Max Sports brings you the latest sports news, reviews, statistics, videos, documentaries and more from across the 🌎
Thursday, 1 January 2026
CHELSEA HAVE NEVER HAD A PERMANENT MANAGER LAST 1,000 DAYS SINCE MOURINHO'S FIRST SPELL
Thursday, 18 September 2025
Saturday, 24 May 2025
ANTONIO CONTE UNDER PRESSURE JUST MINUTES AFTER SECURING SERIE A TITLE WITH NAPOLI AS PRESIDENT SENDS BOSS WARNING AMID WILD STREET CELEBRATIONS
![]() |
| Antonio Conte has become the first man to win the Italian title with three different teams |
- Napoli win Scudetto for the fourth time after pipping Inter Milan on the final day
- Antonio wins Serie A Coach of the Year but that doesn't impress his president!
Antonio Conte had barely time to bask in winning the Serie A title with Napoli before he was put in his place by club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
The former Chelsea and Tottenham manager became the first man to win the Italian title with three different teams as his side saw off Cagliari 2-0 with goals from Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku on the final day.
The result sees Napoli top Serie A by a point after second-place Inter Milan matched their result at Como.
![]() |
| Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is already thinking ahead to next season's targets |
Napoli's fourth ever title — and their second in three years — prompted wild celebrations on the streets of the southern Italian city as smoke bombs, fireworks, and passionate chants filled the air.
The achievement saw Conte crowned as Serie A Coach of the Year but that did not spare him from being immediately put under pressure by his boss who is already starting to think about next season.
Napoli did not play in Europe this season, a consequence of last year's miserable title defence which saw them finish 10th.
Le scene dei festeggiamenti per la vittoria del campionato del Napoli, stanno facendo il giro del mondo, per la gioia dei milioni di tifosi emigrati. #NapoliCagliari#Napoli #Scudetto #CampioneDItalia #SerieA pic.twitter.com/UMwNKR0WZU
— Marco Ferraglioni (@MFerraglioni) May 23, 2025
And De Laurentiis is hungry for the Neapolitans to get their hands on a first European trophy since the Diego Maradona-inspired UEFA Cup triumph in 1989.
![]() |
| Scott McTominay puts up four fingers to mark the number of titles won by the Neapolitans |
'Never say never,' the 75-year-old told DAZN when asked if Conte was staying.
'Coaches have their own character that must be respected and in my view you should never oblige them under iron-clad contracts. Napoli is Napoli, it deserves respect. If he wants to put himself at the disposal of the club the way he has done this season, then we say welcome, we are ready to follow him like a great leader.
'Next year, I would be very pleased if he made his mark in the Champions League, which since they modified the format has become even more important.'
![]() |
| Napoli supporters party late into the night on the streets of the southern Italian city |
Although that may seem a rather churlish way to speak about your league-winning manager to the backdrop of raucous Neapolitan celebration, De Laurentiis did temper those comments with some warm words about Conte.
'It was not easy, but when I met Conte in the Maldives and many years ago we went swimming together, I was struck by his mentality,' De Laurentiis said.
'I approached him in November 2023 and asked him to come straight away, but very professionally, he said he didn’t build that team, so it was best to wait until June so then we could do something really special together.'
McTominay sent Napoli toward their title triumph on Friday night by scoring a brilliant opening goal. The Scot signed from Man United last summer for £25million and has been a revelation in southern Italy, winning the Serie A Player of the Year award.
Back in Manchester, United boss Ruben Amorim was no doubt looking on with interest just 48 hours after his side were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham in the Europa League final. Across the city, Kevin de Bruyne may also have taken note.
![]() |
| It's quite the turnaround after the Partenopei finished 10th during last season's title defence |
The Belgian legend will leave Man City this summer when his contract expires after a decade at the Etihad Stadium in which he has scored 108 goals and won 19 trophies, including the Champions League.
Napoli has been touted as a possible location for the 33-year-old but when De Laurentiis was asked if a move was on the cards, he was more circumspect with his words.
'Let us not ask indiscreet questions,' he said.
'We are working to create an even stronger and more competitive squad. We have wonderful players right now and will add more of the highest level.'
