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Premier Sports Cup ticket details as both Celtic and Rangers get huge allocations

David Faulds — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:34:19 +0000

Celtic and Rangers supporters will occupy the vast majority of seats at the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals at Hampden Park on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November, the SPFL confirmed this afternoon.

Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic celebrates with team mates Paulo Bernardo, Arne Engels & Adam Idah after scoring to give Celtic a 4-2 lead. Celtic v Falkirk, Premier Sports Cup, Quarter Final, Football, Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, 22 Sep 2024. Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

Celtic v Aberdeen is first up and the Scottish Champions will have their supporters in South stand lower and upper, the entire North stand and the East Stand, the traditional ‘Celtic End’ at the National stadium.

Aberdeen supporters will therefore occupy the West Stand, known in Glasgow as the ‘Rangers end’ of the stadium, and sections in the South Stand, usually where the corporate guests are seated.

The Celtic v Aberdeen semi-final on Saturday 2nd November will kick-off at 5.30pm to accommodate live broadcasting on Premier Sports.

Nedim Bajrami and Hamza Igamane of Rangers at full time during the Rangers v Dundee – Premier Sports Cup Quarter Final match at Ibrox Stadium on September 21, 2024 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The arrangements are similar but reversed for the second semi-final taking place at Hampden the following afternoon – Sunday 3rd November between Motherwell and Rangers, with the Motherwell fans being located in the East Stand (the traditional Celtic end) and in sections of the South stand.

The Motherwell v Rangers semi-final on Sunday 3 November- Kick-off at 3.00pm and is also live on Premier Sports.

The vast majority of adult tickets will range from £30-£35, with Under-16s and over-65s tickets £15-£18, following the introduction of a concessionary price in the North and South stands.

SPFL Group Chief Executive Neil Doncaster had this to say about the semi-final arrangements: “We are very much looking forward to the Premier Sports Cup semi-final matches at the National Stadium in early November and wish all four clubs the very best of luck as they aim to book their place in our showpiece final on Sunday 15 December.

“We are pleased to be able to extend our concessionary prices across all four stands at Hampden Park, and hope supporters enjoy two keenly-contested and entertaining semi-finals.”

Previously clubs appearing at Hampden to take on Celtic or Rangers, asked for more tickets than they could sell, resulting in embarrassing gaps at Hampden. That situation has been dealt with successfully by the SPFL and the National stadium at Hampden is set to be at capacity for both cup-ties.

More details via the official SPFL website.

Leeds make move to sign 23-year-old with 10 G/A contributions that included goal of the season contender

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:07:51 +0000

With so many of Leeds United’s top talents being sold this summer, it’s clear that Daniel Farke needs to have some balance restored to his squad.

The all whites have begun their 2024/25 Championship campaign in the worst possible fashion, having conceded three goals at home in both of their opening games, to Portsmouth and Middlesbrough.

They were comprehensively beaten 3-0 in the latter and could only rescue a point in a 3-3 draw in injury time in the former.

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Losing the likes of Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville was always going to cause problems unless they were quickly replaced, though it appears that Rangers’ Rabbi Matondo could well be the man to take Summerville’s place.

According to a report from Football Scotland, their sources note that Farke has an interest in the 23-year-old who managed 10 G/A contributions last season, including a goal of the season contender in injury time against Celtic.

Pictures from Sky Sports

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Latest poor transfer decision from Chelsea could top the lot

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 04:52:50 +0000

With three weeks left until the transfer window closes for business for another few months, Chelsea still have the chance to do business that will afford Enzo Maresca the best opportunity of being able to start his managerial career in West London on the front foot.

The Blues haven’t had the best of times in pre-season, drawing 2-2 with Wrexham and losing 4-1 to Celtic, 4-2 to Man City and 2-1 to Real Madrid.

Their only win thus far (3-0) came against Club America, though the locals have a first chance to see their boys in action with the final pre-season game against Inter taking place at Stamford Bridge this Sunday.

Chelsea set to let ‘most promising’ academy star leave

The real business gets underway a week on Sunday when Chelsea face Pep Guardiola’s City side again, with the reigning Premier League champions travelling to West London.

If Maresca can begin his English top-flight campaign with a decent result in that game, it could set the tone.

Behind the scenes, work is still expected in the transfer market, though one decision that the club appears on the verge of making could top the lot.

