Don Hutchison and Kieran Gibbs speak after Manchester City's 2-0 win over Salford City in the FA Cup fourth round. MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester City's FA Cup tie against Salford City will not live long in the memory. The two teams produced a combined six shots on target on Saturday, City won 2-0 and there was no cup upset. The most interesting thing that happened was two fans racing round the pitch in house costumes at halftime. If Stones is going to have a successful second half of the season, he might end up looking back at this routine fourth-round fixture as the beginning. His path to the FIFA World Cup, and possibly a new City contract, starts with Salford. It was Stones' first start for nearly three months after recovering from a thigh injury. He will have far tougher tests than the one offered by Ryan Graydon, a 26-year-old striker who was playing in the League of Ireland as recently as 2023, but if Stones is going to secure a seat on England's plane to North America and stay at the Etihad Stadium beyond the summer, then he has to start somewhere. Guardiola wasn't thrilled with his team's performance -- he called it "no good" until the second goal went in nine minutes from time -- and in his eyes, the return of Stones was one of the only positives. For a player who has struggled to stay fit for the past 18 months, it was valuable time on the pitch. The England boss isn't blessed with many options at center back. Stones started the last World Cup qualifier against Albania in November alongside Dan Burn. The squad also included Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Guéhi, now Stones' teammate at City after joining from Crystal Palace in January for £20 million and scorer of the second goal against Salford. Harry Maguire is back in contention for the camp in March after forcing his way back into the team at Manchester United. With 87 international appearances and experience at five major tournaments, though, Stones is still England's senior man at the back. What's more up in the air is his future at City. He's won everything since arriving in 2016, but his injury record is becoming a concern. "He's been injured many times so that is why we have to wait and see." Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. A ball-playing center back was deemed so important to his style of play that the club were told to step up their pursuit while Guardiola was still at Bayern Munich. With 13 major trophies in 10 years, it's been money well spent. Sources have told ESPN that, right now, Stones is likely to leave at the end of the season. He hasn't started a Premier League game since October and was restricted to just six league starts last season. Short of form and fitness at the end of the COVID-delayed 2019-20 season, he looked to be on his way out. Three years later, though, as City marched toward the treble, Stones was Guardiola's main man. It was the season City fans began singing "Johnny, Johnny Stones" to the tune of Boney M's "Daddy Cool" in recognition of his impact, often playing in a hybrid role between defense and midfield. The song hasn't had much of an airing in the past year and a half as Stones has struggled to make himself available. Stones may remember it more fondly, particularly if it leads to the World Cup and a new contract.

San Diego Wave FC are reportedly in advanced talks to sign U.S. international Catarina Macario, with ESPN confirming the NWSL side are front-runners for her signature. Macario's arrival would be a major boost for the Wave, as the club has lost Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw in recent years and saw Alex Morgan also retire. While no deal has been finalized, discussions are progressing as Macario approaches the final months of her contract with Chelsea. Under FIFA regulations, the 26-year-old is eligible to sign a pre-contract within six months of her current deal expiring. Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting Her time in London was hampered early by recovery from a long-term ACL injury that sidelined her for 20 months. Although she dealt with recurring fitness issues, Macario was more consistently available in 2025 and won two Women's Super League titles with the Blues. She has scored 15 goals in 59 appearances for Chelsea. Macario was notably left out of Chelsea's Champions League squad in January, with manager Sonia Bompastor citing injury concerns related to a heel issue. At the international level, Macario has scored 16 goals in 29 appearances for the United States women's national soccer team, including eight in 10 matches last year.

Aaronson started all six of the club's Premier League matches in January, scoring three goals. "It's an amazing feeling to get this award," Aaronson said. "But most of all it was a really good month for the team too, with some great performances across the pitch." However, the USMNT midfielder believes his most impactful moment was against Manchester United. "I'd probably say my goal against Man United," said Aaronson on his best moment in January. "Just to be at home, in front of our fans, a big rivalry between the two clubs — to score in that game will always feel the best." Once ostracized by the club and fans, Aaronson has been on a tear this season, with hopes of securing a spot on Mauricio Pochettino's squad for the upcoming World Cup. With Leeds hoping to avoid relegation, Aaronson is motivated to continue his impressive form in the latter stages of the season. I want to continue to play at this high level and show what I can do on the pitch, so that's the goal," he said. "We've got to get ready for these next couple of big months and keep performing at the level that we're doing."

