Ivan Toney said the Football Association’s handling of the investigation into his gambling breeches was “spiteful,” adding that he is targeting a spot in England’s next World Cup squad after missing out on last year’s tournament in Qatar. The Brentford striker, who finished the season as the third-highest scorer in the Premier League, was handed an eight-month ban and fined £50,000 ($62,850) after admitting to 232 rule breaches, which included…
ISTANBUL — Whatever else they might say about Manchester City’s first-ever treble (first of many? We’ll find out…) let them not say that it was painless. Or that it didn’t involve suffering. And maybe even a smattering of self-doubt. We got to the conclusion most expected: a City win over Inter Milan. But the journey we took to get there was unexpected and, for City, uncomfortable and unpleasant and filled…
Jude Bellingham and Lewis Dunk will not be ready for the England squad for the upcoming European qualifiers due to injuries, the national team confirmed on Sunday. Bellingham, destined for Real Madrid, was sidelined due to a knee injury for Borussia Dortmund’s season finale, where they settled for a 2-2 draw against Mainz, dashing their hopes of securing the Bundesliga title. The 19-year-old midfielder will continue his rehabilitation at the…
The summer transfer window isn’t 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! Manchester United continue to see Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae as a priority this summer, but talks between the two parties have stalled amid Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Newcastle interest, per…
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said on Saturday that he is not part of a potential Qatari-based bid to buy Manchester United. Speaking in Istanbul ahead of the Champions League final, Al-Khelaifi distanced himself from countryman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s proposed takeover of the storied Premier League club. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) “Paris Saint-Germain is my club, my heart and nothing to do with…
Lionel Messi arrived in Beijing on Saturday for Argentina’s friendly match against Australia ahead of joining Major League Soccer side Inter Miami as a free agent. Messi’s arrival was announced in a post on the organising International Football Invitation’s official Weibo social media site with a video of players stepping off a plane, ahead of Thursday’s match in the Chinese capital’s recently rebuilt Workers’ Stadium. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga,…
United States forward Catarina Macario has joined Chelsea on a free transfer from Lyon, the club announced on Friday. Macario, who has 17 caps for the USWNT, arrives at the Women’s Super League side on a three-year deal. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) “Cat is one of the most intelligent, creative attacking players in the world,” Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said in a statement. “She brings a…
ISTANBUL — This city straddling Europe and Asia (you can literally drive across the bridge from one continent to the other) is a fitting venue for a UEFA Champions League final (Saturday, 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET). It’s the European Cup, yes, but the finalists are two Asian-owned teams (Manchester City majority owned by Abu Dhabi; Internazionale by Chinese investors) with global appeal, and this city, founded nearly three millennia…
Ahead of the 2014 UEFA Champions League final — a Madrid derby in Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz — famed choreographer Wanda Rokicki said the prematch entertainment would honor Portuguese traditions “including naval history or the art of tiles.” The following year in Berlin, an estimated 180 million viewers in 200 countries watched Barcelona dust Juventus 3-1, but not before opera stars Nina-Marie Fischer and Manuel Gomez Ruiz sang hymns with…
Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin has threatened to sue Tottenham Hotspur if they try to sign winger Manor Solomon on a free transfer. Spurs have been linked with a move for the 23-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Premier League side Fulham after suspending his contract with Shakhtar. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) – When are the 2023-24 Premier League fixtures released? Shakhtar are…