Cristiano Ronaldo Transfer Rumours: Manchester United in Talks with Star's Agent
Aug 27, 2021
Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the UEFA Champions League group H football match between Young Boys and Juventus at the Stade de Suisse stadium on December 12, 2018, in Bern. - Juventus finished at the Group H summit ahead of Manchester United despite slumping to a 2-1 defeat by Young Boys in Bern, as Manchester United lost at Valencia. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United has reportedly
decided to challenge Premier League rival Manchester City in the race to sign Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who played at Old Trafford from 2003 through 2009.
Ed Aarons and Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian reported Friday that United have opened talks with Ronaldo's
agent, Jorge Mendes. City have been heavily linked to the forward
but haven't made a formal offer ahead of Tuesday's summer transfer window deadline.
Although Ronaldo started his career
with Sporting CP in his native Portugal, his transformation into a
football legend kicked into overdrive after his arrival at United in
2003.
The dynamic attacking threat recorded
118 goals across 292 appearances for the Red Devils, including 42
during the 2007-08 campaign, providing a glimpse of what was to
come at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo joined Los Blancos in 2009 and
proceeded to score at least 50 goals six times during his nine-year
stay at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner
remained a force following his move to Juve in 2018, scoring 33
goals in 39 appearances between Serie A and the Champions League last
season.
Now the question is where the
36-year-old will land after Juventus manager
Massimiliano Allegri revealed Friday that the forward had expressed his intention to
leave the club.
"Yesterday, Cristiano told me that
he no longer has any intention to play for Juventus," Allegri
told reporters. "For this reason, he will not be called
up for tomorrow's game."
Romano reported
City had stopped negotiations with the Portugal international, and he also noted United are growing "confident" in securing a
reunion.
It would be quite a coup for the Red
Devils, who would not only land a player who's still capable of
carrying an attacking unit on his shoulders but also keep him away from their crosstown rivals.
City don't lack star power in attack,
with Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres
among manager Pep Guardiola's options, but Ronaldo could have
made the group borderline unstoppable as the club seeks its first
Champions League triumph.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo would join Marcus
Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho in United's attacking unit if a deal is finalized.
It's unclear whether any other European
giants plan to join the Ronaldo sweepstakes before Tuesday's transfer
deadline, but it appears United are in the driver's seat.
Report: Cristiano Ronaldo 'Definitely' Wants to Leave Juventus, Asks Club to be Sold
Aug 26, 2021
UDINE, ITALY - AUGUST 22: Juventus player Cristiano Ronaldo during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio v Juventus at Dacia Arena on August 22, 2021 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)
Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has "definitely decided to leave" his current club amid transfer speculation, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Romano added Ronaldo won't be available for the next match, and Juventus is awaiting an official bid from Manchester City.
Rodrigo Faez and Gabriele Marcotti of ESPN reported Manchester City are "close" to reaching an agreement to sign the forward. Juventus are reportedly seeking around €28 million on a transfer fee.
The move would come just over a week after Ronaldo fired back at transfer rumors in an Instagram post.
"More than the disrespect for me as a man and as a player, the frivolous way that my future is covered in the media is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in these rumours, as well as to their players and staff," the player wrote.
Manchester City could be looking for a new high-priced option after initial target Harry Kane reaffirmed his commitment to Tottenham.
The reigning Premier League champions already set a British record with the acquisition of Jack Grealish to go with other attacking players like Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and others. The club could now get even stronger by adding one of the best players in the world over the last 20 years.
Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times in his career, helping Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus all win league titles. He has a combined five Champions League titles in his career and could help Manchester City win its first after losing in the final last year.
The 36-year-old also remains a threat on the pitch, scoring 60 goals in 66 Serie A matches over the last two seasons.
It could create an exciting partnership if Manchester City is able to complete the move before the transfer window closes Tuesday.
Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy Arrested, Charged with Rape and Sexual Assault
Aug 26, 2021
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15: Benjamin Mendy of Manchester City runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 15, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has been charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
Authorities in the United Kingdom said the alleged assaults occurred between October 2020 and August 2021. Mendy is currently in police custody and due to appear in court Friday.
Benjamin Mendy charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Police statement: pic.twitter.com/Pe2O2Uiibb
Manchester City announced Mendy has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
"The matter is subject to a legal process and the Club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete," the club said.
