On your marks, get set, go!
From José’s return and life after Pep to a host of intriguing summer moves, Graham Hunter licks his lips and looks forward to another rollercoaster ride of a Champions League season
Insight
The last time José Mourinho signed for Real Madrid, 16 years ago, he was the reigning Champions League winner, his Inter having beaten Bayern München at, of all places, the Santiago Bernabéu to complete the Nerazzurri’s treble. So who, in all honesty, could have predicted that the Portuguese coach, from that day to this, wouldn’t reach another Champions League final – while Los Blancos, who had hired him to break a pattern of six seasons without reaching the quarter-finals, would lift the trophy six times in the 13 years after he left? Now that they are back together it’ll be the most fascinating, colourful and attention-grabbing story of the European season. Elsewhere in issue 28 you’ll read Luis Enrique Martínez aspiring to equal Madrid’s Champions League-era record of three straight wins between 2016 and 2018. It is a phrase which will be noted around the Valdebebas training ground and cause a defiant, Pavlovian response. Moreover, just so that you don’t forget, the final will be held at Atlético de Madrid’s Estadio Metropolitano. More incentive (for both the big teams in the Spanish capital) to get there!
Unfinished business
I’d argue that there’s another clue to the level of intensity we can expect from Los Blancos this season. Kylian Mbappé, turning 28 in December, has yet to win this iconic trophy. And he’s always been a man in a hurry – win, achieve, repeat. It will spur him on that he was top scorer in the summer’s World Cup – without winning the tournament – and, last season, was top scorer in the league phase with 13 goals, five more than Harry Kane (8), and eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo’s group stage/league phase record of 11 set in 2015/16, before he hit two more to finish overall top scorer too.
“It’s very positive to have a coach like Mourinho here; he knows how to win and in which direction we need to go,” the Frenchman recently told Real Madrid TV. “I’m absolutely sure that this will be a trophy-winning season. It was a dream for me to join Madrid and I’m a guy who knows how fortunate he is to be here. But now it’s time to win; at this club it’s obligatory.” Mbappe’s supported by one of the biggest talent-recruitment exercises in recent memory: Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, Bernardo Silva, Yan Diomande, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espí. Settle in - this is going to be one heck of a ride.
Under new management
Mourinho is far from the only “newcomer” steering a Champions League assault despite not having been the coach to take his current club there. Of the 29 pre-qualified teams for the third season of this successful new league format, there are incomers at Manchester City (Enzo Maresca), Liverpool (Andoni Iraola), Lens (Dino Topmöller), Lille (Davide Ancelotti), Napoli (Max Allegri), Villarreal (Iñigo Pérez), Leipzig (Martín Demichelis), Feyenoord (Giovanni van Bronckhorst, for his second stint). Including Mourinho that’s nine in total. One or two of these stories stand out. Van Bronckhorst back at the Rotterdam club where he achieved domestic glory as a defender and as their coach. Fun fact, he’s one of only two men in charge of one of the directly qualified 29 teams who won this tournament as a player, with Barça in 2006. See whether you can guess the other?
The biggest test is probably for Maresca. Yes, he’s tasted the ultimate glory in the Champions League, but it was as a one-season assistant to Pep Guardiola back in 2022/23. The Italian is, without question, vibrant, talented, and thrilling to listen to. He’ll make his imprint on City quickly, but he’s replacing a genius, one of the all-time coaching brains, and, as such, the scrutiny on him will be relentless.
Finally, just a mention of another Italian who owns a Champions League medal as an assistant coach. Davide Ancelotti carries the most famous family name on this season’s Champions League benches. I don’t need to explain why. Now, aged 37, he has been given his first season in full charge of a European club – Lille, who, across their last two seasons in European competition have taken the scalps of Madrid, Atléti and AS Roma.
P.S. The answer was Cristian Chivu.
Bodø/Glimt pulled off one of the Champions League’s great Houdini acts last season (top right)
Bodø/Glimt pulled off one of the Champions League’s great Houdini acts last season (top right)
“An absolute treasure trove of sublime, dominating central midfielders”
Barcelona have scored 75 goals in 26 Champions League matches: over 2.8 per game.