- MailOnline Sport
Thursday, 20 February 2025
Saturday, 14 December 2024
ANGE PISTECOGLOU: TOTTENHAM BOSS BACKS HIMSELF TO SOLVE FORM
LONDON -- Under-pressure Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has said his team's lacklustre form means he is "in a fight" but the Australian backed himself to get the club out of their slump, adding he loves being in "the middle of a storm."
Postecoglou's future as Spurs boss has been called into question following a run of results that has seen the north London club record just one win in their last eight games.
Their struggles have caused a portion of fans to lose faith in Postecoglou's project and some of them were involved in a heated confrontation with the manager following Spurs' defeat at Bournemouth last week.
Spurs have won four away Premier League matches in 2024 and travel to face Southampton on Sunday in desperate need of a convincing victory over the division's bottom-placed club.
St. Mary's was the scene of former Spurs boss Antonio Conte's famous post-match rant in which he branded his players as "selfish" and accused them of not wanting to play under pressure after they let a two-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 with Southampton in March 2023.
Asked on Thursday if he would ever make similar comments about his own team in the way that Conte did, Postecoglou told a news conference: "Look, I don't think it's fair to comment. Antonio, like I said, is a world-class manager and has his own way of doing things, his own reasons for doing that.
"I am here, I am in for the fight. I am in a fight, for sure. For better or worse I am not going anywhere at the moment because everything is still in my power and my responsibility. I still have a real desire to get us through this stage so that people see what is on the other side. My resolve and determination hasn't wavered one little bit.
"I love a fight, I love a scrape, I love being in the middle of a storm when everyone doubts because I know what it is on the other side if you get through it. My job is to get through it."
Postecoglou's patience with some of the performance levels shown by some of the senior players within his injury-depleted squad has seemingly worn thin, with the 59-year-old saying Timo Werner's display in Thursday's 1-1 draw with Rangers "wasn't acceptable."
Earlier on Thursday, Postecoglou said he had no time for worrying about his players' "bruised egos" when he provides them with direct feedback on their performances and reiterated they need to make meaningful contributions on the pitch.
Asked whether those issues tie into the wider problems of Spurs' recent, trophy-less, past, Postecoglou said: "I'm sick of that. That's an excuse for me and that's why even with Cristian Romero's comments [about the Tottenham hierarchy], I just think that's an excuse.
"At the moment I'm here, I take responsibility. These players, we're here. If we think some mythical thing exists in this club that prevents success then change it. What's the point otherwise? Don't come here. I just don't buy into that.
"At the moment we're in a difficult situation because of kind of where we are squad-wise and team-wise. You either embrace this challenge. If you want excuses there are a million of them. There are a million excuses as to why we can't be successful but if that's what your crutch is, particularly in tough moments, then what's the point? Just move on then and go somewhere else."
Postecoglou confirmed that first-choice centre backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will miss Sunday's trip to face Southampton as the severity of their respective muscular injuries continue to be assessed. However, fellow defender Ben Davies could return for the game at St. Mary's.
- Tom Chambers
Monday, 11 November 2024
Monday, 7 October 2024
SIR ALEX FERGUSON, ARSNE WENGER & THE 25 BEST PREMIER LEAGUE MAMAGERS OF 21ST CENTURY SO FAR - RANKED
As we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, GOAL runs through the best coaches to have graced the division in the last 25 years.
To date, the 21st century has been transformative for the Premier League; the most popular division in the world, England's top flight has grown exponentially to become a commercial behemoth - powered by incredibly lucrative TV rights deals, unprecedented investment and big-money transfers that have ensured it is home to some of the best payers in the world.
And the best players need the best managers. Some of the all-time greats have graced the Premier League since the turn of the millennium, from Jose Mourinho, to Carlo Ancelotti, to Pep Guardiola.
So as we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, GOAL looks back on the greatest tactical minds to have managed in the Premier League since the year 2000. Here they are, ranked...
25. Sean Dyche
There is a sense that Sean Dyche will be the modern-day manager clubs turn to when they are in crisis, given he is seen as an expert at getting results with limited resources at his disposal.
After getting Burnley promoted, Dyche remarkably kept the Clarets in the Premier League for six long seasons as they rarely flirted with relegation and even secured European qualification with a seventh-placed finish in 2017-18. Now fighting fires at Everton, he avoided the drop in consecutive seasons despite a precarious financial situation and two points deductions.
24. Steve Bruce
Among the 10 managers to have taken charge of the most Premier League games, Steve Bruce has had a storied managerial career at the highest level of English football and takes his place on this list through sheer longevity and commitment.
