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

1 month ago 24

Gabriele MarcottiMay 26, 2025, 07:15 PM

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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