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• Aki Mandhar set to start work before end of year
• She is Blues’ first women’s team CEO in new structure

Chelsea have appointed a media expert with no experience of running a football club as the first chief executive officer of their women’s team. Aki Mandhar has been headhunted to run the Women’s Super League champions from her position as general manager of the Athletic, the sports website owned by the New York Times.

Mandhar is due to start work at Chelsea before the end of the year with a brief to ensure the club’s on-field success is replicated off the field. Despite winning a fifth successive WSL title last season Chelsea failed to attract big crowds when their games were moved to Stamford Bridge, in contrast to Arsenal’s success in filling the Emirates Stadium for women’s matches.

• American businessman enthused by possible purchase
• ‘It’s like someone asking you if you want to be president’

John Textor has compared the chance to become the new owner of Everton to being elected as president of the United States and said he is confident of completing the takeover before the 30 November deadline set in his exclusivity agreement with Farhad Moshiri.

The American businessman became the fifth bidder to be granted a period of exclusivity by Blue Heaven Holdings, the company that owns Everton, last month, having initially been overlooked by Moshiri. But the £600m takeover rests on Textor – who the Guardian revealed on Tuesday is considering giving Everton fans the chance to buy shares in the club if the deal goes through – selling his 45% stake in Crystal Palace.

• Club records revenues of £661.8m in year to 30 June
• ‘Our clear objective is to return to the top,’ says Berrada

Manchester United are confident they comply with Premier League and Uefa financial rules despite posting a £113.2m net loss in their latest accounts. It is the fifth consecutive year United have made an annual loss, with the club £115.5m in the red in 2021-22 and £42.1m in 2022-23.

Profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) permit a £105m loss over a three-year period, but within the regulations certain deductions are allowed in relation to investment in infrastructure, the academy and women’s teams, among other things, which United believe means they will not fall foul of spending regulations. Everton and Nottingham Forest received points deductions last season after exceeding permitted losses in regards to PSR.

• Arsenal captain hurt playing for Norway
• Champions League tie at Atalanta is four days after Spurs

Arsenal are still waiting to discover the full extent of Martin Ødegaard’s ankle injury but their captain is expected to be unavailable for at least three weeks. This means he will miss Sunday’s north London derby and the trip to Manchester City on 22 September.

Ødegaard left the pitch in tears after a challenge from Christoph Baumgartner during Norway’s win over Austria on Monday and was pictured on crutches on Tuesday when he returned to Arsenal for more tests, with the Norwegian FA stating he had sustained “a bad ankle injury”. The 25-year-old is understood to have had a scan and will be assessed further by Arsenal’s medical staff as the bruising subsides.

• Former manager admits it was ‘the right time for change’
• No decision on future but 54-year-old ‘very open-minded’

Gareth Southgate has said the time was right for him to step down as England manager and that he has no regrets about his eight years in charge.

The 54-year-old left his post after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Southgate led the country to back-to-back European ­Championship finals and to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, but he was criticised in some quarters for his defensive tactics.

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What a night it was for Harry Kane on Tuesday at Wembley, scoring twice to down the mighty Finland and also being handed a beautiful golden hat crocheted by everyone’s favourite footballing raconteur Frank Lampard. No, but seriously, winning 100 caps for your country is no mean feat, even when it is a small island whose men’s team has only ever won one major trophy.

Further to news that Chelsea may relocate to Earl’s Court in a mixed use development site (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition), one wonders if this might include an Ikea. It would be apt given the tendency to come home from one laden down with countless items that looked nice at the time, but have no clear value or purpose, with nowhere to put them” – Kevin Goddard.

Serious crimes deserve long sentences, so I am wondering what we did to deserve the punishment of your football emails. A group of us now have a regular competition to guess how many words the longest sentence will contain. Yesterday’s 57-worder was only Championship stuff compared with a recent 88-word effort. Sometimes it’s the average that gets us. There was a 42-word average back in a classic July email. And that was with a seven-word first sentence. The second was 45 and the third 60. There was a second 60-worder and a 57-worder. Whether consecutive or concurrent, that many long sentences amounted to a cruel and unusual punishment” – Chris Wheal.

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• Survey finds 85% of women did not report abuse
• Kick It Out calls on clubs to do more to combat problem

More than 50% of female football fans have experienced sexism on match days in England, with younger women, ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ supporters particularly affected by a growing problem, according to a new survey.

After commissioning a research study to examine sexism and misogyny in football, the anti-­discrimination charity Kick It Out has launched a campaign to combat these issues. It has urged the sport to ensure women’s complaints are taken seriously.

Overhaul in communications by authorities recommended after harrowing accounts given by bereaved

A review of how bereaved families were treated by the authorities after their relatives died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster has recommended an overhaul in postmortem processes and communication, and the need for “empathy and understanding”.

