Julen Lopetegui expects Sevilla to leave our lives on the pitch in the Europa League final against Inter, for which Lucas Ocampos remains a doubt.
Sevilla have won Europe s secondary club competition a record five times, three of which came in succession from 2014 to 2016.
They take on Serie A runners-up Inter in Cologne on Friday and Lopetegui hopes to continue the club s rich tradition in the Europa League.
However, the former Real Madrid and Spain boss acknowledged overcoming Antonio Conte s team will prove an extremely difficult task.
We are calm. This is a final we have worked hard for. The objective is to arrive well in every way, with balance and the right emotions, Lopetegui told a pre-match news conference on Thursday.
Inter are a very …
Gareth Bale could make his first appearance since rejoining Tottenham after he was named on the bench for the Premier League fixture with West Ham.
The Welshman returned to his former club on loan from Real Madrid in late September but was unable to play immediately due to a knee injury.
Spurs always said the target was for Bale to feature after the international games in October, and that is set to be the case as they resume domestic duties following the break.
Jose Mourinho has included Bale among the substitutes for Sunday s game, along with another new recruit in Carlos Vinicius.
London derby focus
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
Bale scored 55 goals in 203 matches for Spurs during his first stint. He was twice named PFA Pla…
Jurgen Klopp believes it is unfair to expect players to engage in political protests at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
The decision to host the tournament in Qatar – where male homosexuality is illegal – has long been criticised due to concerns about the country s human rights record.
England s Harry Kane will be among eight European captains to wear a distinctive heart-adorned armband at the tournament, in order to raise awareness of the OneLove campaign against discrimination.
Meanwhile, tennis great Billie Jean King has called on players to act as influencers in Qatar, but Klopp believes handing down that level of responsibility is unjust.
I understand 100 per cent that we talk about it, Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky News after receiving the …
Manchester United s quest to return to greatness suffered another humbling setback on Tuesday as they crashed out of the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2015-16 with a 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig.
While the scoreline suggests a close, hard-fought encounter, in truth the one-goal deficit flattered Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s side greatly as the visitors had fallen 3-0 behind in Germany.
It was yet another stark reminder that this once great club is now a faded power, lacking direction in the boardroom and from the sidelines.
Julian Nagelsmann learned from his errors in the 5-0 Old Trafford defeat earlier this season, while Solskjaer seemingly sent his team out to rely on a defence that has conceded fewer goals than just seven teams in the P…
While the 2022 World Cup might be right around the corner, we have a string of eye-catching domestic showdowns on our hands this weekend. So, for those of you who are looking to stick on a Saturday acca, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Saturday October 29th
BST 12:00 Bristol City vs Swansea
Putting in another impressive display last weekend as they claimed a 2-0 victory against bitter rivals Cardiff, Swansea are in the midst of what has been a stellar purple patch. Only continuing to gain a string of plaudits since opening the 2022/23 campaign, Russell Martin s men have been tipped as a leading pick in this season s play-off chase. With the mood around the Liberty at a red-hot high, the former MK Dons boss has now seen h…
Market: Levante win
Odds: 11/10 @
Looking to extend on their unbeaten run this weekend, Levante will make the trip to a struggling Lugo on Sunday afternoon.
Starting with the hosts, while Lugo might have managed to extend on their Segunda status last season, Hernan Perez s side find themselves at the heart of a real relegation scrap. Sat three points adrift of safety and knowing that they face a tough task this weekend, the Albivermellos are in the midst of a nightmare run of form. Last seen getting hit with a woeful 4-0 drumming away at Andorra, the one-time Real Madrid coach has seen his downbeat squad pick up just a pair of points from any of their last five second-tier showdowns. Likewise, despite claiming a much-needed 2-0 win against Burgos on October 23rd…
Napoli keeper Alex Meret saved Matteo Pessina’s second-half penalty to ensure the Serie A title-holders walked away with a point as they played out a disappointing goalless draw with Monza.
Amir Rrahmani could have given the hosts the lead after the break but wasted a free header, and while Meret made the vital stop to preserve the draw he was worryingly forced off soon after.
Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri was sent off while his side’s finishing woes were highlighted by substitute Gianluca Gaetano’s inability to find the back of the net when in acres of space just outside the six-yard box.
Full time: 0-0
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli)
The visitors, who saw Mirko Maric dismissed late in stoppage time, mustered few further ch…
With Europe s elite once again taking center stage in midweek, we look set for what is a stacked schedule from across the continent. So, for those of you looking to stick on a Wednesday acca, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Wednesday January 4th
BST 13:30 Torino vs Verona
Heading into the World Cup s festive break with a rugged 1-1 draw away at Roma on November 13th, Torino should open 2023 with the mood in their camp at a high. With another top-half finish at the top of their agenda in the New Year, the Bulls will be confident of marking their Serie A return with a flurry on Wednesday afternoon. Gaining plenty of praise from across Italy over the past 18 months, Ivan Juric s side have now lost just one of their previous…
Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him in charge of the Women’s Super League side for the 2023-24 season.
The 50-year-old was appointed in May 2020, succeeding Nick Cushing, and went on to oversee City winning a delayed FA Cup final in November of that year and the League Cup in March 2022. They were also FA Cup runners-up in 2021-22.
Having finished second and then third in the WSL in the previous two seasons, the team missed out on the Champions League spots in 2022-23 with a fourth-placed finish.
At the start of the campaign they were knocked out in the qualifying rounds of the European competition for a second successive year.
We re delighted to announce that Gareth Taylor has signed a one-year contra…
Lionel Scaloni has no intention of stepping down as head coach after guiding Argentina to World Cup glory, says Argentine Football Association (AFA) president Claudio Tapia.
Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties in a thrilling Qatar 2022 final that finished 3-3 after extra time to add to the Copa America crown won last year.
With his team s latest success, Scaloni became just the third manager in history to win both competitions, after former Brazil bosses Mario Zagallo and Carlos Alberto Parreira.
The 44-year-old is due to be out of contract later this week and has been tipped to take on a high-profile position at club level, but Tapia does not see that happening.
I have no doubt he will continue to be the head coach of the Argentina team, AFA chie…