Sports
Chelsea hires Xabi Alonso as struggling Blues look to steady ship
Chelsea have appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager on a four-year contract starting in July, the Premier League club said Sunday, tasking the Spaniard with reviving the team after a turbulent, trophyless season.
The 44-year-old Spaniard’s appointment comes a day after Chelsea were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup final, ending the London club’s hopes of salvaging a disappointing campaign with silverware.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club,” Alonso said in a statement on the club’s website.
“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition.”
Alonso will look to steady the ship after a turbulent season in which the club dismissed two managers – Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior – with the latter sacked in April after a run of seven defeats in eight matches across all competitions.
With two Premier League games left, five-time Premier League winners Chelsea are ninth in the table, although they still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe.
“We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies,” Alonso said.
The move also marks a return to English football for Alonso, who racked up 210 appearances for Liverpool before leaving for Real Madrid in 2009 and later ending his playing career with Bayern Munich in 2017.
Proven managerial pedigree
After retiring as a player, Alonso began his coaching career with Real Madrid’s youth academy and later managed Real Sociedad’s reserve team.
He rose to prominence as a manager at Bayer Leverkusen, where he took charge in 2022 and guided the club to a historic unbeaten Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 campaign, along with the German Cup and a run to the Europa League final.
That success earned him a return to Real Madrid as head coach, though his spell was reportedly affected by internal tensions, including clashes with several senior players such as Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr.
He was sacked by Real Madrid in January, less than eight months after taking charge.
As a player, the former Spain international made 236 appearances for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2014, winning LaLiga, two Copa del Rey titles and the club’s 10th European Cup.
He also made 114 appearances for the national side, finishing his international career with a World Cup trophy and two European titles.
Chelsea seek stability
Alonso becomes the fifth permanent appointment under Chelsea’s big-spending BlueCo ownership, following Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Maresca and Rosenior.
This season began with Chelsea as FIFA Club World Cup champions, but after a reasonable start, it unravelled into poor form amid managerial upheaval and fan protests.
Chelsea have spent 1.8 billion pounds ($2.40 billion) on signings since BlueCo took charge in 2022, but there has been little sign of consistent progress.
Fans’ group Not a Project staged a protest against the running of the club before Saturday’s Wembley showpiece.
It will now be Alonso’s task to try and mould a team capable of re-establishing themselves at the top of the Premier League.
“There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club,” Alonso, who had been linked with a possible return to Liverpool, said. “Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies.”
Current caretaker manager Calum McFarlane will continue in his role until the end of the season, with a home game against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League Tuesday.
Napoli secured their spot in next season’s Champions League by beating Pisa 3-0 to cement second place, while Juventus tumbled from third to sixth in Serie A after suffering a shocking 2-0 home loss to 10-man Fiorentina.
AC Milan moved up to third with a 2-1 win over Genoa. AS Roma’s 2-0 win over Lazio in a chaotic Capital Derby, courtesy of Gianluca Mancini’s first brace of the season, left them tied with Milan on 70 points, but trailing by head-to-head performance this season.
Juventus, who suffered their first loss since February, are tied on 68 points with fifth-placed Como, who beat Parma, going into the final day of the season on May 24, when two of the four Champions League spots will still be up for grabs.
Napoli’s title defense ended earlier this month when Inter Milan secured the Scudetto and a draw at Como and a loss to Bologna had delayed their Champions League qualification.
However, Antonio Conte’s men eased to victory over bottom side Pisa, as Scott McTominay and Amir Rrahmani scored within six minutes to put them 2-0 ahead in the first half, before Rasmus Hojlund’s stoppage-time strike capped a dominant performance.
Juventus had started well against Fiorentina, with Francisco Conceicao and Dusan Vlahovic creating early chances. But shortly after the half-hour mark, Cher Ndour’s shot took a deflection off Juve defender Teun Koopmeiners and found the net.
Vlahovic’s equaliser in the second half was disallowed after a VAR review due to offside, but Fiorentina’s Luca Ranieri was sent off for protesting against the goal being initially awarded.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, 15th-placed Fiorentina doubled their lead in the 82nd minute through Rolando Mandragora.
Capital derby chaos
There was high tension between Roma and Lazio, as a brawl broke out in the derby shortly after Mancini’s second goal. Wesley and Nicolo Rovella were both sent off and Roma held onto their two-goal cushion to win their fourth straight league game.
The derby at the Stadio Olimpico was scheduled early, along with the league games relevant to the top-four race, to avoid security complications from the Italian Tennis Open men’s final taking place next door at the Foro Italico.
Meanwhile, at Genoa, Milan took the lead when Christopher Nkunku scored from the spot early in the second half, and doubled their lead through Zachary Athekame in the 80th minute. The hosts fought back with Johan Vasquez’s strike five minutes later, but fell short.
