Carlo Ancelotti and his Real Madrid players highlighted their frustration at the Ballon d'Or result on social media.
Vinicius Junior was a favourite to scoop football's biggest individual accolade on Monday.
However, reports emerged prior to the ceremony in Paris that the winger would not be winning the men's prize, with Manchester City midfielder Rodri taking it instead.
Madrid, who were named Team of the Year, did not send a single representative to the ceremony.
Ancelotti, meanwhile, won the inaugural Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy for leading Los Blancos to a LaLiga and Champions League double last season.
Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal and Kylian Mbappe all finished within the top six of the Ballon d'Or voting.
Ancelotti singled out Vinicius and Carvajal, who is now sidelined with a serious injury, for specific thanks.
"I want to thank my family, my president, my club, my players and above all Vini and Carvajal," the Italian wrote on social media.
In a statement to AFP and Spanish media, Madrid suggested if Vinicius had been overlooked, then it was not right for Carvajal, who scored in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund and also helped Spain win Euro 2024, should have won it instead.
"If the award criteria doesn't give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner," the Madrid statement read.
"As this was not the case, it is clear that [the] Ballon d'Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected."
Vinicius' team-mate Eduardo Camavinga also used social media to outline his frustration at the result.
"FOOTBALL POLITICS X. My brother, you are the best player in the world and no award can say otherwise. Love you my bro," the France international posted on X.
Marta, an icon of the women's game, also shared her sympathy with her compatriot.
"I waited all year for Vini to be deservedly recognised as the best player in the world and now they come to tell me that the Ballon d'Or is not for him?" she said in a video on Instagram.
Vinicius subsequently posted on social media, writing on X: "I will do it 10 times if I have to. They're not ready."
Asked what Vinicius meant with his post, his management staff told Reuters that he was referring to his fight against racism and that they believe it was what led to him not winning the award.
They added: "The football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system."
The 24-year-old has been subjected to racial abuse on several occasions in Spain, leading to at least two convictions for racist insults in pioneer cases in the country.
France Football, which organises the Ballon d'Or awards, was not immediately available for comment.
Devin Booker scored nine of his 33 points in the fourth quarter as the Phoenix Suns dealt the Los Angeles Lakers their first loss of the season with Monday's 109-105 comeback win.
Kevin Durant added 30 points, 18 of which came in the second half, to help Phoenix move to 3-1 despite trailing 83-76 after three quarters.
The Lakers had their three-game winning streak to start the season halted despite Anthony Davis' 29 points and 15 rebounds. Austin Reaves went 5 of 9 from 3-point range and scored 23 points for Los Angeles, while Rui Hachimura compiled 20 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
LeBron James had an off shooting night, however, as the Lakers' superstar went 3 of 14 from the field while finishing with 11 points and eight assists.
Phoenix opened the fourth quarter on a 10-1 run, highlighted by 3-pointers from reserves Ryan Dunn and Royce O'Neale, to take an 86-84 lead with nine minutes to go.
The lead traded hands several times down the stretch until Durant knocked down back-to-back jumpers to put the Suns up 105-101 with two minutes left.
Jokic's 40 points helps secure Nuggets' first win
Nikola Jokić put up 40 points and 10 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets got their first victory of 2024-25, a hard-earned 127-125 overtime decision over the Toronto Raptors.
The Nuggets appeared on the way towards an 0-3 start after trailing by 15 points in the third quarter, but battled back to force overtime on native Canadian Jamal Murray's layup off a Jokic feed that just beat the final buzzer to tie the game at 114-114.
Jokic then scored seven points during a 10-2 run to start the extra period as Denver built a 124-116 lead with under three minutes left.
Toronto responded with a 9-3 surge to get within 127-125 with time winding down, and had a chance to win at the end. RJ Barrett misfired on a late 3-point attempt, and the Raptors couldn't get two tip-in tries to go in as time expired.
Murray finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Aaron Gordon had 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Denver.
Scottie Barnes amassed 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for Toronto before leaving the game in the final minute of regulation after being elbowed in the eye by Jokic.
Barrett scored 20 points in his season debut. The Toronto native missed the season's first three games with a sprained right shoulder.
