All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester City moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a 5-0 thrashing of Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium.

Two goals from Raheem Sterling as well as an dazzling display from captain Kevin De Bruyne stood out, but it was the impressive performance from defender Aymeric Laporte that stole the show, with the Spain international even getting in on the action and scoring a goal himself.

The result sees The Citizens move even closer to a fourth Premier League title in five years, and their resilient defensive performance certainly allowed their forward line to roam free and dominate an in-form Newcastle side.

What makes it even more extraordinary is the fact that they were without two key defenders for the clash. Both Kyle Walker and John Stones were absent from the squad after suffering injuries during City’s recent Champions League semi-final 6-5 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid.

A key highlight of Laporte’s performance was his one on one defending, with the 27-year-old winning 100% of his duels, all of which were in the air.

He also achieved a pass accuracy percentage of 96% proving that he can be just as reliable on the ground. After that performance, it’s hard to see why Guardiola should drop him even when John Stones returns to fitness. He has featured 29 times in the Premier League this season which is up significantly from the 16 games he appeared in last season.

Up until now, Pep has seemed to have preferred the partnership of Ruben Dias and Stones, but Laporte was his hero today and leaves him with a dilemma.

Given the number of competitions that City are always involved in there is enough game time for everyone, but if he thinks he’s good enough to start and he’s left on the bench then he may eventually seek more game time elsewhere.

Laporte’s overall SofaScore rating for the match was 7.5 which was the highest of all the defenders and beaten by only Sterling, De Bruyne and Rodri. He produced when given the opportunity and has shown that he is capable of fighting for the two available spots.

He may not grab the headlines tomorrow, but we think he was the best player on the pitch.

IN other news: “Manchester City will sign…”: Romano drops big transfer claim, Pep will be buzzing…

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly have ‘a future captain’ on their hands in the form of centre-back Cristian Romero, according to Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Romero off to a great start at Spurs

The 24-year-old first joined the Premier League giants from Atalanta last summer and has since gone on to make 29 appearances for the Lilywhites, most recently in Spurs’ 3-1 victory against Leicester City last weekend.

The Argentine has delivered some impressive performances of late in the top flight, and the former Spurs goalkeeper believes that Romero would make a perfect candidate to replace Hugo Lloris as club captain when the veteran Frenchman departs.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Romero could be future Spurs captain

When asked if he thought the defender had the potential to be a future skipper in the capital, Robinson told Football Insider:

“Romero looks like he has a lot of leadership which is great to see at such a young age. His performances on the pitch and relationship with his teammates show that. I don’t know to what extent language is a barrier but he looks a future captain to me.

“They will not take the captaincy off of Hugo, there is no call for that but whenever he choses to leave there will be a decision to make.

“If Romero is still at the club I can see him stepping up. I’m not talking about anytime in the immediate future but perhaps in a few years time.”

The Verdict: Beast at the back

The £29k-per-week Argentine has been an absolute rock at the heart of the Spurs defence since slotting into the starting XI, averaging three clearances, 2.9 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per league game this season, via WhoScored.

Romero has been hailed as “outstanding” by BBC columnist Jonathan Woodgate and still has plenty of his prime years ahead of him, quite possibly growing into an even better player in the years to come.

Antonio Conte will need all of his defensive experience available to him should he want Tottenham to secure a top-four finish at the end of the season, and the 6 foot 1 colossus could help him do just that with only four games left to go.

In terms of leading by example, Romero is doing that with his performances, so perhaps Robinson is right in name-checking him as Lloris’ possible successor for the armband at Spurs.

In other news… Spurs have officially opened negotiations for one of their ‘fantastic’ transfer targets

Today sees West Bromwich Albion take on Reading in both teams’ penultimate match of the regular Championship season.

To be frank, neither team has anything much to play for, with Reading now mathematically safe and West Brom nowhere near the play-off places.

However, having had his future cleared up, Baggies manager Steve Bruce will not see it that way and will instead be looking for some inspired performances from his players, who will be looking to build some momentum to take into next season.

