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Ranked: Every Chelsea manager of the Roman Abramovich Era

Ranked: Every Chelsea manager of the Roman Abramovich Era

Ever since Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea back in 2003, the club has endured an unprecedented 18 years of success.

But with Abramovich, came a huge demand for consistent success domestically and in Europe with many Chelsea managers lasting fewer than 2 years at the helm.

Thomas Tuchel is the latest man to try his luck in the hot seat and has started his Chelsea career extremely well so far. Winning the Champions League, reaching an FA Cup final and gaining Champions League qualification.

The German is also atop of the Premier League summit after 11 games and has already qualified for the next stage in the Champions League.

But where does Tuchel rank, along with the many managers hired and fired under the  Abramovich era starting from 2003?

Ranked: Every Chelsea manager of the Roman Abramovich Era

15. Luiz Felipe Scolari

 

Reign: July 2008 – February 2009

Trophies Won: None

Record: P36 W20 D11 L5

Win Percentage: 55%

After the disappointing end to the previous season, Chelsea fans were getting ready for the arrival of World Cup-winning boss Felipe Scolari.

The idea of bringing Brazilian flair to Stamford Bridge was said to be a dream of Abramovich, who craved free-flowing attacking football.

After a promising start, Chelsea looked void of idea’s and looking wide open at the back. Rumours of player power began to circulate, with the writing was on the wall for Scolari who was sacked after seven months in charge.

He would later admit that his sacking came down to ”communication issues” with some players in the squad.

14. Andre Villas-Boas

 

Reign: June 2011 – March 2012

Trophies Won: None

Record: P40 W19 D11 L10

Win Percentage: 47.5%

After the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti in the summer of 2011, the excitement surrounding the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas to Stamford Bridge was monstrous.

Dubbed the new Mourinho by many, Villas-Boas had a big reputation for being one of the most exciting young managers in Europe.

Winning the treble with Porto the season before, AVB was known for his attacking football and installing faith in youth.

However, the young manager was quick to realise that phasing out the old guard in Chelsea would need time. With reported bust-ups with Frank Lampard, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda leading to his departure.

13. Guus Hiddink II

 

Reign: December 2015 – May 2016

Trophies Won: None

Record: P27 W10 D11 L6

Win Percentage: 58%

Brought in for a second time in an attempt to heal the wounds left by Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese’s sacking in December 2015, with the Blues in 16th position.

Hiddink’s arrival saw his side lose to PSG in the Champions League knockout rounds for a second consecutive season and a Quarter-Final defeat to Everton in the FA Cup followed.

Finishing the season in a disastrous 10th place, Hiddink left doing what he needed to do, steady the ship and start preparations for the next manager to fix.

12. Avram Grant

 

Reign: September 2007 – May 2008

Trophies Won: None

Record: P54 W36 D13 L5

Win Percentage: 66%

After the departure of Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2007, Chelsea went for a short term fix with director of football Avram Grant on an interim basis.

The Israeli did well while in charge of the club, leading them close to all four titles, but winning none meant Abramovich had seen enough, with Grant leaving at the end of the season.

In the Premier League, the Blues pushed Manchester United to the final day of the season after a late surge but ultimately finished 2nd.

Domestically, Chelsea squandered a lead to Tottenham in the League Cup final and was surprisingly knocked out by Barnsley in the Quarter-Finals of the FA Cup.

Grant also led Chelsea to their first-ever Champions League final appearance. Coming within a post after John Terry slipped to win it. Ultimately the Blues lost 6-5 on penalties to Manchester United.

11. Rafa Benitez

 

Reign: November 2012 – May 2013

Trophies Won: 1 Europa League

Record: P48 W28 D10 L10

Win Percentage: 58%

Picking up the pieces after Roberto Di Matteo’s ruthless sacking in November 2012, Abramovich went for an unpopular appointment in former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez on an interim basis.

Chelsea fans hated the Spaniard for his Liverpool background and negative comments on the club during his time in Merseyside. But, nonetheless, Benitez was brought in to steady the ship.

Winless in his opening three Premier League games and losing the Club World Cup final to Corinthians, Chelsea fans were unforgiving in their treatment of the Spaniard.

However, form picked up and Benitez ended up finishing 3rd in the Premier League and managing Chelsea to their first Europa League triumph with a 2-1 win over Benfica in Amsterdam.

