Napoleon

You 💯% should have mentioned this!

Diego Maradona was a Gregg Berhalter level head coach and worse than Gregg as a roster manager. He was a Top 5 all-time player, with many in their late 50s to early 70s thinking that he was the best ever. In 2010, Argentina had one of the top scorers, if not the top scorer in the EPL, Serie A, and La Liga, they had the captain of the Champions League winning team (Inter Milan) along with its starts DM, and its leading scorer- who had both goals in the CL Final. 1) They barely qualified for the World Cup on a goal that would have been overturned by VAR. 2) They got knocked out 4-0 by Germany in the quarters. 3) The Inter captain along with its starting DM weren’t picked for the squad, Inter’s starting striker barely played, Carlos Tevez was allowed to play like a bitch and not pass to Messi due to jealousy… beyond frustrating. You slap 2020-2024 Scaloni, a player who made the 2006 WC squad, but I don’t think he played, as the manager and they likely win the World Cup. Good Managers are problem solvers and/or ego managers. Henry & Vieira have shown to suck at this, but get repeated opportunities due to their records as players. Gregg appears to understand that you should learn from people who have been successful, but he can’t understand how to apply the information he has access to. Zidane was a deep lying playmaker who read the game as a player and would adapt when needed. He was also a generational talent with size, a violent streak, and a chip on his shoulder. My guess is that he could manage the Real Madrid locker room egos because he was always good at reading the entire situation and that he could physically destroy anyone who challenged him. Ancelotti was a good player, I think (never have seen anything about his play), but has been excellent and mediocre as a manager. Great players rarely make great managers, but they are given many more opportunities than all other managers combined.

They don’t need to make this hire this calendar year, but they will act like it is a pressing issue so that they can hire a shitty manager

Except for the number of World Cup trophies.. 🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 And only a couple of the trophies are tainted. (Maybe 3 or 4.) 10 out of 22

1) I would prefer someone else. 2) We only need someone for a couple of years. 3) He has been to the top as a player, if not as a coach. 4) Perhaps not working with the players on a daily basis would be better than working with players on a daily basis. 🙏 5) He would be the first Senegalese manager to manage the USMNT. 6) Being born in Dakar, most Argentines will think that he has a cologne endorsement deal with… …but I seriously doubt that he would considering that that cologne’s heyday was “before his time”. 7) I have no idea what kind of style his teams play or whether he adapted to his personnel, but he can’t be worse than Gregg. So if he is the same level, but players need to bust their butt to impress the new manager, then that along is a plus. 8- Maybe Zizou could visit and be an honorary assistant coach on occasion to help his old buddy. 🙏 9) It will be interesting to see how many players get called into these fall camps AND which new & old/new faces get called in.

Nein! You have Italians, Spanish, and even Scotch/Irish (Mac Allister), but they haven’t had a German starter since Gabriel Heinze finished his run in 2010 and even he looks like he probably has some Italian in him. Race & Soccer is a whole subject for another thread, but a European based sport that has spread around the world due in large part to British companies importing it to the countries where they were building a nation’s infrastructure starting the late 19th century combined with it being the least expensive sport to participate in that required some kind of “equipment” (a ball ⚽️) has helped it spread. But again, a topic for a thread of its own that may stretch into CR territory and I’m not going over to that cesspool.

Here’s the crack journalist saying “Naaaa, naaaaa.” as he puts the microphone back in front of the guys singing to make sure that they get all of it. I have a feeling that they had heard the song in full before allowing these guys to sing it for the Argentine cameras back in 2022.

I had forgotten this. Some Argentine soccer journalists were in Doja and were interviewing Argentine fans about their travel to see the World Cup, their expectations, yada-yada-yada. Then some fans come up and sing this song LIVE on the news. The reporters were laughing and saying “You can’t say that.” Then it was shown on the news some more in the next 12 to 48 hours along with a bit of a wink when they stifled their laughter as they said “Noooo, nooo, you can’t say that. Noooo.” (And then they would show it a couple of hours later.) The video also spread on Twitter and maybe IG, YT, & FB, usually with a “this is so wrong” along with a chuckle. It was passed along by people who would never sing that themselves, but with a bit of a chuckle over how gleefully carefree the racist comments flowed off the Argies’ tongues in what they felt was just having some good clean fun. I don’t think that they would be as hostile as the Spanish, Italian, & Eastern European fans, but I feel that there is a thread of racism involved in their rivalry with Brazil as well.

