Tottenham parted company with coach Igor Tudor by mutual consent on Sunday after just seven games in charge as they battle to stay in the Premier League. Tudor lost five of those matches in a 44-day reign to leave Spurs out of the Champions League and hovering just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League. The 47-year-old did not appear in front of the media after last weekend's damaging 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest after learning of his father's death just after the game ended. "We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for head coach Igor Tudor to leave the club with immediate effect," Tottenham said in a statement. "We also acknowledge the bereavement that Igor has recently suffered and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time. "An update on a new head coach will be provided in due course." Tottenham are not in action again for another two weeks when they travel to Sunderland. Former Brighton and Marseille coach Roberto de Zerbi has been linked with the job, while reports have suggested the club could turn to Sean Dyche's Premier League experience to dig them out of trouble for the final seven games of the season. Tudor was appointed in February following the dismissal of Thomas Frank. Hired with a reputation of making an immediate impact during a nomadic coaching career, the Croatian was powerless to stop Tottenham's slide towards the relegation trapdoor for the first time since 1977. The London club, ravaged by injuries this season, have not won a league match since late December and are out of every cup competition. Even Tudor's sole victory was fruitless as a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid failed to overturn a 5-2 first leg deficit in the Champions League last 16. His decision to start and then substitute back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes of the first leg in Madrid summed up a chaotic short-lived reign. Premier League slide In the Premier League, he managed just one point from five games, which came against the odds in a 1-1 draw at Liverpool. A 4-1 home defeat against north London rivals Arsenal got the former Juventus boss off to a bad start and worse was to come in further losses to Fulham, Crystal Palace and Forest. Spurs won the Europa League last year under Ange Postecoglou to end a 17-year trophy drought but the Australian was sacked following a 17th-place finish in the Premier League. Frank arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with an impressive track record at Brentford and the club started the season with just one defeat in their first seven league games. But they lost their way and club bosses axed the Dane under fan pressure following a run of just two wins in 17 league games. With the fates of Burnley and Wolves almost certainly sealed, Spurs are battling for survival along with West Ham, currently in the relegation zone, Forest and Leeds. Relegation to the second-tier Championship would be a seismic event in English football. Spurs, who play in a gleaming new stadium that holds more than 60,000 fans, are one of the so-called "Big Six" in the Premier League and were ninth in Deloitte's latest Money League study for the richest clubs in world football. Just a few years ago they were Champions League regulars under former manager Mauricio Pochettino, reaching the final in 2019, but their decline has been precipitous. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 March,2026 01:10 PM IST | London | AFPFormer England football star David Beckham and wife Victoria, a former singer with the UK pop group Spice Girls, have upset their neighbours near their plush lake property at Great Tew village in Oxfordshire Cotswolds. The neighbours claim that the installation of festoon lamps on a bridge over a lake within the Beckhams’s Euro12 mn (approximately Rs 151 crore) property could pollute the skies over the village, reported British tabloid The Sun. “What is proposed is more akin to Miami or Florida, not Great Tew,” village resident James Worthington wrote in a complaint to the West Oxfordshire District Council. He even questioned the effects the installation of lights will have on local wildlife: “What about the poor bats…have the council now decided that wildlife is not in their remit?” Rs 151crEstimated value of David and Victoria’s plush property in Great Tew village, England
30 March,2026 10:48 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentWorld Cup co-hosts USA suffered a humbling 2-5 defeat to Belgium on Saturday, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino labelling the result as a wake-up call. “I see this as a good check reality for us, because now is the moment to feel this type of situation, to improve. To feel sometimes the pain is good,” said Pochettino. Mauricio Pochettino The US took the lead through Weston McKennie (39th min), before Zeno Debast equalised six minutes later. Belgium then burst into life in the second-half with a deluge of goals from Amadou Onana (53), Charles De Ketelaere (59), and Dodi Lukebakio (68 and 82). Patrick Agyemang’s 87th-minute spot kick did little to reduce USA’s woes. By then, thousands of US fans had left the domed arena, and full time was greeted with a smattering of boos and whistles. The World Cup begins on June 11 and will be held across the US, Canada and Mexico. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 March,2026 10:23 AM IST | Atlanta | AFPFlorian Wirtz starred for Germany with two stunning goals and two assists as Germany edged neighbours Switzerland 4-3 in a breathless friendly in Basel on Friday. Switzerland twice led in the contest, with Dan Ndoye and then Breel Embolo putting the hosts in front. But Germany pegged them back both times, with Wirtz the architect of each goal. His first assist was a pinpoint deep cross for Jonathan Tah's first international goal and his second a defence-splitting pass for Serge Gnabry to make it 2-2. But the Liverpool winger saved his best for the second half, finding the top corner from the corner of the penalty area to make it 3-2 and then producing another gem to settle the contest in Germany's favour. Ndoye had opened the scoring for Switzerland in the 17th minute. The Nottingham Forest winger's powerful run and vicious left-footed drive flew easily past Germany goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, brushing the inside of the near post on its way in. Tah levelled in the 26th minute for his first Germany goal in his 44th game. A quick corner caught Switzerland cold and Wirtz's sublime deep cross