Chelsea continue to turn their backs on academy talent

As Football Scotland note, Leo Castledine is one of the most promising players ever to come out of the Chelsea academy, however, the 19-year-old is set to be allowed to make a loan move to Scottish giants, Rangers.

A player who has previously trained under Mauricio Pochettino could be eased out of the club for the 2024/25 season, and whilst it might only be a loan with a view to him returning further down the line, it does beg the question as to why Chelsea themselves can’t see a development pathway for him at the club.

Surely one of the pillars of any club in this day and age is the consistent production of academy graduates.

Bringing them through to the first-team should be a priority above all else, and yet Chelsea under Todd Boehly are turning their backs on their best home grown talent.

Gallagher, Chalobah, Castledine…. who’s next?

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Rangers boss Philippe Clement signs new contract ahead of world record-defending season

CJ — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 16:40:53 +0000

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028.

The Belgian tactician arrived at Ibrox in October and helped Rangers lift the Scottish League Cup in his first campaign, while also finishing runner-up to Celtic in both the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup.

Clement’s new deal adds an extra year onto his existing contract as he prepares for the start of the 2024/25 Premiership season this weekend.

“I have fallen in love with the club, with the fans, the stadium and with the city,” Clement told the Rangers website.

“I see huge potential and now we need to make the club better and stronger in every department, that is our goal, and we are all really aligned about that.”

Rangers chairman John Bennett added: “Philippe and I had a far-reaching conversation at the end of May.

“Our shared ambition was clear: the rebuild of the Rangers men’s first team for the long term as well as short term.

“At that meeting, we shook hands on this new contract and the board is delighted that the formalities have been concluded.”

Pressure on Clement to deliver

Although lifting a trophy was a great achievement in his first season, Clement will be under serious pressure to deliver even more in 2024/25.

As late as week 29, Rangers topped the Premiership table and looked on course to lift the title. However, a run of just four wins in their last 10 matches saw them slip back down to second, surrendering the crown to Celtic.

There’s no doubt that struggles against their arch-rivals defined Rangers’ campaign, drawing one and losing four of the five Old Firm derbies across all competitions last season — including a 2-1 defeat in week 36 and a 1-0 loss in the Scottish Cup final.

What’s more, Celtic have now won 12 of the last 13 Scottish league titles, bringing their total to 54, just one shy of Rangers’ world record of 55.

In preparation for such a pressurised campaign, Clement has signed eight new players — including Mohamed Diomande, Robin Pröpper and Hamza Igamane — while letting nine players leave, including long-time defenders Connor Goldson and Borna Barisic.

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Video: Erik ten Hag trusts 22-year-old Man United talent after scoring stunning pre-season goal

Darren Looney — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 19:44:54 +0000

Man United were in pre-season action on Saturday against Rangers and the game saw Amad Diallo open the scoring with a stunning effort from just inside the box.

This season is a huge one for the 22-year-old as he looks to establish himself as a starter at the Manchester club and scoring goals like this will go a long way in helping the winger achieve this.

Diallo only played 471 minutes for Man United last season but this was largely due to a knee injury he suffered ahead of the campaign getting underway.

Following his goal against Rangers, Ten Hag stated that the upcoming term has to be Diallo’s.

“This has to be Amad Diallo’s year,” the Dutch coach said via Fabrizio Romano. “We have to see Amad in a different way, he is not inexperienced anymore. I trust him.”

This is a huge boost for the winger ahead of the new campaign getting underway and it is up to the player to grab his chances with both hands.

Watch: Amad Diallo scores a beauty for Man United against Rangers

Opening our pre-season account: @AmadDiallo_19 ?

Watch live on #MUTV #MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 20, 2024

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2024/25 UEFA club rankings: Man City continue dominance as Spurs suffer embarrassing crash

CJ — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 12:28:43 +0000

UEFA have revealed their latest club coefficient standings ahead of the 2024/25 season and it makes for good reading for Manchester City.

The coefficients are used to determine seedings for draws in UEFA’s club competitions, including the Champions League. The rankings are determined using a points system based on a weighted algorithm that tracks clubs’ continental performances.

The algorithm takes in results across the last four seasons, coupled with a club’s home association ranking. This means that performances from the 2020/21 campaign are taken into consideration for this season’s rankings.

Manchester City sit top of the rankings for the second straight year, while Real Madrid’s 15th Champions League success sees them climb to second above Bayern Munich, who drop to third. Liverpool and Roma round out the top five.

The latter has caused shock among many given Roma have finished sixth in each of the last three Serie A seasons, while they haven’t finished in the top four since 2017/18.

However, the Giallorossi have enjoyed some memorable European runs across the last three years, winning the Europa Conference League under Jose Mourinho in 2022 before reaching the 2023 Europa League final and making it to the semi-final last season. These forays into UEFA competitions have greatly boosted their rankings and have seen them finish above the likes of PSG (6th), Chelsea (9th), Inter (10th) and Man Utd (14th).

Another big shock sees Barcelona slide even further away from the top 10 into 18th, one place above Arsenal and one behind Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid.

Tottenham have also suffered an embarrassing slide to 45th in the rankings — sandwiched between Olympiacos and FC Copenhagen — after missing out on Europe entirely last season.

UEFA 2024/25 club coefficient rankings top 20

Manchester City – 123 points
Real Madrid – 119 points
Bayern Munich – 108 points
Liverpool – 96 points
Roma – 90 points
PSG – 85 points
Villarreal – 82 points
Dortmund – 79 points
Chelsea – 79 points
Inter – 76 points
Leverkusen – 72 points
Porto – 70 points
RB Leipzig – 70 points
Manchester United – 70 points
Benfica – 69 points
West Ham – 69 points
Atletico Madrid – 67 points
Barcelona – 67 points
Arsenal – 62 points
Atalanta – 61 points

How have the English clubs performed in UEFA’s 2024/25 club coefficient rankings?

Manchester City – 1st
Liverpool – 4th
Chelsea – 9th
Manchester United – 14th
West Ham – 16th
Arsenal – 19th
Tottenham – 45th
Leicester – 68th
Aston Villa – 79th
Brighton – 80th
Newcastle – 81st

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West Ham player to leave the club and could join Leeds United

Jake Staniland — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 17:48:14 +0000

West Ham United’s Ben Johnson is set to depart the London Stadium this summer upon the expiry of his contract, with strong interest from Leeds United and Rangers, per Football Insider.

The 24-year-old right-back has decided to move on in search of more regular first-team football, which he believes is available at both Leeds United and Rangers.

Despite West Ham’s efforts to convince Johnson to extend his stay, the lure of securing a key role elsewhere on a new long-term deal has proven too strong. The versatile defender, who has been with the Hammers since the age of seven, is keen to take advantage of his free-agent status and make a significant impact at his next club.

Johnson made 25 appearances for West Ham in the recently concluded season. However, his role predominantly off the bench led to his desire for a move.

His ability to play not only as a right-back but also as a left-back, wing-back, midfielder, and even a winger has made him an attractive target for clubs looking to bolster their defensive options. West Ham United manager David Moyes often utilised Johnson’s energy and versatility late in games to solidify the team’s defence.

West Ham defender Ben Johnson will leave the club this summer.

Ben Johnson will depart West Ham United this summer as a free agent

Having progressed through West Ham’s academy system and made his 100th senior appearance in February, Johnson’s departure marks the end of an era for the homegrown talent.

As well as Leeds and Rangers, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur were previously linked with the Hammers’ utility player earlier on in the past campaign.

Paul Robinson, former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, expressed his skepticism about Johnson’s potential impact at Spurs. Despite acknowledging Johnson’s adaptability and ability to cover multiple defensive positions, Robinson isn’t convinced that the 24-year-old would significantly enhance Tottenham’s starting lineup.

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Rangers boss Philippe Clement promises to ‘build a new team’ after finishing runner-up to Celtic twice

CJ — Mon, 27 May 2024 11:48:31 +0000

Rangers boss Philippe Clement has revealed he will be ‘building a new team’ for the 2024/25 season.

Although they lifted the Scottish League Cup in December, Rangers’ campaign ended in heartbreak as they finished runner-up to Celtic in both the Premiership and Scottish Cup.

That’s despite the Gers taking control of the title race and topping the table for four consecutive weeks in February, while they went into the final minute of Saturday’s cup final at 0-0 before Adam Idah’s later winner.

