Getty ImagesMantej MannBBC Sport Journalist19 minutes agoKylian Mbappe says he is not bitter over Paris St-Germain’s Champions League victory less than a year after leaving the club for Real Madrid.The forward left PSG as the club’s record goalscorer but was unable to win European football’s premier club competition in seven seasons with the French giants before signing for Madrid on a free transfer in July 2024.PSG cruised past Inter Milan 5-0 to win their first Champions League title on 31 May.”I didn’t leave too soon; my story with PSG was over. I am not bitter; I had reached the end of the road,” said France captain Mbappe, who scored 256 goals for PSG.Speaking on Saturday at a news conference before France’s Nations League third-place match with Germany, Mbappe added: “I tried everything, and it was destiny that meant it had to happen without me.”PSG winning the Champions League without me doesn’t affect me. I was happy – I think they deserved it.”They’ve had so many years where they struggled. I’ve been there too; I’ve played in every Champions League stage in Paris except for the victory.”They’re the best team in Europe. I don’t remember seeing a team win 5-0 in a major final.”The closes Mbappe came to Champions League success with his boyhood club was a runners-up medal following defeat by Bayern Munich in the 2020 final. Mbappe’s Madrid, who were knocked out by Arsenal at the quarter-final stage of last season’s Champions League, ended the campaign without a trophy for the first time in four years. The 26-year-old did enjoy some success, though, after scoring 31 La Liga goals to win the European Golden Shoe.Related topicsParis Saint GermainEuropean FootballReal MadridFranceUEFA Champions LeagueFootball

Fulham FCMantej MannBBC Sport Journalist53 minutes agoMalcolm Elias, the man responsible for developing Gareth Bale and Trent Alexander-Arnold, has died after a short illness.Elias, Fulham’s head of academy recruitment, joined the Premier League club from Liverpool in 2009, having previously worked at Southampton. In a statement, Fulham said: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our colleague and dear friend, Malcolm Elias, after a short illness.”The club’s head of academy recruitment, Malcolm had a fantastic reputation in football for unearthing and nurturing young talent.”The influence that Malcolm had on the modern game cannot be understated, having worked with and developed the likes of Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Elliott, Luke Harris and Jay Stansfield, to name but a few.”Welshman Elias was born in 1953 and was key in the development of his compatriot Bale at the Southampton academy.Bale went on to win 111 Wales caps and enjoyed a successful club career with Saints, Tottenham and Real Madrid, where he won five Champions League titles. England’s Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, won eight major trophies with boyhood club Liverpool before joining Real Madrid earlier this month.”We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Malcolm Elias, one of the influential figures in the club’s youth development history,” Southampton said.Related topicsSouthamptonLiverpoolFulhamPremier LeagueFootball

Getty ImagesSean KearnsBBC Sport8 minutes agoOlympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles has called former US swimmer and activist Riley Gaines “sick” over online comments about a transgender woman softball player.Gaines, who has regularly spoken out about transgender women athletes competing in women’s sport, mocked Minnesota State High School League for removing comments on their post about the Chaplin Park girls’ team celebrating the State Championship.Chaplin Park’s team includes a transgender woman player. “You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” Biles wrote on X. Gaines tied for fifth place with transgender woman Lia Thomas in the 200m freestyle swimming at the 2022 NCAA Championships.Later that year, World Aquatics voted to stop transgender women from competing in women’s elite races if they have gone through any part of the process of male puberty. Thomas has since failed with a legal challenge to change the rules. “You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports,” continued Biles. “But instead… You bully them… One thing’s for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around.”Biles, a seven-time gold medallist, has been an outspoken campaigner for mental health awareness throughout her career.She withdrew from the women’s team final at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, as well as four subsequent individual finals, in order to prioritise her mental health.Gaines responded to Biles in follow-up posts, saying the gymnast’s stance was “so disappointing” and saying she should not be advocating for transgender women in women’s sport with her platform.Since tying with Thomas in 2022, Gaines has said she felt “cheated, betrayed and violated”. She has become an advocate for banning transgender women athletes from competing against women and girls.In February, Gaines was present at the White House when United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order excluding transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports.In April, judges at the UK Supreme Court ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law.Since that ruling, a number of UK sporting bodies, including the Football Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board, have banned transgender women from playing in women’s sport.Related topicsSwimmingAthleticsGymnastics