Ranked: Every Chelsea manager of the Roman Abramovich Era

10. Frank Lampard

 

Reign: July 2019 – January 2021

Trophies Won: None

Record: P84 W44 D17 L23

Win Percentage: 53%

Brought in during the summer of 2019, Lampard left Derby to return to the club he called ”his club”. Joining when the club was faced with a transfer ban and without star player Eden Hazard. Lampard’s first season in charge was always going to be assessed sympathetically.

But, Lampard overperformed to a certain extent, securing Champions League football with a team full of youth stars and reaching an FA Cup final

Losing 2-1 to Arsenal before being pulled apart by Bayern Munich in the Champions League followed, Lampard was given mountains to spend in the summer to fix the obvious deficiencies in his squad.

The signings of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy saw a massive transfer overhaul in Lampard’s second season and from then on, it all went downhill.

He was never able to find the proper system to incorporate all his new signings, and troubles behind the scenes saw Chelsea ninth and 11 points of the top when Lampard was sacked.

His managerial legacy at Chelsea will go down to his faith in Mason Mount, Reece James and co, who have now cemented their place in the squad for years to come.

9. Maurizio Sarri

 

Reign: July 2018 – June 2019

Trophies Won: 1 Europa League

Record: P63 W38 D14 L11

Win Percentage: 63%

Brought in to fix the chaos Antonio Conte left, Sarri was a different approach to Chelsea’s usual manager choices. Enjoying a good start to life in London, going unbeaten in his first 12 Premier League games.

Chelsea were playing what was known as ”Sarriball”, attacking football with a high press. However, their form dwindled come February with a 4-0 loss to Bournemouth and a 6-0 loss to Manchester City acting as the catalyst to many fans turning on the Italian.

He ultimately went on to win his first-ever major trophy, with a 4-1 win over Arsenal in the Europa League. A case of gone too soon for some. For other’s, it was met with good riddance.

8. Claudio Ranieri

 

Reign: September 2000 – May 2004 (Abramovich buys club in July 2003)

Trophies Won: None

Record: P184 W95 D44 L45

Win Percentage: 53%

The first manager under the Roman Abramovich era, Ranieri only managed to secure one season under the Russian.

Before Abramovich’s arrival, Ranieri had done a steady job with the London club. Leading them to the 2002 FA Cup final and moving up the league table from 6th to 2nd in four seasons.

Overseeing the breakthrough of John Terry and purchasing Frank Lampard for £11 million in 2001, Ranieri laid a lot of the groundwork for Mourinho.

In his final season, Ranieri finished second behind Arsenal’s invincible’s, although knocking them out of the Champions League Quarter-Finals thanks to a Wayne Bridge winner.

7. Guus Hiddink I

 

Reign: February 2009 – May 2009

Trophies Won: 1 FA Cup

Record: P22 W16 D5 L1

Win Percentage: 72%

The first interim manager under the Abramovich regime, Guus Hiddink came into Chelsea hoping to salvage the remainder of the season after Scolari’s dismissal.

Losing only once, Chelsea finished 3rd, six points of the top and were controversially knocked out of the semi-final stage in the Champions League to Barcelona after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

However, Hiddink did find success, winning the FA Cup after a 2-1 win against Everton at Wembley.

Adored by Chelsea fans, Hiddink left at the end of the season to continue his role as manager of the Russian national team, making the semi-finals of Euro 2008.

6. Thomas Tuchel

 

Reign: January 2021 – Present

Trophies Won: 1 Champions League, 1 Super Cup

Record: P48 W33 D8 L5

Win Percentage: 77%

The latest man to try his luck in the Chelsea dugout, Thomas Tuchel has turned out to be an inspired choice after the tough dismissal of club legend Frank Lampard.

Taking charge in January, it has only taken Tuchel six months to put his imprint on this Chelsea side. Managing to secure top 4, reaching an FA Cup final and switching to three-at-the-back, Tuchel went unbeaten in his first 14 games across all competitions.

His biggest achievement thus far is spearheading his side to their second Champions League triumph with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in Porto.

Now on the cusp of his first full season with the Blues, Tuchel currently sits top of the Premier League table, in a League Cup Quarter-Final and securing passage into the knockout stages of the Champions League. It could be another successful season as of yet for the German.

But only tie will tell.

Ranked: Every Chelsea manager of the Roman Abramovich Era

5. Jose Mourinho II

 

Reign: June 2013 – December 2015

Trophies Won: 1 Premier League, 1 League Cup

Record: P136 W80 D27 L29

Win Percentage: 59%

Returning after seven years, the newly dubbed ”Happy One” made a spectacular return to Chelsea after leaving Real Madrid in 2013. Tasked with bringing the same glory back to West London as he did in his first stint.

