One of the biggest men in Croation football, Zoran Mamic, has been sentenced for a four-year-and-three-month prison sentence after found guilty for fraud by the Croation Supreme Court.
Mamic was a sporting director and club manager of Croation side Dinamo Zagreb, who faces Tottenham, who are currently lead with a 2-0 advantage, in the UEFA Europa League tonight. His brother Zdravko Mamic, who was a club executive at Dinamo Zagreb and also vice president of the Croation Football Association (HNS), was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. Former club director Damir Vrbanovic and tax inspector Milan Perner have been confirmed jail terms. Case Explained...
The case dates back to 2015 when brothers Zoran and Zdravko Mamic were arrested and accused of embezzlement and tax evasion.
The life long fans of Dinamo Zagreb had long been suspecting that the management had been siphoning money off transfers. The Croatian fans reacted to this by throwing fans onto the field during the Euro 2016 in France, and after being accused of siphoning about £13 million off transfer fees and evading about £12.2 million in tax, Zdravko Mamic was shot and wounded while visiting his father's grave. A day before the verdict in 2018, Zdravko Mamic had fled to Bosnia & Herzegovina, and later had jail terms for him and his brother confirmed. After having being sentenced to prison on Monday, Zoran Mamic resigned from his position at the club saying, "Although I don't feel guilty, I resign as I said before I would do if the sentence was confirmed. I wish all the good luck to the club." Zoran Mamic's Career
Mamic had a significant coaching career with Dinamo Zagreb, taking on the role of sporting director in 2007. He became caretaker manager in 2013, and later on that year he became the official manager of the club till 2016. Between 2016 and 2020, he had some stints with Al-Nassr and Hilal in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Ain FC in the United Arab Emirates. He helped Al-Ain become UAE Champions and also helped them reach the FIFA Club World Cup Final in 2018 against Real Madrid.
Dinamo Zagreb won the Croation league in each year that Mamic was leading them, also winning the Croatian Cup in 2015 and 2016.
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I did not plan to talk about women referees during the week were we celebrated Women's Day, but I guess there is no better time to discuss such a topic.
These last few years, we have been watching several women break new grounds and finally start officiating men's football games. This is a huge step forward for women to be taken seriously in football. I say this, because a "Women in Football" survey concluded by 2020, found that 66% of women experience sexism in football, with only 12% of cases being reported. So today, I will be discussing women referees and its current issues. We can all agree that referees are the people that football fans tend to disagree with most, but they are the people who at the end of the day control the game. For me to be a woman, and have the privilege of speaking and writing to you about it, it's an honour to write about such women who literally have the power to control the beautiful game, which once was called the men's game. Sian Massey-Ellis
My point regarding Massey-Ellis' story is, that it can be seen rather sexist that a lot of people have offended her directly on social media, with the thought that the incident was wrong because she is a woman. The incident was wrong because she was a match official at that game and a certain distance in their rapport had to be kept. It easy for people to assume that in these type of cases, the issue is raised because of gender difference and certain overlapping, which is the reason why certain cases can be seen as sexist nowadays, when in reality they're not.
Stephanie Frappart
Bibiana Steinhaus
The 41-year old German has retired from refereeing football last year in September. Her last match was the German Super Cup which was a Der Klassiker between the two biggest German clubs, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
She came through all the ranks of German football, to finally reach the top peak in the season of 2017/18. During that season, she officiated eight matches, her debut being in a 1-1 draw between Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen on the third matchday. She was also a policewoman in Hannover, and admits that she was quite surprised when she received the telephone call to officiate in the Bundesliga. She does not like the fact, that some of the audience looks at her and points out the fact that she is a woman officiating a men's game. Of course this is a huge milestone for us women, but Steinhaus wants it to be seen as something normal, not as something that defines her. This thought of a certain normality can put an end to a lot of sexism taking place. Steinhaus' aim was always to normalise women as referees in men's football. Her hard work has surely paid off to reach such a milestone, and she does admit that she knows that she is observed differently by the audience and media. More women referees in the men's game are something which seem pretty new for a lot of people, but these small steps are the things that will eventually help make it normal. 3/4/2021 DCMS Committee chair Julian Knight aims for "great sport but also sport that is safe."Read Now
On 9th March, the Houses of Parliament is launching an inquiry which will examine the relationship between sport and long-term brain injury.
Witnesses will be speaking to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) in order to discover new protocols which can make the sport safer. In 2019, a study titled FIELD discovered that professional footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease - such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease - than age-matched individuals of the population. Last year, coaches handling primary school aged children, were encouraged not to practise heading at all during training. This study might help to improve further guidelines on how to make the sport safer. Currently, in the Premier League and the FA Cup, concussion substitutes are taking the place of players who fall down with head injury immediately. This is to lessen the risk of an injured player suffering damaging future impacts.
Last year, Sir Bobby Charlton became the fifth England 1966 World Cup Winner to be diagnosed with dementia. Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson were other members of the squad who died while suffering with dementia.
In 2018, midfielder Ryan Mason was forced to retire from football following a skull fracture he suffered while playing for Hull City in the Premier League in 2017. He clashed with Chelsea's Gary Cahill while defending a corner. He received treatment for about nine minutes at Stamford Bridge while laying on the pitch. He was admitted to St.Mary's Hospital in London where he had surgery performed and released eight days later. Unfortunately after taking professional advice, at age 26, Mason had "no option" but to retire from football.
This season, Wolves striker Raul Jimenez was also the victim of a skull fracture after he clashed with Arsenal's David Luiz at the Emirates. It has been reported by Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo that the 29-year old is "moving in the right direction" and that he is taking part in some of the training with the squad. After suffering the injury on 29th November at the Emirates, he was discharged from hospital at the beginning of December. According to The Sun, his father said that the injury will not have long-term consequences for the Mexican while Nuno believes that Jimenez will be able to make a comeback at the highest level in football.
Of course, head injury is not one to be taken lightly and the FA and government studies have been making sure that this is handled seriously in order to ensure the safety of the players.
While understanding the impacts that such injury or head shots can have on players, also in the future, the question on whether heading will be allowed in football arises. Coaches are already getting encouraged not to help children, which are after all the future of football, practise their heading. So could we really see a football without headers in the future? This will surely take a huge part of the beauty of the sport away, but when it comes to a person's health, can one consider a beautiful headed shot over the player's health?
These are all questions which can surely be discussed as a result of this inquiry. I cannot provide you with any answers yet, solely the plan I've researched and my opinion on it.
These type of inquiries are important in sport and we should feel grateful for the people who take their time to look into these type of matters in order for fans to get a great deal of entertainment. In my opinion, it is unrealistic to expect players not to use heading in football. I do not think that it is possible to take away the player's instinct. Athletes in general are people who go for it, who have a sort of adrenaline which could be difficult to control, especially in a heated match or race. So how will it be possible to restrict players from flying high to head in a goal which the team desperately needs? And if heading is prohibited from football, if the players still do it because they had that instinct, will they be penalised for it?
Another Champions League Matchday rounded up with interesting second legs coming up.
Atletico Madrid and Atalanta are only seeking a goal to equalise their aggregate with Chelsea and Real Madrid respectively while Borussia Monchengladbach seeks to make a comeback from two away goals at the Etihad. Last Tuesday I watched Lazio vs Bayern Munich, where the Germans thrashed Lazio 4-1 at the Stadio Olimpico. With already an advantage of four away goals, it is easy to think that Bayern Munich are just going to swiftly pass through Lazio at the Allianz Arena. But I beg to differ. Having watched Lazio, they were attackingly great with 14 attempts throughout the match, one more than Bayern Munich. They had five shots on target, six off target and another three blocked. What was lacking from Lazio is more stability in the defense. Also, I felt that the players were feeling a bit panicked which made them lose possession because of careless passing. But maybe this is what Lazio needed, a scare. Remember when Roma made a comeback of 3-0, after they had lost 4-1 in Camp Nou to Barcelona. It's more difficult for Lazio who lost at home, but now they will be more prepared than ever to what they will be facing in Munich. Even more since the prestigious Allianz Arena will be without fans due to Covid-19 restrictions, Lazio can play in a more tranquilised environment. How did Lazio concede four goals?
The first goal was conceded because Musacchio passed to Reina in goal, but Lewandowski made sure that he wins the interception and scored.
The second goal was Bayern Munich's brilliance put in practice, with a great finish from 17-year old Jamal Musiala. The third goal was a mistake from Lucas Leiva and Patric, who let Coman pass them. Coman made a good run but Reina denied him the finish. Unfortunately from Reina's block, the ball found Leroy Sane and Bayern Munich went into half-time 3-0. Lastly, an error from Acerbi made it 4-0 and Lazio had to make sure that they do not let Bayern Munich find the net again. Biggest Weakpoint
In my opinion, Lazio's biggest problem was that they were playing too much with the ball in the defensive line along with the goalkeeper. In fact, that is also how most of the goals were conceded.
