Chelsea is up for sale again - four years after Abramovich, the owners want out

Four years after a consortium bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich for 2.5 billion pounds, two of the main figures in that story are already looking for the door. According to Bloomberg, Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are close to a deal to sell their stakes to majority owner Clearlake Capital, at a small profit. Clearlake already holds 61.5 percent of the club, with the remaining 38.5 percent split in three equal parts - Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss. On top of the initial price came a promise of a further 1.75 billion pounds of investment in the squad, the academy and infrastructure, and the bill is heavy: Chelsea regularly misses out on the Champions League, managers change like seasons, and Strasbourg fans openly protest that their club has been turned into a feeder. The money went where it was promised. What did not arrive is the result.

Messi is buying a Spanish club - and not for the folklore

Argentine Lionel Messi has reached a provisional agreement to buy an entire Spanish second-division club - CD Eldense, AS reports. His lawyers spent months negotiating with the Colombian investment group TH, owned by Juan Carlos Trujillo, and the deal now awaits only full legal due diligence and the green light from Spain's National Sports Council. Messi already owns part of third-tier Cornellà, but this is the first time he enters as owner of a professional Spanish club. The numbers explain the weight of the move: Eldense has around 3,500 season tickets in a town of a little over 55,000 residents, and the "Nuevo Pepico Amat" stadium holds around 5,800 spectators. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is going in alone, without a partner. If global attention follows him, Eldense's first problem will not be the budget - it will be where to put the people.

McTominay has heart surgery - and Scotland awaits Macedonia

Napoli confirmed that Scott McTominay successfully underwent an ablation at a Manchester hospital for a mild benign arrhythmia, an irregular heart rhythm. The club said the operation went entirely successfully, that the Scot will rest for two weeks and then return to training - sooner than the club had feared, since an absence until mid-October had previously been expected. McTominay played the first two Serie A matches before being substituted in the 2:1 defeat to Como, and also missed the 1:0 loss to Arsenal at the start of the Champions League. This is where the story reaches us: in Nations League group B1, Scotland plays Slovenia, Switzerland and Macedonia, under new coach Sébastien Pocognoli. Scotland arrives after a disappointing World Cup with only one goal scored in three matches. Will our side seize the moment while the opponent is missing one of their key midfielders?

Vardar punished with empty stands - the organisation failed, the fans pay the bill

The disciplinary committee of the Football Federation of Macedonia sanctioned champions Vardar with 3,000 euros and a ban on spectators at one home match, over poor organisation of the game against Arsimi and the behaviour of fans. The same session worked through a whole list: Baškimi 1947 player Gabriel Tenelep received a three-match ban, Biljal Iseni and Besjan Aliu two each, Metodi Maksimov of Bregalnica one, Enis Fazlagić of Škendija Aračinovo two. Škupi 1927 coach Ismail Ferdi may not perform his duties for two matches, and Ivan Varadinoski for a month. Formally, everything follows the rulebook. In substance, the penalty for "poor organisation" always falls on the same people - those in the stands, who organised nothing. Who at the club answers for the organisation, and what concretely changes before the next match?

Rastoder sealed it for Panathinaikos in the 91st minute

Macedonian international Elmin Rastoder scored his first league goal in a Panathinaikos shirt, at the moment it was worth the most. The favourites led 2:1 against Kifisia until the 91st minute, when substitute Rastoder got on the scoresheet and locked up the three points. With that PAO kept a perfect record and stayed top in our southern neighbour's league. For Rastoder this is a second goal in the green shirt - the first came against Paks in Conference League qualifying. A Macedonian footballer coming off the bench in one of the bigger Balkan leagues and settling a match in the final minute is not everyday news. Which is why it is worth writing down.