Chelsea defeated Real Madrid 2-1 on Tuesday to clinch their place as group winners after Catarina Macario scored two penalties in five second-half minutes.
On the final matchday of Group B, Chelsea were given the opportunity to score six points clear of their opponents when Caroline Weir’s early opener for the hosts was introduced at half-time.
Sonia Bompastor, the manager of Chelsea, said, “We were not very happy with our first half performance.”
At half-time, we all sat down together and declared that we had no choice. We have a strong mentality, and that’s important to win games”.
Real advanced to the quarter-finals as group winners on goal difference with Weir’s dinked finish in the seventh minute.
The pool would have been decided on goal difference across the group stage as a whole if the match had ended with Real winning 1-0, both Chelsea and them having won their home game against the other by a one-goal margin if the Blues had won the match 3-2 in October. The aggregate result would have been 3-3 with the resultant score tied at 3-3.
However, it ultimately didn’t come down to such thin margins, as Macario leveled six minutes after entering the game before leading the charge again in 56 minutes.
“Macario is a world-class player, she changed the game. She showed a lot of confidence by scoring those two penalties”, said Bompastor.
The player who gave the English champions a chance to regain control of the tie was Real captain Olga Carmona, who scored the winning goal in Spain’s 2023 World Cup clash against England.
Before being penalized for a handball in the box, she felled Macario to concede the first spot-kick.
With the outcome, Chelsea has now won nine of their last nine Champions League group games.
In the pool’s other match, Dutch side Twente condemned Celtic to a sixth defeat in six outings as they won 3-0 in Enschede.
With Wolfsburg already in control of Group A, eight-time champions Lyon take on two-time champions Wolfsburg in the next game.
Ronaldo, the legend of Brazil, has confirmed that he wants to lead the nation’s “deep crisis” in the country’s football governing body.
He stated in an interview with the Globoesporte website on Monday that “I have hundreds of motivations,” but I believe the most important one is to restore international respect to Brazilian football.
Ronaldo stated that he wanted to run the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) as an “alternative for significant change.”
“O Fenomeno” (“The Phenomenon”), as the 48-year-old became known over the course of his 1993-2011 career, said he wants to use the CBF presidency to help Brazil’s national team to regain its glory as five-time world champions.
“The Selecao has to recover its prestige. He said, “I’ll do everything to make the players aware of the historic significance of playing for the national team.”
Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or twice, and he twice scored both goals as Brazil defeated Germany in the 2002 World Cup final in Japan.
To lodge his CBF candidacy, he needs the support of Brazilian regional clubs and federations.
To get those, he promised to travel “all around Brazil” and share the “incredible plans” he has for the sport.
The next CBF election should take place between March 2025 and March 2026, according to Brazilian media, although it has not yet been fixed.
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“Much more complicated issue”
As a farewell to former Brazilian international player Adriano, Ronaldo waved to the crowd at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on December 15, 2024, during a friendly game between Brazil’s Flamengo and Inter Milan. (Photo by Daniel RAMALHO / AFP)
After Tite’s exit in 2022 while the Italian was awaiting Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival, Ednaldo Rodrigues, the current CBF chief, has been criticized for placing temporary coaches in the national team. This was not the case when the Italian made the decision late last year to extend his contract with Real Madrid.
Currently coached by Dorival Junior, the Selecao are fifth in South America qualifying for the 2026 World Cup tournament, seven points behind leaders Argentina.
“My problem is not Ednaldo. The problem is much deeper. My goal is to enlarge the Selecao’s population. Today, the people are indifferent when the Selecao plays”, Ronaldo told Globoesporte.
“I am an alternative of significant change for Brazilian football, which is going through a deep crisis”, he said.
Ronaldo, a former star for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, already has leadership experience.
In 2018, he took majority control of Spain’s Real Valladolid, and in 2021 did the same for Cruzeiro, the Brazilian club where he started his career.
In April of this year, he sold his Cruzeiro stake.
In his interview, Ronaldo said he was in talks to “very soon” sell his Valladolid stake to avoid “any obstacle” to his CBF candidacy.
Super League promoters on Tuesday revealed they have asked FIFA and UEFA for “official recognition” of their proposed competition, renamed the “Unify League”, leaning on a ruling from Europe’s top court.
A22 Sports Management stated that it had been considering the proposal after speaking with various leagues, clubs, and other parties about changing its qualification system so that participation is based on annual domestic performances.
It has plans for competitions with 96 teams split into four leagues, with the quarter-final round of competitions beginning in the quarter-finals.
