Newcastle will be looking to level with the Cityzens on the day, whereas the visitors will hope for another routine win away from home to extend their lead at the top by three points.
A Spanish court handed a one-year suspended sentence to a soccer fan for racially abusing Vincius Jnior and Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze, Real Madrid said on Thursday. The incidents occurred at Mallorca's stadium in two games in early 2023 when the defendant insulted the Black players from the stands. The club said the court in Mallorca also ruled that the abuser is banned from attending any games organized by the Spanish league or Spanish Football Federation for three years. The one-year prison sentence was suspended after the defendant showed remorse, apologized to Vincius in a letter, and completed an anti-discrimination program, the club said. The press office for the courts of the Balearic Islands was unable to immediately share the court's decision when requested by The Associated Press. Vincius, a Brazil forward, has been subjected to multiple acts of racial abuse in and outside soccer stadiums in Spain. He recently said Spain should not be allowed to host the 2030 World C
Soccer-related arrests are on the rise in England and Wales, the UK government said on Thursday. The most cases were recorded at West Ham United matches for the third year in a row. There were 2,584 football-related arrests in the 2023-24 season a 14% increase on the previous year, figures released by the Home Office showed. The government said the rise was driven by arrests relating to the possession of class-A drugs and this year's European Championship in Germany. The rate of arrests over the season was 5.5 per 1,00,000 fans attending matches in the top six levels of men's English soccer, the Welsh league and the top two levels of women's soccer. Statistics also covered matches involving the England and Wales national teams, the Champions League final staged at Wembley Stadium, and age group matches. It is important that these figures are put into context. Last season around 47 million people attended men's domestic and international matches, the highest number we have on reco
Smarting from back-to-back losses, East Bengal FC will look to get back to winning ways when they host FC Goa in their opening home game of the Indian Super League season here on Friday. The Red & Gold Brigade lost 0-1 to Bengaluru FC and then suffered a 1-2 loss against Kerala Blasters in their last two matches, while FC Goa is coming off a 1-1 draw against Mohammedan SC here. However, East Bengal will bank on home success to return to winning ways as the club had emerged triumphant by 2-1 against Bengaluru FC when they last played an ISL game here in April this year. Goa has scored in each of its eight ISL fixtures versus East Bengal FC. They have been dominant in collecting the three points in the previous four clashes between the two. East Bengal, on the other hand, has scored just once in the last two encounters, with its lone goal-scorer being PV Vishnu. Although East Bengal registered four shots on target versus Kerala Blasters, the efficiency was missing. We have been ...
Goals from Ezequiel Vidal and Filip Mrzljak helped Punjab FC defeat Hyderabad FC 2-0 and make it three wins in a row for the side in the Indian Super League here on Wednesday. Following their emphatic win, Punjab FC, who scored once in each half, now sit at the top of the table. Punjab FC turned on the intensity following the initial 15 minutes of lethargy when Leander D'Cunha's mis-timed pass in the danger area saw Mrzljak come up with a superb interception. The Croatian was in a prime position to put the hosts ahead but rival goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh thwarted his effort. Buoyed by the opportunity, Punjab FC kept pushing for the opening goal, with Vidal at the centre of every action. He created a couple or more opportunities for Mrzljak and Ivan Novoselec but neither managed to find the back of the net. In the 27th minute, Vidal went for the jugular from distance and missed the target by a whisker. Minutes later, Vidal released Nihal Sudeesh on the left flank and the youngster
A group of about 60 Lazio fans were stopped by German authorities after attempting to avoid a police escort ahead of a Europa League game against Dynamo Kyiv and were found to be carrying knives, clubs and other weapons, police said Wednesday. Fans were checked late Tuesday and detained until Wednesday. Lazio said in a statement that the fans held overnight were banned from attending Wednesday's game, but there were no arrests. Dynamo Kyiv is playing its home games in Hamburg because of the war in Ukraine. Lazio supporters have a long history of creating trouble and the club has been hit with numerous sanctions in Serie A and Europe. Before a Champions League game against Bayern Munich in March, an Italian among about 100 Lazio soccer supporters who sang fascist songs in the beer hall where Adolf Hitler founded the Nazi party was arrested and fined for giving a Hitler salute. A year earlier, a fan wearing a shirt with a reference to Hitler was banned for life from attending Lazio .
