Tag: Liverpool

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KICK IT OUT CONDEMNS ALLEGED HOMOPHOBIC CHANTING AT BILLY GILMOUR

Alleged homophobic chanting by Liverpool supporters aimed at Norwich’s on-loan midfielder Billy Gilmour has been condemned by Kick It Out.

The abuse is alleged to have taken place during Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Carrow Road on Saturday.

A statement on Twitter from anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out said: “We are disappointed that only two weeks into the English football season, we have already seen numerous incidents of discrimination at stadiums up and down the country.

“The use of the term ‘rent boy’ in chants by a portion of Liverpool fans at Carrow Road was unquestionably homophobic and has no place in our game. We have also had reports of incidents at other games and are awaiting further clarification.

“As always, we thank those who reported these incidents to us, and urge fans to do the same if they witness discrimination of any kind in football in the future. We will continue to liaise with all relevant clubs and the football authorities to identify and hold accountable those responsible.”

On Saturday, Liverpool LGBT+ fans group Kop Outs tweeted: “Great result today marred by homophobic chanting by some of our fans targeting Chelsea loanee Billy Gilmour. If you can’t support without resorting to bigoted nonsense, you don’t understand.”

That was retweeted by the official account of Liverpool, who said: “The chant is offensive and inappropriate – a message we have repeatedly communicated alongside Kop Outs. We urge supporters to remember the inclusive values of the club and to refrain from using it in the future.”

Scotland international Gilmour, 20, made his competitive debut for Norwich in Saturday’s game after joining the club on a season-long loan from Chelsea in July.

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LIVERPOOL OPEN PREMIER LEAGUE CAMPAIGN WITH 3-0 BASHING OF NORWICH AT CARROW ROAD

Liverpool kicked off their 2021-22 Premier League campaign with a straightforward win over Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday.

Doigo Jota fired Liverpool in front in the 26th minute, firing a low drive past Norwich keeper Tim Krul to stake Jurgen Klopp’s side to a half-time lead.

Liverpool doubled their lead in the second half when Roberto Firmino redirected a Mohammed Salah assist past Krul in the 65th minute to make it 2-0.

Salah put the Reds up by three soon after, settling a poor clearance from Norwich after a corner and curling a lovely shot into the back of the net to seal the three points for Liverpool.

With defensive linchpin Virgil van Dijk back after nine months out with a serious knee injury, Liverpool enjoyed a relatively trouble-free evening.

Next up for Liverpool is a home match against Burnley on Aug. 15, while Norwich face Manchester City at the Etihad on the same day.

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VIRGIL VAN DIJK SIGNS NEW LONG-TERM CONTRACT WITH LIVERPOOL

Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk hopes to celebrate the signing of his new contract by starting his first match since October at Norwich this weekend.

The 30-year-old Holland captain, who signed for the Reds in December 2017 for a then £75million record fee for a defender, has extended his stay until 2025.

Van Dijk has not featured in a competitive match for 10 months after a challenge by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and ended his season.

However, having completed his rehabilitation he has played in three friendlies with Sunday’s 70-minute outing against Athletic Bilbao the biggest indication yet he is ready to return.

“Unfortunately last season for me personally has been a season to forget, to learn from and take with me,” he told liverpoolfc.com.

“I feel like I am ready for the weekend, so we’ll see what the manager decides.

“It is going to be a totally different atmosphere and mindset for me personally as well.

“It is something we fight for, for the points, and hopefully we can get a positive result out of it.”

Van Dijk has been a key player since his arrival and played a big role in Jurgen Klopp’s side winning the Champions League and Premier League in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020.

He is the fourth senior player to extend his contract in the last couple of weeks after Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Alisson Becker all did the same.

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FIRMINO BRACE HELP LIVERPOOL BEAT OSASUNA IN PRESEASON FRIENDLY

A heavily rotated Liverpool side beat Osasuna 3-1 in a preseason friendly at Anfield on Monday night ahead of the start of the Premier League season.

A first-half own goal from Osasuna’s Jesus Areso gifted Liverpool an early lead before Roberto Firmino added a pair of strikes before the break to give Jurgen Klopp’s side a 3-0 lead at half-time.

Osasuna’s Kike pulled one back in the 70th minute, but the damage was done at that point as Liverpool coasted to a straightforward finish in their final tuneup of the preseason.

Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara both made their first pre-season appearances, while defender Andy Robertson missed out after revealing he had ligament damage from an injury picked up during Sunday’s friendly against Athletic Bilbao.

“Scan suggests nothing too major but there’s some ligament damage which will need to mend. I will be grafting every day so I can help the team again sooner rather than later,” the Scotland international said on Twitter.

