English clubs spent £1.78bn – more than three times that of any other country – on men’s international transfers in 2022, according to data from Fifa. Italian clubs were second on the list, having spent a total of £543m. The top 10 most expensive moves accounted for 12.5% of the total £5.24bn spent on such transfer fees. Six of those involved players moving to English clubs, while Aurelien Tchouameni’s move…
Wednesday proved to be a landmark day for Scunthorpe United in more ways than one. The beleaguered National League strugglers, subject of a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs and under a transfer embargo, found out the club had been taken over while on the bus to their away game at Halifax. Buoyed by the good news, the Iron promptly went and won 1-0 to give them their first…
Gareth Southgate considered stepping down as England boss because of criticism he faced before the World Cup, saying: “The last thing you want as a manager is that your presence is divisive and inhibits performance.” England were knocked out of the tournament by France in the quarter-finals, 18 months after losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties at Wembley. The team were booed off in June following a…
“Two World Cups and two medals. Not bad for a guy from John O’Groats.” Meet Marc Rochon, video analyst with the Croatian national team. Indisputably the most decorated Scotsman when it comes to Fifa World Cup silverware, his story shows that routes up the football mountain are many and varied and not exclusively reserved for those with magic in their boots. It all began with Marc quitting a job in…
Marcelo Bielsa has arrived in London for further talks with Everton’s hierarchy as they search for a successor to Frank Lampard. The 67-year-old former Leeds United manager is a favoured choice of Everton owner Farhad Moshiri. Sean Dyche, who has been out of work since being dismissed by Burnley in April, is the other main contender to take over at Goodison Park. The Toffees hope to have someone in place…
Duncan Ferguson says he is not “scared of a challenge” after taking his first managerial role at Forest Green Rovers. The former Everton assistant manager was named head coach of the League One club on Thursday. They are currently bottom of the table and without a win in eight matches. “It doesn’t matter to me what level I work at. I’m not scared of a challenge, I’ve never been scared…
Michail Antonio says there is a possibility he could leave West Ham in the January transfer window. Antonio, 32, who joined the Hammers from Nottingham Forest for £7m in 2015, confirmed he had been in contact with other clubs. Speaking on The Footballer’s Football Podcast, the forward said: “Honestly, I’ve not ruled anything out. That’s all I can say. “Nothing has been ruled out. There are talks, so whatever happens,…
Wigan Athletic have sacked boss Kolo Toure after he failed to win any of his nine games in charge. The former Arsenal and Manchester City defender was only appointed as Leam Richardson’s successor in November. However, the Latics took just two points from his seven Championship matches at the helm and are bottom of the table, four points from safety. They now have a two-week break before returning to action…
A long-awaited football white paper, which will include “strong action” for club owners and directors, is set to be released by the government in February. Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said on Thursday that the paper would be published in “two weeks time”. This follows calls from multiple clubs for an independent football regulator. The white paper will propose a series of reforms to shake up football, including ensuring financial security…
Wednesday proved to be a landmark day for Scunthorpe United in more ways than one. The beleaguered National League strugglers, subject of a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs and under a transfer embargo, found out the club had been taken over while on the bus to their away game at Halifax. Buoyed by the good news, the Iron promptly went and won 1-0 to give them their first…