In a week that saw Neymar battered and bruised at the hands of Manchester City, Christian Pulisic dazzle against Real Madrid, and Edinson Cavani terrorize Roma to bits, the UCL and UEL semi-finals threw up a ton of action and intriguing sub-plots. Here is what we learned this week in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League semi-finals.
In the aftermath of the failed European Super League, Kausty and Rhys break down the victory that has been won for football fans around the globe, while also taking a critical lens to whether or not we can truly celebrate, or if we should be worried for the rest of footballing time. The Futbol Masterminds then delve into a discussion surrounding Jose Mourinho's sacking from Tottenham Hotspur, the timing, the subsequent cup final defeat to Manchester City and the desperate state of Ryan Mason's Spurs side. To cap it all off, Kausty and Rhys bring you their UEFA Champions League Semi-Final predictions, including who they think will make it all the way to the final. Submit questions and follow the show @futbolmasterminds on Instagram, or on themastermindsite.com.
Two seasons ago, Denis Zakaria was heavily linked to Manchester City, and hailed by pundits and fans alike as the next coming of Fernandinho. The Swiss midfielder still possesses all of the same qualities he did back when the speculation first surfaced, yet no one seems to talk about Zakaria in that same light anymore. Still only 24-years-old, Zakaria still has the world at his feet and should develop into one of the very best defensive midfielders in the world. If Manchester City had him on their radar, every other club should too.
April 20, 2021, will go down in history as the day when European football was saved, and in large part, saved by the fans of the game. Sir Matt Busby famously said, "Football is nothing without the fans", and it was proven right when fans of all Premier League clubs involved in the creation of the Real Madrid led European Super League protested against their own clubs and owners. Liverpool fans took down banners inside the stadium and replaced them with protest banners outside the stadium instead and fans of Chelsea FC took to the streets to protest before their match against Brighton & Hove Albion, even prompting club legend Petr Cech to jump off the team bus and plead with them to move out of the way. The owners of the six English clubs got the message loud and clear, "WE DO NOT WANT THE SUPER LEAGUE." This is how fans stopped the European Super League from happening.
On Sunday April 18th, 2021, twelve of Europe's elite clubs made a shocking announcement that they had agreed to take part in a "European Super League". The announcement was instantly condemned by UEFA, FIFA, the FA, and fans around the globe...not to mention the Futbol Masterminds. Rhys, Kausty and special guest Vivek dissect some of the many issues to do with the European Super League, before delving into a discussion on racism in football and England's Euro 2020 squad. Submit questions and follow the show @futbolmasterminds on Instagram, or on themastermindsite.com.
Leicester City spent the entirety of the 2019-20 season in the top four, only to miss out on Champions League football on the final day with a devastating defeat to Manchester United. With Leicester's recent 3-2 loss to West Ham United, the Futbol Masterminds examine the Champions League football race that appears to be tighter than ever before, with the Hammers and Foxes competing with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea for a spot in next season's competition. The panel also discuss whether clubs should spend money on transfers or youth academies, what's been missing for Brighton & Hove Albion this season, and the upcoming Champions League fixture between Dortmund and Manchester City. Submit questions and follow the show @futbolmasterminds on Instagram, or on themastermindsite.com.
Over the past decade at Manchester City, Sergio Aguero has established himself as one of the best strikers in Premier League history. After the announcement that he will be leaving City at the end of the season, the Futbol Masterminds examine the Argentine's career and whether or not Pep's team need to replace him with a summer buy. The panel also break down Tuchel's first defeat as Chelsea boss, Timo Werner's lack of goals (again), Liverpool's hot streak, and Lampard's future. To cap it all off, Russell has some strong takes about Serie A and whether or not it's truly a top four league. Follow @futbolmasterminds on Instagram to see more of the show and subscribe via Itunes and Spotify!
Ahead of the upcoming UEFA Champions League quarter final matches, Kausty, Russell and Rhys break down their predictions for each enthralling match-up. After the panel give their predictions, chaos ensues as Russell forgets the recording is still live and goes on a tangent about Virgil Van Dijk and Erling Haaland's dad. Follow @futbolmasterminds on Instagram to see more of the show and subscribe via Itunes and Spotify!
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