Fan stories

Liverpool's season crashed to a new, depressing low with a 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest at the weekend. The defending champions currently sit 11th in the Premier League table following a sixth defeat in seven matches and now boss Arne Slot has come in for a huge amount of stick over comments after the damaging loss at Anfield.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s reduced punishment for his red card against the Republic of Ireland has sparked fury across social media, with fans accusing FIFA of "bending the rules" to ensure the Portugal captain is available for the first games of the World Cup. The decision to convert what many expected to be a multi-match violent conduct ban into a one-game ban with two games suspended has ignited a fierce debate.

Birmingham City have revealed new images of their planned 62,000-seater stadium but the designs have been brutally mocked by rival fans. The Championship side unveiled their proposal during a launch event on Thursday and despite the Blues being very excited about this initiative, social media has shown no mercy in mocking them from pillar to post.

Jude Bellingham has been branded “Mr big time” and roasted by several England fans for swapping shirts at the half-time interval of the Three Lions’ 2026 World Cup qualifier with Albania. The Real Madrid midfielder was returned to Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI for that contest and attracted plenty of attention - including some from opponents that were eager to claim a prized memento.

Republic of Ireland fans are basking in Troy Parrott’s heroics in World Cup qualification, with tickets to that event still up for grabs. A hat-trick from Parrott against Hungary has kept Irish eyes smiling, with a play-off berth being secured. Having become a national hero, at least for now, AZ striker Parrott is being billed as “better than Lionel Messi” after rewriting the history books.

Manchester United supporters very much enjoyed Grimsby Town's downfall as the League Two side crashed out of the Carabao Cup after losing 5-0 against Brentford on Tuesday. Grimsby fans were on cloud nine only a couple of months ago after they dumped the Red Devils out of the competition following an epic penalty shootout win over the Premier League giants. Goalkeeper Andre Onana in particular had a nightmare outing and was later loaned out to Turkey.

Sean Dyche had to pull out of a community event which had named him as their guest of honour following his appointment as Nottingham Forest manager. The 54-year-old was scheduled to make a special appearance in his home town of Kettering but was forced to cancel after making an emotional return to the City Ground following Ange Postecoglou’s sacking.

Liverpool supporters have erupted online after Federico Chiesa was named the club’s Player of the Month for September, despite the Italian not starting a single Premier League game during that stretch. Chiesa’s recognition has reignited anger towards head coach Arne Slot, with fans questioning his team selections and labelling the forward "Liverpool’s best player" who continues to be unfairly benched.

Mohamed Salah has been branded “greedy” and accused of “hating” Florian Wirtz after passing up the chance to tee up his team-mate for what would have been a first competitive Liverpool goal for the German playmaker. Said incident occurred during the closing stages of the Reds’ 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League - with the potential there for that result to have been even more emphatic.

Bayern Munich fans have erupted in protest after learning that former defender Jerome Boateng was invited to observe training sessions under Vincent Kompany. The 37-year-old, who is beginning his coaching journey, remains a polarising figure due to past domestic violence cases. Despite outrage from supporters, Bayern officials and Kompany insist the move is being blown out of proportion.

Michael Oliver has been branded a “disgrace” by disgruntled Liverpool supporters, with “corruption” claims made on the back of the Reds seeing big calls go against them early on against Manchester United. The Anfield faithful felt the game should have been stopped for a head injury before Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring inside two minutes on Merseyside.

Ruben Amorim has incurred the wrath of Manchester United supporters after naming Benjamin Sesko on the bench for a crunch Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield. The Red Devils head to Merseyside in need of goals and another positive result that will help to build momentum, but one of their big-money summer signings is being restricted to an impact role.

A London-based bus driver who was mobbed by Chelsea supporters after wearing a Liverpool shirt while on duty has been sacked. In a video which has been widely shared across social media, Isaac - who has declined to reveal his full name - was driving a rail replacement bus when he was swarmed following the conclusion of the match between the two Premier League sides last Saturday.

Nemanja Matic has opened up on his turbulent spell at Roma, accusing the club of breaking promises and lacking respect. The former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder revealed he felt “constantly on trial” despite committing to the Giallorossi for Jose Mourinho and the fans. Now at Sassuolo, Matic reflects on the decisions that shaped his recent two-year journey across Europe.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has explained why the club moved for Roony Bardghji despite the winger’s recovery from a serious injury. The 19-year-old, dubbed the ‘Swedish Messi’, was signed to provide depth behind Lamine Yamal, with Deco comparing the pair’s profiles while stressing the deal was a long-monitored opportunity.

Real Madrid’s 5-0 Champions League win at Kairat Almaty has been overshadowed by Federico Valverde’s emotional statement addressing reports that he had refused to play. The Uruguayan vice-captain strongly denied suggestions of a rift with Xabi Alonso, insisting he has always given “everything and more” for the club, even while playing through injuries.

Robert Lewandowski’s Barcelona future remains uncertain as Deco hailed the striker as “a phenomenon at every level” while insisting his contract situation should not be debated publicly. The Poland international, who scored two match-winners last week and is now eyeing Wednesday's Paris Saint-Germain challenge, is reportedly being monitored by AC Milan as his deal runs down, but Barca remain patient over renewal talks.