His first season saw a Chelsea side falter against the smaller teams, dropping points to Norwich, Sunderland and Crystal Palace, where if they had won, would have seen Mourinho pick up his third league title success in England.

After calling his side ”a little horse”, Mourinho went big in his second season. Signing Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and the return of Thibaut Courtois from loan saw his side ease to another league title and a league cup success.

Blowing teams away in the first half of the season, before Mourinho shut up shop after a 5-3 drubbing to Tottenham towards the end of the year.

But his infamous third season syndrome turned into a horrid show for Mourinho and Chelsea, with Chelsea close to the relegation zone come Christmas, losing 9 of their opening 16 games.

Mourinho was eventually sacked due to a ”palpable discord” within the squad.

4. Roberto Di Matteo

 

Reign: March 2012 – November 2012

Trophies Won: 1 Champions League, 1 FA Cup

Record: P42 W25 D8 L9

Win Percentage: 57%

Merely seen to bring some level of consistency to the squad by seeing out the remainder of the season after the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, assistant manager and Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo would lead Chelsea to their first-ever Champions League triumph.

Di Matteo’s run in the Champions League was fairytale stuff, coming back from a 3-1 away loss to Napoli to win 5-4 on aggregate, beating Benfica before shocking Barcelona in the semi-final.

They faced Bayern Munich in Germany, two weeks after lifting the FA Cup in a 2-1 win against Liverpool, winning the European Cup thanks to a Didier Drogba penalty.

That was more than enough to give Di Matteo the permanent job, however, entering the Europa League from the Champions League group stages the following season saw Di Matteo sacked in November.

3. Antonio Conte

 

Reign: July 2016 – July 2018

Trophies Won: 1 Premier League, 1 FA Cup

Record: P106 W69 D17 L20

Win Percentage: 65%

With Mourinho long gone, Chelsea hired fiery manager Antonio Conte in an attempt to catapult them up the league table after an awful 10th place finish a season prior.

After 3 wins from 3 in their opening league games, it looked like Conte would struggle to adapt to English football after back-to-back losses to Liverpool and a 3-0 drubbing to Arsenal.

Immediately after this, Conte worked his magic, switching to a three at the back, using Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso as wing-backs saw Chelsea go on a 13-game winning run, six consecutive clean sheets and beating the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham.

That was the catalyst for Chelsea’s fifth Premier League title, winning 30 league games – the first side in English football history to do so.

Reaching the FA Cup final in the same season, Conte’s side ultimately lost 2-1 to Arsenal, before winning the competition the following season against Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United 1-0 – his final game in charge of Chelsea.

His second season in charge was all but easygoing. Losing their opening game at home to Burnley was the mood setter, with Conte very unhappy with the lack of transfer activity and the underwhelming signings that followed.

2. Carlo Ancelotti

 

Reign: June 2009 – May 2011

Trophies Won: 1 Premier League, 1 FA Cup

Record: P109 W67 D20 L22

Win Percentage: 61%

Following the manager merry-go-round in the prior season. Proven European winner Carlo Ancelotti was given the reigns at Stamford Bridge.

And the Italian led the club to their first-ever League and FA Cup double in his first season.

During their Premier League win, Chelsea broke records. Scoring a record-breaking 103 goals, including 7+ on four different occasions, only beaten by an 8-0 win over Wigan Athletic on the final day of the season wrapping up Chelsea’s 4th league title in their history in style.

They would go on to beat Portsmouth 1-0 in the FA Cup final to secure their first-ever and only double under Abramovich.

However, like many managers since then, his second season was seen as a failure by Abramovich, finishing second and failing in every cup competition. The Italian was sacked on the final day of the season in the Goodison Park tunnel after a 1-0 loss to Everton.

1. Jose Mourinho I

 

Reign: June 2004 – September 2007

Trophies Won: 2 Premier Leagues, 2 League Cups, 1 FA

Record: P185 W124 D40 L21

Win Percentage: 67%

Mourinho’s first spell in charge of the Londoners was so successful that it will take something special to topple.

Fresh from winning the Champions League with Porto in 2004, Mourinho built a defensive juggernaut in his first three seasons with the club. Winning the league cup and their first-ever Premier League title and first title in over 50 years.

Chelsea would go on to lose one game that Premier League season, only conceding 15 goals (a record still yet to be broken), an average of 0.39 per game.

