Champions

FANS declared “never fails to deliver” after adidas unveiled next season’s Champions League ball with a zodiac sign-twist.

The German manufacturer is taking charge of the ball for next term’s elite competition once again.

2

2

This term’s design features various colours printed over an all-white ball to produce an almost rainbow-like effect.

But adidas’ new version instead takes a leaf from astrology.

According to Footy Headlines, this time the Champions League ball will be white with blue stars patterned all around.

Each star is trimmed with gold, while the middle will bear the image of each of the 12 zodiac signs.

There is a ram for Aries, a cow for Taurus, twins for Gemini and a crab for Cancer.

Continuing on, there is a lion for Leo, a maiden for Virgo, scales for Libra and a scorpion for Scorpio.

Finally, there is a centaur for Sagittarius, a goal for Capricorn, a water-bearer for Aquarius, and two fish for Pisces.

The eye-catching design is sure to look even more impressive when being knocked around at speed on the pitch.

BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS

And fans were certainly loving it as they reacted to the new ball on social media.

One said: “UCL balls never fail to deliver.”

Another declared: “Beautiful.”

One noted: “Nice.”

Another added: “Winning the UCL with this ball will be great.”

LEAH WILLIAMSON urged Arsenal to keep on winning silverware following fans’ raucous celebrations of their Champions League triumph.

Like fellow club icons Tony Adams and Thierry Henry, the Gunners star wants to be remembered for major trophies wins as well as loyalty to the team.

6

6

6

6

6

Williamson, who broke down in tears after her side’s Champions League final defeat of Barcelona, joined team-mates for a public celebration of their triumph at the Emirates today. 

The centre-back put in one of her best performances of her career as Spain’s club football queens were shutout during their clash in Lisbon, Portugal on May 24.  

Her efforts helped her side secure Arsenal’s second Women’s Champions League trophy win following the club’s first triumph in 2007. 

And the lifelong Arsenal fan wants her legacy to be about loyalty combined with winning the biggest prizes with the Gunners. 

Williamson said: “You have to win trophies and I’m so proud of what we do off the pitch, who we are, how we lead and how we carry ourselves. 

“I’m so proud of that but I want to win and Arsenal should be winning.

“I’ve looked at that legacy all my life and I’ve been aware of that and I wanted to contribute to it. 

“I don’t want to end my career just being loyal.

“Loyalty is great but loyalty with trophies is just something else.

“This week I’ve spoken to Tony Adams and Thierry Henry, people I watched (when I was young). 

“They were incredible and they won and that’s why they are remembered the way they are. 

“I’m proud that we’re the only team in the land (to have won the Women’s Champions League). 

“Anybody that’s Arsenal – red and white – is going to have a summer to remember.”

This morning thousands of fans flocked outside the Armoury in front of the stadium as  Williamson and her team-mates held their European trophy aloft. 

And Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe had supporters cheering following her leading expletive laden chants concerning rivals Tottenham

After a mix of lighthearted and moving short speeches delivered by several players and head coach Renee Slegers, Williamson shared her reflections on her team’s success. 

And she paid a touching tribute to skipper Kim Little, who is currently the team’s long-serving player having made more than 300 appearances.

Williamson added: “If you look at this celebration today, the turnout and what we’ve done over the last couple of years, this is the stuff that makes you stay. 

“(After our win) I dropped to my knees because of the tears and then I went to look for Kim. We were just sobbing.

“Kim Little is everything I would want to be as a person.

6

“I’m just glad (for her) because you don’t get recognised sometimes and that’s unjust.  

“You need to win trophies and to win the biggest things to get what you deserve. Kim deserves everything.

“People had the game of their lives and I genuinely don’t know if anyone (on the team) that put a foot wrong in terms of the game plan and what it was meant to be.”

NOTTINGHAM FOREST would have earned a Champions League spot at the expense of Newcastle if VAR did not exist.

And the Magpies’ escape from any consequences for their home defeat by Everton is put into even starker content as they would have missed out on European football altogether without the technology.

3

3

SunSport have analysed all 380 Prem matches this term and worked out how the table would have looked if the original on-field decisions had not been overturned after intervention by the Stockley Park video booth.

Our number crunchers found that Eddie Howe’s men were by far the biggest beneficiaries of VAR changes. 

Newcastle had a staggering 13 decisions changed in their favour, with just five reversals hurting them.

