Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have emerged as the frontrunners to become Manchester United’s caretaker manager until the end of the season.

The former players have both previously managed United – very briefly as caretaker in Carrick’s case – and are set for face-to-face talks with the club’s leadership.

It is not out of the question the pair could also work together because Carrick was a significant part of Solskjaer’s coaching team when he replaced Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in 2018.

Darren Fletcher, United’s current under-18s coach, who has also been spoken to about the job, will continue as interim manager until a caretaker is appointed.

Former midfielder Fletcher takes charge of his first match on Wednesday, when United visit Burnley (20:15 GMT) in the Premier League, after which the recruitment process will resume.

One player has told BBC Sport they felt it was possible the role could be shared by more than one of the contenders, or that Fletcher could even stay in the job until the end of the season if the next two matches are positive.

Solskjaer initially took charge in a similar fashion when United sacked Mourinho in 2018, and he subsequently became the full-time manager for three years before he was sacked in November 2021.

Carrick then had a three-game stint as temporary boss after Solskjaer’s dismissal before he left the club in December 2021.

The former England midfielder has been out of work since he was sacked by Championship club Middlesbrough last June after  two and a half years in charge.

Solskjaer was sacked by Turkish club Besiktas in August.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi – now at Marseille – are understood to be early contenders for the full-time job.

Glasner, who won the FA Cup with the Eagles last season, was asked about the link during his news conference on Tuesday.

He said: “I am Crystal Palace manager and it makes no sense for you to ask me any more questions about it.”

Source: BBC

French superstar Mbappe levelled Ronaldo’s tally of 59 goals in 2013 by stroking home a late penalty, after Bellingham sent Madrid ahead with a first half header.

The victory allowed Los Blancos, second, to cut the gap on leaders Barcelona to one point before the Catalans visit Villarreal on Sunday.

“To do like Cristiano did, my idol, the best player in Real Madrid’s history and a world great, it’s an honour for me,” said Mbappe, who turned 27 on Saturday.

Gaining a third consecutive win across all competitions, after managing just two in the previous eight games, marginally eases the pressure on coach Xabi Alonso even though the performance was still underwhelming.

“We’ve got some time now to analyse and reflect where we are now,” Alonso told reporters ahead of the winter break.

“We want to do better, we’re self-critical, we got the three points and now we’ll use this time and try to start the year better.”

Sevilla, who thrashed champions Barcelona 4-1 in October, started strongly with veteran Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez heavily involved.

Odysseas Vlachodimos made a fine save to thwart Fran Garcia at the other end, and as the minutes ticked by Madrid began to find more of a foothold.

Bellingham headed the hosts in front at the Santiago Bernabeu after Rodrygo Goes whipped in a dangerous free-kick.

The Brazilian forward was booked for diving before the break as he tumbled in the box under little pressure.

Sanchez landed the ball on the roof of Thibaut Courtois’s net before the break with an acrobatic effort.

Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda was sent off at half-time for dissent, but his team plugged away in search of an equaliser regardless.

Courtois twice denied Isaac Romero early in the second half, while Mbappe intensified his search to emulate Ronaldo’s record.

Mbappe headed against the crossbar and whipped a shot narrowly wide, while Vlachodimos fended off another effort from the forward.

Sevilla defender Marcao clumsily slid in to foul Bellingham after 67 minutes and was sent off for a second yellow card, hampering his side’s chances of adding to Alonso’s struggles.

Madrid almost scored a second when Mbappe teed up Rodrygo, who lifted the ball into the air and then lashed it towards goal, but Vlachodimos superbly tipped it onto the crossbar.

Mbappe’s 59th

Eventually Mbappe got the goal he craved from the penalty spot, after Juanlu clumsily brought down Rodrygo.

The forward sent Vlachodimos the wrong way as he stroked in his 59th of the year, to match Ronaldo’s record.

Mbappe copied Ronaldo’s trademark celebration and said it was a nod to the Portuguese great, Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer.

“I wanted to give him a wink because he’s always been kind to me,” said Mbappe.

“He was my idol as a kid, I have a very good relationship with him, he’s a friend now.”

Madrid were awarded another penalty when Bellingham went down in the box but it was ruled out after a VAR review showed Sevilla defender Oso got the ball.

The referee then gave Madrid another penalty as Sow fouled Rodrygo on the edge of the box, but the offence was just outside the area and it was again scrapped.

Mbappe whipped the free-kick narrowly over the top corner as he battled in vain to go beyond Ronaldo’s mark, but he will have to try again in 2026.

“Scoring 59 goals is not easy, he’s got quality and talent — it’s hard to stop him in training,” said Courtois, who called on the whole team to take a step forward next year.

“Hopefully 2026 comes with trophies, but for that we have to improve our level,” he added.

Elsewhere Celta Vigo rose to seventh even though they could only draw 0-0 at struggling Real Oviedo, while Levante held Real Sociedad 1-1. Osasuna thrashed Alaves 3-0 to go 12th.

Source: AFP

Tottenham’s long-serving executive chairman Daniel Levy has stepped down after almost 25 years at the helm of the club.

