2024/2025 International Club Football Thread

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

South Americans have played Portuguese clubs well. Palmeras drew Porto and Boca Juniors drew Benfica in a heated affair, 3 red cards.

Europeans getting a taste of how football is played in the Americas. I love it

Monterrey plays Inter Milan today with a Brazilian ref. That’s going to be must watch tv

[Arsenal14]

Originally Posted by Locke

Welp. Thats gonna sting at ye ol' Club World Cup.

Bayern Munich 10 - Auckland City - 0

Uhh...are they really thinking these matchups through?

Auckland City features former Cavalry FC player Myer Bevan.

Though maybe that should be current Cavalry FC player as I'm not sure he ever actually transferred to them and is apparently able to play for them as they are an amateur team.

[MillerTime GFG]

Calgary referee Drew Fischer getting the nod to ref PSG vs Botafogo tonight, and Michael Barwegen (Coaldale) as the AR.


Pretty cool to see. Drew is a fantastic ref and a great human. Well deserved.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by MillerTime GFG

Calgary referee Drew Fischer getting the nod to ref PSG vs Botafogo tonight, and Michael Barwegen (Coaldale) as the AR.


Pretty cool to see. Drew is a fantastic ref and a great human. Well deserved.

Botofogo won 1-0! South Americans have come to play in this tournament.

[devo22]

Real Oviedo has gained promotion to La Liga. Not all that interesting, but I just saw that Santi Cazorla is still playing for them, at 40 years old ... that the man is still able to walk is amazing (he contracted gangrene after an Achilles injury at Arsenal, narrowly avoided amputation and endured a dozen surgeries and a skin graft), but to play professional football at 40 after all of this is incredible. Good for him.

[Locke]

I dont think Pachuca have it in their locker to pull this out.

[Locke]

Former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba will sign with Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, a source told ESPN.

Pogba has verbally agreed to a two-year contract with the French club after turning down a major deal from a Saudi Pro League side, according to the source.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/...ar-deal-source

Well. Thats a thing that might happen I guess. I thought he was done.

[devo22]

wow ... Olympique Lyon has been relegated to Ligue 2 because of financial irregularities. We'll see where the appeal goes ...

https://twitter.com/user/status/1937584867128279050

[CroFlames]

Weren't they the powerhouse of France during the 00s? Crazy they are getting relegated.

[Matty81]

This is all down to the shadiness of John Textor, recently departed Crystal Palace owner who almost got us kicked out of Europe. He's basically got no money of his own and finds other people willing to give him money to buy things, and then overextends the clubs he has control at with no bank account to bail them out. Which is what he did to Lyon, as well as making a ton of enemies at the league by shooting his mouth off.

Lyon are still really strong structurally, they have a good academy and stadium. Just got hooped by the collapse of Ligue 1 commercially/tv deal wise and they need a better owner.

[GirlySports]

Come on, if only Mamelodi Sundowns could get a goal.

[Locke]

Luka Modric has verbally agreed to sign for AC Milan, the Serie A club's sporting director, Igli Tare has said.

"I spoke to him in person and saw a guy who is really eager to be competitive. His arrival is crucial for a group that needs players like him, leadership," Tare told Gazzetta dello Sport.

https://global.espn.com/football/sto...club-world-cup

[CroFlames]

Heard rumors, but I thought he'd for sure be signing a retirement contract in Miami or LA.

He just loves to compete I guess.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Heard rumors, but I thought he'd for sure be signing a retirement contract in Miami or LA.

He just loves to compete I guess.

In fairness? He wants to compete but....if someone said to me:

"Where would you like to live? Los Angeles, Miami or Milan?"

I take Milan every day of the week and twice on Sundays. I wouldnt be able to sign that fast enough.

[Senator Clay Davis]

LA and Miami are very different when it comes to pleb living versus wealthy living. Milan is kind of the same actually, if you're rich it's amazing but it's kind of meh as a city overall (Turin is way nicer IMO). I would also say Italian league is the European equivalent of a retirement contract, can still earn a decent wage and play UCL (although Milan won't be), but it's a much less intense league than PL or La Liga.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I mean match fixing, but tidy finish to be fair.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1938319940341076455

[soreshins]

Originally Posted by Matty81

This is all down to the shadiness of John Textor, recently departed Crystal Palace owner who almost got us kicked out of Europe. .

You’re a Palace fan Matty? I’ve started following them as my English club in recent years. Have a bit of a family connection as my mum’s uncle played about 125 games for them in the 50s - Wally Hanlon

[Locke]

Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has criticised the introduction of the expanded Club World Cup format, calling it the worst idea ever implemented in football.

In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt published late on Friday Klopp said the tournament would put more strain on an already packed calendar for the players.

"It's a pointless competition. Whoever wins it will be the worst winner of all time because they'll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league," Klopp said.

"There are people who have never been involved in the day-to-day business of football and are now coming up with ideas."

Klopp pointed out that today's players are getting less and less time to rest, warning that adding another tournament was potentially dangerous for their health.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/...all-worst-idea

I wonder who could have seen this coming? Oh yeah! Everyone.

And in related news...

Total announced attendance was 1.67 million from 2.95 million capacity, an average of 34,746.

Just 44.9% was filled for five matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the site of next year's World Cup final, and 50% at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where the 1994 championship game was played.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/...ts-group-stage

[Locke]

WTF happened to City? I was hoping they'd go all the way and exhaust their players!