Two Legia Warsaw players have been released after being detained for almost 24 hours in the Netherlands following a European game, the Polish club said Friday. The players, Josué of Portugal and Radovan Pankov of Serbia, were taken off the team bus and detained Thursday after allegedly injuring a steward following a Europa Conference League match at AZ Alkmaar, which also saw scuffles between visiting supporters and police. Legia Warsaw…
Carlo Ancelotti has criticised media coverage of Vinícius Júnior’s testimony at the trial of three men accused of racially abusing him, saying some are “trying to change the subject” by focusing on the player. The Real Madrid forward gave evidence to a court in Valencia on Thursday via videolink after the incident at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium on May 21. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Valencia CF issued…
William Saliba has revealed the pain he felt in watching Arsenal miss out on the Premier League title last season from the sidelines. Arsenal held an eight-point lead at the beginning of April, shortly after Saliba suffered a back injury in their Europa League round-of-16 clash against Sporting Lisbon which ruled him out for the rest of the campaign. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) – Olley: City…
A day after Morocco and Spain were nominated as joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup — along with Portugal — there were signs of friction, with both countries laying claim to being the venue for the final. Spain’s Sports Minister Miquel Iceta on Thursday on Onda Cero radio said that although “you can’t count your chickens before they hatch,” he expected the final to be held in Spain. –…
Getafe have removed the name of Alfonso Perez from their stadium over sexist comments made by the former Real Madrid and Barcelona player about women’s football. The ground, owned by the city council but leased to the club, has been known as the “Coliseum Alfonso Perez” since its construction in 1998 in honour of the Getafe-born player, but will now be known as the Coliseum. The local government demanded the…
For the first time as Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag is under pressure. At Old Trafford on Tuesday night, Turkish champions Galatasaray inflicted a sixth defeat of the season and United’s second in four days at home. United’s record after 10 games of the 2023-24 season is now worse than under Jose Mourinho and under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the seasons they were sacked. Neither Mourinho nor Solskjaer could…
The 2030 men’s soccer World Cup is set to feature games in six countries on three continents in a unique format that will allow the tournament to celebrate its 100th anniversary in Uruguay. FIFA reached an agreement Wednesday between soccer’s continental leaders to accept a bid spearheaded by co-hosts Spain, Portugal and Morocco as the only candidate for the hosting rights. The agreement also includes staging games in South American…
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes played the most minutes of football among elite players over the past year, the global players’ union (FIFPRO) said on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Fernandes accumulated 6,666 minutes of play in 72 appearances between Sept. 15, 2022, and Sept. 15, 2023, for Portugal and Manchester United. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) According to FIFPRO, the midfielder has logged a total of 29,486 minutes…
Ajax Amsterdam have hired their former head coach Louis van Gaal as an adviser, the Dutch club said on Tuesday, as they look to end a string of disappointing results. Ajax are in 15th place in the 18-team Eredivisie table, and have not won a match since the opening weekend, despite spending over €100 million ($104.71 million) on new players in the close-season. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more…
Celta Vigo’s Rafa Benitez has become the latest high-profile manager to hit out at VAR after his side had a goal ruled out in their 2-1 LaLiga defeat at Las Palmas on Monday. The visiting side thought they opened the scoring in the first half through Jørgen Strand Larsen but it was disallowed after a VAR review adjudged Las Palmas defender Mika Mármol was fouled in the buildup. – The…