Browsing: crisis

East Bengal players in a huddle. (Twitter | @eastbengal_fc) New Delhi: Three of India’s top football clubs have halted operations amid the uncertainty over the future of the sport in the country. Kerala Blasters, Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Odisha FC have all suspended operations of their first teams. For the four teams that remain in the AIFF Super Cup, it is going to be business as usual – for now.East Bengal, Punjab FC, FC Goa and Mumbai City FC will play their AIFF Super Cup semi-finals on December 4 and 5 with the final on December 7. All matches will be played at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa.Sources within Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC have confirmed to TimesofIndia.com that the players have been given an extended break since their last encounter. Mumbai City FC last played on November 6 against Kerala Blasters and Punjab FC’s last fixture came against Bengaluru FC on November 5.A Punjab FC insider revealed the players are due to report back for training on November 14. Mumbai City FC, meanwhile, confirmed that it is “business as usual for now.”FC Goa players and staff are also due to return on November 14, a club official confirmed. Before the AIFF Super Cup semi-final, they will take on Iraq’s Al Zawraa SC in the AFC Champions League Two on November 26. So, they will focus on the continental tournament “independent of what is happening in Indian football.”Beyond the three teams that have stopped operations, Chennaiyin FC have told their players they’re unsure of when the training will resume; NorthEast United have given players an extended break and Odisha FC are yet to get their pre-season underway.The period of uncertainty has been brought on since AIFF’s tender to sell the commercial rights of the Indian Super League (ISL) found no bidders. The deadline to bid for the rights came once (November 5) and then again but eventually saw no interest by 5 pm on November 7.On Sunday, the bid evaluation committee comprising AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, former SC Justice L. Nageswara Rao and Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Kesvaran Murugasu met and stated their response will be submitted in the Supreme Court as part of the process.The unprecedent situation has been brought on with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and AIFF not extending their agreement that ends on December 8. When the football federation put the tender publicly, four bidders showed initial interest, before pulling out as request for proposal (RFP) wasn’t considered to be “commercially viable.”

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Meanwhile, with the season in serious threat and their livelihoods on the line, the players came together as one.“To put it simply,†said the players in a statement that was later shared on social media, “we want to play, and now.â€â€œThis is a plea to all those involved in running our sport in the country, to do whatever it takes to get the football season underway,†the statement read. “India needs its competitive football now more than ever. As for us, we remain committed, professional and ready to walk out of that tunnel and onto the pitch the moment we’re told we can. All we ask of those running our beautiful game, to match our desperation with honest intent. We’ve found ourselves in a very dark tunnel for long. We could do with a little light.â€The statement was shared by some of Indian football’s biggest names – Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Lallianzuala Chhangte. The foreign players, too, followed suit.

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The betting crisis in US sports has spread further after Cleveland Guardians players Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted over an alleged scheme to rig pitches during games.

Bettors on baseball can gamble on whether individual pitches will be balls or strikes. Prosecutors allege claim that Ortiz was paid $5,000 for throwing an intentional ball during a game on 15 June. His teammate Clase, a three-time All-Star, is alleged to have been given $5,000 for facilitating the rigged pitch, alongside gamblers in the players†home country of the Dominican Republic. Prosecutors claim the pair did so again in a game on 27 June, receiving $7,000 each.

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Related: The NBA jumped into bed with gambling. Now the league is getting its due

ESPNâ€s Jeff Passan reported that Ortiz was arrested in Boston on Sunday, while Clase has not yet been taken into custody.

“MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process. We are aware of the indictment and todayâ€s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,†Major League Baseball said in a statement on Sunday.

The pair face up to 65 years in prison if found guilty of the allegations, which include charges of fraud, conspiracy and bribery.

Ortiz earned $782,600 in salary last season while Clase, one of the leagueâ€s best closers, was paid $4.5m. They have been on paid leave since July while MLB investigated unusual betting activity during games in which they pitched.

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“We are aware of the recent law enforcement action, We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue,†the Guardians said in a statement.

