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  • Guardiola hits back at Capello over ‘arrogant’ jibe

    Guardiola hits back at Capello over ‘arrogant’ jibe

    Pep Guardiola has slammed Fabio Capello’s claim that he is “arrogant” by insisting Manchester City’s success in his reign has raised standards in the Premier League.

    Capello, a former England, AC Milan and Real Madrid boss, said in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo this week that Guardiola’s “arrogance has cost him several Champions League titles”.

    The 78-year-old Italian also said Guardiola was “way too arrogant and presumptious” because he wanted to prove his tactics were the reason for City’s remarkable success.

    Capello claimed the City boss, who previously managed Barcelona and Bayern Munich, had “ruined” Italian football because too many managers tried to copy his fluid, possession-based style without having good enough players to do so.

    Guardiola, however, is proud of his record, having guided City to six Premier League titles and a first Champions League crown since his arrival in 2016.

    The Spaniard believes the strength of the Premier League has improved in his time in Manchester, with City now facing a challenge from several teams, including Saturday’s opponents Brighton, just to secure a top-four place this season.

    City have endured a difficult campaign after winning the previous four Premier League titles and currently sit fifth in the table.

    “Naming one of the big managers, one of the exceptional managers, in Fabio Capello – it doesn’t look like it’s arrogant, I would say, but we helped to raise the bar in the Premier League,” Guardiola said.

    “The teams had to go to the transfer markets, right? People want to do good, people are well organised, have good structures, make good decisions, have good players everywhere.

    “I went to Bournemouth in the beginning, and now it’s different. I went in the beginning to Brighton, and now it’s different. And I went to Fulham in the beginning, and now it’s different.

    “I’ve been here, I’m an old guy, I’m the oldest manager here, nine years. I know the evolution of the Premier League has been massive.

    “It’s incredible how they’ve changed and it’s good, really good, for the Premier League.”

    Capello argued that because Guardiola “always wanted to be the protagonist” he had made unnecessary selection or tactical calls in certain big games that had backfired.

    It is not the first time the pair have not seen eye to eye.

    Their differing footballing philosophies clashed when Guardiola played under the pragmatic Capello at Roma more than two decades ago.

    Capello could not find an effective role for the Spaniard and repeatedly left him out of his side.

    Asked specifically about the Italian’s comments Guardiola had just a short answer.

    “I listen to everything that people say about me, everything, so be careful!” he said.

    “It’s not the first time Mr Fabio Capello has said that. I’m not good enough to ruin Italian football, it is very important. A big hug for Fabio.”

  • World champion Shields’ doping suspension lifted

    World champion Shields’ doping suspension lifted

    Three-weight undisputed world champion Claressa Shields has had her doping suspension lifted.

    The 29-year-old American tested positive for marijuana following her win over heavyweight Danielle Perkins on 3 February in Michigan.

    The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission which provisionally suspended Shields’ licence said she “provided evidence” on 6 March and that “her conduct no longer poses an imminent threat to the integrity of the sport, the public interest, or the welfare and safety of a contestant”.

    Shields wrote on X:, external “Officially unsuspended!

    “But y’all a little quiet! Ya’ll was real loud about me ‘supposedly’ smoking marijuana and being suspended!

    “No worries! And still an undisputed heavyweight champ.”

    Although Shields’ suspension was dissolved, the commission said that “does not close the enforcement action”, meaning she may face further sanctions.

    She could be fined or have her victory over Perkins overturned as a no-contest.

    Marijuana is banned in competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

    Shields denied using marijuana and said the tests showed only “trace” amounts.

  • Norris takes Melbourne pole with Hamilton eighth

    Norris takes Melbourne pole with Hamilton eighth

    Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri made it a McLaren one-two in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton took eighth on his Ferrari debut.

    Norris and Piastri made life difficult for themselves with mistakes on their first laps in the final part of qualifying, but both produced strong laps on their final runs.

    Briton Norris beat Australian Piastri by 0.084 seconds as both knocked early pace-setter Max Verstappen’s Red Bull down to third in Melbourne.

