US President Donald Trump has offered asylum to the Iranian women’s football team following their refusal to sing the national anthem before a match in Australia.
The players sparked international concern after remaining silent during their country’s anthem ahead of a fixture against South Korea on 2 March.
State television in the Middle Eastern nation condemned the initial act of defiance as a “pinnacle of dishonour”, despite the squad observing the anthem in two subsequent games.
Expatriate crowds in the host nation are now urging the Australian government to protect the athletes from potential retaliation.
Presidential intervention
Taking to his Truth Social platform, the American president warned that the players face grave danger if forced to return home.
“Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.”
He directly appealed to the Australian Prime Minister to grant the squad immediate sanctuary.
“Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t.”
Geopolitical tensions escalate
This dramatic sporting intervention arrives during a period of extreme military volatility between Washington and Tehran.
The United States recently authorised military strikes against the Islamic Republic, resulting in the death of the country’s supreme leader.
That unprecedented military action has already plunged the wider region into deep political chaos.
Meanwhile, crowds of Iranian expats have been demonstrating outside stadiums during the ongoing tournament.
Fans were seen waving the pre-1979 Imperial Iranian flag while chanting for the safe harbour of the protesting squad.
Liverpool aim to avenge their earlier defeat to Galatasaray, while relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur visit Atletico Madrid as the Champions League last-16 gets under way on Tuesday.
The Merseyside club travel to Istanbul at 17:45 GMT hoping to demonstrate their recent domestic resurgence on the European stage.
They suffered a miserable league-phase defeat against the Turkish side in September, sparked by a Victor Osimhen penalty.
That disappointing result compounded early-season struggles which ultimately derailed their Premier League title defence.
However, Friday’s FA Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers suggests the English heavyweights are finally rebuilding their momentum.
Reds boosted by returning stars
Goalkeeper Alisson remains sidelined for the crucial away leg, joining forward Hugo Ekitike on the treatment table.
Yet, the timely return of playmaker Florian Wirtz provides a significant creative boost for the visitors.
They will be desperate to avoid a repeat of Juventus’ fate, after the Italian giants crumbled to a 5-2 defeat at Rams Park in the play-off round.
Securing a positive result in Turkey is vital ahead of the decisive return leg at Anfield.
Tudor faces European dilemma
Later on Tuesday, Tottenham resume their continental campaign against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid at 20:00 GMT.
The high-profile fixture presents a bizarre paradox for the North London side, who originally qualified by winning last season’s Europa League.
While former manager Thomas Frank comfortably navigated the group stage, his successor Igor Tudor is now battling a severe domestic crisis.
Spurs are currently engulfed in a fierce Premier League relegation fight and suffer from a severely depleted squad.
“The situation is not ideal.”
The Croatian head coach admitted his team are short on confidence following Thursday’s humbling home defeat by Crystal Palace.
This prestigious knockout tie may be viewed by many supporters as an unwelcome distraction from their primary goal of top-flight survival.
Newcastle prepare for historic night
Elsewhere, Newcastle United are preparing for what has been billed as the biggest game in the club’s modern history.
Eddie Howe’s men will look to make a lasting impact in Europe as the knockout stages intensify across the continent.
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Kasper Hjulmand faces an uncertain future at the club ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League tie against Arsenal.
The Bundesliga side plan to conduct a thorough review of the managerial position at the end of the current campaign.
Reports from Germany indicate that a change in the dugout cannot be ruled out from the summer onwards.
The 58-year-old was initially appointed to stabilise the BayArena outfit following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag.
Promising start fades into recent wobble
The former Denmark boss has successfully steered his squad into the knockout stages of Europe’s premier club competition.
They also remain firmly within reach of the European qualification places domestically and have reached a DFB-Pokal semi-final.
However, an initially promising tenure has given way to a difficult run of form since the end of February.
The German outfit have secured victory in just one of their past five matches across all competitions.
Defensive turmoil precedes Gunners visit
Speculation surrounding the manager’s position arrives directly after a frustrating 3-3 league draw away to Freiburg on Saturday.
The visitors fought back from behind twice to take the lead before Matthias Ginter struck an equaliser four minutes from time.
That domestic stumble occurred on the same weekend the Premier League leaders secured a dramatic late victory over Mansfield Town courtesy of an Eberechi Eze strike.
