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Chelsea chair Boehly and Walter each own about 13%Sale would give Clearlake effective control of club at 86%The Chelsea chair, Todd Boehly, and director Mark Walter are considering selling their shares in the club to the majority owners, Clearlake Capital, in a deal that would give the private equity company complete control at Stamford Bridge.Clearlake, whose investment is managed by Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, already owns more than 60% of Chelsea, but in an unusual arrangement agreed when buying the club from Roman Abramovich four years ago, they share operational control with a consortium led by Boehly, who along with Walter and Hansjörg Wyss each own about 13%.The two ownership groups have been locked in a stalemate for almost two years when reports first emerged that they were seeking to buy each other out following a disagreement over strategy, particularly regarding their plans for a new stadium.Discussions over a potential deal, which would value the club at more than £5bn, have resumed over the past few weeks however, as first reported by the Financial Times, as Walter is seeking to raise funds to pay off insurers following a US federal investigation over alleged tax fraud.Walter is being investigated by the US Department of Justice over $21bn in loans which it has been alleged were not disclosed to state insurance regulators, which has led to the sudden sale of assets to pay down some of the loans. Walter last week sold the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh ⁠Kushner and Bob Iger ⁠for $12.5bn just a year after buying the NBA franchise for $10bn, leading to speculation that the 66-year-old may also seek to exit Chelsea.Boehly and Walter are close friends as well as longstanding business partners, having previously invested together in the LA Dodgers Major League Baseball team and the LA Sparks WNBA franchise.Together with Wyss, the pair control 38% of Chelsea through Blueco 22 Holdings, although it is unclear whether the Swiss billionaire is also willing to sell. Under the terms of their £2.5bn purchase from Abramovich after the Russian was sanctioned by the UK government following the invasion of Ukraine however, none of Chelsea’s shareholders can sell to a third party without the consent of their partners.An external sale is therefore unlikely, putting Clearlake in a strong position to gain the complete control it has been seeking for some time, although Boehly and Walter will demand a significant premium on the £325m they paid for their shares four years ago.A sale by Boehly and Walter would leave Clearlake with more than 86% of Chelsea’s shares and effective control of the club, including the bid to build a new stadium, which they want to locate at Stamford Bridge.Walter has been a silent and barely visible partner at Chelsea, but Boehly was the public face of the club following the 2022 takeover and acted as interim sporting director during that year’s summer transfer window, leading the purchase of players such as Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella.Boehly stepped back from that hands-on role after 12 months, with Eghbali taking more operational control on behalf of Clearlake, but has often been blamed by Chelsea fans for the side’s underperformance.Boehly was due to stand down as chair at the end of the season, with a Clearlake representative to replace him for the next five years under the terms of the ownership agreement.The timing of an exit at this stage would be ironic, as after spending years investing heavily in young players with resale value at Clearlake’s behest, Chelsea have returned to Boehly’s original strategy this summer by signing experienced players such as Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson.Representatives of Clearlake, Boehly and Chelsea were approached for comment.

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Chief football news reporterPublished19 minutes agoManchester United midfielder Toby Collyer is in talks with West Bromwich Albion about returning to The Hawthorns on a permanent basis.Collyer has been part of Michael Carrick's squad during pre-season and featured in the second half of last week's draw with Leeds United at Croke Park as Mason Mount was unavailable because of injury.However, it had been anticipated all summer that Collyer would eventually leave Old Trafford.Collyer joined West Brom on loan last summer but returned to United in January after making 12 appearances including three starts.The 22-year-old then joined Hull City after recovering from a calf injury, but only made five appearances after suffering more fitness issues.Hull were thought to be keen on bringing Collyer back to the club following their promotion to the Premier League but a deal is yet to materialise.Follow West Bromwich Albion on BBC SoundsPre-match, post-match and topical Albion contentListen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about the BaggiesLatest West Bromwich Albion news, analysis and fan views

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Teenager’s glorious strike made it 2-0 against Villarreal – but though they were pegged back to a draw the match sealed a feelgood return from the abyss“The poor kid couldn’t believe what had happened; none of us could have if we’d just done what he had just done,” said Álvaro Mantilla, Racing Santander’s captain in the match they had longed for more than anything in the world. Which was why the kid – a 19-year-old from just along the coast who had been at the club half his life – wasn’t the only one crying. The day Sergio Martínez played his first game for Racing, he had climbed into the stand to hug his grandad; the day he played his first in primera, on Sunday afternoon at the Sardinero, he just about managed to stand before it, legs giving way a little and tears coming to his eyes. All around him they felt it too, 22,413 people absolutely losing it.What he had just done was, well, everything. At least that’s how it felt right then. “Euphoria”, his captain called it. In his first game in the first division, his third start ever, Sergio hadn’t just scored; he had scored the kind of goal you get in a comic, all explosions and exclamation marks. The ball sat up like an invitation and Kapow! – Sergio smashed it on the bounce, a cartoon arrow drawn to the top corner. It tore through the air and through time, flashing past at 126km an hour and 14 years a second, so Sergio ran to the corner, holding the badge he has worn since he was 10. There, there was a wobble as it came to him just what he had done. Bloody hell, this was actually happening.The teenager won’t even remember the last time Racing were in the first division: he was five. This was not just Sergio’s first top-flight game, it was Mantilla’s too – he was born and raised 5km away. And it was Jorge Salinas’ first as well, another 19-year-old from Santander. Sergio Canales, an academy kid from Santander like them, had played there and with Racing but that was 16 years ago, when he was a teenager too, the most eligible in Spain. Thirty-five now, he had at