Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Scottish Premiership
Former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson bbc.com believes the Scottish Premiership title race will "go to the wire" but remains "confident" of an Old Firm derby victory over Celtic. Hearts head coach Derek Mc Innes skysports.com has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson is "rooting for" his side to win the Scottish Premiership title. Celtic bbc.com were unsuccessful in their appeal against Auston Trusty's red card, while St Mirren's Richard King had his weekend dismissal overturned.
Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts bbc.com will be without defender Stuart Findlay for six weeks, with record signing Eduardo Ageu missing the rest of the season through injury. Celtic bbc.com want VAR use "reviewed" after Trusty's red card appeal failed, while the club faces interest from Premier League clubs for top scorer Benjamin Nygren.
Champions League Drama
Bodo/Glimt espn.com dumped out last year's finalists Inter Milan with a 2-1 home win, knocking them out 5-2 on aggregate in what's being labeled one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history. Alexander Sørloth espn.com scored a hat trick as Atlético Madrid secured their place in the last 16 with a 4-1 second-leg playoff win against Club Brugge. Johnny Cardoso espn.com said he had a "perfect" night after scoring in Atlético's victory.
Newcastle bbc.com will relish whoever they face in the Champions League last 16 after progressing via the playoffs, with Jacob Murphy saying the club's message is to "bring it on" to Chelsea and Barcelona. Italian clubs bbc.com are on the brink of a historic Champions League embarrassment, with none making the last 16 looking increasingly likely.
Premier League & EFL
West Brom skysports.com have sacked Eric Ramsay just 44 days after appointing him as head coach. Manchester United bbc.com ruled out signing Victor Osimhen "because of Afcon" according to former coach Benni Mc Carthy, who said the Africa Cup of Nations proved to be "a big stumbling block."
Chelsea and West Ham bbc.com were fined £325,000 and £300,000 respectively for a "mass confrontation" between players in their January match. Former Chelsea captain John Terry bbc.com says he is "frustrated" at being overlooked for a caretaker role following Enzo Maresca's departure.
Wrexham espn.com continued their push for a fourth successive promotion as they held on for a hard-fought 2-1 win over Portsmouth in the Sky Bet Championship. Dundee United and Aberdeen skysports.com had to settle for a share of the spoils after a grim Scottish Premiership game with few chances.
International & Player News
Philippe Coutinho espn.com is considering the prospect of a move to MLS or retiring from playing at the age of, sources have told ESPN. Weston Mc Kennie espn.com is on the verge of signing a new contract with Juventus, sources have told ESPN.
FIFA espn.com are monitoring the situation in Mexico but have "full confidence" the country can host World Cup games amid recent unrest and violence. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre espn.com said his federation promised everyone will be safe at a friendly against Iceland in Queretaro this Wednesday amid recent security concerns.
Scotland fans bbc.com secured FIFA approval to wear sporrans at the World Cup, with thousands expected to travel to the US for Scotland's first appearance in the tournament since 1998. US government officials bbc.com were warned that there could be "catastrophic" security consequences if World Cup host cities do not receive frozen funding.
Women's Football
England captain Leah Williamson skysports.com suggested players would be willing to go on strike if their concerns over player welfare and playing schedules aren't addressed. The Lionesses bbc.com will host Ukraine in their Women's World Cup qualifier at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in June.
Caroline Weir bbc.com is "more determined than ever" to reach a World Cup after being installed as Melissa Andreatta's captain. The Scottish Women's Premier League skysports.com post-split fixtures have been released as clubs battle for the title and to avoid relegation.
Other Football News
Multi-club ownership group co-founder Victoire Cogevina Reynal bbc.com has left Mercury13 five months after taking over Bristol City Women. A consortium seeking to buy Sheffield Wednesday skysports.com says it has withdrawn from the process.
Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin espn.com has called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to visit Ukraine and witness the destruction caused by war. The flow of Brazilian players to Shakhtar Donetsk espn.com hasn't stopped since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.
MLS espn.com has hired a search firm to lead the recruitment drive for a potential successor to league commissioner Don Garber, whose contract expires at the end of 2027. The Vancouver Whitecaps espn.com have signed reigning MLS Defender of the Year Tristan Blackmon to a contract extension through the 2029-30 season, sources tell ESPN.