The reported departure of Pep Guardiola from Manchester City could signal the beginning of a significant transition period for one of Europe’s most successful football clubs in recent years.

Guardiola helped establish Manchester City as a dominant force in both English and European football during his tenure with the club. Under his leadership, the team won multiple domestic league titles and consistently competed for major trophies, while developing a playing style that became closely associated with the club’s identity. His influence extended beyond match tactics, shaping recruitment decisions and the organization’s long-term direction.

His departure could create uncertainty surrounding the future of several star players currently at the club. High-profile players often consider managerial stability and long-term project direction when making contract or transfer decisions, particularly at clubs competing for championships every season. Reports have also suggested that representatives for Joško Gvardiol have explored potential opportunities elsewhere, with clubs such as Real Madrid linked as possible destinations following Guardiola’s expected exit. While such reports remain unconfirmed, they highlight the level of uncertainty that can follow a managerial change of this scale.

Manchester City may also face new challenges in attracting top transfer targets in the coming seasons. Guardiola’s reputation and success have long been viewed as major factors in the club’s ability to recruit elite players from around the world.

For many players, the opportunity to work under Guardiola represented both a competitive and a developmental advantage, given his success at Manchester City and his legendary past with his former clubs. The Spanish manager was seen as the face of Manchester City’s long-term tactical project. Without him, the club could face stronger competition from other European powers pursuing the same transfer targets.

Despite the uncertainty, Manchester City is still expected to remain one of the strongest financial and competitive forces in world football. The club possesses significant resources, a deep roster, and an established infrastructure that could help ease the transition into a new era. However, replacing a manager with Guardiola’s level of influence and sustained success will likely be viewed as one of the most important decisions in the club’s modern history.

As the organization prepares for its next phase, attention will likely focus on how quickly the club adapts to leadership changes both on and off the field. It is projected that former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca is the frontrunner to take the reins at Manchester City next season. The coming seasons could determine whether Manchester City can maintain its position among Europe’s elite following the end of Guardiola’s tenure.

On Monday, Lionel Messi hit the back of the net to silence his critics and help Paris Saint-Germain prove their quality during a match against Manchester City in a packed Parc De Princes.

This UEFA Champions League Group A match-up was a hot topic for the last few weeks and rightly so: Messi had been linked with a Manchester City since move last year, and Pep Guardiola, the City manager, was a mentor and coach of Messi. But Messi still had not scored his first goal for PSG.

Idrissa Gueye opened the scoring for PSG with a venomous strike into the upper righthand corner in the 8th minute. Kylian Mbappe sent a dangerous ball skidding across the Manchester box and Gueye took one touch to settle and made no mistake with his effort.

Manchester fought hard throughout the match but was unable to score. They had seven attempts on goal as opposed to PSG’s three — two of which were goals.

In the 73rd minute, Messi put an end to his PSG goal-drought, which had been the root of enormous internet criticism. The gripping may be unfair because most of his season has been spent on the sidelines for a variety of reasons.

Nonetheless, Messi answered his critics and ultimately silenced them in stunning fashion. The Argentinian, in typical Messi style, precisely curved the ball past Ederson from just outside the box with his golden left foot — a goal that he’s scored countless times during his days at F.C. Barcelona.

Ultimately, PSG was able to hold off Manchester’s attacking forces and finished with a 2-0 win. This win puts PSG at the top of Group A, along with Club Brugge, with 4 points. This can change rapidly, however, because there are still six matches left to play for each team in the group.

PSG are off to a dominant start in the French Ligue 1, winning all of the first eight games played. Of those games, Messi has only played two. This must be a terrifying realization for the other teams in the league. With Messi, especially after gaining momentum in yesterday’s match, PSG look unstoppable. It’s safe to say, we can dive back into the GOAT debate.

Lionel Messi, arguably the face of Barcelona soccer, is departing from the club at age 34. Financial problems have made it essentially impossible for him to return to the club he has called home for nearly two decades.

