Month: April 2023

Gianni Infantino was re-elected as Fifa president during the 73rd Congress in Kigali on Thursday, promising record revenues in the next four-year cycle of $11 billion as he called for more football to be played around the world.

Infantino stood unopposed, making his re-election as head of football’s governing body a formality, even if he is not universally popular among member associations amid controversies including the treatment of migrant workers in the run-up to last year’s World Cup in Qatar and a failed plan to play the tournament every two years.

“It is an incredible honour and privilege, and a great responsibility,” Infantino said. “I promise to continue serving Fifa and football around the world.

“To those that love me, and I know there are many, and those who hate me … I love you all.”

Infantino confirmed Fifa’s income hit record levels in the last cycle from 2019-22, but promised to substantially raise this again on the back of expanded men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments and the introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup.

“Revenues rose to a record $7.5 billion (to 2022) in a period that was hit by Covid-19. When I arrived, Fifa reserves stood at around $1 billion, today they are at almost $4 billion,” Infantino said.

“We promise new record revenues for the next cycle of $11 billion, and the new Club World Cup is not included in that figure, so it could increase by a couple of billion.”

Infantino said Fifa would continue to review the transfer system to “improve transparency” and suggested the organisation might discuss a salary cap.

“We must improve our regulations and the Fifa statutes. We will continue to evolve our good governance principles and look at the transfer system, and maybe have a discussion to improve transparency of transfer fees and salaries.

“It might be necessary to introduce a cap, we have to think how we can do that. We will look at it with all stakeholders and see what we can do.”

Amid the financial success of his seven years in office, Infantino has also courted controversy that has made him unpopular with some member associations.

He accused critics of host Qatar’s human rights record of hypocrisy and racism at the World Cup.

The tournament in the desert state led to a significant amount of political discussion around the host’s treatment of migrant labour, its approach to LGBT rights and Fifa’s threats to penalise players for political statements.

This included the banning of the anti-discrimination “One Love” armband which drew anger from a number of quarters.

Fifa has previously spoken about setting up a legacy fund to assist and compensate migrant workers who helped build the stadiums and other infrastructure for the World Cup, but as yet no concrete plans have been revealed and Infantino made no mention of it in his address.

He did suggest that Fifa had cleaned up its act with regards to governance.

“Every single dollar that is being invested in projects and associations will undergo an independent audit. Money just doesn’t get lost any more.

“That is why the institutions have regained their trust in Fifa. The Department of Justice of the United States has given us more than $200 million back that was stolen by corrupt officials. We have re-invested that in football.”

Player welfare groups have questioned Fifa’s decision to expand the men’s World Cup from 64 to 104 games, but Infantino says there needs to be more football played around the world.

“When I hear there is too much football, yes, maybe in some places, but not everywhere. In fact, in most parts of the world there is not enough football played.

“We need way more and not less competitions, we want football to develop worldwide.

“We are discussing organising a women’s Club World Cup and a Fifa World Series in March every two years, when teams are free from playing qualifiers.”

Infantino was first elected in an Extraordinary Congress in 2016 following the resignation of his predecessor Sepp Blatter, and retained his position unopposed three years later.

But this counts as his second term of office and he will therefore be available for a third and final term in four years’ time.

Source: Reuters

Napoli cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a comfortable 5-0 aggregate victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Victor Osimhen hit a brace as the hosts won the second leg 3-0 in Naples as three Italian clubs reached the last eight for the first time since 2006.

Trouble in the streets of the city between supporters marred the evening but on the pitch it was one-way traffic as a Piotr Zielinski penalty sealed victory for the Serie A leaders.

Napoli were always favourite to advance after a good win in Germany and Osimhen’s fine header on the stroke of half-time sent them on their way.

A close-range finish after the restart all-but secured safe passage before Zielinksi won and scored a spot-kick.

Liverpool’s impossible job against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu proved exactly that as there was no dramatic comeback and a 1-0 defeat saw them exit the Champions League without much of a fight.

