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Steve Tongue: Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:20:03 +0100

When Joe Kinnear became manager of Wimbledon in January 1992 he was a breath of fresh air. None of the foul air with which he greeted the North-east media on arrival there some 17 years later; but someone who got on famously with players, staff, fans and reporters alike. What endeared all those groups to him over the next eight seasons, even more than his hail-fellow-well-met attitude, was the success he brought to a financially struggling club that within a few years of his departure following ill health had effectively ceased to exist.

Heads up: Aston Villa signing Nicklas Helenius and the tallest players in football

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:34:14 +0100

Aston Villa today announced the signing of Nicklas Helenius from Aalborg.

French footballers Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema in court over charges of paying for sex with under-age prostitute

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:02:27 +0100

Two French international footballers who are charged with paying for sex with an underage prostitute appeared in court in Paris today.

Former Manchester United chief David Gill on a collision course with Manchester City over financial role

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +0100

David Gill, the former Manchester United chief executive who has been an ardent advocate of Financial Fair Play (FFP), will chair the Uefa committee with ultimate power to recommend bans on clubs in breach of the new spending rules.

Gareth Bale files application to trademark 'Eleven of Hearts' goal celebration logo

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:10:48 +0100

Gareth Bale could stand to make up to £3million a year if he successfully manages to trademark his 'Eleven of Hearts' goal celebration logo, according to a leading sports marketing expert.

More football factory than Tyneside factory: Circus back in town as Joe Kinnear returns to Newcastle United in surprise appointment

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:00:20 +0100

“Which one?” That was how the circus opened in October 2008. That was how Joe Kinnear made sure he would never be forgotten as a Newcastle United manager, no matter how good or bad a job he did, in the Newcastle media room at the club's Benton training ground, except it was a media room then only in that the media sat in it and it was a room.

Kevin Garside: This time around Jose Mourinho needs to win a lot more than just trophies at Chelsea

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:13:08 +0100

Were Jose Mourinho to announce that he no longer ate sausage, the internet would be ablaze in a nanosecond: "Jose drops a banger." So we should not be surprised that a dismissive line about his affection for Chelsea over any other club might be cause for the recall of Parliament, especially when one of the institutions overlooked is Manchester United.

Glenn Moore: Even for Rupert Murdoch the sums do not add up to make a summer league look viable

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:06:18 +0100

It was always likely, when the Premier League abandoned plans to play a "39th Game" overseas, that an entrepreneur somewhere would take up the opportunity to profit from the game's global appeal. With the league's TV income from foreign broadcasters now rivalling that from domestic sources, Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox is reported to have decided the time is ripe.

Rupert Murdoch wants top clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea to compete in new tournament

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 02:17:33 +0100

Fierce rivalry between the American television networks Fox and NBC is understood to be behind the suggestion that the former want to instigate a summer tournament featuring up to 16 of Europe’s leading clubs at venues all round the world.

Read all about it: The Stupid Footballer Is Dead

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 02:15:59 +0100

Paul McVeigh once played a match when he was still drunk from the previous night out. He once came back for pre-season so out of condition it cost him his place at the club. And he was once sent off for head-butting an opponent. Now he is a mentor for young players.

Cristiano Ronaldo's records and greatest goals

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:01:46 +0100

Whether Cristiano Ronaldo’s future lies at Real Madrid or Manchester United, there are no doubt that the record-breaker has had an illustrious career to date.

Neil Warnock's 'The Gaffer' exclusive extract: Anton Ferdinand has not been the same since the John Terry storm

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:33:46 +0100

I was looking forward to playing Chelsea. I’d been told at the start of the season if we beat them QPR director Amit Bhatia’s father-in-law, Lakshmi Mittal, the steel billionaire, would give me a million pounds. That was quite an incentive.

