In their first match since sacking Graham Potter as coach, Chelsea were held to a goalless draw by Liverpool in their Premier League clash on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi – who has been jeered by supporters of the club – is slated to be leaving the club in the next transfer window.
In Spanish football, Osasuna has reached the Copa Del Rey final for only the second time in thier history and will face either Real Madrid or Barcelona for the title.
Meanwhile, Shaheen Afridi has returned to the Pakistan squad after returning to fitness, just as Christian Eriksen has for Manchester United.
New Zealand levelled the ongoing T20-International series against Sri Lanka with a solid nine-wicket win.
Later on Wednesday, Aleksander Ceferin was re-elected as Uefa president for a third term.
Here’s a look at the key stories from international sporting events through the day for 5 April, 2023:
Ceferin stays on as Uefa president
Aleksander Ceferin was re-elected unopposed for a third term of four years as president of Uefa at a meeting of European football’s governing body in Lisbon on Wednesday.
The 55-year-old Slovenian lawyer, first elected in 2016 following the downfall of Frenchman Michel Platini, will now remain in the role until 2027.
“I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unanimous support. It really means a lot to me,” Ceferin told delegates at the Uefa Congress in the Portuguese capital.
“It is a great honour but mainly it is a great, great responsibility, towards you and towards football.”
The Uefa Congress came just a few weeks after Gianni Infantino was re-elected as president of the sport’s world governing body Fifa, also unopposed.
Ceferin recently successfully opposed proposals by Infantino to hold the World Cup every two years, and his re-election by acclamation comes after he also fought off the breakaway European Super League project during his second term.
He will now oversee the introduction of a new format for the Champions League starting next year.
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka
New Zealand demolished Sri Lanka with a nine-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 international to level the series on Wednesday, as opener Tim Seifert finished on 79 not out.
Black Caps bowler Adam Milne had earlier taken five wickets for just 26 runs in a player-of-the-match performance as Sri Lanka were skittled for just 141 runs.
“You always dream of taking five wickets for New Zealand. As I had three in the last over with a couple of tailenders in, I started feeling a little bit greedy,” Milne later admitted.
Seifert then helped steer New Zealand to victory as the hosts hit a rapid-fire 146-1 in reply after 14.4 overs.
New Zealand captain Tom Latham hailed his side’s “pretty clinical performance”.
“The way we were just able to keep taking wickets, that’s the best way really to stall a run rate,” he added.
“I thought our bowling performance was outstanding.”
New Zealand’s victory in Dunedin levelled the series 1-1 ahead of the decider this Saturday in Queenstown.
Sri Lanka had won the opening T20 match last Sunday in Auckland.
Chelsea-Liverpool clash ends in stalemate
Chelsea wasted a host of chances to beat Liverpool as the troubled Blues were held to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday in their first Premier League match since Graham Potter’s sacking.
Potter was axed on Sunday after the former Brighton manager’s disastrous reign climaxed with a wretched home defeat against Aston Villa.
Chelsea are seeking their third permanent manager of the campaign, with Potter hired in September following Thomas Tuchel’s shock dismissal.
In the meantime, Bruno Saltor, a member of Potter’s backroom staff, made his managerial debut as Chelsea interim boss.
Bruno managed to coax a lively performance from Chelsea, but – as was so often the case under Potter – they paid the price for a lack of cutting edge.
Chelsea remain 11th, leaving them with an uncertain future despite the massive investment in new signings made by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly since he took over last year.
“These have been emotional days and the players have been able to keep focused. It’s a difficult season for them. To come back from what we have had in the last few days is incredible,” Bruno said.
“I have asked the players to play with their hearts and I think we saw that on the pitch. We create chances and I think we deserved to win.”
Liverpool hardly looked much better as a third successive league game without a win damaged their faint hopes of finishing in the top four.
Eighth-placed Liverpool are seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Messi ‘likely’ to leave PSG
Lionel Messi is “much more likely” to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season than sign a new deal, a source close to the club told AFP on Tuesday.
“The dynamics have completely changed with PSG less pushing to renew (his contract),” the source said, adding that there was “no deal, no exit yet. But exit is much more likely.”
World Cup winner Messi, who will turn 36 in June, joined in 2021 on a two-year deal which expires at the end of this campaign.
On Sunday, the Argentine’s name was jeered by some PSG fans as the teams were announced prior to the 1-0 home defeat against Lyon.
Supporters of the Qatar-owned club are unhappy at the malaise around the team since they were eliminated from the Champions League in the last 16 by Bayern Munich last month.
“The fans have changed things completely,” the source said of the chances of Messi’s deal being renewed.
Messi has scored 29 goals and set up 32 more in 67 appearances for PSG in all competitions.
Osasuna reach Copa Del Rey final
Pablo Ibanez’s superb volley helped Osasuna stun Athletic Bilbao in extra-time to reach the Copa del Rey final with a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, progressing 2-1 on aggregate.
Athletic dominated throughout and only a sensational display from Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera and profligate finishing forced the match to extra-time.
Inaki Williams struck in the 33rd minute to cancel out Ez Abde’s first-leg strike for Osasuna, but Athletic could not find a winner, and Ibanez stroked home from the edge of the box with four minutes remaining to shock San Mames.
Ibanez’s effort helped Osasuna reach the Copa del Rey final for the first time in 18 years, and only for the second time in their history, with the club yet to lift the trophy.
Jagoba Arrasate’s side beat Real Betis and Sevilla on their spectacular cup run and will face either record winners Barcelona or Spanish and European champions Real Madrid in the final on May 6.
Shaheen Afridi back in Pakistan squad
Star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi returns to Pakistan’s squads for the two white ball series against New Zealand after regaining full fitness, selectors announced Tuesday.
Shaheen, who will turn 23 on Thursday, hurt his knee during the final of Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in November last year.
Subsequently he missed five Tests and three ODIs against England and New Zealand – all at home – but took 19 wickets to lead Lahore Qalandars’ title defence in Pakistan Super League (PSL) last month.
Babar Azam – rested for the three-match T20 series against Afghanistan last month – returns as skipper of both the squads along with Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf.
The five-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand will be played in Lahore (April 14, 15, 17) and Rawalpindi (April 20, 24).
The ODIs will be played in Rawalpindi (April 27, 29) and Karachi (May 3, 5, 7).
Three youngsters –- pacers Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan, and opener Saim Ayub –- have been retained in the T20 squad following good performances in Sharjah.
Ihsanullah is also included in the ODI squad.
T20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan
ODI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir
Christian Eriksen returns
Christian Eriksen’s early return from an ankle injury could give Manchester United’s bid for success on three fronts before the end of the season a boost.
The Danish midfielder was expected to be sidelined until late April but returned to team training on Tuesday.
United will have to cope without Eriksen and the suspended Casemiro once more for the visit of Brentford to Old Trafford on Wednesday and their presence has been badly missed in recent weeks.
Erik ten Hag’s men have not won a Premier League game since mid-February due to a dip in form and a series of cup commitments.
“The midfield department, games will be decided always in the midfield,” said Ten Hag of the importance of Eriksen and Casemiro at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“So, when you miss two quality players, it’s clear but you have a squad and when you don’t have them you still have to win.”
United are into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, last four of the FA Cup and lifted the League Cup in February to end a six-year wait to win a trophy.
But they have slipped to fifth in the Premier League after being outplayed and outfought by Newcastle in a 2-0 defeat on Sunday.
With text inputs from AFP
Updated through the day
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!