Pritchard's eight 3-pointers help Celtics get to 4-0
Payton Pritchard went 8 of 12 from 3-point range in a 28-point performance off the bench that helped the Boston Celtics move to 4-0 with a 119-108 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Pritchard was 10 of 14 from the field while ending one shy of a career-high for 3-pointers in a game. The defending NBA champions also received 30 points from Jaylen Brown and 21 from Jrue Holiday while pulling away in the second half.
Milwaukee lost its third straight game since a season-opening win at Philadelphia despite Damian Lillard's 33 points and seven assists and a 30-point, 10-rebound, six-assist effort out of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks were coming off a 115-102 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
The Bucks owned an 80-79 edge late in the third quarter before Boston closed out the period on a 11-2 surge, capped by a Pritchard trey at the buzzer, to enter the fourth up 90-82.
Boston then shot 62.5 per cent from the field in the fourth quarter to end any Milwaukee comeback hopes, with Brown recording nine points during the period and Holiday adding eight.
A record-tying feat by Freddie Freeman and a sharp pitching performance from Walker Buehler has the Los Angeles Dodgers one win away from a World Series sweep.
Freeman had a two-run homer in the first inning and Buehler threw five scoreless innings as the National League Champions took a 3-0 series lead on the New York Yankees with Monday's 4-2 victory.
The Dodgers can wrap up their second World Series title in five years and eighth in franchise history in Tuesday's Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. Only one team in MLB history has won a best-of-seven post-season series after losing the first three games - the Boston Red Sox against the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.
Shohei Ohtani, in the lineup despite injuring his left shoulder in Los Angeles' Game 2 win on Saturday, went 0 for 3 but did draw a walk off New York starter Clarke Schmidt to begin Monday's contest.
Two batters later, Freeman drilled Schmidt's pitch into the right-field seats to stake the Dodgers to a 2-0 lead. The first baseman has now homered in five consecutive World Series games, tying a record set by the Houston Astros' George Springer during the 2017 and 2019 editions.
Freeman also joined Hank Bauer (1958) and Barry Bonds (2002) as the only players to homer in each of the first three games of a single World Series. The All-Star slugger also went deep in Games 5 and 6 of the 2021 Fall Classic while then with the Atlanta Braves.
Buehler did not allow a hit until Giancarlo Stanton's double with one out in the fourth inning and yielded just two overall before departing with a 3-0 advantage.
The Dodgers got another run courtesy of a lead-off walk in the third inning. Tommy Edman drew the free pass from Schmidt before moving to second on Ohtani's groundout and crossing the plate on Mookie Betts' bloop single to right field.
Schmidt lasted just 2 2/3 innings and issued four walks while permitting three runs.
Los Angeles extended the margin to 4-0 in the sixth. Gavin Lux was hit by a pitch from New York reliever Jake Cousins and stole second before being brought home by Enrique Hernandez's single.
The Yankees did not get on the board until former Dodger Alex Verdugo's two-run homer off Michael Kopech in the ninth inning.
New York missed out on a chance to score following Stanton's double in the fourth, however, as the slugger was later thrown out at the plate by Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez on single off the bat of Anthony Volpe.
The Dodgers are expected to throw a bullpen game in Game 4, while the Yankees will send out 15-game winner Luis GIl in an attempt to extend the series.
Calvin Austin scored two touchdowns, including a tie-breaking 73-yard punt return in the third quarter, to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 26-18 victory over the New York Giants on Monday.
Austin also hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson that gave the Steelers a 23-9 lead with 13:16 left to play. Pittsburgh (6-2) also received 114 rushing yards from Najee Harris and four field goals from Chris Boswell to win its third straight game and retain first place in the AFC North.
Wilson, meanwhile, delivered another solid performance in his second start since missing the season's first six games with a calf injury. The veteran quarterback completed 20 of 28 passes for 278 yards and no interceptions.
Tyrone Tracy rushed for a career-high 145 yards on 20 carries and had a 45-yard touchdown run for the Giants, who had a chance to tie the game late after getting to the Pittsburgh 35-yard line in the final minute.
Daniel Jones overthrew a pass for Devin Singletary, however, as the Steelers' Beanie Bishop came up with an interception that sealed the victory and handed New York (2-6) a third straight loss.
