Sports

Italy Open Talks With Pep Guardiola For Head Coach Role

Published

23 hours ago

July 20, 2026

Italy have stepped up their search for a new national team coach after holding talks with Pep Guardiola over the vacant position, according to reports from Sky in Italy.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has made a direct approach to the former Manchester City manager, with newly appointed technical director Paolo Maldini and his adviser, Leonardo, travelling to Barcelona for discussions.

The pair reportedly spent three days with Guardiola, outlining their long-term vision for the Azzurri as the federation looks to rebuild following another disappointing failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

The 55-year-old is yet to decide whether he is interested in taking the role, although the FIGC is said to be making a determined push to appoint him. Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo are also among the candidates under consideration.

Maldini and Leonardo were appointed as part of a major overhaul within Italian football after the country’s third straight failure to qualify for the World Cup.

One of their first responsibilities is to appoint a replacement for Gennaro Gattuso, who left after Italy missed out on this summer’s tournament in North America.

Guardiola has been without a club since ending his remarkable 10-year spell at Manchester City. During his time at the Etihad Stadium, he won 20 trophies and recorded an impressive 70.8 per cent win rate.

Despite Italy lifting the European Championship under Mancini in 2021, the national team has struggled badly since then, missing qualification for each of the last three major tournaments.

Before leaving Manchester City, Guardiola had already indicated that he intended to step away from coaching once his time at the club came to an end.

Speaking during his final press conference as City manager, he said: “No plans for [coaching] for a while. Otherwise, I would be here. I need to step back. I will not [coach] for a while.

“I feel I will not have the energy every day, with expectations to fight for the title. I know myself, I have that energy, but I feel like I will not have it [in the future].”

He later explained that family was a key reason behind his decision.

“There are things that I have not done that I want to do. I still have my father alive. I want to spend more time with him. My kids… And a lot of things as a human being I can do. I’m fortunate I can decide, that’s why I took this decision.”

Sports

Chelsea To Seal £117m Morgan Rogers Deal, Villa Replace Him With Joao Gomes

Published

22 hours ago

July 20, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Chelsea are on the brink of completing a British record deal for Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers after the England international arrived for a medical earlier today, July 20, ahead of his proposed £117 million switch to Stamford Bridge.

According to Sky Sports, Morgan Rogers is expected to sign a six-year contract, with Chelsea holding the option to extend the deal by a further 12 months until 2033, provided he comes through his medical.

The 23-year-old returned from the United States on Sunday after helping England secure third place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is now set to finalise his move in the coming days.

Chelsea acted decisively to beat Arsenal to Rogers’ signature after the Gunners refused to match Villa’s asking price, despite identifying him as their leading attacking target. The agreed fee will set a new British transfer record.

Rogers’ departure marks another major change in Aston Villa’s midfield, with the club already moving to strengthen Unai Emery’s squad.

Villa have confirmed the signing of Brazil international Joao Gomes from Wolves in a deal worth up to £38 million. The agreement includes an initial £34 million payment, with a further £4 million in performance-related add-ons.

**Joao Gomes during his unveiling as an Aston Villa player.**

The 25-year-old had also attracted interest from Atletico Madrid but left Wolves’ pre-season training camp in Portugal last week to complete his medical before sealing the move to Villa Park.

Gomes becomes Villa’s second high-profile midfield signing in quick succession after the club completed a deal worth more than £50 million for Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi on Friday, beating Newcastle United to the Switzerland international.

Villa’s transfer activity follows a difficult spell in midfield. Amadou Onana has been ruled out until next year after sustaining a serious knee injury while on World Cup duty with Belgium. The club have also sold Youri Tielemans to Manchester United for £35 million.

Gomes leaves Wolves after making 130 appearances and scoring seven goals since joining from Brazilian side Flamengo in 2023. He featured 41 times last season as Wolves endured a disappointing campaign that ended with relegation after finishing bottom of the Premier League.

Sports

Spain Beat France To Book World Cup Final Spot

Published

23 hours ago

July 20, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Spain have secured a place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating France 2-0 in the first semi-final played on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.

The victory means La Roja, who won the World Cup in 2010 and are the reigning European champions, have become the first team to qualify for Sunday’s final.

Spain will now face the winners of Wednesday’s second semi-final between England and Argentina. The losing team from that match will take on France in the third-place play-off on Saturday in Miami.

The result is a major disappointment for France and head coach Didier Deschamps, whose side had hoped to reach another World Cup final but will now have to settle for the battle for third place.

Argentina will head into Wednesday’s semi-final chasing history, as the South Americans seek to become only the third country to win back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles, following Italy’s triumphs in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil’s victories in 1958 and 1962.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be played on Sunday at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, officially known as MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.

The stadium, which serves as the home ground of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, has hosted seven matches during the tournament and will stage the final at 8 p.m. Nigerian time.

Sports

World Cup 2026: Messi Pinpoints What Argentina Did Wrong Against Cape Verde

Published

2 weeks ago

July 4, 2026

Uthman Abdulganiyu

Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, has pinpointed what his team did wrong against Cape Verde during both sides’ World Cup Round of 32 encounter.

The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes at the Miami Stadium, but Argentina went on to win 3-2 in extra time.

Diney Borges’ own goal ensured Lionel Scaloni’s side eliminated the Blue Sharks from the competition.

Speaking at his post-match interview after the game, Messi admitted that Argentina couldn’t press Cape Verde properly during the encounter.

According to him, Scaloni’s side was also disjointed against the African side, and their lines were far apart.

“I think we couldn’t press them well, our lines were kind of far apart at times,” Messi said via FIFA’s website.

“When we wanted to jump from the defensive pivot, it was too far a distance for the center-backs, and we ended up a bit disjointed.

“They always had an extra man because we couldn’t match up, and that’s why they kept the ball and made us run, because we couldn’t press them properly.”