Barcelona released an official statement, part of which reads:

“Despite having reached an agreement with Messi and with both parties clearly wanting to sign a new contract, it cannot be finalised due to financial and structural problems … Given this situation, Messi will not continue his relationship with Barcelona. Both parties lament deeply that the desires of the player and the club cannot be met … Barca would like to wholeheartedly thank the player for his contribution to the growth of the institution and wish him the best in his personal and professional life.”

LaLiga, the league that Barcelona plays in, nixed a deal originally agreed upon by the club and Messi. It would have seen Messi return to the club for five more years.

Messi almost left last summer after getting into a major feud with club President Josep Maria Bartomeu, however ended up staying with the team after Joan Laporta came on to replace Bartomeu.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are now the frontrunners for Messi’s services. Where he ends up, however, is still undecided.

Messi played 778 games for Barcelona. In those games, he recorded 672 goals, led the team to 10 LaLiga titles and won the Ballon d’Or six times.

For the first time since 2012, Chelsea will hoist the trophy as winners of the Champions League.

The team defeated Manchester City by a score of 1-0 on Saturday, marking their third victory over Man City this year. The team was led by a new coach, Thomas Tuchel, who took over the position of manager in January, beginning his tenure with a 14-game winning streak. Tuchel had previously been the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, where he finished runner-up in the 2019-2020 Champions League.

The decisive goal in the match was scored by Kai Havertz in the 42nd minute, his first ever goal in the Champions League. Chelsea signed Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for £88 million. On the flip side, the most dominant offense in the premier league, Man City, was befuddled by Chelsea’s defensive strategies, getting only one shot on goal the entire match. City manager Pep Guardiola chose a more attack-heavy starting 11, benching some of his defensive midfielders at the beginning of the match.

Also of note in the match was the presence of Christian Pulisic on Chelsea, who entered the game in the second half as a sub. Pulisic became only the the second male U.S. international, after Borussia Dortmund forward Jovan Kirovski in 1997, to be on a team that won the Champions League. This marks Chelsea’s second ever Champions League trophy, which required defeated both perennial contender Real Madrid in the semifinals as well as defending Premier League champions Manchester City in the title match.

Joan Laporta president of FC Barcelona is exploring ways to retain Lionel Messi. The Barcelona president will offer the forward a three-year contract offer.

Barcelona could no longer afford to pay Messi what he is currently making, around €75 million net annually. So, the club is looking for alternate solutions to retain the beloved superstar. One of the solutions that the club is currently going to try is to offer a longer contract, which will allow them to compensate Messi over several years to make up for the salary reduction. That is the reason behind Laporta offering the forward a two-year contract with an option for another year.

The Argentinian superstar has preferred the idea of signing a year-to-year contract so he is able to make a choice to stay or leave after each year, depending on the club’s state and his own feelings. Furthermore, Messi has spoken about the idea of playing in the United States’ Major League Soccer before he retires. “I always had the dream of being able to enjoy and have the experience of living in the United States and experience what the league there is like,” Messi said.

Last year, the Argentinian made headlines when he announced his intention to leave Barcelona. Both Manchester City and Paris-Saint Germain were immediate pursuers of Messi, but a potential legal battle by Barcelona prevented the star from leaving. However, Messi had still said that he would look to leave when his contract expires in June. Manchester City and Paris-Saint Germain are currently monitoring the situation with hopes that the superstar does not stay with Barca.

However, Laporta is confident that they will re-sign the Argentinian superstar. The club president is confident that the team’s Copa del Rey final win last Saturday convinced the star to stay. The club president is exploring a way to bring either Neymar or Erling Haaland to Barcelona, so Messi will be convinced to re-sign.

However, right now, the Argentinian superstar is focused on playing and giving it his all.

Time will tell how this situation plays out. It would be massive news if Messi did end up leaving Barcelona for another elite team. Stay tuned for more updates.

The Super League is officially dead.

