Robbie Paratore was 18 years old and captain of Leicester City’s Under-18 side when he realized he was in a real, live Catch-22. His scholar contract — the two-year deal that governs most players in England between the ages of 16 and 18 — was coming to an end. And while the club offered him
admin
Alejandro Pozuelo’s 90th-minute Panenka kick sends Toronto to the conference final. Watch MLS on ESPN+. The Domenec Torrent era at New York City FC came to an end following the 2019 season, after two playoff appearances during his 14 months in MLS. Now, the club faces a struggle to replace the affable Torrent, a disciple
Shaka Hislop examines whether Chelsea have joined the title race after their sixth straight Premier League win. Former U.S. striker Landon Donovan weighs in on Christian Pulisic’s role as the face of the USMNT. Can Chelsea’s youngsters defeat the defending champs? The Exploding Heads turn to FIFA 20 to find out. Chelsea’s in-form forward Christian
“That’s the second question on Gareth, I won’t answer any more,” Zinedine Zidane said. Oh yes you will. It was Friday lunchtime at Valdebebas, Real Madrid‘s training ground out near Barajas airport, and they had only just started. La Liga and club football were back, which meant that the pre-match news conference was back. It
Barcelona’s Luis Suarez tells ESPN that a future move to MLS is “a great possibility”. BARCELONA — Ernesto Valverde says Gerard Pique is not certain to start Saturday’s La Liga game against Leganes following a week which has seen the defender occupied by the Davis Cup in Madrid. Pique’s company Kosmos is behind the revamped
Alexis Nunes hands out awards to the best in their respective positions on this year’s FC100 rankings. Can Chelsea’s youngsters defeat the defending champs? The Exploding Heads turn to FIFA 20 to find out. From Manchester United‘s Fred the Red to Arsenal‘s Gunnersaurus Rex, every single one of the 20 Premier League mascots — ranked!
Gab Marcotti doesn’t buy Antonio Conte walking back his comments after Inter’s loss to Borussia Dortmund. Gab Marcotti sounds off on Antonio Conte after the Inter manager’s continued complaints about his thin squad. Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has said his has given his players specific instructions when having sex and told them to ensure
Paul Mariner expects a number of young England players to cement their spots in the Euro 2020 squad. Shaka Hislop is in awe of Robert Lewandowski after the Bayern striker netted again in the thrashing of Dortmund. Gab Marcotti doesn’t buy Antonio Conte walking back his comments after Inter’s loss to Borussia Dortmund. Gab Marcotti
Shaka Hislop explains why Dani Alves was right to say Neymar has the “sensibility of a child.” Julien Laurens thinks Kylian Mbappe’s value will only go up and Real Madrid cannot afford to wait to sign him. Julien Laurens expects Edinson Cavani to look for another opportunity in Europe rather than a move to MLS.
Steve Nicol doesn’t rate Chelsea or Leicester City as title contenders, despite both sides’ recent good form. Four seasons on from their astonishing 5,000-1 Premier League title win, could Leicester City shock the world all over again? It is possible that Brendan Rodgers’ slick and attractive outfit might even be better than the Claudio Ranieri
Landon Donovan fully supports the decision to have the MLS All-Stars face the best players in Liga MX. Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla switched to Spanish to say some choice words about the 2020 MLS All Star game. The Chicago Fire unveiled its new badge and brand identity on Thursday, ahead of next season’s move
After Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking, Rob Dawson wonders if he’ll be hovering over the Man United job. Atletico Madrid have joined AC Milan in the race sign to Nemanja Matic from Manchester United in January, sources have told ESPN FC. The Serbia midfielder, who completed a £40 million move to Old Trafford from Chelsea in July
The transfer windows in Europe’s top leagues are closed, but it’s never too early to look forward to January. Click here to view the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the newest gossip below. Mourinho eyes Ibrahimovic reunion at Spurs Mauricio Pochettino’s seat in the Tottenham dugout has barely gone cold, but new
How will Real Madrid and their fans react to Gareth Bale’s dig at the club after Wales’ Euro qualifying victory? Gareth Bale‘s agent has told ESPN FC he has “no worries” about how Real Madrid fans will react to his “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order” flag celebration. Wales captain Bale was pictured laughing with
Marcus Rashford is happy with his current form but still thinks he is a few years away from being at his best. Paul Mariner feels Marcus Rashford needs consistency from the Man United squad in order to be successful. After Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking, Rob Dawson wonders if he’ll be hovering over the Man United job.
So there you have it: the 2019 edition of the ESPN FC 100 — our annual ranking of the best players in the world — was dominated by Liverpool off the back of one of their best seasons in the modern era. Winning the Champions League and finishing just a point behind Manchester City for
Gab Marcotti says it’s a “seminal moment” for Napoli after the players opted not to go into a club retreat. There’s a case to be made that no team needed the international break more than Napoli. It represented a chance to escape the tension around the club, cool off and decompress. But now it is
Liverpool fans have been able to enjoy the international break, basking in the glory of an eight-point lead over Chelsea and Leicester City. But boy are they lucky to be so far in front! ESPN and the team led by Dr. Thomas Curran, at the London School of Economics, compile the Luck Index to examine how
Julien Laurens explains why Eric Abidal is already talking about pursuing Neymar again next summer. Ale Moreno is surprised by Antoine Griezmann and Didier Deschamps’ comments about Griezmann’s role at Barca. Sergi Roberto speaks on behalf of Barca and UNICEF regarding World Children’s Day on the 30th anniversary. Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has sent a
The transfer windows in Europe’s top leagues are closed, but it’s never too early to look forward to January. Click here to view the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the newest gossip below. TOP STORY: Bayern Munich go after Parrott German giants Bayern Munich are set to make an effort to try