15 h. ago Luke Littler's new 'female friend' joins him on family holiday as beautician's relationship with darts star goes from strength to strength in heartwarming snap

The 18-year-old is enduring a rocky period at the oche, suffering a disappointing defeat in the Premier League final last month when he lost against rival Luke Humphries.

Events

31 h. ago Enzo Maresca has not spoken to Mykhailo Mudryk since May, manager reveals

Chelsea manager still trusts wingerMudryk faces ban after failed drugs testEnzo Maresca has said he has not spoken to Mykhailo Mudryk since the Football Association announced on Wednesday that the Chelsea winger has been charged with doping offences. Mudryk is facing a four-year ban if he is found guilty by the FA of taking a banned substance.Maresca said he still trusts the Ukraine international and plans to check on his welfare soon, but Chelsea’s head coach added that he has had no contact with the 24-year-old since May. “I spoke with Misha in Poland when we played the Conference League final,” he said. “I didn’t speak with him since that time. Continue reading...

Politics

38 h. ago Jill Roord: ‘I lost my happiness in football a little bit. I needed to move home’

The Netherlands midfielder, once Manchester City’s record signing, talks about rejoining the club in her heart, FC Twente, and the upcoming EurosFor Jill Roord, even after winning the Bundesliga title and getting to a Champions League final, eight years on from saying goodbye to FC Twente, there is simply no place like home. The 107-time capped Netherlands midfielder is this summer returning to the club where she began her career and, in an exclusive interview with the Guardian, she explains why the opportunity to move back closer to her family and friends was irresistible.“It had nothing to do with City. My time with City was really good,” says Roord, as she explains her decision to leave the club after two years. “I have been away for eight years playing abroad and it becomes tough being alone for that many years. In the past few years I lost my fun and my happiness in football a little bit because of being away, travelling a lot and not being able to be with family and friends, a...

Politics

57 h. ago Chelsea star Malo Gusto shows true colours as he aims to rebound from final nightmare

Chelsea star Malo Gusto had a night to forget in the UEFA Conference League final but the right-back has spoken about his efforts to rebound from the huge setback

Sport

61 h. ago Supercomputer predicts Premier League 2025/26 champions with Man Utd shock in final table

A supercomputer has predicted the 2025/26 Premier League season following the release of the fixtures on Wednesday morning, and it's not good reading for Manchester United fans

Sport

65 h. ago Supercomputer predicts final Premier League table for 2025/26 season as fixtures released

The Premier League fixtures have been announced with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all gunning to win the title as Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland bid to secure survival

Politics

2 d. ago Football hooligan crackdown ordered by justice minister after Old Firm experience

The SNP minister told how she could barely breathe or see the action on the pitch as “ultras” lit hundreds of pyros at the Scottish League Cup Final in December.

Politics

2 d. ago Merciless Panthers win second successive Stanley Cup after beating Oilers again

Florida win Game 6 to claim series 4-2Panthers also beat Oilers in last year’s finalThe Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 of the final on Tuesday night, becoming the NHL’s first back-to-back winners since Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, and the third team to do so this century.Sam Reinhart scored four goals, becoming just the fourth player in league history to achieve the feat in a Stanley Cup final game. His third to complete the hat-trick sent rats, along with hats, flying on to the ice. Matthew Tkachuk, one of the faces of the franchise, fittingly scored the Cup clincher. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Cole Palmer urged to take initiative ‘from first minute’ by Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca

Palmer appeared critical of the side’s approach in their victory in the UEFA Conference League final last month.

Politics

3 d. ago Football's teen wonderboy Lamine Yamal, 17, takes a luxury holiday with flight attendant 13 years his senior, as Barcelona forward releases statement

Yamal, 17, is currently having some well-earned downtime after his Spain side were beaten on penalties by Portugal in the Nations League final earlier this month.