On April 18, the European Super League was announced with 12 founding football teams. The 12 teams were top teams from across three different football leagues in Europe. As of Wednesday, the project is no longer happening. The Super League consisted of founding members Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Atlético, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The European Super League announcement was met with intense fan backlash and legislative pressure. The UEFA held a press conference condemning the European Super League and threatened to ban players from the participating teams from playing in this year’s European Championship and next year’s World Cup.

Two days after its initial creation, six founding clubs withdrew from the proposed league. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham withdrew from the project due to pressure. It was a death blow to the proposed project.

Following the departures of the English clubs, the European Super League announced that it was suspending the project. “Given the current circumstances, we shall reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project, always giving in mind our goals of offering the fans the best experience possible while enhancing solidarity payments for the entire football community,” the statement read.

On Wednesday, four more clubs withdrew from the project. Atlético, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.

Atlético released a statement announcing its official departure from the project. “Atlético de Madrid’s Board of Directors, which met on Wednesday morning, has decided to formally communicate to the Super League and the rest of the founding clubs its decision not to finally formalize its adhesion to the project,” the statement read.

Inter Milan released an official statement confirming their departure. “FC Internazionale Milano confirms that the Club is no longer part of the Super League project,” the statement said.

AC Milan then released a statement announcing its withdrawal from the project. The Italian club said, “The voice and concerns of supporters throughout the world about the Super League project have been strong and clear, and our Club must remain sensitive and attentive to the opinion of those who love this sport”.

Juventus was the next club that left. “While Juventus remains convinced of the soundness of the project’s sport, commercial and legal premises, it believes that at present there are limited chances that the project be completed in the form originally conceived,” the club said. “Juventus remains committed to pursuing the creation of long-term value for the Company and the entire football industry.”

As of now, only FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have not officially left the league.

In the midst of the Christmas festivities, the Premier League boxing day fixtures were also happening. 

Arsenal got its first win in a long time after defeating Chelsea 3-1. In the first half, the Gunners were awarded a penalty scored by Alexandre Lacazette. Afterward, Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka scored a brilliant free-kick to double the score for his side. In the second half, young Arsenal star Bukayo Saka scored a stunning goal. In the last minutes of the game, Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham scored his side’s only goal. The Blues were awarded a penalty, but the penalty was shot by Jorginho and saved by Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Despite the new signings, Chelsea has not drastically improved from last season. 

Leicester City drew with Manchester United 2-2. In the first half, United star Marcus Rashford scored the first goal. Afterward, Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes scored his side’s first goal. In the second half, United’s Bruno Fernandes scored his side’s second goal. Shortly after, Unite’s Axel Tuanzebe scored an own goal. The result was fair to both sides.

Manchester City defeated Newcastle United, 2-0. In the first half, City’s Ilkay Gundogan scored the first goal. In the second half, City’s new signing Ferran Torres scored the second goal. Manchester City played a good game, unlike previous ones.

Everton defeated Sheffield United, 1-0 after a late goal from Gylfi Sigurosson. The Toffees made an unexpected start to the season and are now third in the Premier League. 

Aston Villa defeated Crystal Palace 3-0. In the first half, Villa’s Bertrand Traore scored an early goal. Before half time, Villa’s Tyrone Mings was sent off after a second yellow card. In the second half, Villa’s Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi each scored. The game looked quite easy for Aston Villa against a struggling Crystal Palace. 

The Fulham and Southampton game ended in a goalless draw. 

Manchester City defeated Arsenal 4-1 in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals to pile more pressure on the struggling Gunners.

Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus scored an early goal assisted by Oleksandr Zinchenko. Before the end of the first half, Arsenal Alexandre Lacazette scored a goal assisted by Gabriel Martinelli to equalize the score before half time.

In the second half, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez scored his side’s second goal. Afterward, City’s Phil Foden scored the third goal assisted by Fernandinho. City defender Aymeric Laporte scored the fourth goal assisted by Foden.

After this game, Arsenal’s season went from bad to worse. The Gunners are currently 15th in the Premier League and have lost three of their four last games. In fact, this past Saturday, Arsenal lost against Everton, 2-1.

