United News of Bangladesh

Barcelona's young star, Lamine Yamal, will miss the team's first home game of the season against Valencia on Sunday.  The club said that the 18-year-old forward is experiencing pubic discomfort and did not take part in Saturday’s training session. In an official statement, Barcelona confirmed, “Lamine Yamal is having trouble in the pubic area that prevented him from training today and means he will play no part in Sunday's game with Valencia. He will not be training with his team-mates until the problem is resolved.” The injury reportedly stems from his time with the Spanish national team during their recent World Cup qualifying matches. Yamal played in wins against Bulgaria and Turkey despite experiencing groin pain. Expressing frustration with the situation, Coach Hansi Flick said that Yamal had been given painkillers to play and ended up logging significant minutes in both matches — something he believes was not in the player’s best interest. “He went off to play for Spain with some pain and did not train. They gave him painkillers so that he could play. They had at least a three-goal lead in both matches, and he still played 73 and 79 minutes. Between the games he wasn’t able to train,” Flick said in a press conference on Saturday. “That’s not looking after the player, ” he said, “I’m very sad about this.” Yamal’s absence is a significant blow for Barcelona. The young winger has been in excellent form this season, with two goals and two assists in three La Liga games. He also recorded three assists in his two appearances for Spain. With the latest injury, the teenage sensation is also a doubt for Thursday’s Champions League match against Newcastle United. Barcelona will also be without Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde due to injuries. Yamal’s injury could provide an opportunity for new summer signing Roony Bardghji.  The team has also been boosted by the return of youngster Marc Bernal, who is expected to be on the bench after a 382-day absence following an ACL injury.

Alejandro Grimaldo scored twice from free kicks as Bayer Leverkusen defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1, securing their first Bundesliga win and giving coach Kasper Hjulmand a winning debut on Friday. Leverkusen played the final half-hour with 10 men after captain Robert Andrich was sent off, followed by teammate Ezequiel Férnandez in stoppage time. Grimaldo opened the scoring with a free kick in the 10th minute, and Patrik Schick converted a penalty just before halftime. Can Uzun pulled one back for Frankfurt early in the second half, but Grimaldo’s stoppage-time free kick sealed the victory. Hjulmand took charge following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal after two games, inheriting a squad unsettled by a summer exodus and internal disputes. Despite minimal preparation, Hjulmand guided Leverkusen to a morale-boosting win against a strong Frankfurt side.

Former Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has signed with Mexican top-tier club Monterrey, the team announced Friday. The 29-year-old French forward, who spent nine seasons with Manchester United and most recently played for AEK Athens, has agreed to a two-year deal with an option for a third year. At Monterrey, Martial will team up with Spanish internationals and ex-Real Madrid players Sergio Ramos and Sergio Canales. Martial began his professional career with Lyon, moved to Monaco, and joined Manchester United in the 2015-16 season, scoring 90 goals in 317 appearances. He won multiple trophies with the Red Devils, including the Europa League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and FA Community Shield. He has also played 31 matches for the French national team, last appearing in 2021. Monterrey, aiming for its first league title since the 2019 Apertura, recently won the CONCACAF regional club tournament and reached the round of 16 at the last FIFA Club World Cup, where they lost to Borussia Dortmund.

Real Madrid have suffered a significant blow as veteran defender Antonio Rudiger sustained a major muscle injury. The German international is expected to be out of action for up to three months. Los Blancos are in San Sebastián to face Real Sociedad on Saturday, and manager Xabi Alonso received the bad news just a few hours before the match. Spanish sports outlet Diario AS reported that in the final training session on Friday afternoon, Rudiger suffered a muscle injury which the club’s physicians identified as affecting “the rectus femoris muscle of his left leg.” Club sources indicated he will be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks. The club later confirmed the news with a brief official statement: “Following tests conducted on Toni Rudiger by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the rectus femoris muscle in his left leg. Awaiting further developments.” The worst-case scenario for Rudiger will be a serious headache for manager Xabi Alonso, as Rudiger is set to miss a number of crucial fixtures including the Madrid Derby and El Clasico, along with important Champions League encounters against heavyweights such as Juventus and Liverpool. His absence will also be felt in league matches against tough teams like Villarreal, Valencia, Rayo Vallecano, and Celta Vigo. Rudiger’s injury comes at a pivotal stage of the season, with Real Madrid on a mission to reclaim both the La Liga and Champions League titles.    

Altay Bayindir will continue as Manchester United's goalkeeper in Sunday's derby against Manchester City, despite the recent signing of Belgian international Senne Lammens. United manager Ruben Amorim is facing goalkeeper issues after sending last season's No. 1 Andre Onana on loan to Turkish side Trabzonspor. Bayindir has made a few high-profile errors in Onana's absence but retains Amorim's confidence. “Altay will start for this game,” Amorim confirmed on Friday. "It's a different league, different country, and different style of play. For now, Altay will continue, but they will both compete for the position." Lammens, a 23-year-old from Belgium, was brought in from Royal Antwerp on September 1. While relatively unknown, Amorim described Lammens as a keeper with "great potential" who could become United's No. 1 for many years. On Onana's departure, Amorim stated, “Sometimes, the pressure here is overwhelming. A change was needed."

