Ritabrata Banerjee

Jose Mourinho is reportedly in advanced talks to take the reins at Benfica after the Portuguese club sacked manager Bruno Lage in the aftermath of their humiliating Champions League defeat to Qarabag FK. The Liga Portugal giants blew a two-goal lead on their way to a 3-2 defeat in their Champions League opener at home on Tuesday. Lage was immediately relieved of his duties after the game.

Ex-Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has reportedly rejected a return to one of his old clubs in a bid to protect his finances following his sudden departure from Bayer Leverkusen. Ten Hag returned to management in the summer after being sacked by the Red Devils last October, but only lasted two leagues games in the BayArena hot seat.

Senne Lammens' brother has admitted he felt that the Belgian goalkeeper should have joined Galatasaray instead of Manchester United in the summer transfer window, amid fears he would "succumb to the pressure" of life at Old Trafford. Lammens completed an £18 million ($25m) deadline day move from Royal Antwerp as the Red Devils decided against placing a formal offer for Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez.

Paul Scholes has torn into Manchester United for a "criminal offence" in the summer transfer window, with Ruben Amorim missing out on a "best in the world" signing. The Red Devils spent a whopping £205 million ($280m) on the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens, but have still made a poor start to the new season.

The MET office has delivered an update amid fears Liverpool's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid could be postponed due to extreme weather. A yellow weather warning was issued ahead of the match warning of gusty winds that could disrupt travel and cause power outages.

Johnny Cardoso and Julian Alvarez have been left out of Atletico Madrid's squad to face Liverpool in their Champions League opener. Alvarez has been a mainstay in Diego Simeone's side since completing his move to the Spanish club from Manchester City in 2024, and has two goal contributions to his name from four appearances so far this season.

Nuno Espirito Santo is in line for an instant return to the Premier League, with a surprise club reportedly ready to swoop for the ex-Nottingham Forest boss. A breakdown in his working relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis led to Nuno being relieved of his managerial duties at the City Ground last week, with Ange Postecoglou swiftly drafted in as his replacement.

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he's been in contact with Thiago Silva over a sensational recall to the Brazil squad, with the defender still delivering stellar performances for Fluminense at the age of 40. Silva, who has won 113 caps for the Selecao to date, has not played for his country since their 2022 World Cup quarter-final defeat against Croatia in 2022.

Kylian Mbappe received a Lionel Messi reality check from Leonardo Balerdi ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Marseille. Balerdi believes that Argentina team-mate Messi "will be the best player in the world until he retires", though he does admit Kylian Mbappe is among the top players in the game right now.

Alexander Isak's debut has been delayed as Liverpool left the new signing out of their matchday squad to face Burnley on Sunday amid the striker's fitness concerns. Isak, who joined Liverpool for a British record £125m fee on deadline day, hardly trained during pre-season with Newcastle. Arne Slot named the same starting lineup that beat Arsenal in their last game.

Thomas Muller channelled his inner Harry Kane as he paid tribute to his former Bayern Munich teammate after scoring his first hat-trick for new club Vancouver Whitecaps, who demolished Philadelphia Union 7-0. Since completing a free transfer to Vancouver this summer, the Germany legend has appeared in three matches in MLS and has four goals.

Mason Greenwood continued with his strong start to the new season in France as he scored and provided an assist in Marseille's 4-0 victory over 10-man Lorient on Friday. Greenwood opened the scoring for his club from the penalty spot after Lorient lost one of their players early in the match due to a straight red card. The former Manchester United star already has five goal contributions to his name.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was forced off the pitch against Nottingham Forest on Saturday after aggravating his shoulder problem. Odegaard's injury comes as a huge blow for the Gunners ahead of their Champions League opener against Athletic Club and their trip to Etihad Stadium for the Premier League fixture against Manchester City next week.

Carlo Ancelotti discussed his future with the Brazil national team beyond the 2026 World Cup as the legendary ex-Real Madrid boss revealed if he plans to stay as Selecao coach after the tournament is over. Ancelotti signed a one-year contract with CBF in the summer after leaving Los Blancos at the end of the 2024-25 La Liga campaign. He was replaced by Xabi Alonso at Santiago Bernabeu.

Ivan Toney has shockingly claimed that the Saudi Pro League is "on par" with the Premier League and insisted that Al-Ahli would compete for a top four finish if they competed in the English top flight. Toney left the Premier League last summer when joining Al-Ahli from Brentford. The English forward has already won two titles in his first year in the Middle East.

Former Newcastle United chief Amanda Staveley was reduced to tears after hearing a fan message that thanked her for reconnecting the club "with its soul". Staveley was instrumental in bringing in Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund as the principal owner of the Magpies in 2021. She later bought a 10 per cent stake in the club, along with her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi.

Newcastle United's record summer signing Nick Woltemade has been labelled a "true gentleman" after a visit to the popular city restaurant Khai Khai. The German forward, who was linked with Bayern Munich for a large part of the summer transfer window, eventually swapped Stuttgart for the Magpies last month in a deal worth up to £69 million ($93m).

Roy Keane has claimed that he has "no sympathy" for Nottingham Forest managers after Evangelos Marinakis hired ex-Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou to replace Nuno Espirito Santo. A breakdown in relations with the club owner led to Nuno's exit from the City Ground on Tuesday morning and hours later, Postecoglou's appointment was confirmed.