The club also confirmed that Leonardo has resigned after just a single season as sporting director.

Photo by Getty

AC Milan have confirmed that Gennaro Gattuso has left his position as manager by mutual consent.

Gattuso has been in charge since November 2017 and departs after failing to lead the club to a Champions League spot for next season, with Milan finishing in fifth place in Serie A in 2018-19.

The 41-year-old admitted he was considering his future on Sunday after Milan ended their season with a 3-2 victory at SPAL, with the win not enough to leapfrog rivals Inter or Atalanta for a place in the Champions League.

“AC Milan wishes to thank Gennaro Gattuso for his leadership during the last 18 months,” a statement on the club website read.

“A true legend of the Rossoneri, Gennaro stepped into the role during what was a difficult period for the club and has performed admirably, securing the club’s highest league points total since 2012-13.”

Gattuso himself had confirmed his departure earlier on Tuesday, saying he is walking away despite having two years remaining on his contract.

“I have had the privilege to get to know Rino Gattuso over the past six months since my arrival at the club,” club CEO Ivan Gazidis said in a statement.

“Rino has given everything to our efforts this season, and has worked tirelessly, always taking full responsibility, putting the club above every other consideration.

“I want to say from the bottom of our hearts, thank you Rino”.

Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim and Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi have been linked with with the now-vacant managerial position at San Siro.

In addition to Gattuso’s exit, Milan also confirmed that sporting director Leonardo is leaving the club after just one season at the helm.

“Leonardo joined AC Milan in its hour of need a few short weeks before the closing of the summer transfer window,” Gazidis said.

“Under very difficult circumstances he put his heart and soul into addressing a highly complicated situation and transmitting his energy and his ambition to the team.

“I am very grateful to Leonardo for everything he has contributed to our great club and wish him well in his future endeavours.”

The Brazilian has been linked with a move back to Paris Saint-Germain, where he previously served as the club’s director of football.

Source – Goal.com

Spanish police have made several arrests following a complaint from La Liga about a game in May 2018 that was possibly fixed by “an organised criminal group”, the Spanish league has said.

A number of current and former players, as well as club officials, from Spain’s top two divisions have been detained, according to reports.

The league said during the 2018/19 season it informed police of eight suspected cases of “acts related to match-fixing” and another 18 cases of players having placed bets on the outcomes of matches.

A La Liga spokesman said: “Today’s police action follows a complaint filed by La Liga with the Spanish authorities about possible match-fixing in a May 2018 match.

“We want to thank the National Police for the extraordinary work done to dismantle what appears to be an organised criminal group dedicated to obtaining economic benefits through the predetermination of football matches.”

La Liga explained that it tipped off the police after its “integrity protection systems” – detailed analysis of betting patterns – detected possible match-fixing.

It added: “La Liga continues to fight to eradicate any scourge against fair play in Spanish football.”

A lawyer for the club Huesca, who were recently relegated from La Liga, confirmed that various people there had been detained on a warrant issued by a local court in the northeastern town, but did not directly name those detained.

“We have not been able to speak to the president yet. However he will be able to give opportune explanations in due course,” the lawyer, Pedro Camarero, told reporters at Huesca’s stadium.

“Internally within the club we are not worried and are at the disposal of whatever the courts request of us. For now, we do not know how things will develop.”

Source – Sky Sports

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Daley Blind and Donny van de Beek have been named in the Netherlands’ 23-man squad for the Nations League finals.

Van Dijk’s 90th-minute equaliser against Germany in November sent the Netherlands through to the semi-finals

Their squad also includes Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum, Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt, Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake and Fulham’s Ryan Babel.

Ronald Koeman’s side play England in the semi-finals in Guimaraes on 6 June.

Hosts Portugal play Switzerland in the other semi-final on 5 June in Porto.

The third-place play-off and final are on 9 June.

The 33-year-old has been linked with a move to China in the wake of recent meetings with the Spanish club’s president and coach.

Photo by Getty Images

Real Madrid have been hit with the unexpected bombshell that Sergio Ramos is considering leaving the club after 14 seasons with the capital club.

