamaica would no doubt CONCACAF in the autumn for
WORLD SOCCER 89
Africa
MARK GLEESON
Disasters brewing
There is still a long way to go in World Cup qualifying, but dysfunction reigns
at Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria after four matchdays in the group stage
hen Cameroon off round after round of posturing fight over whether he would stay or
broke new ground and power plays between the country’s not led to several public skirmishes,
W for African football

by reaching the
World Cup quarter-
finals in 1990, they
sports ministry and football federation
over control of the national team – one
of the country’s most valued assets –
that threatened to scupper their 2026
including a rather petulant tirade from
Eto’o, when confronting Brys, that went
viral. In the end, government rarely loses
these fights but what was surprising was
were coming off strife-filled preparations World Cup qualifying campaign. the players seemed to turn against
with in-fighting among the players, a Cameroon’s soccer body long Eto’o, leaving the former African
coach who could only speak Russian ago entered into an agreement that Footballer of the Year isolated.
and a diet of only club matches in government would pay many of As a result of the petty squabbles,
the old Yugoslavia to tune-up. their costs and with it ceded their Brys’ first training session was without
Not ideal preparation by modern, independence. So much so, that uniforms or balls. But just days later, at
or any standards for that matter, but football federation president Samuel home against the Cape Verde Islands,
in adversity the Indomitable Lions Eto’o was left humiliated by sports the players showed no ill effects and
triumphed. minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi who won a decisive 4-1 victory in Yaounde Under pressure
…AFCON 2023
That has proven true again some unilaterally appointed the Belgian Marc against the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finalists Nigeria
34 years on as the players shrugged Brys as coach in April. The subsequent quarter-finalists. lost to Benin in June
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CURRENT STANDINGS
Grou A P W D L GD Pts
1 Egypt 4 3 1 0 +9 10
2 Guinea-Bissau 4 1 3 0 +1 6
3 Burkina Faso 4 1 2 1 +2 5
4 Sierra Leone 4 1 2 1 -1 5
5 Ethiopia 4 0 3 1 -3 3
6 Djibouti 4 0 1 3 -8 1
Grou B P W D L GD Pts
1 Sudan 4 3 1 0 +6 10
2 Sene al 4 2 2 0 +5 8
3 DR Congo 4 2 1 1 +2 7
Controversial
appointment… Drought over… 4 To o 4 0 3 1 -1 3
Cameroon head Pierre-Emerick 5 South Sudan 4 0 2 2 -7 2
coach Marc Brys Aubameyang 6 Mauritania 4 0 1 3 -5 1
Grou C P W D L GD Pts
This was followed by a credible point their stadium in Brazzaville. With 1 Rwanda 4 2 1 1 +2 7
away to arguably their toughest rivals inarrangements already made, it was 2 South Africa 4 2 1 1 +1 7
Group D, Angola. Bryan Mbeumo scored contingent on their opponents agreeing 3 Benin 4 2 1 1 +1 7
early in Luanda before an own goal by to a late switch in venue. Unsurprisingly, 4 Lesotho 4 1 2 1 +1 5
Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui ensured a 1-1 Niger refused and went to Kinshasa as 5 Nigeria 4 0 3 1 -1 3
draw, leaving Cameroon top of the table planned, but Congo boycotted the game. 6 Zimbabwe 4 0 2 2 -4 2
after four rounds of the preliminaries for
They were going to do the same for the Grou D P W D L GD Pts
the 2026 World Cup finals and putting match against Morocco, but in the end 1 Cameroon 4 2 2 0 +6 8
them on course for a ninth World Cup agreed to go and play it in Agadir, where 2 Lib a 4 2 1 1 +1 7
appearance – a record for an African a hat-trick from Ayoub El Kaabi – fresh 3 Cape Verde 4 2 1 1 0 7
team. from his Europa Conference League final 4 An ola 4 1 3 0 +1 6
heroics for Olympiacos – ensured a 6-0
All of the 53 African countries (Eritrea 5 Mauritius 4 1 1 2 -3 4
withdrew before the group stage began) win for the World Cup semi-finalists and 6 Eswatini 4 0 0 4 -5 0
involved in the battle for nine automaticcontinued their 100 per cent record.
spots in North America in two years’ time Jordan Ayew also scored a hat-trick Grou E P W D L GD Pts
1 Morocco 3 3 0 0 +9 9
played in June. But, with six more roundsfor Ghana in a thrilling 4-3 home win
2 Tanzania 3 2 0 1 0 6
to follow, resuming only in March next over the Central African Republic, plus
3 Niger 2 1 0 1 0 3
year, there is still much to be decided. got a last-gasp winner away to Mali, for
4 Zambia 4 1 0 3 -1 3
the Black Stars to show some signs of
That means there is still a lifeline for 5 Congo 2 0 0 2 -8 0
Nigeria, who find themselves in troubled a revival after their dismal showing at 6 Eritrea 0 0 0 0 0 0
waters in World Cup qualification. The January’s Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Super Eagles were among the seeded Mohamed Salah took his tally in the Grou F P W D L GD Pts
teams for the draw but after four matchesqualifiers to five goals – joint-top of the 1 Ivory Coast 4 3 1 0 +12 10
in Group C are yet to win a game and sit scoring charts alongside his compatriot 2 Gabon 4 3 0 1 +2 9
stranded near the bottom of their six- Trezeguet – with a stunning equaliser 3 Burundi 4 2 1 1 +2 7
team group with a paltry three points. as they drew 1-1 away to Guinea-Bissau, 4 Ken a 4 1 2 1 +4 5
where Luis Boa Morte 5 Gambia 4 1 0 3 0 3
6 Seychelles 4 0 0 4 -20 0
There is still a lifeline for Nigeria, has taken over as
coach after leaving Grou G P W D L GD Pts
who find themselves in troubled his previous job as 1 Algeria 4 3 0 1 +4 9
waters in World Cup qualification Fulham assistant. 2 Mozambi ue 4 3 0 1 +1 9
Another big name 3 Botswana 4 2 0 2 +1 6
They had an embarrassing start got himself on the scoresheet, as Pierre- 4 Guinea 4 2 0 2 0 6
last November with a 1-1 draw at Emerick Aubameyang scored his first 5 Uganda 4 2 0 2 0 6
home to the tiny mountain kingdom international goal since November 2021 6 Somalia 4 0 0 4 -6 0
of Lesotho, and in June were held again in Gabon’s 3-2 win against Gambia. The Grou H P W D L GD Pts
1-1 in Uyo, this time by South Africa, Marseille striker came out of international 1 Tunisia 4 3 1 0 +6 10
before losing 2-1 to Benin – managed retirement in May 2023. 2 Namibia 4 2 2 0 +5 8
by their former head coach Gernot Sudan are the surprise packages 3 Liberia 4 2 1 1 +3 7
Rohr – in neutral Abidjan. of the early exchanges as they lead 4 Malawi 4 2 0 2 +1 6
Benin were one of 17 countries Senegal in Group B. Infrastructure in 5 Equatorial Guinea 4 1 0 3 -6 3
forced to move home games because the country has collapsed because of 6 Sao Tome e Principe 4 0 0 4 -9 0
their stadia was condemned as not in the civil war and the players fled the Grou I P W D L GD Pts
a fit-enough state to host international country. But under Kwesi Appiah, the 1 Comoros 4 3 0 1 +4 9
matches. Congo were another, initially ex-Ghana captain who was in charge 2 Ghana 4 3 0 1 +2 9
forced to move their two home fixtures of his home country at the 2014 World 3 Madagascar 4 2 1 1 +3 7
in June against Niger and Morocco Cup in Brazil, they have won three of 4 Mali 4 1 2 1 +1 5
across the river to Kinshasa, capital of their four games, including beating 5 Central African Rep 4 1 1 2 -2 4
the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania (2-0) and South Sudan 6 Chad 4 0 0 4 -8 0
but then got a late reprieve for (3-0) away in their June fixtures.
WORLD SOCCER 91
Australia
SIMON HILL
Central Coast Mariners

set the standards
Back-to-back titles and continental success make the
New South Wales club Australia’s outstanding side
ew
vi
Re
ou only have to Championship and AFC Cup (to be consecutive titles by defeating
Y
go back four years known as the AFC Champions League Melbourne Victory 3-1 in extra-time
to see a very bleak Two from 2024-25 onwards) – almost at a packed Industree Group Stadium.
picture for the Central certainly the best-ever season by an Josh Nisbet’s eye-catching, all-energy
Coast Mariners. After Australian club. midfield displays earned him a maiden
finishing bottom of Their achievements were made all international call-up for the Socceroos
the A-League in 2019-20 for the third the more praiseworthy by the fact that and the Johnny Warren Medal (presented
year in a row, there were calls in some they lost half of their team from last to the league’s standout player), centre-
quarters for them to be evicted from year’s title success, as well as their backs Brian Kaltak and Dan Hall formed
a competition with no automatic inspirational coach, Nick Montgomery. a formidable central defensive pairing,
promotion or relegation. Mark Jackson arrived unheralded as and the Mariners even dealt with the
Fast-forward to 2023-24, and the his replacement, via an unconvincing enforced absence of their top scorer
Mariners are the toast of the game stint at MK Dons, and lost his first Angel Torres, who was arrested during
Down Under, having completed a four games. But from that point on, the run-in. The conveyor belt of young
remarkable treble of Premiership, they barely looked back, clinching talent shored up off-season departures,
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and continued
to make the club SEASON’S
money in the BEST
transfer market.
Beaten Grand
Finalists Melbourne PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Victory had a Josh Nisbet
much-improved (Central Coast Mariners)
campaign after last Only 5ft 2ins tall, but a shift
from defensive to attacking
season’s disaster,
midfield has greatly benefitted
with veteran Bruno the academy graduate as he
Fornaroli netting 18 contributed ten league assists.
goals and earning a
recall to Australia’s NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Asian Cup squad Clayton Taylor
in January. (Newcastle Jets)
Wellington The former Sydney FC junior
Phoenix missed Star midfielder excelled in his maiden A-League
out on what would …Josh Nisbet campaign in a struggling Jets
team, contributing seven
have been a first goals from the left wing.
Grand Final after losing to Victory in the scorers with 52 goals. Unfortunately,
semi-finals, but they were undoubtedly they leaked even more at the other end, COACH OF THE SEASON
the surprise package in their first season and so missed out on the play-offs. Mark Jackson
under the unassuming Giancarlo Italiano. Bright young star Nestory Irankunda (Central Coast Mariners)
Striker Kosta Barbarouses in particular departs to take on a new challenge You can’t do much more than win
was reborn, and over 33,000 fans left with Bayern Munich next season. three trophies in your first season.
disappointed at the end of the home Brisbane Roar went through four Thoughtful and tactically astute,
leg of the Victory tie. coaches in one season, which ensured he wrung every drop out of a
Sydney FC, Macarthur and Melbourne their early promise (after reaching the team that criss-crossed Asia while
keeping the home fires burning.
City were the other teams to reach the Australia Cup final, won by Sydney FC),
finals courtesy of finising in the top six.evaporated, while Newcastle Jets
Having joined in 2020, Macarthur continued to be bedevilled by
are the league’s newest members and ownership issues, and never really who netted 20 goals for the bottom club.
enjoyed their best season to date on the looked likely to make the finals. Off-field, the A-League continues its
Western precarious, hand-to-mouth existence.
United avoided The collapse of “Keep Up” – the online
The Mariners’ achievements were the wooden app set up (at considerable cost) by the
made all the more praiseworthy by spoon, and league’s umbrella group APL – has
the fact that they lost half of their finally moved once again left the league in dire
into a new financial straits.
team from last year’s title success home (although It is rumoured the central financial
not the one distribution to the clubs next season may
pitch, finishing fifth in the league and they promised – yet), as they opened be as low as $500,000 for the year. With
also reaching the knockout stages of a training base at Tarneit. Meanwhile a salary floor of over AUS$2 million,
the AFC Cup. However, they do now Perth Glory, another club beset by some clubs may find it hard to continue
have some off-field issues to contend ownership problems, finished last to without new revenue streams.
with after several of their players were earn a second wooden spoon in three Still, the A-League ploughs defiantly
implicated in a betting scandal. seasons, despite having the league’s on. Auckland FC will become the 13th
Sydney FC were revitalised after Golden Boot winner Adam Taggart, club to enter the league next season,
replacing Steve Corica with Ufuk Talay in Newcastle Jets
the dugout. Former Nottingham Forest finally have new
midfielder Joe Lolley was inspirational, owners after a
and they ran the Mariners close in the three-year wait,
Triumphant…Central other semi-final. and the league
Coast Mariners are Melbourne City couldn’t deal with a continues to
crowned A-League
champions for 2024 number of departures quite as well as produce some
the Mariners, but rallied to make the six. fine young talent
Tolgay Arslan was the pick of their new – which will now
recruits, with the former Udinese man be the roadmap
notching 19 goals in all competitions. for most clubs in
Western Sydney Wanderers fell these financially-
short of the finals once again – a straitened times.
disappointing end to a campaign that In that regard,
promised so much, and coach Marko the Central Coast
Rudan quit for personal reasons soon Mariners – like
after their season ended. Title-winning they were on the
coach…Mark
Adelaide United were the great Jackson
field – are the
entertainers, and were joint-top benchmark.
WORLD SOCCER 97
Neymar was ruled out for the season
Saudi Arabia early on just as he was settling in, but
Aleksandar Mitrovic enjoyed himself and
scored 28 league goals, linking up well
JOHN DUERDEN with fellow Serbian Sergej Milinkovic-
Savic as well as Ruben Neves. Al Hilal
Al Hilal sweep to
scored 101 goals in 34 games and
conceded just 23 with Morocco’s Yassine
Bounou solid in goal, behind Koulibaly as
well as a healthy proportion of the Saudi
another Saudi crown

The first edition of the Saudi Pro League’s glamorous
Arabia national team, including Asian
Player of the Year Salem Al Dawsari.
Al Nassr in second scored just one
fewer goal but the difference was the 42
conceded. Compared to Hilal, Luis Castro
– another coach from Portugal – and his
new era ends with a familiar title winner team seemed more reliant on the stars
doing something special compared to
n the end, the Saudi victors over Al Nassr, it was clear the well-oiled Hilal set-up. Ronaldo was
I
Pro League season where the trophy was going. In the still the biggest name and while the
didn’t quite live up to end, the Blues, led by Portuguese 39-year-old could not quite deliver the
the excitement that coach Jorge Jesus, won with a margin league he did set a new goalscoring
fans felt last summer of 14 points. In the meantime, they also Runners-up record with 35 for the season, beating
…Ronaldo’s
when a host of world embarked on a world-record winning- Al Nassr were a Abderrazak Hamdallah’s five-year-old
famous names arrived. Neymar, Karim streak of 34 games in all competitions. distant second haul by one.
Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Roberto As well as two suspensions (one for an
Firmino, Riyad Mahrez, Ruben Neves, elbow and one for a gesture at fans who
Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane and had been chanting Lionel Messi’s name
others all joined Cristiano Ronaldo in his direction), it was a roller-coaster
in the Kingdom, but it soon became season for the five-time Ballon d’Or
apparent that there wasn’t going to winner. There were some fabulous goals
be much of a title race. and four hat-tricks but it literally ended
Al Hilal were already a winning in tears after a penalty-shootout loss to
machine with 18 league titles and four Hilal in the King’s Cup final on May 31.
Asian Championships – both records – The desire to win still burns brightly.
and quickly hit their stride. In the Riyadh Al Ahli will be delighted with third and
derby in early December, it was first v also being the best supported club with
second but when Hilal ran out 3-0 an average attendance close to 25,000,
Saudi champions
…Neymar lifts
Al Hilal’s trophy
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around three times the average for

the entire league. The fourth of the United Arab Emirates
“Big Four”, along with Jeddah rivals
Al Ittihad and the Riyadh pair, that
had been taken over by the country’s JOHN DUERDEN
Public Investment Fund in 2023 were
Relegation disaster
led by the impressive Mahrez and
Allan Saint-Maximin. Roberto Firmino
struggled at times but the ex-Liverpool
star still scored nine while the top scorer
was Firas Al Buraikan, with the Saudi
striker bagging 17 to be the leading
local goal-getter in the league.
The biggest disappointments were
for Iniesta
Spanish legend endures torrid season with latest club
Al Ittihad. The defending champions
conceded just 13 goals last season
and then added Benzema, Kante and
Emirates, as Al Wasl sweep to the UAE Pro League title
Fabinho. It didn’t work out. In November,
Nuno Espirito Santo was gone, Benzema
had flashes but struggled with injuries
and the Tigers slumped into fifth. At
ew
the time of writing, it seems unlikely
that Argentine coach Marcelo Gallardo
vi
will be at the helm next season.

Re
For the rest, it was always going to

be difficult to challenge the cashed-up
quartet. Six-time champions Al Shabab
complained about not having the
resources of the Big Four and
struggled to eighth.
The most impressive performers had
to be Al Taawoun, who finished fourth
under Brazilian boss Pericles Chamusca.
There were many eyes on Ettifaq.
Under Steven Gerrard, the Easterners
from Dammam started well and then
went on a run of one win in 12, which
had the Englishman in trouble. The
club stood by their man and Ettifaq
eventually took a decent sixth-place l Wasl may have Bad year…Iniesta finished nine points clear of Shabab Al
at his unveiling in
A
finish – despite the departure of Jordan won the United Arab Ahli. In third were Al Ain, who may have
August last year
Henderson – but the challenge is to Emirates league title been distracted by winning the Asian
break into the top four next time. by some distance, Champions League in May. They will be
That certainly won’t be easy. but the headlines back there next season but it remains
were more focused to be seen where Andres Iniesta will
on what happened at the other end be when it all kicks off again.
SEASON’S of the table as Andres Iniesta was
BEST relegated with Emirates.
It wasn’t even that close in the end SEASON’S
as the club looked doomed for some BEST
PLAYER OF THE SEASON time. The Barcelona legend surprised
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Has to be after setting a new many by heading to the Middle East
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
scoring record of 35 league last summer after five years in Japan Omar Khrbin (Al Wahda)
goals, even if it wasn’t enough with Vissel Kobe who, ironically, went The Syria forward scored 19 goals
to give Al Nassr the title. on to clinch their first-ever J. League for Al Wahda, not far from half of
title four months after Iniesta’s exit. their entire tally for the season.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Emirates struggled from the get-go
Abdulmalik Al Oyayari and won just four games out of 26 in NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
(Al Taawoun) the season. Iniesta played most of them Adama Diallo (Al Wasl)
The 20-year-old midfielder or and contributed a decent return of five The 21-year-old Ivorian forward
right-back played a big part in goals. rattled home seven goals in just ten
Al Taawoun’s successful season. starts for the Emirati champions.
There has been talk of the club
COACH OF THE SEASON offering him a coaching role. One thing COACH OF THE SEASON
Pericles Chamsuca (Al Taawoun) is for sure: Iniesta – out of contract this Milos Milojevic (Al Wasl)
Led the unfashionable Al Taawoun summer – isn’t going to be playing in Just 41, the Serbian led Al Wasl to
into fourth on a budget that pales the second division next season. a first league title since 2007 and
alongside Saudi Arabia’s Big Four. Al Wasl won their first title in 17 years delivered the President’s Cup too.
and it was a deserved triumph as they
WORLD SOCCER 99
South America
TIM VICKERY
Brazilian clubs eye

Copa number six
As the Copa Libertadores group stage concludes,
a sixth consecutive Brazilian winner is looking likely
te
da
Up
fff
ears that the Flamengo had to dig themselves Knockout round the standout sides, cruising
opponents…
F
Copa Libertadores out of a hole after picking up just through with barely a problem.
Gremio will take
has already become one point from their three away on Libertadores The balance of forces may have
a glorified version of games, yet did so with ease, while holders Fluminense changed slightly by the time the
the Brazilian Cup Sao Paulo shrugged off an awkward in the last16 knockout games are played in
were thoroughly start to make it safely through. the middle of August, but the
confirmed by the group phase of Perhaps the clearest example probability is that the transfer
this year’s competition. of Brazilian dominance came from window will strengthen most of
All seven Brazilian clubs made it reigning champions Fluminense, who the Brazilians still further. And with
through to the last 16 for the knockout were rarely convincing in any of their only two all-Brazilian clashes in the
rounds. Botafogo and Gremio even lost group games but still came through second round, there is the chance
their opening two matches but still unbeaten and in considerable comfort. that the country could supply five
made the cut with a game to spare. Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras were of the quarter-finalists.
100 WORLD SOCCER

