Arsenal, Man City and Bayern Advance to Women's Champions League Quarterfinals

Arsenal celebrate after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League soccer match between Arsenal Women and Juventus Women at the Emirates Stadium in London, Britain, 21 November 2024.  EPA/NEIL HALL
Arsenal celebrate after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League soccer match between Arsenal Women and Juventus Women at the Emirates Stadium in London, Britain, 21 November 2024. EPA/NEIL HALL
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Arsenal, Man City and Bayern Advance to Women's Champions League Quarterfinals

Arsenal celebrate after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League soccer match between Arsenal Women and Juventus Women at the Emirates Stadium in London, Britain, 21 November 2024.  EPA/NEIL HALL
Arsenal celebrate after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League soccer match between Arsenal Women and Juventus Women at the Emirates Stadium in London, Britain, 21 November 2024. EPA/NEIL HALL

Arsenal, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all advanced to the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals with with two games to spare on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
Late substitute Lina Hurtig scored the winner in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Juventus in London.
Khadija Shaw scored twice for City in a 2-1 win at Swedish club Hammarby. City stayed perfect in Group D with four victories and reached the last eight for the first time since 2021.
Bayern Munich was held 1-1 at Vålerenga in Norway and still earned a quarterfinal berth after Juventus' loss.
Arsenal, Bayern and City join Chelsea, Lyon and Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.
Two-time defending champion Barcelona routed Austrian champion St. Pölten 4-1. The Catalan club trails City by three points in their group and is in a strong position to advance.
Bayern tops Group C with 10 points, Arsenal has nine followed by Juventus (3) and Vålerenga (1).
Back to winning Man City responded to its first loss of the season, 2-0 at Chelsea in the Women's Super League on Saturday.
Still without injured star Vivianne Miedema, Shaw took charge, proving her scoring instincts after half an hour.
The forward scored from inside the penalty area with a deflected shot that flew over goalkeeper Anna Tamminen to frustrate more than 20,000 noisy fans at the Stockholm Arena in the Swedish capital.
Ellen Wangerheim equalized soon after the interval from close range to rejuvenate the crowd but Shaw struck again to restore the lead just minutes later.
This time, she delivered a powerful right-footed finish from the edge of the area.
Bayern and Harder contained Bayern dominated possession but could not translate it into goals until the 75th minute. It had to rely on substitute Jovana Damnjanović, who gave the visitors a late lead after connecting on a pass from Giulia Gwinn.
The Norwegians, who have retained their domestic title, equalized in the 88th on Elise Thorsnes' header following a corner.
Pernille Harder, who found the back of the net five times for Bayern in the previous three games, could not do it again on Thursday and was substituted.
Hurtig's night Hurtig came on with 10 minutes remaining and made her presence immediately felt with several headers.
She finally made the breakthrough with a minute remaining in regulation, tapping in from close range after Juventus’ poor clearance of a low cross by Stina Blackstenius.
Hurtig won the Italian title with Juventus in 2021 and 2022 before joining the Gunners.
Juventus seemed to learn a lesson from its 4-0 loss to Arsenal last week as its defense held firm till Hurtig’s arrival.
Putellas scores her 200th Barcelona goal In an 11-minute span in the first half, Francisca Nazareth netted twice and 18-year-old Vicky Lopez scored once to put Barcelona in control.
Nazareth's double was followed by Lopez hitting the third with a shot high into the net for her first Champions League goal.
Alexia Putellas made it 4-0 in the second half, finishing a fast attack that tore apart the defense in Vienna. It was her 200th goal for Barcelona and the 100th the club scored in the Champions League’s group stage.
Valentina Mädl, an 18-year-old forward, netted a consolation goal for the hosts.
Barcelona has scored 20 goals in its past three games and can still become the first club to win its group in all four years since the introduction of the format.



Serena Williams to Partner Canada's Victoria Mboko on Competitive Return at Queen's Club

(FILES) US player Serena Williams returns the ball to France's Harmony Tan during their women's singles tennis match on the second day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 28, 2022. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
(FILES) US player Serena Williams returns the ball to France's Harmony Tan during their women's singles tennis match on the second day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 28, 2022. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
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Serena Williams to Partner Canada's Victoria Mboko on Competitive Return at Queen's Club

(FILES) US player Serena Williams returns the ball to France's Harmony Tan during their women's singles tennis match on the second day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 28, 2022. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
(FILES) US player Serena Williams returns the ball to France's Harmony Tan during their women's singles tennis match on the second day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 28, 2022. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Serena Williams will partner Canada's Victoria Mboko in her long-awaited return to professional tennis in the women's doubles at next week's Queen's Club Championships, Mboko confirmed on Thursday.

