Luke Bosher

Romania have been ordered to play their next home match behind closed doors due to the “racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters” during their Nations League match against Kosovo. UEFA charged the Romanian FA with “racist and/or discriminatory behaviour”, among other things, after Kosovo walked off the pitch in second-half added time of Friday’s game in Bucharest. The match, which had been goalless when play was stopped, was later abandoned and UEFA has now awarded Romania a 3-0 win after deeming that Kosovo were responsible for forfeiting the game. Kosovo have also...

The Guinea Football Federation (FGF) is claiming Tanzania should be prevented from qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after an alleged administrative violation in Tuesday’s match between the two sides which saw a Tanzanian substitute wear an incorrect shirt number. The FGF said in a statement on Thursday that it filed a formal complaint about the alleged error following the qualifier. The Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) later said it had not received any indication from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which organises AFCON, that their player’s...

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he “in no way intended to make light of the very serious issue of self-harm” after appearing to make a joke about “hurting himself”. Guardiola made the comment after City’s Champions League draw at home against Feyenoord on Tuesday night. The 53-year-old had been responding to a question about some cuts on his face. “My finger, yeah… my nail. I want to hurt myself,” Guardiola replied, before smiling and leaving the press conference. Guardiola’s remark attracted criticism on social media and the City boss addressed the situation in a...

Everton manager Sean Dyche says “individual mistakes” cost his side as they suffered a 4-0 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford. United took the lead through a deflected Marcus Rashford strike in the 34th minute, before Joshua Zirkzee profited off a Jarrad Branthwaite error to double the host’s advantage shortly before the break. Rashford added his second in the opening 20 seconds of the second half, and then it was James Tarkowski who was dispossessed in the build-up to Zirkzee scoring United’s fourth in the 64th minute. “Too many mistakes again today,” Dyche said...

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he did not expect to hear “sacked in the morning” chants from Liverpool fans during his side’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield. Liverpool won the match 2-0 thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, with City second-best throughout. The result means City are winless in their last seven games and have lost six of those. After Salah had put Liverpool 2-0 in the 78th minute, Liverpool fans chanted “sacked in the morning”. Guardiola then responded by turning around and holding up six fingers, appearing to correspond to the number of Premier League...

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti says Aurelien Tchouameni is ready to return from an ankle injury. Tchouameni, 24, has missed Madrid’s last five matches since sustaining the sprain during Madrid’s Champions League defeat by AC Milan before the international break. “He is very well, he has trained and recovered well,” Ancelotti said on Tuesday ahead of Madrid’s trip to Athletic Club on Wednesday. “He is ready to play from the first minute. We’ll see tomorrow where I’ll put him.” “What we have to think is that it is good that he is back. This is...

Ellis, 58, won two World Cups with the U.S. and has been Wave president since 2021.

luke bosher Former USWNT coach Jill Ellis leaving San Diego Wave role to become FIFA's chief football officer

Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan has joined Wayne Rooney’s coaching staff at Plymouth Argyle. Phelan, 62, replaces Pete Shuttleworth as Rooney’s assistant coach. Plymouth confirmed Shuttleworth had departed by mutual consent for personal reasons. Phelan has signed a contract until the end of the season and reunites with Rooney, who he coached at United during his first spell at the club between 2008 and 2013. “I am sad to see Pete leave the club,” Rooney said. “He is someone I have worked with very closely throughout my managerial career having first met at...

The FA will investigate after objects were thrown onto the pitch during Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-3 home defeat by Chelsea on Sunday. Objects were thrown multiple times from the South Stand — an area only home fans occupy — during the first half of the match, while Chelsea were attacking that end of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto were among those targeted while they took set pieces or were in action near the goal. The FA will now review referee Anthony Taylor’s report on the match and investigate. Chelsea won the game despite being...