346 articles from The Guardian, Medium and more. Refreshed every few hours.
For the vast majority of professional footballers, the final whistle of their career blows much earlier than popular imagination suggests… Continue reading on Medium »
Situation is being monitored by global players’ union Fifpro Tournament is due to kick off in January with five venues in Riyadh Asia’s elite men’s footballers are on edge as they prepare to travel to conflict-affected Saudi Arabia for January’s Asian Cup. Multiple missile strikes by the Houthis on Riyadh’s international airport in recent days have killed more than a dozen people and wounded hundreds. Continue reading...
Six undefeated teams have fallen Continue reading on Medium »
Chelsea vs Bournemouth 5–1: Henderson Jadi Bintang Continue reading on Medium »
If ever validation is needed for attack being the best form of defence, Frank Lampard can call this game up on Wyscout. Coventry climbed out of the relegation zone to the heady heights of 14th place after their second successive win showcased the benefits of their manager’s willingness to balance risk with reward. Jack Rudoni’s early penalty underscored a sense of positivity that was enhanced by an even quicker goal at the start of the second half from Sidiki Cherif and not unduly dimmed by Sven
Premier League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off 10 talking points | Table | Top scorers | Email Daniel I don’t know, it kind of feels like a fight to focus on this game, doesn’t it? Yet, at the same time, there’s loads to look forward to about this game because why shouldn’t there be? Such is the current state of the Premier League, Coventry reaching it after toiling through some of the worst mismanagement and neglect ever endured by a football club … for this? But here we are so here we are;
Long-awaited return to Vallecas lasted just 13 minutes, as supporters made their displeasure with their chair, Raúl Martín Presa, impossible to ignore It took 147 days for Rayo Vallecano to walk out for a competitive game on the Avenida de Albufera and 24 minutes and 56 seconds for them to walk off again. Half of those had been spent watching thousands of paper planes touch down on the turf, play suspended while a message was delivered, over and over, until it was impossible to avoid. Forced fro
Report published on Tuesday before consultation period It will have recommendations to improve sustainability The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is to recommend clubs introduce greater cost controls in its long-awaited State of the Game report, to be published on Tuesday. The 250-page draft report, with a final version to follow in the spring after an eight-week public consultation beginning this week, will paint a damning picture of the financial state of English men’s football, includi
It’s not just that the club’s recent charges themselves are unprecedented – it’s the language used to describe them too Sign up for our free newsletter here The language of football is a fine and highly nuanced dialect. The majority of people involved in the game speak it with a high degree of sophistication. Minor deviations from the familiar, almost imperceptible to outsiders, can set off alarm bells: what’s really going on there? Why isn’t he happy? What’s she hinting at? But it’s an argot
Financial situation and psychological stress cited Fifpro global survey interviewed 800 players Nearly half of female footballers are considering leaving the game early, with financial pressures and mental health struggles the main reasons, according to a Fifpro report highlighting the gulf between the sport’s rapid growth and conditions for most players. The 2026 Fifpro global employment report “Working Conditions in Women’s Football”, billed by the global players’ union as the most extens
Liverpool captain says players heard ‘cheat’ chants ‘I don’t think Anfield will be the only place’ Virgil van Dijk has suggested Manchester City’s treatment at the hands of the Liverpool crowd on Sunday was a sign of things to come and something their players will have to get used to. The Liverpool captain also indicated he would make his views known about City’s rule-breaking but said he wanted to wait until their appeal was completed. City were barracked throughout the game at Anfield, their
