Chelsea booked the highest pre-tax loss in English football history in the 2024-25 season, per data released today by UEFA. More from @cweatherspoon.bsky.social ⬇️ 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/707...

Atalanta: definite penalty. What a finish.

FT Middlesbrough 1-1 Leicester City. Boro hurtle to the top of the championship, then get summit fever. 2/9 pts since and had too many individuals off it tonight. Leicester won’t go down playing like this. Deserved point.

"These individuals do not represent Sunderland AFC, our values, or our community - and they are not welcome on Wearside." www.safc.com/news/2026/fe...

The last time Tottenham Hotspur were relegated.

FT Sunderland 1-3 Fulham. If Romaine Mundle scores at 0-0, it might have been different. Raul Jimenez, impressive, made it 1-0 immediately at other end. Three straight league defeats for S’land. 28 goals scored in 27 matches. Next B’mouth & Leeds, both away.

Werder Bremen will not fulfil their proposed summer tour of the U.S., citing recent incidents in Minneapolis, Minnesota as “not fitting the values” of the club. More from @colinmillar.bsky.social and @sebsb.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

The last time Tottenham Hotspur were relegated.

A column on Manchester United and Kobbie Mainoo. www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

An ugly night in Lisbon: not just an allegation that Vinicius Jnr was racially abused by an opponent, but the hostility that greeted him thereafter, monkey gestures in the crowd and the painfully familiar rush to accuse him of bringing it upon himself www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

Kim Hellberg's impact on Middlesbrough has been fast and impressive, as have a growing number of Boro's performances. Top of the Championship, tonight they go to Coventry in second. Hellberg's favourite player as a boy was Frank Lampard. Spent a few hours observing. www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Kim Hellberg's impact on Middlesbrough has been fast and impressive, as have a growing number of Boro's performances. Top of the Championship, tonight they go to Coventry in second. Hellberg's favourite player as a boy was Frank Lampard. Spent a few hours observing. www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

My column on the great American sportswriting tradition - and why the Washington Post's cull spells danger far beyond the ballpark. observer.co.uk/news/sport/a...

Watched Brentford from the away end at St. James’ Park. Early doubts about Keith Andrews have disappeared. They’re all looking up.

🚨 EXCL: Kristjaan Speakman leavs Sunderland. #SAFC decision to move forward without sporting director. DoF Ghisolfi led football set-up since July; key to building current team & operation. Club feel organic end to transition, not start 🚨 @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

After five years Sunderland's sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman, departs. "The Board of Directors has made the decision." A surprise, but not a surprise. www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...

Nottingham Forest have identified Vitor Pereira as a strong candidate to replace Sean Dyche and become their fourth manager of the season. Pereira was sacked by Wolves in November after failing to win any of their first 10 Premier League games of the season. www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Quiet start for the next Spurs manager – Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur have sacked head coach Thomas Frank. More from @david-ornstein.bsky.social

Six wins in a row, top of the Championship, playing real football and Coventry away next: Middlesbrough have momentum.

Could Sheff U-Middlesbrough be any quicker?

Bohemians and St Pat’s play out stalemate at the Aviva Stadium

This felt like Oldcastle Disunited again as boos rang out and Eddie Howe said “I’m not doing my job well enough.” #NUFC www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...

If you're a business owner who fires someone you have assigned to an overseas job and you don't buy them a plane ticket home you should actually go to prison

Keith Andrews takes the applause of delighted Brentford fans high up inside St. James’ Park after the Bees’ first win here since 1934. Andrews impressing the committed.

Leicester City breached their PSR loss limit by 25% in the three seasons ending in their 2023-24 promotion year. They've been docked six points and sit outside the Championship bottom three on goal difference. Analysis w/ @robtannerathletic.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...