Comment: Manuel Pellegrini arrives at Manchester City - at least he's used to unbearable expectations

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:40:29 +0100

The remit sounds simple enough; land trophies and do it with style. The holistic approach. Manchester City won the league title for the first time in 44 years under Roberto Mancini. That is the minimum achievement for Manuel Pellegrini. He must also do it with more of a swagger. He must dominate in Europe. If Manchester City begin to resemble Spain or Barcelona as they do so, all the better.

Terry Venables was brilliant. Kevin Keegan believed in me... and Sven Goran Eriksson never shouted: Phil Neville lifts the lid on the managers he played for

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 01:00:15 +0100

As Phil Neville, having confirmed his retirement as a player, considers whether to stay at Everton under Roberto Martinez as a coach, he has been talking about the club and international managers he has worked for... from Terry Venables to David Moyes.

Comment: As speculation mounts over the future of Yohan Cabaye, Newcastle United fans seem ready to let him leave

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:07:26 +0100

Today it is Roma. Last week it was Manchester United. Before that it was Paris St Germain and Monaco. Last summer it was Tottenham. No wonder Newcastle supporters regular burst into song when they win a corner (they never score from them) to sing the name of Yohan Cabaye.

Three straight defeats for the England Under-21s: What went wrong? What can be done?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:28:56 +0100

England's Under-21 side are out of the European Championship following three straight defeats and their worst-ever performance at that level. The manager, Stuart Pearce, who finally lost patience with his highly paid young players after Tuesday's loss to Israel and demanded they took their share of responsibility, seems certain to lose his job.

Video: Argentine footballer throws stray dog into fence

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:07:09 +0100

An Argentine football player has been sent off after he grabbed a dog that wandered onto the pitch and threw it against a fence.

Leighton Baines and Wayne Rooney only English players in Europe's 'top 50 footballers'

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:42:31 +0100

Only two English players have made it into the list of Europe's top 50 players ranked according to new performance statistics.

Manchester City rise above Real Madrid and Barcelona to top the global pay charts - but where does your club feature?

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:16:53 +0100

Manchester City's staggering rise over the last five years was shown when they were announced as the highest paying club in any sport in the world.

James Lawton: Is this a Jose Mourinho blander, bruised and less special? Don't you believe it

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 01:00:19 +0100

Jose Mourinho has had better reviews. Some are even theorising that on the evidence of the unveiling of his Second Coming he has lost a certain snap.

Clubs press Football League to act on safe-standing trials

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 01:00:19 +0100

The Football League board is to explore what steps need to be taken in order to hold trials of safe-standing areas within grounds. Pressure is growing on the League after a majority of its member clubs backed a motion in support of the issue at their annual general meeting in Portugal.

Sport in pictures

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:40:16 +0100

Pictures from the world of sport, including all the latest images from England's summer of cricket, Formula One the British and Irish Lions tour and the French Open.

The return of Jose Mourinho: No need for feuding, bitterness and pettiness - at least for now

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:04:10 +0100

It was, at least on the surface, with humility, contentment and some far-sightedness that Jose Mourinho spoke about his return to Chelsea this afternoon.

After the minefield of Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho's time at Chelsea will seem like a stroll through the daisies

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:01:10 +0100

The problem with the theory that after failing in Spain Jose Mourinho will struggle in his second spell in the Premier League is that the difficulties that defeated him at Real Madrid don’t exist at Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho at Chelsea: No special treatment for the old guard of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:24:42 +0100

Jose Mourinho said that he was older and wiser, returning after six years away, but his new Chelsea team is likely to be far younger than what he left behind.

Community Shield between Manchester United and Wigan returns to Wembley

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:41:12 +0100

Premier League champions Manchester United will face FA Cup winners Wigan as the Community Shield returns to Wembley on August 11.

By refusing to sell Robert Lewandowski to Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund keep their best striker and their dignity - at least for another 12 months

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:40:17 +0100

The deal had seemed all but done. After the Champions League final, both Jupp Heynckes and Robert Lewandowski were quick to fuel the rumours of the latter's impending move to FC Bayern. With Heynckes having celebrated the end of his Bundesliga career and Lewandowski safely removed from the limelight, though, it is Borussia Dortmund who have had the last word.

