Dembele, Nkunku back in France squad for Euro 2024 qualifiers

France s Ousmane Dembele on the ball against England during the World Cup quarter-final in Qatar. Photo: AFP

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Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele and RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku are among the players recalled to the France squad named on Thursday by coach Didier Deschamps ahead of two Euro 2024 qualifiers in for June.

Fitness problems meant both players missed France's opening qualifying matches in March, when they beat the Netherlands 4-0 at home and won 1-0 away to the Republic of Ireland.

They now go into a match against minnows Gibraltar in Faro, Portugal on June 16, and a home clash with Greece three days later, on top of qualifying Group B with six points.

"You will say I am very pragmatic, but the three points that are available against Gibraltar have the same value as those we took against the Netherlands or in Ireland," Deschamps told reporters in Paris.

"He was supposed to be in the squad for the World Cup but was ruled out by injury, but now he is back on top form," added Deschamps of Nkunku, who scored four goals in the last five Bundesliga games of the season for his club as they finished third.

He is set to feature for Leipzig in this weekend's German Cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Chelsea centre-back Wesley Fofana is also in the squad and will hope to make his full France debut after withdrawing from the March list due to injury.

Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy was also handed a first call-up since before the World Cup, while injured Arsenal defender William Saliba is among the notable absentees.

Highly-rated Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram was left out, while Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and Chelsea's N'Golo Kante -- two stars of France's triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign -- are again absent after injury-ravaged seasons.

France squad for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Gibraltar on June 16 and Greece on June 19:

Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham United/ENG), Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Brice Samba (Lens)

Defenders: Axel Disasi (Monaco), Wesley Fofana (Chelsea/ENG), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan/ITA), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool/ENG), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid/ESP), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich/GER), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus/ITA), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid/ESP)

Forwards: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich/GER), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona/ESP), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan/ITA), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig/GER), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Moenchengladbach/GER)

Dalot signs new contract with Man Utd

Manchester United s Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot eyes the ball during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on May 28, 2023. Photo: AFP

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Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Old Trafford until at least 2028.

Dalot's new five-year deal includes the option of a further season as the right-back is rewarded for an impressive season with the club.

Erik ten Hag's team finished third in the Premier League, won the League Cup and face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

The 24-year-old, capped 11 times by Portugal, joined United from Porto in 2018 and has gone on to make 107 appearances in all competitions.

Dalot, who spent the 2020-21 season on loan at AC Milan, said: "Playing for Manchester United is one of the highest honours that you can have in football.

"We have shared some fantastic moments over the past five years and I've grown so much and my passion for this incredible club has only increased since the day that I joined.

"As a group of players, we all feel like we are at the start of a special journey right now.

"I can assure you that I will dedicate myself relentlessly to helping this group to achieve our aims and make the fans proud of this team.

"That drive continues this week with everyone intensely focused on preparations for the FA Cup final."

Brentford sign Netherlands keeper Flekken from Freiburg

Netherlands goalkeeper Mark Flekken

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Brentford signed Netherlands goalkeeper Mark Flekken in a deal worth a reported £11 million ($13 million) on Wednesday. 

Flekken agreed a four-year contract with the Premier League club, who will complete the transfer subject to international clearance and a work permit being granted.

The 29-year-old, capped four times by the Netherlands, could replace Brentford's current first choice keeper David Raya, who has been linked with a close-season move.

"We're very happy to have signed Mark. He's a player with a lot of quality who will strengthen our goalkeeper group," Brentford manager Thomas Frank said.

"He has big experience and joins us after two great seasons with Freiburg, who have just had a top season in the Bundesliga, finishing fifth and qualifying for the Europa League.

"He was a big part of the team there and now he's coming to us and will hopefully make the group better and the team better.

"He's a very good shot-stopper and comfortable with the ball at his feet. His distribution is very impressive."

Flekken began his career in his native Netherlands at RKVV WDZ and Roda before moving to Germany, where he has played for Alemannia Aachen, Greuther Fuerth, Duisburg and Freiburg.

He made his Netherlands debut in March 2022 and kept 13 clean-sheets in 34 Bundesliga matches, the highest tally in the division last season.

Frank has said Raya could leave the club after four successful seasons.

But Frank warned clubs that it will cost £40 million to sign the highly-rated 27-year-old.

PSG goalkeeper Rico remains in stable condition after hit by a horse

FILE - PSG s goalkeeper Sergio Rico holds the ball during the Champions League semifinal soccer match between RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Sergio Rico has been hospitalized with a head injury after a horse-riding accident in Spain. Photo: AP

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Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Sergio Rico remained in stable condition with a head injury after being hit by a horse in Spain last weekend, his wife said on Tuesday.

Alba Silva spoke briefly to Spanish media outside of the hospital where Rico was in an intensive care unit on Sunday. She did not give any other information about her husband's condition.

His representatives had said the 48 hours after the accident would be key to determine the progress of his recovery.

Silva earlier posted a message on Instagram saying: “Don't leave me alone, my love, I swear that I can't, nor know how to, live without you."

The 29-year-old Spanish goalkeeper, who used to play for Sevilla and is a reserve at PSG, had just arrived from France and was headed to a mass with his relatives on Sunday when he was struck by the loose horse.

He arrived in Spain a day after PSG won the French league.

Mourinho downplays Sevilla fear factor ahead of Europa League final

AS Roma s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho arrives to inspect the pitch on the eve of the UEFA Europa League final football match between Sevilla FC and AS Roma at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30, 2013. Photo: AFP

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Jose Mourinho said Tuesday that "history does not play" as he prepares his Roma team to face Europa League specialists Sevilla in Wednesday's final in Budapest.

