It's football time! This weekend we will visit the newly created Sydney derby , a 'Good Old Times' clash in Iran and a match between the two rising clubs of the Balkans.
(All times are in CET local time)
Amateur (Like this guys)
What? Sydney FC – Western Sydney Wanderers (Australian A-League)
When? Saturday, 10:30
Where? Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Why? It's only the 10th ever Sydney derby in the A-League era, but and it's already one of the best rivalries in this league. When Sydney FC play at home, the stadium is full with 40,000 fans that make an extraordinary atmosphere by Australian standards.
Key Players: For Sydney FC, we should focus on the captain, Alex Brosque, who led the team to the A-League final last season. Western Sydney Wanderers have Nikolai Topor-Stanley, who has played for the club since its establishment and led the team to its greatest moment - winning the AFC Champions League in 2014.
A-Legend: In order to have legendary match, you need legendary players. Sydney FC won the first ever derby in October 2012 and the first ever scorer was Alessandro Del Piero. The Italian Prince went for it. Just watch the madness.
Professional (like this guy)
What? Sepahan – Esteghlal (Iran Pro League)
When? Monday, 14:30
Where? Fooladshahr Stadium, Isfahan
Why? A clash between the two league leaders, as Esteghlal are leading the table and Sepahan are two points behind in 2nd place. Historically, it's more than just another match. It's a match between two of the largest cities, Tehran and Isfahan, and two of the biggest clubs in Iranian football.
Key Players: Sepahan have one of the hot Iranian prospects for the future, Ali Karimi. He is not the former Bayern Munich player, but a promising youngster, who is just 21 years old. Esteghlal's main figure is Omid Ebrahimi, who has scored 5 goals in his first 8 matches and was part of Iran squad for the last Asian Cup.
Continental Luxury: In 2012, the teams faced each other in an historical match in the AFC Champions League round of 16. Sepahan defeated Esteghlal 2:0 and qualified for the next stage. Sepahan were eliminated in the quarter finals after losing to the eventual runners-up, the Saudi team Al-Ahli.
World Class (like this guy)
What? Feronikeli – Trepça'89 (Kosovo Superliga)
When? Saturday, 13:30
Where? Rexhep Rexhepi Stadium, Drenas
Why? Feronikeli had a sensational season last year, winning the club’s first ever title. The club is in 3rd place with 19 points at the moment, trying to defend the title. Meanwhile, Trepça'89, the smaller club in Mitrovicë, are leading the table with 21 points. It is going to be another classic Balkan clash.
Key Players: Feronikeli’s game is based around Behar Maliqi, one of the heroes of last season’s famous title, who has also won 3 caps for the Kosovo national team. For, Trepça'89, you can't ignore Blerand Kurtishaj, one of the leading youngsters in the domestic league.
All around the World: The war in Kosovo led many families to emigrate from the area. Today there are over 80 players of Kosovan descent, 46 of them in Switzerland, who plays for different European youth and senior national teams.