Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed that he once “literally sh*t” himself while working through an injury rehabilitation programme, with the legendary Swedish striker enduring an unfortunate toilet mishap while running on a treadmill. The former Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and AC Milan forward considers that story to be another example of how he would never “cheat” when it came to giving his all.
Antonio Conte has seemingly hit out at Ruben Amorim and Manchester United for their handling of striker Rasmus Hojlund, who is currently enjoying a loan spell with Serie A side Napoli. The Danish striker had a tough second season at Old Trafford and was sent to Italy as Amorim preferred summer signing Benjamin Sesko, who has scored five goals in 19 appearances for the Red Devils so far. Amorim has since been sacked and replaced by Michael Carrick, who will preside over the club for the remainder of the campaign.
Evan Ferguson has been urged to consider a sensational switch to Wrexham to reignite his stalling career. Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes the ambitious Welsh club could provide the perfect platform for the Roma striker to rediscover his goalscoring touch and fall back in love with the game after a difficult period in Italy.
Maximilian Ibrahimovic has officially joined Ajax on loan from AC Milan, following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Zlatan. However, the 19-year-old forward is determined to carve out his own legacy in Amsterdam, declaring that "Ibrahimovic is just a name" as he looks to impress during his initial six-month spell at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
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.
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.
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.
Liverpool have reportedly slapped a €10 million price tag on Federico Chiesa as Juventus consider a shock move to bring the winger back to Turin. The Italian international has struggled for consistent minutes at Anfield and is keen to secure regular football ahead of the World Cup, with the Reds open to a permanent sale to avoid a capital loss on their investment.
Jamie Vardy continues to age like a fine wine, with the Premier League title-winning former England striker reaching 150 career goals across Europe’s top five divisions. He has achieved that feat at 38 years of age and while on the books of Serie A outfit Cremonese. Few can claim to have matched the legendary ex-Leicester frontman, with only Cristiano Ronaldo sitting above him on a notable chart.
Raheem Sterling is seriously considering ending his nightmare spell at Chelsea as he looks to escape a lucrative contract that has become a "prison." The 31-year-old winger has emerged as a potential target for Napoli, who are scouring the market for offensive reinforcements amidst a strict "zero balance" financial policy.
We have been waiting for some time to see how Nike would react to the juggernaut that is adidas' Predator revival campaign, and the American sportswear behemoth is finally set to deliver a serious on-pitch response following the relaunch of cultural phenomenon Total90 as a streetwear silo in 2025. With the new year upon us, the iconic Nike Tiempo has been revamped for the modern creator-in-chief.
Mario Balotelli is set to complete a transfer to the 14th club of his career as he closes in on a switch to Al-Ittifaq FC of Dubai. The former Manchester City and Liverpool striker has been a free agent since he left Italian side Genoa over the summer. Balotelli signed for the Serie A outfit on a season-long deal last October but did not stay there long.
Chelsea are set to be disappointed in their pursuit of AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, as the Italian giants edge closer to tying their captain down to a new contract. Maignan was a transfer target for the Blues last summer and they were expected to renew their interest this year given the Frenchman would be available on a free transfer. However, Milan are now in advanced talks to keep the highly-rated stopper at San Siro.
Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has opened up on his feud with Andre Onana after infamously calling the Cameroonian one of the Red Devils' "worst-ever goalkeepers". The two traded barbs in the lead-up to United's Europa League quarter-final clash with Lyon last season, before the Premier League side won a dramatic knockout tie. Now, the ex-Chelsea ace has revisited that thorny issue.
United States international Weston McKennie will reportedly not renew his Juventus contract amid rumours of a Major League Soccer return. The 27-year-old's future has been up in the air for years now, ever since he had an underwhelming loan spell at Leeds United in 2023. The midfielder has spent more than five years at the Italian giants but his spell there may be drawing to a close.
United States international Gio Reyna has weighed in on the transfer rumours surrounding compatriot and AC Milan star Christian Pulisic. The 27-year-old is, arguably, in enjoying the best spell of his career but there is no guarantee his long-term future is with the Italian giants. Amid links with Manchester United, Borussia Monchengladbach man Reyna has praised Pulisic's "flying" form.
Roma sporting director Ricky Massara has admitted that the club's pursuit of Joshua Zirkzee has been complicated by the dismissal of Ruben Amorim at Manchester United. The Serie A side had been keen on the Dutch forward, but the sudden change in the dugout at Old Trafford has altered the landscape, potentially offering the player a fresh start in England under new management.
.png?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
