Latest news with #Juventus
Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Madrid coach Alonso hoping Mbappe is 'back soon' at Club World Cup after illness
Mbappé was hospitalized last week with acute gastroenteritis and has not played a minute of the tournament so far. Despite being back in training, he was not even named as a substitute for Thursday's 3-0 win against RB Salzburg. "I don't want to be optimistic and get ahead of myself, but we need him because he's a top player, one of the best in the world. We hope he's back soon,' Alonso said when asked about Mbappé's availability for the round of 16 game against Juventus on Tuesday. Mbappé is one of the biggest stars at the expanded Club World Cup being staged in the United States and his absence has been a blow to a tournament FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants to become one of the biggest events in the sport. Infantino managed to get Lionel Messi into the tournament when Inter Miami was granted entry despite not winning the MLS Cup and encouraged teams to try to sign Cristiano Ronaldo during a specially created transfer window before the first game kicked off this month. Mbappé, along with Messi and Erling Haaland, is one of the top attractions, but his headlines have been limited to off-field issues. As well as his illness, he also made the news this week when it emerged he had filed a moral harassment case against former club Paris Saint-Germain. He unhappy with the way he was treated by this year's Champions League winner when he was sidelined after his decision not to extend his contract with the club in 2023. Mbappé is also at odds with PSG, arguing he is owed 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages. None of this is helping Madrid's bid to become the first team to lift the new Club World Cup and the golden trophy crafted by Tiffany & Co. The 26-year-old Mbappe was Madrid's top scorer last season, with 43 goals in 56 appearances. He had been following specific medical treatment to recover from gastroenteritis, Madrid said, but has missed two games since being discharged from hospital. 'We need him and we want him back as soon as possible and in the best possible condition," Alonso said. Find more details on group standings, match schedules, and competition statistics (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Short link:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Juventus prodigy praises Real Madrid midfielder ahead of CWC showdown: ‘An extraordinary footballer'
Real Madrid made it through to the knockout phase of the FIFA Club World Cup with a crucial win over RB Salzburg to top Group H and it is safe to say that they performed well across the park en route the result. One player who has been crucial in Xabi Alonso's plans so far and can be regarded as one of the biggest beneficiaries of his arrival is Arda Guler, for the Turkish starlet is enjoying prominence he has never enjoyed before at the club. Advertisement In just three games so far under Alonso, he already averages 57 minutes per game and has a goal to his name in the tournament. Further, he averages a key pass in every game and completes 90% of his passes. Guler's compatriot speaks out In a recent interview, Juventus talent and Turkish international Kenan Yildiz opened up on his compatriot and spoke on how he is a very special player for both club and country. 'Arda Guler is an extraordinary footballer. He has a great future ahead of him at Real Madrid,' he said via La Gazzetta dello Sport. Making an impression at the Club World Cup. (Photo by) Advertisement Yildiz, after all, knows Guler very well from their time together in the national team. Given that the duo belong to the same age bracket, they will play alongside one another for years to come. In fact, the Juventus star was even linked with a move to Real Madrid last year as Florentino Perez saw Yildiz as a long-term bet to solve the team's attacking midfield problem. Now, however, Los Blancos are stacked in the department and do not need any new signings. Guler and Yildiz will, however, face off in the next round of the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday night at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and it will be interesting to see which player outperforms the other. After all, a place in the quarterfinal of the competition will be at stake.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
A glimpse of a dangerous combination revealed itself for Manchester City against Juventus
