Roberto De Zerbi has delayed a potential move to Tottenham Hotspur until the summer, dealing a blow to the London club as current manager Igor Tudor faces mounting pressure.
The Premier League side are actively exploring their managerial options with Tudor expected to depart before the end of the month.
However, their leading candidate for the dugout is reportedly unwilling to accept a new position midway through the current campaign.
Tudor faces uncertain future
The Croatian coach has found himself under immense scrutiny following a turbulent period in the capital.
Reports suggest the current head coach is highly likely to be relieved of his duties in the coming weeks.
Consequently, the Spurs hierarchy have pinpointed the former Brighton and Sassuolo tactician as their primary target to rebuild the squad.
Summer wait required for leading target
Despite being heavily courted by the North London outfit, the 44-year-old insists on waiting until the off-season before committing to a new project.
Journalist Ben Jacobs provided insight into the managerial situation developing behind the scenes.
De Zerbi doesn’t want to join a club at this moment, despite him being a leading name under consideration by Tottenham.
This firm stance leaves the Tottenham board facing a difficult decision regarding their immediate leadership structure.
If the club proceeds with sacking their current manager this month, they may be forced to appoint an interim boss to bridge the gap until their top choice becomes available.
Liverpool have activated a contract extension for Alisson Becker to keep the Brazilian goalkeeper at Anfield until 2027 and fend off transfer interest from Juventus.
The 33-year-old’s previous deal was set to expire this summer, which could have allowed him to negotiate a free transfer to a foreign club.
However, the Premier League outfit have decisively exercised a one-year option to secure their first-choice stopper for a further campaign.
Juventus target Serie A return
Italian giants Juventus have reportedly made the acquisition of a new goalkeeper a primary objective for the upcoming transfer window.
According to reports in Italy, the Turin club had identified the former Roma star as a priority signing to bolster their squad.
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is also believed to be on the Serie A side’s radar as an alternative option.
Juventus were reportedly prepared to meet the South American’s wage demands, which are estimated to be around £5.1m annually.
Mamardashvili waiting in the wings
Even if the Reds eventually decide to sanction a departure for their number one, they already have a long-term successor at the club.
Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili arrived on Merseyside in the summer but has found his minutes heavily restricted this season.
The 24-year-old has made just 12 appearances across all competitions while serving as an understudy.
The Georgian recently explained his mindset regarding his current lack of playing time.
“My ex-goalkeeper coach, Jose Manuel Ochotorena, when I was at Valencia told me I had to find a balance between ambition and patience.”
“I keep working hard and you never know when your chance is coming. It’s never easy because there is just one goalkeeper.”
“If I don’t play, I don’t mind – I have to work hard every day and that’s it. My time will come, for sure.”
A decorated Anfield career
Alisson has been a transformative figure for Liverpool since arriving from the Italian capital for £64m in 2018.
The Brazil international has amassed 330 appearances during a highly successful period on Merseyside.
His impressive trophy cabinet includes two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup.
The veteran stopper has also been instrumental in helping new arrivals settle into the squad, a fact praised by his current deputy.
“The most important thing for me was the support because I didn’t speak much English. Mac Allister, Alisson as well helped and now I speak much better.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot faces dismissal if he fails to secure Champions League qualification this season, according to pundit Paul Merson.
The Dutchman is under mounting scrutiny following a difficult Premier League title defence that has left his side lingering outside the top four.
Having guided the Merseyside club to the top-flight crown in his debut season, expectations were exceptionally high after succeeding Jurgen Klopp.
However, despite an estimated summer outlay exceeding £400m, the reigning champions have regressed significantly on the pitch.
Champions League imperative
The Anfield outfit have suffered nine league defeats and drawn a further six matches this term.
While domestic and European cup avenues remain open, Merson believes financial regulations make top-tier European football non-negotiable.
“If he won the FA Cup, but didn’t finish in Champions League positions it wouldn’t make any difference at all,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“I think Liverpool have got to get in the Champions League with the financial fair play rule.”
Spurs quip highlights pressure
Missing out on the premier European competition would severely impact the club’s ability to recruit top-quality talent.
Integrating new high-profile additions has proven challenging amidst the intense pressure of defending a domestic title.
