Tag: Football News

Categories
football Sports News

WIGAN AGREE SALE OF CLUB TO PHOENIX 2021 LIMITED

Wigan have announced they have agreed the sale of the club.

The Latics, who went into administration last summer, with the subsequent 12-point deduction relegating them to League One, said in a statement that an agreement had been reached with Phoenix 2021 Limited.

The deal is expected to be completed by March 31 at the latest.

The club said: “We have agreed a sale of the club and related assets to Phoenix 2021 Limited and we are in the process of finalising the transaction.

“Contracts have been exchanged, a deposit has been received and it is envisaged that the sale will be completed by 31 March 2021 at the latest.

“The outstanding matters that need to be finalised to allow completion are practical matters around EFL membership and property transfers.

“The sale allows for non-football creditors to be paid a minimum dividend of 25p in the pound which avoids a 15-point penalty deduction for the club which improves the prospect of remaining in League One this season.

“We are working with the purchaser and their management team to ensure that the sale of the club concludes as soon as possible to allow some much needed stability both on and off the pitch.

“We have also been working closely with the EFL in relation to the sale and liaising regularly with the official supporters club.”

Phoenix 2021 Limited are a UK-based company owned by Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi, who will become the new owner of Wigan, subject to approval by the EFL board.

Talal Al-Hammad, the incoming chairman, said: “I am delighted that we have been successful in our negotiations with the administrators and that we are now able to help restore pride and belief with everyone associated with the club.

“To Latics fans everywhere, we can only guess at the amount of hurt and distress you have felt since the club entered administration and it is now our focus to stabilise its future and to illustrate why we believe we are the best ownership group for the club. We know that we will have to earn your trust through actions rather than words.

“The support and assistance we have received from Caroline Molyneux at the supporters club, David Molyneux and Alison McKenzie-Folan at Wigan Council and all their colleagues, has been outstanding and extremely encouraging for the club’s future, which is one that we wholeheartedly share and are excited about.”

Wigan like in the League One relegation zone on goal different ahead of Tuesday’s trip to bottom side AFC Wimbledon

Categories
football Slides Sports News

MOURINHO ACCUSES TOTTENHAM PLAYERS OF ‘HIDING’ DURING THE NORTH LONDON DERBY DEFEAT TO ARSENAL

Jose Mourinho has slammed many of his ‘important’ Tottenham players for ‘hiding’ in their north London derby defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

Spurs led at the home of their rivals thanks to Erik Lamela’s clever ‘rabona’ flick but Martin Odegaard brought the Gunners level at the break before an action-packed second-half took the game away from Mourinho’s men.

Alexandre Lacazette won then scored a controversial penalty for Arsenal before Lamela was sent off for two yellow cards. Harry Kane then hit the post in the dying moments as Spurs came away from the derby empty-handed.

Mourinho claimed his side were ‘poor’ in the opening exchanges against Arsenal and lacked intensity in one of their biggest matches of the season.

The Spurs manager said after the game: ‘The only two things that were positive in the first half were an amazing goal and the result – 1-1 was not a fair reflection of that first half where they dominated us. We were very poor.

‘Some important players hiding. I’m not even going in direction of individuals. I’m as guilty for that first-half as the players.

‘People hiding themselves, no intensity, no passing and moving. We were poor. As simple as that.’

Spurs improved after the half-time whistle and created several chances before and after Lacazette’s winner from the penalty spot.

Mourinho made two significant second-half changes by taking off Gareth Bale and Tanguy Ndombele for Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli, with the Portuguese coach claiming the two players who came off were not showing enough intensity.

When asked why Bale and Ndombele came off, Mourinho told his post-match press conference: ‘Intensity. Gareth Bale and Tanguy, we need more intensity in that game.

‘We need to press more. We need to get more depth. We need to be more intense in the game.

‘We needed initially Sissoko to give us that intensity in midfield that Tanguy was not bringing.’

Spurs became more of a threat after the two changes. Alli came inches away from scoring a header from inside the penalty area, Kane’s late free-kick struck the woodwork before Davinson Sanchez’s shot was blocked on the line by Arsenal defender Gabriel.

Mourinho claimed his side did all they could to level the tie in their bid to recover from a disappointing opening 45 minutes.

‘The second half was under control, we recovered what we lost in the first half. We made changes to try and win it and then it’s a penalty.

‘After the penalty a second yellow for Lamela, but even so the team in the last 20 minutes, we did what we could and tried to get a result.’

