Super Eagles coach Eric Sekou Chelle has praised his team's performance in their 3-2 win over Tunisia at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, despite conceding two late goals, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Chelle admitted his team lost control of the game after dominating the first 75 minutes, but was proud of their resilience in holding on to win.

"I am happy that we were able to improve with every game," Chelle said in his post-match conference.

"You can say what you want but the reality is that we deserve this win. We can’t do 90mins with big high pressure. We did for 75mins and that’s why I did two wingers sub”

"We did some good things, but we also did some bad ones. We have to continue to improve".

The Franco-Malian tactician was pleased with his team's improvement from their opening 2-1 win over Tanzania, and is confident they can build on this performance against Uganda on Tuesday.

By Olujimi Dare Ogun 

Super Eagles and the Democratic Republic of Congo will go to battle on Sunday night for the lone ticket from Africa to the six-team 2026 FIFA World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Finals in March, from where two teams will bag tickets to next year’s FIFA World Cup finals, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

The potentially-explosive encounter inside the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay El Hassan will see the Leopards, who last attended football’s biggest houseparty in 1974, try to halt the strong march of the Super Eagles to a seventh finals since 1994.

While there were robust back-and-forths between the Eagles and the Panthers in Thursday’s semi-final, as well as eye-catching ding-dongs in regulation time, Nigeria eased into gear five in extra time and completely left their opponents for dead as they stormed to a 4-1 win.

Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions created more chances in the second semi-final but frittered them away, leaving Chancel Mbemba to give them a sucker punch in added time, with his powerful header from Brian Cipenga’s corner that sent the Leopards to Sunday’s Final.

The Leopards, champions of Africa in 1968 and 1974, crashed out at group stage in Germany in 1974, losing all three matches, including a better-forgotten 9-0 thumping by then Yugoslavia in Gelsenkirchen – where they were also beaten 3-0 by Brazil. They also lost 0-2 to Scotland in Dortmund.

Nigeria have reached the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup in three of their six appearances, and famously topped a group including Argentina in their debut 31 years ago. They are also three-time champions of Africa.

The Leopards are managed by 49-year- old Sébastien Desabre, a French national, who has ample North African ground and environmental experience having had stints with Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca (Morocco), and also with the trio of Espérance Sportive de Tunis and Ismaily FC and Pyramids FC in Egypt.

He comes up against Franco-Malian Éric Sékou Chelle, Nigeria’s 48-year-old manager, who remains unbeaten in five competitive matches for the Super Eagles in this race, and has told his players to buckle up and get the job done on Sunday, and leave themselves with only one match to play at the Intercontinental Playoffs to make it to the big rumble in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year.

Chelle’s record with Nigeria is four wins and a draw, with 14 goals pumped into the opponents’ net and four conceded, and most Nigerians are agreed that were he the one who managed the qualifying campaign from the beginning, the Eagles would have nicked an automatic ticket and have no need to come to the playoffs.

Already qualified for the Intercontinental Playoffs, scheduled for the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey in March, are Bolivia and New Caledonia, with Iraq, Jamaica and Panama also well-placed to make it.

However, Nigeria and Panama are the highest-ranked of the six, and will each be seeded to play only one match (the two Final matches), after the other four had battled out semi-final matches.

Credit: NFF

The 9-time champions are ahead of South Africa, and they are 18 places below the Falcons globally after dropping four spots in the global rankings to the 54th position.

Morocco is third, sitting in 60th place worldwide, while Zambia dropped two places to 64th but remains the fourth-best in Africa.

Meanwhile, Kenya made giant strides in the rankings, moving seven places to 142nd, while Tunisia endured the steepest fall, dropping 11 spots to 89th after losing 43.79 points. Djibouti achieved its highest-ever ranking, climbing to 195th.

USA remain top in the World, Spain follows suit, Germany and England remain third and fourth.

Uche Dozie 

EmailPrint

Holders Liverpool booked their berth in the Carabao Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Southampton at a wet and windy St Mary's Stadium on Wednesday, thanks to goals from Darwin Núñez and Harvey Elliott.

Their manager Arne Slot was not on the sidelines as he served a ban for card accumulation this season.

