English Clubs

Life has not been easy for French defender Mamadou Sakho over the last nine months. Ever since the failed drug test debacle that kept him on the sidelines for over a month last season, the defender has failed to earn his place back in Jurgen Klopp’s team. 

Klopp, who had nothing but praise for the 26-year-old center back when he first took over as Liverpool manager, has since gone as far as demoting Sakho to training with the U-23 squad. 

Criminally underrated throughout his career, due in large part to having to play behind two of the greatest ever in Xavi and Andres Iniesta for Spain, Santi Cazorla's recognition has only grown in the last two seasons, primarily because of his devastating absence. While many fans were not aware of him when he moved to Arsenal from Malaga in 2012, he has always been a favorite among players and coaches in his native country.

There wasn't much in the way of upsets in the third round of this season's FA Cup, but there was still magic. 

You might think Liverpool beating Plymouth Argyle 1-0 on Wednesday doesn't qualify as "magic". You would be wrong.

#Boooooooom

Don't adjust your telly.

Heather O'Reilly has made the move. The star midfielder, who scored 47 goals in 231 appearances for the USWNT, signed with Arsenal Ladies. Te move was officially announced by Arsenal on Wednesday.

"Having come over to Arsenal last year to train, I was very impressed with the club. The facilities are world class and they have a tradition of excellence at the club that I wanted to be a part of, I’m very happy to be here,” O’Reilly said.

You better work hard, should you ever find yourself in a position where you're playing for current Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. Otherwise, he'll kill you. Really.

It's worrying how he doesn't even smile when he says "I prefer to kill him" man is dead serious pic.twitter.com/SFoq9mm4fW

— ️ (@HazardEdition) January 16, 2017

According to reports from German weekly sports magazine Sport Bild, Bayern Munich midfielder and Spanish legend Xabi Alonso is planning to retire at the end of the season. Alonso, who still plays a key role for the Bavarian club in the center of the park, is said to have informed the club of his decision to hang up his boots at the conclusion of this season.

Louis van Gaal, formerly the most entertaining manager in world football, has retired. We are sad now.

Van Gaal had everything we look for in a manager who doesn't manage the club we personally root for, which is to say: antics.

This article explains basically every reason van Gaal will be missed so much, but it predates both van Gaal's famous sideline flop against Arsenal and the time he said his players needed to be more horny.

#POGBA pic.twitter.com/c1e9vGmrwH

— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) January 13, 2017