last come home. In almost the entire time he had been away, so had his club. Sunday afternoon was the first time that Racing, founder members of the first division, had played a top-flight game since 2012. And here they were 2-0 up against Villarreal, the redemption real.It didn’t last long but it will last for a very, very long time. Leading 1-0 through a penalty from Andrés Martín, Sergio made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. They had deserved it too: “The energy was unstoppable,” Villarreal coach Iñigo Pérez admitted. For 44 minutes, Racing were something like perfection. And then in 67 seconds, two flashes from Pape Gueye and Nicholas Pépé had taken it away again – a reminder, Racing’s coach José Alberto López said, of what the first division is, how unforgiving it can be. Except this wasn’t going to be taken away: not the point, a 2-2 draw against the team that finished third last season which could be decisive in what will surely still be a fight for survival, and not the moment, their day.El Sardinero, more ground than stadium, built in the late 1980s and with something about it that’s happily still there with corner floodlights touching the sky, was packed again. Along the waterfront they had come, the only people not in white Racing shirts those in green ones: a city, a community built, heading back to where they belong. If they were home, so was the first division: this was one of those days that everyone else could celebrate too. “I loved it,” said Pérez, and he coaches their opponents. “I’m so happy to come here and see all the emotion and the excitement. This is a joy for anyone who comes.” But more than a historic club being in the first division for the first time since 2012, this was about being, full stop.Relegated in 2012 after a decade in the top flight, having played in Europe just three and a half years earlier and beaten Manchester City along the way, Racing fell a long way, and might never have got up again.They were relegated again immediately and spent seven of the next 10 years in Segunda B, Spain’s theoretically amateur third-to-seventh-tier with its 80 teams and four groups. Worse, their fight for survival was not just about sport. By then, the financial and institutional crisis was out of control. The debt had reached over €40m. €14m was owed to the state and players and staff went unpaid. In July 2011 they filed for bankruptcy, opening up an administration process. In an era when the club’s shirt sponsor was for a brand of chorizo, slang for thief, two presidents would eventually get jail sentences for embezzlement of club funds – and that doesn’t include Ahsan Ali Syed.Francisco Pernía and Ángel Lavín were the men charged. Between them came “Mr Ali”, welcomed as a saviour in the winter of 2011, championed by Pernía and the leader of the Cantabrian government, Miguel Ángel Revilla, who declared: “The Hindu has his pockets full of cash.” Ali spent €3.5m on the buyout and said there was space alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona for Racing. Instead they ended up in a league with Langreo, Durango and Calahorra. He, meanwhile, had disappeared entirely, wanted by Interpol and finally arrested almost a decade later for fraud.With Lavín taking over, Racing’s crisis deepened, the sense that the end was coming. In January 2014, fans stormed the directors’ box and tried to force Lavín out. Then, a fortnight later, their players walked on to the pitch for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey against Real Sociedad. Still in Segunda B, they had beaten two first division sides but instead of playing they just stood there with their arms around each other’s shoulders. There was a dignity in their defiance, a solidarity.With Lavín at last forced out, former player Manolo Higuera stepping in in 2015, there was the start of a revival: a decency, an honesty, a seriousness about confronting their reality. Something was forged by being on the edge too, but they hadn’t stepped back from it entirely. When club legend Pedro Munitis became coach in 2015, it wasn’t just that he wasn’t paid, it was that he, like others at the club, was paying: players’ wages, and even travel costs were coming out of his pocket. More than 50 legal cases still hung over them. The club was “dead and buried”, Higuera admits, little they could do; that they came through it was “a miracle”. They only played one of the next three seasons in the second division and although they went up in 2022, when José Alberto López took over as coach that December, there was a risk that they would slip back down again. Instead, he secured survival. Then seventh, then a playoff place, and then the title.José Alberto said that to begin with Racing were still closer to being an amateur side, “more neighbourhood team than professional club”. He admitted that he wondered what he had got himself into, but he helped them get out of it. Having been forced to give up playing at 20 because of rheumatism, José Alberto had begun at the bottom, working at Ikea while he coached in Asturias; now his approach carried Racing. Brave and attacking, his team would go for opponents; this was going to be fun too, that was non-negotiable. Even last year when they won the second division, they conceded 61 goals. A momentum built that would eventually bring them up. Optimism was back at last, on and off the pitch.That summer Higuera convinced Sebastián Ceria to get involved. The time was right: Ceria, a social democrat Argentinian philanthropist with a PhD in mathematics from Carnegie and a professor at Columbia, had just sold his company for $850m. His wife, Alicia Zorrilla, is from Cantabria and friends with Higuera’s wife. Ceria bought a controlling stake for €30m, bringing a new mentality built around the people – and above all stability. In December 2024, the final administration payments were met, their debts paid off 13 years on. Assets that had been stripped have been recovered, so too has the pride, a sense of belonging. With Ceria describing football as “democratising”, the shift is visible in the shirts all across the city.It had started with a lunch in London. This Sunday Higuera and Ceria sat in the stand at the Sardinero together and watched Racing Santander play in the first division once again. And they watched the side play the way the coach that transformed them always said they would: no backing down, no doubt that primera is their place too. They saw the flags along the roof – every first division team there, them too – and heard the fans belt out La Fuente de Cacho at the start of the day they had waited a lifetime for. They saw fans lead the way alongside the Cantabrian sea and Mantilla lead the way out of the tunnel, armband on. They saw Sergio announce his arrival and all of theirs, not alone in feeling the tears. And Canales, who had announced his departure at the same age, standing before supporters singing songs of redemption and return. “It was … strange,” Canales said, somehow speaking for all of them too. “I can’t quite assimilate this still. I could feel the hairs standing on end. Above all, what I feel is gratitude.”

