Match ends, Manchester City 1(3), Real Madrid 1(4).
Sports
Europa Conference League: l’AZ Alkmaar émet 43 interdictions de stade après l’attaque des supporters de West Ham
L’AZ Alkmaar a émis 43 interdictions de stade après que des supporters de West Ham United aient été attaqués lors de leur défaite en demi-finale de la Ligue de conférence Europa.
Du côté de la Premier League a remporté le match retour aux Pays-Bas 1-0 pour assurer une victoire 3-1 au total.
Dans un communiqué, le club néerlandais a déclaré que d’autres interdictions pourraient suivre à l’avenir.
L’instance dirigeante du football européen, l’UEFA, examinera les rapports sur les incidents avant de décider de toute action.
Le club a déclaré: “L’AZ a maintenant émis 43 interdictions de stade en réponse aux troubles de la semaine dernière. Cela concerne les visiteurs qui ont été impliqués dans l’inconduite entourant la demi-finale européenne à Alkmaar.
“Il n’est en aucun cas exclu que d’autres interdictions de stade locales soient imposées. En dehors de cette décision du club, l’enquête pénale des autorités est toujours en cours.”
Des mesures pour le match d’Eredivisie de dimanche entre l’AZ et le PSV Eindhoven sont en cours de discussion entre les autorités compétentes.
West Ham affrontera le club italien de la Fiorentina en finale de la Ligue de conférence Europa – leur première grande finale européenne depuis 1976 – à Prague le 7 juin.
Sports
Mikel Arteta: Arsenal need ‘support and love’ after Champions League exit
Mikel Arteta says he must show his Arsenal side “support and love” after Bayern Munich knocked them out of the Champions League.
It was a second successive defeat for Arsenal, who lost control of the Premier League title race last Sunday as Aston Villa beat them 2-0.
“I wish I had the right words to say to the players to make them feel better. What I am going to do – and all the coaching staff too – is to be close to the players.” Arteta said.
“I feel so grateful to be the coach and to work with them every single day.”
Arsenal were chasing a first Champions League semi-final spot since 2009, with Arteta accepting his team were inexperienced at this stage of the competition. This was their first quarter-final appearance since 2010.
“We haven’t played this competition for seven years and we haven’t been in this stage for 14 years,” he said. “There’s a reason for it.
“We want to do everything fast-forward, super-quick, in one season. I think we have the capacity and the quality to be in the semi-final because the margins are very small.
“Those margins are coming from something else that maybe we don’t have yet. We have to learn it.
“When you look historically, it took other clubs seven, eight or 10 years to do it. Today, that’s not going to make us feel better that’s for sure.”
The Gunners, who need City to drop points if they are to win the league for the first time since 2003-04, return to Premier League action at Wolves on Saturday.
“What I need to do is stand right next to them and give them support and our love and we have to pick it up because on Saturday we have a big, big game,” said Arteta.
“We are still playing for the Premier League. The Premier League is there and we really want it. We have to show now that we are capable of turning this around.”
Sports
Manchester City 1-1 Real Madrid (agg 4-4, 3-4 on pens): Spaniards through after shootout
Manchester City’s hold on the Champions League was wrestled away by Real Madrid as they were beaten on penalties in a dramatic quarter-final at Etihad Stadium.
The holders recovered from going behind to Rodrygo’s early strike to lay siege to Real’s goal, finally equalising 14 minutes from the end of normal time when Kevin de Bruyne pounced on Antonio Rudiger’s clearance.
It was the least City deserved for their almost total domination but a lack of the finishing touch cost them as Real, despite being exhausted and mounting a desperate rearguard action, held out for spot-kicks.
City looked on course to meet Bayern Munich in the semi-final when Luka Modric missed Real’s first penalty but Bernardo Silva’s dreadful effort and another from substitute Mateo Kovacic were saved by keeper Andriy Lunin, leaving former Chelsea defender Rudiger to step up and clinch victory for the great Champions League specialists.
It ended City’s bid for another Treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup – and they must now recover from this gruelling encounter to defend the latter in the semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday.
More to follow.
