Category Other

Marcus Rashford at a crossroads with Man United: Can he get back on track?

There’s usually a lot for a manager to get through at the first news conference of the summer, and when Man United’s Erik ten Hag sat down in a private school auditorium in rural New Jersey in July, it was no different. But among some difficult questions about the club’s under-fire owners, the Glazer family, a restrictive transfer budget and the uncertain future of Mason Greenwood, there was one that,…

Other
February 3, 2024

Chelsea win WSL transfer window; Villa the biggest losers

While the majority of deals done in the women’s game are free transfers, spending almost doubled from £2.6m in 2022 to £4.8m last year. In that period, Manchester United (Geyse) and Arsenal (Kyra Cooney-Cross) broke their transfer records, while the English Women’s Super League (WSL) record was also smashed as Manchester City spent a reported £300,000 to land Netherlands midfielder Jill Roord from Wolfsburg. But January 2024 has seen the…

Other
February 2, 2024

Why did Reyna choose Forest? Does he have a future in Dortmund?

Once a promising prospect at a club known for developing diamonds of footballers, Giovanni Reyna’s time with Borussia Dortmund is up — for right now, anyway. The 21-year-old United States international joined Nottingham Forest on loan for the remainder of the season, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday. There’s no option to make the move permanent, and in fact, Dortmund have extended Reyna’s contract through the end of the…

Other
February 2, 2024

Messi napkin set for £300k auction in March

The napkin which famously launched Lionel Messi’s Barcelona career as a 13-year-old will be auctioned off in March with a starting price of £300,000 ($382,150). With Messi’s father, Jorge, beginning to doubt Barça’s commitment to his son in 2000, the club’s director of football at the time, Carles Rexach, hastily scrambled together an agreement on a napkin. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) It was signed by Rexach,…

Other
February 1, 2024

Why the secrecy around Man City’s FFP case with Premier League is so damaging

On Jan. 16, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters faced a British parliamentary committee and addressed arguably the biggest disciplinary case involving the most successful club in the recent history of the English game: the 115 charges against Manchester City that, if proven, could see the club stripped of titles, relegated, fined, sued, tarred, feathered and made to sit in a corner until kingdom come. “There is a date set…

Other
February 1, 2024

Messi could miss NYRB clash for Argentina tour

Lionel Messi could miss Inter Miami’s clash with New York Red Bulls in March, with world champions Argentina announcing they will go on a two-game tour of China. The Argentina captain has scored 11 goals in his 14 appearances since joining Inter Miami in June as a free agent and is preparing to take on his first full season in Major League Soccer. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more…

Other
January 31, 2024

Pep pondering ‘many things’ before City renewal

Pep Guardiola said he will take “many things” into consideration before he decides whether to extend his contract at Manchester City. The Man City manager has a contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2025 and is set to decide on his future later this year. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Guardiola, who saw rival Jurgen Klopp announce his departure from Liverpool last week citing a lack of…

Other
January 31, 2024

Xavi, Klopp, Eriksson and the hypocritical treatment of managers

Three important football coaches announced their impending departures across the past few days: Sven-Göran Eriksson, Jürgen Klopp and Xavi Hernández. The former two were greeted by waves of emotional disbelief and gushing appreciation as a vast range of people said, explicitly and implicitly: “We love you, we respect what you’ve done. This is going to leave a chasm in our lives.” Xavi’s shock announcement that he feels beaten up, blamed…

Other
January 30, 2024

Transfer Talk: Barca close in on Swedish starlet Bergvall

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!

