DUBLIN, Ohio – Sergio Garcia told reporters last week that Luke Donald, this year’s European Ryder Cup captain, informed him the Spaniard “had no chance” to make this year’s team after resigning his DP World Tour membership.

On Tuesday, the player who will be impacted the most by Garcia’s decision, Jon Rahm, lamented the loss.

“I'm going to miss him. We had a great partnership at Whistling Straights,” said Rahm, who went 3-0-0 at the 2021 Ryder Cup teamed with Garcia. “A Spanish duo in the Ryder Cup I think to me is embedded into the roots of the Ryder Cup. Look what Seve [Ballesteros] and [Jose Maria Olazabal] were able to do throughout their partnership, right.

“It's a little sad to me that politics have gotten in the way of such a beautiful event.”

Garcia joined a group of other European players who resigned their DP World Tour membership after the circuit handed down fines of nearly £500,000 – and counting – for violating the tour’s conflicting-event release policies when they joined LIV Golf. Players are required to be members of the European tour to play for the Continent in the Ryder Cup.

The U.S. Ryder Cup team, which requires PGA of America membership but not PGA Tour membership, will likely include at least one player who joined LIV Golf. Brooks Koepka moved to second on the U.S. points list following his victory two weeks ago at the PGA Championship and he could earn one of the six automatic qualifying spots.

“Again, it's the best Europeans against the best Americans, period,” Rahm said. “Whatever is going on, who is playing LIV and who is not playing LIV to me shouldn't matter. It's whoever is best suited to represent the European side. And I have a hard time to believe that the best player Europe has ever had, the most successful player Europe has had on the Ryder Cup isn't fit to be on the team.”

Rose Zhang does everything with purpose. She plots her way around a course, hitting tee shots into the proper positions, hitting greens in the right spots. The game plan is measured and well-thought-out.

And very effective.

That approach led to arguably the best collegiate career in women’s golf history – in just two years – and it’s the approach she’ll continue to employ as a professional.

In all facets. 

Zhang is making her professional debut at this week’s LPGA Tour stop, the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National in New Jersey.

She’s coming off a whirlwind week in which she became the first female to win multiple NCAA individual titles on Monday, lost in the semifinals of the team match play on Tuesday, turned 20 on Wednesday, finished up quizzes and turned in essays on Thursday, and announced that she was forgoing her final two years of college on Friday.

The decision didn’t come without plenty of thought. Years of it.

Zhang said, when she first started at Stanford, she told coach Anne Walker that she eventually wanted to play professionally but wasn’t sure when that eventually would be. First, she wanted to see how she fared on the college level.

“I believe that if you're not able to conquer one stage, then you won't be able to go on to the next one and say that it's time for the next step,” she said on Tuesday.

Zhang won four times as a freshman, including an NCAA championship sweep of the individual and team crowns. She then won eight times as a sophomore.

Conquer, she did.

Zhang knows people will be expecting her to continue her winning ways on the LPGA, where she has exemptions into the four remaining majors as well as a handful of other regular events.

She admits to feeling the pressure – “Well, I’m human,” she said – but added, “I have a fundamental core that allows me to just keep going and not think about other people's expectations.

“Growing up, my family and the people around me have given me high expectations for what I should do as a person, not just as a competitor or a golf player, so I kind of fall back towards those morals and who I am as an individual.”

One of the people she can count on for support is this week’s tournament host, Michelle Wie West.

Wie West graduated from Stanford – which Zhang still plans to do – and knows all about the pressure of expectations.

She expects Zhang will do just fine.

“I think she is a rock star,” Wie West said Tuesday, “and I cannot wait to see what she does on tour.”

Zhang, however, isn’t going to live the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. And she’s not going to get caught up in the hype or get too frustrated if professional success doesn’t come immediately.

She’s just going to be Rose.

“Try to adjust as much as possible to tour life and figure out what it means to be a professional, what I want to do out here,” she said.

“I feel like I have a lot of time to experiment what I want to do, so that's kind of the mindset that I have going throughout my career and even going forward.”

AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho has stated he's had "zero contacts with other clubs" and that he is firmly focused on leading his team to the Europa League title.

The Giallorossi take on six-time champions Sevilla in Wednesday's final in Budapest.

