Soccer

Apr 28, 2021 In a high-profile attempt to expose the scourge of racism towards players at all levels of the game, English football will unite to undertake a three-day social media boycott this weekend “in response to the ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received online.” The initiative has the backing of all professional leagues, including

4:12 AM ET Marcus Rashford is enduring a long-term battle against injury at Manchester United. ESPN’s Insider Notebook has the latest. Jump to: Sarri closes in on Roma | Zlatan could be dropped as face of COVID | Saul at career crossroads | Severed pig’s head threat at Bari | Rising star Spence in demand

6:47 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been more evolution than revolution, and his team took another step forward at Old Trafford on Thursday night. Following four straight semifinal defeats, United lead AS Roma 6-2 after the first leg of their Europa League last-four tie. Anything but

6:00 AM ET Tor-Kristian Karlsen The world’s best players are getting younger but, as the likes of Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and Man City midfielder Phil Foden make headlines every week, is it finally time to crown successors to the legendary Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? 2 Related For the third straight year (read 2019

5:04 AM ET On Thursday, AS Roma travel to Old Trafford to face Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United in the Europa League semifinals. ESPN’s Gabriele Marcotti caught up with Giallorossi manager Paulo Fonseca, who shared his thoughts about the task ahead, Roma’s campaign and a fundamental tactical change he’s seen in the European game. ESPN:

6:39 PM ET “A game of two halves.” Rarely in Manchester City‘s history has this expression made so much sense. Like they were in Dortmund, in the quarterfinal second leg when they were 1-0 down at half-time and facing the prospect of a disappointing Champions League exit, Pep Guardiola’s players were behind against Paris Saint-Germain

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7:00 AM ET While he doesn’t attract as much attention as some of his contemporaries, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema continued to write his name into the Champions League history books against Chelsea. After Madrid fell behind early on when Christian Pulisic created his own piece of history by scoring the opening goal, Benzema scored

6:36 PM ET In the end, the clubs’ colour schemes told the tale. Chelsea blue shirts, blue-collar work ethic. Real Madrid, by a distance the most famous white strip in the history of football, white-collar “bosses,” who like things to happen the way they want to happen — not necessarily the way that the actual

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4:11 AM ET What a brutal way for Atletico Madrid to celebrate their birthday. Founded on April 26, 1903, they played exactly like they were 118 years old — full of tired mistakes, forgetful ‘senior’ moments and bewildered expressions in a 2-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday night. 1 Related It’s a result which

12:15 PM ET The weekend didn’t disappoint when it came to soccer across Europe. Manchester City won another Carabao Cup, this time against Tottenham Hotspur, while Inter Milan inched even closer to winning the Serie A title. In La Liga, Barcelona got a boost from Antoine Griezmann in their title race as Real Madrid (draw)

7:30 AM ET A week after 12 rebel clubs from the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A tried and failed to launch of a European Super League, football is still dealing with the fallout of a momentous period in the game’s modern history sparked by the attempted breakaway of AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid,

10:03 PM ET Two TV commentators who made racist remarks during a Brazilian women’s game on Sunday have been removed from their post after action by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). During a first division match between Bahia and Napoli of Santa Catarina state, the co-commentators for the MyCujoo network offered opinions on the “exotic

12:43 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent LEEDS, England — A goalless draw with Leeds United did little to suggest Manchester United are qualified to be part of a European Super League, but there was enough on show at Elland Road to show Ole Gunnar Solskjaer what is necessary to make his team genuine title contenders. Their

3:00 PM ET LONDON — Pep Guardiola’s reimagining of Manchester City has delivered its first trophy and the manner of victory over Tottenham Hotspur will only cement this approach for the bigger challenges ahead. Both teams played with a centre-forward in name only at Wembley. After a week of speculation over the extent of his

3:47 PM ET LONDON — As a rare Timo Werner goal secured a 1-0 victory for Chelsea at West Ham, putting Thomas Tuchel’s team firmly in control of the race for fourth spot in the Premier League and Champions League qualification, it was easy to see just why 12 big club owners were so keen

5:00 PM ET English football, including clubs in the Premier League and Women’s Super League, will undertake a three-day social media boycott next week in response to “the ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received online by players and many other connected to football.” High-profile players such as Manchester United‘s Marcus Rashford and Lauren James, Manchester