Marcelino leaving as Villarreal coach after reaching Champions League

VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) — Villarreal will be looking for a new coach when it plays back-to-back Champions League seasons for the first time after confirming Marcelino will leave at the end of the season. hiddenlangkawi.club

Marcelino's second spell as coach at Villarreal began in 2023 and has now seen the team deliver one of its best-ever seasons, placing third in La Liga with four games remaining, on track for its best result in 18 years. That means Champions League qualification two years running, a club first.

Villarreal said on Monday that the club and Marcelino “will part ways at the end of the current campaign,” without explaining why. Where he might go next remains unclear.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Marce. Thank you for everything you have given to this club and its supporters. We wish you all the best in your future sporting projects.”

Marcelino will leave at the end of the league season, having overseen a club-record 298 games, Villarreal added.

BlogRevolutionizing Cricket: The Rise of Fielding AcademiesThe Rise of Fielding Academies: How Cricket Coaches Are Revolutionizing the Game On a quiet Tuesday evening in Bengaluru, a group of twelve-year-olds are hurlinOpen →

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

A place in next season’s Champions League is at stake for Roma as they face bottom-half Fiorentina in a must-win clash at Stadio Olimpico. Anything other than a win for the home side would likely spell disaster for their hopes of overtaking Juventus down the final stretch.

Roma’s hopes of securing their first top-four finish in Serie A since the 2017/18 season received a major boost yesterday. Already-relegated Hellas Verona held Luciano Spalletti’s side to a 1-1 draw in Turin, giving the Giallorossi the chance to blow a top-four race wide open.

Sitting four points adrift of Juventus, Roma cannot afford a slip-up here if they’re to close the gap, especially with a mouth-watering Derby della Capitale against Lazio waiting around the corner. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men should be in a good mood after beating Bologna 2-0 on the road last weekend to extend their unbeaten streak in Serie A to three games (W2, D1).

Fiorentina shared the spoils with Sassuolo in a dull 0-0 draw at home last time out. However, unbeaten in seven consecutive league outings (W3, D4), the visitors have already staved off relegation fears, as they boast a comfortable nine-point lead over 18th-placed Cremonese ahead of Monday night’s kick-off.

Therefore, a point in the capital would seal the deal for La Viola, who will be out to avenge a 2-1 defeat in October’s reverse fixture.

Match Preview

Roma

Gasperini’s first season in Rome has delivered mixed feelings, but securing a place in the Champions League for the first time in eight years would be a resounding success. Roma’s tally of 61 points at this stage of the season marks their best return since they last secured a top-four finish.

However, that may still not be enough to pip Juventus and Como to a coveted fourth place. Eager to hold up their end of the bargain, Roma can draw confidence from their stellar home run, as they’ve not lost a league clash at the Olimpico since November (W7, D3).

Furthermore, they’ve emerged victorious from 11 of their 13 home league matches against sides starting this round below them in the table (D1, L1), conceding just four goals. In addition to their impressive defensive exploits, Roma have often been quick out of the blocks.

Only new champions Inter (28) have opened the scoring in more Serie A games than the Giallorossi this season (21). Another fast start would bode well here, given that Roma won 18 of those matches (D2, L1).

Fiorentina

Despite enduring a disappointing season, Paolo Vanoli’s men seem to have found their footing recently, going unbeaten in ten of their last 11 Serie A outings (W5, D5). Although they cannot finish in the upper half of the table, Fiorentina will target a strong end to the campaign.

Upsetting the odds at the Olimpico is not beyond La Viola’s reach. They’ve avoided defeat in four of their last five away games across all competitions (W3, D1) despite keeping just one clean sheet in that sequence. Against this backdrop, Fiorentina’s recent visits to the capital have often gone wrong.

Vanoli’s charges have lost five of their seven away clashes against Roma since their last win here back in April 2018 (D2). In fact, they’ve picked up just three wins from 51 previous visits to the Olimpico (D16, L32), highlighting the magnitude of the task ahead.

However, after conceding just one first-half goal across their last seven league fixtures, Fiorentina will fancy their chances of frustrating Roma early on and turning this encounter into a tense affair.

Team News

Star midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini has recently joined long-term absentees Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson in the treatment room. Roma will also be without diminutive winger Bryan Zaragoza due to a knee problem, while Neil El Aynaoui must serve a suspension. On the bright side, Manu Kone has returned from injury and is likely to make his first Serie A start since mid-March.

