Zidane's shock exit: What lies next for Real Madrid?

Zinedine Zidane announces Real Madrid exit within 5 days of winning the Champions League

In a shocking turn of events, Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has announced that he will be leaving the club after a glorious 3 years. The announcement was made just 5 days after Los Blancos lifted the Champions League trophy in Kiev. Nobody was prepared for this, no one saw it coming, and it has caught everyone unawares.



Zidane joined Real Madrid as a player in 2001 on a world record €77.5 million, and signed a 4 year contract. His presence immediately gave a boost to the Galacticos, and he became one of the best players in the world with teammates Ronaldo and David Beckham. One of his most memorable moments as a player has to be the winning goal he scored against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League Final, a beautifully skilled volley. That goal has been described as the best ever in Champions League history. Zidane retired after the 2006 World Cup, and his farewell match was a 3-3 draw against Villareal.

In 2016, Rafael Benitez was dismissed and Zidane was appointed as the new manager of Real Madrid. His first match as a club manager was a 5-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna and his first El Classico was a 2-1 win. Zidane thus became only the second manager to beat Barcelona in his first El Classico after Bernd Schuster in 2007. Zidane won his first Champions League as a manager by beating fellow La Liga club Atletico de Madrid on penalties.

In his 3 year managerial career with Real Madrid, Zidane has won a La Liga title, a UEFA Super Cup and 3 Champions League trophies, a remarkable performance. Needless to say, he has been an excellent example of leadership for his club. His exit is sure to break countless hearts. Following his exit, a lot has been discussed about his potential successor. Arsene Wenger, Maurizio Sarri, Antonio Conte and Mauricio Pocchetino are the most likely candidates to succeed the Frenchman.

We wish Zidane the best of luck for his future endeavors! How do you think Zidane's exit will affect Real Madrid? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Sergio Ramos: Most hated player of the week

The Spanish defender angered Liverpool and Egyptian fans after his challenge on Mo Salah

Everything is fair in love and war they say. And it was war, an all out war against 2 of the best teams in Europe on Saturday 26 May 2018. It was the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool. The game was expected to be thrilling and it certainly was, with Real Madrid triumphing in the end.



One of the key moments of the match was the early substitution of the the superstar Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah. He has been prolific this season, scoring 44 goals across all competitions, and only being second to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. What brought the substitution though, has seen immense anger amongst all Liverpool and Egyptian fans. In the 30th minute, Ramos tackled Salah, and it looked as if Ramos had intentionally grabbed Salah's arm and plunked him right across the pitch. What's more, the challenge didn't even receive a yellow card, and only a free kick was given.

Salah was in real pain. The medical staff attended him immediately. Even after receiving such a horrible challenge, Salah seemed to be alright and continued to play. However during a Madrid corner, Salah collapsed again after getting caught in a mix of players. This time, Salah had to be taken out. Despite an entire hour being left to play, Liverpool's main man failed to deliver on the night it mattered the more, all because of a silly challenge of a defender. What resulted was a Liverpool team losing steam, and Madrid, with the experience they have, quickly turned the situation around and won.


Cristiano Ronaldo consoling a distraught Mohamed Salah

Following Liverpool's loss, fans have taken to social media to express their hatred against Sergio Ramos. Some claim that he ruined the beautiful game, others say that God should punish him, and a series of rather unpleasant memes can be found expressing anger and hatred against the Spanish defender. Even an online petition, which demanded the punishment of Ramos for the challenge on Salah, has received 500,000 signatures. Although latest reports claim that the petition has been suspended, it just shows how far fans can go to make their point. Egyptian fans have been rightly outraged, as Salah had taken them to the World Cup, and he was their hope. His untimely injury has sure raised doubts on his ability to play in the World Cup.

Sergio Ramos is undoubtedly the best center back of this generation. He goes all out to make sure that no one dares to score against his team. While his style is certainly controversial, one cannot disagree that he is one of the most valuable assets to Real Madrid, and any team would want a defender like him. He's been the FIFA's World XI for over 6 times. The question we would like to ask though, is that does a defender really deserve all the backlash he gets for performing his duties? Just because of a challenge, does a defender deserve to be publicly shamed? We all make mistakes. To err is human. Whether action should be taken against Ramos, we can't say. But he sure deserves a little appreciation for being one of the key players contributing to Real Madrid's continuing dominance. That challenge... yes, it was filthy. It was dirty. It could've resulted in a worse injury. Different angle of the footage shows Salah locking arms with Ramos... whatever. We just want to say that no sportsman deserves such anger for performing for his team. After all it may not have been intentional. It might have happened in the heat of the moment. What happened was unfortunate, and shouldn't have happened. We wish a speedy recovery for Salah!

