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Tottenham Hotspur has officially announced the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach, signing him to a five-year contract. The Italian manager, renowned for his daring and aggressive possession-based approach, faces a significant challenge as he takes over with the club precariously positioned just above the relegation zone.Spurs are set to play seven matches to end the season, with their next fixture scheduled against Sunderland on the upcoming Sunday. Notably, De Zerbi's contract does not include any break clause in the event of Tottenham being relegated.De Zerbi expressed his delight in joining the club, stating, “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world. In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters.”The appointment of De Zerbi comes after Igor Tudor, the interim manager, parted ways with the club by mutual consent. Tudor had taken over temporarily following the departure of Thomas Frank on February 14.De Zerbi previously managed Brighton & Hove Albion, where he achieved significant success, leading the club to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League and qualification for the Europa League. His tenure at Marseille also yielded impressive results, with a second-place finish in Ligue 1 and Champions League qualification.Despite his successes, De Zerbi is also known for his volatile personality and has had public disagreements with players and clubs in the past. The immediate concern for Spurs will be whether De Zerbi can adapt quickly and lead the team to avoid relegation.

Italy’s World Cup hopes were extinguished on March 31, 2026, when Bosnia and Herzegovina won the playoff final on penalties, marking the Azzurri’s third successive failure to qualify for the tournament. The defeat follows two recent setbacks – a surprise loss to North Macedonia in 2022 and a two‑legged defeat by Sweden in 2021 – underscoring a growing crisis for a nation that once celebrated four World Cup triumphs. In a dramatic encounter in Sarajevo, Moise Kean opened the scoring in the 60th minute, giving Italy an early lead. However, the advantage was short‑lived; a red card for Alessandro Bastoni just before halftime reduced Italy to ten men, and Haris Tabaković equalised in the 79th minute. The match proceeded to extra time, where both sides failed to find a winner, setting the stage for a penalty shootout. During the shootout, Bosnia displayed composure, converting four of four penalties. Italy faltered, with Francesco Esposito blasting over the bar and Bryan Cristante striking the cross‑bar, handing the hosts a 4‑2 shootout victory and a place at this summer’s World Cup. Post‑match, Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso described the result as “difficult to digest” and issued a personal apology, acknowledging that the Azzurri are now “the only former champion not to qualify for this edition.” Beyond the scoreline, the game highlighted Italy’s tactical vulnerabilities: early nervousness, a loss of midfield control after Bastoni’s dismissal, and an inability to capitalize on chances despite a dominant possession spell. Bosnia, meanwhile, showed resilience, maintaining pressure throughout and ultimately rewarding it in the decisive shootout. The outcome reshapes the European qualification landscape. Bosnia and Herzegovina secure their first World Cup appearance since 2014, while Italy faces renewed scrutiny over its footballing direction, with calls for structural reforms echoing the fallout from their 2018 “apocalypse” miss.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke has sought to play down the discord between him and the fans following the boos that greeted the team's World Cup qualification.The team's preparations for the tournament have been hit by a late defeat against Japan on Saturday, and Clarke's relationship with the fans appears strained. The manager admitted to being 'surprised and disappointed' by the boos, which he claimed were 'not a big issue.'Clarke's contract with the Scottish Football Association ends when Scotland exit the World Cup, and he has expressed frustration over the lack of a new contract offer. The SFA is in an awkward situation regarding Clarke's future, with no obvious alternative for the role.John McGinn has emphasized the importance of qualifying for major tournaments, saying he would 'happily lose friendlies for 10 years' if it meant Scotland qualified for the World Cup. Clarke will utilize Fifa's opportunity to name 55 players in an original World Cup squad at the start of May, which will be cut to 26.The team's upcoming friendlies against Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, and Venezuela will be crucial in assessing their form ahead of the World Cup. Clarke has emphasized the need to 'get minutes into the legs of boys not playing at club level' and to 'tinker a little bit.'

The US Men's National Team (USMNT) faced a daunting reality check in their friendly match against Belgium, a 5-2 loss that exposed the team's ongoing struggles. The defeat, 12 years after their last World Cup loss to Belgium, raised questions about the team's progress.Mauricio Pochettino's side started strong, with Weston McKennie scoring in the 39th minute. However, Belgium responded with a methodical display of skill, scoring five unanswered goals. The USMNT's defensive vulnerabilities were evident, echoing their 2014 and 2022 World Cup exits.The loss served as a reality check for Pochettino and his team, highlighting the skill gap between them and top-tier opponents. Despite the disappointing result, Pochettino and winger Tim Weah saw the loss as an opportunity to learn and improve before the World Cup.Matt Turner, the USMNT goalkeeper, made several strong saves to prevent the score from being even worse. The team's naïveté and physicality were exposed by a Belgian team that cruised to World Cup qualification without losing a game.The loss felt revelatory, similar to their past World Cup knockouts. However, Pochettino and Weah emphasized the importance of learning from the experience and improving before the World Cup.

