Aston Villa's VAR fury, Modric and Ancelotti exit Madrid, Napoli win Serie A, more

We're astir astatine the extremity of the 2024-25 European nine shot season, but this play inactive gave america immoderate unforgettable moments, large talking points and top-tier play to sermon Monday morning.

In the Premier League, the lone happening near to truly determine was who gets a Champions League spot for adjacent play ... and the mode successful which Aston Villa slipped retired of the apical 4 astatine Manchester United was rather thing to behold.

In Italy, Napoli clinched a 2nd Serie A rubric successful 3 seasons acknowledgment to manager Antonio Conte and league MVP Scott McTominay (yes, the feline Man United nary longer wanted), but celebrations are apt muted due to the fact that we're each wondering whether Conte sticks astir to tally it backmost adjacent season. In Spain, Real Madrid said hullo to Xabi Alonso and waved goodbye to some Carlo Ancelotti and longtime midfielder Luka Modric, some receiving praise for their contributions to the ace nine arsenic it begins an exciting, but far-from-guaranteed, caller era.

Elsewhere, Tottenham celebrated the Europa League with a dense final-day decision and much speculation astir manager Ange Postecoglou, positive we got a DFB-Pokal champion (Stuttgart) and a French Coup champ (Paris Saint-Germain) arsenic we physique to the last games of the season, Wednesday's UEFA Europa Conference League last (Chelsea vs. Real Betis) successful Wroclaw, Poland, and Saturday's UEFA Champions League last (PSG vs. Inter Milan) successful Munich. Here are immoderate musings and reactions to the astir memorable moments of the weekend.

One refereeing telephone costs you the Champions League: Aston Villa's choler implicit telephone vs. Man United

No, it doesn't really travel down to 1 call. I get that. A play is made up of hundreds of moments: immoderate spell your way, immoderate don't. They usually don't equilibrium out, but each one, flipped the different way, could person a monolithic impact, and emotionally, what happened to Aston Villa astatine Manchester United connected Sunday felt similar 1 of those season-deciding moments.

With 17 minutes to go, Villa were down to 10 men and deadlocked astatine Old Trafford against Manchester United. That's erstwhile United keeper Altay Bayindir, nether unit from Morgan Rogers, bobbled the shot and mislaid possession, earlier the Villa guardant slotted the shot home. Villa brag Unai Emery -- and astir watching -- thought they had scored, propelling them up to joint-fourth successful the table, astatine slightest momentarily. But no: Referee Thomas Bramall stopped play, believing (incorrectly) that Rogers had kicked the shot retired of Bayindir's hands; due to the fact that this happened moments earlier Rogers' changeable connected goal, the VAR could not reappraisal it.

Emery went chaotic connected the sidelines, and you tin spot why. Villa lodged a ceremonial complaint with the Premier League, arguing that Bramall, who is successful his 3rd play arsenic a top-flight referee, should not person been appointed to specified a "high stakes" match. They besides said helium had admitted his mistake and apologized.

I get Villa's anger. It's 1 happening erstwhile a referee misjudges thing (we each marque mistakes), but erstwhile helium whistles excessively soon, denying VAR the accidental to intervene, it's a method error, and that's not acceptable. But the full requires immoderate context.

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Nicol: Referee made a calamitous mistake successful disallowed Villa goal

Steve Nicol believes the referee has "messed up large time" successful disallowing Aston Villa's extremity successful their 2-0 decision to Man United, denying them Champions League qualification.

Manchester United ended up winning the crippled 2-0, with precocious goals from Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen. The happening is, adjacent with the disallowed goal, had Villa simply hung connected for the gully -- alternatively of conceding precocious against a squad with thing to play for -- they would beryllium successful the Champions League courtesy of Newcastle's location decision to Everton. Throw successful the information that they were precise mediocre passim -- astatine the clip of Rogers' non-goal, the xG number was 1.54 to 0.07 successful United's favour -- and it's just to accidental that had things taken a antithetic turn, it would person been down to Bayindir's demerit, alternatively than Villa's merit.

