Kind of gives me chill-bumps when you hear an American being cheered like this in Italy – Pulisic in Milan. Wonder why the EPL is so popular Worldwide – games like this – Arsenal wins in Extra Time. When you are at the fields this weekend – think about this before you yell at the ref.
Champions League & Europa League this Week
Champions League Action is back today and Wednesday with some big games like Barcelona hosting PSG & Villareal vs Juventus & American McKinney, and the battle of American’s Pepe & Dest for PSV traveling to Bayer Leverkusen and Tillman on Wednesday at 3 pm. Tuesday we get the return of Jose Mourino to Chelsea as he brings Portugal’s Benefica into town at 3 pm on Para+. (Full schedule & coverage below)
US U20 Boys in World Cup – Sun 4 pm FS2
The US U20’s got over to great start with a 9-0 win (US Goals) in game 1 of their World Cup start. Games continue on Fox Sports 1, 2 and Desportes all week and weekend long. Spain vs Mexico Wed at 4 pm on FS2, Spain vs Brazil Sat 4 pm on Univision & USA vs South Africa on Sunday at 4 pm on Fox Sports 2. (Full schedule & Stories below)
US Open Cup Wed Night CBS Sports Network, Para+
The US Open Cup finals are Wed night with Austin City hosting BJ Callahan and Nashville SC at 8 pm on CBSSN. This is a historic moment for both teams, as it’s the first time Austin FC has hosted a major tournament final and the first Open Cup final appearance for Nashville SC. (Stories below)
Indy 11 Win Again – @ Louisville on WNDY 23 7:30 pm Sat
Indy Eleven midfielder Jack Blake scored his USL Championship era (2018-) franchise record 25th Boys in Blue goal for the game-winner in a huge 2-1 victory over Western Conference leader FC Tulsa at Carroll Stadium. The win moves Indy Eleven into a playoff position one point ahead of Rhode Island FC with four games left in the regular season. Indy Eleven will take their two-game winning streak to USL Championship Eastern Conference leader Louisville City FC next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on WNDY 23 and CBS Sports Golazo Network. The Boys in Blue have their final regular season home game with Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at Carroll Stadium vs. Loudoun United FC.
Purpose: fill remaining roster spots Not adding new teams
Register: scan the QR on the graphic or use the
link https://system.gotsport.com/programs/4M9139916…
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FULL TV GAME SCHEDULE
Tues, Sept 30 Champions League
12:45 pm Para+, Uni Kairat vs Real Madrid
3 pm CBSSN Paphos vs Bayern Munich
3 pm Para+ Galatasaray vs Liverpool
3 pm Para+ Atletico Madrid vs Frankfurt
3 pm Para+ Marseille (_) vs Ajax
3 pm Para+ Chelsea vs Benefica
3 pm Para+ Inter vs Slavia Praha
3 pm Para+ Boda vs Tottenham
4 pm FS2 Panama U20 vs Ukraine U20 WC
7 pm FS1 Chile U20 vs Japan U20
7 pm FS2 Korea U20 vs Paraguay U20
Wed, Oct 1 Champs League
12:45 pm Para, Uni Union Saint Gilloise vs Newcastle United
3 pm CBSSN Dortmund vs Athletic Club
3 pm Para+ Barcelona vs PSG
3 pm para+ Arsenal vs Olympiakos Piraues
3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Sporting CP
3 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen vs PSV (Pepe)
3 pm Para+ Villareal vs Juventus (McKinney)
4 pm FS2 Spain U20 vs Mexico U20
7 pm FS1 Brazil U20 vs Morocco U20
7 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs Australia U20
8 pm CBSSN Austin City vs Nashville SC US Open Cup
Thurs, Oct 2 Europa
12:45 pm CBSSN Roma vs Lille
12:45 pm Celtic (Carter Vickers) cs Sporting Braga
12:45 pm Dynamo Kyiv vs Crystal Palace (Chris Richards)
3 pm CBSSN Feyenoord vs Aston Villa
3 pm Para_ Sturm Graz vs Rangers
3 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Middtylland
3 pm Para+ Olympique Lyonnais vs Salzburg
Fri, Oct 3
3 pm USA Bournemouth (Adams) vs Fulham (Robinson)
7 pm FS1 Egypt U20 vs Chile U20 WC
7 pm FS2 New Zealand U20 vs Japan U20
Sat, Oct 4
7:30 am USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Tottenham
9:30 am ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs Union Berlin
9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund vs RB Leipzig
10 am USA Man United vs Sunderland
10 am Peacock Arsenal vs West Ham
12:30 pm NBC Chelsea vs Liverpool
4 pm Tele Mexico U20 vs Morocco U20
4 pm Univision Spain U20 vs Brazil U20
7 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs Italy U20
10:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers
Sun, Oct 6
4 pm FS2 USA U20 vs South Africa U20
7 pm FS2 Nigeria U20 vs Colombia U20
9 pm Apple LAFC vs Atlanta United MLS
Fri, Oct 10
8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador
Tues, Oct 14
9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
Thurs, Oct 23
9 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA
Sun, Oct 26
4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT
Sat, Nov 15
5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA
Tues, Nov 18
7 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Champions League, Championship
Follow along with all the USMNT action this week. by Justin Moran Stars & Stripes
Midweek USMNT action is here. All kickoff times are in EST. All MLS games are available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and EA Sports FC, as well as any other networks listed. Let’s get into it!
