Key events
Back to the big news: Alonso. This was a huge season for Leverkusen – make or break. Despite intense interest from elsewhere, the club were able to retain their Spanish manager and stars like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah. Had Leverkusen repeated last season’s Bundesliga title, or had some sort of European success then perhaps something of a dynasty could have been fashioned.
With Alonso now leaving, it feels inevitable that this storied Leverkusen side will now be broken up for parts. It’s still an exciting rebuild project for anyone that comes in – Leverkusen are still comfortably the second best team in Germany – but while some players like Alejandro Grimaldo and Victor Boniface could be retained, it’s a huge task to repeat the achievements of the Alonso years, particularly as it was largely based on the Spaniard’s coaching (and some smart recruitment).
Wirtz is the crown jewel of the side and is expected to leave. Real Madrid do not really need another No 10, but should Alonso go there, they will of course be linked with the young German. Bayern Munich and Manchester City are perhaps more likely destinations.
Frimpong reportedly has a £29.7m release clause in his contract, something that will not have escaped Liverpool, who are in the market for a new right back.
Tah’s contract is up in the summer, and he will surely move on. The ceremony to mark his 400th appearance for Leverkusen against Freiburg last week felt like a goodbye to the fans.
Hello everyone. Michael Butler here, taking over from John Brewin. Feel free to email me any thoughts about Alonso, the Europa League final or whether at the age of 37, with a second child on the way and almost no prospect of playing 11-a-side football regularly for the foreseeable future, you are considering a big spend on a brand new pair of boots for next season (despite already having a perfectly serviceable pair already in the wardrobe).
Confirmed: Alonso to leave Leverkusen
“The club and I have agreed that these two last games will be my last as Bayer Leverkusen coach,” he has announced in a press conference. “Now is the right moment.”
It has been reported in Spain he has agreed a pre-contract agreement to coach Real Madrid. More to follow…
John Brewin
Maresca highlights ‘fantastic’ Tonali ahead of Newcastle visit
Having safely booked Chelsea’s Conference League final place, Enzo Maresca turned his attentions to his team’s noon kick-off at Newcastle. In fifth place they have to see out their final three Premier League matches to book a place in next season’s Champions League.
“The players need to be focused on the Newcastle game because it’s the next one and for us, it has to be like thinking that it’s the last game of the season, give everything and then we’ll see at the end,” the Italian said, depicting his team’s remaining domestic fixtures as three cup finals. Manchester United next Friday and Nottingham Forest on final day follow Newcastle.
“We have two days, tomorrow and Saturday,” Maresca said, having shuffled in ten changes into the team who beat Swedish outfit Djurgarden 1-0 on Thursday. “The frustration is that we had many games where we created enough chances to win the game and we didn’t win. But now is not the moment to think about that. Now is the moment to try to win as much as we can in these last three games and then we’ll see.”
Maresca acknowledged the growing influence of compatriot Sandro Tonali in Newcastle’s midfield. “Sandro probably this season has been top for Newcastle. For him, he’s doing very well. He’s a fantastic player. I know him since he was in Brescia and then moved to Milan and then now here in England. He’s a fantastic player, he’s doing well but they have many, many good players.”
Tonali has been inspirational this season on his return from a gambling-related ban. “I think he has been always a good player. Probably that kind of moment is not ideal but not for Sandro, for no one of us. And now it’s more stronger and you can see how good he is.”
‘Xabi Alonso to leave Bayer Leverkusen’
Via German magazine Kicker’s website: “Now it’s definitely a done deal: Xabi Alonso will leave Bayer 04 after this season. The successful coach announced this to the Leverkusen players before training on Friday afternoon.”
Krishna gets in touch: “As a Chelsea fan, I dare Real to show us their Europa League and Conference league medals.”
WSL to retain promotion and relegation
Big story from Tom Garry here, and still plenty to be decided.
It is understood no decision has been taken about how the formats will change from 2026. The league is believed to be exploring several innovative alterations that could make the top of the women’s pyramid look very different from the English men’s format.
That’ll be all from me. John Brewin is here to take over so keep those emails coming.
Vítor Pereira has been named the Premier League manager of the month. Wolves won five out of five in April, continuing their resurgence under the 56-year-old. The question is whether he’s here for the long haul; one of the sub-heads on his Wikipedia page is ‘Five clubs in eight years’.
A boiling, dangerous, swelteringly hot-take incoming from Jack Kirby-Lowe.
I feel winning a cup competition (becoming the “champions” of it, if you will) seems justification enough for being included in the Champions League. Arguably much more so than including teams that finish 2nd-5th in the league. What exactly are they champions of again?
