Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández confirmed on Friday that he is taking legal action against two journalists he said made up stories about him. Reports surfaced this week claiming Xavi was not happy with one report that said he demanded his coaching staff all put their phones on the table so he could determine if there was a leak from his own team. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)…
Wrexham, the Welsh team bought by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2021, released their accounts for the latest financial year on Thursday and reported that the amount owed to the two owner/celebrities has risen to nearly £9 million ($11.4m). That was up from £3.7m ($4.67m) from the previous year, ending June 2022. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) While the club said turnover rose from…
Fulham have unveiled lavish plans for their redeveloped Riverside Stand with a host of premium matchday experiences that club chairman Shahid Khan has said will be “unlike anything in football.” The Riverside Stand was closed off to fans for renovation work in 2019, with the lower tier being opened to the public in 2022. Work on the upper tier is now complete and will be open to supporters from the…
A prosecutor at Spain’s High Court is seeking a prison sentence of 2-1/2 years for former football federation (RFEF) chief Luis Rubiales over his unsolicited kiss on player Jenni Hermoso, court documents seen by Reuters and EFE on Wednesday showed. Prosecutor Marta Durántez charged Rubiales with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions in the aftermath of the kiss, offences carrying jail terms of…
FRANKFURT, Germany — The odd thing about watching Germany less than three months from the 2024 European Championship, their first major event on home soil since the 2006 World Cup, is the blasé vibe you get from fans, players and coach Julian Nagelsmann. The 45,000 fans in attendance for Tuesday’s 2-1 friendly win against Netherlands certainly made a racket, but in a corporate crowd/stadium DJ/pass-the-beer sort of way. They didn’t…
The A-League’s pivot towards a “football focus” will bolster the competition’s status as a breeding ground for players who go on to do “great things” in Europe, according to Australian Professional Leagues (APL) commissioner Nick Garcia. Assuming primary responsibility for the operation of the A-League Men and A-League Women last October, Garcia’s tenure at the APL helm has largely been dominated by off-field issues. Weeks of fan discontent surrounding over-policing…
A former president of China’s football association has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting more than $10 million in bribes, the country’s state media reported on Tuesday, following one of the biggest anti-corruption probes in the sport in years. The sentence handed down to Chen Xuyuan came in the wake of probes into more than a dozen high-level football officials since late 2022. Chen had brought “tremendous damage”…
Declan Rice admitted he was left “speechless” after being named England captain for Tuesday’s friendly against Belgium at Wembley. The Arsenal midfielder will mark his 50th cap by leading out Gareth Southgate’s side in their final outing before he names his 23-man squad for Euro 2024 on May 16. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) “I’m speechless to be honest with you,” said Rice speaking on Monday ahead…
João Cancelo has taken a swipe at Manchester City, claiming “lies were told” about him following his departure to Bayern Munich in January 2023. The Portugal international had been key player for City manager Pep Guardiola but fell out of favour in the first half of the 2022-23 campaign. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) There were claims in the media that Cancelo was unhappy with teammates Rico…
Austria came well and truly flying out of the blocks against Slovakia on Saturday when Christoph Baumgartner scored the opening goal of the friendly fixture just six seconds in. The visitors kicked off in Bratislava and, after receiving possession in the centre circle, Baumgartner opted for the direct route to goal. He quickly weaved past several defenders before firing in a low finish from 20 yards to launch his side…