Liverpool, who begin their Premier League campaign away to Norwich City on Aug. 14, drew 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao in a friendly on Sunday.

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LIVERPOOL’S ANDY ROBERTSON SUFFERS INJURY IN LIVERPOOL PRESEASON DRAW AT ANFIELD

Liverpool suffered an injury scare to defender Andy Robertson in their 1-1 friendly draw against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

The club’s penultimate preseason match was dampened when Robertson, 27, appeared to sustain a serious ankle injury before half-time which saw him replaced.

“We obviously don’t know in the moment how serious it is,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp told a postmatch news conference. “It was pretty painful and that’s why Andy went off.

“You probably saw it on the TV pictures better than we did, but he got the ball, the ball on the front of his foot, [and] twisted the ankle.

“The pain settled already, but we cannot say anything further without further assessment tomorrow. He has to get a scan and then we will know more.”

Liverpool went ahead in the first half through a Diogo Jota strike but the LaLiga side replied in the second half with Alex Berenguer goal to rescue a draw.

The match was played in front of Anfield at 75% capacity — the biggest crowd at the ground since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kickoff was delayed by 30 minutes after thousands of supporters queued outside to enter the stadium.

There was good news for Liverpool as Virgil van Dijk started the game and received a standing ovation when he was substituted after 71 minutes.

Van Dijk, who missed the majority of last season with an ACL injury, impressed as well as Joel Matip and Naby Keita who also spent long spells on the sidelines last term.

Liverpool take on Osasuna in their final preseason match before they begin their Premier League campaign away at Norwich City on Aug. 14. Athletic face a trip to Elche on Aug. 16 for their first league match.

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FABINHO SIGNS NEW LONG TERM CONTRACT WITH LIVERPOOL

Liverpool midfielder, Fabinho Tavares has signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool FC.

The brazilian put pen to paper on fresh terms at the Reds’ pre-season training camp in Evian on Tuesday.

“I’m delighted to have signed a new contract with the club,” Fabinho told Liverpoolfc.com. “Since the beginning of the conversation, I was really positive about it because it’s what I wanted – staying in this club, keep playing for Liverpool. Now this is official and I’m really happy.

“These last three seasons I’ve been really happy here. I learned a lot with the manager, with all the staff, with the boys as well.

“We achieved things together and for me I think it’s the best place to be, the best place to keep growing, to keep learning from the staff, from the boys. Hopefully we will keep achieving good things.”

A Brazil international who has been described as the team’s ‘lighthouse’ by assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders, Fabinho arrived at Anfield from AS Monaco in the summer of 2018.

After a period of acclimatisation, he established himself as a pillar of Jürgen Klopp’s vintage, record-breaking Liverpool side that won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Premier League across two glorious seasons.

The 27-year-old racked up 122 appearances during his first three campaigns on Merseyside and has now committed his future to the club.

He continued: “The manager and the staff are pushing us for this because they know our capacity, they know our quality.

“Personally, as I say, I want to be the best for the team, I want to be an important piece in this team – not just as a player but as a leader as well. Keep learning from the boys and the staff and be the best I can.

“We know with these players we can go really far in all the competitions. In the last year we didn’t win any trophies, so I think everyone is hungry to win more trophies, win more things, to keep our fans happy. Hopefully we will do this this season.”

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I DIDN’T FEEL LOVED AND APPRECIATED – GINI WIJNALDUM SPEAKS ON LIVERPOOL EXIT.

Georginio Wijnaldum has opened up about the reasons for his departure from Liverpool this summer and said he didn’t “feel loved and appreciated” by some at the club.

Wijnaldum, 30, joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after his contract at Anfield expired following five years with the Premier League club.

The midfielder played a key role in helping Liverpool win the 2019 Champions League as well as the club’s first ever Premier League title the following year but said he didn’t feel valued by some members.

“There was a moment when I didn’t feel loved and appreciated,” he told reporters. “Not my teammates, not the people at Melwood [training ground].

“From them I know, I can say they all love me and I love them. It was not from that side. More the other side.”

Wijnaldum was given a guard of honour in his final game at Liverpool after they claimed a 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace to secure a top four finish last season.

He was applauded by the playing and coaching staff and received a huge ovation from the Liverpool supporters but said he didn’t feel appreciated by some fans online.

“I have to say also there was social media,” he added. “When it went bad, I was the player who they blamed — that I wanted to leave. Every day in training and in the games, I gave everything I had to bring it to a good end because, during the years, Liverpool meant so much to me and because of the way the fans in the stadium were treating me.

“My feeling was that the fans in the stadium and the fans on social media were two different kinds. The fans in the stadium always supported me. Even when they came back [after the COVID-19 break], already knowing that I was going to leave, they still supported me and, in the end, they gave me a great farewell.

