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New York Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Club thriving with only ‘local' players, DC's Pogba discovery rights, Champions League preview
The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello! Can you pick a squad of regional players but still have global success? On the way: Imagine your neighbourhood team reaching the semi-finals of one of Europe's top club competitions. Kids from round the corner, competing together against the elite. Sounds like a movie. That's exactly what happens at Athletic Club, a Spanish side based in the city of Bilbao, who have maintained a strict 'Basque-only' policy for more than 100 years. Advertisement As Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero explains, the Basque Country is a historic region of just 3.1million people — around the size of Wales, or Arkansas — which spans the northern end of the Spanish-French border. It has its own language, Euskara, and a distinctive culture and history. Romantically, the story goes that Athletic were stripped of the Copa del Rey in 1911 for fielding ineligible foreign players. They reacted by never picking another player from outside the Basque Country again. Athletic players must now have either come through their own academy, have been born in the Basque Country, or graduate from the academy of other Basque clubs. Not really. Athletic's rivals, Real Sociedad, held a similar policy for almost 30 years, but they broke it by signing the decidedly un-Basque John Aldridge from Liverpool in 1989. Liga MX team Chivas have a 'Mexican-only' policy, while Ecuadorian club El Nacional also only use players from their own country — but those are nations with populations of 130million and 18million. Athletic take on Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday, a club who themselves have a proud history of academy graduates — they have named a homegrown player in every squad for over 85 years. Nottingham Forest have a similar record. Both English clubs have struggled to keep up this run in an increasingly globalised football landscape, keeping the streak alive by promoting teenagers who might not have otherwise featured in first-team squads. Absolutely. With 36 trophies, Athletic are Spain's third-most successful club, trailing only Real Madrid and Barcelona. Alongside those two, Athletic are the only other club in Spain to have never played outside the top flight. In recent years, they have developed outstanding players, including Spain internationals Nico Williams, Aymeric Laporte and Unai Simon. Williams remains at the club as Athletic's outstanding player. Advertisement This season, the club are fourth in La Liga and appear set for Champions League qualification. 'The philosophy gives you more,' former Athletic goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta told The Athletic in 2023. 'When you're different in a market where everyone does the same, your shirt is surely worth more money, your broadcasts are worth more money, your fans invest more in that merchandise because you're unique.' And, well, they must also save money on international scouting. Going to the Arsenal game in London tonight? Mikel Arteta wants you to bring your boots. 'Let's play every ball together,' he says. (OK then… but my corners won't beat the first man.) Pep Guardiola might get a different reaction if he asks Manchester City fans to do the same — they have written an open letter asking him to intervene with the club's CEO, Ferran Soriano, over ticket prices. Marcus Rashford had shown flashes of his best form after being loaned from Manchester United to Aston Villa… but the forward will now miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. We have football's Final Four. The Champions League semi-finals start tonight with Arsenal hosting Paris Saint-Germain, before Inter travel to Barcelona on Wednesday. PSG midfielder Joao Neves will have an important role to play tonight: the cherubic 20-year-old is the top tackler in the competition with 45, more than any other player in the last eight seasons. 'The less time they have to breathe, the better for us!' he tells The Athletic in our exclusive interview. Not that Neves needs tips, but former Germany and Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has been explaining how he would defend the Champions League's elite wingers: pressure Michael Olise, push Vinicius Jr wide, cut off Bukayo Saka's supply. He has some pedigree; the precision needed to defend Lionel Messi sounds terrifying. These are four elite semi-finalists — with four leagues represented — and The Athletic's writers have been bickering over a combined XI. Give me Jack Lang's (below). I'd frame that midfield in my living room. 📺 Catch the match: Champions League semi-final first leg: Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain, 3pm ET/8pm UK — CBS, Paramount+, Fubo/Amazon Prime. 📲 Our live blog for Arsenal vs PSG is already up and running, too Saturday marked 39 years since the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, the repercussions of which killed thousands. Pripyat — previous population 50,000 — was left a ghost town. The Athletic's Richard Sutcliffe visited the town's abandoned stadium, an eerie concrete monolith now lined by tall trees. Floodlights, seating, and even turnstiles still remain. Advertisement This was due to be the home of FC Stroitel Pripyat, a club in the fourth tier of Soviet football who initially selected its players from builders helping to construct the nearby power station. By 1986, they were a club on the up, winning three consecutive Kyiv regional championships, investing heavily in their stadium, and facing a regional cup semi-final against Mashinostroitel Borodyanka. The tie would never be played. The stadium would never be used. That Saturday morning, during a routine safety test, reactor four at Chernobyl exploded. Liverpool have won their first Premier League title in front of fans for 35 years — the party was always going to leave some sore heads. It featured cigars, Dire Straits, and a 3am finish… There's only so much celebrating to be done, though. Next season is less than four months away. Who are the early favourites? I went for Arsenal — but, even though it's far too early to make them, here's everyone's predictions. FPL: How did you emerge from the double-gameweek? Abdul Rehman has his tips for the run-in, and it's time to get rid of Cole Palmer. With the season winding down, some teams are already 'on the beach': checked out mentally, going through the motions, and anticipating the summer ahead. Conor O'Neill took on the brave job of defining what it means. He flicked through paper maps to find each stadium's proximity to the nearest beach, before calculating whose form historically cratered in the season's waning days. Which club is already dipping their toes in the water? Ipswich Town, barely a goal kick from Felixstowe Beach and dreadful at the end of the season. And one final quiz question (and it's not even a Friday, you lucky things): which EFL club is furthest away from a beach? That would be Coventry City — no sandcastles for Frank Lampard in their push for the Championship play-offs.
