The Guardian Football

Four youth sides picked could not be promoted Plans involve mid-season split and up to £1m investment Major structural changes to the Women’s National League, including four Women’s Super League academy sides entering tier three of the pyramid from 2027 and the introduction of a mid-season split similar to that used in Scotland, have been proposed by the Football Association, the Guardian can reveal. The plans come alongside a potential investment package of about £1m, enhancements to legal and medical support in the loan system, and a hope of attracting more fans and media attention to the league.

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Arne Slot tries his best not to choke up when he talks of last year’s meeting between Liverpool and PSG. “I hope every fan around the world was hoping this game wouldn’t stop because it was incredible,” he blubbed in March 2025. His team had just lost on penalties to the soon-to-be Bigger Cup winners. “It was the best game of football that I was ever involved in.” If the Slot regime comes to its end this summer, with a significant groundswell of opinion among Kopites nodding in that direction, then it is curious he keeps returning to an infamous European night at Anfield which may well prove the beginning of the end. A few days later, Liverpool deservedly lost a Fizzy Cup final to a much more inspired Newcastle. Things have never quite been the same since, despite a 20th league title being claimed in April. With Aaron Ramsey having been without a club since the end of last year and now retiring, it looks like we’ve moved from players announcing their retirement who we weren’t even aware were still playing to players announcing their retirement who were already retired but weren’t aware of it themselves”​ – Noble Francis. Dear Arsenal, how do you sustain this insane consistency in blowing your chances? Every. Single. Time. Players come and go. Managers stay and leave. The only constant is the fans’ anguish. What wizardry will you wield now to hand over the title to Manchester City?”​ – Krishna Moorthy. Re Thursday’s letters. John Groom is correct that not many Aussies use flamin’, but you don’t have to be Stefan Kuntz, Danny Sh1ttu or Christian Fuchs to know our modern alternatives aren’t always printable” – Rowan Sweeney. No-one says flamin’ anymore John, but most of us still have a flamin’ sense of humour” – Greg Wyatt.

Multi-club group also owns Bay FC in United States Bay FC forward Keira Barry gets first England call-up Sunderland’s women’s team are to be taken over by the multi-club ownership group Bay Collective, which has agreed to buy a majority stake in the Women’s Super League 2 club, subject to league approval. The deal comes with plans to enhance Sunderland’s training ground and academy to create a “platform for sustained success at the highest levels”. Sunderland are eighth in WSL2 with two matches remaining.

Former footballer denies assault in north-west England Barton to remain in custody with trial set for 1 September Joey Barton has denied assaulting a man outside a golf club in north-west England. The 43-year-old former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder appeared via video link from Liverpool prison for the plea hearing at Liverpool crown court. He pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Kevin Lynch on 8 March. Barton’s co-defendant, Gary O’Grady, was not asked to enter a plea to the charge on Tuesday.

Conte says he should be considered to succeed Gattuso Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri also linked with role Napoli’s president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has said he would not stand in Antonio Conte’s way if the coach asked to take the vacant Italy job, after Conte said he ought to be under consideration to succeed Gennaro Gattuso. Gattuso resigned as the Azzurri’s coach on Friday after Italy failed to reach the World Cup for a third straight time. Conte’s deal at Napoli runs until 2027 and the Italian champions are seven points off the Serie A leaders, Inter, with seven matches remaining.

Habib Beye was given the Marseille job as he knows the club but his style is smothering the team’s attacking flair By Get French Football News Habib Beye quoted Pape Diouf, the late former Marseille president, when he was appointed as the club’s new manager in February, saying: “Pape Diouf, who I considered my spiritual father, always told me: ‘When the fire burns in Marseille, sometimes you have to let it burn because it will go out on its own.’ This club brings you immense emotions but from time to time you have to be able to stay cool, calm, and collected.” The club was ablaze when Roberto De Zerbi’s tumultuous reign came to an end. His exit heralded a wave of fan discontent and incited change in the boardroom. Beye spoke about letting the fire burn out, but he would have been better advised to keep the flame alive. Under the Italian, Marseille were imperfect and inconsistent, but capable of brilliance. He played to the strengths in the squad. The attack was scintillating at times; the problem was the goals they shipped at the other end. Beye has not played to his squad’s strengths. Instead, his radical departure from his predecessor’s style has only accentuated Marseille’s weaknesses.