Tuesday
- Atalanta vs Club Brugge, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Yunus Musah and Atalanta host Brugge in Champions League.
- Atlético Madrid vs Frankfurt, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Atléti host Nathaniel Brown and Frankfurt in Champions League.
- Marseille vs Ajax, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Tim Weah and OM welcome Ajax into town for this Champions League match.
Also in action:
- Frosinone vs Cesena, 2:30p on Onefootball: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena visit Frosinone in Serie B.
- Palermo vs Venezia, 2:30p on Onefootball, DCTV: Gianluca Busio and Venezia visit Palermo in Serie B.
- Birmingham vs Sheffield Wednesday, 2:45p: Ethan Horvath and Sheffield United visit Birmingham City in the Championship.
- Middlesbrough vs Stoke, 2:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video: Aidan Morris and Boro host Stoke City in the Championship.
- Sheffield United vs Southampton, 2:45p: Damion Downs and Southampton visit Sheffield United in the Championship.
- Derby vs Charlton, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video: Charlie Kelman and Charlton Athletic visit Derby County in the Championship.
- Inter Miami vs Chicago Fire, 7:30p: Chris Brady, Brian Gutiérrez, and the Fire visit Inter Miami in MLS action.
Wednesday
- Leverkusen vs PSV, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Malik Tillman will face his former team as he and Leverkusen host, Sergiño Dest, Ricardo Pepi and PSV in Champions League.
- Monaco vs Manchester City, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, TUDN USA, UniMás, Univision NOW, FuboTV (free trial), ViX: Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Man City in Champions League.
- Villarreal vs Juventus, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, DAZN USA, CBS Sports Golazo: Weston McKennie and Juve visit Villarreal in Champions League.
Also in action:
- Millwall vs Coventry, 2:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video: Haji Wright and Coventry City visit Millwall in the Championship.
- Norwich vs West Brom, 2:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video: Josh Sargent and Norwich City welcome George Campbell and West Brom for this Championship match.
- Portsmouth vs Watford, 2:45p: Caleb Wiley and Watford visit Portsmouth in the Championship.
- Austin FC vs Nashville SC, 8p on Paramount+, Prime Video, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV: Walker Zimmerman and Nashville visit Owen Wolff and Austin for a chance to hoist a trophy in the US Open Cup final.
- Vancouver Whitecaps vs Vancouver FC, 10p: Sebastian Berhalter, Brian White, and the Whitecaps meet Vancouver FC in the Canadian Championship final.
Thursday
- Celtic vs Braga, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic host Braga in Europa League.
- Dynamo Kyiv vs Crystal Palace, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Chris Richards and Palace visit Dynamo Kyiv in Conference League.
- Lyon vs RB Salzburg, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, DAZN USA: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon host Anrie Chase and Salzbug in Europa League.
- USA U20 vs France U20, 4p on FS2, UNIVERSO, Prime Video, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV, Sling TV: Benja Cremaschi, Niko Tsakiris, Frankie Westfield, Nolan Norris, Taha Habroune, and Cole Campbell were the scorers in the USA U20’s 9-1 win over New Caledonia to open the U20 World Cup. France will be a much tougher test.
Also in action:
- Panathinaikos vs Go Ahead Eagles, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Erik Palmer-Brown and Panathinaikos face Go Ahead Eagles in this Europa League battle to see which club can have the longest name.
- Lausanne vs Breidablik, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Bryan Okoh and Lausanne host Breidablik in Conference League.
- Omonio Nicosia vs Mainz, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Lennard Maloney and Mainz visit Mix Diskerud’s old club Omonio Nicosia in Conference League.
