Ruben Amorim was sacked by Manchester United on Monday, bringing a dramatic end to his turbulent 14-month spell as manager of the struggling Premier League giants. The dismissal of the Portuguese follows growing tensions with Old Trafford bosses, including director of football Jason Wilcox, over recent days. The club, sixth in the Premier League table after a 1-1 draw at Leeds on Sunday, issued a statement saying Amorim had “departed his role as head coach of Manchester United,” thanking him for his service. “The club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change,” United said in their statement. “This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish.” Current under-18s coach Darren Fletcher, a former United midfielder and technical director between 2021 and 2024, will take charge of the team against struggling Burnley on Wednesday. The BBC said the club were planning to appoint a caretaker boss for the rest of the season. Names in the frame for the full-time job include Enzo Maresca, who left Chelsea last week, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner and former England manager Gareth Southgate. Amorim had hinted at deep frustrations on Friday, suggesting he was not being fully backed in the transfer market. And he made a string of eye-catching comments after Sunday’s draw at Elland Road, where he stressed he was United’s manager rather than “just the coach.” 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
06 January,2026 08:50 AM IST | London | AFPManchester United on Monday released a statement that they have parted ways with head coach Ruben Amorim after a stint of 14 years. In his place, Darren Fletcher has taken up the role on an interim basis. "Ruben Amorim has departed his role as Head Coach of Manchester United. Ruben was appointed in November 2024 and led the team to a UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao in May. With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish," the release read. "The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future. Darren Fletcher will take charge of the team against Burnley on Wednesday," it added. Club statement: Ruben Amorim. — Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 5, 2026 United are placed in the sixth position of the EPL table after securing a 1-1 draw at Leeds on Sunday. During the press conference after the match, a furious Amorim said that he was Manchester United's manager rather than just the coach. He also asked the scouting department and the sporting director to do their job. "Guys, to start with that, and I noticed that you receive selective information about everything, I came here to be the manager of the Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. And that is clear. I know that my name is not (Thomas) Tuchel, it's not (Antonio) Conte, it's not (Jose) Mourinho but I'm the manager of Manchester United. "And it's going to be like this for 18 months or when the board decides to change, so that was my point," he said. Amorim changed his favoured three-man defence for the recent win over Newcastle before reverting to his preferred formation in the disappointing draws with Wolves and Leeds. The 40-year-old is also said to have had disagreements with the club over transfer targets amid reports of tensions with United director of football Jason Wilcox. (With inputs from Agencies)
05 January,2026 06:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFootball superstar Lionel Messi has die-hard fans all over the globe, who undoubtedly bombard his social media accounts in the hope of drawing his attention. However, it appears that certain fans tend to cross the line and that’s something the Inter Miami star’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo is not happy about. Suzy Cortez, a former Playboy model, is one such fan. She has been reportedly flooding Messi’s social media accounts with steamy pictures of herself due to which Roccuzzo has allegedly instructed the security at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium to ban her from entering the premises, reported British tabloid The Sun. Cortez is unhappy about this. “I felt humiliated. No one should be banned from a public sporting event because of personal issues or disputes on social media,” Cortez told Brazilian publication Extra, claiming she was stopped from entering the venue for the MLS Cup final last month. Messi and Roccuzzo — a model, social media influencer, and entrepreneur — have known each other since childhood. They began dating in 2009 and exchanged vows in 2017. The couple has three sons: Thiago (13), Matteo (10), and Ciro (seven).
05 January,2026 08:38 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentArsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his team’s resilience to fight back from conceding early to beat Bournemouth 3-2 is a sign of their growth as they aim to end a 22-year wait to win the English Premier League (EPL). The Gunners moved six points clear of Aston Villa at the top of the table and seven ahead of Manchester City, who host Chelsea in their game-in-hand on Sunday. A rare error from Gabriel Magalhaes gifted Bournemouth the lead in the 10th minute, but the Brazilian centre-back quickly made amends at the other end to equalise (16th min). A second-half double from Declan Rice (54th and 71st min) then secured the three points for the Gunners despite a stunning strike from Eli Kroupi (76th min) to give Bournemouth hope late on. Mikel Arteta “They [Bournemouth] are so good, [we] made it even harder for ourselves conceding the first goal, but I love the character of the team,” said Arteta. “I love the character of Gabriel. The way he overcame that situation, it’s just unbelievable. It says a lot about how much we’ve grown. The team found a way to beat them and it’s a massive win,” he added. Rice had been a major injury doubt after missing Tuesday’s 4-1 thrashing of Villa due to a swelling on his knee. Arteta said that the England international had pushed himself to return to the starting line-up and proved the match-winner by doubling his goal tally for the season. “He has stretched himself to the very limit and the team were rewarded with two great goals. I think it’s the first time he’s scored two in an EPL game, so yes a great day to remember,” remarked a jubilant Arteta. 01No. of times Declan Rice has scored a brace in the EPL 15No. of wins for Arsenal in their first 20 EPL games this season; Only twice before have they won more times in their first 20 top-division fixtures 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
