New Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring happiness back to Stamford Bridge and is aiming to win in style.
The Argentinian took up his new post at the start of July and heads to west London at a turbulent time for the club.
The Blues finished 12th in the Premier League last season, playing under four different managers who all struggled to integrate almost £600million of new signings into the team.
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Former Tottenham boss Pochettino has now been tasked with bringing about an upturn in form and results and is ready for the challenge that lies ahead.
“I know very well that Chelsea is one of the greatest clubs in the world,” he said in an interview with his new club released on social media.
“Of course, it was easy for us (Pochettino and his backroom staff) to take the decision to move here.
“I think it’s exciting for us and of course what we want is to bring the happiness again to this great football club, working hard, playing in the way that the fans can enjoy football.”
Pochettino has yet to win silverware as a manager in England but did lift the Ligue 1 title as Paris St Germain coach in 2022 before being sacked weeks later.
“The history of Chelsea is to win,” the 51-year-old said.
“But it’s important also in the way that we are going to build up the victories – I think in the last 10, 12, 15 years Chelsea is the greatest team in England.
“I know very well the Premier League, I know very well what Chelsea means, the culture of Chelsea.
“Our fans, they’re so excited also to again be on the road of trying to win and of course, for us we feel really excited about working with a very young team.”
It has already been another summer of change on the pitch for Chelsea, who have signed forwards Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku to add to Pochettino’s firepower.
They have also moved on a host of talent with the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kai Havertz and Ruben Loftus-Cheek departing and Mason Mount on the cusp of joining Manchester United.
Head coach of Trinidad & Tobago’s Soca Warriors, Angus Eve, has described his team as “going through a rebuilding stage” after bowing out of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the USA on Sunday.
The Trinidadians secured a comfortable 4-0 win over St. Kitts and Nevis in their first game of the group stage before suffering a crushing 1-4 defeat to Jamaica then ending their campaign with a 0-6 hammering at the hands of the defending champions and hosts.
Eve, in a post-match press conference, acknowledged a gap in skill between his players and those on the teams they lost to before explaining how that gap can be closed.
“We need to have our players being exposed at the highest level and consistently play football at a high level,” he said.
“Most of the guys don’t get the exposure on the outside and consistently play at a high level, because you have to remember that our league just returned after three years. The CFU used to have competitions. You can see that St. Kitts are in the same boat as us receiving a number of goals,” he added.
Eve also criticized the fitness level of his players, noting that getting the players fit is a job for their clubs rather than the national team.
“A national team coach can’t get the players fit when they come here. They have to come from their clubs with that fitness so your job is now to put them in a formation that will get them to play well.”
“A lot of times, as you can see, we were lacking fitness,” Eve added.
Despite all this, Eve did say he sees progress in some areas, specifically in the standard of the tournament.
“The tournament is improving all the time. We were here in 2021 and we are progressing. When you look at the French-Caribbean teams, they can bring in players who are playing in France and plug those holes,” he said.
Goalkeeper Jon McCracken said “it feels great” after joining Dundee from Norwich on a season-long loan deal.
The 23-year-old began his career at Hamilton before joining the Canaries in 2016.
McCracken, who has had loan spells at League of Ireland side Bohemians and more recently Stevenage, was recruited by Dundee boss Tony Docherty and the former Scotland under-17 keeper told the club’s official website: “It feels great, there has been a bit of interest for a while now, so I’m glad to get it done and to be here.
“I spoke to the gaffer quite a few times over the last couple of weeks and once I spoke to him my mind was pretty much made up on where I wanted to go and it was just a matter of getting the green light from Norwich to come up.
“The gaffer said ‘you’ll come in and fight for your jersey’ and that was my mind made up. I am hoping for a successful season for me personally and the club.
“I am aiming to get as many games as I can and hopefully help Dundee to get as many clean sheets as possible.”
McCracken trained with his new team-mates on Monday morning and will travel with the Dundee squad to their training camp in Ireland.
Docherty said: “We are delighted to have him in the building, he is an extremely talented young goalkeeper from Norwich who they rate very highly.
“He now just needs to get to that next stage in his career in terms of his development, so we are delighted to have him on board.
“He’s a big character, a great personality and from what we’ve heard and seen of him we are very impressed.
“He’ll be coming to Ireland with us to integrate with the boys. I’ve said to Jon he’s in a fight for the jersey and that number one spot and that’s what I want all over the squad that competition, because that healthy level of competition keeps everyone on their toes and improves the standard.”
RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol has expressed an interest in joining Manchester City, the German club’s sporting director has revealed.
Max Eberl has told a German newspaper that the Croatia international has informed the Bundesliga outfit of his desire to move and that “talks” are ongoing.
There is no indication City have officially submitted a bid for the player and the treble winners have not commented on Eberl’s claims.
Eberl told Leipziger Volksnachrichten: “Josko and his advisers have submitted the wish to us for a transfer to Manchester City.
“We are in talks with Manchester. There is nothing more to say about it at this moment.”
Gvardiol, 21, has long been linked with City and caught the eye when he scored against them in the Champions League last season.
Leipzig reportedly value Gvardiol at around £86million (100million euros) but are under little pressure to sell as the player is contracted until 2027.
The club have already sold one key player this summer, with Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai moving to Liverpool for £60million at the weekend.
City have already made one new signing, with £30million midfielder Mateo Kovacic arriving from Chelsea.
Former Republic of Ireland international Steven Reid has returned to Nottingham Forest as first-team coach a year after leaving for a new challenge.
Reid, 42, left Steve Cooper’s staff 12 months ago after playing his part in the club’s return to the Premier League to become a specialist coach offering support to players around mental well-being, confidence and leadership.
However, the former Millwall, Blackburn, West Brom and Burnley midfielder has now rejoined Forest, where he served briefly as interim manager following Chris Hughton’s departure in September 2021.
Reid told the club’s official website: “It is a club that has stayed close to my heart for many reasons, firstly because of the amazing journey to promotion, but also because of the support I felt from within the club and the amazing fanbase when stepping away from football to do some work around mental health and well-being.
“I have remained close to Steve and many of the coaching staff and players and cannot wait to get going again.”
Cooper added: “I’m delighted that Reidy is returning to the club. He had a massive impact in our Championship promotion-winning season, but he also has experience of working and playing in the Premier League and knows what it demands.”
Robbie Deas is hoping to fulfil his Scotland dreams following his move to Kilmarnock .
The 21-year-old defender joined Killie from Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle on a two-year deal after considering several options.
Deas, who came through the youth ranks at Celtic, has represented Scotland at Under-17, U19 and U21 levels and is hoping to take the next step while at Rugby Park.
He said: “A dream of mine is to represent my country. Kilmarnock gives me a great platform to do well and you never know.
“I was lucky enough to play Under-17s and Under-19s and I had one friendly with the 21s.
“There’s no better feeling than playing for your country, you play against the best of other players from other countries and that’s what you want to do. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do.
“I was lucky enough and when I did, I felt privileged to put on the strip. It was exciting. I just want the taste of it.
“Growing up I’ve always gone to watch the national team so that’s what I want to do.
“You look at (Killie) players of the past who have played for the national team, like Greg Taylor who is now at Celtic, Eamonn Brophy played for Scotland.
“There is a platform here. The gaffer has an exciting thing going here and I am delighted to be part of it.”
After earlier spells in his career on loan at Cowdenbeath and Alloa Athletic, Deas, who played against Celtic in the Scottish Cup final last season where Caley lost 3-1, feels the time is “right” to be taking the step up into the top flight of Scottish football.
He said: “I feel like I’ve done the right pathway. I feel a lot of boys probably frown upon going out on loan at a young age.
“I was lucky enough to do it. I think I’ve got the right education.
“There is only so much you can learn at youth football, especially at Celtic where you dominate most youth games whereas you go to Cowdenbeath which is proper men’s football which I was needing as a centre-half.
“I loved my time at Cowdenbeath, I was there as an 18-year-old and I learned so much and then made the step up to Alloa and then same again to Inverness.
“I have had three great years at the club and I feel more than ready now to play in the Premiership, step up and make myself known.
“I see the vision the gaffer has got and that is what I want to be part of. It is exciting times at the club.”
In a thrilling CONCACAF Gold Cup match between Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, the Reggae Boyz secured a resounding 5-0 victory, with defender Di'Shon Bernard shining brightly on the field.
In addition to his solid defensive play, the young former Manchester United centre-back scored his first-ever goal for the national team, leaving the coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, heaping praise upon the promising talent.
"I think he will get maybe more recognized in the upcoming years. This one is helping him a lot in that," Coach Hallgrimsson said, acknowledging the potential that Bernard possesses.
