34-year old Serie A star, Cristiano Ronaldo, has been charged with improper conduct after his crotch grabbing celebration in front of the Atlético Madrid fans last Tuesday during the second leg of their Champions League clash.
This ‘inappropriate’ celebration was in imitation of Diego Simeone’s, which he showed to the fans during the first leg Champions League match back in February.
The Atlético Madrid manager claims the celebration was to appreciate the “balls” shown by his players in their 2-0 victory over Juventus as well as his ability to make tough decisions when it comes to making selections. He was fined £17,000 and escaped a touchline ban.
Ronaldo’s case is going to be dealt with at the next meeting of the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on March 21.
Juventus will play Ajax in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Amsterdam on April 10.
The Juventus star may miss that match so it’s fingers crossed for him right now.
Yesterday was an impactful day in football history, what with Arsenal ending Manchester United’s 12 game unbeaten run with a 2-0 defeat at the North London Emirates Stadium. But that isn’t all that went down yesterday.
The game of football is a well known contact sport and those who cross the red line of friendly tackles get warned, booked or even sent off. So that’s the players taken care of. But what about when it’s the fans?
There has been an increasing amount of racist behavior and violence on the part of fans. It has now gotten so serious that players actually fear for their lives.
Raheem Sterling has previously complained about the racist taunts from a Chelsea fan during a game this season, and even the way he is represented in the media, that is, with a strong racist undertone. A Tottenham supporter even threw a banana at Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling taunted by Chelsea fans. Credit: Sky SportsArsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has a banana skin thrown at him by Tottenham fans. Credit: Getty Images
Now things have gotten even more serious. Yesterday evening, during Arsenal’s match against Manchester United, a fan of the North London club ran on the pitch and shoved United defender Chris Smalling before running with his arms wide open towards the Arsenal players. Smalling was unharmed and the man was arrested, but it does not detract from the gravity of the situation.
Where were the match stewards? Surely they should have expected this to happen during a match between two club’s with a long history of rivalry.
An Arsenal spokesperson said: “We utterly condemn the behaviour of the individual who ran on to the pitch and approached Chris Smalling during today’s match.
“We would like to apologise to Chris and Manchester United, and are pleased that [the spectator] was apprehended and arrested. We will be working closely with the Metropolitan Police in their investigation.
“The individual will also be banned from Arsenal matches home and away. Our matchday staff receive ongoing training on managing incidents such as this.”
Shortly after the match, a statement from the Metropolitan Police said: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of common assault and pitch invasion following an incident during the Arsenal v Man Utd game at the Emirates Stadium today.
“He is currently in custody at a north London police station.”
Arsenal boss Unai Emery said the incident was something he “did not want” to see and called on all fans to show “respect”.
Now, this incident came only hours after a more serious one, also on the pitch.
During Aston Villa’s derby match against Birmingham earlier yesterday, Jack Grealish, an Aston Villa midfielder was assaulted by a Birmingham fan just 9 minutes into the game. The man, who has been identified as 27-year-old Paul Mitchell, evaded the match stewards, ran on to the pitch, and punched Grealish from behind, knocking him to the ground.
He was quite calm about the whole thing, although both Aston Villa and Birmingham City players went after him.
Grealish went on to score the game’s only goal in his side’s 1-0 victory and said there was “no place” in football for the type of incident he had to endure.
“I was walking into position and then just felt a whack around the side of the face. Obviously, there’s rivalry and stuff in football, but I don’t think there’s any place for that.”- Jack Grealish, Aston Villa Midfielder.
Birmingham now face the threat of a stadium closure or even a points deduction as the FA began an inquiry into this unprecedented incident in English football.
The club have apologised to Grealish and pledged to ban the supporter for life.
Some supporters in the Tilton End actually applauded Mitchell as he was escorted from the field by stewards before being immediately arrested by West Midlands Police.
Ashley Young, the United and England defender, says players could be “in danger” and has called for change.
“It is the third time that a fan has managed to get on the pitch,” he said. “What if they are carrying something? The players will be in danger. It is definitely something that the FA, Premier League and Fifa [need to look at]. It has to be done. Maybe extra stewarding. It is a concern with the one earlier today [Grealish] and the one on Chrissy [Smalling]. Something has to be done.”
The ‘third time’ refers to is Friday’s incident. On the 8th of March, Rangers captain James Tavernier was confronted by a 21 year old man at Easter Road.The man attempted to kick the ball away from Tavernier as he moved to pick it up to take a throw in.
Police lead James Tavernier away from the scene with the fan.
The two then laid hands on each other before the fan was led away by police. The man attempted to kick the ball away from Tavernier as he moved to pick it up to take a throw in. The two then laid hands on each other before the fan was led away by police.
