Off the Pitch

Everyone — And We Mean Everyone — Is Talking About Messi Leaving Barcelona

It appears Lionel Messi will soon be leaving Barcelona, the only club he’s ever known as a professional. It’s earth-shattering news for the footballing world, akin to Michael Jordan leaving basketball for baseball, the death of Kobe Bryant, Pete Rose being banned from baseball or Lou Gehrig’s retirement.

Man Utd Captain Harry Maguire Handed Suspended 21-Month Prison Sentence For Mykonos Brawl

ATHENS — England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire was handed a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days by a Greek court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of multiple charges following a brawl on the island of Mykonos last Thursday.

Court officials said he had been found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult after his arrest Mykonos.

Alphonso Davies’ Priceless Reaction To Drake’s Instagram Follow Is Why We Love Him

Alphonso Davies had the best week of his life after he became the first Canadian to lift the Champions League trophy and garnered attention from high-profile celebrities. Just when the former Vancouver Whitecaps player thought his week couldn’t get any better, rap icon Drake gave Davies a follow on Instagram. Davies reacted accordingly.

Man Utd Captain Detained For Allegedly Assaulting Police Officer In Greece

ATHENS — Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was detained for questioning on the Greek island of Mykonos after allegedly being involved in an incident in which police officers were assaulted after a brawl, Greek state TV ERT said on Friday.

Officers were called in to break up a brawl between two groups of tourists. Two other Britons were also detained.

"The soccer player was verbally abusive to an officer and then hit him," a police official said. "The three were resisting when brought to the Mykonos police station."

Former Chelsea Striker Demba Ba Demands Footballing World Stand Up For Persecuted Uighur Muslims

Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba has called on footballers to stand up for Uighur Muslims and condemn China's treatment of the minority group regardless of the financial consequences.

U.N. experts estimate than more than one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims have been detained against their will for several years in camps in the far western region of Xinjiang.

China denies mistreatment of the group, saying the camps holding many Uighurs provide vocational training and are needed to fight extremism.

Eto’o Claims Barcelona Is Nothing Without Messi And Should Change Club Name If He Leaves

Samuel Eto’o has provided his two cents on how important it will be for Barcelona to retain Lionel Messi amid talks of the Little Maestro wanting out. Whispers and rumors of Messi wanting out escalated to the next echelon of transfer rumors when top football journalist Marcelo Bechler said the Argentine wants out this summer.

Liverpool Member Tests Positive For Covid, Reports Austrian Paper Citing Anonymous Sources

VIENNA — An unidentified member of English Premier League champions Liverpool has tested positive for the new coronavirus at their summer training camp in the Austrian Alps, tabloid newspaper Kronen Zeitung said on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources.

The Austrian paper did not specify whether the person involved was a player or a member of staff, describing them only as a "member" of the club.

Liverpool declined to comment on the report.

The Naked Truth: Football Is For The Rich

How much of soccer is becoming — as the kids would say — an ‘aesthetic?’ And a privileged aesthetic at that. 

Here in the U.S., soccer is becoming an elitist sport. We talk about how the newest and most expensive boots are the only way to be like Ronaldo or Messi. Hand me downs are a no-go. If you don’t have the best kits or play for the most expensive clubs then you don’t stand a chance. 

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