Latest news with #StamfordBridge
The Sun
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Alejandro Garnacho wants £50m Chelsea transfer over Napoli after burning bridges with Man Utd team-mates
ALEJANDRO GARNACHO has made Chelsea his No 1 choice this summer. The £50million-rated Manchester United winger was told to find a new club following a fallout with boss Ruben Amorim. 3 3 Garnacho, 20, has previously been linked to Stamford Bridge after his management team were spotted taking in a Blues game this season. The Argentina star, who is also attracting interest from Napoli, instructed his agent to make clear to Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca he wants to remain in the Prem. A source said: ' Alejandro knows the Premier League is the best in the world. "And while he has had some good moments at United, he wants to establish himself as a world star. 'England is the best place to do that and Chelsea have assembled a lot of good young players.' SunSport understands Garnacho angered some of his team-mates by giving an interview after the 1-0 Europa League final loss to Tottenham on May 21 in which he described the season as 's**t'. The source said: 'Garnacho seems to think he's the next Ronaldo and this was his 'exit interview' moment, like he wanted to annoy people so much that there was no option but to sell him. 'It's not gone down well with the rest of the players. 3 'There is a feeling that while he's a good player, he's not quite as good as he thinks he is.' Garnacho cut a frustrated figure on the end of season tour to Asia, where he blanked fans and refused to do interviews. The Argentine has 21 goal contributions for the club this season but was annoyed to start on the bench for the Europa League final. He joined United's academy in 2020 from Spanish club Atletico Madrid.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Jackson repays Chelsea debts
No-one needed this moment more than Chelsea striker Nicolas the match, even Maresca said Jackson owed a "debt" to his team-mates after getting sent off in the defeat at Newcastle on 11 May, a red card that could well have cost Chelsea qualification for the Champions the match, Maresca said: "This is the Nico that the team needs."He is among those who have struggled to convince the Stamford Bridge fanbase - and the club are looking to sign a striker, with Ipswich Town's Liam Delap among the Maresca, this was his chance to show the club could build a winning mentality after a season during which he has faced criticism for his style of football and a run of poor results over the the US consortium, their ownership was tarnished by 1,201 days without silverware but the moment captain Reece James lifted the Conference League trophy, the first in his captaincy, they earned valuable breathing was the first to go and celebrate with the team, followed reluctantly by influential Clearlake Capital duo Behdad Eghbali and Jose and Clearlake have not always seen eye to eye this season but this is a period of relative stability after the club decided they would stick with Maresca regardless of the result of their final two matches of the beat Nottingham Forest to qualify for the Champions League and won against Betis to add Chelsea didn't sell out their allocation in Poland, for what was the final of European club football's third-tier competition, and fans will quickly move on if it is not backed up with both progress and further success next Nizaar's full analysis here
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Nottingham Forest's player of the season: Nikola Milenkovic
There was a moment early in the season at Stamford Bridge when — amid all the ceremony and pomp that comes before a modern Premier League game — Nikola Milenkovic stood perfectly still. With the two teams lined up and waiting to exchange handshakes, many players shuffled from foot to foot or fidgeted nervously. The big Serbian, however, stared straight ahead of him, his face a mask of pure focus. Stoic. Calm. Ready. Advertisement It is a moment that still stands out. This was precisely the attitude and demeanour that has helped him to flourish at Nottingham Forest. Milenkovic grew up playing football on the streets of Serbia, at a time when the Balkan War of the 1990s was not too distant a memory. He still has the Manchester United shirt he wore on many of those days, which carries the name of his idol, Nemanja Vidic. It is easy, but also entirely justified, to make comparisons between the two men. Like Vidic at Old Trafford — where he made 300 appearances between 2006 and 2014 — Milenkovic has already established himself as a transformative figure in a red shirt. His presence has made the entire Forest defence even stronger and more disciplined. Goalkeeper Matz Sels, who shared the Golden Glove award with Arsenal's David Raya, after keeping 13 clean sheets, and the other three members of that back four, Murillo, Ola Aina and Neco Williams, were all among the other credible contenders for the player of the season award at Forest. The 20-goal striker Chris Wood, winger Anthony Elanga, and creative heartbeats Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson could also have been spoken about as being in contention. But nobody else has quite had the same impact on the side as Milenkovic. 'Nikola has done great,' said Nuno Espirito Santo in his press conference after the final day defeat to Chelsea. 