MANCHESTER, England: As the dust settles on Manchester United’s humiliating 7-0 loss to Liverpool, manager Erik ten Hag is hoping he and his team have learned something from the setback.
The Dutchman wants an instant reaction when his team hosts Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday and his starting lineup could offer an insight into which players he felt were most culpable for the collapse at Anfield.
Bruno Fernandes’ position as stand-in captain, however, appears to be safe.
“He’s playing a brilliant season. He’s had a really important role in why we’re in the position where we are because he’s giving energy to the team,” Ten Hag said Wednesday.
Fernandes has worn the captain’s armband for the majority of the season in the absence of Harry Maguire, who has lost his regular starting place. But the Portugal international’s petulant performance against Liverpool, when he was frequently complaining to the referee, has led to plenty of criticism. Some have questioned whether he is captain material.
Former United captain Gary Neville, now a television commentator, labeled Fernandes an “embarrassment.”
“I think some of his behavior in the second half has been a disgrace,” Neville said.
United denied that Fernandes had asked to be substituted during the game.
“He’s pointing and coaching players, he’s an inspirator for the whole team. But no one is perfect, everyone has his mistakes,” Ten Hag said. “Everyone has to learn. I have to learn and he will learn as well because he’s intelligent.
“I’m really happy to have Bruno Fernandes in the team and I’m really happy, if Harry is not on the pitch, that he’s our captain.”
Fernandes has started all but one Premier League game this season and has rediscovered some of his best form under Ten Hag. A week before the loss to Liverpool, he led United to their first trophy in six years when captaining the team to a 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the League Cup final.
He lifted the trophy with Maguire at Wembley Stadium.
“He’s been a good leader for us even when he’s not been captain, which is always a good sign,” United teammate Marcus Rashford said. “He’s helped other players become better leaders and the reality is we can’t be a well-organized team with just one leader being the captain. He’s done a lot for us in terms of bringing his leadership skills in, and that was from the moment he arrived.
“Sometimes you want to win so bad you end up doing things that are a little bit out of character. But I, 100 percent I support Bruno. We are behind him.”
The loss effectively ended United’s Premier League title challenge, with the team 14 points behind leader Arsenal. It also equaled the biggest defeat in the club’s history, and was the third rout this season after losing to Brentford 4-0 and Manchester City 6-3.
Ten Hag described it as a “huge setback,” adding there were lessons “that can help us for the future.”
“That’s the positive, how negative it is. We were really below average, especially mentally-wise,” Ten Hag said. “If we want to be a big team and we want to win trophies then you have to act differently.”
Despite conceding six goals in the second half, Rashford denied the team gave up against Liverpool.
“That’s nonsense,” Rashford said. “We were unorganized, yes. Communication was bad, yes. That’s why we conceded the goals. But it comes down to the fact that I believe everyone was trying to get back into the game that much, we came away from the team’s principles in and out of possession.”
The Premier League may be out of reach, but United can still win three trophies with the team in contention for the Europa League and FA Cup.
Against Betis, United have a chance to get the season back on track.
“I’m happy and grateful we have another game quickly,” Rashford said, “because we have an opportunity to take a step forward from the last game and put it behind us.”
Fernandes’ role is safe, Man United manager Ten Hag says
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Fernandes’ role is safe, Man United manager Ten Hag says
- The Dutchman wants an instant reaction when his team hosts Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday
- Bruno Fernandes' position as stand-in captain, however, appears to be safe
Real Madrid might stands in the way of Dortmund fairytale in Champions League final
- Madrid’s rich Champions League tradition means there are also a number of personal feats at stake on Saturday
- The English Football Association (FA) have invested £5 million ($6 million) into improving safety and infrastructure at Wembley
LONDON: Borussia Dortmund face the acid test after a fairytale run to Saturday’s Champions League final as a star-studded Real Madrid roll into Wembley expecting to be crowned European champions for a 15th time.
No club can come close to the Spanish giants’ success in the competition and they are strong favorites against a Dortmund side that have beaten the odds just to make it to London.
Madrid’s habit of somehow getting over the line when it matters in the Champions League has been exemplified in their run to the final.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men withstood a barrage from defending champions Manchester City to win their quarterfinal tie on penalties before another legendary late fightback at the Santiago Bernabeu to beat Bayern Munich in the last four.
The Spanish champions rightly travel to the English capital with confidence as they look to cap a memorable season.
Madrid have lost just twice in 54 games in all competitions, storming to the title in La Liga by 10 points and thrashing Barcelona 4-1 to lift the Spanish Super Cup along the way.