In terms of injuries, Conor Townsend is a doubt for today, but luckily it is not through injury, with the 29-year-old on standby to attend the birth of his child, which is due any day now.

According to Bruce, Albion academy graduate Zac Ashworth will be in the squad, with the 19-year-old likely to take Townsend’s place, as per West Brom News.

Baggies fans will be glad to know that there are no new injury concerns heading into the match against Paul Ince’s side.

With the latest news in mind, here is how we at Football Fan Cast expect West Bromwich Albion to line up against Reading today.

West Brom XI – Button; Ajayi, O’Shea, Clarke; Reach, Livermore, Molumby, Ashworth; Gardner-Hickman; Carroll, Grant

We expect the team to line-up in a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Our prediction sees just one change from the side which started against Coventry City last time out, with 19-year-old academy graduate Ashworth – who has been dubbed “excellent” by Joe Chapman – coming in for the “dependable” Townsend, in the words of Kieran Doody.

With nothing to play for in these last two games, Bruce can afford to give youth prospects like Ashworth an opportunity to assert himself in the Baggies’ first-team.

Up top, Andy Carroll will be hoping to make the manager rue the decision over his contract renewal if he is to start today, with the 33-year-old set to be released at the end of the season after it was reported by The Athletic that Bruce would not offer him a new contract.

In other news: West Brom now eyeing move for “super” £42k-p/w ace, supporters will love it…

It’s safe to say it has been a topsy-turvy few weeks for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

A few weeks ago, the Gunners had played out an unbeaten week against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Well, it would appear that the intense period has rather taken it out of them. The Gunners did beat Brentford but a defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, their first loss in 18 games, has raised questions.

Arteta’s squad may be full of depth but any team would struggle with the number of injuries they have suffered this season.

Sadly, that trend is only continuing ahead of their Champions League clash with Club Brugge on Wednesday night.

The latest injury news from Arsenal

Arsenal headed to Villa Park last weekend without a number of key players. Kai Havertz was absent once again, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were both unfit to play.

Arteta stressed over a week ago that Saliba’s injury was only a ‘matter of days’ but he is still missing from the squad ahead of Arsenal’s encounter with Brugge in midweek.

Given the club’s defensive frailties against Villa a few days ago, another missed match for Saliba is a hefty blow. Arsenal need to return to form and without their two defensive warriors, they are struggling.

Also missing from the squad to face Brugge will be Leandro Trossard. The Belgian has been one of Arsenal’s key men this term, scoring six goals and supplying five assists in 17 matches. It’s a huge blow, really. He’s been a clutch player for a long time but he’s been in the form of his life throughout 2025/26. Dare we say it, he may well be the club’s most important forward right now.

The Belgian returned to the squad following a small injury against Villa and did score, although he has now suffered another setback.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said: “Obviously when you are missing players, you are loading other players and there is a consequence to that, and it’s a really dangerous circle.

“You have to separate the kind of injuries. Some of them have been long-term, and some have been acute injuries. It’s something that we are constantly looking at. We have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing and that puts a lot of stress, and then you get more injuries.”

While setbacks for Trossard and Saliba are key blows, it’s also disappointing that Max Dowman has picked up a longer-term problem. The teenager was likely set to feature in the remaining league games of the Champions League but is unlikely to be seen again in 2025.

1. Leeds

28

2. Arsenal

26

2= Aston Villa

26

4. Crystal Palace

25

5. Chelsea

23

Commenting on that blow, the manager stated, “When you play in the position that he plays, when you play the manner that he plays, it was going to happen, and it has happened.

“It’s not ideal. He picked up weeks, it could have been worse, and we learn from that and now use this time to continue to improve in his education, in everything that is related to professional football, his habits, the way he needs to develop his physicality as well and the understanding of the game.”

That blow has, at least, allowed the club to replace Dowman with Gabriel Jesus in their Champions League squad. He could be in line to feature for the first time in nearly a year following an ACL injury.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brugge

With Saliba, Gabriel and summer signing Cristian Mosquera all missing through injury, the backline likely picks itself with Ben White featuring at right-back alongside a centre-back pairing of Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie.

Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for Arsenal’s clash with Wolves at the weekend and thus, Arteta may use this as an opportunity to get minutes into the legs of Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back.

In midfield, Declan Rice will be missing with illness. Martin Zubimendi is also due a rest, meaning we could see a midfield three of Christian Norgaard, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze.

In the forward line, Viktor Gyokeres could start for the first time since returning from injury, playing ahead of Mikel Merino. He is likely to be flanked by Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli with Bukayo Saka handed a rest. Expect to see him feature from the bench.

Ethan Nwaneri and Kepa Arrizabalaga are set to be in contention for rare starts but it feels more likely that they will be among the subs again.

Arsenal star was playing like Saka, now he's being treated like Smith Rowe

The incredible Arsenal talent could end up following Smith Rowe’s trajectory instead of Saka’s.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes 5 days ago

Big-money transfers haven’t been alien to Manchester United over the last couple of years, with mammoth funds being splashed on numerous talents in the transfer window.

At present, the Red Devils’ £89m deal to re-sign Paul Pogba from Juventus in the summer of 2016 remains their record signing, but the club have been perilously close to breaking such a sum in recent windows.

Antony joined during the Erik ten Hag reign, moving to Old Trafford alongside the boss after spending multiple years with the Dutchman at Eredivisie outfit Ajax.

The deal for the Brazilian will go down as one of the worst in English history, scoring just 12 times in his 96 appearances in Manchester after joining the club for a staggering £86m.

The 25-year-old has since left in a £19m deal to join Spanish side Real Betis – with Ruben Amorim’s side taking a £67m loss on the investment made back in the summer of 2022.

However, there’s a new attacker at the Theatre of Dreams trying to avoid suffering a similar fate in his quest to help catapult the side back to their former glory in the near future.

United’s move to land Bryan Mbeumo this summer

After ending the 2024/25 campaign in a measly 15th place in the Premier League, huge changes were needed at United during the off-season to prevent a repeat this time around.

Amorim wasted no time in clearing the deadwood out from his first-team squad, subsequently freeing up valuable wages to land new top-level talent to transform the club’s fortunes.

Bryan Mbeumo was one of three big-money attacking reinforcements made during the summer, arriving in a package totalling £71m including potential add-ons.

The Cameroonian international scored 20 times in the Premier League for Brentford last campaign, ending the year as only one of five players to achieve such a feat in England’s top-flight.

Whilst it’s undoubtedly another expensive addition made by the hierarchy, it’s one that has injected needed top-flight experience into the current squad to aid their ambitions of rising up the table.

At 26, he will be entering his prime years at Old Trafford, also having the opportunity to make himself a fan-favourite during any attempt of domestic and continental success.

Mbeumo has already made an immediate impact in 2025/26, scoring twice in his first four outings for the Red Devils – arguably being the biggest threat currently available to Amorim within the final third.

Whilst his early form in Manchester has given supporters a newfound sense of optimism, the hierarchy could’ve saved themselves millions had they put more faith in one talent who left a couple of years ago.

The former United star who is just like Mbeumo

The Ten Hag era at United was certainly a topsy-turvy one, achieving great feats like winning the FA Cup, but also getting hammered 7-0 by rivals Liverpool at Anfield.

His recruitment in the transfer market was also extremely lacklustre, splashing big money on players who ultimately failed to cut it in the Premier League – as seen by Antony’s spell at the club.

Casemiro was another addition made during his tenure, costing a fee in the region of £70m from Real Madrid despite being 30 at the time of his switch to England.

Numerous of his outgoings also proved to be mistakes, with the decision to offload Anthony Elanga for just £15m another blunder made when he was at the helm.

The Swede came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford, going on to make 55 appearances over a three-year period – but only 26 of which came during Ten Hag’s spell in charge.

He failed to net a single goal during the 2022/23 campaign, leading to his subsequent move to Nottingham Forest that summer in a deal that catapulted him to the next level.