'Credit to him. Since he arrived, he has made a big impact on the team, not only on the games, but with his presence and leadership. But for me, it is not a player of the season, it should be the team of the season.' Like Vidic, Milenkovic is a powerful, no-nonsense defender. He is also the captain of his national side. Ryan Yates, the Forest club captain, has described him as being a 'warrior and a leader — exactly what you would expect', in a previous interview with The Athletic. Advertisement Murillo had already made a positive impact last season. But the arrival of Milenkovic, 27, seems to have helped the Brazilian to take another step forward. The duo have quickly forged one of the most formidable partnerships in the Premier League. Milenkovic cost around £11million ($14.9m) when he joined from Fiorentina last summer, and they each represent some of the best business Forest have done in the modern era. Milenkovic has scored five goals this season, four of which came in victories — away at Old Trafford, Portman Road and the London Stadium, and at the City Ground against Aston Villa. But it has been at the back where he has made the biggest difference. Last season, Forest conceded 22 goals from set-piece situations. This time, with Milenkovic in their ranks, they have conceded nine — only five teams have conceded fewer goals from corners and free kicks. At the other end, Forest have scored 17 times from set pieces, which is the most in the top flight this season. That is not down to Milenkovic alone, but his 6ft 5in frame has unquestionably been a factor, with the former Partizan player having also provided two assists. Milenkovic has won 71.63 per cent of his aerial duels this season — 101 of the 141 he has contested. Among Premier League first-team regulars, James Tarkowski of Everton has the best percentage, at 74.64. Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk has a percentage of 72.12. As Nuno pointed out, the player of the season award could reasonably have been renamed the 'team of the season award' during a campaign in which Forest followed up back-to-back fights against relegation by pushing for Champions League qualification. But it is the Conference League that they will compete in from next August — a competition that Milenkovic knows well, having twice reached the final with Fiorentina (2023 and 2024). Advertisement The Italian side were beaten by Olympiacos in Athens last May, but Milenkovic produced a performance that helped to persuade Evangelos Marinakis, the figurehead at both Olympiacos and Forest, that he was a player worth signing. A year later, it feels like an astute investment.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Chelsea files: Enzo Maresca and Cole Palmer's bonus woes and fans' Conference League final travel chaos
ENZO MARESCA will not get a bonus if he wins Chelsea the Conference League tonight. The Blues boss is looking to cap Champions League qualification by lifting a European trophy in Poland - but it will not earn him any extra cash. When Maresca agreed to take over at Stamford Bridge last summer, the bonuses included in his five-year deal showed the real ambitions at Chelsea. The Italian will only be rewarded personally for success in the Premier League and Champions League during his time in west London. While everyone at And Maresca has argued that he is ahead of schedule in delivering it, stating the owners wanted to qualify for Europe's top competition within two years of his arrival from Leicester. READ MORE ON CHELSEA Player bonuses, however, are negotiated on a season-by-season basis and the Blues squad are in for a reward if they triumph over Real Betis in Wroclaw. The size of the bonus for each player will depend on how many appearances have been made throughout the competition. So if Chelsea would become the first ever club to win all three of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League should they get past Manuel Pellegrini's men. Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS PLAYING FOR KEEPS CHELSEA are confident they will not have to fight off West Ham for goalkeeping chief Ben Roberts this summer. Former Blues boss Graham Potter is making his mark in East London and has decided to move goalkeeper coach Xavi Valero on. Potter has already hired close pal Kyle Macaulay from his role at Stamford Bridge and appointed him as head of recruitment at the London Stadium. Roberts followed Potter from Brighton to Chelsea as one of his coaching staff but has since been given a role as global head of goalkeeping across both of BlueCo's clubs. While West Ham are in the market for a new coach, there is no concern at Chelsea over losing Roberts this summer. 6 Chelsea's goalkeeping chief Ben Roberts Credit: Chelsea AN GUARD TODD BOEHLY has personally stamped on the fingers of any team trying to swoop for The Chelsea midfielder, who spent this season on loan at BlueCo-owned RC Strasbourg, helped the French side secure Conference League football for next year with 10 goals and 3 assists in Ligue 1. The Stamford Bridge outfit picked up Santos for just £18m two years ago. Still, with Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez all looking to be starters for Enzo Maresca next season, the Brazilian Having watched him closely this season, and in person, that would be a big mistake. London rivals Arsenal and Champions League finalists PSG were two teams circling the midfielder, but Todd Boehly seems to have warned them away as he spoke at the Qatar Economic Forum last week. He said "We are laser-focused on the Club World Cup. We have some players that are joining us, [like] Andrey Santos. We are really excited about him and what he can add to the squad.' A personal name-dropping of the midfielder speaks volumes of the value he presents to the Blues, and he should expect to be a part of Enzo Maresca's plans beyond the summer tournament. 