Bayern Munich are a well organised team. They arrange themselves on the pitch so that each player finds each other resulting in a successful passing completion. Meanwhile, Lazio were a bit scattered and it was difficult sometimes for the players to find others to pass to. They were getting pressured and losing possession. Better distribution of the ball from the defense to the midfield would help Lazio not to lose possession and have more successful attacks. Lazio were attackingly well, and Joaquin Correa surely was the player who saved Lazio's day. He was going up and down the pitch continuously. Unfortunately, Lazio did not use the space provided well, and Correa was not finding much players to pass to hence the missed chances. Bayern Munich was pressing very well, especially Jerome Boateng. But having no one to help you against these German giants won't get you much far. Lack of Experience in the Champions League
This is the first time since 1999 that Lazio made it to the Round of 16 of the Champions League.
In the season of 1999/2000 they made it to the Quarter Finals where they were eliminated by Spanish side Valencia. Lazio tried qualifying for the season of 2015/16, but they lost to German side Bayer Leverkusen in the Play-off round and so never made it to the Group Stage. So it is understandable for this Lazio side to take their time to adapt to European football. In the Group Stage this year, they finished in second with 10 points. First were Borussia Dortmund with 13 points, Club Brugge made their way to the Europa League after they finished in third with eight points, and Zenit got eliminated from European football as they finished last with a single point. So from trying to qualify to the Champions League, to facing the Champions of Europe. They are facing the strongest team in Europe currently, so of course they have lots of more work to do to find a way to get through this solid side. Joaquin Correa - Man of the Match for Lazio
The 26-year old Argentinian attacker is proving to be one of the best talents in Europe. He was an integral player for Lazio on Tuesday night. He was threatening throughout the whole 90 minutes and surely gave the Bayern Munich defense a hard time.
Correa joined Lazio from Sevilla in 2018. He made his big break in Serie A as he became a regular for Lazio, scoring five goals in 30 matches during his first season in Italy. During his time with Lazio, he had to take stay on the sidelines for quite a few times due to injury. He had suffered with several injuries throughout his career, the longest being back in 2015, when he had some muscular problems and had 39 days off with Sampdoria. Recently he suffered with a calf injury and had to go 23 days without playing and got back to the field in January. Correa is an agile player who can read the game very well. He is very comfortable on the ball, and this makes him very threatening. He remains calm under pressure and is able to adapt to every situation that the team finds itself in.
It is going to be interesting to see how Lazio are going to respond in Germany. I believe that they will have a better performance, even more now that they can analyse better Bayern Munich's game.
Lazio are a team that learn from their mistakes. They take a beating once and then come back stronger. Maybe they won't score enough to make it to the Quarter Finals, as they need to score four goals. Although we really never know what surprises football can present us with. But I am sure that Lazio will have a much better performance and give Europe a great football display.
The city of Milan is known for its history and without a doubt the Derby Della Madonnina makes a huge part of it.
On Sunday at 14.00 UCT, AC Milan take on Inter Milan at the prestigious Stadio San Siro. There is only a point seperating the two teams, with Inter leading the Serie A table. Milan were leading the Italian league until a 2-0 loss to Spezia last Saturday cost them three points and first place. It will surely be a dramatic match, especially after the quarrel that Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had in the Coppa Italia Quarter Final tie. Why is it called Derby Della Madonnina?
One of the most popular sights to see in Milan is of course the Duomo. Not only popular for its architecture but also for the statue of Virgin Mary on top of it. In Italy it is known as the Madonnina.
AC Milan was the first club in the city, made up of only Italian players. In fact, back in the day, this team was mainly supported by working class people while Inter Milan had a higher class fan base. It was created in order to allow foreign players play Italian football as well, hence the name Internazionale. Presenting many foreign relations in Italy, people of a higher class who had foreign contacts were more attracted to this club. Some of the best matches in the last 21 years...2000/01 AC Milan 2-2 Inter Milan
Turkish Hakan Sukur opened the score for Inter at the 11th minute after Clarence Seedorf delivered a great assist. Sukur got great hold of the ball to smash it into the top right corner of the net. One should note, that a year later, Seedorf made the move to AC Milan to spend 10 glorious years with them.
During the second half, Zvonimir Boban managed to slide it in for Milan and equalised the score to 1-1. Few minutes later, Inter were awarded a freekick. Luigi Di Biagio stepped up to deliver the job, firing an impressive freekick to the bottom left corner from at least 40 yeards, with his right foot. It was not over yet though. With only five minutes left on the clock, Federico Giunti delivered the perfect ball in order for Oliver Bierhoff to head it in and help Milan snatch a point from that derby. 2003/04 AC Milan 3-2 Inter Milan
A match which not only included some of the best players that football ever seen, but also spectacular goals.
Dejan Stankovic opened the score a quarter after kick-off from a direct corner kick. The Serbian had went on to hang his boots with Inter in 2013. Five minutes before half-time, Dida cleared a corner which found Cristiano Zanetti. With a shot from 20 yards and a deviation from Milan's Kakha Kaladze, Inter went into half-time 2-0. The player of the first half had to be Inter's goalkeeper, Francesco Toldo, who made some miraculous saves throughout the 45 minutes. The second half was a different story as Milan shook their rivals. Clarence Seedorf fired a shot from the edge of the penalty box which was saved by Toldo who had Jon Dahl Tomasson right in front of him. Tomasson did not hesitate to pressure Toldo, found the ball at his feet and made it 2-1 at the 56th minute. Few seconds later, Kaka scored the equaliser for Milan after a shot from about 30 yards found the back of the net. There were only five minutes left for the teams to score, and Seedorf managed to find the net against his old club. With a rocket from about 40 yards Seedorf secured a 3-2 win to Milan. That season, AC Milan went on to win their 17th Serie A title. 2006/07 AC Milan 3-4 Inter Milan
A match full of goals till the last minute.
Hernan Crespo opened the score for Inter at the 17th minute. Stankovic aimed a freekick at the penalty box, which was found by Crespo who headed it in to give the lead to Inter. Crespo played for both Inter and Milan throughout his career. Five minutes later Stankovic curled the ball in from at least 18 yards with a shot with his right foot. Inter went into half-time 2-0, and three minutes after they kicked off again Zlatan Ibrahimovic made the score 3-0 for Inter. Stankovic started the action from a counter attack, passed to Ibrahimovic who got past the Milan defense and comfortably fired it in. Ibrahimovic had joined Inter after he left Juventus who got relegated to Serie B the previous season, consequence of the Calciopoli scandal. Later on in his career he joined AC Milan on loan from Barcelona who then bought him for €24 million. Ibrahimovic rejoined Milan in 2020 from LA Galaxy on a free transfer. Three minutes after, Seedorf tried getting Milan back in the game as he made it 3-1. He scored from a shot from 18 yards which got deflected off the Inter defenders. At the 70th minute, Marco Materazzi made it 4-1 for Inter with a header. This goal marked the end of this match for him as he removed his shirt to celebrate and got shown red after two yellow cards. Milan tried to recover from this after Alberto Gilardino received the ball from Cafu and converted it into a header to the back of the net. 90 minutes passed and Kaka made it 3-4 for Milan as the clear from Julio Cesar found his feet. Milan kept pushing for a draw but it was too late as the referee blew full-time. 2016/17 AC Milan 2-2 Inter Milan
The score was opened by Suso three minutes before half-time with a shot fired from about 12 yards that found the bottom left corner of the net.
At the 53rd minute, Antonio Candreva found the net with a shot from 20 yards with his right foot. But five minutes later, Milan were back in the lead. Suso received a pass from Carlos Bacca, got passed Inter defender Miranda and went on to shoot it with his right foot to the bottom left corner and make it 2-1 for Milan. Inter got a last minute corner which was found by Jeison Murillo. He headed it to Perisic who was just in front of goal and scored it in to make it 2-2. And so Inter managed to at least grasp a point at the last minute. 2018/19 AC Milan 2-3 Inter Milan
Inter took an early lead thanks to Matias Vecino. It was Perisic who stopped the ball from going into a freekick and laid it in front of the goal for Vecino to find at the third minute of the match.
They went into half-time with a 1-0 lead, which was then doubled by Stefan De Vrij at the 51st minute. After receiving a cross from Matteo Politano, De Vrij converted it into a header at the back of the net. Milan got back in the game, after Calhanoglu took a wonderful freekick which found Tiemoue Bakayoko. This was his first goal with Milan shirt after he was having a brilliant season and match as a defensive midfielder. But ten minutes later. Milan were losing once again with a disadvantage of two goals, after Argentinian Lautaro Martinez managed to get the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma from a penalty kick. The penalty was awarded after Politano fell over Samu Castillejo at the edge of the penalty box. The referee seemed to have slipped to but got up just in time to award the penalty. At the 71st minute, Milan found the net again. Suso found the ball from a corner, crossed it into the penalty are where Mateo Musacchio made the most of it to make it 3-2. Milan did not manage find yet another goal in the 20 minutes remaining, and the city of Milan was Nerazzura.
Many claim that Serie A is not the most entertaining league that football fans are eager to follow. Especially because of Juventus' dominance for the past nine years and going strong for ten.
But as a regular Serie A follower, I can assure you that it will be worth your time to start watching at least a match every weekend. Serie A is growing more and more with young players making their mark on the Italian game. Near the end of the last decade, we have saw Napoli making great progress finishing with the top four in Serie A and also added some silverware to their trophy cabinet by winning the Coppa Italia and Super Coppa Italiana.
