Ange Postecoglou said Mathys Tel is “100 per cent” committed to Tottenham after the French forward signed on loan despite reportedly rejecting a move to the club earlier in the January transfer window.
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Tottenham were busy in the final hours of Monday’s deadline day as they bolstered Postecoglou’s injury-ravaged squad, bringing in Tel and defender Kevin Danso.
Bayern Munich’s Tel, 19, was also linked with Manchester United and Arsenal before opting for Tottenham, who have an option to make the move permanent in the summer transfer window.
Postecoglou, whose team take a 1-0 lead into Thursday’s League Cup semi-final second-leg at Liverpool, told his pre-match press conference that Tel had been right to take his time over such a major decision.
“It’s not so much that he rejected us or rejected anyone else,” said the Spurs manager. “Rightly so he was getting as much information as possible.”
The Australian added: “I had a conversation with him and I guess mine was purely around the football and I think he’ll find a really great place here in terms of where he is in his career.
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“He obviously wants to play. We’ve already shown that irrespective of age, he’ll get an opportunity here, and the way we play will suit him.
“Certainly with what we have in the next few months and then more importantly what we’re building beyond, I thought he would be a perfect fit.”
When asked if he felt the France under-21 international was fully committed to Spurs, Postecoglou said: “Yes, 100 per cent. I am more than 100 per cent sure because he took so much time, was so diligent about finding out everything when he made a decision that it’s us.
“He obviously had options and that sort of gave me even more confidence that we are getting the right kind of mentality, the right kind of player.
“He is very ambitious. He’s got a great deal of self-belief and self-confidence. He feels he can reach the top of the game and he has chosen us, which is a great vindication of what we are doing.”
Tel and Danso will both be available for Thursday’s match at Anfield, but Micky van de Ven and fellow centre-back Cristian Romero are set to miss out, with Postecoglou taking a “conservative” approach after the duo’s injury absences.
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Tottenham are one match away from a League Cup final at Wembley as they seek to end a trophy drought that stretches back to 2008.
Former Celtic boss Postecoglou, in his second season at Tottenham, put himself under pressure earlier in the campaign when he said he “always wins things in my second year”.
But he said Premier League leaders and League Cup holders Liverpool would also be feeling the pressure.
“I don’t think Liverpool will be any less anxious than us about the fixture,” he said. “You’re in a semi-final, particularly a second leg and it’s still very tight.
“It’s a big game for both clubs so you recognise that, you embrace that but ultimately if you want to be successful these are the games you want to be involved in.”
Ange Postecoglou’s job is on the line, there’s no two ways about it — but his role in securing the signature of Mathys Tel proves to be a pivotal moment in his Tottenham tenure.
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The 19-year-old was desperate for game time after playing limited minutes for Bayern Munich this season and it was Spurs, alongside Manchester United and Chelsea vying for his signature.
Tottenham officials agreed a $120m AUD fee to sign Tel, but after chairman Daniel Levy flew to Munich to pitch his vision to the young gun, he baulked and declined the move.
That’s where Postecoglou stepped in.
The Australian picked up the phone and called Tel, offering his own view of the path forward and exactly where he saw the rising star fitting in his side.
Suddenly, Tel had a change of heart. Moving quickly, he travelled to London to initially sign on loan before he was convinced to insert a $90m AUD buy option in his contract, for a potential six-year deal.
His conversation with the former Celtic boss was a clear turning point, and that sequence of events sums up the situation Postecoglou finds himself precariously placed in.
“Remember on Friday, Spurs agreed a permanent deal with Bayern Munich but the player said he didn’t want the move and preferred a move to Arsenal, Aston Villa or Manchester United,” Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth said.
“They didn’t peruse the move. But Ange Postecoglou got on the phone, spoke to Tel personally and convinced him Spurs were the place to be.”
Multiple reports over Postecoglou’s future in north London have not been able to produce a consensus, with some putting the Australian on the brink, and others saying he’s safe for the foreseeable future.
Postecoglou himself admitted in January “I reckon there is probably a fair chunk that will say no” when asked if he will be Tottenham manager beyond the next three weeks.
However, Spurs’ Tel saga — specifically the way it ended — is suggestive of a slightly more secure future for Postecoglou than some have predicted.
Levy turned to Postecoglou in an attempt to try and finish the job he was unable to complete, while also allowing him to sign other players during his stint as manager.
Premier League legend Gary Neville said that Tel had made a good decision to join Spurs, with Postecoglou’s philosophy part of the reason.
“Tottenham are a huge draw, the stadium and the training ground – and the manager with his style of football. It’s a thrilling style that creates chances,” Sky Sports’ Neville said.
“I’m glad Tel is going there after flirting with a couple of other clubs. Tel will improve Spurs.
“They have a big couple of weeks coming up. Sometimes players like the idea of playing for a club but the important thing is to play football. That’s what Tottenham can provide him.