The Italian side, who can finish no higher than fifth in Serie A, meet the six-time winners at the Puskas Arena, just 12 months after they won the inaugural Europa Conference League.

The Portuguese manager said his team deserved to be in the showpiece match in the Hungarian capital after an arduous journey.

"We deserve to play this final, we have been saying that for a long time," he said at his pre-match press conference.

"It has been a long journey, different from our opponent, who came from the Champions League.

"In the last two months we have played quarter-finals, semi-finals, league, injuries and we have not had much time to work. We tried to recover and stay as good as possible. In the last few days we have been working."

Mourinho said he was aware of the Spanish team's perfect record in Europe's second-tier competition -- they have won all six of the finals they have played.

But he downplayed the importance of that achievement.

"History does not play," he said. "My colleague (Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar) thinks otherwise -- I have respect for him.

"He believes that history makes Sevilla favourites, I respect that. We are in the final because we deserved to be. They have a history that we do not have. For them to play the final is a normal thing, for us it is an extraordinary event.

"Sevilla has a great team, two great teams because they have 25 players of the highest level.

"They are all high-level professionals, they have so many options. But they don't know my guys and they don't know my team as a team. Tomorrow we'll be there."

Portugal's Mourinho has five major continental titles to his name -- two Champions League wins, two Europa League trophies and last year's triumph in the Conference League.

If Roma win on Wednesday, Mourinho will pull clear of Giovanni Trapattoni, who also won five major European trophies in his coaching career.

Mourinho, as he left the press conference, suggested that Argentine forward Paulo Dybala, who has been struggling with injury, could be fit enough to play for 20 to 30 minutes.

Netherlands striker Promes faces trial for cocaine smuggling

Spartak Moscow s Dutch forward Quincy Promes. Photo: AFP

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Dutch international striker Quincy Promes, already facing trial in the Netherlands for stabbing a cousin, has been charged with importing cocaine, the public prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old Spartak Moscow player is accused, along with another 31-year-old Dutchman, of importing "several hundred kilos" of cocaine in January 2020, notably through the port of Antwerp, in Belgium, the public prosecutor's office told AFP.

The preliminary hearing will take place on June 5, local media reported.

The player will not be present because of contractual obligations with his club, Dutch news agency ANP reported. The Russian Premier League season ends on Saturday.

In March, the Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office requested a two-year prison sentence for Promes for aggravated assault after he injured a cousin in the knee with a knife during a fight after a family reunion in Abcoude, near Amsterdam, in July 2020.

Promes was initially charged with attempted murder, but after interviewing witnesses, the public prosecutor concluded that there was no evidence to establish that his aim was to kill the victim.

The Amsterdam-born Dutch international was playing for Ajax at the time of the incident.

He returned to Spartak Moscow in early 2021, where he had already played four seasons from 2014 to 2018. He has also had spells at Sevilla and at Twente.

Promes has won 50 international caps, the last of them coming off the bench as the Netherlands were eliminated by the Czech Republic in the last 16 in Euro 2020. He has not been selected since.

Juventus fined, avoid points deduction in false accounting trial

This photograph shows the logo of the Juventus Italian Serie A football club on April 21, 2021 at the Juventus stadium in Turin. Juventus on May 22, 2023 were given a 10-point deduction in Serie A after a revision of their initial 15-point penalty inflicted on the club over illicit transfer activity. Photo: AFP

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Juventus will pay a fine of more than 700,000 euros ($751,000) for lying about players foregoing wages during the Covid-19 pandemic but escaped a new Serie A points deduction in a plea bargain approved Tuesday by the Italian Football Federation tribunal.

The plea deal, which Juventus had requested, brings to an end a series of cases in Italy's sporting courts involving the Turin club.

Last week they were given a 10-point deduction in Serie A after a revision of their initial 15-point penalty inflicted on the club for illicit transfer activity.

Juventus have agreed not to appeal that penalty as part of Tuesday's deal.

The disciplinary tribunal of the Italian federation (FIGC) said in a published decision that it had fined the troubled club 718,240 euros, while seven of its management figures were ordered to pay fines ranging from 10,000 euros to 47,000 euros.

Excluded from the plea agreement, however, is former chairman Andrea Agnelli, who jointly requested along with prosecutors that his hearing be postponed to June 15, given what the tribunal called "advanced talks" on potential sanctions.

The federation had been tasked with considering the deferred payment of certain players' wages by the club and its key figures, as part of a wide-ranging scandal involving false accounting and transfer trickery that has rocked Italian football.

In a statement, Juventus said "the settlement of all open FIGC sports proceedings allows the Company to achieve a definite result, settling the matter and overcoming the state of tension and instability..."

Juventus are currently seventh in Serie A with one game of the season remaining, after the imposition of the 10-point deduction.

If they hold that position on the final day, they will qualify for next season's Europa Conference League, but they still have a chance of finishing as high as fifth and going into the Europa League.

Juve faces separate criminal proceedings in the affair, with 12 current and former key club figures including Agnelli potentially facing trial.

Losses artificially reduced

The plea bargain agreed Tuesday relates to the Turin club having communicated that players were giving up salary payments during the pandemic in 2020, while privately assuring those players they would only miss out on a portion of what was publicly announced.

In doing so, Juve were able to artificially reduce losses in the club's annual balance sheets during the pandemic, when matches were cancelled and revenue plummeted.

Agnelli, his ex-deputy chairman Pavel Nedved, and the rest of the club's board resigned in November following the probe by Italian authorities into the accounting irregularities.

