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FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said he was ‘frustrated’ with his players for blowing a two-goal lead against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinals.

The Catalans fell 2-0 down in Montjuic inside six minutes thanks to goals by Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann for the visitors.

And while Barca rallied back to lead 4-2, they once again allowed Diego Simeone’s men to net twice and tie the first leg of the last four tie 4-4 when all was said and done.

“After what has happened, what I can say is that I am disappointed with the result. We played great football and created a lot of chances after conceding two goals at the beginning. But in the end we conceded too many chances, they are very good in attack and you can’t give them so many chances. At half-time I had already warned that we couldn’t give them so much,” Flick revealed post-match.

“It’s not easy now to explain the match. We are disappointed, but the game was beautiful. I focus more on this to maintain the confidence of the players. It can’t be on what happened, it seemed too easy but we were facing a wonderful team. They have a lot of power and it is not easy to defend them. We have seen that we just need to give them an opportunity for them take advantage of it,” the German added.

With the deciding leg set to be contested at the Metropolitano on April 2, Flick hopes that his team plays like the “75 or 80 minutes where we have dominated”.
“I expect this. I hope we win, we have to talk about the goals this week, but we have a very young team and they have improved a lot this season. After the break [in March for internationals], everything will be possible. We can win,” Flick insisted.
Back in December, Barca of course blew a lead against Atleti, which then came back to steal all three points in La Liga via a 2-1 comeback win.

On this occasion, though, Flick sees differences between the league and cup fixtures.
“It is a cup match and all the teams like this competition. All the teams try to find solutions and do different things. We are also strong in possession, but they have a fantastic team,” he began explaining.
“We defended well for 75 minutes, and then we failed. The fourth goal we conceded seemed incredible to me, we will have to talk about it. But the most important thing is how we play, I think the fans liked it, and it’s important for me to know that the team is confident, especially with how young they are

“It gives me confidence for the future. I’m sad and frustrated for the last ten minutes because for a while we were at the highest level. I’m happy with 95% of things, but not with the other five. That is why we have to work,” Flick concluded.
For Barca, attention now turns back to the league and its hosting of Real Sociedad on Sunday afternoon in Catalonia.

Pep Guardiola spoke after the defeat to Liverpool of the bright future at Manchester City despite the dark days of recent months.
City have seen their Premier League defence, Champions League ambitions and Carabao Cup hopes go up in smoke over the course of 14 defeats in their last 27 games. The FA Cup and Club World Cup offer routes to silverware this season but attention is already turning to the future.

City started the process in the January transfer window with a flurry of signings. Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez can be considered players for the here and now but also with the potential to develop and grow while Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis can be long term defensive options.

And then there is Claudio Echeverri. Signed more than a year ago but now finally part of the City squad after a 12-month loan back at former club River Plate and a month spent with Argentina in the prestigious Under-20 South American Championship. That yielded a series of impressive showings but only a second place finish to Brazil.

Excitement has built around Echeverri’s arrival with the talented teenager backed for a bright future. City want to assess his level over the next few months as they weigh up the best path for him next season. There is a possibility that he could remain with Guardiola and the first team squad, as Julian Alvarez did following his move in 2022, although the expectation is that he will head to Europe on loan next season.

The attacking midfielder will train with his new team-mates on Thursday and could feature in the FA Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday. While throwing the youngster in on limited training time would be a big ask of the Argentine, Echeverri is likely to have a prominent role to play at City in the coming years and a home game against a struggling Championship side represents a chance to offer him minutes from the bench.
As Guardiola said last weekend, “I saw a bright future.” Echeverri could very much be part of it.

After Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Manchester City last weekend, ex-defender Carragher was on the panel for Sky Sports alongside Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge.

When the discussion moved to Mohamed Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or – with the Liverpool winger already bagging 30 goals and 21 assists this season – the Egyptian was compared with the likes of Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona winger Raphina. In previous years, Salah has never finished higher than fifth in the overall rankings, and last year was not even on the 30-man shortlist.

Carragher, who played 508 games for the Reds, then gave his thoughts on why Salah doesn’t end up ranking higher. He said: “I think the problem is the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such or maybe got a great chance of winning.

“I think it’s either the Champions League or a major tournament, the player who excels in that, like Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe right now.”

