Belgian chocolate is under threat. For long, the dark delicacy has enjoyed the numero uno status when it comes to Belgian products. But it may soon have to clear out the cherished spot, albeit in people’s memory than their refrigerators. The small European country now have a new range of “products” to be proud of.

Luka Modric’s career has crossed a historic milestone. By the time this page hits the newstand, Modric would have played a key role in Croatia’s World Cup qualifier against Serbia — the first time the two Balkan rivals face off on a football field since becoming independent nations.

Borussia Dortmund’s 3-0 thumping of Shakhtar Donetsk at their magnificent Westfalenstadion in Champions League may not have got the same media coverage as Real Madrid’s drama-filled win over Manchester United but the managers and powers that be of any club with the ambition of lifting the coveted trophy at Wembley this year would have surely taken note of the Germans.

French President Francois Hollande may be having a tough time boosting the economy but the country’s export business is thriving; of footballers that is.

It has been a reccurent theme of the transfer rumours for the past few years. ‘Brazilian starlet Neymar set to join club X’ or ‘Neymar prefers X over Y, agrees to a deal in principle’. Now you can replace X and Y with any of the top European clubs and the story will still be considered relevant to an extent.

To point fingers at the frailties in the Arsenal line-up in a week where they came from two goals down to manage a point against Liverpool could perhaps be considered too exacting. But despite all that brilliance and sharpness while going forward, the complete lack of organisation at the back cannot be overlooked. For if not for some shambolic work in defence, Arsenal would not have gone two goals down in the first place.

Last season, when Manchester City toppled United for the Premier League title, pundits pointed out an obvious flaw in the Old Trafford set-up — the lack of a midfield engine. It was argued that if United had a midfielder in the mould of Yaya Toure, they would have clinched their 20th League title.

For a passive football fan, Newcastle United may not be a ‘big club’. In an era when Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Manchester City, Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea and the colossus named Manchester United hold sway, one perhaps cannot blame them for overlooking the northernmost Premier League club in England.

At just 22, Kane Williamson might still be learning to cope with pressures of playing at the highest level. And perhaps his smiling, boyish face may only serve to pass him off as a small fish in a sea of monsters.

Football, the world’s most popular game, has never found the recognition it deserved in India — a country obsessed with cricket. Except in havens like West Bengal, Goa, Kerala and the North-East, a yo