Page 5 - Football

Maradona's autopsy experts testify that he had an abnormally large heart

Experts involved in Diego Maradona's autopsy testified on Tuesday at the trial of seven health professionals accused of negligent homicide that the Argentine soccer star had an abnormally large heart, suffered from cirrhosis, and showed no traces of alcohol or drugs at the time of is death. Forensic expert Alejandro Ezequiel Vega told the court that Maradona's heart was enlarged and weighed about 503 grams, when the average weight is between 250 and 300 grams. Maradona, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986, died on Nov. 25, 2020. He was 60. Vega explained that the examination of Maradona's heart showed that the former star suffered from long-standing ischemia, with lack of blood flow and oxygen. The autopsy concluded that Maradona died of acute pulmonary edema secondary to congestive heart failure. Maradona died in a house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, days after undergoing surgery for a hematoma that formed between his skull and brain. According to the prosecutio

Man City's striker Haaland faces weeks on sidelines with ankle injury

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland is set for a long spell on the sidelines due to his ankle injury in the FA Cup quarterfinal win. Haaland had just scored his 30th goal of the season on Sunday against Bournemouth when he was hurt in a challenge by midfielder Lewis Cook. After scans on Monday, City said Haaland will see a specialist to determine the full extent of the injury. The only timeframe City gave for Haaland's recovery was that he should be fit before the end of the season. City is in a fight to qualify for the Champions League next season. It is fifth in the Premier League, outside the top four qualifying spots, with nine rounds remaining. There's also the FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest at Wembley on April 26. "Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain a full prognosis," City said on its website. "The expectation is that Erling will be fit in time to play a further part in the remainder of this season, including this summer's FIFA Club World Cup.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United Premier League live time, streaming

Manchester United are looking to secure consecutive league wins for the first time this season when they take on Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal vs Fulham Premier League live match time, line-ups and streaming

Mikel Arteta's side is a long way off the title race, but a victory on Tuesday would reduce the gap to leaders Liverpool to single digits.

Inter and Napoli remain last two real contenders for 2025 Serie A title

Victor Osimhen left in September. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia departed in January. Now it's almost April and Antonio Conte's Napoli somehow is still in contention for the Serie A title. Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku scored first-half goals, Alex Meret saved a second-half penalty kick from Santiago Gimenez, and Napoli beat visiting AC Milan 2-1 on Sunday for a statement victory. Luka Jovic pulled one back for Milan in the 84th to set up a tense finale during which Milan came close to equalizing. The result kept Napoli within three points of Serie A leader Inter Milan, which edged Udinese 2-1 earlier. It's developing into a two-team title race after third-placed Atalanta lost its second straight game, falling 1-0 at Fiorentina to drop nine points back. While Lukaku has filled the void left by Osimhen after the Nigeria striker left to sign a loan deal with Galatasaray, it has taken a group effort to replace Kvaratskhelia's output after the winger signed with Paris Saint-Germain. On

AC Milan need derby win vs Inter to book their place for Europe next year

For AC Milan, it could be the only way to qualify for Europe. For Inter Milan, it's the least important of the three competitions that the Nerazzurri are still competing in this season. The rival clubs are in completely opposite forms entering the first leg of their Italian Cup semifinal on Wednesday. Milan was virtually eliminated from contesting for the Champions League spots with a 2-1 loss at Napoli in Serie A on Sunday that left the Rossoneri in ninth place nine points behind fourth-place Bologna, which faces Empoli in the other semifinal on Tuesday. Winning the Italian Cup guarantees a Europa League spot. It's very frustrating, because we didn't deserve this defeat, Milan coach Sergio Conceicao said, referring to how Milan nearly equalized with some late fight at Napoli. We want to change the outlook and on Wednesday we have the chance to do so. It will be the fourth derby of the season after Milan won the first two, followed by a draw. Milan's 2-1 win in Serie A in Sept