I think that it is a holdover song composed by fans around the last World Cup. France knocked out Argentina in 2018 when a younger ARG winger cut in front of the ARG striker on the last cross of the game and knocked it out of bounds because he was to the outside of the near post. The striker wasn’t guaranteed to score, but if he had, the game would have gone to OT, but instead ended 4-3. (Argentina led early and was the only team to score 3 against France.) Then “all white” Argentina (I would like to see Otamendi’s 23 & Me) returned the favor in Qatar by beating France in the final. This song about France’s 1st & 2nd Gen Frenchies of African descent & “Muchachos” are recycled from 2022, because it was a successful Cup AND it was only 18 months from Cup to Copa. I think that the theme is that France built a team of athletically gifted recent African immigrants, because their own players are inferior and yet they still couldn’t beat Argentina. Not the “wokest” soccer song on the social medias. Also, the old world has not traditionally followed Birthright Citizenship. Just because you are born in that country doesn’t mean that you are a citizen. You are a citizen of the country/-ies of your parents, unless… …you are a really good athlete. “Listen, spread the word”: Lyrics of the controversial song These are the lyrics of the song sung by the Argentine players, the chorus that was heard at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where Argentina and France, precisely, played the final: Listen, spread the word They play in France but they’re all from Angola How lovely, they will run They are trans lovers like that f*** Mbappe Your mom is Nigerian, your dad is Cameroonian But on your ID, it says French nationality **Lyrics in Spanish:** Escuchen, corran la bola juegan en Francia pero son todos de Angola Que lindo es, van a correr Son come travas como el p*** de Mbappe Tu vieja es nigeriana, tu viejo camerunés Pero en el documento, nacionalidad francés What is the origin of the song of the Argentina National Team against France? During the World Cup in Qatar, a group of Argentine fans gathered in Doha to welcome the national team, took advantage of a live mobile with a media outlet to present a new chant. Read all about it here: https://bolavip.com/en/amp/soccer/the-lyrics-of-the-controversial-song-argentina-players-sang-against-france-mbappe

The USWNT of 1996 through 1999 would beat the shit out of our current team. Only Girma would have a shot at starting in that team. The women have gotten progressively worse while the rest of the world has gotten significantly better.

Once and FUTURE USMNT stars? They are definitely producing!!

FULL MONTY !! I will not be signing up for Peacock (did that once) and will therefore miss all of the soccer & most of the tennis that I would want to watch, so oh well. Another Olympics that passes off of the range of my radar. 🤷‍♂️👏

Pochettino would take less money to be the manager of England. He could actually win the Cup with England. They will be a Top 5 team along with Spain, France, Germany, and Argentina. The USA’s ceiling is the Quarterfinals with a good coach. We don’t have enough players with skill AND dog in them.

If I were MoPo, I would choose Inglaterra in a heartbeat. Plus, the idea of an Argentine coach leading England after La Guerra de las Malvinas (1982) and The Hand of God (1986) is pretty fucking Perestroika.

