Reweloae

The Guardian - * England captain confident saga has not tarnished reputation * ‘My focus is to win silverware at Tottenham,’ says striker Harry Kane has insisted his conscience is clear after his unsuccessful attempts to force a move from Tottenham to Manchester City. Kane, who is poised to captain England in their World Cup qualifier against Hungary on Thursday night, made clear that he had no regrets about trying to engineer a move. The striker’s hopes of a lucrative transfer fell through after the Premier League champions decided not to meet Spurs’ £150m asking price, but he is confident the saga has not tarnished his reputation. Continue reading...

The Guardian - All eyes were on Messi as he made his debut this weekend. Meanwhile, PSG’s most important player scored two goals By Eric Devin for Get French Football News The adulation and anticipation that had bubbled away since PSG announced the signing of Lionel Messi finally came to a head on Sunday evening when he came on for the last 25 minutes of PSG’s 2-0 win over Reims. As is to be expected for a player who is still getting to know new teammates in a new league after a long summer in which he won the Copa América with Argentina, he was quietly impressive but did not have a huge impact on the game. Mauricio Pochettino, though, was quick to outline the difference his countryman made to the team, saying: “I felt it as soon as he came on, across his first touches. He brought a sense of calm to the team. He is happy and is blending in well with the team.” Messi replaced Neymar – another player who had a busy summer – and played on the left of a front three, with Kylian Mbappé

The Guardian - Everton have invested heavily in the close season, bringing in Toni Duggan and paid a record transfer fee for Sweden international Hanna Bennison No one at Everton is remotely shy about spelling out this season’s ambition. Champions League qualification remains the overriding aim and if this summer’s friendlies are anything to go by they have a very strong chance of fulfilling it. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Transfer culture is a basic part of fandom and sustaining concerted opposition to owners is almost impossible Oh! pleasant exercise of hope and joy! For mighty were the auxiliars which then stood upon our side, we who were strong in love. Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive. But to be on Fulham Road, wreathed in canisters of blue smoke, holding a home-made banner reading FANS NOT CUSTOMERS, was very heaven. Yes: who can forget the famous European Super League protests of April 2021? They were a vibe, weren’t they? Peace and love and Florentino Pérez memes. Prince William ferrying cups of tea and bottled water out to the picket line. Gary Neville, hair wreathed in daisy chains, serenading the masses with a rendition of Big Yellow Taxi. Rival fans linking arms and bonding over the German 50+1 model. How strong we were. How right we were. How we showed them. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Max Allegri can rebuild his team with Cristiano Ronaldo gone, but Saturday’s loss showed the scale of his task Cristiano Ronaldo disappeared from Turin as suddenly as he had arrived. On Wednesday, he took part in a public training session with Juventus, around 100 fans getting the chance to see their club’s record signing up close for the final time. By Friday lunchtime he was boarding a private jet, preparing for his move to Manchester United and leaving those same supporters to ponder whether it had all been worthwhile. The story they were sold in 2018 was that Ronaldo had come to help their team conquer Europe. Instead, Juventus slipped from a run of two Champions League finals in four seasons, to a single quarter-final appearance in three attempts with him. Even the club’s run of nine consecutive Serie A titles was ended by Internazionale this spring. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Defender extends contract to 2027, one year after joining club * Dias: ‘The club wants to be in the top three in the world’ Rúben Dias believes that signing a new long-term Manchester City contract just one year after joining the club “speaks for itself” as a statement of joint intent. The Portuguese defender has committed his future to the champions until summer 2027 after a hugely successful first season in England. City signed Dias for a £62m fee from Benfica last September and the 25-year-old helped to propel Pep Guardiola’s side to the 2020-2021 title. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Even after Mason Greenwood snatched victory 10 minutes from time, there was only one name on the lips of the baying Manchester United supporters: Cristiano Ronaldo. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side were dreadful in the first half and remained disjointed in the second but after withstanding swells of Wolves pressure, Greenwood rattled in his third goal of the season to extend United’s unbeaten start. Somehow, Wolves are pointless and goalless after three matches and this slender defeat was a particular travesty. Continue reading...

