Month: May 2023

– Roma have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven games in this competition 
– Roma are bidding to become the fourth Italian side to win consecutive European trophies 
– Recommended bet: Roma to lift the trophy

Two masters of European football meet in Budapest on Wednesday night, as kings of the Europa League Sevilla meet Jose Mourinho’s Roma. 

While the Spanish side are bidding to lift the trophy for a record seventh time, Mourinho could become European football’s most decorated manager.

Mourinho has won five European trophies dating back to his spell with Porto — level with Giovanni Trapattoni. 

The Portuguese tactician can step out on his own with a victory in Hungary, as he looks to guide last season’s Europa Conference League winners to another piece of European silverware.

Team news

Sevilla had a boost coming into the game, with the news that Marcao, Tanguy Nianzou and Joan Jordan were expected to return to fitness ahead of the clash in Budapest. 

Midfielder Fernando missed out against Real Madrid at the weekend with a knee injury and he is expected to be ruled out of this clash.

Jose Mourinho rotated players for the weekend defeat at Fiorentina, with Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini sitting out, while Tammy Abraham only made a brief cameo — all three are expected to start in the final.

The stats

Sevilla have won just two of their last eight games in all competitions within 90 minutes.

The Spanish side heads into this clash on the back of a four-game winless run.

Roma have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven European clashes.

Jose Mourinho has won all five European finals he has managed in.

Sevilla have won just two of their La Liga clashes with sides in the top 10 this term, losing 12 of those 19 games.

Prediction

While Sevilla’s record in this competition has set them up as favourites, that is arguably a stronger position for Mourinho’s Roma to be in. 

The Portuguese is enjoying something of a comeback in Italy, with his signature style of play helping the Giallorossi to battle to the final.

Mourinho certainly did not make any new friends in Leverkusen given the manor of their 1-0 aggregate win over Bayer in the semis, but it was a throwback performance for the Portuguese. 

He has positioned Roma as gritty underdogs throughout, even in a reunion with a Feyenoord side who they beat in last season’s Conference League final.

The Giallorossi head into this clash winless in Serie A since mid-April, but Mourinho has been focusing on the latter stages of the Europa League. 

Making consecutive European finals is a huge achievement for the Portuguese and he has not lost one to date in his managerial career.

While Roma have struggled of late, Sevilla have only recently risen into mid-table in La Liga. 

The Europa League specialists are in an odd position, as the highest they can finish domestically is a Europa Conference League place, while. on the other hand, a win in this final takes them into the Champions League. 

Whatever happens, they will not be starting in this competition next season.

Sevilla have lost 14 times in La Liga this term and they have been awful against their top-half rivals. 

Defensively they ship too many goals, which could cost them against a Roma side who showed in the semi-final that they can lock down opponents.

Sevilla did manage to topple Juventus in the last round, but Mourinho has a style perfectly suited for one-off games. 

His side have been edging big games in Europe since the start of last season, so back them to edge out an inconsistent, leaky Sevilla outfit.

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Newcastle will look all over the world to find the players that will give them the depth they need to compete next season, according to manager Eddie Howe.

A first season in the Champions League in 20 years means an increased workload for Howe’s squad next term, and conversations have already taken place between the manager and club officials over resources during the transfer window.

Injuries have stretched Newcastle thin at times this season despite recording their highest Premier League finish since 2003.

Howe felt his side lacked the quality in reserve to win the game in the second half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea that brought the curtain down on a memorable first full season in charge for the manager.

With the restrictions put in place by Financial Fair Play rules, he cited qualification for Europe’s top competition as the critical factor in freeing up the ownership to invest in recruitment.

Still, Howe warned the market may not be kind as the club seek to build a side capable of competing on all fronts.

“Yeah we’ve had discussions (on Saturday),” said the manager. “I don’t think (the budget) is ever outlined because there are so many variables to it, but certainly we know where we stand.

“When you’re sat in my shoes, it’s never as big as you want it to be.

“It’s a difficult one because we go into a lot of competitions next year, so we need the depth. I think this year we’ve been light, certainly in certain areas of the pitch. We’ve carried – in the second half of the season – four midfielders.

