16 hours ago Age of tactical ideologues is over as Spain dominates new era of pragmatism | Jonathan Wilson

Coaches such as Arteta, Iraola and Emery play variations of the Guardiola model – flexibility and adaptability are in vogueSpain are the European champions. Real Madrid won the Champions League. Rodri won the Ballon d’Or and has only come to seem more important since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Spanish managers won the Premier League, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 last season. No fewer than five Premier League clubs are managed by Spaniards.It has been another year of Spanish domination but the manager who more than anybody has been the architect of what is now considered the Spanish style is facing the biggest crisis of his career. Continue reading...

Politics

16 hours ago Ryan Bertrand on the Chelsea loan carousel, turning his hand to business and why players must educate themselves

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY SAMI MOKBEL: The transition from professional footballer into retirement can be tricky business. For Ryan Bertrand, business is the operative word.

Sport

19 hours ago ‘Create our own history’: Alisson targets title to mark new Liverpool era

The Liverpool goalkeeper expected ‘hard work’ for Arne Slot but flying start to season means their end goal is clearIf 2024 included the final chapter of Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, the year may yet be recalled as the start of something else special. It was on 26 January that devastated fans learned one of the best-kept football secrets of modern times, that Klopp could give no more. In late December, a renewed team, more patient in style, far less exuberant yet just as potent, already threatens to emulate Klopp’s finest achievements.The bond between Klopp and former players remains firm. When Curtis Jones made his 100th Premier League appearance against Leicester on Boxing Day, he realised only because his former manager had congratulated him on the milestone. When Klopp returns to public life next week as head of global football for the Red Bull conglomerate, the sight of him in the stands, talking to the media, will take some getting used to. Continue reading...

Events

24 hours ago How Nuno transformed Nottingham Forest from circus to contenders | Will Unwin

After a tumultuous fight against the drop last season, the manager has made smart changes and instilled firm bondsIt is just over a year since Nuno Espírito Santo arrived at the City Ground with the task of turning the ship around. The Portuguese found Nottingham Forest in a battle for survival, sitting one place above the relegation zone, which is exactly where they finished the season, confirming their top-flight status only on the final day. It was an effective first few months in charge but did not suggest Forest would become Champions League challengers as 2025 approaches.Forest visit Goodison Park on Sunday, the scene of their lowest moment since returning to the Premier League in 2022 when an emotional social media post from the club’s X account lambasted the officials during Everton’s 2-0 victory in April. At that point Forest looked like a circus and the prospect of reacquainting themselves with the Championship was a serious possibility, but they did just enough by winning...

Politics

18 hours ago Forget Risk, play Fantasy Football for Fascists: grudge matches, foul play and violent conduct guaranteed | Simon Tisdall

Leading FFF teams include Donald Trump’s Mad Angry Geezers Athletic (Maga) and Vladimir Putin’s Greater Russia United (GRU)It’s been a gloomy old year, often reflected in this space – so maybe it’s time to inject some festive cheer with an exciting new Swiftian parlour game: Fantasy Football for Fascists (FFF). Ideal for dictators, autocrats, strongmen, neo-Stalinists, far-right nationalist-populists or just students of geopolitics, it’s fanatical fun for all the family!Under conventional fantasy football rules, imaginary teams are composed of real-life players from the Premier League. In FFF, the principal players are typically politicians and public figures who exhibit extreme totalitarian tendencies. Leading FFF teams include Donald Trump’s Mad Angry Geezers Athletic (Maga) and Vladimir Putin’s Greater Russia United (GRU). China has the Xi XI. Continue reading...

Sport

23 hours ago Cristiano Ronaldo reveals who he believes will win Champions League amid Man City struggles

Cristiano Ronaldo has given his thoughts on Manchester City's recent struggles and shared who he thinks will win the Champions League this season while speaking at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards

Sport

25 hours ago Jamie Carragher's 2025 predictions: Liverpool rival, Champions League and Ballon d'Or picks

Jamie Carragher has cast his eye over the next 12 months and cited Liverpool's only Premier League challengers, who is likely to land the Ballon d'Or and the Champions League's likely winners

Sport