Champions League

Subterms

    More stories

    • 200 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Gary Lineker makes shock prediction for Premier League title and confident mega-money signing justifies price tag

      by

      GARY LINEKER today gives SunSport his lowdown on the new Premier League season.The Match of the Day host was a prolific England striker, a World Cup Golden Boot winner, a star at Barcelona — and even won a major trophy with Tottenham.
      Gary Lineker has spoken to SunSport about the upcoming Premier League seasonCredit: Getty
      The Match of the Day host is predicting Arsenal to win the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      Here he tells us exactly why Erling Haaland is such a lethal goalscorer, why he thinks Arsenal can win the title and the Saudi Arabia threat to the Prem.
      To mark the launch of his new podcast ‘The Rest Is Football’ — with Match of the Day pals Alan Shearer and Micah Richards — Lineker gives us some of his exclusive takes.
      Gary on… Arsenal
      I’M tipping Arsenal to win the title this season — maybe just to avoid being predictable but I do think they have had an impressive summer in the transfer market.
      Rather than demoralising them, going close and missing out last season will benefit Mikel Arteta’s side. Being in the title race has given them an experience that they didn’t previously have.
      READ MORE ON GARY LINEKER
      A lot of players who move for big money struggle to cope with their price tag but I don’t think that’ll be the case with ex-West Ham skipper Declan Rice.
      He is an exceptional player — a holding midfielder but also far more than that. Rice is a real leader, who will run all day, a player who can break the lines and make things happen with the ball at his feet.
      Of course, £105million is a massive fee but he will not have the same pressure as a forward player who moves for big money because they are constantly judged on their scoring record.
      I’d like to see Rice add more goals to his game but nobody is expecting that of him.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      I’m also intrigued to see where Kai Havertz fits in because he is a wonderful talent.
      Despite scoring Chelsea’s winner in the 2021 Champions League final, I don’t think we’ve seen the best of the German yet. He looks to me like his best position might be as a No 10 but Arsenal have the excellent Martin Odegaard there already.
      Havertz may start the season at centre-forward as Gabriel Jesus is injured but he could also operate wide on the left or right or in a deeper role.
      He certainly adds depth and I’d expect Arsenal to add to their squad even further before the deadline.
      Losing William Saliba to injury during last season’s run-in was a massive blow for them — possibly a decisive one — but with more depth Arsenal are capable of going one better this coming season.
      On.. Erling Haaland
      Erling Haaland netted 36 goals in the Prem last seasonCredit: Getty
      MOST strikers don’t actually know how to score goals — the fact that Erling Haaland does is the key factor in making him so successful.
      I don’t agree when people say goalscoring is about instinct. It’s about mathematics, it’s about the law of probability — and you have to learn the art.
      Haaland has pace, power and stature, he puts the fear of God into defences, who tend to drop deep to combat him but it’s almost impossible to stop him.
      What really sets him apart, though, is his intelligence.
      A goalscorer will attack space and nine times out of ten, the ball might not arrive exactly where you want it to — but when it does, you know you have an easy chance to score. Haaland gets this.
      When I played, people often said that I’d done nothing all game but then scored the winner.
      But for the rest of the match, I’d be making 15, 20 or 30 runs with the ball rarely going where I’d want it — and with Haaland there are many similarities.
      I’d seen plenty of him at Borussia Dortmund and when he arrived I knew he was an absolute banker to score a lot of goals for Manchester City.
      They are such a creative team who get the ball to the byline more than any other team I’ve ever seen.
      City won the title without an authentic centre-forward the previous season but they didn’t win the Champions League until Haaland arrived and even though he didn’t score in the final or semi-final, the threat of him being there makes such a difference.
      The genius of Pep Guardiola has helped him. I believe Pep is the greatest manager of all time — an obsessive, who is constantly evolving his tactics.
      But this season represents a real challenge. Pep will be as dedicated as ever but will his players experience a dip after winning the Treble?
      On.. Liverpool hopes
      Lineker is expecting big things from Darwin Nunez this seasonCredit: Alamy
