Latest news with #ThisIsAnfield
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool defender FINALLY agrees new contract
And that's exactly what the club appears to be doing as they have agreed a deal for an exciting defender, who has been at a stand-off with the club for a few weeks now. According to This is Anfield Wellity Lucky has finally agreed terms with the club after being offered a new deal at the end of last season. Lucky, who is eligible to play for Spain and England at international level, would have been able to leave the club as a free agent but the Reds have convinced him to stay. He is expected to sign a three year contract according to the report.
IOL News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Liverpool FC's strategic absence from the FIFA Club World Cup sets the stage for Arne Slot's second season
Arne Slot, Liverpool FC Manager, prepares for the upcoming season after winning the Premier League Title in his first season. Image: AFP As the footballing world currently watches the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Liverpool FC, one of Europe's most decorated clubs, finds its absence from this year's competition beneficial as they prepare for the upcoming 2025/2026 Premier League season. Having clinched the Premier League title in April, Arne Slot's debut season, and with the lure of a new trophy in the cabinet, the club saw an increase in funding from the significant prize money that came with winning the Premier League, reportedly up to £181.5 million (around R2,784,000,000) according to Premier League representatives and NBC Sports. The primary reason for Liverpool's absence from the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup, as reported by This Is Anfield, was FIFA's rule limiting participation to two clubs per country. While not by choice because of FIFA's qualification criteria for the Club World Cup, this period allows for a well-deserved break for the Premier League Champions before the 25/26 season begins. Speaking to Sky Sports, former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp expressed his concerns about the Club World Cup being one of "the worst idea ever implemented in football" because of its increased strain on the players after their respective seasons. Already, players had mentioned how the temperature in the United States had taken a significant toll on their performance throughout the competition, with the intense heat and humidity proving a challenging factor. Although Klopp has left the club, his concerns about player welfare still resonated deeply within the sport, highlighting the current debate around the demanding schedule placed on elite football players. Arne Slot himself, speaking earlier in June, highlighted the potential for burnout in having to compete for another month after the official league had concluded. Slot contests this as he doesn't think it is "healthy for players to have maybe only one week off," reported. Liverpool, with a well-deserved break, can now focus on having a more comprehensive pre-season, ensuring Slot's squad is physically and mentally refreshed for what promises to be another demanding campaign. Instead of battling it out in the Club World Cup, Liverpool's pre-season schedule takes them to Asia with matches against AC Milan in Hong Kong and Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, before returning to Anfield for a friendly game against Athletic City. Slot's focus for Liverpool's pre-season is on refining the squad. With the summer transfer window very much underway, Slot's team has seen some significant ins and outs, signifying a clear strategic direction from the new management team, Liverpool FC representatives confirmed. Meanwhile, Manchester City's pre-season and round of 16 exit in the Club World Cup draws concerns for City's manager, Pep Guardiola. Guardiola's concerns express how the demanding schedule of the Club World Cup could "destroy" City's 2025-2026 campaign. According to Sky Sports and Guardiola and other top coaches emphasize the delicate balance clubs must maintain between competition, player well-being, and future season planning. Slot's Vision: Shaping the Future With the transfer window open, Liverpool has seen significant activity, marked by both high-profile departures and strategic new signings under Slot's vision. Florian Wirtz's signing represents a clear statement of intent, signalling the club's willingness to invest heavily in elite, game-changing talent. The £116 million deal (R2,772,903,440,00) for Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen makes him the most expensive midfield player in Premier League history, according to Sky Sports and For Liverpool fans, Wirtz's arrival had already sparked enormous excitement, an excitement that dates back to 2007 when Liverpool signed Fernando Torres from Atlético Madrid. As Slot recently stated in a club interview: "Florian is a player we've admired for a long time. His ability to unlock defences and dictate play is exceptional. He will bring an additional dimension to our attack, and we are incredibly excited to see him develop further here." Florian Wirtz signs for Liverpool, making him the most expensive signing in Premier League History at a record-breaking £116m Image: AFP Last week, in a club statement released, Liverpool FC announced the signing of left-back Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth for £40 million, roughly around (R700,572,000,00). For Slot's squad, Kerkez is a more dynamic and younger talent, with rumours of Andy Robertson expected to depart from the club this coming season, according to various transfer speculation. Milos Kerkez, Liverpool's latest signing, joins from Bournemouth FC for £40m. Image: AFP The most impactful exit this season has been Trent Alexander-Arnold, who's moved to Real Madrid for £8 million (R192,202,720) as announced by Real Madrid club president Florentino Pérez. Jeremie Frimpong, also from Bayer Leverkusen, directly replaces Alexander-Arnold. AP News reported that the talented right-back's transfer to Liverpool cost £30 million (R525,412,449). In the goalkeeping department, Caoimhín Kelleher departed and joined Brentford for £18 million (around R430.7 million), as reported by Sky Sports. His replacement will be Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia for £29 million (approximately R693.9 million), Sky Sports confirmed. Jeremie Frimpong replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has moved to Real Madrid for £8m. Image: AFP
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace: Community Shield Details Confirmed
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace Set to Open Season in Community Shield Clash Liverpool are poised to begin the 2025–26 campaign with a headline fixture against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, with the date now seemingly confirmed for Sunday, 10 August. The information emerged during TNT Sports' Champions League final coverage, hinting at Wembley as the battleground for the traditional season opener. While the FA has yet to officially announce it, the broadcaster's involvement makes the date highly credible. Advertisement This year's Community Shield sees Premier League champions Liverpool take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, marking the official start of Arne Slot's title defence. It is not just a ceremonial affair either. For Liverpool, it is a chance to make an early statement with a refreshed side after a proactive summer in the transfer market. While often dismissed as a glorified friendly, the Community Shield this year will offer more than just a pre-season runout. With both sides enjoying strong finishes last season, and Liverpool entering the new campaign as defending champions for the first time under Slot, the stakes are raised. Photo: IMAGO Pre-season Plans Building Towards Wembley Liverpool's summer preparations will culminate in this Wembley clash, with the Premier League campaign beginning the following weekend on 16–17 August. Fixture details for the domestic season are expected to be released on 18 June, but before then, supporters can expect one more chance to see the Reds at Anfield. Advertisement According to reports from This Is Anfield, the club is organising a pre-season friendly at home for the weekend of 2–3 August. Unlike last summer's double-header which saw a public win against Sevilla and a behind-closed-doors stalemate with Las Palmas, this year's preparation is likely to be more streamlined. The majority of Slot's senior squad are due back at the AXA Training Centre on 8 July, benefitting from a rare summer without a major international tournament. New Arrivals Bolster Slot's Liverpool 2.0 There will be plenty of new faces for fans to watch when Liverpool take to the pitch against Crystal Palace. Slot has wasted no time in reshaping his side. Jeremie Frimpong, the dynamic right-back signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5 million, is already confirmed, as is goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. However, the real statement signing could be Frimpong's former teammate Florian Wirtz, who is rumoured to be heading to Anfield in what would be a club-record transfer. Milos Kerkez, the Bournemouth left-back, is also close to joining, as Liverpool aim to strengthen across the pitch. Simultaneously, departures are on the cards. Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Kostas Tsimikas and Caoimhin Kelleher have all attracted interest, and their futures remain uncertain. Palace Encounter Offers Early Insight into New Era This Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace may come before a ball is kicked in the league, but it promises to offer real insight into Slot's evolving side. After a title-winning debut season at Anfield, expectations are understandably high. With significant changes to personnel and tactics on the horizon, Wembley in August will be more than a warm-up — it will be a first look at Liverpool's next chapter. As far as season openers go, this one has all the ingredients to command attention.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Olly Murs booed by his own fans as he makes awkward admission
