Well, the Euros and the Copa are over, no-one really cares about the Olympics, pre-seasons are underway and more importantly, silly season has begun.
ManU has signed two players, City signed Brazilian winger Sávio from themselves Troyes after he spent last season excelling at one of City's minor league franchises Girona, and Jurgen...
That man is not coming back to management for a LONG time.
Also, here is a meme template that should get some run this year:
Also, if you haven't been following the entire Enzo/Argentina v. France thing, the responses from Argentina have been just a masterclass, up to and including "France mocked Messi for his height, which I am equating with racism."
Had the league not sat on their hands to decide 777 wasn't a fit and proper ownership candidate, we might not be in this position, but looking like it's going to be a grim final season at Goodison.
Hopefully Moshiri is willing to take a big enough loss that we can get some stable ownership with a longer-term vision for the club, but I'm not holding my breath. 
De Bruyne and Ederson rumors to Saudi League are bubbling.
I'm sure Pep can backfill. Still curious to see even the richest clubs players can be lured. I guess if they wanted to really keep them they could and would also though.
I'm grasping at straws here at what's going to trip City this year.
Transfer wise things really haven't kicked off and from the rumors not sure if it will really.
Calafiori to Arsenal might be the only thing they do and I'm pretty fine with that.
Calafiori to Arsenal might be the only thing they do and I'm pretty fine with that.
An Italian at Arsenal just feels... off somehow. 
How many Italians have even played for Arsenal since 2000? (Jorginho I'll give like, 0.5 credit for.)
Also:
Modern football is what it is, but it stinks that Bologna lost three key people (Zirkzee/Calafiori/Motta) after making the CL for the first time since the 60s
jowner wrote:Calafiori to Arsenal might be the only thing they do and I'm pretty fine with that.
An Italian at Arsenal just feels... off somehow.
How many Italians have even played for Arsenal since 2000? (Jorginho I'll give like, 0.5 credit for.)
Also:
Modern football is what it is, but it stinks that Bologna lost three key people (Zirkzee/Calafiori/Motta) after making the CL for the first time since the 60s
It is strange. That said this strangeness extends to a whole bunch of English clubs as Italians in England really isn't all that common.
And before someone comes to tell me otherwise ya ya there's been some high profile ones but outside of the obvious the Italy to England pipeline of players is lacking compared to other countries for sure.
Sad for Bologna but one of her hiccups of the Calafiori deal was figuring out all the compensation as Basel had a sell on clause. Not like Arsenal poached their prized academy player who moved to the senior team. Arsenal will be his 4th club already at 22. He had a really bad knee injury in 2018 so I'm sure he will be 100% injury free for Arsenal on the left for the next 10 years and not be the next Kieran Tierney. Who I love as a player and is actually currently back at Arsenal... And currently injured because.
The horse has left the barn ages ago, but it's still so weird to occasionally look and realize that like 60% of the teams in football right now are advertising betting on their kits. And we know, even at the top level, some of these betting companies are monumentally sketchy.
EDIT: Oh wow, literally 11 PL clubs!
Leagues to sue Fifa over 'abuse of dominance'
The top European leagues, including the Premier League, and global players' union Fifpro will launch legal action against world governing body Fifa over its "abuse of dominance" in the game.
The European Leagues, which represents 39 leagues and 1,130 clubs in 33 countries, says it is filing a complaint to the European Commission to protect the welfare of players.
It comes following growing pressure from leagues and player unions, including the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), over the number of games added to the calendar and the impact on players.
A Fifpro statement said the international calendar is "now beyond saturation", "unsustainable for national leagues" and a "risk for the health of players".
It added: "Fifa's decisions over the last years have repeatedly favoured its own competitions and commercial interests, neglected its responsibilities as a governing body, and harmed the economic interests of national leagues and the welfare of players.
"Legal action is now the only responsible step for European leagues and player unions to protect football, its ecosystem and its workforce."
The statement said Fifa has "consistently refused to include national leagues and player unions in its decision-making process", having been urged to develop a clear and transparent process regarding the international match calendar.
The European Leagues includes the English Football League, Scottish Professional Football League, Serie A and the Bundesliga. La Liga is not a member but is joining the action.
In May Fifa rejected a claim that Fifpro and the World Leagues Association were not consulted over plans to host a 32-team Club World Cup.
Manchester City and Chelsea are among the 12 European representatives at the expanded Club World Cup, to be held in the USA between 15 June and 13 July 2025.
Strangely I've never really thought about who runs the Club World Cup because I don't really care and Arsenal are not involved. Ever.