The review, led by Glenn Taylor, a retired forensic scientist, heard harrowing accounts from family members of those who died about their experiences, including being told by police officers that they could not hug their loved ones because their bodies were “the property of the coroner”.

Stark contrast between Asia’s big guns as Son’s side stall while Samurai Blue revel in 7-0 and 5-0 wins

It may be simplistic to say South Korea are Asia’s Manchester United while Japan are the continent’s equivalent of Manchester City but there is more to it than the red and blue shirts. The first two games of the third – and decisive – round of World Cup qualification have reinforced the feeling that while the Koreans rely on their big players delivering in the big moments, the Samurai Blue are a well-oiled winning machine.

Son Heung-min certainly shone in a much-needed 3-1 win in Oman on Tuesday, scoring one and making the other two in this Group B fixture. Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan claimed the first as Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain pulled the strings. With Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae the rock in defence, there is a star-studded spine that even some of those teams ranked higher than Korea’s 23 would welcome.

Plus: hat-tricks on the losing side, bottom-placed sides winning big and Shay Given’s special bottle

• Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU

“Sorry to lower the tone but curiosity got the better of me: last week in Peru, Sebastian Muñoz was sent off for appearing to urinate at the side of the pitch, while in Sweden in 2016, Adam Lindin Ljungkvist was given a second yellow card for ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour when he audibly broke wind. Are there any other examples of players being given their marching orders for bodily functionality?” wonders Dave Payn.

Let’s start with a bit of housekeeping. We haven’t included spitting, because Rudi Völler has suffered enough, but we have broadened the question to include unpunished acts of biology, partly so we can start with the most famous egestion of all. Gary Lineker didn’t receive a yellow card during his career, never mind a red, not even in England’s opening match of the 1990 World Cup. “I tried to tackle someone, stretched and relaxed myself and erm …” he said in 2010. “You can see myself rubbing the ground like a dog trying to clean it. It was the most horrendous experience of my life.”

The Manchester City defender showed the influence of Pep Guardiola as he flummoxed Finland at Wembley

New vibes. New toys. New roles and perhaps even new rules. And, yes, the more familiar sight of Harry Kane banging in a couple of goals and wheeling off to the corner flag in that slightly leaden jog of his: less a man who has just scored for his country and more a guy who has just secured quite a good parking space.

But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this routine win secured against routine opposition was just how mystifyingly un-routine it felt in parts: the same team, but somehow lit in a different way, filmed from different angles. It’s still probably too early to say whether this is the Lee Carsley effect. But it definitely feels like the No Gareth effect.

Striker grew the game with skills and warmth, while raucous fans watched her like the Beatles were in town

One hundred and twenty-three goals in 224 appearances for the US women’s national team. Two World Cup wins. A gold medal, a bronze medal, a three-time Olympian. A National Women’s Soccer League champion. A relentless advocate for the growth of the game. Alex Morgan retired from professional football this past weekend in San Diego, California as one of the most successful players ever to lace up her boots. She leaves a multifaceted legacy behind her. One of its greatest aspects is the excitement she uniquely inspired, and her ability to leverage it for broader growth.

In a decade when the popularity of women’s football skyrocketed globally, Morgan was often its key name. Stateside, every stadium Morgan played in drew enormous crowds. Upon her arrival, those elated crowds were decked out in Morgan gear, carrying AM13 signs and shrieking with joy at her every movement. It was like watching the Beatles swing through town. Morgan-mania was for real.

After two years of instability the club hopes to move up the table with the help of big signing Fran Kirby

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 8th (NB: this is not necessarily Sophie Downey’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 9th

Every deal in the WSL, Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Division 1 Féminine and Serie A Femminile as well as a club-by-club guide

• Men’s transfers 2024: all the moves in top five leagues
• Sign up for our free women’s football newsletter

• James Rodríguez spot-kick earns 2-1 win
• Diego Gómez scores only goal against Brazil

Two South American powerhouses lost in World Cup qualifying in the absence of their biggest stars, with Lionel Messi missing Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Colombia and Neymar still on the sidelines for Brazil’s upset defeat in Paraguay. James Rodríguez scored from the penalty spot and had an assist to help Colombia edge out the defending champions in Barranquilla, while Diego Gómez netted the winner for Paraguay in a 1-0 victory in Asunción.

Yerson Mosquera opened the scoring for Colombia with a close-range header in the 25th minute but Argentina equalised in the 48th after Nico González intercepted a Rodríguez pass. Rodríguez made amends on the hour with his penalty, awarded after a video review, securing the win at the Metropolitano Stadium.

