The Norwegian title race couldn’t be ANY closer! The top two can’t be separated!

Bodo/Glimt’s thrilling 3-2 win over Viking means the two Eliteserien rivals are tied on points, goal difference, wins, draws, losses. Goals for is the only thing keeping Viking at the top of the standings.

Title races don’t get any tighter than this. Scroll down for more about the ongoing duel between Bodo and Viking.

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Elsewhere, an American college match was stopped due to a grizzly bear invasion, James Milner is still running, even in retirement, and Spain won yet ANOTHER tournament.

Let’s take a look at everything 👇

Something in Norway 🇳🇴

A five-goal thriller between Bodo/Glimt and Viking ultimately swung in the favour of last season’s Champions League last 16ers and the Norwegian title race is all the better for it.

Jens Petter Hauge scored the winner in a fiery match that saw BOTH managers sent off for their conduct on the touchline. That tells you something about what’s at stake!

“It was a bit comical,” said Bodo captain Patrick Berg when asked about the confrontation between Kjetil Knutsen and Morten Jensen.

“We talked about it before the game, that we and the coaching team had to keep our heads cool. At least we managed it out on the field - ‌I haven’t seen the situation, but it’s clear that ​Kjetil didn’t manage it as well as we did.”

The result means that it’s all level at the top of the Norwegian Eliteserien table with just FIVE matches left to play.

Between this and the recent success of Bodo and Viking in the Champions League, there’s plenty to keep an eye on in Norwegian football right now.

Something in the U17 WWC 🏆

It was a big weekend in the U17 Women’s World Cup with the semi-finals set for Wednesday.

North Korea are the defending champions and produced a statement performance by sending the USA packing with a 3-0 victory. There were also wins for Brazil, Japan and Nigeria.

As I covered for The Soccer Dispatch in 2024, North Korea are a youth football superpower in the women’s’ game!

Something in the Superclasico 🇦🇷

Boca Juniors claimed the bragging rights in Sunday’s Superclasico and brought along their umbrellas to shield themselves from River Plate’s tears.

That’s some epic trolling, you have to say. Extra bonus that it looks really cool. Lautaro Di Lollo gave Boca the win with River reduced to 10 men after only 10 minutes. It was a long match for them!

Something in South America 🌎

An INSANE Copa Libertadores Femenina final ended with Cruzeiro getting their hands on the trophy following a penalty shootout.

The match finished 4-4 after 120 minutes. Corinthians had a three-goal lead, but somehow allowed their advantage to slip. Goalkeeper Camila made the decisive save in the shootout as Cruzeiro became continental champions for the first time.

Something four-midable

FC Twente produced their biggest-ever Eredivisie win by thumping Excelsior 9-0 on Sunday - and Wout Weghorst scored FOUR of the nine goals!

The 34-year-old is still delivering the goods with FC Twente sitting fourth in the Dutch top flight table, just two points off the pace being set by leaders Feyenoord.

A reminder that Eric Ten Hag is FC Twente sporting director. Ten Hag and Weghorst - name a more iconic duo! You can’t!

Something rousing 🥹

Sunday’s Edinburgh Derby went Hibernian’s way and the Leith side celebrated with a little sing-song.

Sunshine on Leith by The Proclaimers is possibly the best anthem in world football and this newsletter will take every opportunity to include it. Hibs will face Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final after beating Hearts.

Something in Latvia 🇱🇻

RFS clinched the Latvian Virsliga title over the weekend, winning their FOURTH national championship in six years.

The club was founded only 10 years ago, yet they have become the dominant force of Latvian football in that time. RFS will take their place in Champions League qualifying next season.

Something grizzly 🐻

We’ve seen a whole zoo of animals invade football pitches in the past - dogs, cats, racoons (respect for Raquinho. If you know, you know). But how about a bear?!

This US college match was stopped after a family of bears decided they wanted a front row seat.

Let’s be real, they could have taken whatever they wanted. A bite out of the centre forward? Sure. Whatever you want.

Something familiar

Oh look, Spain have won yet another title. Yawn. How boring. Grow up.

This time, Spain got their hands on the U15 World Cup, beating Czechia 5-0 in the final in Baku.

So, again, just to recap - Spain are currently champions of the World Cup, the Women’s World Cup, the European Championships, the Women’s Nations League, the men’s U19 Euros, the Women’s U19 Euros, U20 Women’s World Cup and now the U15 World Cup.

Something spectacular

Lucas Ocampos has surely put his name into contention for this year’s Puskas Award because…. my word! What a goal this is!

