President Pablo Longoria has strategically selected Gattuso, the former coach of AC Milan, Napoli and Valencia, to step into the role previously occupied by Spaniard Marcelino.

Marcelino resigned from his position last week. The past week has been filled with high drama for Olympique de Marseille, culminating in a disheartening 4-0 defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals, Paris Saint-Germain, on Sunday night.

Sensing the pressing need for change, President Longoria promptly initiated the process of bringing in Gattuso.

Interestingly, Gattuso had come close to securing the Lyon coaching position, which ultimately went to his fellow countryman Fabio Gross.

Gattuso has inked a contract that will keep him at the helm until the end of the season. If Olympique de Marseille manages to secure a place in the top four and the coveted Champions League spots by the end of the season, an extension of one more season will be automatically triggered.

“I’m very happy and proud to be joining Olympique de Marseille,” the 45-year-old coach told the club’s website.

“It’s a club and a stadium, the Orange Velodrome, where I had the opportunity to play as a player, and which is famous throughout Europe for the passion and fervour it exudes.

“I can’t wait to get to work with my new squad and take on the challenges that lie ahead.”

Gattuso’s first challenge at the helm of the southern giants comes in the form of early-season pace-setters Monaco, whom OM take on in their Ligue 1 Round 7 clash at the Stade Louis II on Saturday night.

The former French international embarked on his coaching journey back in May 2014, taking on the position of head coach for Ligue 2 side Bastia. However, his tenure at Bastia was short-lived, lasting less than half a year as he was relieved of his duties in November 2014, following a 1–0 loss to Guingamp on November 1st.

This decision stemmed from his inability to significantly impact the club in his coaching capacity.
Before his stint at Bastia, the 50-year-old former footballer served as an assistant coach at the French Ligue 1 outfit, Paris Saint-Germain, working alongside Paul Clement.

In January 2016, Makelele assumed the role of technical director at Monaco. Subsequently, in January 2017, he reunited with Clement as an assistant coach at the Premier League club Swansea City.

Following his time at Swansea City, Makelele took on the position of head coach at the Belgian club Eupen in November 2017.

His tenure with Eupen spanned nearly two full seasons before he made the decision to depart in August 2019.

He returned to his former club, Chelsea, to serve as a youth coach and provide his expertise as a technical mentor.

“After four fulfilling years, Chelsea and I decided, by mutual consent, that it’s time for me to seek a fresh, new challenge,” Makelele wrote on his official Twitter account.

“I do want to thank the fans for their affection. Blue will always be the color of my heart; I’ll share more once I’ve set my mind on the next chapter.”

West Ham 3 TSC Baaka Topola 1
West Ham faced tough opposition from TSC Baaka Topola but managed to secure a 3-1 victory. Petar Stanic scored for the Serbian side, taking the lead early in the second half. West Ham equalized when Nemanja Petrovic scored an own goal. James Ward-Prowse played a significant role in setting up goals for Mohammed Kudus and Tomas Soucek.

Glasgow Rangers 1 Real Betis 0
Rangers earned a narrow 1-0 victory against Real Betis. Abdallah Sima scored the winning goal for Rangers midway through the second half. This victory marked Rangers’ first win against Spanish opponents in 15 matches.

Brighton & Hove Albion 2 AEK Athens 3
Brighton & Hove Albion, making their European debut, narrowly lost 2-3 to AEK Athens. Joao Pedro scored twice for Brighton from penalty kicks, but Ezequiel Ponce’s late goal secured the win for AEK Athens. James Milner made history by becoming the first player to represent five English teams in European competition.

Ajax Amsterdam 3 Marseille 3
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as Marseille came from behind to draw 3-3 with ten-man Ajax Amsterdam. Both teams displayed strong attacking play, resulting in a thrilling match.

Olympiacos 2 Freiburg 3
Freiburg secured a 3-2 victory over Olympiacos in Group A. Ayoub El Kaabi scored twice for Olympiacos, but Maximilian Philipp’s late goal sealed the win for Freiburg. Olympiacos had not beaten a German club on home soil in 12 years.

