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☆ Mauricio Pochettino named as next Chelsea head coach
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is set to join Chelsea ahead of next season, the club announced on Monday. Pochettino, who left PSG last year, has signed an initial two-year contract at Chelsea and begins the new role on July 1. Pochettino gives instructions to PSG forward Kylian Mbappé during last season's Champions League game against Real Madrid. David Ramos/Getty ImagesThe Argentine joins a Chelsea team short on form but with plenty of star power in its ranks after the club spent liberally on signings over the past year. “We are delighted that Mauricio will be joining Chelsea.

☆ Bayern win Bundesliga with last-gasp goal in dramatic season finale
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Bayern finished on 71 points, ahead on goal difference from Dortmund. RB Leipzig and sensational Union Berlin are third and fourth respectively and will also compete in the Champions League next season. "It is unbelievable that I experience such a title race," said Bayern's Thomas Mueller, who celebrated a league-record 12th Bundesliga title. While the title win rescues some silverware in what has been a frustrating season for Bayern, the club sacked CEO Oliver Kahn, who was not in Cologne, and sports director Hasan Salihamdizic minutes after the title win. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bundesliga set for thrilling final day title decider
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In fact, the last season Bayern didn’t win the championship was the 2011/12 campaign, when now Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp guided Borussia Dortmund to the title. That leaves soccer fans looking to the Bundesliga for a dose of end-of-season drama with the championship set to be decided on the final day of the season. “We stopped moving, stopped helping, stopped showing courage.”Perhaps, Bayern had become complacent, suffering the shock loss despite taking a 25th-minute lead through Serge Gnabry. Former Chelsea and Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel took over at Bayern in March. Bayern travels to 10th-placed FC Köln on the final matchday hoping for a win and a surprise Dortmund slip up in what is set to be a tense final day.

☆ Bayern without injured Choupo-Moting, Stanisic against Werder
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUNICH, Germany, May 5 (Reuters) - Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will be without injured striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and defender Josip Stanisic when they travel with a "decimated squad" to Werder Bremen on Saturday, coach Thomas Tuchel said on the eve of the match. "He is feeling the knee and it causes discomfort," Tuchel said of Choupo-Moting's nagging injury. "He will out for about two weeks but two weeks at this stage are a lot and the number of matches is not increasing. Bayern reclaimed the lead last week with a win over Hertha Berlin as Dortmund slipped up against VfL Bochum with a draw. We have the chance to up the ante now but we cannot allow ourselves any more ups and downs," Tuchel said.

☆ Bayern focused only on Bundesliga, delay board meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUNICH, Germany, May 4 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich want as few distractions as possible as they look to salvage a disappointing season by at least retaining their Bundesliga title, delaying a much-anticipated board meeting until after the end of the season. After a shock German Cup exit with a home loss to Freiburg, Bayern were also eliminated in the Champions League last eight by Manchester City. With four games left and Bayern travelling to 12th placed Werder Bremen on Saturday, the club announced this week it would delay a May 22 board meeting until after the end of the season. "The Bayern Munich board has set a new date of May 30 for its scheduled second quarter board meeting," it said in a statement. Freiburg, in fourth on 56 points, host fifth-placed Leipzig, who have 54, in the battle for Champions League places.

☆ Bayern Munich situation difficult but not hopeless-coach Tuchel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, April 28 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich are playing catch-up to leaders Borussia Dortmund for the league title with five games remaining but coach Thomas Tuchel said the situation was not yet hopeless for his team and their shot at an 11th straight league crown. The Bavarians dropped to second place on 59, a point behind Dortmund, after last week's 3-1 loss to Mainz 05. "The situation has become more difficult for us now but it is not hopeless," Tuchel told a news conference. Hertha are in last place but have brought back former coach Pal Dardai in a last-ditch effort to avoid relegation. "I don't know if I will watch it," Tuchel said of the Dortmund game.

☆ Leaders Dortmund ready to open up gap with win over Bochum
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

With second-placed Bayern Munich, a point behind on 59, in action at home to Hertha Berlin on Sunday, victory over Bochum would pile more pressure on Dortmund's embattled title rivals. Their last league title dates back to 2012. Dortmund coach Edin Terzic could be without defender Nico Schlotterbeck against Bochum while Raphael Guerreiro trained alone earlier this week. They are in 15th place on 27 points, just two points above the relegation playoff spot. Hertha are without a win in their last seven games and are anchored in last place on 22 points points.