The Argentinean attacker scored this stunner of an overhead kick for Monterrey against Tijuana and it’s difficult to envisage a better, more spectacular goal being scored in 2026.

Sensational stuff!

Something from 4-1 down

4-1 up and cruising after 62 minutes, Lausanne surely thought they were on course for a big win in their efforts to avoid relegation from the Swiss Super League.

Instead, defending Swiss champions Thun fought back to sensationally snatch a 5-4 victory clinched by a winning goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Reminder - Sir Jim Ratcliffe is Lausanne owner. Everything he touches turns to shit! 💩

Something evocative

The spirit of Ronaldinho was evoked in the final of the Rio de Janeiro Favelas Cup!

Midfielder Juanny scored this freekick only she truly knows if she meant to loop the goalkeeper with a shot into the top corner. This Scotsman maintains Ronaldinho knew what he was doing… 😈

Something running 🏃

James Milner is having a lovely time in retirement, running marathons. Because of course he is!

The former Aston Villa, Brighton, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester City midfielder never stopped running in his playing days, so why stop now?

Something from waaaaay out 🚀

Goal of the Weekend (besides the Ocampos goal, of course) might well have been scored in the Australian Championship. Btw - if you want to know more about the new Australian second tier, this newsletter from a year ago might help!

Alen Harbas pinged this one in from at least 30 yards out for Sutherland Sharks (great club name, no notes). That’s what you call a thunderbastard!

Something Belgian 🇧🇪

Remember Radja Nainggolan? Belgian international midfielder with the crazy hair and neck tattoos.

Well, Nainggolan is still playing at the age of 38 and scored this belter for Patro Eisden in the Belgian second division. You never lose it!

Some TSD content you might have missed… 🗞️

The essence of Palermo as a club is in the colours they wear and have worn for over a century - pink and black.

Pink to represent the joy Sicilians believe football should be played with. Those who live on the island at the toe of Italy’s boot know how to enjoy themselves. Sicily’s outdoor piazzas and beach clubs are testament to that.

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Black, however, symbolises the darkness experienced by Palermo at various points of their long history as a club and the outlook was never darker than it was in 2019.

Financial ruin and banishment from the Italian league system threatened the club’s very existence. Seven years on, Palermo are pushing for promotion to Serie A as part of City Football Group.

Italy’s forgotten club are back in the public consciousness. After years of darkness, Palermo are pink with joy again.

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The favourites are starting to emerge at the U17 Women’s World Cup and you’ll be shocked to learn Spain are setting the early pace.

ICYMI - Spain are currently champions of the World Cup, the Women’s World Cup, the European Championships, the Women’s Nations League, the men’s U19 Euros, the Women’s U19 Euros and the U20 Women’s World Cup.

They have also won their opening three games at the U17 WWC and will now face the United States in the round of 16. That’s a heavyweight clash!

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It’s FREE to subscribe and your support would be much appreciated! 🙏

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Elsewhere, the Swedish title race could be back on again Bordeaux made a big statement in the French sixth tier and England experienced glory in the cerebral palsy World Cup.

Let’s take a look at everything 👇

Something at the U17 WWC 🏆

Four teams have a perfect record after the group stage of the 2026 U17 Women’s World Cup and Spain (surprise, surprise) are one of them.

Sunday’s 3-1 win over Chile set up a last 16 meeting with the USA. Bruna Quintana scored the best of the three goals, sitting down a Chilean defender and rounding the goalkeeper to finish.

Maddie DiMaria has been one of the stars of the tournament so far, scoring a hat trick in a 6-1 thumping of Kenya and a DOUBLE HAT TRICK in the 17-0 demolition of Samoa. Yes, those are some genuine scorelines.

The American forward also scored against China, taking her tally to a ridiculous 10 goals in just three games. It wasn’t enough for the USA, however, as they lost their final group game.

Spain v USA is undoubtedly the pick of the last 16 ties, but Argentina will play a knockout match against Ghana in their first U17 WWC. They made history by simply being here!

Morocco will face women’s youth football superpower North Korea with the North Africans looking to make a deep run as the host nation.

Something Faroese 🇫🇴

NSI Runavik are Faroese champions for only the second time in their history after the weekend’s results.

The club (full name: Nes Sóknar Ítróttarfelag Runavík) founded in 1957 hadn’t won the Faroe Islands Premier League since 2007, but got their hands on the trophy after a 1-1 draw against HB Torshavn on Sunday.

Cue the celebrations! They’ll be in European football next season. Who fancies that away trip?