The 21-year-old goalkeeper wants to impress on football the need to change old habits for the sake of the planet “I’m a bit of an outlier as a person, I like being unique in who I am and what I do,” says the former Arsenal goalkeeper Alexéi Rojas, who combines saving shots with saving the planet. “I would say that was one of the biggest pulls for me to become a goalkeeper. I like being different.” There is plenty to make him stand out. By 15, Rojas was changing the way people thought at Arsenal,
Manchester City unrepentant in victory, Spurs make progress of a sort and Noni Madueke meets the moment The manner of Manchester City’s victory at Liverpool was an article of both vindication and vilification. Those gleefully wielding inflatable bananas in the Anfield away end could thumb their noses. Why not enjoy the dances of defiance until the music stops? The same went for City players, asked to perform under the darkest of clouds, able to focus, at last, on football, rather than legal argu
Manchester City left Anfield with a 3–0 victory, six wins from six and another reason to believe they can dominate the Premier League… Continue reading on Medium »
Hasil Liverpool vs Manchester City 0–3: Haaland Bersinar Continue reading on Medium »
‘You cannot imagine how happy I am … I’m here to win’ City win 3-0 at Anfield in first game since guilty verdict Enzo Maresca praised Manchester City for “making their own noise” at Liverpool as they brushed aside the controversy and threats surrounding the club with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Anfield. City, in their first outing since the club were found guilty on 114 charges relating to Premier League financial rules, maintained their 100% start to the season courtesy of goals from Erling Ha
Football felt secondary on the first weekend of action since club were found guilty of breaking financial rules The Cimbri are heading menacingly south, but in Rome life goes on. The asteroid is definitely coming this way, but people go to work, eat, drink, plan as usual. The White Walkers are approaching the Wall, but the squabbles between the great houses go on. Everyone in the Premier League knows the crisis is approaching, thinks – hopes, fears? – it may be apocalyptic, but until it arrives,
It is a soundtrack that Manchester City have heard before but never for such sustained bursts during a match. It came from the Liverpool support, first ringing out around Anfield before kick-off and coming at regular intervals thereafter. It was always going to be like this as City feel their way into a new reality, one conditioned by the guilty verdicts handed to them by an independent commission on virtually all of the 100-plus charges they have faced for breaking the Premier League’s financia
A lively atmosphere greeted the former Premier League champions for their first game since being found guilty of breaking financial fair play rules Fans lined the streets of Anfield in preparation for the arrival of the Manchester City team bus, with pyrotechnics and pure vitriol adding to the tense pre-match atmosphere. Every vantage point was taken, with spectators standing on walls to get a glimpse of the enemy, only for the coach to sneak in from the opposite side of the ground to avoid conf
It is fair to say Oliver Glasner has had more enjoyable afternoons. The Nottingham Forest head coach arrived in south London dressed like a bouncer from All Bar One in a black bomber jacket, as if he was anticipating trouble, but was instead given a rapturous reception by the home fans who used to worship him. The generosity towards their former manager seemed to have extended to Palace’s players as Dan Ndoye was handed a goal in the third minute. Pierre Sage’s side were awful in the opening 40
For almost two decades, Kylian Mbappé and Nike were part of the same commercial story. Nike signed him when he was nine, and as his career… Continue reading on Medium »
⚽ Get match updates from the Premier League and beyond ⚽ Live scores | Tables | Mail John | And follow us on TikTok Southampton 1-0 Portsmouth Leo Scienza is the creative threat for Saints, and when he’s given space down the left, Portsmouth begin to struggle. One hell of a melee occurs when Larin barges into the box and then Downes fights Pompey’s Adams for the ball. Continue reading...
