Author: AFP

Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season, the Premier League club announced Thursday as they hailed his “incalculable” contribution to our “greatest sustained period of success”.

The 31-year-old Portuguese playmaker, who is the current club captain, joined City from Monaco for £43 million ($58 million) in 2017.

He has gone on to make over 450 appearances for manager Pep Guardiola’s side, winning 15 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League as well as this season’s League Cup.

He has also scored 76 goals and provided 77 assists to date, with Silva also involved as City won the ‘treble’ of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the 2022/23 season.

Silva recently moved into the top 10 of all-time City appearance holders, overtaking several notable former players, including David Silva, Paul Power and Willie Donachie.

“Manchester City can confirm Bernardo Silva will leave the club this summer,” said a City statement.

“Bernardo will now focus on seeking to try and ensure his remaining time at City ends with even more silverware, with Pep Guardiola’s side still very much in the hunt to win both the Premier League title and the FA Cup.

“In short, he will be deservedly remembered both as one of City’s finest and most popular players of all time.”

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Confirming his departure from the Etihad on his Instagram page, Silva wrote: “When I arrived nine years ago, I was following a dream of a little boy, wanting to succeed in life, wanting to achieve great things.

“This city and this club gave me much more than that, much more than I ever hoped for. What we won and achieved together is a legacy that will forever be cherished in my heart.

“The Centurions, the domestic quadruple, the Treble, the Four In A Row and much more… It wasn’t that bad.

“In a few months, it’s time to say goodbye to the city where not only we won so much as a football club, but also where I started my marriage and my family. From the bottom of my heart, Ines and Carlota, thank you!”

Silva, who thanked fans for their “unconditional support” and said he would leave the Etihad as a “Man City supporter for life”, added: “To the club, Pep, the staff and all my team-mates these nine years, thank you for all the memories and for letting me be a part of this journey for so long.

“The atmosphere we created every day in the training ground made me feel at home and a part of a big family. Let’s enjoy together these last weeks and fight for what this season still brings us.”

READ: Liverpool confirm Hugo Ekitike out for season, will miss World Cup

Liverpool followed France in confirming on Thursday that forward Hugo Ekitike will miss the remainder of the Premier League season and the FIFA World Cup 2026 after suffering a serious injury in a Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The 23-year-old crumpled in a heap holding his lower right leg during the first half of Liverpool’s 2-0 quarter-final second-leg defeat by European champions PSG at Anfield on Tuesday and had to be substituted.

A brief statement issued by Premier League champions Liverpool on Thursday said scans had subsequently confirmed a “rupture of the Achilles tendon”.

The statement added: “Ekitike will therefore be sidelined for the remaining weeks of the club season and unable to participate at this summer’s World Cup with France.”

Liverpool gave no timescale for Ekitike’s recovery, saying only “further updates will be provided at the appropriate time, with Hugo receiving the full support of everyone at LFC”.

Liverpool’s statement followed Wednesday’s announcement by France coach Didier Deschamps that Ekitike was out of the World Cup.

“Unfortunately, the severity of (Ekitike’s) injury will prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and taking part in the World Cup,” Deschamps said in a statement released by the French football federation.

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“This injury is a huge blow for him, of course, but also for the French national team.

“I wanted to express my full support for him, as well as that of the entire coaching staff.”

Ekitike has scored 17 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for Liverpool since arriving at Anfield for a fee of £79 million ($105.5 million) last summer from German side Eintracht Frankfurt.

Since winning his first France cap in a World Cup qualifier in September last year, Ekitike has been a regular, scoring two goals and providing one assist in his eight caps.

“It looks really bad, but difficult for me to say how bad,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after Tuesday’s match.

Injuries have been a major factor in a disastrous season for Liverpool as they sit fifth in the Premier League and will end the campaign without silverware.

“Losing a player is something we have had many times this season, but it is especially hard for him because you never want to be injured, especially at this time of the season,” added Slot.

READ: Quetta Gladiators rope in Sri Lanka veteran as Bevon Jacobs replacement

Arsenal reached the Champions League semi-finals after riding their luck in a nervous goalless draw against Sporting Lisbon that clinched a 1-0 aggregate victory on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta’s team were well below their best in the quarter-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium. But they held onto their slender first-leg advantage as Sporting failed to make them pay for the latest in a growing list of angst-ridden performances.

