Month: June 2022

Manchester City have completed the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.

The Premier League champions announced last month they had agreed a deal with the German club after triggering the prolific Norway striker’s £51.1million release clause.

The 21-year-old has now signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium and will officially join Pep Guardiola’s squad on July 1.

Haaland, whose father Alf Inge played for City from 2000-03, is regarded as one of the hottest properties in the game after scoring 86 goals in 89 games in two-and-a-half seasons with Dortmund.

Haaland said: “This is a proud day for me and my family. I have always watched City and have loved doing so in recent seasons.

“You can’t help but admire their style of play, it’s exciting and they create a lot of chances, which is perfect for a player like me.

“There are so many world-class players in this squad and Pep is one of the greatest managers of all time, so I believe I am in the right place to fulfill my ambitions.

“I want to score goals, win trophies, and improve as a footballer and I am confident I can do that here. This is a great move for me, and I can’t wait to get started in pre-season.”

The arrival of Haaland ends City’s long search for a specialist centre forward having failed in their attempts to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham last summer.

His first appearances for City could come in pre-season friendlies against Club America and Bayern Munich in the United States next month.

City then begin their next campaign when they face Liverpool in the Community Shield.

City director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “We have been monitoring Erling for several years now, so we are delighted to bring him here to Manchester City.

“He is a huge talent and has been one of the best strikers in Europe over the last few seasons. His goal scoring record is exceptional and his performances at Borussia Dortmund and in the Champions League in particular have proved he can succeed at the highest level.

“Erling has everything we want in a striker, and we are certain he will excel in this squad and this system.

“His rise has been remarkable, but he is still only 21. His best years are ahead of him, and we are confident he can get even better working with Pep. This is a very exciting signing for our club.”

Real Madrid have announced the signing of France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco for a reported fee of over £85million (€99 million)

Tchouameni, 22, who had been linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and Paris St Germain, has agreed a six-year deal with the Spanish champions and will undergo a medical on Tuesday.

A Real Madrid statement read: “Real Madrid CF and AS Monaco have agreed on the transfer of the player Aurelien Tchouameni, who will be linked to the club for the next six seasons.

“Next Tuesday, June 14, at 12:00 at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Aurelien Tchouameni as a new Real Madrid player will take place after the corresponding medical examination. Aurelien Tchouameni will then appear before the media.”

Tchouameni was voted young player of the year in Ligue 1 last season after making 46 appearances in all competitions for Monaco, who he helped to a third-placed finish.

He has established himself in Didier Deschamps’ France squad ahead of the World Cup finals in Qatar, starting in all three of their Nations League games this month.

Tchouameni made 95 appearances in total for Monaco during two-and-a-half seasons following his arrival from first club Bordeaux in January 2020.

Michael Obafemi marked his full debut with a stunning strike as the Republic of Ireland ended their wait for a first Nations League victory at the 13th attempt by putting Scotland to the sword.

The 21-year-old Swansea front man drilled home a 30-yard pile driver to cement a 3-0 League B Group One win at the Aviva Stadium, just Ireland’s third victory in 18 competitive games under manager Stephen Kenny.

It could have hardly come at a better time after back-to-back defeats by Armenia and Ukraine which had raised fresh questions over Kenny’s tenure and prompted a defiant response from the 50-year-old.

It is Ireland’s first competitive win in Dublin since they beat Gibraltar in a Euro 2020 qualifier in June 2019 was set up by first-half goals from Alan Browne and Troy Parrott, who doubled Ireland’s entire Nations League tally inside eight minutes, and was thoroughly deserved as the Scots wilted in Dublin.

John McGinn passed up two first-half chances for Steve Clarke’s men, but they rarely threatened to get themselves back into the game once they were behind on a dismal afternoon for the 2,500 traveling fans among a crowd of 46,947.

As expected, Kenny shuffled his pack, handing Obafemi a first senior start for his country in one of five changes to the side which lost to Ukraine in midweek, while Grant Hanley and Scott McTominay were drafted into the Scotland line-up in place of John Souttar and Stuart Armstrong.

Ireland, stung by the criticism they had received after a poor start to the campaign, started with real tempo as Jason Knight snapped into tackles and wing-backs Browne and James McClean worked their way into advanced positions.

The visitors quickly settled, however, and, with McTominay orchestrating from the middle of the field, pushed the home side back towards their own goal.

Obafemi was unable to make the most of Hanley’s early slip which looked to have put him in behind the Scottish defence, but Browne had to block Andy Robertson’s goal-bound 12th-minute strike and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher had to get down well to field McGinn’s skidding attempt seconds later.