“They are an amazing football club with an amazing fanbase and they have some great games coming up that he can contribute in.”
Postecoglou being handed the keys to the Tel transfer, and personally speaking to the young gun in a bid to change his mind, hints at a manager who’s been backed by the club for its next phase — not one who is being sacked imminently.
Even so, managing under the rule of Levy comes with an ominous history that Postecoglou will hope his new signings can help him defy.
Sam Kerr’s criminal trial gets underway | 01:34
Levy has been in charge at Tottenham since ENIC’s takeover in 2001, winning one League Cup in 2008 during his tenure as the longest current serving chairman.
During his 24 years, he’s sacked and hired 16 managers.
Postecoglou is just the latest in a long line of mentors who have failed to deliver without the significant financial investment to compete with the Premier League’s heavyweights.
Yet he was still able to convince one of the world’s brightest talents to join him in North London, and the chairman was not.
But should Spurs’ struggles continue to close out the 2024/25 season, it will be Postecoglou who is thrown out the door — not Levy, who refuses to listen to fan’s criticisms.
Levy watched on as Postecoglou struggled to field a starting eleven in recent weeks, with injuries tallying almost every game.
Fans have protested openly against the club’s ownership in recent weeks, even staging a mass event at the Tottenham club shop to try and enact change.
However, Levy has previously said that he doesn’t listen to criticism from the club’s faithful, with former Premier League striker Chris Sutton questioning the chairman.
“Daniel Levy is such a powerful figure – he wants to win trophies, but that’s not his primary objective, he wants to make money and that’s why Tottenham fans are angry,” he said on BBC.
“But, does Daniel Levy listen to anybody? He’s a stubborn so and so, we can talk as much as we like about it but he’s such a powerful figure – what is going to change?
“You can have your banners up, you can sing Levy out – but is he really going to listen to that?”
While Levy has been the focal point of fans’ woes, former Manchester United scout Mick Brown explained prior to deadline day that Postecoglou’s position was shaping as a familiar story.
“It’s mapping out at Tottenham as it often has done over the years,” he said to Football Insider.
Mathys Tel (R) will join Spurs.Source: Getty Images
“The manager of the time needs players, it gets to a point where the chairman is accused of keeping his hands in his pockets, he starts getting pressure from the fans, and he sacks the manager.
“He’s sacked 15 managers during his time there. It’s ‘watch this space’ at Tottenham at the moment.
“They’ve been down this road before.
“Chairmen, particularly Daniel Levy, don’t like pressure from the fans so they react and make a decision. That’s not my opinion, it’s a fact, it’s history.”
However, Tottenham’s pair of signings could be seen as a renewed show of faith in Postecoglou.
Last month, the club was in freefall with losses in the league piling up each week, while Levy’s pursestrings remained largely tightened.
But a pressure-relieving 0-2 away win over Brentford on the weekend, followed by two key coups late in the transfer window have offered new hope for Postecoglou’s future at the club.
Alongside Tel, Lens centre back Kevin Danso has also joined the club in a timely boost for the Australian’s injury-ravaged side.
Even so it wasn’t all good news in the market for Postecoglou, he was desperate to sign a second centre back, with Chelsea’s Axel Disasi snubbing Spurs in favour of Aston Villa.
AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori also rejected the club’s approach, while Crystal Palace declined a $140m AUD bid for England representative Marc Guehi.
The Guehi move in particular highlighted the difference between Spurs and other heavyweights, refusing to up their offer to secure a player who has been a proven Premier League performer.
Spurs still sit in 14th in the Premier League, losing four-straight games before breaking that streak against Brentford.
It is therefore likely that results in a trio of cup competitions, the Europe League, Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, will be pivotal in Postecoglou surviving the 2024/25 season.
Kerr’s alleged racial harassment shown | 00:50
Spurs have a 1-0 lead after the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi finals, with the second clash with Liverpool scheduled for Friday morning.
The recent return of Micky van de Ven proves crucial for Spurs, but the likes of Christian Romero, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario, among others, still sidelined.
Postecoglou will be desperate for Tel and Danso to hit the ground running in the hopes of helping Tottenham delve deeper into their cup campaigns.
The equation is simple for Postecoglou — win silverware and he will likely keep his job.
But the fact that he is still here to hold onto that hope represents an uptick in fortunes for a manager who, just last month, was struggling to field an XI in what some where billing as a relegation fight.
Spain star Jenni Hermoso on Monday told the trial of disgraced ex-football chief Luis Rubiales that the forced kiss he gave her in 2023 “shouldn’t happen in any social or work setting”.
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Prosecutors are seeking two and a half years in prison against Rubiales for sexual assault and coercion after his kiss on Hermoso following the 2023 Women’s World Cup final sparked global outrage.
Rubiales has called the kiss an innocuous “peck between friends celebrating” and denied any coercion.
“I felt it was totally out of place and I then realised my boss was kissing me, and this shouldn’t happen in any social or work setting,” Hermoso told the court on the opening day of the trial.