Football icon Bhaichung Bhutia has unveiled India's largest-ever football trials aimed at discovering and nurturing young talent nationwide. Kicking off this month, the talent hunt will span 50 cities, including Jalandhar, Patiala, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Mysuru, Mangalore, Bangalore, and Belgaum. Organised by Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS) and powered by enJogo, the trials are expected to see over 6,000 players aged 9-18 showcasing their skills in front of AIFF/AFC certified coaches. Bhutia aims to tap into the potential of youth from diverse regions, offering them opportunities to develop their skills at the BBFS Residential Academy. "Football in India needs a strong foundation, and that starts with youth development," said Bhutia in a release. "Our mission is to create pathways for young footballers to rise through the ranks, whether they come from big cities or remote areas. Through these trials, we hope to find and develop India's next football stars." The
Kylian Mbapp will be sidelined with a hamstring injury, Real Madrid said Wednesday. Following tests carried out today by Real Madrid's medical services on our player Kylian Mbapp, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg, Madrid said. His progress will be monitored. The club did not give a time frame for Mbapp's recovery, but he is set to miss at least Sunday's derby at Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league. He could also miss France's Nations League matches against Israel in Budapest on Oct. 10 and away to Belgium four days later. Madrid said the injury was diagnosed a day after the 3-2 win over Alaves in the Spanish league on Tuesday, when Mbappe scored his seventh goal since joining Madrid this season. Mbapp asked to be substituted in the 80th minute. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had said after the game that the injury did not appear to be serious. The France star has five goals in the Spanish league, one behind leading scorer Robert Lewandowsk
Christian Eriksen's 35th-minute goal had put the Red Devils ahead in the tie, but the Danish midfielder soon turned from hero to villain as he lost the ball in defense, leading to the equaliser.
Former France and Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane announced his retirement on Wednesday, ending a career that included a World Cup title and a big haul of club trophies. The 31-year-old Varane signed with promoted Serie A club Como in July, but injured his knee during his only appearance with the club an Italian Cup match against Sampdoria last month. In my career, I have taken on many challenges, rose to occasion after occasion, almost all of it was supposed to be impossible, Varane wrote on Instagram. Reflecting on these moments, it is with immense pride and a feeling of fulfilment that I am announcing my retirement from the game that we all love. Varane was arguably the tournament's standout defender when France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He also helped Madrid to four Champions League titles and three La Liga trophies. He moved to Manchester United in 2021 but was restricted to 95 appearances in his three seasons in England mainly because of injuries. Varane beg
Como got its first Serie A win in more than 21 years as Cesc Fabregas' team won 3-2 at Atalanta in a rescheduled match. Delightful second-half goals from Gabriel Strefezza and Alieu Fadera, as well as an own goal from Atalanta defender Sead Kolasinac saw newly promoted Como fight back for its first win in the Italian top flight since May 2003. It was a third defeat of the season for Atalanta, which drew 0-0 against Arsenal in the Champions League last week. The match which was a local derby was originally meant to take place on Monday night but had to be postponed by 24 hours due to heavy rains in Bergamo and a waterlogged pitch. Atalanta took the lead in the 18th minute when a corner was headed out but only as far as Davide Zappacosta, who volleyed into the bottom left corner from just outside the area. However, Como got more into the match and managed to level just 20 seconds into the second half with a well-worked move as Sergi Roberto backheeled a pass from Ignace Van der Br
The storied San Siro stadium cannot host the Champions League final in 2027, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) decided Tuesday, opening the search for a new venue. UEFA had given extended time for the city of Milan to show the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza would be available during planned renovation work between staging ceremonies for the 2026 Winter Olympics and hosting games at the 2032 European Championship. City authorities could not give those guarantees and the UEFA executive committee decided not to assign the final to Milan and to re-open the bidding process to appoint a suitable venue. The future of San Siro since it last staged the Champions League final in 2016 has been uncertain with a long-term threat of demolition. Shared tenants AC Milan and Inter Milan have developed plans to build their stadiums. UEFA said it aims to pick the 2027 final venue by next June. The next two Champions League finals are being played at Bayern Munich's stadium and the Puskas Are
