Vesper

2 1 they scored from open play pending VAR

and they missed, lol

2 yellow red and a pen for Union (who had their own 2 yellow red earlier)

2 nil this was an OG the first was not

our first ever shirt sponsor was Gulf Air (Bahrain) in 1983/84

Chelsea explore new stadium options with Earl’s Court proposal back in play https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/09/26/Chelsea-explore-new-stadium-options-earls-court-proposal-back-play/ September 26 – Chelsea are reportedly exploring the possibility of moving from Stamford Bridge to a new stadium site at Earl’s Court, as the club seeks to expand its current 40,343-seat capacity and increase match day revenues. Increasing the stadium’s size is a priority for Chelsea’s ownership group, but the logistical challenges of redeveloping Stamford Bridge have prompted them to investigate alternative locations in west London. Under Roman Abramovich’s ownership the club had repeatedly looked at new stadium options and even submitted a plan to the local council but later pulled away from redeveloping the stadium as cost estimates ballooned upwards and beyond the £1 billion mark. The club has already held discussions with Transport for London and real estate developer Delancey, who manage the Earl’s Court site. However, the Earl’s Court Development Committee (ECDC) currently has no plans for a football stadium in its master plan, which focuses on a mixed-use development. If the ECDC secures planning permission for their vision, it could pose a significant obstacle to Chelsea’s ambitions. That said, some experts believe the high costs associated with the ECDC’s current plans may lead to a shift in favour of a football stadium, potentially including affordable housing if Chelsea’s proposal is approved. The club has reportedly drawn up plans targeting the Lillie Bridge depot as a possible location for their new home, with chief executive Jason Gannon leading productive discussions with TfL and Delancey. While Chelsea has not ruled out staying at Stamford Bridge, no significant progress has been made on redeveloping the site, which is complicated by its proximity to transport lines. A potential rebuild would likely force the team to play temporarily at Wembley. However, another significant hurdle for Chelsea’s expansion plans is internal conflict between co-owners Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, with tensions rising over control of the club. Despite these challenges, Chelsea’s owners remain committed to constructing one of the largest and most modern stadiums in England, with a potential bid for Earl’s Court estimated to be in the region of £500 million. The situation remains fluid, but a move could significantly alter the club’s future landscape.

yes, completely seperate

nil 1 OG

Mou at home

https://top.soccerstreams100.io/event/uefa-europa/union-sg-vs-fenerbahce-live-soccer-stats/720519

https://www.vipleague.pm/europa-league/fenerbahce-vs-union-st-gilloise-1-live-streaming https://www.vipleague.pm/europa-league/fenerbahce-vs-union-st-gilloise-2-live-streaming

Europa League. Fеnеrbаhсе vs Unіоn Sаіnt-Gіllоіsе 26 September 2024 at 17:45. Browser Links 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 99% Web 2500kbps 95% Aliez 985kbps 95% Aliez 992kbps 95% Aliez 95% Aliez 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 2700kbps 95% Aliez 2700kbps 95% Aliez 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web 95% Web AceStream Links 8000kbps 95% 95% 8000kbps 95% 95% 95%

