Your weekly source of information and entertainment, Sports Journal #40 brought to you by our journalists, is here! 📖⚽

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1/ FOOTBALL QUIZ

2/ A SCORE APOCALYPSE IN THE VIRTUAL FOOTBALL WEEK

3/ HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FIRST WEEK OF SEASON 76

4/ INTERVIEW with the DINOSAUR – BARTEK85!

5/ REFEREE CONTROVERSIES THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MANAGER #11

FOOTBALL QUIZ

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

100 Keys 🔑 Premium - Bzykacz69

10,000 ⚡ Energy - Kolesław & Poruś

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. I'll select the winners on Thursday at 8 p.m. Let's start!

1/ Player's name and surname:

Born on April 1, 1927 in Budapest, he is one of the greatest footballers in history. His career was full of successes, and his name became synonymous with the beautiful game. He began his football adventure in Kispest Budapest in 1942.

Even at a young age, he distinguished himself with extraordinary talent and quickly became the star of the team. In 1945, he made his debut in the Hungarian national team, starting the era of dominance of Hungarian football.

The 1950s were a golden period for Hungarian football, and the player was its undisputed leader. Together with his teammates, he formed a team called the "Golden Eleven", which won the gold medal at the 1952 Olympic Games and reached the final of the 1954 World Cup. The player was a true "national hero" and scored 84 goals in 85 matches for the Hungarian national team.

After the Hungarian revolution in 1956, he emigrated to Spain and joined Real Madrid. There he continued his impressive career, winning 5 Spanish league titles and 3 European Cups. In 1961, he received Spanish citizenship and played 4 matches for the Spanish national team.

After retiring from football in 1966, he began working as a coach. He coached many clubs, including Alaves, Panathinaikos and Colo-Colo. His experience and knowledge were valued in the world of football.

He died on 17 November 2006 in Budapest. His death was a great loss to the world of football. However, his memory will live on in the hearts of fans all over the world.

He was not only an outstanding footballer, but also a true ambassador of football. His style of play, full of elegance and finesse, inspired generations of footballers. He is a football legend whose name is written in the pages of history. His career was full of successes, and his talent and skills were undeniable. His memory will live on in the hearts of fans all over the world.

2/ Manager Name and Surname:

Born in 1974, he is an Austrian coach who has left his mark on the European football scene. His coaching career began in 2012 as Roger Schmidt's assistant at RB Salzburg. After several years as an assistant, in 2015 he took over as head coach of LASK Linz, where he quickly built a strong team that won the Austrian Second League championship in 2017 and 2nd place in the First League in 2019. This was a turning point in his career that caught the attention of bigger clubs.

In 2019, he moved to VfL Wolfsburg, where his success continued. In 2021, he led the team to the German Cup final, as well as qualification for the Champions League.

In 2021, he became the coach of Eintracht Frankfurt. In 2022, he achieved the greatest success of his career, leading the team to triumph in the Europa League, where Eintracht defeated Rangers in the final on penalties.

In 2024, he was appointed manager of Crystal Palace. This is a new challenge for the Austrian coach, who hopes to repeat the successes of his previous clubs.

He is a coach who has built a strong reputation in Europe. His successes at LASK Linz, VfL Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt are testament to his skills and talent. He is known for his attacking style of play and effective team management.

Автор: Wylewinho

A SCORE APOCALYPSE IN THE VIRTUAL FOOTBALL WEEK

Greetings, lovers of the virtual round ball! If you thought a tight score was exciting, get your first aid kit ready for your football ego. The first week of Season 76 in the elite divisions was a true festival of tramplings, a feast of goals that would make even Romário call it quits. Hold on tight, because things got ugly!

Russia: Where Humiliation Dances with Snow (or Mud, Depending on the Weather)

May 3rd: The Relentless Leader Slaughters the Bottom-Dweller

In the frigid (or maybe not so much) Russia, the bottom team of the first division had a rather unpleasant encounter with the leader The Legends OW. The result? A resounding and embarrassing 10 x 0 for the visitors. The home team's defense seemed to have gotten stuck in some snowstorm, while the right midfielder of The Legends OW, the devilish Maszu OW, displayed his class with 5 goals and an incredible 4 assists. A true maestro of humiliation! To make the déjà vu of tragedy even worse, the home team's central defender, the unlucky M4Z1N0, managed the feat of conceding a penalty in added time and getting sent off for a second yellow card. An afternoon to forget... or maybe never, to serve as a (very painful) lesson.