The Republic lacked penetration as Scotland sat back and denied space when they were in possession, in the process preventing midfielder duo Josh Cullen and Jayson Molumby from doing any meaningful damage.

But it was they who took the lead with 20 minutes gone when Shane Duffy headed McClean’s corner back across goal and Browne bundled the ball past keeper Craig Gordon.

Scotland should have been level within seven minutes, but McGinn placed his side-footed effort inches wide of Kelleher’s right post, and their misery was compounded within seconds when Obafemi clipped a delightful ball over the top for Parrott to head gleefully past the advancing Gordon and double Ireland’s advantage.

It would have been 3-0 nine minutes before the break had Gordon not tipped away Duffy’s bullet header, although the keeper was fortunate to escape after touching another McClean corner on to the far post seconds later.

Jack Hendry made way for Billy Gilmour before the restart as the visitors sought a way back into the game, but their plight worsened with six minutes when Obafemi picked up a loose ball 30 yards out, took a neat controlling touch and then blasted it mercilessly past the helpless Gordon.

Substitute Scott Hogan thought he had made it 4-0 with a 61st-minute back-post header from another McClean cross, but Hanley’s goal-line clearance was confirmed by a VAR check.

In the meantime, Duffy had picked up a booking which will rule him out of Tuesday’s return clash with Ukraine in the Polish city of Lodz, but, as time ran down, that was the only fly in the ointment for Kenny’s men, with Scottish hopes even of restoring a measure of pride coming to little.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been voted the Professional Footballers’ Association’s men’s player of the year, with Chelsea’s Sam Kerr collecting the women’s award.

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden retains the PFA young player of the year award, with Lauren Hemp again women’s young player, which she wins for a third consecutive season.

Voted for by PFA members, Salah topped the poll ahead of Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who had won for the previous two years and was again an integral part of the Manchester City team which claimed the Premier League title ahead of Liverpool by just one point.

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Tottenham striker Harry Kane had also made the shortlist, along with Salah’s Liverpool team-mates Virgil Van Dijk and Sadio Mane.

Salah takes the PFA player of the year trophy for a second time, having previously won in 2018, after helping drive Jurgen Klopp’s men to success in both the Caraboa Cup and FA Cup, as well as reaching the Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid.

Egypt international Salah finished as the Premier League’s joint top-scorer alongside Tottenham’s Son Heung-min with 23 goals and was announced as the PFA men’s player of the year at a virtual ceremony on June 9.

“It’s a great honour to win a trophy, individual or collective and this one is big so, very happy and very proud of that,” said Salah, who was also voted the men’s footballer of the year by the Footballer Writers’ Association.

“This one is a really good one to win, especially because it’s voted by players. It shows you that you’ve worked really hard and you get what you worked for.

“I have my room with trophies in a cabinet and I made sure that I had another space for one more. I always keep space and just try to imagine that the trophies are going to come.”

Chelsea forward Kerr scored 20 goals to be top scorer in the FA Women’s Super League, helping Emma Hayes’ team win the domestic double after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

“It’s a massive honour I think, whenever you’re voted by your peers. I think that’s the highest honour as a player so, it’s an amazing feeling,” said Australia international Kerr, who was also named the FWA’s women’s footballer of the year.

Arsenal’s Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema and her Gunners team-mate Kim Little were also on the PFA shortlist along with Manchester City’s Alex Greenwood and Hemp as well as Chelsea’s Pernille Harder.

Manchester City midfielder Foden, 22, topped the all-England shortlist on the men’s young player award.

Arsenal midfield duo Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe, Conor Gallagher, who spent the season on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey and Chelsea full-back Reece James were also nominated.

“I’m really honoured to be honest, especially to win it back-to-back, it shows that I’ve come a long way this year with the consistency of my game,” Foden said.

“Hopefully I can win the main award in the future, but it’s all about taking small steps and improving.”

Hemp, meanwhile, becomes the first person to win the PFA young player of the year award four times.

Chelsea forward Lauren James, Arsenal’s Norwegian star Frida Maanum, Tottenham striker Jessica Naz, Manchester United forward Ella Toone and Brighton defender Maya Le Tissier made up the rest of the shortlist.

“It’s an honour to get this again. I think especially for it to be voted for by players that I’ve played against and come up against,” Hemp, 21, said.

“I look to many of them as role models as well so it’s an honour to be picked from them. I’m going to keep working hard for that to make sure that I continue on the right path.”

The 2022 PFA merit award saw two former England managers honoured, with Roy Hodgson and Hope Powell acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to football.

