You will struggle to come across anyone in football more obsessed with Chelsea than their former midfielder and cult hero, John Obi Mikel. The Nigerian played 372 times for the club over an 11-year stint, helping them win 10 trophies, including their first ever Champions League in 2012. Though he retired in 2022, Mikel is still a prominent voice in the Chelsea sphere, regularly discussing their exploits on 'The Obi One Podcast'. Mikel sat down with GOAL to chat about the modern-day Blues, how they compare to his generation, new head coach Liam Rosenior, the club's BlueCo owners, his failed move to Manchester United and his recent transfer to Google Pixel.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has unleashed a furious tirade against Real Madrid's stars following the shock dismissal of Xabi Alonso. The undefeated fighter did not hold back in his assessment of the situation at the Bernabeu, branding the squad "spoiled brats" and insisting that the club should have cleared out the dressing room rather than sacking one of the world's best tactical minds.

A modern remake of the iconic adidas FINALE 1 has been launched to mark 25 years of adidas and the UEFA Champions League, blending heritage design with elite match-day performance.

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It's never a good idea to pay much attention to football's annual awards ceremonies. These glorified popularity contests drag on for far too long and trying to wrap your head around the lack of logic involved in the voting process is an exercise in futility. However, it was impossible to ignore The Best FIFA Men's 11 for 2025 - because the omission of Raphinha made so little sense.

Michael Owen, who remains the last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, has told GOAL what Harry Kane needs to do in order to land a prestigious Golden Ball in 2026. The prolific Bayern Munich striker is considered to have a "big chance" of claiming that prize as he chases down Champions League glory at club level and a World Cup crown with England.

New Year's Eve is almost upon us, meaning 2025 is about to be consigned to the past - but how will it be remembered by the football world? It was certainly an unforgettable year for some players, coaches and clubs. Paris Saint-Germain, for example, finally got their hands on the trophy they craved above all others, the Champions League, thus vindicating a sensible change in recruitment strategy by the club's owners, who went from signing superstars to investing millions in youth.

John Terry is set to part with some of the most emotionally charged items of his storied Chelsea career, including the infamous “tear-stained” shirt from the 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United. The former Blues captain will auction the memorabilia at a charity sale, with proceeds supporting causes close to his heart through his foundation.

An almost perfect 2025 for Ousmane Dembele was completed on Sunday, as the Paris Saint-Germain forward was crowned 'Best Male Player' at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. This was the latest in a series of personal accolades for the Ballon d'Or winner, who inspired PSG to winning the Champions League for the first time ever last season. Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal also picked up a pair of awards on the night.

How to watch the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Parma Calcio 1913, as well as kick-off time and team news.

GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.

On the weekend that the Bundesliga returned after its winter hiatus and two of Serie A's top three met in a crucial clash in the fight for the Scudetto, much of Europe was focused on cup competitions of varying degrees of importance. England and France played host to the latest rounds of their domestic tournaments while Spain and Turkey followed France's lead from earlier in the week in crowning their Super Cup champions.

How to watch the Serie A match between Juventus and Cremonese, as well as kick-off time and team news.

A furious Antonio Conte screamed in the face of the fourth official after being sent off in the second half of Napoli's top-of-the-table Serie A clash against Inter at San Siro on Sunday. The Napoli boss kicked a spare ball up the pitch in anger after seeing his side concede a late penalty, and was then shown a red card, but that only exacerbated his foul mood, with club officials eventually intervening to usher him down the tunnel. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Scott McTominay grabbing both goals for the visitors.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including concern over Pepi after an injury and Folarin Balogun getting on the scoresheet.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son Maximilian is reportedly in talks to leave AC Milan and join another one of his father’s former clubs. Ibrahimovic Snr was widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, representing a host of Europe’s biggest clubs including Milan, Inter and Juventus in Serie A, as well as Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and La Liga champions Barcelona.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly rejected a loan bid from Roma for centre-back Radu Dragusin, who recently returned from nearly a year out with an ACL injury and had been targeted for a return to Serie A. The 23-year-old has been included in Thomas Frank's last six matchday squads despite coming off the bench just once, and the club may decide to keep him around this January after knocking back Roma's approach.