Goal efficiency
How clinical and direct the player was in front of goal — volume, accuracy, and conversion.
Ykkönen · Midfielder · #0 · Finland · 25 yrs
E. Conti is a midfielder. E. Conti is a represents Finland, 25 years old, midfielder. E. Conti was born in Cattolica, Italy on 1996-02-28. E. Conti is 183 cm cm tall. E. Conti's Sportra profile tracks season statistics across Ykkönen, Kakkonen - Lohko C, Veikkausliiga. E. Conti's page brings together career clubs, trophies, injury history, multi-competition stats, and related news headlines. On Sportra you can explore E. Conti season statistics, transfer history, trophies, injury updates, and related news across every competition tracked in the profile.
Midfielder · #0
| Date | Type | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-01-01 | N/A |  Futura FUT |  HIFK Helsinki HIF |
| 2015-01-01 | N/A |  Viikingit VII | Futura FUT |
Season intelligence
Profile as Midfielder: balanced output without a single dominant trait. Archetype: Balanced contributor.
Scaled 0–99 from season output — map to fantasy, comparisons, or scouting cards.
Per-90 rates, efficiency ratios, and Sportra indices from season totals.
How clinical and direct the player was in front of goal — volume, accuracy, and conversion.
Playmaking output: assists, key passes, and custom chance-creation signals.
Minutes, availability, and how central they were to the team.
Every tracked category for this league and season, grouped by Sportra.
E. Conti is a midfielder. E. Conti is a represents Finland, 25 years old, midfielder. E. Conti was born in Cattolica, Italy on 1996-02-28. E. Conti is 183 cm cm tall. E. Conti's Sportra profile tracks season statistics across Ykkönen, Kakkonen - Lohko C, Veikkausliiga. E. Conti's page brings together career clubs, trophies, injury history, multi-competition stats, and related news headlines. On Sportra you can explore E. Conti season statistics, transfer history, trophies, injury updates, and related news across every competition tracked in the profile.
Midfielder · #0
| Date | Type | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-01-01 | N/A | Futura FUT | HIFK Helsinki HIF |
| 2015-01-01 | N/A | Viikingit VII | Futura FUT |
Season intelligence
Profile as Midfielder: balanced output without a single dominant trait. Archetype: Balanced contributor.
Scaled 0–99 from season output — map to fantasy, comparisons, or scouting cards.
Per-90 rates, efficiency ratios, and Sportra indices from season totals.
How clinical and direct the player was in front of goal — volume, accuracy, and conversion.
Playmaking output: assists, key passes, and custom chance-creation signals.
Minutes, availability, and how central they were to the team.
Every tracked category for this league and season, grouped by Sportra.
We take a look at the creativity and emotion shown by fans of each nation during the group stage of the World CupThe 2026 World Cup has set a new all-time attendance record for the men’s tournament, surpassing the previous record of 3,587,538 set during the 1994 World Cup – and the group stages have only just ended.As ever, fans have brought colour and fun to the tournament – from Mexico’s duck mascot to Norway’s Viking rowers, with plenty more in between. Here are a selection of our favourite images of fans at the matches and at watch parties across the globe. Continue reading...
The broadcaster has covered every World Cup since 1986, and all signs point to Australia’s match against Paraguay breaking records⚽️ LIVE: Australia vs Paraguay – Socceroos World Cup game⚽️ Game guide: What time do the Socceroos play Paraguay today?⚽️ Player guide | Daily podcast | World Cup newsletterThe World Cup clash between the Socceroos and Paraguay represents a potential milestone for Australian football, as the team chase qualification for the knockout rounds for only the third time. For the broadcaster SBS, its significance may be even greater.The match is the culmination of 11 straight men’s World Cup tournaments, and a commitment that stretches back to Mexico 1986. Its audience is expected to go close to – or exceed – the network’s record for any Socceroos match or World Cup fixture. Continue reading...
