Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has issued an ultimatum ahead of next week’s Uefa Europa League final against Arsenal.
In a bold move Sarri has told the Chelsea board to “sack me now” if his future depends on the result in Baku. His words are the focus of the majority of today’s newspaper back pages.
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Fifa scrap expansion plans
Fifa’s plan to increase the number of teams for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been scrapped.
The Times reports that football’s global governing body wanted to expand the next World Cup from 32 to 48 teams. However, political problems in the Gulf and Middle East have proved too big a challenge to overcome.
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Zimbabwe’s driving crisisUnder the Radar Southern African nation is experiencing a ‘public health disaster’ with one of the highest road fatality rates in the world
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The Mint’s 250th anniversary coins face a whitewashing controversyThe Explainer The designs omitted several notable moments for civil rights and women’s rights
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‘If regulators nix the rail merger, supply chain inefficiency will persist’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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Amorim follows Maresca out of Premier League after ‘awful’ seasonIn the Spotlight Manchester United head coach sacked after dismal results and outburst against leadership, echoing comments by Chelsea boss when he quit last week
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Five years after his death, Diego Maradona’s family demand justiceIn the Spotlight Argentine football legend’s medical team accused of negligent homicide and will stand trial – again – next year
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Will 2026 be the Trump World Cup?In the Spotlight US president already using the world’s most popular football tournament to score political points
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World Cup 2026: uncertainty reigns with one year to goIn the Spotlight US-hosted Fifa tournament has to navigate Trump's travel bans, logistical headaches and an exhausting expanded format
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How do new stadiums affect football clubs?In the Spotlight Everton's decision to move its men's team out of Goodison Park could be a catalyst for vital change, but there are cautionary tales too
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Liverpool's Anfield redemption: how did they do it?Talking Point Arne Slot's blueprint and standout player performances guide the Reds to record 20th league title
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China's football crisis: what's happened to Xi's XI?In The Spotlight String of defeats and finishing bottom of World Cup qualifying group comes a decade after Xi Jinping launched a football crusade
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Where are all the English football managers?Talking Point Eddie Howe's Carabao Cup success underlines absence of homegrown coaching talent in the Premier League