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has stated that new signing Alexander Isak will be integrated slowly into the squad, emphasizing the need for patience with the club's record-breaking acquisition. The Swedish striker joined Liverpool on the deadline day of the transfer window for a Premier League record fee of €145 million from Newcastle, with some reports suggesting the figure could rise to €150 million with add-ons. Newcastle was not intended to let Isak leave initially and the player-club situation became complex for a few weeks, although he managed to land Anfield at the last moment of the transfer window. This caused Isak missing most of the preseason with his former club, leaving him short on match fitness. "Don’t expect him to be playing every single game for 90 minutes on the pitch, as that is definitely not going to happen in the upcoming weeks," Slot said. "He missed a proper preseason... so now we have to build him up gradually, with us playing so many games." Slot made the comments during the pre-match press conferences on Thursday. Slot stressed that the club's focus is on Isak's long-term future, not his immediate impact. "We’ve signed him not only for the upcoming two weeks, we’ve signed him for six years. This is what we have to keep in mind," he said. The manager also urged fans to be patient, explaining that any limited playing time is "all for the long-term fitness of the team." Isak's recent international break reflected this cautious approach. The striker did not feature in Sweden's 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw against Slovenia and came on as a 72nd-minute substitute in their 2-0 loss to Kosovo. Slot praised Sweden's coach, Jon Dahl Tomasson, for not rushing Isak back into action. "He gets one of the best, maybe the best striker in the world, and he needs to play two very important games for his country but understands if he would play him twice for 90 minutes, the player would probably be injured for multiple weeks," Slot said. "He deserves a big compliment for that." Isak is expected to be included in the squad for Sunday's league match against Burnley but is likely to start on the bench.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has approved a new rule for the upcoming 2025-26 men's club competitions, allowing teams to temporarily replace one outfield player suffering from a long-term injury or illness during the league phase. The decision aims to provide relief to clubs struggling with the increased fixture congestion brought on by expanded tournament formats, said the UEFA in a statement published on its website. The rule, approved by the UEFA Executive Committee in Tirana, Albania on Thursday, allows for a single player replacement to be registered for the league phase of the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League, the statement said. This can be done up to and including Matchday 6 of the competition, the statement said. The change comes after a season of heightened concern from top clubs and footballers over the tight schedule. Both UEFA and FIFA have recently expanded their flagship tournaments, with the UEFA Champions League adopting a new 36-team league format and the FIFA Club World Cup growing to 32 teams. Players, clubs, and football federations have long warned that this increase in matches would lead to more frequent injuries due to a lack of sufficient rest. These fears materialized during the 2024-25 season, as several European giants, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester City, grappled with a high number of player injuries. The constant rotation and absence of key players like Dani Carvajal at Real Madrid and Rodri at City highlighted the intense physical toll on squads, sparking a renewed push for action from governing bodies. Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano to host 2027 UCL final While UEFA is not returning to the previous format, the new rule is seen as a direct response to these issues. In the statement on Thursday, the governing body explained its reasoning for the amendment. “The reason for this adjustment is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and that players are protected from additional workload pressure,” UEFA said. The new rule provides a crucial lifeline for clubs that suffer a serious injury early in the season, allowing them to bring in a replacement rather than being forced to compete with a depleted squad. The specific definition of a “long-term injury” has not yet been detailed, but the amendment signals a shift in focus for UEFA toward mitigating the impact of its new tournament structure on player welfare.

Madrid will stage the 2027 men's UEFA Champions League final, but once again it will not be at the famous Santiago Bernabeu. Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium, rebranded as the Riyadh Air Metropolitano last year, will host the showpiece game. On Thursday, the UEFA Executive Committee also confirmed that the Women’s Champions League final in 2027 will be played in Poland, at Warsaw's National Stadium. San Siro Stadium in Milan was originally selected to host next season’s Champions League final, but UEFA withdrew its hosting rights in September 2024 after the Italian city failed to provide assurances that the stadium — home of Inter Milan and AC Milan — would be fit to stage the event due to possible reconstruction work at the 99-year-old venue. After reopening the bidding process for the 2027 final in October 2024, the Spanish Football Federation proposed Atletico’s home ground, while Azerbaijan submitted a bid with Baku’s Olympic Stadium. Following a meeting in Tirana, Albania, the Executive Committee awarded the game to Madrid. The Riyadh Air Metropolitano, with a capacity of 70,692, opened in 2017. It previously hosted the 2019 Champions League final, when Liverpool lifted the trophy after beating Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2–0. This means Atletico will have hosted the final twice since Real Madrid’s now-renovated Santiago Bernabeu last staged it in 2010. Real Madrid was a key mover for the much debated Super League project. Though it failed within 48 hours of launch, the club has challenged UEFA through legal action since 2021. However, Santiago Bernabeu is one of the options to host the final of the men’s 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Spain will co-host with Portugal and Morocco. The 2025/26 season’s UCL final will be staged at Hungary’s Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026, while UEFA has selected Norway’s Ullevaal Stadium for this season's Women's Champions League final.

