The Weekly Take, Issue 50: 50@50: The 50 Greatest Football Matches of All Time

I’ve decided to do something a little different to mark my 50th post.

Listed here are what I consider to be the 50 greatest football matches ever.

Before I begin the list, I will lay out a few things.

- The matches can be broken down this way: 10 matches from the World Cup, 10 from the European Cup or Champions League, 10 from international continental tournaments, 10 from major domestic leagues, 5 from major domestic cups, and 5 from World Cup qualifiers.

- The matches will be arranged chronologically.

- As there are 50 matches to go through, each will only receive a short description.

So, without any further ado:

Uruguay 2-1 Brazil (July 16, 1950)

What was expected to be a coronation for World Cup hosts and heavy favourites Brazil went sour. Alcides Ghiggia’s goal clinched Uruguay’s second World Cup title in what became one of the tournament’s greatest upsets.

West Germany 3-2 Hungary (July 4, 1954)

The very next tournament also culminated in a stunning upset. West Germany had been taken apart in the group stage by the dominant Hungarians, losing 8-3. However, Die Mannschaft got their revenge, coming back from two goals behind in the final to complete an astonishing turnaround.

Brazil 5-2 Sweden (June 29, 1958)

All three 1950s World Cup finals turned out to be all-time classics. This match is best remembered for being the game where a 17-year-old Pelé broke out as a superstar. Even so, few at the time could have envisioned the career he would go on to have.

Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt (May 18, 1960)

Real claimed a fifth consecutive European Cup, a feat that may never be repeated, in emphatic style. Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás combined for all seven goals.

Atlético Madrid 3-2 Real Madrid (July 2, 1961)

Just one year later, Real’s city rivals struck an incredible blow against their dynasty by winning the Copa del Generalísimo. Led by former Real head coach José Villalonga, a starless but dogged Atlético held off a legendary team to defend their Copa title.
 
England 4-2 West Germany (July 30, 1966)

Spurred on by a raucous home crowd, England won their first World Cup title on the back of a Geoff Hurst hattrick. A questionable goal called in favour of England proved irrelevant, as the Three Lions went on to win by two goals anyway.

Celtic 2-1 Inter Milan (May 25, 1967)

Inter’s dynastic “Grande Inter” era came to a screeching halt with this upset loss to the Glasgow club in the European Cup final. Stevie Chalmers’ goal sealed a victory hardly any imagined possible before the match.

Italy 4-3 West Germany (June 17, 1970)

A match which had seen little action for most of it sprang to life late on. Karl-Heinz Schellinger’s goal for West Germany sent it to extra time, where a remarkable five goals were scored. Gianni Rivera’s winning goal sent Gli Azzurri through to the World Cup final.

Bayern Munich 4-3 Borussia Mönchengladbach (December 8, 1973)

The two pre-eminent Bundesliga clubs of the era went toe-to-toe in an all-time classic. It proved to be decisive at the end of the season, as Bayern won the league by just one point.

Czechoslovakia 2 (5)-2 (3) West Germany (June 20, 1976)

A pulsating final ended with one of the most iconic football moments ever. Antonín Panenka’s chipped penalty won the shootout and Euro 1976 for Czechoslovakia. To this day, such penalties still bear Panenka’s name.

Italy 3-2 Brazil (July 5, 1982)

The red-hot pre-tournament favourites were stopped in their tracks by an intelligent, disciplined Italian team. Gli Azzurri’s tactics were on point, knocking out the Seleção en route to a first World Cup title in 44 years.

France 3-2 Portugal (June 23, 1984)

With six minutes left, it looked as if Portugal were heading for the final of Euro 1984. However, late goals by Jean-François Domergue and Michel Platini ended up turning the tide in favour of Les Bleus.

Argentina 2-1 England (June 22, 1986)

This was the “Diego Maradona Game”. Maradona’s first goal was the iconic “Hand of God” goal. His second was arguably the finest in World Cup history and knocked England out of the tournament.

AC Milan 5-0 Real Madrid (April 19, 1989)

The dominant club team of the era completely destroyed a strong Real team including the likes of Hugo Sánchez and Emilio Butragueño. Real simply had no answer for an all-time great Rossoneri team.

Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool (May 26, 1989)

Arsenal not only had to win this match to clinch the First Division title; they had to do so by two goals. In shocking fashion, Michael Thomas scored a stoppage-time goal that gave the Gunners the two-goal margin of victory they needed to win the league.

