Vesper

Enzo Maresca needs solutions as injuries and bans threaten Chelsea progress https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5822645/2024/10/07/Chelsea-forest-maresca-fofana-colwill-cucurella-liverpool/ Premier League football is a weekly exercise in high-stakes problem-solving. Like most coaches, Enzo Maresca knows when his team does not have all the answers. There was a reason, beyond mere expectation management, why Maresca insisted this week that Chelsea are not ready to compete with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League just yet. The contrasting experiences of their last two league games at Stamford Bridge succinctly summed up why. Against Brighton & Hove Albion, as against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last month, Chelsea proved they are even better equipped than last season to destroy teams who afford them space to attack. They can overwhelm less talented opponents who seek to do what they do: press the passer and pass through pressure. Nottingham Forest arrived at Stamford Bridge determined to deploy asymmetric strategies. You want to dominate open play? We will look for set pieces. You want to control the ball on the ground? We will control the air. You want to play fast? We will waste time on every restart. You want to press us into turnovers? We will grab the ball in both hands to stop you from getting away. Marc Cucurella, who is now suspended, and Maresca at the final whistle (Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images) James Ward-Prowse’s second yellow card is likely to be the funniest seen in the Premier League all season, but it was also indicative of Forest’s broader approach. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team were dogged in a low block that only got lower after being reduced to 10 men, but were unerringly wily. They were every bit as sure of their own advantages as they were of their limitations and utterly focused on dictating the terms of engagement. Chelsea controlled the first 49 minutes, but it was no great shock when they were stung by a well-worked set piece. Even with an extra man, they gave up almost as many good chances to lose the game during 13 mad minutes of stoppage time as they generated to win it. They also got sucked into a mass brawl that came within one rush of blood to the head (beyond Nicolas Jackson’s moment of silliness to strike Morato) of returning the two teams to equal numbers. On another day — perhaps one on which Matz Sels does not react with such spectacular agility to deny two quick Cole Palmer shots after a genius first-time flick around a defender, or one on which Joao Felix finds the target with a surprisingly towering header — Chelsea might have won this game anyway. Sels was inspired in the Nottingham Forest goal (Clive Mason/Getty Images) The point is that days like this one happen, and tend to happen fairly frequently in the Premier League, to teams who are less than fully formed. Maresca will be less worried about the problems his Chelsea team could not solve against Forest than the ones he now faces on the other side of the October international break. Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana are both suspended for the trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool, having picked up their fifth yellow cards in seven appearances on Sunday. Levi Colwill signalled to Maresca early in the second half that he had pulled something on his left side, and was substituted in clear discomfort in added time. Noni Madueke also limped heavily out of the mass brawl, though Maresca was keen to play down both issues in his post-match press conference. Last but not least, Jackson could also face retrospective action from the Football Association for striking Morato, even though the VAR mysteriously decided that his actions fell short of violent conduct. Players, staff and substitutes from both sides clash on the touchline late on (Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images) Add all of those together and Chelsea could look very different against Liverpool. Any suspension for Jackson may not spark much anxiety in supporters if it means giving Christopher Nkunku a chance in the Premier League, while Pedro Neto’s increasing sharpness makes it easier to stomach a short Madueke absence, despite his well-taken goal against Forest. The defence is a different story. Chelsea have not exactly been shutting down opponents in the Premier League — of their two clean sheets in seven games, the one recorded against Bournemouth was highly fortunate — but there has at least been a consistency in selection and a sense of growing familiarity within the unit. Colwill and Fofana in particular show real promise as a partnership, with highly complementary skill sets and styles. Malo Gusto looks more comfortable ‘inverting’ into midfield by the week, and Cucurella has built on his Euro 2024 form by providing a consistent, effective nuisance to opponents. Behind them, Robert Sanchez rebounded from several bad errors against Brighton to make a series of excellent, vital saves against Forest. Only a minor injury to Gusto has disrupted that back five in Chelsea’s first seven Premier League games, but Maresca is certain to be without Cucurella and Fofana against Liverpool and may also have a difficult decision to make about the readiness of Colwill, who punctuated a largely impressive display against Forest by brilliantly blocking a goal-bound Ryan Yates shot towards the end of the first half. Colwill squares up to Neco Williams (Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images) As highlighted by his decision to square up to Neco Williams after the Wales international sent Cucurella flying into Maresca in the Chelsea technical area, Colwill is also a leading purveyor of the “spirit” that his head coach referenced repeatedly in his post-match press conference. If he is not fit enough to play against Liverpool, that might be missed most of all. Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile are capable players who will be motivated to seize an opportunity like this one, but their partnership did not fully convince in the Conference League league-phase opener against Gent. Axel Disasi looks unlikely to be picked at centre-back ahead of either. Renato Veiga has shown flashes of improvement and increasing assurance in recent weeks, but that progress is insufficient to put the mind at ease when the assignment is defending Mohamed Salah at Anfield. “We have the international break, time to see how we can organise,” Maresca said when asked about the suspensions Cucurella and Fofana must now serve. The problems never stop coming in the Premier League, and the next two weeks might constitute the biggest test yet of Chelsea’s head coach and his ability to provide solutions. GO DEEPER The Briefing: Chelsea 1-1 Nottingham Forest - Madueke's threat, centre-half promise but was Maresca proved right?

