Latest news with #Treble
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
PSG 5-0 Inter Milan PLAYER RATINGS: Whose 'special' performance almost gave him the PERFECT score? Which Inter star had a 'howler'? And who was a 'nightmare to defend'?
Paris Saint-Germain blew away Inter Milan in Munich to life their first Champions League title in rip-roaring fashion. Two goals from Desire Doue, a strike from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the opener from Achraf Hakimi, and the finisher from young Senny Mayulu saw PSG to a European Treble. They were completely dominant and relentless, tearing apart their opposition with a myriad of dribbles, flicks, and incivise passes. Luis Enrique has now completed the Treble with two different clubs, after doing it with Barcelona in 2015 - a feat only Pep Guardiola has achieved, too. Mail Sport's Luke Power brings you his player ratings. PSG (4-3-3) Gianluigi Donnarumma - 6 Could have brought a sun lounger because he scarcely had a thing to do. Was somewhat shaky with high balls but generally competent. Achraf Hakimi - 7 Dovetailed beautifully with Doue all night and tapped into an empty net to open the scoring. Marquinhos - 7 The only survivor of their 2020 heartbreak, he finally has his prize after 12 years of service. Assertive tonight. Willian Pacho - 8 Mopped up anything in his orbit brilliantly. Kept the ball in to start the counter for PSG's second. Lucky to escape a booking for fouling Thuram. Nuno Mendes - 6 Had an introverted night after picking up a knock early on. Provided the foundation for Kvaratskhelia to wreak havoc. Joao Neves - 6.5 Kept things simple and barely put a foot wrong. PSG's ability to dominate the midfield was instrumental to them embarrassing Inter. Vitinha - 7.5 The midfield metronome who ran this encounter. Lovely handiwork to pick out Doue for his second goal. Fabian Ruiz - 6.5 Has won a European Championship and a Treble in the space of 12 months. Didn't hog the limelight but performed maturely. Desire Doue - 9.5 (booked) Owned the playground. Breathtaking, balletic, special Set up Hakimi's opener and scored two more. Aptly, his name means gifted in French. Ousmane Dembele - 7 A masterful break and assist for Doue's goal. Superb movement but choked a half-volley to put the game beyond doubt. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - 8 Feet like quicksilver and a nightmare to defend. Finally got his goal with an expert finish. Put a defensive shift in, too. Manager: Luis Enrique - 8 Wins a second European Treble. PSG are more of a team than they ever have been. Every layer of the line-up is expertly drilled. After the personal tragedy he has endured, his euphoria at 4-0 was heartwarming. Subs: Bradley Barcola for Doue (67) - 7 Lucas Hernandez for Mendes (78) - N/A Goncalo Ramos for Kvaratskhelia (84) - N/A Senny Mayulu for Ruiz (84) - 7 Warren Zaire-Emery for Neves (84) - N/A Bookings: Doue Inter Milan (5-3-2) Yann Sommer - 3.5 Looked panicked under a suffocating press. Has been a lifesaver this season but did little to stop the onslaught from PSG. Denzel Dumfries - 5 Was a hero in the semi-finals but pinned down by Kvaratskhelia here. Gave the Georgian too much free reign and real estate. Benjamin Pavard 5 Cut a frustrated figure and spent half his time complaining. Did his best to stifle a marauding Kvaratskhelia. First man to come off with Dimarco. Francesco Acerbi - 4 Wore the boots he scored with against Barcelona but had a luckless night. Was put on the floor by Barcola's nimble feet late on and played Mayulu on for his strike. Alessandro Bastoni - 5.5 Physically uncompromising in his battle with Doue. Felt like he was competing with two right-wingers at times. Federico Dimarco - 3 Had a howler. Played Doue and Hakimi onside for the opener. Turned his back on Doue for the second. Hooked after 53 minutes. Nicolo Barella - 5.5 A nondescript performance from one of the world's best. A speculative volley into row Z summed up his night. Hakan Calhanoglu - 6 A rare spark for Inter. Lashed a dangerous cross in for Thuram but blew hot and cold from dead-ball situations, usually his USP. Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 5 A third European trophy eludes him. Looked out of ideas in the face of PSG's magnificent midfield trio. Marcus Thuram - 5 Fluffed his lines with a back-post header and looked sapped of confidence. Typically a step behind Pacho. Lautaro Martinez - 4.5 Anonymous after a remarkable season. Looked isolated as Inter struggled to make it past the halfway line. Manager: Filippo Inzaghi (booked) - 5 Helpless to deal with Doue's brilliance from the touchline. Made changes early enough but couldn't inspire a turnaround. Outwitted by Enrique and has lost a second final in three years. Subs: Yann Aurel Bisseck for Pavard (54) - N/A Nicola Zalewski for Dimarco (54) - 5.5 Carlos Augusto for Mkhitaryan (62) - 5.5 Matteo Darmian for Bisseck (62) - 5 Kristjan Asllani for Calhanogulu (70) - 6 Bookings: Zalewski, Acerbi, Thuram
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Sir Alex Ferguson arrives at Champions League final with Gary Neville as £2m-a-year Man Utd role comes to an end
