Football news live updates: Latest from across Europe, West Ham and Aston Villa in action

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Omar Garrick
Football news live updates: Latest from across Europe, West Ham and Aston Villa in action
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18 New Updates

No Barca, Liverpool or Man Utd. What now for the new Club World Cup?

It’s FIFA’s shiny new toy and the brainchild of the body’s president, Gianni Infantino.

Yet the inaugural, expanded, 32-team Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States next summer, will kick off without a number of football’s European heavyweight sides and the participation of many of the game’s stars is far from guaranteed.

Barcelona’s 4-1 home defeat by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, condemning them to a 6-4 aggregate exit from the Champions League quarter-finals, means they join a list of definite absentees that already includes Manchester United, Liverpool and AC Milan.

Arsenal will also miss out after being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.

So with some of the world’s most decorated clubs and plenty of individual footballers with the greatest commercial pull failing to book their places, what does this mean for the new competition?

No Barcelona, Liverpool or Manchester United. What now for the new Club World Cup?

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No Barcelona, Liverpool or Manchester United. What now for the new Club World Cup?

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Hayes says James missed Chelsea win with injury, no return date given

Hayes says James missed Chelsea win with injury, no return date given

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes explained Lauren James missed Wednesday’s WSL victory over Aston Villa because of injury but refused to comment on the nature of the problem or time scale for her return.

James, who has 13 goals in 15 WSL appearances this season, played the full 90 minutes during Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester United but was not listed in Chelsea’s squad for the three-goal victory over Villa.

“She was unavailable, as was (Jelena) Cankovic,” said Hayes after the game. “Cankovic was sick this morning and Lauren is injured.”

Read the full article below.

Emma Hayes says Lauren James missed Chelsea win with injury, no return date given

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Emma Hayes says Lauren James missed Chelsea win with injury, no return date given

Juventus ordered to pay Ronaldo more than €9.7m in unpaid wages

Juventus ordered to pay Ronaldo more than €9.7m in unpaid wages

Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

Juventus have been ordered to pay their former player Cristiano Ronaldo more than €9.7million ($10.35m, £8.3m) plus interest in back wages by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Ronaldo, 39, played for the Italian club between 2018 and 2021 with the back payment related to his agreement with Juventus to defer part of his wages during the Covid pandemic.

Juventus said in a statement on Wednesday that they will “review the decision made by the (FIGC) arbitration board” and noted that the decision recognised “the absence of fraud” by the club, whose conduct “did not affect” Ronaldo’s willingness to “enter into such a compensation reduction agreement.”

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Premier League unlikely to get fifth Champions League place after Bayern Munich beat Arsenal

Premier League unlikely to get fifth Champions League place after Bayern Munich beat Arsenal

Alex Grimm/Getty Images

The Premier League is on course to miss out on an additional place in next season’s Champions League following Arsenal’s elimination by Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday.

Two nations will be awarded an extra fifth place in next season’s edition of Europe’s premier club competition, with the performance of Italian sides in Europe set to guarantee Serie A gains one of those slots.

The second spot based on co-efficients will either go to the Premier League or the German Bundesliga, with the two nations neck-and-neck before the start of the quarter-final stages of the three competitions.

The Bundesliga’s average was marginally ahead of the Premier League’s, but the German top-flight had just four clubs remaining in the competition compared to five English clubs.

With this week's results...the news is not good for the Premier League.

Premier League unlikely to get fifth Champions League place after Bayern Munich beat Arsenal

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Premier League unlikely to get fifth Champions League place after Bayern Munich beat Arsenal

Everton manager Sorensen signs new deal until 2026

Everton Women manager Brian Sorensen has signed new contract to remain in charge until June 2026.

Sorensen, 43, joined the Merseyside club from Danish outfit Fortuna Hjorring ahead of the 2022-23 season and led Everton to a top-six finish in the Women’s Super League (WSL) in his maiden campaign.

