United News of Bangladesh

Neymar has apologized for a red card that he says cost Santos a victory in the Brazilian league, claiming that “desperation” to score led to the mistake in what could be his final match with the club. Neymar was sent off in the 76th minute of Santos’ 1-0 loss to Botafogo at home on Sunday after using his hand to score a goal. Neymar’s contract with Santos ends at the end of June and Santos plays only one more league game before the break for the Club World Cup. Since Neymar is suspended for the next match and there’s still no deal to extend his contract, he may not play for the club again in this stint. Realizing he was not going to reach the ball with his head before a defender could clear it away, Neymar used his right hand to push the ball into the net. The Brazil forward already had a yellow card and was shown his second by the referee, which immediately disallowed the goal. Botafogo then scored the winner in the 86th. PSG Reaches New Heights in Champions League—but Can It Stay There? “Desperation to score a goal sometimes leads to mistakes,” Neymar said on Instagram. “I want to apologize to my teammates and to the fans. I made a mistake, forgive me. If I hadn’t been sent off, I’m sure we would have gotten the three points. Congratulations to the team for today’s game. You can put these three points on my account.” Neymar did not have a problem with the second yellow but complained about the first one, which came for a foul late in the first half. “The second yellow card has to be shown, but the referee has to be kidding about the first one,” he said. “It’s one foul and I’m already being shown a yellow.” “It’s incredible how many bad referees there are out there. That’s my opinion, please don’t punish me even more,” he said, along with a laughing-face emoji. Messi scores two goals, assists two in Inter Miami's 5-1 win over Columbus Crew Santos has only two wins in 11 league matches this year and sits in 18th-place in the 20-team standings, inside the relegation zone.

Bangladesh origin English Premier League playing Footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury arrived in Dhaka from London Monday morning by a Bangladesh Biman flight to play for Bangladesh national team on home soil ahead of their two international matches against Bhutan and Singapore. Three Bangladesh Football Federation members including Iqbal Hossain and father and mother of Hamza were present at the airport to receive him. Earlier, the Spanish Head Coach of Bangladesh National Football team Javier Cabrera announced the 26-member Bangladesh preliminary squad last Wednesday for two International matches against Bhutan and Singapore in Dhaka including three Bangladesh-origin foreign booters---Hamza Chowdhury, Shamit Shome and Fahamedul Islam. Bangladesh will play a FIFA Tier-1 International Friendly match against Bhutan on Wednesday (June 4 ) at 7 pm and will face Singapore in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers on June 10 at 7 pm both at the renovated National Stadium in Dhaka. All the tickets of the June 10 match against Singapore have been sold out. Hamza already made his debut for Bangladesh playing the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match against hosts India on March 25 in Shiliguri, is now awaiting to play for his first match on home soil against Singapore on June 10. But his inclusion in the Bangladesh team against Bhutan match is still uncertain.Canadian national and premier league playing booter Shamit Shome is also set to make his debut for Bangladesh national team in the ensuing AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match against Singapore and he is expected to arrive here on Wednesday ( June 4.) The Italian league playing forward Fahamedul Islam already arrived Dhaka and joined the national team camp which began here from last Friday. Three more Bangladesh origin players –Jamal Bhuyan (Denmark), Tariq Raihan Kazi (Finland) and Syed Shah Quazem Kirmanee (Canada) – have long been playing for Bangladesh. Members of Bangladesh preliminary squad:Goalkeeper: Mitul Marman, Sujon Hossain and Mehedi Hasan SrabonDefender: Shakil Ahad Topu, Jahid Hasan Shanto, Rahmat Mia, Isa Faysal, Taj Uddin, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Topu Barman and Saad Uddin. Midfielder : Mohammad Ridoy, Syed Shah Quazem Kirmanee, Sohel Rana. Mojibor Rahman Jony, Shekh Morsalim, Jamal Bhuyan, Hamza Chowdhury and Shamit Shome.Forwards : Fahamedul Islam, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Rakib Hossain, Emon Shahriar, Mohammad Ibrahim, Al Amin and Sumon Reza.  

