UEFA has announced that when Europe's elite teams return to the pitch this week the jerseys of every player will have the words "Thank you" written on them. The purpose of this move is to highlight and thank COVID-19 frontline workers. Each team will have the chance to write out the words in the language of their choice.
The life of a referee is a brutal one. If a referee does their job correctly and makes all the right calls then no one talks about the official. However, if the referee does the opposite — much like Anthony Taylor in the FA Cup final — then they receive a tidal wave of criticism.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic must’ve been watching Major League Soccer on Friday night (into Saturday morning in Italy). He accomplished what this weekend we’ll call “doing a Nani.”
On Friday, Nani missed a penalty kick in regulation but converted the final attempt in the shootout as Orlando City upset LAFC in the MLS Is Back quarterfinals. A fellow former Manchester United player who spent the two years prior in MLS, Zlatan followed a similar pattern in AC Milan’s final Serie A match of the season.
Roberto De Zerbi's Sassuolo strolled to a 5-0 win against Genoa on Wednesday, in large part thanks to winger Domenico Berardi.
Berardi, who joined Sassuolo as a 16-year old in 2010, has been one of Serie A's standout players in 2019-20. After his man-of-the-match performance Wednesday, he has 14 goals and 10 assists this season. After providing the assist for the opener, Berardi scored Sassuolo's second with a beautiful curling effort from outside the box.
Stefano Pioli's AC Milan is yet to suffer defeat since league play resumed in June following the coronavirus shutdown.
Milan has earned 27 points from 11 games since the return to action, causing the club hierarchy to take a U-turn as preparations for next season go ahead. The board had reportedly offered the manager's job for 2020-21 to Ralf Ragnick, Head of Sport and Development Soccer for Red Bull.
AC Milan’s unbeaten streak since the restart reached 11 games on Wednesday (eight wins, three draws) following a 4-1 victory over Sampdoria. Zlatan Ibrahimović — giving more credence to his statement that Milan would’ve won the Scudetto had he signed last summer — scored a brace, giving him nine goals in 17 league appearances.
Juventus captured its ninth-straight Serie A title after defeating Sampdoria 2-0 on Sunday. Cristiano Ronaldo’s technical finish in first half stoppage time was enough for Juve as the club’s 36th Scudetto was claimed with two matches to spare. Federico Bernardeschi scored the insurance goal for Juve in the 67th minute after Emil Audero spilled a Ronaldo shot.
Juventus entered today’s game having won only one of its last five matches, whereas Claudio Ranieri’s Sampdoria had won five of its last seven to escape the pressures of relegation and climb to 14th in the table.
Atalanta's Serie A title challenge all but faded away on Friday after they were held to a 1-1 draw at AC Milan, leaving them five points adrift of leaders Juventus.
Second-placed Atalanta moved up to 75 points with two games left to play, while Juventus can win the Scudetto for the ninth successive season if they beat Sampdoria at home on Sunday. Juve also have a game in hand.
Atalanta fell behind to a superb free kick from Hakan Calhanoglu, who sent a vicious dipping effort sailing over keeper Pierluigi Gollini in the 14th minute.
Goalkeeper is a frequently criticized but rarely praised position. Everyone wants to see acrobatic, top-corner dives and flashy one-on-one saves, when in truth those moments are just a fraction of what actually defines a goalkeeper. The modern goalkeeper must be able to play with their feet, organize their backline and play sweeper, while also executing their traditional shot-stopping duties.
Therefore, it is crucial to utilize all of these categories when ranking goalkeepers in order to paint a complete picture of a goalkeeper's abilities.
Cristiano Ronaldo reached the landmark of 30 goals this Serie A season during Juventus’ 2-1 victory over Lazio on Monday. Only two players had ever reached the 30-goal milestone in Italy’s top division since 1960 — Luca Toni and Gonzalo Higuaín — but, remarkably, Monday’s match saw both Ronaldo and Lazio's Ciro Immobile hit that mark.
Ronaldo scored goal number 29 from the spot (his 12th successful penalty of the campaign) before adding number 30 after Paulo Dybala set him up for a tap-in.