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Sports broadcaster Gary Lineker once famously said, “Football is a simple game: Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans always win.” That isn’t particularly true at the international level anymore — Germany hasn’t made it to even the quarterfinals in its past three major tournaments — but a version of it remains true within Germany. The Bundesliga continues to be an incredibly fun…

Liverpool have appointed Jorg Schmadtke as the club’s new sporting director, the Premier League side said on Tuesday, as they look to rebuild for next season after failing to secure Champions League qualification. Schmadtke spent more than four years in the same role at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg before leaving at the start of the year. He has held similar positions at Cologne, Hannover and Alemannia Aachen. – Stream on ESPN+:…

That Espanyol were relegated from LaLiga at the weekend might not have had too much impact outside Barcelona, their home city, or China, where their ineffective and unloved owners reside. If you were watching the tumultuous match at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, where the home side’s equaliser in added time nudged Los Che away from the drop zone and, effectively, relegated Espanyol, then the sporting drama might have impacted you. And…

As we creep towards the official end of the 2022-23 European football season — the English Premier League and German Bundesliga have concluded, while Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1 and Spain’s LaLiga have one round of matches left — it’s time to look back at the highlights and lowlights of the campaign. What did our writers love and hate? Which storylines did they enjoy most? Was it Erling Haaland’s…

Tigres earned their eighth Liga MX title on Sunday after defeating Chivas 3-2 through extra time in the second leg of the 2023 Clausura final. Following a chaotic season with three different managers since February, Tigres turned things around through their fifth league title in the last decade. Hosted at a sold-out Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Chivas first took charge at home after a scoreless draw in the previous leg.…

Chelsea have appointed former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino to take over as manager, the club announced on Monday. Pochettino, 51, signed a two-year deal with the option of a further year and will start work on July 1 ahead of the club’s preseason tour to the United States. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Sources told ESPN that although the club spoke to a…

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said he told club president Joan Laporta that he would like to have Lionel Messi back next season and said he speaks to his former teammate regularly about a possible return to the team. Messi, 35, left Barca two years ago at the end of his contract, but he will be available as a free agent this summer when his deal with Paris Saint-Germain expires. “In…

The summer transfer window may not be open yet in Europe, but teams are getting ready for it, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals! Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes is keen on a move to Newcastle United if the Magpies push hard to sign him, according to Football Insider. Newcastle are also…

Roberto Firmino marked his final Liverpool game with a goal in a barnstorming 4-4 Premier League thriller at relegated Southampton on Sunday. The Brazilian struck to put Liverpool 2-0 ahead in the 14th minute after Diogo Jota fired in the visitors’ opener. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) But Southampton produced an extraordinary comeback with James Ward-Prowse and Kamaldeen Sulemana levelling up for the hosts before the interval.…

After overseeing Everton’s win against Bournemouth that prolonged the club’s 69-year English top-flight stay, manager Sean Dyche said the final day of the season was horrible and the Merseyside club must refocus to oversee lasting change. The nine-time top division champions needed Abdoulaye Doucoure’s second-half thunderbolt on Sunday to earn a 1-0 victory that kept Everton in the Premier League by two points, while Leicester City were relegated. It is…