Arsenal football club hire Andrea Berta as club's new sporting director

Arsenal confirmed the appointment of Andrea Berta as the club's new sporting director on Sunday, with the Italian having established a strong reputation after spending 12 years at Atletico Madrid in a similar role. The 53-year-old Berta succeeds Edu a former midfielder for Arsenal and Brazil in a position that has been vacant since November. Berta, who has a background in banking, held roles with Italian teams Parma and Genoa before joining Atletico in 2013, initially as technical director. He left in January. During his time with the Diego Simeone-managed club, the team won two LaLiga titles, the Copa del Rey and Europa League, as well as the UEFA Super Cup. Among the best signings made by Atletico during Berta's tenure are Jan Oblak and Antoine Griezmann. I am delighted to be joining Arsenal in what is a hugely exciting period for the club, said Berta. I have watched with great interest the way Arsenal has evolved in recent years and I have admired the hard work that has gone

Messi shines on return, helps Inter Miami overcome Philadelphia 2-1

Lionel Messi made an immediate impact for Inter Miami against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night, with what became the winning goal in a 2-1 victory that lifted the Herons into first place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference. Messi returned to the lineup and scored less than two minutes after subbing into the match early in the second half. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner took a pass from Luis Suarez on the right side of the penalty box, made a quick move and sent a right-footed shot past two defenders into the net for a 2-0 Inter Miami lead. It was Messi's second goal in three Major League Soccer matches this season. He did not start the match, but was cleared to play earlier in the week after missing some time including two World Cup qualifiers for Argentina with an adductor injury. Daniel Gazdag got the goal for Philadelphia (4-2-0) in the 80th minute, but Inter Miami held on from there. Messi also was dealing with an issue with his left thigh along with the ..

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest seal FA Cup 2025 semi-final spots

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest booked places in the semifinals of the FA Cup on Saturday. Eberechi Eze starred for Palace with a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win at Fulham. Goalkeeper Matz Sels was the hero for Forest with two saves in a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Brighton after the game ended 0-0. Eze's match-winning performance came after he also scored for England in Monday's World Cup qualifying win over Latvia. That's what we expect from him, and that's why we love him, Palace defender Marc Guehi said. I tell him every day he's one of the best, but it's not about saying it, it's about showing it and he's done it. On Sunday, second-division Preston faces Aston Villa and Manchester City travels to Bournemouth. Palace on winning road streak ==================== With victory at Fulham, Palace recorded a club-record sixth away win in row, according to statistician Opta. It's this group, the character of this group, the attitude of this group, the work rate of this g

FA Cup highlights: Crystal Palace beat Fulham 3-0, advance to semis

Crystal Palace advanced to the semifinals of the FA Cup with a 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday. Palace became the first team to book its place in the next round with victory at Craven Cottage in the quarterfinals through goals from Eberechi Eze, Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah. Eze struck a brilliant long-range effort in the 34th minute and then provided the cross for Sarr to head in for the visitors four minutes later. Nketiah came off the bench to complete the win in the 75th. Brighton was hosting Nottingham Forest later Saturday. On Sunday, second-division Preston faces Aston Villa and Manchester City travels to Bournemouth.

Brazil coach Dorival fired after worst defeat in World Cup qualifiers

Brazil coach Dorival Jnior was fired on Friday after 14 months amid poor results and disappointing performances from the national team. Jnior's sacking by Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues came three days after a 4-1 defeat to bitter rival Argentina in Buenos Aires, Brazil's heaviest defeat in a World Cup qualifier. The confederation announces that Dorival Jnior's cycle is over, Rodrigues told media in Rio de Janeiro. From now on, we will work in the search for a substitute. Much has been said about (the confederation) contacting A, B or C coach, but I should say that (comment) was never coming from this president or anyone that the president authorized. Brazil is fifth in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The top six qualify automatically. Under the 62-year-old Jnior, Brazil won seven matches, drew another seven, and lost two. But it has won only one of its last four games. The team scored 25 goals and conceded 17. In the Copa America la

