Vesper

Mudryk spotted in Poland Sounds like he can collect a medal too Mykhailo Mudryk will be in attendance at the Conference League final after making a big contribution earlier in the Conference League campaign.

Sources: More on new goalkeeper plans Blues consider options https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/sources-more-on-new-goalkeeper-plans Chelsea are looking increasingly likely to now look to sign a new goalkeeper in the summer window with the arrival of Champions League football incoming. It is dependent on suitors coming in for current stoppers Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, and Djordje Petrovic. But SPTC sources, as we have been reporting here for months anyway, are insistent that new stoppers are being looked at and are likely to be targeted as part of the big summer window plans. It’s something that we foresee happening in the second transfer window rather than the first. The club have wanted to keep a lid on new goalkeeper plans for obvious reasons, but as we have maintained here, Chelsea have always been looking at new stoppers. The main name we keep hearing is Mike Maignan. We believe that feelers have been put out on this and Chelsea are appealed by the cut-price deal they should be able to get him for. Watch this space for sure… But there are other names of course and we have reported some here even over the weekend. The other two stoppers mentioned by my top source just yesterday is Lucas Chevalier of Lille, and Joan Garcia of Espanyol. But Maignan would be the absolute priority if they feel they can get him. We’ve heard that the current keepers will play at the Club World Cup, and Mike Penders has already confirmed that he is going to be going there. So as I say, I expect this to be something that happens in the second transfer window this summer, and expect Penders to go out on loan. But the likelihood of Chelsea signing a new keeper is increasing the more info that is coming in from sources.

Napoli https://thedailybriefing.io/i/164534672/napoli Napoli president De Laurentiis: “I really think Kevin De Bruyne will now JOIN us. I’m told he’s already bought a beautiful house… I spoke to KDB, his wife, his kid this morning, it’s been beautiful”, told Rai. “Done deal? Until contracts are signed, we must be careful”. Napoli director Manna: “We’ve been working on Kevin De Bruyne deal for months… and we’re now about to see the finish line”.

Benfica v Chelsea: 2013 UEFA Europa League final https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4-kCnF7gSU

MOISÉS CAICEDO Picks His Chelsea DREAM TEAM! 🤔

remove Bruno from that Manure side this season and make it a typical EPL season were sub 35-38ish points is likely relegation and Maunure would now be in the Championship, guarenteed, 100 per cent easily Bruno was the most important player this year for any EPL team (not the best player overall in the league, but the most important to his team) Rodri loss for Citeh was 2nd biggest impact

absolutely true a shadow

A new one for the trophy case

Which Sarr? Asking about Sarr in football is like asking about Andersson here in Sweden, or Johnson in the UK, lolol

A day in the life of Brentford manager Thomas Frank 🐝

Chelsea Residences Dubai Provide Soccer-Themed Luxury Living With Rooftop Field & Exclusive Amenities https://www.yankodesign.com/2025/05/26/Chelsea-residences-dubai-provide-soccer-themed-luxury-living-with-rooftop-field-exclusive-amenities/ Unexpected partnerships are reshaping the skyline, but Chelsea Football Club’s collaboration with Damac Properties takes the trend in a bold new direction. This upcoming Dubai development isn’t just another luxury tower—it’s the world’s first soccer-themed residential project, complete with a rooftop pitch for residents to enjoy the game above the city. Planned for Dubai’s Maritime City port area, this project will feature six striking towers, each soaring 130 meters (426 feet) high, according to the developer, though the latest renderings hint at four. Unlike other branded towers, these residences are designed to immerse fans and residents in Chelsea’s iconic blue, blending sports passion with high-end urban living. It’s a fresh fusion of athletic culture and architectural ambition, offering an experience you won’t find anywhere else. Designer: Chelsea Football Club x Damac Properties The development will feature 1,400 apartments, each offering one to three bedrooms and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that frame impressive sea views. Developers describe the interiors as a blend of London’s refined elegance and Dubai’s lively, modern spirit, creating spaces that feel both sophisticated and vibrant. Each apartment is finished to a high standard, with sleek materials and contemporary design details throughout. Residents will also have access to a range of high-end amenities, ensuring comfort and convenience in every aspect of daily life. With its thoughtful design and premium features, this project offers a distinctive take on luxury urban living in Dubai. “Chelsea Residences also offers thoughtfully crafted health and fitness experiences rarely seen in residential developments,” said Damac Properties. “These include a cryotherapy center, forest relaxation pods, a Kneipp parkour therapy path, and a starlit wellness center. The project also features an infinity pool, aerial yoga studio, Chelsea Sports Bar, and even a powerhouse lounge – a resort-style mancave with live football screenings, boxing, darts, and more. Dining takes a wellness-first and experience-rich approach.” Chelsea F.C. branding will be a central feature of the development, with the club’s colors and logo integrated throughout the buildings and common areas. Residents will also enjoy exclusive access to events hosted by Chelsea F.C. “legends”—likely including appearances by former players and managers, which adds a unique, personal touch for fans. This project is an exciting targeted venture, appealing primarily to affluent supporters of Chelsea F.C. who are seeking a luxury lifestyle in Dubai. For those who fit this niche, apartments are set to begin at AED 2.17 million (approximately £445,000 or US$600,000). While a completion date has yet to be announced, the anticipation is already building. The developer Damac Properties is also known for collaborating with top architects, such as their work with Zaha Hadid Architects on Miami’s striking 8777 Collins Avenue. This experience further showcases the ambitious and high-profile nature of the Chelsea-branded Dubai towers.

