Page 42 - Football

Champions League 2023-24: England flop, Spain surge; Copenhagen surprises

So much for the English taking over European soccer. The final Champions League group stage in its current format ended with representation from the supposedly all-powerful Premier League cut in half as Manchester United and Newcastle United failed to advance to the knockout stage and were even knocked out of European competition altogether. Instead, there was a Spanish resurgence, a decent showing from the German contingent, and a couple of nice surprises making their way into the round of 16 in the form of Copenhagen and PSV Eindhoven. This was the last year of the 32-team, eight-pool group stage, with the Union of European Football Associations pivoting next season to a single 36-team league that will see clubs play eight games up from the current six. The top eight teams will advance automatically to the round of 16 knockout bracket and Nos. 9 to 24 in the standings go into a playoff round to decide the other eight qualifiers. So, what have we learned ahead of the round of 1

Super Cup to adhere to AFC's 6 overseas players' rule in upcoming season

The Kalinga Super Cup will follow the AFC's six foreign players rule, the All India Football Federation announced on Thursday. The 16 participating teams can register up to six foreign players in the starting line-up with one from Asia. This is in accordance with the AFC club competitions regulations. "This decision has been taken in view of the fact that winners of the Kalinga Super Cup will qualify for the AFC Champions League 2 2024-25," the AIFF stated. The Indian Super League follows a 3+1 rule -- three non-Asian and one Asian player in the starting XI, even as the top-tier league allows to register six foreign players. The 12 ISL clubs have gained direct entry, while the I-League franchises will play the qualifiers to determine the remaining four teams. The teams are divided into four groups with the top-four making the semi-finals. The tournament will take place across two venues in Odisha from January 9-28. Tournament draw is slated on Monday.

Turkey suspends all league games after club president punches referee

The Turkish Football Federation has suspended all league games in the country after a club president punched the referee in the face at the end of a top-flight match. MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca attacked referee Halil Umut Meler on the pitch late Monday after the final whistle, following a 1-1 draw in a Super Lig game against Caykur Rizespor. The referee, who fell to the ground, was also kicked in a melee that occurred after fans also invaded the pitch after Rizespor scored a last-minute equalizer. The federation announced it suspended all league games indefinitely after an emergency meeting was held to discuss the violence. Meler was hospitalized with a slight fracture near his eye but was not in a serious condition. He was expected to be discharged on Wednesday. Koca, who was considered to be at risk of a heart attack, was also hospitalized overnight. He was ordered arrested pending trial on charges of injuring a public official after questioning by prosecutors, Justice

"Still room for a few more...": Ronaldo after scoring 50 goals in 2023

Portuguese footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo continued his remarkable goal-scoring record and reached the milestone of 50 goals in 2023 during Al Nassr's King's Cup match against Al Shabab

Mohun Bagan lose 0-1 to Maziya, end AFC Cup campaign with three losses

Two-time interzonal semifinalists Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Monday went down 0-1 to Maziya Sports & Recreation to conclude their AFC Cup campaign with three losses from six matches. The Juan Ferrando-coached side failed to make a comeback after a Hassan Raif stunner gave Maziya the breakthrough in the 40th minute and that goal proved to be the difference between the two teams. Mohun Bagan finished their AFC Cup campaign in third place with seven points, while Maziya bowed out having collected six points from as many matches. The Indian heavyweights were unlucky as Taison Singh's powerful 50th minute strike from outside the box rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced across the goal before Maziya custodian Hussain Shareef pounced on it. In the 66th minute, Maziya right-back Hussain Sifaau's shot from distance missed the Bagan goal by inches after taking a slight deflection on its way. Substitute Hamza Mohamed's shot from a tight angle was blocked by Bagan goalkeeper ...

German soccer league plans to sell share of TV rights despite fan protests

German soccer clubs voted Monday to approve a plan to sell a share of its broadcast revenues to an outside investor, a plan which is bitterly opposed by many fans. The so-called "strategic marketing partnership" would involve selling a share of revenues German media reports have estimated around 8 per cent over 20 years to an investment firm. German fans are strongly opposed to any outside commercial influence on the league and have been protesting with banners at games for months. The league's co-chief executive Marc Lenz said that 24 of the 36 teams in the men's first and second divisions voted for the plan, with 10 against and two abstaining. That meant it only just reached the needed two-thirds majority of clubs. Even so, Lenz said it was "a very good basis for us to be able to act." Lenz said the league will now start detailed talks with possible partners and would aim for a decision by the end of March. League officials argued the deal would allow it to modernize how the ..

