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Mbappe ‘investigated for rape’ in Sweden: report
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Mbappe ‘investigated for rape’ in Sweden: report

Kylian Mbappe is being investigated for rape by Swedish police, according to a newspaper report in Sweden following a visit by the Real Madrid star to Stockholm, which Mbappe denounced as 'fake news'. After Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that an alleged rape had been reported to police but did not say who was accused, Expressen newspaper said 25-year-old Mbappe was the suspect. "According to information obtained by Expressen, police are investigating the star who is reasonably suspected of rape and sexual assault," the newspaper wrote. Swedish law enforcement differentiate the level of suspicion as either reasonable or probable, with reasonable being the lower degree of suspicion. Mbappe's entourage, when contacted by AFP, said it had no knowledge of a legal complaint made against ...
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Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins eyeing England start
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins eyeing England start

The Villa striker, who memorably sent his country to the Euro 2024 final with a last-minute semi-final winner against the Netherlands, endured a frustrating Nations League camp over the last week. Despite Harry Kane being injured, Lee Carsley chose not to field a recognised striker in last Thursday’s match against Greece, instead opting to play Jude Bellingham as a false nine, and it backfired as England lost 2-1. Watkins came on as a substitute and teed up Bellingham but was again consigned to the bench when Kane returned against Finland on Sunday. The 28-year-old replaced the captain in the second half in Helsinki and got another assist as he created Declan Rice’s third goal. “People know what I can do,” Watkins said. “Whenever I come on I always try to grab that chance with both hands a...
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Report: Real Madrid want to sign £125m Arsenal target as long-term Luka Modric replacement
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Report: Real Madrid want to sign £125m Arsenal target as long-term Luka Modric replacement

Arsenal and Real Madrid could end up on a collision course on more than one deal when the January and summer windows roll around. The Gunners are pushing to win the Premier League title while Madrid are looking to retain La Liga and make a big fist of things in the Champions League again. However, Arsenal and Madrid have already crossed paths in terms of transfer rumours, with Madrid said to be keen on star defender, William Saliba. Arsenal are thought to be relaxed on Madrid’s interest in Saliba. But according to reports from Spain, the Spanish champions could also end up scuppering Arsenal’s hopes of signing one of their top targets. Real Madrid looking to sign Florian Wirtz ahead of Arsenal According to a report from AS, Madrid are keeping an eye on German star Florian Wirtz as they lo...
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Sergiño Dest: Ex-Barça coach Xavi was dishonest
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Sergiño Dest: Ex-Barça coach Xavi was dishonest

Sergiño Dest has said former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández was not honest with him after leaving the club for PSV Eindhoven on a permanent deal earlier this year. The 23-year-old joined Barça from Ajax in 2020 when Ronald Koeman was still the manager but found first-team opportunities hard to come by after Xavi was appointed in 2021. The United States full-back said Xavi didn't give him enough opportunities to prove himself, restricted his playing style and went back on promises he had made to him. "I wouldn't say regrets, because how it ended didn't depend on me, but I don't feel I had the necessary chances with Xavi," Dest told Diario Sport of his four years as a Barça player. "I felt like I had to play with limits; that I could not be myself. I want to join the attack, which is my bigg...
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Guardiola responds to England job speculation with intriguing remark
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Guardiola responds to England job speculation with intriguing remark

Pep Guardiola has left the door open to one day become manager of England after suggesting “anything can happen” in his future. Guardiola’s contract with Manchester City runs out at the end of the season, adding to the uncertainty around the four-in-a-row champions amid a legal case brought on by the Premier League alleging more than 100 financial breaches, which City deny. ITV pundit Roy Keane suggested England should “go for Pep” while interim manager Lee Carsley admitted: “The job deserves a world-class coach that has won trophies and has been there and done it.” Guardiola recently stressed his love for City is “deep” and has not ruled out signing an extension, but has yet to make any definitive decisions amid links to succeeding Gareth Southgate as permanent England manager. “Leaving C...
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Another Juventus injury concern after USA 2-0 Panama
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SERIE A

Another Juventus injury concern after USA 2-0 Panama

Juventus could have another injury situation to deal with, as midfielder Weston McKennie was an unused substitute during the USA’s 2-0 win over Panama in the early hours of Sunday morning. McKennie concern for Juventus after USA absence The 26-year-old has reportedly played the last few Juventus matches wearing a protective shoulder brace, but that has not had an impact on his game-time until this international break. According to updates from Gianluca Di Marzio, McKennie reported for Mauricio Pochettino’s first training camp with some fatigue and minor discomfort. He could also be a risk for the USMNT’s upcoming friendly against Mexico on Tuesday night. Additionally, as USA-Mexico will end in the early hours of Wednesday morning in European time, and given that Juventus will be in acti...
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Liverpool handed major double boost ahead of Chelsea clash as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk return early
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool handed major double boost ahead of Chelsea clash as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk return early

