Manchester United boss Marc Skinner believes clinching a first Champions League berth would give his club unprecedented sway when it comes to summer recruitment.
United owner Avram Glazer was in attendance at Wembley on Sunday to watch the women’s side in their first FA Cup final against Chelsea and a determined performance might have inspired him to break out the chequebook despite a 1-0 loss.
Women’s Super League leaders United still have a crack at the title and would seal a European spot by avoiding defeat against fourth-placed Manchester City on Sunday.
“We’re in a growing phase,” Skinner said. “We are growing and we are investing, but the experience that Chelsea have, the investment they’ve put in over years and years and years is a factor as to why they win.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that, but I feel that we are bridging gaps even as we don’t spend their type of budget, but I think we’re bridging gaps and I think we can show a sustainable way of doing it, but we need to keep getting the best players, and we need to keep being in the pool for the best players.
“The last two games will go a long way to helping us do that if we can get into the Champions League. This is the club that you want to come to if you’re a top talent. This is a club that’s going places, and if you’re out there and you want to come into here I’m sure you can get my number pretty quickly.”
The current iteration of United’s women’s side was launched five years ago and earned promotion to the top flight at the end of their debut season in 2018-19.
In contrast, opponents Chelsea – who won a third straight FA Cup and fifth in nine years – have been affiliated with the wider Chelsea Football Club since 2004.
Boss Emma Hayes has enjoyed such a long and fruitful spell at Stamford Bridge since her 2012 appointment that Frank Lampard is the 11th different men’s manager to have served during her tenure.
During that time, she has led Chelsea to a dynastic five FA Cups and the same number of Women’s Super League titles alongside becoming a mum and award-winning pundit.
She said: “When I sit at home alone and think about the work we do every day and the sacrifices we all make, I know I’ve given my life to it. My little boy probably wants to see a bit more of me because I can’t manage more than this and that.
“But what I know is that in elite performance you can’t have work-life balance. It doesn’t exist. So all I know is no matter what, I’ve given everything I can to the team, to the club, to put us in a place that I’m still a f***ing kid in Camden that has had an absolute ride of a time.”
Wales promotion 'hasn't sunk in' for Bellamy after 4-1 Iceland win
Wales secured promotion to League A after beating Iceland 4-1 at home in their final Nations League group match, having gone a goal down early on.
Their victory, alongside a 3-1 defeat for Turkiye away to Montenegro, means that Craig Bellamy's side topped their group by a point.
"The feeling hasn't quite sunk in yet, but it's been a real positive camp Whatever the result of this game, it's just been a positive camp," said Bellamy after the match.
"The targets we set right from the start, I feel we've been able to achieve."
Wales started the day knowing they needed to win and for results to go their way to top the group, but went a goal down after seven minutes after Andri Gudjohnsen followed up from a Danny Ward save.
It was the first goal Wales had conceded at home in 321 minutes and the first time they had been behind under Bellamy, but they responded well. The hosts managed to control the rest of the half, with Lewis Cullen scoring twice in the final 15 minutes of the first period.
The determination of his team to stick to the plan was something that pleased Bellamy immensely.
"There were one or two tests today that I feel we've been able to progress [through]. If they had happened one or two games ago, we might not have been able to.
"Where we're at, you go 1-0 down in the first few minutes and you get a performance like that.
"Then after that, when the crowd get a little bit edgy and try to force things for us... No, no. We keep the ball because we believe that's going to benefit us, and the players were able to do that."
In the second half, Wales were able to dominate and bagged goals from Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson to make things more comfortable.
"I thought we took control of the tempo of the game and we're a good team if we're able to do that," said Bellamy.
On promotion itself, the Wales manager could not overstate the importance of being able to mix with the biggest teams in international football in Europe.
"For where we want to be and where we want to go, it's huge. It's so important for us," he said.
Serie A side Genoa confirm sacking of head coach Gilardino
Serie A side Genoa have confirmed the departure of their head coach Alberto Gilardino, with Patrick Vieira reportedly on his way in.
Gilardino, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, leaves the club with them sitting just one point above the relegation size with 10 points from 12 matches this season.
A former striker who played for clubs including Genoa, Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina, Gilardino took charge of Genoa in 2022 and helped them earn promotion to the top division before a 11th-place finish during the 2023-24 season.
"The club thanks Gilardino for the goals achieved together over the years and wishes him the best for his career," Genoa said in a statement.
The 42-year-old saw his side salvage a late 1-1 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como in their last match before the international break.
Genoa were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the second round following a defeat to Sampdoria on penalties in September.
Arsenal legend Vieira is set to replace him, according to multiple reports.
The former France midfielder has been out of work since leaving Strasbourg by mutual consent in July.
Doncic backs Mbappe to turn fortunes around at Real Madrid
NBA superstar Luka Doncic has backed Kylian Mbappe to "figure it out" after his underwhelming start to life at Real Madrid.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 16 games for Madrid in all competitions since joining as a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
He has gone four matches without a goal – a run that includes losses to Barcelona and Milan – and has been left out of France's latest squad.
However, Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic – a Real Madrid supporter due to his previous ties with the sports club – can see Mbappe turning things around.
"Obviously [their season] could be better," Doncic told Managing Madrid after the Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
"But when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it. We'll figure it out."
Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Madrid but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.
The forward is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes for PSG in his last of seven seasons in Paris.
Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 last time out in the league to return to winning ways but still trail leaders Barcelona by six points.
Asked about his connections with Madrid, former Los Blancos basketball player Doncic said: "I follow Real Madrid every time.
"I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it's a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home.
"I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now [in Dallas]. I always appreciate that 100%."
Madrid return to action after the international break with a trip to Leganes on Sunday.
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