May 7th: Koniecpol Turns into a Horror Scene for Górnik

It seems The Legends OW developed a taste for it. Days later, the victim this time was KS Koniecpol Górnik, who hosted the leader and suffered the exact same score: an merciless 10 x 0. This time, the executioner was Wojdył OW, the attacking midfielder who decided to make it rain goals, scoring no less than 6. Górnik's defense, видимо, thought it was a friendly get-together. What a cruel mistake!

Poland: Massacre with an Accent and No Censorship (The Chainsaw Stayed Home, But the Rout Cut Deep)

In the land of pierogi and vodka, the Polish first division also witnessed a true massacre. On May 5th, the fifth-placed Elite Brothers showed no mercy to Łosie w Kosmosie (Elk in Space, who ironically seemed quite lost out of orbit), applying a crushing 11 x 1 rout. The striker XANTIRO was hungry for goals and quenched his thirst by shaking the net 5 times, while the midfielder  Cristianooo orchestrated the attack masterfully, leaving his teammates one-on-one with the goalkeeper on six occasions. Łosie's lonely consolation goal, scored by Stefcio Spocuch still in the first half, only served to be noted in the statistics and avoid an even greater embarrassment. A small spark amidst the fire of defeat.

Germany: The Freezing Winter Melted Under an Avalanche of Goals

The Bundesliga, known for its competitiveness, had an atypical day on May 7th. The bottom-dwelling FC Riders, already deep in the relegation zone, crossed paths with the leader and title favorite Кремень. The result was a thrashing that left the home team dizzy and not knowing where to hide: 11 x 0. To top off the humiliation, three Кремень players decided to take the ball home, each scoring a hat-trick: the midfielders Удар в девятку (something like "shot in the top corner" - and there were several!) and Лоу-Кик в Голову ("low-kick to the head" - we hope the ball survived), as well as the striker DarkHunter69 (with a name like that, something dark for the opponent was already expected). FC Riders' defense? Well, let's just say they saw the ball more times than their own families that afternoon.

And the season has barely begun! With three more weeks of games ahead, the burning question is: how many other epic (or tragic, depending on your team) goal fests will we see? Who will be the next relentless scorers? And who will wear the villain's jersey, collecting expulsions and memorable blunders? The scenes from the next chapters promise strong emotions (and perhaps a few more nervous breakdowns for certain fans).

That's all for today, folks. Prepare your hearts (and your memes) for next week. Until then!

Author: Fábio Muri

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FIRST WEEK OF SEASON 76

Hey! This is Kyrunio, today we're going to talk about the most interesting matches that took place in the second week of season 76. So let's get down to business.

The first match I'm going to discuss today is an incredibly exciting duel in the European Tournament between FC Mayaply and Wings, which took place on Monday, May 6th at 8:30 PM. Both teams are similar in terms of skills and ranking.

The match started, and in the 11th minute the guests took the lead after a well-placed shot by Baboprun, assisted by Hubert Farnsworth. The hosts didn't let their rivals celebrate for too long, Tudzi equalized the score in the 18th minute after a pass from Ivan Drago. However, the next few minutes belonged to the guests. AlexNi first scored a goal to make it 1:2, and a moment later he provided a key assist for Vitaly Burdynov goal, making the score 1:3. The hosts caught up before the break, in the 37th minute Tudzi scored his second goal of the match, and it wasn't over yet.

After the half-time break, both teams went for the win. In the 49th minute AlexNi scored again after a pass from Hubert Farnsworth,

Just five minutes later Tudzi responded with another goal, this time from a penalty kick, reducing his team's deficit to one goal and completing a hat-trick.

In the 60th minute Folgus was shown a yellow card for a foul on an opponent in their own penalty area, and a moment later AlexNi  increased the score to 3:5 thanks to a flawless penalty kick, which was his third goal of the match!

FC Mayaply did not intend to give up, in the 69th minute Tudzi beat the rivals' goalkeeper for the fourth time after a  Lomax20001 pass, giving hope to his team to equalize the score. The score was still favorable for the guests, the hosts did not like it, they tried at all costs to change the fate of the match, among others Gyan 9, Saajuu and Peter Kolan entered the pitch, but they did not manage to equalize the score even despite the substitutions.

The match eventually ended with the score 4:5, this match determined that the Wings team would play in the next round.

The second match that I will describe today is the clash of the teams ФК Беркут and Duck Army, which took place as part of the Tournament of Champions on Sunday, May 4 at 8:00 p.m. The match had its favorite from the beginning, the hosts.

The match started quite unexpectedly. Already in the 3rd minute of the match, the Byk z Pampeluny fouled Roman Brook, which prevented him from playing in the match. The visiting goalkeeper saved a penalty in the 4th minute of the match, which allowed them to maintain a draw.