Maresca targets European history for Chelsea in Conference League final Wroclaw (Poland) (AFP) – Enzo Maresca is a man with a point to prove as he targets football history for Chelsea in Wednesday's UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250527-maresca-targets-european-history-for-Chelsea-in-conference-league-final Victory in the final round of Premier League matches at Nottingham Forest on Sunday secured qualification for next season's Champions League. Now Maresca's thoughts turn to Wroclaw and the chance for Chelsea to become the first team to win all five of UEFA's major men's club competitions. The Blues have twice won the Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup and the defunct Cup Winners' Cup and can now complete the set if they overcome Betis in the final of Europe's newest competition in Poland. Maresca has had a rollercoaster first season in charge at Stamford Bridge after replacing Mauricio Pochettino. His team were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool in mid-December before stumbling badly, but results picked up again towards the end of the campaign. Maresca, clearly frustrated, rounded on his critics after his youthful side secured fourth spot in the Premier League on Sunday with a 1-0 win at the City Ground. "All the ones that (think) they are the answer, or all the ones that they are the truth, they were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough," he said. "Unfortunately for them, they'll be all wrong, the ones that (think) they are the truth and they have the answer for everything." Chelsea have qualified for next season's Champions League © Glyn KIRK / AFP/File Maresca, who has also been criticised by fans over perceived cautious tactics, told UEFA.com that winning the Conference League would turn a good season into a "great one" for Chelsea. "It would be a way of saying that we are back and that we are a winning club in Europe, and we hope to achieve just that." The west London club are still waiting to win their first silverware since Todd Boehly's consortium took over from former owner Roman Abramovich in 2022. The 2021 European champions were clear favourites to win the Conference League from the start of the competition and have won 11 of their 12 games. Former Leicester boss Maresca, 45, has rotated his squad during the competition, giving opportunities to youth and fringe players and has again stressed the need to make changes for Wednesday's match. Pellegrini 'father figure' Maresca will pit his wits against 71-year-old Manuel Pellegrini, a man whom he describes as a football "father figure" after playing under him at Malaga and serving as assistant coach at West Ham. "I am where I am today thanks to him," he said. "I worked with Manuel for four years -- two years as a player and two years as part of his staff. So, I owe so much to him in terms of what I’ve achieved. Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini © CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP/File "I am grateful for the relationship we have and the advice he gives me. He told me never to change." Immensely experienced ex-Real Madrid and Manchester City boss Pellegrini said his former protege was destined for a long career in football. "You can often tell which players might go on to be good coaches —- from the impression they have on others, how they absorb concepts in training," he said. "With both Enzo and Willy (Caballero, Chelsea assistant coach), I was sure they'd go on to become influential coaches on a global level." The Chilean, whose side finished sixth in La Liga, can call upon the talents of the rejuvenated Antony, on loan from Manchester United, and Isco, who won five Champions League trophies at Real Madrid. And the Seville-based club, playing in their first European final, can take heart from a remarkable statistic. Since the start of the 2001/02 season, all 23 Champions League, Europa League or Conference League finals that have featured Spanish hopefuls have been won by a Spanish team. Pellegrini wants to put on a "show" in Wroclaw. "We all know that winning is always very important, but I think that how you win makes it even more important," he said. © 2025 AFP

