Monday’s briefing: Matheus Cunha and Caoimhin Kelleher set for transfers

 Manchester United started their summer business by reaching an agreement with Wolves to sign Matheus Cunha.

The Brazilian forward will be Ruben Amorim’s first summer signing after a disappointing campaign saw the Red Devils finish 15th in the Premier League and lose to Tottenham in the Europa League final.

From Molineux to Old Trafford

Brazil forward Cunha has been in Manchester over the weekend to put the finishing touches to his move to Old Trafford, which is subject to a visa and registration.

The 26-year-old, who has won 13 senior caps for Brazil, scored 18 goals in all competitions last season.

A United statement read: “Manchester United has reached agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers for the signing of Matheus Cunha.

“The Brazilian forward’s signing is subject to visa and registration. Everyone at Manchester United looks forward to welcoming Matheus to Old Trafford.”

England squad enjoy F1 before qualifier

England took time out of their preparations for the World Cup qualifier against Andorra by enjoying a day at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Captain Harry Kane and his men watched on as Oscar Piastri pipped Lando Norris in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, despite not being named in the squad, Manchester City defender John Stones has also linked up with Thomas Tuchel’s group to continue his rehabilitation following a spell on the sidelines and was pictured alongside Kane at the circuit.

Oldham secure promotion

There were 52,115 in attendance at Wembley as Oldham scored twice in two minutes in extra time to beat Southend 3-2 in the National League play-off final and secure promotion to League Two.

Manny Monthe’s early own goal was cancelled out by Joe Garner’s penalty before Southend went ahead through Leon Chambers-Parillon’s 91st-minute goal.

But James Norwood and Kian Harratt struck to help Oldham follow Barnet into the English Football League.

Brentford look to Kelleher

With Mark Flekken set to move to Bayer Leverkusen, Brentford have turned to Kelleher.

A reported initial fee of £12.5m for the second-choice Liverpool goalkeeper can rise to £18m if performance-related requirements are met.

Republic of Ireland international Kelleher, who has a year left on his contract at Anfield, played over a quarter of the champions’ Premier League matches this season when first-choice Alisson Becker was injured.

What’s on today?

Australia’s Matildas host Argentina in an international friendly in Canberra, with South Korea and Colombia also facing off.

Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/mondays-briefing-matheus-cunha-and-caoimhin-kelleher-set-for-transfers-41192785

Two dead and hundreds arrested as PSG fans celebrate historic Champions League win with flares and fireworks

 Two people have died and more than 500 have been arrested after disorder broke out during Champions League final celebrations in France following Paris St Germain’s win, the French interior ministry has said.

Wild celebrations erupted across the French capital and beyond after PSG crushed Italian opponents Inter Milan to win the Champions League for the first time.

However, skirmishes with police following the win spoilt the party.

The interior ministry said 192 people were injured and there were 692 fires, including 264 involving vehicles.

As of Sunday morning, 559 people had been arrested, including 491 in Paris, which led to 320 people being placed in police custody, 254 of them in Paris, the ministry added.

Some 22 members of the security forces and seven firefighters were harmed.

Flares and fireworks lit up the city, car horns blared, and the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in blue and red.

The final in Munich was widely watched across Paris, including inside PSG's Parc des Princes stadium, where the match was broadcast on a giant screen.

However, the 5-0 victory over Inter Milan also led to some unrest, with flashpoints and arrests occurring even during the game.

Outside the stadium, a brief clash erupted during the first half between celebrating PSG fans letting off flares and riot police, who responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd.

At the top of the Champs-Élysées avenue, a water cannon was deployed to protect the Place de l’Étoile, near the Arc de Triomphe. Police reported that a large crowd, not watching the match, attempted to breach a barrier to confront the police.

Paris Saint-Germain fans celebrate the team's victory on the Champs-Elysees avenue after the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan (AP)

Mindful of any celebrations getting out of hand, as has often been the case in Paris during high-profile soccer matches, PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé urged fans after the final to show restraint amid their euphoria.

“Let’s celebrate but without breaking everything in Paris," he told broadcaster Canal Plus.

It was hoped PSG's rout of seasoned campaigner Inter — a three-time Champions League winner — would grab the headlines.