Let me entertain you
Under the new format Barcelona have stumbled at the semi-final and then the quarter final stages but, boy, have they entertained! They have scored 75 goals in 26 Champions League matches: over 2.8 per game. Good value. Admittedly, they’ve now lost two big goal suppliers in Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres but, for the neutral, the fascinating thing to see will be how they adjust. Partially via new signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, no doubt. The arrival of Spain captain Rodri has the potential to prove one of the most significant of the entire window, with the Ballon d’Or winner sure to bring greater control in midfield. Barcelona should also now have a fully fit Lamine Yamal, newly crowned world champion, injury free for the first time since late April.
Surprise, surprise
Then there’s the joy of seeing who will be the new Bodø/Glimt. At the time of writing, it might be the Norwegians themselves! It wasn’t merely their Houdini act in clambering out of the league phase on the last matchday last season, but also the superb quality of intelligent, technical, tactical attacking football they showed against Atléti, Inter and Sporting Club which enamoured the watching world. Underdogs shouldn’t feel pejorative for a club which might be dominant in their nation but which tilts at, then beats, some of the all-time great European brand names. More of that from them and other well-run, slightly lower-profile but highly ambitious clubs please.
Thrill ride
And, finally, as mentioned in the editor’s letter in this issue, it’s not only about the destination, it’s about the journey. The last couple of seasons have thrown up four of the all-time classic European matches across the 70 years since the Champions League was born. The semi-final from 2025 – when Inter edged Barcelona after 13 goals with drama, daring and brilliance galore, not least from their keeper Yann Sommer – was jaw-dropping. Honestly, none of us could have complained if we’d had to wait six, seven or eight years to even sniff anything like that. In fact, it only took 12 months before Paris vs Bayern gave us just as much thrilling, no-safety-net, brakes-off, toe-to-toe attacking football in a semi-final which stands comparison with anything across the history of the competition. Get ready, get your tickets, get your place on the sofa, clear your diaries, because here we go again.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put on a show for Paris in their semi-final for the ages against Bayern (top left)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put on a show for Paris in their semi-final for the ages against Bayern (top left)
Unfinished business
I’d argue that there’s another clue to the level of intensity we can expect from Los Blancos this season. Kylian Mbappé, turning 28 in December, has yet to win this iconic trophy. And he’s always been a man in a hurry – win, achieve, repeat. It will spur him on that he was top scorer in the summer’s World Cup – without winning the tournament – and, last season, was top scorer in the league phase with 13 goals, five more than Harry Kane (8), and eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo’s group stage/league phase record of 11 set in 2015/16, before he hit two more to finish overall top scorer too.
“It’s very positive to have a coach like Mourinho here; he knows how to win and in which direction we need to go,” the Frenchman recently told Real Madrid TV. “I’m absolutely sure that this will be a trophy-winning season. It was a dream for me to join Madrid and I’m a guy who knows how fortunate he is to be here. But now it’s time to win; at this club it’s obligatory.” Mbappe’s supported by one of the biggest talent-recruitment exercises in recent memory: Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, Bernardo Silva, Yan Diomande, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espí. Settle in - this is going to be one heck of a ride.
Under new management
Mourinho is far from the only “newcomer” steering a Champions League assault despite not having been the coach to take his current club there. Of the 29 pre-qualified teams for the third season of this successful new league format, there are incomers at Manchester City (Enzo Maresca), Liverpool (Andoni Iraola), Lens (Dino Topmöller), Lille (Davide Ancelotti), Napoli (Max Allegri), Villarreal (Iñigo Pérez), Leipzig (Martín Demichelis), Feyenoord (Giovanni van Bronckhorst, for his second stint). Including Mourinho that’s nine in total. One or two of these stories stand out. Van Bronckhorst back at the Rotterdam club where he achieved domestic glory as a defender and as their coach. Fun fact, he’s one of only two men in charge of one of the directly qualified 29 teams who won this tournament as a player, with Barça in 2006. See whether you can guess the other?
