The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw took place on Friday at the House of European Football, Nyon, Switzerland. Former Liverpool player and two-time Champions League winner, Thiago Alcantara, was the special guest at the Champions League knockout phase play-offs to pick teams from the seeded and unseeded pots. After grabbing 11 points from eight matches, Manchester City will face the defending champion, Real Madrid in the knockout phase play-off.…

Steven Gerrard has stepped down as head coach of Al-Ettifaq by mutual consent after 18 months at the helm. The former Rangers and Aston Villa manager, who took over the Saudi Pro League side in July 2023, departs following a string of disappointing results that have left the team hovering five points above the relegation zone. Despite signing a two-year contract extension in January 2024, which was set to keep…

Fifpro and Fifa discuss fixture congestion amid strike threats. Player representatives from Fifpro have met with Fifa to address growing concerns over fixture congestion, which has led to the threat of strike action from players. The discussions centered on the expanded 32-team Club World Cup set to take place in 2025. While Fifa President Gianni Infantino expressed a willingness to collaborate, sources indicate that mounting pressure from players and unions…

Lewis Hamilton has crashed his Ferrari during the team’s pre-season testing in Spain. The seven-time world champion lost control of the 2023 car at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya but emerged unscathed. Ferrari declined to comment on the incident, which occurred during Hamilton’s second day of testing alongside teammate Charles Leclerc. The team views the crash as a normal part of Hamilton’s adaptation process after 12 years with Mercedes. With F1’s…

Manchester City scaled through to the play-off phase of the Champions League after coming from behind to beat Club Brugge 3-1 and finish 22nd of the 24 qualified teams to secure progress. Man City will face Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in February’s play-offs – the price to pay for such a flawed campaign. City’s night had started in worrying fashion when a merchandise kiosk outside the stadium caught fire…

Former England International, Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United to sign Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen to bail the team out of its goalscoring problems. Himself being a Manchester United legend, Ferdinand posited that the on-loan Super Eagles player would be a perfect mentor for struggling forwards, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, and help end the goal drought that has plagued the team this term. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand…

David Coote, a former Premier League referee who officiated over 100 top-flight matches, has spoken publicly about his sexuality and the immense pressures of his career. In a candid interview, Coote revealed he hid his identity as a gay man throughout his time in football, fearing the abuse and stigma it could bring. The 42-year-old said the demands of his job, combined with personal struggles, led to behaviors that ultimately…

Super Eagles and Nantes forward Moses Simon has announced the birth of his son, sharing the joyous news on his official X handle. Simon posted heartfelt words of gratitude alongside photos of his wife during her pregnancy and their two daughters. “I find no words strong enough to express my exact feelings, I’m sincerely grateful to GOD,” Simon wrote. “GOD has blessed my home with a baby boy. Thanks, my…

Brazilian star Neymar has parted ways with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, with his contract terminated by mutual agreement. The 32-year-old forward joined Al-Hilal in August 2023 for €90m (£77.6m) but managed only seven appearances for the club due to injuries, including a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament suffered during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October 2023. Al-Hilal released a statement thanking Neymar for his contributions, saying: “The club…

Radja Nainggolan, the former Belgian international footballer, has been arrested in connection with a major cocaine trafficking investigation, according to a statement released by the Brussels prosecutor’s office. The 36-year-old midfielder was among several suspects apprehended on Monday morning as Belgian police executed multiple raids across the country. Authorities are investigating an alleged drug trafficking network that reportedly imported cocaine from South America to Europe, using the port of Antwerp…

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim recently sparked controversy by criticizing Marcus Rashford, claiming he would prefer his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach on the bench over the striker due to a perceived lack of effort in training. Rashford has been absent from the matchday squad for six weeks, and his future at Old Trafford now hangs in the balance as the transfer window nears its close. Amorim’s comments reignite the debate over…

For the children of the Nigerian diaspora, displaced by war and split between two worlds, footballers from John Fashanu to Jay-Jay Okocha were a first glimpse of themselves in Britain’s mainstream They arrived in 80s London with small intentions: to study, to work, to outrun what they had come from, and then maybe, one day, return back home. A people who came en masse from Nigeria, working the dark hours, balancing…