The Premier League season so far: Our writers’ verdicts https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5825397/2024/10/08/premier-league-roundtable-october/ The October international break, also known as the Premier League’s sacking season. Enough time has elapsed for owners to get twitchy, yet plenty of matches remain to make things right. The 2024-25 campaign may only be seven gameweeks old but loads has happened — that draw between Manchester City and Arsenal, Cole Palmer’s four first-half-goals, Manchester United’s worst start to a Premier League season and, it is easy to forget, Everton squandering a two-goal lead in consecutive matches. As teams take a two-week break from domestic action, our writers Carl Anka, Oliver Kay, Nick Miller, Tim Spiers, Duncan Alexander, Seb Stafford-Bloor and Jordan Campbell deliver their verdicts on what we have seen so far. What is your one main takeaway from the season so far? Nick Miller: Uncertainty rules. The early weeks of the season have suggested we could be in for a proper title race, with Manchester City being Manchester City (for the most part), Arsenal continuing their excellence from last season and Liverpool being a bit better than expected. But City’s 115 charges loom: it might not be especially practical, but it would be nice if their punishment (assuming they’re found guilty) was imposed at the start of a season and wasn’t hanging over everything during a season like some giant megaboss version of VAR, not allowing us to enjoy anything because we know it could all be instantly invalidated. Oliver Kay: Very little has changed. We can talk about a new season as a new start, but, for better or worse, whether it’s under a new manager (Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Liverpool) or the same one (Manchester United and others), most teams have picked up roughly where they left off. That’s great if you’re Manchester City, Arsenal or Aston Villa; it’s even encouraging if you’re Chelsea, who finished last season well. It’s not so good if you’re Manchester United or West Ham United. Seb Stafford-Bloor: That coaching changes need not necessarily lead to prolonged periods of transition. Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Arne Slot at Liverpool; neither team has been perfect, but both have been much better than expected and have played with a clear-eyed style. Chelsea and Maresca are a particularly interesting example because they seem infinitely more cohesive, whereas — and surely I was not alone in thinking this — few people would have thought the answer to the issues at Stamford Bridge was more change. Duncan Alexander: That this might be the ‘Big Six’ era — or perhaps the ‘Great Eight’ if you chuck Villa and Newcastle into the mix — but really it’s the ‘Very Good’ Three of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal that are still a step above everyone else. Liverpool under Slot have added control to their offering, Arsenal have added the sort of relentlessness that comes from coming so close to winning the league for two years in a row. City, though, are probably operating at a net loss, with Rodri out for the season — all of which should make this an absolute 2013-14 of a title race (legal decisions notwithstanding). Jordan Campbell: That the more the top managers say this is the strongest Premier League they’ve ever seen (it was the same last year, and the year before), the less I believe them. Teams have more distinct identities, yes, but my theory is that these top coaches stroke the ego of their managerial counterparts so they continue playing expansive football against them. You’d rather rip them apart on the counter than toil to break down a low block, wouldn’t you? Tim Spiers: A predictable lack of unpredictability. Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal occupy the top three spots, the promoted teams are struggling, Everton are doing Everton things, Tottenham Hotspur are either amazing or shambolic and their manager wouldn’t have it any other way, Manchester United aren’t being coached well and their summer signings, which were good on paper, aren’t working. Nothing is a surprise. The early front-runner for player of the season is… Anka: A knee injury last season meant it took a little longer for Premier League viewers to get acquainted with Jurrien Timber’s game. And what a game it is. The 23-year-old is one of those multi-talented and multi-faceted footballers who bring us closer to the dream of “positionless” football that Johan Cruyff and others talked about. Miller: I wish I had a slightly less obvious answer to this, but it’s Palmer, isn’t it? He’s a fascinating character: I’d love to just follow him around for a day, just to see how he reacts to things. But he’s even more brilliant than he was last season, only this time in a different position: admittedly ‘off the left, drifting into the middle’ to ‘in the middle’ isn’t a colossal shift, but players have been flummoxed by less. Kay: I’m inclined to say Palmer, too. But might I have said Erling Haaland before Palmer’s absurd one-man show against Brighton? Might there be a case for William Saliba and Gabriel, who are becoming synonymous for Arsenal in the same way Steve Bould and Tony Adams once were? Might there even be a left-field shout for Ryan Gravenberch or Bryan Mbeumo? Stafford-Bloor: Palmer has a compelling case, clearly, but Bukayo Saka has been really good — not least because of how arduous his workload was over the summer. When Arsenal lost Martin Odegaard, so much of their creative burden fell on Saka’s shoulders and yet, to this point, there has been no real dip in their potency. Seven assists already tell part of the story, but he is also his team’s most dynamic carrier, and — importantly — has already faced Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City. Alexander: Saka has assisted in all but one of Arsenal’s Premier League games this season (and ‘created’ an own goal against Leicester, which doesn’t officially count but morally sort of does). It’s a sensational start to the season, especially for someone who played so much at Euro 2024 and suggests that — somehow — he is still continuing to improve. And a few miles across London Palmer’s numbers are equally outstanding. Remember when England couldn’t produce left-footed players? Campbell: It’s impossible to look past the individual brilliance of Palmer, a player whose paper-thin physique and off-the-cuff style is so refreshing in an era of power and systems. But Kai Havertz is a man transformed, building on the last four months of last season when he became Arsenal’s first-choice striker. He has always been a unique, if frustrating talent, but he now feels fully understood by Arsenal, connecting their attacking play and leading their suffocating press. Crucially, he now looks like he wants to be the protagonist in every game and is adding the goals to prove it. Spiers: I’m amazed only Oli has mentioned Haaland. The guy scored 10 goals in his first five games — the best goalscoring start to an English top-flight season since Aston Villa’s Pongo Waring, friend of the statisticians, in 1930. He hasn’t netted in two matches and he’s still scored more goals than 10 other Premier League teams, and more than Manchester United and Southampton combined. Which new signing has impressed you most? Anka: Nikola Milenkovic is your classic meat-and-potatoes centre-back who comes in, bolts things down and allows others to flourish. His arrival at Nottingham Forest means Murillo has a bit more security when he attempts to progress the ball out from the back, and it means Nuno Espirito Santo can spend more time transforming this side into a robust unit similar to those dreaded Wolves teams between 2018-21. Sometimes it’s nice watching a defender who relishes defensive work. Miller: I wasn’t really sure about Riccardo Calafiori when Arsenal signed him, partly because if they had £42million ($55m) going spare it felt like they should have put it towards an attacker rather than another defender who is comfortable shifting into midfield. But I was wrong: he’s been among the most fun players in the division so far, enjoyably chaotic without being a liability (yet), and has complemented the rest of the Arsenal defence brilliantly. Kay: In terms of a potential top-level talent, probably Savinho at Manchester City. It’s only flashes of brilliance so far, but flashes of brilliance are not to be sniffed at when you’re starting in a Pep Guardiola team at the age of 20. I’m enjoying Milenkovic at Nottingham Forest, Emile Smith Rowe at Fulham and Iliman Ndiaye at Everton, too. Stafford-Bloor: Dominic Solanke. He is exactly what Tottenham needed and the goals he has scored so far, all three of them from short range, describe the kind of instinct that they were missing in the penalty box. But watch the way he presses ball carriers and notice how difficult he makes it for opposing teams when they work their way out of their own ends. Rather than just running about manically and compromising the structure behind him, his work is precise and measured. Spurs have got this decision absolutely right. Campbell: Ndiaye. Everton have been a vacuum of hope the past few years, downtrodden and too often lacking any sort of X factor to get Goodison Park rocking. One player can sometimes change an entire mood and the Senegalese winger is starting to do that. His only thought is to be direct and dribble at the opposition full-back, as shown by his 10 dribbles against Newcastle United. If Sean Dyche can find a way to loosen his system and improve the supply to him, he could start to motor. Spiers: A common characteristic of a relegated team is that they don’t have a regular goalscorer — no player reached double figures for any of last season’s relegated sides. Liam Delap cost Ipswich Town £20million ($26.2m) and, with four goals already, he could end up being pound-for-pound the most valuable signing of the season. What’s been your game of the season so far? Anka: Manchester City 2-2 Arsenal. Over the past 18 months, this fixture had turned into bitty attritional affairs as Mikel Arteta wisely decided to sacrifice attacking endeavour for some control and stability. That changed on September 21 when we got a thriller between the two best sides in the land. It’s also becoming clear they don’t like each other very much, which only added to my enjoyment. Miller: In terms of the game I sat and watched and was captivated from beginning to end, it’s City 2-2 Arsenal. But as a game that really examined the fragilities of the human spirit, that exposed the sort of mental collapse that is possible in the right circumstances, it’s Everton getting to the 87th minute against Bournemouth 2-0 up, and still managing to lose 3-2. Stafford-Bloor: Brentford against Wolves was some hysterical nonsense and, thematically, that helped to make a point. The quality has just not been very high this season and, while the Premier League has had its usual cartoonish moments off the field, that has not been balanced — yet — by anything particularly interesting on the pitch. Maybe the fixture computer has just sold us all a bad start. Alexander: Let’s crunch some of those numbers, shall we? The match with the highest combined xG (5.55) was Manchester United vs Spurs. The match with the highest xNarrative was Manchester City vs Arsenal. Palmer rattled in the first four-goals-in-a-first-half the Premier League has ever seen when Chelsea beat Brighton, but I’m going to go for Bournemouth vs Chelsea, a seemingly innocuous match that produced a Premier League record 14 yellow cards from Anthony Taylor, plus a handful for the benches for good measure. Tremendous, baffling coastal fun. Has anything surprised you so far? Anka: Chelsea have such talent within their squad that they were always going to come good. Yet the speed at which Maresca has them clicking has impressed me. Nicolas Jackson looks to have figured out some of the finer points of centre-forward play and Palmer is making a mockery of those who tried to claim his numbers were inflated by penalties. Cut through the outside noise. This is a team that works. Miller: Gravenberch fully repurposing himself as a holding midfielder. It feels like a happy accident from Liverpool’s perspective because they clearly didn’t think he was going to be this good, or else they wouldn’t have tried so hard to sign Martin Zubimendi in the summer. But he’s been tremendous, and a pleasing antidote to the prevailing modern feeling that the only way to fix things is in the transfer market. Stafford-Bloor: Call me naive, but I did think Manchester United would be better and that, at the least, it would be possible to see a positive direction of travel. Is there anything there at all? It’s difficult to take too much from wins over an off-colour Fulham and highly-vulnerable Southampton, when competent teams are just making such short work of them. The Liverpool defeat could have been much, much worse. On a more efficient day, Tottenham could also have scored five or six at Old Trafford. Sunday’s draw with Aston Villa was an improvement, but only in the sense that it was not an outright disaster. Alexander: Some oblique alarm bells rang when 1990s-born tactician Fabian Hurzeler won manager of the month at his first attempt. It felt like a classic case of a decent start that owed more to muscle memory from the previous regime, especially after Brighton got Palmer-ed at Stamford Bridge. But the sensational comeback against Spurs at the weekend might be the moment Hurzeler showed that, despite being three months younger than the first text message sent on a mobile phone, he could have what it takes to succeed in Our League. Campbell: Nottingham Forest. Over the past few years Nuno’s stock had fallen and a perception had set in that he was an overly-cautious coach. Just one defeat in seven games, gaining four points against Liverpool and Chelsea, has redressed that. Look at the options that operate behind Chris Wood — Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi — and you see they have built a young, exciting core. The addition of Elliot Anderson behind them has added another young English talent to the group, which is heartening to see. Spiers: Teams refusing to abandon the principle of playing out from the back, even in the face of incomprehensible ineptitude. Obviously, there are long-term benefits to perfecting it, but in the meantime the stubborn persistence of some managers when their teams are conceding hilariously bad goals is kinda baffling. GO DEEPER Playing out from the back: Why teams do it and is it worth the risk? October is sacking season — who do you fear for? Anka: Clubs within the top six have often taken turns holding the ‘crisis baton’. You never want to be the manager holding it during the international break, lest you have people nattering on about your job security for an additional week. Erik ten Hag was the one in possession after losing 3-0 to Liverpool in September. He appears to be in trouble again after a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa — an OK result but one which leaves Manchester United 14th in the Premier League. GO DEEPER Analysing Man United manager alternatives to Erik ten Hag: Hoeness, Van Nistelrooy, Tuchel and more Miller: Leicester City haven’t started the season brilliantly, but I’m still slightly surprised at the heat Steve Cooper is getting from some of their fans. It’s only been seven games, but it does feel like we’re already in that scenario where the boulder is rolling down the hill and it’s going to be really, really difficult to stop it now. Kay: Don’t underestimate the possibility of early-season panic at Leicester (Cooper) or Southampton (Russell Martin), but the pressure on Ten Hag at Manchester United looks far greater. The new regime at Old Trafford were minded to replace him at the end of last season and he needed a serious uplift this season if it was to be more than a stay of execution. I would say they have shown a slight improvement so far this season — not a popular view — but I must emphasise the word “slight”. Things will have to improve significantly and I just can’t see that happening at the moment. Alexander: We are heading towards a year since Gary O’Neil’s triumphant appearance on Monday Night Football cemented his tactical credentials in the nation’s mind, as did his defensive masterclass to beat Manchester City at Molineux. There are no defensive masterclasses at Molineux anymore. Campbell: Oliver Glasner. In winning six of their final seven games of last season Crystal Palace played some scintillating football. It looked like he had unlocked an energy within what is a vibrant squad. Any notions of Palace going supersonic and doing a Leicester this season have sadly been misplaced. Losing Michael Olise was always going to be a blow but they put in one of the worst first-half performances of the season against Manchester United, making it look like they were facing the blue half of the city. The Austrian should get time, and Palace were better against Liverpool, but if they keep squandering chances the winless run could get out of hand. Spiers: Ten Hag. If, after spending £600m, overseeing a club’s worst Premier League campaign last season and now presiding over their worst start this time around (eight points and five goals from seven games) isn’t enough for INEOS to look (again) for someone else to replace him, I’m not sure what is. What would you like to see more or less of in the rest of the season? Anka: I don’t think all of the things that make Jhon Duran such a potent attacking option off the bench would carry over if Unai Emery made him the starting striker. I do think Duran is one of the Premier League’s most entertaining strikers and I want to see how many inventive finishes he has in his locker. Kay: Less time-wasting — although the first step towards that is less tolerance of time-wasting. Don’t just book a goalkeeper in the 88th minute when he’s wasted another 30 seconds before restarting play. It blows my mind that kicking the ball a matter of inches sees Declan Rice sent off for a second bookable offence, “delaying the restart”, whereas a goalkeeper can systematically waste time all afternoon before getting a yellow card in the last couple of minutes. Stafford-Bloor: The moaning about refereeing is making the Premier League difficult to engage with. It is not so much the grumbling over mistakes, more the insistence — sometimes even across official club channels — that they are not mistakes at all, but the manifestation of some deep-rooted conspiracy. It’s becoming so performative. Alexander: The last international break was full of, yes, international football but also an overwhelming nostalgia for Premier League football from 15 years ago. That’s fine in and of itself (who doesn’t enjoy a goals compilation from any era, really?) but the idea the game now has been ‘ruined’ is baffling. The general level of entertainment in a contemporary match is way higher than it was in the 2000s — and, yes, that includes errors from playing out from the back. Don’t believe me? Go and watch a full match from 2006 on YouTube — there’s a reason these have considerably fewer views than the two minutes 38 seconds of long-range screamers. Campbell: Howard Webb’s Mic’d Up — and by that I mean less. The idea of transparency and accountability in the decision-making process sounded like a step forward for officiating but it often feels like working backwards from the outcome to find a justification. It is seeing referees lean further into the easy defence of ‘the player gave me no choice’ and ‘common sense isn’t in the rulebook’, which further inflames fans who believe there is a lack of autonomy for referees. Spiers: More clips on social media from CBS Golazo of them bantering Micah Richards! No but seriously, can we have some better punditry, please? Gary Neville, Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher set high standards but generally the rest muddle through talking about vibes, players being brilliant or bad and teams who just don’t want it enough. Perhaps I’m biased but seeing Rory Smith on the BBC’s Champions League show or our own James Horncastle on TNT Sports’ goals show was such a breath of fresh air — insight, knowledge and the ability to convey those opinions and arguments in a palatable and entertaining way. More please.

Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran signs new contract until 2030 https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5824791/2024/10/07/jhon-duran-aston-villa-contract/ Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has signed a new contract with the club until 2030. The 20-year-old has been in strong form in the opening stages of the 2024-25 season, scoring six goals across all competitions, despite just one of his 10 appearances for Unai Emery’s side coming as a starter. Duran has primarily been deployed as a second-half substitute for regular lone starting striker Ollie Watkins. Duran has frequently replaced Watkins, although the two played together in the closing stages of Sunday’s 0-0 home draw with Manchester United. The Colombia international has scored Premier League goals against West Ham United, Leicester City, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, while he also netted from long range in Villa’s 1-0 win at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Duran attracted interest from Chelsea and West Ham United during the summer and was investigated by Villa after appearing the cross his arms to make the ‘irons’ gesture relating to the latter club. Duran joined Villa from Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire in January 2023 and played 37 times in the 2023-24 season, scoring eight goals. His previous deal was due to expire in 2028. He made one appearance for Colombia at this summer’s Copa America as his side reached the final, in which they were defeated by Argentina. Duran’s only time on the pitch was a 13-minute cameo against Costa Rica in a group-stage victory. GO DEEPER Understanding Aston Villa's Jhon Duran - 'Nothing he was given was free' Duran’s contract reward for remarkable turnaround Analysis from Villa correspondent Jacob Tanswell Duran’s new extension reflects a remarkable turnaround in feeling and relationship between the player, his representatives and Villa. Team-mates and Duran himself were of the impression he would leave in the summer, with the Colombia striker wanting to push through a move, wanting to be a regular starter. However, after resolution talks towards the end of the window — where Villa outlined his importance and Emery planned to increase his minutes, it marked the turning of the page. His importance and ability has been demonstrated this season but comes as little surprise to Villa, who believe he can become one of the world’s best forwards. “If there is a club that really thinks Jhon Duran can become one of the top strikers in the world, then that one club is Aston Villa and that one manager is Unai Emery,” said Monchi, president of football operations in a wide-ranging interview. “There are no fewer than 40 clubs who want Duran — everyone wants him.” GO DEEPER Duran can be one of the best strikers in the world - Martinez