Midfielder suspended by club for remarks on future Argentinian remains part of leadership group at club Chelsea are open to Enzo Fernández captaining the side again this season and hope to reintegrate the midfielder after his comments over his future. Fernández, who is on Real Madrid’s shortlist as they look to revamp their midfield, was dropped after whipping up a storm during last month’s international break. The Argentina international was not particularly subtle when he mentioned Madrid as the European city in which he would most like to live and praised the former Real Madrid midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. He also angered Chelsea by questioning the departure of Enzo Maresca, who was replaced by Liam Rosenior as head coach in January.

Derby striker was stretchered off after awkward landing 25-year-old had scored for US in friendly v Belgium US national team striker Patrick Agyemang will miss this summer’s World Cup after suffering a “serious” achilles tendon injury during Derby County’s 2-0 win over Stoke City on Monday, the club said. The 25-year-old, who is in his first season at Derby, rose to settle a ball in the 37th minute and landed awkwardly. Play stopped for five minutes before he was stretchered off by medical staff.

Winger explains her rapid ascent from shy 16-year-old Barça signing to a record-breaking hero At 19 years, eight months and 12 days Vicky López is a history maker, record breaker and Barcelona hero. The Spaniard has played more than 120 matches for the club of her dreams, scoring 32 goals along the way. López signed in July 2022 at 16, making her first-team debut that season under Jonatan Giráldez and leaving no doubt she belongs among the best. No Barcelona player, male or female, has made their Camp Nou, Champions League or el clásico debut as young as López. The following season she became the club’s youngest goalscorer in el clásico.

All the stats for Sporting v Arsenal, Real Madrid v Bayern, Barcelona v Atlético Madrid and PSG v Liverpool By WhoScored Arsenal arrive in Lisbon having seen their quadruple dreams unravel after back-to-back defeats to Manchester City in the League Cup final and Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Those missed opportunities, though disappointing, should focus the players’ minds on a Double that is very much attainable.

Had been without a club since end of last year ‘It has been my privilege to wear the Welsh shirt’ The former Wales captain Aaron Ramsey has announced his retirement from football at the age of 35. The midfielder, who spent more than a decade with Arsenal before stints with Juventus, Nice, Cardiff and Rangers, has been without a club since leaving the Mexican side Pumas at the end of last year. Having won the last of his 86 caps for the national side in 2024, due to a combination of injuries and limited game time, he was overlooked for Wales’s recent World Cup playoff against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Wales’s defeat in that game ended Ramsey’s hopes of a grand finale on the biggest stage and he has now confirmed the end of his playing days.

Defender’s deal goes to 2027 with option for extra year Says playing for United is ‘the ultimate honour’ Harry Maguire has described playing for Manchester United as “the ultimate honour” after signing a one-year contract extension, with the option of a further season. The centre-back struggled under Ruben Amorim, putting his future into doubt, but he has become integral to Michael Carrick as United battle for a Champions League place. The 33-year-old has agreed to a wage reduction, with his previous deal – which expires this summer – worth £190,000 a week. Maguire has been an ever-present since Carrick replaced Amorim and earned an England recall last month. He made two appearances in the friendlies, putting him in contention for the squad for this summer’s World Cup.

The Sweden striker’s goals had inspired Sporting for two years but in Colombian Luis Suárez they have found an equally prolific target man In Portugal, two of the most familiar sayings claim that “green is the colour of hope” and that “hope is the last thing to die”. For Sporting, a club draped in green, those proverbs are not merely poetic – they are operational. After a humiliating 3–0 defeat in Norway by Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, logic suggested it was all over. Sporting disagreed. Backed by about 50,000 supporters, the team surged with belief and delivered a 5–0 victory that carried the club to their first quarter-final in the tournament in 43 years. Arsenal come next, as does an old question: is hope a cultural relic or Sporting’s most powerful ally?

