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Napoli fans and club officials paid tribute to Diego Maradona on the fourth anniversary of his death, flocking to murals of the Argentina great around the city on Monday,25th November 2024.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte, captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and president Aurelio De Laurentiis laid flowers at two of the murals, while fans gathered below the huge mural of Maradona in the Quartieri Spagnoli that acts as an unofficial museum to Maradona.

Fans chanted Maradona’s name and lit smoke in the blue color of the shirt Maradona wore both with Napoli and Argentina.

Maradona died at 60 on Nov. 25, 2020 of a heart attack, two weeks after being released from a hospital in Buenos Aires following brain surgery.

He led Napoli to its first two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 and the club’s stadium was renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona upon his death.

Napoli won its third Italian league title in 2023 and again leads Serie A this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted a pair of goals in Al Nassr’s Asian Champions League win over Al Gharafa at Al-Bayt Stadium on Monday.

Ronaldo was a frustrated figure in the opening 45 minutes, but headed in the opener inside the first minute of the second half to send his side on their way to victory.

Angelo Gabriel rounded goalkeeper Sergio Rico to score the second 12 minutes later and Ronaldo hit the third in the 64th minute as Al Nassr move onto 13 points from their opening five games despite Joselu’s late consolation for the home side.

Al Nassr will aim to extend their winning run when they face Qatari side Al Sadd next Tuesday, while Al Gharafa take on Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

Former Brentford striker Ivan Toney came off the bench to score twice and earn Al Ahli a 2-1 win over Al-Ain on Monday that moves the Saudi side into the knockout rounds and leaves the defending champions in danger of missing out on the round of 16.

Toney replaced Feras Al-Brikan in the 65th minute at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and hit both his goals in a four-minute spell to give Al Ahli a fifth win in a row in the competition and guarantee their place in the next phase.

Teams finishing in the top eight in the 12-team leagues in west and east Asia progress to the knockout rounds in March and Al Ahli have confirmed their place with three games remaining in the league phase.

Toney broke the deadlock with 20 minutes remaining when he headed Riyad Mahrez’s free kick past Khalid Eisa and, four minutes later, he doubled the advantage when he combined again with the former Manchester City winger to slide in the second.

Defending champions Al-Ain had picked up only one point from four games prior to hosting Al Ahli on Monday and Alejandro Romero’s goal three minutes into injury time gave new coach Leonardo Jardim and his team hope of a late comeback.

But Al Ahli held on to move to the top of the western standings, three points ahead of compatriots Al Hilal, who face Qatar’s Al-Sadd on Tuesday, while Al-Ain remain rooted to the bottom on a solitary point with three games remaining.

Real Madrid will be without several players through injury when they face Liverpool in the Champions League. The Reds will host the La Liga giants in their next league phase fixture of the competition at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Victories against AC Milan, Bologna, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen has seen Liverpool climb to the top of the Champions League standings, and they are the only club still with a 100 percent record in the competition. Real Madrid will travel to Anfield, having lost two of their four games so far.

Arne Slot has been forced to deal with several injury concerns in his first season as Liverpool’s new head coach. Sunday saw five Reds’ players miss the 3-2 win over Southampton with injury, and it remains to be seen if any will return to the matchday squad in time to face Madrid.

Alisson Becker is closing in on a return to action after being sidelined with a hamstring injury since the start of October. Federico Chiesa and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been stepping up their return to training, too, but it remains to be seen if either of the duo will be available to face Madrid.

Diogo Jota is not expected to be available, though, as he continues to recover from a rib injury he suffered last month. Kostas Tsimikas missed the win over Southampton with a knock, with Slot expected to give a full injury update when he speaks to reporters on Tuesday.

Madrid also have several injury concerns as manager Carlo Ancelotti was handed a major blow on Monday. Vinicius Jr. is expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered in the win over Leganes at the weekend in La Liga.

Rodrygo and Lucas Vazquez have been sidelined for injury since the start of the month, but Vazquez has recovered in time to feature in the squad that will travel to Merseyside. Aurelien Tchouameni could return to the squad to face Liverpool after suffering an ankle injury, with Ancelotti expected to give an update on the former Reds transfer target this week.

Three players who are guaranteed to miss the clash against Liverpool are David Alaba, Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal. Militao and Carvajal are ruled out for the remainder of the season with knee injuries, while Alaba is yet to return from an ACL injury he suffered in December last year.

Is the Premier League title race almost over?

Liverpool’s win against Southampton on Sunday moved them eight points clear in top spot.