“He will have to get in the top four, I would have thought, otherwise he might be the next Tottenham manager,” Merson added.
Manager remains defiant
Despite the external noise, the 46-year-old insists he is not concerned about his immediate job security.
The former Eredivisie coach pointed to their progression in both the FA Cup and European competition as evidence of ongoing ambition.
“This season, I think it’s safe to say and fair to say that this season has been much more of a struggle than last season,” Slot admitted.
“But still, we are able to win things. I think we’ve got a squad that has shown this season already that we’ve improved.”
Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin has won her eighth World Cup slalom of the season in Åre, Sweden, equaling the single-season record and extending her overall lead on Sunday.
The American star dominated the final race before the World Cup Finals to beat Germany’s Emma Aicher by 0.94 seconds.
Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener finished a further second off the pace to claim third place on the podium.
Overall title battle intensifies
This crucial victory provides much-needed breathing room in the ongoing battle for the crystal globe.
Aicher’s impressive second-place finish marked a career-best slalom result for the German all-rounder.
She now trails the overall leader by 140 points with just four individual discipline races remaining.
“That was really amazing. I was like pretty nervous, pretty excited, but in the end it was challenging to ski,” Shiffrin said.
“I pushed really hard. Quite happy to get to the finish, too.”
Chasing historic milestones
The dominant technician had already secured her ninth slalom globe earlier this year.
This latest triumph perfectly mirrors her own outstanding eight-win slalom campaign from the 2018-19 season.
Croatian great Janica Kostelic is the only other female skier to achieve that remarkable feat a quarter of a century ago.
The unstoppable record-breaker continues to rewrite alpine skiing history on a weekly basis.
She now boasts an astonishing 109 career World Cup victories, including 72 in her premier discipline.
Max Verstappen has warned that the new 2026 Formula 1 regulations will ruin the sport following his frustrating retirement at the Chinese Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion suffered a coolant fault on lap 46 in Shanghai to compound a miserable start to the new racing era.
His premature exit occurred during a dramatic event that saw Kimi Antonelli secure his maiden victory.
George Russell delivered another strong result for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton claimed his first podium finish as a Ferrari driver.
Struggles under new regulations
The sweeping 2026 rule changes introduced lighter cars and an equal split between electrical energy and internal combustion power.
These drastic shifts have heavily favoured constructors like Mercedes and Ferrari while leaving Red Bull significantly off the pace.
The 28-year-old had already endured a difficult weekend in China before his retirement, managing only a ninth-place finish in the Sprint event.
He confirmed that Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali is holding talks with Red Bull regarding potential adjustments.
Call for widespread changes
The Dutchman believes a majority of the grid shares his concerns about the long-term viability of the current racing style.
“I think they understand where we are coming from as drivers, and I think I speak for most of the drivers.”
He acknowledged that teams currently enjoying a competitive advantage are naturally reluctant to support immediate alterations.
“But if you just speak to most of the drivers, it’s not what we like,” he added.
Protecting the sport’s future
Formula 1’s leadership faces a delicate balance between maintaining commercial popularity and addressing genuine sporting concerns.
The Red Bull talisman fears that ignoring these underlying issues will eventually damage the global appeal of the championship.
“I hope they don’t think like that, because it will eventually ruin the sport.”
He remains hopeful that ongoing communication between the drivers and the governing bodies will eventually yield a viable solution.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has made it clear he will only consider returning to management for clubs that prioritise football over commercial interests.
The 58-year-old has been absent from the touchline since leaving Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 season.
He currently serves as the Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull group.
Despite stepping back from coaching, the German tactician continues to be linked with high-profile dugout returns.
Rejection of commercial giants
Any potential suitor must adhere to his strict philosophy regarding club identity and hierarchy intervention.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss previously revealed that he rejected advances from heavily commercialised teams before arriving on Merseyside.
Manchester United and Real Madrid both reportedly attempted to court his services to no avail.
“I had talks with other clubs and they didn’t sound like a football club.”
Klopp explained when discussing his career choices in 2018.
“It sounded like marketing, image, you need to sign this, you need to sign that. And I thought, ‘Wow, that’s not the game I love’.”
