Spalletti to leave Napoli and take sabbatical
Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has made his decision about his exit and he will take a sabbatical next season, according to Sky Italy.
The Italian - who has guided Napoli to their first title in 33 years - had already communicated his desire to leave during a meeting with president Aurelio de Laurentiis two weeks ago.
After Napoli’s win over Inter Milan on Sunday, Spalletti said he had already made his decision and that the club would soon make the news public.
Spalletti will now take a sabbatical as his Napoli contract - which is due to expire in 2024 - contains a clause saying he cannot coach another side next season if he exits the deal early.
Spurs' fine following bad-tempered Brighton win reduced on appeal
Tottenham's £100,000 fine following their bad-tempered win over Brighton last month has been reduced by 40 per cent on appeal.
Spurs were fined by the FA after the benches clashed during the Premier League match, with then-interim head coach Cristian Stellini and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi being sent off.
The north London side had been punished for "failing to ensure that its technical area occupants conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and do not behave in a way which is improper."
Everton owner Moshiri signs exclusivity agreement with US firm
American investment company MSP Sports Capital has signed an exclusivity agreement with Everton owner Farhad Moshiri as the club heads into a crucial weekend which sees a three-way battle to stay in the Premier League.
The New York-based company has been in discussions with Moshiri for months and is now in pole position to provide investment into the club.
Sky Sports News has been told the deal is "progressing well", however there is still work to be done before it is officially announced.
The Everton owner is adamant the main focus this week should be on Sean Dyche and his team preserving the club's Premier League status when they play Bournemouth on Sunday, with two out of three clubs - including Leeds and Leicester - still in with a possibility of being relegated.
The new investment would be welcomed by Everton fans who have called for changes at the top of the club for some time.
Mbappe puts PSG on brink of Ligue 1 title
Paris St Germain took a decisive step towards a record 11th Ligue 1 title as Kylian Mbappe struck twice in a 2-1 win at relegation-threatened Auxerre.
Mbappe's double in the opening eight minutes moved PSG onto 84 points with two games left, six ahead of second-placed RC Lens with a much better goal difference (+50 to +34).Christophe Galtier's side need to avoid defeat at Racing Strasbourg next Saturday to wrap up the title.
AJ Auxerre, who are in 16th place on 34 points, one point above the relegation zone, travel to Toulouse in the penultimate round of matches.
Champions Napoli beat lacklustre 10-man Inter 3-1
Goals from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Gianluca Gaetano earned champions Napoli a 3-1 home win against 10-man Inter Milan in Serie A.
Napoli have now beaten all 19 Serie A teams in a single season for the first time.The visitors' task became more difficult when Roberto Gagliardini was sent off after receiving a second booking four minutes before the interval for a late challenge on Anguissa.
Anguissa opened the scoring in the 67th minute when he received the ball unmarked inside the box, turned and volleyed into the far bottom corner of the net.Romelu Lukaku equalised with a precise tap-in from six yards out in the 82nd minute. However, Napoli captain Di Lorenzo expertly curled a superbly placed shot into the far top corner from outside the box three minutes later.
Gaetano then scored the third for the hosts four minutes into stoppage time as he faced Inter keeper Andre Onana in a one-on-one and finished calmly.
Haller double sends Dortmund closer to first league title in 11 years
Sebastien Haller scored twice as Borussia Dortmund beat 10-man Augsburg 3-0 on Sunday to take control of the Bundesliga title race going into next week's season finale.
Haller broke the deadlock in the 58th minute and tapped in his second goal of the afternoon six minutes before the end to seal the win that lifted them above Bayern Munich and into top spot.Julian Brandt completed the win with a stoppage-time goal.
The Ruhr valley club, whose last title win came in 2012 under then coach Juergen Klopp, are on 70 points, two ahead of Bayern.
The Bavarians suffered a shock 3-1 home loss to RB Leipzig on Saturday.
In a one-sided first half Dortmund had 16 shots on goal to Augsburg's one and also hit the post through Niklas Suele but could not score even when the hosts were left with 10 men following the dismissal of Felix Uduokhai in the 38th.
Emre Can also hit the woodwork after the restart but they finally broke the deadlock through Haller when he slotted in off the post.Augsburg instantly responded with a chance of their own but Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel did well to stop Irvin Cardona's shot from 10 metres.
Haller, who had missed much of the season after being diagnosed with testicular cancer last year, settled Dortmund's nerves with a tap-in and Brandt completed their win in stoppage time.
Dortmund host Mainz 05 on the last matchday while Bayern, who have won the last 10 league titles, travel to Cologne in their season finale.
Atletico breeze past Osasuna
Yannick Carrasco, Saul Niguez and Angel Correa allscored to give Atletico Madrid a 3-0 home win over Osasuna.