The Gunners will face Atletico Madrid for a place in the final after the Spanish club went through 3-2 on aggregate against Barcelona on Tuesday.

Arsenal crushed Atletico 4-0 in the group stage at the Emirates in October, but they will have to improve significantly to reach the final for the first time since 2006.

Arsenal have reached the Champions semi-finals in two consecutive seasons for the first time in their history.

Yet after losing three of their last five games in all competitions and winning just once, they remain a puzzling side in the midst of an untimely stumble.

Arteta had challenged Arsenal to play with “pure fire” and “zero fear” in an unusually passionate press conference on Tuesday.

The response was hardly emphatic as Arsenal quickly retreated into their shell in another display lacking cohesion and quality in the final third.

Arsenal haven’t lifted the Premier League since 2004 and have never won the Champions League.

The Premier League leaders are on course to achieve both targets, but the flaws in Arteta’s side have become increasingly clear in recent weeks.

Losing the League Cup final against Manchester City and the FA Cup quarter-final against second-tier Southampton was bad enough.

But a shock 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday left Arteta facing pointed questions about Arsenal’s character that remain unanswered.

Arsenal are just six points ahead of second-placed City, who have a game in hand and host the Gunners in a seismic showdown on Sunday.

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The north Londoners have finished Premier League runners-up for the past three seasons, twice blowing substantial leads to City in 2023 and 2024, and the nerves are mounting.

Responding to Arteta’s call for a fiery performance, Arsenal pressed furiously in the opening 10 minutes but couldn’t make the breakthrough.

Once that initial assault petered out, Arsenal wobbled at the back, and William Saliba’s wayward pass led to Francisco Trincao curling wide from the edge of the area.

Former Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres has endured an erratic debut season with Arsenal, and once again, he struggled to make an impact.

Gyokeres had only one serious sight of goal after a burst into the Sporting six-yard box, but he didn’t get his shot off in time and Goncalo Inacio’s tackle snuffed out the danger.

Without the injured Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, Arsenal were too often slow and unambitious in attack.

They grew increasingly edgy in a first half played out to a soundtrack of anxious groans from their frustrated fans.

Gunners ‘keeper David Raya nearly gifted Sporting a goal with a woeful pass that was intercepted by Trincao, whose miscued attempt to find Luis Suarez in the penalty area let Arsenal off the hook.

Geny Catamo was inches away from punishing Arsenal’s lethargy when he volleyed against the far post from an acute angle just before half-time.

Eberechi Eze’s drive whistled narrowly wide after the interval, before Gabriel Martinelli blasted just over and Noni Madueke shot into the side-netting.

Arteta responded by sending on Kai Havertz for Gyokeres, while Max Dowman replaced the injured Madueke.

Sporting appealed in vain for a penalty after Cristhian Mosquera’s slight push on Maxi Araujo.

Arsenal were creaking, but they held firm as Arteta breathed a sigh of relief.

READ: Bayern Munich sink Real Madrid to reach Champions League semis

Late strikes from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed a dramatic 4–3 win for Bayern Munich over Real Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a 6–4 aggregate victory and setting up a Champions League semi-final with holders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The tie was level at the break in the second leg after a scintillating opening half, with record 15-time European champions Real going ahead three times on the night.

Bayern won 2-1 last week in the Spanish capital, but Arda Guler pounced on a loose Manuel Neuer pass to put the visitors ahead after just 34 seconds at the Allianz Arena. He scored again from a free-kick after Aleksandar Pavlovic equalised.

Harry Kane put Bayern back ahead in the tie only for Kylian Mbappe to restore parity overall when he put Madrid 3-2 up before half-time.

Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for a second yellow card with four minutes left, and Bayern pushed forward, Diaz blasting into the corner from outside the box after a crucial deflection.

With Real pressing for an equaliser, Olise curled in a magnificent shot to rubberstamp Bayern’s ticket to the last four and keep alive their quest for a seventh European crown. They will head to Luis Enrique’s PSG at the end of the month.

