Success under the Abu Dhabi regime made supporters feel proud, but they can only really get those feelings back under new custodians Amid the hundreds of thousands of words written and spoken about Manchester City being found guilty of serious breaches of Premier League rules, maybe Roberto Mancini’s were the most poignant when he announced it was “not my concern”. Why would it be? He made millions from one of the “sham contracts” and enjoyed his success but his ties to the club started and ended there. Since he has gone there will have been little looking at what was left behind. The Italian is a microcosm of the modern club, appointed for his expertise and well remunerated for it. Mancini was deemed the best person City could hire and the club, powered by an attitude of win at all costs, accommodated him at great expense in a manner that a damning independent commission verdict concluded circumnavigated the rules. Continue reading...

* City face sanctions after more than 100 rule breaches * Club insists it is innocent and is expected to appeal Manchester City have been found guilty of the vast majority of more than a hundred charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, throwing English football into turmoil. The serial champions now face the possibility of being relegated from the Premier League, or expelled from the competition altogether, after a verdict in the biggest disciplinary case in the history of the sport was finally delivered. Continue reading...

Perhaps it is testament to the progress Leeds have made since returning to the Premier League just over a year ago that there was discontent at failing to move up to third after drawing with Crystal Palace. Instead, Daniel Farke’s side enter the prolonged international break in fifth and unbeaten, which is a fine achievement in itself. Apart from Tyrick Mitchell’s disallowed goal, neither side gave much impression they would secure the points. For Palace, it was a first clean sheet of the Premier League season, having conceded at least twice in their opening four games, relieving pressure on Pierre Sage, while Leeds suffered their first blank. Continue reading...

Recruitment is under scrutiny after £155m was spent on three midfielders while other positions were neglected There was a mix of boos and apathy as Manchester United slumped out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday in their latest depressing act in domestic cup competitions. A solemn Michael Carrick and his players were the target for the jeers. The director of football, Jason Wilcox, looked unamused on his way out of the directors’ box but he and the hierarchy need to accept responsibility for their actions. This is the natural course of football, where supporters know what is good or bad and give a rapid opinion to those whose wages they deem they pay. Carrick and his charges are the face of the club, the ones put up to speak with journalists and sent to promote the wares of sponsors. Continue reading...

Some scoffed at £125m price tag, but the Argentinian did the work of two midfielders after Phil Foden’s red card Enzo Maresca does not pay the bills at Manchester City but he is ecstatic that those who do spent £125m for him to be reunited with Enzo Fernández. The manager and the midfielder were together at Chelsea, forming a strong bond over a relatively short time, one the Italian knew could provide the final piece within his master plan. The Argentinian was equally eager to work under Maresca once more and made it abundantly clear to his previous employers where he saw his future. Questions were immediately raised about the fee for the 25-year-old who had spent the summer winding up opponents on the way to losing the World Cup final against Spain. Some pondered his attitude and quality but Maresca was adamant he knew what he was doing and City agreed with a deadline-day move. Continue reading...

A lack of offers and problems in finding a replacement may be behind the move, but that does not mean it cannot work The first chant of the match was for Marcus Rashford, Manchester United’s returning rogue son, the one banished for 18 months, first to the Midlands and then Catalonia. Every football fan loves an academy product who has risen up the ranks, from scrawny child to getting 76,000 off their seats. Rashford is one of these, living out the dream of everyone inside Old Trafford and they are willing to forgive but want something in return. Not since 7 December 2024 has Rashford been seen in red at Old Trafford. Then it was as a substitute forlornly trying to turn things around in an eventual 3-2 defeat by Nottingham Forest. His relationship with Ruben Amorim was already deteriorating, the second head coach to have become irritated with Rashford. After loans with Aston Villa and Barcelona, everyone is surprised to see him back; it feels like a marriage of convenience because of a lack of offers and securing a replacement was deemed complex. Continue reading...

The £85m midfielder passed his exams a year early, is studying for a degree and is ready to tackle Premier League learning curve “He’s like a computer,” the former Lille head of academy recruitment Mathieu Frison says of the £85m Manchester City recruit Ayyoub Bouaddi. “You teach him something, he learns it and can do it immediately.” Bouaddi has the mountainous challenge at his new club of replacing the best central midfielder in the world. It would be difficult for any player but at 18 years old it feels monumental, although those who know the Morocco international best would not bet against him. Bouaddi has known only Lille and Ligue 1 but is entering one of the biggest clubs in the world where a season without a trophy is deemed a failure. For someone so young, however, he has plenty of experience. He made his European debut three days after his 16th birthday and has played three full seasons in the first team, culminating in a place at the World Cup this summer. Continue reading...

Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement 13 years ago, Manchester United have been stuck in football’s equivalent of purgatory and a chastening experience in Hull suggests they could be there a while longer. Michael Carrick’s permanent appointment was supposed to hail a new era at Old Trafford but very little has changed based on this defeat. United were sluggish from start to finish and rightly punished for failing to defend set-pieces with any degree of competence. Centre-backs Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy earned the Tigers the prized scalp upon their return to the Premier League, while United are left to ponder if the squad requires more invasive surgery before the transfer window closes. Continue reading...