“You’re one injury away from a very difficult situation so I think we need a little bit more depth.

“We’re not there yet, you could see that (against Chelsea), but we are suffering from injuries. Certainly that’s a concern for us in that we do need to bolster our resources. We can’t be looking at one or two injuries and we’re in a difficult position.

“In the second half we were stretched and maybe lacking the bench that could have changed the game to win it.”

Newcastle won eight of their 10 league games in March and April to take control of their destiny in the race for the top four, but enjoyed just one more victory in their final five, securing their Champions League objective with a game to spare.

Howe pointed to disruption caused by injuries – key players Joelinton, Joe Willock and Nick Pope were unavailable for the game at Stamford Bridge, whilst Alexander Isak and Matt Targett have also missed significant chunks of the season – as something that must not be allowed to derail the team next term.

The visitors struggled after the break against Chelsea despite having had the better of a first half in which Anthony Gordon gave them the lead, later wiped out by a Kieran Trippier own goal.

“We’ve done it all season, we’ve been hugely competitive,” said Howe. “I don’t think we’ve been an easy game for anybody.

“The challenge for us next year is to maintain our standards and mentality, because when you come to these tough grounds, if you’re not robust enough to deal with the challenge, these can be really difficult games.

“The players that we currently have have to be fit and ready to go (next season). They have to be ready to prove how good we are all over again. We start at zero next season. I think that’s a healthy way to look at it.

“If we can add one or two players that make the difference in the transfer market, that would be good news.

“We’ll have our eyes and ears hopefully all over everything, whether that’s teams getting promoted, relegated; all over the world. As I’ve said many times, the market’s going to be difficult.”

Sheffield Wednesday are heading back to the Championship following a two-year absence after they sealed the most dramatic of 1-0 victories over Barnsley in the League One play-off final.

Josh Windass was the Owls hero – following in the footsteps of play-off final winning dad Dean – with the last action of extra-time as he dived in to breath-takingly head home Lee Gregory’s pinpoint cross.

More than 40,000 ecstatic Owls celebrated wildly at the death after their team had finally seen off a gutsy Barnsley side who had played with 10 men following Adam Phillips’ 49th minute red card.

Wembley was again bathed in sunshine as the Owls made the more purposeful start.

Barry Bannan saw an early volley deflected wide after the Barnsley defence failed to clear Windass’ low cross.

From the resultant corner, unmarked defender Dominic Iorfa fired in an effort which Harry Isted palmed away superbly.

Barnsley, who had done the double over the Owls in the regular campaign, threatened first when Phillips blazed over after meeting Slobodan Tedic’s perfect cushioned header.

As the half-hour mark approached, both sides seemed to have settled somewhat amid the white-hot atmosphere, but goalmouth incident was proving elusive.

Another decent Barnsley opportunity then went begging.

Luca Connell’s corner was only half-cleared by Bannan, straight into the path of Nicky Cadden, who again smashed wastefully over the top from 15 yards.

Michael Duff’s men, who had barely half the amount of supporters inside the stadium compared to Wednesday, ended the first period just about on top.

With defences largely on top, both sides needed to step it up in the second period.

However, a huge potential turning point came four minutes after the restart when Barnsley midfielder Phillips lunged in on Wednesday striker Lee Gregory, earning himself a straight red card from referee Tim Robinson.

Incredibly, Barnsley were thwarted by the woodwork five minutes later, when Liam Kitching diverted Cadden’s initial strike onto the crossbar.

As the game was now opening up at both ends, Bannan curled an exquisite strike inches past the angle.

The Owls had now wrestled back the initiative in what was rapidly turning into a thriller, and Windass fizzed a low drive just off target.

Iorfa also headed over the top as a breakthrough remained elusive.

The 10 men of Barnsley were proving tough to break down, while at the other end they almost struck with 12 minutes left before the game was to head into extra-time.

Substitute  James Norwood charged ominously past Reece James before crashing in a shot which Cameron Dawson beat away superbly.

Both sides went mighty close to an opener in a frenetic first period of extra-time.