Because of the expanded Club World Cup, next year's African Cup of Nations has been moved from the summer to December 2025 and January 2026, which is also likely to impact that season's Champions League knockout stages.
Like wtf? So Africa has to move their tournament.... And then there's the World Cup that summer?
CANADIAN SPYGATE
Canada ‘shocked’ after spying scandal hits Olympic women’s football champions
Canada’s Olympic women’s football team is in turmoil after officials were “shocked and disappointed” to learn drones were used to spy on their opponents. As part of the collateral damage, two staff with the women’s team have been “sent home immediately” and their head coach will be absent when Canada take on New Zealand in their Olympic opener on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said a “non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team” had been detained by French authorities in Saint-Étienne, a city 250 miles south of Paris, for improperly using a drone. The arrest follows a separate incident in which a drone was used to record New Zealand’s training sessions.
Head coach Bev Priestman, who led the Canadian team to gold three years ago in Tokyo, denied any involvement in the scheme – but said she would voluntarily “step aside” for the first game.
“Irrespective of the details, I’m ultimately accountable for this team,” Priestman said on Wednesday afternoon following a team practice. “By no means did I direct the individuals … I’m still learning the details and obviously this is all unfolding. But again, I think the important thing right now is to look forward, put the actions in place and take the sanctions.”
The COC said staff at the football team had been “transparent and cooperative throughout the process”. Assistant coach Andy Spence will be in charge of the defending champions when they face New Zealand.
The dramatic shake-up came after New Zealand’s Olympic Committee told the IOC that suspicious drones flew over team practices on two occasions.
“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024,” the sports body said in a statement.
Filing this under "if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying."
US Soccer continuing where it left off with a 3-0 loss to France to start the Olympics.
I knew things were bad in French football money-wise, but apparently Girondins de Bordeaux, six times champions of France have opted to give up their professional status after being relegated into the third tier.
I'm not 100% about this one, as I haven't found it in any places I totally trust yet, but Bordeaux have absolutely fallen off the map.
Meanwhile....
French clubs and beIN Sports in conflict over Visit Qatar badge claim
The broadcaster beIN Sports requested that every player in Ligue 1 next season wear a Visit Qatar badge on their shirt for games shown live, as part of negotiations for its new TV deal, according to senior figures at French clubs.
Multiple sources claim the request was made on behalf of the Qatari-owned company by its chairman, Nasser al-Khelaifi, who is also the president of Paris Saint-Germain, during a meeting between the presidents of several Ligue 1 clubs this week. A source close to the discussions at beIN Sports and PSG strenuously denied any such request was made. One owner, who did not want to be named, described it as “an attempt to build a captive league”. This month, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced it had reached an agreement for Dazn to show the vast majority of live Ligue 1 matches until 2029, with beIN Sports paying €100m a season for one primetime match a week.
The deal with Dazn is believed to have been ratified by the LFP’s board on Thursday but negotiations with beIN Sports are ongoing owing to what sources have described as the “extremely complex” nature of its offer.
It is understood its original agreement with the LFP included only €50m a season in TV rights, with the rest made up in sponsorship deals. According to the French newspaper L’Équipe, the LFP has negotiated the sponsorship element down to 20% in recent days. Senior club figures said a request for players to wear Visit Qatar badges had caused major friction.
“What if I want to bring in Saudi money as an investor?” one said. “They’re trying to build a captive league. It’s my understanding after the call among the presidents that there are a lot of new terms that are being put on the table.”
The source at PSG and beIN Sports described the claims as “an outrageous campaign from those clubs who want to launch an LFP channel direct, rather than have traditional broadcasters”.
Dazn is set to pay €400m a season for eight out of the nine matches in each round, although the agreement is believed to contain an exit clause after two years if it does not reach 1.5 million subscribers. Its deal represents a significant reduction in the €800m contract signed by Mediapro in 2018 despite the LFP president Vincent Labrune’s prediction that the next round of TV rights would reach the €1bn mark.
He had floated the idea of an in-house TV channel in partnership with Warner Bros Discovery’s Max streaming service before agreeing the deal with Dazn and beIN Sports.
The LFP did not respond to a request for comment.
CANADIAN SPYGATE
Canada ‘shocked’ after spying scandal hits Olympic women’s football champions
Canada’s Olympic women’s football team is in turmoil after officials were “shocked and disappointed” to learn drones were used to spy on their opponents. As part of the collateral damage, two staff with the women’s team have been “sent home immediately” and their head coach will be absent when Canada take on New Zealand in their Olympic opener on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said a “non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team” had been detained by French authorities in Saint-Étienne, a city 250 miles south of Paris, for improperly using a drone. The arrest follows a separate incident in which a drone was used to record New Zealand’s training sessions.
