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Barcelona boss Hansi Flick explained his controversial celebration after being sent off against Girona, as the German coach will miss the season's first El Clasico next weekend. Flick received his marching orders for an angry protest as the Catalan giants moved above their fierce rivals Real Madrid at the top of La Liga thanks to defender Ronald Araujo’s late winner.

• Flick ruled out of El Clasico

  With Barcelona tied at 1-1 against Girona in the dying minutes of the La Liga fixture, Flick was visibly angry when the fourth official announced there would be just four minutes of additional time at the Olympic Stadium. With emotions running high as his side chased a crucial winner in their attempts to leapfrog great rivals Real at the summit, the 60-year-old argued with the officials over the amount of time added on and was dismissed as a result. This also means that the German coach will not be present in the dugout at Santiago Bernabeu in the season's first El Clasico.

  Following the red card, Flick was also seen making a gesture near the dugout after Araujo netted the all-important last-minute winner for the Catalan club. Slapping his left hand against his right arm twice, it is not clear if Flick aimed the motion towards either the referee or the fourth official. Araujo met Frenkie de Jong’s cross to spark wild celebrations among the home side.

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  Barcelona boss explains celebrations

  After the game, Flick opened up about his protest against the officials, while also explaining his controversial celebration. Speaking to reporters, the Barcelona boss said: "Football is about emotions, it's about tension. It wasn't for anyone, it was just a celebration. Frenkie was there and they showed him a card. My reaction wasn't directed at the referee. And I don't know why he showed me the second one. The celebration wasn't against anyone, it was about how we won. I was happy. I don't and won't do anything against anyone. I accept the referee's decision. It wasn't against him. I applauded so the team would react.

  Flick also said he tried to talk to the match referee but Gil Manzano wasn't interested in a discussion. He added: "I tried to talk to the referee, but I couldn't. He went his own way, and I couldn't. I accept the referee's decisions; he makes the decisions. What I did had nothing to do with him. If he doesn't want to talk to me, that doesn't make me sad; I accept that."

• Yamal back in form ahead of El Clasico

  After suffering from a persistent groin injury, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal finally returned to action and even featured in Flick's starting lineup. The youngster made a blockbuster return as he turned the assist provider for Pedri's opening goal, before being subbed off in the second. While Flick's red card was a massive blow for the Spanish champions, Yamal's return to action will surely prove to be a huge boost for the team ahead of the mouth-watering El Clasico against arch-rivals Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu next week. 

  Flick also revealed why Lamine was taken off in the second half, as he added: "I think he's fine, but we'll see tomorrow. He didn't say anything to me after the game, and that's good. He was only going to play 60 minutes. We had no other option. Pedri also plays a lot of minutes, which is why we substituted both of them. They're top players. Toni also played the first 45 minutes. It's also good that Fermín is back. He didn't start from the start. It was the right strategy."

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  Barcelona dominated El Clasico last season

  Barcelona will now aim to build on the dramatic late victory over Girona and return to winning ways in the Champions League, as they are all set to host Olympiacos on Tuesday. Flick’s men began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle on 18 September, with on-loan forward Marcus Rashford scoring twice, before losing 2-1 to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in their second fixture in Europe’s elite club competition. Following the European fixture, the focus will shift to the main attraction, the all-important El Clasico. The Catalan side will draw inspiration from their performance in El Clasicos last season as they won all four head-to-head clashes with their rivals and completely dominated Los Blancos. The two Spanish giants are set to lock horns for the first time in the 2025-26 campaign at Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. 

Manchester City are enjoying their return after the international break, but could be set to allow a Pep Guardiola signing to leave the club despite the player in question only joining mere months ago.

Manchester City summer signings make instant impact

The transfer window has been and gone, leaving Manchester City hopeful they can start to build momentum as they look to reclaim the Premier League title from Liverpool.

Last weekend’s resounding victory over Manchester United will have restored belief after back-to-back top-flight defeats, and the introduction of Gianluigi Donnarumma to the fold has certainly provided an elevated level of assurance within the Citizens’ backline.

