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Jurgen Klopp's men have had their own issues this season but they will not be going up against the same side that beat them in Paris last year.

Real Madrid were at the peak of their powers the last time they met Liverpool, in the 2022 Champions League final.

Karim Benzema was scoring goals for fun, Vinicius Junior was in the form of his life, and the famous midfield trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro was dominating all before them.

Given Thibaut Courtois then produced an all-time goalkeeping performance in Paris, it's easy to understand why Madrid not only won, but did so courtesy of a relatively comfortable 1-0 win.

On Tuesday night, though, when the two teams meet again at Anfield, Madrid will look very different.

Casemiro has gone and so too has the air of invincibility around Carlo Ancelotti's side.

Indeed, Madrid are malfunctioning rightnow. They are eight points behind Liga leaders Barcelona and are playing with nothing like the same panache or self-belief as last season.

While Liverpool certainly have problems of their own, they have no need to fear Madrid – and here's why…

• Faults at full-back

  Prior to the 2022 Champions League final, all the focus was on a struggling Dani Carvajal, who was matched up against a then-red hot Luis Diaz. But the right-back held his own, and kept one of the Reds' most influential players relatively quiet.

  This time, it might not be so easy — albeit against different personnel. Carvajal has been in and out of the team over the last month, struggling with both injury and fatigue.

  On Tuesday, he will square up to a different kind of player in Darwin Nunez. The forward isn't as refined as Diaz, nor is he really as good. But Nunez can create chaos and, for all of his faults, is fast, strong and coming into form. Basically, he's not the guy you want to go up against if you're in physical decline.

  On the other side, David Alaba will face a different issue. The left-back has only recently come back into the team after nearly a month out, and is yet to be truly tested. Madrid have been easily exploited down his flank in recent weeks, too, especially with Vinicius given licence to stay higher up the pitch. With Mo Salah showing signs of being back to his best, Alaba has a long 90 minutes ahead.

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  A makeshift midfield

  Aurelien Tchouameni was a perfect signing for Madrid.

  He replaced an ageing legend in Casemiro, injecting boundless energy into a leggy midfield, and restoring defensive solidity that was just starting to wane.

  Perhaps most importantly of all, he was nicked from the noses of Liverpool.

  However, Tchoaumeni will not play on Tuesday having been ruled out with illness, with fellow midfield stalwart Toni Kroos joining him on the sidelines.

  Real do, at least, have depth in midfield. Eduardo Camavinga has been excellent in recent weeks, while Modric always seems to show up on Champions League nights.

  What happens in the other position remains to be seen, though. Dani Ceballos is the current flavour of the month, but hasn't maintained his electric form, while Fede Valverde, another former Liverpool target, is also an option.

  Regardless, it looks like Madrid will have to piece together a midfield trio that has never before started a game together. And against a Reds unit that is just starting to find its feet again, that could be an issue.

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  Benzema's struggles

  For all of last year, Benzema was a certainty for Real Madrid. Regardless of the game, opponent, or situation, Benzema delivered. It's what won him the Ballon D'Or.

  This year, though, the Frenchman has needed protecting slightly. The 35-year-old has struggled with various knocks and missed nearly two months with a muscle injury. And while he's still been in the side for big games, Benzema's production and on-field presence has certainly dropped off.

  His numbers are, of course, not to be sniffed at. He has still scored 11 times in La Liga. But, remarkably, he doesn't have a Champions League goal to his name so far this season.

  Indeed, against the best teams, on the biggest stage, Madrid's star man has been slightly off-kilter. A trip to Anfield could bring the best out of Benzema but there's no denying that his poor form cannot be construed as anything but encouraging for Liverpool.

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  Ancelotti's errors

  Welcome back, big-game Carlo.

  The last time Ancelotti played Liverpool, his side was at full strength. He later admitted that he had to do little in the way of tactical preparation; he knew exactly how Jurgen Klopp's side would set up, revealing that the Reds' "very clear identity" made them "easier to decipher" than the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

  It certainly went swimmingly for Ancelotti in the end, with Madrid securing their 14th European Cup by shutting down Liverpool's star forwards and then hitting them with a killer goal on the break.

  This year, though, the manager has some choices to make. And he hasn't always got them right this season. In the Spanish Super Cup, he failed to react to Barcelona's modified 4-2-3-1 formation, and saw his side lose 3-1. Against Villarreal, a week before, he stuck with his usual side and saw a more direct Villarreal beat his team 2-1.

