Page 18 - Football

UAE club Al-Ain fires coach Hernan Crespo months after winning Asian title

Al-Ain fired head coach Hernan Crespo less than six months after the Argentine led the United Arab Emirates club to Asia's Champions League title. The decision came after a string of disappointing results that culminated in a 5-1 loss to Cristiano Ronald's Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday. It means Crespo, the former Inter Milan and Chelsea striker, will not get a chance to lead Al-Ain to the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup despite helping it qualify for the tournament in the United States next summer. The high point of Crespo's 12 month tenure was May's victory over Yokohama F Marinos of Japan in the two-legged Asian final but the two-time continental champion has collected just one point from the first four games in this season's tournament. The club thanked Crespo in a statement on Wednesday but said "recent results have not met expectations." It did not immediately announce a replacement for the 49-year-old Crespo.

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 points table, top 5 highest goal-scorers

Manchester City, Monaco, Brest, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter, and Sporting are all tied at 7 points, rounding up the current top 8 spots.

UEFA Champions League: Inter Milan vs Arsenal live time, streaming

Mikel Arteta will be hoping his side shrugs off the disappointing 0-1 Premier League loss to Newcastle and gets back to winning ways against a challenging Inter side away from home.

UEFA Champions League: PSG vs Atletico Madrid live time, streaming

Both sides will be facing each other for the first time in their history and will look to get a win on the night to start the head to head record in their favour.

UEFA Champions League: Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen live time, streaming

Xabi Alonso is set to return to his former club as a visiting manager. Alonso was part of the Reds' UCL-winning campaign in 2005.

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs AC Milan live match time, streaming

Ancelotti has won multiple Champions League titles with Real as well but hasn't had the best start to this season, with the new format presenting unique challenges for the 15-time winners.

Match-fixing scandal in Mizoram; 24 players, 3 clubs, 3 officials banned

In a shocking development, three clubs, 24 players and three club officials have been banned by the Mizoram Football Association (MFA) for alleged match-fixing in a recently-held competition in the state. Three clubs -- Sihphir Venghlun FC, FC Bethlehem, and Ramhlun Athletic FC -- have been banned for three years along with three match officials for allegedly manipulating the outcome of matches in the Mizoram Premier League. "It has come to the notice of the Mizoram Football Association, after investigations with local law enforcement agencies that certain clubs, officials and players in the recently concluded MPL-11 had indulged in acts of corruption, for which they have been penalised after careful deliberations," the state football body said in a statement. The MFA imposed life bans on two players, five-year bans on four players, three-year bans on 10 footballers, and one-year bans on eight men involved in the alleged corruption. "These activities involving a few miscreants ...

Neymar suffers another injury in 2nd game back from ACL tear for Al Hilal

Neymar picked up another injury in just his second game since returning from a 12-month absence as Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal defeated Esteghlal of Iran 3-0 in the AFC Champions League Elite. The Brazilian has only recently recovered from a torn ACL and came off the bench in Riyadh after 58 minutes. However, the 32 year-old forward had to come off with three minutes remaining, having seemed to pull up after stretching his leg out for the ball in the penalty area. Neymar has time to recover before his next game, however, as he is not registered for the team's matches in the Saudi Pro League and the next fixture in the AFC competition is on Nov. 25. Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a hat trick for Al-Hilal, the four-time Asian champion which has now won all four games in the group stage. All three goals from the Serbian came from close range. He opened the scoring after 15 minutes, added a second just after the half-hour mark and then completed his hat trick with 16 minutes remaining. Al-Hil

Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar resigns to pursue 'new challenge'

Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar has resigned, the Premier League club said. The former midfielder returned to the club as technical director in 2019 before being promoted to sporting director in 2022, and has been seen as a key figure in Arsenal's emergence as a Premier League challenger under manager Mikel Arteta in recent seasons. Edu said he was leaving to pursue a different challenge but did not specify what that would entail. This was an incredibly hard decision to make, Edu said in a club statement. Arsenal has given me the opportunity to work with so many amazing people and the chance to be a part of something so special in the club's history. ... Now it is time to pursue a different challenge. Arsenal will always remain in my heart. I wish the club and its supporters only good things and all the very best. Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke said the club respected Edu's decision and noted his immense contribution and dedication to drive the club forward. Kroenke added: Cha