“I don’t have words," said 19-year-old PSG forward Désiré Doué, who scored twice and set up one goal in a mesmerising performance. "But what I can say is ‘Thank you Paris,’ we did it.”

At the Place de la Bastille, there were joyous scenes as fans climbed onto the base of the famous column, singing, dancing and letting off flares, while those around joined in.

At one point, motorbikes loudly revved their engines and the crowd cheered as they did laps around the column. There were no police nearby and, by 1am, the atmosphere was upbeat with no tensions and plenty of singing.

Security was tightened up in anticipation of potential post-match violence and 5,400 police officers were deployed on the Champs-Élysées, other key parts of Paris, and its nearby suburbs

Cars are set on fire in Paris following PSG's Champions League victory (Reuters)

Two hours before the 9pm kickoff, the Champs-Élysées was already teeming with fans singing and letting off flares, while the 49,000-capacity Parc des Princes had a heavy police presence outside.

At around 11:30 pm police said they were expecting a mass arrival of fans onto the the Champs-Élysées.

There were outbreaks of violence around three weeks ago after PSG eliminated Arsenal to reach the final. One car rammed into supporters and was later set on fire, while shop windows were smashed. Riot police were still dispersing rowdy fans at 3am and there were more than 40 arrests in the city.

Five years ago, disgruntled fans clashed with riot police on the avenue after their team lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in Lisbon.

When PSG won the French title in 2013 — ending a wait of 19 years — celebrations were cut short on Monday following violent scenes in which fans fought with riot police for several hours, leaving 30 people injured.

There were also incidents on the Champs-Élysées following Algeria's African Cup of Nations win in 2019, and in 2021 following a match between Morocco and Algeria in the Arab Cup, and in 2022 after France and Morocco both qualified for the World Cup semifinals on the same day.

Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/two-dead-and-hundreds-arrested-as-psg-fans-celebrate-historic-champions-league-win-with-flares-and-fireworks-41189947

Every record PSG broke or equalled in historic Champions League final

 PSG won the Uefa Champions League for the first time ever in historic fashion as they hammered Inter Milan in Munich.

It wasn’t just a beating, it was a non-stop, merciless battering of their opponents, leaving no doubt as to who were the deserving winners of this season’s tournament.

After Marseille in 1993, they are the second French outfit to win the Champions League and, unsurprisingly, set a few records while doing so, so we’ve picked them all out for you here.

Every record PSG broke or equalled in 2025 Champions League final

The 5-0 win was the biggest margin of victory in the final in the history of the competition. Four teams had won by four goals since the inception of the European Cup, but never by five before now.

PSG went two up after 19 minutes, the first time a team had scored two goals inside the first 20 minutes of a Champions League final. By half-time they had attempted 13 shots with five on target, compared to Inter’s two shots with zero on target. There had never been as many as five shots on target difference at the break of a final before.

Désiré Doué is the first player to be involved in three or more goals in a Champions League final. The Frenchman is also the sixth different player to both score and assist in a final, while at 19 years and 362 days, he’s the youngest to do so. He’s just the third teenager to score in a final.

Doué is also the youngest player score twice in a final, as well as the youngest to provide an assist, surpassing Jude Bellingham’s record with Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund from last year’s final (20 years and 338 days). He set Achraf Hakimi for the opener, the Morocco international’s ninth goal involvement (4G, 5A) this season, the joint-most by a defender in a single Champions League campaign. They other player? Ian Harte, for Leeds United in 2000/01.

Luis Enrique is only the second manager to win a treble with a European club on two different occasions, previously doing so in 2014-15 with Barcelona, along with Pep Guardiola (Barcelona in 2008-09 and Manchester City in 2022-23).

The average age of PSG’s starting lineup (25 years, 96 days) is five years and 146 days younger than Inter’s (30 years, 242 days), the biggest ever age gap between two starting XIs in a Champions League final. The Parisians also fielded the youngest starting lineup in a UCL final this century, while Inter are the first team to ever start as many as three players at least 35 years of age in a decider (Yann Sommer, Francesco Acerbi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan).

PSG played 167 times in the European Cup and Champions League before Saturday, the most games played by a side before winning their first trophy. Arsenal (211) hold the record for most games played without winning it.

Ousmane Dembele provided two assists on the night, taking his goal involvements in the Champions League this season to 14, the most ever by a PSG player in one campaign.