      MY sons are all obsessed with fantasy football teams and when they ask me for tips, I tell them to sign up Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez as I think the forward will have a massive season this time around.
      The Uruguayan certainly isn’t the only player to take his time to settle into the Premier League but he’d improved by the end of last season and he has great strengths.
      Sure, he missed a lot of chances but I don’t mind strikers missing chances. It shows he is getting into the right positions.
      This should be a much better season for Liverpool.  Jurgen Klopp’s sides have often had a difficult season every three or four years but come back stronger.
      They needed a midfield refresh and that is happening.
      Alexis Mac Allister is an excellent signing and they have also added Dominik Szoboszlai, the Hungarian whose name I am going to learn to pronounce before the first Match of the Day!
      On.. Chelsea new era
      Mauricio Pochettino will take charge of Chelsea for the new Premier League seasonCredit: Getty
      CHELSEA have made a really great appointment in Mauricio Pochettino —  and they needed to as last season was an absolute shambles.
      I got to know Mauricio well when he worked with us at the BBC during the World Cup in Qatar and he is a very smart and engaging man who did a great job at Tottenham.
      I don’t think any player at Chelsea — those who have left and those who are still at Stamford Bridge — should ever be judged on what happened last term because it was a mess of the club’s making.
      They have slimmed down their squad, which was absolutely necessary, and signed a fair few as well.
      One of the reasons Thomas Tuchel left early last season was because he clashed with the owners. I hope they learn from that and listen to Pochettino.
      He needs time to get things right and Chelsea are the most difficult to predict in the season ahead — although they can’t finish as low as 12th again.
      On.. Man Utd buys
      Andre Onana will be Man United’s No.1 this seasonCredit: Getty
      I’M really looking forward to seeing Manchester United’s new goalkeeper Andre Onana.
      The Cameroonian, from Inter Milan, is excellent with the ball at his feet and I’m interested to see how that changes the way Erik ten Hag’s side build up from the back.
      Onana’s greatest strength was David de Gea’s real weakness.Sure, Onana will make some cock-ups but the benefits of having a keeper who can play will outweigh those moments when he gets things wrong.
      Mason Mount is another good signing. He’s an under-rated player because a lot of what he does goes under the radar — he presses so well and works hard.
      He dipped at Chelsea last year but so did everyone at Stamford Bridge. He needs this fresh start.
      United have spent a lot of money on 20-year-old Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund from  Atalanta and I can’t say I have seen a lot of him.
      Perhaps they see him more as one for the long term but I’m not convinced he’s going to make the difference for them.
      On.. Saudi cash splurge
      Karim Benzema is one of the stars to join the Saudi Pro LeagueCredit: Getty
      SAUDI Pro League clubs have been throwing around a vast amount of money this summer.
      But until they sign Kylian Mbappe, or another genuine world star in his prime, then the major European clubs will remain relaxed about it.
      Right now, it’s just the latest league where older players go to die their footballing deaths — like Karim Benzema joining Al-Ittihad — for one last earner.
      It’s the same with Major League Soccer in America, it was the same with China for a while, and I did it myself in Japan at the end of my playing career.
      I don’t want to sound holier-than-thou but Saudi Arabia has a deeply troubling human rights record — last year 80 people were executed in one day, most for what we would regard as minor offences.
      There are many other serious human rights concerns.
      It is easy to say, ‘I would never go there for any money’, until millions and millions are dangled in front of your face — then that dilemma becomes very real.
      Players can guarantee the financial security of their family for generations to come. It can’t be easy to turn down that sort of offer.
      The Saudis, and their sportswashing project, are not going away — in football as in golf, boxing, tennis and other sports.
      They have ambitions to host World Cups and Olympics and they have such vast wealth. But until they can land an Mbappe, they will not be seen as a major threat by the top European leagues.
      Read More on The Sun
      Some clubs, such as Chelsea, are even seeing the emergence of the Saudi Pro League as a major positive.
      They have been able to offload unwanted players for big money, instead of having to loan them out while still paying half of their wages.

