The Weekly Take, Issue 221: Already Surplus to Requirements

Paris Saint-Germain added another name to their defensive corps by bringing RB Leipzig right-back Nordi Mukiele to his hometown club for €10 million. PSG signed Mukiele on a five-year contract which came after he had spent four years in Saxony.

Despite the relatively low transfer fee, this move is a somewhat strange one on PSG's part. It is difficult to picture just how Mukiele would fit into this team and its dynamics. Additionally, PSG's starting right-back, Achraf Hakimi, is arguably one of the top three in the world at that position. Barring a major injury or a sudden major slump, Hakimi will not be leaving his spot in the starting line-up any time soon.

Mukiele is also unlikely to get much playing time at his secondary position of centre-back. Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos are vastly superior players and thus will almost certainly avoid being unseated. It isn't as though PSG are lacking as far as backup defenders are concerned, either. Abdou Diallo, Sergio Ramos, Juan Bernat, and Thilo Kehrer form one of the better defensive second units in world football.

PSG's acquisition of Mukiele is yet another example of the club "missing the forest for the trees" in the transfer window. The main area of concern was clearly central midfield; Georginio Wijnaldum is simply not good enough as a regular starter if a club is to have a realistic chance of winning the Champions League. While PSG did sign Vitinha for €41.5 million, it would likely have been a wiser move on their part to have held off on both the Vitinha and Mukiele signings and instead used the money they spent on both transfers to bring in an even better central midfielder. Players such as Mikel Merino, Marcos Llorente, and Matheus Nunes would have likely been better uses of the money that PSG spent.

Additionally, this move is likely to stymie Mukiele's own development as a player. At 24, he had almost certainly not yet reached his absolute peak level. He had already begun to make a name for himself at the Red Bull Arena prior to his transfer. However, his likely lack of playing time at PSG will probably guarantee that he will leave some, if not much, of his potential unfulfilled when he reaches what would ordinarily have been his best years.

To make matters worse, Mukiele joined PSG - the club with a bigger reputation for choking than any other. This mentality has permeated the entire team to such an extent that it makes one wonder if even they truly believe that they are Champions League-winning material. Being at a club like that will undoubtedly have a negative effect on a player who is at the career stage where Mukiele is now.

In spite of their eye-watering wealth, PSG's follies in the transfer window have come back to bite them time and again. This is another key reason why year after year, PSG come up short in the Champions League. From spending a record-breaking transfer fee on Neymar and then attempting to build a team around him to bringing in a version of Lionel Messi well past his prime to signing Mauro Icardi for almost no reason at all - it seems as though every good move PSG make in the transfer market is followed by a bad one.

It can even be argued that PSG were too quick to offload players such as Lucas Moura and Gonçalo Guedes. Both have gone on to experience success at other clubs; this might actually be the best-case scenario for Mukiele as far as his career progression is concerned. Do not be surprised if Mukiele is loaned out before too long.

Is it still possible that this transfer could end up turning out for the best? Of course it is - after all, we've seen more unlikely success stories before. However, based on the evidence to date, the chances of Mukiele's stint at PSG being a positive one are relatively low.

Sometimes, when a young player signs for a new club, it comes with a feeling of "and that's the last we ever heard from him again at this level". Sadly for PSG fans, that's exactly the vibe that this signing has provided.

The Weekly Take, Issue 220: Deflation Has Arrived

In a transfer which not many would have seen coming, Lyon signed Argentine left-back Nicolás Tagliafico from Ajax on a three-year contract. Tagliafico left the Dutch capital after spending four-and-a-half seasons at the Johan Cruyff Arena. During this stint which was highlighted by an underdog run to the 2018-19 Champions League semifinals, Tagliafico established himself as one of the more underrated full-backs in world football and became the starter at that position for his country.

With these facts in mind, it is astonishing to think that Lyon signed Tagliafico for just €4.2 million. One would ordinarily have expected a player of his level to have gone for somewhere in the range of €20 to €30 million.

Those who have been paying attention to the current transfer window will note that Tagliafico's transfer for such a low fee appears to be part of a trend. Transfer fees appear to be dropping all at once. Already in this off-season's transfer window, we have seen Erling Haaland sign for Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund for €60 million, Sadio Mané join Bayern Munich for €32 million following his departure from Liverpool, and Robert Lewandowski acquired by Barcelona from Bayern for €45 million. Clearly, the average transfer fee is on the decline. But why is this so and why has it begun to happen so suddenly?

