Floundering Chelsea sack Rosenior amid worst scoring drought in 114 years
Chelsea sacked manager Liam Rosenior on Wednesday following a catastrophic run of form that has left the London club's Champions League hopes hanging by a thread while they also endured their worst goalscoring drought in over a century, Reuters reported.
Rosenior lasted less than four months in the role after his January appointment following Enzo Maresca's departure, becoming the latest casualty of Chelsea's turbulent season after seven defeats in their last eight matches across all competitions.
Rosenior's dismissal came a day after a humiliating 3-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion, which saw the south-coast club leapfrog Chelsea into sixth place in the table. Chelsea are now seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
Trump envoy asks Fifa to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup finals
An envoy to Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, The Guardian reported.
The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Man City go top and relegate Burnley with narrow Turf Moor win
Manchester City ended Arsenal's six-month stay on the Premier League summit and condemned Burnley to relegation with a labored 1-0 victory at Turf Moor on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Erling Haaland's clinical finish after five minutes could have ‌paved the way for a boost to City's goal difference but they lacked a cutting edge as Burnley dug deep.
Haaland hit the post and had other chances as City tried to give themselves a safety margin but Pep Guardiola's side had to make do with a surprisingly narrow victory.
Iran says Strait of Hormuz cannot be opened due to ceasefire breaches
Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the US said it is "not possible" for the Strait of Hormuz to be opened due to "the blatant violations of the ceasefire" by the US and Israel, BBC reported.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the "violations" include the US naval blockade of Iranian ports - which he said amounted to taking the global economy "hostage" - and "warmongering" by Israel "on all fronts".
Iran remains open to negotiations, said Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian, but he added, "breach of commitments, blockade and threats are main obstacles to genuine negotiations".
