Most fans know Valentín Barco as the Argentina substitute who got slapped by Jude Bellingham, but his football journey to Chelsea has been really interesting. A profile 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/749...
Who is Valentin Barco, the prickly Chelsea signing who got slapped by Jude Bellingham?
The Argentina international broke through for Boca Juniors as a 16-year-old and developed a reputation for audacity on the ball
nytimes.com
The latest on Mykhailo Mudryk's situation features in today's edition of The DealSheet 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/748...
The Transfer DealSheet: Latest on Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid and more
Welcome to The Athletic's weekly look at the latest information from across the transfer market
nytimes.com
The boycott threat is clearly a good thing in the context of Infantino’s boundless greed, but replace “FIFA competitions” with “UEFA clubs” in the below paragraph and it pretty much tells the story of where club football has gone wrong
Piece with @conor-oneill.bsky.social on what Chelsea are getting in Morgan Rogers: 🤝 Good fit with Palmer ⚽️ Scorer of great goals, not a great goalscorer (yet) ⛹️♂️ Exciting but flawed dribbler ▶️ Growing playmaker 🏃 Top athlete 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/746...
Morgan Rogers: What are Chelsea getting for their £117m?
The record signing brings attacking versatility, physicality and durability, but the bar for this deal to be a success is dizzyingly high
nytimes.com
On this weeks @socobhampod.bsky.social we went inside the Morgan Rogers deal, rounded up the rest of the #CFC transfer news, paid tribute to Ken Bates and analysed Alonso’s first press conference. Busy then! @sjohnsonsport.bsky.social and @liamtwomey.bsky.social on board pod.fo/e/478c67
Straight Outta Cobham: A show about Chelsea: Morgan Rogers: How has it happened and what will he bring?
Morgan Rogers is going to Chelsea instead of Arsenal and the Straight Outta Cobham team are here to lap it all up.Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey as the Blues set a new...
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Given the juice he showed tonight (yes, in an unserious game, but still), Tuchel not getting Saka onto the pitch at any stage of a World Cup semi-final is the most sackable thing he did at this tournament
That looked and felt like pretty much every England tournament exit of my lifetime. Passive, fearful, exhausted. Not quite what Tuchel was hired to deliver
So it turns out Lionel Messi’s right-footed crossing is more dangerous than Ezri Konsa’s. Who knew?
My other favourite moment was Simeone Jr shoulder barging the linesman as he retrieved the ball for a throw. This is method shithousery
Very much enjoying Wayne Rooney imploring the England players to keep their discipline in the face of cynical provocation
#CFC have six strikers on the books but only Joao Pedro is assured of his place in the squad next season as things stand. So what will happen to the others? Piece from @liamtwomey.bsky.social and me (free to read): www.nytimes.com/athletic/744...
Chelsea have too many strikers on their books. So who do they move on?
Joao Pedro will remain at Stamford Bridge, but there are decisions to make over Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap, Emmanuel Emegha and Marc Guiu
nytimes.com
Embarrassing performance from a France side with all-time great attacking talent. Spain are a very good team with a very clear identity and they were A+ on the night, but this isn’t the 2010 vintage
Chelsea’s sale of Andrey Santos to Manchester United has echoes of Noni Madueke to Arsenal last summer. Both are unequivocal BlueCo success stories, but will Chelsea’s squad end this summer stronger or weaker? 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/743...
Selling players like Andrey Santos can be lucrative for Chelsea – but does it help them win?
Does selling some helpful, if not quite essential, players while keeping others who are less productive edge Chelsea closer to contention?
nytimes.com
On this week’s @socobhampod.bsky.social we talked through the latest #CFC transfer news and completed our squad audit with wingers and number 10’s For @theathleticfc.bsky.social with @liamtwomey.bsky.social and @reallycerys.bsky.social pod.fo/e/4446d5
Straight Outta Cobham: A show about Chelsea: Palestra in + is Fernandez really staying?
Xabi Alonso has made his first official signing as Chelsea manager and Real Madrid have got the Straight Outta Cobham team scratching their heads again.Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey an...
