The Football Daily Christmas Awards 2025: A Satirical Look at a Tumultuous Year in Football
The Football Daily Christmas Awards 2025 marks the fourth edition of the satirical annual awards, offering a humorous yet critical take on the football world over the past year.
Liverpool's post-title spending spree featured signings like Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitiké, alongside contract renewals for Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. However, the awards mocked the purchases as a potential misstep in the club's strategy.
At Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ambitious "Make Manchester United Great Again" plan faced scrutiny. The year saw staff cuts, asset sales, increased ticket prices, investments from UK outsiders, rising debt, and a controversial Old Trafford redevelopment resembling an oversized circus tent.
Wolves experienced managerial turbulence; Vítor Pereira was given a three-year contract but was dismissed after only six weeks due to poor results. He was replaced by Rob Edwards.
Scotland's World Cup campaign was portrayed as a dramatic and heartbreakingly entertaining story, highlighted by an impressive win over Brazil but eventual elimination as a top third-place side.
Tottenham Hotspur saw a rapid managerial collapse when Ange Postecoglou's tenure lasted only 40 days, with the episode ending at Nottingham Forest. Fans responded with songs about his sacking, marking it as the shortest permanent Premier League reign.
Julen Lopetegui's career trajectory included a brief and unhappy stint rebuilding West Ham, followed by a role as Qatar's national team coach, where he secured his first qualifier victory against Iran.
In the NWSL, Seattle Reign's head coach Laura Harvey revealed she used ChatGPT to strategize a switch to a back five formation, contributing to the team's fifth-place finish.
Finally, Javier Tebas's efforts to stage Villarreal vs Barcelona matches abroad drew protests and raised integrity concerns. Tebas was notably seen in Riyadh pursuing further international fixtures.
This satirical review encapsulates a year filled with off-field drama, managerial upheavals, and evolving tactics across global football.