“A kiss on the lips is only given when I decide so,” she added.
The scandal that rocked Spanish football and wrecked Rubiales’ career came moments after Hermoso and her teammates had clinched World Cup glory by beating England in the final in Sydney.
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“As a woman I felt disrespected. It was a moment that stained one of the happiest days of my life,” Hermoso said.
“For me it is very important to say that at no point did I seek that act, let alone expect it.”
The trial at the National Court in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid is scheduled to run until February 19.
Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr called a British police officer “stupid and white” during an incident at a police station, a jury was told on Monday.
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Kerr, 31, is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to the officer during an incident in London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
It is alleged that Kerr and her partner, fellow footballer Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to the police station in southwest London by a taxi driver.
The driver complained the passengers refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them vomited, and that one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
At the police station, Kerr is alleged to have become “abusive and insulting” towards police constable Stephen Lovell.
Sam Kerr (C) reacts as she arrives at Kingston Crown Court in south London.Source: AFP
Footage from Lovell’s body camera was played to a jury sitting at Kingston Crown Court on Monday, in which Kerr tells Lovell: “Honestly, you guys are f***ing stupid and white.
“I’m f***ing over this s***. This is the world’s f***ing problem.”
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones told the jury: “The defendant’s comments towards PC Lovell left him shocked, upset, and humiliated.
“He took offence to the comments that Ms Kerr made about his race because you may think that his being a white man really had nothing to do with anything.”
The prosecutor added: “Ms Kerr denied that she intended to cause PC Lovell harassment, alarm or distress.
“She said ‘I was just very angry at how I felt.’ She described the entire situation as distressing and ‘a heated moment’.
“Ms Kerr said that both herself and Ms Mewis were crying at the time.”
Sam Kerr during her exchange with a British police officer, as seen from bodycam footage.Source: Supplied
Kerr, who is of mixed race, last year pleaded not guilty to the offence.
Grace Forbes, defending, told jurors on Monday: “Nobody disputes the words that were said. But simple words, even words like these, do not make you guilty of a criminal offence.”
She added: “The words were a comment, however poorly expressed, about positions of power, about privilege, and how those things might colour perception.”
Emlyn Jones presented a timeline of the alleged events, telling the court Kerr said she and Mewis believed they were being kidnapped by the driver, who refused to let them out after she was sick in the vehicle.
The taxi driver first called police to lodge a complaint that a woman in his vehicle was attempting to smash a window.
The driver was then advised by an emergency services phone operator to drive to Twickenham Police Station.
Sam Kerr’s criminal trial gets underway | 01:34
PC Lovell and another officer were the first police to attend the scene after the taxi driver parked behind their marked police vehicle and sounded the car’s horn to get the officers’ attention.
Emlyn Jones said the officers at the scene “noticed smashed glass in the road and saw that a taxi was parked outside the police station”.
He went on to allege: “The officers saw Ms Kerr crawling out of the broken rear window of the taxi.
“They felt that the taxi driver was kidnapping them and so they broke the rear window in order to escape and raise the alarm.”
Kerr made her debut for current Women’s Super League champions Chelsea in 2020. She is currently out of action with a knee injury.
Aston Villa signed Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United for the rest of the season on Sunday to end the England international’s exile under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
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Once a hero for the United fans, Rashford has not featured for his boyhood club since December 12 and admitted earlier this season he was ready for a “new challenge”.
The 27-year-old had been linked with a move to AC Milan and Barcelona, but the European giants were put off by his reported £300,000-a-week (A$600,000) wages.
According to Sky Sports, Villa will pick up at least 75 percent of that pay packet for the coming months, rising to 90 percent depending on performance-related bonuses and have an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season for £40 million (A$40m).
“I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me but Aston Villa was an easy decision – I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the manager’s ambitions,” said Rashford in a Villa statement.
“I just want to play football and am excited to get started. I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.”
Villa moved to bolster their attacking options after selling Colombia striker Jhon Duran to Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr on Friday for a reported £64 million.
Unai Emery’s men have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League and still have aspirations to qualify for that tournament again next season.
Villa sit eighth in the Premier League, eight points above 13th-placed United. Rashford scored 138 goals in 426 appearances since coming through the ranks at Old Trafford and has lifted the Europa League, two FA Cups and two League Cups as a United player.
However, his attitude and work ethic in training has been questioned by Amorim, since he took charge in November.
After last weekend’s 1-0 win at Fulham, the Portuguese coach sensationally claimed he would rather put the club’s 63-year-old goalkeeping coach, Jorge Vital, in the squad than Rashford.
“Our team should be so much better with Rashford, but he has to change,” Amorim said last week.
“If he does change, we are more than welcome to put a talent like Rashford in, and we need it.
“But in this moment I think it’s really clear that we have to set some standards. That’s all.” A temporary switch to Villa allows Rashford a fresh start to rehabilitate his tarnished reputation after his astonishing fall from grace.