☆ Brentford deepen Chelsea's slump with 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The loss left toothless Chelsea 11th in the Premier League table, stumbling towards possibly their worst campaign since the 1993/94 season - when they finished 14th under Glenn Hoddle - despite their new U.S. owners' huge outlay on players. The three points pushed Brentford up a spot to ninth in the league, eight points ahead of their big-spending west London neighbours for whom this season cannot finish quickly enough. Media reports said Chelsea were close to hiring former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino as coach from next season. It doesn’t come in football because the Premier League moves so fast, it’s competitive," the former midfielder who is Chelsea's all-time top scorer, said. Brentford coach Thomas Frank was able to celebrate surpassing his side's points tally for all of last season - their first in the Premier League - with Wednesday's win.

☆ Bayern Munich suffer shock 3-1 loss at Mainz to leave title race open
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MAINZ, Germany, April 22 (Reuters) - League leaders Bayern Munich slumped to a 3-1 loss at Mainz 05 on Saturday, conceding all three goals in a span of 14 minutes in their latest slip-up which could prove costly in the race for the Bundesliga title with five games remaining. Bayern, chasing an 11th straight league crown, are on 59 points and second-placed Borussia Dortmund, on 57, can take over the lead with a win over Eintracht Frankfurt later on Saturday. "Too much has happened to this team and it struggles to bounce back when things don't go its way. We struggle to win matches. They now also risk missing out on the Bundesliga title after suffering a third defeat under Tuchel in seven matches.

☆ The Champions League Ventures Down Memory Lane
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Rory Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Bayern Munich will not take this well. The club is unlikely to shrug its shoulders at being eliminated from not only the Champions League but the German cup, too, in the space of a few days. Thomas Tuchel, freshly installed as Nagelsmann’s replacement, should be safe for now, but all around him will be a blur of change. There was a sense, watching Manchester City hold Bayern at bay on Wednesday evening, of two clubs moving in opposite directions. Like Juventus and Barcelona before it, Bayern Munich will at some point bow to, or be bowed by, England’s economic primacy.

☆ Under-pressure Bayern shift focus to Bundesliga and in-form Mainz
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUNICH, Germany, April 20 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich's players and coach Thomas Tuchel have no time to digest Wednesday's painful Champions League exit to Manchester City with the Bundesliga the only title left to fight for and in-form Mainz 05 posing the next obstacle in a rocky season. In the Cup it was Freiburg who beat them in Munich while City advanced with a comfortable 4-1 aggregate win. "At the end of the day, we are just scoring far too few goals," said midfielder Thomas Mueller. Bayern know that if they are to rescue their season with a record-extending 11th straight Bundesliga title and take some pressure off the club leadership they have to start scoring again on Saturday at Mainz. "This is now our main focus, not to dwell too long on this bitter elimination (by City)."

☆ UEFA Chamions League: Manchester City to face Real Madrid in semifinals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Manchester City took another step towards winning its first Champions League trophy after cruising to a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich on Wednesday to secure a 4-1 aggregate win in the quarterfinals. “I’m so happy for three years in a row to be in the Champions League semifinals,” City manager Pep Guardiola told reporters after the second leg at the Allianz Arena. The Norwegian striker pounced on a mistake by defender Dayot Upamecano to smash home a finish into the top corner of the net in the 57th minute – his 12th Champions League goal of the season. “I am very satisfied with both games against Manchester City and with the way we presented ourselves today,” Tuchel told reporters after the match. The Italian side will face fierce city rival AC Milan for a place in the Champions League final where the winner will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in Istanbul on June 10.

☆ Chelsea: How American billionaire owner blew over $600 million but ended up with nothing this season
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —“We’re all in – 100%,” US billionaire businessman Todd Boehly told Chelsea fans upon his arrival at the club in May 2022. Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League after losing to Real Madrid 4-0 on aggregate. Following the loss against Real Madrid, Chelsea captain Thiago Silva spoke candidly to reporters on the issues that come with this kind of spending. Besides Kai Havertz and Marc Cucurella, no Chelsea outfield player has started more than 20 games in the Premier League this season. The Blues are on course to have their lowest scoring season in Premier League history with their current total of 30 goals.

