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A surprise guest was introduced over the Oakland Coliseum loudspeakers on Thursday to sing the national anthem for the Oakland Athletics' final home game in the East Bay—former AL Cy Young winner Barry Zito.

Zito, who pitched for the A's from 2000 to '06 and rejoined the club for three appearances in '15, sang "The Star Spangled Banner" in front of a sold-out crowd of 46,889 fans.

After 57 years in the Oakland Coliseum, the A's will play their home games at Sutter Health Park, the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, in California's capital city for the next three seasons as they attempt to relocate the franchise to Las Vegas by 2028.

"You can't prepare for something like this," Zito said of the final Coliseum game on the NBC Sports California broadcast. " … I had to be a part of this. This is just so special. I love seeing all the fans and all the green and gold, man."

Zito's singing talent didn't come out of nowhere. He has a long history as a musician, as he began playing guitar in the minor leagues and played with his sister Sally's band during each offseason from 2000 to '07. After he retired from baseball in 2015, Zito released his first EP in 2017 and appeared on season three of on Fox.

Although he has plenty of talent on the microphone, Zito was even better on the mound. Across 15 seasons, Zito was a three-time All-Star and logged a 165–143 record and 4.04 ERA. He was named the 2002 AL Cy Young winner after registering a 23–5 record, 2.75 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 35 starts, leading the "Moneyball A's" to an AL West division title.

EXCLUSIVE: GOAL sat down with the 20-year-old fullback to discuss his career trajectory and World Cup ambitions

Alex Freeman can acknowledge it: there have been plenty of occastions throughout the last seven months in which he's felt like a young player. His first MLS start in the spring? Scary as can be, especially knowing his parents happened to be in attendance. 

His U.S. men's national team debut against a loaded Turkey squad? Butterflies before, during and after. His appearance with the MLS All-Stars? All he could do was look around and wonder what he did to belong on that field with those players.

The thing is, though, that despite his relative youth and inexperience, Freeman routinely proved that he did, in fact, belong. It's why those moments kept happening. And it's why, in a culmination of everything that has happened prior, he was recognized for them this week.

On Thursday, Freeman was named MLS Young Player of the Year, beating out Diego Luna and Obed Vargas for this year's award. The voting was largely one-sided, with Freeman winning the players, coaches and media blocks as well as, the overall vote.

American soccer had seen what they needed to see from the Orlando City fullback to determine that, this season, he was the young player to watch. That isn't lost on Freeman. Despite all he's accomplished this year, this all still feels surreal. He can remember the nerves that came with the big moments and now, reflecting on them alongside this award, it's easy to acknowledge just how much the last few months have changed him for the better.

"It's just been such a crazy seven months for me," Freeman told GOAL. "Obviously, in March, having my first start to now being able to win this award, it just shows the kind of year I've had. I'm grateful for winning this award, but also just to be able to continue playing. I feel like this award isn't going to stop me from trying to improve every day.

"But I think just looking at where I was in March to now in October, it's something that shows why it was such a memorable season for me."

Freeman is able to reflect, but he's also able to project forward, too, as he builds on his latest moment in the spotlight.

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  'The summer was a lot for me'

  The exact point at which Freeman actually realized his life was changing is unclear. But it happened over the summer, when everything sped up.  After emerging as one of the top stars in MLS throughout the spring, Freeman was named to Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT squad ahead of this summer's Gold Cup.

  Prior to the tournament, he started against Turkey, facing off with rising stars like Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler. Then, as the summer wore on, Freeman remained the team's first-choice right-back right on through the final loss to Mexico.

  "It's amazing, and it's priceless for us," Pochettino said of Freeman this summer. "He's a player who can work and play for us. In his debut, it was important to provide a very specific and simple concept for him to play, to grow and evolve in the direction we expect. We are so happy, and the most important thing is that he feels comfortable and, from there, he can start to grow."

  Freeman has grown. Against Australia earlier this month, he was given more license to roam than he had previously. The attacking skillset he has so often shown on the club level, where he provided six goals and three assists from the right-back position, has begun to translate to the international level.

