Month: September 2021

Categories
football Slides Sports News

ANSU FATI NAMED BARCA’S NEW NO.10 AFTER MESSI DEPARTURE

Ansu Fati has been given the No. 10 shirt at Barcelona after it was vacated by Lionel Messi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the summer, the club confirmed Wednesday.

Sources told ESPN that Barca had considered leaving the number unused for the 2021-22 season, but LaLiga rules that first-team players must wear numbers 1-25 made that difficult.

Ansu, who returned to training recently following nine months out with a knee injury, had originally been given the No. 17 shirt for the upcoming campaign and has previously worn No. 22 and No. 33 since making his debut in 2019.

Messi, who joined PSG on a free transfer after his contract at Camp Nou expired, had worn the No. 10 at Barca since 2008, having previously worn No. 30 — the number he now wears in France — and No. 19.

The Argentina forward inherited the No. 10 from Ronaldinho, with Juan Roman Riquelme and Rivaldo among those to wear it before him.

Ansu, 18, has not played for Barcelona since injuring a knee against Real Betis last November. Following several operations, he returned to full training at the end of August, and Barca hope he will be available for action later in September.

The Spain international burst onto the scene in 2019, becoming the club’s youngest debutant in 78 years when he featured in a 5-2 win against Betis aged 16 years and 298 days.

A week later, he became the club’s youngest goalscorer in LaLiga when he netted against Osasuna, and in December of that year, his winning goal against Inter Milan made him the youngest scorer in the Champions League.

In total, he has made 41 appearances for the first team, scoring 13 goals.

Ansu will now form part of a new-look attack at Barcelona after Antoine Griezmann followed Messi out of the door on Tuesday, joining former club Atletico Madrid on loan with an option to stay permanently.

Barca responded by signing striker Luuk de Jong on loan from Sevilla, having already brought in Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero on free transfers this summer. Martin Braithwaite and Ousmane Dembele, who is currently injured, are their other options in attack, along with youngster Yusuf Demir.

Categories
football Sports News

MAN CITY’S BENJAMIN MENDY DENIED BAIL AHEAD RAPE TRIAL

Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy was refused bail Wednesday and will remain in custody ahead of a trial scheduled to start on Sept. 10 after being charged with four counts of rape and one sexual assault.

The 27-year-old Mendy has been in custody at a prison in Liverpool, northwest England, since last Friday, when he appeared in court and faced the charges.

A second bail application was made in a closed hearing that lasted about 50 minutes, and it was turned down.

The France international did not attend the hearing. Mendy is charged with attacks on three different women, including one under 18, at his home.

Three of the rapes are alleged to have taken place in October 2020 and he is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in early January this year.

He is also charged with raping a woman last month.

Mendy has been suspended by the club, pending an investigation.

A second man, aged 40, was arrested on suspicion of rape as part of the police investigation into the allegations but was released on bail, police said.

Mendy joined City from Monaco in 2017 and has won the Premier League three times and the English League Cup twice.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

CRISTIANO RONALDO PROMISES MORE INTERNATIONAL GOALS AFTER SETTING RECORD

Cristiano Ronaldo is not yet satisfied with his international goalscoring exploits despite establishing himself as the most prolific marksman in the business with a late double to sink the Republic of Ireland.

The 36-year-old dragged Portugal back from the brink of World Cup qualifier defeat in Faro on Wednesday evening to serve notice of his enduring quality as he prepares to pull on a Manchester United shirt for the first time in 12 years.

His efforts secured a 2-1 Group A win at the Estadio Algarve and eased him passed former Iran striker Ali Daei’s tally of 109, which he equalled at the Euro 2020 finals, although he insisted afterwards he was in no mood to allow international defenders any respite.

Writing on his Instagram account, he said: “From all the records that I have broken during my career – and fortunately there have been a few – this one is very special for me and it’s certainly on the shelf of the achievements that make me truly proud.

“First of all, because every time I represent my country is a special moment, for knowing that I’m defending Portugal and showing to the world what Portuguese people are made of.

“Secondly, because national teams competitions have always had a very strong impact on me as I was growing up, watching my idols playing for their flags every other summer in Euros and in World Cups.

“But finally and above all, because scoring 111 goals for Portugal means 111 moments like the ones we experienced today in Algarve, moments of worldwide union and happiness for millions and millions of Portuguese citizens all around the Globe. For them, every sacrifice is worth it.

“Thank you Portugal. Thanks to all my team-mates and opponents for making this journey so unforgettable. Let’s keep meeting inside the pitch in the years to come! I’m not closing the count just yet.”

