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Simply looking to sign off the 2023/24 campaign with a final weekend flurry, Bayern Munich will travel to Hoffenheim on Saturday afternoon.
Hoffenheim
Starting with the hosts, while Bayern Munich might have nothing left to play for heading into Saturday’s showdown, Hoffenheim face what is a season-defining battle this weekend. Currently holding a one-point buffer in the chase to claim a famous European return, Pellegrino Matarazzo s men will know the importance of making a major statement here. Last seen putting in a thumping performance as they stormed their way to a 6-0 romp away at Darmstadt, the former Stuttgart boss has seen his squad lose just one of their previous four Bundesliga appearances. Bouncing back from their blip on e…
Josip Stanisic has signed a new long-term contract with Bayern Munich ahead of linking up with Croatia for the World Cup.
The 22-year-old defender joined Bayern in 2017 and has been part of the first-team squad since April last year.
He has made 29 appearances for the reigning Bundesliga champions in total, 13 of those being starts, and has featured in 11 matches this season.
Bayern confirmed on their official website on Saturday that Stanisic, a member of Croatia s 26-man squad for Qatar 2022, has put pen to paper on a deal running until July 2026.
Josip Stanišić: This contract extension is a nice vote of confidence from FC Bayern, which I d like to repay and which motivates me a lot to further my development. As someone born in Munich, it s a dream to…
Aberdeen top goalscorer Bojan Miovski remains at the centre of a fitness concern ahead of the Viaplay Cup final on Sunday.
Manager Barry Robson has not ruled the striker out of Thursday’s Europa Conference League game against Eintracht Frankfurt at Pittodrie. He played 77 minutes of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Hearts, scoring his 12th goal of the season.
But with no chance of qualifying for the knockout stages and silverware at stake against Rangers on Sunday, it appears inconceivable that the North Macedonia international would be risked against the German outfit.
Great victory and looking forward for the big week ahead of us thanks for the unbelievable support BM 9
— Bojan Miovski (@bojanmiovskii)
Robson said: “We are still waiting on Boja…
Jurgen Klopp has reiterated his support for scrapping FA Cup replays ahead of holders Liverpool facing Wolves in the third round on Saturday.
Klopp has repeatedly called for FA Cup replays to be abolished in the past, and memorably allowed then-under-23s coach Neil Critchley to take charge of team made up entirely of youth players when Liverpool were taken to a second fixture by Shrewsbury Town in 2020.
FA Cup replays were removed for the 2020-21 season to avoid creating further fixture congestion in a campaign heavily impacted by COVID-19, and a report from The Times said leading figures in the English game discussed doing so permanently on Friday.
Klopp would be in favour of such a move, though acknowledged it would need to be accompanied by support for the sma…
Roberto Mancini believes reaching the Nations League Finals could help to ease the suffering coming Italy s way when the World Cup begins.
Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in succession, with their disappointment magnified this time after they won the delayed Euro 2020 in July 2021 but then flopped in the final stages of Qatar 2022 qualifying.
On Friday, the Azzurri tackle England in Milan, a repeat meeting of the European final that Italy won on penalties at Wembley.
The teams have met since that occasion, slogging out a goalless draw at Molineux in June in their initial Nations League clash.
Mancini is hoping this latest reunion stirs something in his players that carries them to victory, given they have ground to make…
The teenager did not get anywhere near angering Ten Hag like his idol Ronaldo did, but he was one of the first to get a taste of his improved levels of discipline around United under the Dutchman. Fresh from starring in United’s FA Youth Cup triumph, Garnacho was dropped during the summer tour of Thailand and Australia after turning up late for meetings. The Argentina international has clearly learned his lesson, going on to become one of the star performers for United despite still only being 19.
Jadon Sancho
Sancho struggled for consistency after his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, but his first season under Ten Hag started brightly enough. The winger then did not feature from October 22 until February 1 – a period that included an individual winter fitness…
Joe Hart believes announcing his retirement from football will end speculation about his future with Celtic.
The former England and Manchester City goalkeeper will be 37 when his three-year contract expires in the summer.
Hart made his first-team debut for Shrewsbury in April 2004 and won 75 caps for England.
He followed Sir Kenny Dalglish and Andrei Kanchelskis in claiming winners’ medals in the three major trophies in England and Scotland when Celtic won the Scottish Cup last season but this will be his final season as he looks to help Brendan Rodgers plan for the future.
Joe Hart announces that he will be retiring from playing football at the end of this season.
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— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC)
“This…
David Moyes acknowledged that West Ham being one step away from the Europa League final may have stunned most, including himself, last season.
West Ham qualified for UEFA s secondary club football competition by finishing sixth in the 2020-21 Premier League and have adapted well to European football.
The Hammers also emerged as early contenders to qualify for the Champions League this season, but now sit seventh – eight points behind fourth-placed Arsenal having played a game more – with their focus seemingly on Europe.
West Ham defeated Europa League specialists Sevilla and Lyon to reach the final four, where they will meet Eintracht Frankfurt, who defeated Barcelona at the quarter-final stage.
Indeed, it will be West Ham s first semi-final in a m…
Wrexham’s McClean has represented his country with distinction since making his senior debut as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic in February 2012. A veteran of Ireland’s Euro 2012 and 2016 finals campaigns, the 34-year-old has played as a winger, a frontman and a wing-back under Giovanni Trapattoni, Martin O’Neill, Mick McCarthy and Kenny, and famously scored winning goals in Austria and Wales in World Cup qualifiers as the Republic made it to the play-offs for the 2018 finals. McClean was a late addition to the squad for Saturday evening’s 1-0 Euro 2024 defeat in the Netherlands but did not feature in Amsterdam and is sure to be given a rousing send-off in Dublin.
They think it’s all over
The Football Association of Ireland will consider a review of…
´It was hard for me to find a photo of when we played!´ – Isco makes light of Madrid omission in Mar
Isco s time at Real Madrid may be winding down, but the playmaker at least was able to see the funny side as he wished team-mate Marcelo a happy birthday.
Marcelo turned 34 on Thursday. The left-back joined Madrid in 2006 and has gone on to enjoy five LaLiga titles, two Copa del Rey triumphs and four Champions League crowns.
Isco, meanwhile, swiftly established himself as a key cog in Carlo Ancelotti s system upon joining Madrid from Malaga in 2013.
However, the 30-year-old has struggled with injuries and was used sparingly by Zinedine Zidane in 2020-21.
Isco s struggles have persisted in Ancelotti s second spell in charge and he has been restricted to just 386 minutes of action this season, across 16 appearances in all competitions.
Just thr…