  "I think the summer was a lot for me," Freeman says. "I had to adjust to Mauricio's system. I had a lot of times where I was staying back and there were times when I did go forward, too. For me, it was just about being able to get into these camps again and again with him, and learn what he wants from me and what I can do well for him. I feel like, as a coach, he expresses a lot to the players. He tells us what he wants, what he needs. And, as a player, it's very good to understand that. 

  "It just gives me confidence as well, knowing that you have a coach like that in the national team and here in Orlando [Oscar Pareja] who trusts you so much. I feel like that gives me confidence to be able to go up and down, like I have been trying to do all season."

  Off the field, Freeman has grown, too. He's developed close bonds with his USMNT teammates throughout his 11 caps and, with a World Cup on the horizon, he's feeling more comfortable as part of the national squad.

  "The U.S. group is incredible," he says. "We're all so together. There are no egos. There are no people who think they're above anyone else. We're all so together, and I think people can see that in games with how we stick up for each other. I think, as people, everyone is amazing.

  "Everyone treated me so good when I first came in. We go to dinners, do activities, work hard, and I feel like, as a group, it makes us better on the field. The players are phenomenal and every time I go in there, I'm just so excited to be with the guys."

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  'Oh God, I'm actually here'

  Shortly after his Gold Cup run, Freeman was recognized with another honor. He was named an MLS All-Star. It seemed almost unfathomable ahead of his first start just a few months prior. 

  On July 23, he took the field in Austin alongside some of the league's very best. He made sure to soak up the moment, participating in the Skills Challenge. The Orlando City star ended up coming off the bench, playing 29 minutes in a 3-1 MLS win over the Liga MX All-Stars. For Freeman, though, everything leading up that appearance seemed unreal.

  "It's gone so quickly, but it's hard not to think about all of the stuff going on, even as it is happening," he says. "You're gonna have days where you finish training and you're just like, 'Oh my God, I'm actually here.' I feel like one experience, for me, that was surreal was the All-Star Game. Just meeting all of the guys and being able to be recognized as one of the best in MLS, doing that in such a short amount of time, was a dream come true.

  "I couldn't imagine doing that and I was just so grateful and so happy to even meet the other guys who had been named All-Stars. The whole thing, the skills challenge, the games, the media, everything, it all felt surreal. Knowing that MLS, my coaches, my teammates, everyone had gotten me to that spot, it was such an honor and a moment that I look back on and say, 'Wow, that really happened'."

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  'Going to make me grow up quicker'

  When you win Young Player of the Year, you effectively cease being a young player. You have accomplished all you can under that label. Now, you're held to a different standard. Freeman, to a degree, sees it that way. With a full MLS season under his belt and double-digit USMNT caps to his name, he is now graded on the same curve as everyone else.

  Any future accolades or achievements will come because he's earned them, not just because he's young. Of course, he recognizes that he's not a finished product. This award is just a step, in many ways, albeit one that will force him to take another and another.

  "I think here in Orlando, the guys make me feel like the young guy, and it's good to have that feeling around the national team as well," he says. "I'm one of the youngest guys there, so it's good to feel like that with the guys. But I also feel that this award is going to make me mature as a person and as a player. It's going to make me grow up quicker, and that's what I need to do. 

  "Maybe I do feel a little older now. Maybe I will feel more experienced in certain types of ways."

  Now, following Orlando City's play-in loss to the Chicago Fire, Freeman is staring down some time off the field and a long MLS offseason.

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  'A person people can rely on'

  The USMNT's November camp is coming, and they will face two big tests. Up first is Paraguay, and then Uruguay, the team that effectively knocked them out of the Copa America in 2024. Freeman is hoping to be involved in that camp but nothing is guaranteed.

  Whether he plays in those games or not, though, he's facing at least three-and-a-half months off before MLS resumes.

  "I'm going to be training here in Orlando and hoping to make that November camp that's coming up," he says. "I want to be fit for that. After that, I think everyone knows I probably need a reset, and maybe not even a reset, but a rest. I want to see family, maybe travel a little. Maybe even go visit my national team teammates in different countries.

