RB Leipzig player Dani Olmo claims he is not considering leaving, but “everything is possible.”
In the January transfer window, Olmo has been linked to a number of teams, including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Real Madrid.
The international player from Spain has a contract with Leipzig that runs through the conclusion of the 2019–2020 campaign. He transferred there from Dinamo Zagreb.
While preparing to resume the season after participating in the World Cup, Olmo, 24, said he is not actively seeking to leave the Bundesliga club. However, the 24-year-old is not completely ruling out a move.
“I have a contract until 2024. I’m not thinking about it right now, just about the next games.” he told Bild. “We have three competitions ahead of us.
“Things happen so quickly in football, things can change all the time. We won the DFB-Pokal last season, and we want to do everything we can again this season to play for titles again.
“I have my advisor who takes care of it. I only focus on football. I’ve talked to Max Eberl [Leipzig’s director of sport] quite a few times, but so far not on the subject.
“Maybe we’ll talk about that again here in the training camp. We’ll see what happens. Everything is possible.”
Olmo has scored three goals and provided two assists in all competitions for Leipzig this season.
Kenya made a request for inclusion in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to the Confederation of African Football on Monday.
After Fifa suspended the Kenya Football Federation (FKF) in February of last year, accusing the government of interfering in sport when it dissolved the national governing body, Kenya was barred from the competition.
The Kenyan government decided to reestablish the FKF, which had been disbanded due to allegations of corruption, and Fifa concurred to lift the suspension in November of last year.
Ababu Namwamba, Kenya’s minister of sports, said to a group from Fifa and CAF that his country was not interested in managing football directly, only in making sure it was done so professionally.
“Football has its own infrastructure to manage the affairs of football,” he said at a joint press briefing with the visiting football officials.
“This government only wants proper laws, accountability, good governance and transparency from those who lead football in order to attract sponsors.”
According to reports, the minister said Kenya wanted to take part in the 2023 Africa Cup, with a qualifier between Kenya and Cameroon pencilled in for March.
“We have made it very clear to both CAF and Fifa that Kenyan football is at rock bottom. I believe Fifa and CAF will be considerate in Kenya’s peculiar situation,” Namwamba said.
“It was a special circumstance that led to the suspension of (national team) Harambee Stars from the qualifiers,” he added.
Before the suspension, Kenya had been drawn in Group C of the qualifiers which kicked off in August last year, alongside Burundi, Cameroon and Namibia.
CAF legal counsel Nadim Magdy, who was part of the delegation, said the continent’s football governing body would meet “soon” to discuss Kenya’s request.
Black Galaxies head coach Annor Walker is certain that his team can win the 2023 African Nations Championship (CHAN) competition after holding Algeria to a goalless draw in a friendly game over the weekend.
The locally constructed team played the host nation in a friendly match as part of the tournament’s pregame festivities on Saturday to open the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers.
Goalkeeper Ibrahim Danlad, who represented the Black Stars at the most recent World Cup in Qatar, stood tall with some outstanding saves as the home team wasted multiple scoring opportunities.
Solomon Adomako, David Abagna, Dominic Nsobila, Jonah Atu Quaye, and striker Jonah Atu Quaye all displayed flashes of brilliance that put the Algerians in jeopardy.
Coach Walker has confidence in his team’s ability to succeed in the tournament reserved only for players from their own area after seeing how they performed during the game against the neighborhood Desert Warriors.
Later today, Ghana will play its final friendly match against Mozambique to complete its preparations.
The Black Galaxies were placed in Group C with Madagascar, Sudan, and Morocco.
The start of the competition has been set for January 13 until February 4.
Gareth Bale, a legend for Wales, has declared his retirement from both club and international football.
The 33-year-old winger, a former player for Real Madrid and Tottenham, amassed 111 caps for the Dragons and competed for his nation in three important competitions, including the World Cup in Qatar.
Bale made the following announcement about his choice on social media: “After serious and thoughtful contemplation, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love.
“It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life.
“The highest of highs over 17 seasons that will be impossible to replicate no matter what the next chapter has in store for me.”
Bale, the captain of Wales, began his professional career at Southampton before making his debut in 2007 with Spurs, where he went on to establish himself as one of the best players in the Premier League over the course of 237 games for the North Londoners.
His performance won him a transfer to LaLiga powerhouse Real Madrid for a then-record £85 million fee.
The Cardiff-born star played in the Spanish capital for nine years, earning five Champions League championships.
His strike against rival Atletico Madrid in 2014 and a spectacular brace to defeat Liverpool four years later rank among the best moments in the championship game of European football.
A Welsh great, Bale played a talismanic role in helping his country reach the European Championship semi-finals in 2016 and also led them to their first World Cup since 1958.
Bale moved to Los Angeles FC last year, scoring three goals in 14 appearances — including in the MLS Cup final, which his side won on penalties.
He added: “From my very first touch at Southampton to my last with LAFC and everything in between, shaped a club career that I have an immense pride and gratitude for. Playing for and captaining my country 111 times has truly been a dream come true.
“To show my gratitude to all of those that have played their part along this journey feels like an impossibility.
“I feel indebted to many people for helping to change my life and shape my career in a way I couldn’t have ever dreamed of when I first started out at nine years old.
“To my previous clubs Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid and finally LAFC, all of my previous managers and coaches, backroom staff, team-mates, all the dedicated fans, my agents, my amazing friends and family, the impact you have had is immeasurable.”
Having taken time to announce a decision following that defeat, Lloris confirmed his retirement in an interview with L’Equipe on Monday.
“There comes a time when you have to know how to hand over,” he said, before referencing deputy Mike Maignan.
“I don’t want to own [the position]. I’ve always said and repeated that the France team doesn’t belong to anyone, and we all have to make sure that this is the case, me first.
“I think that there remains a team ready to continue, and there is also a goalkeeper who is ready.”
Maignan appeared set to push Lloris for the number one shirt in Qatar, only to join a long list of France stars who missed the tournament through injury.
Lloris kept only a single clean sheet at the finals, although that came in the semi-final against Morocco.
He retires with eight World Cup clean sheets, behind only countryman Fabien Barthez and Peter Shilton (both 10) since 1966.
“I’d rather go out at the top than wait for a decline or [face] too much competition,” Lloris added. “There is also a family choice;I feel the need to spend more time with my wife and children.”
Lieutenant Colonel Edward Sarpong Appiah, Commanding Officer of the 66 Artillery Regiment in Ho, has assured the people of the Volta and Oti Regions of their readiness to ensure peace and security in the regions.
He said his outfit, in collaboration with other security services, would continue to conduct internal security operations to disrupt criminal activities that threatened the peace and security in the regions.
Lt. Col. Appiah was speaking at West African Soldiers Social Activity (WASSA) organised by the Regiment to reflect on activities of the past year and thanked God for His protection, grace and mercy for successful year.
He commended the personnel of the Regiment for their unflinching support, vigilance and high level of professionalism in the discharge of their duties and keeping the region peaceful.
The Commanding Officer charged the officers and soldiers to avoid complacency in any form, continue to be disciplined, professional and effective in the discharge of their duties.
Lt. Col. Appiah commended the media and the Regional Coordinating Council for the continuous support and was optimistic that the Regiment would continue to enjoy such support from all for effective discharge of its mandate.
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, commended personnel of the Regiment for their sterling performance in executing their mandate in maintaining and improving the relative peace and stability in the region.
The Minister said the Volta Regional Coordinating Council was ready and would continue to support the 66 Artillery Regiment in the discharge of its mandate to the fullest.
He called for intensive intelligence gathering and collaboration among all the Security Agencies in the region to suppress any threats that might be posed by elements that might try to destabilise the current peace and security.
Dr. Letsa assured the people of the Volta Region that the Government was committed to keeping all the citizens safe and called for support for the Government and the security services to maintain the peace of the country.
The Minister said the Regiment demonstrated to be the torchbearer of any forward match in fighting the threats of potential secessionist attacks and that of terrorists in the country and the region.
He said the swift response of the 66 Artillery Regiment in the wake of the activities of the secessionist group was highly commendable.
Liverpool, who were halted at Anfield by Julen Lopetegui’s visitors, will play in a rematch at Molineux thanks to goals from Goncalo Guedes and Hwang Hee-chan.
Although the Reds dominated possession of the ball, defensive miscues prevented them from advancing to the fourth round despite goals from Salah and Darwin Nunez.
Gakpo, who believed the Reds occasionally displayed intelligence, was not overly discouraged.
He added: “I think we played, in phases, really good football.
“We didn’t score enough, so that’s a pity. But I think we showed what we could do. We can still improve on some points, [so] let’s work on that.
“I think we showed real team spirited, so that’s good. We have to go there [to Molineux] with great determination and just go for the win.”
Wout Weghorst might be making a surprise move to Manchester United in January, but Besiktas won’t let go of the Dutch international without a fight.
After scoring the second goal in the Turkish club’s 2-1 Super Lig victory over Kasimpasa on Saturday, the 30-year-old looked to wave goodbye to the supporters. Cenk Tosun, a former Everton striker, scored the first goal.
According to reports, United is interested in temporarily signing Weghorst from Burnley, who is now on loan to Besiktas, until the end of the current campaign.
