All posts tagged: football ndtv sports

Luka Modric To Leave Real Madrid After Club World Cup

Luka Modric To Leave Real Madrid After Club World Cup

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Real Madrid’s Croatian midfielder Luka Modric said Thursday he would leave the Spanish giants after the Club World Cup this summer. “Everything in life has a start and an end… on Saturday I will play my last match at the Santiago Bernabeu,” said Modric, 39, in a post on Instagram, as he reaches the end of his contract with Los Blancos. “I’m leaving with a full heart, filled with pride, gratitude and unforgettable memories. “And even though, after the Club World Cup, I’m no longer going to wear this shirt on the pitch, I will always be a Madrid fan.” The Croatian has played nearly 600 games for Real Madrid since joining from Tottenham in 2012, winning the Champions League six times, the Copa del Rey twice and four La Liga titles among 28 trophies in total. Modric struggled at the start of his Madrid career after a move worth around 35 million euros ($40 million) but quickly found his footing and developed into one of the world’s best midfielders. Modric, who became …

Mariona Caldentey’s Arsenal Hoping To Break Barcelona Champions League Hegemony

Mariona Caldentey’s Arsenal Hoping To Break Barcelona Champions League Hegemony

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Powered by former Barcelona star Mariona Caldentey, Arsenal must upset the odds against the all-conquering Catalan giants on Saturday to prevent them winning a fourth women’s Champions League title in five years. Reaching their sixth final in seven years, Barcelona aim to further tighten their grip on the women’s game at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon against Renee Slegers’ side. The Dutch coach replaced Jonas Eidevall in October on an interim basis, made permanent in January as the team’s form improved dramatically under her. In the Champions League Arsenal produced a stirring quarter-final second-leg comeback to eliminate Real Madrid and then thrashed record eight-time winners Lyon 4-1 in France to reach the final. While Lyon are the record holders, Barcelona have been Europe’s dominant force in the last five years. The Catalans eased into their fifth consecutive final by destroying English domestic treble winners Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate. Barcelona, who won the Champions League in 2021, 2023 and 2024, also sealed a sixth-consecutive Liga F victory and are well-placed to repeat last …

Manchester United Must Make Changes After ‘Unacceptable’ Season, Says Luke Shaw

Manchester United Must Make Changes After ‘Unacceptable’ Season, Says Luke Shaw

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Manchester United defender Luke Shaw said he and his team-mates have to question whether they are good enough to represent the English giants after defeat in the Europa League final to Tottenham rounded off a woeful season. Spurs ended a 17-year trophy drought with a scrappy 1-0 win in Bilbao thanks to Brennan Johnson’s effort after Shaw failed to deal with a cross. United, who sit 16th in the Premier League, will now miss out on European football entirely next season for only the second time in 35 years.  “For a club like Manchester United, it’s nowhere near good enough,” said Shaw. “I think definitely me, and I think all of us have to question ourselves tonight, are we good enough to be here? Because this club, this season, it’s not acceptable.” Defeat will ramp up the pressure on manager Ruben Amorim, who has failed to make any positive impact on results since taking charge in November. The Portuguese is just the latest highly-rated coach to struggle in the Old Trafford hot seat …

Manchester United Face Harsh Truths After Losing Must-Win Europa League Final

Manchester United Face Harsh Truths After Losing Must-Win Europa League Final

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Manchester United’s Europa League final defeat by Tottenham leaves them in a dark place, contemplating their worst league finish in five decades and with no European football next season. Ruben Amorim’s men travelled to Bilbao hoping to salvage something from the wreckage of their season but left empty-handed as Spurs beat them for the fourth time in the current campaign. Brennan Johnson scored the only goal of the game shortly before half-time at the San Mames and United lacked the cutting edge to respond. In some ways the match was a snapshot of the Red Devils’ season — highlighting their inability to take their chances and uncertainty at the back. Defeat is a bitter — and costly — blow for a club who are unrecognisable from the force that rose to the pinnacle of English and European football under Alex Ferguson. Next season will be their first without European competition since the 2014/15 campaign, while six of their Premier League rivals strut their stuff on Europe’s biggest club stage. Amorim slump Amorim took …

Tottenham Hotspur End 17-Year Trophy Drought, Beat Manchester United In Europa League Final

Tottenham Hotspur End 17-Year Trophy Drought, Beat Manchester United In Europa League Final

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Brennan Johnson’s scrambled goal ended a 17-year Tottenham trophy drought with a battling 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday. Spurs, who had not won European silverware since 1984, will play in next season’s Champions League, while failing to qualify for it is a severe financial set-back for Manchester United. Despite their triumph in Bilbao, manager Ange Postecoglou’s future is still on the line following a shambolic domestic campaign, with Spurs sitting a place below United in the lower reaches of the Premier League table. The Australian furiously insisted he was “not a clown” on the eve of the final and had the last laugh on a nerve-racking night at the San Mames, as he made good on his claim to always win a trophy in his second season in charge of a club. Fans came from far and wide to pack Athletic Bilbao’s stadium, some taking quite preposterous routes and sleeping in cars to avoid eye-watering prices, but they could not escape a final lacking in quality. …

