Lion Links: 10/28/25

Good morning, everyone. Unfortunately, Orlando City’s off-season is upon us far quicker than any of us would have wanted, but that doesn’t mean the world grinds to a halt. There’s still plenty going on this week as the United States Women’s National Team faces New Zealand on Wednesday, while the Orlando Pride are back in action on Sunday against the Seattle Reign. We’ve got a lot to talk about today, so let’s get into the links.

Luiz Muzzi Leaves Orlando City

In a piece of news that most people probably weren’t expecting on Monday, Orlando City announced that Luiz Muzzi is leaving the club. Not only was the news itself surprising, but so was the manner in which it was delivered, as OCSC’s statement on the move was only two brief paragraphs long. Muzzi joined the club prior to the 2019 season and oversaw the turnaround of a club which had never made the MLS Cup playoffs, but now holds the longest active postseason streak in the league. We here at The Mane Land are grateful for his time and service at the club and wish him well in his next endeavor.

MLS Coaching Changes

Muzzi was not the only big name to leave an MLS club on Monday, although the other departures came at the coaching level. We begin with the Colorado Rapids, which did not renew the contract of head coach Chris Armas after it expired at the end of the 2025 season. Armas spent two years as the Rapids’ head coach, and while Colorado made the playoffs in his first season courtesy of a seventh-place finish in the West, this year the team finished 11th and missed the postseason. In the Eastern Conference, the New York Red Bulls fired head coach Sandro Schwarz and also announced that Julian de Guzman will take over for Jochen Schneider as the club’s head of sport. The Red Bulls made it all the way to the MLS Cup final in 2024 but didn’t come close to replicating that success in 2025, as they finished 10th in the East and missed the playoffs, which snapped a league-record 15-season streak of making the postseason.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing games during the working week, so let’s get up to speed on what lies ahead. On Tuesday, Christian Pulisic and AC Milan will travel to face Yunus Musah’s Atalanta team in Serie A play, while Antonee Robinson and Fulham hit the road to play Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup. Wednesday has Chris Richards and Crystal Palace facing Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, while Folarin Balogun and Monaco play Nantes in Ligue 1. Things then finish up on Friday when Sergino Dest, Ricardo Pepi and PSV Eindhoven host Fortuna Sittard in Eredivisie play, while Haji Wright and Coventry City play Wrexham in the Championship.

Turkish Soccer Betting Scandal

In a piece of news that seems to be a popular theme lately, Turkish soccer is in the midst of a betting scandal. The Turkish soccer federation said on Monday that it is investigating over 150 referees from professional leagues that have allegedly bet on soccer games. A government agency has determined that 371 of 571 active referees have at least one account with a betting company, while 152 have placed bets on soccer. A reported 10 match officials placed bets on over 10,000 games, which is a pretty staggering number for even the most ardent gamblers. Federation president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu said that the federation’s disciplinary board will be sorting through all the cases as soon as possible, but judging by those numbers, they’ve got a hell of a lot to deal with.

Free Kicks

• Former Lion Antonio Nocerino reminisced on some of his best and worst times with AC Milan.
• Tata Martino is reportedly in talks to return to Atlanta United’s vacant head coaching position.
• Brendan Rodgers has resigned his position as Celtic’s head coach.
• On a similar note, Juventus has fired manager Igor Tudor as Juve is on an eight-game winless run and sits eighth in the Serie A table.
• Napoli’s Kevin de Bruyne is likely out until the new year with a serious thigh injury.
• The relationship between Xabi Alonso and Vinicius Jr. is reportedly strained after the Brazilian winger reacted poorly to being substituted in Real Madrid’s win over Barcelona on Sunday.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!