  "For me, it's going to be a reset. I'm going to train and be fit as well. But it's been a long year for me, and I want to share this time with he people that have been supporting me."

  The work continues this offseason, though. A World Cup is around the corner. This summer, transfer speculation began to swirl, and will almost certainly return. And Freeman will be eager to seal more awards and accolades – and appreciate it all.

  "My goal is to be a better person and a better player," he says. "I'm trying to improve every day to be both. I want to help people around me who maybe aren't as fortunate. I want to link up with people I haven't seen in a while to help my community in a better way. I feel like that's the type of person I want to be. I just want to be a good person.

  "When people talk about me, I want them to talk about me in a positive way. I want them to be like, 'Oh, he's a good guy. He's a good player, but he's a better guy.' I just want to show everyone that I'm a player and a person that people can rely on."

Ruben Amorim has urged his Manchester United players to keep their feet on the ground despite the momentous 2-1 victory over Liverpool. The Red Devils are in great spirits following their long-awaited victory at Anfield, but the Portuguese has called on his squad to remain calm as they look to make it three Premier League wins in a row against Brighton on Saturday.

• United's precious victory at Liverpool was their first since 2016

  United put years of torment to bed following their win over Liverpool last Sunday. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire helped the club record their first victory on their bitter rivals’ patch since 2016, when Wayne Rooney settled a tight affair under Louis van Gaal’s stewardship. United’s recent victory over Liverpool was also the first time they registered back-to-back Premier League wins under Amorim, following the 2-0 triumph over Sunderland earlier this month.

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  Amorim insists United must not get carried away following the victory

  However, while United are understandably in fine fettle following such an elusive win, Amorim insists it is important his players do not get carried away, reminding them that Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo – who hit the woodwork three times during the game – was desperately close to extending his side’s wait for a victory on Merseyside.

  When asked about his comments after the Liverpool game, when Amorim told the media they should “carry on with their narrative” about United, and whether he and his players feed off such doubts, the former Sporting CP boss said: “No, what I mean is that we cannot change so much. I think they ask me about top four in the end of the question. So, I don't want to change so much with the difference of 20 centimetres. If [Cody] Gakpo shot 20 centimetres here, the narrative would be completely different. So, I just want to maintain some calm, some direction in what we are doing. That’s what I mean. 

  “There is doubts if you are a manager in this kind of club, [and] you don't win a lot of games, people are going to doubt you. And they have reasons for that, but my point of view is that we need to be clear on our path and not changing so much because we win one game, that's all.”

• Portuguese full of praise for in-form Brighton ahead of Saturday's clash

  United’s quest for a third straight victory under Amorim will not be easy as Brighton head to Old Trafford in fine form themselves. The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions, recording league victories over Chelsea and Newcastle alongside a Carabao Cup triumph over League One side Barnsley. Fabian Hurzeler’s men have also recorded draws against Tottenham and Wolves during that run, helping the club rise to 10th in the table and just one point behind United.

  “I think it's going to be like always, but it's going to be a very difficult game,” said Amorim. “I think Brighton is a team [that is] really fun to watch. They are really good on [the] build-up. They are really strong on transitions in every aspect of the game. They are doing well in set-pieces this season. So, I think they are a team that is really complete, and we need to be really smart, and to face that game with a real focus on everything that we do, because they are a very strong team.

  “You can see by the way they play the game. Really intense, the quality is there. They believe a lot in what they are doing, even under pressure. So, I'm a huge fan of Fabian.”

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  United poised to lock horns with summer transfer target Baleba

  United could come up against summer transfer target Carlos Baleba when they lock horns with Brighton. Amorim’s side were keen to sign the 21-year-old but walked away from discussions after learning the south coast club valued the Cameroon international at around £115 million (€132m/$153m) – the same fee they received from Chelsea for Moises Caicedo in 2023. United are also poised to face former striker Danny Welbeck, who has been in fine form for Brighton this season. A United academy graduate, the 34-year-old has scored four goals in eight league games this term.