      DREAM TEAM IS LIVE – JOIN NOW TO BATTLE FOR THE £50k TOP PRIZE More

    • 225 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Mauricio Pochettino on feeling the heat at Espanyol, being proud of Tottenham’s ‘wins’ and his long-term Chelsea vision

      by

      TAKING on the impossible is part of Mauricio Pochettino’s managerial DNA.He arrived on English shores with Southampton in January 2013 as a nobody, and left in November 2019 having led Tottenham to a Premier League title challenge and a Champions League final.
      Mauricio Pochettino is starting a new era of his managerial career at ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Pochettino admits he struggled with the pressure during his days at EspanyolCredit: Getty – Contributor
      He took on the superstars and egomaniacs while at Paris Saint-Germain, and now, back in the UK, is tasked with leaving a long-lasting legacy at Chelsea – an institution that sacks coaches for fun.
      Pochettino is used to pressure. In fact, at this stage of his career, he thrives off it.
      Yet that was not always the case. A month after receiving his UEFA Pro License in December 2008, the Argentine was handed the reins at his old club Espanyol – his first senior post – at the age of 36.
      Pochettino explained: “It was like all or nothing. You feel: ‘If we don’t win tomorrow or tonight, my career is going to be a disaster’. It was difficult.”
      This fear of failure clearly had a positive impact. In his first season in charge in La Liga, the Argentine led Espanyol to a top 10 finish, including a famous victory away at Pep Guardiola’s Treble-winning Barcelona.
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      In the fourteen years since, Poch is now recognised as one of the most respected managers in the game, sticking to his principles regardless of position, form or hostility.
      So, how does he deal with the pressure now? Poch smiled: “Maybe I sleep better.
      “When I started at Espanyol it was massive pressure because we were fighting relegation. Southampton was similar, Tottenham was for different reasons.
      Most read in Sport
      “PSG yes, and now with Chelsea it is different. Always you are under pressure. You always feel the adrenaline but after you disconnect and say: ‘Now I need to rest. I need to sleep’.
      “That experience has helped me to have better sleep and to enjoy time with my family and my friends, with the staff and the players. Before it was more bam, bam, bam, bam.
      “We use the experience to learn the passion is there, the adrenaline is there, the discipline.
      “But it is about knowing when to be in this process and when to have time to enjoy yourself – when to liberate the players from all this pressure.
      “How we behave as a coaching staff will transmit itself to the players.”
      At the age of 51, Poch insists he is far from the same coach he was back in Spain. Triumphs have shaped that, as have disappointments.
      He said: “We have changed in many things. We’re older now and when you’re 50 you need to be careful, because your change is quick! We got experience in different leagues.
      “We are more mature and we learned a lot in different situations. We always judge ourselves and want to improve. The experience gave the possibility to improve.
      “We are much better people now.”
      Pochettino enjoyed a successful period at Spurs, despite not winning a trophyCredit: Getty
      His five-year stint at Spurs was often tainted with the notion that the club did not have the desire nor the mentality to win silverware – something Antonio Conte accused them of during his chaotic tenure.
      Poch argued: “When I was at Tottenham it was a different period but I think the mentality to win was there. We won. Maybe we didn’t lift a trophy, but we won in many, many ways.”
      And during his 18-month spell with PSG, the burden of accommodating big names such as Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe took its toll.
      Poch added: “We won the cup, we won the league, but when you arrive at a club like Paris Saint-Germain it is about winning the Champions League.
      “If you don’t win the Champions League, like the coaching staff last season, you need to move on. I hope that changes because Paris deserves to be more consistent, and needs time to build something.”
      And so to Chelsea, where Poch truly believes he can build something “special” with the right amount of patience and trust from an owner in Todd Boehly who has already had three permanent managers since his takeover in June 2022.
      Foolish hope from Poch? Only time will tell, not that the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, as well as interim boss Frank Lampard, would necessarily agree.
      Poch is not naïve. He knows he needs to win, and win now. He said: “Chelsea is a different club, different period, different process, different project. If we don’t win we will struggle.”
      All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend of the Premier League season as Chelsea host Liverpool – a team and model of consistency and quality under Jurgen Klopp that Poch would like to emulate one day.
      There remains work to be done in order to achieve that. Another hectic transfer window means Poch, like Potter, will have to juggle and get the best out of an unbalanced and inexperienced squad with time firmly not on his side.
      Poch said: “I’m excited to start something medium and long term, but in football you never know. We try to work in this way, that’s important.
      “Then, we will see if we will have good pressure and see if it’s going to help to believe. We all need to be together to see if we can develop something special here.
      Read More on The Sun
      “We need to have a plan and we need to have a guide that says: ‘We need to arrive there’, and if we arrive before, perfect.
      “But if not, we know that we are going to arrive at the destination.” More

