Steve Malanga

@patrickendrick And yet Napoli took 4 pts from Inter including 3 in October when it still had KDB, Anguissa, DeLo, Neres

Watching Napoli-Milan and it’s abundantly clear that these are the second and third best teams in the league (in no particular order). Inter a cut above

@AlexiLalas Aaronson with one of the decisive penalties in Leeds' successful FA cup shootout. Is he high on list of potential shootout pens takers for this summer?

Hello, Sunshine. Happy Monday. World Cup kicks off in 66 days. What are we yelling about?

In US, soccer/football resale markets often work to buyer advantage with resale prices at or below face value (except when Messi comes to town). FIFA allowing unlimited resale for once-in-32-year event undermines market's balance. FIFA justifies this on grounds it funds "programs" that wouldn't exist. Time for journalists to look closely at how FIFA and the FA's that get its money are spending it. Would shed some light on the issue, I suspect.

This is indefensible.

@EmmetGates Yes but can SerieA provide financial incentives for teams to play more Italian born players, such as exemptions from salary spending caps for teams for the money that pays domestic players.

A complete non-starter of a suggestion. Even if Serie A/FIGC wanted to, it can’t be enforced due to EU law.

Better hope glow of WC play overcomes worldwide backlash over ticket fiasco, with USA somehow sharing blame. Hypocritical FA officials from around world, who have power to restrain FIFA but don't because it shares spoils with them, now conveniently speaking as rage grows. What a s*itshow!

Hello, Sunshine. World Cup kicks off in 69 days. What are we yelling about?

@datchuguyy Kind of liked ending of the original better.

One of the simplest yet darkest endings in the movie industry

@SkySportsNews FIFA is composed of heads of FAs. They enable, endorse this, then pretend anger when supporters and press get outraged, but do nothing because FIFA is smart enough to share spoils with them. Blame the FAs.

''It's offensive.'' Martyne Ziegler and Carl Anka on ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup final 💰

@HenryBushnell @TheAthletic Infantino rationalizes these prices by saying money supports worldwide soccer programs that wouldn’t otherwise exist. The better story is one that examines this spending, how much of it actually gets to grassroots, how much disappears, unaccounted for.

An analysis of 2026 World Cup ticket costs — via screenshots & info from fans over the past 6 months — reveals the full impact of FIFA's dynamic pricing. On average, Category 1 prices up $201 since initial release. Free to read @TheAthletic: nytimes.com/athletic/71668…

@AP_Soccer_ @KieranMaguire FIFA is composed of heads of FAs. They enable and endorse all this then pretend anger when their supporters and press get outraged, but do nothing because FIFA is smart enough to share spoils with them.

A reminder that FIFA is still holding onto tickets and selling them on a rolling basis. This gives the appearance that games are close to sold out or are sold out which justifies them selling tickets at their prices.

@martynziegler The FAs, the confederations and the clubs don’t complain as FIFA slowly take more power because Infantino always shares a bit of the bonanza with them. They have the power. They are the problem.

Supporters' slam FIFA's "ridiculous" £8,250 tickets for World Cup final - a result of its dynamic pricing strategy. thetimes.com/sport/football…

@PaulTenorio Infantino keeps rationalizing the prices by saying money supports programs around the world to grow game. Is there a good accounting of money FIFA sends to FAs and how it’s actually spent?

A shame what this World Cup has become, even if they get big crowds. Priority was milking max revenue from those who could afford it and saying "it goes to grow the sport globally." Was still lot of growth to do here for huge swath of people that won't be able to afford going now

@herculezg It was an accomplishment for them even to get into the resale site. I failed several times.

Game is gone 💰

@AlexiLalas Does anyone remember during US broadcasts of 1990 WC games (I forget who broadcaster was), they would just cut away in middle of half to run commercials (you'd have to be REALLY old to remember)? I suppose it's progress that now they'll be cutting away during water breaks.

I’d argue the new quarter break at the World Cup favors the weaker team. It gives a team being crushed a vital way to stop the momentum and to regroup. In the past, it was, “if we can just make it to halftime.” Now, it may be, “if we can just make it to the quarter.”

@MichaelAArouet A broken toilet in space. Where is Howard Wolowicz when you need him?

Thank you for the recommendation, comrade. Btw, this one is really funny :)

Entirely predictable. Have you ever read Miracle of Castel di Sangro? What started for McGinniss as fond tale of provincial football turned into story of corruption, backbiting, perverse incentives in Calcio. President of that club was Gravina. Came off as incompetent toady, tarnished by match fixing scandal. I thought he'd never work in Italian football again. Instead he became president of FIGC!

We are living in a simulation

@patrickendrick Is it too much to ask why a 20-year old who had never taken a penalty kick in a senior game shootout was asked to go first?

Forget the Vieri comparisons, Pio will now be likened to Baggio

@hbomax subtitle: "Much ado about nothing"?

All eyes on us. U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Team, a new HBO Documentary Series leading up to the World Cup, premieres May 12 on HBO Max.

@martynziegler Curious we don't hear objections from officials of more federations on prices. Could it be that many federations expect a bonanza from this WC, some of which will eventually see its way to them?

‘Most expensive World Cup ever’ — European FAs complain to FIFA. thetimes.com/sport/football…

@AlexiLalas Wanna feel "less worse." England this window ties team that USA beat 5-1 last fall, loses to team USA beat 2-0. At least USA didn't extend its coach's contract BEFORE the World Cup even starts.

Hello, Sunshine. Ready or not…World Cup kicks off in 71 days. What are we yelling about?

Years ago I read McGinniss' Miracle of Castel di Sangro. Instead of romantic journey through provincial Italy football, he discovered corruption, backbiting, perverse incentives. President of that club was Gravina. Came off as incompetent toady. I thought he'd never work in Italian football again. Instead he became president of FIGC! I knew then calcio would, if anything, be going backward, not forward. The fish stinks from the head down.

I’ll be presenting this week’s show on @SiriusXMFC and would really like to hear people’s opinions on the future of Italian football. What needs to change?