Wing Wizard Harry Maguire Makes Case For Manchester United Defence In Europa League Final

Wing Wizard Harry Maguire Makes Case For Manchester United Defence In Europa League Final

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Surprise wing wizard Harry Maguire says he hopes he can stay in his defensive comfort zone for Manchester United in the Europa League final against Tottenham on Wednesday despite his attacking cameos earlier in the competition. Ruben Amorim’s men have the chance to end a disastrous season on a high in Bilbao against their Premier League rivals, who are also enduring a terrible campaign. Central defender Maguire scored the winning goal in a remarkable comeback against Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, with United winning 7-6 on aggregate. Then he dazzled on the wing to help set up the first goal in the first leg of the semi-final against Bilbao — a tie that ended 7-1 after the two legs. The former United captain was asked on Tuesday whether his forward forays were part of a new tactical masterplan by Amorim. “The manager has me dribbling every day in training,” he joked. “No, listen, I found myself on the wing against Bilbao and managed to put a good cross in. “Cas …

We Need To Improve A Lot: Indian Football Team Head Coach Manolo Marquez

We Need To Improve A Lot: Indian Football Team Head Coach Manolo Marquez

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Angry and disappointed with India’s 0-0 draw against Bangladesh in the Asian Cup qualifying round match, head coach Manolo Marquez on Tuesday made it clear that his side needs a lot of improvement if they are to qualify for the continental showpiece. India were held to a goal-less draw by lower-ranked Bangladesh in their opening Group C match of the qualifying third round match on March 25 in Shillong, which left Marquez fuming. India are up against Hong Kong in their second match — an away game — on June 10. The team has started its training camp on Monday. “We need to improve a lot because I felt that the team was going forward in every FIFA window except the last,” Marquez said, alluding to the match against Bangladesh. “It’s true that for the game against Bangladesh, we lost very important starting players. But it’s not an excuse for our poor performance in that game,” he said in a release from All India Football Federation (AIFF). “We need to be aware that …

Liverpool Rocked By Brighton’s Late Fightback

Liverpool Rocked By Brighton’s Late Fightback

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Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory against Liverpool on Monday to leave the Premier League champions without a win since clinching the title. Arne Slot’s side took the lead through Harvey Elliott’s early opener before Yasin Ayari equalised at the Amex Stadium. Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool’s advantage just before the interval, but Brighton staged a late fightback as Kaoru Mitoma levelled before Hinshelwood came off the bench to net with his first touch. Liverpool have taken just one point from their three matches following the title-clinching rout of Tottenham on April 27. The Reds have lost at Brighton and Chelsea and squandered a two-goal lead in a draw with Arsenal since their record-equalling 20th English crown was confirmed They can now look forward to receiving the Premier League trophy in Sunday’s season finale against FA cup winners Crystal Palace at Anfield before an open-top bus parade through the city 24 hours later. Slot had admitted that motivating the champions for the final two matches of the season was a tricky task …

Victor Osimhen Guides Galatasaray To 25th Turkish League Title

Victor Osimhen Guides Galatasaray To 25th Turkish League Title

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Victor Osimhen in action© X (Twitter) Victor Osimhen scored to help Galatasaray claim their 25th Turkish league title on Sunday, consigning Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce to the runners-up spot for the fourth straight season. Turkey’s most successful club swept aside Kayserispor 3-0 with Osimhen opening the scoring to move eight points clear of Fenerbahce with two rounds of games in the Turkish Super Lig remaining. Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera scored a late penalty to wrap up the win. Out in front since the third game of the season, Galatasaray qualify for the Champions League league phase. They were ably assisted in their push for the title by the 25 goals scored by Osimhen since his arrival on loan from Napoli last September. Losing out on silverware meanwhile could trigger Mourinho’s departure from Fenerbahce one year before the end of his contract, local media suggest. Mourinho’s team were last crowned champions 11 years ago, and were undone this season by failing to win any of the four Istanbul derbies against Galatasaray and Besiktas. The pressure …

Villarreal Beat Barcelona To Secure Champions League Place

Villarreal Beat Barcelona To Secure Champions League Place

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Villarreal qualified for next season’s Champions League with an entertaining 3-2 win at newly-crowned La Liga champions Barcelona on Sunday. Elsewhere Kylian Mbappe struck as Real Madrid won 2-0 at nine-man Sevilla, while Leganes gave themselves a chance of survival with a win at Las Palmas. Barcelona stars celebrated their 28th league title on an open-top bus on Friday but Hansi Flick warned that “those who party, can work” and selected a strong side. However the visitors took the lead through in-form striker Ayoze Perez, who slotted past Marc-Andre ter Stegen after Nicolas Pepe set him up. Lamine Yamal, who scored a vital goal as Barca clinched the league on Thursday at Espanyol, scored another stunner to level. The 17-year-old breezed past two defenders and arrowed a shot into the far bottom corner. Yamal hit the bar before Fermin Lopez sent Barca ahead, walloping home from the edge of the box. Santi Comesana lofted over Ter Stegen to equalise for the visitors, who nosed in front through Tajon Buchanan in the 80th minute. …