Hibernian chief executive Leeann Dempster said that “nothing is off the table” after Rangers captain James Tavernier was confronted by a man at Easter Road. She added that the man will be banned and that she will personally apologies to Tavernier.
This incident also comes six days after Celtic’s Scott Sinclair was almost hit by a glass bottle thrown by a Hibernian supporter last week.
The game’s referee picks up the bottle thrown at a player.
It’s happening in the Premier League and in the Scottish League and it’s happening all over the world. Football has gone beyond being a friendly game with no more than a few altercations between players or even fights at bars, pubs and viewing centers. Now the fans are getting bolder and much more vocal and physical, what with the media and all.
These incidents take the word ‘fanatic’ to a whole different level.
The first leg begins tomorrow and the fixtures promise to be very interesting:
Manchester United vs Paris Saint-Germain
Tuesday, February 12
21:00
Manchester United have won their last 10 games and drawn only one since caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær took over, the latest being the away 0-3 win over Fulham on Saturday.
Paris Saint-Germain won their last game but Edison Cavani limped off the pitch and Neymar remains injured. They have won 9 games and lost two of their recent fixtures.
Roma vs Porto
Tuesday, February 12
21:00
Roma have drawn 2, lost 2 games and won 7, the most recent win being Friday’s 3-0 win against Chievo.
Porto have won 6 and drawn four of their recent games and as a result, remain unbeaten in 26 competitive games.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Borussia Dortmund
Wednesday, February 13
21:00
Tottenham beat Leicester on Sunday by 3 goals to 1, where Heung-Min Son scored his tenth goal in eleven games. This brought their wins to 7 and their losses to 3.
Borussia Dortmund sit in the top position on the Bundesliga table and remain unbeaten at home. However, they let their 3-0 lead slip on Saturday and now have 6 wins, 3 draws and have lost 1 game.
Ajax vs Real Madrid
Wednesday, February 13
21:00
Ajax had been constant scorers until Saturday’s loss to Heracles. They have now won 5 games, lost 2 and drawn 3 of their 10 recent fixtures.
Real Madrid beat Atlético Madrid 3-1 in the Madrid Derby on Saturday and have come out victorious in 19 of their 25 games under Santiago Solari.
Liverpool vs Bayern München
Tuesday, February 19
21:00
Liverpool had a 7 point lead in the Premier League at the beginning of the year, but back to back draws have seen them slip into second place. They have won 6 games, lost 2 and drawn 2 of their last 10 games.
Bayern München were able to cut Dortmund’s lead to only 5 points after beating Schalke 3-1. This win brought their winning tally to 8 while they have lost only 1 and drawn only 1 game in their last 10 games.
Lyon vs Barcelona
Tuesday, February 19
21:00
Lyon have won 6 of their last 10 matches. They were even able to end PSG’s unbeaten run. Their 5-match winning streak ended after Sunday’s loss to Nice bringing their losses to 2.
Barcelona have won 5 of their 10 recent games and lost 2, while drawing in 3. Their inability to find the net at Athletic Club on Sunday ended their scoring run.
Atlético Madrid vs Juventus
Wednesday, February 20
21:00
Atlético Madrid have now been beaten twice in a row, their most recent loss being the 3-1 Derby score against Real Madrid.
Juventus have won 7 of their last 10 games and got their first win in 3 outings against Sassuolo.
Schalke vs Manchester City
Wednesday, February 20
21:00
Schalke now have 19 games played without a win against Bayern München, since 2 March, 2011. They have won 4, drawn 2 and lost 4 of their last 10 games.
Manchester City have won 9 of their last 10 games and have only lost 1. In their most recent game, Sergio Agüero equalled Alan Shearer’s record of 11 hat tricks in a single season when they beat Chelsea 6-0 on Sunday.
On Sunday, a body was found still strapped in a seat of the submerged Piper Malibu aircraft carrying Cardiff City striker, Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson.
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) had confirmed on Wednesday that an unidentified body had been passed to the Dorset Coroner, having been recovered from the submerged plane. The body was identified to be that of 28 year old Argentinian footballer, Emiliano Sala on Thursday night.
The small aircraft went missing on January 21, leading to an intensive three-day search for the plane and it’s passengers.
An initial search and rescue effort was called off by Guernsey Police after three days on January 24.
Guernsey harbourmaster Captain David Barker said their chances of survival were “extremely remote”, but Sala’s family called to fund a private search operation. A number of high-profile football figures and members of the public answered the family’s calls.
On 30 January 2019, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch reported that they had found two seat cushions, which had washed up on a French beach, that were believed to be from the missing aircraft. This gave new fire to the investigation and a flicker of hope among fans and family that the two men might just be alive.