Premier League partner Sorare to appear in court over UK Gambling Commission charge https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5796141/2024/09/26/sorare-premier-league-charge-gambling/ Sorare, an official partner of the Premier League, has been charged by the UK Gambling Commission with allegedly “providing unlicensed gambling facilities to consumers in Britain”. The company will appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on October 4 to face the charge. In January 2023, the Premier League announced a four-year license with Sorare “to release digital cards of players from all 20 Premier League clubs as part of its free-to-play online fantasy football game”. Sorare features on the Premier League’s official website as a partner. Sorare is a game in which players buy in cryptocurrency, win and manage a virtual team of digital player cards (NFTs, or non-fungible tokens). Its website says users can “compete for more than $15,000,000 in total cash prizes, VIP tickets, signed jerseys and more”. “Sorare’s digital cards and innovative online game represent a new way for them to feel closer to the Premier League whether they are watching in the stadium or from around the world,” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters commented when the Sorare deal was announced. The Gambling Commission said in 2021 that it was investigating whether Sorare provided a gambling service and if it therefore needed a license to do so. The Premier League is not commenting following the Gambling Commission’s charge. GO DEEPER Sorare: 'An unregulated timebomb' or a fantasy game that will revolutionise football? Premier League side Liverpool have also previously been partnered with Sorare. The club posted about the partnership as recently as April, but they no longer have a relationship with the French company following the expiration of their deal in May. Per its website, Sorare also has partnerships with MLS, the Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga, as well as the NBA and MLB. Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe is also partnered with the firm and has posted advertisements for it on his social media platforms. Sorare was founded in Paris in 2018 and claims to have three million users across 180 countries. It also lists former footballers Rio Ferdinand and Gerard Pique among its investors and partners. “We are aware of the claims made by the Gambling Commission and have instructed our UK counsel to challenge them,” a Sorare spokesperson said. “We firmly deny any claims that Sorare is a gambling product under UK laws. The Commission has misunderstood our business and wrongly determined that gambling laws apply to Sorare. We cannot comment further whilst legal proceedings are underway.”

Predicted Chelsea XI vs Barrow: Joao Felix starts in 4-2-3-1 https://theprideoflondon.com/posts/maresca-hints-at-3-huge-changes-to-starting-xi-for-brighton-game-01j8n2jj3c30 Chelsea FC will take on Barrow AFC in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Stamford Bridge, marking the first meeting between the two sides since their FA Cup clash in 1948 when the Blues ran out 5-0 winners. Enzo Maresca is expected to rotate heavily. With a busy fixture schedule ahead and numerous first-team players needing rest, this cup tie provides the perfect opportunity for fringe players and academy prospects to step up. Here's a projected lineup based on recent trends and Maresca's pre-match hints. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Goalkeeper: Filip Jorgensen Maresca has made his squad rotation plans clear, designating Jorgensen as the goalkeeper for cup competitions, while Robert Sánchez remains the Premier League starter. The Danish keeper is expected to be in goal against Barrow. Right-back: Josh Acheampong With Reece James injured and Malo Gusto just returning, the highly-rated academy talent Josh Acheampong could earn his first senior start. Many fans have been calling for the young defender to get a chance, and this cup tie presents an ideal opportunity. Center-back: Benoît Badiashile Despite recent poor form, Badiashile is expected to feature in this cup fixture, with Maresca offering him a chance to regain confidence. In his pre-match press conference, the manager indicated: “Benoit is working well, but Premier League minutes have been hard to come by. It’s not about poor performances, but tough decisions need to be made."

we recently had our first WSL game without Emma Hayes in charge since during Obama's first term! 4 years before the fucking Brexit vote July 2012

Maresca hints at 3 huge changes to starting XI for Brighton game https://theprideoflondon.com/posts/maresca-hints-at-3-huge-changes-to-starting-xi-for-brighton-game-01j8n2jj3c30 Enzo Maresca has hinted that he might perhaps make a few significant alterations to his Chelsea starting lineup for the Brighton & Hove Albion match this coming weekend. The Italian was speaking after the demolition of Barrow in the League Cup Third Round on Tuesday night. A trio of peripheral Blues have caught the CFC manager's eye and are now on the verge of starting versus Brighton. Which players are respectively on the gaffer's Premier League radar? Will any of the promising group make the XI on Saturday? What will the team and formation be? And which stars of the west London outfit will be omitted from the side should the indication become reality? Chelsea thrash Barrow in Carabao Cup A win against the Football League Two club was never really in doubt, even in Chelsea Football Club's peculiar current situation. While trouble, confusion and uncertainty continues to purvey off the pitch, in fairness things are actually beginning to click on the pitch. Many people expected latest manager Enzo Maresca to clear out the CFC roster a bit, whilst tightening up in-game facets. Along with the Ex-Leicester City man making aspects easier to manage away from the field of play. To be candid, as an LCFC writer as well as Chels', and without seeking self-promotion, I did see this coming with Maresca. He is capable, meticulous and committed. The Blues are climbing the top-flight table, conceivably with superior performances and organisation than under Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine also made strides at Stamford Bridge and beyond but Maresca seems plugged-in a degree or two more and very focused. While division progress is made, the English capital side are doing well in other competitions too. They fairly comfortably qualified for the Europa Conference League without too much stress. Chelsea also put five passed Barrow to no tangible response in the EFL. Blues entertain Brighton & Hove Albion with changes on the horizon Therefore Maresca even has the reserves unified and firing on all cylinders. The second string unit impressed every spectator with a cohesive and devastating midweek effort. Some of the team were so outstanding that they are now firmly in the boss's EPL thoughts, which is plausibly the season's main focal point. The league certainly should be. Following the Bluebirds victory, Maresca named a trio deserving of starts in the Prem. You can probably guess which Blues they are before reading the below quote. I imagine the system will be similar; who gets dropped is anyone's guess. • Chelsea's £19m summer arrival could be set for exit in January • Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Brighton, team news, and injury updates • Chelsea legend's wild Nicolas Jackson and Haaland claim as controversial shirt sponsor revealed • Chelsea 5-0 Barrow: The Great, the Good and the Bad • Chelsea keeping Carney Chukwuemeka could prove to be a blessing in disguise

