Premier League
Despite being under contract with the USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino has spoken about a possible return to the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino established himself as one of the top managers in the world during his time in England. That success ultimately led to his appointment as USMNT head coach ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but he has now acknowledged that he sees a potential return to the Premier League in his future. During a recent interview on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Pochettino reflected on the current state of Tottenham Hotspur—a club he managed from 2014 to 2019—and admitted his desire to return. “One day, yes, because I really like England,” he said. “I think my profile – my human profile and my coaching profile – match very well with the Premier League,” added the 54-year-old Argentine, who has spent more than half of his managerial career in England. At Tottenham, Pochettino enjoyed his most successful spell, leading the team to a runner-up finish in the EFL Cup in 2015 and, most notably, to the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League final, where they lost to Liverpool. During those five and a half years, he also helped elevate players such as Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Christian Eriksen, and Son Heung-min to stardom. Pochettino was Harry Kane’s manager at Tottenham. Before that, Poch managed Southampton, where results were less consistent but his style of play helped propel him into the European elite. His most recent Premier League experience came with Chelsea, whom he led during the 2023-24 season, posting a 50.98% win rate. Pochettino laments Tottenham’s current struggles After spending more than five years at Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino has a strong connection with the club. With Spurs now going through a difficult period and facing a serious risk of relegation to the Championship, the coach shared his thoughts. “It’s really sad because I know how the people are suffering there, inside the club and also the fans. It’s difficult to accept,” he explained. “I really love Tottenham. It’s going to be a part of my life, an important part of my life as a coach, my personal life too.” The challenge ahead for Pochettino Beyond his future ambitions of returning to the Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino faces what may be the biggest challenge of his career. This summer, he will manage at a World Cup for the first time, and he will do so as head coach of the tournament’s main host nation. The USMNT’s goal this year is to improve on previous World Cup performances. After reaching the quarterfinals in South Korea–Japan 2002, they have not advanced beyond the Round of 16, and have also endured setbacks such as a group-stage exit in Brazil 2014 and failure to qualify for Russia 2018. The USMNT will open their 2026 World Cup campaign on June 12 against Paraguay in Matchday 1 of Group D at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. One week later, they will face Australia in Seattle before returning to California on June 25 to take on Turkey.
Oliver Glasner's time as Crystal Palace coach will be over at the end of the season, but he has already given Eagles fans memories of a lifetime by leading them to last season's FA Cup triumph. Crucial to Palace's run in the competition has been key players stepping up, and Ismaila Sarr continued his superb streak with an eighth goal, making him the joint top scorer this term, and taking his season's tally to 18 in all competitions. The Norwegian was Palace's record signing in the January transfer window following a deal worth up to £48m, but has struggled to live up to his price tag, having scored just three Premier League goals.
La Liga
Serie A
Bundesliga
In a recent report, journalist Graeme Bailey revealed that Manchester City are facing stiff competition for Bayer 04 Leverkusen playmaker Ibrahim Maza. It has been mentioned that the Red Devils would ...
Ligue 1
Page 1
José Mourinho's release clause from Benfica has an expiration date that may hurry Real Madrid if they want to hire him. The search for a new manager may begin very soon for Real Madrid after a year without trophies. However, they may not have much time to think if they want José Mourinho, because his release clause at Benfica has an expiration date. If Florentino Pérez wants to hire Mourinho to replace Álvaro Arbeloa, he would have to pay the release clause. According to Fabrizio Romano, May is the last month in which the Portuguese manager can trigger that option for 3-4 million euros. That date would come after the season ends. The Athletic says it is 10 days after Benfica’s final match, which would make May 27 the final chance to activate the clause. What would have to happen first is for Real Madrid to decide who they want. Mourinho isn’t thinking about Real Madrid There is nothing confirmed about Real Madrid yet. In a season without trophies, their slim chance of winning one is in La Liga, but they are 11 points behind Barcelona with just five matches remaining. Mourinho was Real Madrid’s manager from 2010 to 2013 Talk around Mourinho as a preferred option for club president Pérez has fueled rumors about a return to the club where he managed before. It is not something the manager appears to be thinking about. Mourinho was asked about the possibility of managing Real Madrid this year in an interview with Mediaset Italia, and he gave a clear answer focused on the present: “My next goal is taking Benfica to the Champions League.” Benfica’s season under Mourinho Benfica have not had the season expected after Mourinho’s arrival. Even if they have not lost in the Primeira Liga, they are seven points behind Porto with three matches remaining. In the Taça de Portugal they were eliminated by Porto in the quarterfinals. Their Champions League run ended against Real Madrid in the playoff.
Bayern Munich legend and Supervisory Board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated that Michael Olise wouldn't leave the club even for a record-breaking fee of €200M. Michael Olise has established himself as one of the most exciting talents in world soccer, reaching a level of world-class consistency during his time at Bayern Munich. While his breakthrough has inevitably attracted interest from other clubs, club legend and Supervisory Board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has made clear that Bayern would not part with the winger even for a record fee of €200 million. Rummenigge served as Bayern‘s CEO from 2002 to 2021 and remains a key figure within the club’s structure under the leadership now overseen by Oliver Kahn. Under the current project with Vincent Kompany as head coach, Olise has emerged as an indispensable piece, currently standing as the most valuable player in the entire Bundesliga with a market value of €140 million according to Transfermarkt. In a conversation with the portal t-online, Rummenigge was asked directly whether a €200 million offer would be enough to pry Olise away from Munich, and his answer left no room for ambiguity. “For a player like Olise, there is no price tag that would make us flinch,” he said. To illustrate the principle at stake, Rummenigge reached back to one of Bayern’s most famous moments of resolve in the transfer market, drawing a parallel with another French winger. “In 2009, we had an incredible offer from Chelsea for Franck Ribéry. At the time, that would have been a new world transfer record. I went to our CFO at the time, Karl Hopfner, and Uli Hoeneß. We discussed what to do with this offer for two hours,” he recalled. Michael Olise of FC Bayern Munich scores his team’s second goal past Matvey Safonov of Paris Saint-Germain. From that deliberation, Rummenigge said, came a guiding principle that has shaped the club’s transfer policy ever since. “On that day, we decided something fundamental: that in the future, we would no longer sell any player whose sporting presence we would miss. And this unwritten law still applies today,” he added. According to Sport Bild, Olise has been linked with Real Madrid and Liverpool, the latter potentially looking for a successor to Mohamed Salah following his departure at the end of the 2025-26 season. With 20 goals and 29 assists across 47 appearances for Bayern, persuading either the club or the player to part ways would be an extraordinarily difficult task. Bayern’s major business with Olise It was Bayern Munich who ultimately won the race for Olise’s signature in the summer of 2024, fending off interest from clubs including Manchester United to bring the winger to Germany. The Bavarian side paid Crystal Palace €53 million for a player contracted through June 2029, and in less than two years, that investment has ballooned in value. According to Transfermarkt, Olise’s current market value stands at €140 million, nearly three times the €55 million fee at which he departed Palace. Furthermore, should any club meet the €200 million threshold Rummenigge dismissed, Olise would become the second most expensive transfer in soccer history, overtaking Kylian Mbappe at €180 million and Ousmane Dembele at €148 million, with only Neymar’s record fee of €222 million remaining beyond reach.
Nice secured a 2–0 win away at Strasbourg in the French Cup semi-final and will face Lens in the final. Elye Wahi made the difference with a brace. Initially dominated by a Strasbourg side sitting eighth in Ligue 1, Nice, 15th, remained defensively solid and clinically efficient in attack. They will return to the Stade de France on May 22, four years after losing their previous final to Nantes (1–0).