Lazio drew 1-1 against Atlético de Madrid with goalkeeper, Ivan Provedel, scoring a dramatic last-minute header to secure a draw for his team. Despite dominating possession, Lazio initially fell behind when a shot deflected past Provedel. However, his late equalizer salvaged a point for the home side.

Feyenoord beat Glasgow Celtic 2-0 at home in a match filled with drama. Celtic received two red cards, saved a penalty, and conceded a second goal. Calvin Stengs’ free-kick put Feyenoord ahead before Alireza Jahanbakhsh sealed the win with a goal.

Paris St Germain beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 with a strong second-half display. Kylian Mbappé scored from the penalty spot, and Achraf Hakimi added another goal to secure the victory.

Newcastle United earned a hard-fought point in their first Champions League appearance since 2002/03 against AC Milan. Goalkeeper Nick Pope made crucial saves early in the match, and Marco Sportiello denied them a late winner.

The reigning champions, Manchester City, had to come from behind but secured a 3-1 win with a classy second-half performance against Crvena zvezda. Erling Haaland and Julián Álvarez were among the goal-scorers for City.

RB Leipzig secured a win against Young Boys, with Xaver Schlager scoring the decisive goal. The match saw early goals from Mohamed Simakan and Meschack Elia before Schlager’s late strike secured the victory.

Barcelona dominated in their 5-0 win against group stage debutants Antwerp. João Félix and Robert Lewandowski were among the goal-scorers in a dominant display by Barcelona.

FC Porto got off to a strong start in their 3-1 against Shakhtar Donetsk, with Galeno scoring early in the match. Despite briefly being pegged back, Porto regained the lead and secured a comfortable win with goals from Mehdi Taremi and Galeno.hy

These matches provided an exciting start to the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage, with several teams showcasing their quality and determination to perform on the big stage.

