Guardiola still loving ‘dream’ Man City job as Haaland returns

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates with Kevin De Bruyne after thteir FA Cup - Fourth Round match against Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Jan. 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 30 January 2024
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Guardiola still loving ‘dream’ Man City job as Haaland returns

  • Pep said he had no intention of stepping down soon, praising the environment that surrounds him at the Etihad
  • “Still, I feel good and of course one day it is going to finish but I don’t think about that right now”

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Pep Guardiola said he has “everything a manager could dream of” at Manchester City as Erling Haaland is set to return from a two-month injury layoff against Burnley on Wednesday.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and Guardiola’s former player Xavi, who is now in coach of Barcelona, both announced their intention to step down at the end of the season in recent days, citing the emotional strain that comes with management at the top level.
Guardiola also cut short his hugely successful spell in charge of Barca after four years and spent only three seasons at Bayern Munich before arriving in Manchester in 2016.
Now into his eighth season at City, Guardiola has racked up five Premier League titles and the club’s first ever Champions League among 15 major trophies.
But the 53-year-old said he had no intention of stepping down soon, praising the environment that surrounds him at the Etihad.
“I have everything that a manager could dream of,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“The hierarchy they always support me. We have changed a lot of players in seven years but all of them have been incredibly supportive.
“(It’s a) good environment so I have everything. Still, I feel good and of course one day it is going to finish but I don’t think about that right now.”
City look primed to add to that trophy haul with Haaland back fit for the business end of the season.
The Norwegian has been sidelined for the past 10 games, but City have won nine and drawn one of them — lifting the Club World Cup in that time — and remain on course to defend their treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
“Erling is an important player for us. Two months out, but he feels good — we have a training session (today), but apparently tomorrow he will be with us,” added Guardiola.
Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku have also recently returned from injuries, while defenders John Stones and Manuel Akanji could also make their comeback in midweek.
“The most important news is almost all the squad are fit,” added Guardiola.
“That is the best news. The important part of season starts now. FA Cup, the Champions League is around the corner and of course the Premier League — it’s important that we have everyone available. We have all the squad, we are stronger definitely.”
City are five points behind Liverpool at the top of the Premier League but have a game in hand.
Guardiola’s men ended their hex at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup and are huge favorites to progress when they face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League last 16 next month.
And Guardiola said he can afford to throw Haaland back into the thick of the action quicker than De Bruyne, whose return has been managed after five months out with a hamstring tear.
“Kevin’s was muscular with surgery,” he said. “Erling’s was a stress on the bone, so a different approach.”


Spain thrash grieving Portugal 5-0 in Women’s Euro clash

Updated 04 July 2025
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Spain thrash grieving Portugal 5-0 in Women’s Euro clash

  • Spain’s victory was their biggest in a European Championship, surpassing their 4-1 win over Finland in 2022
  • With Italy having defeated Belgium 1-0 earlier in the evening, Spain top the group with the Italians second

BERN, Switzerland: Spain striker Esther Gonzalez scored twice in the first half as her side powered to a 5-0 win over Portugal at the Women’s Euros that was overshadowed by the deaths of Portugal international Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car accident earlier on Thursday.

On an emotional night that began with a minute’s silence for the brothers, Portugal went behind almost immediately, Olga Carmona putting the ball over the top for Gonzalez to run on to and score in the second minute.

Mariona Caldentey did superbly to pull the ball across the box for Vicky Lopez to score the second goal five minutes later.

The Portuguese managed to steady the ship but they were rocked again four minutes before the break when Alexia Putellas took down another great pass from Caldentey on her chest before calmly cutting inside and firing home.

“I highlight our mindset, how we came out to play,” Putellas said. “We were really eager to get started but it’s only the first match.”

There was more misery to come for Portugal before halftime as Gonzalez netted her second goal two minutes later, scoring from close range after Claudia Pina’s cross came back off the far post.

The world champions were delighted to be able to bring in Aitana Bonmati from the bench following her recent brush with viral meningitis, and the playmaker wasted no time getting into the thick of things, setting up a chance for Cristina Martin-Prieto.

“Aitana is a very important player for us. We are delighted that she is back and has overcome her illness. It is a joy,” Putellas said.

Portugal showed more composure in the second half but they were no match for Spain’s power, precision and technique and, though they held Spain at bay for most of the second half, Martin-Prieto scored with a superb late header to complete the rout.

“We conceded early goals and the team became anxious and unsettled,” said Portugal forward Diana Silva. “We couldn’t get hold of the ball and then it’s harder to chase the result. We were much better in the second half, more united. We didn’t allow Spain so much space to get in.

“We believe until the end, our goal is to earn points until the end and everything is still up for grabs.”

Silva and her teammates remained on the pitch after the final whistle, posing in front of their fans with a huge black banner in memory of Jota.

Spain’s victory was their biggest in a European Championship, surpassing their 4-1 win over Finland in 2022, and was the ideal start for what the tournament favorites hope will be their first Women’s Euro title.

With Italy having defeated Belgium 1-0 earlier in the evening, Spain top the group with the Italians second. Spain take on the Belgians in their next game, while Portugal face Italy.
 