Elanga spent two years at the City Ground, racking up 11 goals and 21 assists in his 82 appearances – subsequently catapulting the Reds to Europe for the first time in three decades – before joining Newcastle United in a £60m deal this summer.

One of his efforts came against United last campaign, producing an incredible 85-yard solo effort which saw Nuno Espírito Santo’s side claim a 1-0 win over Amorim’s men.

As a result of his performances, he was labelled as a similar player to new addition Mbeumo by FBref, managing to outperform the £71m man in numerous key areas.

The Swede managed to post a higher shot on target accuracy rate in 2024/25 (55%), subsequently making the most of the opportunities falling his way and demonstrating his clinical nature.

His dominance over the Cameroonian is further reflected in his higher tally of key passes per 90 (1.9) and carries into the opposition box per 90 (2.7) – having the technical ability to subsequently cause the opposition havoc.

That’s an attribute that’s been outlined much through Elanga’s career, with former Red Devil Paul Parker once stating that he is like “a young Ryan Giggs” in the way he drives forward with possession.

Games played

38

38

Goals & assists

17

27

Shot on target accuracy

55%

43%

Key passes made

1.9

1.8

Progressive carries

2.7

1.9

Carries into the opposition box

2.7

1.9

Crosses completed

6.7

5.3

Fould drawn

1.7

1.1

Tallies such as 3.7 progressive carries per 90 and 6.7 crosses completed per 90 were also higher than those produced by Mbeumo – further showcasing the constant threat he possesses in attacking areas.

Given the lack of success from the United first team in recent years, the decision to allow Elanga to depart now looks to be a huge mistake – especially given his rapid development away from the Theatre of Dreams.

Undoubtedly, there’s huge excitement around Mbeumo at present, but the club may well have been better off keeping hold of the Swede instead of splashing yet more funds on a new attacker.

Man Utd talent who left the club for £0 has been outscoring Sesko & Mbeumo

Manchester United may have made a mistake in allowing one former talent to depart Old Trafford.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 11, 2025

Lewis Hamilton has now decided between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, with the Formula 1 legend insisting he is a “big” fan of one of the players in the ‘GOAT’ debate.

Hamilton chooses between Ronaldo and Messi

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is now on the horizon, with the eighth edition set to take place in Baku from September 19th to 21st, in what is round 17 of the Formula 1 season, and McLaren head into the race in a strong position to win back-to-back constructors’ championships.

McLaren are currently 337 points clear of second-placed Ferrari, courtesy of finishing second and third at Monza, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collecting 617 points between them up to this stage.

Hamilton, on the other hand, hasn’t won in Azerbaijan since 2018, and Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has admitted the 40-year-old has struggled after making his big move to the Scuderia.

Carlos Alcaraz says England star may be "the best player in the world"

The 2025 US Open winner has suggested an England international is among the best footballers on the planet.

ByDominic Lund Sep 9, 2025

Vasseur said: “I don’t know if we underestimated the importance of the change. Probably, because he spent 10 years at McLaren, then 12 with Mercedes, but it was a kind of continuity – two teams based in the UK with the same engine, same environment.

“[Joining Ferrari] is a complete change for him, in his life, the culture of the team and everything. To do it in three test days in the winter period is quite difficult – and I think also the expectation was huge.”

The Briton will be looking to get back on track in Baku, after a mixed year so far, but there are no doubts over the fact he is one of the best F1 drivers of all time, having won a joint-record seven World Drivers’ Championships.

Alongside his clear love of F1, the Ferrari driver is also-well known to be a big football fan, having been a supporter of Arsenal growing up.

Hamilton has also decided between Ronaldo and Messi, claiming he is a fan of both players, saying:

Messi signs off in emphatic fashion in Argentina

The 38-year-old may no longer be playing in Europe, but he is still performing at the top-level, scoring a brace against Venezuela in his final home game for Argentina in the most recent international break.

Having racked up a remarkable 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 appearances during his time with Barcelona, while also winning eight Ballon d’Ors and the 2022 World Cup, it is difficult to argue with Hamilton’s assessment of the Rosario-born star being the greatest of all time.

