File picture of AC Milan’s manager Stefano Pioli
| Photo Credit: AP

AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli is leaving the Italian club at the end of the season after a near five-year stint that included the 2022 Serie A title.

Milan announced Pioli’s departure on Friday, a day before its final league game of the season at home to Salernitana.

Pioli stepping down had been widely expected, with club great Zlatan Ibrahimovic — who has been given a front-office role by Milan’s American owners — reportedly already involved in the search for a successor.

The club thanked Pioli for “securing an unforgettable league title and re-establishing AC Milan’s consistent presence in the top European competition.”

“Stefano’s professionalism and human touch have significantly contributed to the growth of the squad, embodying the club’s core values from day one,” Milan said in a statement.

The 2022 league title was Milan’s first in 11 years. It will finish this season in second place, behind crosstown rival Inter Milan.

Milan was taken over after its 2022 title by American investment firm RedBird Capital. Pioli’s future had been in doubt since February, when RedBird owner Gerry Cardinale and Ibrahimovic declined to commit to him when asked about speculation of a coaching change after the season.

Reports in Italy have linked Pioli to taking over Napoli. The 58-year-old coach also previously coached Inter, Fiorentina, Lazio, Bologna, Parma and several other clubs.

Under Pioli, Milan ended a seven-year absence from the Champions League in 2021 and reached the semifinals last season, losing to Inter.

This season, Pioli’s team failed to advance from a tough group that included Borussia Dortmund, which plays in the final next week, and Paris Saint-Germain. Milan then switched to the second-tier Europa League and was eliminated by Roma in the quarterfinals.

Inter’s runaway Serie A title success has established its supremacy in the city and Italian soccer, despite financial turmoil that saw the club also fall into American ownership this week. Both Milan and Inter had Chinese owners who lost control of the clubs to American investment funds after missing loan repayments.

File picture of Arne Slot coaching Dutch side Feyenoord. Slot replaces Jurgen Klopp as manager of Liverpool
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Arne Slot will take on one of the most daunting challenges in football by replacing Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.

Slot was confirmed on Monday after he signed a long-term contract with the six-time European Cup winner and 19-time English champion.

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He will follow in the footsteps of an Anfield icon in Klopp, who ended Liverpool’s 30-year wait for the English title in 2020 and won a full set of major trophies in his time at the Merseyside club.

Slot comes in with a winning record of his own after leading Feyenoord to the Dutch title last year and following that with the Dutch Cup this season.

He will formally take up his role on June 1 and his contract runs through to 2027, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details of the contract have not been made public.

Slot’s appointment was expected for some time, as the 45-year-old Dutchman said he was in talks with Liverpool in April and announced he would be Klopp’s successor last week.

Slot has coached Feyenoord since 2021 and was previously with AZ Alkmaar. His work with both clubs has seen his reputation rise for his coaching methods and achievements in a short time.

Klopp’s legacy

Klopp stunned the world of football when he declared in January he would step down at the end of the season. The German established himself as one of the finest managers of his generation.

He won the Champions League in 2019, the Premier League in 2020, and the English League Cup and FA Cup in 2022. He departed with one final trophy, the League Cup in February.

Under his watch, Liverpool also won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup and was a beaten finalist in two more Champions Leagues.

Liverpool took its time identifying Klopp’s successor.

Michael Edwards, its former sporting director, returned in March as chief executive of football for the club’s American owners Fenway Sports Group and led the search.

Edwards was a key figure in Klopp’s success — overseeing the signings of star players like Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, and Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool fans can only hope he is as adept at identifying coaching talent after putting his faith in Slot.

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso was a leading contender for the job until he announced in March he was staying at Bayern Leverkusen after its unbeaten run to the German title.

Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim was among other potential candidates.

Joselu of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match between Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on May 8, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

After yet another magical night at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Real Madrid is back in the Champions League final.

The 14-time European champion pulled off another thrilling comeback on Wednesday, rallying to defeat Bayern Munich 2-1 and reach the final for the second time in three seasons.

Like it happened so many times in 2022, Madrid needed some late drama to advance.

Joselu scored in the 88th minute and then in stoppage time as Madrid advanced 4-3 on aggregate to set up a final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 in London.