Ernest Nuamah is nearing his return from ACL injury Ghanaian winger Ernest Nuamah has resumed ball work in training after spending ten months on the sidelines following surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The winger has begun rehabilitation and is now back on the training ground, working with the ball as he aims to regain full fitness. In a video that surfaced on social media on February 14, 2026, Nuamah was seen in his Olympique Lyonnais training kit, making runs across the pitch under the watchful eyes of his coaches. He undertook passing and shooting drills, looking sharper and showing encouraging signs as he edges closer to a return to action. Daniel Laryea to officiate Asante Kotoko vs Hearts of Oak Super Clash The development comes as a positive boost for both club and player, with Lyon preparing for the final phase of the season. His full recovery will also be a major advantage for the Ghana national football team, as he played a key role in their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nuamah featured prominently during the qualification matches and is expected to be a key member of the squad when head coach Otto Addo announces the official list by June 1, 2026. Watch the video below: 🇬🇭 Ernest Nuamah is back in training. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MKhmZeyuAd— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) February 14, 2026 SB/MA Watch as fuel tanker catches fire after accident on Nsawam Accra-Road

With a fresh look, Bay FC is looking to flip the script in 2026. SAN JOSE, Calif. — After a sophomore season that carried the high of a knockout attendance record and the low of a 13th-place finish out of 14 teams in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), Bay FC is eager to embrace its next chapter. “I think last year we really came together as a team despite anything on the field,” said midfielder Hannah Bebar, who joined Bay FC last season. Three months later, Bay FC replaced Montoya with Coates, who last coached the England U-23 national team. The NWSL has proven a challenging league to adjust to for players and managers alike coming over from Europe, and for players with their eyes on the next two World Cups in 2027 and 2031 and the 2028 Olympics between them, they'd be forgiven for any hesitation around working with a first-time NWSL coach this season. “What we're most excited about is for the group we have right now and for the team that we are, and just the expectations and clarity of what Emma is bringing to the group and coming in with such a clear idea in mind,” said midfielder Taylor Huff. “I think it's easy to play under her for that reason, and so that makes us on the same page,” she added of Coates. Players are drawn to Coates' tactics, which seem rooted in a philosophy that places creative agency within a disciplined structure — and, crucially for Bay, places an emphasis on playing through the midfield rather than relying on long balls sent over the top for forwards to sprint onto. For 19-year-old forward Onyeka Gamero, who signed with Bay last season after beginning her professional career with Barcelona's B team, getting the needed results isn't enough. On Friday, U.S. Soccer announced its roster for U-20 national team training camp, and Gamero was on it, along with forward Alex Pfeiffer, who signed with Bay last month from the Current. Coates' commitment to supporting players for club and country remains fresh. “First and foremost, I really care about international football,” Coates said. “I want to help our players achieve what they can on the world stage with us at Bay, but obviously for their countries as well. Coates emphasized that when it comes to communicating with U.S. head coach Emma Hayes and U.S. Soccer, she's “absolutely been in contact with them and we've had conversations, as I have with (national team manager) Sarina (Wiegman), England, and so we're trying to develop really good relationships with all the players, all the coaches, associations and nations that they play for. Our job is to get as many players as we can on the roads to Brazil, and getting them competing on the world stage.” “I always knew how competitive American people were,” she said. And that's just a really refreshing place to be.” She is one of four permanent female head coaches heading into the 2026 season, offering some players yet another novelty that signals a positive step. “It's the first time in my career that I've been coached by a female coach,” Bebar said. “Growing up and having role models like that, especially for younger girls and seeing the change in the growth of our sport is super important.” “I've had male coaches, I've had female coaches, and they bring different things to the table, and I think there is an element of emotional intelligence with females, and especially females who played in the league and played soccer,” said Penelope Hocking, citing her Penn State coach Erica Dambach. “Yeah, this is my first female head coach, and I've loved every second of it so far.” She also hosts the weekly “Full Time” women's soccer podcast. As a freelance journalist, she covered the 2023 World Cup in Australia and the CONCACAF W Gold Cup for The Athletic, as well as women's soccer stories for ESPN Andscape, USA Today's Pro Soccer Wire, and other publications.