Liverpool's Slot admits trying to influence ref calls13hESPNTransfer window preview: Needs for Liverpool, Man United, more8hMultiple contributorsSouthampton sack Martin after 5-0 loss to Spurs3dESPN

Nunez, who had been goaded by Saints fans earlier in the game for a wild miss, got on the scoresheet in the 24th minute, pouncing after a miskick by centre-back Jan Bednarek and a slip by keeper Alex McCarthy. Nunez put his finger to his lips in a gesture to the crowd after finishing past McCarthy.

Elliott doubled the Reds' lead eight minutes later when he unleashed a low, hard shot from Cody Gakpo's pass. Cameron Archer pulled one back for the home side in the 59th minute with a curling shot from just inside the box.

"We came into this game knowing the circumstances that Southampton were going through and knew they were going to come out fighting and we were ready for it," Elliott told Sky Sports.

The game was a tale of teams at opposite ends of the Premier League table, with Liverpool at the summit and Southampton -- who sacked manager Russell Martin following Sunday's 5-0 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur -- in last place with just one win.

"We have to defend the trophy because the club won it last season, so we want to compete in every league and this is one of them, so we're happy that we reached the semifinal," said Slot, who watched the game from the press box.

Arsenal and Newcastle United also advanced to the semifinals with the final spot up for grabs on Thursday when Tottenham host Manchester United.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has revealed Mason Mount has seen a specialist to get to the bottom of his latest injury set-back.

Mount was substituted 14 minutes into the Manchester derby on Sunday after suffering a muscle injury.

Source: Man United try to stop team news leaks1dRob DawsonRashford ready for 'challenge' away from Man Utd23hMark OgdenWas Amad Diallo's performance Africa's greatest Manchester Derby showing?15hEd Dove

He's set to miss the Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.

"He's not available," Amorim said. "We will assess the amount of time, he's seeing a specialist today [Wednesday] so we'll see."

Asked if there was any indication about whether Mount is facing a long lay-off, Amorim said: "Not at the moment, we will know more or less today [how serious it is]."

Mount's time at Old Trafford has been beset by injury problems.

He's only completed 90 minutes in a United shirt once during 18 months at the club and looked visibly upset when he was forced off at the Etihad Stadium.

"He's really sad and in the dressing room he was really really sad so we need to help him," Amorim said. "When the player is in this moment with a lot of injuries and with this schedule without many training [sessions] with all the squad makes the load he really needs, try to do it with exercise but it's not the same.

"It's hard and we have to maintain the load and we have to travel and with travelling you cannot train so it's really hard for them. We will try to find a better way to recover these kinds of guys like Mount and Luke Shaw because after a few weeks and a few months they will be ready to cope with a lot of things."

Mount was not part of the United squad that travelled to London on Wednesday, but Alejandro Garnacho has returned.

Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were both axed from the squad against City. Rashford looks set to also miss the game against Spurs after he did not board the train south from Stockport station.

Garnacho was part of the group which made the trip on Wednesday and Amorim said he's been pleased with Argentina international since missing the derby.

"Really good, he trained really well," he said. "He seems a little bit upset with me and that's perfect. I was really really happy because I would do the same. He's ready for this game."

Rashford was unable to train on Monday because of illness and was expected back at Carrington on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the 27-year-old gave an interview in which he suggested he wants to leave United.

It's unclear why Rashford did not travel with the rest of the squad on Wednesday, but Amorim suggested he would have taken a different course of action rather than making his desire to leave public.

"If this was me, probably, I would speak with the manager but guys, let's focus on Tottenham," he said.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

The New York Red Bulls signed veteran forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to a two-year contract as a designated player.

The deal announced on Wednesday with the 35-year-old Cameroon international includes an option for 2027.

Choupo-Moting spent the past four seasons at Bayern Munich, where he scored 38 goals in 122 matches and won three Bundesliga titles, one German Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup.

"We are excited to add a player of Maxim's caliber to our roster," NYRB head of sport Jochen Schneider said. "Maxim is a great player, a winner and his experience in Europe's top leagues will be greatly important to our club in 2025 and beyond."

Before Bayern, Choupo-Moting contributed nine goals in 51 appearances with Paris Saint-Germain from 2018-20, winning two Ligue 1 championships and one French Cup. He also has played for England's Stoke City (2017-18) and Germany's Schalke 04 (2014-17).