They have a new manager and a higher net spend than Manchester City, but will that be enough for Ipswich to avoid another yo-yoing relegation? Guardian writers’ predicted position: 19th (NB: this is not necessarily Will Unwin’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 2nd (Championship) Continue reading...

More games, less money but plenty of entertainment will make it a compelling Championship season for Burnley and West Ham. Zian Flemming’s two late goals secured a much-deserved point for the hosts as the Hammers cracked under pressure in this Premier League tribute act. Maximilian Kilman and Manor Solomon pounced in the box to seemingly set West Ham on their way to victory but Flemming ensured the points were shared, scoring first from the spot and then from a corner. Burnley had missed numerous chances but found his golden touch at the right time. Continue reading...

Uncertainty about the club’s future was matched by some on the pitch in 1-1 draw with Notts County If Leicester thought this season was going to be the footballing equivalent of a gap year, visiting new places and learning some life lessons before returning home, then they were mistaken. Being outfought and outperformed by Notts County, a well-organised and energetic team promoted from the fourth tier, brought the harsh reality of life to the fore on Saturday. Russell Martin’s desire to play out from the back provided the fragile foundation of a dispiriting performance for a team tipped to storm back up. Ollie Cooper charging down the ponderous Alex McCarthy before seeing the ball bounce back off the crossbar welcomed Leicester to League One within six minutes. McCarthy or the confused centre-back pairing of Caleb Okoli and Harry Souttar repeatedly gave the ball away in and around the penalty area as the team created their own problems. Things went so badly that a compilation of the slapstick defensive output quickly gained traction on social media. Continue reading...

* Group including Amazon founder has held talks with FSG * Bhatia and Facebook co-founder Saverin also involved A consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is close to completing a deal for a 30% stake in Liverpool after months of talks with Fenway Sports Group. The investors are led by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, who previously was a shareholder at Queens Park Rangers. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is another member of the group who are set to pay in the region of £1.35bn for almost a third of the Premier League club. The Guardian understands the deal is effectively agreed but may take up to a month to complete. Continue reading...

Salford and Chesterfield look set to challenge for promotion, while Rochdale and York could struggle after managerial changes Salford meekly lost the playoff final and that was the end of days for Karl Robinson as he was sacked. Peter Cklamovski was not the obvious replacement, but the Australian left behind the Malaysia national side for a crack at League Two with the rebranded Ammies, who are back in their traditional orange. Macaulay Langstaff has arrived with the task of providing the goals to finally get Salford up and few would bet against the striker. Continue reading...

The 50th anniversary is the perfect time to remember 50 of the most famous – and infamous – attempts at the Czech’s chip It is 50 years since Antonin Panenka won the European Championship for Czechoslovakia with the most audacious penalty ever taken. His signature chip wasn’t instantly eponymous. A search of the British newspaper archives shows that it was barely mentioned until Francesco Totti dusted it off for the internet generation at Euro 2000. It was at least another decade before Panenka was commonly used as a noun, and it did not have its own Wikipedia page until 2014, but in 2026 every football fan has an idea of what it means. The 50th anniversary is the perfect time to remember 50 of the most famous – and infamous – attempts. Continue reading...

Manchester United are targeting the Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, who would cost in the region of £50m

The oil giant’s sponsorship deal with Fifa has featured prominently at matches in Houston. But 100 miles away in another Texas city, residents say the firm’s refinery is exposing them to poisonous gas...

Enzo Maresca has been confirmed as Manchester City’s new manager, replacing Pep Guardiola on a three-year contract

In today’s newsletter: the Pacific islands hoping to enter World Cup qualifying before ocean level increase wipes them from the map “This is not just about football, it’s about building something from scratch,” Eriati Reebo, the Kiribati football president, explains. “A legacy, a story, that the world will always remember.” Kiribati, a group of Pacific islands south of Hawaii with 138,000 inhabitants, is seeking entry into World Cup qualifying for the 2030 tournament. Becoming a recognised international football team would help bring attention to the only nation on earth that sits within all four hemispheres, and one that is rapidly disappearing from the map. It could be the first, but certainly not the last, country to be engulfed by sea water, leaving it uninhabitable. And before that happens, it wants to professionalise the football setup and become a full member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). This would both create a route to competing with bigger nations and help keep the Kiribati spirit alive. Continue reading...

