More stories

  • in

    Cost of sacking Ange Postecoglou revealed with Tottenham forced to pay out millions on top of £2m Europa League bonus

    THE cost for Tottenham to sack Ange Postecoglou has been revealed.The Aussie boss made good on his promise that he “always wins things” in his second season by lifting the Europa League trophy to end the club’s 17-year trophy drought.The cost of sacking Ange Postecoglou has been revealedCredit: AlamyDaniel Levy will reportedly need to fork out around £4m to give Big Ange the bootCredit: PAThat is on top of the £2m bonus Postecoglou earned for winning the Europa LeagueCredit: GettyHowever, a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League backed up by 22 defeats – the most ever by a team not to be relegated – means Postecoglou is in a perilous position over his job.Should chairman Daniel Levy opt to give Big Ange the boot, the decision will see the 59-year-old manager take home a compensation package worth around £4million.And according to The Telegraph, that is ON TOP of the £2m bonus Postecoglou collected for winning the Europa League and getting the north London club into the Champions League next season.Postecoglou has two years remaining on his Spurs contract, with the terms of his exit being decided before he signed his contract to take him to the capital from Celtic.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe report adds that the manager has now returned from holiday and should be receiving clarity over his position in the near future.He appeared to hint he wanted to stay at Tottenham’s trophy parade after he declared: “All the best TV series, season three is better than season two.”However, that decision will come down to Levy.While sacking Postecoglou will take around £4m on its own, the total cost of then appointing a replacement could see Spurs splash out roughly £10m.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKBrentford’s Thomas Frank is understood to be among the leading candidates for the position, along with Fulham boss Marco Silva.While there is the headache over the future of the first-team coach, behind the scenes the club are also going through a major shake-up.Postecoglou unrecognisable in amazing throwback video as first club share emotional 3-minute tribute after Europa LeagueLevy, 63, has lost his right-hand woman in executive director Donna Cullen, who has left after 20 years of service.Elsewhere, Ryan Mason has also left the club to further his managerial career by taking up the vacant position at Championship side West Brom.They are set to be the first two of many departures this summer, which may include Postecoglou.The shake-up also includes the appointment of Vinai Venkatesham as CEO, who previously served bitter rivals Arsenal in the same role.Sources add these moves could be the prelude to majority owners Enic pumping fresh funds into the club.Tottenham ratings: Bissouma dominates Europa League final as occasion gets to UdogieBRENNAN JOHNSON was Tottenham’s hero as they finally ended their 17-year trophy drought in the Europa League final.Despite being without James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski for the clash in Bilbao, Spurs came up with a massive win against Manchester United.Johnson scored the goal as he helped bundle in from a corner in a tussle with Luke Shaw to send fans into dreamland.But Spurs also owe a huge thanks to Yves Bissouma who was totally dominant in midfield.At the other end, Destiny Udogie struggled to get up to the pace of the match as he was up against Manchester United’s Amad Diallo.Spurs had just three shots, only 27 per cent of the ball, and completed a mere 115 passes over 90 minutes.But it didn’t matter, as United never really looked like finding a leveller to take it to extra time.SunSport’s Henry Tomlinson gave his ratings for the Tottenham players… More

  • in

    Harry Maguire’s lookalike League Two star brother wears crop top as Man Utd ace joins him on his stag do in Croatia

    HARRY MAGUIRE has joined his brother Laurence’s boozy stag do to sunny Croatia.The younger Maguire, who plays for MK Dons, headed off for the wild celebrations with his England star sibling getting fully involved.Laurence Maguire jetted off to Croatia for his stag doHarry Maguire, left, dressed far more ‘normal’ than his brother LaurenceLaurence decided to wear a ‘Croatia 2025’ open shirtThe League Two star is marrying Amelia JohnsonLaurence, who is an absolute ringer for his England defender brother, was spotted at Zrce Beach’s iconic party island over the weekend.The group of 30-plus wore snazzy multi-coloured beach shirts and quirky hats, with beers and cans in hand, during all hours of the trip.While Laurence wore a rainbow glitter crop top with silver tassels and rave sunglasses, Harry decided on a far more normal look.The groom, 28, posted several pictures of the group, including eldest brother Joe, enjoying Spring Break Island parties.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnother photo showed the League Two defender wearing a red bucket hat with a blue disco flyway top, which showed his entire chest.The last slide showed the group dancing to house music until the early hours.Laurence is marrying long-term sweetheart Amelia Johnson at a beautiful venue back in the UK on Thursday.It comes weeks after Harry played the full 90 minutes of Man Utd’s embarrassing Europa League final defeat to Tottenham in Bilbao.Most read in FootballThe group of 30-plus wore snazzy multi-coloured beach shirts, with Harry pictured in the middle of the back rowLaurence wore a red bucket hat with a blue disco flyway top one nightThe group spent days partying in CroatiaCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHarry tied the knot with Fern Hawkins at a Crewe Registry Office in May 2022.The pair said their vows again in France at a romantic ceremony held at a chateau a month later.Harry Maguire’s wife Fern leads Man Utd Wags flocking to Bilbao for Europa League final with TottenhamHarry has endured another horror season with United suffering a record low finish in 15th in the Prem.Meanwhile, fellow centre-back Laurence joined MK Dons this season after winning promotion to League One with Crawley Town in the previous campaign.The Dons avoided relegation from the football league after finishing 19th in the table.The brothers, pictured together at the 2018 World Cup, look strikingly similarHarry married childhood sweetheart Fern Hawkins in 2022 More

