Coaches battle Russian hangover

Premier League will be first off the blocks on Friday late night and clubs are already fretting over their top stars who did World Cup duty

cantly hamper campaigns of clubs who have had a number of players involved in the quadrennial showpiece. City, United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-germain, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and Bayern Munich all had more than 10 players each at this summer’s World Cup and come the beginning of the season, will be missing some of their stars.

How these clubs manage to negotiate the Russia hangover in the initial weeks is likely to have significant impact on how their domestic campaigns shape up.

Every season after a World Cup has seen another trend in European leagues — expensive signings on the back of impressive campaigns at the tournament.

Real Madrid have been among the most prominent clubs to have made a number of post-world Cup signings over the years: Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira in 2010, James Rodriguez and Keylor Navas in 2014, among others. They also signed Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 although he was already one of the world’s best centre-backs at the time of Italy’s World Cup triumph.

Transfers on the basis of World Cup performances haven’t always been the most successful, as former United boss Alex Ferguson pointed out in his autobiography. “He was an example of the risks associated with making a purchase in a hurry,” Ferguson said about the signing of Brazilian midfielder Kleberson, who impressed in the Selecao’s 2002 World Cup triumph but failed to make a mark at United.

So far, Aleksandr Golovin has been among the most prominent players to have switched clubs after a good World Cup, moving from CSKA Moscow to Monaco. The biggest clubs in Europe have been less enthusiastic this summer as far as signing World Cup stars are concerned.

The effects of the World Cup can be gauged a few games into the new season and Europe’s top clubs will hope their key players will have recovered by the time the campaign needs to pick up pace. Liverpool ended Manchester City’s 30-match unbeaten run, stretching back to April, in a match they thought was well within their grasp.

City were down and out after trailing 4-1 till Bernardo Silva (84) and İlkay Gundogan (90+1) cut down the goal deficit to one to give Liverpool a mighty scare.

(JANUARY 14, 2018) (DEC 22, 2017)

Arsenal were trailing 0-2 after Mohamed Salah’s 52nd-minute strike but they produced a magical performance in the second half which saw Alexis Sanchez (53), Granit Xhaka (56) and Mesut Ozil (left, 58) score in the space of five minutes to put the Gunners ahead. However, Roberto Firmino’s 71st-minute strike earned Liverpool a draw and kept them ahead of Gunners in the league standings. (APRIL 7, 2018)

City suffered another setback

as United stretched their wait to lay hands on the

Premier League title.

Vincent Kompany (25) and İlkay Gundogan

(30) gave City a healthy cushion but

Paul Pogba’s

(right) brace (53, 55) and Chris

Smalling’s (69) volley rounded off Red Devils’ stunning comeback at the Etihad

Stadium.

(MAY 20, 2018)

Needing three points to secure Champions League qualification for the first time since 2012, Inter

Milan beat Lazio 3-2 at their home. Lazio, who would have finished fourth with a draw, took the lead through Ivan Perisic's own goal. Danilo d'ambrosio equalised for Inter but Felip e Anderson restored Lazio’s lead. Mauro Icardi (left) however equalised through a penalty and Matias Vecino scored a 81st-minute winner to seal a stunning win. (December 23, 2017) Barcelona were dominating the campaign from the start and they made further statement by inflicting an embarrassing 3-0 defeat on a 10-man Real Madrid in front of a stunned Bernabeu. Luis Suarez netted the opener before Real defender Dani Carvajal was sent off for a handball. Lionel Messi (right) converted the penalty before Aleix Vidal scored the third in added time to secure the win. A 94th minute winner from Antonio Sanabria helped Real Betis shock Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium for the first time in 19 years.

(SEPT 20, 2017)

Before that, Finidi George had scored in a 1-0 win in 1998 to snap Real's all-time Spanish record of scoring in 73 successive matches.