City signed Mendy for £52 million in July 2017 after he had helped AS Monaco win Ligue 1 in 2016-17. He played just five games for the club before suffering a torn ACL, and further injuries have limited his impact at the club. The 27-year-old has logged 75 appearances across all competitions.
Mendy started in Manchester City's 1-0 loss to Leicester City in the Community Shield and played 78 minutes in the team's 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur to open the 2021-22 Premier League season.
Jack Grealish Completes Manchester City Transfer from Aston Villa on 6-Year Contract
Aug 5, 2021
England's Jack Grealish runs during the Euro 2020 soccer semifinal match between England and Denmark at Wembley stadium in London, Wednesday, July 7, 2021. (Laurence Griffiths/Pool Photo via AP)
Manchester City announced the official signing of Jack Grealish on Thursday, adding the midfielder on a six-year deal after a transfer from Aston Villa:
HE'S HERE!
We are delighted to announce the signing of @JackGrealish on a six-year deal.
"I am incredibly happy to have joined Manchester City," Grealish said in a statement. "City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world—it’s a dream come true to be part of this club."
Manchester City will pay a reported £100 million in the deal to break the British transfer record, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN.
Grealish has spent the past eight years at Aston Villa, his boyhood club, totaling 32 goals across 213 appearances.
The 25-year-old stayed with the club during its relegation to the Championship in 2016 and helped it get promoted back to the Premier League after the 2018-19 season. Aston Villa climbed to 11th in the table in 2020-21.
Aston Villa also reached the final of the League Cup in 2020 before losing to Manchester City.
Grealish posted a message to Villa and its fans on social media.
Manchester City now adds another creative player to the roster, finishing last season with six goals and 10 assists. The only players in the Premier League with more assists were Bruno Fernandes, City's Kevin De Bruyne and Tottenham's Harry Kane, who is also reportedly angling for a move to Etihad Stadium, per James Olley of ESPN.
Grealish was also a key player for England during Euro 2020, tallying two assists across five appearances in the squad's run to the final.
It could create an even better attack for Manchester City, which already won the EPL last season by 12 points and led all teams with 83 goals scored. After reaching the Champions League final in 2021, the club could be a favorite to win it all next season.
EPL Schedule 2021-22: Official List of Fixtures for New Premier League Season
Jun 16, 2021
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Lorenzo Buenaventura, Fitness Coach of Manchester City, Rodolfo Borrell, Assistant Coach of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, Juanma Lillo, Assistant Manager of Manchester City, and Xabier Mancisidor, Goalkeeping Coach of Manchester City celebrate with the Premier League Trophy as Manchester City are presented with the Trophy as they win the league following the Premier League match between Manchester City and Everton at Etihad Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Manchester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Peter Powell - Pool/Getty Images)
Three weeks after last season ended, the anticipation for the English Premier League campaign has already begun with the release of the 2021-22 schedule on Wednesday.
Defending champion Manchester City will kick the season off on Aug. 14 on the road against Tottenham Hotspur.
Here's the entire 380-match schedule for the EPL season, courtesy of PremierLeague.com:
Saturday 14 August
Brentford vs. Arsenal Burnley vs. Brighton and Hove Albion Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace Everton vs. Southampton Leicester City vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers Manchester United vs. Leeds United Newcastle United vs. West Ham United Norwich City vs. Liverpool Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City Watford vs. Aston Villa
