Your weekly source of information and entertainment, Sports Journal #29 brought to you by our journalists, is here! 📖⚽

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1/ FOOTBALL QUIZ

2/ INTERVIEW WITH MANEK MT

3/ THE BATTLE FOR THE TOP OF THE EUROPEAN LEAGUES

4/ BORAT UNCOVERS A CONSPIRACY! PART 2

5/ REAL MADRID VS MANCHESTER CITY

6/ REFEREEING CONTROVERSIES THROUGH THE EYES OF MANAGER #1

FOOTBALL QUIZ

👑 The winners of the last edition are: (Legacy)

100 Keys 🔑 Premium - PanEgo

10,000 ⚡ Energy - Brtek & DamianosDW

Hello! I'm here with another part of the football quiz series. Of course, there are prizes in the form of 100 Keys 🔑 Premium for the first person to answer correctly and 10,000 ⚡ Energy for two random people with the correct answer. Let's get started!

1/ Player name and surname:

A Belgian defender who has gained recognition in recent years as one of the most solid defenders in Ligue 1. Although he is not as well-known in the media as other Belgian players, his career is developing dynamically, and he himself may soon end up at an even bigger club. He was born on May 25, 2000 in Liège and took his first steps in football at the Eupen academy.

However, he did not break into the first team, but was bought by increasingly better Belgian youth teams. The breakthrough in his career was a transfer to KV Oostende in 2020, where he quickly became a key player. Good performance in Belgium attracted the attention of foreign clubs, and in 2021 he went to Italian Bologna on a loan, which later turned into a permanent transfer.

In Serie A, he showed his skills - he was aggressive in tackling, played well with his head and was able to join the offensive. In the summer of 2022, he moved to Stade Rennais for around €20 million. In France, he quickly became a pillar of the defense and proved that he can compete at a high level.

His versatility and ability to play in different tactical systems make him a valuable asset to any team. Thanks to solid performances for Rennes and the Belgian national team, he was bought by Eintracht Frankfurt this winter for a mere €13 million.

Author: Wylewinho

INTERVIEW WITH MANEK MT

Dear Readers!

I would like to warmly welcome you to another edition of Sports Journal! I am Andrzejek, and today's topic will be a classic... interview? Yes, that's right, in this article I will depart from my last format, where I check the achievements of individual players. I do interviews very rarely, but I believe that players like my guest today deserve a moment of attention from you and I think that most of this long-time FootballTeam veteran does not need to be introduced, but if you do not know him, he will do it now.

Andrzejek: Hello, Manek MT!

Manek MT: Hello Andrzejek, hello to the entire FootballTeam community!

Andrzejek: Dear colleague from the opposing team to the competition, we will of course get to our teams later, but before we start the next questions, the most important thing for the good of the entire interview and to satisfy the curiosity of our community is where did the idea for the name of your player come from? And I will ask the second question right away - what were your beginnings related to FootballTeam? How long have you been playing and how far back can you remember?

Manek MT: Hmm, as for the name of my player, I got this nickname from the guys while working in Germany, and the abbreviation MT is an abbreviation of my company Marwi Team.

As for my beginnings, I started with the first server, but the active game was on S3, I think, under the name Damianooo. Later there were more servers. The game started seriously, spending something on packages, in the new formula of FootballTeam Polish server.

Here I would like to greet the players of the Titans team, where they were the first team in history to win the triple crown, winning the National Cup, 1st league and the Champions Tournament.

Andrzejek: You played in the Titans team, whose achievements have undoubtedly been recorded in the history of FootballTeam. Apart from this team, you played for Stiff Boys and were even awarded a blue card, but apart from these two teams you are also an active player of 7more7. Have you played in other clubs in your career?

Manek MT: I don't know why I only got a blue card :-) I played for a few seasons as far as I remember in Nankatsu, Wyspa Klatka Schodowej, Public Enemies, Radioactive Squad, Nowe Rozdanie and there was probably something else there :-)

Andrzejek: My skills don't allow me to answer this question, but maybe the administration will read our interview and at least give you a green card for the classic server (laughter). Apart from the achievement with the Titans team, do you remember any other particularly special ones?