  Ancelotti has been a manager long enough to know when to stick to his guns, and when to tinker. And he seldom does the latter, entrusting his core group with his signature, laissez-faire form of football, which so often gets results out of big-game players.

  This year, though, big-game Carlo seems to have lost his Midas touch. Will he really be able to find it at Anfield?..

A classic smash-and-grab saw Spain earn an unlikely 1-0 victory over Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the Nations League.

La Roja will join Croatia, Italy and the Netherlands in the Nations League finals – though for much of Tuesday's game it didn't look like they'd get the job done.

Spain had barely created anything of note throughout, but in the 88th minute, Alvaro Morata popped up to crash home Nico Williams' clever knockdown and send his country top of League A2.

Out-of-form Ronaldo had his side's two best chances in front of goal but he spurned them both, firing straight at the goalkeeper on each occasion as his alarming struggle for form continues.

This was hardly a ringing endorsement for either side's World Cup chances either, with Spain often drearily stroking the ball around without any penetration while their opponents were worryingly toothless in front of goal.

The visitors monopolised possession in the opening stages without really imposing themselves, but Portugal had the better chances, with Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota and Bruno Fernandes all having opportunities the first half.

The second period started at some pace but would ultimately follow a similar pattern. Ronaldo spurned a glorious chance just two minutes in, firing straight at the goalkeeper from close range after being slipped in by Jota.

Eventually, Portugal's wastefulness was punished with two minutes to go, as a diagonal pass was headed back across goal by Williams and Morata slammed the ball into the roof of the net from mere yards out.

Ronaldo had one more chance to level, but his fierce strike from a tough angle was straight at Simon at his near post.

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  The Winners

  Nuno Mendes:

  Despite stiff competition, Mendes did his chances of being Portugal's starting left-back at the World Cup no harm with an accomplished display that belied his tender years.

  The 20-year-old was strong on the ball and always backed himself to find his way out of sticky situations and progress the play up the pitch.

  Mendes had the better of a running battle with Torres down his flank, never shirking a challenge.

  Diogo Jota:

  Full of enterprise throughout, Jota demonstrated why he is such an asset for both club and country.

  The Liverpool man posed Portugal's most potent attacking threat and could, and perhaps should, have had a goal and an assist on the night.

  Jota showed excellent control to bring down Bruno's pass before forcing a fine save from Simon, and his driving run from the left wing before slipping Ronaldo in was scintillating.

  South American nations:

  This match was another demonstration of European nations looking well off it in the build-up to the World Cup in Qatar.

  Despite both having a wealth of quality at their disposals, both sides looked bereft of attacking ideas and pedestrian in midfield for large portions of this encounter.

  The likes of Brazil and Argentina will be licking their lips.

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  The Losers

  Bernardo Silva:

  Not his best game as he really struggled to impose himself and influence the game.

  He's perhaps lucky that his starting place is more or less guaranteed, as this was not the most convincing showing in a final cap before the World Cup proper.

  Rafael Leao & Joao Felix:

  Both were overlooked from the start despite impressing in the opening weeks of the 2022-23 season at club level.

  Leao, who did start in a recent win over the Czech Republic, looked sharp off the bench and immediately took the game to Spain, but he needs more minutes and starts to really make his mark for Portugal. He's still not scored his first senior goal for his country.

  Felix, meanwhile, seemingly has no chance to start in Qatar.

  Cristiano Ronaldo & Fernando Santos:

  Much of the debate before kick-off centred on whether an out-of-form Ronaldo should be starting for the Selecao ahead of the World Cup, and Santos opted to ignore the critics and throw him in from the start.

  Although Ronaldo didn't play badly, he still looked like a man who is searching desperately for form, chasing lost causes and running down cul-de-sacs.

  His clearest opening came early in the second half when he was slipped in by Jota, but his effort was straight at the onrushing Simon. It's a chance the Ronaldo of years gone by would have taken.

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  Portugal ratings: Defence

  Diogo Costa (5/10):

  Largely a spectator, with Spain barely threatening his goal before Morata smashed in.

  Joao Cancelo (5/10):

  A more defensive, less adventurous shift than we are used to seeing in the Premier League. Beaten in the air by Williams.

