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Captain denies relationship had broken down‘There is frustration because last year was amazing’Virgil van Dijk has said the connection between Arne Slot’s Liverpool and the Kop remains intact and cited the rout of Galatasaray as evidence of what they can achieve by sticking together.The Liverpool captain took issue with claims that the team’s relationship with supporters had broken down this season and insisted the focus should be on reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2022. Scrutiny intensified after Sunday’s draw against Tottenham, when boos greeted the final whistle at Anfield and Dominik Szoboszlai admitted the team had been affected by the sight of supporters leaving early. Continue reading...

Trial planned from 2027, potentially in big Asian marketUefa rejects call to end league phase ‘country protection’Uefa hopes to follow in the Premier League’s footsteps and trial a new direct-to-consumer streaming service for Champions League matches in the next television rights cycle.If implemented successfully the trial could pave the way for games to be streamed more widely via a dedicated platform. Discussions are in their early stages and it is unclear whether the service would be offered free of charge. A major Asian market such as Indonesia or India could be an attractive starting point for UC3, the joint venture set up by Uefa and European Football Clubs (EFC) to manage their competitions’ commercial rights, as it seeks to determine the project’s viability. Continue reading...

Forward senses collective and individual belief returning as crucial Premier League game against Nottingham Forest loomsThe more that Mathys Tel talked on Wednesday after Tottenham finally won a game under Igor Tudor – albeit the night still ended in aggregate defeat by Atlético Madrid in the Champions League last 16 – the more he seemed to approach a specific area; an admission.Talking has very much been the theme in the Spurs dressing room in recent weeks as the club have slid down the Premier League table towards the abyss that would be relegation into the Championship. Continue reading...

Today’s newsletter looks at the women who grew up in the 1970s, 80s and 90s loving football but had little or no opportunity to play. I was one of themI screamed so loudly when Chloe Kelly scored the winning goal in the 2022 European Championship that our children ran from the room. They were too young to understand what it meant. Since then they’ve watched the Lionesses reach the final of the 2023 World Cup and seen them victorious at Euro 2025. They are growing up with women playing football on TV.I cried at that win four years ago. I watched the Lionesses in awe, but also with a sense of loss for what I never had the chance to become. According to Fifa’s 2023 Member Association survey report, the number of women and girls playing organised football has grown by 24% since 2019, to more than 16.6 million, with 3.9 million registered female players. Fifa’s Women’s Football Strategy 2024-27 aims to achieve 60 million registered players by next year. Continue reading...

Video released of federation president Mehdi TajFifa has no plans to move Iran games to MexicoIran will “boycott the United States” but “not the World Cup”, the Iranian football federation president, Mehdi Taj, said in a video released by the Iranian press agency Fars.Iran are scheduled to play their group matches in the US in this summer’s tournament. “We will be preparing for the World Cup,” Taj said. “We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup.” Continue reading...

Nottingham Forest seek to overturn a one-goal Europa League deficit against a familiar foe who were early champions of the set piece“I like a bit of chaos and structure both on and off the pitch,” says Midtjylland’s technical director, Kristian Kjær. “Getting the right mix is most important.” Perfecting this balance has enabled the Danish side to thrive in Europe, powered by a global recruitment model and innovation.Nottingham Forest travel to the MCH Arena on Thursday seeking to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, having also lost to Midtjylland in the group stage this season. This is the furthest the Danish club, founded in 1999, have progressed in Europe. “It must have been insane to be starting the club [just over] 25 years ago and then see where we are today,” says Kjær. “What a ride.” Continue reading...

Three years ago Luvo Manyonga knew he must change his life or die. In Poland this week, the former world champion makes an extraordinary return to athletics’ top tableSprawled prone in the dirt, the cold metal of a baseball bat cracking against his skull, spine and down to the legs that had once propelled him to glory, Luvo Manyonga experienced an epiphany. This existence could not continue; he must change his life or die.Manyonga had been a drug addict for as long as he could remember, seeking recreational highs that provided the opposite of the performance-enhancing shortcuts that some of his deceitful athletics rivals might have pursued. Continue reading...

Sacked managers and released players gain protectionEmployment Rights Act changes happen in JanuaryPremier League and EFL clubs will be more vulnerable to unfair dismissal claims from sacked managers and released players from next year after changes to employment law. Under the Employment Rights Act (ERA), which comes into effect on 1 January, employees will gain protection from unfair dismissal after six months rather than two years of service.In another significant change, the cap on compensation awards at employment tribunals of £118,223 will be removed, giving dismissed managers and players a far greater incentive to bring a claim. Continue reading...

Hoskins, who was an Olympic cyclist like Dennis, was struck by his car in 2023. His return to Instagram included picture with caption ‘an absolute weapon’The Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis, who 10 months ago was given a 17-month suspended sentence after his car fatally struck his wife, has returned to social media with a post describing a Porsche as an “absolute weapon”.Melissa Hoskins, an acclaimed world and Olympic cyclist, died when she was struck by a car driven by her husband near their home at Medindie, in Adelaide’s inner north, in December 2023. Continue reading...

Two-goal display against Atlético gives Tudor hope his playmaker can inspire strugglers to Premier League safetyThe kind of night that saves a season? That might be pushing it. A comeback for the ages was on, then off, then on again for a little while: a flickering traffic light that, like Tottenham’s season to date, stopped ultimately on red. But they will hoover up any morsels of hope at this point and at least, when a considerably sub‑capacity crowd applauded them off at the end, the appreciation was deservedly heartfelt. If the adage goes that a win can work wonders, perhaps Igor Tudor will be able to cajole a brand of magic now that he has finally achieved one.Most of the inspiration here, on a night when nobody let a customarily depleted Spurs down, came from the sparkly feet of Xavi Simons. His year in north London has taken on the same stuttering pattern, weeks of liftoff and others of inconsequence. He had started Tudor’s first two games, a reward of sorts for the dynamic form that could not ultimately save Thomas Frank, but his new manager’s affections had quickly waned. Recalled to chase an essentially lost cause, Simons’ task was to display the ingenuity and drive that might propel Spurs out of peril in the longer term. Continue reading...