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Tag: French club

  • ‘Ever seen anything like it?’: Real’s bitter shootout controversy as PL sides progress — CL Wrap

    ‘Ever seen anything like it?’: Real’s bitter shootout controversy as PL sides progress — CL Wrap

    Real Madrid survived a controversial penalty shootout against bitter rivals Atletico Madrid, while Premier League outfits Arsenal and Aston Villa comfortably progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals.

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    – SHOOTOUT CONTROVERSY –

    Real Madrid produced a gritty display to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 win on penalties against rivals Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday.

    Diego Simeone’s side outplayed the record 15-time champions at the Metropolitano stadium for much of the game, but Madrid have never been eliminated by Atletico in the competition and they battled hard after Conor Gallagher’s first-minute opener to secure a 2-2 aggregate draw.

    Thibaut Courtois made several saves to thwart Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior blazed a penalty high and wide for Madrid.

    Atletico seemed likely to end a history of being dominated by Madrid in Europe but Los Blancos have the knack of survival down to a fine art and took the game to penalties.

    In the shoot-out Julian Alvarez scored for Atletico but his effort was ruled out as he touched the ball twice because of a slip as he shot.

    Marcos Llorente also missed for Atletico and Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger struck the winner for the reigning champions.

    Atletico played with caution in the first leg despite trailing, willing to take a single goal deficit back to the fiery Metropolitano stadium, where they believed they could really turn the heat up on their arch-rivals.

    Real Madrid knocked Atletico out in the 2017 semi-finals in the final European game at the Vicente Calderon, with this the first time the derby has been played at Atletico’s new home in the Champions League.

    After defeats by Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 finals, the latter on penalties, and elimination on every other occasion the teams have met in the competition, Atletico were desperate to change the narrative.

    MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 12: Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid scores the team’s second penalty in the penalty shoot out, which is later ruled out following a VAR Review due to an improper kick, during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 second leg match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid C.F. at Estadio Metropolitano on March 12, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    They came flying out of the blocks and took the lead after just 27 seconds through Gallagher, levelling the tie on aggregate.

    Rodrigo De Paul’s low ball in from the right was not cut out by Raul Asencio and former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher lunged in to beat Courtois from close range.

    Atletico were content to sit deep and soak up pressure as Real Madrid pushed the ball around in their territory but were also ready to spring forward on the counter.

    With a strong hand Courtois batted away a powerful Alvarez effort as Atletico sought a second, then denied the Argentine again at his near post before half-time.

    The Belgian goalkeeper made another save to deny Alvarez soon after the break too, as Atletico continued to threaten and Jan Oblak was still untested.

    – High tension –

    With Atletico controlling the game, Ancelotti brought on Eduardo Camavinga and Lucas Vazquez in search of fresh energy.

    Madrid soon produced their best attack of the game, with superstar trio Vinicius, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe combining on a rapid counter.

    Mbappe skipped away from Jose Gimenez and then was dragged down by the desperate Clement Lenglet for a penalty before he could shoot.

    After the French forward missed spot-kicks against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao earlier in the season, Ancelotti said Vinicius was his team’s primary taker.

    So it was the Brazilian forward who stepped up, facing down a red wall of whistling Atletico fans behind the goal, and buckled under the pressure, firing high and wide of the target.

    Correa almost snatched Atletico victory in the last minute but hammered a vicious half-volley over the crossbar, and the match went to extra time.

    Madrid shaded the additional period as both teams looked tired but pushed themselves to their limits with the match on a knife-edge.

    Mbappe stepped up first from the spot and sent Oblak the wrong way, with Bellingham following suit after Alexander Sorloth netted for Atletico.

    Alvarez slipped as he smashed home the hosts’ second penalty and after a VAR review it was ruled out as he had touched the ball twice as he struck it.

    Oblak saved from Vazquez’s weak penalty to put Atletico back on track but it was short-lived as Llorente crashed his penalty off the bar.

    Oblak dived the right way for Rudiger’s decisive penalty but could not keep it out as Madrid marched into the last eight, where they will take on Arsenal.

    – GUNNERS PILE ON NINE –

    Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win and set up a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

    The Gunners demolished the Dutch champions 7-1 in the Netherlands last week, making the second leg at the Emirates a formality.

    Arsenal, with seven changes from Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United, were quickly out of the blocks, scoring in the sixth minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko.

    Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic pulled PSV level on the night with a thunderous finish past the sprawling David Raya but midfielder Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front.

    PSV, seeking to salvage pride after last week’s humiliation, equalised with 20 minutes to go with a fine goal from Couhaib Driouech.

    Arsenal were waiting to find out their opponents after the final whistle because Real Madrid and Atletico were locked at 2-2 on aggregate at the end of normal time.

    The Gunners have never won the Champions League and have not won a European trophy since the now-defunct 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup.

    Mike Arteta’s men, whose Premier League challenge has fizzled out in recent weeks, were quickly in the driving seat in the second leg against PSV.

    Raheem Sterling received the ball on the right of the Arsenal attack and found his former Manchester City teammate Zinchenko, who glided along the 18-yard box before unleashing a superb left-footed shot past Walter Benitez.

    Former Tottenham player Perisic levelled in the 18th minute and Raya had to be alert to produce a fingertip save from the lively Driouech moments later.

    But the home side were back in front in the 37th minute Sterling, who has been out of favour under Arteta despite his lack of forward options, charged down the right and produced a teasing cross that Rice headed home.

    Raya produced another fine save 10 minutes into the second half, diving full length to his left to keep out an effort from Isaac Babadi.

    But PSV were level with 20 minutes to go after Moroccan youth international Driouech, making his first Champions League start, dinked the ball over the onrushing Arsenal goalkeeper.

    The Dutch champions were now on top but neither side could find a winner.

    Barcelona storm into Champions League QF | 00:38

    – VILLA BOOK PSG SHOWDOWN –

    Marco Asensio starred as Aston Villa beat 10-man Club Brugge 3-0 on Wednesday to book a Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

    Asensio came off the bench to strike twice in the second half of the last-16 second leg at Villa Park.

    The in-form Spanish forward has netted seven times since joining on loan from PSG in the January transfer window and is set for a reunion with his parent club in the last eight.

    Brugge had Kyriani Sabbe sent off for a professional foul on Marcus Rashford early in the first half and Asensio ensured Villa eventually took advantage.

    Ian Maatsen scored in between Asensio’s brace as Unai Emery’s side romped to a 6-1 aggregate victory.

    With Prince William, a noted Villa fan, celebrating in the stands, the Premier League outfit are through to the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 42 years.