Gennaro Gattuso and his coaching staff have been busy speaking and meeting with a long list of players ahead of the World Cup play-offs in March, and according to recent reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, there are currently around 50 players on the Italy national team radar. Here is a look at all of them. The Azzurri will play against Northern Ireland in Bergamo on March 26 in the World Cup play-off semi-final, and should they win that game, they will progress to a one-legged play-off final away against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina a few days later: A one-off knock-out match for a spot at the World Cup. This has not been possible, however, largely due to a congested fixture schedule at club level. Instead, Gattuso and his staff have arranged a series of meetings and dinners with groups of Italy players and national team hopefuls over the last few months in an attempt to keep the squad somewhat together. Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham), Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Elia Caprile (Cagliari), Alex Meret (Napoli). Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Matteo Gabbia (Milan), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Diego Coppola (Brighton/Paris FC), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Honest Ahanor (Atalanta). Wing-backs: Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Marco Palestra (Atalanta/Cagliari), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham), Leonardo Spinazzola (Napoli). Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Al Duhail), Nicolo Rovella (Lazio), Samuele Ricci (Milan), Niccolo Pisilli (Roma), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna/Fiorentina), Nicolo Fagioli (Fiorentina), Cesare Casadei (Torino). Trequartistas/Wingers: Matteo Politano (Napoli), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Federico Chiesa (Liverpool), Daniel Maldini (Atalanta/Lazio), Nicolo Cambiaghi (Bologna), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Nicolo Zaniolo (Udinese). Peter Young is a Senior Reporter with Football Italia. don't think the list is right if Gnonto is in it as he has played very very little over the last 3 months (and it is Leeds not Man city or Arsenal we are talking about here)but then again Gattuso the coach so.. Italian football news, analysis, fixtures and results for the latest from Serie A, Serie B and the Azzurri.

Barcelona's players shared their concerns with manager Hansi Flick about his tactics in the wake of their 4-0 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. However, their hopes of retaining the Copa del Rey unravelled on Thursday night as they were beaten 4-0 by Atletico in the first leg of their semi-final. Diego Simeone's side ruthlessly exposed Flick's infamous high line and gave the Catalans a tough time. A difficult night for the club was compounded by a Pau Cubarsi goal being ruled out for offside after an eight-minute VAR delay, while Eric Garcia was sent off late on as Flick's side finished the game with 10 men. Flick had his say and questioned the players' mentality and intensity, while there was also criticism of the coach. Barcelona stars revealed their concerns to their manager about his tactics, claiming his high line "was not the best idea, as conditions were not right for that in their eyes". The players feel it's incredibly hard to apply his style when key players such as Raphinha and Pedri are absent. Both players were ruled out of the match due to injury and were badly missed by Flick's side. While Barcelona's players do not want to abandon Flick's approach, they do want "more pragmatism around key games and against certain opponents, as well as greater adaptation to the players available". Flick spoke about his team's defeat after the game and admitted Barca had been taught a lesson by Atletico. He told reporters: "We didn't play very good in the first half as a team. In the first 45 minutes or more, we got a lesson. I am still proud of my team, maybe not today in the first 45 minutes, but across the whole season. When you see how many injuries we have all season, how we adapt...Today was a heavy loss but I am proud of my team. We need to start from the beginning [of games]. And this is what I want from the first minute. We didn't show that in the first half. If we are able to win each half 2-0, this is our goal. Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting Barcelona have also been left furious by the decision to disallow Cubarsi's goal after a farcically long VAR delay. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong did not hold back in his criticism of the situation. The second leg of the tie is not due to take place until March 3, giving Flick plenty of time to get his injured players back. In the meantime, the German coach will hope to see a response from his players on Monday when they resume their title challenge away at Girona.