Erik ten Hag, the manager of United, has indicated a need for a striker, and Weghorst is an unexpected pick.
Besiktas manager Senol Gunes said after the Kasimpasa game: “I have not seen Wout Weghorst’s move and I do not know. I cannot speak about what I do not know.
“Wout plays from the heart. He contributes. I do not find it appropriate to talk about someone’s future, there is no such thing on our agenda.”
He added: “Weghorst is an important player for us. It’s not enough to say goodbye to the crowd to say goodbye. He has to talk to the club as well.”
Besiktas would be reluctant to see Weghorst go, believing they struck a deal with Burnley that would keep him at the Istanbul club for the duration of the season.
They would be seeking compensation, according to sporting director Ceyhun Kazanci.
He told broadcaster NTV: “I don’t understand why Weghorst said goodbye to the fans, why he made such a move. He is our football player now. There is no clause in our contract with Burnley that includes returning or leaving at half-time. Our contract ends at the end of the season.”
Kazanci added that Burnley would need to sound out Besiktas about any change to the loan agreement.
“If we accept, the contract will be terminated,” he said. “Otherwise, he won’t be able to go anywhere until the end of the season.”
Weghorst struggled to make an impact in the Premier League with Burnley in a short spell last season, after a previous prolific time at Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga.
The 6ft 6in target man came to global prominence at the World Cup, scoring twice as a substitute in the quarter-final against Argentina before the Netherlands were ousted on penalties.
In the United Cup final, the United States dominated Italy with a commanding 3-0 lead thanks to Taylor Fritz’s game-winning goal.
In the preceding rounds of Sunday’s final in Sydney, Jessica Pegula and Frances Tiafoe defeated Martina Trevisan and Lorenzo Musetti, setting the stage for Fritz to emerge as the winner.
While Pegula defeated Trevisan in straight sets, continuing her recent form that saw her upset Iga Swiatek in the USA’s victory over Poland in the semi-finals, Musetti injured herself and quit with a 6-2 deficit.
And Fritz, who defeated Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-6) after the Italian had recovered the first championship point but been unable to stop his opponent from capturing the second, made sure that his country won the first United Cup.
“It’s great. It’s amazing for the team to win this event. We came in with really high hopes, or at least I did, for the event,” said Fritz, who is ranked ninth in the world by the ATP after winning three titles in 2022.
“I was really happy to be in that position to clinch the match.”
There were jubilant scenes as the USA team rushed to celebrate with Fritz, though Tiafoe was perhaps slightly overzealous.
“Just the emotions when you win and everyone comes running at you, it’s amazing,” Fritz said. “I don’t know if you saw the replay but Frances basically headbutted me!”
A popular barber was allegedly killed in Asiri, an agricultural town in the Jaman North District of the Bono Region, as a result of the unfortunate murder of a motorcyclist nearby, causing chaos.
On January 2, on the Seketia-Asueyi route, Kwabena Prince, the deceased, is suspected of killing Alex Mensah, an 18-year-old “Okada” rider.
Prince allegedly paid the ‘Okada’ rider to take him to Asueyi, but on the way back, allegedly killed him, stole the motorcycle, and fled.
A manhunt was then started for the culprit by the police in Sampa, the administrative center of the Jaman North District.
Prince, who had been missing for a few days, was only discovered by chance when a young guy saw him at a chop bar in Asiri after locals uploaded his images on social media to help with police investigations.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered from residents that the young man who sighted the suspect confronted him, and sensing danger he (suspect) took to his heels, but some young people in the town chased, overpowered and arrested him.
They then handed him over to the police at Asiri.
But when information about the arrest spread in the town, a mob rushed to the police station, deflated the police vehicle tyres which intended to transport the suspect to Sampa, forcibly took him from the police, and lynched him accordingly.
The Police had since deposited the body at the Sampa Government Hospital for preservation and autopsy while investigations continued.
As at the time of filing this report, the GNA learnt calm has returned to the Asiri, after some military personnel were deployed to maintain law and order in the town.
Fire has razed down a 14-bedroom apartment at Odomase, in the Sunyani West Municipal capital, destroying personal belongings and property running into thousands of Ghana cedis.
The Assistant Divisional Officer Grade Two (ADOII) Kwame Adomako, the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Bono Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the fire started around 2000 hours on Thursday January 5, 2023.
He said people around the neighbourhood were able to rescue the only woman in one of the apartments when the fire started.
Unfortunately, when the personnel of the GNFS reached the scene, the fire had already assumed a dangerous dimension, he stated.
For the first time since placing limits on overseas travel in March 2020, China has reopened its borders to travelers from outside.
As the nation fights a surge in cases, there will be no longer be a requirement for incoming travelers to quarantine, marking a dramatic shift in the Covid policy.
They will still demand documentation of a PCR test that was negative and performed within 48 hours of the trip.
Many people who are ready to reunite with family have welcomed the move.
In the upcoming weeks, 400,000 individuals from Hong Kong are anticipated to fly into locations like Beijing and Xiamen, where there would be lengthy lines for flights.
On Sunday, double decker coaches packed with travellers arrived at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to catch buses to the Guangdong province – among them were college students returning home.
One man told the BBC he hadn’t seen his extended family in five years and couldn’t hold back his excitement having just bought a ticket back to China.
A woman told news agency Reuters she had not seen her parents in years – despite one of them suffering from colon cancer – and said she was “so, so happy”.
The country’s reopening comes at the start of “chun yun”, the first period of Lunar New Year travel. Before the pandemic it was the largest annual worldwide migration of people returning home to spend time with family.
Two billion trips are expected to be made this Lunar New Year, double the number that travelled last year.
Li Hua, who travelled from the UK to China – where her family lives – for the festival said it had been “too long” since she had returned, “I’m so happy to be back, and breathe Chinese air. So happy, so happy”.
However, other people worry that expanding the borders will increase the spread of Covid-19.
At the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, some local bus drivers told the BBC that they are concerned they might contract the virus from arriving travelers and that their employers should give them better protection.
China had one of the strongest Covid health rules over the past three years, which resulted in repeated lockdowns, frequent testing procedures, and a substantial impact on the country’s economy.
Following widespread demonstrations around the nation in response to a fire in a high-rise building in the Xinjiang province that left 10 people dead, the government recently reversed course on that policy. Although authorities disputed this, many Chinese believed that the long-standing Covid restrictions were a factor in the deaths.
Hospitals and crematoriums have reportedly been overcrowded since China abandoned the main tenets of its Covid zero policy, but the nation has stopped disclosing its case numbers and only announced two deaths on Saturday.
The Chinese government deleted more than 1,000 social media accounts on the same day for criticizing how it handled the outbreak.
The anticipated surge in cases and travel out of China has prompted many countries – including the UK – to impose requirements for a negative COVID-19 test on people arriving from China, drawing the ire of the Chinese government.
Sofo Ampomaah, a 10-year-old primary 4 student, was electrocuted on Saturday afternoon at Beppoh in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality in the Western Region.
The youngster was playing with his pals when he got into contact with a live electrical wire on the ground, according to Thomas Kofi Enyam, the Assembly Member for the Beppoh Electoral Area, who described the incident to JoyNews.
He claimed that when the youngster accidentally put the live wire in his mouth, he was electrocuted. When he arrived at the Beppoh CHPS complex, he was pronounced dead.
The Assembly Member claimed that the live wire was a connection between two stores that had fallen off and gone ignored a few days earlier. Police have been notified of the incident, but no arrest has been made as of yet.
The corpse has been placed in the Bawdie morgue in the meantime while an autopsy is performed.
Bank of Ghana has announced that it will in a Forex Forward Auction sell a total of $200 million to Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) in the first quarter of 2023.
In a press statement, the Central Bank indicated that it would hold six auctions from January 12 to March 29.
According to the auction calender, in January alone, the Central Bank would sell $80 million, where half of the amount would be sold on January 12 and January 30, respectively.
On February 14 and February 24, an amount of $30 million, will be sold to the BDCs respectively.
A total of $60 million have been allocated for March. $30 million will be sold on March 14, while the remaining half is sold on March 29.
Receipts of bids will be made from 9:30am to 10:30am on each auction day with the announcement of the auction results made at 3pm on each auction date.
“In accordance with the BDCs Forex Forward Auction guidelines, bids are invited as per the prescribed format to purchase United States Dollars against Ghana cedis, separately on each auction date and should be submitted via the dedicated email bogforwards@bog.gov.gh,” the statement added.
The initiative taken by the Central Bank is meant to reduce the high demand for the foreign currency, dollar.
However, it is unknown if the $200 million allocated would be enough to cater for the Foreign Exchange (FX) needs of the BDCs in order to import the needed amount of crude oil into the country.
This is because this year’s allocation is $220 million less than the amount sold in the final quarter last year. The Central Bank sold a total of $420 million to the BDCs via banks in quarter 4 of 2022.
At the age of 40, Modeste Mbami, a former Cameroonian football player who played for Le Havre before retiring for Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, passed away.
A heart attack, according to accounts, was the reason of death.
He played in Spain and Colombia in addition to France, where he finished his career after becoming well-known in Ligue 1 in the early 2000s.
When he played with PSG from 2003 to 2006, he unquestionably made a name for himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league and won two Coupe de Frances (2004 and 2006).
