Arne Slot heaped praise on his Liverpool side after they edged out Italy’s Inter Milan — last season’s runners-up —1-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday in the absence of star forward Mohamed Salah. It was just the third time since 2017 that Salah hadn’t featured for the Reds in Europe’s showpiece club competition. The Egyptian was left at home following his explosive outburst against the club, and Slot in particular, for consigning him to the bench after a run of poor results. Arne Slot However, on the night, it didn’t matter as Liverpool pulled through courtesy of an 88th minute penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai. “The fourth game in 10 days, with only 14 outfield players available with Premier League or Champions League experience, after the blow we had conceding the 3-3 in Leeds, then to go into this stadium against such a strong Inter team — we couldn’t have asked for more. We hardly gave away a chance. We showed a great mentality,” said Slot The nature of the penalty itself sparked controversy for the soft nature of the foul — Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni had tugged the back of Florian Wirtz’s shirt, but it appeared as though the German international went down too easily. Slot alluded that his side did get a tad lucky when he said, “We got a penalty that if that was a penalty we would have had 10 this season.” Meanwhile, in another UCL fixture, defender Jules Kounde scored two headers (50th and 53rd minute) to help Barcelona beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1, after Ansgar Knauff had sent the visitors into a surprise lead (21st). 03No. of UCL matches Liverpool have played without Salah since 2017 16No. of years since Liverpool’s previous away win in the UCL without Salah Other results Chelsea 1-2 AtalantaBayern 3-1 Sporting CPTottenham 3-0 Slavia PrahaAtletico Madrid 3-2 PSVMarseille 3-2 Union SGKairat 0-1 OlympiacosMonaco 1-0 Galatasaray 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
11 December,2025 07:59 AM IST | Milan | AgenciesLiverpool manager Arne Slot appeared to extend an olive branch towards estranged striker Mohamed Salah, after the latter’s explosive outburst against the Dutchman for relegating him to the bench after a poor run of form. “The first thing should be, does the player think he’s made a mistake? I haven’t said I’m not going to talk to him. The next question is, should the initiative come from me or from him? That’s another question to answer,” said Slot after Liverpool’s 1-0 UCL win over Inter Milan on Tuesday. 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
11 December,2025 07:56 AM IST | Milan | AgenciesIran’s football chief said on Tuesday that they objected to the “irrational” branding of its World Cup match against Egypt, which organisers in the US have suggested will be held in support of the LGBTQ community. The organisers in Seattle, had stated their intention to hold a ‘Pride Match’ coinciding with the city’s ‘Pride Week.’ 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
10 December,2025 10:15 AM IST | Tehran | AFPManager Ruben Amorim said Manchester United had ‘improved a lot’ after Bruno Fernandes inspired a 4-1 rout of Wolves on Monday. Fernandes’s brace (25th and 82nd min) were buttressed by goals from Bryan Mbeumo (51st) and Mason Mount (62nd). Jean-Ricner Bellgarde was the lone scorer for the home side (45+2) Ruben Amorim “We had good pace, good quality in the decisions. It was a good evening. I think we improved a lot. If you compare last season and this season, we are creating so much more chances and scoring more goals,” said Amorim. 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
10 December,2025 10:11 AM IST | Wolverhampton (UK) | AFPReal Madrid coach Xabi Alonso insisted the team is confident of winning their UEFA Champions League clash against Manchester City on Wednesday, despite a dire run of form the Spanish manager come under heavy fire from pundits and fans alike. “At this moment, everyone is convinced that we can win tomorrow, there’s no doubt. I think nobody has any doubts. But for that, we have to play a good game, we have to play with good rhythm, with good intensity,” Alonso told reporters on Tuesday. Xabi Alonso Los Blancos have won just two of their last seven games across all competitions, losing 0-2 to Celta Vigo on Sunday in La Liga, with Spanish media reporting Alonso is likely to get the sack should they to lose to Pep Guardiola’s side. “This is a team, a club, [where] we are united, and when you’re Real Madrid coach you have to be ready to face these situations calmly, with unity and responsibility. We know this can change, from the anger there was [on Sunday], normal, to the excitement about [facing City]... For good or bad, things can change quickly in football, your perspective can change, and we’re in that moment,” an upbeat Alonso said. Wednesday’s encounter could also see star strikers Kylian Mbappe (of Madrid) and City’s Erling Haaland face off, in what could be seen as a preview to next year’s World Cup where the two will face off yet again, for France and Norway, respectively. Mbappe is currently the leading goal-scorer in the UCL with nine goals, while Haaland is third on the list with five. However, having sustained a finger injury over the weekend, the Frenchman’s participation could be in doubt. 07No. of years since Real Madrid have not scored in a UCL match at home 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
10 December,2025 10:08 AM IST | Madrid | AgenciesArgentine football icon Lionel Messi will walk the ramp in Mumbai ‘for a cause’ during his India tour. The sole promoter of the ‘GOAT India Tour 2025’, Satadru Dutta, told PTI on Tuesday that Messi, along with long-time strike partner Luis Suarez and Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, will feature in a 45-minute fashion segment on the night of December 14. It will be a “philanthropic fashion show for a cause”, Dutta said. “There will be celebrity models, celebrity cricketers, Bollywood celebrities, millionaires, founders. Tiger and Jackie Shroff, John Abraham among others,” he said. The organisers have also “made a formal request” for Messi to bring “some memorabilia of the 2022 World Cup which will be auctioned” during the Mumbai leg of the tour. The Mumbai event starts at 5pm at Wankhede Stadium, preceded by a Padel Cup at 3.30pm at Cricket Club of India. Meanwhile, in the Kolkata leg of the tour, Messi will unveil a 70-foot statue of himself virtually. 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