As the most played fixture in European competition looms once more, we look back on 50 years of thrills and spills The Champions League’s answer to el clásico resumes in Madrid on Tuesday. Real Madrid v Bayern Munich is the most played fixture in European competition: 28 matches and counting, including 13 knockout ties. Here are six of the best.

Petr Vlachovsky’s non-contact sexual abuse has had long-term effects and could finally be the catalyst for safeguarding policy change for women and girls in the sport Kristyna Janku answered the phone to a police officer, not sure what she was going to hear. She had heard the rumours, the gossip, and was not sure what was true and what was not. The defender’s former coach Petr Vlachovsky, who coached women and girls at FC Slovacko for almost 15 years and was once voted the best women’s football coach in the Czech Republic, had been arrested and she was about to find out why.

Team will not panic in wake of City and Southampton defeats Raya set to return in goal for Tuesday’s first leg at Sporting Mikel Arteta has insisted that Arsenal will not panic after losing successive games for the first time this season but admitted that they must rediscover their identity to get their campaign back on track. The Premier League leaders face Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon on Tuesday after seeing their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple crumble with defeats by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and the Championship side Southampton in the FA Cup. Bukayo Saka and Jurriën Timber have been ruled out as they continue to struggle with injuries, although there was better news for Arteta with Gabriel Magalhães, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard all expected to feature against the Portuguese champions.

Lincoln promoted to Championship Live scores | Tables | Talking points Thanks John, afternoon everyone. I’ll start with a very modern story from Spain. La Liga on Monday condemned threats and intimidation by Sevilla fans aimed at their own players and directors after they fell to a third straight league defeat. Sevilla, 17th in the Spanish top flight, lost 1-0 away at bottom side Real Oviedo on Sunday and some supporters met the team at the airport on their return to insult them, while others wearing masks were at the club training ground.

Sonia Bompastor believes national team managers will need to be “smart” with her Chelsea players after a gruelling block of games concluded positively, with a 2-1 defeat of Tottenham, earning a place in the FA Cup semi-finals. Chelsea’s hopes of retaining two of their three titles remain alive after Veerle Buurman’s wonderful drive and strike earned the Blues a win in an end-to-end battle with Tottenham.

Kosovo’s Vedat Muriqi broke down in tears after a late winner that took his side out of the relegation zone For one magical moment in the sunshine and the spotlight, the roughest man in Spanish football was the smoothest, the toughest, its most vulnerable. With his ponytail and the stubble covering a face that’s been lived in, they call Vedat Muriqi the Pirate and he’s supposed to have the turning circle of a galleon. But here there was grace, all 6ft 4in and 14st 8lb of him moving as if he were wearing slippers, not a pair of size 15s. The first touch, with the left, couldn’t have been softer; the second, with the right, couldn’t have been harder, all that emotion unleashed with the violence. The ball crashed into the net and the Kosovan crashed on to the turf, where he wept. Muriqi had just scored the goal that may have brought the league title race to an early close, Mallorca defeating Real Madrid 2-1 with his 91st-minute goal a couple of hours before Barcelona went to Atlético Madrid and won in the 89th. But that wasn’t why he lay there, everyone going wild around him. It wasn’t why his face was hidden but his feelings couldn’t be, huge frame heaving. Muriqi was sobbing so hard it was a wonder Son Moix didn’t shake with him; some of the 23,015 inside it certainly did. Teammates came to him, embracing him briefly from behind then leaving him to let it out: first Omar Mascarell, then Sergi Darder, then Johan Mojica.