The Guardian - The first goal scored in Spain's newly-formed third tier was certainly memorable, although Dani Sotres will want to forget it. The Cultural Leonesa keeper was caught off his line by an overhit back pass, air kicked his first attempted clearance and then saw his second effort ricochet off Rayo Majadahonda forward Rubén Sánchez.  Majadahonda went on to win the game 2-0. Both sides are in Group 1, the northern half of the two-division Primera División RFEF, which also features former La Liga title winners Deportivo La Coruña. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Croatian is set to follow Kurt Zouma in joining Hammers * Vlasic seen as better value signing than £25m Jesse Lingard West Ham are close to strengthening their attack by signing CSKA Moscow’s Nikola Vlasic for €30m (£25.7m). David Moyes is keen to increase the size of his squad before his side begin their Europa League campaign and West Ham intend to back their manager before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday. The club improved their defence by signing centre-back Kurt Zouma from Chelsea for £29.8m on Saturday night and their spending is not finished yet. Continue reading...

The Guardian - 40-year-old man arrested on suspicion of rape earlier this week and conditionally bailed pending further inquiries A second man has been arrested in connection with an investigation into Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy over alleged rape and sexual assault offences, Cheshire constabulary has said. The force said on Saturday that a 40-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of rape earlier this week and released on bail. Continue reading...

The Guardian - For most of the game, it appeared Chris Hughton’s job was in grave danger, as Nottingham Forest trailed to Tom Lawrence’s fine early strike, a fifth consecutive league defeat looming. But with one wallop of the right foot, the ­electric Brennan Johnson, who joined the club aged eight, volleyed in an equaliser to belatedly collect their first point of the campaign. “He’s one of our own,” the away supporters boomed after the final whistle. It had all looked so good for Derby, who would have increased their early advantage but for the faintest of touches by Scott McKenna to divert Jack Stretton’s goalbound shot, but the second-half arrivals of Alex Mighten and Lewis Grabban helped the visitors grow into a previously one-sided contest. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Returning superstar will certainly score goals, but his chief use at Old Trafford will be as a celebrity content provider Welcome to Unitedland! With an array of nostalgic installations and familiar faces, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! Gawp at the scorer of the winning goal from the 1999 Champions League in his very own technical area! Gaze on the goalscorer from the 2008 Champions League final grazing just outside the penalty area! Even the roof has that retro feel! Season tickets start at just £532. There was a time when clubs found jobs for former players gladhanding in corporate hospitality. Manchester United have gone much further. With Ole Gunnar Solskjær installed as manager and Cristiano Ronaldo up front, you wonder which other former greats can be brought back to the Old Trafford theme park. Martin Edwards in the boardroom? Gary Bailey back in nets? The toothpick-chewing ghost of Billy Meredith on the wing? A labyrinthodon who once roamed Newton He

The Guardian - Rather than criticise the Millwall fans who boo players taking the knee, manager Gary Rowett has alienated others The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. It’s a good line – an inspirational quote for a tea towel or a meme, very much the tea towels of the Instagram age. The quote itself actually comes from John Stuart Mill’s inaugural address at St Andrews University in 1867: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” It’s unlikely Mill was thinking of tea towels or memes when he said it. Nor you suspect was he referring to how Gary Rowett might be feeling a century and a half later. But the Millwall manager now finds himself in the unenviable position of being a good man looking on. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Guardiola will take a break after he leaves the club * ‘I can leave in three months or I can leave in five years’ Pep Guardiola has given Manchester City hope that he could still be their manager in 2026 after declaring that he is not definitely leaving in 2023. The Spaniard remains adamant that he will take a break from management after his spell at the Etihad Stadium ends but has moved to clarify comments he made in a Zoom call to Brazil when he suggested he would depart when his contract finishes at the end of next season. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Manchester City defender will spend at least weekend behind bars after bail application refused The Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with four counts of rape and a sexual assault. The French international defender is accused of offences against three women, including one aged under 18, a court heard on Friday. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Manchester City are in the toughest group, United’s is tricky and all the teams in Liverpool’s have reached the final Group A is by by some distance the toughest, featuring the defeated finalist of the past two seasons, plus RB Leipzig, who reached the semi-final two seasons ago. There will be a repeat of last season’s semi-final, in which Manchester City comfortably overcame Paris Saint-Germain in a battle of two mega-rich petro-clubs. City’s problem tends to come later in the competition as Pep Guardiola overthinks a major tie, but for once progress will not be straightforward against a PSG now bolstered by Lionel Messi and, perhaps more consequentially, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos and Gini Wijnaldum. Leipzig may not quite be so strong this season, in transition after Jesse Marsch replaced Julian Nagelsmann as coach, while Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahmim Konaté have left. Club Brugge have never made it through the group stage. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Leeds United striker selected for World Cup qualifiers * Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jesse Lingard return to squad Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford has received his first England senior call-up as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jesse Lingard returned to international duty for the World Cup qualifiers next month against Poland, Andorra and Hungary. There is no place in the squad for Mason Greenwood, however, despite the Manchester United forward’s impressive start to the season. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Ferguslie Star were denied a goal in unusual fashion as a dog intervened to made a last-ditch goalline save in their game against Vale of Leven. Leading 2-1, the amateur side thought they had gone further ahead as a forward slotted his shot past the goalkeeper, only to see his effort saved by a stray dog who had wandered onto the pitch.   Although the follow-up finish crossed the line, the goal was disallowed because of the 'outside interference' and hosts Vale of Leven turned the game around with two injury-time goals to win 3-2. 'A couple of late goals and the help of a stray dog seals the win for the home side,' Ferguslie Star tweeted after the match. Continue reading...

