Winners and Losers: Sportsmanship pays off, Ajax on the rise while Wolves continue slide

Winner: Pepe

To start with a positive point from the weekend, we should do so with an example, one that shows us that there is still a place for sportsmanship in competitive football.

On the 10th matchday of the Portuguese League, in the clash between Porto and Estoril, Pepe had an argument with Pedro Amaral, with the Estoril defender controlling the move but clutching his thigh.

Suddenly, the Brazilian international found himself with an open path to Joel Robles' goal but stopped when he realised his opponent was in physical difficulty.

"My thought was to stop the game because I'd like them to do the same to me," he explained at the end of the match.

Despite the fact that Porto were already ahead, it was an opportunity to score a second goal and put the game to rest. But Pepe's good deed was unintentionally rewarded.

Five minutes later Boma, Estoril's centre-back, almost seemed to thank the Porto winger when he gave him the goal with a misplaced pass, and this time Pepe didn't hesitate. Doing good paid off!

Loser: Hector Herrera

And from an example of sportsmanship, we go to the opposite, of what you should never do on a football pitch or in any situation in life. Captain of the Houston Dynamo, Hector Herrera left his team with 10 men in the 67th minute, in the decisive second leg of the playoff series with the Seattle Sounders.

The 34-year-old Mexican international was shown a straight red card after spitting in the direction of referee Armando Villarreal, who had shown him a yellow minutes earlier. Herrera was caught by VAR, leaving the team outnumbered in a game they had to win to avoid going out of the competition.

The match was level at the end of the 90 minutes (1-1) and in the penalty shoot-out, the Seattle side prevailed, leaving the Texans with no chance of winning the MLS.

Winner: Viktor Gyokeres

Uncertainty is the word you can associate with Sporting at the moment. The Portuguese champions already know that they'll be without Ruben Amorim for the next international break - he's going to Manchester United - and in his place will be Joao Pereira, a coach who has only worked with the U23s and reserves.

But if there's one ally the next coach will have, it's Viktor Gyokeres. Rumoured to be one of those most unhappy with Ruben Amorim, the Swedish striker scored four against Estrela da Amadora (5-1) in yet another display of strength and quality.

That's 45 goals in 45 games for him in 2024. These are stratospheric figures and will help calm some of the more restless fans.

Losers: Wolves

There's no other way to put it; Wolverhampton's start to the season has been a disaster. After 10 games, Gary O'Neil's side have just three points from three draws in the Premier League, the most recent against Crystal Palace, and are sitting at the bottom of the league.

It's true that the schedule hasn't been kind - they had Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City in the first eight rounds - and the squad has been depleted in terms of talent - Pedro Neto and Max Kilman have left the club - but there seems to be more to it.

The upcoming clash with Southampton, currently in second-last place, promises to be decisive, not least because they are already four points off safety and as this trend continues, the gap will only grow.

Winner: Jose Mourinho

Turkey and Jose Mourinho were rumoured to be an explosive combination and they haven't disappointed. This weekend, Fenerbahce beat Trabzonspor 3-2 with a goal in the 12th minute of stoppage time.

Mourinho didn't hide his excitement in Trabzon after Sofyan Amrabat's goal, but perhaps as a result of his lack of training, the Portuguese coach ended up performing a rather comical knee slide in which he got stuck in the grass and fell over.

Afterwards, he presented the fans with another interview that promises to be iconic. Visibly annoyed by the two penalties awarded to Trabzonspor, Mourinho didn't shy away from calling the VAR a "little boy" and "the invisible man of the match."

"Before I came here, I was told a lot of things I didn't believe, but it's even worse," he vented.

Even if in terms of the game played on the pitch Mourinho doesn't seem to attract as many fans anymore, off the field he's still a master at capturing attention.

Loser: LaLiga

Football isn't everything in life. The tragedy that struck the Valencia region in the aftermath of storm DANA has left a deep mark on Spain, with images of survivors trying to rebuild a life that succumbed to the force of the water and mud.

At that moment, sport took a back seat for everyone or almost everyone. LaLiga's decision not to postpone the whole round of matches - the teams' from the Valencian community didn't take place - shows a certain lack of tact in dealing with the tragedy.

On the other hand, it is worth noting the continuous expressions of solidarity and donations made by the various clubs to help the affected communities get back on their feet.

Winners: Ajax

The most successful team in the Netherlands (36 Eredivisie titles, four-time European champions) and the only team outside the 'top five' leagues to reach the semi-final of the Champions League in the last decade, Ajax went into an unexpected decline after the departure of Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2022.

A third-place finish and a fifth-place finish is not acceptable for the Amsterdammers and has led to consecutive changes on the bench - Alfred Schreuder, John Heitinga, Maurice Steijn, John van't Schip and Hewiges Maduro have all had games as head coach in these two years - but the latest choice of Francesco Farioli seems to have been a masterstroke.

Formerly Roberto de Zerbi's assistant, the 35-year-old Italian has managed to get Ajax back on track. Beating Feyenoord in Rotterdam (2-0) and champions PSV at home (3-2) in the same week is a noteworthy achievement.

Ajax are still five points off top spot (with a game in hand), but for the first time in a long time, it feels like they could be heading back towards the Dutch throne.

Losers: Sparta Prague

From Amsterdam to another European capital: Prague. Also the record holder of 14 domestic titles (since the formation of the Czech Republic), Sparta are going through a crisis in a season that had promised to be a success, with a return to the Champions League after a 19-year absence.

They have suffered four defeats in their last five league matches, the most recent against Banik Ostrava, who hadn't beaten the Spartans in the Czech capital for 10 years.

Already 10 points behind leaders and rivals Slavia, Sparta will be looking to get back on track in the Champions League against one of the sensations in the competition, Brest. It won't be easy to turn things around.