Football Australia (FA) has appointed Joe Montemurro as the new head coach of the women's national team, the Matildas. FA on Monday officially unveiled Montemurro as the 15th permanent head coach of the Matildas, concluding a 10-month search. The 55-year-old Australian joins the national team from French giants Lyon, where he led the club to the domestic league title and the UEFA Women's Champions League semifinals. Prior to his tenure at Lyon, Montemurro won league titles with the women's teams of Juventus, Arsenal and Melbourne City. "Joe brings world-class experience, a deep understanding of the Australian football landscape, and a genuine connection to our national identity," Heather Garriock, interim chief executive of FA, said in a statement. She added that Montemurro brings an "unparalleled understanding" of what it takes to succeed at the top level of modern football, along with a proven ability to build high-performing teams. Speaking at a press conference in Sydney, Montemurro said he was "humbled" by the opportunity to shape the next chapter of the women's national team. His appointment was announced ahead of the Matildas' friendly match against Argentina in Canberra on Monday night, which will be the final game in charge for interim head coach Tom Sermanni. PSG Reaches New Heights in Champions League—but Can It Stay There? It comes 10 months after the departure of previous head coach Tony Gustavsson, who guided Australia to the semifinals of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Montemurro's first games as Matildas head coach will be a pair of friendlies against Slovenia on June 26 and 28. His first major tournament will be the 2026 Asian Football Confederation Women's Asian Cup, which will be hosted in Australia.

Dainik Jugantor clinched the Kool- BSJA Media Cup Football title beating ATN Bangla by 2-0 goals in a rain-affected final at the Paltan Maidan here on Sunday . Former national football team captain Imtiaz Sultan Jony, former BSJA president Manjurul Haque, BFF member Manjurul Karim, Brand Manager of Square Toiletries Abid Bin Shahid, BSJA President Arifur Rahman Babu and general secretary SM Sumon were present as the guests  at the day' s prize distribution ceremony . In the day's title decided match, Saddam Hossain Imran put the Daily Jugantor ahead in the first half (1-0) while captain Jotirmoy Mondal scored the 2nd goal in the 2nd half enabling Jugantor to win another title after long time (2-0). Later, Saddam Hossain Imran was adjudged the best player of the match. BSJA Media Cup Football: Semis and final on Sunday Dainik Jugantor's guest player Mazharul Islam Mithun named as the best player of the tournament, AK Salman of Jugantor was adjudged the best goalkeeper of the tournament while Ad Deen Sajib of ATN Bangla named as the highest scorer of the tournament. Earlier in the day's semifinals, Dainik Jugantor eliminated Dhaka Tribune beating them by 2-1 goals while ATN Bangla reached the final defeating Desh TV by 1-0 goal. Thirty two teams from different media houses took part in the tournament  for the journalists.

  Paris Saint-Germain's ascent to the top of European soccer is complete. Staying there is another matter entirely. Saturday's Champions League triumph confirmed what many observers had suspected for some time - that PSG's moment had finally come. Years of frustration in European club soccer's elite competition was blown away in one glorious and historic night in Munich. Not only did PSG end its long wait for the trophy it prized most of all but it produced a statement performance and set a new benchmark for what it is to win the Champions League title. The 5-0 rout of Inter Milan was officially the biggest winning margin of any final in the competition's 70-year history. And it could have been so much more emphatic had Bradley Barcola been clinical in front of goal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia taken more than just one of his chances or Désiré Doué stayed on the field for longer than 67 minutes having scored two and set up another. Star striker Ousmane Dembele didn't even get a goal to his name. As impressive as PSG's victory was, it could have been even better. In other words, this is a team that is yet to reach its peak. Work in progressWith an average age of 24.8 years old, PSG's starting lineup was packed with youth, which was in stark contrast to an Inter team with an average age of over 30. At 31, captain Marquinhos was PSG's only starter over 30, while Doué was one of three teenagers to play, along with substitutes Senny Mayulu and Warren Zaire-Emery. “We have a lot of young players - players who need to develop and I'm one of them,” Doué said. “We are always going to strive to get better.” Keeping young teams together is easier said than done when Europe's biggest clubs come calling. That should not be a concern for Qatar-backed PSG, which is one of the richest clubs in the world and in recent years has focused on picking up the best young talent - from France in particular. AmbitionIt seems there is little danger of PSG settling for just one Champions League title. "We are ambitious, we are going to continue to conquer the football world,” a triumphant Luis Enrique said Saturday night after winning the trophy for the second time as a coach, 10 years after leading Barcelona to the trophy. He sounds like a man who has his sights set on building a new era of dominance and quickly turned to adding to the treble of trophies already won this season. Next up is the newly expanded Club World Cup. “I think it is an incredible competition. Maybe not now in its first edition, but it will become an incredibly important competition to win,” he said of the tournament that kicks off in the United States this month. “We want to finish the season in style with the cherry on the cake.” Luis EnriqueThe 55-year-old Luis Enrique has established himself as one of the finest coaches in the world after winning a second Champions League title. PSG has entrusted him to build a team in his image, rather than a selection of superstars and it has paid off. He has turned PSG into a Champions League winner while playing arguably the most exciting soccer in Europe, with Barcelona possibly the only team to rival it in the entertainment stakes. Yet while Barcelona was picked off by a wily Inter in the semifinals, the Italians were blown away by PSG. Liverpool, which ran away with the Premier League title this season, was eliminated in the round of 16, while Manchester City and Arsenal were beaten as well. Luis Enrique's brand of soccer has simply been too good for the rest in Europe, which is now playing catch up. TransfersIt is difficult to see where PSG needs to add to a squad with so much depth, but its rise to the top has come on the back of spending billions on some of the world's best players. The era of Galactico signings is over for now, but the arrival of Kvaratskhelia from Napoli in January was evidence of president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's ongoing willingness to go big in the transfer market. The Georgian forward sparked a dramatic turnaround in PSG's form in Europe, which saw it go from near elimination at the league phase to Champions League winner. The rivalsManchester City might have thought its Champions League title in 2023 would spark a new era of success in Europe, but the opposite has been true and Pep Guardiola's team was eliminated in the playoffs this season. The Champions League is notoriously difficult to defend, with Real Madrid the only team to retain the trophy in the modern era, having won three in a row from 2016-18. The difficulty is largely due to the wide spread of talent among Europe's elite. PSG will come up against a Liverpool team that topped the league phase of this year's competition and is already making ambitious moves in the transfer market. Madrid with a new coach in Xabi Alonso and signings such as Trent Alexander-Arnold should be a contender again. So too Barcelona after falling short in the semifinal. City, meanwhile, is undergoing a rebuild of its own. PSG, however, will likely start next season as the team to beat, with a bright young squad that finally knows how to get over the line. ___