How to play
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key = Give it up = Pure perfection
Manchester City
-
Squad number5Player nameStones
-
Squad number8Player nameKovacic
-
Squad number11Player nameDoku
-
Squad number19Player nameÁlvarez
Real Madrid
-
Squad number13Player nameLunin
-
Squad number2Player nameCarvajal
-
Squad number22Player nameRüdiger
-
Squad number6Player nameNacho
-
Squad number23Player nameMendy
-
Squad number12Player nameCamavinga
-
Squad number8Player nameKroos
-
Squad number15Player nameValverde
-
Squad number5Player nameBellingham
-
Squad number11Player nameRodrygo
-
Squad number7Player nameVinícius Júnior
-
Squad number3Player nameÉder Militão
-
Squad number10Player nameModric
-
Squad number17Player nameLucas Vázquez
-
Squad number21Player nameDíaz
Line-ups
Man City
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 31Ederson
- 2Walker
- 25AkanjiSubstituted forStonesat 112′minutes
- 3Rúben Dias
- 24GvardiolBooked at 61mins
- 16RodriBooked at 90mins
- 47Foden
- 17De BruyneSubstituted forKovacicat 112′minutes
- 20Bernardo Silva
- 10GrealishBooked at 59minsSubstituted forDokuat 72′minutes
- 9HaalandSubstituted forÁlvarezat 90′minutes
Substitutes
- 5Stones
- 6Aké
- 8Kovacic
- 11Doku
- 18Ortega
- 19Álvarez
- 21Gómez
- 27Nunes
- 33Carson
- 52Bobb
- 82Lewis
Real Madrid
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Lunin
- 2CarvajalBooked at 38minsSubstituted forMilitãoat 110′minutes
- 22Rüdiger
- 6Nacho
- 23MendyBooked at 90mins
- 12Camavinga
- 8KroosSubstituted forModricat 79′minutes
- 15Valverde
- 5Bellingham
- 11RodrygoSubstituted forDíazat 84′minutes
- 7Vinícius JúniorSubstituted forVázquezat 102′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Militão
- 10Modric
- 14Joselu
- 17Vázquez
- 19Ceballos
- 20García
- 21Díaz
- 24Güler
- 25Arrizabalaga Revuelta
- 30González Pérez
Live Text
-
-
Penalty Shootout ends, Manchester City 1(3), Real Madrid 1(4).
-
Goal! Manchester City 1(3), Real Madrid 1(4). Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Goal! Manchester City 1(3), Real Madrid 1(3). Ederson (Manchester City) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Goal! Manchester City 1(2), Real Madrid 1(3). Nacho (Real Madrid) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
-
Goal! Manchester City 1(2), Real Madrid 1(2). Phil Foden (Manchester City) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top left corner.
-
Goal! Manchester City 1(1), Real Madrid 1(2). Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
-
Penalty saved. Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City) right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
-
Goal! Manchester City 1(1), Real Madrid 1(1). Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
-
Penalty saved. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot saved in the top centre of the goal.
-
Penalty saved. Luka Modric (Real Madrid) right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
-
Goal! Manchester City 1(1), Real Madrid 1. Julián Álvarez (Manchester City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
-
Penalty Shootout begins Manchester City 1, Real Madrid 1.
-
Second Half Extra Time ends, Manchester City 1, Real Madrid 1.
-
Attempt saved. Julián Álvarez (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Phil Foden.
-
Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
-
Foul by Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid).
-
Foul by Bernardo Silva (Manchester City).
-
Brahim Díaz (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
-
Attempt blocked. Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jérémy Doku.
Sports
Dundee 0-0 Rangers: Visitors suffer a second title blow within three days
Rangers suffered a second blow to their Scottish Premiership title hopes within three days as they were held to a goalless draw away to Dundee.
On top of Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Ross County, Philippe Clement’s side have now squandered their two games in hand over Celtic and are now three points adrift of the reigning champions.
Dundee thought they had taken an early lead through Amadou Bakayoko only for the striker to be ruled offside.