All the damage had been done in the first leg but even with a 5-2 deficit there remained the romantic notion among the die-hards and dreamers that Jurgen Klopp’s side could fashion a performance to rival that of Istanbul 2005 or Anfield 2019 against Barcelona.

Klopp gave his side a one percent chance ahead of the game but had it not been for the brilliance of goalkeeper Alisson Becker all hope would have been extinguished in the opening quarter.

This was the 14-time winners’ 300th Champions League match and all that experience showed with a balanced and controlled display of sharp attacking and tidy defending capped by a goal from their long-time nemesis Karim Benzema.

However, it may be Liverpool’s last in the competition for a while unless they can iron out wild inconsistencies in their domestic form.

In truth few players, their goalkeeper excepted, reached the level required to properly trouble the defending champions never mind threaten an unlikely comeback.

Liverpool needed their big name and most experienced players, many of them Champions League winners, to drive the team forwards while cajoling something out of the raw talent of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.

But players like Mohamed Salah, Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold never got to grips with the game and that asked too much of the likes of Nunez, substituted in the 57th minute, and Gakpo.

And it was a misjudgement by one of their most experienced Virgil van Dijk, allowing Vinicius Jr a second chance to pass to Benzema to slot into an open goal and eventually kill off their remote hopes in the 78th minute.

Ivan Toney was on target again to give Brentford’s slim chances of securing a place in Europe a boost following a 2-0 Premier League win at struggling Southampton.

The Bees had a 12-match unbeaten run that bolstered the aspirations broken by a 1-0 defeat at Everton but bounced back on a wet day on the south coast.

Toney poked the ball into the net from a corner for his 16th goal of the season in a game with few clear-cut chances, before Yoane Wissa wrapped up all three points with a second in second-half stoppage time.

The result ensures Saints remain rooted to the foot of the table, despite a recent improvement in fortunes including a draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Brentford started the brighter of the two sides, forcing Gavin Bazunu into action to deny Bryan Mbeumo, with the hosts also struggling to create space going forwards.

It was the visitors who took the lead after a cagey opening half-hour, capitalising from a free-kick, with Toney in the right place at the far post to tap the ball home following a headed flick-on from Christian Norgaard.

The forwarded rewarded the faith of his manager Thomas Frank, who ahead of the game said Toney was capable of partnering Harry Kane for England.

However, questions had been raised over whether he should still be allowed to take the field as Toney is still waiting for a Football Association verdict after being charged with 262 breaches of FA gambling rules, with a lengthy suspension possible.

Carlos Alcaraz tried his luck from distance as Southampton tried to level the match, but his drive was always rising and went just over the crossbar.

The hosts almost drew level at the start of the second half, responding after being booed off by some sections of their fanbase at the break.

Kyle Walker-Peters drove into the box and cut the ball back for Che Adams, but his shot was cleared off the line by Aaron Hickey.

James Ward-Prowse also came close for Southampton from a free-kick just outside the area, but his curled strike was just wide of the target.

Tempers were frayed from both sides – with 33 fouls – before Brentford added a second in the nine minutes of stoppage time, with Wissa beating the offside trap before slotting the ball into the back of the net.

Solly March’s timely goal boosted Brighton’s bid for Europe as they sank derby rivals Crystal Palace 1-0 in the Premier League.

March scored the winner in the 15th minute – on March 15 – to move the Seagulls level on points with sixth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.

It also provided a double celebration for Brighton chairman Tony Bloom after his horse Energumene won the Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

The problems are mounting up for Palace, though, after their winless run stretched to 11 matches.

They were forced to hand teenage goalkeeper Joe Whitworth a professional debut with regular number one Vicente Guaita and deputy Sam Johnstone both injured.

At 19 years and 15 days, Whitworth was the youngest goalkeeper to appear in a Premier League game since Ben Alnwick played for Sunderland in December 2005.

