Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Champions League Drama
Real Madrid bbc.com launched an investigation after a supporter allegedly performed a Nazi salute before their Champions League win against Benfica. The incident overshadowed Real Madrid's bbc.com 2-1 victory that secured their place in the last, with Aurelien Tchouameni saying the win was "for everyone who stands against racism." Atletico Madrid bbc.com progressed to the Round of 16 after Alexander Sorloth's hat-trick in a 4-1 win against Club Brugge, becoming only the second player in the club's history to net three in a Champions League match. PSG bbc.com avoided a late scare against 10-man Monaco, holding on despite Jordan Teze's goal after Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored in quick succession. Newcastle bbc.com swept aside Qarabag 3-2 to progress to the Round of, while Bayer Leverkusen bbc.com advanced after a 0-0 draw against Olympiakos secured a 2-0 aggregate victory.
Atalanta skysports.com scraped through with a thrilling last-gasp turnaround to make the Champions League last, described as becoming the "darlings of Italian football" after salvaging national pride. Galatasaray bbc.com scored twice in extra time to oust 10-man Juventus 7-5 on aggregate, despite Lloyd Kelly's red card. Bodo/Glimt bbc.com made their way to the Champions League last, defeating giants like Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan along the way. Arsenal espn.com target Gabriel Magalhães is being eyed by Real Madrid, while Chelsea remain keen on Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.
Player News & Transfers
Manchester United's skysports.com super sub Benjamin Sesko is banging on the door for his first start under Michael Carrick after scoring three decisive goals in his last four games. Barcelona's espn.com Frenkie de Jong is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury in training. Chelsea's bbc.com 20-year-old defender Mamadou Sarr is pushing for a first Premier League start when they face Arsenal after a rapid rise under Liam Rosenior. Cristiano Ronaldo espn.com has acquired a 25% ownership stake in Spanish second division club UD Almeria, while Denis Bouanga espn.com signed a multiyear contract extension with LAFC.
Chelsea bbc.com recorded a pre-tax loss of £355m for 2024-25 - the highest loss ever made by an English football club - according to financial figures released by Uefa. Michail Antonio bbc.com is set to sign a short-term deal with Qatari club Al-Sailiya before his return to club football following a near-fatal car crash. Manchester United goalkeeper bbc.com Senne Lammens says he is "just a normal guy" but his reputation is growing in an impressive debut season at Old Trafford.
Domestic Leagues & Competitions
Motherwell manager bbc.com Jens Berthel Askou says talk of his side being in the race to win the Scottish Premiership is "irrelevant," though questions remain about whether they could win the league. Wrexham bbc.com manager Phil Parkinson has urged his players to "appreciate" the challenge of their Championship play-off push as the regular season edges towards the crucial run-in. Brentford bbc.com head coach Keith Andrews signed a new contract with the club running until 2032.
Premier League bbc.com fans of the six wealthiest clubs are paying an average of £74 per ticket for each match they attend, while ticket revenues are soaring according to a new report. The "clock is ticking" for the Premier League and EFL to end their financial impasse, says the chair of the Independent Football Regulator. The Premier League bbc.com will launch its first direct-to-customer streaming service in Singapore next season and is looking to see how it could be "replicated all around the world."
International Football
Sam Kerr espn.com faces what feels like a career-defining moment with the 2026 Women's Asian Cup approaching, with an air of finality surrounding the Australian icon's preparation for a home tournament. England's skysports.com Mimi Rhodes sits two shots behind early leader Auston Kim after the opening round of the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore. Scotland fans espn.com have been given the all-clear to wear their sporrans at the team's matches at this summer's World Cup.
Conor Benn skysports.com will fight Regis Prograis on the undercard of Tyson Fury's April 11 bout with Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fabio Wardley skysports.com criticised the prospect of Oleksandr Usyk fighting elite kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, calling him "not a genuine" challenge. Chantelle Cameron's skysports.com promoters say they "would love" for the Brit to be Katie Taylor's opponent in the legendary Irish fighter's final professional contest later this year.
Women's Football
Olivia Smith espn.com has withdrawn from Canada's She Believes Cup squad after sustaining a concussion on Sunday, Arsenal have confirmed. Wales international bbc.com Hannah Cain says the mental health of female players can be affected by "really ugly" social media abuse. As the Asian Cup gets under way, BBC Sport assesses its impact on Women's Super League sides. Manchester United midfielder bbc.com Jess Park has been in brilliant form since her move in the summer - but can she take that into England's upcoming matches?
Other Developments
Inter Miami head coach espn.com Javier Mascherano confirmed he'll use the friendly against Independiente del Valle on Thursday night as an opportunity to give all players some minutes on the field. Red Bull espn.com backed former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp to remain the drinks giant's head of global soccer and dismissed a media report that his job could be under threat after barely a year. La Liga espn.com wants to resurrect plans to stage a regular-season game in the United States.
The Premier League espn.com announced it was charging Man City for breaching the rules in February 2023. City have denied the charges, and the hearings ended in December 2024. What is taking so long? The handling of the Man City case has "damaged" the Premier League, says Javier Tebas. Gary Rowett bbc.com says he has not had to clear the air with Leicester's hierarchy about criticism he aimed their way just weeks before his appointment.
Bad Bunny espn.com donned Pelé's '66 World Cup jacket as a tribute to the late Brazilian legend, also including a lyric change in the song "Monaco" to reference "scoring a goal after Pelé and Maradona." Real Madrid condemned a fan for an alleged Nazi salute, while Javier Tebas bbc.com criticised the Premier League's handling of the Man City case as damaging to the league's reputation.