LONDON: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants any new sporting director appointed by the club to be “on the same page” with him.
The Dutch boss is not expected to have any say on who fills the role, with British media reports indicating Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth is the favorite to fill the vacancy.
British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25 percent stake in United has been approved by the Football Association, with his deal to take control of all football operations at Old Trafford expected to be completed next week.
United have not won the Premier League since 2013 and the quality of the club’s player recruitment has been criticized repeatedly in recent seasons, with their under-performing squad at the end of last season the most expensively assembled on record, according to a UEFA report.
European football’s governing body said United’s squad at the end of the 2023 financial year cost 1.42 billion euros (£1.21 billion) in transfer fees, surpassing the figure of £1.13 billion posted by Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2020.
The appointment of a sporting director is seen as key to ensuring United improve their transfer dealings, although Ten Hag was adamant Thursday the new recruit and the manager had to have similar ideas.
“I think it is very important you are on one page about football philosophy, about football tactics, about the profiles of the players you need in the team so it is very important to have very good communication so you get the right players,” said Ten Hag.
“It is one of the most important factors to develop a good team, that you have the right players but also the right characters.
“That means you have to do the right work and be aligned and it’s a long process to get the right players in.”
The Dutchman added: “With the number of games you need people around who are on the same page, working on the same targets to achieve the high ambitions...I talk with the new sporting organization but it is not up to me.
“My focus point at this moment is on this team.”
United are currently sixth in the Premier League table, six points adrift of a Champions League place and 13 behind leaders and bitter rivals Liverpool.
They are away to strugglers Luton on Sunday, with United full-back Luke Shaw doubtful for the trip to Kenilworth Road and the injured Aaron Wan-Bissaka a long-term absentee.
Ten Hag wants Man Utd sporting director on ‘same page’
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Ten Hag wants Man Utd sporting director on ‘same page’
- The Dutch boss is not expected to have any say on who fills the role
- United have not won the Premier League since 2013 and the quality of the club’s player recruitment has been criticized repeatedly in recent seasons
Beckham and Neville part of new ownership group at English soccer club Salford
- Butt, Giggs, Scholes and Phil Neville are no longer shareholders
- Beckham also is a co-owner of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami
LONDON: David Beckham and Gary Neville are part of a new consortium to have taken ownership of English fourth-tier soccer club Salford City.
The club were previously owned by Beckham, Neville and other former Manchester United teammates in their so-called “Class of ‘92” — Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville — along with Singapore businessman Peter Lim.
A new ownership group, containing Beckham, Gary Neville and other shareholders from the United States, India and England, has bought Salford and have committed to “invest significantly in the club, the team and their facilities,” Salford said on Thursday.
Butt, Giggs, Scholes and Phil Neville are no longer shareholders but “will continue to contribute to the next step of this journey with roles in the club,” Salford said.
Beckham grew up in Salford and said he had “such fond memories of my time living there and the place and its people played such an important part in my early life in football.”
“Salford City is at the heart of its community ... it has a rich history and I am delighted to be a part of the next chapter.”
Beckham also is a co-owner of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
Neville said the consortium contains “a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.”
“Football will come first, however it’s critical that we drive the club toward sustainability in the next four, five years,” Neville said. “I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Salford finished in eighth place — outside the playoff spots — in League Two this season.
Beckham said he has been inspired by Wrexham’s rise through English soccer under the ownership of Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney since 2021.
“I’m not saying this is why we’re doing it because it’s not,” Beckham told The Athletic in an interview. “But I’ve spoken to Ryan about it so many times now and he said the feeling around the city, the feeling around the club, is so exceptional. That’s the kind of thing that we want to create.”
Beckham added that the dream was to take Salford to the Premier League.
“But there’s a lot of hard work and a lot of investment to be done up until that point,” he said.
FIFA picks 8 host cities for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil
- Infantino: From stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, color and warmth that only Brazil can offer
- The host city selection process started in August of last year
SAO PAULO: Football’s international governing body has confirmed eight host cities for the 2027 Women’s World Cup to be held in Brazil.
FIFA announced the venues for the month-long tournament on Wednesday but hasn’t decided yet where the opening match and the final will take place.
All eight sites were among the 12 used for the men’s World Cup in 2014: Rio de Janeiro (Maracana Stadium), Sao Paulo (NeoQuimica Arena), Belo Horizonte (Mineirao Stadium), Brasília (Nacional Stadium), Fortaleza (Arena Castelao), Porto Alegre (Beira-Rio Stadium), Recife (Arena Pernambuco), and Salvador (Arena Fonte Nova).
