La Liga
Ancelotti becomes first manager to claim titles in Europe’s top five leagues
Real Madrid’s LaLiga triumph capped a remarkable milestone for Carlo Ancelotti on Saturday as the Italian became the first manager to capture titles in each of Europe’s top five leagues — England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.
Real clinched their 35th league crown following a thumping 4-0 win against Espanyol, clinching the title with almost a month of the season remaining.
The 62-year-old Ancelotti has one of the most-decorated CVs in world football and when he was lured back to Madrid for a second spell last June following the departure of club great Zinedine Zidane, he knew that his only mission was to increase Real’s trophy haul.
To do that Ancelotti has not only shown astute tactical nous on the pitch but he also knows how to bring out the best in his players, both the young and experienced.
Many thought 36-year-old Croatian midfielder Luka Modric and French striker Karim Benzema, 34, were well past their prime but under Ancelotti’s calm guidance, they have once again prospered.
Benzema is the league’s top scorer this season with 26 goals — his tally already more than his 2020-2021 haul.
At the other end of the spectrum, Ancelotti has also boosted the confidence of 21-year-old Vinicius Jr, who has become an integral part of a squad not only as a winger but also with his ability to score goals. Only Benzema has netted more goals than the Brazilian for Real in LaLiga this season.
Ancelotti’s meticulous planning and nurturing of players paid off on Saturday when he completed his collection of titles from the top five leagues.
His winning run began with steering AC Milan to the Serie A title in 2004, before triumphs in the Premier League with Chelsea in 2010, Ligue 1 with Paris St Germain in 2013 and Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2017 followed.
While winning LaLiga would be considered as a huge achievement for many clubs and managers, for Ancelotti it only signals a job half done.
Having already won the Champions League with Real in 2014, helping the Spaniards to their fabled ‘Decima’ (10th) European crown before being sacked 12 months later, he now also stands on the cusp becoming the most successful manager in the tournament’s history.
Along with Bob Paisley and Zidane, Ancelotti has won the European Cup or Champions League on three occasions as a manager, having also led AC Milan to glory in 2003 and 2007.
With Real battling it out against Manchester City in the semi-finals of this year’s tournament, the Italian will be determined to take sole ownership of that record.
To do that, however, he will first need Real to overturn a 4-3 first-leg deficit against City on Wednesday as the Spaniards chase a 17th appearance in the final of Europe’s premier club competition.
It would be a remarkable achievement for a coach who arrived at Real under much scrutiny after three uninspiring seasons while in charge of Napoli in Serie A and Everton in the Premier League.
In fact, if Real president Florentino Perez had had his way, Ancelotti would not have even been at the club. However, after Perez was frustrated in his attempts to sign Massimiliano Allegri, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte, he had to settle for his fourth-choice pick.
If Ancelotti pulls off the LaLiga-Champions League double this season, club faithfuls will be thanking their lucky stars that their top-three picks were unavailable.
-Reuters
Barcelona said their request for a permit to return to the Camp Nou for Sunday’s LaLiga match against Real Sociedad has been denied, with the city council highlighting safety and security issues with the revamped venue.
Barca had been hoping to return to a reduced-capacity Camp Nou with 27,000 spectators but have failed to obtain the necessary permits from Barcelona City Council.
Barca will instead host the match at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Montjuic, where they played during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons with renovations at Camp Nou now nine months behind schedule.
“We have spotted different elements that need to be fixed and have an impact in the safety and security of the stadium,” chief of civil protection Sebastia Massague said at a city council meeting.
Barca had to begin their LaLiga home campaign at the Estadi Johan Cruyff in their own training complex, where only 6,000 fans attended their match against Valencia on September 14, after a Post Malone concert left the Lluis Companys pitch in poor condition.
“The club is currently working on the new amendments that the council has shared today,” Barca said in a statement.
On Friday, the Catalan club also announced that their Champions League group stage match against Paris St Germain on October 1 would also take place at the Lluis Companys.
Barca are second in LaLiga, trailing leaders Real Madrid by five points but having played a game fewer.
-Reuters
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Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey on Wednesday appeared in a London court and pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault involving three women.
Partey, a Ghana international, is accused of five counts of rape relating to two women, plus a charge of sexual assault against a third woman, between April 2021 and June 2022.
The alleged offences took place when Partey played for Premier League soccer club Arsenal. He left the club this summer and signed for Spain’s Villarreal.
The 32-year-old appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth and enter his not guilty pleas.
Partey was released on bail ahead of his trial, which was listed for Nov. 2, 2026 and is due to take between six and eight weeks.
He was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59.2 million) in 2020 and became a key member of the English side’s first team, before his contract expired at the end of June.
Partey played for Villarreal in their Champions League game against Arsenal’s bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night.
He came on as a second-half substitute and was booed loudly by the Spurs fans every time he touched the ball.
-Reuters
Villarreal and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, walks outside Southwark Crown Court, in London, Britain, September 17, 2025. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska
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Real Madrid on Tuesday denounced plans to stage a LaLiga match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, warning the proposal could undermine football’s competitive balance and vowing to petition global governing bodies to block the move.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Monday approved the December 20 fixture at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which could become the first LaLiga match held abroad and the first European league fixture staged in the United States.
“Real Madrid wish to express to its members, supporters and football fans in general its firm rejection of the proposal,” the club said in a statement, revealing they have already urged FIFA, UEFA and Spain’s Higher Sports Council (CSD) to intervene.
The club accused the RFEF of making its decision “without informing or consulting the clubs participating in the competition” and argued that staging the match in Miami “violates the essential principle of territorial reciprocity” in home-and-away league formats.
Real further stated that the move would “alter the competitive balance” and grant “an unfair sporting advantage” to the clubs involved.
The club also warned that approving the proposal could compromise sporting integrity and “set an unacceptable precedent,” insisting any change of this nature should require “the express and unanimous agreement of all the clubs participating in the competition”.
The plan still requires approval from UEFA, US Soccer, CONCACAF and ultimately FIFA before LaLiga President Javier Tebas can realise his long-held ambition of taking Spanish football to the U.S.
-Reuters
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