Events

3 d. ago Chelsea: Enzo Maresca reveals talks with Cole Palmer over 'bored' comments

Maresca asks Palmer to take ‘initiative' after Blues star said he was ‘sick of going backwards or sideways’ during Conference League final

Politics

5 d. ago Relentless Chelsea see chance to test evolving squad at Club World Cup

Keeping up with the pace of change in Maresca’s squad is far from easy and their US trip will be more of the sameThis is the never-ending season but Chelsea show no sign of wanting to slow down. They intend to embrace Fifa’s newly revamped Club World Cup – a potential £97m prize pot for the eventual winners is quite the draw in an age of intense financial scrutiny, after all – and have travelled to the US knowing that the tournament gives them an opportunity to find out more about a squad that has evolved in the short space of time since Enzo Maresca’s side beat Real Betis in the Uefa Conference League final on 28 May.There has been little time to pause for breath before Chelsea get up and running in Group D by facing the Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC in Atlanta on Monday. Some players have had a 10-day break, others have been away on international duty and there has been no sign of anyone in the recruitment department taking a bit of annual leave. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Tottenham to make Mathys Tel move permanent with £30m transfer fee

French forward joined Spurs on loan in FebruaryThomas Frank looks to reunite with Brentford’s MbeumoTottenham are expected to seal the permanent signing of Mathys Tel for a fee of about €35m (£30m) in the next 48 hours. Spurs paid Bayern Munich a €10m loan fee to sign the forward for the second half of the Premier League season.The 20-year-old scored two goals in 13 league appearances, 11 of which were starts, but was an unused substitute for Spurs’ Europa League final triumph over Manchester United, which resulted in their first trophy for 17 years. Continue reading...

Economics

6 d. ago Scots 'gangland' double shooting accused named as Brit after Spanish bar bloodbath

Scots Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan were shot dead at Monaghans Bar in Costa del Sol at around 11pm on May 31 after they watched the Champions League final

Events

7 d. ago Thomas Frank is just what Tottenham need but will he be given time to prove it? | Jonathan Wilson

Manager is flexible but a slow starter with limited experience in Europe, and arrives as the love still lingers for former managerBrøndby appointed Thomas Frank as manager in June 2013 and did not win any of their first eight games of the 2013-14 season. Brentford appointed Frank as manager in October 2018 and lost eight of their following 10 games. So nobody should panic if Frank begins slowly at Tottenham.In reality, though, the first couple of months will be a major challenge for the Dane. These are not easy circumstances for anybody to take the Spurs job. Usually a manager takes over after a run of poor form, with fans and players ready for a change and a regression to the mean in the offing. Spurs have been on a run of poor form: one win in 12 league games over the final three months of the season, but in that time they also won the Europa League, which means everything is seen in a different light. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Paddy Power offer: Get 50/1 on Yanited to win Baller League final

Paddy Power is offering new customers the chance to get in on the Baller League final action

Sport

8 d. ago Chris Wilder 'set to be sacked' by Sheffield United ahead of crunch meeting

Sheffield United missed out on promotion to the Premier League after losing the Championship play-off final and could now be about to make a shock managerial change

Politics

9 d. ago Asia benefits from World Cup expansion as AFC qualification delivers thrills | John Duerden

There are concerns that quality at the 2026 tournament will be diluted but giving Asia more places has brought a new dimension to qualificationJeddah is more relaxed and laid-back than Riyadh. Tony Popovic should know. On Tuesday, for the second time in his coaching career, he left Saudi Arabia with a big prize, though back in 2014, it had been a far more fierce fight. Then, Western Sydney Wanderers went to the capital to defend their 1-0 first leg lead in the Asian Champions League final and, despite the best that Al Hilal could throw at them, held firm amid the storm for the most unlikely of trophy wins. This week, however, there was a five-goal cushion by the Red Sea, meaning there was only ever going to be one outcome: a seventh World Cup appearance. After successive playoff qualifications, to advance directly to North America is a welcome change and to do so with wins against Japan and Saudi Arabia is especially pleasing.It may have ended calmly, but this campaign has been a re...

Politics

9 d. ago Micky van de Ven gives honest verdict on Ange Postecoglou sacking

Postecoglou was sacked just 16 days after Tottenham’s triumph in the Europa League final

Politics

9 d. ago Football tourists help Manchester cement place among UK’s busiest airports

Northwest hub and London Heathrow saw passenger numbers soar for Europa League final in Bilbao between United and Spurs

Society