Top 5 quirky facts you need to know as new week of Premier League, La Liga and Serie A opens

LONDON, UK | THE INDEPENDENT | Here are the top five quirky facts as we head into another week of awesome football!

Did You Know?

1. Villarreal coach Marcelino won the Spanish manager of the year (Miguel Munoz Trophy) in the 2006-07 and 2017-18 seasons. He also won the Copa del Rey with Valencia in 2018-19 and the Supercopa de Espana with Athletic Bilbao in 2021.
2. After a run of eight successive wins over Arsenal, Manchester City have not managed a victory against the Gunners in the teams’ last three meetings: 1-1 draw (and penalty shootout loss) in the Community Shield in August 2023, 1-0 loss in the Premier League in October 2023, and 0-0 draw in the Premier League in March 2024.
3. Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze was born in Greenwich, London, to Igbo Nigerian parents. He could have played for the Super Eagles, but instead chose England’s Three Lions and made his senior international debut in May 2023 against Malta.
4. The Milan Derby is known as the ‘Derby della Madonnina’ in honour of one of the main sights in the city of Milan, the statue of the Virgin Mary on the top of the Duomo (Milan Cathedral), which is often referred to as the Madonnina (‘Little Madonna’ in Italian).
5. Only four clubs have played more Serie A seasons than ACF Fiorentina (87): Inter Milan (93),
   Juventus (92), Roma (92) and AC Milan (91).