“I never won any trophies as a player unfortunately, so it is nice to be recognised by fellow professionals. It will have pride of place,” said Hodgson, 74, who left his role with Watford at the end of the season having taken over in January.

Brighton women’s manager Powell added: “I feel lucky and blessed to be in the game after many years.”

Following their respective promotions from the EFL Championship, AFC Bournemouth, Fulham and Nottingham Forest can now officially state that they are part of the Premier League.

At the Premier League’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) the change from the 2021/22 season to the 2022/23 season has been announced.

What it means

The three clubs who were relegated – Burnley, Watford and Norwich City – transferred back the share certificates that gave them Premier League status and the Premier League board of directors confirmed the cancellation of these shares.

A new share certificate for each of the promoted clubs was then signed by the Premier League directors and company secretary. As required under company law, the three clubs have been entered into the share register.

As a result, the confirmation of the three promoted clubs as members of the Premier League has taken place, with the League formally welcoming them by awarding them their framed share certificates.

The table refresh

To mark the changing over to the new season, the Premier League website and app has also been refreshed.

The Premier League table has been reset with the 20 clubs sorted in alphabetical order, while the Premier League’s social media accounts now follow those of the three promoted clubs.

All 20 clubs can now look forward to 09:00 BST on Thursday 16 June, when they will discover their fixtures for the 2022/23 season.

Source: premierleague.com

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez said he was pleased with his team’s response to losing to the Netherlands after cruising to a 6-1 win over Poland in the Nations League on Wednesday.

Belgium lost their opening game to neighbours Netherlands but immediately bounced back with an increasingly dominant performance and finished the game with five goals in just over 30 minutes.

“It brings extra emotion when you lose against your rivals so that was definitely a motivator tonight,” Martinez said. “Against The Netherlands we were passive, waiting, insecure. Now we were a team instead of individuals.”

Belgium suffered another early setback on Wednesday when Poland took the lead after 28 minutes as star striker Robert Lewandowski struck his 22nd goal for club and country in 2022.

The Bayern Munich forward controlled a pass from Piotr Zielinski in mid-air and then poked it past the on-rushing Simon Mignolet with the outside of his left boot.

The hosts levelled three minutes before half time. Kevin de Bruyne cut through the Polish defence, and after his drive was parried, Timothy Castagne rolled the ball back to Axel Witsel who swerved a drive inside the post.

Belgium took the lead after 59 minutes on the counter-attack, captain Eden Hazard finding De Bruyne free in the box and he slid a shot past Bartlomiej Dragowski.

Hazard, who struggled with injury at Real Madrid this season and was an unused substitute in the Champions League final, came off after 66 minutes.

“I am extremely happy that I could be important to the team, especially after my season,” Hazard said.

Leandro Trossard replaced Hazard and scored twice in seven minutes. Defender Leander Dendoncker then struck his first international goal from long range. Lois Openda, who came off the bench to make his international debut with six minutes left, rounded off the rout in added time.

“It was a match that will give us a lot to think about, a lot of question marks in various parts of our game plan and overall strategy, but also a lesson on how to play against such teams,” said Lewandowski.

Belgium sit second behind the Netherlands in League A Group 4 and ahead of Poland on goal difference.

“Nobody should be worried about the future of Belgian football. We have immense talent but we have to be patient,” said Martinez. “We finally have the structure in place. The rest will follow, but the talent is definitely there.”

In the World Cup in Qatar in November, Belgium have been drawn in a group with Canada, Morocco and the 2018 losing finalists Croatia. Poland face Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina.

“I told the players that they should use it as a reminder of how opponents play at the very highest levels in the world,” said Poland manager Czeslaw Michniewicz.

Wout Weghorst ended Wales’ World Cup party and shattered their 19-match unbeaten home record in dramatic fashion as the Netherlands won 2-1 in Wednesday’s Nations League clash in Cardiff. Wales will head to Qatar in November for their first World Cup appearance in 64 years after beating Ukraine 1-0 in the play-off final on Sunday. But Robert Page’s side, who face USA, Iran and England in the group stage in Qatar, came back down to earth with a bump as they suffered a second successive Nations League Group A4 defeat after last week’s loss in Poland.

In a thrilling finale, Rhys Norrington-Davies equalised for Wales in stoppage-time following Teun Koopmeiners’ goal early in the second half.

Burnley striker Weghorst sealed the points for the Netherlands with just seconds left as the visitors ruined the longest unbeaten home run in Wales’ history.