Manek MT:  I have great memories of playing in Stiff Boys - a great team, very well managed. We managed to win many club and individual awards, and many experienced players played there with WKS. As for playing on the Speed ​​server in the 7more7 club, I got there by accident, but there was also a pretty cool team and a balanced competition in SL with the Wolves. As for the team from the Classic 7more7 server, it's a different team, there are veterans and new faces. Sometimes it's better sometimes it's worse, great team, great people 😀

Andrzejek: Currently, both you and I play on the classic server. Tell me how you see the rivalry between Restrictions and 7more7. After all, you are the owner of the 77 team, so maybe you can tell us at least part of the plan for the next season.

Manek MT: Honestly, I don't see the rivalry between our teams anymore. Everyone trains when they have the opportunity and free time for it. There's no point in rivalry between two teams. The plan for the next seasons is to maintain a good atmosphere in the team :-) individually, you can go back to card duels 😀

Andrzejek: As a player, because I think we can boldly call you that, do you expect any specific changes from FootballTeam in this interview?

Manek MT: As a player, I would expect the classic server to return to its roots. As for packages, I think they should be much cheaper, so that more players could afford to buy them. I would generally change the rewards for TT, TTK or TP. More players should receive rewards, even the entire top 50. Or simply make training thresholds for which players will receive rewards.

Andrzejek: From the perspective of a long-time player, do you think that any changes that have been introduced are unnecessary? Would you do anything differently? Is there anything that particularly annoys you in the game?

Manek MT: From the perspective of years, I think that the game is developed nicely, only the price of packages is lower, a lot of resources and you can play :-)

Andrzejek: Is a reset of packages on the classic server necessary for a Manek MT player? :D How do you feel about such resets in the store?

Manek MT: As for the reset of packages, I think they are unnecessary for players who have already used them :-)

Andrzejek: If you had to choose one server that you played on the best, which one would it be and why?

Manek MT: I think that the beginnings were the best on the Polish server, there was a lot of competition, each season was uncertain. There, eight teams had a chance to win CT.

Andrzejek: Do you think that for such a long adventure with the FootballTeam you deserve a gold card?

Manek MT: A gold card? I think it's a historic one, calmly it would be deserved :-) It would actually be cool, because I think that Manek MT is ending his adventure with FootballTeam on the classic server :-)

Andrzejek: Will you beat the TTK streak of Restrictions and win 18 times in a row? (laughter)

Manek MT: I don't even think about beating your achievements :-) and I don't want to comment on how it happened 😀

Andrzejek: We will end our interview for Sports Journal with this question. If there is anything else you would like to write about, greet someone or add something, now is the time, and I would like to thank you for your time and our readers for their attention :)

Manek MT: Thank you for the interview, it's not me who does it :-) Greetings to all players :-) Best wishes

Author: Andrzejek

THE BATTLE FOR THE TOP OF THE EUROPEAN LEAGUES

Hello players!

In the world of football, glory is not a destination, but an arduous journey, marked by sweat, dedication, and relentless pursuit of victory. The path to the title requires planning, resilience and a team committed to greatness. While fans cheer for every goal, players face challenges, twists and turns and the constant pressure of a relentless season.

With each round, the national leagues take on new contours, revealing protagonists who emerge in the race for the trophy. With 23 rounds played out of 30, the fight for the title is heating up. Check out the current scenario of the main European competitions in Football Team Game:

Poland: Balance in the Battle for the Title

The Polish league remains tight, with three teams fighting point by point for the leadership. At the top of the table, La Familia has 63 points, with a consistent campaign of 21 wins and only two losses. However, the team is feeling the pressure from FC Inter Milan, which has the same numbers but is behind in goal difference (104 to 98). 

Salford City, on the outside, appears to be a threat, with 61 points and only one defeat this season. Meanwhile, the other teams are fighting for a better place in the standings or trying to escape the dreaded relegation.

England: Lionheart On Track for the Title Undefeated

In England, the race for the trophy already seems to have a winner. LIONHEART is on its way to the title, with 69 points and an impressive 100% record – 23 wins in 23 games. The battle for second place, however, remains intense. TERMINATOR and Club Tijuana, both with 58 points (19 wins, one draw and three losses), are fighting for second place, separated only by goal difference (93 to 76). Right behind, ФК Спартак М remains in the fight, with 57 points.