  • in

    Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor desperately trying to SELL stake to stop Eagles being booted out of Europa League

    CRYSTAL PALACE co-owner John Textor is trying to SELL his stake in the club to prevent the Eagles being booted out of the Europa League, reports suggest.Despite winning the FA Cup, the Eagles face being unable to compete in the Europa League for the first time ever next season due to Uefa multi-club ownership rules.Crystal Palace face not being able to compete in the Europa League due to multi-club ownership rulesCredit: Shutterstock EditorialThe issue comes from co-owner John Textor, who also owns LyonCredit: GettyHe is now trying to sell his stake in the Eagles less than a month after their FA Cup gloryCredit: APAmerican businessman Textor owns a 43 per cent share in the Selhurst Park outfit.However, his ownership of Ligue 1 side Lyon has placed Palace’s place in the competition in jeopardy without a ball even being kicked.That is because the French outfit also qualified for next season’s Europa League, but due to their superior league position have preference for a spot.Palace chiefs flew out to Switzerland for a meeting on the shores of Lake Geneva earlier this week for crunch talks with Uefa about the problem.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAccording to the Daily Mail, those talks lasted for around two hours and ended in Textor putting the club up for sale to avoid a potential disaster.He has previously declared his intention to sell when trying to buy Everton, alongside the fact he has access to just 25 per cent of voting rights at the club.Speaking to the Mail about the meeting, he said: “Look, all of the UK knows that I don’t have decisive influence over Palace. It was a good meeting. “They listened and we’ll see what happens. I wouldn’t be trying to sell (his stake) if I did.”Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKThe 59-year-old added: “We are trying to help separate it and sell. “We wanted to buy but it’s become clear that isn’t going to happen and so we’re trying to help Palace and the situation with UEFA. That’s about all I can say.”Crystal Palace stars lift FA Cup trophy as they win first major honour in club’s history with win over Man CityThe report adds Uefa lawyers will now consider the argument before making a decision in the “near future” ahead of the draw for the qualifying stages of the Conference League.However, Palace being booted out of the Europa League is not the worst-case scenario due to the unprecedented nature of a third club being involved.The Eagles could even be booted out of the Conference League if they were forced to suffer a “relegation” to avoid two competing interests, due to the ownership of shareholder David Blitzer.Blitzer is said to own around 18 per cent of the shares in the club, but also owns Danish outfit Brondby.They appear to be in line to take a spot in the Conference League which would bring Palace into conflict with ownership rules again.Brondby finished third in Denmark’s league, but Palace would argue that qualifying for a higher-ranked competition by winning the FA Cup entitles them to the spot.That being said, if Palace end up being thrown out of European football entirely, bitter rivals Brighton would inherit a spot in the Conference League, while Nottingham Forest move up to the Europa League.Manchester United faced a similar issue last year when they won the FA Cup and were placed below French club Nice in the priority list due to their higher finish in Ligue 1.Both were ultimately allowed to compete, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos agreeing to a transfer embargo between the two clubs and major changes at board level for Nice in a so-called “blind-trust” deal.Read More on The SunManchester City had to do the same when Spanish side Girona, owned by the UAE’s City Football Group, surprisingly qualified for the Champions League last season.As a precaution, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis made similar changes when it appeared both the English side and Greek outfit Olympiakos were on course to qualify for the Champions League.Crystal Palace ratingsCRYSTAL PALACE secured their first ever trophy with a famous FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. More

  • in

    Why could Crystal Palace get THROWN OUT of the Europa League?