Ireland were within a minute of a famous victory courtesy of John Egan’s header on the stroke of half-time when Ronaldo struck for the first time, and looked set to emerge with a more than creditable point until he repeated the feat in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

Manager Stephen Kenny said: “I thought that we were very very close to an historic victory. The players were really exceptional and I felt that in the first half, we controlled a good bit of the game

“Our first-half lead did not flatter us. The second half was tougher for us. They are a high quality team who played well in the second half. We defended heroically and had chances to go two up.

“But we could not quite get there. To lose as we did is devastating.”

Categories
football Slides Sports News

SCOTLAND’S WORLD CUP HOPES DENTED AS DENMARK EASE TO VICTORY AT COPENHAGEN

Denmark struck early to finish off Scotland in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying win in Copenhagen.

Steve Clarke’s side were two down in 15 minutes through goals from Daniel Wass and Joakim Maehle and were then run ragged for the rest of the first half.

A reshuffled Scotland side with Lyndon Dykes on for the second half showed marked improvement but nowhere near enough to dent the scoreline.

While defeat was no surprise, it puts the Scots’ qualification hopes under a harsher light.

Scotland now have five points from a possible 12 and face Moldova at Hampden Park on Saturday before a trip to Austria next Tuesday and they are running out of points to lose.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side, who reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, have won all four Group F games and look to be cruising to qualification.

Clarke had claimed it was the most disruptive build-up to a match in his time as Scotland boss and through injuries and Covid-19 issues, he had to choose from a depleted squad.

Craig Gordon, the 38-year-old Hearts keeper, was reinstated for his 58th cap while to some surprise, captain Andy Robertson was be deployed as a right wing-back with Kieran Tierney on the other side.

Kenny McLean, who missed Euro 2020 through injury, was back in midfield alongside Norwich team-mate Billy Gilmour with Che Adams leading the line.
Denmark were also without several players including star striker Martin Braithwaite and Kasper Dolberg but it did not affect them as they stormed into an early and commanding lead.

It was all too easy when Wass rose above Tierney at the back post in the 13th minute to head in a searching cross from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Less than two minutes later, there was more finesse when Maehle slipped a second through the legs of Gordon from six yards after working a one-two with Mikkel Damsgaard.

The visitors then struggled to stem a red and white tide.

Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was a spectator as the home side gave Scotland the run-around and in the 32nd minute Gordon had to make a save from Yussuf Poulsen following a free-kick to the back post.

Scotland were happy to hear the half-time whistle and Clarke brought on Dykes for Scott McKenna.

Tierney moved into the back three, Robertson back over to the left and Ryan Fraser dropped to right wing-back.

Three minutes after the restart Gilmour drove wide from 25 yards to five to offer some hope.

However, Denmark’s talent could not be suppressed and just after the hour mark Gordon clutched Thomas Delaney’s 25-yard drive.

Ryan Christie replaced Adams in the 71st minute and soon afterwards McLean set up Callum McGregor but his left-footed shot was easily saved by the under-employed Schmeichel.

Defender Grant Hanley headed a Gilmour cross past the far post before Schmeichel made a fine save down at his right-hand post from Fraser’s shot with the corner coming to nothing.

With four minutes remaining Gordon made a save from Hojbjerg’s close-range header and, as the game eased into added time, midfielder Lewis Ferguson replaced Gilmour to make his Scotland debut but the match was effectively over.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

RECORD-BREAKER RONALDO SEES PORTUGAL TO 2-1 WIN OVER REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Cristiano Ronaldo has taken the men’s record for the most international goals scored, with the captain’s two goals seeing Portugal past the Republic of Ireland in Faro.

Having been denied his chance to claim the record earlier in the game thanks to a superb save by goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, Ronaldo came back with a vengeance in the closing stages, taking both of his two in the final 15 minutes.

John Egan had Stephen Kenny’s side on the front foot at half-time, putting himself on the receiving end of Jamie McGrath’s corner to head the ball into the back of the net.

The second half saw the Irish scoring chances dry up, but a ferocious defensive effort did well to see off wave after wave of Portuguese attack.

The Boys in Green could only hold out for so long however, with Ronaldo taking his first goal of the evening and the 110th international goal of his career in the 89th minute.

Things could have been much worse if it were not for Bazunu’s cool head, denying multiple shots on goal.

With the sides level and injury time up, a draw seemed like a fair ending, until the last attack of the game found its way to Ronaldo on the edge of the box, who obliged in heading the shot into the net.

A disappointing result, but a positive performance from the young Irish side who next face Azerbaijan at the Aviva on September 4th.