Inter Miami was in a midseason slump just a week ago. Lionel Messi made sure it didn't last long. Messi scored for the fifth time in three Major League Soccer matches to help Inter Miami rout the Columbus Crew 5-1 on Saturday night for its second straight win. Messi played a role each of Miami's goals. He scored twice — in the 15th and 24th minutes — giving him 10 goals this season, which leads his team and is tied for third in MLS. He set up Tadeo Allende's goal in the 13th, Fafà Picault's in the 89th and was also involved in Luis Suarez's score in the 64th. That makes it two straight matches that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has recorded at least two goals and an assist. His 16 goal contributions are the most in the league. “I see him every game. We see the same thing," Miami coach Javier Mascherano said through an interpreter. "We try to help him as much as we can. ... Clearly he is the best player that has ever played this game. And we have to understand that when he is not brilliant, that’s because one of us is failing. That’s the reality.” Miami was the more aggressive team early. The Herons had seven shots — four on goal — in the first 25 minutes against a Columbus team that does not give up many. The Crew entered Saturday ranked eighth in MLS with just 19 goals allowed. Allende opened the scoring with a cross-body finish set up by Messi’s long ball over the top. A few minutes later, Messi took advantage of a poor decision by goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen and lofted the ball over despite the keeper getting a hand on it. Messi scores twice, assists in Miami's 4-2 win over Montreal On Messi’s second goal, Sergio Busquets set up his former Barcelona teammate for the second straight game, sending a long pass to a streaking Messi for an easy finish over Hagen. It was an important win for Miami, which entered Saturday with just two wins in its past eight matches and was sixth in the Eastern Conference. Miami beat Montreal 4-2 on Wednesday, and Saturday’s win over Columbus put last year’s Supporters' Shield winner in a tie for third place with 29 points in their final match before the start of next month's Club World Cup. “Winning this way gives us confidence,” Mascherano said. “It shows that we’re brave and calm and can play against anybody, especially in the MLS. The tournament is another story. The rivals are are different level.” Miami will face Al Ahly of Egypt on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium, the home stadium of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Before that, Messi will join the Argentina national team for World Cup qualifiers against Chile on June 5 and Colombia on June 10. Saturday was the second match of the season between Columbus and Miami, winners of the last two League's Cup tournaments. Inter Miami also beat Columbus to win the Supporters' Shield in 2024. They were the only remaining undefeated teams in MLS when they met in front of a record crowd of 60,614 fans to Huntington Bank Field on April 19. It was a single-game record for a Crew home match and the largest non-NFL event in stadium history. Miami won 1-0. Columbus made it 3-1 when Dylan Chambost’s corner was headed home by Cesar Ruvalcaba against goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo, who replaced Oscar Ustari in the second half. Mascherano said Ustari was experiencing discomfort in his leg and the team didn't want to risk an injury. Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi team up to launch a soccer club in Uruguay Suarez restored Miami's three-goal lead with his second goal in as many matches. And Messi fed a through ball to Picault in the closing minutes, stamping one of Miami's most dominant wins of the MLS season. Miami played without veteran left back Jordi Alba, who suffered a lower-body injury against Montreal on Wednesday.