Is this the end for football’s entire transfer system or not? (Or something else entirely?) https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5817939/2024/10/05/transfers-football-lassana-diarra/ Something happened in Luxembourg on Friday that will either bring an end to football’s transfer system as we know it, make the stars even richer, jeopardise player development and ruin hundreds of clubs across Europe, or it will make FIFA rewrite a couple of sentences in its rulebook. As Sliding Doors moments go, that’s a stark choice: jump on board and take a trip to oblivion, or get the next train to where you went yesterday and every day for the last 20 years. The agent of change in this analogy is the European Court of Justice ruling (ECJ) that some of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players — the set of rules that have defined the transfer system since 2001 — are against European Union (EU) law. The EU’s highest court was asked to look at the regulations by an appeal court in Belgium that has been trying to settle a row between former player Lassana Diarra, in one corner, and FIFA and the Belgian football federation in the other. That dispute has dragged on since 2015, but the Belgian court can now apply the ECJ’s guidance to the matter, which should result in some long-awaited compensation for Diarra and a redrafting of at least one article of FIFA’s rules. But is that it? FIFA thinks so but The Athletic has heard from many others who say, no, that train has left the station and nobody knows where it is going. So, let’s dive through the closing doors and see where we get to. But, before we do, let’s make sure everyone knows where we started. What on earth are we talking about? Good starting point. After stints with Chelsea, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Real Madrid, Diarra moved to big-spending Anzhi Makhachkala in 2012. His time in Dagestan ended abruptly when the club ran out of money a year later but he had played well in the Russian league and Lokomotiv Moscow signed him to a four-year deal. Sadly, after a bright start, the France midfielder fell out with his manager, who dropped him and demanded Diarra take a pay cut. The player declined and the situation deteriorated. By the summer of 2014, he had been sacked for breach of contract and Lokomotiv pursued him via FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber for damages. Using a rule of thumb developed over the previous decade, FIFA decided Diarra owed his former employer €10.5million (£8.8m, $11.5m) and banned him for 15 months for breaking his contract “without just cause”, its catch-all phrase for messy divorces. Diarra appealed against the verdict but it was confirmed in 2016 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), albeit with a slightly reduced financial hit. Diarra (left) playing for Lokomotiv in 2013 (Sergey Rasulov Jr/Epsilon/Getty Images) In the meantime, Diarra was offered a job by Belgian side Charleroi in 2015. They got cold feet when they realised that article 17 of FIFA’s transfer regulations — “the consequence of terminating a contract without just cause” — made them “jointly and severally liable” for any compensation owed to Lokomotiv and at risk of sporting sanctions, namely a transfer embargo. Stuck on the sidelines, Diarra decided to sue FIFA and its local representative, the Belgian FA, for €6million in lost earnings. Once his ban had expired in 2016, his football career resumed with a move to Marseille, and he would eventually retire in 2019 after stints with Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi and Paris Saint-Germain. His row with the football authorities continued, though, and, with the support of the French players’ union and FIFPRO, the global players’ union, he took it all the way to Luxembourg City, where he won, on Friday morning. All caught up? Erm… no — what has he won? Ah, well, it depends on who you believe. According to his lawyers, Jean-Louis Dupont and Martin Hissel, Diarra has won “a total victory”, but not just for him. “All professional players have been affected by these illegal rules (in force since 2001!) and can therefore now seek compensation for their losses,” they said. “We are convinced that this ‘price to pay’ for violating EU law will — at last — force FIFA to submit to the EU rule of law and speed up the modernisation of governance.” As a heads-up, Dupont has considerable experience in this area — and we will return to him shortly. FIFPRO, unsurprisingly, agrees. In a statement issued immediately after the decision was published, the union described it as a “major ruling on the regulation of the labour market in football (and, more generally, in sport) which will change the landscape of professional football”. Later on Friday, it published a longer statement that expanded on its belief that this was both a big W for Diarra personally but also a class action victory for all players. “It is clear the ECJ has ruled unequivocally that central parts of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players are incompatible with European Union law,” it said. “In particular, the ECJ has stated that the calculation of compensation to be paid by a player who terminates a contract ‘without just cause’ — and the liability for the player’s new club to be jointly liable for such compensation — cannot be justified.” Diarra at PSG in 2018 (Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images for ICC) It continued by saying these clauses of article 17 of the regulations “are the foundation of the current transfer system and have discouraged numerous players from terminating their contract unilaterally and pursuing new employment”. Furthermore, it said, the ECJ agreed with the union that players’ careers can be short and “this abusive system” can make them shorter. It leapt on the more memorable sections of what is a bone-dry, 43-page judgment (currently only available in French and Polish), by pointing out that the court’s judges think the criteria FIFA used for calculating Diarra’s fine, and other sanctions in cases like his, are “sometimes imprecise or discretionary, sometimes lacking any objective link with the employment relationship in question and sometimes disproportionate”. It then suggested that the only way to remedy this, and the other problems the court highlighted, is for FIFA to talk it through properly with the unions and their members. “We commend Lassana Diarra for pursuing this challenge which has been so demanding,” it continues. “FIFPRO is proud to have been able to support him. Lassana Diarra — like Jean-Marc Bosman before him — has ensured that thousands of players worldwide will profit from a new system…” Hold on… Bosman? Yes, Bosman, another midfielder who did not quite live up to his early promise as a player but confounded all expectations as a labour-rights revolutionary and begetter of new worlds. In case you are hazy on the details, Bosman found himself in a similar spot to Diarra in 1990 when he was out of favour at RFC Liege. The difference, however, is that he was out of contract and simply wanted to take up a new one just over the French border in Dunkerque. Liege said words to the effect of “OK, but only if they pay us half a million”, as was the custom back then. Five years later, Bosman was finished as a player but not before he had claimed football’s most famous ECJ ruling — one that meant players were free agents once their contracts had expired, massively increasing their attractiveness to new employers, and bringing down European football’s long-standing restrictions on the number of foreign players clubs could field. Dupont was his lawyer and that is partly why agents, union officials and some legal experts have been previewing Diarra as “the next Bosman” ever since one of the ECJ’s advocate generals — senior lawyers who help the judges make their decisions — published his non-binding opinion on the case earlier this year. The judges do not have to follow that guidance, but this time they did, almost verbatim. So, that is why my phone started buzzing with contrasting predictions of what Diarra’s win would mean for the game long before anyone had got past the preamble of the ruling. OK, what might happen next, then? To answer this, it is perhaps useful to go back to Bosman. When that bombshell ruling was delivered, clubs said the world would end, as the players now had all the power, which meant there was no point having academies, as the brightest talents would leave for nothing, and fans could forget getting attached to anyone, as the best players would swap teams every year. The verdict came too late to help Bosman. But when the likes of Sol Campbell and Steve McManaman ran down their contracts at Tottenham and Liverpool respectively, in order to secure moves to new clubs, on much higher wages, it looked like the doom-mongers were onto something. But six years after Bosman, the clubs, aided by FIFA and European football’s governing body UEFA, managed to persuade the European Commission that too much freedom of movement was bad for football and what that industry really needed was contractual “stability”. The result was the first iteration of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP). The authorities called it a compromise between the clubs’ need to retain some control of their most valuable assets and every other EU citizen’s right to quit one job and take another, anywhere in the single market. The unions called it “an ambush”. The case of Bosman (centre) changed the transfer system (STF/AFP via Getty Images) In 2006, however, the pendulum swung towards the players again when a Scottish defender called Andy Webster decided to use a provision in the rules — the right for a player to buy out their contract after a prescribed protected period — to force a move from Hearts to Wigan. As he was over 28, his protected period was three years and he was in the final year of a five-year deal, so he was OK to move. Unfortunately, nobody had settled on a formula for deciding how much he should pay his old club. Hearts reckoned Webster, an international, was worth £5million but his lawyers offered them £250,000, a sum equal to what he was owed in wages for the last year of his deal. Like Diarra, they took it to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), which decided Hearts were owed £625,000, a sum based on his future earnings and the club’s legal costs. He appealed against that verdict at CAS and it reduced the compensation by £150,000 but backed the gist of the ruling. For a year, it looked like Webster had become “the new Bosman” but, in 2007, the pendulum swung back towards “stability” when Brazilian midfielder Matuzalem tried to engineer “a Webster” out of Shakhtar Donetsk to Real Zaragoza. After the usual visits to the DRC and CAS, football had a new, more club-friendly precedent for deciding the compensation jilted parties were owed by these unilateral contract-breakers, a sum based on the player’s remaining wages and his unamortised transfer fee. Confused? Don’t worry, it was a bigger number and therefore a larger deterrent. So, the pendulum is about to swing again? Again, it depends on who you ask. For FIFA, this is a great big nothingburger. Its immediate response to the news from the ECJ was to jump on the sentences in the ruling that supported its right to have rules that breach EU rules on freedom of movement and competition because professional sport is not like journalism, law and other humdrum jobs. It has “specificity” and should therefore be exempted from certain principles, providing they are for a “legitimate objective”, such as “ensuring the regularity of interclub football competitions”. Therefore, FIFA noted, the court still agrees football can justify rules aimed “at maintaining a certain degree of stability in the player rosters of professional football clubs”. Phew, that should save most of the rulebook, then, right? “The ruling only puts in question two paragraphs of two articles of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which the national court is now invited to consider,” a FIFA spokesperson said, referring specifically to two of Diarra’s main objections: the joint liability of the new club in a dispute like his, and the withholding of the International Transfer Certificate, which players need for a cross-border deal, until compensation has been paid. FIFA’s chief legal and compliance officer Emilio Garcia Silvero doubled down on this “Am I bothered?” take with a later statement that said: “Today’s decision does not change the core principles of the transfer system at all.” And he might be right. After all, it is now up to the Belgian court to apply the ECJ ruling to the Diarra case, which could clarify things slightly and certainly provide some time for the dust to settle. (Kirill Kudryavstev/AFP via Getty Images) It is also possible to read the ECJ ruling and imagine a scenario in which FIFA places all liability for breaching contracts “without just cause” on the player but puts in place a less onerous and more transparent formula for working out how much compensation should be paid. And if FIFA wanted to increase its chances of gaining union support, it could also broaden the list of reasons why a player might have cause to break a contract. At present, it thinks the only justifications for a player to breach are not getting paid for months on end or the outbreak of war. But there are plenty of people who have now read the ruling and do not believe FIFA is going to get away with a few tweaks. As mentioned, FIFPRO and its member players’ associations are convinced the entire transfer regime is up for grabs and FIFA will now have to enter into the types of collective bargaining agreements that are central to professional sport in North America. As David Terrier, the president of FIFPRO Europe, puts it: “The regulation of a labour market is either through national laws or collective agreements between social partners.” Ian Giles, head of antitrust and competition for Europe, Middle East and Africa at global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, is on the same page as the unions when it comes to the potential ramifications of the ruling. “The decision essentially says the current system is too restrictive and so will have to change,” he explained. “In terms of free movement, the ECJ recognises there may be a justification on public interest grounds to maintain the stability of playing squads, but considers the current rules go beyond what is necessary. “It’s a similar story regarding the competition law rules. The ECJ has deemed the relevant transfer rules to amount to a ‘by object’ restriction — a serious restriction similar to a ‘no-poach’ agreement. Concerns about labour market restrictions, including ‘no-poach’ agreements, are a particular area of focus for competition authorities globally. “Under competition law, it’s possible for otherwise restrictive agreements to be exempt — and therefore not problematic — if they lead to certain overriding benefits, but it’s generally difficult for ‘by object’ restrictions to meet the specific requirements for exemption.” Giles’ point about the ECJ saying article 17 of the regulations is a “by object” restriction has been noted by other experts, as it means the court is effectively saying it is a restriction, end of story, and there can be no justification for it, no matter how noble the objective. In terms of what this might mean for the industry, Giles can only speculate like the rest of us. “It’s entirely possible this means players will feel they can now break contracts and sign on with new clubs, without the selling club being able to hold them or demand significant transfer fees,” he said. “This will likely result in reduced transfer fees and more economic power for players, but over time things will have to stabilise to allow clubs to remain economically viable. Smaller clubs who rely on transfer fees for talent they have developed may well be the losers in this context. “The key question now for FIFA will be how they how can adapt its transfer rules so that they are less restrictive and therefore compatible with EU law, while seeking to maintain the stability of playing squads. It will also be interesting to see whether more players start to breach their contracts in the meantime, emboldened by the ECJ’s judgment. “Something else to keep an eye on is whether we could see other players bring damages claims, alleging they’ve suffered harm as a result of FIFA’s transfer rules, with damages claims for breaches of competition law generally on the rise in the UK and Europe.” Right, has anyone else chipped in? Yes! Not that they have shed much light on where we are heading, although they have confirmed where loyalties lie. European Leagues, the organisation that represents the interests of domestic leagues across the continent, took a player-friendly stance by saying the decision confirmed that “FIFA must comply with national laws, European Union laws or national collective bargaining”. It added that it stood for contractual stability but only when it is “safeguarded by national laws and collective bargaining agreements negotiated and agreed by professional leagues and players’ unions at domestic level”. The European Club Association (ECA), however, adopted an “if ain’t broke (for us), why fix it” approach. “Whilst the judgement raises certain concerns, the ECA observes that the provisions analysed by (the court) relate to specific aspects of the FIFA RSTP, with the football player transfer system being built on the back of the entire regulatory framework set out in the (regulations) which, by and large, remains valid,” it said. “More importantly, the ECJ did recognise the legitimacy of rules aiming at protecting the integrity and stability of competitions and the stability of squads, and rules which aim to support such legitimate objectives, including among others, the existence of registration windows, the principle that compensation is payable by anyone who breaches an employment contract and the imposition of sporting sanctions on parties that breach those contracts.” As a champion of clubs large and small, the ECA noted that the transfer system “affords medium and smaller-sized clubs the means to continue to compete at high levels of football, especially those who are able to develop and train players successfully”. Whether that is actually true or not is the subject of a much bigger and long-running debate. But it is certainly an attractive idea and sometimes that can be enough. What do football’s transfer movers think? My colleague Dan Sheldon spoke to Rafaela Pimenta, a football agent who represents Erling Haaland, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and other top stars. She told The Athletic: “If you talk to agents, they are over-excited because, finally, the players are going to get heard. How many times are we still going to see them crying after having their careers destroyed because they are being denied a transfer?” She made it clear, though, that the focus now should be on conversations between football’s various stakeholders to define what the new rules should be. Pimenta is a significant figure in the game (Andrea Staccioli/Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images) “For players, this can be a landmark and I hope players will use it wisely,” she said. “This is not an excuse for them to do whatever they want; it is a reason to stand up for their rights. “I think what the challenge here is to make sure their voices are used responsibly. And by that I mean let’s talk and have this discussion, let’s lead the process and understand what clubs need, what players need and what is the compromise. GO DEEPER Moving Haaland, Raiola's faux pas and taking on FIFA: An interview with Rafaela Pimenta “If there is no balance and one side, either the players or the clubs have all the power, then it will go wrong again. “I understand clubs need to have assets, but they need to understand that players are human beings and sometimes things don’t go according to plan and they cannot become the asset that stays there parked on a corner.” That is probably enough excitement for one day. We shall be back with more analysis when the pendulum swings again.