Winning a second World Cup in 2026 could arguably end the debate, and Argentina have now sealed their place at the competition, which is due to take place across North America from next June until July.

Chelsea chiefs are prepared to ship off a fair few players this summer after already spending around £140 million on new signings, with BlueCo intent on balancing the books to ensure they’re in line with FFP regulations.

In talks: Chelsea identify "next top target" in £60m star, he's keen to join

The Blues could yet another new attacker to their ranks.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 2, 2025

Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro are both poised to join Enzo Maresca’s side, with the latter having his medical in the US before his £55 million switch from Brighton, which has now been officially confirmed. Chelsea also agreed a deal for Gittens at that same price.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

This follows their £30 million move for Ipswich Town star Liam Delap, and it is believed that Chelsea are in talks over a move for West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus as their next top attacking target (Simon Phillips).

If they do land Kudus next, the west Londoners will need to start selling players for significant fees, with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga coming as their only senior exit so far.

Kepa joined Arsenal for around £5 million, which was announced earlier this week, and Chelsea are fully expected to orchestrate a few more high-profile exits.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja and Axel Disasi could all leave Stamford Bridge this summer, according to The Athletic, alongside more first-team regulars.

Christopher Nkunku is allegedly pushing to leave, while the likes of Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson are attracting reported interest from London rivals Arsenal.

Maresca’s backlog of surplus wingers will need some trimming, and that includes England international Raheem Sterling, who’s now back after a lacklustre loan spell at the Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea ready to sell Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke

Journalist Pete O’Rourke, sharing an update for Football Insider, says that Chelsea are ready to accept offers for both Sterling and Madueke.

The latter, who cost around £30 million to sign from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, has played a key role under Maresca in recent months – earning praise from England boss Thomas Tuchel for his performances at international level too.

However, Madueke will be allowed to leave for the right price, and it could very well be for Arsenal, given the serious links and their extremely productive business relationship over the last few transfer windows.

Chelsea are very unlikely to receive a bid close to Sterling’s original £50 million deal from Man City, but it will be a boost for BlueCo to get the 30-year-old’s seismic £325,000-per-week wages off the books.

Reports in Spain last week suggested that Besiktas were in talks to sign Sterling, so there could be an avenue to explore in the Turkish Süper Lig, or perhaps in Saudi Arabia, where sides stand the best chance of getting anywhere near his sky-high salary in terms of a contract offer.

Although their focus has been on finding a new manager, Rangers are now reportedly seriously interested in signing a European talent who they’ve already scouted ahead of the summer transfer window.

Rangers' manager shortlist

Before anything, the Gers must finally find a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement, having decided against handing Barry Ferguson the job following a brief interim spell at the end of the season. To that end, a number of candidates have unsurprisingly already emerged in the race to land the vaccant position at Ibrox.

Names such as Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti have stolen the most headlines, but that hasn’t stopped the likes of Russell Martin from receiving links to the job in recent weeks. The former Southampton manager has been out of a job since being shown the door at St Mary’s and is now an outside candidate to arrive in Scotland as well as being linked with the Leicester City job.

Plenty have had their say on just who should arrive, including Rangers legend Ally McCoist. He told reporters when quizzed on Gerrard’s next move: “It’s absolutely vital that his next job is the right one, It didn’t quite work out at Villa or in Saudi Arabia. It’s similar to Frank Lampard—his move to Coventry has been crucial in getting his managerial career back on track. Steven’s in that same position. His next step needs to be spot on.”

Whether a return to Rangers is a move that would be “spot on” for Gerrard is a question that those in Scotland may just get an answer to in the coming weeks, as the 49ers ramp up their managerial hunt.

Same agent as Gerrard: Rangers want cheap deal to sign £1m int'l defender

He could arrive with the potential new manager.

ByTom Cunningham May 28, 2025

As soon as they find their next manager, of course, Rangers must turn their attention towards the summer transfer market and that’s when they could make their move to sign an attacking addition who they’ve already scouted.