“Well, it has happened again what has happened so many times before,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “It’s inexplicable. Fans who push us on, a fantastic stadium, players who never stop believing — it’s simply something magical.” Bayern had taken the lead on an Alphonso Davies goal in the 68th — and then deep in stoppage time thought it had equalized but hadn’t because of an offside call that Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel described as “disastrous” and “against the rules.”

Joselu’s first goal was a tap in after Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer spilled an easy save. The second was initially called off for offside but was eventually allowed after video review.

“You always dream of being part of moments like this,” the 34-year-old Joselu said. “Not even my best dreams were as good as this.”

It will be Madrid’s record-extending 18th European Cup final, and ninth in the Champions League era, also a record. Madrid beat Liverpool when it last made it to the final in 2022, a season marked by several late comebacks like that one it pulled off on Wednesday.

Madrid at the time pulled off thrilling comebacks at the Bernabeu against Manchester City in the semifinals, Chelsea in the quarterfinals and Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.

Six-time European champion Bayern was looking to return to the final for the first time since winning the competition in 2019-20. The loss meant there will be no rematch of the all-German final in 2013, when Bayern beat Dortmund to win its fifth European title.

“It hurts. It’ll take a while to recover, but on the one hand it’s a loss where we left it all out on the pitch,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said. “Of course, it’s tough to accept. It’s part of reality. No regrets.”

Dortmund, the 1997 European champion, eliminated Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on aggregate on Tuesday.

It was a mostly even match but Madrid created the most significant scoring chances. But it had not been able to get past what was a terrific performance by Neuer, who had made a series of difficult saves to keep Bayern in the match.

But the German international faltered in the final minutes, dropping an easy ball after a shot by Vinícius Júnior and allowing Joselu — who came off the bench in the 81st — to equalize from in front of the goal.

“Manu, who had been exceptional in saving us all night, made a mistake he wouldn’t make in another 100 years,” Tuchel said.

Neuer said “anyone who’s ever played football knows how I’m feeling right now.”

“That we’ve been knocked out in the closing stages, having led 1-0 until the 85th minute, it’s extremely bitter,” he said. “We’d taken one step to London, we saw ourselves in the final and now I’m lost for words.”

Joselu, a German-born striker, then gave Madrid the lead a minute into stoppage time after a cross by Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger off the left side.

The linesman initially raised the flag for offside, and it took a few moments before Madrid players and the crowd at the Bernabeu could celebrate the winner.

Bayern loudly complained at the end after a goal by Matthijs de Ligt didn’t count because the referee blew the whistle for offside without letting the play be completed.

De Ligt said the linesman apologized to him, saying he “made a mistake” for raising the flag without letting the play continue.

Davies, who had entered the match in the 27th to replace the injured Serge Gnabry, had given Bayern the lead by beating Rüdiger in a one-on-one situation, cutting back toward the middle of the area before firing a right-footed shot into the far corner past Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Madrid thought it had equalized a couple of minutes later but the goal was called off after video review because of a foul by defender Nacho Fernández on Joshua Kimmich.

Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain looks dejected as Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund celebrates victory with teammates after Borussia Dortmund defeat Paris Saint-Germain during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg on May 7, 2024 in Paris, France.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund showed great composure to reach their third Champions League final after Mats Hummels’ second-half goal earned the visitors a 1-0 victory against misfiring Paris St Germain for a deserved 2-0 aggregate win on Tuesday.

Hummels headed home from a corner five minutes into the second half to send the Germans, who won the title in 1997, into their first final in Europe’s top club competition since 2013.

They will meet either 14-times champions Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, who clash at the Bernabeu on Wednesday after a 2-2 draw in the first leg, in the June 1 showdown at Wembley.

PSG hit the woodwork four times but failed to find the net as Kylian Mbappe, who is widely expected to leave the club at the end of the season, was a shadow of his usual brilliant self.

PSG, who entered the tie as favourites to reach their second final after they finished runners-up in 2020, made an aggressive start and Mbappe had their first chance in the seventh minute with a half-volley as the hosts piled on the pressure.

