Latest news with #EuropeanCupFinal
Scottish Sun
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Ex-Celtic star Massimo Donati lands stunning new manager job with Italian giants
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati looks set to land a sensational new managerial position. And it'll see him go back to one of his former clubs. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 2 Massimo Donati was at Celtic between 2007 and 2009 Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow 2 Donati was part of the coaching staff at Kilmarnock Credit: The Sun Donati, 44, spent two years with Celtic between 2007 and 2009 after joining from AC Milan. He played regularly in his first season at Parkhead as the Hoops won the SPL title. The Italian is most fondly remembered by the Celts fans for a 92nd minute winner in a 2-1 triumph over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. That season would be as good as it got for Donati, who would make only a handful of appearances the following campaign. He returned to the starting fold under new boss Tony Mowbray at the start of the 2009/10 season but returned to Italy with Bari. Donati would end his playing career in Scotland with an 18-month spell at Hamilton followed by a brief stint at St Mirren. He kick-started his coaching career in Scotland too, working with the under-15 team at Hamilton. Donati then joined fellow Italian Angelo Alessio at Kilmarnock's coaching staff in June 2019. In 2021, he landed his first managerial job with Sambenedettese but was dismissed from the role after four months. In June 2022, Donati returned to management with Legnago Salus, a club that had just been relegated to Serie D. Kuhn, Lagerbielke & Nawrocki kickstart Hoops summer clear out The former Celt led them back to Serie C as champions and then enjoyed a better than expected season, reaching the play-offs. Donati headed for Greece in June 2024 when was appointed boss of top flight club Athens Kallithea but was sacked after six months. Nine months later, he's on the cusp of landing a massive new managerial job. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Donati is set to be appointed the new Sampdoria boss. The move will see the 44-year old return to one of the clubs he represented during his carere. Donati had a loan spell with Sampdoria during the 2003/04 season from AC Milan. It'll be a huge role for Donati at one of Italy's biggest clubs, albeit a fallen giant of the game these days. Sampdoria won the Serie A title in 1991, reached the European Cup Final the year before and won the Coppa Italia four times between 1985 and 1994. But those days are long gone for the Genoa-based club. Financial hardship led to much less success on the field and they were relegated to Serie B in 2023. Sampdoria reached the play-offs but failed to return to Serie A and last season was disastrous. They finished 17th in Serie B and ended up in a relegation play-off. They saw-off Salernitana and retained their place in the second tier with Donati now Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
John Clark funeral brings out Celtic and Rangers legends as galaxy of stars say final farewell to Lisbon Lion
One of the club's greatest ever servants was laid to rest on Friday as fans lined the streets to bid an emotional farewell Celtic heroes past and present joined some of football's biggest names to pay their final respects to Lisbon Lion John Clark. The Hoops icon - who dedicated 50 years of his life to the club as a player, coach, assistant manager and kitman - passed away last month at the age of 84. His funeral mass took place at St Mary's Church in Calton - the spiritual home where Celtic Football Club was born. Hundreds of mourners, including Rangers chief executive James Bisgrove and Premier League legends Roy Keane and Ian Wright, gathered to honour the quiet man who became a giant of the Scottish game. Fittingly, Portugal flags adorned the east end church in tribute to Clark and Celtic 's greatest ever triumph - the 1967 European Cup Final in Lisbon. Renowned broadcaster and close friend Archie Macpherson delivered a powerful eulogy before the cortege made its way to Celtic Park, where fans braved the blustery conditions to line the streets to bid a poignant farewell. Icons of the game Glasgow rivals unite Dermot arrives The voice of Scottish football
New York Times
01-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How does this PSG victory compare with other Champions League winners?
