Category Other

VAR is failing LaLiga, has relegated Espanyol to the Segunda

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…

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May 31, 2023

Best, worst moments of European club season

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…

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May 31, 2023

Tigres beat Chivas 3-2 to win 2023 Clausura title

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.…

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May 30, 2023

Chelsea announce Pochettino as new manager

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…

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May 30, 2023

Xavi, Messi in regular contact over Barca return

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…

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May 30, 2023

Transfer Talk: Newcastle eye Barnes, Maddison after Leicester’s relegation

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…

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May 29, 2023

Liverpool, Southampton draw in 8-goal thriller

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.…

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May 29, 2023

Dyche: No ‘easy fix’ to get Everton competitive

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…

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May 29, 2023

Luton’s football fairytale continues after historic Premier League promotion on penalties

LONDON — Luton Town have been promoted to the Premier League after edging Coventry City 6-5 on penalties following a nervy 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium. Luton opened the scoring on 23 minutes to send the sun-baked side of Wembley into raptures as Elijah Adebayo set up Jordan Clark to power a strike home, and Coventry looked stunned by the occasion. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) However,…

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May 28, 2023

Dejection in Dortmund as Bundesliga title dream collapses

DORTMUND, Germany — The T-shirts celebrating Borussia Dortmund’s 2022-23 Bundesliga triumph had already been printed in their thousands, some already worn by fans before Saturday’s match against Mainz had started. The title celebrations had been meticulously planned for Sunday as the city braced for 500,000 people to arrive. With a two-point lead over Bayern Munich, needing to win or match their result vs. Cologne on the final day, the script…

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May 28, 2023

‘No way’ Everton penalty call was right – ArtetaApril 6, 2025
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said there is “no way” Everton should have been awarded a penalty in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Goodison Park. David Moyes’ side put another dent in Arsenal’s faltering Premier League title hopes when Iliman Ndiaye converted a second-half spot-kick to cancel out Leandro Trossard’s earlier strike on Merseyside. Referee Darren… Read more: ‘No way’ Everton penalty call was right – Arteta
Title gone for Arsenal as attention turns to Real MadridApril 6, 2025
LIVERPOOL, England — If it’s true that this year’s battle for the Premier League title has been a one-horse race for some time, then this was the day Arsenal all but surrendered their hopes of pipping Liverpool at the finishing post. With one of the world’s most famous sporting fixtures, horse racing’s Grand National, taking… Read more: Title gone for Arsenal as attention turns to Real Madrid
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