A player who has impressed at Napoli is the Mexican, Hirving Lozano. He joined the Azzurri for the 2019/20 season for a fee of €35 million from PSV Eindhoven. It was said that Manchester United were also lining up to sign the striker but he went on to sign a five-year deal at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Lozano is a fast player with the ability to slip from the defenders' feet and surprise them with an unexpected attack. He is a great team player but when it is up to him to do something on behalf of the team, he steps up for the occasion. He has a great vision of where the ball should go and that is why he is accurately great. He makes the most of the opportunities he gets to score. He is a versatile player who can position himself on either side of the pitch, but you will see him start mostly on the right flank. From where did he start?
The 25-year old started out with Pachuca in Mexico. In 2014, he was promoted to the senior team and made a remarkable debut against CF America in the Mexican league. He only played seven minutes of that match in which he showcased what a great striker he is.
At a young age, he was already mature in his position and understood the need for a striker to step up at any time and help the team out. And that is what he did. With two minutes left on the clock, he managed to find the net and help Pachuca earn three points. During that half-season he managed several appearances as a substitute, registering three assists throughout. His last season with the Mexican side was that of 2016/17. In 37 appearances he managed to score 18 goals and register seven assists. That year changed everything for Lozano as he was attracting more than ever European clubs. Move to The Netherlands
In the 2017 summer transfer window, Lozano penned a six-year deal with PSV Eindhoven for a fee of €12.5 million. At a very young age he was expected to adapt to the fast pace that PSV play at when compared to the game he used to play in Mexico.
He became a regular immediately and was a crucial part of PSV's Eredivisie campaign scoring 17 goals and assisting the team with 11 assists. His debut was not the best. It was in the Qualifying for the Europa League against Croatian club Osijek. The Dutch lost the tie 2-0 on aggregate. He then found the net on his Eredivisie debut against AZ Alkmaar as he scored the equaliser in 3-2 win. He went on to be crucial and helped the team win their 24th Eredivisie title, adding the first of many European silverware to his trophy cabinet. The following season, PSV qualified for the Champions League and that marked his European debut. It was in a 4-0 loss to Spanish giants Barcelona. He later on scored his first goal in the Champions League during the Group Stage to help PSV secure at least a point in a 2-2 draw to Tottenham. During the second half of the season, Lozano went through several injuries. He suffered a head injury which was thought to be threatening but turned out that it was not as bad. Later on, at the end of the season, he had to be carried out of the pitch against Willem II on a stretcher, after injuring his right knee. This injury got in the way of him representing Mexico in the Gold Cup that summer, which they had won. When in Italy...
The galore of goals he scored in Holland attracted other clubs in Europe and that is when Lozano made the move to Serie A.
We can all admit that Lozano and Napoli are the perfect fit for each other. Napoli has always been known for their attacking football. Lozano complements the likes of Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens and so Napoli was a great move for him. He made his debut against Italian Champions Juventus, where he scored in a 4-3 loss at the Allianz Stadium. Lozano only managed four goals in 26 Serie A appearances. But one needs to keep in mind the quality of playing that he was facing when compared to that in the Netherlands. While the Dutch played football at a faster pace and more offensively, the Italian are known for their defending lines. He was being faced with a stronger defensive front in Italy. The Mexican seems to have adapted well though now to the Italian game. So far this season he has scored nine goals in 20 appearances while registering three assists.
Lozano is expected to stay at Napoli till 2024 and I honestly hope that he stays even more than that.
He is one of the players that is making Serie A spectacular to watch and he is a good prospect for the future of Italian football. He has previously been strongly linked with Manchester United. Growing up, Lozano built a great passion for the English club. Pachuca president, Jesus Martinez, had said that Man United have been following the striker since he was 16. He said this when Lozano was moving to Europe to join PSV and added that it would be his dream and also Lozano's to see him playing in a Manchester United shirt.
During the last decade, we heard of many players moving to Asia to start a new adventure in their football career. The millions of cash that players were being offered, made the move seem more appealing and Europe lost several players such as Oscar and Hulk.
Asia is trying to promote their football by attracting great players, hoping that it becomes as popular as that of Europe. This also helps to enhance Asia's international squads, and as we have seen Asian international teams are getting stronger such as that of Japan. But in my opinion, this continent still has lots of work to do to reach such a level in international football.
A country and almost a continent which looks to surely prepare for the next World Cup, especially that of 2026 since it will be held there is the United States of America. We hear of more and more players everyday who join European clubs and are making a huge name for themselves at such a young age.
27 years after the USA hosted the World Cup, Europe is discovering unbelievable American talent. Could this World Cup have been the gateway for the USA to invest in the future generation, and start a process of becoming one of the best footballing nations like those of Europe? It might be, because if the USA qualify, which I am positive that they will, they are going to be one of the strongest teams participating which will surely present a threat to European teams, who have been dominating the Cup for quite a while now.
It should be noticed how many American players are starting their European football career in Germany such as Christian Pulisic and Weston Mckennie. Why do players choose Germany?
Well my theory is that players choose Germany as their starting point because it is considered as Europe's most developed country. They have great football heritage and they also speak English which helps foreign players to interact better with the rest of the team. The USA is also one of the most developed countries in the world. Both nations have great sporting upbringings and academies which are hugely developed and that is why American players might choose the Bundesliga to start their career in Europe. One must also notice, how it is rare that a Bundesliga team is made up of mostly aged and experienced players which are older than 30. All teams feature very young talent, and it is no news that Germany has produced some of the best footballers in the world. With guaranteed playing time for these young players, and a guarantee that if they are good enough they will surely find themselves with a huge German club or a foreign one, Germany is a great country for players to build their name.
So, who are the American players that have a bright football career in Europe in front of them?
Weston McKennie
The 22-year was named the US Male Soccer Player of the Year 2020. He has taken the Serie A by storm and is having a wonderful season having scored four goals in 21 appearances so far.
He is the first American to wear the Juventus shirt after he signed on a season-long loan with an option to buy at the end of the season from Bundesliga side Schalke 04. There has been rumors that Juventus are looking into making the deal with the American permanent as he is proving what a great asset he is to a team who is looking into building a young first eleven. McKennie plays in midfield and is known for his versatility of changing from attack to defense. The fact that he can adapt to any situation that the team finds himself in, in a short period of time, is one of the attributes that make him such a great player. He is a quick player who teamed up well with Cuadrado and Bentancur in the 4-4-2 formation of Juventus. He made his debut in European football in May 2017 with Schalke. He joined the German youth side from the Dallas Academy and eventually got promoted to the senior team. He went on to record 25 appearances the following season. Thanks to such good performances in Germany, he got a call-up with his national team and scored on his international debut against Portugal. Christian Pulisic
Another 22-year old who has made his debut in European football in the Bundesliga, but this time with Borussia Dortmund. The American joined the U-17 side back in 2015 from PA Classics and has come through the BVB youth system.
He signed for London side Chelsea in January 2019 but played the remainder of the season with Borussia Dortmund on loan. He was brought to London by then Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri but became the third American player to wear the blue shirt under the direction of Frank Lampard. During his first season he managed 25 appearances and scored nine goals. He scored his first goal in a 4-2 win to Burnley, in which he managed to impress the Chelsea fans by his first hat trick for the team. The last American to score a hat trick in the Premier League was Clint Dempsey who played for Fulham in 2012. Pulisic normally plays as a right winger but can also fill in the left flank were needed. This is thanks to the fact that he is a two-footed player with great agility. He was voted as the US Male Soccer Player of the Year 2017 and was the star player of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2019 in which he was named the Young Player of the tournament. Pulisic had the opportunity to play for Croatia thanks to his grandparents but he turned them down and looks forward to great success with this great USA team that is growing. Sergino Dest
The 20-year old right-back hold a Dutch citizenship but thanks to his Surinamese-American father, he represents the USA and won the U-20 CONCACAF Championship in 2018.
He grew up in the Netherlands and started his football career with his home team, Almere City FC. He joined the Ajax academy in 2012 and eventually reached the senior team in 2019. In October 2020, Barcelona reached an agreement with Ajax to sign the youngster who had impressed the football industry in the Dutch Championship that season. What makes Dest such a great player is his attacking ability, which is impressive for a defender. In fact so far this season with Barcelona he managed to score a goal and record an assist in 22 appearances. He is a fast player who can switch from defensive play to offensive and vice-versa very quickly. In difficult situations, Dest has the ability to remain calm which helps him to avoid mistakes and make successive play. He has a 90% passing accuracy and won half of the tackles made in 17 La Liga appearances. In an interview with ESPN, Dest explained how he chose to represent the USA rather than the Dutch National team because he found a lot of help from the Americans when things were not going well for him. He is very grateful for that and so he believes that he should be representing the great side that the USA is developing. Giovanni Reyna
At only 18-years old, Reyna has already made his debut in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund. He joined the Germany youth academy in 2019 from the New York City FC Academy.