Denmark 2-0 Germany (June 26, 1992)

Against all the odds, a team that was only brought in as a late replacement won Euro 1992. Goals scored by John Jensen and Kim Vilfort gave Denmark its only international tournament victory to date.

Colombia 5-0 Argentina (September 5, 1993)

This was the greatest result in Los Cafeteros’ history to this point. Colombia’s victory put them into the 1994 World Cup, while Argentina were forced to play a qualifier against Australia because of this crushing loss.

AC Milan 4-0 Barcelona (May 18, 1994)

Milan’s performance was arguably the greatest there has ever been in a Champions League or European Cup final. This dynastic Rossoneri team won its third title in six seasons by taking apart a Barcelona team containing legends such as Hristo Stoichkov, Romário, and Ronald Koeman.

Brazil 2 (4)-2 (2) Argentina (July 17, 1995)

This Copa América quarterfinal was one of the greatest matches of this iconic rivalry. It was only fitting that such a clash would be decided on penalties. Edmundo scored Brazil’s winning penalty.

Germany 1 (6)-1 (5) England (June 26, 1996)

This was another classic rivalry matchup decided on penalties. The shootout was decided with one of the most infamous penalty misses of all time. Gareth Southgate missed the penalty that put Germany in the Euro 1996 final.

Argentina 2 (4)-2 (3) England (June 22, 1998)

A remarkable World Cup round of 16 clash saw three iconic moments take place. David Beckham’s red card, Michael Owen’s spectacular goal, and David Batty’s missed penalty to lose the shootout for England have all become enshrined in World Cup lore.

Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal (April 14, 1999)

With the two teams’ original FA Cup semifinal encounter having finished in a draw, United and Arsenal squared off at Villa Park for the right to face Newcastle in the final. It took a sensational goal scored by Ryan Giggs to settle the match.

Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich (May 26, 1999)

Heading into stoppage time, it seemed that Mario Basler’s sixth-minute goal was about to give Bayern its first Champions League or European Cup title since 1976. Then, in a stunning turn of events, United substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored goals to win the Champions League for United, completing a Treble.

AC Milan 6-0 Inter Milan (May 11, 2001)

AC Milan took their city rivals apart in a late-season Serie A match. It was, and still is, the largest margin of victory in Derby della Madonnina history. To make the victory even sweeter, Milan also ended up denying Inter a spot in the next season’s Champions League.

Schalke 5-3 Unterhaching (May 19, 2001)

When the final whistle sounded, it seemed as though Schalke’s win delivered them the Bundesliga title. However, Stefan Andersson’s late goal for Bayern Munich against Hamburg won it for Bayern, making this the most heartbreaking of victories.

Barcelona 3-2 Valencia (June 17, 2001)

Rivaldo absolutely destroyed Valencia on the last La Liga matchday of the season, scoring all three goals including a spectacular last-minute bicycle kick. The victory also put Barça into the next season’s Champions League at Valencia’s expense.

England 5-1 Germany (September 1, 2001)

This was the match that drove the hype for England’s “Golden Generation” through the roof. Michael Owen was the Three Lions’ standout performer in this World Cup qualifier, scoring a hattrick.

Manchester United 4-3 Real Madrid (April 23, 2003)

Despite losing this match, Real had done enough to advance to the Champions League semifinals. Ronaldo’s hattrick for Real would also go down as one of the greatest individual Champions League performances.

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (May 11, 2003)

This match changed football history forever. Chelsea’s win put them in the Champions League, prompting Roman Abramovich to buy the London club. It wasn’t long before he ushered football into the era of the transfer arms race.

Juventus 2 (5)-2 (4) Inter Milan (April 12, 2004)

This was a Coppa Italia semifinal that had everything – two bitter rivals, a red card issued to Inter goalkeeper Francesco Toldo, and a dramatic penalty shootout. The Bianconeri held their nerve to reach the final.

Greece 1-0 Portugal (July 4, 2004)

Greece’s victory capped off the most remarkable underdog run in the history of international football. The unheralded Greeks stunned the Portugal team of Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and Deco to win Euro 2004.

Brazil 2 (4)-2 (2) Argentina (July 25, 2004)

Just as in 1995, a Brazil-Argentina Copa América match was decided on penalties. However, this was in the final. In the end, Andrés D’Alessandro and Gabriel Heinze’s missed penalties sealed Argentina’s fate.

