Tottenham beat Luton to move into fourth place in EPL, Chelsea held by 10-man Burnley

Luton Town’s Burkinese defender Issa Kabore (R) jumps to stop the shot by Tottenham Hotspur’s German striker Timo Werner but ends up scoring an own goal during their English Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on Mar. 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 30 March 2024
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Tottenham beat Luton to move into fourth place in EPL, Chelsea held by 10-man Burnley

  • Tottenham moved to fourth place, level on points with Aston Villa
  • Chelsea winger Cole Palmer became the fifth player to reach 20 goal involvements in his first Premier League

LONDON: Son Heung-min’s late goal lifted Tottenham over struggling Luton 2-1 in the English Premier League on Saturday and maintained the pressure on Aston Villa in the race for a top-four finish.
Spurs came close to conceding their first home draw against a Luton side locked in the relegation battle, but the South Korea captain decided otherwise in the 86th minute after a quick break, concluding the move with a shot that took a deflection.
Tottenham moved to fourth place, level on points with Aston Villa, which hosted Wolves later.
Third-placed Manchester City and leader Arsenal meet on Sunday with just one point separating them. Second-placed Liverpool host Brighton on the same day.

LETHARGIC SPURS
Tottenham were lethargic in the first half and were made to pay for it when Tahith Chong finished a fine collective move from the visitors. Spurs equalized in the 49th after defender Issa Kabore, under pressure from Timo Werner, put the ball into his own net.
Kabore made up for his mistake with decisive blocks in the second half as Tottenham pressed for a winner that finally came five minutes from time.

PALMER’S PANENKA
Chelsea winger Cole Palmer became the fifth player to reach 20 goal involvements in his first Premier League. Palmer’s brace at Stamford Bridge could help Chelsea only draw 2-2 with 10-man Burnley.
Chelsea were wasteful in the first half and had a goal ruled out after 20 minutes. The Blues took the lead from the spot when Palmer scored with a Panenka kick, chipping the ball down the middle.
The decision after a VAR check to award the penalty to Chelsea for a foul on Mykhailo Mudryk in the box left Burnley coach Vincent Kompany fuming. Kompany was issued a red card for his vehement protest. Lorenz Assignon, who received a second yellow card for dragging down Mudryk, was also sent off.
Burnley pushed back and leveled when Josh Cullen volleyed home from 25 meters.
Palmer restored Chelsea’s lead in the 78th from Raheem Sterling’s backheel pass.
Dara O’Shea snatched the equalizer with a header badly handled by Djordje Petrovic.


Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio joins Al-Ain for Club World Cup

Updated 35 sec ago
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Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio joins Al-Ain for Club World Cup

  • “Patricio will arrive to the UAE tomorrow evening to undergo medical tests,” Al-Ain said
  • Patricio played 108 matches for Portugal

ABU DHABI: Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio will join Al-Ain on a short-term contract for the Club World Cup, the team from the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday.

“Al-Ain has signed Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio to participate with the team in the 2025 Club World Cup,” the club said on X about the 37-year-old Portugal international who is joining them from Atalanta.

“Patricio will arrive to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow evening to undergo medical tests and join the first-team training,” Al-Ain added.


Patricio played 108 matches for Portugal, helping them win Euro 2016, and has had spells with Sporting Lisbon, Wolverhampton Wanderers and AS Roma.

Al-Ain, who won the AFC Champions League title in 2024, reached the final of the 2018 Club World Cup final in front of their home fans.

This year’s revamped 32-team tournament will take place in the United States in June and July.

Al Ain have been drawn in Group G with Juventus, Manchester City and Morocco’s Wydade.

FIFA opened an exceptional transfer window from June 1-10 to allow players to be signed for the tournament.


Green Falcons hold Alkhobar training session in preparation for World Cup qualifiers

Updated 28 min 10 sec ago
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Green Falcons hold Alkhobar training session in preparation for World Cup qualifiers

  • French coach Herve Renard supervised the team as they held a light recovery session
  • Team preparations resume tomorrow night with full training session

KHOBAR: The Saudi national football team held a training session on Saturday in Alkhobar, as they continue preparing for the decisive ninth and 10th rounds of the AFC qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

French coach Herve Renard supervised the team as they held a light recovery session at the health facilities of the Green Falcons’ base camp, a media statement said.

Injured left back Muteb Al-Harbi continued his rehabilitation program under the medical staff’s supervision, while teammate Mohammed Bakr resumed physical training with the team’s fitness coach.

After the recovery session ended, Renard gave the players some free time, with the squad scheduled to return later this evening at their base.

The Green Falcons’ preparations resume tomorrow night with a full training session at 7 p.m. in Ettifaq Club Stadium.

The first 15 minutes of the session will be open to the media to offer a glimpse into the team’s readiness as the qualifiers draw near.

Saudi Arabia stands at third place in Group C with 10 points from eight matches. Japan tops the group on 20 points, while second-place Australia has 13 points.

The Green Falcons play against Bahrain on June 5 and Australia on June 10.


Real Madrid most valuable soccer team for fourth straight year, say Forbes

Updated 31 May 2025
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Real Madrid most valuable soccer team for fourth straight year, say Forbes

  • Real became the first soccer club to bring in a billion dollars in a single year
  • England’s Manchester United are second in Forbes’ list with a $6.6 billion valuation

MADRID: LaLiga side Real Madrid topped the list of the most valuable soccer teams in the world for the fourth year in a row with a valuation of $6.6 billion, business magazine Forbes has said.