English Club Chelsea FC are facing a staggering 74 charges from the English Football Association (FA) over alleged breaches of rules covering agents, intermediaries, and third-party investment in players. The alleged violations span more than a decade, from 2009 to 2022. In a formal statement, the FA said, “The Football Association has today charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of The FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of The FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries, and Regulations A1 and B3 of The FA Third Party Investment in Players Regulations.” According to the FA, 74 charges have been brought against the club. The conduct that is the subject of the charges primarily relates to events which occurred between the 2010/11 to 2015/16 seasons. Chelsea, who have until September 19, 2025 to respond, acknowledged the FA’s action and stressed that the matters were “self-reported” after the club’s change of ownership in May 2022. That was when a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the London club from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. In its statement, the club explained, “The ownership group completed its purchase of the club on 30 May 2022. During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules. Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the Club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including the FA.” Russian billionaire Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 and his lavish spending sparked an unprecedented period of success, including 21 trophies. But he was forced to sell in 2022 after being sanctioned by the British government over his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine. The $3.2 billion sale to the Boehly-led consortium was fast-tracked in May that year. Chelsea further emphasized their cooperation with the FA, “The Club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the Club’s files and historical data. We will continue working collaboratively with The FA to conclude this matter as swiftly as possible.” The charges in detail · Chelsea has been charged with a breach of regulation J1, which prohibits the direct or indirect use of or payment to an unauthorized agent. Another charge relates to using or paying an unregistered intermediary. · Regulation C2 says a player or authorized agent must not “conceal or misrepresent the reality and/or substance” of any matters relating to a transaction or contract negotiation. · Another charge is in regard to payments, rights or liabilities relating to a third party involved in the transfer of a player. The scale of the charges places Chelsea alongside other Premier League clubs who have faced financial scrutiny, including Manchester City’s 115 alleged breaches of league rules and Everton’s points deductions over financial fair play. The FA investigation now sets the stage for a potentially prolonged and high-profile legal battle—one that could shape the future of financial governance in English football. Source: Inputs from agencies

Manchester City and Manchester United, despite spending heavily on some of the world’s top attacking players, will see the spotlight on their goalkeepers in Sunday’s derby. Both clubs are expected to start with new goalkeepers following transfer deadline day signings aimed at strengthening their squads. City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain, while United brought in Belgium international Senne Lammens. Donnarumma, who played a key role in PSG’s Champions League victory last season, was released in the summer and will take over from City’s long-time No. 1 Ederson. The Italian keeper is not a typical choice for manager Pep Guardiola, who prefers goalkeepers who act almost like additional defenders and excel at playing out from the back. However, Donnarumma said he is ready to adapt, adding, “I always try to help the team and do what the coach asks of me. I do everything." United sidelined former No. 1 Andre Onana for their first three league games, while backup Altay Bayindir failed to impress. Lammens, signed from Royal Antwerp, remains largely unknown outside Belgium. The Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium already carries high stakes for both sides. City, whose four-year title streak ended last season, is trying to recover after a sluggish start of one win and two losses. Consecutive defeats to Tottenham and Brighton have raised doubts about the squad’s readiness to compete at the top. Meanwhile, Arsenal, who lost to Liverpool in their last match, face Nottingham Forest under new manager Ange Postecoglou after Nuno Espirito Santo’s dismissal. Defending champions Liverpool travel to newly promoted Burnley. Several new signings could make their debuts in the first round after the transfer window. Alexander Isak, who recently joined Liverpool, has not yet had a major role this season. Newcastle replaced Isak with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa. Aston Villa secured late loan deals for Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, while Tottenham strengthened their attack with Randal Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons. Injuries continue to affect City, with Omar Marmoush suffering a knee injury while on international duty and Rayan Cherki out for around two months with a torn left quadriceps. New United signing Matheus Cunha injured his hamstring against Burnley. Arsenal’s injury list includes Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Kai Havertz. Off the field, Tottenham is entering a new era. After nearly 25 years as executive chairman, Daniel Levy stepped down last week. The club stated the move aims to “deliver long-term sporting success.” Fans, who have long called for Levy’s exit despite last season’s Europa League triumph, have criticized owner ENIC for neglecting the team. Following Levy’s departure, campaign group Change for Tottenham pledged to ensure that sporting success remains a priority. Nottingham Forest fans may also voice their opinions after Nuno’s dismissal. Nuno had become a fan favorite for turning Forest from a relegation-threatened side into a team challenging for Champions League qualification last season. Forest face Arsenal on Saturday.