    Their exit against Juventus at that stage in 1982-83 was Villa’s last appearance in the European Cup — the forerunner to the Champions League — until this season.

    Emery’s men are the first team to reach the Champions League quarter-finals in their debut season in the competition since Atalanta in 2019-20.

    Wins against Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Celtic are among the Champions League highlights for Emery’s men this term.

    PSG are next in their sights after the Ligue 1 leaders’ penalty shootout win at Liverpool on Tuesday.

    Facing PSG in April will have extra meaning for Emery, who spent two turbulent seasons in charge at PSG, winning the French title in 2018 but struggling in the Champions League.

    It is only the second time Emery has made it past the Champions League last 16 after he took Villarreal to the semi-finals in 2022.

    A repeat of their famous European Cup-winning campaign in 1982 might prove beyond Villa, but they have created memories of lifetime in their fairytale run this season.

    – Songs of praise –

    As fireworks crackled over Villa Park before kick-off, fans in the Holte End unfurled a huge flag emblazoned with the motto “Prepared”.

    It was a message their team initially seemed to ignore.

    Brugge captain Hans Vanaken glanced a header just wide of the far post in a confident start from the visitors.

    Raphael Onyedika’s goal-bound was blocked by Villa defender Ezri Konsa, a chance that provoked anxious groans from fretting fans.

    Villa lost 1-0 at Brugge in the league phase and needed two goals in the final eight minutes to take control in the last-16 first leg.

    But Brugge had never won in England in 14 trips and those nervous Villa supporters need not have worried as the tension was lifted in an instant by Rashford’s blistering pace.

    Accelerating onto Emiliano Martinez’s long punt in the 17th minute, Rashford was hauled down by Sabbe on the edge of the area, with the Brugge defender dismissed for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

    From the free-kick, Youri Tielemans’ drive forced Simon Mignolet to make a sprawling save low to his right.

    Emery made an inspired double substitution at the interval, sending on Asensio and Leon Bailey in a move that paid immediate dividends.

    The pair combined to break the deadlock in the 50th minute as Bailey’s pass reached Asensio inside the Brugge area and he swivelled to finish with aplomb.

    Asensio should have scored again moments later, but the 29-year-old’s shot cannoned back off the post.

    With Villa fans singing songs of praise to Emery, Maatsen doubled the lead in the 57th minute.

    Morgan Rogers’ nimble footwork worked space for a cross to Maatsen, whose close-range effort deflected past Mignolet.

    Asensio wrapped up another memorable European night for Villa four minutes later, meeting Rashford’s low cross with a clinical finish from six yards.

    Utd eyes historic move from Old Trafford | 01:24

    – DORTMUND FIGHT BACK –

    Borussia Dortmund recovered from losing an early goal to fight back and beat Lille 2-1 in France in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in the quarter-finals.

    Jonathan David gave Lille an early lead on the night, putting the French club ahead in the tie after last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw.

    However, Emre Can squared things by converting a penalty for Dortmund on 54 minutes, and Maximilian Beier then fired in a fine winner for last season’s runners-up.

    Dortmund will now face Barcelona in the quarter-finals next month, having already lost 3-2 at home to the Catalans during the league phase in December.

    The result is a huge boost for Dortmund and their recently-appointed coach Niko Kovac, coming as the club languishes in 10th place in the Bundesliga.

    “For the whole 90 minutes we controlled the game. It was a fantastic performance,” Kovac told UEFA.com.

    He will now come up against a Barcelona side coached by Hansi Flick, his former assistant at Bayern Munich.

    The result is a massive disappointment for Lille, who were hoping to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history after an outstanding performance during the league phase.

    They finished seventh out of 36 teams, beating both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on the way, while also holding Juventus and putting six past Feyenoord.

    – ‘Frustration’ for Lille –

    Their coach Bruno Genesio insisted it had been a “satisfying” campaign despite the exit, but club president Olivier Letang was unhappy about the decision to award the penalty from which Dortmund equalised.

    “I want to emphasise how good a run we had, even if we are frustrated,” before questioning the decision to appoint as referee Sandro Schaerer, a German-speaking Swiss.

    “I don’t think it was a penalty and it changed the game,” he said. “When I saw who was appointed referee, and that he was a German-speaking Swiss, I thought it was a bit strange. And at half-time he was speaking to the Dortmund players exclusively in German.” Lille appeared to be in a strong position after coming from behind to draw in Dortmund last week, and they went in front in the tie when Canada forward David scored in the fifth minute.

    Ismaily’s low ball in from the left was swept towards goal by David, somehow going in through the legs of Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

    It was David’s seventh goal in this season’s Champions League, but it seemed to galvanise the visitors.

    They were denied an equaliser by a remarkable double save from Lille ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier in the midst of a goalmouth scramble on 20 minutes.

    Dortmund applied pressure and were rewarded when they won the penalty shortly after half-time as Serhou Guirassy went down under contact from Thomas Meunier.

    It appeared a soft decision, but Can fired in the spot-kick, and Karim Adeyemi then hit the bar for Dortmund before they found what proved to be the winner on 65 minutes.

    Guirassy, who has 10 goals in the Champions League this season, was the provider but Beier still had work to do as he controlled the ball in the box before firing a lethal shot high into the net.

    Lille could not recover from that blow as they went out in the last 16, just like in their two previous appearances at this stage of the competition, in 2007 and 2022.

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  • Patrick Kisnorbo quits as Melbourne Victory coach to pursue overseas opportunity

    Patrick Kisnorbo quits as Melbourne Victory coach to pursue overseas opportunity

    Melbourne Victory coach Patrick Kisnorbo has shocked the A-League by quitting the club days out from the local derby with cross-town rivals Melbourne City to pursue an overseas opportunity.

    Kisnorbo was only installed as Victory coach in June, replacing Tony Popovic, after being dumped by French club Troyes following an unsuccessful stint with the Ligue 1 club.

    He had taken Victory to third on the A-League table after getting them to the final of the Australia Cup.

    But in a move that will send shockwaves through the competition and was labelled “disappointing” by club chairman John Dovaston, Kisnorbo has quit with immediate effect, with his new destination unclear.

    Kisnorbo will be replaced by senior assistant coach Arthur Diles to bring “stability and continuity” to the shell-shocked playing squad.
    “We are disappointed to see Patrick depart the club so early in his expected journey with us; however, Patrick has advised us that this is an opportunity he wanted to take for his own development as a coach,” Dovaston said.