With Mbappe on the left flank and Goncalo Ramos as a lone striker, the France forward had some space out wide and the possibility to cut in and threaten the Dortmund goal.

The visitors, however, were composed and held firm. Their confidence grew and they had their first opportunity through Julian Ryerson, whose shot hit the side netting.

Dortmund had a better chance in the 35th when, after a sharp counter attack following a woeful Mbappe miss, Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off a brilliant save to deny Karim Adeyemi.

PSG were lucky the score on the night was level at halftime.

Luis Enrique’s side stepped up a gear after the break with Warren Zaire Emery’s shot hitting the outside of the post after Mbappe’s attempt was deflected into his path by Ramos.

But Dortmund were more clinical as Hummels headed home from a corner five minutes after the interval to double the German side’s advantage over the two legs.

Ramos’s shot on the turn then went just over and Nuno Mendes’s 25-metre missile hit the post as PSG reacted swiftly.

Another Mbappe attempt was deflected onto the bar before Vitinha’s powerful shot also hit the woodwork.

PSG’s Ousmane Dembele was a constant threat after the hour mark but, just like the rest of the team, the France forward came more into the game far too late against a side who never lost their composure and fully deserve their place in the final.

Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp hugs goalscorer Harvey Elliott as he leaves the pitch during the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, on May 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The smile is back on Jurgen Klopp’s face — even if his Liverpool players seem intent on testing his nerves right to the end.

The Premier League title may be all but beyond the Merseyside club, but that doesn’t mean the drama is over for Klopp, who will step down at the end of the season.

Last week he was arguing on the sideline with Mohamed Salah as Liverpool effectively dropped out of the title race. And while Salah opened the scoring in a 4-2 win against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday, it was Harvey Elliott who appeared to bring the broadest smile to Klopp’s face with a wonderful long-range goal in what looked like being a cakewalk for Klopp’s team.

“What a goal,” the Liverpool manager said. “In the game you only see it flying in and I thought, That was a good shot.’ The goal I saw afterwards, there was not a lot of space left or right. It went exactly where it should be be. Top goal.”

Elliott’s strike, after goals from Salah, Andy Robertson and Cody Gakpo, fired Liverpool into a 4-0 lead before the game had even reached the hour mark. What followed was the unlikeliest of fightbacks from Spurs that might have made this another frustrating day in what has ultimately been a disappointing finale for Klopp at the end of nearly nine trophy-filled years.

Goals from Richarlison and Son Heung-min made it a much closer contest than it had ever looked like being. And it needed two outstanding saves from Alisson, a goal-line clearance from Joe Gomez and a VAR call to prevent it from being closer still.

“It’s a little bit of a mirror of the season. Really, really, really, good until we were really rubbish and then, we were okay again,” Klopp said.

A nervy finish didn’t stop the home fans from beckoning Klopp to produce his trademark post-match triple fist pump to the crowd after his penultimate home game in charge, with Feyenoord coach Arne Slot set to take over next season.

Mathematically, at least, it is not over for third-place Liverpool, which sits five points adrift of leader Arsenal with two games remaining. But, in reality, a late-season slump has killed Klopp’s hopes of walking away with a second Premier League crown of his reign.

His team had been heavily rebuilt over the past two seasons and was not expected to contend at the top so soon. But this season at one point offered Liverpool the hope of a quadruple of trophies. Now it feels like it is ending on an underwhelming note.

Still, Klopp, who delivered the English League Cup in February, will walk away from a team that is on the up and leave his successor with plenty of young talent to work with.

The 21-year-old Elliott is a prime example and he showcased his ample potential with an assist and a goal as Liverpool threatened to run riot.

His perfectly placed curling cross provided Gakpo with the simple task of heading in Liverpool’s third and then he swept an unstoppable shot from around 20 yards (meters) into the top corner and beyond Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

“Harvey is exceptional. Still so young. So exceptional,” Klopp said. “In the midfield position, it was probably one of the top three performances from him today. The goal was exceptional. Everyone needs moments to gain more confidence. It was a good moment. That helps definitely.”

Aston Villa slips

A bad week for Aston Villa got worse after a surprise 1-0 loss at Brighton.