‘Robbo’ leaves the club on Sunday after nine years having won the lot and been loved by those who watched him playIt was a bit of a surprise when we signed Andy Robertson from Hull – not because he wasn’t a household name, but because all the focus had been on his teammate Harry Maguire. But, pound for pound, the £8m we paid for Robbo in the summer of 2017 has got to be one of the best value transfer deals in Liverpool’s history. Those peak Jürgen Klopp-years, when him and Trent Alexander-Arnold supplied cross after cross, assist after assist … it was an absolute joy to be there. Continue reading...
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace could make it a clean sweep of English winners in Europe this seasonBy The Football MineThis is a quiz by Richard Foster, who presents the It Started With A Kick podcast and writes a daily quiz on the Seventh Heaven Football Quiz App, which is available on Apple and Google. Continue reading...
Relegated three times this century, AGF are the latest surprise champions in a notable trend for ScandinaviaWhen the buses pulled up at Brøndby Stadion on the penultimate weekend of the season, the travelling fans were already celebrating. The final whistle had just blown at Nordsjælland, where Aarhus’s title rivals, Midtjylland, had been held to a goalless draw. That meant Aarhus Gymnastikforening (or AGF for short) could secure the Danish title for the first time since 1986 with a win against Brøndby. The atmosphere was electric before kick-off, the AGF fans displaying a huge tifo with the message: “Let’s write history together.” It didn’t take long for the team to meet the moment, Henrik Dalsgaard, the former Brentford and Midtjylland defender, scoring from a corner after three minutes. The away end erupted, 40 years of hurt swept away in an outpouring of euphoria.“It was one of the greatest days of my life and I think a lot of other AGF fans would say that too,” says Jakob Emil Beikes, the chair of AGF’s fanclub. “When we were celebrating it was just everything, all the feelings coming through. I still can’t believe it, actually. It’s insane.” Continue reading...
The SPFL and SFA wobble at the knees when it comes to punishing their biggest clubs but scenes at Celtic Park risk setting a dangerous precedentThe placing of a full stop on any league campaign offers cause for reflection. In Scotland, there are reasons to wonder if the grim denouement to a stunning title race will prompt a shift in attitudes on two fronts. Whether a Celtic board which has been castigated for its stewardship regards the securing of another title as vindication is an intriguing question. More immediate is how the champions and others will respond to the grim scenes that triggered an enforced conclusion to the visit of Hearts. The behaviour of a section of the Celtic support is so unruly during dominance that one wonders what on earth may happen if the team struggle badly.On Sunday, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) “utterly condemned” Celtic supporters who flooded on to the pitch at the time of Callum Osmand’s third goal. “Supporters entering the field of play in any circumstances is wholly unacceptable and puts those participating and working at a match at risk,” added the SPFL. Hearts players were accosted and abused during their most crushing of moments, having lost the opportunity to break the Old Firm’s four decades of title dominance. Continue reading...
The 2022 World Cup failed to deliver on its environmental promises. From air travel emissions to heat-related dangers, the 2026 edition will be even worseSoccer fans are increasingly watching preparations for the 2026 World Cup through their fingers. The most popular sporting event on the planet is awash in controversy, whether it’s the eye-watering ticket prices, the question of Iran’s participation while the president of one of the host countries threatens war crimes against it, or the role that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement may or may not play in policing the event. And yet, lost in the political pyrotechnics is a fiasco that carries as much long-term peril as any: the tournament’s staggering contribution to runaway climate change.The 2026 World Cup is not only the most politically combustible tournament in modern history, but it is also on track to be the “most polluting” World Cup ever, with total greenhouse gas emissions hitting nearly two times the historical average. Scientists conservatively project that the tournament will generate around 9m tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Air travel comprises approximately 7.7m tons of this carbon budget, and more than four times that of the average for tournaments held between 2010 and 2022. The researchers note that the worst-case upper estimate for air transport is about 13.7m tons of CO2. That may sound bad, but that’s just because World Cup emissions have never been worse. Continue reading...