Greg Joseph kicked four field goals for the Giants, including three in the first half to match Boswell as the teams went into half-time tied at 9-9.
Austin broke the deadlock, however, with 4:38 remaining in the third quarter. The wide receiver fielded a punt at his own 27-yard line, broke free down the left sideline and out-sprinted all pursuers to record the Steelers' first punt return touchdown since 2019.
Wilson's touchdown strike to Austin early in the fourth put Pittsburgh up by two scores, but Tracy broke off his lone touchdown run on the following possession to bring New York within 23-15 with 11:07 left. The Giants failed on the two-point conversion try, though, as Jones' short pass intended for Malik Nabers was broken up.
Jones finished 24 of 38 for 264 yards with the late interception. Darius Slayton led New York receivers with 108 yards on four catches, while Nabers had seven catches totaling 71 yards.
Aitana Bonmati said she is aiming to win more titles with Barcelona after scooping her second Ballon d'Or Feminin award on Monday.
Bonmati won the 2023 award after helping her club triumph in the Spanish top flight and Women's Champions League, along with leading Spain to their first Women's World Cup.
The Spaniard continued her fine form for club and country the following year, winning every possible trophy at club level last season as Barca secured a historic quadruple.
She was also part of the Spain side that followed up their World Cup success by winning the first edition of the Women's Nations League, scoring in the final against France.
Bonmati's success sees her follow club and international team-mate Alexia Putellas in winning back-to-back Ballons d'Or.
But having won 23 different trophies in her time with Barca's senior side, placing her eighth in the all-time ranking for most titles with the Spanish club, Bonmati still wants more.
"What are my dreams? I always say that what makes me be here and what makes the team win medals is our mindset," she said.
"As long as we continue to be ambitious and keep pushing and fighting, we will continue to win titles."
"I'm so proud to be a part of Barcelona - it's a unique and wonderful club," Bonmati added.
"I'm so thankful because the club has given me everything since I was 14, and I hope to keep winning titles for them."
It was also a memorable evening for Emma Hayes, who won the first Women's Johan Cruyff Trophy after her sensational year with Chelsea and the United States.
Hayes steered Chelsea to a fifth consecutive Women's Super League (WSL) title last season, ending her 12-year stint with the Blues on a high.
She then guided the USWNT to gold at the Paris Olympics, claiming the 17th major honour of her glittering career.
Hayes was not in attendance at the ceremony but recorded a video message, saying she was "embarrassed" about receiving the award.
"I just want to say I'm very honoured to be awarded the first Ballon d'Or for a coach in the women's game. Me and my family are very proud," Hayes said.
"I understand how challenging our work is. I feel a little embarrassed because we're in a team game.
"I've been so honoured to coach such incredible people at Chelsea and the United States."
Rodri is confident that Spain team-mate Lamine Yamal will win the Ballon d'Or in the future after claiming the prestigious award for the first time on Monday.
Rodri beat off competition from Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham to claim the accolade, becoming the first Spaniard to win the prize since 1960.
Yamal also picked up an award after a stellar year for club and country, winning the Kopa Trophy, which is given to the best to the best player under the age of 21.
The 17-year-old netted seven goals and added nine assists in his debut season with Barca, while also starring in Spain's European Championship success alongside Rodri.
Yamal was named the Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 after registering five goal involvements (one goal, four assists), including an assist in the final.
During his acceptance speech, Rodri made sure to acknowledge Spain's rising star, saying: "You will win one of these trophies one day my friend. "Keep working hard."
The Manchester City midfielder also became the first player to win football's most prestigious individual prize while playing for an English club since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
He played an integral role in City's fourth consecutive Premier League title triumph, with Pep Guardiola's side not tasting defeat in the 34 league games that Rodri featured in.
"A very special day, for me, my family and my country," Rodri said. "I'd like to tell you an anecdote the story that led me here.
"When I was 17-years-old, I packed up my suitcases and I went to Villarreal with a dream to work in the Premier League.
"One day I called my father crying telling him it was all over and that I had invested my life to get here and I had the feeling that, this was it.
"My father said we had come all the way here, let's keep going and this is something that changed my mindset and now, here I am.