Nico now has more EPL goals than Giroud did his whole time here, and has done it in 35 fewer games He has 18 in 40 EPL games Olivier had 17 in 75 EPL games versus

Five tactical takeaways from the Premier League’s first five weekends https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5793283/2024/09/26/premier-league-takeaways-five-games/ It is unwise to draw firm conclusions about your Premier League team in the early weeks of the season. While it might be premature to spot any statistical trends, that doesn’t stop us from identifying some fun quirks that have stood out. As luck would have it, each of the five teams in question finished outside the top five positions in the Premier League last season. Don’t you love the symmetry? From West Ham United’s woes to Fulham’s flanks and a word from the xG gods, let’s dive in: feast your eyes on five tactical takeaways from the first five weekends. Arise, the kick-off kings Brentford are known for innovation. The club is built on finding value where no one else can, and their latest unveiling has been their front-foot approach to kick-offs. Thomas Frank’s side started at a blistering pace in their last two games, with strikes from Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur the fastest back-to-back opening goals in Premier League history. Brentford are the poster boys for set-piece creativity and Frank’s team have clear patterns in their sequences — from throw-in mastery to corner routines that would not be out of place in an NFL playbook. Now they can add kick-offs to that list. This is shown below across those two games, where a near-identical pattern sees Mikkel Damsgaard pass to goalkeeper Mark Flekken, who plays a diagonal pass to Kristoffer Ajer to win first contact. GO DEEPER How do Premier League teams kick off games in 2024-25? Against both sides, this led to a scruffy battle for the second ball — hence the breaking of the sequence — but there is method in Brentford’s approach as they build from there. “Of course, we work on kick-offs,” Frank said in the press conference after the Spurs game. “Some of it is the ball forward but it is also what we do on the second balls, where we position ourselves, and what we do after that. “Every set piece we see as an opportunity, so it was well worked by the team and the coaches. It’s one of the more difficult to score from but we see it as a set-play situation we can set up and control as much as possible.” GO DEEPER The shuffle, the smokescreen, the flick - analysing Brentford's creative corners Surely, they couldn’t make it a third in a row against West Ham on Saturday? Keep an eye out from the first whistle. Jackson benefitting from statistical variance Last season, Nicolas Jackson’s output could have been filed in a similar category to Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez. Strong physical attributes but finishing needed refinement. Fourteen league goals in Jackson’s first Premier League campaign was respectable. Only Erling Haaland logged a higher non-penalty expected goals (xG) figure in the Premier League than his 18.6. Unfortunately, that xG underperformance was used as a stick with which to beat him. Only Brennan Johnson of Tottenham Hotspur and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin underperformed their xG more than he did, scoring nearly five goals fewer than his chances warranted. Statistical variance suggests Jackson’s underperformance would soon return to typical levels — and that is exactly what has happened this season with four goals in his opening five games. Where last season’s one-v-one chances were previously being saved… …this season’s Jackson is now emphatically slotting similar efforts with little issue. Aggregating his shots across his Chelsea career, Jackson’s scoring rate is creeping closer to the quality of chances he has found himself with. Crucially, a 0.24 xG per shot — which measures the average quality of a given chance — is the highest among all players with 50-plus shots since Jackson arrived in the Premier League. Those are the sort of numbers that make for a sustainable source of goals. The process has always been good, now Jackson’s output looks to be catching up at the same rate. Forest’s attacking patterns Nottingham Forest’s unbeaten start in their opening five games was not on anyone’s bingo card, but Nuno Espirito Santo has established a clear way of playing built on the foundations laid by Steve Cooper. In particular, the pace of Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Morgan Gibbs-White provide a strong counter-attacking threat when Forest burst forward, with the trio able to drag their team upfield at speed when Forest regain possession in their own third. It makes