All things considered, it will go down as one of the great football performances. Paris Saint-Germain's 5-0 victory over Inter on Sunday night in Munich is the biggest winning margin in the history of the European Cup final. And it was fully deserved. European Cup finals aren't meant to be won like this. Previous standout performances this century were won by comparatively modest scorelines: Barcelona's win over Manchester United in 2011, and also their victory over Juventus four years later, were both 'only' 3-1. Jose Mourinho's Porto beat Monaco 3-0 in 2004, but were on the back foot for most of the first half. Real Madrid have tended to pile up late goals, which has put some gloss on their performances. You have to go back to Milan's legendary 4-0 thrashing of Barcelona in 1994 for something comparable. But this was 5-0, and showed all the facets of PSG's game. They went ahead with a slick passing move, demonstrated their quality in possession, and once ahead were rampant on the counter-attack, sprinting past Inter's midfielders and defenders with ease. It's incredible how quickly things can change in football. Inter went into the game feeling like they had a serious chance of becoming European champions, and now suddenly they seem light years away. Their system looked outdated. Their players felt past their best. Those things aren't necessarily true, and Inter would be foolish to overreact to one defeat. But this was a truly thumping loss, the type that takes years to get over. It was striking, after full time, to see scores of Inter supporters in floods of tears; almost aggressive crying you associate with Brazil's 7-1 loss to Germany in 2014. Advertisement From PSG's perspective, such a momentous victory means various individuals have to be considered in a different light than a few days ago. Luis Enrique has now led two different sides to European Cup glory, 10 years apart, and both his Barcelona side of 2015 and his PSG side of 2025 will live long in the memory. In between, he was rather unfortunate not to win Euro 2020, too. His Spain side outplayed Italy in that semi-final, losing only on penalties. As it happens, the man who thwarted him that night at Wembley four years ago is now on his side. Gigi Donnarumma has won both the European Championship and the European Cup, and given his penalty saves in both competitions, and his displays against Arsenal in the semi-final, can claim to have been his side's best performer in both. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has had a major impact in ending both Napoli's long wait for a Serie A title, which came in 2023, and PSG's long wait for a European Cup. This season, he has managed to win both Serie A and Ligue 1, and now the Champions League, too. Fabian Ruiz was probably Spain's best player as they won the European Championship last year, and is now also a European champion at club level. Maybe only Lamine Yamal has enjoyed a better 12 months for club and country. Ousmane Dembele's transformation into a world-class centre-forward has been completely unexpected — both the 'world-class' and 'centre-forward' aspects of that equation. Last night, Luis Enrique suggested he should win the Ballon d'Or, not merely for his goals, but also for his pressing. Elsewhere, players such as Vitinha and Joao Neves could play at this level for several years. And as for the likes of Desire Doue and Senny Mayulu, who knows? Both could become legends of the game. Even if they do nothing else, they will forever be heroes in Paris. Advertisement But this wasn't, by and large, about individuals. Like all the best sides, PSG are stronger than the sum of their parts. Their midfield rotation, in particular, has been magical to watch throughout this Champions League knockout stage. The way Vitinha prompted a passing move from deep, then ran through the Inter defence to tee up Doue for the third goal, showed the understanding in the middle of the pitch. Fabian often dropped into defence to allow Achraf Hakimi to fly forward down the opposite wing. The right-back's attacking bursts are risky, and have nearly cost PSG on a couple of occasions this season in the Champions League, but he justified his positioning by scoring the opener. Up top, the attackers varied their position without ever losing balance, with Doue and Kvaratskhelia appearing as centre-forwards, and Dembele effective both when coming deep and when drifting wide. It does feel like PSG are playing a slightly different genre of football to that perfected by other front-foot, possession-based sides in recent years, based less around positional play and more around clusters of players combining. They aren't the only ones doing that, but they're clearly the best at it. It's too much to suggest that this is a new era of PSG dominance — people always say that about young teams that explode into winners. Ultimately, it's simply not how knockout competition works in a sport based around fine margins. Indeed, PSG needed penalties to get past Liverpool and plenty of Donnarumma saves to eliminate Arsenal. They didn't breeze through the knockout stage, and their results back in the league phase were even worse. But that doesn't matter now, the same way no one remembers Milan scoring just six times, and winning only twice, in their six group games in 1993-94 before their 4-0 win over Barca. The performance in the final is what we remember, and this one will be remembered forever.
Scottish Sun
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
PSG 5 Inter Milan 0: Desire Doue steals show as Parisians rack up biggest EVER Champions League final win
