Seven games without a goal, and the FFM is backing Sedloski: Carrick at United gets "full support" too

Omeragić: The criticism of Sedloski is exaggerated

Macedonia's national team has gone seven games in a row without scoring, and four of them were defeats at the start of Nations League Division B. The Football Federation's response isn't analysis, it's a vote of confidence. President Masar Omeragić said in a TV appearance that Goce Sedloski absolutely has the leadership's support and that he is not a man who lightly leaves people in the lurch. The alibi is the calibre of the opponents and the inheritance: previous coaches, he says, started badly against much weaker sides, and in his view the federation is now paying the bill for years of past neglect, with coaches who had no licences and places in youth teams that were bought with money. For the strikers called up from the domestic league he offers a number - together the two have 36 goals. Except that in seven games in the national team shirt, not one has gone in.

Atlético - Manchester United 2:0: Martínez hits out at the board, Carrick stays - for now

Pablo Barrios scored in the very first minute, Ademola Lookman sealed it late on, and Manchester United became the first English side to lose in the Champions League this season. Five games without a win and 13th in the Premier League, with just six points from six rounds. After the match Lisandro Martínez didn't go after the manager, but after the front office: "I expect more from our technical director," said the Argentine, referring to Jason Wilcox. The summer brought Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba for around 155 million pounds, but none of the main midfield targets arrived. British media report that the board is standing behind Michael Carrick and that he is in no immediate danger - and just a day earlier an Italian website was writing that the club was in talks with Antonio Conte. Which of the two stories will age faster?

Liverpool - Manchester City 0:3, ten arrested after the match

City celebrated a 3-0 win at Anfield, but after the final whistle the story moved onto the streets. Merseyside Police confirmed 10 arrests, and an officer suffered a serious facial injury as fans of both clubs left the stadium. Five were detained over chants mocking the Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 Liverpool fans died in 1989. Police said the loss of life must never be a subject for terrace point-scoring. Thirty-seven years on, there are still people who think that's a song for the stands. How many arrests will it take for the clubs to ban such people from stadiums for good?

Courtois signs until 2028: 34 years old and still Real's number one

Thibaut Courtois and Real Madrid have agreed in principle on a new contract until 2028, British media report. The Belgian arrived from Chelsea in 2018 and has won 13 trophies with Real, including three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues, and has kept 98 clean sheets in the Spanish league. He also came back from a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2023 without losing any of his quality. With 115 caps for Belgium, he agreed with coach Mark van Bommel to skip the upcoming Nations League, and his place went to Senne Lammens of Manchester United. In a game that demands a new 19-year-old wonder every summer, Real are relying for one more season on a goalkeeper who chose to save his strength for the club.

Karpošovo - Balkan champions in Sofia

While the senior national team hunts for a goal, one Macedonian team came back from Bulgaria with gold. FC Karpošovo, made up of footballers with Down syndrome and mild intellectual disabilities, won first place at the Balkan Championship played in Sofia from October 2 to 4, against teams from Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia. The club is part of the "Football for All Children" project, backed by the FFM and the UEFA Foundation for Children. The federation congratulated the players, and that's good. Let these champions get at least half the attention that goes every week to the question of who sits on the national team bench.