Former Manchester United defender Bruce has overseen a whopping 476 matches across spells with Newcastle (84 games), Hull City (76), Sunderland (89), Wigan Athletic (62) and Birmingham City (165). He has had varying degrees of success, but you can't understate his love for the trade.
23. Martin O'Neill
After reviving Leicester City and guiding them to an eighth-placed finish in 2000, Martin O'Neill returned to English football in 2006 after a successful spell with Celtic as he took charge of Aston Villa.
The charismatic Northern Irishman turned the Villans into consistent top-six challengers, helping the club to qualify for the UEFA Cup and just falling short of reaching the Champions League. Getting the best out of players like Gareth Barry and Gabriel Agbonlahor, O'Neill's 1.55 points-per-game record in the Premier League with Villa is second only to current boss Unai Emery.
![]() |
| Getty |
22. Eddie Howe
Long regarded as one of the best up-and-coming English managers, Eddie Howe made his name at Bournemouth - whom he kept in the Premier League for five years on a shoestring budget after securing a first-ever top-flight promotion in 2015, including a remarkable ninth-placed finish in 2017.
Howe has, of course, since joined Newcastle, whose fortunes he has completely changed alongside their new, incredibly wealthy Saudi owners. In the space of less than two seasons, the 46-year-old took the Magpies from battling relegation to the promised land of the Champions League, and there is the sense that they are here to stay as top-six challengers.
21. Sam Allardyce
Although his style of play has never been popular, Sam Allardyce has become renowned as an expert Premier League firefighter, swerving relegation after being brought in at struggling Blackburn, Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
It wasn't always that way, however; 'Big Sam' enjoyed his first foray into the top flight with Bolton Wanderers and guided them into Europe courtesy of a club-record, sixth-place finish in 2004-05, snaring a UEFA Cup place with a team full of 'streets won't forget' names like Jay-Jay Okocha, Ivan Campo and Stelios Giannakopoulos. His highest recent finish came at Everton in 2018, with whom he claimed eighth place.
![]() |
| Getty |
20. Unai Emery
Emery had unfinished work in the Premier League after his ill-fated spell with Arsenal, but boy has he set about completing it. Succeeding Arsene Wenger was never going to be an easy task, but the Spaniard will feel he deserved more time after being sacked a little over a year into his tenure in November 2019.
Returning to English shores with Aston Villa in 2022, Emery has demonstrated what he is all about - propelling the Villans from relegation-threatened to European qualification in the season he took over and securing a historic top-four place in 2023-24 as Villa returned to the Champions League for the first time in 42 years. Impressive transfers and a distinctive, high-octane style of play mean the club is only looking upwards.
20. Unai Emery
Emery had unfinished work in the Premier League after his ill-fated spell with Arsenal, but boy has he set about completing it. Succeeding Arsene Wenger was never going to be an easy task, but the Spaniard will feel he deserved more time after being sacked a little over a year into his tenure in November 2019.
Returning to English shores with Aston Villa in 2022, Emery has demonstrated what he is all about - propelling the Villans from relegation-threatened to European qualification in the season he took over and securing a historic top-four place in 2023-24 as Villa returned to the Champions League for the first time in 42 years. Impressive transfers and a distinctive, high-octane style of play mean the club is only looking upwards.
![]() |
| Getty |
19. Sir Bobby Robson
The late, great, Sir Bobby Robson only managed in the Premier League for four years of the 21st century at Newcastle, but that was all he required to earn the freedom of the city. He thrust the club from the lower reaches of the Premier League to consistent top-five finishes, securing Champions League football two years in a row and taking them as high as third in 2002-03.
One of the greatest football managers of all time, Sir Bobby will always be remembered particularly fondly on Tyneside for those heady years in the early 2000s, reflected in the fact he was granted the Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in March 2005. He has been immortalised with a statue outside St James' Park.
![]() |
| Getty |
18. Brendan Rodgers
Probably a consequence of what followed, it feels like an absolute age since Brendan Rodgers was the man in the Liverpool dugout - but he arguably laid the groundwork for their future success. After cutting his teeth at Chelsea and catching the eye with his attacking brand of play at Swansea, he came agonisingly close to ending Liverpool's wait for a Premier League title in 2013-14 with a team comprising a prime Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Steven Gerrard.
