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Reliving The Classics: When Nottingham Forest Won The League In 1977-78
The season is 1977-78 and Nottingham Forest have just been promoted from the Second Division, now The Championship. They had finished 3rd behind Wolves and Chelsea. Forest had only ever won the FA Cup in their history, in 1898 and 1959. Promotion was a tight struggle too, as they only finished 1pt ahead of Bolton and Blackpool and they had to wait for Bolton to finish their season to see if they would be promoted. They weren’t and they set about conquering the First Division.
They were managed by Brian Clough, who took over the club in January 1975. At the time, Forest were 13th in the Second Division. They finished that season in 16th, and then 8th the following season. Clough had managed Derby and took them from the Second Division in 1967, to win the League in 1972. Having been sacked by the Derby, he had a brief spell at Brighton and an even shorter one at Leeds. Then he turned up at Forest with his trusty side-kick, Peter Taylor.
The two had begun to build a good, yet unproven, side as they recruited John McGovern and John O’Hare who’d both been at Derby and Leeds with Clough and Taylor. Players like John Robertson, Martin O’Neill, Ian Bowyer, Viv Anderson, Frank Clark and Tony Woodcock were already at the club and would play an important part of the club’s eventual success. Clough then made 4 crucial signings who would turn Forest from the 3rd promoted side, to League Champions.
Larry Lloyd was signed from Coventry, Kenny Burns from Birmingham, Archie Gemmill from Derby and, probably the most important, Peter Shilton from Stoke. He also offloaded some of the older ‘deadwood’, as Barry Butlin went to Peterborough, Sean Haslegrave to Preston and Sammy Chapman to Notts County.
The Squad
Keepers
Peter Shilton (age 28) (43 appearances) Started out at Leicester in 1966, before moving to Stoke in 1974. Signed for Forest in this season, and stayed till 1982 when he moved to Southampton.
John Middleton (age 22) (6 appearances) Began his career at Forest in 1974, before moving, during this season, to Derby.
Chris Woods (age 18) (7 appearances, all in League Cup) Signed as an apprentice in 1976. He spent 3 years at Forest before moving to QPR, Norwich and then Glasgow Rangers
Defence
Viv Anderson (age 22) (50 appearances, 4 goals) Joined Forest in 1974 and stayed until 1984 when he moved to Arsenal.
Frank Clark (age 34) (19 appearances, 1 goal) Joined Newcastle from Crook Town in 1962m signed for Forest in 1975, retired from playing in ’79. Returned to manage the club in 1993.
Colin Barrett (age 25) (41 appearances, 1 goal) Began his career at Man City in 1970 and moved to Forest in 1976, before moving to Swindon in 1980.
Larry Lloyd (age 29) (34 appearances, 1 goal) Started his career at Bristol Rovers in ’67, moving to Liverpool in ’69. In ’74 he moved to Coventry where Clough signed him from at the start of this season.
Kenny Burns (age 23) (55 appearances, 4 goals) Began his career at Birmingham in 1971 where he was a striker. Converted to centre-back when Clough signed him in ’77.
Dave Needham (age 28) (22 appearances, 4 goals) Started his career at Notts County in 1966, before moving to QPR in 1977. He only spent 6 months there before Clough signed him.
Midfield
Martin O’Neill (age 24) (52 appearances, 13 goals ) Signed for Forest in 1971 from Lisburn Distillery. Stayed there till ’81 when he moved to Norwich.
John McGovern (age 29) (42 appearances, 4 goals) Started out at Hartlepool in ’65, before Clough signed him for Derby in ’68, Leeds in ’74 and then Forest in 1975.
Ian Bowyer (age 26) (37 appearances, 10 goals) Started out at Man City in ’68, then moved to Orient before joining Forest in ’73.
John Robertson (age 24) (56 appearances, 18 goals) Joined Forest in 1970 and played there until 1983 when he was controversially signed for Derby in ’83, by Peter Taylor.
Archie Gemmill (age 30) (36 appearances, 3 goals) Began his career at St. Mirren in 1964, and then moved to Preston in ’67. Joined Clough at Derby in 1970 and then signed for Forest at the start of this season.
Strikers
Peter Withe (age 26) (54 appearances, 19 goals) Played for 7 clubs in 5 years by the time he turned up at Forest in 1976. He stayed for 2 years and was then off to Newcastle, before joining Villa in 1980.
