The Weekly Take, Issue 73: For Whom the Bale Tolls

The seemingly endless transfer saga involving Gareth Bale has taken yet another twist.

The Real Madrid winger had seemed all set to leave the Spanish capital to chase one final big payday in the cash-rich Chinese Super League by joining Jiangsu Suning.

However, despite the fact that head coach Zinedine Zidane had openly stated that the club had been moving towards moving the Welsh winger, Real's board vetoed the transfer after citing the immense, then-world record transfer fee the club had paid to sign him from Tottenham in 2013.

Bale has certainly had an interesting six years at the Bernabéu. On one hand, he has been an integral part of Real Madrid's dynasty, helping Los Merengues win four Champions League titles in five seasons. Scoring a spectacular bicycle-kick in the 2018 final against Liverpool ensured that Bale would forever have an indelible place in the history of the world's most storied football club. He was also selected as part of the Champions League's all-tournament team in 2016.

On the other hand, though, Bale's stint at Real thus far has also been blighted by numerous injuries. Over the six seasons he has spent at Real, Bale has played in just 155 of Real's 228 league matches. On average, one can reasonably expect him to miss approximately a third of the season. This fact has certainly hindered both Real's success and his own development as a player; his peak was all too brief because of those injuries. Furthermore, he also had chemistry issues with some of Real's other players; his game has not always dovetailed well with those of his teammates.

In recent times, Bale had fallen out of favour with Zidane and seemed to be on his way out of the club. The proposed transfer to Jiangsu would have made Bale the world's highest-paid player. Although Bale received public support from club president Florentino Pérez, the fact that he had already been in an awkward spot at the club has only added further confusion to what was already a tense and highly-charged situation.

The veto of Bale's transfer may have been influenced by a severe injury suffered by promising young winger Marco Asensio. During an off-season friendly match against Arsenal, the Spaniard tore his ACL, ruling him out of the entire 2019-20 season. This in turn would leave Real somewhat thin on the wings, thus causing the club to reconsider Bale's departure. Asensio's ACL injury may also have affected the transfer status of James Rodríguez, whose own expected transfer out of Real also seems to have hit a snag.

Despite this fact, there are teams which ought to consider making a move to sign Bale. At 30, Bale does have two or three more good years left in him before obvious signs of decline are likely to set in. Should he end up leaving Real, he does have options; he might yet even end up becoming a key contributor to a deep Champions League run, but for a different team.

One of the more intriguing possibilities for Bale would be a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. There has been much speculation regarding the future of Edinson Cavani and Neymar; both could end up leaving during this current off-season. Bale would be able to serve as an ample replacement for one of them, thus bolstering their chances of making a deep Champions League run. Even if neither leaves, Bale might take over from Cavani as a starter alongside Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. His arrival would make PSG even more formidable than they already are.

Napoli would also be another viable option. Bale would be a clear upgrade over José Callejón. Alongside Dries Mertens and Arkadiusz Milik, Bale would become part of one of the best frontlines in world football and turn the Campanian club into a possible sleeper pick to win it all. Napoli have never been beyond the round of 16 in the European Cup or Champions League; Bale's arrival might just change that.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the greatest player to ever come out of Wales. Whatever Gareth Bale's next move may be, it will certainly have quite an impact on European club football as a whole during the coming season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 72: The Legacy Continues

In some of my previous posts, I have written about Juventus' outstanding defense, the fact that Juve have always been a club with a defense-first mentality, and their legacy of legendary defenders.

All-time greats such as Claudio Gentile, Gaetano Scirea, Gianluca Zambrotta, Giorgio Chiellini, and Leonardo Bonucci have represented the Bianconeri at the back. They have played major roles in Juve's success and development of its club identity.

Now, Juve may just have added the latest all-time defensive great to this illustrious list.

Juventus have just signed Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax for €75 million - a remarkable fee given the fact that the Dutchman is just 19 years old. However, in due time, this signing is likely to prove to be well worth the money spent.

Even at his young age, de Ligt is perhaps already the second-best centre-back in the world, only trailing his compatriot Virgil van Dijk. He is the current holder of the Golden Boy award, thus proving his immense potential and sky-high ceiling.

A product of Ajax's iconic youth academy, de Ligt has all the attributes that a defender needs in order to become one of the greats.

