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New York Times
41 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Chelsea's 2024-25 player of the season: Moises Caicedo
Who is the best player in the Premier League never to have featured in the Champions League? It is hard to think of a worthier answer to this particular question than Moises Caicedo, but he will not be eligible for much longer. Chelsea will be back in Europe's elite club competition next season, and the soft-spoken but tough-tackling Ecuador international might be the single most significant reason why. Advertisement Caicedo is the only member of Enzo Maresca's young squad to start all 38 of Chelsea's Premier League matches in 2024-25. The last Chelsea player to achieve the feat was Cesar Azpilicueta in 2018-19, and the last midfielder to do it was Frank Lampard in 2004-05. Joining that exclusive club is a testament to the 23-year-old's endurance, but also to his vital importance. He has been the ever-present reference point for Maresca's midfield, around which an inverted full-back can roam, ahead of which Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez can focus the bulk of their energies on the final third without worrying that Chelsea's defence is liable to be exposed. At times, it has felt as if he holds the entire team together — even on the occasions when he has been the nominal right-back inverting into midfield next to Romeo Lavia. 'When you've got Caicedo next to you, it's a dream, really,' Palmer told Sky Sports, as reported by MSN, after Chelsea's 3-1 win over Liverpool earlier this month. 'From the start of the season until now, he's been our best player. He's a machine. He wins everything back (for the team), always gives 100 per cent every day, he's humble, he's nice to everyone, and everyone loves him.' Palmer would have had a strong case to retain his Chelsea player of the season crown if he had managed to carry his 2024 production into 2025. Fernandez has had excellent stretches of form under Maresca this season. Marc Cucurella has bolstered his Stamford Bridge cult-hero credentials by darting upfield from left-back to score several key goals. Levi Colwill has been a fixture in Maresca's defence and scored the most important goal of the season against Nottingham Forest to seal a fourth-place finish. Yet it is a mark of just how good Caicedo has been that among his team-mates and Chelsea supporters, there was no real debate before the voting and no argument after he swept the board for men's first team awards at the club's awards ceremony earlier this month. Advertisement Midfielders who do their best work winning the ball back can sometimes be overlooked for individual credit, but not at Chelsea. This is the club where Claude Makelele was adored, where Nemanja Matic became a revered two-time Premier League champion, and where N'Golo Kante regularly drew gasps from the Stamford Bridge crowd as his otherworldly ability to take the ball from opponents cemented him as the most uniquely dominant midfielder of his generation. Caicedo, with his prime years still ahead of him, has already done enough to distinguish himself as part of that proud lineage. His aggression can sometimes get the better of him, and there are moments when he is overly ambitious in his attempts to poke the ball away. But relatively regular yellow cards are a small price to pay as he engages in the process of exploring the limits of his destructive talents. Opponents already respect his ability to disrupt or derail their attacks, and Chelsea's vast defensive improvement, impossible to ignore under Maresca, has a lot to do with Caicedo. 'Moi is just breaking up everything and making everything look so easy,' Colwill told Chelsea's official YouTube channel after last month's 1-0 win over rivals Tottenham. 'If I had a mic on me when I'm playing, all you'd hear is, 'Wow, Moi'. That's all I do because he makes it so easy for us in defence because he stops everything before it gets to us.' Caicedo's consistent aggression is all the more important at the heart of a young, technical Chelsea team that is often accused of lacking physicality and bite. On good days and bad, he sets the tone without the ball, as well as directing possession with poise and polish. Maresca has already publicly claimed that he is the best defensive midfielder in the world, and any Premier League team of the 2024-25 season which does not include Caicedo raises eyebrows at Stamford Bridge. The question going into next season is not whether he is ready for the Champions League, but whether the Champions League is ready for him.
