Is Pellegrino Matarazzo the trailblazer American soccer has been waiting for?
With his Copa del Rey winners medal around his neck, Pellegrino Matarazzo struggled to find the words to sum up his remarkable journey from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, via Italy and Germany to a historic triumph as Real Sociedad manager.
A lot of former players fall into the profession after retiring, but not Matarazzo. The Ivy League graduate could have entered the world of finance. He probably would have made more money that way, certainly in the early part of his career when he bounced around the German lower leagues.
From there, though, Matarazzo worked his way up the ladder, from his first coaching role at FC Nurnberg’s academy to his first top job in the Bundesliga to making history as the first US-born manager to win a major trophy in one of Europe’s “big five” leagues.
Is Matarazzo the managerial trailblazer American soccer has been waiting for? Where Bob Bradley and Jesse Marsch failed, the 48-year-old is succeeding, shaping Real Sociedad in his own image, guiding them to cup glory, pushing them up the La Liga table and shaking the Ted Lasso stereotype that dragged down many of his compatriots.
This could be a future US men’s national team head coach in the making, although Matarazzo may feel he has even more to achieve as a club manager before moving into the international game. Real Sociedad have already qualified for next season’s Europa League and could even be in the Champions League should La Liga receive a fifth spot.
Real Sociedad is a special club. Matarazzo coached at a high level in the Bundesliga at Stuttgart and Hoffenheim, but there’s something distinctive about La Real, a club that prides itself on bringing through some of the best Basque talent. A club that is thoroughly in thrall to its math-genius manager from New Jersey.
Was Sunday the start of the best Premier League finale in years?
A Premier League title race has broken out. What once looked like Arsenal’s trophy slipped from the grasp of Mikel Arteta and his players in a potentially season-defining defeat to Manchester City on Sunday. A City win over Burnley on Wednesday would see the top spot in the table change hands.
As recently as 14 March, Arsenal were 10 points clear. There was talk of a quadruple as City struggled to match the consistency of their north London rivals. Since then, however, the Gunners have stalled, and Pep Guardiola’s side have peaked at the right time. They have evolved into title contenders.
Nothing has been decided, though. As damaging as defeat at the Etihad was, the nature of Arsenal’s performance suggested the race is far from over. Indeed, the visitors played with intent, demonstrating the sort of attacking ambition that had been missing from their game for weeks.
On another day, Eberechi Eze’s strike from the edge of the box would have gone in off the post. Or Kai Havertz would have finished his one-on-one opportunity against Gianluigi Donnarumma. Or Gabriel Magalhaes’s deflected header would have found the back of the net. This wasn’t a concession of the title race. Not yet, anyway.
Opta’s so-called supercomputer still favors Arsenal to win their first Premier League title since the Arsène Wenger era. City may also have a slightly trickier run of fixtures to finish the season. This isn’t to deny the momentum shift, but it’s far from being conclusive. Sunday’s match may have been the start of the best finale to a Premier League title race in years.
Could Saudi Arabia’s pullback on sport have implications for Newcastle United?
The LIV Golf lights are still on, but possibly not for much longer. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is apparently shifting focus away from sport and LIV is in line to have the pipeline of money turned off after burning through $5bn since it was established in 2021.
One wonders how the leadership at Newcastle United reacted to the news. Sitting slumped 14th in the Premier League table after a run of eight defeats in 11 games, the Magpies clearly need a lot more investment to reach the top of English soccer and it sounds like that investment may not be so forthcoming.
Profit and sustainability rules (PSR) have already curbed the scale of Saudi Arabia’s investment at St James’ Park. “We’re controlled by PSR,” Eddie Howe said after a summer transfer window that saw Newcastle miss out on several top targets and sell Alexander Isak to Liverpool. “That’s still limiting what we can do and that’s the reality.”
Even still, Newcastle’s net spend since the PIF takeover in October 2021 amounts to roughly €480m ($649m). They wouldn’t have played Champions League soccer in two of the last three seasons without Saudi involvement, so even the slightest pullback from PIF could have big implications for the club.
At the time of the takeover, it seemed inevitable Newcastle would become the next Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain. Last season’s Carabao Cup triumph was meant to signify the rise of an English soccer superpower. Now, it’s unclear what the future holds.