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Saint-Etienne Faces Must-win Match to Avoid Relegation

Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
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Saint-Etienne Faces Must-win Match to Avoid Relegation

Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)
Saint-Etienne's Norwegian coach Eirik Horneland gestures from the touchlines during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and AS Saint-Etienne at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, northern France on May 10, 2025. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP)

With Paris Saint-Germain already crowned champions and Marseille and Monaco assured of Champions League spots next season, attention turns to the race to avoid relegation on the final matchday in France's Ligue 1.

At the bottom of the standings, last-place Montpellier has been demoted. It remains to be seen which other club will be relegated to the second tier next season, with Saint-Etienne and Le Havre fighting for their survival.

A former French league powerhouse, Saint-Etienne dominated French soccer during the 1960s and ’70s. Having just returned to the top-flight, the 10-time French champions have struggled throughout the season despite brilliant individual efforts from Zuriko Davitashvili and Lucas Stassin.

Ahead of its final match against Toulouse at home on Saturday, Saint-Etienne is second-to-last in the standings, but just one point behind 16th-place Le Havre, which is in the relegation playoffs spot. Saint-Etienne needs to win, hoping that Le Havre either loses or draws at Strasbourg.

“Our presence in the playoffs? It doesn’t just depend on us, we know that. We can win this last match and still be relegated,” Saint-Etienne coach Eirik Horneland said, according to The Associated Press. "We’re going to have to create an incredible atmosphere and take the fans with us."

Two other teams, Reims and Nantes, have yet to secure their place in the elite heading into the final matchday. Both teams are two points ahead of Le Havre. Nantes hosts Montpellier, and Reims travels to Lille.

Top scorer race PSG striker Ousmane Dembélé is in a good position to succeed his former teammate Kylian Mbappé as the league's top scorer.

Dembélé, who was named the league's best player of the season, has been prolific since PSG coach Luis Enrique repositioned him in a false nine role — a center-forward who, instead of leading their team’s offensive line, drops into deeper positions. Among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or, Dembélé has scored 21 league goals, two more than Marseille's Mason Greenwood. Behind them, Rennes forward Arnaud Kalimuendo has found the net 17 times.

PSG, which won a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title with six games to spare, plays its final match at home against Auxerre. Second-place Marseille hosts Rennes. Monaco, which is one point behind Marseille, travels to Lens.

PSG is hoping for its first-ever treble. In addition to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, Enrique’s team will have another shot at more silverware against Reims the week before in the French Cup final.

Champions League qualifying The final spot in the Champions League is the last big prize up for grabs on Saturday.

Nice, Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon all lost on the penultimate matchday and can no longer secure a top-three finish. With 57 points each, the three teams are battling for the fourth place, which gives a ticket for the third preliminary round of Europe's elite tournament. With 54 points, seventh-place Lyon can still aim for the fourth spot but will need to beat Angers and hope that the trio of teams all lose.

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Tottenham Hotspur Sack Head Coach Thomas Frank

(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
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Tottenham Hotspur Sack Head Coach Thomas Frank

(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/
(FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in Burnley, north-west England on January 24, 2026. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)/

Thomas Frank was fired by Tottenham on Wednesday after only eight months in charge and with his team just five points above the relegation zone in the Premier League.

Despite leading Spurs to the round of 16 in the Champions League, Frank has overseen a desperate domestic campaign. A 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Tuesday means Spurs are still to win in the league in 2026.

“The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today,” Tottenham said in a statement. “Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together.

“However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.”

Frank’s exit means Spurs are on the lookout for a sixth head coach in less than seven years since Mauricio Pochettino departed in 2019.

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Marseille Coach De Zerbi Leaves After Humiliating 5-0 Loss to PSG 

Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
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Marseille Coach De Zerbi Leaves After Humiliating 5-0 Loss to PSG 

Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 
Marseille's Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi looks on from the technical area during the French Cup round of 32 football match between FC Bayeux and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium in Caen on January 13, 2026. (AFP) 

Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi is leaving the French league club in the wake of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of PSG in French soccer biggest game.

