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Mauricio Pochettino ‘Gutted’ After Tottenham Appoint Roberto De Zerbi

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Mauricio Pochettino is privately ‘gutted’ after Tottenham Hotspur snubbed him to appoint Roberto De Zerbi now instead, according to GIVEMESPORT sources.

Tottenham decided to go all out to hire De Zerbi as their new permanent head coach in the last week, despite the Italian making it clear previously that he had no intention of taking on a job until the summer.

However, Spurs decided that because their situation was so precarious in the Premier League, they needed to take drastic action and get their man now, rather than hire another interim boss like Igor Tudor after that experiment failed miserably.

De Zerbi has been tasked with steering Spurs away from the drop zone, which they could find themselves in by the time they kick off the Italian’s first match in charge against Sunderland a week on Sunday, should West Ham United beat Wolves next Friday.

A disastrous campaign has left the north Londoners one point above the bottom three with just seven matches left to play, with their situation worsened by the 3-0 defeat to fellow relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, which ended Tudor’s 44-day reign.

Pochettino ‘Gutted’ as Tottenham Appoint De Zerbi

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout

As GIVEMESPORT sources revealed following the departure of Thomas Frank in February, De Zerbi and Pochettino were the two main managerial candidates for the summer.

Had Tottenham’s search reached that stage, it would likely have been a two-horse race between the duo for the job in north London.

However, GMS understands that De Zerbi had actually overtaken Pochettino as Spurs’ preferred target, given they also tried to bring him in before Frank, after Frank went, and again before he agreed to a U-turn to join now.

The main issue with Pochettino throughout was that, even though he is admired by club chiefs and the fanbase, who made it clear they would welcome him back by chanting his name during the reigns of Frank and Tudor, he is managing the USA at this summer’s World Cup.

With a focus on that, the Argentine was unlikely to be available to join Spurs until later in the summer, which Tottenham clearly can’t afford given the situation they find themselves in now, and in the last two seasons when it comes to their Premier League standing.

Pochettino Has Plenty to Ponder Ahead of World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino and Malik Tillman Joseph Buvid | Imagn Images

Pochettino will need to quickly respond to the fact that he won’t be returning to Tottenham this summer, and focus all of his energy on taking the USA as far as he can in their home World Cup.

Hopes would have been high following the two November friendlies, when the host nation beat Paraguay and then thrashed Uruguay 5-1.

However, Pochettino and his men were brought back down to Earth with successive home defeats against two European countries.

A 5-2 defeat by Belgium was followed up by a 2-0 reverse against Roberto Martinez’s Portugal, with the USA knowing they need to improve if they want to beat some of the top European nations at the World Cup.

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Iraola Approves Liverpool Signing Diomande After Munoz

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Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has given the green light for the club’s next signing after Victor Munoz and a deal is accelerating, according to TEAMtalk.

Liverpool chiefs have been working on bringing in new signings after appointing Iraola as Arne Slot’s replacement at the start of the month, and they agreed a deal ‘out of nowhere’ on Wednesday night when Fabrizio Romano announced that they had hijacked Newcastle United’s move to sign Victor Munoz from Osasuna.

The Reds have activated the player’s €40m release clause and he is set to move to Anfield on a six-year contract after completing a medical in the United States, where he is currently representing Spain at the 2026 World Cup.

The left-sided winger will provide competition for Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha on that side, with Hugo Ekitike set to be sidelined until 2027 through injury.

Liverpool still need to find a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah on the opposite flank too, with the Egyptian leaving Merseyside after nine years this summer.

The Reds are looking at other positions too, including midfield, where Curtis Jones is expected to leave and doubts remain over the future of Alexis Mac Allister.

Iraola ‘Says Yes’ to Yan Diomande Deal

RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande celebrates a goal REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are continuing their push to sign RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, and Iraola is a driving force behind the move.

The report says that the Spaniard is now actively pushing club chiefs to complete a deal for the Ivory Coast sensation.

After a stunning breakthrough season at Leipzig, where he scored 13 goals and registered a further 10 assists, the 19-year-old announced himself on the world stage in sensational fashion as he was named as man of the match in his nation’s opening World Cup group game.

Diomande displayed his pace, trickery and dynamism, and the latter in particular is a trait that Iraola really admires in him.

Liverpool have been in constructive dialogue with Leipzig over a summer move, as talks continue to accelerate.

England World Cup Quiz

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Liverpool Face Diomande Asking Price Hurdle

Yan Diomande via Reuters

While GIVEMESPORT sources are growing in confidence that Diomande wants to join Liverpool with progress made on the player side of negotiations, the major hurdle remaining is Leipzig’s asking price.

TEAMtalk report that the Bundesliga outfit have set a minimum asking price of €130m (£112m) for the ‘sensational’ winger, which means that the Reds would need to pay more than £100m for a player for the third time in the space of 12 months.

The other complication is the fact that Paris Saint-Germain continue to show strong interest in the teenage wonderkid, as they consider adding to their own attacking options after defending their Champions League title.