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Cameroon became just the fourth nation to lift the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) trophy, joining Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa as winners, after demolishing Malawi 3-0 in Sunday's final.The 2026 edition in Morocco can be largely deemed a success - even after it was postponed just 12 days before the finals were initially scheduled to kick off in March.BBC Sport Africa looks at what we learned from three weeks of competition in Rabat and Casablanca.The decision by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to expand Wafcon to 16 teams was justified although that announcement appeared a bit last-minute, coming as it did midway through a qualifying phase designed to provide 12 sides.The Indomitable Lionesses, eliminated by Algeria in those qualifiers, were the big beneficiaries of the expansion, advancing to the tournament on the strength of their world ranking before going on to claim the title.Ivory Coast, who like Cameroon missed the last Wafcon and also reached these finals thanks to their ranking, topped their group before losing to the Algerians in the quarter-finals.All four semi-finalists booked their places at the 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup, meaning Malawi and the Algerians will make their debut at the global showpiece alongside Cameroon and Morocco.Where the 2024 Wafcon saw few upsets, this tournament provided greater competitiveness and several shock results.Tanzania bridged a gap of 65 places in the world rankings to upset South Africa in the group stage and the 2022 champions then needed a 99th-minute equaliser to salvage a point against Ivory Coast.Debutants Malawi were the fairy tale story, upsetting 10-time champions Nigeria with a 3-2 win in their opener before seeing off Ghana and Algeria to reach the final.Their success was built on the attacking prowess of the Chawinga sisters, but the Scorchers will certainly climb from 153rd in the world - and 32nd in Africa - when Fifa updates its rankings.Zambia were unfortunate not to reach the knockout stage despite amassing six points in Group C, while Mali were eliminated on goal difference after finishing level with Ghana on four points in Group D.Cape Verde, Egypt and Kenya were the only sides not to win a game, with the North Africans conceding 15 goals and the Harambee Starlets failing to find the back of the net.There were 90 goals scored in 32 games (excluding the two Women's World Cup play-offs) with the average of 2.81 goals per game an increase on the average of 2.54 from the 2024 edition.Cameroon's Valentine Nguele became the fifth female coach to lead a side to glory in what was the 14th edition of the finals.She emulates Clementine Toure (Equatorial Guinea, 2008), Eucharia Uche and Florence Omagbemi (Nigeria in 2010 and 2016 respectively) and Desiree Ellis (South Africa, 2022).Her achievement is all the more impressive given that she only took over in June."We worked as crazy since two months [ago], day and night, and this is the result," Cameroon technical co-ordinator Dimitri Lipoff told the BBC World Service."We had no team, nothing was ready. We tried to build a kind of bubble."This is an incredible team effort."Nigeria came into the tournament targeting a record-extending 11th Wafcon title but the inquest into their worst-ever performance will be long-lasting.The Super Falcons paid the price for failing to win their group as they were eliminated by Cameroon in the quarter-finals. Worse was to come as they fell to a 2-1 defeat by South Africa in their World Cup play-off, meaning Nigeria will be absent from the tournament for the very first time.The West Africans have relied on talent developed and based abroad for a number of years which has masked a lack of institutional structure in the country.With Morocco investing heavily in the women's game, champions Cameroon benefitting from $2m in prize money and Algeria, Ghana and Malawi among the sides making strides, Nigeria's place at the summit of the African women's game is no longer assured.Former striker Desire Oparanozie has called for "a fresh start - a start that evaluates everything" and the four-time Wafcon winner will get her wish as part of a fact-finding committee established by the country's football federation to examine the failure.Attendances at matches not involving home nation Morocco were once again an issue, continuing a trend of all-but empty stadiums from the 2022 and 2024 editions.The late rearrangement of the finals will have played its part, while the cost of travel around the continent and the requirement for visas are long-ingrained obstacles.The use of video assistant referee checks could certainly be speeded up, with one inspection at the pitch-side monitor during Cameroon's group win over Mali lasting almost four minutes.The hosts were the beneficiaries of soft-looking penalty awards late on against both Cameroon in the semi-final and in the third-placed play-off against Algeria.But the fact that the Atlas Lionesses failed to convert nine of their 13 spot kicks - having three of four in regulation or extra time saved or missed - points to one large improvement Jorge Vilda's side could make as they hunt an elusive first title.Morocco have now held the past three Wafcons, but whether the kingdom has the appetite to host again remains to be seen.No announcement has been made about where or when the 2028 tournament will be staged, with the finals needing to avoid the Los Angeles Olympics from 14 to 31 July that year.A similar clash with the Paris Games led to Wafcon 2024 being delayed until July 2025. A regular and viable slot in the Fifa calendar needs to be found.Attention now switches to the preliminaries for LA 2028, which recommence in October and continue in three international windows next year, with 32 sides competing for two coveted places at the Games.South Africa and Ghana, meanwhile, will enter an inter-confederation qualifier for next year's Women's World Cup.

