Sports news

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has revealed how he plans to end his playing career.

The France World Cup winner has been playing senior football on a consistent basis since he was 17, making his debut for boyhood club Lens all the way back in 2010.

After just one season in Lens’ senior setup, Varane was snapped up by Real Madrid. He went on to make 336 appearances for Los Blancos, helping them to three La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions Leagues, four FIFA Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups and one Copa del Rey.

He brought down the curtain on a 10-year stay in the Spanish capital and signed for United in the summer of 2021, and after a tough debut season in the Premier League, has now rediscovered his best form under the guidance of Erik ten Hag.

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In an interview with GQ France, Varane – who doesn’t turn 30 until next month – opened up on how he plans to finish his playing career.

“I will finish my career either in Madrid, or in Manchester, or in Lens,” he said. “It is sure that I will not join another club. But Madrid, it seems complicated to me, we don’t usually come back to it. The most likely [option as of] today is that I finish in Manchester or Lens.

“The closer you get to 30, the more you think about it. Since I was seven years old I have been playing football so inevitably there is a little apprehension, but no fear. Like every major decision in life, it requires careful thought and it will be done step by step. From experience, we will tend to trust him to make the right decisions.”

Varane suggested in his interview that it would be difficult to return to Real Madrid.

Los Blancos are not known as a club that bring players back on sentiment, nor do they re-sign them unless they were still at the peak of their powers – they twice declined the chance to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo as he engineered an exit from United.

Though Varane is not necessarily on the decline, it would be hard for a player with so many miles on his body to return to his peak form and convince Real Madrid he is worth buying for a second time.

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On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders and Rob Blanchette discuss why Harry Kane would be a better signing for Man Utd than Napoli marksman Victor Osimhen. If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!

US men’s national team interim manager Anthony Hudson will lead the American side in their first competitive match since crashing out of the World Cup. Regardless of the outside buzz about dual nationals and parent/coach controversy, the USMNT move forward as they take on Grenada as a part of their CONCACAF Nations League schedule.

Naturally, the Stars and Stripes are the favorite to win, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be difficult for Hudson’s side.

“Look, I would say these games are complicated,” Hudson told the media. “They’re very, very tricky games, because we have, as we all know, just come out of the World Cup. We have a really, really talented squad coming from playing at very, very high levels, all around the world, playing in Europe.”

Hudson also spoke about the difficulties of playing away from home, particularly in the humid climates of Caribbean countries. 

“And then you come – and I mean this respectfully – you come to certain places in the region, and it’s just different. Different conditions, different stadiums, different fans, so they become very, very complicated games because they’re not games like you’re used to. But the bottom line is this: We have to win.”

Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic emphasized the complications that come with the climate, but opted for a slightly more positive outlook on playing in Grenada.

“We were able to go and see the stadium. And I must say it’s quite a beautiful place. The setting was very nice, the drive to the stadium was beautiful, and hopefully it’ll be a nice atmosphere for the match tomorrow,” he said.

“It might not be a World Cup game, but we know how challenging these matches can be at times, because of the conditions and everything. But all in all, excited to be here in a nice place and yeah, a good challenge for us.”

Fans can watch the USMNT national team in action again as they take on Grenada on March 25th.

Arsenal and Liverpool have prevailed in respective battles with rivals Tottenham and Everton ahead of their WSL clashes over Women’s Football Weekend.

The Gunners travel to Spurs on Saturday afternoon, while the Reds make the short trip to Goodison Park on Friday night.

Prior to Women’s Football Weekend, fans of the north London and Merseyside clubs were able to compete to turn their cities red or blue.

Liverpool’s Katie Stengel or Everton’s Gabby George were projected onto Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, while Arsenal’s Rafaelle Souza or Tottenham’s Bethany England appeared at Brent Cross.

Fans at these venues were able to choose the colour, team and player projected at the touch of a button, with both ending in red to signal victory for Arsenal and Liverpool.

