Category: Sports

  • Champions League: Arsenal stun Real Madrid 3-0 as Rice delivers free-kick masterclass

    Champions League: Arsenal stun Real Madrid 3-0 as Rice delivers free-kick masterclass

    Declan Rice scored two scintillating free-kicks as Arsenal beat holders Real Madrid 3-0 in their Champions League quarter final first leg on Tuesday.

    Mikel Merino added Arsenal’s third goal before Real’s Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for kicking the ball away in the closing minutes to leave the Spanish giants in disarray.

    The brilliance of Rice’s brace cannot be understated, with even Real keeper Thibaut Courtois — usually so inspired on Champions League nights — unable to get anywhere near the England midfielder’s thunderbolts.

    Incredibly, Rice had never scored a free-kick in his career before the first of his missiles hit the back of the Real net.

    It was no more than Arsenal deserved for a mature performance that exposed injury-hit Real in ruthless style.

    Mikel Arteta’s men will travel to the Bernabeu for the second leg on April 16 as firm favourites to advance to a semi-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa, who meet in their quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

    The Gunners have not reached the Champions League semi-finals since 2009, but that target is now within their grasp after an evening that will go down as one of the most memorable in the club’s storied history.

    Arteta had labelled the clash with Real as the “biggest night” of his career as he urged his players to write their own history by winning Arsenal’s first Champions League crown.

    They rose to the challenge so successfully that even Arteta might have been surprised.

    Arsenal trail Premier League leaders Liverpool by 11 points and look destined to finish as runners-up for a third successive season.

    But the Champions League now offers Arteta genuine hope of a first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, providing they can finish the job in Madrid next week.

    Beaten by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals last season, Arsenal’s only Champions League final appearance ended in defeat against Barcelona in 2006 — a run that included a last 16 victory over Real.

    For Real, it was a chastening defeat as the 15-time European champions were punished for the flaws that had already seen them beaten 10 times in all competitions this term as they lag four points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

    – Arsenal in dreamland –

    Jude Bellingham was largely anonymous and Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior posed only sporadic threats after a promising start.

    Vinicius Junior threatened in the opening stages, curling wide after Mbappe picked him out inside the Arsenal area.

    Mbappe’s electric pace took him clear of the Arsenal defence in another lightning raid, but the France star shot straight at David Raya.

    Arsenal showed no signs of being cowed by Real’s star-studded attack and Rice’s towering header from Jurrien Timber’s cross forced a fine save from Thibaut Courtois, who scrambed across to keep out Gabriel Martinelli’s effort from the rebound.

    Mbappe lashed into the side-netting from an acute angle, but Real were unable to match Arsenal’s intensity in the second half and the Gunners deservedly took the lead in the 58th minute.

    Rice stepped up 25 yards from goal and whipped a sublime free-kick around the Real wall and into the far corner.

    It was a stunning strike that even former Real defender and set-piece maestro Roberto Carlos, watching from the Emirates stands, would have been proud of.

    Arsenal almost struck again in a remarkable sequence that saw Courtois save Martinelli’s blast before Merino’s shot from the rebound was hacked off the line by David Alaba and Courtois again denied Merino.

    Real were on the ropes and Rice landed another devastating blow in the 70th minute, lashing an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner from 20 yards as Courtois grasped at thin air.

    As the ecstatic Arsenal fans roared “Declan Rice, we got him half praise”, that reference to his £105 million fee didn’t seem like hyperbole for once.

    Arsenal weren’t finished yet and Merino put Arsenal in dreamland five minutes later with a clinical finish from 12 yards as the Emirates turned into a roiling red sea of celebration.

  • Man Utd to play friendly in Hong Kong after 12 years

    Man Utd to play friendly in Hong Kong after 12 years

    Manchester United will play friendly matches in Malaysia and Hong Kong three days after the end of the Premier League season, the club said Tuesday.

    Ruben Amorim’s side will face an ASEAN All-Star XI team in Kuala Lumpur on May 28 and the Hong Kong representatives on May 30.

    They will finish what has been another disappointing Premier League campaign on May 25 at home to Aston Villa.

    United last visited Asia when they played Liverpool in Thailand in July 2022.

    They will take part in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States ahead of the 2025-2026 season.

    Chief executive Omar Berrada said: “Importantly, tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch.”

    Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool previously announced they will visit Hong Kong in July.

