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Ranking Cristiano Ronaldo’s 5 best teammates at Al-Nassr

9Jan

By Amadis HaliNo Comments

Features

Ranking Cristiano Ronaldo’s 5 best teammates at Al-Nassr

In the few days since Cristiano Ronaldo announced his shock move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr, numerous rumors have followed about who will join him in his new team. Early reports have suggested that the club is pursuing deals for an old friend of Ronaldo’s, former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, and an old foe in current Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets. Recent headlines have linked the Riyadh side to possibly making a move for Luka Modrić. Fans have also been quick to point out that other stars such as Marcelo and Isco are free agents at the moment as well and are worthy candidates to reunite with Ronaldo. Right now, however, Al-Nassr are at the top of the table in the Saudi Pro League, and their squad already possesses a few familiar faces who Ronaldo can feel confident wil...

Why Bayern are the team to watch for a Harry Kane transfer

8Jan

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features

Why Bayern are the team to watch for a Harry Kane transfer

Bayern München are in the market for a new No. 9. Everyone knows it. After selling Robert Lewandowski in the summer transfer window to Barcelona so that the Polish superstar could embark upon a new challenge in an effort to obtain more respect for his legacy, Bayern decided to stand pat at striker. Their plan was to use Sadio Mané in the middle just like Liverpool did in the previous season, making him someone the likes of Leroy Sané, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman could play off of on the wings. Jamal Musiala and Thomas Müller would support him more centrally. Though there were some promising moments at the beginning, Mané didn't play his best football up top for Bayern. After Bayern moved him back to his best position on the left, he returned to his usual form. Eric Maxim C...

1Jan

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Why Real Madrid don’t make major moves in January transfer market

As the footballing world enters another January transfer market, teams like Liverpool and Chelsea have already made major moves, such as signing Cody Gakpo and Benoît Badiashile, to help buoy their top-four chances. Real Madrid signed a player with even more potential than those two, inking Endrick to an expensive deal that could exceed his 60 million euro release clause if he does indeed fulfill that potential. However, manager Carlo Ancelotti has already publicly ruled out any further winter moves, putting an end to the speculation that Real Madrid could sign a player to give them an edge in the LaLiga title race with Barcelona or in their pursuit of a successful Champions League title defense. Los Blancos could have taken a punt on Cristiano Ronaldo, as there was plenty of spec...

28Dec

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The Rise and Current Malaise of Sevilla

Sevilla have been one of the premier clubs in Europe over the past decade, and yet they are looking at a relegation battle this season in LaLiga. So, how did a team which finished 4th last season end up in such a predicament? A brief history of Sevilla Sevilla are historically not super successful, at least not compared to other clubs who have won major European competitions. Their only LaLiga title was in 1946, yet they have six Europa League titles in the modern era. The Nervionenses spent the majority of their history until the 2000’s flirting with relegation at best and financial catastrophe at worst. A revolving door of club presidents and a disastrous affair with Diego Maradona in the 1990s did nothing to help the situation. Things had to change. The 2000/01 season saw Sevi...

19Dec

By Javier MartinezNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Explaining why LaLiga is in decline

LaLiga is in serious decline and all you have to do is tune in to a game to see why. The quality of play is subpar, the stadiums are partially empty, and many teams are in financial turmoil. Worst of all, the league is struggling on the continental level as we saw in this season's Champions League where three of the four LaLiga sides failed to even get out of the group stage. Sevilla: Didn't even compete in their group. Atletico Madrid: Finished last in a group that included Porto, Bayer Leverkusen, and Club Brugge. Barcelona: Knocked out for the second consecutive season in the group stage. If that wasn't bad enough, LaLiga continues to get weaker every season as its best players and managers leave to sign for the lucrative Premier League; many of which are not even signing ...