Meanwhile, Fiorentina talisman Moise Kean remains on the sidelines with a shin problem. His deputy, Roberto Piccoli, is also out with a muscular issue, with Albert Gudmundsson expected to lead the line in their absence. Niccolo Fortini and Tariq Lamptey are unavailable for selection, but Robin Gosens and Fabiano Parisi have both resumed full training.

Roma vs Fiorentina Potential Starting Lineups

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Soule, Dybala; Malen.

Fiorentina (4-3-3): De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Ndour, Fagioli, Mandragora; Harrison, Gudmundsson, Solomon.

Roma vs Fiorentina Prediction

Failure is not an option for Roma if they’re to close the gap on the top four. However, Fiorentina are no idle threat. With both teams enjoying strong runs of form, this feels like a finely balanced contest that could ultimately produce another of the spoils.

Blog2026 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Regionals: Teams and Individuals Qualify for Nationals in Fort WorthSixteen teams and individual qualifiers advance after the 2026 NCAA women’s gymnastics regionals Sixteen teams and a full slate of individual qualifiers earned spots at the 2026...Open →

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone but the offseason rolls on.

The Buffalo Bills made 10 selections during the draft and have yet to sign those players. On top of that, free agency could pop back up again if the Bills are in the market to maybe more additions this offseason.

With all that work to go, how much salary cap space do the Bills have compared to the rest of the NFL?

According to OverTheCap, here is the salary cap space for all 32 NFL teams right now including the Bills:

32. Dolphins: $1.8M31. Panthers $1.9M30. Chiefs: $5.9M29. Bengals: $7.5M28. Cowboys: $8.2M27. Saints: $10.2M26. Bears: $10.8M25. Steelers: $11.1M24. Jaguars: $11.2M23. Bills: $11.922. Buccaneers: $12.8M21. Texans: $13M20. Vikings: $16.1M19. Giants: $17.8M18. Broncos: $18.8M17. Falcons: $19.1M16. Packers: $20.1M15. Browns: $21.1M14. Lions: $22.6M13. Raiders: $25.8M12. Rams: $25.9M11. Colts: $26.6M10. Ravens: $27.7M9. Eagles: $27.9M8. Seahawks: $32.8M7. Patriots: $35.7M6. Jets: $36M5. Cardinals: $40.1M4. 49ers: $45M3. Chargers: $45.8M2. Commanders: $49.5M1. Titans: $63.1M

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: How much salary cap space do the Bills have following 2026 NFL Draft?

Gary Neville has suggested he will fully back Michael Carrick for the permanent Manchester United position under one condition.

Clear frontrunner

Carrick tightened his grip on the permanent managerial position after masterminding a 3-2 victory over Liverpool on Sunday.

Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko found the back of the net to give United a commanding two-goal advantage heading into the break. Liverpool improved in the second half, though they were helped considerably by errors from Amad and Senne Lammens, which let the hosts draw level through Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo.

But Kobbie Mainoo delivered when it mattered, blasting home a stunning 77th-minute strike to restore United’s lead and grab all three points.

The win gave United the double over Liverpool and, just as importantly, secured Champions League football.

Speaking to reporters after the final whistle, Carrick gave the clearest hint yet that he wants the job permanently. He said that the role feels “natural” to him and he is enjoying every minute of it. Carrick refused to be drawn on whether he would be disappointed if United passed him over for someone else, offering only a measured “we will see what happens.”

Neville has been among the most vocal critics of Carrick’s appointment, alongside Roy Keane.

The pair have consistently argued that United need to go for a manager with a higher pedigree than Carrick. Neville stood by his view on Sunday, but suggested he could support a Carrick stay if it were only a short-term arrangement.

Neville’s condition

Neville said on Sky Sports, “There’s no one really being seriously linked with the job. He’s put himself in pole position with what he’s done. He’s re-established a few things. The way the club plays, and the system.”

“I think there are things that have emerged that will give Man Utd fans comfort and that they are in safe hands. Manchester United need some stability. They’ve not had that for the last few years, but he will bring that in the sense that everyone trusts him.”

The former United captain added, “Fans like him, the players obviously like him. The owners will trust him. Next year, he’s got 55-60 games with the Champions League and surely they won’t go out in the first rounds of the cup competitions.”

“Then it’s all a different level of management and scrutiny. It’s a lot more challenging. Does he have the experience? Does he have the body of work to rely upon?”

“Some people say ‘why don’t you give him a year contract and give him a further year to stabilise things further?’ I don’t think I can argue with that. But, if a world-class manager became available that has won titles, Manchester United should probably pursue that route because the last five managers have not had that super club experience. Michael would be another who has not quite got that.”

Carrick and his players are next in action on Saturday when they go away to Sunderland.

Featured image by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

online polls

The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social