File picture of Manchester United’s Anthony Martial during a Champions League match
| Photo Credit: AP

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June, the Frenchman said on Monday.

The 28-year-old arrived at Old Trafford from AS Monaco in 2015 and has since scored 90 goals in 317 games for the Red Devils.

The departure was expected, as he had struggled with injuries in recent seasons and had not been in the squad for months.

He not in the team for the 2-1 FA Cup final victory against Manchester City on Saturday.

“It’s with great emotion that I write to you today to say goodbye. After nine incredible years at the club, the time has come for me to turn a new page in my career,” he said on Instagram.

“You have been an unwavering support, through the good times and the difficult. Your passion and loyalty have been a constant source of motivation for me.”

French defender Raphael Varane also stated he would leave United earlier in May.

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 Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has left the Premier League club
| Photo Credit: AP

Mauricio Pochettino has left his job as Chelsea manager by mutual consent after one season in charge, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season,” sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said in a statement.

“He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best in his future coaching career.”

Pochettino joined Chelsea ahead of the 2023-24 season when he replaced interim manager Frank Lampard as the club’s new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital looked to freshen things up at Stamford Bridge after finishing 12th in the previous campaign.

Although Chelsea started the season poorly and found themselves in the bottom half of the standings despite spending more than any club in Europe, Pochettino managed to guide the London club to sixth in the Premier League standings.

Speculation had been rife that the former Paris St Germain and Tottenham Hotspur boss would be gone after just one year in charge but Pochettino remained tight-lipped about his future when asked after their final game of the season on Sunday.

“Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and sporting directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club’s history,” Pochettino said on Tuesday.

“The club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come.”