13/05/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | MAY 13, 2026

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Milan reach new low Internal disconnect and fan protests, Allegri’s team feeling the heat A C MILAN’S season reached a new low on Sunday as a 3-2 home defeat by Atalanta left the

HANSI FLICK’S Barcelona successfully retained their La Liga title, clinching victory on Monday, after beating rivals Real Madrid 2-0 in the Clasico at Nou Camp. The Catalan giants, entertainers in attack and risk takers at the back, triumphed with three games to spare, sitting 14 points ahead of second-place Los Blancos . YAMAL LEVEL Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal’s superb displays in the second half of the campaign helped guide his team to back-to-back Spanish titles. The 18-year-old winger scored 16 and set up 12 goals in La Liga, leading the team in both counts. Yamal appears slightly less frequently within games than he did last season, when he ran relentlessly at defences, but this year he has become far more decisive in the final third. With a groin issue plaguing him during the early months of the campaign, as well as off-field issues bringing him down. Yamal said he was feeling far happier in February after hitting a hattrick against third-place Villarreal and that showed in his performances during Barca’s run-in. HELPING HANDS Barcelona’s other outstanding talent beyond Yamal is midfielder Pedri Gonzalez, who is one of the best players in the world in his position. Neither Robert Lewandowski nor Ferran Torres have performed consistently enough to make the striker spot their own this season, but in La Liga both have scored over 10 goals each. Despite various injury struggles Raphinha has surpassed that mark too, while on-loan Marcus Rashford, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo all have 10 more goals and assists combined. Barca do not have the financial strength to put out a star-studded line-up from top to bottom, unlike Real Madrid, but with many players chipping in they had enough to get over the line. MADRID MISERY Barcelona’s main rivals for the title, Real Madrid, have endured a difficult season and finish without a major trophy for the second year running. Starting the season under Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos hoped they had the brains to combat Barca as well as the undoubted firepower in their squad, but Florentino Perez axed the coach in January. Like Carlo Ancelotti before him, Alonso could not find a way to get the best from all of Madrid’s star names at once. GOALKEEPING UPGRADE For years there have been doubts about Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s form, with the German stopper unable to reproduce the level he showed under Luis Enrique and later Ernesto Valverde. Last season Ter Stegen’s injury led to the emergency arrival of Polish veteran Wojciech Szczesny, who helped Barca land a domestic treble. Despite some solid performances, it was evident that Barca needed an upgrade between the sticks. They turned to Espanyol stopper Joan Garcia and he immediately delivered. Flick’s high-line defensive approach sometimes leaves him exposed but despite that, Garcia has the most clean sheets in the top flight with 15. NOU CAMP RETURN A year after they were initially scheduled to return to their Nou Camp home, in November 2025 Barca were able to inaugurate the partially rebuilt stadium. They trounced Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in a confidence boosting victory, pulling level with Madrid at the top of the table, and are unbeaten there in La Liga this season. In fact, the Catalans are hoping to go through the whole campaign without dropping a point at home. To do this they need to beat Real Betis in their remaining home match. AFP Key factors behind Barca’s La Liga title triumph

am the coach. These players have always given their all, we mustn’t go look ing for blame right now, but focus on how we achieved many victo ries this season and need to get two more,” Allegri said. “There’s no point talking about what has happened so far, because we cannot change it,“ Allegri added. “It is natural that nobody expected such a difficult moment. I thought there would be a dip dur ing the course of an entire cam paign.” The veteran manager was clear that his primary aim was securing a return to the Champions League. “I said repeatedly that the Champions League spot was not locked down, despite what every one else claimed, because I knew we hadn’t had a dip yet. The dip has arrived, now we’ve got to fin ish it off,” Allegri added. The squad’s poor form has trig gered visible frustration among the supporters. Following vocal criticism directed at the ownership and CEO Giorgio Furlani, many fans left the stadium well before the final whis tle against Atalanta. Milan sporting director Igli Tare admitted the club could no longer hide, describing the fans’ protests as justified. “Seeing the recent games, the right attention has been lacking. There’s no point denying it, we must all take our share of the responsibility,” he said.