At long last the club that was transformed by Qatari billions and bought and sold a succession of the world’s greatest players in an extravagant bid to get to the top has got its hands on the big one. European club soccer’s grandest prize has a new home after PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Saturday’s final in Munich. “It’s in the bag, it’s coming home with us to Paris tomorrow,” coach Luis Enrique said. “My first day at the PSG campus I said the ultimate goal was to fill the trophy cabinet. The only trophy missing was the Champions League. Here we have ticked that box.” It was the trophy that not even Lionel Messi, Neymar or Kylian Mbappe could deliver to the French club. Luis Enrique has achieved it after overseeing PSG’s shift from the era of galactico signings to one of genuine team-building. Fitting then that Désiré Doué, the 19-year-old French forward, emblematic of the club’s new generation, was the chief inspiration and player of the match as PSG recorded the biggest win in a final in the competition’s 70-year history. In a scintillating performance, Doué scored two goals and set up another goal in little over an hour on the field before being substituted. “It is wonderful, it is magical, we are rewriting the history of this club and French football,” he said. Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and substitute Senny Mayulu all scored around Doue’s double in a game in which PSG could have run out an even bigger winner. “It's exceptional,” striker Ousmane Dembele said. “It's especially good since we did it in style." PSG joins European royalty PSG and Inter Milan face off in the Champions League final Now PSG can truly sit alongside the royalty of European soccer. Not by virtue of turnover or merchandizing but on the merits of its achievements on the field. The Champions League is the ultimate barometer of the continent’s elite clubs and up until now PSG has been a flashy contender that always came up short. That all changed at Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich, one of the titans of Europe, and a fitting stage for PSG’s crowning moment. Not least because it was against Bayern that it lost its only other Champions League final in 2020, leaving Neymar in tears in an empty stadium in Lisbon where fans were locked out because of the pandemic. On this occasion, thousands of PSG supporters were there to revel in the moment, waving flags, lighting flares and drowning out their rivals from Inter, many of whose supporters left the stadium long before the final whistle. They’d been partying in the streets of Munich throughout the day, but that was nothing compared to the scenes of joy when captain Marquinhos held the trophy aloft with fireworks and golden confetti exploding behind him. “I have nothing left, I have given everything,” Marquinhos told broadcaster Canal Plus. “The fans are proud of us. Make the most of it guys, I love you.” After so many setbacks in this competition, PSG truly delivered on the night. It took just 12 minutes for the French champion to go ahead with a move of speed and precision when Vitinha’s threaded pass into the box found the feet of Doué. The forward could have shot, but instead slid in Hakimi to tap into an open net. Former Inter player Hakimi muted his celebrations, but the PSG fans went wild. Eight minutes later and the lead was doubled when Doué’s shot from the right of the box deflected off Federico Dimarco and past Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. He got his second in the 63rd, sliding the ball into the bottom corner when through on goal. Kvaratskhelia added the fourth 10 minutes later and Mayulu struck in the 86th, just two minutes after coming on. Doué and Mayulu became the third and fourth teenagers to score in a Champions League final following Patrick Kluivert in 1995 and Carlos Alberto in 2004. Luis Enrique doubles and trebles Luis Enrique, who won the 2015 Champions League with Barcelona, became the seventh coach to win the trophy with two different teams, joining greats Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. He also led PSG to a first treble of trophies — the Champions League added to Ligue 1 and the French Cup — matching his achievement with Barcelona 10 years ago. His players threw him high in the air in celebration after the whistle. “We are ambitious, we are going to continue to conquer the football world,” he said. For PSG, this moment has been 14 years in the making since it was bought by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 and, awash with newfound riches, targeted marquee signings to speed up its route to the top. Galacticos era In came superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham and Edinson Cavani. The ante was further upped with the arrivals of Neymar for a world record $262 million, Mbappe and finally Messi, allowing PSG to field possibly the richest array of forwards ever assembled, but still no Champions League trophy to show for it. The departure of that last stellar trio over the past two years has been the turning point, with a greater focus on the team rather than a collection of stars. Not that PSG’s transformation hasn’t come at a cost. Argentine court declares a mistrial in the death of soccer star Maradona It may make for a nice narrative that it has eschewed the big spending approach of before to organically assemble a team to beat all-comers from across Europe. The opposite is true. While it is without the marquee players of the past, this is still one of the most expensive squads in world soccer. The win will also raise more questions about nation state involvement in soccer and so-called sportswashing, given Qatar’s lavish backing of PSG in enabling it to conquer Europe. It’s victory comes just two years after Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City won the trophy, again against Inter. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund owns Newcastle, which will return to the Champions League next season with ambitions of its own. Inter disappointment Inter, meanwhile, was on track for a treble just over a month ago, but has finished the season empty-handed. Having pushed Manchester City close in the final of 2023 in Istanbul, the Italian giant was totally outclassed by PSG. The sight of many empty seats on Inter's side of the stadium during the second half suggested fans had seen enough. “We are extremely disappointed,” coach Simone Inzaghi said. “Defeats make you stronger. We've been through this before when we lost the final in Istanbul, but the following year we won the league title."

