Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel admits that potential government sanctions for club owner Roman Abramovich are distracting and worrying for him and his players.
Abramovich was named in parliament on Thursday as the UK government considers sanctions after Russia s invasion of Ukraine which may impact the Blues.
Labour MP Chris Bryant informed parliament from a leaked 2019 Home Office document that Abramovich had been identified for having links with the Russian state.
The 55-year-old Russian has owned Chelsea since 2003 and invested vast amounts into the European champions with Tuchel admitting the situation had left his mind clouded .
We should not pretend that this is not an issue and I agree,” Tuchel told reporters ahead of Sunday s EFL Cup final with …
Lionel Messi s failure to fully commit his future to Barcelona during a unique opportunity has left presidential candidate Agusti Benedito a worried man.
Argentine great Messi, the all-time leading scorer for Barca and in LaLiga, was the subject of a lengthy transfer saga prior to the 2020-21 season.
Left humiliated by Barca s 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, Messi announced his desire to leave Camp Nou, with Manchester City having been heavily tipped as his favoured destination.
Messi cited a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for free, but both Barca and LaLiga disputed his interpretation and, not wishing to drag the issue through the courts, the club captain stayed put.
The 33-year-old was heavily critical o…
Hamza Choudhury has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association (FA) over historical social media posts.
Leicester City midfielder Choudhury, 21, this week apologised for messages he wrote on Twitter in 2013 and 2014 that included references to race, suicide and women s football.
An FA statement read: It is alleged that the comments breach FA Rule E3(1) as they were abusive and/or insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute.
It is further alleged that the comments constitute an Aggravated Breach , which is defined in FA Rule E3(2), as they included reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or sexual orientation.
Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury has been charged with misconduct in relation to comments made on social…
Steven Gerrard would have loved the opportunity to play under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
The Reds icon scored 186 goals in 710 appearances for his boyhood club before switching to MLS side LA Galaxy in July 2015.
Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers in October of the same year and Gerrard – who now manages Scottish Premiership side Rangers – admits to wondering if he should have stayed at Anfield longer to work with the German.
I always had little thoughts as I ve gone along, he told Sky Sports. Should I have stayed at Liverpool? Should I have signed a year extension?
Maybe I might have been able to have that cameo under Jurgen Klopp as maybe a squad player.
These things always cross my mind but, look, I made decisions. I am very proud of m…
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will wait until after the World Cup to decide his future, but admitted he wanted to spend more time with his children in Madrid.
Courtois, who is contracted at Stamford Bridge until 2019, is linked with a move to European champions Real Madrid.
The former Atletico shot-stopper said being closer to his children in Madrid was crucial, although any decisions over his future will not be made until Belgium s World Cup campaign ends.
I love living in London. Madrid and London are great, Courtois said, via Sport, after his nation s last-16 win over Japan on Monday.
The only thing is that my children live in Madrid. I would like them to be close.
That doesn t mean I m going to come back, but for me they are very impo…
What do you get the man who has everything? Another top class centre-forward apparently.
Despite possessing arguably the most fearsome strikeforce in football history, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has hardly played down his determination to supplement Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar with an affordable alternative this summer.
However, with Kevin Gameiro, Luciano Vietto and Nolito all choosing first-team football over the Barca bench, there suddenly appears to be a paucity of options available to the LaLiga champions.
So, with just three weeks of the window remaining, we profile five possible answers to Luis Enrique s striker problem.
Mario Gomez – Fiorentina
After an injury-stricken stint in Serie A with Fiorentina, Gomez r…
Real Betis winger Joaquin rolled back the years on Sunday as he became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in LaLiga history.
The 38-year-old plundered three goals inside the opening 20 minutes in his side s clash with Athletic Bilbao at Estadio Benito Villamarin.
His treble takes his LaLiga tally for the season to six goals – the same as his total from last season and the most he has scored in a domestic campaign since 2003-04.
Joaquin – capped 51 times by Spain – started his career at Betis before moving to Valencia in 2006. He then enjoyed spells at Malaga and Fiorentina before returning to Los Verdiblancos in 2015.
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Real Madrid are considering making an offer for Tottenham Hotspur s Christian Eriksen in January, one that would include Luka Modric going the other way, according to El Desmarque.
While the primary wish of head coach Zinedine Zidane has always been Paul Pogba of Manchester United, Eriksen, along with Donny van de Beek of Ajax, has been considered as an alternative. But with United adamant that Pogba is going nowhere in January and Van de Beek ruling out a mid-season move himself, it seems Eriksen remains the only realistic target for the winter. His contract expires in the summer, and if a new one isn t signed by then, he will be able to agree a free summer switch from January. Therefore, Spurs are likely to be willing to do a deal in order to get at least some compensation fo…
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On Thursday evening, the first leg of the second-round Europa Conference League qualifying duel, between NK Celje and Vitoria Guimaraes will take place in Slovenia. It will be played at the Stadion Z dezele, located in Celje, Slovenia.
NK Celje
Celje have already started their 2023/24 season, with a draw against Aluminij in the Slovenian top division last weekend, during the first matchday of the championship. Their friendly matches campaign was rather interesting, with a total record of 2 victories, 4 draws, and only one defeat.
Having finished second to rivals Olimpija Ljubljana in the Slovenian Prva Liga, Celje took Olimpija s manager Albert Riera for their own, hoping he can repeat the success he achieved with the team from…
Andrea Agnelli has been named the new head of the European Club Association (ECA), the organisation confirmed on Tuesday.
The Juventus president will replace Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who has held the position since 2008 but has decided to step down.
My predecessor, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, has set a great example and has set the bar of achievements at a very high level, Agnelli said following his appointment.
I am looking forward, together with the Executive Board and the Administration, to build on his significant results as we manage ECA in the coming years.
It is a huge honour and a great responsibility the European clubs have entrusted me with. I am looking forward to working closely with all stakeholders within the game in order to protect, promot…