Ajax have suspended chief executive Alex Kroes over allegations of insider trading before his appointment at the Eredivisie club.

Kroes, who only started the role last month, was announced as chairman and CEO in August 2023 but the Dutch giants claimed in a statement that the 50-year-old had purchased 17,000 club shares a week earlier.

A club statement read: “The Supervisory Board of AFC Ajax NV has decided to suspend Alex Kroes, CEO and chairman of the board, with immediate effect and intends to terminate the collaboration permanently.

“This decision was made after the Supervisory Board learned that Kroes purchased over 17,000 shares of Ajax a week before his intended appointment was announced on August 2, 2023. The Supervisory Board sought external legal advice, which indicates that he likely engaged in insider trading. Insider trading is a criminal offence.”

Kroes said in a post on LinkedIn that he had purchased shares in “bits and pieces” from April 2022 to July 2023 – before he agreed to join the club.

He said: “Last week, some media asked questions about the Ajax shares that I own. Among other things, I was asked whether I had received this as signing money from Ajax or whether I bought it myself. The latter is the case. I bought every Ajax share myself.

“At that time I had not yet agreed with Ajax, but – because of my own intentions – I had a good feeling about it. I thought it was a positive signal to radiate confidence in the club and to shareholders. To be part of that – literally and figuratively.

“I believe that you radiate confidence to your fellow shareholders and stakeholders if you buy shares yourself and therefore also run financial risks yourself. ‘Skin in the game’, as they say.”

The news comes during a turbulent season for the Amsterdam outfit, who are a lowly fifth in the domestic table – 28 points behind leaders PSV – and face the possibility of missing out on European competition next season, something which last happened in 1990-91.

Michael van Praag, chairman of the supervisory board, added: “We are deeply dismayed that this has occurred at Ajax, as it is highly detrimental to the club and everyone who holds it dear to them.

“Alex Kroes’s actions are not in line with what Ajax stands for. The timing of his share purchase indicates insider trading. Such a violation of the law cannot be tolerated by a publicly listed company, especially when it involves the CEO.

“After careful consideration, the Supervisory Board has therefore concluded that Alex’s position as a director of Ajax is untenable. I want to emphasise that the technical policy will continue with the individuals in place and on the path Ajax was already on with Alex.”

England’s Vickii Cornborough has announced her retirement from international rugby, saying she does not feel mentally ready to return after giving birth to twins last summer.

The 34-year-old Harlequins prop made her England debut in 2015 and went on to win 75 caps, six Six nations titles and reached two World Cup finals.

In her role as vice-chair of the Rugby Players’ Association she was instrumental in the creation of the Rugby Football Union’s updated maternity policy, which was introduced last year.

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Cornborough told BBC Sport: “I’m probably the strongest I’ve ever been but I’m just not there yet mentally because having twins is really hard.

“Living off a couple of hours of sleep a night is not conducive to a high-performance pressure environment.

“Stepping away from the Red Roses and announcing my retirement is the right thing for me to do.”

She added: “It’s a big weight off my shoulders to finally admit it to myself and say I’m ready (to retire).

“It’s a life-changing decision. It’s something I’m excited but nervous about because England has been my life for the last 10 years.”

Mikel Arteta accepts Arsenal may have to win each of their nine remaining Premier League fixtures to be crowned champions as he prepares for the “most beautiful part of the season”.

The second-placed Gunners sit two points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of a hectic April schedule following Sunday’s dogged goalless draw at title rivals Manchester City.

Manager Arteta, who also has a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich to consider, wants his players to embrace the challenge, beginning on Wednesday evening at home to relegation-threatened Luton.

“It’s going to have to be really close to that,” he replied when asked if Arsenal need a 100 per cent record from now on to finish top of the table.

“When you see the level and the consistency of the other teams and historically what is needed to win in this league, it’s not going to be very far from that.

“This is where we want to be and now we want to take this opportunity and make it happen.

“We worked every single day with that enthusiasm and passion to make it happen and enjoying the moment as well.

“I see the team really flowing and they are really excited about playing each game and that has to drive this energy until the end.

“I am full of energy and it’s the most beautiful part of the season.”

Ange Postecoglou expects Tottenham to be in the Premier League title race in 12 months’ time.

Spurs had hit the league summit in November, before a spate of injuries sparked an inconsistent winter period.

