Football Blog (Page 143)

[ad_1] Manchester United host Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening in the first competitive meeting between these iconic clubs in the 21st century. When these sides last met in February 1999, Nottingham Forest had won more European Cups (two) than Manchester United (one). En route to levelling that tally of big-eared trophies, the Red Devils romped to a humiliating 8-1 victory at the City Ground. This fixture may be the setting for one of the greatest substitute performances in Premier League history – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came off the bench to score four goals that afternoon – but the starters are the focus for now. Here’sRead More →

[ad_1] 2022 World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak has revealed the incident he believes he got wrong during Argentina’s triumph over France. An action-packed game eventually saw La Albiceleste emerge victorious on penalties, though not before Kylian Mbappe had dragged Les Bleus back into the contest with a hat trick. The World Cup had a number of questionable moments from referees but Marciniak’s performance largely drew praise. He awarded three penalties, cautioned Marcus Thuram for diving and spent little time consulting VAR. However, he has now revealed the one error he thinks he made during the final at Lusail Iconic Stadium. “Of course, there wereRead More →

[ad_1] La Liga marks its return from a lengthy hiatus at the end of 2022 with its two most notorious outfits well-placed to duel for the league title. El Clasico rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid currently sit first and second in the table respectively, with Xavi’s Blaugrana attempting to return the title to Catalonia for the first time since 2019. Los Blancos, the current holders of both La Liga and the Champions League, are just two points adrift of their fiercest rivals and seemingly well-placed to usurp the current leaders during the second half of the season. While the likes of Real Sociedad, Athletic ClubRead More →

[ad_1] 90min rounds up the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip circulating around the world… Chelsea are growing confident of completing a £30m deal for Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile. (The Athletic) Former Barcelona and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is set to sign a two-year contract with Brazilian side Gremio. (César Luis Merlo) Liverpool fear completing a deal for Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham could be too complicated. (AS) The agent of Real Valladolid wonderkid Ivan Fresneda says he is ready to move to a top European side. (TuttoJuve) Marko Arnautovic has claimed Jose Mourinho wanted to sign him for Manchester United but the club didn’tRead More →

[ad_1] Former Inter Miami midfielder Blaise Matuidi has announced his retirement from professional soccer. The 35-year-old joined the Herons in June 2020, going on to register two goals and two assists in 47 MLS regular-season appearances. However, his move was surrounded by controversy as Inter Miami broke league rules to make the deal happen, while Matuidi last played for the club back in November 2021. “Football, I loved you so much. Football, you gave me so much, but the time has come to say stop,” Matuidi wrote on social media. “I accomplished my dreams as a child, my dreams as a man. It is withRead More →

[ad_1] St. Louis CITY SC have added to their inaugural roster with the signing of midfielder Njabulo Blom from South African side Kaizer Chiefs FC. Arriving for an undisclosed fee, Blom has signed a two-year deal with St. Louis through the 2024 MLS season with the club holding options for 2025 and 2026. “We are excited to bring a young South African national team player like Blom to our squad and St. Louis,” St. Louis sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel said in a club press release. “His ball-winning, super-aggressive, warrior qualities as a central defensive midfielder match what we are looking for in our philosophy. Blom’sRead More →

[ad_1] The 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be eagerly awaited for several reasons. No date has been set for football’s biggest individual prize to be handed out as yet, but it will be the first year to take into account the change in the award criteria away from a full calendar year. Previously, a player’s achievements from January to December in a given year were what the Ballon d’Or was based on, which rather confusingly made it two half seasons. Now, however, a typical full club season from one summer to the next is the timeframe things will be judged on. Right in the middleRead More →

[ad_1] Rafael Leao has spoken about his future at AC Milan as transfer rumours continue to swirl around the Portuguese’s future at the club. The 23-year-old forward has blossomed over the last couple of years into one of the star players at San Siro, scoring 14 goals last season and forcing his way into the Portugal setup. Leao was part of the Portugal side that reached the World Cup quarter-finals, scoring twice in the process including a stunning strike against Switzerland in the Round of 16. Chelsea have made Leao a top target and 90min understands that the Blues were boosted when he recently turnedRead More →

[ad_1] Every now and then, Barcelona get really excited about an academy prospect. The next player to have captivated the Camp Nou officials is 15-year-old forward Lamine Yamal, who has already caught Xavi’s eye and is a regular feature in first-team training sessions despite his tender age. Before he becomes a household name, however, here’s a little cheat sheet for you to get to know Yamal. Born in Catalonia, Yamal was snapped up by the Barcelona academy before his fifth birthday and has gone on to astound every coach he has worked with. Club officials devised a plan to put him out of his comfortRead More →

[ad_1] Celtic will spend Christmas Day nine points clear at the summit of the Scottish Premiership after an emphatic 4-1 victory over St. Johnstone at Celtic Park. Ange Postecoglou’s side have been imperious in the league this season, winning 17 of their 18 matches and losing just once, and they carried that form into today’s match despite facing a St. Johnstone side in good form. Reo Hatate gave the Bhoys the lead inside the opening quarter of an hour and from then onwards it was essentially a procession, with Kyogo Furuhashi doubling the advantage only four minutes later. It was a great day at theRead More →