They would go on to break the Premier League record for most points with 95, which stood for 13 years before Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City broke it in 2017/18 with 100 points.

Another league title followed and a second League Cup victory, before capping off his first stint in England with an FA Cup victory over Manchester United.

While never managing to secure European success with Chelsea, Mourinho will forever be known as the ”Special One” and will go down as Chelsea’s greatest ever manager.

Ranked: Every Chelsea manager of the Roman Abramovich Era

For more News and Rumours on all things Football, click here.

Republic of Ireland end qualifying campaign on a high

The Republic of Ireland Men’s national football team ended their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign on a high with a 3-0 win against Luxembourg away from home.

Shane Duffy, Chiedozie Ogbene and Callum Robinson got the goals at the Stade Du Luxembourg as Ireland banished the demons of the reverse fixture.

A cameo from Derby County star Jason Knight proved to be one for the history books as he was involved in all three goals, winning the free-kick that led to the opener and assisting the second and third.

The team had failed to qualify for next year’s winter-scheduled tournament in Qatar after poor results in their first half of fixtures but a strong second half of the campaign has underlined the growth the side has seen under Stephen Kenny.

The game provided a metaphor for the eight games (ten counting the friendlies with Qatar) as Ireland produced a patchy performance in their campaign closer, especially in the first half.

The boys in Orange, for the first time since a 0-0 draw against Mexico in May 1998 (and the first time in a competitive fixture since Macedonia…), took a while to get going while Luxembourg enjoyed their best period in the first 45 minutes.

The highlight of the first-half was an unbelievable save from Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who gets better and better with each game.

Stephen Kenny’s men grew into the game after Bazunu’s reflexes were flexed and Ogbene and John Egan came closest to putting them ahead but they had to go back into their dressing room without a goal to their name.

Luxembourg had the ball in the Irish net after a strong start to the second half but winger Danel Sinani was denied the opportunity to put his side in the lead – the referee brought play back for a foul.

The fateful introduction of Jason Knight came 62 minutes into the match and five minutes later Ireland had scored – Shane Duffy nodded home a set-piece won by Knight after being fouled by Sinani.

Ogbene dinked a second effort home after a beautiful period of play from the Irish that saw midfielders Jeff Hendrick and Knight combine to skewer the Luxembourg defence.

The game was wrapped up with two minutes of normal time to go when Callum Robinson tapped the ball in after a fantastic cross by James McClean was tapped back into space by Knight.

The victory made it Kenny and co.’s second of the campaign (third counting the Qatar friendles), seeing them finish three points above Luxembourg in third after eight in their last four games.

The match was the final one before Kenny’s current contract runs out and makes for an emphatic case for a renewal, which many fans are in favour of after the national team’s progression in the year.

Northern Ireland v Italy – Preview, Teams, Odds, TV

The Northern Ireland Men’s national football team will host Italy for their final match of their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

Northern Ireland currently sit third in Group C on goal difference ahead of Bulgaria and need to match or better their result against Switzerland to consolidate their position.

Italy, on the other hand, need to do the same with Switzerland to finish in first place and automatically qualify for the World Cup in Qatar next year.

Pride is on the line for Ian Baraclough’s men while Roberto Mancini’s European Champions will want to avoid the embarrassment of being forced to take part in a play-off.

Northern Ireland earned themselves a 1-0 win in the first of a double-header at Windsor Park on Friday night against Lithuania.

However, they did not pick up a point in their reverse fixture against the Italians in the first match of their quest for qualification.

The home crowd at Windsor Park will be behind the Green and White Army for the fixture with a big result needed to end the campaign on a high.

Italy will aim to curb their form of three draws in a row that has allowed Switzerland back into the hunt for automatic progression to the World Cup.

The team have stagnated since their Euro 2020 victory in Wembley, winning only twice since then – a 5-0 victory over Lithuania and a 2-1 win over Belgium in the third-place play-off of the UEFA Nations League.

Mancini and co. have one final chance to reignite the fire before their preparations for the tournament in Qatar begins, should they finish first of course, and being massive favourites, an upset could see them spiral further.

Teams

Northern Ireland: TBA

Italy: TBA

Odds

Northern Ireland 13/1

Draw 9/2

Italy 1/5

Where To Watch

The match will kick-off at 7:45 pm and will be available to watch live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7 pm.