As was the case last season, Liverpool look a cut above their rivals in the Premier League, having stormed into a five-point lead after just five matches.

Arne Slot’s side have been far from perfect this season, but they have a knack for digging deep and finding a decisive goal in the closing stages. It is what champions are made of.

And, of course, it helps that Ryan Gravenberch is playing with such aplomb in the centre of the park. The Dutchman has picked up where he left off last year, and has even been heralded as “the best player in the country” right now by journalist Daniel Storey, having scored and assisted in the Reds’ latest win over Everton.

Gravenberch’s incredible rise to prominence over the past year has extinguished the need for a new number six. Efforts were made to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, but the Spaniard stayed put and has now signed for Arsenal.

Oh well, Liverpool fans won’t care a jot. Gravenberch’s brilliance has also made it unlikely that a bid will be lodged for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, who has been on sporting director Richard Hughes’ radar but who has been priced at £100m by the Eagles.

Liverpool might actually have sold a suitable Wharton alternative this summer, and, in fact, the same could be applied across many corners of the field, such was the scale of the exodus in the transfer market.

Liverpool's summer sales

Liverpool broke the spending record in the transfer window this summer, but they also recouped over £200m in player sales, with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez leading the way there.

However, Slot and Hughes also got rid of a host of younger members. Jarell Quansah left for Bayer Leverkusen in a £35m deal, while Harvey Elliott, while still technically a Liverpool player, joined Aston Villa on loan until the end of the 2025/26 season, with an obligation to buy for £35m.

Elsewhere from the academy, Caoimhin Kelleher left for Brentford in the search for first-team football, and Ben Doak closed the door on his nascent Anfield journey by signing for Bournemouth in a £25m package.

All talented players with high ceilings above them, but there’s something of a forgotten man in there too. Indeed, Tyler Morton left Liverpool and joined Lyon over in France for a £15m fee in August, and it’s one which Hughes might come to regret.

Liverpool may regret selling Tyler Morton

Morton graduated from Liverpool’s academy and completed 14 senior appearances and a string of loans before leaving for Lyon. Regular minutes and a platform to build upon formed the basis of Morton’s decision.

And it was the right one: he’s flying. Likened to Xabi Alonso by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Morton is a smart playmaker with energy and vision to be proud of. The way in which he’s settled into life in France bears testament to that.

Cody Gakpo was also recorded to humorously declare Morton as a similar player to the one-time Reds maestro, so there’s clearly something there.

Alonso was an architect of a midfielder, truly one of a kind. Morton isn’t an elite player, but his skillset shares similarities, and that will serve him well.

Indeed, his is a sharp footballing mind, and Morton was among the first to acknowledge the potential of Slot’s system after Jurgen Klopp ended his iconic tenure at the helm.

“You can see it’s starting to click already,” Morton said after Liverpool defeated Arsenal in pre-season in August 2024. Few – if any – expected the Reds to challenge for the Premier League title at that stage, but Morton saw the genius inherent in his new boss’s tactics, and he was on the money.

This is a further similarity to Alonso, who was among the sharpest midfielders in the business back in his playing days. The Spaniard’s illustrious managerial career serves as further evidence of his brilliance.

Leaving Liverpool was clearly the right move to kickstart his career, but the midfielder may well be frustrated that he wasn’t afforded a greater opportunity to showcase his skills under Slot’s wing; he’s good enough to have impressed, for sure.

Morton’s only four matches into life in France, but he’s certainly showing himself to be a midfielder of real quality, with reporter Andres Onrubia Ramos remarking that he has been “a total success” in France.

Obviously, Morton isn’t on the same level as prime Alonso, but there’s undoubtedly a likeness of style, and that’s something that Liverpool might come to regret parting with if he continues to skyrocket to the top.

Morton’s loan spell with Hull City across the 2023/24 Championship season underlined his natural technical quality. According to data-driven platform FBref, the teenager – at the time – ranked among the top 14% of midfielders for touches, the top 17% for pass completion, the top 11% for through balls and the top 16% for goal-creating actions per 90.

