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🟡🔵🇵🇹 José Mourinho’s verbal agreement with Fenerbahçe is on two year contract valid until June 2026.
It will also include an option for further season.
Jorge Mendes has been negotiating the deal and now time to review, sign all formal documents.
Here we go soon! 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/rsSZYCUKjO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2024
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Sacked by Parma after 14 games in 2021 and once an assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Enzo Maresca is set to become the new head coach of Chelsea after guiding Leicester back to the Premier League.
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Will he be any good? Better then Poch? Does the Premier League really need another bald manager?
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They always find a way. Real Madrid have dodged bullets again to find themselves in another Champions League final and are clear favourites to win it for a 15th time. That would put them eight clear of Milan at the top of the all-time list. Remarkable.
\n Standing in their way are underdogs Borussia Dortmund. Despite finishing fifth and a massive 27 points behind Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund have been a different proposition in Europe. But good enough to win Saturday’s showpiece final at Wembley? We shall see.
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We’ll be all over the build-up in – no chin wobbles please – our final Friday football news countdown of the season. Before the wistful reflections kick in too strongly, there’s good news: we’ll be kicking this thing off again for the Euros. And that, dear reader, is just two weeks away when Germany host Scotland.
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Back to today and the managerial merry-go-round will also take our attention. It’s spinning fast and José Mourinho looks like the latest to jump on. More on that later. Right, peep peep, let’s get this thing started!
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Important Events
A women’s international friendly match is being held In fact, the Australian Matildas were trailing China by one point in the first half.
England to face France in Euro 2025 qualifier Lionesses captain Leah Williamson is due to feature in tonight’s game at St James’ Park, having returned to the team in April after a year out injured, and a win against an improving France side will be essential for England, who have already dropped points in a tough qualifying group with a draw with Sweden last month.
Williamson said, BBC On the match against France:
On paper, I think we are obviously the current European champions. It’s easy to forget that we are still in the qualifying stage. A lot has changed.
France has always been a top team despite never winning a title. [a trophy]They’re always listed as the favorites in a lot of games. To be honest, I think they’re pretty evenly matched, but if I have to put that label on them, I’ll do it. It’s been consistent for us. Winning is [the Euros] It’ll mean a target on your back, but it’s a comfortable spot.
I [England] It’s good to be back because the team has performed well and the level has gone up, but we’re obviously missing a couple of guys and it’s going to be a tough competition when you try to get into the team.
Sheffield Wednesday is trending upon twitter X and I did a bit of research to see why, and it turned out it was because of this lovely clip of Danny Rohr’s current assistant manager, Chris Powell. Powell remains one of the best people in football, and we wish him nothing but the best.
“Sheffield Wednesday saved my life in many ways”
The full episode of NoTippyTappyFootball featuring Chris Powell will be available today at 4pm ⏰#NaughtyTappyFootball | #SWFC🦉 pic.twitter.com/bRYxLbxgP2
— No Tippy Tappy Football (@NoTippyTappyPod) May 30, 2024
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Thank you, David. And I thought that the Guardian’s Friday football blog would be updated regularly for just one day, that’s all I could hope for, and it never happened.
This completes my morning cameo. I will now hand over to Dominic Booth for further preparations and the turmoil surrounding the managerial change.
What do bookmakers think of the Wembley final? Dortmund also underdogs to PSG in the semi-finals, but Real Madrid are the clear favourites to win.
90 minute odds: 8/13 Real Madrid, 4/1 Dortmund, 10/3 draw.
Slavko Vincic will referee Saturday’s Champions League final. Fun facts about the 44-year-old Slovenian coach: he is a father of two and has officiated five Champions League games this season, receiving a total of 19 cards – three of which came in Dortmund’s 4-2 quarter-final win over Atlético Madrid, with Julian Ryerson being the only player booked for the German side.
Kieran McKenna has opted to stay at Ipswich but there have been changes at local rivals Norwich. The Canary Islands have appointed Nordsjaelland manager Johannes Hof Thorp as manager.
By the way, the combined age of the managers of the two East Anglian clubs is 73 (McKenna 38 and Thorp 35), three years younger than Roy Hodgson.
Jamie Carragher led Liverpool to victory in the Champions League in 2005, in an epic final against AC Milan in Istanbul. More recently, he was the star of CBS’s “UEFA Champions League Today,” where he talks with Greg Wakeman about becoming a hit in the U.S. There’s no mention of who he’ll be rooting for at Wembley Stadium, but it’s pretty easy to guess, considering Real Madrid have beaten Liverpool in two of the last six finals and Carragher has been seen bathing in the “Yellow Wall” and having a number of drinks with Dortmund fans during the team’s semi-final home match against PSG.
If things had gone differently at Old Trafford, Jadon Sancho might have been hoisting the FA Cup aloft last weekend. Instead, he could be lifting the Champions League trophy into the skies at Wembley with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday night. Andy Brassell looks at the trajectory of the England wide man’s comeback.
Jurgen Klopp once linked player welfare with climate changecalling on football’s governing body to act before it’s too late. This is usually met with utter disrespect and a flurry of the same tired, tribalistic tropes that Klopp always complains about. “When we start talking about this, it really pisses me off… It’s like the climate. We all know this has to change, but nobody tells us what to do.”
Eventually Klopp lost the will to fight, but as he steps down the players themselves are saying they’ve had enough, and social media will tell them to stop being so weary when it comes to the money they’ve made, because the two are linked.
Mourinho takes over at Fenerbahce
Fenerbahce are close to reaching an agreement to appoint Jose Mourinho as their new manager. Hot news from Fabrizio Romano. Incidentally, Fenerbahce just got 99 points in the Turkish Süper League (31 wins, 6 draws and 1 loss, 68 points from 38 matches) and still finished second behind Galatasaray. You would have thought Liverpool had a poor 2018/19 season.
🟡🔵🇵🇹 Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahçe have verbally agreed a two-year contract until June 2026.
Plus options for the next season.
Jorge Mendes continues to negotiate his contract and now it is time to review and sign all the official documents.
Let’s get started right away! 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/rsSZYCUKjO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2024
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🟡🔵🇵🇹 Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahçe have verbally agreed a two-year contract until June 2026.
Plus options for the next season.
Jorge Mendes continues to negotiate his contract and now it is time to review and sign all the official documents.
Let’s get started right away! 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/rsSZYCUKjO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2024
“I am very proud to have signed a new contract with the club. “We have enjoyed great success together over the past two seasons and I am delighted to have the opportunity and responsibility to lead this great club to its first Premier League season in 22 years,” said Kieran McKenna after signing a new contract with Ipswich.
Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United had all expressed interest but McKenna decided to stay – a decision that may have been due in part to the fact that, at 38, he is now one of England’s highest-paid managers.
Chelsea agree deal to sign Maresca
Enzo Maresca, a former assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, was released by Parma after making 14 appearances in 2021. After leading Leicester back to the Premier League, he is set to become Chelsea’s new manager.
Is he good? Is he better than Pochettino? Does the Premier League really need another bald manager?
Gareth Bale knows the Champions League well. He won it five times and scored one of the greatest goals of all time in a final. Overhead kick against Liverpool.
Ahead of Saturday’s match between Real Madrid and Dortmund, he chats with Ewan Murray and, inevitably, the subject of golf comes up – although there’s no mention of Wales.
preamble
They always find a way. Real Madrid have once again avoided crisis to reach the Champions League final and are favourites to win their 15th title. That would put them eight points behind all-time leaders Milan.
Standing in their way will be underdog Borussia Dortmund, who despite finishing fifth, a massive 27 points behind Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, have been the odd one out in Europe, but do they have what it takes to win Saturday’s final at Wembley? Let’s take a look.
We’re all about the excitement in our final Friday football news countdown of the season. Don’t wag your chin. Before you get too pensive, we have some good news for you: the countdown to the Euros begins again. Readers, there’s just two weeks until Germany hosts Scotland.
Back to today, attention is also turning to the managerial merry-go-round, which is turning rapidly and Jose Mourinho appears to be the latest entrant. More on that later. Now, beep beep, let’s begin!