WORLD SERVICE
The Libertadores was once seen

as a competition where Argentina
held sway, but those days are gone.
the outstanding result of the entire
group phase.
The traditional Uruguayan pair
Paraguayan
underdogs
Estudiantes and Rosario Central failed of Penarol and Nacional also made
to make the cut, and San Lorenzo the cut – the first time the country
sneaked unimpressively into the last has had two teams in the last 16
16. Talleres and River Plate looked far since 2009. But it was a blank year
better, and were drawn together in the
next round, ensuring the presence of
at least one team from Argentina in
for Paraguay and Ecuador, the two
countries that have been punching
hardest above their weight. Cerro
light up Copa
the last eight.
River were always seen as
the most likely challengers to the
Porteno came close (losing out
to Colo-Colo only on the number
of away goals), but there is no
Sudamericana
Brazilians. They finished the group Paraguayan side in the last 16 for Sportivo Ameliano help to limit
phase with the best statistical record the first time since 2008. And no
in the field, and, should they keep Ecuadorians for the first time since Brazilian and Argentine dominance
progressing, will not meet opposition 2018, though both Independiente
from Brazil until the semi-finals. del Valle and Liga of Quito (or LDU)
The winners of River v Talleres will can consider themselves unfortunate.
te
take on whoever makes it through from They are the last two winners of the
da
the clash of outsiders, where Chile’s Copa Sudamericana, and they now
Up
Colo-Colo, who just managed to haul go into this year’s version of that
themselves over the line, face Junior competition.
from Colombia, whose dangerous There was no joy for Venezuela
counter-attack stood out as they went and Peru, whose teams were all
unbeaten through the group phase. eliminated in the group phase,
respectively,
for the
With only two all-Brazilian clashes seventh
in the second round, there is the and 11th
chance that the country could consecutive
campaign.
supply five of the quarter-finalists The teams Upset…Sportivo While six countries have representatives
from these Ameliano celebrate left standing in the Libertadores, eight
during their vital
For the first time since 2017, two two countries all finished bottom win v Athletico (all bar Peru and Venezuela) still have
Bolivian teams made it through – and of their groups. But there is a Paranaense an interest in the Sudamericana –
the fact that both play at extreme difference. Brushed aside with of Brazil although that will likely be whittled
altitude will be a worry to future ease, the Venezuelans are getting down during July’s play-off round.
opponents, especially Flamengo who weaker, whereas the Peruvians are Only the eight group winners get
may have to face the two of them on at least showing signs of becoming automatic tickets to the knockout
the way to the semi-finals. In addition more competitive. But with all of phase proper in August. Before then,
to maximum points in La Paz, Bolivar their representatives also eliminated the teams that finished second will
and The Strongest also showed from the Copa Sudamericana, have a home-and-away meeting with
strength on their travels – Bolivar’s international competition for the group stage’s third-placed clubs
4-0 victory away to an otherwise Peru and Venezuela came to coming out of the Libertadores.
impressive Palestino of Chile was a premature end in May. Predictably, Brazil and Argentina
have dominated the competition so far,
providing six of the eight group winners.
The talent pool is now widened by a
strong contingent from the Libertadores
from Ecuador and Paraguay. Of the 24
teams still standing, Brazil and Argentina
(with seven and five respectively) provide
half, while Ecuador have four.
Colombia’s Independiente
Medellin topped a group without a
Brazilian presence. And the story of
the competition so far is that of little
Sportivo Ameliano from Paraguay, a
club that has only been in its country’s
top flight since 2022. They came through
the domestic phase of the Sudamericana
with a memorable win over local giants
Olimpia – and, in their first international
adventure, went on to clinch first place
in their group with an even more
memorable last-day win away to
Impressive…The Strongest of Bolivia topped Group C ahead of Gremio on goals scored Athletico Paranaense of Brazil.
WORLD SOCCER 101

Local teacher Lukeson Sifix, who
Palau recently took over as president of the
Palau FA (PFA), says: “We will not be
able to host any tournament until the
STEVE MENARY renovation of the track and field is
complete, because this is the venue
we always used. But for now we will
Palau soldier try to find any available gym to use

and play futsal to keep us active.”
The PFA hopes to get a league
started at the stadium in the autumn.
on alone The number of teams will depend on

the amount of available expats, who
have previously helped keep the sport
going. Many expats have left Palau,
The isolated Pacific nation faces a long and but former US ambassador John
lonely battle to improve football on the island Hennessey-Niland has been helping
out with the PFA’s organisation.
Under the previous president
Leif Toribiong, the PFA did reach out
for some form of regional affiliation
only to be rebuffed. Eschewing the
Oceania Football Confederation –
as another Pacific territory, Northern
Mariana, also did – the PFA made
contact with the Asian Football
Confederation but were knocked
back in March 2023.
“PFA did apply for membership
to AFC and they did reply to our
request,” says Toribiong. “[They said
that the] PFA still needs to work
on a few things on programme
and grow our local membership.
“[The AFC requested an] internal
organisation chart and employee
job description for PFA. I know our
Articles of Incorporation break down
what our four officers – president,
vice president, secretary and
treasurer – and board members’
responsibilities are in our organisation.
“I wrote to AFC that we only have
he tiny island Breaking ground for Palau, where the local football those members on the board and
…work at Palau’s
T
of Palau is association was hit by the departure no one else employed with our
football stadium
one of only of former president Charles Mitchell organisation. We are just volunteers
a handful and then the COVID-19 pandemic. The who want to play football and don’t
of officially league stopped and an annual general have a lot of money for hiring
recognised countries meeting could not be held in 2022 professionals of any kind. The AFC
still languishing outside of FIFA, but due to lack of members. also wanted to know how many official
there are signs that organised football A two-day school tournament for coaches and referees are in the PFA.
could be resurrected later this year. I told them
Located in the North Pacific, we have
south east of the Philippines, Palau “We are just volunteers who want to play none. PFA
is comprised of an archipelago of half football and don’t have a lot of money for hiring never had
a dozen island groups comprising a real coach
more than 300 islands.
professionals of any kind. The AFC also wanted and no one
What football activity there to know how many official coaches and referees had official
has been has come out of Koror, are in the Palau FA. I told them we have none” training or
where around half of the 22,000 Former Palau FA president Leif Toribiong certification
population live. Palau sent a football to be a
side to the Micronesian Games with referee.
some success, finishing third in 1998 eight to 12-year-olds has been held I’m not sure what AFC wants us
and 2018 and runners up in 2014, annually and a revived league was due to do about it.”
but this year’s games in the Marshall to begin in January 2024 only to be Outside help might provide a
Islands will not include football. delayed by a $1.1 million renovation of stimulus, but that looks unlikely to
Football’s inclusion at the Games Koror’s main stadium, which is being come from any of football’s official
might have provided some impetus financed by the Taiwanese government. bodies as Palau soldier on alone.
102 WORLD SOCCER

RESULTS, TABLES, FIXTURES
Club Football ANDORRA
UE Santa Coloma (C)

Inter Club d’Escalades
Atletic Club d’Escalades
P
27
27
27
W
20
20
19
D
6
3
3
L
1
4
5
F
57
66
71
A
12
16
21
Pts
66
63
60
BELGIUM
Regular Season
P
Union Saint-Gilloise 30
Anderlecht 30
W
21
18
D
7
9
2
L
3
F
63
58
A
31
30
Pts
70
63
EUROPE May 4 – Oxford

Oxford United 1 (Moore 53)
Peterborough United 0
FC Santa Coloma
Penya Encarnada
27
27
19
13
2
5
6
9
64
45
23
34
59
44
Antwerp
Club Brugge 30
30 14
14
10
9
6
7
55
62
27
29
52
51
Ordino 27 10 6 11 33 29 36 Cercle Brugge 30 14 5 11 44 34 47
2023-24 FA CUP
Pas de la Casa 27 3 9 15 24 46 18 Genk 30 12 11 7 51 31 47
Semi-Final – 2nd Leg Esperanca 27 4 2 21 27 81 14 Gent 30 12 11 7 53 38 47
Final Carroi* (R) 27 3 4 20 19 77 13 Mechelen 30 13 6 11 39 34 45
May 7 – Bolton Atletic America (R) 27 3 2 22 22 89 11 Sint-Truiden 30 10 10 10 35 46 40
May 25 – Wembley Bolton Wanderers 2 (Collins 43, Toal 45+1) *Enter promotion-relegation play-off Standard Liege 30 8 10 12 33 41 34
Manchester City 1 (Doku 87) Barnsley 3 (Cosgrove 36, 75, Phillips 64) Westerlo 30 7 9 14 42 54 30
Manchester United 2 (Garnacho 30, Bolton Wanderers win 5-4 on aggregate Promotion-Relegation Play-Off OH Leuven 30 7 8 15 34 47 29
Mainoo 39) May 25: Ranger’s 0-1 Carroi Sporting Charleroi 30 7 8 15 26 48 29
May 8 – Peterborough May 29: Carroi 0-2 Ranger’s (agg 1-2, AET) AS Eupen 30 7 3 20 24 58 24
Peterborough United 1 (Knight 41) Kortrijk 30 6 6 18 22 57 24
2023-24 SCOTTISH CUP Oxford United 1 (Brannagan 45+3 pen) RWDM 30 5 8 17 31 67 23
Oxford United win 2-1 on aggregate ARMENIA • Top six advance to championship round, teams
Final
P W D L F A Pts 7th to 12th enter European play-offs, bottom four
Final Pyunik (C) 36 24 10 2 84 28 82 enter relegation round. Points obtained during
May 25 – Glasgow
Noah 36 26 2 8 69 33 80 regular season halved and rounded up for
Celtic 1 (Idah 90) May 18 – Wembley Ararat-Armenia 36 23 6 7 73 34 75 championship round and European play-offs,
Rangers 0 Bolton Wanderers 0 Urartu 36 13 11 12 49 49 50 but carried over in full for relegation round
Oxford United 2 (Murphy 31, 42) Alashkert 36 13 6 17 54 56 45
2023-24 GERMAN CUP Ararat Yerevan 36 13 6 17 39 50 45 Championship Round
League Two West Armenia 36 11 4 21 43 73 37 P W D L F A Pts
Shirak 36 8 9 19 28 46 33 Club Brugge (C) 40 21 12 7 83 35 50
Final Semi-Final – 1st Leg
Van* 36 8 8 20 32 67 32 Union Saint-Gilloise 40 25 9 6 80 43 49
BKMA (R) 36 7 6 23 32 67 27 Anderlecht 40 22 11 7 70 42 46
May 25 – Berlin May 6 – Crewe
*Enter promotion-relegation play-off Cercle Brugge 40 17 9 14 57 47 37
Kaiserslautern 0 Crewe Alexandra 0
Genk* 40 16 12 12 59 48 37
Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Xhaka 16) Doncaster Rovers 2 (Molyneux 34, Biggins 48)
Antwerp 40 16 10 14 62 45 32
AUSTRIA *Advance to European play-off final
May 7 – Crawley Regular Season
2023-24 FRENCH CUP Crawley Town 3 (Kelly 5, Williams 45+1, P W D L F A Pts European Play-Offs
Darcy 65) Red Bull Salzburg 22 15 5 2 45 12 50 P W D L F A Pts
Final MK Dons 0 Sturm Graz 22 13 7 2 37 15 46 Gent* 40 20 11 9 80 48 48
LASK 22 9 8 5 26 18 35 Mechelen 40 18 7 15 59 52 39
May 25 – Lille Semi-Final – 2nd Leg Austria Klagenfurt 22 8 10 4 29 27 34 Sint-Truiden 40 13 14 13 49 61 33
Lyon 1 (O’Brien 55) Hartberg 22 9 7 6 33 28 34 OH Leuven 40 11 11 18 46 59 30
Paris Saint-Germain 2 (Dembele 22, Fabian 34) May 10 – Doncaster Rapid Vienna 22 8 9 5 38 21 33 Westerlo 40 9 12 19 59 74 24
Doncaster Rovers 0 Austria Vienna 22 9 6 7 25 22 33 Standard Liege 40 8 15 17 45 68 22
Crewe Alexandra 2 (Demetriou 6, Maxwell 16 og) Wolfsberger 22 8 6 8 29 32 30
2023-24 PORTUGUESE CUP *Advance to European play-off final
After Extra-Time. 2-2 on aggregate Rheindorf Altach 22 4 7 11 17 30 19
Crewe Alexandra win 4-3 on penalties Blau-Weiss Linz 22 4 7 11 22 38 19 Relegation Round
Final Tirol 22 4 2 16 20 42 14 P W D L F A Pts
May 11 – Milton Keynes Austria Lustenau 22 2 4 16 13 49 10 Sporting Charleroi 36 12 9 15 37 52 45
May 26 – Lisbon MK Dons 1 (Dean 45+1) • Top six advance to championship round, bottom Kortrijk* 36 8 7 21 29 67 31
Porto 2 (Evanilson 25, Taremi 100 pen) Crawley Town 5 (Williams 3, Orsi 30, 48, six enter relegation round with points obtained RWDM (R) 36 7 9 20 39 76 30
Sporting 1 (St Juste 20) 90+2, Roles 80) during regular season halved and rounded down AS Eupen (R) 36 8 4 24 29 66 28
After Extra-Time Crawley Town win 8-1 on aggregate
*Enter promotion-relegation play-off
Championship Round
Final P W D L F A Pts Promotion-Relegation Play-Off
2023-24 EFL PLAY-OFFS Sturm Graz (C) 32 19 10 3 56 23 44
May 19 – Wembley Red Bull Salzburg 32 20 7 5 74 29 42 May 19: Lommel 0-1 Kortrijk
Championship Crewe Alexandra 0 LASK 32 14 10 8 43 33 34 May 26: Kortrijk 4-2 Lommel (agg 5-2, AET)
Crawley Town 2 (Orsi 41, L. Kelly 85) Rapid Vienna 32 11 12 9 47 35 28
Semi-Final – 1st Leg European Play-Off Final
Hartberg* 32 12 9 11 49 52 28
Austria Klagenfurt 32 9 12 11 40 50 22
May 12 – Norwich Final Tables 2023-24 *Advance to European play-offs Jun 2: Genk 0-1 Gent
Norwich City 0
Leeds United 0 ALBANIA Relegation Round
Regular Season
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
P W D L F A Pts
May 12 – West Bromwich P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts
Wolfsberger* 32 12 10 10 41 39 31
West Bromwich Albion 0 Egnatia* (C) 36 18 9 9 51 38 63 Borac Banja Luka (C) 33 24 6 3 68 26 78
Austria Vienna* 32 12 10 10 35 34 29
Southampton 0 Partizani* 36 17 12 7 51 29 63 Zrinjski Mostar 33 24 4 5 76 27 76
Blau-Weiss Linz 32 7 11 14 33 48 22
Vllaznia* 36 16 11 9 41 34 59 Velez Mostar 33 16 11 6 50 28 59
Rheindorf Altach 32 6 13 13 27 40 21
Semi-Final – 2nd Leg Skenderbeu* 36 15 6 15 37 39 51 Sarajevo* 33 16 8 9 57 38 53
Tirol 32 7 5 20 29 55 19
Tirana 36 13 11 12 56 49 50 Posusje 33 13 9 11 35 29 48
Austria Lustenau (R) 32 4 9 19 22 58 16
May 16 – Leeds Teuta 36 13 11 12 36 35 50 Zeljeznicar 33 13 4 16 35 36 43
*Advance to European play-offs Sloga Doboj 33 13 3 17 37 50 42
Leeds United 4 (Gruev 7, Piroe 20, Rutter 40, Dinamo City 36 13 8 15 42 43 47
Summerville 68) Siroki Brijeg 33 11 6 16 37 45 39
Laci** 36 10 16 10 37 31 46 European Play-Offs GOSK Gabela 33 8 10 15 38 64 34
Norwich City 0 Erzeni (R) 36 7 11 18 29 57 32
Leeds United win 4-0 on aggregate Kukesi (R) 36 6 9 21 31 56 27 Semi-Final Igman Konjic 33 9 6 18 40 67 33
*Advance to finals stage Tuzla City (R) 33 7 6 20 45 69 27
May 17 – Southampton **Enter promotion-relegation play-off May 21: Wolfsberger 1-2 Austria Vienna Zvijezda 09 (R) 33 6 3 24 33 72 21
Southampton 3 (Smallbone 49, *Deducted 3 points
A. Armstrong 78, 86 pen) Promotion-Relegation Play-Off Final
West Bromwich Albion 1 (Kipre 90+7)
Southampton win 3-1 on aggregate May 24: Austria Vienna 2-1 Hartberg BULGARIA
May 19: Laci 3-1 Flamurtari (AET) Regular Season
May 28: Hartberg 0-1 Austria Vienna (agg 1-3)
P W D L F A Pts
Final Finals Stage Ludogorets 30 24 3 3 78 15 75
Semi-Finals
AZERBAIJAN CSKA Sofia 30 19 6 5 50 19 63
May 26 – Wembley
P W D L F A Pts Cherno More 30 18 8 4 47 25 62
Leeds United 0
May 17-19: Partizani 1-0 Skenderbeu; Egnatia Qarabag (C) 36 26 5 5 97 37 83 Lokomotiv Plovdiv 30 16 7 7 50 34 55
Southampton 1 (A. Armstrong 24)
0-0 Vllaznia (Egnatia advance as higher seeds) Zira 36 16 10 10 33 22 58 Levski Sofia 30 16 6 8 45 26 54
Sabah 36 17 7 12 50 40 58 Krumovgrad 30 12 8 10 35 35 44
League One Sumgayit 36 15 12 9 37 38 57 Botev Plovdiv 30 12 8 10 47 33 44
Third Place Play-Off
Semi-Final – 1st Leg Neftchi Baku 36 16 8 12 51 40 56 CSKA1948 30 11 10 9 30 26 43
May 24: Skenderbeu 3-2 Vllaznia Turan Tovuz 36 13 9 14 53 53 48 Arda 30 11 6 13 32 32 39
May 3 – Barnsley Sabail 36 11 9 16 50 60 42 Slavia Sofia 30 9 6 15 28 45 33
Barnsley 1 (Cosgrove 75) Final Araz Naxcivan 36 9 9 18 31 50 36 Beroe 30 9 6 15 24 42 33
Bolton Wanderers 3 (Charles 23, 53 pen, Kapaz 36 9 8 19 39 67 35 Pirin Blagoevgrad 30 7 9 14 23 41 30
Williams 90+4) May 26: Partizani 0-1 Egnatia Gabala (R) 36 7 5 24 30 64 26 Hebar 30 8 6 16 32 44 30
WORLD SOCCER 103

Lokomotiv Sofia 30 8 4 18 22 56 28 Karmiotissa 40 10 10 20 58 77 40 Championship Round Union Berlin 34 9 6 19 33 58 33