Liverpool 3 (3)-3 (2) AC Milan (May 25, 2005)

There’s a reason this match is known as the “Miracle of Istanbul”. Trailing 3-0 at halftime, Liverpool stunned the heavily-favoured AC Milan, taking it to penalties. They then proceeded to win the shootout and the Champions League.

Côte d’Ivoire 3-1 Sudan (October 8, 2005)

A dramatic finish to the World Cup qualifying campaign saw Côte d’Ivoire qualify for the tournament for the first time ever. Aruna Dindane’s two goals helped Les Éléphants beat Sudan, knock out Cameroon, and seal their World Cup spot.

Australia 1-0 Uruguay (November 16, 2005)

The Socceroos’ victory put them in the World Cup for the first time in 32 years. Australia also gained revenge over Uruguay, as it had been Uruguay who had denied them a spot in the 2002 World Cup.

Brazil 2 (5)-2 (4) Uruguay (July 10, 2007)

This Copa América semifinal had more than just a place in the final at stake. The other semifinal would be won by Argentina, the arch-rival of both teams in this match. In the penalty shootout, it was Gilberto’s penalty that made the difference, sending Brazil into the final.

Barcelona 1-1 Chelsea (May 6, 2009)

This game would go on to be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Chelsea were denied four obvious penalties, and thus a Champions League final rematch against Manchester United. To make matters even worse for the Blues, Barça went on to win the tournament.

Alcorcón 4-0 Real Madrid (October 27, 2009)

Segunda División B club Alcorcón pulled off the greatest shock there has ever been in a domestic cup. A Real side boasting the likes of Raúl, Karim Benzema, and Ruud van Nistelrooy were thoroughly outplayed by the underdogs, who advanced to the Copa del Rey’s round of 16.

Uruguay 1 (4)-1 (2) Ghana (July 2, 2010)

Few World Cup matches have had as dramatic an ending as this feisty quarterfinal. After Luis Suárez was sent off for a deliberate handball to deny a Ghana goal, Asamoah Gyan missed what would’ve been the winning goal from the penalty spot. Uruguay went on to win on penalties.

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid (November 29, 2010)

A rampant Barcelona could not be stopped. The Blaugrana completely took apart their bitter rivals en route to the La Liga title. Although David Villa scored two goals, it was Xavi who shone brightest of all.

Borussia Dortmund 5-2 Bayern Munich (May 12, 2012)

Die Schwarzgelbe completed their first domestic double with aplomb. Robert Lewandowski’s hattrick highlighted a sensational victory. It was Dortmund’s first DFB-Pokal title since 1989.

Manchester City 3-2 QPR (May 13, 2012)

As stoppage time began in this match, City needed to score two goals to win the Premier League and deny Manchester United the title. Just when all hope seemed lost for City, Edin Džeko and Sergio Agüero scored the decisive goals to clinch the league title in astonishing fashion.

Spain 4-0 Italy (July 1, 2012)

Spain won back-to-back Euro titles with a dominant, one-sided victory. La Furia Roja showed why they may have been the greatest international football team ever. Head coach Vicente del Bosque’s unorthodox decision to play Andrés Iniesta and David Silva as centre-forwards paid major dividends.

Portugal 3-2 Sweden (November 19, 2013)

A duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović ended with Ronaldo coming out on top. The two superstars scored all the goals for their respective countries. Ronaldo’s hattrick put Portugal into the World Cup.

Atlético Madrid 1-1 Barcelona (May 17, 2014)

Against all the odds, Atlético’s draw against Barça gave them their first La Liga title in 18 years. Diego Godín’s 49th-minute goal was enough to seal the league title for Atlético.

Real Madrid 4-1 Atlético Madrid (May 24, 2014)

Just one week later, Atlético were in the Champions League final and minutes away from completing a historic double. However, Sergio Ramos’ stoppage-time equalizer took the game to extra time. Real went on to score three more goals and win the Champions League.

Germany 7-1 Brazil (July 8, 2014)

This was the greatest single-game team performance in football history. Neymar’s absence due to injury put Brazil on the back foot before this World Cup semifinal even started. Germany took full advantage, scoring five goals in an 18-minute span.

