🟦 Football blues

Plus: who's going to win the Champions League?

February 13, 2024

GM football fans. Route One here, we’re like a box of chocolates - you know you’re going to enjoy every single one.

Today’s briefing is a ~4 min read:

Football blues 🟦
Around the world in 30 secs: Serie A vote on 20-team league 🇮🇹
Who’s going to win the Champions League? 🏆

Morning Brief 🗞️

Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 3 - 1 in the final game of Matchweek 24 last night. Conor Gallagher starred with a brace and Enzo Fernandez bagged the final goal to secure the win.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Xavi Alonso is the overwhelming favourite to take over as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, with Ange Postecoglou listed among a list of possible alternatives.

David Moyes’s future at West Ham is unlikely to be decided until the end of the season.

Tottenham will resume their hunt for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher in the summer, having been put off a winter move by a high asking price.

Ahead of their Champions League fixture tonight, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has stated Erling Haaland’s body language in their win over Everton was “not good”.

FOOTBALL BLUES 🟦

Referees currently have two cards: red and yellow.

Yellow in the chest pocket.
Red in the back pocket.

Simple…

So we have one question: where’s the blue card going to go? It can’t go in the same pocket as the others - for obvious reasons.

So we’ve had to brainstorm a few…

a) Under the referee’s sock… but we’re not sure they’d be taken seriously as they shuffle their socks to find a card.

b) Second back pocket… but we worry it’ll cause too much tension as it’ll look like they’re heading for the red card.

c) Underneath their hat… but then they’d need to wear a hat (it would be cool to see a card taken out from a hat).

d) Standard side pocket… meh, where’s the fun it that…

Look, we’re not rule-makers. But we’re hoping that option C is on the cards… badum tss.

Anyway, it was confirmed yesterday by The Telegraph that blue cards are officially under trial, and here’s all you need to know…

Goalkeepers can be sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
If a team does have a specialist keeper on the bench, they are only allowed to bring that player on if they make a permanent change for an outfield player.
Managers are exempt from the blue card.
It is yet unknown whether VAR will be able to intervene with a blue card decision.

Fans have had the blues since finding out another card will be added to the game, but at least it’s causing some sweet ‘ol trash-talk…

AROUND THE WORLD IN 30 SECS 🌍

🇮🇹 Seria A will stick with 20 teams after 16 of its current clubs voted against reducing the division to 18 sides. Only Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Roma voted for the proposal to cut the number of Italian top-flight sides.

🇫🇷 Ligue 1 side Lens remains in contention for a Champions League seat after three consecutive wins in the league.

🇸🇦 Cristiano Ronaldo is spotted storming off the pitch and launching his runner-up medal in the crowd after Al Nassr lost the Riyadh Season Cup to Al Hilal.

🇩🇪 Bayer Leverkusen moved five points clear in the Bundesliga title race with a 3 - 0 victory over Bayern Munich.

🇪🇸 Jude Bellingham nets a brace to take his La Liga tally to 16 goals as Real Madrid beat Girona 4 - 0 to give them a five-point lead in the title race. Girona has only lost two league games this season, both against Real Madrid.

WHO’S GOING TO WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? 📊

Opta’s nerds ran 10,000 simulations to test who would win the Champions League this year and they found a clear favourite: Manchester City.

Manchester City are the only team to have a 50% + chance of reaching the final this year.
Inter Milan are the dark horses of the competition after they’ve gone unbeaten in their last 25 matches.
Arsenal’s form after Christmas has given them a meaningful chance of reaching the final (18.2%).

Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid and Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich are the two other teams tipped to be in the latter stages.