One achievement in particular distinguished him as a hero more than others, and that was the gold medal he won with Cameroon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The Indomitable Lions defeated Spain in the final on penalties, 5-3, but Mbami makes his mark in the match against Brazil.
Mbami was also a member of the Cameroonian national football team, which regrettably missed out on qualifying for the 2006 German World Cup after coming in second place to Côte d’Ivoire in their qualifying group.
He declined a coaching position with the national team of Cameroon in November 2019. Between 2000 and 2009, Modeste Mbami appeared in 37 games for Cameroon and scored three goals.
The Brazilian was responsible for Wolves’ first goal because he let Goncalo Guedes an easy finish with a direct ball and also let Hwang Hee-chan score a facile second.
Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez both scored to keep the holders from suffering a shocking third-round elimination, but their combined efforts fell short of averting a rematch at Molineux.
However, in his postgame remarks, Klopp did not place the blame for their issues on his goalie, instead complimenting the contributions Wolves made in an exciting game that lasted the entire time at Anfield.
“The goal should not happen, but we all know how often Ali saves our backsides,” he told ITV Sport. “They had counter-attacks before then [too].
“It is always dangerous when [Adama] Traore gets the ball, we could see that. We came back with a fantastic equaliser. They got a foot in the game, and they caused us massive problems.”
When Toti Gomes’ goal was controversially disallowed by the linesman’s flag, Liverpool came the closest to losing when VAR was unable to provide enough angles to determine if Gomes was onside.
Julen Lopetegui was incensed by the choice, and Klopp agreed that it was not a good position for either team.
“I’m not sure about their third goal,” he added. “We have one picture where it may look offside.
“I can understand why they are angry about it. We don’t want the VAR to just have one angle.”
Cody Gakpo enjoyed a solid debut following his arrival from PSV, and Klopp was warm in his praise for the Dutchman.
“He fitted into the game,” he added. “It was not easy for a first step. We cannot expect it to be perfect.
“He showed good signs. We have to get him in better positions, but that will come, no doubt.”
Graham Potter is optimistic Todd Boehly will not prove as trigger-happy as Roman Abramovich while Chelsea fight to save their season.
The Blues have lost their last eight Premier League games and are now 10 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United after their poor run of results.
As Manchester City has already eliminated them from the EFL Cup, defeated them in the league, and might do so once again on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup third round, their chances of qualifying for the Champions League are dwindling.
However, getting out of their current rut is crucial, particularly for Potter’s future as head coach. Chelsea still has a Champions League last-16 match against Borussia Dortmund to look forward to.
In a decision that had overtones of the ruthlessness of the Abramovich era, owner Boehly fired Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel in September, forcing him out of Brighton & Hove Albion.
However, Chelsea has been active in the transfer market, a hint that they are willing to make significant investments to produce results, with Potter being in charge of securing the victories.
He expresses amazement at the level of attention being paid to him and claims that this is “maybe different for me for some reason,” pointing out that Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, and Jurgen Klopp all needed time to assemble their squads at City, Arsenal, and Liverpool, respectively.
Comparing Chelsea now to the 19-year period when Abramovich called the shots, Potter said: “There’s a completely different ownership than there was.
“This is hard for people to also get their head around because Chelsea for 20 years has been one thing, and now all of a sudden, it’s different.
“But they still think back to what previously happened for 20 years. The reason for me to take the job was because you’ve got a chance to shape a club that’s in a massive transitional period.”
Potter said Chelsea have offered “fantastic” support and quipped that billionaire Boehly was “smarter than me, that’s for sure”.
“They understand the challenges that we have, and the direction we want to go in. I’ve been here four months, and five, six weeks of that have been lost to international football,” he added.
“I think Pep was there a year before they won anything. And then obviously Mikel and Jurgen took a bit of time. But obviously it’s maybe different for me for some reason.”
Potter explained he shows anger at times and stressed he was not “some robot”, while jokingly describing some reporters’ questions as “stupid”.
Addressing those reporters, Potter added: “There’ll always be people that doubt. There will be people in here that will doubt, that’s for sure. But I’m certainly not here to convince anybody. I’m here to do my work. And then if that convinces, then that’s fine.
“I’m more confident now that we can achieve things than I was when I started the job because I understand the club and understand the players and understand what’s needed. But obviously, with the past of Chelsea and the change of management, you can see why the questions are there.”
Asked whether he recognised he was under pressure, Potter said: “I don’t know, I don’t read the newspapers, I stay away from social media.”
He knows there is flak flying around though, and that some will never see the nuance.
“We’ve had a massive transition,” Potter said. “Problems in terms of injuries don’t make it easy to be stable. But it’s sort of blah, blah, blah. You know people want to see results, and [they would say] ‘Shut up Graham, what are you talking about, we need to win’.”
After third-tier Sheffield Wednesday shocked the high-flying Newcastle United in the FA Cup, Eddie Howe called the latest defeat “a great disappointment.”
After significant improvements at St. James’ Park, head coach Howe had guided Newcastle into the Champions League spots, but Hillsborough put the Magpies off their game.
Josh Windass scored twice to give Wednesday a two-goal lead. Despite Bruno Guimaraes of Brazil bringing the score back to one, the Owls held on to win 2-1.
As a result, Wednesday becomes the first side to defeat Newcastle since Liverpool did so on August 31. This marks Newcastle’s third consecutive FA Cup failure.
Newcastle lost to Arsenal in this round of the cup in 2021 before suffering a huge killing when they tripped up at home against Cambridge United the previous year.
Howe mentioned in passing that he intended to make up for the Cambridge loss and questioned his players’ finishing, saying they had 22 shots to Wednesday’s nine but failed to convert any of them.
Howe told NUFC TV: “It was a tough night for us, a really difficult game. We knew it was going to be. We created enough chances to win. I thought we had some really presentable moments. We didn’t take them.
“Once they got their noses in front, it’s very difficult to come back. We tried our best to do that and right to the end we were pushing, but it wasn’t to be.”
Howe gave League One outfit Wednesday “a lot of credit” for pulling off the upset, with the lack of precision finishing from Newcastle, who sit third in the Premier League, proving costly.
“Bruno scored, and we had numerous chances and players in positions where you’d expect them to do better, just with their quality,” Howe said. “But it was a night where their goalkeeper made a number of great saves, and we missed that clinical edge that we normally have.
“It hurts because it’s a cup competition, and we’re out at the first round – a huge disappointment for us; especially after last year it’s doubly painful.
“The intention of the lads and myself and the coaching team was to come here and win. We haven’t experienced losing for a long time, and sometimes that can be a positive thing on reflection, but at the moment it’s too raw to feel that way.”
Newcastle still have a second chance of cup silverware, with an EFL Cup quarter-final home tie against Leicester City coming up on Tuesday.
“We’re determined to try and put it right on Tuesday,” Howe said.
After Inter’s third goal was disallowed and a late equalizer against Monza was given away, Simone Inzaghi was left feeling “very angry.”
After Patrick Ciurria thwarted Matteo Darmian’s early goal, Lautaro Martinez capitalized on a Pablo Mari slip-up to put Inter back in front and look like they were going to win.
However, as a free kick was sent into the Monza area after a disputed Roberto Gagliardini challenge and Francesco Acerbi nodded in the goal with the score at 2-1, referee Juan Luca Sacchi whistled for a foul.
Inter experienced heartache in the 93rd minute when Luca Caldirola scored to rescue a point for Raffaele Palladino’s team and prevent the Nerazzurri from winning their fourth straight Serie A match. This goal, which certainly would have ended the game, was disallowed.
Inzaghi was upset during the game because he felt the referee’s early whistle cost his team all three points and prevented them from closing the gap on league leaders Napoli to just five points before the Partenopei’s trip to Sampdoria on Sunday.
“I’m very angry at what I saw,” Inzaghi told reporters. “Unfortunately, after five years of VAR, there was an error that penalised us.
“A clear mistake on Acerbi’s goal, there are two Monza players who fell between them. It’s a huge disappointment on our part.
“I complimented Palladino, [but] without that mistake we would have won the match.”
Romelu Lukaku impressed for Inter as they ended Napoli’s unbeaten start to the season on Wednesday, but Inzaghi opted to start Martinez alongside Edin Dzeko up top against Monza, over the Belgium international.
With Lukaku struggling for fitness, Inzaghi is unsure when the striker will be back to his best, saying: “Time will tell, he’s training in the best possible way.
“He had a very good first half with Napoli, today it was difficult. We’ll do the analysis tomorrow when we’ll be more rested.”
Asked whether he felt Inter sat back too much late in the game, inviting Monza on, Inzaghi replied: “In the first half we conceded little or nothing.
“There are always difficult opponents, Monza are organised and have excellent players.
“Without what we’ve seen [Acerbi’s disallowed goal], there wouldn’t have been this question.
“Now we start again. It’s normal that there is huge disappointment on everyone’s part.”
Following a 2-2 tie in their FA Cup third-round match against Liverpool, Julen Lopetegui referred to Wolves’ disallowed goal as “impossible.”
Goncalo Guedes and Hwang Hee-chan scored goals, and Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah also scored in a chaotic match on Merseyside.