    Patrick Kisnorbo was appointed as Melbourne Victory coach in JuneSource: Supplied

    The club’s managing director, Caroline Carnegie, said Diles would be “well equipped” to take over and would be in charge for Saturday’s showdown with fourth-placed City at AAMI Park.

    “We thank Patrick for his service and wish him all the best,” she said.

    “As our attention turns to the rest of the season, we know Arthur is in an excellent position to further build on the strong foundations established as we ultimately strive for silverware.

    “Arthur has a deep understanding of the team’s dynamics and is well equipped to ensure stability, maintain focus and provide leadership as the team moves forward.”

    More to come

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  • Ten-man Barcelona suffer upset defeat as stunning double-save rescues Arsenal in stalemate: Champions League Wrap

    Ten-man Barcelona suffer upset defeat as stunning double-save rescues Arsenal in stalemate: Champions League Wrap

    French club Monaco upset 10-man Barcelona by grinding out a 2-1 victory on Thursday in the Champions League, while a stunning David Raya double-save ensured Arsenal a goalless draw away to Europa League winners Atalanta.

    Barca have started the season with a perfect record after five La Liga matches but, hindered by a red card in the 11th minute for Eric Garcia, fell to defeat on the French Riviera.

    Maghnes Akliouche fired the French side into the lead five minutes after Garcia was dismissed for a last-man challenge on Takumi Minamino.

    Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal equalised in the 28th minute with an arrowed shot after cutting in from the right onto his favoured left foot, but George Ilenikhena grabbed the winner for Monaco inside the final 20 minutes.

    “After 10 minutes with the red card the game changed totally, but what I can see is really the positive thing,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick told reporters.

    “We tried to defend as a team and also attack as a team, and we had chances, but today they deserve the 2-1 (win), so we have to accept that.”

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    Monaco’s French midfielder Maghnes Akliouche celebrates with teammates. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFPSource: AFP

    In Italy, Arsenal goalkeeper Raya earned his side a point in a tough start to their campaign against Atalanta with a 0-0 draw.

    A tight match was lit up six minutes after the interval when Mateo Retegui saw Raya plunge down to his right to keep out his penalty, after a foul by Thomas Partey on Ederson.

    The ball rebounded up in the air and Retegui looked set to casually nod the dropping ball into the gaping net but the Spaniard sprang to his feet and hurled himself back across the goal-line to claw the ball to safety.

    “It’s just a penalty and I was lucky to go the right way and save it,” Raya told TNT Sports.

    “I was unlucky to give the rebound straight back to him but I was quick enough to get up and save it.”

    A 90th-minute header by Jose Maria Gimenez sent Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone scuttling down the touchline in delight as his side edged visitors RB Leipzig 2-1.

    Benjamin Sesko had put the German side in front just four minutes in, but Antoine Griezmann equalised just prior to the half-hour with a controlled finish from inside the penalty area.

    The Frenchman then turned provider as he chipped a cross into the box, which Gimenez leapt highest to win at the back post and glance the ball back across Peter Gulacsi and into the Leipzig goal to spark wild celebrations in the Metropolitano Stadium.

    “It’s amazing, to get a last-minute goal like this is always fantastic and it’s good to give the fans something to cheer about,” Atletico’s former Leipzig striker Alexander Sorloth told DAZN.

    Arsenal’s Spanish goalkeeper David Raya. Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFPSource: AFP

    Bayer Leverkusen starlet Florian Wirtz enjoyed a dream Champions League debut as the Bundesliga champions thumped Dutch side Feyenoord 4-0 away from home.

    The 21-year-old scored a brace either side of an Alex Grimaldo strike before an own goal by Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther ensured Leverkusen had the points wrapped up by half-time.

    “It may have looked pretty easy, but it’s really not,” Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso told reporters.

    “Overall it was a very serious, very efficient performance from us, but it’s never easy.” French side Brest made a winning start in their first-ever appearance in European competition by seeing off Austria’s Sturm Graz 2-1.

    Playing at Brittany rivals Guingamp’s home ground as their own stadium does not meet UEFA standards, Brest took the lead midway through the first half through Hugo Magnetti.

    An own-goal by Edimilson Fernandes on the stroke of half-time levelled matters but Abdallah Sima’s smart finish in the 56th minute was enough to divide the sides.

    Benfica held on in Serbia against Red Star Belgrade to claim a 2-1 win courtesy of goals in the first half by Turkish duo Kerem Akturkoglu and Orkun Kokcu.

    The second matchday of the Champions League league phase will take place on October 1 and 2 with Arsenal hosting Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich travelling to Aston Villa and reigning champions Real Madrid visiting Lille.

    Champions League Results

    Benfica 2 (Akturkoglu 9, Kokcu 29) def. Red Star Belgrade 1 (Milson 86)

    Bayer Leverkusen 4 (Wirtz 5, 36, Grimaldo 30, Wellenreuther 44-og) def. Feyenoord 0

    Atalanta 0 drew Arsenal 0

    Atletico Madrid 2 (Griezmann 28, Gimenez 90) def. RB Leipzig 1 (Sesko 4)

    Monaco 2 (Akliouche 16, Ilenikhena 71) def. Barcelona 1 (Yamal 28)

    Brest 2 (Magnetti 23, Sima 56) def. Sturm Graz 1 (Fernandes (45+1-og)

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  • ‘My whole family love him’: 18yo prodigy declares Ange a ‘massive factor’ as Spurs seal $57m move

    ‘My whole family love him’: 18yo prodigy declares Ange a ‘massive factor’ as Spurs seal $57m move

    Tottenham have completed the signing of Leeds midfielder Archie Gray in a player-plus-cash deal which sees Joe Rodon return to Elland Road.

    The 18-year-old Gray won plaudits in an impressive breakout season at Leeds and Brentford had a reported £35 million ($AUD66 million) bid rejected last weekend.

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    That allowed Spurs to come in for the England Under-21 international, who has signed a six-year deal.

    No fee has been disclosed, but British media reported Gray had signed in a deal worth up to $AUD57 million, with the added inducement of former loanee Rodon returning to Leeds on a permanent basis.

    Leeds’ failure to gain promotion to the lucrative Premier League from the second-tier Championship in May put pressure on the Yorkshire club to make big-money sales to comply with financial fair play rules.

    In Gray’s first in-house interview with the club, he spoke about how Postecoglou was a “massive factor” in wanting to join Tottenham.

    “I’m not going to lie to you,” Gray said.

    Gray becomes Tottenham’s first signing of the summer window. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

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    “I’m a massive Celtic fan, so I love him, my whole family love him.

