Budgets for the Portuguese “Big 4" are so tight, even with the biggest of them (Benfica and Porto) having made €500 million+ on transfer profits, that they struggle to bring wages anywhere near what players get in the big leagues. I think Iker Casillas is the highest-paid person in Portugal right now and Porto are…

It’s a fair point, but Italy had an extra guaranteed spot and in the earlier half of the decade their bigger teams started to shit the bed on a regular basis and that’s why they only have three to begin with. It’s like they’re being rewarded for mediocrity.

The fairest way to ensure the easiest progression of 4th place teams would’ve been to get rid of the “champions” route of qualification where APOEL plays Copenhagen while Villareal or Roma went home because they had to go up against Monaco and Porto. Qualification was a lot simpler under the old system.

For comparison, before 2012 when Germany was behind Italy in the coefficients and only had 3 entrants, German teams qualified into the group stage in 4 of the 5 previous seasons.

That’s why I think this is such a weird tightrope that UEFA is walking here - they’re giving much more to the big clubs and in return they’re essentially paving the path to a European Super League that they say this deal will help to avoid.

To be honest, in the articles I’ve read about the changes I haven’t seen if England-Spain-Italy-Germany are permanently guaranteed 4 spots in perpetuity (at least for the duration of this deal) or if the coefficient system will be maintained (I can’t imagine France likes being left out of this very much), but the…

Sports gather new fans when more clubs are successful - wanna take a guess how many more Leicester jerseys are being worn in those “newer” football markets today compared to the same time last year?

Porto qualified for the CL group stage by hammering Roma.

Since 2012-13, the first season in which Italy’s Champions League allocation was reduced from 4 to 3, Italy has sent a 3 team contingent to the group stage once in five years. Portugal has sent a 3 team contingent in three of those five seasons, twice…

Not that I necessarily disagree with you about Hughes but Tuchel’s rep isn’t exactly borne out of moulding academy grads into solid professionals. If anything, his signing of 3 guys who play Pulisic’s position indicate he’s about as inclined to develop youngsters as Hughes is. And it’s not only there - Tuchel’s spent…

For some reason, Popeye’s where I am is never as crispy and very greasy. I have had amazing Popeye’s before but it was long ago...

What I really hate is that these KFC pictures are making me crave KFC like a motherfucker.

You are quite literally the last person I enjoyed doing this to.

There’s an irony here lol

Uruwrong.

“Michael Phelps sure has a lot to answer for here.” - Elliotte Friedman

TBH, I thought he might’ve even passed Gatlin with the line dip. Came extremely close.

This was weird - nobody had any idea in the immediate aftermath where De Grasse finished. CBC only announced it maybe ten seconds after the race. I feel like this was either done for show, or they had Bailey do this to a replay.

I think it’s time to move on from Hope Solo’s shittyness.

What a fucking shit this woman is.

Genuinely don’t think he knows that Inglewood is a black city. If they moved to Compton there’s zero percent chance he uses this language.