Salah posted on social media after 4-2 loss at Aston VillaEgyptian forward’s comments appear aimed at Arne SlotMohamed Salah has launched another withering critique on Liverpool, the club he is set to depart after next weekend.In Friday’s 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, Salah came on as a late substitute, as the result cast into doubt fifth-placed Liverpool’s participation in next season’s Champions League. Arne Slot, the Liverpool manager with whom Salah has had a mixed relationship this season, came under fire. Continue reading...
It was such a shame a Scottish season for the ages had to end this way. It was not even afforded an official final whistle. Celtic were already on the verge of a fifth title in a row as Hearts were counterattacked from a free-kick. With the visiting goalkeeper, Alexander Schwolow, in the wrong half, Celtic’s Callum Osmand had a free run on goal.Celtic’s third was the trigger for hundreds of supporters to flood the pitch, not only in celebration, but to goad and confront the shattered Hearts players. There was still stoppage time to play, but Hearts headed for the tunnel and never re-emerged. Within 20 minutes, and with players still in their kit, the visitors were on their bus back to Edinburgh under police escort. Given their immense contribution to this championship, it was a depressing scene. Continue reading...
FA Cup final will be 24th trip to stadium as City manager Spaniard aiming to win 17th major honour in decadePep Guardiola has described his decade managing Manchester City as “fucking fun”, and suggested Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea might not be the last time he leads the team out at Wembley.While Guardiola’s contract expires in summer 2027, there is increasing expectation that he will depart the club in the close season. Saturday’s final will be City’s 24th cup appearance at the national stadium under the Spaniard, with Guardiola aiming to claim the 17th major trophy of his 10 years in charge. Continue reading...
Cannes film festival: This lively documentary about everyone’s favourite hot-headed footballer/unlikely Ken Loach star will give more than just fans a kickHere is a fervent, but repetitive fan-service documentary, perpetually re-using iconic “bad behaviour” clips, all about the tempestuous king of Manchester United (formerly and briefly the tempestuous king of Leeds United).Eric Cantona was the Frenchman who won the hearts of English football fans in the 90s for his stunning skills, filling the silverware cabinet to bursting having been picked up cheap by Man U having effectively flounced out of French football. He was mentored in those days by that kindly teddy-bear of a man, Sir Alex Ferguson, who is interviewed extensively here, along with David Beckham, Eric’s elderly parents Albert and Éléonore, and of course the gloweringly pugnacious man himself, appearing in what appears to be a deserted church and gnomically quoting Baudelaire. Continue reading...
Manchester City defender led Crystal Palace to Wembley triumph last season and is back to take on Chelsea Marc Guéhi’s whirlwind 12 months in the FA Cup: captaining Crystal Palace to glory at Wembley last season, experiencing the competition’s greatest shock via the holders’ third-round elimination at sixth-tier Macclesfield and, on Saturday, aiming to claim the trophy again when Manchester City face Chelsea.In a story-rich competition the defender’s is one of the more intriguing, particularly as Palace’s triumph was their first trophy and City, who he joined nine days after the Macclesfield reverse, were their scalps in the final, beaten 1-0 by Eberechi Eze’s 16th-minute strike. Continue reading...
Transfer window could include merry-go-round of forwards as division’s top three clubs bid farewell to iconsSaturday’s finale to the Women’s Super League season marks the end of an era, and not only because it is the final time the division will operate with 12 teams before the expansion to 14. A multitude of players synonymous with their clubs in recent years are making end-of-contract departures and the forward lines, in particular, of many of the top sides will not look the same again.Thursday’s confirmation of Sam Kerr’s exit from Chelsea, added to Monday’s announcement that Beth Mead will leave Arsenal and last week’s news that Khadija “Bunny” Shaw has decided to leave Manchester City, means the division’s top three clubs are saying farewell to forwards who have been modern icons of their clubs. The trio have scored a combined 313 goals for their clubs and will each leave with at least one WSL title under their belts; Kerr has five. Continue reading...
