Day: May 1, 2025

Bodo’s UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg against Tottenham Hotspur has sparked a staggering level of demand, with over 50,000 fans queuing online for just 480 available tickets over the weekend.

Aspmyra Stadium, with its modest capacity of 8,200, is already constrained by 4,600 season ticket holders. However, the limited public release sparked confusion and frustration, especially given that around 1,000 tickets have gone to UEFA, 600 to media, and 200 to Tottenham stakeholders. Spurs fans have also purchased over 2,000 of their allocated 3,000 tickets.

Simen Pedersen, Bodo/Glimt’s media manager, told NRK that more tickets will be released closer to matchday, though it’s unclear exactly how many. “We believe there will be seats left, but we don’t dare say how many,” he said. “There won’t be a single empty seat unless someone gets sick.”

For context, during Bodo’s quarter-final clash with Lazio, the final batch of UEFA tickets went on sale just hours before kickoff. A similar pattern could emerge again, leaving hopeful supporters watching for last-minute opportunities.

Regardless of the ticketing logistics, the overwhelming demand underlines the magnitude of the occasion — one of the most high-profile matches in the club’s history.

Ruben Amorim says he has “no regrets” about taking the Manchester United job, despite a nightmare start to life at Old Trafford that has left the club languishing in 15th place.

The Portuguese coach, who arrived from Sporting Lisbon  in November to replace the sacked Erik ten Hag, has managed just six Premier League wins and is already set to record the lowest points tally in the club’s Premier League history. United now face a tough trip to Bournemouth on Sunday, still fighting to avoid their worst league finish since the 1973-74 relegation season.

Amorim admitted he originally told the United hierarchy that he would prefer to finish the season with Sporting before taking over but ultimately agreed to come earlier than planned. Reflecting on the decision, he said:  

“No regrets, not in this moment… Maybe four months ago, yes, but now I feel this is the most important time — for the future.”

Despite the “frustration” and “suffering” he’s faced, Amorim believes the experience is laying crucial groundwork for the long-term:  

“We’re going to use all the information to prepare better the next few years… I think this is the top of what a coach can achieve.”

The Europa League remains United’s only real hope of salvaging the season, with a semi-final first leg against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday. Before that, Amorim is hoping for redemption against Bournemouth, who handed United a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford in December.

So far, United fans have largely stood by the under-fire manager, as he aims to restore pride in one of English football’s most storied clubs.

Arne Slot has vowed that Liverpool’s hunger for silverware won’t end with their Premier League title triumph.

Liverpool were crowned champions on Sunday after a commanding 5-1 victory against Tottenham  at Anfield. They secured the title with four games to spare and moving level with Manchester United on a record 20 English top-flight titles.

It marks a dream debut campaign for Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp last summer amid modest expectations. But the Dutchman has surpassed all forecasts, guiding the Reds to just their second Premier League-era title

Slot acknowledged the scale of the achievement but insisted that it’s only the beginning of what he hopes will be a sustained period of dominance. “This is Liverpool. The expectations are always high, and after this season, they’ll be even higher,” he said. “There’s no time to settle or look back too long, we want more, and we’ll work for more.”

With Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal unable to keep pace this term, Liverpool re-establish themselves as England’s top force.

As celebrations unfold across Merseyside, Slot is already focused on building a team capable of defending the crown.

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has revealed that manager Arne Slot set high expectations for his team last summer, insisting they had a “big chance” to win the Premier League title this season.

Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in July 2024, led Liverpool to their 20th English top-flight title on Sunday with a commanding 5-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield. The triumph ended Manchester City’s dominance of the league, with Slot’s side securing the title with four games to spare.

Konate, reflecting on the season, said: “Just before we started the season, he showed us why we didn’t win the league the year before, some details, and he said if we change that and improve on that we have a big chance to win the league. And that’s what we’ve done since the start of the season. We have to be happy.”

Slot’s approach saw a shift from Klopp’s aggressive pressing style to a more controlled, possession-based game, a change that ultimately paid off as Liverpool cruised to the title. 

Despite his success, Slot celebrated in a typically modest fashion on the pitch after the victory. Konate praised his manager’s humility: “I saw him on the pitch and he didn’t really want to take the praise, he walked behind us and it’s crazy to be humble like that. OK, we are on the pitch and we run and do everything, but he has done a lot as well for us. Thanks to him, thanks to the fans.”

Inter Milan suffered a major setback in their Serie A title bid after falling 1-0 to AS Roma, who extended their unbeaten league run to 18 matches.

