Club Brugge dominates Belgium’s league and competes regularly in Europe; current focus: strategic signings and recent Champions League tie-ins.
Arsenal has claimed the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years. The club is now focused on a pre-season clash with Girona at Estadi Montilivi. Tzolis and Meslier are in the squad, with several World Cup stars back in training. Authorities are eyeing continued transfer chatter, including links to Bruno Guimarães and Vinícius Júnior.
West Ham United has reached an in-principle agreement with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Israel winger Solomon for around £5 million, plus up to £2 million in add-ons and a 10% sell-on clause. Solomon has been with Spurs since 2023 but has been sidelined by knee injuries and loan spells. The signing follows a separate, high-value deal in which Mateus Fernandes moved from West Ham to Spurs. West Ham started the season with a 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Portsmouth and will open their Championship campaign against Burnley.
Scotland has named Sebastien Pocognoli as its new head coach, succeeding Steve Clarke. Pocognoli, a 39-year-old former Belgium international, has led Union Saint-Gilloise to a Belgian title and most recently managed Monaco. His appointment signals a shift to a front-foot, high-press style and aims to build on Clarke’s foundations.
The Scottish FA has identified the Belgian coach, Pocognoli, as the preferred choice to replace Derek McInnes as Scotland manager. Pocognoli guided Union Saint-Gilloise to a historic Belgian title in 2024-25, and is seen as the first foreign boss for Scotland since Vogts. Clarke has stepped down after Scotland’s World Cup group exit.
Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool are among the English clubs taking part as the league phase draw for the 2026-27 Champions League places teams into eight-match groups. PSG, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid headline pot one, with Celtic aiming to reach the knockout rounds after a 3-0 first leg win in their play-off. The draw is set for Aug. 27, 2026, with fixtures running from September.
Harry Kane has extended his range and influence, dropping deeper and still scoring at a career-best rate as Bayern Munich and England contexts shift around him. Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and others also feature, highlighting a trend of stars expanding roles; the season’s start has underscored tactical evolution across top clubs.
Two European clubs chase early-season glory as Villa secures a European win in Bruges while Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli face mixed results in Saudi action, underscoring a volatile start to the campaign.
Wales manager Craig Bellamy has reaffirmed his commitment to the national team after Burnley approached him about a return to club management. He has chosen to remain in charge of Wales, saying unfinished business and a goal to lead Wales to Euro 2028 influenced his decision. Wales’ Nations League schedule begins with away games in Portugal and Denmark.
Bayer Leverkusen has secured a third consecutive Europa League win, beating OFI Crete 2-0 with a Jonas Hofmann double. Juventus is held to a 2-2 draw by Rennes after a late winner is ruled out by VAR. Sunderland’s draw in Poland accompanies a busy night of European action.