Two ‘factory’ teams of German football proved that there is plenty at stake in the Bundesliga after a 6-3 win for Leverkusen They said nobody cared enough for the stakes to be this high. If discussion over the destination of the title (and second place for that matter) has been and gone, there is plenty more in the Bundesliga tank and for Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, two clubs who will never hold universal approval despite producing teams to thrill us and break the Bayern monopoly in the last two decades, that is truer than for most. Before RB Leipzig were around to corral all the disapproval of German supporters at large, there was El Plastico. As the two ‘factory’ teams of German football, grown from Bayer and Volkswagen respectively rather than from a fanbase, Leverkusen and Wolfsburg have endured a lifetime of rival fans looking down their noses at them, judging them as not organic or real enough. Conversely this fixture, if derided by some, has produced a string of memorable games; the 5-4 win for Wolfsburg at the Bay Arena in 2015 during current coach Dieter Hecking’s successful first spell, sealed by Bas Dost’s four goals, or the typically later-than-late Leverkusen 4-3 in September 2024 dusted by Victor Boniface’s stoppage-time winner. So when Bild’s headline called this “the wildest plastico of all time,” they really did mean it was something special. Tension and huge potential consequences can often make for a stilted, cautious spectacle. Not here. For Wolfsburg, there was an element of predictability in that it was a 20th successive game without a clean sheet – and they didn’t look like keeping one for an instant. Still, the record – the worst defensive run in the club’s history since a previous Hecking side did the same in 2014 – wouldn’t have mattered at all had Die Wölfe held the 3-1 lead with which they approached half-time, having seemingly found some nerve to help their desperate situation at the bottom of the table. In that first half, Hecking would have been delighted. If there had been a thick volume of hard luck stories over recent weeks, Wolfsburg had no time to listen to them here. After Jonas Wind’s opener, they were unhappy with the penalty awarded to Leverkusen when Joakim Mæhle feathered a slight touch on Ibrahim Maza in the penalty area – converted for the hosts by Alejandro Grimaldo – but literally seconds later Mæhle himself stepped up to blast Wolfsburg back in front with a rocket from long range. When Christian Eriksen converted a Wolfsburg penalty shortly after it was 3-1 and finally the strugglers were showing real fortitude. There was light, at last, at the end of the tunnel. Instead, the inevitable Grimaldo brought Leverkusen back into the match by finishing a smart move just before half-time, enabling his coach, Kasper Hjulmand, to make the changes at the break to turn the match, and perhaps to change his own fate at the helm. For if we look at Wolfsburg’s moment of crisis, the home side were facing one at 3-1 down. “A change of coach is not a scenario we are considering,” Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, had said before the game but losing at home to a team in the bottom two – to severely compromise Die Werkself’s chances of a return to the Champions League – would have sorely tested that stance. It wouldn’t have been the first time Rolfes has been forced into an abrupt pivot this season. That, incidentally, is what Hjulmand used to really change the momentum; taking off Equi Fernández, bringing on Patrik Schick to join Christian Kofane up front and really attacking in a season where Leverkusen have often looked too tentative. Schick equalised from another spot-kick before Edmund Tapsoba put the hosts in front. The excellent Maza added another and substitute Malik Tillman made it six after a brilliant slalom along the byline by Ernest Poku.

Targeted after Italy’s failure and for his dive in the Derby d’Italia, Alessandro Bastoni returned to form against Roma Italy were too afraid to play a World Cup qualifying playoff at San Siro, hosting their semi-final against Northern Ireland in Bergamo instead. Gennaro Gattuso explained it as a choice to protect his players, noting that the nation’s biggest football stadium was home to two rival clubs – Milan and Internazionale – and suggesting this dynamic might lead fans there to turn more quickly on players who struggled. Instead, on Sunday, it was San Siro that offered comfort to one who has become the scapegoat for yet another collective failure. Italy made it past Northern Ireland only to lose to Bosnia on penalties in Zenica. Alessandro Bastoni’s first-half red card, at a time when his country were winning 1-0, was a pivotal moment in the game and perhaps his entire career.

In the era of VAR where most goals get picked apart, strikes from distance offered a much-needed immediate emotional hit In an era where the sport’s biggest moments are scrutinized in slow-motion to find an inch of infraction, the long-range goal has become a necessary thrill. VAR only comes into play if a loitering teammate is caught between the shooter and goalkeeper. They also hatch a comfortingly familiar point of debate: was there anything that could’ve been done to save it? We can safely count Zavier Gozo’s wonder goal this weekend among the unsaveable. The Real Salt Lake homegrown has been one of the best players in Major League Soccer’s early weeks, a 19-year-old danger down the right flank who can slot in as a winger or wing back with similar impact. He’s quickly become one of the most proven progressive dribblers in the entire US player pool, and has shot up the scouting priority queues of several major European clubs.

