Ralf Rangnick is unlikely to be Bayern Munich s new head coach after his agent suggested the Bundesliga champions were seeking a man with different qualities.
Rangnick was the early frontrunner for the vacancy following the departure of Niko Kovac on Sunday, a day after Bayern were thrashed 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt their heaviest top-flight defeat since April 2009.
Hansi Flick will take the reins on an interim basis for Wednesday s Champions League home meeting with Olympiacos and the visit of Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, with president Uli Hoeness hoping to have a clear idea on how the club will proceed by the end of the international break.
But it seems Rangnick, the head of sport and development at Red Bull, will not be a candidate.
His agent Ma…
In a week of deliberation over who might lead the country, English football remains in little doubt over its elect group of players.
But while many feel the current Liverpool side is born to rule, they were asked some tricky questions by a Watford team recently revived by a change of leadership.
There was a high turnout but no landslide victory against Watford at Anfield, where the Reds chalked up their 16th consecutive Premier League home win by a 2-0 scoreline thanks to Mohamed Salah s double.
And while their seat at the top of the table looks safe, canvass for opinion around Merseyside and you will find even the most dyed-in-the-wool Reds reluctant to suggest the balance of power has swung decisively in their favour.
But six more home league wins in a …
Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool s 2-0 win at Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday as really special as his team moved to within a point of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
A tight contest was decided by second half goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino as the Reds won their ninth league game in a row.
Mikel Arteta s team arguably shaded the first half and came close to taking the lead just before Jota s opener but Martin Odegaard s effort with the goal at his mercy was somehow kept out by a diving Alisson.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Klopp was delighted with the three points and praised the way his side ground out the win.
It s really special, he said. Coming here in our situation, and their situation, an…
Kylian Mbappe says the departures of Lassana Diarra and Gianluigi Buffon from Paris Saint-Germain had a big effect on him.
Diarra only spent a year at the Parc des Princes, announcing his retirement when his PSG contract was terminated by mutual consent in February 2019.
The Le Havre academy product played for Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth before heading to Real Madrid in 2009.
After some time in Russia with Anzhi Makhachkala and Lokomotiv Moscow, Diarra went to Marseille for 18 months and joined Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates upon his release, prior to joining PSG.
Mbappe valued Diarra s advice and also the presence of World Cup winner Buffon, who played for PSG in the 2018-19 season before heading back to Juventus on a free transfer.
…
Declan Rice insists there are positives England can take from Friday s friendly loss to Iceland, also saying the result should not affect Kobbie Mainoo s chances of partnering him in midfield.
England were booed off as they lost their final Euro 2024 warm-up fixture 1-0 at Wembley Stadium, Jon Thorsteinsson s 12th-minute strike proving decisive.
Gareth Southgate s team managed just one shot on target as Iceland sat deep and invited pressure, with Harry Kane and Ivan Toney both fluffing their lines from promising positions.
It was their fewest shots on target in any game since a goalless draw with Scotland in the group stage at Euro 2020 (also one).
The Three Lions were also criticised for a lethargic performance on that occasion, only to reach the final o…
Milan emphatically enhanced their Champions League hopes at Juventus expense after a thumping 3-0 win at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
Rumoured Juve target Gianluigi Donnarumma enjoyed a quiet game after a controversial week in which Milan supporters reportedly demanded he missed the clash after contract negotiations had stalled, but the same could not be said for his Juve counterpart.
Wojciech Szczesny s tepid punch allowed Brahim Diaz to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time, although the Poland international redeemed himself to some extent by keeping out Franck Kessie s second-half penalty.
There was little he could do about Ante Rebic s stunning strike, however, and Fikayo Tomori s late header made certain Stefano Pioli s side moved up to third …
The prospects of a future European Super League have been boosted after judges said UEFA rules blocking the formation of such a competition were contrary to EU law.
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice had been asked to decide whether UEFA and FIFA acted against competition law by blocking the formation of the European Super League in 2021 and then seeking to sanction the clubs involved.
The court has ruled that UEFA and FIFA rules granting prior approval for new competitions are contrary to EU law.
: The and rules on prior approval of interclub competitions, such as the Super League, are contrary to
— EU Court of Justice (@EUCourtPress)
A release issued by the court said such rules were “contrary to competition law and t…
Jesse Lingard has revealed he at times used alcohol as something of a coping mechanism while he was at Manchester United.
Lingard ended his 22-year stint at United, where he came through the youth ranks, with a move to Nottingham Forest ahead of the 2022-23 season.
The 30-year-old left Old Trafford on a free transfer, having failed to find regular minutes last season despite thriving while on loan at West Ham in the previous campaign.
Lingard has explained turned to alcohol during the difficulties of his final seasons at United, as he sought to mitigate his frustrations.
I was drinking before bed, having a nightcap, he said on The Diary Of A CEO podcast. I look back now and think what was I doing that for?
But I needed something to try and tak…
When a dominant force appears to be nearing the end of its imperial period, it is a moment many on the receiving end will hastily relish – often prematurely so.
Spanish football s hegemony around the turn of the previous decade – the Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 successes of the national team either side of glory at the 2010 World Cup, along with Barcelona s swaggering dominance and two Champions League crowns under Pep Guardiola – certainly fitted this template.
A playing style founded in the slick, intricate passing and aggressive, intelligent pressing that became celebrated as tiki-taka (although not by Guardiola, who viewed it as a load of s***, a made-up term), was equally admired and feared.
Admired because, well, how could you not be left in awe by the …
Barcelona host Bayern Munich as two Champions League heavyweights headline the first round of matchday one fixtures on Tuesday.
Barca will be without Lionel Messi for a European campaign for the first time since 2003-04 as they seek revenge against the Bundesliga outfit.
Manchester United – armed with the competition s all-time leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo – travel to Young Boys while reigning champions Chelsea begin at home to Zenit.
Italian giants Juventus make the trip to Sweden s most successful team Malmo, who are making their first appearance in the group stage since 2015-16 following their title win in 2020.
Here, Stats Perform takes a look at the key Opta data ahead of Tuesday s fixtures.
Every season opening goal in era history…