waroffutbol

  Only a small number of debutante sides from the European major league managed to progress to the latter stage in the UCL history. Competing in the Champions League has always been the target for all teams in the continent. Let alone the top sides, which is a definite aim for each and every season. No wonder that it is never easy for the elite clubs in the top major leagues to secure one berth in UCL.  However, such is not impossible. This season, three unlikely teams are making their Champions League debut. Bologna, Stade Brestois, and Girona are set to make one of the biggest steps in their history this week. They have eight games to prove whether they deserve to be in this most prestigious continental tournament.  In UCL history, only three teams have been able to reach further stages in the competition in their first appearance. One of them was even able to progress to the final four. Here are those three notable debutantes in UEFA’s number one club championship. Interesting

  Very few managers have a long break from the management before returning to the dugout at the top level.  Football manager is one of the most challenging jobs in the world, especially at the top level. One has to deal with perennial pressure from almost all directions: the team’s top management, sporting or technical director, the fans, and the star players in the squad too. All expect positive results and silverware, unless one is at the helm of the mid- or low-level teams. Once one fails and keeps on doing so, his future as a manager is likely coming to an end. Otherwise, he would have to take up the job abroad in less well-known leagues in Asia, Africa, or even Australia. Another option would be being unattached and waiting until the right opportunity arises. Unfortunately, such is not that easy. In fact, it could end up being a long break from the management with the risk of being overlooked, or worse, forgotten in the football transfer market. Nevertheless, there have alwa

  A few great countrymen trio who became the key figures in their team’s glorious campaign might be forgotten in today’s football. Modern football is probably no longer familiar with the ‘trio’ terms. Today football expects more equal contribution from all players within the team instead of relying on certain key players, as it would be more predictable for their opposition sides to simply contain or block their move to deny their chances and gain the advantage from their dependence on those star trios. The last well-known successful trios were probably Barcelona’s MSN and Real Madrid’s BBC. The former consisted of Lionel Messi , Luis Suarez, and Neymar. They became the deadly attacking trio from 2014 to 2017 under Luis Enrique. The Catalan side won treble in 2015, plus UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in the same year and a league title in 2016. Los Blancos’ Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo even won more silverware. They helped Madrid dominate Europe with fo

  Several English managers have been fairly successful while being at the helm of foreign teams in international football. English managers are not a popular choice to lead the teams at the international or club levels. Such is understandable since they are not even the dominant figures in the Premier League. In the 2024/25 season, only three gaffers are enlisted in the English top flight.  However, the appointment of Steve McLaren as Jamaican national team coach was quite a surprise at the beginning of this season. The former Middlesbrough and Newcastle United boss had been in the dugout as a head coach any longer since 2019. In 2022, he returned to Manchester United as Erik Ten Hag’s assistant. McLaren was also infamous for his failure to lead England to qualify for EURO 2008 rather than his success in winning the first league title for Twente. Yet, it did not stop Reggae Boyz from signing him. His target would be none but guiding them to their second World Cup appearance in the