The north London club are now 11 points off leaders Liverpool and battling for Champions League qualification with Aston Villa.

Postecoglou has repeatedly insisted a top-four finish is not the priority this season. He is instead more focused on the development and improvement of his young squad.

Asked whether he expects Spurs to be challenging for the title next term, Postecoglou replied: “I hope so. Or why am I doing what I’m doing? That’s why I came to the club.

“As somebody said to me last week, ‘Just do your job Ange’ and my job is to come here and try to bring success.

“And if you don’t think you’re going to be in the title race in 12 months’ time, then I don’t know why I’m here.”

The former Celtic boss also doubled down on his Champions League qualification claims.

He once more pointed to the examples of Manchester United and Newcastle, who were third and fourth respectively last season, as teams that did not kick on after finishing in the top four.

“It’d probably make my life easier if I said, ‘Let’s make Champions League, that’s great’ because everyone thinks I’ve done a great job,” Postecoglou said, speaking ahead of Tuesday night’s game at West Ham.

“But from my perspective, I keep saying it, I look at the teams who made the Champions League this year from last year and that wasn’t the catalyst for them kicking on.

“It’s not their fault – it’s more demanding. But I’m not going to let this club rest on where we finish this year. Where we finish should be a foundation for us being better next year.”

Last weekend marked Spurs’ first home match since the club announced planned ticketing changes which will result in senior concession season tickets no longer being available from the 2025-26 season.

A group called ‘Save Our Seniors’ was formed last month as a result, and staged a protest where fans turned their backs on the action during the 65th minute of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Luton.

“I think my constant position on this is that the fans have a voice,” Postecoglou said.

“And they should be able to use that voice in any manner they find appropriate, as long as it’s not disruptive, as long as it’s not to the detriment of the club in an overall way.

“At the beginning at (my time at) Celtic, there was fan protests there. They have a voice and we’ve seen in the past when fans feel strongly about something.”

Ted Walsh admitted to having mixed emotions after his stable stalwart Any Second Now roared back to form to fill the runner-up spot in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

It is five years since the JP McManus-owned veteran claimed Cheltenham Festival glory in the Kim Muir and he was a leading contender for that season’s Irish National when falling at the eighth fence.

As well as winning twice at Grade Two and Grade Three level, Any Second Now has since placed twice in the Grand National at Aintree, finishing third behind the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Minella Times on his first attempt in 2021 before picking up the silver medal behind Noble Yeats 12 months later.

The 12-year-old was pulled up when bidding to make it third time lucky on Merseyside last April and has largely struggled since, but showed his true colours when finishing best of the rest behind the six years younger Intense Raffles on Easter Monday, leaving his trainer delighted but disappointed.

Walsh said: “He’s come out of the race 100 per cent, I’m delighted with the way he ran but gutted that he got beat!

“We have no plans at the moment, Punchestown is only a month away and he won’t be going there. He’ll go to Martinstown (McManus’ stud), we’ll have a look at him and see what happens after that.

“I’m proud of how he ran, but at the same time we were beaten. We played a great game but the other team won!”

The Championship continues to head towards one of the most dramatic finishes in its history as the division’s three leading teams show no sign of slowing down.

With the Easter programme completed, Ipswich are a point clear of Leeds in the two automatic promotion spots, with third-placed Leicester a further point back.

The relentless form of the trio raises the prospect of all three finishing with more than 100 points and here, the PA news agency looks at how the race could play out.

Ipswich (First, played 40, points 87)

Run-in: Norwich (a), Watford (h), Middlesbrough (h), Hull (a), Coventry (a), Huddersfield (h).

Two months ago Ipswich looked like they might be wobbling but, under the most intense pressure, they have stood up to the test. Given their incredible form it is easy to forget this is their first season back in the Championship and, when they scored a winner in the seventh minute of added time against Southampton, back-to-back promotions felt closer than ever. One worry boss Kieran McKenna may have is their defence – they have conceded 20 more than Leeds and 16 more than Leicester – and a derby against Norwich next up is clearly a huge game. They will go into it with no fear, though, having lost just five times all season.

Leeds (Second, played 40, points 86)

Run-in: Coventry (a), Sunderland (h), Blackburn (h), Middlesbrough (a), QPR (a), Southampton (h).