Italy: Wings Imposes Supremacy

The dominance in the Italian Serie A has a name: Wings. With an almost impenetrable defense – only three goals conceded – the team leads by a landslide, with 69 points and maintaining an impeccable performance. 

The fight for second place remains open, with Polish DF (60 points) and Dream Snake (59 points) trying to consolidate their position on the podium. In the rest of the table, the teams are trying to move away from the dreaded relegation zone.

Spain: Coś Niecoś Closer and Closer to the Trophy

In Spain, Coś niecoś dominates the competition and emerges as the big favorite for the title, with 69 points and a perfect record of 23 wins. However, the hope of a turnaround still excites FC ParaBellum e Спартак, who are still in pursuit with 64 points each. The difference between the two is in goal difference (137 to 125), a factor that could be decisive in the final stretch of the championship. Further down, the other teams are fighting intense battles to avoid relegation.

On the Road to Glory

As the final rounds approach, the tension increases. Who will be able to transform talent and determination into trophies? Who will succumb to the pressure? The outcome is near, and next week promises strong emotions for fans and players.

See you next week

Author: Fábio Muri

BORAT UNCOVERS A CONSPIRACY! PART 2

Hello, dear readers of the sports magazine!

Once again, today’s topic is inspired by the past. But that’s just the reality of this magazine — it’s hard to keep up with trends when you’re always a quarter of a season behind. And who would have thought that we’d have reasons to discuss a conspiracy two weeks in a row?

Alright, I’ve had my little moment of self-pity — now let’s move on to something more entertaining.

The reason for today’s amusement is a cup match in the Italian league between Wings and Polish DF. In the league standings, Wings are comfortably in the lead, having already defeated the second-place Polish DF. And how could they not, when Wings have such legends in their lineup as Hubert Farnsworth and AlexNi? Our team already had the misfortune of facing them last season (before the league reshuffle), and to be honest, going up against such players is just pointless. Our entire team’s total Strength is equal to just one AlexNi… It was honestly depressing.

And our tears were heard! Unfortunately, only a season later—when Wings and Polish DF met in a cup match. Incredibly, but true, the Polish DF won the first match with a stunning 3-0 victory!

How was this possible? Quite simple! Two days before the match, Hubert Farnsworth suffered a two-day injury, and just a day before the game, AlexNi got injured for one day. Coincidence? I don’t think so! (Russian meme reference).

Just like in my previous article, I can’t help but mention the idea of a conspiracy! No, seriously! I have almost no connection to Wings (I don’t count the couple of weeks I spent in the team back in Season 3—that was a long time ago, it didn’t happen, and nobody can prove it!). But when I describe this situation, it makes my blood boil... There’s just no way this is a coincidence… And the timing of the injuries—just before the cup ends—perfectly suspicious!

There isn’t a polite enough word in the rich russian language to describe this situation, though, thankfully, there are plenty of impolite ones that fit perfectly. If you put them together in the right order, you could accurately describe how the Wings players felt before their match against polish team.

Of course, in the end, Wings, with Hubert Farnsworth and AlexNi back in action, absolutely destroyed Polish DF in the second leg, winning 6-1. But the bitter aftertaste remains.

What really surprises me is the sheer number of these conveniently timed injuries. Let’s be honest—every club has faced a situation where a key player gets injured just before an important match. And there aren’t many crucial matches in a season—maybe 4-5 at best. Yet somehow, it’s always the leader of the team who gets injured or suspended. There are hundreds of such examples. Many teams, having learned from bitter experience, now bench their key players a day or two before an important match, just to avoid tempting fate. But I’m sure Wings never even considered Polish DF to be an important opponent—until those two injuries suddenly made it one. What kind of strange "great equalizer" does FootballTeam have hidden in the code?

I couldn’t find information on this now, but I remember that historical shin guards used to reduce a player’s injury chances or shorten injury duration. And ironically, the ones getting injured were always the players with these shin guards, while those without them ran around unharmed as if nothing had happened.