That brought a net figure of +8, with Aston Villa and West Ham next in the benefits column with each having four more interventions in their favour than against them.

Our analysis, which assumes every penalty that was initially awarded and then wiped was scored, suggests that without VAR Newcastle would have picked up four fewer points – dropping them to eighth in the table – and conceded seven more goals.

Forest, whose home defeat by Chelsea left them in the Conference League slot, would have finished fifth in our “No VAR” table.

And Bournemouth, ninth in the actual table, would have been preparing for a first continental campaign in the Europa League without the technology changes.

Andoni Iraola’s side had 11 VAR changes against them and just three in their favour, costing the Cherries EIGHT points and seven goals.

The study of the 111 changed decisions cannot determine definitively what would have happened in real life if the initial decisions had not been overturned.

But one of the most contentious calls saw Dango Ouattara’s last-gasp “winner” against Newcastle in August chalked off for a handball PGMOL chief Howard Webb subsequently conceded was wrongly overturned after the VAR intervention.

Over the course of the season there were 12 goals and 25 penalties awarded through VAR intervention – with 21 of those spot-kicks converted – compared to 48 goals and 11 penalties disallowed.

Liverpool’s 10-point advantage over Arsenal at the top of the pile would have been reduced to just two without VAR, as the Gunners lost eight points from the six overturns against them – including “winning” goals against Chelsea, Fulham and Aston Villa.

Chelsea and Manchester City swap places, with the Londoners up to third, with Villa down one to take the Conference League slot.

3

LEVI COLWILL netted a rare and lucrative goal which propelled Chelsea’s billion-pound boys’ club into the Champions League after a two-year absence. 

And for Nottingham Forest, it was a case of what Colwill giveth, Colwill taketh away. 

4

4

4

It was the Chelsea defender’s own goal, while on loan at Huddersfield Town, which earned Forest promotion to the top flight in the Championship Play-Off Final of 2022. 

But early in the second half, the England man scored only the fifth goal of his career to settle this final-day shoot-out for a place at European football’s top table. 

And Chelsea now head to Poland for Wednesday’s Europa Conference League Final against Real Betis, knowing they are assured of a place back in the elite. 

This result ensured that Enzo Maresca will survive as head coach at Stamford Bridge and will allow Todd Boehly & Co to argue that their policy of bulk-buying young players on long contracts is beginning to bear fruit. 

After a tense match of few chances, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men ended up in seventh place, which earns them a place in the Conference League next term. 

This season had promised far more from Forest, who were up in the top three of the Premier League for the majority of the campaign. 

But they have taken just one point from their final four home matches, which ultimately killed off their ambitions of playing in a higher echelon of European competition. 

For Chelsea, this was only a second Premier League away game since December.

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS

They were playing without a recognised centre-forward in their starting line-up – Pedro Neto operating as a ‘false nine’ in the absence of the suspended Nicolas Jackson.

While Forest had looked nailed-on for the Champions League for much of the season, a return to European football had already been secured after a 30-year hiatus.

And a banner reading ‘Destination: Europe’ was unfurled on the Trent End. 

Before kick-off, Gary Neville – banned from the City Ground for criticising Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis – was being widely accused of indulging in one-in-a-bed romps. 

But on the pitch, it was deathly dull early on – neither side bearing any attacking teeth, with Forest wasteful from set-pieces. 

It took almost half an hour for a serious scoring opportunity to arise – Noni Madueke feeding Cole Palmer down the right and the England man centring for Neto to volley over.

Almost immediately, Elliott Anderson responded for Forest with a dipping long-ranger which fell wide of the far post. 

Largely, though, it was anxious and fractious stop-start stuff – Chelsea’s players doing an awful lot of falling over, with ref Anthony Taylor rarely responsive. 

There were penalty shouts from the Forest fans when Anthony Elanga went down after a tangle with Palmer but Taylor and his VAR were not interested. 

4

Just before half-time, Ola Aina swung in a cross from the right, Chris Wood arrived before keeper Robert Sanchez but the Kiwi striker volleyed over. 

At the start of the second half, Chelsea were showing more intent and within four minutes of the restart, they were ahead. 

A corner was partially cleared but a Marc Cucurella ball over the top caught Forest flat-footed and Neto rolled across goal for Colwill to tap in at the back stick and celebrate in front of the travelling Blues fans. 

Soon, Madueke’s shot was scooped clear by Matz Sels as Chelsea went in for a quick kill. 