Reflecting on the weekend’s defensive collapse, the Leverkusen boss expressed clear frustration with his team’s lack of control.
“It was a good game for the fans, but for me as a coach there was too much turmoil,” he admitted.
“We started very well and then showed a strong mental reaction after going behind twice.”
“We had to defend hard in the final phase. We’re disappointed with the result, but Freiburg also did very well.”
AC Milan have blown the Serie A title race wide open by defeating rivals Inter Milan to close the gap at the top to seven points.
The Rossoneri secured their second derby victory of the campaign thanks to a decisive strike from Pervis Estupiñán.
Inter dominated portions of the match but were left frustrated as Federico Dimarco and Henrikh Mkhitaryan squandered clear scoring opportunities.
With just 10 matches remaining, the result breathes unexpected life into a Scudetto battle that previously looked certain to end at San Siro’s blue-and-black divide.
Allegri relieves pressure
Manager Max Allegri has consistently downplayed championship expectations this season by insisting Champions League qualification remains the primary objective.
That pragmatic narrative has shielded the squad from intense scrutiny, despite the club adding high-profile veterans like Adrien Rabiot and Luka Modric to their ranks.
This statement victory will undoubtedly satisfy the demanding fanbase and temporarily silence rumours linking the Italian tactician with the Real Madrid job.
Arsenal survive FA Cup scare
Elsewhere in Europe, Arsenal narrowly avoided a humiliating FA Cup exit after heavily rotating their starting XI against Mansfield Town.
With a crucial Champions League round-of-16 tie looming, the Gunners required a late goal and the emergency introduction of several first-team regulars to secure progression.
Premier League rivals Chelsea enjoyed a far more comfortable weekend, abruptly ending Wrexham’s cup fairytale with a commanding performance.
Yamal extends Barcelona advantage
In Spain, Lamine Yamal continued his extraordinary rise by guiding Barcelona to a crucial La Liga victory over Athletic Club.
The teenage sensation was instrumental throughout the contest, demonstrating exactly why he is considered the most promising young talent in world football.
That triumph extends the Catalan giants’ lead at the league summit to four points ahead of defending champions Real Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side remain in close pursuit despite continuing a recent trend of unconvincing domestic victories.
Former England striker Gary Lineker has urged struggling Tottenham Hotspur to replace caretaker manager Igor Tudor with former boss Harry Redknapp to avoid Premier League relegation.
Spurs are currently just one point above the drop zone following a disastrous run of domestic form.
The north London club have lost three consecutive matches since the Croatian coach replaced Thomas Frank last month.
Their latest defeat came at home to Crystal Palace on Thursday, where a dramatic late collapse saw them concede three goals in 10 minutes.
A crisis of confidence
The capitulation against the Eagles was compounded by a red card for stand-in captain Micky van de Ven.
Reports suggest the dressing room is fractured, with Sky Sports claiming players are seething about the current situation behind the scenes.
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Lineker insisted a radical change is necessary before a daunting trip to Liverpool this weekend.
‘A big personality’
The Match of the Day presenter believes bringing back a familiar face could provide the psychological boost required to secure top-flight survival.
Lineker stated that a bold appointment is needed to immediately lift the toxic atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“Honestly, I don’t think it would be a bad idea to bring someone like Harry Redknapp in,” said Lineker.
“I know it sounds a bit mad and he’s been out of the game for a while, but you know what he’s like, that big personality, lifting everybody in a moment of crisis.”
The case for a veteran return
The 77-year-old has been absent from professional management since leaving Birmingham City in 2017.
However, his reputation as an elite man-manager makes him an intriguing short-term option for a squad severely lacking belief.
With only nine games remaining to preserve their Premier League status, the Spurs hierarchy faces a defining decision.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are targeting an unprecedented escape from Premier League relegation after securing consecutive victories to narrow the gap to safety to 12 points.
The Molineux outfit currently sit at the bottom of the table and must make top-flight history to retain their eight-year status.
Despite impressive recent league wins against Aston Villa and Liverpool, they remain significantly adrift with a vastly inferior goal difference.
According to Opta, the West Midlands club still face a 99.9% probability of dropping into the Championship at the end of the season.