His tackling is arguably the best in world football today. He has no fear of aerial duels; he is comfortable in the air as well. De Ligt also has a level of defensive maturity rarely seen in a player of his age; his play might not be the most showy, but it is certainly fundamentally sound and conducive to victory. He can even be a threat on the offensive end. De Ligt is a good passer for a centre-back and has also been known to be a dangerous receiver of set-pieces.

As if all these qualities weren't already enough, de Ligt has also shown impressive leadership abilities. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that he is the youngest captain in Ajax history. He also became the youngest player to captain a team in a Champions League match when he did so in Ajax's upset victory over Real Madrid last season, earning many plaudits in the process.

De Ligt now has the opportunity to take his game to the next level. As I earlier mentioned, Juve is a club with a long and distinguished history of defensive legends. Thus, it is one of the best clubs for a young defender to join.

De Ligt's arrival in Turin might also prove to be just what Juve need in order to land their first Champions League title since 1996.

While Juve already had an impressive starting back four last season which consisted of Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Bonucci, and João Cancelo, the man from Leiderdorp may have elevated Juventus' defense from merely being elite to arguably the best on the planet.

Of course, de Ligt is not Juve's only major signing of the current off-season. They've brought in Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, and Luca Pellegrini, among others. However, it's obvious that de Ligt is the real game-changer among these signings.

This signing also came at an important time for Juve. With Cristiano Ronaldo now being 34 years old, he will soon be on his last legs. Thus, it was important that Juve sign a player who could potentially go on to become the next cornerstone of the team - a player great enough to lead Juve to not only multiple Serie A titles, but one or more Champions League titles as well. De Ligt might very well be that player, especially if he goes on to play for Juve for a decade or more - a distinct possibility, given all that surrounds him at the moment.

It's somewhat clichéd to say this, but it is nonetheless true: "offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships." Juve as a club have clearly taken this saying to heart over the years. A great defense is often the foundation of any great team.

Such defenses are often led by one overpowering, commanding figure, and for now and in the coming years, Juve might have obtained such a figure in Matthijs de Ligt. Although he might not have played even one game for the reigning Italian champions, based on what he has already shown, he may have made Juventus the favourites to win the Champions League this season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 71: Absolutely Pathetic

I’m not holding back at all this week.

The player I’m writing about has forever sullied his legacy by making the weakest transfer move I have ever witnessed.

This player is a perennial Ballon d’Or contender, the MVP and top scorer of Euro 2016, a World Cup champion who was third in the tournament’s MVP rankings, arguably the world’s best player at his position, and had been the best player on one of the best club teams on the planet.

So what does he do?

Of course, he chooses to run away from the challenges he is faced with and join forces with an immediate rival, both domestically and in the Champions League.

As great of a player as he is, I am so appalled by this transfer that after I mention his name for the first time, I will not do so for the rest of the post. I will channel my inner Skip Bayless and refer to him by his jersey number.

You might already have guessed that I’m referring to Antoine Griezmann, who has just left Atlético Madrid for Barcelona. It cost Barça €120 million, the fifth-highest transfer fee of all time, to land #17.

However, that’s irrelevant. #17 forced his way out of the Wanda Metropolitano, making a transfer request after spending five years at the Madrid club.

Despite clearly having the game and the squad around him to be able to lead Atlético to the top, the man from Bourgogne chose to take the easy way out, joining forces with a direct rival and teaming up with Leo Messi and company.

Here are the reasons as to why I consider #17’s move to Catalonia to be truly pathetic.

1) He was already on a genuine Champions League contender.

Over the five seasons that #17 was at Atlético, the club was never ranked lower than sixth in pre-tournament club coefficient. What’s more, they were ranked second before last season’s campaign, while Barça had been ranked fourth. They also generally lived up to expectations, reaching the quarterfinals in 2015, final in 2016, and semifinals in 2017. Since Atlético were already among the title contenders with #17 on their roster, it’s obvious that he chose the easy way out.

2) His motives were different.

Consider the other major transfers of the current off-season.

João Felix, Frenkie de Jong, Lucas Hernandez, and Luka Jović are all young players trying to break out as superstars at a major club.

Eden Hazard wanted to escape the toxic, dysfunctional, untenable atmosphere at Chelsea.

#17 is in the prime of his career at 28 and had been playing for perhaps the best-run club in the world. He simply wanted to ride Messi’s coattails to an easy Champions League title.

3) He signed for a team which has recently bested his own team often.