Tony Woodcock (age 22) (50 appearances, 19 goals) Joined as an apprentice in 1973. Played for 6 years before moving to Cologne in 1979.
John O’Hare (age 31) (14 appearances, 1 goal) Began his career at Sunderland in 1964, before joining Clough at Derby in ’67, Leeds in ’74 and then Forest in ’75.
The opening day of the season and Forest are at Goodison Park to play Everton, a team who had finished in the top half of the table for the past 4 seasons. Fortunately for Forest, Everton were without their star striker, Bob Latchford, who ended the season with 30 goals.
Forest’s play that day went on to become the blueprint for their success. A tough battling display to wear their opponents down, and then the football began. Midway through the first half, Peter Withe got Forest’s season off and running, with John Robertson making it 2-0. Robertson increasingly made life difficult for Everton’s right-back that day, Dave Jones (the former Wolves, Southampton and Cardiff manager). Everton pulled one back before the break, but Forest weren’t to be denied and with 10 minutes until full time, Martin O’Neill sealed a 3-1 win.
Saturday 20th August 1977 was not only notable for Forest’s win in their return to the First Division. It also heralded the start of one a legendary career as a certain Kenny Dalglish scored on his debut for Liverpool in a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough. Another notable result that day was at Portman Road where Ipswich beat Arsenal, 1-0. Those of you who know your football history will understand the significance of that result later in the season. Forest’s next two matches were against Bristol City and Derby County, both of whom had battled relegation the season before. The Bristol City game represented Forest’s first home game of the season as Peter Withe scored the only goal in a 1-0 win. Forest were again at home the following Saturday when local rivals, Derby, were the visitors.
This particular East Midlands derby was eagerly anticipated. Forest had begun with 2 wins from 2 games, they were managed by the man who had brought Derby County their first league title just 5 years ago. The Derby side that lifted the trophy again in 1975 were arguably still Clough’s team. Whilst Forest had been languishing in the Second Division since, their nearest rivals had been playing in places like Rome and Madrid. A volatile game saw Peter Withe give Forest the lead in the first half. He doubled the lead in the second period and now had 4 goals in the opening 3 matches of the season. John Robertson then rounded off a fine win as he made it 3-0.
League tables are generally a waste of time after just 3 matches, but not for Forest fans this season. They were top.
Next up was Arsenal. Before that they beat West Ham, 5-0 in the League Cup, and then travelled to Highbury. Forest were brought down to earth with a bang as Arsenal won 3-0 with 2 goals from Frank Stapleton and a penalty from Liam Brady. This result seemed to galvanise Forest as they went on a 9-game unbeaten run. The following weekend and Forest were again away from home as they travelled to Molineux. Goals from Bowyer, Woodcock and another from Withe gave Forest a hard-fought, 3-2 win.
Clough then pulled off the masterstroke that arguably took them from plucky newcomers, to potential European champions. Stoke City had been relegated as Forest were winning promotion last season and they had the England goalkeeper playing for them, Peter Shilton. It is remarkable to think that a player who probably became the best keeper in the world was bought for just £250,000.
Shilton made his debut at home to Aston Villa, but had little to do as Robertson and Woodcock gave Forest a 2-0 win. They then travelled to Filbert Street to meet Leicester City and came away with a 3-0 win, thanks to goals from O’Neill, Woodcock and Robertson. At the end of September, Forest was one of 3 clubs on 12pts, along with the top 2 from the previous season, Manchester City and Liverpool.
October began with a 1-1 draw at Norwich, as Kenny Burns scored his first goal for the club. 4 days later they welcomed Ipswich Town to the City Ground. Beaten just once and conceding 5 goals in their 8 matches so far, Ipswich were certainly a team to test Forest. Or so everyone thought. 4 goals from Peter Withe saw off the Tractor Boys in a 4-0 win. Forest had now hit the top of the league. They wouldn’t be knocked off for the rest of the season.
A 0-0 draw at West Ham was preparation for the visit of Manchester City. It was 1st v 2nd, in front of the biggest crowd of the season so far at the City Ground. Brian Kidd gave City the lead, but Tony Woodcock and Peter Withe won it for Forest and now people were starting to sit up take notice. When Forest won 2-0 atQPR, they opened up a 2pt lead as the Merseyside derby had ended 0-0. They then turned their attention back to the League Cup and beat Notts County, 4-0. Ian Bowyer scored another 2 goals in that game, to add to the 2 he scored in the previous round against West Ham. The goals were flowing as they ended November beating Middlesbro, 4-0, with Viv Anderson bagging a brace with his first goals of the season. With Liverpool losing 1-3 to Man City, Forest were 4pts clear, and were now top scorers in the league.