Man United has to beat the odds and Bayern Munich to avoid CL elimination

The odds are against Manchester United as the three-time European Cup winners battle to avoid early elimination from the Champions League. United faces Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on Tuesday and needs to end the German giants' record 39-game unbeaten run in the group stages to have any chance of advancing to the knockout rounds. But even that might not be enough, with Erik ten Hag's team sitting bottom of Group A and also relying on a draw between Copenhagen and Galatasaray in the group's other game. What I know is I never think of a negative scenario, we think positive, we know what to do, we have to win to stay in Europe, it's about that, the United manager said Monday. We will prepare the team with that feeling, with that belief, we have shown in the last weeks when we are at our best we can do it. Consistency has been the biggest issue for Ten Hag this season. That was perfectly illustrated last week when United produced one of its best performances of the campaign to beat ...

Odisha FC beat Basundhara Kings, make it to first-ever inter-zonal semis

Odisha FC beat Bangladesh's Basundhara Kings 1-0 riding on Mourtada Fall's 61st strike to qualify for the AFC Cup knock-out for the first time while two-time inter-zonal semifinalists Mohun Bagan went down to Maziya Sports & Recreation of Maldives to exit from the group league stage. Odisha FC, after finishing on top in the group stage, have qualified for the zonal play-off semifinal, winning which will make them play in the zonal final. In the 61st minute, Mourtada secured the crucial lead for the Kalinga Warriors with a decisive header. Earlier in Male, the Juan Ferrando-coached Mohun Bagan failed to make a comeback after a Hassan Raif stunner gave Maziya the breakthrough in the 40th minute and that goal proved to be the difference between the two teams. Mohun Bagan finished their AFC Cup campaign in third place with seven points, while Maziya bowed out having collected six points from as many matches. The Indian heavyweights were unlucky as Taison Singh's powerful 50th minute .

Messi vs. Ronaldo on February 1 as Inter Miami play two matches in Saudi

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will meet in Saudi Arabia after all. Inter Miami confirmed Monday that it will take part in the Riyadh Season Cup something that was announced by Saudi officials on Nov. 21. Inter Miami said the reports at that time were inaccurate. Inter Miami will play Al-Hilal on Jan. 29 and Al Nassr Ronaldo's team on Feb. 1. Those two clubs lead the Saudi Pro League and Ronaldo is that league's leading scorer. These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season," Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson said. We're excited for our group to get the chance to go up against teams with as much quality as Al-Hilal and Al Nassr. Messi and Ronaldo have faced off 35 times between matches for club and country, Inter Miami said, with Messi's teams winning 16, Ronaldo's teams winning 10 and the sides settling for a draw on the other nine occasions. Messi has 21 goals and 12 assists in those matches; Ronaldo h

1 in 5 players at FIFA Women's World Cup faced online abuse claims report

Players at the Women's World Cup were 29% more likely to receive online abuse than those at the men's tournament in 2022, said a report published on Monday. One in five players (152) at the Women's World Cup received targeted discriminatory, abusive or threatening messaging, according to FIFA and global players' association FIFPRO. They released data from FIFA's Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), which tries to help shield players, teams and officials from online abuse and hate speech. Almost 50% of detected and verified abusive messages were homophobic, sexual and sexist, SMPS added. The abuse that persists online impacts football players all over the world and it cannot be ignored. This toxic online environment is a risky place to be in for players and it affects their mental health and wellbeing, FIFPRO president David Aganzo said. Football has a responsibility to protect the players around their workspace. The SMPS was launched last year and has been used in eight FIFA ..

