The England manager was questioning himself over his reaction to Monday’s racist abuse while his Montenegrin counterpart denied it had happened. Uefa cannot do likewisePerhaps the most depressing part about what happened in the Podgorica City Stadium is that, by now, those of us who have followed English teams on their foreign excursions have been in this position – expressing outrage, demanding tougher sanctions and all the other noise in this familiar pattern – more times than we can probably remember.Over time what you learn is that it does not get any easier hearing the primitive “ooh-oohing” that assailed Danny Rose, for example, when he was impudent enough to commit a foul, wearing an England shirt, and parts of the...
The Nations League has not only breathed much-needed new life into international football, it has also eclipsed the increasingly tedious group stage of the Champions LeagueThe time has come! Oh, new day! The Nations League. They laughed when Uefa announced it had commissioned an operatic anthem for its complex new international friendly fudge; a piece of music that would “symbolise the unity of a very serious competition”, despite sounding like the incidental music from a terrifying 1970s horror film where a seven-year-old Michel Platini sets his demonic Rottweilers on you.They laughed when Uefa unveiled its shiny new Nations League trophy, there to represent “the pinnacle of a nation”, while also resembling a badly rolled joint made out of kitchen foil....
Whatever the objections, video technology in the Champions League cannot be worse than what happened at the EtihadThe first thing to say about the Raheem Sterling “penalty” incident that caused so much amusement and embarrassment in Manchester City’s 6-0 rout of Shakhtar Donetsk at the Etihad is that Viktor Kassai, the Hungarian referee who immediately pointed to the spot, was directly behind the chasing defender and probably thought a foul had been committed. Related: Manchester City paid Roberto Mancini extra money via Abu Dhabi club, leak says Related: VAR enjoys largely positive World Cup debut to confound football’s luddites Continue reading...
Scepticism and confusion over the Nations League have been overtaken by teams at all levels taking it seriouslyA pile-on by the corner flag in Stockholm said it best. Turkey had just come from two goals down to defeat a seemingly comfortable Sweden and, in those chaotic moments after Emre Akbaba’s header drifted past a slow-footed Robin Olsen, a full 20 seconds passed before their outfield players disentangled themselves from the jubilant scrum beyond the quadrant.It was some way for Turkey, so reliably inconsistent, to ignite their Uefa Nations League campaign and it was just as significant for the nascent tournament itself. Akbaba had entered as a substitute in the 62nd minute: in a friendly he would have been one of...
Europe’s governing body wants yet another tournament so here are some modest proposals, from a Cup Losers’ Cup to a tournament only for ArsenalSet your sights on adventure, because there is some highly called-for news out of Uefa. The governing body of European football has identified a yawning gap in the market: there is simply not enough European football. To this end, it is planning to launch a third European club competition. According to the president of the European Clubs Association, Andrea Agnelli: “The current model needs modernising.” Related: Uefa set to introduce third European club competition from 2021-22 Related: Nike’s commercial cynicism is clear but Colin Kaepernick ad is a sign | Marina Hyde Continue reading...