United News of Bangladesh

Little Friends Club earned a 2-1 goals victory over BFF Elite Football Academy in the Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) Football 2024-25 at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur on Wednesday. Al Mirad scored both the goals for the Little Friends in the 45+2 and 53rd minutes while Shipon Hossain netted the lone goal for the BFF Elite Academy in the 64th minute. In the day’s other league match, Public Works Department (PWD) SC defeated Uttar Baridhara Club by a solitary goal at the practice ground of the Bashundhara Kings Arena here on Wednesday. Ashikur Rahman scored the all-important goal for PWD SC in the 10th minute.

AC Milan defender Kyle Walker underwent an operation Tuesday after fracturing his elbow during training. It is not known how long Walker will be sidelined for but there are only seven rounds remaining in Serie A. The Rossoneri are also involved in the Italian Cup, with the second leg of their semifinal against Inter Milan set for April 23. “AC Milan can confirm that Kyle Walker sustained a fracture in his right elbow today,” the Italian team said in a statement. “To ensure better healing and optimize recovery time, the player underwent surgery in Milan to repair the olecranon through osteosynthesis. Champions League final ticket prices frozen for fans, but VIP seats see sharp increase “The operation went perfectly to plan. Kyle will begin rehabilitation immediately.” Walker is on loan from Manchester City and it is widely expected the move will be made permanent at the end of the season. The England international, who turns 35 next month, arrived in January and swiftly established himself as a key part of the Milan defense. Walker has played eight Serie A matches — starting seven of them — as well as four in the Champions League and two in the Italian Cup. Barcelona can't fully capitalize on shock Real Madrid loss with Vinícius missed penalty Walker won six Premier League titles and the Champions League at City. He won 15 major trophies after joining from Tottenham in 2017 and established himself as one of the best right backs in Premier League history. Source: With input from agency 

Coming from behind, a 10-man Dhaka Abahani Limited smartly reached the final of the Bashundhara Group Federation Cup Football Tournament, beating holders Bashundhara Kings 4-2 in a penalty shootout at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla on Tuesday. The nerve-wracking Qualifier-1 match between 12-time champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd and three-time champions Bashundhara Kings ended in a 1-1 draw after the stipulated 90 minutes and 30-minute extra time. This was Dhaka Abahani’s second win against Bashundhara Kings in the ongoing season after previously defeating them in the Premier League. Dhaka Abahani will play the final on April 22 against the winners of Bashundhara Kings and Rahmatganj MFS at the Rafiquddun Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh. Despite the day’s defeat, Bashundhara Kings have another chance to reach the final if they can beat Rahmatganj MFS in Qualifier-2 on April 15 at their home ground, Bashundhara Kings Arena. After a goalless first half in the day’s Qualifier-1, Mojibor Rahman Jonny put the injury-hit, star-studded Bashundhara Kings ahead in the 57th minute (1-0). Arman Faysal Akash leveled the score for the popular sky-blue Dhanmondi outfit Abahani in the 85th minute (1-1), sending the match into extra time and, eventually, a penalty shootout. In the penalty shootout, Rafayel, Emeka, Sabuj, and Ibrahim of Abahani converted their spot kicks, while Jonathon and Morsalin scored for the Kings. Earlier, Dhaka Abahani were reduced to 10 men in the 42nd minute of the match when their defender Asaduzzaman Bablu was sent off after receiving his second yellow card. In the day’s eliminator match, Rahmatganj MFS came from behind to eliminate Brothers Union Club, defeating them 2-1 at the Rafiquddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh. Nigerian forward Mfon Sunday Udoh put Brothers Union ahead in the 36th minute (1-0), while Ghanaian forward Samuel Boateng restored parity for Rahmatganj MFS in the 63rd minute (1-1). Gambian midfielder Solomon King Kanform scored the match-winning goal for Rahmatganj MFS in the extra session (100th minute) to keep their final hopes alive.