Only once has a team had a bigger lead after 12 games and that was Manchester United. Clear by nine, they went on to win the title in the 1993-94 season. Two other teams have led by eight points at this stage – Manchester City in 2017-18 and Liverpool in 2019-20 – and both were also crowned champions.

Liverpool’s haul of 31 points from the opening 12 matches has only been equalled or bettered 10 times in Premier League history. Eight of those clubs went on to win the title, with only Arsenal in 2022-23 and Newcastle in 1995-96 not celebrating at the end of the season after such an impressive start. There are more good signs for Liverpool as they bid to end Manchester City’s run of four successive title triumphs. Never before has a team lost five matches in a row – City’s current run – and become champions.

If Arne Slot’s side beat City at Anfield on Sunday, they would be 11 points clear of the holders – a deficit of that size has only been clawed back three times in the Premier League.

Title race over then right? Not necessarily. Has Liverpool’s start to the season been relatively favourable? Opta have calculated the Reds had the sixth easiest first 10 fixtures out of any of the Premier League sides. City’s start though was ranked as the fifth easiest, with the Gunners at the other end of the scale with the seventh toughest fixtures.

The lowest points tally a team had after 12 games but still went on to win the title was Manchester United with 19 in 1997. Pep Guardiola’s men lifted the crown in 2021 from having just 20 points at this stage. Four teams below Liverpool this season have more than that tally.

City and Arsenal – eight and nine points behind respectively – would also rightly highlight there are still 26 matches left to play and bigger leads have been lost before.

We look at the biggest deficits to have been clawed back by Premier League winners.

Miguel Almiron’s agent has been a busy man over the international break, with Daniel Campos back speaking to the press about Miggy’s future following his goal-scoring performance against Bolivia on Tuesday night.

Previous rumours have linked the Paraguayan with clubs in the Premier League, MLS, and the Saudi Pro League, but the latest side tipped to pursue the South American are River Plate; the Argentinian giants the 30-year-old supported as a boy.

However, Campos has sent a warning to anyone looking to pursue Almiron in 2025, insisting a ‘significant offer’ that matches his wages on Newcastle must be met; otherwise he’ll remain on Tyneside ‘for a while yet.’

Campos said: “He has another two and a half years on his contract with Newcastle United. Unless another club makes a significant offer, with equivalent wages, he will stay on Tyneside for a while yet.”

Reportedly on £60,000 per week here at Newcastle, Almiron’s wages make him almost instantly unaffordable for the likes of River Plate, whose current highest earner is believed to be Manuel Lanzini on roughly £45,000 per week.

And if a move to MLS were to come to fruition, Miggy would also shoot towards the top of salary earners in the competition, highlighting a big flaw in his agent’s exit plan if he hopes to secure a move on similar money.

With his contract not set to end until the summer of 2027, Almiron is facing some big decisions. Does he stick around and continue to earn good money while struggling for game time, or take a pay-cut elsewhere to get his playing career back on track?

Leicester City have sacked manager Steve Cooper with the club 16th in the Premier League after 12 games.

The Foxes were beaten 2-1 by a Chelsea side managed by former boss Enzo Maresca on Saturday – a defeat which left them two points above the relegation zone.

Cooper took over from Maresca in the summer after the Italian had led Leicester to the 2023-24 Championship title and promotion back into the Premier League.

“Men’s first team training will be overseen by first team coach Ben Dawson, supported by coaches Danny Alcock and Andy Hughes, as the club begins the process of appointing a new manager, which we hope to conclude as soon as possible,” said a Leicester statement.

Assistant manager Alan Tate and first-team coach and analyst Steve Rands have also left the club.

The defeat by Chelsea was Leicester’s sixth in the top flight this season and, afterwards, Cooper was critical of referee Andrew Madley’s performance in the game.

He is the second manager to be sacked in the Premier League this season following Manchester United parting company with Erik ten Hag in October.

Cooper took over at Leicester following a stint in charge at Nottingham Forest, who sacked him in December 2023.

The 44-year-old guided Forest to promotion into the top flight in 2022 and, after having kept them in the division the following season, he was dismissed midway through 2023-24 with the club in 17th spot.

Cooper, who guided England’s Under-17s to victory at the 2017 World Cup, also had a two-year spell in charge of Swansea, taking them to the Championship play-off final in 2021 where they lost to Brentford.

It’s remarkable to think that, just six months ago, there was talk that Chelsea were attempting a cash plus Nicolas Jackson swap deal for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. No deal materialised and, although Isak remains impactful on Tyneside, Chelsea have their own star in 23-year-old Jackson, who was the driving force behind the 2-1 victory at Leicester City.