Chelsea’s chief marketing officer leaves club after 15 months in role https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5824647/2024/10/07/Chelsea-chief-marketing-officer/ Chief marketing officer Claire Cronin has become the latest senior executive to leave Chelsea after 15 months at the club. Cronin joined Chelsea from McLaren Racing in August 2023 to oversee the brand, creative, growth marketing and fan engagement teams at Stamford Bridge, having previously worked at Barclays and Virgin Atlantic. News of her departure has been communicated internally to club staff and comes less than a month after chief executive Chris Jurasek announced he was stepping down, as Chelsea gave chief operating officer Jason Gannon the additional title of president and leadership of a new-look senior management team. Filling out the management team led by Gannon are chief revenue officer Casper Stylsvig, chief legal and corporate affairs officer James Bonington and chief strategy officer and head of business operations James Murray. Todd Kline and Phil Lynch will also take up senior business roles when they formally join Chelsea from Tottenham and Manchester United respectively. In an interview with The Drum in July, Cronin spoke very positively about the backing of Jurasek enabling her to grow the staff size and budget of Chelsea’s marketing operation. “I’m super-positive, but that’s because I’ve got a CEO and a CFO who really believe in the power of marketing,” she said. “I probably feel more positive, more confident, more ambitious, because of the infrastructure that I’ve come into.” GO DEEPER Chelsea, a club with Champagne tastes and a lemonade budget. It can't go on Cronin’s influence was particularly visible in the marketing that surrounded the launch of Chelsea’s home kit for the 2024-25 season. She enlisted the services of Uncommon Creative Studio to help formulate the “We burn blue” campaign that rebranded the club as “CFC LDN”, in an attempt to position it as the capital’s definitive football club. “This is the fans’ energy,” Cronin said as part of the kit launch. “The players’ energy. The city’s energy. We Burn Blue. Our new home shirt embodies the passion, drive, and determination that runs through the veins of everyone associated with the club. It is a representation of our history, our present, and our future. We couldn’t have chosen a better partner in Uncommon to help us bring this important moment to bear.” Two months into the season, Chelsea are yet to find a company prepared to pay what they are looking for to position their brand logo on the front of that shirt, with a two-year absence from the Champions League a key factor in the club’s struggle to find a suitable sponsor. GO DEEPER Why Chelsea are set to begin the new season without a shirt sponsor

The Fall - Theme From Sparta F.C. #2 Everybody sing (Hey!) We are Sparta F.C! Come on I will tell you how it will change When I give you something to slaughter There is a jack knife going up the hill Where it is going I don't tell But by hook or by crook I will I′ll get it back Shepherd boy (Hey!) Everybody sing (Hey!) Be my be my toy! Come on have a bet We live on blood We are Sparta F.C. Έλα να σου δείξω Πόσο θα αλλάξω Όταν θα μου δώσεις Κάτι να σφάξω Έλα βάλε στοίχημα Για να κερδίσω Αυτό δεν είναι ποίημα Για τα σκουπίδια Take your fleecy jumper you won′t need it anymore It is in the car boot moving away ′Cause where you are going clothes won't help Shepherd boy (Hey!) Everybody sing (Hey!) Be my be my toy! Come on have a bet We live on blood We are Sparta F.C. You have to pay for everything But some things are not for free We live on blood We are Sparta F.C. Here there Chelsea fan this is your last game (Hey!) We're not Galatasaray, we're Sparta F.C. (Hey!) F.C.! Hey! Come on I will tell you how it will change You mug old women in the paper shop In your English bobble hat Stay at home Shepherd boy (Hey!) Everybody sing (Hey!) Be my be my toy! Come on have a bet We live on blood! We are Sparta F.C! Έλα να σου δείξω Πόσο θα αλλάξω Όταν θα μου δώσεις Κάτι να σφάξω Έλα βάλε στοίχημα Για να κερδίσω Αυτό δεν είναι ποίημα Για τα σκουπίδια Come on I will tell you how it will change When I give you something to slaughter Shepherd boy (Hey!) Everybody sing (Hey!) Be my be my toy! We live on blood! We are Sparta F.C.! You have to pay for everything But some things are not for free We live on blood We are Sparta F.C. Here there Chelsea fan this is your last game (Hey!) We're not Galatasaray, we're Sparta F.C. (Hey!) You have to pay for everything But some things are not for free We live on blood We are Sparta F.C. Here there Chelsea fan this is your last game (Hey!) We're not Galatasaray, we're Sparta F.C. (Hey!) We are Sparta F.C.!

