GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 5 - A Serbian manager tragically passed away during a top-flight match, Sir David Beckham has received a knighthood, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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UEFA Champions League (Nov 5): Qarabag vs. Chelsea, 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET. Qarabag will be looking to win back-to-back home games in the same season in major European competition for the first time ever. However, Chelsea have scored 10 goals in two games against Qarabag in the Champions League. Club Brugge vs. Barcelona, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Brugge are unbeaten in their last four group/league phase home games in the competition, while Barcelona have been in inconsistent form of late, winning three and losing three of their last six matches. Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Dortmund have won just one meeting of seven against City in the Champions League, though the German side have scored 12 goals this campaign from just 4.5 xG. See every Champions League fixture here.

Results…

Sir David Beckham has been formally knighted by King Charles for his services to football and British society. The 50-year-old was named on King Charles’ Birthday Honours list (full list here) earlier this year, but received his formal knighting on Tuesday. Watch him receive the knighthood here.

Alongside his football career, Beckham has supported a number of charity causes, serving as a goodwill ambassador for the humanitarian aid organisation Unicef since 2005. He also played a major role in securing the 2021 Olympics for London.

Beckham made his debut for Manchester United in 1995, winning six Premier League titles, the 1999 Champions League, and two FA Cups. He also played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain. He now co-owns MLS side Inter Miami and League Two side Salford City. Read more into Beckham’s footballing career here.

Dive deeper into how the honours system works here.

The manager of the Serbian top-flight team Radnicki 1923, Mladen Zizovic, has died after collapsing during a match. The 44-year-old collapsed suddenly in the technical area during the 22nd minute of the match and was immediately transported to the hospital. Play resumed, but shortly before half-time it was announced that the coach had died and the match was abandoned.

The opposition’s manager, Nenad Lalatovic, told local media that he had attempted to help before Zizovic lost consciousness. “I still can’t believe how life can turn upside down in a second,” he said. “His untimely passing is a great loss for the entire football community,” the Football Association of Serbia said in a statement, expressing condolences to Zizovic’s family, FK Radnicki 1923, and “all friends and admirers who appreciated him and his work.”

Zizovic, a former Bosnia international, had only been appointed to his new role on October 23, with the Mladost fixture just his third match in charge. During his playing days, he won the Bosnian Cup twice and also lifted the Bosnian Premier League title.

The English Football League (EFL) has warned that the EFL Cup is being undermined by fixture congestion, following the expansion of Uefa’s European competitions. The issue came to light after Crystal Palace’s quarter-final against Arsenal was moved to December 23, a week after the other ties. See the EFL Cup fixtures here. 

The match was initially scheduled for December 16, but that would have left Palace playing four games in eight days. Under the revised plan, both clubs now face two matches in three days. Palace’s packed schedule still includes Manchester City (Dec 14), KuPS (Dec 18), and Leeds United (Dec 21). Mikel Arteta has also urged the Premier League to move Arsenal’s December 21 fixture to ease the burden.

Uefa’s new calendar now spans 10 midweeks, up from six two seasons ago, to give the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League standalone weeks for exposure. This has meant the EFL Cup third round has to be played across two weeks to keep clubs in the Champions League and Europa League apart.

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Yesterday’s Poll: Do the early stages of the Champions League feel high-stakes enough?

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ 👍 Yes (45%)

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅‍♂️ Nope (53%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)

Your punditry takes:

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Trent’s Liverpool mural defaced before UCL clash.

BBC’s Premier League team of the week.

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Why Athletic Club is unlike any other team.

Question: Who is the youngest player to ever win the Ballon d’Or?

Scroll below for the answer.

Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.

Answer

Ronaldo Nazario at the age of 21.