Oh, and that's earlier we get into the different bonehead determination of the game: Emi Martinez, a World Cup victor who should cognize better, needlessly taking retired Rasmus Hojlund and getting himself sent disconnected astatine the extremity of the archetypal half. Maybe they should record a ceremonial ailment astir him, too.

As for United, it was a amazingly bully show fixed they were coming disconnected the Europa League disappointment and had small astatine stake. Under-fire manager Ruben Amorim took the mic aft the crippled to apologize to the fans and accidental "good times were coming." I similar it erstwhile coaches are honorable and accountable, and Amorim has been thing but transparent from the start. That said, helium knows each excessively good that it's clip for words to marque mode for deeds. With nary European football, he'll person plentifulness of clip adjacent play to thatch his players his system. And his United aboriginal volition remainder connected that.

Could Antonio Conte truly permission Napoli aft 1 title-winning season?

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Will Antonio Conte permission Napoli aft winning Serie A?

Gab & Juls sermon Antonio Conte's aboriginal astatine Napoli aft winning Serie A.

It feels absurd to adjacent inquire the question, and it is absurd, if not for the information that it happened 2 years ago. Luciano Spalletti guided Napoli to the archetypal scudetto of the post-Diego Maradona era; the nine reminded him that, successful lieu of a caller deal, they'd simply beryllium exercising their enactment for an extension. So helium walked. Now they've won Serie A again, and portion Conte has different 2 years remaining, it's not wide astatine each that he's going to instrumentality around.

"Is Conte staying? You request to beryllium blessed wherever you are. ... If you're unhappy and you suffer, you request to determination on," Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said Saturday, 24 hours aft the 2-0 triumph against Cagliari that sealed the crown. "We person a large narration based connected respect and professionalism. ... We'll see."

Why would Conte perchance beryllium "unhappy"? Well, this is wherever the accustomed buzzwords travel out. He's a winner, he's ambitious, helium wants the benignant of concern and strengthening of the squad that De Laurentiis whitethorn oregon whitethorn not provide. It's a acquainted publication with Conte, and you tin spot his point.

Conte took implicit a squad that finished 10th the play before, and which replaced Victor Osimhen with Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (in January) with Noah Okafor (who would play conscionable 40 minutes of football). He mislaid large players to wounded down the agelong -- Stanislav Lobotka, Alessandro Buongiorno, David Neres -- and inactive won. He proved, for the umpteenth time, that helium makes players better. And not conscionable Scott McTominay (who deservedly won the league MVP), but Amir Rrahmani (who started each game), Mathías Olivera and Matteo Politano, too. It's lone tenable that Conte uses the leverage helium has to request the broadside reload and travel backmost stronger not conscionable to support the title, but to vie successful Europe arsenic well.

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Marcotti: Conte reinvented McTominay, Napoli en way to Serie A title

Gab Marcotti and Craig Burley respond to Napoli's 2nd Serie A rubric successful 3 seasons nether Antonio Conte.

You tin besides spot De Laurentiis' point. Conte knew Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia were leaving erstwhile helium took the job, conscionable arsenic helium knew that Napoli person a comparatively choky budget. Winning the rubric is simply a tremendous achievement, sure, but 7 of his champion XI were determination erstwhile they past won it 2 years ago. And of course, with nary European football, helium had each week agelong to hole for each match. Would it beryllium bully to put heavy successful the squad and get a batch stronger? Of course, but he's moving a concern and has books to balance.

There was plentifulness of speculation astir Conte returning to Juventus implicit the weekend, and it's astir apt not a coincidence. This is wherever leverage matters. Conte has his ever-more-burnished instant interaction reputation. De Laurentiis has the 2 years remaining connected his declaration and the cognition that whoever wants Conte volition person to pony up immoderate important compensation.

If you're a Napoli fan, you privation this resolved rapidly truthful you tin get backmost to celebrating, possibly with the realization that portion Conte deserves a ton of credit, cipher is irreplaceable. The feline who led Napoli to the rubric 2 years agone is surviving proof.

It's not to beryllium taken for granted that Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric got a fitting Bernabeu farewell

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Moreno: Fans astir the satellite admit Luka Modrić

Ale Moreno heaps praise connected Luka Modrić, who played his last lucifer for Real Madrid aft 13 years astatine the club.

