Author: RevSportz Comment

It’s now been nearly 22 years since a young Jose Mourinho sprinted along the Old Trafford touchline as his unfancied FC Porto side drew with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United on their way to UEFA Champions League glory in 2003-04. On Wednesday night, The Special One didn’t sprint as fast or as far, but there was no mistaking the jig of delight and the fist pumps as his Benfica team clinched the last playoff spot in the 36-team competition in the most dramatic circumstances. Benfica’s thoroughly merited 4-2 also had the effect of pushing Real Madrid, one of Mourinho’s former…

Manchester United stand at a pivotal juncture. The club’s storied history demands not just tactical competence, but a manager who embodies its values, vision, and identity. In Michael Carrick, United have stumbled across such a candidate, who combines an intimate understanding of the club’s culture with the acumen and stature necessary to achieve sustained success. As a player, Carrick was the heartbeat of the midfield during one of the club’s most successful eras, wearing the jersey 464 times and winning five Premier League titles, a Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup. Beyond the silverware, he epitomised composure, intelligence,…

UEFA revamped the UEFA Champions League (UCL) format after more than three decades because millions of fans around the world felt the initial group stage had lost any sense of jeopardy, with most top clubs sleepwalking into the knockouts season after season. The second season of the new iteration has been a roaring success. The big boys still lead the way, but the fact that as many as 16 teams are still in the hunt for the remaining six automatic spots in the last 16 – perfect Arsenal (21 points) and Bayern Munich (18) are already guaranteed theirs – tells…

What was Brahim Diaz thinking? There had already been a delay of nearly 16 minutes and Sadio Mane and Edouard Mend, in the Senegal goal, hadn’t been short of advice as Diaz finally got the ball and prepared to take the disputed penalty kick. At that point, only he knows what was going through his mind. Top scorer at AFCON with five goals and the talisman for his team, the expected match-winner chose that moment to go for a Panenka penalty. It’s that sort of kick that when it comes off, it you look like a hero and it goes…

If one picture summed up the Manchester derby, it was Casemiro leaping on to Michael Carrick when United thought they had scored a third goal. The marginal offside didn’t matter, with the home side comfortable and deserved 2-0 winners, and there was no mistaking the buoyant mood around the place. Carrick was part of one of the greatest Manchester United sides, pulling on the storied jersey 464 times, and this was just about the perfect start. United were hungry, resolute and as dangerous as piranhas in the water. City had the ball but next to no control, and were toothless…

It may have been Egypt’s Pharaohs taking on Senegal’s Lions of Teranga in the first AFCON semi-final in Tangier, but the sub-plot was all about two men who were teammates at Liverpool for five successful seasons where they won every major honour once. Like Sadio Mane, who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr after an unhappy season with Bayern Munich (2022-23), Mohamed Salah too is 33. Neither is the force that they were in their prime, though Salah still struck 29 English Premier League goals – along with 18 assists – as Liverpool romped to the title…

As Michael Carrick moves into the Old Trafford hotseat, millions of Manchester United fans around the world are left scratching their heads. How did it get to this? Ruben Amorim was supposed to represent the brave new world, a finally promising post-Ferguson future. Erik ten Hag was meant to do the same, like Jose Mourinho before him, and Louis van Gaal before that. You get the picture. There has been so much garbage said and written in recent weeks and months about the United DNA that Messrs Watson and Crick would be pinwheeling in their graves. What is this United…

Manchester United’s bid to kick-start a new era under interim boss Darren Fletcher was a case of more of the same as Burnley, sitting 19th in the table with just three wins all season, held them to a dramatic 2-2 draw at a freezing Turf Moor. United looked to have taken control after a stirring second-half fightback, but a brilliant Burnley equaliser from Jaidon Anthony denied them all three points, and left Fletcher and the watching hierarchy frustrated in the club’s first match since moving on from Ruben Amorim. United dominated possession in the early stages, playing with four at…

When Arsenal Wenger’s Invincibles clinched the English Premier League (EPL) title in 2003-04 – the second time in three seasons – few Arsenal fans would have imagined that they would be waiting more than two decades for the biggest honour in the domestic game. But after three consecutive second-place finishes under Mikel Arteta, the signs are that the drought will end this May. With more than half the season gone, Arsenal hold a handy six-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. The individual at the heart of that was a £100 million signing three years ago. Like Paul Ince –…

At the outset, let’s be very clear about one thing. The vast majority of fans want to see their sporting heroes perform on the field or court. When they get behind a microphone and start dispensing life advice, the most common reaction is discomfort. When the opinions expressed extend to politics and society, the divide becomes even more stark. Activism cost Colin Kaepernick his NFL career, which included a Super Bowl appearance at the age of 25. Usman Khawaja has always worn his heart on his sleeve, one reason why so many South Asian immigrants in Australia relate to him.…