In its decision, the tribunal said that the individual "F.P." would be fined 47,000 euros, and "P.N." 35,250 euros -- referring to Juve's former sporting director Fabio Paratici, and Nedved, respectively.

A 15-point penalty inflicted by the FIGC's appeals court in January against Juve for overstating capital gains on player sales was revoked in April by Italy's highest sporting court, the Sports Guarantee Board.

It was then revised to 10 points by the federation's appeals court on May 22.

In January, the federation hit both Agnelli and ex-CEO Maurizio Arrivabene with two-year bans, handing sporting director Federico Cherubini a ban of 16 months.

Former sporting director Paratici, who had left Juve for Tottenham Hotspur, was banned for two-and-a-half years, a decision that was extended worldwide by FIFA in March.

Juve icon Nedved, originally banned for eight months, was acquitted by the appeals court in May.

On the criminal front, Italian news agencies have reported that a court hearing on October 26 will determine whether any possible trial will be held in Turin, where the investigation has been based, or Milan or Rome.

Van der Sar quits as Ajax director general after disappointing Dutch league finish

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar watches the ball as he saves on an attempt to score during his farewell tribute match at Amsterdam s ArenA stadium Wednesday Aug. 3, 2011. AP 

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Edwin van der Sar is stepping down as director general of Ajax after the team finished a disappointing third in the Dutch league and missed out on a Champions League berth for next season

Van der Sar, a former goalkeeper for teams including Ajax and Manchester United, as well as the Dutch national team, had been a member of the board of the Amsterdam club since late 2012 and director general since 2016. His contract ran until mid-2025.

“After nearly 11 years on the board, I'm exhausted,” Van der Sar said in a statement Tuesday. "It doesn’t feel good to have to make imminent decisions about the future of this beautiful club. Hence my decision to stop now.”

No successor was named. The club said the supervisory board has asked Van der Sar to continue work until August.

“We wanted Edwin to stay, but he had made his decision. We have to respect that," supervisory board chairman Pier Eringa said. “The last season does not reflect the entire period that he has been in charge of Ajax. The club has seen a lot of success, has seen a lot of growth, and gained international exposure.”

Ajax fired coach Alfred Schreuder in January after a disappointing start to the season and appointed former defender John Heitinga to replace him until the end of the season. Schreuder had been hired to replace Erik ten Hag, who moved to Manchester United last year after guiding Ajax to Dutch league titles and the Champions League semifinals in 2019.

'Tired' Spalletti confirms Napoli exit after making history

Napoli s Italian coach Luciano Spalletti reacts during the Italian Serie A football match between Bologna and Napoli on May 28, 2023 at the Renato-Dall Ara stadium in Bologna. AFP 

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Luciano Spalletti confirmed Monday that he will leave Napoli at the end of the Serie A season after winning their first league title since the days of Diego Maradona.

Speaking at an event at the Italian national team's Coverciano training centre, Spalletti said that he would take time away from football and would not be immediately moving to coach another team.

"I need to take some time to rest because I'm pretty tired," Spalletti said.

"I don't know if you can call it a year's sabbatical but I won't be working. I won't be coaching Napoli or any other team."

The 64-year-old guided Napoli to their third Scudetto -- their first since 1990 -- with five matches to play after a magical campaign in which his team played some of the most thrilling football in Europe.

Napoli's title triumph was the crowning glory of Spalletti's long and eventful coaching career which had brought plenty of plaudits but few trophies.

It was his first Italian league crown and first trophy of any sort in Italy since the Italian Cup won at Roma in 2008.

He did win league titles in Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2010 and 2012.

Spalletti will bow out as Napoli coach on Sunday evening when the newly-crowned champions host relegated Sampdoria at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Italian media report that former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique is the favourite to replace Spalletti next season.

'Free man'

Spalletti's departure had been expected as both he and Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis hinted recently that a hugely successful two-year spell in southern Italy was coming to an end.

On Sunday De Laurentiis told Italian state broadcaster RAI that Spalletti had asked to go on sabbatical despite having a year left on his contract.

"He's a free man, he's given us something and I thank him, it's right that he does what he wants," he said on current affairs programme Che Tempo Che Fa.

Napoli exercised an option to extend Spalletti's contract until the end of next season, but the manner in which it was done -- via email and without discussion between the two parties -- reportedly irked the coach.

Spalletti will effectively be on gardening leave for next season and will return to his vineyard in Tuscany, as he did during the two-year period before he took charge at Napoli when he was still under contract with Inter Milan after being replaced by Antonio Conte.

The dominant fashion in which Napoli won the title, against all pre-season predictions, led Napoli fans to hope of a new period of glory similar the one led by Maradona in the 1980s.

Pushed on by attacking talents Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Osimhen called Spalletti "a genius" in a recent interview with France Football and the veteran coach leaving now casts doubt over whether Napoli's star players like Osimhen and defender Kim Min-jae will stay next season.

Luton celebrate Premier League promotion with victory parade

Luton Town players celebrate their promotion to the English Premier League during an open top bus parade in Luton, England, Monday, May 29, 2023. AP 

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Luton celebrated their lucrative promotion to the Premier League with a parade in front of thousands of jubilant fans on Monday. 

Rob Edwards' side beat Coventry 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Saturday's Championship play-off final at Wembley.

The Hatters have defied the odds to reach the top-flight just nine years after they were playing in the non-league National Conference.

Luton will welcome Premier League champions Manchester City and the rest of the top-flight elite to their modest 10,356-capacity Kenilworth Road home next season.