Fellow pundits Richards and Sturridge were quick to point out that AFCON is a major tournament; it’s the African equivalent of the Euros or Copa America. In the moment, Carragher appeared to mouth the words, “Oh my God,” and made eye contact with the camera.

Since the incident, Carragher has come under fire from fans and pundits alike. Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand said: “That comment is representative of the majority of people out there, I think it’s an ignorant thought process. It should be respected more than it is. I understand what Jamie’s saying but I don’t agree with it, that’s a majority view and it’s not right.

“What Jamie’s saying, and he’s right, if Salah won AFCON, it would have no bearing on anyone’s voting on the Ballon d’Or and that’s wrong, that was one of the parts he was arguing about.”

Salah’s former Egyptian teammate Ahmed Elmohamady also hit back at the ex-Liverpool defender, adding: “Jamie Carragher doesn’t know what major tournaments are because he never won one.”

In a lengthy thread on X, Carragher responded to the intense criticism he has faced.

He said: “The point I was trying to make yesterday was that Mo Salah is at a disadvantage playing for Egypt in terms of him winning the Ballon d’Or. If Salah had an average season at Liverpool, but won the AFCON and was player of the tournament then I don’t think he would win the Ballon d’Or

“I don’t think AFCON carries the weight of other tournaments. But if Mbappe had an average season at Real Madrid but won the World Cup or Euros, then he would still have a great opportunity. It’s not just about certain tournaments – [Andriy] Shevchenko and[Robert] Lewandowski were never going to win the World Cup or Euros to help their case for the prize.

“I don’t think it’s controversial at all really it’s just a fact. I know [Sadio] Mane came second a few years back after winning the tournament, but that alone wouldn’t have got him to that position. It was Liverpool being two games away from [winning the] quadruple that also played a big role.

“It’s not disrespectful if I feel the World Cup, Euros, Champions League are better tournaments. That’s just my opinion when I watch them. Saying it wasn’t a major competition was clumsy but I think most people watching could understand the point I was trying to make.

“The face I pulled when Micah interjected was nothing to do with the merits of the tournament, I just knew as soon as he did what the reaction was going to be! I get a lot people didn’t like what I said and that’s fine.”

Galatasaray have accused Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho of making “racist statements” following a 0-0 draw between the bitter Istanbul rivals. It was not immediately clear what comments Galatasaray were referring to and former Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs coach Mourinho has not responded publicly to the allegation. Speaking following Monday’s league draw at Galatasaray, the Portuguese coach reportedly said the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys”. He also reportedly repeated his criticism of Turkish referees.
The game was refereed by Slovenia’s Slavko Vincic, said to have been appointed after a request from both clubs that a foreign official take charge of the high-profile encounter.

In its statement, Galatasaray said it would launch criminal proceedings against the 62-year-old Mourinho.
“Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people,” the club said.
“Today his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric.

We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.
“Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahce — an institution professing to uphold ‘exemplary moral values’ — in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager.”

There was no immediate comment from Fenerbahce, who are second in the Super Lig six points behind Galatasaray.

Jamie Carragher has labelled Rio Ferdinand a ‘clown’ after the former Manchester United defender waded into the controversy over his AFCON comments.

Carragher, 47, landed in himself in hot water after appearing to dismiss the notion that the Africa Cup of Nations is a major tournament. Speaking on Sky Sports after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday, the ex-Reds centre-back felt that Mohamed Salah playing in AFCON counted against his case to be the best player in the world.

On the latest episode of his podcast, Ferdinand claimed that Carragher’s assessment is representative of the majority view and implored FIFA to help bring its prestige in line with the European Championship and Copa America.

‘I think [what he said] is representative of most of the people out there,’ said Ferdinand. ‘But I don’t think that’s right. It’s an ignorant thought process.
‘If you go to Didier Drogba, Abedi Pele , Samuel Eto, Riyad Mahrez, Mo Salah or Sadio Mane, they’ll tell you “we have to win this” – there’s demand in their country to win this.
‘Yes, it doesn’t get backed resources wise like the Euros but that doesn’t mean you have to devalue it. It should be respected more than it is.’

Salah, 32, has never lifted the African continental title, but has twice on two occasions, doing so in 2017 and 2021.