What is your opinion about the whole situation? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Time up for Loris Karius?

After a disaster performance in the Champions League Final, Karius's Liverpool future is in doubt

It was a night to forget for Liverpool keeper Loris Karius. Delivering impressive performances for Liverpool all season, he failed when it mattered the most, on the Champions League Final night against Real Madrid. Not one, but 2 ridiculous blunders were made by the German keeper. So ridiculous in fact, it was hard to believe that something like that was happening right before our eyes.

A dejected Karius apologizes to Liverpool fans after Champions League Final defeat

The game started off well, with both sides fighting hard to open the scoring. Despite Salah being sent off after 30 minutes due to a highly controversial challenge by Sergio Ramos, Liverpool appeared unfazed, and tried to fill the gap left by the Egyptian forward.

No one could foresee what the second half was about to bring. It was expected that both teams will now up their ante, and try to go forward. It all started to go wrong for Liverpool after Karius's first fail - an attempt to throw the ball to the feet of Andrew Robertson miraculously found Karim Benzema's outstretched toes instead, and it ricocheted off into the bottom right corner before anyone could comprehend what just happened. This wasn't the first time Benzema had taken advantage of a goalkeeper blunder. Bayern Munich's Sven Ulreich slipped after a failed back pass by Corentin Tolisso, and Benzema, present at the right place at the right time, coolly nudged the ball to score the goal that would ensure Real a spot in the Finals.

Sadio Mane equalised some time later to make the score 1:1. But Gareth Bale came on as a substitute and scored a breathtaking overhead kick to put the Galacticos ahead once more. Even under such circumstances, Liverpool maintained unbelievable composure. It looked like Liverpool could equalise once again any time. However, all Liverpool dreams were extinguished when a shot from Bale, which looked to land safely in the hands of Karius, fatally slipped right out of his gloves and Madrid were leading by 2 goals, with 9 minutes left to end of regular time. In the end, it was the side from Spain who won.


A Gareth Bale shot slipped off Karius's hands to extend Madrid's lead by 2 goals

Though Salah's early departure did have an impact on the morale of the Liverpool side, it was Karius's blunders who were solely responsible for giving away such a cheap victory to the powerful Real Madrid. To err is human. We all make mistakes. Some, however tend to leave a mark on us for the rest of our lives. Karius will surely feel the chills whenever this horrible night will come to his mind.

Following the defeat, loads of incensed Liverpool fans have sent death threats to Karius on social media. Karius took all the blame of the defeat on himself. As they landed on the John Lennon Airport in Liverpool,Karius stepped out with his hands on his face out of embarrassment. Yes, to err is human, but so is to forgive. Karius needs all the love and support he can get to get over this incident. All things said, a doubt can be definitely cast over his Liverpool future. Liverpool are a club with high expectations, and a performance like that on such a big night will definitely go down well. According to sources, Liverpool are once again in pursuit of Roma goalkeeper Allison, who has been outstanding this season.

What do you think about Karius? Should he stay or should he leave? Tell us in the comments section below!

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Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League for a 3rd year running

A heroic performance from substitute Gareth Bale saw the Galacticos lift the Champions League trophy for a record 13th time

What appeared to be an equally tough fight between 2 extremely talented sides in the beginning turned out to be a one man show off in the end. Both Liverpool and Real Madrid had an excellent start, with Liverpool enjoying more chances and more possession till the first 30 minutes. After a challenge from Real captain Sergio Ramos saw Liverpool star man Mohamed Salah go down clutching his arm, a horror show began for the Liverpool players and fans alike. In the end. the Reds just lost steam and allowed Los Blancos to fully dominate the game, ensuring European glory.

