MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Pep Guardiola said he has “everything a manager could dream of” at Manchester City as Erling Haaland is set to return from a two-month injury layoff against Burnley on Wednesday.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and Guardiola’s former player Xavi, who is now in coach of Barcelona, both announced their intention to step down at the end of the season in recent days, citing the emotional strain that comes with management at the top level.
Guardiola also cut short his hugely successful spell in charge of Barca after four years and spent only three seasons at Bayern Munich before arriving in Manchester in 2016.
Now into his eighth season at City, Guardiola has racked up five Premier League titles and the club’s first ever Champions League among 15 major trophies.
But the 53-year-old said he had no intention of stepping down soon, praising the environment that surrounds him at the Etihad.
“I have everything that a manager could dream of,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“The hierarchy they always support me. We have changed a lot of players in seven years but all of them have been incredibly supportive.
“(It’s a) good environment so I have everything. Still, I feel good and of course one day it is going to finish but I don’t think about that right now.”
City look primed to add to that trophy haul with Haaland back fit for the business end of the season.
The Norwegian has been sidelined for the past 10 games, but City have won nine and drawn one of them — lifting the Club World Cup in that time — and remain on course to defend their treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
“Erling is an important player for us. Two months out, but he feels good — we have a training session (today), but apparently tomorrow he will be with us,” added Guardiola.
Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku have also recently returned from injuries, while defenders John Stones and Manuel Akanji could also make their comeback in midweek.
“The most important news is almost all the squad are fit,” added Guardiola.
“That is the best news. The important part of season starts now. FA Cup, the Champions League is around the corner and of course the Premier League — it’s important that we have everyone available. We have all the squad, we are stronger definitely.”
City are five points behind Liverpool at the top of the Premier League but have a game in hand.
Guardiola’s men ended their hex at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup and are huge favorites to progress when they face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League last 16 next month.
And Guardiola said he can afford to throw Haaland back into the thick of the action quicker than De Bruyne, whose return has been managed after five months out with a hamstring tear.
“Kevin’s was muscular with surgery,” he said. “Erling’s was a stress on the bone, so a different approach.”
Guardiola still loving ‘dream’ Man City job as Haaland returns
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Guardiola still loving ‘dream’ Man City job as Haaland returns
- Pep said he had no intention of stepping down soon, praising the environment that surrounds him at the Etihad
- “Still, I feel good and of course one day it is going to finish but I don’t think about that right now”
Son, Kim and Lee tasting success in Europe despite South Korea’s soccer struggles
- Kim Min-jae helped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title
- “I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said
SEOUL: South Korea’s national soccer team may be stumbling toward 2026 World Cup qualification and its clubs may have struggled in the Asian Champions League, but three of its biggest stars have been finding success in Europe.
Kim Min-jae helped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title, the 28-year-old defender’s second major prize in Europe after winning the Italian championship with Napoli two years earlier.
While Kim has two European trophies, the biggest star in Korean soccer is Son Heung-min and the 32-year-old forward is yet to win a major title. That could change next week with the Tottenham captain preparing to lead the London-based Spurs in the Europa League final against Premier League rival Manchester United.
“To complete the puzzle, you need every piece. Ultimately, I think, the most important final piece is still missing,” Son, who joined Tottenham in 2015, told South Korea media in London on Monday.
“I think I’ve been chasing that piece for 10 years. I’d love to finish that puzzle this time.”
Son was part of the Tottenham team that lost the 2019 UEFA Champions League final to Liverpool. Now, as the senior player, he’s determined to end what has been a difficult season for club — Tottenham are currently 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier League — and country, on a high.
“I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said. “I hope I won’t have regrets afterward. When I return to Korea after the season, I’d like to give my Korean fans and our Tottenham supporters the biggest smile I can bring.”
Son returned to action last weekend after an absence through injury but is set to start against Manchester United. The same is not automatically the case for Lee Kang-in.
The 24-year-old Lee, an attacking midfielder has been struggling for playing time of late for Paris Saint-Germain. He has appeared in 11 UEFA Champions League games this season but was on the bench as the French club beat Arsenal in the semifinals to book a final against Inter Milan on May 31 in Munich.
That game will marks the end of the European season and the start of transfer speculation. Lee has been linked with clubs elsewhere in Europe. So has Kim, whose season at Munich has been affected by injuries.
“I want to keep playing for Munich,” Kim said last month. “There’s no reason why I should leave this team. I like playing for Munich. I want to continue playing for this team next season. It’s one thing that’s important to me right now.”
It remains to be seen where the three biggest stars in Korean football are in August but the focus is currently on winning three prizes in European club football and bringing some good news for fans at home.
Brazil signs Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti 1 year ahead of 2026 World Cup
- CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues: ‘Bringing Ancelotti to coach Brazil is more than a strategic movement. It is a statement that we are determined to recover the top of the podium’
- Rodrigues: ‘He is the greatest coach in history and, now, he will be with the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters of Brazilian soccer’
SAO PAULO: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will leave the Spanish club and take over as coach of Brazil’s national team, the Brazilian soccer federation said Monday.