Carrasco opened the scoring right before the break after a fast build-up and Saul extended their lead in the 62nd minute, striking a loose ball into the net from inside the box.
Correa closed out the win with a tidy finish from a Rodrigo de Paul pass in the 82nd minute.
With Barcelona having already clinched the title, Atletico are second in LaLiga with 72 points, one ahead of Real Madrid in third who have a game in hand.
Rice set for last home Hammers game?
West Ham face Leeds on Sunday in what looks likely to be captain Declan Rice’s final home match before a summer move away.
“If he’s selected,” David Moyes said. “In truth I don’t want to get into the Declan question because we’re asked about it every week. He’s still a hugely important player to us and we really hope he will be a West Ham player.
“He’s a leader and he takes a lot on, but he’s still a young boy – and he’s a young player who’s already been in two European semi-finals and now he’s going to a final as captain of the team.”
Howe hails Wilson's blistering form
Callum Wilson is in the form of his life as his goals edge Newcastle ever closer to Champions League qualification.
That is the view of Magpies head coach Eddie Howe, who worked with the England striker during the pair's time together at Bournemouth before they were reunited at St James' Park.
Wilson is enjoying the Premier League goals return of his career with 18 to date, the last 11 coming since the beginning of April and eight of them in his six most recent appearances, the perfect response to record signing Alexander Isak's presence on Tyneside.
Asked if the 31-year-old's rich vein of form was his best yet, Howe said with a smile: "He'll probably tell me there's been a better spell somewhere down the line, I imagine.
"The season he was in the Championship with us, my first season with him at Bournemouth, I thought he was electric.
"But this is at the very highest level, this is against the best defenders in the world, the best teams in the world and he's performing at probably, I'd say, the best level I've ever seen him at."
Barca fans call for Messi during defeat to Real Sociedad
With the Spanish league trophy lifted on Saturday, Barcelona's fans quickly moved on to what they want next: The return of their all-time favorite player.
"Messi! Messi! Messi!" resounded at Camp Nou - in minute 10 for Lionel Messi's old No. 10 shirt - during Saturday's game against Real Sociedad that ended with a rare 2-1 win for the Basque visitor. Last week, Barcelona clinched their first major title since Messi had to leave due to the club's wretched financial situation two years ago and join Paris Saint-Germain. But with Messi set to leave Paris this summer, Barcelona's fans are hoping - perhaps naively considering the likely blockbuster offer he could be dangled from Saudi Arabia - that the superstar will want to come back to the club he joined when he was 13.
Messi has a commercial contract with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism. He made a recent trip to the energy-rich kingdom where his former LaLiga rival Cristiano Ronaldo is playing on a lucrative contract that media reports put at a world-record $200 million a year.
Alexander Sorloth led Sociedad to their first win at Barcelona in the league since 1991. The Norway striker stole possession from Jules Kounde and set up Mikel Merino for the fifth-minute opener. Sorloth added a second goal in the 71st. Robert Lewandowski headed in a cross from Ferran Torres in the 90th for the striker's league-leading 22nd goal.
Barcelona had conceded only two goals at home in the league before their first home loss of the league this season. The victory keeps Sociedad on pace to finish fourth and earn the final Champions League berth.
Giroud hits hat-trick as AC Milan bounce back
AC Milan rebounded from Champions League disappointment by beating already-relegated Sampdoria 5-1 in Serie A on Saturday to boost their bid to qualify for next season's competition.
Olivier Giroud netted his first Serie A hat-trick, Rafael Leao also scored, while Brahim Daz set up two goals before capping a fine performance with one of his own in the second half. Leao also set up Giroud's third and won a penalty. Milan moved to within one point of fourth-placed Lazio and two behind Inter Milan. Lazio visit Udinese on Sunday, shortly after Inter plays at Serie A champion Napoli. There are two more rounds remaining.
Atalanta kept alive its hopes of qualifying for Europe by rallying to beat relegation-threatened Hellas Verona 3-1. Atalanta were three points behind Milan. Verona remain level on points with 17th-placed Spezia.
Cremonese were all but mathematically relegated after they were humiliated at home by Bologna 5-1. That left them six points from safety.
A point for Spezia at fellow strugglers Lecce on Sunday would be enough to condemn Cremonese to Serie B, alongside bottom club Sampdoria. Riccardo Orsolini scored for Bologna and was sent off in the 73rd following a second yellow card.
Bundesliga: Leipzig beat Bayern to leave Dortmund on verge of title
Bayern Munich relinquished control of the Bundesliga title race as RB Leipzig came from behind to hand Borussia Dortmund the initiative.
Bayern simply needed to win their final two matches to clinch a record-extending 11th Bundesliga crown but a costly 3-1 defeat to Leipzig means Dortmund can assume pole position heading into the final day.
