Juventus kept alive their hopes of silverware this season with a 2-0 first-leg win in their Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio.

Front two Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic scored in the early part of the second half to break open a previously underwhelming encounter at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.

The two sides also met in Serie A on Saturday, Lazio winning that game 1-0 with a stoppage-time goal from Adam Marusic, but Massimiliano Allegri’s side successfully turned the tables as he chases a record fifth Coppa Italia as coach to break a tie with Roberto Mancini and Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Lazio lost Mattia Zaccagni to injury just 10 minutes in after he was caught by Federico Gatti – and were grateful things did not get worse even before substitute Gustav Isaksen was able to enter the pitch.

Matias Vecino was harshly penalised after catching Andrea Cambiaso in his own area, the Juventus player leaping across him as he cleared the ball, but VAR overruled the penalty decision due to Cambiaso being offside when Vlahovic headed towards goal.

Isaksen saw one long-range effort blocked and another deflected behind by Danilo for a corner and Felipe Anderson ripped a 25-yard drive well over.

Cambiaso failed to control a deft return ball from Chiesa, costing Juve one of their few clear sights of goal in the first half, and they will be without defender Gatti for April 23’s return leg due to suspension after he was booked for a foul on Isaksen.

Luis Alberto headed Patric’s cross against the bar, with keeper Mattia Perin a touch uncertain under the looping ball, and Adrien Rabiot’s powerful 20-yard volley was straight at Christos Mandas in the Lazio goal as the half ended scoreless.

Nicolo Casale replaced Patric at half-time but the visitors soon fell behind when Manuel Locatelli did well to keep the ball alive and Cambiaso’s brilliant long pass cut the Lazio midfield and defence out of the game for Chiesa to finish clinically.

Locatelli blasted just wide after a rapid break, though a free-kick was given against Chiesa in any case, but Vlahovic soon made it 2-0 after turning Casale inside out.

Gatti headed just wide from Filip Kostic’s corner, conceded by Casale’s excellent tackle as Chiesa appealed in vain for a penalty, before Lazio boss Igor Tudor sought to change things with the introductions of Taty Castellanos and Daichi Kamada.

Juve substitutes Kenan Yildiz and Timothy Weah combined with Vlahovic to create a chance that was snuffed out by Mandas and Yildiz fired an ambitious effort well wide in the closing stages.

Rayan Ait-Nouri’s third goal in four games earned Wolves a 1-1 draw at relegation-battling Burnley.

Jacob Bruun Larsen volleyed in a fine goal for the hosts in the 37th minute but Ait-Nouri levelled deep into first-half stoppage time and Burnley’s late push for a winner came to nothing.

The Clarets extended their unbeaten run to four games but Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win over Fulham saw the gap to safety grow to six points with seven games left while Wolves remain in touch with the battle for European places.

Burnley were once again playing some encouraging stuff in the opening stages as Wilson Odobert found space between the lines and they launched a number of runs into the Wolves box but without finding a way to threaten Jose Sa’s goal.

Wolves’ threat came mostly on the break and when Nelson Semedo burst forward down the right he rolled the ball back for Ait-Nouri on the edge of the box but a poor touch from the Algerian allowed Vitinho to steal the ball away.

As Burnley fans in one block of the Jimmy McIlroy stand behind Aro Muric’s goal were being evacuated due to a strip of metal left hanging from the roof, Joao Gomes headed just wide of the target and towards the newly-emptied seats.

But Burnley were quickly back on the front foot and Lyle Foster slipped the ball for Vitinho to run at goal but his shot was too close to Sa.

However, the Portuguese goalkeeper could do nothing about Larsen’s strike as the on-loan Hoffenheim man met Dara O’Shea’s ball from deep on the volley to sweep it into the far corner.

Wolves’ 18-year-old striker Leon Chiwome, making only his second Premier League appearance, fired wide after a scramble in the area but the visitors did not have an effort on goal until equalising three minutes into stoppage time.

Burnley were upset by a soft free-kick decision against O’Shea, then failed to deal with the consequences as Pablo Sarabia’s cross was headed in by Ait-Nouri, with the goal surviving a VAR check.

Ait-Nouri might have had a second eight minutes into the second half when he latched on to a fine ball from Matt Doherty and beat Maxime Esteve to go clean through on goal but Muric stood firm to block the Algerian’s strike.

Burnley responded with one of their best moves of the game.

Foster laid the ball off for the advancing Vitinho on the right and he pulled the ball back for Josh Cullen in front of goal but Sa repelled the midfielder’s low shot.

Odobert then tested the goalkeeper with a powerful shot when a loose ball fell to him in the area.