The news comes after Chauncey Billups, a Hall of Fame NBA player, was arrested in connection with a poker operation linked to the mafia, while Miami Heat star Terry Rozier was accused of taking part in a scheme to manipulate games.

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VANCOUVER — No matter how hollow the Vancouver Canucks†lineup becomes due to injuries, Thatcher Demko looks capable of keeping the team competitive if he stays healthy and sharp. And for the first time in two years, the goalie feels he is both.

“I didn’t play one single good game last year,†Demko told Sportsnet last week. “I would say I’m back to kind of where I was two years ago.â€

Two seasons ago, before Demko tore the popliteus muscle in his knee in the first game of the 2024 playoffs, the American won 35 of 51 starts, five by shutout, while posting a career-best save rate of .918. Demko finished second in Vezina Trophy balloting and was named to the National Hockey Leagueâ€s Second All-Star Team.

Through seven games this season, Demkoâ€s save percentage is .926. The analytics site Natural Stat Trick has him leading the NHL with 7.2 goals saved above average at five-on-five, and MoneyPuck ranks him first with 9.5 goals saved above expected.

After the Canucks†2-0 home loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday, when leading scorer Conor Garland became the eighth player out with injury in the first 11 games, Demko is 4-3-0 in his seven starts. In his three losses, Vancouver has scored twice.

After a season undermined by his own injuries, Demko is playing at a dizzying level. And as the team limps out on the road for another three-game trip that starts Thursday against the St. Louis Blues, the 29-year-old goalie from San Diego gives the Canucks their best hope of surviving the current injury crisis.

After the confounding popliteus injury and two others limited Demko to just 23 starts last season, he has returned to elite form sooner than anyone should have expected.

“I mean, that’s a tricky question, I guess,†he said. “With that (level of performance), kind of comes my expectation of what to expect on a nightly basis. Obviously, I’ve had to grow as a performer over the last two years, just given my circumstance. Iâ€m just kind of continuing to learn how to be able to get on the ice and do what I can do every night.â€

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Undermined by injuries for much of his career, Demko said before training camp that he had changed his off-season training to make it more preventive. While he was out last season, the Canucks re-signed Kevin Lankinen to a five-year, US$22.5-million contract to lessen Demkoâ€s workload and provide insurance against any future injuries to their starter.

Lankinen, however, has struggled to find his A-game through four starts this month. And although none of his three losses can be pinned on the goalie, Lankinen would concede that an .873 save percentage isnâ€t good enough.

Demko is expected to get at least two starts on this road trip, but with off-days between Saturdayâ€s game in Minnesota and Mondayâ€s in Nashville, itâ€s possible he could play all three. The Canucks plan to practise in St. Paul on Friday, which would be their first practice in nine days.

The Canucks have lost four of five games and their special teams, especially with personnel changes forced by injuries, need work.

“We looked at it hard, obviously, when the schedule came out, and we reviewed it more than once,†coach Adam Foote said of the sparse practice schedule. “There’s going to be pockets where this is going to happen. Would we like this to happen in a perfect world in six weeks? Yeah, but it’s right out of the gate, and some teams are dealing with that right now as well. Youâ€re aware of it when we have an Olympic year, so you just move forward and you don’t try to think about it and just prepare.â€

Burning for Olympic torch

One subplot worth following with Demko is how quickly he is playing his way back into Olympic consideration after USA Hockey largely forgot about him after his injury 18 months ago.Â

Two years ago, Demko would have been almost an automatic choice for one of Team USAâ€s three goaltending spots. But after last season, he wasnâ€t invited to his countryâ€s Olympic orientation camp in August. The four goalies who attended were Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Joey Daccord and Jeremy Swayman.