Chile 0 (4)-0 (2) Argentina (June 26, 2016)

Chile successfully defended their Copa América title by stunning Argentina. Certainly, the defining moment of the match was Argentina legend Lionel Messi’s penalty shootout miss, which almost certainly ended the Albiceleste’s hopes of a first continental title since 1993.

Barcelona 6-1 PSG (March 8, 2017)

Barça looked dead in the water after having lost the first leg of this Champions League round of 16 tie by a 4-0 scoreline. However, the Catalan club turned it around, scoring three late goals in seven minutes to complete an incredible comeback and advance to the quarterfinals.

Inter Milan 3-2 Lazio (May 20, 2018)

An utterly ridiculous Serie A match had two red cards, an own goal, and a late winning goal scored by Matías Vecino. As if all of the above weren’t already enough, it took place on the final matchday of the season. To top it off, Inter’s win put them in the Champions League at Lazio’s expense.

The Weekly Take, Issue 49: A Promising Season Going Off the Rails

The Madrid derby is one of world football’s most hotly-contested matches. Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are already two of the best teams on the planet, and the fact that they are city rivals adds another layer of intrigue to the clash.

In the latest instalment of this classic rivalry, Real triumphed over the 10 men of Atlético, winning 3-1. Although Thomas Partey’s red card came late on, it sealed Atlético’s fate, extinguishing any chance of a comeback.

Less than a month ago, Atlético’s season was in a far better position than it is in now.

They were second in La Liga and closing in on leaders Barcelona, in the last 16 of the Champions League, and heading into the second leg of what should have been a straightforward Copa del Rey victory against Girona.

Since then, Atlético have surrendered second place in the league to their resurgent city rivals, were knocked out of the Copa del Rey on away goals by drawing 3-3 in that Girona match, and now seem unlikely to beat Juventus and advance to the Champions League quarterfinals.

So just how did things start going wrong?

One area that deserves criticism is Atlético’s attack. Outside of Antoine Griezmann, Atlético have been truly abysmal up front for a team of their standing. Thus far this season, they have very much been carried by their defense and Griezmann.

Atlético have scored 55 goals in all competitions this season, having played 34 games. This ratio is far lower than those of every other top team in Europe. What is even more damning, however, is the extent to which Atlético depend on Griezmann to shoulder the team’s goalscoring load.

Griezmann is by far Atlético’s leading goalscorer, with 17 this season. The team’s next-highest goalscorer is Koke, who has five. It gets even worse if you restrict this statistic to just La Liga matches. Griezmann has scored 11 of Atlético’s 33 La Liga goals. No other player has more than two. Players such as Nikola Kalinić, Ángel Correa, and Diego Costa have been extremely disappointing. To put this into perspective: if “own goals scored by the opposing team” were a player, it would be tied for being Atlético’s second-highest league goalscorer.

Atlético even failed to deal with this issue properly during the recent transfer window. Instead of going after an in-form striker or someone who has a good goalscoring track record, they picked up Álvaro Morata on loan. Over his career, Morata has only broken double figures in a major league twice, has scored just 56 career major-league goals over almost nine seasons, and was in the midst of a brutal goalscoring slump. Hence, this signing was a rather perplexing one.

Atlético’s away form is also a cause for concern.

If only away matches counted, Atlético would only be fifth in La Liga. Even worse than that is this fact: among teams in Europe’s four major leagues, as of this article, Atlético rank 26th in points per away game.

Clearly, for a team like Atlético, that’s simply not good enough.

While all teams typically play better at home, Atlético’s struggles on the road are at a level one does not expect for a team expected to be challenging for the Champions League.

By not making any major signings during this transfer window, I honestly think they have missed their last chance to mount a serious La Liga or Champions League title bid this season.

As presently constructed, this roster is too unbalanced to land Atlético either title. While Diego Simeone is arguably the best coach in the world, Jan Oblak and Griezmann are genuine superstars, and their defense has been excellent, for whatever reason, their season is falling off the rails.

I have always lauded Atlético’s front office and the outstanding job they have done for the last decade or so. However, that is not the case this season. They overpaid for Thomas Lemar and signed Kalinić and Morata when better players were available. Other than the signing of Rodri, for once, Atlético failed to get it right in the transfer market.

A team can have an amazing coach, two world-class stars, a glamorous market, and significant (though in this case, not exorbitant) wealth, but that all counts for nothing without the right supporting cast, as Atlético Madrid are now finding out.

