Manchester United

Manchester United announced Wednesday midfielder Paul Pogba will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June.

Pogba, who started his senior career with United in 2011, returned to Old Trafford in 2016 after a four-year stint with Juventus. He recorded one goal and nine assists across 20 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils this season.

"Everyone at the club would like to congratulate Paul on his successful career, and thank him for his contributions to Manchester United," the club wrote in a statement. "We wish him all the best for the next steps on a remarkable journey."

OFFICIAL: Manchester United confirm Paul Pogba will leave the club as a free agent for the second time pic.twitter.com/3YnSRh4PXU

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 1, 2022

James Westwood of Goal reported Juve is "leading the race" to sign the 29-year-old French international once again, though Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are also involved.

Pogba hinted at his frustration while playing for France in March, telling Telefoot (via ESPN) United's failure to contend for trophies led to "difficult times."

"I want to win titles, I want to play for something," he said. "Whether it be this year or even the previous ones, we haven't won anything. That's what's sad, in the end."

United fell well short of competing for a title in 2021-22. It finished sixth in the Premier League and failed to make a deep run in any knockout tournament—the UEFA Champions League (round of 16), FA Cup (fourth round) or EFL Cup (third round).

It's likely to cause several squad changes over the summer as the Red Devils prepare to begin a new era under manager Erik ten Hag, who arrives from Ajax.

With Pogba's departure confirmed, United has opened discussions with Barcelona about fellow midfielder Frenkie de Jong, per Sky Sports' Dan Sansom.

De Jong tallied three goals and three assists in 32 La Liga matches for Barca this season.

Meanwhile, the interest from three high-profile clubs like Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid shows belief Pogba can reignite his career with a transfer.

The playmaking midfielder has still shown glimpses of being a high-impact performer during his stints with the French national team, but those kinds of performances were few and far between with United.

If he does land with a marquee club, he'll likely need to showcase more consistent top form to remain a regular first-team selection in 2022-23.

Authorities in England are investigating a bomb threat against Manchester United star Harry Maguire.

"On Wednesday April 20, Cheshire Police were called to reports of a bomb threat at an address in the Wilmslow area," law enforcement said, per ESPN. "No evacuations took place, but as a precautionary measure a police explosives dog has attended the address this afternoon, Thursday April 21, to conduct a search of the gardens and surrounding area."

The Red Devils are coming off a comprehensive 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in another setback in a frustrating season. With five matches to play, the club sits sixth in the league, three points behind Tottenham for the final UEFA Champions League qualification spot (Spurs have one game in hand).

Maguire is the United captain, and the Guardian's Jamie Jackson noted he "has been the subject of abuse from fans in stadiums and on social media regarding his form for United this season." 

A spokesperson for Maguire said the veteran defender "will continue to prepare" for Manchester United's Premier League fixture against Arsenal on Saturday despite the recent threat.

Manchester United announced Thursday it has signed Ajax manager Erik ten Hag to a three-year contract to take over its coaching staff at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

Ten Hag, who will remain with Ajax until season's end, will be under contract through June 2025 with an option for an additional year.

"It is a great honor to be appointed manager of Manchester United, and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead," he said. "I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve."

Ten Hag was a defender for multiple Dutch clubs during a playing career that spanned from 1989 to 2002. His first managerial job came in 2012 with then-Dutch second-tier side Go Ahead Eagles.

After leading Go Ahead to the Eredivisie, Ten Hag moved to Germany to coach Bayern Munich's reserve side. He returned to the Netherlands in 2015 to manage Utrecht before taking over at Ajax in 2017.

He's guided the Godenzonen to a pair of Eredivisie titles, and they sit atop the league table with five matches left in the current campaign. They are four points clear of PSV Eindhoven in the title chase.

Ten Hag said it was important to settle his future now so that he could focus his energy on the remainder of Ajax's season, per ESPN's Rob Dawson.

"But I only have one interest now, and that's these last five games," he said. "I want to finish my time here on a positive note, by winning the league. By doing so, we'll qualify directly for the Champions League. Ajax belongs there."

Once that challenge is complete, he will face the task of trying to deliver Manchester United its first Premier League title since the 2012-13 season.

The Red Devils have struggled to find a suitable replacement for the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired after their most recent title success. Ten Hag will become the club's fifth full-time manager since Ferguson's departure.