• Finding dedicated women’s football TV slot a challenge
• ‘At the moment, it is not an option,’ WPLL chief admits

The Women’s Super League has been frustrated in attempts to play and broadcast games during the 3pm Saturday blackout, the executive who oversees the top two divisions of women’s football in England has revealed.

Nikki Doucet, the chief executive of Women’s Professional Leagues Limited, which runs the WSL and Championship, said inquiries had been made about ending the ­blackout, which was introduced in the 1960s to protect attendances.

• League A: Netherlands 2-2 Germany, Hungary 0-0 Bosnia
• League B: Ireland 0-2 Greece, Czech Republic 3-2 Ukraine

The Netherlands and Germany played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in their Nations League Group A3 match in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

Deniz Undav scored on his first start for Germany and the captain, Joshua Kimmich, got the second for a 2-1 half‑time lead after Tijjani Reijnders had put the Dutch ahead 100 seconds into the match. Denzel Dumfries levelled early in the second half in a game played at a quick tempo and with occasional flashes of temper to make it a spicy derby.

• Club understood to have drawn up plans
• Talks held with TfL and real estate developers

Chelsea have held talks over ­leaving Stamford Bridge and moving to Earl’s Court as they seek a resolution to their plans for a bigger stadium. Increasing the capacity from 40,343 is a major priority for the owners and the diffi­culty of redeveloping the ground has led the club to look for a new site in west London.

Discussions have been held with Transport for London, one of the partners that looks after the Earl’s Court site, and the real estate ­developer Delancey. The Earl’s Court Development Committee wants to build a mixed-use development and no football stadium is included in its master plan, which is due to be ­presented next week to ­Hammersmith and Fulham council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council.

• Work permit application can take up to nine months
• Coach misses out on chance to work with Ancelotti

The Stockport assistant coach Andy Mangan has been denied a move to Real Madrid after being refused a work permit.

A ­journeyman striker as a player, Mangan has developed a bur­geoning reputation as a coach. He had hoped to swap League One for working with Carlo Ancelotti in the ­Champions League but because of Brexit ­regulations his application was rejected. Acquiring a work permit to work in Spain can take up to nine months.

Former Chelsea boss must build trust with his squad quickly before a home World Cup in 2026, but time is working against him

When the US men’s national team players are introduced to Mauricio Pochettino, they will meet a coach unlike any the US has had in program history.

Pochettino, officially appointed on Tuesday, boasts an impressive coaching résumé involving some of the biggest clubs and players in European football, and has no history anywhere within the US soccer system. His profile is immense, yet his working style will be unfamiliar. The desire to find out what the new boss is like will probably color the players’ early interactions, down to the very first handshake.

Australia coach Graham Arnold will ponder mis-steps taken in World Cup qualifiers but must also search for ways to make the most of his squad

“It’s not like a disaster,” Graham Arnold said, a sense of frustration, bordering on simmering rage, visibly emanating off him as he spoke to Paramount in the aftermath of the Socceroos’ 0-0 draw with Indonesia. “But I’ve got to go home and do a lot of thinking.”

A period of reflection. An honest reassessment of one’s priorities, values, and assumptions in pursuit of clarity. In this modern age it’s the kind of approach that anyone would benefit from, let alone a coach that has just overseen a loss and a draw against the two lowest ranked sides in their World Cup qualifying group.

Robert de Pauw has taken over after Carla Ward’s surprise exit and all eyes are on how Villa start life with the Dutch coach

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 9th (NB: this is not necessarily Sophie Downey’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 7th

After a draw with Turkey and victory in Montenegro, new manager has got supporters on side with some fresh ideas

Results such as this are the ones that make you glad you bothered, and glad you care. A disorientating but joyful first 149 seconds brought goals from Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson, leaving Montenegro dumbfounded and the Wales support delirious. A goal was the only thing missing from a very positive Wales performance against Turkey on Friday, but with that assignment ticked off twice within three minutes, Craig Bellamy was given his first victory as manager despite farcical conditions more suited to a medieval re-enactment than an international football match.

The Wales fans in attendance were enthusiastic devotees of Project Bellamy, with a packed away end singing his name throughout. After the match, as gleeful supporters going back to the buses braved rain that felt straight from the Book of Revelation, we tried to remember Bellamy’s promise that his tenure was “going to be fun”.

The former Ipswich and Spurs player on expectations after becoming the youngest goalscorer in England’s top flight and finding clarity after his mental health spiralled

It turns out that, even 40 years on, there are still Ipswich fans who have not yet stopped Jason Dozzell in the street. He is walking along Portman Road, passing beneath the ageing Cobbold Stand and a display that evokes some of his happiest times, when a grey-haired man diverts from his dog-walking path to instigate conversation. “I was in there when you scored that goal,” he informs Dozzell, who engages as if this is the first time he has heard such recollections. “I just had to tell you. Incredible. Where does the time go?”

