Manchester United

Manchester United and French men's national team midfielder Paul Pogba told French newspaper Le Figaro that his "mother's jewels" and 2018 World Cup winner's medal were stolen from his home in a burglary last week (h/t Issy Ronald of CNN.com). 

"What scared me the most was that my two children were at home with the nanny during this incident," he said. "She overheard everything, called my wife and security, then locked herself and the boys (ages two and one) in a room."

Pogba said the robbery, which he described as his "worst nightmare," occurred during United's 1-0 loss against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 that eliminated the Manchester side from the tournament.

The 29-year-old midfielder also told the French outlet he struggled with depression during Jose Mourinho's tenure at United:

I've experienced depression many times in my career, but you don't talk about it. Sometimes you don't know who you are, you just want to isolate yourself, be alone. These are unmistakable signs.

Personally, it started when I was with Jose Mourinho at United. You ask yourself questions, you wonder if you are at fault because you have never experienced these moments in your life.

All top athletes go through these moments but few talk about it. Inevitably, you will feel [depression] in your body, in your head, and you may have a month, even a year, where you are not well. But you don't have to say it. In any case, publicly.

On the pitch this season, it's been a rough year for Pogba and United. The club is currently sixth in the Premier League on 50 points and in danger of missing out on the Champions League next season. They trail fourth-place Arsenal by four points, and the Gunners also have a game in hand. 

Last week's loss to Atletico ensured that United would go a fifth straight year with no trophies. they are 20 points behind Manchester City in the Premier League with just nine games remaining. While they haven't technically been mathematically eliminated from winning the title, it would require a collapse of epic proportions by a number of teams ahead of them. 

Pogba, who has generally shined with the French national team but struggled more in his United tenure, has appeared in just 16 Premier League games this season (13 starts), notching a goal and nine assists.

The home of Manchester United star Paul Pogba was burglarized on Tuesday night during his club's 1-0 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid.

"The burglars were in our home for less than five minutes but in that time they took from us something more valuable than anything we had in our home... our sense of safety and security," Pogba wrote.

pic.twitter.com/O3hocLUh51

— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) March 16, 2022

The French midfielder offered a reward for information that might help identify who allegedly broke into his home.

Pogba started on the bench Tuesday night and came on for Bruno Fernandes in the 67th minute as manager Ralf Rangnick attempted to overturn the Red Devils' deficit. United fell 2-1 on aggregate to Atletico to exit the Champions League in the round of 16.

Pogba is the second member of the club this year to be the victim of a burglary.

While Manchester United were on their way to a 3-1 win over Brentford on Jan. 19, the home of defender Victor Lindelof was broken into. Lindelof was away with the team, but his wife and their two children were inside at the time of the incident.

According to the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst, Manchester United officials "are working with players to review and strengthen their home security" in the wake of what happened to Pogba.

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly out of Sunday's match against Manchester City with an injury.

Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic reported that Ronaldo will sit out after not being listed in Ralf Rangnick's 21-man squad. There was the possibility Ronaldo could have been a late arrival, but those hopes were dashed early Sunday.

Edinson Cavani, who hasn't played since Feb. 8, is also set to sit out the Manchester derby, likely putting a heavy onus on Marcus Rashford to pick up the goalscoring slack. 

Ronaldo has been in the midst of a slump of late, scoring only one goal this calendar year.

United, meanwhile, are enduring a disappointing season overall, sitting 13-8-6 in the Premier League, good for fourth place. They are 19 points behind league-leading Manchester City through the first 27 games of the season.

Ronaldo returned to United in August after leaving the club for Real Madrid in 2009. The 37-year-old spent six years with the club during the formative stage of his career.

United will hope his health improves soon in what is a lost season for both parties.

The Champions League round of 16 is halfway over after the last four clubs began their knockout stage runs on Wednesday.

Atletico Madrid and Manchester United finished with a 1-1 draw while Ajax and Benfica ended even at 2-2 in the first leg for each tie. The squads will look to clinch a spot in the quarterfinal in the return matches on March 15.

The latest matches were also important in the race for the top goalscorer in this year's competition with Sebastien Haller continuing to lead big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann and others who were in action Wednesday.

Here is the latest in the hunt for the golden boot.