Right-back is recovering from hamstring injury He could be back at the end of April or start of May Reece James could boost England’s World Cup hopes by returning from a hamstring injury at the start of next month. The Chelsea defender has been out since picking up a problem during last month’s defeat by Newcastle, raising doubts over whether he will be fit to represent his country this summer. There were initial fears that James, who had not sustained a hamstring injury since November 2024, was facing up to two months on the sidelines and was in danger of not playing again this season.

Kirby’s class helps stun Arsenal, Palmer shows leadership potential for Chelsea and teenager Shaw makes her mark for Liverpool Securing their Premier League status for another year remains a priority for West Ham and Leeds this season, so the eight changes Nuno Espírito Santo and Daniel Farke made between them for this tie, which developed into a drama-drenched classic, was understandable to a degree. Still, in Ao Tanaka, Leeds have a gem of a fringe player, who looked eager to make something of his opportunity. The Japan midfielder has not started in the league since 14 December, but Leeds fans have consistently called for him to have more involvement and he showed why with a tremendous opener at the London Stadium, which was all of his own making. In stark contrast to Tanaka’s performance was that of Max Kilman, who has not been trusted to start for West Ham since 3 January when they were beaten 3-0 by the bottom club, Wolves. The centre-back looked rusty and gave away what should have been a clear penalty with a poor challenge on Anton Stach – he was even booed by his own fans at points in the game. Dominic Booth

Captain deserves good farewell, says assistant manager Silva has interest from Barcelona as contract ends in June Pep Lijnders has revealed that Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City in the summer, with the assistant manager hoping the captain is given a fitting farewell. The 31-year-old Silva, whose contract expires in June, has been in impressive form this season but Lijnders stated it will be his last for City.

PSV hold 17-point lead to clinch title with five games left Inter edge towards winning Serie A with Roma thrashing PSV Eindhoven were crowned on Sunday as Dutch champions for the 27th time, with five matches left of the season, after second-placed Feyenoord’s 0-0 draw with Volendam. PSV hold an unassailable 17-point lead at the top of the table after bouncing back from successive defeats with a 4-3 victory against Utrecht on Saturday.

The quadruple dream may be dead but Arsenal are now just four games from achieving an unprecedented nonruple And then there were two. As the clock ticked down at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday night even the stray yellow balloons on the pitch had begun to take on a weirdly mocking quality. The balloons were almost too much, like metaphors-for-hire in an arthouse film, popping up in shot every time Arsenal tried to transform another spell of mechanical pressure into creative, incisive football. Your dreams? Your dreams are just air inside a polymer shell. Your dreams are a squeaky veneer. Even when you try to take agency over your dreams, or at least stamp on them before a set piece, they will scoot away and bobble about annoyingly near the corner flag.

Lucas Perri saved twice in a penalty shootout s as Leeds reached their first FA Cup semi-final since 1987 1 min West Ham kick off from left to right as we watch. You’ll be pleased to hear that national treasure Danny Dyer is in attendance at the London Stadium. “If he organisers are trying to recapture some of the long-faded ‘magic of the cup’, they’ll need to turn the pitch at Wembley into a quagmire for any potential meeting of Chelsea and Leeds,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “The 1970 FA Cup final was famously played the day after the Horse of the Year Show, and looked more suited to WWI trench warfare than a football match, even one in the 70s. May I suggest that England’s national stadium offer to host Ireland’s National Ploughing Championships on the same week?”

Updates from Sunday’s football action around Europe Get in touch: mail Dominic and follow us on BlueSky On the one hand, he did well to coax a title out of a squad whose best players are ageing; on the other, it was Jürgen Klopp’s team and it relied upon Mo Salah delivering half a season of dead-cat bounce brilliance that had little to do with anyone’s tactics. And as for this season, who signed off on all the summer business? Changing five players is never going to be seamless, but ignoring the major weaknesses in the squad – the middle of defence and the middle of midfield – to splurge on an attack that didn’t need that level of refreshment, was a colossal error.