Something Swedish 🇸🇪

Not so long ago, Sirius looked to have the Swedish Allsvenskan title wrapped up. I wrote a TSD newsletter about it!

The team from Uppsala, a city 70km to the north of Stockholm, are still top of the table, but Saturday’s home defeat to AIK has raised the prospect that they could be caught.

Djurgarden couldn’t fully capitalise and only draw 2-2 at home to Orgryte, but there’s now just six points between the top two.

Something top bins

For obvious reasons, the Russian Premier League doesn’t feature much in this newsletter.

Aleksandr Selikhov’s freekick winner for Ural Yekaterinburg, however, went viral over the weekend. Not bad for a goalkeeper! Ederson produces these in training, but never in a match!

Something Norwegian 🇳🇴

Bodo/Glimt might have made a habit of upsetting Europe’s elite in the Champions League recently, but they were shocked at home by Valerenga on Saturday.

The result means Viking now hold a three-point advantage at the top of the Norwegian Eliteserien table. This title race isn’t over, but the defending champions now have the initiative.

Something Austrian 🇦🇹

There was a heavyweight clash in the Austrian Bundesliga on Sunday with Red Bull Salzburg emerging 3-1 winners away to LASK.

Striker Haris Tabakovic netted a hat trick for the club owned by an energy drink brand, meaning Red Bull Salzburg are now within three points of Rapid Wien at the top of the table.

A big win for their title aspirations!

Something after one second 💨

The U15 FIFA World Cup is under way and this Indonesian player wasted no time at all in making his mark.

One second hadn’t even ticked over on the clock by the time Indonesia had the ball in the back of the net against Fiji. David Beckham’s goal against Wimbledon was great, but what took him so long?

Fastest goal… EVER?! 🤯

Something triumphant

England are Cerebral Palsy World Cup winners for the first time after beating the USA in a thrilling final on Sunday.

“We were coming here with hope of maybe winning a medal and I can’t believe we actually won the World Cup for the first time,” said Para Lions manager Jack Rutter.

“I’m very, very proud of all the staff and all the players.”

Something funny 🤣

There are dark arts and then there’s… this.

Diego Rossi tried to get the linesman sent off in this Liga MX match between Monterrey and Chivas. VAR might not have looked so kindly on the former Columbus Crew and LAFC attacker.

Something in the sixth tier

We have tracked Bordeaux’s troubles over the last few seasons with the former French champions now down in the SIXTH tier of French football.

Les Girondins played their first home game of the season and nearly 30,000 fans showed up to support a team that needs all the support it can get at the moment.

Something scrappy

There’s something beautiful about a scrappy goal - especially one that is finished in such a cheeky fashion as this one!

Is it too late to enter this Isaac Marriott goal for Barrow into the Puskas Award voting? I know the ceremony is today, but surely an exception can be made for a goal this good?

Something from two down

An update on this newsletter’s favourite team from Zimbabwe - Scottland FC!

The Soccer Dispatch explored Scottland’s quest for CAF Champions League qualification two weeks ago. After a 2-0 first leg win over Petro Atletico of Angola, they were in a great position.

A 3-0 defeat in Saturday’s second leg, however, saw the Zimbabweans suffer heartbreak.

Something stormy ⛈️

Storm Boelo caused mayhem in Scottish football over the weekend!

Several matches were postponed, and arguably more should have been abandoned considering the condition of many pitches across the country. Everyone in this video looks sooooooo miserable! 😞

Something surprising

Ivan Toney is a penalty kick master, but this was a new routine for the former Brentford centre forward!

Now playing for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, Toney converted a sneaky-quick spot kick, taking the opposition goalkeeper by surprise. Why don’t more penalty takers do this?!

Something in 15 mins ⏰

15 minutes - that’s all Richard Kone needed to net a hat trick for Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

Two years ago, Kone was playing in the NINTH tier of English football. His treble against Swansea City was the earliest a player has scored a hat trick in the Championship since 2004/05.

Something 15 years old

Here’s a name to keep an eye out for - Mansour Gueye!

The 15-year-old is a sensation in the Senegalese first division and bagged a stunning brace over the weekend. Gueye has already been linked with Barcelona and Chelsea. This kid has a bright future!

Some TSD content you might have missed… 🗞️

On the smaller of two islands on Lake Malawi, you’ll find one of the biggest social media sensations in South Korea right now.

Chizumulu Island FC are a tiny club by almost every measure. They play in the third tier of the Malawi football pyramid, usually in front of crowds that rarely reach three figures. Only 5,000 people in total live on the island.

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In South Korea, though, this tiny club is a big deal with thousands of fans.