Real Madrid lift the Champions League for a 3rd consecutive year

As it happened

Both teams had formidable starting lineups. All eyes were going to be on Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah, to see whether the star men could deliver for their clubs on the night it mattered the most. The first 30 minutes into the match saw some interesting tactics applied by both the teams. It looked as if Liverpool wanted to open the scoring really bad, and Real Madrid had dropped back, stopping all attempts, and looking to counter through their left back Marcelo. Karim Benzema almost opened the scoring for Real, but the earlier shot from Ronaldo was from an offside postion, so Benzema's shot didn't count. Sadio Mane's attempt to score for Liverpool rattled against the post, causing no harm. In the 32nd minute, Mohamed Salah was brought down by Sergio Ramos. Salah looked to be in serious pain, but continued anyways. But soon during a Real Corner, Salah got caught up the mix and went down again, this time, for the remainder of the match. Salah was whisked away with a suspected dislocated shoulder, and all the Liverpool fans became silent. Salah left the pitch tears streaming out of his eyes.

Salah leaving the pitch in tears

Salah being subbed early was just the beginning of all problems for Liverpool. Soon, a difference could be easily noticed in the game. The absence of Salah had understandably disturbed Liverpool's game, and they began to get caught by Real counters. The scoreboard was silent at the end of first half. Within the first 5 minutes of the second half, an expensive mistake by Liverpool keeper Karius allowed Benzema to score the opening goal for Real Madrid. Liverpool soon equalised through a James Milner corner, which bounced off Lovren and was delicately tapped in by Mane. Madrid, who were much more experienced in handling stressful situations, turned on the heat, and a surgical cross from Marcelo lead to substitute Gareth Bale banging in the second for Real Madrid through a stunning overhead kick.

Gareth Bale's overhead kick in the Champions League Final

Another costly mistake from Karius in the 82nd minute saw a Gareth Bale attempt slip off his hands into the back of the net, making the score 1:3 to Real. All hope was lost now for Liverpool. The remaining 8 minutes saw no serious attempts made by the Reds, and after the 3 added minutes were over, the whistle was blown, signaling that the Spanish side had won European glory, and their dominance was not going to be stopped yet. Shouts of cheers echoed the NSC Olimpiskiy from the Real Madrid fans, and the Liverpool fans applauded their club's efforts, the air of dejection quite clear on their faces.

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UEFA Champions League 2018 Final: Who will take the crown home?

Real Madrid and Liverpool face off in an epic battle tonight at the NSC Olimpiskiy in Ukraine

A Champions League Final always promises loads of entertainment and emotions. Over the years, clubs have fought tooth and nail to win this prestigious tournament. No other game gets ever more interesting than this. That night is the night. Fans travel hundreds of miles to watch their favorite team play their best to get their hands on the 11 kg, pure Silver trophy. Come 2018, that day has arrived again. This time, it's Real Madrid and Liverpool who'll play their hearts out tonight.

Can youthful exuberance take down experience?

Real Madrid have been Champions League winners a record 12 times, while Liverpool have won the Champions League 5 times. Real Madrid are certainly the more experienced side. Their coach Zinedine Zidane has himself been a European Champion, both as a coach and as a player, winning it as a player in 2002, and a remarkable 3 times as a coach in 2014, 2016 and 2017. Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has experienced a Champions League Final as a coach with Borussia Dortmund, as he faced off against Jupp Heynckes's Bayern Munich. Klopp lost 2:1 to the mighty Bayern, and Bayern successfully completed their treble. As this is Liverpool's first Champions League final in 11 years, Klopp will be under a lot of pressure. It will be interesting to see whether a more youthful side will dominate a side with more experience.

Offense or defense?

Both Real Madrid and Liverpool have ridiculously talented forwards. In the form of Mane, Firmino and Salah, Liverpool's trio has torn apart defenses in their way with their deadly counter attacks. However, apart from those 3, Liverpool don't really have dominating options up front. Real Madrid are most likely to go with their standard offense, consisting of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Real's added advantage is that they are stocked to the brim with talent in every position on the pitch. Marco Asensio, Isco, Lucas Vasquez and Gareth Bale could be just as deadly, given that they find their groove on this cricual night.

Madrid's midfield has Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro, who can make key passes and turn defensive play into offense. Mateo Kovacic has shined in his recent appearances for the club, and he can be touted as a viable option to start tonight. Liverpool have James Milner, their captain Jordan Henderson and Giorginio Wijnaldum. The trio can set up play very nicely, creating space to allow Salah and Mane use their pace to run down the wing.

