Tom Burrows

I spent four months in the company of #Millwall captain Jake Cooper It was an eventful period that ended with a painful defeat in the playoffs this week This tells the story of that time and what life looks like for an EFL footballer (Free to read) nytimes.com/athletic/72727…

France, one of the favourites to win the World Cup this summer, have announced their star-studded squad for the tournament. Manager Didier Deschamps named a squad filled with an eye-catching array of attacking talent on Thursday. In the forward positions, Deschamps can choose from an illustrious list comprising of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue, Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marcus Thuram. More from @TBurrows16 ⬇️ 🔗 nyti.ms/49wNxgM

■ Switching into dad mode when getting home after games ■ The surprise of a private plane laid on as a treat by the chairman ■ Soundtrack of Oasis, Taylor Swift and Vengaboys in the dressing room ■ Coping with 'the worst feeling I've had' in football Welcome to life as an EFL footballer. Over the past four months, The Athletic has spent time with Millwall captain Jake Cooper and his family - at his home, the evening before a match, at the training ground and on his way to saying his goodbyes the day after missing out on the play-offs. This is what it is like to be pursuing the Premier League dream - and to have it end in heartbreak. 📝 @TBurrows16 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/72727…

“I feel pity because he was such a fantastic footballer. But if you feel pity… it’s over.” Jan Everse, the ex-Netherlands international, is not alone in feeling sad at Raheem Sterling’s decline. The man once tipped to win a Ballon d’Or cannot even get off the bench for Feyenoord and faces an uncertain future. So what’s gone wrong? And what happens next? @DTathletic nytimes.com/athletic/72534…

Hull City’s players celebrate with their jubilant supporters in the away end after beating Millwall 2-0 at The Den tonight Sergej Jakirovic’s side are now one game away from a return to the Premier League after a nine year absence A reminder they finished 21st last season

“I came out of (the Chelsea job) a little bit tougher, but with a little more clarity that if I’m going to make my next decision, it has to be a really, really good footballing decision for me that I can affect positively. And then you just hope that if you work well, you can start answering those questions. But you can’t spend your life trying to prove people wrong all the time because you won’t prove everybody wrong.” Frank Lampard reflects on what he learnt from managing Chelsea, an 'amazing' 18 months at Coventry City, and what awaits them in the Premier League. Interview by @TBurrows16 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/72576…

Frank Lampard interview ▪️ On misconceptions about British managers ▪️ Coventry promotion 'right at the top' of career achievements ▪️ Personal point to prove after #CFC caretaker spell ▪️ Response to Gerrard 'egotistical losers' remark (Free to read) nytimes.com/athletic/72576…

“Who the hell is that?” Michael Olise is gonna be a superstar - if he isn’t already. But his story (let go by Chelsea & City) is fascinating & thought-provoking. How do clubs & coaches handle an elite young talent who is ‘different’? ✍️ with @TBurrows16 nytimes.com/athletic/72549…

This is the making of Michael Olise, a unique kid who became a football genius: 📈 A football IQ way above his peers at the age of six 🔟 Putting the No 10 shirt on before the line-up had been announced 🧠 Why coaches had to rethink how to manage him 🔵 The reasons spells at Chelsea and Manchester City did not work @TBurrows16 & @stujames75 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/72549…

The making of Michael Olise, football's quiet genius Ahead of tonight's SF, I spoke to Olise’s ex-teachers, coaches and teammates about his rise to the top, why he was let go by #CFC + #MCFC and what makes him so special With @stujames75 (Free to read) nytimes.com/athletic/72549…

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Matvey Safonov will come up against free-scoring Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week. @TBurrows16 spoke to those who know the Russian to tell the story of his rise. ▪️ Penalty-saving expert ▪️ Love of board games ▪️ Taking revenge on Chelsea ▪️ Learning French in Paris 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/72252…