Rangers gradually exerted territorial pressure control, but Cyriel Dessers’ fine drive turned over the crossbar by goalkeeper Jon McCracken was the closest they came to securing a victory.
It means Rangers have now only won two of their latest eight games.
More to follow.
How to play
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key = Give it up = Pure perfection
Dundee
-
Squad number22Player nameMcCracken
-
Squad number6Player nameMcGhee
-
Squad number5Player nameShaughnessy
-
Squad number12Player nameLamie
-
Squad number3Player nameDodgson
-
Squad number28Player nameSylla
-
Squad number10Player nameCameron
-
Squad number23Player nameBoateng
-
Squad number17Player nameMcCowan
-
Squad number9Player nameBakayoko
-
Squad number7Player nameTiffoney
-
Squad number8Player nameMain
-
Squad number29Player namePortales
-
Squad number44Player nameCostelloe
Rangers
-
Squad number1Player nameButland
-
Squad number2Player nameTavernier
-
Squad number6Player nameGoldson
-
Squad number5Player nameSouttar
-
Squad number21Player nameSterling
-
Squad number11Player nameLawrence
-
Squad number4Player nameLundstram
-
Squad number19Player nameSima
-
Squad number13Player nameCantwell
-
Squad number7Player nameFábio Silva
-
Squad number25Player nameRoofe
-
Squad number9Player nameDessers
-
Squad number17Player nameMatondo
-
Squad number20Player nameDowell
-
Squad number45Player nameMcCausland
Line-ups
Dundee
Formation 4-1-3-2
- 22McCracken
- 6McGhee
- 5ShaughnessySubstituted forPortalesat 10′minutes
- 12Lamie
- 3DodgsonBooked at 90mins
- 28Sylla
- 10Cameron
- 23Boateng
- 17McCowan
- 9BakayokoSubstituted forMainat 63′minutes
- 7TiffoneySubstituted forCostelloeat 63′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Astley
- 8Main
- 15Mulligan
- 19Robertson
- 25Donnelly
- 26Mellon
- 29Portales
- 31Carson
- 44Costelloe
Rangers
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Butland
- 2Tavernier
- 6Goldson
- 5Souttar
- 21Sterling
- 11Lawrence
- 4Lundstram
- 19SimaSubstituted forMcCauslandat 79′minutes
- 13CantwellSubstituted forDowellat 56′minutes
- 7Fábio SilvaSubstituted forMatondoat 56′minutes
- 25RoofeSubstituted forDessersat 56′minutes
Substitutes
- 9Dessers
- 17Matondo
- 20Dowell
- 26Davies
- 28McCrorie
- 31Barisic
- 38King
- 43Raskin
- 45McCausland
- Referee:
- Don Robertson
- Attendance:
- 9,010
Live Text
-
Match ends, Dundee 0, Rangers 0.
-
Second Half ends, Dundee 0, Rangers 0.
-
Attempt blocked. Lyall Cameron (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Owen Dodgson.
-
Attempt blocked. Dara Costelloe (Dundee) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke McCowan.
-
Owen Dodgson (Dundee) is shown the yellow card.
-
Dangerous play by Kieran Dowell (Rangers).
-
Ricki Lamie (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
-
Rabbi Matondo (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
-
Foul by Luke McCowan (Dundee).
-
Attempt missed. Rabbi Matondo (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Dujon Sterling.
-
Connor Goldson (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
-
Foul by Curtis Main (Dundee).
-
Attempt missed. James Tavernier (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner from a direct free kick.
-
Ross McCausland (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
-
Foul by Mohamad Sylla (Dundee).
-
Attempt saved. James Tavernier (Rangers) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Dujon Sterling with a cross.
-
Attempt missed. Rabbi Matondo (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kieran Dowell.
-
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Jordan McGhee.
-
Substitution, Rangers. Ross McCausland replaces Abdallah Sima.
-
Attempt blocked. Lyall Cameron (Dundee) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Sports
Premier League, Women’s Super League, EFL, Scottish football: Ups, downs & European qualification
BBC Sport outlines the promotion and relegation issues – and the race for European qualification – in England and Scotland for 2023-24.
