Month: August 2020

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Chalobah joins Lorient on Loan

Chelsea midfielder Trevoh Chalobah has joined newly promoted French top-flight side Lorient on a season-long loan.

The 21-year-old has spent the past two seasons on loan in the Championship with Ipswich and Huddersfield.

Now he will move to northern France to join the Ligue 2 champions, who won the title when the season was ended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The prospect of evolving at the highest level in France and discovering a new culture convinced me,” he said.

Chalobah, an England Under-21 international, has also signed a new contract at Chelsea until 2023.

He could make his Lorient debut at the weekend when they start the new French season with a home game against Strasbourg.

Meanwhile striker Ike Ugbo has extended his contract to 2022 and joined Belgian top-tier side Cercle Bruges on a season-long loan.

The 21-year-old, who has previously had loan spells at Barnsley, Scunthorpe and Milton Keynes, will be playing under former Chelsea assistant manager Paul Clement

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Barcelona Appoint Koeman on a two year deal

Ronald Koeman has been named the new head coach of Barcelona two days after the club sacked Quique Setien.

The 57-year-old left his role as Netherlands boss, with two years left on his contract, to sign a two-year deal with the Spanish giants.

He played for Barcelona between 1989 and 1995, helping them to four league titles and the European Cup.

The Catalans finished second in La Liga last season, failing to win a trophy for the first time since 2007-08.

The five-point gap to champions Real Madrid and the humiliating 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final last week culminated in the dismissal of Setien on Monday.

The club also announced Ramon Planes as the new technical director. He was the assistant to Eric Abidal, who left his role as sporting director on Tuesday.

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Lazio sporting Director Angry about David Silva move

Lazio sporting director Igli Tare says he does not have “respect for the man” after David Silva joined Real Sociedad.

The Italian side were reported to be close to signing the former Manchester City and Spain midfielder after offering him a three-year contract.

Silva, 34, instead signed a two-year deal with Spanish side Sociedad.

“I learn about David Silva’s transfer to Real Sociedad. I have great respect for the player, but not for the man,” said Tare in a short statement.

Silva’s 10-year spell at Manchester City came to an end after Saturday’s Champions League defeat by Lyon.

The attacking midfielder, who is to receive a statue outside Etihad Stadium, made 436 appearances and helped City win 14 trophies.

Silva last played in La Liga in 2010, spending six years at Valencia before moving to the Premier League and becoming one of its greatest imports.

Sociedad finished sixth in La Liga and were in search of a new playmaker after Norway’s Martin Odegaard returned to Real Madrid following a one-year loan spell.

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Celtic win to qualify for the next round of qualifiers

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 18: Greg Taylor celebrates with Scott Brown of Celtic after scoring his team's fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League: First Qualifying Round match between Celtic and KR Reykjavik at Celtic Park on August 18, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic hammered Iceland’s KR Reykjavik in Glasgow to cruise into the Champions League second qualifying round.

Mohamed Elyounoussi tucked in the opener with Arnor Adalsteinsson’s own goal soon making it two.

Christopher Jullien and Greg Taylor netted with headers and Odsonne Edouard and Elyounoussi added further strikes.

Neil Lennon’s side, back in action after having two league games postponed, will host Djurgardens or Ferencvaros next week.

Swedes Djurgardens visit the Hungarian champions in Wednesday’s one-legged tie and either side will offer Celtic a much stiffer test.

The Scottish Premiership winners’ matches against St Mirren and Aberdeen were called off after Celtic’s Boli Bolingoli broke Covid-19 protocols by visiting Spain then not quarantining before playing in the draw with Kilmarnock on 9 August.

The left-back was unsurprisingly omitted from the squad and his team-mates made short work of their semi-professional visitors.

Jullien’s precise long ball unlocked the KR defence to allow Elyounoussi to round goalkeeper Beitir Olafsson and finish.

Hatem Abd Elhamed centred low for Edouard with the ball deflecting in off Adalsteinsson and Ryan Christie’s corner was powered home by Jullien shortly before the break.

The onslaught continued in the second period and Taylor notched his first Celtic goal from Elhamed’s deep delivery before Edouard danced away from a clutch of defenders to slot in the fifth then made way for debutant Albian Ajeti.

KR improved in the closing stages and had the ball in the net following Palmi Palmason’s header but the offside flag was raised.

And substitute Olivier Ntcham’s superb pass into the box met the sliding figure of Elyounoussi for goal number six.

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Neymar might miss Champions League Final

Neymar could be suspended for the Champions League final after swapping shirts following Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-0 win over RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

The Brazilian star broke UEFA’s coronavirus protocol when he was caught on camera swapping shirts with Leipzig’s Marcel Halstenberg.

UEFA’s 31-page ‘Return to play protocol’, issued earlier this month, states: “Players are recommended to refrain from swapping their shirts.”

It adds that non-compliance with the obligations “may lead to disciplinary measures in accordance with the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.”

According to reports before the competition’s return from the Covid-19 shutdown, swapping shirts during the Lisbon mini-tournament would result in a 12-day period of self-isolation.

UEFA’s official protocol does not explicitly address a period of isolation in cases of shirt-swapping.

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PSG Qualify for Champions League Final

One of Europe’s biggest spenders, but also one of the continent’s most high-profile underachievers on the grandest stage.