That goal. It has followed him everywhere since 4 February 1984 when his smartly hooked finish had the final say in a 3-1 win over Coventry. Dozzell was making his senior debut at 16 years and 57 days old; he became the youngest goalscorer in England’s top flight and it is a record nobody has come particularly close to breaking. He remains a genuine home town hero – the boy who grew up 500 metres from the stadium and watched from the terraces until the moment that changed his life.

Swedish striker’s versatility at Sporting may lead to his £85m release clause soon looking like a relative bargain

By Ben McAleer for WhoScored

Perhaps it is because he plays in one of Europe’s “lesser” leagues, but Viktor Gyökeres does not receive the adulation he so richly deserves. With strikers making moves across the continent over the summer, Dominic Solanke, Joshua Zirkzee, Ivan Toney and Julián Alvarez either remaining in, moving to, or departing England, the Swede continues to ply his trade at Sporting.

Gyökeres was pivotal in Sporting’s title triumph, and the Portuguese powerhouse have proved steadfast in their desire to retain the 26-year-old’s services. “Any player only leaves through the clause,” the Sporting boss Rúben Amorim said late last year as rumours of a potential move to England began to gather momentum. That release clause is set at a cool £85m. Interested parties will certainly think twice before paying that sum.

A Folkestone player was sent off after an altercation with Billericay's keeper, during what became an impromptu moment of 'piggy in the middle'. In the 75th minute of their Isthmian League Premier Division fixture, Tom Derry was dismissed for kicking goalkeeper Sam Donkin, with Billericay 2-0 up at the time. They went on to win 3-0

Lee Carsley defended his decision not to sing England's national anthem during their 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland. The England interim manager, who earned 40 caps for Ireland during his playing career, said: 'I don't think it makes me or anyone that doesn't any less committed.' He went on to say 'I respect everyone's opinion' regarding the national anthem. Former Republic of Ireland youth internationals Declan Rice and Jack Grealish scored England's goals. Carsley said: 'I thought that they both handled the atmosphere.'

• Rice and Grealish start new England era with Nations League victory in Ireland

• Lee Carsley lets England players make all the right noises in smooth audition

Victor Osimhen has secured a move away from Napoli and signed a loan deal to Galatasaray. The Nigerian striker will go on loan to the Turkish club until June 2025, although Napoli extended his contract to June 2027

Luis Suárez will play his last match for Uruguay on Saturday (BST) in a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay. Uruguay's leading goalscorer reflected on his 17 years with the national team in a press conference after tearfully announcing his retirement and described winning the Copa América with La Celeste in 2011 as 'the nicest moment' in his career

The former Cardiff and Leeds defender Sol Bamba has died at the age of 39. Bamba, who earned 46 caps for Ivory Coast, captained Leeds and helped Cardiff win promotion to the Premier League. The defender also had stints at Leicester and Middlesborough and following his playing career, returned to Cardiff as he moved into coaching.

• Former Leeds and Cardiff defender Sol Bamba dies aged 39

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he was amazed at the inconsistency in refereeing during Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. Declan Rice was sent off just after half-time, after the winger appeared to kick a loose ball away following the referee's whistle. Arteta says the referee has the right to make that call, but questioned why he let other similar incidents go, including one where João Pedro kicked the ball away in the first half but was not penalised.

• Brighton’s João Pedro pegs back Arsenal for point after Declan Rice sees red

• European champions win 4-1 despite Le Normand red
• Croatia beat Poland; Northern Ireland lose in Bulgaria

The newly crowned European champions Spain romped to a 4-1 away win against Switzerland in Nations League Group A4, despite being down to 10 men after just 20 minutes.

Luis de la Fuente’s side had been held to a 0-0 draw by Serbia in their pool opener but raced into a 2-0 lead in Geneva with goals from Joselu and Fabián Ruiz after only 13 minutes, before Robin Le Normand was shown a red card for a foul on Breel Embolo. Switzerland’s Zeki Amdouni halved the deficit before the break but as the Swiss pressed for an equaliser late in the second half, Ruiz netted his second and substitute Ferran Torres also got on the scoresheet as Spain hit the hosts with lightning counterattacks.

• Players criticised after missed chances in 0-0 draw with Indonesia
• ‘It’s been a common theme for over a year,’ says coach

Under pressure amid months of middling form, Socceroos coach Graham Arnold did something unusual following the scoreless draw against Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday night that leaves Australia languishing in World Cup qualifying Group C.

The famed man-manager – who has built a reputation on maintaining strong rapport with his dressing room – was critical of his players.

AAP contributed to this report

• Brazil 1-0 Ecuador; Díaz rescues Colombia in Peru
• Uruguay held by Paraguay in Suárez farewell

Rodrygo scored in the first half as Brazil defeated Ecuador 1-0 in Curitiba to end a four-game winless streak in World Cup 2026 qualifying.