WITH the thrilling exuberance of youth and the vast oil wealth of Qatar, Paris St Germain were finally crowned champions of Europe last night. In a performance you could hang in the Louvre, Desire Doue staged a teenage rampage through the heart of an elderly Inter Milan defence, scoring twice and assisting once to inspire the heaviest victory margin of any European Cup Final. 16 Desire Doue stole the show in Munich as PSG won the Champions League final Credit: AFP 16 Luis Enrique inspired his men to a rampant win over Inter Credit: Getty Luis Enrique's side laid waste to Inter as they had done to four Premier League clubs en route to this glorious Bavarian night. His is a team which is everything it didn't used to be when the Galactico trio Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe held sway at the Parc des Princes. PSG are the ultimate in high-class, high-octane, highly-selfless teamwork - a combination of beauty and efficiency about everything they do. Achraf Hakimi, one of two thunderous attacking full-backs, had opened the scoring. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL AB FAB Kate Abdo 'subbed off' CBS Sports Champions League final coverage And the Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia hammered the fourth - then typified his team's approach by sprinting back about 70 yards to half an Inter break with his side 4-0 up in the dying minutes. Senny Mayulu, another 19-year-old, then sealed the deal with a late strike from Bradley Barcola's assist. Doue, the 19-year-old plucked from Rennes last summer, was the headline act but Ousmane Demebele played a major role in three goals to tighten his grip on this year's Ballon d'Or. It has been 14 years since the Qatari state seized control of PSG and after one previous final defeat under Thomas Tuchel in 2020, this was their moment. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS PSG had an average age of 23 this season, Inter were the oldest in the competition at a touch over 30. And anybody who suggested that Inter's experience and nous would prove a match for this zestful young PSG side was made to look utterly foolish. Inter Milan fans INVADE Munich ahead of Champions League final vs PSG 16 16 Achraf Hakimi got the ball rolling in the 12th minute Credit: AFP 16 He refused to celebrate against his former side Credit: Getty So for the fifth time Munich staged a European Cup Final - and for the fifth time, we had brand-new winners - just like Nottingham Forest, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea. And after Marseille at the old Olympic Stadium in 1993, this was only the second time a French club had ever won Old Big Ears. PSG had performed a demolition job on all four of the Premier League clubs in this year's competition, while Inter had seen off final hosts Bayern before they accounted for Barcelona in a classic semi-final. So while this wasn't the most alluring of fixtures for English audiences, these were two very worthy finalists. 16 Doue bagged his first goal just seven minutes later Credit: AP 16 The forward was delighted, having assisted Hakimi's opener Credit: Reuters Inter might easily have denied Manchester City their Treble in the final in Istanbul two years ago - but this was a bridge too far for Simone Inzaghi Izaghi's men seemed content to sit deep, soak it up, let the kids do all the running. And yet PSG are too good for that sort of passive defensive approach and, after 12 minutes, they scored a goal of gorgeous simplicity. Vitinha, the tick-tock man at the base of the Parisian defence, picked out a cute pass which released Doue, who squared for Hakimi to tap in at the far post. 16 Doue then netted his second goal in the 63rd minute Credit: Getty 16 He ripped off his shirt in wild celebrations Credit: Getty 16 It shouldn't have been so easy to baffle a bunch of brutish Italian defenders with two straight-line passes but that was what Enrique's men did. And on 20 minutes, it was 2-0. At the opposite end, Inter staged a set-piece long throw and then got caught with their pants down within seconds. Willian Pacho stopped the ball going out of play behind Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia released Dembele, who sprinted down the left and picked out Doue with a crossfield pass. Doue chested down and rifled a shot which deflected off Federico Dimarco to leave Yann Sommer motionless on his knees. 16 Khvicha Kvaratshkelia got involved 10 minutes later Credit: Reuters 16 The winger only joined PSG from Napoli in January Credit: Reuters Enrique's chief selection call had been over whether to choose Doue or Bradley Barcola. Within 20 minutes, Doue had one assist and one goal. It hadn't been a bad shout to pick him. Inter had some enterprising moments themselves but, the thing is with PSG, they can defend as well. Pacho is one hell of a defender. From Ecuador via Belgium and Frankfurt, he is such a gem that you just assumed that Brighton would have bought him and sold him for an immense profit years ago. Still, Franceso Acerbi and Marcus Thuram were both off-target with headers. 16 Sub Senny Mayulu came off the bench to net PSG's fifth Credit: Getty 16 The teen secured history for PSG in the 86th minute Credit: Reuters Yet before, Paris ought to have tucked this match in and kissed it goodnight - Doue centring for Dembele, who somehow shot in entirely the wrong direction. Then Doue tested Sommer and Kvaratskhelia was narrowly wide with a deflected shot, before he headed wide from the resulting corner. It was extremely one-sided stuff. After the break, Kvaratskhelia squandered a glaring close-range chance but it didn't matter. 16 Boss Luis Enrique was the man of the moment as he celebrated his second UCL win Credit: Getty 16 Inter Milan players appeared distraught after the disastrous result Credit: Getty Doue had just executed a sumptuous pirouette on the touchline to embarrass Alessandro Bastoni when he netted his second. This time it was Dembele who conjured the sorcery, with a back-heel to Vitinha who fed the teenager for a firm, well-placed finish. Enrique decided enough was enough and replaced Doue with Barcola, perhaps out of clemency. But Kvaratskhelia soon rifled home at the near post from a Dembele pass before Mayulu rubbed salt in the wounds. Alan Hansen once said that you can't win anything with kids. But then he'd never seen this bunch of youths.
