Page 38 - Football

EPL: Liverpool is exhausted, injury-hit and relying heavily on youngsters

Exhausted, injury-hit and relying on a bunch of academy prospects, Liverpool continues to pull off victories in the business end of Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge. No English Premier League win by the Reds has been sealed as late as the one at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez came off the bench and glanced home a header in the ninth minute of stoppage time to sink Forest 1-0 and move Liverpool four points clear. It was a sixth straight win in all competitions for Liverpool and a fourth in an 11-day span that included an extra-time victory over Chelsea in the English League Cup final. "If you'd told me 12 days ago we would win all four games, I would have said no chance it was impossible," said Klopp, who will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after nearly nine years. "In the circumstances, winning the games is ridiculous." Second-placed Manchester City will look to restore the gap to Liverpool to one point by beating Manchester Unit

Messi now has 500 million followers on Instagram; check who is ahead of him

Argentina footballer, Lionel Messi, now has more than 500 million followers on Instagram. He is only behind his arch rival Cristiano Ronaldo

Dani Alves sentenced to four and a half years in prison for sexual assault

Soccer star Dani Alves was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman and sentenced to four years, six months in prison by a Barcelona court on Thursday. The ruling by the three-judge panel followed a three-day trial this month. Alves was summoned to the courthouse to receive the verdict and sentence. The victim's lawyer, Ester Garca, said this week that she and her client would not be present. The ruling considered it proven that the victim did not consent to sex and there was evidence, in addition to the defendant's testimony, that she had been raped. The court also imposed 150,000 euros ($162,000) in compensation for the victim and payment of costs by Alves. Once it concluded his sentence, the court ordered that Alves, aged 40, be monitored for five years and have no communication with or go near the victim. The court found Alves sexually assaulted his victim early in the morning of Dec. 31, 2022, when she said he raped her in a bathroom of an upscale Barcelona nightclub. Sta

Tuchel to leave Bayern Munich after threee straight losses this season

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the season after a run of three straight losses raised the prospect of the club's first season without a trophy in 12 years. Bayern said the decision was made after Tuchel spoke with chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen. Tuchel's contract was due to run through the end of the 2024-25 season. In a good, open discussion, we came to the decision to end our working relationship by mutual agreement in the summer," Dreesen said in a club statement. Our goal is to pursue a new footballing direction with a new head coach for the 2024-25 season. Dreesen also pledged to hold the team accountable for performances through to the end of the season. There was no word from the club on a possible successor. Tuchel said in the statement that I will of course continue to do everything I can with my coaching staff to achieve maximum success until he leaves the club. Bayern's next game is Saturday at home to Leipzig with a squad hea

Manisha helps India women earn historic first win over european nation

The Indian football team withstood a late charge by Estonia to pick up a hard-fought 4-3 win in the Turkish Women's Cup on Wednesday, the side's first victory against an European nation. Striker Manisha Kalyan scored a brace and the Chaoba Devi-coached side created a piece of history as the Indian senior women's team had never before triumphed over a team from the UEFA confederation in an official outing. The teams were locked 1-1 at half time. Manisha struck in the 17th and 81st minutes while Indumathi Kathiresan (62'), and Pyari Xaxa (79') scored the other goals for India. Lisette Tammik (32'), Vlada Kubassova (88') and Mari Liis Lillemae (90') found the target for Estonia. Played at the picturesque Gold City Sports Complex, the Blue Tigresses made a perfect start when they shot into the lead through a Manisha goal. After Estonia drew level off a strike by Lisette Tammik, a rampaging India struck thrice through Indumathi, Xaxa and Manisha to take a commanding 4-1 lead. Just as

Messi gets an assist, Inter Miami win MLS season opener vs Real Salt Lake

Lionel Messi had two Real Salt Lake defenders on either side of him, two more a few yards in front of him. He quickly tapped the ball away from them all with his left foot, to a spot where only teammate Robert Taylor could reach. Moments later, Inter Miami had the first goal of the Major League Soccer season. Taylor's goal in the 39th minute set the tone, Diego Gmez added an insurance score in the 83rd minute and Inter Miami to start Messi's first full season with the club opened the 29th season of MLS with a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night. Messi was in midseason form, darting through and around defenders, almost giving the sellout crowd what they wanted to see by nearly scoring on a free kick and then a corner kick midway through the first half. I think the eyes of the world are on Inter Miami, and I'm hoping that they're able to deliver on that and whatever expectations people have, said MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who was at Wednesday's match. Mostly, I'd just