Tempers boiled over after the final whistle, with Guler picking up a straight red for confronting the referee.

The defeat for Real Madrid effectively ended their season as they look set to finish without a major trophy for the second year running. Barcelona hold a nine-point lead in La Liga and Real suffered a shock last-16 exit in the Copa del Rey.

For the first time in Real’s long history in the Champions League, their starting XI did not contain a single Spanish player. Jude Bellingham, who impressed off the bench in the first leg, was one of four changes to the line-up made by Arbeloa.

Neuer, widely lauded after a vintage performance in Madrid, gifted Real an opener. The Bayern goalkeeper miscued a pass directly to Guler, who floated a first-touch shot into the unguarded goal in the first minute.

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Bayern Munich looked stunned but struck back almost immediately when Pavlovic headed in a Kimmich corner after Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin failed to read the flight of the ball.

The match had barely time to settle before Real were ahead once more thanks to a Guler goal, with Neuer again not at his best.

The Turkey international whipped a free-kick into the top corner which Neuer got a hand to but was unable to keep out.

The match continued to swing back and forth before the break, as Kane struck first before Mbappe responded by getting himself on the scoresheet.

Kane slotted clinically into the bottom corner in the 38th minute to again haul Bayern level on the night, and ahead in the tie, before Mbappe ran onto a Vinicius Junior pass and slotted home to level the tie 4-4 on aggregate.

With Real regularly cutting into Bayern’s high line, coach Vincent Kompany responded by introducing the pace of Alphonso Davies at the interval.

Both sides traded chances in the second half, with Olise particularly dangerous, forcing a fingertip save from Lunin with 20 minutes left.

Camavinga came on midway through the half but picked up two yellow cards in quick succession to leave his team a man down in the closing stages.

It proved a turning point as Bayern Munich struck three minutes later when Diaz’s effort took a touch off Eder Militao and flashed beyond Lunin.

Olise made certain of Bayern’s progress deep into stoppage time as the German giants took down Real in a knockout clash for the first time since 2012.

READ: Longtime Messi friend Guillermo Hoyos unveiled as Inter Miami coach

Guillermo Hoyos said his long friendship with Lionel Messi will not stop him from working the Argentine superstar hard in training, as he was unveiled as the new coach of MLS side Inter Miami on Wednesday.

Hoyos, previously Miami’s sporting director, replaces Javier Mascherano, who departed the club for “personal reasons” on Tuesday, just four months after guiding the club to its first MLS Cup title.

The 62-year-old Hoyos was a key mentor of Messi’s in Barcelona’s youth team more than two decades ago, and the Argentine pair have remained close ever since.

“Friendship is non-negotiable. We share a friendship that spans many years,” said Hoyos, speaking in Spanish, at his first press conference.

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“However, that friendship does not mean that we will be constantly hovering over him or in his face every single day.”

A club statement initially said Hoyos will take charge of the team for the “upcoming matches,” but the team has since referred to him as head coach in social media posts.

Club sources told AFP that Hoyos is expected to remain at the helm only until the middle of the year, with a new coaching setup in place by the start of the Leagues Cup in August.

After seven rounds this season, Inter Miami sit third in the MLS Eastern Conference.

Messi, a 2022 World Cup winner and eight-time Ballon d’Or laureate, is the jewel in the crown of Miami’s squad.

READ: Iran to play World Cup 2026 in USA: FIFA president Infantino confirms

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that Iran will “for sure” participate in the upcoming World Cup 2026, scheduled in the United States of America (USA), Mexico and Canada, despite the Middle East war.

“Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, which would definitely help,” Infantino told an economic conference organised by broadcaster CNBC.

“But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said of the team’s upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.

Infantino had made similar comments in March, when he attended an Iran-Costa Rica friendly in Antalya, Turkey, even though US President Donald Trump had previously suggested that Iranian players might not be “safe” in the United States.

Iran is scheduled to play its three Group G matches in the United States, two in Los Angeles, one in Seattle, with their base for the tournament in Tucson, Arizona.

Iran’s participation in the global tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico had been thrown into doubt by the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

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Iran raised the prospect of a “boycott” of the competition before asking FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico, a request the world governing body rejected.

