🚨 European round-up, Salah overlooked, Pogba starts training, Mancini leaves Saudi, Doomsday scenario for West Ham and more
Plus all of the other stories making the news in the world of football...
Welcome to the latest edition of the Daily Briefing - thanks for reading and hope you enjoy! :-)
Today’s top stories:
Huge twist in the Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid story
Champions League Team of the Week revealed
Kudus and Boniface not among African Player of the Year nominees
Plus more from Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur
AC Milan
Ex-Milan striker explains why Rafael Leão continues to struggle.
African Player of the Year
The African Player of the Year list of finalists has been released. Mo Salah, Mohammed Kudus, Brahim Díaz, Victor Boniface and Nico Jackson have been left out:
Arsenal
Arsenal and Chelsea closely monitoring winger, transfer can be triggered for €100m.
Arsenal to appoint James King as director of football operations. He rejoins the club after leaving for the PFA in 2022. Takes the post vacated by Richard Garlick (became MD in summer) and will play a key role on contracts & legal work.
Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid ultras announce silent protest after stadium ban.
Barcelona
Lamine Yamal on El Clásico: “We believe we are the best team in the world, we are proving it. We will go with all our strength, and may the best team win.”
Lamine Yamal: “I would like to be remembered as a legend in the history of Barcelona. It would be great to leave a legacy. Being part of the history of this great club is something incredible.”
Hansi Flick: "Marc Casadó, what an amazing player. If you saw him play now… if you knew where he came from, how he improved… he’s a proper La Masía product.”
Marc-André ter Stegen confirms he’s already on the way back to fitness: “I'm fine and I started the recovery process with a smile. I know the road is long, but with good people it becomes easier. I'm enjoying it now with the family.”
Barcelona star hired own fitness coach last season due to doubts over club staff.
Champions League
The Champions League Team of the Week has been released by UEFA: Perin, Ristovski, Stones, Hien, Gutiérrez, Minamino, Barella, Reijnders, Raphinha, Durán and Vini Jr.
Chelsea
João Félix: “I liked what Enzo Maresca told me before I signed with Chelsea. I like the way he thinks about football, the way he plays. I knew the competition would be hard but I'm here to work.”
Second goal of the season for João Félix, first one in Europe since joining the club in August. Assist by Mudryk.
First goal of the season for Mykhaylo Mudryk with Chelsea after four assists… a goal and an assist against Panathinaikos.
Enzo Maresca: “I’m very happy to see Mudryk there, in that position and scoring that goal. Mykhailo’s learning process is slower compared to the other wingers but he is improving.”
Enzo Maresca: “I'm sure that slowly, slowly we're going to arrive where Mykhailo Mudryk will score more goals and be more important for us.”
Eight goals with Chelsea and also one with France for Christopher Nkunku. Excellent start to the season.
Si Phillips believes there are still reasons for Chelsea fans to be happy despite the recent defeat against Liverpool.
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has been voted the best Senegalese player playing abroad for 2023/2024. 203 votes for Jackson, 167 votes for Kalidou Koulibaly and 47 votes for Chérif Ndiaye.
Conference League
Vikingur R vs Cercle Brugge (3-1)
APOEL vs Borac BB (0-1)
Celje vs Başakșehir (5-1)
Djurgården vs Vitôria SC (1-2)
Gent vs Molde (2-1)
Hearts vs Omonia (2-0)
Jagiellonia vs Petrocub (2-0)
Larne vs Shamrock (1-4)
Panathinaikos vs Chelsea (1-4): A tough trip to Greece on paper for Enzo Maresca and his squad turned into a procession. A brace from João Félix, a rare goal from Mykhailo Mudryk and one more from Christopher Nkunku made Man United old boy, Facundo Pellestri’s 69th-minute strike nothing more than a consolation [pictures from TNT Sports]:
Rapid Vienna vs Noah (1-0)
St. Gallen vs Fiorentina (2-4)
HJK vs Dinamo Minsk (1-0)
ML. Boleslav vs Lugano (0-1)
Olimpija vs LASK (2-0)
Pafos vs Heidenheim (0-1)
Real Betis vs Copenhagen (1-1)
TNS vs Astana (2-0)
TSC vs Legia Warsaw (0-3)
Europa League
Frankfurt vs RFS (1-0)
Ferencváros vs Nice (1-0)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Real Sociedad (1-2)
Midtjylland vs Real Union (1-0)
PAOK vs Viktoria Plzeň (2-2)
Qarabağ vs Ajax (0-3)
Roma vs Dynamo Kyiv (1-0)
Anderlecht vs Ludogorets (2-0)
Athletic Club vs Slavia Prague (1-0)
Fenerbahçe vs Man United (1-1): Erik ten Hag took his United side to a reunion with José Mourinho in Turkey and neither side came out on top. Christian Eriksen gave the visitors the lead against the run of play and with United’s first attack, and the Red Devils were indebted to André Onana thanks to a magnificent double save to keep Fener at bay. Youssef En-Nesyri got the hosts back on level terms just after the break, before Mourinho was shown a red card [pictures from TNT Sports]:
Malmö vs Olympiakos (0-1)
Lyon vs Beşiktaş (0-1)
Porto vs Hoffenheim (2-0)
Rangers vs FCSB (4-0)
Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar (1-0): Ange Postecoglou’s side hosted the Dutch team in North London, and a tight, tense match was settled by Richarlison’s winner from the penalty spot [pictures from TNT Sports]:
Twente vs Lazio (0-2)
Inter Milan
Simeone says referee who will take charge of Inter-Juve was “hallucinating.”
