sweet
Money talks
sweet
Money talks
Double egg nog for ole in the morning.
Tuchel to take over from Pep.
He's living a bit of a charmed life, with an unquestioned contract renewal in the midst of a highly underwhelming season.
I guess a spend of about 500 million between now and the start of 2021/2 season will leave them in a reasonably strong position though.
Until Brian Kidd comes in as caretaker next November.
When the fuck did the latest greaseball to run the corrupt entity that is FIFA decide he should be called "His Excellency"! He needs a good fucking slap!
Football Is Beacon Of Hope And Harbinger Of Peace, Says FIFA Chief At Dubai International Sports Conference | Scoop NewsFIFA President, His Excellency Gianni Infantino has described football as a beacon of hope and a harbinger of peace, unity and solidarity as the world recovers from the disruption and desolation caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
Watched by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, His Excellency Infantino made the point in his keynote address, titled “Message from the Summit”, at the Dubai International Sports Conference, which took place on Sunday evening at the Armani Hotel with the majestic Burj Khalifa forming the backdrop.
Swift transfer out of reach on the cards?
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/08/f...d=sportstickerFrench striker Karim Benzema is set to face trial for his alleged involvement in a scheme to blackmail his former teammate Mathieu Valbuena in 2015, the prosecutor of the Versailles Tribunal confirmed to CNN.
The case relates to the existence of a sex tape which features Valbuena. Benzema is accused of pressuring Valbuena, who played alongside the Real Madrid star on the French national team, to pay blackmailers to prevent the video from becoming public.
Benzema must answer the charge of "complicity in attempted blackmail," according to the prosecutor.
Four other men, who were not named, were implicated in the case for attempted blackmail, the prosecutor told CNN. One also faces an additional breach of trust charge.
When the investigation first started, Benzema, who was suspended by the French national team as a result, denied the allegations. He could face up to five years in prison if found guilty.
Your club being 1 billion euros + in debt, and the rozzers raiding your stadium to arrest the ex-president + three other club officials isn't really a good sign.
Barcelona arrests: Ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu among four officials detained in connection with 'Barcagate'
Police entered Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium on Monday in a search and seize operation; police say a number of arrests were made.
Former president Josep Maria Bartomeu was among four ex-Barcelona officials arrested on Monday, as the club's Nou Camp offices were also raided by Catalan police.
Current chief executive Oscar Grau, director of legal services Gomez Ponti, and advisor to the president Jaume Masferrer were the other three detained by Mossos d'Esquadra, the force confirmed to Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
Bartomeu will spend the night in the Les Corts police station, as will Masferrer, but Grau and Ponti were reportedly not detained.
Barcelona arrests: Ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu among four officials detained in connection with '''Barcagate''' | Football News | Sky Sports
Bloody hell, who would have thought he would outlive Greavsie?
It's a funny old game.
Ian St John dead: Liverpool legend dies at the age of 82 - The Athletic
Saint and Greavsie, now there's a childhood memory!
Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky.
Of course I mean who would have thought Greavsie would outlive him. Doh.
I remember Greavsie being on the panel at an FA Cup final, absolutely pissed out of his gourd.
When they were touted for an after dinner speaking tour back in the day, Greavsie's agent would ask if there was alcohol involved and pull him if there was. St. John did a lot of solo engagements....
Good grief it looks like some sense has broken out in football, lets hope they sort out the VAR fiasco whilst they are in the mood.
Handball rule changed as football's law makers Ifab confirms new accidental ruling
Accidental handball that leads to a goal-scoring chance or a goal for a team-mate will no longer be penalised, say football's law makers.
Ifab confirmed the change on Friday, saying it was because of the "interpretation of handball incidents" not being applied consistently.
Fulham lost to Tottenham as Josh Maja was denied a goal as Davinson Sanchez's clearance flew into Mario Lemina's arm.
Ifab is also looking a possible change to the law regarding offsides.
Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has proposed that a player should be considered onside if any part of their body that can legally score a goal is level with the second-last defender.
Fifa will also continue to test semi-automated technology to detect offside, whereby a signal is sent to the assistant referee almost instantly.
When will the handball rule change be introduced?
The change to the handball rule is likely to be introduced in England from 1 July.
It will remain a handball offence if a player scores accidentally with their hand or arm, or uses their hand or arm directly before scoring.
The International Football Association Board had tightened handball laws for the start of the 2020-21 season.
However, a spate of handball decisions led to fierce criticism across the game and saw English top-flight referees ordered to be less strict about their interpretations of the law.