sense to utilise the strengths of such strong ball-carriers, but Forest’s sharp, one-touch passing has also caught the eye — enabling them to pierce opposition defences with neat “up-back-and-through” principles. The pattern is simple but effective. The ball is played “up” to a forward who drops it “back” to a team-mate to play it “through” to a runner ahead of the ball. This can be seen in the sequence for Forest’s opening goal against Bournemouth… …. and was on show again last weekend against Brighton. Note Chris Wood’s run towards the ball drags Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke out of position, allowing Gibbs-White to play the ball through to Jota Silva. Good summer business and a full pre-season has helped Nuno instil his ideas in and out of possession, as Forest look to cement themselves as a Premier League side. GO DEEPER Confidence. Trust. Details: How Nuno is transforming Nottingham Forest West Ham have lost their counter-attacking threat In contrast to Forest’s approach, West Ham United’s new era under Julen Lopetegui has seen them stray from the counter-attacking style that was their biggest strength. Fans often wrestled with David Moyes’ pragmatic-yet-effective counter-attacking football that would see their side stay compact for long stretches before springing forward with pace. Last season, only Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa scored more than West Ham’s 12 goals from direct attacks — possessions starting in the defensive half and leading to a shot or touch inside the opposition penalty area within 15 seconds — as Moyes’ side packed a punch in those transitional moments. However, that approach has all but disappeared. West Ham have attempted just eight direct attacks this season — the fewest in the league — as they search for an identity under Lopetegui. Tough opening fixtures have complicated the transition towards a new style, but playing against Chelsea, Manchester City and Aston Villa should provide even more reason to keep a resolute, deeper block and exploit spaces when possible. Against elite sides, playing a high line with little pressure on the ball is nothing short of tactical suicide — as West Ham have found out in recent weeks. It is the first time in their history West Ham have suffered three consecutive home defeats at the start of a league season. GO DEEPER Julen Lopetegui is right - he and West Ham need to do better. This was another bleak display Patience is required as the quality in the squad will undoubtedly shine through, but some of the early-season performances have highlighted that there is plenty of work to be done in transforming West Ham’s style, both in and out of possession. Fulham wide connections are strong Fulham’s opening goal against Newcastle would not have been an unfamiliar sighting at Molineux circa 2019, as former Wolves pair Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez linked up for a well-worked crossing sequence. Crossing has been a cornerstone of Fulham’s play under Marco Silva, with only Luton Town averaging more open-play crosses than Fulham’s 14.1 per 90 minutes last season. Silva’s wide play has taken on a new form with Traore building a strong relationship with full-back Kenny Tete and midfielder Andreas Pereira on Fulham’s right flank. Having started only one Premier League game in 2023-24, Traore is building momentum and reminding fans of his quality with consistent minutes after an injury-played campaign. Those micro-networks have been crucial for Fulham, as shown in their pass connection matrix below. Calvin Bassey playing it to Bernd Leno and Antonee Robinson, and Leno finding Bassey as an immediate option in front of him, stand out (highlighted in red shade). But the frequency of passes between Pereira, Traore and Tete is also clear to see. The same goes for Fulham’s left wing, where the attacking threat of Robinson and Alex Iwobi has been supercharged by the arrival of Emile Smith Rowe. Two goals and an assist is a great start from the former Arsenal man, and the link-up between the left-side trio was on show again against Newcastle. With Smith Rowe operating in the left half-space, Iwobi will often drift inside which enables Robinson to overlap (slide two below) and stretch the opposition back line. It was a perfect example of the combination in action as Smith Rowe ran onto Iwobi’s pass to stab home. It is a pattern spotted by The Athletic earlier this season, this time with Robinson’s run being found by Iwobi who crosses deep to the back post. The man on the end of it? The in-form Traore. If Fulham are to build on their 13th-placed finish last year, a lot of their success will be down to those networks and relationships forming on both flanks.