The Guardian - If it was an indignity for Arsenal to enter the Carabao Cup at this early stage because of their absence from European competition, they booked their passage to the next round by showing true class. Against a Championship club’s reserves, admittedly, but this was a demonstration from which Mikel Arteta and his team can take heart. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick on his first start of the season, and Nicolas Pépé, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette also netted in a match in which the visitors threatened to score nearly every time they attacked. Now all they have to do is play like this regularly against stronger opponents. Then trust will grow in Arsenal’s players and Arteta’s process. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Today’s rumours are high on sugary drinks While their negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur over a deal to bring Harry Kane to Manchester City remain at an impasse, City are exploring the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus. L’Equipe report that the five-times Ballon d’Or winner is eager to leave the Italian champions and say that, while City are prepared to cover his £26m annual salary, their largesse doesn’t extend to paying Juve much in the way of a fee for his services. Ronaldo is apparently keen on a move away from Turin and City could send Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte the other way as part of a swap deal. Having failed to make any signings last summer for the first time since 1980, Real Madrid hope to make up for it this time around by bringing Kylian Mbappé to the Bernabéu. Despite being in financial meltdown with net debts of more than £300m, the Spanish club confirmed they have made an opening bid of £137m to Paris Saint-Germain for t

The Guardian - Plus: the 91 club revisited, more international strike rates and an archive update on squad numbers Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU “Now that Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos are playing together at PSG, it made me wonder: do they hold the record for the two players who have played the most competitive matches against each other before playing on the same team,” asked Alex Batchen. “Andrew Considine and Scott Brown are playing together at Aberdeen this season, but have spent years in the Scottish Premiership on opposing sides –longer than Ramos and Messi in La Liga,” writes Kirk Burton. “While at Celtic, Brown would have faced Considine at least four times a season (and sometimes six!) when both players were fit, before Brown moved to Pittodrie this summer. I would say they must have played each other more than Messi and Ramos, though not sure if they have the record.” Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Clubs ‘reluctantly’ refuse to release international players * Premier League backs stance in defiance of Fifa Premier League clubs have united in defiance of Fifa and refused to release players for international duty in countries on the UK’s red list. The escalating row over quarantine restrictions, and the lack of exemptions for players returning from red‑zone countries, led to Premier League clubs “reluctantly but unanimously” deciding to take action at a meeting on Tuesday. The Premier League, which has backed the clubs’ stance, has also registered its concern at Fifa’s decision to allow Conmebol teams to play three fixtures in the next two international breaks. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Scotland defender commits future at Anfield until 2026 * Brazil trio will not be released for international duty Andy Robertson has become the fifth Liverpool player in four weeks to extend his contract with the club after committing himself to Anfield until 2026. Robertson had three years remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2019 but the Scotland captain has been rewarded for his growing influence on and off the pitch with an improved five-year contract. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson and John Brewin to answer listeners’ questions Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today: the panel answer a host of your questions. Should the World Cup really be held in Qatar? Is there too much football these days? And where would Manchester United finish in the table if the Football Weekly panellists were in charge? Continue reading...

The Guardian - Supporters of champions Atlético Madrid and second division winners Espanyol could at last see their teams in action “I had waited a long time to live this moment,” Marcelino Garcí­a Toral said, speaking for so many. Since he took over from Gaizka Garitano in January, the Athletic Club manager has won the Spanish Super Cup, been at two Copa del Rey finals and seen his team beat Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, but he hadn’t seen this. This, he said when at last the place they call the cathedral had fallen quiet again, was “extraordinary.” Related: Real Madrid extend Karim Benzema’s contract and insert €1bn release clause Continue reading...

