Xabi Alonso has replaced Gerardo Seoane as Bayer Leverkusen s head coach.
Former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder Alonso coached Real Sociedad B between June 2019 and May 2022, having previously worked in Los Blancos s youth system.
The 40-year-old has now been handed his first head coach role at the top level on a two-year deal, with Leverkusen opting to part ways with Seaone after a dismal start to the season has left them sitting 17th in the Bundesliga.
Gerardo Seoane has done a good job for Bayer 04 over the past year and a half, above all by qualifying for the Champions League, said sporting director Simon Rolfes.
Unfortunately, we have strayed from the road to success. From our point of view, the early elimination from the DFB-…
Ander Herrera has returned to Athletic Bilbao after the club agreed a loan deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Although the loan is initially for only the 2022-23 season, Athletic have the option to extend his stay for an extra year or make the arrangement permanent in 2023.
Herrera, 33, was born in Bilbao and spent three years at Athletic from 2011 after coming through Real Zaragoza s academy.
The experienced midfielder signed for PSG in 2019 after his Manchester United contract expired and made 95 appearances, winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions twice each, while also lifting the Coupe de la Ligue.
However, Herrera was never a regular starter for PSG and had been linked with a move away for much of the transfer window, with Christo…
Barcelona sealed a quadruple as they clinched their third Women s Champions League title by beating fellow European heavyweights Lyon 2-0.
Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, both Ballon d Or winners, with Barca s heroes in Bilbao on Saturday.
Bonmati opened the scoring in the 63rd minute and, after surviving an onslaught of Lyon pressure, Barca made sure of a famous victory in stoppage time – Putellas lashing home with her left foot after a sweeping counter-attack.
It marks Barca s first-ever win over Lyon, as they became the first team since Arsenal in 2007 to win four trophies in a single season.
Lyon and Barca went into Saturday s final in Bilbao having scored 70 goals between them in this season s Champions League.
Yet it was a cagey first …
Real Madrid should be worried by the prospect of facing Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals, according to former Etihad Stadium hero Carlos Tevez.
City beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 on aggregate to tee up the last-four meeting with Carlo Ancelotti s men, who edged past Chelsea to move one step away from the final.
Madrid visit Manchester on Tuesday for the first-leg clash, having failed to win on any of their previous three trips to face City in European competition (D2 L1).
The most recent two clashes came in the Champions League knockout stages, with Madrid drawing 0-0 in the 2015-16 semi-final first leg and losing 2-1 in the 2019-20 last-16 second leg, and Tevez believes Pep Guardiola s side are in a strong position.
Madrid have won the C…
Market: Both teams to score
Odds:
Knowing that their qualifying ambitions still sit in their own hands, Sweden will welcome Spain to the Freinds Arena in Solna on Tuesday night.
Starting with the hosts, putting in a dominant display and putting four past Malta on foreign soil in a result that many expected, Sweden still sit in pole position to secure a route to next year s European Championships. Holding a one-point buffer over Romania and the mood around Solna at a continued high, the Yellows have also begun to show some real lethal signs in the final third. Already recording 17 strikes in qualifying, only one less than their opponents on Tuesday night, it is also worth noting that Sweden have bagged two or more strikes in six of their last eight matchups acr…
Rob Page says Wales are not entertaining any play-off talk with their full focus on beating Turkey and qualifying automatically for Euro 2024.
Wales must overcome Turkey in their final qualifier on Tuesday and hope Croatia do not beat Armenia in order to secure a top-two spot in Group D.
The Dragons are guaranteed a play-off place in March but it is not a route Wales want to tread, with Page and Ian Mitchell, head of performance psychology, addressing the topic with the players ahead of the sell-out Cardiff City Stadium clash.
Page said: “We’re having no talk of play-offs. If we’re talking play-offs, we may as well call the game off on Tuesday. That’s our mentality and attitude.
“We’re fully focused on the job we’ve got and we don’t want a…
The evolving world of sport means a new decade is likely to see widespread change.
With superstars like Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Roger Federer and Lewis Hamilton unlikely to be plying their trades in 2030, the stage is set for new names to come to the fore.
Omnisport s team of writers have tipped 20 20-year-olds to do just that over the next 10 years.
Men s football: Joao Felix
A €126m move from Benfica to Atletico Madrid made Joao Felix the second most expensive teenager in football history. His career in LaLiga is yet to truly ignite but the forward s lavish gifts are beyond doubt as he faces up to the decade when Cristiano Ronaldo will leave the stage for their native Portugal. Joao Felix is the anointed heir.
Basketball: Luka …
Rio Ferdinand is adamant there is nothing sad about Cristiano Ronaldo s move to Al Nassr, insisting his former Manchester United team-mate is finally happy .
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d Or winner, completed his move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr on Friday.
The 37-year-old forward, one of the greats of the modern era, reportedly signed a two-and-a-half-year deal after joining on a free transfer following his departure from United in November.
Ferdinand, who played with Ronaldo at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, accepts the manner of his exit from the Red Devils left a lot to be desired, but believes his move to Saudi Arabia should be celebrated.
Obviously I speak to Cristiano and there s things you have to keep quiet and you can t talk about bef…
´You can´t train in a zoo and then go to the jungle´ – Arteta says Arsenal can cope with Anfield atm
Mikel Arteta is confident his Arsenal players can cope with the jungle atmosphere Liverpool s supporters will generate at Anfield in Sunday s Premier League contest.
Arsenal have won seven Premier League games in a row to retain a healthy lead at the summit, but they have lost each of their past six top-flight visits to Liverpool.
Gunners boss Arteta was captured playing You ll Never Walk Alone during training ahead of Arsenal s most recent trip to Anfield in November 2021, which resulted in a 4-0 loss.
Speaking ahead of his side s latest visit to the red half of Merseyside this weekend, Arteta explained that rather unorthodox ploy.
You have to prepare the players, you have to tell them what they re going to be facing and you have to recognise that, he s…
Nick Cushing has been impressed with New York City s preparations for their MLS return against the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
NYCFC headed into the international break having achieved their longest winning run in a single domestic campaign since 2019 (five games), leaving them third in the Eastern Conference and six points behind Inter Miami with two games in hand.
Cushing explained the break in play halted his side s momentum, but was pleased to see a renewed focus among the players upon their return to training.
“You can look at the break in two ways,” Cushing said. “It wasn’t the perfect timing because we had momentum and results, but at the same time, you have to take the rest when you get it because the schedule is so brutal.
“It was a g…