Sports Hot News Morning April 25: Vietnam U17's Opponent Draws with Thailand on the Day Coach Roland's Team Wins Championship

Sports Hot News Morning April 25: UAE U17 Ends Training Camp in Thailand; Arteta Predicted to Possibly Lead Barcelona...

Vietnam U17's Opponent Draws with Thailand U17

UAE U17 officially concluded their training camp in Bangkok with a 1-1 draw against the host Thailand U17 team in a friendly match held on April 24 evening at Dynamic Stadium, coinciding with Vietnam U17 winning the Southeast Asia U17 Championship after a 3-0 victory over Malaysia U17. The sole goal for UAE U17 was scored by player Salem Jamal in the 6th minute.

Earlier, during this training camp, UAE U17 also played two friendly matches against India U17. The results were a 0-1 loss in the first match but a resounding 5-0 victory in the rematch.

In the 2026 AFC U17 Championship group stage, UAE U17 is in Group C alongside Vietnam U17, South Korea U17, and Yemen U17. UAE U17 will face Vietnam U17 in the final group match on May 13. The top two teams in the group will advance to the quarter-finals and secure a spot for the 2026 U17 World Cup.

Arteta Predicted to Possibly Lead Barcelona

Mikel Arteta is predicted to potentially coach Barcelona FC in the future, even if he does not help Arsenal win the Premier League. Former Barcelona defender Miguel Nadal believes Arteta possesses "Barcelona DNA" due to his La Masia foundation and tactical mindset aligning with Johan Cruyff's philosophy.

Nadal emphasized that Barcelona prioritizes character and style over titles, citing successful examples like Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. He praised Arteta's process of building Arsenal into a consistent title contender with a ball-control playing style, considering it ideal preparation for the Camp Nou environment.

Nadal stated: "Arteta started with Guardiola but currently at Arsenal, he is having a brilliant period. I think for coaches, it's not always necessary to look at a CV with trophies. It's also about seeing something different. Not just because he was a Barcelona player, I still think he is capable of taking on the responsibility at this club."

Mbappe Injured on the Day Real Madrid Was Held to a Draw

Real Madrid drew 1-1 against Real Betis, thus falling 8 points behind FC Barcelona in the La Liga title race. Vinícius Júnior opened the scoring early for Madrid, but Héctor Bellerín equalized in the 90+4 minute, causing the visitors to lose the win.

In this match, Kylian Mbappé had to leave the field in the 81st minute after feeling discomfort, with an initial diagnosis of a left hamstring strain.

"I'm not sure what issue Mbappé has," Coach Arbeloa said in the post-match press conference. "He felt a bit uncomfortable. We will monitor his condition over the next few days," Coach Arbeloa added.

This season, Mbappé has scored 24 goals in 28 domestic league appearances. He is also expected to be a key figure for the French national team at the World Cup this summer. France, the team that reached the final in the last two World Cups, will begin their campaign on June 16 against Senegal.

Chicago Fire FC Cool on Lewandowski

The MLS team Chicago Fire FC is reportedly less interested in pursuing Robert Lewandowski, despite active negotiations during the winter transfer window. According to The Athletic, the deal never came close to an agreement, as the striker's contract with FC Barcelona expires in June. Lewandowski himself admitted his future is unclear and has not made a final decision.

Currently, Chicago has shifted focus to other targets, especially as main striker Hugo Cuypers is in high form with 6 goals in 5 matches, following his 2025 season of 17 goals. Meanwhile, Lewandowski has clearly declined, scoring only 12 goals this season, much fewer than last season's 27.

At the national team level, Poland failed to qualify for the World Cup, nearly closing Lewandowski's chance to participate in the next major tournament. Conversely, Chicago is having an impressive season start under Gregg Berhalter.

Nottingham Wins 5-0 Against Sunderland

Nottingham Forest secured a heavy 5-0 victory at Sunderland's ground, thereby widening the gap from the relegation group to 8 points over Tottenham with 5 rounds remaining in the season.

The match was decided early in the first half, as Trai Hume's own goal initiated a series of consecutive goals by Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Igor Jesus within 6 minutes. By the end, Elliot Anderson sealed the 5-0 win.

Forest extended their unbeaten streak to 8 matches across all competitions, continuing their rise after reaching the Europa League semi-finals. Conversely, Sunderland suffered their heaviest defeat since promotion, with the defense repeatedly making errors. The host's efforts were not rewarded as one goal was denied by VAR and many opportunities were missed.

Estevao Out for the Season Due to Injury

Chelsea confirmed Estevao will miss the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury, while leaving open the possibility of participating in this summer's World Cup. The 19-year-old player sustained the injury during the match against Manchester United and left the field after only 16 minutes, subsequently missing the loss to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Acting Coach Calum McFarlane stated no specific recovery timeline has been set, but acknowledged this is a significant loss for the promising young player. Estevao has scored 8 goals this season and was expected to feature in Brazil's World Cup squad, where they face Morocco in their opening match.

His injury further worries the Brazil national team, as Rodrygo previously also had to take a long-term break from play.