The 33-year-old centre-back recently met with coach Zinedine Zidane and president Florentino Perez to express doubts over staying at Madrid, Goal can confirm, with two main factors at the heart of the matter.

First, there has been a breakdown in the Spain international’s relationship with Perez following the team’s collapse in the Champions League. The captain is reported to have had a bitter argument with the president in the dressing room after his side lost 4-1 at home to Ajax, crashing out of the competition in the second round.

It was a low point in a disastrous season for Madrid and, as the leading figure in the dressing room, Ramos remains in direct contact with Perez but there is a lot of tension between the two.

The other underlying factor is the defender’s contract, which runs until 2021. Madrid’s policy of making sure their players’ deals do not enter their final year means he is supposed to commit to an extension this year. As one of the standard-bearers of one of the club’s most glorious eras, he is in a good place to demand a significant wage increase.

On the other hand, Ramos will be 35 by the time his current deal comes to an end, an age few players manage to reach at Real.

Cristiano Ronaldo departed the club at age 33, Iker Casillas was 34 when he left the club for Porto. Another legend, Raul, also left Madrid at age 33.

The two constraints will have a drastic influence on Ramos and Madrid’s plans. However, the issues are not seen as insurmountable and Ramos would prefer to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu to continue his legacy.

Despite reports he could be heading to China, the board and Zidane remain optimistic and do not see him leaving this summer.

The situation is reminiscent of the 2015 drama that surrounded Ramos’ future. After a difficult season that ended with Carlo Ancelotti’s sacking and while Ramos had two years to go on his contract, there were rumblings of a possible move to Manchester United. In the end, he signed an extension for four years and a much better salary.

Yet despite the many similarities, but whether the outcome will be the same remains unclear. There are still several weeks of talks to go, but they will want everything ironed out before Madrid begin preparations for next season.

Source – Goal.com

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played the super sub role once again for Manchester United as the manager wound back the years in the Treble Reunion clash with Bayern Munich.

Solskjaer leaves the pitch after scoring in the United legends’ win over Bayern

Fans young and old descended on Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon – 20 years to the day since sealing Champions League glory in such spectacular fashion at the Nou Camp.

Solskjaer again started on the bench but wasted little time after coming on for Andrew Cole, turning home the opener after Dwight Yorke was superbly stopped inside four minutes.

Solskjaer went off midway through the first half and skipper Peter Schmeichel followed suit shortly after Dwight Yorke scored a superb second for United Legends.

Beckham in action for the Man Utd legends match against Bayern

Changes aplenty punctuated the second half rather than goals, with Jaap Stam, Paul Scholes and Denis Irwin among those to be replaced to rapturous applause.

Gary Neville went close to notching for United Legends, who looked to be getting under their Bayern counterparts’ skin at times.

Nicky Butt netted United’s third of the afternoon 11 minutes from time as he coolly stabbed home a Louis Saha cross.

Substitute Saha – one of the handful of non-treble winners – slotted home the fourth in the 85th minute as he turned home a Jonathan Greening cross in front of the Stretford End.

There was a crowd-pleasing end to proceedings as David Beckham got behind the Bayern backline and showed quick feet before firing home in front of the Stretford

Solskjaer applauds the Old Trafford crowd after Sunday’s Man Utd legends game

Sir Alex Ferguson on the United bench applauded after Beckham scored with the last kick of the match – a 5-0 win played out in front of 61,175 fans at Old Trafford, raising £1.5 million for the Manchester United Foundation in the process.

“It was great fun,” Solskjaer said. “You know, just to see the lads in the dressing room before and after, getting the banter going, was fantastic. This is a group of people who have meant so much to each other.

“I think everyone enjoyed it, of course, when you win the game. It was still competitive, we needed to win it and you could see a few tackles flying in.

“I think everyone was happy towards the end and to see everyone enjoying themselves is what this club is all about – playing football in front of unbelievable and amazing fans.”

After a difficult season, Sunday’s match brought a welcome feel-good factor back to Old Trafford.

Yorke and Beckham in the Old Trafford dressing room pre-match

With the teams led out by Ferguson, supporters were treated to the familiar sight of Beckham firing cross-field balls, Stam showing no mercy at the back and Scholes bossing the midfield.