Olly Murs faced boos at a packed show as he made an uncomfortable admission. And you don't need to know much about sport to know he was asking for it. When Murs decided to admit his true feelings about a subject close to his heart in front of a Liverpool crowd, the reaction was unsurprising. The Liverpool Echo reports that he had the crowd 'wrapped up around his finger' as he brought his 15 Years Of Hits tour to the city's M&S Bank Arena on Thursday. Thousands of fans packed into the venue for the show, part of his latest nationwide tour. Ryan Paton, who was there in the crowd for the Echo, said the X Factor singer "made sure the show felt unique to those there on the night, with enjoyable interactions with the crowd in between his back catalogue of songs." READ MORE: Ryanair passengers 'stuck' on airport floor with 'complete silence' from airline in holiday chaos READ MORE: Welsh billionaire you've probably never heard of who wasn't on the Sunday Times Rich List Pop fans will know that Olly is a cheeky chap. He also likes to have a laugh with the audience - which is how the moment in question came about. Olly gave his long-serving band member the chance to "embarrass" him on stage and share a photo from the singer's career. Olly told the crowd: "On this part of the show, I have absolutely no idea what is about to appear on that screen." The photo that was chosen was one of him touching the This Is Anfield sign at the home of Liverpool FC. That left Olly laughing - and he could probably guess where things were going. As the picture came up on a large screen, it split the crowd. There were loud cheers from Liverpool supporters - but boos from the Everton fans in the crowd. But this wasn't the problem. Olly then said: "Of course, this will probably get the biggest boo of the night. I am a Manchester United fan." The singer creased up as he was jeered by the crowd. He joked: "Shall I go?" It was all good-natured - and Olly makes no secret of his support for MUFC. The show continued as fans lapped up the pop hits. He also told them it had been a big week as he turned 41 on Wednesday. He marked it by performing a medley of 80s hits from the decade in which he was born. The Echo reports that there was a moving moment when Olly sung Dear Darling, a song he dedicated to his X Factor co-host, Caroline Flack, who died in 2020. He told fans: "I genuinely think about her every day. "I know that feeling of losing someone that you love very much. With this song, I want you to think of those people and sing with me." Fans shone the lights on their phone and sung along in what Ryan at the Echo said was "the standout moment of the evening".
Daily Record
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Olly Murs fans boo X Factor legend as he makes cheeky confession
The singer was in good spirits during the show but fans were quick to turn on him after he made a surprise admission while on stage in Liverpool on Thursday evening Olly Murs found himself on the receiving end of boos during a packed concert after making an awkward confession. Even those with limited knowledge of sport could predict he was walking into a bit of a hornet's nest - but it wasn't going to stop him. The pop star decided to reveal his true feelings about a topic dear to him in front of a Liverpool audience, and their reaction was predictable. The Liverpool Echo reported that he had the crowd 'wrapped around his finger' as he brought his 15 Years Of Hits tour to the city's MandS Bank Arena on Thursday. Thousands of fans filled the venue for the show, which is part of his latest nationwide tour. Ryan Paton, reporting for the Echo, said the X Factor singer "made sure the show felt unique to those there on the night, with enjoyable interactions with the crowd in between his back catalogue of songs." Fans of pop music know Olly as a cheeky chap who enjoys having a laugh with his audience - which led to the moment in question. Olly allowed a long-standing band member to "embarrass" him on stage by sharing a photo from his career. Olly informed the crowd: "On this part of the show, I have absolutely no idea what is about to appear on that screen.", reports Wales Online. The chosen photo showed him touching the This Is Anfield sign at Liverpool FC's home ground. Olly laughed, probably anticipating what was coming next. As the image appeared on a large screen, it divided the audience. Liverpool supporters cheered loudly, but Everton fans in the crowd booed. Olly Murs then faced a playful backlash from the audience when he revealed his football allegiance, saying: "Of course, this will probably get the biggest boo of the night. I am a Manchester United fan." The singer couldn't help but laugh as the crowd responded with jeers, prompting him to quip: "Shall I go?" Despite the ribbing, Olly is well-known for his devotion to Manchester United, and the concert carried on with the crowd enjoying his chart-topping tunes. He also shared that he had just celebrated his 41st birthday on Wednesday by performing a medley of 80s classics, honouring the era of his birth. A poignant moment occurred during the gig when Olly performed 'Dear Darling' in tribute to his late X Factor co-host Caroline Flack. He expressed to the audience: "I genuinely think about her every day. "I know that feeling of losing someone that you love very much. With this song, I want you to think of those people and sing with me." In a touching scene, fans lit up their phones and joined in singing, creating what Ryan at The Echo described as "the standout moment of the evening".
