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According to Fabrizio Romano, Genoa have contacted Tottenham Hotspur and opened the talks regarding a possible permanent transfer of Djed Spence.

Having represented Fulham and Middlesbrough at youth levels, Spence joined Spurs in 2022 and later had loan spells with Stade Rennais and Leeds United. He was sent to Genoa for another temporary spell in January this year, and he has obviously impressed enough as his team became the most successful among the newly promoted sides in Europe s top five leagues in 2023/24, finishing 11th in the Serie A rankings.

Playing primarily on the right defensive flank, the 23-year-old can also do a job on the left. He represented Genoa in 16 Serie A games.

The talks between Genoa and Spurs over his transfer are ongoing at this point…

Oscar Tabarez has been sacked as Uruguay coach, ending his 15-year reign at the helm of the national team.

The 74-year-old returned for his second spell in charge of Uruguay in 2006 – having also been in the role between 1988-1990 – after La Celeste s failure to reach the World Cup that year.

He led them to fourth place at the 2010 World Cup and presided over success in the 2011 Copa America.

However, after losing their past four games in World Cup 2022 qualifying, including a 3-0 defeat in Bolivia on Tuesday, Tabarez has been dismissed with Uruguay sitting in seventh place with four wins from their 14 games (D4 L6).

With four games remaining, they are just one point off Colombia in the fourth and final automatic qualification spot, but the Uruguayan…

Milan struck twice in extra time as they came from behind to defeat Genoa 3-1 and advance to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.

Leo Ostigard s first-half header gave the visitors the lead on Andriy Shevchenko s return to San Siro.

However, Milan s persistence after the break paid dividends as Oliver Giroud nodded home an equaliser with 16 minutes remaining, and substitutes Rafael Leao and Alexis Saelemaekers completed the turnaround in the additional half-hour to send Stefano Pioli s side through.

Genoa had lost each of their 13 previous matches at this stage of the Coppa Italia, last reaching the quarter-finals in 1991-92.

Nevertheless, the visitors took the lead in the 17th minute as Ostigard rose to head home Manolo Portanova s corner.

Milan the…

Milan are confident of concluding a deal to sign promising Club Brugge forward Charles de Ketelaere, according to technical director Paolo Maldini.

Stefano Pioli s men are in the market for attacking reinforcements after winning their first Serie A title since 2010-11 last season, with Brugge duo Noa Lang and De Ketelaere both reported targets.

De Ketelaere, who scored 18 goals in all competitions last season and has won eight senior caps for Belgium since his 2020 debut, has been strongly linked to both the Rossoneri and Premier League side Leeds United.

Earlier this month, Brugge head coach Carl Hoefkens insisted the forward would only be allowed to leave at the right time .

But Milan appear to be closing in on the 21-year-old s signature after Maldini …

Sonia Bompastor says she likes the pressure that comes from succeeding Emma Hayes at Chelsea.

Hayes, who won Olympic gold earlier this month with the United States, left the Blues at the end of last season after a glittering 12-year spell in charge that saw her win seven Women s Super League titles, including each of the last five in a row.

She also led them to five Women s FA Cups and two Women s League Cups to bring her tally to 14 major trophies.

Bompastor, who spent three years in charge of Lyon, winning three consecutive league titles and a Champions League, is now hoping to build on Hayes success.

I just feel a lucky manager to have this opportunity to build from Emma and have this opportunity to show who I am as a manager but also as a person, Bom…

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In the penultimate round of Premier League fixtures on Monday evening, fourth-place Aston Villa will host third-place Liverpool at Villa Park on Monday evening.

Although Liverpool have already secured Champions League football for next season, this match marks Jurgen Klopp s final away game. Meanwhile, Aston Villa have the opportunity to secure a spot at Europe s top competition too, but in order to do it with a game to spare, they ll need to beat the six-time European champions.

Aston Villa

Unai Emery s track record of success in continental competitions didn t lead to Aston Villa securing a spot in the Europa Conference League final this season. The Lions were defeated by Greek giants Olympiacos, who claimed a commanding 4-2 …

Aleksandar Mitrovic produced a last-gasp winner for Al-Hilal as the Saudi Pro League champions signed off with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Al-Wedha on Monday.

Jorge Jesus side finished the league campaign unbeaten across the 34-game season, though needed late heroics from top scorer Mitrovic to snatch all three points.

Mohamed Kanno opened the scoring for the visiting champions in the first half but Yahya Naji s second-half leveller pegged Al-Hilal back at King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium.

Yet Mitrovic provided the decisive moment in the 92nd minute, converting a Mohammed Al Burayk assist for his 28th league goal of the season.

The Serbia international ranks only behind Cristiano Ronaldo in this campaign s scoring charts, after the Al-Nassr forward clai…

Athletic Bilbao will appoint Marcelo Bielsa as their new coach if Inaki Arechabaleta becomes the club s new president following the club s elections on June 24th.

Bielsa previously coached Athletic between 2011 and 2013, and led the Basque side to the finals of the Europa League and Copa del Rey in his first season in charge.

Athletic lost both matches, however – to Atletico Madrid and Barcelona respectively – and a disappointing season in 2012-13 hindered by the loss of key midfielder Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente s desire to leave the club resulted in Bielsa leaving.

The enigmatic 66-year-old has been out of work since he was dismissed by Leeds United in February, after three-and-a-half years at Elland Road.

Bielsa remains a fan favourite wit…

Gabriel Martinelli got the winner as Arsenal beat Aston Villa 2-1 to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season.

Douglas Luiz s goal direct from a corner – the Brazil international s second such strike this term – had cancelled out compatriot Gabriel Jesus first-half opener at Emirates Stadium.

Emiliano Martinez was at fault for Jesus goal and despite a number of fine saves, attracted the blame again for Martinelli s strike three minutes after Villa s equaliser.

Playing against his former club, Martinez flapped at Martinelli s volley as Arsenal ensured they won five in a row to start a top-flight campaign for only the fourth time in the club s history.

Martinez was on hand to deny Jesus inside ten minutes before a Martin Odegaard�…

In May 2004, as Rafael Benitez and his Valencia team celebrated a LaLiga and UEFA Cup double, it was truly a bright period in the club s history.

Between 1999 and 2004, Los Che won two league titles and also reached two Champions League finals, losing both to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but it was an impressive achievement to be there in the first place, before beating Marseille 2-0 in the 2003-04 UEFA Cup final in Gothenburg.

It was not exactly all downhill from there either.

Granted, no further league titles have been forthcoming in the almost 19 years since, but in an era where the imposing pair of Barcelona and Real Madrid have only grown further, while Atletico Madrid became another formidable foe, that Valencia have had eight top-four finishes in that ti…