Premier League
The top four teams will qualify for the Champions League group stage. (Potentially, there may be an extra place if England has one of the two highest Uefa coefficients from 2023-24.)
There are also places in the Champions League group stage reserved for the winners of this season’s Champions League and Europa League, regardless of their domestic league positions.
The fifth-placed Premier League team will qualify for the Europa League group stage, along with the FA Cup winners. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League, that Europa place reverts to the league.
Because Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool can finish no lower than fifth, and at worst will qualify for the Europa League, the Europa Conference League place earned by Liverpool for winning the Carabao Cup will revert to the league.
If Aston Villa win the Europa Conference League but fail to reach the Champions League, they will qualify for the Europa League group stage.
The bottom three teams will be relegated to the Championship. The relegation picture may be complicated by Everton’s and Nottingham Forest’s appeals against their points deductions for breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Women’s Super League
The WSL champions and runners-up will enter the Champions League second round, with the third-placed team entering at the first round. Manchester City and Chelsea have made sure of their Champions League spots.
The bottom side will be relegated to the Women’s Championship. This is likely to be Bristol City – their relegation could be confirmed as early as this weekend.
Championship
The top two teams will be automatically promoted to the Premier League, with the next four entering a play-off. Automatic promotion is between Ipswich, Leicester, Leeds and Southampton, who are all assured of at least a play-off place.
The bottom three teams will be relegated to League One. Rotherham United were the first EFL team to be relegated when they lost 1-0 to Plymouth on 5 April.
League One
Portsmouth secured automatic promotion to the Championship as champions on 16 April by beating Barnsley 3-2.
The second automatic place will go to the runners-up – either Derby, Bolton or Peterborough – with the unsuccessful sides entering a play-off with two other teams.
The bottom four teams will be relegated to League Two. Carlisle United were relegated on 6 April after losing 2-0 at Northampton. Fleetwood will join them unless they win their last two games and other results go their way.
League Two
Stockport County clinched automatic promotion to League One by beating Morecambe 2-0 on 13 April, and won the title three days later with a 5-2 win at Notts County.
They will be joined by Wrexham, who made sure of promotion by beating Forest Green 6-0 on 13 April, and Mansfield Town who beat Accrington 2-1 on 16 April.
The final promotion place will go to the winners of a play-off between Milton Keynes Dons and three other teams.
The bottom two teams will be relegated to the National League. Forest Green Rovers’ relegation was confirmed on 16 April after Colchester beat Grimsby 2-0.
National League
Chesterfield secured the title, and automatic promotion back to the EFL after six years away, by beating Boreham Wood 3-0 on 23 March.
A play-off for the second promotion place will be contested by Barnet, Bromley, Altrincham, Solihull Moors, Gateshead and one other team – one from Halifax, Southend, Aldershot or Oldham.
The bottom four teams will be relegated to National League North or South, and will be replaced with the champions and play-off winners of those two divisions.
Oxford City‘s relegation was confirmed when they lost 2-1 at AFC Fylde on 23 March, and they were joined on 13 April by Dorking Wanderers who drew 1-1 at Rochdale, and Kidderminster Harriers who lost 1-0 to Eastleigh.
Tamworth clinched the National League North title on 6 April with a 1-1 draw against Warrington, while Yeovil Town made sure of the South title by beating Truro 2-0 on 11 April.
Scottish Premiership
The Premiership splits in half after 33 games, with each club playing the others in its ‘half’ for a fourth and final time.
The champions will enter the Champions League group stage, with the runners-up entering in the third qualifying round. Celtic are assured of a Champions League place, with Rangers close to joining them.
The Scottish Cup winners will enter the Europa League at the play-off round. If the cup winners finish in the top two, that Europa place reverts to the league.
The third-placed Premiership team will enter the Europa League at the second qualifying round, with the fourth-placed team entering the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round.
The Premiership’s bottom club will be relegated to the Scottish Championship, while the 11th-placed team will enter a play-off with three Championship sides.
Scottish Championship
The champions – Dundee United or Raith Rovers – will be promoted to the Scottish Premiership. Whoever does not win the title will enter a play-off with two other Championship teams and the 11th-placed Premiership side.