While no one has outright confirmed or denied anything, I do have two theories regarding this. The first is the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns. For many months, clubs missed out on much revenue through lost ticket sales when fan attendance was either banned or limited. This lost revenue made a dent in every club's finances, making many of them less willing to shell out the big money to sign players.

It is somewhat ironic that while Covid-19 served to exacerbate inflation for the everyday person, the inverse appears to be true as far as transfer fees are concerned. However, the pandemic alone does not explain the sudden movement of multiple superstars for essentially discount prices.

This is where the second factor comes in: player empowerment. The term "player empowerment" originated from the NBA but is equally applicable to describe this growing phenomenon in European football. There is more player empowerment with regard to players controlling their own transfer destiny than there has ever been in football history.

Consider the case of Haaland, for example. If Haaland had played 20 or even 10 years ago, it would not have been particularly likely for Dortmund to have dealt him to City at that point of his career, let alone for a transfer fee worth about half of his expected transfer value. However, dissatisfied with the situation at Signal Iduna Park, Haaland played an active role in engineering his departure from Dortmund. This also served to drive his own transfer market value down; Dortmund would have been less inclined to play hardball with regard to a player who clearly wanted to leave.

When combining the effects of the pandemic and player empowerment, it should not be all that surprising that transfer fee values have slumped this off-season. However, those who would hail such an occurrence as a harbinger of greater parity in European football would be sorely mistaken. The clubs which have made an absolute killing in this transfer window have been many of the usual suspects: City, Bayern, Barça. Bayern might not even be done yet - they are reportedly considering making a move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

Ever since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the phrases "unprecedented times" and "new normal" have been thrown around on countless occasions. However, in the context of transfer fees, the two phrases are diametrically opposed - it remains to be seen if transfer fees will end up stabilizing at this level or if this dip is an outlier. If these lower transfer fees do end up being the "new normal", it will fundamentally alter how every club approaches future transfer windows in their pursuit of desired players.

In any case, the trend exists now, and that only means one thing: expect more of the unexpected over the rest of this transfer window, and thus the season itself when play begins next month.

The Weekly Take, Issue 219: The Finishing Touches to an Iconic Career

Robert Lewandowski has achieved just about everything possible over the course of his legendary football career. A two-time European Golden Shoe winner who was unjustly denied the Ballon d'Or in 2020 after leading Bayern Munich to the Champions League title in that year, Lewandowski ranks second among all Bundesliga goalscorers in league history with 312. The Pole scored 238 of those for Bayern including a mind-boggling 41 in the 2020-21 season.

Lewandowski has now begun what might be the final stages of his career by agreeing to sign for Barcelona for a transfer fee of €50 million. Lewandowski signed a three-year contract with an option for a further one-year extension. While the transfer fee may initially seem unusually low, the reality is that at 33, it remains uncertain just how many prime years Lewandowski has remaining. That being said, if Lewandowski can remain at an elite level for two to three more years, Barça are set to be a leading contender for Champions League titles during the entirety of that timespan.

Lewandowski's arrival at Camp Nou further strengthens an already stacked attack. Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati, a rejuvenated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Lewandowski's fellow new arrival Raphinha already make Barça's frontline one of the most potent in world football. The addition of Lewandowski might just give Barça the undisputed best attacking unit on the planet.

Last season, Barça were not even close to winning the league. Although they finished second behind arch-rivals Real Madrid, Barça were second by the enormous margin of 13 points. One key reason for this was their relative lack of a goalscoring threat. In the 2021-22 season, Barça's leading goalscorer in La Liga was Memphis Depay (who is likely to leave the club himself during this off-season) with 12. To put this figure into perspective, Aubameyang came to Catalonia during the mid-season transfer window and had 11 in the league, almost matching Depay's full-season tally. In total, Barça scored just 68 league goals to Real's 80.

This will almost certainly change with Lewandowski in the starting line-up. Of particular note will be Fati's performance if, as expected, he once again becomes a regular starter following his recovery from a torn ACL. It is widely believed that Fati's playstyle is an excellent complement to that of Lewandowski. Should this turn out to be the case, expect another massive goal tally from the Pole - perhaps a third consecutive Golden Shoe could await.

At this point, the only "criticism" that could conceivably be levelled at Lewandowski is the (baseless) claim that "he would never be able to do it in a league other than the Bundesliga". However, those who would claim this are ignoring the fact that this isn't just any player. This is one of the greatest centre-forwards of all time. When Lewandowski is in top form, he is one of the most unstoppable offensive forces to ever step onto a football pitch and will torch any defensive scheme thrown at him.

