Football
UEFA ‘seriously considering’ switching Champions League final to Wembley
Europe’s governing body, UEFA, are reported to be ‘seriously considering’ switching the upcoming Champions League final to Wembley, the clash set to be an all-English affair. At present, the final is set to be played in Turkey’s capital Istanbul, at Ataturk Olympic Stadium, the arena having already missed out on hosting the showpiece last season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the last phase of the knockout stage having been moved to Portugal. However, despite missing out on hosting last year’s final, they could well be set to suffer the same fate this term, amid calls to move the final to England, after both Manchester City and Chelsea progressed from their semi-final encounters with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, respectively. With an all-English final on the way, it seemingly makes ...
Neymar: I am happy and proud to remain at PSG
Neymar has signed a contract extension with Paris St-Germain, keeping Brazil forward at the French giants until 30 June 2025. The 29-year-old said “happiness” was the main factor in signing a new deal. Neymar, who joined PSG in a world-record £200m deal in 2017, had been linked with a move away, including a return to Barcelona. “I have grown as a person here, as a human being and as a player, too,” he told the PSG website. Neymar was in the final year of his contract, having signed a five-year deal on his initial arrival. He has scored 85 goals and registered 51 assists in 112 games for PSG. However, he has had a difficult relationship with the club’s fans at times and was booed after expressing a desire to move back to Barcelona in 2019. Neymar said he had undergone a “very positive evolu...
Manchester City boss reacts to Sergio Aguero’s penalty miss vs Chelsea
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reacted to Sergio Aguero’s shocking penalty miss during Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the Etihad on Saturday. Man City took the lead through Raheem Sterling in the first half and Aguero shockingly missed the opportunity to give the home side a 2-0 lead before the half time whistle. The Argentine attempted a Panenka penalty but the chipped effort lacked conviction and was comfortably saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Chelsea came back very strong in the second, putting up an impressive display that gave them 2 goals from Hakim Ziyech and Marcos Alonso. With the win, the Blues delayed Manchester City’s Premier League title celebrations and also gave the west London outfit a psychological advantage ahead of the Champions League fina...
Sergio Aguero apologises after embarrassing penalty miss vs Chelsea
Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero has issued an apology for his penalty miss against Chelsea. Aguero made a hash of his Panenka effort on Saturday, spooning the kick straight into the arms of Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. It was a surprising slip from the usually unerring Argentine, but it was in keeping with a torrid season for the Premier League leaders from 12 yards out and contributed to a 2-1 defeat that prevented City from claiming the title. City boss Pep Guardiola refused to criticise the forward following the game, but Aguero has taken to Twitter to issue an apology. “I would like to apologise to my team-mates, staff and supporters for missing the penalty,” Aguero wrote. “It was a bad decision and I take full responsibility.” Aguero’s Panenka nightmare was the fourth penal...
Paul Onuachu scores as Genk thrash Club Brugge 3-0
Paul Onuachu scored his 31st goal in the Belgian league tonight for KRC Genk to trounce defending champions Club Brugge in the championship playoffs. Onuachu opened scoring in the 57th minute. Cup winners Genk remain in second place with 34 points after two rounds in the playoffs. They are now five points behind leaders Club Brugge. Antwerp are third on 30 points, same as fourth-placed Anderlecht. Both teams clash in Brussels tomorrow. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet r...
Newcastle boost survival hopes after hitting four past Leicester
Newcastle gave their Premier League survival hopes a huge boost after hammering Leicester 4-2 at the King Power Stadium. Newcastle deservedly opened the scoring when Joe Willock pound on an error from Caglar Söyüncü before finishing smartly past Kasper Schmeichel. That goal made him the first Magpies player to score in four consecutive Premier League matches since Papiss Cissé in April 2012. Paul Dummett rose highest to double their lead with a powerful header, before Callum Wilson made it three after finishing a clinical counter attack. Wilson added his second – and Newcastle’s fourth – having been played through brilliantly by Miguel Almirón, slotting home when his initial effort hit the post. Marc Albrighton rifled one into the top corner late on, with Kelechi Iheanacho continuing his h...