“I think that’s one of those things that is so far out of my control,†Demko said of the Olympics. “I mean, yeah, it’s a pretty thing — kind of like that shiny object out in the distance. But I’m focused on winning, I’m focused on playing at the level I can play at. I think the chips will fall where they fall. I can put my head on the pillow and sleep at night knowing that I’ve been the hardest-working guy to get kind of back to where I am. Getting wins for this group is my priority. That’s where my head’s at.â€

The Canucks used Wednesday as a travel day. But as of post-game Tuesday, none of their injured players was expected to accompany the team to St. Louis. There is hope, however, that one or two may rejoin the team before the end of the trip.

Centre Teddy Blueger and star defenceman Quinn Hughes appear to be the closest to returning.

The teamâ€s only transactions on Wednesday were the recall of minor-league winger MacKenzie MacEachern to provide some size and physicality at the bottom of the lineup, while centre Nils Aman went the other way to the American League. The last of MacEachernâ€s 123 NHL games were played for the Blues two seasons ago.

While there is a lot of conjecture about the Canucks†interest in Boston Bruins centre Pavel Zacha, the acquisition costs probably arenâ€t getting any less prohibitive as injuries (and losses) accumulate in Vancouver. While we canâ€t say what specifics have been discussed, other teams have been consistent in asking Canucks GM Patrik Allvin for one of the organizationâ€s top defence prospects, Tom Willander or Elias Pettersson (Junior).

Given those players†age and upside, as well as uncertainty about what the Canucks†defence may look like if Hughes doesnâ€t re-sign after this season, it is understandable that Allvin has been unwilling to pay that kind of ransom for a middle-six centre. Which is partly why the team bought an inexpensive lottery ticket on Lukas Reichel, the speedy 23-year-old who cost them only a fourth-round pick to acquire from the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.

With Blueger close to returning, the Canucks†four centres, for now, are the original Elias Pettersson, Reichel, Aatu Raty and Max Sasson.

Vancouver is a dog city, filled with people who have dogs, love dogs and would react just as Brock Boeser did last week when the longest-serving Canuck, heartbroken, missed two games to say goodbye to his beloved dog, Coolie.

Boeser had adopted Coolie at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, when Boeser was a 20-year-old rookie with the Canucks.

When Boeser was alone in Vancouver, he had Coolie. During his dadâ€s years-long fight against cancer and dementia and Parkinsonâ€s Disease, Brock had Coolie. In the dark spell that followed Duke Boeserâ€s death, when Brock at one point asked the Canucks for a trade and was unsure where his career was going, he had Coolie.

So when Boeser got a phone call during the last Canucks road trip, telling him that Coolie not only was suffering with cancer but the disease had spread throughout the dogâ€s body, the 28-year-old flew home to say goodbye to the friend who had helped him through everything.

And if you think thatâ€s still not a good enough reason to miss a couple of hockey games in October, we hope that one day you will know what itâ€s like to love something unconditionally and have that love returned.

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  Beth LindopOct 28, 2025, 07:25 AM ET

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  Based in Liverpool, Beth Lindop is ESPN’s Liverpool correspondent and also covers the WSL and UWCL.

For Arne Slot, this was a career first. As the Liverpool boss stood on the touchline at Brentford on Saturday night, he was serenaded with chants of: “You’re getting sacked in the morning” from the home supporters as they watched their team romp to a 3-2 victory over the Premier League champions.

It was Liverpool’s fourth successive league defeat — following losses to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United — and, as Slot admitted in his post-match news conference, one of the worst of his tenure.

“Disappointing, again,” the Dutchman said when asked to assess his emotions after the game. “I was also hoping and expecting a better performance, because the performance was far from what we are used to.

“Even if we are losing, our performances have been better than tonight.”

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He was not wrong. While Liverpool’s previous three defeats left much to be desired in terms of performance levels, they were all won by late goals after the Reds had created more than enough chances to come away with at least a point.

Against Brentford, however, there were few redeeming qualities. Even when Mohamed Salah ended his barren run in front of goal with a spectacular strike to make it 3-2 in the 89th minute, it didn’t seem like there was genuine belief, either on the pitch or in the stands, that Liverpool would pull off another late rescue act.