Arsenal claimed their 11th consecutive win across all competitions with a dominant 5-2 victory over Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium. Alessia Russo was the star of the show, scoring a remarkable hat-trick in just 22 minutes, showcasing her impressive form this season.Russo's three goals took her tally to five in the last eight days, highlighting her exceptional goal-scoring ability. Her performance was praised by Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers, who described Russo as a 'complete footballer' with impressive finishing skills and other aspects of her game.The win moved Arsenal up to second in the Women's Super League table, level on points with Manchester United but with two games in hand. This positions them well in the race for automatic qualification for the Champions League group stage.Tottenham, on the other hand, suffered their third successive defeat and will look to address defensive vulnerabilities, particularly in set-piece situations. Despite a stronger second-half performance, they were unable to recover from Arsenal's strong start.Russo's goals exemplified her aerial ability and technical quality, while her third goal was facilitated by a gift from Tottenham keeper Lize Kop. Arsenal's Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius also made significant contributions with their goals, marking Foord's return from the Women's Asia Cup and Blackstenius's third goal in four games.

Scotland's journey to the World Cup has hit a snag after a lackluster 1-0 defeat to Japan in a recent international friendly. The match, which took place at Hampden Park, was marked by a passive performance from the Scottish team, leaving fans and manager Steve Clarke frustrated.The only goal of the game came courtesy of Junya Ito of Japan, who scored in the latter stages of the match. This victory for Japan contrasted sharply with Scotland's enthusiastic World Cup qualification from last November, where they secured a spot in the tournament with a win against Denmark.The defeat was met with booing from the Scottish fans at full-time, a reaction that left Clarke disappointed. He expressed his discontent with the modern trend of booing teams after a loss, emphasizing the need for more support during friendlies.Clarke has announced plans to make significant changes to the lineup for the upcoming friendly against Côte d'Ivoire, with at least half a dozen new players expected to feature. This move aims to inject fresh energy into the team ahead of the World Cup.The match itself was criticized for its lack of intensity, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut opportunities. Scotland's Scott McTominay had a chance to open the scoring early on but was thwarted by Japan's goalkeeper, Zion Suzuki.Japan's Daizen Maeda, who was given the captaincy despite a challenging season at Celtic, failed to make a significant impact. His performance was reflective of a lackluster display from both teams in the first half.The second half saw Japan gain momentum, with Ito eventually scoring the decisive goal following a well-worked move. Scotland's best chance to equalize came through George Hirst, but his shot into the side netting was not enough to change the outcome.

Manchester City delivered a resounding statement of intent in their latest Women's Super League fixture, dismantling Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford in a derby that showcased the vast gulf between the two teams. The victory propelled City closer to securing their first league title in a decade, while simultaneously damaging United's hopes of European qualification next season.Vivianne Miedema was the star of the show, scoring twice with headers in the first half, while Kerstin Casparij added a third goal early in the second period. Lauren Hemp also hit the crossbar as City dominated throughout, with the home side fortunate not to concede more goals in a match that highlighted the disparity between the teams.Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner attributed his team's performance to fatigue following their Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich three days prior. In contrast, City has benefited from not competing in European competitions this season, allowing for crucial rest between matches. Skinner acknowledged the advantage enjoyed by City manager Andrée Jeglertz, who described his team's first-half display as "one of the best we've done this season."The result has effectively ended United's title ambitions, with Skinner's side now trailing by 11 points with only three games remaining. Chelsea's hopes of retaining their crown have also been extinguished, as they sit 12 points behind with an inferior goal difference. Arsenal remains the only mathematical challenger, though they would need City to falter significantly in their remaining fixtures.City's dominance was evident from the opening minutes, with Miedema opening the scoring from a corner just 21 seconds into the match. She doubled her tally before the break, finding herself unmarked in the penalty area as United's defense failed to deal with a cross from Casparij. Hemp struck the woodwork before a Rebecca Knaak goal was controversially disallowed, and Casparij sealed the victory with a clinical finish after the interval.With City now requiring just five points from their remaining three matches—all against bottom-four teams—the WSL title appears destined to return to the Etihad Stadium. Meanwhile, United faces an uphill battle to secure European qualification, with challenging fixtures against Tottenham and Chelsea still to come this season.

Everton Football Club is set to offer David Moyes a new contract this summer, recognizing his achievements in turning the team around from relegation threats to potential European qualification contenders. Moyes, who took over in January of last year, has led the team to eighth place in the Premier League, just three points shy of the Champions League qualification spots. Initially viewed as a short-term solution by Everton's owners, the Friedkin Group, Moyes has proven his worth, prompting the club to consider extending his two-and-a-half-year deal. The Friedkin Group, who completed their £400m takeover of Everton the previous month, are now convinced that Moyes is the right manager to lead the club forward. Moyes' potential new contract could also come with increased influence over player recruitment, similar to his first stint at Everton from 2002 to 2013. The 62-year-old manager has downplayed discussions about a new deal, stating, 'I'm not too worried about that, I'm fine.' Everton's improvement under Moyes is notable, especially considering his preference for working with more experienced players, such as Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who joined last summer. This strategy contrasts with younger players like Tyler Dibling, who has made limited appearances. A potential complication for Everton's European aspirations is the ownership situation, as the Friedkin Group also owns AS Roma, currently sixth in Serie A. UEFA regulations prevent clubs under the same ownership from competing in the same European competition. However, the Friedkin Group is confident in their compliance and has an alternative solution in place to ensure both clubs can participate if they qualify for the same competition.