However, a linesman’s call determined that the corner taker was offside in the lead-up, disqualifying Tote Gomes from scoring a late winner for the visitors.
In a call that enraged Lopetegui, who expressed his rage later, VAR was unable to find a good angle to reverse the decision and instead left it stand.
“We have seen it, and the offside doesn’t exist,” he told ITV. “It’s impossible, but someone has told him that it is offside. We have seen the image, and it doesn’t exist.
“The decision is wrong. I make mistakes every day, and sometimes they do too. Today we have the help of VAR, and it is a pity, because I’m sorry, it’s not offside.”
A valiant effort but we couldn't quite come away with the win.
A big thank you for your support at Anfield this evening. We'll need you again on Wednesday night 💛 pic.twitter.com/5cNLWHI2gg
Lopetegui was complimentary towards referee Andy Madley, telling BBC’s Match of the Day he was “very polite” when he and captain Bruno Neves took the decision up after the final whistle.
“That is a good thing for me, that is not usual in Spain,” he added “I love talking, only to show him the offside doesn’t exist. It is very clear.”
The call to cancel out the goal rankled harder for Lopetegui after Salah was effectively played onside for his own strike by a botched clearance attempt by Tote Gomes earlier on.
Lopetegui sought to draw a line under it however, adding to ITV: “It has happened now. We have to accept it. It is a pity because deserved to win against a fantastic team like Liverpool.”
An alleged homophobic shout heard during Manchester United’s FA Cup match against Everton is being looked into by the Football Association (FA).
At Old Trafford on Friday, United defeated their fellow Premier League team 3-1 to advance to the fourth round.
Homophobic chants were heard from some home fans, who were believed to be targeting Everton manager Frank Lampard.
Following the game, the FA acknowledged that it is looking into the situation in a statement.
“We continue to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as the UK Football Policing Unit, in relation to the use of this term,” the statement read.
“Part of our work in this area has been to provide the relevant authorities with impact statements from LGBTQ+ supporters, detailing how chants of this nature affects their experience and feeling of inclusion at football matches, so that a clearer stance and understanding on the chant can be established.
“We stand firmly against all forms of discrimination and we are striving to ensure our game is a safe environment for all, which truly embraces diversity and challenges hateful conduct both on and off the pitch.”
After Antony’s early goal, Conor Coady pulled Everton even, but the defender subsequently buried the ball in his own net before Marcus Rashford’s late penalty gave United the victory.
United also denounced the yelling from their supporters in a widely circulated statement they made on Friday.
“Homophobia, like all forms of discrimination, has no place in football,” the statement read. “Manchester United is proud of our diverse fan base and the work we have done to reduce instances like we sadly heard today.
“We will continue to campaign for inclusivity and to tackle discriminatory abuse whether inside stadiums or online. This includes working with fan groups to educate fans on the offence which discriminatory language causes.”
The incident comes less than a week on from Nottingham Forest launching an investigation into allegations of homophobic chanting directed at Chelsea fans in a 1-1 draw.
In the Eastern region of Nkawkaw Domeabra, two people are in severe condition after being hit by a saloon car that slammed into a hair salon.
A Hyundai Elantra saloon car with the license plate ER 796-21 struck and killed the two victims, a yam vendor and a Mobile Money vendor, as they were walking along the road.
Suddenly losing control and veering off the road, the driver, according to eyewitnesses.
Eyewitnesses who narrowly avoided being struck described how they spotted the automobile coming but were unable to warn the victims in time out of concern for their safety.
The proprietor of the hair salon and other locals hid in the gutters and close-by stores when they noticed the car coming.
However, the car knocked down the Mobile Money vendor and also rammed the yam seller into a nearby kiosk before screeching to a halt.
It took onlookers great effort to free the victim who was stuck in between the kiosk and the car.
The Mobile Money vendor was unresponsive while the yam seller sustained serious injuries in her legs.
The victims were rushed to the Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital.
Two individuals sought by the Ghana Police Service in relation to the violent disturbances that took place during the National Youth and Women’s Congress of the NDC have been arrested.
The disruptions on December 10 at Cape Coast, according to the police, who had already issued a wanted notice for these individuals, resulted in the injuries of three people and the destruction of property.
Abdul Halid Shaibu alias Oluu and Ibrahim Razak, two suspects who were among the 16 people sought for their alleged involvement in the disturbances, were captured on January 7, 2023, in Tamale, in the Northern Region, as a result of focused intelligence operations.
The two suspects are being detained in jail and helping the police with their investigations, according to a statement from the police.
They added that “the faces of the suspects have been shown because they had been declared wanted with their images already displayed in our quest to seek public assistance in getting them arrested.”
The police stated that targeted intelligence operations are still ongoing to arrest the remaining 14 suspects.
They assured the public that they would work to ensure the suspects face justice.
Edouard Mendy, the goalie for Chelsea, underwent surgery for a fractured finger he received during training this week.
The 30-year- old’s shoulder injury sustained during Senegal’s run to the round of 16 in Qatar has prevented him from playing for Chelsea since before the World Cup.
Mendy wasn’t healthy enough to enter the Premier League game against Manchester City on Thursday as a substitute.
Prior to that match, head coach Graham Potter stated that he anticipated Mendy, who has played 11 times this season, to be fully healthy again within the following week.
However, a training-field injury has forced the former Rennes goalkeeper to spend additional time on the sidelines.
Edouard Mendy has undergone an operation on a fractured finger sustained in training this week.
A statement on Chelsea’s official website on Saturday read: “Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has undergone an operation on a fractured finger sustained in training this week.
“The 30-year-old will work closely with the club’s medical department during his rehabilitation phase.”
There is no estimated time period for Mendy’s potential comeback.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, a goalkeeper for Spain, has filled in for Chelsea during the course of their last three games, during which the Blues have kept one clean sheet and allowed two goals.
Potter’s team, which is ranked 10th in the Premier League, will play City once more on Sunday in an FA Cup third-round match.
Barcelona will take on the lowest-ranked team left in the Copa del Rey after being paired with Ceuta in the round of 16.
With their next opponents supporting Group 1 of Spain’s third tier, the Primera Division RFEF, Xavi’s team will be heavy favorites to advance to the quarterfinals.
Nevertheless, Ceuta, which defeated LaLiga’s Elche in the round of 32, will draw inspiration from Barca’s difficulties in the previous round as it prepares to receive the Catalans on Africa’s north coast.
With Oriol Soldevila pegging them back three times to force extra time, the top-flight leaders required extra time to defeat Intercity, a third-tier team.
Tenemos rival para octavos de final de Copa del Rey 🏆
Ansu Fati’s extra-time goal made it 4-3 and ultimately ensured Barca’s victory, but the Blaugrana came perilously close to pulling off an upset.
At Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal and Real Madrid will play in the round’s match.
In one of four LaLiga matches, holders Real Betis were paired with Osasuna at home, while Atletico Madrid, Valencia, and Sevilla were all matched with Segunda opponents.
Donald Trump is being sued for wrongful death by the partner of a US Capitol Police officer who passed away the day after the disturbance on January 6, 2021.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Trump “deliberately stirred up the crowd” that assaulted Brian Sicknick.
On the occasion of the second anniversary of the riots, police have increased security on Capitol grounds.
Although the FBI claims there are still many at large, hundreds have already been found guilty.
According to federal police, more than 300 of the perpetrators of the violence that day remain unidentified.
One of them is in charge of the pipe bombs that were detonated the night before the riots near the Republican and Democratic national committee offices.
The FBI announced on Wednesday that it will pay anyone with information that can help them identify the culprit $500,000 (£420,730).
Two years ago, when Congress declared President Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election, there was a riot at the US Capitol.
The mob stormed the Capitol following a speech from Mr Trump, who was speaking at a rally one mile from the Capitol grounds. In his speech, Mr Trump claimed election fraud and called on then-Vice-President Mike Pence to overturn the results.
“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol,” Mr Trump said in the speech. “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
In the same speech he also told them to “peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard”.
During a commemoration event on Thursday at the White House, Mr Biden called the events of 6 January an “inflection point” of US history.
“It’s hard to believe that this could happen right here in America,” he said.
“January 6 is a reminder that there is nothing guaranteed about our democracy,” Mr Biden added.
US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died one day after the 6 January 2021 riots (Getty Images)
‘Wrongful death’
One woman was fatally shot during the riots by a police officer. Three others who were on Capitol grounds that day died from natural causes.
One of them was Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died a day after the riots from a series of strokes.
While Mr Sicknick did not suffer any injuries during the riot, a lawsuit filed by his family on Thursday alleges the violent mob played a role in his death.
His family sued Mr Trump on Thursday for wrongful death, claiming that the former president “intentionally riled up the crowd” and that Mr Sicknick died as a result of “the injuries that violence caused”.
“Many participants in the attack have since revealed that they were acting on what they believed to be Defendant Trump’s direct orders in service of their country,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also accuses Mr Trump of violating Mr Sicknick’s civil rights, assault and negligence, and is seeking $10m in damages.
Mr Trump has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
On Thursday, Mr Biden awarded several presidential citizen’s medals to officers who responded to the 6 January riots, including a posthumous medal for Mr Sicknick, saying he “lost his life after protecting the citadel of democracy.”