What started as a blip has now descended into a full-blown crisis and for arguably the first time in his managerial career, Slot finds himself under the microscope, with the external pressure only likely to increase if he cannot quickly find the antidote to his team’s worrying malaise.

Premier League’s evolution a stumbling block for Slot

Before arriving at Liverpool, Slot had never lost three consecutive games as a head coach, and he’d never suffered consecutive domestic defeats.

It was that ability to instill a winning culture at previous clubs SC Cambuur, AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord — combined with his tactical acumen and composed persona — that convinced the Anfield hierarchy of his suitability to replace the departing Jürgen Klopp.

It very quickly proved to be a shrewd appointment; Slot lost just two of the first 34 league games he managed before Liverpool wrapped up the title with a month to spare in his debut season.

Having been armed with an unprecedented £450 million to spend in the summer transfer market, there was a widely-held expectation that Liverpool — and by extension, Slot — would only get better. However, despite winning their opening seven games, the Reds have rarely played with the assuredness and authority of champions this term, with their recent torrid run leaving them seven points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool have now lost four games so far this season in the Premier League, the same amount they have lost all of last season when they won the title. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

Of course, the blame for such poor form does not lie solely at Slot’s door. Except for midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and summer signing Hugo Ekitike, all of Liverpool’s players have been guilty of dipping below their usual level this season.

Still, it is always the manager who must face the music when the going gets tough, and even Slot himself would surely admit he has struggled to get his players dancing to the same tune in recent weeks.

“I have said many times already, teams have a certain playing style against us,” Slot said on Saturday when quizzed on the reasons behind Liverpool’s slump.

“It is a very good strategy to play, and we haven’t found an answer yet.”

While the Dutchman’s honesty and tactical insight were held up as a positive when Liverpool were perpetually winning last season, there is an argument that drawing attention to your team’s specific failings is a less astute approach when on a losing run. On several occasions this term — including after the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United — Slot has highlighted the directness of the opposition, noting how more teams are beginning to lean on set pieces and long balls as a means of inflicting misery on his side.

According to Opta, Liverpool have faced a league-high 571 long balls this season, almost 50 more than the next most-targeted team (Bournemouth) and 100 more than leaders Arsenal. It is proving a productive tactic and, for Slot, one he has so far been unable to find a solution to.

From an attacking perspective, Liverpool’s lack of set piece prowess is a problem, particularly considering most of their opponents sit deep so as not to surrender too many chances from open play. By comparison, Arsenal have scored 11 set piece goals in the league this season — Liverpool have only scored two — and are adept at using corners and free kicks to unpick stubborn defenses.

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How can Arne Slot fix Liverpool’s Premier League form?

Gabriele Marcotti and Stewart Robson discuss how Arne Slot can turn around Liverpool’s bad form after another defeat in the Premier League.

It increasingly feels like the Premier League’s evolution towards a more physical and pragmatic style does not suit Liverpool’s players — including £100m Germany international Florian Wirtz, who is yet to score or assist in the league — nor does it align with Slot’s philosophy.

“He was always a fan of offensive football,” Henk Ten Cate, who managed Slot as a player at NAC Breda, told ESPN earlier this year. “He was an offensive midfield player with a good vision of the game, and this is what you see in his managerial career: He is always busy with the details. Arne was always thinking about the game.”

Slot’s preference for fluid, front-footed play was also highlighted by AZ technical director Max Huiberts, who told ESPN the Dutchman had a “very specific vision of how a team should play attractive, attacking football.”

While there is nothing wrong with having a preferred style of play, living and dying by a tactical blueprint as a manager can often lead to trouble. Ange Postecoglou, for example, was sacked by Nottingham Forest earlier this month after struggling to implement his high-octane style of play at the City Ground, while United boss Ruben Amorim has repeatedly been criticized for his reluctance to stray from his preferred three-at-the-back formation.

The best coaches can adapt and evolve in the face of change, and some tactical innovation may be required if Slot is going to lift Liverpool out of its current rut.