He is the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or this year, with him in the midst of a historic individual season for the Reds who could claim three major prizes this term.
Ferdinand added:  ‘I understand what Jamie’s saying but I don’t agree with it. That’s the majority’s fault and its not right. I think the federations like FIFA need to make sure they implement language around AFCON so it equals the Euros and the Copa America.
‘Jamie is right in what he is saying. If Salah won AFCON that would have no bearing on anyone when they vote for the Ballon d’Or, which is absolutely wrong.’
However, Carragher wasn’t happy with the former United defender’s take.
‘I didn’t say that you clown,’ Carragher commented on the Instagram post of his former rival discussing the subject. ‘Stop playing to the gallery like you always do.’
The social media spat comes after Carragher was also labelled as ‘unforgivably ignorant’ by former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys for downplaying the significance of the tournament.
Writing in his blog post, Keys, 67, did not explicitly mention Carragher but made clear reference to the debate surrounding his comments.

Keys wrote: ‘Never mind the PL’s best ever – Mo Salah might just be Liverpool’s best ever – despite the fact he’s never played in a big tournament. Seriously. What ignorance. Unforgivable ignorance’.
‘Time and again down the years I’ve referenced the arrogance of so-called experts that live and work within the borders of the UK who think nothing beyond their territory matters.
‘It’s why our WC here in Qatar was dismissed by so many of them – despite it going on to be the best ever – climaxing with the best games of football I’ve ever seen. ‘‘Qatar?’’, they asked. ‘‘Not England? Why? How could that happen?’’

‘I’m slightly off course, so let me correct that. In a stat-based world, here’s one to think about. In Egypt alone, we at beINSPORTS probably had in excess of 100m people watching the showdown of the Egyptian Kings on Sunday. And that number doesn’t take into account the 22 other nations in our territory.

‘Yeah. Egypt, who’re the most successful team in AFCON history, having won it seven times. Salah hasn’t won it yet – but he gets another chance towards the end of the year. Still – it’s not one of the big tournaments is it? It’s not played in England – or Europe, so it can’t be.’

Leicester City have made two changes to their coaching set up following a run of dreadful results in the Premier League, but manager Ruud van Nistelrooy remains in his post, the club confirmed on Monday.

Two of Van Nistelrooy’s assistants — Ben Dawson and Danny Alcock — have departed in the wake of a 4-0 home loss to Brentford that left Leicester five points from safety.
It was their sixth straight home defeat without scoring, a record in the Premier League.

Van Nistelrooy took charge in November and has had 13 games in the Premier League, winning just two of them and losing 10 to leave his position under threat.
This is just his second senior role in management, after a spell with PSV Eindhoven. He also had a brief stint this season as interim manager at Manchester United, where he spent five years as a player.
Dawson and Alcock were first-team coaches who joined Leicester at the start of the season and served first under Steve Cooper, who was sacked in November and replaced by Van Nistelrooy.
“We place on record our thanks to Ben and Danny for their contribution and service and wish them both well in the next steps of their respective careers,” a club statement said.

Manchester United have announced plans to make up to another 200 staff redundant as part of their continuing cost-cutting measures.
United announced their first wave of job losses last season with around 250 employees leaving in the summer. The latest cuts — unveiled just days after the one-year anniversary of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival as co-owner — will be in addition to those redundancies and will affect between 150 and 200 club staff.

“We have a responsibility to put Manchester United in the strongest position to win across our men’s, women’s and academy teams,” CEO Omar Berrada said in a statement released on Monday. “We are initiating a wide-ranging series of measures which will transform and renew the club.

“Unfortunately, this means announcing further potential redundancies and we deeply regret the impact on those affected colleagues. However, these hard choices are necessary to put the club back on a stable financial footing.”
Sources says that staff will find out if they are affected by the cuts between April and June.
United have announced losses of more than £300 million ($379m) over the last three years.
Last week, the club issued their latest financial results which showed revenues have dropped to £198.7m for the final three months of 2024, down from £225.8m for the same period a year earlier.

In addition to further redundancies, United are planning to move some staff from offices at Old Trafford to their Carrington training ground. There will also be a “reduced presence” at their London office in Mayfair.

