Sports

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has said anger and frustration following the club’s 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League prompted his recent criticism of the club’s leadership and transfer strategy. The Argentina international had questioned United’s investment in the squad during the summer transfer window and expressed disappointment with technical director Jason Wilcox over recruitment and efforts to strengthen the team. In a social media post, […]

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez has criticised the club’s hierarchy for failing to strengthen the squad sufficiently during the summer transfer window following their 2-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. The Argentina international defended manager Michael Carrick, insisting that responsibility for the club’s poor results should not rest solely on the coach and players. He called on the club’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, […]

Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has said the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s unused warm-up against Norway escalated because of the forward’s status as a national icon. Ronaldo was sent to warm up for a lengthy period during Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway but was not introduced, leading to reports of tension between the player and the coach. Jesus described the incident as a misunderstanding, noting that similar situations involving other players […]

Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has consistently defended the club amid the Premier League’s investigation into 115 alleged breaches of its financial rules. Guardiola has repeatedly said he trusted City’s leadership and maintained that the club should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. He also said he would accept the outcome of the independent process if the club were eventually found to have breached the rules. Throughout the case, […]

Taiwo Awoniyi is among a group of current and former footballers pursuing education to prepare for careers beyond playing football. Awoniyi, Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and former Chelsea and Spain captain César Azpilicueta were among graduates of the PFA Business School programme held at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Awoniyi already holds a degree in business management and another diploma, making the qualification his third academic achievement. Awoniyi said his commitment to […]

Former France striker Olivier Giroud has indicated that he could retire from professional football at the end of the current season. The Lille forward, who turns 40 on Wednesday, said it was “very probably” his final season as a player and that he was determined to enjoy every remaining moment. Giroud won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France and scored 57 goals in 137 appearances for the national team. […]

UEFA says 18 players have scored hat-tricks in the Nations League, with Finland forward Joel Pohjanpalo the latest after scoring three goals in the 7-0 win over San Marino in September 2026. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the only player to score a hat-trick in the Nations League Finals, achieving the feat against Switzerland in the 2019 semi-final. Erling Haaland and Ferran Torres are the youngest players to score hat-tricks in the […]

FIFA has named Nigerian referee Abiola Kasimu Abdulsalam among the 81 officials selected for this year’s U-17 World Cup in Qatar. The 34-year-old Zamfara-born referee is the only Nigerian centre referee on the list and one of four referees selected from Africa. His appointment marks the first time in 25 years that a Nigerian centre referee will officiate at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Abdulsalam became a FIFA-listed referee in […]

Chelsea midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli has become the club’s youngest-ever Premier League player after making his debut against Brentford at the age of 16 years and 255 days. He is the latest of several teenagers to break into Chelsea’s first team, with the club’s youngest competitive debutants including: Ian Hamilton — 16 years, 138 days Kingsley Whiffen — 16 years, 157 days Reggie Walsh — 16 years, 193 days Reggie Watson […]