Klopp comparisons linger as new signings struggle

Against Brentford, only four players were deployed in the same position they occupied in Liverpool’s title-clinching game against Tottenham Hotspur in April. It was a reminder that, in essence, Slot is now operating with a brand-new team.

It was only a few short months ago that the Reds’ bold summer recruitment drive was being hailed as an admirable show of ambition, destined to set Slot and his players on a procession toward another title. But after such a drastic change in personnel, Liverpool now look like a team in transition, with Slot struggling to get the best out of big-money signings like Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Milos Kerkez.

Last season, consistency was key to the team’s success, evidenced by the fact that Slot was able to name the same starting XI more times in a single campaign (seven) than his predecessor Klopp managed in his 491 games in charge (five). This term, it seems as though Slot is uncertain of his best team, with his in-game changes — one of his biggest strengths last season — often compounding the sense of chaos his teams are trying to navigate.

“If you change quite a lot in the summer, then I think it’s not a surprise that it can go a bit like this,” Slot said after the Brentford game. “But I didn’t expect it to go with four losses in a row, let that be clear. That it is always a bit of a bumpy road if you change, that is not so surprising.”

Integrating new faces would perhaps not be so difficult if Liverpool’s existing stars continued to shine. At present, though, Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk — both instrumental in the Reds’ success last season — look like shadows of their former selves, while the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Ibrahima Konaté and Conor Bradley have also struggled for form.

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of Liverpool’s drop-off, however, is the fact that the squad as a whole are repeatedly being outfought and outmuscled on the pitch.

Liverpool’s £100 million signing Florian Wirtz has yet to score or assist in the Premier League this season. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Speaking to ESPN back in April, former Feyenoord midfielder Jens Toornstra recalled how Slot would regularly show his players videos of Europe’s top teams in a bid to highlight what is required to compete at the highest level.

“He focused on the hard work it takes to play dominant football,” Toornstra said. “It was all about intensity, sprinting back, and mentality.”

In recent weeks, that intensity and mentality have been sorely lacking from Liverpool’s play, a fact that has frustrated some fans who grew accustomed to Klopp’s unrelenting, “heavy metal” style of play during his nine years at the club. While social media should never be viewed as an accurate barometer of fan sentiment, there are growing numbers of online supporters clamoring for Klopp to make a sensational return if Liverpool’s form does not improve.

That the former Reds boss did not totally dismiss the notion of one day returning to Anfield during an interview on Stephen Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast last week has seemingly added fuel to that particular fire.

Last season, Slot’s more understated style led to comparisons with Bob Paisley, who quite brilliantly succeeded legendary manager Bill Shankly in the 1970s. Now, though, it seems that there are some subsections of the fanbase that require more than just the one league title to convince them of Slot’s long-term aptitude for the job.

Slot must show he can bounce back

Of course, hindsight is a funny thing. While Klopp will always be revered as one of the greatest managers in Liverpool’s history, it is also worth remembering that the last time Liverpool lost four league games in a row came in his tenure, back in the 2020-21 season.

Admittedly, that dismal run came when Klopp had only a decimated defense at his disposal, though Liverpool did endure a tough spell in the middle of the 2022-23 season, winning just seven and losing nine of 20 games in all competitions. They also lost won just two games in seven when battling to win both the Premier League and Europa League in Klopp’s final season in charge.

Even the best managers go through tough spells; Pep Guardiola oversaw a run of nine defeats in 12 games at Manchester City last term. What separates the good coaches from the great ones is the ability to bounce back from adversity and forge a path to new success.

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Among most of a Liverpool persuasion, there is an acceptance that Slot has credit in the bank from last season’s title win. There is also an acknowledgement of the fact that the 47-year-old is currently having to galvanize a squad rocked by the tragic passing of a beloved teammate, Diogo Jota, less than four months ago.

Still, Slot will know better than anyone that the results have not been good enough. He will also be aware that the easiest way to win over his critics is by returning his team to winning ways.

Over the coming weeks, Liverpool face a difficult run of fixtures, which includes Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, and Manchester City in the Premier League. It is, undoubtedly, the toughest test of Slot’s managerial career.