Como edged Parma 1-0, with Alberto Moreno striking in the 57th minute.
With seventh-placed Atalanta sitting 10 points below Juventus, all clubs in the top six are assured of at least a place in the Europa League if they fail to secure a top-four finish on May 24.
Milan will host Cagliari next Sunday, while Juventus will visit city rivals, Torino. Roma play at Verona and Como end their campaign at Cremonese.
World football governing body FIFA and the Iranian football federation held “excellent” and “constructive” talks on Saturday, Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom has said.
The talks with the Iranian football federation in Istanbul were aimed at ensuring Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Iranians are scheduled to be based and play all three of their group matches in the U.S. in spite of the war currently being waged in the Middle East.
“We’ve had an excellent meeting, a constructive meeting together with the Iran FA,” said Grafstrom.
“I think we’re working closely together and looking very much forward to welcoming them to the World Cup.
“We’ve had the opportunity to discuss some of the operational matters, like we do with every member association.
“But I’m very happy that we were able to have this positive exchange, and both the Iran FA and FIFA are very happy with the meeting and looking forward to welcoming Team Melli in the USA, Canada and Mexico.”
The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, had said Thursday that no visas had yet been issued for Iran’s team.
But he also described Saturday’s meeting as “positive and constructive” without going into details.
“We discussed our concerns and expressed our joint commitment to ensure the smooth participation of Team Melli,” he said.
Coach defends selection
The meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Turkish Football Federation, comes as the Iranian team prepares to leave Monday morning for a training camp in Türkiye before heading to the United States.
Iran hope to play two friendlies in Antalya. They have already confirmed one match, against The Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.
They are taking a squad of 30 players, which will have to be trimmed to the World Cup maximum of 26.
While Porto striker Mehdi Taremi is on the list, this is not the case for the other star striker, Sardar Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals for the national team and previously played for Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma.
The forward, who had previously voiced support for anti-regime protesters, was recently accused of “treason” by Iranian state media after a photo was published in March showing him alongside the Emir of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where he plays and resides.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei, however, has defended his decision.
“I swear before God that nothing other than technical criteria played a role in the selection of the players, and I chose the 30 players solely on that basis,” he said.
Iran have qualified for their fourth consecutive finals and, when the squad reaches the US, will set up their base camp in Tucson, Arizona.
They are due to kick off their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle, in Group G.
After leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, Lionel Messi appeared to have capped his career, yet both he and longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo remain driven as they prepare to make history at this year’s tournament in North America.
This will be the last dance for Messi and Ronaldo, who will become the first players to appear in six different World Cups, two decades on from their fresh-faced debuts at the finals.
They have since become icons far beyond the football pitch, two of the most recognizable people on the planet as they head into middle age and contemplate retirement.
Messi appeared to suggest that there would not be much point in carrying on after he skippered Argentina to victory in Qatar.
“Obviously I wanted to finish my career with this. I can’t ask for any more,” he said after dragging Lionel Scaloni’s side to victory over France on penalties in that World Cup final in Doha.
“My career is coming to an end because these are my final years. What more could there be after this?”
Plenty more, it turns out.
Messi was in the middle of an underwhelming spell at Paris Saint-Germain then, and six months later he departed for Major League Soccer.
There he is excelling with Inter Miami, with whom he won the MLS Cup last year.
He might no longer be playing at the very highest level every week, but he remains crucial for Argentina.
The Barcelona legend captained his country to victory at the Copa America in the U.S. in 2024, and was the top scorer in South American World Cup qualifying.
“I love playing football, and I’m going to do it until I can’t anymore,” he said recently.
At one stage there were some doubts as to whether he would play at another World Cup, a tournament he first graced in 2006, when aged 18 he scored in a 6-0 demolition of Serbia and Montenegro in Gelsenkirchen.
200 caps, goals record in sight
“I will do everything to make sure he is there,” insisted Scaloni, with Messi now just two games away from reaching 200 caps.
He is set to add to his record of 26 appearances in World Cup matches, including their run to the 2014 final in Brazil.
Messi has 13 World Cup goals, meaning Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 is within striking distance, especially as Argentina’s group opponents do not appear the toughest.
They will begin against Algeria and Austria before tackling Jordan in Dallas, three days after Messi’s 39th birthday.
He has a couple of years on Ronaldo, but the 41-year-old Portuguese talisman was determined to carry his international career on in the hope of landing the ultimate prize.
Ronaldo was a teenager when he lost the Euro 2004 final with Portugal on home soil, but he made up for that by captaining them to victory at Euro 2016.
Yet the World Cup has proven harder, at least after Portugal got to the 2006 semi-finals.