Friday
- Bournemouth vs Fulham, 3p on USA, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV, Sling TV, TeleXitos: Antonee Robinson and the Cottagers visit Tyler Adams and Bournemouth in Premier League action.
Champions League
Mourinho defends Chelsea, says he is the ‘biggest one’ ahead of Benfica visit
Champions League: Real Madrid’s incredible journey
Galatasaray vs Liverpool match preview and team news
|The greatest shocks in Champions League history
Barcelona-PSG rematch will thrill the world, but take a heavy toll on Luis Enrique
Uncharted territory: Real Madrid travel 4,000 miles east to Asia for historic Champions League trip
Pedri: Barça want to ‘avenge’ 2024 PSG QF loss
Mourinho’s homecoming at Chelsea serves as a reminder of his impact
Ekitike happy to partner Isak in Liverpool attack
USA
U.S. sets team record in dominant 9-1 U20 WC win
Benjamin Cremaschi Hat Trick Highlights Record-Setting 9-1 Win vs. New Caledonia in FIFA U-20 World Cup Opener
USMNT weekend clips: Pulisic blazing, Pepi hurt, Zendejas golazo
B.J. Callaghan – USMNT Hero to Nashville’s USOC Dream Weaver
President’s suggestion to take World Cup out of blue cities with crime is rage bait at its finest
US U20 ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Gavin Beavers* (Brøndby), 12-Adam Beaudry (Colorado Rapids), 21-Duran Ferree (San Diego FC)
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders), 18-Luca Bombino (San Diego FC), 5-Noah Cobb (Colorado Rapids), 16-Ethan Kohler (SC Verl), 3-Nolan Norris (FC Dallas), 17-Francis Westfield (Philadelphia Union), 4-Joshua Wynder (Benfica)
MIDFIELDERS (6): 19-Matthew Corcoran (Nashville SC), 8-Benjamin Cremaschi (Parma), 14-Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew), 6-Brooklyn Raines (Houston Dynamo), 15-Pedro Soma (San Diego FC), 10-Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes)
FORWARDS (5): 11-Luke Brennan (Atlanta United), 7-Cole Campbell (Borussia Dortmund), 20-Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake City), 13-Peyton Miller (New England Revolution), 9-Marcos Zambrano (Real Salt Lake)
*Diego Kochen was initially called in, but FC Barcelona recalled him on Saturday.
US Open Cup
What Nashville SC’s first-ever trophy in US Open Cup final would mean to team and city
Can Nashville SC break down tough Austin FC defense? Scouting US Open Cup final
U.S. Open Cup Finalist Spotlight: Austin FC’s Hard Road to Date with Destiny
U.S. Open Cup Finalist Spotlight: High Hopes for Callaghan’s Tight-knit Nashville SC
U.S. Open Cup Final Preview: History on Offer for Austin FC or Nashville SC
How Austin FC Reached the 2025 U.S. Open Cup Final
B.J. Callaghan – USMNT Hero to Nashville’s USOC Dream Weaver
Recap: Nashville Soccer Club Advances to Its First-ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final with 3-1 Win over Philadelphia Union
Reffing
Arsenal vs NC Can’t be Handball
UCL Real Madrid Handball Marseille?
When you are at the fields this weekend – think about this before you yell at the ref.
USMNT player tracker: Pulisic’s brilliance, October roster statements, injury concerns
By Henry Bushnell Sept. 29, 2025 The Athletic
Until 2:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, the last weekend of September was a quiet one for U.S. men’s national team players in Europe. Several USMNT regulars had been relegated to the bench for their clubs. None had scored. Then, in the third minute of a showdown with the reigning Serie A champions, Christian Pulisic changed everything. He burst down San Siro’s left wing for a world-class assist. Later, he scored his league-leading fourth goal, and sixth in all competitions this season.He propelled Milan to a 2-1 win against Napoli, and to the top of Serie A. So, of course, that’s where we’ll begin our weekly roundup of USMNT players.
Pulisic’s red-hot form and vindication
Pulisic opting out of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup left him facing weeks of criticism and questions. But when he finally explained himself, on a CBS Sports podcast in June, his reasoning was clear: He needed a break. He needed a proper offseason to rest and recharge, so that he could be at his best for Milan and the USMNT throughout the 2025-26 season and 2026 World Cup.“This is the right decision for myself, and for the team, at the end of the day,” Pulisic said at the time. “And people will see that. You guys will see, man. I’m hungrier than ever — truly. I’m really looking forward for big things to come.”And over the past few weeks in Italy, with four goals and two assists in three games, he has proven his point.He is playing with a lethal combination of explosiveness and calm. Despite a preseason ankle knock, and despite a not-quite-defined place in manager Massimiliano Allegri’s lineup, he is averaging more than two goal contributions per 90 minutes. He is skipping past defenders, and threading through balls. He is looking focused and fit. He is making lots of critics look silly.
