Sports

Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta watched new clubs Everton and Arsenal play out a low-quality 0-0 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Ancelotti s appointment was confirmed by Everton just over an hour prior to kick-off and the former Real Madrid and Chelsea head coach will likely have been happier than new Gunners boss Arteta by what he saw.

Interim Arsenal boss Freddie Ljungberg named a young starting line-up, leaving Mesut Ozil out of his squad entirely, but they failed to provide service to isolated captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Ljungberg s Everton counterpart Duncan Ferguson, who had secured four points from two games against Chelsea and Manchester United, will now step aside as Arteta and Ancelotti take charge for the next round of league games on Decem…

The French government has said it is sad and sorry for the disruption faced by Liverpool fans at last week s Champions League final in Paris, though interior minister Gerald Darmanin has refused to back down on claims the use of fake tickets caused the chaos.

The Champions League final was twice delayed as Liverpool fans struggled to enter the Stade de France, while social media footage showed Reds supporters being targeted with tear gas and pepper spray by local police. 

On Monday, UEFA announced an independent investigation into the events after both Liverpool and the UK government via culture secretary Nadine Dorries  called for a probe into the organisation of the match.

The French government has faced severe criticism since the contest, with Liverpoo…

Watford have placed Under-23s coach Hayden Mullins in charge for Wednesday s Premier League trip to Leicester City following the sacking of Quique Sanchez Flores.

Flores second spell at Vicarage Road was brought to an end at the weekend on the back of a 2-1 loss to Southampton that left the club bottom of the division.

Watford hope to bring in a permanent successor imminently , but Mullins will be in the dugout for the midweek clash with the high-flying Foxes.

The 40-year-old has been a coach at Watford since July 2016 and was brought in to oversee first-team training on Monday, alongside head of academy goalkeeping Graham Stack.

Former Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion boss Chris Hughton is rumoured to be one of the frontrunners for the Horn…

According to Marca, Atletico Madrid are going to allow Filipe Luis’ contract to expire. Luis has six months left on his deal and Atletico have made it clear that they’re happy for him to open negotiations with over teams, and it certainly seems like the 33 year old veteran isn’t even remotely interested in the idea of retirement right now.

He first joined Atletico back in 2010 and spent four years with the club, before making the move over to English football for a somewhat underwhelming tenure with Chelsea. He then returned to Atletico, and ever since he has been able to establish himself as one of the club’s best left backs of all time.

Even with that reputation, however, it seems like Atletico are more interested in focusing on the future.

The Brazili…

The Premier League season concludes on Sunday with all 10 matches kicking off at the same time and plenty still at stake.

The title has been wrapped up by Manchester City, Manchester United are certain of second place, while the bottom three teams have also already been determined.

However, Chelsea, Liverpool and Leicester City are battling it out for the two remaining Champions League spots as they face Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Tottenham respectively.

There are also the Europa League and Europa Conference League berths to be sorted on a bumper day of football.

If you re looking for some extra drama, why not give our Opta-powered quiz a go? You ll find the answers at the bottom of the page

The table heading into the final day of the sea…

Eibar coach Jose Luis Mendilibar has signed a new one-year contract extension with the LaLiga club.

The 59-year-old has been in charge since June 2015 and steered Eibar to a 14th-place finish in the 2019-20 season.

Assistants Toni Ruiz, Inaki Bea, Josu Anuzita and Andoni Azkargorta, who has signed a three-year deal, will all stay at the club.

Mendilibar has overseen 250 games across two spells in charge of Eibar, 207 of which have been in the top flight. His record stands at 68 wins, 54 draws and 85 defeats.

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Javi Martinez is looking to leave Bayern Munich after eight years with the German club, chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed.

The 31-year-old midfielder joined Bayern from Athletic Bilbao in 2012 and has won 19 trophies during his time at the Allianz Arena.

However, Martinez has been restricted to just 10 starts in all competitions in 2019-20 and recently entered the final 12 months of his contract.

Rummenigge has opened the door for the Spaniard to move on during the close season, with teams in France and former club Athletic rumoured to be interested.

We know that he would like to leave the club with a suitable offer, Rummenigge told AZ. 

YES 

— Javi Martínez (@Javi8martinez)

We wouldn t put any obstacles …

Manchester United certainly can t be accused of standing still this year. A day after sealing the signing of Jadon Sancho, they confirmed a new contract for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until at least 2024.

But there s still plenty to press on with for Solskjaer and United. While the signing of Sancho addresses one area that has been a problem in recent years, it appears there are still two glaring weaknesses in the first-choice starting XI.

It would seem United have identified the man to take care of one of them, with Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane reportedly set to bolster their defensive options. In one sense it will have been a signing long in the making, given the club were supposedly close to buying him from Lens as a teenager only for Los Blancos to get the deal o…

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said Manchester United, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain should answer questions regarding star defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

Koulibaly has been heavily linked with a move to City, while Premier League rivals United and Ligue 1 champions PSG have also been touted as possible destinations.

The future of the Senegal international has dominated headlines, with Napoli reportedly looking to raise funds in their pursuit of Gabriel Magalhaes, though the Lille defender appears set for Arsenal.

Asked about Koulibaly, De Laurentiis deflected questions on Tuesday.

You should ask Manchester United, City or PSG this question, he said. In other words, those who can afford to pay certain amounts.

With midfielder Allan…

According to a recent report from Corriere dello Sport, talks are continuing to build regarding Arturo Vidal’s potential reunion with Antonio Conte. The two men were together during their days with Italian giants Juventus, but now, Conte is over at Inter Milan whereas Vidal is on the books at the Nou Camp with Barcelona. 

Vidal’s representatives are set to meet with Barcelona in order to discuss what his future may be, and whether or not the club sees him as a vital part of their plans moving forward. On the other end you’ve got Conte claiming that he is desperate to bring the Chilean midfielder to the San Siro as he continues to try and snatch the Serie A title away from his former employers Juventus. 

Vidal has been in the game a long time now and knows ho…