In the 33rd minute of the match, Oleg Kolotov crossed from a corner kick, the ball was cut in the air by V E R E S, who opened the score in favor of the hosts.

Not much happened until the change of halves, but from the very beginning of the second half the guests rushed to make up for the losses, in the 48th minute of the match Seba passed the ball to des1re, who showed what a hammer he has in his leg.

Just a few minutes later des1re showed what he is capable of again. Brat played a perpendicular pass to him, and he converted this pass into a goal, which put the guests in the lead.

In the 62nd minute we had an identical situation as in the 33rd minute of the match. Oleg Kolotov crossed again from the corner kick, V E R E S managed to jump to the ball played 11 meters, equalizing the score of the match.

There were two quarters of an hour left until the end of the match, and the winner had not yet been determined, it was like that until the 83rd minute.

The home player fouled Maestro with an overlay in front of his own penalty area. Maestro was not happy about this, so he went for this free kick to show who was in charge. He got a run up, shot... and GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! 2:3! A wonderful shot that certainly shocked all the fans present at the stadium! He scored a goal that gave his team victory in this important match!

That's all from me for today, I encourage you to read the articles submitted by other journalists and evaluate my article. Until next time!

Author: Kyrunio

INTERVIEW with the DINOSAUR – BARTEK85!

Today's interviewee is Bartek85 – one of the oldest, still active players in FootballTeam. He has been running the account since December 2018, so the next Christmas will be the seventh in the game. A little about FootballTeam, a little about life and football, or rather fan hobby – I invite you!

PanEgo: You are one of the oldest active players on the server - your ID is below 3000. What has kept you with FootballTeam for so long?

Bartek85: I think it's the people I've met. Even though we don't know each other in real life, I know that more than one party would be great. Greetings in advance to my current club AK Elite Team and the previous Realm Royal (Greetings to the gentlemen!)

What would you bring back to the current FootballTeam from the times of your beginnings?

I have to go back a long way, but I definitely remember the bank and the exchange of items between players. The training camp between seasons was great - when the season ended, the whole team would go to a camp during the off-season, which lasted, for example, 48 hours and you would get an additional over for a player. That would definitely be a comeback that would introduce some interesting variety.

Do you feel like you didn't take full advantage of the opportunity to be at a higher level after almost 7 years of playing?

For a game where I don't buy packages, I think the level is quite ok. I think I can be considered a "free to pay player". If I didn't lose the desire to play throughout this "career", maybe the level would be higher, but the administrator's tweaking of all the tasks changes things.

In your free time after work, you are a fan. How committed are you?

It is my greatest passion. I follow my beloved club wherever I can - at home games, of course, but also away games. At home matches I support with all my might and although it is not in the Ekstraklasa, the passion for travelling has remained and it is a kind of lifestyle.

Have you counted how many trips you have had? How much does this passion cost you - not only in PLN, but also in sacrifices, time.

I have had exactly 163 trips. I include trips to the national teams and the supporters of my club. The amount in PLN varies - sometimes it costs 200 PLN, and sometimes it will be more. The most expensive trip is to the Polish national teams abroad. The sacrifices are such that sometimes you have to take Monday off from work 😊 As for time, it is a pleasure to sit and travel with people you know and it is cool. I do not treat it as a "waste" or sacrifice of time.

Have you encountered any unpleasant situations related to the stereotype of a fan?

There were such situations, but you have to understand them to know what it is about. Other people, not connected with the whole fan movement, see the stereotype of a fan as only negative things, and yet it is the rascal who loves the most 😊

You have to understand, that is?

Simply live it, experience emotions with your friends, go to stadiums all over the country, cheer, cry your heart out. I think that someone who does not have this type of emotions will not be able to understand us - fanatical fans. At the same time, there were also many interesting and nice gestures, comments or appreciation for the fact that we co-create the spectacle. These are the positive aspects of this cheering.

The topic of the collusion of clubs to not let Wisła Kraków fans into the stands has been on the table for a dozen or so months. What is your opinion on this topic?

As for me, it is a positive topic. The Wisła community must understand that if they want to fight, they will do it without equipment, and here it was different - there was equipment. If an anti-equipment pact is created between fan groups, it should be respected, here Wisła broke away and unfortunately it is what it is.

Author: PanEgo

REFEREE CONTROVERSIES THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MANAGER #11

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 relatively regularly, along with the emerging controversies.