Marc Cucurella is perfect for Maresca’s inverted full-back plan – especially in attack https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5793505/2024/09/26/cucurella-inverted-full-back/ By Liam Twomey and Thom Harris Sep 26, 2024 In the midst of batting away a barrage of questions about ownership turmoil during his press conference ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Bournemouth earlier this month, head coach Enzo Maresca made one interesting disclosure that flew relatively under the radar. “We used this international break to try something new for the future that we can probably use,” he said. “We also did some defensive work to find the balance.” The next day at the Vitality Stadium, Maresca unveiled a bold new tactical attempt to balance Chelsea’s attacking aspirations and defensive duties: Marc Cucurella, named in the starting XI at left-back, spent most of the game in an advanced midfield position, operating in the left half-space or “pocket” as the Italian likes to call it. Maresca’s promotion season at Leicester City made it clear that Chelsea supporters should expect to see their full-backs inverting into the base of midfield, but this was very different. Cucurella was deployed far in advance of Moises Caicedo and Renato Veiga against Bournemouth, often receiving the ball in the kind of area more typically occupied by a left-sided No 8 or even a No 10. For much of the first half, which was dominated by Bournemouth, it seemed likely to be written off as a misguided tactical gimmick, but Jadon Sancho’s introduction at the interval transformed Cucurella into a legitimate threat. Within three minutes of the restart, he received a pass from Nicolas Jackson, moved it on to Sancho, made a quick underlapping run into the penalty area and supplied a low cross that should have resulted in a goal for Noni Madueke. Despite playing only the second half, Sancho had more touches in the attacking third against Bournemouth than any other Chelsea player (25) according to fbref.com. Cucurella was next on that list with 22 touches. Cucurella also received more progressive passes (six) than any visiting player other than Sancho and both men led the visitors in shot-creating actions (three) along with Levi Colwill, again according to fbref.com. Overall balance eluded Maresca at the Vitality Stadium, where the data suggested Chelsea were highly fortunate to win: they generated just under 0.8 expected goals, their lowest tally of the season to date, while giving up almost 1.8 to Bournemouth (a figure boosted considerably by Evanilson’s first-half penalty, which Robert Sanchez saved). It was a different story away at West Ham last weekend as Chelsea generated almost 2.2 expected goals while giving up fewer than 0.9 en route to a comprehensive 3-0 victory. Maresca’s use of Cucurella at London Stadium also shifted closer to what would be expected from an inverted full-back, showing for the ball in deeper central areas. This makes sense when you consider the surrounding personnel. Veiga dropped to the bench against West Ham with Enzo Fernandez, a far more attack-minded midfielder, returning to the team after missing the Bournemouth game with illness. With the Argentine pushing higher up to function as the left-sided No 8, Cucurella was required to stay deeper alongside Caicedo. Fulfilling a more defensive brief unsurprisingly meant Cucurella was not as involved in Chelsea’s attacking play, but he was reliable in possession, completing 37 of his 39 attempted passes. He also served as an effective decoy in the sequence that led to Jackson’s second goal. At the precise moment Colwill picked out a forward pass to the feet of Fernandez, Lucas Paqueta was lured into tracking Cucurella’s movement towards the ball, opening space for Caicedo to move into near the halfway line. Fernandez skipped out Cucurella with a sharp pass across to Caicedo, who hit a first-time pass of his own to spring Jackson through to score. That goal is every much about terrible West Ham defending as it is about brilliant Chelsea attacking, but it clearly illustrates how Maresca wants to use inverted full-backs to help create numerical superiority in the middle of the pitch, giving his team control of the game and putting opponents into difficulty as they attempt to match up. Maresca rested Cucurella and Fernandez for the visit of League Two leaders Barrow to Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday, but dabbled once again in moving a full-back into attacking midfield, with Malo Gusto pushing up from the right in the first half and Ben Chilwell, making his first appearance of the season, tasked with operating in a similar way from the left in the second. “Malo and Chilwell were playing like attacking midfielders on the ball to just create an overload in some part of the pitch so the guy with the ball has more options to pass, not just one, then he can decide,” Maresca explained in his press conference after Chelsea’s 5-0 win. “The idea is to give them more solutions and then they decide.” Chilwell was not among the four players listed by Maresca (Gusto, Reece James, Cucurella and Veiga) during Chelsea’s pre-season as being suitable for an inverted full-back role and will likely need to change the Italian’s thinking in training sessions at Cobham if he is to earn regular game time between now and January, when the transfer market re-opens. Cucurella faces no such challenge, having successfully inverted into central midfield from left-back during Chelsea’s five consecutive Premier League victories to end the 2023-24 season under Mauricio Pochettino. Maresca’s varied use of the Spaniard across the first five league games of this season to meet the needs of his team and the threats posed by the opponent — illustrated by the graphic showing his touch locations below — reflects a high level of trust. It is also a continuation of a remarkable career revival for Cucurella, who struggled on and off the pitch in a chaotic first two seasons at Chelsea that began with him being identified by Thomas Tuchel as an ideal candidate to operate on the left of his three-man central defence. Now he is a positional Swiss army knife who figures prominently in Maresca’s grander tactical vision — and in particular his increasingly varied and fascinating use of Chelsea’s full-backs. GO DEEPER Palmer and Jackson are the Premier League's best partnership - Chelsea need to build around it