Sources told Dawson that Ten Hag provided a "compelling long-term vision" during his interview with the club.

United is sixth in the Premier League table with 54 points but still has a chance to earn a top-four spot and, with it, a UEFA Champions League berth. It must pass Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal (57 points each) to do so.

Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to make amends with a young fan whose phone he allegedly smashed following Manchester United's 1-0 loss to Everton on Saturday. 

In a post on Instagram, Ronaldo offered to give the fan tickets to an upcoming match at Old Trafford:

It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game. I would like to apologize for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship.

Video footage after the match appeared to show Ronaldo hitting something as he and the rest of his United teammates were talking to the locker room. 

Cristiano Ronaldo smashed someone's phone after losing to Everton, according to fans at the ground 😳

(via @evertonhub) pic.twitter.com/a20z4Sg20F

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 9, 2022

Per Sky Sports, Manchester United said they are looking into the situation. 

Saturday marked Ronaldo's return to the team after he missed last week's draw against Leicester City due to an illness. 

The Red Devils are winless in their last three matches, including a 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid on March 15 that eliminated them from the UEFA Champions League in the round of 16. 

Ronaldo has been held scoreless since a hat trick against Tottenham on March 12.

The 37-year-old didn't specify the date for the fan to attend a United match as his guest. Manchester United's next home contest is on April 16 against Norwich City. The club doesn't play at Old Trafford after that until May 2 against Brentford. 

Ronaldo returned to United in August after spending the previous three years with Juventus. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner played for the club from 2003 to 2009. He scored 84 goals in 196 appearances, winning three straight Premier League titles (2006-09) and the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League. 

The Red Devils are in seventh place in the Premier League with 51 points (14-9-8).     

Manchester United is reportedly looking into allegations Cristiano Ronaldo smashed a fan's cell phone as he walked off the pitch following a 1-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo was accused of smashing a supporter’s phone after Manchester United’s defeat to Everton 🤬

🎥 @evertonhub pic.twitter.com/OkS0mweTTC

— GOAL (@goal) April 9, 2022

Another angle has emerged of the incident between Cristiano Ronaldo and a fan, the forward is currently under review by the Merseyside Police and has since apologised.

(via @dominothement) pic.twitter.com/lkT5hfxL2Q

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) April 10, 2022

Per Sky Sports' Lyall Thomas, Manchester United is aware of the allegation and reviewing footage shared by @evertonhub.

Manchester United's UEFA Champions League qualification hopes are firmly on the brink after a loss to Everton, which sits in 17th place and is in danger of being relegated.

United has won just one of its last five matches and now sits in seventh place.

They are six points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur, which holds the final Champions League qualification spot and also has a game in hand. Manchester United has just seven matches remaining. 

Ronaldo did not have a good match. He picked up a yellow card in the 87th minute after kicking the ball away in frustration and didn't get a shot on goal until stoppage time in the second half. 

It made for a frustrating day for Ronaldo and United, and goalkeeper David de Gea expressed his blunt assessments to BT Sport (h/t Sky Sports).

"It's a disgrace from us, to be honest, we should win the game," de Gea said. "We don't create, that's the problem. We don't even create proper chances to score. I don't know what to say, to be honest."

United's next game is at home to another relegation-threatened team, Norwich City, next Saturday.

Manchester United are expected to hire Erik ten Hag as their next manager, according to ESPN's Mark Ogden and Rob Dawson.

The Ajax manager would take over for Ralf Rangnick, who was appointed on an interim basis following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ogden and Dawson reported Manchester United narrowed its list of finalists to Ten Hag, Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino, Spanish national team coach Luis Enrique and Sevilla's Julen Lopetegui.

Ten Hag got his first managerial appointment at Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands' second division. He guided the club to promotion to the Eredivisie.

After working a little over two years at FC Utrecht, the 52-year-old took charge of Ajax in December 2017. Ajax has won two Eredivisie titles and reached the 2018-19 Champions League semifinals under his watch. The Amsterdam giant is poised to lift another league title as it sits four points clear of second-place PSV. 

While Ten Hag has proven himself as a manager, many wonder whether he can succeed at Old Trafford.

