Tottenham’s Paratici resigns over ban; weekend team news and more: football – live

Key events

FA Cup memory lane: Sheffield United could do with another balloon when they face Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday. Ben Fisher looked back.

Lee Martin, on loan from Manchester United, faced up the City centre-back Richard Dunne and sent in a low cross with the outside of his right boot. The ball took a deflection off Dunne then skidded along the edge of the six-yard box, cannoning into a sky-blue balloon before bumbling into a white one. Ball attempted to sidefoot the ball clear with his right foot but its unexpected course threw him off. “It took a decent deflection off a balloon – you couldn’t tell where the ball was going to go,” says the former Sheffield United midfielder Stephen Quinn.

It’s a huge weekend in the women’s game, too, with Champions League semi-finals for Arsenal, playing Wolfsburg and Chelsea, playing Barcelona. Louise Taylor sat down with Blues mainstay Sophie Ingle.

More immediately, the 31-year-old intends to reach June’s Champions League final in Eindhoven. Chelsea could take a significant step towards that showpiece by beating Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the first leg of a semi-final that offers Emma Hayes’s players a chance to atone for their 4-0 Champions League final defeat against the same opponents in Gothenburg two years ago.

There’s a world outside your window, and it’s a world of dread and fear in the EFL and National League. Will Unwin is your guide to the lower leagues.

Gareth Bale: from playing legend to suit? Lots of golfing opportunities there, as part of Uefa’s new football board, which also doubles as some form of all-time legends squad.

• Jose Mourinho, Roma manager

• Eric Abidal, former France defender

• Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid manager

• Gareth Bale, former Wales forward

• Rafael Benitez, former Liverpool manager

• Fabio Capello, former England manager

• Petr Cech, former Czech Republic keeper

• Rio Ferdinand, former England defender

• Luis Figo, former Portugal forward

• Robbie Keane, former Republic of Ireland striker

• Jurgen Klinsmann, South Korea manager

• Ronald Koeman, Netherlands manager

• Philipp Lahm, former Germany defender

• Henrik Larsson, former Sweden striker

• Michael Laudrup, former Denmark attacking midfielder

• Paolo Maldini, former Italy defender

• Roberto Martinez, Portugal manager

• Juan Mata, Galatasaray midfielder

• Predrag Mijatovic, former Montenegro forward

• Gareth Southgate, England manager

• Patrick Vieira, former France midfielder

• Rudi Voller, former Germany striker

• Javier Zanetti, former Argentina defender

• Zinedine Zidane, former Real Madrid manager

Who did the damage to Newcastle last week? Ollie Watkins was outstanding, scoring twice. Here’s a drill-down to the underlying numbers.

By playing more centrally and conserving his energy, Watkins is now more productive. He is now taking 2.9 shots per 90 minutes, up from 2.2 before Emery arrived at Villa Park. Watkins sees less of the ball – his touches per 90 minutes have dropped from 34.5 to 27.6 – but he has more of an impact when he does receive possession. Crucially, he is touching the ball more often inside the box, up from 4.8 per 90 minutes to 5.7, and he is scoring a lot more goals.

Eddie Howe is the first manager up today, and Newcastle are smarting from last week’s 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa. They welcome Tottenham on Sunday.

It was an uncharacteristic performance from us. We have been so consistent home and away.

The only process I know it to analyse, reflect, go to work and then put it right. Training has been very good, the attitude of players has been very good. There has been no fallout from the game and no energy lost. I’m confident we will perform, but we are playing a very good team.

I’ve seen a good response. Sometimes you can react in different ways. We’ve tried to be quite clear on what we want and I’ve seen a good response in terms of no hangover from the game, no negative reaction.

The lads have been focused and they are ready for what’s ahead rather than looking backwards. We have to go again now at the crucial end of the season.

Newcastle welcome back Miguel Almíron, their top-scorer this season.

There’s plenty of fall-out from Thursday’s European matches, too.

We have to learn. We have to start games better, [with] more desire, passion, composure on the ball. And when we have a setback we have to deal with it and get back on the ball. We have to be better. It is not about the playing skills. It is about character. They had more willingness to win and that can’t be: I think it is unacceptable.

Full Tottenham statement on Paratic below.

Yesterday - 20 April 2023 - Fabio Paratici was unsuccessful with an appeal against his Italian Football Federation (FIGC) ban on certain football related activities.

FIFA ruled to extend the ban worldwide and, whilst there continues to be a dispute as to the scope and extent of the ban, the current worldwide ban prevents Fabio from fulfilling his duties as our Managing Director of Football. Fabio has consequently taken the decision to resign from his position at the Club with immediate effect to focus on his legal position in respect of the FIGC and FIFA rulings.

Daniel Levy, Chairman: “This has been a stressful time for Fabio and his family. We wanted to ensure that we allowed for due process to be followed. Fabio is a man who lives and breathes football - we wish him well.

“As outlined in our year end results, we started several months ago to restructure our football operations and last week announced the appointment of Scott Munn as Chief Football Officer to head up all the departments. We shall continue to strengthen our football functions over the coming months.”

Paratici leaves Tottenham

Why are Tottenham a crisis club? It’s been confirmed that Fabio Paratici has left the club, having failed to overturn a worldwide ban.

Paratici’s ban relates to his time at Juventus, who were found guilty of false accounting. He and the club have denied wrongdoing. On Thursday Juventus had their 15-point penalty suspended pending a new trial.

No manager, no sporting director, and Harry Kane unsettled. This is the story of the Tottenham.

Preamble

The weekend starts here, as they say, and it’s a big weekend, too. Time was when FA Cup fixtures dominated a weekend but this is the era of the Premier League dominating everything, including the Champions League.

Let’s start with those semis: Sheffield United v Manchester City represents a huge task for Paul Heckingbottom’s team, and a win could be the greatest FA Cup semi shock of all time. (Email in for other candidates.) City are that good. Meanwhile, it would be little shock to see Brighton v Manchester United go to the South Coast club.

Before all that, the Premier League title is on the line, Arsenal v Southampton, and relegation, too. Saturday kicks off with Fulham v Leeds, the latter desperate for points. Then comes a decent rack of 3pm kick-offs. Brentford v Aston Villa sees Unai Emery’s team chase down Europe against opposition rather losing their way of late. Crystal Palace v Everton see Sean Dyche’s team back in the mire and needing a result. The same goes for Dean Smith’s team in Leicester v Wolves and Steve Cooper’s in Liverpool v Nottingham Forest.

Sunday’s Premier League encounters both kick off at 2pm, with Gary O’Neil hoping David Moyes’ team are leggy for Bournemouth v West Ham. And Eddie Howe’s team can complete the double over this week’s crisis club (Chelsea have the weekend off) in Newcastle v Tottenham.