Portugal have won only one World Cup knockout match since, when they hammered Switzerland 6-1 in 2022 with Ronaldo dropped to the bench.
‘Exemplary commitment’
Roberto Martinez became coach after that and restored Ronaldo as the first-choice striker, which he remains despite not scoring at Euro 2024 when Portugal lost in the last eight.
He is the most-capped men’s player of all time with 226 international appearances, and the former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar is now set to win the Saudi title with Al Nassr.
Ronaldo confirmed recently this would be his last World Cup, insisting: “I’m going to be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment.”
Portugal, who go into a group with Colombia, Uzbekistan and DR Congo, are genuine contenders to win it even if there are doubts as to whether Ronaldo is holding back a talented squad.
Personally, Ronaldo will be seeking to add to his eight World Cup goals, and finally get a first in the knockout stages.
“He is more than just a football player, but for the national team that is all he is,” said Martinez in an interview with Portuguese broadcaster RTP.
“He is the captain and he shows exemplary commitment to his country. He is incredible.”
Lifting the World Cup at 41 would be quite the way for Ronaldo to finish, and if both Portugal and Argentina top their groups, he and Messi would be on course to meet in the quarter-finals in Kansas City on July 11.
Pole vault world record holder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis said he felt nerves ahead of the new Diamond League season as he prepares to defend his unbeaten streak.
The U.S.-born Swedish star opens his outdoor campaign Saturday in a strong field in China, where he will face Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, who rose to second on the all-time list in February after clearing 6.17 meters in Athens.
The competition in Shanghai and Keqiao also includes two-time world champion Sam Kendricks of the United States and double world championship bronze medalist Kurtis Marschall of Australia.
Duplantis, unbeaten since 2023, set his 15th pole vault world record in March when he cleared 6.31 meters in Sweden and will be the star attraction in eastern China.
“I’m super excited,” the two-time Olympic champion and three-time world gold medalist said Friday.
“You always have a little bit of nerves when you’re going into your first outdoor competition, which I really like because it gets you a little fired up and brings a different type of energy.
“I feel good. We’ll find out tomorrow if I really do feel good, but I really like jumping here.
“I love jumping when you have that nice light at night. A big stadium really sets the mood.
“I think it’s really going to be fun. I want to jump high, as always.”
Duplantis will be joined by Kenya’s middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon, Norway’s hurdler Karsten Warholm, Botswana’s Olympic 200-meter champion Letsile Tebogo and Nigeria’s 100-meter hurdler Tobi Amusan in what promises to be a high-octane start to the 15-meet series.
This year’s Diamond League crosses four continents and 15 cities en route to the two-day final in Brussels on Sept. 4-5.
Kylian Mbappe’s return to the Santiago Bernabeu was supposed to steady a wounded season. Instead, it exposed just how fractured things have become at Real Madrid.
The France captain was whistled by sections of Madrid supporters after coming off the bench in Thursday’s 2-0 La Liga win over Real Oviedo, the latest sign of growing unrest around a club stumbling toward the finish line of another trophyless campaign.
With Barcelona already crowned champions after last weekend’s Clasico victory, Madrid’s season has drifted into damage control.
Mbappe, sidelined in that decisive defeat because of a thigh injury, returned as a 69th-minute substitute but found little warmth from the Bernabeu crowd.
Supporters have increasingly questioned the forward’s commitment in recent weeks, particularly after he travelled to Sardinia during his recovery period.
The whistles echoed around a half-empty stadium as Mbappe jogged onto the pitch, though the striker forced a smile and later tried to downplay the tension.
“I am very good, at 100%,” Mbappe told reporters after the match. “The coach told me that for him I’m the fourth forward in the squad.”
The comment immediately deepened the controversy.
Coach Alvaro Arbeloa had opted to start Vinicius Junior, Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo Garcia in attack, leaving Mbappe and Jude Bellingham on the bench after both recently returned from fitness concerns.
Arbeloa later denied demoting the club’s marquee signing in the pecking order.
“Maybe he didn’t understand me well,” Arbeloa said. “A player who four days ago couldn’t even make the bench shouldn’t start today.”
The coach insisted the decision was precautionary ahead of Sunday’s match and maintained Mbappe remains his first-choice striker.
Still, the episode underlined the uncertainty engulfing Madrid.
Mbappe arrived in Spain carrying the weight of expectation and has largely delivered statistically, scoring 41 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions. Yet the numbers have not shielded him from criticism as Madrid’s season unraveled through injuries, defensive instability and major defeats to Barcelona.
The Bernabeu crowd has historically turned on even its biggest stars during moments of frustration. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappe’s childhood idol, endured similar treatment during his Madrid years. On Thursday, Vinicius also heard whistles after a frustrating first half.