Head coach and former Arsenal player Mikel Arteta admitted his disappointment while talking to Sky Sports. “It’s a hard one to take considering how the game went,” Arteta said. “This level of opponent, when you give the goals away it makes the game impossible. A lot of strange things are happening in every game and that makes things really difficult.”

Arteta also claimed that “we have to turn it around, there is no question. If we don’t we’re in big trouble. This is the moment that’s going to decide our season.”

The Spanish head coach strongly believes in his players and said that he has “fighters” in the team who are capable of saving Arsenal’s season.

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola commented on his ex-assistant, “What I can say in our position as a manager we’ll be judged by the results. I was with him a long period, the most successful period our club had. Sometimes in our job we need time. It’s time to be patient. He’s an outstanding manager, incredible work ethic and puts the club in front of any decisions he has to make”. 

Arsenal is clearly in a dreadful situation and could potentially face relegation from the league if the team does not start winning. The Gunners have a difficult upcoming fixture against Chelsea on Dec. 26 at The Emirates.

On Wednesday night, Bayern Munich and Manchester City both advanced to the round of 16 of the Champions League.

Manchester City defeated Olympiacos after Phil Foden scored in the first half of the game. 

Bayern Munich defeated RB Salzburg, 3-1. Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski scored in the first half. In the second half, Bayern’s Kingsley Coman scored and then Marc Roca was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Shortly after Roca’s dismissal, Bayern’s Leroy Sane scored the third goal. Afterwards, Salzburg’s Mergim Berisha scored his side’s only goal. 

Real Madrid defeated Inter Milan, 2-0. Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard scored a penalty in the early minutes of the game. Inter Milan’s Arturo Vidal was sent off before half time after an argument with the referee. In the second half, Inter Milan’s Achraf Hakimi scored an own goal to reward the opposition. 

Bayern Monchengladbach defeated Shakhtar Donetsk, 4-0. Monchengladbach’s Lars Stindl scored an early penalty, followed by goals from Nico Elvedi, Breel Embolo and Oscar Wendt. Monchengladbach is currently ahead of Real Madrid in Group B. 

The Atletico Madrid and Lokomotiv Moscow fixture ended with a draw. After Bayern’s advancement to the Round of 16, Atletico is the favorite in the group to follow Bayern. 

Porto defeated Marseille, 2-0. Minutes before the end of the first half, Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi scored the first goal of the game. In the second half, Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi was sent off and Porto was awarded a penalty scored by Sergio Oliviera. Minutes later, Porto’s Marko Gruijic is also sent off. 

Ajax defeated Midtjylland, 3-1. In the first half, Ajax’s Ryan Gravenberch followed by a goal from Noussair Mazraoui. In the second, Ajax’s David Neres scored the third goal. Afterward, Midtjylland received a penalty which Awer Mabil scored. In the added time, Midtjylland’s Erik Sviatchenko was sent off after a challenging tackle. 

The real surprise was Atalanta defeating Liverpool, 2-0. After a goalless first half, Atalanta’s Josip Illcic scored the first goal followed by a goal from Robin Gosens. Liverpool did not play a good match and this defeat was their first in the competition.

In their first English Premier League match since March, Liverpool was held to a 0-0 draw against Everton on Sunday. The draw hindered Liverpool’s Premier League title a bit, but it is still all but certain at this point. 

There was some rust on both sides and postgame, Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dyke spoke about being back on the pitch. “It was very intense. Both sides created small opportunities, they had the big one against the post. Everyone is just happy to be back, we didn’t lose and it is another point towards our goal.”

Had Liverpool won on Sunday, it would have all but wrapped the club’s first Premier League title since 1990.

Now the club and its fans will have to wait a little bit longer to secure the title. They currently hold a 23-point lead in the standings over Manchester City with eight matches remaining, including a July 2 game against Man. City. 

Before taking on Manchester City however, Liverpool will take on Crystal Palace Wednesday.

Manchester City has confirmed the death of club head coach Pep Guardiola’s mother Dolors Sala Carrio due to complications from COVID-19. She was 82 years old and died in Barcelona.