Injuries, playing time concerns
Among U.S. players in Europe, Pulisic is something of an outlier.Before his man-of-the-match performance on Sunday, the stories of the weekend were starting lineup absences and injury concerns.In the Netherlands, Ricardo Pepi left PSV’s 2-1 win against Excelsior in the 32nd minute with apparent discomfort. PSV coach Peter Bosz indicated the injury was “minor,” and said he simply didn’t want to “take a risk” at this stage of the season. But Pepi’s status for the USMNT’s October camp is now in doubt.Stay in the know by selecting your interests on The Athletic:In Spain, Johnny Cardoso has not played at all in the month of September due to an ankle injury suffered in training.
In Germany, Gio Reyna, after one start and one substitute appearance for Borussia Mönchengladbach, missed Saturday’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt with a thigh injury. (Joe Scally, who has been playing as an attack-minded right wingback, registered two assists in Gladbach’s 6-4 loss.)In England, Antonee Robinson got his first start of the season midweek in a Carabao Cup win over Cambridge United, but he played those 90 minutes alongside a mixture of regulars and reserves. On Sunday, he was back on the Fulham bench, and played only 11 minutes in a 3-1 Premier League loss at Aston Villa. After offseason knee surgery, he is healthy enough to play, but nowhere near his 2024-25 best. And it’s not quite clear what he’ll have to do to reclaim his starting spot ahead of Ryan Sessegnon.In New Jersey, meanwhile, Matt Freese, who’s been the USMNT’s No. 1 goalkeeper since June, left Saturday’s 3-2 win over the New York Red Bulls with a head injury. “He’s being checked by the doctors, and we’ll wait and see,” NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen said after the match.And elsewhere, there are non-injury concerns. In Italy, Weston McKennie was back on the Juventus bench for a 1-1 draw with Atalanta, playing 32 minutes as a sub. Yunus Musah, after one start for Atalanta (in a 4-0 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain), has been a sparsely used reserve. He played 14 minutes off the bench against Juve.In France, Folarin Balogun — who seemed to cement himself as the U.S. No. 9 this month — was out of Monaco’s starting 11 for a second consecutive Ligue 1 game.Like in 2024 before the Copa América, club playing time could be developing into a broad worry for the national team. In September, it isn’t cause for alarm. In April, it would be.
Zendejas, Tessmann, others make statements
On the fringe of the U.S. roster, a few players have stated their case.Alex Zendejas has followed up his volley for the national team against Japan with four goals in four games for Club América. The third of four, on Saturday against Pumas, was an audacious, confidence-oozing chip over legendary goalkeeper Keylor Navas.Tanner Tessmann, who has been on the outside looking in at the USMNT since the March Nations League debacle, also scored a worldie Thursday for Lyon to beat Utrecht in the Europa League. He followed it up with a strong 90-minute shift in a 1-0 win at Lille on Sunday.Tessmann, perhaps more so than any other American player, has made a statement over the first two months of the 2025-26 season. He has been one of the best and most consistent players for a team that’s now won five of six Ligue 1 games, and currently sits tied atop the table with PSG.Aidan Morris, at a slightly lower level, has also been making noise at Middlesbrough. After three consecutive man of the match awards in August, he has continued apace in September and helped lead Boro to the top of the English Championship. They remain unbeaten after Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Southampton.Haji Wright and Coventry City are also unbeaten, having trounced Birmingham City 3-0 this weekend.Especially with Johnny and Pepi likely sidelined, Morris and Wright seem like strong candidates for the USMNT’s October roster, which will be released early this week. Tessmann, meanwhile, seems like a no-brainer inclusion.
How did other USMNT players perform?