AIFF to investigate fixing allegations in a suspicious Delhi match

After betting and match-fixing allegations emerged in the Delhi Premier League, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday launched an investigation across various cities of the country to get to the root of this menace with the help of government agencies. Suspicions of betting and match-fixing came to light in a Delhi league match on Monday when Ahbab FC, who were winning 4-0, conceded two dubious-looking own goals late in the match against Rangers FC. Ahbab FC won the match 4-2. The video footage of the two own goals went viral, leading to the AIFF summoning Football Delhi chief Anuj Gupta on Tuesday to seek details of the suspicious match and serving him notice. AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey said he would approach Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to undertake investigation and get to the root of the betting syndicate. "Our investigation will not be limited to Delhi. We have reasons to believe through evidences, such practice in other cities too, and will form a wider netwo

I League: Manipur clubs Neroca, Trau want to play Aizawl at neutral venue

Imphal-based NEROCA FC and TRAU FC's request to shift their I-League away matches against Aizawl FC to a neutral venue has been referred to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey. The decision was taken on Tuesday during a virtual meeting of the AIFF League Committee, chaired by Lalnghinglova Hmar. "The issue of Imphal-based clubs, NEROCA FC and TRAU FC's request to shift their respective away matches against Aizawl FC to a neutral venue, was referred to the AIFF President and Acting Secretary General (M Satyanarayan)," the AIFF said in a release. "...the Committee Chairperson requested the two office bearers (Chaubey and Satyanarayan) to initiate dialogues between the three clubs to ensure that the matches are held in a safe and secure environment." The ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur has ramifications in Mizoram. Hundreds of people of a particular ethnic group displaced from Manipur have taken shelter in Mizoram. The League Committee also deliberate

Jota out for months, confirms Klopp; Liverpool's injury crisis deepens

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota will be missing for months because of injury, manager Jurgen Klopp said on Tuesday. The Portugal international hurt his right knee in the first half of Liverpool's 4-1 win at Brentford in the English Premier League on Saturday. We have Diogo with a knee issue ruled out it will obviously take months, Klopp said ahead of Liverpool's home match against Luton on Wednesday. The injury potentially threatens Jota's involvement in the European Championship in Germany starting in June. Liverpool's injury crisis has deepened, with nine senior players unavailable heading into a key period of the season that includes the English League Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday. Klopp didn't give a return date for injured pair Curtis Jones or Alisson Becker and he described Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai as longer term problems. Striker Darwin Nunez was replaced at halftime against Brentford as a precaution.

EPL: Haaland comes to Man City's rescue in 1-0 win over Brentford

Erling Haaland added Brentford to his list of Premier League conquests when he came to Manchester City's rescue with a 71st-minute goal to clinch a 1-0 win Tuesday. It looked like City would be dropping points in a tight title race for the second time in four days after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea only for Haaland to finally get some space behind Brentford's defense in a counterattack. Julian Alvarez played the ball forward, Haaland collected it and raced past center back Kristoffer Ajer, who lost his footing. One on one with Mark Flekken, Haaland took his shot early and placed a low finish to the Dutch goalkeeper's right for his league-leading 17th goal of the campaign. Of the 21 teams Haaland has faced since arriving in the Premier League last season, Brentford was the only one he'd failed to score against. Not anymore. He's the best in the world," said Oscar Bobb, Haaland's City and Norway teammate who made his first Premier League start on Tuesday. The narrow and nervy win move

FIFA Rankings: India drops 15 places to 117th, worst in seven years

The Indian football team on Thursday dropped 15 places to 117th in the FIFA rankings, the worst in seven years, after the recent debacle in the AFC Asian Cup, where it lost all its three group matches. This was India's worst ranking after it was placed at 129th spot in January 2017 chart. The historical worst ranking, though, was 173 in 2015. The Indian team was placed at 102nd in the last FIFA rankings, issued on December 21, 2023. India also lost 35.63 rating points from the previous total. It now lies in between Togo (116th) and Guinea-Bissau (118th). The country is ranked 22nd among the Asian nations. India, under Igor Stimac, ended their Asian Cup campaign in January pointless and goal-less after losing to Australia (0-2), Uzbekistan (0-3) and Syria (0-1). It finished at the bottom of the four-team Group B. The main movers were the countries of Asia and Africa as they had their continental championships during this period. There was no change in the top-10 with world champion