Spanish Court to try Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti for tax fraud

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will stand trial on tax evasion charges in Spain on Wednesday. Spanish state prosecutors have accused the highly successful Italian coach of defrauding the state of 1 million euros ($1 million) in 2014 and 2015. A Madrid-based court set the trial date on Friday. State prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to four years and nine months on two counts of tax fraud. They accused Ancelotti in March 2024 of having used shell companies to hide his true earnings. Ancelotti has denied any wrongdoing. The 65-year-old Ancelotti is one of soccer's most successful coaches. He is the only coach to have won the Champions League five times, three with Madrid and twice with AC Milan, and the only coach to have won domestic league titles in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. He coached Madrid from 2013-15 before starting his current stint in 2021.

Man City stand between the FA Cup and another underdog fairytale

Manchester City is the only thing standing in the way of a soccer fairy tale in the FA Cup. Take away City the behemoth of the English game over the past decade and the clubs remaining in the famous old competition heading into this weekend's quarterfinals have not won a major trophy between them this century. Heck, four of them have never won any major silverware. What a chance, then, for Fulham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Preston, Aston Villa and Bournemouth to create some history and spark some more life into English soccer. In the modern-day English game, trophies and titles are typically concentrated in the hands of a few clubs. Leicester (2016) is the only team outside a group of five Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United to have won the Premier League since Blackburn in 1995. Only three teams outside that star quintet have won the FA Cup this century Portsmouth (2008), Wigan (2013) and Leicester (2021). This season might prove an

Bayern Munich warns Canadian soccer federation over Davies' injury

Bayern Munich is considering legal action against the Canadian soccer federation following Alphonso Davies' serious knee injury in a match of little importance. We're demanding a full investigation into the events from Canada Soccer and expressly reserve the right to take legal action, Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen told the Bild tabloid on Friday. Davies tore a ligament and sustained other damage in his right knee during Canada's 2-1 win over the United States in the third-place decider for the CONCACAF Nations League tournament on Sunday. Davies returned to Munich where the full extent of the injury was determined on Wednesday. The left-back underwent surgery and will be out for several months, Bayern said. The club is alleging that Canadian officials did not provide appropriate care for the player. Sending a clearly injured player with a damaged knee on a 12-hour intercontinental flight without a thorough medical assessment is, in our view, grossly negligent and a

Spanish court overturns footballer Dani Alves' rape conviction on appeal

Former Barcelona player Dani Alves won his appeal against a sexual assault conviction as a Spanish court overturned the ruling Friday. Alves was found guilty in February 2024 of raping a woman in a nightclub in December 2022 and sentenced to four years, six months in prison. The former Brazil and Barcelona defender denied wrongdoing during the three-day trial. That court ruled Friday that there was insufficient evidence to rule out Alves' presumption of innocence. Dani Alves is innocent, and that has been proven, his defense lawyer Ins Guardiola told Catalan radio RAC1. Justice has finally been served. The Alves trial was the first high-profile case since Spain overhauled its laws in 2022 to make consent central to defining a sex crime in response to an upswell of protests after a gang-rape case during the San Fermin bull-running festival in Pamplona in 2016. The legislation popularly known as the only yes means yes law defines consent as an explicit expression of a person's will,

Argentina secure WC spot, celebrate it with 4-1 win over rivals Brazil

Defending champion Argentina celebrated throughout Tuesday as the team secured its place at the 2026 World Cup hours before an historic 4-1 win over archrival Brazil. Bolivia's failure to beat Uruguay meant Argentina had enough cushion in South American qualifying to secure one of the continent's six direct spots for the 48-team World Cup set to be co-hosted next year by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. After Bolivia's 0-0 draw with Uruguay at El Alto, about 85,000 raucous Argentina fans kicked off the festivities at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium despite the absence of Lionel Messi. They were chanting into the night in Buenos Aires, now more confident their team can defend the World Cup title. For Brazil, its worst deficit in South American World Cup qualifying history compounded pressure on coach Dorival Jnior. Brazil is in fourth place in South American qualifying with 21 points, 10 behind Argentina but only two behind second-place Ecuador, which was held to a 0-0 draw by Chile. ..