Personally, I feel places in the CL in England should be awarded to the League, League Cup and FA Cup winners, with league position only coming into consideration in the event of a team doing the double or the treble, and only after the runners up in the cups have been discounted in this way too. If that only meant three English teams qualifying, so be it. Obviously winning the CL or EL should qualify too, because again, that team are the Champions of something.
Love and kisses, COYS.
Newcastle, fear not, you’ve already qualified. Crystal Palace, you’re one game away. Wigan might have found it touch balancing the Champions League with the Championship during their 2013/14 campaign.
Spurs have met United three times this season – and won them all. The league double was backed up by a slightly mad 4-3 encounter in the League Cup. The kicker for Spurs is that this United team have held their nerve in finals across the last two seasons.
United, you’ll remember, also reached the Europa League final in 2021, when they lost on penalties (a long old shootout) to Villarreal. But only three members of the XI that started that night remain at the club (not including Marcus Rashford).
“Arsenal and other fans are so funny,” writes Louis Muspratt-Tucker. “When Spurs were consistently at the top of the league, generally agreed to be one of the best-run clubs in the league, we were repeatedly told that none of it matters without trophies. How times change.”
Vivek is not best pleased by the configuration of the Europa League final:
Now that we know either of these teams could be rubbing shoulders with the elite in Europe next season, I wonder if it’s time to rebranding the competition as the “Champions League” (double quotes inclusive).
In what universe would two teams who could end up finishing 15th and 16th in their league be considered champions, unless the gong is for greatest display of management ineptitude, chasing the bottomline, disregard for fans, comical recruitment and stinking up the rest of the league?
(Asking for an Arsenal fan)
Some pretty dreadful stories here:
Content, content, content. The broadcasters want more for their buck.
Sam Turner writes in. I admire his brighter outlook on life:
It’s important to remember what the sport is about and why you enjoy it, the agony and the ecstasy of supporting your team through thick and thin and that has been on display for Manchester United fans in a big way this season.
Despite the turbulence on and off the pitch the past few seasons have given me some of my favourite moments as a United fan; the 4-3 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup, the 2-1 win over Barcelona with Antony’s late winner, the FA Cup Manchester Derby victory, knocking out Arsenal at the Emirates, the 5-4 mayhem against Lyon, these are moments that will live with me in a way that a clinical 2-0 win against Fulham won’t.
Loving your club means going through these difficult moments and I can accept the decision to sacrifice league position in order to pursue the best route to Champions League football and the rebuild necessary to compete on all fronts again.
Paul MacInnes
David Kogan has cleared a significant hurdle in his bid to become the first chair of the English football regulator, after a parliamentary committee endorsed his candidacy.
The culture media and sport select committee conducted a ‘pre-appointment hearing’ with Kogan on Wednesday in which they grilled him on his priorities as a regulator, his past experience, and his well-publicised history as a donor to the Labour party.
On Friday the committee published their verdict on the hearing including a decision to endorse his candidacy. “We are content to endorse David Kogan OBE’s appointment as Chair of the Independent Football Regulator, recognising his vast experience in the football and media sectors,” the conclusion read.
The committee, which is led by the Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage, did however say there were “concerns” over Kogan’s political impartiality and urged him to “take concrete steps” to prove his independence to stakeholders in the game.
Here’s what Ange Postecoglou had to say about the significance of Spurs potentially winning the Europa League.
It’s massive. Of course it is, because you have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through. A final is a unique standalone game, it’s a bit different to everything you do in the buildup to it. But if you’re talking about resilience and adversity, this group of players have had it in bucket-loads this year and we’ve still found a way to deal with it.
Spurs have lost four finals since winning the League Cup in 2008 – three in that competition, in 2009, 2015 and 2021. The real heartbreaker was the Champions League final defeat in 2019 to Liverpool. Jonathan Woodgate remains their last cup final hero.
It’s that time of the week:
Ben Lake writes in response to my preamble question:
On the opening question, I was having this discussion yesterday and the way I see it is this- Would I swap our (Arsenal) situation with Man Utd or Spurs?
Would I take the constant chaos of Utd’s management and the siphoning of funds away from the club? The firing of ancillary staff to save a few pennies? The leaky roof? Abysmal recruitment strategy?
Would I swap with Spurs, a club who will almost certainly end up firing their manager early next season? Would I swap multiple season of competing at the top with increasingly worse performances season on season to the point where relegation might have been a realistic proposition?
No. I would not. Trophies are obviously, what we all aim for but if the cost of that is never ending chaos, instability and having to deal with the MBA types currently in charge of those other two clubs, you can keep it. I’m hopping a better organised structure and longer term plan will pay out eventually.