Szymon Marciniak in the Champions League semi-finals: an exam among giants:

Refereeing at the Champions League semi-final level, especially when teams such as Inter Milan and FC Barcelona are competing, is not only a tactical and physical challenge, but above all a mental one. This situation is comparable to riding wild horses - it is not enough to know the rules, you also have to feel the dynamics of the match, control your emotions and consistently enforce the rules of the game. Szymon Marciniak carried the burden of this match, demonstrating not only his knowledge but also his experience. Below is my detailed analysis of the key situations in this extremely difficult match.

Initial control – discipline from the first minutes:

Marciniak already sent a clear signal in the 4th minute: there will be no tolerance for irregular behaviour in the technical area. He personally drew the attention of members of the Barcelona staff, even though he could have formally delegated this to the referee. Such a move not only increases the effectiveness of the message, but also builds the referee's authority. I know from experience that the referee's personal reaction in such situations sets the boundaries very quickly.

In the 8th minute, when an Inter player tried to take a throw-in from the wrong place, the referee intervened immediately. This is a clear example of prevention – eliminating the "stealing" of metres at the beginning of the match sends a clear message to the players that there is no room for cunning.

Thuram's simulation – the boundary between theatricality and cheating:

In the 21st minute, Marcus Thuram tried to force a penalty kick, using minimal contact. Although he could have been punished for simulation, Marciniak limited himself to a clear gesture ordering play to continue. It was a balanced reaction – in line with the rules, but also with the spirit of the game. A yellow card for simulation is justified when we are dealing with an obvious attempt at cheating. Here, it was behaviour teetering on the edge – visible "looking for" contact, but not yet a classic simulation.

Acerbi's handball – VAR analysis:

In the 25th minute, Acerbi touched the ball with his hand in his own penalty area. VAR analysed the situation and there was no intervention – rightly so. According to the current IFAB guidelines, touching the ball with your hand is not punishable if the hand is in a natural position and the contact is accidental. In this situation, there was neither an enlargement of the body outline nor an unnatural movement of the hand. The decision was absolutely right.

Advantage and yellow card – exemplary interpretation of the rules:

In the 35th minute, after a foul by Calhanoglu on Olmo, Marciniak rightly applied the advantage, and after the end of the action he handed out a warning. Art. 12 of the Laws of the Game clearly states - if a foul deserves a yellow card and the referee applies the advantage, the card should be shown at the next break in the game. The advantage was realized (shot), so there was no basis for "reversing" and restarting from the place of the foul.

Penalty kick after VAR intervention - difficult but correct decision:

The most controversial situation was in the 42nd minute, when Cubarsi tried to knock the ball out from under Lautaro's feet. It looked like a clean slide, but the shots from the camera behind the goal showed that he first hit the opponent's legs. VAR rightly recommended checking the situation, and Marciniak - having better data - changed his decision. This is a typical example of situations that would be impossible to assess 100% accurately without VAR.

Bastoni clashes with Yamal - limits of contact:

In the 50th minute, Bastoni rested his hand on Yamal's shoulder. The contact was not sufficient to award a penalty – there was no pulling or disproportionate impact on the player's balance. In the 59th minute, in a similar situation, Interysta used his leg in an illegal manner – a clever block – and this time he was punished with a free kick. Two situations, two different contexts – correctly read by the referee.

Assistant Tomasz Listkiewicz mistakes – human, but significant:

The assistant's mistake in the 63rd minute – raising the flag prematurely in the situation with Thuram – is a classic example of losing control of the offside line. Incorrect angle of view, poor synchronization with the last defender. A similar problem in the 109th minute – this time no reaction when offside occurred. In both cases, Marciniak had to rely on VAR support.

Situation at the end – goal at 3:3:

The situation with the goal at 3:3 was highly controversial. The contact between Dumfries and Gerard Martin could be interpreted in different ways. However, from my perspective – and in line with UEFA guidelines – if the Inter player had the ball first and the contact was the result of “normal play”, the decision to continue play was justified. The VAR found no grounds for interference, which also confirms that this interpretation is admissible. End of first half extra time – the clock is sacred

Although Inter players protested that the game was stopped too early, replays and the time record show that Marciniak ended the first half of extra time exactly after 3 minutes of added time. The ball was in a dead spot, no player took up the game – there was no reason to extend the time.

Summary – final assessment:

Refereeing such a difficult match requires not only fluency in the rules, but also a sense of the pitch and an iron psyche. Marciniak was not flawless – there were minor lapses in the control of protests and technical areas – but all key decisions were in accordance with the rules or logically justified. In my opinion: 5 out of 6, or maybe even 5+ – due to the level of difficulty. Another referee might not have managed. Szymon Marciniak once again showed why he is considered one of the best referees in the world.

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

Author : Kiero DS