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As soon as the draw was completed for the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals, some big questions arose for clubs and supporters alike, particularly for followers of Glasgow's big two, pitted against each other in a powder keg tie.Given what happened the last time Rangers and Celtic met in a cup competition, how can match safety and security be guaranteed?What chance is there that Celtic could be given a whole stand at Ibrox, as they were in March?And, perhaps most intriguingly of all, how many tickets are Rangers obliged to give their rivals?The answer may well come as a bit of a shock.Rangers host Celtic in League Cup quarter-finalsClinical Celtic into last eight after beating wasteful Dundee UtdCeltic & Rangers cited after Ibrox cup tie unrestFor confirmation of this, BBC Scotland took a deep dive into the books. The relevant information is listed in Annex 2 - The Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition Regulations - and section 11, Admission Arrangements for Visiting Clubs and clubs.This is where it becomes clear that, in theory at least, Rangers are only required to make 50 tickets available to Celtic - 10 for the directors' box and 40 for the stand, as detailed in sub-section one:"11.1 The Home Club shall forward to the Visiting Club 'without charge' tickets, in the numbers set out below, so that they will be in the hands of the Visiting Club on or before the fifth day before the Match (unless under circumstances which render this impracticable) - 10 for Directors' Box, 40 for the Stand."Further to this, the only other official stipulation in the competition guidelines that applies to tickets (at least up to and including the quarter-final stage) is in the next section of the rulebook:"11.2 No Official or Player of the Visiting Club shall be entitled to enter the Home Club's Ground without a ticket."It would therefore appear to be within Rangers' gift, according to the strictest reading of the rules, to have very few Celtic supporters at Ibrox.Despite what's written in the rules, there's also an element of custom and practice to these things. Especially, as with this derby, the high profile nature of the match and the desire from broadcasters, sponsors and neutral observers to have the best possible atmosphere in the ground.What clubs tend to do in the League Cup is operate along the parameters of the arrangements already in place for league matches, namely:"The Home club must make provision for the admission of such reasonable number of visiting supporters at every home League Match and Play-Off Match as may be agreed in advance with the Visiting Club and, in the event of their being unable to agree such number not later than 14 days prior to the date of the League Match or Play-Off Match in question, the number of visiting supporters allowed shall be determined by the Board whose decision shall be final and binding."This "reasonable number" has been a hot topic with Celtic and Rangers for quite some time now. After a period in which both clubs declined entry to away fans, a compromise figure of roughly 5% of the respective grounds was arrived at, which has meant about 2,500 away fans have been present at Premiership Old Firm games across the past couple of years.It's highly likely this will be the kind of allocation Celtic can expect as they go head to head with Ranges for a place in the semi-finals.The ugly scenes that followed Celtic's Scottish Cup win over Rangers at Ibrox in March made headlines and led to an independent inquiry, which criticised both clubs and virtually every aspect of the tie from an operational and safety standpoint.Celtic and Rangers both face charges and the review concluded that "a violent mass confrontation" was only narrowly avoided after a number of spectators from both sides went on to the pitch after Martin O'Neill's side won a penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals.Celtic supporters had been given the whole of the Broomloan Stand, the traditional away end at Ibrox, in line with Scottish Cup rules that allow for a larger allocation of tickets to the visiting club.The chances of 7,500 away fans at either ground in future now appear remote after the near-carnage witnessed that day when fireworks were thrown and multiple arrests were made.The short answer to that is very soon, given the match itself is scheduled for the weekend of 12 September.Supporters should know within a day or two which matches have been picked up for live broadcast, with Rangers v Celtic certain to be the jewel in the television crown for the quarter-finals.That will determine the date and time of the fixture. As for the ticket arrangements? Both Rangers and the SPFL say it's far too soon to make any comment, given the draw was only made on Sunday.There may also be some negotiating to be done to ensure both clubs are happy with any proposed arrangements and avoid the final decision on numbers being taken out of their hands entirely.

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It's been another summer of change at Chelsea - and on the eve of a new Premier League season, there is so much to analyse at the club, with Xabi Alonso's reign kicking off, big-money transfers to be settled and a search for success on the pitch in their sights.In a special Sky Sports podcast - A big summer for... Chelsea - Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports News reporter James Savundra and Sky Sports football journalist David Richardson to discuss the key talking points at the club, including Enzo Fernandez's future amid interest from Manchester City and a £120m price tag.The arrival of £117m Morgan Rogers and his partnership with Cole Palmer was also on the agenda, along with Alonso's new tactical set-up and the surprise signings of experienced pair Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, which signalled a shift in the club's transfer policy.Listen to the podcast below, watch it on the Sky Sports News YouTube channel or read on for the key points from the episode...James Savundra: When I spoke to Xabi Alonso in his second week at work, he was glowing in his praise when it came to players like Reece James and Cole Palmer. But he gave very little away when it came to Enzo Fernandez. He only gave short sentences. The only thing he confirmed was that he was looking forward to working with him, and that he's a great player, but he didn't say much more than that, which made you think that, at that point, the saga [over Fernandez's future] hadn't been resolved.I know that Fernandez has got a contract for another six years, but I think he wants to be better remunerated for what he offers to the side. As we know with the Chelsea contracts, some of them are very long, but they're more incentivised in terms of performance or if Chelsea go on and win things. I think he wants a higher base salary. That's our understanding.But when the deadline eventually passed on Friday with no £120m bid from Man City, Chelsea sources said they expected Fernandez to stay until the end of the season. But that's no clear guarantee. They don't want the start of the season, the start of this new era dominated by conversations and questions for Xabi Alonso to answer every