GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Dec. 10 - Turkish top-flight players have been arrested as part of the country’s betting probe, Argentina’s FA and top clubs have been raided, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
UEFA Champions League (Dec 10): Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. City have lost their last two games against Madrid, suffering defeats home and away against them in last season’s play-off round. However, Madrid are in poor form domestically, having only won three of the last seven games. Club Brugge vs. Arsenal, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Arsenal have won their last nine Champions League group/league phase matches, while Brugge have won just one of their previous 18 encounters against English opponents. Athletic Club vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. PSG have scored the most goals (19) in the Champions League this season after five games. Athletic, by contrast, have struggled to keep pace with only one win and -5 goal difference. See every Champions League fixture here.
Results…
Champions League: Inter 0-1 Liverpool | Bayern 3-1 Sporting | Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea | Barcelona 2-1 Frankfurt | Spurs 3-0 Prague | Monaco 1-0 Galatasaray | PSV 2-3 Atletico | USG 2-3 Marseille | Kairat 0-1 Olympiakos (Standings)
Women’s Champions League: PSG 0-0 OH | Arsenal 1-0 Twente | Real Madrid 2-0 Wolfsburg | St. Polten 0-5 Juventus (Standings)
Championship (Full results)
TOP TALKING POINTS
Wrexham Sells Minority Stake
Championship side Wrexham, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have sold a minority stake to U.S.-based private equity firm Apollo Sports Capital. It’s thought that the stake is less than 10%. Apollo’s investment comes only weeks after the firm agreed to acquire a 55% majority stake in Atletico Madrid, a deal valuing the La Liga club at roughly $2.31bn.
Wrexham’s injection of cash, for an undisclosed amount, will be used for the redevelopment of the club’s stadium and the surrounding area in the small Welsh city. More specifically, it will accelerate the redevelopment of the Kop Stand, a key part of the Wrexham Gateway Project, the region’s wider civic and economic regeneration scheme. The new stand is due to hold 5,500 spectators in total.
Wrexham, the oldest club in Wales dating to 1864, have earned three consecutive promotions to reach the English second division for the first time since the 1981–82 season. They sit 13th with a game spare and are currently on a nine-game unbeaten run.
Top-Flight Players Jailed
A Turkish court has jailed 20 of 39 suspects, including players from the country’s top-flight league, pending trial in a betting investigation. The move comes as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal betting in Turkish football, with prosecutors ordering the detention of 46 players, club presidents, commentators, and referees last week. A trial date has not yet been set.
Anadolu, the state-owned news outlet, said that Galatasaray player Metehan Baltaci and Fenerbahce player Mert Hakan Yandas, as well as former Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak, were now formally arrested and jailed. Baltaci admitted to placing bets whilst he was in the youth team but hasn’t done so since joining Galatasaray, while Yandas denies any involvement in gambling on matches.
Last month, Turkey’s football federation suspended 149 referees and assistants after an investigation found that officials in the professional leagues were betting on games. The net then widened with eight arrests and the suspension of 1,024 players from all leagues.
Argentina’s FA Raided
Police in Argentina raided the country’s national football association (AFA) headquarters and more than 30 soccer clubs on Tuesday. The raids were part of a judicial investigation into alleged ties to financial services company Sur Finanzas, which is under investigation for alleged money laundering and tax evasion.
Sur Finanzas is a major sponsor for AFA tournaments and several first and second-division clubs. Officials said the raided clubs included leading teams Independiente, Racing, and San Lorenzo. Last month, tax authorities filed a complaint against the firm, accusing it of dodging taxes totalling 818bn pesos, approximately $560m.
Local media reported that authorities were investigating whether the firm provided loans to clubs in exchange for benefits such as broadcasting rights. Some clubs have already denied financial ties to the firm, beyond a typical sponsorship deal.
POLL
Even if they’re rivals, do you support clubs from your country in continental competitions?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is a doubt for their Champions League fixture against Manchester City on Wednesday as he missed training (More)
> Paris Saint-Germain’s majority owner Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) is set to complete a takeover of Belgian second-tier side KAS Eupen (More)
> A Liverpool fan has been charged with alleged racist abuse of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo during a Premier League match (More)
> Celtic legend John ‘Dixie’ Deans has died aged 79; he was known as a prolific goalscorer for both Motherwell and Celtic (More)
Americas
> Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi was named the 2025 MLS MVP, becoming the first player in league history to win the award in two consecutive seasons (More)
> Florida State defeated Stanford 1-0 in an all-Atlantic Coast Conference final to win the Women’s College Cup (More)
> The USWNT will play an official match at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, California, for the first time when they face Chile there on Jan. 27 (More)
Rest of the World
> Japanese club Vissel Kobe remained atop the eastern zone of the AFC Champions League with a 2-2 draw at home against Chengdu Rongcheng of China (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Wayne Rooney says Mohamed Salah is damaging his Liverpool legacy. Do you agree?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes (65%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (32%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (3%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 R.M: “Great player, great servant to the club, when it is time to go, best to move along with your head held high and thank all the supporters, teammates and your club staff and coaches. Does not mean he cannot continue his career and find continued success in other pastures, but this one is over. Be proud of yourself, Mo, but don't destroy your Liverpool legacy upon departure. (P.S. don't become an arrogant, spoiled athlete, we have enough of them among us.)”
👍 T.H: “Sad situation. But there's a time, place and method to making your grievances known to the manager and management. This was the textbook example of how NOT to do it.”
🙅♂️ J.H: “Liverpool is damaging his legacy by benching him and not allowing him to play out of a slump. One of their greatest players ever, just benching him! So much disrespect is disgraceful. At least give him a chance to play out of his slump. Coming from a Gunner.”
🙅♂️ K.F: “If I had been playing for Liverpool for over seven years and experienced my team mid-table, I'd have reacted too for being put in a difficult position by my team and manager who created a negative environment. His form dipped, but it doesn't negate his overall legendary status, and the club should have shown more loyalty. If he felt betrayed by the club, his outburst is a human reaction to feeling unsupported after a period of great service.”
EXTRA TIME
BBC’s Premier League team of the week.
CBS panel dissect Liverpool’s tough week.
… and they discuss how Arsenal paved the way for women’s football.
Why Barcelona’s Uber sponsorship is controversial.
New York Cosmos’ second capsule kit collection.
… and Chicago Fire 2026 home kit leaked.
How the 2026 World Cup killed the 'group of death'.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Who are the five “Pauls” with over 300 Premier League appearances?
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.
The fan culture in England is way different than in Germany. Individual moments are celebrated much more intensely. If someone makes a sliding tackle, their name is immediately chanted. If I do a backheel, they chant my name. You get direct feedback on what you do on the pitch.
Answer
Paul Scholes (499). Paul Robinson (375). Paul Konchesky (347). Paul Telfer (319). Paul Ince (306).