As Manchester City picked apart Juventus 5-2 at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando yesterday, there were a host of positives to come of yesterday's match. The performances and midfield play of Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders did stand out. Given the strengths of Rodri and Reijnders' games, they do figure to be a dangerous midfield combination for Manchester City. There was also another combination that appeared to be blossoming for Manchester City against Juventus. It was on City's left-hand side. That was the link-up play between Jeremy Doku and Rayan Ait-Nouri. Doku and Ait-Nouri look like they have the makings of a lethal combination for Manchester City based on yesterday's display. Jeremy Doku and Rayan Ait-Nouri look to have already struck up an understanding. From the opening minute of Manchester City's win over Juventus, the interplay between Jeremy Doku and Rayan Ait-Nouri caught the eye. They combined well and their movement complemented each other's games. If Doku drifted centrally, Rayan Ait-Nouri went on the overlap on the left wing. When Jeremy Doku stayed wide, it created space for Ait-Nouri to go to work in the centre of the pitch. The second part of that particular equation created Manchester City's opening goal against Juventus. The goal can be seen below. Rayan Ait-Nouri threaded in a superb through ball from Jeremy Doku from a central area. Doku got inside, beat his man and calmly beat Michele Di Gregorio in the Juventus goal in the 9th minute. It was a beautifully constructed goal; however, the link-up and understanding between Doku and Ait-Nouri was hard to ignore. Jeremy Doku knew to make the run as he knew Rayan Ait-Nouri could pick him out. The fact that Ait-Nouri produced a ball that Kevin De Bruyne would be proud of speaks to his technical ability. Advertisement That goal was the perfect encapsulation of the combination play between Jeremy Doku and Rayan Ait-Nouri. The pair did combine for other moments of quality during yesterday's match. But that one moment in particular did stand out above all others. Jeremy Doku is relishing playing with Rayan Ait-Nouri at Manchester City. In an interview published on Jeremy Doku explained that he is enjoying playing with Rayan Ait-Nouri. He added that the pair have already established a connection. Speaking on Rayan Ait-Nouri, Doku said: 'Honestly, he's a top player. He's settled so fast and quick, he can play inside or outside.' 'It's a joy to play with him. He speaks French as well.' Advertisement 'Honestly, the connection is there. And I'm happy that he's here with us.' The play of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Jeremy Doku did help Manchester City beat Juventus yesterday. Their combination play on the left did help keep the Juventus defence stretched during their FIFA Club World Cup Group G fixture. Looking further ahead, Doku and Ait-Nouri combining and complementing each other on the left could help Manchester City unlock the low defensive blocks teams employ against Pep Guardiola's side. They showed that yesterday which was a massive positive for Manchester City to take out of yesterday's win.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Total Weah rejection irked Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest are trying to save face after being rejected by Timothy Weah, implying they pulled out of the deal for the Juventus player. It had been reported in multiple sources over the last few days that Juventus and the Premier League side were on the verge of a double agreement for both Weah and Samuel Mbangula. Advertisement The cost of the pair was going to be circa €25m including add-ons, with the clubs ready to shake hands. However, it quickly became apparent that the American in particular was dead set against the move and refused to even discuss personal terms. This irritated Juve so much that they dropped both the USMNT star and Mbangula from the squad in last night's Club World Cup defeat to Manchester City. Juventus froze out Weah over Nottingham Forest snub epa11908638 Timothy Weah of Juventus FC celebrates the 1-1 during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs 2nd leg soccer match between PSV Eindhoven and Juventus FC in Eindhoven, Netherlands, 19 February 2025. EPA-EFE/SEM VAN DER WAL Weah responded by quoting Bible verses on Instagram, then his agent Badou Sambague hit out in the media. 'This is shameful. While I am here, nobody will push my players to go play right or left like a puppet.' Advertisement It is therefore curious that Nottingham Forest sources have sent out the message to Give Me Sport correspondent Ben Jacobs suggesting they were the ones who 'chose to pull out following extensive data analysis' of Weah.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
