Messi bodyguard says MLS has problem with pitch invaders after touchline ban

  • Yassine Cheuko had helped protect Inter Miami star
  • MLS now using its own security on matchdays

Lionel Messi’s bodyguard, Yassine Cheuko, has been banned from from the touchline during Inter Miami matches.

The former Navy Seal has gained a cult following from social media videos showing him closely watching the crowd to stop rogue fans from harming the Argentinian star. He has also chased down fans intent on getting close to Messi on several occasions.

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Lionel Messi gets feisty, Joe Pompliano breaks down the numbers behind MLS & who will replace Leon in CWC?

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros react to another busy and entertaining MLS weekend. Christian and Alexis then welcome on Yahoo Finance contributor, Joe Pompliano, who breaks down the finances behind the growth of MLS since the arrival of Lionel Messi. Later, Christian and Alexis react to news around the world in another edition of Rápido Reactions including Josh Sargent’s run at Norwich, Kylan Mbappe’s non-free kick goal & who the last Club World Cup participant will be.

Premier League is back: what remains at stake from top to bottom of table

When could the title and relegation be decided? How are European spots shaping up? We set out the top-flight latest

Liverpool’s 12-point lead means they need a maximum of 16 points from their nine games to put themselves out of Arsenal’s reach and secure the title. If Arsenal go on a winning run this could take Liverpool into May even without dropping any points, but if Mikel Arteta’s side lose their next three it could all be over as soon as 13 April, when Liverpool play West Ham at home. In the immediate future a couple of teams in particular could go a long way towards deciding things: Arsenal host Fulham and visit Everton in their fixtures this week, while Liverpool host Everton and visit Fulham. Even beyond those games the sides have comparable fixtures this month – neither will play a current top-half team – but Arsenal also have two Champions League fixtures against Real Madrid to deal with and must close the gap before the start of May.

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Sporting KC, coach Peter Vermes part ways after more than 15 seasons

  • Vermes had the world’s fourth-longest managerial tenure
  • KC failed to make playoffs in two of last three seasons

Sporting Kansas City and longtime coach Peter Vermes have mutually parted ways, the team announced on Monday.

Vermes, 58, was the longest-tenured skipper in MLS, having originally taken over as interim coach in 2009. He also owned the fourth-longest active managerial tenure in the world before his firing. His 15 year, seven month, 24 day tenure stands as the 38th-longest tenure by any soccer manager in the world since the second world war.

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Bologna’s Orsolini strikes again to keep knocking on door to Spalletti’s Italy | Nicky Bandini

Winger has 32 Serie A goals over the past three years as side keep up push for another Champions League campaign

Venice has no shortage of eye-catching door-knockers, heavy bronze casts of 16th-century lions and sea monsters adorning entrances of palaces throughout the lagoon city. Still, there is always room for another. Riccardo Orsolini could not hang around quite so long, but his goal for Bologna away to Venezia on Saturday will linger in the memories of supporters.

The second half had barely started when Nicolò Cambiaghi cut back from the left flank and crossed right-footed to the far post. Orsolini met his delivery with an exquisite side-footed volley across the goalkeeper and into the corner of the net.

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FA Cup quarter-finals and more: talking points from the weekend’s action

Manchester City’s fire still burns bright, Marcus Rashford reminds critics of his ability and Eberechi Eze’s great week

A seventh semi-final in succession showed that Manchester City, at least, see magic in the FA Cup. The quarter-finals saw them cast as unwelcome outsiders, lacking the romance of their fellow hopefuls. None of the other seven had won a major trophy this century, four never in their history. Pep Guardiola’s frenzied reaction after Omar Marmoush scored his team’s second at Bournemouth showed his fire still burns brightly. Surely nearing the end at City, Kevin De Bruyne played the 90 minutes, remaining influential and mobile throughout. He and his teammates have played better this season but this display at the Vitality saw real gutsiness, a key part of the makeup during the glory years. If the hosts, shorn of Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, were incapable of holding City’s hand to the fire as they had in November, a new City is emerging. Nico O’Reilly added impetus from the bench. So did Marmoush, both offering the pace, strength and vigour their manager now desires. John Brewin

