The Fußball Chatter

The Italian Serie A returns this coming weekend as the defending champions AC Milan host Udinese at the San Siro to kickstart the new season. Last season produced an exciting season from the Italian top flight we have seen in a while as Milan edged city rivals Inter Milan to win the title on the season's final day. This season looks no different as up to four teams have a shot of winning the Scudetto, following years of dominance from Juventus. As we celebrate the return of Calcio , how have the major sides prepared for the new season? AC MILAN & INTER MILAN: WHO GETS THE SECOND STAR? Despite numerous metrics stating they were the best performer in Serie A last season, Inter Milan could not defend the Scudetto for the first time since 2010 as city rivals AC Milan beat them to win their first league title since 2011. An achievement for coach Stefano Pioli and the Rossoneri. Following years of being in the wilderness for the past five to six years. A big reason for Milan's s...

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION - 10TH The darlings of the football analytics, Brighton is that team that plays good football which is reflected in the numbers but is not seen in how many points they get. In a way, it shows how far Brighton has come since gaining promotion five years ago. Last season was their best showing in the top flight in general, finishing in 9th, with their 4-0 home win against Manchester United the biggest highlight of the season for the Seagulls . So far, there has been little turnover with Yves Bissouma their only departure though there has been speculating whether defender Marc Cucurella will leave, amid speculation of joining Manchester City or Chelsea. Regardless, Brighton at their best can give anyone a game even those at the top. The main concern for Brighton is their ability to score goals. Brighton ranked high in the top ten in terms of shot-creating actions and shots but had the fifth-worst attack last season. Potter's tactical flexibility is a major r...

The 2022/23 Premier League season is the 31st of the Premier League era, with new faces coming into the English top-flight over the transfer window, which is still ongoing, the three promoted sides from the EFL Championship and new goals and ambitions for many over the new season. This season will be very different from seasons gone by, with the World Cup disrupting the season as the competition starts on November 21st. Making the start of this coming season important for everyone. Nevertheless, he's the season prediction for the 22/23 Premier League from 20th to 11th. AFC BOURNEMOUTH - 20TH After two seasons in the Championship, AFC Bournemouth is back in the Premier League. Much has changed for the Cherries when they got relegated in 2020. Long-serving manager Eddie Howe left the job, key players for their during their stay in the Premier League also left and they failed to win promotion at the first time asking, losing to Brentford in the playoffs. Last season under former Fulha...

The 2022/23 German Bundesliga starts on the 5th of August when Eintracht Frankfurt hosts defending champions Bayern Munich at the Deutsche Bank Park. The 60th edition of the German top flight sees the return of both Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen to the top flight, Freiburg and Union Berlin, new faces and new goals for the upcoming season. Due to the FIFA World Cup staging in Qatar in November, the Bundesliga will have an extended break, returning in January 2023. Here's a season preview of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season. CHANGES AT THE ALLIANZ ARENA Bayern Munich won their tenth Meisterschale in a row. The first time this feat has been achieved in Europe's top five leagues. Despite winning the league, they finished with 77 points. Their lowest points tally within the ten years. With Julian Nagelsman plus the higher-ups at Bayern like Olivier Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic, Bayern Munich has made significant changes that have not been seen at the Allianz Arena for some time now. Robe...

So there we have it, the 2021/2022 football season is sealed into the history books. From the joy of winning silverware, the despair of relegation and the hope of better things to come, the past football season had a lot of moments and memories that we will talk about for years to come. Here are the ten stories from the 2021/2022 football season. AC Milan winning the Scudetto The 2021/2022 Serie A season had one of the best title races in recent years. With no standout favourite from the beginning, it was a real tussle on who will win the Scudetto this season. Earlier on, it looks like a three-horse race between Inter Milan, AC Milan and Napoli. With Juventus' poor start to the season and Napoli falling away later on, the Scudetto will go to Milan, but with it be in Red or Blue? Inter Milan had the upper hand in the last ten leagues. However, dropped points against Torino, Fiorentina, and Bologna opened the opportunity for AC Milan to win Serie A for the first time in 11 years. The...

The International break is over for the year but it was a very important one as World Cup qualifiers resumed with teams across the world either making it to the World Cup directly or advancing to the next round of qualifiers. As of now, 12 teams have qualified for the World Cup next November. Germany, Denmark, Brazil, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, England, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Argentina are those that will be playing in Qatar next year with 19 slots still available as qualifiers will resume next year. This will be dwelling on UEFA (Europe) and CAF (Africa) as their round of qualifiers are over with the next round to start in March, which will determine those that will qualify for the World Cup. CONCACAF (North America), AFC (Asia) and COMMEBOL (South America) will resume in their present round of qualifiers in March as well while OFC (Oceania) will start their World Cup qualifying campaign in March next year. UEFA (EUROPE) The latest round of qualifiers in Europe...

When Xavi Hernandez left Barcelona in 2015 to play out his final playing days with Qatari side Al-Sadd, it would not be a surprise that the former Spanish international will return to the Camp Nou in some form of capacity, possibly as a manager. Retiring as a player in 2019, he became manager of Al-Sadd, winning five trophies in the process. Now, he has returned to Barcelona as a manager, replacing Ronald Koeman. Pep Guardiola, who managed Xavi during his time at Barcelona, gave his stamp of approval, stating that Xavi has more experience in the dugout than he did before he took over Barcelona. However, there is scepticism around Xavi's appointment, given that Xavi has only managed in Qatar and the huge task he's about to encounter. Various former players have returned to their sides as managers. Zinedine Zidane with Real Madrid, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Manchester United, Frank Lampard with Chelsea and Andrea Pirlo with Juventus. Aside from Zinedine and Guardiola, these appoi...