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The Portuguese coach has one year left on his contract with Roma but has been linked with former club Real Madrid.

"I have zero contact with other clubs, really," Mourinho said. "I think about tomorrow and what we want to do, because we want to play."

Mourinho guided Roma to the Europa Conference League title last season, his fifth European crown.

The former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager remains unbeaten in European finals but faces a team that's won all six of their previous Europa League finals.

"History does not play," Mourinho said. "My colleague [Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar] thinks differently, I have respect for him. He believes history makes Sevilla favourites; I respect that. We are in the final because we deserve it, they have a history that we don't have.

"For them playing a Europa League final is a normal thing, for us it is an extraordinary event. For their fans traveling to a final, it's like going away in the league, for ours it will be unforgettable.

"The Sevilla players have more experience, but we've been playing together for two years."

Mourinho believes his team is ready.

"We played 14 games to get here, we deserve it," he said. "In the last few days, we have worked to be in a position to fight for the title."

Roma forward Paulo Dybala is still bothered by an ankle injury suffered last month but could feature.

The Argentina international has scored 16 goals and has eight assists across all competitions this season.

"Let's say he has about 30 minutes that he can give us," Mourinho said.

Unlike Mourinho, Sevilla coach Mendilibar is going into his first European final.

Mendilibar, 62, took the reins of Sevilla in March following Jorge Sampaoli's sacking, and his contract expires in June.

"This is my first final, unlike my club, the rival and Mourinho," Mendilibar said. "The team that makes the least mistakes will win. We know how they are going to play and how we are going to play. Our idea is clear, and we are not going to change it."

As for what he'll be doing next season, he said: "I'm not worried in the least about my future. I signed a contract until June. I'm calm, I came from unemployment to Sevilla."

The United States cruised into the quarterfinals of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup with a 4-0 victory over New Zealand in Tuesday's round of 16 matchup in Mendoza, Argentina.

Austin FC's Owen Wolff got the opening goal of the contest with a low shot that caught out New Zealand goalkeeper Kees Sims in the 14th minute. Cade Cowell then continued his fine performances at the tournament by netting a third goal in three games in the 61st minute to double the U.S. advantage.

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FC Dallas defender Justin Che and substitute Rokas Pukstas later put the icing on the cake of a dominant win with goals in the final 15 minutes.

Having qualified for the knockout stage with maximum points and as the only team not to concede a goal, the U.S. defense again held firm for a fourth-straight shutout.

It is the fourth Under-20 World Cup in a row that the U.S. has reached the quarterfinal stage. The young Americans will take on either Uruguay or Gambia, who meet on Thursday, in the last eight when it will look to reach the semifinals for just the second time and first since 1989.

While the win was eventually an emphatic one, Mikey Varas' team was grateful for a fine save by Chelsea goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina to keep New Zealand out in the early stages as he got down low to his right to turn a Jay Herdman shot behind.

And there was an element of fortune about the U.S. goal to break the deadlock, with Wolff's shot lacking power but still beating Sims in the New Zealand goal.

Still, it was a deserved win for the U.S., which had multiple chances to get a second goal before Cowell's strike. Jonathan Gomez twice went close either side of half-time following low crosses from Cowell and Caleb Wiley, while Joshua Wynder forced a smart save from Sims.

It was left to 19-year-old Cowell to give the U.S. some much welcome breathing room and continue his star turn in the competition. The San Jose Earthquakes forward fired a low left-footed shot through the legs of a defender and into the corner of the net past an unmoved goalkeeper to effectively seal the win.

Cowell was again involved in the third goal with 15 minutes remaining. Fed by Diego Luna, Cowell rounded the goalkeeper before squaring the ball for two teammates in the center. While Luna's initial shot was blocked, Che scrambled in the rebound for his first goal of the competition.

There was still time for Pukstas to get in on the fun, heading home a free kick from Brandan Craig just three minutes after coming off the bench.

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced Tuesday that Anthony Hudson is leaving his role as interim manager of the United States men's national team to take a new role, and will be replaced by USMNT assistant B.J. Callaghan.

Hudson is departing to take a head-coaching role in the Middle East, sources confirmed to ESPN and as first reported by Keith Costigan.

Callaghan will coach the U.S. men through both the Concacaf Nations League and the Concacaf Gold Cup.

