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Real Madrid president Florentino Perez wants to appoint Jose Mourinho as Xabi Alonso's long-term successor, according to a theory floated by Spanish journalist Alfredo Relano. Los Blancos have sacked the former Liverpool midfielder and appointed Alvaro Arbeloa as interim head coach, with Relano branding him a "snitch".

Pep Guardiola has launched a furious attack on the standard of officiating in English football, demanding a personal explanation from PGMOL chief Howard Webb following a chaotic VAR review. Despite Manchester City securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Newcastle, the Catalan manager was left seething after Antoine Semenyo was denied a second goal, reigniting a simmering feud over past injustices including last season's heartbreaking FA Cup final defeat.

Mason Greenwood produced a clinical display to lead Marseille into the last 16 of the Coupe de France with a stunning hat-trick. The 24-year-old took his season tally to 19 goals as Roberto De Zerbi’s men demolished sixth-tier Bayeux 9-0 in a ruthless performance, with Greenwood even donning the captain's armband during the second half of the one-sided rout.

Manchester United have appointed Michael Carrick as their caretaker manager from now until the end of the season to clean up the mess caused by Ruben Amorim’s sudden departure. And now the real work begins: searching for a long–term successor who can bring lasting success. Of all the available candidates out there, Thomas Tuchel is by far the most convincing.

Some 13 months on from a devastating provisional doping suspension and close to 14 months since his last appearance for the club, Mykhailo Mudryk is Chelsea's forgotten man. An upcoming anniversary, however, brings his troubles back into sharp focus; January 15 will mark three years to the day since Chelsea completed the signing of the then-coveted young winger from Shakhtar Donetsk, but he will find little reason for celebration.

Raheem Sterling could be offered a Chelsea lifeline by new boss Liam Rosenior, who has revealed he plans to speak to the former Liverpool winger and Axel Disasi over their demotions to Enzo Maresca's so-called 'bomb squad'. Neither Sterling nor Disasi have been involved in training with the first-team squad this season.

San Diego FC’s abrupt decision to move on from Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano has raised questions about his future at both club and international level. Once the face of the expansion project, the Mexico international is now weighing his next move as interest grows from MLS and Liga MX. GOAL examines five realistic landing spots as Cruz Azul and Atlanta United lead the race.

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hit a setback in plans to push through a new offside revolution. The 76-year-old has proposed a radical change to current rules which would benefit attackers but is now facing opposition from both UEFA and the British FAs. The governing bodies believe Wenger's plans are "too drastic" and would have too much of an impact on how the game is currently played.

Chelsea sent a formal letter to Enzo Maresca to remind him of his responsibilities before his departure as manager as his relationship with the club began to deteriorate. The club were also so concerned about Maresca's treatment of players returning from injury that they put the club's head of physical performance on the bench to advise the Italian about when substitutions needed to be made.

Antoine Semenyo continued to pay off his £65m transfer fee as Manchester City's brand new signing scored for the second game running to help his side to a 2-0 win at Newcastle in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, putting Pep Guardiola's side on the fast lane to Wembley. Semenyo became the first City player since Emmanuel Adebayor back in 2009 to score in his first two games for the club.

The Danish-born Palestinian international made a real impact before suffering a devastating ankle injury last October. Fit and firing again - he's out to prove that his strong run was no fluke.

Michael Carrick has told Manchester United what to expect from his team after being appointed as the club's new head coach until the end of the 2025-26 season. The former midfielder has replaced Ruben Amorim at the helm at Old Trafford and has promised to deliver an exciting brand of football. Carrick also admitted he can't wait to get started as he prepares for a second stint in charge of the club.

Mikel Arteta says he's gunning for glory in the Carabao Cup to make up for previous failures during his time at Arsenal. The Gunners take on Chelsea on Wednesday in the first leg of their semi-final and face a Blues team under new management following the arrival of Liam Rosenior. Arsenal were knocked out at this stage of the competition last season by eventual winners Newcastle and Arteta wants his team to go one better this time around.