Saturday 21 August
Arsenal vs. Chelsea Aston Villa vs. Newcastle Brighton vs. Watford Crystal Palace vs. Brentford Leeds vs. Everton Liverpool vs. Burnley Man City vs. Norwich Southampton vs. Man Utd West Ham vs. Leicester Wolves vs. Tottenham
Saturday 28 August
Aston Villa vs. Brentford Brighton vs. Everton Burnley vs. Leeds Liverpool vs. Chelsea Man City vs. Arsenal Newcastle vs. Southampton Norwich vs. Leicester Tottenham vs. Watford West Ham vs. Crystal Palace Wolves vs. Man Utd
Saturday 11 September
Arsenal vs. Norwich Brentford vs. Brighton Chelsea vs. Aston Villa Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Everton vs. Burnley Leeds vs. Liverpool Leicester vs. Man City Man Utd vs. Newcastle Southampton vs. West Ham Watford vs. Wolves
Saturday 18 September
Aston Villa vs. Everton Brighton vs. Leicester Burnley vs. Arsenal Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace Man City vs. Southampton Newcastle vs. Leeds Norwich vs. Watford Tottenham vs. Chelsea West Ham vs. Man Utd Wolves vs. Brentford
Saturday 25 September
Arsenal vs. Tottenham Brentford vs. Liverpool Chelsea vs. Man City Crystal Palace vs. Brighton Everton vs. Norwich Leeds vs. West Ham Leicester vs. Burnley Man Utd vs. Aston Villa Southampton vs. Wolves Watford vs. Newcastle
Saturday 2 October
Brighton vs. Arsenal Burnley vs. Norwich Chelsea vs. Southampton Crystal Palace vs. Leicester Leeds vs. Watford Liverpool vs. Man City Man Utd vs. Everton Tottenham vs. Aston Villa West Ham vs. Brentford Wolves vs. Newcastle
Saturday 16 October
Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace Aston Villa vs. Wolves Brentford vs. Chelsea Everton vs. West Ham Leicester vs. Man Utd Man City vs. Burnley Newcastle vs. Tottenham Norwich vs. Brighton Southampton vs. Leeds Watford vs. Liverpool
Saturday 23 October
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa Brentford vs. Leicester Brighton vs. Man City Chelsea vs. Norwich Crystal Palace vs. Newcastle Everton vs. Watford Leeds vs. Wolves Man Utd vs. Liverpool Southampton vs. Burnley West Ham vs. Tottenham
Saturday 30 October
Aston Villa vs. West Ham Burnley vs. Brentford Leicester vs. Arsenal Liverpool vs. Brighton Man City vs. Crystal Palace Newcastle vs. Chelsea Norwich vs. Leeds Tottenham vs. Man Utd Watford vs. Southampton Wolves vs. Everton
Saturday 6 November
Arsenal vs. Watford Brentford vs. Norwich Brighton vs. Newcastle Chelsea vs. Burnley Crystal Palace vs. Wolves Everton vs. Tottenham Leeds vs. Leicester Man Utd vs. Man City Southampton vs. Aston Villa West Ham vs. Liverpool
Saturday 20 November
Aston Villa vs. Brighton Burnley vs. Crystal Palace Leicester vs. Chelsea Liverpool vs. Arsenal Man City vs. Everton Newcastle vs. Brentford Norwich vs. Southampton Tottenham vs. Leeds Watford vs. Man Utd Wolves vs. West Ham
Saturday 27 November
Arsenal vs. Newcastle Brentford vs. Everton Brighton vs. Leeds Burnley vs. Tottenham Chelsea vs. Man Utd Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa Leicester vs. Watford Liverpool vs. Southampton Man City vs. West Ham Norwich vs. Wolves
Tuesday 30 November
Aston Villa vs. Man City Everton vs. Liverpool Leeds vs. Crystal Palace Watford vs. Chelsea West Ham vs. Brighton Wolves vs. Burnley Man Utd vs. Arsenal
Wednesday 1 December
Newcastle vs. Norwich Southampton vs. Leicester Tottenham vs. Brentford
Saturday 4 December
Aston Villa vs. Leicester Everton vs. Arsenal Leeds vs. Brentford Man Utd vs. Crystal Palace Newcastle vs. Burnley Southampton vs. Brighton Tottenham vs. Norwich Watford vs. Man City West Ham vs. Chelsea Wolves vs. Liverpool
Saturday 11 December
Arsenal vs. Southampton Brentford vs. Watford Brighton vs. Tottenham Burnley vs. West Ham Chelsea vs. Leeds Crystal Palace vs. Everton Leicester vs. Newcastle Liverpool vs. Aston Villa Man City vs. Wolves Norwich vs. Man Utd
Tuesday 14 December
Arsenal vs. West Ham Brentford vs. Man Utd Brighton vs. Wolves Burnley vs. Watford Leicester vs. Tottenham Norwich vs. Aston Villa Crystal Palace vs. Southampton
Wednesday 15 December
Chelsea vs. Everton Liverpool vs. Newcastle Man City vs. Leeds