"I am a normal boy who never gets carried away with stereotypes. Hard work is what matters."
The Spaniard is out of action for the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury against Arsenal back in September.
Rodri was helped up on stage by Didier Drogba to claim the accolade, with the midfielder having arrived at the ceremony on crutches, and provided an update on his recovery.
"I am just trying to take care of myself. Rest, enjoy the free time with my family and come back stronger," he says.
While many expected Vinicius Junior to be crowned the world's best player at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony, there was a late twist as Manchester City's Rodri took the prize.
The honour – considered the most prestigious individual gong in world football – comes after Rodri placed fifth in the voting for the 2023 edition, won by Lionel Messi.
Since 2022, voting for the award has been based off contenders' performances in the previous season, with Rodri rewarded for a 2023-24 campaign in which he led City to Premier League glory before shining in Spain's Euro 2024 triumph.
Here, we delve into the Opta data to see how the midfielder came to be recognised as the world's best player.
Season unbeaten
Rodri's importance to Pep Guardiola's all-conquering City side is well-established, but the 2023-24 campaign saw it made clear like never before.
City did not taste defeat in the 34 Premier League games in which Rodri featured, winning 27 and drawing seven. When Rodri was absent, they only won one of four matches, losing the other three.
The champions averaged 2.6 goals per game with Rodri involved compared to 1.5 without him, also conceding 0.9 times per outing with the Spaniard and 1.3 times without him.
They collected 2.6 points per game when Rodri featured, compared to 0.8 when he did not – that latter tally would equate to 30.4 over a full 38-game campaign, just more than 18th-placed Luton Town's tally of 26 from 2023-24.
Each of City's last four Premier League defeats have come when Rodri was absent, with the Spaniard now unbeaten in an incredible 52 top-flight appearances (42 wins, 10 draws) since a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in February 2023.
It is no wonder, then, that City were so devastated to lose him to the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in September's 2-2 draw with Arsenal, ending his 2024-25 season prematurely.
The driving force
Rodri has long been viewed as the glue holding City's talented midfield together, but 2023-24 felt like the moment when he stepped up to become a real matchwinner.
Having decided the 2023 Champions League final in City's favour with his goal against Inter, Rodri enjoyed the most prolific season of his career last term.
His eight league goals bettered his previous best of seven from 2021-22, while he also managed nine assists – also his highest in any campaign across Europe's top five leagues.
He finished with nine goals and 13 assists across all competitions. Just Erling Haaland (38), Phil Foden (27), Julian Alvarez (19) and Bernardo Silva (12) outscored him for City, while only Kevin De Bruyne (17) registered more assists. Not bad for a defensive midfielder.
Rodri also enhanced his reputation as a big-game player with several decisive strikes, from a vital equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea to a result-clinching drive against West Ham on the final day, as City edged out Arsenal for the title.
He also did his job in terms of keeping things ticking over, setting new Premier League records (from 2003-04 onwards) for successful passes (3,359) and successful passes in the opposition’s half (2,122) in a single season.
First for City, fourth for La Roja
Rodri's Ballon d'Or triumph is the first by any City player, with Erling Haaland notably missing out to Messi in 2023. It also ends a 16-year wait for a Premier League player to claim the prize, with Cristiano Ronaldo the last to do so while with Manchester United in 2008.
Having been named Player of the Tournament as Spain claimed a record-breaking fourth European crown at Euro 2024, Rodri also made his mark on the international stage.
He is the first Spanish player to win football's top individual honour since 1960, and just the third to do so overall.
Real Madrid icon Alfredo Di Stefano won the prize twice after switching allegiance from Argentina, in 1957 and 1959.
This year's award was also notable for the absence of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from the 30-man shortlist, and Rodri is just the third player from outside that duo to claim the trophy since 2008, alongside Luka Modric in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022.
He and Modric are the only non-attackers, meanwhile, to triumph since 2007, when Kaka edged out Ronaldo and Messi to be recognised as the world's best.
Manchester City's Rodri has won the Ballon d'Or after a sensational year for club and country, beating Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to the accolade.
Rodri becomes the first Spaniard to win the award since Barcelona's Luis Suarez back in 1960.