Getty ImagesMantej MannBBC Sport Journalist1 hour agoTottenham captain Son Heung-min says sacked manager Ange Postecoglou is a “legend” who has “changed the trajectory of this club”.Postecoglou, 59, was sacked on Friday just over two weeks after ending the club’s 17-year wait for silverware with victory in the Europa League final. Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League after losing 22 out of 38 matches.”Gaffer. You’ve changed the trajectory of this club,” Son posted on Instagram.”You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did.”You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it’s had in decades. We will have those memories for life.”You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career. It’s been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close. I am a better player and a better person because of you.”Ange Postecoglou, you are a Tottenham Hotspur legend forever. Thank you, mate.”The South Korea winger was not alone in paying tribute to Australian Postecoglou.Goalkeeper Vicario said: “Boss, I just want to say a massive thank you for everything you have done for me and for all of us.”From that very first call, right from the beginning, you always showed so much belief in me.”Giving me the opportunity to be part of the leadership group… those moments, and many others, will stay with me forever.”You are not only a top manager, you are an incredible person to work for, a real leader, a mentor, and someone I’ll always look up to.”What we achieved TOGETHER will stay in the history books.”Wishing you nothing but success as I know you will go on to achieve more and more.”Thank you, Boss. Forever grateful, Vic.”Defender Micky van de Ven said: “Gaffer, Thank you for everything! “Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club. Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us. “Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it.”All the best.”Forward Dominic Solanke said: “Thank you for bringing me to this wonderful club, thank you for bringing us a wonderful trophy.”Won’t ever forget the convo we had before I signed and we achieved a dream! All the best in your next adventure.”Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust said the vast majority of fans will will “love Ange forever” although league results were a “long way short” of expectation.The fans group called for Postecoglou’s replacement to be “fully supported” by the club’s board in order to build on the “cup success that Ange has lain”.Brentford boss Thomas Frank is among the leading candidates to replace Postecoglou, while Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino are also linked with the vacancy. Related topicsPremier LeagueTottenham HotspurFootball

Getty ImagesSami MokbelSenior football correspondent38 minutes agoArsenal forward Bukayo Saka has been left out of the England squad that will face Andorra in Saturday’s (17:00 BST) World Cup qualifier.Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins have also been left out of the matchday squad, with Watkins returning home with a minor injury, Speaking on Friday, head coach Thomas Tuchel revealed Saka had only completed one full training session during the week, with his omission from the squad to face Andorra likely to be linked to his fitness.Saka, 23, is yet to play under Tuchel after missing the German’s first camp through injury.It remains to be seen whether Saka will play a part in the friendly against Senegal on 10 June, to add to his 43 caps for the Three Lions. The winger missed three months of action between December and April with a hamstring injury, though he returned for the final two months of the campaign. It was confirmed on Friday that Watkins would be leaving the group to return to England as a precaution because of a minor injury.It is unclear at this stage whether Gallagher’s omission is down to a fitness issue.England are unbeaten in World Cup qualifying, winning both of their opening two matches against Latvia and Albania. Related topicsFootballEngland Men’s Football Team

Getty ImagesKal SajadBBC Sport journalist34 minutes agoWould Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez swap the mariachi music of hometown Guadalajara for a tune from Barnsley’s brass bands?Or maybe the Mexican superstar would prefer to sip a bitter ale, rather than tequila, while listening to cricketing tales from the town’s legendary umpire Dickie Bird?For British and Commonwealth super-middleweight champion Callum Simpson, a fight against undisputed king Alvarez at the home of his beloved Barnsley Football Club isn’t as far-fetched as many might think.”I’ll show him the town during fight week. Barnsley Town Hall is a beautiful building. For me, it’s the ninth wonder of the world,” the 28-year-old says with a grin.”But seriously, two years ago, I did an interview saying I want to fight Canelo at Oakwell Stadium and people laughed, saying ‘you’ll never fight at Oakwell let alone Canelo’.”But on Saturday I’m fighting at Oakwell for the second time in 10 months, having sold thousands of tickets, so why not Canelo at some point?”Realistically, sharing the ring with Alvarez – who will defend his crown against American icon Terence Crawford in September – is a fair way away. And it is unlikely the 34-year-old has heard of Barnsley, let alone able to point it out on a map.But Simpson, undefeated in 17 fights, is confident he will land a world-title shot next year.First, though, he must overcome unbeaten Italian Ivan Zucco – who has 18 stoppages in 21 wins – for the vacant European title on Saturday.”He’s had more knockouts than I’ve had fights so I’m definitely not overlooking him,” Simpson adds. “This is the next proper step.”A fanbase built by real-life interactionsGetty ImagesSimpson was cheered to domestic honours by 7,000 fans when the hometown hero beat Zak Chelli at a limited-capacity Oakwell last August, but promoters Boxxer expect close to 15,000 on Saturday.”I’ve done 3,500 tickets on my own – just from family, friends and messages on social media,” he says.Being a huge ticket seller can take you far in the sport, and Simpson has built his own fortress of fans in south Yorkshire.The secret is a genuine connection with his local community through personal interactions.Simpson spends evenings at his local pub, personally handing out tickets.”None of this is artificial. I’d like to think I’m just naturally a nice, hard-working person with a good heart, and people from Barnsley want to back me,” he adds.Speaking to BBC Sport via video call while parked up in his car, Simpson is on his way to volunteer for a foodbank at a local supermarket.”I try to give back to my community and I try to get to every charity event or local football game I can,” he says.”My manager and trainer say I do too much and need to rein it in – but I just love giving back.”How family tragedy led to new-found perspectiveGetty ImagesSimpson has a “new-found perspective” on boxing after his sister, Lily Rae-Simpson, tragically died aged 19 in a car accident in Greece last year.”I always wanted to make my little sister proud, when she was with us and even now when she’s not,” he says.”She’s still in the ring with me and I feel her presence there. When I’m training I can hear her voice and I can dig that little bit deeper.”Simpson says he has watched videos recently from his win over Chelli, with Lily chanting his name and smiling in the Oakwell stands.”That was the last fight she saw me in and it’s [Saturday] going to be an emotional night for my family,” he reveals.”But I know how proud she was for me and how she would have wanted me to carry on and become a world champion.”Related topicsBoxing