Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are aware of the images and are looking into them afterErling Haaland, a Manchester City striker, was spotted using his phone while driving.
Erling Haaland appears to be using a mobile phone in pictures posted online, and Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are aware of the images and are looking into the alleged incident.
On Wednesday, the Sun newspaper published pictures of the Manchester City striker.
The incident involving City’s striker, who has scored 42 goals in 37 games this season, has not been addressed by the team.
The 22-year-old withdrew from his country’s squad after being picked up by the national team of Norway last week picking up a groin injury.
Haaland is now “touch and go” for Manchester City’s game against Liverpool after the international break, according to his father Alf-Inge.
City have offered no update on Haaland’s fitness but the striker’s father said last week he is receiving treatment in Spain.
“Manchester City has a partnership with a hospital in Barcelona so he has been there for further checks and treatment,” Alfie Haaland told Norway’s TV 2 Sport on Saturday.
“Now he has been in [Marbella] for a couple of days with the physio from the club.
Firstly, I’m not a doctor and secondly, I think it’s ‘touch and go’, yes. You can’t just go two weeks without training and then jump right into a fight. There must be a progression there.
“They can gamble on it, but if he doesn’t get proper training with the team, then he won’t play. It is about how he responds to treatment in the next few days. He needs a lot of care.”
While praisingNapoli and “great coach” Luciano Spalletti, Francesco Totti asserts that the romping Serie A leaders have “been lucky” this year.
Since Diego Maradona was still a member of the team in 1990, Napoli has not won the Scudetto.
With only 11 games left, the Partenopei are massively ahead by 19 points, making a championship victory all but certain.
While praising Roma’s efforts under former Giallorossi manager Spalletti, Totti maintains that they have benefited from the lack of a true rival.
Legend Totti won only one title with Roma, although they finished as runners-up on a further nine occasions across his remarkable career, missing out to Juventus, Milan and Inter.
“I honestly didn’t expect it like this,” Totti told Sky Sport of Napoli. “I knew it was a good team with a great coach – it was a well-made combination.
👨🍳 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐊
👉 The @SerieA_EN Goal of the Month for March was dispatched in style by our very own Kvara!
“They expressed themselves to the fullest in everything and were also lucky because they didn’t have an opponent behind them who can keep up with their pace.
“When we were there, there was always Juve, Inter, Milan who always clung there.
“If you won 20 games, they won 19. Napoli doesn’t have a second team like that.”
Lazio are Napoli’s nearest rivals, but Juve would be second if not for a 15-point deduction. Even then, the Bianconeri would be 15 points off the pace.
Manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson won the Premier League title 13 times, nine more times than any other manager in league history. Arsene Wenger managed 828 games, the most in the league.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, two legendary coaches, have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The pair left a remarkable legacy with their respective clubs, Manchester United and Arsenal, winning a total of 16 Premier League championships while forging one of the most storied rivalries in the annals of the league.
Since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, individuals who have demonstrated exceptional success and made a significant contribution are recognised and honoured in the Hall of Fame.
It is the highest individual honour awarded by the League.
Sir Alex is the most successful manager in Premier League history, with a record 13 titles, including winning the title for three seasons in a row on two separate occasions.
During an incredible 27-year career at Old Trafford, which incorporated 21 Premier League seasons, his Manchester United side won the inaugural Premier League title in 1992/93 to deliver the club’s first league success since 1967 and kick-start a remarkable era of success.
During his tenure, the United squad was entirely rebuilt several times, including a commitment to nurturing prodigious homegrown talents, notably the ‘Class of ’92’, along with a plethora of international superstars.
He finished his career with a final Premier League title in 2012/13.
Six players managed by Ferguson have already been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame: David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Peter Schmeichel and Paul Scholes.
Sir Alex’s all-time Premier League record stands at 528 wins from 810 matches and 1,752 points accumulated. He was named manager of the season 11 times and collected the monthly award on 27 occasions.
Ferguson said: “I’m truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. It’s an honour when you receive recognition like this.
However, it’s not just about me as a person. It’s about the job atManchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I’m also proud for the club, the staff and my players.
“My job was to send the fans home happy. United’s history and my own expectations were the things that drove me, and I then had to try and develop all my players with the same expectations and make sure we could go out and achieve them.
“I feel Arsene is a very worthy inductee as he transformed Arsenal Football Club fantastically.
They became a tough team to compete with and we both wanted to win, which motivated us further.
“Through the years since retirement, we’d go for dinner together in a little restaurant he knows well in Switzerland.
He is a really interesting man and I enjoy his company, but it is still my job to pick the wine!”
Wenger’s 22 seasons in charge of Arsenal is a Premier League record.
He won the Premier League three times and made history in 2003/04 as ‘The Invincibles’ became the only team to win the title while remaining unbeaten throughout the entire campaign.
Arriving as one of the first foreign managers in the Premier League in 1996, Wenger’s impact was instantaneous and remarkable.
He raised standards through a revolutionary football philosophy and commitment to playing attractive, attacking football, winning the title in 1997/98, his first full season with the club.
Wenger oversaw an astute transfer strategy, including scouting abroad for talent, which notably brought about the signings of fellow Hall of Fame members Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
Wenger has managed a record 828 Premier League matches, including 476 wins and 199 draws. He was voted manager of the season in 1998, 2002 and 2004.
Wenger said: “I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame.
We always wanted to give something special to the fans and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection.
“I’d like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger.
“To share this with Sir Alex is a great honour for me. It’s like two boxers, you fight like mad and go the distance together.
Spanish and Man City midfielder Rodri said: “Although I think it’s rubbish, it’s the way [Scotland] plays; they always waste time, make you angry, and lose. David Garcia of Spain said, “For me, this is not football. The grass was too long, and that cost us.”
After his team suffered a Hampden defeat in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Spain’s captain Rodri criticised Scotland’s “rubbish” football strategy.
After Scott McTominay of Manchester United scored twice to give Scotland a 2-0 victory and their first victory over Spain in 39 years, a Manchester City player accused Scotland of provocation and time-wasting.
Spain had not been beaten in Euro qualifying since 2014, when they were beaten 2-1 by Slovakia ahead of the 2016 tournament in France.
1 – Scotland earned their first win over Spain since November 1984 (3-1 in a World Cup qualifier), while this was just their third ever competitive victory against them (1957, 1984 and 2023). Spirited. pic.twitter.com/jxdaYqFoAa
They had won 34 of their last 38 European qualifying matches, with three draws, but at Hampden Park they looked unsettled.
Rodri skippered a side featuring eight changes from their previous game, and he criticised the way Scotland went about their work.
“We did many good things to win,” he said on Viaplay. “We conceded easy goals – this is football, if you concede easy goals you are penalised.
“It’s the way they play, but for me it’s rubbish, always wasting time, provoking you, always they fall. For me, this is not football.
The referee has to take on this, but he says nothing.
“We will learn for the next time. We want to go for duels, for battles – we always fight, but this is not about fighting. It’s about wasting time – four, five players on the floor, but this depends on the referee, not on us.
“Today we did many good things, but what’s important is the goal, and we didn’t score.”
David Garcia, who was making his Spain debut, also blamed the results on the length of the pitch at Hampden.
We can’t make excuses for that, we have to look at ourselves and fix what we did wrong today.”
Currently, teams and captains risk sanctions if they don’t wear the FIFA-required armbands; Harry Kane, the men’s captain of England, was compelled to abandon his plans to wear a “OneLove” armband during the World Cup in Qatar; The 2023 Women’s World Cup begins in July in Australia and New Zealand.
With regards to rules prohibiting “OneLove” or rainbow armbands at the Women’s World Cup this summer, FIFA claims that it is in discussions with teams and players.
Currently, teams and captains risk punishment if they compete in one of FIFA’s tournaments without the required wristband.
The German FA brought up the matter formally during a World Cup planning workshop because they don’t want players from Australia and New Zealand to face sanctions during the competition from July to August.
The matter was also discussed by the game’s lawmakers IFAB during post-Qatar 2022 debriefs.
A FIFA spokesperson has told Sky Sports “at a team workshop, FIFA was asked about equipment and competition regulations in relation to the 2023 FIFA Women`s World Cup.
FIFA wishes to reiterate that no decision has been taken in relation to armbands.
FIFA remains committed to ongoing dialogue with players and member associations.”
The FA and England team bosses were left angry in December when the armband issue left players potentially facing punishment if they went against tournament rules.
England captain Leah Williamson has been open about her desire to show support to the LGBTQ+ community during the World Cup this summer and wore a rainbow armband when she lifted the Euros trophy last summer.
“Obviously, you hope it’s not a last-minute call once we get there but it’ssomething we want to do all year round and we’ve done previously,” she told reporters in February.
“The statement that was made at the Euros with every team participating was incredible, every picture we have with a trophy lift there’s a rainbow armband in there.
It’s a great stage and a great time to promote the values we believe in so much, so I hope it’s the same.
“We’re never shy in saying what we stand for, we’re a squad that promotes inclusivity and equality, we obviously have a number of people that feel very strongly about it,” Williamson said.
“It’s not even a question for us, you’ve seen another men’s player step out and be as brave as they can be and they’ve changed their whole life. They don’t know what’s coming.
So, for us to stand in solidarity with that is important to us but it’s something we’ve always done, it’s something we’ll continue to do.
We’re not just impacting football, we’re trying to have a positive impact on society too and that’s one of the ways we can do that.”
Possibly the greatest Welsh footballer of all time, the 33-year-old. When he moved to Spain in 2013, he was once the most expensive footballer.
He had an impressive career at Real Madrid.
Prior to Cymru’s 1-0 victory over Latvia in the Euro 2024 qualifying round, he made his first appearance in front of the Welsh supporters since the conclusion of the World Cup.
Speech by Bale to the Wales fans
According to Sun UK, the five-time UEFA Champions League champion broke down in tears in front of the crowd during his speech at Cardiff City Stadium.
“Hello, I just want to say… what an honour it has been to represent this country and to play in front of the best fans in the world,” he said.
”You support me and my family and all the team through the lows and the lows, the highs and the highs.
I can’t thank you enough and, honestly, it’s been the biggest pleasure playing in front of you for my whole career.”