The 28-year-old was an integral part of Manchester City's unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title triumph, with Pep Guardiola's side not tasting defeat in the 34 league games that Rodri featured in, winning 27 and drawing seven.
He then kept up his winning habit over the summer as he helped Spain to glory at Euro 2024, and was named the Player of the Tournament, despite being forced off due to injury in the final.
Rodri is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he was forced to undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery, and was helped up on stage by Didier Drogba to claim the accolade, with the midfielder having arrived at the ceremony in Paris on crutches.
The Man City star is also the first player to win the Ballon d'Or while playing for an English club since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
Vinicius, who was tipped to win the award after netting 24 goals and adding 11 assists in all competitions last term, finished second, with Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham making up the top three.
Madrid do have a fair amount to celebrate, though.
Carlo Ancelotti was named the winner of the Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy for the best coach, having guided Los Blancos to last season's LaLiga title as well as the club's 15th Champions League triumph.
And Madrid were also picked out as the Men's Club of the Year.
However, there was no one present in Paris to claim the award, with Madrid representatives reportedly boycotting the event after Vinicius' snub for the Ballon d'Or.
Rodri's international colleague, Lamine Yamal, scooped the first award of the ceremony, winning the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best player under the age of 21.
Yamal is the first player aged under 18 to win the award. He scored seven goals and added nine assists in his debut season with Barcelona, and has continued his rapid rise after starring in La Roja's European Championship success.
Yamal already has 11 goal involvements (five goals, six assists) in LaLiga this term, a total only bettered by Barcelona team-mates Raphinha (12) and Robert Lewandowski (16).
The Gerd Muller Trophy was shared between Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.
The award, given to football's most prolific forward, was shared for the first time, with both Kane and Mbappe netting 52 goals in all competitions across 2023-24.
Kane enjoyed a fine debut year with Bayern Munich, though his wait for a first major trophy of his career continued, while Mbappe's final campaign with Paris Saint-Germain ended with two honours.
Emiliano Martinez picked up the Yashin Trophy for a second year running after his performances for Aston Villa and Argentina.
In the Premier League, Martinez kept nine clean sheets, helping Villa clinch qualification for the Champions League for the first time since the 1982-83 season.
He also played a key role in Argentina winning their 15th Copa America title with five shutouts in six games.
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati scooped the Ballon d'Or Feminin for a second successive year following more club and international success last season.
Bonmati fought off competition from Barcelona team-mates Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo as well as Lyon's Ada Hegerberg to win the prize.
The Spaniard enjoyed another stellar year, helping Barca to the Women's Champions League crown, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Lyon in the final.
She finished with the most goal involvements (11, six goals and five assists) in last season's competition.
Bonmati made 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring 19 goals from midfield and setting up 17 more.
She was also part of the Spain side that followed up their World Cup success by winning the first edition of the Women's Nations League, scoring in the final against France.
Her success sees her follow club and international team-mate Alexia Putellas in winning back-to-back Ballons d'Or.
Hansen finished as the runner-up, with Paralluelo coming third, making it a Barca top three in Paris.
The first Women's Johan Cruyff Trophy was won by former Chelsea boss and current United States head coach, Emma Hayes.
Hayes ended her 12-year stint with the Blues at the end of last season, and went out on the back of clinching her seventh Women's Super League title.
The 48-year-old then led the USWNT to glory in her first tournament in charge, with her side claiming gold at the Paris Olympics.
Spanish and European champions Barca, unsurprisingly, retained the Women's Club of the Year, having won the inaugural award in 2023.
Lewis Hamilton insisted that he had no doubts that Mercedes team-mate George Russell would race cleanly in their battle at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton finished the race in fourth, one place ahead of Russell, the seven-time world champion's best finish since winning the Belgian Grand Prix back in July.
The pair started fifth and sixth respectively, but swapped places on the opening lap, before Russell regained the initiative on Lap 14.
They each moved up a place through the pit stop phase, with Max Verstappen losing ground by serving two 10-second penalties, and Hamilton then closed in on Russell.
Hamilton shadowed Russell before eventually making the move stick into Turn 1 on Lap 65, climbing up into fourth position.
“It’s pretty straightforward, I don't think either of us are silly,” Hamilton said on his battle with his team-mate.