The Senegal forward opened the scoring in the 15th minute and set up in Enzo Fernandez’s second-half goal. Last season, despite Jackson scoring 17 goals in 44 games – more than legendary Didier Drogba in his maiden season at the club – there was talk that Chelsea needed to sign a striker to compete at the highest level.

“Somebody will have to tell me what Nicolas Jackson does,” said ESPN pundit Craig Burley about Jackson last season. “He’s clearly not good enough to play as a headline striker in the Premier League.” Jackson wasted a lot of chances and had a poor disciplinary record in his first season, but he is now repaying the faith and the conversation has changed.

Former Blues striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, speaking on the BBC’s Planet Football podcast, placed Jackson alongside Erling Haaland, Ollie Watkins and Isak in his top four strikers in the league. On TNT Sport’s coverage of the early kick-off, Joe Cole said Jackson is “at the height of his game”. Jackson is now growing into a striker capable of becoming a match winner when talisman Cole Palmer has an off day, as he did at Leicester after suffering a heavy early challenge from Wilfred Ndidi.

His goal against Leicester had a touch of Drogba to it as he outbattled defender Wout Faes before a nice touch and finish opened the scoring. Jackson’s relentless work-rate helped Chelsea win possession high up the pitch through his pressing, creating a chance that was squandered for Noni Madueke and one that was taken by Fernandez.

But the biggest difference for Jackson is consistency in recent months:

– Only Haaland has scored more league goals (18) than Jackson (11) since May.

– Jackson has been involved in 18 goals (12 goals, six assists) in his past 20 league matches.

– Since arriving in England, only Haaland and Watkins have scored more non-penalty goals than Jackson.

Football statisticians Opta have given Chelsea a 55.9 percent chance of finishing in the Premier League top four and a 75.8 percent chance of a top-five finish. The opens up the possibility of Champions League qualification for the first time under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership.

Spending well over £1billion across five transfer windows has seen the club face criticism but many of the players Chelsea signed are now paying dividends. Leicester manager Steve Cooper mentioned how Chelsea had an enviable depth of talent, despite potential starters Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto pulling out shortly before kick-off.

Chelsea can often play one line-up in the league and another in cup competitions, and they are up to third on 22 points, level with Arsenal and Brighton in fourth and fifth. Maresca’s side have put themselves in a good position after 12 games to qualify for the Champions League and they can also keep half an eye on the title race, sitting just six points behind leaders Liverpool, with chasers Manchester City and Arsenal having faltered at times this season.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola looked back on the stunning 4-0 home defeat by Tottenham and delivered a simple truth.

“We have to accept the reality and break it,” he said.

Given he began his post-match news conference by saying “when you lose 4-0 there is not much to say” before offering his congratulations to Spurs on their biggest away win at City, Guardiola then spent quite a bit of time talking about it.

How, after so much success over such a long period of time, “a dip” was inevitable. How “little details” were the cause of major problems, due in part, but not exclusively, to the number of injuries his side are struggling to cope with.

How his belief in the players has not been shaken because of all they have achieved for him.

But also how he will not ignore the reality of five successive defeats, something he has never experienced as a manager and City as a club last went through in 2006, when Stuart Pearce was in charge.

Nether can he ignore that Liverpool would move eight points clear with a win at Southampton on Sunday – with a meeting with City at Anfield next up.

“In eight years we never lived this. I knew sooner or later we would drop. I never expected to lose three Premier League games in a row but we have been incredibly consistent again and again and again. Now we cannot deny the reality that sometimes happens in football and life is here.”

Premier League 2025/26 season starts on weekend of August 16/17, 2025; Club World Cup takes place in summer of 2025; 2026 World Cup begins 18 days after top-flight campaign ends.

The current 2024/25 term concludes on Sunday May 25, but the league has announced early details for the forthcoming campaign, which will be followed by the 2026 World Cup.

The 2025/26 Premier League season will start on the weekend of August 16/17, 2025. That start date is 83 days after the end of the 2024/25 season, which the Premier League says provides the “maximum player rest time).

The 2025/26 season will consist of 33 weekends and five midweek match rounds. The Premier League says the schedule “continues to allow more rest time for players over the festive match round period”. No two rounds will take place within 60 hours of each other and there will be no fixture on Christmas Eve.

The final Premier League match round will be played on Sunday May 24, 2026. As usual, all matches will kick off at the same time. The Premier League will conclude just over a fortnight before football’s global showpiece.