Botev Vratsa 30 6 4 20 22 53 22 Doxa Katokopias (R) 40 10 5 25 34 77 35 P W D L F A Pts Bochum* 34 7 12 15 42 74 33
Etar 30 3 5 22 17 56 14 Othellos Athienou (R) 40 8 9 23 48 77 33 Midtjylland (C) 32 19 6 7 62 43 63 Cologne (R) 34 5 12 17 28 60 27
• Top six advance to championship round, teams AEZ Zakakiou (R) 40 2 12 26 40 100 18 Brondby 32 18 8 6 60 35 62 Darmstadt (R) 34 3 8 23 30 86 17
7th to 10th enter European round, bottom six Copenhagen* 32 18 5 9 64 38 59 *Enter promotion-relegation play-off
enter relegation round with points obtained Nordsjaelland 32 16 10 6 60 34 58
during regular season carried over in full AGF Aarhus 32 11 11 10 42 46 44 Promotion-Relegation Play-Off
CZECH REPUBLIC
Regular Season Silkeborg 32 10 6 16 39 50 36
Championship Round *Advance to European play-off May 23: Bochum 0-3 Fortuna Dusseldorf
P W D L F A Pts
P W D L F A Pts May 27: Fortuna Dusseldorf 0-3 Bochum
Sparta Prague 30 24 4 2 70 26 76
Ludogorets (C) 35 26 4 5 87 24 82 Relegation Round (agg 3-3, AET, Bochum win 6-5 on pens)
Slavia Prague 30 22 6 2 62 23 72
Cherno More 35 22 9 4 56 26 75 Viktoria Plzen 30 19 5 6 67 33 62 P W D L F A Pts
CSKA Sofia* 35 20 7 8 56 27 67 Banik Ostrava 30 13 6 11 48 39 45 Randers* 32 10 11 11 41 49 41
Levski Sofia 35 19 7 9 50 30 64 Viborg 32 11 7 14 38 48 40
GIBRALTAR
Mlada Boleslav 30 12 8 10 50 46 44 Regular Season
Lokomotiv Plovdiv 35 17 7 11 53 44 58 Slovacko 30 11 8 11 39 40 41 Vejle 32 9 9 14 32 36 36
P W D L F A Pts
Krumovgrad 35 13 10 12 45 45 49 Slovan Liberec 30 10 10 10 46 46 40 Lyngby 32 9 9 14 39 53 36
Lincoln Red Imps 20 17 1 2 63 12 52
*Advance to European play-off Sigma Olomouc 30 10 7 13 40 45 37 OB Odense (R) 32 8 8 16 37 48 32
St Joseph’s 20 16 2 2 49 15 50
Hradec Kralove 30 9 10 11 32 38 37 Hvidovre (R) 32 4 8 20 27 61 20
Bruno’s Magpies 20 13 3 4 52 28 42
European Round Teplice 30 9 9 12 31 40 36 *Advance to European play-off
Mons Calpe 20 8 5 7 31 28 29
P W D L F A Pts Bohemians1905 30 8 11 11 29 40 35 Manchester 62 20 9 1 10 39 41 28
CSKA1948* 36 13 13 10 35 30 52 Jablonec 30 6 12 12 35 45 30 European Play-Off
Europa Point 20 8 4 8 27 22 28
Arda 36 14 9 13 39 35 51 Pardubice 30 7 7 16 29 42 28 Lynx 20 8 3 9 29 31 27
Botev Plovdiv 36 12 9 15 50 42 45 Karvina 30 6 7 17 30 52 25 May 31: Copenhagen 2-1 Randers
Europa 20 6 2 12 25 34 20
Slavia Sofia 36 12 7 17 35 51 43 Zlin 30 5 10 15 36 61 25 Glacis United 20 5 1 14 21 47 16
*Advance to European play-off Ceske Budejovice 30 6 6 18 34 62 24 Lions Gibraltar 20 3 4 13 16 50 13
• Top six advance to championship round, teams ENGLAND
College1975 20 3 2 15 21 65 11
European Play-Off 7th to 10th enter European play-offs, bottom P W D L F A Pts
• Top six advance to championship round with
six enter relegation round with points obtained Man City (C) 38 28 7 3 96 34 91
May 31: CSKA Sofia 0-2 CSKA 1948 points obtained during regular season carried
during regular season carried over in full Arsenal 38 28 5 5 91 29 89
over in full
Liverpool 38 24 10 4 86 41 82
Relegation Round Aston Villa 38 20 8 10 76 61 68
Championship Round Championship Round
P W D L F A Pts Tottenham 38 20 6 12 74 61 66
P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts
Beroe 35 12 6 17 30 46 42 Chelsea 38 18 9 11 77 63 63
Sparta Prague (C) 35 27 6 2 82 30 87 Lincoln Red Imps (C) 25 21 2 2 86 15 65
Lokomotiv Sofia 35 11 6 18 30 58 39 Newcastle 38 18 6 14 85 62 60
Slavia Prague 35 26 7 2 76 24 85 St Joseph’s 25 20 3 2 62 16 63
Hebar 35 9 7 19 35 49 34 Man United 38 18 6 14 57 58 60
Viktoria Plzen 35 21 7 7 76 40 70 Bruno’s Magpies 25 14 4 7 55 36 46
Botev Vratsa* 35 9 6 20 28 56 33 West Ham 38 14 10 14 60 74 52
Banik Ostrava 35 14 7 14 56 48 49 Europa Point 25 10 5 10 32 31 35
Pirin Blagoevgrad (R) 35 7 11 17 26 48 32 Crystal Palace 38 13 10 15 57 58 49
Mlada Boleslav* 35 13 8 14 51 59 47 Mons Calpe 25 9 6 10 37 39 33
Etar (R) 35 3 8 24 22 66 17 Brighton 38 12 12 14 55 62 48
Slovacko 35 12 8 15 45 56 44 Manchester 62 25 9 2 14 44 64 29
*Enter promotion-relegation play-off Bournemouth 38 13 9 16 54 67 48
*Advance to European play-off final
Fulham 38 13 8 17 55 61 47
Promotion-Relegation Play-Off Wolves 38 13 7 18 50 65 46 GREECE
European Play-Offs Everton* 38 13 9 16 40 51 40 Regular Season
May 30: Botev Vratsa 1-1 Marek Dupnitsa Brentford 38 10 9 19 56 65 39 P W D L F A Pts
(AET, Botev Vratsa win 4-2 on pens) Play-Offs Nott’m Forest** 38 9 9 20 49 67 32 PAOK 26 19 3 4 66 21 60
Luton Town (R) 38 6 8 24 52 85 26 AEK Athens 26 17 8 1 60 25 59
May 5: Teplice 2-0 Slovan Liberec; Burnley (R) 38 5 9 24 41 78 24 Olympiacos 26 18 3 5 58 24 57
CROATIA Hradec Kralove 3-1 Sigma Olomouc Sheffield United (R) 38 3 7 28 35 104 16 Panathinaikos 26 17 5 4 62 21 56
P W D L F A Pts May 12: Slovan Liberec 1-2 Teplice (agg 1-4); *Deducted 8 points Aris 26 12 6 8 39 29 42
Dinamo Zagreb (C) 36 25 7 4 67 30 82 Sigma Olomouc 1-3 Hradec Kralove (agg 2-6) **Deducted 4 points Lamia 26 9 7 10 35 44 34
Rijeka 36 23 5 8 69 30 74 Asteras Tripolis 26 9 4 13 36 46 31
Hajduk Split 36 21 5 10 54 26 68 Semi-Final Atromitos 26 6 10 10 29 44 28
Osijek 36 16 9 11 62 43 57 FRANCE Panserraikos 26 6 9 11 28 45 27
Lokomotiva Zagreb 36 12 15 9 52 45 51 May 19: Teplice 0-1 Hradec Kralove P W D L F A Pts OFI 26 5 10 11 26 44 25
Varazdin 36 10 12 14 39 47 42 May 25: Hradec Kralove 2-0 Teplice (agg 3-0) PSG (C) 34 22 10 2 81 33 76 Kifisia 26 4 9 13 31 56 21
Gorica 36 11 8 17 35 50 41 Monaco 34 20 7 7 68 42 67 Panaitolikos 26 4 8 14 26 46 20
Istra1961 36 10 11 15 36 54 41 Final Brest 34 17 10 7 53 34 61 Volos 26 4 7 15 24 52 19
Slaven Belupo 36 9 6 21 43 69 33 Lille 34 16 11 7 52 34 59 PAS Giannina 26 3 9 14 25 48 18
Rudes (R) 36 1 6 29 22 85 9 Nice 34 15 10 9 40 29 55 • Top six advance to championship round, bottom
May 31: Mlada Boleslav 3-1 Hradec Kralove
Lyon 34 16 5 13 49 55 53 eight enter relegation round with points obtained
Lens 34 14 9 11 45 37 51 during regular season carried over in full
Relegation Round
CYPRUS Marseille 34 13 11 10 52 41 50
P W D L F A Pts
Regular Season Reims 34 13 8 13 42 47 47 Championship Round
Jablonec 35 9 14 12 45 50 41
P W D L F A Pts Rennes 34 12 10 12 53 46 46 P W D L F A Pts
Pardubice 35 11 7 17 39 47 40
APOEL 26 18 5 3 54 16 59 Toulouse 34 11 10 13 42 46 43 PAOK (C) 36 25 5 6 87 34 80
Bohemians1905 35 9 12 14 34 48 39
Aris Limassol 26 18 2 6 53 21 56 Montpellier* 34 10 12 12 43 48 41 AEK Athens 36 23 9 4 80 35 78
Karvina* 35 8 8 19 38 62 32
AEK Larnaca 26 15 7 4 44 26 52 Strasbourg 34 10 9 15 38 50 39 Olympiacos 36 23 5 8 78 36 74
Ceske Budejovice* 35 7 8 20 41 70 29
Pafos 26 15 5 6 48 20 50 Nantes 34 9 6 19 30 55 33 Panathinaikos 36 22 6 8 82 37 72
Zlin (R) 35 5 12 18 40 69 27
Omonia Nicosia 26 14 7 5 49 30 49 Le Havre 34 7 11 16 34 45 32 Aris 36 16 7 13 51 44 55
*Enter promotion-relegation play-offs
Anorthosis 26 14 5 7 38 23 47 Metz** (R) 34 8 5 21 35 58 29 Lamia 36 9 8 19 43 79 35
Apollon Limassol 26 10 8 8 37 27 38 Lorient (R) 34 7 8 19 43 66 29
Nea Salamis 26 10 6 10 34 39 36 Promotion-Relegation Play-Offs Clermont (R) 34 5 10 19 26 60 25 Relegation Round
AEL Limassol 26 9 3 14 34 45 30 *Deducted 1 point P W D L F A Pts
Ethnikos Achna 26 6 8 12 39 56 26 May 30: Vyskov 0-1 Karvina; **Enter promotion-relegation play-off Panserraikos 33 9 11 13 37 53 38
Karmiotissa 26 5 5 16 31 53 20 Ceske Budejovice 2-1 Taborsko Asteras Tripolis 33 11 5 17 40 55 38
AEZ Zakakiou 26 2 10 14 28 59 16 Jun 2: Karvina 1-0 Vyskov (agg 2-0); Promotion-Relegation Play-Off Panaitolikos 33 9 9 15 36 49 36
Othellos Athienou 26 3 6 17 20 52 15 Taborsko 1-1 Ceske Budejovice (agg 2-3) OFI 33 7 14 12 36 50 35
Doxa Katokopias 26 3 3 20 14 56 12 May 30: Saint-Etienne 2-1 Metz Atromitos 33 7 13 13 36 53 34
• Top six advance to championship round, bottom Jun 2: Metz 2-2 Saint-Etienne (agg 3-4, AET) Volos 33 8 9 16 36 58 33
eight enter relegation round with points obtained DENMARK Kifisia (R) 33 6 10 17 38 68 28
during regular season carried over in full Regular Season PAS Giannina (R) 33 4 11 18 33 62 23
P W D L F A Pts GERMANY
Championship Round Midtjylland 22 15 3 4 43 23 48 P W D L F A Pts
P W D L F A Pts Brondby 22 14 5 3 44 20 47 B Leverkusen (C) 34 28 6 0 89 24 90 HUNGARY
APOEL (C) 36 22 7 7 63 24 73 Copenhagen 22 14 3 5 45 23 45 Stuttgart 34 23 4 7 78 39 73 P W D L F A Pts
AEK Larnaca 36 21 10 5 57 31 73 Nordsjaelland 22 10 7 5 35 21 37 Bayern Munich 34 23 3 8 94 45 72 Ferencvaros (C) 33 23 5 5 80 30 74
Omonia Nicosia 36 20 9 7 62 37 69 AGF Aarhus 22 9 9 4 26 21 36 RB Leipzig 34 19 8 7 77 39 65 Paks 33 17 7 9 51 42 58
Aris Limassol 36 20 5 11 63 34 65 Silkeborg 22 8 3 11 28 32 27 B Dortmund 34 18 9 7 68 43 63 Puskas Akademia 33 15 10 8 60 35 55
Pafos 36 18 8 10 60 33 62 OB Odense 22 6 6 10 25 32 24 Eintracht Frankfurt 34 11 14 9 51 50 47 Fehervar 33 16 6 11 55 40 54
Anorthosis 36 15 8 13 46 42 53 Lyngby 22 6 5 11 27 39 23 Hoffenheim 34 13 7 14 66 66 46 Debrecen 33 14 6 13 49 48 48
Viborg 22 6 5 11 24 37 23 Heidenheim 34 10 12 12 50 55 42 Kecskemet 33 13 6 14 45 45 45
Relegation Round Randers 22 5 8 9 23 37 23 Werder Bremen 34 11 9 14 48 54 42 Diosgyor 33 12 9 12 50 56 45
P W D L F A Pts Vejle 22 4 7 11 19 26 19 Freiburg 34 11 9 14 45 58 42 MTK Budapest 33 12 8 13 43 62 44
Apollon Limassol 40 18 12 10 64 38 66 Hvidovre 22 2 5 15 17 45 11 Augsburg 34 10 9 15 50 60 39 Zalaegerszeg 33 12 7 14 54 60 43
AEL Limassol 40 15 9 16 61 68 54 • Top six advance to championship round, bottom Wolfsburg 34 10 7 17 41 56 37 Ujpest 33 11 4 18 45 67 37
Nea Salamis 40 14 9 17 52 61 51 six enter relegation round with points obtained Mainz 34 7 14 13 39 51 35 Kisvarda (R) 33 9 4 20 40 55 31
Ethnikos Achna 40 13 11 16 70 79 50 during regular season carried over in full B M’gladbach 34 7 13 14 56 67 34 Mezokovesd (R)33 5 6 22 31 63 21
104 WORLD SOCCER

Phase II Tikvesh 33 12 8 13 41 40 44
ISRAEL LIECHTENSTEIN
P W D L F A Pts Sileks 33 10 13 10 36 40 43
Regular Season
Petrocub Hincesti (C) 10 7 3 0 30 5 24 Brera Strumica 33 11 9 13 34 33 42
P W D L F A Pts 2023-24 Liechtenstein Cup
Sheriff Tiraspol 10 5 3 2 16 9 18 Voska Sport 33 10 12 11 37 41 42
Maccabi Tel Aviv 26 19 5 2 55 20 62
Pre-Qualifier Zimbru Chisinau 10 5 2 3 16 12 17 Rabotnicki 33 12 6 15 29 34 42
Maccabi Haifa* 26 17 6 3 55 18 55
Milsami Orhei 10 2 4 4 11 12 10 Gostivari 33 9 15 9 32 38 42
Hapoel Be’er Sheva 26 15 4 7 45 19 49
Aug 11: Triesen III 0-3 Vaduz III Balti 10 2 2 6 7 22 8 Vardar* 33 10 7 16 28 43 37
Hapoel Haifa 26 14 5 7 38 32 47
Dacia-Buiucani 10 0 4 6 6 26 4 Makedonija GP (R) 33 8 5 20 29 44 29
Maccabi Bnei Raina 26 8 10 8 27 26 34
Bnei Sakhnin** 26 7 13 6 26 31 33
Round of 16 Bregalnica (R) 33 6 10 17 27 50 28
Hapoel Jerusalem 26 8 7 11 28 33 31 *Enter promotion-relegation play-off
Aug 22-23: Ruggell 1-8 Vaduz; Schaan 1-2 MONTENEGRO
Maccabi Petah Tikva 26 8 6 12 31 48 30
Eschen/Mauren; Eschen/Mauren II 1-2 Triesen P W D L F A Pts Promotion-Relegation Play-Off
Maccabi Netanya 26 8 4 14 29 41 28
(AET); Triesen II 0-8 Triesenberg; Vaduz II Decic (C) 36 20 10 6 55 27 70
Hapoel Hadera 26 8 4 14 21 38 28 May 26: Vardar 2-0 Detonit Plachkovica
0-1 Balzers; Schaan II 6-1 Triesenberg Mornar 36 17 13 6 45 32 64
Hapoel Tel Aviv** 26 6 9 11 29 37 26
Aug 29: Ruggell II 2-0 Balzers II Buducnost 36 17 10 9 66 43 61
Beitar Jerusalem*** 26 8 6 12 34 34 25
Sep 13: Vaduz III 2-2 Eschen/Mauren III Sutjeska 36 13 14 9 46 36 53
Ashdod 26 5 7 14 20 42 22 NORTHERN IRELAND
(AET, Vaduz III win 5-4 on pens) Jezero 36 14 9 13 41 38 51
Hapoel Petah Tikva 26 3 10 13 20 39 19 P W D L F A Pts
*Deducted 2 points Petrovac 36 11 15 10 42 40 48
Quarter-Finals Arsenal Tivat 36 9 15 12 43 58 42 Larne (C) 38 27 9 2 85 21 90
**Deducted 1 point Linfield 38 26 7 5 82 40 85
***Deducted 5 points Jedinstvo* 36 8 11 17 43 56 35
Oct 24-25: Ruggell II 1-2 Triesenberg (AET); Mladost DG* (R) 36 9 7 20 37 59 34 Cliftonville 38 23 6 9 80 43 75
Vaduz III 1-6 Balzers; Schaan II 1-4 Triesen; Rudar (R) 36 7 6 23 25 54 27 Crusaders* 38 19 7 12 61 43 64
• Top six advance to championship round, bottom Eschen/Mauren 1-2 Vaduz (AET) *Enter promotion-relegation play-offs Glentoran* 38 17 9 12 74 43 60
eight enter relegation round with points obtained Coleraine* 38 12 10 16 47 69 46
during regular season carried over in full Semi-Finals Carrick Rangers* 38 15 5 18 54 72 50
Relegation Play-Offs
Dungannon Swifts 38 13 8 17 64 69 47
Apr 9: Balzers 0-5 Vaduz;
May 31: Otrant-Olympic 1-0 Mladost DG; Loughgall 38 13 6 19 60 68 45
Championship Round Triesenberg 2-0 Triesen
Podgorica 1-3 Jedinstvo Glenavon 38 11 4 23 45 70 37
P W D L F A Pts
Final Jun 4: Jedinstvo 0-0 Podgorica (agg 3-1); Ballymena United** 38 8 4 26 29 70 28
Maccabi Tel Aviv (C) 36 26 7 3 75 25 85
Mladost DG 2-2 Otrant-Olympic (agg 2-3) Newry City (R) 38 4 5 29 26 99 17
Maccabi Haifa* 36 23 7 6 75 28 74
Hapoel Be’er Sheva 36 19 4 13 55 40 61 May 8: Vaduz 5-0 Triesenberg *Enter European play-offs
Hapoel Haifa 36 18 5 13 48 47 59
**Enter promotion-relegation play-off
Maccabi Bnei Raina 36 11 11 14 38 44 44 NETHERLANDS
Bnei Sakhnin** 36 10 15 11 39 46 44 LUXEMBOURG P W D L F A Pts • Teams play each other three times
*Deducted 2 points P W D L F A Pts PSV (C) 34 29 4 1 111 21 91 (33 games in total) before league is
**Deducted 1 point Differdange 03 (C) 30 19 9 2 70 23 66 Feyenoord 34 26 6 2 92 26 84 split into a top and bottom half
Swift Hesperange 30 18 7 5 66 35 61 Twente 34 21 6 7 69 36 69
F91 Dudelange 30 19 4 7 59 36 61 AZ 34 19 8 7 70 39 65 European Play-Offs
Relegation Round Ajax 34 15 11 8 74 61 56
Progres Niederkorn 30 16 7 7 54 35 55
P W D L F A Pts
Jeunesse d’Esch 30 13 6 11 51 41 45 NEC* 34 14 11 9 68 51 53 Semi-Finals
Hapoel Jerusalem 33 12 7 14 38 39 43 Utrecht* 34 13 11 10 49 47 50
UNA Strassen 30 11 11 8 40 38 44
Maccabi Petah Tikva 33 11 7 15 44 57 40 May 1: Crusaders 3-1 Carrick Rangers;
Victoria Rosport 30 12 8 10 45 44 44 Sparta Rotterdam* 34 14 7 13 51 48 49
Maccabi Netanya 33 11 5 17 36 48 38 Go Ahead Eagles* 34 12 10 12 47 46 46
Glentoran 0-3 Coleraine
UT Petange 30 11 6 13 48 47 39
Ashdod 33 9 10 14 29 45 37 Fortuna Sittard 34 9 11 14 37 56 38
Mondorf-les-Bains 30 10 8 12 55 53 38 Final
Beitar Jerusalem* 33 11 8 14 45 40 36 Heerenveen 34 10 7 17 53 70 37
Racing Union 30 11 5 14 46 58 38
Hapoel Hadera 33 10 6 17 28 49 36 PEC Zwolle 34 9 9 16 45 67 36
Wiltz 71 30 7 12 11 43 52 33 May 1: Crusaders 3-2 Coleraine
Hapoel Tel Aviv** (R) 33 8 10 15 35 51 33 Almere City 34 7 13 14 33 59 34
Monnerich 30 8 8 14 33 57 32
Hapoel Petah Tikva (R) 33 4 12 17 25 51 24 Heracles 34 9 6 19 41 74 33
UN Kaerjeng 97* (R) 30 7 7 16 31 49 28 Promotion-Relegation Play-Off
*Deducted 5 points RKC Waalwijk 34 7 8 19 38 56 29
Fola Esch* 30 8 4 18 33 61 28
**Deducted 1 point Excelsior** (R) 34 6 11 17 50 73 29 Apr 30: Institute 1-0 Ballymena United
Marisca Mersch (R) 30 7 5 18 40 62 26
Schifflange 95 (R) 30 6 7 17 36 59 25 Volendam (R) 34 4 7 23 34 88 19 May 3: Ballymena United 2-0 Institute (agg 2-1)
*Enter promotion-relegation play-offs Vitesse*** (R) 34 6 6 22 30 74 6
*Enter European play-offs
ITALY
P W D L F A Pts
Promotion-Relegation Play-Offs **Enter promotion-relegation play-offs POLAND
***Deducted 18 points P W D L F A Pts
Inter (C) 38 29 7 2 89 22 94
Milan 38 22 9 7 76 49 75
May 31: UN Kaerjeng 97 1-3 Hostert (AET) Jagiellonia Bialystok (C) 34 18 9 7 77 45 63
Juventus 38 19 14 5 54 31 71
Jun 2: Fola Esch 2-2 Rumelange Promotion-Relegation Play-Offs Slask Wroclaw 34 18 9 7 50 31 63
Atalanta 38 21 6 11 72 42 69
(AET, Fola Esch win 4-1 on pens) Legia Warsaw 34 16 11 7 51 39 59
First Round Pogon Szczecin 34 16 7 11 59 38 55
Bologna 38 18 14 6 54 32 68
Lech Poznan 34 14 11 9 47 41 53
Roma 38 18 9 11 65 46 63
MALTA May 13-14: Gornik Zabrze 34 15 8 11 45 41 53
Lazio 38 18 7 13 49 39 61
P W D L F A Pts NAC Breda 3-1 Roda JC; Emmen 2-2 Dordrecht; Rakow Czestochowa 34 14 10 10 54 39 52
Fiorentina 38 17 9 12 61 46 60
Hamrun Spartans (C) 26 19 5 2 61 16 62 De Graafschap 2-3 ADO Den Haag Zaglebie Lubin 34 13 8 13 43 50 47
Torino 38 13 14 11 36 36 53
Floriana 26 18 3 5 53 19 57 May 17-18: Roda JC 0-5 NAC Breda (agg 1-8); Widzew Lodz 34 13 7 14 45 46 46
Napoli 38 13 14 11 55 48 53
Sliema Wanderers 26 14 8 4 34 12 50 Dordrecht 0-1 Emmen (agg 2-3); ADO Den Piast Gliwice 34 9 16 9 38 35 43
Genoa 38 12 13 13 45 45 49
Marsaxlokk 26 12 7 7 40 23 43 Haag 2-2 De Graafschap (agg 5-4) Stal Mielec 34 11 10 13 42 48 43
Monza 38 11 12 15 39 51 45
Birkirkara 26 9 9 8 28 27 36 Puszcza Niepolomice 34 9 13 12 39 49 40
Verona 38 9 11 18 38 51 38
Naxxar Lions 26 9 8 9 32 35 35 Semi-Finals Cracovia 34 8 15 11 45 46 39
Lecce 38 8 14 16 32 54 38
Hibernians 26 9 8 9 29 28 35 Korona Kielce 34 8 14 12 40 44 38
Udinese 38 6 19 13 37 53 37
Balzan 26 8 10 8 26 28 34 May 21-22: NAC Breda 1-1 Emmen; Radomiak Radom 34 10 8 16 41 58 38
Cagliari 38 8 12 18 42 68 36
Gzira United 26 9 6 11 38 33 33 ADO Den Haag 1-2 Excelsior Warta Poznan (R) 34 9 10 15 33 43 37
Empoli 38 9 9 20 29 54 36
Mosta 26 7 10 9 19 32 31 May 25: Emmen 0-3 NAC Breda (agg 1-4); Ruch Chorzow (R) 34 6 14 14 40 55 32
Frosinone (R) 38 8 11 19 44 69 35
Santa Lucia (R) 26 8 6 12 25 41 30 Excelsior 7-1 ADO Den Haag (agg 9-2) LKS Lodz (R) 34 6 6 22 34 75 24
Sassuolo (R) 38 7 9 22 43 75 30
Salernitana (R) 38 2 11 25 32 81 17 Valletta (R) 26 6 9 11 26 31 27
Sirens (R) 26 3 7 16 17 50 16 Final
Gudja United (R) 26 0 6 20 14 67 6 PORTUGAL
May 28: NAC Breda 6-2 Excelsior P W D L F A Pts
KOSOVO Jun 2: Excelsior 4-1 NAC Breda (agg 6-7) Sporting (C) 34 29 3 2 96 29 90
P W D L F A Pts MOLDOVA Benfica 34 25 5 4 77 28 80
Ballkani (C) 36 23 9 4 62 26 78 Phase I European Play-Offs Porto 34 22 6 6 63 27 72
Llapi 36 21 8 7 56 27 71 P W D L F A Pts Braga 34 21 5 8 71 50 68
Drita 36 19 10 7 49 27 67 Sheriff Tiraspol 14 11 1 2 35 7 34 Semi-Finals Vitoria Guimaraes 34 19 6 9 52 38 63
Malisheva 36 17 6 13 58 45 57 Petrocub Hincesti 14 8 4 2 29 7 28 Moreirense 34 16 7 11 36 35 55
Prishtina 36 11 16 9 41 32 49 Milsami Orhei 14 9 1 4 20 14 28 May 23: NEC 1-2 Go Ahead Eagles; Arouca 34 13 7 14 54 50 46
Gjilani 36 11 12 13 43 38 45 Zimbru Chisinau 14 8 1 5 17 11 25 Utrecht 3-1 Sparta Rotterdam Famalicao 34 10 12 12 37 41 42
Dukagjini 36 10 15 11 38 48 45 Balti 14 7 1 6 26 22 22 Casa Pia 34 10 8 16 38 50 38
Feronikeli* 36 12 8 16 39 47 44 Dacia-Buiucani 14 3 3 8 14 32 12 Final Farense 34 10 7 17 46 51 37
Fushe Kosova (R) 36 4 8 24 20 64 20 Floresti* 14 3 1 10 18 33 10 Rio Ave 34 6 19 9 38 43 37
Liria Prizren (R) 36 2 8 26 26 78 14 Spartanii Sportul** (R) 14 0 2 12 9 42 2 May 26: Utrecht 1-2 Go Ahead Eagles (AET) Gil Vicente 34 9 9 16 42 52 36
*Enter promotion-relegation play-off *Re-won promotion back to Super Liga via Liga 1 Estoril 34 9 6 19 49 58 33
(second tier) Phase II Estrela 34 7 12 15 33 53 33
**Failed to regain promotion back to Super Liga NORTH MACEDONIA Boavista 34 7 11 16 39 62 32
Promotion-Relegation Play-Off P W D L F A Pts Portimonense* (R) 34 8 8 18 39 72 32
• Top six advance to Super Liga Phase II with Struga (C) 33 20 4 9 56 33 64 Vizela (R) 34 5 11 18 36 66 26
Jun 1: Phase I points wiped out, bottom two enter Shkendija 33 18 10 5 55 27 64 Chaves (R) 34 5 8 21 31 72 23
Feronikeli 1-0 Prishtina e Re Liga 1 (second tier) Phase II Shkupi 33 17 11 5 42 23 62 **Enter promotion-relegation play-off
WORLD SOCCER 105