Juventus
Thiago Motta re-watched Stuttgart defeat twice on the same night.
Paul Pogba commences a training camp in Miami, Florida, ahead of his return to action next year. Talks with Juventus over his future are ongoing despite reports suggesting otherwise.
Liverpool
Liverpool reportedly have a three-man shortlist of potential replacements at right-back if Trent Alexander-Arnold is lured to Real Madrid.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future could take stunning twist after latest developments.
Manchester City
Phil Foden: “Being the best player last year, that's what everyone wants to see. That's the standard I've set, and I want to get back there. The season's long enough to get back to my level, and I just need to keep going and keep showing what I can do.”
Pep Guardiola on Savinho: “He’s playing really good, he's a winger who can play on both sides... being just three months with us, his level is really, really, really high. I want to say something; it's thanks to the work of Míchel at Girona - he has done it.”
Man City give clearest hint yet that Erling Haaland will be sold and it’s bad news for Arsenal.
Manchester United
Antony had to be stretchered off with an injury against Fenerbahçe and Manchester United staff will assess him.
Three points in three Europa League games for Man United this season. Five goals scored and five conceded. Just one win in the last 11 European games for Manchester United, and one win in the last seven games in all competitions this season.
André Onana: “It's very disappointing for me and for the club, We have an obligation to win at Man United, which we didn't do. We take our responsibilities and move on.”
Erik ten Hag: “Two points away vs Fenerbahçe and Porto are good results but of course we want to win these games. We want to win every game.”
Amad Diallo didn’t play a single minute vs Villa and Brentford… subbed on against Fenerbahçe only after Antony’s injury. Ten Hag: “He’s doing well but I must also reward Antony for his performances in training. Antony has been a threat in almost every training session.”
Paul Scholes is unhappy with INEOS dropping Sir Alex Ferguson as a club ambassador and has called the move “distasteful.”
Manchester United squad’s reaction as senior ace walks out of training.
Former Manchester United forward Diego Forlan will make his professional tennis debut at next month’s Uruguay Open.
Morocco
Terrible news as former Morocco national team player Abdelaziz Barrada has passed away aged 35.
Newcastle United
Newcastle finally bow to the inevitable and will let ace leave in January.
RB Leipzig
Xavi Simons has suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle. “Xavi Simons will be sidelined for several weeks and a decision on how to treat the injury is yet to be made,” a Leipzig statement read.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid confirm Rodrygo will miss El Clásico with a muscle injury in the right biceps femoris. He’s expected to be out for the next 20 days.
Spanish Police make four arrests for inciting hatred against Vini Jr online.
Roma
Mats Hummels has still not played one single minute since joining AS Roma. “It’s my responsibility, I see him as a back up option for Ndicka; he will have his chances,” says Ivan Jurić.
Roma’s Stadio Olimpico will not host the 2027 Champions League final.
Saudi Arabia
Roberto Mancini has terminated his contract with Saudi Arabia by mutual consent.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham are considering a January move for young English forward Liam Delap, who currently plays for Ipswich Town.
Radu Drăgușin’s agent Florin Manea: “No player is happy if they don’t play much… but he wants to fight for his place. We’ll see how many matches he plays and evaluate later; right now, it’s premature to think about a transfer.”
West Ham United
Expert’s Doomsday scenario spells big trouble for West Ham.