An underrated yet almost as important element of Lewandowski's arrival at Barça will be his intangible impact on the club's younger players - some of whom may once have idolized him. It's certainly a possibility that promising youngsters such as Fati, Torres, and Pedri might raise their game simply by being in the presence of a legend like Lewandowski every day. It could be because they would not want to let him down or perhaps avoid looking bad in front of him, but either way, these effects cannot be understated and could play key roles in driving Barça towards a first Champions League title since 2015.

Of course, there is one key way in which this transfer could end up backfiring. As was mentioned earlier, Lewandowski is now 33. He is at an age when most strikers begin to decline - some much more dramatically than others. If Lewandowski ends up being one of them, Barça might just end up worse off compared to where they were before.

That being said, Lewandowski is in no way just "any ordinary striker". When a player like Lewandowski is there for the taking, any club with the means to do so should make the move. Barça have done just that and are thus likely to reap the rewards.

It looks as though fun times at Camp Nou lie ahead.

The Weekly Take, Issue 218: A Career-Derailing Move?

After seven years at Manchester City, Raheem Sterling has agreed personal terms regarding a move to Chelsea. The London club will sign Sterling from the Citizens after paying a transfer fee of £45 million. Sterling will become the Blues' first major signing since the club's takeover by Todd Boehly in May following the outcome of British government sanctions which ultimately removed Roman Abramovich from his former position as the club's owner.

Sterling's time at the Etihad Stadium was full of success. During his stint at City, Sterling was a fixture in the starting 11 throughout as he played a key role in City's four Premier League titles as well as their run to the Champions League final in 2021. However, it's entirely conceivable that this run of success could come to a screeching halt upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's run of failure as far as their signings of attacking players are concerned is almost certainly unprecedented. Players such as Álvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuaín, Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and Romelu Lukaku have been signed to much fanfare and often for enormous transfer fees at various points over the past half-decade. Every single one has not even come close to living up to the hype.

At this point, this is to be expected of Chelsea. Expensive dud after expensive dud in the transfer market. There are no signs whatsoever to indicate that anything will change with regard to Sterling. To make matters worse, Sterling might be one of those players who peaked young and has already started declining.

While still a relatively effective winger as of last season, Sterling has not even been close to his peak in recent years. Over the three-season stretch from 2017-18 to 2019-20, the Kingston-born player scored 55 league goals while emerging as arguably the second-best English player during that span. At the end of the 2019-20 season, Sterling was still just 25; many assumed that his absolute peak was yet to come.

However, what many overlooked was that much of Sterling's success at the time was predicated on his speed and athleticism. These, of course, are traits which will rapidly dwindle with age. Considering the frequency that a younger Sterling would "step on the accelerator", there was always the possibility that he'd begin to wear down more rapidly than would most other players. While he has not suffered any major injuries over the past two seasons, he has nonetheless shown clear signs of decline.

With this in mind, Chelsea's decision to lock Sterling up for the next five years is likely to have been a poor one. After just over half of his contract's duration, he will be 30. A player like Sterling will likely be a shell of himself by that age. By the time Chelsea are ready to ship him out, they will only be able to fetch a small fraction of the transfer fee they paid for a player so clearly on a steep downswing.

Returning to my point about Chelsea themselves: when was the last time Chelsea made a splashy signing of a striker, winger, or number 10 and had it work out? One would have to go all the way back to the summer of 2014 to find examples. Back then, Chelsea signed Diego Costa and Cesc Fàbregas. Since then, Chelsea have swung and missed time and time again. Given Chelsea's track record, there is absolutely no conceivable reason why they can be trusted with any big-money attacking signing, let alone one like Sterling who might "fall off the cliff" sooner than many other wingers.

Now, I do not think Sterling is a scrub by any means. Although I do think he has already peaked, I also believe that he has another two to three seasons as an above-average starter left in him before he really starts falling off. Certainly, he isn't washed up just yet. But when he eventually does fall off, it could really be ugly.

The reality is that all signs point to this being yet another major transfer error on Chelsea's part. It seems as though the change in ownership has not changed anything for Chelsea, at least as far as this area is concerned.

The Weekly Take, Issue 217: His Last Chance to Prove He Belongs

If someone had told me almost a year ago on the day when Romelu Lukaku signed for Chelsea that I would be writing this today, I would not have believed that person at all. However, that is exactly what has transpired.

