Manchester United are already considering alternatives to Erik ten Hag, despite no current plans to sack him. The Glazers-led hierarchy are understood to have concerns over Ten Hag’s recruitment, with a number of figures unhappy at the players being targeted and even more worried about why they are being targeted. The club could end up removing Ten Hag from transfer duties, given so many of his deals are being done through the SEG agency. Despite reports that the Glazers will not sack Ten Hag during the season, the United hierarchy…

If the lack of a center-forward as efficient and classy as Karim Benzema in the second half of the season was already a problem for Real Madrid, the dome of the Santiago Bernabéu has definitely not considered this solution after the last demonstrations of the French striker. They were quite sure that the Frenchman would renew for a year with Real Madrid, the offer they made him a few weeks ago, especially after they knew of Benzema’s decision the day before the last game of the competition last season. However,…

England will refuse to play any Russian youth teams following UEFA’s decision to partially reintegrate Russia into football, The Times has learned. UEFA’s executive committee decided on Tuesday to readmit some Russian football and said that “children should not be deprived of the opportunity to play football”. However, the Football Association is understood to be against UEFA’s move and will stick to its stance of not playing any Russian national teams, at youth or senior level. The travel issues facing Russian citizens in Europe — with visa difficulties and limited…

In a podcast appearance, Wayne Rooney has named Darren Fletcher as his best ever teammate, while Nani is the most difficult one he played with. “My best teammate, I would say Darren Fletcher,” Rooney said. “There are a few – O’Shea, Brown, Carrick. We were all very close, but Fletch is probably the best one. We sat next to each other in the dressing room and shared a lot of good times on and off the pitch.” Rooney was also asked who his worst teammate was, and surprisingly named former…

Chinese Super League (CSL) is facing significant challenges in securing sponsorship and broadcasting deals for the upcoming season, according to the Chinese football media outlet Football News. Currently, the league has only three sponsors, including China Ping An, Chevron Lubricants, and Yibao, down from six last season. This includes the loss of major sponsors such as SAIC Motor. The financial constraints will not only affect the league’s commercial value and revenue but also present headaches for the Chinese Football Association (CFA). League revenue has plummeted since the days of “Golden…

Following Crotone’s recent loss to the Serie C league’s bottom team, several of the Crotone players were attacked by their own fans. Crotone, who played in Serie A in 2021, has had a string of poor results in recent years and is now in the middle of the Serie C standings. Crotone, after taking an 8th-minute lead at home against league bottom-placed Brindisi, was defeated 2-1. According to reports, some Crotone players and their partners were attacked by a group of more than 20 armed supporters while relaxing on a…

“I’m leaving because it’s been two and a half years and I believe being a coach at Barca is thankless,” said Barcelona manager Xavi in a pre-match press conference ahead of their La Liga clash against Alaves. “You’re fighting, you’re wearing yourself out. You don’t enjoy your daily work. I’ve seen this happen to many coaches, I’ve seen them suffer even when they win. You have to reflect on this, as I did the other day. Being a coach at other clubs is rewarding. I spoke to [Real Sociedad manager]…

China Olympic Football Team lost 0-2 to Uzbekistan Olympic Football Team in last night’s friendly match, ending their pre-qualifying friendly series with a 3-3 record. Beijing Youth Daily reported that China Olympic Team’s three losses came against Saudi Arabia Olympic Team and Uzbekistan Olympic Team, two seeded teams in the qualifying tournament, demonstrating a notable gap in strength compared to Asia’s top teams. This serves as a reality check for the team, helping them approach the upcoming qualifying tournament with a rational mindset. Last summer, the Olympic Team invited the…

Chelsea’s goal drought extended to four matches as they were defeated 2-0 by defending champions Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final encounter on Wednesday. The Blues have now failed to score in their last four matches, having also been held scoreless against Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Wolves. This marks the first time since December 1993 that the club has gone four consecutive matches without finding the back of the net.

United owe ￡206.2m to US bank creditors and the club’s overdraft is set to be used to fund summer signings under the Glazers. The debt is expected to change if a takeover is completed, particularly if Jassim’s bid is successful. The Glazers plan to use the credit facility to sanction new signings, while United also owe ￡280m in future transfer installments, leaving a net deficit of ￡225m. This adds up to almost ￡1bn of debt, before the revolving credit facility is repaid. United have been linked with targets including Kane,…