Candidates fear a poisoned gift – Reuters

The turmoil at Manchester United is worrying leadership candidates. MORE: Chelsea rivals eye free agents amid ownership crisis.

Jump to: Rival clubs invade Chelsea free agents | US investors watch Espanyol from LaLiga | Argentina looking to lure Utd youngster from Spain | Mother hands over son to police after incident in Liga MX | Dybala appeals for help with Ukrainian emergency fund

United manager candidates fear a poisoned gift

Manchester United chiefs are increasingly concerned that a chaotic end to the season will have a detrimental impact on their search for a new permanent manager, sources have told ESPN.

United have begun the process of appointing their next manager with contacts made through intermediaries to assess the availability of preferred candidates. However, there are fears that a string of poor results and the risk of missing out on Champions League football, along with doubts over the future of senior players and reports of unrest within the squad, could hinder the process.

Sources have told ESPN that at least one manager on the job has used his own contacts to assess the mood in the dressing room and gauge how determined key players are to stay at Old Trafford in a bid to find out the scale of a reconstruction. mandatory. Conversations with the candidates also touched on what would constitute short-term success at the club, with fears it could take years for United to become realistic challengers in the Premier League and Champions League.

– Stream live games and replays on ESPN+ (US only)
– Who could be United’s next manager?
– Ogden: Pochettino to United later

PSG’s Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax boss Erik ten Hag are favorites for the role, but United remain engaged in a thorough search which will include a number of candidates. Sources have told ESPN that the club hope to make an announcement before the end of the season to ensure the new man can play a full part in bringing in new players this summer. Old Trafford managers have veto power over signings with the recruiting department.

Doubts over key players also add to the uncertainty at United. Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard are out of contract this summer and nine first-team players have contracts expiring in 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to decide if he will stay at the club next season, while sources have told ESPN that Marcus Rashford has reservations about his future. Rashford has a contract until 2023 with the option of another year but is in no rush to sign an extension.

The 24-year-old is keen to win back his place in the squad under caretaker boss Ralf Rangnick and find a regular job after being tried out in a number of roles since joining the senior side as a teenager. –Rob Dawson

Rival clubs invade Chelsea free agents

Rival clubs are increasingly confident they can steer Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta away from Chelsea, amid the turmoil surrounding owner Roman Abramovich, sources have told ESPN.

In a dramatic intervention, the UK government imposed sanctions on Abramovich on Thursday, meaning Chelsea are effectively frozen as one of Abramovich’s assets. The freeze means the sale of the club is on hold and they cannot sign new player contracts.

– Olley, Marcotti: What does Abramovich’s sale mean for Chelsea?

Sources have told ESPN, however, that while a sale cannot take place as things stand, Abramovich could apply for a license to authorize a sale, which the UK government would consider.

Such a license would not allow Abramovich to benefit from the sale of the club as long as he remains subject to sanctions, and no offer has reached his £3 billion worth of the club.

Several Chelsea staff, including manager Thomas Tuchel, players Ji So-yun, Maren Mjelde, Jonna Andersson and Drew Spence and the men’s trio, admitted this week there were doubts Christensen would stay.

The Danish centre-back has held talks with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, among other clubs. Barcelona are also hoping to land Azpilicueta, who has attracted interest from Atletico Madrid, while Rudiger’s suitors include Manchester United, Real Madrid and Newcastle United.

The government has issued a special license for Chelsea to remain operational, which includes playing fixtures, paying staff and allowing season ticket holders to attend home games. This will be kept under review and expires on May 31, or when Abramovich sells Chelsea – whichever comes first – and there is hope at Stamford Bridge that all three can be retained for next season and beyond.

Barcelona were already growing confident of attracting Christensen and Azpilicueta ahead of Thursday’s announcement and while Rudiger is increasingly likely to stay, his future is more uncertain than ever. –James Olley

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James Olley explains the difficulties Chelsea will face in convincing their out-of-contract players to stay.

US investors watch Espanyol from LaLiga

A group of American investors led by owners of the NBA’s Orlando Magic and NFL team Minnesota Vikings have expressed interest in buying the club from LaLiga Espanyol, sources have confirmed to ESPN.

