In the history of the beautiful game, numerous young talents have been bestowed with the phenom label. It’s a tag that carries the gravitas of becoming a defining figure of their generation. But success is never a straight line, and different factors can lead to whether a player fulfills such lofty expectations or becomes something of a cautionary tale. For every Wayne Rooney, you get a Bojan Krkić; for every…
As the 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite saw its first teams advancing to the knockout round from the East Region this week, the dominance of the tournament’s Japanese contenders was clear for all to see. Of the four teams to seal their last-16 berths, three were J1 League representatives with a duo doing so in style, while the third did not even need to be in action to progress. Returning…
Liverpool manager Arne Slot must wait to discover the extent of his ban after he was sent off amid fractious scenes at the end of Wednesday’s Merseyside derby. Slot approached referee Michael Oliver after a melee between the two sets of players following the full-time whistle had seen Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré and Liverpool’s Curtis Jones sent off for second bookable offences. Doucouré appeared to celebrate in front of Liverpool supporters…
Football Australia said on Wednesday it looked forward to Sam Kerr’s return to the pitch after the national women’s captain was found not guilty of racial abuse but the episode has left a sour taste for some Australian fans and pundits. Kerr was acquitted by a jury at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday two years after calling a British police officer “stupid and white” after a drunken dispute with a…
Wrexham top scorer Elliot Lee was involved in a road traffic incident after the Vertu Trophy victory over Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday, the club has confirmed. The English third-tier side said that the accident occurred while the midfielder was travelling home, involved one other car and “resulted in the drivers of both cars being taken to hospital.” The statement added: “The player suffered no major injuries, while the driver of…
Manchester City fans mocked Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior before the Spanish club’s dramatic Champions League playoff first-leg win on Tuesday, unfurling a banner showing Rodri kissing the Ballon d’Or trophy alongwith the Oasis lyric and song title, “Stop Crying Your Heart Out.” City midfielder Rodri pipped Vinícius to the prestigious men’s individual award handed out by France Football magazine in October, beating his Madrid counterpart by just 41 points…
LaLiga have reported Real Madrid’s formal complaint over referees — which condemned the current system as “completely discredited” and being subject to “manipulation and adulteration” — to the Spanish football federation (RFEF) disciplinary committee, the league confirmed on Tuesday. Madrid sent an angry open letter to the federation (RFEF) last week, criticising the referee’s decisions in their 1-0 LaLiga defeat at Espanyol on Feb. 1, and asking for audio recordings…
A part-owner of Los Angeles FC apologized Monday for reposting reportedly anti-Israel posts on social media that were criticized by his club and Major League Soccer as “deeply offensive.” The Jewish Chronicle first reported that Ruben Gnanalingam reposted messages on his LinkedIn page, including comments urging “armies” to “dismantle” Israel and one that compared the war in Gaza with the Holocaust. Gnanalingam, a Malaysian businessman and also vice chairman of…
Real Madrid and Manchester United are keeping tabs on AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, while Chelsea are exploring a deal for Nico Williams. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe. Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s January grades | Women’s January grades – Marcelinho named as coach of two Brazilian clubs within 24 hours – João Félix rejected Inter bid before joining rivals…
This weekend, the magic of the FA Cup was akin to the sorcery of an episode of “Stranger Things.” It was an Upside Down in which the biggest teams in England’s grandest division fell victim to — or survived narrow escapes — against seemingly no-hopers from the lower leagues. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund weren’t the beneficiaries of the patented “new manager bounce,” with the Schwarzgelben falling in Niko Kovač’s debut…