Curiously, Wharton, Blackburn Rovers up-and-comer at the time, was among Morton’s most comparable players, and so now that we can observe the former Liverpool talent’s start to life in Ligue 1, the question is raised as to whether a bumper bid for the Palace man is necessary down the line.

Well, that would be the case if Liverpool had inserted a buyback clause when cashing in on the 22-year-old, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

While FSG’s decision to sell Morton to Lyon was understandable, given the limited playing time that the English midfielder could have expected after a peripheral 2024/25 season, his performances in France so far have underlined the asset Liverpool have lost.

Should Liverpool end up forking out a significant sum for a player such as Wharton during the coming transfer windows, we can’t help but wonder whether Morton might have saved a pretty penny for the Anfield side as he continues to make gains over the Channel.

Forget Salah & Ekitike: Liverpool star is “the best player in the country"

This Liverpool star is growing into a true superstar of a player.

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 22, 2025

Manchester United are on a roll following recent victories, including the morale-boosting win over deadly rivals Liverpool at Anfield. But the dust has settled on that fine win and boss Ruben Amorim has another landmark target to overcome when they face Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

• Mixed results so far for Man United

  It’s been a turbulent period for Man United following a dismal 15th-place finish and a Europa League final defeat last season, the club also failed to qualify for European competition. Amorim's side currently sit ninth in the Premier League, but top-four ambitions have improved following recent, positive results. The new-look attack, featuring signings Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, have shown promise but the early exit from the Carabao Cup to Grimsby Town was damaging. With significant transfer activity and a lack of European football, the pressure remains on Amorim to deliver more consistent results and improve on the previous season's poor performance.

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  Amorim facing injury worries ahead of Brighton

  Amorim said: "The squad is fine. We have some doubts, we had some issues during the week, with Harry Maguire and Mason Mount. Knocks, but nothing serious. Licha (Martinez) is out, but the rest are ready for the game. I think it's always going to be like always, but it's going to be a very difficult game. It's a difficult team. They are fun to watch, really good with build-up, really strong with transitions in every aspect of the game and are doing well with set-pieces. I don't know (when he will return), he trained really well. Not with us, but on the next pitch and I was watching also the training. He's feeling well and the knee is responding really well, so I don't want to say one specific day or week, but he's near to starting the training with the team. Then it depends whether he wins a place or not. That will depend on him, but he is closer to returning to (full) training."

• The numbers stack up for Amorim

  Following their victory against Sunderland before the international break, Amorim's side secured that thrilling win at Anfield, achieving back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time under the Portuguese boss. The double gave United a significant boost and moved them within two points of Liverpool. Amorim's next challenge is to build on this success and guide United to a third consecutive victory, a feat the club has not accomplished in 49 games. That winning run came during games in February last year when they beat Wolves, West Ham, and Aston Villa, which was part of a larger winning streak under former manager Erik ten Hag.

  On the win over Liverpool, Amorim said: "We use the good spirit of winning games we know that was a good weekend for us but our focus is on the next game. That is in the past and we need to understand that football changes a lot, especially this kind of club so we are not thinking about the last game, we are thinking about this game and it is going to be really hard to win."

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  Amorim lauds changing systems

  Amorim said: "We have one identity, one way of playing but we adapt what kind of game we need to play in the moment. You could sense that the first half against Sunderland was not the same as the second half. We know how to manage that. Against Liverpool we scored right away in the first play and then we managed the game and played a different style because it was needed in that moment – that is a good thing. Then we have a good spirit and sometimes when you have a good spirit, you have a bit of luck that you need to win games."  

  After the visit of Brighton, United have away matches at Nottingham Forest on November 1st and Tottenham on November 8th. Later in November, they will host Everton.

Bayern Munich have been the dominant force in Germany and have a number of superstars on the books at the Allianz Arena.

As a result, big wages are paid, and for the 2025/26 season, Bayern Munich have an annual payroll of €257,400,000, with the average player earning €8.5m per season.

But who earns what in Munich? Every Bayern player in the first-team squad has been ranked in order from highest to lowest in terms of wages for the 2025/26 season, with the help of Capology.