When Lukaku returned to Stamford Bridge last August following two highly successful years at Inter Milan, many lauded it as a move which would further cement Chelsea as the favourites to go back-to-back in the Champions League. After all, the London club had just won the biggest prize in European club football without an elite centre-forward. With a player who had averaged 20 league goals per season over the past six campaigns leading the line, it was widely believed that despite the Blues' massive outlay of £97.5 million, the large sum paid to land the Belgian would be worth it.

Any such theory was rapidly proven false. Lukaku had the worst season of his career as a starting centre-forward, scoring a paltry eight league goals. More often than not, Lukaku proved to be a liability on the field. In addition, Lukaku's relationship with Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel was a tenuous one; the situation was not helped by Lukaku's open statements of his dissatisfaction with the club.

So abject was Lukaku's performance last season, especially relative to his transfer fee, that some have branded his signing by Chelsea "the worst signing of all time". Coupled with Lukaku's desire to return to the San Siro, it should have come as no surprise that Chelsea sent Lukaku on loan to Inter for the 2022-23 season.

However, this time around, Lukaku's arrival at Inter takes on a very different air to that of his first go-around at the club. When Lukaku joined Inter from Manchester United in 2019, he was viewed as a player who could perhaps become the world's best centre-forward or close to it under just the right system. That's exactly what he got at Inter. Lukaku torched defenses not only across Italy, but in continental tournaments as well. He was unsurprisingly selected as Serie A's Player of the Year in the 2020-21 season after scoring 24 league goals and leading Inter to a first league title since 2010.

Now, Lukaku returns to Inter with his career as a crossroads. This is almost certainly his last chance to prove that he still has what it takes to be regarded as an elite striker. Should he have another poor season, it may be time to close the book on his time at the top table. It should also be noted that Inter are no longer coached by Conte; it is now Simone Inzaghi at the helm. This means that Lukaku will no longer be able to benefit from the system in which he had been truly dominant.

In the context of his career as a whole, Lukaku's abject 2021-22 season was a complete anomaly. There were absolutely no signs leading up to that point which indicated that Lukaku would struggle as badly as he did. What made it even more baffling was the fact that it wasn't even an age-related decline. At 28, Lukaku should have been playing as though he was squarely in the midst of his prime.

That being said, now that he's back in familiar surroundings at a club for which he had so much success, there are no excuses left. The version of Lukaku last seen at Inter was a force of nature. Very few strikers in football history have combined power, athleticism, technical skill, and finishing ability in a body of that size. If Lukaku can somehow recapture the magic of his prior Inter stint, opposing defenders are in for a torrid time throughout the upcoming season.

However, if Lukaku once again flounders, it will mark one of the most abrupt ends to the peak years of any player of that calibre. If he is to cement himself as one of the "immortals" of this generation, he must prove that Chelsea was just a blip and that as he enters his career's second act, he has not yet lost a step.

Inter's Serie A and Champions League hopes as well as Lukaku's own legacy hang in the balance. The question is - which way will the balance tip?

The Weekly Take, Issue 216: The Biggest Transfer Heist in Years

Even though the off-season has barely even begun, some major transfers have already been made. Of these, one which has just been confirmed is of particular note simply because its transfer fee is far lower than just about anyone could have dreamed possible.

Sadio Mané has just left Liverpool to sign for Bayern Munich. The Senegalese star signed a three-year contract after Bayern paid a measly €32 million. To put this astonishingly low figure into perspective, the general consensus on a reasonable transfer value for Mané had been €70 million at a bare minimum. Even €100 million would not have been deemed an exorbitant price to part the forward from Anfield.

To make matters worse, Liverpool had just signed Darwin Núñez for €75 million. Almost everyone agrees that while Núñez certainly has the potential to emerge as a top-tier striker, that transfer fee will almost certainly turn out to be a massive overpay. Although the 22-year-old Uruguayan is fresh off a breakout season at Benfica in which he scored 26 goals in the Primeira Liga, the fact remains that he has not proven that he can continue playing at this level in a major European league for an elite club like Liverpool.

Liverpool have not made many mistakes in the transfer market in recent years; almost all their signings have been impactful and good value for money, while most of their departures were expendable and for reasonable prices. However, this cannot be said of the Mané transfer to Bayern at all. The Reds did not make much of an attempt to drive the transfer fee up to a justifiable point. Mané is too great a player and has done too much for Liverpool during his six-year stint in Merseyside for a fee of €32 million to be acceptable. Yet for whatever reason, Liverpool let Bayern get away with essentially blatant highway robbery.