agree

the original source for the VAST majority of rumours for so many targets that has been linked to us is, when you dig deep enough, Fichajes so most are 100 per cent bullshit

pick one of these 5 and buy him Alexander Isak Lautaro Martinez Julian Alvarez Viktor Gyökeres Victor Osimhen I do not want to hear about any other CFs and I do not care about BlueCo's money I would go for either Viktor Gyökeres or Victor Osimhen as they are by far the 2 easiest to get done and dusted out of those 5

a total of 10 league goals and 14 assists from €276m worth of transfers we brought in this year 😮

Under-23 stat leaders from Europe's Big Five Leagues in 2024/25 Discover the records broken by Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Pedri and more. https://scoutedftbl.com/under-23-stats-24-25-olise-yamal-pedri/?ref=notebook-newsletter Goals + Assists Michael Olise finished 2024/25 with more league goals + assists across Europe’s Big Five Leagues than any other player that started the season under the age of 23, scoring 12 goals and provided 15 assists. Half of the top 10 are French. This did not crack the top 20 for the modern era. The top spot is occupied by Andrew Cole, who started the 1993/94 season as a 21-year-old and finished it with 34 goals and 13 assists (14 according to FBRef). And there was not a single penalty in sight.

Fran Vieites Goalkeeper Adrian Goalkeeper Nathan Center-Back Diego Llorente Center-Back Marc Bartra Center-Back Ricardo Rodriguez Left-Back Romain Perraud Left-Back Héctor Bellerin Right-Back Aitor Ruibal Right-Back Johnny Cardoso Defensive Midfield Marc Roca Defensive Midfield William Carvalho Defensive Midfield Giovanni Lo Celso Central Midfield Sergi Altimira Central Midfield Isco Attacking Midfield Pablo Fornals Attacking Midfield Abde Ezzalzouli Left Winger Jesus Rodriguez Left Winger Antony Right Winger Cucho Hernández Centre-Forward Cédric Bakambu Centre-Forward