Everton 0
Arsenal 1

Spain LaLiga
Getafe 3
Osasuna 2

Villarreal 2
Almeria 1

Sevilla 1
Las Palmas 0

Real Madrid 2
Real Sociedad 1

Italy Serie A
Cagliari 0
Udinese 0

Frosinone 4
Sassuolo 2

Monza 1
Lecce 1

Fiorentina 3
Atalanta 2

Roma 7
Empoli 0

Germany Bundesliga
FC Heidenheim 4
Werder Bremen 2

Darmstadt 3
Borussia Monchengladbach 3

France Ligue 1
Lorient 2
Monaco 2

Clermont Foot 0
Nantes 1

Reims 1
Brest 2

Strasbourg 2
Montpellier 2

Marseille 0
Toulouse 0

Lyon 0
Le Havre 0

Netherlands Eredivisie
PEC Zwolle 1
Go Ahead Eagles 1

Excelsior 0
Almere City FC 0

FC Twente 3
Ajax Amsterdam 1

AZ Alkmaar 2
Sparta Rotterdam 0

Turkish Super Lig
Fenerbahce 3
Antalyaspor 2

Istanbulspor 0
Istanbul Basaksehir 2

Alanyaspor 3
Kasimpasa 3

Trabzonspor 3
Besiktas 0

Portugal Primeira Liga
Arouca 0
Casa Pia AC 1

Gil Vicente 5
Estoril 3

Vitoria de Guimaraes 2
Portimonense 1

Sporting CP 3
Moreirense 0

Belgium Pro League
Eupen 1
Standard Liege 3

Kortrijk 2
Anderlecht 2

Oud-Heverlee Leuven 1
Gent 1

St.Truiden 2
KV Mechelen 0

USA MLS
CF Montreal 0
Chicago Fire 0

Charlotte 0
DC United 0

Orlando City 4
Columbus Crew 3

Philadelphia Union 2
FC Cincinnati 2

Toronto FC 1
Vancouver Whitecaps 2

FC Dallas 1
Seattle Sounders FC 1

Houston Dynamo 1
St. Louis City 1

Minnesota United 0
Sporting Kansas City 1

Colorado Rapids 2
New England Revolution 1

Los Angeles FC 4
LA Galaxy 2

San Jose Earthquakes 2
Real Salt Lake 1

Netherlands Eerste Divisie
Cambuur 1
Willem II 0

Brazil Serie A
Atletico MG 1
Botafogo FR 0

Mexico Liga MX: Apertura
Necaxa 1
FC Juarez 1

Monterrey 3
Leon 1

CF America 4
CD Guadalajara 0

Pumas 3
Atletico de San Luis 2

Sweden Allsvenskan
Hammarby IF 1
Malmo FF 3

BK Haecken 3
Halmstads BK 2

Elfsborg 0
Kalmar FF 3

Denmark Superliga
Vejle Boldklub 1
Randers FC 2

Hvidovre 0
Lyngby 1

AGF 0
Brondby IF 3

Greece Super League
Asteras Tripolis 2
PAS Giannina 2

Kifisia FC 4
Panserraikos FC 4

PAOK FC 0
Aris 0

AEK Athens 1
Olympiacos 1

Romania Liga 1
Hermannstadt 3
FC Voluntari 1

Otelul Galati 0
FC Rapid 1923 0

FCV Farul Constanta 0
FCSB 1

Africa CAF Champions League
APR FC 0
Pyramids FC 0

Big Bullets 0
TP Mazembe 1

Jwaneng Galaxy 1
Orlando Pirates 0

UD Do Songo 1
Petro Atletico 2

Medeama SC 3
Horoya AC 1

Primeiro de Agosto 0
Al Hilal Omdurman 0

AS Douanes Ouagadougou 0
Esperance 1

Bo Rangers FC 1
CR Belouizdad 3

Hafia FC 1
Wydad Casablanca 1

Africa Confederation Cup
Al-Merrikh (Juba) 0
Petroleos Do Lobito 0

Bahir Dar City FC 2
Club Africain 0

FC MUZA 1
Diables Noirs de Combani 2

Singida Big Stars 1
Future FC 0

Abu Salim 3
KCCA FC 1

Stade Malien de Bamako 2
Aigle Noir 0

Etoile filante de Ouagadougou 0
Rivers United FC 0

Aston Villa 3
Crystal Palace 1

Fulham 1
Luton Town 0

Manchester United 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 3

Tottenham Hotspur 2
Sheffield United 1

West Ham United 1
Manchester City 3

Newcastle United 1
Brentford 0

Spain LaLiga
Athletico Bilbao 3
Cadiz 0

Valencia 3
Atletico Madrid 0

Celta Vigo 0
Mallorca 1

Barcelona 5
Real Betis 0

Italy Serie A
Juventus 3
Lazio 1

Inter Milan 5
AC Milan 1

Genoa 2
Napoli 2

Germany Bundesliga
FC Cologne 1
Hoffenheim 3

Freiburg 2
Borussia Dortmund 4

Mainz 1
VfB Stuttgart 3

RB Leipzig 3
Augsburg 0

Wolfsburg 2
Union Berlin 1

Bochum 1
Eintracht Frankfurt 1

France Ligue 1
Rennes 2
Lille 2

Lens 0
Metz 1

Netherlands Eredivisie
Feyenoord 6
SC Heerenveen 1

Vitesse 0
RKC Waalwijk 2

Fortuna Sittard 3
FC Volendam 1

PSV Eindhoven 4
NEC Nijmegen 0

Heracles 1
FC Utrecht 3

Turkey Super Lig
Kayserispor 2
Gaziantep FK 0

Konyaspor 1
Rizespor 2

Adana Demirspor 3
Pendikspor 0

Galatasaray 4
Samsunspor 2

Portugal Primeira Liga
Rio Ave 1
Famalicao 1