press conference. But one thing I will say, if Enzo Fernandez does stay he will be a massive part of Alonso's plans.Stream the Premier League with no contractDavid Richardson: The big question around Xabi Alonso at Chelsea is whether he would replicate the 3-4-3 formation that he had such great success with at Bayer Leverkusen. Chelsea have played six pre-season games. In their first three, they played a back four, which was similar to what Alonso did at Real Madrid - and, as we know, it didn't go too well there. But since then, in the final three matches, he's played a back three and that has been when more of his senior players have been available to him.In the first half against Real Sociedad, Chelsea sat too deep in the back three. It became almost a back five, with Marco Palestra and Pedro Neto as their wingbacks. They couldn't get out. They couldn't press. They became sloppy on the ball - and that was despite Morgan Rogers scoring after 10 minutes. They were much improved in the second half. They played higher up the pitch, dominated possession and because they were higher up the pitch, they were able to press.David Richardson: Rogers was on the left of the front three against Real Sociedad, with Joao Pedro through the middle and Palmer off the right. Rogers and Palmer didn't play as wingers; they were tucked in as inside forwards, which suits their game.That is some front three. If you compare that to any other team in the league, it's got to be right up there - possibly the best front three in the division. Particularly with the way Joao Pedro is playing - he's scored seven goals in five games in pre-season. Rogers linked up well with Joao Pedro on Saturday, and it was probably him and Joao Pedro that showed more signs of connecting than Rogers and Palmer.It's all about getting those front three firing. Palmer had that incredible first season at Chelsea and hasn't quite lived up to those standards. But having not been at the World Cup, he's had some rest, a full pre-season now and hopefully he'll be over those injuries that he's had in recent seasons and should be firing. It's a big, big season for him.David Richardson: It's a reflection on how well Robert Sanchez has started to do that he is still No 1. He had a much improved season last year. He played 51 times, a full season in goal and he looked more confident, more comfortable.There were big question marks over his playing out from the back - I remember him being heckled by some Chelsea supporters to get the ball forward and just get it away from his own goal. But he's settled down now. Against Real Sociedad on Saturday, he made several saves in the first half, and he seems to be growing into that role.As for Mike Penders, he came on as a substitute in that game but I think he'll have to wait for his opportunity. For now, it looks like Sanchez is Chelsea's No 1.James Savundra: There have been so many silly yellow cards and that really did hamper Chelsea and a number of different managers couldn't solve it. Under Alonso and this new leadership group he's forming, when you consider the age of the players brought in, there's clearly been a lot of learning from the ownership group over the last four years.Sometimes the approach was a bit scattergun when it came to transfers. But now I think Alonso has looked at the squad and realised 'we definitely need more experienced players that know how to win things'. That's players like Henderson and Welbeck, who can help these young players become players who can perform consistently in the Premier League and accept all that comes with being a Chelsea player.These young players will need to deliver success - but now they've got real role models in the form of those more mature players. And actually even in the signings of Maxence Lacroix, who's 26, and Pep Chavarria, 28, I think it's clear that there's an admission that there have been mistakes made and everybody is seeing this as a new chapter.James Savundra: It would be fascinating to be in those conversations and whether or not they've laid out clear defined targets for this season. I think they are really seeing this as a long-term project over two, three or four years and as long as they are seeing that progress on the pitch, whether or not they get Champions League football this season, I don't think that will define whether or not Xabi Alonso gets a second year.It will be whether you can actually see with your eyes that this team is getting there, this culture is being built behind the scenes, because Alonso is going to be involved in a number of different areas at the club. But signing a player like Morgan Rogers for £117m? You're not spending this sort of money in the transfer window to finish in the top 10 or just to get Europa League football.This season things have really opened up with a number of managerial changes. Liverpool a lot of upheaval there and that squad doesn't quite look ready for the start of the Premier League season. Manchester United, it's their first full season under Michael Carrick and how are they going to cope with playing in the Champions League as well?So getting into the Champions League and having a really strong cup run in the FA Cup or the Carabao Cup will probably be the aim.

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The 21-year-old enjoyed a successful season on loan at Bolton last season as they won the League One play-offs, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists in 34 appearances and earning a place in the League One team of the season.Cozier-Duberry, who has less than two years remaining on his contract at Amex Stadium, has featured heavily in pre-season under Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton but was an unused substitute for the 1-0 win at home to Bologna on Saturday.He continues to have interest from Championship clubs over a potential loan move, while Rangers are among a number of teams believed to be interested in signing him permanently.The offer would have been Rangers' second-highest transfer fee in more than 20 years. The Glasgow club paid £8m for forward Youssef Chermiti last summer, while Michael Ball and Tore Andre Flo were signed for larger fees in the early 2000s.Rangers ended a four-game winless run at the start of the season with a 5-1 victory over St Mirren in the Scottish Cup on Sunday but they are out of the Europa League having lost to Polish club Jagiellonia Białystok and have dropped into the Conference League play-offs.After the defeat over two legs new manager Derek McInnes, who joined from Hearts in the summer, admitted his squad needed "help", with the club said to be targeting full-backs and forwards.He added: "Strengthening defensively, strengthening in wide areas was a priority. But obviously losing a player of Youssef's ability [to an ACL injury], we need to look at that one as well."Visit our Rangers page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views