Barcelona-based Espanyol have been owned by Chinese businessman Chen Yansheng since 2016 but sources say he is ready to listen to offers from the club. The American consortium which includes Dan DeVos, owner of the Magic, and the Wilf family (Zygi, Leonard and Mark) who lead the Vikings and MLS from the Orlando City side, have sounded out a deal.

Mallorca is the only US-owned club in the top flight of Spanish football. however, there are several in the Premier League. Liverpool is owned by American businessman John W. Henry and Manchester United is owned by the Glazer family who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Burnley, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Leeds United have mixed ownership.

Espanyol are 12th in La Liga on 32 points, eight points clear of the relegation zone with 11 games remaining. —Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

Argentina looking to lure Utd youngster from Spain

The Argentine will be hoping a senior call-up will convince highly-rated Manchester United youngster Alejandro Garnacho to switch international allegiance to Spain, sources have told ESPN.

Garnacho, 17, was one of the surprise inclusions in Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador at the end of March. The striker, who scored as United booked their place in the FA Youth Cup final this week, hasn’t played for the first team at Old Trafford but could find himself rubbing shoulders with Lionel Messi and co. later this month.

Garnacho, who joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2020, has previously represented Spain at youth level and has never visited Argentina – the country where his mother is from. However, sources have told ESPN that Argentina are trying much harder than Spain to get him to commit his international future to the Albiceste long-term. —Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

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Julien Laurens believes Sergio Aguero can have a positive influence on Argentina if he joins the coaching staff for the World Cup.

Mother hands over son to police after incident in Liga MX

A man involved in the violent incidents at Saturday’s Liga MX game in Santiago de Querétaro has been handed over to police by his mother.

The woman, who said she was ‘heartbroken’, recognized her son through widely circulated videos on social media of clashes between supporters during Querétaro’s game against Atlas visiting the Estadio Corregidora.

The match was suspended in the 62nd minute after violence in the stands spilled onto the pitch, and 26 people were injured in the clashes while police arrested 14 people, including the person who was brought by his mother.

“The authorities came to my house and he [the son] wasn’t there,” she mentioned. “The police told me that I had the possibility of denouncing him if he communicated with me for his good and for ours. He arrived a while ago and I spoke to him and told him what the situation was.

“He said nothing, accepted everything and he said yes so here it is [at the crime investigation police department] we are.

« I’m heartbroken, crushed but I’m here and I’m with him, » she added.

– Liga MX: What changed after the Querétaro-Atlas violence?
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The individual in question was examined by doctors from the Querétaro public prosecutor’s office before being transferred to the penitentiary of San Jose el Alto.

More than 400 videos of the incident have been made available to authorities to identify the attackers and those who initiated the brawl. The prosecutors office has asked for help in the identification of 14 other people suspected of involvement in what has been described by the country’s media as « the darkest day in Mexican football ».

Among the injured, one person remains in the General Hospital of Querétaro while the others are discharged.

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre was among those shocked by the horrific scenes in Querétaro.

« It was horrible, » said Aguirre, who recently took charge of Mexican club Monterrey, noted. “I’ve been in professional football for 45 years, I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve been to many places. »

Those arrested are should face charges violence at a sporting event and attempted homicide. Those found guilty will also face lifetime stadium bans. Mexican football authorities have punished Querétaro, who will be forced to play his home games behind closed doors for a year, while a three-year ban has been imposed on his supporter groups.

Liga MX has also approved other security measures to prevent such episodes from happening again, including the implementation of fan IDs from the 2022-23 campaign. –Adriana Garcia

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Spectators rush onto the pitch after fights broke out in the stands between Querétaro and Atlas fans.

Dybala appeals for help with Ukrainian emergency fund

Juventus striker Paulo Dybala calls on professional footballers around the world to get in touch with Common Goal to help those affected by the war in Ukraine.

The charity initiative, initially led by Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata, set up the Team Up for Ukraine emergency response.

Common Goal already supports the victims of the conflict but Dybala, who is already one of the 200 members of the fund, appeals to other actors.

He said: “It is heartbreaking to see what is happening in Ukraine. Common Goal Team Up For Ukraine’s emergency response provides an opportunity to work together to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and ensure long-term support for people affected by war.

“Common Goal invites everyone in football and society at large to get in touch directly if they wish to identify ways in which they can provide support. » –Rob Dawson