Liverpool’s romantic appeal
During his nine-year tenure with the Reds, he secured both the Premier League and Champions League trophies.
Former striker Robbie Fowler later confirmed that the charismatic coach turned down super-rich teams in favour of a traditional setup.
According to Fowler, the manager appreciated the balance between historical identity and financial ambition at Anfield.
“He hated how they were focused solely on commercial influences.”
Fowler noted regarding the rejected offers from rival European powerhouses.
Future prospects
These core values remain the definitive blueprint for any hierarchy hoping to tempt him back into coaching.
However, the chances of seeing the European Cup winner in an English dugout again appear non-existent.
He explicitly stated upon his departure earlier this year that his deep connection to Liverpool means he will never manage another Premier League side.
Team USA will face the Dominican Republic in a highly anticipated World Baseball Classic semi-final in Miami on Sunday following victories over Canada and Venezuela.
The two tournament heavyweights will meet at 20:00 ET in what many consider the marquee fixture of the global competition.
Reigning champions Japan were surprisingly eliminated by Venezuela on Saturday, leaving the path clear for a new baseball superpower to be crowned.
Star-studded line-ups collide
The projected starting nines for both nations boast an incredible array of talent, featuring a combined 52 All-Star appearances and five Most Valuable Player awards.
American hopes will heavily rely on starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who is widely regarded as one of the best young arms in the sport.
ESPN baseball expert Jeff Passan described the encounter as an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
“This is a dream matchup. It is a Dominican lineup loaded with All-Stars and MVP candidates and future Hall of Famers against one of the two best pitchers in the world.”Jeff Passan
Tactical battles and bullpen strength
The Caribbean powerhouse brings a fearsome offensive reputation after outscoring four of their previous opponents by a combined margin of 44 runs to five.
However, their strategy against the Americans will likely hinge on elevating Skenes’ pitch count early in the contest.
Forcing USA manager Mark DeRosa to turn to his relief pitchers before the fourth inning could prove decisive.
Should the game remain close, the Dominican side possesses a fully rested and formidable bullpen of their own.
Relievers such as Camilo Doval, Carlos Estevez, and Seranthony Dominguez provide a significant late-game advantage to the 2013 champions.
“The Americans have the starting pitching advantage with Skenes on the mound, but the Dominican Republic bullpen is stout, and the offense won’t be shut down all night long.”Jorge Castillo
Real Madrid are navigating a club-versus-country dispute regarding Kylian Mbappe’s fitness ahead of their Champions League second leg against Manchester City.
The French forward has been sidelined with a knee injury since the end of February but has recently returned to full training.
Los Blancos hold a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg and must decide whether to risk the 25-year-old at the Etihad Stadium.
Further complicating the medical timeline is a looming domestic derby against Atletico Madrid and upcoming international friendlies for France.
Commercial pressures and international duty
The Spanish giants are reportedly reluctant to release their star attacker for the national team’s transatlantic fixtures against Brazil and Colombia.
However, the World Cup winner remains the French Football Federation’s most significant commercial asset and is widely expected to be called up.
Sponsorship obligations add further complexity, as Nike supplies kits for both France and Brazil ahead of a high-profile exhibition match in Boston.
Governing regulations dictate that the La Liga club cannot block an international call-up unless the player is officially ruled out through injury.
Tactical dilemmas for Arbeloa
If the former Paris St-Germain striker features against either Manchester City or Atletico Madrid, his club will lose the medical grounds to withdraw him from national duty.
Submitting a medical report verifying his ongoing recovery would grant him a 10-day rehabilitation period, which would conveniently rule him out of the United States tour.
Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa provided a cautious update on the forward’s rehabilitation prior to a recent domestic victory over Elche.
“His development is progressing as it should and we have made a plan,” stated Arbeloa.
“He won’t be available tomorrow, but I expect he will travel to Manchester.”
Domestic momentum builds
With a substantial three-goal advantage over Pep Guardiola’s side, the European heavyweights may opt against taking unnecessary medical risks in England.
Their recent emphatic 4-1 win over Elche successfully closed the gap to just a single point behind league leaders Barcelona.
Meanwhile, their English opponents endured a frustrating domestic draw at West Ham, highlighting contrasting fortunes ahead of the crucial European encounter.