Saturday 18 December
Aston Villa vs. Burnley Everton vs. Leicester Leeds vs. Arsenal Man Utd vs. Brighton Newcastle vs. Man City Southampton vs. Brentford Tottenham vs. Liverpool Watford vs. Crystal Palace West Ham vs. Norwich Wolves vs. Chelsea
Saturday 26 December
Aston Villa vs. Chelsea Brighton vs. Brentford Burnley vs. Everton Liverpool vs. Leeds Man City vs. Leicester Newcastle vs. Man Utd Norwich vs. Arsenal Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace West Ham vs. Southampton Wolves vs. Watford
Tuesday 28 December
Arsenal vs. Wolves Brentford vs. Man City Chelsea vs. Brighton Crystal Palace vs. Norwich Everton vs. Newcastle Leeds vs. Aston Villa Leicester vs. Liverpool Man Utd vs. Burnley Southampton vs. Tottenham Watford vs. West Ham
Saturday 1 January
Arsenal vs. Man City Brentford vs. Aston Villa Chelsea vs. Liverpool Crystal Palace vs. West Ham Everton vs. Brighton Leeds vs. Burnley Leicester vs. Norwich Man Utd vs. Wolves Southampton vs. Newcastle Watford vs. Tottenham
Saturday 15 January
Aston Villa vs. Man United Brighton vs. Crystal Palace Burnley vs. Leicester Liverpool vs. Brentford Man City vs. Chelsea Newcastle vs. Watford Norwich vs. Everton Tottenham vs. Arsenal West Ham vs. Leeds Wolves vs. Southampton
Saturday 22 January
Arsenal vs. Burnley Brentford vs. Wolves Chelsea vs. Tottenham Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool Everton vs. Aston Villa Leeds vs. Newcastle Leicester vs. Brighton Man Utd vs. West Ham Southampton vs. Man City Watford vs. Norwich
Tuesday 8 February
Aston Villa vs. Leeds Brighton vs. Chelsea Burnley vs. Man Utd Norwich vs. Crystal Palace West Ham vs. Watford Wolves vs. Arsenal
Wednesday 9 February
Newcastle vs. Everton Tottenham vs. Southampton Liverpool vs. Leicester Man City vs. Brentford
Saturday 12 February
Brentford vs. Crystal Palace Burnley vs. Liverpool Chelsea vs. Arsenal Everton vs. Leeds Leicester vs. West Ham Man Utd vs. Southampton Newcastle vs. Aston Villa Norwich vs. Man City Tottenham vs. Wolves Watford vs. Brighton
Saturday 19 February
Arsenal vs. Brentford Aston Villa vs. Watford Brighton vs. Burnley Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea Leeds vs. Manchester Utd Liverpool vs. Norwich Man City vs. Tottenham Southampton vs. Everton West Ham vs. Newcastle Wolves vs. Leicester
Saturday 26 February
Arsenal vs. Liverpool Brentford vs. Newcastle Brighton vs. Aston Villa Chelsea vs. Leicester Crystal Palace vs. Burnley Everton vs. Man City Leeds vs. Tottenham Man Utd vs. Watford Southampton vs. Norwich West Ham vs. Wolves
Saturday 5 March
Aston Villa vs. Southampton Burnley vs. Chelsea Leicester vs. Leeds Liverpool vs. West Ham Man City vs. Man Utd Newcastle vs. Brighton Norwich vs. Brentford Tottenham vs. Everton Watford vs. Arsenal Wolves vs. Crystal Palace
Saturday 12 March
Arsenal vs. Leicester Brentford vs. Burnley Brighton vs. Liverpool Chelsea vs. Newcastle Crystal Palace vs. Man City Everton vs. Wolves Leeds vs. Norwich Man Utd vs. Tottenham Southampton vs. Watford West Ham vs. Aston Villa
Saturday 19 March
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Burnley vs. Southampton Leicester vs. Brentford Liverpool vs. Man Utd Man City vs. Brighton Newcastle vs. Crystal Palace Norwich vs. Chelsea Tottenham vs. West Ham Watford vs. Everton Wolves vs. Leeds
Saturday 2 April
Brighton vs. Norwich Burnley vs. Man City Chelsea vs. Brentford Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal Leeds vs. Southampton Liverpool vs. Watford Man Utd vs. Leicester Tottenham vs. Newcastle West Ham vs. Everton Wolves vs. Aston Villa
Saturday 9 April
Arsenal vs. Brighton Aston Villa vs. Tottenham Brentford vs. West Ham Everton vs. Man Utd Leicester vs. Crystal Palace Man City vs. Liverpool Newcastle vs. Wolves Norwich vs. Burnley Southampton vs. Chelsea Watford vs. Leeds
Saturday 16 April
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool Everton vs. Crystal Palace Leeds vs. Chelsea Man Utd vs. Norwich Newcastle vs. Leicester Southampton vs. Arsenal Tottenham vs. Brighton Watford vs. Brentford West Ham vs. Burnley Wolves vs. Man City