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal, who spent two seasons as the Red Devils' manager, called Manchester United a "commercial club" and advised Ten Hag to go elsewhere:

Louis van Gaal: 'I think Erik ten Hag is a great coach. I have said this on different occasions, and a great coach is always good for Manchester United, except that Manchester United is a commercial club. One can do better coaching a football club' pic.twitter.com/VgWwJ5sAsP

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) March 29, 2022

It was one thing for David Moyes to flame out after one year in charge, because succeeding a legend like Sir Alex Ferguson is an almost unwinnable situation. The fact that United has churned through Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and then Solskjaer speaks to the structural problems plaguing the club, though.

There's no long-term vision, as evidenced by going from a manager in Van Gaal, who emphasizes possession and methodical attacking, to another in Mourinho who's the antithesis of those ideas.

Big-money transfers such as Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho, Donny van der Beek, and Harry Maguire also came in and failed to meet expectations.

Hiring Ten Hag could represent making the necessary changes to alter United's trajectory.

While a worthy candidate, he's not necessary a headline-grabbing appointment in the way Pochettino or Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel would've been, nor did he have a decorated playing career.

According to the Independent's Miguel Delaney, Ten Hag also communicated how "he believes the job is a five-year project." He understands Manchester United's issues won't be resolved by signing a few players in the summer.

United's hierarchy would appear to agree by naming him as Rangnick's replacement. The first test as to whether anything has actually changed will come if and when the club encounters a few bad results early in the 2022-23 season.

The Champions League round of 16 is halfway over after the last four clubs began their knockout stage runs on Wednesday.

Atletico Madrid and Manchester United finished with a 1-1 draw while Ajax and Benfica ended even at 2-2 in the first leg for each tie. The squads will look to clinch a spot in the quarterfinal in the return matches on March 15.

The latest matches were also important in the race for the top goalscorer in this year's competition with Sebastien Haller continuing to lead big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann and others who were in action Wednesday.

Here is the latest in the hunt for the golden boot.

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Champions League Top Scorers

1. Sebastien Haller (Ajax): 11

2. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 9

3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): 8

4. Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig): 7

T5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United): 6

T5. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City): 6

T7. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain): 5

T7. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 5

T7. Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich): 5

T7. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain): 5

Full leaderboard available at UEFA.com

---

Sebastien Haller entered the day leading the competition with 10 goals, but made what was seemingly his first mistake of the tournament with an own goal in the 25th minute against Benfica:

Sébastien Haller with ANOTHER goal... but at the wrong end! 🙈 pic.twitter.com/WYrGNfGew0

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2022

That one didn't count toward his goalscoring total, but he made up for it a few minutes later with a goal on the correct end in the 29th minute:

Sébastien Haller with ANOTHER goal... but this time at the right end! 💥 pic.twitter.com/s0fkXdtK0c

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2022

It continues an incredible run for the 27-year-old:

🤯 Sebastian Haller has only made seven appearances in the Champions League in his career. He has scored in every one #UCL pic.twitter.com/wVXtnbGaVT

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) February 23, 2022

Sébastien Haller in the #UCL

◉ Most goals scored in first two games (5)
◉ Most goals scored in first five games (9)
◉ Most goals scored in first six games (10)
◉ Most goals scored in first seven games (11)

And he even had time to put one in his own net. 😅 pic.twitter.com/qVsaRLbAWr

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 23, 2022

Haller is having a UCL campaign to remember

— Deji Faremi (@deejayfaremi) February 23, 2022

Sébastien Haller has scored more goals in 7 Champions League games for Ajax (11) than he did in 48 Premier League games for West Ham (10) 😳 pic.twitter.com/XylcNzEhFY

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 23, 2022

Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland led all competitors with 10 goals last year, but Haller has already surpassed that to raise the bar in 2021-22.

The attacking depth for Ajax was also on display with a goal from Dusan Tadic, who now has two in this year's Champions League run:

Dusan Tadic made it look effortless. 😤 pic.twitter.com/1yN37eTu0m

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2022

Benfica still kept pace with the Dutch side, which won all six matches in the group stage.

Roman Yaremchuk found an equalizer for Benfica in the 72nd minute, forcing the 2-2 draw.

https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1496600168900091904

Though Ajax remains a favorite to advance, Benfica did enough to stay alive after the first leg. 