Bale admitted he would miss playing in front of his home fans. ”But make sure you keep supporting the boys.
You, the fans, are Welsh football; you make it so special; you make it what it is today and obviously I’ll be cheering on like you lot and hopefully see you soon in the future, so thank you.”
Bale drop hint about future
It remains to be seen where the former Tottenham forward’s future lies. British GQ reported that he made his PGA debut in golf, shortly after his retirement in January.
Mirror UK also reported that Bale had been offered a role in the Wales backroom staff by head coach, Rob Paige.
The end of his speech hints this could be his next move.
Guardiola hints Bale’s next adventure
Sports Brief also reported on Pep Guardiola joking that Bale has a career waiting after the Welshman announced his retirement from professional football in January.
The Spanish manager tipped the former Real Madrid star to take up golf full-time, making reference to Bale’s famous slogan of: ‘Wales, golf, Madrid. In that order.’
Following theirAFCON qualification, Ghana’s national U23 team, the Black Meteors, created a beautifully choreographed dance celebration that has gone viral on social media.
In order to get one of the tickets for this year’s Africa U23 Cup of Nations in Morocco, the Black Meteors defeated Algeria 1-0 in Kumasi.
After meeting a beautiful cross from Ernest Nuamah in the first half, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku scored the game’s winning goal, giving the west Africans a 2-1 overall victory.
Following the final whistle from the referee, the team went into wild celebrations, joining the fans to enjoy their qualification.
In a video posted on social media, the players were spotted showing off a well-rehearsed dance in front of the fans.
Ghana will now switch their attention to qualifying for the Olympic Games in Paris next year, by finishing as one of the best three teams at the AFCON U23 championship in Morocco.
The tournament will start on June 23 and end on July 8.
Ghana last qualified for the men’s football event at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.
Ghana through to AFCON U23 In related coverage, Sports Brief reported on Issahaku starring once again in Kumasi as the Black Meteors sealed qualification to the AFCON U23.
The Ghanaian U23 team got off to a great start after new star, Nuamah fired off a beautiful cross for Issahaku to finish off early in the first half.
Fans praise Ernest Nuamah Nuamah is Ghana’s newest star following his dazzling display for the Black Meteors in the AFCON U23 qualifiers, Sports Brief also reported.
The FC Nordsjaelland forward provided an assist as the country’s U23 team defeated Algeria to qualify for the tournament in Morocco in June.
Nuamah tormented the Young Desert Foxes, creating several opportunities for his teammates but only one was converted by Issahaku.
The current champions Senegal are one of six countries that have already qualified early for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Six teams, including the hosts, Cote d’Ivoire, have already purchased tickets as the qualification stage for the largest football tournament on the continent comes to a close with two games left.
Sports Brief examines the nations that have already confirmed their attendance in Ivory Coast, with the remaining 17 nations hoping to join the festivities later.
Morocco
Arguably the best nation on the continent, the Atlas Lions unsurprisingly secured an early qualification for the flagship tournament next year on the back of a memorable World Cup run.
Walid Regragui’s charges booked their spot in Cote d’Ivoire without kicking a ball in the recent qualifiers.
Due to the permutations of Group K, Morocco punched their ticket after sealing six points in two games.
Algeria
The two-time African champions are among the few nations to have punched their ticket to next year’s African Cup of Nations. Les Fennecs secured a ticket to the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 victory over Niger.
The win was their fourth in a row in Group F and sees Djamel Belmadi’s side cement their hold at the summit of the group with a 100 per cent record, winning all four of their group games.
For Algeria, it was another vital victory that gives them a chance to battle for a title they lost in Cameroon last year.
Senegal
Defending champions Senegal have also qualified for the defence of their title after edging out Mozambique 1-0 in Maputo.
The West African nation have been flawless throughout the qualifiers, bagging a maximum of 12 points out of four group games.
Aliou Cisse’s boys will contest Morocco’s claim as the best side on the continent, with the 2023 AFCON presenting the best opportunity to affirm the claim.
Hugo Broos’s charges make a return to the biennial competition after agonizingly missing out on the last edition in Cameroon.
The Belgian manager, who led Cameroon to its fifth continental crown, has already disclosed his targets for next year’s competition, per CAFOnline.
Burkina Faso
The Stallions of Burkina Faso just almost made it to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, sharing the spoils with Togo on Tuesday.
When the qualifiers resume in June, Burkina Faso will play Cape Verde in a top-of-the-table matchup.
Tunisia
The Carthage Eagles joined the six nations to book their spot in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1-0 victory over Libya in Benghazi on Tuesday night.
They now lead Group J by 10 points, one point better than second-placed Equatorial Guinea and seven points better than Libya, with two rounds of matches remaining.
The fact that Tunisia qualified while remaining unbeaten and not giving up a goal thrilledhead coach Jalel Kadri.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is sick of being a substitute for Premier League club Chelsea and wants to negotiate a pay cut so he can join La Liga powerhouse Barcelona again.
In the hopes that the Gabonese striker would assist them in scoring goals, Chelsea paid Barcelona £10 million last summer to sign Aubameyang.
However, since the former Arsenal captain moved to Stamford Bridge, he has been having trouble and has only managed to score three goals in 18 appearances this season across all competitions.
The 33-year-old has also been frozen out of Potter’s plan at Chelsea and he is not happy about the development.
According to the report on GOAL, Aubameyang is unhappy at Chelsea and is willing to accept a pay cut to head back to Barcelona in the summer.
Will Barcelona accept him back?
The report added that the Catalans are said to be considering a one-year loan option for Aubameyang.
Barcelona have also been linked to Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are in the race to sign new striker in the summer with Nigerian star Victor Osimhen said to be their main target.
The Blues will have to go into competition with Man United who are also interested.
🚨 Chelsea are set to RIP-UP Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's contract this summer.
Earlier, Sports Brief had reported how Chelsea and having striker problems now looks like an established curse after the majority of their previous number 9s have failed to make impacts at the club.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined the list of failed strikers at the club almost immediately after the club shipped out £97.5m striker Romelu Lukaku on loan to Inter Milan after falling out with former coach Thomas Tuchel.
The Gabonese was brought in to replace Lukaku, but his relationship with Tuchel lasted 59 minutes on the pitch before the German was shown the exit and replaced with Graham Potter.
Italian giants Inter Milan are interested in bringing him to his former stomping ground San Siro in the summer.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has responded to critics who claim that Dr. Peter Appiahene’s appointment is intended to sway the results of the 2024 elections.
Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the director of electoral services at the EC, insisted that the commission’s independence would not be compromised despite denying ever meeting Dr. Appiahene.
“I don’t know him and I have never met him before. I also don’t know if he is an NPP activist or not. Besides, the videos you are showing could be photoshopped so Ghanaians must hasten slowly in their conclusions,” he said.
Civil Society Organizations and some political parties have raised concerns over the appointments of Dr. Appiahene which they believe could further undermine the credibility of the commission and deepen the mistrust some Ghanaians have about it.
But, Dr. Quaicoe asked Ghanaians not to worry, arguing that as a commissioner, Dr. Appiahhene, will not be able to influence the outcome of any results.
“Assuming he (Dr. Peter Appiahene) is a TESCON patron, he can do nothing to change the electoral results. So, we should dismiss the fear that he can manipulate electoral results,” he told the Morning Show host of Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.
Dr Quaicoe further observed that the president has the prerogative to appoint any Ghana to serve as an EC commissioner and members of the commission cannot challenge the president’s decision.
“How can a son question a father’s decision to marry another woman,” he quizzed.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on March 20, 2023, swore in three new members of the Electoral Commission (EC) governing board.
Their appointment is in line with Article 43 (1 and 2) of the 1992 constitution which states that “there shall be an Electoral Commission which shall consist of a Chairman, two Deputy Chairmen, and four other members”.
Cristiano Ronaldo was looking forward to Portugal receiving the “breath of fresh air” under Roberto Martinez, but Bruno Fernandes disagrees.
Martinez has taken charge of Portugal for the first time in this international break, having succeeded Fernando Santos following the World Cup.
In the first round of Euro 2024 qualifying, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg were defeated 4-0 and 6-0, respectively, by the former Belgium coach’s teams.
Captain Ronaldo scored twice in each match, having earlier spoken of “fresh air now, different ideas and mentality” with Martinez at the helm.
Despite the positive start, that is not an assessment team-mate Fernandes agrees with.
“No, it’s just a new coach with new ideas,” the Manchester United midfielder told RTP3 after Sunday’s win against Luxembourg.
“There is no breath of fresh air at all. It’s just a transition period.
2 jogos, 2 vitórias! Objetivo cumprido. Feliz por ter contribuído para este início muito positivo da nossa seleção. Vamos!💪🏼🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/mLmlAVGFiU
“The atmosphere in the national team has always been good. There’s never been anything that wasn’t fresh of the air, so I think it’s just new dynamics, new coach, and you have to assimilate his ideas.”
Fernandes was handed his Portugal debut by Santos, who had guided the Selecao to their first major honour at Euro 2016.
Portugal failed to build on that strong start to the coach’s tenure, however, exiting the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020 at the last-16 stage.
Santos then departed after a shock quarter-final exit at the hands of Morocco at Qatar 2022, with Ronaldo dropped for the knockout rounds.
It would be “amazing,” according toLiverpool captain Jordan Henderson, if Jude Bellingham joined him at Anfield, but the player insisted that Bellingham must pick the team that is best for him.
While playing for Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham has emerged as one of the game’s most exciting prospects.
He also had a standout World Cup with Henderson’s England last year.
Although recent reports suggested the Reds may struggle to finance a deal should the latter two start a bidding war, Bellingham is expected to demand a fee in excess of £100 million (€114 million), the 19-year-old midfielder has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Real Madrid among others.
Henderson has been as impressed as anyone by Bellingham, and though he hopes to be able to link up with him at club level as well as with England, he said the youngster must “think about himself”.
“I just want him to be the best player he can be – of course, if it ended up being Liverpool that would be amazing,” he said. “But it’s got to be right for him, and it’s going to be every club you can think of that will want him.
“He has to think about himself and make sure he makes the right decision for his career. But there’s going to be one lucky club that will end up getting him, whether that is now or in a year or two it will be a lucky club.”
