Angel Di Maria, Louis van Gaal, Manchester United
26 May 2026

Angel Di Maria said his Manchester United spell collapsed because of his relationship with Louis van Gaal. The winger claimed repeated criticism, positional changes and off-field stress made him hate life at Old Trafford before his Paris Saint-Germain move.

Di Maria said he started well after joining from Real Madrid, but constant negative meetings wore him down. A burglary at his home added pressure on his family, while Van Gaal said the signing was a club decision.

Darrell Clarke, Tranmere Rovers, Bristol Rovers
26 May 2026

Tranmere Rovers appointed Darrell Clarke as manager on a two-year deal after narrowly avoiding relegation to the National League. Clarke becomes their new permanent boss following spells under Andy Crosby and Pete Wild last season.

Clarke arrives with nearly 700 games of management experience and previous League Two promotions with Bristol Rovers and Port Vale. He faces a major summer rebuild at Prenton Park after 12 players left the club.

Evangelos Marinakis, Nottingham Forest, Olympiacos, Grigoris Dimitriadis
25 May 2026

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was reportedly involved in a physical altercation at a EuroLeague basketball match in Greece. Reports said his shirt was ripped during a clash with Grigoris Dimitriadis in the VIP area.

The incident happened during Olympiacos’ match against Monaco, with security forced to intervene as tensions escalated. Marinakis owns both Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos, making the confrontation a notable off-field embarrassment around a Premier League club figure.

Bruno Fernandes, Roy Keane, Manchester United
25 May 2026

Bruno Fernandes hit back at Roy Keane after the former Manchester United captain accused him of lying. The exchange added another sharp media layer to Fernandes’ season after he won major individual recognition and helped United return to Europe.

Fernandes defended himself after Keane questioned his comments and leadership, continuing a public back-and-forth around Manchester United’s captaincy. The dispute comes after United returned to the Champions League under Michael Carrick and rebuilt momentum late in the season.

Phil Neville, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes
25 May 2026

Portland Timbers parted company with Phil Neville by mutual consent after a poor start to the MLS season. His final match was a 3-1 defeat by San Jose Earthquakes, leaving Portland near the bottom of the Western Conference.

Neville admitted results had fallen short of club expectations after previously taking the Timbers into the play-offs. Portland will use the World Cup break to search for a replacement before MLS action resumes in July.

Sergio Conceicao, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr
25 May 2026

Sergio Conceicao is reportedly set to leave Al-Ittihad by mutual consent after losing the Saudi Pro League title race to Al-Nassr. The former Porto coach still had one year left on his deal, but talks now point to an exit.

Al-Ittihad expected Conceicao to restore control and consistency, but the title challenge faded during the decisive stretch. Reports say both sides agreed to separate, with an official announcement expected soon as the club prepares a reset.

AC Milan, Massimiliano Allegri, RedBird Capital
25 May 2026

AC Milan sacked Massimiliano Allegri after missing Champions League qualification for the second straight season. The club also removed chief executive Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare and technical director Geoffrey Moncada in a wider leadership clear-out.

Milan dropped from third to fifth after a final-day defeat by Cagliari, which RedBird called an unequivocal failure. The owners said the collapse demanded change, triggering a full reorganisation of football operations before next season.

Craig McLeish, St Mirren, Partick Thistle
25 May 2026

Craig McLeish wants to stay as St Mirren manager after guiding the club to Scottish Premiership survival. Marcus Fraser’s goal sealed a 2-1 aggregate play-off win over Partick Thistle after a turbulent league campaign.

McLeish was promoted from the youth setup after Stephen Robinson left for Aberdeen and inherited a side sliding toward relegation. He admitted talks will follow, while senior players said a full pre-season could help him.