The Irish Sun
31-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
PSG 5 Inter Milan 0: Desire Doue steals show as Parisians rack up biggest EVER Champions League final win
WITH the thrilling exuberance of youth and the vast oil wealth of Qatar, Paris St Germain were finally crowned champions of Europe last night. In a performance you could hang in the Louvre, Desire Doue staged a teenage rampage through the heart of an elderly 16 Desire Doue stole the show in Munich as PSG won the Champions League final Credit: AFP 16 Luis Enrique inspired his men to a rampant win over Inter Credit: Getty His is a team which is everything it didn't used to be when the Galactico trio Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe held sway at the Parc des Princes. Achraf Hakimi, one of two thunderous attacking full-backs, had opened the scoring. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL And the Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia hammered the fourth - then typified his team's approach by sprinting back about 70 yards to half an Inter break with his side 4-0 up in the dying minutes. Senny Mayulu, another 19-year-old, then sealed the deal with a late strike from Bradley Barcola's assist. Doue, the 19-year-old plucked from Rennes last summer, was the headline act but Ousmane Demebele played a major role in three goals to tighten his grip on this year's Ballon d'Or. It has been 14 years since the Qatari state seized control of PSG and after one previous final defeat under Thomas Tuchel in 2020, this was their moment. Most read in Champions League BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS PSG had an average age of 23 this season, Inter were the oldest in the competition at a touch over 30. And anybody who suggested that Inter's experience and nous would prove a match for this zestful young PSG side was made to look utterly foolish. Inter Milan fans INVADE Munich ahead of Champions League final vs PSG 16 16 Achraf Hakimi got the ball rolling in the 12th minute Credit: AFP 16 He refused to celebrate against his former side Credit: Getty So for the fifth time Munich staged a European Cup Final - and for the fifth time, we had brand-new winners - just like Nottingham Forest, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea. And after Marseille at the old Olympic Stadium in 1993, this was only the second time a French club had ever won Old Big Ears. PSG had performed a demolition job on all four of the Premier League clubs in this year's competition, while Inter had seen off final hosts Bayern before they accounted for Barcelona in a classic semi-final. So while this wasn't the most alluring of fixtures for English audiences, these were two very worthy finalists. 16 Doue bagged his first goal just seven minutes later Credit: AP 16 The forward was delighted, having assisted Hakimi's opener Credit: Reuters Inter might easily have denied Manchester City their Treble in the final in Istanbul two years ago - but this was a bridge too far for Simone Inzaghi Izaghi's men seemed content to sit deep, soak it up, let the kids do all the running. And yet PSG are too good for that sort of passive defensive approach and, after 12 minutes, they scored a goal of gorgeous simplicity. Vitinha, the tick-tock man at the base of the Parisian defence, picked out a cute pass which released Doue, who squared for Hakimi to tap in at the far post. 16 Doue then netted his second goal in the 63rd minute Credit: Getty 16 He ripped off his shirt in wild celebrations Credit: Getty 16 It shouldn't have been so easy to baffle a bunch of brutish Italian defenders with two straight-line passes but that was what Enrique's men did. And on 20 minutes, it was 2-0. At the opposite end, Inter staged a set-piece long throw and then got caught with their pants down within seconds. Willian Pacho stopped the ball going out of play behind Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia released Dembele, who sprinted down the left and picked out Doue with a crossfield pass. Doue chested down and rifled a shot which deflected off Federico Dimarco to leave Yann Sommer motionless on his knees. 16 Khvicha Kvaratshkelia got involved 10 minutes later Credit: Reuters 16 The winger only joined PSG from Napoli in January Credit: Reuters Enrique's chief selection call had been over whether to choose Doue or Bradley Barcola. Within 20 minutes, Doue had one assist and one goal. It hadn't been a bad shout to pick him. Inter had some enterprising moments themselves but, the thing is with PSG, they can defend as well. Pacho is one hell of a defender. From Ecuador via Belgium and Frankfurt, he is such a gem that you just assumed that Brighton would have bought him and sold him for an immense profit years ago. Still, Franceso Acerbi and Marcus Thuram were both off-target with headers. 16 Sub Senny Mayulu came off the bench to net PSG's fifth Credit: Getty 16 The teen secured history for PSG in the 86th minute Credit: Reuters Yet before, Paris ought to have tucked this match in and kissed it goodnight - Doue centring for Dembele, who somehow shot in entirely the wrong direction. Then Doue tested Sommer and Kvaratskhelia was narrowly wide with a deflected shot, before he headed wide from the resulting corner. It was extremely one-sided stuff. After the break, Kvaratskhelia squandered a glaring close-range chance but it didn't matter. 16 Boss Luis Enrique was the man of the moment as he celebrated his second UCL win Credit: Getty 16 Inter Milan players appeared distraught after the disastrous result Credit: Getty Doue had just executed a sumptuous pirouette on the touchline to embarrass Alessandro Bastoni when he netted his second. This time it was Dembele who conjured the sorcery, with a back-heel to Vitinha who fed the teenager for a firm, well-placed finish. Enrique decided enough was enough and replaced Doue with Barcola, perhaps out of clemency. But Kvaratskhelia soon rifled home at the near post from a Dembele pass before Mayulu rubbed salt in the wounds. Alan Hansen once said that you can't win anything with kids. But then he'd never seen this bunch of youths.