Saturday 23 April
Arsenal vs. Man Utd Brentford vs. Tottenham Brighton vs. Southampton Burnley vs. Wolves Chelsea vs. West Ham Crystal Palace vs. Leeds Leicester vs. Aston Villa Liverpool vs. Everton Man City vs. Watford Norwich vs. Newcastle
Saturday 30 April
Aston Villa vs. Norwich Everton vs. Chelsea Leeds vs. Man City Man Utd vs. Brentford Newcastle vs. Liverpool Southampton vs. Crystal Palace Tottenham vs. Leicester Watford vs. Burnley West Ham vs. Arsenal Wolves vs. Brighton
Saturday 7 May
Arsenal vs. Leeds Brentford vs. Southampton Brighton vs. Man Utd Burnley vs. Aston Villa Chelsea vs. Wolves Crystal Palace vs. Watford Leicester vs. Everton Liverpool vs. Tottenham Man City vs. Newcastle Norwich vs. West Ham
Sunday 15 May*
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace Everton vs. Brentford Leeds vs. Brighton Man Utd vs. Chelsea Newcastle vs. Arsenal Southampton vs. Liverpool Tottenham vs. Burnley Watford vs. Leicester West Ham vs. Man City Wolves vs. Norwich * to avoid a clash with the FA Cup Final on 14 May
Sunday 22 May
Arsenal vs. Everton Brentford vs. Leeds Brighton vs. West Ham Burnley vs. Newcastle Chelsea vs. Watford Crystal Palace vs. Man Utd Leicester vs. Southampton Liverpool vs. Wolves Man City vs. Aston Villa Norwich vs. Tottenham
City look to be heavy favorites to win their four EPL title in the past five seasons with most of the roster returning from the 2020-21 club. All eyes will be focused on their Sept. 25 matchup with Chelsea after the Blues' 1-0 win over Man City in the Champions League final.
Pep Guardiola's offense, which led the league with 83 goals last season, could be even better if City's reported pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is successful.
Opening against Spurs will certainly test Man City. Tottenham was one of two teams last season to shut out the Citizens in the Premier League.
Several key rivalry games will take place early in the season, including the north London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham (Sept. 25), north west Derby between Manchester United and Liverpool (Oct. 23) and Manchester Derby (Nov. 6).
Watford and Norwich City are returning to the Premier League after one season in the Championship. Brentford is back in the top flight for the first time since 1946-47 after beating Swansea City 2-0 in the EFL Championship playoff final.
Report: 6 EPL Clubs Fined over $31M After Intending to Break Away to Super League
Jun 9, 2021
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Richard Masters, Chief Executive of Premier League, addresses journalists during a media briefing on February 04, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images for Premier League)
The six English clubs that attempted to
join the failed European Super League—Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur—have reportedly agreed to pay
more than $31 million in combined fines to the Premier League for
their actions.
Matt Slater of The Athletic reported
Wednesday the agreement also includes a $35 million fine and a
30-point deduction in the table for any future effort to join a
conglomerate similar to the ESL. The money collected will be used for
grassroots football.
It's the latest punishment for the
clubs that swiftly abandoned the Super League idea after it was met
with resistance from UEFA and fans. The ESL was suspended April 20, just two days after it was announced, because of the mass exodus of teams.
In April, Der Spiegel (via Max Winters of MailOnline) reported ESL contracts included a $184 million "break-up
fee" for backing out of the project.
UEFA then announced in May that nine of
the 12 clubs that pulled out had agreed to "reintegration measures" that included a combined $18.3 million
donation to grassroots football, a five percent hold on revenue from
their next UEFA competition and major penalties for any future
breakaway effort.
The governing body of European football
also said the cases of the three remaining holdouts—Barcelona,
Juventus and Real Madrid—would be sent to its disciplinary bodies
for review and possible sanctions.