During the match, Bernard's skills stood out, and his versatility surprised the coaching staff.
"In that area, you can see his physical strength is good, his speed is good. Aerially, he's very strong. But I haven't seen this attacking skill like he showed in the opponents today," the coach noted with admiration.
"I asked him, 'Have you ever done that before?' He replied, 'Yeah, coach, yeah, coach,' after the game. So now he is a young player, still has some things to learn, and he's going to grow for sure."
Bernard's performance on the pitch has been impressive, especially considering his relatively recent addition to the national squad. He, along with fellow newcomers (Demarai) Gray and (Joel) Latibeaudiere, has quickly integrated into the team, understanding their roles and responsibilities seamlessly.
"I give him a lot of credit. He's new to the squad, but he has done really well since he came in. Like I said before, you give someone a chance, and he takes it," Coach Hallgrimsson added, expressing his delight with the player's dedication and skill.
Bernard's impactful performance has left the coaching staff with a pleasant dilemma of deciding on the starting lineup for future matches. "That is pleasing for coaches when players put you in a spot now, I mean in a dilemma, who I will pick for the next game. So really good," the coach admitted.
An own goal from St Kitts goalkeeper Julani Archibald, Corey Burke, Daniel Johnson and Corey Burke completed the scoring for Jamaica who finished on seven points for second place in Group A. The Reggae Boyz advanced to the quarter-final round of the Gold Cup.
Brighton have signed Netherlands Under-21 goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht, the Premier League club have announced.
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract at the Amex Stadium.
Verbruggen was named player of the season at Anderlecht last term despite only breaking into the first team in December.
He helped the club reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League and made his debut for the Dutch Under-21 side last month. He also earned a senior call-up in March.
Seagulls head coach Roberto De Zerbi said: “I am very pleased to have signed Bart.
“He is used to playing a type of football similar to ours and he will have no problem fitting into our group.
“He has the potential to become a very important player for the club in the coming years.”
Verbruggen began his career with hometown club NAC Breda and has also represented his country at Under-18 level.
Brighton have signed Netherlands Under-21 goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht, the Premier League club have announced.
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract at the Amex Stadium.
Verbruggen was named player of the season at Anderlecht last term despite only breaking into the first team in December.
He helped the club reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League and made his debut for the Dutch Under-21 side last month. He also earned a senior call-up in March.
Seagulls head coach Roberto De Zerbi said: “I am very pleased to have signed Bart.
“He is used to playing a type of football similar to ours and he will have no problem fitting into our group.
“He has the potential to become a very important player for the club in the coming years.”
Verbruggen began his career with hometown club NAC Breda and has also represented his country at Under-18 level.
Billy Dodds was more than pleased to confirm that striker Billy Mckay has signed a new two-year deal with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Across his three spells with the Championship club, Mckay has played 246 games and has scored 100 goals and is just one goal away from equalling Dennis Wyness’ club goalscoring record.
The 34-year-old had been linked with fellow Championship side Ayr United but has decided to stay in the Highlands.
Head coach Dodds told the club’s official website: “We’re delighted that Billy has extended his stay with the club.
“Billy is a key player for us, he was our top scorer last season and is an ultimate professional.”
“While he had offers from a number of clubs, some of whom were competitors in the Championship, the club had worked hard to make sure that Billy helps get us back into the Premiership and stays where he belongs, here at Caledonian Stadium.”
The Northern Ireland international joined Inverness initially from Northampton in 2011.
During his first spell at the club, he scored 62 goals in 141 games before joining Wigan in January, 2015.
McKay returned to Caley Thistle for a brief loan spell in January 2017 then returned to the club for third time in the summer of 2021 on a permanent basis.
Newcastle have completed their swoop for AC Milan star Sandro Tonali as they gear up for a return to Champions League football.
The 23-year-old Italy midfielder has signed for an undisclosed fee – understood to be in excess of £50million – on an initial deal which will keep him at St James’ Park until 2028.
Tonali, who has 14 senior caps, has captained his country at the European Under-21s Championship in Georgia and Romania in recent weeks and the announcement of his signing came a day after the Italians exited the competition.
The former Brescia player said: “First of all, I want to thank Newcastle United because they are giving me a huge opportunity for my career.
“I want to repay the trust on the pitch, giving it my all, as I always have. I’m really excited about playing at St James Park, I can’t wait to feel the warmth of the fans.”
