European Leagues

$115m Deal: Real Madrid squad ‘complete’ even without Mbappé – Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti said that his Real Madrid squad is already “complete” — even without the addition of Kylian Mbappé — after their 2-0 friendly win over Manchester United in Houston on Wednesday.

Madrid’s €103 million ($115m) new arrival Jude Bellingham opened the scoring early at the AT&T Stadium with a cool finish, before another summer signing Joselu added a second with a spectacular overhead kick.

Ancelotti has repeatedly said that he is happy with his squad, despite the departure of long-term No. 9 Karim Benzema, and ongoing links with Mbappé, frozen out by Paris Saint-Germain as the row over his future continues.

“The squad is fine,” Ancelotti said on Wednesday. “We won’t have problems with the squad. A problem would be having a squad without quality … The squad is great. It’s complete.”

When asked specifically about Mbappé, the Italian responded with a blunt “Next question.”

The victory over United means Madrid have won both of their preseason U.S. friendlies so far, after a 3-2 comeback win over AC Milan at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Sunday.

The LaLiga giants have added Bellingham, Joselu, Arda Guler, Fran Garcia and Brahim Diaz to their squad this summer.

“Bellingham’s [goal] shows the quality he has,” Ancelotti said. “He times his runs from deep well. [Antonio] Rudiger gave him a fantastic pass and he scored. And Joselu’s is a goal that you don’t see often.”

Mbappé is training with PSG’s reserves after being left out of their tour of Japan, with the French club looking to put pressure on the forward to either extend his contract beyond next summer, or move now, rather than leaving on a free transfer.

With Joselu the only natural centre forward in the Madrid squad for now, Ancelotti has been trialling a new 4-4-2 formation with a front two of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes.

“It’s going well,” he said. “I think Vinicius is adapting. He likes playing inside a bit more… Rodrygo and Vinicius are very dangerous with the ball. We can be more direct in transitions, and Bellingham’s quality helps with that.”

Madrid will play Barcelona in Arlington, Texas today, and then Juventus in Orlando, Florida on August 2, before flying back from the U.S. ahead of the new LaLiga season.

Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gündogan said that though he understood that the final decision was up to Mbappé, he would welcome the competition.

“Wherever he is gonna be I think to play against him is a joy,” Gündogan told ESPN. “You know that to face these kinds of players, you have to be at your best to beat them. So It is just about the competition.

“This is a decision that he personally has to make. But I am sure there are Clásicos that we are going to play that they all will be, in terms of intensity and quality, they will all be amazing to watch, so I can’t wait.”

Premier League

UCL Qualification: Epic Final Day Awaits As Five Teams Battle It Out

Liverpool and Arsenal have both qualified for the 2025/26 Champions League, but which other Premier League sides will join them? Premier League is guaranteed at least five clubs in next season’s Champions League

Race for the Champions League
The race for Champions League qualification is heading for an EPIC conclusion on the final day of the season next Sunday.

Premier League winners Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal have already both guaranteed Champions League football.

But after Sunday’s results there is now just ONE POINT separating fourth-in-the-table Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest in seventh.

And even Manchester City are not yet certain of finishing in the top five despite beating Bournemouth this midweek.

It’s all set up for a blockbuster final day with Forest hosting Chelsea, live on Sky Sports, Newcastle playing Everton, Aston Villa heading to Old Trafford to face Manchester United and Guardiola’s team at Fulham.

Ahead of City’s game with Bournemouth, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville assess the race for the Champions League and pick who they think will finish in the top five.

Manchester City – Points 68, Goal difference + 26
Remaining fixture: Fulham vs Man City

City are nearly there after beating Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

That said, defeat at Fulham on the final day would leave them vulnerable: if City lose at Craven Cottage and Newcastle, Villa and Chelsea all win then Pep Guardiola’s side would slump from third to sixth. (Forest would go level on points with City in the event of a Fulham victory and Forest defeating Chelsea, but the gap in goal difference is too large for Forest to finish above City).

So a point IS still required.

And even a point wouldn’t mathematically guarantee a top-five berth – but given Villa have such a vast goal difference deficit, it is all-but impossible to see how a point wouldn’t be sufficient.

City’s goal difference advantage over Chelsea and Newcastle is less substantial but still meaty enough to mean that a point ought to be enough to claim third.

Second place is still mathematically possible for City but is deeply unrealistic: a point for Arsenal at Southampton will claim the runners-up spot and even in the event of a shock defeat for the Gunners, City would have around half-a-dozen goals to make up were both clubs to finish on 71 points.

Newcastle’s remaining fixtures – Points 66, Goal difference + 22
Remaining fixture: Newcastle vs Everton

With every Champions League-related result going against Newcastle this weekend, Eddie Howe’s side now face a huge assignment against Everton on the last day – and possibly without Alexander Isak up front.

A draw would only be enough courtesy of goal difference if Aston Villa failed to win AND Forest vs Chelsea didn’t end in a draw.

So the bottom line is that with four teams within a point of them, Newcastle can only contemplate a win being enough on the final day to book a place in the Champions League.

Chelsea – Points 66, Goal difference + 20
Remaining fixture: Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea

Because their goal difference is so much better than Villa’s, Chelsea will qualify for the Champions League if they win on Sunday at Forest by finishing above both Villa and Forest.

A draw would only be sufficient if Newcastle are defeated by Everton by more than one goal OR Villa fail to win at Manchester United.

Defeat would be terminal as Forest would automatically demote Chelsea into sixth or lower.

Aston Villa – Points 66, Goal difference + 9
Remaining fixture: Man United vs Aston Villa

Mathematically, a draw at Manchester United will be enough for Villa to finish in fifth were Newcastle to lose and Forest vs Chelsea to also end in a draw.