EA FC 25 CENSOR Jadon Sancho as gamers notice the franchise blurs out the Chelsea winger's tattoos Tattoos including characters, such as Bart Simpson, have not been included for copyright reasons https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13894909/EA-FC-25-CENSOR-Jadon-Sancho-gamers-notice-franchise-blurs-Chelsea-wingers-tattoos.html Eagle eyed gamers have noticed a key difference in Chelsea star Jadon Sancho's likeness on EA FC 25. The latest installment of the series will officially go on sale on Friday across various consoles. Fans who bought the 'Ultimate Edition' have been able to play the game since September 20. Some gamers have noted that several of Sancho's tattoos have been censored, with the designs not carried over. This includes a sleeve on his right arm, which features well known characters including Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, Spiderman and Bart Simpson. While the overall shape of the tattoo sleeve has been maintained, the characters have been censored. The move comes due to EA not possessing the copyright for the characters, leaving them with no option but to make amendments to Sancho's likeness. The ink on the tattoos is shown in black on his arm in the game to avoid breaching copyright. Speaking in 2019, Sancho had previously bemoaned his tattoos not being in FIFA, as the game was known at the time: 'My tattoo has got to be in the next FIFA game. 'EA should also take a closer look at my hair to get my hairstyle better. 'Because my hair actually has a transition on the sides, but not in FIFA 20.' Sancho had explained his growing collection of tattoos in 2021, with characters included due to liking comics when he was younger. The forward also has a tattoo in tribute to his younger brother, who passed away when he was young. Sancho is seeking to rebuild his career at Chelsea after completing a summer move from Man United. He moved to Stamford Bridge on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy for around £23m next summer. Sancho has contributed assists in his two Premier League games for the Blues to date.