During November, their form dipped. 4 matches and only 1 win. They lost 0-1 at Chelsea, and Leeds and were held at home, 0-0 by West Brom. This loss of form seemed to coincide with Liverpool’s, as the champions picked up just 3pts during December and slipped to 5th. Everton now emerged as challengers. Their League Cup run continued, unabated, as they put Aston Villa to the sword with a 4-2 win. 3 games in and cup and 13 goals scored, and Tony Woodcock had scored in each round.
December was a busy month with 6 matches, including the visit of Liverpool and a trip to Old Trafford. First up, though was a trip to St. Andrews where Martin O’Neill and Tony Woodcock gave them a 2-0 win. This was followed by a 2-1 win at home to Coventry, with O’Neill again getting on the scoresheet. Forest’s trip toMan Utd was a stunner. Having come from behind to beat Utd the month before, they had little trouble this time as Robertson and 2 from Woodcock added to a Brian Greenhoff own goal, gave Forest a 4-0 win. Coming into the Christmas period, Forest were still top by 2pts from Everton.
That game saw the debut of Dave Needham, who Clough had just bought from QPR. He had moved there from Notts County and seemed happy to swap a relegation battle for a title challenge back in Nottingham. He managed to keep Larry Lloyd out of the team until April. Forest were away in 2 of the 3 games over Christmas, but first they welcomed Liverpool to the City Ground on Boxing Day. Liverpool were chasing a 3rd successive title, but were 6pts behind Forest. If Clough wanted a real test of his teams credentials, who better than the reigning European Champions to prove it against?
Over 47,000 fans watched as Archie Gemmill gave the home side an early lead. On 30 minutes, Steve Heighway levelled. Neither side could break the other down and the game ended, 1-1. These two met 4 times that season, Forest never lost. Two days later, Forest were up at Newcastle winning, 2-0 as Dave Needham scored his first goal for his new club. On New Year’s Eve, he scored again as Forest won atBristol City, 3-1.
Christmas was often a time for goals and this season was no exception. Here are just 3 games you wished you’d watched on Match of The Day.
Birmingham 4-5 Chelsea
Coventry 5-4 Norwich
Everton 2-6 Manchester United
That Everton result was a real surprise. They were 2nd in the table, and United were down in 13th. Forest had begun 1977 in 5th place in the 2nd Division, 5pts behind leaders Chelsea. At the end of 1977, Forest were 5pts clear at the top of the 1st Division.
Two days into January and the top 2 met at the City Ground. Forest v Everton. It was a tale of two penalties, both hotly disputed but both converted. The game ended 1-1 and Forest maintained their 5pt lead. Forest’s defensive strength was beginning to prove a real advantage. Everton had scored only the 4th goal in 8 games since they lost to Leeds. The next 3 matches underlined their tightness at the back. 0-0 at Derby, and 2-0 home wins against both Arsenal and Wolves.
The Arsenal game included one of the goals of the season from Archie Gemmill. It probably summed up Forest’s approach, which was to soak up pressure and then hit them on the break. In between the Derby and Arsenal games, Forest beat Bury, 3-0 in the League Cup 5th Round. They were now in the Semi-Finals of a competition they’d scored 16 and conceded just 2. Their opponents would be Leeds United, the last team to beat Forest. The first leg was at Elland Road and 2 goals from Peter Withe contributed to a 3-1 win. Withe had begun with a bang, scoring 11 goals in the first 12 games of the season up to 15th October. It was 8th February when he grabbed the 2 goals in the League Cup Semi-Final 1st leg, and between October and February he’d netted just 3 times.
Withe scored again in the 2nd Leg, as Forest cruised into the League Cup Final, winning 4-2 on the night, 7-3 on aggregate. Their opponents at Wembley would be Liverpool, who’d beaten Arsenal 2-1 on aggregate in the other Semi-Final. In the FA Cup, Forest had beaten Swindon, 4-1 at home, and then Man City, 2-1 at home. Before their next league match, they went to QPR in the FA Cup and were held 1-1.
