Off the Pitch

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said it was a matter of time before former player Steven Gerrard would take charge of the Merseyside club, ahead of his return to Anfield as Aston Villa's head coach.

Liverpool great Gerrard, who replaced Dean Smith at Villa last month, won numerous trophies in 17 years at Anfield and will take on his boyhood club for the first time as a manager on Saturday.

GOTHENBURG, Sweden — BK Haecken midfielder Elin Rubensson has called on Swedish football to support players who decide to become pregnant during their elite careers and offer them greater security.

Less than a year after the birth of her son Frans, Sweden international Rubensson was back pulling the strings as her side lost 5-1 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on a snowy night in Gothenburg on Thursday.

While Bayern Munich has been dominant lately in the Bundesliga, it will be without a key player until the New Year.

Midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who hasn't played since Nov. 6 due to COVID-19, is set to miss the rest of the month due to a lung problem that arose from his bout with the illness.

The NWSL’s wild offseason continued Monday with the announcement of a major trade featuring two USWNT stars. NJ/NY Gotham FC announced Krashlyn is heading to the Big Apple, confirming the rumor Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris would leave the Orlando Pride.

Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy, co-owner of re-founded U.S. club Rochester NY FC, has told Reuters the team will play in the newly-formed lower division MLS NEXT Pro division next season.

Major League Soccer has created a 21 team league in order to give academy players experience of competitive action before they become first team players in MLS.

Introducing: @MLSNEXTPro.

U.S. Soccer announced the nominees for its wide range of 2021 Player of the Year awards, and voting is open now for fans until Dec. 12. The finalists for the awards highlight where the men’s and women’s national teams are right now, and they’re clearly not in the same place.