Impressing with his gigantic figure between the sticks, Peter Schmeichel admitted to Premier League Productions that he even tried to convince the Manchester City stopper to move to Old Trafford before his transfer to the blue side of the city materialised.

He said, detailing a previous encounter when he was at Paris Saint-Germain: “I asked my first question and he started to answer in Italian, and I had no clue! Over the last season I kept saying to him, ‘We want you at Man United.

“I did. So I went to him, ‘What are you doing here? You should be in the other goal (for United),’ but he said, ‘I’m very, very happy here.’ He showed it, he gave it to the team today, didn’t he.”

Man City plan offer to sign £87m star who Pep thinks can be key with Foden

The Citizens are looking to make a statement in the January window.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Sep 12, 2025

Little did Schmeichel know that Donnarumma would immediately be installed as Guardiola’s number one, but there are always ramifications that come with new signings being made.

Now, the Citizens could be willing to offload one of their summer additions in a surprise move that will shock many supporters.

James Trafford could make Man City loan exit

According to TBR, Man City could allow James Trafford to leave on loan in January to help keep his hopes of making Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad alive, given Donnarumma has become Guardiola’s preferred stopper.

The £50,000 per week earner has fallen down the pecking order, something that is further complicated by Stefan Ortega remaining at the club, and he could be permitted a temporary exit after joining for £27 million from Burnley.

Trafford, who himself is open to a loan move away, has started three of Manchester City’s opening four Premier League matches, keeping a clean sheet against Wolverhampton Wanderers, followed by less convincing performances against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Nevertheless, he is a fine talent who also courted attention from Newcastle United during the summer before settling on a move back to the club where it all started.

Now, he needs minutes to keep his hopes of being under contention with England alive, and he is unlikely to be short of suitors once the January window opens.

While they have yet to win anything, Arsenal now have arguably the best squad in the Premier League.

Whether it’s the outrageously stacked defence, the midfield or up top, Mikel Arteta has an abundance of talent to pick from every week, and his second-string side would probably give some teams a good game.

Yet, even with the embarrassment of riches at his disposal, most fans and pundits alike would agree that his best and most important player remains Bukayo Saka.

Yet, even so, the manager should be looking to take the Englishman out of the lineup for the Champions League game against Olympiacos.

Why Saka should be dropped

Now, there is, of course, a compelling argument that Arsenal should field their best players in a European game like this.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, even though that’s a totally valid point of view, and one that most might hold, there are a few reasons why Saka should be dropped.

First and foremost, Arteta needs to protect the Hale End superstar from being overplayed and picking up any more injuries.

After all, he missed almost four months of action due to hamstring surgery last season, and then missed a few weeks earlier this year due to an injury to his other hamstring.

Moreover, since returning from his recent setback, the 24-year-old “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already made three appearances, including two starts in the last two games.

In other words, he’s already had the chance to regain a significant amount of match sharpness and therefore doesn’t need to start a third game in seven days.

Second, if the North Londoners were playing a title rival or one of the real big boys in Europe, then there would be an argument to risk another start given his importance to the team.

However, without being disrespectful, Olympiacos are one of the easier opponents the Gunners will face this season, with UEFA ranking them 37th in their coefficients, behind the likes of Bodo/Glimt, PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge.

Finally, there is also no need to play Saka, as Arteta already has the perfect option to start in his stead, and no, it’s not Max Dowman.

The Arsenal star who should start ahead of Saka

There will be plenty of fans who want to see Dowman come in from the start against Olympiacos, and while there is undoubtedly an argument to throw him in the deep end, it might be a little too much too soon.

Especially when Arteta already has the perfect option to start in Saka and the 15-year-old’s place: Ethan Nwaneri.

Speaking about him during the early stages of Nwaneri’s development, Mikel Arteta noted that the teenager is “a little bit like Jack Wilshere,” and that may suggest why he’s been getting more game time in the middle of the park recently.

That looks likely to be his long-term position, but it would make perfect sense to start the Hale Ender off the right against the Greek outfit.

The most significant argument for doing so is that the 18-year-old dynamo already has a decent amount of experience playing out there and put up some good numbers when doing so last season.