Disclaimer – only the club and the players themselves truly know their wages, so take each of these figures as you will.

Here's a detailed look at Bayern Munich's top 10 earners…

10

Kim Min-jae

€230,769 per week

After starring in Italy with Napoli, Bayern paid €50m to sign defender Kim Min-jae and gave him a five-year contract worth €12m a year.

Providing the South Korean remains at the club until 2028, he will collect a whopping €60m in wages.

9

Jonathan Tah

€230,769 per week

Bayern Munich won the race to sign Jonathan Tah on a free transfer in 2025 from Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen.

With no transfer fee required, those at the Allianz Arena were able to offer the centre-back a €12m a year deal.

8

Leon Goretzka

€250,000 per week

No-nonsense central midfielder Leon Goretzka has spent his entire career in Germany and has been with Bayern Munich since 2018.

Previously of VfL Bochum and Schalke, Goretzka has been linked with moves away from Bayern in recent years, and his €13m-a-year deal expires in 2026.

7

Michael Olise

€259,808 per week

After swapping Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich in the summer, Michael Olise saw his salary more than double.

The winger was picking up around £100,000 a week in south London but is now on more than €250,000 (£207k) every week, which works out at €13.5m-a-year.

6

Alphonso Davies

€288,462 per week

Alphonso Davies penned a new long-term deal at Bayern Munich in 2025, months before he was due to become a free agent amid links with Real Madrid.

The left-back saw his Allianz Arena deal increase to €15m a year until 2030.

5

Jamal Musiala

€326,885 per week

Jamal Musiala, after coming through the ranks in England with Chelsea, has been a Bayern Munich star in recent years, justifying his new €18.8m a year contract which was signed in 2025.

The attacking midfielder is one that got away from the Three Lions and is a Germany regular at international level.

4

Serge Gnabry

€362,885 per week

After struggling to break through while on the books at Arsenal, Serge Gnabry has found a home at Bayern Munich, where he has been since 2017.

The German international, who can play on the right or left of attack, signed his latest contract back in 2022 but is out of contract at the end of the 2025/26 season.

3

Joshua Kimmich

€384,615 per week

Bayern Munich secured the services of Joshua Kimmich when he was still a teenager back in 2015, and it has proven to be a great piece of business.

After 10 years as a Bayern player, Kimmich, who can play in defence and midfield, has made 450-plus appearances and won 22 honours at the Allianz.

2

Manuel Neuer

€403,846 per week

Another club icon in recent memory has been goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who joined from Schalke back in 2011.

The German has been first-choice under a number of managers and is also out of contract in 2026, when he will turn 40 years of age.

1

Harry Kane

€480,769 per week

Top of the charts is England’s all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane, who ended his 19-year association with Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 to join Bayern Munich.

Kane instantly took to life in the Bundesliga and has been scoring goals for fun, justifying his huge €25m a year deal which runs until 2027.

Few strikers have bridged eras and philosophies quite like Hernan Crespo, the Argentine who thrived under football’s finest minds. From Carlo Ancelotti’s calm mentorship at Parma and AC Milan to Jose Mourinho’s fiery motivation at Chelsea and Inter, Crespo experienced both tenderness and tenacity in leadership. Now a coach himself, he blends these lessons and teachings with empathy, pushing with passion, and inspiring with precision.

• A legend shaped by great minds

  Crespo’s name evokes an era of elegance, intelligence, and lethal precision in front of goal. With approximately 163 appearances and 93 goals across competitions which includes 125 Serie A matches and 76 goals, he was a master of movement and efficiency. A natural-born finisher, Crespo thrived wherever he played – River Plate, Parma, Lazio, Chelsea, Milan, or Inter. But behind the goals stood something deeper: his evolution under two contrasting masters of the game – Ancelotti and Mourinho. Reflecting on his journey, Crespo said: “Ancelotti was like a father to me when I arrived in Italy. Mourinho? An extraordinary motivator. No one gets into players’ heads like he does.” Both managers shaped him, one through warmth and wisdom, the other through challenge and conviction.

