All these pre-season friendlies in the United States are big business — we’ve got the story of the man who masterminds them.
Plus: Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher nears a move to Spain, Manchester United’s injury crisis continues, and what we learned from Arsenal vs Liverpool in Philadelphia.
Meet Mr Fixer
Who is Charlie Stillitano?
Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti cannot speak highly enough of him. He has an extensive back catalogue of anecdotes featuring encounters with the game’s most glittering names, headlined by Pele. And he once had the University of California, Los Angeles build a swimming pool for Jose Mourinho.
This is Charlie Stillitano, a 64-year-old Italian-American sports executive known by some of the most powerful figures in the game as Mr Fixer.
Stillitano helps organise pre-season friendlies — but not traditional, unglamorous English friendlies played in half-empty stadiums against plucky lower-league opposition. These are multi-million-dollar pre-season friendlies in the United States between footballing powerhouses.
Adam Crafton spent two hours in Stillitano’s beguiling company.
What have Ferguson and Mourinho said?
More than being an astute businessman, Stillitano gets football.
From having his own team dedicated to looking after the grass on the pitches to organising flights from private airports to avoid queues, he is instinctively tuned in to what clubs demand to function abroad. As Mourinho put it: “He perfectly understood the needs of a top football team.”
The game’s greats trust Stillitano so implicitly that, in 2008, he was asked to operate as an interpreter for Ancelotti when he negotiated with Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich and chief executive Peter Kenyon before taking the club’s managerial post. “He helped me in that special situation,” Ancelotti said.
But beyond his business and football acumen, it is his charisma that football’s most powerful figures are quick to praise.
“His personality is the most important thing,” said Ferguson. “His love of the game. His enthusiasm. From 2003, when we met, to 2024, he has not changed. He’s been a really good friend. He’d do anything for you.”
Why is he so important?
Stillitano helped bring El Clasico to the U.S. for the first time in 2017, and this calibre of pre-season fixture is becoming an annual and lucrative occurrence among Europe’s top clubs.
These clubs are commercial heavyweights and the games offer an opportunity to engage with their huge overseas fanbases. They are vastly popular, too: tickets for this summer’s friendly between Manchester United and Liverpool in South Carolina sold more quickly than a 2016 Beyonce concert held in the same venue.
A debate now rages about whether Premier League fixtures should one day be played in the U.S. You wouldn’t bet against Stillitano being on hand to organise them.
News Round-Up
Trouble For Ten Hag
Yoro, left, and Hojlund (Getty Images)
What to do about United’s injuries…
Manchester United’s pre-season is just four friendlies old, but last term’s injury problems are already repeating themselves.
Highly rated 18-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro, signed from under the noses of Real Madrid, is facing three months on the sidelines after sustaining a metatarsal injury in the first match of United’s U.S. pre-season tour against Arsenal.
Striker Rasmus Hojlund also suffered a hamstring injury in the same game and is expected to be out for around six weeks. More injury concerns followed as United played Real Betis on Wednesday, with Marcus Rashford (above) and Antony both forced off.
The main issue is at centre-back, and Yoro’s injury will be a factor in United’s transfer-market activity. Moves for Matthijs de Ligt and Jarrad Branthwaite could return to the agenda.
As we can see, Erik ten Hag has had little luck with injuries — and another of his prestigious young talents, Kobbie Mainoo, needs a midfield partner. Carl Anka has assessed the options.
Chelsea’s Challenges
Gallagher, goalkeepers and squad harmony
New Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has a lengthy to-do list.
First: Conor Gallagher, who has been tipped for a move all summer. Atletico Madrid are in advanced discussions over a £34million move after the midfielder rejected a Chelsea contract offer. Could Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fill a Gallagher void? Wednesday’s friendly victory over Club America provided positive signs.
Then, goalkeepers. Chelsea signed two last summer in Djordje Petrovic and Robert Sanchez and added another last month with Filip Jorgensen.
Maresca’s style of play demands specific goalkeeping attributes and none of the trio ticks all of the boxes. Sanchez needs to become more involved in possession, Petrovic must be more daring in his distribution (see above) and Jorgensen is not progressive enough in his positioning. Petrovic could leave after a single season.
Then there’s Enzo Fernandez and the fallout from the racist chant sung in the aftermath of Argentina’s Copa America win. Team-mate and France international Wesley Fofana, who labelled the chant “uninhibited racism” in a since-deleted X post, says the pair have talked and Fernandez has apologised.
“I trust him because I know him,” Fofana said. “I know he is not racist… I hope this has educated him a bit.” France will play Argentina in the Olympic men’s football quarter-finals on Friday.Elsewhere at Chelsea, Victor Osimhen could be another addition, despite the Napoli striker not hitting his previous heights last season. Anantaajith Raghuraman examines if this was just a flash in the pan.
PL In The U.S.
What does Merino interest mean for Havertz?
While transfer chatter swirls, actual football continues to be played.
Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-1 in Philadelphia on Wednesday evening but Kai Havertz impressed in his old midfield role. This came against the backdrop of Arsenal’s interest in Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino — who is similar in profile to Havertz.
Is there life in the Havertz midfield experiment, or would signing Merino allow the Germany international to remain as Arsenal’s No 9?
What is Slot finding out in pre-season?
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring against Arsenal and looked back to his former, dazzling self after a difficult end to last season. Integral to Klopp’s success, will he be similarly pivotal to the Arne Slot era?
Wednesday’s win also showcased the young talent Slot has inherited. Jarell Quansah was among them, with Ibrahima Konate facing another fight for a starting spot.
While in the U.S., James Pearce spoke to forward Diogo Jota. His first impressions of Slot? “Already, I can tell that he’s precise. He goes into a lot of detail.”
Around The Athletic FC
(Ryan Reynolds via Instagram)
🎥 Wrexham’s Hollywood story continued as strikers Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer made cameos in Ryan Reynolds’ new comic book movie, Deadpool & Wolverine.
🔮 The Champions League format is changing next season. Dan Sheldon runs us through how the draw will be automated to cope with the expansion.
💰 Everton had another takeover bid collapse last month. Matt Slater explains why a £200m loan is key to the club’s future and offers an update on Sheffield United’s sale.
(Top photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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