The former Palace ball-boy made a nervous start with an unconvincing headed clearance outside the area, but Brighton could not punish him.

Yet Jason Steele was the busier keeper in the opening stages despite Palace not managing a shot on target in their last three matches.

Wilfried Zaha at least righted that particular wrong early on when he tested Steele with an angled drive.

Steele saved with his knee after Joachim Andersen’s through-ball split the Brighton defence and sent Michael Olise through on goal, before he palmed Odsonne Edouard’s drive away.

Whitworth got his first decent touch of the ball when he held Kaoru Mitoma’s long-range effort.

But he was beaten moments later when Mitoma sent March clean through to find the net with a composed finish.

Palace could have equalised before half-time but Andersen volleyed Olise’s free-kick across goal and wide.

They could also have been down to 10 men after Cheick Doucoure, back from suspension and already on a booking, scythed down Moises Caicedo as he was about to burst through but somehow escaped another yellow.

Understandably, the Palace midfielder did not emerge for the second half with Patrick Vieira sending on Eberechi Eze in his place.

The second half was delayed after a floodlight failure momentarily plunged the stadium into darkness, and referee Peter Bankes then stopped the match, apparently because his headset was no longer working.

Once play resumed Whitworth highlighted his potential with a stunning reaction save to keep out Alexis Mac Allister’s header at a corner.

Mac Allister almost added a second with a mazy run and shot which flew just wide, but in the end Brighton had to hang on to March’s goal for nine minutes of stoppage time.

Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi believes the in-form winger deserves an England call-up, so March’s seventh goal of the season was a useful reminder to Gareth Southgate, who names his latest squad on Thursday.

The 28-year-old also scored in last week’s draw at Leeds, and if he gets the nod from Southgate it really would be the month of March.

Kim Kardashian made a surprise appearance at a football match in London, to watch Arsenal take on Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League.

The world-famous reality star and influencer was in attendance at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday, as filming takes place on her new documentary.

As part of the pre-match commentary, sports presenter Carrie Brown confirmed Kardashian’s presence, along with her son Saint, via an Arsenal communications officer.

Seven-year-old Saint is a fan of the north London club, Brown said, and was reportedly seen sporting an Arsenal strip at his birthday party in January.

“The other team news that seems to be setting social media alight – yes, Kim Kardashian is here, we can confirm now from the communications officer,” Brown said.

Pictures of Kardashian and Saint, who was wearing an Arsenal jersey, later circulated on social media.

She later posted an Instagram story with pieces of Arsenal merchandise, with the caption “send help SOS”.

The reality star’s appearance at the Premier League ground comes after Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recently lamented Hollywood actress Julia Roberts’ apparent preference for Manchester United.

“I have three idols in my life. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Julia Roberts. These are my three idols,” the manager told a post-match press conference on Wednesday.

“Julia Roberts years ago came to Manchester – not in the 90s when Sir Alex (Ferguson) was winning titles and titles and titles. She came in the period where we were better than United, in these four or five years, right?

“And she went to visit Man United. She didn’t come to see us. That’s why even if I win the Champions League it will not compare to the fact that Julia Roberts came to Manchester and didn’t come to see us.

“Even if I win the Champions League it will not compare to this disappointment I had.”

Marcus Rashford fired Manchester United to victory at Real Betis with a rocket of a strike as Erik ten Hag’s side cruised through to the Europa League quarter-finals.

The Red Devils headed to Spain all-but assured of progress from this last-16 tie having won the first leg 4-1 in freezing conditions at Old Trafford last Thursday.

Betis made United sweat during the opening stages in the return fixture, but Rashford’s outstanding strike silenced the bouncing Estadio Benito Villamarin and secured a 1-0 win on the night.

The impressive 5-1 aggregate triumph puts them through to the quarter-finals, with Friday’s draw to outline their potential path to the Europa League final in Budapest.