The 2026 World Cup – taking place across the USA, Canada and Mexico – starts on Thursday June 11, 2026 in Mexico City. The final will take place in New Jersey on Sunday July 19.

A new FIFA Club World Cup format launches next summer, with two Premier League teams – and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami – involved. The expanded 2025 Club World Cup will take place over 29 days in the USA next summer. The tournament starts on June 15, with the final taking place on July 13.

Europe has 12 clubs in the 32-team tournament and the spaces are allocated based on performances in the Champions League over four seasons from 2020/21 up to and including this season. That means Chelsea and Manchester City will be the Premier League’s representatives. A fixture release date has not yet been confirmed.

In previous seasons, the opening game has taken place on the Friday, but the final schedule and picks for television broadcast will be announced in due course.

Last month, more than 100 female professional footballers from across the globe came together to criticise Fifa’s partnership with Saudi oil giant Aramco, denouncing the deal on environmental and humanitarian grounds.

Now, following the United Nations’ COP29 climate summit, the only African who signed the open letter, external has revealed why she took part in the protest.

Former Nigeria international Ayisat Yusuf has described Fifa’s decision to work with Aramco as “not justifiable”, despite football’s governing body stating that sponsorship revenues are reinvested back into the women’s game “at all levels”.

“Fifa don’t have to take money above humanity,” Yusuf told BBC Sport Africa.

“It’s very important we let people know that partnership – giving sponsorship to Aramco – does not stand for what our values [as female footballers] are.

“Our values should be put first regardless of the money. We’re just making our voice heard, for them to also reconsider and think about humanity, our health and our human rights.”

Aramco, owned by the Saudi Arabian state, is the the biggest oil producer in the world. Its three-year deal with Fifa gives it sponsorship rights to the men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup the following year.

As well as criticising its negative impact on the climate via greenhouse gas emissions, the players’ letter highlighted allegations of human rights violations by the Gulf kingdom, describing the partnership as a “punch in the stomach” and a significant setback for women’s football.

They also called for the establishment of a review committee, with player representation, to evaluate the ethical implications of Fifa’s future sponsorships agreements.

A Fifa spokesperson told BBC Sport Africa it “values its partnership with Aramco” and said it was “an inclusive organisation with many commercial partners also supporting other organisations in football and other sports”.

Citing last year’s Women’s World Cup, it also said: “As well as the increased support for teams at the tournament last year, Fifa’s updated Women’s Football Strategy for 2023-2027 further highlights how commercial revenues are reinvested back into the development of the women’s game.”

Aramco say “environmental stewardship is deeply integral” to the company’s approach, and it will continue to “innovate and explore management solutions” that minimise the environmental impact of its activities and products.

The opening day set the tone with a session celebrating Asian teams’ achievements over the past year, from Australia’s impressive Semi-final finish at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 to DPR Korea’s back-to-back titles at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024 and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.

“The AFC has underlined the development of women’s football as one of the key drivers in bringing to life our Vision and Mission statements and nowhere are these ambitions more pronounced than in the Asian women’s game with our teams, across all ages, already being a global force,” said AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John.
“This year, we’ve celebrated several milestones such as an all-Asian final in Colombia, DPR Korea’s incredible triumphs, and the launch of the AFC Women’s Champions League™. We must keep up the momentum and use this platform to unlock the true potential of women’s football in Asia.”

Reflecting on these accomplishments helped the attendees frame discussions around establishing guiding principles, including equal opportunity, prioritising player development, enhancing competitions, and increasing the number of women coaches. Moreover, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place only last year, participants took the opportunity to share lessons learnt from the world’s best teams.

The conference continued with lively conversations on the second day, where participants received a brief overview of the journey of the AFC Women’s Champions League™ from its early days as the AFC Women’s Club Championship™.

They were also provided with an in-depth explanation of the various reforms to the AFC women’s competitions as well as the recently approved AFC Women’s Competitions Calendar 2025-29.

A number of round-table discussions were also held, where participants shared their insights on ways to attract more young girls to play football and increase the number of women coaches in Asia in order to build a strong foundation.
Norio Sasaki, who led Japan to their FIFA Women’s World Cup win in 2011 said: “For long-term success, we must enhance our youth development programmes, right from the U15 level and as coaches, we must all work together and share resources for the overall growth of women’s football in Asia.
“To that end, this Conference not only helped us hear from our peers but has also reminded us of our collective responsibility.”