6 – Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham is making his sixth start in the knockout stages of the Champions League, tying Trent Alexander-Arnold for the most starts by an English teenager in the knockout stages of the #UCL. Regular. pic.twitter.com/b7KZcO4ywO
Bellingham has 10 goals and six assists in 34 games for Dortmund this season, and Henderson detailed what it is about the former Birmingham City player that makes him stand out.
“His potential is through the roof, really,” Henderson added. “He can be as good as he wants to be – but he’s got the right mentality, which is the most important thing.
“He is a really special player and I can’t believe his age and his mentality, how he applies himself to training and the games, everything. I’ve never seen it before, so I’m pretty confident that he’ll be a pretty good player for many years to come.
“Honestly, I can’t believe his age, how mature he plays, how mature he is off the pitch, in the gym, training, everything, recovery day after the game. He is just dedicated to football.
“He’s a special player, but I’ve said it before we just need to be careful not to apply too much pressure on him but let him play football. When you let him play football you can see what he does for Dortmund, you can see what he does here for England.
“Every time he puts on an England shirt he grows and is getting better and better all the time. Of course there are things he can improve on and get better at – he’s only 19 – but the platform and the basis he has got he can go as high as he wants to.”
Emerson Royal will miss several crucial matches for Tottenham in the final stretch of the Premier League after undergoing surgery for a left knee injury.
The news of his setback came as the team entered their final 10 league games, making it unlikely that the Brazil international would play again this season.
With Emerson Royal out injured, Spurs have Pedro Porro at right-back and the Spaniard is expected to see time in the starting lineup.
The north London giants let Matt Doherty join Atletico Madrid on loan in January, so acting head coach Cristian Stellini will hope Porro stays fit.
Tottenham said in a statement: “We can confirm that Emerson Royal suffered a meniscus injury to his left knee while on international duty with Brazil last week.
“The defender will undergo surgery before beginning his rehabilitation with our medical staff.”
Emerson Royal has made 32 appearances for Tottenham this season, taking all competitions into account, including 23 starts.
He played in Brazil’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Morocco on Saturday, suffering the injury in the 90th minute after a challenge from Sofyan Amrabat.
We can confirm that Emerson Royal suffered a meniscus injury to his left knee while on international duty with Brazil last week.
The defender will undergo surgery before beginning his rehabilitation with our medical staff.
Virgil van Dijk acknowledges that his performance has not been at it’s best but asserts that footballers “are not robots” in response to harsh criticism from Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit.
Following Friday’s 4-0 loss to France in a Euro 2024 qualifying match, Van Basten in particular questioned the Liverpool defender’s qualifications to serve as captain.
Van Basten, a legend in his native country of the Netherlands, accused Van Dijk of “making noise but not saying anything” and “creating confusion that leads to misunderstandings” in the side.
Speaking alongside Van Basten in his capacity as a pundit for Ziggo Sport, fellow former Netherlands international Gullit claimed that Van Dijk “thinks he is better than the rest.”
While Van Dijk is open to opinions, he does not believe the criticism is entirely justified.
“It is clear that we played badly. I am one of the experienced guys, so it is completely justified,” he said following Monday’s 3-0 win over Gibraltar.
“Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion these days, that’s the case. Did I set the bar unrealistically high? I was never perfect.
“But we’ve had a lot of success with the team. Football players [Van Basten and Gullit] know that better than anyone, have high peaks and deep valleys.
“It’s quite normal that you can’t always play consistently. That you have a phase as a club or player where you are looking for your level. People should not forget that.
“It is normal that people make mistakes; it is part of football and that it is very human.”
Van Dijk has also been far from his best in a Liverpool shirt this season, but he hopes to return to top form soon.
“You know better than anyone when you are doing something right or not,” the 56-cap defender said. “These are difficult times at my club, with lots of ups and downs.
“I am very positive about the future and I try to play my best game ever in every game. We are not robots. Let’s not forget that. Maybe people sometimes forget that.”
Andre Dede Ayew’s refusal to accompany the Black Stars to Angola, according to former Ghanaian international Charles Taylor, was not due to an injury.
On March 25, 2023, the Ghana Football Association announced that four players would be unable to accompany the team to Luanda for the second leg of the ongoing 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Angola.
Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, Dennis Odoi, and Dede Ayew were the players mentioned, along with Andre Ayew, who was mentioned among the injured players, raising concerns about the captain’s unexpected injury.
Charles Taylor has joined the people who believe that there is more to Andre Ayew’s story as he claimed that the Nottingham Forest player was upset for not playing in the first leg at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium hence his decision not to travel for the second leg.
“The injured players who have left the team is good but not entirely because we know what they can do for the team but I’m struggling to believe the excuse for Dede that he is injured because he didn’t even play the game.
I believe there is something there and is not that he is injured.”
“Maybe he was an angle that they didn’t allow him to play the first leg and that is why he has dropped out of the squad.
The medical team has said he is injured but I don’t believe that.
He is angry that he didn’t play and that is why he is not going to Angola,” Charles Taylor said on Angel TV.
He added thatAndre Dede Ayew was added to the list of injured players because the technical handlers of the Black Stars wanted to manage the situation.
“Yes, the medical team have said that he is injured but we are in Ghana. They said that because they didn’t want him to receive the backlash from the public.”
The friendly will take place on July 25 at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.
With the recent signing of former United goalkeeper Ben Foster, Wrexham is vying for National League promotion.
They are three points ahead of Notts County and advanced to the FA Cup fourth round before losing to Sheffield United, who later advanced to the semifinals.
The Welsh club were bought by Hollywood A-listers Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020.
“We’re looking forward to being able to play in the United States for the first time in the club’s history,” said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.
Wrexham last faced United in an FA Cup tie in 1995. The Red Devils’ team will be mainly made up of academy players.
“We’re looking forward to being able to play in the United States for the first time in the Club’s history. The match against Manchester United is sure to be a memorable occasion at the Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego." 👇
Ronald Koeman admitted that the Netherlands’ “level has to go up” following their paltry 3-0 victory over Gibraltar in the Euro 2024 qualifying match.
At De Kuip, Nathan Ake scored twice and Memphis Depay also scored, giving Koeman the first victory of his second coaching tenure, which he began with a humiliating 4-0 loss to France three days earlier.
The Oranje managed to score three goals despite taking 50 shots and touching the ball 101 times inside the opposition’s penalty area, which is more than they have done in any other game since Opta started tracking this information in August 2013.
They also registered a remarkable 5.04 expected goals (xG), and Koeman was disappointed by his side’s general lacking of a clinical edge.
“I didn’t see enough goals tonight,” he told NOS. “The opponent obviously didn’t co-operate, but we were way too sloppy at times.
“From the beginning, we were inaccurate, and we didn’t have the form to create big, good chances. Okay, there was a lot of blocking, but with more sharpness, we score much more often.
“The game and result against France was not good. Now we win, but that makes sense. But overall, it was far too little.
“Aspects such as positional play, ball circulation, taking the right positions – as a winger or defender – really needs to be improved. The football and level has to go up.”
50 – @OnsOranje recorded 50 shots and 101 touches in the opposition box against Gibraltar tonight, more than in any other match since Opta collects this data in full (Augustus 2013). Ineffective. pic.twitter.com/dxPbpOlwDk
Ake’s double was the undoubted highlight for the hosts, the defender recording more shot involvements than any other player (nine shots, seven chances created), with only Depay registering more in a single Netherlands match since Opta began collecting the data.
And the Manchester City man drew positives from the fact he and his team-mates were able to conjure as many opportunities as they did.
“Of course, the main aim was to win the match and, besides that, we wanted to score as many goals as possible. Obviously, that didn’t work out,” Ake added.
“That we created so many chances was good, but maybe we should have been calmer in how we tried to convert them.
“It doesn’t happen very often that I score twice in one game. But it was very crowded where our forwards were, so maybe that created a little more space for the rest of us. At some point, I was even considering the possibility of a hat-trick, but it wasn’t to be.”
Following his absence from Ghana’s match against Angola, Thomas Partey‘s fitness is a question heading into Arsenal’s return to Premier League action the following weekend.
The 29-year-old was fully involved in Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over the same opponents in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, but he was not needed for Monday’s 1-1 draw in Talatona.
Partey missed two Arsenal games in February due to a back injury; Ghana head coach Chris Hughton later explained that Partey was not risked because of a minor issue.
“Thomas has some small issues,” Hughton said at his post-match press conference. “We felt it was too big of a risk to start him.”
Partey, who was accompanied on Ghana duty by Arsenal physio Simon Murphy, has played in 30 of the Gunners’ 39 games this season.
Premier League leaders Arsenal are back in action on Saturday with a home match against Leeds United, before travelling to Liverpool eight days later.
⌚️ FULL-TIME: It's all over at the Estadio 11 de Novembro in Luanda.
At the end of a thrilling Brazilian football game on Sunday, a thug stormed onto the pitch and kicked a player while holding a small child in his arms.
After a large brawl broke out at the conclusion of the match between Internacional and Caxias, television cameras caught the brazen attack.
Caxias, a team from Caxias do Sul in southern Brazil, had just defeated Porto Alegre’s Internacional on penalties when the scandalous events took place.
The video shows the Estadio Beira-Rio, Internacional’s home stadium, erupting in fury as the Caxias player put the ball past the goalkeeper and celebrated the victory by cupping his hands to his ears.
Internacional players and team staff can be seen chasing the Caxias players around the ground, cheered on by their baying home supporters, all while stewards meekly attempt to bring the escalating situation under control.
Several clashes between the rival players and staff are seen breaking out across the pitch and the sidelines, with punches and kicks flying in from all directions.
A number of players from both teams are shown being taken to the ground.
As the cameras zoom in on one particular flash point, one fan is seen carrying a young girl – presumed to be his daughter – on to the pitch, wading into the fray with seemingly little consideration for the safety of the child.
As stewards attempt to hold him back, the Internacional fan walks up behind a Caxias player who is facing the other way.
The player is helping another who is seen clutching his face, his nose visibly wound having been struck in the mass brawl.
Suddenly, the furious thug kicks up powerfully between the other player’s legs.
One of the players is seen trying to warn the other angry teammates about the young girl, and the trio are able to restrain themselves from going after the thug.