“On social media, if we lost, I was the one who got the blame. There was a moment when I was like: ‘Wow. If they only knew what I was doing to stay fit and play every game.’

“Other players might have said: ‘OK, I am not fit.’ You get players in their last year who are like: ‘I’m not playing because it is a risk.’ I did the opposite.”

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LIVERPOOL’S CAOIMHIN KELLEHER SIGNS NEW LONG-TERM CONTRACT, VOWS TO COMPETE WITH ALISSON BECKER

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has pledged to continue pushing first-choice Alisson Becker after signing a new contract.

The Republic of Ireland international, 22, enjoyed a landmark season, making five appearances in the Premier League and Champions League to establish himself as number two at Anfield, while also making his Republic of Ireland debut.

“For me, it was a positive moment to commit my future to the club for the next few years,” Kelleher, who had made four cup appearances in the 2019-20 campaign, told liverpoolfc.com after signing what is understood to be a five-year deal.

“It’s such a big club and it’s an honour to be a part of it, so when I got the chance to sign for a few more years I was obviously delighted. I just want to keep my progress going at the club.

“It was a big year for me in terms of playing the first-team games this year and more important games; being thrown into the Champions League and Premier League games was big for my development and being able to handle that.

“It gave me a lot of confidence to try to push on, to try to keep pushing Ali because I can play at that kind of level as well and do well.

“I am looking forward, try to keep pushing him and we’ll see what happens.”

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MO SALAH TO PUSH LIVERPOOL FOR OLYMPIC RELEASE – EGYPTIAN FA PRESIDENT

Egyptian Football Association president Ahmed Megahed claims Mohamed Salah will push Liverpool to allow him to play in the Olympics despite the club turning down their request for him to be released.

With the forward set to be on duty at the African Nations Cup in January it is understood the club are unwilling to sanction another absence – especially during such a pivotal period in pre-season.

The Olympics in Tokyo run from July 22 until August 7, a week before the start of the Premier League campaign, and Liverpool do not view it as being in their best interests to allow the 29-year-old to attend.

Under FIFA rules clubs are under no obligation to release their players for the Olympics.

Megahed said Salah would make one last appeal to be allowed to join up as one of their three over-age players allowed in the squad.

“I do not want to say that it is impossible for Salah to participate in the Olympics, but it is difficult,” he told Egyptian broadcaster ONTimeSport.

“Salah agreed to lead the Olympic team during the last camp of the Egyptian team.

“We contacted Liverpool to allow Salah to join the Olympic team, and they said they were waiting for the approval of the technical staff.

“In the end, Liverpool refused the request because they do not want to lose the player at the beginning of the season, as well as next January with the Africa Cup of Nations, which will keep him from participating in the English Premier League matches.

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PSG BEAT BARCA, BAYERN MUNICH TO SIGN GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM

Paris Saint-Germain have beaten Barcelona and Bayern Munich to the signing of Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool on a free transfer.

Wijnaldum, 30, has agreed a three-year deal with PSG after deciding to run down his contract at Anfield, which expires at the end of June.

“Signing for Paris Saint-Germain is a new challenge for me,” Wijnaldum said. “I’m joining one of the best squads in Europe and I want to bring all my desire and commitment to this ambitious project. Paris Saint-Germain have proved how good they are in recent years and I am convinced that together, with our supporters, we can go even further and higher.”

The Netherlands international had previously reached an agreement to join Barca. His agents met with the Catalan club’s president Joan Laporta at the end of May and a medical had been pencilled in.

Barca’s interest in Wijnaldum dates back to last summer, when Ronald Koeman made him a target after being appointed as the club’s coach.

However, as first reported by ESPN on Friday, PSG made a late play to hijack Barca’s move for Wijnaldum.

Sources close to the negotiations told ESPN that the Ligue 1 side were willing to double the terms agreed with Barca, while a phone call from coach Mauricio Pochettino also helped persuade Wijnaldum to change his mind.

Bayern Munich also held talks with Wijnaldum, who informed the German club and Barca last weekend that he had decided to sign for PSG.

The midfielder becomes PSG’s first signing of the summer as they look to strengthen after missing out on the league title to Lille and a semifinal Champions League exit to Manchester City.

Wijnaldum, who is preparing for the European Championship with Netherlands, played for Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven before making the move to England with Newcastle United in 2016 for around €15 million.

After Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League a year later, he joined Liverpool on a five-year deal for a fee of €25m.

He helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2019, famously scoring twice in the semifinal win over Barca, and was part of the side which won the Premier League a year later.

During his five-year stay at Anfield, he also won the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

In total, he made 237 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 22 goals.