He was part of England’s World Cup squad just over two years ago and scored a career-best 30 goals in the 2022/23 campaign.
But he netted just eight times last season and has seven in 24 appearances so far this campaign.
ANGE HI-JACKS $40M TRANSFER
Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs have hijacked a deal Wolves had in place to sign 26-year-old centre back Kevin Danso, who joins initially on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season for 25 million euros (£21 million, A$42m).
“It’s great to get Kevin in, we desperately needed a defender,” added Postecoglou.
Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs have hijacked a deal Wolves had in place to sign Kevin Danso.Source: Getty Images
“Getting him is great because he’s a great fit for us. He’s had a strong career and he’s at an age now (26) where he wants to kick on and he has all the attributes we look for. We’re really pleased and it will be a lift for the whole group.”
Danso is expected to be available for selection by the time Spurs play the second leg of their League Cup semi-final against Liverpool on Friday morning.
Postecoglou’s first-choice centre-backs Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero have missed a large part of the season, while their backup Radu Dragusin is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.
Spurs had reportedly held advanced talks with AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori but the England international opted to remain in Italy. It was the second high-profile snub Spurs had suffered in the window after Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel also opted to stay put despite the agreement of a A$100m transfer fee.
Chelsea’s Axel Disasi is also reportedly on the verge of a move across London before Tuesday morning’s (AEDT) transfer deadline.
Ange Postecoglou admits Tottenham’s “vicious cycle” of injuries has hampered his attempt to get the troubled club back on track.
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Postecoglou is under severe pressure after a miserable run of seven Premier League games without a win, with six defeats in that dismal spell also triggering fan protests against chairman Daniel Levy.
Ahead of Sunday’s game at Brentford, Postecoglou’s side are languishing in 15th place, just eight points above the relegation zone.
The Australian earned a little breathing space on Thursday when a 3-0 win against Elfsborg booked Tottenham’s place in the Europa League last 16.
But Postecoglou is battling a lengthy injury list that threatens to stop the north Londoners ending their malaise.
Postecoglou was already without Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Brennan Johnson, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner and James Maddison.
Romanian defender Radu Dragusin became the latest to be bitten by the injury bug when he was forced off against Elfsborg, although centre-back Micky van de Ven played 45 minutes on his return from a hamstring problem.
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“We’ve had to deal with a real extreme situation, which unfortunately once we got hit, it is then very hard to rectify on the run,” Postecoglou told reporters on Friday.
“We obviously got some significant injuries early on, which hampered our progress, and then we had to rely on a small group of players to get us through and that then burdened them.
“It has been this vicious cycle. The volume of games that clubs are playing, we’ve been in an extreme situation but a lot of clubs are facing similarities in Europe.”
It is a vital week for Tottenham, who travel to Liverpool holding a 1-0 lead in the second leg of the League Cup semi-finals on Thursday before heading to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round on February 9.
Injuries forced Postecoglou to turn to youth academy graduates Dane Scarlett, Mikey Moore and Damola Ajayi, who all scored their first goals for the club against Elfsborg.
Now the former Celtic boss is desperate to avoid any further fitness setbacks as he bids to end a Tottenham trophy drought stretching back to 2008.
“Every time I’ve seen the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s usually been an oncoming train,” he said.
“We seem to be losing players as we get them back. We don’t want to lose anyone else, but again, best laid plans.
Jovial Ange jokes before crucial goal | 00:57
“You can’t plan for these things. We’ve got a big week coming up, starting Sunday.
“We’re going to have to do it with this core group of players, so we’ve just got to be careful about how we go about it.”
Spurs’ terrible injury crisis has spurred the club’s usually frugal chairman, Daniel Levy, into action in the transfer market.
However, their attempt to strengthen the Australian’s options, and deepen his squad, have taken a major dent with Bayern Munich teenager Mathys Tel’s decision to reject a move to the club, according to Sky Sports.
A deal reportedly worth £50m had been struck between the two clubs for the highly promising Frenchman, whose game time has been limited since joining the German giants in 2022.
It is believed the French U-21 international has knocked back the chance to unite with Postecoglou in London in favour of a loan deal to one of Manchester United, Aston Villa, or Chelsea. Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli are also interested in the highly-rated attacker, who is capable of playing across the front line.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Transfer Show, Arsenal legend Paul Merson doesn’t believe Tel’s decision is a major blight on Spurs, given the disparity between Bayern’s position and Tottenham’s.
“I wouldn’t say it’s embarrassing for Spurs. He’s coming from Bayern Munich, he’s not coming from a lesser team. No disrespect to Tottenham, but he’s coming from a huge team. He’s got to get the right move,” Merson said.
Given injuries to Solanke, Odobert, Johnson, and Werner, as well as captain Heung-Min Son’s form struggles, Tel’s decision is a major blow for Spurs. However, Sky Sports are reporting the 19-year-old isn’t the only talent pursued by the club in the final days of the January window.
