Football

Hi all, trying something different. Let me know if this isn't allowed. (Not live, don't know how to do that sorry)

Speaking to the press (with quotes via IlNapolista) from his first conference of the season at the team’s training camp in Dimaro, Conte said “With so many competitions, we can’t think in terms of starters and non-starters. We’ll have lots of matches and there will always be space for everyone. That’s why we need to build up the squad, that wasn’t structured and still isn’t, to handle all these competitions. In my opinion we are moving very deliberately, with an eye on the present but also very much on the future.”

“Aside from De Bruyne, the others have shown very good potential but haven’t yet reached their peak. My job is to help them grow and raise their level. Many of them have chosen Napoli because they know this is a good place to significantly improve their career.

“That’s true for Lucca, Lang and Marianucci, who is only 21. Beukema is coming and these are good players who want to elevate their status. That will bring us benefits, which is why the long-term work we’re doing is so important.”

“I understand people ask for miracles,” Conte continued, “but you can’t overlook the facts.” He argued that “you don’t just show up and win in the Champions League. It is a process, something you build over time. To do that, I need to stay longer at clubs, otherwise it is impossible to construct something lasting. The clubs I left behind are now more structured and competitive.”

The coach concluded strongly, “So to those who criticise me, I say to know the facts before you talk. And we also know that our resources today are not comparable to other clubs, it is not a fair fight! Look at the transfers other clubs are making: 70, 80, 100 million. We know who we are and we are proud of who we are – but we also know our limits, and it is right that we respect them. Our TV revenue is one-fifth of what those clubs bring in, so naturally our spending power is different.”

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/30497444

https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fathletic%2F6497902%2F2025%2F07%2F16%2Farsenal-tivat-ban-match-fixing-uefa%2F

UEFA’s disciplinary body has issued a ten-year suspension from its club competitions for Montenegrin club FK Arsenal Tivat with lifetime bans to one of its players and the sporting director after match-fixing rule violations.

The decision concluded that the eight players and officials involved broke Article 11 (general principles of conduct) and Article 12 (integrity of matches and competitions and match-fixing) during the 2023-24 Conference League two-legged qualifying tie between Arsenal Tivat and Armenian side Alashkert FC in July 2023.

Arsenal Tivat player Nikola Celebic, 36, and sporting director Ranko Krgovic have received lifetime bans “from exercising any football-related activity”, while Cetko Manojlovic, Radule Zivkovic and Dusan Puletic have received ten-year bans. Only Manojlovic still plays for the Montenegrin side.

Hello to all probably three of you who also follow Women's football. I'm currently watching the game and am thoroughly amazed by Sweden's display. England has a decent team too but they just aren't able to play their game tonight. I was pretty sure Spain would win the final against whoever but now I'm not so sure. They've got Switzerland in the bag though. Italy I don't think poses a huge threat. Germany (my homeland but oh well) is probably gonna have a bad time against France. France is hard to predict for me otherwise. They've been solid but I'm not sure about how well they can keep it up.

What are your thoughts? For now I'm sticking with Spain beating Sweden in the final but maybe that changes tomorrow.

Snoop Dogg was the surprise model as Swansea launched their home kit for the 2025-26 season last weekend.

"My love of football is well known, but it feels special to me that I make my move into club ownership with Swansea City," Snoop Dogg said on the club's website.

"The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me. This is a proud, working class city and club. An underdog that bites back, just like me.

"I'm proud to be part of Swansea City."

Swansea announced in April that Modric, who this week joined AC Milan as a player, had acquired a stake in the club following a takeover led by American businessmen Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen last November.

“They sent me home after tests, the club doctor was worried, but he wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. The first 15 days were the worst, I could barely stand up, I was vomiting, I lost 20kg and had no strength.

“At the start, Roma chose to hide everything from me. I decided to isolate myself and remove social media, but one day I looked at my phone. An article on Twitter said: ‘Leandro Castan has a brain tumour, he could die.’

“The fear just washed over me. I still didn’t know what was wrong with me. Nobody had told me anything, not the club, nor the doctors. Nobody. ‘Stay calm’ was all they’d say.

“I then remembered my grandfather had died due to a brain tumour and I thought my destiny would be the same.”

Castan had surgery to remove the cavernoma in his brain, but it took two years to make a full recovery from such an invasive procedure.

There had been no issues on personal terms – Napoli were prepared to go beyond the €5m-per-season mark in a wage packet for the Uruguayan.

Napoli had presented Liverpool with an initial bid of €42m, which was later turned down, before coming back in with an offer in excess of €50m before deciding to go down the Lucca route when it became clear that Nunez was going to become too expensive.

Instead, Lucca is set to cost less than €40m, potentially in the region of €35m, which Napoli will be able to spread by bringing him in on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy at a later date.