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European Leagues

Xavi in trouble… Barcelona chiefs ‘losing faith’ in manager after humiliating Clasico defeat

Barcelona boss Xavi has seen questions asked of his future after his side’s damning 4-1 defeat to rivals Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final.

The loss has reportedly started ringing alarm bells in Catalonia as to Xavi’s continuance at the club and Joan Fontes of Bar Cantales has claimed that the leadership at Barcelona, including President Joan Laporta and Sporting Director Deco, have started losing faith in the former midfield superstar.

The report also claims that Deco has started questioning the signing of Manchester City’s treble-winning captain, Ilkay Gundogan.

Despite the reports from Fontes, Mundo Deportivo and SPORT, the two leading Catalan news outlets, have claimed that the leadership at the club are fully sure of Xavi and are behind him. They believe he is still the right man for the job despite their Clasico thrashing.

After the match, Deco spoke to the media about the loss. He said (via Toni Juanmarti): “It’s a tough defeat. Furthermore, we have not been able to fight. We have to continue and think about the Cup.”

Pressed on Xavi’s future, the sporting director quelled rumours of his sacking, as he explained: “This question doesn’t make any sense. The coach continues to have everyone’s trust. It is a defeat that does not change anything in that aspect.”

There is not a lot of time for Xavi to recuperate his squad before their clash against Unionista de Salamanca, a third-tier side, in the Copa del Rey on Thursday, January 18. Xavi will likely field a full-strength squad as the cup could be the Catalan side’s only shot at a trophy this season.

 

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Premier League

Scholes suggests Amorim may need to offload up to 14 players at Man United

Scholes

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes that current manager Ruben Amorim may need to offload up to 14 players as part of a major rebuild.

Scholes stated that Amorim faces a far bigger rebuilding job than Mikel Arteta did at Arsenal, citing the challenges Amorim has encountered since taking over at Old Trafford. The 40-year-old manager recently referred to the team as the worst in the club’s history.

Scholes highlighted Arteta’s transformation of Arsenal, which began when he inherited a team in disarray. Arteta’s success came through significant player changes, such as moving on Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Amorim appears to be following a similar path. He has left Marcus Rashford out of his matchday squad for over a month and has also sidelined Casemiro.

 

“The trouble Amorim’s got is there’s not just three of them,” Scholes told The Overlap fan debate. “You could be talking about 13 or 14 of them he doesn’t want.”

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Slot rests key players for Champions League clash against PSV

 ‘Something Is Wrong’ With Liverpool' -  Arne Slot Admits Ahead Of AC Milan Clash

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has opted to leave out several key players for their upcoming Champions League match against PSV on Wednesday night.

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and seven other prominent players have not made the trip to the Netherlands, with Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Luis Díaz also being rested.

Slot is focusing on Liverpool’s busy schedule, with important Premier League and Carabao Cup fixtures ahead.

Caoimhin Kelleher is set to start in goal, while fringe players such as Wataru Endo, Darwin Núñez, Federico Chiesa, and Harvey Elliott are expected to feature. Cody Gakpo, a former PSV player, will also be part of the squad and could face his old team.

Liverpool’s squad for the match includes:

Goalkeepers: Kelleher, Jaros, Davies.
Defenders: Quansah, Bradley, Norris, Nallo, Tsimikas, Robertson.
Midfielders: Endo, Mabaya, McConnell, Morrison, Morton, Nyoni.
Forwards: Chiesa, Gakpo, Elliott, Kone-Doherty, Danns, Núñez.

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Premier League

PGMOL stands by referee Michael Oliver amid controversial red card, assigns him to key fixtures

Michael Oliver

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has decided not to drop referee Michael Oliver for the upcoming Premier League fixtures despite recent controversy.

Oliver has faced criticism for his decision to send off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly during Saturday’s match against Wolves. The 39-year-old referee issued a straight red card to Lewis-Skelly after he caught Wolves defender Matt Doherty’s calf and ankle with his studs. The decision was upheld by VAR, and Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory at Molineux.

There had been speculation that Oliver would be sidelined due to the backlash and online abuse. However, he is scheduled to referee Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Barcelona and Atalanta.

The Premier League has confirmed that Oliver will officiate Ipswich Town’s match against Southampton at Portman Road on Saturday.

Additionally, he has been assigned to handle next month’s rescheduled Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park.

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