Republic of Ireland players wore black armbands in solidarity with Palestinians killed in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and refused to shake hands with their Israeli counterparts before their UEFA Nations League match.

Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who captained the side in place of Dara O’Shea, deliberately avoided shaking hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz during the pre-match ceremony in Backa Topola, Serbia. Kelleher had completed the customary handshakes with the referee and one of his assistants.

The gesture echoed O’Shea’s decision before the teams’ first meeting in Debrecen, Hungary, last week, when he refused to shake hands with Israel captain Manor Solomon. Ireland won that match 3-0 after scoring three goals in the first half.

Sunday’s League B Group 3 encounter ended in a 1-1 draw. Troy Parrott put Ireland ahead from the penalty spot in the 39th minute after Peretz fouled Jimmy Dunne, while Peretz equalized for Israel shortly after halftime.

The match was played behind closed doors at a neutral venue after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) moved the fixture from Dublin in June, citing “operational reasons” amid widespread calls for a boycott in protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The FAI had also called on UEFA in November to ban Israel from international and club competitions.

The decision to proceed with the two fixtures had faced strong opposition in Ireland. More than 160 Irish sportspeople signed an open letter urging the FAI to reconsider, while protesters gathered outside the national team’s hotel in Dublin before the first match.

The SIPTU trade union also displayed a large poster beside Dublin’s River Liffey urging the players to “Go with your conscience!” and “Don’t play with genocide.”

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson had previously acknowledged the growing pressure on the squad, saying it was approaching “a breaking limit.”

Reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu was the only Irish player to withdraw from both matches. He said it was his “personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.”

Former Ireland coach Brian Kerr criticized the FAI for proceeding with the fixtures, saying the association had “lost the respect of the Irish people.”

The FAI, however, argued that withdrawing could expose Ireland to UEFA sanctions, particularly with the country set to co-host the 2028 European Championship alongside England, Wales and Scotland.

Earlier during Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Austria, pro-Palestinian protesters threw tennis balls bearing Palestinian flags onto the pitch, while another protester attempted to enter the field carrying a Palestinian flag.

Tensions surrounding the Ireland-Israel fixtures also escalated on Saturday when an Israeli journalist accused Irish players of calling Israeli players “monkeys” during the previous match. Ireland’s communications officer Kieran Crowley immediately rejected the allegation as “a lie” and ended the news conference.

The Irish squad had reportedly voted 14-8 to proceed with the fixtures after a lengthy deliberation in Debrecen following Bazunu’s withdrawal.

Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ has provided only limited coverage of the two matches against Israel to fulfill its contractual obligations. It has not provided studio presentation, commentary on the international feed, or analysis, and said it would not accept advertising or sponsorship around either game.

RTÉ has also announced that Ireland will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year because of Israel’s participation.

Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid secured a narrow 2-1 victory over his former side Inter Milan in a high-octane Champions League opener on Tuesday.

The record 15-time European champions took a two-goal lead through Kylian Mbappe and Fede Valverde thanks to two Inter errors in the first half.

Carlos Augusto smashed home for Cristian Chivu’s team in the second half but they could not find an equaliser at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid coach Mourinho led the Italian side to Champions League glory in 2010 at the same stadium, the last time either they or he managed to lift the trophy, a few days before joining Los Blancos for his first stint at the helm.

After two seasons without a major trophy and enduring early European exits, Madrid president Florentino Perez brought back the Portuguese veteran to try and stop the rot, and Mourinho got the team off to both a triumphant and entertaining start to the league phase.

Mourinho’s side bounced back from a first defeat of the season at Real Betis in La Liga on Friday, although goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made several smart saves and Inter were wasteful.

The Italians started energetically in attack but were destabilised by two grievous errors at the back. Madrid stopper Courtois denied Marcus Thuram and then Lautaro Martinez as the visitors probed.

However, in the 14th minute Curtis Jones’s poor pass put Yann Bisseck under pressure and Brahim Diaz poked the ball through to Mbappe, who swiftly fired home.

Madrid’s second was gobbled up by Valverde when Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez dallied on the ball despite the Uruguay international charging straight for him.

When the Spanish stopper realised, it was too late and as he tried to turn Valverde pried the ball away from him and into the net.

Mourinho’s side should have added another before half-time but Martinez made amends for his mistake with a sensational save to thwart Jude Bellingham.

Madrid hold on

Mbappe blazed past Inter’s defence and Martinez saved his low shot before somehow blocking Bellingham’s effort from point-blank range.