Serge Gnabry’s 25th-minute opener looked to sent Bayern on their way to victory, but Leipzig staged a remarkable second half fightback thanks to unanswered goals.
Konrad Laimer drew Leipzig level on 64 minutes before penalties from Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai saw Marco Rose’s side consolidate third place and leave Bayern’s title hopes hanging by a thread.
Challengers Borussia Dortmund can leapfrog Bayern into first place ahead of the final weekend if they beat Augsburg on Sunday, and know two more wins will seal a first Bundesliga title since 2012.
De Zerbi: We deserve European football
Roberto De Zerbi insists Brighton deserve to qualify for European football next season as a result of their efforts over the current campaign.
The Seagulls will head into Sunday's Premier League clash with relegated Southampton at the Amex Stadium knowing two wins from their final three games would secure a Europa League berth.
It would be a first qualification for continental football for the south coast outfit and De Zerbi wants his players to write themselves into the club's history.
Asked if he would regard this season as a success whatever happens over the next week or so, the Italian said: "Good question, but I prefer to answer you at the end of the season.
"I am really proud for this season, but we want to write our own history of our club for our fans, for ourselves.
"I think we deserve to qualify for the Europa League. We won against Chelsea two times, we won against Manchester United two times, we won at Arsenal's stadium, beat Liverpool and I think we are deserving to qualify for Europe.
"It is very difficult. The games are not one per week, they are very close, but we have to adapt, to react with motivation, with energy, with the head."
The Italian coach is in no doubt where achieving European football with Brighton's resources would rank."It can be one of the most important targets, not only for me but for the players," De Zerbi told a press conference.
"To qualify in the Europa League with Brighton is more important than winning the Premier League with a big, big team.
"I have told this also to my players who have the possibility to play in the big teams (in the future). For us, it is a historic target and we are living only for this."
De Zerbi confirmed Dutch defender Joel Veltman has recovered from a hamstring injury so could be involved on Sunday.
Lyon maintain European push
Lyon boosted their chances of securing a place in Europe next season by coming from behind to claim a 3-1 Ligue 1 win over Monaco, whose slim hopes of finishing in the Champions League spots have been dashed.
Within seconds of kick-off, Wissam Ben Yedder was upended in the area by Anthony Lopes, who was sent the wrong way from the resulting spot-kick by the Monaco forward at the Groupama Stadium.
But Lyon regrouped and had several chances to draw level before they did through Alexandre Lacazette seven minutes before half-time, with the former Arsenal striker finishing from Bradley Barcola's cutback.A diving header from Lacazette after the break was saved by Alexander Nubel but the Monaco goalkeeper could then only parry Rayan Cherki's strike, with Maxence Caqueret converting the 57th-minute rebound.
Cherki then got on the scoresheet himself 12 minutes from time after cutting in from the right and firing beyond Nubel to down Monaco, who are now unable to catch third-placed Marseille.
Lyon remain seventh but are just a point behind Lille in fifth, albeit having played a game more. Lille take on Marseille on Saturday.
Freiburg moved level on points with fourth-placed Union Berlin in the Bundesliga courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Wolfsburg in their final home game of the season.
Substitute Christian Gunter opened the scoring within moments of being brought on as a substitute in the 70th minute alongside Nils Petersen, who wrapped up victory with a quarter of an hour to go.
Nicolas Hofler was given his marching orders in the final few seconds but it did not affect a result which boosted Freiburg's hopes of claiming a Champions League spot next term.
Theo Bongonda's second-half brace lifted Cadiz four points clear of the LaLiga drop zone after a 2-0 win over Real Valladolid, who had Martin Hongla sent off and stay just a point above the bottom three.
Monza moved up to eighth in Serie A after hitting back from a goal down to win 2-1 at 10-man Sassuolo, with Matteo Pessina handing the visitors all three points in added-on time.
Fleetwood chairman found guilty of fraud
Fleetwood Town chairman Andy Pilley has been found guilty of found guilty of fraud charges in relation to allegations of mis-selling energy supplies.
The jury reached a unanimous verdict late this afternoon and Pilley has been remanded in custody to await sentence.
His Honour Judge Knowles KC has indicated that Pilley is likely to face a prison term.
An EFL Spokesperson said on Friday: "The EFL notes today’s guilty verdict by the court in respect of the case involving Fleetwood Town Chairman Andy Pilley.
"The League will now discuss the implications of the decision with officials at the Club in the context of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test.
"No further comment will be made at this time.
A statement from the League One club read: "Fleetwood Town Football Club acknowledges the verdict in the court case involving club Chairman, Andy Pilley.
"The Chairman would like to reassure supporters the club will continue to operate as normal. Today’s verdicts will not affect the running or future of Fleetwood Town Football Club.
"The club is already in talks with the EFL regarding the next steps and will be making no further comment at this time''.
