Amorim pays the ticket for 30 ManU backroom staff to watch the Europa League final after the club denies!
In a bid to continue the curtailment of its overall costs, Manchester United management is reportedly refusing to pay for the costs of club staff members’ friends and family to watch the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur. Amidst the quandary, club manager Ruben Amorim has stepped in and offered to bear the costs of 30 members of the backroom staff. Football clubs usually offer to pay for friends and family members of the backroom staff to attend big-ticket finals. But with United currently undertaking a raft of severe cost-cutting measures, the club has reportedly told their coaches, physiotherapists, and support staff that there will be no complimentary tickets for next week’s final at Estadio San Mamés. Instead, staff members were told they could purchase up to two tickets from the club’s allocation of 15,000 seats for the game. The New York Times reported that even Manchester United’s players have only been granted two complimentary tickets for their family members to attend the final. Earlier in the year, Manchester United cut jobs and shut down the staff canteen at Old Trafford. It had also stopped the free lunches being offered to staff and instead offered them fruit. At Manchester United’s Carrington training base, players receive lunch as gratis while staff members are now offered soup and bread. Manchester United’s drastic financial belt-tightening measures come after five straight years of financial losses for the club. Both United and Tottenham are looking at the Europa League final as a face-saver for a season of woe, where they are currently in 16th and 17th spots in the Premier League, just above the relegation spots. United has suffered more defeats this season than in any campaign since the Premier League was launched in 1992. The joint-record 20-time English champion is also certain to record its worst-ever points total in that period, as well as its lowest finish.
Marta breaks retirement; Recalled for Brazil before Japan friendly
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Marta has been recalled to the squad for the first time since last year’s Olympic final for a pair of friendlies against Japan, coach Arthur Elias announced on Tuesday when naming the 39-year-old. Marta, widely regarded as one of the greatest women players of all time, had announced that she would retire from international duty following the 2024 Games in Paris, where the striker claimed a third Olympic silver medal. But the Orlando Pride player is back in the squad as Brazil prepare to defend their Copa America title this year. Marta extended her club career earlier in 2025 by signing a two-year contract extension with the NWSL team, scotching speculation she was set to hang up her boots for good. “I spoke with Marta recently. She said she is available to help the team while playing at a high level, as she is now,” Elias told reporters. “Marta has had a great season and has been very important for her club, which is the American League champion. “Her presence in some call-ups is very important for the younger players, for the renewal that is taking place in the national team.” Marta will join Brazil regulars like Orlando Pride’s Angelina, Kansas City’s Debinha, and Manchester City’s Kerolin, while Elias also looks to rejuvenate his squad ahead of the 2027 World Cup by including rising talents like goalkeeper Claudia and defender Isa Haas.
Falopa says East Bengal need a supportive ambiance in the dressing room
Marcos Falopa, the 76-year-old Brazilian coach says East Bengal need a supportive ambiance in the dressing room to develop the spirit which will ultimately help the footballers to deliver and regain success. Falopa worked as the coach of East Bengal for only six months in 2013. The Brazilian coach, in a recent interview, expressed his intention to work as the chief coach of East Bengal again and explained, “I have watched them in the ISL. I feel they seem to have lost balance. The balance should be maintained between the players, the coaching staff, and the management. The dressing room atmosphere will get the reflection of this balance. A perfect dressing room ambiance will help the players perform their best and regain success.” The former Technical Director of the South African national team also welcomed Carlo Ancelotti, he first-ever foreign coach for the Brazil national team, joining at the end of this month. Falopa stated, “As a player, Ancelotti won the UEFA Cup twice, and as a manager, he won the UEFA Champions League five times. So, we should not doubt his coaching skills and huge experience. We were in Italy, in the same school for some time. His mentorship and style of guiding the players are outstanding. But I personally feel he needs to have an exclusive discussion with top Brazilian national footballers, especially with those who do not play under his coaching, like Rafinha and Neymar. I have a belief that Ancelotti can play a crucial role in the resurrection of Brazilian football.”