    United, who currently languish 13th in the Premier League, last visited the Chinese city in 2013.

    The Hong Kong team is managed by former United youth team player Ashley Westwood and is ranked 153rd in the world.

    AFP

  • De Bruyne confirms he’ll leave Man City at end of season

    De Bruyne confirms he’ll leave Man City at end of season

    Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne confirmed on Friday that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

    De Bruyne, 33, has won 14 major trophies since joining City from Wolfsburg in 2015, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.

    “Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first,” De Bruyne said in a post on social media.

    “Football led me to all of you – and to this city. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life. This City. This club. These people… gave me EVERYTHING. I had no choice but to give EVERYTHING back! And guess what – we won everything.”

    The Belgian international has been instrumental in City’s rise to the dominant force in English football.

    He was twice crowned players’ player of the year in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 and is second in the Premier League’s all-time standings for assists on 118.

    His contract is due to expire at the end of June but it remains unclear whether he will continue to see out his days as a City player at the Club World Cup, which runs from June 14 until July 13.

    “Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter,” De Bruyne added. “Let’s enjoy these last moments together!

  • Lewandowski, Mbappe duel fuelling tight La Liga title race

    Lewandowski, Mbappe duel fuelling tight La Liga title race

    Just three points separate leaders Barcelona from Real Madrid at the top of La Liga in a gripping campaign and three goals also divide their main marksmen.

    Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski is the division’s top goalscorer with 25 and Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe trails him on 22, adding another facet to the engrossing battle.

    The Catalans host soaring Real Betis, sixth, on Saturday, shortly after champions Real Madrid welcome relegation-battling Valencia to the Santiago Bernabeu.

    Last weekend after Mbappe notched twice against Leganes as Madrid scraped a 3-2 win, Lewandowski responded with a brace of his own in Barcelona’s 4-1 rout of Girona.

    In the final stages his team spurned opportunities to score more goals and Lewandowski highlighted that.

    “In the last minutes there was more space and more chance of scoring,” noted the 36-year-old Poland international.

    “If we had a better final ball we could have scored one or two more goals.”

    Lewandowski has netted nine goals in his last nine league games and has 38 strikes from 43 matches across all competitions.

    Despite his age, he believes he still has the quality to make the difference at an elite club for years to come.

    “I know a lot of people are talking abut my age, but I’m working since (I was) 21, 22, until now and I want to play more years at the top level.

    “I feel very good physically, I think looking at the stats there’s no difference now to a few years ago.”

    Barcelona coach Hansi Flick insisted the striker was focused on team success as well as battling for Spain’s “Pichichi” award.

    “He’s fit, he’s 100 percent, I know he wants to win the Pichichi,” said Flick.

    “But like I’ve always said the most important thing is the team… and this is what I can feel more, that he thinks about the team and focuses on the team and helps the team.”

    Not far behind him is Mbappe, who boasts 33 goals in 46 games this season , equalling the tally Cristiano Ronaldo produced in his first season for Real Madrid.

    Mbappe idolised the Portuguese striker, who joined Los Blancos in 2009 from Manchester United and said it was “very special” to match him.

    Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said this week Mbappe could go on to become a “legend” like Ronaldo was at the Santiago Bernabeu.

    The Al-Nassr striker netted 450 goals to become Real Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer.

    Mbappe said he is not setting limits for himself this season in terms of goals, while Vinicius Junior said in January Madrid players would do “everything we can to make (Mbappe) the top scorer in all competitions”.

    Valencia’s visit offers a decent chance to bolster his numbers as Los Che trio Jose Gaya, Luis Rioja and Dimitri Foulquier were all booked last weekend and will miss the game.

    No player has scored more league goals in 2025 than Mbappe with 12, ahead of Lewandowski’s seven.

    Player to watch: Ayoze Perez

    Villarreal and Spain striker Perez has been in superb form this season when he has been able to play in between a few spells out injured. The former Newcastle and Leicester forward has netted 12 goals in 22 league games for his club and the Yellow Submarine, fifth, will need him at his best as they host fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Perez netted and set up another goal as Villarreal beat Getafe last weekend.

    Key stats

    3 – games Valencia have lost under Carlos Corberan in La Liga from 12 played, a drastic improvement on nine defeats in their first 17.

    7 – Osasuna’s Ante Budimir has converted all of the penalties he has taken this season in the top flight.

