General Football Thread - Any other business

Infrastructure was probably the wrong word on my part, I more meant facilities. They have a training centre and national stadiums that are European standard in quality, and always put their team up in good quality hotels etc. They're a bit of an outlier in CAF for that, and I do think that plays a major role in recruiting players from Europe.

But yeah, what you say about Moroccans not wanting to play for the Netherlands as a result of at-home discrimination makes sense. It's something that gets reported in other European countries too.

 

🚨🚨| Mason Greenwood could 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄 Marseille this summer, with several other players also expected to depart.

The forward is currently being linked with a potential move to Saudi Arabia.

[@lequipe] pic.twitter.com/eGPe0JjIy4

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) March 6, 2026

 

Tottenham have held talks with former Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi about a summer appointment if they stay in the Premier League. (Telegraph - subscription required)

 

Feels like the big debates for the FA this summer will be if to keep VAR as it is and if to go to penalties after 90 minutes at least before the Semi’s. Feel like VAR in particular could be swapped for the Challenge version.

 

Roman Abramovich’s legal team has informed the UK government that the proceeds from the Chelsea sale in 2022 are “wholly” his and that he is ready to fight any attempt to confiscate the funds.

Full story from @Dan_Sheldon_ ⬇️https://t.co/1rrPGNNgmL pic.twitter.com/DfdFhgnpHi

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) March 9, 2026

In the 2. Bundesliga clash between Preussen Münster and Hertha Berlin, chaos struck when a hooded fan literally pulled the plug on VAR. The system went dark just as referee Felix Bickel was about to check a possible penalty for Hertha. Münster fans then unfurled a banner reading:… pic.twitter.com/DtiH5UkDbE

— Olt Sports (@oltsport_) March 8, 2026

 

Uefa fears impact of Premier League spending rules
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c8r1m4mr2k8o

Roman Abramovich's lawyers have warned the Government that the £2.35bn Chelsea proceeds are "wholly" his and he is ready to fight confiscation efforts - The Telegraph

 

Joey Barton has been charged in connection with wounding with intent, after a man was left seriously injured from an assault near a golf club at the weekend. pic.twitter.com/zurkuzlw03

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 10, 2026

Years in prison for Joseph you'd have to assume. The victim is in a 'serious but stable' condition so it looks a very serious incident and he's on a suspended sentence as it is. Barton is 43 and his
co-accused is 50, imagine behaving like that in middle age.

 

He's a sociopath really. Saw a clip of him not long ago playing down his brother planting an axe in the head of a young lad in an unprovoked, racially motivated murder as a "scrap", implying that his prison sentence was somehow unjust.

It's also beyond humorous that he saw it fit to name his podcast the "common sense pod". Not an ounce of self-awareness.

 

Should rename it "The common assault Podcast"

 

The rumour is there was a Baseball bat involved.

 

I wonder if his mate is a part of the Liverpool underworld.

 

The rumour is the guy he had the fight with brought the bat and Barton took it off him and beat the living shit out of him with it. No idea if its true.

 

It's not been Barton's week really. He's also having to pay out over £300k in damages to Eni Aluko.

 

The problem with Barton is when he was in the football world he got away with all kinds of shit. Now he's having to live in the world they are not being covered up anymore.

 

More on Barton. Btw it was his fault. Don't agree with the tweet but posting because of the voice mail.

So not his fault then 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FnOsURI3ZY

— Steady (@DeanoGorton) March 10, 2026

 

Maybe some mitigation if true but you can’t defend yourself with disproportionate violence under UK law.

 

I can't see how he doesn't go to jail. Sounds like he beat the other guy half to death.

 

He’s going to prison (he’ll probably be remanded in custody till the trial) but from the reports on the condition of the victim he should’ve been charged with attempted murder, all things being equal. It seems he’s received a lesser charge of ‘wounding with intent’ so it becomes a question of proportionality, how much threat was he really facing and was the response proportional.

 

I've got no sympathy for someone who pulls a weapon and then has it used on them.

 

Surely it depends on proportionality? If they’re all drunk in a pub, the two agree to a fight. One of them grabs a club but is too inebriated to effectively wield it and then the less drunk of the two easily disarms them and beats the other near to death with it, surely you would say that’s disproportional violence worthy of a prison sentence?

 

I wonder what happened before hand for it all to kick off. They are both Middle aged men ffs.

 

Are you asking me about how the law should work or whether I would care? I would not care, but the law probably should.

 

Spurs 3-0 down after 15 minutes. They have given up on football. This season will be catastrophic for them. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't come back up any time soon.