Bellingham missed another golden chance before the hour mark after Diaz cleverly worked his way into the area and crossed for him.

The England international might have headed home straight away but chose to control the ball and gave goalkeeper Martinez time to fly across his line and save the eventual shot.

Courtois added to his collection of impressive saves by pushing away Alessandro Bastoni’s low drive as Inter tried to find a foothold.

Madrid carved Inter open but could not put the game to bed, with Martinez saving from Mbappe and Diaz then sliding narrowly wide.

Carlos Augusto blasted past Courtois from Lautaro Martinez’s cross in the 77th minute to give Madrid a nervy ending to the game.

Madrid fans were upset when Alvaro Carreras was made to wait for a minute on the sidelines before he could come on as a substitute, because Vinicius Junior took too long to come off when he was replaced.

Courtois beat away a deflected Henrikh Mkhitaryan effort to ensure his team took all three points.

Source: AFP

Manchester United consider Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni the ideal replacement for Casemiro, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The France international has been identified internally at Old Trafford as a dream midfield target due to his quality, mentality and ability to operate at the highest level.

However, Romano reports that a potential move remains complicated due to two major issues.

The first is Tchouameni’s salary. United have informed those close to the player that a move to Old Trafford would only be possible if he accepted a different wage structure.

The second obstacle is Real Madrid’s stance. United are yet to receive permission from the Spanish giants to begin negotiations over a possible transfer.

While Tchouameni is highly admired by Manchester United, the club must first receive a signal from Real Madrid that they are willing to sell the midfielder.

The 26-year-old is seen as the perfect long-term successor to Casemiro, but his future will depend on both Madrid’s decision and whether an agreement over personal terms can be reached.

Source: Tribuna.com

Paris Saint-Germain won a second consecutive Champions League title on Saturday after edging Arsenal in a tense final that went all the way to a penalty shootout.

Kai Havertz had fired Arsenal into a sixth-minute lead, but PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé equalised from the spot before Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed for the Gunners in a dramatic finale.

After 22 years and three straight runner-up finishes, the wait is over: Arsenal has won the Premier League.

The Gunners were crowned 2025-26 champions on Tuesday, May 19 after Bournemouth drew Manchester City 1-1.

City needed to win to stay alive but instead, Eli Junior Kroupi scored for the Cherries in the 38th minute. Erling Haaland pulled a goal back for the visitors deep into stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough.

That result, combined with Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Burnley on Monday, meant the Gunners have an unassailable four-point lead heading into the final game of the season on Sunday.

The last time Arsenal won the league was the 2003-04 season, when Arsene Wenger led the vaunted “Invincibles” side to an undefeated season.

Arsenal is the first team other than Man City or Liverpool to win the title since Chelsea in 2016-17, breaking a run of six titles in eight seasons for City.

The title also breaks a run of three straight runners-up finishes under Mikel Arteta, who has done an excellent job as head coach since taking over in 2019 but only had one major trophy – the 2019-20 FA Cup — to show for his efforts.

It could yet get even better for Arsenal, which is in the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. The Gunners have never won the competition and have only reached the final once, losing to Barcelona in 2006.

Source: USA Today

Pep Guardiola is set to call time on his career at Manchester City this weekend, with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca expected to be confirmed as his successor.

Rumours have been swirling for several months suggesting Guardiola is set to end his record-breaking reign as City manager, but the Spaniard and club officials were keen to keep the decision under wraps until their final game of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Yet news broke this evening that City are preparing to confirm the exit of their most successful manager of all time, even though he has one year left on his contract.

Guardiola confirmed that he was contemplating his exit from City before he signed a new deal in November 2024, but he was persuaded to stay on to lead a squad rebuild that has led to double trophy success in this season’s Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Now it has been revealed that City chiefs were aware of Guardiola’s intention to step away at the end of this season for some time and have been making plans for a new era.

Maresca has long been viewed as a probable successor, with the coach who guided Chelsea to the FIFA Club World Cup last summer tipped to return to City, where he worked with the club’s junior sides before being promoted to assistant coach to Guardiola in 2022.

Guardiola is set to leave City with a legacy that will see him placed alongside the all-time great managers in the history of the English game, with City’s 1-0 win in last Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea bringing his haul of major trophies to 17 in his decade at the club.

Manchester City declined to comment on the fresh report, first revealed by the Daily Mail.

Source: Irish Independent