Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw will miss Wednesday night’s Champions League qualifier against Paris FC due to a visa issue.

The Jamaica international was unable to travel to France for the first leg of the round two qualifier, despite efforts to secure the necessary paperwork.

While the issue has prevented her from featuring in the match, it is expected that there will be no further visa complications for future fixtures.

Shaw’s absence is a significant setback for City, as the 27-year-old has been one of Gareth Taylor’s most vital players.

GO DEEPER

Khadija Shaw: My Game In My Words

She was the Women’s Super League (WSL) top scorer last season, netting 21 goals in 18 games, matching Sam Kerr’s tally from 2020-21. Only Vivianne Miedema and Rachel Daly, with 22 goals in the 2018-19 and 2022-23 seasons, have surpassed that mark.

Shaw’s outstanding form earned her the WSL player of the season accolade, as well as the Professional Footballers’ Association and Football Writers’ Association Women’s footballer of the year awards.

City finished second in the WSL last season, with only the winners, Chelsea, securing automatic Champions League qualification.

(Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Manchester City completed a PFA Player of the Year double on Tuesday night as midfielder Phil Foden and striker Bunny Shaw were named men’s and women’s winners for 2023-24.

Foden, 24, scored 19 goals and provided eight assists to help City clinch an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title under Pep Guardiola.

Erling Haaland — who won last season’s crown — was one of six nominees, including City midfielder Rodri, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer.

Shaw finished the campaign as the top scorer in the Women’s Super League (WSL) with 21 goals in 18 games for the club, despite having her season prematurely ended by a foot injury in late April.

The Jamaica international becomes the first female City player to scoop the award since Lucy Bronze won the accolade in 2016-17.

Shaw’s Man City team-mates Yui Hasegawa and Lauren Hemp were also nominated, alongside Chelsea’s Niamh Charles, Erin Cuthbert and Lauren James.

Having missed out on the evening’s main award, City academy graduate Cole Palmer was crowned the men’s Young Player of the Year after an outstanding debut campaign at…

The Premier League, EFL, FA, and Women’s Super League (WSL) have announced a new code of conduct for gambling-related agreements in football.

The code, which will be implemented at the start of the 2024-25 season, is designed to regulate gambling sponsorships across the professional game, emphasising four key principles: protection, social responsibility, reinvestment, and integrity.

A key aspect of the code is its emphasis on reinvestment. Revenue generated from gambling sponsorships must be redirected into football-related infrastructure and community programmes. This includes improvements to stadiums and training facilities, as well as investments in grassroots football and local community participation.

Under the new code, gambling sponsorships will also be required to target their marketing efforts more carefully to avoid reaching children and individuals at risk of gambling-related harm. Additionally, any gambling-related sponsorship must include educational initiatives and awareness campaigns designed to promote responsible gambling practices.

GO DEEPER

‘Some players bet on football – they know it’s breaking the rules but still do it’

The importance of maintaining the integrity of football competitions is also stressed in the code, adding that gambling sponsorships must…

Manchester City and England goalkeeper Khiara Keating and her mother Nicola appeared in court today (Tuesday) after being charged with possession of the Class C drug nitrous oxide.

The charges are in relation to an incident in Manchester on June 18, one day before Keating was due to report to St. George’s Park for an England training camp.

Both defendants were remanded on an unconditional bail until the next hearing on September 10.

A statement from Greater Manchester Police read: “Khiara Keating (27/06/2004) from Manchester has been charged with possession of class C drugs (Nitrous Oxide). She will appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Tuesday July 23.

“These charges relate to an incident which took place on Tuesday June 18 on Queens Road.”

A post from Nicola’s Instagram account denied the charges. City, meanwhile, declined to comment.

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, became classified as a Class C drug and possession was made illegal by the UK government in November 2023.

Keating, 19, had a breakthrough season at City during the 2023-24 campaign. She started all 22 of her side’s Women’s Super League fixtures and won the league’s Golden Glove award after keeping nine clean sheets.

She earned her first England call-up in October 2023 and has…

The Women’s Super League season will open with Arsenal versus Manchester City, as both teams look to finally end Chelsea’s grip on the title. Now Emma Hayes has left Chelsea to coach the U.S. Women’s National Team, there is a sense that this is the best opportunity yet to dethrone the most successful team of the WSL era.

Arsenal and City made strong starts to the transfer window, indicating a desire to be well-prepared by the time of the season opener on September 22: Arsenal have signed Mariona Caldentey from Barcelona, while City moved quickly to secure Vivianne Miedema from Arsenal.

For Jonas Eidevall and Gareth Taylor, head coaches of Arsenal and Manchester City respectively, there is a question mark over how long they can justify being in their jobs without winning the league. Taylor can at least point to his second-place finish last season, missing out on the title on goal difference, but for Eidevall, two successive third-place finishes where his team have been well adrift of the title race means the pressure is on.

GO DEEPER

WSL 2024-25 fixtures: Arsenal host Man City on opening weekend

The mutual decision by club and player to not renew Miedema’s contract took some by surprise, but it has long been clear that the all-time WSL top goalscorer was not suited to the…

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy says he “would die” to bring Premier League matches to the United States, explaining that he believes it is in the competition’s “enlightened self-interest” to do so.