FIFA details Club World Cup prize money with $125M target for the winner

The winner of FIFA's first 32-team Club World Cup in the United States could earn $125 million as details of a $1 billion prize money fund were finally published Wednesday. FIFA said it allocated $525 million in guaranteed fees for teams taking part in the June 14-July 13 tournament, ranging from $38.19 million to the top-ranked European team likely Real Madrid to $3.58 million for the Oceania representative Auckland City. A further $475 million is earned by results in the 63 games, with $2 million paid for winning group stage games, $7.5 million for playing in the round of 16 and $40 million to the team that wins the final at MetLife Stadium near New York. The golden trophy has been sitting in the Oval Office at the White House this month after FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivered it to President Donald Trump. The prize fund was delayed until a global broadcast deal was belatedly agreed in December with streaming service DAZN, which then got a major investment from a ...

Yamal fires back at Van der Vaart after Spain's Nations League triumph

Lamine Yamal has made it clear he wasn't happy with criticism from former Netherlands player Rafael van der Vaart. Yamal helped Spain get past the Dutch in the quarterfinals of the Nations League on Sunday. After the penalty shootout, the 17-year-old Yamal lowered his shorts just below the waist, directly addressing Van der Vaart's reported comments as a Dutch television pundit that he was bothered by the Spanish teenager's attitude last week during the 2-2 draw in the first leg in the Netherlands. Van der Vaart was quoted by Spanish media as saying that Yamal didn't seem motivated, noting he was playing with his shorts lowered and with gestures that showed indifference. He said Yamal was handily defeated in his duel with Dutch left back Jorrel Hato in that first leg. Yamal's teammate, Nico Williams, also lowered his shorts alongside Yamal after the shootout win in Valencia. On Instagram, Yamal posted the photo of him and Williams with shorts lowered and a couple of images of Van

Reece James leads England to 3-0 win over Latvia in the WC qualifier

Reece James scored a brilliant free kick and Eberechi Eze grabbed his maiden international goal as England beat Latvia 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley Stadium on Monday. James, making his first start in 2 1/2 years, curled a 25-meter free kick into the top corner after 37 minutes. The goal was his first in 18 England appearances and broke down a stuffy Latvia side. Midway through the second half, with the home crowd starting to get restless, young midfielder Morgan Rogers combined well with Declan Rice to pave the way for a Harry Kane tap-in. Then Eze cut in from the right and his shot hit the back of the net after taking a slight deflection. England is the hot favorite to win Europe Group K and qualify for the 2026 World Cup. New coach Thomas Tuchel, in just his second game in charge, was content with the result if not the performance against a side 136 places behind it in the FIFA rankings. The German praised the returning James, a player he knows from his time managing

Goalkeeper apologises for ball boy incident during Irish soccer match

A goalkeeper facing sanctions from the Irish soccer federation has apologized following an incident last week during which he appeared to shove a ball boy to the ground. The incident took place during the first half of a match between Cliftonville and Carrick Rangers in the Northern Ireland Football League. Video footage published by the BBC showed Carrick Rangers goalkeeper Jack McIntyre pushing the boy to the ground after he handed the ball over to the goalkeeper. Carrick Rangers, which lost the match 3-0, said in a statement the club and McIntyre want to apologize for any distress caused, adding that it will also endeavour to make contact with the ball tender and their family. Local media reported that the Northern Ireland police service said enquiries into the incident were continuing. The referee did not book McIntyre for his gesture. Any internal disciplinary investigation will, in accordance with employment good practice, remain confidential between the employee and employe