John Brewin
As an eyewitness to events at Stamford Bridge, it became abundantly clear that the away fans were not confined to the Shed End. Some had obviously bought tickets elsewhere and made a break for the away end. They were allowed to pass through. Once the game began, it was clear parts of the West Stand’s corporate section were full of Swedish fans making no apologies for their noise levels. At full-time, as Chelsea fans exited, the Swedes stayed on and were in every corner of the ground.
Chelsea released a statement late last night: “At the start of this evening’s match, Chelsea FC were aware some away fans gained access to areas of the stadium in violation of our ticketing policy. The Chelsea supporters sitting in the immediate areas impacted were relocated, with additional security and police deployed.”
Questions are being raised by the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust as to how the ticketing system allowed in so many away fans. It made for an atmospheric night in the stands, and appeared good-natured enough, but videos of skirmishes in the concourses have since appeared.
Salah and Russo claim FWA awards
Alessia Russo has won the Football Writers’ Association women’s player of the year award, a reward for a fine season with Arsenal – she’s up top in the WSL goalscoring charts with 12 and has been key in the side’s run to the Champions League final.
Mo Salah has won the men’s title, equalling Thierry Henry with three wins. The Egyptian forward previously won the award in 2018 and 2022.
Mason Mount enjoyed the finest night of his Manchester United career, scoring twice against Athletic Bilbao, the second a wonderful long-range ping. Ruben Amorim was chuffed for a player who has had it tough with injuries.
I’m so happy for him. He is such a player. He works really hard, he has quality. When you see that kind of guy like Mason working hard every day, eating well, having ice baths, when you have this kind of player you just want to help him. He is perfect for this position as he can be a midfielder, but also runs like a winger so I’m really happy for him.
Not just me – if you look at the bench, that is the best feeling as a coach, you look at the other guys on the bench and they are so happy for Mason Mount – everyone in that dressing room sees Mason Mount doing everything to be available. He is a really good player and both goals were really good.
Slot: Bradley needs playing time to be ready for next season
Arne Slot has been speaking about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure:
“I think like everybody who likes Liverpool and who’s a fan of Liverpool we are disappointed for him leaving because not only a good human being is leaving the club but a very, very, very good full-back is leaving us as well.”
He says it’s “impossible for me to comment” on whether Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool before the Club World Cup as it’s yet to be confirmed where he’s going (though we all know the destination).
On Conor Bradley, potentially Alexander-Arnold’s full-time replacement, Slot says: “With Conor we all see the potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been fit throughout the whole season and to become a very good player you have to be available every single week as well. That’s the first step he has to make for next season. We have a lot of confidence in Conor as a very good full-back for Liverpool.
Bradley will start this weekend against Arsenal: “He needs playing time, to get some games under his belt to be better prepared for next season.”
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has released a statement regarding visiting supporters after last night’s Conference League semi-final second leg with Djurgården at Stamford Bridge.
During Thursday’s Uefa Conference League vs. Djurgården, a huge number of away supporters were able to infiltrate large areas of the home end.
This is the most serious breach of stadium security in recent memory, and it significantly undermines any security protocols Chelsea FC put in place ahead of the fixture.
As a result, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust will formally write a letter of complaint to Chelsea FC’s COO and Head of Security. We will call for a formal investigation by the club into the ticket sales process and Chelsea FC’s security response during the match.
The findings of this investigation and any subsequent recommendations must be made available to supporters.
The CST invites all supporters who attended the fixture on Thursday to submit written, photographic, and video evidence they captured during the fixture.
The CST will then collate this evidence and then submit it to Chelsea FC.
It is important to note that the CST shared concerns with senior club officials over the vulnerability of home areas ahead of this fixture. No supporter should feel unsafe while at Stamford Bridge, and the CST will do everything to ensure that a full and proper explanation is issued to supporters and safeguards are put in place to ensure that this situation is not repeated in the future.
Preamble
Let’s be honest: this is really, really funny. Manchester United and Tottenham have had a shocking time in the league this season (15th and 16th respectively, 35 defeats between them, record-breaking stuff in a bad way).
And yet here they are, ready to compete in a European final. Spurs could win their first major trophy in 17 years. A United victory would make it three consecutive seasons of silverware; even in crisis, they somehow find a way to compete.
Which leads to a genuine question regarding fandom. Would you rather opt for a season of solidity, excellent football to go with grand results but no trophy pay-off (Arsenal), or a year of misery until a glorious and triumphant day out at Wembley etc? I’m leaning towards the former but would be interested to hear from others.
Drop me a line with your thoughts on that and any other matters as we build up to another weekend of, let’s face it, rather inconsequential Premier League action.
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