The second leg in Seville had started in unconvincing fashion against Manuel Pellegrini’s Verdiblancos, with Juanmi wasting a glorious chance before Joaquin struck the post from distance.

Facundo Pellistri, making his first United start, hit the post at the end of a poor first half that was followed by a much-improved second-period performance by Ten Hag’s team.

Rashford looked sharp and followed an inexplicable miss moments earlier by unleashing a stunning 25-yard strike that ensured United’s first away trip since their Anfield annihilation ended in a win.

Betis’ 50,000-plus fans were always here in hope rather than expectation given their three-goal deficit and their side flew out of the blocks, wasting a glorious eighth-minute chance.

United were caught out of position and Ayoze Perez sent Juanmi through, only to drag his shot across the face of goal with Harry Maguire breathing down his neck.

It was a huge let-off followed by 41-year-old Joaquin winding back the years to unleash a stunning 30-yard effort that hit the post after a slight Casemiro deflection.

Betis were making life uncomfortable for a strong-looking United side, although Ten Hag’s men eventually managed to slow the tempo and frustrate the hosts without ever looking in control.

The sharp start had waned but David De Gea had to be alert to stop Juanmi, who had raced between the visitors’ centre-back pairing to meet a fine through ball.

Maguire blocked the lively forward’s next attempt as the raucous home support continued to back their team, whose faint hopes were almost extinguished in stoppage time.

Casemiro went down on the left following a foul by Joaquin and Bruno Fernandes swung in the resulting free-kick, with the ball falling to Pellistri to get a shot into the ground that hit the post.

Wout Weghorst threw himself at it in an attempt to prod home but could not stretch to meet it, just as he had failed when trying to reach a Casemiro header at the start of the game.

The sides traded wayward efforts when the second half got under way, with Rashford among those to miss as he played with the bit between his teeth.

Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva denied the 25-year-old after Fernandes played onto him, with the forward furious with himself after uncharacteristically blazing over a brilliant chance.

Rashford quickly let that frustration out in stunning fashion.

Having been found by a sweeping Casemiro pass, he took a couple of touches and then let rip with a fizzing 25-yard strike that flew home to silence the Betis faithful in the 55th minute.

De Gea had produced a fine reaction save to deny Perez from a corner shortly before a brilliant goal that ended hope of an always improbable Betis comeback.

Maguire headed off target as United looked for a second in Seville, with substitutes Jadon Sancho and Marcel Sabitzer both having attempts.

Fernandes, walking a suspension tightrope with Casemiro, was withdrawn and Weghorst had an attempt saved as United exerted the kind of control Ten Hag craved from the start.

More changes took the sting out of a tie that ended with United’s travelling fans calling for the Glazer family to sell the club.

Gabriel Martinelli missed from the spot as Arsenal crashed out of the Europa League after a penalty shootout loss to Sporting.

A 2-2 draw in Lisbon a week ago left this last-16 tie finely poised and it would go all the way at the Emirates Stadium, Sporting advancing 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra-time.

The visitors were perfect from 12 yards but Martinelli’s tame effort was saved in the first ever shootout at the Emirates.

As Kim Kardashian watched on, the reality for Arsenal is that all their hopes of a trophy this season now rest on their Premier League title charge, which continues at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Granit Xhaka’s first goal since October had Arsenal ahead but they failed to build on that advantage before conceding a spectacular equaliser, reminiscent of the goal Nayim scored against the Gunners in the 1995 Cup Winners’ Cup final as Pedro Goncalves struck from over 49 yards out.

Substitute Leandro Trossard saw a shot turned onto the woodwork in the first half of extra-time before Manuel Ugarte was sent off, shown a second yellow for a lunge on Bukayo Saka.

The pressure ramped up in the shootout as the first seven takers all converted before Martinelli failed to do so, allowing Nuno Santos to smash home the decisive kick.

Mikel Arteta named a strong XI despite fighting on two fronts, with the Premier League title race no doubt his top priority as the Gunners sit five points clear at the summit – Gabriel Jesus back in the starting line-up for the first time since returning from knee surgery.