The weird, wonderful and woeful from a stormy Club World Cup
Have you ever had that dream where you're playing for your favourite team, thrown on in a desperate bid to find a goal? And the game is against a side you've never heard of, part of some arcane tournament that's suddenly of vital importance? Oh, and it's being played in your parents' back garden? Just us? Well, that's the closest parallel we could think up for Copa Gianni, where the group stages have served up the weird, wonderful and woeful in equal measure. If you haven't been paying attention, here are some 'highlights' so far. Goals, goals, goals: Let's be honest, if you're a neutral tuning in on a weekday afternoon, or in the dead of night, you want to see goals – and Copa Gianni has certainly delivered. There have been 148 in 48 games, a reliable ratio of more than three per game. We've seen seven-goal shootouts (Mamelodi 3-4 Dortmund, Juventus 2-5 Manchester City), an eight-goal epic (Porto 4-4 Al Ahly) and, er, a 10-goal classic (Bayern Munich 10-0 Auckland City). There's been quality to match the quantity too, with highlights from Kenan Yildiz, Miguel Merentiel, Mamelodi's Lucas Ribeiro channeling 80s Brazil and of course, Lionel Messi. Attacking flair, dodgy playing surfaces and a relaxed attitude to defending have given the tournament a fun, knockabout pre-season feel that will please casual fans, and wound Gianni Infantino to his core. Everyone's a winner! Brilliant Brazil: The notion that Copa Gianni and its many predecessors don't really matter that much is a profoundly European point of view. South American sides have generally quite fancied the idea of being the world's best team, even if in recent times it's been the Euro giants picking up the trophy each year with a collective shrug. Might that change in the new, expanded format? Brazil's quartet of sides have been magnificent: all four are into the last 16, with one defeat in 12 games and just nine goals conceded collectively, rebuffing a few stereotypes about shapeless 'samba football' on the way. Crowd confusion: South American teams have brought along thousands of noisy, passionate fans that have genuinely saved things from becoming a total embarrassment. There have been some big attendances – 60,927 people can tell their grandkids they saw Al Ahly 0-0 Inter Miami – but also some near-empty grounds. There were just 3,412 fans at Camping World Stadium in Orlando to see Mamelodi Sundowns defeat Ulsan HD, a sentence which sums up why CG '25 is simply not an elite-level tournament, no matter how much Infantino waves his gold key around. Extreme weather: The biggest crowd so far – 80,619 – was at the Rose Bowl to see PSG thump Atlético Madrid 4-0. The problem was that temperatures soared to 31C for a 12pm kick-off, with supporters claiming they were told to dispose of full water bottles before entering the venue. 'There was no way to simply buy water,' sweated one, while another declared that attending was 'the worst mistake'. The heat almost drove Diego Simeone to go full Jackie Charlton on the touchline, and it wasn't just in Pasadena. Dortmund subs retreated to the dressing room to watch the end of their game, while the threat of storms caused five games to be delayed. The underdogs: Auckland City earned their place in the draw by winning Oceania's Big Cup, but they are not even the best team in their home city. Auckland FC recently topped Australia's flamin' A-League table, but are ineligible for either AFC or OFC competitions. Instead, New Zealand's finest amateur side jetted off to the USA USA USA – those who could get the time off work, anyway – and lost 10-0 to Bayern and 6-0 to Benfica. They restored pride with a very creditable 1-1 draw against Boca Juniors, but reports suggest the team want head coach and dentist Paul Posa to be replaced – in part because he had never heard of Benfica's World Cup-winning defender, Nicolás Otamendi. Other underdogs made a better impression: South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns were a goal from going through, Mexico's Monterrey – led by Sergio Ramos – sent River Plate home, and plucky Saudi outfit Al-Hilal showed up Real Madrid. At Copa Gianni, dreams really do come true. It helped playing with my brothers all the time … I went to Arsenal and trained at the boys' academy. It took a few sessions because at first they were like: 'There's a girl with us.' But when they got to realise what I could do, they accepted me' – England's Lauren James gets her chat on with Donald McRae in this in-depth interview. Mike Todd's pedantry about Newky Brown (yesterday's Football