Categories
football Slides Sports News

PELE CONGRATULATES RONALDO FOR BREAKING HIS RECORD AFTER CAGLIARI HATRICK

Pele on Sunday congratulated Cristiano Ronaldo for ‘breaking his record’ of goals scored in official matches.

Portuguese star Ronaldo hit a hat-trick for Juventus in a 3-1 Serie A win over Cagliari to bring his total to 770 goals.

The 36-year-old took to Instagram to tell his 270 million followers he could now claim the record, having matched Pele’s 767 on 2 March.

“I’m filled with joy and pride as I acknowledge the goal that puts me on top of the World’s goalscoring list, overcoming Pele’s record, something that I could never have dreamed of while growing up as a child from Madeira,” Ronaldo wrote.

Brazilian great Pele, 80, wrote on Instagram to his 5.8 million followers: “Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches.

“I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone.

“My only regret is not being able to give you a hug today.”

“Cristiano life is a solo flight. Each makes his own journey. And what a beautiful journey you are having!”

Pele – the only player in history to win three World Cups – has claimed to have scored 1,283 goals in total, including in unofficial matches.

Ronaldo’s goals include 668 for club sides – five with Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid and 95 for Juventus. He has also scored 120 for Portugal.

Some media however put Czech Josef Bican on 805 goals, ahead of both Ronaldo and Pele.

Former Brazilian striker Romario also claims to have scored 1,000 career goals including unofficial matches. Other sources attribute 772 to him.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

RONALDO’S FIRST HALF HATRICK HELP JUVE EDGE CAGLIARI 3-1

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a perfect hat-trick inside 32 minutes as Juventus bounced back from their midweek Champions League exit by beating Cagliari 3-1 away in Serie A on Sunday.

The 36-year-old striker found the net with a header, a right-footed penalty and a left-foot shot and celebrated by pointing to his ear in an apparent response to recent criticism.

The Italian champions and their Portuguese talisman were under pressure to perform after suffering a Champions League last-16 elimination against Porto on Tuesday.

They enjoyed a comfortable win despite Giovanni Simeone’s second-half strike for the hosts and are now third with 55 points, 10 behind leaders Inter Milan with a game in hand.

Ronaldo declined to give a post-match interview when asked at full-time and Juve captain Giorgio Chiellini faced the cameras instead.

“Our strength has always been to respond on the pitch and we did that today, Cristiano above all,” he told reporters.

“We played like Juve and as a team, with our strengths and weaknesses. But with this main ingredient we can finish the season well, we’ll see where we are by mid-May.”

It was Cagliari coach Leonardo Semplici’s first defeat since taking over in February and left his side in 17th place on 22 points, two clear of the relegation zone.

Ronaldo came in for widespread criticism and was linked by the media with a possible close-season departure from Juve after his disappointing display against Porto, who knocked the Turin club out of Europe on away goals following a 4-4 aggregate draw.

But the Portuguese forward was fired up for the trip to the Sardegna Arena and quickly made his mark by powering in a header from a corner after 10 minutes, a goal that means he has now scored in all 18 stadiums he has visited in Serie A.

Ronaldo was booked for catching goalkeeper Alessio Cragno in the face with a high boot as they both went for a cross, and the striker was then brought down in the box by the keeper and smashed home the resulting penalty in the 25th minute.

He soon had his third goal as he performed a trademark step-over before hammering a shot past Cragno to mark the second fastest hat-trick of his career, after the treble he scored in 20 minutes for Real Madrid against Espanyol in September 2015.

Cagliari pulled a goal back in the second half when Simeone fired in a low shot and Ronaldo had a big chance to score his fourth with the last kick of the game when one-on-one with Cragno but the keeper denied him with an excellent block.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

LIGUE 1: PSG STUMBLE TO HOME LOSS AGAINST NANTES

Paris Saint-Germain missed an opportunity to move top of the Ligue 1 standings when they suffered an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat against strugglers Nantes on Sunday.

Nantes’ Randal Kolo Muani cancelled out Julian Draxler’s first-half opener after a Kylian Mbappe blunder before Moses Simon scored in the 71st minute to stun the champions.

After their seventh league defeat of the season – the fourth at the Parc des Princes – PSG are second with 60 points from 29 games, three behind Lille who drew 0-0 at AS Monaco as none of the top four teams won at the weekend.

