Marcus Rashford made his competitive debut as Barcelona opened their La Liga title defence with a hard-fought and controversial win over nine-man Mallorca. Raphinha gave Barça the lead with a header from Lamine Yamal’s superb right-wing cross, before Ferran Torres doubled the advantage, striking home while Mallorca captain Antonio Raíllo was down in the box with a head injury after blocking a Yamal effort. Midfielder Manu Morlanes, already booked for dissent in the aftermath of that incident, was sent off minutes later after a foul on Yamal earned him a second yellow card. Mallorca’s night worsened when Vedat Muriqi saw…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Crystal Palace have condemned UEFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after losing their appeal against being demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League, saying the ruling shows “sporting merit is rendered meaningless.”Palace qualified for the Europa League by winning last season’s FA Cup but were sanctioned by UEFA for breaching multi-club ownership rules. CAS upheld UEFA’s decision on Monday, prompting a strongly worded statement from the club, which said it was “almost impossible to receive a fair hearing” and claimed “certain clubs, organisations and individuals have a unique privilege and power.”The Eagles argued that the…
Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer after rejecting a new contract with the European champions.With one year remaining on his current deal, several clubs are pursuing the Italy goalkeeper. PSG’s £34.6m (€40m) signing Lucas Chevalier will take over as first-choice this season, and the club has omitted Donnarumma from the squad to face Tottenham in Wednesday’s Super Cup.All parties are working to secure him a suitable move, with sources telling Sky Sports News he will only depart for the right project and will not be forced out.Donnarumma joined PSG as a free agent four years ago.
Everton have signed Jack Grealish from Manchester City on a season-long loan, with the 29-year-old admired by Toffees boss David Moyes.Grealish could make his debut in Everton’s Premier League opener at Leeds on August 18, live on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.Speaking to evertontv after completing the move, Grealish said:> “This is massive for me. It’s a great club with great fans. As soon as I spoke to the manager, I knew this was where I wanted to be. The messages from Everton supporters on social media have been unbelievable, and that played a big part in my decision.”The England…
Liverpool have opened talks with Crystal Palace over the signing of England defender Marc Guehi, with the Reds confident the player wants to join. Palace value Guehi at £40m, but Liverpool are unwilling to overpay as the 24-year-old enters the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park. The club will only begin personal talks if a transfer fee is agreed. Liverpool’s hierarchy maintain a strong relationship with Palace chairman Steve Parish and are keen to handle negotiations respectfully. Parish has admitted he may be forced to sell Guehi if no new contract is signed. Guehi, who was valued at…
Newcastle United have signed AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw in a £30m (€35m) deal, with an additional £4.3m in potential add-ons. The 24-year-old, who becomes the Magpies’ third first-team signing of the summer, has agreed a long-term contract and will wear the No. 12 shirt at St James’ Park. Thiaw, who faced Newcastle in the Champions League in September 2023, said: “I’m really excited to join this massive club. I can’t wait to start training, meet my new teammates and the staff. The gaffer’s vision for me and the club is really exciting. Newcastle is a big club with passionate…
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has criticised UEFA for a social media tribute to Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid that omitted details of the circumstances of his death. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) reported on Thursday that Obeid, 41, was killed in an Israeli attack while waiting for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza the day before. Nicknamed the “Pele of Palestinian football,” Obeid scored over 100 career goals, including two in 24 appearances for the national team. On Friday, UEFA posted on X: “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pele’. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest…
Sesko has spent the last two seasons in Germany with RB Leipzig, joining from their sister club Salzburg in 2023. During that time, he netted 39 goals and provided eight assists in 87 appearances across all competitions, including 27 goals in 64 Bundesliga matches. Currently, Sesko is the leading goalscorer under the age of 23 in Europe’s top five leagues, sitting one ahead of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and five clear of Florian Wirtz, who moved to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen this summer in a deal worth an initial £100m. One of the fastest strikers in the Bundesliga, Sesko clocked…
There was a certain poetry in Altay Bayindir saving the decisive penalty that sealed Manchester United’s victory over Fiorentina in their final pre-season friendly — on the very day David de Gea made his return to Old Trafford. It has been two summers since De Gea’s abrupt exit from United, ending a 545-game spell that places him seventh on the club’s all-time appearances list. Then-manager Erik ten Hag replaced him with a £47.2m signing from Inter Milan, Andre Onana — a decision that still divides opinion. At the time, De Gea admitted he considered retiring from football altogether. He didn’t,…
Arsenal remain “actively looking at options” in the transfer market and could make further signings before the window closes, according to manager Mikel Arteta. The Gunners have already spent around £190m this summer, bringing in Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. “Let’s see what happens in the next few weeks,” Arteta said. “We are actively looking at options, and there are also a few players who might need to leave. We’ll be open to whatever comes.” Arsenal rounded off their pre-season with a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, with new £64m striker…