What do you do in life? How do you make the most out of life? I don’t know. Maybe the best advice comes from golfer John Daly: grip it, rip it and sip it. Konyaspor’s Mehdi Bourabia knows what I’m talking about.
Everton travelled to Cyprus to play Apollon Limassol in the last match of the Europa League group stage Thursday. They did so without most of the first team and new manager Sam Allardyce. Neither team had any chance of advancing, so Everton used the opportunity to hand debuts to some academy kids and prepare the first team for Sunday's Merseyside Derby.
Welcome to the second tier, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid. Sure you’ve been a part of three of the last five Champions League finals, but sweet Thursday night road trips are in your future after finishing third in your respective UCL groups to earn the Europa League parachute.
Atletico played in the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016, losing to crosstown rival Real Madrid both times. Los Colchoneros are ranked No. 2 in UEFA’s club coefficients, a rating score based on the previous five seasons of European play.
You know Paul Marcarelli. He’s the guy that used to work for Verizon Wireless. He’d go out into the woods and viewers at home would wishfully think that they were on the verge of seeing him devoured by a pack of scavenging wolves. Instead, he’d pull out his flip phone and go, “Can you hear me now? Gooood.”
He then switched to Sprint, a clever marketing mimicry that we were all supposed to follow, but who really gives a sh*t. Paul Marcarelli works for Zulte-Waregem’s Brian Hamalainen now.
The Patrice Evra punishment for kicking a fan has been handed down and it’s not good for the former French international defender, but it could have been much worse. Evra was banned from UEFA club competitions through June 30, 2018. Soon after, Marseille announced Evra’s contract had been terminated by mutual consent.
If there’s one competition that can challenge CONCACAF for zaniness, it’s the Europa League. Week after week we tune in because we know something crazy will happen. Thursday was no exception as the referees missed a blatant hand ball on the goal line in the match between Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Steaua Bucharest in Romania.
Patrice Evra's career may have come to an end Thursday as the 36-year-old Marseille fullback was sent off before a Europa League match against Guimares for trying to kick a fan in the head.