According to the publication, the club are in advanced talks with AC Milan to sign former Chelsea centre back Fikayo Tomori, a move that would bolster Postecoglou’s depleted backline options.
The 27-year-old, who was integral to Milan’s league title back in 2020-21, has struggled for minutes this season, having played just 826 for the Italian giants, who sit 7th in Serie A.
Despite this drop in game time, Tomori would be a worthwhile asset for a Spurs side who’ve utilised teenager holding midfielder Archie Gray at centre back at various points this season, with the five-time England international’s recovery pace a key part of his game.
However, according to Arsenal legend Ian Wright, a few new additions to Spurs’ squad mightn’t be the silver bullet many expect, given their current injury record.
“Even if they bought three players now, they might lose more,” Wright said on a recent episode of The Overlap.
Wright believes Tottenham’s loaded schedule, which sees them play four times in the next 10 days, the constant game time the likes of Son and Dejan Kulusevski have had to ground out, and the period of adjustment most new signings require, could lead to further players being sidelined.
Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer stressed the impact new faces can have on a squad, even if they don’t take the field.
“When a couple of new players come through, it gives everyone a lift,” the 39-year-old said.
While Postecoglou’s managerial future is on the line in the coming weeks, Rooney stated his wish for the Australian to maintain his post, regardless of the outcome of their next few games.
“I hope he survives. I like him. I like his demeanour. I think, how honest he is, sometimes you can be too honest, and sometimes that comes back to kill you,” he told The Overlap.
Brazilian superstar Neymar has left sections of the football world in meltdown with an announcement about his return to boyhood club Santos expected to be made within days.
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Saudi giant Al Hilal on Monday night released a statement to confirm the club had reached a mutual agreement to release the former Barcelona star from his mega-contract.
The Champions League winner shared a message on Tuesday night, saying goodbye to his Saudi Pro League fans.
“To everyone at Al Hilal, to the fans, Thank you,” he posted on X.
“I gave everything to play and I wish we enjoyed better times on the pitch together.
“To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life. I always felt your love and passion for the game. I will be following your journey ahead as a club and a country towards 2034.
“Your future will be incredible, special things are happening and I will always support you.”
Al Hilal’s Brazilian forward Neymar warms up. Photo by AFP.Source: AFP
Neymar’s deal was reported to have been worth a staggering $215 million (£129m) per-year, The Sun reports.
And after leaving following 18 months at the club, it meant he earned £193.8m in total.
That breaks down to an outrageous $4.1 million (£2.5m) per-week.
Combined with his transfer fee, Al-Hilal effectively paid $452 million (£271m) for Neymar’s single goal and three assists in seven matches.
Al Hilal’s nightmare isn’t even over yet.
Neymar will still pocket $87 million (£51.9m) of the wages he was owed for the remainder of the season, agreeing to give up just 15 per cent – which works out to $13 million (£8m).
That means by the end of the season, his single goal will have cost over $554 million (£322m), while each appearance will have been worth £46m.
If all that wasn’t enough, Neymar also raked in a cool £136m from commercial income, separate to his wage from Al-Hilal.
The former Paris Saint-Germain winger played just seven times since joining the club in August 2023.
Neymar was the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros.
He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.
But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in October 2023, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.
He returned for Al Hilal with two brief appearances in October and November but injured a hamstring and has not played since.
Club’s blunt Neymar statement as boyhood fairy tale nears
Al-Hilal’s statement confirming Neymar’s exit was short and sweet.
“The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career,” said a club statement posted on social media.
The decision to release Neymar came after boss Jorge Jesus admitted the player was no longer capable of the required physical demands.
He said: “Neymar can no longer perform at the level we are used to.
“Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
While Neymar had been courted by MLS teams in the United States, reports in Brazil said Santos, the club where Neymar made his name, was in talks for him to return to his homeland.
A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.
Neymar scores for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images
Club president Marcelo Teixeira took to Instagram to deliver the message to Neymar on Tuesday night but did not officially confirm the 32-year-old’s return to the club where he first broke through in 2009.
“The time has come, Neymar. The time has come for you to return to your people. To your home, to our beloved club,” said Teixeira.
“Welcome back, Ney boy!… Come and be happy again in the sacred jersey. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms.”
Earlier in January, Neymar said he was aiming to play the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
“I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it,” he told CNN.
At the start of his career he was cast as the heir to Pele.
After scoring 107 goals in 177 appearances for Santos, he joined Barcelona in 2013, becoming the young star of a team that also featured Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, which swept to the Champions League title in 2015 by beating Juventus 3-1 in the final in Berlin.
A year later he scored the winning penalty in a shootout as Brazil won the men’s football gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In 2017, Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain prised him away from Barcelona with what is still a world-record transfer fee of 220 million euros ($230 million).