    “I haven’t really said this to be fair, but he’s a massive factor because playing under a really good manager is really important for me as well. I’ve still got loads to learn because I’m only 18 so that’s really important.

    “It still hasn’t sunk in to be honest and I don’t think it will for the next few days and until we’ve played a few games and I’ve got to meet everyone.

    “I’m just really excited and looking forward to it. It’s massive opportunity for me and I’m really excited.

    “When Spurs came and I had the opportunity to play in the Champions League eventually and the Europa League this year, you know I couldn’t really say no.”

    Gray, who can play at both right-back and in central midfield, became a regular under Leeds boss Daniel Farke last season. The teenager made 52 appearances in all competitions following his league debut against Cardiff in August.

    Postecoglou was a big factor behind Gray’s decision to join Tottenham. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Gray’s great-uncle Eddie was a star of the successful Leeds teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Grandfather Frank also played more than 300 games for the club. Father Andy also played for the Elland Road side. All three were Scotland internationals.

    Archie won the Championship Young Player of the Year award last season. Wales international Rodon has now headed in the other direction, bringing to an end his four-year stay at Spurs.

    Rodon signed from Swansea in 2020 but only played 24 times for Tottenham with his last appearance as a late substitute against Burnley towards the end of the 2021/22 season.

    After spending the last two seasons on loan at French club Rennes and then Leeds, the 26-year-old has returned to Elland Road after signing a four-year deal.

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  • ‘Dream come true’: Mbappe’s $350m payday as football’s worst-kept secret finally confirmed

    ‘Dream come true’: Mbappe’s $350m payday as football’s worst-kept secret finally confirmed

    Kylian Mbappe signed a five-year deal to move to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain on Monday and hailed the move as a “dream come true”.

    The announcement is the culmination of Real’s long courtship of one of the most prolific forwards in world football.

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    “Real Madrid have reached an agreement for the player to be at Real Madrid for the next five seasons,” the club said in a statement.

    “So happy and proud to join the club of my dream @realmadrid. Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can’t wait to see you, Madridistas, and thanks for your unbelievable support,” 25-year-old Mbappe added on social media.

    According to BBC, he will earn 15 million euro a season ($24.5m AUD), plus a 150m euro ($245m AUD)signing bonus paid over the five years for a total of 215m euro or $351.5m AUD.

    Mbappe’s last contract with PSG, signed in 2022, was a two-year deal worth some 72 million euros before tax with loyalty bonuses of a similar amount and a signing-on fee of 150 million euros.

    Mbappe had verbally agreed to move to Real in February and then announced in May he would leave PSG at the end of the season.

    Mbappe has joined Real Madrid. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP

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    Real, fresh from winning their 15th Champions League on Saturday with a 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund, moved to confirm the deal on Monday before Mbappe is involved in pre-Euro 2024 friendlies for France.

    A World Cup winner as a teenager in 2018, Mbappe scored a club record 256 goals for PSG since joining the Qatar-owned club from Monaco on an initial loan in 2017.

    He eventually moved to PSG in a 180-million-euro deal — all at the age of 18. Mbappe helped PSG to six Ligue 1 titles and steered them to the 2020 Champions League final, but they lost to Bayern Munich.

    He scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final against Argentina in Qatar in 2022 but still finished on the losing side as Lionel Messi’s Argentina won on penalties.

    PSG lavished huge sums to put Mbappe, Brazil star Neymar and Messi in the same team, hoping to finally unlock the Champions League puzzle. But the French club came up short.

    As Mbappe’s fame has grown, so has his importance to both the French national team and France the country.

    President Emmanuel Macron intervened to persuade him to stay at PSG in June 2022 when a move to Real seemed almost cut and dried.

    At Real, who also won back the La Liga title from fierce rivals Barcelona this season, Mbappe will form a formidable attacking trio with Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior and England international Jude Bellingham.

    Mbappe adds plenty of extra firepower to a Madrid team dripping with talent. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP

    A lethal trio of such unequivocal quality brings to mind Real’s glittering era with Cristiano Ronaldo the star in a trio that also included Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

    Mbappe idolised Ronaldo as a child and now has the chance to emulate the Portuguese forward, Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer.

    At PSG, Mbappe was briefly the junior member of a stellar trio with Messi and Neymar. At Real, Mbappe will be the senior striker.

    Real started 23-year-old Rodrygo Goes alongside 20-year-old Bellingham and 23-year Vinicius in Saturday’s Champions League final.

    In February, coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked how he would accommodate Mbappe. “Good players need to know how to play together. The important thing is to maintain a balance,” he said. “For me, the most important things in a team are: quality and balance. If you can combine these two things, you’ll be successful.” As part of a formidable rebuild, the club has already brought in young midfielders to take over from retiring Toni Kroos and 39-year-old Luka Modric in Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, all 25 or under.

    They have also signed teenage Brazilian star Endrick.

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  • Football’s worst-kept secret confirmed as Mbappe announces PSG exit in emotional video

    Football’s worst-kept secret confirmed as Mbappe announces PSG exit in emotional video

    Kylian Mbappe confirmed on Friday that he will leave French champions Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, with Real Madrid widely expected to be his next destination.

    The announcement brings an end to a prolific association with his hometown team, which began when he signed from Monaco in 2017 in a deal worth 180 million euros.

    “I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe, 25, said in a video posted on social media.

    “I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.”

    PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title, their 10th in the last 12 seasons, and the Qatar-owned club will pick up the trophy after Sunday’s game against Toulouse, which will be their last of the campaign on home turf.

    Luis Enrique’s side were eliminated from the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals on Tuesday when a 1-0 loss in the second leg at home sealed a surprise 2-0 aggregate defeat.

    It means Mbappe will be denied the send-off he had hoped for in the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1 and will end his seven-year spell at PSG without ever having won Europe’s elite club competition.

    Mbappe informed PSG privately in February of his intention to depart when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

    The 2018 World Cup winner had never confirmed publicly he was leaving, though, far less said where he will be going next, but it appears certain that he is bound for Real Madrid.

    Hummels the hero as Dortmund do PSG | 01:07

    “It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world,” said Mbappe.

    “It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions,” he added.

    “It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that … but I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”

    Real Madrid through to 18th C.L. Final! | 01:48

    Mbappe’s arrival in the capital as a teenager in 2017 came after he had helped Monaco win the league title.

    After initially joining PSG on loan, his transfer fee became — and still is — the second largest in football history.

    It came just weeks after PSG paid a world-record 222 million euros to sign Neymar from Barcelona.

