LONDON: England coach Gareth Southgate said speculation linking him with the manager’s position at Manchester United currently occupied by Erik ten Hag was “completely disrespectful” and insisted on Friday he wouldn’t begin talks over another job while in charge of the national team.
Sections of the British media have reported that Southgate could be in the running to replace ten Hag if the Dutchman loses his job following the arrival of Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team that will oversee the club’s soccer operations.
Southgate has a contract to coach England through December and he said his focus was on leading his national team at the European Championship in Germany in June.
Speaking on Friday ahead of England’s friendly against Brazil at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, Southgate responded to a reporter’s question about the links to United that have spread this week.
“There are two things,” he said. “I am the England manager. I have got one job basically, to try and deliver a European Championship. Clearly, before that, two important games this week (against Brazil and then Belgium on Tuesday).
“The second thing is Manchester United have a manager, and I think it is always completely disrespectful when there is any speculation about a manager that is in place. I am president of the League Managers’ Association. I don’t have any time for that sort of thing.”
Southgate said his focus was only on Euro 2024.
“If we (agreed to) a contract (with the Football Association) before, everyone would be saying, ‘Why are you signing a contract before a Euros where you’ve got to prove yourself?’” Southgate posed.
“I am certainly not going to speak to anybody else ahead of that. I never have. I have been eight years in the job. I wouldn’t entertain speaking to anybody else when I am in a job.”
Southgate says speculation linking him to Man United job is ‘completely disrespectful’
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Southgate says speculation linking him to Man United job is ‘completely disrespectful’
- Sections of the British media have reported that Southgate could be in the running to replace ten Hag if the Dutchman loses his job
- “I am the England manager. I have got one job basically, to try and deliver a European Championship” Southgate said
Inter beats Barcelona 4-3 after extra time to reach another Champions League final
- Substitute Davide Frattesi was the extra-time hero for Inter, firing home in the 99th minute to leave the Barcelona players slumped to the ground
MILAN: Inter Milan beat Barcelona 4-3 after extra time in another rollercoaster encounter Tuesday to reach a second Champions League final in three years.
In the end it took extra time, two astonishing Barcelona fightbacks and 13 goals — some of them mesmerizing — to separate the two sides and see Inter prevail 7-6 on aggregate.
Substitute Davide Frattesi was the extra-time hero for Inter, firing home in the 99th minute to leave the Barcelona players slumped to the ground and all his Nerazzurri teammates — including those on the bench — racing to celebrate with him.
Moments earlier, Frattesi had been encouraging the already loud San Siro crowd to make more noise and the atmosphere grew even more feverish after his strike.
Inter, which lost the final to Manchester City in 2023, will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31. PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 in London last week in their first match.
There was little sign of the drama to come at halftime, with Inter comfortably leading 2-0 after Lautaro Martínez scored and earned a penalty, which was converted by Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
But Barcelona had been in that position before, having gone 2-0 down early in the first leg last week before securing a thrilling 3-3 draw.
And Eric García scored nine minutes after the break before Dani Olmo headed in the equalizer six minutes later.
Raphina appeared to have secured the win for Barcelona when he put the Spanish side ahead two minutes before full time, tucking away the rebound after Yann Sommer had saved his initial shot.
However, 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi astonishingly leveled in stoppage time — with his first goal in European competition — to add another 30 minutes onto the tantalizing encounter.
Frattesi had proved crucial off the substitutes’ bench before, both for Italy and Inter, and so he was again, controlling Mehdi Taremi’s pass and dummying round Pau Cubarsí before curling past Wojciech Szczęsny.
Barcelona almost leveled again but Sommer made a fingertip save to push Lamine Yamal’s shot past his post.
Bayern keeper Urbig eyes another title after winning Bundesliga
- The 21-year-old could end up collecting a second title with second-tier club Cologne
- Urbig made 10 appearances for them this season
BERLIN: Bayern Munich keeper Jonas Urbig celebrated his first Bundesliga title on Sunday with his team sitting eight points clear at the top with two games left to play.
But the 21-year-old, who is first choice at Bayern with Manuel Neuer injured, could end up collecting a second title with second-tier club Cologne.
Urbig made 10 appearances for them this season before his January transfer to Bayern. Cologne are second in the standings, a point behind leaders Hamburg SV with two matches remaining.
“I am in very good contact with the lads and I would be extremely happy if Cologne win the second division title,” Urbig said.
Only two players have previously achieved this feat, Pasi Rautiainen with Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen in the 1980/81 season and Frank Hartmann in 1986/87, with Bayern Munich and Hannover 96.