Liverpool have been handed a major double fitness boost ahead of their clash with Chelsea after Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk were released from international duty early. Salah and van Dijk will both return to Liverpool from the start of next week to begin preparations for the Chelsea game at Anfield on Sunday. Egypt have allowed Salah to sit out Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Mauritania on Tuesday due to concerns over playing on their artificial pitch. Van Dijk has also been released from the Netherlands squad following his red card in their 1-1 draw with Hungary in the Nations League on Friday. Given Van Dijk is suspended for their trip to Germany on Monday, the Dutch have allowed him to return to Liverpool. A statement from the Egyptian FA read: “The technical staff of Egyp...
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‘I did not apply for England manager’s job’ says Lee Carsley
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NEWS

‘I did not apply for England manager’s job’ says Lee Carsley

Interim boss Lee Carsley has revealed he did not formally apply to become permanent England manager. The English Football Association turned to the 50-year-old former Ireland international for autumn’s Nations League fixtures after Gareth Southgate called time on his reign following July’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain. Carsley has frequently sidestepped questions about whether he wants to become England boss on a full-time basis, including saying he will “hopefully” be returning to his role with the under-21s. The former midfielder swerved follow-up questions about whether he wants the senior job after Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Greece and was probed further before Sunday’s clash in Finland. Asked if he had applied for the job, Carsley told talkSPORT: “No, I didn’t formally apply for it.”...
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Real Madrid targetting former player as a strategic signing
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Real Madrid targetting former player as a strategic signing

Recent reports from Fichajes have suggested that Rafa Marin could be on the verge of making a surprising return to Real Madrid sooner than anticipated. The young defender transferred to Napoli for approximately €12 million during the summer transfer window. However, his time in Italy has not unfolded as expected, and the circumstances at Napoli have proven to be less than favourable for him. So far this season, Marin has struggled to establish himself within the Napoli squad. He has not yet made his debut in the Italian Serie A and has only managed to play a mere 90 minutes in the Coppa Italia. This lack of game time is far from what both the player and the Napoli management envisioned when they decided to bring him on board. The limited opportunities have raised concerns among Marin’s s...
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Barcelona continues to monitor €18m Arsenal player to reinforce pivot positon
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Barcelona continues to monitor €18m Arsenal player to reinforce pivot positon

FC Barcelona has dominated the free-agent market in recent years. Driven partly by financial constraints and partly by the remarkable opportunities available, the club has managed to secure several high-profile signings in recent seasons. Players like Andreas Christensen, Ilkay Gundogan, and Inigo Martinez have made a significant impact at Barcelona. Franck Kessie even generated a profit for the club from his sale after just one season with the team. The jury is still out on Eric Garcia, while there have also been some misses, such as Marcos Alonso. The Catalans are once again targeting the free-agent market and have been linked with several high-profile players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the season. One notable name that emerged last month is Thomas Partey. Now, as hi...
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Ronaldo on target as Portugal maintain perfect start in Nations League
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Ronaldo on target as Portugal maintain perfect start in Nations League

Portugal's Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo scored first-half goals in a 3-1 win on the road against Poland in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday, as the Group A1 leaders continued their perfect start to the competition with three wins from three games. Silva put Portugal in front after 26 minutes, finding the net off a header from Bruno Fernandes, before captain Ronaldo tallied his 133rd international goal when he doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a first-time shot after Rafael Leao hit the post. Piotr Zielinski pulled a goal back for Poland in the 78th with a powerful strike into the roof of the net, before teammate Jan Bednarek surrendered an own goal in the dying minutes. Portugal continue to set the pace in League A Group 1 with nine points, three points clear of Croatia, wh...
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Curtis Jones departs England camp
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Curtis Jones departs England camp

Curtis Jones has departed from the England camp amid the ongoing October international break due to a personal matter. The Liverpool midfielder was a late addition to Lee Carsley’s senior squad for this month’s round of UEFA Nations League fixtures, and was an unused substitute in Thursday’s meeting with Greece at Wembley. Jones, however, will not travel to Finland for the Three Lions’ second game of the break on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Netherlands have announced Reds captain Virgil van Dijk is to depart their camp. A red card against Hungary on Friday night means he is suspended for the next Dutch fixture.
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Jamaica make hard work of Nations League
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Jamaica make hard work of Nations League

Romario Williams’ 69th-minute tap-in sealed a 2-0 success for Jamaica in Nicaragua last night, for the Reggae Boyz to return to top spot in CONCACAF Nations League A Group B. Despite being outplayed overall inside the Estadio Nacional de Futbol in Managua, the Boyz picked up precious points thanks to a first-half own goal and Williams’ close-range strike. Honduras, Jamaica’s next opponents, had temporarily taken over as table-toppers following their 3-2 triumph in French Guiana. That result would have surely helped inspire the Boyz to try and record a win. Jamaica coach Steve McClaren swapped things around in a bid to halt Nicaragua’s 14-game unbeaten, leaving in-form veteran striker Michail Antonio to warm the bench with his 4-2-3-1 formation that was spearheaded by Indy Eleven forward Wi...
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Arsenal star Bukayo Saka ruled out of England’s match against Finland
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Arsenal star Bukayo Saka ruled out of England’s match against Finland