The biggest test is probably for Maresca. Yes, he’s tasted the ultimate glory in the Champions League, but it was as a one-season assistant to Pep Guardiola back in 2022/23. The Italian is, without question, vibrant, talented, and thrilling to listen to. He’ll make his imprint on City quickly, but he’s replacing a genius, one of the all-time coaching brains, and, as such, the scrutiny on him will be relentless.
Finally, just a mention of another Italian who owns a Champions League medal as an assistant coach. Davide Ancelotti carries the most famous family name on this season’s Champions League benches. I don’t need to explain why. Now, aged 37, he has been given his first season in full charge of a European club – Lille, who, across their last two seasons in European competition have taken the scalps of Madrid, Atléti and AS Roma.
P.S. The answer was Cristian Chivu.
Bodø/Glimt pulled off one of the Champions League’s great Houdini acts last season (top right)
Bodø/Glimt pulled off one of the Champions League’s great Houdini acts last season (top right)
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“An absolute treasure trove of sublime, dominating central midfielders”
Barcelona have scored 75 goals in 26 Champions League matches: over 2.8 per game.
Let me entertain you
Under the new format Barcelona have stumbled at the semi-final and then the quarter final stages but, boy, have they entertained! They have scored 75 goals in 26 Champions League matches: over 2.8 per game. Good value. Admittedly, they’ve now lost two big goal suppliers in Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres but, for the neutral, the fascinating thing to see will be how they adjust. Partially via new signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, no doubt. The arrival of Spain captain Rodri has the potential to prove one of the most significant of the entire window, with the Ballon d’Or winner sure to bring greater control in midfield. Barcelona should also now have a fully fit Lamine Yamal, newly crowned world champion, injury free for the first time since late April.
Surprise, surprise
Then there’s the joy of seeing who will be the new Bodø/Glimt. At the time of writing, it might be the Norwegians themselves! It wasn’t merely their Houdini act in clambering out of the league phase on the last matchday last season, but also the superb quality of intelligent, technical, tactical attacking football they showed against Atléti, Inter and Sporting Club which enamoured the watching world. Underdogs shouldn’t feel pejorative for a club which might be dominant in their nation but which tilts at, then beats, some of the all-time great European brand names. More of that from them and other well-run, slightly lower-profile but highly ambitious clubs please.
Thrill ride
And, finally, as mentioned in the editor’s letter in this issue, it’s not only about the destination, it’s about the journey. The last couple of seasons have thrown up four of the all-time classic European matches across the 70 years since the Champions League was born. The semi-final from 2025 – when Inter edged Barcelona after 13 goals with drama, daring and brilliance galore, not least from their keeper Yann Sommer – was jaw-dropping. Honestly, none of us could have complained if we’d had to wait six, seven or eight years to even sniff anything like that. In fact, it only took 12 months before Paris vs Bayern gave us just as much thrilling, no-safety-net, brakes-off, toe-to-toe attacking football in a semi-final which stands comparison with anything across the history of the competition. Get ready, get your tickets, get your place on the sofa, clear your diaries, because here we go again.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put on a show for Paris in their semi-final for the ages against Bayern (top left)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put on a show for Paris in their semi-final for the ages against Bayern (top left)
Unfinished business
I’d argue that there’s another clue to the level of intensity we can expect from Los Blancos this season. Kylian Mbappé, turning 28 in December, has yet to win this iconic trophy. And he’s always been a man in a hurry – win, achieve, repeat. It will spur him on that he was top scorer in the summer’s World Cup – without winning the tournament – and, last season, was top scorer in the league phase with 13 goals, five more than Harry Kane (8), and eclipsing Cristiano Ronaldo’s group stage/league phase record of 11 set in 2015/16, before he hit two more to finish overall top scorer too.
“It’s very positive to have a coach like Mourinho here; he knows how to win and in which direction we need to go,” the Frenchman recently told Real Madrid TV. “I’m absolutely sure that this will be a trophy-winning season. It was a dream for me to join Madrid and I’m a guy who knows how fortunate he is to be here. But now it’s time to win; at this club it’s obligatory.” Mbappe’s supported by one of the biggest talent-recruitment exercises in recent memory: Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, Bernardo Silva, Yan Diomande, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espí. Settle in - this is going to be one heck of a ride.