Daily letters) has piqued my curiosity. Can anyone at Football Daily Towers confirm if Purple Tin also comes in a bottle? – Weird Unc Frankie Dodds. It was a bit sad to be reminded of how Lee Carsley had been overlooked for the England manager gig (yesterday's Football Daily). There is another successful, highly experienced and obviously well-qualified candidate that most commentators never seem to mention as worthy of consideration. Someone who clearly is a born leader, is totally media savvy, and has a successful international track record including the first trophy for a senior England team since 1966. Sarina Wiegman. I wonder why? – Steve Malone. It would be interesting if, instead of meaningless friendlies, youth sides could play their senior counterparts for the right to represent England at a given tournament. If Carsley's unit beat Thomas Tuchel's, then the winning manager gets to take his squad to a tournament – Mark Pearson. Re: yesterday's Quotes of the Day. Clearly Emiliano Viviano has never visited Britain' – Gareth Rogers. Please send your letters to Today's winner of our letter o' the day competition is … Mark Pearson, who gets some Football Weekly merch. We'll be in touch. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. It's just who he is, er, buddy? Ange Postecoglou's job search may take him to LAFC, last seen being largely useless at Copa Gianni. Big Ange to make the biggest Aussie splash in Tinseltown since Mel Gibson started wielding his lethal weaponry or Hugh Jackman put on his X-Men suit? Should he be a Beverly Hills flop in his first season, the club's owners – the usual mix of billionaires, venture capitalists and Will Ferrell – can be certain the second will deliver silverware. The current manager, Steve Cherundolo, is doing one at the end of the MLS season, so the door is open. Other Ange options? The Saudi Pro League at Asian Big Cup winners, Al-Ahli – or replacing Steve Clarke in the Scotland job. Ruud van Nistelrooy has left his job as Leicester's manager after a miserable 27-game spell which brought relegation from the Premier League. Sean Dyche is among the frontrunners to replace him, though he could well be living it up at Glastonbury this weekend. Robbie Savage is poised to leave Macclesfield FC – where he is part-owner – to become Forest Green Rovers' new manager. Savage, who said it 'would take an awful lot for me to leave' back in March, will have to wait to seal the deal – because Forest Green owner Dale Vince is also at Worthy Farm. Keith Andrews will replace Thomas Frank as Brentford manager, with his appointment expected to be announced in the coming days. Andrews will be just the third Republic of Ireland-born Premier League manager, following in the footsteps of Joe Kinnear and Roy Keane, who probably isn't at Glasto. Arsenal are chasing defensive reinforcements and could move for Valencia centre-back Cristhian Mosquera. Nottingham Forest's hopes of signing Juve duo Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula for just under £20m are over, after the pair rejected the move. Bernardo Silva is the first captain directly appointed by Pep Guardiola in his coaching career, and he described slipping on the Manchester City armband as 'one of the greatest moments' in his footballing life. And Silva helped City thrash Juve 5-2 to top Group G and set up a last-16 clash with Al-Hilal at Copa Gianni, while the Italians will face Real Madrid next. Our Euro 2025 team guides continue, with Denmark facing a tough task to get out of a group featuring a resurgent Germany (and Sweden). And in case you missed it, here's our brilliant interactive guide to all 368 players at the tournament, too. Enzo Fernández has been Chelsea's best player at Copa Gianni and is starting to repay his hefty price tag, writes Jacob Steinberg. Three Rio de Janeiro clubs and São Paolo's Palmeiras have all made it to Copa Gianni's last 16 – and Brazil's run may not stop there, write Tom Sanderson and Josué Seixas. Africa's quartet brought plenty of entertainment, but none advanced from the group stages and reform is needed, reports Paul MacInnes. Could Eberechi Eze head north of the river? Arsenal and Tottenham are both grabbing at his sleeve, according to Friday's Rumour Mill. And finally, here are 10 star players from the European Under-21s to spice up your next Football Manager 25 26 save. The date of 27 June is a notable one in English football history: back in 2010, Frank Lampard's goal did not stand against Germany as England crashed out of the World Cup last 16, losing 4-1. Six years later, at the same stage of Euro 2016, it was England 1-2 Iceland. Ah, memories.
