Arsenal and Everton head into Christmas clash with managers at top of wish list
December 17 – Arsenal and Everton are both hoping for new managers for Christmas with Mikel Arteta and Carlo Ancelotti respectively emerging as frontrunners.
Performance
Time for VAR to chill-out. Ceferin meets Brits to lobby for protocol changes
December 13 – The use of video assistant referees for marginal offside decisions, which has caused so much consternation throughout Europe, could be amended next season if a joint bid by UEFA and the British football associations succeeds.
Ancelotti departs Naples despite ending drought with a 4-0 Champions League win
December 11 – No sooner had he guided Napoli into the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday than Carlo Ancelotti, one of Europe’s most successful coaches, was sacked .
Messi still leads way in European performance ranking, Mbappe ranks 3rd and Mahrez 4th
December 10 – He may starting to look towards his retirement but Lionel Messi still tops a ranking of the best performing players across 35 European leagues.
Clearer, faster, less invasive. UEFA’s Ceferin demands shake-up of VAR ‘disaster’
December 6 – Amid growing criticism across Europe over the inconsistent way VAR is being interpreted, UEFA are to ask football’s lawmakers for greater clarification according to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Ever present Messi played 83.4% of Barca minutes in 2010s
December 3 – Lionel Messi heads a table of outfield players who have played the highest percentage of domestic league minutes in the big-5 league team in the 2010s.
Arsenal unload Emery with Poch or Ancelotti rumoured to be incoming
By Andrew Warshaw
Just 10 days after north London rivals Tottenham sacked their much-admired manager Maurico Pochettino after five years in charge, Arsenal followed suit today by dismissing Unai Emery – though not quite with the same surprise or fanfare.
Exclusive: Nigeria’s Rohr considers coaching future as he chases outstanding pay
By Osasu Obayiuwana
November 26 – With just seven months left on his contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Gernot Rohr, the German coach of the Super Eagles, is making it clear that he is looking at his options.
Gabigol double seals Copa Libertadores for Brazilian giants Flamengo
By Samindra Kunti in Lima
November 25 – Late heroics from Gabriel Barbosa ‘Gabigol’ crowned a resilient Flamengo Copa Libertadores champions on Saturday against River Plate with a 2-1 victory and within 24 hours the Rio giants won the Brazilian league after Palmeiras failed to collect any points at Gremio, becoming the first Brazilian club to complete the double since Pele’s Santos in the 60s.
Premier League still on a VAR learning curve, says refereeing boss Riley
November 25 – English football’s refereeing chief has admitted that there have been four recent VAR blunders, increasing pressure on the game’s authorities to either scrap the system or tighten it up.
Brest halt BATE’s Belarus winning streak at thirteen
By David Owen
November 25 – Their reign at the top could not quite match the 25 years – and counting – of Alexander Lukashenko, the country’s president. Nonetheless, BATE Borisov’s dethroning on Sunday as national champions of Belarus very much qualifies as ‘the end of an era’.
Mourinho makes his Spurs debut saying he is more humble, rested and ready to win
By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – As charm offensives go, it was pretty impressive. He said he felt re-invigorated, insisted he was now a more “humble” human being and that, during his 11 months out of the game, he had analysed his career and learned from past mistakes.
34 penalties later, Taunton beat Truro to win cup tie
November 21 – A non-league cup match has equalled the record for the longest penalty shootout in English football history. Taunton Town and Truro City needed 34 spot-kicks to separate them after drawing 2-2 in the Southern League Challenge Cup second round.
Levy swings axe, Poch is felled, but is Mourinho the happy ending?
By Andrew Warshaw
November 20 – From Champions League final to the sack – in the space of five months.
Singing in the valleys: Welsh joy as they qualify for Euro 2020
November 20 – Wales have reached their second straight European Championship finals thanks to a 2-0 home win over Hungary in their winner-takes-all Group E qualifier on Tuesday.