Lists

Alejandro Garnacho has publicly revelled in Ruben Amorim’s sacking by Manchester United. The Portuguese tactician has been relieved of his duties at Old Trafford as a forgettable 14-month tenure is brought to a close. Garnacho was among those to be frozen out of the Red Devils fold by Amorim, leading to him leaving for Chelsea, and the Argentina international appears to have taken great delight in seeing his former boss dismissed.

It was a mic drop moment that came out of the blue and yet seemed to have been brewing for a long time. Ruben Amorim was getting through a potentially difficult press conference after drawing at Leeds with little fuss, giving the assembled journalists little to feed on. But then came the bombshell moment which has led to him ultimately being sacked just 14 months after taking over at Old Trafford.

Declan Rice has launched a passionate defence of teammate Viktor Gyokeres, insisting the Arsenal striker remains "one of the best in the world" despite a dry spell in front of goal. The England midfielder believes critics are overlooking the £64 million signing's immense tactical contribution, sending a stark warning to Premier League rivals that the goals will soon flow once again.

The 24-year-old has been with the club since his early days in the game, coming through the ranks to represent the senior team and become a key player for the Cape Winelands region. Initially, the South Africa international had been linked with a move to the Soweto giants, but he has been convinced to stay.

Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane admits that Enzo Maresca’s sudden sacking on New Year’s Day caused “shock” in the Blues’ dressing room. Everyone at Stamford Bridge has, however, realigned their focus as it remains important to avoid any distractions. Senior stars in west London, such as captain Reece James, are being credited with “dragging the group together”.

The 33-year-old has opted to step down to lower-division football after carving out a career in the Premier Soccer League over the years, including playing for the Buccaneers. With his vast experience, he is expected to add leadership and quality as the Citizens push for a return to the top-flight league. His signing could be City’s clearest statement of their intent to reclaim PSL status.

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.

Ruben Amorim’s forgettable reign as Manchester United manager is over, with the Portuguese lasting just 14 months and 63 games in the most demanding of Premier League posts. Having faced uncomfortable questions across a difficult tenure at Old Trafford, the reasons for the 40-year-old’s sudden departure at the start of 2026 have been revealed.

Chelsea have fuelled speculation regarding a potential reintegration for Mykhailo Mudryk after publicly celebrating the winger’s 25th birthday on social media. The public acknowledgement stands in stark contrast to the club’s treatment of Raheem Sterling just weeks earlier, suggesting that the Ukrainian may still have a future at Stamford Bridge under the incoming management.

The Bundesliga may still be on a winter break, but there was plenty of other action across Europe as 2026 got off to a cracking start for some of the continent's elite teams. In England, Arsenal took another big step towards a first Premier League title since 2004 by moving six points clear thanks to a 3-2 win at Bournemouth, while reigning champions Barcelona continue to lead the way in Spain after beating city rivals Espanyol thanks to late goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski.

Thiago Silva has completed a sensational return to European football, signing a short-term deal with Porto at the age of 41. The Brazilian icon, who recently departed Fluminense following a mutual termination of his contract, touched down in the Invicta city on Sunday to finalise a move that sees him reunite with the club where his career almost ended tragically two decades ago.

Arsenal have completed their first signing of the January transfer window as Renee Slegers' side bid to get back on track in the Women's Super League. The Gunners are eight points behind Manchester City ahead of the league's resumption this weekend and have added depth in defence as they aim to close that gap, signing a highly-rated Sweden international who suffered heartbreak at the hands of England's Lionesses at the 2025 European Championship.

Manchester United have officially parted ways with Ruben Amorim following a chaotic 24 hours at Old Trafford, bringing an abrupt end to the Portuguese coach’s tenure. The decision was confirmed on Monday morning after the manager launched a blistering public attack on the club’s hierarchy, a move that supporters on social media have largely agreed made his position at the helm completely untenable.

Ruben Amorim has been brutally sacked by Manchester United, with the Portuguese seeing a 14-month spell at Old Trafford brought to a close. Questions were asked of his ongoing presence in the Red Devils’ dugout after aiming an explosive outburst in the direction of the club’s board following a draw at Leeds. He has now paid the ultimate price for that rant and a string of underwhelming performances.

The Soweto Giants have been exceptional in domestic competitions this season, where they have already secured two major titles and one unofficial one under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou who replaced the Spaniard Jose Riveiro at the beginning of the 2025/26 season. The former Morocco international is hoping to win the remaining two local titles.

The managerial merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge is spinning again, with Liam Rosenior set to arrive in London to finalise his appointment as Chelsea’s new head coach following Enzo Maresca’s exit. However, BlueCo have wasted no time lining up a replacement for the Strasbourg dugout, with former Wolves boss Gary O'Neil emerging as the shock contender to swap the Premier League for Ligue 1.

Under-fire Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been brutally reminded that he is “not Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp” and should not, given his record with the Red Devils, be demanding more control at Old Trafford. The Portuguese tactician has delivered an explosive outburst on his present and future, much to the surprise of United legend Wayne Rooney.

The 1996 winners failed to find a way past the five-time champions, the Indomitable Lions, in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ongoing in the North African country of Morocco. South Africa were punished for an inconsistent start against a determined opponent who will now be hoping to go all the way.

Neymar’s much-publicised injury struggles are said to have led the Brazilian legend to consider retirement. That is according to the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star’s father. Knee ligament damage led to Neymar’s contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal being terminated, while more fitness issues have been endured back at Santos.

Declan Rice has once again proven he is the complete midfield package, netting a stunning brace to rescue Arsenal’s title charge against Bournemouth. The England international’s match-winning display has drawn high praise from across the footballing world, with Ivan Toney jokingly suggesting a positional change for his compatriot while Lionesses star Chloe Kelly labelled the performance simply "too good" on social media.

Ruben Amorim’s future as Manchester United manager is said to be in serious jeopardy, with the Portuguese tactician having seemingly taken a leaf out of Enzo Maresca’s book. On the back of seeing the Italian tactician relieved of his duties after speaking out at Chelsea, under-fire Amorim took the decision to aim an outburst of his own in the direction of club officials at Old Trafford.

It has not been a happy New Year for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side ended 2025 on Arsenal's coat tails at the top of the Premier League, but 2026 got off to a frustrating start as they drew at Sunderland to slip four points behind the Gunners. And after a brilliant performance against Chelsea ended with another frustrating draw on Sunday, City are now six points off the pace and two centre-backs down.

Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has been brutally informed that he will “never be Eden Hazard”, with Gary Neville claiming that the Portugal international can be a “bloody frustrating” player to watch. Neto remains a regular for the Premier League heavyweights at Stamford Bridge, with a battling point being taken from their latest fixture away at title-chasing Manchester City.

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including McKennie continuing his dominant form.

Xabi Alonso says Vinicius Junior is "fundamental" to Real Madrid after the winger was whistled by parts of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd in their 5-1 win over Real Betis. The Brazilian started well but faded as the game wore on, with the 25-year-old being jeered by some supporters when he was taken off. Despite that, former Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso has come to the aid of the Los Blancos ace.

Florian Wirtz has admitted he was convinced his goal would be ruled out for being offside in Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Fulham. Harry Wilson gave the Cottagers an early lead before Wirtz and Cody Gakpo efforts turned the game around for the Reds. Harrison Reed's stoppage-time stunner ensured the points were shared on Sunday as Arne Slot's side ran out of luck at Craven Cottage.

Como manager Cesc Fabregas has been brutally trolled by AC Milan legend Alessandro Nesta after the two went head-to-head in management. When the Italian icon was managing Monza in 2025, his side came up against Fabregas' Como, with the two teams playing out a 1-1 draw. While the Spaniard is receiving praise for his managerial success, Nesta has taken aim at his apparent whining.

South Africa deployed a more defensive approach with the hope of winning the midfield battle, but in the end, Hugo Broos' gamble did not pay off, as his players were outfoxed. A journey that started with a controversial off-pitch issue between the coach and Mbekezeli Mbokazi has ended as crestfallen Mzansi head home earlier than in the last edition, where they reached the last four. Ironically, a team that Broos helped lift their last AFCON title has ended his dream of winning his second continental trophy.

Ruben Amorim has been branded as "useless" and told to "f*ck off" out of Manchester United by one of Paul Scholes' sons after the Portuguese's criticism of the club's board. The 40-year-old coach appeared to take aim at the Red Devils' hierarchy in the wake of his side's draw with Leeds United on Sunday, insisting that he was the "manager and not the coach" of the Premier League side. Now, Arron Scholes has laid into the ex-Sporting CP boss.