Premier League officials were told to particularly focus on the distance an offending player is from the ball and whether he has extended his arm outside the natural body line.
Offside clarification and a rule-change trial
Ifab clarified its interpretation of the offside law, saying the definition for handball, whereby the arm ends at the bottom of the armpit, must be used when judging whether a player is offside or not.
Chelsea's Timo Werner was denied a goal against Liverpool on Thursday night when VAR ruled the position of his arm made him offside in the build-up.
Meanwhile, Wenger's proposed change to the offside law is set to be trialled in lower-league Chinese football and, if successful, could then be trialled in England, Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said.
"There are people who think it may lead to a more defensive game and others who think it would mean a more exciting game," Bullingham told BBC Sport. "Let's do the trial and find out."
more here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56291850
The striking of that Fulham goal was nothing short of a disgrace.
If they'd left that rule as it is, all you would have is forwards chipping the balls at players in the box trying to get a penalty, or defenders trying to get a free kick.
They really have made a fucking joke of the laws at the moment.
Thank fuck Wenger is now there to apply some common sense.
Its a universal truism that you set up a governing body and its staffed with career idiots largely unsuccessful in their chosen field who feel the need to keep fuking around and tinkering to justify their own existence, look at the EU and their federalists et al. FIFA and UEFA are a disgrace, in fact any institution based in a country that cosied up to and was money grabbing off the Nazis should not be trusted.
Oh, I stand corrected, who can argue with all that experience?
Bullingham, who is a qualified coach and has managed an under-9 girls' and an under-11 boys' team for the last four years, is said to have been key to brokering new sponsorship and broadcast deals for the FA and Wembley.
^ Precisely, and strangely football seems to actively encourage these failures into positions of power, its almost like they think having little to do with the sport you govern encourages "left field thinking".
Bayern 4-2 Dortmund yesterday
Got it on the telly at the moment. Good game good game good game.
Real V Barca! Barca! BaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrCA! now.
Come on the mighty shrimps. Grudge match on today.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57224523
Newport boss Mike Flynn says his side will not be distracted by Kevin Ellison's issues with Morecambe manager Derek Adams when they face each other in Monday's League Two play-off final.
Ellison, 42, was released by Morecambe and earlier this season celebrated vigorously in front of Adams after scoring against his former employers.
The veteran also scored at Forest Green to help the Exiles reach Wembley.
"For me it is not the Derek Adams and Kevin Ellison show," Flynn said.
Ellison, who played for Morecambe from 2011 to 2020, said after scoring that goal that he "doesn't like" Adams, who he believes showed him "disrespect".
However, Flynn - who led Newport to the League Two play-off final in 2019 but saw his side beaten 1-0 by Tranmere Rovers - says there can be no distractions because of the Ellison situation.
"Derek Adams is somebody I've got a lot of respect for and I just think there was a bit of emotion coming out from Kevin," Flynn said.
"He'd had a nine-year stint there, which is a phenomenal stay at any club, but it's done now."
Ellison's inclusion is a key selection quandary for Newport boss Flynn, whose side collapsed at Forest Green as their 2-0 first leg advantage was wiped out, before Ellison sparked a comeback in a dramatic second leg at the New Lawn.
Ellison's stunning goal helped the Exiles to Wembley with a 5-4 aggregate win and it seems inevitable the veteran will feature at some point.
'I am in their heads'
Ellison, who scored six goals for Morecambe against Newport, says he hopes the focus being on him will allow Newport's players to relax at Wembley.
"I am glad what happened early in the season at the Mazuma, where I got my little bit of payback and my emotions out," Ellison said.
"For me now I am going into this game concentrating on Newport v Morecambe, it's not me versus whoever.
"I think some people will look at it as Kevin Ellison playing Morecambe and he has had this with their gaffer.
"I think I am in Morecambe's heads. I think me being in the Newport dressing room takes pressure off the other lads in our team too.
"The media will make it about me versus them and I am happy with that, it'll help the other lads. I will take that pressure."
Adams, on the other hand, was keen to focus more on the impact that his squad have had this season when asked whether media coverage of his relationship with Ellison is a distraction.
Morecambe could play third-tier football for the first time in their history should they beat Newport in Monday's final.
"For this football club, I think it's really important that we move on from years gone by. People said we were little old Morecambe and we're trying to change that scope on it," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"We've been spoken about in the media in great light this year because of the way we play.
"It's testament to the players and squad we have here that we have a Morecambe side that are
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