SIR ALEX FERGUSON is preparing for a new chapter in his life - by watching Paris Saint-Germain attempt to write the greatest one in their history. The legendary ex- 1 Sir Alex Ferguson and Gary Neville are in Munich for the final Credit: Getty The French giants are taking on Inter Milan, just as 83-year-old Fergie bows out of his So far it's not been the final flourish the Red Devils' most famous ever manager would have liked. He was in Bilbao to see United's 1-0 loss to Tottenham in the Europa League showpiece on May 21. And tat's after he lost his £2million-a-year position at Old Trafford - as part of huge cost-cutting from United's minority owner READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS However, it certainly wasn't personal as Ratcliffe and his company unveiled nearly 500 redundancies in all. Meanwhile, there's also major investment planned for the future - most notably for a new £2billion 100,000-seat stadium. Ferguson's glittering 26 years in charge contrasts with everything that has followed since his managerial retirement in 2013. Fergie guided United to 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Undoubtedly the peak was the Treble in 1998-99 - three years before fellow club icon Neville arrived. Now the ex-England defender, 50, is a TV pundit - while it's unclear if Fergie will have another direct job in football. At least the duo beat traffic mayhem to arrive at the final in good time. It follows chaos at a Munich station caused by fighting between rival groups of fans.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I joined Inter Milan after winning a TV competition then won the Champions League and body doubled for Cristiano Ronaldo
JOSE MOURINHO was the last Inter Milan manager to lead the club to Champions League glory. And an ex-pro golfer turned player-manager in the Isthmian League South East Division had a front-row seat after winning a place in the Italians' squad on a TV talent show. 15 15 15 15 And he'd already had a stint as Cristiano Ronaldo's body double. Ben Greenhalgh won the first and only series of Football's Next Star, which aired on Sky in 2010, earning a six-month professional contract at Inter aged just 17. And, only months later, he found himself sitting just behind Mourinho as he masterminded a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final to complete the Treble. Greenhalgh was not part of the matchday squad ,in fact he never made a first-team appearance for Inter. But he DID get a winner's medal at the Bernabeu. Now a player-manager at non-league Margate, Greenhalgh, 33, told SunSport: 'Looking back, it's absolutely mental. To be part of Inter's best season ever is incredible. 'I sat two rows behind the dugout. 'I didn't celebrate much, I almost wish I'd run on the pitch and got even more involved. 'I jumped at the opportunity to take the Champions League medal. We got given about five extras. 'They might have been for players Mourinho cast out who weren't there like Ricardo Quaresma and Marko Arnautovic. Where are they now: The unusual careers of former footballers 'It's the best story I'm ever going to have in football. It will stick with me forever and I'm really happy about that.' The Champions League final on May 22, 2010 came 401 days after Greenhalgh made his Welling United first-team debut on his 17th birthday. But his stratospheric rise from Bexley to the Bernabeu came from his victory on the short-lived TV talent show. He was actually unaware of the trials when his Kent FA team went for what they thought was a regular training day in London until spotting cameras, Inter coaches and presenter Jamie Redknapp. Out of 20,000 hopefuls, Inter's scouts whittled it down to 40 before a final ten were invited out to Milan. Greenhalgh admitted: 'No one knew what was going on because a show like this hadn't been aired before. It's the best story I'm ever going to have in football. It will stick with me forever and I'm really happy about that. Ben Greenhalgh 'Now those shows are quite nostalgic. 'I don't know why it's never come back because it did really well. One night it beat Strictly for viewers. 'I watched it in Italy, already playing for Inter. People were trying to contact me and find out if I was the winner. 'I remember my Facebook crashed with friend requests.' Redknapp took 17-year-old Ben under his wing, even giving the youngster his mobile number to mentor him. Ironically, Greenlagh reckons his career could have turned out better had he NOT won the show - because Redknapp said his dad Harry would have signed him at Tottenham. 15 15 15 15 15 But the winger would not trade the Inter memories, winning the Champions League and training under the Special One. Greenhalgh, who had Inter kits growing up, said: 'It's pretty surreal given just how monumental Inter Milan are as a football club. 'Meeting Jose was very nerve-wracking. 'He had an unbelievable aura, he was the best manager in the world then. 'He was so respectful to me and put me at ease straight away. 'Suddenly, I was thrown into training with Lucio, Quaresma, Mario Balotelli, Wesley Sneijder, Diego Milito, Samuel Eto'o, Javier Zanetti made everything look effortless at 39. 