Q: I’ve been deeply affected by the passing of Diogo Jota. As a Liverpool fan, I worry how his teammates will be expected to just return to normal. Will the club just be expected to overcome their grief?
@Laithmarmarchi via Instagram
A: I was beyond shocked to hear the news. To lose such a young and beloved player, in the prime of his life, in an accident, is not only a brutal reminder of how fragile life can be, but also of how uncertain it is.
For many of us, football is a form of escape from a world that is growing more and more defined by grief and conflict. To then lose a player who brought so much joy to his club, teammates, and family feels unbearably cruel. I deeply empathise with your pain.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot now faces the extraordinary challenge of preparing his team for the season while offering emotional support to players, all while processing his own grief. It’s overwhelming, and I hope both media and supporters give the club the space and compassion to navigate this tragedy. Some will inevitably struggle – not just at Liverpool, but beyond. You can already see the emotional toll on players like Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo at Al Hilal. Others may find strength in playing for his memory, determined to honour him on the pitch.
As for Liverpool, the club is yet to confirm whether their scheduled friendly against Preston North End on Sunday will go ahead. Their next confirmed fixture is the opening match of their pre-season tour of Asia, against AC Milan in Hong Kong, on July 26.
We were all so excited to see how the new players would fare and how Liverpool would build upon their Premier League title triumph last season. What a horrible way to start pre-season.
Q: The Nico Williams saga has kept me entertained. I really loved the player and hoped he would join Barcelona, but I’m astonished at his lack of professionalism
@Commentinggenius via Instagram
A: What is your issue, exactly? Williams taking steps to protect his future? The player has faced a barrage of criticism, particularly in the Catalan press, as has his 'entourage', for insisting on certain clauses in case Barcelona were unable to register the player.
For context, Williams was all set to join Barcelona before performing a U-turn and signing a long-term contract with Athletic Club. The deal fell apart because, as Barcelona’s own management have now acknowledged, they are still working toward meeting La Liga’s 1:1 rule, meaning they are currently unable to register players freely. The rule limits spending to what the club earns, based on projected income calculated by La Liga. Barcelona ultimately could not guarantee they would be able to register Williams due to ongoing financial restrictions.
Working in the best interest of his client, Williams’ agent requested an escape clause to protect the player in case Barcelona were unable to complete the registration. Barcelona refused, fearing they would have wasted the €50m buyout fee to release him from his contract at Athletic if he left on a free transfer.
With talks stalling, critical reports aimed at Williams and his representatives began circulating in the Catalan press, saying that, if he really loved the club, as he claimed, he would not request these types of clauses. Dani Olmo, Williams' Spanish teammate, was cited as a model example of a player signing for Barca and not asking for a similar clause. This was contradicted by a report in The Athletic, saying the midfielder did in fact have such a clause written into his contract when he signed from RB Leipzig last year. Spanish football expert Guillem Balagué set the record straight when contacted by The National: Olmo didn’t have the clause when he first joined the club, but it was subsequently inserted into his contract last September.
Williams was merely looking out for his best interests. There's nothing wrong with that.
Q: What do you make of the injury to Jamal Musiala in the match between Bayern Munich and PSG? Manuel Neuer blamed Gianluigi Donnarumma, do you agree?
@Zeeh107 on X
A: Jamal Musiala’s injury – a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle – came as a result of challenging for the ball with Donnarumma. The Paris Saint-Germain man came out to close Musiala down and do what any goalkeeper should do: try to win the ball. In doing so, he collided hard with Musiala’s planted leg. The outcome was awful, but in my opinion, Donnarumma had every right to go for the ball.
Bayern Munich captain Neuer didn’t hold back, calling Donnarumma’s challenge “unnecessary” and publicly criticising the PSG goalkeeper for failing to check on Musiala immediately after the collision. To me, his comments appear more emotional than fair.
Donnarumma, for his part, looked traumatised. He later told La Gazzetta dello Sport, “I’m shaken by what happened. It was never my intention to hurt Musiala.” The Italian goalkeeper was reportedly so affected by the incident that he sought psychological support in the days that followed.
Beyond the moment itself lies a bigger issue: should Musiala have even been on the pitch? He had only recently returned from a hamstring injury he suffered in April and was playing in an off-season tournament many view as excessive. The likes of Jurgen Klopp and Javier Tebas have long warned that the Club World Cup unnecessarily overloads players and heightens injury risks. Musiala is expected to be out of action for up to five months, a blow to both Bayern and Germany.
Q: Jonathan David is officially a Juventus player. Is he the man to resolve their problems in attack?
@Lanoushak via Instagram?
A: Resolve the problems? No, but he will improve the attack significantly.
While I’ve often pointed out Juventus’ missteps in squad building, simply signing one or two better players won’t fix the deeper issues. The club has repeatedly shown a lack of a coherent sporting vision, leaving the team to reset and rebuild almost every season.
However, David is a great signing and one they’ve been chasing for some time. A consistent and clinical striker who scored 25 goals and grabbed 12 assists for Lille last season. David has reached double-digit goal figures in every campaign since 2019. He is also Canada’s all-time leading scorer with 36 goals.
Last year, Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch called him the most intelligent player he has worked with. “His ability to put things into practice, his ability to read the game, what’s necessary. He’s really clever.”
Lille boss Bruno Genesio extolled his former player's attributes, saying: “He’s a player who plays a big part in the game and above all, a player who’s full of selflessness. He works enormously for the team. We all make an effort, but he’s the perfect example of our team at this level.”
Juventus desperately need to improve in attack. Last season, the Bianconeri averaged just 13.6 shots per game in Serie A. By comparison, top sides in England and Spain typically produce over 16 shots per game. Even Manchester United – hardly a tactical benchmark – managed more than Juve last term.
Q: Luca Modric going to Milan at 39 – is Serie A just home to all ageing players?
@Jenna_J7 via Instagram
A: Modric is a commanding presence and an exceptional player, but time waits for no man, and Italy appears to have branded itself as the home of experience.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand perfectly why Modric was targeted and wanted by Milan. The Croatian, the 2018 Ballon d'Or, is a leader who commands respect. He is an example on the pitch and perfect for a coach who values veterans when building a sporting project – feeding off their intellect while surrounding them with runners. Andrea Pirlo was deemed too old when he arrived at Juve, and both Antonio Conte and then Max Allegri used him to build a team.
Modric will join the Rossoneri after Real Madrid's involvement at the ongoing Club World Cup. No doubt he still has something to give, but I am aggrieved that Milan and Italy are not doing more to invest in nurturing their own talents. It’s extraordinary to think that a club that finished eighth last season and struggled to string a bunch of decent results together still didn’t have time to throw on a few youngsters like Francesco Camarda for more than a handful of minutes. This is a 17-year-old who scored 485 goals in 89 matches for Milan’s youth sides. Did he not deserve more than 199 minutes of Serie A action last season?
Yes, Camarda is a striker and Modric is a midfielder, but my point is, give youth a chance.