UEFA announced on Monday that ticket prices for the majority of fans attending this year’s men’s Champions League final will remain the same as last year, while premium seating will see significant price hikes. Each of the two finalist clubs will be allocated 18,000 tickets for the May 31 final at Bayern Munich’s stadium. The lowest-priced tickets, available to fans of the competing teams, will cost 70 euros ($77)—the same as in last year’s final at London’s Wembley Stadium. Thomas Muller to leave Bayern Munich after 25 years However, there will be steep increases for higher-tier seats. Top-category tickets will rise from 713 euros ($781) to 950 euros ($1,040), while Category 2 seats will jump from 500 euros ($548) to 650 euros ($712), UEFA confirmed. Revenue from ticket sales at UEFA club finals is combined with income from broadcasting and commercial rights, forming a multi-billion-euro fund that is largely distributed back to clubs in the form of prize money and solidarity payments. Last year’s Champions League winner, Real Madrid, received the highest share—$154 million. Barcelona can't fully capitalize on shock Real Madrid loss with Vinícius missed penalty Out of the 64,500 total seats available at the Munich final, 38,700 will be made accessible to fans and the general public, according to UEFA. Aside from the 18,000 tickets per finalist, an additional 2,700 tickets will be available for purchase globally through UEFA’s official website. Buyers will be limited to a maximum of two tickets. Over 25,000 tickets will be reserved for UEFA guests, sponsors, broadcasters, and national football federations.

Four senior footballers of the SAFF Women's champions Bangladesh team left the capital for Thimphu on Sunday to play in the Bhutan National Women's Football League beginning there on April 15. Four players --Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun, SAFF's best player Ritu Porna Chakma, reliable national booters Monika Chakma and Matsushima Sumaya---will play the for Paro FC in Bhutan league. Officials of Paro FC received the players at the airport. The four Bangladeshi players will play for Paro FC for four months and they are likely get Taka one lakh per month per person in addition to both way air fares and all local in expenses. But, their clubs will have to release them during national team engagements as per FIFA rules. Besides, two other Bangladeshi national players --defender Masura Parvin and SAFF's best goalkeeper Rupna Chakma, earlier roped by Transport United team of Bhutan, will join team soon along with another Bangladeshi player Krishna Rani Sarker, now under close touch with Transport United of Bhutan. Earlier, promising national booter Sagorika failed to make registration with the Transport United of Bhutan due to age complications. Sanjida and Shamsunnahar Sr also have a chance to play in the Bhutan National women's league and communications in this regard are in progress. Apart from four players, rest other players of the 55 member preliminary national squad of the Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, including Krisna Rani Sarkar and others joined the national camp here on Sunday. The Head Coach of Bangladesh women's football team Peter Butler scheduled to return here on Monday to start the national camp with the remaining players except the four. Earlier on Saturday, President of Bangladesh Football Federation Tabith Awal alongwith BFF Women's wing chairman Mahfuza Akter Kiron and other EC members sat a courtesy meeting with Bhutan- bound players at the BFF office and wished their luck. After the meeting, BFF media committee chairman Amirul Islam Babu said that it was a courtesy meeting with the players where the president wished them good luck and hinted that the senior players will be called up ahead of the team's departure for the Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers billed for Myanmar from June 29-July 5. Earlier, 18 senior players boycotted the national training camp led by Sabina Khatun under the head coach Peter Butler since January 29 showing huge allegation against him and subsequently they were excluded from the national squad for two friendly away matches against hosts UAE in last February-March.

