Month: November 2024

Ivan Rakitic jumped into his pool to celebrate Sevilla s Europa League success on Friday.

Sevilla won the title for a sixth time with a 3-2 victory over Inter in a thrilling final in Cologne.

Rakitic has been linked with a return to the club after spending six seasons at Barcelona.

The midfielder was doing an interview with SFC Media when he threw himself into his pool, fully clothed, to celebrate the club s success.

Rakitic won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2014 before joining Barca, where he has claimed four LaLiga titles and a Champions League among numerous other honours.

The Croatia international is linked with a move away from Barcelona, where Ronald Koeman has replaced Quique Setien as coach.

Rakitic was left on the bench as Bar…

Gerard Pique, Frenkie de Jong, Clement Lenglet and Marc-Andre ter Stegen have all signed contract extensions with Barcelona, the LaLiga giants announced.

Barca said the agreements come after weeks of negotiations and include temporary salary adjustments in response to difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Pique, who was sent off in the second half of Barca s 5-1 Champions League win over Ferencvaros on Tuesday, has signed an extension until June 2024. 

The 33-year-old s future at Camp Nou had been in doubt after saying he would be the first to step aside following a humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in last season s Champions League quarter-final.

Pique has played 548 games for Barca, who say his extension is subject to him featuring …

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp lamented the fact the World Cup will be held in Qatar and said the media should have done more to hold FIFA to account.

The tournament is due to begin on November 20 after Qatar won the right to stage it in controversial circumstances 12 years ago, when FIFA also announced Russia as the 2018 hosts.

Those decisions came under heavy scrutiny amid allegations of corruption within world football s governing body, which has since undergone a reshuffle following the exit of embattled former president Sepp Blatter.

Critics have cited several reasons why Qatar is not a suitable host nation, with its human rights record, treatment of migrant workers and laws against same-sex relationships of particular concern.

For its part, FIFA has…

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford said he would like to retire at Old Trafford, insisting it wouldn t sit right to wear another club s shirt.

Rashford, who joined United as a seven-year-old, emerged from the youth team in 2015 and has since established himself as one of the stars of the Premier League.

The 23-year-old academy product has gone on to score 77 goals in 232 appearances for United, including three in the Premier League and six in the Champions League this season.

Rashford hopes to see out his career as a one-club player, saying: For me, I never look beyond Manchester United.

As a kid, I ve never looked beyond Manchester United.

In my mind, it wouldn t sit right for me to be pulling on another shirt.

I just want to do t…

Graham Potter defended his decision to leave Brighton and Hove Albion for Chelsea after Seagulls fans booed him upon his ultimately unhappy return to the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Potter spent three years at Brighton prior to departing for Stamford Bridge earlier this season, transforming them into an entertaining side after taking over a struggling team in 2019.

Saturday was his first return to Brighton with new side Chelsea and Potter was widely jeered by the home fans, who also sang you re getting sacked in the morning .

Brighton won the game 4-1, dealing Potter his first Chelsea loss and preventing him from becoming the only English manager to go unbeaten in his opening 10 games in charge of the club.

When was asked about his reception after the game,…

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic has lashed out at World Cup organisers and Canada boss John Herdman, stating his side deserve respect .

The 2018 World Cup finalists opened their Qatar 2022 campaign with a goalless draw against Morocco in Group F, which kicked off at 1pm local time on Wednesday.

Speaking ahead of his side s next match however, Dalic hit out at FIFA, suggesting his team should have been handed a cooler, more favourable late-day slot for their match as incumbent runners-up.

The fact that we played the first match at 1pm disturbed our rhythm, he stated. I attribute our lack of energy in that first match to the early kick-off.

The fact that Croatia plays at 1pm is not respectful. England, Spain, France and Brazil are not playing at that time…

Market: Central Coast Mariners win

Odds: 4/7 @

Looking to extend on their A-League romp, Central Coast will welcome Perth Glory to the Industree Group Stadium on Sunday morning.

Starting with the hosts, while Central Coast might have opened up the 2023/24 campaign in the midst of a real struggle, the Mariners have come roaring back in some style. Last seen putting in another thumping display as they cruised their way to a 3-0 romp away at Brisbane, it appears that the mood in Mark Jackson’s camp is at a red-hot high. Firing on all cylinders and extended on their AFC Cup adventure earlier in the month, the former MK Dons boss will be calling on his squad to make a New Year’s Eve statement here. In fact, with their recent purple patch underlined by a 4-0 victo…

Bayern Munich, Newcastle United and Chelsea are reportedly all interested in promising Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Meslier, 22, arrived at Elland Road on loan as a 19-year-old in 2019, forcing his way into the starting role as they won the Championship and earned promotion before the club made his deal permanent for £5million.

Since then, he has become the youngest goalkeeper to reach 50 Premier League appearances, and the youngest goalkeeper to tally 10 Premier League clean sheets, earning 11 caps for France s under-21 team in the process.

His exploits – including a season-high nine saves in a 2-1 win against Liverpool in October – have caught the eye of some of Europe s big spenders, and Leeds could be forced into a tough decision sooner rather …

Former Scotland defender Gordon McQueen has died aged 70 after his battle with dementia.

McQueen, whose 16-year playing career during the 1970s and 80s included spells at St Mirren, Leeds and Manchester United, was diagnosed with vascular dementia in early 2021.

A statement issued on behalf of the McQueen family said: “It is with the heaviest of hearts we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather.

is saddened to learn of the passing of former defender Gordon McQueen at the age of 70, following a battle with dementia

— Leeds United (@LUFC)

“We hope that as well as creating many great football memories for club and his country, he will be remembered for the love, laughter and bravery that characterised his career an…

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu has extended his contract with the national side following a successful performance at the World Cup in Qatar.

The Samurai Blue were one of the tournament s surprise packages, beating Germany and Spain in the group stages to top Group E, before suffering a penalty shoot-out defeat to Croatia in the last 16.

After impressing in Qatar, Japanese Football Association president Kozo Tajima announced Moriyasu had extended his contract to run until after the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Japan have featured in every World Cup tournament since 1998, including as co-hosts alongside South Korea four years later, but have never entered consecutive tournaments under the same head coach – a record Moriyasu will look…