Now, it is up to him to show he can rise to the challenge.

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One of pro wrestlingâ€s most infamous icons, Abdullah The Butcher, has been hospitalized at the age of 84, according to his longtime booking agent Steve Stasiak.

Known as “The Madman from Sudan,†Abdullah built a reputation as one of the most feared brawlers in the world. But now, heâ€s reportedly battling severe health issues. Stasiak took to social media to alert fansabout the situation and ask for support.

“Wrestling legend Abdullah The Butcher has been hospitalized at 84. The Wild Man from the Sudan is battling serious health issues. One of wrestlingâ€s most feared figures, Abdullah helped shape the sport from Japan to Puerto Rico to Georgia and beyond. Send your prayers, love, and strength his way tonight.â€

Abdullah The Butcher was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, cementing his legacy as a global force in pro wrestling. His violent, no-rules style left a mark across territories including Canada, Texas, Puerto Rico, Japan, and even a short stint in WCW during the early 1990s.

But Abdullahâ€s story took a controversial turn in the 2010s. Independent wrestler Devon Nicholson accused him of infecting him with Hepatitis C after an unsanctioned blade job during a 2007 match in Canada. Nicholson took the matter to court and won a multi-million dollar judgment in 2014. The judgment was later upheld in Georgia, where Abdullah was residing at the time.

Despite the controversy surrounding his later years, Abdullah remains one of wrestlingâ€s most recognizable names—a figure known for wild brawls, brutal matches, and his undeniable influence on hardcore wrestling.

Our thoughts are with Abdullah The Butcher as he fights through this serious health scare. We wish him strength and recovery in this difficult time.

Do you think Abdullahâ€s legacy should be defined by his in-ring career or his controversial legal battles? Let us know in the comments below.

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Liverpool striker Alexander Isak was the story of the summer as he managed to force through a move from Newcastle United on deadline day.

With the move involving the Swede effectively going on strike ahead of the new campaign before getting his Anfield switch, he understandably has few fans left in the north east.

Those aggrieved Magpies may, therefore, take an element of pleasure in Isak’s most recent setback.

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Alexander Isak bemoans “embarrassing” Sweden outing

Sweden were defeated by Kosovo in their most recent outing (Image credit: Getty Images)

Isak is joined by Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres in a star-studded Sweden attack, but that was not enough to overcome the tiny state of Kosovo, ranked 91st in the world by FIFA, in their most recent World Cup qualifier.

Manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, who has since been sacked, piled the blame on his attackers, who he said “forgot how to score goals”, but Isak had a slightly different take after the game.

Sweden’s World Cup qualification now hangs in the balance (Image credit: Getty Images)

As quoted by Fotbollskanalen, Isak said: “It’s awful. Embarrassing. Disappointing, yet again. Everything is too bad. We’re playing too badly. The way we’re playing doesn’t work.

“We’re doing it too badly individually too. It’s a combination of everything. It’s sad that we’re in this situation. It’s a bit of a crisis situation. That’s clear.”

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The 1-0 loss leaves them at the bottom of Group B with just a single point to their name. Switzerland and Kosovo has raced into the lead with 10 and seven points respectively, leaving Sweden’s World Cup hopes in the balance.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do. But it’s all too bad,” Isak admitted. “There has been a negative development since the World Cup qualifiers started, there hasn’t been any progress. It’s bitter.”

Sweden should certainly be doing better, in FourFourTwo’s opinion, that much is clear.

Isak still awaits his first Premier League goal with Liverpool; the Reds will hope his difficult experience with Sweden has fired him up (Image credit: Getty Images)

With Isak and Gyokeres at your disposal, along with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall, Aston Villa’s Victor Lindelof, and well-respected Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, there should be enough quality to beat the likes of Kosovo.

Isak is still hunting down his first Premier League goal for Liverpool, and the Reds may have hoped he’d return from international duty in a better mood than he appears to be in.