“The Manchester City family are devastated to report the death today of Pep’s mother Dolors Sala Carrio in Manresa, Barcelona after contracting coronavirus,” a statement on the team’s website said. Everyone associated with the club sends their most heartfelt sympathy at this most distressing time to Pep, his family and all their friends.”

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak also offered his condolences to Guardiola in a statement. “Our prayers and heartfelt sympathies are with Pep and his family at this overwhelmingly sad time,” Mubaraka said. “He and they have the love and support of the entire City family.”

Cross-town rivals Manchester United also released a statement showing their support for Guardiola. “Everyone at Manchester United is saddened to hear this terrible news. We send our heartfelt condolences to Pep and his family,” the club tweeted.

Two weeks ago the Spanish-born coach donated €1 million to aid coronavirus relief in Spain, Europe’s second most-infected country with more than 135,000 reported cases and over 13,000 deaths. The money was given to the Barcelona Medical College and the Angel Soler Daniel foundation with a statement that said it would be allocated for “the acquisition of sanitary material during the COVID-19 emergency.”

Manchester United defeated Manchester City 2-0 on Sunday, the third win this season over their town rivals.

United was able to take advantage of a set free kick that caught City napping as Bruno Fernandes chipped a passed to striker Anthony Martial who was able to shoot it past City goalkeeper Ederson. The pace of the shot didn’t appear to be too fast but the ball was slightly fumbled by Ederson before going into the back of the net.

Following the match, Illkay Gundogan of Manchester City claimed Fernandes dived when he was dribbling the ball into scoring territory before being fouled by Gundogan to set up the free kick in the 30th minute. Gundogan claimed it “was not a foul at all.”

“They were much more aggressive, especially after scoring the first goal. They tried to press very high for 10 minutes afterwards,” Gundogan told Goal. “But we started the game really well, got into the last third, but the perception of the last pass was just missing. We had a lot of corners as well, so the chance was there to create more but unfortunately we didn’t so this is something on which we have to improve. Also there was frustration about the free-kick before the goal—it was not at all a foul. I just touched the ball and he goes on the floor, shouting. I don’t even know if the referee saw it or just had a feeling that it was a foul. That was very disappointing for me, to be honest because I was straight involved in the action and conceding the goal straight afterwards hurt very much.”

Adding insult to injury, Ederson attempted to roll out the ball to his teammates in the last minute of stoppage time before it made its way to Scott McTominay who shot the ball from way outside of the box into an empty net to cap off a tough defeat. Although City controlled 73% of the possession, they were out shot by United 12-7.

United’s victory propelled them into fifth place, just three points shy of the UEFA Champions League spot. City trails first place Liverpool by 25 points, but hold a 2-1 aggregate lead over Real Madrid heading into the second leg that is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17.

The Premier League saw some great action as Man City defeated Sheffield United 1-0, Bournemouth defeated Brighton 3-1, and both Newcastle and Everton, as well as Chelsea and Arsenal, tied 2-2.

Chelsea vs. Arsenal – Tied 2-2

Coming into the match, a lot of focus was on the two managers. Chelsea’s Frank Lampard has started to get heat for a difficult team run, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta has been accused of doing little to improve Arsenal’s fortunes since taking over.

With the match tied at one a piece, Chelsea took the lead on a great goal by Cesar Azpilicueta, but an Arsenal score by Hector Bellerin brought the game back to even.

The draw moves Arsenal into 10th, while Chelsea goes six points clear of Manchester United who sits fifth.

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Bournemouth vs. Brighton – Bournemouth 3-1

Bournemouth went back to their winning ways after losing five of their last six matches.

Goals by Harry Wilson, Pascal Gross and Callum Wilson put Bournemouth back on the map and in good spirits. A late push by Brighton wasn’t enough to give them a chance in this match, as Bournemouth seemed dominant and determined to get out of their losing streak.

Bournemouth still sits in the bottom three as they look to keep this winning spirit alive.