The Guardian - Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Mark Langdon and Faye Carruthers to review the weekend action in the Premier League Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. Romelu Lukaku shines on his second debut for Chelsea while we all repeat the question - what’s the point of Arsenal? Continue reading...

The Guardian - • Striker set to miss game against Angola in Cairo • Liverpool and other clubs want exemptions Liverpool have refused to release Mohamed Salah for international duty next week due to the quarantine restrictions the striker would face on his return to the UK. Liverpool, along with other members of the European Club Association, have been seeking exemptions from the mandatory quarantine rules for players returning from red list countries. With no agreement between the Premier League and government, however, and Salah facing a 10-day isolation period after playing in Egypt, Liverpool have informed the Egypt FA the 29-year-old will not be released for their World Cup qualifier against Angola in Cairo. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Portuguese left out of starting XI and is denied winner by VAR * Juve vice-president Pavel Nedved insists Ronaldo will stay Juventus vice-president Pavel Nedved has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo will remain at the club this season, amid reports the Portuguese star requested to be left out of the starting XI against Udinese on Sunday in his bid to secure a move away from Turin. No bids have been submitted from other clubs for Ronaldo, who was named a substitute’s bench by manager Massimiliano Allegri. Continue reading...

The Guardian - If anything encapsulated a trying afternoon for Manchester United, it was the sight of Paul Pogba being booked for a crude challenge as the clock ticked into second-half stoppage time, seconds after the Southampton striker Che Adams made a superb sliding tackle on Bruno Fernandes. United wiped the floor with Leeds last weekend but had to settle for a point here as Mason Greenwood equalised to extend their unbeaten away league run to 27 games, matching Arsenal’s top-flight record. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side were erratic and off-colour, teasing only patches of class for the noisy travelling fans. Southampton proved fiendish opponents, successfully shackling United’s glittering cast and could have earned victory on another day. For Solskjær, the warning signs were there long before Adams’ shot beat David de Gea, via a wicked deflection off Fred, with half an hour gone. “We lost our heads when they scored,” Solskjær said. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Left-back collapsed on pitch during league match * Club says he is in ‘better condition and doing quite well’ The Besiktas defender Fabrice N’Sakala is recovering in hospital after the Democratic Republic of Congo international collapsed on the pitch in their meeting with Gaziantepspor on Saturday, the Turkish Super Lig club said on Sunday. Related: Depay earns Barcelona point against Athletic; Freiburg shock Dortmund Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Manchester City manager praises Sterling’s scoring mindset * Lauds ‘generous’ Gabriel Jesus for role in 5-0 win over Norwich Pep Guardiola challenged Jack Grealish to copy Raheem Sterling and become as prolific as his new teammate after he opened his Manchester City account on his home debut. Grealish became the first £100m player to score in the Premier League when he kneed in City’s second goal in a 5-0 thrashing of Norwich, getting the champions a belated first win after losing to Leicester in the Community Shield and then Tottenham last week. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Burnley benefited twice from a cold and silent Anfield during lockdown but this was a welcome return to normality for Liverpool. Jürgen Klopp exited with a thump to the Liver bird on his chest and a beaming smile, encouraged as much by the Premier League debut of Harvey Elliott as the return of a full, passionate house. Related: Manchester City v Norwich, Leeds v Everton and more: clockwatch – live! Continue reading...

The Guardian - Pep Guardiola has said that "if all the scientistsm the doctors ... and experts" are saying vaccination is the only way out of the Covid-19 pandemic, then his Manchester City players should consider it. Guardiola's mother, Dolors Sala Carrió, died last year after contracting coronavirus. Guardiola's comments come after Steve Bruce revealed on Friday that “a lot” of Newcastle United players had not been vaccinated against Covid and cited “conspiracy theories” as a reason why so many professional footballers are reluctant to receive the jab. * Steve Bruce admits ‘a lot’ of Newcastle players have not been vaccinated Continue reading...

