GM football fans. Route One here, we’re the 100 metres sprint of newsletters - fast, entertaining, and the only thing people wana see.

It’s Wednesday. Yesterday was a light news day. Let’s not waste any time!

Today’s briefing is a ~4 min read:

1. 4 things to know this week 🧐

2. Around the world in 30 secs: Mourinho’s new record in Italy 😆

3. Extra time: the worst-dressed footballers 👔

Morning Brief 🗞️

4 THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

1/ CHELSEA OWNERS BUY £140 MILLION MORE SHARES 💰

Two things are guaranteed from this transfer window:

✅ Jim White wearing a yellow tie on deadline day.

✅ Todd Boehly splashing the cash.

And, according to documents from Companies House, the Chelsea owner is keeping true to his rep…

Boehly and Clearlake Capital have already spent over £1 billion and added another £140 million to the club’s bank account.

It’s likely for two reasons:

1. To plug the financial gaps left by Chelsea not being in Europe.

2. Gearing up to make cash offers for big star transfers.

Watch this space Chelsea fans…

2/ GOALS FROM FREE-KICKS ARE DOWN 📉

There’s a lot of talk about no.10’s becoming a thing of the past.

But that’s not the only thing dying out in the Premier League.

The other? Dead-ball specialists.

In the 2013/14 Premier League season, there were a record 39 direct free-kicks scored, but…

• In 2021/22 there were 19.

• In 2022/23 there were 17.

• In 2023/24 there have only been 4 scored, a record low for this point in a season.

The reasons? 

1. Free-kick conversion is down to 2.38% this season, compared to 5.65% in the last campaign.

2. Set-piece coaches are advocating for tricky training ground routines as opposed to an old-fashioned shot at goal.

“Bend it like Ward-Prowse” doesn’t exactly slip off the tongue…

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3/ JAPAN IS THE TEAM TO BEAT ACCORDING TO OPTA 🇯🇵

2019 was rough for the Japanese national team. They lost 3-1 in the Asia Cup final to Qatar.

But 2024 will be the bounce-back year. According to Opta’s Supercomputer…

• Japan has a 97.2% chance of reaching the last 16…

• … and a 24.6% chance of winning the tournament.

Talk about dominant!

Skippered by Liverpool’s in-form midfielder Wataru Endo, the Japanese enter the tournament with an impressive World Cup performance…

They topped a group including Germany and Spain.

4/ PREMIER LEAGUE APPEAL CONTINUES 🤔

It didn’t take long for Jordan Henderson to realise that the Saudi Pro League wasn’t for him… and Newcastle could be his next destination.

He’s not alone. There have been rumours that Ruben Neves and Roberto Firmino could return to the Premier League.

But returning isn’t so simple.

• Firstly, there’s tax… returning so soon could make things expensive for Hendo under UK tax law, via The Athletic.

• Then there’s reputation… with many fans questioning whether players left for the right reasons.

Will players be put off going to the Saudi Pro League? It’s too early to tell.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 30 SECS 🌍

🇪🇸 🇸🇦 Spanish Super Cup starts today in Saudi Arabia. The four-team tournament kicks off today with Real Madrid vs Athletico Madrid. The games will be shown on fuboTV.

🇮🇹 Jose Mourinho has five red cards for Roma over the last two seasons. That’s more than any other Seria A player! 😆

🇧🇷 Brazil’s wait for a new manager is over. Dorival Jr is at the helm, following his impressive Copa Libertadores win with Sao Paulo in 2022.

🇺🇸 Philippe Coutinho is on loan in Qatar from Aston Villa but is wanted by Inter Miami and LA Galaxy. This move would reunite him with his former Barcelona teammates.

🇪🇺 The Euro 2024 ball will help produce faster offside and handball decisions. The Adidas-designed ball will send data to officials in real time.

EXTRA-TIME ⏱️

Everybody loves a good wingman. When Gary Neville visits his childhood home, Roy Keane does his best to help his old teammate out.

Jude Bellingham helps the CBS team pick their Team of the Year. We’re going with Carragher’s team for the win.

Professional footballers are taking more pride in their fashion these days. But it wasn’t long ago that some of the best players in the world were wearing - umm - questionable gear… Ramos’ Miami Vice suit tops the list.

This fan took matters into his own hands. When Swansea were losing 8-0 at Anfield, he decided to show his team how it’s done.

A forgotten legend? In 2000, nine-man Parma were drawing 1-1 with Juventus. With the last kick of the game, Hernan Crespo decides to rip up the script and score this beauty.

MEME 😆

REP THE TEAM 🤝