The plane was located on the seabed off Guernsey on Sunday using a remotely operated vehicle, during which time a body was found amid what remained of the light aircraft.
The submerged Piper PA-46 Malibu in which Sala’s body was found.
A recovery operation was then launched following consultation with the families of Sala and Ibbotson, and the police.
As fears were realised and the truth began to finally sink in, the football world came together in grief and to pay their respects. Floral tributes continue to be laid outside both the Nantes and Cardiff City stadiums and candlelight vigils are held in respect.
Flower tributes for Emiliano Sala at Cardiff City’s Stadium, Wales.Sala tribute at the Stade de la Beaujoire – Louis Fonteneau in Nantes, France.
Now investigators will begin to look into the reason for the aircraft’s crash and the missing pilot, David Ibbotson.
Nantes is also calling for Cardiff City to pay the transfer fee of £15 million (€18 million) which Cardiff says they will still pay.
Emiliano Sala. An Argentinian football player who has definitely been in center stage in the football world.
The 28 year old was bought by Premier League side Cardiff City for a club record fee of £15 million (€18 million) in January 2019 from Ligue 1 team Nantes but has been missing for nine days now.
On 30 January 2019, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch reported that they had found two seat cushions, which had washed up on a French beach, that were believed to be from the missing aircraft. This gives new fire to the investigation.
Sala returned to Nantes after completing his medical in Cardiff to say goodbye to his former teammates and to get a few belongings. He was to return to Cardiff on 21 January to attend his first training session with his new club the next morning.
Sala with his Nantes teammates before leaving for Cardiff.
On 21 January, the aircraft he was on, a Piper PA-46 Malibu, went missing off Alderney. He was the only passenger in the plane with 59 year old pilot David Ibbotson.
The aircraft’s pilot David Ibbotson requested permission to descend before losing contact with air traffic control completely, having taken off initially from Nantes airport.
This was the same aircraft, which he had travelled to Nantes in two days earlier and had been arranged by football agent Mark McKay.
On 23 January 2019, Channel Islands Air Search said there was “no hope” of finding any survivors in the water, because of the rough waves, strong current and low water temperature.
An audio message allegedly sent by Sala to his friends throughWhatsAppfrom the plane was released by Argentine media outletOlé, in which he can be heard telling them:
“Hello, my brothers, how are you? Boy, I’m tired. I was here in Nantes taking care of things, things, things, things, things, things, and it never stops, it never stops, it never stops. Anyway guys, I’m up in this plane that feels like it’s falling to pieces, and I’m going to Cardiff. [It’s] crazy, we start tomorrow. Training in the afternoon, guys, in my new team… Let’s see what happens. So, how’s it going with you guys, all good? If in an hour and a half you have no news from me, I don’t know if they are going to send someone to look for me because they cannot find me, but you will know… Dad, I’m scared!”
On 24 January 2019, at 15:15GMT, after a “very thorough and extensive search” including 80 hours of combined searching undertaken by three planes, five helicopters and two lifeboats, GuernseyPolice announced that they had called off the search for the plane or survivors.
This decision led to people all over thw world asking for the search to continue, which included numerous other footballers, including fellow Argentine playersLionel Messi,Gonzalo Higuaín,Sergio Agüeroand former playerDiego Maradona, Premier League and Ligue 1 players, managers and fans and of course Emiliano Sala’s family.
The president of Argentina,Mauricio Macri, stated his intention to issue a formal request to the British and French governments for the search to resume.
An online petition for the search to continue amassed over 65,000 signatures and Sala’s family later announced their intention to fund a private search.Over £280,000 has been raised for a private search onGoFundMe started by Sports Cover,a sports agency that represents Sala.The funds enabled the search to resume on 26 January, with two boats being launched, led by marine scientistDavid Mearns.
On 28 January, plans were announced for an underwater search to begin “within a week”, depending on weather conditions, by using an unmannedremotely operated underwater vehicle(ROV) to search an area of seabed north ofHurd’s Deep.
On 29 January, Cardiff City included Sala on the team sheet for their game against Arsenal, with adaffodil next to his name in place of a squad number.
On 30 January 2019, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch reported that they had found two seat cushions, which had washed up on a French beach, that were believed to be from the missing aircraft.
The 26 year old Brazilian suffered an injury to his fifth metatarsal in his right foot while playing against Strasbourg in the Coupe de France round of 16 match on 23 January.
The Ligue 1 champions, Paris Saint-Germain, announced the world’s most expensive player had suffered a “painful recurrence” of the injury he sustained to his right foot last season after he limped out of this week’s 2-0 win over Strasbourg in the Coupe de France.