New York Times
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Row Z's end of season special: Gianni Infantino takes on Cristiano Ronaldo for the humility award
Welcome to Row Z, The Athletic's weekly column that shines a light on the bonkers side of the game. From clubs to managers, players to organisations, every Friday throughout the 2024-25 season we have brought you the absurdities, the greed, the contradictions, the preposterousness and the oddities of the sport we all love. We'll end on a high (low) note today with the Row Z 2024-25 Season Awards. Good luck Gianni, we're all rooting for you… Honourable mention: Al Nassr When a YouTuber named Abu Omar dared to do an innocent impression of supervillain Lionel Messi at the home of Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr gave a calm and measured response. 'What happened yesterday inside the dressing room in terms of individual (irresponsible) actions is unacceptable by some people who do not appreciate the value of the party they represent, nor the place and entity that left it.' Runner-up: Chelsea If they weren't selling the women's team to themselves to help balance the books, or being busy compiling the most expensive football squad of all time so they could win a trophy having been pitted against part-timers and farmers, Chelsea were making a firm stand on racism. July 2024: Midfielder Enzo Fernandez was filmed singing an offensive song about France's black players, who included Wesley Fofana, after winning the Copa America with Argentina. Advertisement Fofana called it 'uninhibited racism'. He later accepted an apology from his team-mate and said he 'did not understand' what he was singing, with Fernandez making a sizeable donation to an anti-discrimination charity that Chelsea then match-funded. Fernandez also apologised in public with a post on social media. August 2024: Chelsea handed Fernandez the captain's armband. Winner: Manchester United What a season they've had! Some highlights… Sacking sporting director Dan Ashworth five months after spending £2.5million ($3.4m) to lure him from Newcastle. Sacking head coach Eric ten Hag and his staff (which cost them £10.4m) a few months after bankrolling Ten Hag's summer transfer spending to the tune of around £200m. And then spending another £11m hiring Ruben Amorim and his six coaching staff. No wonder they had to double some ticket prices for older people and kids, what with a leaky roof to fix as well. It's been a hell of a run for INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who took over a football club sixth in the Premier League and have currently rooted them in 15th. At least the women's team reached the FA Cup final, not that Sir Jim was able to attend for the second season in a row, having earlier turfed the team out of their own training ground building and told them to use portacabins. Then there were hundreds of redundancies, the cancelling of free lunches and Christmas parties, the organisation of a barbecue to celebrate winning the Europa League (which didn't go too well). Oh, and they designed a new stadium that looks like a circus tent. It's important to remember the INEOS mantra at times like these: 'Best in class.' 'Morale will be driven by success on the pitch,' Ratcliffe predicted in December. 'We want people here who are either happy or unhappy on a Monday morning depending on what happened at the weekend.' How's that going? Well, United were last seen throwing their goalkeeper up for a corner in stoppage time during a 1-0 defeat to ASEAN All-Stars. Club morale might need checking on. Runner-up: Cristiano Ronaldo During a discussion about who the greatest footballer of all time might be, Ronaldo's response was unequivocal. 'I believe so, sincerely,' he said, when naming who he think is the best player to ever kick a ball in the history of the sport. 'I've never seen anyone better… I say it from the heart,' he added, before calling the individual concerned, 'the most complete player that's ever existed, in my opinion'. Advertisement Who was he talking about? Pele? Diego Maradona? To be honest, there's no need for a punchline — you know the answer. Winner: Gianni Infantino But the winner has to be our Gianni, the man who has been the driving force behind the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament promises to be a roaring success – Robbie Williams is going to sing at it and he said it's going to be 'massive'. The tournament will determine once and for all who is the best club team in the whole world. Well, except it won't feature the current best team in England (Liverpool), because they're not invited. Neither are the second-best team in England (Arsenal). Or the current best team in Spain (Barcelona). Or in Italy (Napoli), come to think of it. Anyway, Austria's third-best team (Red Bull Salzburg) will definitely be there, as will Inter Miami, despite them having never won the MLS Cup. Ronaldo might be crowbarred into the competition too, as Gianni told a lad on YouTube last week. So, all told, if you want a ticket for the final, £1,795 to sit in the lower bowl feels like decent value. Anyway, seeing as Gianni has planned it all, it's only fair that his name is engraved on the FIFA Club World Cup trophy (not once, but twice), including a line which says the tournament was inspired by him. We can't wait. Honourable mention: Jhon Duran, who posted a West Ham 'Irons' emoji on Instagram when being linked with a move from Aston Villa to the London Stadium in the summer, then flirted with Bayern Munich after scoring against them by calling them 'the club of my dreams', then signed a new contract with Villa and then fell in love with Al Nassr for a reported 320,000 reasons every week. Winner: Jurgen Klopp to Red Bull. 