▪️ Penalty shootout heroics with a fractured hand ▪️ Keen chess player and talented mathematician ▪️ A 'natural born leader' ▪️ Friendship with Kvaratskhelia Matvey Safonov, PSG's Russian goalkeeper trying to keep Bayern Munich quiet over two ties nytimes.com/athletic/72252…

How Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea reign fell apart in 107 days: ▪️ Splits in the dressing room ▪️ Some stars unsettled by Maresca “walking out” ▪️ “Nice guy” but communication & training criticised ▪️ Well respected by club execs ▪️ Rosenior told the squad he felt “vulnerable” @SJohnsonSport, @liam_twomey, @polballus & @SebSB 🔗 nyti.ms/4ezkqNe

Millwall say they are “considering their legal position” after the club’s badge was placed on a photo of a Ku Klux Klan figure in a children’s educational book. The image appeared in a booklet called ‘The Paul Canoville Story’, written by Peter Daniel, an education and interpretation officer at Westminster City Council. Canoville was the first Black player to make an appearance for Chelsea, in 1982. He endured horrific racist abuse during his career and later battled drug addiction. The educational booklet about his life has been issued in schools, as part of an anti-racism programme. One of the pages in the booklet depicted a registered Millwall club badge on a KKK figure, next to a speech bubble that said: “Racism never went away. I was badly abused in a reserve match at Millwall, but then I could show the racists my 1984 second Division Champions medal.” More from @TBurrows16 bit.ly/4vCHgJU

Chelsea have parted company with head coach Liam Rosenior after a damaging run of form. Rosenior took over in January on a deal until June 2032 but leaves fewer than four months later. Although the club did not intend to review his position until much further down the line, a decline in results have dictated otherwise. Chelsea have named Calum McFarlane as interim coach until the end of the season, when there will be a stronger market for permanent solutions and a fifth full-time boss under their current ownership group. More from @David_Ornstein 🔗 nyti.ms/48LQxFI

The death knell sounded at 9.39pm. Leicester City had been relegated for the second season in a row. Ten years ago the club were champions of England. Next season they'll play the likes of Bromley and Mansfield Town. @DTathletic went to the King Power Stadium on Tuesday and found anger and mutiny in a venue that was once the most joyous place in sport. 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/72117…

English Football League (EFL) clubs have rejected new Video Assistant Referee (VAR) proposals that would allow head coaches to challenge decisions made on the pitch by brandishing a review card. At a recent meeting of EFL clubs, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) — the organisation responsible for professional refereeing in England — demonstrated how the Football Video System (FVS) works. The FVS is a video replay system that reviews key officiating calls, and it requires head coaches to give a card to the fourth official to signal their intent to challenge the decision. Unlike the VAR system, the FVS does not use dedicated video match officials, which means it does not automatically review match-altering moments. Following their last clubs’ meeting, the EFL asked for feedback on the proposals and it became clear that the clubs do not support the implementation of any additional technology. More from @Dan_Sheldon_: nyti.ms/492E9kK

◾️ The companies who own Chelsea ◾️ Where the money comes from ◾️ The huge interest costs not shown on club's books ◾️ The £500m loan due in 2033 ◾️ Operating and wage costs cut by just £6m ◾️ What it means for UEFA rules ◾️ What it means for transfers and player sales BlueCo has committed more than £4billion on its Chelsea project in almost four years. It is the biggest deployment of private equity strategy football has ever seen. So will it work? @CWeatherspoon_ investigates the staggering finances and estimates what it will all need to be worth to break even. nytimes.com/athletic/72005…

He was right. Here’s @TBurrows16 on Coventry City’s return to the Premier League after 25 often traumatic years. Not just the Frank Lampard redemption story but the rebirth of a club whose supporters have been through the worst of times nytimes.com/athletic/71959…

After 25 years, Coventry City have returned to the Premier League - sparking jubilant scenes in the away end at Ewood Park tonight A look at their remarkable journey back, the painful near misses - and Frank Lampard’s impact #PUSB nytimes.com/athletic/71959…