Promotion-Relegation Play-Off Promotion-Relegation Play-Offs

SERBIA SLOVENIA
Regular Season P W D L F A Pts
May 25: Portimonense 1-2 AVS May 29: Ural 0-2 Akron Tolyatti;
P W D L F A Pts Celje (C) 36 24 7 5 75 34 79
Jun 2: AVS 2-1 Portimonense (agg 4-2) Nizhny Novgorod 1-2 Arsenal Tula
Red Star Belgrade 30 25 2 3 77 22 77 Maribor 36 19 10 7 67 35 67
Jun 1: Akron Tolyatti 1-2 Ural (agg 3-2);
Partizan Belgrade 30 22 4 4 66 35 70 Olimpija Ljubljana 36 18 10 8 69 44 64
Arsenal Tula 0-2 Nizhny Novgorod (agg 2-3)
TSC Backa Topola 30 17 9 4 57 29 60 Bravo 36 12 14 10 42 42 50
ROMANIA Vojvodina 30 14 8 8 49 42 50 Koper 36 12 12 12 51 49 48
Regular Season Radnicki Kragujevac 30 16 2 12 46 46 50 Mura 36 11 10 15 42 55 43
P W D L F A Pts
SAN MARINO Cukaricki 30 13 9 8 44 33 48 Domzale 36 13 4 19 52 60 43
Regular Season
FCSB 30 19 7 4 53 28 64 Mladost Lucani 30 11 7 12 30 40 40 Rogaska (R) 36 10 6 20 37 64 36
P W D L F A Pts
Rapid Bucuresti 30 15 10 5 55 32 55 Napredak Krusevac 30 11 6 13 31 39 39 Radomlje 36 7 12 17 33 51 33
Virtus (C) 30 26 1 3 61 20 79
CFR Cluj 30 15 8 7 54 29 53 Novi Pazar 30 10 6 14 35 40 36 Aluminij (R) 36 8 7 21 37 71 31
La Fiorita* 30 25 2 3 71 18 77
Universitatea Craiova 30 13 10 7 47 38 49 Spartak Subotica 30 10 4 16 29 44 34
Tre Penne* 30 20 3 7 76 30 63
Farul Constanta 30 11 10 9 37 38 43 Radnicki Nis 30 9 6 15 33 40 33
Cosmos* 30 18 6 6 78 28 60
Sepsi 30 12 7 11 43 34 43 IMT 30 9 5 16 34 47 32 SPAIN
Murata* 30 19 2 9 56 22 59
Universitatea Cluj 30 10 12 8 35 38 42 Javor-Matis 30 9 4 17 28 45 31 P W D L F A Pts
Tre Fiori* 30 17 6 7 56 30 57
UTA Arad 30 10 10 10 36 43 40 Vozdovac 30 7 9 14 38 48 30 Real Madrid (C) 38 29 8 1 87 26 95
San Giovanni* 30 14 3 13 55 42 45
Hermannstadt 30 9 13 8 36 31 40 Zeleznicar Pancevo 30 7 5 18 34 59 26 Barcelona 38 26 7 5 79 44 85
Juvenes/Dogana* 30 14 3 13 44 47 45
Petrolul Ploiesti 30 7 14 9 29 32 35 Radnik Surdulica 30 3 8 19 19 41 17 Girona 38 25 6 7 85 46 81
Folgore* 30 11 6 13 44 37 39
Otelul Galati 30 6 16 8 31 36 34 • Top eight advance to championship round, Atletico Madrid 38 24 4 10 70 43 76
Fiorentino* 30 11 5 14 40 55 38
Politehnica Iasi 30 7 12 11 33 44 33 bottom eight enter relegation round with points Athletic Club 38 19 11 8 61 37 68
Domagnano* 30 9 8 13 31 42 35
U Craiova1948 30 9 4 17 43 50 31 obtained during regular season carried over in full Real Sociedad 38 16 12 10 51 39 60
Faetano 30 8 2 20 44 79 26
Dinamo Bucuresti 30 8 5 17 22 41 29 Real Betis 38 14 15 9 48 45 57
Libertas 30 6 5 19 32 56 23 Championship Round
Voluntari 30 6 10 14 31 49 28 Villarreal 38 14 11 13 65 65 53
San Marino Academy 30 6 4 20 32 74 22 P W D L F A Pts
Botosani 30 3 12 15 30 52 21 Valencia 38 13 10 15 40 45 49
Cailungo 30 4 2 24 15 77 14 Red Star Belgrade (C) 37 31 3 3 94 28 96
• Top six advance to play-off round, bottom Alaves 38 12 10 16 36 46 46
Pennarossa 30 2 2 26 18 96 8 Partizan Belgrade 37 24 6 7 80 48 78
ten enter play-out round with points obtained Osasuna 38 12 9 17 45 56 45
*Enter European play-offs TSC Backa Topola 37 22 9 6 75 39 75
during regular season halved and rounded up Getafe 38 10 13 15 42 54 43
Vojvodina 37 17 10 10 62 50 61
European Play-Offs Radnicki Kragujevac 37 19 4 14 64 61 61
Celta Vigo 38 10 11 17 46 57 41
Play-Off Round Sevilla 38 10 11 17 48 54 41
Cukaricki 37 16 9 12 57 47 57
P W D L F A Pts First Round Mallorca 38 8 16 14 33 44 40
Mladost Lucani 37 13 7 17 38 53 46
FCSB (C) 10 5 2 3 12 11 49 Las Palmas 38 10 10 18 33 47 40
Napredak Krusevac 37 11 7 19 36 66 40
CFR Cluj 10 6 1 3 19 14 46 Apr 24: Folgore 2-0 Fiorentino; Rayo Vallecano 38 8 14 16 29 48 38
Universitatea Craiova* 10 6 1 3 18 14 44 Juvenes/Dogana 3-2 Domagnano Relegation Round Cadiz (R) 38 6 15 17 26 55 33
Farul Constanta 10 4 2 4 19 20 36 P W D L F A Pts Almeria (R) 38 3 12 23 43 75 21
Sepsi 10 3 3 4 17 17 34 Quarter-Finals Novi Pazar 37 14 6 17 44 47 48 Granada (R) 38 4 9 25 38 79 21
Rapid Bucuresti 10 1 1 8 13 22 32 Spartak Subotica 37 13 8 16 36 47 47
*Enter European play-offs Apr 27-28: Cosmos 1-2 San Giovanni; IMT 37 11 9 17 43 53 42
Tre Fiori 0-0 Murata; La Fiorita 1-0 Folgore; Radnicki Nis 37 11 8 18 40 48 41 SWITZERLAND
Play-Out Round
Tre Penne 3-0 Juvenes/Dogana Javor-Matis* (R) 37 11 7 19 34 51 40 P W D L F A Pts
P W D L F A Pts
Apr 30-May 1: San Giovanni 0-3 Cosmos Zeleznicar Pancevo* 37 10 9 18 47 65 39 Young Boys (C) 38 23 8 7 76 34 77
UTA Arad 9 5 2 2 15 11 37
(agg 2-4); Murata 2-1 Tre Fiori (agg 2-1); Vozdovac (R) 37 9 11 17 46 58 38 Lugano 38 20 5 13 67 51 65
Otelul Galati* 9 6 1 2 11 7 36
Folgore 0-0 La Fiorita (agg 0-1); Radnik Surdulica (R) 37 3 9 25 24 59 18 Servette 38 18 10 10 59 43 64
Hermannstadt 9 4 2 3 13 7 34
Juvenes/Dogana 4-2 Tre Penne (agg 4-5) *Enter promotion-relegation play-offs Zurich 38 16 12 10 53 41 60
Universitatea Cluj* 9 3 3 3 12 10 33 St Gallen 38 16 9 13 60 51 57
Petrolul Ploiesti 9 3 2 4 8 14 29
Semi-Finals Promotion-Relegation Play-Offs Winterthur 38 13 10 15 60 71 49
Politehnica Iasi 9 3 1 5 7 8 27 Luzern 38 13 10 15 47 53 49
May 4: La Fiorita 1-3 Murata; May 29-30: Tekstilac 1-0 Javor-Matis; Basel 38 13 10 15 45 52 49
Dinamo Bucuresti** 9 2 4 3 10 12 25
Cosmos 1-1 Tre Penne Indija 1-2 Zeleznicar Pancevo Yverdon-Sport 38 13 8 17 50 71 47
Botosani** 9 4 2 3 11 11 25
May 11: Murata 0-1 La Fiorita (agg 3-2); Jun 3: Javor-Matis 1-1 Tekstilac (agg 1-2); Lausanne-Sport 38 11 12 15 48 53 45
Voluntari (R) 9 2 4 3 11 10 24
Tre Penne 0-0 Cosmos (agg 1-1, Zeleznicar Pancevo 2-0 Indija (agg 4-1) Grasshoppers* 38 10 8 20 41 49 38
U Craiova1948 (R) 9 1 3 5 8 16 22
Tre Penne win on away goals) Stade-Lausanne Ouchy (R) 38 7 8 23 40 77 29
*Enter European play-offs as clubs licensed to
participate in UEFA competitions in 2024-25 SLOVAKIA *Enter promotion-relegation play-off
Final
**Enter promotion-relegation play-offs Regular Season
P W D L F A Pts
• Teams play each other three times
May 18: Murata 2-3 Tre Penne (AET) (33 games in total) before league is
European Play-Offs Slovan Bratislava 22 18 3 1 57 16 57
split into a top and bottom half
Zilina 22 12 5 5 40 30 41
Semi-Finals Spartak Trnava 22 12 3 7 31 22 39
SCOTLAND Promotion-Relegation Play-Off
DAC 22 10 7 5 31 21 37
P W D L F A Pts
Podbrezova 22 10 4 8 40 34 34
May 19: Otelul Galati 0-2 Universitatea Cluj Celtic (C) 38 29 6 3 95 30 93 May 26: Grasshoppers 1-1 Thun
Ruzomberok 22 9 7 6 28 31 34
Rangers 38 27 4 7 87 32 85 May 31: Thun 1-2 Grasshoppers (agg 2-3)
Trencin 22 9 7 6 31 23 34
Final Hearts 38 20 8 10 54 42 68
Dukla Banska Bystrica 22 9 7 6 38 30 34
Kilmarnock 38 14 14 10 46 44 56
Skalica 22 6 5 11 19 25 23
May 26: Universitatea Craiova 1-1 Universitatea St Mirren 38 13 8 17 46 52 47
Kosice 22 4 5 13 19 45 17 TURKEY
Cluj (AET, Universitatea Craiova win 5-4 on pens) Dundee 38 10 12 16 49 68 42
Zemplin Michalovce 22 1 7 14 19 42 10 P W D L F A Pts
Aberdeen 38 12 12 14 48 52 48
Zlate Moravce 22 0 4 18 14 48 4 Galatasaray (C)38 33 3 2 92 26 102
Hibernian 38 11 13 14 52 59 46
Promotion-Relegation Play-Offs • Top six advance to championship round, bottom Fenerbahce 38 31 6 1 99 31 99
Motherwell 38 10 13 15 56 59 43
six enter relegation round with points obtained Trabzonspor 38 21 4 13 69 50 67
St Johnstone 38 8 11 19 29 54 35
May 17-20: Botosani 1-0 Mioveni; during regular season carried over in full Istanbul Basaksehir 38 18 7 13 57 43 61
Ross County* 38 8 11 19 38 67 35
Dinamo Bucuresti 2-0 Csikszereda Kasimpasa 38 16 8 14 62 65 56
Livingston (R) 38 5 10 23 29 70 25 Championship Round
May 24-27: Mioveni 0-1 Botosani (agg 0-2); Besiktas 38 16 8 14 52 47 56
*Enter promotion-relegation play-offs P W D L F A Pts
Csikszereda 0-0 Dinamo Bucuresti (agg 0-2) Sivasspor 38 14 12 12 47 54 54
Slovan Bratislava (C) 32 23 4 5 76 31 73 Alanyaspor 38 12 16 10 53 50 52
• Teams play each other three times DAC 32 16 10 6 49 32 58 Rizespor 38 14 8 16 48 58 50
(33 games in total) before league is Spartak Trnava 32 18 3 11 47 29 57 Antalyaspor 38 12 13 13 44 49 49
RUSSIA split into a top and bottom half Zilina 32 16 7 9 54 45 55 Gaziantep 38 12 8 18 50 57 44
P W D L F A Pts
Ruzomberok 32 12 11 9 38 43 47 Adana Demirspor 38 10 14 14 54 61 44
Zenit (C) 30 17 6 7 52 27 57 Promotion-Relegation Play-Offs Podbrezova 32 11 4 17 49 60 37 Samsunspor 38 11 10 17 42 52 43
Krasnodar 30 16 8 6 45 29 56
Kayserispor* 38 11 12 15 44 57 42
Dynamo Moscow 30 16 8 6 53 39 56 Quarter-Finals Relegation Round Hatayspor 38 9 14 15 45 52 41
Lokomotiv Moscow 30 14 11 5 52 38 53 P W D L F A Pts Konyaspor 38 9 14 15 40 53 41
Spartak Moscow 30 14 8 8 41 32 50 May 7: Airdrieonians 2–2 Partick Thistle Dukla Banska Bystrica 32 14 9 9 50 41 51 Ankaragucu (R) 38 8 16 14 46 52 40
CSKA Moscow 30 12 12 6 56 40 48 May 10: Partick Thistle 2-1 Airdrieonians (agg 4-3) Trencin 32 13 10 9 48 34 49 Fatih Karagumruk (R) 38 10 10 18 49 52 40
Rostov 30 12 7 11 43 46 43 Skalica 32 11 7 14 35 38 40 Pendikspor (R) 38 9 10 19 42 73 37
Rubin Kazan 30 11 9 10 31 38 42 Semi-Finals Kosice 32 7 6 19 27 56 27 Istanbulspor* (R) 38 4 7 27 27 80 16
Krylia Sovetov Samara 30 11 8 11 46 44 41 Zemplin Michalovce* 32 6 9 17 29 48 27 *Deducted 3 points
Akhmat Grozny 30 10 5 15 33 45 35 May 14: Partick Thistle 1-2 Raith Rovers Zlate Moravce (R) 32 2 6 24 21 66 12
Fakel Voronezh 30 7 11 12 22 31 32 May 17: Raith Rovers 1-2 Partick Thistle (agg *Enter promotion-relegation play-off
Orenburg 30 7 10 13 34 41 31 3-3, AET, Raith Rovers win 4-3 on pens)
Nizhny Novgorod* 30 8 6 16 29 51 30 Promotion-Relegation Play-Off UKRAINE
Ural* (R) 30 7 9 14 30 46 30 Final P W D L F A Pts
Baltika (R) 30 7 5 18 33 42 26 May 21: Petrzalka 2-1 Zemplin Michalovce Shakhtar Donetsk (C) 30 22 5 3 63 24 71
Sochi (R) 30 5 9 16 37 48 24 May 23: Raith Rovers 1-2 Ross County May 25: Dynamo Kyiv 30 22 3 5 72 28 69
*Enter promotion-relegation play-offs May 26: Ross County 4-0 Raith Rovers (agg 6-1) Zemplin Michalovce 2-0 Petrzalka (agg 3-2) Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih 30 17 6 7 51 30 57
106 WORLD SOCCER

