عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Man United Draws 1-1 at Real Sociedad in Europa League and Tottenham Loses to AZ Alkmaar

Soccer Football - Europa League - Round of 16 - First Leg - Real Sociedad v Manchester United - Reale Arena, San Sebastian, Spain - March 6, 2025 Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Vincent West
Soccer Football - Europa League - Round of 16 - First Leg - Real Sociedad v Manchester United - Reale Arena, San Sebastian, Spain - March 6, 2025 Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Vincent West
TT
TT

Man United Draws 1-1 at Real Sociedad in Europa League and Tottenham Loses to AZ Alkmaar

Soccer Football - Europa League - Round of 16 - First Leg - Real Sociedad v Manchester United - Reale Arena, San Sebastian, Spain - March 6, 2025 Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Vincent West
Soccer Football - Europa League - Round of 16 - First Leg - Real Sociedad v Manchester United - Reale Arena, San Sebastian, Spain - March 6, 2025 Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Vincent West

Manchester United settled for a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday.
United led on Joshua Zirkzee's goal in the 58th minute but the hosts equalized 12 minutes later after Bruno Fernandes' hand ball. Mikel Oyarzabal sent Andre Onana the wrong way from the penalty spot.
The Europa League could be a way for United to finish the season with a trophy after crashing out of the FA Cup on Sunday.
A spot in the quarterfinals will be on the line at Old Trafford in the second leg next Thursday.
“Our decision-making in the final third was sometimes not the best, but we had good moments,” United manager Ruben Amorim said. "It’s going to be a different game at Old Trafford and the pressure is going to be on us. We have to be ready.”
Tottenham, also struggling in the Premier League, lost 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar, The Associated Press reported.
Lucas Bergvall netted an own goal following the first corner kick of the game after former Spurs striker Troy Parrott’s attempt across the goal.
“No fault for the goal, it happens,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said. “It’s more about the collective tonight than the individuals. Collectively we were nowhere near the level we needed to be at and that’s the thing we need to address.”
Tottenham had beaten the Dutch team 1-0 in the league phase at home in October.
Rangers took a big step toward the quarterfinals by stunning José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce 3-1 in Istanbul.
Mourinho won the Europa League with Man United in 2017.
Czech forward Václav Černý scored twice and Cyriel Dessers had a goal and an assist for Rangers.
Dessers gave them a dream start putting them ahead six minutes into the game.
Substitute Alexander Djiku equalized in the 30th off a corner kick after half an hour. Djiku came on early to replace injured Çağlar Söyüncü in the 16th.
Černý restored a one-goal advantage for Rangers late in the first half from a tight angle on a counter with Dessers setting him up and added another one nine minutes from time.
It was the first game in Europe for Rangers interim coach Barry Ferguson.
A Rangers fan died in Istanbul ahead of the match in a road traffic accident overnight.
In Bucharest, substitute Malick Fofana scored two late goals to give Lyon a promising advantage after a 3-1 win over FCSB.
Lazio topped the league phase and showed its class in a 2-1 victory at Viktoria Plzen despite being reduced to nine men. Lazio midfielder Nicolo Rovella was sent off after his second yellow in the 77th when the score was 1-1 and was followed by Samuel Gigot in stoppage time but Gustav Isaksen still netted the late winner for the Italian favorite.
Eldor Shomurodov's stoppage-time winner gave Roma a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in Rome.
Brian Brobbey’s header put Ajax 1-0 up against Frankfurt in Amsterdam but the forward deflected Hugo Larsson’s shot into his own net and Ellyes Skhiri completed a 2-1 comeback for the 2022 Europa League champion.
Bodø/Glimt beat Conference League defending champion Olympiacos 3-0 in Norway. Olympiacos had conceded just three goals in the tournament coming into the game.
Chelsea wins in Conference League Chelsea kept a perfect record in the third-tier Conference League with a 2-1 victory at Copenhagen.
Reece James and Enzo Fernández gave the London club a 2-0 lead in the second half before Gabriel Pereira reduced the deficit to one.
Cole Palmer started for Chelsea, his first appearance in the competition this season.
Fiorentina, the runner-up in last two years in the competition, came from two goals down to level at 2-2 against Panathinaikos only 23 minutes into the game in Athens but forward Tetê scored in the 55th to give the hosts a 3-2 victory.
Real Betis and Vitória SC drew 2-2 while Molde defeated Legia Warsaw 3-2.
Jagiellonia dominated 10-man Cercle Brugge 3-0, Pafos beat Djurgården 1-0 and Celje defeated Lugano also 1-0. Borac and Rapid settled for a 1-1 draw.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Dembele Says Criticism of France Captain Mbappe Has Gone Too Far