Over the five years during which #17 was at Atlético, they twice finished second behind Barça in La Liga. In fact, during this time, Atlético never finished ahead of the Catalan club in the league. They were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Barça twice.

Thus, it’s a really bad look for him to sign for Barça.

4) There were no other reasons for him to leave.

Star player for a superbly-run Champions League contender? Check.

Lucrative endorsement deals? Check.

Enormous salary? Check.

Big-market team in a place with a favourable lifestyle? Check.

He was in what was close to an ideal situation – and left anyway.

The only other transfer I can think of that exhibited this level of mental weakness was Luís Figo’s departure from Barça to then-reigning Champions League champions Real Madrid, a transfer which marked the beginning of Real’s iconic “Galácticos” era.

For what it’s worth, I cannot wait for Barça’s next away match against Atlético.

Certainly, every time #17 touches the ball, the Atlético fans will unleash every last bit of their pent-up rage and frustration on their former ace who turned his back on them. They will surely greet him with a fusillade of richly-deserved boos, jeers, and heckles.

Regardless of the outcome of that match, it will definitely be something extraordinary to witness, and an Atlético win would be especially sweet - #17 will have received his due comeuppance.

The Weekly Take, Issue 70: A New Force Rises in South America

The Copa América has just ended with Brazil claiming the South American continental title for the first time since 2007.

The Seleção clinched the title in front of a raucous home crowd by beating Peru 3-1 in the final. Despite finishing the match with 10 men after Gabriel Jesus received his second yellow card, Brazil hung on for the victory.

However, what is certainly notable is the fact that they played against Peru in the final.

Peru’s qualification for the final definitely came as a surprise. This is partially due to the fact that La Blanquirroja have very little football pedigree, historically speaking. This had been their first Copa final since 1975, which was also their most recent tournament victory. Furthermore, outside the team’s strongest era of the 1970s and early 1980s, Peru has only ever qualified for the World Cup twice.

But now, things may be beginning to change for the better, and Peru’s run to the final is clear evidence of this improvement.

Although Peru do not have any true star players, they do have a solid core group around which they have done a reasonable job of building. The likes of Yoshimar Yotún, Luís Advíncula, Christian Cueva, Renato Tapía, and veteran captain Paolo Guerrero all played pivotal roles in Peru’s deep Copa run. Interestingly, Jefferson Farfán, who along with Guerrero is Peru’s best player of this generation, did not play much due to injury.

A 5-0 group stage loss to Brazil notwithstanding, Peru were very solid throughout the tournament. They rarely made any major mistakes and generally played organized, systematic football in every match.

The major turning point for Peru seemed to take place during qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

Heading into those qualifiers, few expected Peru to qualify for the tournament. After all, they had not been to a World Cup since 1982 and had failed to make it to the previous World Cup by finishing 10 points behind Uruguay, the last South American team to make it to the 2014 World Cup.

However, despite having both statistics and history stacked against them, Peru defied the odds to finish fifth out of 10 teams involved in World Cup qualifying out of South America to advance to a wildcard playoff against New Zealand. A 1-1 draw against Colombia sealed their place in the playoff. What made this even sweeter for Peru is that by qualifying for the playoff, they denied the highly-fancied reigning South American champions and arch-rivals Chile a spot in the World Cup.

Peru went on to beat New Zealand 2-0 on aggregate in the playoff to reach their first World Cup in 36 years.

At the tournament in Russia, although they were knocked out in the group stage, Peru gave a good account of themselves. They narrowly lost to Denmark, then ran eventual champions France close before losing again. They went on to beat Australia in their third match, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their exit.

However, this tournament experience would prove to be a springboard for the team. Since then, they have gone from strength to strength, culminating in their recent impressive Copa run.

Now, that’s not to say that Peru are completely devoid of problems at the moment.

This is not a young team by any means. In Peru’s Copa squad, only seven players were 25 years old or younger. This could very well have been the current core group’s last tournament run together. It also means that despite several good years in recent times, Peru do face something of an uncertain future.

Nevertheless, it is also entirely possible that the events of the last few years, and the Copa run in particular, might serve as inspiration for Peru’s younger generation to step forward and emulate their predecessors. This is unlikely, though – at the moment, Peru do not seem to have any promising young prospects who are likely to reach the level of their current core, let alone become a bona fide superstar.

