West Bromwich Albion’s derby game against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup this weekend (stream all games live on ESPN+) kicks off at the unusually early time of 11:45 a.m. on Sunday. “Early?” Barçelona might reply to that. “Hold my gazpacho.” That’s because the earliest a professional football match has ever kicked off — or should this be the latest? — was at Camp Nou in September 2003 when Barça…
It was another fun day across European soccer, with talking points galore in the English FA Cup, Spain’s LaLiga and the German Bundesliga among others. The highlights: Maidstone United shrugged off their minnows status to shock Ipswich Town 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round, Barcelona came back from 2-0 down vs. Villarreal only to lose 5-3, and Harry Kane scored as Bayern Munich held on to defeat Augsburg 3-2.…
The winter transfer window is now open in Europe, and there are plenty of moves in the works and gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
Jurgen Klopp has said he will not help Liverpool identify his successor at Anfield after confirming plans to step down from his post as manager at the end of this season. Klopp, 56, signed a four-year contract extension in 2022 that would have tied him to the club until the end of the 2025-26 season, but having taken charge of the team in October 2015, the former Borussia Dortmund coach…
A Spanish High Court judge proposed on Thursday that former football federation chief Luis Rubiales stand trial for kissing player Jenni Hermoso’s lips after Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup. The court said in a statement that the judge, Francisco de Jorge, also sought a trial for former women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, as well as Albert Luque, the men’s team’s sport director, and Ruben Rivera, the federation’s marketing…
Union Berlin coach Nenad Bjelica was banned for three matches and fined €25,000 ($27,075) on Thursday after he shoved Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sané, the German Football Association (DFB) said. The Croatian coach was sent off after 74 minutes in Wednesday’s 1-0 Bundesliga loss to Bayern after shoving Sane. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The player had gone to get the ball from Bjelica near the Union bench…
Bill Williams, 81, has seen it all at Maidstone United across his 50-year association with the club. “I was first a player here back in 1972,” he tells ESPN. “I’ve been here a long time, but I’ve been a player and a manager since we made it to the Football League in 1989. I’ve been general manager, chairman, the chief executive, and now I’m director of football.” Back during his…
At the start of 2024, ESPN’s Gab Marcotti laid out his wishes for the year, a belated Christmas list that could help common sense prevail in football governance. Among Gab’s wishes were that the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) be given a bigger platform to help the game grow, while noting the incoming format change that arrives in 2025-26. To achieve this, the two burning questions are: 1) Is there…
After nine years of waiting, Mauricio Pochettino has scratched the itch of reaching a cup final in England. But playing in next month’s Carabao Cup final won’t be enough for the Chelsea head coach — he has to win it. Chelsea’s emphatic 6-1 semifinal second-leg win against Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge confirmed the Blues’ first Carabao Cup final since losing to Liverpool in 2022. Jurgen Klopp’s team will be their…
The winter transfer window is now open in Europe, and there are plenty of moves in the works and gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!