After several weeks of air strikes on Iran and Iranian reprisals against Israel and other countries in the region, a fragile truce came into effect on April 8.

But Tehran has sealed off the strategic Strait of Hormuz and since Monday Washington has imposed a blockade on ships coming from or heading to Iranian ports.

“Sports should be outside of politics,” Infantino said on Wednesday.

“If there’s nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job,” he said.

The World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, starts on June 11.

READ: Babar Azam reaches historic T20 landmark during PSL 11 clash

Carlos Alcaraz withdrew on Wednesday from the Barcelona Open because of a wrist injury that troubled him in his first-round match, potentially casting doubt over his Roland Garros defence.

“I won’t be able to continue in the tournament,” Alcaraz told reporters a day after his win over Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen.

“I felt my wrist give out on a return during the match. After the tests, we saw that it’s a more serious injury than any of us expected, and I have to listen to my body so it doesn’t affect me in the future.”

It is the second time in three years injury has forced Alcaraz to withdraw from the Barcelona tournament. He won it in 2022 and 2023, and finished runner-up to Holger Rune 12 months ago.

Alcaraz had been scheduled to face Tomas Machac on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I have to go home to start my recovery as soon as possible with my team, the doctors, and the physical therapist, and get — or try to get — as healthy as possible as soon as possible for the tournaments I have coming up,” the Spaniard said.

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“I hope you’ll be able to see me on the court again as soon as possible.”

Alcaraz received a medical timeout at the end of the first set during his 6-4, 6-3 win over Virtanen on Tuesday but did not show any signs of physical discomfort.

He said he hoped it was “nothing” after the match and that without time to rest between tournaments that it was normal to have “little niggles”.

Alcaraz lost his world number one ranking this week following his defeat by Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday. He would have had a chance to regain it by winning the title in Barcelona, with Sinner not playing this week.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in January with his triumph at the Australian Open.

He holds a 22-3 record this season and also won a title in Doha.

Alcaraz said earlier this month he was hoping to play a full season on clay before starting his French Open title defence in late May.

Last year he won in Monte Carlo but skipped the Madrid Open, returning in Rome to lift the trophy there for the first time.

READ: Karachi Kings pick Jason Roy as Muhammad Waseem replacement

Former Real Madrid player and Spain’s 1982 World Cup coach Jose Emilio Santamaria has died at the age of 96, Los Blancos said on Wednesday.

Centre-back Santamaria, who joined Real Madrid in 1957 from Uruguayan side Nacional, played in one of the most decorated eras in the club’s history.

“Real Madrid wishes to express its condolences and affection to his wife Nora, his children Nelson, Nora, Beatriz, José, Silvia, and Javier, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all his family, teammates, and loved ones,” said Real Madrid in a statement.

He won 4 European Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 6 La Liga titles, and 1 Spanish Cup with Real Madrid, across 337 matches.

He was part of that legendary team that won the first European Cups in history consecutively, initiating the universal legend of Real Madrid.

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“Alongside Di Stefano, Puskas, Gento and Kopa, that team began to build the legend of Real Madrid,” said Los Blancos chief Florentino Perez.

He played 25 times for Uruguay before becoming a naturalised Spaniard and playing at the 1962 World Cup for Spain, whom he went on to coach.

As a coach, Santamaria began his career the year after retiring as a player, in Real Madrid’s youth academy.

He managed the Spanish Olympic team at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In 1982, he was the Spanish national team coach at the World Cup in Spain.

From 1971, for seven seasons, he managed R. C. D. Espanyol in 252 matches, becoming the coach with the most official matches in the club’s history.

READ: PSG beat Liverpool to reach Champions League semi-finals

World number two Carlos Alcaraz eased to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen on Tuesday to begin his push for a third Barcelona Open title.

The Spaniard, who lost the Monte Carlo Masters final to new number one Jannik Sinner on Sunday, can reclaim top spot if he triumphs this week in Barcelona, as he did in 2022 and 2023.

Alcaraz, who finished as runner-up last year in Catalonia, started the first round clash slowly but found his rhythm in a dominant second set.

“I didn’t have much time to adjust in terms of training — this morning was the first practice session I’d done here in Barcelona, which makes it a bit hard to find good sensations at the start,” said Alcaraz afterwards.