    521 – appearances for Antoine Griezmann in La Liga, more than any other player from abroad after overtaking Lionel Messi last weekend.

    Fixtures

    Friday

    Rayo Vallecano v Espanyol (1900)

    Saturday

    Girona v Alaves (1200), Real Madrid v Valencia (1415), Mallorca v Celta Vigo (1730), Barcelona v Real Betis (1900)

    Sunday

    Las Palmas v Real Sociedad (1200), Sevilla v Atletico Madrid (1415), Valladolid v Getafe (1630), Villarreal v Athletic Bilbao (1900)

    Monday

    Leganes v Osasuna (1900)

  • ‘Bad idea’ for 2030 World Cup to have 64 teams, says UEFA

    ‘Bad idea’ for 2030 World Cup to have 64 teams, says UEFA

    UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Thursday it would be “a bad idea” for FIFA to expand the World Cup to 64 nations for the 2030 tournament.

    The 2026 edition in the United States, Mexico and Canada will already see the format increase from 32 teams to 48.

    But the head of the Uruguayan football federation, Ignacio Alonso, suggested further expanding the tournament at the last FIFA Council meeting in March.

    Football’s global governing body said it “had a duty to analyse” the proposal, which European chief Ceferin denounced at UEFA’s congress in Belgrade.

    “It’s maybe even more surprising for me than for you. I think it’s a bad idea,” Ceferin said.

    “I think it’s not a good idea for the World Cup itself and it’s not a good idea for our qualifiers as well, as you know.

    “So, I’m not supporting that idea. I don’t know where it came from. It’s strange that we didn’t know anything before this proposal at the FIFA Council.”

    The 2030 World Cup will be played in three continents, with Portugal, Spain and Morocco the main hosts.

    There will also be three matches in South America — in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay — to celebrate the centenary edition. The inaugural World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay.

    That decision paved the way for Saudi Arabia to hold the 2034 event.

  • Ancelotti’s tax trial wraps up in Spain with prosecutors seeking jail

    Ancelotti’s tax trial wraps up in Spain with prosecutors seeking jail

    Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti’s tax fraud trial wrapped up Thursday in Spain, with public prosecutors seeking he be jailed for four years and nine months for allegedly hiding income from the tax office.

    Ancelotti — who as a coach has won a record five Champions League trophies including three with Real Madrid — is accused of failing to pay more than one million euros ($1.1 million) due to undeclared earnings from image rights in 2014 and 2015 during his first spell at the club.

    Prosecutors allege the 65-year-old set up a “confusing” and “complex” system of shell companies to hide his extra earnings during this time from his image rights and other sources such as real estate, and only reported his salary.

    “We consider the acts of fraud, concealment and omission to be proven,” the lead prosector told the High Court of Justice in Madrid in his closing arguments, adding Ancelotti’s claim that he was not aware of what was happening is “difficult” to believe.

    He maintained his demand that Ancelotti be jailed for four years and nine months. Under Spain’s legal system, prosecutors can add or drop charges, and alter the penalty they are seeking, depending on the evidence that is presented during a trial.

    Ancelotti, 65, denied having intentionally committed tax fraud when he took the stand on Wednesday on the first day of the trial.

    He told the court that on the advice of the club, a firm was set up when he joined Real Madrid so he could collect 15 percent of his annual salary of six million euros in image rights, and that he never realised that this allowed him to pay less tax.

    “At that time, all the players and coaches were doing it that way, it seemed like the right thing to do,” he said, adding former Real coach Jose Mourinho had a similar arrangement.

    “I never realised that something wasn’t right” until 2018 when the public prosecutor’s office opened a probe into his finances, the Real Madrid coach said.

    – ‘Public humiliation’ –

    During his closing arguments on Thursday, Ancelotti’s lawyer, Carlos Zabala, said Real Madrid was responsible for “the contractual nonsense” that caused his client’s problems by seeking to pay part of his salary through image rights to have “a more convenient taxation”.

    “Mr.Ancelotti did not fully understand what he was signing,” he added, asking the court to acquit the Real coach.

    The case could have been settled without going to trial but Spanish tax authorities wanted to submit Ancelotti to a “public humiliation”, Zabala said.

    Previous cases involving footballers have resulted in suspended sentences, often via an out-of-court settlement.

