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As the Champions League race reaches a dramatic climax on Sunday, Enzo Maresca has backed Chelsea to handle the pressure of their do-or-die showdown with Nottingham Forest.

Maresca’s men are aware that a victory over Forest will make it possible for them to reclaim Europe’s elite club competition.

Fifth-placed Chelsea is one point ahead of seventh-placed Forest in terms of goal difference, with the top five guaranteed to advance to the Champions League.

Maresca’s team is desperate to reclaim their position among Europe’s elite after missing out on the competition for the past two seasons.

INCLUDE   Barca Deal is extended by Raphinha until 2028.

However, Forest, who last competed in the 1980s and 1980s, still has a chance to qualify, increasing the stakes at the sold-out City Ground this weekend.

Maresca told reporters on Friday, “When you join Chelsea, you feel pressure from day one,” if his players were able to handle the tense situation.

You don’t need to engage in this type of game to feel more or less pressure. Since joining the club, I’ve been under pressure. ”

Despite posting a remarkable record of 12 wins from 19 at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have only won seven of their 18 away league games.

Sometimes we played away and didn’t feel like we should have lost or even drawn, Maresca said.

However, there is a reason for struggling, and we will use the break to explain why. ”

Chelsea will face Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday after winning their Champions League match this weekend.

Maresca’s turbulent debut season in charge would come to an end by leading the team to the title.

After the humiliating clash with Forest, the Italian made it clear that he would have to make adjustments to his Wroclaw team.

The game will now be the focus, according to the statement. The most crucial one will be the following, he said, and then we can concentrate on Wednesday’s game.

We don’t have enough time to recover energy, according to a statement I made the other day, so we must definitely rotate and switch things. Some changes must be made. ”

Ivan Toney “deserves” his surprise recall for the upcoming international matches against Andorra and Senegal, according to England manager Thomas Tuchel.

The 29-year-old has received his first call-up since leaving Brentford to join Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia in August.

Toney made his final six appearances for England in the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, scoring 22 goals in 29 Pro League games for the Saudi champions.

Because he scored over 20 goals this year, I believe Ivan deserves to be with us, and I’m persuaded.

He contributed a lot to the Asian Champions League, where he scored and assisted tremendously.

I pondered, “Why not bring him over and let him visit us?” It’s a good time to test new players, meet new players, and interact with Ivan first.

Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah received his first senior call-up, according to Tuchel.

Chelsea are aiming to win the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis on Wednesday after playing the Sierra Leone-born Chalobah 32 times this season.

He had a fantastic second half at Chelsea. Tuchel remarked that he is very consistent and of a high standard.

Read more about FIFA’s announcement of a special transfer window for club world cup teams.

Phil Foden, a Manchester City player, was left out just days after making an announcement about his mental health issues.

Foden, who is recovering from an ankle injury, revealed how his mental state has changed throughout the forward’s difficult season.

Despite rumors that Jude Bellingham, a midfielder for Real Madrid, needs shoulder surgery after the World Cup, was chosen, Bellingham was chosen.

Eight players from the squad will also play for Atletico Madrid against Bayern Munich in the United States, along with Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher.

On June 7, England will face Andorra in a World Cup qualifying match before a friendly match with Senegal will take place in Nottingham.

Five days after England’s second international break game, the Club World Cup will begin.

Tuchel said, “I could see the reasons why the players who attend the Club World Cup might leave a little earlier or to change the squad.

If we didn’t nominate the squad without Club World Cup players, we had a productive discussion.

We quickly realized that it was equally significant to us. There is only one more year until the World Cup.

Why would you let players leave? What message will the group send to the players to leave them, and we want to cherish and worship each day that we have together?

After suffering from injuries that prevented them from winning the March World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka are now back in the international fold.

Harry Maguire, a defensive player for Manchester United, was also left out, along with West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen and Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke.

Jackson Iyobosa Edobor, the cycling coach for Edo State, has been barred from participating in the 22nd National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games due to alleged unruly behavior, according to the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN).

Coach Edobor is prohibited from competing in cycling competitions and/or visiting the cycling venue with immediate effect, according to a letter signed by CFN Secretary General Joel Akinluwa.

His “unacceptable behavior” on May 21, 2025, while competing in the cycling competition at the National Sports Festival (Gateway Games) in Abeokuta, the state capital, is what led to this.

According to the suspension letter, Coach Edobor’s misconduct was “threatening to kill invited commissioner, Mr. Osaretin Emuze, (and) accusing him of influencing the outcome of the Male Team Pursuits.”

The CFN claimed that the “adjusted behavior” “compromises the integrity of the event as well as shames the coach and his team.”

After being dropped by Ruben Amorim for the Red Devils’ Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, Alejandro Garnacho has cast doubt on his future at Manchester United.