“I came here because I wanted to win, and to expect it,” said Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, who left Dortmund for the Spanish capital 12 months ago.
“It is a bit greedy almost, but you have to be confident when you’re playing with so many great players.”
Bellingham’s career path shows the scale of the task awaiting Dortmund.
Plucked from English Championship side Birmingham as a teenager, he was molded and developed by the German giants before being picked off by Madrid for a transfer fee in excess of €100 million ($109 million).
Without him, Dortmund struggled domestically this season, finishing fifth in the Bundesliga, 27 points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen.
Yet, Edin Terzic’s men have saved their best for the Champions League stage to reach the final for the third time in the club’s history and first since they lost at Wembley to Bayern Munich 11 years ago.
Dortmund topped the group of death featuring Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle.
PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid were then seen off before a heroic defensive display kept out PSG over two legs in the semifinals.
“They’ve prepared their season around the run in the Champions League,” added Bellingham.
“They’ve played amazingly, the character and mentality they’ve shown in a lot of games. They’ve had a tough run to the final as well and you have to respect that.”
As impressive as keeping out Real-bound Kylian Mbappe was in the last four, Dortmund realize they must go to another level if Madrid are to lose a European final for the first time since 1983.
“Our goal wasn’t to qualify for the final, our goal is to win the Champions League,” said Dortmund fan turned coach Terzic.
“And if you want to win the Champions League, you have to beat the champions. Now the absolute champion in the history of soccer and especially in this competition is waiting for us. The ultimate boss.”
Madrid’s rich Champions League tradition means there are also a number of personal feats at stake on Saturday.
Ancelotti can extend his record as the only coach to win the European Cup four times.
Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, in the final club game of his career, could match Madrid legend Paco Gento as the only player to win the competition six times as a player.
UEFA will be hoping the focus is on the protagonists on the field come full-time to ensure their decision to return to Wembley for a major final is not questioned.
Three years ago, the final of Euro 2020 was marred by violence as ticketless fans stormed the stadium doors to gain entry.
UEFA were also forced to apologize to Liverpool fans for the organization of the 2022 Champions League final in Paris that an independent review found “almost led to disaster.”
The English Football Association (FA) have invested £5 million ($6 million) into improving safety and infrastructure at Wembley, which is also set to host the Euro 2028 final.
“We never foresaw events like that for the Euros final and I’m not sure we will again but we’ve learned lessons and additional measures have been implemented,” said the FA’s director of tournaments and events Chris Bryant.
Paqueta to stay in Brazil squad ahead of Copa America as he fights spot-fixing charges in England
- He was charged with misconduct on May 23 and faces a long ban if found guilty by English soccer authorities
- Paqueta immediately took to social media to deny the charges
RIO DE JANEIRO: Lucas Paqueta can continue to play for Brazil while he fights spot-fixing charges by the English Football Association, his national team said Thursday.
Paqueta, who plays his club soccer for West Ham, is alleged to have deliberately received yellow cards during Premier League matches to influence betting markets.
He was charged with misconduct on May 23 and faces a long ban if found guilty by English soccer authorities.
Paqueta immediately took to social media to deny the charges, vowing to “fight with every breath to clear my name,” but has until Monday to formally respond to the allegations. The English FA has acknowledged that Paqueta may request for an extension before issuing his official response.
In a long statement on Thursday, the Brazilian Football Confederation said it was aware of the allegations and contacted the English FA for information.
Based on the English FA’s responses, confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues Gomes said Paqueta will stay in Brazil’s squad ahead of the Copa America starting June 20 and remains free to play in upcoming friendlies against Mexico and the United States.
Saudi national football team prepares for Asian qualifiers
- Players participating in the King’s Cup final between Al-Nasser and Al-Hilal on Friday will join the national squad on Sunday
- Green Falcons fly to Islamabad on Wednesday for their game against Pakistan on Thursday, and then host Jordan in Riyadh on June 11
RIYADH: The Saudi national football team gathered at their training camp in Riyadh on Thursday to begin preparations for the upcoming Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup.
As the Green Falcons held their first training session on Thursday evening behind closed doors at Mahd Academy, members of the squad from Al-Nasser and Al-Hilal, who will meet in the final of the King’s Cup on Friday, were absent. They will join the national team’s preparations on Sunday after head coach Roberto Mancini gave them a day off on Saturday to recover.
The 31-player squad, announced by Mancini last week, will fly out on Wednesday for their game against Pakistan in Islamabad on June 6, and then host Jordan at Alwal park in Riyadh on June 11.
Saudi Arabia currently tops Group G of the Asian qualifiers, with 10 points from four games, ahead of Jordan (7 points) and Tajikistan (5). Pakistan are bottom of the group having lost all four games so far.
