Kick-off was delayed in the Europa Conference League game between Nice vs FC Koln because of violent clashes between rival supporters.

 Fans clashed violently in the stands ahead of kick-off, with the decision being made to delay the start of the game. After the UEFA Security Council met, it was decided that the game should proceed, with kick-off delayed until 18:40.

Governing body UEFA said the match was 'delayed due to crowd disturbance' after footage on social media showed masked thugs fighting in the stadium and flares being thrown.

French outlet RMC Sport reported that one supporter was seriously injured after falling from a stand. Police intervened but the players had not started warming up shortly before the originally scheduled 18:45 (17:40 BST) kick off.

Provided things settle down in time for the new start time, Nice are in line to start several of their summer signings, including Jean-Clair Todibo and Marcin Bulka. Fellow new arrival Kasper Schmeichel has been named on the bench, while neither Aaron Ramsey nor Ross Barkley are involved.

"Unfortunately the game between ourselves and Nice has been delayed due to violent clashes between the fan groups in the stadium and on the stands. We are currently discussing the background, a UEFA security meeting is taking place," a Koln statement read.

" condemn every form of violence in the strongest possible terms," they said in tweet. "We stand for a sporting, fair and respectful behaviour with one another.

"We apologise to all the peaceful fans who had made it a football festival up until this point."

Cologne captain Jonas Hector had addressed the crowd through the PA system and called for calm.

"We really want to play the game with you. We also want that game to take place. But we have to say that we do not like to see this," he said.

"We worked hard last year and in the play-off. And we would very much like to do this with you and we ask you to keep calm and support us as much as possible."

When the game eventually started, the two teams played out a 1-1 draw. Steffen Tigges opened the scoring for Cologne but Andy Delort's second-half penalty secured a draw. 

Around 15,000 Cologne fans had travelled to France for the match and taken over the main square in the city during the day.

It was similar to the scenes which marred Cologne's Europa League match at Arsenal in 2017, when the kick of was delayed following crowd trouble.

Arsenal confirmed that the 8.05pm start would be put back an hour after Cologne supporters reportedly stormed the barriers at the north London stadium.

Arsenal confirmed that the 8.05pm start would be put back an hour after Cologne supporters reportedly stormed the barriers at the north London stadium.

In the world of football, few clubs stand out like Chelsea FC. Their trophy cabinet tells a story of incredible success, proving that they have truly won it all!

With their recent UEFA Conference League 4-1 victory over Real Betis, Chelsea completed a historic sweep of all major UEFA titles.

Here is trophy cabinet of Chelsea FC that defines their successful journey in the football world. Take a look.

European Royalty: Conquering the Continent

Chelsea have battled across the continent's most prestigious stages and won every major UEFA club trophy, a feat few clubs can claim.

Their crowning achivements including 2 UEFA Champions League titles, notable defeating Bayern Munich [1-1 (4-3 pens)] in 2012 and Manchester City (1-0) in 2021.

Beyond the Champions League, Chelsea also lifted the UEFA Europa League twice (2013, 2019), and the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971, famously against Real Madrid in the replay, and also in 1998.

Additionally, two UEFA Super Cup victories (1998, 2021) further highlight their continental dominance.

The collection was completed with their 2025 UEFA Conference League triumph, where Chelsea FC beat Real Betis 4-1 in the final.

The domestic dominance of Chelsea FC

Beyond their European conquests, they have also established as masters of England by securing highest domestic honors.

The Blues clinched the First Division/Premier League title and impress six times (1955, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2017) along with eight FA Cup victories (1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018). This makes them the competition's most successful team.

Their domestic dominance also extends to League Cup, which they have won five times in the following years: 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2015.

Completing the Set: Global and Historic Honors

Chelsea's trophy cabinet truly lives upto the "won it all" status by having a collection of unique, historical, and global titles.

The FIFA Club World Cup win over Palmeiras (2-1) in 2021, made them only London club to win the Champions League as well as FIFA Club WC.

Further adding to their phenomenal collection are four Charity/Community Shield triumphs (1955, 2000, 2005, 2009), which mark their traditional early-season dominance.

As we move down to the final count, Chelsea also holds two Full Members' Club Victories (1986, 1990).

A look at Chelsea's Trophy Cabinet:

Hello and welcome to another grand night of European football. As we reach the fag end of the season, we have the big UEFA Conference League final between Real Betis and Chelsea FC at the Stadion Wrocław.

After missing out on Champions League and Europa League football, both teams now have their opportunity to bring home the third tier of European football competition, the Conference League.

Chelsea have been dominating throughout the tournament, which was in fact expected from the double Champions League winners. Meanwhile, after the inclusion of Anthony, Real Betis have looked like a different beast in La Liga and the Conference League.

So, we can expect a great match tonight with both teams looking for the glory. This is Koushik Biswas with the buildup and real-time updates of the Real Betis vs Chelsea FC Conference League Final for you. 

Enjoy the coverage. 

Premier League, also known as the English Premier League, is a top-tier football league in England. This league consists of 20 teams in a league system with a relegation and promotion system to/from the English Championship.

Each team plays 38 matches against every other team, 19 at home and away. The seasons generally start in August and run till May. The Premier League is the most-watched sports league globally and is broadcast in over 200 territories with an average number of viewers of 4.7 billion.

As Liverpool FC won their second title of the Premier League era, we will look at the clubs with the most Premier League titles in the history of English Football.

Read also- Most Bundesliga titles till 2023

Premier League: History

The Football League First Division was the top-tier football league in England from 1888. But in the post-1970s and early 1980s, the league started to reach a low point with incidents like the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, which banned them from UEFA Competitions for five years. 

But after England reached the 1990 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, the downward trend started to reverse. The stadium started to get filled, and the Taylor Report on stadium safety standards also helped clubs to create better standard stadiums. 

After a dispute over TV rights and maximising the club revenue, the big five clubs, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and Arsenal, opted to come out of the Football League First Division and create another league. 

At the close of the 1990-91 season, the FA Premier League was formed, and from 1992-93 the Premier League era started with 22 teams. Manchester United were the first Premier League champions and went on to win seven of the first nine trophies.

Who has won the most Premier League titles?

Till now, 51 teams have played in the Premier League since the tournament was rebranded in 1992. 7 teams have successfully won the Premier League title.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham are considered the 'Big Six' in the Premier League. Unfortunately, Tottenham haven't lifted any major title in their history, but still, they go toe to toe with every club and take part in the title race.

Manchester United, with 13 Premier League titles since 1992, are the most successful club in the Premier League era.

Most Premier League titles won by the clubs

Most Premier League Titles

7. Leicester City - 1 title

In the 2015-16 Premier League season, Leicester City won the title in the Premier League. They were considered to be an underdog before but they overcame the rough phase and won the Premier League title in the club's 132-year history.

Striker Jamie Vardy broke the record for consecutive games with a goal in the Premier League (11). Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez became both the first African and Algerian player to be the recipient of the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Also Read: Football Facts: Son-Father Football Pair Who Played For Same Club

6. Blackburn Rovers - 1 title

Blackburn Rovers was one of the 22 founding members of the Premier League era. They won the Premier League a long time ago in the 1994-95 season. Alan Shearer, with 34 goals for them, was the top scorer of the season. However, they were relegated in the 1998–99 season, becoming one of the 42 teams that were relegated as the Premier League champions.

Right after two seasons, they were promoted again in the 2000-01 season, but they were relegated yet once again, and that too in the same season. Unfortunately, they have not returned to the Premier League since then.

5. Liverpool FC - 2 titles

The Anfield Giants are one of the most popular English Clubs. Midfield maestros Steven Gerrard and William Shankly were a few of the legends that the club produced.

However, Liverpool had to wait for 30 years for their first-ever Premier League title. The club won the Premier League once in 2019-20 under German tactician Jurgen Klopp. That was Liverpool's nineteenth overall title in England's top-tier football. 

Mohamed Salah, with 19 goals, was one of the star performers for the Reds in that season. 

As their most recent league success, Liverpool won the Premier League 2024-25 title with 4 games to go in the season. Arne Slot's first season as the Liverpool manager gave them their 20th Title in the top flight and 2nd in the Premier League era.

Mohamed Salah again played a pivotal role in their success with 28 goals and counting. 

4. Arsenal FC - 3 titles

The London Giants Arsenal are one of the most famous football clubs on planet earth. They have won the title 3 times in the years 1997-98, 2001-02, and 2003-04.

They were the first club to create Premier League history by maintaining a 38-game unbeaten streak to win the title in 2003-04.

In domestic football, Arsenal has won 13 league titles, a record 14 FA Cups, two League Cups, and 17 FA Community Shields, but they haven't won a single European title yet.

Read Also: The Invincibles: 8 times a football team won their league undefeated

3. Chelsea FC - 5 titles

Another London club, Chelsea, is on this list, and there is no doubt why they are the best London Club in the Premier League. They won the title 5 times in the years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2014-15, and 2016-17.

The Blues won their first Premier League title under the 'Special One' Jose Mourinho, who completely changed the face of this London Club alongside Roman Abramovich, who was the Chelsea owner at that time.

They have also won the Champions League 2 times, alongside 2 Europa League titles. 

2. Manchester City - 8 titles

Manchester City, the Blue side of Manchester, are the reigning champions of England and Europe. This team have won the title 7 times in the years 2011-12, 2013-14, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.

In the 2023-24 season, Manchester City became the first club to win the Premier League for a record fourth consecutive season. No side in English football history had ever won the top-flight more than three years back-to-back.

They are the second Club after Manchester United to complete the three-pit in the Premier League and win the European treble.

The club has won nine league titles, seven FA Cups, eight League Cups, six FA Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, one European Cup Winners' Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup.

Read Also | Barcelona 2008/09 vs Man City 2022/23 - which Pep Guardiola treble team is better?

1. Manchester United - 13 titles

The team with the most Premier League Titles is Manchester United, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. They are the most successful team in the English Premier League and also the most famous English Club on the Entire Planet. United were also the first-ever team to win the Premier League.

They were the first English club to ever win the European treble, and that remained a record until Manchester City finally matched it in the 2022-23 season. Manchester United won the titles in 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, and 2012-13.

Read Also | 15 most successful football clubs in England

They have also won the most number of trophies in England, and that happened because of the Scottish manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. Sir Alex is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time and has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of football

The 2024/25 UEFA Conference League Round of 16, Quarter-final, and Semi-final draw took place on Friday 21, 2025 at the House of Nyon in Switzerland.

Some high-intensity matchups like Fiorentina vs Panathinaikos meet for the first time in UEFA Conference League history. The ties will take place on March 6 and 13.

Who will win the #UECL? 🏆

Pick the winner of each tie and sim the rest of the competition 👇#UECLbracket | @Betano_PT

— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) February 21, 2025

Here are the full details of the full round of 16 draws and which teams are taking place into the round of 16.

Seeded Teams (League Phase Top Eights)

• Cercle Brugge (BEL)
• Chelsea (ENG)
• Djurgarden (SWE)
• Fiorentina (ITA)
• Legia Warszawa (POL)
• Lugano (SUI)
• SK Rapid (AUT)
• Vitoria SC (POR)

Unseeded Teams (Knock-out phase Play-offs winners)

• Borac (BIH)
• Celje (SVN)
• Copenhagen (DEN)
• Jagiellonia (POL)
• Molde (NOR)
• Pafos (CYP)
• Panathinaikos (GRE)
• Real Betis (ESP)

UEFA Conference League Round of 16 fixtures

First Leg

Date: Thursday 6 March 2025

Time: 18:45 CET & 23:15 IST 

• Copenhagen vs Chelsea
• Molde vs Liga Warszawa 
• Panathinaikos vs Fiorentina
• Real Betis vs Vitoria SC
• Borac vs SK Rapid
• Celje vs Lugano
• Jagiellonia vs Cercle Brugge 
• Pafos vs Djurgarden 

Second Leg

Date: Thursday 13 March 2025

Time: 18:45 CET & 23:15 IST

• Cercle Brugge vs Jagiellonia
• Djurgarden vs Pafos
• Lugano vs Celje
• SK Rapid vs Borac
• Chelsea vs Copenhagen
• Fiorentina vs Panathinaikos
• Liga Warszawa vs Molde
• Vitoria SC vs Real Betis

UEFA Conference League Quarter Finals Draw

1. Real Betis or Vitoria SC vs Jagiellonia or Cercle Brugge
2. Celje or Lugano vs Panathinaikos or Fiorentina
3. Copenhagen or Chelsea vs Molda or Legia Warszawa
4. Pafos or Djurgarden vs Borac or SK Rapid

UEFA Conference League Semi-Finals Draw:

• Winner QF-1 vs Winner QF-2
• Winner QF-3 vs Winner QF-4

 Round of 16 Draw:

The clubs were paired based on their positions at the end of the league phase to form four seeded pairs (clubs in positions 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8).

The clubs in each seeded pair were drawn into one of two positions in the round of 16 against the relevant winner of the knockout phase play-offs, whose position was determined by the knockout phase play-off draw.

Four bowls were prepared for the draw, with the balls containing the names of each pair of seeded teams placed in the corresponding marked bowls according to the league rankings.

The draw allocated the side of the bracket for all the seeded teams, starting with the teams ranked 7/8 and finishing with the teams 1/2.

One ball was taken from the bowl containing the two relevant ranked teams. For example, the teams ranked 7 and 8 and were opened to display the team. The first team drawn from this bowl was placed in their reserved spot on the silver side of the bracket. The other seeded team of the pairing was then drawn displayed and allocated in the corresponding reserved spot on the green side of the bracket.

The same procedure was carried out with the remaining seeded teams.

In principle, the seeded clubs play the return leg at home.

Road to Wroclaw

Round of 16: 6 and 13 March 2025
Quarter-finals: 10 and 17 April 2025
Semi-finals: 1 and 8 May 2025
Final: 28 May 2025

Technology is quickly changing how players train in football and cricket, transforming conventional practices for these games and it is redefining human performance.

