SOCCER

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is the latest hire made by the Red Devils in an attempt to reverse the team’s form and fortunes. Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, United have failed to win the Premier League and they have seen four permanent managers come and go.

An explicit poem penned by Ryan Giggs for ex-girlfriend Kate Greville was heard in Manchester Crown Court on Thursday as his trial continues. The former Manchester United midfielder has been accused of controlling and assaulting his former girlfriend and striking her younger sister Emma.

Traditionally, English football was the home of lethal front twos. Think Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton in Blackburn Rovers’ 1994/95 title-winning side, how Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole inspired Manchester United to their historic 1998/99 treble or the waves Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry - the master and the apprentice - were beginning to make at Arsenal around the same time.

Real Madrid, the most successful club in the history of Europe, own a record 14 continental titles, and there will be plenty of silverware up for grabs in 2022/23 to add to their trophy case.

EA Sports and FIFA announced that their partnership spanning over 20 years will come to an end in the summer of 2023. After months of negotiations regarding an extension of their current partnership, the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on future terms.