The footage cuts to another on-pitch camera, which zooms in on the man’s face.
With a furious look in his eyes, he is seen being dragged away by three stewards.
The young girl is visibly terrified as she is buffeted about, as the man is pulled away back towards the stands where he first appeared from.
The mass brawl was an acrimonious end to the match that also saw a red card and finished 1-1, before going on to be decided by a penalty shootout.
The match was a fixture from the Campeonato Gaúcho, the state football league of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul – which is separate from Brazil’s Série A – the country’s top division which Internacional also compete in.
Last season, Internacional finished second in Série A – suggesting that Caxias were the underdogs in the hotly-contested fixture. Nevertheless, Caxias came out on top, and will be competing in the final of Campeonato Gaúcho next week.
The incident was not the first time a fan from Internacional has been involved in a violent incident. In February last year, a footballer from Gremio – a fierce rival to Internacional – has taken to hospital after being hit in the head by a rock.
It has come to light that a Russian opposition politician who spoke out against the conflict in Ukraine was poisoned with a highly toxic substance.
An outspoken Kremlin critic, Elvira Vikhareva, 32, revealed tests showing she had potassium dichromate in her blood to Russia’s Sota news channel.
Miss Vikhareva claimed that she started experiencing symptoms of being ill in November of last year, including hair loss, muscle spasms, and severe stomach pains that persisted until February 2023.
It comes after a number of Moscow’s detractors have been poisoned in recent years, most notably Alexei Navalny, the de facto opposition leader of Russia, who nearly died in August 2020 after FSB agents smeared novichock on his pants.
She told TV Rain she had not appealed to police for help as it was clear anyone in Russia who took an ‘anti-war position’ quickly became ‘enemy number one’.
Miss Vikhareva said: ‘When the test results came back the only phrase that was heard was: “How did you survive?”
‘I don’t have any assumptions but if a person has an anti-war position and is in Russia, and can express their thoughts clearly about what is going on in Russia and Ukraine, then they are enemy number one.’
She said she didn’t appeal to police for help as that would be like going to a ‘bloody executioner’.
‘I survived and I want my survival to aggrieve those who were responsible,’ she added.
Potassium dichromate, a compound used in wood treatment and photography, can damage organs and cause cancer, infertility and breathing difficulties. It is harmful when in contact with the skin.
Miss Vikhareva hosts regular political shows on YouTube, which can still be accessed in Russia, but stopped showing her face on camera because the poisoning had taken its ‘toll on her looks’.
She said on social media her body began to ‘give up’ and she had to have constant visits from doctors.
But she has since recovered despite the poisoning leaving her with shaking hands, eyelashes that fall out and nails that ‘look like they’ve been run over by a train’.
Miss Vikhareva – who worked on election campaigns for Dmitry Gudkov, an exiled opposition politician – ran for the Duma in 2021 but lost to a pro-Kremlin candidate amid widespread accusations of vote rigging.
The Kremlin has a history of accusations against it for poisoning its opponents and exiled dissidents.
Bellingcat, a group of investigative journalists, uncovered evidence which alleged Russian agents had poisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Mr Navalny was rushed to a German hospital on an aeroplane after he fell ill on a domestic Russian flight in August 2020.
He recovered and returned to Russia where he was sentenced and convicted on fraud on contempt of court charges which he described as ‘politically motivated’.
Former KGB agent turned opposition activist Alexander Litvinenko died after he was poisoned with polonium-210 in London in 2006.
In 2021, the European Court of Human Rights found the Kremlin responsible for Mr Litvinenko’s death.
A UK public inquiry also found he was killed in an operation by Russia’s Federal Security Service which was ‘probably’ approved by Putin.
The Kremlin has always denied any involvement in Mr Litvinenko’s death.
One of the greatest and most effective coaches of his time is Jose Mourinho. In the media, he is not afraid to explain his position to players and club executives.
He unexpectedly agreed to a three-year contract to manage the Italian club AS Roma in 2021, just a few months after being fired by Tottenham.
After Roma qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League in his first season as manager and after they had placed seventh in Serie A the year prior, he took home the championship.
He is approaching the end of his contract with Rome and drawing interest from elite European teams, including former clubs Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the Brazil national team, according to GIFN.
Mourinho’s demands from Roma bosses
The Special One has received limited backing in the transfer market. Despite winning a trophy and qualifying for Europa League in his first season, Transfermarkt reports that he spent €9m on improving the team while recouping €67m from sales.
Paulo Dybala, Nemanja Matic, Andrea Belotti and Ola Solbakken were free transfers while securing loan moves for Georgino Wijnaldum and Mady Camara.
According to Sky Sports, Mourinho has issued demands to the Roma bosses, which could influence his stay at the club.
He demanded a new centre-back, a new midfielder and a new striker to take Tammy Abraham’s place as he could return to England.
Mourinho’s message to Roma board
Sports Brief earlier reported that Mourinho sent a transfer message to the Roma board with his comments about Bayern Munich’s squad depth.
Speaking to the media after Roma’s 2-0 win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, the former Chelsea boss compared his bench to that of the German giants.
Founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, has reportedly reappeared at a school in Hangzhou after disappearing for three years.
Since 2020, when the 58-year-old began to criticise China’s financial regulators, he has maintained a low profile.
The most well-known Chinese billionaire to vanish during a crackdown on tech entrepreneurs was Mr. Ma.
According to the South China Morning Post, he recently made his way back to China after spending more than a year abroad.
He made a brief stopover in Hong Kong, where he met friends and also briefly visited Art Basel, an international art fair, according to the Alibaba-owned newspaper.
It added that Mr Ma has been travelling to different countries to learn about agricultural technology, but made no reference as to why he had disappeared from public view in recent years.
Mr Ma, a former English teacher, met staff and toured classrooms at the Yungu School in Hangzhou, the city in which Alibaba is headquartered.
He talked about the potential challenges of artificial intelligence to education, according to the school’s social media page.
“ChatGPT and similar technologies are just the beginning of the AI era. We should use artificial intelligence to solve problems instead of being controlled by it,” he said.
Once the richest man in China, Mr Ma gave up control of financial technology giant Ant Group in January this year.
It was seen by some commentators as further evidence that he had fallen foul of the Chinese Communist Party for becoming outspoken and too powerful.
The following month, Ant’s planned £26bn stock market flotation, which would have been the world’s largest, was cancelled at the last minute by Chinese authorities, who cited “major issues” over regulating the firm.
Since then, there have been reported sightings of him in various countries including Spain, the Netherlands, Thailand and Australia.
Last November, the Financial Times newspaper reported that Mr Ma had been living in Tokyo, Japan for six months.
When Mr Ma first stopped making public appearances, it was rumoured that he had been placed under house arrest or had been otherwise detained.
Even though Argentina-born striker Mateo Retegui scored for a second straight match in an Euro 2024 qualifier on Sunday, Italy coach Roberto Mancini cautioned that Retegui “needs time” to learn.
The 23-year-old is currently on loan at Tigres from Boca Juniors and is eligible to play for the reigning champions thanks to his Italian grandfather.
However, he continues to play club football in Argentina.
He scored the opening goal in Italy’s 2-0 Group C victory in Malta on Sunday, looking right at home.
His debut goal in the 2-1 home loss to England on Thursday was followed by a header in the fifteenth minute.
“He unlocked the match, he was essential today,” said Mancini.
“But I repeat: he needs time, he still needs to learn more about European football.”
Retegui, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and full-back Giovanni De Lorenzo were the only men to keep their places in the starting line-up after the loss to England.
Matteo Pessina added Italy’s second goal on Sunday from a cross by Emerson in the 27th minute.
“These are matches where you have everything to lose,” added Mancini.
“We did some good things, some not so good.
The important thing was to win. “We could have scored more, but there you go. These are particular kinds of matches, where it’s difficult to play, you don’t have a lot of space.”
Emi Martinez is thought to have forced the rules after the goalkeeper’s antics during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Martinez’s ability to enrage opponents contributes to his ability to save penalty kicks.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Kingsley Coman were unable to match his success in the World Cup final matchup against France.
New penalty rules
However, all this is set to change after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) passed on new rules to be effected later this year.
According to the new guidelines, the goalkeeper will now not be allowed to behave in a manner that fails to show respect to the game, i.e, by distracting the opponent.
The goalkeeper will be required to remain on his/her goal line and not touch the net, posts or crossbar before the penalty is taken.
The custodians will also be barred from delaying the execution of the penalty.
Should the goalkeeper save the penalty, he or she will also now be barred from displaying behaviours that don’t show respect which could include various celebrations.
The new rules have elicited sharp reactions, with France’s new number 1 Mike Maignan offering a sarcastic response to the rules.
“New IFAB rules for penalties in 2026: Goalkeepers must have their backs to the shot ❌ In case of stoppage, indirect free kick.”
The rules are deemed unfair already
This comes at a time when penalty kicks continue to be heavily lopsided on the side of goalkeepers. A goalkeeper is currently required to have one of his feet on the line before the penalty is taken.
A penalty is usually retaken if the goalkeeper moved one of his feet from the line and saved the penalty.
This rule doesn’t take into consideration the stutters the penalty takers take before eventually hitting the ball.
With the penalty often a game of wits, it would be interesting to see how goalkeepers will now attempt to put off their opponents.
The new rules come into play on July 1st.
As reported earlier, Chelsea’s ace Kai Havertz saw his goal for Germany against Peru ruled out due to a rare football rule.
Germany took on Peru in a friendly on Saturday, March 25 and the game had an interesting incident involving Havertz.
The Chelsea man seems to have a poor relationship with penalties, as he recently also made headlines for a spot-kick against Borussia Dortmund.
The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday publishers, Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), are being sued by Prince Harry and others.
Among those who claim improper information gathering are the duke, Sir Elton John, Sadie Frost, and Liz Hurley, among others.
The allegations have been labelled as “preposterous smears” by the publisher.
A four-day preliminary High Court hearing in London, starting on Monday, will consider legal arguments and a judge will decide whether the case will go any further. ANL is bidding to end the claims.
Prince Harry’s appearance will be seen by many as a sign of his strength of feeling over his privacy and determination regarding the legal action.
Others taking part in the legal action include Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish, and Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.