New York Times
21-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Champions League last-16 draw analysed: Liverpool-PSG tops bill alongside Madrid derby and Bayern-Leverkusen
The Champions League's new format may have given every team only two possible opponents in the round-of-16 draw but that has done little to dampen the excitement now that we know the eight ties. Liverpool's prize for topping the league-phase table is a humdinger of a showdown with French giants Paris Saint-Germain. Other high-profile ties include a Madrid derby, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meeting over two legs, and a heavyweight clash between Germany's leading lights Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. Advertisement On top of that, we also now know the potential quarter-final and semi-final pairings, allowing us to map out the route to the final in Munich on May 31. Gregg Evans, Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero, Seb Stafford-Bloor, James McNicholas, Anantaajith Raghuraman and Mark Carey analyse the draw's main talking points. The Premier League leaders are returning to Paris for the first time since losing to Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League final. This eye-catching match-up already looks like the blockbuster tie of the next round and will be one of Liverpool's toughest tests of the season. Arne Slot's side topped the league-phase table after winning seven of their eight games, but they have hardly benefited from that early qualification. Not only have they landed one of the strongest opponents left in the competition — PSG beat fellow French side Brest 10-0 over two legs in the knockout-phase play-offs after landing arguably the toughest set of league-phase fixtures — Liverpool haven't enjoyed a break from playing either. They drew 2-2 in the Premier League against Aston Villa on Wednesday, a fixture that had been rearranged to avoid a clash with Liverpool's Carabao Cup final. They have shown incredible resolve this season to get through a hectic period without any noticeable drop-off but are now facing another run of high-pressure outings. In the league phase, they beat the Spanish (Real Madrid) and German (Bayer Leverkusen) champions, so will fancy their chances against the Ligue 1 leaders, PSG. Big European nights at Anfield are rarely easy for visiting sides but Luis Enrique's team appear to be growing into the competition. Their potential route to the final Gregg Evans There was bound to be intrigue for Real Madrid, given their possible round-of-16 opponents were city rivals Atletico or a Bayer Leverkusen team managed by their former midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is regularly linked with his old side. It will be another Madrid derby on the grandest of stages in the last 16 — though some might have wanted to see this game later in the competition. Atletico have become European mainstays under coach Diego Simeone but the memory of those two lost Champions League finals against Real in 2014 and 2016 still stings. That was part of a remarkable four-season run in which Real knocked Atletico out of the competition each time. Advertisement Real turned on the style in their play-off win against Manchester City, with Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick showing how he has reached top form in his debut season as a galactico. Carlo Ancelotti appears to have found more balance among his star-studded front four, even if injuries have left them short in defence. Atletico will still fancy their chances of finally beating the 15-time winners in their favourite competition. Spending almost €200million (£165m; $209m) in last summer's transfer market has facilitated a title challenge in La Liga and there was little to separate the sides in a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu this month. Former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez scored Atletico's opener there and will again be a danger man. Make it through and a quarter-final against Arsenal or PSV awaits. There will be much more at stake than just city pride here. Their potential route to the final Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero This is not what Bayern would have wanted. They hold an eight-point lead over Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga but have not won any of the six games against last season's German champions since Xabi Alonso took over as coach in the autumn of 2022. Most recently, Bayern were dominated by Leverkusen in the BayArena and while Vincent Kompany's side held on for an important 0-0 draw, they were led on a merry dance that night by Florian Wirtz, who is playing better than anyone in Germany. That said, Leverkusen will not be eagerly anticipating these games, either. Bayern's form is mediocre and they were fortunate to squeeze past Celtic in the play-off round — a bundled 94th-minute goal from Alphonso Davies was the difference — but Alonso's players have rarely produced their very best in Europe. If they play like they did against Atletico Madrid in the league phase or as naively as they did at Anfield in their 4-0 defeat against Liverpool, Bayern will be too much, too. Jamal Musiala is, on form, every bit Wirtz's equal. Davies should be fully fit again for the first leg, making a huge difference to Bayern's left side, and Harry Kane, Joao Palhinha, Josip Stanisic and Hiroki Ito should be in a better physical condition than they are currently. So, bad news for both teams, really, but good for everyone else — it should be a fascinating couple of games. GO DEEPER Are Bayern Munich really any good? Their potential route to the final Seb Stafford-Bloor It's a familiar opponent for Arsenal in the round of 16. They have faced PSV 10 times in competitive action and will now have done so in each of the last three seasons. They've