Saudi Arabia to host Youth National Teams Championship during summer
- Eight Gulf football national teams will be divided into two groups
- The tournament marks the first age-category competition held under the supervision of GCFF
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host the first Youth National Teams Championship between Aug. 28 and Sept. 9 with the participation of eight Gulf teams, the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation announced on Tuesday.
The new tournament will see participating teams divided into two groups, each consisting of four teams.
Each group’s top two teams will advance to the semifinals, according to a media statement, which added that the details regarding the draw dates will be announced soon.
The tournament marks the first age-category competition held under the supervision of the AGCFF.
It is also a step aimed at supporting and progressing the base of youth tournaments and reinforcing the focus on promising young players as the core foundation of the future of Gulf football.
The AGCFF is a regional sports organization dedicated to organizing and developing football in the Arabian Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Oman and Yemen. It has been best known for organizing the Arabian Gulf Cup, one of the region’s most prominent sporting events.
The idea of establishing the federation began with preparatory meetings held in 2015 under the name Gulf Football Federation. In May 2016, it was officially founded under the name Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, reflecting its close connection to the oldest sports tournament in the region, the Gulf Cup.
Aston Villa officials unhappy with Premier League fixture change, citing ‘prejudice’
- The match was due to be played on Sunday, May 18, but will now take place on Friday, May 16
- Monchi, president of football operations at Villa, took to X to say the change in match date “is not what we wanted” and represented “the least damaging alternative”
LONDON: Aston Villa officials have expressed their unhappiness with the Premier League for bringing forward a match against Tottenham by two days to help Spurs maximize preparation time for a potential appearance in the Europa League final.
The match was due to be played on Sunday, May 18, but will now take place on Friday, May 16 — five days before the title match in the Europa League in Bilbao, Spain.
Tottenham lead Bodø/Glimt 3-1 from the first leg of the semifinals, with the return match on Thursday in Norway.
The fixture rearrangement gives Villa — a team chasing Champions League qualification — two fewer days to prepare for Tottenham, which might also choose to play a stronger lineup now there is more time to recover for a possible European final.
It also will affect travel and logistical arrangements for some Villa fans.
Monchi, president of football operations at Villa, took to X to say the change in match date “is not what we wanted” and represented “the least damaging alternative.”
“Our fans didn’t deserve (it),” he wrote on the social network site, “but we tried hard to keep the match to protect the most important for us: YOU and OUR TEAM.”
Damian Vidagany, Villa director of football operations, went further in a long post on X, saying there was a “clear prejudice” toward Villa fans and bemoaning the fact that his club “didn’t feel this support” over their last two European campaigns — in the Europa Conference League last season and the Champions League this season.
“European football is not only demanding for English clubs just on the verge of the finals,” Vidagany wrote.
Villa are in seventh place in the Premier League and in a battle with five other teams to secure the remaining four Champions League qualification spots on offer. Liverpool, the already crowned champion, have already qualified.
While it is commonplace in other countries, there has been no precedent for the Premier League moving games to benefit clubs playing in Europe.
Manchester United are also in the Europa League semifinals and hold a 3-0 lead over Athletic Bilbao from the first leg in Spain last week.
United will be playing a Premier League game on Friday, May 16, too — against Chelsea. So United and Tottenham would have the same amount of preparation time should they both reach the Europa League final.
PSG striker Ousmane Dembélé fit to face Arsenal in Champions League semifinal
- “I have him at my disposal tomorrow,” Enrique said on Tuesday.
- Dembélé was injured during the first leg and rested over the weekend when PSG lost to Strasbourg 2-1 in Ligue 1
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain striker Ousmane Dembélé has recovered from a slight hamstring problem and will be in the squad taking on Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday.
Coach Luis Enrique said Dembélé, who scored the winner in PSG’s 1-0 win in London last week, has been training with his teammates for two days.
“I have him at my disposal tomorrow,” Enrique said on Tuesday.
Dembélé was injured during the first leg and rested over the weekend when PSG lost to Strasbourg 2-1 in Ligue 1. Enrique heavily rotated his squad with the match against the Gunners in mind.
Dembélé’s goal against Arsenal was his eighth in nine Champions League appearances since the start of the year.
According to UEFA statistics, PSG have won 18 of the 19 ties in which they won a first leg away, while Arsenal have never overturned a home first leg defeat in European competition, losing all five ties. Enrique, however, isn’t counting on history ahead of the match at the Parc des Princes.
“We’re bound to suffer because our opponents don’t have a favorable result,” Enrique told reporters. “We need to match our performance as closely as possible in the first leg to win the return leg and stay true to our ideas.”
Both teams are looking for a first Champions League title, and second final. PSG lost to Borussia Dortmund at this stage last year. The French side lost to Bayern Munich in their only Champions League final in 2020, while Arsenal were runner-up to Barcelona in 2006.
