Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn’t shy away from a joke during his speech after receiving a statue of himself in Malmo.
Germany’s new-look team did more than enough to beat Estonia and remain on course for Euro 2020 despite losing Emre Can early on to a red card.
So what if we’re in the thick of an international break? It’s still Monday and it’s still time for another edition of Gab Marcotti’s Musings.
Jump to: Germany back on track? | Don’t rule out Ibra’s European return | Praise for Sergio Ramos | Italy book Euro 2020 spot | Maddison mess for England?
Are Germany firmly back on track?
The problem with qualifying in Europe, at least when it comes to the bigger countries, is that it’s really difficult to have any sort of frame of reference of where…
This was about cutting losses. This was about moving on. This was about accepting the fact that when you make tons of decisions, you will inevitably make some bad ones. And how you react to bad decisions is often as important as the good decision that you do make.
Another busy weekend in Europe means it’s time for another bumper edition of Monday Musings. Gab Marcotti is here to recap the big stories around soccer.
There are different paths to beating your opponent in a football match. You can outrun them, and you can outmuscle them. You can out-will them, and you can outwit them. All of the above are probably more satisfying to a coach whose job is to prepare, condition and motivate his players. After all, it shows they’ve done their job well.
Another busy weekend in Europe means it’s time for another bumper edition of Monday Musings. Gab Marcotti is here to recap the big stories around soccer.
It will happen at some point this season, possibly as early as November. Chelsea will play a game with seven homegrown players in their starting XI. Thus far, we’ve seen four: Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori at the back, Mason Mount in midfield, Tammy Abraham up front. With Mount doubtful for Sunday’s clash with Liverpool, we’ll probably see three but that is sure to change when Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi become available. (Loftus-Cheek is out until November, but…
PARIS — The Spanish team had more Frenchmen (three) than the French team (one). The French team had more Spaniards (two) than the Spanish team (one). Real Madrid’s dark-hued kit looked, at least from a distance, like Paris Saint-Germain’s home outfit, and if you removed the vertical red-blue stripe then PSG’s retro uniform — harking back to the 1980s salad days of Safet Susic — appeared to the untrained eye a knock-off of Madrid’s iconic meringue get-up.
This should be about the game. About a club, Paris Saint-Germain, taking yet another crack at winning the biggest prize in club football after three straight seasons of controversial exits by wafer-thin margins. And their visitors Real Madrid, the game’s ultimate blue-bloods, halfway in rebuild mode as they pursue their 14th European Cup as an antidote to consecutive nightmarish domestic seasons.
There’s lots to talk about in this week’s Monday Musings following a wild weekend. Gab Marcotti is here to recap the big stories around soccer.