Category Other

Vieira named Strasbourg coach on 3-year deal

French club Strasbourg appointed Patrick Vieira as their new manager on a three-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Sunday. Former France international Vieira coached Premier League side Crystal Palace from 2021 to this year. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The 47-year-old guided Palace to a 12th-placed finish and an FA Cup semifinal in his first season in charge, but was sacked mid-March following a 1-0…

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July 3, 2023

Ex-Barca, Arsenal star Fabregas retires aged 36

Former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has announced his retirement from professional football aged 36. Fabregas calls time on a 20-year career that saw him win a host of major trophies during spells at Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea, as well as with Spain. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) “It is with great sadness that the time has come for me to hang up my playing boots,” Fabregas…

Other
July 2, 2023

Iniesta bids farewell to Japan in rare start

Andres Iniesta said goodbye to Japanese football on Saturday with his first league start of the season as title-chasing Vissel Kobe had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Consadole Sapporo. The 39-year-old midfielder joined Kobe from Barcelona in 2018 but has found playing time increasingly hard to come by with the latest appearance taking his playing just 94 minutes across 18 games this season. – Stream on…

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July 2, 2023

FIFA opts out of rainbow armband for WWC

The anti-discrimination “OneLove” captain’s armband banned at the men’s World Cup in Qatar will be worn in an amended version at the Women’s World Cup next month, although FIFA opted out entirely of the rainbow that is known as a symbol for LGBTQIA+ pride. FIFA unveiled eight armbands Friday that captains of the 32 teams can choose to wear in Australia and New Zealand during the tournament that runs July…

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July 1, 2023

Germany’s Hitzlsperger reflects on decision to come out as gay, inclusion in football, more

Thomas Hitzlsperger enjoyed a remarkable playing career, spanning 12 years and six clubs. His form across spells with Aston Villa, Stuttgart, Lazio, West Ham United, Wolfsburg and Everton as a marauding midfielder, saw him win 52 caps for Germany, while his ferocious left foot earned him the nickname “The Hammer.” After retiring from the sport in 2013, Hitzlsperger carved out a career as head of sport at Stuttgart and then…

Other
July 1, 2023

From Beckham to Messi: How much has MLS grown in a decade?

Lionel Messi announcing that he is signing with Inter Miami CF has created plenty of conversation around what, exactly, he has gotten himself into. Major League Soccer is unique and full of quirks, but it’s far from the low-rent, retirement-league stereotype it’s often characterized as. This isn’t the MLS that David Beckham left behind a little more than a decade ago. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) When…

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July 1, 2023

French court upholds ban on hijabs at matches

France’s highest administrative court said on Thursday that the country’s football federation is entitled to ban headscarves in competitions even though the measure can limit freedom of expression. The Council of State issued its ruling after a group of headscarf-wearing football players called “Les Hijabeuses” — the word hijab refers to the headscarf — campaigned against the ban and launched legal action. The ruling is likely to refuel the lingering…

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June 30, 2023

Modern game’s roots go beyond Johan Cruyff

We abbreviate history over time. As time passes, we sand down more edges and eliminate a few more details. At some point we arrived at a pretty straightforward summary of the evolution to modern soccer: The Dutch did the Total Football thing, Johan Cruyff taught it to Pep Guardiola and Pep Guardiola won eleventy kajillion trophies by perfecting it. AC Milan’s Arrigo Sacchi had his own version of that, Jose…

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June 30, 2023

Espanyol get ban for fans chasing Barca off pitch

Espanyol have been ordered to play their first two matches of next season behind closed doors after supporters chased Barcelona players down the tunnel at the Stage Front Stadium in May. Hundreds of fans breached the security ring and entered the pitch following Barca’s 4-2 win, which saw Xavi Hernandez’s side clinch their first LaLiga title since 2019. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Espanyol have said they…

Other
June 30, 2023

Italy bans players from wearing No. 88 jersey

Football players in Italy will be banned from wearing No. 88 as part of an initiative combating antisemitism, it was announced on Tuesday. The No. 88 is a numerical code for “Heil Hitler”; H is the eighth letter of the alphabet. In March, a fan wearing a Lazio shirt with the name “Hitlerson” and the No. 88 was banned for life from attending matches of the Roman club. The initiative,…