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe takes part in a training session during the 2026 World Cup football tournament at Bentley University in Waltham, Boston on June 11, 2026. (AFP)
France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe takes part in a training session during the 2026 World Cup football tournament at Bentley University in Waltham, Boston on June 11, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Dembele Says Criticism of France Captain Mbappe Has Gone Too Far

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe takes part in a training session during the 2026 World Cup football tournament at Bentley University in Waltham, Boston on June 11, 2026. (AFP)
France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe takes part in a training session during the 2026 World Cup football tournament at Bentley University in Waltham, Boston on June 11, 2026. (AFP)

France forward Ousmane Dembele has defended captain Kylian Mbappe, saying criticism of the Real Madrid striker has become excessive as the national team prepare for the World Cup.

Dembele, who has emerged as a key figure for France at the tournament and is a contender for this year's Ballon d'Or after helping Paris St Germain win the Champions League, told Spanish newspaper Marca that some commentators had gone too far in their assessment of his long-time teammate.

Mbappe remains one of the most scrutinized figures in French football since ‌leaving PSG and ‌joining Real Madrid in 2024.

Despite still being a prolific ‌scorer, ⁠the France captain ⁠came under criticism during a season in which Real failed to win either La Liga or the Champions League, while some pundits and supporters have questioned his leadership with the national team since he inherited the captaincy following Hugo Lloris's retirement from international football.

Mbappe's performances, public appearances and even minor aspects of his behavior regularly attract intense debate in France.

"The criticism towards him is very, very unfair," Dembele said before ⁠France start their World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday. "Some ‌people go a bit too far with the ‌criticism of Kylian.

"He's an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. ‌Some people overdo the criticism because he's Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn't keep going ‌after him. Whether he ties his shoelaces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not... it's too much. He's still a human being.

"With the France team, he's very good with us, he's a leader."

The pair have developed a close relationship during their years ‌together with Les Bleus. They are expected to play central roles in France's bid for a third World Cup ⁠title in the ⁠United States, Canada and Mexico.

Dembele also paid tribute to coach Didier Deschamps, who has announced that he will step down after the World Cup following more than a decade in charge of the national side.

"He's simply an exceptional coach," Dembele said. "He will forever remain a legend among French national team coaches."

Deschamps guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 and another final four years later.

Asked about the prospect of former France great Zinedine Zidane succeeding Deschamps, Dembele welcomed the idea.

"We hope to welcome him one day to the France bench," he said. "I'm convinced he would do a fantastic job."

Zidane, who won the World Cup as a player in 1998 and later enjoyed major success coaching Real Madrid, has long been linked with the France job but has repeatedly declined to discuss the position while Deschamps remains in charge.

Sports

F1 Sensation Antonelli Has Teammate Russell Against the Wall Heading Into Barcelona

Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli is seen during the first practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya ahead of the Catalonia Formula One Grand Prix in Montmelo, on the outskirts of Barcelona on June 12, 2026. (AFP)
Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli is seen during the first practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya ahead of the Catalonia Formula One Grand Prix in Montmelo, on the outskirts of Barcelona on June 12, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

F1 Sensation Antonelli Has Teammate Russell Against the Wall Heading Into Barcelona

Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli is seen during the first practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya ahead of the Catalonia Formula One Grand Prix in Montmelo, on the outskirts of Barcelona on June 12, 2026. (AFP)
Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli is seen during the first practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya ahead of the Catalonia Formula One Grand Prix in Montmelo, on the outskirts of Barcelona on June 12, 2026. (AFP)

This was supposed to be George Russell ’s chance to shoot for the Formula 1 title.

Coming into the season as Mercedes’s presumptive lead driver, with his team producing the best car after a rulebook overhaul, Russell looked perfectly positioned to compete for the world championship after winning the year’s opening race in Australia.

That was when his second-year teammate Kimi Antonelli blew past him and took the Formula 1 circuit by storm.

Antonelli has made F1 history on several counts this season. At age 19, he became the youngest pole-sitter en route to his first win in China, followed by becoming F1’s youngest points leader after a win in Japan.

The bushy-haired Italian just kept going, sweeping the alliterative triple of Miami, Montreal and Monaco to make it five in a row and tie the longest winning streak ever managed by F1 victory leader Lewis Hamilton.

He will now try to make it six of six at the newly renamed Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix — the race formerly known as the Spanish GP — on Sunday.

