Juan Mata to leave Man Utd after contract expires
London, June 2: Manchester United have confirmed on Thursday that Juan Mata will be leaving when his contract expires at the end of this month, the club said in a statement. The 34-year-old midfielder became the latest to have his departure, after Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard. “Thank you for dedicating eight years of your career to United, Juan. Everyone at the club wishes you all the best for the future,” the Old Trafford giants said in a statement. Mata, who signed from Chelsea for £37.1 million in January 2014, joins Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard in exiting Old Trafford. The Spaniard joined the Reds in January 2014 and went on to play 285 games, scoring 51 goals and winning four trophies. (IANS)
Chennaiyin rope in I-League veteran Romario Jesuraj
Chennai, June 2: Two-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions Chennaiyin FC have signed winger Alexander Romario Jesuraj on a multi-year deal, the club announced on Thursday. The 25-year-old from Dindigul – a district located 420 kms southwest of Chennai – has two I-League titles under his belt in his impressive career so far. He will now feature for his home ISL club from the upcoming ninth season. After spending two years with The Lions, Jesuraj was handed an ISL contract by FC Goa but was sent on loan to Mohun Bagan, where he lifted his second I-League title in 2020. On his return to the Goan club from the loan, he earned his debut in the ISL season 7 against Bengaluru FC. (IANS)
Real Madrid sign Antonio Rüdiger from Chelsea
MADRID, June 2: Real Madrid signed Antonio Rüdiger on a free transfer Thursday, calling him “one of the best defenders in the world” and strengthening its squad after becoming European champion for a record-extending 14th time. Madrid brought in Rüdiger from Chelsea on a four-year contract. The Germany international will be officially introduced on Monday. The 29-year-old central defender helped Chelsea in its run to titles in the Champions League, Europa League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FA Cup. He scored five goals in 54 matches with Chelsea last season, both a record for him with the club. (AP)
Hertha hire Sandro Schwarz as club’s new manager
BERLIN, June 2: Hertha Berlin hired Sandro Schwarz as its new coach on Thursday after narrowly escaping relegation from the Bundesliga. Schwarz is the latest in a string of coaches tasked with bridging the gulf between Hertha’s grand ambitions of establishing itself as a major European club and its years of underachievement on the field. Despite the backing of wealthy investor Lars Windhorst, Hertha finished 16th in the Bundesliga and only escaped the drop by beating second-tier Hamburger SV 2-1 on aggregate in a two-leg playoff last week under veteran coach Felix Magath, who was hired to avoid relegation. (AP)
City’s Mendy charged with eighth count of rape
MANCHESTER, June 2: Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy will stand trial accused of eight counts of rape after being charged with an additional offense. The latest allegation of rape relates to a new complainant and could only be reported for the first time on Wednesday after reporting restrictions were lifted during a hearing at Chester Crown Court. The World Cup-winning France defender pleaded not guilty last month to all but the latest charge, for which he has yet to enter a plea. The 27-year-old Mendy also denies one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape. All the offenses are alleged to have taken place at his home address between October 2018 and August last year when he was suspended by City. (AP)
De Bruyne in contention to win England’s PFA award
LONDON, June 2: Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is in contention to win English football’s Player of the Year award for the third straight season. De Bruyne was on a six-man shortlist for the award announced Wednesday, alongside Liverpool trio Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo. City was outnumbered by Liverpool on the shortlist despite beating its rival to the Premier League title to retain the trophy. De Bruyne won the prestigious award, voted by the players, in 2020 and ’21. Van Dijk and Salah won it the years before that. (AP)
UCL final sets record, averages 2.76 million viewers in US
NEW YORK, June 2: Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the Champions League final set a record for the largest audience to view the final in the U.S. on English-language television. Nielsen ratings show the game Saturday averaged 2.76 million viewers on CBS, surpassing the previous mark of 2.6 million for the 2011 final between Barcelona and Manchester United on Fox. It is also a 23% increase over last year’s final between Chelsea and Manchester City (2.10 million). The match Saturday peaked at 3.24 million viewers near the end of the game (5:15-5:30 p.m. EDT). (AP)
Football legend Pelé urges Putin to stop Ukraine war
Sao Paulo, June 2: Pelé published a message urging Vladimir Putin to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced millions. The 81-year-old Pelé said he published his message to the Russian president on the day Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1. “Today Ukraine tries to forget, at least for 90 minutes, the tragedy that engulfs their country. To compete for a World Cup place is already a difficult task – almost an impossible one with so many lives at stake,” the Brazilian great said in a post on Instagram that came with a plea to Putin: “Stop the invasion. There’s absolutely no justification for this continued violence.” “When we met in the past and exchanged smiles accompanied by a long handshake, I never thought one day we would be as divided as we are now,” the three-time World Cup winner posted. (AP)