During that same season he got promoted to the BVB senior team managing 18 appearances in which he scored a goal and registered two assists. In the DFB Cup tie against Werder Bremen on 4th February 2020, he became the youngest player to score in the competition at 17 years, two months and 21 days. BVB still lost that match 3-2 but it was a great achievement for the young American. The midfielder is having a great season as he became a regular for the Bundesliga side. He had 28 appearances so far in which he scored four goals and registered six assists. Reyna has a dual nationality of American and Portuguese. But it is without a doubt that he chooses to play for the USA side, just like his father Claudio Reyna did. You might remember his father if your are older than 25 at least. He made 74 appearances in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg. At the time that he had Giovanni Reyna, he was playing for Premier League side at that time, Sunderland. Reyna also had the option to pursue a career in basketball rather than that in football, but he followed in his father's footsteps and we are already glad that he did. This star has a bright future in front of him. Antonee Robinson
The England-born full-back plays for America thanks to his father. He had moved to the USA and spent nine years living there which eventually earned him American citizenship. This helped Robinson obtain an American passport, which he though can use for easy access to get through the border when he visits for vacation but it turns out this also gave him a ticket to the USA National Team.
The 23-year old chose to play for the USA rather than England because the American side called him up first. He got called for a training camp with the U-18 side in January 2018. Later on that year in March, the Senior team called him up along with England's U-21 call-up which he decided to turn down. He explained how he felt that the USA Team showed more belief in him and so he felt that it would be the right decision for his career to keep representing them. His football career started out in England with the Everton academy. During his time with the U-23 Everton side, he spent a long-season loan with Bolton. During the 2017/18 Championship season, he managed to cap 34 appearances. The following season he competed once again in the Championship but this time with Wigan who then signed him for €2.2 million. During the 2020 summer transfer window he made a move to Premier League club Fulham, signing a contract which will keep him there till 2024. Zack Steffen
The 25-year old goalkeeper had his first taste of German football in 2015 with Freiburg. He spent some more time playing in American football before he joined Manchester City from Columbus Crew. City sent him on a long-season loan for 2019/20 with Fortuna Dusseldorf where he featured in 17 Bundesliga matches.
Despite the fact that he is a substitute to Ederson, he has featured in some matches so far under Pep Guardiola. He started in a 3-0 win to Marseille in the last Group Stage fixture in the Champions League last December. He also got to play against his American teammate Pulisic in the Premier League fixture against Chelsea. He had a brilliant match in which City won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. Steffen is gaining more experience in English football as Pep Guardiola is choosing him for cup matches. In the FA Cup he only conceded one goal in a 3-1 away win to Cheltenham. In the EFL Cup he only conceded two goals: once to Bournemouth in the Third Round and the other to Arsenal in the Quarter Finals. He then managed to help City keep a clean shit against arch rival, Manchester United in a 2-0 semi-final win at Old Trafford. He is the first keeper for the United States, having recorded 17 caps so far. In 2018 he was voted the MLS Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year while he was playing for Columbus Crew. Bryan Reynolds
McKennie is set to have some American opposition in the Serie A, as AS Roma announced the signing of Bryan Reynolds on loan from FC Dallas in the January transfer window.
In the deal it has been agreed that there would be an obligation to buy for a price which may reach €6.75 million. The full-back made his debut with the Dallas FC Senior Team in May 2019 against Los Angeles FC. The following season he went on to record 19 appearances in which he registered four assists. Once he makes his debut in Serie A, the full-back will become the second player to wear the GialloRossi shirt, since Michael Bradley played for them between 2012 and 2014. With the crucial role of a full-back, Reynolds have more to learn about his position. It is a position whith much more responsibility, which basically mostly determines whether your team loses or not. His position helps the whole team to function and so it requires great maturity which at 19 years old Reynolds is still gaining, Eventually he will, and we will also see him play for the national team. Not sure whether he will feature in the World Cup 2022 if the USA qualify, as for now he only featured for the youth teams. At the start of this year, he was called-up for training with the U-23 American team.
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Tyler Adams
The 21-year old had joined the Red Bull's Regional Development aged 10 and have come up through the New York Red Bulls Academy. He made his move to Europe in 2019 for a fee of €2.63 million.
He made his debut for the USA alongside Weston McKennie in 2017 against Portugal. He scored his first goal for his country in a friendly against Mexico, the only goal scored in that match. During the beginning to his first season with the Bundesliga side, several injuries have stood in his way but he still managed to record 17 appearances. The midfielder also managed to make his debut in the Champions League during a 3-0 win to Tottenham in the Round of 16. Against Atletico Madrid in the Quarter Finals, he came on for the last 18 minutes of the match and probably Nagelsmann still thinks till today that it was the best substitution that he could have done that night. With only two minutes left on the clock, Adams managed to fire a shot at the back of the net, with a deflection from the Atletico Madrid defenders contributing to the goal. This season is treating Adams way better as he managed to get 22 appearances in all competitions and scored his first Bundesliga goal. He opened the score in a 3-2 away defeat to Mainz 05. Chris Richards
The 20-year old is yet to make his debut with his new side Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.
He joined the U19 Bayern Munich side back in 2018 on loan from FC Dallas. The German side then decided to buy him permanently for the price of €1.1 million. This season, his skills got him promoted to the senior team and this enabled him to make his debut in the Bundesliga and Champions League. The centre-back also featured for 14 minutes in the DFB Cup Final, which Bayern Munich won 3-2 to arch rivals Borussia Dortmund. The German giants want Richards to earn more experience in the Bundesliga and so during this January transfer window he got loaned to Hoffenheim for a half-season-long loan. Richards aim is to keep progressing at Bayern Munich, that is why he is eager to learn as much as he can from this opportunity for playing time with Hoffenheim. During the November international break in 2020, Richards also made his debut for the Senior USA Team, in a 6-2 friendly win to Panama. Josh Sargent
At only 20-years old, Sargent has become a fundamental player for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.
He joined the German side in 2018 from St.Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri club. At 18-years old he immediately made his debut with the senior team. The forward made his debut in a 3-1 home win to Fortuna Dusseldorf. During his 14 minutes of playing time, he managed to find the net and mark a debut which he'll always remember. He is having a remarkable season this year, having capped 21 appearances in the Bundesliga and DFB Cup. He found the net twice in each competitions and recorded three assists. The American made his international debut against Bolivia during a 3-0 friendly win which he also scored in. In 2019, he helped his country go through the CONCAFCAF Nations League Group A after scoring in both matches against Cuba. He found the net in a 7-0 win and then contributed with a brace in a 4-0 win. Sargent is surely to be a great prospect to look out for if the USA qualify for next year's World Cup. Reggie Cannon
Even Portugal gets to experience some American talent, as Primeira Liga side Boavista signed 22-year old right back, Reggie Cannon from FC Dallas.
Boavista immediately made him a regular for their side and he already had 17 appearances during his first season. He had eyes laid on him by football scouts during the 2018/19 season with Dallas FC. In 28 appearances, the defender managed to find the net and also registered an assist. After 26 starts in the MLS, he also became a regular starter for the USA's national team. He made his international debut in October 2018 against Peru in a 1-1 draw. According to AS, several French, English and German clubs are eyeing Cannon. Boavista currently lie in the relegation zone of the Primeira Liga table. If they do get relegated, let's hope that a club from the top European leagues buy Cannon. He would surely be a great player to follow, especially in the Champions League.
Italy is well known for its art of defense, Catenaccio. But behind three or four strong defenders, there is also the player who can be the hero of the day or the one that gets blamed for a loss.
During club competitions and international tournaments, it is a well known fact that any Italian team competing, will have one of the greatest goalkeepers between the nets. Be it that he's Italian or not, Italian clubs have produced some of the best goalkeepers that one can find in the game. The world has seen the likes of Dino Zoff, Gianluigi Buffon and now Gianluigi Donnarumma all growing up through Italy's football system. Let's not forget though, the strong clubs which consisted of several foreign players such as AC Milan. We can all say, that despite the fact that Dida had the best defensive line that in my opinion, ever existed in football, in front of him, he was a great goalkeeper who made a name for himself at AC Milan. Alisson Becker also made his way up the ranks after having an exceptional run at AS Roma before moving to Liverpool. He was already known as one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his time in Serie A. The addition of silverware to his trophy cabinet just confirmed stronger this fact. In this blog, I'll be ranking all Serie A goalkeepers. Some of them which you might not even know and maybe they are struggling with their team too. But they have surely displayed some amazing goalkeeping and made some miracle saves this season which are worth of recognising. 20. Ivan Provedel - Spezia
Spezia have a young Italian goalkeeper between the nets. That is the 26-year old Ivan Provedel. He spent most of his footballing career so far with Empoli.
In fact he made his Serie A debut in the 2018/19 season in a 3-3 draw to Frosinone. He spent some time in Serie B with Juve Stabia on loan and with Empoli as they got relegated. He joined Spezia this season and his contract runs until 2022. Spezia do manage to score equalisers to at least obtain a point from matches, but the goals against are still that of 36. Provedel is still a young goalkeeper who has more to learn. He might not be a goalkeeper to join the likes of Juventus or Inter, but he does have good matches every now and then. This season, he managed to help keep a clean sheet for Spezia against one of the most goal-scoring sides in Italy, Atalanta. He has lots of work to do alongside his teammates if he wants to spend the last year on his contract playing in Serie A, as so far they are only four points from relegation. 19. Luigi Sepe - Parma
Sepe is only 29 years old, and has spent most of his career in Italy. He made his Serie A debut with Napoli in 2009, where he conceded two goals in 2-1 loss to Fiorentina. He then was a regular for Empoli during the 2014/15 season before moving to Fiorentina. He only spend a season in Florence and returned to Napoli.
