When the topic of football youth academies comes up, many people instinctively think of Barcelona. Indeed, La Masia has produced a long list of greats such as Lionel Messi, Gerard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández, Pedro, and Carles Puyol. However, in recent years, Barcelona’s youth output has been less impressive. In their 7-0 Copa del Rey win over Hércules, Rafinha was the only homegrown player in the squad. In contrast, Real Madrid’s youth academy has been thriving. Across their recent three title wins, academy graduates have played a role every…

Compared to Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid boast greater depth, and against Bayern Munich they have more intensity and sharper attacking points. This combination puts them in a very favorable position among Europe’s top clubs. Spanish daily Marca notes that while Los Blancos are desperate to secure their first La Liga title since 2012, they are also aiming to become the first team to defend the Champions League since its modern format began—a curse no side has yet broken. Zidane’s team clearly has the potential, but the challenge ahead…

Could Frank Lampard return to Chelsea? It now seems possible, as Blues manager Antonio Conte has not ruled it out. According to British media, Chelsea may consider inviting their legendary midfielder back to the club in a coaching role. The 38-year-old is set to conclude his spell with New York City FC, with his departure confirmed at the end of this season. The Daily Mail reports that Lampard is weighing his future, with retirement and a move into coaching among the options. Chelsea, aware of his deep history with the…

Tencent’s first intimate social turn-based mobile game, Fantasy Zhu Xian Mobile, has been making big moves recently. Following the launch of its unlimited data wipe test on November 1 and the release of its official theme song, the game today officially opened its all-platform access test, welcoming every Zhu Xian fan to embark on a new journey of close-knit social interaction while enjoying the music. With this open access, players who love the Zhu Xian IP can now freely join the adventure without restrictions. Since its non-wipe launch, the game’s…

Mario Balotelli was at the heart of the drama yet again. In the early hours of this morning, during Round 8 of Ligue 1, Nice defeated Lorient 2-1 at home. Balotelli netted the decisive goal to keep Nice top of the league table—but just five minutes later, he picked up two yellow cards in quick succession and was sent off. In the 86th minute, Balotelli received a pass from a teammate on the left side of the penalty area. With one deft touch to control and another to set up,…

The Asian qualifying stage for the 2018 Russia World Cup’s final 12 teams kicked off last week, with Asia’s top national sides making their opening appearances. For Chinese fans, the 12-team tournament offers not only familiar faces from the national squad but also a host of well-known Asian foreign players currently active in the Chinese Super League (CSL). China has been drawn in Group A alongside South Korea and Uzbekistan, which means several CSL teammates are now opponents on the international stage. In South Korea’s starting back four against China,…