The 2019/2020 season is finally done and dusted with Bayern Munich having been crowned the Champions League winners.
It all ended in tears for Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain, while Bayern's stars did their best to create scenes of jubilation in an empty Lisbon stadium. For one player, the congratulations came in from high places.
Alphonso Davies's rapid rise to the top
Thank you Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau! Can I please come home for a week 🙏🏾😬
— Alphonso Davies (@AlphonsoDavies) August 24, 2020
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 https://t.co/OLQy2BhOVC
The Bayern Munich full back has quickly become one of the world's top players on the back of his impressive form this season - and in particular the ease with which he destroyed Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final.
Among the Canadian's admirers is his country's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, who was swift in jumping on the congratulatory bandwagon.
As for dodging the coronavirus restrictions for a trip home, that sounds unlikely.
Cristiano Ronaldo looks swish in a Hull City shirt
Forget Chelsea, looks like @HullCity have been busy https://t.co/fZznOch7Mg
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) August 26, 2020
There's been a rush of new kits hitting shops ahead of the new season - some of them stylish, others looking remarkably like last season's offering.
For Juventus, inspiration has clearly come from English third tier club Hull City. If followers of English football were none the wiser and saw the shirt out of the corner of their eye, they'd definitely say that's Hull.
Otherwise, Ronaldo has taken a big drop down the league ladder and moved on the quiet.
Neymar brought a huge speaker, Bayern brought drums
Álvaro Odriozola 🏆🥰@FCBayernEN | #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/HMq9heASUE
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 24, 2020
It was good to see that both of the Champions League finalists were prepared for victory.
PSG had Neymar's huge Bose speaker at the ready after he came strutting into the stadium carrying it.
Bayern preferred more traditional entertainment as they made their own music after winning the trophy.
Training the Liverpool way
Warm-up drills with a smile 😁🧤#LFCPreSeason pic.twitter.com/2ZCZ1tGsQv
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 24, 2020
Preparations are under way for the new Premier League season, and champions Liverpool have been hard at work in Austria.
Quite what you'd call this warm up drill is anyone's guess. It does look fun though.
How Manchester City have grown
A fine dispensary of goods there! 😍💙 https://t.co/Gw9XpvGJnl
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 23, 2020
It isn't just on the pitch that Manchester City have been transformed during the past decade and beyond, as this image of the club's megastore in 1993 shows. They were of course based at Maine Road then.
How classic are those Umbro jumpers and training tops - a must buy for any football-mad youngster in the early 90s.
'Dirty' Leeds are back
✅ @PremierLeague fixtures released
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 20, 2020
😍 Dirty Leeds starts trending
🔥 We're back baby! pic.twitter.com/ZURvlHYiSk
A club of rich history, Leeds United have been somewhat in the doldrums for a number of years.
But that doesn't mean they have lost their reputation for playing, ahem, rough football, which has stuck since the days of muddy pitches and the likes of Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles in the 1960s and 70s.
_______________
More 'best of the week':
Neymar and Ander Herrera combine for possibly the greatest training ground goal ever
Lionel Messi 'best without the Ballon d'Or', Paul Pogba's picture perfect - best of the week