Since the attacks, a Democrat-led congressional probe also examined Mr Trump’s role in inciting the riots.
In December, the US House committee probing the 6 January attack asked federal prosecutors to charge Mr Trump with obstruction and insurrection – marking the first time in US history that Congress referred a former president to be criminally prosecuted.
Following the death of Gianluca Vialli at the age of 58, Roberto Mancini referred to him as his “little brother” and a “perfect and courageous man.”
Former Italian striker Vialli, who played for teams like Cremonese, Sampdoria, Juventus, and Chelsea, passed away on Friday.
After receiving the all-clear three years prior, Vialli, who is incredibly popular and successful, had her initial pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2017 and then received a second one in 2021.
Less than a month after he left his position as head of delegation for the Italy national team, Vialli, an ex-Chelsea manager, passed away, shocking the football world.
The head coach of Italy, Mancini, has talked about his farewell trip to meet Sinisa Mihajlovic, a buddy he had been with for a very long time.
He told the Corriere dello Sport: “He was powerless, with little voice, but very lucid. We talked a bit about everything, he even asked me about the get-together in December with the youths. He wanted to know the developments of the project.”
Mancini paid a glowing tribute to Vialli, who he celebrated a European Championship triumph with at Wembley in June 2021 following a win over England.
He added: “Luca was smiling, we joked. I told him that he was earning more than me at Sampdoria, the president was paying him more than me. A few days after Sinisa’s farewell, I lose another brother, a little brother, as I liked to call him.
“We met when we were 16 and we never split. The entire journey together. Azzurri’s youth sector, national team, Samp, joys and pain, victories and defeats. Those two nights at Wembley.
“Once we cried with sadness and bitterness, many years ago. The other time, we cried with joy, as we were united by destiny, before his death. Gianluca was the best of us, a complete striker, a perfect and courageous man.
“I’ve long hoped he could become the president of Sampdoria, he would have opened an extraordinary history, as when he was a footballer. It was a privilege to be his friend and a team-mate in football and life.
“He made me happy. He had a decisive role in the victory of the Euros. Players loved him. Gianluca had the strength and gave us the courage we didn’t know we had which he used to fight the illness, staying with us until he could.
“I say goodbye to another brother, after Sinisa. With his strength, I’ll go forward to dedicate to him something relevant, which we’ve been dreaming of for a lifetime.”
As parents, pupils, and guardians flock to the area to buy supplies in time for the start of the new school week, there is a growing demand for educational materials in Accra’s Central Business District.
School bags, lunchboxes, pens, pencils, books, uniforms, and other educational supplies are items that receive a lot of consumer interest.
A few private elementary schools have already returned, but starting on Tuesday, January 10, this year, it is anticipated that all public schools and the remaining private institutions will be in session.
Whereas there are many trunks, chop boxes, and mattresses on display, their demand is yet to pick up because second-cycle schools are yet to reopen, particularly, for freshers.
Survey
However, the Daily Graphic team that conducted the market survey observed that the prices of items were as they were before the Christmas break.
Education-related goods, such a pack of pencils, which were sold for GH10 with GH12 as the lowest price, now cost GH15.
Exercise books, which once cost GHC 2, are now selling for GHC 5, and a standard notebook, which once cost GHC 15, is now GHC 18, at the very least.
A Teacher’s Notebook now costs roughly GH70 instead of GH25, which was previously the price.
Given that the nation recently celebrated Christmas with all of its associated high expenses, all of the stationery, materials, and provisions vendors reported strong customer demand.
A pack of three pairs of socks which used to sell at GH¢5 is now selling at GH¢10.
Shoes hover around GH¢90 and above, depending on their quality and sizes.
Sampled views
A customer, who gave his name as Walter, said the school uniform he wanted to buy for his ward was expensive and wondered how many parents could afford it.
A parent, Araba Arthur, muttered about the cost of uniform per yard which was previously GH¢35 but was currently going for GH¢75.
“There’s nothing we can do now but to cut down on the number of items we intend to purchase in order to buy the uniforms whose prices are fixed, “she said.
A school uniform seller, Tanko, said: ”Sales are a bit encouraging as customers troop in and out to buy from my shop”.
Others
A shoe seller, Esther Asare, said last year’s sales were better than this year’s, including the past festive season. “Some customers wish to buy many of such items but are compelled to make a choice due to their high prices,“ she said.
According to her, the appreciation of the cedi against the dollar did not have any positive effect on her sales, she added.
A bookshop owner, Anaefi Daniel, told the Daily Graphic that “by God’s grace business is booming as you can see”.
Didier Deschamps has consented to continue leading France till June 2026.
On Saturday, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced the news.
After a remarkable 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium, France advanced to the World Cup final in Qatar, where they were defeated by Argentina on penalties.
In July 2012, Deschamps was named France’s head coach, succeeding Laurent Blanc.
Under Deschamps’ guidance, France made it to the 2016 Euro final on home soil but fell to Portugal in overtime. They did not experience these difficulties in Russia two years later, as they went on to win the World Cup twice.
Despite having key players like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Paul Pogba injured, France nonetheless advanced to the final in Qatar despite a terrible performance at the delayed Euro 2020 last year.
Deschamps will now lead Les Bleus through Euro 2024. The 2026 World Cup will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 8 to July 3 of that year. He also holds the Nations League championship among his accolades.
Under Deschamps, France has played 139 games, winning 89 of them. He will still have his assistant coaches on staff.
Following the announcement, Deschamps said: “With the president [Noel La Graet], we reached an agreement for an extension until 2026. I thank the president.
“In Qatar, we were very close to obtaining what we wanted, the title of world champion. There were a lot of positives.
“I want to thank the technical staff, the whole staff. It means a lot of things. On returning to France, I realised the emotions and the passion that this World Cup has aroused.
“There was a lot of passion and support. You can count on me to maintain the France team at the highest international level.”
Due to a leg muscle injury sustained during training, Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Australian Open.
The world’s top-ranked player at age 19 won the US Open in September, making him one of the favorites at Melbourne Park and a potential rival for nine-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz, however, declared that he wouldn’t be ready to play in time due to a hamstring issue, keeping him out of the first grand slam of the tennis season.
He wrote on Twitter: “When I was at my best in preseason, I picked up an injury through a chance, unnatural movement in training.
“This time it’s the semimembranosus muscle in my right leg. I’d worked so hard to get to my best level for Australia but unfortunately I won’t be able to play the Care A2+ Kooyong or the Australian Open.
“It’s tough, but I have to be optimistic, recover and look forward. See you in 2024 @australianopen.”
The Kooyong event is an exhibition tournament ahead of the major, and it is the Australian Open where his absence will be most sorely felt.
Alcaraz has emerged as the pick of the new generation of players, with his high-intensity game winning him a legion of supporters and bringing him a host of titles already.
He earned $7.6million and picked up five singles titles last season, including the first grand slam crown of his career in New York, ending the year with a 57-13 win-loss record and the ATP top ranking.
Alcaraz’s compatriot Rafael Nadal is the defending champion in Melbourne, while Djokovic returns this year after being deported from Australia 12 months ago amid a vaccination saga.
When I was at my best in preseason, I picked up an injury through a chance, unnatural movement in training. This time it's the semimembranosus muscle in my right leg. pic.twitter.com/nJbIlMtGyK
Police intelligence operation on 5th January 2023, led to the arrest of four suspects for the unlawful possession of over 104 bags of substances suspected to be narcotics at Lolonya near Sege in the Greater Accra Region.
The four suspects, Ntow Prince, Felix Owusu, Jery Quartey and Daitey Mashack were arrested while discharging sacks of the compressed plant materials into a boat at the seaside at Sege.
During the arrest, suspect Daitey Mashack who is the Assemblyman of the area attempted to bribe the arresting officers with an amount of GH₵ 20,000.00.
The loaded truck with the substances has been impounded at the Tema Regional Police Headquarters together with the attempted bribe money.
The four suspects were subsequently put before the Ashaiman Circuit Court on Friday, 6th January 2023, where they have been remanded into Police custody to re-appear on 23rd January 2023.
Meanwhile, the Police administration has thanked the Police team for their dedication and service to the country.
Venus Williams withdrew from the Australian Open owing to an injury, raising questions about Iga Swiatek’s ability to compete.
The American lost his opportunity to compete in the opening grand slam of the year due to injury this week at the ASB Classic.
After losing to Chinese player Zhu Lin in the tournament’s second round on Thursday in Auckland, it was announced on Saturday that Williams will not be competing at Melbourne Park.
Seven-time grand slam singles champion and 14-time major doubles champion, the 42-year-old has displayed tremendous endurance during her storied career.
Williams lost her two singles finals in 2003 and 2017 and won four of her grand slam doubles titles in the Australian Open.
Williams’ wildcard spot has been given to Australian Kim Birrell nine days before the tournament begins.
The Adelaide International 2 will take place next week despite the withdrawal of world number one Swiatek owing to a shoulder issue.
When Swiatek lost against Jessica Pegula in Friday’s United Cup match between Poland and the United States, she broke down in tears.
Roger Schmidt said Enzo Fernandez had a “clean slate” after missing Friday’s Primeira Liga victory and is looking forward to having him back in training.
One of the heroes of Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar, Fernandez attracted the attention of numerous top teams.