I remain patient with him

According to Real Madrid, Dani Carvajal is diagnosed with a ruptured ACL, a ruptured external collateral ligament and a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg. Done for the season and perhaps a chunk of next season. He may be 34yo before he is 100% fit again.

They said the same (even more so) about (for instance) Pirlo, who took years to sort out his role/niche (he was a disaster at Inter early on, after leavibg Brescia for them on a big money move, before he went back to Brescia on loan and they finally figured out his regsita role, with led to his massive AC Milan and then Juve spells) and grow into the insane player he eventually became.

here is our chance to buy a Brasilian big club 💰 Intercontinental Torneio Octogonal Rivadavia Correa Meyer (1) 1953 (considered a precursor of the Intercontinental Cup by FIFA, Vasco da Gama defeated São Paulo 1-0 in the final) Tournoi de Paris (1) 1957 (considered a precursor of the Intercontinental Cup by FIFA, Vasco da Gama defeated Real Madrid 4–3 in the final) Intercontinental Cup Runners-up 1998 (lost the final to Real Madrid 2-1 on an 83rd minute goal by Raúl) FIFA Club World Cup Runners-up 2000 (the only FCWC where no UEFA team made the final, Vasco da Gama crushed the Treble-winning Manchester United side 1 3 in the group stage (the superb Romário had a brace), but lost the final to Corinthians on pens, Real Madrid lost the 3rd place game to Necaxa, whom Vasco da Gama also had defeated earlier) Continental South American Championship of Champions (1) 1948 Copa Libertadores (1) 1998 Copa Mercosul (1) 2000 National Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (4) 1974, 1989, 1997, 2000 Copa do Brasil (1) 2011 Inter-state Torneio Rio–São Paulo (3) 1958, 1966, 1999 Torneio João Havelange (1) 1993 Taça dos Campeões Estaduais Rio–São Paulo (1) 1936 Teresa Herrera Trophy (1) 1957 Torneio Início (10) 1926, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1942, 1944, 1945 State Campeonato Carioca (24) 1923, 1924, 1929, 1934, 1936, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1970, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2015, 2016 Taça Guanabara (13) 1965, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2016, 2019 Taça Rio (10) 1984, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2017, 2021 Torneio Municipal (4) 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947 Torneio Relâmpago (2) 1944, 1946 Torneio Extra (2) 1973, 1990 Copa Rio (2) 1992, 1993 Other Campeonato Carioca rounds (9) 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1997 International Ciutat de Barcelona Trophy (1) 1993 Trofeo Ciudad de Zaragoza (1) 1993 Palma de Mallorca Trophy (1) 1995 Los Angeles Golden Cup (1) 1987 Trofeo Bortolotti (1) 1997 Ramón de Carranza Trophy (3) 1987, 1988, 1989 Colombino Trophy (1) 1980 Trofeo Ciudad de Sevilla (1) 1979 Festa d'Elx Trophy (1) 1979

Exclusive: Big Update on Omari Kellyman at Chelsea https://www.givemesport.com/exclusive-big-update-on-omari-kellyman-at-Chelsea/ Chelsea youngster Omari Kellyman is finally on his road to recovery after picking up a new hamstring injury, despite joining the Blues injured over the summer from Aston Villa - and GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed that the prodigy is looking at a return in November or December as he aims to pick up first-team cameos before the season gets to the business end. Kellyman joined Chelsea in the summer prior to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules deadline of June 30 with Ian Maatsen going the other way in a £37.5million deal, but having been plagued with injuries in his first few months at the club, the youngster has been waiting patiently for his chance at first-team football under Enzo Maresca. And that could come in the winter period once he returns from injury. GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed that Kellyman joined the Blues from Aston Villa whilst he was injured, which means that he has been forced to miss pre-season at Stamford Bridge - and he has now suffered a new hamstring injury in his road to recovery which continues to get further and further away. The youngster, 19, is now back to steady running as he aims to star in Chelsea's youth team - and although it will be unlikely that he'll get to impress in the first-team with a plethora of options such as Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the attacking midfield role, there may be cameo appearances available later on in the season. Kellyman will not be rushed back as the club look after his condition for the long-term, though he is expected to be back in November or December - though there is no exact return date just yet. That will become clearer after the international break, where he will miss out on England under-19 duties thanks to his injury. Kellyman is almost back on the grass, having posted an Instagram story on Monday morning with the caption 'Progress!' as he donned his boots - and though he isn't back in the team's training or even individual training, he is running as part of his rehabilitation phase. Kellyman joined Chelsea in the summer in a deal that was worth in the region of £19million on a six-year contract, with the club also boasting an option to extend for an additional year. It was deemed quite an expensive deal, with Kellyman having only featured in six games for Villa in all competitions in his first senior campaign for the club - registering an assist against Hibernian in the Europa Conference League as Villa won 8-0 one aggregate, alongside only making his Premier League debut in April in a 4-1 defeat to Manchester City. But with Chelsea having had a real focus on youth stars since Todd Boehly came to the helm in 2022, it's been a whirlwind few years in which young talents like Kellyman have been signed. There is no doubt that he will get minutes where possible if household names need to be rested, but they could be few and far between with experienced players ahead of him in the pecking order.

Thomas Tuchel given £84m Chelsea transfer shortlist as Man United find Erik ten Hag replacement Chelsea could help Thomas Tuchel jumpstart his tenure at Manchester United by selling the German a few players https://www.football.london/Chelsea-fc/transfer-news/thomas-tuchel-given-84m-Chelsea-30085239 Thomas Tuchel could jumpstart his tenure at Manchester United by signing a few familiar faces. The former Chelsea boss has remerged as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, with the Dutchman under incredible pressure. According to the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils have identified Tuchel as a candidate for the head coach position. The report states Manchester United were interested in the German, who parted ways with Bayern Munich at the end of last season, when they contemplated sacking Ten Hag in the summer. Instead, the club activated the option to extend the 54-year-old's contract by a year after winning the FA Cup final. Nevertheless, it's said the United hierarchy will hold a meeting in London on Tuesday, with the Ten Hag's position to be discussed in the coming days. As it stands, the former Ajax boss has a contract that keeps him at Old Trafford until June 2026. So, with that being said, football.london has looked at what players Tuchel could sign from Chelsea if he were to replace Ten Hag at Manchester United. Ben Chilwell – £18.5m Chilwell has struggled to force himself into Enzo Maresca's side, having failed to impress in recent outings. The 27-year-old left-back, who's valued at £18.5m (€22m) by Transfermarkt, has featured just once for Chelsea this season, appearing off the bench in the Blues' 5-0 win over Barrow in the Carabao Cup third round. Despite questions marks over his ability to play in a back-four and a heavily possession-based side, Chilwell could be just what Tuchel is looking for if the German operates a back-five with flying wing-backs at Manchester United. While he's previously impressed in that role, he has nursed a couple of hamstring injuries since. Benoit Badiashile – £25.1m Badiashile enjoyed an excellent vein of form when he first joined Chelsea from Monaco in January 2023, helping the Blues keep three clean sheets in his first three Premier League games. Then, at the end of the season, he suffered a hamstring injury before picking up a couple of groin issues the following campaign. The 23-year-old centre-half, who's valued at £25.1m (€30m) by Transfermarkt, ended last term as a key player in Mauricio Pochettino's lineup. But, since Maresca took over, Levi Colwill has been preferred alongside Wesley Fofana and the Cobham graduate hasn't put a foot wrong. Raheem Sterling – £29.3m Sterling joined Arsenal on a season-long loan on deadline day in the summer. Despite arriving as a 'marquee signing' and topping the club's wage bill, the 29-year-old winger failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge, scoring just 14 goals in 59 appearances in the Premier League. It's said that the Gunners don't have an option to buy Sterling at the end of the season, leaving the door wide open for Manchester United to take him off Chelsea's hands. Tuchel could use the England international, who's valued at £29.3m (€35m) by Transfermarkt, in the same way he used Timo Werner. Trevoh Chalobah – £10.9m Chalobah also left Chelsea on a season-long loan in the summer, without including an option to buy in his contract. The 25-year-old defender, who's valued at £10.9m (€13m) by Transfermarkt, was controversially omitted from the Blues squad before finally joining Crystal Palace. While Chalobah wasn't necessarily a regular in Tuchel's side at Stamford Bridge, he was called upon in some big games. So, if the German wants somebody who's ready to slot straight into a back-five at Old Trafford, then the Cobham graduate would be a good option in the summer.

