Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada is sticking to his ambitious target of winning the Premier League in 2028 to mark the club’s 150th anniversary despite a historically bad season for Ruben Amorim’s team.
The 20-time English champions endured their worst top-flight campaign since they were relegated in 1973/74, finishing 15th, 42 points behind champions Liverpool.
They also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham, meaning they will have no European football next season.
Berrada told staff of his “Project 150” vision in September last year, setting out his aim to win the Premier League and the Women’s Super League (WSL) titles in 2028.
READ ALSO: Sabalenka Apologises To Gauff For ‘Unprofessional’ French Open Comments
While United’s men’s team have a mountain to climb, the women’s side, who have never won the WSL, will have to dislodge Chelsea, who have won the past six titles.
United finished third in the WSL, 16 points behind champions Chelsea, who also beat them in the FA Cup final.
But Berrada, formerly chief football operations officer at Manchester City, believes a double title success within three years is possible, despite the huge challenges.
“It’s establishing a series of targets within a timeframe so we can focus our efforts and energy on that goal,” he said in an interview with the United We Stand fanzine, to be published on Wednesday.
“Can the team win the Premier League title by 2028? Of course.
“We’ve just finished 15th and it seems an impossible task. But why not aim for it? Why not do everything in our power?”
United, in three years’ time, will mark 150 years since the club were founded as Newton Heath in 1878.
They have not been crowned English champions since Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge in 2012/13 but Berrada remains confident.
“I firmly believe we can do it,” he said. “We have two or three summer windows to build a team to start competing to win the Premier League.”
World number one Aryna Sabalenka apologised on Tuesday for statements she made after losing the French Open final to Coco Gauff earlier in June.
Sabalenka lost to Gauff in three sets at Roland-Garros, with the American coming back from a set down to win her first French Open title.
Speaking with reporters after the loss, the 27-year-old said the match was “the worst final I’ve ever played”.
“I don’t think she won the match because she played incredibly well, but because I made all those mistakes.”
READ ALSO: Sabalenka Rues ‘Worst Final’ As French Open Hopes Blown Off Course
(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on June 6, 2025 shows (up) US Coco Gauff during their women’s singles semi-final match of the French Open tennis tournament on June 5, 2025 and Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka during their women’s singles semi-final match of the French Open tennis tournament on June 5, 2025. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA and ALAIN JOCARD / AFP)
In an interview with Eurosport broadcast on Tuesday ahead of this week’s WTA tournament in Berlin, the Belarussian said the comments were “simply completely unprofessional of me.”
“I let my emotions guide me. I absolutely regret what I said back then,” she added.
Sabalenka is the number one seed in the German capital and could face second seed Gauff again in the final.
Chelsea kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a solid 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC on Monday in Group D, although there were nearly 50,000 empty seats in the stadium in Atlanta.
Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez’s goals got the Blues off to a good start in a competitive clash against one of the three qualified MLS teams.
New signing, Liam Delap, made his debut as a substitute and helped set up Fernandez’s strike, with Chelsea hoping to go far after their UEFA Conference League triumph and Champions League qualification, looking to re-establish themselves among the elite.
After a solid start to the tournament regarding attendance numbers over the opening weekend, a sparse crowd of just over 22,000 settled in at the stylish 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Behind former Tottenham Hotspur stopper, Hugo Lloris’ goal in the first half, a couple of hundred LAFC ‘ultras’ helped provide an atmosphere with a drum beat and constant song.
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Although the closed stadium roof offered refuge from the Georgia humidity and mid-afternoon summer sun which Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid stars roasted under on Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the attendance suffered badly because of the 3:00 pm local time kick-off.
Despite regular strong crowds for MLS side Atlanta United, the best supported US team, few locals decided to take a Monday off work for the tournament’s first weekday afternoon game, seemingly chosen to suit a British television audience.
After beating Club America in a play-off to qualify for the competition as late as May, LAFC took the place of the banned Mexican side Club Leon, and played none of their three group games in California.
The top ring of the stadium was entirely shut and other levels were only partly filled, despite ticket prices dropping in the days ahead of the game.
Lloris rated his team’s chances against Chelsea as “really thin” on the eve of the game and was called into action several times as the Blues took control from the start.
The French stopper saved from Nicolas Jackson and then Noni Madueke after the Senegalese forward set him up, while Cole Palmer whistled a strike narrowly over.
With new signing Delap looking on from the bench, Jackson played like a man determined to keep his starting spot.