Their final 2 matches of February were draws. 3-3 in the league at Norwich and 1-1 in the FA Cup replay at home to QPR. In those days replays continued until a winner was found. On 2nd March a winner was found as Forest finally cast QPR aside as 2 goals from Tony Woodcock gave them a 3-1 win. The fixtures were coming thick and fast, and back in the league at the beginning of March, Forest saw off West Ham, 2-0, but the strain was starting to show. They won, but were without Anderson, Barrett, Clark, Lloyd and McGovern. This game was 1 of 3 in a row at home and they won them all, without conceding a goal. 1-0 againstLeicester and 2-0 against Newcastle, with John Robertson scoring a penalty in each match.
Between the Leicester and Newcastle matches, they had the small matter of a Wembley final. Forest had only ever played at Wembley once in their history, the FA Cup Final against Luton in 1959. For those who do pub quizzes, make a note of the first scorer for Forest that day. Roy Dwight. Why do I mention this? Well, Roy Dwight had a rather famous nephew, Elton John.
Anyway, the League Cup Final was a typical Forest v Liverpool game of the era. Forest soaked up the pressure and then tried to hit Liverpool on the break. The game ended goalless but gave many of us our first real glimpse of Chris Woods. The 18-year old keeper had played in all but one of Forest’s League Cup matches as Shilton was cup tied, but this game would give him an opportunity on the national stage. He didn’t disappoint as he pulled off a string of fine saves to thwart Liverpool. The replay was 4 days later, and contained one controversial goal. Phil Thompson brought down John O’Hare, and a penalty was awarded. The controversy was that replays showed the challenge to be outside the box. Robertson stepped up and scored his 6th spot-kick of the season.
Forest had won the League Cup, 1-0. Their first silverware for 19 years and people were no longer questioning their ability. Back in the League they were held at Middlesbro, 2-2 which were the first goals they’d conceded for 5 matches in all competitions.
March 1978 had been an historic month for Nottingham Forest and they ended it just 2pts clear at the top of the table. But, because of all their cup fixtures, they had 3 games in hand over Everton and Arsenal (who were 6pts behind).
They’d won the League Cup, but had been knocked out of the FA Cup in the 6th Round at The Hawthorns, as they lost 0-2 to West Brom and so ended their treble chances.
April
As the season approached its finale, Forest were having to use all their resources and strength to keep going. They came from behind to beat Chelsea, 3-1 and then struggled against Aston Villa, before Tony Woodcock scored a late goal to give them a 1-0 win. This result proved even more important with the news that 2nd placed, Everton were beaten at home in the Merseyside derby. Forest were now 4pts clear with 3 games in hand. They followed this with two draws, 0-0 at Man City and 1-1 at home to Leeds. Midway through April, Forest were still 4pts clear with 3 games in hand, but more significantly, Everton only had 3 games to go and with just 2pts for a win, Forest were now a win and a draw away from their first ever League title.
Three days after being held at home by Leeds, they were again at home against QPR. Two years previously, QPR had been minutes away from winning their first ever league title, but were now only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. This wasn’t helped by yet another John Robertson penalty giving Forest a 1-0win. That win meant Everton could only match Forest’s 58pts, if they won their final 3 matches. Liverpool needed to win every one of their final 5 games to match Forest’s total too. The one big advantage Forest had was a goal difference 16 better than Everton and 22 better than Liverpool.
Saturday 22nd April 1978
Coventry v Nottingham Forest
Forest didn’t have to travel far to pick up the point necessary to confirm themselves as Champions. Liverpool were at home to Norwich and Everton made the trip to Middlesbro. The Coventry game was a bit of an anti-climax, but Clough’s finest signing, Peter Shilton, undoubtedly kept Forest in the game, and one save in particular will be remembered by the fans for many years to come.
The game ended 0-0 and that point was enough to take the title. Fans celebrated as news of the other results came in. Liverpool beat Norwich, 3-0 and Everton were held to a 0-0 draw. Since losing to Chelsea on bonfire night, Forest had now gone 24 league matches unbeaten. This would extend to 28 by the end of the season as they drew 3 and won 1 of their final 4 matches, conceding in just one of those games, 2-2with West Brom.
Their final match was at Anfield. Liverpool’s run had seen them unbeaten in 12 matches, but Forest just weren’t to be denied and the game ended 0-0. Forest ended 7pts clear at the top of the table. Liverpool, had confirmed 2nd place, which meant a top 2 finish for the 4th season running, but there was to be no 3rd consecutive title. Not yet, anyway.