    Verstappen improved on his final run despite brushing the gravel in the fast chicane at Turns Nine and 10 and ended up 0.385secs off the pace, but managed to stay ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell in fourth.

    Hamilton was 0.218secs slower than team-mate Charles Leclerc as the Ferraris took the fourth row behind the impressive Racing Bull of Yuki Tsunoda and Williams of Alex Albon.

    Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Williams’ Carlos Sainz completed the top 10.

    Norris was pleased by his performance but his main concern was the race, for which rain is predicted.

    He said: “It’s the perfect way to start the year. Everyone at McLaren has done an amazing job to start with a one-two but it’s just qualifying, let’s see tomorrow, it’s going to be a tricky race but this is a good way to start.

    “The car is extremely quick and when you put it together it’s unbelievable but it’s difficult to put together.

    “Particularly after the first lap, when I went off and lost my lap, you’re in a tricky position – you need to risk it but not go too far because you can’t make a mistake. It’s a difficult balance. We know how quick Max and Red Bull are in the rain.”

    Hamilton said there was “a lot to dissect” before Sunday’s race, which starts at 04:00 GMT.

    “We will just get ours heads down and start finding out why we are not on pace with the front runners,” he told Sky Sports.

    “Tomorrow is going to be a challenge. I’ve never driven this car in the rain, I don’t even know the rain settings but I’ve got to go and study that tonight and it will be a learning experience again.”

    Verstappen happy with third after ‘tough’ Friday

    The final Briton on the grid, Haas driver Oliver Bearman, will start last after a difficult weekend.

    His gearbox failed on his first lap out of the pits in qualifying, after a crash in second practice and a spin into the gravel in the final session cost him track time at the start of his first full season.

    Of the six rookies on the grid, the most impressive performance came from Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, who out-qualified his experienced Sauber team-mate Nico Hulkenberg with 15th place, the German two spots further back.

    Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 18, and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson were both eliminated in the first part of qualifying. Antonelli, who will start 16th, said gravel on a kerb damaged the floor of his car, while Lawson went off track and is two places further back.

    World champion Verstappen said he did not believe he could have made the difference to beat the McLarens even with a perfect lap.

    “Yesterday was quite tough so to be in P3, I take that,” he said. “The qualifying laps were very exciting, a lot of good grip around here and some fast corners so that’s always very fun in an F1 car.

    “In the end the gap was quite big to them so it wouldn’t have made a difference in terms of position. Wet or dry, I don’t mind, but in the wet a lot of crazy things can happen.”

    Bearman rued his errors in practice as he digested his weekend so far.

    “I made my life very difficult by performing badly, not up to standard, in the practice sessions and the issue with the gearbox pretty much sums up the weekend,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

  • Arsenal & Bayern keen on Williams – Saturday’s gossip

    Arsenal & Bayern keen on Williams – Saturday’s gossip

    Arsenal and Bayern Munich are in competition to sign Spain winger Nico Williams, while Newcastle striker Alexander Isak says he is likely to speak to the club about a new contract.

    Bayern Munich have renewed their interest in signing Athletic Bilbao and Spain winger Nico Williams, 22, but will face competition from Arsenal. (Bild), external

    In-demand Newcastle and Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, says he will “probably” speak to the club about a new contract in the summer. (Mail), external

    Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Portugal Under-21 midfielder Dario Essugo, 20, from Sporting for £21m, following his loan spell this season at Las Palmas. (A Bola – in Portuguese), external

    Real Madrid are looking at Tottenham and Argentina defender Cristian Romero, 26, and Everton’s England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, 22, to reinforce their defence. (Teamtalk), external

    Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk, 33, who will be out of contract at Liverpool in the summer, says he must remain calm about his future at the club and that negotiations were being affected by “multiple factors”. (Express), external

    West Ham are plotting a move to sign Roma’s English striker Tammy Abraham, 27, in the summer window. (Football Insider), external

    AC Milan will not take up an option to buy Portugal forward Joao Felix, 25, from Chelsea for between 41m to 45m euros (£34.6m-£38m) when his loan deal finishes at the end of the season. (Calciomercato – in Italian), external

    Everton are plotting a move to sign Moroccan forward Hamza Igamane, 22, from Rangers in the summer. (Football Insider), external

