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GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Feb. 18 - UEFA’s referees’ chief wants to avoid microscopic VAR, Manchester United are continuing their search for a new head coach, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
Champions League Knockout Round Play-Offs, 1st leg, (Feb 18): Qarabag vs. Newcastle, 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET. The hosts are Champions League knockout phase debutants and the first team from their country to reach this stage of the competition. However, Qarabag are winless in their previous nine Uefa meetings with English opposition. Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter Milan, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Inter, who have reached the final in two of the last three seasons, are unbeaten in four Uefa matches against Norwegian opposition. They’ve also won six of their last seven two-legged ties in this competition. Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Brugge are unbeaten at home against Atletico after four Uefa meetings, and the away side have lost four of their last six knockout phase ties in the Champions League. See potential line-ups for each team here.
Editor’s note: On Wednesday, Wolves also host Arsenal in the Premier League at 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. See all the upcoming Premier League fixtures here.
Results…
Champions League knock-out play-offs: Benfica 0-1 Real Madrid | Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Atalanta | Monaco 2-3 Paris Saint-Germain | Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus
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TOP TALKING POINTS
UEFA Chief VAR Warning
European football must avoid moving toward microscopic VAR intervention, Uefa refereeing director Roberto Rosetti said on Tuesday. “I believe we forgot the reason why VAR was introduced,” Rosetti said. “We cannot go in this direction of microscopic VAR intervention. We love football like it is. When you are watching a situation with a super slow motion, you can find a lot of things.”
Across the European leagues, the Premier League has the lowest VAR intervention rate this season, at 0.27 per game. The Bundesliga and La Liga come next at 0.38, Serie A at 0.44, and Ligue 1 at 0.47. In the Champions League, the ratio is also relatively high, at 0.45.
Last week, Rosetti hinted that he was against extending the remit of VAR. Nevertheless, football’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board, is expected to approve VAR reviews for corner and second yellow cards when it meets on 28 February.
Man United Manager Search
Manchester United will continue a full recruitment process for their next manager, despite Michael Carrick’s strong start in his current role as head coach until the end of the season. Sources suggest that Man United will take their time with their next appointment and avoid a knee-jerk reaction to results.
Carrick is unbeaten in his first five matches in charge, with the club pushing for Champions League qualification. Reports suggest that Man United are wary of repeating Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s hire in 2019, when a strong interim run led to a fast permanent appointment that later faded.
In related news, Jim Ratcliffe’s controversial immigration comments are understood to have caused concern among the Glazer family and senior figures at the club, amid fears the backlash could impact sponsorship negotiations and the wider Old Trafford regeneration project.
Fans Meeting Edited
Tottenham have been accused of selectively editing the written version of what was said at a fans’ meeting last month. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST), which met with the Spurs board before Thomas Frank’s dismissal as head coach, say that there were a number of points raised in the meeting "which the club did not agree to include in the final published version, despite our request."
Fans’ concerns about the risk of Premier League relegation, and the belief generated by this season’s Europa League triumph that had since faded, had reportedly been edited out. Concerns about the lack of young players coming through and the club’s ability to generate profit were also edited out, despite THST requesting that these points be included.
Sources close to the club indicated there was no intention to sanitise the minutes. Tottenham sit 16th in the Premier League and are five points clear of the relegation zone after winning seven games this season.
Watch Spurs’ new head coach Igor Tudor’s first interview here.
POLL
Arsenal are introducing safe standing at their stadium. Should more clubs do the same?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Arsenal will have safe standing at the Emirates Stadium from the 2026-27 season, and will raise general admission season tickets by 3.9% (More) | Arsenal make Bukayo Saka the best-paid player at the club, with his wages exceeding £300,000 a week, as he signed a new five-year contract until 2031 (More)
> The first-ever Uefa Women's Champions League knockout phase play-offs conclude on Wednesday and Thursday; see a preview of the fixtures (More)
> Dutch club Feyenoord moved their training this week to neighbouring Belgium to allow Raheem Sterling to work with his new teammates as he waits for his work permit (More)
> Leah Williamson and Lauren James have been named in Sarina Wiegman's 25-player England squad for their upcoming Women's World Cup qualifiers (More)
> Birmingham City, co-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, have announced the sale of their women’s team to their ownership group (More)
Americas
> Scotland will set up camp at the home of Charlotte FC for the duration of the 2026 World Cup (More)
> Carlo Ancelotti will only consider calling up Neymar for Brazil if he is in peak physical condition and capable of playing at high intensity ahead of the 2026 World Cup (More)
> Emma Hayes has revealed her US women’s 26-player roster ahead of the SheBelieves Cup in March (More)
Rest of the World
> Australia defender Lewis Miller has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an Achilles injury playing for English club Blackburn (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Harry Kane became the first Englishman to score 500 goals. Is he England's greatest-ever goalscorer?
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes (66%)
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅♂️ Nope (32%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 L.J: “I guess the stats don't lie. Some will point to the fact that a fifth of his tally are penalties, almost three times more than Jimmy Greaves, but he's achieved this largely at a team that wasn't challenging at the top, as well as on the international stage. I suppose a deeper dive might find a disconcerting number of goals against national team minnows, but it's not like he's 500 and done. I imagine there are many more seasons to come from him.”
👍 M.M: “500+ goals. It’s hard to say anyone else is greater. Harry's resume and credentials are in the back of the net.”
🙅♂️ V.T: “Without sounding harsh, I couldn’t name a goal of his that meant anything significant. Kane goes missing in important games far too much. Over a season, he’s a great player, and his numbers are objectively better than those of others who have put on an England shirt. But when it comes to the biggest stages, I’d much rather a lot of the others on the list starting than Kane.”
🙅♂️ A.S: “I’m a Tottenham guy since the early sixties, and I think Harry Kane is obviously a great goal scorer, but having seen Jimmy Greaves score so many magical goals in a tough era, I’m picking Jimmy, sorry Harry.”
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GAME FACE ON
Question: Only two people have won the FIFA World Cup as a player and captain, and later as a manager. Who are they?
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.
What goes through my mind? Not much.
Answer
Franz Beckenbauer and Didier Deschamps.