Nuno sent on former Chelsea man Callum Hudson-Odoi and then Ryan Yates, after Nicolas Dominguez was forced to hobble after a heavy challenge from Madueke. 

But Forest struggled to turn a spell of territorial advantage into goalscoring opportunities, although Wood had a close-range effort deflected over in injury time.

And Chelsea were able to secure qualification for the Champions League in relatively comfortable style. 

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..

The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.

THE final day of the Premier League is here, and there is so much still to be decided!

Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are the FIVE teams in the mix for the remaining three Champions League spots.

Source link

Chloe Kelly said she considered taking a break from football before Arsenal “put the smile back on my face” and transformed her difficult season “from a real low to a real high”.

Kelly started Saturday’s Champions League final as the Gunners stunned holders Barcelona to win a first European title in 18 years.

The England international came through the Gunners’ youth ranks between 2010 and 2015 and was given a chance back at the club after struggling for game time with Manchester City, making just one start in the WSL before her deadline day loan move to north London.

She said she “wanted to be happy again” in a social media post and then-City boss Gareth Taylor said it was “really disappointing” how the bitter transfer saga between Kelly and the club came to an end.

“I said I was coming to this club to find happiness with football and I have a medal round my neck,” an emotional Kelly told BBC Sport’s Jo Currie. “Every day that I come into the club I’m smiling. They put the smile back on my face so I will forever be grateful for that.

“I took a step to try and make things better for myself and I’m grateful for the people around me that supported me to take that step. This one is for everyone that helped me do that.”

Kelly has made 13 appearances in all competitions since re-joining Arsenal, scoring twice.

She helped the Gunners secure a second-placed WSL finish and now has Saturday’s triumph in Lisbon to celebrate.

“Definitely up there,” Kelly, who scored England’s winning goal in the Euro 2022 final, added on where the victory ranks. “The journey it has taken to get here, it’s definitely been a battle.

“Now to celebrate this moment with the girls, with Arsenal Football Club but also my family that have been there through the dark days to now, I’m just really grateful.”

On whether taking a break from football was a real option before her January move, Kelly said: “It definitely was. I don’t think people understand at times the emotions that sometimes go through people’s minds.

“It’s hard to explain but we’re here now and we’re at the other side of it. It’s football, sometimes there’s high, there’s lows and there’s bits in between. From a real low to a real high, I am very grateful for Renee Slegers.

“The first thing I said to Renee when we beat Lyon in the semi-final was ‘thank you for this opportunity’.”

Kelly’s contract at City expires in June and her loan move was only until the end of the season.

On whether fans can expect to see her in an Arsenal shirt again next season, she added: “Who knows. I just know I have given my all for the club and the club has given their all for me, so I’m always grateful.”

Little and England captain Leah Williamson were two of the Gunners best players in Portugal and they jointly lifted the trophy amid the celebrations on the pitch.

For Williamson, who held the Women’s Euros trophy aloft three years ago following England’s 2-1 win over Germany at Wembley, it was a special moment at the club she has always supported.

When Arsenal won the title in 2007, a 10-year-old Williamson had been one of the mascots for the second leg match against Swedish side Umea.

“Eighteen years is a long time to wait for something,” said the now 28-year-old. “I’ve won every domestic trophy with Arsenal now so on a personal level I’m proud of that.

“We turned up to try and do a job and we did it and we’re taking the trophy home. I have a rule not to look at the scoreboard and I broke it three times.”

Barcelona, who won the competition in each of the past two seasons, put Arsenal under pressure for large parts of the final.

However, the 67th-minute introduction of Beth Mead and Blackstenius proved crucial as the England forward set up the Swede to score the winning goal.

“A lot of happy tears,” said an emotional Mead, who celebrated with her family. “I’m proud of being able to do what we did and see my dad at the end.

“It’s been a rough few years, obviously missing my mum [who passed away in January 2023] and it’s the first time I’ve had a big final without her being here. She very much was watching over me.”

Arsenal lift the UEFA Women’s Champions League with a 1-0 win that ended Barcelona’s hopes of a three-peat.

Arsenal upset defending champions Barcelona 1-0 to win the Women’s Champions League for a second time.

Stina Blackstenius scored in the 75th minute after being set up by fellow second-half substitute Beth Mead in the final at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on Saturday.

Arsenal’s title came 18 years after it became the first, and still the only, English club to win the top club title in women’s football.