Daniel Farke’s men remain unbeaten in the league in 2024 and unbeaten at home all season. A depleted side drew at Watford in the first game back after the international break, before a late show saw them beat Hull 3-1 on Monday. In Crysencio Summerville they have the division’s outstanding player and, with his 17 goals and eight assists supplemented by Dan James’ 20 goal involvements and Georginio Rutter’s 21, they have attacking talents to burn. However, an injury to midfield workhorse Ilia Gruev has exposed some weaknesses, with Farke yet to find a way to replicate the fluidity he brings to Leeds’ midfield. They need him back, with the same going for Wales full-back Connor Roberts and Italy forward Wilfried Gnonto.

Leicester (Third, played 39, points 85)

Run-in: Birmingham (h), Millwall (a), Plymouth (a), West Brom (h), Southampton (h), Preston (a), Blackburn (h).

Monday’s come-from-behind win over Norwich was huge for Leicester. They looked virtually promoted two months ago and were 17 points ahead of Leeds at the turn of the year. However, a 3-1 loss at Elland Road was damaging and came as part of a run of two wins in seven. Victory over the Canaries put them back top, before Ipswich and Leeds retaliated to send them back to third. They have the benefit of a game in hand against Southampton which, with the Saints now looking out of the automatic race, may be less stressful than it could previously have been. Veteran Jamie Vardy continues to provide experience off the bench and that could come to the fore as the fixtures run down.

What the papers say

Newcastle are set to renew their interest in Aaron Ramsdale, according to the Daily Mail. The Arsenal goalkeeper previously played under Eddie Howe at Bournemouth, and the Newcastle manager is said to be a big admirer of the 25-year-old, with the club seeking a younger goalkeeper this summer.

Staying with Newcastle, The Sun reports the club is braced for transfer bids from Arsenal and Tottenham for Alexander Isak. The 24-year-old striker could attract as much as £100million.

Elsewhere, Kalvin Phillips is expected to be put up for permanent transfer in the summer by Manchester City. According to the Mail, City’s asking price for the 30-year-old midfielder will be around £30m, with Leeds believed to be interested in a potential move.

The Sun says Liverpool, Tottenham and AC Milan are in a race for the signature of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Reece James: Real Madrid are weighing a move for the Chelsea defender, according to Fichajes.

Evanilson: HITC reports Arsenal and Newcastle had scouts watching the Porto striker over the weekend.

Auston Matthews scored two more goals to push his league-leading total to 62, and the Toronto Maple Leafs withstood a third-period rally from the Florida Panthers to hold on for a 6-4 win in a potential first-round play-off matchup on Monday.

Matthews added an assist to help Toronto to its third consecutive victory, which moved the Maple Leafs within four points of Florida for second place in the Atlantic Division. The two teams are currently on course to meet in the Eastern Conference quarter-finals.

Nicholas Robertson and Matthew Knies each contributed a goal and an assist for Toronto, which built a 5-1 lead after two periods before the Panthers scored three straight goals in the third.

Robertson and Matthews both lit the lamp in the opening period to stake the Leafs to a 2-0 advantage before Florida trimmed the deficit on Brandon Montour's goal 47 seconds into the second.

Toronto responded quickly as Tyler Bertuzzi scored off a Matthews feed just 39 seconds later, and goals by David Kampf and Knies before the end of the period increased the Maple Leafs' cushion to 5-1.

The Panthers pulled goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky at the second intermission after the veteran stopped just 11 of 16 shots.

Florida's offence came to life in the third, as Vladimir Tarasenko redirected Niko Mikkola's shot past Toronto netminder Ilya Samsonov just 2:12 into the period and Sam Reinhart cut the lead to 5-3 with 8:02 left to play on his 52nd goal of the season.

With replacement goaltender Anthony Stolarz pulled for an extra attacker, Sam Bennett brought Florida within one when his wrist shot beat Samsonov with 1:50 remaining. 

The Panthers couldn't come up with the equaliser, though, and Matthews sealed the outcome with an empty-netter with 46 seconds left.

Tarasenko ended with a goal and two assists for Florida, which has lost three of four. Stolarz stopped all six shots he faced in relief.

Samsonov finished with 26 saves.

Crosby, Penguins halt Rangers' win streak

Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals and an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins put an end to the New York Rangers' five-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory.

