The sudden and swift acquisition of Juan Mata by Manchester United seemed to have hit a bog, but with Jose Mourinho speaking on the near-completed deal earlier today, it’s now even closer.
Manchester United today confirmed via Twitter that the club has agreed with Chelsea on a club-record transfer fee for the 25-year-old Spaniard.
Personal terms have yet to be agreed upon and a medical still must be completed, but by all accounts the player is up for the switch.
No specific number was given by the Manchester club, and they said further announcements would come “in due time.”
However, with confirmation that the deal is a club record, it surpasses the fee they paid Tottenham Hotspur for Dimitar Berbatov in 2008, reportedly around £31 million ($51.1 million). Mata’s fee should exceed that by a considerable amount.
The deal is an outstanding one for all parties.
Manchester United get their playmaker to carry the burden of bringing the club back into the top four. Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes both still believe the club can challenge for the title (publicly, at least), but realistically that’s way beyond lost.
Chelsea sold a player they weren’t using, and while it’s to a Premier League rival, Arsene Wenger can pipe down since Moyes and company are far behind in the title race (and one only needs to conjure up the words “Van Persie” and they have proof of the Arsenal manager’s hypocrisy).
Mata is goalless on the year, but has 17 goals and 30 assists the previous two Premier League seasons with Chelsea.
Manchester City is on the chase for a historic treble and standing in the way is Inter Milan, one of Europe’s precious few to claim such an honor.
The Premier League winners three times running could have an FA Cup under their belt by the time the Champions League Final in Istanbul arrives on June 10.
Should City get past rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup Final, Pep Guardiola could lead a second club to a treble after he did it with Barcelona in 2008-09.
And it would forever burn United to have domestic company on the treble stage right down the road.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Manchester City vs Inter Milan.
Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 1998-99.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils are the lone Premier Leagueb club to win it.
How many times has the treble been won?
Nine times in history has a team won its domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup.
Bayern Munich and Barcelona have each done it twice, with Bayern doing it in 2012-13 and 2019-20 and Barca pulling it off in 2008-09 and 2014-15.
Celtic was the first to win a treble, doing it in 1966-67, while Ajax was the next in 1971-72.
PSV Eindhoven then won it in 1987-88 before Man United made it happen 11 years later. Inter Milan is the only Italian team to pull it off, winning in 2009-10.
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Man City (-250) vs Inter Milan (+625) | Draw over 120 mins (+380)
Over 2.5 goals (-160). Under 2.5 goals (+110)
Champions League Final predictions
Joe Prince-Wright: Man City 2-1 Inter Milan
Andy Edwards: Man City 3-1 Inter Milan
Nick Mendola: Man City 2-0 Inter Milan
Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish
After reaching the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup, the USMNT have a big 2023 coming up as they aim to build off a successful showing on the world’s biggest stage.
For the next few months CONCACAF Nations League takes center stage, while the program is very much in transition as Anthony Hudson was in temporary charge but he has now moved on with B.J. Callaghan taking over an interim basis as the search for a new permanent head coach continues.
After both the general manager (Brian McBride) and sporting director (Earnie Stewart) left in recent months, Matt Crocker has arrived as U.S. Soccer’s new sporting director and has some huge decisions coming up as the USMNT’s talented youngsters need some guidance with a World Cup on home soil just three years away.
As for now, here is the USMNT’s upcoming schedule for 2023, with plenty more games to be added based on their qualification for the 2023 Gold Cup on home soil.
vs Mexico ** — June 15, 10pm ET — Las Vegas, Nevada (Nations League semifinal)
2023 Gold Cup from June 16 to July 19
vs Jamaica**** — June 24, 9:30pm ET — Chicago, Illinois
vs TBD**** — June 28, 9:30pm ET — St. Louis, Missouri
vs Nicaragua**** — July 2, 7pm ET — Charlotte, North Carolina
October 2023
vs Germany* — October 14, 3pm ET — Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
vs Ghana* — October 17, 8:30pm ET — GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN
USMNT games in 2022
vs. Morocco* — June 1 — Win 3-0
vs. Uruguay* — June 5 — Draw 0-0
vs. Grenada** — June 10 — Win 5-0
at El Salvador** — June 14 — Draw 1-1
vs Japan* — Sept. 23 (in Dusseldorf, Germany) — Loss 2-0
vs Saudi Arabia* — Sept. 27 (in Murcia, Spain) — Draw 0-0
USMNT at 2022 World Cup
Group B
vs. Wales*** — Nov. 21, 2 pm ET — Draw 1-1
vs. England*** — Nov. 25, 2 pm ET — Draw 0-0
vs. Iran*** — Nov. 29, 2 pm ET — Win 1-0
Last 16
vs. Netherlands*** — Dec. 3, 10 am ET — Loss 3-1
USMNT 2022 World Cup qualifying scores, recaps, analysis
at El Salvador — Sept. 2 — Draw 0-0
vs. Canada — Sept. 5 — Draw 1-1
at Honduras — Sept. 8 — Win 4-1
vs. Jamaica — Oct. 7 — Win 1-0
at Panama — Oct. 10 — Loss 0-1
vs. Costa Rica — Oct. 13 — Win 2-1
vs. Mexico — Nov. 12 — Win 2-0
at Jamaica — Nov. 16 — Draw 1-1
vs. El Salvador — Jan. 27 — Win 1-0
at Canada — Jan. 30 — Loss 0-2
vs. Honduras — Feb. 2 — Win 3-0
at Mexico — March 24 — Draw 0-0
vs. Panama — March 27 — Win 5-1
at Costa Rica — March 30 — Loss 0-2
The USWNT 2023 World Cup jerseys have arrived and the Stars and Stripes will certainly stand out from the crowd at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand this summer.