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"B.J. has been an integral part of the USMNT staff during the last four years as this young team has grown and developed," said USSF sporting director Matt Crocker in a statement.

"Working alongside Anthony Hudson these last five months, we are confident he is prepared and ready to lead this group in the summer tournaments.

"We are grateful to Anthony for the tremendous job he did and wish him success in the future."

Callaghan has served as assistant coach of the USMNT for the past four years, initially serving as the strategy analyst before being promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2021 Nations League.

He is currently the longest-serving member of the USMNT technical staff.

Prior to his time with the USMNT, he had been with the Philadelphia Union for seven years, first with the Union Academy for two years and then spending five years as a first-team assistant coach to Jim Curtin.

Callaghan played four seasons at Ursinus College and served as an assistant at Villanova.

"I understand the responsibility of the job and am honored to have the opportunity to build upon the progress this group has made the last four years," Callaghan said in a statement.

"Together, we have built a strong culture and a great understanding of how we want to play, and we expect to continue to build on that progress.

"Our goal is clear: defend both of our Concacaf titles."

The U.S. men have been without a manager since Gregg Berhalter's contract expired at the end of 2022 amid an investigation into a domestic violence incident from 1992 that involved him and his wife, Rosalind.

The incident was divulged to U.S. Soccer by Danielle Reyna, mother of USMNT forward Gio Reyna, in response to Berhalter's comments at a leadership conference in which he referenced how an unnamed player -- later identified as Gio Reyna -- was nearly sent home from the tournament for reacting poorly to his lack of playing time in Qatar.

A subsequent investigation by U.S. Soccer found that Gregg and Rosalind Berhalter accurately portrayed the incident, and that Gregg Berhalter was free to be hired by the USSF.

A U.S. Soccer spokesperson confirmed to ESPN last week that "nothing has changed" with regard to Berhalter's candidacy.

Last week, Crocker said that the USSF hopes to have a full-time manager in place by the end of the summer.

But the fact that a second interim manager is being named will call into question the approach of taking so long to fill the managerial position on a permanent basis.

"We think this decision is critical not only for the next three years but also for the legacy that this coach will leave on the future of the program," Crocker said last week about the hiring process. "We intend to be thoughtful and thorough in our evaluation and our selection."

Hudson departs after spending five months as the interim manager and two years as a USMNT assistant. He oversaw the U.S. team for five matches, compiling a record of 2-1-2.

Included in that mark were wins against Grenada and El Salvador in the CNL that advanced the U.S. to the semifinals, where it will face Mexico on June 15.

"I would like to thank U.S. Soccer for the opportunity to be part of such a great team of players and staff," Hudson said in a statement. "It's been an honor to represent the National Team and one that I have truly valued and enjoyed. The group is in good hands with B.J., and I'm excited to watch and support the team as it continues to grow and reach the heights we all know they are capable of."

Callaghan said that he would lean on his experience as an assistant during previous tournaments in order to help the U.S. retain both the CNL and Gold Cup titles. His coaching staff has yet to be determined.

"I've learned a lot from navigating these competitions with the team during the previous cycle, as well as the three-game World Cup qualifying windows," he said.

"The Nations League has two high-level matches and then you immediately have to switch your approach with a mostly different roster as you're coming in to navigate the Gold Cup during a 30-day period.

"I have strong experience in both competitions and understand the unique challenges both present. We will rely strongly on the well-established relationships with the players in order to help us defend both titles."

USMNT and Fulham player Tim Ream said: "First of all, congratulations to Anthony and we wish him all the best in his new opportunity. After speaking to B.J., one main takeaway is that nothing changes for this group.

"The messaging, goals, and ideas stay the same, with a new voice at the top. His is a familiar voice that we are all comfortable with and have been around for years. We are positioned well to win another Nations League and we need to be prepared from day one of camp to get the job done."

Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital takeover of Chelsea. The consortium paid an initial £2.5 billion to buy the Blues from Roman Abramovich with an agreement to invest a further £1.75bn to aid the club's development. "Our vision as owners is clear: We want to make the fans proud," Boehly said in a statement confirming the deal.

It is fair to say their aim remains a work in progress.