But, much like with Chelsea above, the strong likelihood is that Villa HAVE to win on the final day to make it into the top five.

And even then, with Villa only boasting a goal difference of plus nine, victory at Old Trafford won’t be enough if Newcastle and Chelsea also both win and City take at least a point at Fulham.

Nottingham Forest – Points 65, Goal difference + 13
Remaining fixture: Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea

There’s hope for Forest but to overtake two teams above them and finish in the top five the minimum requirement is victory over Chelsea on the final day.

True, they can still finish as one of three teams on 66 points with a draw but in that scenario they are near-certain to finish in sixth below Newcastle on goal difference with Chelsea on 67 points.

So only a win on the final day will do, and even then Forest (with 68 points if they win) will have to hope for either Villa not to win at Manchester United (leaving Villa on 66 or 67) or Newcastle not to beat Everton (which would also leave Newcastle on 66 or 67 points).

Skysports.com

Serie A

Jurgen Klopp Joining AS Roma Would Boost All Italian Football

As the 2024/25 season comes to an end and clubs begin to turn their attention to summer changes, one news story this week stood out as Jurgen Klopp was linked with a move to AS Roma.

According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, the former Liverpool boss has agreed to take over from Claudio Ranieri who will be moving into a directorial role once the current campaign is over.

This past weekend saw Ranieri given an emotional send-off by Roma supporters before, during and after his final home game as manager amid scenes similar to those seen at Anfield last year.

Jurgen Klopp makes transfer suggestions
Now, according to that same report from Enrico Testa, Klopp is so keen to get back into coaching that he was making Roma aware of what he expected in terms of improvements to their current squad.

Singling out three key areas that he believes immediately need reinforcements, the German boss reportedly wants three starters and three back-ups in central defence, right wing and attack.

However, Tuesday morning seemingly saw Klopp’s representative seek to quash the rumours. In a short statement given to gambling website winwin.com, agent Marc Kosicke simply said “this news is not true.”

How Jurgen Klopp could transform Serie A
Yet that does not prevent Roma supporters – or the Serie A fanbase in general – from wondering just what such a move could do for both the Giallorossi and the wider world of Italian football.

Klopp’s accolades speak for themselves. From promotion with Mainz 05, winning the Bundesliga twice and reaching the UEFA Champions League Final with Borussia Dortmund and then transforming Liverpool, success has followed the 57-year-old at every turn.

His high-energy and demand for relentless effort has lifted every group he has led, raising standards across the board both on and off the pitch. Klopp’s man-management even extends beyond the playing squad and staff, forging a deep connection with supporters on Dortmund’s ‘Yellow Wall’ and Anfield’s Kop alike.

Harnessing the power of those passionate fanbases, he made it his mission “to turn doubters into believers.” Yet arguably his greatest achievement was to raise the bar of the entire Premier League, pushing rivals like Manchester City to new heights in order for Pep Guardiola’s men to finish above Liverpool.

That kind of elevation is exactly what Serie A needs. Yes, Inter have reached the Champions League Final this year and Antonio Conte’s Napoli are pushing for a domestic title, but the overall standard of the league has undoubtedly slipped.

Juventus are lurching from one coach to the next with no real vision for the future, while the once-mighty AC Milan will miss out on Europe altogether next season and the likes of Fiorentina, Torino and Parma – all having won major trophies in the past – are shadows of their former selves.

Indeed, outside of Gian Piero Gasperini’s irrepressible Atalanta, it is difficult to see any other Italian club playing good football and making intelligent, well-thought out decisions off the pitch.

Forcing them to compete with a manager of Klopp’s standard and stature would push those traditionally great clubs to rethink their approach, to empower

The impact of a Coach as transformative as Jurgen Klopp could not only make AS Roma a genuine force, but could prove to be a rising tide that raises all boats on the Italian football landscape.

Forbes.com

Europa League

UEL Final: Man Utd vs Spurs Free Stream

Manchester United and Spurs will attempt to salvage something from the wreckage of their horrendous seasons on Wednesday night when they face each other in the Europa League final at Estadio de San Mamés in Bilbao.

Ruben Amorim’s men are currently 16th in the Premier League, one spot above Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, with the clubs having lost 39 games between them this term.

However, the Europa League final offers once last chance at silverware and also the golden ticket of a place in the Champions League next term so the stakes could hardly be higher in the Basque country.

When is the Europa League final and where can I watch?

The game kicks off at 8pm Irish time on Wednesday night, with coverage on TNT Sports 1 and Ultimate from 6pm.

Unlike in previous years, TNT have opted not to air the final on YouTube, but viewers can still watch for free if they sign up to the Discovery+ app.

All you need to do is register a free account without any need to sign up to a package. Once that is done, you are clear to tune in on smartphones, tablets, computers and smart TVs.

The Uefa Conference League final between Chelsea and Real Betis (Wednesday, May 28), and the Champions League decider between Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain will also be free to watch on the app.

Who are Europa League favourites?

Spurs have beaten United three times this season – twice in the Premier League and once in the Carabao Cup – but the Red Devils are slight favourites heading to Bilbao.

That may be down to the fact they have won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the last two years, while Spurs have gone 17 years since lifting the League Cup in 2008.

United are 4/5 shots to lift the trophy and 6/4 to win in 90 minutes, with Spurs 11/10 to end that silverware drought and 19/10 to win in normal time.

What is the team news?

United received a boost on the eve of the final with striker Joshua Zirkzee and defenders Diogo Dalot and Leny Yoro all taking part in training before making the trip to Bilbao.

However Mathijs de Ligt, sidelined for the last three games, didn’t train and is likely to miss out.

Spurs will be without midfielders James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall for the big game.

Irishnews.com