With the season nearing its end and Napoli neck-and-neck with Inter at the top, every point is crucial. Inter thought they had an early breakthrough when Davide Frattesi scored inside 10 minutes, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Roma then stunned the home crowd midway through the first half. A fortunate deflection saw the ball fall to Matias Soule, who smashed it past Yann Sommer to give the visitors the lead.

Inter struggled to respond, with Roma creating the better chances. Eldor Shomurodov and Bryan Cristante both came close to adding a second, while Niccolò Pisilli and Artem Dovbyk wasted golden opportunities to seal the win.

Despite late changes from Simone Inzaghi, Inter managed just one shot on target in the second half.

The loss is a huge blow for the reigning champions, who now hope Napoli drop points later in the day. Meanwhile, Roma strengthened their top-four hopes, even if their Champions League fate remained out of their hands.

Scott McTominay scored twice as Napoli beat Torino 2-0, extending their unbeaten home run against the visitors to 13 matches.

The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was buzzing following Inter Milan’s Earlier loss. Napoli gave their fans more reason to celebrate just seven minutes in. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa slipped a clever ball to McTominay, who finished confidently to open the scoring.

Torino had moments of control but couldn’t make them count. Che Adams missed a good chance, while Eljif Elmas saw a shot blocked. Napoli remained composed and struck again before the break. McTominay met a cross from Matteo Politano and calmly netted his second of the game.

Despite Torino having more of the ball in the second half, they failed to register a single shot on target. Napoli suffered a setback with injuries to Anguissa, Buongiorno, and later Stanislav Lobotka, but held firm to seal a third straight win.

Torino have now lost two of their last three games after previously losing just once in 14, and sit 10th in the table.

Atletico Madrid are planning a summer swoop for Arsenal’s Thomas Partey as well as Tottenham pair Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur, according to reports in Spain.

Marca claims Partey is “the great desire” of the Spanish giants, who are keen to bring the Ghanaian back to the club once his Arsenal contract expires. The 31-year-old spent five years in Madrid before moving to the Premier League in 2020.

Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain  are also monitoring the midfielder, but Atletico are considered favourites due to his history with the club. Former Atletico sporting director Andrea Berta, now at Arsenal, will oversee contract negotiations, and could be key to any decision Partey makes.

When asked about Partey’s future last week, Mikel Arteta remained coy: “Yes, there is progress with all the players,” he said, leaving further discussion to Berta and the club.

Should Berta commit to a new deal at the Emirates, Atletico are expected to turn their attention to Spurs stars Romero and Bentancur, both of whom are reportedly open to new challenges at the end of the season.

Spanish football fans are in for a treat as eternal rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona clash in a blockbuster Copa del Rey final, the 260th edition of El Clasico.

The two giants have already met twice this season, with Barcelona winning both encounters in style: 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup and 4-0 in La Liga.

This will be the 39th time they face off in the Copa del Rey, adding another chapter to the most-played fixture in Spanish football history.

The stakes are high, with both sides also set to meet in La Liga just two weeks after the final.

Barca are chasing their first Copa del Rey triumph since 2021, while Real Madrid aim to add more domestic silverware to their growing collection.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte has called on his players to savour the moment after a 2-0 win over Torino sent them three points clear at the top of Serie A and sealed a return to the UEFA Champions League.

Scott McTominay’s  first-half brace fired Napoli to victory at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, capitalising on Inter Milan’s surprise home loss to Roma to take pole position in the title race.

“It’s not the first time we’re in the lead, we’ve been in front more than anyone,” Conte said post-match. “But with fewer games left, every mistake becomes costly. We’ve secured Champions League football, a crucial financial objective for the club, and we should enjoy that, at least a little.”

After missing out on European football entirely last season following a 10th-place finish, Napoli are now firmly in control with four games remaining, all against bottom-half sides: Lecce, Genoa, Parma, and Cagliari.

Conte praised his squad’s mentality amid growing pressure, revealing he chose not to mention Inter’s result before the match: “I didn’t watch their game. I suffer enough during ours. I let the players focus only on their task.”

The Italian coach also addressed concerns over injuries to Frank Anguissa and Alessandro Buongiorno: “Anguissa took a knock to the pelvis, it’s too early to say more. Buongiorno had an issue with the tendon near the pubic bone. We’ll know more in 24 to 48 hours.”

Despite the injuries, Conte remained defiant: “We’re used to dealing with emergencies. We’ll continue without problems.”

With momentum on their side, Napoli are now just four wins away from reclaiming the Scudetto they last won in 2023.