Kenny Burns was Football Writers Player of the Year, Peter Shilton the PFA Player of the Year, Tony Woodcock the Young Player of the Year and Brian Clough was named Manager of the Year. An astonishing season which ended with 2 trophies. They’d only ever won 4 trophies in their 113 year history, 2 FA Cups and 2 Second Division titles. They would go on to finish 2nd the following year, yet win the European Cup at their first attempt, and retain their League Cup. In 1980 they retained the European Cup. Their unbeaten run in the league finally came to an end after 42 matches. That record would remain until Arsenal overhauled it in 2004.
For a season which was expected to be a consolidation it had been an unprecedented success. Clough had taken an unfashionable Midlands club, from the Second Division to become League Champions. The second time he’d done that in 6 years. A remarkable achievement.
Published in permission with Pete Spencer
Memphis Depay is one of the most popular footballers in Europe right now, and here we find out about his net worth, salary, contract, tattoos, girlfriend, and more.
Memphis Depay Net Worth and Salary
Memphis Depay has a net worth of approximately £45 million which is largely down to his football career. However, some of it could be attributed to his hobby of producing hip-hop music as well. At 32, he would only expect that amount to increase in the future.
Depay signed for FC Barcelona in the summer of 2021. While he was initially offered a contract worth €7million plus add-ons per year, Depay agreed to a 30% salary cut to help the Catalan club register him for the season. He is believed to be earning a yearly salary of £4,680,000 now at Corinthians in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
Memphis Depay Club Career
Depay started out his club career at Moordrecht as a 6-year-old. After moves to the youth teams of Sparta and PSV Eindhoven, he was promoted to the latter’s first team in the 2011-12 season. After scoring 50 goals in 124 appearances for them, he caught the eye of Manchester United in 2015.
The Red Devils signed the then 21-year-old forward, but things did not work out well for him there. Even though he won the FA Cup, the League Cup and the UEFA Europa League during his time at Old Trafford, Depay largely struggled under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, managing just 7 goals in 53 games for the club. His career received a lifeline when Olympique Lyon finally gave him an escape route in 2017.
He then became the main man in Lyon’s attack and his best season came in 2020/21, where he made the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. In his three and a half years at the club, Memphis managed 63 goals in 139 appearances. His dream move then came in the summer of 2021, when he was signed by Barcelona – who had just lost Lionel Messi to PSG – as a free agent.
Memphis Depay’s football journey continued with his move to Atletico Madrid in a significant transfer announcement on January 20, 2023. He inked a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club, marking a new chapter in his career. The initial transfer fee for this move was reported to exceed €4 million, underlining Atlético’s investment in the talented Dutchman.
Depay made an immediate impact in his new team, showcasing his goal-scoring abilities. On February 12, 2023, he netted his first goal for Atlético Madrid in a crucial 1-0 victory against Celta de Vigo.
Memphis Depay International Career
Depay has been a regular for the Netherlands and has represented them at the U15, U16, U17, U19, and U21 levels before making his bow for the senior team in his debut against Turkey in October 2013. He starred for the U17 Netherlands side that won the UEFA European Championship in 2011 and scored in the final.
He has also represented the U17 team in the U17 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Depay has a decent record for the national team so far and is one of their star players. He was particularly impressive for the senior team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and has been a permanent fixture in the squad since then.
Depay also featured for Oranje in the 2020 UEFA Euros. He scored three times during the tournament but could not help his team progress further than the last-16 stage.
Memphis Depay Music Career and Rap Albums
Depay has another talent up his sleeves. The Dutch superstar has used the fame and wealth acquired from football towards furthering a career in Music on the sides. He started out by releasing non-Album freestyles, with his debut track ‘LA Vibes’ also featuring Netherlands teammate, Quincy Promes.
He has also combined on hit tracks with Dutch hip-hop stars Winnie as well as Broederliefde. Depay released several singles including ‘No Love’, which came after he broke off his engagement with his then-fiancee, Lori Harvey. The former Lyon superstar’s debut album dropped in 2020, which was titled ‘Heavy Stepper EP’, and did fairly well on the Dutch charts.
Memphis Depay Family, Girlfriend, and Personal Life
Memphis Depay was born in 1994 to his Ghanaian father, Dennis Depay, and Dutch mother, Cora Schensema. His father supposedly walked out on his family when he was 4, which is why Memphis prefers if people address him just by his first name.