    PSG have dominated French football since their 2011 Qatari takeover, but despite also adding Lionel Messi to their line-up for two seasons, European success has remained tantalisingly out of reach for a club that has spent billions on some of the world’s best players.

    The closest they came was the 2020 Champions League final defeat by Bayern Munich, when PSG academy graduate Kingsley Coman scored the winning goal against his former club.

    The defeat to Dortmund this week ruled out the prospect of Mbappe facing his likely future employers, 14-time European champions Real Madrid, in this year’s final.

    Mbappe did not find the net in that tie but has scored 43 goals in all competitions this season, with 26 of those coming in Ligue 1.

    Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans burn flares as they gather outside Parc des Princes, home to PSG, after Mbappe’s announcement.Source: AFP

    He will still hope to add to his club-record tally of 255 goals for PSG and win another medal in the French Cup final on May 25 — Mbappe has so far won six Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups and the now defunct League Cup twice in his seven years at his hometown team.

    After Sunday’s game, PSG will complete their league campaign with away matches at Nice and at relegation-threatened Metz, before Mbappe wraps up his career with the club in that Cup final in Lille.

    Mbappe was frozen out at the start of the campaign with the club putting pressure on him to sign a new deal or agree to be sold rather than simply run down the last year of his contract.

    His relationship with PSG boss Luis Enrique has also come under the spotlight since he told the Qatar-owned club of his plans to leave earlier this year.

    Now the worst-kept secret is out and Mbappe’s departure follows that of Messi and Neymar at the end of last season, which left PSG in a period of transition, but the loss of the France captain is an even greater blow.

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  • Eye-roll that sums up football’s great $290m ‘what if’ as mega transfer saga meets sorry end

    Eye-roll that sums up football’s great $290m ‘what if’ as mega transfer saga meets sorry end

    Kylian Mbappe’s time as the figurehead of hometown club Paris Saint-Germain is limping to a sad and sorry conclusion in the wake of their shock Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.

    But the French superstar – expected to finally join Real Madrid this off-season after a transfer saga that has dragged on for years – was fed up after being asked whether he’ll support his anticipated new team in their own semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich tomorrow morning (AEST).

    Speaking to reporters in the tunnels after PSG’s 1-0 second-leg loss ensured a 2-0 exit on aggregate, Mbappe merely rolled his eyes and walked off.

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    Asked at another point if he had played his last European game for the French club, he replied: “This season, that’s sure, it would have to be.

    “Of course we are disappointed, we wanted to qualify for the final. In the Champions League you have to be effective in two areas, and on this point they were better than us so there you go.

    “We are disappointed for the supporters, for those close to us, but that’s how it is. It’s a long process, but we showed through this season that we were capable of going far. I think the club is not far away.

    “We had the ingredients to win, but as I said, in a Champions League match, it is necessary to be efficient in the box. We were not efficient in the two games.”

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    PSG’s Champions League dream is over for another season. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)Source: AFP

    Mbappe was close to joining Real Madrid in 2017 and 2022, but this time is finally heading for the exit door at Paris, having reportedly told the club he will leave back in February and having already signed a contract with Madrid.

    But he’ll end his seven seasons in Paris without a Champions League trophy, despite years of mega-money investment from Qatar, who became majority owners of the club in 2011 and sole owners the following year.

    Since then, PSG have dominated the French league – which they have already wrapped up this year with a couple of games to spare – but have endured humiliating losses time and again in their bid to become Europe’s champion club.

    Only once have they reached the Champions League final, in the Covid-impacted 2019/20 where most of the knockouts were held as single-leg ties – and even then they lost the final 1-0 to Bayern Munich.

    Outside of that sole decider, PSG’s record in Champions League knockouts is miserable.

    In Mbappe’s seven seasons, they have fallen at the Round of 16 stage four times and the semi-final twice – and have lost the second-leg in every single one of those ties.

    Some of them have been humiliating defeats, like falling to a miserably out-of-form Manchester United in the Round of 16 in 2018/19, having won the first leg 2-0 before losing the second 3-1. That brought back memories of the year before Mbappe landed in Paris, when PSG beat Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of the R16 only to lose 6-1 in the reverse fixture.

    This time around, France’s all-conquering team was bundled out by the fifth-placed team in Germany – a Dortmund side that wasn’t even expected to make it out of the group stage, when they were drawn alongside PSG.

    The French team won at home and drew away in their two group-stage meetings with Dortmund, but Borussia still finished top of the group.

    But when it counted in the knockouts, Mbappe went missing. After a horrible first half-hour in the second leg where made just four passes, he dragged himself into the game. He struck the crossbar in a desperate attempt to hit back after Dortmund took the lead in the second half when Mats Hummels scored a rare goal.

    But the match ended a manner that very much sums up Mbappe’s disappointing farewell from Paris: racing away on goal, defenders in his wake – something we’ve seen time and time again. Then he slipped. The final whistle sounded.

    It’s the end of the line.Source: AFP

    Mbappe has not been the sole big-money signing in this period. Neymar arrived for a world-record €222m in 2017, the year that Mbappe also signed from Monaco on loan in a deal that would eventually cost €180m (approx A$290m) when made permanent. Lionel Messi then joined from Barcelona in 2021 to create a formidable attacking triumvirate.

    Neymar has left, Messi too. PSG desperately fended off Real Madrid’s interest in Mbappe, reshaping the team around him and promising to go all-out in the Champions League hunt.

    Yet for all their years of spending on star players and coaches, their ongoing dominance of the French Ligue 1 and domestic cups – in a fortnight they’ll face Lyon in the Coupe de France final again – the ultimate glory has eluded PSG and their cashed-up Qatari owners.

    Now 25, Mbappe remains one of the most talented players in the world – if not the sole holder of that title. He’s a World Cup winner and France are second-favourites for the upcoming European Championships.

    But was that immense talent wasted in seven years at PSG?

    He’ll be left to watch another Champions League final from home, perhaps rolling his eyes and thinking of what could have been.

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  • ‘Never jump out of a plane’: The enigmatic billionaire taking over Premier League giants

    ‘Never jump out of a plane’: The enigmatic billionaire taking over Premier League giants

    British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe already has interests in football, Formula One and cycling. He now owns a slice of his boyhood club, Manchester United.

    It was announced on Sunday that the founder of chemicals giant INEOS had bought a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League giants after a protracted saga.

    INEOS joined the race to buy United early this year after the club’s owners, the Glazer family, said they were willing to listen to offers.

    United fan Ratcliffe, who made an unsuccessful bid to buy Chelsea last year, has long been linked with the Old Trafford club.

