Gm football fans.

Route One here, the Deliveroo of football news. We bring the best football news directly to your doorstep.

Today’s briefing is a ~5min 7secs read:

• Everton faces a 12-point deduction… all you need to know in 20 secs 🤔

• Nostalgia Time: The (Short) Story of Fabio Paim: The Greatest Talent To Never Win The Ballon d’Or 📖

• What happened on this day in 1963 changed the sport we love 📆

• Extra time: Ten Hag uses his tactical genius to woo Laura Woods 🌹

🗞️ Morning Brief

EVERTON FACE 12-POINT DEDUCTION 😱

Everyone knows rules are for breaking…

But apparently, the Premier League didn’t get the memo this time.

And the Toffees are in the firing line.

Strap in… here’s all you need to know in 20 seconds:

• Everton is being accused of breaching profit and sustainability rules after recording financial losses of £304m over three years.

• The Premier League has recommended that Everton be deducted a maximum of 12 points.

• That’s not great when you’re already 16th in the league…

• The club could face other fines and/or a potential ban.

• Everton will “robustly defend” their position as they deny any wrongdoing.

The good news for Everton fans… the Premier League isn’t the decision-maker here.

An independent commission is overseeing the case and will decide the fate of Sean Dyche’s side.

Don’t hold your breath, Router, this will be a long ride…

Quick hits… 💉

📆 On this day in 1963… organised football was officially launched in England. There was a meeting at the Freemasons’ Tavern in London’s Great Queen Street when the Football Association was formed. It’s been the English football’s governing body ever since.

📊 R1’s key stat today… Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez has scored or assisted in every 66.75 minutes this season for club and country. He has scored three league goals from an xG of 2.76.

🤩 Moment of the week… Manchester United were leading Copenhagen 1-0 in added time and conceded a penalty. Andre Onana denied Jordan Larsson’s effort in the 96th minute to lead United to victory. The former Inter Milan goalkeeper has saved 24% of all penalties he has faced in normal or extra time.

🤔 Thought for the day… some fans argue that back-passes outside of the penalty area should become illegal. Here at Route One, that’d suit us to a tee. No need for that fancy stuff.

The (Short) Story of Fabio Paim: The Greatest Talent To Never Win The Ballon d’Or

At 13, Fabio Paim was being paid £4,400 per week and set to become the greatest football player of all time. But, in 2019, he retired and spent a year in prison on suspicion of drug trafficking.

From Ballon d’Or prospects to watching his old friend Cristiano Ronaldo train from his prison cell, here’s the short story of the most wasted talent in football history.

Our story begins in 1999 when Ronaldo and Paim snuck out together to eat leftover McDonald’s burgers. Despite their humble beginnings, both youngsters were Sporting’s best upcoming talent - and they bonded over this.

It took only a few years for both players to reap the rewards of their talents. Sporting offered Paim £4,400 per week and a £130,000 annual bonus. This was the most lucrative contract for a 13-year-old in history.

Ronaldo, who was 3 years older than his academy friend, was set to make a big move to England.

In 2003, Sporting agreed to sell Ronaldo to Manchester United. But the club was keen to keep Paim who was an even bigger prospect by Sporting’s coaches.

Ronaldo echoed this sentiment when he joined, saying: “If you think I’m good, wait until you see Fabio Paim.”

The interest in Paim gathered pace as the world’s biggest teams began fighting to sign him. Each week, top agents in Europe were flying to catch a glance at the wonderkid.

Paim, not short of confidence, agreed with the hype around him.

“Until today, there has been no one like me that young. At that time, I was better than Cristiano,” recalls Paim.

With the world at his feet, he was set to become one of the best players in world football.

When asked if he would’ve won the Ballon d’Or, Paim replied: “Yes, no doubt.”

Whilst Paim’s ability on the pitch was undeniable, so too was his love for cars, women, and parties. By the time he turned 16, he was earning £8,000 a week at Sporting’s academy and began to lose focus.

The newfound money and fame meant that his mind started to wander. He even admits to dreaming about becoming a pop star and hanging up his boots.

His lifestyle took a toll on his performances on the pitch. But, Premier League clubs believed they could get him back on track.

In 2008, Paim made a loan move to Chelsea facilitated by super-agent Jorge Mendes. The same agent who represents Paim's old friend, Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was his time to prove that could go shoulder-to-shoulder with the best. Yet, with an even heftier pay packet each week, Paim found more ways to distract himself from football with London’s nightlife.

“I was born with talent. As I was earning lots of money, I got the illusion that I didn’t need the effort,” reflects Paim.

At the tender age of 22, Sporting decided to release Paim after a failed loan spell at Chelsea.

Things didn’t get much better for the Portuguese winger. He retired from professional football in 2018 after failing to make a mark at 14 different clubs. In the same year, Ronaldo went on to win the Champions League for the fifth time in his career.

Paim and Ronaldo once rummaged through used McDonald’s boxes together in Lisbon. Now, they had very little in common.

In 2019, Paim hit rock bottom when he found himself behind bars on suspicion of drug trafficking.

“My prison cell was next to the field where the Portugal national team trains so I could watch them training every day for the Euro 2020 qualifiers,” Paim painfully recalls.

Now, Paim spends his time educating young players on what not to do.

He's also hoping his son adopts his footballing ability, whilst reminding us how good he was.

"If he can be half the player I was, the family will be more than happy.”

EXTRA-TIME ⏱️

Ten Hag’s got game. Laura Woods might have announced her new boyfriend, but that doesn't stop Ten Hag. We know exactly what you were doing here, Eric. A tactical mastermind can never switch off.

Let’s just say… Thiery Henry wasn’t pleased with his work-wife’s news. CBS Sports presenter Kate Abdo reveals she’s getting engaged and Henry struggles to hold back his true feelings. We’ve all been there…

Saudis are loving British singer Amy Macdonald. Why is this relevant? Because Cristiano Ronaldo helped her reach #1 after posting a montage with her song in the background.

Note to self: never bring a sign to a Millwall game. It doesn't go down well and you’ll risk becoming a meme.

The Arsenal Invicibles drew 31% of their Premier League campaign. Andy Goldstein argues it’s not the season Arsenal fans believe it to be. Is this an interesting take or just a sour United fan? Maybe both.

MEME 😂