As Parma got promoted to Serie A again, he joined the Gialloblu and became their first goalkeeper. During his first season with Parma in Serie A, he managed to help them stay in the top tier while making some miraculous saves. His goalkeeping skills were showcased brilliantly against Inter on Matchday 4, where Parma won with a single goal. He denied Perisic a lot of chances and Inter could not manage to find the net throughout the match. Not even Nainggolan who fired a shot from about 25 yards could help Inter. Parma are at risk of getting relegated this season having lost ten matches while conceding 36 goals. Despite the fact that they have kept title contenders AC Milan and Inter at a draw of 2-2, they still have more points to gain if the Italian wants to to keep playing in Serie A with Parma until his contract expires in 2024. 18. Alex Cordaz - Crotone
Alex Cordaz has spent his entire career playing in Italy starting out from Inter, then on to Citadella, later on at Spezia and then at Parma. He has never started with the senior team of these clubs but eventually found himself at Crotone in 2015.
The 38-year old Italian spent two seasons with Crotone in Serie A before they got relegated to Serie B. Despite this, he remained and helped them get back in the top tier for 2020. Despite suffering 13 losses out of 19 this season, Cordaz managed to help Crotone get a few points with some of his miracle saves especially against strong teams like Juventus where he made a crucial save. Cordaz and Crotone so far have conceded 43 goals this season and are on the verge of relegation. The Crotone captain who is now close to hanging his boots, considering his age, is on the last year of his contract at Crotone and there are no signs of renewal for now. 17. Lorenzo Montipo - Benevento
Benevento took on Montipo from his home club Novara back in 2018. He became their regular goalkeeper during their Serie B campaign.
With the promotion to Serie A, the 24-year old goalkeeper made his debut in Serie A. Benevento are performing quite well as they lie in the middle of the Serie A table with 22 points. With the help of Montipo, Juventus and Lazio lost some points as they were held at a draw, two of the teams which consist of the greatest strikers in Italy such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Ciro Immobile. But along with his team, the Italian conceded 36 goals in 19 matches so far. They conceded five goals to Inter and Roma, and another 4 goals to Atalanta and Roma, which shows how much more work the goalkeeper needs to do. But despite this, let's keep in mind that Montipo is a young goalkeeper, it is his first season in Serie A and he is managing to help the team to lie in 11th place while making some of the big clubs' lives difficult. So let's give him some credit and hope for him to have better and more seasons in Serie A. 16. Alessio Cragno - Cagliari
The 26-year old Italian goalkeeper has started out his career with Cagliari and remained ever since. He only spent the season of 2016/17 away with Benevento.
He has been Cagliari's first choice since 2017 but had to miss the beginning of the season 2019/20 due to a shoulder injury. Despite this, he managed to come back stronger and help his team secure 14th place by the end of the season. On his return, which was in an away match to Inter, he only conceded one goal, and held the Nerazzuri at a draw. During the penultimate match of that season, against Italian Champions Juventus, he managed to keep a clean sheet where he gave a great showcase of goalkeeping, making some great saves. You can see the great match he had in the highlights below. This season, he has already made 90 saves so far, and I am sure that his years ahead in Serie A hopefully, will see him do much more. 15. Antonio Mirante - Roma
Mirante has spent his career in the Serie A scene and of course is not new to Italian fans.
The 37-year old made his debut with Siena in a 2-1 win against Cagliari back in 2005. He is a product of the Juventus academy but never actually played for the Bianconeri. He then joined Sampdoria on loan from Juventus until they eventually bought him for €2.7 million. But he still could not find his feet. He joined Parma where he finally started playing regularly. He spent six great seasons at Parma but he left as they got relegated to Serie B and so he joined Bologna. He spent three seasons there and joined Roma. During his first season he only managed five appearances where he conceded five goals but kept two clean sheets. This season, Mirante is starting more for Roma, as Pau Lopez was standing in his spotlight during his first season there. Roma are going through a transition period and I believe that they are still trying different players to find out who works best together. Between the nets, Mirante started more this season, but still has to compete for his place with Lopez. Unfortunately throughout his career he struggled to play in bigger games with bigger clubs. He is trying to do so with Roma, who are going through a rough patch, but considering his age he might not be able to do so as we might soon see him hang his boots. 14. Lukasz Skorupski - Bologna
Bologna are at the 13th place in the Serie A table with 33 goals conceded.
Although a great amount of goals were conceded, Skorupski makes some brilliant saves, some even miraculous. I am giving him this place especially after the match against Juventus. Sure Bologna lost 2-0, but if it was not for Skorupski I can assure you that they would have lost by far a higher score. The Polish is 29-years old and started off in Italy by joining Roma in 2013. He then went on loan for two seasons in 2015 with Empoli where he had his first regular season in Serie A. Eventually he returned to Rome and then moved to Bologna in 2018 where he remained a regular. Skorupski is just what Bologna needs in my opinion. He is still young for the role of goalkeeper. He is a great player who is involved well in the team. He also motivates his team from the back of the line-up and served Bologna well so far. 13. Juan Musso - Udinese
The 26-year old joined Udinese from the Argentian club, Racing Club in 2018.
He made his debut in Serie A and European football in a 2-2 draw to Genoa on Matchday 10 of that season. He went on to become a regular and this year he is having his best season so far. Udinese only conceded 23 goals in 17 matches with Musso between the nets. Recently, he also kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against title contenders Inter Milan. Back in October 2020, Musso had to undergo a knee meniscus injury which was thankfully successful. Considering that he had to recover from this surgery, and then came on to keep performing at a top level shows what a great goalkeeper he is. He's a great goalkeeper with great determination who fits Udinese perfectly. 12. Bartlomiej Dragowski - Fiorentina
Fiorentina have not been going through the best of seasons, they also lost 6-0 to Napoli. And some of you may ask how did I give Dragowski this position.
Those who watch Serie A regularly like me, know why I gave Drawgowski this place. If you don't watch it regularly, I suggest you at least watch one Fiorentina match to get what I am talking about. The Polish goalkeeper started his career in Italy with Fiorentina's Primavera team in the season of 2016/17. He was also on the bench of the senior team that season, and made his debut on the final matchday in a 2-2 draw to Pescara. In the 2018/19 season he went on a season-long loan with Empoli. After that spell he returned to Firenze and became Fiorentina's first choice. During his time at Empoli, he set a record of making the most consecutive saves without conceding a goal. You can see all about this Serie A record in the clip below. It's true that Fiorentina are not one of the strongest sides this season. But Dragowski is doing everything he can to help the team out, and as much as he had poor performances he also had good ones. The fact that he kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win against Italian Champions Juventus speaks for itself. 11. Mattia Perin - Genoa
In my opinion, Perin is one of the most talented goalkeepers in Italy.
He did spend some time at Juventus but with Sczcesny there he did not have much luck. He also sustained an injury which saw him have some time out. He started out in Serie A with Genoa themselves. He made his debut on the last matchday of the 2010/11 season in a 3-2 win to Cesena. He then spent a year with Pescara on loan to gain more experience in Serie A before he returned to Genoa and became their regular goalkeeper. During his time at Juventus in the 2018/19 season, he only managed nine appearances. He recorded five clean sheets and conceded eight goals. Genoa and Perin remain a great love story if one can put it that way. In the 2019/20 season he joined them on loan and he remained there ever since. Some players find their feet at specific teams. Perin is at his best at Genoa. He has great confidence and knows Genoa's game. 10. Salvatore Sirigu - Torino
Yes, Torino already conceded 37 goals. But the reason that I am putting Sirigu here is because I have been following this player ever since he started. He has always stepped up when he got called for international duty with Italy, he had a great run with Paris-Saint Germain and now he will probably finish it off in Italy with Torino.
In 145 appearances he managed to keep 69 clean sheets in Ligue 1. He had a bit of a stumble in 2016 as he suffered a groin injury. PSG then gave academy player Alphonse Areola a chance with the senior team and eventually Sirigu lost his place to the youngster. With Italy, Sirigu was Gianluigi Buffon's substitute throughout his career, so without a doubt, it was difficult for him to ever become Italy's number one choice. He featured in Italy's opening match in the World Cup 2014, which they won to England 2-1. He also featured in several friendlies, European Qualifiers and Nations League matches. But now that Donnarumma and Cragno are setting the path for Italy, Sirigu will only be a substitute unfortunately. 9. Andrea Consigli - Sassuolo
Consigli is a great Serie A goalkeeper, he is at the top of his game every season. He started out with Atalanta and them made the move to Sassuolo in 2014.