Newcastle vs. Everton – Tied 2-2

Newcastle showed serious determination with a comeback to stop what looked like an easy 2-0 win for Everton.

After falling 2-0, Florian Lejeune came out as Newcastle’s savior scoring the two pivotal goals to secure the tie. Both came in stoppage time, the first coming as acrobatic attempt after an Everton error and the second a volley that found it’s way over the line, securing a huge comeback for Newcastle.

This year the UEFA Champion League draw brings an interesting group of teams to the round of 16. This is the first time in the Champions League era where the round only consists of teams from the five major leagues. The teams who have qualified all come from either England, Spain, France, Italy or Germany. Usually you’ll have a team from Portugal or even the Netherlands, but not this year. This year the matchups are huge forcing some big teams to be knocked out early on. 

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Real Madrid were not able to top off their group so as a gift, now they have to play Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Barcelona will face Napoli, a team who many no longer underestimate. Bayern Munich will get a rematch of the 2012 final that saw Chelsea winning in penalties at Bayern’s Allianz stadium. 

Winning their 6th Champions League last year, Liverpool now have to show Europe what they are capable of under the lights against a very tough squad, Atletico Madrid. Liverpool can be expected to win this round but not by a landslide, Athletico are a team who have been lacking but who have the heart to fight through hard times. Atletico will not be afraid to play at Anfield unlike some other teams and they have a young Joao Felix who is yet to make his mark on the big stage. Everyone is betting on Liverpool, but Atletico cannot be easily overlooked.

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Thomas Tuchel will guide Paris Saint Germain into dangerous territory against his former club Dortmund where the home fans are as massive as the club itself. Last season PSG took a loss to Manchester United that shocked everyone even Manchester themselves. This year Thomas Tuchel cannot afford to lose at this stage. The round of 16 is not where a team of PSG’s caliber should be settling. This club has invested roughly one billion dollars on Kylian Mbappe and Neymar alone, most clubs don’t even spend that much on their full squad. For this reason, PSG has to pass to the quarterfinals, or else Tuchel can say goodbye to his job in Paris. With the team they have it is unwise to think Dortmund can upset them, especially knowing how young of a team the German club is. 

Jose Mourinho is getting his redemption as manager of the Tottenham Hotspurs who seek to challenge RB Leipzig. The German club have been having a magical year as leaders in the Bundesliga. Everyone seems to have their minds set on Hotspurs beating RB Leipzig however, it is not that simple. The Spurs have been very poor in the league and now they are in transition to a new manager. RB Leipzig are in first place of the Bundesliga with Timo Werner leading the pack. It is going to take Mourinho’s Champions League experience to crack the code for beating a soaring Leipzig.

With so many heavyweight clashes it is almost impossible not to be excited. The one downside to these games is that they start in February. Enjoy your domestic leagues in the meantime because sooner than you think European Champions league action is back. 

Bernardo Silva, a player for Manchester City and the Portugal national team, received this week a fine of 50,000 euros, a one-game suspension and a mandatory educational class because of a racially insensitive tweet he sent to his teammate Benjamin Mendy on Sept. 22.

Silva deleted the tweet and apologized, although that wasn’t enough. Manchester City will not appeal the decision with the Independent Football Association Commission because of the possibility that Silva’s punishment could escalate. Silva was lucky not to receive maximum punishment, which would be a six-match ban. The Portuguese star will miss the match against Chelsea on Nov. 23. This match against Chelsea is crucial because the Blues are third in the Premier League, while Manchester City are fourth. The reigning champions need all the help they can get, as injuries have plagued Manchester City this season.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola commented on the situation involving Mendy and Silva by praising the latter player for his kindness and intelligence.

“Bernardo is one of the most lovely people I have ever met in my life,” said Guardiola of Silva. “He speaks four or five languages — that is the best way to understand how open-minded he is — and one of his best friends is Mendy. He is like a brother for him. The image for the two is not about the color of the skin.”

