Monday in the middle of February. Everybody’s favorite day of the week in everybody’s favorite month. And though we’ve had some unseasonably warm temperatures here in the Midwest, the depression caused by lack of exposure to sunlight during the winter has seemed more palpable this year compared to last.

But fear not, football fans: there’s cause for your spirits to perk up this week. Champions League resumes, with a zesty marquee match up between Real Madrid and Manchester United to cure your wintertime blues. Europa League also picks back up, and though I’m understandably looking forward to Spurs’ tie with Lyon, several other intriguing matches are also on tap. And with the Premier League and others reaching the final third of the season, a full slate of pivotal matches to the relegation races and European places are also in the cards.
Spectacular custom subbuteo art: Hazard’s Ball Boy Incident. – subbuteo-art.blogspot.com
Gazza continues his slide down his sad slippery slope. – mirror.co.uk
Not always the norm, but a worrying prospect for players. – theuniondues.net
Nike’s marketing department strikes gold once again. – thebeautifulgear.com
Oh look, he’s not dead. – soccerbyives.com
I’m fast becoming a fan of Dortmund’s İlkay Gündoğan. – youtube.com
Wait… is it really that easy to get press credentials? – kckrs.com
Murdered out. – footballshirtculture.com
It seems like Sergio Ramos is finally growing up. – guardian.co.uk
Guess which club’s manager is against financial constraints. – soccerlens.com