Mayor Michelle Wu is not using city dollars to send Seattle kids to an expensive World Cup match in their home city, a spokesperson from her office has told the Herald. “As part of a friendly Super Bowl wager between Boston and Seattle,” the spokesperson said, “Mayor Wu and the Boston26 World Cup Host Committee worked in partnership with the Seattle World Cup Host Committee to provide 12 tickets to a FIFA World Cup match for young people from Seattle at no expense to the City of Boston.” The Herald reported earlier this week that Wu and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson agreed to send World Cup tickets to the Super Bowl's winning city. That meant if the Patriots defeated the Seahawks, Wilson would have sent Boston kids to a match at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Wu's office did not respond to Herald requests for details regarding the World Cup ticket giveaway on Wednesday and Thursday, including costs and funding. “A deal is a deal,” Wu said at a Tuesday news conference announcing that Boston's City Hall Plaza was selected as the site of FIFA's Fan Fest for the seven games scheduled to be played at Gillette this summer. Boston 26 is being supported by private fundraising, which has struggled, and public funding. State lawmakers last year approved $10 million to support World Cup-related transportation, public safety, wayfinding and signage, services for individuals with disabilities, equity, inclusion and sustainability efforts, and volunteer support costs. This all comes as the town of Foxboro has warned that it will not issue an entertainment license for the World Cup at Gillette without more than $7 million in grant funding for security, which it has requested. In Seattle, the cheapest ticket went for around $380 earlier this week. Wilson said that her administration would be “working to make some tickets available, hopefully at a lower cost” in Seattle. “And I had a wager with Boston's mayor over the Super Bowl,” the Seattle mayor added, “and I believe that what we're winning is some tickets for maybe underserved youth in our community to attend the games, so I'm really excited about that.” The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.

Karen Carney, centre, celebrates after Chelsea win the FA Cup in 2018. Paul Green was one of the main reasons I signed for Chelsea. Emma Hayes showed me around, explained the project and was the one to try and woo me. But I was still a bit unsure. They already had established Women's Super League players such as Ji So-yun, Eni Aluko and Gemma Davison, plus a 22-year-old Fran Kirby. It was such a competitive squad — I wanted to play, and knew that would not be a guarantee if I signed. I'd been shown what the club was doing and what they were offering, but they would carry on in that direction with or without me. He introduced jeopardy and I realised I wanted to be part of a team with that mentality. I don't think even Green knows it, but that conversation cemented it for me: I had to sign for Chelsea. Now that Chelsea have parted ways with him, and are nine points behind Manchester City in the WSL table, the team will have to rebuild without him. Green and Hayes were a really good team. Hayes was all in and wanted to show players everything, while Green offered a bit of balance. Hayes trusted Green and they backed one another. Together, they built a dominant women's team in England over 12 years, winning seven WSL titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups, and reaching the Champions League final in 2021. It sometimes looked like the team was being broken up when it didn't need fixing, but they planned two or three years ahead, refreshed the squad when it was at its peak and stayed at the top. If you didn't deliver that, you'd be looking over your shoulder and another player would be coming in to make sure that they won. Chelsea signed ready-made players primed to win from the off. When Hayes moved to the United States women's national team in 2024 and took some of her coaching staff with her, I was a bit surprised that Green didn't go too. Instead, he stayed at Chelsea, and his knowledge and that consistency would have been invaluable to Hayes' successor, Sonia Bompastor, if he had stayed for longer. But the struggles have shown over recent months, and the transition, after more than a decade doing things one way, suddenly looks more challenging In the recent 5-1 loss against Manchester City, I didn't recognise Chelsea. I couldn't recognise what they were trying to do. I thought Bompastor's first year would be the transition season after 12 years of Hayes, but it actually feels like the transition is happening now. They're going to have a massive reset in the summer, with incomings and outgoings. This summer is going to be massive for Chelsea, and for the first time in years, they're not pitching to potential recruits as the top team in England. To keep evolving a team when they're winning is hard. It is much harder to attract a player if they're going to join a team with growing pains. This pitch is a harder sell, telling players: “We're chasing other teams and it's going to be tough.” It will be interesting to see the type of pulling power they have. Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Catarina Macario, Guro Reiten, Sam Kerr, Aggie Beever-Jones, Millie Bright and Rebecca Spencer are all out of contract in the summer. We'll learn a lot more about the club's model. The calibre, age and experience of those players they're recruiting will be really telling. The men's side have gone through a transition where they've changed the model of player recruitment and gone for younger players on longer-term contracts. It's interesting if the women's side is going to follow. This summer, we're going to see who's taking control of recruitment and what the look and feel of Chelsea Women really is. In the four transfer windows since Bompastor joined, Chelsea have only signed one player older than 28 (Bronze). Chelsea face a crucial moment, with their usual pulling power diminished and without the knowledge of Green. I'm really interested to see how it plays out. Find the hidden link between sports terms With 144 caps, Karen Carney is England's third-most capped player. Karen's expertise and experience at playing football at the very highest level includes competing in the Champions League final, four World Cups, four European Championships and also for Team GB at the London Olympics in 2012. Her began her broadcast career covering all football on both BBC TV and Radio 5 Live and BT Sports.