The result lifted relegation-threatened Nantes to 18th place on 27 points, a point below Lorient and the safety zone.

Four days after a lacklustre display in a Champions League draw with Barcelona in the last-16, where they progressed due to a big first-leg lead, PSG struggled again but Draxler opened the scoring three minutes from the break with a low shot.

Shortly before the hour, Nantes deservedly equalised as a poor pass by Mbappe virtually set up Kolo Muani, who beat goalkeeper Keylor Navas from close range.

After a brief discussion with PSG sports director Leonardo, coach Mauricio Pochettino replaced Angel Di Maria with Leandro Paredes after 62 minutes and went towards the dressing room with the Argentine before coming back to the bench.

In the 71st minute, Kolo Muani set up Simon, who rifled home to put the visitors ahead.

It finally spurred PSG into action, but Alban Laffont made a couple of good saves to preserve Nantes’s advantage until the final whistle.

Earlier, Lille’s seven-game winning streak on the road ended when they failed to break the deadlock at Monaco in a 0-0 encounter at Louis II.

Monaco and Lille failed to create decent chances, until Stevan Jovetic was denied by Lille keeper Mike Maignan’s superb save in stoppage time.

Monaco are fourth on 56 points, four behind PSG and third-placed Olympique Lyonnais, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Stade de Reims on Friday.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

WESTHAM OWN GOAL GIVES UNITED THREE POINTS, HELPS OLE’S MEN RETAIN SECOND SPOT

Manchester United will start April second in the Premier League standings after Craig Dawson’s own goal saw high-flying West Ham fall to defeat at Old Trafford.

With the Europa League trip to AC Milan and FA Cup quarter-final at Leicester coming up before the international break, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side kicked off an important week with a solid performance on Sunday.

Mason Greenwood twice struck the post on a night when Dawson’s own goal proved the difference.

David Moyes’ men were set up to frustrate a month on from their extra-time FA Cup loss at Old Trafford and failed to muster a shot in the first half – the first Premier League side to manage that since March 2018

But the Hammers also gave little away in the opening period, with Lukasz Fabianski superbly tipping a low Greenwood shot onto the post when frustrated United had their best chance.

But Solskjaer’s side finally found a way through eight minutes after the break when Bruno Fernandes’ corner was touched on by Scott McTominay and the unsighted Dawson turned into his own net.

West Ham attacked with more purpose after falling behind but Moyes’ wait for a first win away at Old Trafford continues, with Fernandes superbly denied before Greenwood thumped the post as United looked to settle any nerves.

The visitors had started positively but failed to launch a serious first-half attack, with Michail Antonio left ploughing a lonely furrow up top.

Moyes’ men are a threat from crosses and Dean Henderson – again deputising for David De Gea – made no mistake when clearing a deflected Aaron Cresswell ball from the left, leaving Jarrod Bowen needing treatment.

Harry Maguire let his team-mates know in no uncertain terms that they needed to “tidy up” and stop giving the ball away during that expletive-filled break in play that was followed by the hosts’ best chance to that point.

Quick build-up after winning the ball ended with Greenwood cutting onto his left and floating a cross to the far post, where Marcus Rashford – a surprise starter after an ankle issue – failed to get clean contact.

Fabianski just about gathered a dangerous cross from Greenwood soon after but West Ham were defending well on the whole, throwing themselves in the way of shots and clearing balls into the box.

But the visitors had their goalkeeper to thank for keeping things level at the break as United attacked at pace and Greenwood hit a low, left-footed shot that Fabianski superbly tipped onto the post in the 37th minute.

Rashford got away a tame header from a clipped Fernandes pass that the West Ham goalkeeper stopped simply before the break, from which the hosts returned strongly.

Vladimir Coufal did well to prod behind a Greenwood cross that Rashford was ready to tap home at the far post, but the resulting corner proved costly.

Fernandes swung in the set-piece from the left and Dawson directed into his own net under pressure from Maguire in the 53rd minute.
The goal opened play up. The video assistant referee ruled Maguire had not fouled Tomas Soucek in the box after a review, with the giant Czech midfielder towering over the United defender and heading wide soon after.

Fernandes forced Fabianski into a fine one-handed stop down to his right in between those moments, with Moyes turning to Said Benrahma and Manuel Lanzini in a bid to inject new attacking impetus.

Play was swinging from end to end as both sides pushed, with Maguire stretching to cut out a Coufal cross before Issa Diop inexplicably welcomed on Greenwood and saw the teenager rattle the post in the 77th minute.