The group launched the legal action last year after becoming aware of “compelling and highly distressing evidence that they have been the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy” by ANL, according to a statement by law firm Hamlins released in October 2022.
Court proceedings began with a bid by ANL’s lawyers to have certain reporting restrictions imposed in the case.
The Duke of Sussex sat towards the back of the courtroom, occasionally taking notes in a small black notebook as legal arguments were made by ANL’s barrister Catrin Evans KC.
Frost sat two seats away from Harry in the courtroom.
Image caption,Actress Sadie Frost also appeared on Monday, and sat two seats away from Harry in the courtroom
When the legal action was announced in October, law firm Hamlins, which is representing Prince Harry and Frost, alleged that ANL’s activity included:
“The hiring of private investigators to secretly place listening devices inside people’s cars and homes
“The commissioning of individuals to surreptitiously listen into and record people’s live, private telephone calls whilst they were taking place
“The payment of police officials, with corrupt links to private investigators, for inside, sensitive information
“The impersonation of individuals to obtain medical information from private hospitals, clinics, and treatment centres by deception
“The accessing of bank accounts, credit histories and financial transactions through illicit means and manipulation”
In a statement released at the time, the newspaper group said: “We utterly and unambiguously refute these preposterous smears which appear to be nothing more than a pre-planned and orchestrated attempt to drag the Mail titles into the phone hacking scandal concerning articles up to 30 years old.
“These unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims – based on no credible evidence – appear to be simply a fishing expedition by claimants and their lawyers, some of whom have already pursued cases elsewhere.”
The duke’s appearance on Monday is believed to be the first time he has been back in the UK since the late Queen’s funeral in September.
His surprise return comes nearly three months after he publicised his troubled relationship with his father the King and brother the Prince of Wales in his controversial autobiography Spare.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also released a Netflix documentary in December, titled Harry & Meghan.
The King was due to be away on Monday on the first official state visit of his reign, but the trip to France was cancelled due to rioting over pension reforms.
He is due to leave for a state visit to Germany on Wednesday morning. Buckingham Palace said he was not in Windsor or London on Monday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to vacate their UK home, Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate, in a move sanctioned by the King.
The duke is also taking legal action against the Home Office over security arrangements when he is in the UK, raising questions about his own security provisions during this visit.
Amunike played for Barcelona and was a member of the Super Eagles team that won the 1994 African Cup of Nations, making him one of the greatest Nigerian footballers in history during his prime.
Interestingly, Amunike’s outstanding performances for Zamalek and the national team earned him the title of African Best Footballer that same year.
Amunike reportedly stated that he prefers to lead the Super Eagles on his own rather than in a supporting role, according to a report on Complete Sports.
What Amunike said about coaching Nigeria “I’ve never coached the Super Eagles, I’ve only gone twice to assist someone but coaching Super Eagles on my own I have not.
“But of course Nigeria is my country and the national team we are all part of it and when the opportunity comes and Nigerians feel that we can add something to the national team of course it’s a welcome development.”
Meanwhile, Jose Peseiro is currently the coach of the Super Eagles and has been in charge since May 2022.
A lot of talk from fans wanting Peseiro gone. He has 3 months left on his contract, I think we should allow it to run. Then root and branch changes. Why not Sunday Oliseh NFF Technical Director, Emmanuel Amuneke SE coach and left to pick his back room staff and Finidi with CHAN? pic.twitter.com/rqodTYHpPs
Earlier, Sports Brief had reported how former Super Eagles star Emmanuel Amunike disclosed that winning the AFCON and Olympics with the Nigerian national team remains the best moments of his career.
Amunike years back was one of the best wingers in the world considering his speed and ability in scoring goals, which paved the way for him to play for Barcelona.
The former Zamalek star also played an important role in helping the Nigerian national team win the 1994 African Cup of Nations, netting the winning goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo has unveiled a new goal celebration after finding the back of the net for Portugal against Luxembourg on Sunday night.
The 38-year-old was in a mood after opening the scoring nine minutes into the game for Robert Martinez’s side.
The Real Madrid and Manchester United legend raced away towards the left corner as he often does before producing his trademark ‘siuuu’ celebration.
Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva were also on the scoresheet to make it 3-0 for the 2016 European champions before Ronaldo notched his second and Portugal’s fourth early in the second half.
As the five-time Ballon d’Or winner landed from his spin, he mixed it up with his other celebration, crossing his hands across his chest, a slight variation on the interlocking fingers.
A new era started in the Portuguese national team yesterday as new boss Roberto Martinez managed his first game, a 4-0 win over Lichtenstein inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace.
As reported earlier, the former Wigan manager quickly spotted a standout attribute in Ronaldo and praised the 38-year-old’s commitment which he said would be a vital experience for the team.
Winning Euro 2024 is the goal for Martinez, andhe has made it clear to Ronaldo that he would demand a lot from him to win the tournament in Germany next year.
Ronaldo proud to set record Cristiano Ronaldo is feeling the joy of playing football again after a turbulent 2022 in his professional and personal life, Sports Brief earlier reported.
The 38-year-old had a difficult time off the field, which was not well-acknowledged at Manchester United. This led him to doing an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan and subsequently led to his contract termination.
Ronaldo’s 197 international appearances and 120 international goals for his country are world records, according to Sportskeeda, and he could not have been prouder at holding both.
He took to his Instagram page, which is the most followed in the world and expressed his joy at attaining a new milestone on the international stage.
Bukayo Saka, an Arsenal teammate, is “one of” the best players in the Premier League right now, according to Oleksandr Zinchenko.
What happened?
There are currently a number of shining stars in the English top division, with players like Erling Haaland and Marcus Rashford shining for Manchester rivals City and United, respectively, in 2022–23.
Saka, 21, has joined that esteemed company after assisting Arsenal in maintaining a title challenge and posting personal-best totals of 13 goals and 10 assists this season. Saka also scored for England in a 2-0 victory over Ukraine in the Euro 2024 qualifying match.
Zinchenko, who was on the wrong end of that result at Wembley Stadium, has told reporters when asked if Saka is the best player around at the moment: “In the Premier League? I’m not the guy who is going to judge but he is one of them for sure.
I hope he is on this form for the rest of the season because he is such an important player for Arsenal as we have 10 more finals to go.”
Saka helped England to get the better of Ukraine when taking their latest step towards the next European Championships, with Zinchenko admitting that friendships had been put on hold for 90 minutes.
He added: “He is an amazing player, we know that.
He is on fire at the moment, there are no friends on the pitch and unfortunately he beat me. In these kind of games, big players decide the game.”
Zinchenko and Saka will be club colleagues again on Saturday when Arsenal – who hold an eight-point lead at the Premier League summit – return to domestic action with a home date against Leeds.
Before his arrest in 2022, Mason Greenwood reportedly had his behaviour discussed by Manchester United and the local police forces.
The 21-year-old was arrested at the end of January of last year after being accused of attempted rape, assault resulting in actual bodily harm, and using coercive or controlling behaviour towards the same woman.
He hasn’t played for the Red Devils since January 19, 2022, when he was suspended by United while an investigation was conducted.
It was revealed in February 2023 that the Crown Prosecution Service has discontinued proceedings against Greenwood due to the withdrawal of key witnesses and new evidence coming to light, with the CPS announcing that there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction”.
A source who worked with Greenwood at Old Trafford has told The Athletic that the Premier League club “were protective of him in different ways. He was an asset but they also wanted to help him reach his full potential. He made immature choices, but lots of young players do that, then they grow up a bit.”
United have rejected approaches from Turkish clubs for Greenwood since seeing criminal proceedings against him dropped, but he remains out of contention for selection at present and concerns regarding his behaviour remain.
It is alleged that regular absences from the Red Devils’ Carrington base have been unexplainable in the past, while he was dropped from the England squad in September 2020 after being caught – alongside Manchester City star Phil Foden – inviting girls into the Three Lions’ team hotel.
That was a serious breach ofCovid-19 restrictions, but it was not the first time that Greenwood had flouted those rules.
The Athletic reports that he would head out driving around south west Manchester during lockdown, while also holding parties at a rented Airbnb address in Salford despite a ban on social gatherings.
No formal action was taken by police, but it is claimed that they did visit United’s training centre to request that the club keep the player on a tighter leash.
Another source said: “Most athletes don’t know they’re going to make it, but he falls into the category where at 10 years old he knew it was a certainty. These are fewer and farther between than people think. Frank Lampard, John Terry, David Beckham had to work their socks off.
“Mason had a Rooney-esque, Gazza-esque quality. In 999 out of 1,000 cases footballers are made, but he fits the born category. It is unexplainable why he can do some of the things he does. He can just score goals from impossible situations.”
Greenwood is now an expectant father, but it remains to be seen whether he will ever grace a football field in England again.
He is clinging to that hope, with a source adding: “He would run through a brick wall to be back playing for United now.”
Robin van Persie believes his old team, Arsenal, will win the Premier League this year. After an incredible run of play under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have become strong favourites to win the title.
With only 10 games remaining, the north Londoners currently hold an eight-point advantage at the top of the standings.
They appear to be a game away from winning the Premier League for the first time in nearly 20 years, but they will be wary of Man City, a team with a history of success who are currently sitting second on the log with a game remaining.
Van Persie speaks on Arsenal winning the EPL
Van Persie, who spent eight years at the Emirates Stadium, has insisted he would be happy to see Arsenal secure the crown.
The former Dutch forward is not in good books with Arsenal fans after his controversial summer move to rivals Man United in 2012, where he went on to win the Premier League title.
However, the legendary striker has appeared to suggest that there is no bad blood between him and the Gunners, with the 39-year-old making clear his feelings about his former side’s potential title triumph.
“They’ve got [had] a couple of difficult games. They got the three points there, so that is what a champion’s team is made of. They’ve been proving that.
But the last stretch is always the difficult one, so it’ll be interesting to see,” Van Persie told Sky Sports. “But my personal feeling is that they will go for it – that they will win the league. It’s been a while, so I’m happy for them to win it,” he added.
Harris anticipates meeting farmers, women, students, and businesspeople while in Ghana. The Cape Coast Castle will also be on her itinerary.
After arriving in Ghana on Sunday (26 March) to start her three-nation tour of the continent, Vice President of the United States of America Kamala Harris stated that her mission in the continent is to promote economic growth and opportunities.