Dnipro-1 30 14 10 6 40 27 52 Group C Group H Group D

Polissya 30 14 8 8 39 30 50
Rukh Lviv 30 12 13 5 44 31 49 May 29 – Curitiba May 30 – Buenos Aires May 29 – Buenos Aires
LNZ Cherkasy 30 11 8 11 31 34 41 Gremio (Bra) 4 (Soteldo 14, Joao Pedro 50, River Plate (Arg) 2 (Borja 51, 85) Boca Juniors (Arg) 4 (Zenon 9, Cavani 14,
Oleksandriya 30 8 10 12 30 38 34 Everton Galdino 67, Gustavo Nunes 89) Deportivo Tachira (Ven) 0 Saracchi 19, Rojo 53)
Vorskla Poltava 30 9 6 15 30 46 33 The Strongest (Bol) 0 Nacional Potosi (Bol) 0
Zorya Luhansk 30 7 11 12 29 37 32 May 30 – Asuncion
Kolos Kovalivka 30 7 11 12 22 31 32 May 29 – La Paz Libertad (Par) 2 (O. Cardozo 29, Silva 41) May 29 – Fortaleza
Chornomorets 30 10 2 18 38 47 32 Estudiantes (Arg) 3 (Correa 12, 49, Ascacibar 63) Nacional (Uru) 1 (Romero 13) Fortaleza (Bra) 2 (Pochettino 20, Lucero 42)
Veres Rivne* 30 6 10 14 31 46 28 Huachipato (Chi) 4 (Rodriguez 37, Romero Sportivo Trinidense (Par) 1 (Rayer 90+3)
Obolon Kyiv* 30 5 11 14 18 41 26 45+1 og, M. Gutierrez 51, Villanueva 90+5) P W D L F A Pts
Mynai (R) 30 5 10 15 27 50 25 River Plate (Q) 6 5 1 0 12 3 16 P W D L F A Pts
Metalist1925 Kharkiv (R) 30 5 8 17 32 57 23 Jun 4 – Talcahuano Nacional (Q) 6 3 1 2 8 7 10 Fortaleza (Q) 6 4 1 1 15 8 13
*Enter promotion-relegation play-offs Huachipato (Chi) 0 Libertad* 6 2 1 3 7 8 7 Boca Juniors* 6 3 2 1 10 6 11
Gremio (Bra) 1 (Diego Costa 6) Dep Tachira 6 0 1 5 2 11 1 Nacional Potosi 6 2 1 3 6 13 7
Promotion-Relegation Play-Offs *Enter Copa Sudamericana play-offs Sportivo Trinidense 6 1 0 5 5 9 3
Jun 8 – Curitiba *Enter play-offs
May 29: Epitsentr 1-1 Veres Rivne; Gremio (Bra) 1 (Cristaldo 48) Knockout Stage Draw
Obolon Kyiv 1-0 Livyi Bereh Estudiantes (Arg) 1 (Mendez 83) Group E
Jun 2: Veres Rivne 3-1 Epitsentr (agg 4-2); Round of 16
Livyi Bereh 1-1 Obolon Kyiv (agg 1-2) P W D L F A Pts May 30 – Curitiba
The Strongest (Q) 6 3 1 2 8 6 10 San Lorenzo (Arg) v Atletico Mineiro (Bra); Athletico Paranaense (Bra) 0
Gremio (Q) 6 3 1 2 7 5 10 Gremio (Bra) v Fluminense (Bra); Colo-Colo (Chi) Sportivo Ameliano (Par) 1 (R. Torales 61)
WALES Huachipato* 6 2 2 2 7 9 8 v Junior (Col); Talleres (Arg) v River Plate (Arg);
P W D L F A Pts Estudiantes 6 1 2 3 7 9 5 Nacional (Uru) v Sao Paulo (Bra); Botafogo (Bra) May 30 – Montevideo
The New Saints (C) 32 30 2 0 117 18 92 *Enter Copa Sudamericana play-offs v Palmeiras (Bra); Flamengo (Bra) v Bolivar Danubio (Uru) 0
Connah’s Quay Nomads 32 18 5 9 70 43 59 (Bol); Penarol (Uru) v The Strongest (Bol) Rayo Zuliano (Ven) 0
Bala Town 32 13 12 7 38 31 51 Group D
Newtown* 32 13 5 14 49 46 44 • Ties take place August 13-15 and August 20-22. P W D L F A Pts
Caernarfon Town* 32 11 8 13 52 70 41 May 28 – Quito Teams drawn first play the first leg at home Sportivo Ameliano (Q) 6 4 1 1 9 5 13
Cardiff MU* 32 10 9 13 35 63 36 LDU (Ecu) 2 (Arce 44, Alzugaray 67) Ath Paranaense* 6 4 0 2 17 5 12
Penybont* 32 14 7 11 46 37 43 Universitario (Per) 0 Danubio 6 2 2 2 5 4 8
Haverfordwest County 32 11 10 11 39 40 43 2024 COPA SUDAMERICANA Rayo Zuliano 6 0 1 5 1 18 1
Barry Town United 32 7 11 14 36 54 32 May 28 – Barranquilla *Enter play-offs
Aberystwyth Town 32 7 6 19 27 57 27 Junior (Col) 0 Group A
Colwyn Bay (R) 32 7 4 21 34 66 25 Botafogo (Bra) 0 Group F
Pontypridd United (R) 32 8 7 17 23 41 22 May 29 – Gobernador Costa
*Enter European play-offs, Cardiff Metropolitan P W D L F A Pts Defensa y Justicia (Arg) 0 May 28 – Sao Paulo
University and Penybont deducted 3 points Junior (Q) 6 2 4 0 7 4 10 Universidad Cesar Vallejo (Per) 1 (Aguilera 90 og) Corinthians (Bra) 3 (Garro 22, Yuri Alberto 25,
and 6 points respectively Botafogo (Q) 6 3 1 2 7 6 10 Coronado 58)
LDU* 6 2 1 3 6 6 7 May 29 – Medellin Racing (Uru) 0
• Teams play each other twice (22 games in total) Universitario 6 1 2 3 5 9 5 Independiente Medellin (Col) 4 (Garcia 47,
before league is split into a top and bottom half *Enter Copa Sudamericana play-offs Baroja 53 og, Leon 55, Y. Moreno 83) May 28 – Buenos Aires
Always Ready (Bol) 0 Argentinos Jrs (Arg) 2 (Heredia 7, Batallini 18 pen)
European Play-Offs Group E Nacional (Par) 1 (Arevalo 39)
P W D L F A Pts
Semi-Finals May 28 – Rio deJaneiro Ind Medellin (Q) 6 4 1 1 16 7 13 P W D L F A Pts
Flamengo (Bra) 3 (Pedro 7, 44, Vargas 25 og) Always Ready* 6 3 2 1 10 7 11 Corinthians (Q) 6 4 1 1 14 2 13
May 10-11: Caernarfon Town 2-0 Cardiff Millonarios (Col) 0 Defensa y Justicia 6 1 2 3 4 8 5 Racing* 6 3 2 1 10 8 11
Metropolitan University; Newtown 0-5 Penybont U Cesar Vallejo 6 1 1 4 6 14 4 Argentinos Juniors 6 3 0 3 7 12 9
May 28 – La Paz *Enter play-offs Nacional 6 0 1 5 6 15 1
Final Bolivar (Bol) 3 (Bizama 35 og, Martinez 46 og, *Enter play-offs
Da Costa 87) Group B
May 18: Caernarfon Town 3-1 Penybont Palestino (Chi) 1 (Chamorro 68) Group G
May 30 – Belo Horizonte
P W D L F A Pts Cruzeiro (Bra) 1 (Rafa Silva 80) May 29 – Lanus
Universidad Catolica (Ecu) 0 Lanus (Arg) 0
SOUTH AMERICA Bolivar (Q)
Flamengo (Q)
Palestino*
6
6
6
4
3
2
1
1
1
1
2
3
13 9
11 4
6 11
13
10
7 May 30 – Concepcion
Cuiaba (Bra) 1 (Pitta 51)
2024 COPA LIBERTADORES Millonarios 6 0 3 3 6 12 3 Union La Calera (Chi) 0 May 29 – Caracas

*Enter Copa Sudamericana play-offs Alianza (Col) 1 (Figueroa 73 pen) Metropolitanos (Ven) 1 (Flores 44)
Group A Deportivo Garcilaso (Per) 1 (Erustes 37)
Group F P W D L F A Pts
May 29 – Rio deJaneiro Cruzeiro (Q) 6 3 3 0 8 3 12 P W D L F A Pts
Fluminense (Bra) 3 (Keno 47, Marcelo 52, May 30 – Sao Paulo U Catolica* 6 3 2 1 8 2 11 Lanus (Q) 6 4 1 1 12 3 13
John Kennedy 81) Palmeiras (Bra) 0 Alianza 6 1 2 3 5 10 5 Cuiaba* 6 3 3 0 9 3 12
Alianza Lima (Per) 2 (Arregui 7, Serna 50) San Lorenzo (Arg) 0 Union La Calera 6 1 1 4 1 7 4 Dep Garcilaso 6 1 3 2 7 9 6
*Enter play-offs Metropolitanos 6 0 1 5 3 16 1
May 29 – Asuncion May 30 – Quito *Enter play-offs
Cerro Porteno (Par) 1 (Carrizo 35) Independiente del Valle (Ecu) 2 (Diaz 20, 55) Group C
Colo-Colo (Chi) 1 (Palacios 23 pen) Liverpool (Uru) 1 (Gonzales 35) Group H
May 28 – Barueri
P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts Internacional (Bra) 1 (Borre 39) May 28 – Avellaneda
Fluminense (Q) 6 4 2 0 9 5 14 Palmeiras (Q) 6 4 2 0 14 5 14 Belgrano (Arg) 2 (Chavarria 45, 45+3) Racing (Arg) 3 (A. Martinez 10, Salas 35,
Colo-Colo (Q) 6 1 3 2 4 5 6 San Lorenzo (Q) 6 2 2 2 6 9 8 R. Martinez 81 pen)
Cerro Porteno* 6 1 3 2 4 5 6 Ind del Valle* 6 2 1 3 8 6 7 May 28 – Manta Sportivo Luqueno (Par) 0
Alianza Lima 6 0 4 2 5 7 4 Liverpool 6 1 1 4 6 14 4 Delfin (Ecu) 4 (Messiniti 4, Elordi 22, Mino 75,
*Enter Copa Sudamericana play-offs *Enter Copa Sudamericana play-offs Angulo 76) May 28 – Coquimbo
Real Tomayapo (Bol) 3 (Graneros 1, Noble 11, Coquimbo Unido (Chi) 1 (Chavez 41)
Group B Group G Rioja 32) Red Bull Bragantino (Bra) 1 (Helinho 90+8 pen)
May 29 – Sao Paulo May 28 – Montevideo Jun 4 – Tarija P W D L F A Pts

Sao Paulo (Bra) 2 (Lucas Moura 45+4 pen, Penarol (Uru) 2 (Fernandez 32, 83) Real Tomayapo (Bol) 0 Racing (Q) 6 5 0 1 14 3 15
Luciano 90) Rosario Central (Arg) 1 (Modica 66) Internacional (Bra) 2 (Bruno Gomes 31, RB Bragantino* 6 4 1 1 9 8 13
Talleres (Arg) 0 Alario 89) Coquimbo Unido 6 1 2 3 3 7 5
May 28 – Belo Horizonte Sportivo Luqueno 6 0 1 5 3 11 1
May 29 – Guayaquil Atletico Mineiro (Bra) 4 (Pedrinho 28, 61, Jun 8 – Caxias do Sul *Enter play-offs
Barcelona SC (Ecu) 2 (Fydriszewski 9, Diaz 18) Alisson 40, Hulk 90+3) Internacional (Bra) 1 (Alario 68)
Cobresal (Chi) 1 (Coelho 71) Caracas (Ven) 0 Delfin (Ecu) 0 Knockout Stage Draw
P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts Play-Offs
Sao Paulo (Q) 6 4 1 1 10 3 13 Atletico Mineiro (Q) 6 5 0 1 14 6 15 Belgrano (Q) 6 3 3 0 7 3 12
Talleres (Q) 6 4 1 1 10 6 13 Penarol (Q) 6 4 0 2 12 5 12 Internacional* 6 3 2 1 6 3 11 Rosario Central (Arg) v Internacional (Bra);
Barcelona SC* 6 1 3 2 6 9 6 Rosario Central* 6 2 1 3 8 7 7 Delfin 6 2 2 2 9 8 8 Barcelona SC (Ecu) v Red Bull Bragantino
Cobresal 6 0 1 5 3 11 1 Caracas 6 0 1 5 3 19 1 Real Tomayapo 6 0 1 5 3 11 1 (Bra); Huachipato (Chi) v Racing (Uru); Cerro
*Enter Copa Sudamericana play-offs *Enter Copa Sudamericana play-offs *Enter play-offs Porteno (Par) v Athletico Paranaense (Bra);
WORLD SOCCER 107

Libertad (Par) v Universidad Catolica (Ecu); PARAGUAY Final BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Independiente del Valle (Ecu) v Boca Juniors
Apertura P W D L F A Pts
(Arg); LDU (Ecu) v Always Ready (Bol); Jun 2: Carabobo 3-0 Metropolitanos
P W D L F A Pts Wolues (C) 18 15 0 3 99 20 45
Palestino (Chi) v Cuiaba (Bra)
Libertad (C) 22 14 6 2 42 16 48 Islanders 18 13 2 3 70 23 41
• Ties take place July 16-18 and July 23-25. Cerro Porteno 22 13 6 3 40 17 45 VG United* 18 14 1 3 85 11 40
Teams drawn first play the first leg at home Olimpia
Sportivo Luqueno 22
Club Guarani 22
22 9
10
8
9 4 28 21 36
5 7 25 22 35
7 7 31 25 31
CONCACAF One Love United 18
Lion Heart
Sugar Boyz* 18
18 8
8
8
5
3
5
5
7
5
54
55
55
41
41
29
29
27
26
Round of 16
2 de Mayo 22 9 4 9 28 25 31 2024 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP Rebels 18 7 1 10 36 60 22
Rosario Central (Arg)/Internacional (Bra) Sol de America 22 7 5 10 26 39 26 Panthers 18 5 3 10 36 56 18
v Fortaleza (Bra); Barcelona SC (Ecu)/Red Tacuary 22 5 8 9 26 38 23 Final Positive 18 2 0 16 16 117 6
Bull Bragantino (Bra) v Corinthians (Bra); Sportivo Ameliano 22 6 5 11 17 32 23 Old Madrid 18 0 0 18 12 120 0
Huachipato (Chi)/Racing (Uru) v Racing (Arg); Nacional 22 6 4 12 24 35 22
Jun 1 – Pachuca *Deducted 3 points
Cerro Porteno (Par)/Athletico Paranaense (Bra) Sportivo Trinidense 22 6 3 13 30 34 21
Pachuca (Mex) 3 (Rondon 12, 67,
v Belgrano (Arg); Libertad (Par)/Universidad General Caballero (JLM) 22 3 10 9 22 35 19
E. Rodriguez 32)
Catolica (Ecu) v Sportivo Ameliano (Par); Columbus Crew (USA) 0
COSTA RICA
Independiente del Valle (Ecu)/Boca Juniors Clausura
(Arg) v Cruzeiro (Bra); LDU (Ecu)/Always
PERU
P W D L F A Pts
Ready (Bol) v Lanus (Arg); Palestino (Chi)/ Apertura
Deportivo Saprissa* (C) 22 14 6 2 41 18 48
Cuiaba (Bra) v Independiente Medellin (Col) P W D L F A Pts 2024 CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Herediano* 22 13 5 4 34 17 44
Universitario* 17 12 4 1 32 7 40
Alajuelense* 22 11 8 3 37 18 41
• Ties take place August 13-15 and August 20-22. Sporting Cristal 17 13 1 3 44 20 40 Preliminary Round San Carlos* 22 10 7 5 40 29 37
Teams drawn first play the first leg at home Melgar 17 12 2 3 36 19 38
Municipal Liberia 22 11 4 7 36 31 37
Alianza Lima 17 11 0 6 32 16 33 Apr 23-24: Cavalry 1-0 Vancouver FC; Sporting San Jose 22 9 5 8 29 29 32
Cusco 17 9 2 6 22 21 29 Toronto FC 5-0 Simcoe County Rovers Guanacasteca 22 8 6 8 30 28 30
Final Tables 2024 ADT 17 8 4 5 29 24 28
May 1-2: Atletico Ottowa 7-0 Valour; Perez Zeledon 22 6 5 11 19 30 23
Cienciano 17 6 8 3 20 20 26
Forge 3-1 York United; Pacific 1-1 TSS Rovers Cartagines 22 4 8 10 21 30 20
COLOMBIA Comerciantes Unidos 17 6 4 7 22 31 22
(Pacific win 5-4 on pens); HFX Wanderers 2-2 Puntarenas 22 4 7 11 18 31 19
Apertura First Stage Los Chankas 17 6 3 8 25 26 21
Saint-Laurent (Saint-Laurent win 5-3 on pens) Municipal Grecia 22 3 6 13 18 31 15
P W D L F A Pts U Cesar Vallejo 17 4 8 5 19 24 20
Santos de Guapiles 22 4 3 15 19 50 15
Atletico Bucaramanga* 19 11 5 3 24 10 38 Atletico Grau 17 4 7 6 19 17 19
Quarter-Finals *Advance to semi-finals
Tolima* 19 11 5 3 31 18 38 Sport Boys 17 5 4 8 18 20 19
Deportivo Pereira* 19 10 4 5 28 18 34 Sport Huancayo 17 5 4 8 18 29 19
May 7-8: Cavalry 1-2 Vancouver Whitecaps; Semi-Finals
Santa Fe* 19 10 4 5 22 12 34 UTC 17 4 4 9 21 29 16
La Equidad* 19 9 6 4 22 14 33 Deportivo Garcilaso 17 3 5 9 20 26 14 Forge 1-1 CF Montreal; Atletico Ottowa 0-0
Pacific; Saint-Laurent 0-3 Toronto FC May 16-17: Alajuelense 1-0 Herediano;
Millonarios* 19 9 4 6 28 20 31 Alianza Atletico 17 3 5 9 11 19 14
May 21-22: Vancouver Whitecaps 0-1 Cavalry San Carlos 0-1 Deportivo Saprissa
Junior* 19 8 5 6 24 21 29 Carlos A Mannucci 17 3 5 9 11 34 14
(agg 2-2, Vancouver Whitecaps win on away May 19-20: Herediano 1-0 Alajuelense
Once Caldas* 19 8 5 6 16 16 29 Union Comercio 17 1 6 10 17 34 9
goals); Toronto FC 8-1 Saint-Laurent (agg 11-1); (agg 1-1, AET, Alajuelense win 2-0 on pens);
Independiente Medellin 19 8 5 6 22 31 29 *Advance to final play-off
CF Montreal 1-2 Forge (agg 2-3) Deportivo Saprissa 4-0 San Carlos (agg 5-0)
America de Cali 19 6 7 6 22 16 25
Aguilas Doradas 19 7 4 8 20 19 25 May 29: Pacific 2-1 Atletico Ottowa (agg 2-1)
Atletico Nacional 19 6 6 7 21 20 24
URUGUAY Final
Fortaleza CEIF 19 6 6 7 18 20 24 Apertura
P W D L F A Pts Final Tables 2023-24 May 23: Alajuelense 1-0 Deportivo Saprissa
Jaguares 19 5 7 7 17 20 22
Penarol* 15 13 2 0 31 7 41 May 26:
Deportivo Cali 19 5 6 8 24 24 21
Nacional 15 10 4 1 31 16 34 ARUBA Deportivo Saprissa 3-0 Alajuelense (agg 3-1)
Deportivo Pasto 19 5 4 10 15 21 19
Boyaca Chico 19 5 3 11 22 35 18 Defensor Sporting 15 8 4 3 31 17 28 Kaya 6 Play-Offs
Envigado 19 3 7 9 15 25 16 Boston River 15 8 3 4 21 17 27 P W D L F A Pts
Progreso 15 7 3 5 25 25 24 EL SALVADOR
Alianza 19 4 4 11 15 29 16 Dakota* 10 7 3 0 29 6 24
Cerro Largo 15 6 3 6 16 16 21 Clausura
Patriotas 19 4 3 12 8 25 15 Britannia* 10 5 2 3 18 12 17
Racing 15 5 4 6 22 22 19 P W D L F A Pts
*Advance to semi-finals Nacional* 10 4 4 2 19 15 16
Liverpool 15 4 6 5 22 24 18 Alianza* (C) 22 13 6 3 39 13 45
Estrella* 10 4 1 5 15 26 13
Semi-Final Group A Montevideo Wanderers 15 5 3 7 15 20 18 Firpo* 22 13 3 6 47 30 42
RCA 10 3 3 4 12 7 12
P W D L F A Pts Cerro 15 4 5 6 19 25 17 Municipal Limeno* 22 12 3 7 33 25 39
River Plate 10 0 1 9 6 33 1
Atletico Bucaramanga* 6 2 2 2 4 3 8 Deportivo Maldonado 15 4 3 8 14 19 15 Aguila* 22 10 8 4 29 18 38
*Advance to Kaya 4 play-offs
Millonarios 6 2 2 2 6 5 8 Rampla Juniors 15 4 3 8 15 27 15 FAS* 22 8 8 6 26 24 32
Deportivo Pereira 6 2 2 2 7 8 8 River Plate 15 3 5 7 20 25 14 Platense* 22 9 5 8 26 29 32
Kaya 4 Play-Offs
Junior 6 2 2 2 5 6 8 Danubio 15 3 5 7 13 19 14 Isidro Metapan* 22 9 4 9 24 22 31
P W D L F A Pts
*Advance to final as higher seeds Fenix 15 3 4 8 11 17 13 Once Deportivo* 22 8 7 7 22 24 31
Dakota* 3 2 1 0 9 2 7
Miramar Misiones 15 2 5 8 18 28 11 Dragon 22 9 3 10 27 33 30
Britannia* 3 1 2 0 4 2 5
Semi-Final Group B *Advance to championship play-off Santa Tecla 22 5 5 12 26 39 20
Nacional 3 1 1 1 7 5 4
P W D L F A Pts Fuerte San Francisco 22 4 5 13 19 30 17
Estrella 3 0 0 3 6 17 0
Santa Fe* 6 5 1 0 8 1 16 Jocoro 22 2 3 17 13 44 9
Tolima 6 3 1 2 9 6 10
VENEZUELA *Advance to final
*Advance to quarter-finals
Once Caldas 6 2 2 2 5 4 8 Apertura First Stage
La Equidad 6 0 0 6 3 14 0 P W D L F A Pts Final Quarter-Finals
*Advance to final UCV* 13 6 7 0 17 8 25
Angostura* 13 7 3 3 16 13 24 Jun 6: Dakota 1-1 Britannia May 9-10: Isidro Metapan 2-0 Firpo; Once
Final Inter de Barinas* 13 7 1 5 14 12 22 (AET, Britannia win 5-4 on pens) Deportivo 1-1 Alianza; Platense 0-3 Municipal
Portuguesa* 13 6 3 4 17 12 21 Limeno; FAS 3-1 Aguila
Jun 8: Atletico Bucaramanga 1-0 Santa Fe Carabobo* 13 5 6 2 13 9 21 May 12-13: Firpo 1-0 Isidro Metapan (agg 1-2);
Jun 15: Metropolitanos* 13 6 3 4 19 18 21 BELIZE Alianza 2-0 Once Deportivo (agg 3-1); Aguila
Santa Fe 3-2 Atletico Bucaramanga (agg 3-3, Academia Puerto Cabello* 13 5 5 3 15 11 20 3-1 FAS (agg 4-4, FAS win 5-4 on pens);
Clausura
Atletico Bucaramanga win 6-5 on pens) Deportivo La Guaira* 13 5 5 3 14 14 20 Municipal Limeno 0-2 Platense (agg 3-2)
P W D L F A Pts
Deportivo Tachira 13 5 4 4 13 10 19
Verdes* 14 12 1 1 37 4 37
Monagas 13 5 4 4 19 18 19 Semi-Finals
ECUADOR Caracas 13 2 6 5 10 13 12
Altitude* 14 8 5 1 28 17 29
First Round Port Layola* (C) 14 8 2 4 33 18 26
Estudiantes de Merida 13 2 2 9 14 24 8 May 16: Isidro Metapan 0-2 Municipal Limeno
P W D L F A Pts Benque* 14 8 2 4 23 12 26
Rayo Zuliano 13 1 4 8 16 23 7
Independiente del Valle* 15 10 5 0 23 8 35 Progresso 14 5 3 6 19 18 18 May 19: FAS 1-1 Alianza; Municipal Limeno 0-1
Zamora 13 0 5 8 10 22 5
Barcelona SC 15 9 4 2 24 8 31 Police United 14 1 5 8 10 22 8 Isidro Metapan (agg 2-1)
*Advance to semi-finals May 22: Alianza 2-1 FAS (agg 3-2)
LDU 15 9 3 3 27 17 30 Belmopan Bandits 14 2 2 10 21 42 8
Aucas 15 8 5 2 31 18 29 Semi-Final Group A Wagiya 14 2 0 12 14 52 6
Universidad Catolica 15 7 4 4 31 20 25 *Advance to finals stage Final
P W D L F A Pts
Emelec 15 6 7 2 17 12 25 Metropolitanos* 6 4 2 0 13 6 14
El Nacional 15 8 0 7 17 16 24 Deportivo La Guaira 6 3 0 3 8 8 9 Semi-Finals May 26: Alianza 5-0 Municipal Limeno
Mushuc Runa 15 5 3 7 18 19 18 UCV 6 2 2 2 9 8 8
Macara 15 4 6 5 11 13 18 Inter de Barinas 6 0 2 4 5 13 2 Apr 28: Benque 0-1 Verdes;
Deportivo Cuenca 15 3 7 5 25 24 16 Port Layola 2-0 Altitude GUADELOUPE
*Advance to final
Tecnico Universitario 15 4 4 7 14 21 16 May 5: Verdes 0-0 Benque (agg 1-0); P W D L F A Pts
Orense 15 3 6 6 10 17 15 Semi-Final Group B Altitude 2-1 Port Layola (agg 2-3) Siroco Les Abymes (C) 28 19 3 6 50 21 88
Cumbaya 15 4 2 9 8 19 14 P W D L F A Pts Moulien 28 18 5 5 64 24 87
Imbabura 15 3 4 8 17 29 13 Carabobo* (C) 6 3 2 1 10 5 11 Final Etoile de Morne-a-l’Eau 28 15 7 6 41 28 80
Delfin 15 2 3 10 8 23 9 Portuguesa 6 2 2 2 10 10 8 Gosier 28 15 6 7 48 31 79
Libertad** 15 1 5 9 8 25 4 Academia Puerto Cabello 6 1 3 2 5 7 6 May 12: Port Layola 0-1 Verdes Sporting Baie-Mahault* 28 14 6 8 36 27 75
*Advance to final Angostura 6 1 3 2 9 12 6 May 19: Verdes 0-1 Port Layola Jeunesse Evolution* 28 10 9 9 45 39 66
**Deducted 4 points *Advance to final (agg 1-1, Port Layola win 3-0 on pens) Dynamo Le Moule 28 10 8 10 42 37 66
108 WORLD SOCCER

