waroffutbol

  Football managers are rarely seen facing off against their old boss in the summit, except for very few of them. Football can deliver strange fates, either for players or for gaffers. It might be more common to see the players facing off against their former boss. Yet, it is rare to find managers head-to-head against their old mentor. In the current campaign, such can be ruled out as Chelsea and Real Betis square off in Wroclaw for the last stage of the UEFA Conference League final. The Blues’ boss, Enzo Maresca, publicly claimed that Betis’s Manuel Pellegrini had been considered his professional father. They have been so close and even still remain in contact ahead of their team’s meeting. Maresca was once playing for Pellegrini’s Malaga in the 2011/12 campaign before working as one of his staff in West Ham. The former Leicester boss stayed in London Stadium from 2018 to 2019 before starting off his managerial career as a head coach at AC Parma in 2021. The duel between ...

  Several teams in European top leagues have been able to snatch their first major title in the past 15 years and even more since the millennium. The current 2024/25 campaign has been peculiar compared to the other seasons. The non favorite sides managed to lift trophies in European top five. Crystal Palace is the latest one to do so. The Eagles finally won their first ever major trophy in the club’s history last weekend. Thanks to their solid form since last season following the arrival of Oliver Glasner. The Austrian boss is the key figure in Eberechi Eze and Co’s rise. Last season, they were able to finish tenth in the league, their highest finish in the Premier League history. This year, Glasner’s men thumped Manchester City 1-0 in FA Cup final. Previously, Newcastle United and Bologna have ended their long title drought. The Magpies and Rossoblu dismantled Liverpool and AC Milan, respectively, in the League Cup and Coppa Italia final. In the Netherlands, Go Ahead Eagles...

  The best goalkeepers in the 2024/25 seasons in UEFA’s top five major leagues are surprisingly not from the big teams. The 2024/25 campaign is coming to an end with only two games left or fewer. Some leagues have found their champions, such as the Premier League, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1, whereas La Liga and the Italian Serie A have yet to see the winners. The former might be determined soon, as Barcelona is already leading seven points over their archrival, Real Madrid , on the table. However, the latter has a more thrilling title race, as it could be decided through a playoff, should Inter and Napoli share the same points. In each league, the top scorer award definitely has more exposure than the best goalkeeper. The former is often dominated by well-known names, whereas the latter is quite the opposite. This season, for example, the goalkeepers from the elite sides are barely named the best in the stats. In fact, most of them are probably beyond the fans’ expectations. The b...

  The Argentine boss, Bruno Pesaola, was the gaffer who led Bologna to win their last title in 1974. Ahead of Bologna’s first Coppa Italia final in 51 years, which will be held on May 14th in Olimpico Roma, it would be perfect to look back at how they won their last silverware and the important man behind their last success. He was none other than their gaffer, Bruno Pesaola. His name was probably unpopular compared to the likes of César Luis Menotti, Juan José Pizzutti of Racing Club, Omar Sívori, or Vladislao Cap, who rose to prominence in the 1970s. They were even appointed to takege of the Albiceleste in that decade. Yet, Pesaola left his own legacy abroad, especially in Italy. His decision to switch sides to Gli Azzurri was probably the reason which made him less well-known on his homesoil. Pesaola established his career in Italy both as a player and as a manager. It was his role on the touchline which made his reputation really take off. His best spells were with three...

  Only a few European managers have been quite successful during their stints with South American national teams. The news about Carlo Ancelotti’s rumour to leave Real Madrid and take charge of the Brazil national team has been in the headlines recently. The Italian boss has flirted with CBF for a while, and both sides have reportedly reached a verbal agreement, especially after their last meeting last week. The only thing left is the formal announcement, which might be laid out at the end of the season. Should that happen, which is very likely, Don Carlo could be lining up to make history again in the future. If Selecao manage to win their sixth title in the 2026 FIFA World Cup under his command, the former AC Milan, Chelsea and PSG boss will definitely be making a new record as the most successful European manager taking charge of a South American nation. Prior to his expected appointment with Brazil, there have been a few other European bosses with fairly successful stint...