Their matches are streamed live on YouTube, on the page of their South Korean YouTuber owner. Chizumulu Island have become an African Wrexham for the internet generation.

Currently pushing for promotion from Malawi’s Northern Region Premier League, the islanders are capitalising on their new online fanbase to improve on the pitch.

A place in Malawi’s top division is the target and Chizumulu Island’s progress to this point suggests they have a chance of getting there.

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Every time this newsletter provides an update on Bordeaux it seems they have dropped another division or two.

The former Ligue 1 champions are now down in the SIXTH tier of the French league pyramid after suffering financial issues that saw the club unable to repay €20m of debt.

Saturday, however, was a rare good day to be a Bordeaux fan as they finally …

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By almost every measure, Scottland FC’s home match against Petro Atletico of Angola on Saturday will be the biggest in the club’s history.

Not that Scottland have much of a history. Indeed, the Zimbabwean club was founded only three years ago as the brainchild of local businessman and politician Scott Sakupwanya.

Scottland’s connection to their founder couldn’t be more literal - it’s in the name.

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Since 2023, Scottland have established themselves as Zimbabwean football’s predominant force, winning the national title in their first top flight season last year.

Now, they are chasing CAF Champions League qualification with Scottland a two-legged tie away from the competition’s group stage. Saturday’s match in Harare promises to be an occasion.

As Zimbabwe’s dominant domestic force, this is a club now trying to prove they belong among the continent’s best.

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Saturday was one of the greatest nights in Australian football history as South Melbourne pulled off an INCREDIBLE upset!

For the first time ever, a team outside the closed shop of A-League won the Australia Cup. South Melbourne’s story is well worth your time. They’re not your usual lower league team.

They have a long and storied history and Saturday’s …

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The footballing mortality of Lionel Messi has never felt more fragile than it does right now.

On Tuesday, the GOAT played his final match for Argentina, bringing down the curtain on an international career that made him a World Cup winner and a multiple-times Copa America champion, not to mention a national icon.

It’s not clear how much longer Messi will keep playing club football following the death of his father Jorge in August.

“I don’t know how to carry on,” wrote the 39-year-old in a social media post in the days after his father’s passing. “I used to just play football, and now I’m really not sure if I’ll carry on doing it for much longer.”

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One way or another, the end of Messi’s playing career is firmly in sight and there are an increasing number of indications that he is preparing for retirement.

Messi has started to collect clubs, completing the purchase of a Spanish second division team last week. The GOAT (🐐) owns another lower league Spanish team, not to mention a team in Uruguay.

Inter Miami’s number 10 is building his own multi-club ownership group, but why?

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South Korea made Asian Games history by winning gold in the men’s football tournament for the FOURTH time in a row!

The Taegeuk Warriors suffered a disappointing World Cup with the sport in South Korea in a state of crisis right now. The Soccer Dispatch covered the story in this newsletter from only a few weeks ago.

At the Asian Games, though, South Korea

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Chinese football has had more than a few false dawns. The great unrealised superpower of the world’s game remains that - unrealised.

This won’t change any time soon, but this year’s Asian Games have hinted at better times to come for the Chinese national team with the country’s U23 side reaching the semi-finals for the first time in 28 years.

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Wednesday’s loss to South Korea ended China’s hopes of making the final, but victory in Saturday’s bronze medal match against Uzbekistan would represent their best Asian Games showing since 1998.

On top of this, China’s U23s finished runners-up at the U23 Asian Cup earlier this while the country’s U17 side is preparing to play in next month’s U17 World Cup.

If China can translate its recent growth at youth level into better results and performances at senior level, they could finally become a footballing force at the top level.

Is China’s development at youth level for real? Or is this just another case of the country overpromising and underdevelivering?

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You might not have noticed, but Spain are rather good at football. All of it. All of the football.

After a summer that saw Spain’s men’s team win the men’s World Cup, the women’s team triumphed in the final of the U20 Women’s World Cup on Sunday.

So just to recap, Spain are currently champions of the World Cup, the Women’s World Cup, the European Champio…

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Before he’d even said a word as Uruguay’s new manager, Diego Forlan allowed a giant grin to spread across his face.

Immediately, this marked out the former Atletico Madrid and Manchester United striker as different to his predecessor. Marcelo Bielsa didn’t smile much as Uruguay manager.

He didn’t have anything to smile about, certainly not at the 2026 World Cup.

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Bielsa’s Uruguay tenure was a disaster. La Celeste suffered a desperately disappointing World Cup, exiting the tournament in the group stage, and that wasn’t even the start of their problems.