Bryan Rust also scored twice to back 28 saves from Alex Nedeljkovic as the Penguins extended their point streak to five games (3-0-2). Pittsburgh currently sits five points out of a play-off spot in the Eastern Conference.

Nedeljkovic made 10 first-period saves and Rust quickly put Pittsburgh ahead by knocking in a rebound of Crosby's shot just 18 seconds into the contest.

Crosby made it a 2-0 lead midway through the opening period and after a scoreless second, Emil Bernstrom converted a breakaway chance 9:51 into the third to increase the Penguins' margin.

The Rangers regrouped to cut their deficit to 3-2 on goals by Kaapo Kakko and Jack Roslovic, the last coming with 3:07 left to play. New York pulled goaltender Igor Shesterkin in the closing stages, but fell further behind as both Rust and Crosby scored into an empty net inside the final 2 1/2 minutes. 

Shesterkin turned aside just 15 of 18 shots to have a three-start winning streak snapped.

Blues continue post-season push with overtime win over Oilers

Brandon Saad scored 2:09 into overtime as the St. Louis Blues continued their late-season push for a play-off spot with a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Brayden Schenn accounted for both St. Louis goals in regulation to help the Blues improve to 8-2-1 over their last 11 games. The surge has brought St. Louis within three points of the Los Angeles Kings, who were dealt a 4-3 loss by the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, for the Western Conference's final wild-card berth.

The Blues trailed 1-0 after one period, but Jordan Binnington stopped all 13 Edmonton shots in the second and Schenn tied the game with a power-play goal 8:15 into the middle stanza.

Schenn struck again 1:44 into the third before the Oilers drew back even when Leon Draisaitl stuffed a feed from Connor McDavid past Binnington with 5:25 remaining in regulation.

Edmonton committed a costly giveaway in the neutral zone during overtime, though, which led to Saad scoring on a breakaway for his fifth goal in six games.

Mattias Ekholm recorded the Oilers' first goal and added an assist on Draisaitl's 39th tally of the season. 

Binnington ended with 36 saves and Stuart Skinner stopped 26 shots for Edmonton. 

AP McCoy broke Sir Gordon Richards’ 55-year record for winners in a season when he got his 270th win at Warwick on this day in 2002.

After earlier equalling the record of 269 winners on Shepherds Rest, McCoy followed up by taking the Leek Wooton Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

McCoy displayed the tenacity that earned him record after record during his career with a typically strong ride on his boss Martin Pipe’s Valfonic.

The four-year-old looked to be struggling but McCoy conjured a run out of Pipe’s horse to seal his place in racing history.

And McCoy said: “Obviously it’s brilliant to get there in the end. It’s taken a while as I keep saying I can’t make the horses go any faster as much as I’d like to be able to but I can’t.

“I actually thought I would struggle today as I thought Shampooed, Shepherds Rest and this one just had chances and I’m obviously really pleased that all three have won.”

Pipe was quick to praise his stable jockey, with whom he enjoyed so much success.

He said: “Brilliant wasn’t it? It’s absolutely brilliant that he should beat Sir Gordon Richards’ record and I’m thrilled to bits for him.

“I’m highly delighted he was on one of my horses. He deserves it, he’s a dedicated, brilliant jockey.

“Only this morning he was down schooling my team of horses for the National over National fences that we built.

“Not only did he school his own ride but other people’s too. He’s a fabulous, generous team player.”

McCoy retired in April 2015 with 4,358 winners to his name.

Devin Booker racked up 52 points with a prolific shooting display that carried the Phoenix Suns to a 124-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday to tighten the Western Conference play-off race.

The win moved Phoenix within one game of New Orleans in the battle for the important No. 6 seed in the West. The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed a spot in the quarter-final round of the post-season, while teams seven through 10 will be forced to compete in the play-in tournament.

Phoenix was able to narrow the gap primarily behind Booker, who finished 19 of 28 from the field and 8 of 16 from 3-point range while adding nine assists.

The Suns also received 19 points and 19 rebounds from Jusuf Nurkic, while Kevin Durant had 20 points to help send the Pelicans to a second straight loss.

Both Booker and the Suns got off to sizzling starts, as the All-Star guard tallied 24 first-quarter points on 8-of-10 shooting during a dominant opening quarter. Seventeen of those points came during a 30-7 run that staked Phoenix to a 44-20 lead with under two minutes to go in the period.