☆ Tuchel praises Bayern despite second cup exit in two weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUNICH, Germany, April 20 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel heaped praise on his team despite their Champions League exit at the hands of Manchester City after a 1-1 draw in their quarter-final return leg in Germany on Wednesday dumped them out 4-1 on aggregate. "I am very satisfied with both games against Manchester City and with the way we presented ourselves today," Tuchel told reporters. But City's top scorer Erling Haaland struck after the restart, seconds after Bayern had gone close themselves, before a late Joshua Kimmich penalty earned Bayern a draw. But in order to beat the best team you need more than just 100%. Unfortunately we can also play on a different level and sometimes in a game the concentration level is not kept up," Tuchel said.

☆ Manchester City reach Champions League semis with 1-1 draw at Bayern
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Soccer Football - Champions League - Quarter Final - Second Leg - Bayern Munich v Manchester City - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - April 19, 2023 Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/Heiko BeckerMUNICH, Germany, April 19 (Reuters) - Manchester City drew 1-1 at Bayern Munich on Wednesday to cruise into the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-1 aggregate win that moved them a step closer to an elusive first title in the competition. City forward Erling Haaland, who had missed a first-half penalty, made amends in the 57th minute, drilling in his 48th goal in all competitions this season to kill off the tie. Losing finalists in 2021, Pep Guardiola's team had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg and soaked up considerable Bayern pressure before Haaland's goal. City will next play holders Real Madrid in the last four. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UEFA Champions League: Erling Haaland breaks another scoring record as Manchester City humbles Bayern Munich
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Norwegian superstar found the target yet again on Tuesday as Manchester City beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at the Etihad Stadium. It’s yet another chapter in the 22-year-old’s astonishing debut season at City, which currently sees him top scorer in both the Premier League and Champions League. When we have the momentum, we are clinical.”Haaland scores his side's third goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first-leg. Tim Goode/APTuesday’s win was a major statement from City which looks serious about winning its first ever Champions League title this season. We need to understand and swallow this kind of defeat.”Elsewhere, Inter Milan beat Benfica 2-0 in Tuesday’s other Champions League quarterfinal first leg – Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku getting the goals.

☆ Guardiola defends City's lack of Champions League success
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Guardiola has won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cups at City but European success has eluded the manager who won the trophy twice as Barcelona manager. Under the Spanish manager, City have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for six straight seasons, with the English club's best finish being runners-up in 2021. When asked how much he wanted to win the Champions League title with City, Guardiola on Monday told reporters, "a lot". Every season the work you have to do is to stay in competitions - the Premier League, the Champions League, all the cups - the biggest goal is to stay in competitions as long as you can." On Tuesday, Guardiola and City will come up against Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel in the Champions League for the first time since the German manager's Chelsea team beat them in the 2021 final.

☆ Whirlwind Bayern crush Dortmund 4-2 to go top in Tuchel debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUNICH, Germany, April 1 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich overran a hapless Borussia Dortmund to win Der Klassiker 4-2 on Saturday as three goals in the opening 23 minutes helped them reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga and hand new coach Thomas Tuchel a winning start. With Tuchel, who also coached Dortmund from 2015-2107, having replaced Julian Nagelsmann on the Bayern bench, the hosts were all over their title rivals from the start. With Dortmund's defence torn to shreds and club bosses frozen in their seats at the Allianz Arena, Bayern never took their foot off the gas. Some sloppy finishing, however, saw them squander half a dozen golden chances in the second half before Dortmund struck twice late in the game, with an Emre Can penalty in the 72nd minute and a stoppage-time effort from Donyell Malen. Tuchel, who previously also coached Paris St Germain and Chelsea, could not have dreamt of a better start with Bayern on course for a record-stretching 11th league crown.