Brenden Aaronson is battling at Leeds United. Amid relentless criticism from fans, and despite his lack of production in the final third, he has played in all six Premier League games for Leeds this season, including starts in the past three. He received a standing ovation from the home crowd when substituted late in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. During the Gold Cup, he seemed to be drifting out of the USMNT picture, but with his work rate and fortitude, he is keeping himself in World Cup contention.In that same Leeds-Bournemouth game, Tyler Adams — who was booed by the Leeds fans throughout — was his usual pugnacious self for 81 minutes.Also in the Prem, Chris Richards was arguably culpable on Liverpool’s late equalizer, but was then spared by Eddie Nketiah’s dramatic 97th-minute winner. Richards took to social media afterward to amplify claims that the Liverpool goal should have been disallowed for a Mohamed Salah handball, which might have put Richards off as he tried to clear a cross with his head.Elsewhere in England, down in the Championship, Patrick Agyemang notched an assist for Derby County. Josh Sargent has cooled down for Norwich City. Damion Downs is struggling badly at Southampton.Agyemang and Sargent are right on the World Cup roster bubble. Their inclusions or omissions in October could say a lot about U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s preferences.(Top photos: Matt Freese, left; Christian Pulisic; Getty Images)
Champions League Standings after 1 game
Five talking points ahead of the Champions League action
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The Football Faithful
Tue, September 30, 2025 at 6:56 AM EDT·
4 min read
The Champions League returns for matchday two this week, as Liverpool, Barcelona, PSG, and Spurs all face key clashes on the European stage.
Five talking points ahead of the Champions League action:
Jose Mourinho returns to Chelsea
Chelsea welcome a familiar figure back to Stamford Bridge as Jose Mourinho’s Benfica take on Enzo Maresca’s side on Tuesday night.
The Special One’s shadow looms large over the club this week amid a run of poor form. The Blues are looking for their first win this month, against the manager who guided them to three Premier League titles across two stints.
The days when Chelsea played like true world beaters feels a long time ago now. They may be world champions, for whatever that is worth, but after losing consecutive league games it looks like this will be another year in which they don’t challenge for the title, despite their massive spending in recent years.
Chelsea came out 4-1 winners from their meeting Benfica in the Club World Cup this past summer, although the Portuguese giants did take them to extra time. They are favoured to win this tie, but could the Mourinho factor give the visitors an edge?
The west London outfit hope not; Maresca can’t really afford to lose this one after falling to a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on the opening week of this year’s competition.
Read – Chelsea star admits players, not Maresca at fault for poor form
A clash of contenders
On Wednesday we will finally get the matchup that we should have seen in last season’s final as Barcelona host PSG at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Barça’s defensive frailties ultimately cost them in the semi-final defeat to Inter Milan, and given how the Italians fared in the decider, Hansi Flick’s men may have avoided a drubbing of their own in Munich.
They could be facing Paris at a good time, though. The reigning champions recently lost to Marseille and have not been their typically dominant selves against Ligue 1 opposition, despite topping the table.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are in scorching hot form; unbeaten in all competitions, they have scored 23 goals in eight matches. This will be a very early test for Flick’s side and a measure of their credentials for the ultimate glory.
Read – The quickest players to 100 goals for one club as Kane overtakes Ronaldo
David vs Goliath
All eyes will be on that titanic clash, but elsewhere two giants of the European game will travel to face the tournament’s supposed whipping boys.
Real Madrid make the arduous trip to Kazakhstan to take on Kairat Almaty, while Bayern Munich head to Cyprus for a meeting with Pafos FC.
Real and Bayern have 21 Champions League titles between them, while Kairat and Pafos are competing at this level for the first time ever.
These matches are expected to only go one way, but it has only been four years since Real were shocked by Moldovan outfit FC Sheriff Tiraspol in the group stage. Bayern are only two years removed from an embarrassing defeat to third-tier Saarbrucken in the German Cup, so neither club is a stranger to unlikely upsets.
Read – The greatest shocks in Champions League history
Welcome to Hell, Liverpool
Liverpool make the trip to Galatasaray for just the third time in Champions League history this Tuesday as they look to bounce back from defeat to Crystal Palace at the weekend.
The Turkish outfit’s fans have become known for creating a febrile atmosphere on these European nights ever since their famous win over Manchester United in 1993.
The Gala fans welcomed the United players at the airport with banners reading “Welcome to Hell”, and they certainly delivered on that front.
A win here would be another shock on that scale. Liverpool are prohibitive favourites, despite their unconvincing performances this season. Galatasaray may be dominating the Super Lig after signing Leroy Sane and Victor Osimhen, but they were trounced 5-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening week.
The Champions League might quickly become a hellscape for Okan Buruk’s team if Liverpool find their scoring touch.
Read – Galatasaray vs Liverpool match preview and team news
Spurs head back to the Arctic Circle
On their way to Europa League glory last season, Tottenham Hotspur had to go through Bodo/Glimt. It was a tricky tie against the Norwegian upstarts who have taken many scalps in Europe in recent years.