Internationally, Choupo-Moting has scored 20 goals and appeared in 73 matches for Cameroon, including action in three FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014 and 2022).

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

The Browns are hosting the world's most famous "footballer."

Lionel Messi, who was named MVP of MLS in his first season with Inter Miami CF, is expected to play in Cleveland on April 19 against the Columbus Crew in the Browns' 67,000-seat stadium, Huntington Bank Field.

The Miami-Columbus matchup will be the first MLS regular-season game played in Cleveland, which previously has hosted games featuring the United States men's and women's teams.

Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam also own the Crew and view the chance to hold the game in Cleveland as an opportunity to broaden their fan base.

"At Huntington Bank Field, we can welcome significantly more Crew fans, and it gives us an opportunity to engage with new fans in Northeast Ohio," said John Glessing, Haslam Sports Group's chief of strategy and development.

Messi was named MVP this season despite missing 15 of Inter Miami's 34 regular-season matches because of injuries or obligations to Argentina's national squad. He scored 20 goals and assisted on 16.

Miami won the Supporters' Shield as the team with the best regular-season points total -- setting a new MLS record in the process -- but were shockingly eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by Atlanta United FC.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Carlo Ancelotti became the most decorated coach in Real Madrid's history on Wednesday, after the team's 3-0 victory over Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final made it 15 trophies won with the club.

In two spells in charge at Madrid -- between 2013 and 2015, and from 2021 -- Ancelotti has lifted three Champions League trophies, two LaLiga titles, two Copa del Reys, two Spanish Supercopas, three UEFA Super Cups, two Club World Cups, and now the Intercontinental Cup.

The previous record was held by the legendary Madrid coach Miguel Muñoz, who spent 14 years in charge between 1960 and 1974, winning two European Cups, nine league titles, two Copas del Rey and one Intercontinental Cup.

"I'm very happy ... It's a success," Ancelotti said of the win over Pachuca on Wednesday. "We took control little by little, and ended the game well. We have those differences of quality always, but we also have to show the right attitude. Today, in the end, I liked that. In the end, up front, we made the difference ... In attack we did well. We have a lot of quality, Kylian [Mbappé] played a good game, and Rodrygo scored. We're happy."

Ancelotti drew level with Muñoz in August, when Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup, beating Atalanta 2-0.

Real Madrid clinch Intercontinental Cup title2hReutersAncelotti: Resurgent Bellingham leads by example5dAdriana GarciaAncelotti: Criticism will fuel Madrid to improve12dSam Marsden

Vinícius Júnior, who scored goals on Wednesday, along with Mbappé and Rodrygo, credited Ancelotti for the club's success.

"Congratulations to the mister, he deserves it, he gives us freedom, he's perfect for us," Vinícius Jr. said.

"He deserves it. He's won everything. He guides us," Fede Valverde told Telecinco after the match.

He will next have the chance to add to his trophy haul in January, when Madrid will take part in the Spanish Supercopa in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

They will play Mallorca in the semifinal on Jan. 9 before a possible final against either Barcelona or Athletic Club three days later.

Ancelotti first joined Madrid in June 2013, winning the Champions League in his first season, before being fired in May 2015 after a less successful second campaign.

He made a surprise return to the club in June 2021 and has since won two LaLiga and Champions League doubles, in 2022 and 2024.

The veteran Italian holds a string of records after a near-30 year coaching career.

He is the only coach to have won the league title in Europe's 'big five leagues' -- in Spain with Real Madrid, in Italy with AC Milan, in Germany with Bayern Munich, in England with Chelsea and in France with Paris Saint-Germain.

Ancelotti is also the only manager to have won five Champions Leagues, having twice won the competition as AC Milan coach in 2003 and 2007.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's face was bloodied after being hit by an opponent's cleat in their 4-2 Ligue 1 win over Monaco on Wednesday.

The Italy international took the studs of Wilfried Singo's cleat in the 17th minute at the Stade Louis II.

Singo, whose shot had been blocked, tried to jump over the sliding Donnarumma but instead struck his face.

Pictures showed that Donnarumma was cut below his right eye. Singo, who had already been warned, was lucky to avoid a red card.

Donnarumma was left lying on the pitch while receiving treatment. He finally stood up and walked away to be replaced by Matvey Safonov.