    • 275 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Erling Haaland fans call him ‘the only Barbie I’ll watch’ as he returns to Man City training with pigtails and RAW MILK

      by

      ERLING HAALAND has been hailed as a “Barbie” by his fans after he returned to training with Manchester City.The Norwegian striker rocked up to the training ground in a colourful jumper and braided pigtails.
      Erling Haaland returned to Man City training with some raw milk and pigtailsCredit: Instagram @mancity
      Haaland, 23, also gave a hint at what might be helping him be such a devastating striker in the Premier League.
      The former Borussia Dortmund man was carrying a bottle of raw milk with him as he was pictured by the Man City media team.
      And fans were mixed in the comment section with many discussing his look, while others could not help but notice the raw milk.
      One commented: “The only Barbie I’ll watch.”
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      A second wrote: “I think his girlfriend really makes him do all hairstyles.”
      A third said: “Barbie 😂😍.”
      While a fourth joked: “Raw Milk gives Him the RAW POWER that he has.”
      And another added: “Raw Milk😂.”
      Most read in Football

      DREAM TEAM IS LIVE – JOIN NOW TO BATTLE FOR THE £50k TOP PRIZE
      Last season, Haaland made history in the Premier League during his free-scoring debut campaign.
      He netted an astonishing 36 goals in 35 appearances as he smashed the Prem goal-scoring record for a 38-game season as well as the record for most goals in a 42-game season.

      The previous record had jointly been held by Andy Cole (1993/94) and Alan Shearer (1994/95) who both netted 34 goals in the extended season.
      Haaland also excelled in Europe as he fired in 12 goals in the Champions League as Man City completed a historic treble.
      Erling Haaland will be targeting even more goals this seasonCredit: Getty
      During his time off this summer, Haaland has had a great time as he was revealed to be the cover star of EAFC 24.
      He is also thought to have penned a £2million deal with fashion designers Dolce and Gabbana.
      He attended a D&G event and was snapped alongside Kim Kardashian, who is also an ambassador for the brand. More

    • 200 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      Mauricio Pochettino leaks Chelsea XI for Premier League opener with Liverpool including shock name in midfield

      by

      MAURICIO POCHETTINO has revealed his strongest Chelsea line-up ahead of the upcoming season.Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund in their final pre-season game before the start of the Premier League.
      Pochettino started with his strongest XI against Borussia DortmundCredit: Getty
      He expects his starting XI for Borussia Dortmund to be the same for Chelsea’s season opener
      And Pochettino said after the game that the XI he started with will likely be the one we see in their Premier League opener against Liverpool.
      The new Blues boss said: “This was about giving 90 minutes to the team in my head that I plan to play because the season is only 10 days away.”
      The majority of the game was deadlocked at 0-0 before Dortmund right-back Marius Wolf opened the scoring in the 80th minute.
      Chelsea then netted a last minute equaliser through youngster Mason Burstow.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      Despite the result, Pochettino said he was impressed with his side’s performance.
      He said: “It was an exciting game. We deserved to win. But it’s not about the results. It’s about the feeling.

      “There’s only one option, to be ready for the new season. I think we played really well today.”
      Much of Chelsea’s summer transfer window has been dominated by what is increasingly becoming a saga over signing Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.
      Most read in Football

      DREAM TEAM IS LIVE – JOIN NOW TO BATTLE FOR THE £50k TOP PRIZE
      Chelsea have had two bids rejected for the midfielder, including one of £80million.
      Pochettino is desperate to reinforce his midfield options after the club sold Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz this summer.
      But a youthful midfield that included Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez and Carney Chukwuemeka did impress in Chicago.
      Chukwuemeka arrived last summer from Aston Villa for £20m but found appearances limited under Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard last season.
      Chukwuemeka looks to have the trust of Pochettino, starting in the number 10 role as part of the team that will likely play against Liverpool on Chelsea’s opening day of the season.
      The Blues did face an injury scare over new signing Christopher Nkunku, who was forced off the field with a knee injury in the first half.
      Pochettino said “Hopefully it is not a big issue and that he can be quick with the team. We need a few days to assess him and until we get back to London it is difficult to know.” More

