PSG are banking on a new direction after Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid

PSG are banking on a new direction after Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid
“It is a new era of PSG,” president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “All respect to Messi, Neymar, Kylian. We know what they’ve done for the club. (AFP/File)
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Updated 05 June 2024
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PSG are banking on a new direction after Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid

PSG are banking on a new direction after Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid
  • Now the French club are looking to the future and an end to their age of excess
  • Time will tell how PSG’s post-Galactico era will work out

MANCHESTER: Kylian Mbappe. Lionel Messi. Neymar.
The talent drain at Paris Saint-Germain over the past 12 months was unprecedented in the world of soccer.
Now the French club are looking to the future and an end to their age of excess.
“It is a new era of PSG,” president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “All respect to Messi, Neymar, Kylian. We know what they’ve done for the club.
“It was very important to have them all. I wish them all the best for their new challenges, but as a club, for sure, I think the star is the collective.”
Time will tell how PSG’s post-Galactico era will work out. But the signings of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe ultimately failed to achieve the Qatar-backed club’s overriding ambition of conquering Europe.
For all of PSG’s dominance of the French league — winning it in 10 of the last 12 seasons — they have reached just one Champions League final since being bought by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011.
A procession of icons has gone through the club in that time from David Beckham to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Angel di Maria and Sergio Ramos. Yet the Champions League has so far remained out of reach.
Even Messi couldn’t change PSG’s fortunes, despite ending his own search for the World Cup title in 2022 in his final year in Paris.
So it is perhaps understandable that Al-Khelaifi is looking to go in a different direction, having spent a record $262 million on Neymar and $190 million on Mbappe in one spectacular offseason in 2017. Messi was a free agent from Barcelona, but the combined salary for all three was a reported $152 million annually, plus bonuses.
For all of that exorbitant spending, PSG have watched on as Madrid have continued to dominate the Champions League, winning the trophy in six of the last 11 seasons. Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City, which like PSG, have used their newfound riches to shake up the traditional order of European soccer’s elite, won the Champions League for the first time last year.
PSG’s so-called shift started last year following the exits of Messi to Inter Miami and Neymar to Saudi-team Al-Hilal. Mbappe’s departure was also anticipated.
Not that it is shopping in the bargain basement, having spent around $500 million on new players over that period.
Randal Kolo Muani was signed for 95 million euros ($103 million); Goncalo Ramos was 65 million euros ($70 million) and Ousmane Dembele was 50 million euros ($54 million).
More signings will come during this offseason.
Bradley Barcola, another signing last year, and Warren Zaire-Emery are emerging French talents.
Zaire-Emery was a graduate from the club’s academy and after building a state of the art training center, PSG hope more will follow.
While the wait for European success goes on, PSG’s new-look team won the domestic league and cup double last season and were a beaten semifinalist in the Champions League.
“(It was an) amazing season we had, missing only two matches to win the big trophy (the Champions League). It was a great season. More than what we expected,” Al-Khelaifi said. “We did a lot of changes.”
That success, however, was achieved with Mbappe still at the heart of the team and scoring 40 goals in all competitions to fill the void left by Messi and Neymar a year before.
Whether Mbappe can be replaced, is another question entirely.


Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare

Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
Updated 05 October 2024
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Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare

Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
  • Mikel Arteta’s side were rocked by Cameron Archer’s shock opener for the winless visitors early in the second half at the Emirates Stadium
  • Bukayo Saka wrapped up Arsenal’s fifth win in seven league games

LONDON: Arsenal staged a stirring fightback to keep their Premier League title challenge on course with a 3-1 victory against struggling Southampton on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side were rocked by Cameron Archer’s shock opener for the winless visitors early in the second half at the Emirates Stadium.
But Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli struck in quick succession to restore order, before Bukayo Saka wrapped up Arsenal’s fifth win in seven league games.
After finishing as runners-up to Manchester City for the last two years, the Gunners are again in contention for their first title since 2004.
Saka this week said he expects Arsenal to finally lift the Premier League trophy this season.
They sit in third place, one point behind leaders Liverpool, after extending their unbeaten run to 10 matches in all competitions.
Four days after their statement victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Arsenal faced a Southampton side who have managed only one point from seven games since their promotion.
Aaron Ramsdale, who appeared 78 times in the Premier League for the Gunners, made his Emirates return and nearly gifted Arsenal an early opener with a sloppy clearance, but Raheem Sterling squandered the chance.
Arsenal dominated the first half without testing Ramsdale until stoppage-time when he parried Thomas Partey’s strike.
In the 55th minute, Sterling was out-muscled by Mateus Fernandes in midfield and he played in Archer, who broke free of William Saliba to fire a deflected shot past David Raya.
Southampton’s lead lasted just three minutes as Saka dispossessed Flynn Downes before finding Havertz in space, who confidently drilled home for his fourth goal in his last four games.
On the hour mark, Arteta introduced Martinelli and Leandro Trossard in a pair of substitutions that turned the tide.
Saka’s fine cross found Martinelli unmarked in the 68th minute and the winger’s side-footed volley went in through Ramsdale’s legs.
Tyler Dibling’s deflected shot hit the foot of Raya’s post and Adam Armstrong’s effort cannoned onto the bar in a tense finale.
But as the Saints pushed for an equalizer, Trossard broke free.
Yukinari Sugawara’s interception only fell to Saka, who blasted past Ramsdale to keep Arsenal in pursuit of their title dream.


