Parshva Shah

France head coach Didier Deschamps admitted that he has no doubt that Paul Pogba's goal is to return to the national team ahead of next year's World Cup in the USA. At a press conference on Thursday, Deschamps explained what the 32-year-old must do in order to earn a recall to Les Bleus' squad, with the ex-Manchester United and Juventus player expected to make his Monaco debut later this month.

Inaki Pena was "left with a bitter taste" after spending the latter half of the 2024-25 season on the bench, with Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick opting to play Wojciech Szczesny as the first-choice goalkeeper. Pena also revealed that the Catalans pressured him to delay his departure amid difficulty in registering summer signing Joan Garcia and the long-term absence of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac has come to the defence of Jobe Bellingham following the young midfielder's struggles at the club in the ongoing campaign. Bellingham was substituted in the 69th minute of Wednesday's Champions League clash against Athletic Club, with Kovac shielding the ex-Sunderland starboy's underwhelming form by stating that he was "nervous" starting his first game in while.

Rasmus Hojlund thanked his team-mate Kevin De Bruyne after the 34-year-old Belgian provided assists for both of his goals as Napoli beat Sporting CP on Wednesday. The Danish striker scored a match-winning brace in the 2-1 victory in the Champions League, their first in the competition this season having lost 2-0 to Manchester City two weeks ago.

Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed that "there is no problem" between him and his Napoli head coach Antonio Conte. The former Manchester City midfielder expressed his anger after being taken off in the 72nd minute of Napoli's 2-1 loss to AC Milan over the weekend, prompting Conte to fire a warning and stating that "if he was upset about something else he's got the wrong person."

Jose Mourinho revealed that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez sent a message to him upon his return to Benfica. The Portuguese head coach said that his former boss told him he was happy to see him return "to a club of your calibre", reminding fans once again of the mutual love and admiration shared between the two men.

Antoine Griezmann created history for Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League during their 5-1 drubbing of Eintracht Frankfurt. After the game, head coach Diego Simeone was delighted with his performance and reserved special praise for the former France international. The Argentine expressed his gratitude to Griezmann and said that "talent has no age."

Michael Olise, one of the most dangerous attackers in Europe at the moment, has found himself high on the list of transfer priorities for clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, who are willing to splash over €100 million to sign the Frenchman. Bayern Munich, however, are absolutely determined to keep hold of their star player and have already started internal discussions over his renewal.

Bernardo Silva has revealed that he knows "exactly" where he will play next summer with his Manchester City contract expiring in less than a year. The Portuguese midfielder last signed a renewal in 2023 and has often been linked with a departure in the past few years. Silva is now expected to call curtains on his illustrious City career, following other legends who departed in the past year.

Former Napoli chief Pierpaolo Marino has criticised Kevin De Bruyne, accusing the ex-Manchester City maestro of "stepping on Scott McTominay's toes" and hindering the Scot's impact. Marino also added that De Bruyne's current level at Napoli is nowhere near enough to warrant a comparison with the ageless Luka Modric, who has been off to a sensational start for AC Milan.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has provided details regarding Marcus Rashford's season-long loan move from Manchester United, confirming that the reigning La Liga champions will not have to pay any penalty should they decide not to sign the Englishman permanently next summer. United have inserted a purchase option for the in-form Rashford but Barca appear set to wait until late in the season before making any decision.

Stuttgart have responded to statements made by Bayern Munich supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge regarding the transfer of striker Nick Woltemade to Newcastle. On Monday, Rummenigge took a swipe at the Magpies and called them "idiots" for splashing a club-record £69 million ($93m) on the Germany international.

Former Juventus winger and ex-Italy international Federico Bernardeschi chimed in on the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi debate. The Bologna player heaped praise on the two icons and explained what makes the duo different from each other. While Messi was called "divine," Ronaldo was hailed as someone who "revolutionized football" and is admired by numerous athletes.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen might have turned 33, but sporting director Deco is of the firm opinion that the German international can still create more history at the club. Ter Stegen was embroiled in controversy throughout the summer, as the reigning La Liga champions decided to sign goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Espanyol, who arrived to displace the long-time servant as the first-choice.

NFL legend Eli Manning has backed Harry Kane to pursue his dream of swapping football for American football and has left doors open for a move to New York Giants "anytime." The prolific Bayern Munich striker's dream to become an NFL player is no secret, with the Englishman even admitting recently that a possible crossover remains "in the back of my mind."

Marseille's historic 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week came at a cost, as head coach Roberto De Zerbi was sent off towards the end of the game. His actions have been swiftly punished by France's Disciplinary Committee. Reflecting on the red card shown to him, which has resulted in his ban for the game against Strasbourg, De Zerbi expressed his unhappiness while apologising for his mistakes.

Another Frenchman could lift the Ballon d'Or by following the Ousmane Dembele blueprint. Indeed, according to Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus, Michael Olise has the potential to become the first Ballon d'Or winner from Die Roten after 45 years. The 23-year-old has been exceptional since arriving from Crystal Palace in 2024 and is reportedly set to be offered a new deal.

Real Betis opened their Europa League account with a hard-earned 2-2 draw against Ange Postecoglou's Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. The Andalusian outfit had Antony to thank as his late equaliser denied Forest all three points. Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo hailed the Brazilian's impact and even went so far as to say that the Manchester United flop might be the club's most important signing ever.