    The 71-year-old already has an impressive sporting portfolio that includes French club Nice and Swiss team FC Lausanne-Sport.

    In 2019, cycling powerhouse Team Sky became Team INEOS and the following year INEOS bought a one-third stake in the Mercedes Formula One team.

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    Gunners and Reds can’t be split | 02:08

    Ratcliffe and INEOS confirmed their bid for majority ownership of Manchester United in February and went head to head with Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, who subsequently pulled out of the race.

    The group vowed to make the Old Trafford side the “number one club in the world again” after a decade of underachievement.

    They also pledged to be “the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community”.

    Ratcliffe has not got quite what he wanted, with the Glazers still the majority shareholders at Old Trafford.

    The Americans, who completed a leveraged takeover in 2005, saddling the club with huge debts, have proved deeply unpopular with supporters.

    Manchester United’s US co-chairman Avram Glazer (R) watching a match.Source: AFP

    Ratcliffe, nevertheless, will feel he can play a part in restoring United to the pinnacle of English and European football after a chastening decline since Alex Ferguson won the last of the club’s 20 Premier League titles in 2013.

    He is one of Britain’s wealthiest people — Forbes estimates his net worth at $23 billion USD.

    But the glitzy world of international sport is a long way from Ratcliffe’s humble beginnings, growing up in social housing near Manchester in northwest England.

    Ratcliffe founded INEOS in 1998 and the company went on to become an industrial juggernaut in Britain.

    It operates 194 sites across 29 countries, generates $65 billion USD annually and employs more than 26,000 people.

    Ratcliffe built a reputation as a fierce negotiator – including in industrial disputes that once saw him branded with the James Bond villain’s moniker Dr No.

    Ratcliffe has continued to diversify INEOS, entering the automotive sector to build the INEOS Grenadier, intended to be a successor to the Land Rover Defender.

    Jim Ratcliffe with an Ineos Grenadier prototype.Source: Supplied

    Despite his business success, Ratcliffe has remained something of an enigma. The Englishman, who has skied to the North Pole and South Pole and climbed the Matterhorn, is a risk-taker but says he does not take unnecessary chances.

    “To give you an example, I won’t and would never jump out of an aeroplane, because you either live or die depending upon how well someone’s packed your parachute,” he told The Times earlier this year.

    “I’m quite careful, but you’re only here once so you get more out of life if you challenge yourself a bit more.”

    How much of a risk Ratcliffe considers United to be is a matter for conjecture. INEOS says it is in the business of “helping extraordinary athletes achieve extraordinary things”.

    Time will tell whether Ratcliffe can help turn around the fortunes of a club desperate to return to former glories.

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  • EPL 2023: Inside Manchester United’s fall from grace, Erik Ten Hag losing the dressing room, details, ownership change

    EPL 2023: Inside Manchester United’s fall from grace, Erik Ten Hag losing the dressing room, details, ownership change

    Manchester United’s miserable season slumped to a new low this week as they crashed out of the Champions League, finishing last in their group after a timid 1-0 defeat at home to Bayern Munich.

    Finishing the group stage in bottom position for just the second time in the club’s history means they fail to qualify for the second-tier European competition, the Europa League.

    Having already been knocked out of the domestic Carabao Cup and sitting ten points off the title pace in the Premier League, only the FA Cup remains for the Red Devils to chase in terms of silverware.

    Erik Ten Hag’s second season at Old Trafford has been a disappointment in many ways, particularly given the team’s progression throughout his first campaign at the helm.

    In both results and performances, the side appears to have regressed in the first half of the new season.

    Instead, this campaign has been characterised by off-field distractions, including a looming part-sale of the club, ugly rifts between the coach and multiple players, and the banning of multiple journalists.

    Ten Hag is under mounting pressure, though there is reportedly little appetite among the current club hierarchy to axe another manager.

    But this weekend’s blockbuster clash with Liverpool looms as a decisive moment for both the Dutch tactician and the club – for better or worse.

    Here’s what has gone wrong this season, and what could happen next.

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    PLAYER RIFTS AND A ‘TOXIC’ DRESSING ROOM

    Ten Hag is noted for his harsh discipline and cold intensity – which was reportedly one of the key reasons why the club poached him from Ajax in the first place.

    “Strict lines is what the club asked me because there was no good culture before I entered last season,” said Ten Hag this September.

    Last season he was praised for his handling of a feud with Cristiano Ronaldo, after the Portuguese player fumed at being used mostly as a substitute. Ronaldo left the stadium during one match after being taken from the field, and then refused to be substituted on for the final three minutes against Tottenham in October 2022. He was subsequently axed from the squad for the next game against Chelsea.

    Then the Portuguese great went nuclear in an interview with Piers Morgan, saying he had “no respect” for Ten Hag and claiming the club had “betrayed” him.

    “The interview I think, as a club, you can’t accept,” Ten Hag said. “There will be consequences. To make that step he knew the consequences.”

    “It was quite clear after [the interview] that he had to leave. I think we didn’t have to discuss it. It was quite clear.”

    Ronaldo subsequently moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr.

    Then, in September, Ten Hag axed Jadon Sancho from the first-team squad, forcing him to train and eat away from the senior players.

    Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. (Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP)Source: AFP

    It came after Sancho publicly hit out at comments from Ten Hag after being dropped for a crucial match against Arsenal.

    “Jadon, on his performances in training we did not select him,” Ten Hag said at the time.

    Sancho took to social media to say: “Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people to say things that are completely untrue. I have conducted myself in training very well this week.

    “I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!

    “All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to the team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and I am grateful to do so, which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”

    Sancho refused to apologise to Ten Hag and has been frozen out for three months now, with a transfer a near-certainty in January’s window.

    There were widespread reports that Ten Hag’s harsh treatment of Sancho had caused tension in the dressing room.

    “This is what I’ve been hearing… from a Man United player who told someone I know very well,” former Manchester United player Alan Brazil said on talkSPORT. “He said the players are not having the manager. They’re not having him at all. By all accounts, they are disgusted by the way he treated Ronaldo – and they say Sancho is a great guy who works his socks off.”

    Other players have also showed signs of frustration with the manager. Marcus Rashford had a stroppy reaction to being substituted off amid a dismal individual performance against Newcastle, while Anthony Martial raised his arms in frustration after Ten Hag shouted in his direction in the same game. Ten Hag has also had a falling out with World Cup-winning defender Raphael Varane in recent weeks.

    Raphael Varane at a training session. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Paul Merson told Sky Sports in November: “This needs to get sorted out but personally I think it is toxic, I don’t take too much notice of behind the scenes, but it is toxic on the pitch and that is where it counts… There are ways of losing football matches and, for me, he has lost the players.”