seven-time European champions scrambling to secure Champions League qualification and piling pressure on manager Massimiliano Allegri. Milan dropped to fourth in Serie A behind Juventus, with in form AS Roma sitting level on points to further complicate the race for the four Champions League spots with two games left. Milan are facing an identity cri sis. Having spent this campaign outside of European competition following last season’s eighth place finish, they are now in dan ger of a second year without a seat at Europe’s top table. The warning signs have been visible for months. Milan have col lected only 25 points in the second half of the season, their lowest total at this stage in eight years, turning what once looked like an outside title challenge into a tense battle for the top four. Though the scoreline was nar rowed by two stoppage-time goals against Atalanta, the late rally did little to mask a listless offensive performance. Key players includ ing Christian Pulisic, Santiago Gimenez and Rafael Leao have failed to deliver. The primary concern for the Milan hierarchy is a growing disconnect between the mid field and defensive units. Allegri’s pragmatic tactical structure has struggled to contain more aggressive teams, with the manager accepting responsibility for his failings. “When results are lacking, I am the first person responsible, as I

With Italian media reporting that Allegri’s future depends on Champions League qualification, Milan’s last two games away to Genoa and home to Cagliari have assumed huge significance. – Reuters La Liga survival scrap rages with half the league still at risk Adrien Rabiot reacts during AC Milan’s Serie A defeat to Atalanta at San Siro on Sunday. – AFPPIC

Ű BY MARTYN HERMANN

“We’re not safe with 40 points, we have to keep going and start to think about Villarreal,” coach Luis Garcia Plaza said after Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Espanyol with two late goals. Things could become a little clearer this week but the relegation fight looks set to go to the wire and there are several classic ‘six pointers’ looming. Mallorca have been transformed since Martin Demichelis replaced Jagoba Arrasate as manager in February and have lost only two of their last nine league games, but cannot relax yet. After a trip to Getafe on Wednesday they face a crunch battle at in-form Levante. “Every point counts,“ said Mallorca’s Kosovo striker Vedat Muriqi, whose goal earned his side a point at home to Villarreal on Sunday. “This point could be worth a lot more if we get something out of Wednesday’s game too. “These are two vital away matches. Everything will be decided there and hopefully we can get all six points and enjoy the last home game of the season.” – Reuters

weeks of the season left, some teams are in the bizarre situation of being in the hunt for European qualification, but also not safe from relegation. Three wins from their last five games have taken Levante to 36 points while Alaves, who sit just below the relegation trap door in 18th place, have 37. Girona, who visit Conference League finalists Rayo Vallecano later on Monday, have 38 points with Elche, Real Mallorca and Espanyol all on 39. Seven-times Europa League winners Sevilla, who barely avoided the drop last season, have 40 points. Valencia are in 12th place on 42, along with Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna -- that trio are only three points behind seventh place which would earn a Conference League spot. Sevilla have found some form in the nick of time with back-to-back home wins against Real Sociedad and Espanyol lifting them to 40 points and away from the bottom three. But with a trip to third-placed Champions League qualifiers Villarreal on Wednesday, Sevilla are still nervously looking over their shoulders.

BARCELONA made winning the Spanish title look like a Sunday stroll down Las Ramblas but while they can relax, half of the clubs in La Liga are still sweating on surviving one of the tightest relegation scraps in recent times. While bottom club Real Oviedo are all but down and out, Levante in 19th spot and 10th-placed Osasuna are separated by six points ahead of a round of crucial midweek fixtures. Historically, the survival line in La Liga falls in the high 30s, with 40 points generally enough to stay up. With three rounds of fixtures remaining this season, however, 40 points looks unlikely to be enough in what is the most intense relegation battle amongst Europe’s top leagues. “We have to show we’re ready to be in the mud -- this is what the relegation fight is about now, and only the teams that accept that will survive,“ Elche manager Eder Sarabia said of the qualities needed to stay above the dreaded line. The situation is complex. With two