Nottingham Forest striker undergoes ‘urgent’ surgery after post-collision!
Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi had to undergo an urgent surgery on a serious abdominal injury sustained during last weekend’s Premier League match with Leicester, it was announced Tuesday. Taiwo Awoniyi, the Nigeria international, 27, collided with the post in the 88th minute of the 2-2 draw at the City Ground as he attempted to get on the end of a cross from Anthony Elanga while under challenge from the Foxes’ Facundo Buonanotte. “The club can confirm Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone urgent surgery following an abdominal injury sustained during Sunday’s match against Leicester City,” said a Forest statement. “Everyone at Nottingham Forest sends their best wishes to Taiwo. “The club will provide further updates when appropriate.” Awoniyi, who joined Forest from Union Berlin in June 2022, had only been on the pitch for five minutes, having come on as a late substitute for Ibrahim Sangare. Awoniyi tried to play on following prolonged treatment on the field, but the full extent of his injury was only discovered by medical staff on Monday. The way Awoniyi’s injury was dealt with during the game was cited by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis as the reason why he stormed onto the pitch after the full-time whistle to confront head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. With Forest chasing a late goal which would have bolstered their bid to quality for the Champions League, Awoniyi returned to action but was unable to move freely — and Marinakis was unhappy a substitution was not made. “Everybody — coaching staff, players, supporters, and including myself — we were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff’s mis-judgement on Taiwo’s ability to continue the game,” said Marinakis in an Instagram post issued later Sunday.
Amorim admits he may have to leave if poor form of Manchester United continues
Ruben Amorim has admitted he should step aside as manager if Manchester United take their poor league form from the end of this season into the next campaign. United’s appalling finish hit another low note at Old Trafford as they lost 0-2 against West Ham United, the first time in 18 years. West Ham had failed to win any of their previous eight games. As well as questioning his own future, Amorim said: “We are losing the feeling that we are a massive club, and it’s the end of the world to lose a game at home. “If we are not scared of losing a game as Manchester United and don’t have that fear anymore, it is the most dangerous thing a big club can have.” Amorim’s side have only beaten relegated duo Ipswich and Leicester in the league since 26 January and are on their joint worst winless run in the Premier League of seven games. “Everybody here has to think seriously about a lot of things,” said Amorim. “Everybody is thinking about the (Europa League) final. The final is not the issue. We have bigger things to think about. “I’m talking about myself and the culture in the club and the culture in the team. We need to change that. “It’s a decisive moment in the history of the club. “We need to be strong in the summer and to be brave because we will not have a next season like this. “If we start like this, if the feeling is still here, we should give space to different people.” On a three points for a win basis, United are heading for their worst tally since their 1930-31 relegation campaign, when they would have collected 29 points in a 42-game campaign. Manchester United are on 39 points and 16th on the League table, with only Europa League final opponents Tottenham and the three relegated teams below them.
Despite the uncertainty, Kerala Sports Ministry’s effort to organize the Messi-match
Sudeep Pakrashi: Due to failure to arrange the appearance fees for Argentina’s World Cup-winning team including the captain Lionel Messi, the chances of organizing the two scheduled friendly matches in Kerala are slim. Still, Kerala’s sports ministry is making an effort to accumulate the funds to organize the match. The matches were scheduled to be held in October this year. According to reports from local newspapers, the organizers have failed to raise the minimum Rs 100 crore required to arrange the matches. Rs 70 crore was reportedly needed just as the appearance fee for the Argentina team. HSBC India, which associated itself with Argentina football team to promote the sport in India and Singapore, had also announced that the team would visit to India in October this year. The statement gave more strength to the hopes that Messi will finally be coming to India. But the bank has now stopped commenting on the issue. But according to Kerala Sports Ministry, efforts are still on to find out new corporate houses who can come forward with the needed financial investment to organize the match as the Sports Ministry is keen about the match to be happened in the state for the promotion of the game. In that case, the matches can be rescheduled sometime in 2026, after the Fifa World Cup to be held in June-July. Meanwhile, the Kerala Super League this year, scheduled to kick off at the end of August, also looks uncertain as two teams seem unwilling to make the investment and build up their respective teams so far due to their financial difficulties. It is believed the franchises were disappointed following the organizer’s failure to fulfill the financial commitment to the participating franchises after the inaugural edition of the league. It is learned that among the two teams unwilling to continue so far, one is the Kannur Warriors. According to sources close to the organizers, the top brass of the other participating teams is also waiting for the final status of Anil Kumar in the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Kumar, the secretary of Kerala Football Association (KFA), was the key man behind the introduction of KSL last year, and the Supreme Court has imposed a stay-order on his appointment as the Secretary General of the AIFF.