Scoring was tougher to come by in the more high-profile matchup of the day between Atletico Madrid and Manchester United.

Veteran forwards Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann didn't start for Atletico, but Joao Felix stepped up with an impressive goal in the seventh minute:

João Félix with the diving header 🎯

(via @CBSSportsGolazo)pic.twitter.com/GSYNAGrmqA

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 23, 2022

Joao Felix has put Atletico ahead with a perfect header!

— SPORT English (@Sport_EN) February 23, 2022

What a header. Joao Felix has a fist for a forehead, because that was punched in.

— Seb Stafford-Bloor (@SebSB) February 23, 2022

An extraordinary cross from Renan Lodi. Extraordinary!! And Félix with instinct to never give up on it and beats Maguire to it.

And with a reaching header, Joao Félix guides it towards the inside of De Gea’s near post!

— Nico Cantor (@Nicocantor1) February 23, 2022

The 1-0 score held up through halftime and seemed like it might be enough to win with Manchester United struggling.

The visitors finally got onto the scoresheet from a surprising source in the 80th minute:

19-YEAR-OLD ANTHONY ELANGA. 🌟

His first #UCL goal with his first touch of the match. 💥 pic.twitter.com/z5LagG1B1q

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2022

Anthony Elanga produced a great finish on his first touch after a perfect Bruno Fernandes through ball. It was the seventh assist in UCL play for Fernandes, who leads all players in the competition.

Bruno Fernandes has 7 assists in 6 #UCL games this season:

🅰️ vs Young Boys
🅰️ vs Villarreal
🅰️🅰️ vs Atalanta
🅰️ vs Atalanta
🅰️ vs Villarreal
🅰️ vs Atletico Madrid

World-class. 🤪🙌 pic.twitter.com/mEnen8k9kQ

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 23, 2022

6 - Bruno Fernandes is the first player in Champions League history to assist in six consecutive appearances while playing for an English club, breaking the record held by David Beckham (for @ManUtd) since 1998. Creator. pic.twitter.com/y92qBMZas8

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2022

The one assist was enough for Manchester United to have much more confidence heading into the second leg.

The goalscoring competition should also remain a good one throughout the knockout stages with Robert Lewandowski's Bayern Munich and Mohamed Salah's Liverpool both a threat to make a deep run.

Las Vegas police reportedly prepared an arrest warrant for soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in 2019 after Kathryn Mayorga accused him of rape during a June 2009 encounter, but Clark County district attorney Steve Wolfson decided against pursuing the criminal case.

Ryan Parry and Chris White of The Sun reported Tuesday they obtained court documents from a September hearing in which Mayorga's lawyer, Leslie Mark Stovall, said Wolfson acted against the suggestion of those who investigated the allegations.

"What happened is when that [arrest warrant] was submitted to the district attorney's office, Mr. Wolfson declined to prosecute," Stovall said. "He doesn't say why he decided to decline and anything—any argument is just speculation. It was within the statute of limitations. The police believed that they had a case to prosecute for one count of sexual assault and the DA decided not to."

In July 2019, Wolfson announced no charges would be filed against Ronaldo, who's maintained he had consensual sex with Mayorga, because the allegations couldn't be "proven at trial beyond a reasonable doubt."

He explained Mayorga didn't initially provide complete information about the alleged rape, saying only it was a European soccer player, and that prevented investigators from finding and holding evidence for when the case was reopened in 2018.

"As a result, the police were unable to ... conduct any meaningful investigation," Wolfson said. "Detectives were unable to search for and impound vital forensic evidence. In addition, video evidence, showing interactions between the victim and perpetrator before and after the alleged crime, was lost."

Although no criminal charges were filed, Mayorga's lawyers have proceeded with a civil lawsuit against the 37-year-old Manchester United player.

"I firmly deny the accusations issued against me," Ronaldo said in 2018. "Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in."

According to Der Spiegel, a document that was part of Football Leaks showed that Ronaldo's lawyer Carlos Osario de Castro sent him a list of questions in 2009 pertaining to Mayorga. In a September 2009 version of the questionnaire, Ronaldo said Mayorga "said no and stop several times" when asked if she had raised her voice or called out. A later version of his response says the encounter was consensual.

In August 2019, Ronaldo's attorneys argued the suit should be thrown out because the sides previously reached a $375,000 settlement agreement.