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The FA backed up Silva’s claims that the intent of the tweet was not racist or insulting. However, this was not a private conversation between friends. This was on a social media website where the public is open to commentary and discussion. For the FA, this is most likely an example for other players and coaches that social media is no joke.

Bernardo was voted Player of the Year for the 2017-18 season and had a prominent role in Portugal winning the UEFA Nations League. Riyad Mahrez is the likely substitute for Silva against Chelsea. Riyad and Silva both play on the right-wing and are left-footed players. After the loss to Liverpool on Sunday, Manchester City takes another loss but this time at the hands of the FA commission.

In a match that featured two of the most successful African national soccer teams over the last decade, Algeria slid past Nigeria 2-1 after their captain, Riyad Mahrez, scored the game-winning goal five minutes into second-half stoppage time.

The free-kick goal, which Mahrez launched off his left foot into the far corner of the net, sends Algeria to their first Africa Cup of Nations final since 1990 — their only title in tournament history.

Nig

“It was a very, very tough game against a strong team,” said Mahrez, who plays for English champions Manchester City.

“We were 1-0 up, good in the game and this decision of the VAR, of the penalty… they scored and we have this free-kick and we scored, so we are very, very happy because to be in the final of AFCON is unbelievable.”

https://twitter.com/FootbaII_HQ/status/1150510201440735240

The match seemed destined for extra-time before Mahrez struck the ball into the back of the net; ending the hopes and dreams of winning African footballs most prestigious tournament for the Nigerian players and fans.

The result will especially sting considering that after half-time, Nigeria was the better side of the two. Nigeria dominated possession in the second half, but could not make a breakthrough onto the scoreboard until VAR gave them a penalty in the final 20 minutes of the match. Odian Ighalo, a striker for the Nigerian national team and the Chinese Super League club Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, scored his fourth goal of the tournament in six matches when he buried a penalty in the 72nd minute to tie the match at 1-1 before Mahrez ultimately led Algeria to victory 23 minutes later.

Nigeria will take on Sadio Mane and Senegal in the final on Friday.

Manchester City’s vice-captain David Silva confirms that the 2019-20 season will be his last year in a Citizens’ jersey. The Spaniard will cap off a decade in Manchester after winning four Premier League titles, two FA cups and four league cups.

Manchester City have won the Premier League in back-to-back succession the past two years, and will be seeking to make it a three-peat in Silva’s last year with the club. The attacking midfielder has proven himself time and time again to be one of the most intelligent players on the ball with his knack for bringing his teammates into the flow in the game, and offering dicing passes that destroy the best defenses in Europe. He has played just shy of 400 matches for the clubs and has scored 71 goals.

“He has been one of the greats not only in Spanish football, but in European football as well,” Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said, according to Mirror. “He has played for 10 years in Manchester and it is not easy to perform in that league for someone with his qualities. He has done incredibly well.”

Silva has thrived under Guardiola for the past three seasons, bringing his “tika-taka” style of play of quick successive passes and dominating the possession he made so famous when he was hired at FC Barcelona.

“He helped me personally, he has helped us a lot in these three years we have been together, Guardiola said, according to Mirror. “We have another year more and I hope we can live another good year together.”

The 33-year-old has not hinted at where he will be playing after this next season, with multiple MLS teams hunting for him, as well as his former Spanish club Valencia or hometown club Las Palmas.

“I would like to do that, but I don’t know,” Silva said, according to Bleacher Report. “Football changes. Who knows? But I would love to finish my career here in Las Palmas. It depends on the team and the players. I cannot come here to play in the second division with this team.”

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Despite where he is heading in the future, he has been a talisman and a serviceman for the blue side of Manchester. He has honed in the most wins of any player for City, as well as assists with 83. Silva was a big part of building the foundation City stands on now, and capping off his tenure with a fifth Premier League trophy in 10 years would be short of legendary.

Even on the verge of signing Rodri, Joao Cancelo, and Angelino, Manchester City are not through making additions to their title-defending squad in the summer transfer window yet.

