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Mason Greenwood’s Getafe debut met with chants calling for him to die

Mason Greenwood was greeted with chants calling for him to die from visiting supporters as he returned to the field for the first time in a year and a half but was defended by his own fans – and inside seven minutes had won the corner from which Getafe scored the winner against Osasuna at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.

Greenwood’s new coach José Bordalás admitted he was “pleasantly surprised” after the on-loan Manchester United forward produced an impressive 25-minute debut in the 3-2 win despite not having played since January last year.

Bordalás also apologised for a “misunderstanding” in which he mistakenly claimed that Jude Bellingham had encouraged Greenwood to come to Spain.

“Mason is a great player, we have a lot of trust in him and I think it will be very positive for Getafe and for Spanish football,” he said.

Greenwood was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault in October 2022 after allegations were made against him online. The charges, which he denied, were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February.

Despite that, United did not return him to the squad, meaning that his last game was a 1-0 win over West Ham over a year earlier, in January 2022. But he showed little sign of inactivity in his first game since joining Getafe on a year’s long loan the final day of the transfer window.

When he was introduced with the score 2-2 in the 77th minute of a game in which there would be almost 13 minutes of added time, a small pocket of Osasuna supporters briefly chanted “Greenwood, muérete!” [Greenwood die].

They were immediately drowned out by whistles from the Getafe fans, who were left excited by a debut in which Greenwood showed flashes of speed and a willingness to run at opponents. Every time he got the ball, there was a sense of anticipation around the ground. Playing off the front to the right, he had already gone at his full back twice when a shot was charged down, earning Getafe the corner from which Nemanja Maksimovic headed an 85th-minute winner.

The Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate described those chants as “very bad”.

“We’re pleasantly surprised by him,” Bordalás said. “Today was a difficult game that was very back and forth. He helped us in attack and in defence too. He showed solidarity with his team, and he surprised us [physically]. We are still working with him, as he has gone many months without playing. We will talk this calmly. I imagine today will have been special for him and he will have the satisfaction of feeling like a footballer again. What a footballer wants is to compete, to play.”

Bordalás added: “I only talk about the sporting side of things. Today what I take with me is the expectation of the fans, because he is a great player. We are happy [with him]. He has integrated well, taking into account how little time he has been here. It’s true that the language is a handicap but we are helping him a lot. He is taking lessons with a teacher and we are trying to accelerate his Spanish. His behaviour has been very good. He comes with enthusiasm and the desire to improve.”

Those chants from the Osasuna fans, while very brief, may be an indicator of the kind of reception Greenwood could face in some grounds. But, asked if was prepared for the charges Greenwood faced to follow him around this season and to deal with similar moments, the Getafe manager said: “What happened and what people say is something we’re not part of.

“As I said after the Real Madrid game, we can only talk about sporting issues and we’re happy there. We think this [loan spell] is good for him, good for Getafe and good for football.”

Bordalás also took the opportunity to withdraw comments in an interview in which he suggested Bellingham had played a part in Greenwood coming to La Liga.

“I said that Mason had come to Getafe because he had spoken to Jude Bellingham. I have had that clarified. It has been confirmed to me that it was not like that, that was nothing to do with it,” the Getafe manager said, unprompted, after the game. “I want to say sorry. I have communicated that [apology] internally too. Mason came here another way: because of our interest, because he was offered to us and we were very interested.”

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Ex-Liverpool, Spain GK Reina to Retire

Pepe Reina is hanging up his gloves.

The Como goalkeeper has confirmed that this season will be his last.

“A very beautiful career is coming to an end, a very full life,” Reina told Spanish-language publication Movistar. “I feel very fortunate for what I’ve experienced. I didn’t expect it, but I think the time has come and I feel like bringing it to a close here.”

A native of Madrid, Reina is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and made his senior debut for the club in December of 2000.

He signed for Villarreal in 2002 and made 109 appearances for the team over three seasons before a 2005 transfer to Liverpool. Reina would go on to spend eight seasons at Anfield, winning an FA Cup in 2006 and a League Cup in 2012. He won the Premier Legue Golden Glove on three occasions and was named Liverpool’s Player of the Season in 2010. After losing his No. 1 shirt to Simon Mignolet, Reina spent 2013-2014 on loan with Napoli, where he won a Coppa Italia, before joining Bayern Munich that summer.

Reina would rejoin Napoli on a permanent in 2015. Following three seasons as the first-choice keeper, Reina joined Milan for two seasons where he would only make five appearances. Following a brief loan spell with Aston Villa, Reina signed for Lazio in 2020. He would rejoin the Yellow Submarine in 2022 and would appear in his 1,000th competitive fixture in 2023.

Joining Cesc Fabregas’s promoted side this past summer, Reina made 11 appearances for Como this season.