‘The better team lost, PSG told us’: Arsenal manager Arteta after UCL semis loss; Enrique disagrees
Trophy-hungry Arsenal will end one more season without any silverware after losing 2-1 and 3-1 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League at Parc des Princes on Thursday, failing in their bid to become only the third team in the tournament’s history to reach the Champions League final after losing the first leg of its semifinal at home. Although Arsenal’s play was good throughout the semifinal in both legs, they lost both matches to a rock-solid PSG. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believed Arsenal were the better side. “I think so (the better team lost). Especially for 160 minutes. They (PSG) told us,” he said, referring to PSG admitting it, too. “It was a case of most of the performance was there, but just the finishing of the chances wasn’t.” Arsenal enjoyed most of the possession in the second leg in Paris. The Gunners had 61 attacks compared to PSG’s 26, including 19 attempts at goal. However, PSG manager Luis Enrique said Arteta is his great friend, but he disagreed with his point of view and believed PSG deserved to proceed to the finals. Arteta also pointed out that PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had been the best player in both legs with his decisive saves. “He has won the game for them,” Arteta said. “We know that, to win a competition, someone in one of the two boxes has to do something special, to win it for you and make it happen.” Arsenal have not won major silverware since lifting the FA Cup nearly five years ago in manager Mikel Arteta’s first season in charge. They lost the Champions League final to Barcelona in 2006 and the semi-finals to Manchester United in 2009 and have not been back to the last four since.
Sunil remains, but Gurpreet out of the probables for the Thailand friendly and the Asian Cup qualifier; Suhail Bhat gets maiden call
India head coach Manolo Márquez announced a 28-member probables’ squad for the national camp in Kolkata on 18th May before the June FIFA International window. Mohun Bagan Super Giants striker Suhail Ahmad Bhat has received a maiden call-up for his impressive performance in the Super Cup, while the country’s leading custodian, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, remains out of the side. He last played for India in a friendly against Malaysia last year, where his blunder gifted a goal to the opponent in a 1-1 draw. He was kept out of the squad for India’s first two games of 2025, a friendly against the Maldives and the Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, with Vishal Kaith replacing him between the sticks. However, in a bid to regain his form Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has gone back to his former Norweian club Stabæk Fotball, which currently plays in the Norwegian first division league, which is the second tier in the country to undergo an intense training with the first eleven. He posted on the social media recently that he got permission to train only with the club’s first eleven for around two months. The Bengaluru FC shot-stopper would be training under his former goalkeeping coach, Espen Granli. India is currently eyeing three consecutive qualifications in the AFC Asian Cup, and is drawn in Group C with Bangladesh, Hong Kong China, and Singapore in the third round of qualifiers. The Blue Tigers’ next big competitive fixtures will be against Hong Kong, which they will play away on 10th June at the Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon City. The first two qualifiers in Group C, between India and Bangladesh in Shillong, and between Singapore and Hong Kong, China, in Singapore, ended in stalemates, leaving all four teams with a point apiece. As part of its preparations for the qualifier, India will have a 10-day training camp in Kolkata, followed by a friendly against Thailand on 4th June.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son gets maiden Portugal U-15 call-up