His best season with Sassuolo so far has been that of 2015/16. Sassuolo themselves had a great season as they surprised everyone as they finished 6th. Consigli only conceded 38 goals in 37 appearances. He achieved 11 clean sheets some of them being against Inter, AC Milan and Lazio. He complements Sassuolo very well. Sassuolo are a very threatening team which can surprise you and Consigli is that type of goalkeeper. You won't find him with all the big names, but he will step up for a big game. In every match that I saw him he always gave his 100% and that is why I believe that he should be in the top ten of this list. Sure he had poor performances sometimes, but who doesn't in football? 8. Emil Audero - Sampdoria
The 24-year old has come through Juventus' academy system and had been a Juventus Primavera regular. He made his debut in Serie A on the final matchday of the 2016/17 season which Juve won 2-1.
He then spent a season away at Venezia before making the move to Sampdoria in 2018. Audero is having the best season yet with Samdporia having struggled a bit in the first two. He conceded 51 goals in his first season and 60 goals during last season. So far, he only conceded 29 goals and helped Sampdoria to hold 10th place in the Serie A table. This season, he kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win to Lazio and only conceded one goal to Atalanta and Inter which have some of the best offensive players in Serie A. I am keen to see Audero grow in Serie A, especially with Sampdoria who although they are a mid-table team, they have showcased some great matches in Serie A along the years. They remain a side which should not be underestimated and that is why Audero should not be either. As said before, Italy is full of great goalkeepers, and unfortunately not many get the chance to showcase how great they are on a bigger stage. Audero has not got the chance yet, but maybe thanks to this blog, you can also start appreciating his brilliancy. 7. Pierluigi Gollini - Atalanta
The 25-year old had his big break in Serie A in 2018 where he recorded 20 appearances, conceding 21 goals.
This season in 12 appearances, he recorded five clean sheets so far, including one against Milan's strong side this season. He joined Atalanta thanks to a loan from Aston Villa. In 2016, Gollini joined the English club on a transfer fee of €5 million. In his second season, he spent a season-long loan with Atalanta. He only managed seven appearances in which he accomplished four clean sheets and conceded four goals. Eventually Atalanta bought him for €3.8 million. He performed brilliantly against the big names in Italy. He kept a clean sheet against Inter, and managed to help Atalanta win to Napoli and Lazio as he only conceded one goal. Against Juventus he helped his team obtain one point after they finished in a draw of 1-1. Atalanta is a growing club. Before Gollini, Sportiello was the man between the nets and he still sometimes is. But with the development of a young team, Gollini is set to have a great career in Italy. 6. David Ospina - Napoli
So Napoli switches goalkeepers between the Colombian, David Ospina and the Italian Alex Meret. I chose to give Ospina this place, simply because he is a more experienced goalkeeper. But one must not underestimate Meret. The 23-year old have showcased some great skills for Napoli and is on the verge to become one of Italy's greatest.
Ospina moved to Italy back in 2018, making his debut on a 3-2 win against Milan on Matchday 2. This season he has made 10 appearances so far, keeping four clean sheets: 2-0 away to Parma, 1-0 away to Bologna, 4-0 away to Crotone and 6-0 home to Fiorentina. During these appearances he only conceded nine goals. Another reason why I gave this spot to Ospina is that this great goalkeeper has missed out on so much during his career due to injury. During his time at Arsenal from 2014 till 2018 he spent at least 200 days out on injury. But he still managed to show the world his goalkeeping skills with his national team at. In the World Cup 2018, he only conceded three goals: two were in a 2-1 loss to Japan and in a 1-1 draw to England in the Round of 16. Unfortunately, Colombia were eliminated from the round after losing to England on penalties 4-5. 5. Pepe Reina - Lazio
The 38-year old Spaniard is not new to Serie A and is one of the greatest goalkeepers you'll find in Italy.
You might also remember him from his time with Liverpool from 2005 till 2013. In his first season in the Premier League, he managed 20 clean sheets in 30 appearances. He kept his incredible form throughout his time in England and between 2005 and 2008, he won the Premier League Golden Glove for three consecutive times. In the season of 2009/10, in 38 appearances, he only conceded 35 goals and achieved 17 clean sheets, which earned him the Liverpool Player of the Season. He started out with Napoli in Italy where he had a great run. In the season of 2015/16 and 2017/18, in which he featured in 37 appearance, he only conceded 29 goals. He had a short run as second goalkeeper with Milan before eventually he joined Lazio. Unfortunately, he never managed to become Spain's first goalkeeper since Iker Casillas and David De Gea took those chances from him. But there is no debate that Reina is a great goalkeeper and any team would be lucky to have him between the nets. He not only is a great goalkeeper, but in my opinion he is a player which can help motivate the team. With his age, he holds many experience and motivation which teams can find useful in the locker room and out on the field. 4. Marco Silvestri - Hellas Verona
The 29-year old returned to Italy after a three-year long spell with Leeds in the Championship.
He became Verona's regular in their Serie B 2018/19 season. That season, the team managed to get promoted to Serie A again, and Silvestri remained the number one goalkeeper. One can say that Silvestri is having the best season yet with Verona, having only conceded 18 goals so far. This was only managed by Juventus' Sczcesny so far this season. With his help, Verona managed to get some great wins and scores this season. Silvestri kept a clean sheet against Roma in the opening match of this season and also against the team with one of the strongest attacks in Italy, Atalanta. He also stopped Zlatan Ibrahimovic's penalty against AC Milan. He managed to keep Juventus at a draw of 1-1 and only let in one goal against Napoli, which Verona eventually won 3-1. Check out in the video below how Silvestri managed to become one of Serie A's best goalkeepers. 3. Gianluigi Donnaruma - AC Milan
The Italian goalkeeper made his debut for AC Milan at only 16 years old and has become the first goalkeeper ever since. He had conceded only 29 goals in 30 matches during his first season.
It is believed that Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to replace Gianluigi Buffon as the best goalkeeper in the world. With the development of a young team that AC Milan are working on, it is without a doubt that they are aiming to get their name back in the spotlight. And that is exactly what Donnarumma needs to claim the title as the best goalkeeper in the world. The reason I put Donnarumma in the third place and not higher is because the lack of experience that he has when compared to other keepers. He is still a very young player and still has lots to learn. In my opinion, Donnarumma has more experience to gain not from a game's aspect but also from that of maturity and character. He already shows what a great figure he is for Milan, but he is yet to get his chance to play on a bigger stage such as in the Champions League and possibly at the next World Cup. And that is when we will see Donnarumma at his best. It will be time when he has grown with Milan, learnt his lessons and knows how to avoid certain mistakes. 2. Wojciech Sczcesny - Juventus
Along with Hellas Verona, Juventus only conceded 18 goals so far this season. The only two teams that managed to do so till now.
And that is thanks to Sczcesny's determination to fill up big shoes between the Juventus nets. You might remember Sczcesny playing for Roma for two years from 2015 till 2017 before returning from his loan to Arsenal. From the English club, he joined Juventus to take Gianluigi Buffon's place and so far he has not disappointed. In the Netflix Series, First Team: Juventus, Sczcesny admitted that he cannot be another Buffon, because he believes that no one can ever replace such a legend. But he will try his best to be a very good Sczcesny and so that is what he is doing. During his first season, he only managed 17 appearances in which he conceded nine goals. Throughout the years, football fans have seen Sczcesny grow much more in the field with such a big club. At age 30, the Polish goalkeeper likes to say that he does consider himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. At Roma, Alisson Becker, who is one of the greatest goalkeepers of the game, was his substitute and now he is benching one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Buffon. So technically, he is the best goalkeeper in the world. Jokes aside though, the below video shows how much Sczcesny has come through for Juventus and it does make him one of the greatest goalkeepers in Europe. 1. Samir Handanovic - Inter Milan
The number one spot for me should be taken by the 36-year old Slovenian, Samir Handanovic. He has been in the Serie A scene for a great deal of his career, especially with Inter.
