Champions League last 16 draw: Fiasco hands Liverpool raw deal December 13, 2021 Just when you thought Uefa couldn’t string out its Champions League last 16 draw ceremony any longer, it found a way. The extraordinary mix-up that failed to keep the right teams apart forced the governing body to scrap and re-run a draw that had featured a plum tie pitting Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain against Cristiano [...]
Mikael Silvestre interview: Cut-throat Solskjaer’s neck shouldn’t be on the line November 4, 2021 Under-fire Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job should not be on the line in Saturday’s derby against Manchester City, says former Old Trafford team-mate Mikael Silvestre. Criticism of Solskjaer reached fever pitch after last month’s 5-0 humiliation at rivals Liverpool, and subsequent results – a win over struggling Tottenham Hotspur and the last-gasp draw [...]
Paris Saint-Germain boast bigger stars but Man City have found better way to spend their billions September 27, 2021 The subplots will be as numerous as the superstars when Paris Saint-Germain host Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. It’s Qatar v Abu Dhabi in the battle of the state-backed modern-day mega-clubs. Mauricio Pochettino v Pep Guardiola. El Cashico, if you absolutely must. Fitness permitting, and perhaps most intriguingly of all, it [...]
Manchester City and Leeds United chiefs hit back at Fifa bid for more frequent World Cups September 8, 2021 Manchester City and Leeds United chiefs have joined the chorus of opposition towards Fifa’s plans to stage the World Cup every other year. City chief executive Ferran Soriano told The Times: “There is no space [in the calendar] for anything. No room at all. The players cannot play more games, for sure.” Leeds chairman Andrea [...]
Cristiano Ronaldo completes Manchester United return for initial fee of £13m August 31, 2021 Cristiano Ronaldo has officially completed his return to Manchester United from Juventus on transfer deadline day for an initial fee of €15m (£13m). The Italian club confirmed the terms of the blockbusting transfer this morning. The fee could rise to €23m if Ronaldo and United hit certain targets. United announced the completion of the deal [...]
Manchester City star Benjamin Mendy appears in court as rape trial begins August 27, 2021 A court was told today that Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy allegedly raped a woman while he was on bail, accused of four other sex offences. Mendy, 27, was remanded in custody after appearing at Chester Magistrates’ Court today. He was charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The French [...]
Fifa president Gianni Infantino writes to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in attempt to resolve club v country red list quarantine row August 25, 2021 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to waive quarantine rules for footballers to resolve a stand-off between clubs and national teams. Premier League clubs say they will refuse to let their players take part in World Cup qualifiers next month if the fixtures involve travel to countries on the Covid-19 [...]
Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City among Super League rebels to return to European Club Association August 16, 2021 Nine of the rebel football clubs who agreed to join a breakaway European Super League – including six Premier League sides – have rejoined the European Club Association (ECA). The teams renounced their memberships of the influential group, which represents more than 200 of Europe’s leading clubs, as part of their decision to join the [...]
£100m Jack Grealish: How most expensive signing in Premier League history compares to biggest transfers of all time August 5, 2021 Jack Grealish has become the most expensive signing in Premier League history after completing his £100m transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City. Grealish is also the most expensive English player ever to be traded, and the eighth most expensive transfer of all time. The England attacking midfielder, 25, shone for England as they finished [...]
Socios: The blockchain-enabled fan token platform promising to unlock revenue from the global fanbases of sport’s most famous teams July 31, 2021 Football’s transfer market may have lacked headline-grabbing deals so far this summer but the same can’t be said for Socios. The platform, which sells “fan tokens” offering supporters the chance to influence decisions at their team, has instantly increased visibility with a clutch of major partnerships. Last week Socios announced the launch of an Arsenal [...]