The Guardian - Like a bizarro David Beckham, anything that could go wrong for the Manchester United defender has tended to do just that The straw that appears to have broken the camel’s back could scarcely have been more innocuous. On the first Sunday of October 2017, Phil Jones tweeted a reply to Simon Wood, a Masterchef-winning restaurateur who had used Twitter to flag up the presence of the Manchester United defender in his premises earlier that evening. “Fantastic food,” wrote Phil, by way of acknowledgement for the shout-out. “Me and the wife will be back soon. Thank you.” It was in keeping with the kind of mundane to and fro in which Jones occasionally engaged on a social media account that seemed to be curated by the player himself rather than a team of in-house social media strategists. Promotional tweets, presumably posted at the behest of his sponsors Adidas, were occasionally punctuated by birthday greetings and other supportive messages for strangers and colleagues alike

The Guardian - Can Patrick Vieira exact revenge for Arsenal? Crystal Palace’s manager will certainly hope he can after a debut in the dugout to forget against Chelsea. This is surely an early marker for Vieira to be judged by and Palace’s vociferous support, back in full voice at Selhurst Park, will surely want to see something to spoil Brentford’s party. Thomas Frank could not have hoped for a better start, and with Palace in transition, an important second win from two could be on the cards. Graham Searles Saturday 3pm Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Colombian requires help from social media followers to find out * Rodríguez has been told he can leave Everton this summer James Rodríguez has confessed that he does not know who Everton are playing this weekend as he edges towards the exit at Goodison Park. The Colombia international has been told he can leave this summer, with the club looking to remove his lucrative contract from their wage bill and free up space for new signings. Atlético Madrid are a possible destination for the former Real Madrid playmaker. Continue reading...

The Guardian - The club’s new manager knows the Hollywood co-chairmen will bring more attention, but is focused on winning promotion The Hollywood-style ‘Wrexham’ sign that suddenly appeared on an old slag heap above the A483 last weekend doubles as a neat analogy for the aspirations and challenges of the town’s revitalised football club. While new owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have injected glamour and investment, it is now Phil Parkinson’s responsibility to elevate Wrexham’s name after years of industrial decline. “To be honest, there is expectation at Wrexham every year since they’ve been in this division,” said the club’s new manager, who starts his reign and the new National League season away at Solihull Moors on Saturday. The scheduled opener at home to Yeovil Town was postponed after a coronavirus outbreak among the opponents’ squad. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Midfielder urges platforms to tackle ‘disgusting’ messages * ‘It hurts even speaking about it,’ he tells BBC Radio Newcastle The Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock has said he receives “disgusting” racist messages every day on social media, and has added to calls for platforms to do more to combat the problem. “Every day I get messages,” Willock told BBC Radio Newcastle. “Messages saying about my colour or different things that are disgusting, really. It hurts a lot even speaking about it.” The 21-year-old admitted he has considered quitting social media platforms because of the abuse. Continue reading...

The Guardian - * The former England defender was released by Crystal Palace * Manchester City forward Morgan Rogers is a loan target Bournemouth are poised to sign the former Chelsea and England defender Gary Cahill on a one-year contract. The 35-year-old centre-back, who was released by Crystal Palace in the summer, is to undergo a medical on Thursday. The arrival of Cahill, a Champions League and Premier League winner, is a significant coup for the Championship club, who are intent on returning to the the top flight under Scott Parker. Continue reading...

The Guardian - The veteran midfielder on her W-League trophies, taking time out to have a baby, and football as a genuine career path for women When Teresa Polias was a kid she could juggle the ball more than 3,000 times. “I’d set challenges, starting at zero,” she says. “I’d run in and say ‘dad, I got 10’. Ten developed into 100, then it was a real want for more.” At the average rate of about 1,000 touches every 10 minutes, the future Sydney FC midfielder would be at it continuously for a good half-hour. “If you look at the world record though,” she continues, “it’s ridiculous, crazy. It’s like 100,000 or something. I’m not going to guess who it is, but I think it’s a Brazilian.” Continue reading...

The Guardian - Today’s transfer merry-go-round is feeling suitably chastened “Less talk and more action, this has been my guiding motto since the start of my career,” Cristiano Ronaldo wrote on Instagram on Tuesday night. The Rumour Mill sat up and immediately took notice, because that happens to be our guiding motto, too. Related: Arsenal set to sign Martin Ødegaard from Real Madrid and target Ramsdale Continue reading...

