“They didn’t do as much running yesterday but what they did was work smarter.” Given that Ralf Rangnick only had one day on the training ground with Manchester United’s players last week, few would have expected to see much of a difference when they took to the field against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon. United […]

4 years ago

The incident took place immediately after Sergi Canos had given Brentford the lead The Football Association is investigating after two Brentford players were allegedly struck by objects thrown by Leeds supporters during Sunday afternoons’s 2-2 draw at Elland Road. The incident happened in the immediate aftermath of Sergi Canos’ goal for the visitors, just after […]

4 years ago

Week 17 Christmas is nearly here. With that, comes the promise of a big, fat FootballJOE Quiz of the year. While we throw that together, the FootballJOE Pub Quiz will be taken a winter break, returning in the New Year. Next week’s edition, Week 18, will be the last of 2021. Consider this your notice. […]

4 years ago

Patel claimed all ten of India’s wickets in Mumbai, the city of his birth New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel made cricketing history on Saturday by becoming just the third bowler ever to claim all 10 wickets in a single Test innings. Patel took all four of India’s wickets on day one of the second Test in […]

4 years ago

Moyes feels for Lingard after his limited playing time this season West Ham manager David Moyes has said he is disappointed for Jesse Lingard over his lack of playing time at Manchester United this season. Lingard spent the second half of last season on loan with the London club, scoring nine goals for them and […]

4 years ago

“27 minutes for 27 years” Everton fans are being urged by several of the club’s supporters’ groups to stage a walk out protest during Monday’s game against Arsenal. The Toffees were convincingly beaten by Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday, prolonging their winless run to eight games. Fans have grown increasingly frustrated with owner […]

4 years ago

Rangnick’s at the wheel Ralf Rangnick has said he could recommend to Manchester United that he stays on as their manager beyond the end of the season. The German has been appointed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor on an interim basis for six months and will remain at Old Trafford in an advisory capacity for […]

4 years ago

Eriksen is continuing his rehabilitation in his homeland Christian Eriksen is using the training facilities of the football club he represented during his youth as he continues his rehabilitation from the cardiac arrest he suffered at Euro 2020. Eriksen collapsed during the first half of Denmark’s opening game of the tournament against Finland in the […]

4 years ago

Rangnick is now free to begin his work as United manager Ralf Rangnick has been granted a work permit, allowing him to begin his role as Manchester United’s new interim manager. Following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last month, United confirmed earlier this week that the German would take charge until the end of […]

4 years ago

“I have no comment” Mo Salah can’t stop scoring. On Wednesday he helped himself to a couple of goals as Liverpool breezed past Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, taking his tally for the season to 19 (we’re only just in December). You just never doubt him now. Makes this sort of finish […]

4 years ago

“In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault.” The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has announced the immediate suspension of all of its tournaments in China due to […]

4 years ago

Carrick insists Ronaldo will still be able to fit into Ralf Rangnick’s system Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick has said it is a “myth” that Cristiano Ronaldo is unable to play in a pressing team. Ronaldo has drawn criticism for a lack of effort in closing opponents down in recent weeks, with statistics in […]

4 years ago

Sancho could have signed for Arsenal as a child. Over a decade on, he prepares to face them for the first time at senior level Amidst the turbulence of the last fortnight, Jadon Sancho has offered Manchester United a reason for optimism. Little over 48 hours on from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s painfully drawn-out dismissal as […]

4 years ago

Calling all football stadium nerds Dead simple, this. We’ve given you 50 pictures of football stadiums from around the world. All you need to do is correctly identify which clubs call them home from the options given below each one. You might think, after you breeze through the first ten questions, that it’s pathetically easy. […]

4 years ago

Rangnick is the new manager of Manchester United Manchester United have confirmed Ralf Rangnick as their new manager, taking charge of the club until the end of the season. The German agreed personal terms with United in the week, but an agreement had to be reached with Lokomotiv Moscow, where he had been head of […]

4 years ago

“It can be overwhelming for a young player coming into this world. They can get a bit lost.” Kevin Davies has always derived a sense of satisfaction from helping people, so when he heard what his old club were planning, he picked up the phone. Last July, Bolton Wanderers defender Gethin Jones had been preparing […]

4 years ago

Pundits have been described as “irresponsible” for making such suggestions without evidence Scientists have strongly criticised suggestions that the recent collapses of three footballers were in some way linked to the Covid vaccine. On Thursday, Wigan Athletic’s Charlie Wyke was taken to hospital after he collapsed during a training session. Earlier in the week, Sheffield […]