Phoenix ended the first quarter up 46-28 and carried a 74-54 advantage into half-time with Booker amassing 37 points on 14-of-18 shooting over the first two quarters.

The Pelicans trailed by as many as 27 points in the second half but did make a belated push to get back in it, as Zion Williamson sparked an 8-0 run that CJ McCollum capped with a 3-pointer to pull New Orleans within 115-108 with 2:46 left.

That was as close as the Pelicans would get, however, as Booker scored his final two points on a layup with 1:34 to go that gave Phoenix a 119-110 lead.

Williamson paced New Orleans with 30 points and Trey Murphy recorded 21 in the loss. 

Krejci's perfect shooting night helps Hawks down Bulls

Vit Krejci went 6 of 6 from 3-point range for a career-high 18 points to help the surging Atlanta Hawks to a 113-101 win over the Chicago Bulls in a matchup of potential Eastern Conference play-in teams.

Krejci's flawless shooting, along with 20 points and six assists from Bogdan Bogdanović, powered the Hawks to a fifth win in six games and moved them within a half-game of ninth-place Chicago in the East standings. Dejounte Murray added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Atlanta.

The Bulls got 31 points from DeMar DeRozan but failed to match Atlanta's accuracy from the perimeter, as they shot just 25 per cent (7 of 28) from 3-point range compared to 47.5 per cent (19 of 40) for the Hawks.

Krejci scored 15 points in the first half as Atlanta took a 61-53 lead into the break before extending the margin in the third quarter.

A DeAndre Hunter 3-pointer followed by Clint Capela's alley-oop dunk increased the Hawks' advantage to 75-62 five minutes into the third quarter, and Atlanta built a 90-74 lead entering the fourth after Garrison Mathews knocked down a triple in the final seconds of the third.

Coby White added 22 points for Chicago, which lost for the fifth time in seven games, while Andre Drummond accumulated 13 points and 18 rebounds off the bench.

Tatum, Hauser key Celtics' win over Hornets

Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser had 25 points each as the East-leading Boston Celtics stayed hot with a 118-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Tatum added 10 rebounds and Hauser went 7 of 11 on 3-point attempts as the Celtics posted their 11th win in their last 13 games. Boston, which has already clinched the East's No. 1 play-off seed, also received 20 points from Kristaps Porzingis and 19 from Derrick White.

Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges each had 14 first-half points to keep the underdog Hornets close for much of the first two quarters. The teams were tied at  53-53 with under two minutes to go until half-time before the Celtics closed out the second quarter with six straight points to forge ahead.

Boston then got further separation by outscoring Charlotte by a 36-26 margin in the third quarter, which Hauser capped with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 95-79. Porzingis recorded 11 of his points during the period.

Bridges ended with 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in Charlotte's eighth loss in its past nine games. Miller finished with 19 points and Grant Williams had 23 along with seven rebounds for the Hornets.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted the Premier League title race is “not in our hands” after a goalless draw against Arsenal on Sunday.

With just nine games left in the season, City sit one point behind Arsenal and three adrift of leaders Liverpool, who Guardiola conferred as favourites to end his side’s streak of three successive titles.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how the title race is shaping up.

What happened over the weekend?

Liverpool moved into pole position as they bid to give Jurgen Klopp the perfect send-off by coming from a goal behind to beat Brighton 2-1.

The Merseysiders were boosted a few hours later by a bore draw at the Etihad Stadium. Arsenal were at the summit prior to the latest round of fixtures but would have been the happier of the two teams after nullifying City’s attackers.

Guardiola said afterwards: “Always who is first is favourite. The second favourite is Arsenal and we are third.”

Was Guardiola correct?

Maybe, although that was far from him waving the white flag in their attempt at a historic fourth league title in a row – Huddersfield, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have also had a hat-trick of successive crowns but no team has yet done a quadruple.

City will likely have to be close to perfect if they are to pip Liverpool and Arsenal but they have a history of being strong finishers.

At the same stage last season, City were five points adrift of Arsenal but managed to reel them in then overtake them.

Are there any differences between then and now?

Last season, City still had Arsenal to play and triumphed 4-1 at home before the Gunners fell away at the business end.

This time, City can win all nine remaining fixtures and still lose out because they have already played Liverpool and Arsenal twice.