The Weekly Take, Issue 48: Meet the Most Slept-on Team in the Bundesliga

This past matchday, a team that has been overlooked by almost everyone produced perhaps the most impressive result of the week.

Though this team has gone unnoticed by many, when one takes a closer look, it should become obvious that not only is this team better than they’re given credit for, but they should arguably be doing even better than they are right now.

The club I am speaking about is Eintracht Frankfurt.

Frankfurt held Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw. Luka Jović’s 36th-minute goal cancelled out Dortmund icon Marco Reus’s opener. The equaliser was the Serbian’s 14th goal in the Bundesliga this season.

For those who have been paying close attention, Frankfurt’s solid season thus far will not have come as a surprise. In fact, it could easily be argued that they should be doing better in the league. Die Adler are currently fifth in the Bundesliga, five points off a Champions League spot. However, where Frankfurt have truly shone this season has been in the Europa League. They won all six games in a tough group that included Marseille and Lazio. Frankfurt will play against Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of 32, and they should have no trouble in knocking the Ukrainian club out of the tournament.

Although Frankfurt do not have any superstars on their roster, what they do have is a collection of very solid contributors who are mostly underrated to some degree. Players such as Kevin Trapp, Makoto Hasebe, Gelson Fernandes, Jonathan de Guzmán, Filip Kostić, Jović, and Sébastien Haller have all played major roles in Frankfurt’s season thus far. As is the case with many teams who achieve success without a star player, this is an instance of all the pieces fitting together perfectly.

This may not be the case for much longer, though. This also brings up another important point.

When I say that “this may not be the case for much longer”, I don’t mean that the players will no longer be a good fit for the team.

I mean that Frankfurt have a budding star among them in Jović. At just 21 years old, Jović is having a breakout season. The Benfica loanee is currently the Bundesliga’s leading goalscorer. If he remains in this position at the end of the season, he will become the youngest player to ever lead the Bundesliga in goals scored. What makes this even more impressive is the fact that if he were to do so, he would eclipse the legendary Gerd Müller for the honour. Jović would also become the youngest player to be the top scorer of a major European league since Ronaldo in 1997.

No one could have foreseen Jović’s becoming one of the most exciting young prospects in world football. At the beginning of this season, he had only played in 84 career league games, scoring 24 goals. Reduce the criteria to just matches played in a major league, and the numbers fall to 22 and eight respectively.

Although it is likely that Jović will eventually sign for a bigger club at some point in the future, Frankfurt should definitely build the team around him while he is still at the Commerzbank-Arena.

However, there is one area in which Frankfurt clearly have significant room for improvement: their defense.

Frankfurt have already conceded 27 goals after just 20 league games this season, and their backline consisting of the likes of Evan N’Dicka, David Abraham, and Danny da Costa is nowhere near the quality required to take the club to the next level.

That being said, Frankfurt did sign three defenders during the recent transfer window – Martin Hinteregger, Tuta, and Almamy Touré – though their impact on the team remains to be seen. Nevertheless, Hinteregger is better than any of the other defenders on Frankfurt’s roster and should therefore be able to help turn things around at the back.

As has been mentioned, this team is certainly underrated. They are currently on pace to have their best Bundesliga campaign since 1994. What’s more, if they finish the season in the top four, they will be in the Champions League for the first time since 1960 and the first time in the modern era.

Evidently, Eintracht Frankfurt cannot and should not be overlooked anymore.

The Weekly Take, Issue 47: The Best Signing Nobody Is Talking About

The recent Serie A match between AC Milan and Napoli was largely devoid of excitement or action, finishing in a goalless draw. On the surface, the only incident of the match was Napoli midfielder Fabián’s late red card.

However, in the 71st minute, there was a moment which, in years to come, AC Milan fans may come to remember as the beginning of some truly special years.

New signing Krzysztof Piątek came on as a substitute. The Polish centre-forward replaced Patrick Cutrone.

As the January transfer window approaches its end, I believe that despite the lack of hype surrounding his signing, the Rossoneri made the best signing of the window by landing Piątek.

Although many have not taken notice, Piątek has been in the midst of a breakout season. Piątek signed for Genoa from Ekstraklasa club Cracovia during the previous off-season, and in the half-season he played for the Rossoblù, he scored 13 league goals in 19 games. That figure puts him fourth in Serie A. What makes this even more impressive is that Genoa have been absolutely horrendous this season – currently 15th in Serie A. Piątek has been responsible for more than half of all their league goals scored this season.