EXPLAINED: How the Diarra case could end Chelsea's and other team's "Bomb Squads" The Diarra v FIFA ruling could significantly impact clubs unilaterally sending players to "Bomb Squads" (isolating players from first-team training to force an exit). Whilst the case doesn't directly change the interpretation of constructive dismissal or abusive processes, it may remove key barriers that discouraged clubs from signing players in disputes, empowering more players to seek just cause departures. FIFA’s Article 14(2) and Bomb Squads While Article 14(2) of FIFA’s regulations prohibits abusive conduct, the rule is not specific enough to definitively address bomb squad situations where players are isolated from first-team training. It focuses more on clear harassment or bullying and has not yet been fully tested in marginalisation cases. This means the current interpretation of abusive conduct in such cases remains unclear but it is clear that preventing a player from training with the first team may constitute a abuse by the club. This was reiterated in the recent case of Football Club FCSB SA v. Lukasz Gikiewicz (https://jurisprudence.tas-cas.org/Shared%20Documents/6950.pdf…). Constructive dismissal, abusive conduct and just cause In English law, constructive dismissal requires a fundamental breach of the employment contract, such as violating the implied duty of trust and confidence. Bomb squad treatment - where players are excluded from training without justification - could, in theory, meet this test. However, FIFA’s Article 14(2) does not definitively address marginalisation as a form of abusive conduct, so players have still needed to navigate this grey area and have been hesitant to seek releases from contracts. What Diarra changes The Diarra ruling challenges FIFA’s solidarity liability and presumption of inducement, finding they were disproportionately restrictive. Removal of these rules would reduce the risk for new clubs signing players involved in disputes eliminating a significant disincentive that has previously kept clubs from taking on players claiming just cause termination. Post Diarra, new clubs may be more willing to gamble on signing players isolated by their current clubs comfortable that they aren't inviting big compensation claims from former clubs. Buying clubs more willing to sign an ostracised player? With the presumption of inducement removed, new clubs will likely feel more confident in signing players alleging just cause. In the past, clubs feared joint liability for signing such players. Under Diarra, this concern is lowered, making Bomb Squad players more attractive to new clubs, even if their case for just cause is uncertain. A new transfer world? The Diarra case could trigger a shift in player transfers. Players in bomb squads, who previously feared retribution for claiming just cause, may now feel more empowered to terminate contracts. The reduction in risks for new clubs could encourage more signings of players isolated by their current teams. While Diarra doesn’t redefine abusive conduct, it opens the door for Bomb Squad players to challenge unfair treatment without a self imposed suspension.

Why FIFA ruling may force Chelsea into £34m Raheem Sterling U-turn https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/news/why-fifa-ruling-may-force-Chelsea-into-34m-raheem-sterling-u-turn/ Raheem Sterling’s move to Arsenal came after he and droves of other first-teamers were forced into the now-infamous ‘bomb squad’, but that option may not be available to Chelsea for much longer. Sterling was the most high-profile Chelsea player to be ostracised in the hopes that it would force them to move on and bring in much needed revenue and wage savings. But 13 players in total were made to train with the reserves by Enzo Maresca over a period in the summer, including Romelu Lukaku, Trevor Chalobah, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Armando Broja. All of those players have now moved away on loan or, in Lukaku’s case, permanently. And while it attracted huge scrutiny from the media and supporters alike, the bomb squad treatment did prove an effective way of giving Chelsea more PSR wriggle room – at least in the short term. Deivid Washington, Harvey Vale, Alex Matos and – most notably – £200,000-a-week left-back Ben Chilwell are the only players from the 13-man blacklist to still be on the payroll for 2024-25. The bombastic recruitment strategy under Todd Boehly and Eghbali, who are at loggerheads in the boardroom, means the club feel this kind of draconian treatment is a necessity to relieve financial strain. Under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, Chelsea are allowed to lose no more than £105m over a rolling three-year period, excluding costs such as infrastructure and youth development. The margins are very tight for Chelsea after spending more than £1.5bn on new signings under the Clearlake-led regime, so saving the bulk of Sterling’s £325,000-a-week salary for the season is significant. But the method that the club used to persuade the 29-year-old attacker to accept a move to Arsenal has now been challenged at the very highest level. READ MORE: Investor who pumped £500m into Chelsea in talks over £6bn-valued takeover in the USA Ex-Chelsea star successfully FIFA transfer system Lassana Diarra played 31 times for Chelsea between 2005 and 2007, winning both the League Cup and FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge. But his legacy in West London and beyond will now be defined by the European Court of Justice case against FIFA that has just won. In a case which is being described as just as significant as the 1995 Bosman ruling, Diarra’s team have succeeded in the case relating to his exit under a cloud from Lokomotiv Moscow over a decade ago. They argued FIFA’s rule, which holds the player and the club signing him jointly liable for compensation to his previous club when the player terminates his contract without ‘just cause’, is unlawful. The ruling is expected to greatly increase ‘player power’ and some experts argue it could change football’s ecosystem forever. Stefan Borson, a lawyer and former adviser to Man City, has claimed that the ruling may mean that ‘bomb squad’ treatment may be grounds for a player to terminate his deal, specifically namechecking Chelsea in the process. ‘In English law, constructive dismissal requires a fundamental breach of the employment contract, such as violating the implied duty of trust and confidence. ‘Bomb squad treatment – where players are excluded from training without justification – could, in theory, meet this test. ‘However, FIFA’s Article 14(2) does not definitively address marginalisation as a form of abusive conduct, so players have still needed to navigate this grey area and have been hesitant to seek releases from contracts. ‘The Diarra case could trigger a shift in player transfers. Players in bomb squads, who previously feared retribution for claiming just cause, may now feel more empowered to terminate contracts. ‘The reduction in risks for new clubs could encourage more signings of players isolated by their current teams. ‘While Diarra doesn’t redefine abusive conduct, it opens the door for Bomb Squad players to challenge unfair treatment without a self imposed suspension.’ Sterling is under contract until 2027, meaning Chelsea will still owe him two years wages – approximately £34m – after this season is done. If freezing him out is no longer an option, it would be a major blow to Chelsea and would force them to rethink their strategy in trying to get high-wage players off the books. READ MORE: Chelsea poised to make £158m transfer announcement with major PSR impact The ruling and its impact on Sterling, Chilwell and more In essence, the ruling may mean that the way Chelsea have treated Sterling in order to try and oust him may – in future – be grounds for the player to terminate his deal and another club to sign him for free. This would give Chelsea far less leverage in their attempting to rid themselves of the likes of Sterling and Chelsea, damaging their chances of complying with PSR. They are by no means the only club who might be impacted by the seismic ruling, but their financial situation does mean that they will likely have more anxiety about the Diarra ruling than most.

he is tearing it up atm in 9 games he has 15 total goals produced in 747 minutes

Impressive highlights of Chelsea’s future box to box machine tearing up Ligue 1 https://Chelsea.news/2024/10/impressive-highlights-of-chelseas-future-box-to-box-machine-tearing-up-ligue-1/ Andrey Santos had a bit of a confusing summer. For a while it seemed like he might be set for a place in the first team Chelsea squad, but then it became clear he was going on loan. There was then a lot of chatter about moves to big teams, but Santos ended up back at Strasbourg where he spent the second half of last season. That might be seen as a disappointing outcome, but it’s working out superbly well. Santos is playing a key role for our BlueCo sister club, picking up where he left off last season as a real leader in the side as they continue to improve under Liam Rosenior – who has been singing his praises of late. Between the two of them, they’re looking to really take the Alsatian club to the next level, clear of endless relegation fears year after year. “Andrey is a top player, he is a true professional,” Rosenior said. “He works every day to progress and improve. On the pitch, he plays like a very experienced player, almost like a coach.” After a slow start, things are starting to warm up. Their best result of the season so far was a 1-0 win over Marseille at the weekend, and Santos played a key role. His highlights from the game show he’s in fine form already, and looks set to really go up a level again this season. The questions will then return next summer – is he ready for Chelsea yet? Where does he fit in the team? Who leaves to accommodate him? But those are all questions for the future. For now, it’s just great to watch him putting in these really excellent box to box displays. If he and the team keep playing like this, there are going to be plenty more impressive highlights packages to come.