Lack of specialist training may explain drop in influence, but many feel the centre-forward is due a revival Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke barely knew each other when the latter arrived at Manchester United in the summer of 1998, but the partnership they forged became the stuff of legend. In training, they were often found working together, practising runs, interchanges, dummies and combinations. That season they scored 53 goals between them as the club won the treble. Yorke shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Michael Owen on 18 goals. Cole finished one behind. The top 10 scorers in the league that season were all strikers. But the training pitches and scoring charts paint a very different picture today. Finishing drills are infrequent, possession is paramount and the league’s leading scorers are more often wingers, No 10s or false 9s. Traditional centre-forwards are disappearing. Opta data shows the sharp decline in their influence. Two decades ago, strikers scored 41.6% of the Premier League’s goals – 387 of 931. This season, the figure stands at 25.9% – 291 of 845.

Arne Slot under pressure before Champions League tie Van Dijk questions togetherness after 15th loss of season Virgil van Dijk believes Liverpool “gave up” during their FA Cup defeat at Manchester City and has apologised to fans for the woeful performance that heightens the pressure on Arne Slot. A dejected Liverpool captain was unsparing in his assessment of the heaviest defeat of Slot’s reign and claimed it will be difficult for the team to recover for Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

With seven games to save their status, Tottenham’s owners have taken risk on a gifted coach who favours tough love It is ironic that the man who has appointed Roberto De Zerbi to be Tottenham manager, just as the club faces its most critical seven games this century, is also partially responsible for one of the most successful managerial recruitments in Mikel Arteta, albeit for north London rivals, Arsenal. And even that didn’t start well. Vinai Venkatesham was blindsided when photographs of him emerging from Arteta’s house at 1.20am were published in a newspaper at a sensitive stage in negotiations. The man who is now Tottenham’s chief executive only found out he had been rumbled when the pictures went online and was mortified. Venkatesham was part of a committee that settled on Arteta as a replacement for Unai Emery, and while it was a huge gamble to entrust a novice to a club the size of Arsenal, it was at least inspired, which is more than can be said for his hiring of Igor Tudor, a coach with no Premier League experience, to save Spurs. Now Venkatesham, along with the sporting director, Johan Lange, has settled on De Zerbi, which is similarly high risk.

Thirty five-year-old reflects on his players overcoming adversity to climb towards new heights in the WSL and his evolution as a coach Martin Ho is ready to chat, after being playfully reprimanded by the waiter in a south London cafe for leaving a lone tomato on his plate. “It’s got more vitamin C in it than orange juice,” the waiter quips as he clears the table. It has been quite the season for the 35-year-old Tottenham head coach, who took charge in July of a side that looked rudderless and despondent as it limped to an 11th‑place finish in the Women’s Super League, one season on from finishing sixth and reaching an FA Cup final.

League leaders fall to late strike in FA Cup ‘I love my players. I’m not going to criticise’ Mikel Arteta vowed to defend his players “more than ever” after a shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat at second-tier Southampton but the Arsenal head coach accepted his side must “look in the mirror” after successive losses for the first time this season. Arteta insisted “the most beautiful period of the season” is on the horizon, with a Champions League quarter-final first leg at Sporting their next match on Tuesday.

The talk of a quadruple always felt fanciful, quashed by defeat at Wembley a fortnight ago, and now, after being humbled by second-tier Southampton, suddenly Arsenal are left fighting on just the two fronts. A late Shea Charles strike earned their fearless Championship opponents, transformed by Tonda Eckert from relegation candidates into prime promotion hopefuls within six months, a ticket to play under the arch in the FA Cup semi-finals at the end of this month.

Robert Lewandowski’s late winner sinks Atlético Real downed by Mallorca’s stoppage-time winner Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski came off the bench to score a late winner in a 2-1 victory away to 10-man Atlético Madrid on Saturday that moved the defending champions seven points clear of Real Madrid – who suffered a shock defeat at Real Mallorca – at the top of La Liga. Barcelona had plenty of motivation after Real’s 2-1 loss at Mallorca earlier on Saturday, but it was the hosts who took the lead six minutes before the break through Giuliano Simeone.