Head coach Bev Priestman, who led the Canadian team to gold three years ago in Tokyo, denied any involvement in the scheme – but said she would voluntarily “step aside” for the first game.
“Irrespective of the details, I’m ultimately accountable for this team,” Priestman said on Wednesday afternoon following a team practice. “By no means did I direct the individuals … I’m still learning the details and obviously this is all unfolding. But again, I think the important thing right now is to look forward, put the actions in place and take the sanctions.”
The COC said staff at the football team had been “transparent and cooperative throughout the process”. Assistant coach Andy Spence will be in charge of the defending champions when they face New Zealand.
The dramatic shake-up came after New Zealand’s Olympic Committee told the IOC that suspicious drones flew over team practices on two occasions.
“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024,” the sports body said in a statement.
Filing this under "if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying."
Apparently it's a tad bigger and supposedly been going on for awhile. Also includes the men's team.
Canada's men's and women's soccer teams have relied on drones and spying for years, sources say
I should be embarrassed. But for some reason I'm a bit happy that Canada finally got to a point where they wanted to be relevant in soccer so bad that they started cheating.
I should be embarrassed. But for some reason I'm a bit happy that Canada finally got to a point where they wanted to be relevant in soccer so bad that they started cheating.
You should be proud! This means you're actually taking the sport seriously.
When the USMNT had that entire Reyna family/Berhalter clusterf*ck, I was personally overjoyed, because that's the kind of nonsense drama that happens in a nation that seriously cares about soccer!
PHAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I shouldn't laugh, dude saw a chance for his career and took it, most people would. And he's still just 24, but I gotta admit, a chunk of me is like "DIDN'T WORK OUT AND NOW YOU HAD TO COME CRAWWWWWWWWWWLING BACK, HUH"
A lot of talk this weekend about PL games being played overseas again.
I don't know if it's going to hold, but they are definitely going to try.
I mean rugby league is going to be played in Las Vegas next year so...
Pre-season friendlies in the US are a harbinger of football’s grueling future
Yeah, probably. They're certainly hyping them like they're regular season games.
Squires with another banger on Everton's ownership.
My money is on "Fizzy pop multi-club empire," followed by "Asian consortium that only exists on paper."
Squires with another banger on Everton's ownership.
My money is on "Fizzy pop multi-club empire," followed by "Asian consortium that only exists on paper."
Honestly neither of those are close to the worst outcomes I can imagine.
Fulham could really use a proven goalscorer
We're bidding £20m on Scott McTominay.
........fairs, honestly.
Sean Dyche ‘keeps it real’ as Everton spurn overseas tours for closer tests
Ten Premier League clubs have chased the dollar this summer and included the US on their pre-season schedule. Three have headed east to Japan and, in Tottenham’s case, also to South Korea to satisfy demand to see Son Heung-min in the flesh. Six are utilising the altitude and training camps of Europe for their preparations, which leaves one doing it differently. Or, as Sean Dyche would put it, keeping things real.
Sure.
....they also may not be able to afford tickets.
Fulham agree club record fee for Arsenal's Smith Rowe
I like this. I like it a lot.
Yay!
If France had a point to make it was hammered home resoundingly and lapped up joyfully by a raucous audience who got what they came for. They had wanted to see an Argentina side put in their place and it was fitting, given the racism storm that had raged around this quarter-final, to see Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early goal secure a victory laden with meaning.
Mateta, whose father was born in Democratic Republic of the Congo, is as French as anybody. So, too, the rest of a team that covered every blade of grass on an evening whose tension ramped up in an edgy closing spell.
Que tengas un buen vuelo de regreso a casa.
Oh I wondered why no one was talking Olympics, was still in the old thread.
Prederick wrote:Fulham agree club record fee for Arsenal's Smith Rowe
I like this. I like it a lot.
Yay!
Why was the photo taken at the nearest pub? Admittedly it’s a nice pub because it’s West London
Oh I wondered why no one was talking Olympics, was still in the old thread.
That because Pred opened it himself without telling anyone and was talking to himself the first couple of posts.
I don’t think he likes us very much. Too much non-Fulham talk*
* I’m joking. I think.
Stele wrote:Oh I wondered why no one was talking Olympics, was still in the old thread.
That because Pred opened it himself without telling anyone and was talking to himself the first couple of posts.
I don’t think he likes us very much. Too much non-Fulham talk*
* I’m joking. I think.
I’ll stick to Jean Tigana posts from now on.
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