    Spain has cracked down in recent years on football stars who have not paid their due.

    Mourinho received a one-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud in 2019.

    Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were both found guilty of tax evasion and received prison sentences that were waived for being first-time offenders.

    – Shakira settlement –

    Colombian superstar artist Shakira in 2023 agreed a three-year suspended sentence and paid 7.3 million euros in fines to settle a tax fraud case and avoid trial.

    Prosecutors had accused the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer of defrauding the Spanish state of 14.5 million euros on income earned between 2012 and 2014, charges Shakira had denied, saying she only moved to Spain full-time in 2015.

    She was in a relationship at the time with Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

    Ancelotti took over at Real Madrid in 2013, leaving in May 2015, before being appointed by Bayern Munich the following year.

    The former Italy international midfielder, who as a player won the European Cup twice with AC Milan, later managed Napoli and Everton before returning to Real Madrid in 2021.

    Aside from his success in the Champions League, he has won domestic league titles with Madrid and Milan, in England with Chelsea, in Germany with Bayern Munich and in France with Paris Saint-Germain.

  • FIFA Ranking: Nigeria move up one spot but slip out of Africa’s top 5

    FIFA Ranking: Nigeria move up one spot but slip out of Africa’s top 5

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles have dropped out of the top five teams in Africa, as the latest FIFA rankings see reigning Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Cote d’Ivoire overtake them for fifth place on the continent.

    The rankings, released on Thursday, reflect Nigeria’s inconsistent form in recent months, with the three-time African champions now ranked sixth in Africa.

    Since their heartbreaking loss to Cote d’Ivoire in the AFCON final in February, the Super Eagles have struggled for consistency.

    In their last 11 matches across all competitions, Nigeria has won just four, drawn four, and lost three.

    Their 2025 campaign started on a high note with a solid 2-0 away victory against Rwanda in the World Cup qualifiers.

    However, they failed to build on that momentum, settling for a disappointing 1-1 draw at

    home against Zimbabwe in March.

    Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire has been in exceptional form, winning eight of their last 11 games.

    Their recent 1-0 victories over Burundi and Gambia have strengthened their position in the race for the 2026 World Cup, securing 16 points and maintaining their lead in their qualifying group ahead of Gabon.

    This strong performance has propelled the Elephants into Africa’s top five, alongside Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria.

    Global Rankings: Nigeria Makes Slight Progress

    Despite their drop in Africa’s pecking order, the Super Eagles have moved up one spot globally, climbing from 44th to 43rd in the latest FIFA rankings.

    However, this minor improvement has not been enough to keep them among the continent’s top teams.

    At the international level, Argentina remains the world’s top-ranked team, followed by France, England, Brazil, and Spain.

    The rest of the global top 10 includes the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, and Germany.

    Africa’s Top 10 FIFA Rankings:

    Morocco

    Senegal

    Egypt

    Algeria

    Cote d’Ivoire

    Nigeria

    Tunisia

    Cameroon

    Mali

    South Africa

  • ‘That was for you, Keelan’ – Grealish dedicates goal to late brother

    ‘That was for you, Keelan’ – Grealish dedicates goal to late brother

    An emotional Jack Grealish dedicated his first Premier League goal in almost 16 months to his younger brother Keelan on the 25th anniversary of his death.

    On his first league start since December, the Manchester City midfielder scored a second-minute opener in the 2-0 win against Leicester at Etihad Stadium.

    As he celebrated, it seemed Grealish was simply happy at marking a rare start with an even rarer league goal, ending a long wait since the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on 16 December 2023.

    It was only after the final whistle he revealed the poignant family anniversary he was marking.

    Grealish was four years of age when brother Keelan died in April 2000, aged just nine months due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

    The England midfielder spoke about the anniversary of Keelan’s death when talking to BBC Sport after the game.

    “My little brother passed away 25 years ago today,” he said. “This day is hard on the family.

    “My mum and dad were here, so to score and to win was brilliant.”

    Grealish later paid a tribute on Instagram, external, writing: “With me always especially this day … that was for you Keelan.”

    City manager Pep Guardiola said he was unaware of the anniversary but paid tribute to Grealish’s compassionate nature. The 29-year-old has a sister, Holly, 21, who has cerebral palsy.

    “Jack is an incredible human being,” said Guardiola. “He is incredibly generous.