PSG aren’t the only European giants in the race to sign Diomande though, with Real Madrid showing interest in recent weeks and being tipped to come calling for the player soon.

Liverpool’s fast deal to sign Munoz shows they aren’t messing about though, so don’t be surprised if they win the race to bring Diomande to Anfield.

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Sean O’Malley’s 9-Word Comment to Donald Trump

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Since the early days of his UFC career, Sean O’Malley has always been a captivating figure, known for his unique persona and flashy fighting style.

While the past year or two haven’t gone his way, O’Malley seems back to his best in 2026. In January, he picked up a win over Song Yadong, and at the White House, he finished Aiemann Zahabi.

It was the 31-year-old’s first finish since August 2023, when he first captured bantamweight gold at the expense of Aljamain Sterling. O’Malley seemed rejuvenated, and it wasn’t only the fan base that was in awe of the performance. President Donald Trump took time to chat with him after his electrifying salute TKO.

Sean O’Malley’s Impressive White House Showing

Sean O'Malley Amber Searls via Imagn Images

As fans have become accustomed to, O’Malley built on a strong first round. He’s a momentum fighter and someone who shows great patience when in the Octagon.

He was timing his shots perfectly all night, and eventually it led to the finish. Towards the end of the second round, Zahabi was applying plenty of pressure, but the chaos only played into O’Malley’s hands.

The American continued to pick his shots before putting Zahabi down with a strong left hand. Another one-two came soon after, which dropped the Canadian once again, leaving Jason Herzog only one decision: stop the fight.

What Sean O’Malley Said to Donald Trump

In the aftermath of the win, O’Malley said a few words to President Donald Trump, who was, of course, sat just metres away from the Octagon.

“I said, ‘Happy birthday. I knocked out a Canadian for you’.”

What Next For Sean O’Malley

After Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili back in December, O’Malley’s situation became even more intriguing. He now has a win over the current champion, which could build towards a highly anticipated rematch.

The first one in Abu Dhabi was an incredibly close fight, and ultimately changed O’Malley’s trajectory. Just a year prior, he was fighting Kris Moutinho and wasn’t in the top 10 of the rankings. Fast-forward a year, and he has beaten the former champion in a razor-thin decision. Perhaps, Yan will be looking to avenge that defeat and further cement his status as king of the bantamweights.

Outside of this, there is also Corey Sandhagen. Despite being in and around the top of the division for a while, the two are yet to meet in the Octagon. It was an idea floating around prior to the Zahabi announcement and would make for a fan-friendly match-up. Sandhagen fights Mario Bautista at UFC 329. Once that is done, maybe their timelines can finally cross over.

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Why Harry Kane Wore Different Shirt to England Teammates vs Croatia

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Harry Kane wore a different shirt to the rest of his teammates as England defeated Croatia at the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday afternoon.

The Bayern Munich star, who is one of the contenders to win the Ballon d’Or following a tremendous season for his club, was named in the Three Lions’ starting lineup for their opening game of the tournament at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Kane hit the back of the net twice in the first half as the two sides went into the break level at 2-2. Kane was again influential in the second half as goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford gave Thomas Tuchel’s side a 4-2 victory.

The 32-year-old has now scored 10 goals for England at the World Cup, equalling Gary Lineker’s record.

Harry Kane Wears Different Shirt to England Teammates

Harry Kane in action at the 2026 World Cup Hannah Mckay via Reuters

Kane wore a special patch on his arm during the match against Croatia, and he will continue to don the patch for the remainder of the tournament.

In the 2018 World Cup, he netted six times as England finished fourth. That was enough for him to win the Golden Boot, awarded to the player that scored the most goals in the tournament.

To commemorate that achievement, he was allowed to wear a special golden patch on his sleeve. The patch, located just below the FIFA World Cup logo, is a golden boot with the year ‘2018’ on it.

Only players that have won the Golden Boot at previous World Cup tournaments are permitted to wear the patch.

That means only two other players in this year’s tournament are wearing the patch. They are Colombia’s James Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot in 2014, and France star Kylian Mbappe, who scored eight goals in the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

Kane, Rodriguez and Mbappe will continue to wear the sleeve patch for the remainder of the competition.

England World Cup Quiz

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Harry Kane Gives Thoughts After Croatia Victory

Harry Kane Nathan Ray Seebeck via Reuters

Kane revealed Tuchel’s speech at half-time and praised his side for pulling off a great result. He said, per the Guardian:

“He [Tuchel] told us to take the shackles off, calm down and let’s go. He said what’s the worst that can happen? Show the world who we can be.

“We came out in the second half full gas and they couldn’t live with it, and that’s the level we have to set in every game. The way we controlled the game once we went ahead, we never really looked like we were in danger and then scored on the counterattack.

“We had a spell where we could have scored three or four. Credit to everyone: the first game of the tournament and a great result against a tough side.”

England and Kane return to action on Tuesday, June 23 when they take on Ghana in Boston. A victory will see the Three Lions qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition.

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