Michael Ihiekwe, Michael Smith and Bannan all failed to take opportunities for the Owls, while the otherwise impressive Connell incredibly missed an open goal for Barnsley.

The drama dissipated in the final 15 minutes, until that unforgettable last play of the game when Windass finally broke brave Barnsley’s resistance.

Thousands of Luton fans have celebrated the Hatters’ fairytale rise into the Premier League at a civic parade in the town.

Luton won promotion to the top flight of English football on Saturday by beating Coventry in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final, just nine years after playing in the National League.

Rob Edwards’ side – who won 6-5 on penalties at Wembley after the game had been drawn 1-1 – will next season welcome champions Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United to their modest 10,356-capacity Kenilworth Road home.

“It means everything,” said head coach Rob Edwards before launching into a rendition of Bon Jovi’s ‘Always’ and holding aloft the play-off trophy on the Luton Town Hall balcony.

“It’s for you (the fans), the Luton Town people, for the town, these players who deserve it, for the backroom staff who work so hard, the board. We’ve got to enjoy this moment.”

Some Luton fans had waited nearly four hours to see players and staff make their way on to a specially-constructed stage in the town’s St George’s Square.

Highlights of the season and the play-off final were shown on a big screen before two open top buses arrived following a short ride from Kenilworth Road.

Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet told fans: “The impact of being in the Premier League will be massive for this town.

“This could be a life-changing opportunity for us, but from a character point of view, don’t change.

“Let’s still be us, still grounded. Let’s keep humble.”

Steve Clarke insisted there is more to Norway than Erling Haaland after naming his squad for the resumption of Scotland’s European Championship qualification campaign in Oslo.

The Scots, who began their Euro 2024 qualifiers in March with impressive home wins over Cyprus and Spain, travel to Norway for their June 17 clash before hosting Georgia at Hampden Park three days later.

Clarke’s side face the daunting task, in the first match of the double-header, of trying to stop 22-year-old Manchester City striker Haaland, who has scored a staggering 58 goals in all competitions so far this season.

Speaking in Glasgow’s George Square at the McDonald’s Fun Football Festival, which is part of the Scottish Football Association’s week of football, he said: “There are a lot of good players in the Norway side that we have to deal with as well as Haaland, who has obviously had an outstanding season.

“He is a top quality player. We need to make sure we are organised and make sure we play well and don’t make too many mistakes.

“We respect everybody, we respect our opponents all the time and we will give Norway and Georgia our full attention.”

Asked if he was wary of the focus being too much on Haaland, he replied: “I am wary of the fact that you are going to go down the line of Haaland, Haaland, Haaland.

“There are lots of other players that we need to deal with as well.”

Rangers centre-back John Souttar is one player who could be asked to shackle the Norway goal machine.

The 26-year-old, who returned to the Rangers side at the back end of the season after missing much of the campaign through injury, has not played for the national team since last summer’s Nations League defeat in Ireland.

Souttar takes the place of Norwich centre-back Grant Hanley, who has been sidelined with an Achilles problem since early April.

Clarke said: “When you lose players of the quality of Grant Hanley, whom we have lost for a considerable period of time, which is unfortunate for Grant, it is nice to have someone like John come back into the squad and hopefully he can show the form that he showed before any time I picked him for his country.”

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland and his Hibernian forward Kevin Nisbet have been included in place of Stoke’s Jacob Brown, who missed the end of the Championship season with a hamstring issue, and Southampton’s Che Adams, who recently suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury he sustained in Scotland’s win over Cyprus.

Shankland, who previously made four appearances between October 2019 and November 2020, was recalled for the Spain game in March and has kept his place at the end of a campaign in which he has scored 28 goals for Hearts.

Nisbet, who won all of his 10 caps in 2021, is included for the first time since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in February 2022. The 26-year-old has scored 12 goals for Hibs since returning to action in December.

Asked about the absence of Adams, Clarke said: “It is always disappointing when you lose key players, but you tend to get used to it.

“You normally name a squad and you lose key players all the time so, disappointing for Che, disappointing end to the season getting relegated with his club.

“He tried to come back and probably aggravated his injury trying to help his club so disappointing for Che but a chance for Kevin Nisbet to come back into the squad.