    The club then took the drastic action to ban journalists from ESPN, the Daily Mirror, the Manchester Evening News and Sky Sports after all those outlets reported on tensions in the dressing room.

    The club and Ten Hag were heavily criticised for that move, which Manchester United claimed was not due to the reporters panning the club, but because they did not give United the right of reply.

    But the dressing-room tensions combined with the battle with the press has been an ugly distraction.

    “He (Ten Hag) has got to be worried and thinking about what’s going to happen now,” United great Jaap Stam told the Stick to Football podcast.

    “You can ban players, but it’s also about man management of course and how to work with and handle players.

    “There was the [Cristiano] Ronaldo thing, the [Jadon] Sancho thing, Raphael Varane probably – I don’t know if something’s happened over there.

    “There’s the thing with the press now and banning journalists from press conferences. It doesn’t work in your favour as a manager.

    “You need to have peace and quiet… you don’t want to pay too much attention to other things like players and the press.”

    But midfielder Scott McTominay came out and backed the manager, denying reports of a ‘toxic’ dressing room.

    “It’s not just a case like with some of the other managers where it’s been a little bit toxic at times,” McTominay said. “The boys are firmly behind the manager. That’s the be-all and end-all and the way it will remain. We’ve got an amazing coaching staff, as well.”

    Ange all smiles after 2nd straight win | 02:49

    STYLISTIC REGRESSION AND THE BIG GOAL PROBLEM

    “We want to dominate opponents, we want to play proactive football, we want to play dynamic football,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports earlier this season. “Pressing is a part of it. The in-possession stuff also has to be right.”

    It sounds like a clear tactical plan, an approach being built by Ten Hag over his 18 months in charge. The truth is far different. In his first season, United played in a more transitional style – which brought success. But this season, trying to play a more fluid and possession-based style (which brought Ten Hag great success at Ajax) has been a shambles.

    United often appear to lake cohesiveness on and off the ball. Players appear frustrated or unclear on where they are meant to be positioned or their roles in the structure.

    United have been pressing well at times – this season, no Premier League teams has made more turnovers in advanced positions.

    But they are extremely vulnerable to the counter-attack, such as against Bournemouth in a bruising defeat, while their style of pressing is often porous, allowing opponents to expose gaps and stretch the defence.

    The defensive line itself has been little better than a shambles, vacillating between a high line and a tendency to drop back to mitigate their lack of pace compared to opposition forwards.

    In possession, the “dynamic” football Ten Hag speaks of has been far from the reality on the pitch. United struggle horribly to play the ball out from the back, while their midfielders give away possession frequently. They cannot “dominate opponents” with their midfield incapable of controlling the ball in the centre of the park – an area where Bayern Munich comfortably outclassed them.

    With Bruno Fernandes further up the pitch, United lack the sort of deep-lying playmaker capable of progressing the ball either by passing or carrying, as Declan Rice does so well for Arsenal.

    Pressure is mounting. (Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP)Source: AFP

    Paul Merson told Sky Sports earlier in the season: “You watch Man Utd play and you just don’t see the pattern of play. It’s like if it comes off, it comes off. You watch Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City play, they have patterns of play. Someone will go in and come back out, but at Man Utd, it’s get the ball out wide and hope that Rashford does something and if he does, we might score a goal.”

    But scoring goals has been a major problem, with just 18 goals in 16 appearances. Rashford has suffered a shocking decline in form after a career-best 30 goals in all competitions last season.

    That saw him earn a hefty contract upgrade, but he has scored just twice this season – with one of those from the penalty spot. New striker signing Rasmus Hojlund is goalless in 12 league appearances, the same as Antony, while Anthony Martial has just one goal in 13.

    United’s lack of goals contributed significantly to the team suffering their worst-ever Premier League start through seven games, and things have hardly improved since then.

    Only three teams in Europe’s top five leagues have lost more games in all competitions this season than United (12). Those 12 defeats from 24 matches is as many as United lost in all 62 matches last season!

    They lost two home games in the Champions League and in their six group stage games, conceded a total of 15 goals – the most ever by a Premier League club in a Champions League group stage.

    Even when they have been winning, like November when Ten Hag was awarded Premier League manager of the month for three wins and no goals conceded, the performances haven’t matched the results.

    Crisis has never seemed far away.

    ‘No coincidence we’re looking stronger’ | 02:36

    INJURIES AND ABSENTEES PROVIDE AN EXCUSE

    Many Premier League clubs have battled long injury lists this season, including Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, Newcastle, and Chelsea. But Manchester United have faced plenty of injury challenges of their own.

    When they travel to Anfield on Monday morning (AEDT), the Red Devils will be without 11 first-team players. The host of injured stars includes Lisandro Martinez (foot), Casemiro (thigh), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Christian Eriksen (knee) and Amad Diallo (knee), while Mason Mount (calf) also hasn’t played in a month.

    Luke Shaw has recovered from a thigh issue he suffered in the first half against Bayern Munich, but November Premier League player of the month Harry Maguire will be missing with a groin injury.

    Marcus Rashford has recovered from a mid-week illness that saw him miss the Munich game, but Anthony Martial is still unwell, while Victor Lindelof trained this week but is listed as doubtful for the Liverpool game.

    Captain Bruno Fernandes will be missing after a suspension for accumulating too many cards, and Jadon Sancho is still in exile.

    Fernandes’ absence is perhaps the biggest blow. He has three goals and three assists this season for United, meaning he has been directly involved in a third of their 18 goals. No other Premier League midfielder has played every minute of the season so far, and he leads the league in chances created with 47.

    Fernandes’ absence is a tough blow. (Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP)Source: AFP

    There have been other ugly off-field dramas that have ruled players out of matches this year, such as when big-money winger Antony missed three games while being investigated over abuse claims from multiple ex-partners.

    And young talent Mason Greenwood was offloaded to Spain after police withdrew multiple charges of domestic violence and abuse after his partner stopped cooperating with an investigation.

    The long list of injuries has been a crucial factor in why Ten Hag has not been under more pressure, despite 12 losses in 24 games (all competitions).

    But the real reason that he retains the support of the Manchester United hierarchy is that a long-awaited partial sale of the club is nearing completion – and it will significantly alter the decision-making at Old Trafford.

    THE OWNERSHIP CHANGE TO SHAKE UP RED DEVILS

    The billionaire American Glazer family has been controlling owners of Manchester United since 2005, when they purchased the club for £790 million.