The nine-time French champions said on Wednesday that they have ended “their collaboration by mutual agreement.”

The heavy loss Sunday at the Parc des Princes restored defending champion PSG’s two-point lead over Lens after 21 rounds, with Marseille in fourth place after the humiliating defeat.

De Zerbi's exit followed another embarrassing 3-0 loss at Club Brugge two weeks ago that resulted in Marseille exiting the Champions League.

De Zerbi, who had apologized to Marseille fans after the loss against bitter rival PSG, joined Marseille in 2024 after two seasons in charge at Brighton. After tightening things up tactically in Marseille during his first season, his recent choices had left many observers puzzled.

“Following consultations involving all stakeholders in the club’s leadership — the owner, president, director of football and head coach — it was decided to opt for a change at the head of the first team,” Marseille said. “This was a collective and difficult decision, taken after thorough consideration, in the best interests of the club and in order to address the sporting challenges of the end of the season.”

De Zerbi led Marseille to a second-place finish last season. Marseille did not immediately announce a replacement for De Zerbi ahead of Saturday's league match against Strasbourg.

Since American owner Frank McCourt bought Marseille in 2016, the former powerhouse of French soccer has failed to find any form of stability, with a succession of coaches and crises that sometimes turned violent.

Marseille dominated domestic soccer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was the only French team to win the Champions League before PSG claimed the trophy last year. It hasn’t won its own league title since 2010.

Sports

Olympic Fans Hunt for Plushies of Mascots Milo and Tina as They Fly off Shelves 

Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
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Olympic Fans Hunt for Plushies of Mascots Milo and Tina as They Fly off Shelves 

Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)
Fans take selfies with the Olympic mascot Tina at the finish area of an alpine ski, slalom portion of a women's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP)

For fans of the Milan Cortina Olympic mascots, the eponymous Milo and Tina, it's been nearly impossible to find a plush toy of the stoat siblings in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Many of the official Olympics stores in the host cities are already sold out, less than a week into the Winter Games.

“I think the only way to get them is to actually win a medal,” Julia Peeler joked Tuesday in central Milan, where Tina and Milo characters posed for photos with fans.

The 38-year-old from South Carolina is on the hunt for the plushies for her niece. She's already bought some mascot pins, but she won't wear them on her lanyard. Peeler wants to avoid anyone trying to swap for them in a pin trade, a popular Olympic pastime.

Tina, short for Cortina, is the lighter-colored stoat and represents the Olympic Winter Games. Her younger brother Milo, short for Milano, is the face of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Milo was born without one paw but learned to use his tail and turn his difference into a strength, according to the Olympics website. A stoat is a small mustelid, like a weasel or an otter.

The animals adorn merchandise ranging from coffee mugs to T-shirts, but the plush toys are the most popular.

They're priced from 18 to 58 euros (about $21 to $69) and many of the major official stores in Milan, including the largest one at the iconic Duomo Cathedral, and Cortina have been cleaned out. They appeared to be sold out online Tuesday night.

Winning athletes are gifted the plush toys when they receive their gold, silver and bronze medals atop the podium.

Broadcast system engineer Jennifer Suarez got lucky Tuesday at the media center in Milan. She's been collecting mascot toys since the 2010 Vancouver Games and has been asking shops when they would restock.

“We were lucky we were just in time,” she said, clutching a tiny Tina. “They are gone right now.”

Friends Michelle Chen and Brenda Zhang were among the dozens of fans Tuesday who took photos with the characters at the fan zone in central Milan.

“They’re just so lovable and they’re always super excited at the Games, they are cheering on the crowd,” Chen, 29, said after they snapped their shots. “We just are so excited to meet them.”

The San Franciscan women are in Milan for the Olympics and their friend who is “obsessed” with the stoats asked for a plush Tina as a gift.

“They’re just so cute, and stoats are such a unique animal to be the Olympic mascot,” Zhang, 28, said.

Annie-Laurie Atkins, Peeler's friend, loves that Milo is the mascot for Paralympians.

“The Paralympics are really special to me,” she said Tuesday. “I have a lot of friends that are disabled and so having a character that also represents that is just incredible.”