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BBC Scotland's chief sports writerPublished17 minutes agoHe stood on the gantry at Hampden - Sebastien Pocognoli, 39 years young, but with the gnarled face of a former full-back with 300 games and more under his belt, 16 years younger than Steve Clarke was when he took the job at the age of 55.Younger than most, to be fair. Younger, for sure, than any manager who appeared at the last World Cup, younger even than Julian Nagelsmann, the then Germany manager, by a week.The World Cup had 25 managers who were in their 50s, 11 in their 60s and five in their 70s. Pocognoli is in short pants by comparison.Look around the world and it's hard to find an international coach who is his junior. Singapore, yes. Most other places, no. If the Tartan Army wanted different, then they've got it, with bells on.Different in the way he wants his team to play - front-foot, high press, high intensity, "mastery in possession" - as opposed to Clarke's style, which leaned into risk aversion too often for the liking of the fans.All we know of Pocognoli comes from a mere 107 senior games as manager of Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco. He's a rookie and a gamble - but an intriguing one. There's an air of mystery and buzz about this one. A high-wire act from the Scottish FA. Who'd have thought it?Is he Sebastien or Seb or Sebba, as some call him? "Also Poco," said the new Scotland head coach, with half a smile. Imagine Clarke saying: "Call me Stevo or Clarkey, if you wish." The differences between the two men stretch as long as the Hampden pitch, the one similarity his employers are banking on is that he becomes the serial qualifier Clarke became.Pocognoli 'feels connection' with 'passionate' Scotland"I like to do things in a different way," said Pocognoli. "I don't believe there is one way to be the best in life. Not only about football, but generally in life. Did the Scotland challenge [reflect] my identity and personality? I think that, yes, and that's why I was curious to go through the meetings."I'm maybe one of the youngest managers for the job but I was also one of the youngest managers in Belgium."Everybody was surprised. And at the end, it was a happy end. And then I continued the journey in Monaco and today I'm here."Belgium was Union Saint-Gilloise, who use the same data analytics company as Hearts, and the remarkable story of their first league title win in 90 years. That was 2024-25 and Pocognoli was in charge. He was 37 when he got the job and delivered massively at the first time of asking.USG had been a process, though. For context, they didn't go from nobodies to champions in Pocognoli's one season at the helm. They'd been knocking on the door for three seasons, under different managers, before he arrived; second, third and second in the three campaigns prior to his elevation from coaching at underage level. In 2023 and 2024 under different managers they missed out on the title by a point. Pocognoli was the historic one who got them over the line.How did it happen? "Well, it starts with people who believe in you, give you the opportunity to shine," he explained. USG are a curious case. They have had four different managers in recent seasons and all of them left the club quickly, poached away to supposedly bigger things, only to fail.Felice Mazzu left USG for Anderlecht, Karel Geraerts went to Schalke and then Reims. Alexander Blessin went to St Pauli. Pocognoli, himself, left for Monaco. All of them were a disappointment. It begs the question and adds to the suspense about these managers being products of a system at USG. Can they operate successfully outside of that system?Clarke was the veteran coach who worked with Ruud Gullit at Newcastle, Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Gianfranco Zola at West Ham, Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool and the wise old head who managed West Brom for a year and Kilmarnock for two.Pocognoli is the up-and-comer who managed USG to a league title and a cup in his first season in management, the culmination of which was a manager of the year award and a tag of one of the hottest young things in the game. He was lured to Monaco but failed, by their standards, and was sacked after 38 matches. One extreme to the other. A season of glory and a season of angst. He's piled all managerial emotion into two campaigns.How does he describe himself? "Oh, it's not easy to talk about myself," he said. "I'm a passionate person. What I love the most is football. I try to work in a certain ethical way in terms of communication, loyalty, integrity. I'm quite dynamic also, and try to reflect this personality on the pitch."He paid tribute to Clarke at every turn and vowed to build on it. "I just want to bring the next step, just to bring some dynamic moments on the pitch," he explained. "Front-foot defending, front-foot attacking and just play with a big heart. Run more than the opponent, create chances, give some good vibes and energy in the stadium."And the things he won't tolerate? "When you represent your country, you just expect that your players give the head and the heart for the country and for the shirt," he said. "So, that's the basement. Everybody who will be selected on the pitch has to play with big integrity. The mentality and the desire to represent the country is the most important."He has preferred systems but he'll wait and see on that front. He has started his due diligence on every Scotland player and has spoken to some, but you get the impression that his knowledge of these guys didn't begin when he got the call from Hampden asking about his availability. He comes across as a guy who eats the game for breakfast, lunch and dinner."I just want to play attractive football," he replied when asked about what system he intends to use in the fast approaching Nations League.Sebastien Pocognoli - Young, bold and untestedListen on SoundsHe talks about his lack of games as a manager. "No, it's not a lot, but each game is a moment to learn," was his rationale. "And it is [the case] for all the jobs in the world. It's the same for you or for all the people who are starting a job. I'm very analytical. I'm very objective about what I can improve daily. I'm very reflective about progressing every day."Scotland can be a good fit for me but I also want to bring the next generation on the pitch and to develop them. It's very important. What Steve achieved was fantastic because he put Scotland back on the map. But I have to continue this."There's different successes. You have the numerical success - winning games. It's the most important. So, I will try to bring this winning mentality and to play each game to win the way that I would like to do it. You can also be successful with a nice entertaining style of play on the pitch that the supporters can enjoy and smile about after the game."And there's the future, the developing of the young players is also success. So that's also very important. If you think about Scotland from outside, you'd straight away think about passion, about players who just fight together, who run more than the opponent. And that has to be the base. With the quality that we have - and we have a lot - we want to bring some offensive movements. I like to be aggressive."He has six games between late September and mid-November and a trip to Slovenia to start with. By then we'll know what's the most suitable moniker - the overly-familiar Sebba or Poco - or something more stern.His employers are all in on him. Salute their bravery and their ambition - it is, after all, what everybody wanted.

