Arjen Robben went some way toward saving the job of Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovač (for now) while simultaneously getting Benfica manager Rui Vitória sacked after giving his side an early lead in the Champions League on Tuesday.
With both sides struggling mightily domestically (Bayern’s fifth in the Bundesliga; Benfica’s fourth in the Primeira Liga), the scrutiny on both managers this week had been intense.
Imagine: You travel halfway across the continent to watch your club play in one of the most ancient cities in western civilizations. Then you get pelted with fireworks and beat up by police for having the audacity to attend an away match. Such was the scenario for Ajax fans at the Athens Olympic Stadium as the Dutch side took on AEK Athens in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The magic was never going to last in Rome. Despite securing top three finishes in Serie A in each of the last five seasons and reaching the dizzying heights of last year’s Champions League semifinals, this is still a selling club, as evidenced by the big-money departures of Miralem Pjanić, Mohamed Salah, Antonio Rüdiger, Alisson, Kevin Strootman and Radja Nainggolan over the last three summers.
On Friday, Andres Iniesta’s first season in Japan will come to a close following Vissel Kobe’s home match against Vegalta Sendai. Given Kobe’s mid-table standing, it’s certainly been a new experience for the Barcelona legend, but attendance is up 17.4 percent at the club and Iniesta has contributed two goals and three assists in 13 appearances.
Tuesday's blockbuster friendly between France and Uruguay (a World Cup quarterfinal rematch) at the Stade de France was supposed to be a chummy occasion, as evidenced by Antoine Griezmann’s half-and-half boots. However, the match was marred by a gruesome-looking, albeit totally accidental, shoulder injury to Kylian Mbappe.
The 19-year-old phenomenon came off following the injury and then attempted to resume playing, but he ultimately succumbed to a substitution in the 36th minute.