The 23-year-old Real Madrid winger scored with a shot from outside the box in the 30th minute, which was deflected by a defender and went in off the right-hand post. Victory boosted the Seleção’s qualifying campaign after they had lost to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina at the end of 2023 after a 1-1 home draw with Venezuela.

Seeking an early goal to settle their nerves, the hosts almost got it when Vinícius Júnior closed down the goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez, whose clearance ricocheted off the forward and into the side-netting. After the goal, Moisés Caicedo was denied a leveller, first by Alisson’s save and then by Gabriel Magalhães, who cleared his follow-up shot off the line.

• Morgan to end playing career after weekend’s match
• US forward: ‘I don’t think coaching is in my future’

Alex Morgan said that her role after football is still to be determined but that her future lies “in investing in women’s sports”, after announcing that she is pregnant and will end her professional playing career after Sunday’s game against North Carolina Courage.

Asked whether she might be considering a coaching career, the San Diego forward said: “I have not taken any coaching licenses. I’ll just say that: I don’t think coaching is in my future.

• Nicko Sensoli’s goal earns historic 1-0 League D victory
• Ronaldo’s 900th career goal helps Portugal beat Croatia

San Marino have beaten Liechtenstein 1-0 in the Nations League’s fourth tier, securing their first-ever competitive victory after 34 years of trying.

Nicko Sensoli scored the only goal of the game in Serravalle, the teenager pouncing on a defensive error and steering the ball past Benjamin Büchel in the 53rd minute. Liechtenstein’s Fabio Luque Notaro had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half and also saw a close-range shot blocked just before Sensoli’s opener.

• Viní Jr, Rodri and Aitana Bonmatí among favourites
• Jude Bellingham and Lauren James on 30-player lists

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane lead a list of six England players nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or while the Lionesses trio Lucy Bronze, Lauren James and Lauren Hemp were shortlisted for the women’s award. But the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who lifted the men’s award last year, was left off the list along with his longstanding rival Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since 2003.

Shortlists for the respective awards were unveiled on Wednesday night by France Football, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in Paris on 28 October.

• Virgil van Dijk intends to stay on until 2026 World Cup
• Steven Bergwijn completed move from Ajax to Al-Ittihad

Virgil van Dijk has committed his future to the Netherlands until the 2026 World Cup at least, but the door is shut on Steven Bergwijn after the forward’s transfer to Saudi Arabia, the manager, Ronald Koeman, confirmed on Tuesday.

Koeman, who led the Dutch to the Euro 2024 semi-finals before a loss to England, is preparing for a Nations League clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Eindhoven on Saturday and revealed he flew to Liverpool to have face to face talks with Van Dijk.

Changes to the Asia qualifying process offer increased hope for unfamiliar names to reach 2026 finals

For some time now Asia’s World Cup representatives have consisted of four from the quintet of South Korea, Japan, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Sometimes all five make it – as in 2018 and 2022 – and occasionally there is a gatecrasher as in 2010 with North Korea. For 2026, though, there will be eight automatic places on offer for the 18 teams that kick off the third round of qualification on Thursday and some unfamiliar names for global audiences.

For example, two out of the six-team Group B will qualify by next June, meaning that even assuming that South Korea make it for an 11th successive time, at least one of Oman, Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq will join the East Asians in North America.

The forward, who has kept faith with Atléti despite limited opportunities, silenced the Cathedral with a dramatic finish

Ángel Correa’s friends like to say that his name is the only saintly thing about him but the man with the scarred heart has a habit of appearing in moments of need, and so it was.

Saturday night at the Cathedral, the storm had passed, the sky had opened and suddenly there he was before them, 48,617 people witnessing him fly through the middle, past Julen Agirrezabala, and roll into an empty net to deliver Athletic Club’s first defeat at San Mames in more than a year. The clock read 91:54. Correa had been on the pitch for only four minutes and he didn’t think he would be there at all, but it was done. Call it a miracle if you like, or something else.

The FA’s answer to Luis de la Fuente may look like a hungover Alan Shearer but it would make a lot of sense to give him the job

Enter: the Carsley-verse. Look back just a couple of weeks and the Football Association’s decision to install an internal temporary replacement for the men’s senior manager, thereby delaying any permanent decision while relegitimising the architecture of the existing pathway structure, still felt like an act of such mind-numbing dullness that even reading these words now is likely to induce a form of narcolepsy, insomnia, haunted dreams, night terrors.

Cut back to this weekend and that trial appointment has already achieved one significant thing, specifically lending a mild air of jeopardy and intrigue to an otherwise unwanted back-to-school September international break.

