waroffutbol

  A few managers have been considered unlucky during their managerial careers at the top level, as they lost more in the finals. The 2024/25 season is finally completed with the unexpected humiliation to Inter Milan in the UCL final last weekend. Nerazzurri, who managed to edge out Barcelona in a goal galore win at the semifinal, were outclassed by PSG five goals to nil. The result was so devastating that Simone Inzaghi opted to leave Giuseppe Meazza. Such a heavy loss marks Simone Inzaghi’s second defeat in the UCL final. The first one was only a narrow one to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the 2023 edition. Interestingly, Inzaghi’s men’s defeat in Munich last weekend was also the third defeat in the summit for the ex-Lazio boss. Does it mean that he tends to have misfortune in the finals? It is still too early to assume, but such may lead to it, should Inzaghi fail to deliver more trophies. As a gaffer, he mainly has clinched the Coppa Italia three times plus the Serie A ...

  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...

  Bayern vs Inter Milan is one of the most anticipated matches in UCL quarterfinals, with some thrilling encounters in history. Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are set to square off on April 9 for the first leg in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Die Roten will play host first in Allianz Arena, which happens to be the venue for the final. Vincent Kompany’s side are undoubtedly hoping they could go through and find redemption in the 2012 final edition, in which they humiliatingly lost to Chelsea on penalties. Lifting the Big Ear trophy at home turf seems ideal, and a win over Nerrazurri would be the first step to such a target. Unfortunately, none is easy when it comes to the opponent in the further knockout stage. Inter Milan pose their own threat which could jeopardise Harry Kane and Co’s chance for UCL glory. Throughout history, both sides have met nine times, with five wins and one drawfor the Bundesliga giant. However, their three defeats were more devastati...

  Only several Austrian players with spells in European top five apart from Bundesliga can be considered the best. Austria might not be the top nation in European football today. Their golden era has long gone. The team which was known as the Wunderteam in 1920s and 1930s has turned into mediocre before being able to qualify to UEFA Euro championship in the past three editions. In the FIFA World Cup, Austria’s last appearance in the final round was in France 1998, whereas their best campaign was in Switzerland 1954, as they reached the semifinals. Nevertheless, they never lack talent. The Austrian top flight, also known as the Austrian Bundesliga, has produced distinguished players from time to time. Mostly, they would switch sides to their neighbour, the German Bundesliga, to improve their career. Naturally, such is the popular destination due to the geographical proximity and the same culture and language. Yet, there have been others who have been more adventurous too. They...