Just more than 27 years ago, 96 Liverpool fans travelled to Hillsborough stadium for an FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest and didn't come back. Tuesday, a jury finally ruled that those 96 people died because of negligence and incompetence from the police and ambulance services.
It's a rumour that is becoming more exasperating by the day. Will Jose Mourinho pack his bags and leave his beloved London? Will he relieve his former teacher, Louis Van Gaal, from his duties at Old Trafford, thus repeating every kung fu movie plotline ever? Well, it kind of depends who you ask.
Yesterday was Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday, and her alleged favorite football team was in a festive mood.
Cake at Arsenal's game vs West Brom to celebrate #Queenat90 - @jeremycorbyn claimed today the Queen supports #AFC pic.twitter.com/IY1KUNaqu1
In case you missed it, Liverpool versus Borussia Dortmund was pretty intense. Liverpool went 2-0 down, then 3-1 down and somehow came back to win 4-3 (5-4 on aggregate). Liverpool were doomed to exit on the away goal rule before a dramatic Dejan Lovren header sent Liverpool through to the Europa League semi-finals and sent the home fans into hysterics. Somewhere amidst the chaotic revelry was Liverpool fan Liamie Marum, who had no idea that he was about to have a Mamadou Sakho selfie surreptitously planted on his phone.
Jurgen Klopp was brought to Liverpool because of his reputation and history of success. At his former club, Borussia Dortmund, he had taken a team that had known failure for a long, long time and turned them into a title winner and Champions League finalist. Outside of his ability to build a team and teach it his tactical philosophy, he was known for his power of charisma. He knows how to say the right thing in the right way in order to get a reaction from people.
When you are 18-years-old and you play for arguably the most noticeable club in the world, you're not supposed to score 6 goals in your first 11 games. But that's what Marcus Rashford has done since LVG called his name to the first team. Rashford kicked off the scoring against West Ham in the FA Cup quarterfinals. The youngster received the ball at the edge off the box after a West Ham turnover and then showed off his footwork before burying a shot off the upper 90 crossbar. So smooth, so pretty.
Forgotten in Brazil after a few seasons, Alexandre Pato is back in the spotlight and apparently, he’s going to do his best to stay this time.
At least, those are the hints given by reports buzzing around the media. According to TeamTalk, Antonio Conte is keen on keeping the prolific striker in the Blues’ uniform when he lands in Stamford Bridge.
The FA Cup may have lost its shine in recent years, but it is still capable of throwing up some interesting plotlines, and this year is no exception. With a victory against West Ham at Upton Park, Manchester United are now set to take on Everton at Wembley on April 23rd. Both Roberto Martinez and Louis Van Gaal are walking on thin ice in their respective positions, and the FA Cup could be their only chance at success this season.
It has been a week and we miss Champions League very much. Thankfully, the second leg of the quarterfinals kicked off today with Real Madrid hosting Wolfsburg and PSG traveling to Manchester. With Real Madrid down, 2 - 0 to Wolfsburg, it was time for Cristiano Ronaldo. The superstar scored two goals in two minutes and completed his hat trick in the 77th minute to give Real Madrid the 3 - 2 lead on aggregate. Ronaldo scored in the 15th and 17th minutes in a stunning turn of events. Just like that, Madrid was tied with Wolfsburg and had all the momentum.
On June 28, 2012, Mario Balotelli peaked. His thunderous second goal in the first 40 minutes of Italy’s Euro 2012 semi-final clash with Germany highlighted a stupendous tournament for the mercurial striker. Named in the Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament and finishing the joint top scorer, Balotelli’s summer exploits concluded a maniacal season for the Italian.