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  When Crespo met Ancelotti and Mourinho

  Crespo’s reflections on his former coaches reveal the essence of leadership in football. Ancelotti, who guided him during his formative years at Parma, became his moral and tactical compass. In contrast, Mourinho, whom he worked with at Chelsea and later at Inter, transformed his mentality. With Crespo now being at the helm of Sau Paulo, the Argentine speaks about what it's like being a coach.

  "A player, generally speaking, thinks of himself and his own well-being. A coach has to think of a group of twenty-five or thirty people. What do you think is the hardest job? I always use the example of a school teacher who is responsible for teaching an entire class. I feel the same way when I lead a training session," said Crespo in an interview with

  The 50-year-old, talking about his points of reference to coaching, said: "As for the coaching profession, I'll name three: Ancelotti, Mourinho, and Bielsa. Carlo was like a father to me when I arrived in Italy in 1996. I was twenty-one, and I learned everything from him. Mourinho is an extraordinary motivator, as I experienced at Chelsea. No one gets into players' heads like he does. And Bielsa is a visionary: he knows how to look beyond the present, he knows how to interpret football in a modern way. I take inspiration from them, but I know I'll never match their successes. But I've also achieved something on the bench… In Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, I've achieved satisfaction and success."

• Crespo's football journey: As a player and a coach

  From River Plate’s Copa Libertadores triumph in 1996 to world-record transfers and multiple league titles, Crespo’s journey was nothing short of stellar. Under Ancelotti at Parma, he matured into a complete striker, winning the UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana in 1999. His world-record move to Lazio in 2000 brought him the Serie A top scorer title with 26 goals. Later, under Mourinho at Chelsea, Crespo found success again, lifting the Premier League and Community Shield in 2005-06. Even during his loan at Milan, Ancelotti’s trust helped him score twice in the unforgettable 2005 Champions League final. Across Europe, Crespo’s game embodied versatility, consistency, and poise, achieving over 300 career goals and earning recognition as one of the most intelligent strikers of his generation.

  Crespo’s transition from striker to strategist has been marked by the same intelligence and drive that defined his playing days. Beginning with Parma’s youth side in 2014 and later Modena in Serie B, he rose to prominence with Brazilian side Defensa y Justicia, guiding them to a historic Copa Sudamericana win in 2020. Success followed him to Sao Paulo, where he ended their decade-long title drought with the 2021 Campeonato Paulista, and later to Al-Duhail in Qatar, securing a domestic treble in 2022-23. In 2024, Crespo became the first Argentine coach to win the AFC Champions League with Al Ain, before returning to Sao Paulo in 2025.

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  Crespo from scoring goals to shaping minds

  Now on the touchline for Sao Paulo, Crespo brings those same lessons to life. As a coach, he often compares his role to a teacher’s, guiding a classroom of players, each with unique strengths and struggles. “A player thinks about himself. A coach must think about thirty,” he explained. His managerial philosophy draws from Ancelotti’s empathy, Mourinho’s motivation, and Bielsa’s vision. Having led clubs in Argentina, Brazil, Qatar, and the UAE, Crespo blends emotional intelligence with tactical innovation, pushing his teams to think, not just play. His dream? “To coach a European team, maybe in Italy. It would be the closing of the circle.” As he continues this new chapter, Crespo remains the bridge between generations, the striker who learned from the best and now seeks to become one of them.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is blessed to have an array of exciting talents coming through the Hale End academy right now.

Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Myles Lewis-Skelly are making waves at N5 right now, with the latter rewarded for his Arsenal form by England boss Thomas Tuchel as he eyes a place in the Three Lions’ 2026 World Cup squad.

Despite being just 18-years-old, Lewis-Skelly burst on to the scene last season and fought his way into becoming one of Arteta’s first-choice left-backs with Riccardo Calafiori, thereby pushing established Premier League defender Oleksandr Zinchenko down the pecking order as a result.

Nwaneri, meanwhile, became the youngest Premier League player in history after making his debut in a 3-0 win over Brentford in 2022, with the sky appearing to be the limit for him.

