Category: Football

ISTANBUL: Manchester City tasted Champions League glory at last on Saturday as a second-half Rodri strike gave the favourites a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in a tense final, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side to complete a remarkable treble.

Rodri fired in from a Bernardo Silva cutback midway through the second half at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium to decide a game in which City were knocked out of their usual rhythm and lost Kevin De Bruyne to injury.

Erling Haaland, scorer of 52 goals this season, went a fifth straight match without finding the net, but City had enough to edge out opponents who had never been expected to get this far.

“It wasn’t easy. What a team we faced, unbelievable,” Rodri told British broadcaster BT Sport.

Having already claimed a fifth Premier League title in six seasons, and added the FA Cup, City are the first English club to win such a treble since Manchester United in 1999.

That same month 24 years ago, City won the English third-tier play-off final on penalties against Gillingham.

Now they have established themselves as England’s dominant side and have finally added the biggest prize in European club football, two years after losing to Chelsea in their first final.

“I think we made history. The good thing is that we want more. This project is to want more, more ambition,” Rodri added.

The match was watched by owner Sheikh Mansour, who made a very rare appearance at a City game as his team capped their rise from also-rans to superpower in the years since he bought the club in 2008.

 

– Guardiola’s third title –

 

Twelve years after last lifting the trophy with Barcelona, meanwhile, Guardiola joins an elite club of coaches to have won the competition three times.

“It’s so difficult to win it,” Guardiola said, before adding that City’s triumph this season was “written in the stars”.

Having brushed aside RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid to reach the final, City did not have it easy against Inter, who saw Federico Dimarco and substitute Romelu Lukaku both almost equalise.

Inter had hoped to spring a surprise and lift the trophy for the fourth time. It was not to be, but Simone Inzaghi’s side will be back in the competition again next season.

“We didn’t deserve to lose,” Inzaghi said. “We played against a top team, absolutely, but Inter also played a great final.”

Victory for Guardiola’s men, to go with the three titles of rivals United, means Manchester becomes just the second city to produce two different winners of the competition, after Milan.

The occasion did not match the drama of the last Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Liverpool triumphed here in 2005, recovering from a three-goal deficit against AC Milan to draw 3-3 before winning on penalties.

However, it also passed off without serious incident, a year after chaos overshadowed the final at the Stade de France in Paris, even if the stadium’s location some 25 kilometres west of central Istanbul did not make access simple for supporters.

 

– De Bruyne comes off hurt –

 

City, with Nathan Ake starting ahead of Kyle Walker in defence, expected Inter to come out and attempt to thwart them, and the first half went to plan for the Italians.

They pressed and snapped at City’s heels, although the best chance fell to Guardiola’s men when De Bruyne set up Haaland for an effort that was well saved by Andre Onana.

City were then dealt a major blow as De Bruyne — who came off hurt in the 2021 final — departed injured on 36 minutes, to be replaced by Phil Foden.

It was just as the prospect of extra time, and a final finishing past midnight, began to loom that the game opened up.

Lautaro Martinez squandered a chance that was gifted to him by a poor Silva ball back towards his own goal, and City struck on 68 minutes.

Manuel Akanji’s pass found Silva in the box and his cutback came off a defender before falling for Rodri to fire in.

It was a second goal in the competition for the Spanish midfielder following his brilliant strike against Bayern in the quarter-finals.

Inter’s resistance was broken, and yet they nearly levelled almost immediately as Dimarco’s header hit the bar.

They nearly did so again in the 88th minute as Ederson somehow got in the way of a goal-bound Lukaku effort.

After coming so close in recent Champions League campaigns, finally it was City’s time.

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Manchester City and Inter Milan clash in Saturday’s Champions League final in Istanbul with the English side, under Pep Guardiola, strongly fancied to win European club football’s biggest prize for the first time.

The match at the 75,000-seat Ataturk Olympic Stadium, kicks off at 1900 GMT in the Turkish metropolis and brings the curtain down on a season that has stretched almost into mid-June after the long interruption for the World Cup.

Manchester City have spent the last decade chasing this trophy having been transformed following an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008.

Also-rans before Sheikh Mansour arrived, they are now England’s dominant force, fresh from winning a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.

Guardiola has built a side that is playing ar,guably the finest football of any team since his great Barcelona of a decade ago, as he chases the third Champions League crown of his coaching career.

He would become just the fourth coach to win the trophy more than twice.

“It is absolutely a dream,” the Spaniard said on Friday.

It is Manchester City’s second Champions League final in three seasons, two years after they lost to Chelsea in Porto, and they are hoping to complete a treble having secured the Premier League and FA Cup.

The last English team to win that treble was Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, in 1999.

“We have been good in this competition, but we just need to find a way to win the first one,” said Kevin De Bruyne.

“If we do it, it would obviously be immense for the players, for the club, and for the fans it would be something amazing.”

Manchester City’s rise has been made possible by the investment from the Abu Dhabi United Group, which led to them generating the biggest revenues in world football in 2022 of 731 million euros ($787m).

Question marks surround their success, given City were charged in February by the Premier League with 115 alleged breaches of its financial rules between 2009 and 2018.

In Europe, meanwhile, City were banned for two years from UEFA competitions in February 2020 for “serious financial fair-play breaches”, although that sanction was later overturned.

City have become an almost irresistible force. They brushed aside RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the knockout rounds and have lost just once in 27 matches.

The goals of Erling Haaland — 52 in all competitions — have elevated them to another level, along with Guardiola’s decision to turn centre-back John Stones into a midfielder.

Inter Milan, while one of Europe’s grand old names, should not be able to compete with City when you look at their finances.

The Nerazzurri have enormous debts and their income for last year was under half that of Manchester City.

However, they emerged from their group ahead of Barcelona before beating Porto, their first victory in a Champions League knockout tie since 2011.

They then saw off Benfica and AC Milan to reach the final. They have won 11 of their last 12 games and recently retained the Coppa Italia.

“We understand what they are as a team,” De Bruyne said.

“They defend incredibly well. We don’t expect it to be an open game. That doesn’t happen a lot in a final anyway.”

Having reached their first Champions League final since lifting the trophy for the third time in their history in 2010, Inter Milan are in to win it.

“We know we have a great opportunity to write a new page in the history of our club,” said coach Simone Inzaghi.

Both sides should be at full strength, with Kyle Walker set to start for City after missing training earlier this week.

It is Inter’s sixth European Cup final, but just their second in 51 years.

Manchester City’s only European trophy to date came in 1970, when they won the Cup Winners’ Cup, beating Poland’s Gornik Zabrze 2-1 in the final.

If they do get the better of Inter, they will be the first new name on the trophy since Chelsea in 2012.

It will also mean Manchester is just the second city to produce two different winners of the competition, after Milan.

A huge global audience will watch Saturday’s showdown, for which both clubs were officially allocated around 20,000 tickets.

It is the second Champions League final held at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, situated on the European side of the Bosphorus, 25 kilometres from central Istanbul.

Liverpool triumphed here in 2005, recovering from a three-goal deficit against Milan to draw 3-3 before winning on penalties.

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ZURICH: Pakistan women’s football team on Friday, made a big leap in the latest FIFA World Rankings following their participation in the AFC Olympic Qualifiers.

As per the latest updates, the green shirts jumped four places to claim the 157th position in the FIFA Women’s rankings.

Pakistan edged Tajikistan in the AFC Olympic Qualifiers 1-0. The victory earned them valuable points which propelled them to 944.58 points.

The victory also powered Pakistan to finish third in Group E of round one of the qualifiers for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Pakistan women’s football team had an unwanted start to their Olympic Qualifier campaign as they succumbed to two back-to-back defeats – against the Philippines and Hong Kong – before finally tasting triumph against Tajikistan.

Earlier, Pakistan women’s team participated in the four-nation cup in Saudi Arabia.

The green shirts put on a dominant show in the tournament and finished second behind hosts Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia locked horns in an enthralling final and fought rigorously. The final, however, failed to conclude any result and ended in a goalless stalemate.

Saudi Arabia, consequently, topped the standings with seven points while Pakistan finished second in the tournament with four points.

It is worth mentioning that FIFA reinstated Pakistan’s women’s team to the FIFA rankings table in October 2022 after a six-year absence.

The development came after Pakistan women’s football team participated in the SAFF Women’s Championship 2022 and claimed a historic 7-0 victory over Maldives.

Following their reinstation in the rankings table, the green shirts occupied the 160th rank with a total of 928.4 points.

It is worth mentioning here that the SAFF Women’s Championship 2022 marked the first tournament in which Pakistan was taking part after FIFA lifted the ban on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on June 29 2022.

READ: UAE win toss, elect to bat first against West Indies 

FC Barcelona on Thursday, issued a statement after star footballer Lionel Messi reportedly joined Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami despite receiving a “proposal” to return to his former club.

In the latest release, the current La Liga champions wished Lionel Messi good luck in his future endeavours in a league with fewer demands.

“On Monday, June 5, Jorge Messi, the player’s father and representative, informed Club President Joan Laporta of the player’s decision to join Inter Miami, despite having been presented with a proposal from Barça, in consideration of the desire of both FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi for him to once again wear Blaugrana,” the statement read.

“President Laporta understood and respected Messi’s decision to want to compete in a league with fewer demands, further away from the spotlight and the pressure he has been subject to in recent years.

“Both Joan Laporta and Jorge Messi also agreed to work together to promote a proper tribute from Barca fans to honor a footballer who has been, is, and always will be beloved by Barca.”

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, who was in link with Saudi Arabia and Barcelona for his potential move, admitted that he wanted to return to his former club but did not want to experience what he experienced in the past.

“I really wanted to return, I was very excited to be able to return, but, on the other hand, after having experienced what I experienced when I left, I didn’t want to be in the same situation again. I didn’t want to leave my future in someone else’s hands,” Messi told Spanish media on Wednesday.

“Although I heard that it was said that La Liga had accepted everything and that everything was fine for me to return, there were still many other things that had to happen.

“I wanted to make my own decision and that’s why I didn’t return to Barca. Although I would have loved it, it couldn’t be.

“Hopefully one day I can contribute something to the club and help because Barca is a club that I love as I always said.”

It is worth mentioning here Lionel Messi parted ways with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after their last Ligue 1 2022/23 fixture against Clermont Foot.

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BARCELONA: Lionel Messi on Wednesday said he will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.

The Argentine forward, 35, has spent the last two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, playing his final game for the club on Saturday, after moving from Barcelona in 2021, where he spent the majority of his career.

MLS and Inter Miami confirmed the news on social media, although the American league noted “work remains to finalise a formal agreement”.

“I’ve taken the decision that I am going to Miami, I don’t have (the deal) 100 percent sealed or maybe there’s something left to do, but we decided to continue our path there,” Messi told Spanish newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.

“After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it’s time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day to day life more.”

Messi is a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and is expected to earn the individual accolade once more after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in December.

The football world was eagerly awaiting Messi’s decision after PSG confirmed this week the playmaker, widely considered the best player in the history of football, was departing.

The romance of a Barcelona return and prospect of eye-watering riches in Saudi Arabia fell by the wayside as Messi opted to join MLS, with Miami a city he has holidayed in on previous occasions.

“If it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere,” said Messi.

“It seemed a lot of money and the truth is that my decision went another way and not for money.”

Inter Miami, co-owned by former England international David Beckham and founded in 2018, sacked coach Phil Neville last week with the team bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Some reports say key MLS sponsors including Adidas and Apple TV, who own the league’s domestic broadcasting rights, may be contributing to his deal.

Messi, who turns 36 later this month, is now set to finish his club career outside the spotlight of top-level European football.

– ‘Wanted to come back’ –

Messi said he would have loved to return to Barcelona but was afraid that the financial complications which stopped the Catalan club extending his deal in 2021 would interfere again.

“I really wanted to come back, I was really looking forward to it,” continued Messi.

“But, on the other hand, after having lived through what I lived through, after the exit I had… I didn’t want to go through the same situation again and have to wait to see what was going to happen.

“I didn’t want to leave my future in the hands of others. Somehow, I wanted to make my own decision for myself, for my family.”

Messi said he plans to live in Barcelona again in the future and be involved with his former side in some way.

“I don’t know at what moment and when, but hopefully I can return one day to contribute something to the club,” he said.

Before that, though, Messi will give the growth of football in the United States another jolt of momentum with his arrival, which comes just three years ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Having spent the past two seasons of his career at a lavishly funded PSG side, Messi will be going to a more modest set-up in Miami.

In their first game since Messi’s announcement on Wednesday, Miami defeated Alabama non-league side Birmingham Legion 1-0 in the US Open Cup to reach the semi-finals.

– Glittering history –

Messi joined Barcelona’s academy at 13 years old after leaving his homeland.

He became the Catalan club’s greatest icon, scoring a record 672 goals in 778 games, winning 35 trophies, including four Champions League triumphs and 10 La Liga titles.

After his unexpected Barcelona departure, Messi linked up in Paris with his former team-mate Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in a star-studded attacking trident, but PSG flattered to deceive during his time at the club.

While they won Ligue 1 twice, they suffered two devastating Champions League last-16 exits, with Messi a target for supporters’ anger.

Already being booed by fans, he took an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, where he is a tourism ambassador, and was fined and suspended by PSG.

Messi returned from suspension to play his 75th and final match for PSG last weekend in a defeat by Clermont, during which he was jeered once more and could not add to his tally of 32 goals for the club.

“They were two years which were, in general, difficult for me, but they are behind me now,” said Messi.

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A Saudi Arabia fan who went viral amid FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar for his trolling remarks ‘Where is Messi?’ against Lionel Messi has now met the star footballer.

Lionel Messi had a dream campaign in Qatar when he propelled Argentina to a World Cup triumph for the first time after 1986 and their third world title overall.

But the dream campaign had a disastrous start as the tournament’s favourite Argentina succumbed to a shock loss against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in their opening game.

Lionel Messi scored the first goal of his final World Cup and took Argentina in the lead early in the first half after a foul from Al Bulayahi, who took down Parades in the box.

Saudi Arabia scored the equalizer in the second half with a brilliant left-footed shot by Salah Alshehri that cut across goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and landed in the bottom right corner.

Salem Aldawsri then put Saudi Arabia into the lead just five minutes post the equalizer and it lasted till the final whistle.

Saudi Arabia’s surprising victory over tournament favourites Argentina sent their fans into jubilation and several videos of the Arab fans celebrating went viral on social media.

Furthermore, another footage caught the attention of the football in which a Saudi fan was heard trolling Lionel Messi by asking, “Where is Messi?’”.

https://twitter.com/23__mi/status/1664383044315168769

But now in a picture that has gone viral, that same fan was interacting with Lionel Messi.

No way 😭😭…

the 'where is Messi' dude met Messi pic.twitter.com/NpacbMKBta

— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) June 6, 2023

 

The details of the meeting between Lionel Messi and the famous footballer have not been known yet as Twitter users are sharing the viral pictures in utter disbelief.

Earlier this month, Lionel Messi parted ways with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after their last Ligue 1 2022/23 fixture against Clermont Foot.

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is likely to play in Saudi Arabia next season under a “huge” deal, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP earlier this month.

“Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity and without naming the club.

“The contract is exceptional. It’s huge. We are just finalising some small details,” the source added.

It is worth mentioning here that besides Saudi’s huge deal, Messi’s former club Barcelona are also in the race to rope in the star footballer.

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Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema will join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia after signing a three-year deal with Al-Ittihad, the Jeddah-based club confirmed on Tuesday.

“Benzema is here. A new tiger will roar. Welcome to Ittihad!,” the club wrote on Twitter.

Karim Benzema will join his former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo in the Gulf kingdom after the five-time world player of the year moved to Al Nassr from Manchester United following last year’s World Cup.

Lionel Messi, who is leaving Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons, has also been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Senior officials from another Al-Ittihad club, Al Hilal, have flown to France to try and seal a deal for Messi after the 35-year-old Argentinian played his last game for PSG at the weekend, two sources with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Sunday.

The Saudi delegation plans to meet Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, with the aiming of completing the signing as soon as possible.

The announcement regarding Karim Benzema comes days after Real Madrid said that the 35-year-old Benzema was leaving the club after 14 seasons, the day after coach Carlo Ancelotti had insisted there was “no doubt” Benzema’s future was in the Spanish capital.

Karim Benzema joined Madrid in 2009 from Ligue 1 side Lyon.

He made 648 appearances for Madrid and is second on Real’s all-time goalscoring list with 354 — only Ronaldo has more.

He has lifted five Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey with Madrid.

But after a stellar 2021-22 season when he led Real to Champions League glory and was rewarded with the Ballon d’Or, he was troubled by injuries in the just-completed season and had to miss France’s World Cup campaign in Qatar last year with a thigh problem.

Karim Benzema held a goodbye ceremony at Real’s training ground on Tuesday.

“It hurts me, because I had a dream in my head – to sign for Madrid, and finish at Madrid,” he told an audience of his teammates and club officials.

“But sometimes life gives you other opportunities,” he added.

Saudi Arabia has drawn up a list of more than 10 players who have won either the Champions League or the World Cup that it wants to lure to its league, a source close to the negotiations has told AFP.

The list includes Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric, Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and his France teammate N’Golo Kante. All are at the tail-end of their careers.

The world’s biggest oil producer has ambitions to host the World Cup in 2030 or 2034 and is betting on sport to help revamp its austere image, which has earned accusations from rights groups that it is “sportswashing”.

India’s star batter Virat Kohli drew a comparison between the biggest rivalry in cricket – India versus Pakistan – and the recently-held FA Cup final, asserting the former to be louder.

Virat Kohli with her wife Anushka Sharma watched the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium between Manchester City and Manchester United and cheered for the Premier League winner.

Their team carried on their brilliant form to outclass United 3-2 and clinched the FA Cup title.

Following the conclusion of the action-filled final, Virat Kohli, in a video statement released by Manchester City, shared his thoughts on the experience and the electrifying atmosphere at the stadium.

“The atmosphere during India’s premier matches clashes, like with Pakistan, is similar to what fans experience during the football games here [in the UK],” said Virat Kohli.

“India versus Pakistan during a World Cup would be louder, but the passion and support of fans here is incredible to watch,” he added.

Virat Kohli further revealed that he closely follows City matches closely, especially after his interaction with the club’s manager Pep Guardiola.

“Watching Manchester City play is a great thing because I follow the team pretty closely ever since I had a chat with Pep to understand his mindset,” Kohli concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that Manchester City, fresh with two title-winning victories, will lock horns with Inter Milan in the final of the UEFA Champions League on June 10.

Meanwhile, start Indian batter Virat Kohli will turn up for India in the World Test Championship Final against Australia at Lord’s, scheduled to commence on June 7.

Kohli took a break from India’s scheduled training session for the WTC Final to attend the highly-anticipated FA Cup final.

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RIYADH: Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema has signed for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad for three years starting next season, a source in the Jeddah-based club told AFP on Tuesday.

“Benzema has signed a contract for his transfer to Al-Ittihad for a three-year period starting next season,” the source said.

The announcement comes days after Real Madrid announced that the 35-year-old was leaving the club after 14 seasons, the day after coach Carlo Ancelotti had said there was “no doubt” Benzema’s future was in the Spanish capital.

Benzema is in line to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Gulf kingdom after the Portuguese five-time world player of the year moved to Al Nassr from Manchester United following last year’s World Cup.

Lionel Messi, who is leaving Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons, has also been linked to a move to Saudi Arabia.

Senior officials from Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal have flown to France to try and seal a deal for Messi after the 35-year-old Argentinian played his last game for PSG at the weekend.

The Saudi delegation plans to meet Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, with the aiming of completing the signing as soon as possible, sources told AFP on Sunday.

Benzema joined Madrid in 2009 from Ligue 1 side Lyon.

He made 647 appearances for Madrid and is the second on Real’s all-time goalscoring list with 353 — only Cristiano Ronaldo has more.

He has lifted five Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey with Madrid and is the holder of the Ballon d’Or for the world’s best player.

But after a stellar 2021-22 season when he lead Real to the Champions League, he has been troubled by injuries in the just-completed season and had to miss France’s World Cup campaign with a thigh problem.

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MILAN: Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought the curtain down on a long, trophy-packed career on Sunday when he unexpectedly announced his retirement from football.

Veteran striker Ibrahimovic revealed his decision to quit the game during an on-pitch ceremony following AC Milan’s 3-1 win over Verona which ended their Serie A campaign.

“It’s the moment to say goodbye to football, not just to you,” said Ibrahimovic on the San Siro pitch.

“There are too many emotions for me right now. Forza Milan and goodbye.”

The 41-year-old had been expected to simply bid farewell to Milan fans after his departure from the seven-time European champions was announced on Saturday.

He returned to Milan in late 2019 for a second spell after a previous two-year period in which he won the Serie A title in 2011.

“The first time I came here you gave me happiness, the second time you gave me love,” said Ibrahimovic.

“You welcomed me with open arms, you made me feel at home, I will be a Milanista for the rest of my life.”

Ibrahimovic was a key figure in Milan’s resurgence to the top of Italian football after his return to the club, helping to bring them back from the doldrums and eventually win the Scudetto last season.

“I used to be scared when journalists asked by about my future, but now I can accept it, I’m ready,” Ibrahimovic told reporters after his announcement.

“I’ve been doing this all my life, football made me a man. It allowed me to know people I otherwise would never have known, I’ve travelled the world thanks to football. It’s all thanks to football.”

Over the course of his career Ibrahimovic won league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France, although his only major European trophy was the 2017 Europa League with Manchester United.

Making his announcement at the San Siro was appropriate as he also won three straight league titles with Inter Milan between 2006 and 2009 before a turbulent spell at Barcelona.

His retirement comes after a season in which he has hardly featured for Stefano Pioli’s side after being plagued with injuries, returning in February following surgery on his left knee in May.

In July he signed a deal which netted him around one million euros ($1.02 million) in fixed salary, with large bonuses linked to appearances and achievements.

But after agreeing that deal the 41-year-old only started one match and netted once for Milan, a 3-1 win at Udinese in March in which he became the oldest goal scorer in Serie A history.

He then picked up a calf injury in a pre-match warm up in April and ended his career sidelined, scotching rumours that he was set to move to Monza and targeting Euro 2024 with Sweden.

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