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Champions League Top Scorers

1. Sebastien Haller (Ajax): 11

2. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 9

3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): 8

4. Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig): 7

T5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United): 6

T5. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City): 6

T7. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain): 5

T7. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 5

T7. Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich): 5

T7. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain): 5

Full leaderboard available at UEFA.com

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Sebastien Haller entered the day leading the competition with 10 goals, but made what was seemingly his first mistake of the tournament with an own goal in the 25th minute against Benfica:

Sébastien Haller with ANOTHER goal... but at the wrong end! 🙈 pic.twitter.com/WYrGNfGew0

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2022

That one didn't count toward his goalscoring total, but he made up for it a few minutes later with a goal on the correct end in the 29th minute:

Sébastien Haller with ANOTHER goal... but this time at the right end! 💥 pic.twitter.com/s0fkXdtK0c

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2022

It continues an incredible run for the 27-year-old:

🤯 Sebastian Haller has only made seven appearances in the Champions League in his career. He has scored in every one #UCL pic.twitter.com/wVXtnbGaVT

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) February 23, 2022

Sébastien Haller in the #UCL

◉ Most goals scored in first two games (5)
◉ Most goals scored in first five games (9)
◉ Most goals scored in first six games (10)
◉ Most goals scored in first seven games (11)

And he even had time to put one in his own net. 😅 pic.twitter.com/qVsaRLbAWr

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 23, 2022

Haller is having a UCL campaign to remember

— Deji Faremi (@deejayfaremi) February 23, 2022

Sébastien Haller has scored more goals in 7 Champions League games for Ajax (11) than he did in 48 Premier League games for West Ham (10) 😳 pic.twitter.com/XylcNzEhFY

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 23, 2022

Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland led all competitors with 10 goals last year, but Haller has already surpassed that to raise the bar in 2021-22.

The attacking depth for Ajax was also on display with a goal from Dusan Tadic, who now has two in this year's Champions League run:

Dusan Tadic made it look effortless. 😤 pic.twitter.com/1yN37eTu0m

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2022

Benfica still kept pace with the Dutch side, which won all six matches in the group stage.

Roman Yaremchuk found an equalizer for Benfica in the 72nd minute, forcing the 2-2 draw.

https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1496600168900091904

Though Ajax remains a favorite to advance, Benfica did enough to stay alive after the first leg. 

Scoring was tougher to come by in the more high-profile matchup of the day between Atletico Madrid and Manchester United.

Veteran forwards Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann didn't start for Atletico, but Joao Felix stepped up with an impressive goal in the seventh minute:

João Félix with the diving header 🎯

(via @CBSSportsGolazo)pic.twitter.com/GSYNAGrmqA

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 23, 2022

Joao Felix has put Atletico ahead with a perfect header!

— SPORT English (@Sport_EN) February 23, 2022

What a header. Joao Felix has a fist for a forehead, because that was punched in.

— Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) February 23, 2022

An extraordinary cross from Renan Lodi. Extraordinary!! And Félix with instinct to never give up on it and beats Maguire to it.

And with a reaching header, Joao Félix guides it towards the inside of De Gea’s near post!

— Nico Cantor (@Nicocantor1) February 23, 2022

The 1-0 score held up through halftime and seemed like it might be enough to win with Manchester United struggling.

The visitors finally got onto the scoresheet from a surprising source in the 80th minute:

19-YEAR-OLD ANTHONY ELANGA. 🌟

His first #UCL goal with his first touch of the match. 💥 pic.twitter.com/z5LagG1B1q

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2022

Anthony Elanga produced a great finish on his first touch after a perfect Bruno Fernandes through ball. It was the seventh assist in UCL play for Fernandes, who leads all players in the competition.

Bruno Fernandes has 7 assists in 6 #UCL games this season:

🅰️ vs Young Boys
🅰️ vs Villarreal
🅰️🅰️ vs Atalanta
🅰️ vs Atalanta
🅰️ vs Villarreal
🅰️ vs Atletico Madrid

World-class. 🤪🙌 pic.twitter.com/mEnen8k9kQ

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 23, 2022

6 - Bruno Fernandes is the first player in Champions League history to assist in six consecutive appearances while playing for an English club, breaking the record held by David Beckham (for @ManUtd) since 1998. Creator. pic.twitter.com/y92qBMZas8

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2022

The one assist was enough for Manchester United to have much more confidence heading into the second leg.

The goalscoring competition should also remain a good one throughout the knockout stages with Robert Lewandowski's Bayern Munich and Mohamed Salah's Liverpool both a threat to make a deep run.

Las Vegas police reportedly prepared an arrest warrant for soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in 2019 after Kathryn Mayorga accused him of rape during a June 2009 encounter, but Clark County district attorney Steve Wolfson decided against pursuing the criminal case.

Ryan Parry and Chris White of The Sun reported Tuesday they obtained court documents from a September hearing in which Mayorga's lawyer, Leslie Mark Stovall, said Wolfson acted against the suggestion of those who investigated the allegations.

"What happened is when that [arrest warrant] was submitted to the district attorney's office, Mr. Wolfson declined to prosecute," Stovall said. "He doesn't say why he decided to decline and anything—any argument is just speculation. It was within the statute of limitations. The police believed that they had a case to prosecute for one count of sexual assault and the DA decided not to."

