Antonio Conte and Tottenham Hotspur have mutually agreed to part ways after 16 months.

Spurs are fourth in the Premier League, but their 15-year streak of winning a trophy will extend as they're out of all cup competitions.

Conte's assistant, Cristian Stellini, has been named acting head coach for the rest of the season with Ryan Mason chosen as Stellini's assistant.

Conte had grown frustrated at what he perceived was a difference in strategy with the club reluctant to commit to the radical overhaul of the team he believed was necessary.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in hiring Julian Nagelsmann to replace Antonio Conte.

Spurs are expected to part ways with Conte before the end of the current international break.

Thomas Tuchel was also a candidate for Spurs, but he was hired by Bayern Munich this week to replace Nagelsmann. 

Spurs were interested in Nagelsmann in 2021 after they dismissed Jose Mourinho but he was set on a move to Bayern from RB Leipzig.

Bayern Munich have fired Julian Nagelsmann and will hire Thomas Tuchel as his replacement.

Tuchel's contract will run until 2025. Tuchel had also been in touch with Tottenham Hotspur about replacing Antonio Conte.

Bayern hired Nagelsmann away from RB Leipzig in April 2021 to replace the outgoing Hansi Flick.

Bayern are in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but are trailing Borussia Dortmund by a point in the Bundesliga. 

Tuchel left Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of 2021 to take over the manager's job at Chelsea. Chelsea fired Tuchel at the start of the 22-23 season.

Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from soccer at the age of 34. Ozil helped Germany win the World Cup in 2014.

Ozil made 645 career appearances for club and country, including 254 for Arsenal across a seven-year stint. He featured in the club's FA Cup finals in 2014, 2015 and 2017, helping his side to victory in all three Wembley matches.

"After thoughtful consideration, I'm announcing my immediate retirement from professional football," Ozil wrote in an announcement posted to Twitter.

"I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity. But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football.

"It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions. I want to thank my clubs - Schalke, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal FC, Fenerbahçe, Basaksehir and the coaches who supported me, plus teammates who have become friends.

"Special thanks must go to my family members and my closest friends. They have been a part of my journey from day one and have given me so much love and support, through the good times and the bad."

Tottenham Hotspur have begun searching for a new manager though Antonio Conte has yet to be fired.

Conte will almost certainly not return next season and may be fired before the end of the current season.

Spurs are still fourth, although Newcastle have closed to within two points of them with two matches in hand. 

Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Luis Enrique are candidates for the job and all three would likely prefer to begin their tenure in the offseason. 

Sevilla has fired Jorge Sampaoli as manager as they look to avoid relegation.

“Sevilla have today relieved Jorge Sampaoli of his duties,” read a club statement. “Following the defeat at Getafe, which leaves the side just above the relegation zone, the club have decided to part ways with the Argentine coach ahead of the international break.”

Sevilla won 13, drew six and lost 12 of their 31 matches in Sampaoli’s second spell.

Real Madrid are monitoring the possibility of signing Bernardo Silva from Manchester City if they are unable to sign Jude Bellingham. City are also pursuing Bellingham.

Silva was linked with moves to Barcelonaand Paris Saint-Germain last summer. Silva is under contract until 2025 and expected to be allowed to leave City if they receive a suitable offer. 

Manchester City are confident they can sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund this summer, though Real Madrid also remains in contention.

Dortmund would still like to keep Bellingham one more year.

Liverpool and Manchester United are also interested in Bellingham, but City and Madrid are considered the favorites should he leave Dortmund this summer.

Tottenham's players believe Antonio Conte is either "going or gone" as manager with the only question concerning the timing of his exit.

Conte's contract expires at the end of the season and is widely expected to leave.

Some of the players on Spurs would welcome Conte to leave immediately.

Conte attacked the players in his post-match press conference, labelling them “selfish”, accusing them of lacking “fire in the eyes” and blaming them for the club’s ongoing trophy drought.

Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel have been linked with Spurs.

Soccer players are 50 percent more likely to develop dementia compared to the rest of the population, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, published in the Lancet Public Health journal today, compared the health records of 6,000 elite footballers and more than 56,000 non-footballers between 1924 and 2019.

They found that among male footballers playing in the Swedish top division, 9% were diagnosed with neurodegenerative disease, compared with 6% of the control sample.

Researchers discovered that outfield players had a 1.6 increased risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia than the wider population sample. Goalkeepers, who rarely head the ball, had no increased risk.

In England, the Football Association is trialling banning children under 12 from heading the ball in certain grassroots competitions and leagues.