    Liverpool will face competition from Arsenal to sign Germany winger Leroy Sane, 29, when his contract expires at Bayern Munich this summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

    Brighton expect offers of more than £20m for their Swedish midfielder Yasin Ayari, 21, who is attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. (Football Insider), external

    Barcelona are open to discussing a new deal with Polish former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, 34, in the coming weeks. (Fabrizio Romano), external

    Arsenal and Liverpool are among the clubs keen on signing Lyon’s Belgian winger Malick Fofana, 19, this summer. (CaughtOffside)

  • Abuse would lead me to walk away from Man Utd – Ratcliffe

    Abuse would lead me to walk away from Man Utd – Ratcliffe

    Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he would walk away from the club if he gets “abused” by fans in the same way the Glazer family have.

    The 72-year-old last year spent £1.3bn for a 28.94% stake in the club, in a deal which led to his company Ineos taking control of football operations.

    In an interview with the Sunday Times, external Ratcliffe said he “doesn’t mind being unpopular”.

    Last month, it was confirmed there would be a second round of redundancies at the club, which will result in up to 200 people losing their jobs in addition to the 250 who departed last year.

    There has also been a mid-season rise in some ticket prices, affecting under-16s and pensioners.

    On Tuesday Ratcliffe announced plans to build a new £2bn stadium with a 100,000 capacity.

    The unpopular Glazer family bought the club in 2005 via a leveraged takeover and retain a majority stake.

    “I mean, I can put up with it for a while,” Ratcliffe said. “I don’t mind being unpopular because I get that nobody likes seeing Manchester United down where they are, and nobody likes the decisions we’re having to make at the moment.

    “If I draw a bit of the ire, I can put up with that. But I’m no different to the average person. It’s not nice, particularly for friends and family.

    “So, eventually, if it reached the extent that the Glazer family have been abused, then I’d have to say, look, enough’s enough guys, let somebody else do this.

    Sir Jim Ratcliffe: The Interview

    “They can’t really come to a match, the Glazers. They’ve retreated into the shadows a bit now, so I’m getting all the stick.

    “We bought in and I haven’t seen them since. It’s, ‘thank you, Jim, you’re doing a really good job’.

    “At the moment, I don’t have security, I don’t have to walk around like that. But it would defeat the object, wouldn’t it? You couldn’t tolerate it at that level, it just wouldn’t be fun.”

    When Ratcliffe and Ineos joined the Old Trafford hierarchy, many fans welcomed the arrival of a boyhood fan and billionaire to help restore the club’s former glories.

    However, a year on, the relationship with some supporters has soured.

    Several moves taken by the club which have attracted criticism, with cost-cutting measures including the removal of free lunches for staff, culminating in a protest against United’s ownership by fans last weekend.

    Banners saying “we want our club back” and “£1bn stolen”, referring to the amount spent on servicing the debt loaded on to United when the Glazer family bought the club in 2005, were on display at the protest.

    United’s current total debt, including £300m in outstanding transfer fees, is in excess of £1bn. In the last financial year they paid £37m in interest on the debt.

  • Sabalenka routs Keys, books Indian Wells title clash with teen Andreeva

    Sabalenka routs Keys, books Indian Wells title clash with teen Andreeva

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka overwhelmed Madison Keys 6-0, 6-1 to reach the Indian Wells WTA 1000 final on Friday, avenging her loss to the fifth-ranked American in the Australian Open final.

    Sabalenka needed just 51 minutes to set up a title clash with Russian teen Mirra Andreeva, who beat defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-3.

    The Belarusian admitted she was out for revenge after Keys denied her a third straight Australian Open crown and she was dialed in from the first ball, roaring through the first set in 23 minutes.

    Keys was riding a 16-match winning streak that included a victory in Adelaide before her maiden major in Melbourne, but the fifth-ranked American couldn’t get a foot in the door.

    Sabalenka was untroubled by the cold, swirling wind on Stadium Court, winning the first 11 games before the mis-firing Keys held serve for 5-1 in the second.