'I nutmegged Patrick Vieira but it didn't make the show!' But Greenhalgh's opening training session at Inter was not his first time rubbing shoulders with footballing stardom. Because aged just 16, he got a gig as Ronaldo's body double through a football choreographer friend who worked on Nike and adidas adverts. Greenhalgh also played the likes of fellow left-footers Mesut Ozil, Robin van Persie and Gareth Bale, protecting the players from going into tackles and risking injury. Greenhalgh said: 'Cristiano was my idol. No one could shock me as much. It was crazy, he'd just won the Champions League at Manchester United. 'We had a couple of funny moments. 'The media got hold we were in a gym shooting an advert and suddenly about 100 cameramen hovered outside. 'I was dressed as Ronaldo so I ran down the street under an umbrella. All the journalists followed and Ronaldo slipped out the back door unnoticed. 'Doing Ozil was probably the best one because we're similar creative players and used to have kickabouts between sets.' Greenhalgh, though, had to give up his job as 'Ronaldo' because he couldn't abandon training to fly from Milan to Madrid to film more adverts. In the end, he stayed at Inter for 18 months, which included a fruitful loan stint at Como, scoring eight goals in 12 games. Como wanted to make a deal permanent when his extended Inter contract expired in 2011 but Italian football's financial disarray meant the club could not afford to pay him. So he returned to England, joining Brighton in League One. 15 15 15 15 The Seagulls were flying on their progression through the leagues and he could not break into the team and suffered a similar struggle at Birmingham. That saw Greenhalgh drop back into non-league, returning to where it all started at Welling, still only 19. It was a stint at Inverness, though, that ironically launched Greenhalgh into a pro career in a different sport. He added: 'I haven't got John Hughes to thank for much at Inverness for dropping me… but he made me a very good golfer. 'I was on the course every day. I went to Scotland a six handicapper and got down to scratch. 'Back in England, I passed my playing ability test to become a PGA professional. 'I did it for 18 months, won one pro competition, breaking the course record at Addington, which I can cling on to. 'But I couldn't play the big tournaments because of my football matches at the weekend. I was a footballer playing golf.' CAN'T JAV IT Now settled as coach of Dartford's academy and 'building something' as player-manager at Margate - who lost in England's eighth-tier play-offs last month - Greenhalgh wants to keep playing like his body double Ronaldo until he is 40 before climbing up the ladder as a gaffer. But whatever else Greenhalgh achieves - whether as a footballer, coach or golfer - he will always have that Champions League medal, even if an Inter legend comes calling again. Greenhalgh explained: 'Zanetti's partner messaged me five years ago asking if he could buy my Champions League medal off me for the Inter museum. 'I might have made money but I knew I'm obviously never again going to top it so it'd be hard to part with it. 'The Libertines sponsor Margate's kit and this year we've gone Inter Milan style because of my links. 'I want to try and get Zanetti a Margate shirt to put it up in his restaurant. 'Hopefully, it's a good year for Inter Milan and hopefully it's a good year for Margate.' Greenhalgh's final prediction FORMER Inter Milan Champions League winner Ben Greenhalgh believes his old side will be crowned Kings of Europe again. Ex-Inter man and Football's Next Star winner Greenhalgh was sat behind the Bernabeu dugouts as Diego Milito scored twice for Jose Mourinho's side against Bayern Munich to secure a 2-0 victory in the 2010 final. And the Margate player-manager reckons fans are in for a treat on Saturday night. Greenhalgh said: 'It's going to be a really good game of football, a top game. 'If PSG don't score early on, and Inter show the defensive manner in which they play, and how well they are well-packed and well-organised, I think it will frustrate PSG. 'Inter are a team that definitely jump at teams when they're frustrated. They play in that manner and they've got that brilliant fighting spirit. 'If they can antagonise them in that way, which as a fan is good to watch, it's good to watch how well Inter seem to wind other teams up. 'I think if they can manage to let the game go in that manner and stop the attack and threats that PSG have early on, then I think they'll grow in confidence in the game. 'But if they let PSG get too much confidence, I think they'll be tough to come back and beat.' Greenhalgh, though, is confident his old side will come out on top against PSG in Munich. He added: 'I'm going to go for 2-1 Inter Milan in extra time. I think Inter Milan will score first then PSG will need to go on the front foot for the final 15-20 minutes. 'Then I think Inter Milan will do them in extra time. 'Lautaro Martinez has been such a good leader. He reminds me of Diego Milito leading that front line. 'Martinez will be the matchwinner. 'Inter as a club need to win the Champions League to get them back to the good days.'