Scouting: Noah Atubolu A record-breaker goalkeeper for SC Freiburg, does the 22 year-old got what it takes to be an elite player? https://pitchsideanalysis.substack.com/p/scouting-noah-atubolu (videos at this link) The 24/25 season came with a massive challenge for SC Freiburg: after more than a decade under legendary manager Christian Streich (now retired), a new era began. Julian Schuster was the man picked to lead the club, in his first role as a professional coach, and he’s been doing a super solid job so far. Without drawing much attention, Freiburg came close to qualifying for the most prestigious tournament in Europe for the first time ever. Unfortunately, they ended up missing a Top 4 spot in the Bundesliga after losing their last game to Eintracht Frankfurt. A shining light in the club’s campaign was Noah Atubolu, a 22 yo goalkeeper. From the 1-0 win vs Bochum (January 1st) up until the 2-2 draw vs Mainz (March 15th), he went on a six game unbeaten streak, keeping a clean sheet in every single one of them and beating the club record by a long margin (610 minutes without conceding; the old record were 509 by Richard Golz; 2000/01). How good is he, actually? Can he start for an elite club in Europe? Let’s find out now. History Atubolu has always been seen as a promising goalkeeper at SC Freiburg and played for several German youth teams. Streich showed confidence in the young goalkeeper and promoted him to the starting position last season. His first full experience in professional football, however, was far from smooth and Atubolu made a series of mistakes in several matches. When asked about one of those mistakes, former coach Christian Streich quickly defended him, stating that Atubolu would keep his spot and that every player in his position makes mistakes. It’s part of a learning process, he told. The new season came and new manager Julian Schuster also trusted Atubolu. He finished the season as one of the youngest starting goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues: Guillaume Restes (Toulouse), Zion Suzuki (Parma) and Bart Verbruggen (Brighton) being the only ones younger than Atubolu. Step by step, the level of his performances gradually increased, with SC Freiburg reaping the rewards for showing a little bit of patience. Beyond a succession of clean sheets, Atubolu also stood out for saving four consecutive penalties, including one from star player Florian Wirtz. He still hasn’t managed to earn a Germany first-team call-up (more on the reasons for that later), but he’s definitely on the radar now. Distribution Short passing Atubolu isn’t exactly a ball-playing specialist, but he’s more than capable of taking part in the build-up with short passes. He’s constantly touching the ball (higher average than Manuel Neuer!) and, beyond connecting teammates, he can move pretty nicely to offer support to them. His passes are mostly simple ones, but quite efficient — he can draw pressure before playing a pass and hits it almost exclusively with his dominant right foot. He’s good at chipped passes, but doesn’t attempt them that much. Long balls When opting to go long, he’s mainly hitting passes to a striker playing back to goal, not one running in behind. Atubolu can generally direct those passes well, but there’s still work to do in order for him to be more consistent with it. His completion percentage sits currently at 38.4%, a value above average, but still lower than some other names like Moritz Nicolas, Manuel Neuer and Lukas Hradecky. Goalkeeping Style Cross-claiming Atubolu can be described as a somewhat passive goalkeeper when it comes to collecting crosses. His first instinct in those scenarios is always to take a few steps back and wait to react to a possible shot. This behavior ends up giving opponents extra opportunities and led to some goals conceded by him. That’s something that we can also see at corner kicks. Shot-stopping A 1.90m tall goalkeeper, the German is not a remarkably agile player, but he justifies this passive behavior with his sharp reaction time to make close range saves, as long as he doesn't have to move too far. This is, without a doubt, the strongest point of his game. Reacting quickly is another reason why he’s shown himself to be a reliable goalkeeper when facing medium and long range shots, be it parring it sideways or making a two-time save. Actions coming off the line The German goalkeeper struggles to control depth at times, due to his hesitation to leave the goal quickly and also a general lack of agility and explosiveness. Atubolu makes few interventions outside the area and often ends up halfway when he does decide to do so, undecided about whether to fully advance or hold his position. That’s worrisome for any club playing a high line. When closing down an attacker, the German usually sits at the edge of the six-yards box and almost always expands his contact area by extending his arms and legs to form an "X": some of his best saves this season have come from this specific movement. Then, he tends to move his body further to the left, something that makes him susceptible to conceding goals from shots aimed at the far corner. His priority when facing an approach from either wing is to defend the near post. Atubolu is a goalkeeper who will hardly be beaten in shots that target that area... but he has shown vulnerability when dealing with low crosses towards the far post: Atubolu lacks the mobility to anticipate and react to this type of play. Despite being a goalkeeper with good reaction time, moving around to make a quick save in this scenario is not one of the German's strong points. Penalties Finally, his shot-stopping skills made themselves known also in penalty kicks. Atubolu went on a FOUR consecutive penalties saved streak this season. Truly impressive stuff. Final thoughts Atubolu is, without a doubt, a goalkeeper capable of doing a good job between the posts — some of his saves this season proved that. However, some of his characteristics does not quite fit in with what the European elite are increasingly looking for in modern goalkeepers: a proactive stance to prevent shots has been valued more than the pure ability to stop shots. This is a factor that could limit Atubolu's career developments and possibly one of the reasons why Julian Nagelsmann has not yet called him up. In a recent interview, the current Germany coach spoke on a mistake made by Jonas Urbig (FC Bayern, another promising young German goalkeeper) against FC Union Berlin, stating that he would rather have a goalkeeper trying a risky move to intercept the ball than one who never leaves the goal to avoid making mistakes. Still very young, there is more than enough time for the SC Freiburg goalkeeper to improve on what are currently his weaker points. Assuming this doesn't happen, he still has the necessary qualities to establish himself as a starting goalkeeper in several teams below the elite or one that adapts themselves to his style of play.

he is 27yo (in one week) not 25

Liverpool parade car crash live updates: Latest from the scene https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/city-centre-live-updates-emergency-31727936

and our TIME!! ⏲️

Eden Hazard........... From Football King To Burger King Philippe, King of Belgium, tells Eden Hazard not to eat too many hamburgers during the World Cup