Isak is valued at €120m, according to Transfermarkt.Liverpool next face Manchester United when Premier League action returns this weekend.

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As the full-time whistle blew, the strength of feeling was clear for all to hear.

While players and coaching staff mourned Cardiff City’s relegation to League One at the end of last season, the fans voiced their dissatisfaction, with loud chants of “Vincent Tan, get out of our club” reverberating around the stadium. The Bluebirds’ Malaysian owner may have arrived in the Welsh capital in 2010 with big – and occasionally controversial – plans to establish Cardiff as a Premier League club, but those ambitions have looked fanciful for several years.

After finishing rock bottom of the Championship, City are now experiencing life in the third tier for the first time in 22 years. Relegation was the latest big dip in Tan’s 15-year ownership, which has resembled a rollercoaster ride laced with tragedy, dissension and glimpses of success.

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Cardiff City have taken a nosedive in recent years

Former Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut (Image credit: Getty Images)

“The warning signs have been there for a while,” says WalesOnline reporter Glen Williams. “Since they came out of the Premier League [in 2019], they’ve finished in a lower league position every season bar one and have gone through eight managers, if we include the interims. “They just seem to be always sticking their fingers in the hole to stop the water coming out. It’s about stopping the immediate problem with no sort of foresight.”

The statistics back that up. Cardiff have won only 41 league matches in the past three full campaigns, a run that included a 12th-place finish in 2023-24, achieved with an expected-points tally that would have seen them end up in the bottom three. It’s a far cry from the side that won automatic promotion to the Premier League twice in six years during the 2010s.

Aaron Ramsey rejoined boyhood club Cardiff City in 2023 before departing in 2025 (Image credit: Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

Last season was a perfect illustration of the various issues. After drawn-out negotiations to extend the contract of incumbent boss Erol Bulut during the summer, the Bluebirds took just one point from their opening seven matches to make their worst ever start.

Bulut was sacked in September and despite rallying under interim Omer Riza, Cardiff took nearly two months to give him the job permanently, by which time the new manager bounce had ended. With relegation beckoning, Riza was then sacked with only three games left, leaving caretaker Aaron Ramsey – still a member of the squad, but injured – unable to save them from the drop.

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The sense among fans is that while other clubs have morphed with the demands of modern football, Cardiff have paid the price for standing still. “It’s a club that hasn’t adapted with the times,” laments Ben Price, who co-hosts fan podcast View from the Ninian.

“It’s a real old-style club, with no real football knowledge at board level, and it’s all put on the manager to do it. “When that manager doesn’t work out, you’re sacking him and rebuilding a team under the new manager’s image – and you see what that leads to. It’s a constant battle to rejig the team and rebuild under a new manager.”

Much of that opinion has stemmed from a lack of football structure at the club. Tan sits at the top of the tree, aided by chairman Mehmet Dalman and CEO Ken Choo, with nobody else in place between the trio and a revolving door of managers. With no predefined style or evident philosophy, it’s made for a scattergun approach.

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Vincent Tan should be a hero at Cardiff City… but his actions just let him down

“In recent years, we’ve swung from the likes of Neil Harris to Mick McCarthy, then Sabri Lamouchi and Erol Bulut – they’re all completely different,” explains Williams. “They buy players to fit certain formations and different styles of play, and there are no boots on the ground for the day-to-day running of the football operation to ensure a smooth transition between these managers.”

The Bluebirds have been without any sort of sporting director since their first campaign in the Premier League in 2013/14, when head of recruitment Iain Moody – brought in by then-manager Malky Mackay – was suspended for allegedly overspending by £15m in the summer transfer window.

Moody was temporarily replaced by 23-year-old Kazakh Alisher Apsalyamov – the son of a friend of Tan’s, who’d been on work experience at the club, before an issue with his work visa meant he had to leave. Since then, Tan has retained control.

“It’s something I and other journalists have brought up, and fans bring up in forums all the time,” Williams says, regarding the lack of a sporting director. “Dalman has said a number of times that he would be open to a director of football or somebody to run football operations on a day-to-day basis and he’s put that to Tan, but Tan has been reluctant because he got burned by that when they had one the last time.