The win puts Luis Enrique's PSG 10 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table, but the capital club is struggling in the new format of the Champions League and currently outside the spots to advance with two games left to play.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Kylian Mbappé has been named in the starting lineup for Real Madrid in their Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca.

The star forward was thought to be out of action for around 10 days after suffering a thigh injury in Madrid's 3-2 Champions League victory at Atalanta, but his progress has been better than expected.

The game is taking place in the Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, where Mbappé scored a hat trick against Argentina for France in the 2022 World Cup final, though lost out on penalty kicks to Lionel Messi's team.

Mbappé has faced criticism for his performances for Madrid so far since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but has still scored 12 goals in all competitions, with four of those goals coming in the last month.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

The CIES Football Observatory has published data on the most used players over the course of the calendar year, with Barcelona's Jules Koundé atop the list and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde among the top five.

France defender Koundé played a total of 5,872 minutes for club and country across the year, with Fluminense's Colombia international Jhon Arias in second place with 5,599. Valverde played 5,573, while Van Dijk racked up 5,523 minutes in all competitions.

Ahead of soccer's longest-ever season, are players on verge of burning out?127dMark OgdenEuropean football chiefs slam FIFA over schedule65dConnor O'Halloran

Arsenal's William Saliba, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka and Benfica's Nicolás Otamendi also featured in the top 10.

CIES noted in their release that for the top 100 players in terms of minutes played, domestic club football accounted for 73.2%, with 15.1% from intercontinental club competitions and 13.4% from national team action.

Player usage and rest has become a topic of considerable concern in recent weeks and months, particularly after Manchester City's Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder Rodri said players could go on strike if the football calendar continues to become more congested.

Koundé agreed with Rodri's sentiments, telling a news conference last September: "Every year, we have more matches and less time to recover. It's not for want of saying it. We've been saying it for three or four years but no one listens to us.

A post shared by CIES Football Observatory (@cies_football)

"The coaches have also said it and they are not listened to either. There will come a time when we will have to strike, because it is the only way for us to make our voice heard by those who decide."

In October, the global players' union FIFPro filed an antitrust complaint against FIFA along with European football chiefs in which they that argue that global football's governing body is abusing its right as both tournament organiser and regulator.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Enzo Maresca has said that Chelsea believe Mykhailo Mudryk is innocent following his positive drugs test and will continue to "support" the player.

Chelsea's Mudryk in positive drug test, faces ban1dJames OlleyHow VAR decisions have affected every Premier League club in 2024-254hDale Johnson

Mudryk and Chelsea released statements on Tuesday confirming that the FA had been in contact over the Ukraine winger supplying an adverse urine sample, with both player and club expressing their surprise.

Chelsea head coach Maresca faced the media for the first time since that news on Wednesday and insisted that Chelsea trust Mudryk, who is not training with the team while they await further test results.

"We are all upset, sad," Maresca said. "We are giving him general support.

"We trust Mykhailo, when these types of things happen you need to support your player in all the aspects. He is one of the players in my squad so it is my duty to be in contact with him, we are all there. The teammates, the clubs, me, we are all there.

"Trust means we believe Myka, we support him. We want to help him in anything he needs. It is normal that in this moment he needs help from the club and we are there to support."

Pressed on whether "trust" meant Chelsea feel Mudryk is innocent, Maresca nodded and replied: "We all believe [he is innocent]."

Reports in Ukraine on Tuesday suggest a prohibited substance was found in an "A" sample given at the end of October. Those same reports state the "B" sample has not yet been tested but will be in the coming days.

Confirmation that Mudryk has used a banned substance could trigger a lengthy ban from football. FIFA's guidelines state that the maximum ban for an anti-doping violation is four years.

"It is not the first time this has happened. It will happen again for different players, they know exactly what they have to do," Maresca added. "I think he is going to come back, but for sure we don't know when."

Mudryk was one of the most sought-after players in Europe when he joined Chelsea in January 2023, for a fee which could potentially rise to £88 million.

But the 23-year-old has started just 26 Premier League games and only one this season under new boss Maresca, who admitted Chelsea could well look to more January reinforcements.

"We have three or four games before January," he said. "After these three games, we will see if we need to do something."