I accidental it's not thing to instrumentality for granted, due to the fact that others earlier them did not bask the aforesaid goodbye, from Miguel Munoz to Zinedine Zidane. So it was bully to spot the Real Madrid faithful get their accidental to spot disconnected Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric successful the mode they deserve.

In Ancelotti's case, it was 11 years to the time since helium delivered "La Decima" -- the club's long-awaited 10th European Cup. In Modric's case, it was 13 seasons and 591 games aft helium archetypal joined Real. It's weird to deliberation helium fundamentally had a full different vocation earlier arriving astatine the nine connected the eve of his 27th birthday.

Ancelotti welled up, not for the archetypal time, astatine the ovation, portion Modric work the well-worn, but inactive heart-tugging quote: "Don't outcry due to the fact that it's implicit ... grin due to the fact that it happened." He attributed it to Gabriel Garcia Marquez; others property it to Dr Seuss. According to these guys, they're some incorrect and it was a German writer named Ludwig Jacobowski. Whoever it was, their publication to aphorisms is successful the aforesaid ballpark arsenic Modric and Ancelotti.

Some measurement greatness by trophies won, and successful that department, fewer tin interaction them. Maybe it's much apt to bash truthful by however they conducted themselves, ever with religion successful quality quality implicit systems. Ancelotti didn't commencement his coaching vocation that way: helium became the "man-manager" who placed endowment up of systems. Modric's method and creativity were sometimes augmented by systems and tactics, but ne'er a enslaved to them, and possibly that's the takeaway.

A caller epoch is opening with Xabi Alonso. Based connected his assemblage of enactment frankincense far, it's much astir the squad than the individual, much astir repetition than intuition, much astir enactment than improvisation. Maybe it's what Madrid need, but it's going to beryllium a dense assistance fixed the mode this nine has been tally for the past decade.

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Rafa Benítez offers words of proposal to Xabi Alonso up of Madrid move

Former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager Rafa Benítez gives his thoughts connected Xabi Alonso's imminent determination to Real Madrid.

Quick hits

10. Paris Saint-Germain devastate Reims successful French Cup final: It's not singular successful immoderate mode signifier oregon signifier that they won, completing a treble (that they anticipation volition go a treble connected May 31) against a Stade Reims broadside embroiled successful a relegation playoff (they drew the archetypal limb against Metz, the instrumentality is connected Wednesday). What is singular is precisely however they did it, with 3 first-half goals (which could person been doubly that) successful a devastating archetypal fractional against an hostile that sat heavy successful the hopes of clogging abstraction (like immoderate deliberation Inter volition bash successful Munich). Luis Enrique couldn't person asked for thing more, particularly from Bradley Barcola (who bagged 2 goals, taking his play full to 21) and Désiré Doué, who delivered 2 assists and showed moments of unplayability. The lone wrinkle is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who missed the crippled with a migraine; but erstwhile they're similar this, they're scary adjacent without him.

9. Inter's B squad get it done astatine Como, but the cardinal portion was avoiding injuries: The bully happening astir rotating arsenic overmuch arsenic Simone Inzaghi does is that erstwhile the 2nd drawstring comes in, they're comfy and cognize what to do. That was the lawsuit astatine Como connected Friday night. Inter didn't power their destiny (Napoli's triumph would marque their crippled irrelevant) but they achieved their 2 goals: they won the crippled conscionable successful lawsuit thing screwy happened successful Naples (it didn't), and they avoided wounded to their regulars (at astir you'll spot 4 of Friday's starters against PSG), portion giving the likes of Lautaro Martínez, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolò Barella and Marcus Thuram each accidental to beryllium astatine their champion successful Munich. Mission accomplished.

8. Third-tier Arminia Bielefeld suffer German Cup final, but it's inactive a fairytale (only for Stuttgart): Yes, Bielefeld winning it would person been a communicative for the ages, and to beryllium fair, it mightiness person been a antithetic communicative if Noah Joel Sarenren-Bazee hadn't missed the parent of each sitters successful the 12th minute. But Stuttgart dominated from there, going 3-0 up by halftime en way to a 4-2 win. Make nary mistake: This is inactive a fairytale (though not of Bielefeld proportions). This is simply a Stuttgart squad that finished ninth this play and was mostly rebuilt aft losing cardinal players the twelvemonth before. Plus, the past clip a non-heavyweight won the DFB-Pokal was a decennary ago. Fools volition look astatine Sebastian Hoeness and spot him slipping from 2nd to ninth. Those who instrumentality a person look volition reason that this play is astir arsenic overmuch of an accomplishment arsenic past year.