The 65-year-old Ancelotti, who will be Brazil’s first full-time foreign coach in a century, is still under contract with Madrid. The last round of the Spanish league will be on May 25 and the CBF said in a statement that he will officially take over Brazil the following day.
“Bringing Carlo Ancelotti to coach Brazil is more than a strategic movement. It is a statement to the world that we are determined to recover the top of the podium,” CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement. “He is the greatest coach in history and, now, he will be with the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters of Brazilian soccer.”
Rodrigues said Ancelotti will take charge of Brazil’s next two fixtures in South American World Cup qualifying, with his debut at Ecuador on June 5th and five days later in front of home fans against Paraguay in Sao Paulo.
Ancelotti’s contract with Madrid ends next year but is expected to be terminated early.
He will replace Dorival Junior, who held the job for 14 months and was fired in March after a 4-1 defeat at Argentina. Brazil lags in 4th position in World Cup qualifying after 14 matches and has its 33-year-old star Neymar still in difficulties to return to top form after an ACL injury in 2023.
The top six teams will secure direct spots in next year’s tournament.
Ancelotti leaves Madrid after a frustrating season in which the team did not defend its European title and saw rival Barcelona win the
Copa del Rey and get close to securing the league title after a 4-3 victory over Madrid on Sunday.
The Italian coach and Real Madrid are yet to comment on CBF’s announcement.
Ancelotti’s signing ends a turbulent time on Brazil’s bench since Tite left after the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals elimination against Croatia. Under-20 coach Ramon Menezes and Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz took charge for several matches as Rodriguez sought Ancelotti to become coach.
Menezes and Diniz both fared poorly, and Ancelotti extended his deal with Madrid during that span. Dorival Júnior was then chosen in 2024 to take the team to the World Cup, but he was also fired after the same lack of success and unimpressive performances.
Former Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus, a 70-year-old Portuguese who won several titles with Brazil’s Flamengo in 2019, was the favorite to take the Brazil job until Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal earlier in April.
Brazil will be Ancelotti’s first international experience as full-time coach. He was an assistant to Arrigo Sacchi in the 1994 World Cup as Italy lost to Brazil in the final on penalties.
That ended a 24-year World Cup title drought for Brazil, the same time frame it will face next year in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Ancelotti, who won Serie A titles as a player with Roma and AC Milan plus two European titles with the latter as a creative midfielder, started his full-time coaching career in 1995 at Italy’s Reggiana.
He’s also coached Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton, winning titles in Italy, England, Spain, France and Germany.
He twice won the Champions League with Milan 2003 and 2007, and added three more titles with Real Madrid in 2014, 2022 and last year.
Ancelotti will be only the second foreign coach to take Brazil into an international tournament.
The first was Uruguayan Ramon Platero, who coached Brazil in the 1925 South American championship, the predecessor of the current Copa America. He was on the job for 19 days and four matches of a round-robin competition with Paraguay and Argentina, with two wins, one loss and one draw in the final with Argentina, who lifted the title.
Portuguese coach Jorge Gomes de Lima, known as Joreca, shared Brazil’s coach position with local Flavio Costa in two friendly victories over Uruguay in 1944.
And in 1965 Argentine coach Filpo Nunez coached Brazil for one day. Nunez was Palmeiras’ coach, and Brazil’s soccer body chose the Sao Paulo-based club to play with national team shirts in a friendly against Uruguay in the opening of the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte. The hosts won 3-0.
The announcement of Ancelotti’s departure came a day after Madrid lost its fourth straight match to Barcelona this season, falling seven points behind the Catalan rival with three rounds remaining.
Former player Xabi Alonso is widely expected to take over the club’s helm after he confirmed his departure from Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso led Leverkusen to an unprecedented German league and cup double last year in his first full season after taking over the team when it was in the Bundesliga’s relegation zone the season before. He starred as a player as Madrid won a Spanish league title in 2012 and the 2014 Champions League before leaving for three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
Madrid still has to play in the upcoming Club World Cup beginning next month.
Crown prince congratulates Al-Ahli on historic Asian Elite Champions League win
- Praises Al-Ahli for exceptional performance, professionalism
- Victory vital to boost Saudi’s growing stature in global sports
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Al-Ahli on Monday for winning the 2025 Asian Elite Champions League.
At a reception here, the crown prince met with Sport Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation President Yasser Al-Misehal, Al-Ahli Club Chairman Dr. Khaled Al-Issa Al-Ghamdi, and several of the club’s staff and players.
The crown prince congratulated the team on their historic victory and praised them for their exceptional performance and professionalism.
He stressed the importance of hard work to elevate Saudi Arabia’s profile in the global sports arena.