Silva scores in stoppage time, Atlanta rallies to beat Messi's Miami 2-1

Xande Silva scored with about a minute to go in stoppage time shortly after a goal by Lionel Messi was waved off by a clear offside, giving ninth-seeded Atlanta United a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami and evening the best-of-three MLS playoff series at one game apiece. Silva on Saturday blasted a right-footed shot into the top left corner to beat goalkeeper Drake Callender in the 94th minute. The Atlanta player celebrated by ripping off his shirt and dancing in front of the supporters section at Mercedes-Benz Stadium while the announced crowd of 68,455 cheered. Messi had plenty of good scoring chances but only found the back of the net with the flag raised for offside. Atlanta United took off the other way for Silva's game winner. United rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit, the result of a huge error by keeper Brad Guzan, to force a decisive game next Saturday in South Florida. Atlanta has a chance to pull off a major upset, having finishing a whopping 34 points behind Messi's ...

PSG moves 6 points clear at the top of French league after beating Lens 1-0

Ousmane Dembl's early goal was enough as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain beat Lens 1-0 to move six points clear at the top of the French league. Winger Bradley Barcola on Saturday broke free down the left in the fourth minute and set up Dembl with a low cross to the back post. Barcola has been PSG's best attacking player this season. Near the end of the first half, he played a through ball to Marco Asensio but goalkeeper Brice Samba saved his angled shot. PSG failed to score a second goal, despite Lens having defender Abdukodir Khusanov sent off in the 59th for a reckless foul on Achraf Hakimi. Dembl's return to form is a boost for coach Luis Enrique, whose team has struggled to score in the Champions League. PSG will host Atletico Madrid at Parc des Princes on Wednesday. PSG took advantage of second-place Monaco's 1-0 home defeat against struggling Angers on Friday. Also on Saturday, Evann Guessand continued his scoring form as Nice won 1-0 at Brest to move up to fifth pl

Serie A: Juventus get back to winning ways with a lot of help from the post

Juventus got back to winning ways but needed a lot of help from the post. The Bianconeri on Saturday won 2-0 at Udinese following an own-goal from home goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and Nicol Savona's strike, with the ball bouncing off the right post immediately before both goals. It was only Juve's second win in six matches in all competitions and lifted it up to third, ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures. It was four points behind Serie A leader Napoli, which hosts fourth-place Atalanta on Sunday. Udinese slipped to eighth after it was leapfrogged by AC Milan, which won 1-0 at Monza. Only two points separated Udinese and Juventus coming into the match. Juventus took the lead in the 20th minute with a wonderful piece of play from Khphren Thuram, who ran into the box and nutmegged a defender before taking a shot from a tight angle. The ball bounced off the inside of the far right post and in off the back of Okoye. It would have been a first goal in Italy for Thuram, the younger

Premier League preview: Arsenal face tough Test against Newcastle United

In the last five games between the Gunners and the Toon, it has been a neck-and-neck battle, with both sides winning 2 matches each. One game ended in a draw.

Manchester United hires Ruben Amorim as manager from November 11

Manchester United hired Ruben Amorim on Friday, gambling on a manager unproven in Europe's top leagues to turn around the fortunes of the fading English power. At age 39, Amorim, who has joined from Portuguese champion Sporting Lisbon, will be the youngest person to coach United since the 1960s and the sixth permanent manager since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013. Amorim will take charge on November 11, after completing his commitments to Sporting and has signed a contract until June 2027, with United having an option of an additional year. Ruben is one of the most exciting and highly rated young coaches in European football, United said. United, the record 20-time English champion, hasn't won the Premier League since Ferguson's final season in charge. Amorim's task will be to revive the glories of a club that has fallen way behind the best in England and Europe something that has been beyond the likes of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and most recently Erik ten Hag, who wa

Arsenal captain Odegaard in final stages of recovery after 2 months out

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is in the final stages of his recovery from an ankle injury after nearly two months out, manager Mikel Arteta said Friday. Arteta said Odegaard wouldn't play against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday but didn't rule the midfielder out of the trip to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday. Now is the stage where he is going to do certain work with us. Let's see how he deals with pain and if his movement is natural enough, Arteta said. He's physically now at the level required to compete. With the work rate and hours he has put in, I'd be surprised that the moment he starts training with us; he looks ready. Hopefully, soon. Odegaard was injured playing for Norway in a Nations League group-stage match on September 9 and Arsenal has missed his creativity and leadership. After collecting just a point from its last two games, Arsenal is in third place, five points behind leader Manchester City. Arteta said left-back Riccardo ..

UEFA pledges to spend $1 billion for women's football development in Europe

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) pledged Wednesday to steer 1 billion euros (USD 1.08 billion) toward all levels of women's soccer over the next six years as part of a comprehensive strategy to grow the game in Europe. UEFA's goal is to make football the most-played team sport for women and girls in every European country, as well as doubling the number of fully professional national leagues to six and raising the number of professional players from 3,000 to 5,000. It is our promise to keep investing and collectively lead the game forward, with all European national associations, leagues, clubs, players, fans and partners part of our journey, UEFA's director of women's soccer Nadine Kessler said in a statement. The UEFA plan, dubbed Unstoppable, includes developing paths for women and girls to play, coach and referee from the grassroots level. Still, Kessler acknowledged in the 31-page document that there are persistent challenges and obstacles to overcome in gett

EFL Cup: Man United responds to Ten Hag firing by routing Leicester City

Manchester United responded to the firing of Erik ten Hag by scoring four goals in the first 38 minutes on the way to a 5-2 thrashing of Leicester in the English League Cup, while Tottenham eliminated Manchester City in the last 16. Also advancing to the competition's first all-Premier League quarterfinals lineup in 14 years were defending champion Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle and Crystal Palace. Two days after Ten Hag's exit, United displayed the cutting edge so often lacking under the Dutchman with Brazil midfielder Casemiro scoring two of the team's first-half goals one a curling strike into the top corner from 30 meters, on Wednesday. Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes also netted in that early flurry of goals, while Fernandes added a fifth in the 59th. Ruud van Nistelrooy, United's former star striker, took charge of United having been Ten Hag's assistant, and enjoyed what might be his only game at the helm. United appears close to bringing in Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben

Copa del Rey games postponed after deadly floods devastate southern Spain

The Copa del Rey matches involving Valencia and Levante have been postponed following floods that have killed at least 95 people and caused havoc in southern Spain. Other sporting events were also affected by Tuesday's flash floods that swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers and disrupted rail lines and highways in the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent memory. The Spanish league planned to postpone all weekend matches in the Valencia region, including those of Valencia against Real Madrid and Villarreal against Rayo Vallecano. Three second-division games also were expected to be postponed. Clubs, soccer stars and other athletes including Vincius Jnior, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, Diego Simeone and Thibaut Courtois posted messages of support on social media. Real Madrid is deeply saddened and expresses its solidarity with all the people affected by this catastrophe, to whom it conveys all its full support and sympathy, the club said. Both Mad

CONCACAF Gold Cup final set to be played at Houston's NRG Stadium on July 6

The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup final will be played at Houston's NRG Stadium on July 6. CONCACAF announced the site on Wednesday. In September, it said 14 sites in 11 areas will be used for the tournament, which starts June 14. It avoided the Eastern Seaboard, staying away from FIFA's expanded 32-team Club World Cup. The U.S. sent second-string rosters to the 2021 and '23 Gold Cups to give most Europe-based players time off following their club seasons. Mexico has won nine Gold Cups, including in 2023. The U.S. has won seven, including in 2021, and Canada won in 2000.

Musiala's hat trick powers Bayern Munich to 4-0 win vs Mainz in German Cup

Jamal Musiala scored a first-half hat trick as Bayern Munich reached the third round of the German Cup in a 4-0 win over Mainz. Bayern was never seriously tested after Musiala opened the scoring less than 90 seconds into the game on Wednesday. The ease of the win underlined Bayern's return to the sort of domestic dominance it is used to in Germany after a trophyless 2023-24 season, even if its Champions League campaign has been less impressive. After scoring his first on a slick team move assisted by Harry Kane, Musiala made sure he was in the right place at the right time for his other goals. The second came on the rebound when a Kane shot was saved and Musiala completed his hat trick with Bayern's fourth goal of the game, a tap-in when Konrad Laimer's cross deflected off two Mainz players. Shortly before that, Leroy San had scored Bayern's third goal on a flowing counterattack that began in his team's own penalty area. In Wednesday's other games, Union Berlin has been on the ris