Sorensen — whose previous deal was set to expire this summer — said: “I’m very happy – I really like it here. I like the club, I like the people in the club and I like the fans.

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De Rossi to stay on as Roma head coach

De Rossi to stay on as Roma head coach

Steve Bardens/Getty Images

Daniele De Rossi will stay on as Roma head coach on a permanent basis, the club have confirmed.

The former midfielder and club captain was appointed until the end of the season in January following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

He has gone on to win 11 of his 16 games in all competitions, only losing twice.

Owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin confirmed the move on Thursday and pledged to “build a long-term project” with the 40-year-old at the helm.

A statement read: “After meeting yesterday afternoon with Daniele De Rossi, we are delighted to announce he will continue as head coach of AS Roma after this season and for the foreseeable future.

“In his short tenure as head coach, the positive impact that his leadership has brought to the entire club has told its own story.

“Daniele leads with respect and courage, while his strength and deep-rooted belief in the club are truly aligned with Roma’s values, city and unparalleled fans.

“We will continue to work together as hard as we possibly can to deliver a future that AS Roma’s fans deserve. We couldn’t be happier to build a long-term project with Daniele.”

Daniele De Rossi to stay on as Roma head coach

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Daniele De Rossi to stay on as Roma head coach

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Newcastle receive Wilson boost as striker returns to training after injury

Newcastle receive Wilson boost as striker returns to training after injury

Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images

Callum Wilson has returned to first-team training with his Newcastle United team-mates as the England striker aims to return before the end of the month.

The 32-year-old underwent surgery in February on a pectoral injury which he suffered when grappling with a defender in the final minute of Newcastle’s 3-2 victory at Nottingham Forest on February 10.

Wilson left the pitch at the City Ground using his shirt as a makeshift sling and was initially ruled out for 12 weeks after requiring surgery.

Newcastle receive Callum Wilson boost as striker returns to training after injury

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Newcastle receive Callum Wilson boost as striker returns to training after injury

Arsenal paid the price for switching off - Jorginho

Jorginho Arsenal

Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Jorginho says a crucial lapse in concentration cost Arsenal in their Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

The tie was delicately poised after last week's 2-2 draw in the first leg at the Emirates, but Joshua Kimmich's 63rd-minute header from Raphael Guerreiro's cross was enough to send the Germans through to the semi-finals 3-2 on aggregate.

Kimmich was left unmarked at the back post for what to proved to be the game's only goal and Jorginho admitted his side should have dealt with the cross better.

"I think we could've defended it better, of course," he told TNT Sports after the game.

"When it's a tight game, if you switch off for one second then it's a goal.

"It's a tough one (to take) but, in this competition, if you switch off for just a little bit then you pay the price.

"Unfortunately we didn't go through but we have to keep our heads up because we still have a lot to play (for)."

Mikel Arteta's side are now winless in their past three matches in all competitions and play Wolverhampton Wanderers in a do-or-die game on Saturday with their Premier League title hopes hanging in the balance after last weekend's defeat to Aston Villa.

The Gunners are second in the table — two points behind leaders Manchester City — with six games of the season remaining.

Arsenal’s progress this season will be undermined if their title challenge fizzles out

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Arsenal’s progress this season will be undermined if their title challenge fizzles out

PL clubs may need independent regulator approval for overseas games

PL clubs may need independent regulator approval for overseas games

Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images

Premier League clubs could require approval from a government-approved independent regulator should they wish to play any home matches abroad, due to a clause inserted into the Football Governance Bill that was introduced to the UK parliament in March.

The possibility of taking one-off domestic league fixtures abroad has increased after FIFA were dropped from a landmark lawsuit by the U.S. events promoter Relevent, who in 2018 were thwarted in their attempts to take a La Liga fixture between Girona and Barcelona to Miami in the United States.

Read the full story below.