He won five Ligue 1 titles and he and prolific French forward Kylian Mbappe led PSG to the final of the Champions League in the Covid-blighted 2019-2020, but they lost to Bayern Munich.
PSG reunited Neymar with Messi in the French capital, but the trio with Mbappe failed to gel as personal rivalries got in the way and he was pushed to the exit, and to Saudi Arabia, by the Parisian management in 2023.
Raphinha struck a dramatic winner in stoppage time as Barcelona came from behind to beat Benfica 5-4 in a wild match on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) and virtually ensure direct qualification to the Champions League last 16 — meanwhile, Liverpool beat Lille and Aston Villa lost to Monaco (scroll down for reports).
Benfica were leading 4-2 with under 15 minutes remaining but Barcelona mounted a stunning late comeback to stay three points behind leaders Liverpool.
Vangelis Pavlidis hit a first-half hat-trick for the hosts, in part thanks to two big errors by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
However a Robert Lewandowski double from the penalty spot, Eric Garcia’s header and a brace for Raphinha helped Barcelona claim a stunning last-gasp triumph in Lisbon.
“We knew how hard it would be here, in front of their fans, and they know how to play really well, they have top level players,” Raphinha told Movistar.
“We didn’t let ourselves sink at 3-1 down, we were focused on what we needed to do to try and change the game.
“It was a spectacular game for everyone. They could have won, or us, but we managed to take it.”
Barcelona’s Brazilian forward Raphinha celebrates victory at Benfica.Source: AFP
Benfica opened the scoring in the second minute, when Pavlidis escaped Pau Cubarsi and fired home from Alvaro Carreras’ low cross.
Barcelona responded swiftly with Lewandowski scoring from the penalty spot after Alejandro Balde was brought down by Benfica defender Tomas Araujo.
The hosts nosed back ahead through a stroke of luck, when Szczesny raced out of his goal to try and cut out a through-ball, but crashed into Balde.
Greece international Pavlidis gleefully collected the loose ball and rolled his second into the empty net.
Barcelona, who lured Szczesny out of retirement to replace the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen in October, soon fell further behind.
Pavlidis completed his half-hour hat-trick with a penalty after another Szczesny mistake, with the goalkeeper flying in to try and dispossess Kerem Akturkoglu but bringing him down.
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha missed good chances before the break as Barcelona pushed forward.
Raphinha controls the ball in Lisbon.Source: AFP
Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin saved from Jules Kounde, who should have scored, and Lewandowski could not turn home from Pedri’s dangerous ball across the face of goal.
Raphinha pulled one back for Barcelona in bizarre fashion as a clearance by Trubin struck his head on the edge of the area and flew back into the net.
However, Benfica soon struck again, with Ronald Araujo nudging past Szczesny into his own net as he tried to cut out a cross.
Barcelona kept pushing and Lewandowski converted another penalty after Nicolas Otamendi brought down Yamal.
The Catalan giants, who last won the Champions League in 2015, pulled level when substitute Garcia headed home from Pedri’s inviting cross.
Szczesny saved former Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria’s low shot before Raphinha’s dramatic winner.
With Benfica appealing for a penalty, Barcelona sprang a quick breakaway and the Brazilian winger slotted home to end a blockbuster battle.
Players from both sides clashed after the final whistle as tempers flared following the thrilling denouement.
“To go behind in the second minute… spoils your plans,” said Garcia. “The team showed an incredible mentality.”
Robert Lewandowski scores Barcelona’s first goal.Source: Getty Images
LIVERPOOL BEAT LILLE
Liverpool maintained their perfect Champions League record to guarantee a top-two finish in the league phase and automatic last-16 qualification with a 2-1 win over Lille at Anfield on Tuesday.
Harvey Elliott’s deflected strike secured a seventh consecutive Champions League victory for Arne Slot’s men after Jonathan David cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s opener.
Liverpool remain three points clear of Barcelona, who came from 4-2 down to beat Benfica 5-4.
Lille’s first defeat in 22 games in all competitions leaves the French side 11th.
Liverpool will welcome direct progress to the last 16, without the need for a play-off round, with the Premier League leaders still involved in four competitions.
Slot took the chance to rotate with the Reds already all but assured of progress to the next round.
Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez, fresh from his match-winning contribution, came in from the side that beat Brentford 2-0 on Saturday to open up a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai celebrate their win.Source: AFP
Lille arrived on Merseyside full of confidence with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid among the notable scalps on their long unbeaten run.
The visitors were far from overawed early on as they started impressively without ever seriously threatening Alisson Becker’s goal.
Liverpool had struggled to get going until one defence-splitting pass from Jones freed Salah to gallop clear and coolly slot in his 50th European goal for the club on 34 minutes.
Jones had to be replaced at half-time in an injury concern for Slot, who also took the chance to rest Ryan Gravenberch for the second 45 minutes as Elliot and Alexis Mac Allister were introduced.