Shaw threw himself in front of a Soucek attempt as United held out for a fourth successive league clean sheet for the first time under Solskjaer.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

ARSENAL EDGE PAST 10-MAN SPURS TO CLAIM NORTH LONDON DERBY VICTORY

Alexandre Lacazette scored Arsenal’s winner from the penalty spot as they downed 10-man Tottenham despite captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being dropped due to disciplinary issues.

The striker was only named among the substitutes as the club confirmed a breach in pre-match protocol ahead of the north London derby – but his team-mates would win regardless, coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory.

Lacazette turned home a second-half penalty after Martin Odegaard had earlier cancelled out a sublime rabona finish from Spurs substitute Erik Lamela – who was sent off for picking up two quick bookings as the visitors chased the game.

With both sides very much on the periphery of the race for the Premier League top four and no Emirates Stadium crowd, it felt like a shadow of previous north London derbies.

But this was a big win for Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta, especially after his decision to axe Aubameyang before kick-off.

The Spaniard had lost his previous two games against Spurs as Arsenal boss – but he got the better of Jose Mourinho to move within four points of their neighbours in the table.

While Lacazette replaced Aubameyang, Emile Smith Rowe and Cedric Soares were also recalled into the Arsenal side.

Both would see efforts hit the woodwork either side of a breathtaking moment of skill from Lamela.

The Argentinian forward had replaced Son Heung-min, who pulled up injured less than 20 minutes into the contest.

His first involvement was to take a pass from Lucas Moura and direct a rabona finish along the ground and into the corner of Bernd Leno’s goal.

Arsenal would deservedly go in level at the interval as Odegaard scored his first Premier League goal – his tame effort deflecting off Toby Alderweireld and past Hugo Lloris.

Arteta introduced Nicolas Pepe for Bukayo Saka at the break, while Mourinho would turn to his bench as Moussa Dembele and Dele Alli replaced Gareth Bale and Tanguy Ndombele.

But just moments after Alli’s introduction, the visitors would find themselves behind as referee Michael Oliver adjudged that Davinson Sanchez had wiped out Lacazette in the box.

The VAR was in agreement and Lacazette dusted himself off to send Lloris the wrong way and score the 20th penalty in Premier League games between the two sides, the most in any fixture in the competition’s history.

Tottenham’s task of earning a result was made all the harder as Lamela was dismissed for two bookings in seven minutes.

The first was for a late lunge on Thomas Partey and he was given his marching orders soon after for raising his arm in a challenge with Kieran Tierney.

Harry Kane endured a quiet afternoon leading the line for Spurs but thought he had headed them level – only to see his 83rd-minute header chalked out for offside.

He then arrowed a late free-kick past Leno but against the post as the numerical advantage was failing to show for a nervy home side.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

AC MILAN TITLE HOPES SUFFER SETBACK AFTER NAPOLI DEFEAT

AC Milan suffered a major blow to their Serie A title hopes as Matteo Politano’s second-half strike earned Napoli a 1-0 win on Sunday to leave the hosts nine points behind leaders Inter Milan in second place.

The Italian winger’s scuffed shot into the bottom corner after 49 minutes sealed a precious victory for the visitors’ Champions League qualification hopes, as they moved above AS Roma into fifth place on goal difference and two points behind Atalanta in fourth.

Milan struggled to break down a resolute Napoli defence and their frustration showed when substitute Ante Rebic was sent off for dissent in stoppage time.

Stefano Pioli’s side remain second on 56 points, but are now at risk of being dragged into the battle for a top four finish as Juventus are one point behind them in third and Napoli in fifth have 50 points and a game in hand.

“We missed a chance as it could have been an exceptional week for us,” Pioli told Sky Italia.

“We played a good game against a great opponent. Now we must think about the next game against a strong team in Manchester United, and then about Fiorentina.

“Inter have done very well since they were knocked out of Europe, but we’re just thinking about earning as many points as possible.”

Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso travelled to San Siro as an opposing manager for the first time after a hugely successful spell as a Milan player and two years as coach there between 2017 and 2019.

Milan looked to have turned around their flagging form last week with two impressive away results, beating Hellas Verona 2-0 before earning a 1-1 Europa League last-16 draw against Manchester United.

But they were without key players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer and captain Alessio Romagnoli through injury and Pioli’s tired-looking side were not at their best.