Levy was appointed in March 2001 and leaves after Spurs won the Europa League in May to end a 17-year wait for a trophy.

The 63-year-old was the Premier League’s longest-serving chairman and earned an estimated £50m-plus during his time in charge, but he was also the target of regular protests from Spurs fans, especially last season.

“I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees,” said Levy, who had a reputation in football for being a shrewd operator and tough negotiator.

“We have built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level. More than that, we have built a community.

“I was lucky enough to work with some of the greatest people in this sport, from the team at Lilywhite House and Hotspur Way to all the players and managers over the years.

“I wish to thank all the fans that have supported me over the years. It hasn’t always been an easy journey but significant progress has been made. I will continue to support this club passionately.”

Source: BBC

Mohamed Salah became the first player to win the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) men’s player of the year for a third time on Tuesday after guiding Liverpool to Premier League glory.

The Egyptian scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists to propel the Reds to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title with four games to spare last season.

Salah also scooped the award in the 2017/18 and 2021/22 seasons.

The 33-year-old picked up the Football Writers’ Association and Premier League player of the year awards in recent months.

Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers won young player the year following a breakthrough campaign that saw the attacking midfielder make his senior international debut for England.

Salah is joined in the 2024/25 PFA Premier League team of the year by Liverpool team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

Milos Kerkez, who moved to Anfield from Bournemouth in June, is also selected, as are the Arsenal trio of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice.

Matz Sels and Chris Wood are recognised for their fine campaigns at Nottingham Forest, while wantaway Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is included after finishing second to Salah in the Golden Boot race.

Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey won the women’s player of the year accolade after her role in helping the Gunners win the Champions League.

The Spanish midfielder scored 19 goals in all competitions, including eight in the Champions League, in her first season in England.

Olivia Smith recently joined Caldentey at Arsenal in a world-record £1 million ($1.4 million) deal and won the women’s young player of the year prize following her superb season at Liverpool.

Source: AFP

French prosecutors on Friday called for Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi to face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023 which the Paris Saint-Germain player denies.

The Nanterre prosecutor’s office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court.

“It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order,” the prosecutor’s office told AFP in a statement.

Hakimi, 26,  played a major role in PSG’s run to their first Champions League title, the full-back scoring the opener in the 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in the final in May.

Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic charge to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping a 24-year-old woman.

Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife and children were away on holiday.

PSG, Morocco football star Hakimi placed under formal investigation over rape allegations

He denies the accusations.

In Qatar, Hakimi was a cornerstone of the Morocco team that became the first African or Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.

Source: AFP

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been ruled out of playing in the club’s pre-season tour of the United States with a hamstring injury.

The 29-year-old Cameroon international has responded well to initial treatment and will join his team-mates on the flight to America later this month, but he will focus on recovery and will not feature in the Premier League Summer Series.

Altay Bayindir, 27, is expected to deputise during United’s pre-season campaign, which begins with a match against Leeds in Stockholm on July 19 before they head to the US to face West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton in a tournament that takes place from July 27 to August 3.

United’s final pre-season friendly will be a match against Fiorentina at Old Trafford on August 9 before they begin the Premier League campaign at home to Arsenal on August 17.

Veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton, 39, signed a new one-year deal to remain with United earlier this week.

Source:Independent.co.uk

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has died in a car crash in Spain.

The car left the road due to a tyre blowout while overtaking another car, local police say.

His brother, Andre Silva, also died in the crash.

Jota, 28, married his partner last month – the couple had three children together.

The Portuguese international was a key part of the Liverpool side that won the Premier League last season, and earlier played for Wolves and Porto.

Liverpool FC say they are “devastated” by what they call an “unimaginable loss”, while Cristiano Ronaldo says “it doesn’t make sense.”

The national federation says Jota was “not only a fantastic player” but “an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents.”

Source: BBC

Paul Pogba has signed a two-year deal with Ligue 1 side Monaco to return to football after a near two-year absence, the club announced on Saturday.

The 2018 World Cup winner has made only 12 appearances across the last three seasons due to injuries, an 18-month doping ban and an extortion case in which he was the victim.

Pogba failed a drugs test in August 2023 after a match for Juventus and has been free to return to football since March, although his contract at the Italian giants had been terminated last year.

The midfielder will now play club football in Ligue 1 for the first time in his professional career.

“I am determined to get back on the pitch, mentally ready, physically ready, it’s just a matter of time,” the 32-year-old told French television last weekend.

Pogba played in the Le Havre youth team before signing for Manchester United in 2009.

He made only a handful of first-team appearances for the three-time European champions before signing for Juventus in 2012.

Pogba won four consecutive Serie A titles in Turin before rejoining United for a then-world record 105 million euros ($123 million).

He moved back to Juventus three years ago but struggled with a series of injuries.

In 2024, his brother Mathias was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for his role in a plot to extort 13 million euros from Pogba in 2022.

Pogba has scored 11 goals in 91 appearances for the France national team, playing a starring role and scoring in their World Cup final victory over Croatia seven years ago.

His new club Monaco will play in the Champions League next season after finishing third in Ligue 1 last term.

Source: AFP