He recieved a thorough examination at Paris Saint-Germain’s training ground on Tuesday and it has been announced that he will miss both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United through injury.
Neymar has been ruled out of action for 10 weeks, which will see him miss a crucial number of successive fixtures like the two games against English side, Manchester United, not playing in either PSG’s trip to Old Trafford on February 12, nor in the return leg at Parc des Princes on March 3.
According to head coach Thomas Tuchel, it would be ‘extremely difficult’ for Neymar to recover in time to face United and he has unfortunately been proven right.
Neymar will now miss a number of important domestic matches as well, including the trip to Lyon this Saturday and another away clash against Saint Etienne on February 17.
His return date is not yet known but depending on the way the recovery goes, he might also have to stay on the bench during the Champions League quarter-finals if PSG beat Manchester United.
Today marked a complete turnaround in the performance of Manchester United, a foremost English Premier League club.
Former manager José Mourinho had been in charge for about two and a half years before his not so unexpected sack four days ago on Tuesday, December 18. His stay at the club had been turbulent to say the least, with rumours that he had completely lost club support as well as the support of his players near the end of his time at the club.
So it really did not come as much of a surprise, not just to Manchester United fans but to the football world, when the club released an official statement regarding José Mourinho’s sack.
What did come as a surprise, however, was the person appointed as the interim manager. The person in question? Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær spent most of his career playing for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson from 1996 till 2007. Nicknamed “The Baby-faced Assassin”, he played 366 times for United, and scored 126 goals during a successful period for the club.
He has worked his magic again tonight, giving Manchester United their most prolific start in the Premier League since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Red Devils have had to endure a prolonged and greatly humbling fall from grace as football royalty since the iconic Sir Alex retired in 2013.
David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and José Mourinho have now joined the list of sacked United bosses with Solskjær joining Ryan Giggs in the ranks of caretaker managers who coincidentally also played under Scottish United royalty, Sir Alex.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær gave the team a dream start, with the club scoring five goals away from home after suffering defeat in similar situations under José Mourinho.
Marcus Rashford opened scoring in the third minute, with United surprising their fans with fast-paced, aggressive play, with Paul Pogba playing an important part in the goals scored and chances created. Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, who bagged a brace, also scored against the South Wales team, Cardiff.
True, Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjær still have plenty of work to do if they want to salvage their season and the club’s reputation, but this is a wonderful start.
United is still sixth in the Premier League table for now, however the fans look to the future with hope, optimism and positivity.
An eight-point gap still lies between them and a top four spot, but that challenge now looks not as daunting as it did just last weekend.
The Reds hosted Arsenal yesterday, Saturday December 29th at their home, Anfield Stadium.
For a team that traveled about 177 miles (285 kilometers) to play an extremely anticipated match, the Gunners definitely got a surprise.
Liverpool have certainly been in extremely good form recently, winning matches in no simple fashion. With 20 games, 17 wins, three draws, eight goals conceded, 48 scored, 54 points, Liverpool is currently standing 9 points clear from their closest title contenders, Tottenham Hotspur.
This, in terms of points per game, is the best calendar year in the club’s history; 88 points from 37 league matches. However, manager Jürgen Klopp believes they have not even begun to show their amazing abilities.
Their quick, attack-focused style of play is enough to intimidate any team; including the prestigious ‘Top Six” teams.
With their dominating style of play so evident in a recent match against close neighbours, Manchester United, the fixture against Arsenal promised to be an interesting one.
However, Arsenal have not been doing badly either. With 20 matches played, 11 wins, 5 draws, 30 goals conceded, 42 goals scored and 38 points, they currently sit in 5th position on the table; and 16 points away from Liverpool.
Arsenal scored the first goal of the game, with youngster Ainsely Maitland-Niles scoring in the 11th minute. Liverpool did not stay behind for long though, as Roberto Firmino scored a goal in the 14th and then 16th minute. Sadio Mané scored in the 32nd minute, followed by Mohammed Salah’s penalty at halftime. The Brazilian number 9 scored a penalty sealing the fate of the Gunners.
Roberto Firmino became the third Brazilian to score three goals in a single Premier League game behind Afonso Alves and Robinho. This was also the first match this season when all Liverpool’s front three (Firmino No.9, Mané No. 10 and Salah No. 11) scored goals.
This is the sort of title race fans like to see. Its definitely no fun when just one team dominates a league, so when you see strong teams like Manchester City stumbling and fumbling, newcomers and underdogs like the Wolverhampton Wanderers winning a match against second-placed Tottenham Hotspur and ones like Manchester United undergoing serious renovation, everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what will happen next.
Well, Liverpool goes into the new year top of the table and if they are able to beat Manchester City in their next game, they will definitely have an easier ride for the rest of the season.
Team Player 90 