United News of Bangladesh

Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday as Benfica manager, receiving a warm welcome from Chelsea fans but leaving without a win as his team fell 1-0 to the English club. Mourinho, once known as the “Special One,” took charge of his first Champions League match in five years. Despite his current reputation being less dominant, he remains highly respected in southwest London. Chelsea supporters greeted him with chants of “Jose Mourinho” as he emerged from the tunnel, prompting him to wave and blow a kiss. During the game, Mourinho also intervened to urge Benfica fans to stop throwing objects at Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who had transferred from Benfica to Chelsea in February 2023 for a British-record fee of £106.7 million ($131.4 million). Later, he even jogged onto the field to remove a stray ball, drawing applause from the home crowd. “When I am in London, I meet them every day on the street,” Mourinho said. “I know this relationship will last forever. Hopefully, I come back here in 20 years with my grandkids. They belong to my history and I belong to theirs.” After the final whistle, Mourinho hugged Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca but quickly left the pitch, clearly disappointed by the loss. “With me, it’s never enough. If I am in the job, it’s because I like to put myself on the line every day. I am desperate to win the next match, that’s my nature,” he said. Mourinho, who recently became Benfica’s coach after leaving Fenerbahce in Turkey, has returned to the Champions League, a competition he previously won with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will face off in the Champions League on Wednesday in a high-profile clash between two leading contenders for this year’s title. Defending champion PSG is seeking to become only the second club in the modern era to retain the trophy. Since the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, only Real Madrid has managed back-to-back triumphs, winning three in a row from 2016 to 2018. PSG’s triumph last season sparked talk of a possible new era of dominance for the French side, but Barcelona is seen as one of the strongest threats to that ambition. “For us, it’s exciting to play against a team with the same mentality,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It’s a special match for both teams.” Elsewhere, two other title contenders are also in action this week. Arsenal will host Olympiacos, while 2023 champion Manchester City travels to Monaco. Tuesday’s results:There was no shortage of goals in Tuesday’s matches, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich all scoring five. Kylian Mbappe netted a hat trick in Madrid’s 5-0 victory over Kairat, while Atletico defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1. Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern’s 5-1 win against Pafos, and Marseille eased past Ajax 4-0. The upset of the night came in Istanbul, where Liverpool fell 1-0 to Galatasaray.

Sweden’s veteran goalkeeper Robin Olsen has retired from international football after coach Jon Dahl Tomasson informed him he would no longer be the first-choice keeper. The 35-year-old, who made 79 appearances for Sweden over a decade, was criticized for a costly error in last month’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia in World Cup qualifying. He also played in the 2-0 defeat to Kosovo four days later, which turned out to be his final match for the national team. The Swedish football federation confirmed Tuesday that Olsen was stepping down with immediate effect. In an interview with Swedish daily Aftonbladet, the Malmö goalkeeper said his decision was final as long as Tomasson remains in charge, describing him as “a leader that I didn’t want to work under.” Olsen revealed that Tomasson initially assured him he was Sweden’s No. 1 choice but later reversed his decision. The coach is set to announce his squad Wednesday for upcoming qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo, with Viktor Johansson likely to step in as first-choice goalkeeper. Reflecting on his career, Olsen said it was a “great honor” to represent Sweden and thanked fans for their support. National team manager Stefan Pettersson called Olsen’s retirement “sad,” adding that he “meant a huge amount” to the squad.

Kylian Mbappé fired a hat trick and Harry Kane struck twice as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich eased past tournament debutants in the Champions League on Tuesday. Madrid showed no signs of fatigue from a 6,500-kilometer trip, cruising to a 5-0 win away at Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty. Mbappé scored from the penalty spot in the 25th minute, added a lobbed finish after the break, and completed his fourth Champions League hat trick in the 73rd minute. Only Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski have more. Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Díaz added late goals for the 15-time European champions. Bayern, meanwhile, defeated Pafos 5-1 in Cyprus, with Kane grabbing two goals in a commanding performance. Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid continued their scoring spree with a 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. Giacomo Raspadori, Robin Le Normand and Antoine Griezmann — who celebrated his 200th goal for the club — put Atlético firmly ahead. Giuliano Simeone, son of suspended coach Diego Simeone, and Julián Alvarez added the other two. Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray after a late penalty was overturned by VAR. Victor Osimhen’s early spot-kick sealed the win for the Turkish champions. Tottenham narrowly avoided defeat in Norway, drawing 2-2 with Bodø/Glimt thanks to a last-minute own goal. The debutants had led 2-1 through Jens Petter Hauge’s double before Spurs equalized in stoppage time. Chelsea edged Benfica 1-0 at Stamford Bridge courtesy of an own goal by Richard Ríos, while João Pedro was sent off late for the Blues. Marseille thrashed Ajax 4-0, and Inter Milan beat Slavia Prague 3-0 with a brace from Lautaro Martínez. Atalanta came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Club Brugge. Source: Agency

Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef S Y Ramadan met BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Tuesday night at her Gulshan residence ‘Firoza’. The envoy arrived there around 8:30pm, and the meeting lasted for about 45 minutes. BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Dr Enamul Haque Chowdhury and her Private Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar were also present. After the meeting, Enamul Haque Chowdhury told UNB that the Ambassador came to meet the BNP Chairperson, enquired about her treatment, and prayed for her full recovery. He said Khaleda asked the envoy about the situation in Palestine and Gaza.  Enamul said the BNP chief urged the United Nations, OIC, and the peace-loving world to immediately stop Israel’s destructive plan to occupy Gaza and forcibly displace Palestinians.  Dhaka seeks global action to end Israeli violence in Palestine He said she also expressed sympathy for the thousands of women and children in Gaza enduring unbearable suffering. Enamul said the Ambassador gratefully recalled late President Ziaur Rahman’s decision to provide land for the Palestinian Embassy in Gulshan, and Khaleda Zia’s move in 1991 to extend financial support for constructing the embassy building. He said the envoy also remembered the friendship between President Ziaur Rahman and Palestine’s undisputed leader Yasser Arafat, he said.