Boehly, who is also part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Californian private equity firm Clearlake have spent more than £600 million to sign 17 players over the past 12 months. Breaking the British transfer record to land Argentina international Enzo Fernandez for £106.8m, that strategy has focused on assembling a core group of young players capable of delivering sustained sustained success, but in trying to build for the future, Chelsea have suffered in the here and now.

The new owners have presided over a 12th-place finish in the Premier League with the Blues' lowest points tally (44) since 1987-88 (42), when they were relegated. They have sacked two managers, ended up trophyless for only the second time since 2016, and are without any European football next season.

Mauricio Pochettino's appointment as coach heralds the start of what the owners hope will be an exciting new chapter at Chelsea, but ESPN looks back at how they reached this point.

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June 2022

Although the new owners begin a 100-day review of all departments upon taking over, personnel changes start almost immediately. Bruce Buck is removed as chairman and director Marina Granovskaia steps back from running the club's transfer negotiations. Both are officially retained as senior advisers, but sources tell ESPN that neither played a significant role amid concerns about their close ties to the previous regime, made publicly toxic by Abramovich's alleged links Russia president Vladimir Putin which triggered the sale of the club initially. Boehly essentially takes on both positions, becoming chairman and interim sporting director.

The new regime are keen to retain technical and performance director Petr Cech, who had forged a strong working relationship with coach Thomas Tuchel and understood Chelsea well, having spent three years in the role, in addition to making 333 appearances as a goalkeeper. However, following talks with Boehly, Cech chooses to leave the club. Former head of goalkeepers Christophe Lollichon and chief executive Guy Laurence also depart.

One of Boehly's first acts in the transfer market is to sanction striker Romelu Lukaku's return to Inter Milan on loan for a second season. Sources say Cech felt Chelsea should find a place for their £97.5m striker, but Boehly disagrees. Granovskaia was notorious for driving a hard bargain when it came to player exits, but Boehly accepts a cut-price £6.7m loan fee to quickly resolve Lukaku's situation and help planning elsewhere.

Around this time, Boehly meets with agent Jorge Mendes in Portugal. Sources tell ESPN that Chelsea were offered the chance to sign the 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United after they missed out on Champions League qualification. Boehly was keen and presented the idea to Tuchel, who rejected it out of hand on the basis of Ronaldo's age and inability to fit into his high-press tactical plan -- it would be the start of several disagreements between Boehly and Tuchel.

July

Shortly after Chelsea embark on their preseason tour of the United States, Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling becomes the first men's signing of the new era (after Chelsea Women acquired Eve Perisset from Bordeaux) in £47.5m move. Two days later, centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly joins from Napoli for £34m, but rumours quickly begin to surface over Tuchel's unhappiness, partly at the Chelsea's transfer activity but also their schedule, which takes in travel across the whole of America.

On July 24, Arsenal thrash Chelsea 4-0 in Orlando after which he says: "The worrying part is the level of commitment, physically and mentally."

Boehly then raises the prospect of signing Ronaldo again, adding to Tuchel's irritation. Whereas previously Tuchel was almost exclusively allowed to focus on coaching the team, Boehly and Eghbali expected their head coach to be more engaged with other aspects of the club. Sources tell ESPN the relationship between Tuchel and his new employers became strained by the level of daily communication they expected.

Meanwhile, Boehly organises a lunch with his Premier League counterparts, which took place after July's shareholder meeting. The gesture is said to have been well received, as he attempts to ingratiate himself with senior figures in English football. Sources say he also spoke to Brighton chairman Tony Bloom about a possible transfer for left-back Marc Cucurella.

August

Cucurella signs from Brighton for £62m on Aug. 5. Bloom later describes Boehly as a "tough but respectful" negotiator, although sources have told ESPN that Manchester City were quoted £50m earlier in the window to bring in the defender.

U.S. youth international goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina (£8m) and Carney Chukwuemeka (£15m), both 18, are acquired from Chicago Fire and Aston Villa respectively, with the club's plan to offer long-term contracts beginning to emerge. Handing out six-year contracts is an unusual move, but the cost of the transfer fee can be spread over a longer period, meaning the annual outlay in year one is lower, therefore aiding the club's compliance with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.