10 December,2025 10:01 AM IST | Kolkata | PTILiverpool boss Arne Slot said on Monday that he didn’t know whether Mohamed Salah will ever play again for the Reds again after the latter’s scathing criticism of Slot when he was left on the bench for a third consecutive game on Sunday. Asked whether Salah, who has been at the club since 2017, had played his last game for the Reds, Slot said: “I have no clue. I cannot answer that question. He has every right to feel what he feels, but he doesn’t have the right to share it with the media.” Players weigh in on salah controversy John Terry (ex-Chelsea skipper): I have to agree with him. I think he has been made the scapegoat a little bit. A lot of Liverpool players have been out of form recently. Ahmed Hassan (Salah’s Egypt teammate): Mo is in a different category like Cristiano and Messi. Players like that don’t even get benched. But not even coming on, that’s just disrespectful to everything he’s done for the club. Dejan Lovren (Salah’s former Liverpool teammate): People have no clue what’s going on behind closed doors. The only way to deal with injustice is to fight with all your strength. Jamie Carragher (ex-Liverpool player): I thought it was a disgrace. I don’t think it was [an emotional outburst]. I think it’s choreographed to cause maximum damage and to strengthen his own position. Paul Scholes (ex-Man Utd player): If you have a problem with the manager, then go and talk to the manager. He has let himself down. He [seems] to want to force an exit from the club. Graeme Souness (ex-Liverpool player): The really damning thing was him saying he doesn’t have to fight for his place in training because of what he’s done for Liverpool. 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
10 December,2025 09:57 AM IST | Milan | AFPFormer Manchester United football player David Beckham, who was recently in India for the second time in two years spoke about many things during a session with Indian actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu in Mumbai, but among them he also spoke about his love for the game, and without a doubt the influence of world class player Lionel Messi. The timing couldn’t be better as they were in the middle of a title race that ended up the duo’s team Inter Miami winning their first MLS crown with goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende, both of whom, received assists from Messi. With football easily being his first love, Samantha asked him more about the game during the session, which was a part of the House of Instagram’s Creator event by Meta which saw some of India’s most popular content creators in fashion, food, travel and tech come together but not without sports took centre stage with Beckham, as he is more popularly known, there. Being one of the world’s most loved footballers, having played for not only The Red Devils, but also Spanish team Real Madrid, and the English national side, he dived into everything about the sport. Influence of Inter Miami and Lionel MessiBeing the co-owner of the popular American club Inter Miami, which is one of the top clubs of the Major Soccer League, Beckham, who recently received knighthood by King Charles, spoke about that very experience. He shared, "We're very lucky, firstly, to have a team in Miami. Miami is such a vibrant place. It's similar to India in the fact that the people, the colours, the vibrancy, the energy is truly incredible. To start the team in Miami, it was a big challenge, but a challenge that I knew would be worth it. I promised people in Miami, people in America, that we would bring the best players to this city and to the country.” It just so happened, he adds, that the club brought Lionel Messi, the greatest player to ever play the game to Miami. “We're very lucky. I feel very privileged. What Leo has done for our club has been incredible. He's taken it to a whole new level but more importantly, he's a great person. I know he's coming to India pretty soon, which will be amazing.” Clearly happy with the team, Beckham said winning as a player and coach is no different. He shares, “Winning a trophy as a player, winning a trophy as a manager is exactly the same feeling with the pride that you have.” However, there is one difference while watching the match, he added. “The difference is in watching a match as a player and watching a match as an owner. That is what is different because as a player, you're playing in a match and if you're losing, you can kind of do something about it. When you're losing as an owner, there's nothing you can do about it. You have to sit there and be frustrated. But winning a trophy is the greatest feeling in the world.”
09 December,2025 05:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentReal Madrid coach Xabi Alonso called on his team to bounce back quickly after a painful defeat by Celta Vigo on Sunday when they face Manchester City in the Champions League. “We are all angry, evidently this was not the game we wanted, it was not the result we wanted,” Alonso said at the Bernabeu. “We have to turn the page as quickly as possible. We have the game against City to react in, and get this bad taste out of our mouths.” 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
09 December,2025 09:24 AM IST | Madrid | AFPMohamed Salah has been dropped from Liverpool’s squad for their Champions League tie away to Inter Milan following incendiary remarks about his relationship with manager Arne Slot and his treatment by the club. The Egypt forward was not included in the squad announced by Liverpool on Monday, despite training earlier in the day with the team. Salah said on Saturday he felt like he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and that he no longer had a relationship with Slot after he was left on the bench for the third consecutive game at Leeds. 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
09 December,2025 09:16 AM IST | London | AFPLionel Messi inspired Inter Miami to their first ever MLS Cup title on Saturday, playing a starring role in a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in Florida. The Argentina superstar provided two assists and helped create another to spark wild celebrations before a rapturous home crowd at the Chase Stadium. “This is the moment that I’ve been waiting for, and that we as a team have been waiting for,” Messi, named MLS Cup Most Valuable Player, said afterwards. Miami took the lead in the eighth minute via an Edier Ocampo own goal, but were left reeling by Ali Ahmed’s 60th-minute equaliser for Vancouver. But Messi then laid on an assist for Rodrigo De Paul to put Miami 2-1 in the 71st minute before supplying the pass for Tadeo Allende’s injury time goal that sealed victory. The victory also heralded the end of an era for two key figures in Miami’s rise to the top of MLS, with Messi’s former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets heading into retirement. “That was one of the main objectives — to say goodbye to two friends. And we did it in the best way to two of the best players,” eight-time Ballon D’Or winner Messi said. 47No. of titles won by Lionel Messi in his career 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
08 December,2025 10:27 AM IST | MLS Cup final Fort Lauderdale | AFPADVERTISEMENT