Stengel said: “Seeing your face on a huge projection like this really represents the incredible growth of the women’s game and the support that is growing for the clubs in the Barclays Women’s Super League. This weekend is an opportunity for new fans of women’s football across the country to really see what the women’s game is about, starting here on Merseyside. This derby game will be full of passion, a high stakes game and we need our fans to get behind us and get your tickets, so we can ensure that at the final whistle, Merseyside remains red!”

Discussing such a huge weekend in the women’s football calendar, England said: “Women’s Football Weekend is such an incredible opportunity for fans to come and witness the passion and the rivalries developing in the women’s game. So, if you’ve never been to a women’s game, or watched women’s football on the TV, there really has never been a better time to fall in love with it. So get down to Brisbane Road on Saturday and show your pride.”

Everton vs Liverpool and Tottenham vs Arsenal are available to watch on Sky Sports to UK viewers this weekend.

New York City FC have finally announced the long-awaiting signing of PSV midfielder Richard Ledezma on loan.

He joins through the end of the 2023 Major League Soccer season. In order for the deal to go through, NYCFC had to acquire his rights from Real Salt Lake as the Western Conference team held Ledezma’s player rights after developing him in their academy.

This transaction saw NYCFC send a 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick and up to $100K in General Allocation money to secure the loan. 

“We are delighted to have acquired Richy on a loan deal through the end of the season,” said NYCFC sporting director David Lee.

“Richy is an extremely talented player with excellent technical qualities which suit our methodology, and will play an important role across several positions in our midfield. Richy has also gained experience playing in Europe during the past years and will be an important addition to our group.”

Ledezma’s arrival will be key for NYCFC this year as they play throughout multiple competitions. His ability to read space and technical qualities will not only enhance an already talented NYCFC midfield but also give head coach Nick Cushing more attacking options.

“I am really excited to be joining New York City Football Club,” Ledezma said.

“It’s a Club that has had success the past couple of seasons and have developed many great players. I look forward to working hard every day to continue my development and reach the level I know I am capable of.”

The 21-year-old also talked about how he’ll use his experience from European football to help propel NYCFC forward as the season progresses. 

“I will use the experience I have gained overseas to help this Club compete for every trophy available. I look forward to meeting my teammates and the coaching staff and I can’t wait to play in front of the New York faithful and give them a reason to cheer this season.”

NYCFC continue their MLS campaign this weekend as they take on the Houston Dynamo. 

Everton have been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League regarding a supposed breach of their financial fair play (FFP) rules.

The Toffees are alleged to have broken Premier League regulations by making a losses of beyond £105m over a three year period.

This breach is said to have occurred during the 2021/22 season and was reported at the time by Burnley and Leeds, who were fighting Everton in the battle against relegation. The Clarets were ultimately unable to beat the drop.

“In accordance with Premier League Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today referred an alleged breach of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules by Everton Football Club to a commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4,” the Premier League said in a statement.

“The assessment period for which it is alleged that the club is in breach is the period ending season 2021/22.

“Commissions are independent of the Premier League and member clubs. The members of the Commission will be appointed by the independent Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel, in accordance with Premier League Rules W.19, W.20 and W.26.

“The proceedings before the commission will, in accordance with Premier League Rule W.82, be confidential and heard in private.

“Under Premier League Rule W.82.2, the commission’s final award will be published on the Premier League’s website. The League will be making no further comment until that time.”

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In a statement of their own, Everton said: “Everton Football Club is disappointed to hear of the Premier League’s decision to refer an allegation of a breach of Profit & Sustainability regulations to an independent commission for review.

“The club strongly contests the allegation of non-compliance and together with its independent team of experts is entirely confident that it remains compliant with all financial rules and regulations.

“Everton is prepared to robustly defend its position to the commission. The club has, over several years, provided information to the Premier League in an open and transparent manner and has consciously chosen to act with the utmost good faith at all times.

“The club will not be making any further comment at this time.”

If Everton are found to have been in breach of Premier League regulations, they could receive a hefty fine or a points deduction.

Should a conclusion to the case come before the end of this season, then Everton may be deducted points from their 2022/23 tally. This would almost certainly relegate them – Sean Dyche’s side currently sit in 15th with 26 points, just three more than rock bottom Southampton.