At one point this week, it was believed that Chelsea was close to signing him, but the Blues reportedly refused to match the massive £106 million (€120 million) release clause of the 21-year-old player.
Schmidt said Chelsea’s approach showed “a lack of respect” to his club, suggesting the Premier League side were trying to “drive the player crazy”, and Fernandez was missing from his Benfica side against Portimonense.
The World Cup champion, though, seems destined to extend his career in Portugal as of this coming Saturday because Schmidt was adamant that Benfica were not eager to sell Fernandez.
Speaking after a 1-0 Benfica win, the coach said: “We have a clean slate today.
“In the news conference yesterday, I clearly said that Enzo had not been well in the last week. That is why he was not in the team.
“But tomorrow I will be very happy to see him back in training. He is our player. I count on him to win games and titles. We need him to be champions. Now we can focus on football.”
Fernandez participated in Benfica’s season-opening 3-0 loss to Braga last week, but he was absent for their first home game following the World Cup.
As a result, he did not receive the same honors on Friday as his teammate Nicolas Otamendi from Benfica and Argentina.
“[The tribute] was very important for me and my family,” said Otamendi, speaking to Benfica TV.
“Enzo couldn’t be there, but he will also have his tribute, because he is also part of what we [Argentina] achieved as a team.
“It is a tribute in our stadium, with our fans, who I will remember for the rest of my life, because I won a very important title in my career and obviously they are part of that title.”
With a 3-1 victory over Everton, Marcus Rashford scored his fifth goal in as many games and assisted on two more, advancing Manchester United into the FA Cup’s fourth round.
Conor Coady, who scored the equalizer for Everton, converted a pass into his own goal in the second half after Rashford had set up Antony’s early goal.
Then, in stoppage time, after Ben Godfrey fouled Alejandro Garnacho, Rashford continued his streak of goals by forcing Jordan Pickford’s save.
For the first time since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer served as interim manager in 2019, United achieved seven straight victories in all competitions despite not being particularly brutal and being thankful to have a potential Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalizer disallowed for a tenuous offside ruling.
With the pressure mounting on Frank Lampard following Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Brighton, Everton found solace in an improved performance. They are now 18th in the Premier League.
In a strong lineup for his first FA Cup appearance, Erik ten Hag chose Luke Shaw at center back, leaving Lisandro Martinez, who hasn’t played since Argentina’s World Cup group stage match against Mexico on November 26, on the bench with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
After the horror show of Tuesday night, Lampard reverted to the 3-5-2 system used to frustrate Manchester City last weekend, while Neal Maupay replaced Calvert-Lewin in attack.
The 9,000 travelling Everton fans arrived in Manchester still fuming over their latest capitulation, the first chant of ‘sack the board’ coming 15 minutes before kick-off, and their mood did not improve as United snatched the lead just four minutes in thanks to more dismal defending.
Anthony Martial and Rashford combined well to allow the England man to roll in a low cross from the left, but Antony was almost ignored as he raced clear to poke in at the far post.
Everton, devoid of confidence, gifted United further chances through careless passing. Martial flashed a shot wide after a lazy Pickford clearance, while Antony should have been in again soon after but failed to capitalise.
However, Everton remarkably equalised 14 minutes in. Amadou Onana shrugged Casemiro aside to collect the ball inside the United box and found the run of Maupay. His low cross should have been routine for David De Gea, but the goalkeeper inexplicably let it bobble between his legs before Coady stabbed it in.
United tried to reassert their authority but Pickford was out smartly to deny Martial, who then saw another shot blocked by James Tarkowski, and United’s early threat seemed to ebb.
Everton were hit by injury a minute into the second half as Alex Iwobi seemed to turn his ankle when tackled by Tyrell Malacia, leaving the pitch on a stretcher with his hands covering his face. Despite the long delay, replacement Abdoulaye Doucoure was somehow still tying his boot laces as play resumed.
And it got worse for the visitors moments later as Rashford cut in from the left and drove into the Everton box, beating Seamus Coleman to send in a low ball which Coady turned into his own net.
United fans, expecting their side to finish the job comfortably, chanted ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ at Lampard – but Everton were not done yet.
Doucoure’s charge into the box was halted by Raphael Varane but the ball rolled to Coleman, who forced De Gea to parry a dangerous cross before Vitalii Mykalenko’s effort was blocked.
Everton thought they had levelled in the 73rd minute when substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin chested in Gray’s cross from point-blank range, but VAR intervened to rule it offside.
United’s third came in added time as substitute Garnacho raced at goal, drawing the foul from Godfrey and allowing Rashford to send Pickford the wrong way from the spot and keep his goalscoring run going.
In their Cup of France match on Friday, Chateauroux may have been underestimated by Paris Saint-Germain, according to Christophe Galtier.
Carlos Soler and Juan Bernat’s late goals helped PSG win the game 3-1 at Stade Gaston Petit, but not before their third-tier opponents had put up a fight.
Hugo Ekitike, a 20-year-old PSG player who was forced to play without Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, or Lionel Messi, gave them the lead early on. Natanael Ntolla then tied the score just before halftime with a deflection off El Chadaille Bitshiabu.
However, late pressure paid off for Galtier’s team as Soler and Bernat both scored, and the PSG head coach was just pleased to advance to the round of 32.
“There is the satisfaction in being qualified,” he said. “Games like this are difficult. The start was in line with what I expected, with the opener. Afterwards, my team was cut in two and that gave Chateauroux a lot of hope.
“Did we think things were going to be easy? Maybe.”
✅It's over! 3-1 win for the Parisians in Châteauroux and qualification for the round of 16 of the #CoupeDeFrance! ❤️💙
Ismael Gharbi, Bitshiabu, and 16-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery were among the young trio that the former Lille and Nice manager made seven changes to from the lineup that began the 3-1 defeat at Lens last time out.
Galtier was pleased with the performances of the young players despite the fact that it took the visitors until just after the hour to take the lead after Sergio Ramos and Fabian Ruiz were substituted for Bitshiabu and Gharbi. Galtier had anticipated a difficult night because several members of the first team were absent due to the World Cup.
“I was satisfied with the young players,” he said. “They were serious and on pace. I really liked Ismael in the game. Warren was of a good level. El Chadaille was unhappy [about the goal against].
“I expected a complex game with the absence of many players and the different states of form. We will see which ones we will recover for Angers [on Wednesday].
“Teams that have had a lot of players at the World Cup are struggling to restart at the start of the year. We will quickly have to refocus on the objectives.”
When Manchester United plays to Marcus Rashford‘s strengths, according to Erik ten Hag, he can be “unstoppable,” and former captain Roy Keane was not surprised by his performance against Everton on Friday.
In a 3-1 victory that advanced United to the FA Cup fourth round, Rashford stole the show.
At Old Trafford, the England forward set up Antony for the game’s first goal before using exquisite skill to make Conor Coady score an own goal to reverse the Everton defender’s earlier equalizer.
The third goal was scored by Rashford himself when he converted a stoppage-time penalty at the conclusion of what manager Ten Hag referred to as “90 minutes of threat.”
Keane, in his role as an ITV pundit, said: “The beauty of watching Marcus tonight was this is what I expect of him now. I’m not surprised by what I’ve seen.
“He’s becoming hopefully one of the main players for United; can he get them back to winning trophies? He’s taking responsibility.
“Tonight, with two assists and a goal, I’m thinking I expect this now from Marcus every week. He’s obviously playing with a confidence.”
For a man who has scored in five straight games and seven straight at Old Trafford, confidence is definitely important, but Ten Hag also stressed the value of his teammates.
“It’s about bringing him in the right position,” he said in a news conference. “He has to do it, but make sure as a team we create spaces, so he is coming [with] his strengths.
“That is Marcus doing really well, but also the team is doing very well to get the right shape.
Really good team performance and happy to cap it off with a goal ⚽️
“So, he can bring his strengths in, and I think then he is unstoppable, with his speed, with his dribbles, with his directness.”
Ten Hag, like Keane, is confident Rashford can maintain those high standards moving forward as United retain an interest on four fronts this season.
“Of course, as a striker, you measure goals [and] assists,” Ten Hag added. “Today he had two assists and one goal, so it’s great.
“He has fantastic skills, and when he has that mental stability, he can keep going.
“That demands a lot, first from him, also from us as a team, an organisation, to make sure we have the right environment, the right culture. When he keeps focused like this, I’m sure he can keep this process going.”
Gianluca Vialli has received tributes from many, including Antonio Conte, who called his former Juventus teammate a “lion” and “an inspiration” in an emotional social media post.
The former striker was re-diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021 after being given the all-clear the year before, and his death at age 58 was announced on Friday.
During Vialli’s four-year stay at Juventus between 1992 and 1996, Conte was a teammate and helped the Bianconeri win the Champions League in Vialli’s final season as club captain.
Conte took to Instagram on Friday to share a recent image of the pair dining together, alongside the caption: “Having dinner together in London a few months ago as we had fun remembering all our adventures and battles on the field.
“Unfortunately, in these last few years, you had to fight a great and terrible battle in life.
“I told you and wrote that you have always been an inspiration to me as my captain and for how you were proving to be strong, proud and brave, fighting like a lion against this disease.