After losing 1-0 to Bilbao on Wednesday, United have endured their worst campaign since the Premier League era, meaning they will completely miss out on European football.

With just one match left, Amorim’s men are 16th in the Premier League.

Every crucial game in the Europa League final was started by Garnacho.

However, Mason Mount, who had just 19 minutes to go, made his debut while United were chasing an equaliser, was given the go-ahead.

“I played every round until we reached the final.” And I only played 20 minutes today, Garnacho told reporters.

“We didn’t defeat anyone in the league,” he said. There were many things missing. You always need more when you don’t score goals.

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After being dropped from the squad by Amorim for the game against Manchester City in December, Garnacho had been linked with a move to Napoli or Chelsea in the January transfer window.

The outcome will have an impact on my decision, Garnacho continued, but the club’s situation will also change throughout the entire season.

“I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and watch what happens afterwards.”

Roberto Garnacho’s brother, Roberto, claimed that he had been “thrown under the bus.”

Amorim defended the selection of his team, noting that Mount scored twice in the second leg of the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao.

“How many times have we spoken in opposition to each other?” Some players, like Mason Mount, have changed the game since beating Bilbao, Amorim said.

“Who missed the crucial moment in Bilbao’s first half?” Yes, Garnacho. Naturally, it’s now simple for us to discuss a lot of viewpoints.

Raphinha, a Barcelona winger, extended his contract until 2028 on Thursday following a fantastic season.

The Brazilian played a key role in Barcelona’s success, winning the Copa del Rey, La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup domestically, whose previous deal was set to expire in 2027.

The Catalan giants announced in a statement that Barcelona and Raphinha have reached an agreement to renew their contract, which will keep him with the club until 2028.

READ ALSO: Arteta Accepts Arsenal’s “Firepower” Need In The Transfer Market

In 56 matches, Raphinha, a candidate to receive the Ballon d’Or, has scored 34 goals and contributed 25 assists.

The 28-year-old has 13 goals in the Champions League, but Barcelona were beaten 3-2 in a thrilling semifinal contest against Inter Milan.

In the recent Clasico win over Real Madrid, which saw Barca almost take control of the La Liga, he netted a hat-trick.

Hansi Flick signed a new contract with Raphinha on Wednesday, signing a new one until 2027, following the German’s.

Lamine Yamal, 17, is expected to agree to a new contract in the coming weeks.

After a lunch with Yamal on Thursday, his agent Jorge Mendes said to the media that he would “renew” his contract soon.

Both Raphinha and Yamal, who are both veterans strikers Robert Lewandowski, have been devastating on Barcelona’s flanks.

In their final La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, the Catalans hope to score 100 goals. They have already scored 99 goals in 37 of those matches.

Raphinha helped Barcelona win La Liga in his first season from Leeds United for around £55 million ($74 million).

However, despite having a bad 2023-2024 campaign, he was persuaded to leave the club by Flick.

Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, stated on Thursday that the Gunners must be looking to acquire the best players to strengthen a squad he acknowledges lacks “firepower.”

Due to Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Jesus’ injuries, Arteta’s men’s quest for silverware has been stifled for a fifth consecutive year, and they will end the season without a trophy.

Arsenal will wrap up another frustrating season on Sunday at relegated Southampton, playing first-place Liverpool, who are currently second in the Premier League.

Fernandes Also Offers To Leave Man Utd To Help Club Rebuild

Rodrygo, who has previously worked with Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, has just been linked with a move to the Emirates.

The best in the market, in other words, “must be the best if you want to win major trophies, right?” The best players always feature in victories, according to Arteta.

There is pride because we put the club in a position where next season fans will say, “You have to win a major trophy,” even though I wouldn’t want to name a player. Everyone in this country and Europe believes in us, and that is evidence of that. Arsenal’s presence is the biggest statement. ”

The Spaniard continued, “We need a goal threat and we need firepower, and the number of injuries we received on the front line is unmistakable.” We can’t rely solely on the numbers we already had because tomorrow’s context can change.

There will be people in various positions who add numbers and goals and creativity. ”

After a successful campaign, Arteta also stated that he wanted midfielder Thomas Partey, 31, to sign a new Arsenal contract.

The former club Atletico Madrid is said to be interested in resigning the Ghanaian, but Partey’s current deal expires the following month.

It has been his best season, in terms of consistency, according to Thomas. He has performed exceptionally well and has an exceptional availability. He plays a crucial role for us. ”

Meanwhile, Arteta congratulated arch rivals Tottenham in north London on kicking off their 17-year trophy drought after defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday in Bilbao.

They are champions, and when you get there, you must do a lot of things right, Arteta said. They have overcome a lot of challenges and difficulties throughout the season, and I believe they have managed to get through it in a beautiful moment. ”