In a staff meeting on Monday, staff were also informed that free lunches at Old Trafford will come to an end. A source said that bosses expect the move to save the club more than £1m every year.

Sources added  that the club will focus its charitable donations on the Manchester United Foundation (MUF) and Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association, with conversations ongoing with the MUF over the value of the contributions.

Fiorentina forward Moise Kean has been released from the hospital after collapsing on the field during a Serie A match on Sunday following a head injury.
Kean was carried off on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital after the incident in the second half of Fiorentina´s match at Hellas Verona.

“Fiorentina can confirm that Moise Kean was discharged from hospital in Verona overnight and has returned to Florence. Medical and diagnostic tests all produced negative results,” his club said in a brief statement on Monday.

Kean had been hit in the face and received treatment for a deep cut on his eyebrow before returning to the game. But a few minutes later he fell down to the grass. The Italy international did not appear to lose consciousness.
It was the second time that a Fiorentina player collapsed this season, after Edoardo Bove lost consciousness in December. Bove was placed in a medically induced coma and then had a heart defibrillator implanted.
Kean is having the best season of his career, with 15 goals scored.

Verona went on to beat Fiorentina 1-0 with Antoine Bernede netting the winner five minutes into stoppage time. Fiorentina´s next match is on Friday, at home to Lecce.

Philippe Clement had been on borrowed time as Rangers manager with the Ibrox club heading into months of seismic change as takeover talk continues to engulf the narrative around Govan.

Saturday’s latest sobering 2-0 loss at home to St Mirren was the latest reminder that furious fans wanted the Belgian gone, as was the case 13 days ago following their worst-ever Scottish Cup defeat at the hands of Queen’s Park. And reports on Sunday night confirmed Clement had been SACKED.

‘Sack Philippe Clement’ GoFundMe page launched

Fed up Rangers supporters launched an ambitious fundraiser calling for manager Philippe Clement to be relieved of his duties on Saturday – but the appeal ended up well short of their £1.2million target amid claims that is the figure that Ibrox chiefs would need to fork out to pull the trigger.

The Belgian boss was still under contract for another three-and-a-half years after penning an extension earlier in the season, but fans started a desperate campaign to end Clement’s turbulent spell in charge of the club after he was left clinging onto his job following the 2-0 Premiership defeat to St Mirren on Saturday.

Many punters were at breaking point after a GoFundMe page was created and titled ‘Sack Philippe Clement’ in an attempt to raise enough money that could help pay-off the beleaguered former Monaco and Club Brugge boss. It reads: “Help raise enough funds to sack Rangers manager Philippe Clement! After the 1-0 Loss to Queen’s Park and now the 2-0 defeat to St. Mirren, Rangers fans call for Clement to get the boot.”

The page raised just £10 from two donations – £1,199,990 short of the figure required, but fans have finally got their wish.

Clement ‘a broken man’

Philippe Clement looked “a broken man” after Saturday’s latest Premiership defeat at St Mirren, according to Rangers hero Neil McCann who admitted on BBC Sportscene it’s was only a matter of time before the club’s hierarchy decide enough was enough.

“I’m really not sure he survives this one,” McCann said. “He looked a broken man at the end of that. He looked really down. As a manager, you’ve got to empower your team. You’ve got to emanate a confidence that you can change things. He’s got to show the fans he can change games.

“Sometimes you’ve got to change in-play as well. Sometimes changing personnel, but not how you’re playing does not give you a better outcome. There’s lots there contributing to Philippe coming under pressure, and i think he’ll come under pressure massively.”

Fiorentina striker Moise Kean collapsed on the pitch and was taken to hospital after sustaining a head injury during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Hellas Verona.

The former Everton, Paris St-Germain and Juventus forward’s face collided with Pawel Dawidowicz’s knee as he fell while battling for the ball in the 58th minute.

Kean, 24, carried on playing following treatment before losing his balance and falling to the floor in the 64th minute. Players from both teams alerted medics before the Serie A match was halted.

The Italy striker, who has 15 goals in the top flight this season, was taken off on a stretcher and was seen wearing a neck brace before being taken to hospital.
“Moise Kean, during the match against Verona, suffered a head trauma. [He] is in hospital for tests,” Fiorentina said.