Manchester City’s rule breaches have dominated headlines and shifted focus from both clubs’ self-inflicted wounds Turning back the clock is impossible. Up in the Stretford End’s middle tier, the ticker had returned, a retouching job to “51 years” invoiced for the pertinent sum of £114. The Manchester City that existed before the Abu Dhabi project won their last trophy in 1976. Questionable maths is perhaps not confined to the Etihad’s accounts department, though Manchester United’s support must
There’s little prospect of the model changing in a country that welcomes wealthy international owners with open arms Football, the world’s most popular sport, played by laws drawn up in London in 1863. The Premier League is the UK’s greatest soft power export. Premier League clubs are owned by a deputy prime minister of Abu Dhabi, the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia, a billionaire based in Monaco for tax reasons and a disappointing assortment of investors and private equity funds. And wha
⚽ Updates from the 5.30pm BST kick-off at Old Trafford ⚽ Scores | Table | Mail Scott Spurs get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half. The teams are out. Manchester United in their famous red, white and black, Tottenham in second-choice dark blue with diagonal multi-coloured neon nonsense. Meanwhile here’s the first line of a song ringing out loud from all four corners of Old Trafford: “You know what you are.” No prizes for guessing the rest of the lyrics,
Lionel Messi’s story with Argentina has been a remarkable journey filled with unforgettable triumphs, painful setbacks, and moments that… Continue reading on Medium »
When Jaouen Hadjam lashed Brighton’s second goal low beyond Robin Roefs, it sparked a mass exodus. With a smattering of boos, the Stadium of Light emptied at a speed of knots. Undaunted by Pascal Struijk’s second-half red card, Brighton had not merely cemented their hold on third place but boosted an already healthy points tally to 13. Continue reading...
Watch and learn, kids. The day began with one for the youth audience, Cole Palmer appearing on a live stream to explain the thinking behind his latest contract extension. It finished with the oldest player to join Chelsea during the BlueCo era stealing the show with an all-action midfield display. Even Palmer was happy to step aside as Jordan Henderson used his right foot to curl home a free-kick that drew comparisons with one of David Beckham’s specials. It was Henderson’s second spectacular st
Arsenal built the foundations of their new success on a desire for competition, an appetite for battle. But what happens when that spirit is insufficient, when your opponents play just as hard as you do? Well, then you bring on Bruno Guimarães and you play even harder. Arsenal had just snatched an equaliser against a dominant Leeds side when Mikel Arteta introduced his key summer signing. The former Newcastle captain has been having to bide his time but when he entered the field just after the h
⚽ Updates from the Emirates: kick-off 12.30pm BST ⚽ Ten things to look out for | Live scores | Mail Barry An email: “Happy Saturday, Barry,” writes Mark Kerry. “Is it just me or are there other baffled Arsenal fans out there regarding Arteta’s obsession with starting Havertz as a centre forward? I just can’t see the rationale for it at this point, given that Havertz has proven over the last few seasons that he’s not at all prolific, whereas Gyokeres is clearly a capable finisher - as exemplified
A free career-mode companion for following your squad’s progress without maintaining a spreadsheet. Continue reading on Medium »
It was a Monday afternoon, I was just on my laptop, minding my own business. Then, it arrived. Continue reading on Medium »
Even New Romantics have a view but this long story will not be cut short amid endless hypotheticals and split narratives It’s Wednesday afternoon (UK time) and I find myself interviewing Tony Hadley on TalkSport about his upcoming big band tour. We play a bit of Spandau Ballet, chat about the classics and his career – hanging out with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. In as much as you can deduce in a 10-minute chat on Zoom, Tony seems like an absolute gent. We do always try to bring it back to sp
England have the edge over Greece after the first leg of their World Cup playoff but remain a team in transition It took a labyrinthine move from Sarina Wiegman’s team to find a way through deep-lying Greece. On the outskirts of Heraklion, the ancient city of Knossos, which is associated with the legend of the Minotaur and the labyrinth constructed by Daedalus to contain it, Laura Blindkilde Brown’s quick pass to Alessia Russo was artfully flicked first time to her Arsenal teammate Georgia Stanw
As the top flight returns, armed with the knowledge its serial champions have been the authors of a 10-year sham supremacy, the first question is simple: how is it going to feel? The internet: an apology. It turns out you were right. It was actually a simulation all along. Now, talk to me about chemtrails again. And yes, maybe Vinícius Júnior has been replaced by a handsome, baffled-looking waxwork. Welcome to the weirdest weekend of them all. We are now post-judgment, post-statement, postlapsar
World Cup qualifying playoff: Greece 1-3 England Stanway, Le Tissier and Russo on target Sarina Wiegman said she wanted to see a bit more from her side after their fairly underwhelming performance against a hugely unfancied Greek side, despite securing a valuable first-leg victory in their Women’s World Cup playoff tie. Georgia Stanway’s neat finish, Maya Le Tissier’s first England goal and Alessia Russo’s low strike were enough to give England control but a Kallisti Brouksair goal for Greece
⚽ World Cup qualifying news, 5.30pm BST kick-off in Crete ⚽ Read the latest Moving the Goalposts extract | Mail Rob Thanks to Trevor for pointing out that Tuesday’s second leg is at the King Power Stadium – not, as I suggested earlier, at Wembley. Grauniad gonna Grauniad. Continue reading...