For example, in 37 appearances, totalling just 1378 minutes, the dynamic gem scored nine goals and provided two assists, which comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or every 125.27 minutes.

In other words, the manager can rest assured that starting the “phenomenal” talent, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, would not be detrimental to the side’s attacking output.

Another reason the Spaniard should be playing academy product is that, now that he has been tied down to a long-term contract, he needs to be given ample opportunities to play first-team football and continue his impressive development.

So, while a start against Newcastle United, for example, might be too risky, the same cannot really be said about a European fixture in which the Gunners are big favourites.

Ultimately, Saka needs to be rested and protected to ensure he does not suffer another injury, and though Dowman should feature against Olympiacos, it should be Nwaneri who starts the game off the right.

Jamie Carragher admits he was wrong about Arsenal star who's "becoming a real leader"

The former Liverpool defender has made a U-turn.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 1, 2025

Ruben Amorim has heaped praise on Bryan Mbeumo after the forward continued his fantastic start to life at Manchester United with a brace in the 4-2 victory over Brighton on Saturday. The 26-year-old netted his third and fourth Premier League goals of the season as Amorim’s side built on their recent wins over Sunderland and Liverpool with another triumph at Old Trafford.

• Mbeumo is fast becoming a United hero following Brentford move

  Mbeumo has quickly become a fan favourite amongst the United faithful following his summer move from Brentford. After scoring his first league goal in the last-gasp 3-2 victory over Burnley on 30 August, the Cameroon international then netted the opener in his side’s momentous 2-1 win over bitter rivals Liverpool last Sunday. And picking up from where he left off at Anfield, Mbeumo scored twice in the second half of what was a pulsating encounter with Brighton, with Brazil duo Matheus Cunha and Casemiro also finding the back of the net.

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  Cameroon international receiving love from United fans and Amorim

  Having already struck up exciting partnerships with both Amad Diallo and fellow new boy Cunha, Mbeumo is not only being lauded by the United supporters but by manager Amorim, who paid tribute to his in-form charge after the Brighton game.

  In his post-match press conference, Amorim said of Mbeumo: “He’s a working machine. He’s so good in transitions. He’s improving when we are organising the final third. The connection with Amad, it’s really hard to beat these two guys because they change position, they are really fast, they are good in one against one. 

  “My role was, as a manager, to explain what I want from him. But it was more the club. And you guys. We can struggle a lot, but it’s Manchester United. When Manchester United is there, and when we feel that this player wants to come here, no matter what, no matter what the position, no matter if it's Champions League or not, we also give everything to bring these kind of guys, and that was the case.”

• Amorim says United produced a 'complete' display against Brighton

  Mbeumo’s heroics against both Liverpool and Brighton have played a key role in helping change the mood at United, who have now won their last three games following what was an inconsistent start to the 2025-26 season. While the victory at Liverpool – the club’s first since 2016 – was built on rapid counter-attacks from the likes of Mbeumo, Cunha and Amad, Amorim says the win over Brighton was a more “complete” performance from his side.

  Asked if he felt beating Brighton was a bigger “statement” than beating Liverpool, considering the Seagulls had won their previous three games at Old Trafford, Amorim agreed by saying: “I have that feeling. I think [it] was a more complete performance. You can say whatever you want to say against Liverpool, but they didn't deserve to lose that game. We deserve to win, but they didn't deserve to lose. I think today, we did a little bit of everything. We had the ball, create chances, we defend high, we defend low. So, when it’s more complete, it's not a statement, but I feel more complete also as a manager. So today I think I like today more than last weekend.”

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  Portuguese believes fans are seeing benefits of no European football

  And when asked if fans are now seeing the benefits of him having all week to work with the players, with United not competing in any European competitions this season, Amorim added: “I think you can sense that, of course, the results now, you can feel that. But the team, since we started this season, the team play so much better compared to last season. We have different players, more suited to this type of style. But it's a big difference. Every team that plays in this league, and has to play in Europe, it's so much harder. And we felt that last year. So, I said that last year, I will say the same thing, [it] is a big advantage to have just one game per week, and we have to take advantage of that.”