‘Difficult day’ for Al-Hilal’s Portugal pair — Inzaghi

Updated 04 July 2025
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‘Difficult day’ for Al-Hilal’s Portugal pair — Inzaghi

ORLANDO, US: Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said the death of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota had impacted his team ahead of their Club World Cup quarter-final against Fluminense on Friday.
The Saudi club’s full-back Joao Cancelo is a Portugal international and midfielder Ruben Neves was a team-mate of Jota with both the Portugal national team and at Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The 28-year-old Jota died alongside his younger brother Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames on Thursday.
“We all know it’s a sad day because of what happened to Diogo and Andre, unfortunately, these are things that shouldn’t happen, which happened,” said the Italian.
“As we are all aware, we have two Portuguese players, Ruben Neves and Cancelo, who were very close to the guys. Clearly today was a difficult day for everyone. We tried to work but clearly, the atmosphere today was not the same as other days. It was a tragedy,” he added.
Al-Hilal left-back Moteb Al-Alharbi said the team had tried to be supportive to the Portuguese pair.
“From the moment we woke up today we were shocked by the news. They are team-mates of his and we all felt the sadness but we were all around them. I also believe they will be ready although they have this shocking news,” he said.
“They were not at their best emotionally but I believe they will be focused for the game,” added Saudi winger Khalid Alghannam.


Chelsea agree deal to sign English winger Gittens from Dortmund

Updated 03 July 2025
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Chelsea agree deal to sign English winger Gittens from Dortmund

  • The agreement was made at Fort Lauderdale, with contractual details still to be settled
  • “Jamie Gittens’s career is an example of the development of top talents at Borussia,” Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken said

LONDON: Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign English winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga club said on Thursday, with the 20-year-old set to sign a seven-year contract in a move reportedly worth 55 million pounds ($75.02 million).
The clubs are currently in the United States for the Club World Cup, where they have both reached the quarter-final stage, and the agreement was made at Fort Lauderdale, with contractual details still to be settled.


Gittens joined Dortmund as a youth player in 2020 from Manchester City, making his senior debut in 2022, and has made 107 appearances for the German side in all competitions, scoring 17 goals.
“Jamie Gittens’s career is an example of the development of top talents at Borussia,” Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken said in a club statement.
“We discovered Jamie very early, practically signed him for free, continuously developed him in our youth performance center, and also offered him playing time at the very highest level with the first team.
“Jamie has repaid the trust placed in him with commitment, performance, and goals.”
Chelsea are looking to strengthen their left wing after they opted not to make Jadon Sancho’s loan deal from Manchester United permanent.


US fans can learn from unbelievable Guatemala supporters, Pochettino says

Updated 03 July 2025
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US fans can learn from unbelievable Guatemala supporters, Pochettino says

  • “The fans of Guatemala, I need to say, wow, unbelievable. It was like, to play there,” Pochettino told reporters
  • “An unbelievable energy. That is football, that is football”

MEXICO: United States coach Mauricio Pochettino said Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals felt like a game on the road, adding that the spirit of the opposing fans was something American supporters could learn from.

Over 22,000 spectators attended the match in St. Louis and the majority were Guatemala supporters, loudly backing their team throughout the game even as Diego Luna’s early brace helped the US reach the final, where they face Mexico on Sunday.

“The fans of Guatemala, I need to say, wow, unbelievable. It was like, to play there. And that was good for our players because it was an atmosphere we didn’t expect,” former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Pochettino told reporters.

Argentine Pochettino said he hoped to see the same passion from American fans when the World Cup takes place in the US next year.

“An unbelievable energy. That is football, that is football. When we say, the connection between the team and the fans, that’s the connection we’d like to see at the World Cup. The connection that makes you fly,” he said.

“When we talk about culture, that is culture ... to see (Guatemala), how they fight, how the fans behave, that is an important thing that we need to learn in this country.”

Pochettino said that in many countries, soccer matches were seen as much more than sporting spectacles.

“In a different country, you play (to) survive. You play for food. You play for pride ... it’s not to enjoy, go home and laugh, that’s it,” he said.

“The moment that we, this roster, start to live in this way, I think we have big room to improve.”


Klopp ‘heartbroken’ by Diogo Jota’s death

Updated 03 July 2025
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Klopp ‘heartbroken’ by Diogo Jota’s death

  • “This is a moment where I struggle!” Klopp posted on Instagram
  • “I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre”

MUNICH: Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was “heartbroken” to learn Diogo Jota, who he signed in 2020, had died with his younger brother Andre in a car crash on Thursday.

Diogo Jota, 28, died alongside Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames.

Klopp, who is Red Bull’s “head of global soccer,” persuaded the Liverpool board to pay £45 million ($62 million) for Diogo Jota after he impressed at Wolves.

“This is a moment where I struggle!” Klopp posted on Instagram.


“There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it! I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre.

“Diogo was a not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father!

“We will miss you so much! All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace — Love.”

Diogo Jota was labelled an “exceptional player, exceptional boy,” by Klopp early on in the player’s spell at Liverpool.

Jota took little time to deliver some return on Liverpool’s investment, becoming the first player in the club’s history to score in his first four home games.

He was a key part of Klopp’s side that won the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22, narrowly missing out on the Premier League and Champions League for what would have been an unprecedented quadruple.