    The American lifted her arms toward her box, where her husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo was trying to offer support, but minutes later Sabalenka had sealed the win.

    Sabalenka is in the Indian Wells final for the second time. She was runner-up to Elena Rybakina in 2023.

  • Slot eyes first Liverpool trophy against Newcastle in League Cup final

    Slot eyes first Liverpool trophy against Newcastle in League Cup final

    Liverpool can win the first trophy of the Arne Slot era in Sunday’s League Cup final against a Newcastle side desperate to end the club’s 56-year wait for major silverware.

    In the first final of the English domestic season, runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool head to Wembley aiming to erase the bitter taste of their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

    The Reds were beaten 4-1 on penalties by PSG in the last 16 second leg at Anfield.

    It was a rare blow in what has been a successful first season in charge for Slot, who arrived from Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp last year.

    Sitting 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, the Reds are within touching distance of a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020.

    That will be the culmination of Slot’s seamless transition to life with Liverpool.

    But first the Dutchman has his sights set on putting yet another League Cup in the Anfield trophy cabinet.

    Liverpool, who beat Chelsea in last season’s final, have won the League Cup a record 10 times and are looking to lift the trophy for a third time in four years.

    “You play games like this to win it, and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” said Slot, who will be without injured right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

    “We’re really looking forward to it because you cannot take a final for granted, especially not in this country with so many good teams.”

    Slot, who will be making his first ever visit to Wembley, hopes Liverpool can recover quickly from having their treble bid shattered by PSG.

    “It’s a great occasion to be in and especially after losing against Paris Saint-Germain. It’s maybe the perfect game,” he said.

    – ‘Chance to make history’ –

    Aside from a brief period when Kevin Keegan’s team challenged for the title in the 1990s, Newcastle have endured decades of underachievement and self-inflicted wounds that rendered them a laughing stock for long periods.

    All that changed in 2021 when a Saudi-backed consortium completed a takeover from unpopular owner Mike Ashley and quickly made the decision to hire Eddie Howe as their manager.

    Newcastle have been transformed from relegation candidates to contenders for silverware, with a Champions League appearance in 2023-24 underlining their revival.

    However, Newcastle are still waiting to win their first major trophy since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup — the predecessor to the Europa League.

    The Magpies’ last significant domestic prize was the 1955 FA Cup and they have lost a combined five finals in that competition and the League Cup since then.

    They have never won the League Cup, most recently losing the 2023 final against Manchester United.

    Since the Magpies lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 30 different English teams have won silverware, while Liverpool have clinched 38 major trophies in that time, including an FA Cup final success against Newcastle in the clubs’ last showpiece meeting in 1974.

    With the weight of history against them, Howe has urged his players to embrace the chance to become Newcastle legends by ending their trophy drought.

    “We want to break that wait for a trophy. It’s not a negative, he said.

    “We’re trying to look at it the other way round, it’s the chance to make history and be remembered positively.”

    Liverpool eased to a 2-0 win in their most recent Premier League clash with Newcastle in February.

    And the Magpies’ task is made even harder by the absence of suspended England forward Anthony Gordon and injured defenders Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles.

    But Howe is confident Newcastle will not freeze in front of a sell-out crowd and a television audience of millions around the world.

    “We’ve stayed competitive, in the main, in big games,” he said. “Our style, we have adaptability, but also we have a clear method.”

  • ‘Ball didn’t move’ – Simeone on controversial Alvarez penalty decision

    ‘Ball didn’t move’ – Simeone on controversial Alvarez penalty decision

    Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone cast suspicion on the decision to rule out Julian Alvarez’s penalty in his team’s Champions League defeat by Real Madrid on Wednesday.

    Los Blancos won 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw in the last 16 tie, with Alvarez slipping as he scored in the shoot-out. VAR ruled it out for a supposed double touch on the ball.

    “The referee said when Julian got to the penalty spot he touched the ball with his standing foot, but the ball did not move,” Simeone told reporters.

    “But beyond that, which now just serves to argue about whether it should have counted or not, I am proud of my players, I am happy, truly.

    “Why? Because we competed in an exemplary way. And yes, we could not beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, sure, we could not, but they had a really bad time (against us) again.”

