Sports

Lauren James hopes Chelsea can “achieve good things” in outgoing manager Emma Hayes’ final season in charge of the club.

Hayes announced her decision to step down in November and will become the head coach of the United States Women’s national team at the end of the campaign.

Her departure marks the end of a 12-year reign at Chelsea where she has won six Women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups.

James has worked with Hayes since her arrival at the club in 2021 aged 19 and she has since gone on to impress, recently earning the Barclays Player of the Month award in January after scoring five goals in two games.

Player of the Month Manager of the Month.

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW)

“It’s good working…

Peter Vermes urged his Sporting Kansas City players to take responsibility for their own position ahead of the upcoming MLS road trip to Colorado Rapids.

SKC ended a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Austin FC in their last encounter, just their second victory in 15 league games.

Kansas City are still bottom of the Western Conference and 11 points adrift of the playoff spots, though Vermes is desperate for fighting spirit ahead of a testing schedule.

We can t wait, we have a lot of games that are important coming up, SKC head coach Vermes said at his pre-match media availability.

Each game has its own importance to it, this all started last week but we need to keep going.

We go in with a plan, we have an idea, it sometimes comes …

An emotional Endrick says it is a dream to play for Real Madrid after being unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid agreed a deal to sign the Brazilian from Palmeiras in December 2022, but he could not formally join the club until his 18th birthday, which he celebrated on July 21.

Endrick has penned a six-year contract with Los Blancos after signing for an initial fee of €35million, though that could rise by a further €25million in add-ons.

The youngster, who will wear the number 16 shirt, was tearful at his stadium presentation, telling the fans he had realised a long dream.

This is crazy, Endrick said. I am so happy since I was a kid, I have always been a Madrid fan, and now I am going to play for Madrid.

I am here, I am going to play, I…

Best Odds: 2/3

Bookmaker:

With the Belgian Super Cup up for grabs on Saturday night, Club Brugge will welcome Royale Union to the Jan Breydel Stadium.

Club Brugge

Starting with the hosts, making real history last season as they got their hands on a 19th Pro League crown, Club Brugge gained a string of plaudits from across the continent. Reaching the Europa Conference League semi-finals and breaking plenty of individual records, Nicky Hayen’s men are already pencilled in as a standout contender to defend their domestic title this time around. Unbeaten in all of their final 10 top-flight appearances last season, the former Sint-Truiden coach has also seen his squad gain a reputation for their continued success on home soil. In fact, aside from a 2-1 defeat agai…

Alan Pardew is under no illusions as to the importance of Crystal Palace s Premier League clash against relegation rivals Norwich City at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Palace have not won in the league since December 19 at which point they were flying high in sixth position – and have dramatically slumped into the scrap at the bottom of the table.

Indeed, victory for Norwich would bring Alex Neil s men level with Palace on 34 points, just above the bottom three.

Palace, whose victory in the reverse fixture on the opening day of the season was their first over Norwich in their nine Premier League meetings, are the only team in the top four tiers who are yet to win a game in 2016.

Pardew s strugglers have lost six consecutive home games and could become t…

Lionel Messi knows his illustrious career is running out of time as the Argentina great suggested his club playing days will end with Inter Miami.

The Barcelona legend completed a switch to MLS side Miami last year after two decades of European football with the Blaugrana and Paris Saint-Germain.

As Messi starts to prepare for Argentina s Copa America defence this month, retirement remains a pertinent question for the global superstar.

The 36-year-old, speaking to ESPN, acknowledged Miami will likely be my last club as the fear sets in over ending his playing career sooner rather than later.

I ve done this all of my life; I love playing ball, the eight-time Ballon d Or winner said on Wednesday.

I enjoy the practices and the day-to-day, the game…

England got their Nations League campaign off to a winning start with a 2-1 win against Scotland at the Stadium of Light.

Just over a month after their World Cup final defeat to Spain, the Lionesses earned an inaugural win in the competition after going ahead through former Black Cat Lucy Bronze.

Lauren Hemp doubled the lead before Scotland pulled one back just before the break through Kirsty Hanson and the visitors had plenty of good opportunities to level in the second half but were unable to capitalise on their chances.

Starting our campaign with a WIN!

— Lionesses (@Lionesses)

Prior to kick-off both teams paid their respects to Sheffield United’s Maddy Cusack, who has died aged 27, and a period of silence was observed around the stadium…

League Cup-winning former Aston Villa skipper Chris Nicholl has died at the age of 77, former club Walsall have announced.

Nicholl, who later played for and then managed Southampton before taking charge of the Saddlers, had been living with dementia, which he attributed to brain damage caused by repeatedly heading balls over his lengthy career.

The former central defender’s death was confirmed in a statement on Walsall’s official X – formerly Twitter – account which said: “We are devastated to learn that former manager Chris Nicholl has passed away.

We are devastated to learn that former manager Chris Nicholl has passed away.

Chris led the Saddlers from 1994 to 1997 and won promotion to Division Two in what was a memorable 1994-95 campaign.

…

Competition: Euro 2016
Market: Poland to win against Northern Ireland
Odds:

Poland square off with Northern Ireland for their opening Euro 2016 Group C game at the Allianz Riviera this afternoon, and are big favourites to pick up all three points given the superior strength of their squad.

From their last six games in all competitions, Poland have enjoyed four wins against Iceland, Czech Republic, Serbia and Finland, while drawing against Lithuania most recently. They have prolific Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski spearheading the attack, and should have too much for Northern Ireland as a result.

As for the underdogs, Michael O’Neill’s men are coming off the back of good form in all competitions, winning three of their last five games ag…

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is not dwelling on the refereeing error that cost Eberechi Eze a goal in Sunday s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Brentford.

Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa fired Brentford to a matchday-one victory at the Gtech Community Stadium, with Palace briefly levelling in the second half via an Ethan Pinnock own goal.

The Eagles thought they had taken a 26th-minute lead when Eze produced a brilliant effort from a wide free-kick, his ambitious shot clipping the near post and beating Mark Flekken.

However, referee Samuel Barrott blew for a foul from Will Hughes on Nathan Collins, and the VAR was unable to intervene due to the whistle sounding before Eze s shot crossed the line.

After the game, Glasner revealed Barrott had admi…