Tonali is the kind of marquee signing Magpies head coach Eddie Howe has been targeting since guiding the club to a top-four Premier League finish last season to end a two-decade exile from Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
Howe has signalled his intention to recruit quality rather than quantity this summer while remaining within the bounds of the spending limits under which a club which had invested more than £250million in the first three transfer windows under its new Saudi-backed owners must operate.
He has acknowledged the difficulty of competing on the domestic and European fronts next season and knows a repetition of a remarkable league campaign will be made all the tougher by the demands of rubbing shoulders with the continent’s big boys once again.
However, landing a player of Tonali’s stature is an indication of the direction Newcastle hope to take and the 45-year-old was delighted to have got his man.
Howe said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sandro to Newcastle United. He is an exceptional talent and has the mentality, physicality and technical attributes to be a great fit for us.
“At 23, Sandro already has important experience as a key player in one of Europe’s top leagues and in the Champions League, as well as playing for his country.
“But he also has the opportunity and potential to grow and evolve with us, and I’m excited to add him to our squad as we approach the exciting season ahead.”
Tonali began his career at Brescia, where he helped the club win promotion to Serie A, and moved to Milan during the summer of 2020, initially on a season-long loan deal.
He leaves with 130 appearances to his name in the Italian top flight and having played in all 12 of the Rossoneri’s Champions League fixtures last season as they made it to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by arch-rivals Inter.
Roy Hodgson is to remain as Crystal Palace manager for the new season at the age of 76.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the five men to manage in the Premier League after turning 70.
Roy Hodgson
76 years, three days (on the date of Palace’s first game of the new season)
Hodgson’s extended stay means he will take charge of the clash with Sheffield United three days after his 76th birthday. Remarkably he has had three separate spells in the top flight since turning 70, keeping Palace safe from relegation in 2020-21 and again last season, but failing to achieve the same feat with Watford in between times.
His 47-year managerial career has taken in a total of 17 clubs in six countries, including four in Sweden, as well as the national teams of England, Switzerland, Finland and the United Arab Emirates.
Sir Bobby Robson
71 years, 192 days
Robson was 66 when he was appointed manager of his beloved Newcastle in 1999 and spent almost five years in the role, guiding the Magpies to back-to-back Champions League qualifications and a UEFA Cup semi-final.
His managerial career started over 30 years earlier with Fulham, enjoying long spells with Ipswich and England as well as managing overseas with PSV Eindhoven twice, Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona.
Sir Alex Ferguson
71 years, 139 days
The great Manchester United manager stepped down in 2013 after the last of his record 13 Premier League titles, and his 1,500th game in charge.
His tenure began in 1986, pre-dating the Premier League era by six years, and followed three Scottish titles and a European Cup Winners’ Cup with Aberdeen and almost a year in charge of Scotland. Old Trafford’s north stand was named the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand in 2011.
Neil Warnock
70 years, 162 days
Still managing in the Championship with Huddersfield, Warnock joined the select group of septuagenarian Premier League bosses after taking Cardiff up in 2018 – the eighth promotion of a managerial career that now stretches to 37 years.
He also managed his boyhood club Sheffield United, QPR and Palace in the Premier League and 14 different clubs in all, with his 1,618 games and counting in English professional football breaking the record previously held by ex-Crewe manager Dario Gradi.
Claudio Ranieri
70 years, 93 days
Ranieri memorably took Leicester from relegation favourites, having narrowly survived under predecessor Nigel Pearson, to the 2015-16 league title.
He was sacked the following season and unsuccessful spells at Fulham and Watford followed, with both teams relegated and Ranieri lasting less than four months in each stop. His 14 games in charge of the Hornets saw him past his 70th birthday – before he was replaced by a then 74-year-old Hodgson in January 2022.
Roy Hodgson has targeted a top-half Premier League finish after being appointed Crystal Palace manager for the 2023-24 season.
Hodgson, who will celebrate his 76th birthday on August 9, returned to Selhurst Park in March following the departure of Patrick Vieira.
Palace were involved in a relegation battle at the time, but the former England manager guided the Eagles to an 11th place finish.
“I am immensely pleased and proud to be extending my time at Crystal Palace, and I would like to thank the chairman and sporting director for their continued faith in me,” Hodgson told the official club website.
“I know what a fantastic squad we have here. It’s a great blend of youth and potential, alongside experienced players with Premier League and international pedigree.