Lille’s task looked to be an impossible one when Aissa Mandi was sent off for a second bookable offence for chopping down Luis Diaz.
Yet, within three minutes, Liverpool’s club-record European run without conceding was brought to an end.
David swept home the rebound after Hakon Arnar Haraldsson’s effort had been blocked by Kostas Tsimikas.
Liverpool had not conceded for one minute shy of 10 hours since Christian Pulisic struck for AC Milan inside the first three minutes of their opening Champions League game of the season.
Yet, not for the first time this season, Liverpool’s strength in depth made the difference with another winner from a substitute.
There was an element of fortune about this one as Elliott’s strike from the edge of the area took a huge deflection off Ngal’ayel Mukau to wrongfoot Lucas Chevalier.
The Lille ‘keeper denied Federico Chiesa a third in stoppage time, before Nunez was flagged offside as he swept in the rebound.
Arne Slot applauds the Liverpool fans.Source: Getty Images
ASTON VILLA DEFEATED BY MONACO
Monaco ground out a 1-0 home win against Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday, denying the Premier League side the chance to all but book their spot in the round of 16.
Wilfried Singo’s early header was the difference between the teams as Villa tasted defeat for the first time in six outings in all competitions.
Monaco had only won two of their last 11 matches, including back-to-back defeats in the Champions League, but now have their eyes on securing progress to the knock-outs.
The defeat dropped Villa from fifth to seventh provisionally. They can qualify automatically for the last-16 with a top-eight finish.
“We started the Champions League not being favourites to finish in the top eight, and we still aren’t. Tonight we are disappointed,” said Villa manager Unai Emery.
Emery’s side host 21st-placed Celtic in their final league phase match next week.
Villa and Monaco are among nine teams on 13 points, ahead of the rest of this week’s matches, a pack headed by Arsenal in fourth place in the table with Monaco in ninth Monaco conclude their league phase campaign with a visit to Italian champions Inter Milan — also on 13 points ahead of a visit to Prague on Wednesday — knowing nothing but a win will do to avoid a play-off spot.
“We have one match remaining which will be very difficult. We are going to go to Milan next week with a lot of ambition and to win,” said Singo.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts during a loss to Monaco.Source: AFP
Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s every touch was booed by the home support in the early stages — the crowd had not forgotten his role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final victory over France.
To the delight of their fans, Monaco’s opener came after the Argentinian parried Thilo Kehrer’s header from a corner up into the air. Singo pounced to nod home from close range on eight minutes.
Martinez showed his class with a sprawling dive to claw away Maghnes Akliouche’s whipped effort shortly afterwards.
Villa came within inches of levelling in first-half added time following excellent build-up play by Emiliano Buendia, but Radoslaw Majecki got down quickly to deny Ollie Watkins.
At the start of the second period, Morgan Rogers flashed a strike narrowly wide, before Akliouche had a strike disallowed for offside.
Emery turned to Jhon Duran from the bench to give his side a spark, sending on the Colombian 11 minutes after the interval in place of winger Bailey.
With Watkins and Duran on the pitch together, Villa boasted a striking duo with 22 goals between in all competitions this term.
Rogers and Matty Cash combined to create Villa’s next chance, the right-back dragging his effort across goal and wide on 69 minutes.
Monaco looked the more likely to score in the final 20 minutes. Aleksandr Golovin rippled the side netting from a tight angle in the 88th minute.
Duran then attempted a bicycle-kick in the crowded box in the 92nd minute, but his ambitious effort flew well over the bar as Monaco held firm.
“It was an important win,” said Monaco coach Adi Huetter. “I give compliments and praise to my team for how they fought.”
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said it is his responsibility to turn around a miserable Premier League season after a 3-2 defeat to Everton on Sunday (Monday AEDT), which helped the Toffees pull clear of the relegation zone.
Previously goal-shy Everton tore through Spurs’ under-strength backline to net three times before the break through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye and an Archie Gray own goal.
A first win in seven league games takes David Moyes’ men four points clear of the bottom three.
Tottenham’s 12th Premier League defeat of the season leaves them just four points above Everton in 15th and ramps up the pressure on manager Postecoglou.
However, it was chairman Daniel Levy, not the Australian, who felt the fury of the travelling support as they chanted for change at the top of the club.
“This is not about me, but what is about me is I have a responsibility to the players I do have. For me to focus on anything else is abstaining from the responsibility I do have,” said Postecoglou, who was without 10 first-team regulars due to injury.
Everton did bite the bullet to sack Sean Dyche earlier this month and it was like the Goodison days of old for Moyes as he enjoyed a first win of his second spell in charge.
“Really pleased we could give everyone something to shout about,” said Moyes. “We played ever so well in the first half, scored three and could have scored more.”
Ange Postecoglou (R) consoles Archie Gray after defeat at Goodison Park.Source: AFP
Moyes’ homecoming fell flat in a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in midweek, after which the former Manchester United boss said he was aware of the task he faces to preserve Premier League status due to a lack of firepower.