Royal Lyceum, EdinburghDawn Steele stars in Ron Ferguson’s warm-hearted tale of a town whose fortunes are tied to those of its coal mine and local teamBlack diamonds are what they used to dig up from the Fife coalfields. The Blue Brazil is the unlikely nickname of Cowdenbeath football club. Together, in the 1993 book by Ron Ferguson, they represent the bittersweet hopes of a downtrodden town: the coal that brought work, fatal accidents and unemployment; the team that brought moments of joy and a litany of loss. You would call it a triumph of the underdog, except this team never triumphs.“Some things are more important than winning,” is the catchphrase of the ex-miner and diehard Cowdenbeath fan (Barrie Hunter) who haunts this warm-hearted adaptation by Gary McNair, first aired as an audio drama in 2021. More important, the playwright would argue, is a sense of community, of shared experience, of learning not to be defeated by pit closures, job losses, relegation and death. It is about “how to lose and keep going with hope”. Continue reading...
Gary Lineker called it possibly the worst VAR decision he has seen. Celtic’s win against Motherwell is another reason to ditch the systemThis moment was inevitable. One when observers from Gorgie to Guadalajara ponder how Scottish football got itself into such a tangle with the video assistant referee system. Sadly for Hearts, the incident in question may prove fatal in their push to make history. Sadly for Celtic, it will be a key reference point in the event of a successful title defence.Gary Lineker played for Tottenham in a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle in 1990, which has never appeared to fuel a lasting affection for Hearts. Lineker is untainted by the Old Firm’s suffocating tribalism. He passed the neutrality test with flying colours. Lineker used social media to amplify the cries of disgust as Celtic were awarded a late, late penalty to win at Motherwell. “This might be the worst VAR decision I’ve seen (and there’s a lot of competition),” Lineker said. “Extraordinary given the significance.” Continue reading...
Under the knowledgeable guidance of Babett Peter, the Frauen-Bundesliga club have their country’s big two, and the Champions League, in their sightsFrankfurt remains one of the most prominent and historic names in women’s football in Germany. The old 1. FFC Frankfurt ruled the nation for almost a decade, winning the Frauen-Bundesliga seven times between 1999 and 2008, including five in six seasons, and secured four European titles between 2002 and 2015.The best of Germany, and sometimes beyond, represented Frankfurt before clubs such as Wolfsburg, and subsequently Bayern Munich, took charge, but now the city’s name is back challenging at the business end of the table. Continue reading...
The Inter Miami and LAFC stars are the highest-paid players in the league by a distance, while other new arrivals’ numbers are revealed for the first timeLionel Messi is receiving even more on his second MLS contract, as unveiled in the MLS Players Association’s latest drop of player salary information. The union drops offer a fascinating lens into MLS squad construction, a chance to play sporting director and give pass/fail verdicts on roster construction across the 30-team circuit.The Argentinian – whose take-home figure does not include additional amounts earned via Apple streaming subscriptions or jersey sales through Adidas and Fanatics – remains far and away MLS’s top earner, receiving $28.3m in his fourth season with Inter Miami. Son Heung-min ranks second, with Los Angeles FC paying the Tottenham icon $11.2m, while Rodrigo De Paul joins Messi on the podium not as his bodyguard but as the earner of a $9.7m income. Continue reading...
BBC to add Giroud to regular panel, including FrankPostecoglou will join ITV, who show England openerThe former Tottenham managers Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank will go head to head in the TV studio this summer as rival World Cup pundits. The Guardian has learned that Frank has signed a deal with BBC Sport as one of their main analysts, with Postecoglou having agreed to work for ITV.The BBC is also understood to have added the former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud to their regular punditry panel that includes Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Alan Shearer, with ITV recruiting Andros Townsend to join Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Roy Keane. Continue reading...