6 Andrey Santos is due to return to Chelsea next season Credit: Getty WHEN THERE'S A WILL LAMINE YAMAL has set the footballing world alight this season. A left-footed, right-wing Barcelona prodigy who just happened to be bathed by Lionel Messi in a kind of 'footballing baptism' and has already helped carry his side to a league title at the age of 17 - it's easy to see why he's viewed by many as the heir to Messi's throne. Part of what made football so incredibly good for the past 20 years, was that we had an individual rivalry in Ronaldo vs Messi that provided constant debate and discussion as for who was the best in the world. Many thought that kind of rivalry that might be revived with Erling Haaland vs Kylian Mbappe, but it may actually be Lamine Yamal vs a Chelsea starlet waiting to explode - Both seem to have been crafted by the footballing gods in the mould of Lionel Messi, but idolise and bring all the flair and skill which Neymar did in his time at Barcelona. Estevao was signed for £28million by Chelsea last summer, with the move set to be finalised this summer ahead of a The wonderkid has played predominantly on the right in Brazil, but can also play through the middle and on the left - the kind of versatility Enzo Maresca will adore. Coincidentally nicknamed 'Messinho', he has broken all sorts of records set by Neymar in Brazil, and is more than ready to step up and take some pressure off of the shoulders of Cole Palmer. Be patient Chelsea fans, your Lamine Yamal awaits… 6 Estevao Willian is a superstar in the making Credit: Alamy MARESCA'S YOUNG GUNS AFTER Chelsea's lineup vs Nottingham Forest was announced, it was official… The class of 24/25 became the youngest team in Premier League history. The average age of Enzo Maresca's starting eleven's over the course of the season was 24 years and 36 days - beating the previous record of Leeds United by 136 days. Inexperience has been richly discussed among Blues' fans since Todd Boehly and his BlueCo consortium took control of the club, with the general consensus being that the team needs some sort of leadership outside of 27-year-old Tosin Adarabioyo, who has been nicknamed the 'Uncle' of the dressing room. It remains to be seen if BlueCo's risky strategy of buying almost exclusively young talents will pay dividends in terms of trophies and on-pitch success, or if the Blues will splash some cash on an experienced defender and forward in a bid to bring a Premier League title back to Stamford Bridge - but if they don't it may be a long wait until they see it. 6 Chelsea's class of 24/25 became the youngest team in Premier League history Credit: Getty FIGHT OR FLIGHT MORE THAN 100 fans were set to board the 07:40am flight from Luton to Poznan this morning in the hope of arriving in Poland and exploring Wroclaw before Chelsea play the Conference League Final tomorrow. However, the WizzAir flight has left fans stranded in Luton with the flight has been delayed until 4pm UK time. A six-hour delay means that passengers will now arrive in Poznan around 7pm, before still needing to travel to Wroclaw where the final takes place - another 113 miles away. For fans who would've arrived at Luton airport around 5am, they now face a nightmare day of travel which could be as long as 17 hours. Not to mention fans will also face expenses such as missed trains, taxis, buses, late check-in fees, and paying ridiculous prices for airport meals with such a lengthy delay. It comes on the back of our story that hotels in Wroclaw have been finding crafty ways to suddenly and inexplicably increase their room rates for Chelsea fans who booked months ago in anticipation of their team reaching the final. 6 Blues fans face travel chaos ahead of the Conference League final Credit: Getty CUP FOR IT ENZO MARESCA will finally discover this weekend who he faces in the opening game of the new and expanded Club World Cup this summer. Club America play off against Los Angeles for the right to face Chelsea on June 16 in the first Group D fixture. The two teams have a chance to join the cream of Europe and South America after Club Leon were banned over multi-club ownership rules. They are stablemates with CF Pachuca and teams in the same groups cannot compete in the same tournament. The game takes place this Saturday - the same day as the Champions League Final - but Blues supporters can watch both with the CWC play off not starting until 7.30pm and that's in California which is 3.30AM the following morning in London. 6 Enzo Maresca discovers who he faces in the opening game of the Club World Cup Credit: Getty
BBC News
24-05-2025
- BBC News
Motorcyclist dies after crashing into fence near Stamford Bridge
A 65-year-old man has died after his motorbike crashed into a fence near Stamford Police said the man was riding a black Aprilia motorcycle northbound on Dolegate Road, Buttercrambe, when he hit a fence near the junction with Lowfield Lane, on Friday at about 10:00 services were called, but found the man had died at the said his next of kin had been told and appealed for witnesses, or anyone with CCTV footage, to get in touch. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