Premier League clubs may need independent regulator approval for overseas games

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Premier League clubs may need independent regulator approval for overseas games

Man Utd complete Old Trafford task force with four new additions, Neville dials in for first meeting

Man Utd complete Old Trafford task force with four new additions, Neville dials in for first meeting

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Manchester United and Trafford Council’s joint Old Trafford task force has been finalised with the addition of four new members.

The joint task force was created at the beginning of March to explore options for regenerating the Old Trafford area of Greater Manchester, with the building of a new stadium at the heart of plans given greater priority since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in the club.

Lord Sebastian Coe was appointed as chair of the task force and confirmed on X — formerly known as Twitter — that he chaired its inaugural meeting on Monday night.

The task force includes Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, and Sara Todd, Trafford Council’s CEO, as well as Gary Neville, the former United defender.

Read the full story below.

Manchester United complete Old Trafford task force with four new additions, Gary Neville dials in for first meeting

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Manchester United complete Old Trafford task force with four new additions, Gary Neville dials in for first meeting

Klopp echoes pre-Barcelona sentiment before Atalanta: ‘If we fail, let’s fail in a most beautiful way’

Klopp echoes pre-Barcelona sentiment before Atalanta: ‘If we fail, let’s fail in a most beautiful way’

Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images

Jurgen Klopp has reiterated the rallying call he gave to his team ahead of the famous second leg comeback against Barcelona in 2019 as Liverpool prepare to overturn another 3-0 deficit against Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-final.

Goals from Gianluca Scamacca (2) and Mario Pasalic at Anfield have given Liverpool a mountain to climb and, unlike previous European comebacks under Klopp, it will have to be done away from home.

“I remember that I said (in 2019): ‘If we fail, then let’s fail in a most beautiful way’ and that’s how I see it again,” said Klopp, who initially joked that he already had a pre-match speech written.

Read what Klopp had to say in full below ahead of tonight's clash.

Jurgen Klopp echoes pre-Barcelona sentiment before Atalanta: ‘If we fail, let’s fail in a most beautiful way’

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Jurgen Klopp echoes pre-Barcelona sentiment before Atalanta: ‘If we fail, let’s fail in a most beautiful way’

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Romario re-registers as player in Brazil aged 58 to play alongside his son

Romario re-registers as player in Brazil aged 58 to play alongside his son

Allsport UK/ALLSPORT

Former Brazil and Barcelona forward Romario has officially registered himself as a player for Rio de Janeiro second-division side America-RJ, where he also serves as the club president.

The 58-year-old confirmed on social media that he will be playing and participating in future matches.

Romario’s plans regarding his return to America-RJ’s line-up remain uncertain. While he clarified that he won’t participate in league matches, he expressed a strong desire to share the pitch with his son, Romarinho, who also plays for the club.

Read the full story below.

Romario: Ex-Barcelona forward re-registers as player in Brazil aged 58 to play alongside his son

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Romario: Ex-Barcelona forward re-registers as player in Brazil aged 58 to play alongside his son

Bayern Munich 1 Arsenal 0 (3-2 agg): Arteta too cautious? Tuchel to go out on a high?

Bayern Munich 1 Arsenal 0 (3-2 agg): Arteta too cautious? Tuchel to go out on a high?

Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images

Three days after losing ground in the Premier League title race, Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League by a rejuvenated Bayern Munich.

Mikel Arteta’s side lost out to a Joshua Kimmich goal in the second half of a game that was tighter for large parts than the first leg that ended 2-2 at the Emirates.

We break down all the action from a painful night for Arsenal in Munich.

Bayern Munich 1 Arsenal 0 (3-2 agg): Arteta’s side too cautious? Tuchel to go out on a high?

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Bayern Munich 1 Arsenal 0 (3-2 agg): Arteta’s side too cautious? Tuchel to go out on a high?

Madrid beat Man City on penalties: Bellingham brilliance and who can stop Ancelotti’s team?