Playing in the Premier League will be worth an estimated £170 ($210 million) in increased revenue.

It is an incredible achievement for a unfashionable club that last played in the top-flight in 1992 and almost went bankrupt during their plunge down the leagues.

Luton's success has won the admiration of the football world, with thousands of supporters clad in the club's orange colours lining the parade route to serenade their heroes.

"It means everything," Edwards said before launching into a rendition of Bon Jovi's 'Always' and holding aloft the play-off trophy on the Luton Town Hall balcony.

"It's for you, the Luton Town people, for the town, these players who deserve it, for the backroom staff who work so hard, the board. We've got to enjoy this moment."

Luton enjoyed a golden era in the top tier in the 1980s, winning the club's only major trophy in the 1988 League Cup final against Arsenal.

They suffered a steady decline after that before gradually working their way back up to the Championship.

Edwards inspired this season's promotion charge following his appointment in November in the aftermath of his sacking by Luton's local rivals Watford.

Luton fans are determined to make the most of their club's return to the big time, with some waiting nearly four hours to see players and staff make their way on to a stage in the town's St George's Square.

Highlights of the season and the play-off final were shown on a big screen before two open top buses arrived following a short ride from Kenilworth Road.

"The impact of being in the Premier League will be massive for this town," Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet said.

"This could be a life-changing opportunity for us, but from a character point of view, don't change.

"Let's still be us, still grounded. Let's keep humble."

Leicester face major changes after relegation says Evans

Leicester City s Northern Irish defender Jonny Evans during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Leicester at St James Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on May 22, 2023. AFP

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Leicester defender Jonny Evans admits the former Premier League champions face major changes after their relegation to the Championship.

Evans' team were condemned to the second tier on Sunday after Everton's 1-0 win against Bournemouth rendered the Foxes' 2-1 victory over West Ham irrelevant.

Leicester are only the second former Premier League champions after Blackburn to the relegated from the top-flight.

Their fairytale title success seven years ago seems a distant memory as they face up to a first season in the Championship since 2014.

A large number of players including Evans and Youri Tielemans are out of contract and likely to leave the King Power Stadium in the close-season.

England midfielder James Maddison and talented winger Harvey Barnes look set to be sold to help balance the expected financial losses of at least £60 million ($74 million).

Leicester boss Dean Smith also faces an uncertain future, with his short-term contract set to expire after he replaced Brendan Rodgers in April.

Former Manchester United centre-back Evans, 35, revealed the Leicester squad had said their goodbyes in the dressing room ahead of a likely close-season exodus.

"It is a tough thing to take. There was silence for a long time in the dressing room afterwards. We know there are a lot of players out of contract," he said.

"There are going to be a lot of changes in the football club.

"It was an opportunity for everybody to say goodbye really. A lot of us don't know where we are going to end up.

"I said to the boys it has been an amazing five years but the club now have decisions to make.

"I don't think they probably know what they are going to do."

Klopp won't take break from management despite Liverpool's struggles

Liverpool s German manager Jurgen Klopp. AFP

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Jurgen Klopp insists he does not need a break from management as he looks to put Liverpool back on track after their troubled season. 

Klopp's side missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing outside the top four for the first time in a full season under his leadership.

A 4-4 draw at Southampton on the last day of the season stretched Liverpool's unbeaten top-flight run to 11 games, but they had to settle for a fifth-place finish in the Premier League.

Klopp is the Premier League's longest-serving manager and there had been claims the intense German might be willing to walk away from Liverpool due to burn-out.

But, asked if he needs time off from football, Klopp said: "No, no, no, not at all. Honestly, I'm completely fine.

"If you'd asked me 11 games ago, 'do you want to have a break?', I would have thought about it, to be honest.

"But I'm absolutely fine, full of energy. I have a break - I don't have training and these kind of things.

"I will find time to reenergise and then we start again in July."

Liverpool's fifth-placed finish was their lowest since they finished eighth in 2015-16, the season during which Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers at Anfield.

Despite their difficulties, Klopp takes heart from the way his squad stuck together during some difficult moments.

"There is not a lot to learn (from the season) but a lot of clubs when the expectations are as high as ours when things don't go well pretty quickly you start blaming each other," he said.

"That didn't happen here. The better you behave in a crisis, the better you get out of it - and I really thought that was the case for us.

"We're really, really not happy about it and for a club like us it's massive not to qualify for the Champions League.

"If we improve, we are all of a sudden again a team nobody wants to play against and that's what we have to become again."

Pochettino appointed as Chelsea manager on two-year deal

File Photo Coach Mauricio Pochettino. AFP

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Chelsea has hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager on a two-year deal with the option of another year

Chelsea hired Mauricio Pochettino as manager on Monday, tasking the Argentine coach with getting the best out of an expensively assembled squad that has underperformed at the start of a new era for the English club.

Pochettino will take up the role on July 1, Chelsea said, after agreeing to a two-year contract, with the club having the option of keeping him on for a further year.

It is Pochettino's first coaching role since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in July last year and marks his return to the Premier League, where he had an impressive 5 1/2-year spell with Tottenham that included a run to the Champions League final.

Pochettino had been widely expected to take the Chelsea job, which is considered one of the most high-profile positions in European soccer.

He is the permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was fired in March after nearly seven months in charge. Frank Lampard has led the team on an interim basis since then and the team finished the Premier League in 12th place.