Depay famously dated model Lori Harvey, the daughter of American TV star Steve Harvey, and the couple were even engaged up until 2018, when they announced their break-up. He is believed to have also dated actress Karrueche Tran in 2015, and most recently dated American singer Chloe Bailey (2020-21).
Memphis Depay Tattoos and Cars
The star forward has numerous tattoos on his body. One of them is a tattoo on his left arm that is a tribute to his grandfather, who passed away just before Memphis’ 15th birthday. He has a tattoo that states ‘succesvol’ on the inside of his lips, which translates to ‘successful in English and a big lion inked on his back.
Memphis also has the words ‘Dream Chaser’ tattooed on his upper torso. The Dutch international also has a Christ the Redeemer tattoo on his left torso with the date ‘18.06.14’. That goal came against Australia in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Depay has a large collection of cars. Some of his prized assets include a Mercedes Maybach S650 – $350,000, Rolls Royce Wraith – $600,000+, Mercedes AMG G63 – $150,000, and an Audi RS6 – $100,000. He also owned a Mercedes G-Wagon as of 2016 and is also believed to have owned a Ferrari.
Memphis Depay Sponsorships and Endorsements
Memphis Depay was sponsored by Under Armour for a while up until a supposed split in early 2021. He has sported Adidas boots heavily and even featured in a 2014 advertisement for them. Apart from them, Memphis Depay’s endorsements and sponsorships aren’t known.
Memphis Depay Social Media
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It will be a game of fine margins when Spain take on France in the first Euro 2024 semifinal on Tuesday night
A mere victory away from this summer’s showpiece event in Berlin, continental heavyweights Spain and France are set to clash in the Euro 2024 semi-finals on Tuesday. Both teams have been pragmatic rather than spectacular this summer and the clash on Tuesday will be a proper tactical matchup between Didier Deschamps and Luis de La Fuente.
Spain, boasting a flawless record so far, reached Munich by eliminating the hosts, Germany in a dramatic quarter-final. La Roja struck in the dying minutes of extra time to claim a 2-1 win in Stuttgart. Dani Olmo, brought on for the injured Pedri, opened the scoring, but Germany equalized through Florian Wirtz. Just as the game seemed destined for penalties, Mikel Merino’s powerful header secured Spain’s place in the semis.
Under the guidance of Luis de la Fuente, Spain have been a formidable force. They are the only team to have won all five of their matches in the tournament. No nation in European Championship history has won six times in a single finals or posted six consecutive wins. De la Fuente, who took over from Luis Enrique, has implemented a tactical shift that has paid dividends. Spain have recorded lower possession than their opponents twice this summer, a significant departure from their ball-heavy traditional style of football.
This new approach, featuring quick passing and pace out wide, has been highly effective. Since the start of 2023, Spain has the best win percentage of any European nation, winning 15 of their 19 games under De la Fuente. Their victory in the most recent UEFA Nations League means they are now on their best winning run since the glory days of June 2010.
Spain have advanced from four of their five European Championship semi-finals, with their only defeat coming in a penalty shootout against eventual winners Italy three years ago. They now aim to reach their fifth continental final and their first since their dominant run culminated in victory at Euro 2012.
Meanwhile, France are aiming to reach their fourth European Championship final, but only their second outside of French soil. Didier Deschamps, who oversaw their 2016 final defeat to Portugal in Paris, is determined to go one better this time. Having fallen at the final hurdle in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Les Bleus will hope to make amends on the continental stage.
Since their loss in the 2022 World Cup final, France’s progress has been less smooth compared to Spain’s. They were uninspired in their last-16 win over Belgium and narrowly edged past Portugal in the quarter-finals. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan made crucial saves to take the tie into extra time, and Theo Hernandez scored the decisive penalty in Hamburg.
Concerns over the form and fitness of captain Kylian Mbappe have persisted, as Real Madrid’s newest ‘galactico’ was forced off before the shootout. Despite Mbappe’s struggles, France has managed to find a way to advance. They have scored only four goals in their five Euro 2024 matches, three of which came from penalties or own goals. The inability to find the back of the net remains a major concern in the business end of the competition.
