Month: September 2024

Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FCSep 16, 2024, 10:04 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Club football returned after a two-week international break and delivered a ton of talking points across the top European leagues. In the Premier League, Arsenal got an ugly (but effective) win over their north London rivals, Tottenham, while Liverpool took a

Sep 16, 2024, 12:14 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Birmingham City‘s chief executive Garry Cook has said he would like to see his club play Wrexham in an official league game in the United States. Birmingham, who are part-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, take on Wrexham and their Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan

Rob Dawson, CorrespondentSep 16, 2024, 11:49 AM ET Open Extended Reactions MANCHESTER, England — Antony has to “earn the right” to win back his place in the Manchester United team, according to manager Erik ten Hag. The Brazil international is the second most expensive transfer in United’s history after arriving from Ajax in an £82

Sep 16, 2024, 11:40 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Inter Miami announced the renewal of Benjamin Cremaschi‘s contract until the end of 2027 on Monday, with the option of an additional year. A United States–Argentina dual national, who has already made his U.S. debut at the Paris Olympics, Cremaschi, 19, was instrumental last season in

Associated Press Sep 16, 2024, 10:03 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Cristiano Ronaldo has been ruled out of Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League Elite opener. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images Cristiano Ronaldo has a virus and did not travel to Iraq with Al Nassr for Monday’s AFC Champions League Elite debut match at Al Shorta, the

Sam Marsden Moises Llorens Sep 16, 2024, 08:37 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Aitana Bonmatí has been the best player at Barcelona, the most dominant team in recent seasons. Eric Alonso/Getty Images Barcelona have announced that Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí has signed a new four-year contract, extending her stay at the club until 2028. Sources

Alex Kirkland Rodrigo Faez Sep 16, 2024, 07:57 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Carlo Ancelotti has blamed Real Madrid‘s busy fixture list for the series of injuries the team has suffered so far this season, with forward Brahim Díaz the latest player to be sidelined. Diaz was substituted in the first half of Madrid’s 2-0

Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct? After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents, to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game. In this week’s VAR Review: Why

Open Extended Reactions Manchester City‘s judgement day — or at least the first of many days — has finally arrived. As sources first told ESPN back in August, the long-awaited hearing into the club’s 115 charges for allegedly breaching the Premier League‘s financial rules starts on Monday, Sept. 16 and the stakes, for both the

Sep 16, 2024, 02:46 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The independent hearing into Manchester City‘s alleged 115 breaches of Premier League financial regulations will finally begin on Monday. In what British media have dubbed as the “sports trial of the century,” a three-person commission will sift through reams of evidence for an estimated 10 weeks

ESPN News Services Sep 15, 2024, 05:31 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Ashley Hatch scored two first-half goals as the Washington Spirit defeated the Houston Dash 3-0 at Audi Field on Sunday in the National Women’s Soccer League. Trinity Rodman added the third goal for the Spirit (14-4-2), who are undefeated in five regular-season matches

Atlético Madrid cruised to a convincing 3-0 home win over bottom side Valencia on Sunday in LaLiga thanks to goals from Conor Gallagher, Antoine Griezmann and Julián Álvarez. Marcos Llorente and Samuel Lino went close in the first half before Atletico took the lead in the 39th minute when new signing Gallagher finished into the

Sep 15, 2024, 05:24 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Erling Haaland is practically a cheat code. It hardly seems fair that perhaps the most dominant centre-forward of the modern game just so happens to play for arguably the most peerless Premier League team in history. He almost signle-handedly turned a 1-0 deficit to Brentford into

Sep 15, 2024, 12:55 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Giorgio Chiellini captained Italy to the Euro 2020 title. Getty Former Italy and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has returned to the Italian club in an executive role focusing on relations with national and international football institutions, the Serie A side said on Sunday. “Chiellini never truly left

Open Extended Reactions Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said his team “work on set-pieces all the time” after a Gabriel Magalhães header in the second-half decided a 1-0 north London derby win for Arsenal and extended the home side’s miserable record at defending from free-kicks and corners. Since the start of last season, Nottingham Forest (23)

Sep 15, 2024, 01:15 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji has joked that he could retire at the age of 30 as a result of the increasing number of matches in elite football’s calendar. Akanji, 29, has already made seven appearances for club and country this term. He played his final

Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondentSep 15, 2024, 02:09 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Lamine Yamal has begun the new LaLiga season in scintillating fashion. Getty Girona coach Míchel has said Lamine Yamal can reach Lionel Messi‘s level after watching the Barcelona winger take his side apart in Sunday’s Catalan derby at Montilivi. Yamal, 17, scored twice as