Sergio Ramos and Raphel Varane handle their defensive duties for Madrid very well indeed. Los Blancos are blessed with Marcelo, who is the most attacking left back in the world. Lucas Vasquez handles the situation as a right back. Liverpool have Daejn Lovren and Virgil Van Dijk as center backs, and Andew Robertson and Alexader Trent-Arnold as left and right backs respectively. If the situation calls, Jordan Henderson can himself play as a center back. In the sticks, Real Madrid have their trusted man Keylor Navas, and Loris Karius, who has taken over Simon Mignolet, has proven himself as a reliable shot stopper for Liverpool over time. Both teams have really powerful men, but Real Madrid have a slight edge because of their experience and their abilit to handle stressful situations.

Frankly speaking, it's anybody's game tonight! Can Zidane make history by winning a 3rd straight Champions League as a coach? Will Klopp be finally able to get his hands on the trophy after missing it by inches 5 years ago? Time will only tell. Enjoy the game tonight, because it's going to be an absolute showdown!

How will 2018 influence the transfer window?

Despite 2018 being a World Cup year, many transfer deals are being done with rapid pace across Europe, with clubs looking to secure their target men before the tournament begins.

Mourinho keen on strengthening the Red Devils' midfield

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho appears to be rushing with the transfers, as he looks to sign Brazilian playmaker Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk. According to some reports, a fee of £53 million has also been agreed upon between the 2 clubs. Fred's comments however, appear to suggest that no deal is currently piping up right now. He says he wants to focus on the World Cup, and after that, he may make a choice.


Fred
Very recently, Besiktas midfielder Anderson Talisca has been linked with the Red Devils as well as Liverpool. Talisca states that he does prefer the English League for everything it has to offer. However, he states that no decision has been made yet and he's currently enjoying his holidays. As United's defensive problems continue to worsen, reports strongly suggest that Luke Shaw and Daley Blind could be shown the door to let in Alex Sandro, who is the current Serie A champion with Juventus.

Juventus legend to join Paris?

Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery recently arrived at London to join Arsenal. Following Emery's exit, Paris scooped up former Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and FSV Mainz 05 manager Thomas Tuchel. Thomas signed a contract with the club till 2020. Thomas was asked about rumors stating that Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon was going to join the Parisians after his exit from Juventus. Tuchel replied that he himselves has never imagined about a Juventus team without Buffon, but it was imminent. Though Tuchel did not confirm the rumors, he didn't completely deny them as well, stating "we'll see what happens". Buffon remained an integral part of the Bianconeri for 17 years.

Chelsea duo's future uncertain

Chelsea's star man Eden Hazard has been on the radar of many big clubs for quite some time. Real Madrid is tipped as one of the favorites to pick up the Belgian winger. Hazard has been consistent in his performances for the side, delivering some top class acts in all competitions across Europe. Hazard's late penalty won the FA Cup for Chelsea this season. Since last season, a lot has been speculated about Hazard's move to the Spanish capital. Some reports suggest that Gareth Bale would be used as a wager to lure the Belgian. Premier League champions Manchester City are also in contention to prepare a £100 million bid for the superstar.

Eden Hazard (L) and Willian (R)
Willian has also been in good form this season, showing his class for Chelsea in their rather short Champions League campaign. He's stated that he'll leave Chelsea for Manchester United if Antonio Conte stays boss at Stamford Bridge. Although that's not likely to happen, as after a "disastrous" season for Chelsea according to Chelsea's standards, the club are likely looking for a replacement for the Italian.

Will Bayern give in to Robert Lewandowski?

The Polish striker has been nothing but a goal machine for Bayern Munich and Poland this season. His record 16 goals in the World Cup qualifiers is taking Poland to the World Cup, and his 29 goal haul in the Bundesliga has led Bayern to win a 6th consecutive Meisterschale. Taking into consideration the strikers terrific form, news began to circulate that Lewandowski was going to leave Munich for the mighty Real Madrid. Madrid have been looking quite long and far to replace their out of form man Karim Benzema, and with Lewandowski, they could have the most deadly attack in Europe. The fact that Robert appointed Pini Zahavi as his new agent added fuel to the fire, as Zahavi played a role in Neymar's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, which turned out to be world record breaking deal. Soon however, the talks quietened as director Karl Heinz Rummineige and coach Jupp Heynckes announced that the striker was going nowhere. Real Madrid too, clarified that they had broken all talks with Bayern regarding the matter.