Real became the first soccer club to bring in a billion dollars in a single year after they posted a record $1.13 billion in revenue for the 2023-24 season, the magazine added in a report published on Friday.


The Spanish club, the second sports team in history to hit the 10-figure threshold after National Football League side Dallas Cowboys, are the first soccer team to register one billion euros in revenue in a single season, Deloitte had said earlier this year.

England’s Manchester United are second in Forbes’ list with a $6.6 billion valuation after generating $834 million in revenue in the 2023-24 season despite a forgettable Premier League campaign where they finished eighth.

Real’s LaLiga rivals Barcelona are third, valued at $5.65 billion, while Liverpool and Manchester City are fourth and fifth.

Forbes named six Premier League sides among the top 10 most valuable teams with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea making the list after Bayern Munich and Paris St. Germain.

“Together, the 30 most valuable soccer teams are worth more than $72 billion, or an average of $2.4 billion, up 5 percent from 2024’s record $2.26 billion,” Forbes said.


Ajax appoint Heitinga as new coach

Updated 31 May 2025
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Ajax appoint Heitinga as new coach

  • Former club manager Marcel Keizer will serve as Heitinga’s assistant
  • “John knows the club well,” Technical Director Alex Kroes told the club website

AMSTERDAM: Ajax Amsterdam have named John Heitinga as their new coach, with the former Netherlands defender signing a two-year deal, the Eredivisie club confirmed on Saturday.

Heitinga, who grew up in the club’s youth ranks and was part of Ajax’s senior squad for seven and a half seasons, was one of Arne Slot’s assistants at Liverpool in their Premier League-winning season.


Former club manager Marcel Keizer will serve as Heitinga’s assistant and has signed a contract of the same duration, Ajax added.

“John knows the club well,” Technical Director Alex Kroes told the club website.

“We are convinced that he, together with Marcel, will help improve our players and build on the progress made since last summer in terms of, for example, elite sporting culture and discipline.”

Heitinga replaces Italian Francesco Farioli, who resigned earlier this month after a year in charge.

Record 36-time champions Ajax finished the season second after blowing a nine-point lead as they were pipped to the league title by PSV Eindhoven on the final day.

Ajax last won the league in 2021-22.

“It’s good that it’s decided early on in the summer break that they will be in charge from the end of June. (We) can now continue working with John and the other parties involved on the squad composition for the coming season,” Kroes added.

Former Atletico Madrid and Everton defender Heitinga coached youth and reserve teams at Ajax after he retired from playing, following his return to Ajax, in 2016.

He was also briefly appointed as acting coach of Ajax in 2023 after the firing of Alfred Schreuder.

Heitinga, who won 87 caps for the Netherlands, was then David Moyes’s assistant at West Ham United before taking on the same role at Liverpool.

“I am incredibly excited to start,” Heitinga said.

“The last years in England have done me a lot of good. I’ve been able to develop further alongside David Moyes and Arne Slot, while also getting a behind-the-scenes look at two major clubs.

“I’m ready to continue as a head coach and I’m honored to be given that opportunity at Ajax.”


‘We’re going in there to win it’: Manchester City chairman targets FIFA Club World Cup success

Updated 31 May 2025
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‘We’re going in there to win it’: Manchester City chairman targets FIFA Club World Cup success

  • In part 2 of his review of the 2024-2025 season, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak looks forward to the FIFA Club World Cup and and the developments taking place across City Football Group

ABU DHABI: Manchester City’s chairman, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, has provided his annual review of the season to the club’s official online channel. In part 2 of the interview he reveals the team’s desire to retain the FIFA Club world Cup taking place in June and discusses the developments taking place across City Football Group. Here are some of the highlights.

On the FIFA Club World Cup…

“Well, as the defending champions coming into this new format, of course, we’re very excited. We’re very excited to come in as champions. The format actually, I really like it.

“This is a very, very serious competition. I think, in the summer, the whole world will be watching this with a big number of the top teams in the world will be competing in this tournament.

“I can assure you we’re going to give it our best shot. We’re going in there to win it. This is the beginning of the new season, not the continuation of last season.

“The team will take the rest that they will take right now, and then they start pre-season and then immediately straight into the Club World Cup.”

On Manchester City’s North Stand redevelopment…

“It’s coming up very fast. It’s going to be a great addition to the campus. Once we start the new season, everybody will start physically seeing it a lot clearer.

“The hotel is also coming up nicely. It’s moving very, very fast, but we’re happy with the contractors on the ground. This is going to be a game changer. You will see over these next 12 to 18 months. This is going to be a game changer for the campus and for the club.”

On NYCFC…

“Well, more than the foundation, the work is fully now in full effect. Construction is happening at a fast pace. This is going to be an incredible stadium. We’re very excited about what we’re doing in New York, what we’re doing for that community in terms of a proper football stadium, with a team that now is closing in on 10 years.

“It’s been a great journey. And they’ve earned (it). They deserve a stadium, and finally, they’re going to get it. And we have now a line of sight of when it’s going to be finished and it’ll be transformative for football fans in New York, for our fan base, and really at a time where football is booming in America.”

On City Football Group…

“It’s developed very well. We look at City Football Group as a group, but then each team individually and each team gets the attention it requires and gets a lot of attention from the whole leadership team.

“There’s individuality with each club. Depending on where they are around the world, each one has its own requirements. But overall, one of the things that gives us confidence is how many similar models now are following our CFG model.

“There are a lot of other groups now that are pursuing what we have built at City Football Group, which tells you there’s an appreciation that this is a good model and it’s a model that’s effective.”