Chelsea play Shamrock Rovers in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday before Premier League fixtures against Everton, Fulham and Ipswich Town to close out 2024.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

RB Salzburg have hired Thomas Letsch as coach as the Austrian club seek a turnaround ahead of the Club World Cup next year and the imminent arrival of Jürgen Klopp as head of soccer for Red Bull's group of clubs.

Letsch has signed a contract through 2027 to replace Pepijn Lijnders -- formerly Klopp's assistant at Liverpool -- who was fired Monday with the club 10 points off the top in the Austrian Bundesliga and unlikely to advance in the Champions League.

RB Salzburg sack Lijnders before Klopp role begins2dBeth LindopKlopp defends Red Bull move after fan backlash48dAssociated PressSoccer's Christmas sweaters: Rating clubs' winter wonders, holiday horrors3hChris Wright

"By quickly resolving this important position, we are now able to continue to plan for as successful a rest of the season as possible without any limitations," Salzburg's managing director of sport Rouven Schröder said in a statement.

Salzburg are heading to the Club World Cup next year based on their results in previous years. They have been drawn against Real Madrid, Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal and Mexico's Pachuca in the group stage.

Salzburg won 10 Austrian titles in a row before losing out to Sturm Graz last season.

Letsch last worked for German club Bochum but was fired in April. Earlier in his career, the 56-year-old German was a youth coach at Salzburg and was caretaker coach for two games in 2015.

Klopp is starting his new role for the Red Bull group of clubs from Jan. 1.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Barcelona are already working internally on the possibility of a return to Spotify Camp Nou being delayed until next season, a source told ESPN, despite president Joan Laporta insisting the intention remains to play there from March.

Brazil great Ronaldo eyes federation presidency1dReutersMendes: Yamal wants Barça contract through 203023hSam Marsden and Moises LlorensSource: Barça to go to court for Olmo registration2hSam Marsden

Barça originally planned to be back at their Camp Nou home by November to mark the club's 125th anniversary, but that date has passed.

Laporta has said the club now hope to be back in the stadium by March, coinciding with the knockout phase of the Champions League, but a source said even that date looks unlikely.

Progress in redeveloping and modernising the ground has been slowed due to the fact more work was required on the second tier than initially planned.

The pitch, meanwhile, will require up to three months to be properly installed to ensure it is at the level required to host elite football.

The playing surface is still covered in machinery, though, as the revamp of the stadium continues, meaning the installation of the pitch has still not begun.

Laporta is targeting a March date because once Barça have played a home knockout game in the Champions League, they cannot change the venue where their home matches are played in Europe.

The only window to switch stadiums is between the league phase and the knockout stages, per UEFA's regulations, although there are no such restrictions domestically in LaLiga.

Barça are planning on a staged return to Camp Nou. They will initially return with the attendance capped at around 60,000 as work continues.

The stadium should then be completely finished by the summer of 2026, with the capacity increased to around 105,000, the highest in Europe.

Barça left Camp Nou in 2023 and have been playing at the Olympic Stadium in the city since. They recently extended the lease on the stadium until March and would be able to prolong their stay again if required.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has admitted that he has tried to influence referees in games this season, adding that his attempts have not worked.

The former Feyenoord coach talked of wanting to create a siege mentality at Anfield in order to make officials give his team more favourable calls.

Is Kelleher too good to be a backup at Liverpool? And will he leave?22hBeth LindopSoccer's Christmas sweaters: Rating clubs' winter wonders, holiday horrors2hChris Wright

"You try to influence as much as you can," Slot said in a news conference on Tuesday. "The mistake I have made two times already here, and one or two times in Holland, is sometimes you think that creating an atmosphere that the whole world is against you can lead to some positive decisions at the end of the game.

"But here, until now, in the Chelsea game and the Fulham game for the whole 90 minutes it stayed the same. It wasn't like after I tried to influence things a bit, the referee all of a sudden gave us one or two free kicks.

"No, he just kept the whole game the same. I know that it doesn't work, but sometimes you think: 'Can I influence that a bit?' But it didn't help at all."

Slot took over from Jürgen Klopp at Anfield in the summer and is to serve a touchline ban during Liverpool's clash with Southampton on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup after accruing three bookings so far this season.

The Dutch coach said the disciplinary record is at odds with his normal manner, though added he can get emotional during games.