In a statement, A22 argued last year’s European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling meant that “any competition where qualification is inclusive and meritocratic, and which complies with the overall match calendar can be officially established”.
Promoters added that live streaming of matches would be available for free.
A22 CEO Bernd Reichart stated that “our extensive engagement with key stakeholders revealed a number of pressing issues facing the sport, including rising subscription costs for fans, an overloaded player calendar, insufficient investment in women’s football, and dissatisfaction with the governance of the current pan-European competitions.”
“Our proposal is designed to directly address these challenges”.
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Furious backlash ,
This combination of file pictures made on April 19, 2021, shows the logos of the following European football clubs: (top, L-R) Liverpool on May 30, 2019 in Madrid, Manchester United on July 5, 2013 in Manchester, Arsenal on March 2, 2019 in London, Chelsea on March 13, 2020 in London, (middle, L-R) Manchester City on April 10, 2021 in Manchester, Tottenham Hotspur on March 2, 2019 in London, Real Madrid on May 20, 2014 in Lisbon, Barcelona on September 28, 2016 in Moenchengladbach, (bottom, L-R) Atletico Madrid on May 20, 2014 in Lisbon, Juventus on May 26, 2019 in Genoa, Inter Milan on April 7, 2021 in Milan, and AC Milan on September 10, 2006 in Milan. Paul ELLIS, Pierre-Philippe MARCOU, Odd ANDERSEN, Marco BERTORELLO, Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS, Paco SERINELLI, Isabel INFANTES, Isabella BONOTTO, Tim KEETON, Jose Manuel RIBEIRO / AFP
In early 2021, when 12 of Europe’s biggest clubs announced they were participating in the planned Super League, there was a furious backlash from fans and a stark warning from UEFA that participating clubs and players would be barred from competitions like the World Cup, they were hit with a bombshell.
Real Madrid and Barcelona continue to be strong supporters of the project despite nine of the 12 rebel clubs backing down within 48 hours, including six from the English Premier League.
The ECJ ruled last year that UEFA had violated EU law by abusing its “dominant position” in European football to stifle an established breakaway league of elite clubs.
However, it received scorn and rejection when the Super League promotion company used the victory to announce plans for a new 64-team competition to compete with or replace UEFA’s flagship Champions League.
A Spanish court in May claimed that FIFA and UEFA had “prevented free competition” by opposing the Super League, but UEFA insisted that it had not formally opposed the organization.
The decision does not, according to UEFA, “allow third parties to develop competitions without authorization” and does not apply to any upcoming projects or even modified versions of existing projects.
The governing body of European football also pointed out that new regulations have since been implemented to ensure that the game is now in line with EU law.
After making the most “brutal” call of his short tenure to date, Ruben Amorim is celebrating his biggest win since joining Manchester United with a sigh of relief.
For “selection” reasons, the Portuguese dropped forwards Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford for Sunday’s game at Manchester City, and the gamble paid off with a dramatic 2-1 victory thanks to late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.
Since taking over the sacked Erik ten Hag last month, Amorim has shown he is ready to face the daunting task that lies ahead of him at a dysfunctional Old Trafford.
As he fights to get past the club’s 13th-placed Premier League team, he has shown that he is willing to walk the talk as well as talk the talk.
The former Sporting Lisbon boss has shown he is willing to change his squad and has no desire to cut out famous faces.
Rashford and Garnacho, two of United’s most effective attackers, were completely dropped from the squad on Sunday because Amorim showed his teeth.
Amorim said it was a “selection” issue ahead of the game at the Etihad, with both players training at United’s training ground on Sunday morning.
Afterwards, he stressed it was not a disciplinary issue, though he did allude to standards he expects.
“For me what is important is the performance in training, the performance in game, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with teammates and push teammates,” he said.
When we want to change a lot of things and when members of our club are losing their jobs, everything is important in our context. They must compete for their spot in their team because we must set our standards very high.
We demonstrated that if you play together, you can leave anyone out of the squad and still be successful. ”
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Clean slate
(L-R) Manchester United’s English striker #10 Marcus Rashford, Manchester United’s Portuguese midfielder #08 Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United’s Brazilian midfielder #18 Casemiro and Manchester United’s Moroccan defender #03 Noussair Mazraoui celebrate their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on November 10, 2024. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP)
Amorim does not appear to be a man who holds grudges, saying the slate would be wiped clean ahead of United’s next game, which is against Tottenham in the League Cup quarter-finals on Thursday.
“Next week, next game, new life and they are fighting for the places,” he said.
