FROMTHE
ASSISTANT
EDITOR
SPAIN
Mbappedeal
‘scandalous’
TheSpanishtop flightlauncheda scathing
attackonParisSaint-GermainandKylian
MbappeaftertheFrench internationalstriker
agreeda bumpernewcontractwith theFrench
champions,andrejectedanofferfromReal
Madrid. TheSpanishgiantshada bidrejected
forMbappe last summer,butwithhiscontract
duetoexpirethisyearMadridthoughtthey
hadtheirman.
However, afterfurthernegotiationswith both
clubs,the WorldCup-winningforwardfinally
endedthe transfer saga by signinga three-
yearcontractworth a reported€4.7million
a month,promptingfuryfromSpain.
“LaLigawishestostatethatthistype
ofagreementattackstheeconomicstability
ofEuropeanfootball,puttingatriskhundreds
ofthousandsof jobs andtheintegrityof the
sport,notonlyinEuropeancompetitions,but
alsoindomesticleagues,” saidastatement.
“Itisscandalousthata clublikePSG,
whichlast seasonreportedlossesofmore
than€220mafter accumulating lossesof
morethan€700minpriorseasons(while
reportingsponsorshipincomeat doubtful
valuation),with a squadcostaround€650m
forthisseason,can close suchanagreement.”
Theleague alsoconfirmedthattheywould
filea complaintagainst PSG, beforeadding:
“Thisbehaviourdemonstratesoncemore
thatstate ownedclubsdonot respect
anddonotwanttorespecttherules
ofa sectorasimportantasfootball.”
MoreonMbappeonpage 46 - 47.
Well, thereitis– anotherseasondoneanddusted.
Noseasongoesbywithout anydrama at all,butthisone
managedto pack plentyin,and nowheremoresothanin
theChampionsLeague.
Itall seemssolongagonow that Real Madridwerestunned
bythe virtuallyunknown SheriffTiraspol, as theMoldovan
championssnatcheda 2-1victoryat theBernabeu.
Thejourneyofbothclubs sincethatSeptemberevening
goesa longwayto illustratinghowextraordinarya season
thishasbeen– bothon andoff
thepitch.While Madridwenton
towin thetrophyinseemingly
impossiblecircumstances,
producing astonishingcomebacks
againstthe Frenchchampions,
lastseason’sEuropeanchampions
andtheEnglish champions,
Sheriff’s seasonwastransformed
inanaltogetherdifferentway,
astheirUkrainiancoach Yuriy
Vernydublefttogoandfight
Russia’sinvasionofhis home country.
ThewarinUkrainehasovershadowedmuchofthe second
halfofthe season,yetfootballhasattemptedto play itspart
insupportingitsvictims.Ukrainianflagshavebeena regular
sight acrossEuropeangrounds,nonemoreso than the
EtihadStadium in Manchester,whereOleksandrZinchenko,
wrappedin hiscountry’s colours,weptasheheldhisPremier
Leaguewinners’medalandthanked theManchesterCity
fansfortheirsupport. It wasa touchingendtoan
extraordinary final dayofthe season.
Elsewhere,Europeanroyalty MilanreturnedtotheItalian
throne,joining Real,City, ParisSaint-Germain,Bayern
Munich,AjaxandPortoin winningtheir league
titles,whileEintracht Frankfurt
andRomasecuredhistoric
Europeansuccesses.
Allof theabove,andmore,
arecoveredinthisissue.
JamieEvans,AssistantEditor
12 WORLDSOCCER
ThewarinUkraine
hasovershadowed
muchofthesecond
halfoftheseason,
yetfootballhas
attemptedtoplayits
partinsupporting
itsvictims
Staying...PSG’s KylianMbappewithclubCEONasser
AlKhelaifi at hiscontractextensionpressconference
THEWORLD THISMONTH