    Their 18-year tenure has been marked by a lack of effective leadership, poor long-term planning, limited investment, and a tendency to sack managers frequently. Fans have regularly protested the Glazers throughout their reign, and their prayers appeared to have been answered early this year when the Glazers announced they would explore a sale of the club.

    But despite multiple offers, the Glazers backflipped on a complete sale and instead cut a deal with British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe to buy 25 per cent of the club for around 1.3 billion pounds ($A2.46bn).

    The deal will see Ratcliffe, who owns INEOS Grenadiers cycling team as well as French top-flight club OGC Nice, take control of all football operations – including transfers as well as managerial appointments.

    The deal is expected to be completed in the next week, according to reports from the UK, but will take six to eight weeks to be ratified by the Premier League.

    However, Ratcliffe’s sporting guru Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS’ sporting director who is set to lead the new football department at Old Trafford, has already been conducting a full audit of Manchester United.

    EPL wrap: United & Arsenal lose | 04:06

    Sky Sports reports that Brailsford’s top priority is to fix the football department’s operational structure rather than focus on managerial changes.

    In the meantime, United’s interim boss Patrick Stewart and football director John Murtough are seen as unwilling to change managers before INEOS takes over full control – especially since Murtough signed Ten Hag in the first place and allowed the new manager to splash the cash in the transfer market. Stewart has only been in the role a month, and would hardly want to make such a big decision.

    But Ratcliffe and Brailsford are no strangers to hiring and firing managers – they’ve changed managers at Nice four times in the last five years but with precious little success.

    They even interviewed former Chelsea boss Graham Potter in mid-year for the head coaching role at the French club, with Sky Sports and The Sun both reporting Potter is a chief contender to take over at United should Ten Hag be relieved of his role.

    Ten Hag is confident he has the support of the current club hierarchy.

    “I feel that and they tell (me) that,” the Dutchman said ahead of the Liverpool clash.

    “So that’s fine, that’s OK but I’m focusing on the process, I’m focusing on making this team play better, I’m focusing on making the individuals better. That’s my concern. That’s all I’m doing – focusing on the right thing and that is the team.

    “There is no concern because I’m here to win and I have to make the team play better. If you play good, even then good is not good enough. We are inconsistent so I have to work on the team playing for longer periods on a higher level.”

    But the pressure is rising as the losses mount up. One more loss could tip things over the edge.

    Things are threatening to seriously unravel. (Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP)Source: AFP

    WHY LIVERPOOL MATCH COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING

    Manchester United will travel to Anfield in a match that pits two teams that are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

    While the Red Devils are crumbling, the Reds are flying – top of the table, a perfect seven wins from seven at home (21 scored, five conceded), and with Mohamed Salah recently scoring his 200th goal for the club.

    The Egyptian talisman has picked up a goal or assist in 16 consecutive home games and he’s scored more goals against Man United than any other club (12).

    United, meanwhile, haven’t won any of their last 13 away games against teams starting the day in the top eight on the ladder, a run dating back to October 2021.

    And when the two teams met last season at Anfield, the Reds handed out a 7-0 thrashing. It was United’s equal-heaviest competitive defeat in history and their worst since December 1931.

    In fact, Manchester United hasn’t won at Anfield since Jurgen Klopp’s first experience of the famous rivalry back in January 2016, when Wayne Rooney scored the only goal.

    Since then, Rooney has played for three clubs, retired, then managed three. Klopp’s Reds have won the Premier League and the Champions League.

    And Manchester United have sacked four managers.

    While there’s no appetite among the current leadership at Old Trafford to make it five, another big defeat at Anfield could make Ten Hag’s position almost untenable.

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  • Man City splash $109m on 21yo Belgian flyer as star makes $45m Saudi switch

    Man City splash $109m on 21yo Belgian flyer as star makes $45m Saudi switch

    Manchester City signed Belgian winger Jeremy Doku from French club Rennes on a five-year deal on Thursday.

    Doku, 21, will reportedly cost the European champions £55.5 million ($109 million AUD). “This is a great day for me, both personally and professionally,” Doku said in a City statement.

    “Manchester City are the best team in world football, so to be joining them is something very special for me and my family.

    “I am a young player with so much learning and improving to do. Working with Pep (Guardiola) and his staff, and playing alongside these work-class players, will make me a much better player.”

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    Ronaldo goes NUCLEAR at referee | 00:33

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    Doku scored 12 goals in 92 appearances for Rennes after making his breakthrough as a teenager with Anderlecht in his homeland.

    He becomes City’s third signing of the transfer window after Croatian international duo Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol.

    The treble winners were in the market for a winger to replace the departed Riyad Mahrez, who joined Saudi side Al-Ahli.

    City are also expected to add a midfielder before the window shuts on September 1 to cover the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to miss up to four months due to a hamstring injury.

    Wolves’ Matheus Nunes and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze are reportedly targets after interest in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta collapsed due to a Football Association investigation into a possible breach of betting regulations by the Brazilian.

    An offer for Nunes has been rejected by Wolves.

    Rennes’ Belgian forward #10 Jeremy Doku (R) in action last week.Source: AFP

    Meanwhile, Aymeric Laporte joined the Premier League exodus to Saudi Arabia on Thursday as the Manchester City defender moved to Al-Nassr in a deal worth a reported £23 million ($29 million).

    Spain centre-back Laporte won 12 major honours during his successful spell with City.

    However, he fell out of favour at times during City’s treble-winning campaign and the close-season signing of Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol further restricted his chances of regular action.

    The 29-year-old is the latest City star to accept a lucrative switch to the Gulf State after Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez recently joined Al-Ahli.

    Laporte made 180 appearances for City after arriving from Athletic Bilbao for a then club record £57 million in January 2018.

    “I am proud to have represented Manchester City over the last six seasons,” Laporte said.

    “When I first joined, I was excited about the prospect of winning trophies. However, I could not have imagined the success we would go on to achieve together.

    “I would like to thank the coaches, my teammates and of course the brilliant City fans for all of their support throughout my time in Manchester.

    “I will always be a City fan and I look forward to seeing you all again.” Laporte won five Premier League titles, the Champions League and five domestic cups as a member of Pep Guardiola’s squad.

    Laporte with Pep Guardiola.Source: AFP

    Now he will link up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane at Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr.

    They are one of four Saudi clubs to be taken over by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in June, sparking a spending spree on star names from the Premier League and across the rest of Europe’s top divisions.

    Brazil forward Neymar and French duo Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante are among the leading names snapped up by Saudi clubs.

    Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Alex Telles and Ruben Neves have also moved to the Gulf State.

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