☆ Struggling Southampton grab vital 1-0 win at goal-shy Chelsea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Clare Lovell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A trademark James Ward-Prowse free kick earned basement club Southampton a precious three points at Chelsea in a scrappy 1-0 Premier League win on Saturday and piled more pressure on home coach Graham Potter. Azpilicueta needed nearly 10 minutes of treatment on the pitch in the second half after he received a kick to the head in a goalmouth clash. Chelsea are languishing in 10th place on 31 points from 23 games and are 10 points adrift of the top four. Southampton have now done the double over Chelsea this season after beating them 2-1 in August, a month before Potter took over from the sacked Thomas Tuchel. ($1 = 0.8309 pounds)Reporting by Clare Lovell; Editing by Ken Ferris and Clare FallonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rule-bending Chelsea take transfer gamble to give Potter ultimate selection headache
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Peter Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Premier League soccer clubs spent a record 815 million pounds ($1.00 billion) in the January transfer window, an analysis from Deloitte's Sports Business Group said on Wednesday. It has, however, angered those who claim the Premier League is becoming a de facto European Super League due to its spending power. "What I'm worried about is the Premier League, and I've been worried for many years now," Spain's La Liga president Javier Tebas told a new conference this month. There is no sustainability in the Premier League. The Premier League is not a financially sustainable model."

☆ Chelsea earn scrappy 1-0 win over Palace to ease pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Clare Lovell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It was only the second league win in 10 matches for the home side who remain in an unaccustomed 10th place half-way through the season. Today we had five young players in the starting 11, they are doing a really good job at the moment." "Today we are happy for the three points," said Potter, who took over from Thomas Tuchel in September. Palace are in 12th place, six points behind Chelsea. Before kickoff, former Chelsea players who had been coached by or appeared alongside Gianluca Vialli joined the teams to pay tribute to the former Italy international and Chelsea player-manager who died 10 days ago.

☆ Felix red mist another blow for Chelsea and Potter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Chelsea manager Graham Potter said "the hits keep coming" after his new signing Joao Felix was sent off on his Premier League debut as the Blues lost 2-1 at Fulham on Thursday. Felix, whose loan signing cost Chelsea a reported nine million pounds, is now set to miss the next three league matches against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Fulham. "It was another blow, the hits keep coming, I thought he (Felix) was very good up until then," Potter told BT Sport. Carlos Vinicius scored the decisive goal in the second half after Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly had cancelled out Willian's opening strike. There's no other solution, keep focused go to the next match and try to get three points," Potter said.

☆ Potter says managing Chelsea is the hardest job in football
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

I think it is probably the hardest job in football because of that leadership change and the expectations because of, rightly, where people see Chelsea," Potter said before Chelsea's trip to Fulham on Thursday. "The reality of where the club is in terms of establishing itself as a well-run football club that functions well in a really competitive environment, maybe we're not there yet. "I'm not after pity, I'm really grateful and privileged to be here," Potter said. "This club was run a certain way for 20 years and run really well. ($1=0.82 pounds)Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Neil FullickOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Man City crush Chelsea in FA Cup, Stevenage stun Villa
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Richard Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Elsewhere, League Two (fourth tier) side Stevenage pulled off the shock of the weekend by winning 2-1 at Premier League Aston Villa, scoring two goals in the final few minutes. City will play at home in the fourth round against either Premier League leaders Arsenal or League One side Oxford United, who meet on Monday. Potter said City were the last team he could wish to face during the team's difficult run of form. Walsall beat Stockport County 2-1, Stoke City won 3-0 at Hartlepool, Blackburn Rovers beat Norwich City 1-0 and Derby County beat Barnsley 3-0 to also make it to the fourth round. Bristol City and Swansea City will meet again in a replay after drawing 1-1.

☆ 'Captain America' Pulisic faces sky-high World Cup expectations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The pressure is on for "Captain America" Christian Pulisic to put on a superhero performance on his World Cup debut in Qatar, building on years of sky-high expectations from his U.S. fans. He was the youngest man to feature in a U.S. World Cup qualifier six years ago aged 17 before suffering the bitter disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2018 edition. The U.S. will be praying he does not pick up an injury ahead of the World Cup with Chelsea involved in so many matches. "And, you know, everything will fall into place once the World Cup comes around." He's seen it all, done it all and I think the World Cup will be a great moment for him."

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