MAJOR SPONSOR QUITS: TOTTENHAM FACE MULTI-MILLION POUND HIT AS KEY PARTNER WALKS AWAY
Football news: Tottenham sponsor cancels deal. Get the full report on the financial hit and the club's leadership vacuum.
Vincenzo Italiano couldn’t say enough good things about Santiago Castro after Bologna’s 1-0 win away at Brann in the Europa League play-off. “Tonight, I saw a really mature performance,” he said.
Bologna couldn’t have asked for a better start in Bergen’s icy weather. Castro caught everyone off guard with a sharp, angled shot that slipped past the keeper just nine minutes in.
They had chances to add more; Orsolini and Dallinga both forced good saves. On the other end, Skorupski had to pull off a tricky double stop when Brann finally threatened.
For Italiano, this felt like a turning point. “We had to adapt; there was no way around it. We knew it’d be tough, so we checked the pitch last night, even in the dark,” he told Sky Sport Italia. When they arrived from Italy on Wednesday, the floodlights weren’t even on for their media duties.
“We couldn’t do much more than that. No sense risking injuries. We got the win, but it’s just a one-goal advantage.”
He’s already looking ahead to the return leg at the Dall’Ara. Hopefully, we do better at home. Honestly, every time we play there lately, it feels like we’re cursed.”
That away win gives Bologna a solid edge heading into Thursday’s second leg.
Things weren’t looking great for them at the start of 2026. Just two wins in fourteen matches – it was rough. Now, after beating Torino 2-1 away in Serie A and tonight’s win, they finally have some momentum.
“These two wins gave us a boost. It’s tough keeping your spirits up when you’re losing all the time and playing every three days. It chips away at the confidence you’ve built up,” Italiano said.
“Tonight, the team played with real maturity. I hope this becomes our standard. Start with the right attitude, and stay focused. We’re not giving up as many chances now, and that’s the difference. We have to keep that up.”
Castro’s on fire too; he’s scored in three straight games and made a point of celebrating with his coach tonight.
“Santi brings something special. He’s hungry. You see it at every training session, every minute he’s on the pitch. He’s even talking football on the bus,” Italiano said.
“It’s a joy to work with young players who are this hungry and willing to help the team. I’m thrilled he’s scoring consistently now.
“He’s so mature for his age. As a centre-forward, he sacrifices a lot for the team off the ball. I always tell him that hard work pays off. Just keep at it.”
Back in November, when these teams faced off in the group stage, it finished 0-0. Bologna had more chances, even with ten men for over an hour. That draw stung; they barely missed out on direct qualification for the Europa League Round of 16.
“We played a tough match against Torino last week because we couldn’t afford another slip-up,” Italiano said.
“These guys showed focus, grit, and a willingness to sacrifice. That's all I want from now until the end of the season. We’ve paid dearly for mistakes and slipped in the Serie A standings, but we can turn things around, especially at home.”
SUNDERLAND CONDEMNS "VILE" RACIST ABUSE AIMED AT BRIAN BROBBEY AFTER SPURS WIN
Brian Brobbey targeted online! Sunderland and the Premier League unite against "vile" discrimination after Spurs win.
Sunderland called out the racist abuse aimed at Brian Brobbey on social media and made it clear they stand fully behind him.
Brobbey was targeted online right after Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. On Monday, the club released a statement: “Sunderland condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist abuse directed at Brian Brobbey on social media following Sunday’s fixture against Tottenham. We stand firmly with Brian and offer him our full and unwavering support.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Sunderland players have had to deal with this kind of abuse this season. After February’s match against Fulham, Romaine Mundle received hateful messages online, and last month the Tyne-Wear derby had to be paused when someone in the crowd reportedly aimed abuse at Lutsharel Geertruida.
The club’s statement continued: “This isn’t an isolated event. The recent abuse aimed at Romaine Mundle and Lutsharel Geertruida shows just how often and how unacceptably this keeps happening, both at matches and on the internet. We’ve reported this latest incident to the Premier League, the social media platforms, and the police, and we expect them to act quickly against the people responsible. Racism is vile, and it doesn’t belong in football or anywhere else. We’ll keep calling it out, clearly and without hesitation, every time it happens. Football should be safe and welcoming for everyone, no exceptions.”
The Premier League is backing Brobbey as well. In a post on their X account, they said they’re “disgusted by the ongoing discrimination” players keep facing online. “We stand alongside Sunderland in strongly condemning the online racist abuse Brian Brobbey has received and have offered our full support to him and the club. We are disgusted by the ongoing discrimination players are facing on social media and are committed to working with clubs, authorities, law enforcement, and social media companies to address this issue, as well as supporting investigations to bring those responsible to justice.
Anyone found guilty of discrimination will face the toughest possible punishments: jail time, football bans, and even a criminal record.”
DAVID MOYES REVEALS "NERVES" AS EVERTON HUNT HISTORIC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION SPOT
David Moyes admits Everton's Champions League hunt is nerve-wracking. See the latest on the Toffees' battle for Europe.
David Moyes admits the idea of Everton making the Champions League this soon in their rebuild actually makes him “shake a wee bit.”
You look at the club now, and it's hard to believe where they were just 14 months ago. When Moyes returned, Everton looked beaten down from years of fighting to stay up. Suddenly, with only seven games left, they’re sitting eighth. That spot could mean Europa Conference League football, but after their win against Chelsea before the break, they’re now just three points off fourth. It’s wild to even talk about the Champions League, but it’s right there in reach.
Reporters put the question to him how does it feel to be this close? With Europe’s spots possibly extending down to fifth (or maybe even further, depending on how other English clubs do), Moyes wasn’t hiding his nerves: “It’s probably the best shot we’ve had in a long time. But when I hear ‘Champions League’? Makes me shake a wee bit, honestly. I’ve been lucky to manage in Europe’s other competitions lately, and if we do make it, I’m sure we’d be able to hold our own at certain stages. Still, the Champions League is just on another level.”
Everton’s next match at Brentford looks huge for their European dreams. Brentford beat them earlier in the season, and right now, both teams are level, separated only by goal difference.
Moyes is clearly enjoying this chapter. “Listen, Europe’s Europe. If someone had said at the start, ‘You’re going to get European football,’ we’d have snapped their hand off. It could be the tiddlywinks European cup, and we’d be up for it. Evertonians want the club back in those conversations. We’re getting attention for the new stadium, we’ve got a couple of England internationals getting noticed more, it’s a good time. If we do sneak into the Champions League, it’d be an unbelievable achievement. But honestly, no matter which competition we make, it’s still a big step forward for us.”