Phare du Canal** 28 13 3 12 49 49 64 Final Semi-Finals Grand Final

La Gauloise 28 9 8 11 33 34 63
Cambrefort 28 10 5 13 46 56 63 May 20: Olimpia 3-1 Marathon May 18-19: Tauro 2-1 San Francisco; May 25:
USBM 28 9 7 12 60 56 62 May 25: Marathon 2-2 Olimpia (agg 3-5) Plaza Amador 1-1 Deportivo del Este Central Coast Mariners 3-1 Melbourne Victory
Amical Club 28 9 4 15 42 47 59 May 25-26: San Francisco 0-0 Tauro (agg 1-2); (AET)
Solidarite Scolaire* (R) 28 6 8 14 28 54 53 Deportivo del Este 0-1 Plaza Amador (agg 1-2)
CERFA (R) 28 6 4 18 32 63 50 MEXICO
Juventus Sainte-Anne (R) 28 3 5 20 26 76 42 Clausura Regular Season Final BANGLADESH
Win = 4 points, Draw = 2 points, Loss =1 point P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts
*Deducted 1 point America* 17 10 5 2 30 12 35 Jun 2: Tauro 2-0 Plaza Amador Bashundhara Kings (C) 18 14 3 1 49 13 45
**Deducted 6 points Cruz Azul* 17 10 3 4 23 14 33 Mohammedan Dhaka 18 9 8 1 40 17 35
Toluca* 17 9 5 3 38 23 32 Abahani Dhaka 18 9 5 4 34 22 32
Monterrey* 17 9 5 3 32 19 32
PUERTO RICO
Bangladesh Police 18 7 5 6 23 19 26
HAITI Tigres UANL* 17 9 4 4 34 23 31 Clausura Fortis 18 6 6 6 21 23 24
Guadalajara* 17 9 4 4 24 17 31 P W D L F A Pts Sheikh Russel 18 4 7 7 20 24 19
Regular Season Group A
Pachuca** 17 9 2 6 34 27 29 Academia Quintana* (C) 7 6 1 0 20 3 19
P W D L F A Pts Abahani Chittagong 18 4 7 7 22 29 19
Pumas UNAM** 17 7 6 4 27 22 27 Metropolitan* 7 5 2 0 27 4 17
Real Hope* 8 5 0 3 10 5 15 Sheikh Jamal 18 4 5 9 14 24 17
Necaxa** 17 7 6 4 30 29 27 PR Sol* 7 4 0 3 16 18 12
Ouanaminthe* 8 4 1 3 6 6 13 Rahmatgonj MFS (R) 18 2 10 6 19 26 16
Queretaro** 17 6 6 5 22 21 24 PR Surf* 7 3 1 3 21 17 10
Racing des Gonaives 8 3 3 2 9 8 12 Brothers Union (R) 18 1 4 13 21 66 7
Leon 17 7 3 7 23 25 24 Bayamon 7 3 1 3 17 13 10
Capoise 8 3 2 3 6 6 11
Juarez 17 4 4 9 19 26 16 Caguas Sporting 7 3 1 3 20 17 10
FICA 8 1 2 5 2 8 5
Atletico San Luis 17 5 1 11 25 35 16 Mayaguez 7 1 0 6 5 20 3
*Advance to championship round HONG KONG
Mazatan 17 4 4 9 21 32 16 Guaynabo 7 0 0 7 3 37 0
*Advance to semi-finals P W D L F A Pts
Regular Season Group B Santos Laguna 17 4 3 10 15 28 15 Lee Man (C) 20 17 3 0 63 16 54
P W D L F A Pts Tijuana 17 2 8 7 21 30 14 Tai Po 20 14 4 2 41 12 46
Atlas 17 3 5 9 21 31 14
Semi-Finals
Cosmopolites 8 3 3 2 5 4 12 Eastern 20 14 4 2 47 11 46
Baltimore* 8 3 3 2 4 3 12 Puebla 17 1 2 14 18 43 5 Kitchee 20 14 3 3 60 15 45
*Advance to quarter-finals May 22-23: Metropolitan 1-0 PR Sol;
Tempete* 8 2 5 1 4 3 11 Southern District 20 10 4 6 38 18 34
*Advance to reclassification Academia Quintana 3-0 PR Surf
Triomphe Liancourt 8 2 3 3 3 5 9 BC Rangers 20 8 0 12 41 34 24
Rivartibonitienne 8 2 2 4 3 4 8 HKFC 20 5 3 12 16 49 18
Reclassification Serie A Final
*Advance to championship round North District 20 5 3 12 27 43 18
May 26: Academia Quintana 2-1 Metropolitan Sham Shui Po 20 3 3 14 18 52 12
Regular Season Group C May 2: Pachuca 0-0 Pumas UNAM HK U23 20 2 3 15 12 71 9
P W D L F A Pts (Pumas UNAM win 5-3 on pens) Resources Capital 20 1 4 15 13 55 7
America des Cayes* 6 4 2 0 15 3 14 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Cavaly* 6 2 3 1 8 7 9 Reclassification Serie B P W D L F A Pts
Racing Club Haitien 6 1 3 2 3 9 6 AC Port of Spain (C) 20 13 5 2 49 21 44
May 2: Nexaca 1-1 Queretaro
INDONESIA
Juventus 6 0 2 4 2 9 2 Police 20 12 6 2 43 20 42
(Necaxa win 3-2 on pens) Regular Season
Violette AC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Defence Force 20 12 4 4 40 20 40
P W D L F A Pts
*Advance to championship round Club Sando 20 10 5 5 34 25 35
Reclassification Play-Off Borneo* 34 21 7 6 53 31 70
La Horquetta Rangers 20 8 4 8 39 38 28
Persib* (C) 34 16 14 4 65 38 62
Championship Round Group A Phoenix 20 8 3 9 33 37 27
May 5: Pachuca 2-1 Necaxa Bali United* 34 17 7 10 55 43 58
P W D L F A Pts Morvant Caledonia Utd 20 6 6 8 32 27 24
Real Hope* (C) 2 2 0 0 4 0 6 Madura United* 34 15 10 9 58 45 55
Point Fortin Civic 20 6 5 9 26 30 23
Tempete** 2 1 0 1 1 2 3 Quarter-Finals Dewa United 34 14 12 8 59 48 54
Prison Service 20 7 1 12 25 37 22
Cavaly 2 0 0 2 0 3 0 PSIS Semarang 34 15 8 11 49 41 53
Eagles 20 5 5 10 24 35 20
*Advance to final May 8-9: Pachuca 1-1 America; Guadalajara Persis Solo 34 14 8 12 50 47 50
Central 20 0 2 18 13 68 2
**Advance to third place play-off 1-0 Toluca; Pumas UNAM 0-2 Cruz Azul; Persija 34 12 12 10 49 41 48
Tigres UANL 1-2 Monterrey Persik Kediri 34 13 9 12 58 55 48
Championship Round Group B May 11-12: America 1-1 Pachuca (agg 2-2, TURKS & CAICOS Barito Putera 34 11 13 10 51 48 46
P W D L F A Pts America advance as higher seeds); Toluca 0-0 PSM 34 11 11 12 44 39 44
Clausura
Ouanaminthe* 2 1 1 0 4 2 4 Guadalajara (agg 0-1); Cruz Azul 2-2 Pumas Persebaya Surabaya 34 10 12 12 33 46 42
P W D L F A Pts
America des Cayes** 2 1 0 1 2 3 3 UNAM (agg 4-2); Monterrey 1-1 Tigres UANL PSS Sleman 34 9 12 13 49 53 39
Academy Eagles (C) 6 5 1 0 18 4 16
Baltimore 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 (agg 3-2) Persita 34 10 9 15 44 63 39
SWA Sharks 6 4 0 2 18 9 12
*Advance to final Arema 34 10 8 16 42 60 38
Teachers 6 0 3 3 3 15 3
**Advance to third place play-off Semi-Finals RANS Nusantara (R) 34 8 11 15 36 52 35
Cheshire Hall 6 0 2 4 2 13 2
Bhayangkara (R) 34 5 11 18 42 57 26
Flamingo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Third Place Play-Off May 15-16: Guadalajara 0-0 America; Persikabo1973 (R) 34 4 8 22 44 74 20
Monterrey 0-1 Cruz Azul *Advance to semi-finals
May 26: Tempete 0-1 America des Cayes May 18-19: America 1-0 Guadalajara (agg 1-0);
Final
Cruz Azul 1-2 Monterrey (agg 2-2, Cruz Azul
advance as higher seeds)
ASIA Semi-Finals
Final Tables 2023-24 May 14-15: Bali United 1-1 Persib;

May 26: Real Hope 1-1 Ouanaminthe Final Madura United 1-0 Borneo
(Real Hope win 4-2 on pens) AUSTRALIA May 18-19: Persib 3-0 Bali United (agg 4-1);
May 23: Cruz Azul 1-1 America Regular Season
Borneo 2-3 Madura United (agg 2-4)
May 26: America 1-0 Cruz Azul (agg 2-1) P W D L F A Pts
HONDURAS Central Coast Mariners* (C) 27 17 4 6 49 27 55 Third Place Play-Off
Clausura Wellington Phoenix* 27 15 8 4 42 26 53
P W D L F A Pts PANAMA Melbourne Victory** 27 10 12 5 43 33 42 May 25: Bali United 0-0 Borneo
Marathon* 18 11 2 5 33 18 35 Apertura East Sydney FC** 27 12 5 10 52 41 41 May 30: Borneo 4-2 Bali United (agg 4-2)
Motagua* 18 9 7 2 30 15 34 P W D L F A Pts Macarthur** 27 11 8 8 45 48 41
Olimpia** (C) 18 9 6 3 33 14 33 Deportivo del Este* 16 8 5 3 22 16 29 Melbourne City** 27 11 6 10 50 38 39 Final
Olancho** 18 7 8 3 18 11 29 Tauro** (C) 16 8 4 4 21 11 28 Western Sydney Wanderers 27 11 4 12 44 48 37
Genesis** 18 7 6 5 12 15 27 Plaza Amador** 16 8 2 6 21 17 26 Adelaide United 27 9 5 13 52 53 32 May 26: Persib 3-0 Madura United
Real Espana** 18 6 6 6 24 22 24 Alianza 16 6 5 5 17 19 23 Brisbane Roar 27 8 6 13 42 55 30 May 31: Madura United 1-3 Persib (agg 1-6)
Real Sociedad 18 7 0 11 23 32 21 Sporting San Miguelito 16 5 5 6 16 19 20 Newcastle Jets 27 6 10 11 39 47 28
Victoria 18 5 5 8 16 24 20 Arabe Unido 16 2 4 10 13 27 10 Western United 27 7 5 15 36 55 26
UPNFM 18 4 3 11 11 24 15 *Advance to semi-finals Perth Glory 27 5 7 15 46 69 22
IRAN
Vida 18 3 1 14 16 41 10 **Advance to play-offs *Advance to semi-finals P W D L F A Pts
*Advance to semi-finals *Advance to elimination finals Persepolis (C) 30 20 8 2 45 18 68
**Advance to play-offs Apertura West Esteghlal 30 19 10 1 40 15 67
P W D L F A Pts Elimination Finals Sepahan 30 17 6 7 53 26 57
Play-Offs San Francisco* 16 9 4 3 18 14 31 Tractor 30 16 6 8 42 22 54
Herrera** 16 7 4 5 28 23 25 May 4-5: Sydney FC 4-0 Macarthur; Shams Azar Qazvin 30 11 9 10 35 35 42
May 2-3: Real Espana 1-0 Olimpia; Independiente** 16 7 3 6 24 16 24 Melbourne Victory 1-1 Melbourne City Zob Ahan 30 11 9 10 30 30 42
Genesis 1-0 Olancho UMECIT 16 5 6 5 14 15 21 (AET, Melbourne Victory win 3-2 on pens) Malavan 30 10 11 9 31 26 41
May 5: Olimpia 3-1 Real Espana (agg 3-2); Universitario 16 3 7 6 18 24 16 Aluminium Arak 30 10 9 11 27 33 39
Olancho 0-0 Genesis (agg 0-1) Veraguas United 16 2 3 11 20 31 9 Semi-Finals Gol Gohar 30 8 12 10 30 28 36
*Advance to semi-finals Mes Rafsanjan 30 8 11 11 32 37 35
Semi-Finals **Advance to play-offs May 10-12: Nassaji Mazandaran 30 7 8 15 27 36 29
Sydney FC 1-2 Central Coast Mariners; Havadar 30 6 11 13 31 48 29
May 9: Olimpia 3-3 Motagua; Play-Offs Melbourne Victory 0-0 Wellington Phoenix Foolad 30 7 8 15 20 40 29
Genesis 0-2 Marathon May 18: Esteghlal Khuzestan 30 6 10 14 31 42 28
May 11-12: Motagua 3-4 Olimpia (agg 6-7); May 11-12: Tauro 4-1 Independiente; Central Coast Mariners 0-0 Sydney FC (agg 2-1); Paykan (R) 30 4 15 11 25 38 27
Marathon 1-0 Genesis (agg 3-0) Herrera 1-2 Plaza Amador Wellington 1-2 Melbourne Victory (AET, agg 1-2) Sanat Naft (R) 30 4 9 17 24 49 21
WORLD SOCCER 109

