Bukix (Page 249)

Carlo Ancelotti says it is up to him to find a way to manage Marco Asensio after the Real Madrid star expressed his anger at a lack of playing time. The Spanish international has been restricted to just 17 minutes on the pitch so far this season, but he looked set for a run-out from the bench in the 4-1 win over Mallorca. However, despite instructing Asensio to warm-up, Ancelotti turned to Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga instead. That provoked an expression of frustration from Asensio, who tossed his training bib to the ground, kicked a cooler box and threw his waterRead More →

Chelsea have spoken with Luis Campos as part of their search for a new sporting director, 90min understands. Former Blues chief Marina Granovskaia left the club shortly following Todd Boehly’s takeover, leaving the new co-owner to operate as interim sporting director during the summer transfer window, in which he spent close to £300m to bolster his new squad. The plan was always to find a more-experienced head to take over from Boehly once the dust from the transfer window had settled and now Chelsea are focused on sorting out their recruitment team – a process in which new manager Graham Potter will help. Sources haveRead More →

The Manchester United squad believe Cristiano Ronaldo will push for a move away from the club in January, regardless of how Erik ten Hag’s side are performing. N’Golo Kante has rejected Chelsea‘s opening offer of a new contract. The 31-year-old wants a guaranteed three-year deal with the option for a further 12 months, but the new regime are reluctant to make such a long-term commitment. The Blues are planning a move for AC Milan forward Rafael Leao in 2023 and have been boosted by news that talks over a new contract for the Portugal international have stalled over wage demands. Liverpool and Man Utd willRead More →

The Washington Spirit are back on track.  The reigning NWSL champions won their first game since May 1 on Saturday, as goals from Tara McKeown, Ashley Hatch and Amber Brooks inspired the 4-3 triumph over the San Diego Wave. Hatch sealed the victory with a last-minute penalty kick in extra time, stepping up to the spot before sending the ball to the lower left corner of the goal. “I was grateful the team gave me the opportunity to step up and put the game away,” said Hatch after the match. “It was just a lot of relief when Hatchy slotted it in and the whistleRead More →

Juventus came from behind to snatch a dramatic point but were denied a late winner by an offside call in chaotic full-time scenes that saw three players sent off on Sunday night. Antonio Candreva arrived at the back stick to finish before a penalty from Krzysztof Piatek put the visitors 2-0 up. Gleison Bremer pulled one back and Leonardo Bonucci converted on the rebound to equalise in injury time. Arkadiusz Milik looked to have nodded in the winner but the effort was disallowed for offside, sparking mauls which saw Milik, Juan Cuadrado and Federico Fazio sent off. Minnows Salernitana looked dangerous from the off asRead More →

Love it or hate it, VAR is here to stay. In the Premier League, technology has been accepted in the modern game and steps are being taken to improve officiating in football. However, referees are still learning how to implement the new methods, leading to some serious teething issues – issues which show no sign of being solved anytime soon. Here’s how the process came into use in the Premier League. A VAR is a video assistant referee in a football match who reviews decisions made by the on-field referee. They watch highlights via a high number of screens and review events in slow motionRead More →

Jordan Pickford has been ruled out until after the international break due to an injury caused by his own kicking. The goalkeeper sustained a thigh injury during Everton’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool last weekend, with club doctors fearing that the injury is actually rather bizarrely self-inflicted. Pickford kept a clean sheet and continued to show off magnificent form during the stalemate, but is now set to miss out on any football that does get played until after the break. Due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, all English football was suspended this weekend and looks likely to be suspended again next weekend,Read More →

After taking over D.C. United as head coach, Wayne Rooney vowed to highlight the homegrown talent on the roster. He promised to rejuvenate the squad, and take into consideration the academy talent that long formed part of the D.C. United organization.  On Saturday night, Rooney followed through. The head coach started 15-year-old defender Matai Akinmboni against Real Salt Lake.  “I think I’m a man of my word,” Rooney grinned after the match. “What I said to the players when I came in was ‘If you perform well in training, you’ll get your chance to play.’ He [Matai] has been excellent in training and he deservedRead More →

Tottenham have confirmed that their Champions League match with Sporting CP will go ahead after accidentally listing it as postponed on their website. The Premier League’s weekend fixtures were all postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and it has been unclear whether the mid-week European matches involving British clubs will go ahead. It looked as though Spurs’ clash with Sporting wouldn’t when fans spotted that it was listed as postponed on the English club’s website, two days before it’s scheduled to take place. However, they’ve now announced that listing was a technical error and that the match in Lisbon will indeed be goingRead More →

Neymar has hailed Lionel Messi as the best player ever and Kyle Walker as the toughest opponent he’s come up against. Neymar and Messi have played together for the majority of the Brazilian’s time in European football, being teammates for four years at Barcelona before reuniting at PSG last season. The two players have developed a strong connection both on and off the pitch in that time, becoming good friends and winning a multitude of trophies. Given that, it’s no surprise to hear that the 30-year-old thinks the Argentine is the greatest player of all time. “Playing alongside Leo was a unique experience and weRead More →