The 49th vice president of the United States will visit Ghana, where he will meet with farmers, businesspeople, students, and women. In the Central Region, slaves were housed at the Cape Coast Castle, which will also be visited by the visitor.
“In particular on this trip, I intend to do work that will focus on increasing investment here on the continent, and facilitating economic growth and opportunity, specifically in the areas of economic empowerment of women and girls, empowerment of youth entrepreneurship, digital inclusion and to support the work that must be done to increase food security, including adaptation to the effect of economic crisis,” Harris said at the Kotoka International Airport.
She was welcomed at the airport by Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, who led the government delegation including foreign minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.
Also at the airport to welcome Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff was the US ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmer and a host of school children carrying miniature flags of Ghana.
She said her visit is to strengthen the economic relations between the US and Ghana.
“We are looking forward to this trip as a further statement of the long and enduring and very important relationship and friendship between the people of the United States and those who live on the continent of Africa,” Harris said.
“I am very excited about the future of Africa. I am very excited about the impact of the future of Africa on the rest of the world including the United States of America. When I look at what is happening on this continent and the fact that the median age is 19 years old, and what that tells us about the growth of opportunities, of innovations, of possibilities, I see in all of that great opportunities and not only for the people of this continent but the people of the world,” she added.
She said: “I am here to address some of the issues that relate to the partnership between this continent, its people and the people of the United States and to reinforce the work that we will continue to do together be that on addressing the climate crisis, to supply chain, to our work together on international rules and nuance.
Rob Page reported that Nathan Broadhead,a hero for Wales who scored a last-second equaliser against Croatia, was in tears.
Andrej Kramaric gave the World Cup semi-finalists a lead in Split in the 28th minute, sending Wales into the first round of Euro 2024 qualifying with a loss.
After Chris Mepham had flicked on Connor Roberts’ long throw, Ipswich striker Broadhead, who had just earned his first cap, equalised in the third minute of stoppage time to preserve a 1-1 draw for Wales.
Page said: “I’m really pleased for him. He’s not going to like me saying this, but it’s an emotional game and he was in tears at the end with the supporters.
“It means the world to him. I’ve worked with Nathan in the Under-21s in Toulon six or seven years ago.
“I’ve watched his development and he’s earned the right to be part of the squad now. I’ve known all about him before this camp and we’ve been itching to get him involved.”
Nathan Broadhead’s equaliser prompted jubilant scenes for the travelling Welsh support
Wales had not managed a single shot on target until Broadhead’s late intervention at the far post.
But, after being outplayed for the entire first half, they appeared to be building momentum before Page made a contentious triple substitution.
Skipper Aaron Ramsey,Daniel James — who had just volleyed wide from close range — and Harry Wilson were all withdrawn with Broadhead among the replacements.
Page admitted that Tuesday’s must-win home game against Latvia was in his thoughts at that point.
He said: “We’d planned it [the subs] last week. The four forwards we had on the pitch are not playing at club level.
“We had a target for the points we wanted to get, it’s all about the home game for us.
“That was the winnable game and we always knew that on the hour we were going to make those substitutions.
“It’s beneficial to keep them fresh now for Tuesday, but when you get the equaliser like we did late on in the game it feels like a win.
“I think the lads deserved it for the effort they put in, they put a right shift in.
“We knew we were going to have to suffer without the ball and it came true. They’re a very good team and we had to be disciplined in our shape.
“I knew that, as the game went on, we’d create chances. We thought DJ’s might be the one, but Nathan popped up at the end and took his chance well.”
For the Red Devils this season, the Sweden winger has only made seven starts, but he has been used 17 times as a substitute.
During the previous transfer window, Elanga was rumoured to be interested in moving to teams like LaLiga leaders Barca and Premier League underachievers Everton, but a deal never materialised.
In response to a question about a potential move to Camp Nou at the beginning of the year, he told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet: “That was in January, I can’t focus on that now.
“The best thing I can do is focus on the rest of the season and then I will get to talk to the club.
“I love the club, but it’s important for me to play. I’m still young. We have spoken to the club and they know what is required and I know what is required.”
The 20-year-old hopes United boss Erik ten Hag gives him more opportunities and is determined to take his chances when they come along.
He added: “It is frustrating. You want to play, it’s important. But whether you play or not, it’s up to the coach not me. I have spoken to Erik [ten Hag] and it is private between the two of us. I know what he wants me to do and I just keep training hard.
“When the opportunity comes, I just have to be ready to take it. We have a lot of conversations, not only about [his lack of opportunities] but also what is happening around. That’s the good thing about the club,we talk a lot and they help me a lot.”
Argentina has named their training facility after their talismanic captain, Lionel Messi, in recognition of his World Cup heroics.
Argentina’s national team setup is housed in Casa de Ezeiza in Buenos Aires, but it will now be known as Lionel Andres Messi.
The Argentine Football Association’s (AFA) president, Chiqui Tapia, tweeted on Saturday to confirm the information.
“I want to thank all the managers, players and employees of @afa for having been with us.”
Messi dragged Argentina to glory in Qatar last year, emulating the success of the late Diego Maradona as La Albiceleste claimed their third world title, and first since 1986.
“This recognition is one of the nicest I’ve ever received,” Messi posted on Instagram. “A great honour, thank you very much!!!”
Messi scored the 800th goal of his stellar career in Argentina’s 2-0 friendly win over Panama on Thursday. The 35-year-old’s next goal on the international stage will be his 100th for his country.
After suffering a knee injury on Thursday, Ghana captain Andre Ayew will not play in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola.
The results of the MRI scan required Ayew to return to his club for additional treatment, which is why he slipped on his way to the dressing room and injured his knee.
The 33-year-old will not be travelling to Luanda with the team for the Monday return leg.
Other players who didn’t make the trip include Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Salisu and Denis Odoi. The trio were left out of the travelling party due to injuries. The Ghana Football Association wishes them a speedy recovery.
The Black Stars will depart Accra on Saturday afternoon for Luanda ahead of the match on Monday, March 27, 2023.
On Saturday night at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California, in a WBC Junior Welterweight eliminator, Mexico’s Jose Ramirez defeated Ghanaian boxer Richard Commey via 11th-round TKO.
Ramirez dominated in the fight’s latter rounds, focusing on Commey’s body. In the fight’s decisive round, the Mexican scored two knockdowns, the second of which resulted in a full ten count after the Ghanaian took a knee.
Commey lost, dropping to 30-5-1 and going winless in his last three starts (27KOs).
In February 2021, he defeated Jackson Marinez in the sixth round for his final triumph.
Ramirez had plenty to prove as the main event came after he twice turned down a shot to fight for his old WBC junior welterweight title including a rightly criticized withdrawal from an ordered fight with defending champ Regis Prograis.
The Fight
Commey made it easy for Ramirez, as he walked right in and was willing to trade. Ramirez repeatedly made him pay with right hands upstairs. A left hook snapped back the head of Commey which set up a rally along the ropes.
Commey managed a straight right hand that caught Ramirez on the chin in an otherwise lopsided round.
Ramirez continued with his persistent attack throughout round two. Commey was still able to sneak in a right hand but every punch he threw—even the ones that landed—left him open for a relentless body attack dished out by Ramirez who was determined to deliver a knockout finish.
Commey was determined to crash home a game-changing right hand.
The former IBF lightweight titlist used his shoulder to partially deflect Ramirez’s incoming shots before letting go with overhand rights. Ramirez was unbothered by the approach and charged forward to pin the visiting boxer along the ropes.
A subtle adjustment by Commey briefly slowed the pace in round four.
Commey managed to smother Ramirez’s punches which allowed him to fire off right hands on the inside. This time, Ramirez took the bait as he walked into a right hand and left hook.
Commey ripped a left hook downstairs, only for Ramirez to drive him to the ropes and connect with a trio of hooks downstairs.
Ramirez fed off the cheers from the crowd as he rediscovered a consistent home for his right hand in round five.
Commey refused to relent, riding out a Ramirez right before he responded with a brief flurry of body punches.
Both boxers exchanged jabs in round six.
Commey threw his while he fought in reverse, cognizant of getting pinned against the ropes. Ramirez missed with a power shot along the ropes, as Commey took the action to the center of the ring.
Ramirez adjusted his attack and was able to connect with right uppercuts.
Action slowed in round seven, understandably slow after a fiercely fought first half of the fight. Ramirez saved his best moments for the end of the round.
The pace slightly picked up in round eight, which saw Commey fight behind his long jab and Ramirez throw in spurts. Neither landed anything of consequence until the end of the round when Ramirez scored with a combination.
Ramirez dramatically and permanently changed the course of the fight in round eleven. A right hand by Ramirez left Commey unsteady before tumbling to the canvas.
Referee Jack Reiss issued the standard eight count and assessed the fallen boxer before he allowed the action to continue.
Commey was still unable to fully gather his faculties, as he clinched Ramirez before the two fell to the canvas.
Reiss allowed additional time to tick away as he ensured that both boxers were okay before he allowed for the fight to move forward.
Ramirez dodged a right hand by Commey and ripped a left hook to the body. Commey was forced to a knee, where he took the full ten count.
With a crushing 4-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday, sensational St.Louis City maintained their unblemished start to their inauguralMajor League Soccer season, which set a new record.
The Seattle Sounders defeated Sporting Kansas City 4-1 behind all four goals from Jordan Morris, while the Columbus Crew destroyed an undermanned Atlanta United 6-1.
Last week, expansion team St. Louis became the first new team to win its first four games. This week, they continued that trend with yet another outstanding performance.
With a left-footed finish in the 47th minute, Nicholas Gioacchini gave St. Louis the lead. Brazilian Joao Klauss then doubled the advantage after Pablo Ruiz made a careless giveaway.
Klauss then fired in his fourth goal of the season with a first-time drive from the edge of the box before Swedish winger Rasmus Alm finished off a flowing attack to make it 4-0.
MLS’s decision to play through the international break weakened several teams but Morris, not called up for the United States’ CONCACAF Nations League games, used the opportunity to fire a strong reminder of his quality.
After Kansas City had taken a fifth minute lead through William Agada, Morris slid in a low cross from Leo Chu to bring Seattle level in the 23rd minute.
