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European soccer this weekend: Havertz keeps Arsenal title push on course

On a Saturday in which Arsenal looked like they might lose pace with the Premier League’s title protagonists, they dug deep to steal a vital result. Barcelona, too, kept their title hopes alive — if only just. Inter Milan already have one hand and four fingers on the Serie A crown, and they showed why. Bayern Munich may be off the Bundesliga’s championship pace, but that didn’t stop them from…

After Bayern, Eintracht’s failure in UWCL, is the Frauen-Bundesliga regressing?

The Frauen-Bundesliga (FBL) returns from its international break hiatus this weekend with a blockbuster clash between third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and table-toppers Bayern Munich, who sit one point ahead of Wolfsburg and 10 clear of Eintracht. For those familiar with men’s football in Germany, it’s no surprise to see Bavarian powerhouses Bayern at the top of the league, and in the women’s game they and Wolfsburg have occupied the top two…

Source: Ratcliffe backs new Man Utd stadium

Sir Jim Ratcliffe favours building a new stadium for Manchester United rather than redeveloping Old Trafford, a source has told ESPN. The club have put together a task force to assess options for “regenerating the Old Trafford area of Greater Manchester,” including Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and former United captain Gary Neville. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) It will be chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe, who led…

RFEF to probe Madrid ref videos after complaint

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has opened an investigation into Real Madrid TV’s broadcasting of videos criticising referees ahead of games, Sevilla said on Thursday. Sevilla filed a complaint on Feb. 24 before the two clubs met in LaLiga at the Bernabéu, claiming Real Madrid TV had undertaken a “campaign of persecution and harassment” against the referees due to take charge of the match. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga,…

USWNT beats Canada to reach W Gold Cup final, but should rain-soaked match have been played at all?

SAN DIEGO — Closer to water polo than a game of soccer, Wednesday’s Concacaf W Gold Cup semifinal win for the United States women’s national team over Canada played out as a bizarre rainy spectacle at Snapdragon Stadium. With stormy weather impacting a waterlogged field, any and all tactics immediately became irrelevant as 15,245 fans watched both sides fail to do much with a ball that became stuck every few…

Arsenal women avg. crowd exceeds 10 PL clubs

Arsenal’s victory over rivals Tottenham at a sold-out Emirates Stadium on Sunday means that the Women’s Super League (WSL) club’s average attendance this season (34,997) is now higher than that of 10 Premier League teams. The north London club – who sit third in the WSL table, three points behind Manchester City and league leaders Chelsea – have attracted 279,974 supporters to watch the team this season and have sold…

Barça defend equality policy after labour fine

Barcelona have rejected doubts cast on their commitment to gender equality policies after being fined an undisclosed sum by Spain’s labour ministry for not meeting workplace regulations. Spain’s vice president and labour minister Yolanda Díaz said on Wednesday that Barça — along with the Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] and two other lower-league clubs — failed to meet regulations obliging workplaces with at least 50 employees to have “equality plans” in…

Arsenal’s rout over Sheffield United shows winnable games are becoming routine

SHEFFIELD, England — There was a time when Arsenal struggled to justify favouritism on nights like this, but it is a measure of their transformation under manager Mikel Arteta that Sheffield United were cowering in fear before kick-off. Empty seats were dotted around Bramall Lane at kick-off with many home fans presumably fearing the worst after a torrid campaign to date. They weren’t wrong. Within 15 minutes, Martin Ødegaard, a…

Sources: Managers eye Utd amid Ten Hag doubt

Manchester United have been approached by representatives of several managers believing that Erik ten Hag could be removed from his post before the start of next season, sources have told ESPN. Ten Hag is under pressure following the 3-1 derby defeat to Manchester City on Sunday which left his team sixth on the Premier League table. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The Dutchman has been told that…