Bangladesh National Women's Football team smartly played to a goalless draw with their 39th ranked higher Indonesian Women's team in the first match of the three-nation International friendly Tournament at the King Abdullah Stadium in the Jordanian capital Amman on Saturday evening. Touring Bangladesh team displayed their best performance in the FIFA International Friendly match against giants and rivals Indonesia, partially dominating the game. BSJA Media Cup Football: Semis and final on Sunday The touring Bangladesh Women's team will play their last remaining match in the three-nation tournament against another higher-ranked and host nation, Jordan, on June 3 at 10 pm Bangladesh time at the same venue during the FIFA international window. Bangladesh is participating in international friendly matches against two tough Asian opponents as part of their preparation for the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, which begin in Myanmar on June 29. AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh put in Group C with Vietnam, Yemen, Singapore   Bangladesh has been placed in Group C of the Asian tournament along with hosts Myanmar, Bahrain, and Turkmenistan. In Group C matches, Bangladesh will face Bahrain on June 29, Myanmar on July 2, and Turkmenistan on July 5, all at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon.  

The semifinals and final of the Kool-BSJA Media Cup Football Tournament, organised by the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA), will be held on Sunday (June 1) at the Paltan Maidan. Adviser to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, is expected to attend the final as the chief guest. In semifinals, ATN Bangla will face Desh TV at 9am, while Dainik Jugantor will encounter Dhaka Tribune at the same time. The final is scheduled to kick off at 11am. BPL Football : Dhaka Abahani Ltd finish runners- up outplaying Brothers Union Club by 3-0 goal Earlier on Saturday’s quarterfinal matches, Dainik Jugantor edged past Prothom Alo 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw in regulation time. ATN Bangla also advanced via a tiebreaker, defeating Ekhon TV 3-2 after a goalless draw. Desh TV booked their place in the semis by defeating last time’s finalist The Business Standard 1-0, while Dhaka Tribune overcame Channel i with an identical scoreline.

Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan go head-to-head in the Champions League final in Munich on Saturday. European club soccer's biggest prize is at stake between two teams that have felt the pain of falling at the last hurdle in recent years. Inter was a losing finalist against Manchester City in 2023 and PSG lost in its only final against Bayern Munich in 2020. After spending billions of dollars and signing some of the sport's greatest players like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, PSG is still waiting to win its first Champions League title. Those superstars have now departed, but coach Luis Enrique has assembled one of the most exciting squads in Europe, with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia filling the void left by that trio. Enrique is aiming to win the competition for the second time as a coach, having lifted it with Barcelona in 2015, and would become the seventh coach to win the trophy with different teams. “The motivation for me is to win the Champions League title for the first time for PSG,” he said. “That is the gift I want to give the people, the club, the city.” Inter was looking for a treble just over a month ago, but is now left with the Champions League as its only possible trophy. It lost the Italian title by a point and was knocked out of the Italian Cup in the semifinals. “These players in these four years did a lot — won a lot and lost sometimes. It happens. But we all gave our all, everyone. We are proud to be Inter," coach Simone Inzaghi said. “I dreamed of playing the Champions League final. I didn’t do it as a player, but thanks to this group of players I’ve been in two finals as a head coach.” Inter has won the Champions League or European Cup on three occasions, most recently in 2010. When does the Champions League final begin? The match at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT).