Winners: Liverpool
When Jurgen Klopp announced his departure a year ago, Liverpool FC fans were afraid of what would happen next. What can we expect under new coach Arne Slot, how will the squad change and, above all, will it be possible to build on old successes?
The simple answer: Yes! With just four matchdays left in the season, the Reds can no longer be denied the Premier League title. With a 15-point lead and seven more wins than second-placed Arsenal, they have dominated the competition throughout the season. In the end, it was a 5-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur that impressively sealed the title.
At the celebrations, the Dutchman sang about the man he has to thank for this successful start: "Jurgen Klopp, na na na na na na an...".
Losers: Hamburger SV & 1. FC Koln
The promotion race in the Bundesliga 2 looked to be decided with Hamburger SV and 1. FC Koln seemingly too far ahead of the rest of the league. However, both top clubs continue to delay their return to the German top flight. On Sunday, HSV lost 2-1 against Karlsruher SC, while Cologne lost 1-0 at Hannover 96.
Suddenly, the pursuers are lurking again - even if they can't really catch up. The Red Shirts still have a three-point lead over 1. FC Magdeburg, while the Billy Goats have four. Behind them, things remain tight. Even tenth-placed 1. FC Nurnberg, nine points behind Cologne, still have a (theoretical) chance of winning the title.
Winners: Celtic
The championship was also decided in Scotland. Four matchdays before the end of the season, Celtic now have a 17-point lead over rivals Rangers. With the 55th title in the club's history, they are now also Scotland's joint record champions, alongside Rangers.
In the decisive match against Dundee United, German winger Nicolas Kühn and teammate Adam Idah scored twice. The first goal in the 5-0 win was an own goal.
However, Celtic can still break numerous records at the end of the season. On the one hand, with three draws at present, the club holds the record for the fewest draws in a season, should there be no more by the end of the season.
In addition, their own record for the most goals in a season is still on the horizon. At least twelve goals would have to be scored in the remaining four games to equal this record.
Losers: Inter Milan
Just as Hamburg and Cologne are running out of steam as the season draws to a close, so too are Inter Milan. The defending Serie A champions have suffered two bitter defeats in the space of a week against FC Bologna (1-0) and AS Roma (1-0), which has seen them slip to second place.
The new league leaders after this weekend are Napoli. The team of the spirited Antonio Conte will hardly be able to believe their luck, as the championship was probably no longer possible under their own accord. But suddenly it is in their hands.
It is quite possible that Inter are struggling with the potential of the treble. While Napoli have only lost once this calendar year, the Nerazzurri have four times. With the Champions League semi-final on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether Inter's situation will improve.
Winners: Wrexham
Wrexham continue to march through the leagues and have been promoted to the Championship in the 2024/2025 season. The club of prominent owners Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney was first promoted from the fifth-tier National League in the 2022/2023 season. This was followed by two further promotions in two years, meaning that the club will play in the second-tier Championship in the coming season.
This will make the club the second Welsh team to compete in the Championship alongside Swansea City. Cardiff City is another team from Wales, but were relegated this season. Wrexham were able to celebrate at their home Racecourse Ground thanks to a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic.
Losers: HSC Montpellier
Since the 2009/2010 season, HSC Montpellier have played consistently in France's top division, Ligue 1. In 2011/2012, they were surprisingly crowned champions and played in the Champions League the following season. In the group stage, they were defeated by FC Arsenal, FC Schalke 04 and Olympiakos Piraeus.
However, there has been little sign of this golden era in recent years. The club from the south of France has languished in no-man's land in the league, finishing 12th twice and 13th once in the last three years. This season, however, nothing has gone right: With just four wins, they are bottom of the table and have the weakest offence (22 goals) and defence (71 goals conceded) in the league.
The fact that relegation was sealed in one of the best performances of the season is a particularly bitter end for Montpellier. The 0-0 draw against Stade Reims was the first time this season that they conceded no goals. However, the truth is that they had not scored since January 26th and were beaten 4-0 by fourth-tier CO Le Puy in the cup just before Christmas.
Winner: Franco Mastantuono
Some of the best free-kick takers of all time have come from South America: Juninho, Messi, Roberto Carlos, Maradona - the list goes on and on. Since this weekend, however, it has become clear that a new name is pushing to be added to this list.
Franco Mastantuono is just 17 years old, but is already an integral part of River Plate's squad. The attacking midfielder is an Argentina U20 international and is already attracting interest from various clubs. In addition to loose rumours about Bayern Munich, among others, Chelsea in particular are said to be willing to pay the reported £38 million (around €44.5 million) buy-out clause.
But back to this weekend: On Sunday, it was time for the Superclasico, the derby between River Plate and Boca Juniors. The hosts won it 2:1, with the 17-year-old starting the scoring. From 30 metres out, the 17-year-old converted a free-kick in spectacular fashion.