    “I didn’t know that and I can’t imagine how tough it can be with mum and dad and sister. It is good they remember him, this day. I am sure they remember him every single day. But it is good to score.”

    It remains to be seen whether Grealish’s selection in the number 10 role was because Guardiola was resting key players – such as Phil Foden and Kevin de Bruyne – for Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford when City will look to avenge United’s victory at the Etihad in December.

    However, this was a useful opportunity for Grealish to push his claims for a regular starting spot in a team that has misfired badly this season and is now facing at least five weeks without its main goal threat in Erling Haaland, who is injured.

    The belief is that Grealish, who has two years left on his contract, will decide his future in the summer as Guardiola prepares for another extensive recruitment campaign, potentially either side of the Club World Cup in June and July.

    Guardiola did not feel Grealish played at the same level against Leicester in the number 10 position as he did in his usual left-side role against Championship strugglers Plymouth in the FA Cup fifth round last month.

    “He is comfortable playing on the side but he likes to play in the middle because he used to play free,” said the City boss. “He has ability to control the ball and pass between the lines.

    “I know it is not easy when you don’t play regularly. He was really good against Plymouth, much better than today, but I am happy for him. It is not easy for the people in the middle when they defend low.”

  • Former rugby player Petaia signs with Chargers

    Former rugby player Petaia signs with Chargers

    Former Australia rugby player Jordan Petaia has signed with NFL team the Los Angeles Chargers.

    Petaia, 25, played in 31 Tests and at two Rugby World Cups for the Wallabies.

    He has joined the Chargers as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) after training for 10 weeks at the IMG Academy in Florida.

    Petaia turned his attention to American football after ending his rugby career in December after six years playing for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby.

    The Chargers said he would now work with tight ends coach and run game co-ordinator Andy Bischoff alongside the team’s other tight ends.

    Petaia, who became Australia’s youngest player at a World Cup when he made his debut aged 19 against Uruguay in Japan in 2019, has said playing in the NFL was a dream he shared with his father, who died in 2020.

    “He’d be looking down and shouting at me to take the opportunity. I think I probably would have regretted it if I didn’t,” Petaia said last year.

    The NFL’s IPP programme launched in 2017 and is designed to offer elite athletes with experience in other sports the opportunity to earn a place on an NFL roster.

  • Mourinho grabs Galatasaray boss’s nose in post-match clash

    Mourinho grabs Galatasaray boss’s nose in post-match clash

    Galatasaray have accused Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho of “physically attacking” their manager Okan Buruk after he appeared to grab his nose following a fiery derby in the Turkish Cup.

    The incident occurred after the final whistle at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, when both managers were interacting with the match officials in the centre circle.

    Mourinho approached Buruk from behind and appeared to pinch his nose, causing the Galatasaray manager to fall to the floor with his hands covering his face.

    “Our manager Okan and Mourinho congratulated the referees. After that, while Okan was continuing, Mourinho first verbally and then physically attacked him,” Galatasaray’s vice-president Metin Ozturk said.

    “Where else in the world can he do this? What does he think of Turkey?

    “I believe that Fenerbahce’s management will impose the necessary sanction before the federation does.”

    Galatasaray won the Turkish Cup quarter-final tie 2-1 with Victor Osimhen scoring twice for the visitors.

    BBC Sport has contacted Fenerbahce for a response.

    Buruk, who enjoyed two spells at Galatasaray as a player before returning as manager in 2022, played down the incident at his post-match news conference.

    “There was nothing between me and Mourinho,” Buruk said.

    “He pinched my nose from behind. There was a slight scratch. Of course, it wasn’t a very nice or elegant thing to do.

    “We expect managers to behave more appropriately in such situations. I won’t exaggerate this issue, but it wasn’t a classy move.”

    Fenerbahce substitute Mert Yandas and Galatasaray substitutes Kerem Demirbay and Baris Yilmaz were shown red cards for their part in a melee between the two benches during stoppage time.

    Following a goalless draw between the two clubs in the Turkish Super Lig in February, Galatasaray said they would “initiate criminal proceedings” against Mourinho after claiming he made “racist statements”.

    The Turkish Football Federation also handed Mourinho a four-game ban and a fine of £35,194 for two separate disciplinary matters.

    Mourinho responded by launching a lawsuit against Galatasaray “due to the attack on the personal rights” of the Portuguese.