But for Peruvian football fans who had previously become accustomed to their team’s constant failure, that is a secondary matter. Even if another 30 to 40 years pass before another Peru team emulates the current crop, this team is clearly their country’s finest since the days of Héctor Chumpitaz, Hugo Sotil, and Teófilo Cubillas.

The Weekly Take, Issue 69: Paying Through the Nose

There have been many cases in which a footballer is signed for a gaudy transfer fee but subsequently never makes the desired impact at his new club.

Some of the most notorious examples of this include the transfers of James Rodríguez to Real Madrid, Zlatan Ibrahimović to Barcelona, Fernando Torres to Chelsea, and Ángel Di María to Manchester United.

Now, five years after the ill-advised signing of Di María, United again appear to have severely overpaid to sign a player.

Manchester United have just paid ₤50 million to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace.

It’s not that I believe the Londoner will be a complete failure at Old Trafford. There is definitely some degree of potential there, and he should be able to crack the rotation and perhaps establish himself as a starter.

However, the Red Devils have just paid an amount for which one expects a high-quality, starting 11 player. Wan-Bissaka is still just 21 and has not yet shown any signs that he might ascend to that level someday. He has only played 42 league games for Palace and has never been capped by England. This is a player who made his professional debut less than 18 months ago.

This signing appears to be a “panic purchase” by United. After a disappointing season in which United finished sixth in the Premier League, were knocked out earlier than expected in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and were soundly defeated by Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals, United knew that major upgrades were needed to set the club back on the path toward its former glories.

This makes their signing of Wan-Bissaka all the more puzzling. What United need right now is a player who will be ready to contribute at a high level straight from his first day at United. Wan-Bissaka does not fit that bill.

Just looking at other full-backs, United could very well have signed one of Lukas Klostermann, Alex Telles, José Gaya, Alex Sandro, or Nélson Semedo. Even if United felt that they ought to sign a promising young prospect, they could easily have gone with Achraf Hakimi. Although the 20-year-old Moroccan has only played 57 career league games, he has already spent time at two major clubs: Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Thus, he already has some of the big-game experience which Wan-Bissaka lacks.

If the reason that United signed Wan-Bissaka was to build for the future, once again, they could have made better signings for a similar or less expensive fee. One of players 23 years old or younger such as Rúben Neves, Nicolò Zaniolo, Hirving Lozano, Jonathan Tah, or Youri Tielemans could have been signed. All of them have established themselves to a greater degree, and most seem to have higher ceilings, than Wan-Bissaka has.

Many of Europe’s leading clubs have already made notable signings. Barcelona have signed Frenkie de Jong and Neto. Real Madrid have brought in Eden Hazard, Luka Jović, and Ferland Mendy. Bayern Munich have added French full-backs Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez to their roster. Juventus have signed Adrien Rabiot; Borussia Dortmund, Mats Hummels.

This is the level of player required to be signed by a club that is to return to or remain among world football’s best. The fact that United committed so much money to sign someone who has not shown anything of note thus far proves how far the club has fallen and clearly displays their general lack of ambition.

There is still plenty of time in this transfer window to turn things around, but given United’s recent track record in this department, the signs do not appear to be promising. Over the last three years, the only two truly impactful signings made by United were those of Ibrahimović and Paul Pogba. Furthermore, Ibrahimović left United after two seasons which included an ACL tear, while Pogba was signed for what was then an all-time record fee.

If United go on to strike out in this off-season’s transfer window or again overpay for most or all of their signings, their fans can expect to endure another difficult season in what has now proven to be their worst multi-year stretch in almost 30 years.

Certainly, Manchester is no longer red.

The Weekly Take, Issue 68: An Iconic Team’s Revival

By their usual lofty standards, the last five years have been extremely disappointing for Brazil’s national football team.

Their 2014 World Cup run on home soil had been going smoothly until the semifinals, when they ran into a Germany team which unleashed perhaps the greatest single-match performance in football history. Die Mannschaft completely dominated the Seleção, winning 7-1 in a match that would go on to be referred to as the “Mineiraço”.

Brazil’s Copa América runs in 2015 and 2016 also ended in shocking fashion. In 2015, they were stunned by Paraguay in the quarterfinals after losing a penalty shootout. Their 2016 tournament was even worse. Despite having been drawn into what should have been a fairly simple group containing Peru, Ecuador, and Haiti, they did not even advance from the group stage.

