Sport
Ancelotti Says Copa del Rey Defeat to Barcelona Hurt Him
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he was left hurt after his side’s painful loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday night.
Ancelotti watched his team battle hard but fall short as Barcelona edged a 3-2 win to lift the trophy. Goals from Pedri, Ferran Torres, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Kylian Mbappé saw the match locked at 2-2 after full-time, before Jules Kounde grabbed the winner for Hansi Flick’s side in extra time. After the match, Ancelotti said it was tough to accept because Real Madrid had fought till the end.
“We dominated the second half and gave everything. I can’t fault the players, they did their best,” he said. “I’m hurt because we were so close to winning.” He added that the team would now turn their full focus to La Liga, where they are currently second, trailing Barcelona by four points.
Sport
Thierry Henry Criticises Taking Dressing Room Issues to the Press
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Sport
PSG Luis Enrique Shares Hope for the 2026 Ballon d’Or
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
Sport
Walid Acherchour Backs Lamine Yamal to Win 2026 Ballon d’Or
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