Farense 3
SC Braga 1

Vizela 1
Benfica 2

Belgium Pro League
RWD Molenbeek 2
Cercle Brugge 1

Union St.Gilloise 0
Genk 2

Club Brugge 4
Sporting Charleroi 2

Scotland Premiership
St. Johnstone 0
Rangers 2

Celtic 3
Dundee FC 0

Hearts 2
Aberdeen 2

Kilmarnock 2
Hibernian 2

Motherwell 0
St. Mirren 1

Ross County 1
Livingston 1

Saudi Arabia Professional League
Abha 1
Al Ettifaq 3

Al Hazm 1
Al Tai 1

Al Raed 1
Al Nassr 3

Al Ahli 3
Al Taawoun 2

Africa: CAF Champions League
Al-Merreikh 0
Young Africans 2

Power Dynamos 2
Simba SC 2

Etoile du Sahel 1
FAR Rabat 0

AS Real Bamako 0
FC Nouadhibou 3

Brazil Serie A
Cuiaba 2
America MG 2

Palmeiras 1
Goias 0

Vasco da Gama 4
Fluminense 2

Six of the nominees for The Best FIFA Men’s Player are from Manchester City, and their manager, Pep Guardiola, is nominated for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach.

The nominees for The Best FIFA Women’s Player include Aitana Bonmati and players from Spain, England, and Australia, reflecting their performances in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Previous winners of The FIFA Best Women’s Coach award, Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman, are among the nominees in this category.

The Best Women’s Goalkeeper nominees are dominated by players who performed well in Australia and New Zealand during July and August, including Mary Earps and Catalina Coll.

The Best Men’s Goalkeeper category features nominees from five different players representing three continents.

The Best FIFA Men’s Player
Julian Alvarez
Marcelo Brozovic
Kevin De Bruyne
Ilkay Gundogan
Erling Haaland
Rodri
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Kylian Mbappe
Lionel Messi
Victor Osimhen
Declan Rice
Bernardo Silva

The Best FIFA Women’s Player Nominees
Aitana Bonmati
Linda Caicedo
Rachel Daly
Kadidiatou Diani
Caitlin Foord
Mary Fowler
Alex Greenwood
Jennifer Hermoso
Lindsey Horan
Amanda Ilestedt
Lauren James
Sam Kerr
Mapi Leon
Hinata Miyazawa
Salma Paralluelo
Keira Walsh

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach
Peter Gerhardsson
Jonatan Giraldez
Tony Gustavsson
Emma Hayes
Sarina Wiegman

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Pep Guardiola
Simone Inzaghi
Ange Postecoglou
Luciano Spalletti
Xavi

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper
Mackenzie Arnold
Ann-Katrin Berger
Catalina Coll
Mary Earps
Christiane Endler
Zecira Musovic
Sandra Panos Garcia-Villamil

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper
Yassine Bounou
Thibaut Courtois
Ederson
Andre Onana
Marc-Andre ter Stegen

The Best 2022 Winners
The Best FIFA Men’s Player: Lionel Messi
The Best FIFA Women’s Player: Alexia Putellas
The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper: Mary Earps
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach: Lionel Scaloni
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach: Sarina Wiegman
The FIFA Puskás Award: Marcin Oleksy
The FIFA Fair Play Award: Luka Lochoshvili
The FIFA Fan Award: Argentina fans

Verratti began his football journey in the youth academy of Delfino Pescara in 2005, his hometown club. At the age of just 16, he made his debut for Pescara’s first team in a Coppa Italia match in August 2008.

He quickly established himself as a regular starter for Pescara, especially after the club’s promotion to Serie B.

In 2012, at the age of 19, the midfielder made a significant move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
During his time at PSG, Verratti became a fan favorite due to his exceptional technique and playing style. In his first season, he was a consistent starter and contributed to the team’s success, including winning the Ligue 1 title in 2013.