In July 2019, Wolfson announced no charges would be filed against Ronaldo, who's maintained he had consensual sex with Mayorga, because the allegations couldn't be "proven at trial beyond a reasonable doubt."

He explained Mayorga didn't initially provide complete information about the alleged rape, saying only it was a European soccer player, and that prevented investigators from finding and holding evidence for when the case was reopened in 2018.

"As a result, the police were unable to ... conduct any meaningful investigation," Wolfson said. "Detectives were unable to search for and impound vital forensic evidence. In addition, video evidence, showing interactions between the victim and perpetrator before and after the alleged crime, was lost."

Although no criminal charges were filed, Mayorga's lawyers have proceeded with a civil lawsuit against the 37-year-old Manchester United player.

"I firmly deny the accusations issued against me," Ronaldo said in 2018. "Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in."

According to Der Spiegel, a document that was part of Football Leaks showed that Ronaldo's lawyer Carlos Osario de Castro sent him a list of questions in 2009 pertaining to Mayorga. In a September 2009 version of the questionnaire, Ronaldo said Mayorga "said no and stop several times" when asked if she had raised her voice or called out. A later version of his response says the encounter was consensual.

In August 2019, Ronaldo's attorneys argued the suit should be thrown out because the sides previously reached a $375,000 settlement agreement.

The case has continued with Christopher Bucktin of the Daily Mirror reporting in April that Mayorga is seeking an additional $63.6 million in damages.

Ronaldo, who's in his second stint with Manchester United, has also played for Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid and Juventus during a 21-year senior career. He's also been a mainstay for the Portugal national team.

Nike has dropped Manchester United star Mason Greenwood following his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault.

Nike said Monday that Greenwood "is no longer a Nike athlete," per the Associated Press. The company had previously said it was suspending its partnership with Greenwood after his arrest.

The 20-year-old's likeness was already removed from EA Sports' FIFA 22 and Konami's eFootball after the allegations surfaced.

Without identifying Greenwood, the Greater Manchester Police said on Jan. 30 they were alerted to "online social media images and videos posted by a woman reporting incidents of physical violence." Upon an initial investigation, a man had been taken into custody on suspicion of rape and assault.

Authorities have subsequently said they had further arrested Greenwood on suspicion of sexual assault and making threats to kill.

Greenwood has been released on bail while an investigation remains ongoing.

Manchester United released a statement confirming he would be kept away from the club indefinitely.

"Manchester United reiterates its strong condemnation of violence of any kind," United said. "As previously communicated, Mason Greenwood will not train with, or play for, the club until further notice."

The Athletic's Matt Slater noted a collective bargaining agreement between the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association stipulates a club can suspend a player for up to 14 days.

Slater spoke to a London-based barrister who speculated Manchester United might be able to roll Greenwood's suspension over in 14-day increments until the case potentially goes to trial.

Greenwood last appeared for United in a 1-0 win over West Ham on Jan. 22.

Former Everton and Manchester United star and current Derby County manager Wayne Rooney said he would isolate during his playing career and drink to cope with the stress that accompanied his playing career. 

Rooney opened up during an interview with Oliver Holt of the Mail on Sunday:

In my early years at Manchester United, probably until we had my first son, Kai, I locked myself away really. I never went out. There were times you'd get a couple of days off from football and I would actually lock myself away and just drink, to try to take all that away from my mind. People might know that I liked a drink at times or went out but there was a lot more to it than just that. It was what was going on in my head.

Now, people would be more empowered to speak about that kind of thing. Back then, in my head and with other players, there was no way I could go into the United dressing room and start saying, 'This is how I am feeling,' because you just wouldn't do it. Then you would end up suffering internally rather than letting your thoughts out. Locking myself away made me forget some of the issues I was dealing with. It was like a binge.

Rooney, 36, was one of the best players of his generation. His 253 total goals for United represent a club record. He also was a regular fixture for England, scoring a record 53 goals in 120 appearances. No outfield player has featured more for the men's national team, and he was just five games shy of Peter Shilton's overall record.

But that success came with a lot of attention and criticism, a side of the game the young Rooney wasn't ready for when he made his professional debut at just 16. 

"It took a long time for me to get used to that and figure out how to deal with it. It was like being thrown in somewhere where you are just not comfortable. That was tough for me," he said. "I had made a lot of mistakes when I was younger, some in the press and some not in the press, whether that's fighting or whatever. For me to deal with that, deal with stuff that was in the newspapers, deal with the manager at the time, deal with family at the time, was very difficult."

