Europe

Torsten Frings is finally getting his comeuppance, 15 years and 24 hours to the day. 

The former German international became head coach of SV Darmstadt in January, around the time American Terrence Boyd joined the team.

Darmstadt was promptly relegated to 2. Bundesliga.

On Thursday, 19-year-old Texan McKinze Gaines signed with the club. One can only assume he’s planning to help finish the job Boyd started.

Why might these young Yanks be plotting revenge on a new coach of high regard who spent a couple years in MLS before retiring?

China has a lot of people. And a lot of money.

Germany has a lot of soccer teams. And a lot of team owners who want more money.

It's a match made in heaven.

A league in Germany's fourth tier found a novel way to add a squad for a nice, even, 20-team table — they're bringing in a team from China.

Spain will approach the 2018 World Cup as a nation largely in transition. Nobody’s ready to write off the likes of Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas, but this could well be the last World Cup for all of them.

It’s not every day that you manage to sign one of Brazil’s most talented attacking players on a free transfer, but that’s exactly what Barcelona have achieved with Lucas Lima.

German third division club Fortuna Koln have jumped into the fray regarding where international superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will play next season. Ronaldo is reportedly unhappy at Real Madrid, and is said to be looking elsewhere. Fortuna Koln have offered their services as a landing spot. They cannot pay Cristiano in money, however, so they have offered to pay him in beer.

Hirving Lozano, who’s currently on international duty with Mexico at the FIFA Confederations Cup, has agreed to a contract with PSV Eindhoven through the 2022-23 season. After recently visiting Eindhoven in the Netherlands, PSV confirmed via their official Twitter account that Lozano had agreed to terms with the club. 

Taking such a strong team to the Under-21 European Championships was meant to be a key moment in the development of Italy’s next generation of talent. Players such as Bernardeschi and Chiesa would gain experience in a tournament environment, easing them into contention for next year’s World Cup. Among the exciting array of talent, however, there was one real jewel in the crown.