Liverpool have been the biggest thorn in City’s side in the Guardiola era, relegating them to second spot in 2019-20, remarkably their only slip-up in six seasons.

So all Liverpool have to do is win their remaining games?

It would be a major surprise if it turned out simple as that – and that is not a slur on Liverpool’s ability to hold their nerve as they have proved their mettle time and again under Klopp.

But the pressure will continue to build and there are a few tricky fixtures, including visits to north-west rivals Manchester United on Sunday and Everton on April 24.

City next face Villa – the last side to beat them – on Wednesday while both Guardiola’s team and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal still have to go to Tottenham between now and the end of the campaign.

All three teams are still in the hunt for European crowns, too – City and Arsenal in the Champions League and Liverpool in the Europa League – and this may be a distracting factor as well.

So there are still plenty of twists and turns to come, then?

In all likelihood, yes.

Liverpool have the edge but they have never had the threat of City breathing down their necks – the Reds were out of sight in 2020 when the crunch time came.

City have proved they enjoy being the hunters, even if they have not been firing on all cylinders recently, and Guardiola will surely not want Klopp to have the last laugh in their rivalry.

Arsenal cannot be discounted either and look a better team than the one that subsided last season, as evidenced by Sunday’s stalemate after a thrashing by City 12 months ago.

In short, a dramatic finale looms.

Pep Guardiola has admitted he needed to learn to control his emotions more effectively before guiding Manchester City to the treble last season.

A new club-produced documentary which will screen on Netflix from Tuesday goes behind on the scenes of City’s historic season, and shows the message Guardiola gave to his players at half-time during the Champions League final in Istanbul, when the match against Inter Milan was still goalless.

Guardiola is seen trying to settle the nerves of his players, reassuring them they can improve in the second half, before they went on to win 1-0 through Rodri’s 68th minute goal.

“You’re exceptional players, playing the Champions League final,” Guardiola tells them. “What you feel is normal, yes. But we don’t give up. Go, go, go. That’s why we are here. We adjust one or two things and we’ll be much more effective. Calm, guys, calm. Keep going, we’ll find momentum.”

Speaking in an interview filmed for the documentary, which is called ‘Together: Treble Winners’, Guardiola contrasted that message with the half-time team talk he gave his side during the 2021 Champions League final against Chelsea.

They had just fallen behind to Kai Havertz’s 42nd minute goal and went on to lose 1-0.

“Of course emotion is so important in the final,” Guardiola said. “The big personalities, the characters. How you approach the moment in half-time, how you overcome, how well you overcome if it’s not a perfect first half, because it’s happened.

“People are human beings, they have the desire to do well, to achieve it, win it, to lift it…

“I remember the final against Chelsea at half-time I was more aggressive with some players and it didn’t work…

“In the finals, there is not one player who doesn’t want to win it and do it well. And when that moment came by, OK guys, we have 45 minutes, maybe extra time, stick with what we have. I have to adjust something, we do it. Come on, let’s go.

“I control my emotions much better than when I was younger as a manager.”

The documentary also includes Kyle Walker’s now famous speech in the dressing room before kick-off. The England defender had been left out of Guardiola’s starting line-up for the match, and implored those taking the field to deliver for those on the sidelines.

“I love every single one of you,” said Walker, now City’s captain. “Come and make my dream come true. Please, I beg you. Right, come on boys.”

The six-episode documentary series charts City’s season from the moment of Erling Haaland’s medical ahead of his arrival from Borussia Dortmund through to their historic night in Istanbul and the celebrations that followed.

The issue of the 115 charges laid against the club by the Premier League in February 2023 for alleged breaches of financial rules are dealt with briefly, but without new material, using archive footage from Guardiola’s press conference at the time.

The lowest point of City’s season came in January, when they lost back-to-back games against Southampton and Manchester United.

The abject 2-0 Carabao Cup loss to the Saints was later seen as a turning point and Guardiola’s post-match team talk with his players is telling as he demanded an explanation from them for their poor display.

“Tell me,” he said. “Do you think it’s normal the way you performed? Something happens and everyone’s head is down. There is no one to do something. Do you think it’s normal, what we have done, for this club?

“Do you think it’s normal for the (fans) that travel, who don’t have money to pay for the heater at home and they travel, to come here, to follow us – do you think it’s normal to perform in this way?

“Wow. My team is not like that. We’ll be in trouble. I don’t accept that.”