Madrid eventually found control through younger legs.
Garcia opened the scoring just before halftime, meeting a low Brahim Diaz pass with a composed finish after a sluggish opening period in which Oviedo threatened through Nacho Vidal.
Diaz remained Madrid’s sharpest attacking outlet, forcing a save from Aaron Escandell before halftime and testing the goalkeeper again after the break. Oviedo squandered chances to equalize, with Vidal dragging another effort wide after finding space inside the area.
Mbappe entered to a hostile soundtrack but still helped settle the match, supplying the pass for Bellingham to drill home Madrid’s second goal late on.
The result itself changed little.
Madrid are set to finish a second consecutive season without a major trophy, while questions continue to swirl around the club’s direction. President Florentino Perez has already called elections during a turbulent period marked by fan frustration and growing uncertainty over the dugout.
A banner reading “Florentino go now” was removed by stewards during the match, reflecting divisions among supporters over the club president’s leadership.
Arbeloa’s own future remains unclear amid speculation linking Jose Mourinho with a sensational return to the Bernabeu. The coach replaced Xabi Alonso in January but has struggled to steady a season that never recovered momentum.
For Mbappe, Thursday became another reminder that even extraordinary numbers are not always enough at Real Madrid. At the Bernabeu, performances are measured against trophies, and this season has left too few of them to silence the noise.
Fenerbahçe presidential candidate Aziz Yıldırım has issued a stark message to the club’s supporters, insisting that the Yellow Canaries must deliver the Süper Lig title in the 2026-27 season or face what he described as a serious turning point in their future.
Speaking at an event organized by the Maltepe Fenerbahçe Supporters Association at the Maltepe Municipality Republic Cultural Center, Yıldırım drew strong attention from supporters as he returned to a familiar political stage ahead of the extraordinary electoral congress scheduled for June 6-7.
Decisive election
Yıldırım said he was pleased to reunite with longtime associates and stressed that the club’s most urgent need was unity. He argued that internal division has weakened Fenerbahçe and insisted that cohesion across the fan base, management, and sporting structure is essential to restoring sustained success.
Responding to references describing him as a “legendary president,” Yıldırım pushed back on personal glorification, stating that only two true legends in history were Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Fatih Sultan Mehmet, adding that his own role is simply to serve and execute duties when called upon.
“We are not here for titles, but for action”
Yıldırım dismissed social media narratives about his intentions, saying much of what circulates online is inaccurate.
He rejected suggestions that he seeks symbolic roles, insisting he remains focused on practical results and long-term rebuilding.
Recalling his two decades in charge of the club, he said he has experienced both success and failure and argued that his return is not motivated by personal gain.
He referenced earlier election cycles, including 2024, saying he believed conditions were suitable for success then and still believes a well-organized structure could deliver results today.
He underlined a central warning: Fenerbahçe must become champions in 2026-27, or risk deeper instability. He added that the club has the capacity to achieve it, pointing to its historical strength and mass support.
Sporting pressure and unfinished business
Yıldırım questioned past near misses, asking how the club could accumulate 99 points without winning the title, and highlighted multiple second-place finishes in recent years. For him, consistency without trophies is not progress.
He also referenced the importance of remembering the July 3, 2011, process, describing it as a defining moment in the club’s modern history.
Citing mass public demonstrations at the time, he said the episode proved the scale of Fenerbahçe’s community power and warned against weakening that unity.
While acknowledging his long absence from office since 2018, Yıldırım said he respects past electoral outcomes but believes the club has struggled in the years since. He argued that fragmentation within the community has prevented success and repeated his call for discipline, solidarity, and focus.
New management plan
Yıldırım also outlined plans for a new administrative structure, saying a fresh team formed over time will be introduced publicly on May 22.
He said this group is prepared for long-term service and aims to stabilize the club across sporting and institutional levels.
He stressed that the campaign will not revolve around financial promises, but on execution, recruitment, and structural discipline. He pledged transparency, urged supporters to ignore online misinformation, and called for trust to be placed in official statements only.
Closing his remarks, Yıldırım said his campaign is built on conviction rather than ambition, insisting he is determined to stop what he described as the club’s “decline” and restore competitive strength.
Göktürk: “We will end the title drought”
Barış Göktürk, who withdrew his own candidacy to support Yıldırım, also addressed the gathering.
He highlighted Fenerbahçe’s 12-year league title drought and pointed to past successes under Yıldırım’s leadership, including domestic championships and deep runs in European competitions.
Göktürk argued that the club’s strongest periods coincided with Yıldırım’s tenure and expressed confidence that the team can break the current title streak, saying the 120th anniversary season could mark a return to glory under his leadership.
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