Rangers seriously interested in Djurgarden winger Fallenius

According to Fotboll Direkt in Sweden, the 49ers are now seriously interested in signing Oskar Fallenius after Rangers completed their scouting mission on the 23-year-old Djurgarden winger. The Swede could be part of a much-needed list of arrivals as those at Ibrox look to turn their side back into true title contenders and bridge the gap on Celtic in the process.

A player who has featured on the European stage and scored in the Europa Conference League, Fallenius has seemingly done enough to earn the attention of Rangers ahead of the summer transfer window.

If the 49ers are looking to improve the Gers whilst maintaining their budget, then the arrival of a player who could be on the verge of bursting into his best form should be the way forward. And Fallenius would fall into that category.

The Scottish giants arguably got it all wrong last summer, but with new owners on the way they have the chance to start fresh and close the gap on Celtic for the first time since 2021. Whether that results in Fallenius’ arrival will certainly be interesting to see.

Being kicked out of a major tournament isn’t something that happens very often in football. In fact, it’s an incredibly rare event, but it has happened.

From match fixing scandals, to financial foolishness, to plain stupidity, here are 10 times clubs were kicked out of various competitions.

1 Club Leon (2025) Denied place in expanded Club World Cup

FIFA expanded their Club World Cup to include 32 teams from 2025, but Mexican side Club Leon were booted out of the competition after falling foul of the rules regarding multi-club ownership.

They had qualified via winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2023, with rivals Pachuca – who are also owned by Grupo Pachuca – winning the tournament a year later.

With these clubs unable to participate in the same competition, Leon were eventually booted out. FIFA created a play-off match between MLS outfit LAFC and Mexican side Club America to decide which team will take their place.

2 Juventus (2006) Relegated to Serie B

The Calcipoli scandal shook Italian football, but no club was more affected by the consequences than Juventus. Uncovered in May 2006, it was a major sports controversy in Italy’s Serie A and Serie B football leagues. It involved several clubs, executives and football bodies, including Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio, Milan and Reggina.

The scandal was revealed through telephone tappings, exposing relations between club executives and referee organisations during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons, with accusations of referee selection to favour specific clubs.

Juventus, the league champions, were severely penalised, being stripped of the 2004/05 Serie A title, relegated to Serie B, and downgraded to last place in the 2005/06 season.

While popularly known as a match-fixing scandal, no match-fixing violations were found for Juventus in intercepted calls. The club was absolved of wrongdoing, but sporting executives Luciano Moggi and Antonio Giraudo received lifetime bans.

A subsequent investigation implicated other clubs, though they weren’t put on trial due to the statute of limitations.

Legal battles ensued, with damage claims and appeals, leading to controversy and ongoing debates. Juventus returned to Serie A, eventually dominating with a record nine consecutive league titles.

3 Marseille (1994) Relegated to Ligue 2

After winning the Champions League the season before, Marseille were kicked out of Ligue 1 in 1994 after a bribery scandal that changed French football forever. The French football bribery scandal, known as Affaire VA-OM, unfolded during the 1992/93 French Ligue 1 season in a match between Valenciennes and Olympique de Marseille.

Marseille president Bernard Tapie and general manager Jean-Pierre Bernès sought to influence the game by bribing Valenciennes players, including Jorge Burruchaga, Jacques Glassmann and Christophe Robert.

The aim was to ensure Marseille’s players remained fresh for the upcoming UEFA Champions League final against Milan. Glassmann refused the bribe, exposing the scandal. Despite winning the match and the league title, Marseille faced severe consequences.

The scandal led to Marseille being stripped of the title, but runners-up Paris Saint-Germain declined to be named champions, resulting in no official winner for the 1992/93 season. Tapie, Bernès, Burruchaga, Jean-Jacques Eydelie and Robert were convicted of corruption in subsequent trials.

Tapie and Eydelie served jail terms, while Bernès, Burruchaga, and Robert received suspended sentences. The aftermath included Marseille’s relegation to Division 2 for the 1994/95 season due to financial difficulties. Glassmann, who refused the bribe, was honoured with the 1995 FIFA Fair Play Award.

