Yeah, I’ll never understand why Paris never managed to have a top club before the Qataris came in. A real anomaly, considering that France is a genuine football country, as much as Germany or Spain.
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France actually came to football quite late even with Jules Rimet they didn’t particularly have a structured league until the 30’s and remained amateur quite late.
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Were the Spanish and the German better organized than the French in the 30’s though? Genuine question, I’ve no idea.
I feel like the Germans had other stuff going on in the 30s… 
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And the Spanish too.
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Copa Del Rey is around 120 years old and La Liga is close to a 100, they precede Franco and Franco. It’s when clubs focused away from amateur, France were late and the sport, the French leagues only topped 20k in 2000 for the first time on average, and that was in relation to 1998.
Germany also have quite a fractured club system. It’s well recorded in Jonathan Wilson’s World Cup book.
Luca Stephenson £700,000 transfer confirmed: Leaves Liverpool after 8 years
https://www.thisisanfield.com/2026/07/luca-stephenson-liverpool-transfer-confirmed-bolton-2026/
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The professional national league (Bundesliga) wasn’t established until 1963, and they were largely amateur before 1950.
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Tldr: There haven’t been any decent unreliable rumours this week.
As you were.
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What’s this I’m reading about Virgil going
Off to Rome to write?
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More links about interest from Galatasaray and AC Milan, no idea if the club would sanction a sale but maybe they have seen signs of decline and don’t want another case like Salah last season where they are paying out huge wages to a player who can no longer perform at a level that justifies them.
If he is leaving, i think it is more that virgil gets a multi year deal elsewhere and we step aside. I dont think we would be actively looking to move him on this summer.
Few rumours that Liverpool might be able to sign Joules Kounde, available for £55m from Barcelona, 27 and can play right back or centre back.
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he is “equally comfortable at centre-back or right-back” 
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That sounds like bullshit on a CV: “likes to work as part of a team or individually”
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Except I think it’s true in his case. It seems he is playing as a right back for France in the WC.
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And that’s also where he plays for Barca. I seem to remember he played CB at Sevilla, but that might have been in a back three. Not quite sure. Potential false memory going on here.
Solid defender, not particularly good going forward. For me, not a player Liverpool should spend a lot of money on. I’d prefer someone like Geertruida, if they’re looking for that sort of potentially versatile defender.
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Yeah he’s played the overwhelming majority of football at Barca at RB over the last few years as well
I get you must have something about you if you are a regular for Barca and France, but I just dont see him as a guy worth going out to spend money on
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No player ever. Not even Thuram.