    CRYSTAL PALACE could get THROWN OUT of the Europa League in a shock to the sporting world.The Eagles initially secured their spot in Europe by beating Manchester City in a thrilling FA Cup final.Crystal Palace beat Manchester City in a thrilling FA Cup finalCredit: GettyCrystal Palace celebrated winning their first major trophy in styleCredit: GettyEberechi Eze’s sublime 16th-minute strike was enough to secure Palace’s first-ever major trophy.And despite finishing 12th in the League, winning the FA Cup meant that the Eagles automatically qualified for next season’s Europa League.However, in a shocking turn of events, the South London outfit could be exiled from the tournament before they have even kicked a ball.Why could Crystal Palace get thrown out of the Europa League?American billionaire John Textor is Palace’s largest shareholder but also owns French side Lyon – who have also qualified for the Europa League.Read more on Crystal PalaceUefa rules prevent two clubs from the same ownership group from participating in the same competition. Where there is a conflict, the spot will go to the team that finished highest in their domestic league.That means Palace would miss out as they finished 12th while Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1.They will also not be able to drop into the Conference League due to Textor’s stake in Brondby, who qualified for that competition by finishing third in the Danish Superliga.Most read in FootballOwners of both Manchester City and Manchester United have had to take steps, including placing shares in blind trusts, to avoid such issues in recent seasons.Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis placed his shares in the club into a blind trust when it looked like they would qualify for the Champions League alongside the Greek businessman’s other club, Olympiakos.Who would take Crystal Palace’s spot in the Europa League should they get thrown out?It is yet to be confirmed, but if Crystal Palace were to be thrown out of Europe, it would mean that Nottingham Forest would move up into their Europa League spot from the Conference League.Palace’s rivals Brighton would also find themselves in Europe, in the Conference League.Forest finished 7th in the Premier League and Brighton secured 8th spot.When does the 2025/26 Europa League start?The 2025/26 Europa League campaign gets underway on Thursday, July 10 and concludes in Istanbul on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.Here are the key dates for next season’s Europa League.First qualifying round: 10 & 17 July 2025Second qualifying round: 24 & 31 July 2025Third qualifying round: 7 & 14 August 2025Play-offs: 21 & 28 August 2025Matchday 1: 24 & 25 September 2025Matchday 2: 2 October 2025Matchday 3: 23 October 2025Matchday 4: 6 November 2025Matchday 5: 27 November 2025Matchday 6: 11 December 2025Matchday 7: 22 January 2026Matchday 8: 29 January 2026Knockout phase play-offs: 19 & 26 February 2026Round of 16: 12 & 19 March 2026Quarter-finals: 9 & 16 April 2026Semi-finals: 30 April & 7 May 2026Final: 20 May 2026 (Istanbul) More

  • in

    Crystal Palace could be THROWN OUT of Europa League with fierce rivals benefiting as owners jet to emergency summit

    CRYSTAL PALACE will meet with Uefa in a bid to avoid missing out on European football.The Eagles must convince Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) that co-owner John Textor’s position does not breach their rules – and failure to do so could allow rivals Brighton a route into Europe.Crystal Palace could be prevented from playing in the Europa LeagueCredit: GettyPalace co-owner John Textor’s stake in Lyon has caused a problemCredit: GettyAmerican billionaire Textor is Palace’s largest shareholder and also owns French side Lyon – who have also qualified for the Europa League.Uefa rules prevent two clubs from the same ownership group from participating in the same competition and where there is a conflict the spot will go to the team who finished highest in their domestic league.Palace finished 12th but qualified for Europe due to their shock FA Cup victory over Manchester City, while Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1.They will also not be able to drop into the Conference League due to Textor’s stake in Danish side Brondby, who qualified for that compeition by finishing third.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe Eagles are confident that they have a strong case, though a result is not expected for around two weeks.While Textor owns around 43 per cent of the club via his Eagle Football Group, he has just 25 per cent of the voting share – the same as other shareholders.An individual holding the majority of the shareholders’ voting rights at both clubs is against Uefa’s rules.While Textor has operational control at Lyon, chairman Steve Parish runs Palace on a day-to-day basis.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThe two do not have a good relationship and Textor has long been looking to sell his stake after complaining about a lack of control.Palace will also argue that there are no shared assets or player trading between the two clubs.Crystal Palace stars lift FA Cup trophy as they win first major honour in club’s history with win over Man CityOwners of both Manchester City and Manchester United have had to take steps, including placing shares in blind trusts, to avoid such issues in recent seasons.Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis placed his shares in the club into a blind trust when it looked like they would qualify for the Champions League alongside the Greek businessman’s other club, Olympiakos.However, it is thought to be too late for Textor to use the option of a blind trust – with rules dictating that move would have had to have been made by March this year to satisfy Uefa.Were the CFBC to find against Palace, Forest would move up into their Europa League spot from the Conference League while Brighton would find themselves in Europe. More

  • in

    Fans poke fun at ‘best team in Europe’ Arsenal as they are 12th in Uefa’s rankings behind MAN UTD

