Surprise! He's alive. What a year it's been for Mathieu Valbuena. After battling injuries and scandals, he was left off the France squad due to injury, and, of course, fans theorized that he must be dead.
Almost immediately following his removal from the squad, images of a fake death certificate began circulating twitter, and fans began spreading the rumor that the French midfielder had passed away, forcing his club to address the rumor on Twitter:
Paul pogba is one of those players who can change a match with one kick, seemingly out of nowhere. Here's proof:
That was too much boom for Stekelenburg to handle. #Pogboom #WCQ https://t.co/5uMFtoYabo
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 10, 2016
We know it as “The Beautiful Game”; We acclaim the footballing artists who offer us an escape from our mundane lives and jobs. With their magical skills, they dazzle and leave audiences of millions in awe.
Of the many beautiful aspects of the game, the dribble might just be the most singular of traits — one that only the truly gifted possess. People of yesteryear worshiped the likes of Maradona and Garrincha for what they could do with the ball.
In today’s match with Lorient, Balotelli broke the tie with a late goal to put OGC Nice up 2-1. While this may come as a surprise to some, this goal is simply a continuation of Balotelli’s stellar form to start the season.
Through eight games played, thanks to Mario Balotelli’s contributions, the French side has found themselves atop the table, ahead of both high spending clubs, PSG and Monaco.
All aboard the Mario Balotelli redemption tour 2016 bandwagon. Don't be shy, there's plenty of room.
Balotelli scored again Thursday in Nice's Europa League loss to Krasnodar, giving the Italian five goals in four matches so far this season.
That's FIVE goals in four games now for Mario Balotelli... pic.twitter.com/TBPrmHiubX
— Sportlobster (@sportlobster) September 30, 2016
PSG right back Serge Aurier has been sentenced to two months in prison, reportedly for abusing police officers outside a Paris nightclub in May.
It's unlikely, though, that Aurier will serve any of that time.
From Eurosport:
Marco Verratti is a rebel. He is set in his ways and completely conscious of his defiance toward the mainstream.
Verratti is currently the midfield lynchpin for one of Europe’s two most prominent oil-rich clubs — clubs known for annual collections of world class talent. His side, Paris Saint Germain, is the archetype of the modern European giant: a base of nationals mixed with a diverse group of foreign superstars. Verratti, an Italian, represents the foreign contingent at PSG.
We were hoping for a successful Mario Balotelli tenure at Nice. Soccer is much more fun when Balotelli is good and scoring goals and not training with the reserves in Liverpool.
So, consider this us running a (very premature) victory lap, because Balotelli is killing it in France. He has played two games. He has scored four goals. Here is his most recent brace:
Mario Balotelli Scores !!! Makes it 2-0 For Nice against Monaco!! pic.twitter.com/X4SlxvJQFo
Tuesday’s 1-1 Champions League draw between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal yielded two story lines which have gone on to dominate this morning’s headlines. It’s just a matter of perspective: either David Ospina, selected to start over normal Arsenal No. 1 Petr Cech, earned Arsenal a point, or PSG striker Edinson Cavani squandered all three for the home side.
Having warded off interest from Barcelona and Sevilla to sign a rejuvenated Hatem Ben Arfa, Paris Saint-Germain appeared to be the perfect destination for the mercurial 29-year-old playmaker. Ben Arfa signed for PSG as a free agent after experiencing a renaissance last year with Nice, tallying 17 goals and six assists in Ligue 1.
This all, of course, followed a tumultuous four years in England where he was part footballing genius, part disinterested delinquent.