After learning of his father’s death on the morning of the clásico, the manager watched his players respond with devotion that underlined the culture he has builtEarly on Sunday morning Hansi Flick got a call from his mum telling him that his father had died overnight. Hansi Sr was 82 and he had been ill for some time. The day that Barcelona were going to win the league again, the first clásico back at Camp Nou, had just begun and their coach was not sure what to do, yet he also knew. “I [thought]: ‘should I hide it or should I speak with my team, because for me it is like a family?’,” he said. “I said ‘OK, I want to get the information to my players, and what they did is unbelievable. I will never forget this moment.”None of them would. Barcelona’s players had arrived at the Torre Melina hotel on the Diagonal at midday, where the man many of them consider a father told them about his. Now it was close to midnight and together they celebrated a title that was his too. For the first time in 94 years, the clásico had decided La Liga, if decided is really the word when it was done a while ago. Barcelona’s superiority in the 2-0 victory that finally ended it was incontestable as it had been virtually all season, Real Madrid’s players withdrawing swiftly, relieved that at least it was over now and leaving the stadium to them, the first round of fireworks exploding into the sky and a sardana forming in the centre circle. Continue reading...
Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt among teams facing a nervy Saturday with their managers precariously placedNot the end, perhaps, but certainly the denouement. After the penultimate weekend of the Bundesliga season some big issues remain open; the confirmation of the fourth team to qualify for the Champions League, the two teams to drop to the second tier and which side will get a two-leg opportunity to reprieve themselves.Yet the German game is nothing if not reliably businesslike in having some of next season’s key parameters set before the current exercise is done. There was no need for official announcements, though, with the results doing the explaining for us. Or, in a few cases, the performances. There has been considerable doubt, for example, whether Kasper Hjulmand would continue as Bayer Leverkusen coach next season. Now, there is none. Continue reading...
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We take a look at the creativity and emotion shown by fans of each nation during the group stage of the World CupThe 2026 World Cup has set a new all-time attendance record for the men’s tournament, surpassing the previous record of 3,587,538 set during the 1994 World Cup – and the group stages have only just ended.As ever, fans have brought colour and fun to the tournament – from Mexico’s duck mascot to Norway’s Viking rowers, with plenty more in between. Here are a selection of our favourite images of fans at the matches and at watch parties across the globe. Continue reading...
The broadcaster has covered every World Cup since 1986, and all signs point to Australia’s match against Paraguay breaking records⚽️ LIVE: Australia vs Paraguay – Socceroos World Cup game⚽️ Game guide: What time do the Socceroos play Paraguay today?⚽️ Player guide | Daily podcast | World Cup newsletterThe World Cup clash between the Socceroos and Paraguay represents a potential milestone for Australian football, as the team chase qualification for the knockout rounds for only the third time. For the broadcaster SBS, its significance may be even greater.The match is the culmination of 11 straight men’s World Cup tournaments, and a commitment that stretches back to Mexico 1986. Its audience is expected to go close to – or exceed – the network’s record for any Socceroos match or World Cup fixture. Continue reading...
‘Robbo’ leaves the club on Sunday after nine years having won the lot and been loved by those who watched him playIt was a bit of a surprise when we signed Andy Robertson from Hull – not because he wasn’t a household name, but because all the focus had been on his teammate Harry Maguire. But, pound for pound, the £8m we paid for Robbo in the summer of 2017 has got to be one of the best value transfer deals in Liverpool’s history. Those peak Jürgen Klopp-years, when him and Trent Alexander-Arnold supplied cross after cross, assist after assist … it was an absolute joy to be there. Continue reading...
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace could make it a clean sweep of English winners in Europe this seasonBy The Football MineThis is a quiz by Richard Foster, who presents the It Started With A Kick podcast and writes a daily quiz on the Seventh Heaven Football Quiz App, which is available on Apple and Google. Continue reading...
Relegated three times this century, AGF are the latest surprise champions in a notable trend for ScandinaviaWhen the buses pulled up at Brøndby Stadion on the penultimate weekend of the season, the travelling fans were already celebrating. The final whistle had just blown at Nordsjælland, where Aarhus’s title rivals, Midtjylland, had been held to a goalless draw. That meant Aarhus Gymnastikforening (or AGF for short) could secure the Danish title for the first time since 1986 with a win against Brøndby. The atmosphere was electric before kick-off, the AGF fans displaying a huge tifo with the message: “Let’s write history together.” It didn’t take long for the team to meet the moment, Henrik Dalsgaard, the former Brentford and Midtjylland defender, scoring from a corner after three minutes. The away end erupted, 40 years of hurt swept away in an outpouring of euphoria.“It was one of the greatest days of my life and I think a lot of other AGF fans would say that too,” says Jakob Emil Beikes, the chair of AGF’s fanclub. “When we were celebrating it was just everything, all the feelings coming through. I still can’t believe it, actually. It’s insane.” Continue reading...