'I'm a football romantic,' Jurgen Klopp told Marca in 2017. 'I like tradition in football and all that stuff.' All that stuff. Winner: UR Cristiano If you're lucky enough to be one of Ronaldo's 75 million subscribers (sorry, siuuuubscribers… this is genuinely a thing) on YouTube you'll have enjoyed the following videos (again, these are genuine titles): The highlight, though, was undoubtedly an interview with his old mate Rio Ferdinand, during which Ronaldo referred to himself in the third person on no fewer than 10 occasions. During an intense Frost/Nixon-esque grilling about how great Ronaldo is, the subject turned to the thorny issue of Saudi Arabia and its 'issues'. Would Ronaldo use the opportunity to highlight horrendous acts of violence and oppression taking place in his new favourite country? Let's find out… Ronaldo: 'It was very easy for me (to decide to move to Saudi). We can speak about religion or the weather, but no country is perfect.' Advertisement Ferdinand: 'It's interesting what you said that no country is perfect. That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw you go (in 2022)… a lot of the western world are pointing the finger saying negative stuff, I'm like: 'Are we that good?' Everyone has problems but it's about facing the problems and taking a step forward.' Ronaldo: 'For me, all the countries have their issues, it's normal.' They're just normal men. Anyway, to be fair to Ronaldo it was probably for the best that he held back on any negativity given that, according to Amnesty International, people who are critical of the regime are imprisoned and even sentenced to death. Siuuuuuuu! Thomas Tuchel was appointed as England manager and the Daily Mail and Danny Mills took it well. 'A DARK DAY FOR ENGLAND' screamed the Mail, while adding: 'Now we have a gun for hire who owes us nothing and will pass through our game with a huge cheque and no connection to the fans or players. 'We are the laughing stock of the world game.' Meanwhile, Mills just said what we were all thinking: 'Often we see him in a hoodie and a cap on the sidelines, will that be his managerial stance as England manager? That's not really something we're used to, it's always a suit, effectively, and looking very, very smart.' Hull City sacked Tim Walter with the club third bottom of the Championship, which seemed fair enough, but the timeline of events was truly glorious. 6.37pm on Tuesday: Hull's owner, Acun Ilicali, said live on BBC Radio Humberside before the home match against Sheffield Wednesday: 'I would never put the blame on Tim. I'll put the blame on me too.' And the key question: 'If you were to lose tonight, would Tim still be in a job?' Ilicali: 'Yes, he will be in the job. If we lose tonight, he's going to be in the job.' Advertisement 9.39pm: Final score, Hull City 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday. 5pm on Wednesday: He sacked Walter. It was the final year at Goodison Park and Everton wanted fans to share their memories of the grand old place on social media. However, at the time, the team were heading for yet another relegation scrap and, well… — Mr Robot (@bittertoffee) September 1, 2024 — 𝗣𝗘𝗗 (@PED7) September 1, 2024 Still, all's well that ends well… Turns out me and flares dont mix too well — James (@Jab0702) May 19, 2025 When Chris Smalling was playing for Manchester United or Roma, he tended to tweet pretty generic pictures of himself from matches he'd played in. Then he went to the Saudi Pro League and was just so impressed by the future of urban living that he had to tell everyone about it. 'Can you tweet something like…' THE LINE A cognitive city stretching across 170 kilometers, from the mountains of NEOM across desert valleys to the Red Sea. A mirrored architectural masterpiece towering 500 meters above sea level, but a land-saving 200 meters wide. Unique solar and wind advantages for 100%… — Chris Smalling (@ChrisSmalling) September 22, 2024 And finally…. Even the pros get it wrong from time to time… 🫣😂#EFL | #SkyBetLeagueTwo — Sky Bet League Two (@SkyBetLeagueTwo) November 17, 2024
Sinar Daily
a day ago
- Sport
- Sinar Daily
History-makers Chelsea roar back to beat Real Betis in UEFA Conference League final