Al-Ahli’s continental success marks a major milestone in the club’s history and comes amid Saudi Arabia’s continued investment in sports and culture as a part of Vision 2030.
PSG defender Achraf Hakimi named top African player in French league
PSG defender Achraf Hakimi has been voted the top African player in the French league after helping his club win a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title and reach the Champions League final.
The 26-year-old Moroccan won the the Marc-Vivien Foe award ahead of Nice forward Evann Guessand, from Ivory Coast, and Senegalese midfielder Habib Diarra, who plays for Strasbourg.
The prize is named after the late Foe, the popular Cameroon player and two-time African champion who collapsed and died on a field in France in 2003 while playing for his country.
Hakimi, regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world, scored last week as PSG defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal.
He is the second defender to win the award after Congolese player Chancel Mbemba in 2023. He’s also the fourth Moroccan, following Marouane Chamakh in 2009, Younès Belhanda in 2012 and Sofiane Boufal in 2016.
PSG is hoping for its first-ever treble this season. In addition to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, it faces Reims the week before in the French Cup final.
Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang won the honor in 2024.
Barca edge Real Madrid in thriller to move to brink of Liga title
- Barcelona battled back to claim a fourth Clasico victory from four meetings this season, showing their dominance over Carlo Ancelotti’s side
BARCELONA: Barcelona mounted a spectacular comeback to beat Real Madrid 4-3 in La Liga on Sunday and move to the brink of the title after overcoming a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe.
The France striker threatened to haul Madrid back into the title race but Raphinha’s double and goals from Lamine Yamal and Eric Garcia gave Barcelona a seven-point lead on the reigning champions with three matches remaining.
Hansi Flick’s side were knocked out of the Champions League in the semifinals by Inter Milan on Tuesday and risked their season collapsing if they were beaten by Madrid, but they resisted after Mbappe’s early brace.
Barcelona battled back to claim a fourth Clasico victory from four meetings this season, showing their dominance over Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
“We’ve opened up an important gap, it was key to win this game after the Champions League (defeat), the fans have forgotten it and so have we, let’s enjoy this,” Yamal told Movistar.
“It was important to win today to bring the league title closer and it went very well, we’re very happy.”
Real Madrid are set to finish the season without a major trophy.
“We have to defend better, that is quite evident from today’s game, we defended badly and that’s that,” said Ancelotti.
“Mbappe did well... in an attacking sense the team had clear ideas, but we could have defended better.”
Madrid had made the perfect start to what is expected to be the Italian coach’s final Clasico at the helm.
Mbappe earned a penalty when he was scythed down by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, although the Catalans complained in vain the forward was offside in the build-up.
The striker beat Szczesny, who dived the right way and got his fingers to it, but could not keep it out.
In the 14th minute Mbappe doubled Madrid’s advantage with a lethal finish after Vinicius Junior played him through, with Barcelona complaining again about a perceived foul on Yamal earlier in the move.
It was his 26th La Liga strike, taking him past Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski on 25 at the top of the scoring charts, and his 38th of the season across all competitions, beating Ivan Zamorano’s club record of 37 in a first season with Los Blancos.
Just as they have done on so many occasions this season, Flick’s spirited young Barcelona fought their way back in front with a stirring comeback.
Garcia headed home Ferran Torres’ flick-on from a corner to spark it.
Then Madrid could not stop 17-year-old star Yamal from levelling with a cultured bending effort beyond Courtois after Torres laid the ball off to him.
Two minutes later, Raphinha drilled Barca ahead, with Pedri threading him through.
Mbappe thought he had won another penalty when he fell under pressure from Frenkie de Jong but VAR revealed an offside in the build-up.
Moments later, Raphinha netted his second, picking Lucas Vazquez’s pocket on the edge of the area, exchanging passes with Torres and beating Courtois.
Mbappe netted from an offside position before the break, bringing a rollercoaster first half to a close.
Yamal had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second half as Barcelona looked to put their arch-rivals to the sword.
However Vinicius got behind Barca’s high line and he fed Mbappe for his hat-trick.
Barcelona appealed for a penalty when Aurelien Tchouameni blocked Torres’ shot with his arm, but the referee did not give it despite being called to review it by VAR.
Real Madrid substitute Victor Munoz fired high and wide when sent through, and Szczesny denied Mbappe, who had another strike ruled out for offside.
“For me it’s not always fun, sometimes I really suffer a lot,” admitted Flick, who said his team made too many mistakes in defense.
Barcelona thought they had wrapped up their win with a superb Fermin Lopez solo effort but it was harshly disallowed for handball.
Madrid had no time left to fight back though, and Barcelona, who last won the league in 2023, could seal the title as early as Wednesday, should Los Blancos stumble against Mallorca.
If Madrid avoid defeat Barcelona will be champions with a win at Espanyol the next day.
“We’ll seal it on Thursday and that’s all,” said Torres.