JORDAN Ratchaburi 30 11 6 13 39 35 39 BURKINA FASO ESWATINI

Uthai Thani 30 9 8 13 39 55 35
P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts
Khonkaen United 30 8 11 11 44 58 35 Mbabane Swallows (C) 26 15 10 1 44 20 55
Al Hussein (C) 22 19 2 1 45 6 59 Douanes (C) 30 17 9 4 42 14 60
Lamphun Warriors 30 9 8 13 45 47 35 Green Mamba 26 15 5 6 56 22 50
Al Faisaly 22 18 3 1 63 14 57 Majestic 30 15 9 6 36 21 54
Prachuap 30 8 10 12 33 39 34 Nsingizini Hotspurs 26 12 12 2 27 17 48
Al Wehdat 22 14 6 2 38 14 48 SONABEL 30 13 13 4 28 16 52
Chiangrai United 30 8 10 12 31 35 34 Young Buffaloes 26 14 4 8 50 26 46
Al Ramtha 22 11 2 9 30 22 35 Sporting Cascades 30 12 11 7 31 25 47
Nakhon Pathom Utd 30 8 9 13 37 53 33 Royal Leopards 26 12 10 4 38 27 46
Al Salt 22 9 1 12 25 27 28 Salitas 30 12 10 8 41 36 46
Sukhothai 30 9 5 16 34 60 32 Highlanders 26 10 8 8 36 36 38
Ma’an 22 7 5 10 22 30 26 EF Ouagadougou 30 10 11 9 28 29 41
Chonburi (R) 30 7 9 14 33 52 30 Illovo 26 8 10 8 23 27 34
Shabab Al Aqaba 22 6 7 9 19 38 25 Rahimo 30 10 9 11 28 30 39
Police Tero (R) 30 7 7 16 38 67 28 Madlenya 26 6 9 11 21 39 27
Shabab Al Ordon 22 7 1 14 21 36 22 ASEC-K 30 8 14 8 17 18 38
Trat (R) 30 6 8 16 40 64 26 Rangers 26 6 8 12 24 29 26
Moghayer Al Sarhan 22 6 3 13 21 38 21 ASFA-Yennenga 30 7 14 9 24 26 35
Al Ahli 22 5 5 12 17 32 20 Vitesse 30 8 11 11 22 26 35 Ezulwini United 26 5 10 11 19 28 25
Sahab (R) 22 4 6 12 22 42 18 RCK 30 7 13 10 15 22 34 Manzini Sea Birds 26 5 10 11 25 43 25
Al Jalil (R) 22 1 9 12 11 35 12 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ASFB 30 6 15 9 18 23 33 Moneni Pirates 26 3 13 10 27 34 22
P W D L F A Pts USFA 30 6 14 10 21 28 32 Denver (R) 26 5 6 15 18 36 21
Al Wasl (C) 26 21 4 1 70 27 67 RC Bobo-Dioulasso 30 5 15 10 23 31 30 Manzini Wanderers (R) 26 4 9 13 27 51 21
KUWAIT Shabab Al Ahli26 18 4 4 73 34 58 Royal (R) 30 3 16 11 23 31 25
Regular Season Al Ain 26 14 3 9 54 37 45 KOZAF (R) 30 5 8 17 18 39 23 GHANA
P W D L F A Pts Sharjah 26 10 12 4 53 40 42 P W D L F A Pts
Kuwait SC 18 13 4 1 46 17 43 Al Wahda 26 12 6 8 45 34 42 Samartex (C) 34 19 4 11 45 28 61
Al Arabi 18 13 3 2 47 18 42 Al Nasr 26 11 6 9 39 36 39 Accra Lions 34 14 9 11 37 36 51
Al Qadsia 18 11 6 1 34 10 39 Al Bataeh 26 10 7 9 42 44 37
CAMEROON
Berekum Chelsea 34 15 6 13 37 41 51
Al Salmiyah 18 6 6 6 21 24 24 Al Jazira 26 9 8 9 50 47 35 Championship Round
Aduana Stars 34 16 2 16 43 36 50
Al Nasar 18 7 3 8 31 27 24 Ajman 26 8 10 8 39 47 34 P W D L F A Pts
Nsoatreman 34 14 8 12 33 29 50
Al Fahaheel 18 6 5 7 25 27 23 Bani Yas 26 7 5 14 33 46 26 Victoria United (C) 7 4 1 2 11 8 13
Asante Kotoko 34 14 7 13 35 29 49
Kazma 18 5 5 8 20 32 20 Kalba 26 6 8 12 39 50 26 Cotonsport 7 2 4 1 7 5 10
Nations 34 14 7 13 32 28 49
Al Shabab 18 4 2 12 14 43 14 Khorfakkan 26 6 5 15 34 55 23 Stade Renard 7 2 4 1 7 6 10 Medeama 34 14 7 13 27 26 49
Khaitan 18 2 6 10 11 31 12 Emirates (R) 26 4 5 17 32 60 17 Colombe 7 2 3 2 5 4 9 Dreams 34 13 9 12 44 35 48
Al Jahra 18 2 2 14 17 37 8 Hatta (R) 26 1 7 18 20 66 10 Young Sport Academy* 7 3 2 2 7 6 8 Bechem United 34 12 12 10 41 34 48
• Top six advance to championship round, bottom Canon 7 2 2 3 4 8 8 Bibiani Gold Stars 34 12 11 11 41 40 47
four enter relegation round with points obtained Gazelle 7 2 2 3 4 5 8 Karela United 34 12 10 12 36 42 46
during regular season carried over in full Dynamo de Douala 7 0 4 3 4 7 4 Heart of Lions 34 11 12 11 34 29 45
Championship Round
AFRICA *Deducted 3 points Hearts of Oak 34
Legon Cities 34
11
13
12
6
11
15
35
29
31
38
45
45
P W D L F A Pts Great Olympics (R) 34 11 11 12 27 27 44
Final Tables 2023-24 Relegation Round
Kuwait SC (C) 28 21 6 1 72 21 69 Bofoakwe Tano (R) 34 6 15 13 21 36 33
P W D L F A Pts
Al Arabi 28 17 8 3 62 27 59 RTU (R) 34 9 4 21 31 63 31
ALGERIA Union Douala 10 5 4 1 8 4 19
Al Qadsia 28 15 9 4 51 25 54
Fortuna Mfou 10 5 3 2 17 14 18
Al Salmiyah 28 9 9 10 35 41 36 P W D L F A Pts
MC Alger (C) 30 19 8 3 55 20 65
Les Astres 10 5 1 4 19 14 16 IVORY COAST
Al Fahaheel 28 8 9 11 37 44 33
Bamboutos 10 3 6 1 10 8 15 P W D L F A Pts
Al Nasar 28 7 4 17 42 60 25 Belouizdad 30 15 8 7 37 20 53
PWD 10 3 6 1 10 9 15 San-Pedro (C) 30 17 5 8 47 29 56
CS Constantine 30 15 8 7 46 30 53
Fauve Azur Elite (R) 10 4 3 3 9 8 15 Stade d’Abidjan 30 14 9 7 41 24 51
Relegation Round USM Alger 30 15 4 11 40 32 49
APEJES Academy (R) 10 4 2 4 10 10 14 Racing d’Abidjan 29 14 9 6 41 24 51
P W D L F A Pts ES Setif 30 14 6 10 37 37 48
UMS de Loum (R) 10 2 4 4 13 14 10 ASEC Abidjan 30 14 8 8 31 15 50
Kazma 24 10 5 9 38 39 35 Paradou AC 30 11 9 10 36 22 42
Aigle Royal (R) 10 2 4 4 12 15 10 Stella 30 13 6 11 39 29 45
Khaitan 24 5 6 13 17 39 21 JS Kabylie 30 10 12 8 33 27 42
Avion Academy (R) 10 2 2 6 9 15 8 Zoman 30 11 10 9 29 27 43
Al Shabab (R) 24 6 2 16 18 50 20 ASO Chlef 30 11 8 11 41 40 41
Fovu Club (R) 10 1 3 6 12 18 6 AFAD 30 11 9 10 29 27 42
Al Jahra (R) 24 4 2 18 28 54 14 Saoura 30 11 7 12 34 37 40
Khenchela 30 11 6 13 33 39 39 SOA 30 11 9 10 33 32 42
NC Magra 30 9 11 10 30 32 38 SOL 30 10 10 10 32 31 40
OMAN El Bayadh 30 10 8 12 29 30 38 Korhogo 30 10 10 10 31 31 40
DJIBOUTI Lys Sassandra 30 9 9 12 32 32 36
P W D L F A Pts US Biskra 30 9 9 12 25 34 36
P W D L F A Pts Denguele 30 9 9 12 31 47 36
Al Seeb (C) 22 18 3 1 40 9 57 MC Oran 30 9 9 12 26 33 36
Arta/Solar 7 (C) 18 13 4 1 55 13 43 Mouna 30 8 8 14 26 43 32
Al Nahda 22 12 7 3 38 21 43 Ben Aknoun (R) 30 8 8 14 32 37 32
ASAS 18 11 5 2 44 16 38 Bouake 29 7 9 13 27 40 30
Oman Club 22 13 3 6 34 24 42 US Souf (R) 30 2 1 27 22 86 7
Port 18 9 3 6 34 18 30 Sporting Gagnoa (R) 30 6 10 14 20 38 28
Sohar 22 10 7 5 32 21 37 Dikhil 18 7 5 6 32 22 26 Indenie Abengourou (R) 30 6 8 16 27 47 26
Al Nasr 22 9 5 8 28 25 32 SDC Group/H Balbala 18 7 5 6 19 25 26
Al Rustaq 22 8 8 6 25 25 32 ANGOLA Gendarmerie 18 7 4 7 33 25 25
Al Shabab 22 5 9 8 22 26 24 LESOTHO
P W D L F A Pts Garde-Cotes 18 6 5 7 20 19 23
Sur 22 6 6 10 29 34 24 P W D L F A Pts
Petro Atletico (C) 28 20 7 1 58 11 67 GR/SIAF 18 6 3 9 23 25 21
Ibri 22 7 3 12 21 27 24 Lioli (C) 30 20 8 2 49 14 68
Sagrada Esperanca 28 18 7 3 45 15 61 Academie CS/CNSS (R) 18 4 5 9 26 43 17
Dhofar 22 6 2 14 23 36 20 Matlama 30 19 9 2 52 17 66
Desportivo Lunda-Sul 28 13 11 4 35 19 50 CDC Q7 (R) 18 0 1 17 6 86 1
Bahla 22 4 6 12 12 25 18 Bantu 30 16 9 5 58 22 57
Kabuscorp 28 12 8 8 36 27 44 LMPS 30 15 10 5 36 16 55
Al Wehda (R) 22 4 1 17 16 47 13
Wiliete 28 10 11 7 31 24 41 Linare 30 15 10 5 34 19 55
Desportivo Huila 28 11 8 9 24 25 41 LCS 30 15 8 7 40 25 53
1º de Agosto 28 8 14 6 32 24 38
DR CONGO
SAUDI ARABIA Championship Round LDF 30 13 9 8 41 26 48
Bravos do Maquis 28 11 4 13 29 28 37 Lifofane 30 12 10 8 31 31 46
Interclube 28 9 8 11 25 29 35 Lijabatho 30 10 13 7 31 24 43
Al Hilal (C) 34 31 3 0 101 23 96 TP Mazembe (C) 14 12 1 1 39 5 37
Academica do Lobito 28 7 11 10 16 26 32 Liphakoe 30 9 8 13 31 36 35
Al Nassr 34 26 4 4 100 42 82 Maniema Union 14 10 2 2 27 8 32
Sao Salvador 28 7 10 11 23 34 31 Likila United 30 7 10 13 25 29 31
Al Ahli 34 19 8 7 67 35 65 Saint Eloi Lupopo 14 6 6 2 20 13 24
Santa Rita 28 7 5 16 22 40 26 Machokha 30 4 12 14 29 45 24
Al Taawoun 34 16 11 7 51 35 59 Aigles du Congo 14 5 5 4 18 20 20
Recreativo do Libolo 28 6 7 15 19 32 25 CCX 30 5 4 21 15 55 19
Al Ittihad 34 16 6 12 63 54 54 Vita Club 14 4 7 3 13 10 19
Uniao de Malanje (R) 28 5 6 17 21 46 21 Manonyane 30 3 10 17 11 34 19
Ettifaq 34 12 12 10 43 34 48 Dauphins Noirs 14 3 1 10 9 30 10
Sporting de Cabinda (R) 28 5 5 18 27 63 20 ACE Maseru (R) 30 3 10 17 19 53 19
Al Fateh 34 12 9 13 57 55 45 Don Bosco 14 2 2 10 8 23 8
Al Shabab 34 12 8 14 45 42 44 Naughty Boys (R) 30 2 4 24 19 75 10
Lubumbashi Sport 14 1 2 11 7 32 5
Al Fayha 34 11 11 12 44 52 44
Damak 34 10 11 13 44 45 41 BOTSWANA MALI
Relegation Round Group A
Al Khaleej 34 9 10 15 36 47 37 P W D L F A Pts P W D L F A Pts
P W D L F A Pts
Al Raed 34 9 10 15 41 49 37 Jwaneng Galaxy (C) 30 20 5 5 45 17 65 Djoliba (C) 30 22 3 5 48 18 69
Simba 5 3 2 0 5 0 11
Al Wehda 34 10 6 18 45 60 36 Township Rollers 30 19 7 4 52 16 64 Stade Malien Bamako 30 16 10 4 42 17 58
Blessing 5 3 2 0 6 2 11
Al Riyadh 34 8 11 15 33 57 35 Gaborone United 30 19 6 5 50 20 63 Real Bamako 30 14 9 7 38 26 51
Tshinkunku 5 2 2 1 10 7 8
Al Akhdoud 34 9 6 19 33 52 33 Security Systems 30 13 5 12 39 40 44 Bakaridjan 30 12 11 7 42 27 47
Groupe Bazano (R) 5 2 1 2 6 7 7
Abha (R) 34 9 5 20 38 87 32 TAFIC 30 10 8 12 32 37 38 US Bougouba 30 14 5 11 36 26 47
Sanga Balende (R) 5 1 1 3 5 8 4
Al Tai (R) 34 8 7 19 34 64 31 VTM 30 10 7 13 31 33 37 Afrique Football Elite 30 11 9 10 29 27 42
Panda B52 (R) 5 0 0 5 6 14 0
Al Hazm (R) 34 4 12 18 34 76 24 Sua Flamingoes 30 10 6 14 36 32 36 ASKO 30 10 11 9 23 24 41
BDF XI 30 8 12 10 21 23 36 Binga 30 10 10 10 25 27 40
Masitaoka 30 9 9 12 25 29 36 Relegation Round Group B USFAS Bamako 30 10 9 11 29 30 39
THAILAND Orapa United 30 7 11 12 27 27 32 P W D L F A Pts Bougouni 30 8 14 8 28 29 38
P W D L F A Pts Matebele 30 7 11 12 32 36 32 Motema Pembe 5 3 1 1 7 3 10 Onze Createurs 30 10 8 12 34 36 38
Buriram United (C) 30 20 9 1 70 27 69 Nico United 30 7 11 12 27 33 32 Rangers 5 3 1 1 5 1 10 Police 30 9 8 13 26 34 35
Bangkok United 30 17 10 3 58 24 61 Morupule Wanderers (R) 30 7 9 14 35 44 30 Kuya Sport 5 3 0 2 6 3 9 Koro 30 7 9 14 26 39 30
Port 30 16 9 5 72 37 57 Eleven Angels (R) 30 5 10 15 28 44 25 Etoile de Kivu (R) 5 3 0 2 5 7 9 COB 30 8 5 17 27 47 29
BG Pathum United 30 15 9 6 59 38 54 Police XI (R) 30 5 9 16 23 42 24 OC Renaissance (R) 5 1 1 3 4 8 4 USC Kita (R) 30 4 12 14 20 39 24
Muangthong United 30 16 4 10 64 45 52 Holy Ghost (R) 30 5 8 17 20 50 23 Celeste (R) 5 0 1 4 1 6 1 Black Stars (R) 30 4 9 17 26 53 21
110 WORLD SOCCER

MAURITANIA UGANDA Jun 9 – Kinshasa Jun 11 – Franceville

DR Congo 1 (Elia 6) Gabon 3 (Allevinah 52, Aubameyang 70,
Togo 0 Bouanga 71)
Nouadhibou (C) 26 21 3 2 48 14 66 SC Villa (C) 29 16 9 4 40 21 57
Gambia 2 (Minteh 33, Adams 76)
AS Douanes 26 17 8 1 55 18 59 BUL 29 16 8 5 36 17 56
Jun 11 – Nouakchott
Tevragh-Zeine 26 15 7 4 43 15 52 Vipers 29 16 8 5 45 20 56
Mauritania 0 Jun 11 – Lilongwe
Gendrim 26 11 7 8 25 24 40 Kitara 29 16 6 7 46 24 54
Senegal 1 (Diallo 27) Kenya 0
Nouakchott King’s 26 9 9 8 39 32 36 KCCA 29 15 4 10 54 33 49
Inter Nouakchott 26 8 7 11 29 34 31 NEC 29 14 6 9 35 34 48 Ivory Coast 0
Jun 11 –Juba
Pompiers 26 8 6 12 28 38 30 Maroons 29 10 11 8 35 26 41
South Sudan 0 Jun 11 – Berkane
Kaedi 26 7 8 11 31 41 29 URA 29 10 10 9 30 27 40
Sudan 3 (Khedr 45+3, Muzmel 51, Seychelles 1 (Hoareau 78)
Chemal 26 6 10 10 26 27 28 Bright Stars 29 7 15 7 33 33 36
Al Gharbal 78) Burundi 3 (Abdallah 34, Kanakimana 62, 69)
Garde Nationale 26 6 10 10 24 32 28 Mbarara City 29 6 14 9 22 29 32
SNIM 26 5 11 10 21 32 26 Wakiso Giants 29 9 5 15 27 42 32
Ksar 26 6 8 12 17 33 26 Group C Group G
Express 29 9 5 15 36 38 32
Concorde (R) 26 6 6 14 18 32 24 UPDF 29 7 6 16 23 39 27
AS Entou (R) 26 3 8 15 28 59 17 Busoga United 29 6 7 16 25 53 25 Jun 6 – Abidjan Jun 6 – Algiers
Gaddafi (R) 29 7 4 18 24 54 25 Benin 1 (Dokou 37) Algeria 1 (Balde 52 og)
Arua Hill (R) 15 1 2 12 12 33 5 Rwanda 0 Guinea 2 (M. Sylla 50, A. Camara 63)
MOROCCO
P W D L F A Pts Jun 7 –Johannesburg
Raja (R) 30 21 9 0 52 15 72 Jun 7 – Maputo
Zimbabwe 0
FAR Rabat 30 22 5 3 65 22 71
ZAMBIA Mozambique 2 (Amade 14, Ratifo 29)
Lesotho 2 (Rasethuntsa 21, Thabantso 31)
RS Berkane 30 14 10 6 38 23 52 P W D L F A Pts Somalia 1 (Shirwa 66)
UTS Rabat 30 12 8 10 36 33 44 Red Arrows (C) 34 21 8 5 45 16 71 Jun 7 – Uyo
Olympic Safi 30 11 11 8 29 26 44 ZESCO United 34 15 14 5 46 30 59 Nigeria 1 (Dele-Bashiru 46) Jun 7 – Kampala
Wydad 30 12 8 10 31 27 44 Power Dynamos 34 14 14 6 43 24 56 South Africa 1 (Zwane 29) Uganda 1 (Shaban 74)
FUS Rabat 30 11 10 9 32 28 43 Maestro United Zambia 34 14 11 9 38 30 53 Botswana 0
Renaissance Zemamra 30 11 7 12 35 35 40 Kabwe Warriors 34 14 10 10 33 26 52 Jun 10 – Abidjan
Moghreb Tetouan 30 7 14 9 27 28 35 Nkwazi 34 14 10 10 33 35 52 Benin 2 (J. Dossou 37, Mounie 45+3) Jun 10 – ElJadida
Hassania Agadir 30 8 11 11 35 43 35 Mufulira Wanderers 34 11 10 13 32 32 43 Nigeria 1 (Onyedika 27) Guinea 0
Maghreb Fes 30 8 10 12 34 35 34 Zanaco 34 9 16 9 27 30 43 Mozambique 1 (Catamo 90+3 pen)
Ittihad Tanger 30 7 12 11 29 38 33 Nkana 34 11 10 13 24 30 43 Jun 11 – Bloemfontein
JS Soualem* 30 8 6 16 31 46 27 Forest Rangers 34 9 15 10 33 34 42 South Africa 3 (Rayners 1, Morena 55, 76) Jun 10 – Kampala
Chabab Mohammedia 30 6 7 17 19 401 25 Green Buffaloes 34 10 12 12 31 35 42 Zimbabwe 1 (Chirewa 2) Uganda 1 (Mutyaba 10)
Mouloudia Oujda (R) 30 5 10 15 20 46 25 Green Eagles 34 11 9 14 35 41 42 Algeria 2 (Aouar 46, Benrahma 58)
Youssoufia Berrechid (R) 30 4 8 18 21 49 20 Mutondo Stars 34 11 7 16 30 33 40 Jun 11 – Durban
*Deducted 3 points NAPSA Stars 34 9 13 12 26 30 40 Lesotho 0 Jun 10 – Maputo
Konkola Blades (R) 34 8 15 11 23 31 39 Rwanda 1 (Kwizera 67) Somalia 1 (Hassan 74)
Prison Leopards (R) 34 8 11 15 26 37 35
SENEGAL Botswana 3 (Sesinyi 10, Gaolaolwe 53,
Kansanshi Dynamos (R) 34 8 11 15 23 36 35
P W D L F A Pts
Group D Seakanyeng 72)
Trident (R) 34 4 14 16 26 44 26
Teungueth (C) 26 14 8 4 31 18 50
Jaraaf 26 11 12 3 28 13 45 Jun 6 – Benghazi Group H
DSC 26 10 11 5 29 15 41 Libya 2 (Al Badri 20 pen, Krawa’a 40)
Guediawaye 26
Pikine
Sonacos
26
26
9
9
7
13 4 27 23 40
11 6 20 14 38
12 7 16 16 33
Internationals Mauritius 1 (Bru 34)
Jun 7 – Luanda
Jun 5 –Johannesburg
Namibia 1 (Karuuombe 8)
Liberia 1 (Sackor 65)
Goree 26 7 11 8 15 17 32 2026 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Angola 1 (Mabululu 2)
Jamono Fatick 26 8 7 11 25 25 31 Eswatini 0 Jun 5 – Tunis
La Linguere 26 6 13 7 13 17 31 AFRICA Section Tunisia 1 (Ben Romdhane 82 pen)
Ouakam 26 7 9 10 22 25 30 Jun 8 – Yaounde
Generation Foot 26 6 11 9 15 24 29
• 9 direct slots available, plus 1 play-off slot Cameroon 4 (Ngadeu-Ngadjui 13,
Equatorial Guinea 0
Casa Sport 26 7 6 13 18 29 27 Aboubakar 25, 44 pen, Tolo 54)