05 January,2026 08:23 AM IST | Bournemouth | AFPMatheus Cunha saved Manchester United from a rare defeat against fierce rivals Leeds United as the Brazilian’s 65th minute equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw at Elland Road on Sunday. Rube Amorim’s side trailed to Brenden Aaronson’s strike (62-nd min) before Cunha dragged them level. Leeds have now gone eight matches without a win over United since an FA Cup triumph at Old Trafford in 2010. United’s failure to take all three points cost them a chance to move into the English Premier League’s top four. Amorim’s men sit in fifth place after winning just one of their last five games. 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
05 January,2026 08:20 AM IST | Leeds | AFPEngland and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane is not just winning on the pitch, but off it as well, with recent reports suggesting that the striker’s net worth has crossed a whopping £100 million (Rs 1212 crore approx). According to British tabloid The Sun, Kane raked in over £11 million (Rs 133 million approx) from his image rights company HK28 Limited and a further £7.9 million (Rs 96 crore approx) from his investments portfolio. The star forward also earns an estimated £400,000 (Rs 5 crore approx) per week from Bayern Munich and is said to have held £723,000 (Rs 9 crore approx) in a company bank account. This is not including the hundreds of thousands of pounds owed to him by a bevy of sponsors such as Nike, Mars, Skechers and German company 3Bears Foods GmbH. The England captain also paid £566,000 (Rs 7 crore approx) in corporation tax, implying a total pre-tax trading profit of about £2.3 million (Rs 28 crore). On the pitch, Kane has been in stellar form, having scored 29 goals in just 24 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions. Kane, 32, who married his childhood sweetheart Kate, a fitness instructor, in 2019 is currently settled in Bavaria along with his wife and four children, Ivy (eight), Vivienne (seven), Louis (five), Henry (two). 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
04 January,2026 09:32 AM IST | England | AgenciesThe January transfer window is generally a quiet one, devoid of the glitz, glamour, and exorbitant prices spent in the summer (post-season) transfer window. However, this time there is one player who is No. 1 on the shopping list of every top English Premier League club — Antoine Semenyo. The Bournemouth winger has been making waves this season and with a release clause of €74.6 million (Rs 789 crore) kicking in on January 1 (reportedly valid only until the second week of the month), the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal are all interested. mid-day dives deeper to try and unearth what makes him such a coveted asset. Opportunistic scorer The Ghana international has scored nine goals this season (third highest in the EPL) and notched up three assists in 18 matches. His combined total of 12 goal contributions is the fourth-highest in the league this season, and the highest by an outright winger. Dual-footed terror A key trait the 25-year-old possesses is that he’s equally effective with both feet which makes defending against him a nightmare as opponents are always unsure about which foot he’ll use to unleash a shot. This can be attested by the fact that he averages 1.34 shots on target per 90 minutes — the highest in the league among wingers. Mr do it all Semenyo is an extremely versatile player. Although he primarily plays on the left for Bournemouth, he’s equally adept at playing on the right flank and can also play as a striker if needed, evidenced by his strong build, height (6 feet, 1 inches), and ability to win aerial duels (41 aerial duels won — highest among EPL wingers). He is also strong off the ball, when it comes to pressing opposition defenders and has a high work-rate.
04 January,2026 09:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan CarvalhoPep Guardiola urged his Manchester City side to be on guard against a Chelsea team that has faced a tumultuous few days following their decision to part ways with coach Enzo Maresca. The Blues’s Italian manager left after a month of turmoil, both on and off the pitch, despite having guided the team to the UEFA Conference League title and the FIFA Club World Cup crown last year. Replacing him in the Chelsea dugout for Sunday’s English Premier League clash against Guardiola’s men will be interim manager Calum McFarlane. As such, Guardiola admitted he does not know what to expect from Chelsea on the tactical front, but insisted his team will not be taking them lightly. “[I] won’t talk much if you don’t know what’s going to happen [with] the opponent, because the manager, I don’t know which manager will be sitting there [in the dugout]. Just think about yourself and what you have to do. [But] It has always been a dangerous game against Chelsea. [They are] really good,” Guardiola said. Pep Guardiola City, who are four points behind league-leaders Arsenal, will be bolstered by the presence of 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who returned from injury in their previous league tie against Sunderland and shimmered in the second-half of an otherwise drab result. “Nico [Gonzalez] has been outstanding, but Rodri is Rodri. Everybody knows it. We are better and people feel better, but we have to be careful,” said Guardiola of his mid-field metronome. Meanwhile, Blues interim boss McFarlane was impressed by the energy displayed by his squad despite being handed over the reins at short notice. “The energy and enthusiasm was exceptional. They were really focused, driven and hungry. We have a massive game on Sunday. Reece [James] has been brilliant, he has been a real leader in the group and helped the staff and players to get ready for Sunday,” said McFarlane, before adding that he is not concerning himself with whether he keeps the role on a full-time basis beyond the Sky Blues encounter. Chelsea are currently fifth in the EPL table with 30 points from 19 games. Aston Villa down Notts Forest 3-1 Aston Villa beat struggling Nottingham Forest 3-1 at home on Saturday, thanks to a brace from John McGinn. Ollie Watkins also got on the scoresheet for Villa, with Morgan Gibbs-White pulling one back for Forest. The result sees Villa move to second place in the EPL table (42 points from 20 games). 08No of times Man City have beaten Chelsea in their last 10 meetings at the Etihad Stadium 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
