SOCCER

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Julen Lopetegui's reign at West Ham is hanging by a thread as the club considers his future and has reportedly opened discussions with Graham Potter as a possible successor. Despite denials from Hammers insiders that Lopetegui has been dismissed, it's clear he's under immense pressure.

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Marcus Rashford (27) has blasted "ridiculous" claims that the unsettled Manchester United star wants a new agent to fulfil his desire to quit Old Trafford. A report this week said England forward Rashford had met with a leading sports agency in a bid to engineer a move. He hinted he would be prepared to leave United in an interview last month.

Real Madrid booked their place in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey with an emphatic 5-0 win over fourth-tier Club Deportiva Minera on Monday, with striker Arda Guler (19) scoring a superb double. Madrid took an early lead when Federico Valverde volleyed home in impressive style within five minutes.

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Wayne Rooney has been dismissed as Plymouth Argyle manager after just 25 matches in charge, with the club languishing at the bottom of the Championship table. The 39-year-old former England and Manchester United captain departs following a challenging seven-month tenure marked by poor results and personal struggles.

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Ruben Amorim expressed frustration despite Manchester United's spirited 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield, criticizing his team for their inconsistent performances. United delivered an improved showing, with Lisandro Martinez opening the scoring before Liverpool's Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah turned the game around. Amad Diallo rescued a point for United with a late equalizer in the 80th minute.

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For the first time in English football, referees will announce VAR decisions to fans inside stadiums during the upcoming Carabao Cup semi-finals. This trial will see referees announce to fans their final decisions after reviewing the VAR monitor or when rulings are based on factual matters like accidental handball by a goalscorer or offside, similar to announcements common in sports like rugby union and American football. The system was previously tested at the 2023 Women's World Cup.

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Dani Olmo's (26) future at Barcelona was plunged into uncertainty on Tuesday as LaLiga poured cold water on the financially troubled Catalan giants' frantic attempts to register the Spain star. LaLiga's strict spending limits restricted Olmo's initial registration to December 31st, 2024 after Barcelona made the playmaker their flagship signing last summer.

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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim acknowledged that his hefty price tag won't guarantee his job security if he doesn't deliver a winning team.