Vlatko Andonovski’s side are going for a third-straight World Cup title, something which has never been achieved in the history of the men’s and women’s game.
Led by Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn, this USWNT side have so much experience but there are also exciting young talents coming through with Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman excelling in recent months.
Below is a closer look at the the new USWNT 2023 World Cup jerseys, with the away kit also to be worn by the USMNT.
U.S. Soccer say that the inspiration for the jerseys are “from abstract expressionism, an international art movement that started in the 1940s in New York and shifted the art epicenter from Europe to the U.S., similar to what the USA team has done for women’s soccer.”
They add there is “a custom USA ‘signature'” as the “bespoke mark is hand painted with ink on paper, and is a nod to the abstract expressionism movement, where each artist would sign their painting. Lastly, the USA’s inner pride mark celebrates the USWNT’s four Women’s World Cup championships in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019.”
When it comes to the home kit, U.S. Soccer say it is “an unexpected take on the tradition of wearing white at home and features a bespoke drip paint technique pattern. Highlighting the energy of the USWNT and how they are diverse players and personalities, but always united, the action painting method pattern features a distinctive placement, making every single jersey unique.”
Courtesy: US Soccer
For the blue away kit, which will be worn by both the USWNT and USMNT, there are “bespoke stars and stripe print on the sleeve cuffs – a diagonal stripe with intersecting stars – and a neckline that also features red blades, formed to look like the tip of stars.”
They add that those shapes are “subtle, patriotic nods to the hidden shapes that are inspired by abstract expressionism art.”
Courtesy: US Soccer
Here is a look at both USWNT World Cup jerseys in a little more detail, plus the USMNT showing off their new away kits.
With Burnley and Sheffield United sealing automatic promotion back to the Premier League, all eyes were on the two teams in the Championship playoff final.
It was Luton Town who outlasted Coventry City in penalties following a tense, scrappy 1-1 over 120 minutes that saw the Hatters lead in the first half but concede in the second frame.
Luton was last in the top-flight in 1992, relegated just before the top-flight was rebranded to become the Premier League, and Coventry were last in the Premier League in 2001. As of 2018, both Luton and Coventry were both in the fourth-tier of English football.
Vincent Kompany and Burnley won the EFL Championship title on April 25 after beating Blackburn Rovers, as the Clarets bounced back at the first time of asking. Sheffield United finished in second place and were promoted after two seasons down in the second tier following their relegation in 2021.
As for the playoffs, third-place Luton Town beat sixth-place Sunderland 3-2 on aggregate in the semifinals, while Coventry City edged past Middlesbrough 1-0 in a tight semifinal tie as it will be Luton against Coventry in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday, May 27.
The richest game in football saw a minnow (Luton Town) and a team which has recovered from financial turmoil multiple times (Coventry) square off for a spot in the big time. And now we know the three teams who will join 17 survivors in the 2023-24 Premier League: Clarets, Blades, and Hatters. Oh my.
Saturday, May 13
Sunderland 2-1 Luton Town (Diallo 39′, Hume 63′; Adebayo 11′)
Sunday, May 14
Coventry City 0-0 Middlesbrough
Tuesday, May 16
Luton Town 2-0 (3-2 agg.) Sunderland (Osho 10′, Lockyer 43′)
Wednesday, May 17
3pm ET: Middlesbrough 0-1 (0-1 agg.) Coventry City (Hamer 57′)
How much money is promotion to the Premier League worth?
The prize for being promoted to the Premier League is obviously all about reaching the top-flight. But there is also some serious money involved.
It is estimated that promotion from the Championship to the Premier League is worth around $210 million to each club over a three-season period.
That is due to shared TV income, increased sponsorship opportunities and a whole host of other income revenues improving, while the club also receives parachute payments over three years if they are relegated back to the Championship at the first time of asking. Those parachute payments see relegated teams receive a lower percentage of their previous income from being in the Premier League to help them recalibrate to life in the second tier.
Simply put, promotion to the Premier League for just one season significantly improves the financial health of any Championship club for several years.
How were Burnley promoted?
Vincent Kompany’s Burnley have been a complete force, scoring the Championship’s most goals and conceding the fewest in a manner that would make his old boss, Pep Guardiola, quite proud.
Burnley’s been led by Nathan Tella’s massive goal haul as the Clarets have six players with five or more goals. Josh Brownhill has also excelled in midfield.
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany (Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images)
How were Sheffield United promoted?
Sheffield United are back in the Premier League after a two-year absence and the Blades caused a fuss in the FA Cup, losing to Manchester City in the semifinals.
23-year-old Senegalese international Iliman Ndiaye led the way in attack with Oliver McBurnie and James McAtee also having fine campaigns.