Highly recommend this extraordinary essay on America under Trump by Adam Shatz, a brilliant meditation on a country he has tried to ‘love with sorrow’ even as Trump transforms it into a ‘fortress state’ at war with immigrants and domestic enemies. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was shot in the back by a Klansman in 1963. The National Park Service has removed visitor brochures from Evers' museum and reportedly plans to remove references that call his murderer a “racist"

Since Burnley's December 2020 leveraged takeover they've gone from solid if unremarkable PL club with no borrowings to a (bad) yo-yo side, £113m in debt, costing £10m+ annually at rates from 8.5% to 12.75% Over four years on, owners ALK Capital have still not filed any UK parent company accounts

Gianni Infantino is a 'moral degenerate' according to Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha. The FIFA president has been talking about why Russia deserve a way back from footballing exile. Details @adamcrafton.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

FT Sunderland 3-0 Burnley. Sunderland are up to eighth and remain unbeaten at home. Now 16 pts clear of third-bottom West Ham. Burnley surprisingly limp. Sland go to Arsenal next.

Most of Epstein’s victims were either too frightened to come forward, or silenced through legal threats. Oh, and here’s a senior British politician giving Epstein tips on how to silence them

Lord Peter Mandelson was sent money directly from disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein as early as 2003, according to new files released by US government The files record three payments in 2003/4 from Epstein’s JPMorgan accounts of $25,000 each, all mentioning Mandelson www.ft.com/content/1728...

Another impressive 90 minutes from Alan Browne at right midfield today. It's five wins in a row for Boro who are now level on points with Coventry at the top of the Championship. Browne a moving part of a fluid team.

FT Middlesbrough 1-0 Norwich City. Hayden Hackney's superb early shot separates two good teams. It's five wins in a row for Boro, who join Coventry on 58pts at the top. Atmosphere rising on Teesside.

Atmosphere at Boro just soared on news from Loftus Road. Playing well but it’s still 1-0 and Norwich decent.

Went from Bristol Rovers to Preston to Darlington to talk to fans about endurance and commitment. No online sense of entitlement here, just real supporters and good people who understand hard times. And still go through that turnstile. www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...

Alan Browne’s Middlesbrough heroics put him in the shop window for an Ireland recall

DOJ deleted link of Epstein Files detailing sexual assault of minors by President Trump.

Lovely portrait of Kevin Keegan by @dtathletic.bsky.social – thought Joe Willock's header at PSG on Wednesday had a bit of Terry McDermott about it. www.nytimes.com/athletic/697...

Good to see Owen Elding from Sligo Rovers to Hibs is more than the 400K reported. He's 19 and looks a talent. www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...

With the league phase of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League now over, an estimate of prize money earned by English clubs so far: • Liverpool €97m (£84m) • Man City €97m (£84m) • Arsenal €96m (£83m) • Chelsea €92m (£80m) • Spurs €85m (£73m) • Newcastle €54m (£47m)

From @theathleticfc.bsky.social: Which are the hardest football clubs in England to support? Our reporter spoke with fans about loyalty, boredom, injustice, and the willingness to endure in the face of apparent logic. nyti.ms/46eOMQ0

"The argument the 2018 World Cup in Russia should have been boycotted after the annexation of Crimea is valid. It shows precisely what happens when imperial and authoritarian leaders are not confronted clearly and early, and when firm limits are not set.”

Dan Neil leaves Sunderland for Ipswich (on loan but with contract up in June). End of a local chapter. Fine footballer and always helpful.

Went from Bristol Rovers to Preston to Darlington to talk to fans about endurance and commitment. No online sense of entitlement here, just real supporters and good people who understand hard times. And still go through that turnstile. www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...

Another frantic, compelling afternoon at Tynecastle. Hearts' lead is down to four points, as the doubters will note. But they go into February top of the Scottish Premiership and can still do it. Even if they don't, Hearts have made us look again. www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

The biggest threat to Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge? Arsenal. 📝 @gunnerblog.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

Another frantic, compelling afternoon at Tynecastle. Hearts' lead is down to four points, as the doubters will note. But they go into February top of the Scottish Premiership and can still do it. Even if they don't, Hearts have made us look again. www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

FT Hearts 2-2 Celtic. Hearts players walk off after a drama of a match. They still lead in Scotland. It still can happen.