Jose Mourinho felt Ajax s insistence of sticking to their football philosophy contributed to their dramatic Champions League exit.
The Amsterdammers cruised into a 2-0 half-time lead in the second leg of their semi-final against Tottenham, goals from captain Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech gifting them a 3-0 aggregate lead with just 45 minutes remaining in the tie.
Mourinho felt that was the time to divert from their usual attacking style and adopt a more defensive approach in order to see the job through.
Instead, Ajax boss Erik ten Hag changed little and a Lucas Moura hat-trick, including a 96th-minute winner, sent Spurs into a final meeting with Liverpool in Madrid on June 1.
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax)
Speaking in his role as a pun…
Chelsea are set to sell Nemanja Matic to Juventus this summer, .
The twenty-seven year old was one of the stand-out performers in the Blues’ title winning 2014/15 campaign but has, like many of his teammates has failed to replicate such form this time around.
Across two spells at Stamford Bridge, the midfielder has racked up one hundred and eight appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals.
He played almost a hundred times for Benfica in-between his two stints in England while he has also played for Vitesse Arnhem on loan, MFK Kosice and Kolubara the club where he began his career.
Serie A champions Juve currently have fellow Chelsea man Juan Cuadrado on loan though he is set to return to the London outfit next season once Antonio Conte tak…
Ligue 1 giants Marseille are keeping close tabs on Montpellier starlet Morgan Sanson, .
The 2-1 defeat to la Paillade saw OM slip from the league summit, while the Coupe de France exit at the hands of Grenoble is another cause for concern.
And with two important players leaving for Africa Cup of Nations, Marseille may decide to reinforce the squad in an attempt to keep their title bid alive.
Le 10 Sport has suggested that OM are considering a bid for Montpellier midfielder Morgan Sanson, who has seen his stock rise a great deal over the last year or so.
The 20-year-old joined La Paillade from Le Mans in July 2013 and immediately nailed down a regular starting berth at Stade de la Mosson.
Sanson has since made a total of 52 league appearances, sco…
Erling Haaland became the youngest player to pass 30 goals in the Champions League after the Manchester City forward s first-half hat-trick against RB Leipzig.
The Norway international scored twice in the space of two minutes at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday to reach 30 in the competition, before adding a third on the stroke of half-time.
At just 22 years and 236 days old, Haaland was the youngest man to that mark – 116 days younger than previous record holder Kylian Mbappe.
Other players he trumped included Lionel Messi (23 years and 131 days) and Raul (24 years and 91 days).
It was not the only record Haaland shattered either, with the forward s 30th Champions League goal coming in just his 25th game, setting a new benchmark for the fewest matches req…
There has been much speculation about the future of Harry Kane, with Bayern Munich and Manchester United believed to be holding a strong interest in the Tottenham Hotspur record goalscorer.
As for Spurs, head coach Antonio Conte claims they want the 29-year-old striker to remain in North London for the rest of his playing days.
“This is a question for the club. For sure the club wants to involve Harry Kane for the rest of his career in my opinion.”
Antonio Conte says he believes Tottenham will want to keep Harry Kane at the club until he retires.
— Football Daily (@footballdaily)
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Dayot Upamecano hopes his meteoric rise at RB Leipzig this season can finish with a call-up for France s World Cup squad in June.
Since arriving from Salzburg in January 2017, Upamecano has established himself as one of the hottest prospects in the Bundesliga, reportedly attracting the interest of Europe s top clubs.
The 19-year-old has started 17 of Leipzig s 22 league matches in 2017-18, helping Die Roten to second place in the table behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich.
And Upamecano hopes he can maintain his form and at least put himself in contention to be part of Didier Deschamps final group of 23 players.
Of course I dream of going to Russia, he told Bild.
But the competition in the French national team is incredibly big, especially in my…
Reigning Premier League champions would have been hoping to defend their league title this season, but with the rise of the Manchester clubs this has proved to be a tricky season for the Blues. They currently sit fifth in the table, 19 points behind leaders Manchester City, and two off a top four spot.
With summer signing Alvaro Morata struggling to settle in, Antonio Conte has leant heavily on the talismanic Eden Hazard to carry his Chelsea side at times this season. It is little surprise that the Belgian s exploits have caught the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, and have been heavily linked with a swoop for some time.
News this week suggests that Hazard is set to stay put in London however, with reporting that Chelsea will offer the winger a new…
Former Arsenal manager George Graham said Jack Wilshere s career has stalled and has called on Arsene Wenger to talk to the midfielder.
Wilshere struggled to get on the pitch for Arsenal in the second half of last season due to injuries, continuing on from an injury-interrupted 2012/13 Premier League campaign, prompting Graham to claim the 22-year-old midfielder s career has not gone anywhere in the last 18 months .
Although Wilshere was part of England s squad at the FIFA World Cup, he has been in the media for all the wrong reasons this week after photos emerged of him smoking while holidaying in Las Vegas, just nine months after vowing to give up cigarettes.
Graham said Wenger as Arsenal s manager must get Wilshere to change his behaviour or risk seeing the ta…
Arsenal attacker Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has admitted to feeling under pressure throughout his second season at the club.
The 19-year-old made an immediate impact following his move to the Emirates Stadium from Southampton in August 2011, appearing 26 times and notching four goals during his debut campaign.
That form subsequently earned the midfielder international recognition at senior level, and he has amassed a total of 10 England caps since making his debut in May 2012.
However, Oxlade-Chamberlain says following up such an impressive start has been a tough ask and is keen to emphasise that he is still learning his trade.
It has been difficult,” he told Arsenal s official matchday programme.
There is always pressure, but maybe people forget that I am only 19 and will sti…
Hansi Flick admitted he was a little disappointed to miss out on The Best FIFA Men s Coach award after Bayern Munich s stunning run of trophy success.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp edged out Flick to take the award on Thursday, after leading the Reds to a first English league title in 30 years.
Flick, who took over in mid-season last term when Niko Kovac left a flagging Bayern, guided the German giants to a treble consisting of Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League titles.
Bayern s achievements were reflected in Bayern s Robert Lewandowski winning the top player award and Manuel Neuer being named best goalkeeper in the world.
Flick would have been proud to join them as a winner but said: We always take this like sportsmen. Kloppo for sure deserved…