I was extremely impressed how in this day and age with constant social media updates and leaks, Porto kept their signing Luuk de Jong completely under wraps until his unveiling during a friendly vs. Atleti. Journalists, and many staff members at the club and including fellow players, were completely in the dark. For fans attending the friendly, it was complete surprise and a very positive one. It seems impossible even for a smaller Premier League club to be able to do that with a new signing in this modern day landscape, but it would be cool if one of them could pull if off.
Staying in the city of Porto, Boavista are another club that have suffered under the disastrous ownership of Gerard Lopez, alongside Mouscron from Belgium and Bordeaux. They have a rich history, recording just the 2nd and to this day final league title win by a non-big 3 club in 2001. But thanks to their dire financial plight they have been shunted to the 5th tier in Portugal this season. Bordeaux are playing in the 4th tier in France for the second consecutive season, while Mouscron were declared bankrupt and dissolved in 2022.
Peter Ridsdale has a terrible track record of running football clubs in England, but Lopez's record is something else.
Staying in the city of Porto, Boavista are another club that have suffered under the disastrous ownership of Gerard Lopez, alongside Mouscron from Belgium and Bordeaux. They have a rich history, recording just the 2nd and to this day final league title win by a non-big 3 club in 2001. But thanks to their dire financial plight they have been shunted to the 5th tier in Portugal this season. Bordeaux are playing in the 4th tier in France for the second consecutive season, while Mouscron were declared bankrupt and dissolved in 2022.
Peter Ridsdale has a terrible track record of running football clubs in England, but Lopez's record is something else.