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Wish I’d gone to bed an hour ago and set my alarm for the Switzerland-Colombia penalties
It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that referees have been told to leave penalty decisions to VAR at this World Cup
Feel a bit sorry for Balogun (who’s had an excellent World Cup) in all this. Yes, he gets to play against Belgium now, but he didn’t ask for this reprieve and the controversy around it will always bear his name
Amid his many other divine gifts, Messi’s first touch is consistently, routinely, impossibly flawless
A piece with @anantaajith.bsky.social and @sebsb.bsky.social on Xhaka. Alonso loves him, he brings leadership as well as quality and was excellent at Sunderland last season. But at 33, how much is that worth to Chelsea? 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/740...
Why Chelsea want Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka – at the right price
Aside from the quality the Switzerland midfielder would bring, Chelsea would benefit from his nous and emotional stability off the pitch
nytimes.com
Part two of an exclusive interview with former Chelsea goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon on: 🇧🇪 His problem with Courtois 🚬 Sarri insisting on Kepa 🧤 Finding Mendy at Reims 🤞 His hope for Penders 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/738...
Christophe Lollichon on his problem with Courtois, signing Kepa and Mendy, and his hope for Penders
In the second part of our interview with the former Chelsea goalkeeper coach, he reflects on Petr Cech's successors and one bright prospect
nytimes.com
Part one of an exclusive interview with former Chelsea goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon on: 🚙 The bond forged with Cech in a Rennes car park 🐐 How to stop Messi - and Rory Delap 🏆 Prepping for Bayern’s penalty takers in Munich 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/738...
Christophe Lollichon on Chelsea, Cech and how to thwart Messi: ‘Wait, wait, force him to make a choice’
The former Chelsea coach discusses his working relationship with Cech, and the preparation that went into the 'keeper's heroics in Munich
nytimes.com
Messi being resolutely bang average at penalties is one of the most charming things about him
A piece on Trevoh Chalobah’s call-up to England’s World Cup squad, and a Chelsea career defined by stoic strength of character. His faith has been rewarded again 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/736...
Trevoh Chalobah impressed Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea. A World Cup call-up is reward for his faith
The centre-half is a solid performer in a variety of defensive roles, a fierce competitor and will be a positive dressing-room influence
nytimes.com
As Estevao continues his recovery, I spoke to two experts on hamstring injuries in football about grade four tears - why they aren't all the same, why they don't all require surgery, and what the return to play looks like 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/733...
Estevao: How Chelsea plot the winger’s recovery from a grade four hamstring tear
The serious injury sustained by the Brazilian winger against Manchester United in mid-April means he will miss the World Cup
nytimes.com
🌎WORLD CUP PREVIEW PART ONE!🌎 @acjimbo.bsky.social, @oilysailor.bsky.social, @liamtwomey.bsky.social & Natalie Gedra consider the contenders🏆 🏴Can Tuchel + players coexist? 🇪🇸Can Spain be stopped @polballus.bsky.social? 🇫🇷Can France be stopped @tomwfootball.bsky.social? youtu.be/_GB1UuxqeqE
World Cup preview: The genuine contenders
YouTube video by The Totally Football Show
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𝗢𝗙𝗙-𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗢𝗖!🚨 Recording our first pod of the summer tomorrow - with @mattdaviesadams.bsky.social, @liamtwomey.bsky.social & Sam Parkin having a closer look at the #CFC players at the World Cup... and some notable absentees... Plus - all the other Blues news! Thoughts/ questions?
كرة القدم: مشجع برازيلي وكأس العالم
ALT: كرة القدم: مشجع برازيلي وكأس العالم
static.klipy.com
Filip Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea in search of regular game time and the club are open to offers, particularly with Mike Penders set to join the first team this summer. Full @theathleticfc.bsky.social story below, follows @nizaarkinsella.bsky.social 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/731...
Filip Jorgensen asks to leave Chelsea, club open to offers for goalkeeper
The 24-year-old spent the majority of the 2025-26 season as understudy to Robert Sanchez.
nytimes.com
Here’s a ranking of Chelsea’s 11 red cards this season using my highly sophisticated DAFT metric, which I’m hopeful could become as influential in the football discourse as XG 👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/730...
Ranking all 11 of Chelsea’s red cards this season, according to our newly invented DAFT metric
The Athletic has decided to recognise Chelsea's remarkable ill-discipline this season with an outright ranking
nytimes.com