Matheus Cunha came off the bench to make his first Wolves appearance since mid-February following a hamstring injury while Vincent Kompany sent on Jay Rodriguez as Burnley tried to find a winner.

The veteran striker did have the ball in the net in the 87th minute but the flag was up for offside and the points were shared.

Substitute Justin Kluivert bagged a late winner as Bournemouth beat shot-shy Crystal Palace 1-0 to claim a third straight win and fourth in five matches.

The game was played in torrential rain and swirling winds, which made it difficult for either side to get the ball down and play.

Palace deployed former Bournemouth midfielder Jefferson Lerma as an emergency central defender to deputise for the injured Chris Richards and the Colombian made a desperate last-ditch tackle in the 10th minute to deny Philip Billing a clean run on goal after neat interplay between the Dane and Dominic Solanke.

Jean-Phillipe Mateta then found himself in the right place at the right time to nod the ball over his own crossbar after Dango Ouattara had flicked a corner towards the Palace net.

The visitors’ first sight of goal came five minutes later when Mateta shot straight into the arms of Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto after Will Hughes had dispossessed Alex Scott on the edge of his own penalty area.

Billing guided a left-foot shot narrowly wide after linking up with Ouattara before an off-balance Jordan Ayew could only pick out Neto’s gloves after being teed up by the lively Eberechi Eze.

It took until nine minutes before half-time for Eagles goalkeeper Dean Henderson to be properly tested as he flung himself down to his left to turn away Billing’s long-range free-kick.

A minute later Henderson made an even better save to acrobatically tip Billing’s powerful header from Adam Smith’s cross over the bar.

The resulting corner found Lloyd Kelly unmarked at the far post but the defender could only head wide from close range.

Palace thought they had taken the lead in first-half stoppage time when Eze fired home at the far post via a deflection but their celebrations were cut short after a VAR review deemed Mateta was just offside in the build-up to the goal.

Bournemouth, watched from the stand by American owner Bill Foley, brought on Antoine Semenyo for Scott at half-time before introducing Milos Kerkez and Kluivert early in the second half.

Within seconds of his arrival left-back Kerkez forced a sprawling save from Henderson before Solanke, who was largely starved of service, lashed the rebound into the side-netting from a tight angle.

Palace’s stubborn resistance was finally broken in the 79th minute when Semenyo got the better of David Ozoh down the right wing before cutting the ball back for fellow substitute Kluivert to rifle home from 12 yards.

Semenyo could have doubled Bournemouth’s lead moments later but his angled drive from the corner of the six-yard box was well saved by Henderson with his legs.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin came off the bench to deny Newcastle victory but could not spare Everton an unwanted record of 13 Premier League games without victory.

The England international converted an 87th-minute penalty – his first goal since October – to cancel out Alexander Isak’s first-half opener and secure a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park as the Magpies were made to pay for missed chances.

Dan Burn had seen a second-half strike ruled out for offside after a VAR review and both sides were denied by the woodwork and ultimately neither got what they really needed.

Having lost Tino Livramento, Jamaal Lascelles and Miguel Almiron to injury and Anthony Gordon to suspension, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe was forced to make changes.

Loan signing Lewis Hall was handed just a second league start as he, Emil Krafth, Elliot Anderson and Saturday’s match-winner Harvey Barnes were drafted in.

An Everton side bolstered by the inclusion of Vitaly Mykolenko, Idrissa Gueye, Ashley Young and Beto found itself under early pressure and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had to make a vital block from Barnes with less than two minutes gone.

Gueye smashed a left-foot shot over after Dwight McNeil had expertly controlled Pickford’s long ball and squared, and James Tarkowski powered a header just too high from a McNeil free-kick as the Toffees responded.

However, it was the Magpies who took the lead with 15 minutes gone when Barnes lifted the ball over the top for Isak, who cut inside Jarrad Branthwaite and evaded the covering Tarkowski before drilling a low shot past the helpless Pickford.

Jacob Murphy blasted a 28th-minute drive just over as the Everton defence retreated in front of him, but Beto sliced an attempt horribly wide and Abdoulaye Doucoure curled a 43rd-minute shot into Martin Dubravka’s waiting arms at the other end.

Pickford blocked Murphy’s volley with his legs after Hall had floated a cross beyond the far post and Isak blasted just too high in stoppage time as Newcastle headed in at the break in control but knowing there was work still to be done.

Tarkowski was relieved to see his attempted clearance from a Murphy corner come back off the frame of his own goal, and the Magpies thought they had extended their lead with 58 minutes gone when Isak turned Murphy’s quickly-taken free-kick across goal and Burn fired home, but a VAR check ruled that the Sweden international had been offside.