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son Cristiano dos Santos has been called up to the Portugal U-15 football team for the first time on Tuesday. The development of Dos Santos getting selected in the youth national team was shared by the Al Nassr star who took to Instagram to share the exciting news. Like his father, the 14-year-old Dos Santos currently plays for the Al Nassr youth team in Saudi Arabia. He also had spells at Juventus and Manchester United- Ronaldo’s former clubs. Portugal U-15 will face the likes of Japan, Greece and England at the Vlatko Markovic youth tournament in Croatia scheduled to be held from May 13 to 18. Beaming with pride, Ronaldo wrote on Instagram, “Proud of you, son.” Dos Santos’s made a move to Al Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 after Ronaldo left the Old Trafford following a fall out with then Red Devils boss Erik Ten Hag. Prior to that, Dos Santos represented Juventus at the youth level. Following his move to Al Nassr, Dos Santos impressed everyone in the Saudi Arabian youth division. He has also been at Real Madrid academy. According to a BBC report, Dos Santos has scored as many as 58 goals in a season during his time with Juventus. He has also played alongside former Manchester United great Wayne Rooney’s son, Kai, at the Old Trafford during Ronaldo’s second stint with English giants. Notably, Dos Santos is also eligible to play for the United States – his country of birth – and Spain because of Ronaldo’s residency when his father was playing for Real Madrid.
Coach says support staff and physiotherapist are the ‘unsung heroes’
Sudeep Pakrashi Bengal football has been facing criticism and disappointment over the vacuum in producing promising footballers from the state, but Bengal Football Academy (BFA) is setting an example. A contingent that consists of footballers, coaches, and even the state administrator has drawn the attention of the country’s football fraternity through an inspiring performance in the ongoing AIFF Elite Under-17 league in Guwahati. Subrata Bhattacharya, the team’s Under-17 coach however opined his support-staff, especially the team’s physiotherapist Gautam Mitra are the unsung heroes behind the team’s consistent show. BFA has been in stupendous form in the elite phase of the ongoing AIFF under-17 elite league, being unbeaten with four consecutive victories and a draw against AIFA to ensure a berth in the quarterfinal. Before their convincing 2-0 victory against Mohun Bagan on Tuesday, BFA humbled the teams like Kerala Blasters, Sreenidi Deccan and Mohammedan Sporting. The significant part of their consistency is the fitness of the team and the exuberance the boys have been showing on the pitch despite the crude reality that they are getting only one-day rest between the two matches. Bhattacharya when asked about the key factors behind the consistent show, explained, “I do not want to mention Tuesday’s victory only against heavyweight Mohun Bagan. The important thing is the boys’ consistency despite the lack of adequate rest between the two matches. We are getting only one day’s rest between two matches.” He continued, “This has been possible only due to our support-staff, especially physiotherapist Gautam Mitra’s huge contribution. He has been showing magic, helping even an injured footballer to recover and play his next match within only a day. The other coaches of this team and the physiotherapist are the real heroes.” Simultaneously, the experienced coach praised the BFA’s Chief Executive Officer Deep Krishna Hazra for his tireless hard work for the boys, off the field. “Despite being busy with administrative activities, he has been with us in Guwahati for the last two weeks and making arrangement of everything the boys and coaches need every day. His support has become a big motivation for the boys.” Bhattacharya also lamented that Tanbir Dey who struck 50 goals already this season is still being overlooked for the youth national call-up. “The 16-year-old boy has scored 50 goals this season already. Is not it enough to get a national call-up? I feel sad to have noticed that nowadays in the case of national call-ups, only players’ height and weight are observed, not his skill,” explained Bhattacharya. But at the same time, the coach heaped praise on other footballers also saying, “Not only Tanbir, other boys have also been in excellent form especially defender Roshan Chhetri and Ishan Debnath, the midfielder have been performing brilliantly.” Under-16 national coach Isfaq Ahmed is presently in Guwahati to scout potential footballers. It is learned that he is impressed by Tanbir’s performance so far. BFA will face Punjab FC in the quarter-final on Thursday.