'I think I'm a special one': Jose Mourinho in his own words

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:28:19 +0100

Chelsea have re-appointed Jose Mourinho. How it works out for the Blues is anyone's guess, but one thing is for sure, it'll be great entertainment.

James Lawton: Stuart Pearce's mollycoddled England Under-21s were brushed aside by better educated men

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:00:51 +0100

We can pursue the old bones of Stuart "Psycho" Pearce as voraciously as a pack of wolves if we like, just as long as we don't kid ourselves we are beginning to address properly England's embarrassing ejection from the European Under-21 Championship finals in Israel.

Kevin Garside: Boxed in by bad ideas, England will stay stuck in the dark ages

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:00:45 +0100

If there is one thing more frustrating than watching England's footballers labour dismally on the international stage, it is listening to football's unthinking Establishment account for our failures. Glenn Hoddle explained the England Under-21 defeat to Italy in terms of a shortfall in ability. The Italians were superior technically, he argued. Another former England coach, Steve McClaren, agreed, churning out tired, old lines about how this was always going to be a difficult game for our lads. The truly depressing aspect to this is the traction these half-baked ideas have in our land.

Jose Mourinho faces fresh set of questions at Chelsea including the future of John Terry and what transfer targets he has

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:00:05 +0100

His return to Chelsea begins officially at 1pm Monday afternoon when, in the Ron Harris suite at Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho is introduced as the club's manager for the second time. The club's long-serving press-room steward, Brian Pullman, is on holiday so someone else will have to serve the plate of Mourinho's favourite custard cream biscuits, and then it's down to business.

Relegation scandal takes toll on Doncaster Rovers Belles

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Next month, women's football will be under the spotlight as seldom before. England's three matches in the European Championship in Sweden will be screened live by the BBC, and it is a competition they have a fair chance of winning.

The Last Word: Is the wasting of Andrei Arshavin’s talent at Arsenal his fault – or Arsène Wenger’s?

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 00:00:06 +0100

You would like to have seen Roberto Mancini’s face on learning that his former employers, after limiting themselves last summer to the deadline-day signing of the Bristol Rovers tea lady and a janitor from Celta Vigo, had forked out £50m for two galacticos in the first week of June.

Heather Rabbatts: 'Many women would love a role in sport, but our culture stops them'

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The businesswoman Heather Rabbatts has so many jobs that, when one of her people instructs me to present myself at something called Smuggler, off Oxford Street, I have to double-check her Wikipedia entry. Nope, no mention that, as well as being the only woman on the board of the Football Association, a director of the Royal Opera House, a board-member of Crossrail, and the Film Council, not to mention a former barrister, trustee of Channel 4 and the Bank of England, the former chief executive of Millwall Football Club and before that, Lambeth Council, who squeezes in charity work in the minutes when most people go to the loo, she also works for an advertising production company.

Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino adds weight to winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:57:43 +0100

Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino has added his voice to those calling for a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022, insisting football should be played in the most suitable weather.

New TV deal could drag Premier League clubs out of debt - if it's not all spent on wages

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:16:41 +0100

Half the clubs in the Premier League are still making losses despite record overall revenues - but the huge new TV deal could drag most out of the red if chairmen resist blowing the money on player wages, according to a new report.

Roberto Martinez's first task is to ensure Marouane Fellaini remains at Everton

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:38:28 +0100

So another day brings confirmation of another badly kept football secret. No sooner has Jose Mourinho been officially confirmed as Chelsea manager than Everton appoint Roberto Martinez.

Sunderland pair Phil Bardsley and Stephane Sessegnon targeted by car thieves

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 01:00:18 +0100

Phil Bardsley and Stéphane Sessegnon both had two cars stolen from their homes in the North-east while they were on holiday.