Countless rusted-on Socceroos fans have been priced out of tickets to the FIFA World Cup this year, with some greedy scalpers asking for an astonishing $322,000 for some games. It comes after many supporters paid a $99 fee to Football Australia just to lodge an application for World Cup tickets, which they missed out on once the random ballots were revealed this week. Mark Bowman has followed the Socceroos since their first World Cup appearance in 1974, and hoped to travel to the tournament that will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11. But Bowman, 65, was left disgruntled after only securing tickets to one of Australia's group matches - against Paraguay - on June 26 in Santa Clara, California. 'To have created a scheme which charges money, knowing people are desperate and are going to pay, and that you have fans who have been with the Socceroos through thick and thin, but to ultimately allocate the tickets at random, that really bugs me,' Bowman told the Sydney Morning Herald. With thousands of Socceroos supporters heading to the World Cup - many not armed with tickets - they are in for a rude shock. If they are lucky enough to watch Tony Popovic's men in the flesh, it won't come cheap. 'At this stage, people are probably not going to go if they can't get any tickets,' he told the ABC. 'I will say this...some Australian football fans are so passionate they won't let anything get in their way. Despite the hefty price tag, sales remain brisk, with FIFA claiming they are catering to 500 million ticket requests globally.

— Swope Soccer Village wasn't supposed to be a FIFA World Cup 26 base camp this summer, but England's love for Kansas City and its respect for Sporting Kansas City mean the Three Lions are coming to town after all. “I'd say England has been the most engaged club from the beginning,” Sporting Kansas City President and CEO Jake Reid said Thursday at Swope. “Over a year now, they've been in Kansas City meeting with us.” England confirmed Wednesday that it will use the facility — where Sporting KC II, the club's second team, and its youth academy teams train. Officially, the Kansas City region started with three base camp options, but now seems poised to land four. RELATED | ‘Quasi-spiritual moment': Argentina's base camp brings joy for Grant Wahl's brother, friends Arrowhead will be called Kansas City Stadium during the World Cup. Exactly how England landed at Swope, where Sporting KC used to train before moving to the newer and bigger state-of-the-art facility it shares with US Soccer in 2018, is a crazy journey. FIFA originally said it would use the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking to allocate base camps and set a Jan. 9 deadline for the 42 teams that have already qualified — six more will be determined via playoffs in late March — to submit base-camp preferences. RELATED | Dive deeper into the 6 FIFA World Cup 26 matches coming to KC Soccer's world governing body planned to sort through the allocation process from there and England, which is ranked fourth in the world, felt great about its chances to land in Kansas City. But things changed after the Dec. 5 draw, when Argentina was drawn into Group J with games in Kansas City, Dallas and Santa Clara, California. La Albiceleste had been expected to build a base camp in Miami, so they weren't very engaged in the process of visiting base-camp sites, but the draw changed those plans. “We had no engagement with Argentina up to the draw,” Reid said. “Then, suddenly they called us after wanting to come out.” That allowed two fellow Pot 1 teams — second-ranked Argentina, which opens defense of its World Cup title June 16 against Algeria at Arrowhead, and the Netherlands, who are ranked seventh and play Tunisia on June 25 in Kansas City — to cut the line in front of England for Sporting KC's and the Current's training grounds. England still coveted Kansas City for its central location, but it seemed like Lawrence was its only option — and the Three Lions wanted to stay closer to the city center. “They loved us, just from the relationship and what we could bring to the table for them in terms of their time here, so they approached us and said, ‘Hey, is Swope an option? Sporting KC, which had been a driving force in getting the ball rolling to get the World Cup in Kansas City more than a decade ago, happily obliged. Still, when Kansas City was named one of 16 North American host cities in June 2022, organizers optimistically hoped to land four games and a base camp. “It is absolutely crazy to think about that,” former Sporting KC left back Seth Sinovic said. Sinovic, Sporting KC's 2014 Defensive Player of the Year, knows Swope well. The Leawood native trained there as a youth player and with Sporting KC from 2011-19. “You've got a few more bells and whistles, obviously, at Compass with the first team, but at the end of the day, this was a great option for them once they got out here and saw it,” Reid said. I just felt like we bonded pretty well there, and maybe close quarters were a big reason for that.” Sporting KC's second team welcomes the chance to share their fields this summer with the Three Lions, whose only World Cup title came in 1966. “That is going to be a surreal experience,” Sporting KC II starting goalkeeper Jacob Molinaro said.