  Danilo Pereira (5/10):

  A no frills display but Spain's attack was blunt.

  Ruben Dias (4/10):

  A fairly straightforward night's work for the Man City man and almost scored, but lost Morata for the winner.

  Nuno Mendes (7/10):

  Good battle with Ferran Torres. Excellent on the ball and faultless defensively.

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  Midfield

  Ruben Neves (5/10):

  Stung the keeper's fingertips with a trademark strike from range and did his defensive work, but fairly quiet.

  William Carvalho (5/10):

  Busied himself breaking up Spain's play in midfield but occasionally a little loose in possession.

  Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

  Had a blast that looked in but was the wrong side of the net. Scurried about but rarely affected play.

With a spot in Qatar now secured, GOAL looks back at the team's road to the World Cup

The U.S. men's national team is headed back to the World Cup.

After eight years away, the U.S. are returning to the world's biggest tournament as they sealed their spot in Qatar after a gruelling 14-game run through CONCACAF.

It was a slog that had several highs and a few notable lows as a young U.S. team learned some of the harsh realities about World Cup qualifying in North America.

When all was said and done, though, the U.S. booked their spot in Qatar, putting to rest any lingering pessimism from that failed 2018 cycle.

Here's a look back at how the USMNT navigated their way back to the World Cup…

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  El Salvador 0-0 USMNT (September 2)

  After a summer that saw the U.S. win both the Gold Cup and Nations League, a young group marched into World Cup qualifying with plenty of confidence.

  They talked of a nine-point window, of continuing to ride the momentum built up during a near-perfect summer run.

  That didn't happen.

  The U.S. were frustrated in their first match of the cycle, a 0-0 draw against a very game El Salvador, as they learned that qualifying wouldn't be as easy as they imagined.

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  USMNT 1-1 Canada (September 5)

  If the stalemate against El Salvador was a humbling one, the draw with Canada a few days later was enough to set off alarm bells.

  After two games, the U.S. amassed just two points, with goals from Brenden Aaronson and Cyle Larin cancelling each other out in Nashville. It was a rough start to qualifying and, with 2018 still hanging over everyone's head, it was enough reason for a little bit of panic.

  Furthering that panic? The suspension to Weston McKennie, who would be excluded due to violating team Covid protocols.

  In hindsight, though, McKennie's situation worked itself out, and this was more about Canada than the U.S., as this was an early sign that the USMNT's northern neighbors would prove to be a major player in this qualifying cycle.

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  Honduras 1-4 USMNT (September 8)

  Exhale.

  The win in San Pedro Sula got the USMNT right back on track, even if talk of a nine-point window ended with only five.

  The U.S. blitzed Honduras away from home, making up for the points dropped against Canada at home, despite going down 1-0 early on.

  After half-time the U.S. were unplayable, with Antonee Robinson's 48th minute goal setting the tone for what was to follow.

  Rircado Pepi, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget joined Robinson on the scoresheet as the USMNT finished the first window on a high.

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  USMNT 2-0 Jamaica (October 7)

  The Ricardo Pepi game.

  The now former FC Dallas star had his coming out party in Austin, scoring twice against Jamaica to all but seal his spot as the No.9 going forward. In front of what was close to a hometown crowd, Pepi did the business, continuing his breakout start to life with the national team.

  With eight points from four games, the U.S. were on their way, and they had what looked to be a reliable striker leading the charge.

Marcel Brands should look to revive Everton’s interest in AFC Bournemouth star Arnaut Danjuma amid Carlo Ancelotti’s plans to sign a winger this summer.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Toffees will prioritise the arrival of a new wide forward and right-back in the next transfer window.

The Goodison Park outfit feel there is a lot of depth to the attacker market this summer and will focus efforts on signing a left-footed option between the age of 20-25/6.

Ancelotti currently has no natural left-footed wide player with James Rodriguez’s best position through the centre, while Richarlison, Alex Iwobi, Joshua King, Bernard, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Anthony Gordon all favour their right.

Everton are also expected to part with right-footed wingers Theo Walcott and Yannick Bolasie once their contracts expire in June, and only have one left-footed forward in the Under 23s in Josh Bowler.

However, Bowler is likely to leave Merseyside on loan next season having been unable to secure a temporary move away in either of the previous two windows due to a hip flexor injury.