Arsenal’s players embraced on the final whistle and ran to celebrate in front of the red-and-white corner of the stands, which were otherwise mostly dressed in burgundy and blue.

“We believed from the moment our Champions League journey started,” Arsenal striker Alessia Russo told broadcaster TNT Sports. “We knew that we had the capabilities. We knew that we could be good enough. It was just about going and doing it. And we’ve done it!”

Barcelona were considered the heavy favourite. They were aiming for a fourth title in five years and to become the only team other than Lyon to win three consecutive titles. The team led by two-time Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas won nine straight in the competition and blew out Wolfsburg and English champion Chelsea in the knockout rounds.

But Arsenal locked down in defence, except for early in the second half, and created the best chances. Only two superb saves by Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll to deny Frida Maanum and Blackstenius kept it scoreless, until Blackstenius finally beat her.

The victory marks an incredible finish to a rocky season for Arsenal, which included coach Jonas Eidevall resigning and being replaced by assistant Renee Seglers.

Since taking over, Seglers steered the team through a spectacular European campaign. Arsenal built its confidence from come-from-behind wins over Real Madrid and eight-time champion Lyon in the knockout rounds before laying low the almighty Barcelona.

The loss was a huge disappointment for the large group of Barcelona fans who filled the stadium that is home to Sporting Lisbon. Blue-and-burgundy shirts and flags outnumbered the red-and-white section, but their calls of “Yes we can!” in the final minutes were not enough to inspire a comeback by the Catalan club.

The closest Barcelona came to a goal was a shot by Claudia Pina that hit the crossbar just after halftime when the Spanish team had its best period. Otherwise, the game was to Arsenal’s liking.

“We are very sorry for all our fans who have come to support us,” Bonmati told Catalunya Radio in the field before the award ceremony. “We will try to do it again.”

Arsenal shook off some early jitters in defence and soon had Barcelona on the back foot. Arsenal’s pressure up the field stopped Barcelona from getting their possession game going, and Arsenal found spaces with long balls down the left flank.

England striker Russo was a rock for Arsenal, using her size to win balls and keep the attack going.

Arsenal thought it went ahead in the 22nd but a video review waived off an own goal by Barcelona’s Irene Paredes when the referee spotted an offside by Frida Maanum. Maanum then went close with a long shot in the 27th that Coll did well to stretch and push over her bar.

Bonmatí was the only Barcelona player who seemed to be in the flow before halftime. Her dribble moves through the middle created a few threats and kept Arsenal on guard in defence. Leah Williamson blocked her best shot deep in the box in the 12th.

Barcelona came out of the restart firing.

Pina hit the woodwork with her chipped shot from a sharp angle in the 49th. Bonmati forced goalie Daphne van Domselaar to get low to parry her shot, and Ona Batlle bombarded the area with three shots from long range.

But Blackstenius set the tone when she had a golden chance when she stole a ball with only Cata to beat, but the goalie got her leg out to block her effort in the 72nd. The Sweden forward would not be denied a second time.

STINA BLACKSTENIUS stunned Barcelona by firing Arsenal to Champions League glory wrecking the Catalan giants hopes of a European three-peat.

The Sweden ace, who has a knack for netting tournament-winning goals, bagged one that saw the Gunners win the contest for the first time in 18 years.

11

11

11

11

11

11

With Arsenal under the cosh the Sweden striker was called into action by boss Renee Slegers, along with Beth Mead in the 69th minute at the home of Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.

The duo did not disappoint with Blackstenius pouncing on Mead’s classy reverse pass to drill low a shot beyond keeper Cata Coll six minutes later.

The striker, who bagged Arsenal’s winner in the Women’s League Cup, was mobbed by her team-mates with Barca’s players looking stunned to go behind.

The Gunners also had a goal chalked off in a tense encounter which they were jeered by a largely partisan crowd of 38,356 onlookers.

Despite the jeers of Barca’s fans, with just 5,000 Gunners supporters present, Slegers capped Arsenal’s renaissance by guiding the team to football’s top club prize.

Respect and belief were the buzzwords around her camp as time drew near to the team’s biggest European game in 18 years.

It was almost two decades ago (2007) that Arsenal claimed a Champions League trophy for the first time.

Gunners legend Ian Wright, watching from the stands, had urged Slegers side to embrace the moment.

11

11

11

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

For periods of the game they certainly did with some of Arsenal’s top brass watch from the stands including co-owner Josh Kroenke and managing director Richard Garlick.

