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BUSINESS TIME

After eight months and 252 games, Bigger Cup has finally reached the bare-knuckle stage of this bizarrely elongated competition. We get the thrilling spectacle of three repeat fixtures from the league phase, thanks to the suits wanting to make this the most thrilling and profitable product possible. The world demands more Galatasaray v Liverpool, extra Kieran Trippier v Lamine Yamal and plenty of Pep Guardiola against whichever former Anfield stalwart is in the Real Madrid dugout this week. It is very much Groundhog Day for the TikTok generation, with Uefa desperately hoping that short attention spans mean everyone has already forgotten these earlier matchups.

Anyway, do not adjust your TV sets this midweek because there are – count them – six English teams still standing, even if Tottenham are punch-drunk from being the Premier League’s 16th best team. Their very interim head coach Igor Tudor blurted an inspirational “our first aim is the Premier League, this needs to be said publicly” before tackling Atlético Madrid on Tuesday. It is also out in the open that he is in charge of an incredibly poor team who bungled their way to mixing it with the elite by defeating an even worse Manchester United in Bigger Vase last season. The Croatian has already overseen losses to European giants Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace, so is likely to get his wish of focusing on his plan to avoid a trip to Lincoln next season soon enough. Admittedly, Spurs finished fourth in the Bigger Cup group table, so maybe they are more suited to trips to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano than Turf Moor.

Arne Slot found salvation in Europe, too, leading his side to third by shoeing the likes of continental minnows Qarabag and Inter. They did, however, lose in Istanbul to Tuesday’s opponents, learning about the cauldron of Rams Park and there will be plenty more rutting to come in hell. Alisson went off during the game back in September and has decided the travel is not for him this time on account of some unspecified knack. Giorgi Mamardashvili will be given his first start in two months, having last featured against Barnsley in the FA Cup, which will be a very different vibe to 90 minutes of whistling and hullabaloo.

The pubs of Newcastle will also be buzzing with talk of Faustino Asprilla’s 1997 hat-trick against Barça, a team who had zero idea how to defend a Keith Gillespie cross. “I want our players to be talked about in the same way in 20, 30, 40 years,” chirped Eddie Howe. Unfortunately, they have already lost to the Catalans this season, offering up a strong indication of the gap between the two. People also neglect to mention they lost at Camp Nou 29 years ago and did not make it out of a group that Barcelona finished bottom of, so in many ways Will Osula has already surpassed the great Colombian, regardless of what happens over the next eight days. These are the nights people will never forget, until they inevitably get drawn against one another in three months’ time in some post-Geopolitics World Cup Maga Invitational.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join Scott Murray from 5.45pm GMT for hot Bigger Cup last-16, first-leg action from Galatasaray 2-2 Liverpool, while Rob Smyth will be on clockwatch duty for the rest of the evening’s action at 8pm, including Atalanta 0-2 Bayern, Atlético 2-1 Tottenham, and Newcastle 1-3 Barcelona.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult that decision is for each of the individual women, but certainly last night it was joy, it was relief. People were very excited about embarking on a life in Australia” – home affairs minister Tony Burke reveals that five members of the Iran women’s national team, led by captain Zahra Ghanbari, have been granted formal protection with temporary humanitarian visas, which offers a pathway to permanent residency.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Re: the masked fan in Germany who unplugged the ref’s review monitor in a protest at VAR (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). Please tell me it was this guy!” – Antony T.

With respect to Greg Wynn’s missive (yesterday’s Football Daily letters), Oscar Piastri crashed on the reconnaissance lap, which is like a footballer getting knacked while getting off the bus” – Robert Pearce (and others).

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Antony T. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them are here.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Join Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack and co for the latest edition of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast.

RECOMMENDED LOOKING

This week’s David Squires cartoon features Ben Waine’s Shearer tribute act, plus an unsettling trip to Mansfield for Mikel Arteta.