Steve Tongue: Development and success – two contradictory aims for Stuart Pearce at the European Under-21 Championships

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 01:00:18 +0100

The only country to qualify for the last four European Under-21 Championships – England – have won none of them and their senior teams have subsequently won nothing either. Rather like those full international teams, England's Under-21s under have proved adept at qualifying for tournaments and less successful once they arrive.

Mourinho returns to Chelsea: The Special One says that he’s a changed man. No way, Jose

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:23:08 +0100

Since the restoration to the Chelsea throne of Jose Mourinho offers a comic element to go with the distaste he engenders in godly folk, we begin with the gag of which it reminds me. It is Christmas night in the home of a poor but fecund couple, and the father has given each of the seven sons who sleep at the other end of the marital bed a tin helmet for their present. He’s had a few, and with every drunken toss and turn, the kids are shaken from side to side so that the helmets fall off. They are finally dropping off when the old man declares: “Bridget, you are as lovely today as the day I first married you.” And from the end of the bed, a little voice pipes up: “Hang on to your bleeding helmets, lads, here we go again.”

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson becomes manager of Chinese club Guangzhou R & F

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:23:40 +0100

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has been named head coach of Chinese club Guangzhou R & F after leaving Al Nasr yesterday.

Fan's eye view on the appointment of Jose Mourinho: Chelsea's returning hero gives us a special feeling

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +0100

After a few brief flings, one or two thoughts of settling down and a destructive short-term affair, Chelsea are heading back into the arms of the supporters' first love of the Abramovich era.

James Lawton: Jose Mourinho and Chelsea - a love story that was destined to have a rerun

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +0100

Who on earth does the Special One think he is kidding when he tells Chelsea TV that he has returned to his most important passion?

Sam Wallace on the return of Jose Mourinho: There will be laughs, trophies and blood at Chelsea

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:23:21 +0100

It is a measure of the expectation that surrounds Jose Mourinho that even the press conference to introduce him as the Chelsea manager for the second time, scheduled for Monday, will be measured against the one that thrust him into the consciousness of English football nine years ago.

Jose Mourinho returns to Chelsea - but should you ever go back? From Kenny Dalglish to Kevin Keegan, how returning heroes fared

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:37:35 +0100

Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea was confirmed today.

Sam Wallace on Jose Mourinho: Return to Chelsea will end in tears

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:30:28 +0100

As Jose Mourinho returns to Chelsea, The Independent's chief football correspondent Sam Wallace predicts a second spell for the Portuguese manager will end in tears.

Jose Mourinho's previous record at Chelsea

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:25:38 +0100

It was announced today that Jose Mourinho has been appointed at Chelsea in what will be his second stint at the club.

West Ham and Millwall escape FA action following discriminatory abuse investigations

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:05:09 +0100

The Football Association has decided against charging West Ham or Millwall after investigating allegations of discriminatory abuse during two separate matches involving the clubs.

James Lawton: Wayne Rooney strike for England against Brazil lifts Roy Hodgson's mood

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +0100

For so long we were locked into another bleak example of English football's lost heart and dwindling competence but then, arching in with the light of pure deliverance, was the stunning goal of Wayne Rooney.

Sam Wallace: Leaving Tottenham for Real Madrid could be a bad move for Gareth Bale

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 01:00:00 +0100

Given that they buy everyone else's best players it is a fair assumption that at some point soon Real Madrid will win their 10th European Cup and break Barcelona's virtual stranglehold on the Spanish title. They won their last Champions League in 2002, which is not as long a wait as other major clubs have been forced to endure, but since then they have spent €930m (£795.5m) on transfer fees alone to try in vain to repeat the trick.

Miami nice for David Beckham as MLS options are explored

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100

David Beckham was in Miami over the weekend viewing sports facilities as he continues to look into the possibility of investing in a new Major League Soccer team.

