Wayne Rooney has suggested Alex Ferguson committed tactical suicide during Manchester United s two Champions League final losses to Barcelona.
Rooney became a European champion under Ferguson when United beat Chelsea on penalties in the 2008 final in Moscow but they fell at the last hurdle in their bid to retain the trophy the following season – running into Pep Guardiola s formidable Barca in Rome.
United had the chance to avenge that 2-0 loss in the Italian capital at Wembley in 2011 but, despite Rooney cancelling out Pedro s first-half opener, superb goals from Lionel Messi and David Villa saw the Blaugrana run out deserved 3-1 winners.
Rooney was discussing how best to approach crunch European nights in his Sunday Times column, previewing the forthcoming …
Manchester United are interested in signing Kaoru Mitoma from Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners United, are planning a bid for the Japan international winger in January.
Kaoru Mitoma has been on the books of Brighton since 2021 and has established himself as one of the best players for the Seagulls. The 26-year-old has made six starts and one substitute appearance in the Premier League for Brighton so far this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists in the process.
Manchester United are 10th in the Premier League table at the moment with nine points from seven matches, seven points behind Liverpool in fourth plac…
Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City players to not take Borussia Dortmund and their incredible quality lightly in Tuesday s Champions League quarter-final first leg.
City saw off Dortmund s Bundesliga rivals Borussia Monchengladbach to book their last-eight spot, while Die Schwarzgelben edged past Sevilla.
It will be the first meeting between the sides since the group stage of the 2012-13 season, which saw a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium and a 1-0 win for Dortmund in the reverse fixture in Germany.
Despite a seven-game unbeaten run in the Champions League, Dortmund have endured a difficult domestic campaign, with Saturday s 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt leaving them seven points adrift of fourth place.
Guardiola knows Dortmund well…
Joshua Kimmich and Julian Nagelsmann led the praise for Bayern Munich s rampant attacking unit after Friday s 6-1 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern made it two wins from two to start the season after their 5-3 DFL-Supercup victory over RB Leipzig last week, beginning their Bundesliga campaign in similarly stunning fashion.
They had 23 shots, aiming 10 of those on target, worth 4.2 expected goals (xG) to Frankfurt s 0.9 xG from eight attempts.
Kimmich opened the scoring with the quickest goal scored directly from a free-kick in the Bundesliga since November 2019, before Benjamin Pavard made it 2-0 to Bayern by the 10th minute.
Hosts Eintracht squandered some golden chances, but Bayern were in scintillating form, with Sadio Mane – the first player t…
Not a window goes by where Sergej Milinkovic-Savic s name does not emerge in transfer speculation.
The 27-year-old s contract expires at the end of the 2023-24 season, but Juventus are keen to move on the long sought-after Lazio midfielder.
The Serbia international has only progressed under Maurizio Sarri, attracting reported interest from the Turn giants.
TOP STORY – JUVE RAMP UP CHASE FOR MILINKOVIC-SAVIC
Milinkovic-Savic s agent Mateja Kezman has commenced talks with Juventus over a possible transfer from Lazio, according to Calciomercato.
The Serbian midfielder has long been a weak area since their appearance in the Champions League final in 2015, and multiple coaches in that period have not been conducive for personnel.
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Julian Weigl was taken aback by his recall to the Germany squad after a five-year absence, having previously been considered a potential future superstar.
Weigl rose to prominence at Borussia Dortmund, earning his first senior Germany cap 14 months after moving to BVB from 1860 Munich in 2015 as a 19-year-old.
His form during his first couple of seasons in the Bundesliga drew links with some of Europe s biggest clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Manchester City apparently particularly keen on the talented deep-lying playmaker.
But he struggled to maintain that level after Thomas Tuchel s exit and was frustrated by untimely injuries, ultimately falling out of favour and being sold to Benfica for a reported €20million in January 2020.
The move…
Manchester United became the best school in Nani s life once he learned how to work with Alex Ferguson – but crossing that bridge was not easy for the former Portugal star.
Nani s United career was a curious one, for he constantly had to contend with comparisons to compatriot and fellow Sporting CP product Cristiano Ronaldo, and that seemingly impacted fan expectations of him at the start.
His first season had some memorable highs, as he highlighted his penchant for a spectacular goal or two with long-range strikes against Middlesbrough and Tottenham, while also helping United to a Premier League and Champions League double, scoring in the penalty shootout that secured European glory.
Yet, despite his 12 Premier League goal involvements that term, Nani was regu…
It has been an incredible start to the 2020-21 Premier League season, but no one could have foreseen what happened on Sunday.
Manchester United were dismantled 6-1 by Tottenham at Old Trafford and just hours later reigning champions Liverpool were thrashed 7-2 by Aston Villa.
It was United s joint-heaviest home defeat in the Premier League era and the first time Liverpool had conceded seven in any game in 57 years.
The international break could not have come at a more frustrating time for neutral fans, with this season shaping up to be one of the most remarkable of all time.
With the help of Opta, we look at some of the stand-out statistics from a breathtaking start to the campaign.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
There have been 144 goals in the …
Manchester United are not favourites against Villarreal in a 50-50 Europa League final, according to Diego Forlan, who played for both clubs.
United face the LaLiga side in Gdansk on Wednesday as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer aims to get his hands on a first piece of silverware in the role.
This is United s eighth major European final but Villarreal s first.
Forlan feels this history has skewed perceptions of the match, though, with Villarreal unbeaten in Europe this season and led by Unai Emery, who is aiming to become the first coach to win the UEFA Cup or Europa League four times.
I don t think Manchester United is the favourite, Forlan told Stats Perform.
People say Manchester United due to its history, what it means, and for being such a big…
Vincent Kompany challenged Bayern Munich to bounce back from their 2023-24 disappointment, and wants to see which players are most hungry to win again .
The Belgian was named Bayern s new boss on a three-year deal, replacing the outgoing Thomas Tuchel following a trophyless campaign at the Allianz Arena.
The Bavarian giants surrendered their 11-year grip on the Bundesliga title to Xabi Alonso s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen, while Real Madrid defeated them in the Champions League semi-finals.
Kompany knows what it takes to respond in the face of adversity, with Manchester City coming up just short against the likes of Manchester United in the Premier League in between the four titles he won during his time with the Citizens.
And he has urged his new squad to…