Piotr Zielinski twice threatened for the visitors in the first half before Politano latched onto a pass from the Polish midfielder to fire in the decisive goal after the break.

Fabian Ruiz’s vicious half volley required a strong parry from Gianluigi Donnarumma and Milan’s appeals for a penalty in the dying minutes were waved away after referee Fabrizio Pasqua consulted the pitchside VAR monitor and judged that Tiemoue Bakayoko had not fouled Theo Hernandez.

Tensions boiled over when Pasqua heard something he did not like from Rebic and flashed a red card at the Croatian.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

IHEANACHO’S FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE HATRICK HELP LEICESTER HAMMER ROCK BOTTOM SHEFFIELD UNITED

Kelechi Iheanacho scored his first Premier League hat-trick as rampant Leicester put sorry Sheffield United to the sword at the King Power Stadium.

Ayoze Perez’s strike and an Ethan Ampadu own goal sealed a 5-0 success for the Foxes which saw them return to second place in the table, ahead of Manchester United’s game against West Ham later.

For the Blades, it rounded off a difficult week which had seen the departure of manager Chris Wilder the day before the match.

Sunday brought the day United fans never wanted to contemplate – the first game after the Wilder era.

There has been few more remarkable or romantic stories in English football than the Sheffield lad and Blades supporter who dreamed longingly out at the hallowed Bramall Lane turf as a ballboy, who would then play for the club he loved and pack the kop with his friends and family, lead them from the stagnancy of the third tier to a top-half finish in the Premier League, and make a fanbase fall in love with their team once more.

It took Wilder just four years, but nine months on the club’s injury crisis coupled with the financial realities of top-flight football for a recently-promoted team and – crucially – fundamental differences exposed between Wilder and the owner, the bubble burst.

Under-23s coach Paul Heckingbottom took charge on Sunday but it was the same old story for the Blades, as they struggled to make an impression or trouble Leicester as an attacking threat. The Foxes dominated and could have won by a bigger margin.

Jamie Vardy dragged a 20-yard shot wide after eight minutes before Perez’s glancing header was touched on to the post by Aaron Ramsdale shortly afterwards. Ramsdale then blocked a low shot from Vardy with his legs.

Leicester made the breakthrough six minutes before half-time. Some sharp, incisive passing between Youri Tielemans and Perez resulted in Vardy getting in behind the Blades defence down the left-hand side. His low cross left Iheanacho with a simple tap-in from close range.

Five minutes into the second half, Iheanacho tried to return the favour for Vardy but he saw his effort brilliantly headed off the line by Chris Basham.

Iheanacho then put Vardy through on goal after an hour but once again Ramsdale denied the diminutive striker with his legs.

A second goal was coming and Leicester doubled their lead after 64 minutes. Marc Albrighton led a counter-attack after the Blades had a free-kick in a dangerous position, and teed-up Perez who found the bottom corner with a strike from the edge of the penalty area.

Five minutes later, it was 3-0 to the Foxes. Vardy was the provider for Iheanacho once more, with the striker guiding the ball past goalkeeper Ramsdale from 12 yards.

Iheanacho completed his hat-trick after 78 minutes, driving a low shot from 25 yards beyond Ramsdale and into the bottom corner of the net.

It was the Nigerian striker’s first Premier League treble, and he looked quite emotional as the game restarted.

It got worse for the Blades two minutes later when Vardy’s shot from the left side of the penalty area, which looked to be heading wide, ended up in the back of the net via the outstretched leg of Ampadu.

It should have been six, and another goal for Iheanacho, but his shot was deflected over the crossbar by George Baldock.

Categories
football Sports News

EVE 1-2 BUR: MC NEIL WONDER STRIKE SEALS BURNLEY WIN AT GOODISON PARK

A spectacular strike from Dwight McNeil proved decisive as Burnley beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park.

Burnley went ahead on 13 minutes, Chris Wood firing in for the second successive match after Everton had failed to clear their lines.

The visitors doubled their advantage 11 minutes later through a wonderful goal by McNeil. The winger got past Allan before curling a sumptuous 25-yard shot past Jordan Pickford, who limped off later in the half.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin reduced the deficit with a header on 32 minutes for his 14th Premier League goal of the season.

After the break, Everton pressed for an equaliser with Andre Gomes and Calvert-Lewin both going close.

At the other end, Ben Mee headed against the crossbar but Burnley had done enough to win and stay 15th on 33 points.

Everton are sixth on 46 points.