Glenn Moore: Tonight's the night to play Theo Walcott up front

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 14:39:43 +0100

‘An injury to one player gives a chance to another’. It is a managerial cliché, rarely believed by anyone, but there could be a silver lining in England’s injury crisis in Rio de Janeiro tonight. With Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and Andy Carroll injured, and Jermain Defoe carrying Achilles-heel damage, the opportunity arises to play Theo Walcott where the Arsenal youngster wants to play: at the head of the attack.

Outside the Box: Premier League fail to fulfil their early England promise

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Speaking about the formation of the Premier League on a BBC Radio 5 Live programme last week, the incoming Football Association chairman, Greg Dyke, said: "It was set up to improve the finances of the top clubs. I'm not sure it was set up to improve the England team." He is correct about the first part.

The Last Word: Brazil and England on shifting sands

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The symbolism of the setting will be irresistible, but not as initially intended. The chance to be anointed by history has been tainted by reality. When England play Brazil in the Maracana today, the race to remove the rubble before next year's World Cup will have an uncomfortable resonance.

Rio Ferdinand launches attack on standards in bid to help English youngsters

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:37 +0100

The Football Association chairman, David Bernstein, has hit back at Rio Ferdinand’s claim that a new coaching strategy is needed to help English youngsters.

'Unless you apologise you will sweat the tears of my mother': Mario Balotelli furiously denies claims he sold drugs for Naples' Camorra mafia

Fri, 31 May 2013 14:20:12 +0100

Mario Balotelli has reacted angrily to claims he sold drugs for the Camorra – the fearsome mafia group based in and around Naples.

Luis Suarez confirms exit from Liverpool: The controversial career of the Uruguay striker

Fri, 31 May 2013 13:35:45 +0100

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is seemingly never out of the headlines - for both the right and wrong reasons.

Fifa approve tough new racism sanctions

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:36:57 +0100

Tough new sanctions to combat racism have been voted in with a 99 per cent majority at the FIFA Congress in Mauritius.

Fifa are now at the 'forefront of governance standards' according to Sepp Blatter

Fri, 31 May 2013 09:58:47 +0100

FIFA has emerged from one of the most troubled periods in its history and is now setting the highest standards for governance in world sport, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said today.

Matt Butler: Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker should say what he thinks more often

Fri, 31 May 2013 01:00:24 +0100

When Gary Lineker tweeted his thoughts that Roy Hodgson's tactics against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday night were "a step back to the dark ages" it prompted near unanimous agreement. But there was another comment buried under the stacks of replies which deserves airing.

Stoke City appoint Mark Hughes: Tony Pulis legacy brings danger as well as safety

Thu, 30 May 2013 18:07:53 +0100

What might be the final top-flight test of Mark Hughes’ managerial career could also be the hardest. Having been dismissed from two jobs and walked out of one other in the last four years, a failure at Stoke City could see the end of him at Premier League level, possibly forcing him out, to look for work in foreign or international management instead.

Factfile: Stoke City appoint Mark Hughes as manager in three-year deal

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:20:07 +0100

Stoke City have appointed Mark Hughes as their new manager. Here, we take a closer look at the Welshman.

James Lawton: Frank Lampard's heart is a boon to an England team short on optimism

Thu, 30 May 2013 01:00:09 +0100

In all the pressure on England to prove that they have the credentials not only to be significant contenders in next year's World Cup but the nous and the spirit to make it there, there was at least one question to encourage a hint of optimism.

Trial begins of eight accused in killing of Dutch linesman

Wed, 29 May 2013 18:37:14 +0100

Seven Dutch teenagers and an adult man accused of kicking a football linesman to death at a junior league match have gone on trial in the Netherlands.

How Emily Davison and the suffragettes targeted sport to bring attention to their cause

Wed, 29 May 2013 16:47:05 +0100

The impression given by so much that has been written about Emily Davison’s famous intrusion at the Derby a century ago is that it was an isolated incident. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was part of a campaign waged by suffragettes against sport in 1913-14, and was not even the only sabotaging of a famous horse race that year.