4 years ago

Paine stepped down as captain last week after learning details of a historical investigation into a ‘sexting’ incident would be made public Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine has decided to take an immediate break from all forms of cricket, Cricket Tasmania have confirmed. He relinquished the Australian captaincy last week as he learned details […]

4 years ago

“It’s the hardest thing for families to go through…” Three of England’s Lionesses have shared their first-hand experiences of dementia in a video released as part of the recently announced partnership between the Football Association and Alzheimer’s Society. Niamh Charles, Alessia Russo and Jill Scott, who are preparing for World Cup qualifiers against Austria and […]

4 years ago

United are said to be happy to stick to their original plan Manchester United are reportedly happy to stick to their plan of waiting until the end of the season before appointing a permanent replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Solskjaer was finally relieved of his duties on Sunday after United were beaten 4-1 at Watford […]

4 years ago

Week 15 So there we are. International football is done with for another year. Back to the good stuff. This week, you’ll find rounds on Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, shirt number crimes (thank you, Dani Alves) and on our legendary Wikipedia Career Paths. There’s a whole series of those once you’re done with this quiz. Time […]

4 years ago

Solskjaer is gone, but the main problems remain at Manchester United It had been coming. That Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was even present in the dugout at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon for what proved to be a final humiliation serves as a reminder as to where the real problems at Manchester United continue to fester. […]

4 years ago

With help from Muhammad Owasim Uddin Bhuyan Abdus Sattar wept as he explained his decision to his pregnant wife. He would be gone for years – missing the birth of his first child Dhaka was Abdus’ home. He had grown up among the Bangladeshi capital’s vast urban sprawl. The sights and smells of its thronging […]

4 years ago

Lingard is thought to be edging towards a permanent exit from Old Trafford Jesse Lingard appears to have dropped a not-so-subtle hint about his future on Instagram as reports that talks over a new deal at Manchester United have collapsed. He spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, where he […]

4 years ago

Solskjaer is desperate to turn United’s season around – and save his job The international break is over and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is *still* manager of Manchester United. Humiliating home defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City have not been enough to convince the decision-makers at Old Trafford to wield the axe, with Solskjaer set to […]

4 years ago

Hales has explained he was attending a fancy dress party as Tupac Shakur Former England cricketer Alex Hales has issued an apology after a photo was published which showed him wearing black make-up. Hales, who has this week denied allegations that he named his own dog after a racial slur, has said he was attempting […]

4 years ago

Paine will participate in the first Ashes Test next month, despite stepping down Australia Test captain Tim Paine has stepped down from his position over a historical investigation into texts he sent to a female colleague. The 36-year-old fought back tears as he said he had sent messages to a co-worker at Cricket Tasmania in […]

4 years ago

Amnesty have urged the FA to do more to apply pressure on Qatari authorities and FIFA Amnesty International have responded to England’s qualification for the 2022 World Cup by urging the Football Association to apply pressure on Qatar’s authorities to bring about lasting reform to protect the country’s migrant workers. Qatar’s human rights record has […]

4 years ago

Barry has denied the allegations against him Former England international Gareth Barry has been charged with breaching FA rules on ownership over an alleged investment in Swindon Town eight years ago. The allegations first came to light during a High Court case involving the League Two club’s former owner Lee Power in May 2020. It […]

4 years ago

Hoffman has left his position as chairman of the Premier League The chairman of the Premier League, Gary Hoffman, has resigned from his role as chairman of the Premier League after facing criticism from top flight clubs over the handling of Newcastle’s Saudi Arabia-backed takeover, the Athletic has confirmed. Hoffman’s appointment as Premier League chairman […]

4 years ago

“I wouldn’t expect every one of them to have an opinion but for those who do, I’d encourage them to express it as they have a big platform.” Chelsea defender Magdalena Eriksson has urged more footballers to speak out about their concerns about the hosting of the 2022 men’s World Cup by Qatar, admitting she […]

4 years ago

Week 14 The final international break of the year, and we’re now pretty much exactly 12 months away from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. To mark that milestone, we’ve dedicated an entire round of this week’s quiz to the last World Cup in Russia in 2018. The return to English football of Steven Gerrard […]

4 years ago

Zlatan got away with the incident but ended up on the losing side in Seville Zlatan Ibrahimovic escaped punishment after cameras caught him bringing Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta to the ground with a forceful shoulder charge as Spain edged out Sweden to secure a place at the 2022 World Cup. The incident occurred towards the end […]

4 years ago

Portugal were seconds away from qualification Portugal have failed to book their automatic qualification spot in next summer’s winter’s (still feels weird) World Cup after a late, late Aleksandar Mitrovic winner consigned them to the play-offs. Cristiano Ronaldo and co. needed just a single point to confirm their place in Qatar after being held to […]