"You always reflect but I think, in general, I am calm," he said. "I don't know if it is smart to say this, but there is also a limit for me -- let's put it that way. And then I can get emotional and, unfortunately, that limit is only reached by refereeing decisions or the decisions my players make."

Sipke Hulshoff, Slot's first assistant, is set to lead the coaching staff on the sideline for the game with Southampton, who will be looking to rebound after losing 5-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and firing their head coach Russell Martin.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Vinícius Júnior hit back at his critics after winning FIFA's The Best men's player of the year award on Tuesday, accusing his detractors of trying to "invalidate" and "diminish" him.

Real Madrid and Brazil forward Vinícius, 24, took the 2024 prize -- which is voted on by a combination of national team coaches and captains, journalists, and fans -- with 48 points, ahead of Manchester City midfielder Rodri who earned 43 points and Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham with 37 points.

Vinícius Jr., Bonmatí win FIFA The Best awards15hESPNRodri: I can't respect Madrid's Ballon d'Or boycott20dESPN

It comes after Rodri beat Vinícius to the Ballon d'Or, which is organised by France Football and UEFA, leading Real Madrid to boycott the ceremony in protest.

"Today I write to the child who has seen so many idols lift that trophy," Vinícius posted on Instagram. "His time has come. Or rather, my time has come. The time to say ... yes, I am the best player in the world and I have fought hard for it.

"They have tried and tried to invalidate me, to diminish me. But they are not ready. No one is going to tell me who I should fight for, how I should behave. When I was at São Gonçalo, the system didn't care about me. It almost swallowed me up.

"I won for myself, for my family. With a lot of support along the way: Flamengo, Real Madrid, the Brazilian national team, my hundreds of teammates over the years ... the people who accompany me every day in my routine, those who admire me ... The best player in the world."

Vinícius won The Best -- for the first time -- after a 2023-24 season which saw him help Madrid win a LaLiga and Champions League double.

Barcelona's Aitana Bonmatí won the women's award, with Carlo Ancelotti being named men's coach of the year.

In October, Vinícius reacted to missing out on the Ballon d'Or: "I'll do it 10x if I have to. They're not ready," he wrote.

Madrid's delegation had opted not to travel to the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris when it emerged that Rodri was likely to win, with none of the club's multiple nominees or officials attending.

President Florentino Perez criticized the Ballon d'Or voting system -- which involves 100 journalists from different countries -- in a speech at Madrid's AGM last month, saying "nobody knows who they are" and arguing the award should be "independently organised" and voted on by "people who are well-known."

Neymar was among the stars to praise Vinícius after his triumph on Tuesday, encouraging his compatriot to "keep flying" in an Instagram story.

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

Ruben Amorim has told Marcus Rashford he wants him to stay at Manchester United.

Rashford has suggested he's ready to leave and pursue a "new challenge" after a 20-year association with the club.

Rashford ready for 'challenge' away from Man Utd9hMark Ogden

Amorim, however, insisted the 27-year-old can find that challenge at Old Trafford as he looks to return United to the top of European football.

"We have here a new challenge," Amorim told a news conference on Wednesday.

"It's a tough one. For me it's the biggest challenge in football because we are in a difficult situation and I already said this is one of the biggest clubs in the world. This is a really new challenge and the biggest one. I really hope all my players are ready for this new challenge."

Rashford's comments came just days after he was dropped from the squad for the 2-1 derby win over Manchester City.

Amorim revealed he is yet to speak to the England forward, who was given a day off on Tuesday, and will decide after training on Wednesday whether he will be part of the group which travels to London for the Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.

Alejandro Garnacho was also dropped from the squad at the Etihad but is available to face Spurs after training on Sunday and Monday.

"It's the same situation for all the other players," Amorim said.

"If they train well then I have to make a choice. We will see at the end of training.

"I want the best of each one of them [the players] and that is the key point for me. I just want to win and to help the team be better.

"We are better with Marcus Rashford, that is simple and we will try different things to push Marcus to the best levels he showed in the past. And that's all."

"This kind of club needs big talent and he's a big talent, so he just needs to perform at the highest level and that is my focus. I just want to help Marcus."