In addition, Premier League owners will
now be required to agree to a new rule "committing them to the core
principles" with the top division of English football or face "significant" penalties, per Slater.
The Super League was a failure
of colossal proportions, and the six Premier League clubs involved
continue to face the ramifications for the effort to create a
lucrative Champions League alternative.
A full announcement from the Premier
League about the newest punishment is expected later Wednesday.
Kevin De Bruyne Suffered Nose, Eye Injuries in Manchester City's UCL Final Loss
May 30, 2021
Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger, left and Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne fall after challenge during the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Dragao Stadium in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 29, 2021. (Carl Recine/Pool via AP)
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne was forced out of the UEFA Champions League final against Chelsea with a facial injury on Saturday, and his status for Euro 2020 is now in question.
The midfielder provided an update on his injuries on Sunday morning:
Hi guys just got back from the hospital. My diagnosis is Acute nose bone fracture and left orbital fracture. I feel okay now. Still disappointed about yesterday obviously but we will be back
According to Mark Ogden of ESPN, the orbital fracture requires at least a three-week recovery.
De Bruyne suffered the injuries after a collision with Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger. He was subbed out in the 60th minute, and Manchester City ultimately lost 1-0.
The 29-year-old was emotional coming off the pitch:
Though De Bruyne has helped lead Manchester City to three Premier League titles in the past four years, he has fallen short of Champions League glory. He also hasn't been able to bring Belgium a major trophy, either, coming closest with a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Belgium is expected to be a top contender at Euro 2020 and is No. 1 in the FIFA world rankings, but the squad will take a major step back if De Bruyne misses any time.
Belgium opens the group stage June 12 with a match against Russia.
Per Ogden, De Bruyne could play with a facial mask later in the tournament but is still questionable for the opening matches.
Top Winners and Losers After Men's Champions League 2021 Final
May 29, 2021
Chelsea's Kai Havertz scores the opening goal during the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Dragao Stadium in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 29, 2021. (Susana Vera/Pool via AP)
Chelsea forward Kai Havertz picked a great time to score his first-ever UEFA Champions League goal.
The 21-year-old's 42nd-minute goal was all the Blues needed to beat Manchester City 1-0 to win their second-ever Champions League final.
Kai Havertz’s first Champions League goal of his career is the opener in the #UCLFinal
Chelsea otherwise had the upper hand over Manchester City en route to a decisive win. Here's a look at the two biggest winners and the biggest loser on the night.
Winner: Kai Havertz
Havertz is naturally the evening's biggest winner thanks to a brilliant run and move past Manchester City goaltender Ederson to put the ball into an empty net.
The German hadn't scored in his first 19 Champions League matches for Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea, but that drought didn't matter much after he scored the decisive goal in the final:
✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️⚽️
In his 20th game in the competition, Kai Havertz scores his first Champions League goal.
— The Tactical Times (@Tactical_Times) May 29, 2021
Havertz has faced criticism while struggling to make an impact in his first season in west London after arriving in the summer for a club-record £72 million fee, but he came through when his team needed him the most.
Winner: Thomas Tuchel
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel deserves much credit for putting Havertz in the starting XI, and he got it from numerous analysts, including Liam Twomey of The Athletic.
Until that Havertz goal, it felt like we were waiting to find out which would decide this game: a counter-attack or a counter-counter-attack. Advantage Chelsea, and Tuchel #CFC#MCFC#UCLFinal
Chelsea has made significant strides in general under Tuchel, who took the job four months ago. Soccer analyst Kristian Jack pointed out a few elements in their goal that pointed to improvements made by the German:
Overall, Tuchel was the master tactician over Guardiola en route to leading Chelsea to its third victory over Manchester City since April 17.
Loser: Pep Guardiola
On the other hand, this was not a good night for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, whose decision not to include a defensive midfielder in the starting XI backfired.
Jonathan Smith of Goal.com and Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News pointed out the issue:
Worst possible time for City’s centre halves to play so badly but not been helped by absence of a proper defensive midfielder. Guardiola tries to be too clever for his own good sometimes. He at least has another half to resolve things. Chelsea very impressive. #UCLfinal
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) May 29, 2021
Guardiola curiously left both defensive midfielders, Rodri and Fernandinho, on the bench in an unprecedented move this season:
At least one of Fernandinho or Rodri started in 59 of Manchester City's 60 games this season before tonight.