Real Madrid begin search for Carvajal replacements https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/41658961/real-madrid-begin-search-carvajal-replacements-sources Real Madrid have begun the search for a right-back to replace the injured Dani Carvajal, sources have told ESPN, but the LaLiga club are aware that finding the right candidate in the January transfer window will be difficult. Carvajal was stretchered off in Madrid's 2-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday, with the club later confirming that the Spain international had suffered "a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a ruptured external collateral ligament and a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg," requiring surgery. The defender's long-term absence leaves Lucas Vázquez -- a converted winger -- as Madrid's only senior option at right-back. A source told ESPN that Madrid have already been offered more than 10 players since Carvajal's injury, but the most attractive options will be hard to secure given that they are under contract at other clubs. Madrid have been tracking Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold -- whose contract at Anfield is due to expire next summer -- for some time. The club had seen the England full-back more as a market opportunity rather than a priority, sources said, but in light of Carvajal's injury, his characteristics and international experience mean he's viewed as one of their best options. It's not yet clear if Alexander-Arnold has decided to leave Liverpool, however, and Madrid are aware that negotiating any kind of deal to allow the player to leave the Premier League leaders mid-season would be complicated. Madrid are looking for alternatives, with their first-team squad already under-stocked in defence after they missed out on centre-back Leny Yoro last summer, following the departure of Nacho. At left-back, Madrid were keen to sign Alphonso Davies last summer, and the Canada international remains a priority for the summer of 2025 on a free transfer. However, bringing forward his arrival to January would mean agreeing a deal with Bayern, which Madrid would not expect to be simple given the German team's ambitions. Coach Carlo Ancelotti is keen for the club to move and strengthen his defensive options, sources told ESPN. After being beaten to Yoro's signing by Manchester United, Madrid have Éder Militão and Antonio Rüdiger as their first-choice central defensive pairing. While David Alaba continues his recovery from a long-term injury, Ancelotti's only alternatives in the position are midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, or Jesús Vallejo. Carvajal's injury has increased the scrutiny on the defence. Vázquez is a reliable, experienced deputy, but sources said there are doubts at the club about his ability to deliver at right-back as the regular starter. On the left, Ferland Mendy is first choice, supported by Fran García. The coaching staff do not view García's level as sufficiently high to play from the outset on a regular basis. Madrid are keen to move early, and will also look at younger, longer-term prospects in the market, sources told ESPN, but if they aren't convinced, they'll stick with their squad as they did in the summer after failing to land Yoro.

Man City, Premier League claim win in Associated Party case https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/41661277/man-city-premier-league-claim-win-associated-party-case Manchester City and the Premier League both claimed victory on Monday after an Arbitration Panel released its judgement on a legal challenge against Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules. Associated Party Transactions relate to sponsorship deals between a club and other companies which may be linked, such as City and the United Arab Emirates' Etihad Aviation Group. The case, which is unrelated to hearing into the 115 charges for allegedly breaching the Premier League's financial rules, saw City claiming "discrimination against Gulf ownership" and that the rules were "unlawful." The Panel upheld two of City's complaints in relation to shareholder loans and how Fair Market Value (FMV) is assessed, while all other challenges failed. City's bid to get the APT and FMV system completely changed was rejected, with the Panel saying it was a crucial to the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. On one count, the Panel said that the rules are "unlawful ... because they exclude from their scope shareholder loans." This brings into the picture millions of interest-free loans which have been issued to clubs by wealthy backers. Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal and Chelsea are all reported to have enjoyed loans running into hundreds of millions of pounds. City, meanwhile, have no such debts and argued that it was unfair that other clubs could gain a financial advantage by discounting such loans from FMV assessments, which may determine interest should be paid. The second count covered how the Premier League determines FMV when assessing an APT. The Panel ruled that it was "unlawful" that a club is unable to comment on the data used by the Premier League before a decision is reached, that the procedure was unfair, that City were not given the opportunity to challenge the judgement and it took too long. The Panel also said it was unfair to place the burden of proof on the club when demonstrating Fair Market Value, and this should fall on the Premier League. The Premier League had rejected two APTs, with Etihad and First Abu Dhabi Bank, with those both now set aside. The APTs will have to be reassessed when the Premier League has looked again at how it applies its APT rules. However, the major win for the Premier League was that APTs as a concept were supported. Had the Panel said the system was completely unlawful it would have enabled City, and other clubs under similar state ownership such as Newcastle United, to make sponsorship deals to any valuation.

will be surprised if we do not try for Osimhen in January we do not have a lot of options in then maybe we just wait until summer

roflmaooooooooooooooooooooooooo wtf little late lads

‘Nasty’ 90s football star ‘tried to rip my mouth open’, reveals Man Utd legend Paul Scholes https://metro.co.uk/2024/10/03/nasty-90s-football-star-tried-rip-mouth-open-reveals-paul-scholes-21726843/ Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has branded Dennis Wise a ‘nasty piece of work’ and says the former Chelsea midfielder ‘tried to rip my mouth open’ during a Premier League match. Discussing the toughest teams and players they came up against during their illustrious careers on the Football Greatest’s podcast, Scholes and fellow United hero Nicky Butt both landed on Wise. Wise was known to be one of the fiercest competitors in the Premier League in the 1990s and clashed with both Scholes and Butt at different times. Butt was sent off for lashing out at Wise in Manchester United’s shock 5-0 defeat to Chelsea in 1999 but insists the Stamford Bridge star was to blame. Wise clattered into the United midfielder midway through the first half and Butt then reacted by kicking out at Wise right under the referee’s nose. That sparked ugly clashes between the two teams, with United accusing Wise of making the most of the incident and essentially getting Butt sent off. Reflecting on the incident, Butt said: ‘He [Dennis Wise] was horrible with me. He got me sent off. He pinched me in the balls and got away with it. ‘He got away with murder. He two-footed me in the head and when we were on the floor he’s grabbed my balls. I should’ve booted him or punched him because I got sent off anyway. I only gave him a little knee. ‘He was a wind-up merchant but when you meet him outside of football he’s actually a decent bloke. ‘He worked at Newcastle while I was there and he’s a good bloke to be fair, but on the pitch he was nasty.’ Scholes also clashed with Wise, who earned 21 caps for England, and says he would do the ‘weirdest things ever’ during games. ‘Dennis Wise was horrible, weren’t he? He did some of the weirdest things ever,’ Scholes told Butt on the podcast. ‘I remember rolling on the floor with him during a game – not fighting or anything – and he’s got his finger in my mouth. ‘He’s trying to like rip my mouth open. He was a nasty piece of work.’ Wise spent most of his career at Chelsea and won several trophies at Stamford Bridge, including two FA Cups. He also played for the likes of Wimbledon, Leicester City and Millwall. As well as making his presence felt on the pitch, Wise, now 57, was also not afraid to clash with his own team-mates. Chelsea legend John Terry revealed in 2020 that Wise had once grabbed him by the throat in front of the rest of the squad. ‘I remember I was in the first team and got a Champions League bonus and I went out and stupidly bought a car with the bonus I was on,’ Terry told the Footballer’s Guide to Football podcast. ‘I was 19 at the time. I come in with my car and Wisey got me up round the throat in the corridor in front of everyone: “Who do you think you are? Go and take the car back”. ‘So he made me go and take the car back, which I lost money on, took me around and helped me find a house, buy a house, so it was the best bit of advice. ‘I was embarrassed at the time but it was the best bit of advice that I could have had. ‘I’m really grateful for all those little bits along the way, guiding the younger players, and he always not only had his eye on the first team but had an interest in the younger boys.’

So which CF do YOU want? Here is every other remotely (and a couple are basically impossible) available CF valid (IMHO) option who is valued at or over the ones (Nico, Samu, Duran) you already mentioned. in order of valuation: Lautaro Martínez (very very unliekly Inter would sell him) Victor Osimhen Alexander Isak Viktor Gyökeres Dušan Vlahović Ollie Watkins Loïs Openda Benjamin Sesko João Pedro Jonathan David Evan Ferguson Mikel Oyarzabal Victor Boniface Santiago Gimenez Brian Brobbey Elye Wahi Omar Marmoush is another option perhaps.

Nkunku is a not a 'lead the line' CF he is more of a fox in the box type of SS/AMF

Nico likely suspended as well, for 3 to 5 games for slapping one of the Forest cunts