Spurs won the quarter-final clash 5-1 on aggregate, ensuring Glimt have never beaten an English side, losing all five of their encounters.
Thomas Frank should guide his side to another victory here, although he would probably prefer not to have to travel to the Arctic Circle this week. His squad will make a 6,200km round trip, before heading to Leeds this Saturday.
Jose Mourinho: He meant everything to Chelsea fans in his heyday, but what about now?
Simon JohnsonSept. 30, 2025Updated 5:39 am EDT
On Tuesday night, Jose Mourinho will get to discover if he is still seen as special among Chelsea fans.You would think the answer would be a categorical ‘yes’, right? This is the man who ended the club’s 50-year wait for a league title in 2005. The Portuguese won seven major trophies (three Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and three League Cups) during two spells at Stamford Bridge (2004-7, 2013-15) and boasted extraordinary statistics like not losing any of his first 77 home Premier League games (a run finally ended by Sunderland in 2014). Pictures of him posing with the Premier League trophy are still on the walls inside the Drake Suite at the ground.He returns this week as Benfica’s head coach but this will not be the first occasion Chelsea fans have had a chance to show what they think of him. Mourinho was booed following one game as Manchester United manager after Chelsea beat them in an FA Cup quarter-final. His popularity sank to a deeper low after taking charge of bitter rivals Tottenham (2019-21).So how is he viewed now? “Time is a healer,” veteran season ticket holder Tim Rolls tells The Athletic. “If you look at what Chelsea are now and where the club were under him 20 years ago, people will look back so much more fondly to what we had. We had an air of invincibility. You knew if Chelsea went 1-0 up, that was it. That does not happen now. People appreciate Mourinho’s record even more.”
Mourinho in November 2004, his first season at ChelseaRichard Heathcote/Getty Images
Another season ticket holder Rafael Alleyne, who has supported the club for over 40 years, agrees. “I know there can be mixed feelings. There was a funny spell in terms of how he was perceived during his time at Manchester United. But he will always be top for me.
“Why did his popularity dip? Going to a rival like Manchester United was one thing. There were also some digs he made at Chelsea. I didn’t have a problem with it because that’s just Jose but others did.”Claudia Coulter was just a young child during Mourinho’s first tenure and only really got to appreciate what he brought to Chelsea between 2013-15. But that is what made seeing him then take charge of two Premier League sides tougher to bear.“I found it particularly hard to see him in the Tottenham dugout, it just felt so wrong,” she says. “My dad (also a Chelsea fan) felt the same, we could not believe it. Seeing him at another Premier League team was always going to be weird and we had that first with Manchester United. But seeing him at Tottenham was a real kick in the gut because we obviously hate them. It was a real shock.d“He knew what the Chelsea fans thought about Spurs so it was not great at that moment. But you kind of have to move on. It is not a case of forgetting it, it is still a sore point, but you have to concentrate on all the good things that he did.“I will be there at the game and I can’t wait to see him back. I think he is going to get a good reception. There will always be some people who are not happy but I will give him a good reception. I just hope we beat him!”
Mourinho prepares to manage Tottenham against Chelsea in 2019Michael Regan/Getty Images
Since being fired by Tottenham four years ago, Mourinho has gone on to coach Roma and Fenerbahce before taking over at Benfica two weeks ago. In terms of his standing at Chelsea, Mourinho once said, “Until the moment they have a manager that wins four Premier Leagues for them, I’m the No 1.”
No one has got close. Antonio Conte is the only other coach to guide Chelsea to top spot (in 2016-17) following Mourinho’s last triumph in 2014-15. Under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium, who bought the club three years ago, Chelsea have not even challenged, although they did claim a unique double of the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League last season.
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Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and incumbent Enzo Maresca are the three managers hired by the current regime. None of them forged a bond akin to the one Mourinho enjoyed. The latter goes into the game under increasing scrutiny from many in the stands because Chelsea have lost three of their last four games.Another season ticket holder Dave Chidgey says: “Chelsea were a top club under Mourinho, not this state we are in at the moment. I go back to the recent hires. We have had Potter, Pochettino and Maresca. They are not at his level.“Would I have him back for a third time? I don’t know, to be honest. It is a head-vs-heart situation. I know deep down it will never work under this ownership. He would see holes in the squad and want world-class guys to fill them, not caring how old they are or how much they cost. That mantra is a thing of the past at Chelsea and will never happen as long as these guys are in charge.”