only been drawn together once in a knockout tie, which PSV won in 2007. Arsenal will be favourites against Peter Bosz's team, who trail Ajax by two points at the top of the Dutch Eredivisie. Drawing PSV means no Feyenoord and no potential reunion with their incoming head coach Robin van Persie, a former Arsenal forward. Advertisement After that, Arsenal's path to the final becomes much more difficult. They are on the loaded side of the draw, with one of the two Madrid teams in their potential quarter-final. If they made it to the semi-final, they would face Liverpool, PSG, Aston Villa or Club Brugge. If Arsenal are to end their long wait for a Champions League trophy, they won't be able to go about it the easy way. Their potential route to the final James McNicholas If either of these legs comes close to replicating Barcelona's recent trip to the Estadio da Luz in January, then we are in for one of the best ties of the last 16. A last-minute winner from Raphinha saw Barcelona break Benfica's hearts to win 5-4 after trailing 4-3 going into stoppage time. It was a breathless encounter in the pouring Lisbon rain, featuring calamitous defending, controversial decisions, and moments of pure quality in 100 minutes (reflected in their match stats below). Benfica left-back Alvaro Carreras stood out for his attacking performance in January's clash, delivering a delicious cross for Vangelis Pavlidis for Benfica's opener. What was equally notable was how Carreras, 21, kept fellow Spaniard Lamine Yamal quiet for long periods. Look out for that battle when the pair meet in March. Barcelona's attacking talent, with the firepower of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Yamal, is unquestionable but Benfica exposed Hansi Flick's high defensive line — and it is likely to be a key tactic again. Benfica have played their part in some Champions League humdingers this season. As well as their nine-goal thriller against Barcelona, there was the late 3-2 comeback against Monaco in November before a dramatic 3-3 second-leg draw against Monaco allowed them to edge through 4-3 on aggregate in the play-off round. Expect goals, drama, and two teams going toe-to-toe in both legs. Their potential route to the final Mark Carey Villa will have mixed feelings about this tie. With Unai Emery in the dugout and the talent they have following the additions of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, there should be optimism. Yet, Bruges was the location of one of their flattest performances of the season. The 1-0 defeat is best remembered for Tyrone Mings' brain fade as he picked up the ball from an Emiliano Martinez goal kick to gift the hosts a penalty that Hans Vanaken converted. Villa ended that night with one on target, struggling to break down a disciplined Club Brugge team. Advertisement For all their attacking options, Villa have struggled at the back, keeping one clean sheet in their last 16 games. Despite finishing the league phase in 24th, Club Brugge put five past Atalanta in the knockout round play-offs and will be brimming with confidence. Vanaken, striker Ferran Jutgla and wingers Chemsdine Talbi and Christos Tzolis all carry considerable threat up top. Should Villa successfully navigate this tricky tie, the going only gets tougher in the quarter-finals, where they will meet the winners of Liverpool vs PSG. Their potential route to the final Anantaajith Raghuraman Amid the hype that will accompany many of the high-profile match-ups, Feyenoord-Inter has the potential to be an engaging tie. The Eredivisie side are under caretaker management following Brian Priske's sacking this month but, as The Athletic reported this week, are expected to hire former player Van Persie. Van Persie started the two prior meetings between these clubs in the 2001-02 UEFA Cup (now Europa League) semi-finals. Feyenoord won the tie 3-2 on aggregate, with Van Persie assisting Pierre van Hooijdonk in the second leg in Rotterdam after his team beat Inter 1-0 at San Siro. Managing against Simone Inzaghi's tactically fluid team will pose a whole new challenge, though. Inter ended the league phase with the best defensive record, conceding just once in eight games, most notably shutting out Arsenal. Feyenoord were exciting in attack, racking up 18 goals, including three each against Bayern and Manchester City, despite finishing 19th. Something's got to give. Feyenoord made it into the round of 16 after defeating Milan 2-1 on aggregate in the knockout round, adding another layer of interest. Their potential route to the final Anantaajith Raghuraman GO DEEPER Is Bellingham Europe's most 'clutch' player? This is as gentle a game as Dortmund could have hoped for. Given their disastrous away form — two wins in the Bundesliga away from home all season — Dortmund's trip to France will be perilous, particularly for a side short on the substance necessary to grind out results on big European nights. Nevertheless, Niko Kovac has only been in position for a few weeks and another fortnight should give him the hours on the training pitches to toughen this team. Advertisement They are a shadow of their usual selves, but this Dortmund team still possess the attacking menace to be too much for Lille. Julian Brandt, Marcel Sabitzer, Karim Adeyemi and Emre Can are hopelessly out of form, but Serhou Guirassy and Jamie Gittens are dangerous players who should pose a big challenge for Lille in the Dortmund leg, at least. Their potential route to the final GO DEEPER What is Niko Kovac walking in to at Borussia Dortmund? Seb Stafford-Bloor (Top photos: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, left, and PSG's Ousmane Dembele; Getty Images)
New York Times
21-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Premier League predicted line-ups: Who do our writers think will start in Gameweek 26?
