Europe

BRUSSELS, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Players have never been closer to going on strike amid growing discontent towards soccer's governing bodies, notably FIFA and its revamped Club World Cup that is being compared to a 'Super League', the head of players' union FIFPRO Europe said on Monday.

David Terrier was speaking to Reuters after FIFPRO Europe, the European Leagues association and Spain's LaLiga accused FIFA of "abuse" as they filed a joint complaint about the global governing body's international match schedule to European Union antitrust regulators.

WARSAW — First-half goals from Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo helped group leaders Portugal to a comfortable 3-1 victory away to Poland in the Nations League on Saturday as they continued their perfect start to the competition with three wins.

Silva put Portugal in front after 26 minutes, netting from Bruno Fernandes' headed assist, before Ronaldo doubled their lead 11 minutes later with a low, first-time shot.

Cristiano Ronaldo goal vs Poland

Nottingham Forest have been fined $979,500 and warned for misconduct in relation to a social media post criticizing the referee after their Premier League defeat by Everton last season, the Football Association said on Friday.

Forest were angered at being denied three penalty claims in the 2-0 loss and minutes after the game they issued a statement on Twitter accusing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Stuart Attwell of being a Luton Town fan.

LONDON — Greece beat England for the first time as striker Vangelis Pavlidis earned the visitors a richly-deserved 2-1 victory to put them in control of Nations League Group B2 at Wembley on Thursday.

While Pavlidis's winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time sparked wild celebrations among the Greek fans, England stand-in manager Lee Carsley got a sobering reality check.

Two victories since Gareth Southgate stood down had raised Carsley's stock as a likely full-time option, but after a ragged defeat at the hands of Greece, his hopes may have dwindled.

MANCHESTER — Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui has undergone a corrective heart procedure after experiencing palpitations but is expected to be available to play in the next few weeks, according to team sources.

Mazraoui withdrew on Monday from the Morocco squad for two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Central African Republic on Saturday and Tuesday.

Mazraoui heart procedure

ATHENS — The body of British-born Panathinaikos and Greece defender George Baldock was found on Wednesday in a swimming pool at his home in the southern Athens suburb of Glyfada, police sources said.

The cause of death remained unknown.

Police tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the 31-year-old former Premier League player but could not revive him, a police official said.

The time of death was put at 10pm (1900 GMT).

George Baldock death

Barcelona shared new Camp Nou renderings this week as the future home ground of the Spanish giants begins to take shape. The club have been playing in the Barcelona Olympic Stadium since 2023 while renovations take place.

The new renderings come with good and bad news as the recent images are incredible, however a return date isn’t known. Originally the plan was for Barcelona to play in a partially completed Camp Nou on November 29 for the club’s 125th anniversary.

Barcelona vice-president Elena Fort said that those plans have been scrapped.

BERLIN — German coach Jürgen Klopp has been appointed head of global soccer for Red Bull, owners of several clubs including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls, the company said on Wednesday, in his first job since leaving Liverpool earlier this year.

Klopp, who ended his successful nine-year stint with Liverpool at the end of last season, will be starting on January 1, 2025.

Jürgen Klopp Red Bull job

BARCELONA — Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta announced his retirement on Tuesday after a glittering trophy-laden career spanning 24 years.

Iniesta, 40, was at the heart of the Spain and Barcelona midfield during a period of sustained success for both teams in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

"Please allow me to be a little emotional today," a tearful Iniesta, who most recently played for Emirates Club in the United Arab Emirates, told a press conference.