Solskjaer only played a small part in the match, but the fans were still singing his name at the end as the United boss looks to turn things around with the current crop.

“I’ve got to thank the supporters again for supporting us and the money will be well spent,” Solskjaer told MUTV. ” I think everyone knows how much it means to play for Manchester United and this match, for everyone, means so much more than just turning up because it was such a big part of our lives.

“We have a big job getting back to these moments. We want to have moments to celebrate and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Source – Sky Sports

The winger will join German side this summer according to the former midfielder.

Photo by Getty Images

Lothar Matthaus is sure attacker Leroy Sane will make the move from Manchester City to Bayern Munich.

Sane, 23, has been linked with the Bundesliga giants after three seasons at City, where he has won two Premier League titles.

Bayern and Germany great Matthaus is certain Sane, who is contracted until 2021, will head to the Allianz Arena.

“A player who, in my eyes, will enchant the Bayern fans next year is Leroy Sane. I am sure he will move to Munich,” Matthaus wrote in a column for Sky.

“If [Bayern president] Uli Hoeness publicly reveals that it makes an effort for the player, this lands in the vast majority of cases in Bavaria.

“And it would be a fantastic transfer, as Sane is one of the best wingers out there. Tricky, dangerous for goal, fast, usable on both wings and provided with a great future.

“[Pep] Guardiola is not really satisfied with him, the player wants to play more regularly and Bayern looks for the departure of [Arjen] Robben and [Franck] Ribery at least one man for the wing. It would be a win-win transfer for all parties.”

Bayern, who won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal this season, are set for something of a rebuild, with Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard joining and the likes of Robben and Ribery leaving.

Matthaus expects Bayern to break their transfer record to land Sane, having paid €80million for Atletico Madrid‘s Lucas.

“Quality always has its price and Sane is more expensive than the previous record transfer of €80m for Lucas Hernandez,” he wrote.

“He may not be quite as expensive as Neymar, but €100m is likely. Salary, bonus payments and transfer fees together, become a new record in Bayern’s history, but the player is worth it.

“If then Timo Werner also changes to Munich, one is slowly but surely prepared for a great future. Not in this, but possibly in the next year, could [Bayer Leverkusen‘s] Kai Havertz land in Munich and shape with Sane an era a la Robbery?”

Source – Goal.com

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino’s apparent joke about where his team would stay in Madrid for the Champions League final appears to have backfired – and prompted Real Madrid to release an official statement.

Pochettino has four years left on his contract at Spurs

The coach has “high hopes” about the forward’s fitness ahead of next month’s tournament.

Photo by Getty Images

Uruguay head coach Oscar Tabarez is confident star forward Luis Suarez will be fit for the Copa America in Brazil.

Suarez, who scored 25 goals in all competitions this season, will miss Barcelona‘s Copa del Rey final against Valencia on Saturday after undergoing knee surgery.

The Uruguayan star’s absence leaves Barcelona without a recognizable forwardas the club has struggled to find a backup for Suarez all season long.

The surgery put Suarez in doubt for next month’s Copa America – with Uruguay set to open their campaign against Ecuador on June 16 – however Tabarez has “high hopes” that the veteran forward can return in time to help Uruguay compete through the tournament.

“I think yes, I hope so, he’s working well,” Tabarez told reporters when asked if Suarez will be fit for the tournament. “I can’t give you details but he keeps us updated through videos and images.

“He’s working on his recovery and I know the meaning Luis gives to these things, I know he’ll give 100 per cent to be fit when the competition starts.

“I don’t want to rush, injuries are always due to circumstances, not to the players’ will, he’s got his mind set on the recovery.

“He’s very professional about it and he has a good record on it, so I have high hopes to have him ready on our team, he’s very important to us.”

Uruguay – who reached the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals – failed to progress beyond the group stage of the Copa America three years ago.

Uruguay – who reached the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals – failed to progress beyond the group stage of the Copa America three years ago.

Uruguay – who reached the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals – failed to progress beyond the group stage of the Copa America three years ago.

Source – Goal.com