Moise Kean, who has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, may also leave at the end of the term, with Everton viewing the Italian striker as their most sellable asset to help generate additional funds for summer arrivals.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-everton-news%2c-views-and-gossip” title=”Latest Everton news, views and gossip!”]

Bernard, a rumoured target for Real Betis under Manuel Pellegrini, is also facing an uncertain future at Goodison Park as he enters into the final year of his £120,000-per-week contract.

Should Everton revive their Danjuma interest?

The Liverpool Echo do not name any players who may be on Everton’s radar to improve Ancelotti’s wide forward options this summer, but a player they have previously been linked with, Danjuma, should be one worth considering despite being right-footed.

The Daily Mail noted in 2019 that the Toffees, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur were among a clutch of Premier League clubs tracking Danjuma while the attacker played for Club Brugge before sealing a £13.5m move to Bournemouth.

A string of injuries heavily impacted the Dutch international’s debut campaign at the Vitality Stadium, with Danjuma only making 16 appearances across all competitions as the Cherries were relegated to the Championship.

A hamstring injury again ensured he would miss game time over the winter this term, but Danjuma is absolutely flying in the second-tier now that he is fully fit with eight goals and five assists in his last 10 games to take his tally for the campaign to 14 goals, seven assists.

Of those goals, seven have come with his left foot and seven with his right, despite favouring the latter – only natural left-footer Andre Ayew (13) and centre-forward Adam Armstrong (9) have scored more with their left in the Championship this term, per WhoScored.

Danjuma’s efforts as the Cherries contend for an immediate top-flight return have again attracted Premier League interest, with West Ham and Southampton touted as potential suitors for the 24-year-old livewire.

Brands beating the Hammers and Saints to the punch would see the Blues Director of Football gift Ancelotti a forward Bournemouth boss Jonathan Woodgate considers an “exceptional” talent, and one the Dutchman previously worked with.

Brands told NRC back in 2018 that he let Danjuma leave PSV Eindhoven while at the Eredivisie giants, after he requested to be allowed to join Club Brugge after failing to establish himself in the first-team at the Philips Stadion.

PSV’s loss is now proving to be to Bournemouth’s gain, but for how much longer he remains in red-and-black remains to be seen. Especially if Brands were to revive Everton’s interest amid Ancelotti’s search for a new wide forward this summer.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti set to make shrewd Everton appointment with “hugely popular” coach…

Despite making €250 million a year less than the Red Devils, the Bianconeri have consistently outperformed their English rivals in the transfer market

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  2009-10 | Juventus vs Man Utd

  JUVENTUS

  Spent: £49m (€55m)  Received: £13m (€14.5m)

  Notable Signings: Diego (£25m from Wolfsburg), Felipe Melo (£23m from Fiorentina)

  Notable Sales: Domenico Criscito (£4m to Genoa Co-ownership)

  MANCHESTER UNITED

  Spent: £23m (€26m),  Received: £83.5m

  Notable Signings: Antonio Valencia (£16m from Wigan)

  Notable Sales: Cristiano Ronaldo (£80m to Real Madrid)

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  2010-11 | Juventus vs Man Utd

  JUVENTUS

  Spent: £52.65m (€59.35m), Received: £52m (€41.7m)

  Notable Signings: Leonardo Bonucci (£13.5m from Bari), Milos Krasic (£15m from CSKA Moscow), Andrea Barzagli (£300k from Wolfsburg)

  Notable Sales: Diego (£21m to Wolfsburg)

  MANCHESTER UNITED

  Spent: £29m (€33m), Received: £11m (€12.5m)

  Notable Signings: Javier Hernandez (£7m from Chivas), Chris Smalling (£10m from Fulham)

  Notable Sales: Zoran Tosic (£7.5m to CSKA Moscow)

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  2011-12 | Juventus vs Man Utd

  JUVENTUS

  Spent: £78m (€89m), Received: £15m (€17m)

  Notable Signings: Andrea Pirlo (Free from AC Milan), Alessandro Matri (£15m from Cagliari), Arturo Vidal (£10.5m from Leverkusen), Mirko Vucinic (£13m from Roma)

  Notable Sales: Ciro Immobile (£3m to Genoa, Co-ownership)

  MANCHESTER UNITED

  Spent £56m (€63m), Received: £11m (€12.5m)