Luxembourg v Ireland – Preview, Betting, Probable Starting Teams

The Boys in Green travel to the small nation of Luxembourg in their last game of the World Cup qualifiers looking for revenge for Dublin

Luxembourg v Ireland will kick off at 19:45 on Sunday 14th November in Stade de Luxembourg. For those unable to travel, the match will be shown live on RTE 2 and RTE Player.

Luxembourg come into this game now ranked 97th in the FIFA World Rankings. Manager Luc Holtz will be with his team, this has been one of the most successful campaigns for their nation.

With the help of their Ligue 1 striker Gerson Rodrigues and Bundesliga midfielder Leandro Barreiro, they currently sit in third place after seven points. Although they are not close to the qualification places, they have managed three victories in the group stage.

They most recently beat Azerbaijan comfortably 3-1 away in Baku on Friday. Rodrigues made a man of the match performance, scoring two goals.

Ireland is now ranked at 51st in the FIFA World Ranking. After a poor start to the campaign, Stephen Kenny has turned his team’s performances around. After a 0-0 stalemate in Dublin to Portugal, the Boys in Green are unbeaten in five matches and only one loss in nine.

Kenny will want another strong performance from star players Callum Robinson and Chiedozie Ogbene if they want to push on from their fourth-place rank in the World Cup group stage.

These two small nations in the football world have only faced each other once before. Back in March, Luxembourg shocked Dublin as they beat a poor Irish team 1-0 in Aviva Stadium. This game will decide who finishes third in the table and Kenny will want a win to cap off his campaign.

Luxembourg v Ireland Probable Starting Teams

Luxembourg

Formation

4-4-2

Probable Starting 11

Moris (GK), Pinto, Carlson, Chanot, Malget, Thill, Barreiro, Martins, Sinani. Rodrigues, Borges.

Injuries / Suspensions

Jans (Foot)

 

Ireland

Formation

3-4-2-1

Probable Starting 11

Kelleher (GK), Egan, Duffy, Collins, Knight, Cullin, Keane, Doherty, Ogbene, Idah, Robinson.

Injuries / Suspensions

Omobamidele (Achilles tendon), Molumby (Hamstring), Connolly (Foot)

Luxembourg v Ireland Match Betting

Luxembourg to win: 13/5

Draw: 2/1

Ireland to win: 23/20

 

Score Prediction

Although I am blinded by patriotism, this seems like a great chance for Ireland to claim their second win of the group. The Irishmen are in strong form and are looking more comfortable in front of the goal.

Expect the game to end 2-0 to Ireland, ending the campaign on a high.

To read more from this writer, click here.

And to read more in-depth and up-to-date Ireland and international club football news, click here.

Connacht Rugby renews partnership with Connacht Hospitality Group

Connacht Rugby has announced a renewal of their partnership with Connacht Hospitality Group.

The partnership has previously been synonymous with the group’s flagship property The Connacht Hotel but as the group has grown over the last few years the time is now right to expand the partnership.

The Hospitality Group is widely regarded as one of Galway’s leading hospitality groups.

They operate three hotels in Galway City, The Residence Hotel, The Forster Court Hotel.

They also operate a 24-hour Active Fitness Leisure Club as well as three leading licence premises including An Pucan, 1520 Bar, HYDE Bar & Gin Parlour and most recently we took over the operations of Galway Bay Golf Resort with future plans to build a luxury 4-star hotel & spa on the resort.

Wayne Neilon, Group General Manager said: “Our partnership with Connacht Rugby has always been a natural fit and we are excited to be able to extend this out to our wider Connacht Hospitality Group.

“The last 18 months have been challenging for both Connacht Rugby and our own teams but our shared values of hard work, resilience and teamwork have carried us through and we are very hopeful for our partnership into the future.

Philip Patterson, Head of Commercial & Marketing with the provincial outfit said: “It was a no-brainer to renew our agreement with Connacht Hospitality Group.

“They have been a huge supporter of ours down the years and provide wonderful services and facilities to both people living in Galway and visitors to the city.

“We look forward to continue to grow our relationship in the years ahead.”

Tipperary Senior ‘B’ rebrand as Premier Intermediate for 2022

The Tipperary County Board has decided to rename the Seamus O’Riain Senior ‘B’ to the Premier Intermediate Championship next year

The motion was decided after the November Board meeting in Thurles this week. The winners of the 2022 Premier Intermediate Championship will now represent Tipperary in the Munster intermediate competition.

Premier County clubs were asked to voice their opinions and vote at the meeting on Wednesday evening. In a very narrow debate, the clubs decided in favor of rebranding the competition by 43 votes to 41.