It will take more than a thumping FA Cup quarter-final victory over the worst team in League One to ignite Chelsea’s season as it enters the defining stretch. This was, at least, a step in the right direction. Or perhaps it was just good for the club to avoid any further chaos. The occasion was framed by Liam Rosenior’s decision to ban his vice-captain, Enzo Fernández, for the game and Chelsea’s next one, which is here against Manchester City in the Premier League next Sunday. The manager felt he had to act after Fernández’s none-too-subtle message to Real Madrid during the international break. Basically, he is bang up for joining them.

São Paulo player spent five days in hospital after fainting Oscar won two league titles in five years at Chelsea The former Brazil international Oscar has been forced to retire at the age of 34 with cardiac problems, São Paulo confirmed on Saturday. The attacking midfielder spent five days in hospital after fainting during a routine medical in November and has not played since. A vasovagal syncope, caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure, heart rate and cerebral blood flow was observed, forcing Oscar to call time on his career. He had a contract that was due to expire in 2027.

Most of what has gone wrong this season can be put down to poor recruitment – but the manager must share the blame Even when the fixture list was revealed last summer, it was perhaps predictable that the middle of March would represent the crisis point for Newcastle. If they had reached the Champions League quarter-finals and won the Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park, a lot of other frustrations could have been forgotten. Even better, that game against Sunderland would have had to be postponed had Newcastle reached a third Carabao Cup final since 2023. Those days of celebration a year ago feel a long time ago now, but the mood could easily have been very different. Newcastle were the better side in the home leg against Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League. Only the concession of a daft late penalty denied them victory and they were a persistent threat on the break in the first half of the away leg. Only in the second half of the second leg did the game get away from them: a 7-2 defeat made the difference between the sides seem much greater than it actually was.

Spotlight intensifies on Liverpool’s coach, but what of a group of players who in effect surrendered against Manchester City? Budapest or bust it is, then, for Liverpool’s hopes of silverware this season and quite possibly Arne Slot’s prospects of remaining in his job, although thoughts of this team reaching a Champions League final appear ludicrous in light of their gutless exit from the FA Cup. A pity whistle on 90.04 from the referee, Michael Oliver, sounded an appropriate death knell for a pitiful performance by the fading Premier League champions. So much for a shot at redemption for Liverpool and Slot as a defining period of five matches in 16 days commenced in humiliating fashion.

Canada Soccer holding jersey exchange in Toronto Italy failed to qualify for finals after playoff defeat Italian football fans are being encouraged to put their national team’s World Cup 2026 qualification failure behind them – by backing co-hosts Canada instead. Canada Soccer, the national governing body for the sport, is offering a jersey swap on Saturday for fans in Toronto’s Little Italy district. “Dear Italian soccer fans, Don’t wait four more years. Swap your jersey for Canada,” read a post on X.

Carabao Cup-winning defender signed in 2022 for £12m Howe’s underperforming squad set for summer overhaul Kieran Trippier is to leave Newcastle when his contract ends this summer, heightening the sense of an era ending at the Saudi-owned club. Trippier’s arrival, for £12m, from Atletico Madrid in January 2022 proved a landmark moment in the team’s transformation after the Saudi Arabian-led takeover in October 2021. He has made more than 150 appearances for Newcastle, scoring four goals, and was part of the Carabao Cup-winning team that beat Liverpool at Wembley in March last year.

Initial reports suggested parts of arena’s wall had collapsed, but Alianza Lima says there were no structural failures One person has been killed and dozens more injured at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima, Peru, according to the football club Alianza Lima. Hundreds of fans were attending a “flag-waving event” on Friday around the stadium, a day before a derby match between the home team Alianza Lima and local rivals Universitario de Deportes.

A distant relative found a family link to the football prodigy, as they are both related to George Male, the first player to win six English top-flight titles Dave Male could have had no idea that his decision to attend a match while he was on holiday in Spain two years ago would uncover a remarkable family link to one of English football’s brightest young prospects. The retired teacher was staying just down the road from the Pinatar Arena in Murcia and went along to watch England Under-16s in a friendly against Italy. “I was looking at the team sheet and that’s when the name Dowman hit me straight away,” Male recalls. On the pitch that day was a 14-year-old Max Dowman, already standing out as England claimed a 2-1 victory. But for Male, it wasn’t just the performance that caught his attention. It was his name. Male, a keen genealogist, recognised it instantly from his own family history.