4 years ago

Next year’s World Cup is set to cause major disruption for domestic football The Premier League has confirmed the dates for the 2022/23 season, giving football fans a first glimpse of the interruption the 2022 World Cup will cause to the domestic schedule. The Qatar World Cup is set to begin on November 21 of […]

4 years ago

It’s been a hell of a ride since Gareth Southgate took charge of the England team in 2016… A World Cup semi-final nobody saw coming, then, three years later, a first major final since 1966. We won’t mention how it ended… Though a major title has so far eluded them, England have been transformed under […]

4 years ago

This is getting exhausting now No, Manchester United still haven’t sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They are, however, reportedly giving serious thought to making Brendan Rodgers their new manager – should Ed Woodward decide to wield his big, shiny, Chevrolet-sponsored axe. Extremely humiliating home defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City have piled the pressure on Solskjaer, […]

4 years ago

45 names, 10 minutes to find them Since Stanley Matthews was named the inaugural winner in 1956, 45 men have won the Ballon d’Or. Here, we’re asking you to try and name as many of them as you possibly can in ten minutes. The last decade or so should be pretty straightforward, with the award […]

4 years ago

Quiz time Once again, the time has come to put your otherwise-pointless football knowledge to the test. This time, we’re after every club to contest a Champions League final… Or, as it used to be known in the olden days, a European Cup final. Since Real Madrid beat Reims – you can have those two […]

4 years ago

The Premier League have opted to block the proposal The Premier League has reportedly turned down a proposal from homeless charity Shelter which would have seen clubs play home fixtures in their away kits on Boxing Day. As reported by Sportsmail, Shelter had approached some of the clubs hosting Premier League fixtures on December 26 […]

4 years ago

Week 13 So here we are then: the final international break of the calendar year. This time, it’s a good one, where plenty of countries across Europe can confirm their spots at next year’s World Cup. To mark such a momentous time, this week’s pub quiz has a couple of rounds which have been heavily […]

4 years ago

We knew Barca’s finances weren’t great, but this is something else… Xavi appears to be inching ever closer to becoming Barcelona’s new manager. The club’s legendary midfielder was quickly named as one of the favourites in the immediate aftermath of Ronald Koeman’s dismissal earlier this month, but Barca have struggled to reach an agreement with […]

4 years ago

Barcelona have paid the release clause Legendary Barcelona midfielder Xavi looks set to seal an imminent return to the club as manager after Al-Sadd confirmed they had reached an agreement for his departure. Barca sacked Ronald Koeman earlier this months following a poor start to the season. Though Xavi was instantly named as one of […]

4 years ago

The former England captain has strongly denied the allegations Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has claimed he heard Michael Vaughan making racially insensitive comments to a group of Asian players while at Yorkshire. Rana played at Yorkshire as the county’s overseas player between 2008 and 2009. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, he says he remembers an incident in 2009 […]

4 years ago

Oliver’s decision was upheld by VAR Mats Hummels has hit out at Premier League referee Michael Oliver for his decision to show him a straight red card on Wednesday night. The Borussia Dortmund defender was dismissed after half an hour of his side’s Champions League clash with Ajax for an innocuous-looking challenge on Antony. The […]

4 years ago

Is football doing anywhere near enough to tackle the climate crisis? This, the experts say, is our last chance. The climate crisis is very real: the signs – from searing heatwaves to melting glaciers and deadly floods – are growing increasingly common. Last summer, as parts of western Germany and Belgium were reeling from the […]

4 years ago

“Not strong enough for a centre-back…” Over the years, we’ve come to know that Louis van Gaal is a man who is rarely afraid to speak his mind – even if it means upsetting people in the process. Throughout his management career, which has seen him take charge of some of European football’s most prestigious […]

4 years ago

Week 11 Right. We’re eleven whole editions into this thing now. You know your way around now, don’t you? Good. Let’s waste no time then. You’re 20 questions away from being able to brag to your mates about your unbeatable score. Oh, and if you are new to this and fancy catching up, click here. […]

4 years ago

Never change, Jose Just for a second, it really did seem like Jose Mourinho was going to do the unthinkable: admit that something was *entirely* his fault. Thursday was a particularly rough night for the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss. His Roma side were embarrassed 6-1 by FK Bodø/Glimt in a competition we […]

4 years ago

Never change, Paul Given what had just unfolded at Old Trafford, you’d have forgiven those connected with Manchester United for getting a little bit carried away. Still reeling from the dismal defeat at Leicester at the weekend, United found themselves two goals down at home to Atalanta inside half an hour. This, surely, was another […]

4 years ago