Munster Championship bye-laws allow Tipperary’s second-tier title winners to compete in the competition, in place of the existing intermediate champions.

This year’s champions Moyne-Templetuohy or Kilsheelan/Kilcash will represent the county in this year’s provincial competition.

 

Before the Senior ‘B’ was considered a sister tournament to the Senior ‘A’ championship. The winners of the county final would be promoted to the ‘A’ the following year but they would not progress into Munster and their hurling would end for the year.

County chairman Joe Kennedy proposed the motion for change on behalf of the management committee who felt that Tipperary teams would have a better chance provincially if their 17th best team were to represent the county.

Normally, the 33rd best-ranked team qualifies out of the county. In comparison, Cork sends their 25th, and Clare, Waterford and Limerick send their 13th highest-ranked team into the Munster intermediate.

 

The change is not intended to relegate any of the Senior ‘B’ teams or alter the system greatly in place.

In opposition to the rebrand Carrick Swans Sean O’Shea told the Nenagh Guardian:

“Relegating sixteen clubs so one can compete in the Munster Intermediate Championship is a betrayal to those clubs and should remain so.”

To read more from this writer, click here.

And to read more in-depth and up-to-date Tipperary and intercounty club GAA news, click here.

Bellator 271 – Preview, Full Card, Odds, Where To Watch

Sinead Kavanagh will fly the Irish flag in a Bellator title fight for the second consecutive event when she takes on legendary featherweight Cris Cyborg at Bellator 271 in Florida.

Kavanagh will aim to end an up-and-down period for Irish mixed-martial-arts with a victory over the veteran Brazilian.

Regardless of whether she achieves this, the fighter will go down in history as the first Irish MMA fighter to compete for a belt in the organisation.

Ciaran Clarke and Danni Nielan earned wins at last week’s Bellator 270 event at the 3Arena in Dublin but their successes were outweighed by those that fell short.

Peter Queally’s title fight loss in the main event to Patricky Pitbull, James Gallagher’s submission defeat to Patchy Mix and Stephen Costello’s first professional fight ending with a 1 in the loss column.

However, Ian Garry’s UFC debut at Madison Square Garden ended in a flash knockout before the first round was up that gave fans a glimpse into what he is capable of after a shaky start to the fight.

Kavanagh will look to add to Garry’s high and take home the Bellator Women’s Featherweight title by beating Cyborg, who has only lost twice in her professional MMA career.

Her debut fight with Erica Paes ended in defeat and her UFC Featherweight crown was taken by Amanda Nunes.

Cyborg’s opponent on Friday night, who trains with SBG Ireland, has the task of doing what has only been done twice in 16 years.

The 35-year-old Inchicore-born fighter comes into the biggest bout of her life with a two-fight win-streak under her belt.

However, previous to this streak, she suffered losses to Arlene Blencowe, who also appears on the card and Leslie Smith in a 1-4 run.

The named fighters above suffered successive defeats at the hands of the current Featherweight queen in Cyborg’s most recent title defences.

Kavanagh will have to produce the performance of a lifetime to shock the world and shape her legacy, with the odds stacked in her favour.

The next challenger for the belt may be on this card – Blencowe opens the main card of Bellator 271 with a bout against Pam Sorensen.

Full Card

Main Card

Cristiane Justino (145) vs. Sinead Kavanagh (145) – Women’s FW Championship
Tyrell Fortune (253.8) vs. Linton Vassell (239.2)
Aaron Pico (145.4) vs. Justin Gonzales (145.6)
Arlene Blencowe (145.8) vs. Pam Sorenson (146)

Preliminary Card

Steve Mowry (249.6) vs. Rakim Cleveland (249.6)
Valerie Loureda (127.6) vs. Taylor Turner (127.2)
Cody Law (145.4) vs. Colton Hamm (145.8)
Roman Faraldo (171) vs. Robert Turnquest (177.8)**
Bruna Ellen (125.6) vs. Desiree Yanez (125.4)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta (256.6) vs. Muhammed DeReese (255)
Mahmoud Sebie Fawzy (170.8) vs. Ethan Hughes (170.8)

Odds (American/Moneyline)

Cristiane Justino (-3000) vs. Sinead Kavanagh (+1300)
Tyrell Fortune (-190) vs. Linton Vassell (+160)
Aaron Pico (-360) vs. Justin Gonzales (+280)
Arlene Blencowe (-370) vs. Pam Sorenson (+290)

Preliminary Card

Steve Mowry (-700) vs. Rakim Cleveland (+500)
Valerie Loureda (-410) vs. Taylor Turner (+310)
Cody Law (-1400) vs. Colton Hamm (+700)
Roman Faraldo (-600) vs. Robert Turnquest (+425)
Bruna Ellen (-225) vs. Desiree Yanez (+185)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta (-235) vs. Muhammed DeReese (+190)
Mahmoud Sebie Fawzy (+550) vs. Ethan Hughes (-800)

To convert the odds into fractions, click here and enter them into the Moneyline box provided.

