waroffutbol

  Bernard Lacombe, who has just passed away, was actually the real figure behind Lyon’s golden era in the 2000s. Lyon’s legend, Bernard Lacombe, reportedly departed on June 17th due to Alzheimer's. He was probably more well-known as a player due to his success at his clubs, particularly with Girondins Bordeaux in the mid-1980s, when he won three league titles plus two French Cups. However, his career on the sideline and behind the pitch was often overlooked. The former striker was also part of the Les Bleus’ squad in the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups plus EURO 1984 but might not have a memorable managerial career. His only stint as a coach was in Lyon from 1996 to 2000 without winning a single trophy in hand. Yet, Lacombe played a crucial role in Les Gones’ success in the following decade alongside the owner, Jean-Michel Aulas. Lyon became a new powerhouse in French football and won seven consecutive league titles, a record to date which even PSG or Marseille have yet to be ab...

  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...

  A number of English players have plied their trade in France, but only some of them deserve to be regarded as the best in Ligue 1. The French top flight is no stranger to English players. There have been plenty of them to sign for the Ligue 1 side to improve their career on the continent. The 1980s till early 1990s was one of the darkest eras in football, especially for English football. All English teams were banned from European competitions for five years due to the Heysel tragedy in the 1985 European Cup. That was the time when a number of Englishmen moved to other major leagues, including Ligue 1, and sought a chance to play in Europe. After barely any Englishmen switched sides to France for years following the rise of the Premier League, with the exception of very few EPL stars in the latter stage of their career such as Joe Cole, Joey Barton and David Beckham , this season one English forward manages to steal the spotlight. Mason Greenwood has been in the headlines a...

  Several managers won their first silverware in their careers and ended the title drought for their teams at the same time. Being a gaffer for non-elite teams is definitely not easy compared to working for the elite ones. The limited transfer budget, lack of title-winning tradition or mentality or talents in the squad are the usual challenges for those clubs. Thus, the management do not normally set an impossible target for their managers, such as winning a major title. Finishing in the top four or six to qualify for Europe has been the common target so that the club could generate more revenue and gain prize money from performing in the continental competitions. Delivering silverware would be a huge bonus. However, some managers have been able to achieve something beyond, lifting their first trophy as a boss and ending the long title drought for their team. The most recent example is none other than Eddie Howe. He has just clinched his first major title and ended the lengthy titl...