Page 17 - Football

India's ICC elite umpire Nitin Menon opts out of Champions Trophy 2025

India's only representative in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, Nitin Menon, has opted out of officiating in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan this month due to personal reasons. The ICC on Wednesday announced a list of 15 match officials, including three match referees and 12 umpires for the marquee tournament, scheduled to commence in Karachi on February 19 with the final on March 9. Australian legend David Boon, Sri Lankan great great Ranjan Madugalle and Zimbabwe's Andrew Pycroft were named as match referees for the eight-team tournament. The event will be held at three venues in Pakistan -- Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi --, while India will play all their matches in Dubai, starting with a clash against Bangladesh on February 20, owing to security concerns. "The ICC wanted to put him (Menon) on the Champions Trophy roster. But he decided against travelling to Pakistan due to personal reasons," a BCCI source told PTI. Menon could not have stood in the matches in Dubai as the IC

Real Madrid edge Leganes 3-2 on Garcia's stoppage-time goal to reach semis

Gonzalo Garcia scored in stoppage time as Real Madrid avoided an upset by defeating Leganes 3-2 to reach the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. Madrid had taken a two-goal lead at half-time with Luka Modric and Endrick before the hosts rallied to even the match in the second half. The 20-year-old Garcia, a striker who usually plays with Madrid's B team, sealed the victory with a header three minutes into stoppage time after a cross by Brahim Daz. I'm thrilled, filled with emotions. It has been a dream since I was a child and since I joined the youth teams. I'm happy to have scored the goal that gave us a place in the semifinals," Garca said. It was a perfect cross by Brahim and the ball went in by itself. Another setback would have been troublesome for Madrid after it lost 1-0 at Espanyol in the Spanish league on Saturday for its second defeat in 15 matches across all competitions. Madrid had needed extra time to eliminate Celta Vigo at home in the round of 16 of the Copa last month.

Newcastle beat Arsenal to reach League Cup final, chase 1st title in 70 yrs

Newcastle is back in the English League Cup final for another chance to end its 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy. The Saudi-controlled northeast club beat Arsenal 2-0 in the second leg of the semifinals Wednesday to advance 4-0 on aggregate. Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon scored the goals at a boisterous St. James' Park. Newcastle will play either Tottenham or Liverpool in the March 16 final at Wembley Stadium. Tottenham leads 1-0 after the first leg, with the return match at Anfield on Thursday. For Newcastle, it marks another opportunity to capture a first piece of silverware since being bought by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund in 2021. Newcastle's last trophy was the now-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969 and the most recent domestic title was the FA Cup in 1955. Newcastle reached the 2023 League Cup final, but lost 2-0 to Manchester United. Play like that and we can dream big," Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes said after the Arsenal match. It would be amazi

Cheick Tiote's son walks out as mascot at Newcastle-Arsenal clash

The name of one of the mascots for the Newcastle vs. Arsenal match in the English League Cup semifinals on Wednesday brought back some memories of a classic Premier League fixture between the teams. Rafael Tiote, the son of the late Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote, was a mascot for Newcastle at St. James' Park ahead of one of the club's biggest games in recent years. The match came exactly 14 years to the day Rafael's father scored one of the most famous Premier League goals an 87th-minute volley from long range to complete Newcastle's comeback from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 against Arsenal. It was Tiote's only Premier League goal. He played for Newcastle from 2010-17. Tiote, an Ivory Coast international, died in 2017 at the age of 30 after collapsing in training with Chinese team Beijing Enterprises. Rafael Tiote was one of 11 children who walked out with a Newcastle player before the match in a club uniform. Tiote accompanied Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Alexander-Arnold to miss 2nd leg vs Tottenham in EFL Cup SF due to injury

Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the second leg against Tottenham in the English League Cup semifinals on Thursday because of an injury sustained at the weekend. Liverpool trails Tottenham 1-0 from the first leg on Jan. 8. The return match is at Anfield, with Liverpool looking to retain its trophy. Alexander-Arnold came off in the 70th minute of the 2-0 win at Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday because of a suspected thigh injury. He is going to miss the game tomorrow," Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Wednesday, and we have to see if he is able to play on Sunday. Liverpool plays Plymouth in the FA Cup on Sunday before a Merseyside derby at Everton in the Premier League next Wednesday. Asked for more details about Alexander-Arnold's injury, Slot said: I think you saw that he left the pitch with a bit of pain in his leg, so that's why he misses the game tomorrow. But he is already on the pitch, not with the team but with the rehab coach, so let's se

Premier League refs set to make in-stadium announcements for VAR calls

Referees are set to make in-stadium announcements about the outcome of video reviews in the Premier League from the start of next season and Liverpool manager Arne Slot isn't a fan. The protocol is currently being trialed in this season's English League Cup semifinals, with a first announcement coming in the first leg of Tottenham's match with Liverpool when a goal for Spurs was ruled out for offside. Tony Scholes, the Premier League's chief football officer, told reporters the protocol could now be used in league play, too. Asked for his reaction, Slot said for me, that's not necessary, but he did acknowledge it might benefit match-going fans in the stadium. If the fans like it and it's something nice for the fans, let's do this, said Slot, speaking Wednesday ahead of the second leg against Tottenham on Thursday, which Liverpool goes into trailing 1-0. But I wonder if we are all going to like this. On that occasion in the first leg, referee Stuart Attwell used the public address

Newcastle United vs Arsenal Carabao Cup live match time and streaming

At home, Arsenal were highly wasteful, and Newcastle capitalized on their chances, with Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon scoring to give Eddie Howe's side a commanding lead.

Cristiano Ronaldo's former coach Carlo Ancelloti backs CR7 as 'the GOAT'

Ronaldo's legacy at Real Madrid is undeniable, as he remains the club's all-time top scorer with an astounding 451 goals and 131 assists from 438 appearances.

Why Cristiano Ronaldo can never be overshadowed by old rival Lionel Messi?

While Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever play the game, there are a few milestones that seem destined to remain solely within Ronaldo's domain.

Birthday boy Ronaldo proclaims himself 'best footballer in history'

Ronaldo holds numerous records in men's international soccer, including the most appearances (217) and the most goals (135).

Why Marseille did not recruit Paul Pogba during winter transfer window?

There was a lot of speculation during the winter transfer window that Paul Pogba would relaunch his career at Marseille. The Ligue 1 club's president Pablo Longoria praised the former Juventus and Manchester United midfielder as an extraordinary player and others at the club, including France international Adrien Rabiot, lobbied for Pogba. But Marseille bought someone else. Once one of the world's top midfielders, Pogba's headlines in recent years have been more for his off-field problems than his on-field abilities. Juventus "mutually agreed" with Pogba last year to cancel his contract despite the 2018 World Cup winner having a ban for doping slashed. The Serie A club never seemed overly enthusiastic about welcoming him back after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Pogba will be free to resume his career in March. Asked on RMC radio why he did not make a move to hire Pogba, Longoria said his suspension unt

Cristiano Ronaldo prepare for Asian Champions League before 40th birthday

Cristiano Ronaldo turns 40 on Wednesday but is showing few signs of slowing down as he prepares to lead Saudi club Al-Nassr against Al-Wasl in the Asian Football Confederation's Champions League Elite. The Portuguese star, who signed for the Riyadh club in Dec. 2022, leads the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 15 goals in 17 games. If Ronaldo can reproduce that form in the continental tournament -- there are two games remaining in the group stage, from which his team has already qualified -- then Al-Nassr has a chance to become Asian champion for the first time. The best birthday gift for Ronaldo is to achieve victory against Al-Wasl, Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli said ahead of the Monday meeting. It is an important match for us and we want the three points. After winning the UEFA Champions League five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Ronaldo's chances of winning a first Asian title have been bolstered with Al-Nassr's signing of Jhon Duran from English Premier League

Marcus Rashford to sign for Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United

Having spent his entire career at Manchester United, Rashford has recently found himself out of favor under manager Ruben Amorim.

Arsenal vs Manchester City Premier League live match time and streaming

Mikel Arteta's men sit in second place, but they know that anything less than a win on Sunday could see them slip further away in the title race, especially with Liverpool holding a game in hand.

ISL: Punjab FC notch first win after 7 games, beat Bengaluru FC 3-2

Punjab FC defeated Bengaluru FC 3-2 to snap their seven-game-long winless run in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday. The home team made an emphatic comeback that saw them strike thrice in the second half to get all the three points from the match. They stay in ninth spot in the standings with 23 points to their kitty. Alberto Noguera pulled off a slick corner kick in the 23rd minute, well-directed to Sunil Chhetri on the far post that produced Bengaluru FC's first concrete chance of the game. Chhetri's headed effort was aimed on target but blocked in time to keep the scores level. Noguera replicated a similar delivery from another corner kick in the 36th minute, this time from the left side. He attempted a different route this time, giving the ball to Rahul Bheke who was placed at a distance down the centre. Bheke thundered his shot above the post though as he couldn't keep his effort on target. Muhammad Suhail came close to breaking the

Transfer news: Jhon Duran joins Ronaldo at Al-Nassr from Aston Villa

Forward Jhon Duran became the latest player from one of Europe's top leagues to move to Saudi Arabia after joining Al-Nassr from Aston Villa on Friday. The Colombia international's move was worth a reported 64 million pounds ($80 million). The 21-year-old Duran will team with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and wear No. 9. His move represents a significant profit for Villa after joining from the Chicago Fire for 18 million pounds ($22 million) in 2023. Duran had 12 goals in 29 games this season including a memorable winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Everyone at Aston Villa would like to wish Jhon all the best in the next step of his professional career, his former club said.

UEFA Champions League: Manchester City vs Real Madrid live streaming

Despite their longstanding dominance, both teams have had their struggles in the competition's new format, which expanded to 36 teams this season.

UEFA Champions League playoff draw: Man City to take on Real Madrid

The draw took place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland and involved teams that finished from ninth to 24th position in the new format of the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Kyle Walker not regretting leaving Man City for lackluster AC Milan

England defender Kyle Walker could be forgiven for having some regrets over leaving Manchester City for AC Milan. Especially after seeing close up how his new team is performing, with even Milan coach Srgio Conceio saying his players are lacking footballing basics. Walker joined Milan last week on loan, with the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. He watched Milan's rollercoaster win over lowly Parma from the stands at San Siro last weekend. The Rossoneri were trailing 2-1 in injury time before two stoppage-time goals. Walker, who was cup tied, was also just an observer on Wednesday for Milan's Champions League match at Dinamo Zagreb, where the 10-man Rossoneri lost 2-1. But Walker, who won six Premier League titles and the Champions League in seven seasons at City, insists he hasn't had any second thoughts even when Milan was 2-0 down at home to Parma. Definitely not. It's football. Things happen in football, he said. But by the end of the game, we won 3

UEFA Europa League: Full list of qualified teams for knockout stages

Lazio, the only team to qualify for the round of 16 with a game to spare, suffered their first defeat of the campaign, losing 1-0 at Braga.