    The Atletico coach said he wanted to believe the officials got the penalty decision right.

    “I’ve never seen a penalty where they’ve called the VAR, but well, they would have seen that he touched it, I want to believe, I want to believe they saw he touched it.”

    The coach asked members of the media to raise their hand if they had seen a replay in which it was clear Alvarez had touched the ball twice.

    “Raise your hand, anyone who saw Julian touch it twice, who is going to raise their hand? Nobody has raised their hand,” shouted Simeone.

    Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he felt the former Manchester City striker did touch the ball twice as he slipped.

    “In the end it’s a lottery, I felt a little that he had touched it twice, that’s what I told the referee, it is clearly not easy to see, but it’s a bit of bad luck for them there,” Courtois told Movistar.

    The Belgian goalkeeper criticised Atletico for complaining about the decision, but also appeared to take a swipe at his own club, who have been relentlessly attacking Spanish refereeing in recent weeks and claiming it is “rigged”.

    “I think UEFA saw it clearly — I’m sick of this victimhood, always crying about stuff like this, the refs don’t want to help particular teams, not in Spain, not in Europe,” Courtois told reporters.

    “They saw it clearly and that’s why they made that decision… they saw it clearly with VAR, they have a lot of images and cameras.”

    Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti also believed it was the correct decision.

    “They detected it, when we realised there was this doubt they had already detected it on VAR,” said Ancelotti. “I saw it, I think he touches it with his left foot, a second touch.”

  • WBO orders Usyk to defend title against Parker

    WBO orders Usyk to defend title against Parker

    Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning WBO, WBA, and WBC heavyweight champion, has been ordered by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) to defend his title against interim champion Joseph Parker.

    The fighters have 30 days to reach an agreement, or the WBO will schedule a purse-bid hearing.
    Parker (36-3, 24 KOs), a former WBO heavyweight champion from New Zealand, previously held the belt from 2016 to 2018 before losing it to Anthony Joshua. After setbacks, including a knockout loss to Joe Joyce in 2022, Parker regained momentum with key victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. In February, he stopped Martin Bakole in two rounds.
    Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), widely considered the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer, became undisputed heavyweight champion in May 2024 by defeating Tyson Fury via split decision, then secured a unanimous decision win in their December rematch.
    Despite the WBO order, Usyk is reportedly focused on a rematch with IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois. His promoter, Alex Krassyuk, confirmed that negotiations for Usyk vs. Dubois 2 are ongoing, with Wembley Stadium being considered as a venue.

  • UCL: Liverpool ‘ran out of luck’ against PSG, says Slot

    UCL: Liverpool ‘ran out of luck’ against PSG, says Slot

    Liverpool manager Arne Slot called his side’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday the “best game” he has been involved in, but conceded the Premier League leaders ran out of luck in a penalty shootout.

    PSG had dominated the first leg a week ago but arrived at Anfield 1-0 down after Harvey Elliott’s late winner snatched victory for the Reds at the Parc des Princes.

    The roles were reversed on Tuesday as Slot was left to bemoan Liverpool’s finishing either side of Ousmane Dembele’s 12th-minute opener.

    PSG then prevailed 4-1 on penalties after Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones saw their spot-kicks saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

    “It was the best game of football I have ever been involved in. It was an incredible performance, especially if you compare it with last week,” said Slot.

    “It had everything you wanted from a game. From a Liverpool perspective, we could have at least wanted a draw after 90 minutes.

    “We were creating chances and then we were 1-0 down. We ran out of luck after last week.”

    Liverpool topped the table in the new-look Champions League group phase after winning their opening seven games.

    Slot, though, questioned whether the new format rewards finishing top after being paired with one of Europe’s form sides in the last 16.

    “We go out in a way that we impressed Europe, but it is something to take into consideration how much it is worth to finish first in the league table if you face PSG in the next round,” added the Dutchman.

    “Of course it is a shock (to go out). I can say last season we weren’t involved in the Champions League, two seasons ago we went out against Madrid losing 5-2 at home.

    “If you have to go out, go out like we did against one of the best teams in Europe, making such a fight of it.”