CARDIFF, WALES – APRIL 26: Chris Gunter (L) comforts a crying Yousef Salech of Cardiff City as they get relegated to League One during the Sky Bet Championship match between Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion at the Cardiff City Stadium on April 26, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

“It’s curious because Tan also owns a club called KV Kortrijk in Belgium, who do have a director of football. That confuses some fans.”

The strategy hasn’t always failed, though. The promotion in 2013 was the first time that Cardiff had played in the top flight for 51 years and, even though they went straight back down, they returned in 2018 under Neil Warnock. Add a League Cup final appearance in 2012 and Tan did oversee one of the best periods in the club’s history.

But those successes were tainted by off-field issues. The infamous rebrand that saw City’s traditional blue shirt changed to red and the bluebird on the club crest replaced with a red dragon caused uproar among fans, while the continuing legal fight with Nantes related to the transfer of Emiliano Sala leaves a sour taste for many. The striker died in a plane crash while travelling to begin life in Wales in 2019, in a transfer from the French club. So, how is Tan viewed among fans?

“It’s complicated,” Price answers. “Some fans are apathetic towards him, a lot don’t like him – and I’m in the middle. I get frustrated with him, but I don’t think he’s a bad bloke. “You look at what he’s done and Tan should be a hero at Cardiff City. But his actions just let him down.”

Vincent Tan isn’t particularly popular (Image credit: Getty Images)

Relegation to League One hasn’t helped, despite a promising start to the season. Neither has Tan’s absence from the Cardiff City Stadium, though he insists he “watches every game”, from wherever he is in the world. The hope among fans is that this latest setback gives the club the jolt they need to address key problems and make a quick return to the Championship, under new boss Brian Barry-Murphy.

“This is the sliding doors moment for the club,” Price continues. “Is this when it rebuilds and kicks on? The one thing the club has done right is investing in the academy; we’ve got some really promising youth prospects coming through – the Colwill brothers, Cian Ashford, Isaak Davies, Ronan Kpakio – and hopefully getting into the first team. “If the club can reset and put more focus on youth, we could come back stronger with a vision for the first time under this ownership. Or we could end up like Bolton, Wigan or Reading. As we all know, the longer you’re in League One, the harder it is to get out of.”

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Sep 27, 2025, 07:58 PM ET

Paris Saint-Germain beat Auxerre 2-0 on Saturday but saw their injury problems mount ahead of their blockbuster Champions League clash against Barcelona.

Midfielder Vitinha came off late in the first half after creating the first goal and Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was replaced at halftime with an apparent thigh-muscle injury.

Champions League winners PSG visit Barcelona on Wednesday in the second round of league phase games.

РMarquinhos adds to PSG injury woes before Bar̤a

PSG were already without injured captain Marquinhos in central defence, as well as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, fellow forward Désiré Doué and midfielder João Neves.

“Unfortunately I can’t say anything,” PSG head coach Luis Enrique said. “We need to wait for the medical staff to tell us tomorrow or the day after what kind of injuries they have.

“We have to stay positive because we need to be able to manage this situation,” he added of the injuries piling up.

“Paris Saint-Germain are not the only team with injuries. It is the case for every team with such an intense calendar.”

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was forced off with an injury in Paris Saint-Germain’s win over Auxerre. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

Both PSG’s goals on Saturday came from central defenders.

Illia Zabarnyi stretched to poke in Vitinha’s cross from the left in the 33rd minute. It was the Ukraine defender’s first goal since joining in the offseason from Premier League team Bournemouth.

Vitinha went off two minutes later.

Lucas Beraldo headed in Senny Mayulu‘s cross to make it 2-0 in the 55th.

The win moved PSG onto 15 points from six games, with Marseille, Monaco, Lyon and Strasbourg all on 12 points and separated by goal difference.

Lyon can move level on points with PSG if they win at Lille on Sunday.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report

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