Football News

Sunderland confirm the signing of midfielder Jules Ahoka for a 10m euros (£8.6m) fee.

Ollie Watkins has been an Aston Villa legend but it appears his time at the club is nearing a painful end amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

46-year-old charged with possessing criminal tools York fined and sentenced to two days in jail 49ers CEO also owns stake in Leeds United The San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York has pleaded no contest to two criminal charges after being arrested in Ohio over the weekend. KRON4 News in San Francisco reported that York was initially arrested on suspicion of engaging in prostitution but that count was amended to a charge of disorderly conduct. He was also charged with possessing criminal tools. Continue reading...

An analysis of Julian Alvarez's future with the transfer window closing on 1 September - and the Argentine's chances of a move from Atletico Madrid to Arsenal.

Sunday’s draw with Newcastle shows Andoni Iraola’s new ideas as manager will need to overcome the squad’s lack of balance Sign up for our free newsletter here The good news for Liverpool is that, Arsenal aside, every other team with vague title aspirations who played over the weekend looked undercooked, and that Andoni Iraola’s men did, in the end, come away from Newcastle with a point. But the vulnerability to the counter that undermined them so often last season has not gone away, and nor have they suddenly found a new creativity under Iraola. The main theme of the first three days of the new season was the value of stability. Manchester City under a new manager were poor and fortunate to overcome Bournemouth. Aston Villa, after big changes of players and backroom staff, were hammered at Brighton. Tottenham, midway through yet another overhaul, were dismal in losing at Brentford. Manchester United at least provided a degree of stability by looking very much like the United of the past decade in their defeat to Hull. This is an extract from Soccer Desk, a newsletter from the Guardian US. Subscribe for free here. Continue reading...

Tony Docherty is named Scotland Under-21 head coach, with Steven Naismith as assistant.

Child wandered on field during MNUFC’s 5-1 win Minnesota posts win was ‘Like taking money from a baby’ A toddler interrupted a Major League Soccer match between Minnesota United and San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday by invading the pitch – a bizarre scene punctuated by an on-air analyst saying, “There’s a baby on the field.” With a minute and a half to play in the game that Minnesota won 5-1 at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, the small child took to the field – and the referee blew his whistle to stop play. Continue reading...

Barcelona accuse police of using "disproportionate force" against their fans before Sunday's 5-0 win away at Elche.

Barcelona target left exposed after draw with Villarreal as supporters vented their fury at his ‘dream’ to leave Julián Alvarez entered a long, dark tunnel on his own. “We’re stronger together,” Giuliano Simeone said but that wasn’t the way it went. At the end of their first home game of the season, a 2-2 draw with Villarreal, all of Atlético Madrid’s players gathered by the centre circle, shook hands with their opponents and each other, then headed towards the south end of the Metropolitano. Almost all of them did, anyway: one was left behind. Somebody in a suit had a quiet word then the press officer came, pointing in the other direction. So, while his teammates turned to the supporters who had turned on him, the man wearing No 19 went west, to the exit. Alvarez walked alone. Head down in silence, as he had been all afternoon and beyond, he set off slowly across the pitch accompanied only by his thoughts and the whistles that followed him. Not offered a hand to shake or a nod of acknowledgment, he stepped past the Atlético badge on the touchline where the mouth of the tunnel opens. Either side, supporters hung over the void, whistling and shouting. Way off to his left, Atlético’s other players paused, seemingly waiting for him to slip out of sight before approaching the stand, but none turned back. A scarf was thrown, landing at Alvarez’s feet and left lying there. And then he disappeared into the dark, a portrait of the place he is in. Continue reading...

Harvey Elliott's position at Liverpool looks uncertain following his absence from the matchday squad at Newcastle on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

Derek McInnes could be in the stand for his first Old Firm match as Rangers manager after a hearing date of 31 August was set for his appeal against a touchline ban.

PSG flexed their muscles, bringing Ferran Torres off the bench to save the day, but only because Rennes made them By Get French Football News On the scale of expressions of prowess and power, Paris Saint-Germain bringing almost €150m worth of attacking talent off the bench – including the man who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final last month – ranks only a couple of rungs below the level of the extravagant aggression of a military parade. Imposing, dominating, reasserting, this wasn’t about expression but necessity as the reigning European champions initially floundered against a Rennes team that lived up to their billing as the best of the rest in Ligue 1. PSG were forced into rolling out their new attacking arsenal early. For 45 minutes, Rennes’ incessant pressing and fluidity in transition had Luis Enrique’s side under duress. Sebastien Szymanski opened the scoring with a sliced effort from outside the box that clipped in off the inside of a post. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! While the opening round of Premier League fixtures hasn’t yet concluded, Football Daily can’t be alone in having jerked both knees to the point of dislocation based on the evidence of what little we’ve seen thus far. Newly-promoted Hull City look the most likely contenders to challenge Arsenal for the title. Ipswich Town’s Julio Enciso already looks a shoo-in for the Ballon d’Or. Eddie Howe will be head coach of Manchester United by the end of the next international break – if Aston Villa don’t nab him first. And judging by James Trafford’s endearingly heartfelt post-match soliloquy on Match of the Day, Leeds United’s gain is very much the Royal Shakespeare Company’s loss. Oh, Spurs. Last year’s relegation of West Ham and Wolves had them starting at the foot of the no-points, alphabetical order league table. Then some early promise – without even kicking a ball, by 5pm on Saturday they had risen up a whole quarter of the table, to 15th. The real problems set in when they started actually kicking a ball (or trying to)” – Phil Taverner. It probably won’t happen (he says, trying to tempt fate), but Spurs finishing 17th and winning their first trophy since 2008 and their first European trophy since 1984 and firing their manager, mate, then proceeding to finish 17th but without a trophy and then spending £400m, just to finish 18th and get relegated, would be the most peak Spursy moment in football history. If they do ‘achieve’ it, I’d give them the Ballon D’or Men’s Team of the Year award” – Noble Francis. After Hull’s dead-ball demolition of an increasingly expensive Manchester United, I notice they’re sponsored by McVities. Can I be the first to suggest the headline ‘Half Man Half Biscuit’?” – Kev McCready (and no others). This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.  Continue reading...

Girona winger Kim Min-Su is expected to arrive in Glasgow in the next 48 hours before a prospective move to Rangers.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Lars Sivertsen and Sam Dalling as United and Spurs have dismal starts to their seasons Continue reading...