4 Ismaily (2019) Kicked out of CAF Champions League

In 2019, Egyptian club Ismaily were disqualified from the competition following the disruption of their fixture against Club Africain.

The disqualification stemmed from Ismaily fans hurling stones and water bottles at match officials and players from the visiting Tunisian club, leading referee Neant Alioum to call for the teams to retreat to the changing rooms during stoppage time, with Club Africain leading 2-1.

CAF’s decision to expel Ismaily from the competition parallels a previous disqualification of Algerian side Entente Sportive de Setif in 2016 after a similar episode against Mamelodi Sundowns. As a result of Ismaily’s expulsion, their results in Group C were nullified.

The club was eventually reinstated after CAF overturned the decision, stating there was no evidence of an invasion or targeted aggression towards the visiting team.

5 Fenerbahce & Besiktas (2013) Banned from European football

Turkish football clubs Fenerbahce and Besiktas faced UEFA sanctions following a domestic match-fixing scandal from 2011. UEFA banned Fenerbahce from European football for two seasons and imposed a suspended third-season ban.

Besiktas received a one-season ban from UEFA competitions. Both clubs were implicated in a 2011 Turkish league scandal, leading to convictions for 93 individuals, including Fenerbahce chairman Aziz Yildirim. Yildirim received over six years in prison but was released pending an appeal.

The UEFA disciplinary panel considered evidence over several months and ruled that Fenerbahce would miss the upcoming Champions League and any subsequent European competitions. Besiktas, implicated in the 2011 Turkish Cup final, were excluded from the next Europa League.

The Turkish Football Federation had previously imposed bans on players and officials but took no action against clubs involved in the scandal.

6 Lazio & Milan (1980) Relegated to Serie B

After a match-fixing scandal, Milan and Lazio were relegated to Serie B, while three Serie A and two Serie B clubs faced five-point deductions. The Italian Football Federation banned 20 players, half of whom had represented the Italian national team.

Notably, Paolo Rossi, a key figure in the Azzurri team that won the 1982 World Cup, received a reduced two-year sentence. Milan’s president, Felice Colombo, was initially banned for life but later received a six-year suspension.

The scandal originated in the state-run Totocalcio competition era, leading a struggling merchant, Massimo Cruciani, to approach a restaurant owner, Alvaro Trinca, with a match-fixing scheme. The Totonero black market in football betting facilitated their plan.

Despite facing heavy losses, Cruciani and Trinca filed a complaint, leading to arrests and subsequent sanctions by the Italian Football Federation, casting a dark shadow over Italian football.

7 Real Madrid (2015) Disqualified from Copa del Rey

Real Madrid were disqualified from the Copa del Rey in 2015 for fielding an ineligible player, Denis Cheryshev, during the round-of-32 match against Cadiz on December 2. Cheryshev scored the opening goal in a 3-1 victory, but it was later revealed that he should have been serving a one-match suspension.

Despite Real Madrid’s appeals, the Spanish Football Federation maintained its decision. The competition judge acknowledged that Cheryshev was not personally notified about his ban, a crucial requirement for the suspension to take effect.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insisted that the club received no communication from the federation regarding Cheryshev’s suspension and vowed to take the matter to appeals and the arbitration court. Cheryshev had incurred a one-game ban after receiving his third yellow card in the 2014/15 Copa del Rey campaign while on loan at Villarreal.

8 5 Armenian football clubs (2023) Massive Armenian match-fixing scandal

This match-fixing scandal was so audacious, we can’t help but wonder how these clubs thought they would get away with it. The Armenian Football Federation (FFA) has just suspended the country’s second tier and disqualified five teams due to evidence of their involvement in match-fixing.

Around 45 individuals, including club owners, players, and coaches, have received life bans, with an additional 13 individuals banned for varying periods for their roles in match manipulation. The FFA cited “undeniable evidence” from international organisations and law enforcement agencies for its decision.

Club owners with Russian passports, Russian players and coaches, as well as Ukrainian, Latvian and Belarusian footballers, were reportedly among those banned. Teams such as Lokomotiv Yerevan, Aragats, Torpedo Yerevan and Masis were disqualified from the championship following suspicious results, including scorelines like 12-0, 0-12, 1-8, 9-2, 0-7, 0-8, and 8-2.