Piątek’s impressive form at club level also earned him a first cap for Poland in a friendly against Ireland. A few weeks later, in just his second game for the 

national team, Piątek scored his first goal for Poland in a 3-2 loss to Portugal.

In hindsight, Piątek should have been part of Poland’s World Cup squad. The Biało-czerwoni were abysmal during the tournament, finishing last in a group containing Colombia, Japan, and Senegal – three teams that they were expected to beat. Piątek’s presence would likely have changed this outcome, especially since superstar striker Robert Lewandowski greatly underperformed in all three games.

So, it should have come as no surprise when Milan signed Piątek for €35 million. Yet, this signing did not receive the attention it deserved.

I had been of the belief that AC Milan were one of those clubs who were one key piece away from being serious contenders, both domestically and in Europe. Now, I genuinely feel that Milan have got their man.

Even better for Milan is the fact that they will no longer be fielding the overrated and ageing Gonzalo Higuaín up front, but the 23-year-old Piątek instead. This is not only a massive upgrade for Milan’s future, but also an upgrade for the present. As of right now, Piątek is a better centre-forward than “El Pipita”.

Although Piątek is still at least two or three years away from his prime, the man from Lower Silesia has already shown what a force he can be in front of goal, even when lacking quality teammates. Now, with the likes of Ricardo Rodríguez, Lucas Paquetá, Suso, Franck Kessié, and Hakan Çalhanoğlu around him, Piątek might just be able to take his game to the next level.

Some of the greatest centre-forwards of all time have plied their trade for AC Milan. Names such as Gunnar Nordahl, Marco van Basten, Andriy Shevchenko, and Pippo Inzaghi have all shone in the famous red-and-black jersey.

Now, Milan may just have brought in the “heir to the throne”.

When the topic of who the best players in the world will be in five years’ time is brought up, names such as Marco Asensio, Bernardo Silva, Kylian Mbappé, Frenkie de Jong, Christian Pulisic, and Jadon Sancho are frequently mentioned.

If Piątek can sustain his form at Genoa through the second half of the season, he deserves to be in that conversation, for it would prove that he is no flash in the pan.

This season, Piątek might not be able to display all he is capable of for Milan. This is because they are already out of the Europa League and are so far behind in Serie A that their only realistic target for this season is qualification for next season’s Champions League.

But if AC Milan continue to surround their rising star with solid pieces during the next off-season and if Piątek continues on his current career trajectory, next season’s team could be their best since the 2012 squad that finished second in Serie A and made the Champions League quarterfinals.

The Weekly Take, Issue 46: Go South, Young Man

Chelsea’s troubled season has hit a new low.

The Blues did not put up any resistance whatsoever in a 2-0 London derby loss to Arsenal.

It was a disgraceful performance that was devoid of any heart, spirit, or verve – they were easily and systematically taken apart by the Gunners. So dismal were Chelsea that after the game, head coach Maurizio Sarri publicly questioned the team’s character and desire, and understandably so.

To put it in perspective, much-hyped players such as Jorginho, Mateo Kovačić, Pedro, and even the usually excellent N’Golo Kanté were completely dominated by the less-heralded likes of Mattéo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

But the problems at Stamford Bridge go beyond the pitch.

This club is dysfunctional to the core. Spending big money on players who went on to underperform greatly, firing coaches willy-nilly, giving up on players before they get their chance to shine – you name it, Chelsea since 2015 have done it.

Their poor results over the last three-and-a-half years speak for themselves.

One Premier League title which increasingly looks like an outlier. One FA Cup. No Champions League runs beyond the last 16. An average of 73 points per season at the time of writing, which would have seen them miss this season’s Champions League entirely (which, incidentally, they actually did). Absolutely nothing else to show for their immense spending.

I’ll go even further: there are only two reasons Roman Abramovich and his Chelsea team are not complete laughingstocks.

The first is because unlike the NBA or NFL, for example, European football has no salary cap. Abramovich’s immense wealth serves as a shield from his own incompetence as a club owner.

Abramovich just assumes that throwing major money at whatever the problem may be will solve it, regardless of the true situation.

I would even say that Chelsea are the New York Knicks of European football.

Impatient. Mismanaged. Don’t develop young prospects properly. Disastrous talent evaluation skills.

Like the Knicks, the only things Chelsea have going for them are their wealth and the large, glamorous market they play in.