Argentina friendly in mainland China cancelled over Messi's absence in HK

An Argentina soccer friendly in China next month was cancelled on Friday in more fallout from Lionel Messi failing to play in a club exhibition match in Hong Kong. World Cup champion Argentina, captained by Messi, last month scheduled a tour of China during the international break from March 18-26. Games were lined up against Nigeria in Hangzhou and Ivory Coast in Beijing. Both opponents are coincidentally meeting in the Africa Cup of Nations final this weekend. But Messi, on tour with his Inter Miami club, outraged fans in Hong Kong when he didn't play against a local selection last Sunday and remained on the bench. Messi said he had a groin injury. But his excuse didn't wash in Hong Kong after he played for 30 minutes on Wednesday in Tokyo against Vissel Kobe. On Friday, the sports bureau in Hangzhou canceled the Argentina-Nigeria friendly. "Because of the reasons known to all, we've learned from supervising authorities that the conditions are immature for the match to go forwa

Organizers offer refunds as fans get angry over Messi's absence in HK

The organizer of a much-hyped soccer match that intended to showcase Lionel Messi in Hong Kong said Friday it would offer a partial refund following days of backlash from angry fans and the government over the absence of the World Cup winner. The grievances from Hong Kong fans stemming from Messi staying on the bench for the full 90 minutes in the game against a local team due to a groin injury earlier this week has spread to mainland China after the Argentina star put in a 30-minute game appearance in Tokyo in Inter Miami's latest exhibition match in Asia on Wednesday. Over the past two days, many social media users in mainland China expressed their disappointment over Messi's no-show, with China's state-run newspaper, the Global Times, publishing an editorial that said the impact of the controversy surrounding the football star has far exceeded the realm of sports. In an Instagram post on Friday, local organizer Tatler Asia apologized to those who were disappointed by the match an

Man Utd's Harry Maguire's appeal in Greek court postponed due to strike

The appeals trial of Manchester United defender Harry Maguire over a nightclub brawl on the Greek island of Mykonos has been postponed for a year because of a lawyers' strike, court officials told The Associated Press. The 30-year-old England international is appealing a 21-month suspended sentence following the incident in 2020. His case was due to be heard on Wednesday at a court on the island of Syros, the region's administrative capital. Yannis Paradeisis, a Syros lawyer assisting with the prosecution and representing four police officers allegedly assaulted in the brawl, said a new trial date was set for March 12, 2025. "The hearing has been postponed. It's because of the lawyers' strikes that have been occurring over the last few months," Paradeisis told the AP. Lawyers and other Greek self-employed professionals are protesting tax reforms announced last year. The strikes have added to a huge backlog in court cases. Maintaining his innocence, Maguire said he intervened to ..

Messi's Inter Miami beaten by Japanese club Vissel Kobe 4-3 on penalties

After leaving fans disappointed in Hong Kong, Lionel Messi put in a 30-minute appearance in Tokyo on Wednesday in Inter Miami's latest exhibition match in Asia although he still left some supporters wanting more. Messi came off the bench for the final half hour, energized his teammates and probably had the best chance of the match in the 80th with two point-blank shots that were both stopped by the Vissel Kobe defence. After a 0-0 draw in regulation, the match went to penalty kicks and Vissel won the shootout 4-3. Messi did not take a penalty, however, which brought jeers from the crowd of 28,614 in Tokyo's National Stadium, which seats 68,000. But, it wasn't close to the level of booing that broke out in Hong Kong after Messi stayed on the bench for the entire game with a groin injury. Some fans demanded refunds. The Argentina star was contrite in a rare press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday as he addressed the public relations disaster. He had said he wasn't sure whether he would