He lost Takehiro Tomiyasu to injury with less than 10 minutes on the clock as he limped off to be replaced by Ben White.

Jesus had his first sight of the Sporting goal with 15 minutes on the clock but could not steer home a Reiss Nelson cross

Arsenal went ahead inside 20 minutes, Jorginho with a fine pass to Martinelli, whose shot was saved by Antonio Adan but Xhaka made no mistake in turning home the rebound.

While things were going well in front of goal, Arsenal lost their second player to injury within the opening quarter of the contest when William Saliba limped off and Rob Holding came on in the centre of defence.

Jesus was again prevented from marking his comeback with a goal as Adan made a brilliant low stop to keep out the Brazilian’s effort on the half hour.

Jesus was replaced by Trossard at half-time but Arsenal’s game was still not clicking like it has done in the Premier League of late and the tie was soon levelled in remarkable circumstances.

Sporting won the ball in midfield and Goncalves spotted Ramsdale off his line, brilliantly lobbing the England goalkeeper from just inside the Arsenal half.

Arteta responded by bringing on the big-hitters as Saka and Thomas Partey were introduced in the immediate aftermath of the Sporting goal.

Ramsdale will have been unhappy to concede such a goal but made himself big to keep out Marcus Edwards when the former Tottenham man burst through one on one as the visitors began to dominate.

Neither side could find a winner in the 90, however, as the tie went to extra-time giving Arsenal an additional 30 minutes of football Arteta would have wanted to avoid.

Trossard forced a smart save from Adan, who tipped the Belgian’s effort onto the post as the hosts looked to turn the tide.

Skipper Martin Odegaard was introduced, his first role a de facto cheerleader as he whipped the home fans into a frenzy for the closing stages.

Adan was again on hand to theatrically palm a Gabriel Magalhaes header over with the Brazil defender seeing his effort from the resulting corner hacked off the line.

Sporting were beginning to tire and their tackles became more desperate, Ugarte shown a second yellow card after clattering into Saka as Arsenal were the side pushing to win it.

The tie would ultimately be decided by a penalty shootout, Jerry St Juste was first up for the visitors and smashed his spot-kick past Ramsdale, who guessed the right way.

Odegaard then stepped up for Arsenal and calmly slotted home, Ricardo Esgaio then re-establishing the lead before Saka was the next Arsenal man to tuck away from 12 yards.

Ramsdale got a hand to Goncalo Ignacio’s effort but could not keep it out as Trossard continued the scoring run to make it 3-3.

Arthur Gomes’ penalty sneaked in as Ramsdale again came close to saving, with Martinelli seeing his saved by Adan to put Sporting on the cusp.

Santos made no mistake as he smashed home to send the visitors through 5-3 on aggregate, with Arsenal still without a home knockout win in Europe since May 2019.

Olivier Giroud fired AC Milan into the Champions League semi-finals and a potential derby clash with arch-rivals Inter as his goal secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Napoli.

The Frenchman, who had earlier seen a penalty saved, struck two minutes before the break in a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on a night when international team-mate Mike Maignan saved a late Khvicha Kvaratskhelia spot-kick before Victor Osimhen reduced the deficit in stoppage time.

Serie A leaders Napoli, who lost 4-0 at home to Milan in the league on April 2, set out in determined fashion with Mario Rui seeing an early free-kick defected wide before Kvaratskhelia tested goalkeeper Maignan after cutting inside from the left.

However, Milan were presented with a glorious opportunity to double their aggregate advantage when Rui’s clumsy challenge on Rafael Leao prompted referee Szymon Marciniak to point to the spot, only for keeper Alex Meret to save Giroud’s 22nd-minute penalty.

The France international had his head in his hands once again six minutes later after Meret had blocked his goal-bound shot with his legs as the home side, who had lost both Mateo Politano and Rui to injury by the 34th minute, were hit repeatedly on the break.

They were finally made to pay two minutes before the break when Giroud rounded off Leao’s brilliant solo run with an emphatic finish to edge the visitors closer to the last four.

Kvaratskhelia skied a shot from a tight angle over the bar after carving his way superbly into the penalty area seconds after the restart, and the Georgia international was similarly wasteful after repeating the feat with 58 minutes gone.

But his clearest opportunity came nine minutes from time when, after defender Fikayo Tomori had been penalised for handball, he sent the resulting spot-kick low to to Maignan’s right, only to see him make a fine save and although Osimhen finally beat him at the death, there was no way back.

Chelsea’s last hope of salvaging their season slipped away as Real Madrid completed a 4-0 aggregate victory to dump Frank Lampard’s side out of the Champions League.

Stamford Bridge was dotted with empty seats by the end of the quarter-final second leg, as it had been since Rodrygo skipped beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga and scored the second of two goals 10 minutes from time to ease the European champions through.

It was a 2-0 win for Real that, on reflection, Chelsea had never looked likely to rescue, in spite of two glorious chances either side of half-time for Marc Cucurella and N’Golo Kante.

At 0-0 on the night, they could have turned the tie in Chelsea’s favour. But over 180 minutes Real were too good for Lampard’s side, who now look destined to limp to the end of the season with nothing left to play for and an uncertain future beyond.

It had begun promisingly for Chelsea. Trevoh Chalobah drilled the ball wide to Reece James who took it well on the chest. He whipped an early cross in towards Kai Havertz who tried to meet it first time, but as the ball spun out from his control, Kante was there 12 yards out to stride onto it and lash wide.

With James and Cucurella playing high up the pitch on either flank, Chelsea looked to use width to get in behind Real.

When not in possession, the hosts were quick to press, with Mateo Kovacic and Kante stifling Luka Modric.

Vinicius Junior was having far less success against James than he enjoyed in the Bernabeu, and Karim Benzema, off-colour in the first half, barely featured.

Rodrygo at last gave the first reminder of Real’s threat, finding space in the box and cracking a right-foot shot that span behind off the outside of the post, though the angle was tight.

Then when finally on 27 minutes Vinicius did find space to run at Chelsea, he cut in off the left, stepped inside Thiago Silva but thumped his shot against the palms of Kepa.

It had been for Chelsea the kind of promising start to make Stamford Bridge believe there was hope but on the stroke of half-time came the moment on which the second leg seemed to turn.

Havertz worked it to James who found a channel to scamper into down the right. He carried it into the box and crossed low, the ball spinning across the face of goal until it reached Cucurella arriving at the far post.

He had time, but not as much as he thought. With Thibaut Courtois bearing down upon him he smacked his shot against the advancing goalkeeper, and Chelsea’s moment to change the face of the tie had passed.

Kante again was inches away from the goal his team craved at the start of the second half, reacting quickest to a header down from Conor Gallagher after Eder Militao’s clearance went straight up in the air from Havertz’s cross. The Real defender recovered to throw his body at Kante’s shot and turn it wide.

Chelsea had had their chances, and now came Real’s. The holders would not be so profligate.

Chalobah attempted to cut out a long ball by going to ground rather than racing toe-to-toe against Rodrygo, allowing the Real forward to run it to the byline.

Benzema was inches away from the resultant cross, but arriving at the far post was Vinicius, who had time and space to look up and return it to Rodrygo, who tapped it home.

With Chelsea’s season hanging by a thread, Lampard turned to attacking reinforcements. On came Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix in a final, desperate bid to salvage the tie and what remained of a dismal campaign.

Instead, all they got was more pain. Vinicius was now enjoying the same space he enjoyed in Madrid. Skipping inside the box he fed a square ball to Federico Valverde who with an impetuous shimmy rolled it Rodrygo to belt it in from a yard out.

Home fans streamed for the exits, not knowing when they will next see the Champions League come to west London.