Pep Guardiola’s squad have leapfrogged rivals Manchester United in the race to sign Leicester City center-back Harry Maguire. Leicester City previously has valued McGuire at £80 million, a price both Manchester clubs refused to consider negotiating. Maguire and the club however apparently have a gentleman’s agreement allowing him to leave the Foxes this summer if he chooses to do so. With Maguire appearing keen on leaving the club, Leicester has lowered his price tag to £65 million, a price that Manchester City seem willing to pay.

City’s rival, Manchester United, have also shown interest in signing the 26-year-old, but they appear to have their work cut out for them. Maguire has made it known that his first choice is to play under Guardiola’s tutelage at Manchester City. To make matters worse, United have reportedly tried to offer Leicester City £45 for Maguire, an offer so low below the Foxes asking point that they have not enough bothered to entertain it.

Guardiola eyes Maguire as a replacement at the club for Vincent Kompany, who left Manchester City for his boyhood club RSC Anderlecht this summer after 11 seasons with Manchester City. Kompany’s leadership and personality will not be easy to replace in City’s dressing room. City probably looks at Maguire as someone who can be a leader for them as well as a first choice center back next to Aymeric Laporte.

The transfer of Riyad Mahrez would be Manchester City’s new record signing. Manchester City’s current record signing is Riyad Mahrez, who they also bought from Leicester City, last summer for £60 million. As Manchester City continues to build a squad capable of winning the UEFA Champions League, there is no doubt that Guardiola has them in a position to win as good as any other club in Europe.

After a month of laboring over his decision, Rodrigo Hernández Cascante —better known as Rodri — finally announced that he intends to leave Atletico Madrid this summer for one of Europe’s other top football clubs.

The Spanish international central midfielder joined the La Liga side just one season ago after playing three seasons for the Villareal senior team. Rodri made his way up the ladder as a young prospect playing in the Atletico Madrid youth academy from 2007-2013. Atletico decided though to release the 17-year-old due to a “lack of physical strength.” Rodri then joined the Villareal academy, where he eventually found himself as a regular with the senior team before being sold back to Atletico in 2018 for 20 million euros ($22.4 million)

In 47 appearances across all competition this season with Los Rojiblancos, Rodri finished with three goals and one assist. Rodri has particularly excelled as a defensive midfielder for Diego Simeone‘s side, so much in fact that the 22-year-old’s transfer value is now estimated at somewhere between 70 and 80 million euros ($78-89 million). Several of Europe’s top clubs including Manchester City, PSG, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have been watching Rodri closely, especially Manchester City, who continue to search for Fernandhino’s eventual successor.

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Of the teams in pursuit of Rodri, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are considered to be the two favorites to land the defensive midfielder, with City being in the pole position to secure his signature. Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola identified Rodri as City’s top transfer target back in April and has played an important role in attempting to secure Rodri’s signature. Guardiola sees Rodri as Manchester City’s version of Sergio Busquets and is desperate to secure him as Fernandhino’s successor.

Former Real Madrid defensive midfielder Luis Milla believes that Rodri would be a perfect match for Guardiola’s play-style, telling Goal that, “Rodri could fit perfectly at Manchester City because his coach [Simeone] has an Ajax and Barcelona style and looks for the same idea of play. Manchester City has a coach [Pep Guardiola] who was influenced at Barcelona. Rodri has the ability to play that way. We are talking about players with the capability of reading football quickly. They understand what to do in each moment, they are intelligent, they never lose their position, they play a positional game.”

The 2018 International Champions Cup is set to start Friday, July 20 and tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com!

International Champions Cup 2018 Tickets

This marks the sixth edition of a series of friendly soccer games that will be held in multiple cities across the U.S. until August 7. The tournament officially ends on August 12 in Madrid. In total, 18 teams — all from Europe — will compete in the cup. The event will feature top clubs like Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool and Juventus.

Games will be held in Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Pasadena, San Diego, and East Rutherford and Harrison (both in New Jersey).

Come see some of the best soccer clubs in the world face off at well-known arenas all over the U.S.! Manchester United defeated Liverpool in the previous tournament in 2014.