Sports

Players who receive treatment for an injury could be forced to stay off the field for one minute under proposals from FIFA. The measure, driven by FIFA, is one of several changes aimed at protecting the rhythm of matches and reducing time lost to stoppages. The proposals will be presented to lawmakers at the annual general meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the governing body responsible for the Laws of the Game. At present, the rulebook does not fix a minimum period that an injured player must remain off the field after treatment. Domestic leagues have been left to interpret the issue themselves. In England, the Premier League introduced a 30-second waiting period at the start of the 2023-2024 campaign. FIFA, however, believes stronger action is ne...

James Milner has further cemented his legacy in English football after breaking the Premier League appearance record during Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.’s clash against Brentford F.C. at the Gtech Community Stadium on February 21. The 40-year-old midfielder started the encounter, marking his 654th appearance in the English top flight and surpassing the previous record held by Gareth Barry. Milner had equalled Barry’s tally earlier in the week during Brighton’s trip to Aston Villa F.C., one of his former teams. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler lauded Milner’s professionalism, describing him as a role model both on and off the field. He attributed the milestone to the veteran’s discipline, daily commitment, and relentless drive for improvement. Milner began his professional journ...

Fresh transfer rumours have surfaced around Mohamed Salah, with reports suggesting that his representatives are currently in negotiations with Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad. According to French outlet Footmercato, via journalist Santi Aouna, Salah’s agent is in active discussions with the Saudi side, and the Liverpool forward is now more receptive to a potential move to the Middle East than he has been in the past. Saudi Arabia has monitored the Egyptian star for several seasons, but Salah previously turned down such interest, opting to remain at Liverpool during his prime years. Until recently, he was viewed as a key figure at Anfield and reinforced his commitment to the club by extending his contract after the 2024–2025 season. However, circumstances appear to have changed fo...

Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has disclosed that his ultimate career ambition is to become the first African to take charge of Spanish football giants, Real Madrid. The Malian-born coach made the revelation while speaking on RMC Sport’s After Afrique podcast, which was shared on 𝕏 on Monday. According to Chelle, managing the Madrid-based club would represent the peak of his coaching journey as he continues to grow his profile on the global football scene. “My dream is to become the first African coach to manage Real Madrid,” Chelle said. Chelle’s reputation has continued to soar following Nigeria’s impressive outing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, where the Super Eagles finished third. The team recorded a strong tournament, winning all but one of thei...

Tunisian referee, Haitham Guirat has reportedly been suspended indefinitely by the Tunisian football authorities following a major officiating error in a domestic league fixture. Guirat’s suspension was confirmed on Monday after a controversial decision in a Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 match sparked widespread criticism and scrutiny of his officiating standards. The incident, described by local officials as a “serious refereeing mistake,” prompted an immediate disciplinary review by the referees’ committee. The incident, described by local officials as a “serious refereeing mistake,” prompted an immediate disciplinary review by the referees’ committee. Guirat’s suspension has additionally renewed debate about his appointments on the current Africa Cup of Nations, the place...

Superstar footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly decided to end his boycott of Al Nassr games. The 41-year-old sat out two of the Saudi Pro League club's matches -- Friday's 2-0 win over Al Ittihad as well as last week's victory over Al Riyadh, despite raking in an immense £448,000-per-week salary. Ronaldo is said to have been incensed by a lack of action and ambition in the transfer window, after Ronaldo watched league rival - and fellow Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) club - Al-Hilal tempt his former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad. According to sources, the Portugal captain said he will return to play for the match against Al Fateh on Feb. 14. As per A Bola, Al-Nassr is thought to have reinstated certain powers to directors Jose Semed...

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has shed light on the physical and tactical difficulties faced by Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Raphael Onyedika during Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign in Morocco. Chelle revealed that Osimhen played through the tournament while managing a hamstring injury that required close supervision by the team’s medical staff. Despite the setback, the Galatasaray striker was one of Nigeria’s standout performers, scoring four goals and registering two assists in six matches, a contribution that earned him a place in the CAF Team of the Tournament. The coach noted that Osimhen completed the full 90 minutes in only two matches—against Tunisia and Algeria—explaining that fixture congestion and limited recovery time took a toll on the ...

Joan Laporta has officially stepped down as president of FC Barcelona in accordance with Article 42.f of the club’s statutes, a procedural requirement that enables him to contest the upcoming board elections scheduled for March 15. The resignation is not the result of any urgent sporting or financial crisis. Rather, it is a strategic move that allows Laporta to seek another term, nearly three years after he returned to office in March 2021. Laporta is expected to face strong competition from declared pre-candidates including Víctor Font, Xavi Vilajoana, and Marc Ciria, setting the stage for a closely contested leadership race that will shape the club’s future direction. The shake-up goes beyond the presidency. Eight members of Laporta’s board have also resigned in order to partici...

Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, has handed in his resignation to the country’s football association. This comes after the World Cup semi-finalists were defeated in a dramatic AFCON final against Senegal. According to Morocco World News, Regragui is said to be "exhausted" after a demanding tournament, and with World Cup 2026 starting in a few months, work will not stop. According to local media, the Moroccan Football Federation has not accepted his resignation, and are trying to convince him to stay longer. If he ends up leaving, he would likely join the Saudi Pro League. Regragui, born in France, who played for teams like Toulouse, AC Ajaccio, Grenoble, and Racing Santander, enjoyed a much more successful managerial career, including winning the CAF Champions League with the...

Barcelona have decided to sign Marcus Rashford permanently from Manchester United. The England attacker has performed really well on loan at Barcelona, and the good performance has made the club decide to pay Manchester United to buy him permanently. It is also thought that the big Catalan team wants to sign Tottenham captain, Cristian Romero. Luis Miguelsanz from Sport in Spain says Barcelona have made a “unanimous” decision to pay the money required to keep Marcus Rashford on a permanent contract. Miguelsanz wrote, “Barca will use the €30 million option to buy the player permanently in a deal that won’t be discussed, because Manchester United won’t reduce their asking price by even one euro. “The Catalan club thinks this price is fair and not too high, considering the play...