The Guardian - Plus: Milinko Pantic’s supreme feat in a humiliating defeat, the ‘91 club’ and successive seasons of improvement Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU “Former Dutch international John Bosman scored nine of his 17 (52.9%) international goals against one side, Cyprus. Has anyone with such a decent international return ever had a better strike-rate against a single team,” asks Mike Shaw. “I would like to nominate former Danish international Sophus ‘Krølben’ (literally curly-legs) Nielsen who back in the good old amateur days of the early 20th century scored 11 of his 16 international goals against France (68.75%), all during the 1908 Olympic Games in London,” writes Flemming Orth. “For some reason, France fielded both their A and B sides, and on 19 October 1908 Denmark took on the B side and won 9–0 with Nielsen scoring a single goal. Three days later the French A team (who perhaps should have been the B team) were defeated 17–1 by Denmark, Nielsen scoring no

The Guardian - Bobby Kasanga set up the semi-pro club to bring a community together – it now boasts around 20 teams and a powerful ethos “At first I don’t think anyone trusted or believed me,” Bobby Kasanga remembers of the scheme he put into action six weeks after his release from prison in 2015. He had spent eight years inside for armed robbery and, as that time passed, the next step he needed to take became clearer. “Getting into crime was my fault,” he says. “But look at factors like a lack of opportunities, inequalities, household income, peer pressure, the people you hang out with, and how those things can have an influence. I thought: ‘You know what, I could start something.’” Continue reading...

The Guardian - Today’s tittle-tattle is like cardboard in the rain It has long been established that Lionel Messi is the tit to Cristiano Ronaldo’s tat. So a week dominated by news of the Argentinian’s arrival at Paris Saint-Germain was always going to trigger a reaction and, sure enough, today the Portuguese is being linked with more moves than Garry Kasparov. First, there’s fanciful talk of a return to Manchester United; then, there’s provocative talk of a switch to Manchester City, with reports in Italy claiming the player’s agent has suggested Ronaldo would be a much shrewder purchase than Harry Kane. Related: Chelsea in talks with Lyon over Emerson Palmieri as Tuchel looks to cut numbers Continue reading...

The Guardian - Without the England captain an exciting new Spurs era could dawn with the brilliant, deeply committed Korean its talisman So let’s talk about the restaurant scene in the Son Heung-min documentary starring Park Seo-joon. What do you mean, you’ve never seen it? You know the one: the classic restaurant scene, from the 2019 docu-series Sonsational, which Son filmed for the South Korean broadcaster TVN. You know. The bit where he’s eating barbecue in Soho with one of the most famous actors in Korea. And suddenly, in the middle of this noisy restaurant, there’s this incredibly human moment between them, a fleeting glimpse of meaning and connection in their odd, hermetic existence. “I don’t even know how I played today,” Son reflects. “It is just another day passing by.” Continue reading...

The Guardian - * Phone was allegedly recording; two board members resign * President Samir Sobha told to ‘take responsibility’ The president of the Mauritius Football Association has denied it is in turmoil after two board members stepped down over its handling of accusations a mobile phone in video recording mode was hidden in the women’s toilets at the association’s headquarters. Police are continuing to investigate the claims made by the administrative secretary, Mila Sinnasamy, that the mobile phone discovered on 30 July was concealed in a blue basket placed in the water tank of the -women’s toilet at the MFA’s headquarters in Trianon, 15km from the capital, Port Louis. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson and Paul MacInnes to discuss the opening week of Premier League fixtures Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. The Premier League is back and so are actual real-life fans. The panel discuss which supporters should be most excited about the weekend’s action, which fans are reading too much into the first game and who should fear an oncoming crisis. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Two modern stars will do some heavy lifting for their clubs this season as they strive to emulate the legendary Gerd Müller The Bundesliga never does things quietly. It returned with – at least some – supporters in the stands in its typical character of cut, thrust and confusion, but there was some clarity amid the mayhem. On a weekend which ended with German football in mourning at the passing of the legendary Gerd Müller, the elite centre-forwards from the current competition showed they are pulling out all the stops to be worthy successors. Related: Gerd Müller was world class but his brilliant legacy is too often forgotten | Scott Murray Continue reading...

The Guardian - Nuno Espírito Santo’s players showed a willingness to fight and thrive for their new manager as they shocked the champions “Whatever happens, we’ll give it absolutely everything.” That was the message in a tweet posted from Tottenham’s official account before their game against Manchester City, and there was no need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out what it was getting at. The elephant in the room, the transfer saga of the summer – the England captain who may or may not have gone on strike. As it turned out the “whatever happens” was what most people expected – Harry Kane being left out of Spurs’ matchday squad. Nuno Espírito Santo, before his first game in charge, put it down to a lack of fitness on the striker’s part, given he had taken part in only two training sessions following an extended (strike-related) holiday and a period of quarantine. Continue reading...

The Guardian - Legendary German striker Gerd Müller has died aged 75. The forward scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for West Germany, including the winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final * 'The greatest striker’: Gerd Müller, legendary German forward, dies aged 75 Continue reading...