Former Chelsea and Leeds United owner Ken Bates has died peacefully in Monaco at the age of 94, his family has confirmed.

Saving a club from extinction

The outspoken football executive is widely credited with rescuing the Stamford Bridge outfit from financial ruin.

He famously purchased the struggling side for just £1 in 1982.

During a 21-year tenure in west London, the ambitious chairman drove the team towards winning trophies and securing their long-term home.

A transformative era

He eventually sold the Premier League side to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003.

That landmark transaction laid the foundations for the most successful period in the club’s modern history.

The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust issued a heartfelt tribute, praising his defining role during one of their most difficult periods.

His impact on Chelsea will be remembered for generations, and his place in the club’s history is assured.

Life after Stamford Bridge

Following his departure from the capital, the veteran businessman went on to purchase Leeds United.

Chelsea released an official statement on Saturday morning to send condolences to his wife Suzannah and the rest of his family.

His immense determination and formidable character leave an indelible mark on English football spanning over four decades.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has agreed a deal in principle to become Germany’s head coach until the 2030 World Cup following the departure of Julian Nagelsmann.

Negotiations progressed during meetings in New York on Friday between the 59-year-old and the German Football Association.

An official announcement from the governing body is expected to be made on Saturday once final contractual details are concluded.

This historic appointment marks a return to management for the two-time Champions League winner, who has been away from the dugout since leaving Anfield in 2024.

Red Bull exit clause activated

To facilitate the move, an imminent departure from Red Bull Group is expected to be finalised with chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff early next week.

The highly-regarded tactician had recently taken up a position as head of global soccer for the energy drink company.

However, a specially negotiated exit clause within that agreement has cleared the path for him to take his first international management job.

Rebuilding after World Cup failure

The prominent vacancy arose after Nagelsmann stepped down in the wake of a shock last-32 elimination against Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup.

The outgoing boss had originally taken charge in September 2023 and previously guided the four-time world champions to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on home soil.

Now, the incoming manager faces the substantial task of rebuilding a fractured squad ahead of the next major tournament cycle.

South Africa and Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams has died at the age of 25, just days after representing his country at the World Cup.

The tragic passing of the 25-year-old was confirmed on Saturday, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the footballing community.

He was a key domestic figure for South African top-flight side Sundowns.

International career and tournament impact

The talented playmaker featured in all three of his nation’s group stage matches during the recent international tournament.

However, he remained an unused substitute during their narrow 1-0 knockout defeat to Canada in the round of 32.

His sudden death cuts short a promising career that had recently reached new heights on the global stage.

Tributes paid to rising star

Supporters and teammates have begun sharing their condolences across social media following the devastating news.

The domestic league and national football association are expected to officially honour the late midfielder in their upcoming fixtures.

Debutant back-rower Sean Jansen scored as a heavily rotated Ireland defeated Japan 36-20 in New South Wales to record a second successive bonus-point victory in the Nations Championship.

The New Zealand-born number eight marked his international bow with a crucial second-half try to help break down a resilient Brave Blossoms outfit.

The Connacht forward crashed over the line 10 minutes after the restart to reward the European heavyweights for their sustained attacking pressure.

His powerful effort added to earlier first-half scores from Nick Timoney, Tom O’Toole and Robbie Henshaw.

Japan threaten shock upset under returning Jones

Eddie Jones was back on the touchline for the Asian side following a recent suspension, and his squad fought tenaciously to stay in the contest.

An early try from winger Taira Main, combined with eight points from the boot of full-back Takuro Matsunaga, kept the underdogs within a single converted try at the interval.

The prospect of a rare Japanese victory looked plausible when replacement prop Hayate Era powered over the whitewash with just 20 minutes remaining on the clock.

That timely score reduced the deficit and gave the Japanese faithful hope of achieving only a second win over the men in green in 12 historic meetings.

Late surge ensures Farrell’s winning streak continues

However, the Irish squad demonstrated their superior composure to successfully close out the physical fixture in the final quarter.

Replacement fly-half Harry Byrne stepped up to stretch the advantage to nine points via a well-struck penalty.

Hooker Tom Stewart then applied the finishing touches in the final minute, dotting down to guarantee a sixth consecutive Test match victory for Andy Farrell’s side.

German second seed Alexander Zverev will be without his grandmother for Sunday’s Wimbledon final against Jannik Sinner after she was denied entry to the UK due to visa restrictions.

The French Open champion secured his place in the tournament’s showpiece by dispatching British wildcard Arthur Fery in straight sets on Friday.

However, family celebrations in London will be severely limited following the expiration of his grandmother’s 90-day visitation allowance.

Extended background checks prevent travel

As a Russian passport holder, she is subject to extended background checks that make securing a late visa practically impossible.

The world number two expressed faint hope that high-level diplomatic intervention might resolve the situation before the weekend.

With the German Chancellor expected to attend Centre Court, the finalist joked that political strings could be pulled to expedite the process.

Despite the optimistic plea, strict immigration protocols mean his long-time supporter will have to watch the grass-court final from home.

World number one stands in way of back-to-back majors

On the court, the newly crowned Paris champion faces a monumental challenge to secure his second consecutive Grand Slam title.

The defending Wimbledon champion booked his spot in Sunday’s clash by overcoming legendary Serbian Novak Djokovic in their semi-final.

The Italian top seed holds a formidable psychological advantage, having triumphed in all nine of their previous professional meetings.

Their most recent Grand Slam encounter saw the world number one successfully defend his Australian Open crown against the German earlier in 2025.

Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka guided Switzerland to their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954 following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Colombia on Tuesday.

The inspirational captain dropped to his knees in tears of joy at the Vancouver Stadium.

His commanding performance encapsulated a battling team spirit that overcame a dominant South American crowd.

This international milestone marks another remarkable chapter in a dramatic career resurgence.

From Arsenal exile to North East hero

Just five years ago, the experienced playmaker looked destined to leave English football entirely.

Frustrated Arsenal supporters famously booed the midfielder off the pitch during a Premier League clash against Crystal Palace in October 2019.

Former Gunners manager Unai Emery stripped him of the club captaincy following that explosive reaction.

However, the resilient Swiss international rebuilt his reputation under Mikel Arteta before departing for Germany.

A phenomenally successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen yielded an invincible domestic league and cup double.

That stunning form earned a Premier League return with newly-promoted Sunderland last summer.

Driving Sunderland to European qualification

The combative star played a pivotal role as the Black Cats shocked the division to finish seventh.

His elite mentality helped secure a highly lucrative Europa League qualification spot for the Wearside club.

Former Arsenal team-mate Theo Walcott praised the veteran’s unwavering vocal presence.

“No matter where you were in the training ground you could hear him speaking to someone,” Walcott told Match of the Day.

Walcott noted that his former colleague’s time abroad significantly elevated those natural leadership qualities.

Rejecting Chelsea to build a legacy

Such dominant midfield displays naturally caught the attention of heavy-spending Chelsea during the recent transfer window.

Yet the former Basel youth product reaffirmed his commitment to the Sunderland project instead.

BBC Radio Newcastle journalist Ian Murtagh compared the signing’s monumental impact to Kevin Keegan’s legendary 1982 arrival at Newcastle United.

“In terms of influence, in terms of driving up the standards, in terms of communicating with his team-mates, I think there are huge similarities between the two,” Murtagh explained.

Now, the rejuvenated tournament star hopes to orchestrate an unprecedented World Cup semi-final appearance for his nation.

Manchester City are expected to face a further lengthy wait for a verdict regarding their alleged Financial Fair Play breaches, with a finance expert labelling the ongoing delay as unacceptable.

The Premier League champions were initially charged with 115 alleged rule breaches in February 2023.

This figure was subsequently adjusted to 130 following an extensive investigation into the club’s financial practices.

Unprecedented legal complexities

The extensive allegations against the Etihad outfit span a nine-year period from the 2009-10 campaign.

The primary charges relate to several key financial and regulatory areas:

The Manchester club also face multiple counts of allegedly failing to cooperate with investigators over a five-year period.

Frustration over arbitration timeline

Initial rumours suggested a judgement would be delivered by May, but those expectations have failed to materialise.

Speaking to talkSPORT, football finance expert Stefan Borson expressed his disbelief at the protracted legal timeline.

The case has been ongoing for many years. It’s not acceptable, but there’s no decision in the case.
That’s clearly completely ludicrous that we are now 20 months on from the end of the hearing and we don’t have a decision.

Borson noted that while sporting arbitration can sometimes stretch to 24 months, the current delay remains highly unusual.

Potential grounds for appeal

The ongoing uncertainty continues to cast a significant shadow over the English top flight.

Borson warned that the immense delay could ultimately provide grounds for the losing party to challenge the final ruling.

It does put the judgement when it comes in a territory where if it goes against one of the parties, they may well say, ‘look, this is just unsafe now.’

He added that appellants might argue the independent panel is no longer close enough to the original evidence to reach a fair and safe conclusion.

Aaron Grandidier Nkanang scored twice on his debut as France fought back from a half-time deficit to defeat Australia 42-26 in the Nations Championship.

The visitors recovered brilliantly to condemn Joe Schmidt’s side to a sixth consecutive defeat.

A devastating second-half display saw the European heavyweights score 30 unanswered points at Lang Park.

Wallabies dominate dramatic opening half

Emmanuel Meafou opened the scoring for the away side in the third minute to stun the home crowd.

However, momentum quickly shifted when the powerhouse lock received a yellow card for a high tackle on Rob Valetini.

Australia capitalised immediately through replacement hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa.

The indefatigable Fraser McReight then crossed the whitewash twice in eight minutes to give the hosts a commanding 21-12 half-time advantage.

Grandidier Nkanang shines on debut

Former Olympic sevens gold medallist Grandidier Nkanang responded with a superb finish in the corner to spark the revival.

Matthieu Jalibert, starting his first international game at full-back, later delivered a precision kick to set up the debutant’s second try.

With the game opening up, Romain Ntamack extended the lead after Wallabies full-back Tom Wright was sent to the sin-bin.

Florian Verhaeghe and Theo Attissogbe then crashed over to completely extinguish any hopes of an Australian comeback.

“It’s awesome, we studied them all week and I think it was a challenge for us to come and play,” said Meafou.
“Credit to the Wallabies. That was a tough first half. We knew they weren’t going to go away, but we got some good tries in the second half.”

Schmidt era nears conclusion

Jeremy Williams managed a late consolation score to clinch a try bonus point for the beleaguered hosts.

The Wallabies must now regroup to face Italy next week in what will be Schmidt’s final game in charge.

Incoming head coach Les Kiss will inherit a squad desperately searching for form and confidence.

Meanwhile, Les Bleus will travel to Tokyo to face Japan in the final fixture of their southern hemisphere tour.

The French squad will carry significant momentum having bounced back impressively from last week’s loss to the All Blacks.