The 44-year-old Williams, a 23-times Grand Slam winner, has not competed since the 2022 US Open. The American and Mboko, 19, received a wildcard for the doubles draw ⁠at Queen's Club.

"The Queen ⁠is back. An honor to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week," Mboko, who had hinted about Williams' return after ⁠winning her French Open second-round match, said in a post on Instagram.

"Even more excited to play doubles together! Tennis is pretty special."

Williams announced her return on social media after speculation intensified following her re-entry into the anti-doping testing pool last year, despite previously saying she was "evolving away from tennis.”

Williams ⁠will ⁠take the court in London at the WTA 500 tournament running from June 8 to 14, Reuters reported.

She has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her sister Venus and the pair remain undefeated in major finals.

Mboko, who is ranked ninth in singles, also claimed Williams as her "idol" at Roland Garros last week.


Napoli Officially Announces Conte's Departure

(FILES) SSC Napoli head coach Antonio Conte reacts at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between Como and SSC Napoli at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium in Como on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP)
(FILES) SSC Napoli head coach Antonio Conte reacts at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between Como and SSC Napoli at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium in Como on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP)
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Napoli Officially Announces Conte's Departure

(FILES) SSC Napoli head coach Antonio Conte reacts at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between Como and SSC Napoli at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium in Como on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP)
(FILES) SSC Napoli head coach Antonio Conte reacts at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between Como and SSC Napoli at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium in Como on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP)

Italian Serie A runners-up Napoli confirmed on Thursday that coach Antonio Conte will leave the club after two years with former AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri tipped to take over.

"Napoli announces that an agreement has been reached with Antonio Conte and his staff to part ways before the natural expiry of their contracts," AFP quoted the club as saying in a statement.

"We would like to thank the coach and his backroom team for their excellent work. We wish them the very best for the future and the next challenges they will face in their careers.

"Thanks, coach!"

Conte, 56, who guided Napoli to the Serie A title in the 2024/25 campaign, has been widely touted as the favorite to take over as Italy coach.

The former Italy international previously coached the national side between 2014 and 2016, taking them to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals where they lost on penalties to Germany.

Napoli are reported to be in advanced talks with Allegri, 58, who was sacked as AC Milan coach after missing out on next season's Champions League.


Bobby Tambling, Chelsea's Former All-time Leading Goal Scorer, Dies at 84

FILE -Bobby Tambling, is seen on middle row, extreme left as the Chelsea football team pose for a group photograph at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge ground, London, May 12, 1967. (AP Photo/Frank Leonard Tewkesbury, File)
FILE -Bobby Tambling, is seen on middle row, extreme left as the Chelsea football team pose for a group photograph at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge ground, London, May 12, 1967. (AP Photo/Frank Leonard Tewkesbury, File)
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Bobby Tambling, Chelsea's Former All-time Leading Goal Scorer, Dies at 84

FILE -Bobby Tambling, is seen on middle row, extreme left as the Chelsea football team pose for a group photograph at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge ground, London, May 12, 1967. (AP Photo/Frank Leonard Tewkesbury, File)
FILE -Bobby Tambling, is seen on middle row, extreme left as the Chelsea football team pose for a group photograph at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge ground, London, May 12, 1967. (AP Photo/Frank Leonard Tewkesbury, File)

Bobby Tambling, the Chelsea great who held the English club’s all-time scoring record for decades, has died. He was 84.

Tambling's death was confirmed Thursday by Chelsea, which didn't disclose more details, as well as Irish soccer club Crosshaven, where he had a spell as manager, The Associated Press reported.

Chelsea described Tambling as “one of our most legendary players” and said “his name is written very large in our history.”

His 202 goals in 370 appearances for Chelsea from 1959-1970 made him the team’s record scorer until 2013, when Frank Lampard surpassed the tally.

Tambling made his Chelsea debut at age 17 in 1959 and was part of the team that won the League Cup in 1965, scoring against Leicester in the final.

His five goals in a single match against Aston Villa in 1966 remains a Chelsea record. He also played for Crystal Palace, and earned three international caps for England.

After settling in Cork, Ireland, Tambling managed Cork Celtic, Cork City and Crosshaven.

Britain's Press Association said Tambling had been diagnosed with dementia in recent years.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that Crosshaven AFC announce the passing of our dear friend and former manager, Bobby Tambling — a true Chelsea legend and an even more wonderful human being," the team said in a post on X.

“His passion for football was absolutely infectious. Bobby leaves an enormous hole in all our lives. We are all better, kinder, and richer for having known him."