Argentina needs to explain that: “[They’re] not racist, because… …[they] don’t have ‘other’ races.” I heard this more than a few times in Argentina after calling out blatant racism to my (adult) English students my first couple of years down there. French federation takes action over 'racist' Argentina chants ESPN News Services Jul 16, 2024, 07:34 PM ET The French Football Federation (FFF) is filing a legal complaint over "racist and discriminatory remarks" by Argentina players in postmatch chants about France's team after the Copa América final. Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday. A video posted on Instagram by Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández and widely viewed on X showed Argentina players singing about French players with African heritage. Fernández later apologized for singing the song featured in the video. The same chants -- by some Argentina fans -- emerged before France and Argentina met in the World Cup final two years ago, which Argentina won. "Given the seriousness of these shocking remarks, which are contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the FFF president has decided to contact its Argentinian counterpart and FIFA directly to file a legal complaint for racist and discriminatory remarks," the French federation said in a statement on Tuesday. "The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made against the players of the France team as part of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team." Diallo is a member of the executive committee of European soccer body UEFA with a growing reputation in the game's politics. Argentina beat Colombia in Sunday's Copa América final in Miami. JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images The derogatory chants single out France players of African heritage from several countries holding a French passport. Fernández's Chelsea teammate Wesley Fofana, a France international, shared the video on social media Tuesday with the comment, "Football in 2024: Uninhibited racism." In an apology on Instagram, Fernández said he was "caught up in the euphoria" of the celebrations. "I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations," he posted. "The song includes highly offensive language and there is no excuse for these words. "I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry." FIFA could not immediately confirm Tuesday if the French complaint had been filed. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said soccer and its 211 national federations must have a zero tolerance approach to racism and in May committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report. https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40575987/france-federation-legal-complaint-racist-argentina-chants-copa Chelsea probe Fernandez video of alleged 'racist' chant IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica for £107m in 2023 Nizaar Kinsella BBC Sport football news reporter Mandeep Sanghera BBC Sport journalist Published 16 July 2024 Chelsea are investigating a video posted on social media by midfielder Enzo Fernandez which the French Football Federation says includes an alleged "racist and discriminatory" chant. On Tuesday the FFF said it would file a complaint to world governing body Fifa over the video featuring a song sung by some of the Argentina squad about France's players. Fernandez's Chelsea team-mate Wesley Fofana, who has one cap for France, posted an image of the video on Instagram describing it as "uninhibited racism". BBC Sport understands Chelsea are investigating the incident and treating it seriously. The FFF will also contact the Argentine Football Association (AFA) about live video posted on social media by Fernandez as Argentina celebrated winning the Copa America, after beating Colombia 1-0 in the final on Sunday. A statement from the FFF, external said that president Philippe Diallo "condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable and discriminatory remarks that were made against the players of the French team". It added: "Faced with the seriousness of these shocking remarks, contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF decided to directly appeal to his Argentine counterpart and Fifa and to file a legal complaint for racially offensive and discriminatory remarks." The Argentine FA has been approached for comment. France beat Argentina in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup, before Argentina beat them in the final of the 2022 World Cup. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c80x1947rxzo

If they only had that slow old lady that was on the team 10 years ago… 🤷‍♂️

I bet that fans behave better than at the Copa Final at Hard Rock Stadium.

It very well could come home with Klopp calling the shots with England’s talent pool. but it would be interesting to see Klopp overseas the English squad in the heat & humidity that the Cope Final was played in down in Miami. They may be cramping before the first half water break. Cold/wet weather Euro players may have died trying to keep up with the Colombian or Argentines the first 60 to 75 minutes of that match.

“Jones”? -Cobi? -Jermaine? -other?

Some things: 1) I was listening to an ESPN podcast from Gab Marcotti & Julien Laurens and they mentioned that Garth Southgate has a leadership council! 🤬🤬🤬 Fuck Berhalter’s tongue up Southgate’s ass! 2) Charlie Davies, Tony Meola, & Brian McBride were talking on their podcast, “Call It What You Want” (may be the YouTube one above), about new manager requirements and Charlie and at least one of the other guys liked Mauricio Pochettino. The fact that he has worked with players at different levels of clubs, has an engaging personality with the press, and prefers to employ an attacking football style were things that they felt were in his favor. Also mentioned was that he had started to turn Chelsea around and they were playing well, and then they let him go. Other things that passed through my mind: 1) He’s fluent in English. 2) HE’S ARGENTINE! Oh to have an Argentine manager!! Vamos Yanquilandia, Carajo!

Spain 🇪🇸 & Portugal 🇵🇹 are hosting the 2030 World Cup. France 🇫🇷 is hosting the 2024 Olympics, so maybe they’re not up to it, and Italy doesn’t have the money for the investment into building modern stadiums with luxury boxes and/or sufficient bathrooms. (That’s just a guess.) Not many countries can host a 24 team EURO that will make a lot of money.

Anyone else get this text?

It’s an Albiceleste #10 thing.