Arsenal meet Brighton with their sights set on reaching a second semi-final while Tottenham could be facing Chelsea at just the right time Riding high after their Champions League quarter-final win over Chelsea, Arsenal are ready to push on in the FA Cup. The WSL title may be almost certainly out of sight following Manchester City’s impressive victory over Manchester United, but the chance to go for a European and domestic cup double is very much there. Brighton stand in the way of securing a second cup semi-final within six days. Last weekend Dario Vidosic’s side earned a first WSL win since their 23 January defeat of Everton, securing a 1-0 win over bottom-placed Leicester. The Seagulls sit sixth in the WSL, eight points behind Tottenham and only ahead of London City Lionesses on goal difference. They are seven points off of last season’s total with four games remaining. However, those four games are against Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs and inconsistency has blighted their campaign. The hope will be that they face a tired Arsenal after their Champions League exploits, with the 1-0 second-leg defeat to Chelsea a frantic and exhausting match. That is perhaps an ambitious ask given the depth at Arsenal’s disposal and the form they are in, Wednesday night’s inconsequential defeat being their first loss since 21 January.

Salah critical of head coach in December after being left out Slot: ‘The only one who can talk about it is Mo himself’ Arne Slot has no regrets over his treatment of Mohamed Salah and claimed it was entirely the forward’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season. The Liverpool head coach declined to divulge why or when Salah decided to leave the club as he faced the media on Friday for the first time since the Egypt international’s announcement. Slot believes it should be left to Salah to explain the reasons for exiting 12 months before his contract is due to expire.

Manchester City midfielder can leave if ‘not happy’ ‘My wish is that Rodri could stay as long as possible’ Pep Guardiola will not stand in Rodri’s way if the midfielder wishes to leave Manchester City for Real Madrid, though the manager believes he will stay at the club beyond this summer. During the international break Rodri, whose contract expires in June 2027, was asked about reports that Real’s president, Florentino Pérez, wished to sign him. When answering, the 29-year-old referenced how being a former Atlético Madrid player would be no obstacle.

Sublime stint at Bayern Munich has made home audiences appreciate a man who isn’t flash or twinkly but is his country’s best footballer Everyone has their favourite mental comfort food, the stuff that makes you feel good in troubled times. Maybe you like baking bread and listening to history podcasts about Nazi atrocities. Maybe it’s watching Notting Hill in a Hugh Grant mask. Perhaps you love to unwind by sitting in your walnut-panelled library and reading Catullus, naked, covered in Doritos crumbs, with a plastic bag over your head. Or enjoy nothing better than doomscrolling in a state of late-night brain-death, before accidentally subscribing to a mystery supplement that will rid you of all the horrific writhing parasites inside your body, because the advert had a really convincing animated graphic that made you hate yourself.

Starting at Manchester City in the FA Cup, Arne Slot must show doubters his plan for a team in transition can succeed There were more important reasons for Jürgen Klopp’s return to Liverpool last Saturday, but it was apposite his presence reminded Anfield of the unshakable bond and belief they once shared, the joy his football brought. Those pillars of Klopp’s reign are weakening under Arne Slot and April may determine whether they are left standing at all. Two cup quarter-finals in succession should signal a season on the right track for Liverpool; showpiece occasions such as Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday whetting the appetite for what May could have in store.

Mauricio Pochettino faces several tough decisions to name a squad for the 2026 World Cup hosts A full 24 matches into the Mauricio Pochettino era, we have arrived at the moment of truth. The US men’s national team’s 2026 World Cup roster will be named on 26 May, and the team’s two recent friendlies (a 5-2 loss to Belgium and a 2-0 loss to Portgual) have given Pochettino plenty to think about as he makes his selection. We here at the Guardian have made our picks as well – based a little on our own preference, but still within the realm of what Pochettino may do. Separately, the three of us made our 26-man rosters. Any player who we agreed on got the “on the squad” designation. Anyone we differed on is listed as “up for debate”, with other notable exclusions listed as “out of the picture”.