Ronaldo's first season in Saudi Arabia ends (14 goals in 16 league games) without title

Pochettino appointed as Chelsea manager on two-year deal football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Ettifaq at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam on May 27, 2023. AFP 

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s first season in Saudi Arabia will end without a trophy as his Al-Nassr team was beaten to the league title by Al-Ittihad in the penultimate round

Ronaldo arrived in Riyadh in January after being released from his contract by English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United and had to settle for second place in the 16-team Saudi Arabian league. Al-Nassr’s 1-1 draw with Ettifaq meant that Al-Ittihad’s 3-0 win at Al-Feiha gave the team from Jeddah a five-point lead with one game remaining and its first league title since 2009.

Al-Nassr dominated in the eastern city of Dammam but fell behind just before the break as Youssef Niakate scored for Ettifaq from close range. A fierce shot from ex-Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo leveled for Al-Nassr after 56 minutes.

Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 16 league games since making his debut in January, but could not get a winner this time and Gustavo had a second-half strike ruled out for offside with 10 minutes remaining.

Al-Ittihad won easily thanks to two goals from Brazilian forward Romarinho as well as a third-minute strike from Ahmed Sharahili. The team, which is led by former Wolverhampton and Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, secured its ninth league title overall.

“I want to thank the players and the fans for their support this season and everyone has worked very hard from the beginning,” Santo said. “The early goal was very important and after we scored then we settled down.”

Defending champion Al-Hilal moved into third place with a 3-0 win at Abha.

Mourinho eyeing more European glory with latest love Roma

Roma coach Jose Mourinho follows the action during a Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Roma, at Florence s Artemio Franchi stadium, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. AP

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Jose Mourinho will put his remarkable European record on the line when Roma face Sevilla in Wednesday's Europa League final with a second straight continental cup up for grabs. 

The 60-year-old coaching icon has never lost a European final in his career, five wins from five over two decades making him the first manager to reach a UEFA final with four different clubs.

Mourinho announced himself on the big stage in 2003 when he led Porto to the UEFA Cup, the Europa League's precursor, and the following year he claimed the first of two Champions League triumphs.

And 20 years on he is ready to take his tally of European trophies to six at Roma, who tasted success in last year's Europa Conference League.

The Italian capital has become a happy home for a coach whose time had looked to be over following his unfulfilling time at Tottenham Hotspur.

"Better coach, better person, same DNA. The DNA is motivation, is happiness. Desire for these big moments, and these are the feelings that I try to pass to the boys," Mourinho told reporters on Thursday.

"I think you can be better and better with your experiences... I think your brain becomes sharper and the accumulation of knowledge is better with the years.

"I think you stop when you lose motivation, my motivation grows up every day... I think I am better now."

Mourinho has become a bona fide hero to Roma fans after winning their team's first ever major European honour last season, a triumph which moved the Portuguese veteran to tears.

A deep emotional connection has developed between coach and the supporters -- who had waited since 2008 to see their team lift a trophy.

It was reminiscent of his passionate, short-lived love affair with Inter Milan where in his pomp 13 years ago he won the treble of Serie A, Champions League and Italian Cup.

"It's because I give everything... People aren't stupid. In the Roma case I think it is above winning or European finals. I think they feel like I wore the shirt and I fight for them every day," said Mourinho.

"Maybe people think you cannot love every club. Yes, I love every club. I love every club because I also felt it the other way around, they also love me. So with Roma, one day it will be hard but we will be connected forever."

- Dybala doubt -

Roma come into the match in shaky form and hammered by injury problems which have accompanied them throughout the season.

The only matches Mourinho's team have won in their last 10 have been the home legs of the quarter- and semi-finals against Feyenoord and Bayer Leverkusen which took them to Wednesday's showdown in Budapest.

Roma's starting line-up will almost certainly not feature injury-prone star Paulo Dybala, who has had ankle problems since an awful tackle by Atalanta's Jose Palomino a month ago and is hoping to be on the bench.

"I don't think so, honestly, I don't think so," said Mourinho when asked if there was any chance Dybala could start.

"However, if I'm speaking honestly I hope that he can be on the bench. If Paulo can be on the bench and give me 15 minutes of effort, I would be happy."

Mourinho's future beyond this season is in serious doubt as Wednesday's final could be his last major act at Roma.

His departure after two years and a European trophy would mirror how he left Inter in 2010, when he skipped off to Real Madrid almost immediately after lifting the Champions League trophy in the Spanish capital.

"The only thing I'm focussed on is the final. I'm not thinking about my future or anything else. Everything else becomes secondary when you have a final to play," said Mourinho.

"I'm not thinking about myself, I'm thinking about the players and the supporters... we want to play, and Wednesday we will be there."

English Premier League results & scorers (Final matchday)

Brighton s Irish striker Evan Ferguson (L) heads the ball during the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester City at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on May 24, 2023. AFP

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Follow FbArena's coverage of English Premier League matches of the 2022/2023 season (28 May) 

Sunday 28 May 

Arsenal 5-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Scorers: Xhaka 11,14 Saka 27, Jesus 58, Kiwior 78

Aston Villa 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

Scorers: Luiz 8, Watkins 26 / Undav 38

Brentford 1-0 Manchester City

Scorer: Pinnock 85

Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle United

Scorers: Trippier 27 (og) / Gordon 9

Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Scorers: Hughes 66 / Awoniyi 31

Everton 1-0 AFC Bournemouth

Scorer: Doucoure 57

Leeds United 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur

Scorers; Harrison 67 / Kane 2, 69, Porro 47, Moura 90 

Leicester City 2-1 West Ham United

Scorers: Barnes 34, Faes 62 / Fornales 79 

Manchester United 2-1 Fulham

Scorers: Sancho 39, Fernandes 55 / Tete 19 

Southampton 4-4 Liverpool

Scorers: Ward-Prowse 19, Sulemana 28,48, Armestrong 65 / Jota 10, 73, Firmino 15, Gagpo 72  

Everton stays in Premier League after final-day escape, Leicester and Leeds relegated

Everton s French midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure (2ndL) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Bournemouth at Goodison Park in Liverpool, northwest England, on May 28, 2023. AFP

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Everton staged another last-day escape in the Premier League to extend its 69-year stay in England’s top division as Leicester and Leeds were relegated on Sunday.