Extending his England men's team contract until 2028 means increased stability and a less relentless form of pressure It was win or bust when he signed up to become England's head coach in October 2024. An 18-month deal, which began on 1 January 2025, saw to that. Tuchel talked about it giving him focus. He loves being out on the training pitch, working with his players, honing their understanding of his tactics. Wouldn't he get bored during the long months without a game? Wouldn't he get itchy feet as soon as he saw a job open up at a big club? This week we saw the clearest evidence yet of Tuchel's transformation into staunch international football enthusiast, as the 52-year-old beamed for the cameras and spoke excitedly about extending his contract until Euro 2028. Was it just how bonds were tightened as England sealed World Cup qualification with a series of strong, unified performances between September and November? Unlike Gareth Southgate he is not on some deep, emotional quest to heal society. He is doing a job and, taking a pragmatic view, has realised that another two years with England is a better career choice than returning to the volatility of club management. It is mid-February and already there have been bitter separations at Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham since the turn of the year. Nottingham Forest, admittedly not the calmest club, are appointing their fourth manager of a tumultuous season. Tuchel, meanwhile, can go serenely about his business. Yes, managing England at a tournament is stressful and demanding, particularly if performances dip for a second or two. Even so, it happens only once every two years. Club managers are on the hamster wheel constantly. The Club World Cup is a thing. Sporting directors are more influential than ever but are rarely the first to carry the can for a poor run of form or a bad transfer window. There may be vacancies at Barcelona, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Spurs this summer. Antonio Conte has had a tough season at Napoli. He will have seen Enzo Maresca's implosion at Chelsea and Ruben Amorim's run-in with the United politburo. Thomas Frank looked haunted roughly two seconds after joining Spurs. Eddie Howe led Newcastle to a trophy last year but is under pressure. Xabi Alonso, the brightest young manager around, was torn to shreds and lasted less than a year at Real. Arne Slot is one of two managers to have won the Premier League at Liverpool, yet it would not be a major shock if he left before the year is out. It is not obvious which job would appeal to Tuchel. Working at United and Chelsea requires a lot of managing upwards. Spurs are a mess and Newcastle have spending restrictions. A lot of fans have grown weary. The club game feels increasingly hard and cynical. Managers are chewed up and spat out. In Spain, there is not much beyond the two giants. Valencia, who reached Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, have fallen. Where in France, apart from a reunion with Paris Saint-Germain? As for Germany, there is not much beyond Bayern Munich, who are unlikely to want a reunion with Tuchel after their bitter split in 2024. Maresca and Amorim appeared happy to leave big jobs. Alonso needs to choose his next job carefully. Jürgen Klopp needed a break after leaving Liverpool and is still happy on the padel court. International management was supposed to be for older coaches but Julian Nagelsmann, 38, is about to take Germany into a second tournament. The Football Association is only too delighted to have Tuchel. He does not have to deal with meddling owners or egotistical sporting directors. He does not have to worry about transfer budgets. Away from tournaments he does not hold press conferences every three days. True, the vibe will change if England falter this summer. It does not alter that sense of international football feeling purer than the club game in its current state. The World Cup will be tough and intense but a home Euros is something to savour. Tuchel's shift is not that big a surprise.