Klopp Takes Over Germany, Spain World Champion, Chelsea Spends 55 Million - and the 35th Season of Macedonian Football Kicks Off

Klopp Takes Over Germany - A Four-Year Contract Until 2030

The German football federation has brought Jürgen Klopp back to the bench, and straight to the biggest one - manager of the national team until the 2030 World Cup. The contract is four years, and Klopp starts on 15 August, after Julian Nagelsmann resigned following the elimination by Paraguay at the Mundial. The 59-year-old coach returns to the pitch after eighteen months in Red Bull's football structure and after leaving Liverpool in 2024. He brings his old assistants Peter Krawietz and Pepijn Lijnders, while the former Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker has been announced as sporting director. The question everyone's asking: will Klopp's “charisma” be enough for a team knocked out of the World Cup, or is Germany buying a name instead of a solution?

Spain World Champion, but After the Final the Sparks Flew - FIFA Opens an Inquiry

Spain won the World Cup against Argentina, but what everyone's talking about isn't the goal but the brawl after the final whistle. Manager Luis de la Fuente called the Argentine players' behaviour “intolerable and unacceptable” after Nahuel Molina and Leandro Paredes went at Rodri and Eric García. Paredes was sent off, and Argentina finished with ten men anyway after Enzo Fernández was dismissed in stoppage time. Ferran Torres settled the final in extra time with a shot under the bar, after Emiliano Martínez had long kept the South Americans in the game. FIFA has opened a disciplinary inquiry - the players face suspension, and the Argentine federation a fine. Big names and the biggest defeat often bring these things to the surface - and in the Balkans we know that scene by heart.

Chelsea Pays 55 Million Pounds for Lacroix - Alonso Rebuilds the Defence

Chelsea is close to signing Maxence Lacroix, after the deal with Crystal Palace was agreed at around 55 million pounds, with the French defender due to pass a medical and sign until 2032. The 26-year-old centre-back was one of the main targets of Xabi Alonso all summer. Last year he played 55 games for Palace and was part of the most successful period in the club's history - a trophy in the FA Cup and the Conference League won. Chelsea believes his pace and aggressive defending fit Alonso's style, but the London club is also open to sales: Disasi, Badiashile and Chalobah are in uncertain positions. When a team spends tens of millions on defence, it usually means the previous one wasn't working.

Škendija Without Their First-Choice Keeper at the Start - Gaye Out for Three Weeks

Macedonia's runners-up Škendija will be weakened right at the start of the new season. Because of a muscle injury, first-choice keeper Babucarr Gaye will have to sit out two to three weeks, which means the Tetovo club opens the championship without the most reliable part of its squad. A goalkeeper injury right before the start is a nightmare for any coach - the position tolerates no improvisation, and the opening rounds often set the rhythm of the whole season. It remains to be seen whether the backup will hold up until Gaye recovers, or whether Škendija will pay the toll exactly where it can least afford to.

The 35th Season of Macedonian Football Kicks Off - A New Format With Ten Teams

The match between Tikveš and Arsimi in Kavadarci today officially opens the jubilee 35th season in the First Macedonian Football League. This year the league is played in a new format - ten teams and an increased number of rounds, which means more head-to-head duels and less room for error. The format change is an attempt to raise the level and the interest, but the question remains whether ten teams are enough competition for a league that has for years struggled for viewership and money. Thirty-five seasons is no small thing - nine months follow in which it will become clear whether the new format is a step forward or just a different distribution of the same problems.