Alvaro Arbeloa acknowledged widespread supporter anger after Real Madrid's turbulent 2025-26 campaign culminated in a 2-0 Clasico defeat at Camp Nou on May 10, which sealed Barcelona's 29th LaLiga title with three matches to play. Arbeloa urged professionalism from his players, saying the squad must learn from mistakes and finish the season strongly while discussions over his future with the club are expected. The season saw Madrid exit the Champions League in the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich and suffer internal tensions, notably a changing-room altercation that left captain Federico Valverde hospitalised after a clash with Aurelien Tchouameni. Arbeloa confirmed Kylian Mbappé was not selected for the Clasico after failing a fitness test and said he would have liked the forward to play if fully fit. Media reports noted Arbeloa has recorded a high loss ratio for Real Madrid managers in the 21st century, losing 32% of fixtures (eight defeats in 25 matches) during his stint. He defended the overall quality of the squad but accepted fans’ frustration and called for collective improvement ahead of the season's final fixtures.

Liverpool announced on May 30, 2026 that Arne Slot has been relieved of his duties as head coach, a little over a year after he led the club to the Premier League title. The decision by owners Fenway Sports Group, authorised by CEO Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes, follows a turbulent second season in which Liverpool finished fifth with 60 points — their lowest total since 2015-16 and 25 points adrift of champions Arsenal. Slot, who succeeded Jürgen Klopp in 2024, had been backed with a record summer spend of about £446 million to strengthen the squad. Injuries, underperformance from high-cost signings including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, the tragic death of Diogo Jota last summer and growing dressing-room and supporter unrest — notably a public falling-out with Mohamed Salah, who left at season’s end — contributed to the breakdown. Liverpool said a change of direction was necessary and have begun a search for a successor, with Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola reported as a leading candidate. The club stressed appreciation for Slot’s achievements while insisting the move was required to prepare for next season.

Shubman Gill struck a sensational 104 off 53 balls as Gujarat Titans completed a record chase to beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 on May 29 in New Chandigarh. Chasing 215, Gujarat reached 219-3 in 18.4 overs, the highest successful chase in IPL playoff history, powered by a 167-run opening stand between Gill and Sai Sudharsan. The win set up a May 31 final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rajasthan’s 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi again stole the spotlight with a measured 96 off 47 balls, finishing a breakthrough season in which he led the tournament scoring charts (776 runs this season) and was named to India’s developmental India A squad. Rajasthan coach Kumar Sangakkara publicly backed Sooryavanshi for a senior India call-up, and selectors are reported to be considering him for upcoming T20 fixtures. The contest featured notable moments including Ravindra Jadeja’s brief exit with an elbow concern and two hit-wicket dismissals of Sai Sudharsan across matches.

Paris Saint-Germain received a late fitness boost ahead of the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal in Budapest after coach Luis Enrique confirmed Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes were available for selection. The announcements came in the buildup to the May 30 match at the Puskás Aréna. Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, had left PSG’s final Ligue 1 game on May 17 with a calf issue but told reporters on May 29 he was “100%” fit. Hakimi, who has not played since injuring his right thigh on April 28 in the semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich, resumed training this week and was included in PSG’s 24‑man squad; he was also named in Morocco’s World Cup preliminary selection. Mendes missed part of May with a thigh complaint but was declared fit on Friday. PSG remain without backup goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, who is still sidelined. The holders will attempt to become only the second club in the Champions League era to defend the title, with team selection and player freshness central to their chances against Premier League champions Arsenal.

German official Daniel Siebert has been appointed to referee the 2026 UEFA Champions League final between holders Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary. The 42-year-old has overseen multiple major international fixtures — including matches at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 — but this will be his first UEFA club competition final. His on-field assistants will be Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn, with Swiss fourth official Sandro Scharer. The VAR team comprises Germans Bastian Dankert and Robert Schröder. Siebert has refereed three Arsenal victories this season, including the semi-final second leg against Atlético Madrid and the quarter-final first-leg in Lisbon; PSG have won three of four matches under him but were held to a draw earlier in the campaign. Arsenal arrive seeking their first Champions League title and a historic domestic-and-European double in only their second final appearance (their previous defeat to Barcelona was 20 years ago). The appointment comes ahead of the high-stakes showpiece this weekend in Budapest, where officiating decisions and VAR reviews are likely to draw intense scrutiny given the match’s significance.

PARIS, May 28-29 (Reuters) - The French Open men’s draw was rocked across two days of dramatic upsets as 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca beat Novak Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in a third-round epic lasting four hours 53 minutes, and world number one Jannik Sinner was eliminated in a shock second-round collapse to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Fonseca became the first teenager to defeat Djokovic at a Grand Slam, serving three consecutive aces to close out the decider and announcing himself as a genuine title contender. Sinner, who had won three clay-court titles this spring, cited illness and low energy after his 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 loss that ended a 30-match winning run. With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz absent and Djokovic eliminated, no previous men’s major winners remain in the draw, guaranteeing a first-time Roland Garros champion and opening the way for players such as Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and rising Spaniard Rafael Jodar to capitalise.