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Manchester United ended their pre-season with a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan, and the question is what kind of condition they are in as they go into the new season?Ahead of a special Sky Sports Manchester United Q&A taking place on Wednesday, our reporter Danyal Khan discusses the major talking points...The good news for Michael Carrick and United is that two players, in particular, have stood out in pre-season.Having perhaps looked a bit tired towards the end of last season, Carrick will be purring to see Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo back to their electric selves in pre-season.Mbeumo has looked sharp in front of goal with Amad also appearing full of confidence after an impressive World Cup with Cote d'Ivoire in the summer.One player who may have a new chapter at the club is Joshua Zirkzee. Although there is still a possibility his future could be away from Old Trafford, he's looked like a different Zirkzee to the one we've seen in previous seasons.Albeit it is pre-season, could Zirkzee provide cover for Bruno Fernandes in the No 10 position?He was particularly impressive in Dublin against Leeds at a sold-out Croke Park, and in his third season at the club it will be intriguing to see how Carrick uses the Dutchman - if his future is at United.One thing that has clearly stood out in pre-season is the development of their gameplan under Carrick and his staff.It was quite clear watching them during his six-month spell last season that the team would largely defend on the edge of their own box. They were extremely solid and compact which underpinned some huge wins.What we've seen in pre-season has been a deviation - or, perhaps, progression - from that. United are pushing higher and working harder to press and counter-press the opposition, especially to win the ball back quickly after a loss of possession.They were slightly found out against Milan, with the press not quite sharp enough - the fourth goal, in particular, came from just one ball over a high-lined defence.The game (although not wanting to exaggerate due to it still being pre-season!) was the perfect illustration of why United need to invest seriously in a left-back: not just because Luke Shaw will need to be rotated with the increased number of games that comes with European competition, but also due to the way United clearly want to play going forward.They need serious recovery pace in the back-line for the times they do occasionally get caught out with this gameplan - but time is ticking to get any deal done.Marcus Rashford has returned - and his future is a topic that will not go away until September's deadline passes.It seemed an unlikely reunion after his loan spell at Barcelona, but from what I'm hearing Rashford has only been positive and enthusiastic about his return to the club.Carrick also told us last week that Rashford is his player and he is looking forward to working with the forward going into the season, but there still seems to be doubt over whether the England man will remain in a United shirt.Right now, he is expected to do so, but much will depend on the interest Rashford generates as the deadline approaches - and also what the player believes is right for his next challenge.It is thought he would only leave for an elite-level club, but his current contact at United may mean it proves too difficult to organise a solution away from Old Trafford.

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is not for sale at any price despite interest from Galatasaray.Reports have claimed the Turkish side are ready to bid for the 31-year-old, who has entered the final year of his contract, but United also have an option to extend by a further year.However, United will not entertain any offers for their talisman, who was named Premier League Player of the Year last season after breaking the competition's assist record.The £57m release clause for foreign clubs in his contract has now expired.In December, Fernandes revealed he had been "hurt" when United told him last summer he was free to accept a big-money offer to join Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, who were ready to pay £100m as a transfer fee.Despite Fernandes feeling as though the club were open to selling him last summer, the message from the hierarchy since has been clear: he is not for sale.The ambiguity of last summer has been put to bed with United viewing Fernandes as crucial to the future of their project.Stream the Premier League with no contract"It doesn't seem likely in this window but go back 12 months, it felt 50:50. It felt like Manchester United would be willing to sell him if they could recoup £100m to spend on other areas."He spoke quite openly about the fact he spoke to the Saudi Pro League and the projects there - before deciding he wanted to commit his future to Manchester United."You would think the club would be working on a contract extension because he has one year left - plus that option to extend by a further year, which you'd expect them to do so, otherwise he'd be in a position in January where he could speak to foreign clubs over a free transfer."Last season he was just incredible with the assist record - he was the best player in the Premier League last season. He's a massive part of Michael Carrick's plans this season."There will come a time when Manchester United think about life after Bruno Fernandes but that won't be this summer. He's so important to their plans in Europe and the Premier League.""The good news for Michael Carrick and United is that two players, in particular, have stood out in pre-season."Having perhaps looked a bit tired towards the end of last season, Carrick will be purring to see Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo back to their electric selves in pre-season."Mbeumo has looked sharp in front of goal with Amad also appearing full of confidence after an impressive World Cup with Cote d'Ivoire in the summer."One player who may have a new chapter at the club is Joshua Zirkzee. Although there is still a possibility his future could be away from Old Trafford, he's looked like a different Zirkzee to the one we've seen in previous seasons."Albeit it is pre-season, could Zirkzee provide cover for Fernandes in the No 10 position?"He was particularly impressive in Dublin against Leeds at a sold-out Croke Park, and in his third season at the club it will be intriguing to see how Carrick uses the Dutchman - if his future is at United."

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Audio to be used during live broadcasts for first timeMove is part of an expansion of the RefCam systemThe Premier League will permit audio of on-field conversations between players and referees during live broadcasts for the first time this season.The use of audio by the Premier League’s domestic rights holders, Sky Sports and TNT Sports, is part of an expansion of the RefCam system, which became a permanent feature of top-flight coverage last season after a six-week trial at the start of the campaign. The head-mounted RefCams were used by broadcasters to ­provide near‑instant replays of match ­incidents from a new angle in an attempt to enhance the viewer experience, but under the terms of their agreement with clubs the audio captured by the cameras was not televised until several days later.The Guardian has learned that the regulations will be relaxed this season, however, to permit a limited use of RefCam audio during live matches, with one or two incidents to be broadcast from each of the Premier League’s 38 match rounds. The audio will not be broadcast live or include any incidents that are referred to the video assistant referee, as that is not permitted under the laws of the game, which are set by the International Football Association Board (Ifab). The new audio offering will be made available as part of near-live instant replays, however, while the number of TV games featuring RefCam will increase from 20 to about 45.The Premier League and refereeing body Pro Ref – formerly PGMOL – are both understood to be lobbing Ifab over relaxing the rules that prevent live audio from being broadcast.