And lastly, Munich has now born witness to a new winner of the trophy in each of the five finals it has hosted. I guess it was just meant to be.

All statistics in this article were provided by Opta.

Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/every-record-psg-broke-or-equalled-in-historic-champions-league-final-41189230

Three questions ahead of the Champions League final

All eyes are on Munich on Saturday night where the Champions League final will be decided between Inter and PSG.

We look at the big questions that will be answered at the Allianz Arena.

It may be a surprise to many but this fixture actually represents the first ever meeting between these giants of the game.

Interestingly though, it is the second ever French-Italian final in this competition in any guise. On that occasion, Marseille defeated Milan 1-0 (the only time a French side has won it) - and that final also took place in Munich.

It will be Inter's seventh final appearance (winning three of their previous clashes) and is just the second for PSG, having lost to Bayern Munich in 2020.

They have been the outstanding sides in this year's competition, along with Barcelona, and are fitting finalists in a game that is very much poised on a knife edge.

The tactical battle pitting Simone Inzaghi's tried and trusted defensive trio flanked by his always dangerous wing-backs going up against Luis Enrique's fearless youthful forward line promises plenty of excitement.

Between the posts, both coaches can be confident too. Ex-Milan man Gianluigi Donnarumma has excelled throughout the knockout phase, while Yann Sommer has prevented more goals than any other keeper in the competition this season (-5.9) based on the xG quality of effort faced.

We can't call it. Are you brave enough to do so? Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/three-questions-ahead-of-the-champions-league-final-41185753

FEATURE | How PSG finally became a likable team on their way to the Champions League final

 

Since PSG’s 2011 takeover by Qatar Sports Investments – a subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority, the country’s sovereign wealth fund – Les Parisiens had an unflattering reputation in Europe. Not so long ago, PSG were seen as a feckless, directionless, careless assembly of overpaid and overpriced football players whose presence in the Champions League was virtually guaranteed given their domination in Ligue 1.

As for their feats in Europe’s premier club competition, PSG mostly underperformed and even earned a reputation as big-time bottlers. The 2017 Remontada against Barcelona and the 2022 second-half collapse at Santiago-Bernabéu were the prime examples of the latter. Such disappointments made PSG the laughing stock of Europe. In 2023, PSG cut Christophe Galtier loose to appoint Luis Enrique, whose first decision was to tell Neymar Jr. and Marco Verratti, two landmarks of the QSI era, to find pastures new. From then on, PSG finally became a likable team on their way to Saturday’s Champions League final. Here’s how.

Luis Enrique, the energetic boss with an iron fist

Over the years, PSG had appointed high-level coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti, Thomas Tuchel or Mauricio Pochettino. Yet none of them has had a bigger impact than the former Spain manager. Luis Enrique transformed an underachieving squad into a cohesive unit to be reckoned with. The former Barcelona head coach very much created a team in his own image: confident in their strength, energetic, disciplined and clever.

The sense of camaraderie Luis Enrique instilled to PSG is obvious at the sight of forward players tracking back to help their mates, something that so rarely occurred when Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé featured together. Luis Enrique also managed to bring the best out of players in their peak years, like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and, most of all, Ousmane Dembélé, whose transition from gung-ho right winger to lethal centre-forward was completely unexpected.

The Spaniard’s style of play, his results, his commitment to learn French, his ability to reflect on his own previous mistakes and the grace with which he dealt with personal tragedy are worthy of respect.

A coherent sporting policy

One of the many criticisisms aimed at pre-2025 PSG was the clear mismatch between what the team needed and the players the club signed. The clearest example of this is the recruitment of then free agent Lionel Messi in 2021. Signing the Argentine legend made absolutely no sporting sense and his two-year spell can be considered a failure, both for him and for PSG. The same could be said of Sergio Ramos.

Fortunately, lessons have been learnt. Under the guidance of Sporting Director Luis Campos, PSG shifted from the bling-bling era to a youth-centric policy with an emphasis on French players, whose motivation to represent the country’s best team leaves no doubt. Such a revolution was not without its failures. Two years ago, PSG signed Randal Kolo Muani for €90m, Manuel Ugarte for €60m and lured free agents Milan Skriniar and Marco Asensio with high wages.