Bottom side Arbroath‘s relegation to League One was confirmed with a 5-0 thrashing by Ayr United on 13 April. The ninth-placed team will enter a play-off with three League One sides.
Scottish League One
Champions Falkirk clinched automatic promotion to the Scottish Championship after rivals Hamilton drew 0-0 with Queen of the South just before they won 7-1 at Montrose on 30 March.
The next three teams will enter a play-off with the ninth-placed Championship side, with Hamilton Academical assured of their play-off spot.
Bottom club Edinburgh City were the first team in England or Scotland to be relegated after losing 5-2 to Alloa on 16 March. The ninth-placed team will enter a play-off with three League Two teams.
Scottish League Two
Stenhousemuir clinched automatic promotion to League One as champions on 6 March after drawing 0-0 with East Fife. Peterhead, Dumbarton and either The Spartans or East Fife will enter a play-off with the ninth-placed League One side.
The bottom side will enter a play-off against the winners of a play-off between the Highland League champions and Lowland League winners East Kilbride. The overall winners will take the final place in League Two for 2024-25.
Sports
Hibernian: Nick Montgomery told results need to improve
Hibernian have said “results need to improve” after holding discussions with head coach Nick Montgomery.
The Easter Road club were condemned to finishing the season in the Scottish Premiership bottom six on Saturday as they were held 1-1 by Motherwell.
Hibs finished fifth in the Premiership under Lee Johnson last term, with Montgomery appointed in September on a three-year deal.
“Ending the season in the bottom six is simply unacceptable,” the club said.
“Considerable progress has been made at the club off the pitch over the last 12 months. That being said, we want to assure supporters that on-pitch progress and performance are at the forefront of our minds. We understand that this needs to be addressed urgently.”
The Edinburgh side say a full review of the club’s football structure will be carried out in conjunction of Black Knight Football Club, the group that holds a 25% stake at Hibs.
Sports
West Ham United v Bayer 04 Leverkusen: Jarrod Bowen could return for Hammers
West Ham boss David Moyes is hoping key forward Jarrod Bowen will be fit to return for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Bayer Leverkusen at London Stadium.
Bowen, 27, missed the 2-0 first-leg defeat and last week’s Premier League match with Fulham with a hip injury.
The England international, who has 19 goals in all competitions this season, returned to training on Wednesday.
“It was great to see Jarrod out there,” said Moyes.
“I would never risk a player if I thought they were injured but you always want your best players back in, your goalscorers as well, and Jarrod has been that this season.”
Moyes added that Bowen’s return would “give us and the crowd a real lift” as his side look to come from behind to reach a European semi-final for the second straight season.
The Hammers will, however, be without suspended midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen team were crowned Bundesliga champions on Sunday and Moyes is hoping celebrations have taken their toll.
“To be the champions, you should celebrate, you should enjoy it because the moments go very quickly,” the West Ham manager said.
“I hope they’ve been downing those big giant glasses of beer they get in Germany!”
Alonso, however, said his side have remained in “control”.
“For sure it was a moment to enjoy it,” he said. “On Sunday we knew we had a chance so we took one day, in case of winning, to enjoy it.
“But from Tuesday our mind has been focused on West Ham. Now it’s the Europa League and we have a great chance to make a great season even better.”
Sports
Romario: Former Brazil striker registers to play for America Football Club alongside his son
Former Brazil striker Romario has come out of retirement aged 58 and registered to play for America Football Club alongside his son.
Romario, who won the 1994 World Cup, is president of the Rio de Janeiro-based side, who play in the second tier of the Rio regional competition.
Romario said he would not play in the league, but wanted to feature in some games alongside his son Romarinho.
Romario played his last game in November 2009.
His career started in 1985 for Vasco de Gama before successful spells in the Netherlands with PSV and at Barcelona in Spain.
He retired in 2009, playing his final game for America FC, where his father Edevair played, before being elected senator for Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
He scored 55 goals in 70 games for Brazil, and was voted Fifa player of the year in 1994 after scoring five goals in their World Cup-winning campaign.