“From stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, color and warmth that only Brazil can offer,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
Some members of Brazil’s soccer confederation have said they want to hold the opening match at Sao Paulo and the final at the 78,000-seat Maracana, as it did in the 2014 World Cup.
Curitiba, Manaus and Natal, all venues for the men’s World Cup, were not included in the women’s tournament bid book. Belem was also left out.
The host city selection process started in August of last year. At the 2014 World Cup, players, fans and coaches criticized the choice of 12 host cities for a tournament that was widely spread across the country.
For this tournament, set for June 24-July 25, 2027, almost all host cities are either on the Brazilian coast or close to it, with the exception of the capital, Brasilia, and Belo Horizonte, two of the nation’s most populous cities.
Brazil will host the women’s tournament for the first time. Brazil is a five-time World Cup champion in men’s football but has never won the women’s global title.
PSG finish off Arsenal to reach Champions League final
- Nevertheless, PSG made it 2-0 on the night when Dembele, on from the bench, teed up Hakimi to finish in style
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain clinched a place in the Champions League final as goals by Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi gave them a 2-1 win over Arsenal in the second leg of their last-four tie on Wednesday, securing a 3-1 aggregate triumph.
Ruiz crashed in a shot from the edge of the area in the 27th minute at the Parc des Princes to leave PSG firmly in the driving seat after they had withstood an early bombardment from the visitors.
Already leading in the tie after Ousmane Dembele’s goal in last week’s first leg, PSG then saw Vitinha have a second-half penalty saved.
However, Hakimi put the tie beyond Arsenal when he scored in the 72nd minute, even if Bukayo Saka did then pull one back for the visitors.
PSG advance to a showdown in Munich on May 31 against Inter Milan, and it will be the second Champions League final in their history, five years after a defeat by Bayern Munich in Lisbon.
Arsenal, meanwhile, saw their European dream come to an end as they fell short of reaching what would have been their second final, 19 years after losing to Barcelona in Paris.
Still without a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, all that is left to play for now for Mikel Arteta’s side is securing a third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League.
There was an electric atmosphere all evening in Paris, and PSG were able to celebrate getting to a final in front of their fans for the first time, after their victory against RB Leipzig in the last four in 2020 was played behind closed doors during the pandemic.
There was a feverish mood in and around the ground pre-match, but PSG have tripped up in big Champions League ties plenty of times over the last decade.
In addition, their top scorer Dembele was not in the starting line-up having come off with a hamstring problem in the first leg.
Arsenal, with Thomas Partey back in midfield after missing the first leg through suspension, did their best to silence the raucous home support by throwing everything at the Parisians right from the off.
Declan Rice headed just wide, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Gabriel Martinelli from close range before producing a stunning save low to his left to keep out a Martin Odegaard shot, all inside the opening eight minutes.
PSG did eventually settle, and they almost went ahead on 17 minutes when Desire Doue teed up Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose curling shot hit the far post.
Then Doue wasted a great chance, shooting straight at David Raya in the Arsenal goal after Bradley Barcola had intercepted a loose ball.
But PSG did score before the half-hour mark, the goal coming in the wake of a free-kick awarded for a Rice foul on Kvaratskhelia.
Vitinha’s delivery was headed out by Partey but fell to Ruiz on the edge of the box, and he controlled before smashing in a left-foot shot as the ball bounced back up.
It was the ideal moment for the 29-year-old Spaniard to score his first Champions League goal.
Barcola failed to convert a good chance for the hosts to score again moments later, and Arsenal still had some hope going into the second half.
Only another stunning Donnarumma save with his fingertips prevented Saka from pulling one back on 64 minutes, before PSG were awarded a spot-kick.
German referee Felix Zwayer gave the penalty after being summoned to the pitchside monitor when a shot by Hakimi brushed the outstretched hand of Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Arteta was furious at the decision, yet Vitinha’s kick was turned away by Raya diving to his left.
Nevertheless, PSG made it 2-0 on the night when Dembele, on from the bench, teed up Hakimi to finish in style.
This being PSG, however, there was a wobble as Saka quickly pulled one back from close range after Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard had got the better of Marquinhos on the wing.
Saka then somehow blazed over with an open goal gaping from Riccardo Calafiori’s cross, ensuring that there would be no miracle Arsenal comeback and it would be PSG’s night.
Man Utd seek to finish off Athletic Bilbao in chase for Europa glory
- United have now suffered their highest number of league defeats in a campaign for 35 years
- “Thursday is the most important game. The end of this season is very important,” Amorim said
MANCHESTER: Manchester United are preparing for the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Athletic Bilbao knowing only a calamity will prevent a likely showdown with Tottenham later this month.