The visitors came desperately close to an equaliser with 66 minutes gone when substitute James Garner turned smartly and fired beyond Dubravka only to see his effort come back off the foot of a post.

Mykolenko headed Isak’s goal-bound shot off the line and Barnes blazed across the face of goal in quick succession and although Dubravka palmed away Young’s well-struck shot, Pickford had to save from Bruno Guimaraes seconds later.

However, the Toffees were handed a way back into the game with just three minutes remaining when referee Tony Harrington was advised to review substitute Paul Dummett’s clumsy challenge on Young and Calvert-Lewin duly obliged from the spot.

Morgan Gibbs-White inspired Nottingham Forest to a vital 3-1 victory over Fulham which eased their Premier League relegation concerns.

Gibbs-White put in a virtuoso display in a golden first half which saw Forest cruise into a 3-0 lead.

After setting up Callum Hudson-Odoi’s opener, he watched as Chris Wood made it 2-0 before completing the scoring with a fine finish on the stroke of half-time.

That sublime opening 45 minutes laid the foundations for just a second league win of 2024 for Forest and the first since they were deducted four points for breaking the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules last month.

That opened up a three-point gap over Luton, who occupy 18th position and visit title-chasing Arsenal on Wednesday night.

Forest had to endure a nervy time as Tosin Adarabioyo’s header gave Fulham a lifeline and the visitors spent most of the second half knocking on the door.

The Cottagers needed a late comeback to earn a point at bottom-placed Sheffield United on Saturday but they could not repeat the feat here as they paid the price for a shambolic opening half-hour.

Forest made a flying start by going ahead in the ninth minute.

A fine turn from Gibbs-White created space for himself and he set Hudson-Odoi away with an audacious outside-of-the-boot pass.

The former Chelsea winger did the rest, advancing into the penalty area before cutting inside and firing into the bottom corner.

Gibbs-White was in the mood and he almost laid on a second for Hudson-Odoi with another fine piece of skill, making a fool out of Tosin, but his team-mate could not finish as Bernd Leno came out well to block.

Leno will not want to see replays of the moment Forest did double their lead in the 19th minute.

Wood received the ball with his back to goal 25 yards out, turned and seeing Leno take several steps to his left, planted a shot into the opposite corner, which was totally unguarded.

The hosts were electric and should have been 3-0 up soon after but Anthony Elanga clipped the post after a one-two with the vibrant Gibbs-White.

Fulham boss Marco Silva had seen enough and made a triple substitution after 33 minutes.

Alex Iwobi, Sasa Lukic and Harry Wilson were hauled off for Tom Cairney, Adama Traore and Willian, but the changes did not stem the tide.

Forest capped off a golden 45 minutes with another brilliant goal in first half added time as Gibbs-White played a one-two with Danilo and slotted home into the bottom corner.

What a difference 15 minutes can make as Fulham came out after the break and immediately gave themselves hope.

Tosin climbed highest from Andreas Pereira’s corner and glanced a looping header into the far post.

Willian and Cairney both had shots blocked as the visitors continued to push, but Forest came within inches of killing the game as Neco Williams cut inside and saw a deflected effort crash off the crossbar.

They needed that to go in as Fulham continued to push with Tosin denied by a fine save from Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels, with Kenny Tete heading the resulting corner against the crossbar.

Willian was a whisker away with a curling effort and Traore thundered a shot into the post, but Forest held on for a seismic victory.

Manchester United defenders Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof have been ruled out of action for at least a month with muscle injuries.

Lindelof, 29, came off with a hamstring problem during Saturday’s Premier League match against Brentford and was replaced by Argentinian centre-back Martinez.

However, the club said on Tuesday night the latter has now sustained a calf strain in training and will miss United’s next few games, starting with Thursday’s league match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

United have struggled with injuries during a largely underwhelming campaign.

Martinez, fellow defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw and summer signing Mason Mount are among the other players to spend chunks of the season on the sidelines.

England midfielder Grace Clinton is excited to “hit the ground running” as the Lionesses start their European Championship qualifying campaign this week.

The defending European champions kick off against Sweden at Wembley on Friday before facing Republic of Ireland in Dublin four days later.

England then play France at St James’ Park in May and Tottenham loanee Clinton believes the side will need to be on “top form”.

“It was drawn right after the last camp, it’s a really competitive group but that’s always going to happen when you’re in such an amazing tournament,” Clinton told a press conference.

“I think we’re all really excited to get started to be honest and hit the ground running.

“(Sweden are) another team that has amazing depth and are a really strong side, they’re very physical and quite direct, score goals. So we’re going to have to be on top form if we want to get a result against a team like that.”