He enjoyed immense success at PSG, winning numerous trophies, including Ligue 1 titles, the Coupe de France, and the Coupe de la Ligue. He also won the domestic treble in 2015 and 2016.

With 30 trophies to his name, the Italian became the most decorated player in both PSG’s history and the history of the French top flight. He also became the second-highest appearance maker in the club’s history.

“I’ve been very proud to play for Paris Saint-Germain for over a decade, to rub shoulders with so many great players and to win 30 trophies,” the player said.

“The club and its fans will always hold a very special place in my heart. I’ll forever be a Parisian,” Verratti declared.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last December, their first triumph since 1986.

PSG forward Kylian Mbappe is also nominated, but Cristiano Ronaldo is not included for first time since 2004 and Neymar is also absent.

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, who won the UEFA award for the best men’s player, after his 52 goals last season is one eight City players nominated.

He is joined by Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Ilkay Gundogan, who joined Barcelona this summer.

Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich from Tottenham Hotspur, is also included after scoring 40 goals for club and country, but there was no place for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford despite his 30 goals and 11 assists during the 2022/23 season.

Other notable Premier League inclusions are Aston Villa’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.

Men’s Ballon d’Or: Nominees
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Erling Haaland (Man City)
Bernardo Silva (Man City)
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Rodri (Man City)
Julian Alvarez (Man City)
Ruben Dias (Man City)
Josko Gvardiol (Man City)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Andre Onana (Man United)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Randal Kolo Muani (PSG)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Kim Min-Jae (Bayern Munich)
Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona)
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
Nicola Barella (Inter Milan)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal)

Women’s Ballon d’Or: Nominees
Mary Earps (Man United)
Millie Bright(Chelsea)
Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)
Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich)
Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
Katie Mccabe (Arsenal)
Khadija Shaw (Man City)
Jill Roord (Man City)
Yui Hasegawa (Man City)
Hayley Raso (Real Madrid)
Amanda Ilestedt (Arsenal)
Hinata Miyazawa (Man United)
Daphne Van Domselaar (Aston Villa)
Mapi Leon (Barcelona)
Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)
Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona)
Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona)
Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
Olga Ramona (Real Madrid)
Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)
Alba Redondo (Levante)
Wendie Renard (Lyon)
Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon)
Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg)
Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg)
Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg)
Debinha (Kansas City)
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)

Brentford 2
AFC Bournemouth 2

Burnley 2
Tottenham Hotspur 5

Chelsea 0
Nottingham Forest 1

Manchester City 5
Fulham 1

Brighton & Hove Albion 3
Newcastle United 1

Spain LaLiga
Real Sociedad 5
Granada 3

Real Madrid 2
Getafe 1

Deportivo Alaves 1
Valencia 0

Real Betis 1
Rayo Vallecano 0

Italy Serie A
Bologna 2
Cagliari 1

Udinese 0
Frosinone 0

Atalanta 3
Monza 0

Napoli 1
Lazio 2

Germany Bundesliga
Augsburg 2
Bochum 2

Bayer Leverkusen 5
Darmstadt 1

TSG Hoffenheim 3
Wolfsburg 1

VfB Stuttgart 5
Freiburg 0

Werder Bremen 4
Mainz 0

Borussia Monchengladbach 1
Bayern Munich 2

France Ligue 1
Brest 0
Rennes 0

AS Monaco 3
Lens 0

Netherlands Eredivisie
Almere City FC 1
PEC Zwolle 2

Go Ahead Eagles 3
SC Heerenveen 2

RKC Waalwijk 0
PSV Eindhoven 4

Heracles 3
Excelsior 1

urkey Super Lig
Istanbul Basaksehir 0
Konyaspor 1

Pendikspor 1
Alanyaspor 1

Antalyaspor 1
Kayserispor 1

Gaziantep FK 0
Galatasaray 3

Portugal Primeira Liga
Casa Pia AC 1
Rio Ave 1

Famalicao 1
Farense 0

Portimonense 1
CF Estrela 1

Benfica 4
Vitoria de Guimaraes 0