Since then, the 18-year-old has racked up nine goals and two assists from 40 senior appearances under Arteta, and Arsenal initially hesitated over a deal for Eberechi Eze due to their desire for Nwaneri to be given more minutes this season (talkSPORT).

Nwaneri signed a new five-year contract at Arsenal in August, keeping him at the club until 2030, but the teenage talent now has another academy sensation to contend with for a place in the first-team.

That man is, of course, Dowman.

The 15-year-old became Arsenal’s second-youngest ever Premier League player behind Nwaneri after coming on in their 5-0 win over Leeds United last month, winning a penalty for summer signing Viktor Gyokeres to smash home.

Understandably, there is a lot of excitement around Dowman right now, and club legend Paul Merson insists he is just a “freak” for his age.

Still barely seen in the first team with just 27 minutes of competitive senior football to his name, former Arsenal keeper Graham Stack has now told Standard Sport that Dowman already reminds him of an England legend.

Arsenal teenager Max Dowman likened to Paul Gascoigne

Stack believes that Dowman has similarities with Paul Gascoigne, with the pundit hailing Arsenal’s “gifted” new teenager when speaking ahead of A Night To Remember.

While this bold statement continues to pile on lofty praise for Arsenal’s latest starlet, it is important not to put too much pressure on Dowman at this very early stage of his career.

The attacking midfielder has displayed real signs of promise, but the GCSE schoolboy is still at a preliminary stage of his development and needs time to grow before being thrust into the limelight so intensely.

That being said, there is still reason to be excited about Dowman, and Arsenal’s work with young players behind-the-scenes is continuing to pay dividends.

Liverpool made some statement signings during the summer and are now fighting Manchester United to sign a Barcelona teenager.

Liverpool prepare to face Burnley in the Premier League

The international break is now over and supporters of Premier League clubs will be delighted to see their clubs back in action this weekend as the top-flight season begins to take shape.

Before their blockbuster Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid, Liverpool travel to Burnley on Sunday as they look to maintain their perfect start to the season under Arne Slot.

In a match that could signal Alexander Isak’s introduction for the Reds after joining from Newcastle for £125 million, Jermaine Pennant has taken the bold step of claiming the Sweden international is a better forward than Harry Kane.

He stated: “No, I would say Isak. Just because over the years, Harry Kane’s numbers in the Premier League have been fantastic, golden boots galore, but Harry Kane now, right at this minute, is not a better player than Alexander Isak.

“He’s not better than Haaland either. Isak is the best number nine in the world. When he’s fit, give him some games, give him some time.”

Recent developments suggest that Real Madrid’s interest in Ibrahima Konate is growing by the minute, albeit it remains to be seen whether replacing the France international is something that will leap to the top of their agenda amid his uncertain contract situation.

Regardless, Liverpool have maintained a keen focus on securing new arrivals at the expense of their Premier League rivals and could look to complete the trick once again as they pursue one of the world’s rising stars.

Liverpool battling Man Utd to sign Barcelona's Dro Fernandez

According to reports in Spain,Liverpool are battling Manchester United to sign Barcelona rising star Dro Fernandez, who has shot to prominence this term after rising through the ranks at La Masia.

Chelsea and Manchester City are also courting the 17-year-old, and he is a regular in the La Liga giants’ second string. Making the step up to first-team level, he also scored against Vissel Kobe in pre-season.

Liverpool struck gold on star whose value has risen £35m since Klopp left

Arne Slot has turned this player into one of Liverpool’s key men.

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Joe Nuttall

Sep 9, 2025

Dubbed “very special” by former coach Luis Perez, who likened Fernandez to Catalan icon Andres Iniesta, the attacking midfielder has two years left on his contract at Barcelona and is viewed as a prospect worth exploring due to his tactical understanding and efficient decision making in the final third.

Intriguingly, the next few months are said to be crucial to his future, and Liverpool appear to be positioning themselves for a swoop amid their excellent success rate when offering young talent opportunities to make their mark at senior level.

Spain Under-17 international Fernandez appears to be someone that could become a topic of conversation on the market, though it remains to be seen if the Reds can beat rivals such as Manchester United to his signature.