Where To Watch

Bellator 271 will be available to watch live in Ireland on Virgin Media Sport from 11:30 pm. Alternatively, the prelims will be available to watch on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel from 12 pm.

Ireland v USA – Preview, Teams, Odds, Where To Watch

Ireland will welcome the United States of America to the RDS Arena on Friday night for the first of their two 2021 Autumn Internationals.

The match in Dublin will be the team’s first game since they missed out on qualification for next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The matches against the USA and Japan will serve as the final ones under current Head Coach Adam Griggs, who will leave his post and be replaced by Greg McWilliams.

On top of this, the pictures come at a time of friction between the players and those who run the show in the IRFU.

Director of Women’s and Sevens Rugby for the union, Anthony Eddy had said earlier in the week that the organisation was not neglecting the women’s game and does not believe that the national team will be left behind as others take steps forward.

He also appeared to lay the blame for Ireland’s failed qualification bid at the players’ feet.

However, players, both past and present, have come out against Eddy and forced an apology from the Director, with captain Ciara Griffin noting that he had apologised in case anyone took offence.

On a positive note, the team are united and have their eyes set on bouncing back from their disappointing losses in Parma.

Manager Adam Griggs has shown his excitement in facing the star-studded USA team:

“We have had two good weeks of preparation for the Autumn Tests and the group are excited to get back out on the pitch and put that hard work into action.

“A first Test at the RDS under Friday night lights will be a special occasion and we’re looking forward to having family, friends, and our supporters back in the stands to get behind us.”

Teams

Ireland: 15. Lauren Delany, 14. Laura Sheehan, 13. Eimear Considine, 12. Sene Naoupu, 11. Beibhinn Parsons, 10. Stacey Flood, 9. Ailsa Hughes; 1. Lindsay Peat, 2. Cliodhna Moloney, 3. Leah Lyons, 4. Nichola Fryday, 5. Sam Monaghan, 6. Ciara Griffin (c), 7. Edel McMahon, 8. Anna Caplice

Replacements: 16. Neve Jones, 17. Katie O’Dwyer, 18. Linda Djougang, 19. Hannah O’Connor, 20. Maeve Óg O’Leary, 21. Kathryn Dane, 22. Eve Higgins, 23. Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe

USA: 15. Kayla Canett, 14. Tess Feury, 13. Amy Talei Bonte, 12. Katana Howard, 11. Bulou Mataitoga, 10. Megan Foster, 9. Carly Waters; 1. Catherine Benson, 2. Saher Hamdam, 3. Hope Rogers, 4. Kristine Sommer, 5. Alycia Washington, 6. Rachel Ehrecke, 7. Rachel Johnson, 8. Kate Zackary.

Replacements: 16. Kathryn Treder, 17. Maya Learned, 18. Nick James, 19. Hallie Taufoou, 20. Elizabeth Cairns, 21. Olivia Ortiz, 22. McKenzie Hawkins, 23. Sarah Levy.

Odds

Ireland 6/5

Draw 17/1

USA 8/11

Where To Watch

The match will kick-off at 7:15 pm with live coverage of the game available on the RTÉ Player.

Ireland v New Zealand – Preview, Teams, Odds, Where To Watch

Ireland will welcome New Zealand to the Aviva Stadium for the first time since their historic 16-9 win over them three years ago.

A lot has changed since then, with new managers and new players involved in the national sides’ setups.

A heavy thrashing handed out to the boys in green by the All Blacks in 2019 at the Rugby World Cup is what will serve as the control for Andy Farrell’s men.

How far have they come in the last two years? How close to the top are they after their mighty fall in 2019? Is Farrell the man to lead Ireland into the next World Cup?

After this game, fans should have a clearer view – a win is not necessary to show sufficient proof but rather a great improvement on the 32-point deficit that saw them exit another World Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Regardless of the fate of Ireland’s current six-game win streak, a good performance against Ian Foster’s team could go a long way.

Only one change has been made to the Ireland side that dismantled Jamie Joseph’s Japan, who continue their downward spiral.