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

With temperatures dipping and the winter chill beginning to bite up in the terraces, many clubs in the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga and beyond have released their official Christmas sweaters to keep their fans cosy throughout the festive period.

Where once we were awash in a sea of cheap and cheerful acrylic, many (but by no means all) of Europe's biggest teams are putting a considerable amount of effort into their jumpers, with some producing an array of legitimately stylish designs.

Most designs are inspired by standard Christmas themes: Santa, reindeer, snowmen. However, some clubs have chosen to pay homage to their stadiums, city, badges and even their recent trophy hauls. Some have created chic knitwear that would be the toast of any Yuletide gathering, while others targeted the ironic ugly sweater market.

After scouring the club shops of the continent to peruse the full gamut of footballing Christmas knitwear available this year, we have picked out the best (and a few of the worst) of the bunch and signed each one off with a rating out of 10.

Firmly upholding Milan's reputation as the fashion capital of the world, this tartan-themed Yuletide offering from the Rossoneri is traditional and refined -- from the delicate knitted pattern to the gilded laurels of the club's commemorative 125th-anniversary crest. Stick a name and number on the back and the team could probably wear it during their pre-Christmas fixtures.

Rating: 9/10

The Dutch club's latest festive sweater design features a fun cartoon that makes the wearer look a little bit like Santa Claus. Ideal if you urgently need to pretend to be the big guy at short notice but don't have access to a full costume.

Rating: 5.5/10

Arsenal have presented fans with a couple of alternatives when it comes to their Christmas catalogue. The first is a decent retro kit-themed jumper which is covered in snowflakes, trees and fleur-de-lis. But the other, more notable design is a tribute in 100% acrylic to the game's most charismatic prehistoric mascot; Gunnersaurus Rex. At least one dinosaur survived to celebrate Christmas.

Rating: 7/10

Atleti have played it fairly straight this year by releasing a Fair Isle pattern in club colours with assorted pine trees, snowflakes and trimmings making up the design. It's unremarkable, and we're also knocking a point off for it being printed on a basic cotton sweatshirt rather than a traditional knitted sweater.

Rating: 5.5/10

Showing Atleti a thing or two about the importance of weft and weave, Barcelona have embraced the very chunkiest of knits. The Catalans have placed their crest at the heart of a nifty tricolour woven design and even given fans the chance to pull together a full winter ensemble by offering a matching hat and pair of socks.

Rating: 9/10

Christmas came early for Leverkusen this year when they sealed a sensational domestic league and cup double without losing a single match. The angular architecture of the German club's BayArena home is included as part of an eye-catching pattern along with a silhouette of Santa and his prancing reindeer.

Rating: 8/10

Bayern are among the most reliable clubs when it comes to festive apparel. This year they have produced another absolutely top-notch Christmas sweater that comes in classy white and features a large wintery tableau of a cable car in silhouette scaling the snowy peaks of the Bavarian Alps. Stunning.

Rating: 9/10

If Cole Palmer ever gets too cold out there at the Bridge, then he could do worse than slipping on Chelsea's latest Christmas jumper design. It's actually a fairly standard Fair Isle design based on the club's rampant lion crest, but we're sure the ribbed pullover would be toasty enough to keep the shivers at bay -- at least until he scores and that trademark celebration gets wheeled out again.

Rating: 6/10

The Nerazzurri have released a knowingly ugly sweater that bears the message "Happy [W]inter." While the pun is clumsy, the overall composition of the design is fun and colourful. What more do you need, really?

Rating: 7/10

The Bianconeri have steadfastly refused to introduce any Christmassy colour and instead stuck to their famous monochrome palette with a Nordic design that has the club's name emblazoned across the front and "Happy Holidays" repeated through the pattern.

Rating: 6/10

In an approach that would be approved of by Ebenezer Scrooge, Liverpool have simply re-released last year's LFC Fair Isle design. A Premier League title tilt may well be ongoing at Anfield, but that is simply no excuse for complacency on the seasonal knitwear front. Bah! Humbug.

Rating: 3/10 (6/10 last year)

With their form faltering as they come bumbling into the seasonal schedule, City have chosen to issue a timely reminder that they are still four-time reigning Premier League champions. Given the current gap between themselves and the top of the table, it looks like they will have no need to update their design in time for next Christmas.