Kick It Out to launch app to make reporting of abuse easier for fans

Wed, 29 May 2013 12:07:32 +0100

The Kick It Out campaign are introducing a new initiative to make it easier for football fans to report abuse at matches next season.

Jack Pitt-Brooke: The drive of former Wigan manager Roberto Martinez's can decorate Everton's solid foundations

Wed, 29 May 2013 01:00:49 +0100

There is no such thing in management as a like-for-like replacement. No two personalities, philosophies or CVs are ever quite the same and so following David Moyes, with his decade-deep impression at Goodison Park, could never have been a simple switch.

James Lawton on England v Republic of Ireland: Here's hoping England's dark days are in the past

Wed, 29 May 2013 01:00:43 +0100

However much of it you had seen, the hooliganism that so coldly and systematically destroyed the last football match played between England and Ireland 18 years ago had a peculiar horror.

On a crest, a wave of abuse: Everton and the perils of football clubs changing their badges

Wed, 29 May 2013 01:00:14 +0100

Football fans can take new managers, players and kits. But when clubs start fiddling with their crests, things can get ugly, as Everton discovered this weekend.

England v Republic of Ireland: Past meetings

Tue, 28 May 2013 17:17:26 +0100

England take on the Republic of Ireland for the 15th time tomorrow.

England v Republic of Ireland: Key battles

Tue, 28 May 2013 17:16:33 +0100

Roy Hodgson faces the latest test of his international management skills tomorrow when England take on the Republic of Ireland at Wembley.

Coventry City can learn from fan-owned Swansea City

Tue, 28 May 2013 15:30:09 +0100

For Coventry City fans, there seems to be no hope. The Sky Blues entered administration in March this year and with debts of £60 million, the former Premier League club find themselves scrapping for survival and existence in League One.

Arsenal stars Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson land Emirates 'plane'

Tue, 28 May 2013 13:13:56 +0100

Arsenal players Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson stepped into the cockpit of an Emirates’ A380 for the landing of their lives.

Crystal Palace v Watford: Championship Play-off final player ratings

Tue, 28 May 2013 12:06:14 +0100

Kevin Phillips, 39 years of age and three times a losing play-off finalist, came off the bench to score a nerveless penalty that sent Crystal Palace back into the Premier League as they beat Watford 1-0 at Wembley.

James Lawton on Dylan Hartley's ban: Football accepts it has problems, if only the same could be said of rugby

Tue, 28 May 2013 10:00:14 +0100

No doubt it will take a lot more than a near flawless Champions League final to make us believe that football is near to the rehabilitation of a seriously battered image. However, the world's most popular game is entitled to at least one concession.

Matt Butler: Don't mention the war - we just love the Germans now

Sun, 26 May 2013 22:55:06 +0100

The love-in with German football has infiltrated ITV, big-time. Adrian Chiles talked of his feeling of "strong man-love" towards Jürgen Klopp, the Borussia Dortmund manager. Two-thirds of his familiar trio of pundits, Lee Dixon, Gareth Southgate and Roy Keane concurred – German football is the best thing since sliced bratwurst. You can guess which was the contrarian.

James Lawton: An example of football's classic values to serve any age well

Sun, 26 May 2013 22:55:05 +0100

What a game it was, what winners, what losers and what a football culture they represented. This was billed as not so much the championship of Europe as a contest for the bragging rights of a new era.

Sam Wallace: Forget the Golden Generation, it's the Next Generation that's a worry

Sun, 26 May 2013 22:55:05 +0100

There is not a single player from Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund in Joachim Löw's Germany squad for their friendly against Ecuador in Miami on Wednesday. In fact, from the two Champions League finalists only Dortmund's Kevin Grosskreutz and Sven Bender will join up for the second friendly against the US in Washington on Sunday.

