Another topsy-turvy weekend of football is in the books and some of Europe’s top clubs are beginning to look ominous. Liverpool and Manchester City both eked out important, closely fought wins to steal a march on title-rivals Arsenal in the Premier League, while Real Madrid and Barcelona both ensured that they head into next week’s Clasico (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET; stream live on ESPN+) off the back of victories. In…
Declan Rice lambasted Arsenal for their “naivety” this season following their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in which they were reduced to 10-men for the third time this season. The game at Vitaly Stadium turned on its head in the 30th minute when William Saliba was sent off for a foul on Evanilson near the halfway line after an awry pass from Leandro Trossard. The France international was initially shown a…
Jürgen Klopp was criticised by fans of his former club Mainz on Saturday over his decision to join energy drinks company Red Bull and oversee its football clubs. Mainz supporters held banners during their team’s Bundesliga game against RB Leipzig — a Red Bull-backed club — in which they addressed their former hero. “Have you forgotten everything we gave you?” asked a huge banner behind one of the goals, referring…
Manchester City goalkeeper Éderson has said he thinks his club have already lined up a successor should Pep Guardiola decide to leave at the end of the season. Guardiola, 53, recently admitted he has not made a decision on whether he will continue in charge of City beyond June 2025, when his deal expires. The former Barcelona coach has guided City to 18 titles since his arrival in 2016. “City…
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has revealed he was not contacted by the Football Association (FA) over the England manager position prior to Thomas Tuchel’s hiring on Wednesday. Howe had been touted as a potential replacement for Gareth Southgate, who left after Engand’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Asked at his news conference on Friday if he had been approached for the position, Howe said: “I…
Football Association chief Mark Bullingham has said he sees “parallels” between England women’s boss Sarina Wiegman and newly apppointed men’s coach Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel, who signed an 18-month contract with England on Wednesday, will be hoping to repeat the success Wiegman, another non-English manager, brought to her side. The Dutch coach led the women’s team to win their first major trophy by lifting the Euro 2022 title on home soil,…
Gregg Berhalter acknowledged that his firing in August as U.S. men’s national team coach was “a really difficult moment,” but said he’s now hungry and motivated again to take on his new roles as Chicago Fire head coach and director of football. Berhalter, 51, was introduced in his twin roles on Thursday by Fire owner Joe Mansueto, and said that he looks at the opportunity with Chicago as a chance…
Paul Pogba has warned he will return to football “even better” from his ban for taking a prohibited substance, stating that he is driven by “anger” at his absence. The 2018 World Cup winner is set to restart his career in March 2025 after seeing his ban for taking DHEA, a testosterone-enhancing supplement, reduced from four years to 18 months. “For sure. It’s going to be a new Pogba,” he…
For the third time — after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello — England’s Football Association has turned to a foreign coach, appointing Thomas Tuchel as manager of the national team. That’s not as much of a big deal in England these days, since Eriksson was given the job in 2000, but it’s a big enough deal among the game’s other heavyweights that Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France or Italy have never…
For an art form that is allegedly dying out — if you believe the statisticians, anyway — goals scored from distance have played an important part in Spanish football recently. Think of Rodri’s rescuer for Spain against Georgia in their first Euro 2024 knockout game — and the huge outpouring of relief and joy when the Manchester City man struck home from 21 yards with his left foot. Or Lamine…