Nothing will make a journalist doubt himself more than the knowledge that their work will be read by actual football people – but I had to give it a go

I was in the Jardyland bar in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s biggest city, watching Manchester City beat Everton on 10 February when I was appointed interim assistant coach of Argentina. The offer in the WhatsApp was clear: you put together scouting reports on Nigeria and Ivory Coast, who Argentina were supposed to be facing in friendlies in China in March, and we’ll call you assistant coach and explain how we go about preparing for games.

It was almost a decade ago that Matías Manna, now a key member of Argentina’s backroom staff, having read my book Angels With Dirty Faces, had got in touch to discuss a theory he had about the team in the 1950s. This offer he was making was a gimmick, obviously, a joke; I’m not deluded enough to think otherwise. But equally, everybody else is deluded if they think I’m not going to be talking for the rest of my life about my stint as the assistant manager of the world champions when they prepared for their second successive Copa América triumph. Lionel Messi? Yeah, he played under me. Good lad, yeah.

The American has won Olympic medals and World Cups. But she was also committed to making her sport better for her colleagues

The moment that may best encapsulate Alex Morgan’s time as a player happened back in March. You could hardly be blamed for missing it, though. As was often the case in a long career that Morgan abruptly announced will end this weekend, much of her impact came away from the play itself.

This moment started with the speed that was Morgan’s calling card as a youngster. Just 10 minutes into the USWNT’s quarter-final matchup against Colombia in the W Gold Cup, Morgan darted to pressure a loose Colombian backpass, nicked the ball to her teammate Lindsey Horan, and then continued her trajectory as Horan played a through ball into the box. Here, Morgan’s veteran nous took over; she positioned her body perfectly between herself and the pursuing defender, drawing a clear foul that set up a penalty kick to break the 0-0 scoreline.

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The dawn chorus of wailing and gnashing of teeth you could hear wherever you woke up on Tuesday morning was the sound of assorted Arsenal fans trying and failing to cope with the news that Martin Ødegaard was helped from the field during Norway’s win over Austria with what looked like serious knack. With a north London derby looming on the horizon and another of their star midfielders already on the Naughty Step, the last thing Gunners needed to hear was that their beloved captain had jiggered his ankle and left the field in a flood of tears. As radio switchboards and Social Media Disgraces lit up, some Arsenal fans immediately called for an outright ban on international football. A wheeze that predates the club they support by a full 12 years, how dare it be allowed to undermine their latest title tilt?

What did I make of it? Wet!” – Craig Bellamy enjoys his first win as Wales manager amid a biblical soaking in Montenegro.

Oslo Ødegaard-ouch overshadows Österreich occasion. Over” – Peter Øh Öh Oh.

Todd Boehly is, per Big Website, ‘focused on establishing a culture of winning’. Not to put too fine a point on it, Todd, but after 17 trophies in 19 years, exactly what do you think we had before you showed up?” – John Kozempel.

Having witnessed with surprise Peter Allan’s amusing letter about dynamic pricing (Football Daily letters passim) get robbed of the prizeless letter o’ the day title, it occurred to me that this free, almost-daily publication is lucky it isn’t subject to dynamic pricing, otherwise Football Daily might be forced to pay us readers a substantial sum to read it” – Mac Millings.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Lars Sivertsen and Mark Langdon to discuss Aston Villa’s Champions League ticket prices, Leicester City avoiding a points deduction and the international break

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.

On the podcast today: Aston Villa have announced the ticket prices for their home Champions League games and fans are justifiably angry – the club claim they have to do it to comply with PSR; the panel disagree.

In this week’s newsletter we reflect on a five-week summer tour of the US to watch women’s football

As the lights went down on Barcelona’s famous Champions League win back in May, the biggest question in my head was “What now?”. For the first time in two years, we were looking at a three-month football-less gap. Yes, the Olympics were on the horizon but without the involvement of Team GB, opportunities were limited.

Our eyes immediately turned to the US. There was little surprise from friends and family when we announced that a busman’s holiday was the only real solution to the problem of having time off. The NWSL has been a source of interest for years. A visit to Angel City on our return from last year’s World Cup gave us a taste for the league and left us with a desire to learn more.

Plus: hat-tricks bridging seasons, a rolling roll call of managers and when Harry Redknapp fielded a spectactor

• Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU

“Last month, the Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen played for both sides during a match against the Toronto Blue Jays. Has something like this ever happened in football?” tweets Dylan Hoekzema.

Jansen was playing for Toronto when their game against Boston was suspended in June. Boston then acquired him in July, with the match resuming in August, so he was an active participant for both sides in the same game.

The defender featured for Port Vale at the Valley on Boxing Day in 1932 in a game that was abandoned due to fog, and subsequently joined the Addicks, lining up for Charlton in their 2-1 triumph in the rearranged fixture in April 1933.