The SPFL and SFA wobble at the knees when it comes to punishing their biggest clubs but scenes at Celtic Park risk setting a dangerous precedentThe placing of a full stop on any league campaign offers cause for reflection. In Scotland, there are reasons to wonder if the grim denouement to a stunning title race will prompt a shift in attitudes on two fronts. Whether a Celtic board which has been castigated for its stewardship regards the securing of another title as vindication is an intriguing question. More immediate is how the champions and others will respond to the grim scenes that triggered an enforced conclusion to the visit of Hearts. The behaviour of a section of the Celtic support is so unruly during dominance that one wonders what on earth may happen if the team struggle badly.On Sunday, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) “utterly condemned” Celtic supporters who flooded on to the pitch at the time of Callum Osmand’s third goal. “Supporters entering the field of play in any circumstances is wholly unacceptable and puts those participating and working at a match at risk,” added the SPFL. Hearts players were accosted and abused during their most crushing of moments, having lost the opportunity to break the Old Firm’s four decades of title dominance. Continue reading...
The 2022 World Cup failed to deliver on its environmental promises. From air travel emissions to heat-related dangers, the 2026 edition will be even worseSoccer fans are increasingly watching preparations for the 2026 World Cup through their fingers. The most popular sporting event on the planet is awash in controversy, whether it’s the eye-watering ticket prices, the question of Iran’s participation while the president of one of the host countries threatens war crimes against it, or the role that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement may or may not play in policing the event. And yet, lost in the political pyrotechnics is a fiasco that carries as much long-term peril as any: the tournament’s staggering contribution to runaway climate change.The 2026 World Cup is not only the most politically combustible tournament in modern history, but it is also on track to be the “most polluting” World Cup ever, with total greenhouse gas emissions hitting nearly two times the historical average. Scientists conservatively project that the tournament will generate around 9m tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Air travel comprises approximately 7.7m tons of this carbon budget, and more than four times that of the average for tournaments held between 2010 and 2022. The researchers note that the worst-case upper estimate for air transport is about 13.7m tons of CO2. That may sound bad, but that’s just because World Cup emissions have never been worse. Continue reading...
Salah posted on social media after 4-2 loss at Aston VillaEgyptian forward’s comments appear aimed at Arne SlotMohamed Salah has launched another withering critique on Liverpool, the club he is set to depart after next weekend.In Friday’s 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, Salah came on as a late substitute, as the result cast into doubt fifth-placed Liverpool’s participation in next season’s Champions League. Arne Slot, the Liverpool manager with whom Salah has had a mixed relationship this season, came under fire. Continue reading...
It was such a shame a Scottish season for the ages had to end this way. It was not even afforded an official final whistle. Celtic were already on the verge of a fifth title in a row as Hearts were counterattacked from a free-kick. With the visiting goalkeeper, Alexander Schwolow, in the wrong half, Celtic’s Callum Osmand had a free run on goal.Celtic’s third was the trigger for hundreds of supporters to flood the pitch, not only in celebration, but to goad and confront the shattered Hearts players. There was still stoppage time to play, but Hearts headed for the tunnel and never re-emerged. Within 20 minutes, and with players still in their kit, the visitors were on their bus back to Edinburgh under police escort. Given their immense contribution to this championship, it was a depressing scene. Continue reading...
FA Cup final will be 24th trip to stadium as City manager Spaniard aiming to win 17th major honour in decadePep Guardiola has described his decade managing Manchester City as “fucking fun”, and suggested Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea might not be the last time he leads the team out at Wembley.While Guardiola’s contract expires in summer 2027, there is increasing expectation that he will depart the club in the close season. Saturday’s final will be City’s 24th cup appearance at the national stadium under the Spaniard, with Guardiola aiming to claim the 17th major trophy of his 10 years in charge. Continue reading...