AFC Asian Cup: Korean coach Jurgen Klinsmann questioned about his reaction

Jurgen Klinsmann's broad smile is part of his charm. But on Tuesday in Qatar, the South Korea coach was left to explain why he was grinning after his team suffered a painful defeat in the semifinals of the Asian Cup. Klinsmann warmly congratulated Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta on the field after his team produced a big upset with a 2-0 win at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Perhaps a little too warmly. For me it's normal to congratulate the other coach when his team was better in a game. I think this is a sign of respect, Klinsmann said when questioned about his post-game reaction. They deserved this win today. They were the better team, but this is for me totally normal. If you say I shouldn't smile, give somebody a smile that deserves a compliment in that moment, maybe we have different approaches. There has been criticism of Klinsmann and South Korea's performances in reaching the semifinals. His tactics were questioned and the general impression is that he should have done more with su

FIFA chief refloats idea of using algorithm to set player transfer fees

FIFA wants to open debate on setting soccer transfer fees by algorithm instead of the historic way of two clubs negotiating a market value price for contracted players. FIFA president Gianni Infantino used his address to its annual law conference that closed Friday in Tokyo to refloat an idea that has circulated for several years about reforms in the global transfer market that is now worth more than $10 billion annually. Now more than ever it is fundamental for us to talk about these and other topics, Infantino told soccer lawyers. For example, to discuss about the possibility to use an algorithm to estimate the fair value of transfer fees in order to increase transparency in the transfer system and help the football stakeholders, the FIFA leader said. It is unclear how a FIFA-approved method of setting fees would be accepted by clubs who would have their selling options limited, or how it would comply with competition law in the European Union. A ruling from the EU's court of ..

Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami friendly: Ronaldo to miss reunion with Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the chance of a much anticipated reunion with Lionel Messi because of an injury, Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro said. Ronaldo is recovering from a reported calf injury and will not be fit in time to play in the exhibition match between Al-Nassr and Inter Miami in Riyadh on Thursday. "Cristiano is in the final stage of his recuperation before re-joining the team. We expect that in the next few days he will start working with the team. So, obviously, it will mean he is absent for the game (against Inter Miami)," Castro said at a news conference on Wednesday. Messi and Ronaldo were longtime rivals when they played in Spain for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively and have combined to win 13 of the last 15 Ballon d'Or awards given to the world's best player. The latest installment of that rivalry was seen as the highlight of Miami's pre-season tour, which included two games in Saudi Arabia. But that was put in doubt when Ronaldo suffered an injury that ...

Super Cup: East Bengal win title, book place in Asian Champions League 2

Kolkata heavyweights East Bengal were on Sunday crowned champions of the Super Cup after emerging 3-2 winner in a thrilling final against Odisha FC with Cleiton Silva scoring the decisive goal here. Despite both sides having multiple chances to score, neither could convert as the match ended 2-2 after regulation time and also after the end of the first half of extra-time. Brazilian recruit Cleiton struck the winner for East Bengal in the 111th minute of the match, leaving his team in a state of frenzy and the opponents shocked. Cleiton capitalised on a mistake from the Odisha FC goalkeeper and came up with a neat finish at a crucial juncture of the match, slotting the ball into the bottom-right corner with a left-footed shot. Odisha FC tried desperately for an equaliser in the remaining minutes but the East Bengal defence was up to the task, marking their opponents. East Bengal deserved credit for how they went about their task after they lost Shouvik following a second yellow car

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in Saudi Arabia on their pre season tour

Inter Miami played six preseason matches last season. Most were behind closed doors with few people watching, all took place in Florida and the biggest news probably came when some fans prematurely set off fireworks and got ejected from the exhibition-season opener. It's wildly different this season. Such is life in Lionel Messi's world. The soccer icon and Inter Miami have a two-game tour of Saudi Arabia this week, the first match on Monday against Al-Hilal and the second match coming Thursday against Al Nassr one where Messi may share the pitch again with longtime rival and fellow great Cristiano Ronaldo, assuming the Portugal star has recovered enough from a calf injury to play. The club already has played two exhibitions this year one in El Salvador, one at Dallas' Cotton Bowl and has matches in Hong Kong and Japan still to come after the Saudi swing is complete. It's basically an around-the-world, big-crowd, big-money, bright-spotlight batch of preseason games for Inter Mia