Match report: Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester City

Match report: Preston 0-3 Aston Villa

Match report: Brighton 0-0 Nottm Forest (3-4 on pens)

Match report: Fulham 0-3 Crystal Palace

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European football: Loftus-Cheek has appendix surgery before Milan defeat

  • Milan midfielder hospitalised ahead of 2-1 loss to Napoli
  • Inter edge out Udinese 2-1; Barcelona defeat Girona 4-1

The Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has had successful appendectomy surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis, the Serie A club said on Sunday. Local media reported that during Milan’s training camp in Napoli the England international experienced severe abdominal pain that necessitated hospitalisation for further investigation.

Tests confirmed the diagnosis, prompting the operation, which went well, the club said in a statement. Further details on Loftus-Cheek’s condition have not been provided.

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Preston 0-3 Aston Villa: FA Cup quarter-final – as it happened

Marcus Rashford scored his first goals for 14 games as Villa eased to victory, setting up a semi-final meeting with Crystal Palace

Email! “Playing Asensio seems a bit harsh to me,” says Kieran McKintosh. “And considering PSG aren’t that far away, a bit questionable. My second-largest hope for today is a Rashford goal. It really has been a long time coming. My largest hope, though, has gotta be hoping someone, anyone, will sell me that Lego set I’ve wanted for years at a decent price. No, eBay, 604 pieces does NOT merit £140. Anyway, up the Villa and all that. I do have a soft spot for them after last season.”

This shark just trod on one of those 604 pieces.

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European football: PSG smash six to all but secure fourth consecutive title

  • Ligue 1 leaders trounce Saint-Étienne 6-1
  • Harry Kane scores as Bayern battle past St Pauli

Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique wants the club to keep their focus on domestic and European titles despite all but securing a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 crown.

PSG thrashed relegation-threatened Saint-Étienne 6-1 to virtually assure themselves of a second straight title under the Spaniard. Only Monaco have a mathematical chance to overhaul them after their 2-1 win over Nice left them 21 points behind PSG with seven games to play.

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Andoni Iraola’s impressive Bournemouth are stuck in the silverware paradox | Jonathan Wilson

Three games from their first major trophy and in with a shout for Europe but for a club their size, these moments are fleeting

The first time Bournemouth played in an FA Cup quarter‑final was 1957 when they faced Manchester United. They were still called Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic in those days and played in the Third Division (South). They had put out Wolves and Tottenham in the previous two rounds, the excitement enticing a record crowd of 28,799 to Dean Court to see them play Matt Busby’s side.

The United centre-half Mark Jones was carried off early on and, nine years before the introduction of substitutes, Bournemouth took the lead against the 10 men, Brian Bedford nudging in after Ray Wood had flapped at a corner. Two Johnny Berry goals, the second a penalty, in the space of five second‑half minutes, though, saw United through. They went on to lose to Aston Villa in the final, when Peter McParland fractured Wood’s cheekbone after six minutes, forcing the centre-half Jackie Blanchflower to take over in goal.

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Brighton 0-0 Nottingham Forest (3-4 pens): FA Cup quarter-final – as it happened

Matz Sels was heroic in the shootout to send Forest into the last four of the FA Cup for the first time since 1991

Forest get the ball rolling. A huge roar of Albion. The away end giving it plenty as well.

The teams are out! A cracking atmosphere in Sussex by the Sea. The Seagulls in their blue and white stripes, the Tricky Trees in first-choice red. We’ll be off in a minute or two.

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Championship roundup: Leeds denied top spot by late Swansea leveller

  • Drama at Elland Road as Vipotnik strikes in added time
  • Flemming free-kick helps Burnley maintain top-two tilt

Leeds missed the chance to return to the top of the Championship as they conceded in the sixth minute of added time to draw 2-2 at home to Swansea.

The hosts made the ideal start as they looked to respond to Sheffield United’s Friday night win over Coventry, with Brenden Aaronson bundling the ball home inside a minute. Swansea were handed a chance to level from the spot in the 14th minute, only for Illan Meslier to turn Josh Tymon’s penalty behind.

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