Now, those talks have begun again as Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have all joined the race to snatch the striker from Bayern. New Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel is very well aware of Lewandowski's abilities from his time in the Bundesliga. Chelsea are looking to replace Alvaro Morata and Manchester United want to strengthen their attack. Bayern has repeatedly announced that the striker will not be leaving under any circumstances. Even then, who wouldn't want a striker like Lewandowski in their squad?

How do you think the transfer window will progress? Leave your opinions in the comments section below!
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Clubs who will have a new boss next season

There have been managerial overhauls this week across Europe, potentially game changing for some clubs

As the 2017/2018 season draws to a close, some clubs are considering getting a fresh air of change in their managerial position. While some managers have performed outstandingly this season, others have failed to live up to the club's expectations.

Some clubs have already acted on this desire, and brought new managers to their clubs. It will be interesting to see how these changes affect the overall performance of the club. Let's take a look at the managerial transfers which have happened across Europe.

Arsenal appoint Unai Emery

Following Arsene Wenger's iconic 22 year run at Arsenal, and the mixed reactions of fans for a long time, Wenger announced it was time he called quits at the club. Wenger won 3 Premier Leagues with and 7 FA Cups at the club. The 17/18 season was not exactly the way he would've liked to quit the club, with Arsenal crashing out of the FA Cup courtesy to a 4:2 loss against Nottingham Forest, and being knocked out of the Europa League by eventual champions Atletico Madrid in the Semifinals stage.
Wenger's replacement is Unai Emery, who came in from Paris Saint-Germain. Emery won the domestic treble with Paris in France, winning the Ligue 1 title, the French Cup and the Coupe de la Ligue. Emery lead his club to the Champions League Round of 16, where they failed to progress further, being thrashed by Real Madrid in both legs. Unai is expected to change things around at the club, and a lot will be expected from the former Sevilla coach.

Ancelotti appointed as new Napoli manager

Former Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti was announced as the new manager by Napoli, sacking Maurizio Sarri. Sarri was pretty impressive this season, leading Napoli to a respectable 2nd place behind 7th consecutive Serie A champions Juventus. Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis praised Sarri for his contribution to the club, and thanked him for the prestige the fans have earned worldwide. Sarri is being linked with a move to Chelsea to replace Antonio Conte.

Bayern Munich decided to part ways with Ancelotti after their disappointing 3:0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc de Princes. Even at the start of the season, all was not right between the players and the Italian coach, as many players complained about Ancelotti's laid back style of training. Dutch winger and former Real Madrid man Arjen Robben went to the extent of stating that better training was offered at this son's club. This culminated in the eventual sacking of Ancelotti and the return of Jupp Heynckes, who guided Bayern to their famous treble in 2013. The question remains whether Ancelotti will be able to regain his momentum with the Italian side.

DFB Pokal Cup winner Niko Kovac to take charge at Bayern Munich

Following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti, Bayern were in desperate need of a new manager, and while deputy coach Willy Sagnol did take charge for a few weeks, the need of a main man was still felt. This lead to the return of Jupp Heynckes for his 4th spell at Bayern, who lead Bayern to their famous 2013 treble. Heynckes managed to turn the game around for a somewhat lost Bayern side, leading them to win the Bundesliga a 6th consecutive season. Bayern did reach the Champions League semifinals, but were eliminated by Real Madrid, and lost the DFB Pokal Cup final to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Despite the request of many club officials as well as the players, Heynckes insisted that he was there to take charge only for the remainder of the season, and would retire after that. Bayern soon announced that the new man coming in would be Niko Kovac, former Bayern Munich player. Kovac's Frankfurt side defeated a strong Bayern side by 1:3 in the DFB Pokal Cup Final. Kovac will have a lot of eyes on him as the fans expect the Croatian to improve the performance of the German giants.

While Sarri is a favorite to join Chelsea, current Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is the most likely candidate to take over at Paris Saint-Germain, who are currently without a manager. All sorts of rumors are popping up about Arsene Wenger. While some suggest he may take over another Premier League club, other reports suggest he could join the German Bundesliga to coach Borussia Dortmund, who are likely looking for a replacement for Peter Stoger. A lot of interesting transfers are yet to be seen, as the transfer window progresses.

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