Cannes film festival: This lively documentary about everyone’s favourite hot-headed footballer/unlikely Ken Loach star will give more than just fans a kickHere is a fervent, but repetitive fan-service documentary, perpetually re-using iconic “bad behaviour” clips, all about the tempestuous king of Manchester United (formerly and briefly the tempestuous king of Leeds United).Eric Cantona was the Frenchman who won the hearts of English football fans in the 90s for his stunning skills, filling the silverware cabinet to bursting having been picked up cheap by Man U having effectively flounced out of French football. He was mentored in those days by that kindly teddy-bear of a man, Sir Alex Ferguson, who is interviewed extensively here, along with David Beckham, Eric’s elderly parents Albert and Éléonore, and of course the gloweringly pugnacious man himself, appearing in what appears to be a deserted church and gnomically quoting Baudelaire. Continue reading...
Manchester City defender led Crystal Palace to Wembley triumph last season and is back to take on Chelsea Marc Guéhi’s whirlwind 12 months in the FA Cup: captaining Crystal Palace to glory at Wembley last season, experiencing the competition’s greatest shock via the holders’ third-round elimination at sixth-tier Macclesfield and, on Saturday, aiming to claim the trophy again when Manchester City face Chelsea.In a story-rich competition the defender’s is one of the more intriguing, particularly as Palace’s triumph was their first trophy and City, who he joined nine days after the Macclesfield reverse, were their scalps in the final, beaten 1-0 by Eberechi Eze’s 16th-minute strike. Continue reading...
Transfer window could include merry-go-round of forwards as division’s top three clubs bid farewell to iconsSaturday’s finale to the Women’s Super League season marks the end of an era, and not only because it is the final time the division will operate with 12 teams before the expansion to 14. A multitude of players synonymous with their clubs in recent years are making end-of-contract departures and the forward lines, in particular, of many of the top sides will not look the same again.Thursday’s confirmation of Sam Kerr’s exit from Chelsea, added to Monday’s announcement that Beth Mead will leave Arsenal and last week’s news that Khadija “Bunny” Shaw has decided to leave Manchester City, means the division’s top three clubs are saying farewell to forwards who have been modern icons of their clubs. The trio have scored a combined 313 goals for their clubs and will each leave with at least one WSL title under their belts; Kerr has five. Continue reading...
Royal Lyceum, EdinburghDawn Steele stars in Ron Ferguson’s warm-hearted tale of a town whose fortunes are tied to those of its coal mine and local teamBlack diamonds are what they used to dig up from the Fife coalfields. The Blue Brazil is the unlikely nickname of Cowdenbeath football club. Together, in the 1993 book by Ron Ferguson, they represent the bittersweet hopes of a downtrodden town: the coal that brought work, fatal accidents and unemployment; the team that brought moments of joy and a litany of loss. You would call it a triumph of the underdog, except this team never triumphs.“Some things are more important than winning,” is the catchphrase of the ex-miner and diehard Cowdenbeath fan (Barrie Hunter) who haunts this warm-hearted adaptation by Gary McNair, first aired as an audio drama in 2021. More important, the playwright would argue, is a sense of community, of shared experience, of learning not to be defeated by pit closures, job losses, relegation and death. It is about “how to lose and keep going with hope”. Continue reading...
Gary Lineker called it possibly the worst VAR decision he has seen. Celtic’s win against Motherwell is another reason to ditch the systemThis moment was inevitable. One when observers from Gorgie to Guadalajara ponder how Scottish football got itself into such a tangle with the video assistant referee system. Sadly for Hearts, the incident in question may prove fatal in their push to make history. Sadly for Celtic, it will be a key reference point in the event of a successful title defence.Gary Lineker played for Tottenham in a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle in 1990, which has never appeared to fuel a lasting affection for Hearts. Lineker is untainted by the Old Firm’s suffocating tribalism. He passed the neutrality test with flying colours. Lineker used social media to amplify the cries of disgust as Celtic were awarded a late, late penalty to win at Motherwell. “This might be the worst VAR decision I’ve seen (and there’s a lot of competition),” Lineker said. “Extraordinary given the significance.” Continue reading...