Calvert-Lewin had not scored since September but did not look like a striker short on confidence as he turned Gray and Lucas Bergvall before firing in the opening goal on 13 minutes.
To compound the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and three of Postecoglou’s preferred back four in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie, Tottenham were also without club record signing Dominic Solanke.
Captain Son Heung-min stepped in to start as a makeshift centre-forward and should have levelled when he shot too close to Jordan Pickford from Dejan Kulusevski’s cross.
But Tottenham looked likely to concede every time Everton sprang out on the counter-attack.
Calvert-Lewin should have had a second but for a heavy touch that allowed Antonin Kinsky to block before the Czech goalkeeper turned Orel Mangala’s effort onto the post.
David Moyes applauds Toffees fans after Everton beat Tottenham.Source: AFP
Everton had scored just 15 goals in 20 league games prior to kick-off, going goalless in nine of their last 11.
What little inspiration there has been from the Toffees this season has come from Ndiaye.
The Senegal international produced a moment of magic to double the lead as he skipped past the statuesque Radu Dragusin before slotting high past Kinsky.
Gray’s own goal compounded a terrible first 45 minutes for the visitors as their frailty from set-pieces was again exposed when the 18-year-old could only turn Calvert-Lewin’s flick into his own net.
Kulusevski’s classy chip over three scrambling Everton defenders pulled a goal back before Richarlison turned home at the back post in stoppage time.
Postecoglou’s men remain alive in three cup competitions, but Levy has a decision to make on whether the quest for a first trophy since 2008 would be better served by a change of manager.
“We’re still in all four competitions. Our league position is not great to say the least but eventually our players will come back. Significant talent will come back,” added Postecoglou.
“I’ve got great motivation to get through this so when we do get our players back we can get something significant out of our season.”
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham needed extra time before seeing off non-league Tamworth 3-0 in their FA Cup clash on Monday morning (AEDT).
Tottenham, currently 12th in the Premier League, are 96 places above Tamworth, who sit 16th in the fifth-tier National League.
The supposed gap in quality was rarely apparent as Tottenham’s dismal display took them to the brink of a historic humiliation.
A part-time team whose players work day jobs alongside their football careers, Tamworth matched their highly-paid and supposedly superior opponents for long periods on the Lamb Ground’s sloping artificial pitch.
They should have caused one of the FA Cup’s greatest upsets in normal time but their missed chances proved crucial.
Nathan Tshikuna’s extra-time own goal and late strikes from Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson sent Tottenham into the fourth round.
Tottenham last won a major trophy in 2008, but the under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou boasts he always wins silverware in his second season at a club.
Having beaten Liverpool 1-0 in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, Tottenham remain in contention for a domestic cup double despite a troubled season.
“They made it hard for us, with the surface it was about us staying calm and being persistent. In the end, we got the job done,” said Postecoglou, whose team travel to Aston Villa in the fourth round.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Greek-Australian Head Coach Ange Postecoglou gestures on the touchline during the English FA Cup third round football match between Tamworth and Tottenham Hotspur at The Lamb Ground in Tamworth, central England on January 12, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /Source: AFP
MAN UTD PROGRESS
Ten-man Manchester United beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a dramatic 1-1 draw in the FA Cup third round.
Defeated 2-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League in December, FA Cup holders United exacted revenge on their return to the Emirates Stadium to extend their revival after last weekend’s impressive draw at Liverpool.
Ruben Amorim’s troubled side took the lead through Bruno Fernandes, who smashed a superb strike into the far corner from the edge of the area in the 52nd minute.
United defender Diogo Dalot was sent off for a second booking after fouling Mikel Merino nine minutes later.
Gabriel Magalhaes grabbed Arsenal’s equaliser in the 63rd minute, the Brazilian defender swivelling to hit a low shot that took a hefty deflection off Matthijs de Ligt.
But Arsenal wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead when Harry Maguire’s soft challenge on Kai Havertz was ruled a penalty.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 12: Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, gestures during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Manchester United.Source: Getty Images
The furious United defender and teammate Manuel Ugarte were involved in a melee with several Arsenal players before Altay Bayindir saved Martin Odegaard’s spot-kick.
Havertz missed a host of chances to win it and the German was culpable again in the shootout as his effort was saved by Bayindir, setting up the much-maligned Joshua Zirkzee to stroke home the decisive kick.
“We deserved to pass through this round because we all suffered together and showed character,” said Amorim, whose side host Leicester in the fourth round.
“A few weeks ago Joshua was in a difficult moment, now he was a game-changer. Life has these beautiful things.” It was another painful result for Arsenal after Tuesday’s 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg and last weekend’s damaging league draw at Brighton.
“In a thousand games like this you lose one,” said Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who hasn’t won a trophy since 2020.
“It’s unbelievable. We deserved to win the game by a mile. But the reality is we are out and the only thing that’s going to be judged is that.”