Other
June 29, 2023

Spurs’ Ange: Out of love with football over VARApril 5, 2025
Ange Postecoglou has said he is “falling out of love with football” after admitting he made a mistake in celebrating Pape Matar Sarr’s disallowed goal against Tottenham, but not because he risked a fan backlash. Spurs lost 1-0 at Chelsea on Thursday but Sarr had a second-half strike ruled out by VAR. Postecoglou’s decision to… Read more: Spurs’ Ange: Out of love with football over VAR
Fenerbahce: Mourinho provoked before nose grabApril 5, 2025
Fenerbahce have come out in defence of their coach Jose Mourinho, claiming he was provoked by his Galatasaray counterpart Okan Buruk following Wednesday’s Turkish Cup game between the sides. Mourinho, whose team lost 2-1 in the quarterfinal, was seen grabbing the nose of Buruk following a scuffle that broke out between the players on the… Read more: Fenerbahce: Mourinho provoked before nose grab
Harry Kane is on a mission to finally end his long personal trophy droughtApril 4, 2025
Harry Kane is a man on a mission. Not just for Bayern Munich but also for himself. It’s simple: the England captain finally wants to win silverware of note. Despite winning goal-scoring trophies and featuring in five finals, Kane has never tasted victory in a major competition, a run of futility that has even made… Read more: Harry Kane is on a mission to finally end his long personal trophy drought
Tottenham’s Postecoglou on thin ice with his future more uncertain than everApril 4, 2025
LONDON — Ange Postecoglou is no stranger to risk, but on Thursday, he played his most dangerous game yet. Tottenham Hotspur were midway through another insipid Premier League performance when his 64th-minute double change — introducing Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson for Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert — elicited a brief but audible chant… Read more: Tottenham’s Postecoglou on thin ice with his future more uncertain than ever
City fans protest over ticket issues, miss 1st goalApril 3, 2025
Manchester City fans boycotted the opening of their Premier League fixture against Leicester City on Wednesday in protest at ticketing issues at the Etihad Stadium. Supporters gathered outside the stadium an hour before kick-off with a banner which read: “MCFC – For the love not the money.” Hundreds of fans also remained in the concourses… Read more: City fans protest over ticket issues, miss 1st goal
Carlo Ancelotti to go on trial for tax evasionApril 3, 2025
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told a Spanish court on Wednesday that he “never thought about committing fraud” as he gave evidence in a trial in which he’s accused of failing to pay over €1 million ($1.08m) in taxes. Prosecutors have accused the veteran coach of evading paying tax on his image rights income during… Read more: Carlo Ancelotti to go on trial for tax evasion
Anthony Elanga is proof of how Man United desperately need to improve transfer strategyApril 2, 2025
NOTTINGHAM, England — Anthony Elanga chose a muted celebration after his wonderful solo goal against Manchester United, but the smile that crept over his face gave away the quiet satisfaction of scoring against his former club. Who could blame him? Man United decided Elanga wasn’t good enough when he was allowed to move to Nottingham… Read more: Anthony Elanga is proof of how Man United desperately need to improve transfer strategy
Flick: No luck to Barcelona success this seasonApril 2, 2025
Hansi Flick has said there is no luck to Barcelona success this season but he knows it is trophies that matter as he prepares for Wednesday’s “final before the final” against Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Barça and Atlético drew 4-4 in the first leg of their Copa semifinal in February and finally… Read more: Flick: No luck to Barcelona success this season
Isco on Antony: We need to crowdfund for himApril 1, 2025
Real Betis midfielder Isco has joked that crowdfunding will be needed to keep Manchester United’s loanee Antony at the club for at least next season. Antony has been a big hit in Spain since joining on loan from United after a difficult first half of the campaign at Old Trafford. However, the loan deal which… Read more: Isco on Antony: We need to crowdfund for him
Haaland’s nightmare game, Napoli back in Serie A title race, RB Leipzig chaos, moreApril 1, 2025
The international break has finished and this weekend brought us plenty to talk about as European club action returned with a bang! Manchester City advanced in the FA Cup despite a game to forget by Erling Haaland, and Napoli took a decisive step back into Serie A’s title race while simultaneously wrecking Milan’s aspirations of… Read more: Haaland’s nightmare game, Napoli back in Serie A title race, RB Leipzig chaos, more