By this point, Tuchel is barely concealing his frustration, admitting his team are not ready for the new season. Sources close to Tuchel tell ESPN he is expecting the sack before the campaign started, such is the animosity behind the scenes. However, he remains in place and the club suffer a mixed start, beating Everton and Leicester while losing at Leeds and Southampton.

A frantic end to the transfer window sees Chelsea make offers to sign several players, leading to criticism that their approach is lacking precision. One example is Chelsea's interest in AC Milan winger Rafael Leao: sources say the club had not shown much serious interest in Leao all summer and then suddenly made a verbal offer three days before the end of the window. Milan rejected the proposal in part because of how late it came.

Elsewhere, the Blues prise 21-year-old centre-back Wesley Fofana away from Leicester City in a £75m deal and he signs a seven-year deal.

September

The transfer window closes on Sept. 2 with Chelsea loaning midfielder Denis Zakaria from Juventus and signing former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for £10m from Barcelona. The club's head of international scouting, Scott McLachlan, resigns 24 hours later. Aubameyang is happy to reunite with Tuchel, with the pair having thrived together at Borussia Dortmund, but Tuchel is sacked six days later.

The decision comes at the end of the club's 100-day review, and Tuchel's final game in charge is a 1-0 Champions League group stage defeat to Dinamo Zagreb. Relations between Tuchel and the new owners had deteriorated, as they felt his style was simply incompatible with their approach, so Boehly and Eghbali move quickly to bring in Graham Potter, paying a release clause of around £21m to take him and his support staff from Brighton. Although sources tell ESPN that the pair spoke to multiple candidates, he is always their preferred option.

Potter is appointed within a day of Tuchel's exit, though his unveiling is delayed out of respect for the death of Queen Elizabeth II. All Premier League matches are cancelled, meaning Potter's first match is a 1-1 draw against FC Salzburg in the Champions League. Kyle Macaulay also joins Chelsea from Brighton in a recruitment role.

Elsewhere, Boehly continues to push his ideas. Talking at the SALT thought leaders conference in New York, he raises the possibility of a Premier League North vs. South All-Star match, saying: "I hope the Premier League takes a little bit of a lesson from American sports." Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp quickly pours scorn on the idea: "He doesn't wait long, eh? Great, when he finds a date for that he can call me. He forgets in the big sports in America they have a four-month break. It is completely different in football. Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters as well and let them play against a football team?"

October

After the Salzburg game, Potter records five consecutive victories, including wins over AC Milan home and away. With a new head coach in place and the transfer window closed, Boehly and Eghbali step up their search for candidates for their sporting infrastructure.

Chelsea's operations in the Abramovich era were unusual by modern-day standards, with Granovskaia, Cech and Tuchel working closely to identify targets. With Macaulay on board, Chelsea seek to identify recruitment experts willing to embrace a greater influence of data in talent identification.

Sources tell ESPN that Boehly and Eghbali felt the club's analytics department should have more of a voice in the club's recruitment strategy. Joe Shields is acquired from Southampton as co-director of recruitment and talent (starting work in January.) Laurence Stewart is hired from Monaco as "technical director to focus on football globally," according to the club's press release, and agrees to join in February.

The month ends with a humbling 4-1 defeat at Potter's former club Brighton, a result which, domestically at least, precipitates something of a collapse.

November

While Boehly and Eghbali continue filling out the new hierarchy -- appointing Paul Winstanley from Brighton as director of global talent and transfers -- the team's performances take an alarming dip. Chelsea's only victory of the month comes against Dinamo Zagreb. Defeats against Arsenal, Man City (EFL Cup) and Newcastle follow as Chelsea break for the 2022 World Cup in eighth place, nine points outside the top four. In losing to Arsenal, Aubameyang touches the ball just eight touches in 64 minutes. He does not start another game until May 2.

Potter is still searching for his best team. Although he is no stranger to tactical variation at Brighton, his use of a number of systems -- 3-5-2, 3-4-3, 4-2-2-2 and 4-3-3 -- smacks of a group still trying to find some cohesion after a summer of transition. Sources tell ESPN at the time there was sympathy with Potter given a run of 13 matches in six weeks (eight away from home) had reduced opportunities for extending training blocks.

The vast majority of the squad head off to Qatar to play for their countries at the World Cup, but Potter takes the remaining group to Abu Dhabi for a warm-weather training camp.

