Jude Bellingham hailed the “proudest day” of his life as he spoke for the first time as a Real Madrid player.
Real announced the signing of the 19-year-old England international on Wednesday and he was unveiled in the Spanish capital on Thursday afternoon after signing a six-year deal.
The LaLiga giants paid an initial 103million euros (£88.5m) to land Bellingham, who moved to Germany from boyhood club Birmingham in 2020.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)
He had been linked with a return to England with the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool but ultimately decided to join the record 14-time European Cup winners.
With his parents watching on, Bellingham said: “Thank you for everyone for joining me on the proudest day of my…
Mason Mount and Kai Havertz struck as Chelsea relaunched their Premier League season with a much-needed 2-0 victory against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter s side headed into the mid-season World Cup break last month having failed to notch a win in their previous five top-flight games, with three losses on the bounce to boot.
An impressive performance from the hosts saw them break their barren run, though it came at a cost with Reece James forced off injured in his first match since October.
The outcome means Bournemouth have had two losses in two competitive games under head coach Gary O Neil since he took charge of the Cherries on a permanent basis, having been Scott Parker s interim successor for the majority of the season.
Victory for i…
Kyogo Furuhashi aims to keep Celtic fans smiling as he prepares for the new season after recently signing a new deal.
After scoring 54 goals in 83 appearances for the Hoops since his arrival from Vissel Kobe in July 2021, the 28-year-old signed a new four-year contract with the Parkhead club earlier in the month.
Furuhashi’s popularity among the Celtic support increased further last season as he helped the Hoops win the domestic treble, and the Japan forward expressed his gratitude for the support, telling the club’s official website: “From children to elderly people, a lot of people are cheering and supporting us.
“Once I step outside of the house and go into the city, many people talk to me, and at the stadium, all the supporters are cheering us from th…
Barcelona president Joan Laporta thinks it is no coincidence allegations that the club made large payments to a former vice-president of Spain s Technical Committee of Referees have been made now.
Radio station Ser Catalunya on Wednesday claimed Barca paid €1.4million to a company part-owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira between 2016 and 2018.
Former LaLiga referee Negreira held his role with the Royal Spanish Football Federation from 1994 to 2018.
It is alleged Barca wanted to ensure that there would be complete neutrality in refereeing decisions affecting the Catalan club.
Barca responded with a statement on Wednesday saying they had hired the services of an external consultant that supplied the club s technical secretaries with reports in video for…
With all of Europe’s elite might have broken up for March’s international break, it should be England’s lower tiers that steal most of Tuesday’s attention.
So, for those of you who are looking to stick on a midweek flutter, we have found a pair of intriguing betting markets that are worth keeping an eye out for on Tuesday night.
19:45 Braintree vs Weymouth
Although Braintree might have eventually fallen short in their bid to book a fifth-tier return last season, Tuesday’s hosts are certainly firing on all cylinders this time around. Leading the chase to secure a bronze medal finish and with the mood in their camp at a continued high, the Essex-based outfit will be smelling a golden opportunity here.
Claiming a 1-0 victory when they travelled …
Werder Bremen have suspended Naby Keita for the rest of the season and imposed a “substantial” fine after accusing him of walking out of Sunday’s Bundesliga clash with Bayer Leverkusen.
The 29-year-old former Liverpool midfielder did not feature in a 5-0 defeat at the Bay Arena, with his club claiming he had chosen “not to travel to the ground with the team and decided to go home instead” after discovering he was not in the starting line-up.
A statement on the club’s official website said: “Werder Bremen have suspended Naby Keita until the end of the season. The club have also handed the midfielder a substantial fine.”
SV Werder Bremen have suspended Naby Keïta until the end of the season.
The club have also handed the midfielder a substa…
Nasser Al-Khelaifi has replaced Andrea Agnelli as chairman of the European Clubs Association (ECA) after the breakdown of the proposed European Super League.
Paris Saint-Germain – for whom Al-Khelaifi is chairman and chief executive – were, along with Bayern Munich, one of the few heavyweight European clubs to elect against joining the planned breakaway competition, which collapsed before it ever got started.
Only Real Madrid and Barcelona are yet to confirm their withdrawal from the now-suspended tournament, after all six English teams involved pulled out on Tuesday, with Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter and Milan following suit on Wednesday.
During a remarkable situation which rolled out over Sunday and Monday, Juve chief Agnelli – a major driving force …
While Portugal might have needed a second-half flurry to get the job done on Thursday night, Roberto Martinez’s side extended on their EURO 24 qualifying romp as they secured a 2-0 victory against Liechtenstein.
Although the former European champions might have been frustrated for large spells, Portugal came roaring back after the interval as the record-breaking Cristiano Ronaldo produced a screamer just seconds after the half-time break.
Continuing on what has been a Group J romp this year and already breezing their way to EURO 24 without having to get out of second gear, Martinez’s superstar squad have made quite the statement of intent.
With Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo bagging his 10th international strike just 11 minutes after Ronaldo’s opener, Por…
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo admits the desire to dominate drove the players to their historic 7-0 win over arch-rivals Manchester United last season.
Erik ten Hag’s side suffered the largest defeat in the two clubs’ 211-game history in March, conceding six times in the second half as they were completely overwhelmed.
There was a party atmosphere in the Anfield stands that afternoon but on the pitch Gakpo said the mood was professional and clinical.
“It was a great game that one. We knew we had to win and after a good first half from both teams the second half we really dominated and scored a lot of goals,” the Dutchman said.
“I scored just before half-time and I think just two minutes after half-time Darwin (Nunez) scored the second one and two…
Best Odds: 21/10
Bookmaker:
Looking to extend on their early-season romp this weekend, Barcelona will welcome Celta Vigo to Catalonia on Saturday evening.
Barcelona
Starting with the hosts, opening their Champions League adventure with a thumping performance in Catalonia as they claimed a 5-0 romp against Antwerp, Barcelona are certainly riding a recent wave of momentum. Making La Liga history last season as they got their hands on a first domestic crown since 2019, Xavi’s squad should find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Marking their return from September’s international break with another stellar display as they landed a 5-0 victory against Real Betis, the Spanish heavyweight will be looking to lay down another marker this weekend. Heading into…