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Europe’s Most Followed Leagues

European football is dominated by the “Big Five” leagues which boast the highest viewing figures and most successful teams in European competition, but there are still other leagues that offer value and should not be ignored.

Millions of viewers and spectators enjoy football all over Europe, and this has a massive economic impact on countries with employment, public transport, and gambling industries all benefitting significantly.

Other European Leagues

Football is by far the most popular sport for consumers to gamble on, with a variety of markets including match, league, domestic, European, and international all proving to be popular.

Most betting football betting markets run from the late Summer through to the Spring, with international tournaments like the Euros and World Cup taking place over the summer.

Betting in Norway is different with the league running from March to November to avoid harsh winters. Online betting expert Edgar C Blakeslee explains that gambling in the country is strictly regulated, but consumers can access offshore betting sites for football betting and online casinos.

Norway’s Scandinavian neighbours Sweden and Denmark also have competitive leagues, with teams regularly competing in European competition. Other popular leagues outside the top five include the Netherlands, Turkey, and Scotland where the Old Firm dominates.

The Big Five

England

The English Premier League is the most watched of the big five leagues, helping to generate massive amounts of revenue. TV deals and sponsorship helped clubs generate revenue of more than £6 billion over the 2022/23 season. Other factors that impact this figure include player sales, ticket sales, and merchandising.

Teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal all have a massive global following, helping the Premier League sell TV rights around the world.

Spain

La Liga is home to two giants of the game, Real Madrid and Barcelona. The league also boasts the likes of Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Villareal.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have the honour of being the two most widely followed football teams on social media, no doubt helped by the Ronaldo vs Messi debate a few years ago.

Germany

German football had been dominated by Bayern Munich until Bayer Leverkusen broke their 11-year monopoly on the Bundesliga. Borussia Dortmund came close with Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham in their squad, while Schalke 04, WfL Wolfsburg, VfB Stuttgart, and Werder Bremen have all had formidable squads in recent years.

Italy

For years Italian football was widely regarded as the best, with Serie A enjoying unprecedented success in the 1990s. Teams like Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, Roma, Lazio, Parma, and many more have been among the top European clubs for decades, and the Italian league is still watched by millions of adoring and passionate fans.

France

The French Ligue 1 has seen years of transition, with clubs going through spells of dominance through the decades including Bordeaux in the 80s, Marseille in the 90s, Lyon in the 00s, and Paris Saint-Germain since the 2010s.

These eras saw clubs competing in European competition, but only PSG’s Cup Winners’ Cup victory in 1996 and Marseille’s inaugural Champion’s League victory came from the 12 finals they have reached since 1990.

Of course, Marseille’s European victory was shrouded in controversy after it transpired they had been paying off refs.

 

Conclusion

The success and reputation of clubs playing in the big five leagues have helped them to exert dominance over other leagues. The revenue now generated in football has led to creating an even bigger divide, with teams from smaller nations unable to compete with the spending power of bigger countries.

Kane Shares Ballon d’Or Top Scorer Award with Absent Mbappe

Kane Shares Ballon d’Or Top Scorer Award with Absent Mbappe

Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have jointly won the Ballon d’Or Gerd Muller Trophy for being the top scorers in Europe, though Real Madrid forward Mbappe was absent from the ceremony held in Paris.

England captain Kane, who transferred from Tottenham to Bayern Munich last summer, scored an impressive 44 goals in 45 competitive matches during his first season with the German club. Similarly, Mbappe tallied 44 goals in 48 appearances during his final season at Paris Saint-Germain. It’s well worth using lines.com to have a bet on him scoring every week.

Mbappe’s absence was noted at the ceremony at Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet, as the Real Madrid delegation also skipped the event. Reports from AFP and various Spanish media outlets indicated that Real Madrid cancelled their plans to attend after learning that Vinicius Junior would not be receiving the men’s award. The European champions expressed their displeasure, stating they would not attend “where it is not respected.”

Kane expressed gratitude to his club, Bayern Munich, his staff, and teammates for their support in achieving his goal-scoring success. “It’s an honor to accept this award from a club legend [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge],” Kane said. “Moving to Germany was a new chapter for me. I took my family with me, and it was an experience I didn’t know what to expect. Getting off to the start I did was thanks to my teammates; I just went along for the ride, and we had a great season.”

When co-host Didier Drogba asked Kane about areas he wished to improve, the England captain humorously responded, “My speed. Although age might be catching up with me.”

Manchester United in Talks with Amorim as Ten Hag’s Successor

Manchester United in Talks with Amorim as Ten Hag’s Successor

Manchester United is in discussions to appoint Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim as the successor to Erik ten Hag. The Dutch manager was dismissed on Monday following a disappointing start to the season.

Amorim, 39, is a highly respected coach who has led Sporting to two Portuguese league titles, including their first in 19 years, since taking over in 2020. While the specifics of the talks are unclear, Amorim is emerging as the frontrunner for the position, maybe fans could use funrize promo code to back him to be the next coach.

During a press conference on Monday, Amorim anticipated questions about the Manchester United job but was not ready to address them. In the interim, United has appointed Ten Hag’s assistant, Ruud van Nistelrooy, as the temporary manager. However, the club has not confirmed how long he will remain in charge or if he will lead the team in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup match against Leicester at Old Trafford.

United has also announced that Van Nistelrooy will not hold a pre-match media conference on Tuesday. Ten Hag had already discussed the EFL Cup game following Sunday’s loss to West Ham.

Although Manchester United has expressed concerns about the financial implications of compensating both Ten Hag and a potential new coach, sources familiar with the club’s finances believe this will not be a significant hurdle. Sporting Lisbon paid Amorim’s former club, Braga, €10 million (£8.3 million) for his services in 2020.

Amorim, whose contract runs until June 2026, had talks with West Ham in April, but an agreement was not reached, leading him to apologize to Sporting for discussing a potential move without their consent.

Following a 2-1 defeat at West Ham, Manchester United currently sits 14th in the Premier League, with just three wins from their first nine matches. They are also struggling in the Europa League, standing 21st out of 36 teams after drawing all three of their opening fixtures.

Dodgers One Win Away from World Series Title with 3-0 Series Lead

Dodgers One Win Away from World Series Title with 3-0 Series Lead

The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the verge of securing their second World Series title in five years after a 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in the Bronx, giving them a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Yankee Stadium offered little comfort for the home team as the Dodgers showcased their superiority both at the plate and on the mound, racing to an early lead that they never relinquished, many fans would have started to play free online slots at social casino as things got worse.

Despite trailing 4-0 and facing elimination in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees sparked hope when Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer, threatening a dramatic comeback, but it ultimately fell short.

The Dodgers quickly established a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning, with Shohei Ohtani, nursing a shoulder injury from Game 2, drawing a leadoff walk followed by Freddie Freeman’s third home run of the World Series. Mookie Betts then drove in Tommy Edman to extend the lead to 3-0, prompting the Yankees to pull starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt before the end of the third inning.

The Yankees kept the game within reach by stranding five Dodgers baserunners in the subsequent two innings and finally recorded their first hit with a double from Giancarlo Stanton in the fourth. However, a stellar throw from Teoscar Hernandez in left field prevented Stanton from scoring after an Anthony Volpe line drive.

Thanks to five scoreless innings from starter Walker Buehler, the Dodgers tacked on another run in the sixth when Gavin Lux was hit by a pitch, stole second, and was driven home by Enrique Hernandez.

As in the first two games in California, the Yankees struggled offensively, with star slugger Aaron Judge remaining hitless. The series resumes on Tuesday evening at Yankee Stadium, where the Yankees must win to avoid a devastating 4-0 sweep.

Historically, no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a World Series, with only one team ever overcoming a 3-0 deficit in any MLB seven-game playoff series: the Boston Red Sox against the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.

World Series Schedule

Game 1: Dodgers 6-3 Yankees

Game 2: Dodgers 4-2 Yankees

Game 3: Yankees 2-4 Dodgers

Game 4 (in New York): Tuesday, October 29

Game 5* (in New York): Wednesday, October 30

Game 6* (in LA): Friday, November 1

Game 7* (in LA): Saturday, November 2

*If necessary. All games start at 20:08 Eastern Time (early next morning UK time). Home team listed first.

Pittsburgh Steelers Secure Third Straight Win

Pittsburgh Steelers Secure Third Straight Win

The Pittsburgh Steelers secured their third consecutive victory with a 26-18 win over the New York Giants on Monday, thanks in large part to Calvin Austin III’s impressive performance, which included two touchdowns.

The 25-year-old wide receiver made history by scoring the Steelers’ first punt return touchdown in nearly five years during the third quarter, showcasing his game-changing abilities.

As the game entered the fourth quarter tied, quarterback Russell Wilson executed one of his signature ‘moon ball’ throws to connect with Austin, reigniting the Steelers’ momentum. “I try to give the guys a chance,” Wilson commented.

“They always do a good job of making me look halfway decent, and they have great plays. I’ve been definitely throwing it up to the moon for a long time, and let it come down and let them have a chance to make a great play.”

For more NFL news and updates, visit NFL.com. If you enjoy online gaming, check out HighRollersOnlineCasino.com for exciting casino gamesAt halftime, the game was tightly contested with a score of 9-9. However, the Steelers emerged from the break with renewed energy, taking a 16-9 lead into the final quarter.

The Giants, determined to fight back, saw rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. score a 45-yard touchdown, leveling the playing field and putting the pressure back on the Steelers.In a dramatic turn of events, Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. clinched the victory by intercepting the Giants during their final drive, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback. This win not only marked an impressive performance for the Steelers but also highlighted the team’s resilience and ability to close out tight games.

With Austin’s standout plays and Wilson’s strategic throws, the Steelers continue to build momentum as they look to extend their winning streak in the coming weeks.

Top 3 Slots Featuring Irish Folklore Themes

Thanks to Irish folklore being heavily linked with riches and luck, it’s just about the perfect theme for slot machines. From leprechauns to pots of gold and shamrocks, all the iconography of Irish folklore is easy to find on the slots.

There is a huge selection of Irish-themed titles in online casinos, and most of them have both demo and real money mode. More than that, if the latter is chosen, you don’t need much money to play them, as they are available on any low deposit casino UK platform.

But the volume of choice can also make it difficult to know which are the best to play at. Here we have a look at the top three slots that feature the Irish folklore theme.

Rainbow Riches

Rainbow Riches is one of the most popular Irish folklore-themed slots out there. There is an entire series of different Rainbow Riches games, all offering various mechanics and payouts from different developers, including:
●​Slingo Rainbow Riches
●​Rainbow Riches Drops of Golf
●​Rainbow Riches Leprechauns Gold
●​Rainbow Riches Reels of Gold
●​Rainbow Riches Megaways

One of the top ones however is the Rainbow Riches Deluxe Slot from Light and Wonder. There is only a medium RTP of 94%, but that is balanced by medium volatility. The maximum payout on Rainbow Riches Deluxe is 768x the stake.

All the Irish charm is there, as it’s loaded with shamrocks, harps and of course, pots of gold. It’s very classic slot styling and not particularly modern, but it fits nicely against the rolling hills backdrop of the Emerald Isle.

Hit five wild Rainbow Riches symbols to return 200x on the bet. The leprechaun symbol is the game’s bonus symbol, but the game disappointingly lacks a scatter symbol. However, where Rainbow Riches Deluxe shines is in bonus features.

There are five levels to the Bonus Trail, and the further up the trail you go, the multipliers increase. If a Leprechaun Bonus symbol lands on odd-numbered reels on the same spin, you access the Round The Board bonus game where you can earn things like re-rolls, value boosts and up to 768x from the Win Multiplier Pot.

9 Pots of Gold

Developed by Microgaming in collaboration with Hamburger, 9 Pots of Gold is a popular Irish-themed slot with an RTP of 96.24% and medium volatility. That’s a good balance for this 20-payline slot, which was one of the first to introduce the scatter pays for 9-of-a-kind combos.

Again, all the standard Irish folklore icons can be found, from happy Leprechauns to four-leaf clovers, leprechaun hats and those coveted pots of gold. The layout is, again, more on the classic side of things as opposed to being a modern video slot.

But it’s an easy-to-play game, where the main goal is to get up to nine pots to appear on the reels from a spin, which will return up to 2,000x the stake. The paytable sits on the side of the screen for quick reference.

Toadstools are the wild icons in the game and there are Free Spin scatters which will initiate the Free Spins Wheel. Give that wheel a spin and up to 30 extra turns can be won to drive towards some bigger prizes, with up to a 3x multiplier also included in the mix.
Luck O’ The Irish Gold Spins
This is a 40-payline slot that has a massive x50,000 top win. There is a higher volatility on this slot, which dials back the frequency of payouts, but there is an average 95% RTP on Luck O’ The Irish Gold Spins, which comes from Blueprint.

This is one of a series of Luck O’ The Irish titles, and this one is great because of that 40 payline set-up. The game boasts a nice background featuring a rainbow, although it is a busy visual set-up for the actual gaming.

The shamrock symbol is the wild in the game, while the Lucky 7s (single, double and triple) and bags of coins are the high-value symbols to target. Five identical symbols on a payline from the left trigger a win. Five 777s for example return a x7.5 win.

Land a gold scatter symbol on each odd-numbered reel and you earn the golden spins bonus and eight free games. During free spins, only the top three paytable symbols are used, to increase the opportunities for a big score. The bonus can also be re-triggered by another three scatter symbols.

Another positive feature of Luck O’ The Irish is the Win Gamble. When you land a prize, you are presented with an opportunity to gamble it for a x2 win multiplier or free spins. A loss takes the entire win amount away.

Jaguars defeat Patriots 32-16 at Wembley

The Jacksonville Jaguars won their second game of the season as they defeated the New England Patriots today at Wembley. Credit: Breandán Ó hUallacháin.

The Jacksonville Jaguars achieved a much needed win, only their second of the season, when beating the New England Patriots 32-16 at Wembley this afternoon.

In front of a record Wembley NFL crowd of 86,651, the come from behind win helped ease the pressure on Head Coach Doug Pederson as the Jaguars scored 25 consecutive points having trailed 10-0 early in the second quarter.

With second quarter touchdowns in rapid succession from Brian Thomas Jr., Tank Bigsby and Parker Washington in the third and final NFL London 2024 game, the Jags claimed a second win in four games having started the season 0-4. For the Patriots, Sunday’s loss is a sixth consecutive defeat after their opening day win.

Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence produced a far superior performance to last weekend’s loss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Jacksonville outfit’s linchpin completed 15 of his 20 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown.

Despite Lawrence’s improved performance, it is Parker Washington’s touchdown that will gain most attention, however. He produced the longest punt return in Jaguars history and the longest touchdown in NFL London games history as he ran back a 96-yard return to give the Jaguars a 22-10 advantage at half-time.

As the London NFL series of three games now concludes, the Jaguars will host the Green Bay Packers at EverBank Stadium in week 8, while the New England Patriots will have the New York Jets visiting them next weekend.

Patriots v Jaguars in final NFL London 2024 game

The New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars meet in the final NFL game in London this season. Credit: Breandán Ó hUallacháin.

The final of the three London NFL games of the season see the New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars clash at Wembley stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Both sides unfortunately come into the fixture with 1-5 records for the season so far.

It will be the Jacksonville franchise’s second game in London this season, having lost to the Chicago Bears last weekend at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Patriots hold a 3-1 record in international games and are unbeaten in their two previous visits to London.

The Jaguars, however, who have played a ‘home’ game in London for the past decade, are 6-6 in the 12 all-time games played in the English capital.

Both sides currently sit last in their respective divisions in the NFL: the Patriots are last in the Buffalo Bills-led AFC East, while the Jaguars are the final team in the AFC which is currently headed by by Houston.

Aidan O’Brien wins 7th British Flat Trainers’ title

Aidan O'Brien was crowned Champion British Flat Trainer 2024 at Ascot on Saturday. Credit: Megan Coggin, image provided by Racenews.

Aidan O’Brien won his seventh British Flat Trainer’s Championship, his first since 2017.

Though the British season officially runs from January 1 to December 31, the Ballydoyle trainer leads the standings by more than £3 million after a string of big-race successes.

Breeders’ Cup Classic contender City Of Troy has spearheaded O’Brien’s efforts in Britain this year, winning a Group 1 hat-trick in the Betfred Derby, Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International at York most recently.

Kyprios returned to the top of the staying division with victories in the Gold Cup and Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, while Jan Brueghel led home a one-two for the stable in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.

As usual, Aidan O’Brien was quick to deflect praise as he emphasised the importance of the team effort at Ballydoyle and Coolmore.

“It is a big team effort from everyone in Ballydoyle and Coolmore,” O’Brien said. “There are so many special people in so many different areas that if I started talking about them, I would be here until tomorrow. You can have the horses and the place but, if you don’t have the people, it won’t happen.

“The owners are the people who put the resources in every year, to try and help us make it better. They put a lot of time in and give us advice. We do our best, give information back, and try to follow the roadmap that they draw for us. Some years it goes very well, some years it is ordinary, and some years it is medium.

“This was a good year for us. We won plenty of good races. I am just delighted for everybody when we do have a good year. We don’t take anything for granted and try to look to the future.”

Oisín Murphy is British Champion Flat Jockey for a fourth time

Kerry jockey Oisín Murphy is British Champion Flat Jockey for a fourth time. Credit: Megan Coggin, image provided by Racenews.

Kerry jockey Oisín Murphy was presented with his fourth British Champion Flat Jockey trophy at Ascot this afternoon.

The 29-year-old, who previously won the title in 2019, 2020 and 2021, finished this season with 163 winners, more than 50 clear of his closest challenger, his fellow Irish rider, Rossa Ryan.

Highlights for the Murphy include a Group 1 double at Royal Ascot with Australian challenger Asfoora in the King Charles III Stakes and Khaadem in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

Commenting on his jockeys’ title success, Murphy said:

“This is something I really tried to achieve this year. I have had great support from so many trainers and owners, and having a fair lead has meant I have been able to enjoy it over the last month or so.

“It has taken a lot of hard work from my agent [Gavin Horne]. With the one meeting a day rule, it is paramount that he chooses the correct meeting to send me to, which is not easy when there are three or four meetings. I think he has done a great job, and that has been key to me riding so many winners.

Discussing future aims, the top jockey admitted:

“There are many races that I have not won. The two standouts for me are the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Derby. The Arc has so much international appeal and recognition nowadays, while the Derby has so much history.”