Clinton has two senior England caps under her belt already having made her debut in two friendlies in Spain, which included a debut goal in the Lionesses’ 7-2 victory over Austria.

After impressing in Spain, the 21-year-old will be aiming for more minutes in this month’s qualifiers and believes she has gained more confidence since making her senior bow.

She said: “It brings so much more confidence, in the lead up to getting your first cap you’re always going to be very nervous and now that you’ve been out with the girls on the pitch and really gone in the deep end it just feels a lot more natural when you’re in training.

“You have far more confidence to express yourself each time.”

Captain Leah Williamson is aiming to make her international comeback in the upcoming matches.

A post on the official Lionesses X account confirmed the defender was following an “individualised session” on Tuesday and Clinton is looking forward to seeing Williamson back on the pitch.

“It’s my first camp with Leah back in and she’s one of the best in the sport isn’t she? So it’s amazing to have her back,” she said.

“Obviously she’s getting integrated slowly and we’re only a couple of days in, so it’ll be really nice to get her back with the team on the pitch.”

Gian Piero Gasperini is relishing the fact Atalanta have a packed schedule heading into the final months of the season as his side chase success in three competitions.

La Dea can reach the Coppa Italia final with victory over Fiorentina in the semi-finals, while Champions League qualification is within their capabilities as the top four in Serie A is only seven points away, and only Liverpool stand between them and making progress in the Europa League later this month.

First up is Wednesday’s away leg of a Coppa semi match-up which head coach Gasperini is “thrilled” to be involved in.

He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Going into the end of the season with three goals to chase is really exciting.

“I’m expecting a balanced match, we’ll need to be very focused and trust each other. It’s a thrill to be able to experience this time and I’m very happy to have such a united and high-quality team at my disposal.

“The Coppa Italia is our most realistic target because I never really thought we could compete for the Scudetto with teams that are now chasing about 90 or 100 points. The cup, however, is possible. It’s the fourth semi we’ve reached since I’ve been here.”

Unfortunately for Gasperini, he will observe the match at the Stadio Artemio Franchi from the stands as he serves a touchline ban.

He joked: “It’s a shame, but at least I’ll have a better view.”

Wednesday’s hosts Fiorentina are still in a period of mourning following the death of their general manager Joe Barone last month.

Boss Vincenzo Italiano, who is keen to dismiss speculation suggesting he will leave the Florence club at the end of the season, wants to “throw all the passion” expressed by supporters to the late Barone into their cup tie.

“The future of Fiorentina is far more important than any individual, whether it’s me or the players,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“We have to throw all the passion, love and determination that Barone showed us during these years and put those elements into our performances for the rest of the season.

“I am not trying to avoid answering (questions about his future), but I insist we must try to concentrate on these remaining 13 matches this season and keep everyone focused.

“This sort of talk does not help anyone, in my view, it can actually make us lose our concentration.”

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane believes his body has been “damaged” due to effects of continually heading the ball.

Varane says that he advises his seven-year-old son not to head the ball when he plays.

The 30-year-old also revealed that he finished a World Cup last-16 game for France against Nigeria in 2014 on “autopilot” after suffering concussion.

“Personally, I don’t know if I’ll live to be 100, but I do know that I’ve damaged my body,” Varane told L’Equipe.

“The dangers of headers need to be taught on all amateur football pitches and to young people.

“My seven-year-old son plays football, and I advise him not to head the ball. For me, that’s essential.

“Even if it doesn’t cause any immediate trauma, we know that in the long term, repeated shocks can have harmful effects.”

Speaking about the Nigeria match, Varane added: “I finished the match, but I was in autopilot mode. The staff wondered if I was fit (to play in France’s quarter-final against Germany). I was weakened, but ultimately I played and rather well.

“What we’ll never know is what would have happened if I had taken another knock to the head.

“As footballers playing at the highest level, we are used to pain, we are a bit like soldiers, tough guys, symbols of physical strength, but these symptoms are almost invisible.

“If your leg hurts and you limp, everyone sees it. But with head injuries, it immediately feels weak to say that you are tired, that you have migraines or eye fatigue, so at first, we tell ourselves that it will pass.”

Football lawmakers the International Football Association Board (IFAB) announced law changes in March that include an option for competitions to introduce additional permanent concussion substitutions – something which has been trialled in the Premier League since the 2020-21 season.

But calls from leagues and players’ unions for temporary subs to allow for head injury assessments were not taken up.

Manchester United have made an official approach to hire Southampton director of football Jason Wilcox as part of their off-field overhaul following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at the former England winger and the current state of affairs.

What is Wilcox’s background?

