Neymar asks to join PSG’s big name exodus, reports
August 8 – First Lionel Messi, then Kylian Mbappe, now Neymar. The superstars are lining up to want out of Paris St Germain.
Performance
Buffon hangs up his gloves after 28 years and 1,100+ appearances
August 3 – Italian goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon has retired from football at age 45.
Textor parachutes in Caçapa for Molenbeek’s return to Belgian Pro League
July 26 – On the eve of their return to the Belgian top flight, RWD Molenbeek have announced that former Brazil international Claudio Caçapa (pictured) will manage the club.
Man Utd record breaker De Gea ups sticks and looks for new goals
July 11 – Spanish international goalkeeper David de Gea has announced he is leaving Manchester United as a free agent after 12 seasons at Old Trafford.
Megan Rapinoe to retire at end of 2023 season
July 10 – Megan Rapinoe, the star of American women’s football and two-time World Cup winner, has announced she will retire at the end of the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season.
PSG replace Galtier with Enrique on renewed bid for Champions League title
July 6 – French giants Paris Saint-Germain have unveiled Luis Enrique as their new head coach in a bid to reinvent themselves yet again.
Forest Green’s Hannah Dingley becomes first female manager in English pro leagues
July 5 – Forest Green Rovers, the English club renowned globally for its “green” ethos and Vegan culture, has broken new ground again by becoming the first men’s professional team in the UK to hire a female manager.
Rodgers back at Celtic with 3-year contract
June 20 – Brendan Rodgers is returning to Scottish champions Celtic for a second managerial spell four and a half years after leaving in the middle of a season to take charge of English Premier League club Leicester.
Courtois denies he walked out of Belgian camp over not being given captaincy
June 20 – Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (pictured) has denied claims by national team coach Domenico Tedesco that he walked out on the team training camp after being passed over for the captaincy against Austria. Real Madrid’s number one says he has a knee problem.
FIFPro warns players need protection from ‘dangerous levels’ of mental fatigue
June 9 – Football must do more to protect players against “dangerous levels” of fixture congestion exemplified by having the Qatar World Cup slap bang in the middle of the season, according to the international players union.
Why Man City Are Finally Ready To Win The Champions League
June 9 – Manchester City have won it all under manager Pep Guardiola. But the Champions League is the one thing eluding them, and the Spaniard, during his stay in the Etihad. They’ve gone close but never managed to secure the trophy. However, many are now suggesting they’re finally ready to take the next step, and you can see why this could be the case.
Messi makes lifestyle choice and heads for InterMiami and the MLS
June 8 – In a move that took much of the football world by surprise, Lionel Messi has turned his back on Saudi Arabia and is instead heading to the MLS and Inter Miami.
Bellingham shuns Premier League to head for LaLiga’s Real Madrid in €100m+ deal
June 8 – Real Madrid have agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund to sign England midfielder Jude Bellingham for €103 million.
Revolving doors. More than 1 in 2 coaches fired worldwide in 2022/23 season
May 26 – A stunning 56.9% of clubs worldwide replaced their coaches over the season currently ending. Of 850 teams analysed, 484 changed personnel.
Brazil breaks ranking record of exported players. France rank second, England fourth
May 5 – Brazil, a mass exporter of footballers, has broken records according to the CIES Football Observatory, with more than 1,289 players now plying their trade overseas.