New Burnley investor and ex-NFL player JJ Watt is determined to win over doubters still sceptical of Americans who buy into English football.
The one-time Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year and his footballer wife Kealia Watt were unveiled as the Premier League-bound club’s latest backers earlier this month, but the retired defensive end is no stranger to the game.
Watt watched his first Premier League match over a decade ago, soon finding himself fully drawn in thanks to an affinity for Didier Drogba, and completely appreciates why some may be wary of an upswing in US interest.
“I don’t blame them for having cynicism,” he told the PA news agency. “I would if I was in their shoes. Think about it. You’ve had the best league in the world, and it�…
Terry Antonis went from zero to hero as Melbourne Victory ended Sydney FC s A-League defence and booked a place in the Grand Final with a stunning 3-2 win after extra time at Allianz Stadium.
Former Sydney midfielder Antonis agonisingly put through his own goal with 12 seconds of the allotted five minutes of second-half stoppage time left, but he came to Victory s rescue in a dramatic change of fortunes with a solo effort in the 117th minute.
The 24-year-old managed to avoid a second yellow card for celebrating with the crowd and appeared to be in tears after getting the winner, while Sydney coaches Jean-Paul de Marigny and Dean Anastasiadis were dismissed following a video review of an on-pitch scuffle with David Carney in the aftermath.
Victory gained a measure…
Pep Guardiola was lost for words to describe Erling Haaland after his eighth Premier League hat-trick fired Manchester City to a 3-1 victory over West Ham.
Having scored a treble to help City claim a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town on matchday two, Haaland did likewise on Saturday to keep them perfect as they edged out the Hammers at the London Stadium.
Haaland s seven goals this season are the most any player has ever netted in the first three matches of a Premier League campaign, while only Sergio Aguero (12), Alan Shearer (11) and Robbie Fowler (nine) have ever helped themselves to more match balls in the competition.
Across English football s top four tiers, he is also the first player to score two hat-tricks in a team s first three games of a league season since B…
Mauricio Pochettino praised Conor Gallagher’s “Chelsea values” after the midfielder gave another standout performance as captain in the team’s 2-0 win against Sheffield United.
The 23-year-old has played in all but one of the manager’s 17 Premier League games in charge and has skippered the side in the recurring absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
A product of the club’s academy system, he was heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge during the summer transfer window, particularly since any fee received for the player would be recorded as pure profit as owner Todd Boehly looks to keep the club within Financial Fair Play regulations.
The American’s Clearlake Capital consortium has spent more than £1billion on player recruitment sinc…
Liverpool s Champions League title defence is in the balance ahead of Wednesday s last-16 second leg with Atletico Madrid, but Jurgen Klopp s home record with the Reds highlights the task facing Los Colchoneros.
The Spanish side won 1-0 thanks to an early Saul Niguez effort at the Wanda Metropolitano, with Atletico producing a quintessential Diego Simeone display as they fought to cling on to a slender win.
Their approach is unlikely to change at Anfield, but Klopp boasts an impressive record on Merseyside.
In the other of Wednesday s games, Borussia Dortmund take a 2-1 lead over Paris Saint-Germain to Parc des Princes, setting the second leg up tantalisingly with Erling Haaland eying a slice of history though there will not be any fans in attendance due to th…
Wayne Rooney has challenged Manchester United s stars to improve their performances as he feels manager Jose Mourinho is simply an easy target for criticism.
A spirited comeback saw United come from 2-0 down to beat Newcastle United 3-2 on Saturday, a result that has reduced some of the pressure on their under-fire manager.
Reports continue to circulate around Mourinho s future, though, with former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane tipped to replace him if there is no consistent improvement in results.
Former club captain Rooney says the mood around the club reminds him of Louis van Gaal s difficult final few months at Old Trafford, and he wants the players to start performing for their boss.
It s tough [at United], it has been a tough situation, the DC U…
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker insists Champions League success will not be the defining factor of the club’s achievements but admits victory would earn them recognition as one of the best teams in the world.
City’s domestic excellence is not in doubt, having won the Premier League in five of the last six seasons and collected a total of 11 trophies since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2016-17.
But their only previous appearance in a Champions League final ended in defeat to Chelsea two years ago and not winning European football’s elite trophy continues to be the major football-related criticism levelled at the club.
FINALISTS!
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
Walker believes the trophy haul under Guardiola deserves respect but he know…
Xavi won his second trophy as a coach after leading Al Sadd to a 4-0 success over Al Duhail in the Qatar Cup final, days after turning down the Barcelona job.
Barca icon Xavi confirmed on Thursday that he had declined the opportunity to succeed Ernesto Valverde at Camp Nou.
Valverde was sacked on Monday, with former Real Betis and Las Palmas coach Quique Setien swiftly appointed.
Xavi claimed he turned Barca down because he believed it was too soon in his coaching career to take such a job, yet he will have done his credentials no harm with Friday s triumph.
— AlSadd S.C | نادي السد (@AlsaddSC)
Nam Tae-hee opened the scoring early on for Al Sadd, with Baghdad Bounedjah then doubling their tally after a mistake from Duhail s go…
Barcelona are enduring their worst start to a LaLiga season in terms of points gained since 2008-09, when Pep Guardiola was in his first term in charge.
The champions were held to a 2-2 draw at Osasuna on Saturday, with Roberto Torres snatching a draw with a late penalty at El Sadar.
Barca had fought from a goal down to lead 2-1, with Ansu Fati becoming their youngest league goalscorer before Arthur put them ahead, after Torres had opened the scoring just seven minutes in.
However, Gerard Pique was penalised for blocking the ball with a raised arm in the box, allowing Osasuna to extend their unbeaten home run in LaLiga to six games.
It means Ernesto Valverde s side have taken only four points from three games in 2019-20, having started with a 1-0 defeat a…
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Looking to punch their European Championship final ticket in midweek, England will meet Israel in Batumi on Wednesday night.
Israel U21
Starting with Israel, edging past Georgia over the weekend thanks to a nail-biting penalties victory, Guy Luzon’s squad have only continued on a history-making romp this summer. Punching their first-ever semi-final ticket and gaining a host of plaudits, the Whites will be desperate to spring one final upset on Wednesday evening. However, winning just one of their four European Championship showdowns within 90 minutes this summer, the one-time Charlton boss should also be concerned by his most recent meeting against their midweek opponents. Hit with a routine 2-0 loss when they met England for a Group…