FC Yerevan, which had withdrawn from the 2019/20 Premier League due to financial and technical problems, were also disqualified for match-fixing.

9 Parma (2015) Relegated to Serie D

Parma used to be a real force in Italian football. Players like Hernan Crespo, Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon were just a few of the greats to wear their beautiful kits. Unfortunately, in 2015, it all came crumbling down for the old giants.

The two-time UEFA Cup winners were relegated to the fourth tier of Italian football due to their inability to secure a new owner. The club declared bankruptcy and had been seeking a buyer to address their financial troubles.

Parma’s relegation followed a series of financial challenges, including a late tax payment that led to their exclusion from the Europa League during the 2014/15 season.

10 Rangers Relegated to Scottish Third Division

In 2012, Rangers as we knew it ceased to exist. They had to start anew from the fourth tier after a financial crisis led to their expulsion from the Scottish Premier League.

The decision by Scottish Football League clubs marked a significant downturn for the Gers, who faced administration before a takeover led by Charles Green.

Rangers had initially wanted to join the second tier, but 25 out of 30 clubs voted for them to begin at the bottom of the footballing hierarchy in Scotland. This move contrasted sharply with Rangers’ historical prominence and average attendance of over 45,000 at their Ibrox stadium.

The club have since made their way back to the top of Scottish football, winning their first title since their relegation under Steven Gerrard in 2020/21.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Vitor Pereira is looking to significantly strengthen his squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

One player who is on the club’s radar is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who could be set to leave Chelsea this summer after just one season at Stamford Bridge.

The Old Gold have been linked with a move for the midfielder, who would fit the profile of what the manager is looking for in his midfield.

He won’t be the only name to be linked with a move to Molineux in the coming weeks, especially as they need some added firepower up front.

The latest Wolves transfer news

Matheus Cunha looks destined to leave the Midlands this summer. Manchester United look to be the club that are set to trigger his £62.5m release clause when the window opens.

This means Pereira will need to look for another forward or two, especially if he looks to take Wolves into the top half of the Premier League table next season.

According to reports in Italy, the club are preparing to line up a move for Lazio striker Valentin Castellanos. They aren’t the only English side to be monitoring his performances, however, as Nottingham Forest and West Ham United are also set to battle it out.

A price tag of £29m has been placed on the striker’s head, and much will depend on how much money the manager has to spend this summer.

If he could secure moves for him and Dewsbury-Hall, the pair could form a dream partnership, that’s for sure.

Why Wolves must sign Valentin Castellanos

Dewsbury-Hall may not have enjoyed the finest of seasons at Chelsea, yet he has still registered seven goal contributions.

It was his spell in the Championship for Leicester City during 2023/24 that saw him secure the move to London. Across 44 Championship games, he created 20 big chances and averaged 2.5 key passes per game.

If this sort of form was on show at Molineux, he and Castellanos would be perfect together.

The Argentinian striker rose to prominence during a spell with New York City, scoring 59 goals in 134 appearances for the MLS side.

His four-goal haul against Real Madrid, however, during the 2022/23 season saw him secure a move to Lazio, where he has shone this term.

A tally of 14 goals and eight assists in 38 matches has put several teams on high alert this summer, and he could be set to leave Serie A, amid interest from Wilshere.

Goals

10

Assists

3

Shots per game

3.6

Goal conversion percentage

10%

Goal frequency (minutes)

222

Big chances created

6

Lauded as “extraordinary” by Lazio manager Marco Baroni in October, the 26-year-old looks as though he is entering the peak years of his career.

This suggests he would be an excellent signing for Pereira next season. With Dewsbury-Hall playing just behind him, creating chances and openings in the attacking penalty area, the pair could sparkle.

It could be a massive coup to sign both players this summer, but if the club are serious about working their way into the top half of the table, then money will have to be spent on stars of their calibre to take the team to the next level.

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ByJoe Nuttall May 16, 2025