Although they fell (or slipped) two points short, this was one of the most entertaining sides in Premier League history. Rodgers would go on to enjoy success with Leicester, winning the FA Cup and twice qualifying for the Europa League via fifth-placed finishes in 2020 and 2021.
![]() |
| AFP |
17. Harry Redknapp
Among the top-five managers to have taken charge of the most Premier League games with a total of 641, Harry Redknapp has certainly been around the block. Since the turn of the century, though, his greatest achievements have come at Portsmouth and Tottenham.
After initially steering the former away from the threat of relegation in 2005 and establishing them in the top flight, Redknapp was appointed at Spurs in 2008 after winning the FA Cup with Pompey. He then guided a middling side into the Champions League in less than two seasons at the helm with a scintillating style of play, overseeing a thrilling run to the quarter-finals as Gareth Bale starred.
![]() |
| Getty |
16. Roy Hodgson
The oldest manager to ever work in the Premier League, Roy Hodgson was actually something of a late bloomer in the English top-flight, enjoying a nomadic career before taking charge at Fulham in 2007 aged 60. Hodgson miraculously kept the Cottagers up after a tough start before incredibly securing Europa League football in his second season as he earned the club's highest-ever finish.
After reaching the final of the European competition, Hodgson would have an ill-fated spell at Liverpool, before turning relegation-threatened West Brom's fortunes around and being appointed by England (we all know how that went...). Hodgson is a hero at boyhood club Crystal Palace, too - keeping the club in the Premier League twice across two spells in south London and equalling the Eagles' record points total in 2018-19.
![]() |
| Getty |
15. Gerard Houllier
The late Gerard Houllier had a huge impact on Liverpool, instilling discipline and helping to revitalise and modernise the club in the early 2000s as he delivered tangible, incremental improvement in the league standings. He would make academy graduates Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen important members of his first-team setup and signed others who would become keys parts of the club's longer-term success.
Despite battling a heart condition, Houllier guided Liverpool to what was their highest-ever Premier League finish at the time in 2001-02, as the Reds came second behind Arsenal, while he had plenty of success in the cup competitions.
![]() |
| Getty |
14. David Moyes
David Moyes' Premier League career has been a rollercoaster, but he didn't let his ill-fated spell at Manchester United define him. He turned Everton into a consistent top-eight side over the course of his 11 years at Goodison Park despite a restrictive budget, even securing a fourth-placed finish in 2004-05 as he made shrewd signings like Tim Cahill and Steven Pienaar and set a long-term vision.
Although his tenures at United and Sunderland were unsuccessful, Moyes has rebuilt his reputation across two spells with West Ham - first keeping them in the Premier League in 2017-18 before returning to repeat the trick in 2019-20 and securing the Hammers' record points tally the following season. They would become European contenders and Conference League winners, and at the time of writing, the Scot is third in the list of those to have managed the most Premier League games with 697.
![]() |
| Getty |
13. Mikel Arteta
A man with the potential to climb this list as time goes by, Mikel Arteta has turned Arsenal into genuine, consistent title contenders for the first time in a very long time - now it is just a matter of landing that elusive first title.
The Gunners have had to be patient, but over the last five years Arteta has overseen incremental improvement - climbing from eighth place to second - and built a young squad capable of challenging, playing a distinctive, high-intensity brand of football, and now they look like the side most likely to loosen Man City's vice-like grip on the trophy.
![]() |
| Getty |
12. Mauricio Pochettino
One of the Premier League's nearly men, newly-appointed United States boss Mauricio Pochettino will always be a firm favourite at Tottenham, whose fortunes changed significantly after his arrival - although they would fall short of winning a trophy. He was named Spurs manager having guided Southampton to eighth place and their highest-ever points tally in 2013-14, in what was just his second job in management.
11. Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez was the man Liverpool chose to build on the groundwork laid by Houllier, and he delivered - especially in Europe, where the Reds famously won the Champions League in 2005.
Liverpool would become a thorn in the side of the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal under the Spaniard without landing a league title themselves, consistently finishing in the top four before mounting a title challenge in 2008-09 with Gerrard and Fernando Torres at their peaks. They would ultimately finish four points behind United.
Benitez would go on to have mixed spells elsewhere at Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton, entering the top 10 for games managed in the Premier League.