 Vinícius Júnior missed a penalty and Real Madrid conceded an injury-time goal in a stunning 2-1 home loss to Valencia that shook its La Liga title defense on Saturday. The shock result for Madrid was softened hours later when league leader Barcelona was held at home by Real Betis to 1-1. That meant Hansi Flick’s side extended its lead to only four points over its fierce rival. There are eight rounds left including a clasico in May. Hugo Duro came off Valencia's bench and headed home the winner that silenced Santiago Bernabeu Stadium deep in stoppage time. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili saved Vinícius' early penalty and moments later Mouctar Diakhaby headed the visitors in front in the 17th minute. Vinícius scored from close range to equalize in the 50th, but Mamardashvili and the defense held on until Duro struck and gave Valencia its first away win of the season. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti defended his team's effort, even saying that Madrid “deserved" to win the game and Vinícius' penalty was one of the match's “details that doomed us.” But the Italian manager conceded that the unexpected loss was a blow in the title race. “It is much harder now to fight for the league, but we only have one idea and that is to fight until the end because we still have a chance after this game,” Ancelotti said. He had to play third-string goalkeeper Fran González, who made his first-team debut for Madrid at age 19, because Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin were injured. Ancelotti said he hopes both of his more experienced goalies will be fit in time to face Arsenal. “We hadn’t won on the road and there is not a better place to do so than here,” Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra said. “There are three vital points for us and at a stadium where very few teams get a good result.” Thomas Muller to leave Bayern Munich after 25 years The victory confirmed the team's improvement since Carlos Corberán replaced Ruben Baraja in December. It has risen from the relegation zone to 15th place and seven points from danger. “When you see that from start to finish your players compete with the personality that you have to show at a ground like this, with the character you need to roll with the punches you get here, and that this attitude pays off, you have to be satisfied,” Corberán said. Vinícius flops at the spot — again Some jeers were heard from Madrid fans after Vinícius missed the penalty earned by Kylian Mbappé when his low and centered shot was easily saved by Mamardashvili. The Brazil forward also missed a penalty in a recent Champions League game against Atletico Madrid. Ancelotti said he didn’t believe that the fans' reaction would affect his player. “Vinícius is very focused on what he is doing, regardless of how he plays. He always gives it his all,” the manager said. Two minutes later, Diakhaby, who returned from a serious leg injury in January, rose over Antonio Rudiger and headed in André Almeida’s corner kick. Vinícius partly redeemed his penalty miss when he was left unmarked at the far post to stab in a corner headed on by Jude Bellingham. But Madrid pressed for the win and instead ended up losing the game when it was unable to defend a quick attack that finished with Rafa Mir’s tight cross that Duro thumped past a flailing González. Barcelona held by Betis In a matchup of the hottest teams in La Liga, Betis rallied to pull level and then withstood a second-half onslaught at Barcelona. Gavi Páez drilled a low strike home after a nice set-up by Ferran Torres to give Bacelona the lead in the seventh. Fifth-placed Betis leveled though Natan’s header 10 minutes later, and goalkeeper Adrian San Miguel and former Barcelona defender Marc Bartra turned back a slew of shots by the hosts to split the points. Zambia’s US-Based soccer players withdrawn from China tournament due to travel restrictions “It’s clear if we had won we would be further ahead, but this is soccer,” Gavi said about missing the chance to move six points clear. “We had our chances but couldn’t covert and leave with a bitter taste in our mouths.” Barcelona hosts Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in the Champions League quarterfinals. Also, Celta Vigo won at Mallorca 2-1, while Alaves won at Girona 1-0.

Thomas Muller will bring his "incredible journey" with Bayern Munich to a close this summer after spending 25 years at the club. The 35-year-old midfielder, whose contract expires at the end of the season, made the announcement on Saturday in a joint statement with Bayern. Zambia’s US-Based soccer players withdrawn from China tournament due to travel restrictions Muller expressed, “It’s clear that today is not like any other day for me. My 25 years as an FC Bayern Munich player will come to an end in the summer. It’s been an incredible journey, filled with unique experiences, great encounters, and unforgettable triumphs. I feel immense gratitude and joy for having had this career with my beloved club. The special bond with the club and our amazing fans will always stay with me. What I hope for as a farewell is clear: titles we can celebrate together and moments we’ll cherish for a long time.” Having joined the club's academy at the age of 10 in the summer of 2000, Muller has been integral in Bayern’s success, helping them win 33 trophies. He also holds the club record for most appearances, with 743 matches played. Bayern announced that Muller’s final match for the club will be at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States in June and July. Bangladesh rise two spots in latest FIFA rankings “Thomas Muller embodies a Bavarian fairytale career; he grew up in Bavaria and with Bayern,” said club president Herbert Hainer. "No one has won more Bundesliga titles, and 33 trophies in total speak volumes. He is among the most remarkable figures in FC Bayern history.”