A statistical mountain to climb
No team in the Premier League era has ever recovered from such a significant deficit at this advanced stage of the campaign.
West Ham United previously set the benchmark in the 2007-08 season when they survived after being eight points from safety after 30 matches.
Leicester City famously provided another blueprint in 2014-15 by winning seven of their final nine fixtures to escape the drop zone.
To simply draw level with Nottingham Forest and West Ham in 17th and 18th place, the strugglers require a minimum of four victories while hoping their rivals fail to register a single point.
Edwards sparks Molineux revival
Manager Rob Edwards has undeniably injected fresh belief into the squad since replacing Vitor Pereira in November.
Following a difficult start of eight consecutive defeats, the former Middlesbrough boss has guided his team to 13 points in their last 12 league outings.
This recent points tally matches the return of top-half teams like Brighton and Newcastle United over the exact same period.
A dramatic improvement in work rate has underpinned this revival, with the team collectively running an average of 7.8 kilometres more per match.
Building crucial momentum
The physical transformation was evident when they outran Arsenal during a spirited 2-2 draw, covering over 114,000 metres collectively.
Defensive solidity has also improved, highlighted by restricting a misfiring Liverpool attack to just 0.62 expected goals during Tuesday’s 2-1 triumph.
Although the Reds quickly gained revenge with a 3-1 FA Cup victory on Friday, the domestic league focus remains absolute.
Another vital victory against Brentford next Monday would provide essential momentum as they attempt the impossible.
Liverpool forwards Federico Chiesa and Trey Nyoni were absent from Monday morning’s training session ahead of Tuesday’s crucial Champions League fixture against Galatasaray.
The Italian winger and the teenage midfielder were notable absentees as manager Arne Slot finalised his tactical preparations for the European tie.
Both players were recently involved in the matchday squad for Friday night’s FA Cup encounter against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
During that domestic cup fixture, the 17-year-old academy prospect made a second-half appearance from the substitutes’ bench.
Nyoni absence explained as Chiesa omission remains unclear
Nyoni’s omission from the senior session is understood to be a routine recovery measure after he featured for the Under-21 side on Sunday.
However, the precise reason behind the former Juventus attacker’s failure to participate at the training ground remains unspecified.
Slot will now likely have to formulate his attacking strategy without the services of the summer signing.
Crucial European points on the line
The Merseyside club face the Turkish giants aiming to secure another vital victory in the league phase of the continental competition.
Managing squad rotation and minor knocks continues to be a delicate balancing act for the Dutch head coach during a severely congested winter schedule.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is intensifying his training to regain pace ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 trip to Real Madrid.
The Norwegian forward was omitted from the squad that secured an FA Cup fifth-round victory at Newcastle United on Saturday.
Manager Pep Guardiola opted to rest his star attacker following a recent knock that also forced him to miss a Premier League win at Leeds United.
Instead of travelling to St James’ Park, the former Borussia Dortmund man spent the weekend focusing on tailored fitness work.
Guardiola prioritises match rhythm
The City boss believes dedicated training sessions are currently more beneficial for the prolific goalscorer than limited match minutes.
“I didn’t think to let him play and I prefer him training to make a rhythm,” said Guardiola.
“After injury, when he drops, he always struggles a little bit to have that real, real pace.”
The Catalan manager heavily rotated his side against Newcastle, leaving crucial figures like Rodri, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva as unused substitutes.
Defensive injury concerns linger
The reigning European champions will travel to the Bernabeu for the first leg of their crucial knockout tie without several defensive options.
Versatile teenager Rico Lewis is nearing a return from a swollen ankle but the midweek clash in Spain arrives too soon.
Guardiola also provided updates on long-term absentees Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol as the business end of the season approaches.
Kovacic returns to training
Croatian midfielder Kovacic has been restricted to just two appearances this campaign due to a persistent ankle issue.
“Great news, finally he’s back training for the last three or four training sessions,” Guardiola added.
However, the manager cautioned that the former Chelsea playmaker still requires time to rebuild his match conditioning.
Fellow international Gvardiol faces a more extended spell in the treatment room after sustaining a broken leg in January.
“There’s a bit longer still,” the City manager admitted regarding the centre-back.
“I hope so [he’ll return] but I don’t know when.”