WROCLAW - Chelsea roared back to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final in Wroclaw on Wednesday, becoming the first club to complete a clean sweep of European trophies. Manuel Pellegrini's enterprising Betis caught the favourites cold with an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli against a flat-footed and listless Chelsea. Real Betis' French defender #15 Romain Perraud lies on the ground after being fouled by Chelsea's Portuguese midfielder #07 Pedro Neto during the UEFA Conference League final football match between Real Betis and Chelsea FC in Wroclaw on May 28, 2025. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) But Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions injected energy and Cole Palmer changed the complexion of the game in a five-minute spell, setting up Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson to score. Substitute Jadon Sancho made the game safe in the 83rd minute as the Spanish side faded in their first European final and Moises Caicedo added gloss to the scoreline. Chelsea are the first club to win the full set of five UEFA club tournaments -- the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup. They have also won their first silverware since Todd Boehly's consortium took over from former owner Roman Abramovich in 2022, following an era of unprecedented success for the club. Boehly was on the pitch at the end, savouring the win that seemed unlikely when Betis were in control in the first half. Chelsea have ended the season with a flourish after also securing a place in next season's Champions League following a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League. Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped Conference League glory would be a launchpad for the club. "The club have invested lots of money in the last three or four years, so they are also waiting for results," Maresca told TNT Sports. "Hopefully this can be a starting point and from tonight, from this season, (we are) building something important." The Spanish side went ahead in the ninth minute through Ezzalzouli, who scored the goal against Fiorentina that took his side to the final. Chelsea's Argentinian midfielder #08 Enzo Fernandez celebrates after scoring the equalising goal during the UEFA Conference League final football match between Real Betis and Chelsea FC in Wroclaw on May 28, 2025. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) Malo Gusto lost the ball and it broke to Betis captain Isco, who produced a clever pass to find Ezzalzouli on the edge of the box, with the Moroccan drilling a left-footed shot across Filip Jorgensen. Minutes later Marc Bartra tried his luck from distance but this time Jorgensen was equal to the task, producing a flying save. Urged on by their massed ranks of fans, Betis went close again when Johnny Cardoso's shot from inside the box was deflected behind. The Premier League side were enjoying the bulk of possession but struggling to create meaningful chances, with Betis defending well and Isco, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, pulling the strings. Palmer magic Maresca brought on James for the struggling Gusto at the break and the English side looked livelier. Pellegrini was forced a change when goalscorer Ezzalzouli was forced off, with Jesus Rodriguez coming on to replace him. Maresca also made a number of other changes, including bringing on Sancho, but it took two moments of magic from Palmer to turn the tide. The England man produced a pinpoint inswinging cross from the right that found onrushing Argentina midfielder Fernandez, who got between two defenders to head the ball past Adrian in the 65th minute. Suddenly Chelsea's tails were up and the fans behind the goal were in full voice. Five minutes later Palmer twisted and turned before producing another superb cross that Jackson bundled into the net. Jackson should have scored a second goal but a heavy touch allowed the Betis goalkeeper to gather. But Sancho made it 3-1 when he combined with fellow substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and finished from an angle and Caicedo added a fourth from the edge of the box. Victory for Chelsea breaks an astonishing cycle of wins for Spanish teams. Taking into account World Cups, European Championships, Champions League and the UEFA Cup/Europa League, of the previous 27 men's finals involving Spanish teams, all 27 had had Spanish winners. Four Spanish club sides had been defeated in that time, but in all cases by fellow La Liga sides. Earlier, the centre of Wroclaw was packed with fans from both clubs, with green-and-white clad Betis fans outnumbering their English rivals. Poland's Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said police made 28 arrests after supporters clashed in the city's market square. - AFP
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
Chelsea 2024/25 season review and player ratings: Palmer 8, Sancho 5, Nkunku 3
Season synopsis Premier League final position: Fourth FA Cup: Fourth round League Cup: Fourth round Uefa Conference League: Winners, beat Real Betis 4-1 in final It is still difficult not to view Chelsea through the lens of the gratuitous and at times reckless billion-plus spend under the current ownership group. On the pitch they might be a young and improving side with a manager adept at working with such a squad, but given the outlay and the astonishing wastefulness – Joao Felix on a seven-year £130k-a-week contract for example – the praise can be a little thin on the ground. After all, that's a lot of investment to celebrate sneaking fourth place in the Premier League on the final day of the season and lifting Uefa Conference League. However, it's also hard to argue that they aren't a better side than 12 months ago, and returning to the bUefa Champions League is a big step in the right direction. Best performance of the season Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool: Chelsea gave the newly crowned champions a guard of honour – followed by a pasting at Stamford Bridge. Enzo Fernandez struck after just three minutes before Jarrell Quansah's