The case has continued with Christopher Bucktin of the Daily Mirror reporting in April that Mayorga is seeking an additional $63.6 million in damages.

Ronaldo, who's in his second stint with Manchester United, has also played for Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid and Juventus during a 21-year senior career. He's also been a mainstay for the Portugal national team.

Nike has dropped Manchester United star Mason Greenwood following his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault.

Nike said Monday that Greenwood "is no longer a Nike athlete," per the Associated Press. The company had previously said it was suspending its partnership with Greenwood after his arrest.

The 20-year-old's likeness was already removed from EA Sports' FIFA 22 and Konami's eFootball after the allegations surfaced.

Without identifying Greenwood, the Greater Manchester Police said on Jan. 30 they were alerted to "online social media images and videos posted by a woman reporting incidents of physical violence." Upon an initial investigation, a man had been taken into custody on suspicion of rape and assault.

Authorities have subsequently said they had further arrested Greenwood on suspicion of sexual assault and making threats to kill.

Greenwood has been released on bail while an investigation remains ongoing.

Manchester United released a statement confirming he would be kept away from the club indefinitely.

"Manchester United reiterates its strong condemnation of violence of any kind," United said. "As previously communicated, Mason Greenwood will not train with, or play for, the club until further notice."

The Athletic's Matt Slater noted a collective bargaining agreement between the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association stipulates a club can suspend a player for up to 14 days.

Slater spoke to a London-based barrister who speculated Manchester United might be able to roll Greenwood's suspension over in 14-day increments until the case potentially goes to trial.

Greenwood last appeared for United in a 1-0 win over West Ham on Jan. 22.

Former Everton and Manchester United star and current Derby County manager Wayne Rooney said he would isolate during his playing career and drink to cope with the stress that accompanied his playing career. 

Rooney opened up during an interview with Oliver Holt of the Mail on Sunday:

In my early years at Manchester United, probably until we had my first son, Kai, I locked myself away really. I never went out. There were times you'd get a couple of days off from football and I would actually lock myself away and just drink, to try to take all that away from my mind. People might know that I liked a drink at times or went out but there was a lot more to it than just that. It was what was going on in my head.

Now, people would be more empowered to speak about that kind of thing. Back then, in my head and with other players, there was no way I could go into the United dressing room and start saying, 'This is how I am feeling,' because you just wouldn't do it. Then you would end up suffering internally rather than letting your thoughts out. Locking myself away made me forget some of the issues I was dealing with. It was like a binge.

Rooney, 36, was one of the best players of his generation. His 253 total goals for United represent a club record. He also was a regular fixture for England, scoring a record 53 goals in 120 appearances. No outfield player has featured more for the men's national team, and he was just five games shy of Peter Shilton's overall record.

But that success came with a lot of attention and criticism, a side of the game the young Rooney wasn't ready for when he made his professional debut at just 16. 

"It took a long time for me to get used to that and figure out how to deal with it. It was like being thrown in somewhere where you are just not comfortable. That was tough for me," he said. "I had made a lot of mistakes when I was younger, some in the press and some not in the press, whether that's fighting or whatever. For me to deal with that, deal with stuff that was in the newspapers, deal with the manager at the time, deal with family at the time, was very difficult."

Rooney said that the anger he felt gave him an edge on the field, granting him a level of aggressiveness and unpredictability that aided his play. But it also led to mistakes off the pitch, at least until he learned that he needed to talk to someone.

"A bad moment? It could be anything. That you weren't playing well, the pressure you put on yourself, which I always tried to hide. Sometimes I tried to hide it with over-confidence. Sometimes that's to mask the pressure you feel," he said. "It could have been when I had done something wrong off the field and pressure builds and even going into the local shops, you want to hide from everyone. It is embarrassing. I was embarrassed by it."

That led to Rooney isolating and comforting himself by drinking. He says he has a much better relationship with alcohol and has used his experiences as a player to help him be a better manager for his players at Derby County.

"Part of the problem I have is that I do trust people," he said. "That was exactly my first message to the players here at Derby: 'I will give you my trust, but I need it back.' Once that trust is broken, it is very difficult to recover. Yeah, people want stuff off you, but I take responsibility for that because some of the stuff I have done is my decisions and that's me leaving myself open."