found Bayern Munich defender Tah, who squeezed a header in at the far post, with Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel wondering how he let it through. But while Germany dominated the ball, they laboured in front of goal - and Switzerland made them pay in the 41st minute. Silvan Widmer whipped a teasing cross in from the right and Embolo snuck behind Tah to score with a diving header. Switzerland had been hungrier and slicker in the first 45 minutes, but Germany restored parity on the stroke of half-time with a fine equaliser. Wirtz was again the provider, splitting the Swiss defence with a perfect pass for Gnabry, who got ahead of Manuel Akanji and fired past the on-rushing Kobel. Germany appeared to tighten their grip on the game in the second half, with Bayern teenager Lennart Karl making an impressive cameo off the bench. But this game was all about Wirtz, who made it 3-2 in emphatic style. The former Bayer Leverkusen man collected the ball on the edge of the Switzerland penalty box and let fly with a swerving drive that flew into the top corner off the underside of the bar. It was a thing of beauty but it proved not to be the decider. Substitute Joel Monteiro, of Young Boys, produced a goal of equal quality, carving out some space for himself with his back to goal and spinning to arrow in an unstoppable effort from 25 yards for 3-3. But Wirtz had the final say, scoring another goal of supreme quality, bending the ball in from the edge of the box to make it 4-3 and, despite Germany's weaknesses in defence, offering a tantalising glimpse of what could be to come at the World Cup. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
29 March,2026 09:06 AM IST | Basel | AFPThomas Tuchel said he had “learned a lot” from England’s scrappy 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley on Friday even though many of his star players were watching from the stands. Ben White poked home in the 81st minute to give the home side the lead, but the Arsenal defender was adjudged to have fouled Federico Vinas after a VAR review, with Federico Valverde levelling from the spot in stoppage time. Thomas Tuchel Tuchel, who named an expanded 35-man squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, trialled a variety of different players, with Everton midfielder James Garner and Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford making their debuts. But the German insisted he had learned valuable lessons ahead of the game against Japan on Tuesday — England’s final match before the World Cup, which starts in June. “It was a bit feisty and tough. I learned a lot, because it was a tough opponent and you just see it in the details. You learn a lot in the details, also the behaviour, and you see the level. If you play against [Manuel] Ugarte, if you play against [Federico] Valverde in midfield, you see the level. You play against the winners and these defensive players, it’s a high level and then you instantly see, so we needed this kind of test,” said Tuchel. Tuchel said the players coming in for the Japan game would have to “re-learn our principles”. “Japan plays a very unique style, with normally a back five, so wing-backs and then two 10s and then switching sides. So we need to be on point tactically. But this is what we expect from the guys who got a break. We will deliver some solutions and they need to put it into life,” added the England boss. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
29 March,2026 09:00 AM IST | London | AFPGennaro Gattuso said on Thursday that Italy still have a mountain to climb with Bosnia and Herzegovina standing between the Azzurri and the World Cup finals. Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 to reach the qualifying play-off final, which they will have to play away from home against the Bosnians. Italy haven’t been to a World Cup finals since being dumped out in the group stage in 2014 and the possibility of a third straight absence weighed heavily on players, coach and fans. “We’ve taken a little step forward, now we have to climb the mountain, the Everest,” said Gattuso. “We know that there’s a lot at stake, I think everyone had some butterflies today and that’s understandable. I had them, Gigi Buffon has them, we all did.” Italy battled past Northern Ireland but didn’t shine against a team which was largely made up of lower league players, Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean’s goals were two rare moments of quality in Bergamo. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
28 March,2026 09:37 AM IST | Bergamo | AFPYoung kids with their enthusiastic parents jostled for space alongside some of the city’s veteran football followers, including administrators from Mumbai Football Association (MFA) and the Western Indian Football Association (WIFA), besides former national and international players and coaches as national-level football returned to the iconic Cooperage after over a decade. Hosts MYJ-GMSC did not disappoint the 823-strong turnout either, battling for a 3-3 draw against Sporting Club Bengaluru (SCB) in their I-League 2 campaign opener on Friday. It was a story of two halves with the hosts waking up late, conceding two soft goals in the first, only to fight back in the second. Silly defensive errors by MYJ first up saw OM Asif and S Devadath put the visitors 2-0 up. The second half though was a stark contrast, as MYJ right winger Shravan Shetty turned up the pace a few notches to set up goals for Kiran Pandhare and Arvindraj Rajan. But just as the hosts were celebrating the equaliser, SCB went ahead through Karthick Thirumalai before MYJ’s Ashish Lalge netted the equaliser. Enthusiastic fans soak in the atmosphere at Cooperage on Friday The excitement of the game notwithstanding, for the city’s old-timers though, it was the charm of national-level football returning to Cooperage that mattered. “I’ve played some of my best club and State [Maharashtra] matches here. It’s a great venue. Unfortunately, we don’t see action now as the Indian Super League ties are played at Andheri, while the Mumbai League is held at the Neville D’Souza turf in Bandra. I hope this venue can host more national-level football as it used to,” former India vice-captain and Air India stalwart Godfrey Pereira told mid-day. Veteran coach Bimal Ghosh was also in the stands. “The vibe of Cooperage is totally different. It was great to see so many families and kids fill up the stands today. Also, it was a good contest. Had MYJ begun a little more sharply, they could have owned the full three points,” Ghosh told mid-day.
