Page 92 - Soccer360 Issue 105

90TH MINUTE
WHO SAID WHAT
“Age is not important. I experienced it firsthand, because when I was just sixteen years old
I made my debut for Arsenal, and from then on my career rose to
a level very rapidly. I don’t regret anything, although it is true that, by starting so strong, early, and with enormous pressure... This means that when you are older, you may fall faster” – Former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has warned that playing some of their La Masia graduates too much too young could shorten their career.
“I can’t do what I love anymore. I’ve been away from the field for over a year now. It’s been very complicated. I can’t say much,
but it’s a real ordeal, you can’t imagine. I’ve known for months that there’s a chance I’ll never play again. I’m trying everything to get back but I’ve accepted the idea that I wouldn’t be able to play again.” – Udinese star Gerard Deulofeu contemplates retirement at 29 years old after recurrent injuries.
“No, because the first one when we beat Barcelona 3-1 was better. And people forget it.”
– Jose Mourinho doesn’t believe that the famous Camp Nou match, in
which a 10-man Inter Milan prevented Barcelona from scoring more than once to maintain a 3-2 lead on aggregate,
is the best tactical achievement of his career.
No team in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals from high turnovers than Athletic Club in 2023/24 (eight, tied with Stuttgart).
AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG ?
Apple Music launched a playlist with Lionel Messi’s top songs called “Messi: The Warm-Up”. The playlist got everyone talking, mainly because we’ve never really known what type of music Messi likes, but also because of the variety of songs he chose for the playlist. The playlist is heavy on Latin music, which shouldn’t be a surprise given the Argentinian’s roots. There, we see Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Maluma, and more pop up.
YEAH, HE’S OKAY
Spanish outlet Cadena Ser reported that a representative of Mbappe caught up with City Football Group officials in Manchester. The person was reportedly spotted at the club’s training ground where the team were preparing for their Champions League clash against Copenhagen. Pep Guardiola was asked about MBappe later, and the Catalonian delivered a hilarious response. He replied, “I think he’s quite good. He has a future.”
EXCERCISE IS A BEACH
Eden Hazard admits to always returning for pre- season overweight, with the ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid star making sure that he enjoyed his summers. Hazard accepts that he would come back a little heavy, but makes no apologies for that as he was determined to make the most of a break in competitive action. With his body pushed to breaking point during grueling domestic, continental and international campaigns, he was reluctant to do any kind of serious exercise when there was too much fun to be had.
DELIGHTFUL COLABORATION
Manchester City’s owners, the City Football Group, announce new ‘football collaboration’ with Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir. The Turkish club announced it had signed this agreement with CFG which will aim for “growth and success.” Under the agreement, CFG will provide Basaksehir with guidance on transfers, academy development, and data-driven insights. The group will also offer support with player screening and football strategy. CFG is already the majority or co-owner of several clubs across the world. Most notably, the group owns Manchester City and Girona.
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GUEST OF HONOR
Hispano-Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria, who recently became the UFC featherweight champion in mixed martial arts by defeating Australian Alexander Volkanovski, performed the honorary kick-off at the match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu. while expressing his desire to fight against Irishman Conor McGregor in the same stadium. Topuria, who admitted to being a fan of Real Madrid upon his arrival in Spain, stating that the club “best represents the values
of Spain,” also expressed his admiration for Florentino Pérez.
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