The queens of Spain’s top-flight have pretty much demolished most of their Champions League rivals, lifting the trophy three times in the last four years.

Ever since their first triumph in 2021, with Chelsea thrashed 4-0, they have been a force to be reckoned with.

From the WSL this season, Manchester City were the only side able to lay a glove on Barcelona in Europe, with their tactically smart 2-0 win in the group stage.

WSL champions Chelsea tried and failed to get past them conceding eight times across their two-leg semis tie.

So the odds were very much against Arsenal at the home of Sporting where a large Barcelona contingent roared the holders on.

After some panicky defending in their box early on, Slegers players appeared to settle into the game restricting the holders to just ONE first half shot on target.

The Gunners thought they had taken the lead after Irene Paredes poked home an own-goal but a VAR check found Frida Maanum was offside.

After Claudia Pina had a 58th minute shot blocked and Barca fired some efforts narrowly over the bar.

Arsenal took the lead much to the Catalan giants dismay. And they held out to capture the trophy for the first time in almost 20 years.

11

11

Who: Barcelona vs Arsenal
What: UEFA Women’s Champions League final
When: Saturday, May 24 (18:00 kickoff, 16:00 GMT)
Where: Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal

Follow Al Jazeera Sport‘s live text and photo commentary stream.

Barcelona are aiming to complete a three-peat of Women’s Champions League titles and win its fourth European crown in five years when it faces Arsenal in Lisbon on Saturday.

Al Jazeera Sport looks at a final that pits two of the biggest names in women’s football for the game’s biggest club prize.

What is the secret to Barcelona’s success?

Barcelona are out to reaffirm their status as the dominant force in European women’s football after they finally beat Lyon and successfully defended their title in last year’s final.

Their possession-hungry and high-scoring attack is led from the midfield by Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas and several other members of Spain’s World Cup-winning team that beat England in the 2023 final.

What is Barcelona’s Champions League record?

Barcelona will be playing in its sixth Champions League final in seven seasons and a record-equalling fifth in a row at Lisbon’s 50,000-capacity Estadio Jose Alvalade.

The Catalan club has the chance to become the only team other than Lyon to lift the European Cup in three consecutive years.

Bonmati, the Ballon d’Or winner in 2023 and 2024, said the experience gained from previous finals is invaluable.

“I’ve learned a lot of things. It is the path that has fallen to us. The first final in Budapest was an inexperienced team that was going to see what happened. Now, we are the team to beat,” she said.

“Knowing how to be, knowing how to suffer, is very important. And never giving up. We have had finals where we have come back. We have had games of all colours.”

What is Arsenal’s take on facing Barcelona?

Standing in Barcelona’s way is an Arsenal team that has excelled as a spoiler this campaign and hopes it can pull off another upset and win its second European title.

“They’re a fantastic team and they’ve obviously got the recent history to prove it,” Arsenal defender Leah Williamson said about Barcelona in the build-up to the final.

“We respect them a lot, but it’s a final, so everybody turns up and everybody gives their best.”

How do Barcelona and Arsenal match up?

First-year Barcelona coach Pere Romeu has a side that can hit from all angles with multiple scoring options.

They lead all the major team statistics in attack: most goals scored with 44, to Arsenal’s 25, the highest possession, best pass accuracy and most shot attempts.

Barcelona forward Claudia Pina leads the competition in scoring with 10 goals, ahead of Arsenal pair Mariona Caldentey, who joined from the Spanish club last year, and Alessia Russo with seven each. Bonmati and teammate Patri Guijarro lead the competition with five assists each.

Have Barcelona improved on last season?

Barcelona added to its winning squad in the offseason by signing Poland striker Ewa Pajor, who went on to lead the Spanish league with 23 goals.

Pajor, 28, is seeking her first European title after losing four finals with former club Wolfsburg, including the 2023 final to Barcelona after leading 2-0.

“The final is played in the details, and we can prepare the details before the game,” Pajor said. “What I have also learned, because I’ve played in four finals, you have to be there in the first minute until the end.”

How has Barcelona’s season progressed?

Barcelona has rolled to a sixth consecutive Liga F title and has reached another Copa de la Reina final, but at the same time, it has proven beatable.

Barcelona’s home unbeaten run in Liga F came to an end after a record 64 games this season, and it lost to Real Madrid for the first time in 19 Clasicos since its top rival founded a women’s team.