    • 188 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      When is the Champions League group stage draw? Date, TV channel and FREE live stream

      by

      THE return of the Champions League is fast approaching and all European powerhouses are keen to find out their early opponents.Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City capped off their historic Treble win with victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final last year.
      Manchester City won the 2022/23 Champions LeagueCredit: GETTY
      City will be keen to make it back-to-back wins in the huge European tournament next campaign.
      Elsewhere, Premier League sides Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle will also take part in next season’s Champions League.
      The Toon will feature in the prestigious competition for the first time since the 2002/03 season.
      When is the Champions League group stage draw?

      The Champions League group stage draw will take place on Thursday, August 31.
      The draw is set to begin at 5pm UK time.
      The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco will host.

      READ MORE IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
      What channel is the Champions League group stage draw on and can it be live streamed FREE?

      The Champions League group stage will be live streamed for FREE on the UEFA.com website.
      TNT Sports are also likely to broadcast the draw.

      What are the Champions League seedings?
      Pot 1

      Manchester City
      Sevilla
      Barcelona
      Napoli
      Bayern Munich
      Paris Saint-Germain
      Benfica
      Feyenoord

      Pot 2
      Most read in Champions League

      Real Madrid
      Manchester United
      Inter Milan
      Borussia Dortmund
      Atletico Madrid
      RB Leipzig
      Porto
      Arsenal

      Pot 3

      Shakhtar Donetsk
      Red Bull Salzburg
      AC Milan
      Lazio
      Red Star Belgrade

      Pot 3 or 4

      Newcastle United
      Celtic
      Real Sociedad

      When does the Champions League group stage start?

      The Champions League group stage will begin on Tuesday, September 19.
      The group stage will last for 12 weeks.
      The final match day of the group stage will begin on Tuesday, December 12.

      Champions League group stage schedule
      Here is the full schedule of the Champions League group stage:

      Matchday 1: 19/20 September 2023
      Matchday 2: 3/4 October 2023
      Matchday 3: 24/25 October 2023
      Matchday 4: 7/8 November 2023
      Matchday 5: 28/29 November 2023
      Matchday 6: 12/13 December 2023 More

    • 238 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      TNT Sports vs CBS Sports rich list: How star line-ups compare as they go head-to-head in Champions League coverage

      by

      CHAMPIONS LEAGUE nights are always a blockbuster occasion – on both sides of the pond.And as the new season gets underway, viewers in the UK are preparing for new-look coverage with Laura Woods fronting TNT Sports.
      Kate Abdo fronts CBS’ Champions League coverage in the USACredit: Getty
      TNT Sport have revealed their star-studded line-upCredit: TNT Sport
      Over in America, meanwhile, CBS have the broadcast rights with former Sky Sports star Kate Abdo in the presenter’s hotseat.
      But who are the key players-turned-pundits providing all the expert analysis – and how much are they worth?
      TNT SPORTS
      Well, TNT have retained many of the pundits who worked for BT Sport last season as Manchester City were crowned Kings of Europe.
      And that means the three main stars are Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Peter Crouch – with Owen Hargreaves, Steve McManaman, Joleon Lescott, Michael Owen and Paul Scholes among those also used.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL

      Ferdinand enjoyed the most successful career on the pitch of the flagship trio, collecting ten major honours with Manchester United including six Premier League crowns – plus the Intertoto Cup with West Ham.
      Now the retired centre-back combines his punditry work with various other ventures including his #5 Magazine, podcast and shop, White Chalk Music record label, Rio Ferdinand Foundation, the DeliveryApp tech platform and his Rosso restaurant.
      Reports online suggest Ferdinand’s wealth stands at around £58million.
      Cole was Ferdinand’s Hammers team-mate for that Intertoto Cup win but went to Chelsea, where he won six trophies as the Blues lost the 2008 Champions League final to United.
      Most read in Champions League