  Notable Signings: Phil Jones (£16.5m from Blackburn), Ashley Young (£20m from Aston Villa), David De Gea (£19m from Atletico Madrid)

  Notable Sales: John O'Shea and Wes Brown (Both to Sunderland, £6m)

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  2012-13 | Juventus vs Man Utd

  JUVENTUS

  Spent: £49m (€55m), Received: £17.7m (€20m)

  Notable Signings: Kwadwo Asamoah (£9m from Udinese), Paul Pogba (Free from Manchester United)

  Notable Sales: Eljero Elia (£7.5m to Werder Bremen), Milos Krasic (£7m to Fenerbahce)

  MANCHESTER UNITED

  Spent £75m (€83.4m), Received: £9m (€10.15)

  Notable Signings: Robin Van Persie (£24m from Arsenal), Shinji Kagawa (£17m from Dortmund), Wilfried Zaha (£15m from Crystal Palace)

  Notable Sales: Dimitar Berbatov (£4.5m to Fulham)

After a record-breaking summer, which players could be on the move in January? In no particular order, Goal presents 30 to keep an eye on…

• 1Arthur Melo (Gremio)

  Arthur is rated as one of the top prospects to come out of Brazil since Neymar, and is creating a similar buzz going into the January window. The young midfielder was pictured in a Barcelona shirt, fuelling rumours he was Camp Nou-bound – but the Catalans may yet face competition from arch-rivals Real Madrid for his signature.

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  2Javier Pastore (PSG)

  According to reports in France, Javier Pastore has already told his Paris Saint-Germain team-mates that he will be leaving in January. The Argentine has performed well when he has started this season but finds himself on the bench when everyone is available, and at 28 he looks set to pursue a new opportunity.

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  3Joao Mario (Inter)

  Joao Mario cost Inter more than €40m but a lack of starts may persuade him to seek a move away from San Siro in the January transfer window. Manchester United were said to be interested in the Portuguese playmaker when he left Sporting and could return with a bid.

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  4Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan)

  There is a mutiny breaking out at Milan, where many fans have again turned on the young goalkeeper they once adored. The controversy over Gianluigi Donnarumma's new contract at San Siro continues to roll on and given Mino Raiola is unlikely to attempt to calm things down, it could eventually force him out of the club.

For a brief moment earlier this week, it had seemed as if the sport of football that we all know and love was under serious threat.

Six Premier League clubs – Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur – announced their intentions to join a European Super League alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter.

This led to a huge backlash from football fans around the world, who were rightly angry at the club’s disregard for loyal supporters, with the decision to join clearly based on the huge financial incentives rather than the benefit of the team.

The various clubs involved were clearly desperate to re-establish themselves as the footballing elite, as it seems remarkable that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal were afforded an invitation despite their domestic struggles in recent seasons, as participation was based on finances alone.

Fortunately, thanks to millions of football fans voicing their concerns over the league, as well as the proposed sanctions from UEFA, the clubs were quick to withdraw, with Chelsea and Manchester City among the first to back out of the European Super League.

Thankfully, Man City chairman Sheikh Mansour saw sense and listened to the concerns of fans and players alike, with City talisman Kevin De Bruyne one of many Premier League players to post their feelings about the league on social media.

Considering that UEFA reportedly threatened to kick Manchester City out of the Premier League and Champions League as punishment for their actions, there is no doubt that Pep Guardiola is also delighted with the club’s eventual decision to withdraw, as his side have enjoyed a superb campaign and are on the cusp of glory on three fronts.

The Spaniard voiced his own concerns on the league in a press conference earlier this week, saying (via Sky Sports): “I have said many times, I want the best and strongest competition possible, especially the Premier League

“And it’s not fair if one team fights to make it to the top and then cannot qualify because success is just guaranteed for a few clubs.”

Therefore, considering that UEFA are now unlikely to punish the clubs so harshly now that they have withdrawn, Guardiola will undoubtedly be delighted that his team can get back to focusing on the rest of the season, where they will hopefully earn all the success which comes their way.

In other news… Forget Foden: “Exceptional” Man City beast ran the show at Villa Park

Goal takes a look at some of the wives and girlfriends of the biggest footballing talent at the World Cup.