December

Boehly and Eghbali spend time during the World Cup meeting agents ahead of the January transfer window. Christopher Vivell is appointed as the club's new technical director. He joins from RB Leipzig and begins work immediately. Chelsea advance talks to sign Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku for £60m ahead of next summer in a bid to steal a march on rivals.

Chelsea return to action on Dec. 27 with a 2-0 home win over Bournemouth and a day later, announce the £10m signing of 20-year-old striker David Datro Fofana from Molde to be completed on Jan. 1.

January

Results continue to slide under Potter. Chelsea exit the FA Cup at the third-round stage with a 4-0 thrashing at Manchester City, while a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace is their only victory of the month. Off the pitch, Chelsea get busy in the transfer market.

Defender Benoit Badiashile (£34m) signs from Monaco, Brazilian teenager Andrey Santos (£18m) arrives from Vasco de Gama. Multiple Premier League clubs are offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix on loan but only Chelsea are willing to pay the £8m loan fee. He is sent off on his debut at Fulham and banned for three games.

The Blues then beat Arsenal to the £88.5m signing of Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk. The Gunners had spent weeks negotiating an agreement but sources say that Chelsea offered a more generous and attainable bonus payment structure to secure the deal. Less than a week later, Chelsea sign another winger -- Noni Madueke from PSV Eindhoven for £30m -- before securing French defender Malo Gusto on a seven-year contract for £34m from Lyon, before sending him back on loan.

The Blues save the most explosive deal for last, smashing the British transfer record for 22-year-old midfielder Enzo Fernandez in £106.8m move from Benfica. Fernandez is one of the stars of Argentina's World Cup-winning team, and sources say that Eghbali played a key role in securing a deal paid in six instalments. Chelsea manage to move Jorginho to Arsenal for £10m but otherwise largely struggle with outgoings and Hakim Ziyech's proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain collapses at the last minute due to an administrative error.

February

Chelsea now have a squad of 31 first-team players. Aubameyang, Badiashile and Madueke are dropped from the Champions League squad, as UEFA rules state only three new players can be registered for the knockout stages, while training sessions become bloated and centre-back Thiago Silva claims the dressing rooms have to be modified to accommodate all the players.

Potter begins to chop and change his selections even more, at least in part to try and keep the majority of players happy. But results do not improve. In fact, Chelsea score just one goal in February -- in a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Reshuffling continues off the field, with Stewart and Winstanley named co-sporting directors and given greater prominence in first-team affairs. Potter begins to open up in news conferences over the pressures he is facing and reveals that senior Chelsea players have told him the club's preseason was "the worst they've had." He also says he has received emails wishing him and his children dead.

Supporters remain divided over Potter's ability to turn things around but he faces a furious backlash when Chelsea lose 1-0 at home to Southampton, a team who eventually finish bottom of the Premier League.

March

Potter starts the month with three consecutive victories, the second of which is an impressive 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg and reach the Champions League quarterfinals. It is a moment when the players and supporters rally behind Potter to produce his finest night as Chelsea manager. Yet it is only a flash of light in a sea of darkness.

A 2-2 draw against relegation-threatened Everton takes Potter's record to 10 defeats and eight draws from 30 games. It also sets in stone a cyclical pattern of Chelsea failures that he seems unable to answer: The Blues retain possession, miss chances and then concede soft goals. Sources tell ESPN that the club's internal modelling suggested Potter was underperforming given the resources available and talk over his future is rife.

April

A 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa on April 1 puts more distance between Chelsea and the top four and, with a Champions League double-header against Real Madrid on the horizon, the owners feel they have to act ahead of the Liverpool game. Potter is sacked on April 3.

Bruno Salter, who only started coaching under Potter at Brighton four years earlier, is placed in temporary charge, despite having no previous management experience. A drab 0-0 draw follows and a dramatic return for Lampard in a caretaker capacity is completed on April 6. It is a move that some believe will appease supporters given his legendary status as a player -- and experience as former manager -- but others point to the fact Lampard was axed by Everton after a win percentage of 27.3%. A 1-0 defeat away to Wolves in his first game doesn't help his cause.