Manchester United are in a sticky situation under Ruben Amorim and plenty of high-profile names have delivered intriguing verdicts on his predicament, including Alan Shearer.

Man Utd in stick or twist situation with Ruben Amorim

External pressure in football has been heightened drastically over recent years due to the rise of social media, though there is a clear debate to be had about whether a managerial change at Old Trafford is necessary after a poor Manchester United run of form under Amorim.

The former Sporting boss has delivered 19 victories, nine draws and 21 losses in charge of the Red Devils, averaging 1.35 points per game in the Premier League.

Only two wins have arrived for Amorim this season without the added strain of having to juggle both European and domestic football, with the lowlight being a dismal loss to Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup.

Wayne Rooney clarified he has ‘no faith’ in Manchester United turning things around. However, INEOS have decided to keep their man in the dugout for the time being, offering a stay and a chance to change public perception after a rocky start to 2025/26.

Conversely, Sir Jim Ratcliffe may already be plotting a change in the background amid Gareth Southgate being contacted by the Red Devils as an alternative to Amorim.

Not just Shaw: Amorim must drop Man Utd ace who's becoming a huge "problem"

Manchester United need a solution to their problems after yet another defeat in the Premier League.

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 28, 2025

Over the coming weeks, expect more out-of-work bosses to be linked to the Old Trafford cauldron as speculation continues to grow on what happens next. For now, nothing is concrete, though the Red Devils have a dilemma on their hands.

Either way, Manchester United will be focused on improving results, albeit not everyone is convinced Amorim is the right man to kickstart that process.

Alan Shearer dissects Ruben Amorim's situation at Manchester United

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Alan Shearer said Manchester United don’t want to admit they’ve made a mistake in hiring Amorim, hence why he thinks they haven’t already moved to relieve him of his duties.

He stated: “I genuinely believe that the owners or the people that are running the club at the minute have made that many errors in the last two years or 18 months since they’ve been there. It would look terrible to admit another error and sack (Amorim).”

Amorim was a promising appointment when he came in last year, though down the line, many would argue Manchester United haven’t shown any signs of improvement and still regularly cough up inconsistent results.

In his defence, he did take the Red Devils to the Europa League final, progressing past the likes of Lyon and Real Sociedad, but fell at the final hurdle and missed out on Champions League qualification.

For now, he remains and the support will back Amorim to rescue Manchester United from despair. Nevertheless, he is walking on thin ice, something that Shearer has indicated could be costly.

Gianluigi Donnarumma has finally settled one of football’s biggest debates — Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe? The Italian shotstopper, who has shared dressing rooms with both superstars in recent years, offered a clear verdict on who hits the ball harder. Having experienced their brilliance up close, Donnarumma’s insight carries unique weight in a discussion that continues to divide everyone.

• Haaland or Mbappe?

  Manchester City goalkeeper Donnarumma has weighed in on the long-running comparison between Mbappe and Haaland. The Italy international has played alongside both — teaming up with the Frenchman during his time at Paris Saint-Germain and now sharing the pitch with the towering Norwegian at Manchester City. Speaking in a recent interview with the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old offered his take on which of the two global icons has the hardest shot in football, siding firmly with the Norwegian forward.

  In the ongoing Mbappe versus Haaland debate, the statistics only add to the intrigue. Mbappe’s seniority means he leads overall numbers, boasting roughly 395 goals and 147 assists in 532 appearances — compared to Haaland’s 325 goals and 59 assists in around 385 games. Yet Haaland’s efficiency is unmatched: he averages 0.84 goals per game and finds the net every 88 minutes, narrowly edging Mbappe’s 0.74 goals per game and 104-minute average.

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  Donnarumma's insight

  “I think Erling does [have the hardest shot],” Donnarumma told the Daily Mail. “He is left-footed so he is different from Kylian (Mbappe). They are both hard to play against. So it’s complicated. But I would rather have Erling playing for my side.”

  Donnarumma also opened up about his close friendship with Haaland, forged since his summer move to the Etihad Stadium. “I’d say we just got on well immediately,” he continued. “We have always respected each other, even before we met. We make a lot of banter about playing against each other in the national teams. I’d say they are in a better situation than us now, they have much more peace of mind. But there are still two games left to play. It will be difficult to face each other, as it will be difficult to play against him. I know how strong he is and what chances he can create. It will be hard to face him both as a player and as a friend.”