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal defeated Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi 3-2 on Monday to top their group in the Asian Champions League Elite with full points from two matches. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring for Al-Hilal, but Sardorbek Bakhromov’s long-range strike leveled the score in the first half. After the break, French international Theo Hernandez restored Al-Hilal’s lead with a solo run past five defenders before finishing inside the box. Javokhir Sidikov pulled one back for Nasaf, but Marcos Leonardo secured the win for the four-time champions in the 79th minute. “We played at a fast tempo and earned a positive result,” Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said. “We could have sealed the game earlier as we wasted many chances, but Nasaf is a strong opponent.” Meanwhile, defending champions Al-Ahli were held 2-2 by Qatar’s Al-Duhail. Al-Ahli went behind after Edmilson Junior scored into an empty net following Adil Boulbina’s shot rebound. Brazilian forward Matheus Goncalves equalized before halftime, and Riyad Mahrez briefly put Al-Ahli ahead by intercepting a goalkeeper pass. Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek’s header earned a draw for Al-Duhail three minutes into the second half. In other matches, Iran’s Tractor drew 0-0 with UAE’s Al-Wahda, while Qatar’s Al-Gharafa defeated Iraq’s Al-Shorta 2-0.

AC Milan and Inter Milan cleared a major obstacle in their bid to own a stadium after the city council approved the sale of San Siro early Tuesday following a nearly 12-hour overnight debate. The council voted 24-20 in favor of selling the historic stadium and surrounding land at around 3 a.m. The clubs plan to demolish the 99-year-old San Siro and build a new 71,500-seat arena together. Italy’s tax agency has valued the stadium and surrounding area at 197 million euros ($233 million). The sale must be completed before Nov. 10, the 70th anniversary of the stadium’s second tier, which could otherwise make demolition nearly impossible. Last week, AC Milan and Inter announced partnerships with architectural firms Foster + Partners and Manica to design the new stadium, following preliminary city council approval. The project is part of a broader urban regeneration plan covering around 281,000 square meters (over 3 million square feet). The current San Siro will host the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February, while the new stadium is planned to be ready in time for Italy’s co-hosting of the 2032 European Championship with Turkey.

Paris Saint-Germain will be without star winger Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia for Wednesday’s Champions League group match at Barcelona. Kvaratskhelia was substituted at halftime in Saturday’s home victory over Auxerre due to a reported thigh injury. However, Vitinha, who left the field late in the first half against Auxerre, and midfielder João Neves, sidelined for the last two Ligue 1 matches with a thigh problem, were both included in PSG’s squad announced on Tuesday. Captain Marquinhos remains out with a thigh muscle issue. PSG will face Barcelona with a depleted attacking lineup. Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and forward Désiré Doué are also still recovering from injuries sustained while representing France earlier this month.

Real Madrid embarks on a historic journey to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty in the Champions League on Tuesday. Kazakhstan joined UEFA in 2002 after previously competing in the Asian Football Confederation. While the country’s western region lies in Europe, Madrid – a record 15-time European champion – travels nearly 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) east to the nation’s capital. “You have to adapt. The trip is not an excuse or a hindrance,” Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said. “It’s just another game.” Madrid, which opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over Marseille, aims to recover from a 5-2 defeat against city rival Atlético Madrid on Saturday, marking their first loss of the season. Kairat, who lost 4-1 to Sporting Lisbon in their tournament debut, boast a strong home record in Europe, with just four defeats in their last 30 matches in Almaty. Elsewhere in the Champions League, Bayern Munich visits Pafos in Cyprus, Atlético Madrid faces Eintracht Frankfurt, and Chelsea hosts José Mourinho’s Benfica at Stamford Bridge. Tottenham returns to Norway to play Bodø/Glimt, while Liverpool travels to Galatasaray, Marseille welcomes Ajax, and Club Brugge faces Atalanta as Inter Milan hosts Slavia Prague in Italy.

South Africa has been docked three points in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for fielding an ineligible player, Sports Minister Gayton Mckenzie confirmed on Monday. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee also fined the South African Football Association (SAFA) 10,000 Swiss Francs (around USD 12,540), with the ruling published on the same day. “This development is deeply regrettable and has embarrassed both our nation and the game of football. We acknowledge that this has brought South Africa into disrepute, and we must take full responsibility,” Mckenzie said in a statement. He thanked FIFA for acting swiftly, saying it spared the country a prolonged period of uncertainty. The minister also announced that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture would launch an investigation into the “incompetence” that led to the sanction. Mbappe expected to succeed Messi and Ronaldo, but Ballon d’Or rankings show decline The punishment followed Bafana Bafana’s decision to field midfielder Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho on March 21, despite the 28-year-old being suspended for one match after picking up two yellow cards. As a result, FIFA declared the match forfeited, awarding a 3-0 victory to Lesotho. Mokoena was also issued a formal warning. SAFA has the option to appeal the decision within 10 days. The points deduction pushed South Africa to second place in Group C of the African qualifiers, level on points with Benin but behind on goal difference. However, Bafana Bafana remain well placed to qualify, with decisive matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda still to come. “This deduction is just a bump in the road. We believe we are still firmly on track for qualification, and our confidence in the team’s ability to succeed remains unshaken,” Mckenzie added.