The conference ended on a spirited note on Thursday, with FIFA Football Performance Analyst Harry Lowe presenting a comparative analysis of the teams in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament 2024.
This was followed by a Forum with Australia U20 women’s national team head coach Leah Blayney and Malaysia Women’s national team head coach Soleen Al-Zoubi on the future of Asian women’s football, especially with the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ on the horizon.

“It was a wonderful experience to have so many colleagues gather to prioritise women’s football and share their wisdom and knowledge in order to raise the standards of our game,” said Rae Dower, Head Coach of the U17 national team of Australia. “The future is so exciting, especially now that we have the dates and venues confirmed for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™. The football fever from the FIFA Women’s World Cup is still very strong with the Matildas continuously selling out stadiums. We can’t wait for the rest of Asia to come and share the experience with us,” she added.

On the back of four successive defeats in all competitions, the chances of Manchester City signing a replacement for injured midfielder Rodri have increased once again. The Ballon d’Or winner is set to miss the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Arsenal in September. Mateo Kovacic has filled in but he has struggled at times, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side vulnerable to the counter-attack.

Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)
The 25-year-old Spain midfielder has been repeatedly linked with Manchester City, external since Rodri’s injury. Liverpool were interested in the summer but he opted to stay at Real Sociedad. He reportedly has a £51.7m release clause, external but that is unlikely to hinder City from making an approach for a man who tends to play as a defensive midfielder, but can also feature a bit further forward. He has played with Rodri for Spain and was impressive when replacing the City man at half-time in the Euro 2024 final victory over England. Sociedad regularly play in Europe, but Zubimendi has only experienced one season of Champions League football.

Ederson (Atalanta)
The 25-year-old Brazilian is another who has been linked, external with the Blues. He’s a mainstay of the Atalanta team, but this season is his first taste of Champions League football and that may be a concern. He tends to play a central midfield role, but has played both deeper and further forward. The fee he would command would be one of the highest among the possible options but at his age he’d be an investment a longer period too.

Samuele Ricci (Torino)
The 23-year-old Italian was one of the first names linked with City after Rodri’s injury. There were reports, external that the Blues sent scouts to watch Torino’s game against Inter Milan to cast their eye over Ricci. He is capable of playing as a defensive midfielder or slightly further forward and has become a regular in Italy’s team since Euro 2024. His career is on an upward trajectory but he has never played in any European club competitions, and that could count against him. Ricci has admitted to watching videos of Rodri, external to improve his game. Will he be lining up alongside him?

Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan)
The 30-year-old Turkey midfielder has been mentioned, external in the past couple of weeks. He’s more experienced than a lot of players reportedly being considered, and reports say Inter Milan “could be open” to selling him. He has vast experience in the Champions League and would offer versatility, with defensive midfield his main role, but he has the ability to push forward too. Bayern Munich, who are managed by former City captain Vincent Kompany, are also reportedly interested.

Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan)
The 26-year-old Netherlands midfielder has been mentioned as a target in recent weeks. Reports suggest City have “tested the waters”, external over a move, with others saying Milan are planning to double his wages to ward off the attention. Reijinders tends to play a bit further forward in central midfield, which may complement Rodri when he returns. He’s had experience in the Champions League in the past two seasons too.

Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
The 20-year-old England midfielder was linked with the majority of top Premier League sides after his impressive start at Crystal Palace, who he joined in January. That earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024 and another move seemed only a matter of time. Wharton has struggled for form this season and is currently out injured after surgery for a groin issue. That means a move in January is unlikely, but City and other clubs at the top end of the Premier League will be keeping an eye on him, especially with him able to add balance to any midfield being left-footed.

Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
The 27-year-old Netherlands midfielder has often been linked with a move to the Premier League, including City, before opting to go to Barcelona. His name hasn’t been mentioned as a potential go-to now though, as he is currently struggling for form and fitness. He would potentially be a good foil for Rodri though, with De Jong able to play a bit further forward. He would also come with vast amounts of experience in both domestic and European football.

Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
A rogue shout, but the 29-year-old Germany midfielder isn’t in favour at Bayern Munich and may want a move. He probably isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Rodri but could be a good foil in a partnership. Goretzka has a large amount of experience, especially in the Champions League, and could add another element to City’s midfield. It does feel unlikely though.

Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
Perhaps the dream signing for City, but it surely won’t happen in January. It’s been reported, external before that Guardiola “would love to sign” Barella but it has not been possible, with the 27-year-old pivotal to Inter’s success in Italy and Europe in recent seasons. He would offer City versatility in midfield and feels like a player that would complement Rodri well. It may be one for further down the line though.

Who do you think Manchester City should sign?