PSG finally seized their opportunity courtesy of goals from Marquinhos, Angel di Maria and Juan Bernat.

The former, who scored the first of two late goals in a comeback win over Atalanta in the last eight, rose to head home a superbly delivered free-kick from Di Maria.

The Argentine forward then finished well from close range following an audacious flick from Neymar after Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi had relinquished possession with a dire kick.

With the fit-again Kylian Mbappe and Neymar terrorising the Leipzig backline, the French side should have been out of sight before the break, but the latter twice hit the post – from a clipped finish then an opportunist free-kick from range – before side-footing another chance wide at the near post.

Prior to PSG’s second, Yussuf Poulsen had Leipzig’s best chance but fired wide after he was found by a Dani Olmo pull-back.

Bernat sealed the win in the second half with a header that Leipzig felt was offside but was legitimate as the prone Nordi Mukiele, who had slipped in the build-up, was playing the scorer onside.

PSG will find out who they face in Sunday’s final when five-time winners Bayern Munich play Lyon in the other semi-final on Wednesday.

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Ligue 1 opening day pushed back amid fears of corona virus

The opening match of the 2020-21 French top-flight season has been postponed after four positive coronavirus tests at Marseille.

Marseille were due to host Saint-Etienne on Friday in the first of eight weekend fixtures in Ligue 1.

The 2019-20 campaign was curtailed in April because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Paris St-Germain, 12 points clear at the top, awarded the title.

Marseille v Saint-Etienne will now be played on either 16 or 17 September.

The French league told clubs last week its protocol for dealing with coronavirus meant more than three positive cases at a club was likely to lead to a postponement.

Marseille’s former Aston Villa defender Jordan Amavi tested positive last week, with another three players following in the latest round.

They cancelled a friendly against German side Stuttgart in the wake of Amavi’s positive test.

Marseille, who are managed by former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas, finished runners-up to PSG in last season’s shortened campaign.

On Friday, France was added to a list of countries from which those arriving in the UK are required to quarantine for two weeks.

France’s prime minister, Jean Castex, acknowledged infection numbers were going “the wrong way” in the country.

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Bravo leaves Man City

Veteran keeper Claudio Bravo has left Manchester City after his contract with the Premier League runners-up expired.

The Chilean, 37, signed a four-year deal at City when he made a £15.4m move from Spanish giants Barcelona in 2016.

Bravo’s performances came under scrutiny in a difficult debut 2016-17 season where City did not win a trophy under new boss Pep Guardiola.

Brazil keeper Ederson then arrived in June 2017, leaving Bravo largely restricted to playing in cup games.

In total, Bravo made 61 appearances for City and kept 20 clean sheets.

More than half of his appearances came in cup matches, with Bravo making only seven Premier League starts after his debut season in England.

The Chile international had been signed to replace England’s Joe Hart, with Guardiola going back to his former club Barcelona for a keeper who he believed was more suited to his preferred playing style for his team.

However, Bravo faced criticism for his shot-stopping skills and was even mocked by some City fans when he made saves.

“Everybody would like to thank Claudio for his four years at the club and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours,” said City.

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Man City to build statue for David Silva

Manchester City have announced plans for a statue of Spanish playmaker David Silva at Etihad Stadium.

Silva’s successful 10-year spell at City came to an end after Saturday’s Champions League defeat by Lyon.

Signed from Valencia in 2010, the midfielder, 34, made 436 appearances and helped City win 14 trophies.

Silva will return to La Liga next season – he had been linked with Italian side Lazio, but a move to Real Sociedad was announced late on Monday.

“David is a transformational player, a quiet leader who has inspired everyone around him,” said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

“David’s statue will act as a lasting reminder of the wonderful moments that he gave us, not only as an incredible footballer, but as an inspiring ambassador who represented this football club with great dignity at all times.”

The statue will be unveiled in 2021, along with another tribute dedicated to former City captain Vincent Kompany, who left the club last year and announced earlier on Monday he was retiring from playing.

Silva’s contribution will also be commemorated by the naming of a training pitch and mosaic in his honour at City’s training ground.

Silva, who was in the squads to win the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, posted a farewell letter to City fans, saying the club had left an “indelible mark” on his life and career.

“I look back and it is clear I could not have made a better decision than to accept City’s proposal to join their project back in 2010,” he said

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Mbappe fit for Leipzig Clash

DORTMUND, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 18: Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain runs with the ball during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at Signal Iduna Park on February 18, 2020 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Kylian Mbappe is fit to start for Paris Saint-Germain against RB Leipzig in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final in Lisbon, says coach Thomas Tuchel.

The French striker has been struggling with an ankle injury in recent weeks.

But he came off the bench to help PSG beat Atalanta in the last eight and has trained since that game last Wednesday.

“He played for 30 minutes against Atalanta and had no reaction and had six days since to work on fitness, so of course he can start,” said Tuchel.

“We will decide after training whether he can play 90 minutes.”

Mbappe, 21, came on last against Atalanta with his team trailing 1-0 to the Italian side but inspired PSG to a late victory, setting up the winner for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in injury time after Marquinhos had levelled in the 90th minute.

He has scored 30 in 35 appearances in all competitions this season, including five in eight in the Champions League.