Managers

Monday, March 1 marked the first official day of preseason with all 27 teams reporting for a seven-day quarantine period and medical exams ahead of full training on March 8 and the start of the 2021 MLS season on April 17.

One team looking to improve on an exciting 2020 campaign that ended at the Eastern Conference Final stage is Bruce Arena’s New England Revolution, which began voluntary preseason training back on Feb. 22 at the club’s Revolution Training Center in Foxborough, Mass. 

Christian Gross arrived at the Veltins-Arena nine weeks ago with one seemingly impossible task: keep Schalke in the Bundesliga.

He became the fourth manager of the season in the midst of a stretch that saw the team go without a league win for over a year. Huub Stevens had taken over before Christmas on an interim basis for a fourth turn at the helm of Schalke after Manuel Baum's three-month tenure brought six defeats and four draws. Before Baum was former USMNT player David Wagner, who spent 15 months in charge and on whose watch the winless streak began. 

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith was understandably furious when he discovered that news of Jack Grealish's training ground injury had leaked online.

CF Montreal's plan for Thierry Henry to lead a turnaround in the MLS club's fortunes ended abruptly on Thursday as the former French international stepped down as head coach after one season due to family issues.

The World Cup winner, who guided Montreal to their first playoff birth since 2017, said the last year had proved difficult as the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic left him unable to see his children.

Angeliño, RB Leipzig's 24-year-old left back, has enjoyed the strongest season of his career so far. While his attacking talent has always been a strength, he has taken things up a notch this campaign with eight goals and 11 assists in 31 games. 

The Spaniard, who had been on loan in the Bundesliga since January 2020, made his move to Leipzig permanent this month on a $23 million deal that will become official in the summer.

For months now it has seemed as though it was only a matter of time. In what is perhaps the least surprising development in the soccer world, Celtic manager Neil Lennon has resigned with the club's bid for a 10th consecutive Scottish title in tatters. 

Lennon departs with Celtic 18 points behind archrival Rangers, which is just seven points away from clinching its first league championship since 2010-11. Any appearance of a title race has been more or less over since November. Assistant manager John Kennedy will replace Lennon on an interim basis. 

Marcelo Bielsa's continuity in the Leeds United bench is on hold, after the Argentine coach himself addressed the issue with some caution.

"The first thing I want to point out is that it seems to be the chairman who is offering me an extension and I am delaying it; it could be interpreted as the club having more desire for me to stay than me and that is not the case," the 'Loco' pointed out at a press conference.

Filipe Luís stepped out of the European spotlight in 2019 when he decided to return to his native Brazil to join Flamengo. There, at the age of 35, he continues to set the standard at left-back and is an undisputed starter for Rogério Ceni.