For Manchester United, the answer to a slump in form or a crisis of confidence comes in 50 pound notes. Millions of them.
The policy of buying players cheap and selling them for a higher price a few years on is a business model that worked well for clubs like Atletico Madrid and FC Porto. With the transfer window open for the next few weeks, Rediff.com takes a look at clubs that made smart deals over the years.
A summary of the results of the major European football league matches on the weekend.
Of the 220 players who started for Premier League clubs at the weekend, only 73, or 33.2 per cent, were eligible to play for England.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Paul Pogba repaid some of his world record transfer fee with two goals as Manchester United rediscovered their early-season shine, cruising to a 4-1 Europa League win over Fenerbahce to go top of their group on Thursday. Pogba scored a penalty and rifled United's third into the top corner. Anthony Martial also netted from the spot and Jesse Lingard fired home in the second half before former Old Trafford favourite Robin van Persie pulled one back for Fenerbahce. Inter Milan and AS Roma, though, had more testing evenings. Coach Frank de Boer breathed a sigh of relief when Inter survived an onslaught from Southampton to end a three-match losing streak with a 1-0 victory while Roma conceded twice late on to draw 3-3 at home to Austria Vienna.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
What a difference an international break makes. Before Europe's top domestic leagues were interrupted by players jetting off around the world to play for their countries, Manchester United's supposed new dawn under Louis van Gaal was obscured by dark clouds.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A leap in commercial and broadcast revenue lifted Manchester United into second place behind Real Madrid on the list of the world's richest clubs in 2013-14, according to Deloitte's latest Football Money League.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
England striker Wayne Rooney has signed a four-year contract extension with Premier League champions Manchester United that will keep their prize asset at the club until June 2019.
Manchester United emerged from the transfer window with a rich icing and the brightest of cherries to decorate their cake but the suspicion remains that the team's base may crumble under pressure.
Sergeant Rupert Frere, who transferred from a role in bomb disposal to become a photographer in the Royal Logistic Corps, won no fewer than five of the professional categories.
Liverpool's new manager Juergen Klopp promised to bring 'full throttle' football with a 'big heart' to Anfield in his first comments since the German was unveiled as the Merseyside's club new manager on Thursday night.
Karim Benzema scored his sixth goal in four games as Real Madrid beat Alaves 3-0 on Sunday for a fourth successive La Liga victory which took the European champions to within eight points of leaders Barcelona.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Denmark international Christian Eriksen showed that Tottenham Hotspur still have plenty to look forward to following the sale of Gareth Bale with a hugely impressive debut in their 2-0 win over Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Yeo Moriba laughed as she recalled her showdown with the fearsome Alex Ferguson, one of many confrontations with football authority over the future of her son Paul Pogba. Ferguson was notorious for his 'hairdryer' blasts at players in the Manchester United dressing room and the proud mother told AFP how the tough Scots manager had once left her son in tears in his office. And that may be why Pogba escaped the clutches of the Red Devils to join Juventus. The 23-year-old French midfielder will be one of the most watched players at the European Championship finals. After three years struggling for a first team place, Pogba refused to sign a new contract in 2012. Ferguson took matters into his own hands and decided to confront Moriba, who acts as her son's agent, manager and advisor as well as her two other twin sons Guinea internationals Florentin and Mathias. "I said: 'What? Ferguson coming to my house! He came alone'," said the mother, laughing heartily again. Ferguson left alone disappointed. "We had got together with his brothers and we decided: he won't re-sign," added Moriba.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Here's this week's collection of wacky and funny stories from around the world.
Carlos Tevez is getting paid 615,000 a week at Shanghai Shenhua, making him the world's best-paid player. His salary is now more than Cristiano Ronaldo's and Lionel Messi's!
The ban on liquor advertising is an example of policy hypocrisy at play.
As Manchester United prepare to embark on a new era following Louis van Gaal;s departure, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com offers a diagnosis of what went wrong with the most successful Premier League club after Sir Alex Ferguson called it a day.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday
Danny Welbeck's hat-trick in a 4-1 thrashing of a feeble Galatasaray side helped ignite Arsenal's Champions League campaign in a lop-sided Group D clash in north London on Wednesday.
Angel di Maria's move from Real Madrid to Old Trafford was such a disaster that Manchester United was more than willing to incur losses of more than 15 million pounds on their investment. Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com looks at the Argentina star's nightmare year at the 'Theatre of Dreams'.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Charlie Adam scored twice as Stoke City beat Manchester United 2-1 on Saturday to show the flailing Premier League champions it will take more than one big-money signing to improve their fortunes.
World champions Germany drew 1-1 with Spain in a high tempo friendly on Friday as they launched their preparations for a title defence in Russia while their opponents had striker Diego Costa making his long-awaited comeback as a substitute.
Ronaldo equals Raul Real Madrid record while Morata emulates Del Piero after scoring in five consecutive matches
'Arthur was a charming, quirky, funny, smart journalist who loved all things about films. And he would change my life forever.'
President Obama's coming visit to India has created quite a buzz, here is a look at all past visits of American Presidents to the country
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