Chu was the provider again, nine minutes after the interval, slipping Morris in and the striker provided a clinical finish.
Morris completed his hat-trick, turning in a Nicolas Lodeiro cross from close range and then completed the rout with a header from another pinpoint Chu cross.
Atlanta United went into Saturday’s game at Columbus unbeaten and on a high after last week’s 5-1 mauling of Portland.
But they were without seven first-team players, away on international duty, including Argentine World Cup winner Thiago Almada.
The Crew were 1-0 up at the break but ran away with the game in the second half with forward Christian Ramirez scoring twice.
Free Fall
The Chicago Fire handed Inter Miami their third straight loss with Phil Neville’s side in free fall after winning their opening two games.
The Fire did it the hard way though, after going 2-0 up through goals from Chris Mueller and Carlos Teran.
Miami fought back through a well-taken Franco Negri effort and a Nicolas Stefanelli header and the Florida side looked to have earned a point until a dramatic stoppage time winner for the Fire.
Veteran striker Kei Kamara, drilled home after being put in by Brian Gutierrez, finding the target for his 10th club in MLS.
Last season’s runners-up, the Philadelphia Union continued their poor start with a 2-1 home defeat to Orlando City. It was Philly’s second straight loss and their third in their opening five games, after goals inside the opening 10 minutes from Orlando’s Martin Ojeda and Ivan Angulo.
Although Andres Perea pulled a goal back in the 24th, Union head coach Jim Curtin was left deflated by his team’s performance. “We let ourselves down as a team by conceding two goals early. That’s unacceptable for us, especially in this building,” said Curtin, whose side won the Eastern Conference last year.
A part of Arsenal supporters have criticised Man City star Rodri for a terrible tackle he made on Marting Odegaard during a Euro match between Spain and Norway.
On Saturday, March 25, the two Premier League players were competing for their respective teams during the international break.
Odegaard, according to Metro UK, had a great chance to start the scoring in the opening minutes of the game after he received a pull-back and fired a left-footed shot.
The Arsenal captain was taken out by Rodri’s late tackle after his shot was blocked before it could reach the goal.
Footage from the incident showed Odegaard immediately rolling around in agony, clutching his ankle before getting up to his knees and appealing to the referee to give a penalty.
The referee, who was not referred to the monitor by VAR, opted against awarding a spot-kick as Spain went on to take a lead moments later via Dani Olmo.
Arsenal fans fume at Rodri Rodri’s awkward challenge on Odegaard did not go down well with Arsenal fans, who quickly hit out at the Man City star for ‘attempting to kill’ the Norwegian midfielder. One wrote: “Absolutely horrible foul from Rodri on Odegaard.
Incredibly, no penalty given! Rodri under Pep’s orders to injure our captain?”
Another posted: “Rodri’s on a mission to hospitalise that Kevin De Bruyne wannabe.” A fourth raged: “Was Rodri trying to end Odegaard’s season with that tackle?”
On March 27, 2023, Angola and Ghana will play a challenging match as both teams try to advance to the Africa Cup of Nations competition.
At the Baba Yara Stadium, the Black Stars narrowly defeated the Palancas Negras to move one step closer to AFCON qualification.
With a close victory over Angola on Thursday, Ghana opened its 2023 account after waiting too long to do so. The Black Stars had not triumphed since losing to Uruguay in the 2022 World Cup final in December.
Under new coach Chris Hughton, the Black Stars were able to resume winning ways thanks to Antoine Semenyo’s dramatic goal.
Ghana sit top of Group E with seven points after three games, three points clear off second-place Angola while Central African Republic sit third with four points.
The Black Stars will secure qualification to the continental showpiece to be hosted by Ivory Coast if they beat Angola in Luanda.
But the four-time African Champions faces a daunting task against Angola and will have to play above themselves if they are to secure early qualification at away.
Meanwhile, Ghana will miss the services of captain Andre Ayew, Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku and Denis Odoi due to injuries.
After helping Spain defeat Norway 3-0 in Malaga on Saturday, Joselu was in a state of dreamland after scoring twice on his country’s debut.
In his first match as head coach after succeeding Luis Enrique, Luis de la Fuente selected a team that was somewhat unfamiliar for their first two Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Many believed Joselu’s call-up was overdue because he had double digit LaLiga goal totals in each of the previous three seasons.
When he entered the game at La Rosaleda in the second half, Spain was struggling to win 1-0 and he scored twice to end the match.
As such, he became the oldest debutant to score for Spain since September 2006, two days before his 33rd birthday, and he was left in disbelief.
“The truth is that I still don’t believe it,” he told TVE. “This is everything a player can have and in the end, the daily work has had its reward.
1 – Joselu Mato (32 years and 363 days) is the oldest player to score on his debut for Spain since Sep 2006, scoring his first goal after 147 seconds after coming off the bench and becoming the first substitute to score a brace on his debut for Spain since then. Brilliant. pic.twitter.com/xiSjE7zJO1
“I think I would especially like to thank my wife and my children, and my mother, who have come here today.
“The truth is that I am not believing it.”
Joselu was also Spain’s oldest debutant since 2006, with De la Fuente opting to pick a few somewhat unfashionable options who were largely neglected by his predecessor.
The striker subsequently paid tribute to De la Fuente for giving him the opportunity.
“I thank him for everything, being here, trusting me, being on the first list,” he said.
“I think I have responded more than enough.
“Age doesn’t matter to me because I feel like a kid, I feel like an 18-year-old kid. I want to enjoy this; I want to hug my family because today is an incredible day.”
Kennedy Agyapong, a presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has repeatedly discussed the financial contributions he has made to the party since its founding.
Additionally, he has contributed money to recent events, including more than 2.75 million Ghana cedis for the April 2022 local elections (10,000 cedis to each constituency).
Later in December, as his widow’s mite contribution to Christmas, he once more gave the party 9,000 bags of rice and other supplies.
He has disclosed a logistical donation made in 2016 as the party prepared for elections.
“Just this 2016, I bought 240 used pick-ups for NPP campaigns. Today, you are in power and you are telling Ghanaians not to buy used (cars)… what is the purchasing power of every Ghanaian in the country. How many people can afford new cars?” he asked during a public function.
The crux of his concern with used cars being the decision of government to ban the importation of such vehicles.
Ken Agyapong insists that the decision by the government is totally wrong and was not well thought off.
“You cannot bring a year to five-year-old cars because VW is going to produce brand new cars in Ghana, because Nissan is going to produce brand new cars in Ghana.
“The direct tax (we are losing) through customs is more than anything in the country. Look at the number of people who are going to lose their jobs. How many jobs are these companies going to create? We didn’t sit down to analyse all these things, we just come out with policies, don’t bring used cars,” he said.
He is considered a frontrunner in the New Patriotic Party’s presidential flagbearership race along with Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen.
On Thursday, Messi scored the 800th goal of his professional career against Panama, bringing him one goal shy of 100 for the national team.
The Argentine sensation became the second-most prolific goal-scorer in history, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo by 30 goals.
Following Argentina’s victory in the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup in December, many football fans and pundits dubbed him “the greatest of all time.”
But the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to convince the Italian tactician, who has named three football greats who are ahead of Messi. “Messi the best in history? He’s a great player but I can’t say who’s been the best,” Ancelotti was quoted as saying via GOAL. “There have been so many wonderful players… Maradona, Di Stéfano, Cruyff.. I don’t know.”
Van Gaal picks Ronaldo over Messi Louis van Gaal is among a number of high-ranking members of the football fraternity who have now delved into the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate.
Speaking on the legendary duo, the former Netherlands coach heaped praises on the two iconic superstars as the best players of their era. Van Gaal, 71, then disclosed his preference for the Portuguese legend in the GOAT debate.
“And the big question, Messi or Cristiano? The best players of this period are Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Choosing between them is difficult,” Van Gaal told Onda Cero, via Sportskeeda.
Gary Cahill speaks on GOAT debate
Elsewhere, former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has weighed in on the Ronaldo versus Messi debate but struggled to choose the better player.
Cahill’s indecision looks quite honest as the two are close first and second in most football metrics and hard to separate.
The two are defying age and going strong.
Both scored freekicks for their countries, Argentina and Portugal, in their last international games against Panama and Liechtenstein.
Heinze snubs Messi in GOAT debate
Sports Brief earlier reported that Gabriel Heinze snubbed Messi in the GOAT debate and instead went for Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo.
The former Argentina international played with Ronaldo for three years at Manchester United and with Messi in the national team but ignored his compatriot.
The 42-year-old said Ronaldo could not get better as he is already next to God in his abilities.
Since breaking into Barca’s first team, the 20-year-old has been a revelation, establishing himself as a key player for the LaLiga leaders.
Pedri won FIFA’s Golden Boyaward for the best young player in Europe in 2021 and quickly forced his way into the Spain team.
The young maestro is under contract with the Blaugrana until 2026 and has no plans to leave for the time being, though he has hinted that he may work abroad in the future.
When asked about the possibility of a switch to England, he is quoted as saying by Marca: “At the moment, no. I’m at Barca and hopefully I’ll stay here for many more years.
“I love LaLiga, but nothing should ever be ruled out.”
Pedri will miss Spain’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Scotland due to a hamstring injury, but is relishing a new era for the national team under Luis de la Fuente.
Having played under De la Fuente at Under-21 level and in the Tokyo Olympics, Pedri believes the new Spain head coach will be a success.
Pedri said: “He is a person who goes straight ahead, he likes to work on the things he believes in and I think we will do well.
“All the coaches who come try to have the ball and play, especially because of the style of footballers we have, and I think it will not change a lot.”
Luka Modric has reaffirmed his commitment to Real Madrid, despite reports that he is being pursued by Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
The 37-year-old is in his 11th season at Real Madrid, where he has won 22 trophies, but his contract expires at the end of the season.
He has been mentioned as a possible target for Al Nassr, who signed Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer from Manchester United in December.
However, when questioned about his future while on international duty with Croatia on Friday, a frustrated Modric stated that his top priority is to reach new terms with Real Madrid.
“My wish is known: to stay at Real Madrid,” he said at a pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Wales. “I believe and hope that it comes true.
“The rest of what’s said is just assumptions and rumours. I repeat the same thing for the hundredth time: I hope and believe that I will stay at Real Madrid.”