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 29, 2021
Freelance football writer Constantin Eckner pointed out more issues with space:
City cannot really protect the back line without Rodri, as Havertz and Mount have plenty of space. Key in possession should be Bernardo. Chelsea's defenders are pretty aggressive in how they step up. #UCLFinalpic.twitter.com/Hh0H4OHwlG
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021
On the other end, Manchester City only had one shot on target, which was a shocking output for a team that was coming off a Premier League title-winning season that had seen them score 83 goals in 38 games.
With all that, Chelsea is the Champions League winner for the first time since 2012, when the Blues beat Bayern Munich.
Liverpool, Chelsea Earn Last Champions League Spots on Final Day of EPL Season
May 23, 2021
Liverpool's Sadio Mane, right, celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Sunday, May 23, 2021. (Paul Ellis/Pool via AP)
Liverpool and Chelsea secured the last
two Premier League berths in next season's UEFA Champions League
during Sunday's final matches of the 2020-21 EPL campaign.
Manchester City, the previously crowned
Premier League champions, and Manchester United had already clinched
their UCL tickets in earlier weeks.
Leicester City and West Ham United, who
finished fifth and sixth in the table, respectively, will head to the
Europa League group stage for the 2021-22 season, while Tottenham
Hotspur earned seventh place and will take part in the Europa
Conference League playoff round.
The day started with a three-team race
for the final two Champions League berths. Chelsea held a one-point
advantage over Liverpool and Leicester.
While the Blues' 2-1 loss to Aston
Villa left the door open for both chase clubs to leapfrog them in the
standings, only the Reds took advantage. Liverpool scored a 2-0 win
over Crystal Palace, but the Foxes allowed three goals in the final
20 minutes in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Spurs.
The victory by Ryan Mason's side was
crucial in their own pursuit of European football next season as
Arsenal scored a 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, which would
have pushed the Gunners into seventh place if Spurs didn't make their
comeback against Leicester.
Let's check out the full list of
results from Sunday's action:
Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and
Sheffield United were the relegated clubs.
Spurs' Harry Kane finished the season
with both the most goals (23) and assists (14) in the league. It's
just the third player in history to lead the Premier League in both
categories, joining Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (1998-99) and Andy Cole
(1993-94), per ESPN Stats & Info.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson
paced the EPL with 19 clean sheets.
The 2021-22 Premier League season is
scheduled to get underway Aug. 14. The fixtures will be released June
16.
Manchester City vs. Chelsea 2021 Champions League Final Moved to Porto Amid COVID
May 13, 2021
Chelsea's German striker Timo Werner (2nd L) vies with Manchester City's French defender Aymeric Laporte (L) and Manchester City's Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo (2nd R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on May 8, 2021. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Shaun Botterill / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by SHAUN BOTTERILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The 2021 UEFA Champions League final
between Chelsea and Manchester City on May 29 has been moved to Estadio do
Dragao in Porto, Portugal.
ESPN's Tom Hamilton reported Thursday
the decision comes because of COVID-19 travel restrictions that would have
prevented English fans from traveling to Turkey for the championship
match. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin commented on the change of
location:
"I think we can all agree that we
hope never to experience a year like the one we have just endured.
Fans have had to suffer more than 12 months without the ability to
see their teams live and reaching a Champions League final is the
pinnacle of club football.
"To deprive those supporters of
the chance to see the match in person was not an option, and I am
delighted that this compromise has been found. After the year that
fans have endured, it is not right that they don't have the chance to
watch their teams in the biggest game of the season."
Officials tried to move the game to
England, but the UK government wouldn't grant a quarantine exemption
to the estimated 2,000 people who'd need to travel into the country
for the match, per Hamilton.
A final decision about how many fans
will be allowed to attend the UCL final in Portugal is pending, according to BBC
Sport.
"I hope the final will be a symbol
of hope at the re-emergence of Europe from a difficult period and
that the fans who travel to the game will once again be able to lend
their voices to showcase this final as the best in club football,"
Ceferin said.
Chelsea and Manchester City will be
facing off for the third time in six weeks when they take to the pitch in the final. The Blues won the first two meetings, 1-0 in the FA Cup semifinal on April 17 and a 2-1 victory in a
May 8 Premier League fixture.
City are seeking their first Champions
League title, while Chelsea previously won the UCL in 2012 and lost in the 2008 final.