Unai Emery’s team lost 4-2 at home to Olympiakos in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semifinal on Thursday. And on a day when it could have secured its place in next season’s Champions League, it suffered another setback when Joao Pedro headed home a rebound in the 87th after seeing his penalty saved by Robin Olsen.

Only Spurs’ loss at Anfield prevented it from being a bigger blow after the result at the Amex Stadium had given Ange Postecoglou’s team hope in its pursuit of Villa in fourth.

But Villa still missed out on the chance of making certain of a top-four finish.

Chelsea routs West Ham

Chelsea’s troubled season could still end on something of a high after Mauricio Pochettino’s team boosted its chances of European soccer next season with a 5-0 rout of West Ham.

The win at Stamford Bridge moved Chelsea up to seventh in the standings and two points behind sixth-place Newcastle. Only the top six teams in the Premier League will be guaranteed a place in Europe next season.

“We need to keep this momentum and belief going,” Pochettino said.

While Chelsea’s exorbitant spending under U.S. owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital was supposed to put the 2021 Champions League winner back in contention for the biggest prizes, qualification for Europe would represent progress after finishing in the bottom half of the table last year and another season of struggle this term.

After a morale-boosting 2-0 win against Tottenham on Thursday, Chelsea followed it up by thrashing West Ham.

Nicolas Jackson scored twice in the second half after Chelsea had raced to a 3-0 lead by the break through goals from Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher and Noni Madueke.

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer celebrates scoring their fourth goal against Manchester United with Benoit Badiashile and Alfie Gilchrist, on April 4, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Liverpool’s players overcame an unexpected test of their Premier League title credentials against last-place Sheffield United on Thursday. Manchester United, meanwhile, went into meltdown at Chelsea.

This was a latest reminder of the gulf that separates English soccer’s fiercest rivals ahead of their clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Liverpool is back on top after a 3-1 win against Sheffield United, while Manchester United conceded two goals in stoppage time in a stunning 4-3 loss at Chelsea.

Liverpool’s win further demonstrated the resolve of Jurgen Klopp’s team and the growing influence of Alexis Mac Allister, whose stunning second-half strike set up victory.

Anfield erupted as the Argentina international unleashed an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box that crashed into the top corner in the 76th minute.

The atmosphere had been getting increasingly tense before that with the game locked at 1-1. Substitute Cody Gakpo added a third for Liverpool in the 90th to make the win look more routine than it was.

“We had to dig very deep, but that is normal. Our attitude was good, the football was not great in a lot of moments,” Klopp said.

While Liverpool could be knocked off the top again by the time it heads to United on Sunday, the Merseyside club keeps on coming up with the answers as it stares down the challenge of Arsenal and Manchester City.

By contrast, United’s season descended deeper into crisis after losing in dramatic circumstances at Chelsea.

It doesn’t get any easier for Erik ten Hag’s team, which has to pick itself up for the challenge of facing a Liverpool team that is growing in confidence in its pursuit of the title.

United’s 12th league defeat of the campaign was played out in front of new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe at Stamford Bridge and came after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford.

The pressure on Ten Hag is growing.

“In five days we dropped five points. That is unacceptable,” he said. “We should have a high standard if we want to compete for Champions League football.”

United stunned

Having conceded late at Brentford, United suffered an even worse collapse at Chelsea after Cole Palmer scored twice in stoppage time to complete a hat trick and an unlikely comeback for Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

United had looked set to walk away with a morale-boosting win after recovering from a disastrous start — going 2-0 down early through a goal from Conor Gallagher and Palmer’s penalty.

Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes evened the score at 2-2 before halftime and Garnacho headed his team in front after the break.

But Diogo Dalot’s clumsy challenge on substitute Noni Madueke earned Chelsea a second penalty and Palmer — a boyhood United fan — converted in the 110th.

The drama wasn’t over yet. A minute later, Palmer’s effort from outside the box was deflected past Andre Onana to seal a spectacular win.

“(I’m) So happy because I think we deserved to win. It was tough, but overall we were the better team,” Pochettino said.