There’s no doubting where the season was won and lost for Rangers, who failed to win any of their five meetings with Old Firm rivals Celtic this season, picking up just one point from four league clashes.

Supporters will now be looking nervously over their shoulders as Celtic’s 12th league title in 13 years takes them to within just one of Rangers’ world record 55 titles.

FULL-TIME: Rangers 0-1 Celtic pic.twitter.com/L2tzPeVQGs

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) May 25, 2024

Clement promises Rangers summer rebuild

With a number of contracts expiring and a need to bring down the average age of the playing squad, the powers that be at Ibrox have a busy summer on the horizon.

How much money will be available remains to be seen, but Clement has promised a complete rebuild as Rangers seek to close the gap on their neighbours.

“The mentality is there, the hard work is there, the structure is there and now we need to build on this,” Clement said following the cup final defeat (via BBC Sport).

“We have quite a few players leaving, players who are out of contract, players getting older, players who have had a lot of injuries.

“So we’re going to renew the squad and get experience, but also a talented squad to build a new team.”

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Chelsea head clutch of clubs that want Stoke’s 17-year-old international sensation

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 24 May 2024 09:17:52 +0000

As has been the case over the past few transfer windows, when a young, talented player appears to become available for transfer, Chelsea position themselves at the front of the queue.

There’s been no expense spared since Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge, though things probably haven’t worked out in quite the way that he’d hoped.

Putting together a squad takes time, particularly when there have been so many comings and goings.

Frankly, it’s no wonder that Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino had all struggled to get a tune out of their Chelsea teams.

At the point when the Argentinian was finally getting somewhere, Boehly opened the exit door for him.

In any event, whilst the club continue scouring the market for a new managerial incumbent, they also appear to be wanting to pad out the squad.

Chelsea want Stoke sensation Souleymane Sidibe

According to FootMercato, Chelsea are leading the chase for Stoke City’s exciting 17-year-old Souleymane Sidibe.

The outlet also note the interest of Juventus, Rangers, Brighton and Monaco in a player that is the first born in 2007 to represent a club in either of English football’s top two divisions.

Souleymane Sidibe jusqu'à présent cette saison ???

? 10G/A en 16 Matchs
? 7 apparitions avec l'équipe première
? 4ème meilleur passeurs de la PL 2
? Première titularisation avec l'équipe première en coupe EFL
? Début en FA Cup contre Brighton pic.twitter.com/4YItquDj03

— profutur stars (@Profuturstars) March 29, 2024

He qualifies for both Senegal and Mali due to his heritage but has been called up for the England U18 squad, and it appears that his star will continue to rise.

What isn’t clear at this stage is how much the Championship side would expect in terms of a transfer fee for the player, if indeed they’re willing to let him go.

Whatever amount is arrived at, it’s unlikely to be a problem for Boehly, who has shown in previous transfer window transactions that he will do whatever it takes to get his man.

As has also been since since the American has been in charge, each and every player is a pawn in his game, and a long career in West London won’t necessarily be what Sidibe is signing up for if he decides to move.

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Exclusive: AC Milan & Sevilla among clubs pursuing transfer of £20m Premier League forward

Mark Brus — Wed, 15 May 2024 13:16:12 +0000

AC Milan and Sevilla are among the clubs eyeing up the potential transfer of Fabio Silva, who has been given a £20million price tag for this summer, CaughtOffside understands.

The 21-year-old has been on loan at Rangers this season, and although the Scottish Premiership club would like to sign him permanently, sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that the player would prefer a new challenge elsewhere.

It seems unlikely that Wolves will find room for Silva next season, and the club are understood to have made the player available on the market this summer, with Milan among the biggest names prepared to take a gamble on the Portugal Under-21 international.

The Rossoneri are also looking at Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee as one of their top targets, but Silva could perhaps be an alternative, while Bologna themselves are also alongside Sevilla and Real Betis as eyeing Silva.

Silva transfer: Where will Wolves misfit end up next?

Fabio Silva of Wolves

Wolves will mostly want to avoid selling their star players this summer, with plenty of transfer interest in the likes of Pedro Neto emerging in recent months, so the sale of someone like Silva for £20m could be useful for Financial Fair Play reasons.

We’ve seen Premier League teams Everton and Nottingham Forest handed penalties and points deductions this season, so Wolves will no doubt be among those now being extra careful to avoid something similar happening to them.