In February 1925, Clapton Orient travelled to a match against a Manchester United side that had just sold its star striker, Bill Henderson, to Preston North End. United manager John Chapman had telephoned the Orient manager Peter Proudfoot before they left London, and the two clubs agreed a fee of £1,070 for Pape. They met up at Manchester Piccadilly station just after noon, and Pape – who was a friend of the United captain, Frank Barson, and had relatives in nearby Bolton – quickly agreed terms.

The details were wired to the Football Association and the Football League at around 1.30pm, and although Pape had been named in Orient’s starting lineup for the match, he was confirmed as a Manchester United player with about an hour left before kick-off. Pape was not only allowed to start the match in the colours of Manchester United, but he also scored the team’s third goal in a 4–2 win over his previous employers, as well as hitting the post with a header late in the game.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Philippe Auclair and Nooruddean Choudry to discuss the new Champions League format, Lee Carsley’s first England squad and plenty more

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.

On the podcast today: the panel take their first proper look at the new formats for European club competitions, how will they will work, whether they are a good thing and how we can be expected to care about this much football.

Jack Grealish on the comeback trail, Iliman Ndiaye offers Everton hope and Declan Rice appears unruffled

While Mikel Arteta fumed at the perceived injustice in Declan Rice’s sending off against Brighton, there was a far more measured response from the England midfielder. Despite admitting he had been “shocked” to see the referee, Chris Kavanagh, show him a second yellow card for obstructing Joël Veltman from taking a free kick, Rice acknowledged that a first dismissal on his 245th Premier League appearance had cost his team victory as they head into the first international break already playing catchup to Manchester City. “I just wanted to apologise to my teammates, which I’ve done, and to the fans,” he said. “When you get sent off, it’s never nice, you get a sense of guilt over you, and I was lucky that my teammates really helped me out and we didn’t lose the game. I’ll learn from it.” Ed Aarons

Match report: Arsenal 1-1 Brighton

Match report: West Ham 1-3 Manchester City

Match report: Manchester United 0-3 Liverpool

Match report: Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham

Match report: Ipswich 1-1 Fulham

Match report: Everton 2-3 Bournemouth

Match report: Chelsea 1-1 Crystal Palace

Homophobic abuse of Manchester United player may be a societal problem but the game can take meaningful action

Women’s football is often seen as a safe space for LGBTQIAPN+ players. However, despite the consistent LGBTQ+ representation in the women’s game, players still face homophobic abuse on social media.

Geyse Ferreira, the Manchester United and Brazil forward, was recently targeted by homophobic attacks after sharing a photo of herself with her partner, Bruna Gois, on Instagram. She described the messages as “deeply hurtful” but vowed not to “remain silent in the face of prejudice”.

This is an extract from our free weekly email, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition visit this page and follow the instructions.

Our cartoonist on travel blogger Noni Madueke, Chelsea outcast Conor Gallagher and Erik ten Hag’s seaside trip

• Get your copy of this cartoon in our Print Shop
• And you can pre-order his new book, Chaos in the Box

The Spain manager on winning Euro 2024, the psychology of modern coaching and the genius of Lamine Yamal

Luis de la Fuente is sitting in a small, unremarkable white office on the second floor of a quiet corner of the Spanish Football Federation’s Las Rozas HQ, running through the qualities sought in superstar managers these days. “Obnoxious, rude, disrespectful, arrogant … it seems like the only way they take you into consideration is this thing they call ‘charisma’,” he says. “I don’t know what that is but if you’re those things they say: ‘He’s got charisma!’ Well, then, I don’t want charisma. We’ve shown that being normal can work, too. You don’t have to be winding people up all day.”

His story is a little different, the tale of a man who was 61 when he took over the Spain team, not so much low profile as almost no profile. A former full-back at Athletic Club and Sevilla, described as quiet, discreet, unknown, initially he was a little awkward in public – in conversation, by contrast, he is warm, enthusiastic, enjoyable company, charismatic in fact – and he didn’t have elite experience. His only senior coaching job had been 11 third-tier games a decade earlier. Turns out, it was better that way, Spain’s way.

Close to £5bn was spent by Europe’s top five men’s leagues – but which players may prove to be worth the fees paid?

For many Liverpool fans the summer window was too quiet, with no major arrivals and contracts left unsigned. Arne Slot’s impressive start has eased frustrations, and the Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has agreed to join next summer – but when a new face arrived at Anfield, he was undeniably a bargain. Chiesa was frozen out at Juventus and has had issues with form and fitness, but he has the skillset to succeed in the Premier League and is still only 26. Birmingham City paid £5m more to sign Jay Stansfield from Fulham on deadline day. Chiesa need offer only glimpses of his best to repay his cut-price fee.

