December 5 – Goalkeepers, often the old wise heads of top league teams, appear to be getting younger. Of four players under the age of 20 who have played every minute of every league match so far this season in the top divisions of 31 European leagues, three are goalkeepers.
November 20 – Gareth Southgate, who stepped into the role on an interim basis when Sam Allardyce was forced to step down over a newspaper sting after just 67 days in charge, has been given the England manager’s job on a four-year deal.
November 30 – The CIES Football Observatory has launched a new version of its free-to-use Digital Atlas that looks at the composition of squads across Europe.
November 29 – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, dismissed for the second time this season last weekend, has now been charged by English football authorities – also for the second time.
November 29 – There are more Brazilian players playing outside their home country in Europe’s top 31 leagues than any other nation. Though there are more French players playing outside of France in the Big Five leagues than there are Brazilians.
November 28 – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, the self-styled Special One, prides himself on setting records. But his latest “achievement” will hardly go down as one of his most admirable.
It’s the ultimate catch-22 question for ambitious club owners and coaches. How do you fund an expensive new stadium while at the same time build a competitive title-contending team?
November 25 – Inter Milan, one of the world’s most iconic clubs but currently struggling in Serie A despite being taken over by Chinese investors, have suffered the ultimate humiliation after being knocked out of the Europa League – baby brother of the Champions League – with a game to spare.
November 23 – Never go back is one of football’s oldest adages – as Jose Mourinho found to his cost not so long ago at Chelsea. But the US football authorities have deemed that Bruce Arena is the best person to turn to after sacking Jurgen Klinsmann following the German’s five-year stint in charge.
November 22 – Tottenham Hotspur are the highest ranked English team by youthfulness in domestic league football in Europe’s five leagues. The ranking is created by taking the average age of match-day line ups with Spurs coming in with an average age of 25.6.
November 22 – UEFA.com has launched voting for its Team of the Year 2016 with users being asked to pick their team from 40 nominees.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – Their dream is to match Leicester City’s fairytale title success but there is one telling difference between RB Leipzig and last season’s shock Premier league champions: they are arguably the most hated club in Germany.
November 21 – Gareth Southgate, England’s interim first-team coach who stepped into the job after the resignation of Sam Allardyce over a newspaper sting, looks ever closer to being given the role on a full-time basis as the country attempts to finally regain some kind of managerial stability.
By Paul Nicholson
November 18 – With the US national team floundering at the bottom of their final World Cup qualifying group and looking increasingly uncomfortable with the ball at their feet with every game, they could do worse than send their players to one of the TOCA Soccer centres for some intensive ball work.
By Samindra Kunti
November 18 – Belgium’s oldest club Antwerp has dismissed sporting director John Bico after just one turbulent month as the club’s sporting director.