04 January,2026 09:25 AM IST | Manchester | AgenciesTitle-chasing Manchester City and defending champions Liverpool drew blanks in their first English Premier League matches of 2026, with both sides held to goalless draws in their respective games, leaving managers Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot singing from the same hymn sheet about their team’s lacklustre finishing. Guardiola’s City delivered a spluttering display against Sunderland, featuring several squandered chances. Savinho and Josko Gvardiol were especially culpable, with costly second-half misses. Second-placed City are now four points behind leaders Arsenal, when a win would have closed the gap to two points at the halfway point of the league. Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola “The amount of chances we missed in the six-yard box, not difficult ones, we could not convert. We created enough chances. The two chances from Savinho in the second-half, Jeremy (Doku), Josko (Gvardiol), Phil (Foden) and Erling (Haaland); we had a lot but unfortunately we could not do it,” lamented the Spanish coach. Meanwhile, Liverpool found no way past Leeds United despite bossing possession. Slot’s side enjoyed nearly 70 per cent control of the ball at Anfield, but missed the presence of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak. “Ball possession does not mean a lot if you cannot create enough chances. To create chances against the low block, you need pace and individual special moments to create an overload. Not for the first time this season, we saw a team that wanted it, trying (hard) but it was hard for us to find the opening,” rued the Dutch boss. A point edges fourth-placed Liverpool three points clear of Chelsea and Manchester United in the battle for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. In similar vein to that of City and Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur were also held to a goalless draw by Brentford in a match that saw Spurs fans boo coach Thomas Frank. 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
03 January,2026 10:17 AM IST | London | AgenciesWith the future of the Indian Super League (ISL) in limbo, Indian footballers have urged the sport’s global governing body, FIFA, to step in and resolve the issue of the franchise-based tournament. Leading figures of Indian football, including Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, and Sunil Chhetri, have publicly appealed to FIFA to step in amid the ongoing crisis facing the sport in the country. Gurpreet Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan “It’s January, and we should be on your screens as a part of a competitive football game in the Indian Super League,” Gurpreet said in a video featuring other players, too. “Instead, here we are driven by fear and desperation to say aloud something which we all know,” Jhingan added. “Players, staff, owners, and the fans deserve clarity, protection, and more importantly, a future,” Chhetri said. “But more importantly, we are here to make a plea. The Indian football government is no longer able to fulfil its responsibilities. We are now staring at permanent paralysis. This is the last-ditch effort to save what we can. So we are calling on FIFA to step in and do what it takes to save Indian football. We hope this message gets to the powers that are in Zurich. This call is not political. The truth is that we are facing a humanitarian, sporting, and economic crisis. We just want to play football, please help us do it,” the other players said in the statement. The ISL has been on hold after the expiration of the Master’s Rights Agreement between the All India Football Federation and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the organisers of ISL. 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
03 January,2026 10:03 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSEnzo Maresca has left his role as Chelsea head coach after 18 months in charge, the English Premier League (EPL) club announced Thursday. “Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company,” said a club statement. The Italian’s exit from Stamford Bridge comes with the club fifth in the EPL table — 15 points adrift of leaders and London rivals Arsenal — with one win in their last seven top-flight games. Speculation about Maresca’s position increased during Chelsea’s poor run of recent results amid reports of a worsening relationship between the coach and the club’s hierarchy. “With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track,” said the club statement. Maresca did not attend the post-match press conference following a frantic 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday, although his absence was attributed to illness. Maresca’s decision to substitute Cole Palmer just after the hour mark during the Bournemouth game was booed by Chelsea fans. The draw meant Chelsea had dropped 13 points at home from winning positions this season — the bulk of the 15-point deficit between the Blues and Arsenal. Maresca has stood by comments made on December 13 after a league win at home to Everton when he said many people at Chelsea ‘didn’t support me and the team.’ He repeatedly refused to clarify the comments, although he insisted they were not an attack on the club’s supporters. The 45-year-old said the days leading up to the 2-0 win over Everton were his ‘worst 48 hours” at Chelsea. Maresca’s stock at Chelsea was high after the Blues beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League in November. But damaging defeats by Leeds, Atalanta and Villa increased the pressure on the Blues boss. Maresca’s contract had been due to run until the summer of 2029. 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
02 January,2026 09:46 AM IST | London | AFPADVERTISEMENT