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has warned of more injuries to top soccer players because of a growing number of games on their schedule. Manchester City midfielder Rodri limped out of Sunday's English Premier League clash with Arsenal because of a knee injury. Meanwhile, other top players Kevin De Bruyne and Martin Odegaard have been sidelined in the season's early weeks. Rodri's injury came days after he voiced concerns about an increasingly congested schedule and said players were close to taking strike action. Ten Hag, speaking ahead of United's Europa League match against FC Twente, said too much is being asked of players. There are too many games. It's clear. Too many competitions," he said on Tuesday. "For the top players, they are overloaded and this is not good for football. In the end of the day, it's maybe good for commercial, but there is a limit. It's almost unavoidable that players get injured because of the overload from so many games. City are still to conf
Each of the 36 teams will compete in eight matches against different opponents, with four games played at home and four away. The outcomes of these matches will determine their positions in the league
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson aims to return to action this weekend, manager Arne Slot said on Tuesday. The Brazil international is recovering from a hamstring injury and has been ruled out of Liverpool's English League Cup third-round match against West Ham United on Wednesday. Back-up keeper Caoimhin Kelleher replaced Alisson for the 3-0 win against Bournemouth on Saturday and is set to retain his place against West Ham. Alisson is getting there but I think this game is coming just a bit too early and we are looking at the weekend against Wolves, but it's going to be tight," Slot said. But, he will not be there tomorrow so Caoimh will be in goal." Italian forward Federico Chiesa could make his first start for Liverpool against West Ham. Slot said the offseason signing is still working his way to full fitness. I don't think he's able to play 90 minutes, he only played 25 now as a maximum in the last three, four, five months, he said. But, he is able to start, in our opinion.
Coming from a 3-0 defeat against Sunil Chhetri's Bengaluru FC away from home, bottom-placed Hyderabad will be looking to get their first win of the season when they travel to Delhi.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been pictured arriving in Spain reportedly ahead of tests on a right knee injury sustained against Arsenal in the English Premier League at the weekend. City hasn't publicly commented on the nature of the problem, amid reports in the British media that the Spain international has suffered an ACL injury and is set for a long-term absence from the team. Sections of the Spanish media published footage on social media of Rodri arriving in Barcelona on Monday. If Rodri is missing for a long period of time, it seriously damages City's chances of winning the Premier League for a record-extending fifth straight season. City leads the league by a point after five games. Rodri, who is among the favorites to win the Ballon d'Or for 2024, is arguably City's most important player because of how he protects the defense and conducts the team's passing game. He limped off in the 20th minute of the 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on Sunday after hurting
A soccer pitch in London collapsed and other parts of the United Kingdom were submerged by flash floods Monday after some areas saw a month's worth of rainfall in 24 hours. Roads were closed, some train lines in London were suspended and dozens of people reported their houses being submerged as parts of central and southern England saw about 60 to 80 millimeters (2 to 3 inches of rainfall. A few locations were expected to be hit by more than 120 mm (4.7 inches) of rain, weather forecasters said. In the capital, the London Fire Brigade said emergency responders received some 350 flood-related calls. The service said these included rescuing people trapped in cars, assisting people from their homes and responding to flooding in underground train stations, roadways, homes and businesses. At the Cherry Red Records Stadium, AFC Wimbledon's soccer pitch, heavy rains appeared to have left a sinkhole in the pitch, resulting in the cancellation of a match scheduled on Tuesday.
With Everton being the latest club to come under American ownership (Friedkin Group), more than half of the Premier League clubs have at least one American minority stakeholder in their team.
Call it the dark arts. Call it anti-football. Call it doing whatever it takes to win. Arsenal tried it all against Manchester City on Sunday in the latest chapter of the Premier League's new heavyweight rivalry and came within seconds of victory. There was only one team that came to play football, Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva grumbled after an intense, absorbing and incident-packed 2-2 draw at Etihad Stadium. The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately. John Stones' equalizer for City in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time denied Arsenal, which played with 10 men for the entire second half, what would have been a defining victory for a team that is getting closer and closer to Pep Guardiola's repeat champions. City's players know it, too. Hence Bernardo's outspoken post-match comments on Arsenal. Notice how Erling Haaland chucked the ball at the back of Arsenal defender Gabriel's head in City's