The Premier League is back this weekend, which means the end to everyone’s favourite period in the men’s football calendar, the international break (don’t worry though, we’re back for a THIRD break in this three-month old season come November). This was quite an enjoyable break in some ways (who doesn’t enjoy watching Portugal’s answer to the child that refuses to move out of home at the big age of 39 have a strop at Hampden), though in other ways wasn’t (I won’t castigate Carsley specifically, but why does any England manager persist in picking Foden, someone who has never played well for England). The most exciting thing to happen was the FA hiring Thomas Tuchel, which though being important, should not have overshadowed the matches. Thus, with the next break coming up, I thought I would share the other ways I got my sporting fix during the internationals.
For an increasing number of fans, attention will have turned to the Women’s Super League (WSL), and if anyone still needed convincing that women’s football has made it mainstream, here’s a clip of Ty from AFTV defending Jonas Eidvall, Arsenal’s under-fire manager (Eidvall resigned a day later). In the WSL, Manchester City sit at the top, with ten points from four games. Pre-season favourites Chelsea lie only a point behind them, with a significantly superior goal difference and a game in hand. Manchester United are third behind them, having yet to concede a goal this season. Women’s football is a different game stylistically, but that should not put fans who only follow the men’s game from enjoying it all the same.
The bulk of my attention though, as someone who is chronically online, has been on the #FifaSongWorldCup. Run on twitter by Cultras Football Podcast, it follows the success of their #WorldCupOfBarclaysmen in the last international break, which provided a much-welcomed injection of nostalgia (Yakubu defeated Niko Kranjčar in a final for the ages, fyi). At a time when so much of online interaction, particularly online sports interaction, is hostile, disheartening, and increasingly corporate, these popularity contests have provided an opportunity for fans to unite around key shared experiences (namely, the kick-off glitch) and to reminisce about a time where things felt much simpler.
Finally, the option is always there for football fans to try something new. English cricket is possibly the most exciting for newcomers it will ever be, whilst rugby’s Premiership’s season has only just started. Other, nicher sports are also available – who wouldn’t want to be the most knowledgeable of their friends about biathlon?
“Cristiano Ronaldo WC2022 – 01” by Hossein Zohrevand is licensed under CC BY 4.0.