Football (Soccer) Thread

[Ed Anger]

Can someone explain to me what's going on here?

Nerdfight

[Duque de Bragança]

Évra, of Knysna fame (remember the strike by the French squad in WC 2010?) kicks off a new career after the end of his football life.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/02/patrice-evra-sent-off-kicking-fan-marseille

Patrice Evra sent off before game begins for kicking out at Marseille supporter
• Marseille player appeared to kick fan in head before Europa League tie
• Substitute Evra dismissed before match against Vitória had kicked off

The former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra brought back memories of Eric Cantona after being sent off for aiming a kick at a Marseille supporter before his side's Europa League game at Vitória de Guimarães.

Trouble flared during the warmup as supporters and players clashed and pictures appeared to show the 36-year-old kicking a fan in the head at the side of the pitch in Portugal. Video footage showed Evra lashing out at one of his own club's fans as supporters reached the advertising hoardings at the Estadio D Afonso Henriques in Guimarães.

The Frenchman was then was ushered away by a team-mate but not before creating history – he became the first player to be sent off from a Europa League match before kick-off. Marseille, who also had Boubacar Kamara dismissed during the match, went down 1-0.

The ugly incident was reminiscent of Cantona's infamous kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park in 1995 when the United player was sent off for attacking the Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons. Evra is now likely to face a lengthy Uefa ban while his future at Marseille will come under fierce scrutiny in the coming days.

Rudi García, the Marseille coach said: "Pat has experience and he must not react. Patrice is a more than experienced player and we cannot respond to insults so low and so incredible because they come from one of our supporters."

Evra, who won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during an eight-year spell with United, joined Marseille from Juventus in January but has struggled to hold down a first-team place. The left-back has not been sent off during a match since 2005, when he was dismissed during Monaco's Ligue 1 game against Auxerre.

Plus Marseille lost by sending a B-team when they could have secured qualification by not underestimating their opponent. But then, Marseille never won in Portugal before.

PS: Benzéma on the left seems to fatter by 20 kg from the last time I saw him. 

[Maladict]

Italy about to crash out 

edit: they're out!

[HVC]

Italy about to crash out 

edit: they're out!

[Duque de Bragança]

Well, that's a sad way to end a career for Buffon.

[Zanza]

Meh. The should reconsider how they seed the groups for the qualifier. The FIFA ranking is a poor base. Italy not being in the first group makes little sense.

[Pedrito]

Meh. The should reconsider how they seed the groups for the qualifier. The FIFA ranking is a poor base. Italy not being in the first group makes little sense.

It does make a lot of sense, considering the horrible results in the last two World Cups. And, this is the cherry on the cake.
The only hope is that this failure will be the drive for a serious change in all the italian football system.

L.

[The Larch]

Meh. The should reconsider how they seed the groups for the qualifier. The FIFA ranking is a poor base. Italy not being in the first group makes little sense.

It does make a lot of sense, considering the horrible results in the last two World Cups. And, this is the cherry on the cake.
The only hope is that this failure will be the drive for a serious change in all the italian football system.

L.

Well, sometimes you need to hit rock bottom to be able to bounce back. What should change, in your opinion? Do you mean people at the national team, coach and players, or structural changes in Italian football?

[Maladict]

Meh. The should reconsider how they seed the groups for the qualifier. The FIFA ranking is a poor base. Italy not being in the first group makes little sense.

It does make a lot of sense, considering the horrible results in the last two World Cups. And, this is the cherry on the cake.
The only hope is that this failure will be the drive for a serious change in all the italian football system.

L.

But...but... Italy belongs in the World Cup. 

Now some more annoying team will win it.

[Pedrito]

Meh. The should reconsider how they seed the groups for the qualifier. The FIFA ranking is a poor base. Italy not being in the first group makes little sense.

It does make a lot of sense, considering the horrible results in the last two World Cups. And, this is the cherry on the cake.
The only hope is that this failure will be the drive for a serious change in all the italian football system.

L.

Well, sometimes you need to hit rock bottom to be able to bounce back. What should change, in your opinion? Do you mean people at the national team, coach and players, or structural changes in Italian football?

The actual head of federation is a 74 year old racist guy who made some terrifying remarks about african players, women's football ("all lesbians") and Jews.
He's actually strictly linked to the chairman of SS Lazio, the italian team with the strongest connotations of racist and fascist fan base.
Off with their heads.

Then, a radical reform of the leagues: no more than 16-18 teams in the Serie A, no more than 20 teams in the serie B;
a strong support for B teams and juvenile academies.

The national team coach is at best an average one, at worst a mediocre tactician and an inept leader.

L.

[The Larch]

Meh. The should reconsider how they seed the groups for the qualifier. The FIFA ranking is a poor base. Italy not being in the first group makes little sense.

It does make a lot of sense, considering the horrible results in the last two World Cups. And, this is the cherry on the cake.
The only hope is that this failure will be the drive for a serious change in all the italian football system.

L.

Well, sometimes you need to hit rock bottom to be able to bounce back. What should change, in your opinion? Do you mean people at the national team, coach and players, or structural changes in Italian football?

The actual head of federation is a 74 year old racist guy who made some terrifying remarks about african players, women's football ("all lesbians") and Jews.
He's actually strictly linked to the chairman of SS Lazio, the italian team with the strongest connotations of racist and fascist fan base.
Off with their heads.

Then, a radical reform of the leagues: no more than 16-18 teams in the Serie A, no more than 20 teams in the serie B;
a strong support for B teams and juvenile academies.

The national team coach is at best an average one, at worst a mediocre tactician and an inept leader.

L.

Was the head of the league the one that was recorded saying that he didn't want any more small teams getting promoted from Serie B because they'd cheapen the value of TV rights? And of course he's a racist and says awful things, he's over 70 and supports Lazio, duh. 

[Josquius]

 A smaller serie A would make sense. Same too for La Liga.
The gulf between bottom and top in those leagues is just too huge.

[Pedrito]

The head coach doesn't want to resign; call him idiot, just some months ago his contract was renewed until 2020, at 1,5 million/year   

L.

[The Larch]

A smaller serie B would make sense. Same too for La Liga.
The gulf between bottom and top in those leagues is just too huge.

You mean Serie B or Serie A? I don't know in Italy, I don't think La Liga needs to go below 20. Maybe Serie A doesn't need to, either, but I'm not that familiar with the current situation, I know there are lots of teams in economic difficulties and lately lots of teams from smaller places have been promoted while historical sides with lots of baggage flounder in the lower divisions. I would reduce the Segunda División from 22 to 20, though, and out Segunda B needs a serious rework too, but that doesn't really affect the top tier.

[The Larch]

The head coach doesn't want to resign; call him idiot, just some months ago his contract was renewed until 2020, at 1,5 million/year   

L.

Whoever renewed him for so long before qualifying needs to be kicked out ASAP.