“Always in my heart my friend. Goodbye Gianluca.”
Before joining Juventus in 1992, Vialli played for Sampdoria for the majority of his playing career. While there, he won one Scudetto, one Coppa Italia, and the UEFA Cup in addition to the Bianconeri’s 1996 European championship.
Following his departure from Juventus, Conte took over as the team’s captain. He later left for Chelsea, where he finally assumed managerial duties.
Kevin McCarthy was selected as the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives following tense debates that nearly led to physical altercations between Republican Party members.
Despite holding a majority in the house, Mr. McCarthy’s party had to endure 15 voting rounds before its victory was certified.
On the House floor before the vote, a spectacular lobbying effort was launched to persuade party defector Matt Gaetz to support Mr. McCarthy.
Late on Friday, six holdouts—among them the Florida congressman—decided to give up.
Rep. Mike Rogers, a McCarthy supporter, and Mr. Gaetz previously got into tense arguments in the chamber and came dangerously close to fighting.
Mr. Gaetz was forcibly detained by his colleagues after the Alabama lawmaker shouted and pointed a finger at him.
The Speaker sets the agenda for the House and is in charge of all legislative business. The post is second in line for the presidency after the US vice president.
Speaking after his confirmation, Mr McCarthy wrote on Twitter: “I hope one thing is clear after this week: I will never give up. And I will never give up for you, the American people.”
US President Joe Biden congratulated Mr McCarthy for his win and said he looked forward to co-operating with the Republican Party.
“The American people expect their leaders to govern in a way that puts their needs above all else, and that is what we need to do now,” he said.
Republicans have already pledged to launch investigations into Mr Biden’s family business dealings and administration.
After the 13th ballot was adjourned, Mr McCarthy insisted to reporters that he would “have the votes” to take the speakership on the next round.
In a remarkable turnaround in the 12th round of voting, Mr McCarthy was able to persuade 14 Republican holdouts to cast their vote for him. A 15th rebel followed suit for the 13th ballot.
But the California congressman was still three votes short of the 217 he needed to take the prized gavel, and in chaotic and dramatic scenes, he again failed to win on the 14th ballot.
The dissidents included members of the House Freedom Caucus, who argue that Mr McCarthy is not conservative enough to lead them as they work to stymie Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Mr McCarthy has offered various concessions to the rebels, including a seat on the influential rules committee, which sets the terms for debate on legislation in the chamber.
He also agreed to lower the threshold for triggering a vote on whether to unseat the Speaker, to only one House member, leading to the possibility that the Republican coalition could easily fracture again even after Mr McCarthy’s victory.
Senior Democratic Party lawmakers accused Mr McCarthy of ceding power to an extreme wing of his party and likened the stand-off to the riot exactly two years ago on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters who disrupted Mr Biden’s certification as president.
“Two years ago insurrectionists failed to take over the Capitol,” Congressman Eric Swalwell wrote on Twitter. “Tonight Kevin McCarthy let them take over the Republican Party.”
And Virginia Congressman Don Beyer referred to the angry scenes among Republicans that followed the 14th count.
“Unsettling that this process ends in threats of violence in the House Chamber, on this of all days,” he said. “Maybe it didn’t determine the outcome, but that is no way to conduct the people’s business. A dark and sobering moment will probably be remembered long after this session ends.”
The minority Democrats had continued to vote in unison for their leader, New York’s Hakeem Jeffries, the first black person ever to lead a party in Congress.
Friday was the first day that Mr McCarthy’s vote count actually surpassed that of Mr Jeffries.
Not since 1860 in the build-up to the American Civil War has the lower chamber of Congress voted this many times to pick a speaker. Back then it took 44 rounds of ballots.
In November’s midterm elections, Republicans won the House by a weaker-than-expected margin of 222 to 212. Democrats retained control of the Senate.
President Akufo-Addo has appointed Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to act as caretaker Minister of the Trade and Industry Ministry.
The president made the appointment after he acknowledged the resignation of Trade and Industry Minister, Alan John Kyerematen.
“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 6 January 2023, accepted the resignation from office of Mr Alan Kyerematen as Minister for Trade and Industry,’ a statement signed by Director of Communications at the Office of the President, Eugene Arhin, read.
Mr Kyerematen resigned from his position on Friday, January 6, 2023.
The Office of the President indicated that Mr Kyerematen on Thursday, January 5, 2023, informed the president personally of his decision to resign and subsequently submitted his letter of resignation.
Mr Ofori-Atta will now have to juggle work at the Finance and Trade ministries until a substantive Trade Minister is appointed.
President Akufo-Addo has acknowledged the resignation of Trade and Industry Minister, Alan John Kyerematen.
“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 6* January 2023, accepted the resignation from office of Mr Alan Kyerematen as Minister for Trade and Industry,’ a statement signed by Director of Communications at the Office of the President, Eugene Arhin, read.
Mr Kyerematen stepped down from his position today, Friday, January 6, 2023.
A statement from the Office of the President revealed that Mr Kyerematen on Thursday, January 5, 2023, informed the president personally of his decision to resign and subsequently submitted his letter of resignation.
In 2017, Mr Alan Kyerematen was sworn in as Trade Minister.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has thanked Mr Kyerematen for his services to his government and to the country.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been appointed to act as caretaker Minister until a substantive appointment is made.
Mr Kyerematen popularly referred to as ‘Alan Cash’ has long been rumoured to be nursing the ambition to contest the flagbearership slot of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It is however unclear if the resignation is to allow him to concentrate on that ambition.
In 2007, Mr. Kyerematen ran for the NPP leadership and received 32.3% of the votes cast.
The Taliban administration has declared that Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, who has admitted to killing 25 Afghan soldiers, will appear before the International Court.
The Taliban’s police spokesman, Khalid Zadran, made this declaration on Friday in Kabul, the nation’s capital.
The Telegraph reports that Zadran responded to Prince Harry’s admission that he killed 25 Taliban fighters while operating an Apache helicopter during the conflict.
The Duke of Sussex described how he flew six sorties during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2012 and killed 25 Taliban in his upcoming biography, Spare.
Reacting, the Taliban official said, “Prince Harry will always be remembered in Helmand – Afghans will never forget the killing of their innocent countrymen.”
“The perpetrators of such crimes will one day be brought to the international court and criminals like Harry who proudly confess their crimes will be brought to the court table in front of the international community.”
Zadran added that Prince Harry’s description of those he had killed as “chess pieces” and that he was “neither proud nor ashamed” of his actions, was “cruel”, “barbaric” and that such actions had legitimised the Taliban’s deadly insurgency against NATO troops in Afghanistan.
“Occupying forces in Afghanistan used to start operations under nightfall on our villages. Prince Harry was involved in this and he has taken the lives of dozens of defenseless Afghans,” said Zadran.
“The cruel and barbaric actions of Harry and others aroused the Afghan population and led to an armed uprising against them. We call this kind of uprising holy jihad,” he added.
According to a veteran British commander, Prince Harry’s comments about murdering Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have damaged his reputation.
In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex describes his 25 kills as “chess pieces taken off the board”.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former army officer, told the BBC that Harry’s remarks were “ill-judged.”
He stated that the comments might have jeopardized his security and aroused retaliation.
In his biography Spare, which BBC News has a copy of after it went on sale early in Spain, Prince Harry goes into depth about his time serving as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.
After two deployments in the country’s Helmand province, he makes the first public admission in it that he killed 25 enemy combatants.
“It wasn’t a statistic that filled me with pride but nor did it make me ashamed,” he writes.
“When I was plunged into the heat and confusion of battle, I didn’t think about those as 25 people. You can’t kill people if you see them as people.
“In truth, you can’t hurt people if you see them as people. They were chess pieces taken off the board, bad guys eliminated before they kill good guys.
“They trained me to ‘other’ them and they trained me well.”
Prior to beginning his second longer tour while piloting Apache helicopters, Harry temporarily worked as a forward air controller on the ground calling in strikes.
Responding to the prince’s comments, a senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani tweeted: “Mr Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return…
“I don’t expect that the (International Criminal Court) will summon you or the human rights activists will condemn you, because they are deaf and blind for you.”
The US and its Nato allies invaded in October 2001 to oust the Taliban, whom they said were harbouring Osama Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda figures linked to the 9/11 attacks.
Col Kemp, who was sent to Kabul in 2003 to take command of forces in Afghanistan, said the Taliban insurgents killed were bad people and he did not have a problem with Prince Harry revealing his kill number – but took issue with the way Harry suggested Taliban insurgents were seen by the army as “sub-human and just as chess pieces to be knocked over”.
He told BBC Breakfast: “I think he’s wrong when he says in his book that insurgents were seen just as being virtually unhuman – subhuman perhaps – just as chess pieces to be knocked over.
“That’s not the case at all. And it’s not the way the British Army trains people as he claims…
“I think that sort of comment that doesn’t reflect reality, is misleading and potentially valuable to those people who wish the British forces and British government harm, so I think it was an error of judgement.”
In defense of Harry, he claimed that the prince should be “proud” of his kill total because of the “effective impact” it would have had on the campaign, his bravery in the field, and the way he has supported wounded soldiers.
However, he warned that it would make the duke’s security issues worse and might “provoke attempt revenge” among those who support the Taliban.