Ruben Amorim’s men came away from the first leg in northern Spain last week with one foot firmly in the final, also in Bilbao, after an impressive 3-0 win.
It was an extraordinary result in a season of ceaseless turmoil at United and the club reverted to type on Sunday, crashing to their 16th Premier League loss of a miserable season at Brentford.
United have now suffered their highest number of league defeats in a campaign for 35 years.
They are 15th in the Premier League — on course for their worst finish since they were relegated in 1974, though this time they are safe from the drop.
Amorim has made no secret of his priorities for the rest of the season, making eight changes to his starting team at Brentford, naming the third-youngest side in Premier League history.
“We are losing games in the Premier League, we are fighting for the Europa League, so we need to accept that and to think about Thursday as the most important game for us,” said the Portuguese boss.
“Thursday is the most important game. The end of this season is very important.”
This season and next hang on whether United can complete the job against Athletic and go on to win the final against Tottenham or Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt, with Spurs 3-1 up after the first leg in London.
Winning the competition would not make up for a disastrous Premier League campaign but it would bring a place in the 2025/26 Champions League — a potential game-changer for United financially and for their ability to attract top players.
Former Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim admits that even though winning the Europa League is crucial, his team are not ready to balance the demands of the Premier League and the Champions League.
“We know that, but we need to win, and we need to fight to win this competition (Europa League), to give something to our fans, and to go to the Champions League,” he told Sky Sports.
“Then we will have time to prepare the team to cope with those two competitions. So, it is a dilemma, but we want to win, of course.”
Amorim has had a nightmare start to his United reign — only relegated sides Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have won fewer Premier League matches than United’s tally of six since he replaced the sacked Eric ten Hag in November.
That they are even on the brink of the Europa League final is thanks largely to inspirational captain Bruno Fernandes, who scored two goals in Bilbao in a match in which United were helped by the first-half dismissal of Athletic defender Dani Vivian.
The Portugal international’s 31 goal involvements in 32 knockout-stage appearances in the Europa League (19 goals, 12 assists), are the most of any player in the history of the competition since it was rebranded in 2009.
If Tottenham complete the job in Norway and United progress, they would compete in the sixth all-English final in the Champions League or Europa League.
Spurs themselves have had a traumatic season in the Premier League — they are one place below United with an eye-catching 19 defeats in 35 games.
But Ange Postecoglou still has the chance to make good on his claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club by collecting Tottenham’s first silverware since 2008.
If either English club go on to win the Europa League there would be six Premier League teams in next season’s Champions League.
Trump vows ‘seamless’ experience for 2026 World Cup fans
- Vice President JD Vance, the vice-chair of the World Cup task force, said while foreign visitors would be welcome they would have to leave at the end of the tournament
- Infantino, the president of football’s world governing body, said his organization had “full and entire” confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that all fans from across the globe would be welcome at the 2026 World Cup despite concerns over his border crackdown impacting the tournament.
Trump, who has appointed himself chairman of the White House task force for the tournament, said visitors to the US could expect a “seamless” experience.
The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with neighboring Canada and Mexico.
“We can’t wait to welcome soccer fans from all over the globe,” Trump said at a White House briefing alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“Every part of the US government will be working to ensure that these events are safe and successful, and those traveling to America to watch the competition have a seamless experience during every part of their visit.”
Foreign traveler arrivals in the US are expected to decline by 5.1 percent in 2025, according to one recent study by Tourism Economics.
The World Tourism Forum Institute has said a mix of stringent US immigration policies and global political tensions could “significantly affect” international arrivals.
Vice President JD Vance, the vice-chair of the World Cup task force, said while foreign visitors would be welcome they would have to leave at the end of the tournament.
“I know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to 100 countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game,” Vance told Tuesday’s briefing. “But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home.”
Infantino, the president of football’s world governing body, said his organization had “full and entire” confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament.
“The entire world will focus on the United States of America, and America welcomes the world,” Infantino told the meeting. “Everyone who wants to come here to enjoy, to have fun, to celebrate the game will be able to do that.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said US officials were using next month’s FIFA Club World Cup as a testing ground for the World Cup, stating that the US expected 2 million overseas visitors.
“We’re processing those travel documents and visa applications already ... that is obviously going to be a precursor to what we can do next year for the World Cup as well,” Noem said. “It is all being facilitated.”
Trump, meanwhile, said he was confident of working closely with Canada and Mexico despite his broiling trade disputes with the two World Cup co-hosts.
“I don’t see any tension either,” Trump said, shortly after meeting Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney. “We get along very well with both.”