Murphy, 66, has been involved in football for several decades, including serving on the board of U.S. Soccer and co-owning the NWSL team NJ/NY Gotham FC.

MetLife Stadium, the 82,500-capacity arena situated in New Jersey, will be the venue for the 2026 World Cup final and hosted a friendly between Manchester United and Arsenal last year, as well as three games — two group fixtures and a semi-final — at the Copa America this summer. Real Madrid and Barcelona will play a Clasico pre-season friendly there on August 3.

Asked whether he envisaged these matches becoming competitive fixtures, Murphy replied: “I would die for that. And by the way, the exhibitions — we will have Real and Barcelona on August 3, we’ll have to shrink our capacity a little bit for FIFA — every ticket was sold and the game didn’t count. I would love to — I would die — to see what happens in a game that counts. It would sell every ticket and then some.”

Leading executives at NBC Sports, the American broadcaster that spent $2.7billion (£2.2bn) on a six-year Premier League deal, have been…

Barcelona have completed the signing of England goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck on a free transfer.

Roebuck, 24, joins Barcelona on a two-year deal until 2026 following the expiration of her contract with Manchester City. The Athletic reported in April that Roebuck had signed an agreement to join the Spanish club in the summer.

The transfer means Roebuck becomes the Women’s Champions League holders’ third England international, joining midfielder Keira Walsh and right-back Lucy Bronze in the squad.

She will now compete with Barcelona No 1 Cata Coll and reserve keeper Gemma Font for a starting spot in goal next season.

In March, Roebuck revealed she had suffered a left occipital infarct, a type of stroke that occurs in the occipital lobe. She said she had not sustained lasting damage to her brain function or vision, adding she is “ready to give it all to get back to the thing I love most”. Barcelona were aware of the situation and have proceeded with the deal.

Roebuck has had her playing time restricted by the emergence of 19-year-old Khiara Keating. She did not play at all under manager Gareth Taylor last season, despite starting 17 out of 22 Women’s Super League games for City in 2022-23.

Speaking in May following the announcement of her exit, she said: “I’ve met so many…

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has said he is “open to everything” on his future amid interest in his services from clubs in Saudi Arabia.

The Belgium international will celebrate his 33rd birthday this month and referenced the potential increase in wages as being a potential pull factor to the Middle East.

De Bruyne has been a key player for City since his move from Wolfsburg in 2015, helping the club win six Premier League titles in nine seasons and their first-ever Champions League in 2023.  He has one year left on his contract at City and The Athletic has reported that he would be open to a move to MLS either this summer or next.

GO DEEPER

Kevin De Bruyne to Saudi Arabia: Would Manchester City actually let him go?

“At my age, you have to be open to everything,” De Bruyne told Belgian outlet HLN. “You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the last stage of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.”

De Bruyne added of his family situation: “For (my wife) Michele, an exotic adventure is okay. These are also conversations that we are having as a family. I still have one year left on my contract.

“My eldest son is aged eight and knows nothing but England. He asks how long I will play for City. When the time comes, we…

Dear readers,

The Premier League and Champions League are over for another season but the summer of 2024 is packed full of live action and transfer fun and games — and we’ll cover it all in detail on The Athletic.

From Europe’s major clubs travelling across the world (and to the United States in particular) to all the moves (and nearly moves) of the summer transfer window, plus two major international tournaments, Emma Hayes starting her reign as USWNT head coach and the Olympics, our team of reporters will bring you in-depth coverage of the things you care about.

We’ll be on the ground in Germany for Euro 2024; across the U.S. for Copa America, MLS, NWSL and Premier League pre-season; in Paris, France for the summer Olympic Games’ football action, and everywhere in between — ensuring you don’t miss a thing when it comes to the beautiful game.

The club content you know and love won’t stop either. Our trusted team of reporters will hit the phones to bring you the latest moves in the transfer window as we embark on an ambitious project to cover the summer ins and outs like never before.

And it doesn’t stop there.

You might already follow our NFL, NBA or NHL coverage, but did you know we also cover a range of other sports, including golf, Formula 1 and tennis? Mark out…

The Women’s Super League (WSL) season is over and, while the Champions League final is still to come on Saturday, it is time to reflect on 2023-24.

Our team of writers and analysts have been looking back at a dramatic campaign and have cast their votes in The Athletic’s end-of-season awards.

Our men’s football awards can be found here.

It’s time to reveal the winners…

Khadija Shaw reacts to being awarded with The Athletic’s WSL Player of the Season for 2023/24.#TAFCAwards | #MCFC pic.twitter.com/tWRO9fSOYW

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 21, 2024

---

WSL Player of the Season: Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)

Runner-up for the Golden Boot by two goals last year, this time there was no stopping Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, even though she missed the final three games of the season through injury. She has yet again shown what a complete striker she is, with a variety of top-class finishes, her impressive hold-up play and aerial prowess.

GO DEEPER

Khadija Shaw: My Game In My Words

A clear focal point for Manchester City, Shaw has been clinical in front of goal and a nightmare to defend against. The Jamaica international has bettered her statistics from last year, scoring 21 times in 18 matches — a rate of 1.37 goals per 90 minutes played. Her absence might have been…