After United celebrated their victory, Rushford uploaded a photo to social media with the caption “Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss! Love it lads,” with two heart emojis, while Garnacho stayed silent.
But speculation will continue over the future of 27-year-old Rashford, who has struggled for consistency since scoring 30 goals in the 2022/23 season.
It is not a new situation for the England forward, who has been punished in the past for disciplinary lapses, including over-sleeping.
Garnacho, age 20, is regarded as one of United’s crown jewels but hasn’t been consistent this season, with Fernandes suggesting that some fans have lost faith in him. He pointedly refused to celebrate a goal against Leicester.
Former United captain Gary Neville, now a Sky Sports pundit, backed Amorim after Sunday’s “brutal” call, criticising the work ethic of both players.
“They’ve both been poor on the pitch, that’s a fact,” he said on The Gary Neville Podcast. Amorim also claimed that performance and team engagement were key factors in the selection problem. That means if they’ve not been good in the group. That’s why they weren’t here.
“What he’s done is made a bold call. He needs to completely resurrect this club. ”
Neville emphasized that Amorim needs to create a trio that fits his preferred 3-4-3 formation.
“He needs to make sure he’s brutal with it, really brutal. And he’s been brutal today,” he said.
Roy Keane, another former United captain turned TV pundit, told Sky Sports that Amorim was putting down a “marker”.
“It’s a big talking point because he’s obviously seen things he doesn’t like,” he said. It comes as no surprise to us because both players have been terrible, and he has said enough is enough.
“He is putting a marker down. Let’s see how they react to it. ”
As he reclaims his five years in charge of Arsenal this week, Mike Arteta said on Tuesday that winning the League Cup might pave the way for more silverware.
The Spaniard won the FA Cup in his first year in charge in 2020, but despite some near-misses, the trophy collection hasn’t been as good since then.
Arsenal, Premier League runners-up for the past two seasons, are currently third in the English top-flight, six points behind leaders Liverpool having played a game more.
Three days before a game against the same league opposition, Crystal Palace will host them in the quarter-finals of the competition on Wednesday.
Arteta said he was hungry for more silverware, including “the big ones,” and that a cup run helps build momentum.
“I fully believe in that, the fact you are winning, you get into the next round of the competition, it builds, it creates something different around the team, that’s why these kind of games are really, really important”, he said.
The 42-year-old claimed that the club would have a huge shot at winning the League Cup because they haven’t won the Premier League since 2004.
“It brings belief, trust, positive energy”, he said.
“Touching a cup, beating someone in the semi-final, beating someone in the final, it generates that energy.
And I believe it gives us the right path to take to pursue something else, especially given the timing and the fact that this is a competitive game that keeps the momentum going.
On March 16 of the following year, the League Cup final will take place at Wembley.
Arteta, appointed as Arsenal boss in December 2019, said he would” decide the best team to win it “when asked about the potential for wholesale changes in Wednesday’s fixture.
” We’ll decide that in the morning in relation to how the squad is, obviously the relevance of the match and where we are in the quarter-finals, it becomes a very important match, “he said.
Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk has failed a doping test, the Premier League club said on Tuesday, as reports stated the Ukraine international has been provisionally suspended.
The Blues said they were notified by the Football Association of an “adverse finding” in a urine sample provided by the 23-year-old winger.
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm that the Football Association recently contacted our player, Mykhailo Mudryk, concerning an adverse finding in a routine urine test,” a club statement said.
“Both the club and Mykhailo fully support the FA’s testing programme and all our players, including Mykhailo, are regularly tested.
“Mykhailo has confirmed categorically that he has never knowingly used any banned substances. Both Mykhailo and the Club will now work with the relevant authorities to establish what has caused the adverse finding.”
Mudryk issued a statement via his Instagram account.
“I can confirm that I have been notified that a sample I provided to the FA contained a banned substance,” it said.
“This has come as a complete shock as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules, and am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened.
“I know that I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon. I cannot say any more now due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will as soon as I can.”
Athletes are warned on the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) website that they face a ban of four years if it is found a banned substance was taken intentionally.
If the violation involved a specified substance or a contaminated product, and the athlete can demonstrate they had no significant fault, ineligibility may range from two years to a reprimand, depending on the level of fault.
Mudryk has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season and last played in a 2-0 win at German side Heidenheim in the Conference League on November 28, in which he scored his third goal of the season.
He has not featured in the past five matches in all competitions.
Mudryk joined Chelsea for a reported £88.5 million ($112 million) from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023.
Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League and top the Conference League table.