Two deadly strikers, two creative forces and an all-but unbeatable goalkeeper make up our picks for the season The adulation offers a fine indication of how good the Manchester United captain has been this season. At the start, he was dragging Ruben Amorim’s interpretation of a team through matches and spent the past five months leading Michael Carrick’s unified side. Awards and records keep coming his way; winning the Football Writers’ Association player of the season award was swiftly followed by picking up a record Premier League assist tally of 21 at Brighton on the final day of the season. Considering United were very open to selling Fernandes less than a year ago, one wonders what would have happened at Old Trafford without him. “At one point I was going to leave – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay not only for family reasons but because I genuinely like the club,” Fernandes told Canal 11. “But from the club’s side, I felt a bit of: ‘If you go, it’s not really that bad for us.’ That hurts me a little. More than hurting, it makes me sad, because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise me for. I’m always available for every match, I always play, whether well or badly. I give my maximum.” Fernandes brings incredible intelligence and work rate on the pitch, supported by stunning technique that has put him above his United teammates, who all feed off him. It is hard to argue that any other Premier League captain is more influential than Fernandes and United have reaped the awards. Continue reading...

Pep Guardiola took over from Manuel Pellegrini in 2016. Here we chart the trophy-laden decade that followed … It was confirmed on 1 February that Pep Guardiola would be heading to east Manchester to try his hand at English football. Behind the scenes, plenty went on to create a squad suited to him but, in truth, it was a season of transition as the new head coach investigated who could fit into his system and what needed to change. It was soon apparent how influential the era-defining Kevin De Bruyne would be for Guardiola, as his class in midfield shone. City showed promise but finished third in the Premier League and were knocked out by Monaco in the Champions League last 16 as the new head coach began without a trophy. Continue reading...

The ‘Turkish Simon Cowell’ says sealing promotion to the Premier League via Saturday’s playoff final would ‘finish the miracle’ “I love the city – for me, it’s therapy,” the Hull owner, Acun Ilicali, says of his second home. Running a football club is not particularly therapeutic but after almost four-and-a-half-years at the helm, the Turkish media mogul will have his day at Wembley on Saturday when the Tigers face Middlesbrough for a place in the Premier League. Life is rarely quiet for the globetrotting Ilicali, regarded as Turkey’s answer to Simon Cowell. He produces some of the world’s most popular television shows in numerous countries, having started out as a sports reporter. The entertainment theme has continued at Hull, creating a tumultuous and gripping reality that has featured head coaches coming and going, and playoff and relegation battles. Everything aligned this season, the team securing sixth place on the final day before defeating third-placed Millwall over two legs. Hull have even been victims of Southampton’s removal from the playoff final amid “spygate”. It is never dull in Hull. Continue reading...

Manchester City manager turned on the charm as he met the media for his final pre-match press conference Pep Guardiola cracked a joke about fielding questions on facing Aston Villa as he entered the room. But after more than 1,100 press conferences in 10 years at Manchester City he knew this one was never going to be normal, requiring him to run through the past decade in half an hour. He has been building up to this for a while, the end nigh for weeks, the energy levels depleted and a break needed, especially from journalists. Guardiola recently revealed that John Stones experienced great relief after announcing he would be leaving City and the manager was embracing the same feelings. There was plenty of emotion initially, Guardiola admitting his leaving speech to the players earlier in the day was “a disaster”. Finding the right words in these situations was never going to be easy. It does feel at times as if City is the club Guardiola built. “I like to think my vibe and energy will be there for ever,” he said. Continue reading...

This is the new Manchester United era of happy accidents being overseen by Michael Carrick and helped by confusing officiating as they edged past Nottingham Forest. If it was not for a lack of obvious options five months ago, United and Carrick may not have been reunited, nor would they be third in the Premier League and heading back to the Champions League, on the day Bruno Fernandes equalled the all-time Premier League assist record. Carrick has a two-year contract on the table and cannot require too much mulling over. The improving Old Trafford atmosphere was further boosted after the final home game being won partly thanks to a bizarre decision by Michael Salisbury to allow a Matheus Cunha goal to stand, on account of Bryan Mbeumo’s clear handball in the buildup being “accidental”, much to the confusion of everyone without a whistle. Continue reading...

It was the night all the nerves vanished into the ether, replaced by every track on the Leeds United soundtrack as Premier League survival was all but confirmed. It was all too easy to defeat rudderless and relegated Burnley, to put Leeds nine points clear of the relegation zone, with their rivals having four games remaining. Anton Stach’s smart shot started the festivities before Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin provided the headline act to move Leeds above Newcastle into 14th and extend the gap to 18th-placed Tottenham. The final half an hour at Elland Road was boisterous as the supporters celebrated a crucial victory in what will be a hard-fought journey to safety. Continue reading...

The final whistle brought a second of relief before the celebrations truly kicked in after Nottingham Forest secured a place in the Europa League semi-finals. It should have been easier but nothing is simple at the City Ground as they made hard work of overcoming Porto, who played almost the entire match with 10 men. Morgan Gibbs-White settled the match, to set up an all English clash with Aston Villa for a place in the final. His goal came in the aftermath of Jan Bednarek’s early sending off and should have laid the foundations for more but Forest’s finishing was poor, forcing them to grind out the victory. Continue reading...