Asian Cup football: Down with ankle injury, Anwar Ali misses Team India cut

India will be missing its key central defender Anwar Ali because of his ankle injury in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup in Qatar starting from January 12. Down with a fractured right ankle, the 23-year-old left-footed central defender has been excluded from the 50-member India probables named on Thursday. A key member of head coach Igor Stimac's defence, Anwar's injury will upset the Croat's plans as he has taken a gamble to include midfielder Jeakson Singh in the probable. The Kerala Blasters footballer too is down with an injury (shoulder) as it remains to be seen if he makes the final cut of 23 ahead of their Asian Cup opener against Australia on January 13. In the absence of Anwar, the defence is expected to be helmed by Sandesh Jhingan, Pritam Kotal and Subhasish Bose. Anwar's Mohun Bagan teammate Ashique Kuruniyan, who is down with an ACL injury, has not been named in the probables on expected lines. India, 102 in the FIFA rankings, is the lowest rung side in its Group B as Stim

I-T dept raids ex-IFA secretary's premises over financial irregularities

The Income Tax Department on Monday conducted raids at premises associated with former Indian Football Association (IFA) secretary Utpal Ganguly in connection with its ongoing probe into financial irregularities in the foreign liquor trade, an official said. I-T officials were checking relevant documents and speaking with Ganguly at his Dhakuria residence, around which a cordon was laid by jawans of central forces since morning. "Our officers are speaking with Ganguly and scrutinising documents related to the trade of IMFL (Indian-made Foreign Liquor) with which he was associated," the official said. Searches were also underway at a couple of offices associated with Ganguly in Ballygunge and Cossipur areas of Kolkata, he said. Ganguly, who held the post of IFA secretary for three terms spanning 12 years, could not be reached for reaction. He had stepped down from the post in 2019.

Ronaldo walks off to chants of ''Messi, Messi'', team loses Riyadh derby

Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the field with the gleeful chants of Messi, Messi, Messi! ringing in his ears from delighted Al-Hilal fans who had just watched their Saudi Pro League team beat the Portugal superstar's Al-Nassr 3-0 in the Riyadh Derby on Friday. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner may have finished on the losing team Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice after fellow Serbian Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened Al-Hilal but Ronaldo still remains the focus of attention in Saudi Arabian soccer despite the taunts of opposition fans referencing his great rival of nearly two decades. As thousands of cars headed east out of downtown Riyadh to watch the top two league teams and bitter local rivals face off at the King Fahd International Stadium the last to be played at the arena for three years as it is to be renovated to host games at the 2027 Asian Cup and anticipated 2034 World Cup one Al-Nassr fan leaned out and shouted: Are you here to see Cristiano? When Ronaldo warmed up, there .

Indians should compete against different footballing cultures: Luis Garcia

Spain and Liverpool legend Luis Garcia believes that Indian football can touch global heights if the players are given exposure to different leagues abroad and nourish young talents and coaches methodically. Garcia, who was part of the ISL title-winning Atletico de Kolkata side in 2014, said giving the Indian footballers a chance to appear in foreign leagues will expand their knowledge bandwidth. "It is very important because you compete against a different style of football (abroad). If you have to wait for the last stages of a tournament to compete against them, then it is only going to be 1 or 2 games, and they need to compete more often. "I think it's important that the Indian (national) team travel away during the year, and try to have friendly games in Asia and around. The scoreline doesn't matter as it is about having the feeling of facing a different kind of football," Garcia, who appeared in 77 matches for Liverpool between 2004 and 2007 Premier League seasons, told PTI her

UEFA sets $360 million prize fund Euro 2024 from revenue of $2.6 billion

UEFA said Saturday it will pay 331 million euros ($360 million) in total prize money to the 24 national teams at the men's European Championship that is expected to earn about 2.4 billion euros ($2.61 billion) in commercial revenue. The team prize fund is in line with the pandemic-delayed Euro 2020 and 20 times more than UEFA's prize fund for the women's Euro 2022. The national federation of the Euro 2024 title winner can get a maximum of 28.25 million euros if the team wins all three games in the opening group stage, the European soccer body said ahead of the tournament draw. Each of the 24 teams gets a minimum of 9.25 million euros for playing at the month-long tournament in Germany that starts June 14. Clubs will share in a further 240 million euros from UEFA for releasing their players to national-team duty. They get a daily rate of several thousand euros per player while they are with national teams for qualifying games and at Euro 2024 itself. FIFA paid prize money of $440 .