Eden Hazard apologises to Real Madrid fans for laughing after Champions League exit
Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard has apologised for laughing with Chelsea players after his side were knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals. The former Chelsea man, 30, was seen joking and smiling with his former team-mates at the final whistle. Hazard said on Instagram it was “not my intention to offend Real Madrid fans”. Hazard was substituted before full-time after failing to have an impact on the game, which the Spanish giants lost 2-0 as Chelsea progressed 3-1 on aggregate. Hazard, who left Stamford Bridge in 2019, has received much criticism from Real Madrid fans and the Spanish media, with some calling for him to be transferred. Hazard helped Chelsea, who will face Manchester City in an all-English Champions League final, to two Premier League and two Europa League trophies...
Arsenal set for complete overhauling, close in on £43 million move
Arsenal are set for a busy summer in the transfer market as Mikel Arteta looks to better the Gunners’ underwhelming season this time out, and the north London side are being linked several names. With only four Premier League fixtures remaining, attention has already turned to the summer transfer window. It could prove to be a decisive period for Arteta as Arsenal look to close the gap to the top four next campaign. Attracting new faces to the Emirates Stadium could prove challenging, but there is no doubt that change is needed at the club. The ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic will mean many clubs are restricted in their efforts to improve, with Arsenal among those, though winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League will surely boost their hopes of landing ...
Hugo Broos takes over as Bafana Bafana manager
Pool Photo On Wednesday, the South African Football Association (SAFA) appointed Hugo Broos as the new Bafana Bafana coach. Broos, a Belgian football coach, had previously managed the Cameroonian senior men’s national football team and is expected in the Rainbow Nation next week. Upon his arrival, Broos is scheduled to meet all football stakeholders including members of the media and address the Press. In his initial remarks about his appointment, the 69-year-old Belgian said he was excited to take charge of one of the biggest teams in Africa: “South Africa has a rich football history and is among the powerhouse on the continent. The country has full of quality and I am coming to coach a truly football nation with massive potential.” One of the top objectives for the new manager would be t...
CAF president launches pan-African inter-school championship with own $10 million
The South African billionaire and president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, on Tuesday in Abidjan announced that he will personally finance the pan-African inter-school football championship, which will be launched “between 2022 and 2023”, in collaboration with FIFA. The donation will amount to US$ 10 million and will come from the foundation that bears his name. On a visit to Côte d’Ivoire, the CAF president recalled that the future competition will concern boys and girls aged between 12 to 14 years and will take place “first at national level via national associations, then at zonal level with the organization of six regional tournaments which will serve as qualifying rounds for the final tournament”, according to CAF’s governing body. Initially, pilot na...
Premier League issues major announcement on fan attendance for last two games
Only home fans (a limited number) will be able to attend the final two league games of the season, as confirmed by the Premier League. This update comes from The Athletic, following suggestions that away supporters could be permitted access to the stands as part of the 10,000 spectator figure previously touted. “The Premier League today confirmed the final two match rounds of the 2020/21 season will be limited to home fans, subject to the Government easing lockdown restrictions,” as the Premier League statement read. “Following consultation with clubs, it was agreed matches would not be open to away supporters due to varying operational challenges across the League and the need to deliver a consistent approach, while maximising the opportunity for home-fan attendance. “The safety and secur...
FIFA supremo urges restraint in punishing Super League clubs
FIFA president Gianni Infantino says he is not in favour of sanctions against the 12 clubs that tried to launch a European Super League, preferring “dialogue” on football reform. The plan to create a closed competition was “unacceptable” and “unimaginable”, the world football boss told French sports daily L’Equipe in an interview published on Wednesday. “Certain actions should have consequences, and everyone must assume their responsibilities,” said Infantino, who has publically joined the opposition to the project. “But you always have to be careful when you talk about sanctions. “It’s said quickly that you have to punish. It’s even popular — or populist — sometimes. “By punishing a club, for example, you are also punishing players, coaches and fans, who have nothing to do with it.” He sa...