“Kevin is a goalscorer, we know the qualities he brings us. He has been in the squad before.

“Lawrence is in the squad, same qualities, he can score goals and don’t forget we have Lyndon (Dykes) as well.

“I thought he was really good in the game against Spain. We have enough quality up front.”

Clarke is looking to build on the fine start to the campaign which has brought six points from six.

He said: “When you are playing in a five-team group, eight games to qualify, every game is important.

“Every point that we can get over the summer is going to help us to the ultimate target, which is to qualify for Germany.”

Manchester United have fought for success all year and David De Gea says they are ready for one more “special” battle against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge has been one of progress and, for the most part, positivity, with the side finishing third in the Premier League and sealing a Champions League return.

The Dutchman is only the second manager in United’s history to win a major trophy in his first season and has the chance to add to February’s Carabao Cup triumph this weekend.

Ten Hag’s Red Devils head to Wembley for the first all-Manchester FA Cup final, when they will attempt to add to their cabinet and stop rivals City’s attempts to win the treble.

“We’ve been the whole year fighting to be in that position to win titles and we will try absolutely everything to try to win.”

De Gea and his team-mates were all in at Carrington on Monday morning, with Sunday’s starters focused on recovery from the 2-1 comeback win against Fulham at a bouncing Old Trafford.

Kenny Tete had put the visitors ahead in the Premier League season finale and Marco Silva’s men would have extended their lead had Golden Glove winner De Gea not stopped Aleksandar Mitrovic’s spot-kick.

United kicked on after that, with Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes completing a victory that saw them beat Newcastle to third spot.

“We concede the first goal from a corner and then I think five minutes after we concede a penalty,” De Gea, whose contract has yet to be extended beyond the summer, said.

“I was very positive. I was feeling like ‘come on, you have to save this penalty, we have to finish properly the season at home, we have to win’.

“Then I make the save, everyone was happy, enjoying and I helped the team to win the three points today.

“So, yeah, we showed it again. 1-0 down, suffering a bit, but then we create chances and could have scored even more than two.

“But, like I say, a big way to finish the season with a victory and (it) gives a bit of enjoyment to the fans.”

The result saw United equal the club’s record of 27 home wins in all competitions in a single campaign, while also meaning they finished 17 points better off than last season.

“100 per cent, for sure, the improvement is there,” De Gea told MUTV. “Of course we still have a gap to improve but, yeah, a massive improvement from last season.

“Winning a cup, finish third – it’s never easy to finish in the Champions League places in England.

“And then we have another final, a big final, so I think at the moment it is a great year.”

As for Fulham, the defeat at Old Trafford was frustrating but this was a season to cherish having finished 10th on their return to the top-flight.

Goalscoring right-back Tete said: “Unbelievable season, every single player.

“If you saw how we fought all season for every single point. Not even one game was easy for us.

“I am just proud of the boys. We said it as well to each other and this is something we have to build on.

“We know now what our standard is, we know now what we can bring. I can’t wait for next season.”

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi admits the Seagulls will need to spend ahead of their European debut.

They have qualified for the Europa League for the first time in their history after finishing sixth in the Premier League.

Brighton had already wrapped up sixth spot before Sunday’s final day 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa and De Zerbi knows they will need to expand their squad to cope with the demands of European competition.

“We are not ready to play three games in a row, three games per week. We are not used to playing three games in a row,” he said.

“We have to work in the transfer market, we have to build a stronger squad, with more players and then we have to improve.

“The result we achieved this year was incredible, Tony (Bloom), me and Paul Barber, we have the dream to improve this result.

“The season is finished which is bad news for me – it’s difficult without football. I will go to Italy and will work with Tony Bloom and the club to improve the squad.

“This season was fantastic and we have to try and repeat it.”

Deniz Undav’s goal was not enough to rescue a point after Brighton fell 2-0 down inside 30 minutes at Villa following strikes from Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins.

Victory earned Villa seventh in the Premier League and a Europa Conference League play-off spot, returning to Europe for the first time in 13 years.

Boss Unai Emery said: “It’s important because we’re going to be one step ahead in our objective to be in Europe. To play in the Conference League is very important.

