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The Football Dictionary
Your comprehensive guide to football and soccer terminology, slang, and phrases used by fans and players worldwide.
The pinnacle of club football – the European Cup. The best clubs in Europe qualify through performance in their domestic league the previous season. Historically, before the rebrand to the Champions League in 1992 the tournament was a straight knockout, home and away legs each round, and only champions from each country. Now, the format is a large league table of 36 teams, multiple clubs from the top leagues. Each team plays 8 matches before progressing to a home and away knockout phase. The final is the biggest game of the season. It's all about the glory. The Champions League brand is used for every other continent apart from South America (the top competition is called Copa Libertadores de América).
Maybe the greatest European final of all was AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool in Istanbul, 2005. A World Class Milan team went 3-0 up at half time only to be shaken in a special 6 minutes in the second half. An average Liverpool team created the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’, winning a 5th European Cup on penalties.
Said by commentators about 10,000 times during matches on the last day of the season. When every team is playing at the same time and the goals are flying in, we're told the table 'As it stands' every time a goal goes in somewhere and the title, promotion, European or playoff places, and relegation matters change multiple times. Drama!
With just seconds to go in the Manchester City v QPR match at the end of the 2011-2012 season the commentators let us know that "As it stands, Manchester United are Champions". Then came the iconic "Aguerooooo!" moment as City snatched the league title with the last kick of the season.
Refers to a big match in Europe between two teams from Britain. Classically this would be between one of the Old Firm Scottish giants (Celtic and Rangers) against a traditional big team from England (Liverpool and Manchester United), but it can refer to teams from the same country playing each other in European competition too. There’s familiarity, a big atmosphere from both sets of fans, and even greater bragging rights.
In the first season of the rebranded Champions League in 1992/93, English Champions Leeds United faced Scottish champions Glasgow Rangers. Rangers won the second round match 4-2 on aggregate.
A popular sporting British idiom, it describes a match that is dramatically different in both halves. One team dominates the first half and takes an unassailable lead. After the half time break the opposition fight back and control the second half.
The ultimate game of two halves came in the Premier League at St James’ Park in 2011. Arsenal took a 4-0 lead at half time only for Newcastle to score 4 goals of their own in the second half. Cheick Tioté with the dramatic equaliser to make it 4-4 in the 87th minute!
A club that gets promoted to the Premier League, relegated back down to the Championship, and promoted again. Up and down like a yo-yo. In Denmark these teams are called elevatorhold, in the Netherlands they are called a 'to-and-fro club' and in Poland they are called 'roly-poly toy'.
A classic example of a yo-yo club is West Brom who were promoted four times and relegated three times to and from the Premier League between 2001 and 2010.
Said by commentators about 10,000 times during matches on the last day of the season. When every team is playing at the same time and the goals are flying in, we're told the table 'As it stands' every time a goal goes in somewhere and the title, promotion, European or playoff places, and relegation matters change multiple times. Drama!
With just seconds to go in the Manchester City v QPR match at the end of the 2011-2012 season the commentators let us know that "As it stands, Manchester United are Champions". Then came the iconic "Aguerooooo!" moment as City snatched the league title with the last kick of the season.
An interim coach is put in temporary charge of a team when a manager or head coach has been sacked, resigned, or left by mutual consent. Sometimes referred to as ‘Caretaker Manager’. If near the start or the middle of the season, an interim coach can be expected to be in charge for 2-3 games until a new manager is found. Later in the season, an interim coach may be put in charge until the end of the season, like Michael Carrick at Manchester United.
Tony Parkes was interim coach for Blackburn Rovers a staggering six times between 1986 and 2004.