Rooney said that the anger he felt gave him an edge on the field, granting him a level of aggressiveness and unpredictability that aided his play. But it also led to mistakes off the pitch, at least until he learned that he needed to talk to someone.

"A bad moment? It could be anything. That you weren't playing well, the pressure you put on yourself, which I always tried to hide. Sometimes I tried to hide it with over-confidence. Sometimes that's to mask the pressure you feel," he said. "It could have been when I had done something wrong off the field and pressure builds and even going into the local shops, you want to hide from everyone. It is embarrassing. I was embarrassed by it."

That led to Rooney isolating and comforting himself by drinking. He says he has a much better relationship with alcohol and has used his experiences as a player to help him be a better manager for his players at Derby County.

"Part of the problem I have is that I do trust people," he said. "That was exactly my first message to the players here at Derby: 'I will give you my trust, but I need it back.' Once that trust is broken, it is very difficult to recover. Yeah, people want stuff off you, but I take responsibility for that because some of the stuff I have done is my decisions and that's me leaving myself open."

Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has reportedly been "further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill."

BBC News reported Monday that Greenwood was originally arrested Sunday on suspicion of rape and assault following allegations made against him on social media.

Rob Harris of the Associated Press provided an update from police Tuesday:

Police update on Mason Greenwood case pic.twitter.com/MwvX3052rh

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) February 1, 2022

Greenwood, who joined United's first team in 2018 after coming through the club's youth academy, has not publicly commented on the allegations.

The Red Devils said in a statement Sunday they "did not condone violence of any kind" and wouldn't allow the 20-year-old Englishman to participate in any matches or training sessions until further notice while they wait until the "facts have been established," per BBC News.

Apparel company Nike announced Monday it had suspended its sponsorship of Greenwood indefinitely, according to the AP.

"We have suspended our relationship with Mason Greenwood," Nike said in a statement. "We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation."

An EA Sports spokesperson confirmed to Nathan Bliss of the Manchester Evening News the forward is being removed from the FIFA 22 video game.

"Mason Greenwood has been removed from active squads in FIFA 22 and has also been suspended from appearing in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) packs and Ultimate Draft," the spokesperson said.

Greenwood, who's made one appearance for the England senior national team after playing several matches at the youth level, has scored six goals in 24 games for United during the 2021-22 season.

The Red Devils are currently on an international break and will return to action Friday when they host Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Manchester United announced forward Mason Greenwood will not play in matches or take part in training until further notice amid assault allegations, via James Robson of the Standard.

A woman said Sunday morning that Greenwood assaulted her, posting photographs on Instagram showing bruises and blood, via the Guardian. The initial posts have since been deleted, but they have already spread on social media. 

"We are aware of images and allegations circulating on social media," the club said in a statement. "We will not make any further comment until the facts have been established. Manchester United does not condone violence of any kind."

Manchester Police said it is "aware of images and videos circulating on social media." Police also announced a man has been arrested following the allegations but did not outright state it was Greenwood:

Greater Manchester Police statement: pic.twitter.com/T8guOjRTFk

— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) January 30, 2022

Greenwood is sponsored by Nike, which also released a statement Sunday (h/t The Athletic UK): "We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation."

The 20-year-old is in his third full season with Manchester United, scoring 22 goals across 83 appearances in the Premier League. He has made 16 EPL starts for the club this season and currently ranks third on the team with five league goals.

The England international signed an extension last February that kept him under contract through 2025.   

Cristiano Ronaldo will turn 37 years old next month, but he doesn't plan to step away from the soccer field any time soon.

"Genetically I feel like I'm 30 years old," Ronaldo told ESPN. "I take great care of my body and my mind. Something I've learned recently is that after 33, I believe the body can deliver if you need it, but the real battle is mental."

The Manchester United star has been effective since joining the team in the summer, scoring eight goals in 16 Premier League matches, plus six goals in five Champions League contests.

Only four outfield players have more minutes for United in the Premier League than Ronaldo (1,297) this season. 

He's aiming to keep it going into his 40s.

"I want to find out if I'm going to play until I'm 40, 41, or 42, but the most important thing is that my daily goal is to enjoy the moment," Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo might be a tad slower than his prime when he helped Real Madrid win four Champions League titles, plus another one with Manchester United. He scored at least 30 goals in La Liga in six straight seasons from 2010-16, topping 40 in three of those years.

His three-season stint at Juventus didn't go as well as planned, but he still helped the team win two Serie A titles while scoring 81 league goals across 98 appearances.

He finished sixth in the rankings for the men's Ballon d'Or, given to the best player in the world.

It showed he can remain effective deep into his career, even potentially in his 40s.

Teddy Sheringham was the oldest outfield player to appear in the Premier League at 40 years and 272 days, but Ronaldo could be coming for that record.