FINALISSIMA COUNTDOWN

The Spanish Football Federation’s senior wonk, Rafael Louzán, says it’s crunch time, with a decision on whether to play the Finalissima between Argentina and Spain in Qatar having to be made within the next 48 hours. The game between the European and South American champions is scheduled for 27 March at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, but matches in Qatar have been postponed until further notice after the United States-Israel strikes on Iran. “It’s going to be very difficult [for the game to be played in Doha],” Louzán said. “In fact, four days ago we cancelled two charter flights that we had booked for this event. It’s likely to be moved to Europe because the majority of players [of Spain and Argentina] are based there. That would be the logical outcome.” Football bodies making logical decisions?

MOVING THE GOALPOSTS

“How can Caf repeatedly treat the Wafcon so shabbily, with so much disrespect to players?” Outrage is growing over the late postponement, as Osasu Obayiuwana reports, in the latest extract of our sibling newsletter.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

Joey Barton has been charged with attacking a man in Liverpool. The former footballer was detained by police after the incident outside Huyton and Prescot golf club at 9pm on Sunday. Barton, 43, was one of two men arrested as emergency services responded to reports a man had been seriously assaulted. Merseyside police confirmed that Barton would appear in court later on Tuesday on suspicion of section 18 wounding with intent, a form of grievous bodily harm. The force said the alleged victim was in a serious but stable condition in hospital, being treated for severe injuries to his face and body.

Separately, Barton has been told to pay Eni Aluko more than £300,000 in damages and legal costs after he was sued for libel. Aluko, who brought legal action over two posts Barton made in 2024 on social media abomination X, said after the hearing: “I’m glad it’s the end.”

Fifa suit Heimo Schirgi insists the GWC will go ahead as planned despite ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “At some stage, we will have a resolution, and the [Geopolitics] World Cup will go on, obviously,” he tooted. “The [GWC] is too big, and we hope that everyone can participate that has qualified.”

Ten players from Jamaican side Mount Pleasant have been denied entry to the US for their Concacaf Champions Cup tie against LA Galaxy. “We don’t want to just show up, we want to be able to compete, but we are not being given the opportunity to be at our best,” sighed the club’s sporting director, Paul Christie.

Dortmund forward Carney Chukwuemeka has pulled the old switcheroo, changing his allegiance from England to Austria before the GWC. The 22-year-old made 23 England appearances at youth level and was his side’s top scorer when England won the U19 Euros in 2022. Chukwuemeka was born in Vienna before his family moved to Northampton when he was a child.

The FA has fined Millwall £45,000 for offensive chanting at September’s Milk Cup tie against Crystal Palace. It is their third breach in three years.

And Pete Wild is the new incumbent in the Tranmere Rovers hot seat.

STILL WANT MORE?

Ben Doherty has a backgrounder on the Iranian players’ battle for freedom in Australia.

How do you solve a problem like Tottenham? Have I Got News For You producer and Spurs regular Jon Harvey has some thoughts, among them a different celebrity manager for each remaining game.

Liverpool need one of their big nights in Istanbul to revitalise a sputtering season, writes Jonathan Wilson.

Keeping politics out of football latest: former Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is leading the polls for the city’s mayoral election but it’s been a spiky race. Raphaël Jucobin reports.

And Sid Lowe trains his Spanish spotlight on Osasuna’s dramatic draw with Mallorca, and the goalscoring feats of Ante Budimir and Vedat Muriqi.

MEMORY LANE

To September 2001 and Brescia coach Carlo Mazzone has to be held back after Roberto Baggio grabbed a stoppage-time leveller to complete his hat-trick and secure a 3-3 draw at home to Atalanta. The legendary Brescia boss had been getting pelters from opposition fans all game, and promised to enjoy a full and frank conversation with them after Baggio had made it 3-2. When Il Divin Codino later struck with a free-kick, Mazzone was off. “I turned into lightning,” he explained. “I ran like lightning without thinking what might happen when I got there. I wanted to settle this once and for all. Man to man, in a rustic fashion, in an old-fashioned duel.” Pierluigi Collina, the man in the middle, waited for Mazzone to return before sending him off, his fate calmly accepted. It’s well worth reading this for more about the teams’ rivalry down the years.

‘7P ON SAD KEN, PLEASE’