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Jose Mourinho 's second stint in charge of Real Madrid got off to a winning start as his team snatched a 2-1 victory at Espanyol. In Italy, Inter Milan kicked off its title defense with a dominant 4-1 win over newly-promoted Monza in Serie A . Elsewhere in Europe, Manchester United lost 2-0 at newly-promoted Hull in the Premier League, while in France, last season's runner-up Lens comfortably beat Auxerre 5-2. Espi gives Mourinho winning start Carlos Espi came off the bench to score a late winner for Madrid on his debut for the Spanish giant. The 21-year-old Espi was one of the standouts of La Liga last season and Madrid reportedly paid Levante 25 million euros ($28 million) for him. Espi was brought on in the 79th minute and scored 11 minutes later, pouncing after Kylian Mbappe had been knocked off the ball and firing past Marko Dmitrovic. Jude Bellingham headed in a free kick in the ninth minute and almost scored in similar fashion early in the second half but saw his header .
In an unusual ceremony closed to the media and fans, Real Madrid officially presented coach Jose Mourinho on Tuesday. The event took place at the club's headquarters in Madrid, with president Florentino Perez welcoming the coach. The only images of the presentation were provided by Real Madrid TV and the club's website and social media accounts. "I'm one of you," Mourinho said in a message to fans in a video released by the club. "And not just today, but since I arrived in 2010 and after I left in 2013, always with you. ... To return to Real Madrid is to return home." Madrid said the coach was signed for three seasons until June 30, 2029. After the signing, Madrid said Mourinho received a replica of the stadium, a watch and a jersey with his name. Madrid has been revamped after a second consecutive season without a major title. In addition to Mourinho, who replaced Alvaro Arbeloa, the club also brought in players such as Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo
Real Madrid has reached a deal with Leipzig for the transfer of young Ivory Coast international Yan Diomande. The Spanish powerhouse said Thursday that the 19-year-old forward will be linked to the club for the next seven seasons. Diomande had an outstanding World Cup, and some Premier League teams were reportedly interested in signing him. Leipzig had been saying he was not for sale. Ivory Coast was eliminated by Norway in the World Cup round of 32. Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer said Diomande "impressed us with his carefree attitude, willingness to learn, and courage from day one." "He quickly established himself at the highest level with us, showcasing his speed, dribbling skills, and goal-scoring threat." He said the club was proud that Diomande's performances "garnered significant international attention." Paris Saint-Germain also was reportedly interested in signing the young forward. It was not yet clear if Diomande would initially be registered with Madrid's B
Brazil star Vinicius Junior has agreed to a contract extension with Real Madrid to remain at the Spanish powerhouse through June 2032, the club has announced. The 26-year-old winger had entered the final year of his contract and reportedly had drawn interest from Premier League champion Arsenal. Vinicius has scored 128 goals in 375 matches since joining Madrid at age 18 and has helped the club win 14 titles, including La Liga three times and the Champions League twice. "Vinicius Jr has become one of the most important players in one of the most successful periods in our history," the club said in its announcement on Thursday. Financial terms of the extension were not disclosed. Vinicius wrote on Instagram: "Eight years at the Bernabeu are too few ... 6 more years, and forever!" Los Blancos enter the 2026-27 season with a new coach - Jose Mourinho, for a second stint - and renewed expectations among fans. Madrid hasn't won a major title in two years with superstar striker Kylian
Xabi Alonso is set to be named Chelsea coach after reaching an agreement with the Premier League club, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press on Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the appointment has not been publicly announced. Alonso talked with Chelsea in the past week and is expected to sign a four-year contract. It would be the Spaniard's first job since lasting less than eight months at Real Madrid. Alonso left Madrid by mutual consent in January after poor results and widespread media reports that he lost control of the locker room. Despite the short tenure at the Bernabeu Stadium, Alonso's reputation remained high across Europe after leading Bayer Leverkusen to a German league and cup double and breaking Bayern Munich's dominance of the Bundesliga. Chelsea has been searching for a new coach since firing Liam Rosenior last month. Rosenior was the second coach to be fired since the turn of the year following the departur
Kylian Mbappe said after not starting in Real Madrid's Spanish league soccer match against Oviedo on Thursday that coach Alvaro Arbeloa told him that he is the team's fourth-choice striker. Arbeloa appeared to be caught by surprise by Mbappe's words and said he never told him that. He said he doesn't know why Mbappe felt like that. Mbappe, who had been nursing a left hamstring injury, said he was ready to play from the start against Oviedo but Arbeloa decided not to use him. "I'm 100% fine," Mbappe said. "I didn't play because the coach told me I'm the fourth striker in the squad behind (Franco) Mastantuono, Vini (Vinicius Junior) and Gonzalo (Garcia). I accept it. I was ready to start, it was his decision. You can't be angry with the coach, you always have to respect the opinion of the coach. I'll keep working hard and wait to be the starter." Arbeloa later said he never told Mbappe he was the fourth striker in the squad. "I don't have four strikers, and I haven't told anything l
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior each scored as Real Madrid ended a four-game winless streak by defeating Alaves 2-1 on Tuesday to move closer to Spanish league leader Barcelona. The victory at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium left Madrid six points behind Barcelona, which hosts sixth-placed Celta Vigo on Wednesday. It was Madrid's first game since it was eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Madrid lost 2-1 at home and 4-3 in Germany in the second leg. The team's last two Spanish league matches had been a 1-1 home draw against Girona and a 2-1 loss at Mallorca. "We have six games left," Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said. "The goal is to win all of them, regardless of what happens. Every game counts." It was slow start for Madrid on Tuesday and the crowd at the Bernabeu looked anxious as Alaves had a few scoring chances early. Part of the fans jeered as the team struggled. There were some boos after the final whistle as well after Alaves scored ...