Abdoulaye Doucouré smashed home a 57th-minute goal to earn Everton a 1-0 win over Bournemouth that was enough to keep the team two points above Leicester, whose 2-1 victory against West Ham was in vain.

Leicester is relegated seven years after winning the Premier League at preseason odds of 5,000-1 in one of sport’s great underdog stories.

Leeds lost 4-1 to Tottenham and also went down after three years in the league.

Everton, which has been in the top division since 1954, survived on the final day of the season in both 1994 and 1998.

Relegation was the main focus on Sunday with the title having already been clinched by Manchester City and the four qualifiers for next season's Champions League already decided.

Manchester United climbed above Newcastle to finish third thanks to a 2-1 win over Fulham, while Aston Villa sealed seventh place and a spot in the Europa Conference League after beating Brighton 2-1.

The wildest game saw Southampton and Liverpool draw 4-4.

Everton staged another last-day escape in the Premier League to extend its 69-year stay in England’s top division as Leicester and Leeds were relegated on Sunday.

Preview: Final day of Premier League season; Milan, Sociedad can clinch CL spots

Chelsea s Joao Felix, left, scores his side s opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Chelsea at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Thursday, May 25, 2023. AP 

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There’s still a European spot on the line and a relegation battle to be decided when the Premier League season ends

ENGLAND

There’s still a European spot on the line and a relegation battle to be decided when the Premier League season ends. Aston Villa, Tottenham and Brentford are all vying for a place in the Europa Conference League.

Villa hosts Brighton and would clinch seventh place with a win. Tottenham plays at relegation-threatened Leeds while Brentford must beat already crowned champion Manchester City at home to have any chance of finishing seventh. Everton, Leicester and Leeds are in a scramble to avoid joining last-place Southampton in being relegated to the second-tier Championship.

Everton is two points ahead of its rivals and hosts Bournemouth. Leicester must beat West Ham and hope that Everton doesn’t win.

SPAIN

Seven teams are in danger of relegation from the Spanish league with two rounds to go. If Espanyol losses at Valencia, and Valladolid, Cadiz and Getafe all at least draw, then the Barcelona-based team will be demoted.

Valladolid is also currently in the bottom three spots destined for the drop before playing Almeria, which is only one point ahead. Near the other end of the table, Real Sociedad can clinch fourth place and the last Champions League spot when it visits third-place Atletico.

ITALY

AC Milan needs to avoid defeat at Juventus in Serie A to guarantee itself a spot in next season’s Champions League. Juventus is the only side that could possibly replace Milan in the top four in the Italian league.

But in order to do that Juventus needs to beat Milan and then also win at Udinese in its final match and hope that the Rossoneri don’t beat Hellas Verona. Juve’s own hopes of qualifying for the Champions League imploded last week when it was hit with a 10-point penalty for false accounting and also lost 4-1 at Empoli.

Lazio has already secured a top-four finish and hosts already-relegated Cremonese. At the other end of the table, Verona will be looking to beat Empoli to move out of the relegation zone ahead of the final match of the season. Verona is one point below 17th-place Spezia. Lecce has three more points than Verona and visits Monza. Serie A champion Napoli travels to Bologna.

PSG goalkeeper Rico in 'serious' condition after horse riding accident

Newly-crowned French champions Paris Saint Germain s reserve goalkeeper Sergio Rico is in a serious condition due to a riding accident the French club said 

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Paris Saint-Germain back-up goalkeeper Sergio Rico is in "serious" condition after a horse riding accident, the French club confirmed Sunday. 

The 29-year-old Spaniard was on the bench for PSG as they won the Ligue 1 title on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at Strasbourg before heading to Spain, where the accident happened in El Rocio.

"He is in serious condition," said a PSG spokesperson, while Spanish newspaper Marca report he is "stable".

Rico was taken by helicopter to Seville's Virgen del Rocio hospital, where he was placed on life support, according to local TV channel Canal Sur, citing medical sources.

"Lots of strength and a speedy recovery," wrote Sevilla, whom he played for previously, on Twitter.

Rico, born in Seville, won two Europa Leagues with his hometown side before moving on loan to Premier League side Fulham in 2019.

The goalkeeper then moved to PSG on loan in 2019 before making the move permanent in 2020.

Rico was loaned by the French side to Mallorca in January 2022, before returning to PSG for the current campaign.

He has made 24 appearances for PSG and has been capped once by the Spanish national team.

Musiala takes Bayern Munich to 11th straight title after Dortmund held

Bayern Munich s French forward Kingsley Coman (R) celebrates scoring the opening goal with Bayern Munich s German midfielder Leroy Sane during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Cologne and FC Bayern Munich in Cologne, western Germany on May 27, 2023. AFP

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Bayern Munich have won their 11th straight Bundesliga title, a 90th minute goal from Jamal Musiala sealing a late 2-1 win at Cologne after Borussia Dortmund were held 2-2 at home to Mainz. 

