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‘Salty’ Rodri Interview Slammed as Man City Lose PL Title Race

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Arsenal fans have slammed Manchester City star Rodri, after the midfielder aimed a dig at the Premier League scheduling for a lack of rest leading into the Bournemouth game in midweek.

The Sky Blues needed to pick up a win on the south coast to take the title race into the final day, but those chances of drama were diminished when Junior Eli Kroupi found the back of the net in the first half.

Man City pushed and found an equaliser through Erling Haaland in the 94th minute, but it wasn’t enough to keep Pep Guardiola‘s team in the reach of league leaders Arsenal.

While North London was celebrating, Rodri discussed his frustration at the scheduling, which he claimed didn’t help the team’s chances.

Rodri Slams Premier League Schedule

Rodri

Man City struggled against Bournemouth’s intense pressure, which has been a hallmark of Andoni Iraola’s style during his three years at the club.

The former champions were not helped by the quick turnaround from the FA Cup final triumph over the weekend to the game on Tuesday night, something Rodri highlighted after the game. Speaking to Canal+ Sport, he said:

“When you play every three days and then these kind of teams (Bournemouth) have 10 days to rest, it’s a massive difference.

“At this level, having this amount of days makes the difference. Today, yeah, we lacked a little bit of energy because we played a final two days ago.”

Man City had requested the game to be moved to gain an extra day or two of rest, but that was rejected, prompting annoyance from the Spanish midfielder, who made a jab at the division.

“The Premier League didn’t want us to rest a little bit more,” he added. “At the end, congratulate Arsenal, they were the better team. And we will try the next season.”

Rodri’s comments have come under fire, particularly from Arsenal fans, who have questioned the midfielder after losing the title on Tuesday night.

Arsenal Fans Criticise Rodri

Declan Rice and Rodri
Declan Rice and Rodri

Arsenal fans were quick to criticise Rodri’s comments on social media, questioning the mentality of him and the Man City squad after throwing away an opportunity to win the title.

One fan wrote: “Salty salty tears…love it,” before adding: “Was preaching about mentality monsters last season.”

“He’s literally a cry baby always talking about English FA don’t give them what they want so pathetic,” another supporter said on social media.

One recurring theme surrounding Rodri’s quotes surrounded Arsenal’s own fixture congestion and injury problems in relation to their rivals.

The Gunners have made a run to the Champions League final, on top of the Carabao Cup final, adding plenty of games to the calendar for recent months.


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Declan Rice, for comparison, has over 4,300 minutes under his belt this season, over double that of Rodri during a campaign that has been incredibly busy.

“Such a clown. We had the same spacing of games during the time of the two Atleti fixtures,” one fan said. “So much for the mentality monster he claims they are.”

Another added: “Omds Rodri is crying that they didn’t get rest after the fa cup final.”

While shots are fired at Rodri for his comments, Arsenal fans continue to celebrate as they look ahead to the Champions League final to cap off an ideal season.

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FC Koln Want to Sign Sebastiaan Bornauw From Leeds

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Leeds United fringe player Sebastiaan Bornauw is attracting interest from the Bundesliga, according to reports in Germany.

The Whites are planning for another year of Premier League football after finishing 14th in the table, eight points above the relegation zone, in their first season back in the top flight.

Bornauw joined the club last summer to help bolster their defensive options. He signed a four-year contract after a deal worth around £5m was agreed with German side VfL Wolfsburg.

He has been a fringe player under Daniel Farke, with just 771 minutes of action and just five starts in the Premier League.

FC Koln eye move for Leeds United defender

Sebastiaan Bornauw Leeds

The 6ft 3in player is now wanted back in Germany by FC Koln, according to Bild.

The Bundesliga outfit finished six points above the relegation zone and are in the market for defensive reinforcements.

Cenk Özkacar joined the German side on loan from La Liga outfit Valencia but his move will not be made permanent.

While the defender was not a regular starter under Farke, the Leeds boss was keen to praise the player for his attitude and commitment during his first season in England.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Leeds’ 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in April, Farke branded Bornauw as ‘top class’ and hailed the player’s character for his willingness to play a back-up role within the squad.

Big summer awaits Leeds United

Paraag Marathe

Leeds have ambitions to establish themselves as a consistent top-flight club but chairman Paraag Marathe has warned it will take at least three seasons for them to “truly operate like an established Premier League side”.

It makes this summer all the more important as the Whites must get their recruitment right.

Both Leeds and Sunderland, who have qualified for the Europa League, bucked the recent trend of all three promoted clubs getting relegated immediately.

With Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City coming to the top flight, Leeds and other clubs in the lower third of the table know that minimal spending could risk being dragged into a relegation battle.

In a club statement released this week, Marathe outlined that a second season in the Premier League can prove even more difficult than the first one.