By the time Brazil’s 2018 World Cup run ended with a quarterfinal loss against Belgium, not only were they mired in a protracted slump, but they had also earned the scorn and ridicule of many fans from all over the world, largely due to their somewhat dirty play as well as the over-the-top, over-dramatic antics of superstar striker Neymar.

However, if the ongoing Copa América held on their own turf is anything to go by, Brazil may be turning the corner at last. In their most recent match, they destroyed Peru, winning 5-0 in a one-sided affair.

Interestingly enough, it seems as though the absence of Neymar due to injury from this tournament has been of benefit to this team. Against Peru, their play was tactically sound, crisp, clean, and precise. These are qualities that Brazil seldom showed over the last half-decade.

The main problem had been the fact that whenever Neymar played, everything seemingly had to go through him. It often seemed as if he was less about winning and more about “getting his own”. Despite his unquestioned ability, he had an outsized influence on the team, and this was often to their detriment. As far as international play is concerned, he appears to be in the same category as players such as Raúl and Wayne Rooney – elite players who nevertheless make their national team worse when they don their country’s jersey.

It is also worth noting that nine of Brazil’s 23 squad members in this tournament were not part of their World Cup squad. Players such as Richarlison, Arthur, Everton, and David Neres have revitalized the team. The additions of these rising young talents have proven to be important steps in the rebuilding process following their failures of recent years. They form a solid young core and should be in their primes during the 2022 World Cup; thus, this bodes well for Brazil’s chances of winning a record-extending sixth world title.

Of course, any team with dreams of winning the World Cup has to have at least one bona fide superstar on the roster. In Brazil’s case, Neymar is obviously one; however, it has been established that his presence also makes the team worse. Fortunately, they do have another player at that level; one who is probably the best on the planet at his position.

I am referring to their ace goalkeeper Alisson.

The Liverpool shot-stopper is coming off a career-best season in which he played a crucial role in the Reds’ Champions League title run. Alisson also had an incredible 21 clean sheets in the Premier League; no goalkeeper in England’s top flight had accumulated that number since Edwin van der Sar in the 2008-09 season.

Although Brazilians have historically been infatuated with offensive, rather than defensive, superstars from Garrincha to Pelé to Zico to Ronaldo as well as many others, the man from Novo Hamburgo might just be the one to change this mindset. He could go on to become Brazil’s greatest goalkeeper ever.

Despite their impressive performances in the Copa América’s group stage, however, the true test for Brazil will be the knockout rounds. As they are also the host country of the tournament, they will be especially motivated to win it. A tournament victory, which would be their first since 2007, would certainly go some way to banishing the demons of the Mineirão from 2014.

Having said that, the future for Brazil’s national team is brighter than it has been for a very long time.

The Weekly Take, Issue 67: End-of-Season Special: Top 10 Moments of the Season

Another enthralling season of European club football has ended. As is the case after every season, some teams will be very pleased with how their season went, while others will be disappointed with theirs.

Of course, throughout the season there were defining moments which will be remembered for a very long time. The following are the 10 moments of the 2018-19 season which I consider to be the most memorable.

Cristiano Ronaldo signs for Juventus (July 10, 2018)

Juventus put all of Europe’s other elite clubs on notice with the signing of Ronaldo from Real Madrid for €100 million. It was evidence that Juve were hell-bent on claiming their first Champions League title since 1996. Some even claimed that this signing alone made them the outright favourites to win the biggest prize in European club football.

While Ronaldo did have a solid debut season for the Bianconeri, scoring 21 league goals and 28 in all competitions, the Portuguese legend was not able to lead the Turin club to the Champions League title. Juve were shockingly knocked out by Ajax in the quarterfinals.

As Ronaldo is now 34, time is starting to run out on his chances of winning another Champions League.

Alisson signs for Liverpool (July 19, 2018)

Roma goalkeeper Alisson had just finished a disappointing World Cup campaign with Brazil when he signed for Liverpool. At the time of his transfer, he had only ever played 37 games in a major league. For these reasons, when he was signed for €62.5 million, which was a record transfer fee for a goalkeeper at the time, many eyebrows were raised.

However, it didn’t take long for Alisson to silence his doubters. He won the Premier League’s Golden Glove award by recording 21 clean sheets, played a vital role in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League title, and established himself as probably the world’s best goalkeeper.

His greatest moment this season came in the Champions League group stage, when he made an unbelievable save to deny Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik and keep the Reds’ Champions League bid alive.