Internationally, Reina made his senior debut in 2005 and would go on to make 36 appearances for Spain. Though he did not play, he was a member of La Roja’s 2010 World Cup-winning squad.

Tsn.ca

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Postecoglou’s Second-Season Success: Titles Won, Tactical Flexibility

“I always win things in my second year. Nothing has changed. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, having just seen his side lose 1-0 at home to rivals Arsenal back in September, was in defiant mood and that quote has followed and been repeated to him all season.

His side came close to proving him right earlier this year.

Spurs held a 1-0 lead after the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool, only to then capitulate 4-0 in the reverse fixture at Anfield.

But Tottenham fell at the fourth-round hurdle of the FA Cup, losing at Aston Villa, while the club are on course for their worst campaign in the Premier League era as they are 17th with one game to go and a mammoth 45 points behind champions Liverpool.

Yet, the 59-year-old Australian, who began working at Spurs in July 2023, is one game away from having the last laugh.

Ange Postecoglou has taken charge of 99 Tottenham matches, winning 46, with 15 draws and 38 defeats. Spurs have scored 179 goals and conceded 148

He will take charge of Spurs for the 100th time on Wednesday when they play Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

A win would take Spurs into the Champions League, silence Postecoglou’s critics, maintain his superb second-year record and maybe keep him in his job.

He won the Australian title with both South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar and the Japanese league with Yokohama F. Marinos – all in his second season or second full season in charge.

Postecoglou also won the Asian Cup two years after becoming Australia boss – and the Scottish championship in both seasons with Celtic.

The 59-year-old did not see out two seasons in charge of the three clubs he failed to win anything at – smaller clubs Panachaiki and Whittlesea Zebras, and Melbourne Victory, whom he left after 18 months for the Australia job.

We have taken a look at how he has enjoyed second-season success throughout his career.

Celtic (June 2021-June 2023)
Postecoglou had a win percentage of 73% at Celtic, the best spell of his career

Matches: 113. Wins: 83 Draws: 12. Losses: 18. Goals scored: 284. Goals conceded: 108.

Postecoglou came to Celtic in June 2021, just after Steven Gerrard had guided Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title.

But the Australian did not need two seasons before winning, as he took the Bhoys to five trophies in his two years at the club.

In his first campaign they became Scottish champions and won the League Cup, before they added the Scottish Cup to make it a domestic treble in his second year with him then before moving to Tottenham.

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart had already won two Premier League titles with Manchester City before he was instrumental in Celtic’s success. He felt one of Postecoglou’s main strengths was getting his players to view the game in a different way and teach them new skills.

“He is top, really, really good,” said Hart after Postecoglou’s second Scottish title victory in May 2023. “He is really clear in what he wants and the biggest buzz for me is playing for someone who is pushing me and I am learning new things every day – it makes me feel alive.

“I have played in different teams that have been successful. Identity in football has always been there, but in terms of having a real way of playing, this is the first time I have been part of a team with that.

“I genuinely feel comfortable making risky passes, short passes, and if someone does miss a pass or a tackle and the ball goes in, I don’t think any of us would even flinch because that’s what we are being asked to do.”

Yokohama F. Marinos (January 2018-June 2021)
Postecoglou celebrating with his players at winning the J1 League

Matches: 161. Wins: 79. Draws: 30. Losses: 52. Goals scored: 313. Goals conceded: 228.

Before Celtic, Postecoglou had a three-and-a-half-year spell in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos.

He went there in January 2018 and almost won a trophy in his first 10 months, only to lose 1-0 to Shonan Bellmare in the J.League Cup.

But success was not too far away as his side then won the J1 League to become Japanese champions, finishing six points clear of FC Tokyo.

That title took the side into the Japanese Super Cup (their version of the Community Shield), but Yokohama could not add another trophy as they lost 3-2 on penalties against Vissel Kobe after Yokohama had fought back from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 down to leave it at 3-3 after 90 minutes.

“Ange really gave the club purpose,” said Dan Orlowitz from the Japan Times.

“It was a refreshing style of football that the league hadn’t really seen. Even when YFM struggled results-wise in 2018 it was very clear that the players and above all Ange believed in what he was doing.

“The fans believed in him as a result, and over the next year he let go of players who weren’t a good fit for the system and brought in players who were a great fit. All of that added up to the triumph of 2019.”

Australia (October 2013-November 2017)
Postecoglou (right) after guiding Australia to the 2015 Asian Cup

Matches: 49. Wins: 22. Draws: 12. Losses: 15. Goals scored: 86. Goals conceded: 58.

During his playing career, Postecoglou was a defender and represented Australia four times and in 2013 he got the chance to become his country’s national manager.

At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Australia finished bottom of a tough group that also included the Netherlands, Chile and 2010 winners Spain.

