Liverpool expand in Asia with launch of academy initiative in Hong Kong
June 28 – Premier League Liverpool have added a new international academy initiative in Asia via a partnership with PNH Soccer Academy in Hong Kong.
Performance
Inter open first Academy in Brisbane and plan Aussie rollout
June 27 – Internazionale have launched their first Inter Academy project in Australia in Brisbane in partnership with Fullshare Holdings and Sparrow Early Learning, as the Club’s Official Education Partner.
News analysis: VAR’s World Cup adventure proving to be a work in progress
By Andrew Warshaw
June 26 – You win some, you lose some and it’s all about interpretation. That seems to be the upshot so far of VAR’s introduction at the World Cup that reached new levels of confusion on Monday evening and continues to throw up more questions than answers.
Moroccan warrior Amrabat gives FIFA new headache over concussion advisory
June 21 – FIFA have been taken to task by the international players’ union FIFPro for allowing Morocco to field Nordin Amrabat against Portugal on Wednesday too soon after the player suffered concussion.
From Patenaude to Cristiano Ronaldo – the World Cup’s hat-trick heroes
By David Owen
June 19 – After his breathtaking virtuoso performance against Spain in Sochi, Cristiano Ronaldo may well be pondering the possibility of a second consecutive World Cup hat-trick when Portugal take on Morocco on Wednesday at the Luzhniki.
Lightning strike: Mexican joy as Germany lose opening match of their World Cup defence
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 18 – Somehow Germany always manage to get the job done. Not this time. In the biggest shock so far at the World Cup, the defending champions lost their opening game for only the second time in their history after Mexico pulled off an historic 1-0 win in Moscow – their first ever win over the Germans.
Defining moments: Ronaldo hat-trick leaves Messi out in the Icelandic cold
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 17 – A freekick that will be talked about for years to come followed, 24 hours later, by a penalty miss that was equally, in its own way, memorable if only for the context involved.
Russian notes: FIFA referees boss promises VAR will end controversial decisions
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 15 – FIFA’s top refereeing watchdogs are urging the public not to expect miracles from the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) system that is making its World Cup debut in Russia. But director of refereeing Massimo Busacca nevertheless insists the system will be a help rather than a hindrance despite lingering doubts about whether VAR has been implemented too quickly in FIFA’s flagship event because of confusing rulings and long delays.
Ramos says Salah could have played on in CL final with an injection
June 6 – Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, whose arm wrestle on Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah put the Egyptian striker out of the Champions League final, has hit back at widespread criticism of his action and says Salah could have played on instead of leaving the field in tears.
European clubs provide 74% of World Cup players, just 35 of 736 come from South American clubs
June 6 – When European clubs complain about their highly paid players being stretched to the limit by too much international competition, they often receive scant sympathy.
Inter Academy expands with two new Chinese sites and first Slovakian centre
June 6 – Italian giant Internazionale have opened three new academies, one in Slovakia and two more in China taking the number of Inter Academies in the world’s largest country to six.
The Ramos effect: First Salah then Karius?
June 5 – So do we now know the real reason for one of most calamitous goalkeeping displays of recent years or is it too cynical to suggest we are just being fed convenient excuses?
Tunisian players hungry for World Cup fake injuries to break Ramadan fast
June 5 – Tunisia’s World Cup players appear to have discovered an ingenious way of breaking their Ramadan fasts in the build-up to the tournament.
Real Madrid reeling after Zidane decides to quit after Champions League win
June 1 – It came as a bombshell to both players and fans. The intriguing question now is who takes over at Real Madrid following Zinedine Zidane’s shock decision to step down just days after clinching a third consecutive Champions League title.
Shots and possession are key ingredients for Europe’s winning teams, show stats
May 31 – A ‘production index’ developed by the CIES Football Observatory using InStat data shows that the top teams in the Big 5 European leagues all have similar performance data characteristics that correlate to their league positions.