7: It's weirdly fitting that João Félix steals the amusement successful the astir irrelevant of games: Many Milan fans wanted the play to already beryllium over. Facing a relegated squad with thing to play for and thing to observe (and not adjacent your manager to boo, since Sérgio Conceição was suspended) is astir arsenic overmuch of a buzzkill arsenic you tin anticipation for. So possibly it's apt that Joao Felix -- who was booed for overmuch of the crippled -- should crook things astir for the Rossoneri, hitting the crossbar and scoring a gem of a escaped kick. It won't beryllium capable to support him successful Milan, and he'll spell backmost to being Chelsea's conundrum successful the summer. Milan person capable issues to resoluteness without him, starting with the caller manager and caller sporting manager (though Igli Tare, apparently, is adjacent to joining from Lazio). There's a batch of endowment and younker here; what they request isn't truthful overmuch caller signings (though there's that too), but chiefly idiosyncratic to marque the pieces acceptable together.

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Will Ange Postecoglou inactive beryllium sacked contempt Europa League win?

Gab & Juls sermon Ange Postecoglou's aboriginal aft Tottenham finished the Premier League play with 22 defeats.

6. Memo to Ange Postecoglou that you don't support your occupation based connected a trophy: Well, not if you privation to tally a superior club, anyway. Imagine a Europa League last wherever Luke Shaw and André Onana don't marque a hash of things and Micky Van de Ven doesn't marque that goal-line clearance. Easy to do, right? Would it mean Spurs are abruptly worse? Of people not. The full contented of Tottenham retaining Postecoglou based connected the Europa League triumph is flawed from the start. Yes, it's precise important to triumph your archetypal trophy successful 17 years, but that's done. You support (or change) your manager based connected however you deliberation helium tin marque Tottenham execute adjacent twelvemonth and the twelvemonth aft that. This twelvemonth tin connection a clue, for amended (Europa League winners) oregon worse (22 defeats, including Sunday's 4-1 humiliation against Brighton). But it's nary much than a information point. I fishy Daniel Levy views things the aforesaid way, which means Postecoglou whitethorn good beryllium gone this summer.

5. Like their season, it was acold from easy, but Juventus deed their Champions League goal: Manager Igor Tudor came successful to salvage Juventus' play (read: get them backmost into the Champions League) and helium did conscionable that, acknowledgment to their 3-2 triumph astatine Venezia. He did it by keeping things simple: playing the champion players, avoiding experiments and flights of fancy and grinding retired results. He besides instilled a toughness and a combat that often wasn't determination nether Thiago Motta, and it made each the difference, fixed the mode they went a extremity down astatine Venezia aft conscionable 2 minutes and then, having taken the lead, got pegged backmost to 2-2. Manuel Locatelli's punishment won it for them, but lone aft Michele Di Gregorio's prevention kept them successful it. Nothing came casual to them, conscionable similar thing came casual this season. You expect Tudor to spell -- particularly fixed that helium said aft the game, "whoever coaches the squad successful the Club World Cup should beryllium coaching them adjacent season" -- and who they crook to adjacent volition beryllium a immense call. Expect the accustomed interior debates betwixt conservatives and progressives. The bully quality is the Champions League gross volition springiness them immoderate breathing room.

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Why Marcotti thinks Barcelona's rubric is their astir awesome since Pep's first

Gab Marcotti explains wherefore Barcelona beating Real Madrid to the LaLiga rubric is their astir awesome accomplishment successful implicit a decade.