28 March,2026 09:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Ashwin FerroKylian Mbappe showed no signs of injury as he guided his French team to a 2-1 win against Brazil in Boston. The Frenchman has been nursing a knee injury, but looked fit before being taken off in the 60th minute.Mbappe played for Real Madrid as a substitute in the final two games after missing nearly a month due to a left knee strain. Mbappe was started by France coach Didier Deschamps, but he was only allowed to play for around an hour before being replaced in the 65th minute.Mbappe, the 2022 Golden Boot winner and 2018 World Cup champion, hurt his left knee in December but continued to play until January before missing nearly a month. On Monday, he declared that his injuries were behind him.Mbappe looked fit as he raced onto a ball from Ousmane Dembele in the 32nd minute to give France a lead. Mbappe tapped it ahead once before calmly chipping it over the keeper.France took a 2-0 lead in the 65th minute when Ekitike, Liverpool's top scorer this season, converted a pass from Michael Olise in the penalty area. Mbappe left for a substitute immediately afterwards.Brazil reduced the deficit to 2-1 when Bremer rerouted a cross from Luiz Henrique past France keeper Mike Maignan after Dayot Upamecano of France was sent off in the 55th minute for taking down a player who was through on goal. The card was upgraded from yellow to red following a video review.Even though the temperature in early spring New England was in the mid-60s Fahrenheit (15 Celsius), the game also included a mid-half "cooling break" that allowed players to rest and hydrate. FIFA declared that all games in the 2026 World Cup would feature the break, regardless of the temperature on the field, following a heat wave during the Club World Cup last year. Brazil and France to play more friendlies before the World Cup Brazil will play Croatia on Tuesday in Orlando, Florida, their first matchup since the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals. France will play Colombia in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday. "There are no friendlies for us. Every game is a big game, and we have to play it as if it were a World Cup final," defender Leo Pereira said. (With AP input)
27 March,2026 10:07 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMonaco's bid for a Champions League spot next season could be boosted by the return of midfielder Paul Pogba. The former France star recently returned to light training following a lengthy injury layoff due to a persistent left calf problem, and on Thursday he scored in a friendly match against Premier League team Brentford. The 2018 World Cup winner Pogba joined Monaco on a two-year contract last summer but has played only about 30 minutes since making his debut at the end of November. Monaco is sixth in Ligue 1 with seven rounds remaining. The top three qualify directly for next season's Champions League and the team finishing fourth goes through qualifying. Coach Sebastien Pocognoli has turned Monaco's fortunes around and his side is on a six-game winning run and just three points behind third-place Marseille. Monaco hosts Marseille on April 5, after the international break. Former star Pogba scored in the World Cup final win over Croatia eight years ago, when he was considered among the best midfielders in the world. He also dealt with thigh and ankle problems since joining Monaco, after more than two years out of the game in a career derailed by injuries, off-field problems and a doping ban. He previously played for Juventus and Manchester United. In 2016, Pogba became the then-most expensive soccer player in history when he returned to United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros (then $116 million) This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
27 March,2026 09:12 AM IST | Monaco | AP | PTIFootball great Lionel Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo is a successful entrepreneur, social media influencer and model, with nearly 40 million followers on Instagram. But during her spare time, the 38-year-old loves building Lego sets, to the point that she has her very own museum in their luxurious Florida mansion to display her creations. Speaking to American fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar, Roccuzzo revealed that building Lego sets with her three sons — Thiago (13), Mateo (10), and Ciro (eight) — is one of her most beloved hobbies. When asked what her favourite creation is, she said: “Hogwarts Castle! It’s gigantic and I’m fascinated by it. My children and I have like a museum where we display all our Lego creations.”
27 March,2026 09:01 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentLiverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai turned up the style quotient as he linked up with the Hungarian squad for their upcoming friendlies against Slovenia and Greece. The hardworking midfielder Instagrammed this picture, sporting a snazzy brown leather jacket, featuring a light blue hexagonal patch in the centre. He teamed that up with light brown trousers, a dark brown bag and a cool pair of sunglasses. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Szoboszlai Dominik (@szoboszlaidominik)
27 March,2026 08:59 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentADVERTISEMENT
