Month: October 2020

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WE ARE STILL FAR BEHIND; LA LIGA PRESIDENT SAYS PREMIER LEAGUE STILL THE COMPETITION TO BEAT.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has conceded that the Premier League is still the No. 1 competition despite the growth of the Spanish league under his seven-year stewardship.

Tebas highlighted some of La Liga’s successes but also cited areas where English football has more economic power.

“We have expanded even to Mongolia and Greenland, it is a symbolic fact not so much an economic one as the revenues from there are minimal, but in short, since June, La Liga can be seen everywhere in the world,” Tebas said in an interview.

“Our next aim is that we want to beat the Premier [League]. We have La Liga offices all over the world, hundreds of people working with us. It is important to be present in the most populated and rich countries to promote, to try to expand, to find local sponsors that will help us grow economically.”

The economic gap between La Liga and the Premier League has narrowed since Tebas took the helm of the Spanish football league in 2013.

“In seven years we have multiplied La Liga’s worth,” Tebas said. “[Our] revenues from domestic TV rights have grown from €236 million, when I arrived in 2013, to almost €800m. The international ones have increased from €550m to almost €1.2 billion.

“We have a 40 [officially 46] million population, we don’t have the public that Great Britain has which is almost 70m. This counts when it comes to domestic TV rights. And then, for example, we still have to work on foreign markets, such as Asia, where we are growing but there is still a lot to do compared to the Premier [League].”

Tebas has faced resistance from Spain’s Football Federation and FIFA in his attempts to stage La Liga games in the United States.

La Liga signed a 15-year marketing agreement with Relevent Sports in order to promote the sport in North America and expand its brand.

Meanwhile, Tebas is hopeful that Barcelona captain Lionel Messi will continue playing in Spain beyond June 2021, when his contract expires.

Messi, 33, had wanted to leave Barca in August after growing increasingly unhappy at how the club was being managed but was forced to make a U-turn when the Catalan giants demanded his €700m release clause.

“Messi? I hope he will always stay in La Liga,” Tebas added. “I don’t know if from a personal standpoint he is better off leaving, certainly on the professional side he could earn even more, but considering how well he feels in Barcelona.”

La Liga lost Cristiano Ronaldo two years ago when the Portugal forward left Real Madrid to sign for Juventus in a €100m transfer while in the summer of 2017, Neymar left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in a world record €222m transfer.

“Cristiano Ronaldo left two years ago but we didn’t notice from an economic point of view,” Tebas said. “And we have always been preparing for the release of our best talents, for the generational change.

“It has already happened with Neymar and with Cristiano. We have signed contracts already for the next four years and no one has complained if Ney or Ronaldo left, they didn’t ask for their money back.

“On the contrary, we have grown in the sale of rights. Because there are other factors that matter, besides the names of the players. We have such stability that we continue calmly on our path”.

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ANCELOTTI CONFIDENT AHEAD MERSEYSIDE DERBY.

September Barclays Manager of the Month Carlo Ancelotti says his Everton team head into next weekend’s Merseyside derby with the confidence to beat reigning champions Liverpool.

The Toffees will host their biggest rivals at Goodison Park on Saturday sitting top of the table, the position that Liverpool finished last season as the best team in the country.

But the tables have turned at the start of 2020/21 and Ancelotti wants his Premier League leaders to extend their 100 per cent start and move closer to their goal of European qualification.

“Our target is to reach Europe next season and to stay at the top for as long as possible,” said the Italian after winning the fifth Barclays Manager of the Month award of his career.

We are going to play against one of the best teams in the world.

“It doesn’t matter what happened last week [against Aston Villa]. They are still a fantastic team with a fantastic manager.

“It will be difficult, but we have confidence.”

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UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE: ENGLAND BEAT BELGIUM AS PORTUGAL, ITALY MAINTAIN TOP SPOTS.

Portugal and Italy kept hold of first place in their UEFA Nations League groups on Sunday with goalless draws against France and Poland respectively on a night of little drama, while England saw off Belgium to take the initiative in their pool.

There was little to talk about at the Stade de France as a star-studded line-up of players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann failed to muster much of a spectacle in the League A, Group 3 match.

One-thousand fans gathered in the cavernous stadium just outside Paris to watch France host the reigning European champions, but were treated to just four shots on target as two rugged defenses cancelled out each team’s attacks.

“We didn’t score a goal, but we weren’t here to score goals,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. “France are a great team. They have great players. It’s not always possible to create opportunities.”

Pepe headed home what he thought was a 74th-minute opener when he got on the end of Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick but was flagged offside.

Ronaldo, chasing his 102nd international goal, was denied by a flying save from Hugo Lloris in added time.

Mbappe fluffed France’s best when Rui Patricio anticipated his gentle chip when one-on-one with the Portuguese stopper.

Both sides are now on seven points, four ahead of Croatia, whose 2-1 home win over Sweden earlier on Sunday was the group’s more entertaining match, with a calamitous late lapse from Pontus Jansson allowing the 2018 World Cup finalists to snatch the points in a soaking Zagreb.

Defender Jansson dawdled under a high ball into the penalty area with six minutes remaining and allowed Ivan Perisic to nip in behind. The Inter Milan winger then squared the ball for Andrej Kramaric to tap in from close range.

Sweden are stuck on no points after losing all three of their matches.

Elsewhere, Italy stretched their unbeaten streak to 18 matches and held onto top spot in League A, Group 1 with a stalemate in Gdansk.

New Juventus signing Federico Chiesa missed the chance to win the match for the dominant Azzurri from close range in the 11th minute.

Roberto Mancini’s side are one point ahead of the Netherlands, who also drew 0-0 with Bosnia and Herzegovina, ahead of their meeting in Bergamo on Wednesday.

England manager Gareth Southgate said his side showed what they were made of after coming from behind to beat Belgium 2-1 and move top of League A, Group 2 earlier on Sunday.

The Three Lions are on seven points, one ahead of the world’s top-ranked side after Marcus Rashford’s spot-kick and Mason Mount’s deflected winner 25 minutes from time cancelled out Romelu Lukaku’s early penalty.

“We are not going to face a more difficult game defensively,” said Southgate. “That is the beauty of the Nations League, you get games against this level of opponent.

“It’s a great experience for them and to go and win it, (it) should give them a sense of what might be possible in the next few years.”

Denmark are three points behind England in third after their simple 3-0 win over bottom side Iceland.

In League B, Erling Braut Haaland showed what the rescheduled Euro 2020 will be missing after he slammed home a hat-trick to help Norway to a 4-0 thrashing of Romania.

Haaland struck in the 13th, 64th and 74th minutes as Norway moved level on six points with group leaders Austria, 1-0 winners at Northern Ireland.

Norway were knocked out of the Euros playoffs by Serbia on Thursday.

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SUAREZ ‘COULD HAVE STAYED’ – RONALD KOEMAN.

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman had been clear in his intention not to include Luis Suarez in his plans for the Catalans, but the Dutch manager now says the Uruguayan star could have stayed to prove him wrong.

Contrary to previous reports, Koeman said he did not have any problem with Suarez. He insisted that the 33-year-old would have been treated the same as the rest at Camp Nou if the latter had opted to stay instead of moving to Atletico Madrid.

“In the case of Suarez, it had become very difficult for him to start playing and I made that known to him. He found it difficult, but I never had any trouble with him at all,” Koeman said.

“He trained normally, trained well. He finally made the choice to leave and I said: ‘If you don’t leave, for whatever reason, then you are just one of the group, then you can prove that I was wrong’. He could have stayed, yes,” he continued.

Koeman said his choice not to include Suarez in his blueprint for Barca’s future was in part due to the star striker’s age, with the club slowly setting the table for the youngsters to take over.

“I’m good with Luis, but the club felt that we had to rejuvenate,” the 57-year-old coach said. “You can see that now in the team. Ansu Fati plays, he is 17 years old. We have Pedri, 17 years old, who gets his chances. Ronald Araujo is there at the age of 21. Trincao falls in a lot and is 20 years old, and we have taken Sergino Dest, who is 19. Those are all players for the future.”

Koeman’s statement was a counter to Suarez’s recent claim that Barcelona wanted him away from Lionel Messi.

Suarez signed a two-year deal with Atletico Madrid in September in a transfer that was denounced by the Argentine captain. In his farewell post for his friend on Instagram, Messi took a dig at his club, accusing Barcelona of “kicking” Suarez out.

“I think they wanted to remove me from Messi’s side,” Suarez said in an interview, claiming that there are “a lot of contradictions” in the accounts being stated by Barcelona.

“Maybe it annoyed them that I had a good relationship with Leo,” he added. “Perhaps they didn’t want him to be with me so much. I can’t find any reason to think that would damage the team, though.”

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RASHFORD COMMITTED TO FIGHTING POVERTY AFTER MBE.

Marcus Rashford says it is an honour to receive an MBE in recognition of his services to help children across the United Kingdom at risk of going hungry during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m incredibly honoured and humbled,” he tells Man Utd’s official website after learning of his MBE, full title Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

“As a young black man from Wythenshawe, never did I think I would be accepting an MBE, never mind an MBE at the age of 22. This is a very special moment for myself and my family, but particularly my mum who is the real deserving recipient of the honour.”

Rashford helped to raise £20million and provide 2.8m children with meals while schools were closed due to COVID-19.

Not done there, the Manchester United Academy graduate stepped up his efforts to tackle childhood poverty by campaigning for an expansion in free school meals and holiday provision in a move to help a further 2.6m children and 290,000 pregnant women.

Now, Rashford says his work has still only just begun.

“The fight to protect our most vulnerable children is far from over,” he says.

“I would be doing my community, and the families I have met and spoken with, an injustice if I didn’t use this opportunity to respectfully urge the Prime Minister, who recommended me for this honour, to support our children during the October half-term with an extension of the voucher scheme, as the furlough scheme comes to an end and we face increased unemployment.”

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WESTHAM MAKING PROGRESS ON SAID BENRAHMA SIGNING.

West Ham United held productive talks with Brentford over the signing of Said Benrahma at the weekend, reports say.

It has been reported that West Ham could meet Brentford’s asking price by offering £20 million plus lucrative add-ons, with the Championship club valuing the winger at £25 million.

The report has added that the Hammers are ‘increasingly likely’ to secure the services of the 25-year-old before the summer transfer window in England closes this Friday.

Benrahma is a very exciting footballer who scores goals and creates chances for his teammates.

Described as “a tricky player” by his Brentford teammate Henrik Dalsgaard in WestLondonSport in June 2020, the winger scored 17 goals and provided nine assists in the Championship last season and scored 10 goals and provided 14 assists in the league in 2018-19.

The Algeria international who can also operate as a forward would make the Hammers a better and more potent team in attack, especially with Felipe Anderson having left West Ham for FC Porto on loan.

With Benrahma in the team, West Ham fans can expect to watch some brilliant football.

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UK GOVERNMENT SLAM LIVERPOOL AND UNITED’S “PROJECT BIG PICTURE”

The United Kingdom government has strongly criticised plans reportedly driven by Manchester United and Liverpool to overhaul the Premier League and English club football.

A report on Sunday by The Telegraph detailed a set of proposals called “Project Big Picture”, which would cut the number of teams in the Premier League from 20 to 18 and abolish the competition’s one-club, one-vote principle – handing greater power to the nine longest-serving teams in the division.

That number includes all of the so-called “big six”, who would have effective veto power on a range of issues, including potential new owners taking control of a rival club.

The plans also focus upon supporting the wider league system amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with a £250million rescue package to be allocated to the English Football League (EFL) and a £100m gift to the Football Association.

EFL chairman Rick Parry – the former Liverpool chief executive and a key figure in the Premier League’s breakaway from the Football League in 1992 – has publicly backed the plans, which would see 25 per cent of the Premier League’s annual revenue diverted to the EFL and lead to the EFL Cup and Community Shield being scrapped.

However, the Department for Media, Culture and Sport joined the Premier League itself in condemning the mooted changes, decrying Liverpool and United’s alleged involvement in “backroom deals”.

“We are surprised and disappointed that, at a time of crisis when we have urged the top tiers of professional football to come together and finalise a deal to help lower league clubs, there appear to be backroom deals being cooked up that would create a closed shop at the very top of the game,” a statement read.

“Sustainability, integrity and fair competition are absolutely paramount and anything that may undermine them is deeply troubling.

“Fans must be [at the] front of all our minds and this shows why our fan-led review of football governance will be so critical.”

The Premier League, which has come in for criticism over recent days after the announcement of a pay-per-view television model to run while fans are not allowed into stadiums, urged its members to contribute to ongoing restructuring talks “through the proper channels”.

“English football is the world’s most watched, and has a vibrant, dynamic and competitive league structure that drives interest around the globe,” its statement read.

“To maintain this position, it is important that we all work together.

“In the Premier League’s view, a number of the individual proposals in the plan published today could have a damaging impact on the whole game and we are disappointed to see that Rick Parry, Chair of the EFL, has given his on-the-record support.

“The Premier League has been working in good faith with its clubs and the EFL to seek a resolution to the requirement for COVID-19 rescue funding.”

In a statement published on the EFL’s official website, Parry confirmed talks around Project Big Picture had been ongoing for some time but insisted the financial pressures of the COVID-19 crisis had sharpened the need for transformative action.

“Now is the time to address both the long-term health of the game and the most challenging short-term crisis it has ever faced,” Parry said.

“Project Big Picture provides a new beginning which will revitalise the football pyramid at all levels. This new beginning will reinvigorate clubs in the lower leagues and the communities in which they are based.

“The whole of English football has been negatively impacted by this pandemic and the English football pyramid as a whole is only as healthy as those at its base.

“Through this proposed restructuring we aim to strengthen those who need it most at a time when they need it most. This is about building on what is good and making the most of what works well in order to benefit the game as a whole, while simultaneously tackling those issues which trouble all of us.

“This is a blueprint for the future of English football and for everyone who cherishes it.

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MAN UNITED, LIVERPOOL BACK PREMIER LEAGUE OVERHAUL PROJECT.

Manchester United and Liverpool are backing a radical plan to overhaul English football, led by the English Football League, which would see control over the Premier League switch to the top teams, sources have confirmed.

The plan has been called “Project Big Picture” and would see an overhaul of the finances of the Premier League and the EFL.

Proposed by the EFL and its chairman, Rick Parry, the plans include reducing the Premier League to 18 teams, giving controlling power to the nine clubs who have been in the league the longest, and abolishing the League Cup and the Community Shield.

The Premier League has been governed by the one-club, one-vote rule but if this change is accepted power would shift to the big six of United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea as well as Everton, Southampton and West Ham. Changes would need the votes of just six of these clubs to be brought in.

“It is definitely going to be challenging and it is an enormous change, so that won’t be without some pain,” Parry told news men.

“Do I genuinely think it’s for the greater good of the game as a whole? Absolutely. And if the [big] six are deriving some benefit then why shouldn’t they. Why wouldn’t they put their names to this otherwise?”

In return for accepting the proposals, the Premier League would give 25% of its annual revenue to EFL clubs as well as gifting £250 million to the league to sure up clubs during the pandemic and a further £100m to the Football Association.

With the reduction of places in the Premier League, there would be two automatic promotion places for Championship clubs and then the third, fourth and fifth-placed clubs would compete in a play-off tournament with the 16th-placed Premier League club.

A Premier League statement, however, rebuked the plan and said it was important for all sides to work together.

“Both the Premier League and the FA support a wide-ranging discussion on the future of the game, including its competition structures, calendar and overall financing particularly in light of the effects of COVID-19,” the statement said. Football has many stakeholders, therefore this work should be carried out through the proper channels enabling all clubs and stakeholders the opportunity to contribute.

“In the Premier League’s view, a number of the individual proposals in the plan published today could have a damaging impact on the whole game and we are disappointed to see that Rick Parry, Chair of the EFL, has given his on-the-record support. The Premier League has been working in good faith with its clubs and the EFL to seek a resolution to the requirement for COVID-19 rescue funding. This work will continue.”

A conversation around these proposals began as early as 2017 but has been accelerated in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic has continued to affect clubs up and down the English football system.

“What do we do? Leave it exactly as it is and allow the smaller clubs to wither? Or do we do something about it? And you can’t do something about it without something changing. And the view of our clubs is if the [big] six get some benefits but the 72 also do, we are up for it,” Parry said.

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UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE: SPAIN SECURE SLIM VICTORY AGAINST SWITZERLAND TO REMAIN TOP OF GROUP A4; GERMANY, MONTENEGRO, LUXEMBOURG ALSO WIN

Spain strengthened their position at the top of Nations League Group A4 with a 1-0 win over Switzerland in Madrid.

The Swiss defence gifted Spain the game’s only goal in the 14th minute when Sergio Busquets latched onto a stray pass in the penalty area and Mikel Oyarzabal fired past Yann Sommer.

Spain went close again with a header by Manchester City’s Ferran Torres, which was palmed away by the Swiss keeper.

Wolves forward Adama Traore was sent on to make his competitive debut as the hour mark approached, but Spain could not conjure a second goal.

Germany battled to a 2-1 away win over Ukraine at the Olympic Stadium.

Borussia Monchengladbach defender Matthias Ginter put Germany in front in the 20th minute when he stabbed in a low cross from Antonio Rudiger on the right.

Ukraine goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan had produced some fine reaction stops, but his handling error saw Germany move 2-0 ahead early in the second half.

Lukas Klostermann floated a deep cross in from the right, which Bushchan spilled onto Leon Goretzka’s head and the ball dropped back into the net.

As the hour passed, Dynamo Kyiv winger Viktor Tsygankov shot straight at Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

With 15 minutes left, Ukraine were awarded a penalty when Roman Yaremchuk was tripped by Niklas Sule, and Ruslan Malinovskyi converted to set up a tense finale.

Germany, though, saw out the closing stages to collect all three points, which moves them two behind Spain in second place.

Elsewhere on Saturday, in Group C1 Montenegro beat Azerbaijan 2-0 to maintain a 100 per cent record from three games.

Luxembourg beat Cyprus 2-0 with a first-half brace from Norwich midfielder Danel Sinani, who is on loan at Belgian club Waasland-Beveren.

Faroe Islands consolidated their position at the top of Group D1 with a 1-1 draw against Latvia in Torshavn, while it finished goalless between Andorra and Malta.

Elsewhere in Group 2, Gibraltar made it two wins from two with a 1-0 victory in Liechtenstein.

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JORDAN AYEW EDGE THOMAS PARTEY TO WIN GHANA FOOTBALL AWARD.

Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew has been adjudged 2019 Footballer of the Year by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (Swag).

The striker beat off competition from new Arsenal signing Thomas Partey and China-based midfielder Mubarak Wakaso in the event held in Accra on Saturday evening.

Currently in Ghana’s camp for October’s international friendly matches against Mali and Qatar, the centre-forward was presented with his award by Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku in Turkey.

The award honours the most outstanding Ghanaian male footballer plying his trade abroad.

“Thank you to Swag Ghana! I’m honoured and grateful to receive the Swag Foreign Footballer of the Year Award,” Ayew has posted on social media.

The former Olympique Marseille man succeeds last year’s award winner Partey, who was also in contention for this year’s prize.

The Swag gong is Ayew’s latest honour after he scooped three at Crystal Palace’s End of Season Awards in July following a fine club campaign.

In his second year with the Eagles, the 29-year-old registered nine goals in 37 Premier League appearances to help the club finish the season in 14th position.

His goal haul won his the club’s top scorer of two season award, in addition to being adjudged the club’s Player of the Season and the Players’ Player of the Season.

This season, however, he is yet to find the back of the net after four rounds of matches.

Ayew also netted twice for Ghana at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt.

On Friday, the striker was in action as Ghana succumbed to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Mali in a friendly tie.

He will hope to register his first strike of the 2020-21 term in any competition when the Black Stars face 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar in a second friendly game on Monday.