Sports
Millie Bright: England and Chelsea captain says it is ‘amazing’ to return to training
England captain Millie Bright says it was “amazing” to return to training with Women’s Super League club Chelsea after a five-month injury absence.
The defender has been absent since November with a knee issue.
“Just to be out there screaming at players again, it was nice to be back on the grass and back with the team,” she told the Women’s Football Weekly podcast.
Bright hasn’t played for the Lionesses since August’s World Cup final defeat.
They lost 1-0 to Spain in Sydney.
She said: “[During] injury, it’s probably the hardest thing, you feel so distant from everyone. Even as hard as you try to stay connected, you do feel like a bit of an outsider.”
Bright said the “mental challenge” of dealing with injury had been “extremely difficult”.
The Chelsea captain watched from the sidelines as they lost the League Cup final 1-0 to Arsenal on 31 March and were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final last Sunday.
She said: “There are days where you just want to scream and I just want to run to get rid of my anger or my frustration. Rehab’s not the easiest thing – it doesn’t always go the way we want it to go.
“The goal never changes so the off-pitch stuff for me was all about rehab and doing things at home that just help.”
Bright says she has done everything possible to achieve “all the small percentages” in assisting her recovery.
“I think I’ve probably drove my agent insane by having to say no to a million things but for me my priority – even when I’m playing – is to be like ‘rehab, go home, walk the dogs’ and that’s it,” she added.
“Some days, I didn’t even walk the dogs because it was more beneficial for me to come in fresher the next day.”
Cuthbert and Charles ‘are real leaders’
Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert, 25, and England defender Niamh Charles, 24, have shared the captaincy in Bright’s absence.
“It’s a hard job and I don’t think people appreciate how hard leading is until you’re put in that position,” Bright said.
“For them at their age to grab a hold of the team and really drive them through this season has been incredible and they are the real leaders in the team.”
Missing out on trophies ‘a reality check’
Chelsea had been in contention for a quadruple, but now they can only win a maximum of two trophies in Emma Hayes’ final season in charge, after their League Cup and FA Cup defeats.
They remain in the running for the WSL title and play Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with their first leg taking place in Spain on Saturday.
“I think that’s our biggest learning,” Bright said. “One minute you’re talking about the quadruple and it being the best season ever and all of a sudden it’s ‘whoa, we’re only competing for two trophies now’. You do have to swiftly move on and take learnings from it.”
Bright said their FA Cup defeat was the harder one to take.
“I think we were definitely more disappointed with the FA Cup because of the manner in which we lost,” she said.
“By our standards, on and off the ball was definitely not our best. Yes, we still had chances but at this level, you just can’t go 2-0 down that quickly.”
Sports
Mansfield Town: How promotion ‘heartbreaks’ have led to Stags joy
“Horrible” and “heartbreaking” is how the masterminds of Mansfield Town’s promotion summed up what it has taken to reach League One.
Among the chaotic scenes of jubilation, as thousands of Mansfield fans streamed onto the One Call Stadium pitch to celebrate their promotion-clinching win against Accrington on Tuesday, those words from Stags manager Nigel Clough and owner John Radford seemed to contradict the euphoric mood of the moment.
But they define the very reason the Stags partied so hard – with players hoisted on to shoulders, and Clough serenaded with chants from the grateful heaving mass of supporters.
Finally, Mansfield – a side who have flirted with promotion almost constantly in recent years – got over the line.
The play-off final defeat at Wembley in 2022, missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of 2019 and missing out on the play-offs by a solitary goal last term were frustrations released in celebration.
“They are not moments of despair, that is just football,” Radford told BBC Sport. “Your heart gets broken, but we want to go for it every year.
“We are not a club looking backwards, we are always looking forward. We wanted to get promoted, wanted to get to League One and we have.”
‘Hard work and pain’
Clough was brought in at Field Mill in November 2020.
In each full season since, the Stags have been a promotion contenders.
The near misses in each of his previous two seasons have been fuel for the fire of promotion desire.
