Messi ready to end his career at Barca but says he is not God
October 10 -Lionel Messi has revealed wanted to leave Spain in the midst of his case for tax fraud because of the way he was being treated but stayed when no offers emerged.
Performance
Belgian FA question Anderlecht over Kompany’s ‘unqualified’ coaching role
By Samindra Kunti
October 9 – Anderlecht have defended Vincent Kompany’s role as player-coach at the Belgian FA, denying that Simon Davies was a ‘shadow’ coach in place only to give Kompany the qualifications back-up required in Belgium.
International breaks: Sylvinho pays the price at Lyon, Giampolo axed at AC Milan
October 7 – Brazilian coach Sylvinho has been dismissed by his club Olympique Lyon after Sunday’s derby defeat against local rivals AS Saint-Etienne and just one win in nine. At AC Milan, Marco Giampolo is also on the way out.
Lloris elbowed out of leading France and Spurs campaigns until next year
October 7 – France captain Hugo Lloris is out of action until the New Year after dislocating his elbow playing for his club Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.
Management merry-go-round: Spurs go south, Pochettino to go north?
October 7 – With the international break replacing domestic league fixtures for the next two weeks, English football’s rumour mill has swung into action amid growing speculation that Manchester United are considering replacing manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino.
Big new stadium, bigger money, feted manager, UCL final…what happened to Spurs?
By Andrew Warshaw
October 2 – Exactly four months since the euphoria of reaching the Champions League final, the fortunes of Tottenham Hotspur have taken a second straight turn for the worse with words like “crisis” and “humiliation” splashed across the English media amid growing speculation over whether manager Mauricio Pochettino has taken the London side as far as he can.
Possession usually means prizes, unless you are Spurs or come from Manchester
October 1 – ‘Possession is nine-tenths of the law’ is perhaps a phrase that can be applied to football. If you have the majority of the ball the stats indicate that you are likely to win.
From hero to villain? Solskjær oversees Man Utd’s worst start ever
October 1 – When Manchester United appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjær as their full-time manager on a three-year contract at the end of March, it was supposed to herald a new dawn for the club.
Is Spurs’ cup half full or half empty? Carabao exit to Colchester points to cracks
By Andrew Warshaw
September 25 – From Champions League finalist to elimination in their domestic League Cup by the lowest-ranked side left in the competition – in little over three months. What is going on at Tottenham Hotspur?
Big money non-starters. Spurs, Liverpool and Man City keep new players benched
September 25 – With the new season gathering pace, the CIES Football Observatory has analysed how the big money transfers are settling in with their new teams, with initial indications suggesting not very well at some of Europe’s leading clubs.
Performance enhancer: Arsenal turn to Science in Sport as Sports Nutrition Supplier
September 25 – Arsenal have signed a one-season deal with sports nutrition specialists Science in Sport (SiS) who become the club’s Official Sports Nutrition Supplier.
Time runs out for Cuper and Uzbeks make changes for next round of World Cup qualifiers
September 24 – Hector Cuper has been dismissed as coach of Uzbekistan. The Argentinean will be succeeded by Vadim Abramov.
Another ‘off’ day for VAR? Spurs fans furious at game-changing 1.6cm
September 23 – Another footballing weekend – another string of video assistant referee (VAR) controversies, this time in the English Premier League where Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were both penalised for the most marginal of offside decisions.
Rule makers table proposal for 10-minute ‘concussion subs’
September 23 – In a radical development, 10-minute “concussion subs” are set to be introduced by football’s lawmaking body to mirror the success of similar changes in rugby in an attempt to improve player safety.
Hiddink sacked as China U-23 coach. Hao Wei takes over for Olympic qualifiers
September 20 – Guus Hiddink and the Chinese Football Association (CFA) have parted ways, with Hao Wei now appointed to succeed the Dutchman at the helm of the U-23 team.