Juventus should not require a slap to wake up even if the atmosphere at grounds is soporific, coach Andrea Pirlo said after the Serie A champions stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Verona on Sunday.
Pirlo said he could understand players might be influenced by appearing in near-empty stadiums during the COVID-19 pandemic but added that it was something they would have to adapt to.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said he was frustrated and confused that his team were denied a penalty in Saturday's 0-0 Premier League draw at Manchester United.
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta was grabbed by his United counterpart Harry Maguire when challenging for a header in the first half but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) dismissed the London club's penalty claims after reviewing the incident.
Manchester United produced its fair share of footballing legends during Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure in the north west of England, but few can lay claim to Ryan Giggs' idyllic exit in 2014.
(Paul Scholes did lift the Premier League trophy after his final United match, but after he was subbed on, United allowed West Brom to overcome a three-goal deficit and salvage a draw — not exactly flawless).
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman believes his side are not among the favorites to win this season’s Champions League with the Catalans having made a stuttering start to the new season.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday's visit of Hungarians Ferencvaros in their Champions League Group G opener, Koeman played down media talk that the Catalans could be European champions.
“When you’re at Barcelona you always want to be there fighting for trophies, be it in LaLiga or Europe. We aren’t the favorites, but we can go far,” he told a news conference.
An opulent spa town in North Yorkshire might not be the leading location for an up-and-coming football club, but one League Two side is set to dissuade those beliefs.
Nicknamed the Sulphurites for the town's healing sulfur springs, Harrogate Town will be playing in the Football League this season for the first time in its 106-year history. And the man responsible for this transformation also happens to be the longest-serving manager in English football.
When Jack Charlton passed back in July at the age of 85, the English footballer and manager left behind one of the most towering legacies in the history of the game.
A legendary one-club man who represented Leeds United over 600 times while winning the 1968-69 First Division and the 1971-72 FA Cup, Charlton was also capped 35 times by England and played a massive role in his country’s 1966 World Cup triumph.
Germany striker Timo Werner is fully fit for their Nations League game against Switzerland on Tuesday but there are still doubts about Julian Draxler, Lukas Klostermann and Marcel Halstenberg, coach Joachim Loew said on Monday.
Germany will need all the attacking power they can get after narrowly beating Ukraine 2-1 on Saturday for their first win in the last four internationals. They drew the previous three games after leading in all of them.
Salford City co-owner Paul Scholes has been appointed caretaker manager following the sacking of Graham Alexander, the English League Two (fourth-tier) club said on Monday.
Salford is co-owned by Scholes and his former Manchester United teammates David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, along with businessman Peter Lim.
Scholes, 45, last managed Oldham Athletic in League Two but left in March 2019 after 31 days in charge, citing interference in first team activities from the club's owner.