The striker was instrumental in Neto’s opener, releasing the Portuguese winger with an excellent through ball.
Neto chopped in the box to leave LA defender Ryan Hollingshead stumbling helplessly out of sight and then buried a powerful strike past Lloris low at the near post.
Delap Debut
Former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud came on at half-time for the Americans, hoping to threaten Robert Sanchez’s goal more than Steve Cherundolo’s team managed in the first half.
Jackson came close with a header and LA almost levelled but Sanchez made a fine save with his outstretched leg to thwart 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga after he shook off Neto.
Maresca brought on 22-year-old striker Delap for his Chelsea debut after the hour mark, having begun the game with all of the club’s new faces on the bench.
The forward drove into space and tried to tee up Fernandez with a promising first move in a Chelsea shirt since his arrival from relegated Ipswich Town.
Chelsea star Palmer, who had shown occasional flashes of brilliance, hammered over.
LA threatened increasingly, with Marc Cucurella blocking well from David Martinez, before Fernandez grabbed Chelsea’s second.
Running into the six-yard box the Argentine midfielder controlled Delap’s cross from the right and beat Lloris to put the game to bed.
Elsewhere in Group D Esperance Tunis face Brazil’s Flamengo later on Monday.
Gennaro Gattuso was named Italy’s new coach on Sunday and will be tasked with helping the Azzurri qualify for the 2026 World Cup after replacing Luciano Spalletti.
The 47-year-old was part of the 2006 World Cup-winning side and won 73 caps for the national team as a player.
The Italian football federation (FIGC) said Gattuso would be presented to the media on Thursday.
“Gattuso is a symbol of Italian football,” said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina.
“The blue shirt is like a second skin for him. His motivation, his professionalism and his experience will be essential.
“(He is) Aware of the importance of the objective we want to achieve. I thank him for the total dedication with which he has accepted this challenge.”
Four-time champions Italy have failed to qualify for the past two World Cups and started their bid to reach next year’s tournament in North America with a 3-0 loss to Norway last week.
FILE: Gennaro Gattuso
Gattuso is an experienced coach and was last in charge of Croatian club Hajduk Split, helping them qualify for next season’s UEFA Conference League.
READ ALSO: I’m Totally Against A Foreigner Coaching Super Eagles, Says Oliseh
His other former clubs include AC Milan, for whom he made 468 appearances as a player, Napoli, Valencia and Marseille.
Italy are next in action in Group I of qualifying with games against Estonia and Israel in September.
Spalletti was sacked after the Norway defeat, and Monday’s win over Moldova was his last match in charge.
Italy missed out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia after losing a play-off to Sweden and then also failed to qualify for the 2022 finals in Qatar, suffering a shock exit from the play-offs at the hands of North Macedonia.
Gattuso has had a mixed coaching career since retiring as a player in 2013.
His only major trophy as a head coach was the 2019/20 Italian Cup with Napoli.
He lasted only 22 and 24 matches in charge of Valencia and Marseille respectively, while an announced deal with Fiorentina was rescinded just two weeks before his contract was due to begin in 2021.
According to Italian media, former Italy defenders Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci will join his coaching staff.
Former boss Cesare Prandelli is expected to take over the youth teams.
The FIGC had been turned down by both Claudio Ranieri and Stefano Pioli before appointing Gattuso.
A former Super Eagles player, Sunday Oliseh, has expressed his disapproval of a foreigner taking over the reins of the senior Nigerian national team.
Oliseh spoke on Channels Sports on Sunday, where he insisted there were worthy home-based coaches capable of doing a better job.
”I am totally against having that role not being handed over to a Nigerian because we have qualified Nigerians who can do that job,” he said.
In January, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointed Eric Chelle, a French-born former Mali international, to succeed Augustine Eguavoen, who had been serving in an interim.
Since taking over, Chelle has overseen five games for the Super Eagles, winning three, drawing two, and recording 0 losses.
”When you are talking of a defensive midfield role, I was the one who brought in the young man Wilfred Ndidi. It was at the same time I brought in Alex Nwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho, and I gave them their first call-up because they had the quality to do it,” Oliseh said.
He also criticised the Nigerian team for having captains who had limited playing time in the squad.
”This I want to call an anomaly, and it started when we started having on the bench sitting captains. You can’t have that, you can’t have your captain sitting on the bench.’