Under new management
Mourinho is far from the only “newcomer” steering a Champions League assault despite not having been the coach to take his current club there. Of the 29 pre-qualified teams for the third season of this successful new league format, there are incomers at Manchester City (Enzo Maresca), Liverpool (Andoni Iraola), Lens (Dino Topmöller), Lille (Davide Ancelotti), Napoli (Max Allegri), Villarreal (Iñigo Pérez), Leipzig (Martín Demichelis), Feyenoord (Giovanni van Bronckhorst, for his second stint). Including Mourinho that’s nine in total. One or two of these stories stand out. Van Bronckhorst back at the Rotterdam club where he achieved domestic glory as a defender and as their coach. Fun fact, he’s one of only two men in charge of one of the directly qualified 29 teams who won this tournament as a player, with Barça in 2006. See whether you can guess the other?
The biggest test is probably for Maresca. Yes, he’s tasted the ultimate glory in the Champions League, but it was as a one-season assistant to Pep Guardiola back in 2022/23. The Italian is, without question, vibrant, talented, and thrilling to listen to. He’ll make his imprint on City quickly, but he’s replacing a genius, one of the all-time coaching brains, and, as such, the scrutiny on him will be relentless.
Finally, just a mention of another Italian who owns a Champions League medal as an assistant coach. Davide Ancelotti carries the most famous family name on this season’s Champions League benches. I don’t need to explain why. Now, aged 37, he has been given his first season in full charge of a European club – Lille, who, across their last two seasons in European competition have taken the scalps of Madrid, Atléti and AS Roma.
P.S. The answer was Cristian Chivu.
Bodø/Glimt pulled off one of the Champions League’s great Houdini acts last season (top right)
Bodø/Glimt pulled off one of the Champions League’s great Houdini acts last season (top right)
“An absolute treasure trove of sublime, dominating central midfielders”
Barcelona have scored 75 goals in 26 Champions League matches: over 2.8 per game.
Let me entertain you
Under the new format Barcelona have stumbled at the semi-final and then the quarter final stages but, boy, have they entertained! They have scored 75 goals in 26 Champions League matches: over 2.8 per game. Good value. Admittedly, they’ve now lost two big goal suppliers in Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres but, for the neutral, the fascinating thing to see will be how they adjust. Partially via new signings Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, no doubt. The arrival of Spain captain Rodri has the potential to prove one of the most significant of the entire window, with the Ballon d’Or winner sure to bring greater control in midfield. Barcelona should also now have a fully fit Lamine Yamal, newly crowned world champion, injury free for the first time since late April.
Surprise, surprise
Then there’s the joy of seeing who will be the new Bodø/Glimt. At the time of writing, it might be the Norwegians themselves! It wasn’t merely their Houdini act in clambering out of the league phase on the last matchday last season, but also the superb quality of intelligent, technical, tactical attacking football they showed against Atléti, Inter and Sporting Club which enamoured the watching world. Underdogs shouldn’t feel pejorative for a club which might be dominant in their nation but which tilts at, then beats, some of the all-time great European brand names. More of that from them and other well-run, slightly lower-profile but highly ambitious clubs please.
Thrill ride
And, finally, as mentioned in the editor’s letter in this issue, it’s not only about the destination, it’s about the journey. The last couple of seasons have thrown up four of the all-time classic European matches across the 70 years since the Champions League was born. The semi-final from 2025 – when Inter edged Barcelona after 13 goals with drama, daring and brilliance galore, not least from their keeper Yann Sommer – was jaw-dropping. Honestly, none of us could have complained if we’d had to wait six, seven or eight years to even sniff anything like that. In fact, it only took 12 months before Paris vs Bayern gave us just as much thrilling, no-safety-net, brakes-off, toe-to-toe attacking football in a semi-final which stands comparison with anything across the history of the competition. Get ready, get your tickets, get your place on the sofa, clear your diaries, because here we go again.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put on a show for Paris in their semi-final for the ages against Bayern (top left)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put on a show for Paris in their semi-final for the ages against Bayern (top left)