• Haaland's outrageous form

  Donnarumma’s comments carry authority given his unique career path, having lined up behind both Mbappe and Haaland — two players tipped to dominate football’s next decade just as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did for nearly 15 years. The Italian played 105 games with Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain after joining the French giants in 2021, helping them to three Ligue 1 titles before the Frenchman moved to Real Madrid in 2024. Donnarumma himself then left PSG a year later, signing for Manchester City in a £26 million deal after helping the Parisians win the Champions League as part of a historic treble.

  Since his arrival at the Etihad, the former AC Milan star has been a key part of Pep Guardiola’s squad, seamlessly replacing Ederson, who joined Fenerbahce. Donnarumma is yet to taste defeat in a City shirt and has quickly built chemistry with Haaland, whose goal-scoring feats continue to astonish. The Norwegian striker has netted 15 times in 11 appearances this season, scoring in nine consecutive matches, and remains the Premier League’s most lethal finisher.

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  What comes next?

  Donnarumma’s verdict may not settle the argument once and for all, but it offers insight from a man uniquely placed to judge — one who has guarded the goal against and alongside both. As football’s next great rivalry continues to unfold, fans can at least be certain of one thing: whether it’s Haaland’s ferocity or Mbappe’s finesse, the future of the game remains in extraordinary hands.

  While Donnarumma and Haaland continue to chase silverware together at Manchester City, their friendship will soon be tested on international duty. Italy are set to host Norway in a crucial World Cup qualifier next month, pitting the pair against each other in a matchup that blends camaraderie with fierce national pride. For Donnarumma, facing one of the world’s most dangerous finishers — and a close friend — will be a moment of both challenge and respect.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was spotted close to a trophy-laden manager recently, and the tactician is now reportedly open to talks over replacing Ange Postecoglou at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest consider Ange Postecoglou replacements after poor start

Postecoglou’s tenure at Forest has been nothing short of a nightmare so far, putting the Australian’s future at the club under intense scrutiny.

Appointed with the aim of instilling a vibrant, attacking style, Postecoglou instead finds himself navigating a storm of poor results, mounting criticism, and growing fan unrest just weeks into his reign.

Since taking charge, Postecoglou has become the first permanent Forest manager in over a century to go six games without a win. His side have struggled to translate his high-intensity, possession-based philosophy into results, often appearing disjointed and lacking cohesion on the pitch.

Defensive frailties have been brutally exposed, and the team has conceded goals at an alarming rate, compounding the pressure on a manager desperate to turn things around.

Fans openly chanted for his dismissal when Forest fell to a shock 3-2 defeat at home to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, with many questioning the club’s decision to appoint him.

Postecoglou, if he is sacked inside the next 10 days, could become the shortest-reigning manager in Premier League history — breaking former Charlton Athletic boss Les Reed’s record — who was shown his P45 after just 41 days in the 2006/2007 season.

It may not be during this international break after all, according to reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano, but Sky Sports have reported that Marinakis isn’t afraid to be ruthless and pull the trigger if Postecoglou doesn’t turn things around quickly.

Should the club decide to part ways with Postecoglou, a shortlist of replacement candidates is already emerging in the media.

Leading the pack among rumored successors is Fulham’s Marco Silva. The Portuguese is respected for his experience navigating the Premier League with limited resources, and Silva also boasts a good relationship with Marinakis following their successful period at Olympiacos together.

Silva is a long-term target for Forest, so this is apparently one to keep an eye on, while Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is also a “prime candidate” to replace Postecoglou, according to TEAMtalk.

There is another option too — former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.

Rafael Benitez open to Nottingham Forest managerial talks

The Spaniard, who guided Liverpool to a Champions League title in 2005, also won La Liga twice at Valencia and led Chelsea to a Europa League triumph 12 years ago.

Benitez also boasts a Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Club World Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup on his illustrious CV, with the 65-year-old’s last job in management coming at Celta Vigo in 2024.