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The Community Shield isn’t always a sign of things to come, but City’s form in their defeat to Arsenal is concerning in the wake of Pep Guardiola’s departureThere are caveats. It was only the Community Shield – and no side has gone on to win the league after lifting the Community Shield since 2018. It was against the league champions, whose pre-season has involved far less strenuous travel than their own. By the time the season really gets going, there will be greater clarity in central midfield, with Rodri set to complete his move to Barcelona imminently. But this was a startlingly bad opening for Enzo Maresca at Manchester City.Succeeding a manager of Pep Guardiola’s stature is never easy, as numerous clubs have found. But it’s not just Guardiola’s stature, the sense that whoever follows him stands in his shadow. It’s that his style of play is so idiosyncratic that the transition process inevitably becomes more difficult. Even though Maresca was Guardiola’s assistant at City in 2022-23, and his football is Guardiola-inspired, it is not identical, not least because Guardiola was always evolving. Even allowing for all that, though, it was remarkable how poorly City defended in their 3-0 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday.Arsenal played well. There was a sharpness to them and a slickness to their passing that wasn’t always present last season. Fears that they may have lost their appetite having ended their 22-year wait for the title may have been overstated (although much, much tougher tests await). But City were a rabble, limited going forward and a shambles at the back.It was the second goal that will really have worried them, because Arsenal had to do so little to score. Martin Ødegaard was given time to measure his cross. Christos Tzolis wandered off the back of Abdukodir Khusanov. Then Kai Havertz, slightly more explicably, pulled away from Rúben Dias. In Khusanov’s defence, it probably should be acknowledged that he does not usually play at right-back, but he has occupied the role before. A wide player drifting off your back should not come as a shock; perhaps it’s just pre-season and he was not as alert as he will be, but it was a baffling error. But it was of a piece with the wider whole; throughout, City seemed off the pace, not as focused as Arsenal. Even if that improves as the season goes on, it’s a problem if City have title aspirations; how far clear will Arsenal be by the time City finally click – if they do click?But there were structural issues on that flank as well. Antoine Semenyo was barely involved. Elliot Anderson, on the right of the midfield two, was unable to check the forward surges of Riccardo Calafiori, who scored the first and whose run played a key role in the third. An attacking left-back, even one with as much freedom to drift infield as the Italian enjoys, shouldn’t cause that much trouble.The midfield issue desperately needs resolving. Rodri was an unused substitute as talks about his possible likely move to Barcelona go on (City accepted a bid for him on Sunday night). It’s not just his quality that will be missed; his organisational abilities will be too. Enzo Fernández, who worked with Maresca at Chelsea, did seem to have been lined up as a replacement for Rodri but City did not submit a bid before the Friday 5pm deadline Chelsea had placed for selling the midfielder. Mateo Kovacic spent much of last season deputising for Rodri but he is 32 now; he is not the future. Factor in the loss of Bernardo Silva as well, and there is a serious shortfall in midfield.Generally, in fact, City’s squad looks a little short. Dias and Marc Guéhi are the only defenders over 25. There are plenty of attacking midfielders but Omar Marmoush has never really convinced as a back-up to Erling Haaland. The £200m spree in January 2025 may have helped stop the rot, but the players who came in then – not just Marmoush and Khusanov but also Vitor Reis and Nico González – would not be badly missed now. City, once so focused in their spending, have started to make mistakes. Tijjani Reijnders, brought in last summer for £50m, is about to be shipped on. Rayan Aït-Nouri was a baffling signing when he arrived and nothing in the past year has changed that view.Maresca must have looked at Arsenal’s squad, the extraordinary options available to Mikel Arteta in midfield, and despaired. Put generously, his is a squad in transition, although it’s starting to look as though it may be a squad in decline. The sense over the past couple of years was of Guardiola, slowly, passing his peak, but in retrospect perhaps it was only his genius that kept an ailing City competitive.The evidence of Sunday, with all due caveats about the stage of the season, is that this may be a very bad time for Maresca to have replaced Guardiola. Taking over from a legend would be extremely challenging in the best of circumstances, and these are starting to look like they may be very bad circumstances.Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Sunday that he will “probably” retire as a player at the end of this season. What threatened to end his career at the age of 15?a) He was offered a lucrative contract to play professional basketballb) He was diagnosed with tachycardia, a heart conditionc) He nearly choked to death on a piece of mangod) His mother was in need of financial support and told him to become a mechanicAfter a loan spell at Preston North End in 1994-95, David Beckham made his Manchester United league debut in April 1995. He made three further appearances in the final weeks of that campaign and, the following season, was a regular as United pinched the league title from Newcastle United. But the moment that really propelled him into the national consciousness came at Selhurst Park on 17 August 1996, the opening weekend of the season. United already led 2-0 when, with three minutes remaining, a Wimbledon attack broke down. Brian McClair poked the ball on to Beckham, who advanced into space, looking up, assessing his options. The 21-year-old saw the Wimbledon keeper Neil Sullivan off his line and, before he entered the Wimbledon half, clipped a shot that flew over the Scotland international and into the net. What made it remarkable was that Sullivan wasn’t that far out and might even have got back had Beckham’s shot not had a little fade on it that took it away from his despairing half-leap. United went on to retain the title with Beckham, the No 10 in those days, scoring eight goals, and well on his way to becoming English football’s most recognisable face.The Premier League returns this weekend and the champions, Arsenal, kick off the season on Friday against newly promoted Coventry, who are returning to the top flight for the first time since 2001. You can catch the action at 3pm ET on USA and Telemundo.It’s b). Ronaldo was diagnosed with tachycardia, which meant he had an irregular heartbeat and also caused his heart to race. He underwent heart surgery and was back playing within a few days. “They used a sort of laser to cauterise the source of the problem. He was operated on in the morning and came out at the end of the afternoon,” his mother, Maria Dolores Aveiro, said in 2009.