And while he's perfectly aware that he is now the driver to beat, Antonelli is trying not to let it get to him.

“About the championship, I am not really worrying about it," he said on Thursday at the Montmelo track. "I know the opportunity that is on the table and I want to make the most out of it, but at the same time I don’t want to drive a race thinking about it.

"I want to enjoy the weekend as much as possible and drive as fast as possible and we will see at the end of the season where we are.”

Russell needs to make up for lost ground

While F1 discovered its new star driver, Russell found himself floundering for the first time with Mercedes, where he had managed to better Hamilton before the British driver left for Ferrari two years ago. That huge move opened the door for Antonelli to join the Silver Arrows.

The 28-year-old Russell, who is liked for his schoolboy charm and chatter on team radio that has included gems such as “Yabba Dabba Doo” and “get the kettle on,” now faces his most difficult moment since joining Mercedes four years ago.

Last season, Russell outperformed Antonelli, scoring two victories and earning 319 points, the fourth-most points of the grid, while his new partner was seventh with 150 points and no victories.

Now, Antonelli’s winning run has him leading the championship with 156 points after six races. Hamilton, who is enjoying a resurgence at Ferrari, is next with 90. Russell is third with 88.

“The pressure feels off, to be honest. I’m just going to try and enjoy every race, not even thinking about a championship,” Russell said on Thursday. “It’s so far out of reach right now that it’s just go and enjoy the races and have fun, drive fast and do what I know I’m capable of doing and what I’ve done for my whole career in Formula 1.”

Could Barcelona, an old-school, permanent, high-speed track that drivers know well from their years of racing and testing here, give Russell the chance he needs?

Russell has never been on the podium here in seven tries with Mercedes and Williams. But he has come close with three fourth-place finishes, including the past two years. That is partly because he has never had a top-three finish in qualifying either, so a strong Saturday will be key.

Another triumph by Antonelli would have him match Russell’s career victory haul of six races won.

Russell said he has come to the conclusion that he needs to stop overthinking, obsessing about data, and get back to “driving by instinct.”

“I don’t want to chase the dream, I want it to come toward me. And it will come towards me if I take it race by race,” he said.

Barcelona to take a break next year

From 1991 until last year, the race at the circuit located half an hour by car from Barcelona (on a normal day without F1 fan traffic) was called the Spanish Grand Prix.

Now it is called the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, while the Spanish GP name has been given to the new race to be held for the first time in Madrid in September.

The future of the Barcelona race was in doubt until F1 announced a deal struck in February to continue holding it, but every other year while it alternates with the Belgium GP. The Barcelona race will be held in 2028, 2030 and 2032.

Sports

Head of Palestinian Football Not Granted US Visa to Attend World Cup

Demonstrators place missing person flyers on the trailer of a mounted police truck during a protest outside Azteca Stadium ahead of the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, Mexico, June 11, 2026. (Reuters)
Demonstrators place missing person flyers on the trailer of a mounted police truck during a protest outside Azteca Stadium ahead of the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, Mexico, June 11, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Head of Palestinian Football Not Granted US Visa to Attend World Cup

Demonstrators place missing person flyers on the trailer of a mounted police truck during a protest outside Azteca Stadium ahead of the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, Mexico, June 11, 2026. (Reuters)
Demonstrators place missing person flyers on the trailer of a mounted police truck during a protest outside Azteca Stadium ahead of the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, Mexico, June 11, 2026. (Reuters)

The head of the Palestinian Football Association is waiting in Mexico City for permission to enter the United States with other federation heads attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the United States.

“I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” the veteran Palestinian political figure said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Palestinian team did not qualify for the World Cup, but FIFA typically invites the heads of football associations from around the world to the event every four years, which it frames as a celebration of global unity.

“Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last year.

The United States, however, has refused entry to delegates from a raft of countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with Iraq’s team.

Infantino said this week that FIFA had been trying to resolve visa issues but could not overrule the US government.

“We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

The US State Department had no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa, but last year implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including on anyone who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority.

It revoked a visa to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to the United Nations General Assembly last September.

Rajoub and other Palestinian football officials have long argued that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank play in Israel’s national league. They have pushed FIFA to sanction Israel, also decrying restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and how war in the Gaza Strip has destroyed 80% of sports facilities there.

Last month, Rajoub refused to shake hands with the head of Israel’s football federation at Infantino’s behest because he said the gesture would not heal wounds but instead whitewash Israel’s actions.

Rajoub pointed out that when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, it did not implement comparable visa restrictions for people who were invited to the tournament.