Madrid beat Man City on penalties: Bellingham brilliance and who can stop Ancelotti’s team?

Stu Forster/Getty Images

Was it always going to come down to penalties to separate these two great teams?

After the tie finished 4-4 after 210 minutes, 1-1 after extra time at the Etihad, of riveting action, misses in the shootout from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic proved costly, with Real Madrid advancing 4-3.

After Julian Alvarez scored the first spot kick, Ederson saved brilliantly from Luka Modric, but Silva’s decision to go down the middle was an error as Andriy Lunin stood tall. Jude Bellingham and Lucas Vazquez both scored either side of Kovacic’s tame effort being kept out by Lunin. Phil Foden, Nacho, and Ederson, the City goalkeeper, all scored before Antonio Rudiger converted decisively from 12 yards.

We analyse all the action from the Etihad.

Real Madrid beat Man City on penalties: Bellingham brilliance and who can stop Ancelotti’s team?

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Real Madrid beat Man City on penalties: Bellingham brilliance and who can stop Ancelotti’s team?

Last night's results

Well, first thing is first.

It was not a good night for Premier League clubs in the Champions League.

Manchester City lost their penalty shootout against Real Madrid following a 1-1 draw at the Etihad, while Arsenal were edged out 1-0 away to Bayern Munich.

Tonight's matches

And this is what we have to look forward to this evening! (all games kick-off 8pm GMT unless stated otherwise). Aggregate scores in brackets.

Europa League

Atalanta vs Liverpool (3-0)

Marseille vs Benfica (1-2)

Roma vs Milan (1-0)

West Ham United vs Bayer Leverkusen (0-2)

Europa Conference League

Fiorentina vs Viktoria Plzen (0-0), 17:45pm

Lille vs Aston Villa (1-2), 17:45pm

Fenerbahce vs Olympiakos (2-3)

PAOK vs Club Bruges (0-1)

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Good morning

Good morning and welcome back to our live blog.

Well, that was an eventful night of Champions League action.

We will bring you all the reaction and fallout throughout the day, plus looking ahead to tonight's Europa League and Europa Conference League action.

Stay tuned with us throughout the day to stay on top of all the news.

Klopp echoes pre-Barcelona sentiment before Atalanta second leg

Jurgen Klopp has reiterated the rallying call he gave to his team ahead of the famous second leg comeback against Barcelona in 2019 as Liverpool prepare to overturn another 3-0 deficit against Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-final.

Goals from Gianluca Scamacca (2) and Mario Pasalic at Anfield have given Liverpool a mountain to climb and, unlike previous European comebacks under Klopp, it will have to be done away from home.

“I remember that I said (in 2019): ‘If we fail, then let’s fail in a most beautiful way’ and that’s how I see it again,” said Klopp, who initially joked that he already had a pre-match speech written.

More from Klopp and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson below

Jurgen Klopp echoes pre-Barcelona sentiment before Atalanta: ‘If we fail, let’s fail in a most beautiful way’

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Jurgen Klopp echoes pre-Barcelona sentiment before Atalanta: ‘If we fail, let’s fail in a most beautiful way’

James misses out for Chelsea with foot injury, USWNT's Macario makes first start

James misses out for Chelsea with foot injury, USWNT's Macario makes first start

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Chelsea are without Lauren James for Wednesday evening's Women's Super League fixture against Aston Villa due to a suspected foot injury.

The 22-year-old forward, who has 13 goals in 15 WSL appearances this season, was a surprise absentee from the matchday squad for the game at Kingsmeadow, having played the full 90 minutes during Sunday's FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester United.

Emma Hayes has instead named Aggie Beever-Jones, Fran Kirby and Catarina Macario as her starting forwards, marking a first Chelsea start for the USWNT's Macario following her comeback from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Chelsea are only able to name seven substitutes for the visit of Villa, and can return to the top of the WSL with victory.

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