Leeds finished ninth in their first top-flight campaign under Marcelo Bielsa before dropping to 17th the following year. The season after that they were relegated.

With those years fresh in the mind, those in charge of recruitment at Elland Road will know what it takes for Leeds to continue moving forward.


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Chelsea Star Has Already Asked To Leave Before Xabi Alonso Arrives

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Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen has asked to leave Chelsea as he seeks more game time, GIVEMESPORT understands.

Jorgensen was number two behind Robert Sanchez this season and is set to fall further down the pecking order next campaign with the highly-regarded Mike Penders returning from his loan spell at Strasbourg.

Chelsea are open to a sale for the 24-year-old, who joined from Villarreal for just over £20million in the 2024 summer transfer window. He signed a seven-year contract upon arrival at Stamford Bridge and said: “This move is a dream come true. I am very excited to have signed for Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I can’t wait to get to know everyone and to start playing with all my new teammates.”

Jorgensen made a big mistake in the Champions League

filip jorgensen

Since then, Jorgensen has made 34 appearances in two seasons at Chelsea, but only 11 of them have come in the Premier League.

The Dane made a costly error away at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League after being given a surprise start at the Parc des Princes by then head coach Liam Rosenior.

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Rosenior stuck up for his goalkeeper on the night, saying: “Players make mistakes. Filip’s not the first one and that’s part of football. Credit to him, he held his hands up in the dressing room. I make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes.

“Sometimes they’re more costly. This is one of those moments. What we have to do for Rob [Sánchez] and for Filip and for all of the players is look after each other.”

Chelsea have not made a decision on selling Jorgensen

Filip Jorgensen of Villarreal

Seeing his pathway to a starting spot blocked by Sanchez, the desire to leave is primarily being driven by the player, and was directly communicated to Chelsea’s head of goalkeeping, Ben Roberts.

Jorgensen had also asked for a transfer in January as he hoped to lock down Denmark’s number one spot with a view to playing at the 2026 World Cup. In the end, Denmark didn’t qualify.

Porto, Besiktas and Genoa are three clubs who held an interest in the winter. Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah have also been credited with an interest, and have explored some high-profile goalkeepers. Yet GMS understands their priority is first to add a centre-back, winger and forward this summer.


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Celtic Chiefs Working to Persuade Martin O’Neill to Take Charge Next Season

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Celtic chiefs are working to persuade Martin O’Neill to take charge next season following a surprise update on Robbie Keane.

After a phenomenal end to a disappointing season that culminated in Celtic winning the double, club chiefs now have a decision to make on which direction they turn for their next boss.

The odds were stacked against the Hoops heading into the final five Scottish Premiership fixtures, but O’Neill once again showed his class by winning all five, including games against Rangers and Hearts, to lift the title.

Following the disastrous spell at the helm for Wilfried Nancy mid-season, the Northern Irishman took interim charge for the second time in the season and turned the Bhoys’ fortunes around.

Celtic decision-makers have now faced the decision of whether they stick with the 74-year-old, if he is willing to take the job on a full-time basis and stick around, or to look elsewhere.

One option who had been linked with the potential vacant post was Jens Berthel Askou following an outstanding season at Motherwell, but the Dane has joined Toulouse instead, ruling him out of the running.

Now it seems Celtic are ready to go all out to convince O’Neill to stay on.

Celtic Planning to Tempt O’Neill to Stay

Celtic caretaker manager Martin O'Neill looks on during win vs Stuttgart

According to Football Insider, the Celtic hierarchy are planning to ask O’Neill to remain as manager next season, despite the fact that they are compiling a new manager shortlist.

The Guardian reported in March that Robbie Keane was emerging as the frontrunner for the job, and talk among fans has increased after he resigned from his role as Ferencvaros manager in recent days.

However, Football Insider claim that while the 45-year-old is on their shortlist, he isn’t one of the leading contenders to take the reins at Parkhead.

As well as the ‘unbelievable’ O’Neill, other candidates are said to be ahead of the Republic of Ireland legend in the running.

Which Other Managers Could Celtic Target?

Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson

The same Guardian report also named Craig Bellamy as an option for Celtic, but the suggestion is that he is happy as manager of Wales and wants to continue to help the nation qualify for their home Euro 2028 tournament.

Elsewhere, two more names have been heavily linked with the Bhoys across the last 12 months.

One of those is Roberto Martinez, who is about to lead Portugal at the 2026 World Cup in North America, with his future to be decided after the tournament.

While he hasn’t managed in club football for a decade, there is a link at Celtic Park in the form of Shaun Maloney, who has both played and worked under the Spaniard previously.

The other name who keeps getting mentioned is Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen, who continues to make big waves with the Norwegian side.

The 57-year-old brilliantly led his team to the Champions League quarter-finals this season, beating Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan along the way.

If Celtic want a manager who could help them advance in Europe’s elite club competition, the experienced Norwegian might be the man.

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