With Bayern needing a win to overtake Dortmund, the England-raised Germany forward hammered home with the clock winding down, ensuring the Bavarians keep their grip on the title for another season.

Dortmund knew a win would guarantee a title, but were 2-0 down after just 25 minutes, with striker Sebastien Haller also having missed a penalty.

Dortmund scored two second half goals to draw the game but the point was not enough, Bayern winning the title on goal difference.

Heading into the final matchday, with Dortmund two clear atop the table, Bayern knew only a win would give them hope of a title, while hoping for a Dortmund collapse.

France forward Kingsley Coman struck after eight minutes to set down the gauntlet to Dortmund, playing one hour to the north.

Despite a bright start, Dortmund soon found themselves behind 1-0 after 15 minutes, Andreas Hanche-Olsen tapping in from a corner.

Dortmund were handed a lifeline when Raphael Guerreiro was brought down in the box, but Sebastien Haller failed to convert the penalty.

Mainz doubled their lead shortly after, Karim Onisiwo heading in from close range as the visitors began tearing up the home fans' script.

The home side, who had scored 15 goals in their past three home games, grew nervous and lacked potency in front of goal, while Mainz grew bullish and had several chances on the counter.

With time winding down, Guerreiro gave the home side hope, scoring with 20 minutes remaining.

Schalke relegated

Word filtered around the ground that Cologne had equalised with ten minutes remaining, Dejan Ljubicic converting from the spot, but Musiala's strike again took Bayern atop the table.

Niklas Suele added another in the sixth minute of injury time, but Dortmund were unable to conjure the comeback which would have broken Bayern's hold on the German title.

One bright spot for the disappointed home side was that arch rivals Schalke were relegated, after a 4-2 loss at RB Leipzig.

Schalke had fought back to equalise from two goals down, but Leipzig scored twice in the final ten minutes to secure Schalke's fate.

Elsewhere, Union Berlin secured Champions League football for the first time with a 1-0 home win over Werder Bremen.

Union captain Rani Khedira scored a goal with nine minutes remaining, ensuring victory for the home side and keeping alive a remarkable fourth season in the top division.

Also on track for a first ever Champions League berth but needing Union to slip up, Freiburg lost 2-1 away at Frankfurt. Leading 1-0 after a Vincenzo Grifo strike, Freiburg conceded two goals in the last 10 minutes and will instead play Europa League next season.

Stuttgart's 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim means they finish third last, ensuring a shot at staying in the second division through the relegation playoff.

Bochum's 3-0 win at Leverkusen also ensures they will play top division football for another season, taking them from second last to the safety of 14th.

A ten-man Augsburg lost 2-0 at Borussia Moenchengladbach but will also stay up, having finished 15th.

Relegated Hertha Berlin won 2-1 away at Wolfsburg, denying the hosts a chance at leapfrogging Leverkusen into Europe.

Bayern Munich dismiss board members Salihamidzic and Kahn

(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 22, 2023 (L-R) Bayern Munich s President Herbert Hainer, Bayern Munich s CEO Oliver Kahn and Bayern Munich s Bosnian sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic follow the action from the stands during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Mainz 05 and FC Bayern Munich in Mainz on April 22, 2023. Photo: AFP

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Minutes after Bayern Munich clinched an 11th straight Bundesliga league title on Saturday, the club said they had fired chairman Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.

"You have probably heard what we have decided with the supervisory board," club president Herbert Hainer told media in the mixed zone in Cologne where, the club salvaged their 33rd German league title when Jamal Musiala hit an 89th-minute winner.

An hour after the  final whistle the club posted a statement on their web site.

"Oliver Kahn is no longer CEO of FC Bayern Munchen," it said.

"Hasan Salihamidzic will also be replaced as board member for sport. This was decided by the club's supervisory board. Kahn will be replaced by the current vice-chairman of the board Jan-Christian Dreesen. Salihamidzic's successor is still to be decided."

Dreesen, who was vice-chairman, had announced he planned to leave the club at the end of the season.

"The decision to part with Oliver Kahn was anything but easy for the supervisory board. Nevertheless, due to the overall development, we have come to the decision to make a new appointment at the top of the executive board," Hainer said in the statement.

Bayern's two strong men paid for a tumultuous season in which they went out in the quarter-finals of the German Cup and Champions League and only took the league title when Borussia Dortmund, who started the final day in first, could only draw at home against Mainz.

Salihamidzic and Kahn took the gamble of parting company with young coach Julian Nagelsmann at the end of March and replacing him with Thomas Tuchel, a switch that did not lead to an improvement in results.

Salihamidzic, who is 46, played more than 230 Bundesliga games for the club. He took over as sports director in July 2017 and joined the club's management board in the summer of 2020.

In his time in the post, the club won the Champions League in 2020 and the Bundesliga every year.

Oliver Kahn, who is 53, played more than 420 league games in goal for Bayern. He took over as chairman of the board in July 2021.

He did not make the trip to Cologne on Saturday, officially due to a flu.

Dortmund's players, fans stunned after falling short in German title race

Dortmund s players react after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FSV Mainz 05 in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Photo: AP

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It takes a lot to stun Borussia Dortmund's Yellow Wall of fans into silence, even for a moment.

One of the most famous crowds in world soccer fell quiet Saturday as Dortmund missed the chance to win the German league title when it was held to a 2-2 draw by Mainz, making Bayern Munich the champion for an 11th consecutive year.

At the final whistle, the atmosphere resembled a funeral as Dortmund players sprawled on the ground in ones and twos, trying to process missing out on the title. Lines of security personnel holding ropes blocked off the edge of the field, ready to hold back a tide of fans which never came.