Michael Ballack, 48, is dating model, 23, who was friend of his son before tragic death Ex-Chelsea star Michael Ballack has found love with a stunning model who is over 20 years younger than him - who he met after the tragic death of this 18-year-old son https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/michael-ballack-48-dating-model-33758023 Michael Ballack was once an industrious midfielder. Patrolling the middle of the park for Chelsea and Bayern Munich, among others, the German star, who turns 48 on Thursday (26 September), was an icon in his homeland. However, after retirement, Ballack would suffer heartbreak when his son, Emilio, 18, was killed in a quad bike crash in Portugal. As Ballack was grieving, reports suggested he found a new friendship with model Sophia Schneiderhan, who had been a close friend of his son. The pair are now happily an item - and Sophia recently shared a snap of the pair in Sylt - a German island in the North Sea. Sophia showed off her good looks as Ballack wrapped his arm around her - commenting on the post with a love heart. "You steal the show from the sunset," one friend of Sophia gushed. While a second said: "A good and harmonious couple, you look very beautiful and happy!" Friends of the couple have admitted the relationship has been good for the former footballer and that neither was bothered by the 25-year age gap. According to the Daily Mail, Sophia is a Munich-native, but spent her early years in France and is a fluent French speaker. However, upon moving to Germany she would attend a private school before pursuing a career as a model. At the age of 13 she was talent spotted riding on the underground where she was wearing a Dirndl - a German folk costume often associated with Oktoberfest. She was then spotted and then approached while in France by someone from a model agency. By 15, Schneiderhan was already involved in campaigns and editorials for Escada, a high-profile German fashion brand. Sophia has over 129,000 followers on Instagram - where she loved to share updates from her and Ballack's life.

only 1 truly shit game so far (the nil nil draw at home versus turgid Ipswich, and even there they drew, did not lose) no losses yet

Vote delay suggests Man City legal victory over Premier League ‘Last-minute’ withdrawal of league-wide vote indicates City have had at least partial success in attempt to change rules on sponsorship deals https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/premier-league-manchester-city-apt-rules-trial-result-mzc65t0m7 Manchester City appear to have secured a potentially significant victory in their legal battle with the Premier League over the rules designed to limit how much associated parties can pay clubs in sponsorship. As The Times revealed in June, City launched unprecedented legal action against the league in a move that has sparked civil war in English football’s top flight. A two-week private arbitration hearing that started on June 10 was focused on Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, which City argued are unlawful and contrary to the Competition Act 1998. Introduced in December 2021 in the wake of the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United, the rules were designed to maintain the competitiveness of the Premier League by preventing clubs from inflating commercial deals with companies linked to their owners. The rules dictate that such transactions have to be independently assessed to be of “fair market value”. A central pillar of those new rules was a databank to which clubs are required to submit all commercial contracts, and which in certain circumstances can be used to validate the value of such deals. The Times understands the 20 Premier League clubs were due to vote on an amendment to rules specific to the database at the shareholders’ meeting in central London on Thursday. The clubs were to be asked to vote on restricting access to the databank. The vote would have meant regulatory commissions and arbitration panels could not have given access to individual clubs to use the databank to acquire commercial information about rival clubs. However, the planned vote on the amendment was removed from the agenda late last night, even though more specific details of what the amendment regarded were not included. According to sources, the “last-minute” withdrawal is being interpreted as an indication that a City legal team, led by Lord Pannick KC, have certainly enjoyed some success in convincing an independent panel that the rules on sponsorship deals need to be changed. Further to that, it may also suggest that it was deemed pointless making one amendment if an issue with the databank actually has wider implications for all the rules regarding APTs. The development comes with the Premier League’s case against City for 115 alleged breaches of financial rules now in its second week. It remains to be seen how a change to APT rules could impact on the case concerning those alleged breaches, but many of the charges concern City’s sponsorship agreements. That hearing, which is expected to last ten weeks, could lead to huge fines for the club owners and possibly even relegation for Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side. City submitted a 165-page legal document challenging the APT rules. The English champions argue that they are the victims of “discrimination”, describing rules they say have been approved by their rivals to stifle their success on the pitch as a “tyranny of the majority”. Clubs feared that, should City be successful, it could enable the richest clubs to value their sponsorship deals without independent assessment, vastly boosting the amount of money they can raise and therefore giving them far greater sums to spend on players. The Premier League have been approached for comment. A spokesperson for City said: “As you know, we are not in a position to comment.”