Forlan has inherited a broken team and a fractured national team programme. He hasn’t just been hired to improve results, but to rebuild trust between players and fans.

That Forlan is a Uruguayan football icon and a likeable character will help him, but he has taken on arguably the most challenging job in international football right now.

What is Forlan’s plan of action? How will he restore Uruguay as a force to be reckoned with?

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Until two weeks ago, Italy had NEVER won a match at the U20 Women’s World Cup. Now, they’re just one game from the final!

A double from Karen Appiah and another by Paola Fadda gave Italy a famous quarter-final win over South Korea. They will now take on women’s superpower Spain for a place in the showpiece game.

Scroll down for more on the U20 Women’s Wor…

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When Amedspor took to the pitch for their first away game in their first-ever Turkish Super Lig season, a banner depicting a white Renault Toros was spotted.

This is a car synonymous with the abduction and extrajudicial killings of Kurds in the 1990s and its use by rival Kocaelispor fans was deliberately provocative. The Kurdish club is a frequent target for such hatred.

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Amedspor’s promotion for the 2026/27 season has stoked all sorts of anti-Kurdish sentiment across Turkish football.

An estimated 15-20 million Kurds live in Turkey and Amedspor are a symbol of Kurdish defiance in a country that often denies the existence of the largest ethnic group in the world without their own state.

At a time when the Turkish Super Lig is welcoming more and more star players, the most compelling storyline this season could be one of ethnic and national identity.

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There is a title race brewing at the top of the Swiss Super League!

FC Lugano, owned by American billionaire and Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto, entered Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash with Young Boys as the pace-setters, and they’re still the pace-setters after a thrilling 2-2 draw.

It’s been 77 years since FC Lugano last won the Swiss title! Scroll d…

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South Korean fans were angry about their team’s performance at the 2026 World Cup. Really angry.

So angry, in fact, that thousands of them waited to confront Hong Myung-bo when he touched down at Seoul’s airport. The shamed national team manager had to be escorted out of a back exit to escape.

The national federation issued an apology for South Korea’s underwhelming display this summer before the government launched an investigation.

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Myung-bo didn’t last much longer after his resignation was demanded by South Korean president Lee Jae Myung. South Korea’s problems as a football nation, however, are far from over.

South Korean football is suffering from a lack of vision. Most agree the national game reforming, but few can agree on what shape the future should take.

It’s against this backdrop that South Korea are kicking off the 2026 Asian Games aiming to win the men’s competition for a record fourth time in a row.

Confusingly, The Taegeuk Warriors are on the brink of glory at a time of crisis.

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Italy claimed their first-ever U20 Women’s World Cup victory - and they did it in style!

Giada Pellegrino Cimo’s game-winning goal against women’s football powerhouse the United States was an historic one that leaves the Americans in a difficult spot to make it out of the group.

Scroll down to read more about Italy’s shock victory and other results on ope…

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Last week was a week to forget for Scottish teams in Europe. Another one.

While Celtic, Hearts, Hibernian and Motherwell started last week with hopes of continental qualification, Hearts were the only side to get through their tie. The other three suffered defeat, calamitously so in the case of Celtic and Rangers.

It’s against this backdrop of abject failure that Scottish football will hold a crisis summit this week. The national game is in a terrible condition and something must be done about it.

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Underperforming teams in Europe, an exodus of young talent to England, low refereeing standards, a growing financial gulf to other leagues… Scottish football is being dragged down by a number of issues.

These issues, however, are nothing new. If they haven’t been addressed before now, what are the chances that any meaningful solutions will be found this time?

Will the crisis summit do anything to stop Scottish football’s slide?

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The Stockholm Derby is slept on as one of the fiercest rivalries anywhere in European football and Sunday’s match certainly lived up to that billing.

AIK and Hammarby shared seven goals in a game that was decided by a 19-year-old academy graduate who used to stand with the AIK ultras when he was younger. That’s the stuff dreams are made of!

Scroll down to…

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From this weekend, Irish football will have a new third division.

History will be made on Saturday when Mervue United and Cockhill Celtic face each other in the first-ever FAI National League match, achieving a goal that has been several years in the making for the Irish game.

Ireland’s football pyramid will be another tier deeper from this weekend.

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The new third tier is launching with 15 teams in the hope that more clubs will be invited into the fold over the coming seasons.

If all goes to plan, this weekend could be viewed as a landmark moment in the reshaping of Irish domestic football at a time when the national game needs a new direction.

What are the chances that the new National League will be a success? Or will it only further highlight some of the issues in Irish football?

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