“George is really smart, and is fair, and he's just really good at where he places his car, and I think for me too.
"So when [the team] comes on the radio and says, keep it clean, it's like, ‘of course.’
"It's not really different to when you're fighting anyone else, except for it is your team mate, so you have to be double careful because you both want to finish.”
“It was fun, I had fun today,” Hamilton added. “I had a good start, I had a really bad first stint, took too much front wing out of the car, I had massive, massive understeer.
“After my stop, I was able to rectify it, and then after that I had a much better pace, and I was able to push and keep going.
"We stopped a little bit early as well, compared to what I had planned and stuff. We got good points.”
Hamilton will, however, hope to do better in Brazil this time around, having scored more points (185) than any other driver on the current grid around the Interlagos circuit.
Russell, meanwhile, ensured Mercedes claimed a double top-five finish and was happy with his finish after crashing in FP2 on Friday.
“I mean the pace looked pretty strong in the first stint but when I came out the pits behind Piastri, I pulled out down the straight and my front left flap just collapsed,” Russell said.
“I hit this bump so that probably cost me three or four tenths for the remainder of the race, so it was tricky to hold on for 40 laps. P5, probably would have taken that after Friday.”
Mario Balotelli has completed a sensational return to Serie A four years after leaving Brescia, joining Genoa on a free transfer.
Balotelli, who has 52 goals in 141 appearances in the Italian top-flight, has been without a club since the end of last season after departing Turkish Super Lig side Adana Demirspor.
The 34-year-old joins a struggling Genoa who currently sit in the bottom three in Serie A after managing just six points from their first nine games this term.
Alberto Gilardino's side have also scored just seven goals this season, with only bottom club Lecce (three) scoring fewer.
"I am pumped. I don’t want to talk much. I just want to get started," Balotelli said earlier on Monday. "I'll give it my all," he added, addressing the fans.
Genoa became the fourth Serie A side Balotelli has played for, having signed for Inter from Lumezzane in 2007, going on to win six major honours for the Nerazzurri.
After a three-year stint with Manchester City, where he won the Premier League, he returned to Italy for Inter's rivals Milan in 2013, rejoining them on loan in 2015 from Liverpool.
Balotelli has since had stays in France, Turkey and Switzerland, but is now hoping to help Genoa stay in Serie A.
And the Italian could make his debut for the club on Thursday, with Fiorentina the visitors to the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.
Bruno Fernandes led the tributes for departing Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag after his two-year stint at Old Trafford came to an end on Monday.
Ten Hag was relieved of his duties after Sunday's controversial 2-1 defeat to West Ham, leaving the Red Devils 14th in the Premier League table after nine games.
The 54-year-old was only rewarded a new contract ahead of the new campaign after leading United to an FA Cup triumph over rivals Manchester City - his second trophy in as many seasons after winning the EFL Cup the previous year.
Fernandes played a starring role in those successes, and was a key figure in Ten Hag's side.
The United captain played more games (120) in all competitions under Ten Hag than any other player, while only Marcus Rashford (42) scored more times during the Dutchman's tenure than Fernandes (29).
"Thanks for everything boss," Fernandes wrote on Instagram. "I appreciate the trust and the moments we share together. I wish you all the best in the future.
"Even knowing the last period hasn’t been great from all of us I hope you fans can keep with you the good things the manager has done for our club!"
Kobbie Mainoo also expressed his gratitude to his former boss, having been handed his senior United debut by Ten Hag in an EFL Cup tie against Charlton Athletic in January 2023.
“Thank you for your trust and belief in me and for giving me the opportunity to play with my boyhood club," Mainoo posted to Instagram. “I wish you all the best for the future”.
Alejandro Garnacho, another player given his first outing for the Red Devils by Ten Hag, also wished the Dutchman well in his next adventure.
"Thank you for everything, boss," Garnacho said. "I will always be grateful to you for giving me the opportunity and the confidence to play for this club.
"It hasn't gone as well as we wanted, but I will remember the good times we had together, and I wish you all the best in the future. Thank you very much Erik."
Ten Hag managed 128 games in all competitions during his time at Old Trafford, winning 72 (D20 L36).
Only David Moyes (32.4%) lost a higher percentage of his Premier League games as United manager than Ten Hag (31.8%).