But there’s also another side to this issue. It’s not entirely fair when a Top 20 player can join a mid-tier or weak team and completely disrupt the league just by being there. Some teams spend months building a roster to compete for specific positions, and then one big guy walks in, and suddenly multiple contenders are rendered completely non-competitive.

Perhaps it’s worth implementing some kind of restriction—like preventing a player from joining a team if their average OVR exceeds the team’s OVR by 3-4 times. Maybe this idea won’t be popular among players, but it does seem unfair when a single player can completely ruin the plans of multiple teams...

Author: Борат 

REAL MADRID VS MANCHESTER CITY

Hello everyone! The long-awaited event has finally taken place — the Champions League 1/16 Round. Among all the matches in this stage, one stood out as an almost classic rivalry: Real Madrid vs. Manchester City. Let's discuss the decisive second game!

Source of the photo: cbssports.com

Pre-match Predictions

The first match ended with a victory for Real Madrid, although City took the lead twice during the game.

In that match, Pep faced, first of all, certain squad difficulties, and secondly, he had the intention to "slow down" the game and play more cautiously by using a five-man defense, which in reality only led to bigger problems.

The situation before the second match is completely different. In City's last match against Newcastle, we saw a more familiar team, where Nico helped restore balance and fix several issues.

It’s also important to understand that this time, City will have to open up more with each passing minute (unless they score an early goal, of course).

With a more familiar tactic and an optimal lineup, theoretically, the ball should reach the attacking players more frequently, and they are currently in great form: specifically, Marmoush and Haaland. Additionally, there's Doku, Savinho, and Foden — each of them is individually very dangerous.

Real Madrid, of course, can also boast a solution to at least one problem — Rüdiger should return for this match, which is a huge boost for the defense (particularly, it may allow Tchouaméni to play in midfield, further solidifying the backline). Overall, the return of key players gives Ancelotti more tactical flexibility.

However, there are two factors working against Real Madrid:

1/ The team's form is far from ideal. Real Madrid has dropped points in each of their last three La Liga matches, and their most recent game was physically demanding due to an early red card in the first half.
Against City, their win only came after the 86th minute (even though they clearly played well and deserved a victory earlier). In the Copa del Rey match against Leganés, they managed to escape with a goal in the last minute.
Essentially, in their last five matches, Real Madrid either failed to win or wasn’t leading by the 90th minute.

2/ Real Madrid doesn't need a dominant win; they just have to protect their advantage. With some defensive issues resolved, there’s no real need to take risks and push forward aggressively. A modest draw would suit them just fine.

For both teams, this is one of the biggest matches of the tournament — arguably more important than the upcoming Round of 16 clash, where they’ll face Atlético or Bayer. This match carries much more weight.

The narrow advantage of one team over the other suggests that this will be an intense battle, as both teams still have a chance, and neither will back down until the final whistle.

Emotions After the First Half

Almost a perfect first half from every Real Madrid player — what more is there to say? Thibaut had almost nothing to do, and that’s a great sign.

Of course, you could point out that Vinicius is sometimes overplaying his dribbles, that Ceballos made a couple of risky passes, and that Bellingham’s yellow card was unnecessary, but overall, the team is playing solidly. Well done.

The key now is to stay focused and finish the job in the second half. City will surely have a few dangerous moments left, so there’s no room for complacency. The goal is to close the game out without any unnecessary nerves, ideally with a dominant win.

Now go for a hat-trick while parking the bus — that would be beautiful!

Emotions After the Match

Absolutely brilliant performance today — just brilliant. The whole team, every single player, deserves credit.

Tonight, we can sleep soundly, celebrating a confident qualification. City was simply outplayed today, completely shut down.

Maybe City is just having a bad season, but that’s not Real Madrid’s problem.

Hala Madrid!

photo source: soccer.ru

P.S. Alaba’s late appearance was far from reassuring. The goal was essentially conceded because of Camavinga. The starting lineup played very well today. Ceballos left, and ball control disappeared—isn't that telling? The ending was a bit disappointing, but the final result was excellent.