There is much speculation that Mané personally pushed for this transfer in order to be seen as "The Man" instead of Mohamed Salah's "sidekick". This perception is unfortunate, given the fact that many would argue that Mané is every bit as good a player as is Salah. Thus, it would be perfectly understandable if it turned out that Mané forced Liverpool's hand in this matter.

The reality is that from what has been publicly revealed thus far, Mané's departure from Liverpool is still shrouded in mystery. There was almost no buzz surrounding the move until literally days before it actually happened. Do not be surprised if more information comes to light over the next few weeks.

As for Bayern, the arrival of Mané at the Allianz Arena is exactly what they needed. With the likely departure of club legend Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona, there will be a void to be filled up front. Mané is exactly the player that Bayern need to fill the impending chasm to be left behind. He will ensure that Bayern won't miss a beat if Lewandowski were, as expected, to leave Bavaria.

Incredibly, this is already Bayern's second signing in this off-season for which they have paid an amount far below the player's expected market value. They had already signed Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax for €18.5 million. At just 20, Gravenberch is a rising star who many believe will go on to become one of the world's best midfielders once he reaches his prime. Of course, Bayern's acquisition of Mané is of a completely different magnitude. For the time being at least, it makes Die Roten the team to beat in next season's Champions League.

From a tactical perspective, Mané's arrival grants Bayern even more flexibility up front. Although Bayern would lack a true centre-forward if Lewandowski were to leave, they have multiple viable "false nine" options including Leroy Sané, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller, and now Mané. For this reason, with or without Lewandowski, Bayern have the best attacking line-up in world football.

If I'd told you a few weeks ago that a €32 million transfer would have a colossal impact on the upcoming season, you probably wouldn't have believed me. Yet, here we are now - Bayern have pulled off an almost inconceivable transfer heist, making them the early favourites to win the Champions League.

The Weekly Take, Issue 215: End-of-Season Special: Top 10 Moments of the Season

Another enthralling season of European club football has wrapped up. No one can dispute that the 2021-22 seasons was full of twists, turns, highs, and lows - it was full of memorable moments that began even before opening kick-off.

Without further ado, the following are the 10 moments which I believe best encapsulate the most pivotal moments of the season which just concluded.

Lionel Messi signs for Paris Saint-Germain (August 10, 2021)

After months of speculation, Messi answered every question related to his future at Barcelona by ending his legendary stint at the Catalan club. Messi's decision to sign for PSG by way of a free transfer unsurprisingly unleashed shockwaves throughout the football world.

However, it would soon become apparent that age had finally caught up to the player many regard as the greatest ever. At 34, the Argentine looked a shell of the player he once was. His dismal play in the Champions League was a key reason why the French club were once again knocked out in the round of 16.

As Messi continues to age, it appears likely that this move will go on to be one which PSG as well as Messi himself will come to rue. Messi may just have thrown away the twilight of an iconic career.

Cristiano Ronaldo signs for Manchester United (August 31, 2021)

Almost as though he insisted on one-upping his career-long arch-rival, Ronaldo was involved in a blockbuster transfer of his own just three weeks after Messi's. Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford following three years at Juventus just about "broke the Internet"; additionally, following the signing, Ronaldo jerseys and merchandise sold at an unprecedented rate.

Unfortunately for Ronaldo, United, and their fans, reality would soon set in. Ronaldo was just about United's only bright spot in an otherwise horrendous season. Despite the Portuguese striker's best efforts, the Red Devils were not even close to the top four in the Premier League and bowed out of the Champions League in the round of 16.

Much like Messi, Ronaldo might very well end up finishing his career on a moribund, directionless team which is nowhere near contending for even domestic trophies, let alone the Champions League.

Xavi hired as Barcelona head coach (November 8, 2021)

Barça had endured an awful start to the season and had fallen as low as ninth in La Liga. Thus, it came as no surprised when the club fired head coach Ronald Koeman on October 28. To replace the Dutchman, Barça brought another club legend in Xavi into the dugout.

It wasn't long before the move began to pay off. Barça were soon back in top form and in the second half of the season, had a stretch when they won 13 out of 15 La Liga matches - a run which elevated them into second place in the league, where they would finish.

A season that began with such difficulty at Camp Nou ended with much optimism as Xavi established himself as one of the most promising young coaches in world football. While it's unlikely that his coaching career will be even nearly as successful as his playing career, he's nevertheless off to an excellent start.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær fired as Manchester United head coach (November 21, 2021)

Just like what happened at Barça, Manchester United fired a former club favourite who was now on the other side of the touchlines. After months of underwhelming results, the Norwegian was fired to the surprise of absolutely nobody.