The second reason may soon no longer apply to Chelsea. This reason is none other than Eden Hazard.

Ever since the Belgian superstar came to London in 2012, he has been let down by the club time and again in terms of surrounding him with the best possible supporting cast.

This team shipped out players such as Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah, and Filipe Luís before any of them had spent much time on the Chelsea roster.

It only gets worse when one considers that in that same timespan, Chelsea’s five most expensive signings have been Kepa Arrizabalaga, Álvaro Morata, Jorginho, Tiémoué Bakayoko, and Danny Drinkwater.

Taking all of this into consideration, as well as the facts that Hazard is in his prime at 27 years old and linked with Real Madrid, it is clear: for the sake of his career, Eden Hazard needs to leave the dumpster fire that Chelsea currently is and head for the Santiago Bernabéu.

A player as great as Hazard is does not deserve to be placed in the situation he finds himself in at Chelsea. What’s more, ever since Cristiano Ronaldo left Real for Juventus, Real have been struggling to fill the void left behind by the Portuguese legend.

Hazard’s arrival would change that. We have seen how great he is, whether in the Premier League, Champions League, World Cup, or European Championships. If he were to leave in this current transfer window, he would fit in seamlessly alongside the likes of Luka Modrić, Gareth Bale, Raphaël Varane, and compatriot and former Chelsea teammate Thibaut Courtois.

What’s more, in a few years’ time, Hazard might be expendable at Chelsea anyway. The London club have just signed the much younger but incredibly talented Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund, who plays the same position that Hazard does. It’s as though even Chelsea themselves expect Hazard to leave.

Even if he were to stay at Stamford Bridge, Eden Hazard will be remembered as an all-time great and the finest footballer to ever come out of Belgium. Hazard is also arguably already the greatest player to ever wear the royal blue of Chelsea.

But if he is to truly cement his legacy, he has to go – the sooner, the better – for his club has failed him one too many times and will likely continue to do so, should he stay.

The Weekly Take, Issue 45: The Greatest Goalscorer of All Time

Everyone knows that in any football match, it is always the goalscorers who hog the limelight and take the majority of the plaudits.

Over the years, there have been some truly remarkable marksmen who have taken to the pitch and staked their claim as the greatest goalscorer in football history.

Players such as Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Pelé, Gerd Müller, and Cristiano Ronaldo come to mind.

However, during the previous matchday, the player who has surpassed them all as a scorer reached a milestone that may never be equalled.

In Barcelona’s La Liga game against Eibar, Lionel Messi scored the 400th La Liga goal of his career. It was the second goal in Barça’s 3-0 victory over the Basque club.

Let that figure sink in for a moment. Four hundred league goals. With every single goal having been scored in a major league.

I can already hear some of you saying “but what about Pelé/CR7/ whoever”?

I will now proceed to show why Lionel Messi is the greatest goalscorer in the history of football.

Although he was a part of three World Cup-winning teams and scored 650 career league goals, I cannot put Pelé over Messi for two obvious reasons: he never played in a major league, and the overall level of competition was not as deep in the 1960s as it is today. Admittedly, he has scored 18 goals in international tournaments to Messi’s 14. However, I would definitely say that 400 La Liga goals is more impressive than 650 Campeonato Brasileiro and NASL (the MLS before the MLS, for the uninformed) goals.

Similar to Pelé, Ferenc Puskás also played in a weak era and only played in a major league for the last eight seasons of his career. Furthermore, his career total of 598 goals is by far the lowest of all the feasible greatest goalscorer candidates.

By far the most common comparison to Messi is Cristiano Ronaldo. However, as a goalscorer, even the Portuguese legend does not stack up well against his Argentine rival.

Although Ronaldo has scored 409 major-league goals in his career and like Pelé, has 18 international tournament goals, his career total of 673 goals has come in 932 official games, while Messi has found the net 667 times in 842 official games. Game-for-game, it isn’t even close. And before anyone says “but Ronaldo won the Euro!”, this is not about titles. I’m strictly talking about goalscoring prowess.

Next, we come to Gerd Müller.

Müller boasts an unbelievable goal-to-game ratio, with 722 in 770 across all his official games. However, a considerable number of his goals came in less important matches. He scored 417 goals in either a major-league game, the European Cup, or an international tournament. Messi, on the other hand, has 520 in such high-leverage games. To me, the 103 extra goals in important games outweigh the 55 career goals more that Müller scored.