Author: Zidane

REFEREEING CONTROVERSIES THROUGH THE EYES OF MANAGER #1

Hello, Kiero DS here. Due to the numerous controversial situations involving football referees, I have decided to create a new series, where I will analyze these situations step by step. This series will appear on a more or less ongoing basis, along with the emerging controversies. The first one we are taking on is the match of the 20th round of the PKO BP Ekstraklasa between Puszcza Niepołomice and Zagłębie Lublin.

In this situation, we are dealing with a corner kick for Zagłębie, which ends with a shot from a distance of about 14 meters from the goal. The ball ends up at the feet of the striker with number 7, who takes a powerful shot. At the same time, in front of the goal, at a distance of only 4 meters, there is a pair of players: the striker with number 17 and the defender with number 22. Striker number 17 is in a slightly offside position, with his shoulder tilted towards the goal. The ball is deflected to the left by the goalkeeper after a strong shot and ends up at the feet of another Zagłębie striker, who puts it into the net.

The assistant referee immediately raises the flag, signaling offside, but after a moment the main referee decides to check the situation using the VAR system. After a thorough review, the referee changes his decision and decides that offside did not occur and the goal was scored correctly.

Was the goal recognized correctly?

To answer this question, we need to refer to the provisions of Article 11 of the "Laws of the Game" regarding offside. The key is that the presence of a player in an offside position is not an offence in itself. A player in this position can only be punished if he is active in the game.

My assessment of this situation is as follows. Let's analyze whether striker number 17 was active in the game:

A. Taking part in the game:

Striker number 17 did not touch the ball at any time. The ball was deflected by the goalkeeper and then passed to another attacker. This means that there was no activity by attacker number 17 in the context of playing the ball. Answer: No.

B. Obstructing an opponent:

1.Obstructing an opponent from playing the ball by blocking their field of vision:

It is certainly not possible to say that the attacker blocked the goalkeeper's field of vision. He was too far away and the ball was travelling at high speed. Furthermore, the replays show that the goalkeeper had full visibility. Defender number  22 was also not forced to intervene in any way, so there is no question of obstructing his play. Answer: No.

2. Tackling an opponent in a fight for the ball:

Both players were in physical contact, but were not fighting for the ball. Attacker number 17 did not attempt to take the ball from the defender or the goalkeeper in any way. His role was passive. Answer: No.

3. Making an obvious attempt to play the ball that was close by:

Attacker number 17 did not make any attempt to play the ball. The ball, although deflected by the goalkeeper, did not reach him, so it had no effect on the course of the play. Answer: No.

4.Obvious actions affecting the opponent's ability to play the ball:

In this case, striker number 17 did not perform any actions that would have affected defender number  22. The physical contact between them had no effect on whether the defender could play the ball. The defender would not have had the time or opportunity to make any intervention anyway. Answer: No.

C. Benefits from the ricochet:

After the goalkeeper's save, the ball deflected in a different direction and hit another striker, who scored a goal. Striker number 17 had no effect on the ball ending up at the feet of his teammate. The deflection by the goalkeeper changes the trajectory of the ball, which eliminates any advantage for striker number 17. Answer: No.

Conclusion:

Striker number 17 were in a minimal offside position, but were not active in the game. He did not touch the ball, did not obstruct the opponent's play, or in any way influence the development of the action. Therefore, there was no offside and the goal was scored correctly.

From the perspective of the assistant referee, I have to admit that he raised the flag too hastily. In this situation, he did not have enough perspective to accurately assess whether the attacker was active in the game. Physical contact with the defender or his presence near the action are not sufficient grounds for indicating offside. He should have applied the principle of "benefit of the doubt for the attacking team" and left the doubt in favor of the attacking team.

The VAR assessment of the situation was absolutely correct. The referees made a thorough analysis, making sure that attacker number 17 was not active, and correctly changed the decision of the head referee. The use of this methodology is in line with the current UEFA regulations and shows how important precise analysis is in such situations.

It is also worth noting that this is one of the few situations in which the decision on offside required interpretation, and the VAR decision was necessary. The referee had to analyze the situation behind the monitor (OFR) on his own to make a final decision.

Thank you for reading my article! If you like this type of content or have ideas for more topics I should write about, leave your suggestions in the comments. Best regards!

Author: Kiero DS