The annual Bundesliga Playa Haters’ Ball has commenced within the Bundesliga’s official YouTube channel, and there’s one clear target: the Bundesliga’s newest arrival after promotion, RB Leipzig.
Last season, soccer fans all over the world were treated to perhaps the greatest underdog story ever told, a Leicester City Premier League championship. The Foxes entered the season with 5,000 to one odds to win the title, and as the favorite of many pundits to be relegated out of the Premier League.
However, they shocked the soccer world and won the Premier League championship with a 10-point cushion, running away with the trophy. Now, the question becomes "can Leicester City repeat as Premier League champions? Surely, if they did it once, they can do it again, right?"
Zenit St. Petersburg received a remarkable offer from Burger King to change the team's name to "Zenit Burger King".
Really.
Zenit have received a €6.8-million offer from @BurgerKing to change team's name to "Zenit Burger King".
— Artur Petrosyan (@arturpetrosyan) September 2, 2016
When most people think of FC Barcelona, they think of titles and success across Europe. One thing nobody likely associates with them is relegation. Indeed, they have never been relegated from the Spanish top flight. However, that almost changed back in 2002-03 when Louis van Gaal led them towards La Liga relegation.
Just seven years ago, the Belgian national team was ranked 66th in the FIFA World Rankings. This was their lowest position since the system's inception. With such a shocking statistic staring the country in the face, you could forgive them for being slightly pessimistic. However, in the cloud of uncertainty that surrounded them there was hope — the potential beginnings of a new golden generation.
Celtic fans with scarves have been in the news a lot lately, but we're here to talk about a Celtic fan waving something that isn't a scarf and definitely doesn't have anything to do with certain idealistic conflicts in the Middle East.
It has to do with a child.
Not Liverpool, but love this picture so much
Celtic fan can't find scarf, uses his kid instead pic.twitter.com/XBroafq1Ni
A quick word about the actual Champions League draw: it's a big dumb ceremony that needs some fixing, but will never be fixed because UEFA will never, ever admit that something is bad enough to need fixing. Anyway, the groups have been announced, and there's some fun stuff in here.
Group A: PSG, Arsenal, Basel, Ludogorets Razgrad
— The18 (@the18soccer) August 25, 2016
Scotland national team and Celtic captain Scott Brown announced his retirement from international competition on August 19th. However, the pit bullish midfielder retires from Scotland manager Gordon Strachan’s side having left behind some famous memories for supporters of the Tartan Army. While he’s still busy cementing his legacy in Glasgow’s East End, this is the perfect moment to highlight some of the 31 year olds finer achievements.
Here are some of the finest highlights from Brown’s 50 appearances for Scotland as well as his most notable moments for Celtic:
In a country that traditionally favors Gaelic football, hurling and supporting the English Premier League, Ireland’s own Premier Division has hardly captured the national sporting conscious. The league’s UEFA coefficient currently puts them at 41st, behind countries like Latvia, Albania and Georgia.
Clubs that have traditionally dominated the League of Ireland, such as Dundalk, Bohemians and Shelbourne FC have all also flirted with financial disaster — putting their very existence in jeopardy whilst barely treading water.