Defeat at Wembley prompted him to call football “horrible”, but when asked if he still felt that way on such a blissful night, he chose to reiterate his previous point.
“We are enjoying one tonight, but it has taken us three years, a lot of hard work and quite a bit of pain to get to this point,” Clough told BBC East Midlands Today.
“It can be a horrible game, and it still is frequently.
“We left Wembley incredibly dejected a couple years ago, so it is little bit of payback for that.”
Victory against Accrington moved Mansfield up to second and, while the League Two title has already been claimed by Stockport, Clough demands his side finishes the campaign strong before attention turns to the Stags’ first season back in the third tier for 21 years.
“We got promoted, brilliant,” Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham. “Let’s now win the last two games and finish the season with as many points as we can.”
In the meantime, preparations for life in League One will be getting under way for a side that last played in the third tier when it was still known as the Second Division in 2002-03.
How will the Stags fare in League One?
Clough insists they have not “tempted fate” in getting a head start on those plans, and adds that any thoughts on promotion from previous attempts are of little use as “circumstances are different” now.
Midfielder Ollie Clarke, who has been at the club since 2020, says they will be looking to make an impression in League One – a level where Mansfield have spent just one season in the past three decades.
“I’d say we have a lot of quality in this group,” Clarke said. “Keeping the group together will be the main thing.
“Obviously there is an improvement in quality and standards, and we just need to raise our standards.
“But I think everyone in this group is probably capable of playing at a higher level anyway, so I can’t see why we can’t go up and really contend next season.”
While Mansfield are unfamiliar with League One, it is a division that Clough is accustomed to – having managed both Sheffield United and Burton in the third tier.
And it was with the Brewers that the 58-year-old achieved his most famous promotion, taking the small east Staffordshire club to the Championship on a meagre budget.
After Clough spoke gratefully of being given the time and resources by the Stags owners to win promotion to League Two, he was asked if he could match his Burton achievements with the Nottinghamshire club.
He responded with a laugh and by saying: “Hold on, we have only been out of League Two for 10 minutes.
“Let this one sink in and then we will look towards next season.”
Sports
Udinese v Roma match abandoned: Evan Ndicka suffered collapsed lung, says Daniele de Rossi
Roma defender Evan Ndicka suffered a collapsed lung during Sunday’s Serie A match against Udinese, manager Daniele de Rossi says.
Ndicka, 24, collapsed in the 72nd minute and the game was abandoned after he was taken off on a stretcher.
He was discharged from hospital on Monday.
“A collapsed lung is a painful thing but luckily, if we can say that, he’s not suffering from what we feared,” De Rossi said.
The Ivory Coast international spent one night under observation before being allowed to return to Rome, with tests revealing no sign of cardiac issues.
Ndicka joined Roma on a free transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023 and has featured on 19 occasions in Serie A.
Sunday’s fixture was level at 1-1 when the match was suspended.
Roma are organising an initiative to offer free heart screenings for supporters over the age of 45 at a local hospital prior to their next home league game against Bologna on 22 April.
-
Lifestyle10 months ago
Les erreurs courantes à éviter lors de l’utilisation d’un thermomètre de piscine
-
International11 months ago
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are seen boarding his $500 MILLION superyacht
-
Divertissements10 months ago
Amphinobi – Pokémon Écarlate / Violet
-
France4 months ago
“Mon beau Noël blanc…” : pourquoi la neige est-elle de plus en plus rare pour Noël ? : Femme Actuelle Le MAG
-
Sports12 months ago
Lionel Messi écope de 2 semaines de suspension
-
International12 months ago
Des images choquantes montrent le moment où la police rencontrée tire et tue deux chiens après qu’une femme a été mutilée lors d’une attaque
-
International11 months ago
Un sans-abri dit que Met a “assassiné” ses chiens Millions et Marshall
-
Afrique11 months ago
Legault envisage d’imposer des exigences linguistiques en français aux immigrants temporaires
-
Afrique11 months ago
Au Canada, les étudiants africains francophones discriminés
-
Divertissements10 months ago
Сémаntіх du 19 juіn 2023 aide et solution du jour .