France’s style may not be as aesthetically pleasing as Spain’s, but they have been effective. They beat Spain 2-1 in their most recent meeting, the 2021 Nations League final, and few would bet against them in this semi-final clash. SoccerSouls predicts a close clash with little to separate them on the night. We take a look at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News and Predicted XI
Spain
Spain’s close win over Germany in the last eight came with a cost. Daniel Carvajal and Robin Le Normand are both suspended for the game while midfield maestro Pedri will miss the rest of the tournament thanks to a medial collateral ligament sprain. De La Fuente will hope that his squad can make up for the three absences.
La Roja are expected to line up in their traditional 4-3-3 formation with the excellent Unai Simon in goal. Real Madrid skipper Nacho and Aymeric Laporte should hold firm at centre-back with Jesus Navas and Marc Cucurella pushing forward at wing-back.
Rodri should once again form the pivot in the midfield, with Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz pushing forward. Skipper Alvaro Morata should lead the line with the electric duo of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams providing support.
Predicted Playing XI (4-3-3): Simon: Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Morata, Williams
France
With the slate wiped clean regarding bookings, France have no disciplinary issues to worry about. However, Kylian Mbappe’s nose injury remains a source of concern for Didier Deschamps and his team.
The former Paris Saint-Germain striker has scored only one goal from 20 shots at Euro 2024 thus far and will need to discover his shooting boots to give France a good chance of making the final.
Deschamps is likely to continue with the 4-3-1-2 formation with the excellent Mike Maignan in goal. The AC Milan stopper should be protected by the back four of Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and Theo Hernandez.
N’Golo Kante and Aurelien Tchouameni should form the double pivot in the midfield, freeing up Adrien Rabiot to push forward and help Antoine Griezmann in the number 10 role. Kylian Mbappe and Randal Kolo Muani will lead the line and hope to end their nation’s poor goalscoring form in the tournament.
Predicted Playing XI (4-3-1-2): Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Griezmann; Kolo Muani, Mbappe
Key Stats
- Spain have advanced from four of their five European Championship semi-finals in history.
- A win on the night will see Spain become the first side to win six consecutive games in the same finals of the European Championships.
- Mike Maignan can boast a save ratio of 94%, the best ratio of any shot-stopper in the tournament.
- Both teams have faced off 36 times so far, with Spain coming out on top 16 times and France winning 13 games.
- Spain have won just one their six clashes against France at the European Championships.
Match Deciding Duel
Lamine Yamal (Spain) vs Theo Hernandez (France)
Lamal has certainly brought his A game to the tournament and will once again be Spain’s electric creator down their right flank. With Theo Hernandez and Adrien Rabiot likely to provide the thrust on the flanks for France, there will be space for Spain and Yamal to run into on the night.
This should work in the Iberian giants’ favour should Dani Olmo and Nico Williams stretch France, bringing Upamecano out of position. This should open up space for Morata to run into and cause havoc. Yamal’s eye for the audacious and his ability to get past players will certainly keep France on their toes.
Prediction
Spain 1-1 France (France to Progress on Penalties)
Given the stakes, the game is likely to be tightly contested. France have more match-winners in their squad and coupled with the absentees for Spain should give Les Bleus the advantage. The match is likely to go right down to the wire with Mike Maignan likely to come up trumps for his side in the penalty shootout.
Lionel Messi 2023 – Net Worth, Salary, Endorsements, Wife, Tattoos, Cars and More
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer to ever step foot on the green grass, and here we learn more about the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner’s net worth, salary, contract, and more.
Lionel Messi Facts
Lionel Messi Net Worth and Salary
Lionel Messi has a net worth of about $ 600 million. That figure does not come as a shock considering he is arguably the best player the world has ever seen during an age where players are paid handsomely by their clubs. This figure is largely down to his career at FC Barcelona.
The Argentine superstar left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after 21 years at the club. He signed an astonishing deal at PSG that sees him early with a weekly salary of £500,000.
According to Jorge Mas, Messi will earn approximately $60 million per year, which includes his salary, ownership stake in Inter Miami, and signing bonus. The contract is effective from July 1, 2023, until late December 2025.
Lionel Messi Club Career
Anyone who has heard about football knows Lionel Messi. The Argentine sensation arrived in Spain in 2000 from Newell’s Old Boys. At 16 years, 4 months, and 23 days, Messi finally made his much-awaited senior team debut for Barcelona in a friendly against Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto in November 2003.