However, unlike Xavi, Solskjær's replacement Ralf Rangnick was unable to steer the club in the right direction. United continued to flounder throughout the rest of the season; Rangnick would leave to take the same position with the Austrian national team.

In any case, regardless of Rangnick's lack of success at United, it was evident that Solskjær was never going to get it done. Solskjær was quite clearly out of his depth from day one.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signs for Barcelona (February 2, 2022)

Barça's revival in the second half of the season cannot solely be credited to Xavi. After an alarming decline seemingly caused by age, Arsenal cut Aubameyang from the team, making him a free agent. Aubameyang went on to sign for Barça.

Astonishingly, Aubameyang had a personal turnaround of his own which mirrored Barça's. The Gabonese striker had scored just four goals in 14 Premier League matches prior to his transfer. After arriving in Catalonia, however, he notched 11 in 17 La Liga matches and became the driving force behind Barça's surge up the league table.

Everyone who had been calling Aubameyang "washed up" (myself included) was forced to eat crow. Even at the age of 33, he clearly has some fuel still left in the tank as the spearhead of an underrated front three.

Bayern Munich 7-1 Red Bull Salzburg (March 8, 2022)

This match was the embodiment of a "statement performance". After being stunningly held to a 1-1 draw in Austria, Bayern entered this match with one target in mind: to utterly crush their unheralded opponents after the shock of the first leg.

Crush their opponents they did - Bayern led 4-0 at halftime with Robert Lewandowski having scored a hattrick within just 23 minutes. The onslaught continued after the break; Thomas Müller and Leroy Sané added their names to the scoresheet.

Bayern's victory left absolutely no doubt in the minds of everyone watching - they were so obviously the team to beat in this season's Champions League. It would have to take something truly remarkable to stop them...

Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona (March 20, 2022)

Due to their dreadful start to the La Liga season, even an El Clásico victory would not have made Barça a genuine contender to win the league. That being said, the events which transpired at the Santiago Bernabéu just about defied belief.

Aubameyang once again led Barça with two goals; Ronald Araújo and Torres added to Barça's tally. Xavi clearly outcoached his opposite number Carlo Ancelotti, who arguably outsmarted himself by fielding an unorthodox 4-2-4 formation.

Although Barça's victory had little impact on their season in the grand scheme of things, a one-sided win like that over their greatest rivals will surely be cherished by the Camp Nou faithful for many years to come.

Bayern Munich 1-1 Villarreal (April 12, 2022)

Remember when I said earlier that "(it) would have to take something truly remarkable to stop (Bayern)"? Well, this was exactly it. In probably the biggest upset of the season, Villarreal knocked Bayern out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals with this draw that gave Villarreal a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Although Samuel Chukwueze scored the decisive goal which put the Spanish club in the tournament's last four, the lion's share of the credit deservedly went to Villarreal head coach Unai Emery. Emery decisively won the tactical duel against Julian Nagelsmann - an outcome which very few expected.

Villarreal would be soundly beaten by Liverpool in the semifinals, but that of course does not detract from this incredible result in the slightest. It was the club's finest hour on the biggest stage of all.

Manchester City 3-2 Aston Villa (May 22, 2022)

This season's Premier League title race came down to the final matchday. With one match to be played, City led Liverpool by one point. As this match was being played, Liverpool were taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield.

City's situation appeared dire when they fell two goals behind while Liverpool led Wolves at the same time. Then, within a five-minute span, everything changed. City scored thrice between the 76th and 81st minutes. Two of those goals were scored by substitute İlkay Gündoğan who in doing so permanently etched his name into the club's history.

This three-goal blitz propelled City back to the top of the league. Although Liverpool registered a 3-1 victory of their own, it would not be enough. City claimed their fourth Premier League title in the last five seasons.

Liverpool 0-1 Real Madrid (May 28, 2022)

This rematch of the 2017-18 final saw two clubs with a combined 19 European Cup/Champions League titles facing off. Vinícius Júnior scored the only goal of the match, giving Real their 14th Champions League title and fifth in the last nine seasons.

What made Real's Champions League triumph even more impressive was the difficulty of their path. They played against Inter Milan in the group stage, then PSG in the round of 16, followed by Chelsea, City, and Liverpool.

With the victory, Real head coach Ancelotti all but certified himself as the greatest coach in the history of football. With four Champions League titles to go with a myriad of other honours over a coaching career spanning over two decades, no one has a credible argument over the Italian anymore.