When play resumed, Hellas Verona midfielder Antoine Bernede scored the only goal of the game in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
In December, Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch during a game against Inter Milan, which led to the match being abandoned.

Bove had successful surgery following the incident and had a removable defibrillator fitted to prevent fatal cardiac arrest.

One day, presumably, Lionel Messi will emerge from a postseason and look every bit of his years.
That day has not yet come, however, as the 37-year-old Argentine has started Inter Miami’s 2025 season in terrific shape.

The Herons got a Messi assist to take a lead at NYCFC in their MLS season opener, then went down a goal and a man before Messi — after around 100 minutes on the pitch — made sure his team got a point from the affair.
And so it’s no surprise that the David Beckham-owned Miami are among the favorites to win it all in MLS.

It’s going to be a very busy spring, summer, and fall for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, who are led by Javier Mascherano in their defense of the Supporters’ Shield and quest for a first MLS Cup.

What are Lionel Messi’s stats in MLS with Inter Miami?

Messi’s numbers are ridiculous even before the age qualifier, as the 37-year-old has 35 goals and 20 assists in 41 games with the club.

2025 season

MLS: 1 game, 2 assists
CONCACAF Champions Cup: 1 game, 1 goal
All competitions: 2 games, 1 goal, 2 assists

2024 season

MLS: 22 games, 21 goals, 11 assists
CONCACAF Champions Cup: 3 games, 2 goals, 2 assists
All competitions: 25 games, 23 goals, 13 assists
2023 season
MLS: 6 games, 1 goal, 2 assists
U.S. Open Cup: 1 game, 2 assists
Leagues Cup: 7 games, 10 goals, 1 assist
All competitions: 14 games, 11 goals, 5 assists

When did the 2025 MLS season start?

The 2025 MLS season kicked off on February 22.

What was Inter Miami’s first game of the 2025 MLS season?

The Herons drew New York City 2-2 on February 23. Messi set up both goals, sandwiched around a pair of NYCFC goals and a Miami red card. Drama.

Who are Inter Miami’s biggest contenders for MLS glory?

The likes of FC Cincinnati, LAFC, and reigning MLS Cup champs LA Galaxy are all hoping to make compete for Miami’s Supporters’ Shield and also make deep runs in the playoffs.

Inter Miami 2025 schedule, results

All kick off times listed as ET

CONCACAF Champions Cup schedule

February 19 — at Sporting KC — Won 1-0 — Started, 1 goal
February 25 — vs Sporting KC — 8pm

Inter Miami’s MLS regular season schedule

February 22 — vs New York City FC — Draw 2-2 — Started, 2 assists
March 2 — at Houston Dynamo, 7pm
March 9 — vs Charlotte FC, 4pm
March 16 — at Atlanta United, 7pm
March 29 — vs Philadelphia Union, 7:30pm
April 6 — vs Toronto FC, 7pm
April 13 — at Chicago Fire, 4:30pm
April 19 — at Columbus Crew, 4:30pm
April 26 — vs FC Dallas, 7:30pm
May 3 — vs New York Red Bulls, 7:30pm
May 10 — at Minnesota United, 4:30pm
May 14 — at San Jose Earthquakes, 10:30pm
Mat 18 — vs Orlando City, 7pm
May 24 — at Philadelphia Union, 7:30pm
May 28 — vs Montreal Impact, 7:30pm
May 31 — vs Columbus Crew, 7:30pm
June 28 — vs Atlanta United, 7:30pm
July 5 — at Montreal Impact, 7:30pm
July 9 — at New England Revolution, 7:30pm
July 12 — vs Nashville SC, 7:30pm
July 16 — at FC Cincinnati, 7:30pm
July 19 — at New York Red Bulls, 7:30pm
July 26 — vs FC Cincinnati, 7pm
August 10 — at Orlando City, 8pm
August 16 — vs LA Galaxy, 7:30pm
August 23 — at DC United, 7:30pm
August 30 — vs Chicago Fire, 7:30pm
September 13 — at Charlotte FC, 7:30pm
September 16 — vs Seattle Sounders, 7:30pm
September 20 — vs DC United, 7:30pm
September 24 — at New York City FC, 7:30pm
September 27 — at Toronto FC, 4:30pm
October 4 — vs New England Revolution, 7:30pm
October 18 — at Nashville SC, 6pm

FIFA Club World Cup schedule

June 14 — vs Al Ahly, 8pm
June 19 — vs Porto, 3pm
June 23 — vs Palmeiras, 9pm

Leagues Cup schedule

July 30 — vs Atlas
August 2 — vs Necaxa
August 6 — vs Pumas UNAM

Widespread sections of the Barcelona fanbase have on Saturday evening made clear their frustrations with youngster Lamine Yamal.