As we approach another weekend of action in the Premier League, our writers have had a go at naming the starting XIs for the upcoming matches. There could be late changes or injuries, but our staff have predicted these line-ups given the information available at the time of writing. Ben Dinnery also held his weekly Fantasy Premier League live Q&A earlier today. Follow the Premier League and FPL on The Athletic How to watch: Sky Sports (UK); USA Network, Fubo (US). Notes: James Justin, Ricardo Pereira, Abdul Fatawu (injured) Ed Mackey Notes: Sepp van den Berg, Josh Dasilva, Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey, Gustavo Nunes, Igor Thiago (injured) Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero How to watch: TNT Sports (UK); USA Network, Fubo (US). Notes: Armando Broja, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye, Dwight McNeil, Seamus Coleman, Youssef Chermiti (injured), Nathan Patterson (doubt) Patrick Boyland Notes: Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Toby Collyer, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Amad, Jonny Evans (injured) Carl Anka How to watch: Not available (UK); Peacock (US). Notes: Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu (injured) James McNicholas Notes: Michail Antonio, Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville, Lucas Paqueta, Vladimir Coufal (injured) Roshane Thomas How to watch: Not available (UK); Peacock (US). Notes: Enes Unal, Evanilson, Adam Smith, Julian Araujo, Marcos Senesi (injured); James Hill (doubt) Anantaajith Raghuraman Notes: Yerson Mosquera, Enso Gonzalez, Sasa Kalajdzic, Hwang Hee-chan, Emmanuel Agbadou, Rodrigo Gomes (injured) Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero How to watch: Not available (UK); Peacock (US). Notes: Reiss Nelson, Kenny Tete, Harry Wilson (injured); Sasa Lukic (doubt). Justin Guthrie Notes: Chadi Riad, Cheick Doucoure (injured) Matt Woosnam How to watch: Not available (UK); USA Network, Fubo (US). Notes: Wes Burns, Chiedozie Ogbene, Christian Walton, Julio Enciso (injured); Conor Chaplin (doubt); Axel Tuanzebe (suspended) Ali Rampling Notes: Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke (injured); Timo Werner (doubt) James Maw How to watch: Not available (UK); Peacock (US). Notes: Adam Lallana, Taylor Harwood-Bellis (injured) Nancy Froston Notes: Lewis Dunk, Jason Steele, Ferdi Kadioglu, James Milner, Igor Julio (injured) Andy Naylor How to watch: Sky Sports (UK); NBC, Fubo, Peacock (US). Notes: Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, Pau Torres, Leon Bailey, Ezri Konsa, Ross Barkley (injured), Axel Disasi (ineligible) Jacob Tanswell Notes: Noni Madueke, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia, Marc Guiu (injured); Mykhailo Mudryk (suspended) Simon Johnson How to watch: Sky Sports (UK); USA Network, Fubo (US). Notes: Joelinton, Jamaal Lascelles (injured); Sven Botman (major doubt) Chris Waugh Notes: Carlos Miguel (injured); Taiwo Awoniyi (doubt) Paul Taylor How to watch: Sky Sports (UK); Peacock (US). Notes: Rodri, Manuel Akanji (injured); Oscar Bobb, John Stones, Erling Haaland (doubts) Sam Lee Notes: Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley (injured); Cody Gakpo (doubt) James Pearce (Top photos: Getty Images)
