waroffutbol

  Some Greek teams reached crucial stages in the European competitions before Olympiakos’ success in Conference League this season. Olympiakos has stunned the fans after crushing the favourite, Aston Villa , in the Conference League semi-final. Jose Mendilibar's men finally clinch the title after securing a narrow 1-0 win over the runner-up in the previous edition, Fiorentina. Their emergence in the continental final is surely quite shocking.  Let alone winning it. Once in a while, the Greek teams did manage to advance to the crucial stage. Here are the Greek teams that could reach their furthest stages in the previous three major club competitions in Europe. Olympiakos in the UEFA Winners Cup 1993 Before their outstanding campaign in the Conference League this season, Olympiakos did it before in the second-tier continental competition in the past, which has been abolished, the Winners Cup. Back in the 1992–93 season, they managed to reach the quarterfinals. Such might n...

  Barcelona is set to hire a German boss to lead the team next season, which raises questions about whether it is the right decision. Barcelona has gone through a disappointing season as a reigning La Liga champion. They have failed to live up to the expectations of their fans and have been inferior to their archrival, Real Madrid, both in the standings and in El Clasico. What’s worse, the internal conflict seems to have come to the surface, especially between the boss, Xavi Hernandez, and the sporting director, Deco, plus the president of the Catalan giant, Joan Laporta. After months of uncertainty, including two U-turn decisions, management has finally moved on from the former Catalan midfielder. They have reportedly appointed a German boss, Hans Flick, to be at the helm of Marc Ter-Stegen and Co. Many fans may be delighted to learn that a proven Champions League winner has agreed to take over as manager. Flick was the gaffer when Bayern Munich won a treble in the 2019–20 s...

  Some non-elite Italian teams did reach the finals in European competitions before Atalanta and Fiorentina. The Italian clubs are on the headline again as they advance to the finals in European competitions as Atalanta and Fiorentina advance to the Europa League and Conference League finals, respectively. This is La Dea’s first ever continental final, while La Viola repeats their last season’s success. Such results lead to extra spots in the Champions League next season, which will use the new format. Italy is likely to have nine teams in the continental competitions. However, it does not create as much hype as last season, when Milan reached the semifinals of the Champions League, AS Roma advanced to the Europa League final, and Fiorentina advanced to the Conference League. The absence of traditional elite sides such as Juventus, Inter, AC Milan, or AS Roma in the summit might be the reason. Yet, it could be a sign of the silent rise of Italian football, just like in the old days...

  Several players who used to play in EURO have done better as he turned to a manager. The UEFA EURO Championship is the world's second most well-known international tournament, following the FIFA World Cup. Making the cut in the EURO squad is an honour for any player, let alone getting a nod in the starting XI. A number of footballers have represented their country in EURO on the pitch and in the dugout. However, not everyone succeeds in both roles. Some, such as Laurent Blanc and Frank Rijkaard, excelled as players rather than managers, while others thrived as managers. Only one name has performed well as both a player and a manager. Germany’s Bertie Vogts lifted the trophy as a player in the 1972 edition and clinched the title as a manager in EURO 1996. In EURO 2024, some managers have a chance to make a finer mark as the team’s boss. There are Netherlands’ Ronald Koeman, France’s Didier Deschamps, and Switzerland’s Murat Yakin. It is the first chance for Koeman and Yakin...

   Copa America has some unusual records in tournament history that may not exist in other international competitions. Copa America has been known for being a distinguished international tournament. It is one of the oldest in the world, with its irregularities and changes in format, editions, and participants.  Copa America 2024 is held in the USA, which is the second time it has been staged in the CONCACAF region. It is one of the most unusual editions in Copa America history, as the USA is not a member of CONMEBOL. They have not even always taken part in the competition. Their last participation was, in fact, in the Copa America Centenario 2016, where they served as hosts for the first time. The tournament is set to take place from June 20 to July 14, which is almost at the same time as EURO 2024. One of the favourites, Brazil, has announced their official final squad. Their new boss, Dorival Junior, surprisingly excluded a number of senior names, such as Neymar, ...

  Cesar Luis Menotti, who just passed away a few days ago, only had short spells in Europe with three different clubs.                      Cesar Menotti is probably better known as the first manager to lead Argentina to the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 1978, despite the controversy surrounding their victory. He was also known as a football philosopher, whose influence on the game extended beyond the result and time itself.   Menotti's quotes are undoubtedly more famous than his stints at various clubs, with the exception of his notable first and most successful, Huracan in the early 1970s. You may have heard these philosophical quotes from the gaffer nicknamed 'El Flaco' below:   -        “Through good football, you get results. And when you’ve got that, it’s no good defending the result any old way.”   -   ...

  Only two goalkeepers managed to play in the UEFA Champions League and EURO finals in the very same year, but they did not share the same result. This year's UEFA EURO Championship, also known as EURO, is set to be held in Germany next month. It is only a month after the UCL final at the end of May. Appearing in both finals would definitely be incredible. There might have been quite a lot of outfield players who were able to do so. A number of Three Lions figures made appearances in both finals after all-English finals in the 2020/21 Champions League final as EURO 2020 was postponed till the following year due to a global pandemic. The likes of Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker, and two Italians, Jorginho and Emerson Palmieri, who happened to help Chelsea clinch their second UCL title, were the examples. Another one would be Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann, who faced off in both the UCL and EURO 2016 finals , with the results in favour of the Portuguese superst...