“I have spoken with the chairman at length and we agreed that we must be ambitious in getting the most out of such talent.
“As such, we have set ourselves the target of a top-half finish, which we believe is eminently achievable with such a fabulous group of players and the most magnificent supporters who get behind the team, week in, week out.”
Palace chairman Steve Parish said: “Roy’s record as manager speaks for itself.
“His return earlier this year along with Ray Lewington and assisted ably by Paddy McCarthy produced a fantastic return both in results and producing some stylish performances, helping us climb the table and get international recognition for our players.
“Appointing Roy for another season will enable him and the squad to hit the ground running for a full pre-season and continue the magnificent momentum that has built up since his return.”
Croydon-born Hodgson took charge of his boyhood club between 2017 and 2021 and has overseen 172 Palace games from the dugout, more than at any other club.
As well as being England boss between 2012 and 2016, Hodgson has managed Switzerland and Finland. He also counts Fulham, Liverpool and Inter Milan among the clubs he has been in charge of during his 47-year managerial career.
Odin Thiago Holm could not wait to get away from Valerenga when the chance to join Celtic came along.
The 20-year-old midfielder became the Parkhead club’s first recruit of the 2023/24 season and the new Brendan Rodgers era last month when he signed a five-year deal.
The Norwegian had no hesitation when the opportunity to move to the Hoops arose.
He told CelticTV: “I didn’t really think, I just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
“It’s Champions League, you play to win every game, it’s a big club.
“It feels really nice, it’s a really big club.
“I don’t think people in Norway understand how big the club is, because Valerenga is a club from the capital with 10,000 for each game and here we have 60,000 so it’s a really big step.”
Holm, who has played for Norway at youth level up to under-20s, revealed his first meeting with new boss Rodgers was in Majorca during his holiday and he was suitably impressed – and now looks to impress the Celtic support.
He said: “I was on vacation in Majorca and I actually met him there in his house, so he seems like a very kind, humble guy with man-management and was easy to talk to and was open, so that was nice.
“His CV is very nice and he’s managed Celtic before – Liverpool, Swansea, Leicester – so you get a bit star-struck at first, but I’m looking forward to working with the manager.
“I think I’m a creative player that likes a bit of freedom to play on my instincts with the final pass, scoring goals, assists. I like to play as number eight or number 10 offensively.
“It’s not going to be easy. I want to perform and be part of the first XI after some time.
“I’m really excited to start and play for the fans.”
Jesus Ferreira notched another hat trick as the United States topped Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday night in their Group A finale, securing a first-place finish in the group and a spot in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals.
Ferreira is the first player to score hat tricks in two different Gold Cup games in the same tournament and is also the first U.S. player to score hat tricks in back-to-back games.
The U.S. opened the scoring in the 14th minute. US defender DeJuan Jones pushed forward from his left back position and found midfielder Cristian Roldan near the edge of the area.
Roldan’s attempted a cross that fell back into Jones’ path, and he crossed for Ferreira. Ferreira took one touch and hit the ball past Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Marvin Phillip on the half-volley.
The defending champions doubled their lead in the 38th minute when Djordje Mihailovic set up Alejandro Zendejas to cross. Ferreira’s first shot was deflected by Phillip, but Ferreira put a shot back on goal that was deflected and went over the line.
Ferreira then completed his hat trick right before halftime with a penalty conversion and a 3-0 lead.
Trinidad and Tobago thought it had its opener after the hour mark, when Shannon Gomez thumped a shot from distance but saw his effort bounce off the post.
Instead, it was the U.S. adding a fourth next. Cade Cowell ran onto a wayward pass from a Trinidad and Tobago player and was one-on-one with Phillip.
After shifting past the goalkeeper with a cut back to his right foot in the box, Cowell finished for his first career Gold Cup goal.
It was 5-0 in the 79th minute when DeAndre Yedlin combined with Julian Gressel, whose pass found Gianluca Busio, who scored with a right-footed shot for his first-ever goal for the United States.
The final goal came in stoppage time, with Brandon Vazquez scoring off the bench, running onto a pass into the box from Cowell and finishing the move.
With the result and Jamaica’s 5-0 victory over St Kitts and Nevis, the USA finishes first in Group A and moves to the quarterfinals awaiting the runner-up of Group D.
Trinidad and Tobago turns its attention to Concacaf Nations League League A play, which begins in September.
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