      DREAM TEAM IS LIVE – JOIN NOW TO BATTLE FOR THE £50k TOP PRIZE
      Like his TNT co-star, the former playmaker has his own podcast – The Joe Cole Cast – and the footballer is valued at around £35m.
      Crouch’s only major honour was the 2006 FA Cup during his stint at Liverpool, one of 11 clubs he represented during his 21-year career.
      He also scored an impressive 22 goals in 42 England caps before launching his own career in TV with BT, a BBC show and an appearance on The Masked Dancer.
      Elsewhere, the 6ft 7ins funnyman has his own hugely-successful and hilarious podcast which has led to a couple of live arena shows.
      Rio Ferdinand will be one of main pundits for the new TNT SportsCredit: Getty
      Peter Crouch was a regular on BT Sport in recent yearsCredit: Getty
      Joe Cole will also be part of the new-look channelCredit: Alamy
      Married to model Abbey Clancy, they have appeared in Paddy Power adverts together and have four kids.
      Crouch is said to be worth approximately £25m thanks to his lucrative football career and subsequent deals.
      That totals £118m for Ferdinand, Cole and Crouch combined.
      CBS
      CBS’ coverage has proved mightily popular over recent seasons since acquiring the rights in the US from the 2020-21 campaign.
      Produced in Stockley Park, London, by IMG, the three regulars in the studio with Abdo are 2009 Champions League winner Thierry Henry, 2005 Champions League winner Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards, who managed five appearances in the Champions League.
      The quartet have brilliant chemistry on air and regularly take the mick out of Richards for his lack of a winner’s medal.
      Peter Schmeichel, Alex Scott and Freddie Ljungberg have also appeared on the Sports Golazo Champions League show.
      Henry’s sensational playing career saw him crowned a Premier League, FA Cup, LaLiga, Cope del Rey, Champions League, Club World Cup, Super Cup, Euros and World Cup winner.
      He also had two podium finishes in the Ballon d’Or before retiring in 2014, stepping into punditry and coaching with Belgium, Monaco and Montreal Impact.
      Thierry Henry brings a wealth of experience and expertise for CBSCredit: Getty
      Micah Richards is a popular pundit with CBS, Sky and BBCCredit: Getty
      Henry has made some TV appearances, is a Unicef ambassador and has various commercial deals with Renault and Pepsi – with all of that taking his net worth to just north of £100m.
      Carragher spent his entire career with boyhood club Liverpool, racking up 737 appearances for the Reds and winning seven major honours including that famous 2005 Champions League, beating AC Milan on penalties.
      The two-time player of the year – second on the all-time list for own goals – also earned 38 England caps.
      Now he spends most weekends working as a pundit and co-commentator for Sky Sports, striking up a fantastic partnership with ex-rival Gary Neville, and is on CBS for the European nights.
      Elsewhere, Carragher has a newspaper column and helped launch a range of affordable e-bikes with fellow Liverpudlian Tony Bellew.
      His net worth is estimated now at around £16m.
      Richards may not have the football pedigree of his fellow pundits Henry and Carragher, but he is sure doing a whole load of TV work.
      The Manchester City ambassador combines his CBS appearances with providing analysis – and lots of laughs – for Sky Sports and the BBC.
      Read More on The Sun
      Richards’s wealth stands at approximately £4m.
      And that sees the CBS line-up total a cool £120m – just £2m more than their TNT rivals.
      Jamie Carragher also combines his punditry with Sky and CBSCredit: Getty
      TNT hold the broadcast rights for the Champions League in the UKCredit: Getty More

    • 250 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      I bought an iconic Champions League club for just £30million at auction – now it’s worth 17 TIMES that amount

      by

      AURELIO DE LAURENTIIS has written his fair share of incredible scripts as a hugely successful film director.But even the drama surrounding his ownership of one of Italy’s most historic football clubs might even be a little far-fetched for the big screen.
      Aurelio De Laurentiis is the film director who bought Napoli at an auctionCredit: Getty
      Napoli won the Serie A title in style last seasonCredit: AFP
      Napoli were originally founded in 1926 but enjoyed their greatest years when Argentine legend Diego Maradona joined in 1984 for a world-record £6.9million thanks to a local politician securing a generous bank loan.
      The maverick superstar spearheaded the club to their first two Serie A titles – in 1987 and then again in 1990.
      But following his departure the following year and big spending, Napoli collapsed into financial disarray.
      Relegations in 1998 and again in 2001 sent them into Serie B and, despite finishing 13th in 2004, were declared bankrupt with £46m in debts.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      A new Italian football rule allowed bankrupt clubs to reform in a lower league.
      And that is when De Laurentiis, on holiday in Capri, decided to step in to save the club.
      He won an auction in September 2004 to purchase Napoli for just shy of £30m, determined to keep a major football club in his family’s hometown of Naples despite not even knowing the rules of the game.
      The club were plunged into the regional Serie C1 and forced to change their name for a year, with the Rome-born new owner opting for Napoli Soccer.
      Most read in Football

