Oh Sport, How We Love You

Over the last few weeks a number of sports reached the end of the 2021-2022 season: the footballing domestic season culminated with Real Madrid crowned the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League winners, Golden State triumphed over Boston Celtics to claim the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, and Rafael Nadal ‘surprisingly’ won his 14th French Open title. All this, alongside the Leicester Tigers defeating Saracens to clinch their first Rugby Premiership title in nine years, delivered a feast of sporting entertainment to savour over the last nine months.

I focus my attention on the first three sports mentioned above, discussing them by order of mention. Whilst the Nations League failed to inspire given the fatigue of the players and the somewhat irrelevance of the fixtures (subject to opinion), the footballing season nonetheless provided many moments of excitement and unpredictability. Take for example Real Madrid, a team few would have predicted to win this season’s Champions League. With an aging squad, a squad which lacked the firepower and dynamism to compete with the continent’s best teams, they offered little hope of reaching the heights achieved in years gone by. Yet they achieved this due to the brilliance of Karim Benzema, their talisman who aged 34 continues to render the naysayers foolish for ever suggesting he was a side act in the Bale-Benzema-Cristiano trio. Aptly supported by Vinicius Jr as well as the ever-present but newly expanded midfield quartet of Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, and Camavinga, the Spanish team defied tie after tie to produce one of the greatest cup runs in recent history. They showed their poise and efficiency when it mattered most; two qualities compulsory for sustained success.

Three of the teams they defeated enroute to the title also achieved varyingly successful seasons: namely Liverpool, Manchester City, and PSG. Liverpool ended their season on a disappointing note, narrowly pipped by City in the Premier League on the final day of fixtures, then losing a week later in the UCL final which they dominated for large parts of the game. Indeed it is a sport of fine margins, yet what could’ve been a history-making quadruple finished with the Carabao and FA Cups to their name. A bittersweet end to the season, nevertheless they sustained a level of performance only bettered by teams notorious for their domestic and continental dominance. As an aside, the incomings and outgoings in the Liverpool squad point towards a club perfectly positioned to remain at the forefront of European football. The sales of Minamino and Mane, both done at a profit at stages in their careers where their value for the club could diminish as the years progress, demonstrated the effective planning and management of a top level football team. Allied with the additions of Diogo Jota, Luiz Diaz, and now Darwin Nunez, what could’ve easily turned into a stale squad now contains the perfect blend of experience, youth, and balance. It is a chastening reminder of the ineptitude demonstrated by the Manchester United board, who, since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, have routinely sold players in their prime for a loss (or nothing in the case of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard), or allowed players to run down their contracts and leave on free transfers. The lack of targeted recruitment and baffling contract renewals most acutely highlights the disparity between the top teams in the Premier League. Gone are the days where players would be convinced into staying a final year before securing their preferred move, now outcasts find themselves rotting on the bench whilst waiting for their next club to snap them up at a discount. No longer can the players be held largely responsible for the poor performances shown over these last few years. For many of the United squad they have thrived in other systems of play, whether that be on international duty, on loan to other clubs, or at their former employers. The systemic issues at the club require urgent attention, to which I will explore later.

On the blue side of Manchester, they claimed the Premier League title in what is becoming all-too-familiar fashion. Their domestic brilliance should not however deflect from their deficiency in the UCL. Yes they lost to the eventual winners who inflicted the same damage on other opponents prior to facing City, but it appears that every year a new explanation is provided detailing why they are unable to make the step. Be it a resurgent champion or an inspired underdog they’ve failed to break their European duck. Perhaps next year, who knows when and how.

PSG, barring the retention of Mbappe, who for all intents and purposes was destined for the Bernabeu, face the same conundrum that has plagued them for the last years- how to win the Champions League. It would be irresponsible to suggest that this was an issue only PSG could relate to, however given their expenditures and the recent acquisition of Messi to play alongside Neymar and Mbappe, a round of 16 knockout can only be seen as a failure. It cost Mauricio Pochettino his job, and by all indications a significant rebuild is underway to create an all-Parisian team. For now they seem further away from the summit of European football than they have in recent years, yet their shift away from star-laden lineups to home-grown talent may yield a more fruitful return in the long run. President Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s comments provided further context for the reasons why Mbappe chose to stay in Paris, as at the time his decision purely financial perks rather than one to advance his footballing career. He seems to have bought into this new vision- let’s see how long it lasts.

Now to the Ten Hag era. The veiled pessimism under the façade of optimism is apparent amongst all. The cracks began to show when the non-existence of transfer activity barring departures left fans confused as to the direction of the club. Links to Frenkie de Jong and the entire Ajax squad have scarcely alleviated the doubts rising amongst the faithful yet as has been proclaimed from the rooftops by the recent managers and board, patience is required in this rebuild. In his first press conference and the subsequent departure of interim manager Ralf Rangnick’s, the slightest glimmer of hope remains that he may institute his own philosophy and bring much needed clarity. The disillusioned squad not only needs revamping but an organised training session or two. Last season highlighted disharmony in the dressing room- a good start to the surgery would be to have a team playing with some level of coordination. To the extent that the bad branches in the squad are cut off from the bunch, and the good branches are pruned further to bear more fruit, this will shape the success of the club of the upcoming seasons. What Ten Hag needs to distinguish between are the branches worth being dismissed and those which simply need refining.

To the sport with grunts and gasps and sets and matches. The French Open is my favourite tournament in tennis, partly because I have a strong partiality towards Nadal plus the slower, more gruelling rallies allow me to become more engrossed in the games. Never before had Nadal been less fancied for the tournament given the struggles that he had with his fitness which led many (including himself) to question whether this would be his last Roland Garros. His victory did not dispel all the doubts surrounding his future, especially given the treatments he required to last the duration of the tournament. Yet the manner in which he won the title, overpowering long-time foe Novak Djokovic in an epic battle over four hours and 11 minutes, outlasting Alexander Zverev in a two-set three hour plus contest, and outclassing the first-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Rudd in straight sets, reinforced his status as one of the all-time greats. With him now stretching two clear of Djokovic and Federer in all-time Grand Slam, it remains to be seen how many he will add to his collection. So long as he is healthy and available, he’s expected to win at least one each year, making his lead ever more impenetrable.

The NBA finals followed a similar tune to the Champions League and the French Open in the re-emergence of a former champion. The Golden State Warriors claimed their fourth title in eight years, plus Stephen Curry claimed the elusive Finals MVP in a playoff run which dispelled any doubts about his contribution in Finals games. It was a redemption story unlike any other (although one should wonder they ever needed it), becoming the first side to win the Championship and finish last in the league within a three-year span. The present as well as the future looks bright, with Jordan Poole and the revitalised Andrew Wiggins ensuring that the champions received support when they most needed it.

Overall the sporting season ebbed and flowed as differing competitions rose to the forefront of our attention interchangeably. Now we’ve had a moment to pause and take in all that happened over these last few moments it leaves us impatiently waiting for the next cycle to begin.