He hasn’t coached in England since leaving his lacklustre spell at Everton in 2022, but the tactician’s undoubted experience could be appealing to the Tricky Trees.

Benitez was spotted in “close proximity” to Marinakis during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League last week, and a report from GiveMeSport has now shared an update on the prospect of his potential move to Forest.

GMS report that Benitez would entertain an approach to manage Forest, as he’s keen to manage in the Premier League again, and the former Newcastle boss is under genuine consideration as an option.

Known for his tactical discipline and ability to organize teams defensively, Benitez could help to stabilize a struggling Forest side. His proven track record of guiding teams through relegation battles and achieving promotion — like he did during his spell at Newcastle — shows that he can thrive under pressure.

However, his inactivity lately is perhaps a cause for concern, especially given the increasing demands and pressure on managers to succeed.

Italian side Fiorentina have announced the sacking of Stefano Pioli as head coach. The decision comes amid a dismal 10-game winless run that has left the club rooted to the bottom of the Serie A table. Pioli joined Fiorentina following successful spells with AC Milan and Al-Nassr, having won the Scudetto with the Rossoneri.

• Pioli sacked after dismal Serie A start

  The Viola are winless in the league this season, with four draws and six defeats in their opening 10 matches, leaving them near the bottom of the table. Their strong start in the UEFA Conference League, where they sit top of the table with two wins from two games, wasn’t enough to save Pioli from dismissal.

  The club’s official statement read: “ACF Fiorentina can confirm that Stefano Pioli has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the first team.”

  Meanwhile Fiorentina have announced a temporary replacement for Pioli until a new head coach is appointed. The club stated: “Daniele Galloppa will take charge of the first team temporarily, starting from this afternoon's training session.”

  Pioli’s sacking follows Fiorentina’s decision to terminate the contract of sporting director Daniel Prade.

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  Where did it go wrong for Fiorentina?

  Italian outlet summed up Pioli’s downfall at Fiorentina by highlighting several key mistakes the tactician made during his tenure. It all began with an air of overconfidence that stemmed from his past successes with Milan and Al Nassr. The Italian coach often declared himself among the country’s top managers, even taking subtle digs at peers such as Massimiliano Allegri and Luis Enrique. However, this arrogance backfired as results worsened and performances declined, with Pioli appearing to lose confidence with each passing game.

  On the pitch, Fiorentina looked disorganised and lacked chemistry despite Pioli’s claims of productive training sessions. His frequent tactical switches between the 3-5-2, 3-4-2-1 and 4-4-2 formations only deepened the confusion, leaving players uncertain and disconnected. Pioli even tried deploying Fagioli as a deep-lying playmaker in a 4-4-2 system, but the experiment was abandoned after a draw against Como. His substitutions often worsened matches rather than improving them, exposing his poor in-game management.

  Fiorentina’s summer transfer activity, conducted jointly by Pioli and sporting director Prade, also proved problematic. Pioli’s initial tactical plan relied on a three-man attack featuring Moise Kean, Edin Dzeko or Roberto Piccoli, and Albert Gudmundsson, leading the club to invest heavily in Piccoli. However, after a string of disappointing results, Piccoli was benched and the three-man attack was scrapped altogether, rendering that investment a costly misstep.

• Pioli enjoyed success with Milan and Al-Nassr

  Pioli was appointed as interim head coach of AC Milan in 2019, replacing Marco Giampaolo. He implemented a 4-2-3-1 system that revitalised the team and restored Milan’s identity. With the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pioli brought stability and experience, helping young players such as Rafael Leao, Theo Hernandez and Sandro Tonali reach their full potential. Under his guidance, Milan qualified for the Champions League in the 2020–21 season after a seven-year absence. The following year, Pioli led the Rossoneri to their first Scudetto since 2011, marking a remarkable turnaround.

  He continued to impress in Europe, guiding Milan to the Champions League semi-finals in the 2022–23 season before leaving the club in 2023–24. During his tenure, Pioli managed 240 matches, recording 128 wins, 64 draws, and 48 defeats.