Iain Henderson comes into the pack in place of Tadhg Beirne, who is relegated to the bench.

The likes of Brodie Retallick, Beauden Barrett and Rieko Ioane will line out for the All Blacks.

Teams

Ireland

15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 14 caps
14. Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 26 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 35 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 32 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 7 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 100 caps CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 11 caps

1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 38 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 14 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 50 caps
4. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 64 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 38 caps
6. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 10 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 33 caps
8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 21 caps

Replacements 
16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 22 caps
17. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 110 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 17 caps
19. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 23 caps
20. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 77 caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 90 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 25 caps
23. Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 94 caps

New Zealand

1-15 starters, 16-23 bench.
  1. Joe Moody (55)
  2. Codie Taylor (65)
  3. Nepo Laulala (38)
  4. Brodie Retallick (90)
  5. Samuel Whitelock (130) – captain
  6. Ethan Blackadder (8)
  7. Dalton Papalii (11)
  8. Ardie Savea (57)
  9. TJ Perenara (77)
  10. Beauden Barrett (100)
  11. Sevu Reece (16)
  12. Anton Lienert-Brown (55)
  13. Rieko Ioane (45)
  14. Will Jordan (11)
  15. Jordie Barrett (34)
  16. Dane Coles (78)
  17. Karl Tu’inukuafe (24)
  18. Tyrel Lomax (13)
  19. Tupou Vaa’i (10)
  20. Akira Ioane (11)
  21. Finlay Christie (5)
  22. Richie Mo’unga (30)
  23. David Havili (13)

Odds

Ireland 7/2

Draw 22/1

New Zealand 2/9

Where To Watch

The match will kick-off at 3:15 pm with live coverage starting an hour earlier on RTÉ 2.

All-Star book will include detailed history of long-standing GAA awards

All-Star Gazing, a book that marks the 50th anniversary of the All-Stars in 2021, will be launched on Thursday 11th November 2021 at 7 pm in Croke Park by Michael Lyster with GAA President, Larry McCarthy in attendance.

Fifty years on, the story of the All-Stars – Ireland’s longest-running sports award scheme – has been penned by Moira and Eileen Dunne, daughters of Mick Dunne, who along with his fellow journalists, Paddy Downey, John D Hickey and Pádraig Puirséal, got the scheme up and running in 1971.

Using their father’s records as a starting point, the sisters met over 100 All-Stars and other stakeholders, who shared their memories of All-Star banquets and trips along with reflections on what the accolade means to the players, families and communities.

The book includes a listing of each Football and Hurling All-Star team from 1971 to 2020, and for the first time ever, a complete list of all players nominated over the past 50 years.

Labhrás Mac Cárthaigh, Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael greeted the launch of All-Star Gazing: “The GAA All-Stars is the most prestigious sporting awards scheme in Irish society and has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 1971. 

“While the GAA and various sponsors – current partners PwC among them – have played a central role in running the scheme, one of the most important pillars of the All-Stars has been its independence and integrity, provided by the role of GAA journalists making the all-important selections of both nominees and overall winners.

“To that end, it is fitting that the Dunne sisters, Eileen and Moira, should be the driving force behind this excellent publication to mark the 50th anniversary.”

Feargal O’Rourke, Managing Partner, PwC, said: “We would like to congratulate Moira and Eileen Dunne on the launch of their fantastic book celebrating the 50-year history of the All-Stars.

“The book showcases a superb collection of All-Star players down through the decades, whose talent, teamwork and sheer determination have awed us all.

“As proud sponsors of the PwC All-Stars we are delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary and to show our support for the book. No doubt it will be in high demand with all GAA fans.”

Some of Gaelic games’ top footballers and hurlers talked about the significance of winning an All-Star award:

Brian Fenton, Dublin Footballer, 5-time All-Star

“Winning an All-Ireland is amazing but to win an All-Star at the end of the year is unreal. It is the perfect year”.

Henry Shefflin, Kilkenny Hurler, 11-time All-Star

“Winning the All-Star meant I was joining the other great players who had won it. I was up there with Anthony Daly, Johnny Dooley thinking, I have arrived

Mickey Quinn, Leitrim Footballer, the county’s first ever All-Star

“An All-Star is something every player wants to win. I was privileged to be the first person in Leitrim to win one.”

Joe Canning, Galway Hurler, 5-Time All-Star

“It was really special to receive an All-Star with Ollie in 2009 and a great night for Mam and Dad.”

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