![]() |
| Getty |
10. Claudio Ranieri
The Premier League's ultimate comeback king. Claudio Ranieri was unceremoniously sacked by new Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2004 despite leading the Blues to a second-placed finish, signing Frank Lampard and nurturing John Terry.
The Italian would not return to England until 2015 as he was appointed at Leicester, with his reputation at its nadir following a terrible spell as Greece's national team boss. Charged predominantly with keeping the Foxes in the top flight, he would pull off what was nothing short of a miracle as Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Co. fired the club to a simply incredible league title, ultimately finishing the campaign 10 points clear of Arsenal. Dilly ding, dilly dong.
![]() |
| Getty |
9. Manuel Pellegrini
Manuel Pellegrini remains the only non-European winner of the Premier League as his well-oiled Man City machine saw off the stiff competition of Rodgers' Liverpool in 2013-14, thanks in no small part to that slip from Gerrard.
Known for their mesmerising, geometric patterns of play, City were certainly easy on the eye under Pellegrini's stewardship, scoring more than 100 league goals in record time on the way to claiming that title. Having been replaced by Pep Guardiola in 2016, the Chilean returned to English shores with West Ham two years later, but he was unable to deliver similar success and was sacked with the club in the relegation zone.
![]() |
| Getty |
8. Antonio Conte
A manager who wins things (almost) wherever he goes, Antonio Conte will always be a popular figure in one part of London, at least. After a dire start to the 2016-17 campaign as Chelsea's new manager, the Italian switched up his tactics by reverting to a back three - a setup that would be widely copied in subsequent years - and would reap the rewards.
Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses shone as wing-backs, while they had the guile of Eden Hazard, the vision of Cesc Fabregas and the goals of Diego Costa in central areas. It proved to be the perfect formula as the Blues recovered from their early-season blip to win the league at something of a canter, eventually finishing seven points clear of second-placed Tottenham and setting a new Premier League record for the most wins in a single season with 30.
Having been dismissed by Chelsea after a disappointing second season, Conte would, of course, return to the English top flight when he took charge of Spurs in 2021, and although he guided them back into the Champions League, things would soon turn sour.
7. Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini will always be remembered as the manager who oversaw arguably the greatest moment in Manchester City history, as Sergio Aguero's last-gasp winner against QPR secured the title in the final seconds of the 2011-12 campaign. Up until that point, his City tenure had been a slow burn, with the newly-moneyed Citizens finishing fifth and then third in his first two seasons at the helm.
That all changed in 2012, as he set City on course for this period of unprecedented success by claiming their first-ever Premier League title in the most dramatic fashion. It was a moment that secured Mancini's legacy forever.
![]() |
| Getty |
6. Carlo Ancelotti
You can't help but wonder what might have been had Chelsea held on to Carlo Ancelotti... The legendary Italian tactician led a rampant Blues side to the title in 2009-10 in his debut campaign, as the west Londoners became the first Premier League team to score more than 100 goals in a season (103) with Didier Drogba and Lampard at the peak of their powers.
After finishing second in an inconsistent second season, Ancelotti fell foul of Abramovich's ruthless streak and was dismissed. When his time at Chelsea ended, he had a record of 67 wins, 20 draws and 22 losses in 109 matches, with a win percentage among the highest in Premier League history.
![]() |
| Getty |
5. Jurgen Klopp
The man who has restored Liverpool to the very top of the English and European game, Jurgen Klopp was the perfect fit when the club turned to him in 2015. It was a gradual process, but Klopp's Reds eventually emerged as the main challengers to Man City's dominance as a modern rivalry was born between the two clubs and their managers in the late 2010s.
With his high-tempo, Gegenpressing tactics, Klopp would eventually end Liverpool's agonising 30-year wait for a top-flight title in the Covid-affected 2019-20 season, with captain Jordan Henderson hoisting the trophy aloft at a near-empty Anfield.
That would prove to be Klopp's only league title before he shockingly stepped down in 2024, but his deep understanding of the club and connection with the fans, as well as his multiple triumphs in the cup competitions, mean he will go down as one of Liverpool's greatest-ever managers.![]() |
| Getty |
![]() |
| Getty |
![]() |
| Getty |
![]() |
| Getty |










.jpg.webp)


.webp)


.webp)





.webp)




.webp)






.png.webp)