The Zambia Football Association (FAZ) has announced that four of its players based in the United States have been pulled from the squad traveling to China for an upcoming tournament due to U.S. travel regulations. FAZ General Secretary Reuben Kamanga stated that Barbra Banda, Rachael Kundananji, Prisca Chilufya, and Grace Chanda will not be part of the Yongchuan International Tournament, an invitational women's event, due to "additional travel measures introduced by the new administration in the United States." Banda, the team captain, along with Chanda and Chilufya, play for Orlando Pride, while Kundananji is under contract with Bay FC in San Jose, part of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). FAZ did not specify which travel policies affected the players. However, the U.S. government’s tightened immigration policies, increased scrutiny of foreign visa holders, and possible restrictions on travelers from certain countries have raised concerns among international athletes regarding potential difficulties in returning to the U.S. More players line up to follow Hamza’s path into Bangladesh football A recent executive order signed by President Trump in January directed officials to review countries with inadequate vetting systems and determine whether partial or full travel suspensions should be imposed. The U.S. State Department’s ongoing review has yet to finalize any country-specific restrictions, leaving uncertainty over whether China could be included. Kamanga noted that after evaluating the situation, the decision was made in the players' best interests to forgo the tournament. “They will definitely be available for future assignments, just as they were in the last window when we played Malawi. The technical team has already selected replacements to maintain the squad’s competitiveness,” he added. Source: With input from agency 

Bangladesh have climbed two spots in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, moving from the 185th to 183rd following their goalless draw against India in the Asian Cup qualifying third round. Javier Cabrera’s side now holds 904.16 ranking points, reflecting slight but welcome progress for the South Asian team as they aim for stronger performances in continental football. Meanwhile, reigning world champions Argentina have maintained their top position after successive wins over Uruguay and Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers as their points increased to 1886.16, further solidifying their lead. Spain jumped to second place in the global standings after securing one win and one draw in March. With 1854.64 points, they narrowly overtook France, who dropped to third with 1854.71 points after a mixed run against Croatia. More players line up to follow Hamza’s path into Bangladesh football England remained in fourth position with 1819.2 points, while Brazil held on to fifth, unchanged, with 1776.03 points despite recording one win and one loss during the international window. The Netherlands moved up to sixth place with 1752.44 points, pushing Portugal down to seventh (1750.08), also on the back of a win and a defeat. The rest of the top 10 includes Belgium (1735.75) in eighth, Italy (1718.31) in ninth, and Germany (1716.98) rounding off the list in tenth place. In Asia, Japan remain the continent’s highest-ranked team, holding the 15th position with 1652.64 points.

Will Bangladesh football see more expatriate footballers who are eager to wear the green and red jersey? This question is surfacing around Bangladesh’s football arena as many are trying to follow the path of English League player Hamza Choudhury. The recent debut of Premier League midfielder Hamza for Bangladesh has sparked a surge of interest among expatriate footballers eager to represent the national team. Bangladesh football team returns home from India on Wednesday after playing  AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers According to Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Vice President Fahad Karim, 32 Bangladeshi origin players from 13 countries have formally expressed interest in donning the Bangladesh jersey. Among the most notable names are England-based Karim Hassan Smith, Ilman Matin, and Ashiqur Rahman; France’s Farhan Mahmud; Canada’s Nabid Ahmed; and US-based Amir Sami. One standout is Canadian midfielder Samit Som, who has previously played for Canada’s youth and senior teams. The BFF is keen to include him in the national team, pending FIFA clearance. Hamza leaves to rejoin his EPL club  To streamline the selection process, the BFF is set to host a three-day trial in Dhaka starting June 25, primarily aimed at strengthening youth squads. The initiative is supported by Sakib Mahmud, a Denmark-based volunteer who has helped identify eligible players, many through social media. While five players have already arrived in Bangladesh for youth team trials, Samit remains the only one currently being considered for the senior squad. The BFF hopes to finalise his inclusion before the June 10 Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore in Dhaka.