Emma Hayes had mixed feelings despite seeing Chelsea condemn holders Barcelona to a first home defeat for five years and edge closer to the Champions League final.
Erin Cuthbert’s first-half goal clinched a precious 1-0 semi-final first-leg win at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys to set the Women’s Super League leaders up perfectly for the return at Stamford Bridge next Saturday.
It was a first competitive victory for the Blues over Barca, who knocked them out at the same stage last season on their way to a second European title, and came courtesy of a superb defensive effort – but boss Hayes was left wondering what might have been.
Thank you for fantastic support, Blues!
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW)
She told DAZN: “It’s just h…
Timo Werner won a penalty on his Chelsea debut as second-half goals from Reece James and Kurt Zouma ensured they began the Premier League season with a 3-1 win at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Werner and Kai Havertz, the marquee signings of a free-spending transfer window for Chelsea, were each named in a front three for the visit to the Amex Stadium.
The former was key in breaking the deadlock, which Jorginho did in the 23rd minute after Werner was brought down by Mat Ryan.
Lucas Trossard briefly restored parity but a spectacular strike from James and a fortuitous one by Zouma sealed maximum points for Frank Lampard s men.
Neither goalkeeper was troubled in the first 20 minutes before Brighton gifted Chelsea the opening goal with some careless play in their …
Following a run of four consecutive defeats, Serie A side Atalanta have opted to dismiss coach Stefano Colantuono and replace him with Edoardo Reja.
Colantuono who helped Atalanta back into the top flight during 2010-11 leaves the club three points off the relegation zone having won just five times in the league all season.
After five years with the club, the 52-year-old is replaced by Reja, who had been out of work since leaving Lazio in June.
Reja s first game in charge comes on Sunday when Atalanta are due to face financially-troubled Parma at Stadio Ennio Tardini.
Atalanta B.C. communicate that they have dismissed coach Stefano Colantuono, who will be replaced by Mr Edy Reja, read a statement on Atalanta s website.
The club expresses pr…
One-time Australia and Melbourne Victory defender Matthew Kemp has announced his retirement from A-League football, effective immediately.
Kemp will return home to Adelaide with his family and insists injuries did not influence his decision.
I could have continued playing, but my decision was more based on the future. I felt it was time to look ahead, re-train in areas that will provide future professional opportunities and most importantly, give me a chance to spend more time with my family, said the 2009/10 Melbourne Victory Clubman of Year.
After joining Victory in 2007 from rivals Adelaide United, Kemp made 79 appearances and played in the 2008/09 Premiership/Championship-winning team.
The 31-year-old s form also earned him an international cap agai…
Marseille have announced Elie Baup as their new coach just two days after the departure of Didier Deschamps.
The 57-year-old coach, who has been out of the game since being fired by Nantes three years ago, has put pen to paper on a contract which ties him to the Stade Velodrome until 2014.
Elie Baup is named coach of l OM for two seasons, a statement on the club s website read.
He should now travel to Crans-Montana, where the players have been in training since Wednesday. He will be presented to the press on Thursday afternoon.
Baup won the Ligue 1 title with Bordeaux in 1999 and drew plenty of plaudits for guiding Toulouse into the qualifying stages of the Champions League on the back of a stunning third place finish in Ligue 1 five years ago.
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The Juventus side that starts against Udinese on Sunday will be markedly different to recent seasons as the champions go in search of a fifth successive Serie A title.
Massimiliano Allegri s men were unable to add European success to recent their domestic dominance when they were beaten by Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final in May and there have been wholesale changes at the Turin club since then.
Alongside established Serie A prospects such as Roberto Pereyra and Paulo Dybala, Allegri has brought in Mario Mandzukic and Sami Khedira while also fending off interest in Paul Pogba for the time being at least.
Allegri has lost Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal, so the new faces will be under pressure to fill the void left by such a key trio.
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Paris Saint-Germain have signed Thiago Silva from AC Milan for a reported fee of 42 million euros, according to the Ligue 1 club s website.
The Brazil international, 27, had been linked with a move to the Parc des Princes throughout the off-season, and he has now made the switch to the French capital, where he is expected to be joined by his former Milan team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He has agreed a five-year contract worth a reported 7.5m euros per year, including 1.5m euros in bonuses, and becomes the second most expensive defender in the world after Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand.
After previous failed spells in Europe with Dynamo Moscow and Porto, Thiago Silva returned to the continent in 2009 with AC Milan from Fluminense and lifted the Serie …
Bolivia have had two of their 2018 World Cup qualifiers declared to be forfeited by FIFA after they fielded an ineligible player.
Bolivia s 2-0 victory over Peru on September 1 and 0-0 draw with Chile five days later have been expunged from the records, with their opponents awarded 3-0 wins instead. The Bolivian Football Association (FBF) has also been handed a fine of 12,000 Swiss francs (US$12,250).
The sanctions are related to Paraguay-born defender Nelson Cabrera, who has played for Bolivian club Bolivar since 2012.
Cabrera made his Bolivia debut in a friendly against the United States in May 2016 after winning a cap for Paraguay in 2007 and represented the country at the Copa America Centenario last June.
However, his participation in two 2018 …
The war of words between Gerard Houllier and David Ginola over France s failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup has been reopened.
Houllier was coach of the France side that missed out on the finals in the United States, with their qualification hopes shattered in a now infamous final Group 6 clash with Bulgaria.
France needed a draw with Bulgaria in November 1993 to progress and were level at 1-1 until the visitors netted a late winner after launching a counter from a failed Ginola cross, leaving Houllier to blame the winger for the elimination.
Ginola sued Houllier for alleged defamatory remarks about him in the former Liverpool manager s 2011 book Coaches Secrets , although the lawsuit was thrown out by a French court.
Houllier reignited the row …
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been in touch with Brazil coach Tite to discuss Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred.
Fred was linked with a move to City in the January transfer window, with the player hinting he would be open to joining the Premier League leaders.
A friend gave me the news saying that City and Guardiola were interested in me, Fred said. I m happy to be so well known in Europe.
And Tite has revealed Guardiola has contacted him about the 25-year-old, who has a chance of being selected for the World Cup.
Fred? He s played a lot [for Shakhtar], Tite said to UOL.
He is good. In an exchange of cards, Guardiola asked me about him.
Fred was included in Tite s squad for November s World Cup qualifiers, but did no…