First Round Cape Verde 1 (Monteiro 37) Jun 6 – Lilongwe
Stade de Mbour (R) 26 4 13 9 18 23 25 Malawi 3 (Kawonga 6, Nkhoma 14, Mphasi 78)
Diambars (R) 26 4 9 13 25 43 21 Sao Tome & Principe 1 (Silva 67)
Group A Jun 11 – Praia
Cape Verde 1 (Diney 10)
SOUTH AFRICA Jun 5 – ElJadida Libya 0 Jun 9 –Johannesburg
P W D L F A Pts Sierra Leone 2 (Davies 12, Kargbo 51) Namibia 0
Mamelodi Sundowns (C) 30 22 7 1 52 11 73 Djibouti 1 (Dadzie 35 pen) Jun 11 – Luanda Tunisia 0
Orlando Pirates 30 14 8 8 44 26 50 Angola 1 (Ngadeu-Ngadjui 54 og)
Stellenbosch 30 14 8 8 39 24 50 Jun 6 – Cairo Cameroon 1 (Mbeumo 11) Jun 9 – Oujda
Sekhukhune United 30 12 9 9 31 24 45 Egypt 2 (Trezeguet 3, 8) Sao Tome & Principe 0
Cape Town City 30 12 9 9 32 26 45 Burkina Faso 1 (L. Traore 57) Jun 11 – Saint Pierre Liberia 1 (Sesay 90)
TS Galaxy 30 12 8 10 31 25 44 Mauritius 2 (Gaspard 19, Rose 45)
SuperSport United 30 11 11 8 35 33 44 Eswatini 1 (Magagula 66) Jun 10 – Malabo
Jun 6 – Bissau
Polokwane City 30 9 12 9 21 27 39 Equatorial Guinea 1 (Salvador 81)
Guinea-Bissau 0
Golden Arrows 30 10 8 12 33 44 38 Group E Malawi 0
Ethiopia 0
Kaizer Chiefs 30 9 9 12 25 30 36
AmaZulu 30 8 12 10 24 30 36 Jun 7 – Agadir Group I
Chippa United 30 8 10 12 26 29 34 Jun 9 – ElJadida
Djibouti 1 (Dadzie 29) Morocco 2 (Ziyech 6 pen, Ben Seghir 67)
Royal AM 30 9 6 15 24 43 33 Zambia 1 (Chilufya 80)
Ethiopia 1 (Wondimu 31) Jun 5 – Oujda
Moroka Swallows 30 8 8 14 24 36 32
Central African Republic 1 (Baboula 29)
Richards Bay* 30 8 6 16 24 37 30 Jun 11 – Ndola
Jun 10– Bissau Chad 0
Cape Town Spurs (R) 30 6 5 19 23 43 23 Zambia 0
*Enter promotion-relegation play-offs Guinea-Bissau 1 (Balde 42)
Tanzania 1 (Waziri 5) Jun 6 – Bamako
Egypt 1 (Salah 70)
Mali 1 (K. Doumbia 45+1)
TANZANIA Jun 11 – Agadir Ghana 2 (Nuamah 58, J. Ayew 90+4)
Jun 10 – Bamako Congo 0
P W D L F A Pts Burkina Faso 2 (Ouattara 41,
Young Africans (C) 30 26 2 2 71 14 80 Morocco 6 (Ounahi 8, Riad 16, El Kaabi 30, 39, Jun 7 –Johannesburg
L. Traore 45+2 pen) 53, Rahimi 62)
Azam 30 21 6 3 63 21 69 Madagascar 2 (Raveloson 1, 66)
Sierra Leone 2 (Kargbo 58, Bakayoko 88)
Simba 30 21 6 3 59 25 69 Comoros 1 (Ben Nabouhane 90+4)
Coastal Union 30 11 10 9 22 19 43 Group F
Group B Jun 10 – Kumasi
KMC 30 8 13 9 27 39 37
Namungo 30 8 12 10 27 29 36 Jun 7 – Lilongwe Ghana 4 (J. Ayew 6 pen, 60, 69, Fatawu 62)
Ihefu 30 9 9 12 29 36 36 Jun 5 – Lome Kenya 1 (Abuya 72) Central African Republic 3 (Mafouta 11, 41, 90)
Mashujaa 30 9 8 13 30 33 35 Togo 1 (Narey 61) Burundi 1 (Abdallah 85)
Tanzania Prisons 30 7 13 10 29 35 34 South Sudan 1 (Aholou 68 og) Jun 11 –Johannesburg
Kagera Sugar 30 7 13 10 23 32 34 Jun 7 – Korhogo Madagascar 0
Singida Big Stars 30 8 9 13 29 39 33 Jun 6 – Nouakchott Ivory Coast 1 (S. Fofana 36) Mali 0
Dodoma Jiji 30 8 9 13 19 32 33 Mauritania 0 Gabon 0
JKT Tanzania* 30 6 14 10 21 30 32 Sudan 2 (Teiri 15, Abeid 29 og) Jun 11 – Oujda
Tabora United* 30 5 12 13 20 41 27 Jun 8 – Berkane Chad 0
Geita Gold (R) 30 5 10 15 18 38 25 Jun 6 – Diamniadio Gambia 5 (Badamosi 10, 66, Barrow 52 pen, Comoros 2 (Maolida 59, Ben Nabouhane 76)
Mtibwa Sugar (R) 30 5 6 19 30 54 21 Senegal 1 (I. Sarr 45+1) Minteh 55, Sidibeh 78)
*Enter promotion-relegation play-offs DR Congo 1 (Mayele 85) Seychelles 1 (Henriette 14) • Latest group standings on page 91
WORLD SOCCER 111

ASIA Section Jun 11 – Ashgabat Jun 6 – Tegucigalpa Jun 8 – Road Town

Turkmenistan 0 Honduras 3 (Lozano 26, Rodriguez 45+2, British Virgin Islands 0
• 8 direct slots available, plus 1 play-off slot
Hong Kong 0 Castillo 82) Guatemala 3 (Castellanos 23, Rubin 45+4,
Second Round Cuba 1 (Reyes 23) Pinto 47)
Group F
Group A Jun 8 – George Town Jun 9 – Roseau
Jun 6 –Jakarta Cayman Islands 1 (Campbell 90+1) Dominica 2 (George 83, Jules 89)
Jun 6 – Holuf Indonesia 0 Antigua & Barbuda 0 Jamaica 3 (Nicholson 31, 80 pen, Dixon 43)
Afghanistan 0 Iraq 2 (Hussein 54 pen, Jasim 88)
Qatar 0 Jun 9 – Devonshire Parish Jun 11 – San Cristobal
Jun 6 – Hanoi Bermuda 1 (Lewis 45+4) Dominican Republic 4 (Nunez 2, 31,
Jun 6 – Kolkata Vietnam 3 (Nguyen Tien Linh 65, 76, Honduras 6 (Arriaga 15, Ruiz 49, Rodriguez 53, Romero 15 pen, 90+3)
India 0 Pham Tuan Hai 90+5) Vega 57, Najar 62, Rochez 90+1) British Virgin Islands 0
Kuwait 0 Philippines 2 (Reichelt 62, Ingreso 89)
Group B Group F
Jun 11 – Al Rayyan Jun 11 – Basra
Qatar 2 (Ayman 73, Al Rawi 85) Iraq 3 (H. Ali 12, Jasim 71, Hussein 90+2) Jun 5 – Port of Spain Jun 5 – Paramaribo
India 1 (Chhangte 37) Vietnam 1 (Pham Tuan Hai 84) Trinidad & Tobago 2 (Telfer 43, Moore 74) Suriname 4 (Becker 39 pen, Hilterman 45+2,
Grenada 2 (Hippolyte 24 pen, 28) Lonwijk 46, Montnor 70)
Jun 11 – Kuwait City Jun 11 –Jakarta St Vincent & Grenadines 1 (Anderson 31)
Kuwait 1 (Al Rashidi 81) Indonesia 2 (Haye 32, Ridho 56) Jun 6 – SanJose
Afghanistan 0 Philippines 0 Costa Rica 4 (Galo 40, 50, Alcocer 83, Jun 6 – San Salvador
Rojas 84) El Salvador 0
Group B Group G St Kitts & Nevis 0 Puerto Rico 0
Jun 6 – Yangon Jun 6 – Islamabad Jun 8 – Basseterre Jun 8 – The Valley

Myanmar 0 Pakistan 0 Bahamas 1 (Julmis 86) Anguilla 0
Japan 5 (Nakamura 17, 90+3, Doan 37, Saudi Arabia 3 (Al Buraikan 26, 41, Trinidad & Tobago 7 (Shaw 6, 66, Jones 14 pen, Suriname 4 (Conraad 10, 75, Pinas 62,
Ogawa 75, 83) Al Juwayr 59) Muckette 43, 45+1, Moore 56, James 84) Austin 88 og)
Jun 6 – Vientiane Jun 6 – Amman Jun 9 – St George’s Jun 9 – Paramaribo

North Korea 1 (Jong Il-gwan 90+2) Jordan 3 (Olwan 51, Al Naimat 68, Grenada 0 St Vincent & Grenadines 1 (Anderson 43)
Syria 0 Sadeh 90+4) Costa Rica 3 (Ugalde 9, Zamora 34, Taylor 70) El Salvador 3 (Henriquez 10, Tejada 60,
Tajikistan 0 Bonilla 83)
Jun 11 – Hiroshima Jun 11 – Basseterre
Japan 5 (Ueda 13, Doan 19, Krouma 21 og, Jun 11 – Riyadh St Kitts & Nevis 1 (Bristow 12) Jun 11 – Bayamon
Soma 73 pen, Minamino 85) Saudi Arabia 1 (Lajami 16) Bahamas 0 Puerto Rico 8 (De Leon 20 pen, 51, Ydrach
Syria 0 Jordan 2 (Olwan 27, Al Rawabdeh 45+2) 31, W. Rivera 48, 65, L. Antonetti 59, Rios 71,
Group C Cardona 90+1)
Jun 11 – Vientiane Jun 11 – Dushanbe Anguilla 0
North Korea 4 (Ri Il-song 12, Tajikistan 3 (Mabatshoev 35, Safarov 65, Jun 5 – Willemstad
Ri Jo-guk 16, 43, 87 pen) Hanonov 70) Curacao 4 (Janga 25, 62, 86 pen, • Latest group standings on page 89
Myanmar 1 (Wai Lin Aung 57) Pakistan 0 Kastaneer 90+2)
Barbados 1 (Reid-Stephen 90+2 pen)
Group C Group H
2024 BALTIC CUP
Jun 6 – Wildey
Jun 6 – Singapore Semi-Finals
Jun 6 – Dammam Haiti 2 (Duverne 47, Nazon 78)
Singapore 0
Nepal 0 St Lucia 1 (Elva 18)
South Korea 7 (Lee Kang-in 9, 54, Jun 8 – Liepaja
United Arab Emirates 4 (Abdalla 12, 14,
Joo Min-kyu 20, Son Heung-min 53, 56, Latvia 0
Saleh 53, Mohammad 75) Jun 8 – Oranjestad
Bae Jun-ho 79, Hwang Hee-chan 81) Lithuania 2 (Kucys 49, Dolznikov 72)
Aruba 0
Jun 6 – Riffa Curacao 2 (J. Bacuna 59, Severina 90+6)
Jun 6 – Shenyang Jun 8 – Tallinn
Bahrain 0
China 1 (Zhang Yuning 79) Estonia 4 (Tamm 43, Anier 50, Tur 83,
Yemen 0 Jun 9 – Wildey
Thailand 1 (Supachok 20) Kuraksin 89)
Barbados 1 (Reid-Stephen 73)
Faroe Islands 1 (Knudsen 24)
Jun 11 – Dubai Haiti 3 (Louicius 12, Lacroix 45+1,
Jun 11 – Seoul
United Arab Emirates 1 (Adil 10) Labissiere 84)
South Korea 1 (Lee Kang-in 61) Third Place Play-Off
Bahrain 1 (Abduljabbar 4)
China 0
Jun 11 – Wildey Jun 11 – Liepaja
Jun 11 – Dammam St Lucia 2 (Stanislas 45+2, Pearson 66) Latvia 1 (Ciganiks 49)
Jun 11 – Bangkok
Yemen 2 (Al Gahwashi 9 pen, M. Al Dahi 90+1) Aruba 2 (Bennett 22, Marselia 43) Faroe Islands 0
Thailand 3 (Suphanat 37, Poramet 79,
Nepal 2 (Bista 22, Karki 66)
Jaroensak 86)
Group D Final
Singapore 1 (Ik. Fandi 57)
Group I
Group D Jun 5 – Managua Jun 11 – Kaunas
Jun 6 – Dhaka Nicaragua 4 (Moreno 3, Daniels 23 og, Lithuania 1 (Matulevicius 84)
Jun 6 – Taipei Bangladesh 0 Montes 69, Medina 90+3) Estonia 1 (Lepik 82)
Chinese Taipei 0 Australia 2 (Hrustic 29, Yengi 62) Montserrat 1 (Barzey 9) Estonia win 4-3 on pens
Oman 3 (Al Mushaifri 31, 55, 75)
Jun 6 – Doha Jun 6 – Panama City
Jun 6 – Bishkek Palestine 0 Panama 2 (Martinez 62, Rodriguez 65) FRIENDLIES
Kyrgyzstan 1 (Alykulov 24) Lebanon 0 Guyana 0
Malaysia 1 (Abdurakhmanov 38 og) Jun 1 – Chicago
Jun 11 – Perth Jun 8 – Belmopan Mexico 1 (Alvarez 47)
Jun 11 – Muscat Australia 5 (Yengi 5 pen, 41, Taggart 26, Belize 0 Bolivia 0
Oman 1 (Tokotaev 57 og) Boyle 53, Irankunda 87 pen) Nicaragua 4 (Hernandez 40, 65, Barrera 56,
Kyrgyzstan 1 (Zarypbekov 19) Palestine 0 Moreno 89) Jun 1 – San Jose
Costa Rica 0
Jun 11 – Kuala Lumpur Jun 11 – Al Rayyan Jun 9 – Managua Uruguay 0
Malaysia 3 (Safawi 53, Paulo Josue 69, Adib 90+6) Lebanon 4 (Maatouk 5 pen, 49, 60, Matar 45+2) Montserrat 1 (Simon 49)
Chinese Taipei 1 (Yu Yao-hsing 20) Bangladesh 0 Panama 3 (Welch 41, Fajardo 62, Rodriguez 71) Jun 2 –Jakarta
Indonesia 0
Group E • Final group standings on page 87 Jun 11 – Wildey Tanzania 0
Guyana 3 (Moore 66, 72, Gordon 67)
Jun 6 – Hong Kong Belize 1 (Bernardez 89) Jun 3 – Algarve
Hong Kong 2 (Ma Hei Wai 14, Pinto 59) CONCACAF Section Gibraltar 0
Iran 4 (Taremi 12 pen, 34 pen, 56, Azmoun 65) • 3 direct slots available, plus 2 play-off slots Group E Scotland 2 (Christie 58, Adams 85)
(along with 3 host nations)
Jun 6 – Tashkent Jun 5 – Guatemala City Jun 3 – Rijeka
Uzbekistan 3 (Aliqulov 17, Urunov 29, Second Round Guatemala 6 (Galindo 4, 48, Yanes 27, Croatia 3 (Majer 10, 45, Marco Pasalic 79)
Nasrullaev 70) Rubin 58, Martinez 78, Morales 83) North Macedonia 0
Turkmenistan 1 (Tirkisow 25) Group A Dominica 0
Jun 3 – Newcastle
Jun 11 – Tehran Jun 5 – Piggotts Jun 6 – Kingston England 3 (Palmer 60 pen,
Iran 0 Antigua & Barbuda 1 (Deterville 26) Jamaica 1 (Nicholson 17) Alexander-Arnold 85, Kane 89)
Uzbekistan 0 Bermuda 1 (Ming 90) Dominican Republic 0 Bosnia & Herzegovina 0
112 WORLD SOCCER

Jun 3 – Szombathely Jun 7 – Glasgow Jun 9 – Podgorica

Albania 3 (Broja 31, Asani 47, Muci 67) Scotland 2 (Hoskonen 50 og, Shankland 58) Montenegro 1 (Jovetic 66)
Liechtenstein 0 Finland 2 (Kallman 72, Antman 85 pen) Georgia 3 (Kiteishvili 10, Mikautadze 33,
Zivzivadze 83)
Jun 3 – Nuremberg Jun 7 – Wembley
Germany 0 England 0 Jun 9 – Chicago
Ukraine 0 Iceland 1 (Thorsteinsson 12) Argentina 1 (Di Maria 40)
Ecuador 0
July 2024 Vol. 64 No.12
Jun 4 – Ljubljana Jun 7 – Warsaw Jun 10 – Hradec Kralove
Slovenia 2 (Mlakar 11, Ilicic 63) Poland 3 (Walukiewicz 11, Zielinski 16, GROUP EDITOR
Czech Republic 2 (Schick 60 pen, Stephen Fishlock
Armenia 1 (Haroyan 56) Romanczuk 30) Barak 90+8 pen)
Ukraine 1 (Dovbyk 41) North Macedonia 1 (Alimi 65) MANAGING EDITOR
Jun 4 – Luzern Jamie Evans
Switzerland 4 (Zuber 20, Amdouni 47, Jun 7 – Phnom Penh Jun 10 – Rotterdam DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR
Elvedi 63, Shaqiri 70 pen) Cambodia 2 (Ogawa 22, Ty 30) Netherlands 4 (Simons 23, Van Dijk 49, Jared Tinslay
Estonia 0 Mongolia 0 Malen 79, Weghorst 90+3)
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Jun 7 – Bucharest Jun 9 – Bordeaux Jun 16 – Panama City

Romania 0 France 0 Panama 0
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WORLD SOCCER 113

MY BIGGEST
GAME
Dejan Savicevic
Milan 4 Barcelona 0
1994 Champions League final, Athens
The Montenegrin player lived up to his nickn
name
of “The Genius” when it mattered most...
Although 30 years have passed

by, I remember everything about
that game – maybe also because of the
many interviews I have given about it
over the years!
Everybody considered Barcelona
clear favourites. Of course, we were
not so happy about that, but I guess
it motivated us even more – especially
after Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff
said that his team was more complete
and more competitive, that our game
was based on defending while they Champions League
always attack. He also said: “Just look winner…Dejan
at Romario – he’s scored more goals Savicevic lifts
the trophy
than the whole Milan team.”
One of the main reasons Barcelona
were favourites was because we were
missing two important players: Franco
Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta were we were 2-0 up. Early in the second half,
suspended. I have to admit, we were I scored our third goal. I was wide on n the
concerned, because they were the right flank, Albertini played a lonng pass to
backbone of our defence. There was me, but the ball bounced up p high and it
a bit of fear, mostly because of Romario. looked as if Nadal would d either control
He was unpredictable, he scored goals with the ball or kick it away. But I managed to
ease and he was also strong on the ball. get to the ball before him and I saw that
Our manager Fabio Capello had to the goalkeeper was about to come out
tinker to reshuffle the defence; Baresi from his goal. When I got to the edge of
was not only the best defender of Milan, the box, on the right-hand side, I tried
but one of the best defenders in football to lob him and I succeeded. Of course,
history. Eventually Capello decided that there was also a bit of luck, but I placed
Tassotti would play right-back. He was an that ball exactly where I wanted to.
experienced player, 34 years old. Panucci It was an incredible feeling to score
was moved from right-back to left-back, such a beautiful goal in a Champions
while Maldini was moved from left-back as well, also Massaro – we played our League final, a goal that practically
to centre-back next to Filippo Galli. best game of that whole season. secured us the victory. Afterwards I also
On the day of the departure to Athens, I set up the first goal for Massaro and hit the post and later Desailly scored
after a training session, club president he also scored the second goal after a
Silvio Berlusconi visited us in Milanello. great assist by Donadoni, so at half-time “It was an incredible feeling to
After he finished his speech, he turned
to me and said: “If you really are a genius, score such a beautiful goal in
show it tomorrow at the game.” a Champions League final”
We started the game well. Albertini
neutralised Guardiola, who was vital for our fourth goal for the final scoreline.
their ball distribution, and Barcelona’s Throughout my career, I played many
attacking play never really functioned in big games for Red Star Belgrade, Milan
that fluent and dangerous way it usually and the Yugoslavia national team. But
did. They did have possession, but it was that night in Athens, no doubt, will
all under control. Our defence was solid, At the double… always have a special place in my
Savicevic’s strike
Donadoni had a great night, I had an partner Daniele memory.
excellent night, Boban and Desailly Massaro hit a brace Interview by Vladimir Novak
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World Soccer 07.2024

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2024 OLYMPICS FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Lowdown on the men and women’s tournaments i n Paris

Digital format only Digital format only

Digital format only Digital format only Digital format only

Digital format only Digital format only Digital format only

A look at the European A record of the finals, A definitive history of the

TURN BACK THE CLOCK

Follow World Soccer online

FOOTBALL 24-7 SAVE

94 2026 World Cup qualifying

P L U S 102 Palau 103 Results, tables, ﬁxtures

The global game caught on camera

Colombia…players of Santa Fe and Atletico

3 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE:

continent’s smaller leagues and

the major UEFA club competitions, story of the SPAIN

“We have reached a point where we cannot discount any

His son Tyrese, who plays in the

Football fought the law – and nobody won

Uncomplicated, unruffled, unbeatable

“Normally a coach is loved after victories. In this case I feel

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

GARCIA PIMIENTA TOSIN ADARABIOYO GONZALO PINEDA & NICO ESTEVEZ

ESM GOLDEN SHOE 2023-24: FINAL RANKINGS

1 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) 36 2 72

5= Lautaro Martinez (Internazionale) 24 2 48 27= Heung-min Son (Tottenham Hotspur) 17 2 34

TEAM OF THE SEASON

From boy to man…

Stuart Gray recalled. “It was a case of

The story of Sweden

he is much more than just an old-

witness Alec McQuarrie reports

of Greek football Diego Martinez was given his marching

Shootout hero…Tzolakis in the quarter-final

clashes with Dinamo Zagreb ultras

midnight. Instead, fans packed into

The biggest derby

where you can watch every single

Albania P43 Hungary P46 Scotland P43 & P46

Police escort Despite such impressive numbers,

ANOTHER DRAMATIC CLIMAX

PARTIZAN HAND TITLE TO ETERNAL ENEMIES RED STAR

MOTTA LIFTS BOLOGNA TO NEW HEIGHTS

SWITZERLAND’S FALLEN GIANTS

UNIQUE FORMAT HELPS PETROCUB END SHERIFF DOMINANCE

WISLA’S ROLLERCOASTER SEASON

EGNATIA’S ROAD TO GLORY PAVED WITH TRAGEDY

FALKIRK’S INVINCIBLE SEASON

HISTORIC PROMOTIONS FROM 2.BUNDESLIGA

FALLEN GIANTS DEPORTIVO ON THE UP

PARMA AND COMO BACK IN THE BIG TIME

AUSTRIAN GIANTS RETURN TO TOP FLIGHT

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ROUND-UP

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

TRADITIONAL GIANTS BACK ON TOP

EUROPEAN LEAGUES ROUND-UP

LATE DRAMA SPARKS WILD SCENES

WEIGHT OF HISTORY GIVES

including Clasico WHAT THEY

ATALANTA END LEVERKUSEN’S