Liverpool on top

Liverpool’s win moved it two points clear of second-place Arsenal and three ahead of City in third, but Sheffield United had threatened to spring a surprise in the race for the title.

Up until Mac Allister’s strike it had looked like being a potentially frustrating night at Anfield after Conor Bradley’s own goal had evened the game at 1-1 — canceling out Darwin Nunez’s opener.

Mac Allister’s long-range strike restored the lead and lifted the mood before Gakpo made it 3-1 with a header.

“Patience is the most important thing. You can get frustrated or in a bad mood, but we stayed calm and focused,” Gakpo said.

Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka celebrates with team mates after the German cup match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Fortuna Duesseldorf in Leverkusen, Germany on April 3, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Bayer Leverkusen is on the verge of a historic league and cup double in Germany after sweeping aside local rival Fortuna Duesseldorf 4-0 in the German Cup semifinals.

Florian Wirtz scored twice on Wednesday as Xabi Alonso’s team, which also leads the Bundesliga by 13 points, marked its 40th game of the season unbeaten in all competitions.

Leverkusen faces off in the May 25 cup final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion against second-tier Kaiserslautern, which ended the surprise run of third-division Saarbruecken with a 2-0 win on Tuesday.

On a wet night, Leverkusen took the lead in the seventh minute when Jeremie Frimpong seized on a loose ball at the far post and lofted a shot over goalkeeper Florian Kastenmeier.

That forced Fortuna to open up its play in search of a goal, and Leverkusen promptly responded with a searing counterattack.

Three passes took the ball from Leverkusen’s touchline to the back of Fortuna’s net as Amine Adli made it 2-0. Soon it was three as Kastenmeier gave the ball away to Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich, who set up Wirtz to score.

Wirtz scored another from the penalty spot after a handball, before Leverkusen celebrated the return of striker Victor Boniface, back in action for the club for the first time since December after he was injured while training with Nigeria ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Leverkusen had a further boost last week when Alonso said he would stay on as coach amid speculation linking him with Liverpool and Bayern Munich. Since then, Leverkusen has won both its games and seen Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel concede the Bundesliga title race.

Fortuna, which is pushing for promotion from the second division, was a heavy underdog ahead of the game, even before its star midfielder Ao Tanaka was ruled out.

The Japan international had to go into urgent surgery to remove his appendix and gave his teammates a pregame thumbs-up gesture from a hospital bed.

Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland scores the team’s third goal against BSC Young Boys in the Champions League group game on October 25, 2023
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Newcastle was handed a Champions League reality check by Borussia Dortmund. A 1-0 loss to the German team at a soggy St. James’ Park on Wednesday was in stark contrast to Newcastle’s euphoric 4-1 thrashing of Paris Saint-Germain three weeks ago.

Turns out this hard-to-call group, which also contains AC Milan, might go right to the wire after all.

Dortmund ignited its Champions League campaign with a first win as Felix Nmecha turned in Nico Schlotterbeck’s cross in the 45th minute for what, surprisingly, was the only goal in an end-to-end encounter.

Newcastle, the top scorer in this season’s Premier League, couldn’t discover its clinical edge, hitting the goal frame twice in the second half through Callum Wilson and then Anthony Gordon in stoppage time.

Dortmund, which is in hot form after five straight wins in the German league, survived to join Newcastle on four points — two fewer than leader PSG.

Haaland, Mbappe on target

Superstar forwards Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé were both on target Wednesday to help boost their teams’ chances of reaching the Champions League knockout stage.

Haaland scored twice in defending champion Manchester City’s 3-1 win at Young Boys in Group G, while Mbappé set Paris Saint-Germain on the way to a crucial 3-0 home victory over AC Milan in Group F.

That broke a scoring drought in the competition for Haaland, who has nine in as many Premier League matches this season. Mbappé has eight in eight Ligue 1 games and also netted in PSG’s Champions League opener.

City now just needs to beat the same opponent in two weeks’ time to book its place in the last 16. Barcelona is in a similar situation after a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk maintained a perfect start to its Champions League campaign too.

PSG leads a group that is getting ever tighter and leaves Milan, last season’s semifinalist, with the prospect of not even qualifying for the Europa League as a consolation.