The previous transfer windows showed PSG’s ability to get back on their feet. They signed João Neves from Benfica for €60m, half the price of his release clause, and then sold Ugarte – whose tendency to commit fouls and sluggishness proved detrimental to Luis Enrique – for a similar amount. Neves proves an absolute hit, as does Désiré Doué.

PSG very much remain a state-owned club with near-unlimited funds, but at least, they are now seen as serious operators in the market. What’s more, the Ligue 1 champions do not hesitate to spend big if a market opportunity becomes too good to ignore, such as Napoli wantaway winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

A new work ethic

The Georgian winger settled seamlessly into the squad and embodies what PSG now stand for. Kvaratskhelia is simultaneously a throwback – with his lowered socks, his George Best-like look and elite dribbling quality – and a modern winger. The former Napoli man is a selfless and tireless player, as shown by his all-action display against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals. Kvaratskhelia set up Dembélé’s opener at the Emirates Stadium, recovered more balls than any players on the pitch and helped Nuno Mendes to nullify his opposite number, Bukayo Saka.

PSG players’ willingness to play together is also obvious when their front three permute their positions to become even less predictable. Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk – arguably the best centre-back in the world – recently spoke of how we was impressed by Les Parisiens‘ style of play and the effort they displayed when the two sides collided in the Champions League last-16.

A couple of years ago, PSG would have certainly lost in a high-stakes game in an atmosphere as hostile as Anfield’s. But this exuberant, tireless and young PSG are a different breed. And on Saturday night, they could become the second French side to win the greatest prize of all, the Champions League. And if they don’t, they’ll still have something they sorely lacked: likability and their peers’ respect.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval

Source : https://onefootball.com/en/news/feature-how-psg-finally-became-a-likable-team-on-their-way-to-the-champions-league-final-41186615

PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: THERE'S A NEW STARBOY IN TOWN

 Another week of Premier League action has passed meaning Christmas and 2024 are slowly creeping ever nearer.

There some great performances and stand out moments but our Player of the Week is…

Mohammed Kudus (West Ham)

Few saw West Ham having much of a chance when Kudus’s name popped up on their transfer wishlist, with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea both sniffing around, but the Ghanaian made the switch to the London Stadium and hasn’t looked back.

The Hammers paid a reported £38 million to Dutch giants Ajax for the 23-year-old’s services and it is currently looking like a massive steal.

Kudus has scored eight goals in all competitions this season for West Ham, five of which have come in the Premier League and two having come from their most recent game against Wolves.

Both goals came on the counter attack in which he was set lose by Lucas Paquetá but still had lots of work to do.

On both occasions he drove seamlessly past Wolves’ helpless defenders and produced two strong finishes, the first on his left and the second on his right, to give David Moyes’ side a 2-0 before half-time.

Read more

Source:https://onefootball.com/en/news/premier-league-player-of-the-week-theres-a-new-starboy-in-town-38749332

NO CHELSEA, LIVERPOOL OR MANCHESTER UNITED DEALS IN THE TOP TEN PREMIER LEAGUE SIGNINGS OF 2023

 A true Todd Boehly special

More than £1bn was spent by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United this year but not a single one of their signings rank among the ten best made in 2023.

10) Craig Dawson The list of permanent managers Dawson has played for in the Premier League, presented in chronological order, is a thing of beauty: Hodgson, Clarke, Mel, Irvine, Pulis, Pardew, Gracia, Pearson, Sanchez Flores, Moyes, Lopetegui and O’Neil.

The Verdict: Man Utd point at Anfield a...

G Nev, Keane, Carra debate PL title...

The penultimate and perhaps most incongruous name had apparently been so affected by Dawson’s inspirational turn during West Ham’s run to the 2022 Europa League semi-finals, in which Lopetegui’s Sevilla were dumped out by the Hammers in the round of 16, that he immediately sought to sign the centre-half when the opportunity first presented itself.

Dawson helped keep Wolves – out of the relegation zone on goal difference alone – clear of the drop by seven points, with a debut goal in a thrashing of Liverpool particularly memorable. This season has brought more quietly consummate excellence, as Erling Haaland can attest. And all for little over £3m.

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Source:https://onefootball.com/en/news/no-chelsea-liverpool-or-manchester-united-deals-in-the-top-ten-premier-league-signings-of-2023-38749170