Rating: 6.5/10

These aren't the happiest of times at Old Trafford, but at least the Red Devils have found it within themselves to offer a little festive fun with their polar bear Christmas sweater design. The pun work is exquisite and the playful graphic makes a welcome change from the morass of boring Fair Isle prints out there this year.

Rating: 8/10

Newcastle's festive knitwear is a feast for the eyes with black and white stripes, mini magpies, the city skyline and even a panel of text on the back that reads "Ho Ho Howay The Lads" -- a Santa-themed riff on local Geordie dialect. Purely belter, as the regulars at St James' Park might put it.

Rating: 8/10

The lack of an actual knit is disappointing, but the design pf this PSG sweater is absolutely on point. The red zigzag offers a subtle nod to the French club's famous "Hechter" stripe and the club crest affixed to the chest ties the whole thing together nicely. You could wear this around the chic 8th arrondissement of the French capital and hold your head high.

Rating: 6.5/10

Excellent stuff here, with the German club drumming up a lovely tri-colour seasonal sweater that is positively begging to worn for a round of après-ski schnapps by the fire in a snowbound Alpine chalet. It's chunky knit, it's Nordic, and it even has a small leather tag stitched onto the lower hem for that extra designer label feel.

Rating: 9/10

It's worth noting that Real Madrid are offering an impressively substantial range of nine Christmas jumpers this year, including a club crest pattern on sale in three different shades of club-appropriate white ("white," "off-white" and "ice white"). The standout design, though, is a light-hearted imager of a teddy bear who appears to be wheeling away in celebration after scoring Bear-nabéu.

Rating: 7/10

Roma can undoubtedly claim to have the most esoteric choices in their festive range this year, with the Italian side producing a super snazzy Giallorossi cardigan complete with patchwork panels and vintage leather-effect buttons. As if that wasn't funky enough, fans can also accessorise their Christmas knitwear with a set of matching suspenders.

Rating: 10/10

Capitalising on the newfound fondness for retro kits, Spurs' Christmas sweater is a nostalgic ode to one of the club's most revered jerseys of yesteryear. The navy/purple jumper, based on the club's classic 1994 away shirt, is made festive by the inclusion of snowflakes and the tweaked "sponsor" logo. We can't imagine there are many items of clothing that could carry a seal of approval from both Santa Claus and Jurgen Klinsmann, but Spurs have cracked it here.

Rating: 8/10

Images courtesy of acmilan.com, ajax.nl, arsenal.com, atleticodemadrid.com, asroma.com, bayer04.de, chelseamegastore.com, fcbarcelona.com, fcbayern.com, inter.it, juventus.com, liverpoolfc.com, mancity.com, manutd.com, newcastleunited.com, psg.fr, realmadrid.com, redbullshop.com, tottenhamhotspur.com

Source: espn.co.uk

EmailPrint

United States women's national team head coach Emma Hayes was named women's coach of the year at the FIFA 2024 The Best awards on Tuesday.

It has been another stellar year for Hayes, who led Chelsea to a fifth consecutive Women's Super League title in May before masterminding the USWNT's gold medal triumph at the Paris Olympics.

The Best award comes just weeks after Hayes won the Ballon d'Or for women's coach of the year.

Having previously won The Best FIFA Award in 2021, Hayes reclaimed the prize from England mager Sarina Wiegman at a ceremony in Doha on Tuesday night.

Morgan on CWC: NWSL can play vs. Europe's best7dESPNUSWNT World Cup winner Sauerbrunn retires10hJeff CarlisleVinícius Jr., Bonmatí win FIFA The Best awards14hESPN

"It's been an amazing year on many levels, but my overriding emotion is gratitude," Hayes said.

"I want to thank everyone who has been on this journey with us, especially the players, coaches and staff from Chelsea and the USWNT. In the middle of 2023, I never thought I would be sitting here as part of a gold medal-winning team, but I've loved working with the players and I'm very excited about 2025 and executing our WNT strategy.

"It's going to be an exciting time for the players as we continue to build on what we accomplished in 2024."

U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson said: "We really appreciate the joy and energy Emma has brought to the team and U.S. Soccer.

"Emma's dedication to our players, staff and everyone who cares about soccer in the United States is inspirational and she is so deserving of this."

Source: espn.co.uk