4. Robert Lewandowski worked retired nicely for Barcelona aft all: When Barcelona signed Lewandowski successful the summertime of 2022, I perfectly hated the deal. Spending €45 cardinal connected a soon-to-be 34-year-old connected monster wages made small consciousness for a nine mired successful reddish ink and with president Joan Laporta having to propulsion fiscal levers near and close conscionable to enactment afloat. Three years on, I inactive deliberation it made small consciousness astatine the time, but I person to admit it worked out. With 2 goals connected Sunday successful Barca's 3-0 triumph astatine Athletic Bilbao, Lewandowski deed 101 successful 147 games successful each competitions. More importantly, helium helped present 2 LaLiga titles and a Spanish Cup successful 3 seasons, portion helping Barcelona instrumentality to their pomp connected the transportation with this year's heavy Champions League run. Now, betwixt wages and transportation fee, Lewandowski outgo them astir €150 million. Could they person spent that wealth better? Maybe, but arsenic it turned out, I deliberation astir would accidental it was worthy it.

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Where would Florian Wirtz acceptable successful astatine Liverpool?

Gab & Juls respond to Liverpool's links with Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz.

3. A gully successful the Community Shield preview betwixt Liverpool and Crystal Palace: Sunday's 1-1 crippled itself turned retired to beryllium astir arsenic applicable arsenic the Community Shield these 2 clubs volition beryllium playing successful August (other than Ryan Gravenberch's reddish card), but it was bully to spot Trent Alexander-Arnold get emotion from the bulk of the Anfield crowd. Like I said before, I person nary occupation with fans choosing to boo him if they consciousness helium fto them down. That's their right. But I'd similar to think, considering what helium has contributed to this club, that the immense bulk volition ever admit what helium has fixed them.

2: Man City publication their Champions League spot, and present it's a waiting game: As successful "a waiting crippled for the verdict on the 115 charges." You know, the verdict we were each told was "imminent" backmost successful January. (Pep Guardiola thought that too, by the way, which suggests everyone is successful the acheronian here.) Sunday's 2-0 triumph astatine Fulham secures 3rd place, and if you're determined to spot the solid arsenic half-full, you mightiness adjacent reason that finishing 3rd 3 points down Arsenal makes it a little than disastrous season. But that's a stretch. City look from their play of illness with a big of doubts and unknowns -- it's not conscionable the 115 charges, either. It's a playing squad that abruptly doesn't look qualitatively caput and shoulders implicit everybody else. (Take retired Erling Haaland, Rodri, Éderson connected a bully time and Josko Gvardiol; however galore top-10 players by presumption bash they really have?) They request to proceed their rebuild, and having the Champions League gross coming successful volition marque it overmuch much viable. But assurance is astatine its lowest ebb since the commencement of the Guardiola Era. And that's earlier you get into the charges.

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Why Chelsea 'deserve a batch of credit' for UCL qualification

Steve Nicol talks astir Chelsea's Premier League play aft finishing 4th to unafraid their spot successful the Champions League.

1: I'm OK with Enzo Maresca's rant arsenic agelong arsenic it was the adrenaline talking: Chelsea's 1-0 triumph successful Sunday's head-to-head with Nottingham Forest was nervy and choky and, frankly, immense for the club. They needed the triumph to beryllium definite of Champions League football, and they needed Champions League shot to relieve the unit of Financial Sustainability rules and fortify the squad further. Maybe that's wherefore Maresca said what helium said postgame: "I didn't person immoderate astir the players, the uncertainty was from extracurricular ... they were saying we are excessively young, we are not bully enough. Unfortunately for them, they person each been wrong. So successful English, however bash you accidental it? F--- disconnected to each of them, due to the fact that the players merit that. The effort they person been doing is fantastic." I'm OK with him letting escaped fixed the occasion, but it was Maresca himself who pointed retired however young his squad was. And what helium didn't constituent retired -- due to the fact that let's look it, he's a nine worker -- is that helium went into the play without a viable reserve halfway forward, oregon with a clump of defenders who support getting hurt, oregon with a winger who got written off/shipped retired connected indebtedness aft six months, oregon with different winger who tested affirmative for the show enhancer meldonium. Nobody is doubting the effort of his players. Champions League shot was the minimum goal, and the Europa Conference League, if they triumph it, is simply a bully bonus. Maresca did what helium was expected to do, but let's not unreal his occupation was straight-forward -- fto unsocial casual -- fixed the mode his squad was enactment together.