The role of technology in these two popular sports is visible, from relying on sensors which monitor all activity; to virtual reality simulations that aid decision-making, 

In recent years, technology has become smaller, more robust, and versatile, and thus new opportunities, especially in sports, have emerged. At the moment, updates are provided through smartphones, wearable functionality is used to avoid injury, GPS is used to track movement, and players are outfitted with sensors that send real-time information to a coach's device.

This article addresses the state-of-the-art equipment and approaches that are changing the paradigm of training, player development, and the game itself.

How Technology is Changing Cricket and Football Training

1. Wearable Technology

Trainers can invoke sensors wired to the body or some portion of "smart clothing" for measurement and monitoring in real-time. The real-time displays can be used to help the trainer determine what every sportsperson should push more. During training practice, trainers can use real-time measures to inform when to stretch, rest, or make training more challenging.

Laser and GPS are both being used more and more in different aspects of sports preparation. Instead of looking only at times and splits, coaches can measure athletes' exact position, distance, velocity, and acceleration, to better analyze their areas of improvement.

2. Video Analysis Tools

Modern-day football is becoming faster and more tactical. Athletes have to acquire both their athleticism and tactical awareness to enhance their decision-making process in the course of play. Video analysis is used for both individual and team tactical development.

In football, video analysis usually consists of a careful analysis and examination of game matches, practice, and player activity, to assess player performance, tactics, and strategies. Advanced technologies such as wearable tracking units and video analysis techniques are used in the process of achieving these things to capture and analyze critical elements of data, e.g., player location, combinations of teams, and player movements.

Video analysis can be used by coaches, analysts, and players to obtain a more complete picture of what goes on around the ball by giving a graphical representation of the game happening around them.

Video analysis can help a group of individuals to recognize the points of improvement, e.g., to enhance the winning approach and cope with different match situations effectively as the tool between the raw performance data and useful insights.

3. Virtual Reality (VR) Training

Virtual Reality (VR) applications have been of considerable interest in many high-performance and entertainment applications over the past few years with advances in technology, increased availability, and the mobility of VR systems.

More precisely, by embedding environmental constraints within an interactive virtual space, VR can also be used to train in motor, mental, and cognitive skills, strategy, and tactics.

VR offers promising novel solutions to many professional high-pressure, high-skill environments, especially for the training, and learning of difficult skills in otherwise expensive and/or hazardous settings. When properly used, VR provides complete control over the training environment, including cues and challenges, along with safe and reproducible training tasks. 

Because of this, it is designated as a promising instrument, which could help increase athletes' performance.

4. Biomechanical Analysis

The scientific study of biomechanics focuses on the physics and mechanics of how organisms move. In its general sense, it may include anything from knowing how a dancer entirely moves the whole body to the microscopic muscle cell-level response and observing the posture of an active horse.

Biomechanics is a narrower area in sports, which can offer helpful input to sportsmen, trainers, and sports medicine professionals who can help to enhance performance and decrease the chance of injury.

All of these biomechanical tests, including poor kinematics, rotational forces in specific joints, muscle imbalances, fatigue monitoring, and the quality of the movement being rehabilitated, may be detected.

5. Data Analytics

Data analytics has optimized athletes' performance by identifying previously unknown factors and related events. Those actions include, for example, leg motion, dive angle, rotational speed, and fluid motion.

Trainers can help players to successfully use this type of sophisticated movement tracking. If it is on the order of milliseconds, it can be the deciding factor for a race win or loss.

6. Recovery Technology

A significant reduction in injury levels and faster detection times demonstrates how technology greatly benefits sports training. Performance monitoring, movement processing, and improving communication are not only advantages but also contribute to making less susceptible environments.

Trainers and coaches can use training management software to monitor the specific training-based elements related to, for example, energy, nutrition, and sleep, that constitute the training process. Individualization of practices by trainers or coaches to optimize results helps prevent fatigue and self-inflicted injuries.

Besides the unavoidable external factors, injury-free sports may eventually be realized as a future scenario.

7. Communication and Collaboration Tools

Training communication has been enhanced by tools such as YouTube. YouTube contains millions of minutes of exercise and entertainment that are available to, and easily shared by anyone.

Physicists, especially in the area of sport and motor control, need to put much more emphasis on teaching sport and motor control with play debates or footage from films for their continuing education.1 Athletes and coaches can load and view the required films during sports practice or leisure time.

Other communication technologies have further been developed, namely My Fitness Pal, computer or mobile-phone journals on food and exercise, and personal digital health. My Fitness Pal enables trainers to monitor athletes' everyday diets, and players would be responsible for their training.