Bayern rivals Leverkusen and Dortmund drop points in Bundesliga

Bayern rivals Leverkusen and Dortmund drop points in Bundesliga
Updated 05 October 2024
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Bayern rivals Leverkusen and Dortmund drop points in Bundesliga

Bayern rivals Leverkusen and Dortmund drop points in Bundesliga
  • Dortmund slumped at Union Berlin to a 2-1 defeat without injured forward Karim Adeyemi
  • Defending champion Leverkusen squandered an early two-goal lead over promoted Holstein Kiel and drew 2-2

BERLIN: Bayern Munich won without playing on Saturday as Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund dropped points to modest opponents.
Dortmund slumped at Union Berlin to a 2-1 defeat without injured forward Karim Adeyemi, who starred in the team’s 7-1 rout of Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Defending champion Leverkusen squandered an early two-goal lead over promoted Holstein Kiel and drew 2-2. It was only Kiel’s second point in its debut top-flight season.
Leverkusen played in a special black jersey with red trim to commemorate the club’s 120th anniversary, and for Xabi Alonso it was also a special occasion – the Spanish coach took over exactly two years before.
Leverkusen fans didn’t have to wait long to celebrate after Victor Boniface opened the scoring in the fourth minute and Jonas Hofmann made it 2-0 four minutes after that. Leverkusen looked set for a rout.
But the home team failed to make more of their dominance — Boniface had another goal ruled out for offside — and Kiel secured a lifeline before the break when Max Geschwil scored after a corner. Fiete Arp scored an unlikely equalizer from the penalty spot in the 69th.
Also, Freiburg won at Werder Bremen 1-0, and Wolfsburg enjoyed a 3-1 win in Wolfsburg.
St. Pauli was playing Mainz later.
League leader Bayern visit second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.


Motta tight-lipped on Pogba’s Juve future after doping ban reduction

Motta tight-lipped on Pogba’s Juve future after doping ban reduction
Updated 05 October 2024
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Motta tight-lipped on Pogba’s Juve future after doping ban reduction

Motta tight-lipped on Pogba’s Juve future after doping ban reduction
  • Pogba, a World Cup winner with Les Bleus in 2018, will be able to return to competitive football from March 11 next year
  • “The club will assess the situation and make a decision if necessary. Paul was a great player but he hasn’t played for a long time,” coach Motta told reporters

ROME: Thiago Motta refused on Saturday to say whether Paul Pogba had a future at Juventus after the France midfielder’s four-year doping ban was slashed to 18 months.
Pogba, a World Cup winner with Les Bleus in 2018, will be able to return to competitive football from March 11 next year following Friday’s ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Italian media report that Juve might still seek to terminate Pogba’s contract, which runs until the end of June 2026 and is reportedly worth up to 10 million euros ($10.97 million) a season.
“The club will assess the situation and make a decision if necessary. Paul was a great player but he hasn’t played for a long time,” coach Motta told reporters ahead of Sunday’s Serie A fixture with Cagliari.
“All I’m thinking about is our match tomorrow, nothing else really matters as far as I’m concerned.”
Juventus refused to comment on Pogba, who tested positive for testosterone following the Turin club’s opening Serie A fixture of last season, a 3-0 win at Udinese in August 2023.
He was provisionally suspended the following month and then banned for four years by the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal in February, a sanction which put the 31-year-old’s career at risk.
Pogba’s representatives said the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.
Pogba collected four Serie A titles in his first stint at Juventus between 2012 and 2016 but had a string of problems on and off the pitch after his 2022 return from Manchester United.
During the 2022-23 season, Pogba made just 10 appearances for the club, mainly due to a knee injury that also ruled him out of the World Cup in Qatar, where France lost out to Argentina in the final in December 2022.
He was also the victim of a case of organized extortion, for which six men, including his brother Mathias, were last month ordered to stand trial.
Since Pogba last played for his club at Empoli in early September last year, Juve have switched manager from Massimiliano Allegri to Motta and brought in a host of new players as part of a rebuild.
Juve, who finished third last term without Pogba, splashed out over 120 million euros on midfielders Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram in a busy summer on the transfer market.


Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace

Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
Updated 05 October 2024
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Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace

Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
  • Arne Slot has now won nine of his first 10 games since succeeding Jurgen Klopp
  • Victory also came at a cost for Liverpool as goalkeeper Alisson Becker limped off in the closing stages ahead of a much more testing run of fixtures after the international break

LONDON: Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points thanks to Diogo Jota’s winner in a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Arne Slot has now won nine of his first 10 games since succeeding Jurgen Klopp, but will be frustrated that the visitors invited a late onslaught from the winless Eagles.
Victory also came at a cost for Liverpool as goalkeeper Alisson Becker limped off in the closing stages ahead of a much more testing run of fixtures after the international break.
Defeat leaves Palace still in the bottom three with just three points from their opening seven games.
Slot’s seamless start to succeeding saw him become the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his first nine games after beating Bologna 2-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
However, the Dutchman has been quick to point out that tougher tests lie ahead of his side’s Premier League title credentials.
Liverpool face Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester City in their next six Premier League games.
Slot saw both sides of his team at Selhurst Park as they failed to make the most of their first-half dominance, but held out at the back for a fifth clean sheet in seven league games.
Palace did have the ball in the net inside 30 seconds but Eddie Nketiah had strayed offside before flicking in Ismaila Sarr’s cross.
Liverpool quickly took control and the lead after just nine minutes when Jota stole in ahead of Marc Guehi and Trevoh Chalobah to prod in Cody Gakpo’s low cross.
Jota was guilty of passing up the visitors’ best chance to add to their lead before the break.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s teasing cross did not get the finish it deserved as the Portugal international sliced well wide of the target.
Palace finally flickered into life in first-half stoppage time when Sarr was denied by a fine save from Alisson after finding a gap in the Liverpool defense.
The pattern continued into the second period with Liverpool unable to put Palace to bed.
Salah should have done better when he fired straight at Dean Henderson after being picked out by a perfect Virgil Van Dijk pass.
Jota then headed wide a glorious chance from Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick.
Slot’s men were nearly made to pay after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s introduction perked up the Palace attack.
Alisson got down low to his left to parry Nketiah’s effort before the Brazilian beat away Eberechi Eze’s powerful strike.
But Liverpool were dealt a body blow with 12 minutes remaining when Alisson pulled up with a muscle injury.
Normal back up Caoimhin Kelleher was also absent due to illness so Czech international Vitezslav Jaros was forced into his Liverpool debut.
Jaros had to make one huge save from Eze and also rushed impressively off his line to deny Mateta a sight of goal.
Arsenal and Manchester City could cut the gap at the top back to one point later on Saturday.
But Liverpool will go into the upcoming international break at the summit and happy with the start to life under Slot.


Guardiola claims Premier League won’t delay season for Man City

Guardiola claims Premier League won’t delay season for Man City
Updated 05 October 2024
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Guardiola claims Premier League won’t delay season for Man City

Guardiola claims Premier League won’t delay season for Man City
  • Guardiola said City had asked the Premier League to postpone their first matches of the 2025-26 campaign to allow extra time to rest after the Club World Cup in the US

LONDON: Pep Guardiola claims the Premier League have refused to accept Manchester City’s request to start next season late due to their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Guardiola said City had asked the Premier League to postpone their first matches of the 2025-26 campaign to allow extra time to rest after the Club World Cup in the United States.
Having already lost influential Spain midfielder Rodri for the rest of this season following his knee injury against Arsenal, Guardiola fears his players will be burnt out and at risk of injury because of the increased workload.
The Premier League champions’ season could run until July 13 if they reach the final of the expanded 32-team Club World Cup.
That could leave them just a four-week gap to squeeze in player holidays and preparations in time for the anticipated start of the next Premier League season on August 9 or 16.
There could be an even shorter break if City are involved in the Community Shield, as they have been for six of the last seven season.
But Guardiola said City’s plea for a longer recovery period had so far fallen on deaf ears and he does not expect that to change.
City already have a strained relationship with the Premier League as they fight 115 charges of alleged financial breaches, including a failure to co-operate with an investigation.
“The Premier League has not allowed us to postpone — and Chelsea, I think, all the teams that will go to the World Cup — the first two games to have more recovery. Thank you so much! They don’t postpone these games,” Guardiola said.
“I think the club asked the Premier League, for the first or second game, to postpone it one or two, three weeks, in the middle of the week, to have one more week or two more weeks’ holiday after the World Cup.”
Asked to clarify if a request had not been allowed, Guardiola said: “Absolutely not. The Premier League say yes to us? No. Absolutely not. It’s not going to happen.”
The Premier League has not commented but it is believed initial discussions were held over the possibility of postponing fixtures.
Whilst there was no outright refusal, City have not been given the impression any such application would succeed.