France World Cup winner Raphael Varane announced his retirement from football on Tuesday at the age of 31. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United center-back had joined Italian club Como for the current season but was left out of their Serie A squad after suffering a knee injury in August.
"A new life begins off the pitch," Varane shared on social media, hinting at his future plans. "I’m excited to share more about this soon," added the four-time Champions League winner.
UEFA announced on Tuesday that the 2027 Champions League final will no longer be held at Milan's San Siro stadium due to uncertainties surrounding potential renovations. European football’s governing body stated that Milan could not guarantee the stadium and surrounding areas would be unaffected by refurbishment works during that time.
“As a result, the decision was made not to assign the final to Milan, and the bidding process will be reopened, with a final decision expected by May/June 2025,” UEFA added.
Both AC Milan and Inter Milan, who share the San Siro as their home ground, recently rejected a project to modernize and renovate the stadium, which is owned by the city of Milan. Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, mentioned that the clubs are prepared to revive their initial plan to build a new stadium near San Siro after the previous project was abandoned due to political and bureaucratic issues.
Earlier this year, AC Milan purchased land in San Donato Milanese, southeast of the city, with hopes of relocating outside Milan’s official borders to expedite building approvals. Inter Milan, meanwhile, is exploring potential stadium sites in the towns of Rozzano and Assago, south of Milan, as well as in the northern suburb of Sesto San Giovanni.
Despite these developments, the San Siro is still set to host the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026.
Meanwhile, officials from Marseille have expressed interest in hosting the 2027 Champions League final. Sebastien Jibrayel, Marseille’s deputy mayor in charge of sports, said on X, "Why not Marseille, with the most beautiful stadium in France: the Velodrome." He added that, along with Mayor Benoit Payan, they will support the city’s bid to host the final.
France last hosted the Champions League final in 2022, a match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France, which was overshadowed by disorganized security outside the stadium.
The Football Association (FA) has decided not to issue any retrospective punishment to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland for throwing the ball at Gabriel’s head following their late equalizer against Arsenal.
The incident occurred in the 98th minute after John Stones scored a dramatic equalizer in a thrilling 2-2 draw. Haaland had initially opened the scoring, but goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel put Arsenal ahead before Stones’ late strike.
After the goal, Haaland picked up the ball and threw it against Gabriel’s head, who had his shirt over his face and was unaware of the situation. No action was taken during the match, and the FA has confirmed that VAR reviewed the incident, deciding against further sanctions.
Veteran goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has expressed his willingness to step in temporarily for Barcelona's injured Marc-André ter Stegen, according to a report. Ter Stegen sustained a significant knee injury during Barcelona's La Liga match against Villarreal, which will keep him out of action for an extended period.
Bravo, 41, retired in August after a celebrated career, having played for clubs like Colo Colo, Real Sociedad, Barcelona, Manchester City, and Real Betis. Despite his retirement, the Copa America winner is reportedly open to making a short-term return if Barcelona reaches out to him.
Ter Stegen was forced off the field after suffering the injury just before halftime, and was replaced by backup goalkeeper Iñaki Peña. Barcelona confirmed that Ter Stegen had ruptured the patella tendon in his right knee and would require surgery, which was scheduled for Monday.
Iñaki Peña, who renewed his contract with Barcelona in 2023 until June 2026, has a buyout clause of €400 million.
Bravo, who played for Barcelona between 2014 and 2016, retired on August 27. He started his career at Colo Colo before moving to Real Sociedad, where he spent eight years. After joining Barcelona, he competed with Ter Stegen for two seasons before transferring to Manchester City in 2016, followed by a stint at Real Betis.
During his time at Barcelona, Bravo made 75 appearances and won nine major titles, including two La Liga and Copa del Rey doubles, the Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup. In an August 28 statement, Barcelona highlighted his success, noting that he played 75 games and won several major trophies during his tenure.
READ ALSO: Barcelona Goalkeeper Ter Stegen to Undergo Knee Surgery
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