Christian Pulisic signs for Chelsea (January 2, 2019)

In what was a tumultuous season at Stamford Bridge, a rare bright spot was the signing of American phenom Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund for €64 million.

Pulisic, who is well on his way to becoming the greatest player to ever come out of the United States, was pursued by many leading clubs across Europe. In the end, it was Chelsea who signed him. With the impending departure of Eden Hazard, this signing was a real coup for the Blues.

Pulisic is yet to make his Chelsea debut because he was immediately loaned back to Dortmund for the rest of the season.

Ajax 4-1 Real Madrid (March 5, 2019)

Real Madrid’s reign as European champions came to an end in dramatic fashion.

Heading into the second leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie against Ajax, Real led 2-1 on aggregate and seemed poised to continue their run towards a fourth consecutive Champions League title and fifth in six seasons.

However, they certainly didn’t count on Ajax coming up with a truly dominant performance for the comeback victory. Players such as David Neres, Hakim Ziyech, and Dušan Tadić played better than they ever had before to lead the Amsterdam club into the quarterfinals.

Zinedine Zidane returns as Real Madrid head coach (March 11, 2019)

Real’s loss to Ajax forced club president Florentino Pérez to make a bold move. He fired head coach Santiago Solari, who had only been in the position since October 2018.

Then, in a move that stunned many across the football world, the club soon confirmed that Zidane, who had coached Los Merengues to three consecutive Champions League titles, would return for a second stint at the helm of Real Madrid.

Having experienced a season of failure and disappointment, Real will certainly be hoping that Zidane can lead them back to the top as he has done many times before.

Bayern Munich 5-0 Borussia Dortmund (April 6, 2019)

No victories are sweeter than those which are won against a bitter rival. This is especially true when the victory is either by a large margin or when it decides the fate of a title. In this instance, both were true.

This edition of Der Klassiker saw Bayern run away with the victory. Just to rub it in for Dortmund, former Dortmund star Robert Lewandowski scored two of Bayern’s five goals.

Bayern would go on to win the Bundesliga title by two points over their arch-rivals. Therefore, this one-sided win turned out to be the victory that clinched yet another league title for the Bavarian powerhouse.

Manchester City 1-0 Leicester City (May 6, 2019)

All Manchester City had to do to successfully defend their Premier League title was win two matches: this one and a subsequent clash against Brighton. On paper, Leicester were not expected to put up much of a fight against the Citizens.

However, to the surprise of everyone watching, Leicester made it very competitive. Deep into the second half, the score was still tied at 0-0. Then, an astonishing turn of events took place.

Manchester City centre-back Vincent Kompany had the ball around 30 metres from the Leicester goal. He took a few touches, then unleashed a powerful shot that somehow made its way into the back of the net. Manchester City would then go on to win this match and subsequently the league.

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (May 7, 2019)

In the first leg of this Champions League semifinal tie, Barça had been utterly dominant. Their 3-0 win put Liverpool in a position in which they were all but eliminated. However, not even the staunchest Liverpool fan could have expected what was to come.

Roared on by the Anfield faithful, the Reds dug deep to produce a performance for the ages. Two goals apiece from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum were what Liverpool needed to overturn the three-goal deficit and advance to the final.

The highlight of the match was Liverpool’s fourth goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold fooled the Barcelona defense with an excellent low corner kick. The ball came to Origi, and the Belgian converted to seal Liverpool’s remarkable win.

Eden Hazard announces departure from Chelsea (May 29, 2019)

The transfer saga that seemed as though it would never end finally did.

In what had to have been one of the worst-kept secrets in world football, Chelsea superstar Hazard confirmed that he would leave Stamford Bridge for Real Madrid at the end of the season. Hazard had been linked with a move to Real for years, and Chelsea’s struggles throughout the season only increased the chances of his departure.

Real signed Hazard, who leaves Chelsea as probably the greatest player in the club’s history, for a fee of ₤88.5 million. He will officially become a Real Madrid player on July 1, 2019.

Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham (June 1, 2019)

For the second time, the Champions League final was contested by two English clubs. This season’s final was a cagey affair, but nonetheless intriguing from a tactical standpoint.

Goals scored by Mo Salah and Divock Origi proved to be decisive as Liverpool avenged their Champions League final loss from the year before. It was their sixth title and first since 2005.

The victory also assured Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp of his place in the pantheon of all-time great coaches.