But, perhaps emboldened by Lampard's return, Boehly gives a bullish response when asked for his prediction for the first leg against Real Madrid, claiming Chelsea will win 3-0. Instead, Chelsea are thoroughly outplayed and fortunate to lose 2-0 after defender Ben Chilwell is sent off. Lampard later laments the level of fitness in the squad and Boehly attempts to rally the squad in a clumsy fashion in a long dressing room address which includes telling them the season had been "embarrassing."

Although they improve in the second leg, Chelsea are beaten by the same score at Stamford Bridge and exit the competition 4-0 on aggregate. While Lampard soldiers on amid home defeats to Brighton and Brentford, Chelsea step up their search for a permanent replacement. Sources said that five-to-seven names were being considered for the role, with Chelsea determined to follow a more methodical process than when hiring Potter. Stewart and Winstanley are tasked with leading the search, and sources say the club met with Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann among others.

May

After losing six consecutive games, Lampard records his first win vs. Bournemouth on May 6. Sources tell ESPN that Boehly had not been over to London for several weeks, a deliberate decision to allow Winstanley and Stuart space to lead the managerial search.

Mauricio Pochettino is identified as the club's preferred choice. Talks edge to a conclusion, with the club announcing his appointment on a two-year contract (with an option for a third year) a day after the Premier League season finishes. Lampard's record reads: P11 W1 D2 L8. And Chelsea end the season with 16 league defeats in all, scoring just 38 league goals -- their lowest return since 1924.

Pochettino's appointment -- along with longtime assistant manager Jesus Perez, plus first-team coach Miguel D'Agostino, goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez and his sports scientist son, Sebastiano -- is not the end of the reshuffling. Chris Jurasek is named chief executive officer, and former Stoke City scout Andy Cousins agrees to join the recruitment team. Plans for a summer clearout of the squad continue while the club also hold a series of meetings with residents over the long-awaited proposals to redevelop Stamford Bridge. There is no clear plan at this stage whether to redevelop the current site or move.

As is outlined above, Chelsea have had enough going on in Year 1.

PARIS -- Kosovo's tennis federation has accused Novak Djokovic of aggravating an already tense situation after he wrote that Kosovo was "the heart of Serbia" on a camera lens after his first-round victory Monday at the French Open.

Thirty NATO peacekeeping soldiers were injured Monday in clashes with Serb protesters in the northern Kosovo town of Zvecan, where Djokovic's father grew up.

Serbs, who comprise a majority in Kosovo's north, have never accepted the country's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. They still see Belgrade as their capital more than two decades after a Kosovo Albanian uprising against repressive Serbian rule. Ethnic Albanians make up more than 90% of the population of Kosovo as a whole.

Monday's clashes came as ethnic Albanian mayors took office in Serb-majority areas following elections that the Serbs had boycotted.

"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence," Djokovic, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, wrote in Serbian on a TV camera at Roland Garros.

Djokovic later explained that he was against war, but he defended his statement and described Kosovo's situation as a "precedent."

"As a son of a man born in Kosovo, I feel the need to give my support to our people and to entire Serbia," he told reporters. "My stance is clear: I am against wars, violence and any kind of conflict, as I've always stated publicly. I empathize with all people, but the situation with Kosovo is a precedent in international law."

Kosovo tennis federation president Jeton Hadergjonaj said in a statement: "The comments made by Novak Djokovic at the end of his Roland Garros match against Aleksandar Kovacevic, his statements at the post-match press conference and his Instagram post are regrettable."

Hadergjonaj accused Djokovic of using his status as a well-known personality to stir tensions.

"Novak Djokovic was already the author of similar actions in the past. Despite a general message against violence, the statement 'Kosovo is the heart of Serbia' and further statements after the match, made by such a public figure, on the occasion of a worldwide event like the French Open, directly result in raising the level of tension between the two states, Serbia and Kosovo," the statement added.

The French Tennis Federation (FFT), which organizes the French Open, said in a statement: "The same rules apply to all four Grand Slams. The tournament referee and Grand Slam Supervisors ensure that these rules are complied with.

"Messages are passed on to the teams of any players concerned by such matters."

A source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters the FFT did not see Djokovic's action as "detrimental to the best interests of the tournament," as per the Grand Slam rulebook.

Neither the International Tennis Federation (ITF) nor the ATP, which manages men's professional tennis, were available for comment on Tuesday.