Coach on the road to winning Olympic gold with the US, why her final months at Chelsea were so tough and immersing herself in politics

‘Was there a moment that I knew we were going to win gold? Probably the toe save,” says Emma Hayes, after a pause to think. “After the toe save I was like: ‘Oh, your name’s on it. Your name’s on it.’”

That “toe save” came in the 119th minute of the United States’ Olympic semi-final against Germany, the goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher leaping and flicking away Laura Freigang’s point-blank header to preserve their lead. Four days later, Mallory Swanson’s 57th-minute strike earned the US gold against Brazil, just 73 days after Hayes oversaw her first training session.

It’s early days in 2024-25, but there are already noticeable gaps in the squads of Everton, Spurs and Manchester United

By Ali Tweedale for Opta Analyst

One round of games since the transfer window closed on Friday seems like an apt time to start wondering if anyone made any glaring errors with their summer business, right?

Perhaps it’s a little soon, but plenty of fans were left disappointed as their club failed to sign anyone in a position where they felt there was a hole to be filled. Were there any potential oversights in the transfer window? Which Premier League teams overlooked a position they possibly should have reinforced, and might eventually come to regret their decision? Here are six suggestions.

Erling Haaland has been voted the best player in the world for 2023 by our 218-strong panel, with Jude Bellingham finishing second

• 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012
• Meet the judges | Best female footballers to launch in January

Aitana Bonmatí, Sam Kerr and Salma Paralluelo top the list of female footballers in the world in 2023 according to our judges

• Putellas tops 2022 list | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | Meet the judges
• Spain and Barcelona lead the way after year of success
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The Norwegian is only 23 but his devastating goal record has seen him voted as the No 1 player in the world by the Guardian’s expert panel

When Pep Guardiola tearfully claimed Manchester City could not replace the departing Sergio Agüero in May 2021, he didn’t just create a meme. Guardiola was soft-launching a global audition for his team’s new attacking talisman. An unsuccessful pursuit of Harry Kane in the summer of 2021 came between two title-winning seasons where Ilkay Gündogan (13) and Kevin De Bruyne (15) were the club’s top league goalscorers. Guardiola’s slick creative machine needed a new front man, and they found him in Erling Haaland.

Like Agüero before him – and in contrast to many of City’s most successful Pep-era signings – Haaland arrived as a bona fide superstar, a plug-and-play addition to an already stellar lineup. Whether he was a bargain is another question. The release clause paid was €60m (£51.2m), but some reports suggest Haaland’s five-year deal could cost the club in the region of £300m. And while there was an ominous logic to the move for City’s rivals, questions remained.

Aitana Bonmatí the clear winner of the Guardian’s best 100 female footballers in the world with 15 Spaniards on the list

• The 100 best female footballers in the world 2023

After Alexia Putellas reigned in 2021 and 2022, her Barcelona and Spain teammate Aitana Bonmatí has been crowned the top female footballer of 2023 by the Guardian’s panel of 112 experts. The World Cup winner triumphed by a clear margin, finishing more than 500 points ahead of second-placed Sam Kerr.

Injuries and a World Cup meant there was a definite changing of the guard feel to this year’s list, sadly emphasised by the fact last year’s top two – Putellas and Beth Mead – missed a large chunk of our 12-month voting period with ACL injuries.

From Warren Zaïre-Emery to Endrick, we select some of the best players born in 2006. Check the progress of our classes of 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018

• Next Generation 2023: 20 of the best Premier League talents

We pick the best youngsters at each club born between 1 September 2006 and 31 August 2007, an age band known as first-year scholars. Check the progress of our classes of 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 … and look at the editions from further back

• Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best talents around the world

Five years ago we picked 80 of the most talented players in the world to follow their progress in a cut-throat business

It is the time of year when we check in on the Next Generation players we picked in 2018 to follow for five years, to assess their progress amid success, setbacks, injuries, trophies won and transfers made.

Next Generation started in 2014 with the aim of showing the difficulties that even the best prospects in the Premier League (we pick one from each club at first-year scholar age) and the rest of the world (we choose 60 born in a specific calendar year) face on their way towards the top.

A defensively minded midfielder who is incredibly strong (he used to be a wrestler) but with an excellent touch to go with his physicality. Made his debut in the Swedish top flight as a 16-year-old last year and captained Sweden as they reached the quarter-finals of the Euro Under-17 tournament in England this summer. Has taken an unusual path to the top. He left the top-flight side IFK Göteborg for sixth division Angered MBIK as a 14-year-old as he felt that he was not getting the right support for his football education. Another Gothenburg club, Häcken, snapped him up in 2017 and he made his senior debut that season. Has signed a new contract with the club from Hisingen until 2021 despite interest from Real Madrid and Benfica and trials at both Manchester clubs.