”In other words, you are saying it is an assistant that is leading the team. Super Eagles’ role is the most important in Nigerian football,” he said
As to the importance of the defensive midfield role on the team, Oliseh said, ”Wilfred Ndidi has the quality to do it. But if you are going to play that role, you have to be disciplined; secondly, you have to have clear-cut instructions that are laid out.”
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were held to a 0-0 draw by Egyptian side, Al Ahly, on Saturday as FIFA’s new 32-team tournament got off to a smooth start in front of 60,927 fans in Florida.
Messi was denied a storybook stoppage-time winner when he saw his curling shot from 20 yards out tipped onto the bar by Mohamed El Shenawy as Miami piled on the pressure in the final minutes of the game.
Al Ahly, who were cheered on by over 10,000 of their supporters, were left to rue a first-half penalty from Egypt international, Trezeguet, which was saved by Miami’s Argentine keeper, Oscar Ustari.
Inter Miami’s Argentine forward, Lionel Messi, controls the ball during the Club World Cup 2025 Group A football match between Egypt’s Al-Ahly and US Inter Miami at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami on June 14, 2025. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
READ ALSO: After Conquering Europe, PSG Now Have Sights Set On Club World Cup Glory
But the Egyptians also had El Shenawy to thank for another fine save in the dying seconds to keep out a header from Maxi Falcon as Miami pushed for three points in the Group A clash.
For organisers, FIFA, who have faced heavy skepticism over the necessity for the tournament, the absence of a goal was the only disappointment on a night that delivered everything else that their president, Gianni Infantino, had hoped for from the opening night.
Fears of a low crowd for the opener eased as the seats in the 64,000 venue began to fill up with the stadium almost full at kick-off time.
Thousands of fans of Al Ahly, record 12 times African Champions League winner and 45-time league champions of Egypt, arrived at Hard Rock Stadium well ahead of kick-off and made their presence felt with singing and chanting.
Inter Miami’s US forward, Fafa Picault (2nd R), reacts after a goal attempt during the Club World Cup 2025 Group A football match between Egypt’s Al-Ahly and US Inter Miami at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami on June 14, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
The stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, witnessed chaotic scenes last year at the final of the Copa America between Argentina and Colombia where fans broke into the ground after long delays to enter.
Penalty Drama
But there was an efficient filter system set up for ticket and security checks well away from the stadium perimeter and there were no signs of any problems.
Nor was there any indication of the controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants from US President Donald Trump’s administration having any impact on the game in the heavily Hispanic South Florida community.
While there were no goals to celebrate, the game was far from boring with Al Ahly enjoying the better of the first half before Miami improved significantly after the break.
Al Ahly opened up Miami’s defence with ease in the opening minutes of the game and Emam Ashour was denied by Ustari after being put through by Trezeguet.
Palestine international striker, Wessam Abou Ali, had an effort ruled out for offside in the 31st minute, and then the Denmark-born forward had a fierce strike tipped over by Ustari.
The penalty came when Telasco Segovia bundled over Zizo but Trezeguet’s spot kick was weak and parried out with the former Aston Villa forward unable to react fast enough to the rebound.
Inter Miami’s Argentine goalkeeper, Oscar Ustari, makes a save on a penalty kick by Al Ahly’s Egyptian midfielder #07 Trezeguet during the Club World Cup 2025 Group A football match between Egypt’s Al-Ahly and US Inter Miami at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami on June 14, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
Miami were stronger after the break with Messi going close in the 64th minute with a free-kick that grazed the post before hitting the side-netting, tricking part of the crowd into thinking he had scored.
He nearly did in stoppage time, after a well-worked short-corner but the outstretched fingertip of El Shenawy was to deny him.
Miami face Porto in Atlanta on Thursday before returning home to face Brazil’s Palmeiras on Monday and while those should be tougher tests, their Argentina coach Javier Mascherano was upbeat.
“The truth is we leave with the feeling that we could have won it in the second half. Going forward we have to do what we did in the second half, not have any fear, shed whatever baggage we had because when we play like that, we can play even with any team,” he said.
Al Ahly’s Spanish coach, Jose Riveiro, who only took charge of the team for this tournament, said his team should have finished the game off in the first half.
“It’s a game of mistakes. We had a decent amount of chances in the first half to put the game in a different space,” he said before praising the team’s fans.
“It was like we were playing in Cairo and that was a surprise for me in my first official match with Al Ahly. To be here in the States and have it like you were playing at home is something that can probably only happen in this club,” he said.