Europa League: Liverpool advanced to pre-quarters with a game to spare

Liverpool advanced to the round of 16 of the Europa League with a game to spare after Luis Daz and Cody Gakpo scored early to set the tone in a 4-0 victory over Austria's LASK. Daz headed in a cross from Joe Gomez for the opener in the 12th before Gakpo tapped in Mohamed Salah's pass three minutes later at Anfield. Salah made it 3-0 early in the second half in what was his 199th goal for the Reds. Gakpo added his second in stoppage time. Liverpool is four points clear atop Group E with 12 points. Toulouse in second on eight after a 0-0 draw with Union Saint-Gilloise. Leverkusen remained the only team with a perfect record after five games. Victor Boniface and substitute Patrik Schick contributed a goal apiece for a 2-0 victory at Hacken in Group H and a place in the round of 16. Tom Soucek struck late again to help West Ham beat TSC Backa Topola 1-0 and advance to the knockout stage. The midfielder met Maxwel Cornet's cross at the far post to volley home the winner in the 89th min

Cristiano Ronaldo faces $1 billion lawsuit for promoting Binance NFTs

Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has been hit with class-action lawsuit seeking at least USD 1 billion in damages for his role in promoting cryptocurrency-related "non-fungible tokens," or NFTs, issued by the beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The lawsuit filed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida Monday alleges that Ronaldo's promotion of Binance was "deceptive and unlawful." Binance's partnership with high-profile figures like Ronaldo, the plaintiffs claim, led them into costly and unsafe investments. "Evidence now reveals that Binance's fraud was only able to reach such heights through the offer and sale of unregistered securities, with the willing help and assistance of some of the wealthiest, powerful and recognised organisations and celebrities across the globejust like Defendant Ronaldo," the suit reads. Representatives for Ronaldo declined to comment Thursday. Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, did not immediately return

Kalinga Super Cup to kick off on January 9, AFC CL prelim spot up for grabs

The Kalinga Super Cup, to be played at two venues in Odisha from January 9, will feature both the ISL and I-League teams with the winners being nominated to play in the AFC Champions League 2 Preliminary Stage. "The format of the tournament will consist of four groups of four teams each, who will play single-leg matches amongst themselves. The group winners will qualify for the semifinals followed by the final to be played on January 28," said All India Football Federation in a statement on Wednesday. The I-League teams will play the qualifiers to get into the group stage of the Kalinga Super Cup where four slots have been reserved for them in the group stage. "The Champions of Kalinga Super Cup will be nominated to play in the ACL 2 Preliminary Stage of AFC 2023-24 season," said the AIFF. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said, "As per the decision we took earlier, the annual Super Cup tournament will now be organised in a bigger and broader perspective. "The tournament will now be k

Champions League: Guardiola walks off smiling as City stays perfect

On a night of unconvincing performances from Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, Pep Guardiola walked off smiling following a comeback victory for Manchester City in the Champions League. Phil Foden inspired a second-half comeback as City beat Leipzig 3-2 on Tuesday to take first place in Group G and extend its perfect record to five wins in five matches. It's the seventh straight season that City has won its group. The defending champions trailed 2-0 at halftime but Foden scored one goal and helped to create two more to turn the match around and Guardiola had a smirk on his face when he shook hands with Leipzig counterpart Marco Rose after the final whistle. We had to be relaxed as possible and we reacted really well," Guardiola said. "We are first in the group and I am very satisfied for the reaction at the end. The team runs and fights and has spirit." Kylian Mbapp's penalty deep into stoppage time salvaged a point for PSG in a 1-1 draw with an injury-depleted but tenacious Newca

Mohun Bangan Super Giant's Asian dreams crashed by Odisha FC in AFC Cup

A dominant Odisha FC humiliated reigning ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant 5-2 in their high-scoring penultimate Group D clash of the AFC Cup here on Monday, leaving the legacy club's legion of fans crestfallen in their own backyard. The seasoned Hugo Boumous propelled Mohun Bagan into lead with his 17th-minute strike at the Salt Lake Stadium. Roy Krishna found the equaliser in the 29th minute and Diego Mauricio silenced the home crowd by putting Odisha FC ahead with his 32nd-minute goal. The visiting OFC scored two goals in a span of three minutes. More misery awaited Mohun Bagan as Cy Goddard made it 3-1 in favour of OFC by finding the back of the net in the 41st minute, leaving the fans wearing the green-and-maroon jersey at the Salt Lake Stadium shocked. The hosts sought a way back into the game after the interval and came close as the hour approached, Liston Colaco's free-kick from 30 yards hitting the top of the OFC crossbar on the way over. But it was game on in the 63r