“I’m happy to have come through the problems I had in the first set. Little by little, I started feeling maybe a bit better, and I’m happy to win the match in straight sets and give myself another chance to try to feel a bit better in the next round.”

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Alcaraz received some treatment from the physio on his forearm, but said he hoped it was “nothing” and, without time to rest between tournaments, that it was normal to have “little niggles”.

World number 130 Virtanen started strongly in front of a full crowd at the court named after Spanish great Rafael Nadal, pushing hard on Alcaraz’s serve, while holding his own relatively comfortably.

However, Carlos Alcaraz broke in the 10th and final game of the first set to take the lead.

In the second set, the players exchanged breaks before Alcaraz broke to love and consolidated for a 4-1 lead. Alcaraz opened up a triple match point on Virtanen’s serve and hit a cross-court winner to capitalise on the first of those.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner will face Czech Tomas Machac in the second round.

READ: Atletico Madrid resist Barcelona comeback to reach Champions League semis

Atletico Madrid sent 10-man Barcelona crashing out of the Champions League and reached the final four with a 3-2 aggregate victory despite Tuesday’s 2-1 quarter-final second leg defeat.

Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres fired visitors Barcelona ahead inside 24 minutes, but Ademola Lookman’s strike gave Atletico the edge in the gripping all-Spanish tie once again after their 2-0 win in the first leg.

Diego Simeone’s side returned to the semi-finals for the first time since 2017 by holding on against the La Liga champions in a compelling and bloody battle.

Barcelona defender Eric Garcia was sent off for bringing down Alexander Sorloth as he ran in on goal in the final stages, hampering their chances of finding a third goal to force extra time.

Atletico Madrid, who have never won the competition and lost the 2014 and 2016 finals with Simeone at the helm, will face Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semi-finals.

Barcelona last won the Champions League in 2015, and their wait for a sixth crown continues, but midfielder Frenkie de Jong said that the club was on the right path despite their elimination.

Barca coach Hansi Flick benched forwards Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski for workhorses Torres and Gavi, looking to press Atletico relentlessly in the sixth match between these sides this season.

Goalkeeper Juan Musso tipped a Yamal effort around his post after just 32 seconds, with Barca roaring out of the blocks in a fiery atmosphere at the Metropolitano stadium.

The teenage winger fired the visitors ahead after just four minutes when he harried Clement Lenglet into giving the ball away.

Torres nudged it back to Yamal, who slipped a low shot through Musso’s legs to hush the home fans and ignite Barca’s attempted comeback bid.

Dani Olmo nearly grabbed a second, but Musso was able to reach his attempted lob as Barca continued to dominate.

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Antoine Griezmann had a shot deflected wide as Atletico Madrid showed occasional flashes, mostly through enterprising winger Lookman, who gave Jules Kounde a difficult night.

Barcelona doubled their lead in the 24th minute to level the tie on aggregate when Torres left Lenglet trailing, reached Olmo’s pass and fired across Musso into the top corner.

Fermin Lopez could have notched Barca’s third, but Musso clawed out his header and left the midfielder bleeding after his boot caught the Spaniard in the face.

Atletico pulled their way back into the game in the 31st minute after Barca switched off defensively for the first time.

Marcos Llorente charged down the right behind the Catalans’ high defensive line and crossed for Lookman to convert.

Barcelona were frustrated early in the second half when Torres volleyed home, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Flick sent on Rashford and Lewandowski with around 20 minutes remaining to find the goal that last season’s semi-finalists needed.

Barca stopper Joan Garcia made a fine save with his leg to thwart Robin Le Normand from close range as Atletico almost pulled level on the night.

Matteo Ruggieri was left with blood streaming down his face after Gavi caught him with an elbow, with tensions rising.

The game spun away from Barca when Eric Garcia was sent off for clipping Sorloth’s heels as he ran through on goal, similar to Pau Cubarsi’s red card in the first leg.

Flick threw centre-back Ronald Araujo up front for the final stages, but there was no way back, and Atletico gritted their teeth through eight minutes of stoppage time before the celebrations could begin.

READ: PSG beat Liverpool to reach Champions League semi-finals