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  Georgina Rodriguez

  Model Georgina Rodriguez is the girlfriend of five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. She's recently had their daughter Alana Martina which is the couple's first together and the fourth of Ronaldo's children. 

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  Antonella Roccuzzo

  Barcelona and Argentina captain Lionel Messi tied the knot with Antonella Roccuzzo in June 2017. The childhood sweethearts have three sons together. 

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  Shakira

  Shakira entered a relationship with the Spanish football player Gerard Piqué after he was part of her 'Waka Waka' video for the South Africa 2010 World Cup. The couple now have two children together. 

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• Katie Goodland

  England forward Harry Kane met fiance Katie Goodland while they was still at school. The pair are now expecting their second child and got engaged while on holiday in 2017.

Nigel Adkins’ reign as Charlton Athletic boss began with a 2-2 draw against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon, though but for a defensive error, it could have been a perfect start.

The Addicks went into the break with the lead before the Dons were gifted a peach of a goal just 20 minutes into the second half when Ryan Longman tapped home his second after Akin Famewo clumsily under-hit a backpass to Ben Amos.

“We’ve conceded two really poor goals. The second, in particular – it’s about decision-making. I don’t understand why they have gone and made that decision,” lambasted Adkins in his post-game interview.

A lot of the blame could be shifted onto the young 20-year-old Norwich City loanee, but there were far more experienced members of the squad that let Adkins down in his very first game.

No visiting player was as wasteful as Chris Gunter, who has played under Adkins before at Reading.

The 31-year-old Welsh international lost possession a whopping 21 times, which was the most of any Addicks player, meaning he was at fault for handing the ball back to the opposition more than anyone else.

This will surely have Adkins fuming as he should be able to rely on the veteran.

Gunter also struggled to help contribute further up the pitch, failing to provide a single accurate cross from four attempts. Having opened the scoring with a header from Jayden Stockley, you’d expect to hit the opposition and their glaring weakness more often but the right-back failed to do that.

To cap an abysmal showing all-round, the 5 foot 11 dynamo was dribbled past once and could only make 71% of his 45 passing attempts – the second-worst of any outfield player in red, via SofaScore.

Had Gunter not been so careless with possession, then the Addicks may have been able to create more genuine goalscoring opportunities, and thus the one lapse in judgement from Famewo would’ve meant very little.

Aside from that, the centre-back was solid. He managed to record six clearances, two blocks and one tackle, whilst also winning nine of 13 duels, as per SofaScore.

It was Gunter who let his old boss down with a very underwhelming showing on Saturday afternoon.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Rob Lee reacts to Nigel Adkins’ appointment as Charlton manager

Glasgow Rangers defender Leon Balogun has slammed UEFA and FIFA amid the racism row involving Glen Kamara.

Balogun slams governing bodies

During the Gers’ 2-0 defeat to Slavia Prague at Ibrox in their Europa League round of 16 second leg, Kamara was the subject of alleged racist abuse from Ondrej Kudela.

Slavia have moved to deny those allegations (slavia.cz), while Kamara has released a statement backing up his claim. Speaking to German publication Kicker, Balogun has slammed the governing bodies’ lack of action, as he said:

“What is missing: That UEFA or FIFA will take action. I am no longer interested in these wretched campaigns. That is all well and good, but the campaign content must also be lived authentically and must not remain just empty words. Designing captain’s armbands with the label “No Racism” is of no use if racist incidents are not punished again in the end. I have the feeling that “People of Color” are used to promote the supposedly cosmopolitan and inclusive values ​​of the FIFA and UEFA brands. But when it is precisely these players that are attacked, far too often people are silent. I would like the expensive campaigns to be followed by action.”

Hard to disagree

It is hard to disagree with Balogun – it feels as though there is a distinct lack of desire from both UEFA and FIFA to make real strides in the battle against racism. Incredibly, the £80,000 fine Nicklas Bendtner received for showing Paddy Power on his boxer shorts at Euro 2012 was higher than all but one punishment dished out by UEFA for racism offences in the previous decade (inews.co.uk).

While campaigns such as Say No to Racism and even kneeling as part of the Black Lives Matters movement might raise a certain amount of awareness to the cause, it is nowhere near enough to eradicate this issue. UEFA and FIFA must both do more in this fight rather than hoping the problem goes away.

In other news, Rangers eye this defender as Filip Helander is linked with a move away from Ibrox.