This comes amid what has been a difficult outing to date for the Spanish international.
Barcelona are of course currently locked in action, having made the trip to Gran Canaria for a La Liga meeting with relegation-battling Las Palmas.

As of yet, the Blaugrana have not been able to find an all-important breakthrough, struggling to carve out clear-cut chances in front of goal.
And, amid such woes, the club’s fans have placed much of the blame on the shoulders of the aforementioned Lamine Yamal.

Barca’s wing sensation is in the midst of, by his lofty standards, something of a dip in form at present, with his most recent displays having left a lot to be desired.

And as much has not gone at all unnoticed on the part of fans of his club, who have taken to social media in numbers on Saturday to call into question Lamine’s current performance level and attitude alike.

Footballer Ademola Lookman found himself at the centre of a storm this week when his Atalanta coach publicly derided his penalty taking skills. But did Gian Piero Gasperini go too far? Lawyer Chris Deeley explores the case.

We all make mistakes at work occasionally. Sometimes, we are also unlucky enough to have our bosses call us out on our mistakes. However, most of us will thankfully never experience a boss going to the press to tell the world exactly how badly they think we have done our jobs.
That’s what happened to former Premier League footballer Ademola Lookman this week. His team, Italian club Atalanta, crashed out of the Champions League losing 5-2 to Club Brugge, with Lookman missing a penalty.
After the match, Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini was highly critical of Lookman in a press conference, calling him one of the worst penalty takers he had ever seen.

Nigeria international Lookman – who was born in London and previously played for Everton, Fulham and Charlton Athletic – has since issued his own statement saying it was “disrespectful” to be singled out for what he felt was unfair criticism.
Aside from arguably being unprofessional and ill-judged, can there be bigger legal consequences for employers for publicly criticising employees?
One possibility is that the employee could bring a claim for constructive unfair dismissal, assuming they have accrued two years’ service. In short, this involves an employee resigning on the spot, because their employer has breached their employment contract so seriously that the employee is entitled to treat the contract as having ended.

In most cases, constructive dismissals involve a breach of the mutual duty that is implied by law into all employment contracts, for both employer and employee to maintain trust and confidence in one another. This implied duty is so fundamental to the employment relationship that any breach of it will be considered repudiatory, i.e. entitling the employee to treat themselves as constructively dismissed.

Case law has also established that an employee being rebuked publicly or in front of customers can be a breach of this implied duty, even where the criticism is largely factually accurate. As such, employers should be very careful about publicly commenting on employees’ performance, and certainly using open critique as a motivational tool should be avoided.

Could Lookman sue for defamation?

In extreme scenarios there is also the risk of an employee raising a defamation claim. This already happens occasionally around references, where in the past some employees have successfully sued former employers for giving inaccurate negative references which have cost them future work opportunities.
This does not restrict accurate criticism from being given in a targeted reference – truth is a defence to defamation claims – but in the case of Atalanta and Gasperini even this would be a stretch since Lookman had scored all four penalties he had previously taken for the club – hardly “worst ever” territory.
Of course, even though English football clubs are subject to the same laws as any other business, football rarely runs on the same considerations as “normal” employers.

Part of that is due to the money involved – for example in England the current statutory cap on unfair dismissal compensation is £115,115 – less than three weeks’ reported wages for Lookman. This makes litigation fairly unappetising, especially as constructive dismissal requires the employee to resign and sacrifice their income stream.

Opportunities in top-level football are also scarce and so being seen as a “troublemaker” or a risky investment, even unfairly, can be fatal to a career. Without a major escalation, then, it doesn’t seem like a lawsuit between Lookman and Atalanta would suit anyone – except for the lawyers.