He has never disappointed and always showcased impeccable goalkeeping skills, which got better as he gained more experience. He has made the Serie A team of the Year three times: in the season 2010/11 with Udinese and then in his first season with Inter in 2012/13 and in one of his best seasons with Inter, the 2018/19, where he conceded 33 goals in 38 appearances, which basically means that he featured in every Serie A match for that campaign. He recorded 16 clean sheets that season and was also awarded the Lega Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year. Last season, Inter made it to the Europa League final, which they lost against Sevilla. Despite this, Handanovic still made it in the Squad of the Season for Europa League. One can say, that although Inter had been going through a difficult period this last decade, Handanovic was surely a great asset to the club and will continue to be until 2022. At least for now, he confirmed that he will be staying with the Nerazzuri until that time, but it would be of no surprise if he extends by a further year or two. Watch some of his best saves below. AC Milan's young team has taken the Serie A season by storm as they still lie in first place with 23 points. The team is still unbeaten with seven wins and two draws. The last time that Milan managed to do this was back in the season of 2003/04. Eventually Milan went on to win the Scudetto that year. By the looks of how the Serie A table is looking with Juventus in fourth place and Inter and Sassuolo trying to catch up just behind Milan with 18 points, could Milan be the surprise team of Serie A this season and go on to win it? Milan have a squad full of youngsters with Zlatan Ibrahimovic being the cherry on the cake. Ibrahimovic managed to score ten goals in the first eight matches this season. The average age of the squad is that of 25 as Kjaer who is 31 joins Ibrahimovic with some of the more experienced players. So with a young squad which on paper is not full of big players such as Mbappe and De Ligt, can Milan make history in Serie A this year? They have finished the season of 2019/20 in sixth and that of 2018/19 in fifth. The team has been struggling a bit for the past years. Gennaro Gattuso was sacked back in 2019 and Stefano Pioli joined the team in October 2019. They had a great summer transfer window with signings of: the young Italian star Sandro Tonali from Brescia, 20-year old Norwegian winger Jens Petter Hauge and Alexis Saelemaekers from Anderlecht. How does this young team compare to that of the 2003/04 season which included players such as Maldini, Pirlo, Kaka and Shevchenko. Well, let's find out. Stefano Pioli vs Carlo AncelottiIf we analyse both teams that Pioli and Ancelotti have created with Milan, one can see that they both have adapted similar tactics. This is what made Milan keep Pioli after completing the 2019/20 season. Both coaches had rejuvinated the team. They apply catenaccio to their tactics while using a playmaker in the midfield as to create opportunities to the main striker or strikers. Ancelotti used to play the formation of 4-3-1-2. He had the best back four in Europe at the time of Cafu, Nesta, Maldini and Costacurta. He used Andrea Pirlo as a playmaker. One can say that Ancelotti was the man who helped shape Pirlo's career. He adapted him to the role of playmaker making him a pivotal player which helped organise the team on the pitch and organise different plays. He was the door to opportunities created for Shevchenko and Inzaghi who sat upfront . With such players, Ancelotti created a possession-based football which led the team to win several titles such as the Scudetto and Champions League. This team of 2003/04 managed to get 82 points from 34 games. Meanwhile, Pioli is adapting a formation of 4-2-3-1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the main striker which is fed opportunities from Saelmaekers, Calhanoglu and Rebic. The difference that Pioli is adapting in his formation is rather than have the whole team working towards a goal from counterattacks, he is evening things out throughout the pitch. The duo of Kjaer and Romagnoli at the back is the perfect example. As Kjaer sits back and leads the team as he reads the game, Romagnoli plays more out of defense as to defend the ball early and create opportunities for the attack. To help with defense he has put Kessie and Bennacer in a more defensive role in midfield and this has seen Kessie shine brighter in the squad. Kessie's body structure also helps him with this role and so it is without a doubt that he feels more comfortable and is displaying better performances. Meanwhile he has put Calhanoglu in the centre of midfield before Ibrahimovic, he has made him the playmaker of the team. Calhanoglu is a versatile player that can adapt to the situation created on the pitch. He can switch from attacking to defending easily and so that made him the perfect fit for the job. Donnarumma vs DidaOne can say that Gianluigi Donnarumma is setting a bright future for Italy's goalkeeping. At 16 years and eight months he had made his Serie A and Milan debut in October 2015 in a 2-1 win against Sassuolo. Since then, Donnarumma has become the first goalkeeper for Milan and they did not look back since. During his first season he had 30 appearances in which he recorded eleven clean sheets. Dida on the other hand had made his debut for Milan at a much later age. He was 26 years old when he played his first and only match for Milan in the 2000/01 season. It was a 2-0 loss to Parma. He had previously spent a season on loan with Brazilian side Corinthians and was sent on loan again to the same team for the season of 2001/02. When he returned he became the regular goalkeeper for Milan and in 205 Serie A appearances he recorded 90 clean sheets. One has to keep in mind that Dida was much older during his career at Milan and so his prime years were those of 2002 till 2006. He spent till 2010 at the club but had less appearances. In the season of 2004/05, in which Milan had one of the best teams in Europe, he recorded 17 clean sheets in Serie A. He now works with the U17 Milan team as a Goalkeeping Coach. Meanwhile as Donnarumma looks to be a bright star for Milan and Italy, negotiations about his contract are still ongoing as it expires by the end of June 2021. The Italian goalkeeper is currently paid €6 million a season and the club is willing to increase it to €7.5 million plus additional annual bonuses and also include a release clause of €30-€40 million. But his agent, Mino Raiola is asking for a wage of €10 million per season, which would see the 21-year-old goalkeeper as the second highest paid Serie A player after Cristiano Ronaldo who currently earns €30 million a season at Juventus. Just what they need at the back...Back in 2003/04, the centre-back duo for Milan was made up of Paulo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta. I think that anyone can agree that it is going to take some real talent to top these two. They were considered as the best defense duo in Europe and since then in my opinion only Pique and Puyol at Barcelona managed to top that. But despite the fact that Alessio Romagnio and Simon Kjaer do not match to that unbeatable duo, they are what the current AC Milan need and they fit just perfectly to complete the team. Paulo Maldini, who is now one of Milan's directors described Romagnoli as "a real captain" in an interview with Sky Sports. Despite suffering from several injuries, the 25-year old defender has always come back stronger and is essential to the back line of Milan. As his partner he has Danish defender Kjaer. Rather than going all out on its opponent, unlike Nesta who was known for his tackling, regaining of possession and strong structure, Kjaer lies back and helps the rest of the team to organise itself. The 31-year old centre-back holds experience from playing with Sevilla, Atalanta and Fenerbahce amongst other teams. He has proven to be a good figure to help lead the younger players, especially in the back four. Currently, Milan's back four is also made up of Davide Calabria and Theo Hernandez who are only 23-years old. Along the flanks, Calabria and Fernandez even each other out. Both players are still very young and so lack experience. Despite this, they are both proving to be essential for Milan and also they will prove to be key players for the future. Davide Calabria had made his debut for Milan at only 19-years old on the last match of the 2014/15 season, where Milan won 3-1 to Atalanta. Under Pioli, he has been given much more importance. He is a calm and steady player with a focused mind. He is known for performing well under pressure and the younger years of playing in midfield had helped to acquire the skill of reading the game in a more professional and mature way. He lacks attacking ability though and that is where Theo Hernandez comes in. Back in the day, Costacurta was known for his tackling ability and defensive style of play. He was a versatile player that knew how to distribute the ball in several ways helping out each teammate throughout the field. Milan could use a player Costacurta who will be able to change style of play. He was linked up with Cafu who joined Milan after spending six year playing for Roma. At 33 years old was not finished with his career yet. His pace helped him to create opportunities for on the right flank of the pitch. He is described as one of the most complete full-backs of his time. Despite lacking the factors that these two veterans had, Calabria and Hernandez together hold characteristics that can be seen in Costacurta and Cafu. One also has to keep in mind that both players are still very young so they have much more to learn from the game. In an interview with Sky Italia after the fixture against Bologna in the 2019/20 season, Costacurta spoke about Theo Hernandez. He said, "If he improves in the defensive phase as well, he will become extraordinary. On things like the penalty, just a little is enough. There is room for improvement, he just has to work on it." Theo Hernandez has exceptional attacking ability but lacks that of defense. In the match against Bologna he awarded them with a penalty due to a silly foul and an own goal. He is a player that is eager to attack and he does so successfully thanks to his pace and strength. During his first season with Milan, he scored six goals in 33 appearance from his left-back position which proves his skill. These weaknesses in both players show that Milan's squad still has to mature much more. But they are on the right track and getting to play with players of experience in each aspect of the formation can help them do so. Strong midfield in the making...You might be asking yourself how can Milan ever get a midfield build of players such as Pirlo, Kaka, Gattuso, Seedorf and Rui Costa again? Well, they cannot. In my opinion, I don't think that today's footballers will ever be able to replace these players because they are being brought up playing different football. But for the present Milan which is still in the building stages of its great squad, players like Calhanoglu, Saelemaekers, Rebic, Kessie and Bennacer are the perfect fit for the job. Milan finally found their new playmaker: Hakan Calhanoglu. Back in the day, Andrea Pirlo filled his place but now he himself admits that Calhanoglu "has everything to become one of the biggest players." Those who have been watching Calhanoglu grow at Milan know that he took his time to adapt into the team. At age 23 he was trying to have his role defined but three years later he have come a long way and gave a good response to those who doubted him. Milan's Number 10 is now playing in a preferred position under Pioli, where he is feeding balls to Zlatan Ibrahimovic who easily scores them. Three years and Stefano Pioli were what Calhanoglu needed to mature in his role and find his place in Milan's team. Pirlo also joined Milan at the age of 23. In his first season he managed to register three assists in 18 matches. From that he went to become an integral part of Ancelotti's Milan and he had great players around him to help him and take his opportunities such as Shevchenko upfront. Alongside Calhanoglu, Pioli added Alexis Saelemaekers. If you do not watch Italian football, this might be the first time that you are reading