Under the knowledgeable guidance of Babett Peter, the Frauen-Bundesliga club have their country’s big two, and the Champions League, in their sightsFrankfurt remains one of the most prominent and historic names in women’s football in Germany. The old 1. FFC Frankfurt ruled the nation for almost a decade, winning the Frauen-Bundesliga seven times between 1999 and 2008, including five in six seasons, and secured four European titles between 2002 and 2015.The best of Germany, and sometimes beyond, represented Frankfurt before clubs such as Wolfsburg, and subsequently Bayern Munich, took charge, but now the city’s name is back challenging at the business end of the table. Continue reading...
The Inter Miami and LAFC stars are the highest-paid players in the league by a distance, while other new arrivals’ numbers are revealed for the first timeLionel Messi is receiving even more on his second MLS contract, as unveiled in the MLS Players Association’s latest drop of player salary information. The union drops offer a fascinating lens into MLS squad construction, a chance to play sporting director and give pass/fail verdicts on roster construction across the 30-team circuit.The Argentinian – whose take-home figure does not include additional amounts earned via Apple streaming subscriptions or jersey sales through Adidas and Fanatics – remains far and away MLS’s top earner, receiving $28.3m in his fourth season with Inter Miami. Son Heung-min ranks second, with Los Angeles FC paying the Tottenham icon $11.2m, while Rodrigo De Paul joins Messi on the podium not as his bodyguard but as the earner of a $9.7m income. Continue reading...
BBC to add Giroud to regular panel, including FrankPostecoglou will join ITV, who show England openerThe former Tottenham managers Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank will go head to head in the TV studio this summer as rival World Cup pundits. The Guardian has learned that Frank has signed a deal with BBC Sport as one of their main analysts, with Postecoglou having agreed to work for ITV.The BBC is also understood to have added the former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud to their regular punditry panel that includes Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Alan Shearer, with ITV recruiting Andros Townsend to join Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Roy Keane. Continue reading...
After learning of his father’s death on the morning of the clásico, the manager watched his players respond with devotion that underlined the culture he has builtEarly on Sunday morning Hansi Flick got a call from his mum telling him that his father had died overnight. Hansi Sr was 82 and he had been ill for some time. The day that Barcelona were going to win the league again, the first clásico back at Camp Nou, had just begun and their coach was not sure what to do, yet he also knew. “I [thought]: ‘should I hide it or should I speak with my team, because for me it is like a family?’,” he said. “I said ‘OK, I want to get the information to my players, and what they did is unbelievable. I will never forget this moment.”None of them would. Barcelona’s players had arrived at the Torre Melina hotel on the Diagonal at midday, where the man many of them consider a father told them about his. Now it was close to midnight and together they celebrated a title that was his too. For the first time in 94 years, the clásico had decided La Liga, if decided is really the word when it was done a while ago. Barcelona’s superiority in the 2-0 victory that finally ended it was incontestable as it had been virtually all season, Real Madrid’s players withdrawing swiftly, relieved that at least it was over now and leaving the stadium to them, the first round of fireworks exploding into the sky and a sardana forming in the centre circle. Continue reading...
Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt among teams facing a nervy Saturday with their managers precariously placedNot the end, perhaps, but certainly the denouement. After the penultimate weekend of the Bundesliga season some big issues remain open; the confirmation of the fourth team to qualify for the Champions League, the two teams to drop to the second tier and which side will get a two-leg opportunity to reprieve themselves.Yet the German game is nothing if not reliably businesslike in having some of next season’s key parameters set before the current exercise is done. There was no need for official announcements, though, with the results doing the explaining for us. Or, in a few cases, the performances. There has been considerable doubt, for example, whether Kasper Hjulmand would continue as Bayer Leverkusen coach next season. Now, there is none. Continue reading...
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