United confirmed that Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge as interim head coach during the club's search for a permanent replacement.
Paulo Fonseca believes Milan's early-season rhythm has been disrupted following the late postponement of their Serie A fixture at Bologna last weekend.
The match, scheduled to take place at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Saturday, was postponed 24 hours before kick-off after heavy rain and flooding in the region.
After failing to win their first three league matches, Milan have since taken 12 points from their next five games, propelling them up the standings after a difficult start.
But with the Rossoneri not in action over the weekend, they dropped to eighth in the Serie A table ahead of facing leaders Napoli on Tuesday.
"It was tricky to manage this moment. On the eve of the game, we trained without knowing whether we’d play or not the following day," Fonseca said.
"We wanted to play, and I think we’ve been affected by not playing in this match."
Napoli come into the game on the back of a 1-0 triumph over Lecce, with Giovanni Di Lorenzo's 73rd minute strike sealing a seventh win of the campaign.
Antonio Conte's side are now unbeaten in their last eight league games, their best run since a run of eight straight wins in February 2023 under Luciano Spalletti.
They have also kept five clean sheets in their last six games, as many as in their previous 34 Serie A matches.
"As the table shows, Napoli are a strong team at a good moment. They are the table leaders and will be motivated to face us," Fonseca said.
"We are also motivated to play this match against a very strong team that has won games comfortably."
Milan, however, have won just one of their last nine meetings against Napoli whent he fixture has been played in the first half of a Serie A campaign (D2 L6).
Despite his side's league position after nine games so far, Fonseca believes Milan can win a 20th Scudetto title under his guidance.
"The fans must believe because we are a strong team and we are improving. We think we can fight for the Scudetto," he said.
The first managerial departure of the 2024-25 Premier League season has come, with Erik ten Hag leaving his role at Manchester United.
United's decision to dismiss Ten Hag came after the Red Devils slumped to a 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday, leaving them 14th in the table.
Elsewhere, Liverpool and Arsenal shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw, Manchester City downed Southampton, Chelsea beat Newcastle United and Brentford came out on top in a seven-goal thriller against Ipswich Town.
Late goals also ruled the roost this past weekend. There were five games to have a final result-altering goal scored in the 90th minute (or later) in the Premier League this weekend, the most across a single matchday in the competition's history.
But what do the underlying metrics tell us?
Unlucky losers: Fulham
Fulham took a point away from Goodison Park on Saturday, but Marco Silva thought his team deserved two more.
And it is fair to say Everton were largely second-best, with Beto's last-gasp equaliser sparring Sean Dyche's team.
Fulham, who took the lead through Alex Iwobi, registered 1.26 expected goals (xG) to Everton's 0.79 and had 14 shots to their hosts' 10. That being said, perhaps Silva's side only have themselves to blame - they converted only 7.14% of their shots and got only three attempts on target.
Lucky winners: Bournemouth
Evanilson's late header secured a 1-1 draw for Bournemouth at Aston Villa, and though the Cherries could point to some potential penalty decisions going against them, it is fair to say the metrics suggest they were fortunate to avoid defeat.
Only Southampton (0.21) mustered a lower xG than Bournemouth's 0.31 across the fixtures in the top flight this past weekend.
Villa, on the other hand, registered 1.81 xG - the fifth-highest total in the division across the games - while Mark Travers was exceptional in the Bournemouth goal.
He made seven saves to keep Villa at bay, bar Ross Barkley's opener. Indeed, Villa's 3.23 expected goals on target (xGoT) was more than any other team in matchweek nine, so Travers finished with a goals-prevented figure of 2.23.
Andoni Iraola's team certainly rode their luck.
Unlucky losers: Man Utd
Ten Hag's time is up, though the Dutchman was fuming about a contentious penalty decision that ultimately settled the match in West Ham's favour.
When discounting the xG from that penalty, West Ham finished with 2.21 xG - just less than United's 2.34.
United had 18 shots and five big chances (the second-most after Brentford across the weekend's matches), but failed to put those opportunities away, apart from Casemiro's close-range header.
The soft defence that plagued Ten Hag's tenure, though, ultimately came back to bite them yet again.
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