Maradona’s heirs lose court battle to block auction of World Cup Golden Ball trophy
- Maradona’s heirs tried to stop the auction of the Golden Ball trophy he received for being the best player of the 1986 World Cup
- Lawyer Gilles Moreu told The AP the court’s ruling “was not favorable to the heirs of Diego Maradona” and said he would lodge an appeal
PARIS: A French court ruled the auction of a trophy awarded to the late Diego Maradona after the 1986 World Cup can go ahead as planned despite opposition from his heirs, their lawyer told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Maradona’s heirs tried to stop the auction of the Golden Ball trophy he received for being the best player of the 1986 World Cup by starting an urgent judicial procedure. Lawyer Gilles Moreu told The AP the court’s ruling “was not favorable to the heirs of Diego Maradona” and said he would lodge an appeal.
The trophy is set to be auctioned next Thursday in Paris by the Aguttes auction house, which did not immediately comment on the ruling.
The Golden Ball was missing for decades after it disappeared in uncertain circumstances and only recently resurfaced. Maradona’s heirs say the trophy was stolen and claimed the current owner wasn’t entitled to sell it. Aguttes said the trophy reappeared in 2016 among other lots that were acquired from a private collection at auction in Paris.
Moreu said the president of the Nanterre court outside Paris considered the current owner of the trophy, identified as Mr. Benchaieb, “should be considered as acting in good faith.”
Benchaieb and Aguttes claimed that when he bought the trophy years ago he was not aware it had been stolen.
“The Ballon d’Or is a unique piece of property, which Diego Maradona’s children want back,” Moreu said. “My clients are extremely saddened by the court’s decision.”
Maradona received the award in 1986 at a ceremony at the Lido cabaret on the Champs-Élysées. It subsequently disappeared, giving rise to rumors. Some say it was lost during a poker game or sold to pay off debts. Others say Maradona stored it in a safe in a Naples bank that was robbed by local gangsters in 1989 when he played in the Italian league. Maradona’s heirs believe it was stolen from the bank.
French judicial officials last week opened an investigation after they received a complaint relating to the resale of allegedly stolen goods. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office did not say whether the court’s decision would have an impact on the probe, and if it was still ongoing.
Maradona, who died in 2020 at age 60, captained Argentina in its 3-2 win over West Germany in the 1986 final in Mexico City. In a quarterfinal win over England he scored the “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century.”
Aguttes said it expects the trophy “to fetch millions due to its uniqueness.”
Bidders will be asked to make a deposit of 150,000 euros ($161,000) to participate in the auction.
The Hand of God goal came when Maradona punched the ball into England’s net. Four minutes later, he weaved through England’s midfield and defense and past goalkeeper Peter Shilton for what FIFA later declared the greatest goal in World Cup history.
Kompany to stick with same footballing principles after swapping Burnley for Bayern Muncih
- “At this club and this journey, I have no intention of being a different person,” Kompany said
- Kompany said the fact that next season’s Champions League final is being staged at Munich’s Allianz Arena will be used as some motivation
MUNICH: Vincent Kompany insists his footballing principles will not change after swapping the Championship for the Champions League by making the unlikely move from Burnley to Bayern Munich.
Kompany led Burnley to promotion to the Premier League in his first season at the northwest English club, only to get a reality check when his bold and attacking style of play was exposed in the top division.
Burnley’s relegation led to accusations by some that Kompany’s tactics were naïve, but the former Manchester City and Belgium defender said he was proud to have stayed consistent “in the very highs and the very lows” and will be working the same way at Bayern.
“At this club and this journey, I have no intention of being a different person,” Kompany said on Thursday at a news conference where he was presented as the replacement for Thomas Tuchel. “I don’t think that’s what they want.”
Kompany will, therefore, ask the same things from Bayern’s higher-quality players as he did from those at Burnley.
“I want the players of Bayern Munich to be brave, really brave on the ball, to have personality on the ball,” he said. “But also my nature is, I’m also someone that is aggressive, so I want the team to be aggressive.
“I want the team to represent those two things that would make my character — absolutely brave when they have the ball, when they’re making decisions, and absolutely aggressive, something that they carry throughout every minute of the game always.”
Kompany said the fact that next season’s Champions League final is being staged at Munich’s Allianz Arena will be used as some motivation.
“The goal is for me quite simple: I always try to win every match. It doesn’t matter where you are, it is always most, most important that we want to win every match,” he said. “That the Champions League final is here in Munich might make it a bit more important than the others, if I am honest. But I know we will not reach it by just expressing it.”