For the first time since November 2018, Wales were beaten in front of their own fans, but the feelgood factor from their World Cup qualification should ensure the frustration from Weghorst’s winner does not linger too long.

“It was a difficult game. We didn’t have our full-strength squad,” Wales captain Gareth Bale said.

“They’re a world-class team and we deserve to be testing ourselves against the best.

“The boys who came in worked very hard to get the equaliser, then to concede after that was gutting. It’s something we have to learn, maybe the dark arts of taking him down.”

It was a second consecutive Nations League victory for the Netherlands, who thrashed Belgium on Friday.

The Dutch, who have also qualified for the World Cup, are unbeaten in 11 games and are yet to lose since Louis van Gaal took charge for the third time in August.

After Wales’ players were seen enjoying a boisterous night out on Sunday to celebrate their historic qualification, it was no surprise Page made seven changes with Bale and Aaron Ramsey among those rested.

Norrington-Davies nodded over from Chris Mepham’s cross before Netherlands keeper Mark Flekken smashed an attempted clearance at Daniel James and watched in relief as it sailed wide.

With Wales on top, Harry Wilson’s free-kick drew a good save from the over-worked Flekken, who also saved from James’ curler.

Against the run of play, Cody Gakpo almost snatched the lead for the Netherlands on the stroke of half-time as his shot deflected just side.

It was warning Wales failed to heed and the Dutch made them pay in the 50th minute.

Jerdy Schouten picked out Koopmeiners in space and the Atalanta midfielder drilled a low shot past Adam Davies from 18 yards.

Bale came on for the final 12 minutes and the forward’s presence lifted Wales, who equalised in stoppage-time when Norrington-Davies headed his first international goal from Connor Roberts’ cross.

But there was a sting in the tale for Wales in the 94th minute.

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Tyrell Malacia’s cross perfectly picked out the unmarked Weghorst and his diving header gave the Netherlands a dramatic victory.

Harry Kane’s late spot-kick secured Gareth Southgate’s men a hard-fought Nations League draw in Germany as the skipper became the second man to score 50 goals for England.

England arrived in Munich looking to replicate last summer’s memorable Euro 2020 last-16 victory against Die Mannschaft and bounce back from Saturday’s shock loss to unfancied Hungary.

The second of four Nations League matches in this 11-day slog also looked set to end in defeat after Jonas Hofmann struck for Germany, only for Kane to score a late penalty and ensure a 1-1 draw for England.

Molineux matches against Euro 2020 final foes Italy and Hungary follow after a night that ended on a high – and thankfully seemed to go without fan trouble inside the Allianz Arena.

The official away section of 3,466 were joined by other England fans dotted around the Allianz Arena, where Germany impressed in the first half. Thomas Muller and Hofmann saw goals ruled out, while former England Under-21s international Jamal Musiala showed his class

Bukayo Saka twice threatened in stoppage time as England showed flickers of life, but Germany took the lead in the 51st minute when Joshua Kimmich put through Hofmann to all too easily beat Jordan Pickford.

England’s goalkeeper ensured Muller did not extend the hosts’ lead and Manuel Neuer shone at the other end, but he would be beaten from the spot in the 88th minute.

Referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande pointed to the spot after watching back Nico Schlotterbeck’s challenge on Kane, who kept his cool to send the goalkeeper the wrong way and edge closer to Wayne Rooney record 53-goal haul.

Liverpool midfielder James Milner will play in a 20th successive Premier League campaign next season after signing a new 12-month contract with the club.

The 36-year-old’s current deal was due to expire this month but it is understood manager Jurgen Klopp was not prepared to lose a player who has such a huge influence on the dressing room.

Milner made 39 appearances last season, although only 14 were starts and that is reflected in the new contract the player has signed on significantly-reduced personal terms.

However, there was little negotiation needed with the midfielder, who chose to wait until the end of an epic 63-game season which culminated in defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final just over a week ago before making his decision.

Milner is believed to have turned down offers from at least one Premier League club and two from overseas in order to stay at Anfield.

Since joining from Manchester City – where he won two league titles, two FA Cups and a League Cup – in 2015 Milner has won the Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and, this season, a domestic cup double.

Five players – Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – are about to enter the final 12 months of their existing contracts.

While negotiations have dragged on with Salah, fellow forward Sadio Mane is attracting interest from Bayern Munich.

Liverpool will not allow the 30-year-old Senegal international, who scored 23 goals this season, to leave unless it is for a fee in excess of £25million, providing they have a suitable replacement lined up.

Mane has yet to make his intentions clear to the club but the Bundesliga champions are looking for a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is likely to leave this summer.