Modric, who has previously said he wants to feel as though he has deserved a new deal, also rubbished claims Madrid have asked him to retire from Croatia duty.
“Short and clear – no,” Modric said when that suggestion was put to him.
Tonight, #Croatia held the official practice session at Poljud Stadium in Split. 🏟️
The former Zagreb and Tottenham midfielder is in line to earn his 163rd cap for Croatia when they face Wales in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier in Split.
Having elected not to retire following Croatia’s World Cup semi-final defeat to France, Modric will overtake Drazen Ladic as his country’s oldest ever player.
“I didn’t know that before the conference and I don’t know if it’s good or bad!” Modric said. “I feel great with the national team and I’m glad to be here. I feel happy when I’m here.
“We are all focusing on the Wales game. Hopefully we can get a positive result and take that confidence to Turkey.
“The most important thing is that we win tomorrow. We know we are the favourites and are expected to win, but football is unpredictable and you need to be at 100 per cent.”
Jamaican striker Shaw has 26 goals in 23 games for City this season in all competitions, including 15 in 15 in the Women’s Super League.
The 26-year-old has scored once every 86 minutes in the Premier League, which is not quite on par with men’s star Haaland, who has scored once every 76 minutes, but close enough for observers to notice the similarities.
City manager Gareth Taylor did not shy away from comparisons between the “pretty remarkable” pair last week, explaining how both are “so mentally strong”.
“I’m not surprised she’s doing what she is doing, and she still has so many levels to go to, which is quite frightening to be honest,” Greenwood told BBC Sport.
“I think she can be the best in the world if she wants to be. She has all the attributes to be the best in the world.
“I know how hard she works in training. It’s the reason she’s flourishing right now.
“She’s been really strong for us, so we just need to keep feeding her, keep giving her the ball, and the rest she’ll take care of.”
Christian Pulisic believes the United States can find comfort from breaking the Grenada away goal record.
It was the first time they had scored seven goals in a match outside the United States when they won 7-1 on Friday in the CONCACAF Nations League.
Ricardo Pepi and Weston McKennie each scored twice in the USA’s first competitive match since the World Cup.
Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic also scored and assisted on four other goals.
“We came out really strong with a lot of energy and just kind of put with them right away,” Pulisic said, per ESPN.
“So I think they were kind of surprised by that. Took our goals well and just a great all-around performance. Definitely gives us confidence.”
Pulisic added in his post-game press conference: “We love scoring goals and that’s what we do. So obviously good scoreline, positive result for the team. We definitely enjoyed ourselves out there.”
7 – The @USMNT has scored seven goals in a match played outside the United States for the first time in program history. Rout. pic.twitter.com/VMWOuVYxMS
The game was also the first time USA played a competitive match without using a single MLS player since the league began in 1996.
Interim coach Anthony Hudson was impressed by what he saw from his team, but urged them to finish the job as they bid to reach the Nations League final four.
Hudson said: “With a [good] performance and a result like this, you don’t want to get carried away.
“The importance for us is just to make sure that we do all the right things between now and the next game and we finish the job off.
“But the actual performance, I thought it was the result of just a really, really good week.”
1 – With Miles Robinson a healthy scratch, the @USMNT will play a competitive match without using a single MLS player for the first time since the league began in 1996. Global. pic.twitter.com/Pitx2lt41e
Ronald Koeman expected more from his Netherlands team after they were beaten 4-0 by France in his first game back as head coach.
Koeman took over for Louis van Gaal, and he will have been as surprised as anyone to see his team fall behind 2-0 after only eight minutes at the Stade de France, and 3-0 after 21 minutes.
Speaking to NOS Sport after their humiliating defeat in their Euro 2024 qualifying opener, Koeman admitted he had not expected such a disparity, despite his team finishing with 59% possession and just one fewer shot than the hosts (12-11).
“I did not take into account that the difference would be so great,” he said. “I expected more from everyone. The team performance was below average.
“We lost the ball 20 metres from our own goal. That is a place where you should never lose the ball. And then France is, of course, a very good team that is lurking and immediately benefits.”
0-4 – @OnsOranje lost a match by a four-goal margin just twice in the last 60 years: a 0-4 defeat against France at the Stade de France tonight and a 0-4 defeat against France at the Stade de France on 31 August 2017. Déjà-vu. pic.twitter.com/8SoReErhy6
“Memphis lost the ball, but Mbappe of course finishes it off great afterwards. So it was not just us. It was also the class of France,” Koeman conceded.
The Netherlands were without some key players including Matthijs de Ligt, Cody Gakpo and Sven Botman with viral infections, but Koeman was in no mood for excuses.
“Of course the preparation has not been ideal. That has left its mark,” he said. “But there have been just too many moments today when we failed.
“We now know where we stand and have learned from this. It can therefore also turn out positively. We are going to learn and improve, including us as technical staff.”
Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk added: “We didn’t get there, lost the duels and lost the ball too often. The second goal was a set piece, but the other goals came because we handed them the ball. France has so much quality, they immediately punish that.
“We will analyse the defeat and take a good look at what we can do better, but it is clear we are very disappointed.”
The Netherlands host Gibraltar in their second Group B game on Monday.
Thomas Tuchel is set to start making a difference at Bayern Munich by targeting his former club. Tuchel was named the new head coach of Bayern Munich on March 24th, following the dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann.
Tuchel’s first job since being fired by Chelsea in September of last year, with the manager now set to oversee the remainder of the season and the next two years.
Bayern is currently involved in a three-way Bundesliga battle as well as a Champions League quarterfinal clash with Manchester City.
According to reports, Tuchel is planning to hire Chelsea’s highly regarded Anthony Barry as a member of his coaching staff.
Barry was signed by Frank Lampard and stayed when the Chelsea legend was fired in 2021.
The 36-year-old then remained to help Graham Potter when he took over from Tuchel last year. As the Telegraph reports, Chelsea are preparing to convince Barry not to move to Munich.
Kovacic and Mendy deals
Apart from Barry, Football London, via Calciomercato, additionally adds that Tuchel could prompt the Bavarians to move for Mateo Kovacic and Edouard Mendy in the summer.
Both players’ futures at Chelsea remain uncertain amid the abrasive shake-up undertaken by Todd Boehly.
Kovacic and Mendy were among the most trusted lieutenants of Tuchel during his reign at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel’s first assignment after the international break will be a reunion against his other former side Borussia Dortmund in the Der Klassiker. Dortmund currently lead Bayern by a point.
Why Chelsea sacked Tuchel
Previously, it was reported that it has been close to six months since Thomas Tuchel was sacked by Chelsea.
It was a decision not many fans and pundits agreed with, as the new owners decided to bring in now-embattled Graham Potter as his replacement.
At the time of his sacking, the Blues weren’t performing well, but co-owner, Todd Boehly revealed the German wasn’t sacked entirely because of on-pitch results and rather because the club was being steered in a new direction – one which Tuchel was not seen as the right person to do.
Didier Deschamps claims that Antoine Griezmann’s disappointment at being passed over for France captain in favour of Kylian Mbappe “lasted two minutes.”
It took less than two minutes for Mbappe to assist Griezmann on France’s way to a 4-0 win over the Netherlands at the Stade de France on Friday, giving the French a strong start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Deschamps named Mbappe as his new captain ahead of Griezmann, who also scored twice after Dayot Upamecano found the net, but said in a post-match press conference that there are no issues between the two.
“Fortunately, I don’t know what is said and written. The two get along well, they work well and they have the same objective of seeing the French team perform well,” he said.
“Antoine’s disappointment lasted two minutes. There is not the slightest problem, like the whole group. Everyone gave off positive vibes.”
While Mbappe replaced Hugo Lloris as captain after his retirement, Maignan was playing his first game since being confirmed as Lloris’ replacement as France’s new first-choice goalkeeper, and Deschamps was in no doubt about the decision.
“It’s Mike. I didn’t have to ask myself the question,” he said. “He was injured but whether it was his qualities as a goalkeeper or his mentality… total confidence. It went very well for him. Mike has everything to take over [from Lloris].”
France had a 3-0 lead after just 21 minutes, having not led so early in a game since December 1953 when they beat Luxembourg 8-0, and had a 2-0 lead by the 10th minute.
“I don’t know [if it was a perfect evening], but [it was] a very nice evening,” Deschamps said. “The start was very good, efficient… We managed in the second half while continuing to be dangerous. That Mike stopped this penalty at the end ended the evening well.”
Deschamps also said there could be changes for Monday’s second Group B game away at the Republic of Ireland, adding: “It will be another fight for us to fight.”
After Zlatan Ibrahimovic jumped to Antonio Conte’s defence, he received unexpected support. Conte is currently under fire, with his job at Tottenham possibly on the line after making explosive comments last weekend.
After Spurs blew a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with Southampton, the Italian lashed out at the players and club CEO Daniel Levy.
Spurs are expected to crack the whip on the former Chelsea manager in the near future.
While many would agree that Conte’s comments were necessary, others would argue that publicly criticising his club was inappropriate.
Sports Brief has previously documented how Conte’s misery in North London might be his own doing.
Ibrahimovic backs Conte As the discussion rages on, Ibrahimovic has thrown his weight behind the 53-year-old.
The bullish Swedish striker maintained that people ought to speak their minds without caring about the possible repercussions.
“Every person works in his own way. I believe in being yourself, but sometimes you pay for it because it’s not what people want to hear,” as quoted by Sky Sports.
Nagelsmann to replace Conte?
Conte’s contract runs until the end of the season and it is now highly unlikely that he will renew. Sports Brief reported that Tottenham Hotspur just might have been offered a superb chance to land a top manager after Julian Nagelsmann’s departure from Bayern Munich.
Despite guiding Bayern to the Champions League quarter-finals, the Bavarians coach has put the team in unfamiliar territory in the league, as they find themselves in a three-way battle for the Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund and surprise packages, Union Berlin.
The youthful coach could be exactly what the doctor ordered for Spurs, as he has a reputation for bringing the very best out of fairly young players.
Notably, Nagelsmann’s RB Leipzig thrashed Tottenham 4-0 as theGerman became the youngest manager to win a Champions League knockout tie back in 2019.
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