Mourinho’s commitment to the cause made him very popular with the Chelsea faithfulClive Brunskill/Getty ImagesDan Silver believes the 3-1 loss to Brighton three days ago has improved Mourinho’s chances of being greeted warmly. The season ticket holder explained: “There could be a lot more vocal support for Mourinho because of the Brighton result. Maresca is still very much a Marmite figure.”There were other factors that made Chelsea fans lose a bit of their admiration for Mourinho while he was at the helm. For example, he criticised fans for the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge in 2014, saying that it was like playing in an empty stadium. Opposition fans have been chanting, “Mourinho’s right, your fans are sh*te,” ever since.Chidgey says: “I didn’t like it when he dug the fans out. It was just unfair because, if you have an understanding of what’s been going on at Premier League clubs for the last 20 years, the way people have been priced out, the sport being gentrified, that all plays a part. It felt like kicking a dog when they’re down. That’s what ground my gears. That, for me, is deliberately not understanding what supporters have to go through.”Mourinho was often on the back pages of newspapers and leading sports broadcast bulletins for things he did and said. Former head of UEFA’s referees committee Volker Roth labelled Mourinho an “enemy of football” after he had wrongly accused then Barcelona head coach Frank Rijkaard of visiting referee Anders Frisk at half-time during a 2-1 Champions League defeat in 2005.
Mourinho called much-respected Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger a “voyeur” and “a specialist in failure”. In June 2005, he was fined £75,000 (then $135,000) for meeting then Arsenal player Ashley Cole, without the north London club’s consent. Cole joined Chelsea the following year.
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Perhaps the most damning incident was reaching a discrimination settlement with former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro in 2016. Carneiro was demoted soon after a game against Swansea in August 2015. Mourinho was furious that she and first-team physio Jon Fearn ran on to the pitch late on to treat Eden Hazard. Carneiro accused Mourinho of shouting “filha da puta” at her, which means ‘daughter of a whore’. Carneiro brought a case against Chelsea too for constructive dismissal after leaving in September 2015 and both the club and Mourinho ended up paying an undisclosed sum to resolve the case.Speaking generally about Mourinho’s antics, Silver says: “Some of his behaviour was not a good look for him or the club. It left a bad taste. But no one acts perfectly. Wenger was seen in a different, positive light and yet he pushed Mourinho in a game and kicked water bottles in another. You think of Sir Alex Ferguson shouting in referees’ faces. It felt like Mourinho was singled out for criticism. Mourinho fought the club’s corner. He was the master of the siege mentality, us against the world.”
Alleyne continues: “At the time, I may have been more like, ‘Did we have to do this, do we have to be public enemy No 1?’ There were times when I would think, ‘Jose, don’t do that,’ because he was either putting himself in a negative light or the club. But it was never to the degree of not wanting to have him, this is the kind of heat that comes with a guy like Mourinho. We had a target on our back.“I know people had a problem with his playing style too, that the result was king. But I was always about that. Perhaps he brainwashed me completely but it was all about the result and not being there to just mess around.”
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Chidgey is another who felt living with Mourinho’s flaws was a price worth paying: “He is not a saint and that is the brilliant and beautiful thing about him,” he explains. “Mourinho says and does stupid things, he annoys people. We have all done that. But at the same time, he won loads of trophies and put Chelsea on the top table of Europe. You cannot airbrush that from history just because he has done a few daft things over time.”Another possible criticism is that he did not win a Champions League with Chelsea despite having one of the best squads in Europe to work with. He lost two semi-finals against Liverpool (2005, 2007) and Atletico Madrid in 2014. It was Roberto Di Matteo (2012) and Thomas Tuchel (2021) who wrote their names into Chelsea folklore by winning Europe’s most prestigious competition. Mourinho did lift the trophy with Porto in 2004 and, six years later, with Inter Milan, having beaten Chelsea at the last-16 stage.
“I do not see it as a mark against him,” Alleyne insists. “It’s knockout football, it happens. He got to three semi-finals in the five full seasons he had, that’s still very good. He proved himself by winning three league titles. I would say it just highlights the bit of luck you need, which we clearly had in 2012.“I don’t think Mourinho is given enough credit for the winning DNA that was instilled in the club. The way that we talk about winning silverware now, the expectation, has come from him. It wasn’t there before he turned up.”Mourinho is 62 now and the grey hair betrays the reality he has aged quite a bit since walking into Chelsea for the first time 21 years ago.“The reality is you have to say he is a fading force,” Rolls concludes. “He is no longer in the conversation for a job at the top clubs and that says it all. But I go into the Benfica match with a lot more trepidation than I had before. That says a lot about him. He is so astute tactically, you never lose that.”(Top photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Atletico dominated the derby by exposing Real Madrid in the channels
By Michael Cox
Sept. 29, 2025 12:00 pm EDT
It is rare to see such a basic approach working in a high-level football match, but Atletico Madrid’s style in their 5-2 thrashing of Real Madrid felt like old-school Atleti: 4-4-2, and lots of balls into the channels.