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has been ruled out of England’s Nations League game against Finland on Sunday after sustaining an injury against Greece. The winger limped off during the second half of Thursday’s humiliating defeat to Greece at Wembley and is not fit for the match in Helsinki. He will now return to Arsenal for further assessment ahead of their Premier League clash with Bournemouth next weekend. Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones is also out of the trip as he has a personal matter to deal with. Jones was a late addition to the England squad ahead of the Greece game but was an unused substitute. Harry Kane was one of 22 players who trained on Saturday, increasing hopes that the captain will be fit after missing Thursday’s game. Kane could not overcome a knock picked up playing for ...
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Barcelona loses court case to get bonus from Zenit
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Barcelona loses court case to get bonus from Zenit

FC Barcelona has lost a court case that would have resulted in a payment from Zenit St. Petersburg of almost half a million euro. Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed an appeal against a FIFA ruling last year in a dispute over the transfer of Malcom to the Russian club. Zenit bought him in 2019 and agreed to pay 490,000 euros every time it qualified for the UEFA Champions League in a season where Malcom played at least half the domestic league games. Zenit won the Russian league title in the 2021-22 season, which would’ve normally qualified them for the Champions League. However, UEFA banned them and all Russian teams from playing in UEFA competitions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. FIFA ruled that Zenit did not have to pay the bonus since they were never granted Champions League ...
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Why USA coach Mauricio Pochettino is ‘worried’ about Christian Pulisic
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Why USA coach Mauricio Pochettino is ‘worried’ about Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic has been in fantastic form so far this season at AC Milan, but his new US men's national team boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed he's 'worried' about the attacker. The American has established himself as one of the first names on the Milan team sheet, and has six goals and two assists thus far while starting each of his team's nine games in all competitions. But it's that sort of workload that is giving Pochettino some concerns, as he shared Wednesday ahead of the USMNT's matchup with Panama on Saturday. 'He's playing every single game, every single minute. That is also a thing that we are a little bit worried [about],' he told reporters. 'Sometimes we need to protect [Pulisic]. We'll see, because he arrived a little bit tired.' 'He continued, '[We need] to build a ver...
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Undav double as Germany stay unbeaten in Nations League
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Undav double as Germany stay unbeaten in Nations League

Germany's rebuilding is on the right track. Deniz Undav scored a brace and the four-time World Cup winners extended their unbeaten record in the Nations League to three matches with a convincing 2-1 win at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday. Following the retirements of Manuel Neuer and Toni Kroos, coach Julian Nagelsmann's team started a new cycle and their clean and fluid display against a spirited Bosnia side bodes well for the future. The Germans top their group after also thrashing Hungary 5-0 and drawing in the Netherlands 2-2. In the absence of several stalwarts, the Germans played with confidence, developed complex attacking moves and gave the impression of enjoying themselves. They had plenty of chances to score more and had a couple of goals disallowed for offside. Germany's only downs...
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Lionel Messi points the blame in furious interview after Argentina draw
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Lionel Messi points the blame in furious interview after Argentina draw

Lionel Messi blamed the wet pitch at the Estadio Monumental de Maturin for Argentina's "ugly" 1-1 draw with Venezuela in a 2026 World Cup qualifier. Nicolas Otamendi's first-half goal was cancelled out by a header from former West Brom, Newcastle and Everton striker Salomon Rondon and Messi was not happy with the state of the pitch which had been soaked by the heavy rainfall in Venezuela. The game was initially delayed as a result of the rain, but play eventually went ahead with both teams sharing the points. Argentina are currently top of the CONMEBOL standings with 19 points, while Venezuela sit seventh. The top six teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the side that finishes seventh will enter the play-offs. Reflecting on the draw with Venezuela, Messi told Argentine broadcas...
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China fall to Australia 3-1 in 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier
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China fall to Australia 3-1 in 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier

China lost to Australia 3-1, despite scoring first in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifier in Adelaide, Australia, on Thursday. The Chinese visitors enjoyed a strong start and found the net in the 20th minute. Zhang Yuning headed the ball to Xie Wenneng, who then drove into the box and tallied his first goal for the national team. Australia tied the game near the end of the first half. Craig Goodwin's free kick from the left wing in stoppage time set up Lewis Miller for a header that evened the score at 1-1. The Socceroos took the lead seven minutes into the second half. Goodwin blew the ball into the left corner of the visiting side's net with a shot that was too strong and too fast to leave goalkeeper Wang Dalei with any chance. Australia rubbed salt in Chin...
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Bayern Munich star Serge Gnabry on his steady improvement
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Bayern Munich star Serge Gnabry on his steady improvement

Serge Gnabry has been on a journey of growth at Bayern Munich, especially after battling injuries that disrupted his 2022/23 season. Despite having some extremely crucial skills, Gnabry’s form dipped due to frequent setbacks. However, his return to fitness has reignited his brilliance on the pitch. “It was impossible not to read [the speculation]. But I was focused on myself. I used the summer to get back in shape and prepare well. I have a lot of joy playing football again after I was injured a lot last season,” Gnabry said in an interview with ESPN FC (captured by @iMiaSanMia), reflecting on his mental strength during recovery. This focus and determination has clearly paid off. Early in the 2024/25 season, his dribbling looks sharper, his finishing more clinical, and his overall contribu...
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