Manager’s media conference was three times busier than usual, but he and his club are still speaking with one voice – for now Enzo Maresca’s first public display since Manchester City were found guilty on virtually all counts of breaching Premier League financial rules was controlled – apart from the sole, and telling, slip-up of his very first answer. In Thursday’s pre-emptive PR move, the club had Maresca tell their channels that he was aware of the “noise” around City. Fast forward 24 hours,
Have you been following the big news in football, tennis, basketball, rugby, hockey, cycling, darts and the NFL? Continue reading...
⚽ All the latest football news heading into the weekend ⚽ Ten things to look out for | Read Football Daily | Mail Rob Football Weekly: You can watch/listen to the pod squad discuss Sunday’s clash between Liverpool and Manchester City, plus much more, in the latest episode. A reminder that Enzo Maresca will face the media in 20 minutes’ time at the Etihad Campus in Manchester. You can follow the press conference live here. Continue reading...
Owner looking at investment options including sale Transfer window raised questions over commitment Everton’s owner, The Friedkin Group, is looking to sell the club less than two years after taking over from Farhad Moshiri. The Houston-based company confirmed in a statement on Friday that it was seeking fresh investment in Everton but was also open to relinquishing control should a suitable buyer be found. No timescale has been placed on a sale but TFG is confident of attracting a buyer quickl
On Sunday, Austrian returns to Crystal Palace, the club he left in the summer after leading them to unprecedented success, but accepts there could be ‘booing’ Oliver Glasner puffs his cheeks and starts the search for the right words to explain his emotions as he prepares to return to Crystal Palace for the first time since leaving. There is the small matter of heading back on Sunday with Nottingham Forest to Selhurst Park, where bitterness runs deep over the club seizing Palace’s place in the Eu
A Piece of the Highs and Lows of Sports Fandom from the Perspective of Me. Continue reading on Medium »
Michael Carrick is wary of ‘Dr Tottenham’, Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park and will Manchester City summon a siege mentality at Anfield? Premier League top scorers | View the league table Declan Rice’s future role in England’s midfield was questioned by Gary Lineker after Alex Scott’s impressive first senior international start in the 7-0 thrashing of Croatia. But the decision to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel’s squad in an attempt to manage his workload made sense after Rice had only thr
Confederation president clarifies his intentions to staff Canadian was eyed as potential rival to Gianni Infantino Victor Montagliani has told Concacaf staff he intends to stand for re-election as the confederation’s presidentnext year, which will rule him out of going up against Gianni Infantino for the top job at Fifa. The Canadian businessman is understood to have relayed the message to most of the 41 members of Concacaf, the North and Central American and Caribbean confederation. Continue
Teenager almost certain to leave despite fresh offer Compensation for move to European rival would be low Manchester United have made JJ Gabriel an official scholarship contract offer, but remain at risk of losing the teenage forward for as little as £350,000. The prodigy, who turned 16 this week, stunned the club when he asked for his registration to be cancelled last month, setting in motion a scramble among Europe’s elite clubs for his signature. Continue reading...
Manchester City’s chair is key to the project of making Abu Dhabi a secure world power but his next move may be the sale of the club No one better understands the precarious tightrope Abu Dhabi walks when it tries to balance its relationships with western Europe while weighing the complex geopolitics of the Gulf region than Manchester City’s chair, Khaldoon al-Mubarak. He was eight when his father, ambassador Khalifa Ahmed Abdel Aziz al-Mubarak, left the family Paris apartment for work on 9 Febr
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