“We’re adding the possibility of another trophy because it’s very difficult in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Our objective and ambitions will be to try and always be a candidate to get a trophy.

“To play in Europe for the club and the coaches, because I was playing 15 years in a row in Europe, so to get that again next year is fantastic for me individually and I’m very happy playing in Europe.”

Roy Hodgson’s future at Crystal Palace is up in the air but outgoing midfielder James McArthur believes the veteran manager breathed fresh life into the Eagles during his second stint at the club.

Hodgson returned to Selhurst Park two months ago on a deal until the end of this season, taking over at a side that were winless in 13 games and hovering three points above the Premier League drop zone.

Palace won five of their remaining 10 fixtures under Hodgson to quickly banish thoughts of a relegation tussle and they finished 11th – above Chelsea – after a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Afterwards, Hodgson was tight-lipped about whether he will still be at Palace next season and McArthur revealed he and his team-mates expressed their gratitude towards the 75-year-old.

“In the changing room all the boys thanked him,” McArthur said in quotes on the Palace website. “We don’t know what’s happening next year, but we thanked him for his effort this year.

“The coaching staff have been brilliant, the team are playing with real confidence right now and he’s instilled that in the lads.”

McArthur, who announced last week he would leave Palace after nine years, made his 253rd and final appearance for the club at the weekend, replacing Cheick Doucoure midway through the second half.

Forest took the lead just after the half-hour through Taiwo Awoniyi but Will Hughes struck moments before McArthur was brought on as a substitute as the spoils were shared on the last day of the season.

“It was (an emotional moment) but I was just focused on trying to get back into the game and winning it,” McArthur said.

“I don’t think we were as good as we have been in recent weeks, but Forest are a good side who make it hard for you. When they get that goal it’s tough to break them down.

“Thankfully we got that goal and were pushing for another one, but it wasn’t to be. We’ve got strong characters in that changing room.

“We’re one of the best teams in the league for coming back and we showed once again what we’re made of.”

The draw extended Forest’s unbeaten sequence to four matches at the end of the campaign, with narrow wins against Southampton and Arsenal this month preserving their top-flight status.

Hughes’ strike denied them just a second victory away from home this term but Forest head coach Steve Cooper hailed the effort of his side before turning his attention towards the next few months.

“The guys have all stepped up recently,” Cooper said. “They deserve a lot of credit.

“We’ve now got to have a productive summer. There will be a little rest, but we’re going to be working during the summer to make sure we return for pre-season in a better place on and off the pitch.

“We cannot stop, we cannot stand still. By staying in the Premier League, we’ve given ourselves such a good opportunity to build and keep growing.”

Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has dismissed calls from some supporters to sell the relegated club and promised the Foxes will soon return to the Premier League.

Despite beating West Ham 2-1 on Sunday, Leicester dropped into the Sky Bet Championship seven years after being crowned champions of England and two seasons since winning the FA Cup.

It is a remarkable fall from grace and one that Leicester chairman Srivaddhanaprabha says has led to him receiving offensive messages, some of which have been “outright abusive”.

“I have received a massive number of messages from our fans – both positive and negative,” Srivaddhanaprabha said in a statement published on the Leicester website.

“Some want me to sell the club, some using offensive and thoughtless words, and some have been outright abusive.

“But for every hurtful message I have received, I have also received messages of support, of appreciation, of unity – both remotely and from people I have met anonymously in public, who always come to say hello to me and to my family. It means a lot to us.”

Srivaddhanaprabha’s father Vichai and his family bought the club in 2010 and took Leicester into the Premier League four years later. Leicester produced possibly English football’s greatest underdog story by winning the title in 2016.

Club chairman Khun Vichai was killed in a helicopter accident at Leicester’s King Power Stadium in October 2018.

“It was the most painful experience for me and for my family, but the support and love we received from our Leicester City family made our bond even stronger,” Srivaddhanaprabha said of the accident.

“I made a commitment, as chairman, to continuing to pursue the ambition my father and I shared for the club, to ensure that the realisation of his vision for Leicester City would ultimately become his legacy.