  In 2024, he took charge of Saudi side Al-Nassr, where he reportedly became the fourth highest-paid manager in the world. At the Riyadh club, he managed stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane, achieving 22 wins, six draws and six losses during the 2024–25 season.

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  Fiorentina start search for a replacement

  Fiorentina take on German side Mainz in the Conference League on Thursday as they look to appoint a replacement as soon as possible. For Pioli, the Fiorentina sacking will come as a setback, but given his impressive accomplishments with Milan, he will be hoping to find a new opportunity either in Italy or abroad.

There are so many questions going into the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees. Can Aaron Judge step up on the massive October stage? Will Cleveland's elite bullpen be able to navigate through if this thing goes to six or seven games? Is Jose Ramirez poised to become a household name after years of excellence? How much trust should Yankees fans really have in Carlos Rodon?

And finally, will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce be in attendance for any of the action?

We have clarity on that last issue as Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that he'd heard the power couple would be in the Bronx for Game 1.

Kelce grew up near Cleveland and has thrown one of the worst ceremonial first pitches in the franchise's history. Swift has been largely focused on football fandom over the past few years but like Bo Jackson, is extremely versatile.

It will be interesting to see just how often the TBS broadcast cuts away to their seats for reactions during play. The urge will be extremely strong but there are also some people who won't like that very much to consider.

It wasn’t the perfect performance, but Chelsea are now through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

At one point in their clash away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Enzo Maresca’s men looked like they were going to run away with it.

Unfortunately, some really sloppy play and defending in the second half let the Old Gold right back into it.

With that said, Chelsea managed to get out of there with the win, and one player in particular showed why he could be another Cole Palmer, and no, it wasn’t Estevao.

Chelsea's standout stars vs Wolves

One Chelsea starter who did his chances of playing more minutes well on Wednesday night was Andrey Santos.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Brazilian ace started in the middle of the park and made an instant impact, scoring the opening goal just five minutes in.

It was a well-taken shot from just outside the area, but that wasn’t all he did, as he ended the game with 100% of his tackles won, ten ball recoveries and seven of eight ground duels won.

In short, it was an excellent all-action display from the 21-year-old and just the sort of showing fans were hoping to see from him this season.

One of his teammates who wasn’t quite as impactful, but is still worthy of praise, is Estevao.

The Brazilian wonderkid didn’t make any key passes or complete more than two crosses, but he did score a sensational chip to make it 3-0 in the 41st minute.

Finally, while he didn’t get a goal involvement like his midfield partner, Romeo Lavia, helped to keep things ticking over in the middle of the park for the Blues.

In his 61 minutes of action, the young Belgian completed 54 of 59 passes, played one key pass, took 67 touches, made seven ball recoveries and won five of six duels.

Perhaps the best thing you can say about the former Southampton gem’s performance is that Wolves scored two of their three goals when he was off the pitch.

With all that said, there was another Chelsea player who stood out above all the others and showed just why he could be another Palmer-type star.

Chelsea's new Palmer-type star

When it comes down to the player who impressed most on Wednesday night, it’s impossible to look past Jamie Gittens, and it’s the summer signing who could be the club’s new Palmer-type star.

Now, it’s important to caveat that this doesn’t mean he will become as good a player as the Blues’ number ten – few players ever will be – but there are some similarities.

For example, both of them have come from Manchester City’s academies, both can play out wide, the former Borussia Dortmund gem is almost certainly going to be involved in the senior England setup at some point, and, crucially, Gittens is capable of the incredible.

Yes, the 21-year-old has indeed underwhelmed so far this season, but against Wolves, he showed that he has it in him to utterly dominate an opposition and drag his side to victory.

For example, he provided the assist for Santos to open the scoring, and then, just ten minutes later, he did even better, setting up Tyrique George with a tap-in he simply couldn’t miss.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, the Reading-born monster made sure his side didn’t throw the game away by scoring an absolute screamer to make it 4-2 in the 90th minute.

It was the sort of goal you’d expect a player of Palmer’s calibre to score, and perhaps an indication that the Blues might have another superstar on their hands.

Overall, it really was, as one content creator put it, a “masterclass” of a performance from Gittens, and one that should see him remain in the team for the next few games.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 29, 2025