      DREAM TEAM IS LIVE – JOIN NOW TO BATTLE FOR THE £50k TOP PRIZE
      De Laurentiis said at the time: “A new era is beginning, and I hope fans have the patience and the respect for this club that it requires.”
      Roared on by 50,000-plus fans for every home game, they missed out on going up in 2004-05 but back-to-back promotions followed to get Napoli into Serie A by 2007.
      And after a few mid-table finishes, the likes of Marek Hamsik, Edinson Cavani and Gonzalo Higuain helped power Napoli back into Europe.
      They came second in four Serie A seasons between 2012-13 and 2018-19.
      But last season, they ended their 33-year wait to be crowned champions of Italy with a simply staggering campaign led by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kim Min-jae and Victor Osimhen as well as coach Luciano Spalletti.
      And De Laurentiis has overseen the whole journey from the depths of Serie C1 all the way to Scudetto heroes – on top of a Champions League quarter-final.
      When I bought Napoli… I didn’t know the rules of soccerAurelio De Laurentiis
      Napoli are now worth a reported £484m, nearly 17 TIMES the amount the owner bought them for 19 years ago.
      And the fiery, sometimes controversial, 74-year-old National Italian American Foundation director – whose own personal value stands at around £40m – told the Financial Times after the Serie A glory: “When I bought Napoli, for me, it was completely a new domain.
      “But, for me, it was important to mix movies and sport, to furnish content for what was in the past TV, and now platforms.
      “We were successful because I started to apply what I learned from the movie business in many years to the football world. I didn’t know the rules of soccer.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I was asked what is your goal this year because you have let go the most important players and signed unknown people.
      “When I told them, my goal is to win the Scudetto, it seemed as if I was blaspheming. But we won.”
      De Laurentiis is worth around £40m and is a legend in the film industryCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Diego Maradona was a key part of Napoli’s success including the Uefa Cup in 1989Credit: Getty More

    • 213 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Uefa hint Barcelona could be BOOTED OUT of Champions League amid claims they paid refs’ chief £6m

      by

      BARCELONA could be KICKED OUT of the Champions League next season as Uefa investigate allegations of payments to referees.Uefa announced in March that it was opening an investigation into the Catalan giants.
      Barcelona are being investigated by UefaCredit: Alamy
      This came after it was reported they had paid just shy of £6MILLION to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s referees committee.
      The payments are claimed to have been made between 2001 and 2018.
      Uefa’s appeals body confirmed the club had been granted provisional access to the 2023-24 Champions League but acknowledged: “A future decision on admission/exclusion from the Uefa club competitions is reserved.”
      Uefa said four months ago that ethics and disciplinary investigators had been appointed to look into “a potential violation of Uefa’s legal framework” in relation to this case.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      The appeals body said on Thursday: “The investigators in charge of the case are invited to continue and finalise their investigation and to send a further report to the appeals body if and when they consider that the admission/exclusion of FC Barcelona should be assessed.”
      Barcelona deny any wrongdoing in the case.
      Xavi’s men are set to enter the competition as a Pot 1 side after they won the LaLiga title last season.
      And they will be hoping to avoid a third straight group-stage exit.
      Most read in Football
      DREAM TEAM IS LIVE – JOIN NOW TO BATTLE FOR THE £50k TOP PRIZE
      Last season, Barca finished third in their group behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
      They dropped down to the Europa League but were swiftly eliminated in the play-off round by Manchester United.
      Barcelona have reached just one Champions League semi-final in eight years – which came in 2019 when they spurned a 3-0 aggregate lead to lose to eventual champions Liverpool 4-3 in a remarkable tie. More