“We want to thank you and let you know that we still have the same ambition for Leicester City that we had 13 years ago.

“The incredible support we had in our stadium yesterday, the positive messages we have received from our fans and the constructive comments we must take on-board – we will gather all this support and use it to power our recovery.

“Power to justify our fans’ belief in their club. Power to take us back to the Premier League.

“Next season is going to be tough, but it will be a year for collaboration and unity. We will come together and fight to return to the Premier League.”

Leicester finished fifth twice as well as eighth during manager Brendan Rodgers’ three full seasons in charge.

But Srivaddhanaprabha acknowledged the impact of Covid had a serious effect on the club’s finances, with summer cutbacks meaning that Rodgers was unable to significantly strengthen his squad.

The departures of long-serving goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to Nice and defender Wesley Fofana to Chelsea also had a detrimental effect on the squad.

Rodgers left at the end of April with Leicester in the bottom three, and his replacement Dean Smith was unable to prevent relegation after taking charge for the final eight games.

Srivaddhanaprabha said: “Relegation is a consequence of 38 games and over that period, we haven’t been good enough.

“Over the coming days and weeks, we need to reflect on the processes and decisions that have brought us to this point.

“What we learn from this experience must convert into action that makes us stronger and prevents this happening to us again in the future.

“We took Leicester City into the UEFA Champions League, giving our supporters those amazing Wednesday nights, under the lights in Porto, Brugge, Copenhagen, Seville and Madrid.

“We used the fruits of that success to keep reinvesting in the club, strengthening our squad, improving the experience for our fans and starting plans for major projects like Seagrave and a stadium expansion that would give us long-term strength and growth.

“Of course, these milestones place our situation today into quite stark context, but I reference them to highlight the progress we have made as a club in the last 13 years, which gives me confidence that we will build again.

“Relegation is undeniably a significant setback, but it will not define us. Today we share the loss and the pain together. But we will be back.

“This responsibility that I continue to live is one of the greatest responsibilities in my life and I will continue to put everything into it – my passion, that of my family and the entire King Power community.”

Ryan Mason said he and his coaching staff have “done a great job” during his second spell as Tottenham’s interim manager.

Tottenham closed their Premier League season with a resounding 4-1 win at relegated Leeds on Sunday, but have failed to qualify for European football next season for the first time since 2008-09.

Mason said: “When I go on my summer holidays I would hope and expect that everyone inside of our training ground knows who I am, who my team is and what we stand for.

“The hope and expectation is that you guys and everyone else sees that too. I know we’ve done a great job. I really do.”

Tottenham fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United at home in Mason’s first game back in charge and have since won two and lost three of their last five matches.

The 31-year-old former Spurs midfielder, whose previous stint in temporary charge came after Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2021, replaced previous interim boss Christian Stellini with six games remaining.

Tottenham had sacked Antonio Conte at the end of March and while they were then fourth in the table, they had exited all the cup competitions and weary fans had grown disillusioned over their team’s playing style.

“The circumstances were very difficult,” said Mason, who urged the club to get get their next managerial appointment right.

“I think anyone in the world coming into this situation for six games coming off the back of what had happened and the position we were in was going to find it tough.

“Also if you add into that being on an interim basis, where there’s uncertainty it makes it even tougher.

“But we’ve stuck to what we believe in, we’ve transitioned a little bit I believe in a short space of time and the players have responded, they’ve given us everything and ultimately that’s all I can ask.”

Throughout his six games in charge, Mason has called for the club to rediscover their identity and feels that is the biggest factor as they continue their search for a new manager.

“The most important thing for any club in world football is to have an identity, know who you are and who you want to be and stick to that,” he said.

Mason also paid tribute to Harry Kane, who scored twice at Elland Road – in what could be his last game for Tottenham – to take his league tally to 30 for the season.

“I think he probably doesn’t get the appreciation he should,” Mason added.

“The goals yes, outstanding, a 30-goal season in the Premier League is incredible but also his overall performances are just outstanding.

“I also think as well to go through what happened in the World Cup, from a mental point of view, to come back and do what he’s done for the past four or five months, I think it speaks volumes for the player and the person.”