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
The Rangers are coming but there shouldn't be sniggers and it might just be best thing for Celtic
The Rangers are coming – again. This time Celtic fans shouldn't be sniggering at the suggestion. And what is going on over at Ibrox cannot be ignored by those in charge at Parkhead. It would be foolish to put the head in the sand when it comes to the challenge coming from across the city. But it doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing for Celtic. In fact, Rangers finally getting their act together might be the best thing that can happen to them. Just like last week's Scottish Cup Final. I'm sure there are plenty of Celtic fans who were and still are distraught at losing to Aberdeen and seeing the Treble going up in smoke. But I can't help but think the defeat was a GOOD thing for the club in the long run. I mean that. If Kasper Schmeichel hadn't made that uncharacteristic mistake, or if Daizen Maeda had stuck away that last chance, the entire story would have been different. Celtic would have completed the clean sweep, everything would have been sen as hunky dory. But it would have papered over some of the recent cracks. Listen, it's still a phenomenal achievement winning the Double. Regardless of what anyone thinks, it's tough to win two out of three never mind the job lot. Celtic have made it look easy in recent years and they could well have done it again this time but for some big moments at Hampden last week. That doesn't get away from the fact this is a team that is in real need of refreshing. They should be proud of their achievements this term. But the defeat to Aberdeen has made them feel a little uncomfortable and maybe now some have cottoned on to the fact there is work to be done. The big news from Rangers yesterday only underlines it. Celtic simply cannot afford to sit on their hands because their rivals won't be worse next season than they were this time around – they can't be. Celtic certainly can't assume they will be. And they can't get away with just doing the bare minimum to stay out in front. The new Rangers owners are already talking about a £20m immediate investment in the team. That's a decent chunk of money for Scottish football – but not to Celtic. They spent about double that in the last two windows, so that shows you the challenge Rangers face. You would expect Celtic to go and spend at least the same again this summer. They'll have to. The events of the last week should allow Brendan Rodgers to go tot he club's hierarchy and explain the team does need strengthened and rejuvenated. They need more to qualify and then compete in the Champions League – and now to also stay ahead of the game in Scotland. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there is any need to panic. But Celtic do need to recognise the threat – as well as the opportunity. My old manager Martin O'Neill has often stated he believes a strong Rangers helps make a strong Celtic. I would go along with that. In my time at the club, Rangers were strong – and we had to be to knock them off their perch. If there is a proper challenge coming from across the city, then Celtic will have to raise their levels and respond. That's no bad thing. And even though the league was won by 17 points, I don't think the gap is as big as it would seem. It doesn't take much to tip the scales in Glasgow, as we discovered when we turned a 21-point league loss into big win in O'Neill's first term in charge. It was similar when Ange Postecoglou arrived at Parkhead in 2021, when everyone expected Rangers to dominate on the back of their title victory. Things can flip quickly. There's the stuff about Rangers coming, but in reality they are still a long way back. The long wait for the takeover to go through and the delay over a manager hasn't helped them. They are playing catch up and that's where Celtic need to hammer home their advantage, on and off the pitch. Rodgers will know the importance of a fast start. He needs players in place for the Champions League qualifier but also to apply the early pressure in the league, when a new-look Rangers side will still be finding their feet. This is no time to be mucking about. Rangers fans will be galvanised and there will be a feel good factor on the back of the owners coming in. In contrast, it's all a bit flat at Celtic right now. The best way to lift that mood is to get busy in the transfer market. Because there are questions right now. There is a pressing need for a striker after the decision to sell Kyogo – and not replace him – came back to bite them on the backside. There are doubts whether Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate will be sold, people will wonder if the Nicholas Kuhn of the first half of the season will turn up, or the pale imitation we saw in the second. There are questions about Adam Idah, the centre of defence, the wide areas. All of a sudden from a position of supreme strength, it now looks like there's a growing list of jobs to do. I've got no doubt Rodgers knows it too. He's hinted about it often enough. He's also heard plenty of times that Rangers are coming. They may or may not be this time, but, regardless, Celtic cannot afford to sit still.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
PSG manager Luis Enrique hits back at French journalist on the eve of Champions League final
Luis Enrique defended his management on Friday night, insisting he has taken the same approach throughout his time at Paris Saint-Germain. The Spaniard won a domestic double last season, his first at the club, but with Kylian Mbappe in the team PSG could not progress beyond the semi-final stage of the Champions League. Without Mbappe, they face Inter Milan in Munich this weekend bidding to win the competition for the first time — and complete the Treble. In a fiery response to a question from a French journalist, who suggested the squad now had perfect harmony, Enrique said: 'We've had this harmony since the get-go. 'Maybe you guys didn't want to see that. I don't like what you are saying. Maybe if we'd won last year you would say different. 'I'm the same person since the start. I've got exceptional players. 'We see the glass as half-full. I get them to play as a team, but that's my objective since day one. 'Our journey has been difficult, a long and winding road. The fact we struggled through it is an advantage now. 'We have shown no fear up until now, and it won't be the case tomorrow.'