about this name. But make sure to remember it, because you will hear lots more about it in the future. He is only 21 and Milan had signed him from Anderlecht where he played in several positions under Vincent Kompany. Saelemaekers is mostly known for his versatility. He can play on either left or right winger, he can also play as an attacking midfielder and on his debut for Milan he came on as a right-back. His pace and dribbling are some of the characteristics that make him shine on the pitch. At age 21, Saelemaekers is already mature defensively and offensively as he is able to do the job in any position needed. And so that is why he can be compared to Clarence Seedorf. The Dutch was a strong and paced player who covered lots of ground. He was great defensively and offensively. He knew how to adapt to any situation on the pitch and provided Ancelotti with a lot of possibilities thanks to his versatility. This trio is finished off by Ante Rebic. You probably heard of Rebic in the 2018 World Cup. He was essential to Croatia's campaign in that World Cup as he linked up well with Vrsaljko to provide assists for the team. Among the names of Luka Modric, Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Perisic, Ivan Rakitic and more, his was one of those that shined the most. Rebic is a dangerous player which takes one-on-one with very well and creates several opportunities. He is mostly known for his key passes, long shots and great dribbling. During his first season with Milan, in 26 matches he managed to score 11 goals and register three assists. So far this season in five Serie A matches he managed to register two assists. Rebic took Milan by storm, just as Kaka did back in 2003 at 21 years old. Kaka provided Ancelotti with a lot of attacking possibilities. He not only provided his team with chances to score but also added his name to the scoresheet. During his first season which was that of 2003/04, he managed to score 10 goals and register six assists in 30 Serie A appearances. His best Serie A years were those from 2007 to 2009. In the season of 2007/08, in 30 appearances he managed to score 15 goals and register 11 assists while the next season he scored 16 goals and registered 9 assists in 31 appearances. Milan's midfield is finished with Frank Kessie and Ismael Bennacer. Kessie is performing much better under Pioli as he is playing a rather defensive role in midfield which can be compared to the one which Gennaro Gattuso played back in the day. The difference between the two is that they defend in a different way. Gattuso is known for his savagery on the pitch. He was a player of good body stucture. He was a soldier on the pitch, he screamed at players and he was fearless. Without Gattuso, Milan could not achieve what they achieved honestly. He provided the midfield with stability as he took care of any danger that opposition created from an early stage of the attack. He displayed perfect tackles and regained possession comfortably. He provided a strong front and not only made the midfield look good but also the defensive line. On the other hand, Kessie prefers to defend in a much calmer way which may surprise and put extra pressure on the opponents rather than creating a sense of fear for them. He prefers to regain possession from standing ground and applying pressure on the opponent which he does so very well thanks to his good reading of the game. To add to that he has great accuracy which helps him change from a defensive to an offensive role quickly. His box-to-box ability is what makes Kessie an integral part of Milan's plans. Alongside him there is Ismael Bennacer. He compliments Kessie as he too has a great ability of switishing from defensive to offensive play quickly. He has a great vision of the play which makes him faster and aggresive. He knows how to utilise well the space of the pitch be it with or without a ball. This helps him to regain possession and creating scoring opportunities from dangerous counter attacks. Rui Costa can be linked with Bennacer. Costa was a quick player who created lots of danger for the opposite defenders. He was a player who covered lots of ground and in an offensive situation he took the most out of every opportunity, especially in a counter attack. And that way he worked well with Milan's defense. He was the player that connected the defense to the attack. One can say that he was the point on the pitch which made eleven players with different attributes work very well together. Lions upfrontZlatan Ibrahimovic is not a new face to Milan. The difference this time is that he is 39 years old and that basically one can say his role is to score goals and motivate the team. Since he once again joined Milan, it is without a doubt that they have made far improvement. Ibrahimovic helped these young stars to gain motivation and showcase better matches. Having a player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic makes you want to perform more on the pitch and that is what Milan have been doing. Something that has not changed from the time that he played with Milan is his scoring. One can even say that it has increased. Ibrahimovic previously spent two seasons with Milan between 2010 and 2012. During this period he scored 42 goals in 61 Serie A appearances. But this year, at 39, he is taking Serie A by storm, having already scored ten goals in six appearances. Considering his age, it is understandable that Ibrahimovic would be more injury prone now, but when he is on the pitch he gives his 100%. Back in 2003/04, Milan did not have Ibrahimovic but they had one of the greatest forwards in football, the Ukranian, Andriy Shevchenko. During that season he scored 24 goals in 32 Serie A appearances. He would sometimes also be linked up with Filippo Inzaghi. His role was the same as Ibrahimovic's. Stay upfront, create danger for the opposition and score balls that the midfield delivered. The system of having a main striker upfront had worked well and keeps working well for Milan. With such players, Milan can plan for the future ahead as they do not only aim to reach the top four of the Serie A table once again but also for competing in the Champions League. The last time that they competed in the Champions League was in the season of 2013/14, where they were eliminated on aggregate of 5-1 by Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16. They went on to spend three years without competing in Europe and finally in 2017 they qualified for the Europa League.
This season, they are also competing in this tournament. They currently stand second with seven points in Group H. With them there are Lille on top with eight points, Sparta Praha in third with six points and lastly Celtic with a point. Can Milan progress further in the Europa League and maybe reach the final? And can they go on to win the Serie A title and also get a place back in the Champions League? There is a long season ahead of us but Milan will surely not be going down without a fight, that is if they go down. Everton are set to face Liverpool in what is expected to be an exciting match between the Toffees who are proving to be one of the best Premier League clubs this season and last season's Champions. Everton have won four of four matches so far while Liverpool had went into the international break with an embarrassing defeat of 7-2 to Aston Villa. Both teams return to domestic football to face each other off at Goodison Park at 12.30 British time. Liverpool Dominant over EvertonThe last time that Everton managed to win the Merseyside Derby was back in the 2010/11 season. Goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta saw the Toffees grasp three points against their arch rivals at Goodison Park. Last season, Liverpool won at Anfield with a score of 5-2 while back at Everton's home, the two teams ended in a goalless draw. This year, one can say that Everton are one of the most threatening Premier League sides especially after signing 29-year old Colombian midfielder, James Rodriguez. The Colombian seem to be hitting it off well with Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin in the front. These three have been significant in the first four fixtures in which Everton won 1-0 to Spurs, 5-2 against West Bromwich, 2-1 to Crystal Palace and 4-2 against Brighton. So who are these three?James RodriguezRodriguez had joined Everton from Real Madrid on two-year deal with an option to extend for a third-year. He had previously been bought by Carlo Ancelotti for Real Madrid in which he had a great spell under him. During the season of 2014/15, he was named the Best Midfielder of La Liga after having scored 13 goals and registered 13 assists in 29 matches. Rodriguez had made his big break in football during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At the age of 22, he was praised by several managers of that World Cup such as that of Uruguay, Oscar Tabarez. He had admitted that Rodriguez was on his way to leave his mark like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. With Everton so far he had started all four Premier League matches. He had registered an assist and also scored a goal against West Bromwich. He scored two goals and registered another assist against Brighton which saw him being named Man of the Match. RicharlisonThe 23-year old Brazilian forward had made his debut in the Premier League back in 2017, with Watford. During that season he had scored five goals in 38 appearances and caught the eye of Everton. During the 2018 summer transfer window, he signed for Everton for £40 million and penned a 5-year deal. He scored a brace in his debut against Wolves and went on to score 13 goals in 35 appearances during that season. A few days later after debuting for Everton, Richarlison got the call-up to represent Brazil during the international break. He marked his debut by scoring a brace against El Salvador and so became a regular starter for Tite's first eleven. Last year he won the Copa America with Brazil, and also scored a last-minute penalty in the final which they won 3-1 to Peru. So far this season, Richarlison scored the winning goal from a penalty against Crystal Palace and assisted Rodriguez and Calvert-Lewin in the win against West Bromwich. Dominic Calvert-LewinThe 23-year old striker, recently got his first call-up for the English team. During his debut in friendly match against Wales, he opened the score to a 3-0 win. Calvert-Lewin joined the Toffees back in 2016, when he signed with the Under 23 squad. He later on made his debut in the Premier League under Ronald Koeman. His debut was in a 2-1 win against Arsenal in December, later that year. Later on, he had his first start against Southampton in which unfortunately he sufferred an ankle injury which saw him off for two months. He made his return in the fixture against Hull City where he contributed to a 4-0 win. In Everton's first four fixtures this season, he already managed to find the net six times. He scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win to Tottenham and also contributed with a hat-trick against West Bromwich. he then found the net once again against Crystal Palace. He had been voted Man of the Match for all these three matches. He also found the net against Brighton. So how are the teams looking for tomorrow?Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that all players that had returned from international break are all fit for the match. Currently defenders, Mason Holgate who suffered a toe injury, Jarrad Brainthwaite and Jonjoe Kenny who both suffered an ankle injury, remain out of play. But the Toffees' manager confirmed that they are all progressing well while Cenk Tosun started individual training to recover from an ACL injury.
Meanwhile Liverpool will have Naby Keita out as they assessing his fitness and Alisson Becker will not be in goal for a while. Jurgen Klopp confirmed that the goalkeeper is doing good progress in rehabilitation. Meanwhile, Thiago Alcantara, Sadio Mane and Joel Matip have all returned to training and they might be fit to face off in the derby. All three players had been tested positive for Covid-19 and Klopp confirmed that the club has been monitoring their heart rates and fatigue levels as to assess the situation of the virus, effects left on players and also to make sure that the players recover well. |