2Dec

By James CormackNo Comments

Features

Lionel Messi’s ultimate fairytale will not define his indisputable legacy

Argentina, for so long, had just given it to him and prayed, pleading for divine intervention. For some, Lionel Messi is God, but the magic man himself has previously rebuffed such metaphysical comparisons. "I think it's very exaggerated to call me that [God]," he once said. The Argentine superstar is currently embarking on a potentially legacy-cementing World Cup campaign in Qatar, with his country progressing into the round of 16 as Group C winners following a comfortable 2-0 victory over Poland in their final group encounter. The performance and subsequent result epitomised why the latest iteration of La Albiceleste entered the tournament as one of the favourites. No longer are they utterly reliant on their magnificent protagonist for salvation, as Alexis Mac Allister and Julian A...

20Nov

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features

Is the “Pure CAM” Dying Out?

No. 10 on the back of a footballer means more than any other number historically, it means they are a special player. Someone with magic in their boots and the privilege of being purely offensive, at least it did. In 2022 as football becomes more positionless the era of the pure attacking midfielder might be dying out. Diego Maradona, Rivaldo, Francesco Totti, Michel Platini, and Ronaldinho. Those are just a few names in the pantheon of great attacking midfielders. Purely offensive footballers, out on the pitch to do the undefendable and inadvertently become sources of joy for millions watching around the globe. Bruno Fernandes, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Joelinton, and Jamal Musiala are all currently listed on Transfermarkt as mainly being attacking midfielders. De Bruyne ha...

Ranking the 10 best Bundesliga goalkeepers of 2023

18Nov

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features

Ranking the 10 best Bundesliga goalkeepers of 2023

Out of all of Europe's top five leagues, the Bundesliga is perhaps most famous for producing top-caliber goalkeepers. Aside from the most obvious star, Manuel Neuer, the league has produced great keepers in other leagues, such as Barcelona superstar Marc-André ter Stegen. Neuer remains a star in goal for Bayern München, but is he No. 1 on our list of the best Bundesliga goalkeepers? And which players join him on the list? Because the Bundesliga's keepers are about so much more than Neuer, as fans saw when Yann Sommer made sensational stops to help Switzerland upset France in the last Euros. 10. Péter Gulácsi, RB Leipzig RB Leipzig will hope Péter Gulácsi returns to top form after recovering from an injury. The Hungarian goalkeeper was once viewed as a sure-fire, top-three player at th...

Ranking the 10 best LaLiga goalkeepers of 2023

18Nov

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Ranking the 10 best LaLiga goalkeepers of 2023

Thibaut Courtois and Marc-André ter Stegen get plenty of spotlight - as they should. They are the starting goalkeepers for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, and the former of the two clearly established himself as the best in the world after helping lead Los Blancos to the Champions League Title last season. But those two superstars aren't the only great goalkeepers in LaLiga worth getting to know. Let's rank the 10 best LaLiga goalkeepers. Courtois and ter Stegen will feature highly, but who is No. 1? And how many surprises are represented on the list? 10. Jan Oblak, Atlético Madrid If this list were made before the 2021/22 season, Jan Oblak would undoubtedly be in the top three. And there was a point before Thibaut Courtois found his best form in the 2019/20 season that...

11Nov

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features

Here’s why Borussia Dortmund can’t win the Bundesliga

In the last 20 years, Borussia Dortmund have won the Bundesliga just twice. Both of those championships came under Jürgen Klopp in the 2010/2011 and 2011/12 seasons. No club in Germany has been able to end Bayern München's reign of dominance since then, and Die Roten look poised to secure an unprecedented 11th straight Bundesliga title. Every year, a few football fans outside the Bundesliga get their hopes up that Dortmund may challenge Bayern for the title, but BVB fans and astute German football fans know better than to set any expectations. Dortmund is a historic club. They once beat Juventus in a Champions League Final and took down an amazing Real Madrid squad in the Champions League semifinals roughly 10 years ago. Yet it seems like they cannot come anywhere near Bayern year...