But it’s not just about the “how many” that make Messi so great, but the “how” as well.

Although his left foot is truly legendary, he can do it with his right and even the occasional header in spite of his short stature.

One-on-ones, set pieces, tap-ins, long-rangers – you name it, Messi can score it.

No other player has ever been as prolific or has had quite the goalscoring repertoire of “La Pulga”. Whether playing for Barça or Argentina, there is a reason that Messi is the most feared goalscorer there has ever been. Even his mere presence on the field is a game-changer, for it affects the other team’s approach to the game.

Arguably even more astonishing is the fact that, despite now being on the wrong side of 30, Messi’s goalscoring rate does not seem to have dipped at all.

Would I say that Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time?

I would not. To me, that accolade goes to Diego Maradona; however, I have Messi second all-time behind his World Cup-winning compatriot. That said, I do believe that Messi is closing the gap with each passing year.

But, as I mentioned, where there is no debate is as a scorer. In the more than 100 years of professional football, there has never been a player who has been able to put the ball in the net quite like Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini.

The Weekly Take, Issue 44: City’s Most Underrated Player Steps Up

Heading into the recent match between Manchester City and Liverpool, the two Premier League powerhouses were first and second in the league, with Liverpool ahead of City by seven points. Thus, there was a tremendous amount riding on the outcome of this clash.

The game at the Etihad Stadium ended in a 2-1 victory for the Citizens, with Leroy Sané scoring City’s winning goal to cap off what was arguably his best performance of the season.

The German winger absolutely torched the Reds’ defence, making the normally solid defensive pairing of Dejan Lovren and Virgil van Dijk look like complete amateurs.

But here’s the interesting part – despite being an integral part of City’s Premier League-winning team of last season, many do not truly appreciate the value that Sané brings to the table. While he did win the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season, the award seemed to do little to enhance his standing with the average fan.

When people think of Manchester City, they will usually think of players such as Bernardo Silva, Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, and, of course, Sergio Agüero. Leroy Sané is frequently overlooked.

This is unfortunate because Sané has been one of City’s best players ever since joining the Manchester club from Schalke in 2016.

Sané first arrived at the Etihad to much fanfare, and rightly so – he was, and still is, considered one of Germany’s best young prospects. Sané garnered a tremendous amount of hype during the 2015-16 season, his last with Schalke. It didn’t take him long to make an impact – despite missing almost a third of the season due to injury, Sané quickly established himself as a mainstay of the team and was named the club’s Player of the Month in February and March.

The following season was a career-best season for Sané as he helped City win the Premier League with a remarkable 100 out of a possible 114 points. His Young Player of the Year award was a fitting conclusion to a campaign in which he was one of City’s standouts, scoring 10 goals and handing out 15 assists. In doing so, Sané established himself as one of the best players at his position in the league. However, despite winning the award, Sané was twice snubbed at the end of the season – first by PFA experts who inexplicably selected Christian Eriksen of Tottenham over him in the Premier League’s best 11 of the season, then by Germany coach Joachim Löw who did not select him as part of Die Mannschaft’s World Cup squad. Löw’s decision backfired in shocking fashion as Germany were sent packing in the group stage; many believed that had Sané been playing, he would have made a difference and helped Germany advance to the round of 16.

These two snubs appear to have fuelled Sané this season, as he is clearly playing with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove. His performance against Liverpool only gave further evidence of this fact.

So why has he been slept on? In my opinion, here are some of the reasons why.

1) He plays for Manchester City. This is a loaded team with two clearly superior players in Agüero and De Bruyne. Furthermore, players such as David Silva, Sterling, and Kompany seem to resonate more with the average fan.

2) He is not British. Last season, some of the other nominees for the Young Player of the Year award that Sané won were Harry Kane, Sterling, and Marcus Rashford. While Kane is certainly a better player than Sané, the other two are definitely not. What do all three of these players have in common, though?

Exactly.

Once again, the British media has overhyped its own players to such a degree that better players are overlooked.

3) He hasn’t done much at international level (yet). He has only played 17 games for Germany thus far and has featured in just 11 minutes of tournament play – against France in Euro 2016. Despite this, more opportunities should surely come his way in the future, especially since Germany failed without him at the World Cup.

If he continues on his current path, it won’t be much longer before fans and media begin to take more notice of the man from Essen.