Other
January 30, 2024

Five ambitious Asian nations on course for the 2026 World Cup in North America

Doha, QATAR — It’s becoming something of a theme across most senior international tournaments these days, that men or women, world or continental, the gap between the perceived haves and the have-nots, the heavyweights and the lightweights, is shrinking. As the United States, Canada and Mexico prepare to host an expanded, 48-team men’s World Cup in 2026, the dreams of some of world football’s lesser-known forces are coming to the…

Other
January 29, 2024

Liverpool not complacent despite shock loss – SlotApril 7, 2025
Arne Slot has insisted Liverpool were not complacent in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Fulham but warned they must produce “constant effort” in their final seven games to win the Premier League title. Liverpool fell to only their second league defeat of the campaign at Craven Cottage despite Alexis Mac Allister giving the visitors a 13th-minute… Read more: Liverpool not complacent despite shock loss – Slot
Fulham stun Liverpool, delay Prem title marchApril 7, 2025
Expert recap and game analysis of the Fulham vs. Liverpool English Premier League game from April 6, 2025 on ESPN.
‘No way’ Everton penalty call was right – ArtetaApril 6, 2025
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said there is “no way” Everton should have been awarded a penalty in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Goodison Park. David Moyes’ side put another dent in Arsenal’s faltering Premier League title hopes when Iliman Ndiaye converted a second-half spot-kick to cancel out Leandro Trossard’s earlier strike on Merseyside. Referee Darren… Read more: ‘No way’ Everton penalty call was right – Arteta
Title gone for Arsenal as attention turns to Real MadridApril 6, 2025
LIVERPOOL, England — If it’s true that this year’s battle for the Premier League title has been a one-horse race for some time, then this was the day Arsenal all but surrendered their hopes of pipping Liverpool at the finishing post. With one of the world’s most famous sporting fixtures, horse racing’s Grand National, taking… Read more: Title gone for Arsenal as attention turns to Real Madrid
Spurs’ Ange: Out of love with football over VARApril 5, 2025
Ange Postecoglou has said he is “falling out of love with football” after admitting he made a mistake in celebrating Pape Matar Sarr’s disallowed goal against Tottenham, but not because he risked a fan backlash. Spurs lost 1-0 at Chelsea on Thursday but Sarr had a second-half strike ruled out by VAR. Postecoglou’s decision to… Read more: Spurs’ Ange: Out of love with football over VAR
Fenerbahce: Mourinho provoked before nose grabApril 5, 2025
Fenerbahce have come out in defence of their coach Jose Mourinho, claiming he was provoked by his Galatasaray counterpart Okan Buruk following Wednesday’s Turkish Cup game between the sides. Mourinho, whose team lost 2-1 in the quarterfinal, was seen grabbing the nose of Buruk following a scuffle that broke out between the players on the… Read more: Fenerbahce: Mourinho provoked before nose grab
Harry Kane is on a mission to finally end his long personal trophy droughtApril 4, 2025
Harry Kane is a man on a mission. Not just for Bayern Munich but also for himself. It’s simple: the England captain finally wants to win silverware of note. Despite winning goal-scoring trophies and featuring in five finals, Kane has never tasted victory in a major competition, a run of futility that has even made… Read more: Harry Kane is on a mission to finally end his long personal trophy drought
Tottenham’s Postecoglou on thin ice with his future more uncertain than everApril 4, 2025
LONDON — Ange Postecoglou is no stranger to risk, but on Thursday, he played his most dangerous game yet. Tottenham Hotspur were midway through another insipid Premier League performance when his 64th-minute double change — introducing Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson for Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert — elicited a brief but audible chant… Read more: Tottenham’s Postecoglou on thin ice with his future more uncertain than ever
City fans protest over ticket issues, miss 1st goalApril 3, 2025
Manchester City fans boycotted the opening of their Premier League fixture against Leicester City on Wednesday in protest at ticketing issues at the Etihad Stadium. Supporters gathered outside the stadium an hour before kick-off with a banner which read: “MCFC – For the love not the money.” Hundreds of fans also remained in the concourses… Read more: City fans protest over ticket issues, miss 1st goal
Carlo Ancelotti to go on trial for tax evasionApril 3, 2025
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told a Spanish court on Wednesday that he “never thought about committing fraud” as he gave evidence in a trial in which he’s accused of failing to pay over €1 million ($1.08m) in taxes. Prosecutors have accused the veteran coach of evading paying tax on his image rights income during… Read more: Carlo Ancelotti to go on trial for tax evasion