Other Leagues
Wayne Rooney’s Derby relegated, Bournemouth close in on Premier League return
Wayne Rooney said he wants to rebuild Derby County but a takeover has to happen soon to keep him at Pride Park after the club was relegated from the Championship on Monday (April 18).
The Rams’ valiant attempt to stay up despite a 21-point deduction came to an end with a 1-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers.
Reading’s recovery from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 at home to Swansea sealed Derby’s fate and left Barnsley and Peterborough also on the verge of going down.
Derby delayed Fulham’s promotion party with a stunning 2-1 win over the league leaders on Friday, but needed a miracle to haul themselves out of a dire situation caused by financial problems.
The club remain in administration, although US businessman Chris Kirchner has been named as the preferred bidder ahead of a potential takeover.
“I want to rebuild this club. But the takeover has to happen. If it doesn’t, I’m really unsure of my future and the club’s future. This takeover has to happen quick,” said Rooney.
Derby would have been comfortably in mid-table without the points deduction for entering administration and breaching financial sustainability rules in previous seasons.
Luke Amos’ late goal secured a vital three points for QPR’s bid to climb into the playoff places and left Derby 10 points off safety with just three games to play.
“I am disappointed, sad, angry, upset, but ultimately proud of the players, staff and fans, who have been excellent,” added the former Manchester United and England captain.
“We know we’d be safe without the penalties we’ve had. This is where we’ve been left by the previous owner and we’ve been trying to pick up the pieces from that and trying to pull off something really special. We’ve got close and haven’t managed to do it.”
Peterbrough stayed alive with a 2-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Barnsley, but are seven points adrift of Reading.
The Royals produced a remarkable fightback in the game of the day as eight goals were shared with Swansea with Tom McIntyre snatching a point deep into stoppage time.
At the other end of the table, Bournemouth have a four-point cushion over third-placed Huddersfield and two games in hand after a convincing 3-0 win at Coventry.
Dominic Solanke struck twice after Jamal Lowe had opened the scoring to move Scott Parker’s men to the brink of promotion.
Nottingham Forest ensured Fulham, who are in action on Tuesday at home to Preston, had to wait at least another day to seal promotion with a 4-0 win over 10-man West Brom.
Huddersfield all but secured their place in the play-offs as goals from Naby Sarr and Jordan Rhodes earned a 2-0 win at Middlesbrough.
Fourth-placed Luton are also in contention for a third promotion in five years as they won 1-0 at Cardiff.
Sheffield United remain in the final play-off spot after a 1-1 draw at Bristol City, but are now just one point clear of Millwall, who were 2-1 winners over Hull.
-AFP
Galatasaray have strengthened their squad with another Napoli player, announcing on Friday that Dutch winger Noa Lang has joined the Turkish champions on loan for the remainder of the season, linking up with former Napoli player, Victor Osimhen in Istanbul.
The Super Lig giants confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Napoli for the temporary transfer of the 15-cap Netherlands international, with the deal including a non-mandatory purchase option that Galatasaray may activate at the end of the season.
Under the terms of the agreement, Galatasaray will pay €2 million as a loan fee to Napoli, while Lang will earn a seasonal salary of €1.75 million, according to a statement released by the club.
Lang joined Napoli last year from PSV Eindhoven but struggled to fully establish himself in Italy. He featured in 27 matches across all competitions, scoring once during his time with the Serie A side.
His arrival adds attacking depth to Galatasaray and further strengthens the Napoli connection at the club, with Osimhen already a central figure in their squad as they continue to push for domestic success and progress in European competition.
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Three Sudanese clubs will join the league in Rwanda this season in a bid to keep playing while the civil strife in their country negates any chance of normal sporting activity.
Sudan has been in the grip of conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with more than 150,000 people killed and about 12 million uprooted, creating the largest displacement crisis in the world.
People who fled when the conflict erupted have started to return this year after Sudan’s army retook the capital Khartoum, but the city’s two biggest clubs will continue their sporting exile with their old infrastructure badly damaged.
Last season Al Hilal and Al Merrikh were allowed to play in the league in Mauritania, on the other side of the continent, where they could stay active and keep up their club structures.
Now, along with Al Ahli Wad Madani, they have been given permission to join Rwanda’s league this season, the Rwanda Football Association said.
In July, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh, who between them have won all but four of the championships since Sudan’s league was created in 1965, were home for a mini-tournament to decide who would compete in continental competition in the 2025-26 season.
The eight-team tournament was hosted away from the conflict in Ad-Damer, some 430km from Khartoum, and Atbara, which is 320km north of the capital, with Al Hilal and Al Merrikh dominating again and Al Ahli Wad Madani finishing third.
But a normal league is not possible amid the continuing conflict, leading to the request to play in nearby Rwanda.
Al Hilal have secured a place in the group phase of this season’s African Champions League with a 4-1 aggregate win over Police of Kenya. They won the ‘home’ leg of their second-round tie 3-1 on Friday, which they hosted in Benghazi.
Libya has also served as the base for Sudan’s national team, who will compete at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco at the end of the year despite not playing at home since March 2023.
-Reuters
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Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has been appointed vice captain of Turkish giants Beşiktaş JK, following a leadership shake-up announced by the club’s board and technical team.
In an official statement released on Friday, the club confirmed that the decision was approved by President Serdal Adalı and the Board of Directors, in line with a new approach to appoint captains who occupy more influential on-field positions.
As part of the changes, Orkun Kökçü has been named first captain, while Ndidi assumes the vice-captaincy role.
Beşiktaş also expressed appreciation to former captains Necip Uysal and Mert Günok for their service and leadership, wishing the new captains success in their responsibilities.
“We thank Necip Uysal and Mert Günok for their efforts during their time as captains and wish our new captains, Orkun Kökçü and Wilfred Ndidi, success in their respective roles,” the statement read.
Ndidi, who joined Beşiktaş earlier this season, has quickly established himself as a key figure in the team’s midfield. His elevation to a leadership position underscores the club’s confidence in his experience and influence both on and off the pitch.
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