“Thank you to all fans for your support,” read a message on the screens and advertising boards. “Only BVB (Dortmund)! Whatever may happen.”

Dortmund started the day with a two-point advantage over Bayern, but a nervous start to the game gave way to disbelief. Mainz scored first once, then doubled the lead after a missed penalty by Sébastien Haller, the striker who returned mid-season from cancer treatment to power Dortmund's title challenge.

The crowd was again loud as ever in the second half as Dortmund started creating chances, eventually rewarded by Raphael Guerreiro's goal in the 69th minute. Dortmund coach Edin Terzic threw caution to the wind, replacing defenders with forwards and bringing on a 17-year-old, Julien Duranville, for his first Bundesliga game.

Then a hush descended over the 81,000-plus crowd as news filtered through that Bayern had scored a second goal in the 89th minute of its game, enough to win the title unless Dortmund won its game too. Dortmund needed two more goals, but only scored one.

It took time for Dortmund's fans to find their voice after the final whistle as the players were consoled by Mainz's squad. They eventually gathered in a line in front of the Yellow Wall to pay German soccer's traditional tribute to the fans. The only obvious sign of disorder was a single drinks cup hurled at Mainz players as they left the field, which fell short and splashed the roof of the dugout.

Fans had been filling the bars around Dortmund's stadium since the early morning. Among the sea of yellow-and-black shirts were plenty with the name of star players — Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembélé, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — who came and went without a title during Bayern’s decade of dominance, and then had greater success elsewhere.

That list could soon include Jude Bellingham, the England midfielder who was an unused substitute Saturday with knee pain, and who is widely expected to leave the club in the summer after three seasons.

The most popular name on the shirts in and around the stadium was that of Dortmund-born forward Marco Reus, who joined his hometown club in the summer of 2012, weeks after its last Bundesliga title win. He is still waiting for a title of his own after 11 seasons.

A parade had been planned in Dortmund for Sunday, to be attended by up to 250,000 people. The wait goes on.

Dortmund may not get a better chance in a while to end Bayern's title run. No team has won the German title with a points title as low as Bayern's 71 in the last 13 years, and few clubs have disrupted their own seasons in the way Bayern's management did by firing Julian Nagelsmann in March and hiring Thomas Tuchel.

After Dortmund drew with Mainz on Saturday and lost out to Bayern, the Bundesliga trophy was to be taken away from the stadium with no presentation. Bayern had to celebrate its unlikely triumph in Cologne with a copy of the trophy.

City's Haaland picks up Premier League player and young player prizes

Erling Haaland has been named both Premier League player and young player of the season. AFP 

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Erling Haaland became the first man to win both Premier League player and young player of the year awards in the same season on Saturday. 

The 22-year-old has taken just 35 appearances to set a new Premier League record of 36 goals in a single season to help Manchester City retain the title.

"I am honoured to have become the first player to win both awards in the same season – thank you to everyone who voted for me," said Haaland in a City statement.

"It has been an incredible first season in the Premier League and lifting the trophy last weekend in front of our fans at the Etihad was a very special moment for me."

The Norwegian, who was also named the football writers' player of the year this week, has scored 52 goals in all competitions as City close in on a treble.

Pep Guardiola's men face Manchester United in the FA Cup final and Inter Milan in the Champions League final next month.

"These awards would not have been possible without my amazing teammates, the manager and all of the staff at the club who help me perform on the pitch," added Haaland.

"Now we have two more finals to go and we want to finish the season strong."

Replacing Busquets is key to Barca success next season: Xavi

Barcelona s Spanish coach Xavi (L) greets Barcelona s Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets after the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on May 20, 2023. The new La Liga champions Barcelona tumbled to a 2-1 defeat by Real Sociedad before they were presented with their trophy at the Camp Nou stadium, as the Basque visitors defended their hold on fourth place. Photo: AFP

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Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said Saturday it was key for his side to replace the departing Sergio Busquets if they want to compete for silverware next season.

The 34-year-old pivot is leaving at the end of the season after making over 700 appearances for the club, winning three Champions Leagues and nine La Liga titles.

"We have to find this piece, if we want to compete well next year, we have to find it," Xavi told reporters ahead of Busquets' final home game, on Sunday against Real Mallorca in La Liga.

"For me it's fundamental as a coach. Busquets has been fundamental for us, and very important in winning the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga this year.

"A player who has been so important for us, on and off the pitch, is leaving, so we have to find a very important player to replace Busquets.

"For me, it's the key to competing next year."

Barcelona have been linked with several players, including Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, but the Catalans are still struggling financially and may be limited to cheaper options.

Along with Busquets, Jordi Alba is also leaving the club in the summer, and fans have sold out the clash with Mallorca to give them a warm farewell, as well as the stadium itself.

Sunday's match is the last to take place at Camp Nou before it is rebuilt, with Barcelona set to play in the city's Olympic stadium in Montjuic next season.

"Tomorrow (we are) saying goodbye to Camp Nou, which is a lot of years of history, passion, emotions, great games, it will be an emotional day," continued Xavi.

"Add to that Busquets and Alba's goodbye, and it's extra motivation for us to play a great game, to show our best, for fans to come to the stadium and have an excellent goodbye."

Xavi said his favourite Camp Nou memory was his own goodbye, in 2015, after the team won the treble, and that it would be sad to play at the stadium in its current guise for the last time.

"It's going to be emotional, with some sadness, we say goodbye to our stadium," added the coach.

"It's for a good cause, the common good of Barcelona -- that said, it will be a bit sad."