Outside the Box: Short haul in top flight is the custom after this summer

Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The sacking of Tony Pulis at the end of last week means that the average length of tenure for Premier League managers stands at an all-time low; and not just because Sir Alex Ferguson has finally moved on.

The Calvin report: Stirring Champions League final shows how far English game must advance

Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The Bayern Munich fans had smuggled their scarlet flares into the upper tiers at Wembley, and bellowed their theme tune, "Stern des Sudens", until they were hoarse. They sang of fire, life and love. European football has a compelling champion, and a fresh narrative to follow.

Smudger Smith: This evening will be the pits for one German team tonight - and things could get hairy

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:13:56 +0100

In a professional career spanning almost two decades, Simon “Smudger” Smith has played for over 67 clubs and has reinvented himself time and again, from poacher to goalkeeper.

Why Manchester City were willing to fork out $500m on stake in MLS

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:54 +0100

This Abu Dhabi deal to enter the world of Major League Soccer is an eye-watering investment, even by Emirates standards. That’ll be $100m (£66m) to buy a franchise, please.

Champions League final: Biggest German invasion since the fifth century as Borussia Dortmund face Bayern Munich

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:46 +0100

Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s European Champions League final at Wembley, no-one will be able to deny that the Germans have finally mounted a second successful invasion of the UK.

James Lawton: Borussia Dortmund manager Jürgen Klopp masters the crying game to forge spirit that can shock Bayern Munich

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:33 +0100

There is so much that is admirable about Bayern Munich you could almost feel guilty while rooting for their third Champions League final defeat in four years at Wembley tonight.

Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend charged with breaching betting regulations

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:44:06 +0100

Andros Townsend has pulled out of the England squad for next month’s European Under-21 Championship after being charged by the Football Association with allegedly breaking betting regulations.

'Too expensive and too corporate' – ITV presenter Adrian Chiles says of English football as he praises the German Bundesliga ahead of Bayern Munich facing Borussia Dortmund

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:40:11 +0100

The football presenter Adrian Chiles has expressed his concern at the lack of atmosphere inside big English grounds, and appealed to clubs to consider lowering ticket prices.

After troubles at Chelsea, Rafael Benitez faces another testing role at Napoli

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:48:21 +0100

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is a man of the theatre. Ever since the resignation of popular manager Walter Mazzarri at the conclusion of the Serie A season last Sunday, the eccentric boss has teased the club’s faithful supporters and the media with hints about the identity of their new coach.

FA Women’s Cup Final: Failure drives Arsenal Ladies on ahead of match with Bristol Academy

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:50:19 +0100

Arsenal Ladies can add yet another trophy to their collection on Sunday afternoon, as they contest the FA Women’s Cup Final against Bristol Academy at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium.

Three Brighton footballers, including Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers' son Anton - plus one Bournemouth player - cleared of sexual assault

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:18:42 +0100

Four footballers were cleared today of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room.

You Write the Caption - 24/05/13

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:32:49 +0100

Michel Platini: "Just five tickets to the Garden Party will ensure the Euro 2020 final is at Wembley"

Rock on! Gibraltar become Uefa memeber - but will be kept apart from Spain during qualification for Euro 2016

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:05:38 +0100

Gibraltar and Spain will be kept apart when the qualifying draw is made for Euro 2016 after Uefa added the fixture to a shortlist of matches that Europe’s governing body seeks to avoid at all costs.

Outgoing Manchester United chief executive David Gill elected to Uefa role

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:57:30 +0100

Manchester United's outgoing chief executive David Gill has been elected to UEFA's executive committee.

Major refinancing sees Manchester United slash interest bill by £10m a year

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:00:25 +0100

Manchester United have cut their interest bill by £10million a year after a major refinancing through Bank of America.

British football scores an own goal

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

"Football… bloody hell!" Sir Alex Ferguson, famously wrestled to the ground by the English language and Manchester United's astonishing comeback against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League Final, produced a quote so inarticulate it has achieved a kind of gnomic eloquence.