second-half own goal doubled Chelsea's lead. Virgil van Dijk's late header pulled a goal back but Cole Palmer had the final say, ending an 18-game goal drought from the spot. Worst performance of the season Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea: Back in December, Chelsea fell apart in a grim display at Portman Road. Ipswich striker Liam Delap bullied the visiting defence, scoring a 12th-minute penalty and then setting up former Chelsea winger Omari Hutchinson for a second eight minutes after the break. Thriller of the season Chelsea 4-2 Brighton: Cole Palmer became the first player to score four first-half goals in a Premier League match last September when Chelsea swept aside Brighton to go fourth. In an entertaining match, Palmer, 22, also hit the post and had another one ruled out before the break as Chelsea took advantage of Brighton's high defensive line. The Seagulls scored twice early, with both of their goals stemming from errors by Chelsea's former Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. However, after Georginio Rutter headed the visitors ahead, Palmer single-handedly destroyed the Brighton defence. Player of the season Moises Caicedo: It turns out Chelsea did sign a world-class defensive midfielder from Brighton after all. Following a tough first season in blue, the Ecuadorean has looked much more like a British transfer record signing. At 23, there's still plenty of room to improve. Will play Champions League football for the first time in his career next season and that will only help his development. Goal of the season Pedro Neto v Fulham: Last-minute rocket against local rivals ended a long wait for an away win and kick-started Chelsea's strong run-in. Manager Enzo Maresca – 7.5 Chelsea showed signs of progress in 2024/25 and Maresca deserves credit for helping shape that with a defined style of play and an identity. It's a young side, and despite their lavish spending, they could still do with an elite centre-back and an upgrade in the central striking position. It looks like Maresca will be around to implement phase two of his project. Also, never hurts to put silverware in the cabinet. Goalkeepers Robert Sanchez – 6 Shaky, lost place, earned it back, strong end to season. Filip Jorgensen – 5 Looked bright early, fumbled his chance, became Conference League keeper. Defenders Marc Cucurella – 8.5 Player transformed, massive in defence and transition and important goals. Arguably player of the season. Gone from villain to hero. Levi Colwill – 7.5 Big step forward, growing into a leader. Scored a crucial goal at Nottingham Forest. Malo Gusto – 6 Opportunities more limited this season but did his part. Trevoh Chalobah – 7.5 Massive call to bring the defender back from loan at Crystal Palace. Slotted straight in. Wesley Fofana – 6 Injuries again. Worrying trend continues, but what a player when fit. Reece James – 6.5 Encouraging signs of fitness progress. Chelsea much better for his availability. Tosin Adarabioyo – 6.5 Understated presence and rock solid in the season run-in. Midfielders Enzo Fernandez – 8 Goals, assists and energy – finally getting closer to the World Cup star Chelsea signed. Romeo Lavia – 7 Could be team's best midfielder, but couldn't stay fit again. Mykhailo Mudryk – 2 Minimal contribution then banned for alleged doping. The future looks bleak. Cole Palmer – 8 Barren spell shouldn't blight another strong season of 15 Premier League goals. Also stepped up when his side needed him in the Conference League final. Elite talent. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 6 Did his part when called upon but used sparingly. Moises Caicedo – 8.5 Arguably best defensive midfielder in the league. Outstanding all season. Forwards Noni Madueke – 7 Lively and threatening but went missing at times. Needs to score more from chances he makes for himself. Nicolas Jackson – 6 Superb start to the season, then hit by a goal drought then injury. Lucky his red card against Newcastle wasn't more costly. Pedro Neto – 6 Lively in parts and scored a few big goals but is much better than he showed overall. Jadon Sancho – 5 Similar to Neto, but a level below. Christopher Nkunku – 3 Doesn't fit into Maresca's system. Unlikely to stay. Tyrique George – 7 The Academy success story of the season. Bright future, could do with a loan spell away and regular game time next season.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Chelsea quartet named in Conference League team of the tournament
Four Chelsea players have been named in the UEFA Conference League Team of the Tournament, chosen by the UEFA Technical Observer Blues won the trophy after defeating Real Betis 4-1 in the final on Wednesday Jorgensen, Tosin Adarabioyo, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer all made the team, despite Palmer not being named in the Blues squad for the league Betis midfielder Isco was named Player of the full team is as follows:Goalkeeper: Filip Jorgensen (Chelsea)Defenders: Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis), Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea), Natan (Real Betis), Robin Gosens (Fiorentina)Midfielders: Svit Seslar (Celje), Isco (Real Betis), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)Forwards: Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Afimico Pululu (Jagiellonia), Tokmac Nguen (Djurgarden)