Diego Simeone’s approach has evolved across his 14-year spell as head coach, introducing more attacking flair. For the ‘derbi’, though, Atletico often go back to basics. And it worked on Saturday, with Atleti putting five goals past their city rivals for the first time in nearly 75 years.
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“We knew where we could do damage, with breaks on the outside with Nicolas Gonzalez, Pablo Barrios, Julian Alvarez and Giuliano Simeone,” said Simeone after the game. “Taking the centre-backs out and leaving Alexander Sorloth inside to get chances. Beyond their two goals, the team did well. I liked everything. The team always knew what they had to do.”
That summarised it neatly. Atletico were particularly good at attacking down the flanks, most decisively with crosses — but their approach was about running the channels and dragging out the centre-backs.
This was how Real Madrid lined up. Xabi Alonso’s system was roughly 4-2-3-1, but with Arda Guler playing very narrow from the right, and Vinicius Junior offering little support to Alvaro Carreras at left-back.
It left Carreras badly exposed, with and without possession. Here, despite being in a decent position to track the run of Simeone Jr, a simple ball behind him causes all sorts of problems, with centre-back Dean Huijsen having to sprint across in an attempt to close down. This left central defensive partner Eder Militao isolated against Sorloth for the cross, although Militao dealt with this well.
Carreras was also caught out on the ball here, taking too long and allowing Barrios to pounce and slide a pass for Sorloth to go through on goal, although the Norway striker lacked the acceleration to get there before goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Down the other flank, Madrid had slightly different problems. Because Guler was playing so narrow, Dani Carvajal was tasked with providing right-sided width, and he also pressed high.
Here, three minutes in, the right-back is dragged out from defence to close down Gonzalez, and Clement Lenglet has the fairly simple task of knocking the ball in behind for Sorloth’s run. Again, Sorloth lacked the speed to ensure this was a clear goalscoring chance, and Militao recovered to make an excellent tackle.
Here is a more extreme example, when a pass is lobbed out to David Hancko at left-back. Carvajal is never going to get this ball, but he presses anyway, which makes it easy for Hancko to knock the ball past him. This time, it is Alvarez working the left channel, although the pass forces him wide and Militao shadows him well.
The problems continued after the break, particularly as Militao was forced off injured and replaced by Raul Asencio.
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The below example was unfortunate, as Carvajal went in for a tackle and the ball deflected straight to Alvarez. But again, centre-back Asencio was forced out wide into an uncomfortable position, and ended up hacking down Alvarez just outside the box.
Carvajal was then replaced, which initially seemed a mere tactical change considering how badly Madrid were struggling down that side, although it later emerged the captain had picked up a calf injury. This meant Asencio going to right-back, with midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni dropping to centre-back.
This first frame shows the tactical battle perfectly: Real Madrid’s full-backs are always significantly ahead of the centre-backs, and Atletico’s two strikers in the channels are waiting for a forward pass. Here, another simple pass from Hancko finds Alvarez, and Tchouamani decides to hold his position, allowing Alvarez to assess his options.
The strange thing is that none of these situations actually led to a goal.
Atletico’s first four goals came from set pieces, in different ways: a Robin Le Normand header in the aftermath of a free kick, a Sorloth header after a throw-in, an Alvarez penalty after Guler was penalised for a high boot at a corner, and then a whipped Alvarez direct free kick. In stoppage time, Antoine Griezmann rounded things off with a goal on the break, his first in La Liga since February. The highlights alone would suggest that Real Madrid’s problem was defending dead-ball situations.
But it clearly was about more than that. Madrid’s shape looked disjoined, their individual defending in wide areas was poor, and the injury to Carvajal — alongside the continued absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold — leaves them seriously lacking full-back options. Atletico are often dominant in home derbies, but rarely have they wreaked havoc quite so easily.What You Should Read NextReal Madrid’s youthful rebuild is a work in progress under Xabi Alonso – it showed against AtleticoAlonso and his new-look side will have to learn from their historic 5-2 thrashing by their city rivals
(Top photo: Wyscout)
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