Australia hosted the Asian Cup in January 2015 and Postecoglou guided the Socceroos to the final with a crowd of more than 76,000 watching the game against South Korea in Sydney.

Midfielder Massimo Luongo (now at Ipswich Town) put Australia ahead, before Son Heung-min, Postecoglou’s current captain at Tottenham, equalised in the 91st minute to take the tie to extra-time. But James Troisi, who developed through Newcastle United’s academy, scored the winner as Postecoglou and Australia celebrated a 2-1 victory to win the tournament.

Former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill was a key player for Australia at that time and, in an interview with Optus Sport in 2024,, external was full of praise for Postecoglou.

“I never knew Ange until he came to the Australia job, he had a great pedigree,” said Cahill. “When you listen to him, everything he talks about is simple and logical – he wants the ball in play, action and intensity and that’s what the players want.

“The way you look at a coach is their presence and secondly their training, everything was measured and calculated. What I love with Ange is he is very honest, very detailed. He has a really nice way about him and you see the way he connects with players.”

Brisbane Roar (Oct 2009-April 2012)
Postecoglou and Brisbane Fury captain Matt McKay hold the Premiership plate in February 2011

Matches: 83. Wins: 42. Draws: 24. Losses: 17. Goals scored: 142. Goals conceded: 91.

Before becoming Australia manager, Postecoglou had an 18-month spell at Melbourne Victory, but was not there long enough to have a second full season.

That came after he had great success with another Australian side in Brisbane Roar. In a two-and-a-half-year spell, they won the A-League Championship in 2010-11 and retained their title the following year.

“Ange’s massive strength is his ability to be able to bring players along that journey and buy into what he does,” former Brisbane captain Matt Smith told BBC Sport.

“There’s zero tolerance for players that don’t want to follow. We were never made to feel comfortable, we were always pushing to be better, always developing, always working harder than any group I’ve experienced before.

“It didn’t matter if you were the biggest player in the dressing room or the youngest – if you weren’t pulling your weight or following his principles, he was very ruthless.”

Australia Under-17s and Australia Under-20s (Jan 2001-Feb 2007)
Postecoglou congratulates his players after the Under-20 international between Australia and Fiji on 21 December, 2002. Australia defeated Fiji 11-0

For a seven-year period, Postecoglou coached the Australian youth teams, gaining success at both the Oceania Under-17 and Under-20 Championships, winning each event on three occasions.

After that, he had brief spells at Greek side Panachaiki (nine months) and Australian outfit Whittlesea Zebras (three months) before joining Brisbane Roar.

South Melbourne (January 1996-December 2000)
Paul Trimboli and Ange Postecoglou celebrate winning the Ericsson Cup in May 1999

Matches: 155. Wins: 82. Draws: 30. Losses: 43. Goals scored: 276. Goals conceded: 194.

Postecoglou’s first managerial job came at South Melbourne in the Australian National Soccer League (the predecessor to Australia’s A-League).

It did not take long for him to be successful as he steered them to successive championships in 1997-98 and 1998-99, with them also winning the Oceania Club Championship in 1999.

Bbc.com

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Serena’s Husband, Ohanian, Buys Stake In Chelsea Women

Serial entrepreneur and husband to tennis great Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, recently acquired an 8-10% stake in Chelsea Women worth an estimated £20 million. The Reddit founder believes the Blues will become a “billion-dollar franchise.”

This marks Ohanian’s second investment in women’s football, following his previous role as the largest shareholder in US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) franchise Angel City FC.

The 42-year-old was present at Wembley alongside his wife for the Women’s FA Cup final against Manchester United, which Chelsea won 3-0 to complete the domestic treble without losing a match.

“Chelsea are very unique. These are the queens of global soccer, and they’ve got the trophy case to prove it. They are a very special club,” Ohanian told BBC Sport.

“The sky is the limit,” he continued. “You heard our president say the club are unapologetically ambitious – I want to get that tattooed on me. That is what we’re trying to build here – the best team in the world and at the forefront of women’s sport.”

“This will be a billion-dollar franchise one day. I hope my dollars, my pounds, can go towards that and especially back home in America. This is going to be America’s team.”

Ohanian’s reputation for having the “Midas touch” led Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor to describe his investment as a “game-changing endorsement” for the club.

“It was really nice. When I found out about the news, I was really excited for them to join the club,” Bompastor said. “They were here at Wembley to show their support. You can feel from the beginning they have the right mentality coming into Chelsea.

“This was the best way to welcome them, with this game, this final, and this result. These people are so passionate about women and women’s sport. It’s so nice to have them around, enjoy it, and be with them in these moments.”

While the Blues increasingly dominate the domestic scene, the next frontier is translating that success into European glory. Earlier in the campaign, Barcelona delivered a harsh lesson to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, demolishing the Londoners 8-2 on aggregate.

Insideworldfootball.com