    FANS are laughing at Arsenal after the Uefa rankings put them behind Manchester United.The Gunners fell short of silverware for the third season in a row while the Red Devils had their worst campaign in modern history.Arsenal sit 12th in Uefa’s coefficient league tableCredit: Shutterstock EditorialDespite a poor season, Man Utd remain ahead of themCredit: GettyAfter crashing out the Champions League to eventual winners PSG, Mikel Arteta claimed his team are the “best in Europe”.But the coefficient league table disagrees and even has Arsenal below crisis club United.The rankings take into account each side’s performance in the Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues over the last five years and it is used for seeding.Arsenal sit 12th overall with 98 points and Man Utd are 11th on 102.5.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe North Londoners’ run to the Champions League semi-final this season earned them 36 points.But their score has been hindered by not appearing on the continent in 2020/21 and losing in the Europa League last-16 to Sporting Lisbon the following year.While United’s performances across the five-year period have been more steady, featuring in every season.Despite victories in the Europa being less valuable than the Champions League, two runner-up finishes and a run to quarter-final is enough to prop them up just above Arsenal.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSAnd fans have mocked the Gunners, with one saying: “As if the best team in Europe isn’t even ranked top ten.”Another laughed: “Chelsea is still ahead of Arsenal despite not playing Champions League for two seasons.”Jamie Carragher in huge row with Gary Neville over Arsenal title prediction and striker claimA third commented: “This can’t be right, the best club in the world Arsenal are not there. They have been telling me all year they are the best the world has ever seen. Forget the trophies.”The updated rankings have Real Madrid out on top on 143.5, narrowly ahead of Manchester City’s 137.75.PSG’s Champions League victory earned them 33.5 and rockets them to fifth.Chelsea got 30 from their Conference League glory and they can still count upon the 33 from Champions League success under Thomas Tuchel four years ago.Outside the top spots – Tottenham are 27th, West Ham sit 29th and Aston Villa place 46th.Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates More

  • in

    Tottenham speaking to other managers about replacing Ange Postecoglou with D-Day this week

    TOTTENHAM are speaking to other managers about replacing Ange Postecoglou.But the Europa League-winning Aussie remains in the dark if the North Londoners will actually sack him or not.Ange Postecoglou won Tottenham’s first trophy in 17 yearsCredit: AFPDaniel Levy is leaning towards sacking Ange PostecoglouCredit: GettyBrentford manager Thomas Frank is on the list of TottenhamCredit: ReutersSpurs chairman Daniel Levy is still weighing up whether to axe Postecoglou or keep him on after the 59-year-old ended the club’s 17-year trophy drought with glory in Bilbao earlier this month.SunSport understands it is more likely a change in the dugout is made, with a decision expected this week, but it is not a foregone conclusion yet.The representatives of a number of possible successors are believed to have been contacted in the meantime.Brentford boss Thomas Frank and Fulham chief Marco Silva are among those Spurs are considering.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Crystal Palace’s FA Cup winning hero Oliver Glasner has been a target but the German says he is “99 per cent” certain to be staying with the Eagles.While SunSport understands there has been interest in Champions League runner-up Simone Inzaghi of Inter Milan.Postecoglou has been made to wait on his future as he and a number of Spurs staff went on holiday last week.That was despite him clinching the club’s first piece of silverware since the League Cup in 2008 with victory over Manchester United in Spain in the Europa League final almost a fortnight ago.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKThe triumph meant ex-Celtic chief Postecoglou kept up his record of winning a trophy in the second season in every managerial job he has ever had where he has lasted that long.Spurs are set for a summer of change at executive level whether Postecoglou stays or goes.Ex-Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham is coming in as chief executive, with chief football officer Scott Munn heading out the door.Former managing director of football Fabio Paratici is set to return once his two-and-a-half-year ban for financial malpractice at Juventus is over at the end of this month. More

  • in

    How many European trophies have Chelsea won?

    CHELSEA have beaten Real Betis in the Conference League final – and in doing so created European football history!The West Londoners defeated the La Liga side 4-1 after Cole Palmer inspired a second-half fightback.Chelsea won the Champions League for the second time in 2021Credit: GettyWhat European trophies have Chelsea won?Chelsea have won nine European titles – making them the second most successful English team.And now the Blues have added the newly-formed Conference League trophy to their cabinet – it means they have become the first team to have won ALL of Europe’s majors in their history.CHELSEA VS REAL BETIS LIVE – LATEST REACTIONChelsea won Europe’s elite competition, the Champions League, twice – in 2012 and in 2021.And the Blues won their second Europa League in 2019Credit: GettyThey also won the Europa League twice – in 2013 and 2019.The now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup was won in 1971 and 1998.And the UEFA Super Cup in 1998 and 2021.Only Liverpool have won more European titles for an English team with 13.Most read in Football More