He joined Blackburn in 1987 at the age of 16 following a trial, broke into the first team two years later and remained at Ewood Park for the next decade, making 238 appearances. He was a key player in Rovers’ 1995 Premier League title-winning side. Wilcox left for Leeds in 1999 and helped the Yorkshire club reach UEFA Cup and Champions League semi-finals in consecutive seasons before a spell with Leicester and then finishing his career at Blackpool aged 35.

What has he been up to in recent years?

Wilcox took up an academy coaching role with Manchester City in 2012, guiding the under-18s to the national title as well as two FA Youth Cup finals, and was appointed academy director in October 2017. It was announced in January 2023 that he would move to Saints in the summer to oversee all football departments.

Why is he in demand?

Wilcox developed a reputation for nurturing young talent in the blue half of Manchester, as well as recruiting some of the best prospects in the game. He is understood to have a good relationship with incoming United chief executive Omar Berrada from their time together at City and has been targeted to be the next piece of United’s off-field jigsaw puzzle. Ineos recently took charge of football operations at Old Trafford as part of the deal that saw Ratcliffe become minority owner, and United are looking for a resolution to hire Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth, who has been placed on garden leave.

What will it take to get the deal done?

The Red Devils have offered compensation commensurate to a year’s salary, but Southampton want a bigger package. United want Wilcox in place for the summer and are hoping for an amicable outcome. A report emerged during Southampton’s match against Ipswich on Monday evening that Wilcox had resigned, which would mean him serving a 12-month notice period before he could take up a new role.

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso expects a “big challenge” as his side prepare to face second-tier Fortuna Dusseldorf in the DFB-Pokal semi-final.

The 42-year-old, who won the DFB-Pokal with Bayern Munich as a player in 2016, is now looking to do the same as a manager, with his team also top of the Bundesliga and into the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

And Alonso insists Leverkusen will not be looking to take their foot off the gas on Tuesday as they aim to lift the trophy for just the second time.

“It’ll be a big challenge tomorrow,” he told his club’s official website. “We’re definitely not going to take the game easy.

“Being in the final is the greatest thing for a footballer. For the club as well, it would be something we haven’t had too often. That’s why we want to take this final step tomorrow.

“It’ll be very intense. They’ve very flexible, can play with possession but can also be compact and look to counter. They’ll come here very excited, but same with us.”

Leverkusen are yet to be beaten in the league this term and a comeback victory over Hoffenheim mixed with Bayern Munich’s defeat to Dortmund at the weekend leaves them 13 points in front at the top of the table.

“We need the support of our fans tomorrow to take this big chance,” he added. “We can feel their excitement. It’s in the air.

“The fans want to go to Berlin, and so do we. We’ll give our all for that tomorrow.

“The cup final in Berlin is special. I have fond memories of it. The atmosphere is really special, almost comparable with a Champions League final. The players want that and we all want to experience it.”

Leverkusen will be boosted by the return of Exequiel Palacios and Victor Boniface.

Alonso said: “It’s a super situation. Everyone except Arthur is in.

“Boni has trained very hard and has proven a strong mentality to come back. He can hardly wait to be back on the pitch.”

Luis Enrique has urged his Paris St Germain team to “give something extra” and secure their place in the Coupe de France final.

PSG’s recent form has seen them move 12 points clear of second-placed Brest in Ligue 1 and could see them advance in another competition on Wednesday if they can overcome Rennes.

And Enrique believes the Parisians are in a “perfect” moment after the weekend’s 2-0 victory at Marseille.

“After eight months, we’re at the perfect moment,” he said.

“We need to give something extra to play in a Coupe de France final. It’s motivating and attractive to feel that with the players. It’s time to get that extra bit of motivation.”

PSG are looking to win the Coupe de France for the first time since 2021.

Enrique highlighted the prospect of a cup final as a key motivation for him and his players going into the tie at Parc des Princes.

“It’s a great motivator because of the competition, but also because of the proximity of the final,” Enrique added.

“One more step and we’ll be in the final. It’s a very powerful incentive and it’s more than enough for us to see a very good version of our team.

“It could be positive, it’s a 90-minute match, with no extra-time. That means it could be like a UEFA Champions League return leg, when you’re playing for qualification.

“But we’ve been ready to play important matches since the start of the season. We did it in the UEFA Champions League group matches and in Marseille.”

The Spanish manager revealed Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes have recently returned from injury but admitted he does not like taking risks when bringing players back.

He said: “As a staff, we make decisions. Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes have already recovered. Recovering for training is one thing, taking part in a match is another. We don’t like taking risks, and I don’t take risks with any player, even if it’s tempting with important players.”

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.”

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.”