Adam Holloway, the Conservative MP for Gravesham who fought in Iraq for the British Army, wrote in the Spectator that many soldiers did not think it was appropriate to publicise their kill count.
“It’s not about macho codes. It’s about decency and respect for the lives you have taken,” he wrote.
Ben McBean, who lost an arm and a leg serving with the Royal Marines in Afghanistan and was described by Prince Harry as a hero after the pair met at several events, said the royal needed to “shut up”.
He wrote on Twitter: “Love you #PrinceHarry but you need to shut up! Makes you wonder the people he’s hanging around with.
“If it was good people somebody by now would have told him to stop.”
Another serviceman still serving told the BBC Harry’s comments were “very unsoldier-like”.
The soldier, who’s done several tours of Afghanistan, said he would struggle to work out how many “kills” he had been directly involved in – without access to all the specific patrol reports. Lots of people firing roughly in the same direction would make it harder to tell too.
And like many military personnel he said he had no interest in keeping count. More often it is those who write books who seem to take more of an interest in their kill statistics.
Harry in his role as a helicopter pilot would have had a better view than most from his cockpit – seeing individuals up close using sensors and screens.
He would also see the impact of his cannon and hellfire missiles – although clarity would be soon obscured by dust – and he would be able to review footage from the cockpit. But it is not always possible to count bodies on the ground or to distinguish between someone injured or killed.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would not comment on the appropriateness of the prince’s 25 kills claim, but added he was “enormously grateful to our armed forces”.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson, when asked about the prince’s kill number, said: “We do not comment on operational details for security reasons.”
Prince Harry has described how Meghan Markle, who was then dating him, knelt beside Princess Diana’s grave and prayed for guidance.
He remembered the first time she visited Diana’s final burial place on the Althorp estate in his explosive memoir Spare, which went on sale early in Spain yesterday.
On the 20th anniversary of his mother’s passing, Harry recalled how they traveled by boat to the island where she is buried.
He had a moment to himself to contemplate before he realized Meghan too needed some alone time.
‘When I returned, she was on her knees with her eyes closed and her palms flat against the stone,’ he said, adding that she’d told him she’d asked Diana for ‘clarity and guidance’.
The visit happened in August 2017, around a year after the pair started dating.
When he visited the Queen’s body at Balmoral hours after she passed away, Prince Harry says his farewell words to her.
At her childhood home of Althorp House in Northamptonshire, the late Princess was put to rest in 1997. The burial was rededicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2017 in advance of the 20th anniversary of her passing.
Following his father’s passing in 1992, Earl Spencer received the family estate of Althorp, where he now resides with his third wife, Karen, and their daughter, Lady Charlotte.
Prince Harry has mentioned how Meghan makes him think of his late mother.
In the couple’s bombshell Netflix series, released last month, he said: ‘So much of what Meghan is and how she is, is so similar to my mum.
‘She has the same compassion. She has the same empathy. She has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.’
In a preview for his interview with Tom Bradby of ITV, Harry made some brand-new revelations today.
The Duke of Sussex described William’s ‘red mist’ in a fight over Meghan before admitting that he took cannabis, magic mushrooms and cocaine in another clip from his ITV interview, out on Sunday.
In addition, Harry insisted to Mr. Bradby that he wants to make amends with his family, despite the fact that the King has been hurt by his memoir and that it has caused the Royal Family’s deepest crisis since the passing of his mother in 1997.
The government has designated January 9, 2023, as a public holiday through the Interior Ministry.
In a statement, the Ministry highlighted that Monday was designated a holiday since Constitution Day, which is observed on January 7, falls on a weekend.
“In view of the fact that 7th January, 2023 falls on a Saturday, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, has by Executive Instrument (E.I), in accordance with Section 2 of the Pubic Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, (Act 601) declared Monday, 9th January, 2023 as an additional holiday,” the statement explained.
The public has been entreated to observe the holiday as such throughout the country.
President Akufo-Addo may be planning to change his cabinet by the end of next week, according to pollster Ben Ephson.
Even so, he is confident it will happen by next Tuesday or Wednesday.
It comes after Alan Kyerematen, the trade and industry minister, abruptly announced his resignation on January 5 despite extensive rumors to the contrary.
Bigwigs in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) believe Alan to be the front-runner for the position of party flagbearer in the 2024 elections, replacing President Akufo-Addo.
Analysts claim that by resigning, he will be able to devote all of his attention to his bid to become the NPP flagbearer as opposed to continuing to manage his portfolio with a divided focus.
According to Mr. Ephson, Alan has a lot of catching up to do because many of the NPP delegates may be younger than his generation and may not relate to Alan’s political heft very well.
Ben Ephson says that catching up is the best course of action because NPP delegates 30 years of age and younger would not readily remember who Alan was to the NPP some 20 years ago when he was at the height of his powers.
And a few others are anticipated to follow Alan’s lead, else they will be moved out.
“I believe the reshuffle will occur between now and Tuesday. As for the Agric Minister, even if the reshuffle does not affect him, he will have to resign by the end of the month or he will be sacked,” Ben Ephson said, and explained that former Attorney General Joe Ghartey was not holding any post currently because he declared his interest in the presidency early on.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the minister of agriculture and a politician and agricultural economist, has also expressed interest in running for the party to succeed President Akufo-Addo.
Party members who are interested in running on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2024 presidential election must pay filing fees of ¢500,000 and nomination fees of ¢30,000 each.
On Saturday, May 6, voting for both the presidential and parliamentary candidates will take place simultaneously.
The party’s Functional and National Executive Committee (NEC) made this decision during a meeting on January 5th.
It was resolved at the same meeting that candidates for parliament would also have to pay ¢5,000 for nomination forms and ¢40,000 as a filing fee.
In order to assist his breathing, Hamlin continues to be on a ventilator in the University of Cincinnati Medical Center’s intensive care unit.
Earlier in the day, the doctors treating him said he “demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact”, the Bills said in the latest update.
“His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress,” the team added. “We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”
Shortly before Hamlin’s team issued the latest statement on Thursday, his teammate Kaiir Elam wrote in a tweet: “Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement.”
“Keep the prayers coming please,” he added.
His agent, Ron Butler, confirmed to CNN that Hamlin was awake and had been holding hands with his family in the hospital.
Hamlin, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest during the primetime game after tackling Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. He fell on his back to the ground after the collision.
According to the player’s buddy and marketing agent Jordon Rooney, he got over 30 minutes of on-the-field medical assistance, during which time he was once revived.
Since the incident, the Bills’ second-year player has received an outpouring of support.
A Hamlin-created GoFundMe page for a toy drive has raised more than $7 million (£5.9 million).
NFL players Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos have also donated to the cause.
From the University of Pittsburgh, where he played collegiate football, Hamlin was selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Following the event, the NFL decided to postpone the Bills’ game versus the Bengals indefinitely.
Gianluca Vialli, a former football star for Italy, has passed away at the age of 58 due to cancer.
The striker’s previous team Sampdoria announced his passing on Friday.
Vialli, who was born in 1964 in Cremona in northern Italy, had a distinguished career with English club Chelsea as well as Italian clubs Sampdoria and Juventus. He also won 59 caps for his country.
He was initially given the all-clear from pancreatic cancer in 2017, but the disease returned after he received it.
In a Netflix documentary aired in March, Vialli described cancer as “a travel companion” that he hoped would eventually leave him in peace, after testing his mettle.
“Illness can teach a lot about who you are, and can push you to go beyond the superficial way in which we live,” he said.
He assisted former Sampdoria attack partner and national coach Roberto Mancini during Italy’s title-winning Euro 2020 campaign in spite of the disease.
In 2021, Vialli and Mancini led Italy to the competition, winning the trophy there 29 years after their Sampdoria club had lost to Barcelona in the European Cup final.
Vialli remarked in a November television interview with Italy’s RAI that their tearful embrace was “more beautiful than the hugs we used to give one other after I threw him the ball and he scored goals.”
Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli celebrate at the Euro 2020 tournament [File: Laurence Griffiths/Reuters]
Last month, Vialli was forced to step aside from his role as head of a delegation with the Italian national team, saying he needed to focus on overcoming a new phase of his disease.
“I know that I probably will not die of old age, I hope to live as long as possible, but I feel much more fragile than before,” he said in the documentary.
Before joining Juventus in 1992 for a then-record 16.5 million euro transfer fee, Vialli established himself in Sampdoria over the course of eight seasons, winning the Serie A championship and European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Before joining Chelsea in 1996 and taking on the role of player-manager in 1998, he won the Champions League while playing for Juventus.
Late in the season, Vialli took over for the fired Ruud Gullit, and he later helped Chelsea win the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.
Additionally, he led Chelsea to victory in the FA Cup final in 2000 before being fired the following year.
The Genoa-based Sampdoria gave the football star a last farewell in a statement. “We have come a long way together, growing and searching, winning and dreaming. You came as a boy, we salute you as a man,” it said.
Vialli’s death comes days after the passing of 82-year-old Brazilian football legend Pele, who had a tumour removed from his colon last year.
Another Serie A great, Siniša Mihajlović, died last month after a long battle with leukaemia. Mihajlović also played with Mancini at Sampdoria after Vialli left the club for Juventus.