Since then, Messi has won almost everything in sight. The 9-time La Liga player of the year has also won the league title 10 times in his career and 15 other domestic cup trophies. Lionel Messi is also a record six-time Ballon d’Or winner, which is one more than that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
He has also been awarded the UEFA Player of the Year Award thrice along with a Best FIFA Men’s Player title in 2019. His record at Barcelona makes for astonishing reading. Messi scored 672 goals and provided 306 assists during his 778 games for the Catalan giants. He made his debut for PSG against Reims in a Ligue 1 match on 29th August 2021.
Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire on June 30, and he will leave the club this summer. He is set to join MLS Team Inter Miami as a free agent on July 1 2023.
Lionel Messi’s International Career
Lionel Messi is probably the only player to have been called Diego Maradona’s successor and actually go on to live up to that title. In fact, Messi actually bettered Maradona in every way when it came to stats and trophies at the club level. But what made Barrilete Cosmico a divine figure in Argentina was his role in Argentina’s 1986 FIFA World Cup win on home soil.
That was the argument used by many to state that Maradona’s legacy was greater than that of Messi because of international trophies. Once Cristiano Ronaldo won the UEFA Euro 2016 with Portugal, the pressure was on the mesmeric Argentine to win something with La Abiceleste.
Messi led Argentina to the 2014 FIFA World Cup final but failed at the last hurdle against Germany. He also lost in the Copa America finals in 2007, 2015, and 2016. But his golden moment finally came in 2021, when Messi captained Argentina to a 1-0 win against Brazil in the Copa America final. That was his second major accomplishment after a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
The post covid time has been working well for the Argentine, as he led Argentina to three major trophies including Copa America in 2021, CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions and World Cup in 2022.
Lionel Messi’s Family, Girlfriend, and Personal Life
Lionel Messi was born on 24th June 1987 in Rosaria, Argentina to Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini. His father was a steel factory manager while his mother worked in a magnet manufacturing company. Lionel was the third of their four children.
He has two brothers – Matias and Rodrigo Messi, and a sister named Maria Sol Messi. Lionel Messi met Antonella Roccuzzo as a five-year-old, who was the cousin of a childhood best friend. The two entered into a relationship in 2008 and made it public in 2009.
Messi and Roccuzzo married each other in 2017, and have three sons together. Their first child, Thiago Messi, was born in 2012. Mateo, their second son, entered the world in 2015, while Ciro Messi arrived in 2018.
Lionel Messi Sponsorships, Endorsements
Messi is Adidas’ biggest client, earning $ 25 million yearly from his deal. He also has sponsorships and endorsements from Gatorade, Pepsi, Budweiser, Lays, Konami, Dubai Auto Expo, Jacob and Co. He earns a significant amount of wealth from numerous sponsorship deals which is understandable considering his reach and popularity.
The Argentine according to a report from Reuters has entered the world of NFTs and Fan Tokens with his recent $20 million deal with Socios.com, an all-in-one fan influence & rewards app. Messi even received a large number of fan tokens when he moved from Barcelona to PSG. He will be the brand’s global ambassador and promote Socios.com.
“Fans deserve to be recognized for their support,” Messi said in a statement. “I’m proud to join Socios.com’s mission to create a more connected and rewarding future for fans around the world.”
Messi has his own brand, which is branded with his last name that has become synonymous with the sport over the years. It is unclear how much money he rakes in through this avenue but given his popularity, it won’t be a small amount.
Lionel Messi has signed a contract with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS). The deal includes profit sharing with MLS partners Apple and Adidas, in addition to his playing contract. Messi also has the option to purchase a minority stake in the club, similar to David Beckham’s arrangement when he joined MLS in 2007.
Lionel Messi Tattoos and Cars
Messi is heavily inked and all his tattoos hold some personal meaning. The Argentine striker has the birthdates of his wife and three children inked on his right shin and calf. The bottom portion of his left leg features a football and the number 10, and he also has a crown on his right arm- the same as Antonela.
His left leg also features Thiago’s handprints and his name, and he also has a tattoo of his wife’s lips on his hips. His right arm features a prominent rosary, as an ode to his hometown of Rosario. Messi also has a portrait of his mother on his back and a large tattoo of Jesus on his right arm.
The legendary forward also boasts of some really fast and expensive cars. He is believed to have a Pagani Zonda Tricolore, several Audi Cars (Q7, R8, A7), a Mercedes SLS AMG, Ferrari F430 Spyder, Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale, an Escalade and a Range Rover Vogue.
Lionel Messi’s Social Media
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