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has hit back angrily at reports that he did not support manager Xabi Alonso during his tenure at Real Madrid. Alonso parted company with Los Blancos in the wake of their Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona after just eight months in charge. There has been speculation about problems in the dressing room at Madrid but Bellingham insists he is not involved.

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo may just be in dreamland after some old quotes from Michael Carrick offering advice to Ruben Amorim resurfaced ahead of the former midfielder's appointment as interim manager at Old Trafford. Carrick has previously spoken highly of Mainoo and highlighted the importance of having academy graduates in the first-team squad at Old Trafford.

Michael Carrick has been officially named caretaker coach of Manchester United after the club decided against bringing back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Carrick, who was Solskjaer's assistant coach and became interim coach for three games when the Norwegian was sacked in November 2021, will take charge of the team until the end of the season following Ruben Amorim's sacking last week.

West Ham United's players stand to have their salaries significantly reduced if they are relegated to the Championship at the end of this season. The Hammers currently sit 18th in the Premier League table and are seven points from safety after a dreadful first half to the 2025-26 campaign, with pressure mounting on head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.

From knee scooters and crosswords and a World Cup lock screen, USMNT and Houston Dynamo midfielder Jack McGlynn explains how injury recovery sharpened his 2026 push.

Wrexham took a trip to Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon for a friendly clash at the Premier League champions' AXA Training Centre. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's side faced an Under-21 Liverpool team and returned home after a 1-1 draw. Club legend Paul Mullin, who has been recalled to Wrexham after a loan spell with Wigan Athletic, featured along with former Red Conor Coady and ex-Burnley man Jay Rodriguez.

Barcelona want to extend Marcus Rashford's stay at Camp Nou but are unwilling to use the £26 million (€30m) buy option in his loan deal due to the club's ongoing financial difficulties. The Catalan giants have made contact with Manchester United to try and either negotiate a lower price or a second loan for the 2026-27 season which would include a mandatory purchase option.

Real Madrid's new head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has played down the prospect of replicating the managerial style of his former boss Jose Mourinho. Arbeloa has been placed in charge of the first-team squad at the Bernabeu following Xabi Alonso's surprise exit from the club on Monday, departing after only 34 matches at the helm.

Xabi Alonso is gone, but Real Madrid’s deeper problems remain. Did the club fail its coach - and can anyone truly manage this team?

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has been branded a "snake" for posting a delayed response to Xabi Alonso's exit. The former midfielder has left his role as manager after just eight months in charge, with Bellingham taking his time before posting a farewell message to the coach. The move has not gone down well with some supporters who have expressed their feelings on social media.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp would reportedly "seriously consider" replacing Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid if they come calling. Alonso has left the Bernabeu after just eight months in charge, with Alvaro Arbeloa taking charge of the team. Klopp is currently working as the Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull, but it has been claimed he could be tempted back into football management by Real Madrid.

Why Lindsey Heaps chose Denver Summit, and what her homecoming means for the NWSL’s newest club.

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Joao Cancelo on loan from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. Cancelo's move back to Catalunya, where he spent the 2023-24 season, was initially announced earlier on Tuesday, but the club had to delete all traces of this unveiling as the transfer had not actually been completed yet.

Manchester United have come up with a four-man shortlist of potential candidates to replace Ruben Amorim as the club's next permanent head coach. Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique and USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino are on the Red Devils' radar, while Michael Carrick is expected to be handed the job on an interim basis until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Bayern Munich are “increasingly confident that Harry Kane will sign a contract extension” despite seeing the England international striker continue to generate transfer talk. The 32-year-old’s current deal is set to expire in 2027, and includes release clauses that can be triggered this year, but fresh terms are being mooted as a productive working relationship is enjoyed.

Kylian Mbappe defied medical advice and risked a serious knee injury in a desperate bid to save Xabi Alonso’s job at Real Madrid. The French superstar played through the pain barrier in the Spanish Super Cup final defeat to Barcelona, knowing that a loss would likely spell the end for the Basque coach, with whom he shared a close bond despite their short time together at the Bernabeu.