They also started the Champions League with a rare group stage loss to Manchester City.

“We lost a couple more games than we are used to, and we lost some games that hurt more than others,” Barcelona forward Caroline Graham said, adding about the City defeat: “A lot of people thought that our run to be good in the Champions League was a bit over. That was a motivation to show that we still are good and that we can still compete against the best.”

How do Arsenal shape up?

Arsenal remain the only English team to win the biggest title in women’s club football after it won UEFA’s Women’s Cup in 2007 when it beat Umea, two years before the tournament was reformatted and renamed the Women’s Champions League.

Arsenal may be the underdog, but it is likely comfortable with that role given its recent run of comebacks.

Renee Slegers’s side rallied against Madrid in the quarterfinals, and then shocked eight-time winner Lyon in the semifinals when they rebounded from a 2-1 loss in London by winning 4-1 in France.

This is the English club’s only chance to win some silverware this campaign after finishing second to Chelsea in England’s Women’s Super League and failing to reach the finals of the FA Cup or League Cup.

“We’ve had to come back from a lot of difficult situations, from setbacks, but the persistence of the team and the [fact that we] keep on believing, that’s been key for us,” Slegers said. “We’ve done some magical things.”

Do Arsenal and Barcelona have history?

Arsenal were Barcelona’s first opponents in Europe’s top club competition in the 2012-13 season, when the English side crushed the Catalans 7-0 over two legs.

Barcelona were nowhere near as good as they are now, however. They overwhelmed Chelsea, who went unbeaten across the 22-game Women’s Super League season en route to winning the title, 8-2 on aggregate in the Champions League semifinals.

“Everything leads you to be what you are now,” Putellas said. “In that first match of this competition, it was unthinkable what would come next. It’s thanks to work. I feel privileged to have been able to live this whole journey.”

Napoli beat Cagliari 2-0 to seal the Serie A title as Champions League hopefuls Inter’s victory at Como is in vain.

Napoli secured the Serie A title in style with a 2-0 home win over Cagliari thanks to goals from Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku.

The title race had come down to the wire on Friday, with Napoli holding a one-point advantage over Inter Milan going into the final round of games.

McTominay opened the scoring three minutes before the break with a stunning bicycle kick from Matteo Politano’s cross, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Lukaku doubled the lead six minutes after the restart by latching on to a long ball, shrugging off a defender and calmly finishing past Cagliari keeper Alen Sherri.

The rest of the match turned into a celebration at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium as flares and smoke filled the pitch before the final whistle blew and fireworks lit up the Naples sky.

McTominay and Lukaku were the two players Napoli coach Antonio Conte wanted more than any others to help the Naples club reclaim the title they lost to Inter last season.

The former Italian international has now become the first coach to win the Italian championship with three teams, following his victories with Juventus and Inter Milan.

“It happened again, and it’s something wonderful. When we got to the stadium, it was honestly difficult to get in, as I don’t know how many people were there. I had a slight thought, if we let these people down, it’d be something we carried with us for a long time,” he told reporters.

Conte was absent from the touchline for the final match due to suspension, but Napoli completed their task.

“All the credit goes to the boys. Winning in Naples is difficult, these boys are doing it for the second time in two years,” he said. “They are serious boys, you don’t leave in a team that always plays to win.”

Napoli needed only to do the same or better than defending champions Inter in the final round of matches, so Inter’s 2-0 win at 10-man Como was not enough for the Nerazzurri.

Stefan de Vrij and Joaquin Correa netted the goals for Simone Inzaghi’s Inter, who are now left to focus on their Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain next Saturday.

The results meant Napoli finished Serie A one point ahead of Inter. Had the teams finished level on points, then a playoff would have been required to decide the title.

CHELSEA’S Champions League qualification clash with Nottingham Forest has been picked for TV.

The Premier League has confirmed which fixtures will be broadcast on the last day of the season.

1

Chelsea’s visit to Nottingham Forest will decide which team qualifies for next season’s Champions League.

The match will be shown on Sky Sports, with the broadcaster also set to air Liverpool vs Crystal Palace.

Kick-off times for the two fixtures remain the same – Sunday 4:00pm – with all ten matches starting at the same time.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..

The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.

“She’s a total footballer. She’s got everything,” Arsenal manager Renee Slegers said of Caldentey earlier this season.

Her impact was instant and transformative.

Arsenal went from a struggling side at the start of the season to a team marching up the table, sealing second spot in the WSL and competing with Europe’s elite.

Caldentey’s role was to be the creator, linking up with WSL Golden Boot winner Alessia Russo and providing stardust from midfield.

“She’s given us so much,” Slegers added. “There are so many things to say about Mariona, because she does so many things so well. She has given us that next level.

“Technically and tactically – her intelligence is really high level. Her work ethic is unbelievable. You can see it in games, but you can see it on the training pitch as well.

“Last but not least, she’s a winner.”

After Arsenal beat Tottenham 5-0 at Emirates Stadium, a journalist described Caldentey as the conductor of an orchestra, with eight legs like an octopus.

The analogy surprised Slegers but she admitted it was a good description.

Arsenal captain Kim Little, who has played alongside Caldentey this season, said she has been “incredible” for the team.

“She came in from Barcelona and had a great impact on the team, on a personal level and also with how we play,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Chelsea have Champions League qualification in their own hands and Aston Villa moved into the top five as both teams won in the Premier League on Friday.

The Blues looked as if they were going to drop to sixth before Marc Cucurella’s 71st-minute header earned a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

Aston Villa, who would have had their fate in their hands had Cucurella not scored, beat Tottenham 2-0.

Unai Emery’s side are up to fifth, but sixth-placed Manchester City, one point below them, play Bournemouth on Tuesday (20:00 BST) in their game in hand.

Chelsea know a win at Nottingham Forest on the final day would seal a Champions League spot, but seventh-placed Forest are still in the hunt themselves.

Cucurella said: “Step by step we are creating something special and now only two games left to achieve something special.

“The most important thing is it depends on us, so we have to play the game on Sunday [25 May] and then we are thinking about the [Conference League] final [against Real Betis].”

Aston Villa will probably have to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford and hope rivals drop points.

“We can get Champions League, fantastic,” said Villa boss Emery.

“We are wishing to continue in the season we are doing. We are now in a good moment.”

England will have six teams in next season’s Champions League – the top five in the Premier League and the winners of the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham.

The bonus fifth spot through the league came as a result of English teams’ good performances in Europe this season – with Spain also gaining one.

Arsenal host Newcastle on Sunday (16:30 BST) in a game that could go a long way to deciding another place or two.

The Gunners would seal their spot with a win, while a draw would practically make it safe because of their superior goal difference.

Newcastle would go up to second with a win and take them close to sealing a Champions League place.

If Arsenal lose that game, they could yet finish outside the Champions League places, despite having seemingly had second place sewn up for months.

However, they do play rock bottom Southampton on the final day.

FA Cup finalists Manchester City have to get at least a point on Tuesday against Bournemouth to go back into the top five.

While six sides wrestle over the remaining up-for-grab spots, Liverpool have long been guaranteed Champions League football and have already won the Premier League.

Forest’s chances are now quite slim and they visit West Ham this Sunday (14:15) knowing a defeat would end their hopes. They sit four points off the top five.

The prize of a place in the Champions League has added spice to Wednesday’s Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham in Bilbao.

Both have endured wretched Premier League seasons and sit 16th and 17th respectively in the competition, but a highly lucrative crack at Europe’s elite is nonetheless within touching distance.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? You’re having a laugh.

We’ve all heard it. The derisory chant from opposition fans when one of the so-called ‘big guns’ is having an off day.

4

4

For example, Southampton supporters had every right to aim it at the multi-billionaires of Manchester City last weekend, when they couldn’t find a way past the worst team in the Premier League.

Only now what was once a mildly amusing terrace jibe sums up perfectly what the leading club competition in the world has become. A joke.

Next season there will be a record SIX English teams in the Champions League.

Almost one third of the entire Premier League will be waved straight into the bizarre league phase by Uefa’s welcoming doormen at an empty small town disco on a wet Tuesday night.

Anyone can come in. From Liverpool who finished top, right down to hapless Tottenham or abject Manchester United hovering above the relegation zone.

It is time to officially ban the phrase ‘elite competition’ whenever the Champions League is mentioned on TV and radio or written in print.

There was a time when you had to win your domestic league to progress into the highest level of European football the following season.

Simple as that.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

4

We are now at a point where English Premier League teams have to work harder to stay out of the modern Champions League than to get in.

Spurs and Man United, regular participants in the past, have done spectacularly well trying to cock up their seasons. Yet

by virtue of winning the Europa League one of them will be alongside Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, the already declared winners of their respective leagues.

Erratic Chelsea, under the guidance of boss Enzo Maresca, have lost to Ipswich, Fulham and Brighton.

From winning five Premier League games in a row, they went winless in the next five and couldn’t string a pass together.

They lag 20 POINTS behind the bona fide champions of England from Anfield and are fifth.

Don’t bet against them being in next season’s Champions League.

The constant tinkering and chiselling away at a once simple game has led to Uefa getting its knickers in a right old twist.

Fifth in this year’s Premier League grants a free pass into the treasure trove of the Champions League thanks to the coefficients which measure success where once it was about winning.

A whole page is devoted to thrill-a-minute ‘coefficients’ on the governing body’s website to explain how a system that would baffle Stephen Hawking’s much cleverer cousin actually works: “Uefa calculates the coefficient of each club each season based on the clubs’ results in the  Uefa Champions League, Uefa Europa League and Uefa Conference League.

“The season coefficients from the five most recent seasons are used to rank the clubs for seeding purposes (sporting club coefficient).

“In addition, the season coefficients from the ten most recent seasons are used to calculate revenue club coefficients for revenue distribution purposes only.”

And that’s just the overview.

There’s a gag in there somewhere about how many coefficients does it take to ruin a game of football? Only I can’t see a funny punch line.

There was a time back when the world was black and white in the 1950s when two imaginative French journalists took inspiration from South America and came up with the idea of the best clubs from each country competing for a trophy on our continent.

Ironically, it wasn’t called the Champions League back then. It was the plain old European Cup. A cup fought over by teams in Europe. Simple eh?

Liverpool’s first steps into the European Cup came in 1964, our sole representatives having won the league the previous season under Bill Shankly.

Next season they share the honour with five other English teams and some of them are pretty ordinary.

If Spurs win the Europa League and follow it up by winning the Champions League next year, the champions of Europe will come from a team currently 17th in England’s top division.

You can argue it won’t happen. Yet somehow a side which has lost more league games than it has won this season is in a European final next week.

That’s cup football for you and it’s a wonderful lottery. Qualification for the Champions League is not. It’s a boring carve up.

4

MANCHESTER UNITED and Tottenham will face off in the Europa League final next week in a battle for a place amongst Europe’s elite.

The winner will earn a spot in next season’s Champions League, a reward that is potentially worth in excess of £100MILLION.

5

5

Much has been made about whether that prize is suitable or not, given that United and Spurs currently occupy 16th and 17th spot in the Premier League – but Uefa aren’t changing their rules for the two underachievers.

Qualification would mean a huge amount to both clubs, with the lure of the Champions League meaning more top talent could be enticed to join in the summer – not to mention a huge boost to their transfer kitty.

For Spurs, the money would be the cherry on top of the giant cake that is ending their 17-year wait for a trophy.

While United almost NEED to win the competition given their current financial situation, with a defeat meaning a huge loss in potential revenue amid a slew of cost-cutting measure by Sir Jim Racliffe and his Ineos team.

Once getting to the Champions League, advancing to the very end could earn up to a potential £95m extra for the eventual winner – but United and Spurs will be aware that their chances of going all the way are slim.

In fact, of the eight different teams that have gained qualification into the Champions League by winning the Europa League over the last 10 years, just one has made it to the semi-finals.

That was Villarreal, who were knocked out of the tournament by eventual winners Liverpool.

Man Utd entered the competition thanks to their 2017 Europa League success under Jose Mourinho, only to lost to Sevilla in the Round of 16.

5

5

5

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

While Chelsea did the same in 2019 and were kicked out by Bayern Munich in the last 16 too.

United and Chelsea are two of six teams that reached the last 16 after qualifying through the Europa League.

While Sevilla have twice failed to advance through the group stages and Atalanta were knocked out of this year’s competition in the qualifying knockout round.

Although it makes for bleak reading for Man Utd and Spurs fans, it’s worth noting that the lure – and cash injection – of playing in the Champions League has helped teams who qualified through the Europa League attract big players.

It was United’s entry to the 2017/18 competition that helped them sign Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof in the following summer.

Chelsea were unable to purchase players following their success as they were hit with a transfer ban following academy player rule breaches.

Either way, the prize waiting for the winner of next week’s ‘Hell Clasico’ is something which cannot be underestimated and could have a huge impact on either club for years to come.