₦airaland Forum

Real Madrid's performance has not been very good in the last few games. Faced with this situation, Carlo Ancelotti began to take note of those positions that need reinforcement for next season.

One of the positions that has him most worried is right-back. Currently, Dani Carvajal is the undisputed starter in that position, but the substitutions of Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Odriozola did not convince the Italian as much.

For this reason, the board, in coordination with the coaching staff, began to think about possible young signings who could join the squad next summer and compete for a starting place with Carvajal.

According to market expert Nicolo Schira, the 'Merengues' are reportedly interested in Jeremie Frimpong, a promising Dutch full-back who plays for Bayer Leverkusen.

At his young age, the young defender has earned himself a starting place in the German team and has previously enjoyed spells at Manchester City and Celtic in Scotland, for example.

His good performances in the Bundesliga and the Champions League have attracted the interest of several top clubs, such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and even Manchester United. His name will undoubtedly be in contention in the coming markets.

Hojbjerg broke away to finish emphatically in the fifth minute of injury time, sealing a Spurs comeback that means they progress as Group D winners while Marseille are eliminated from Europe altogether. Clement Lenglet had earlier headed the Premier League side back on level terms after a Chancel Mbemba goal had given Marseille the lead at the break.

ADVERTISING

Hojbjerg's last-gasp strike allowed Antonio Conte's team to leapfrog Eintracht Frankfurt, who also advance after a 2-1 win away to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. It was a pulsating contest at the Velodrome and it could have gone either way, with Marseille left to regret a crucial late miss by substitute Sead Kolasinac.

Had he scored rather than send a back-post header wide of the post, Marseille would have gone into the last 16. Instead Hojbjerg's late strike condemned them to bottom spot in the section. The result was earned in adversity for the Premier League side, who were without the presence on the touchline of the suspended Conte and also lost Son Heung-min to a head injury in the first half.

It was also quite a contrast to a week ago, when they were denied victory over Sporting after VAR ruled out Harry Kane's last-gasp goal. That meant Tottenham travelled to the south of France still requiring a point to secure qualification for the last 16, while Conte was serving a ban after being shown a red card in the aftermath of the Sporting draw.

Conte's assistant Cristian Stellini was therefore officially in charge here while Conte sat in the stands at the Velodrome. The visitors' preparations had also been disturbed after Marseille fans let off fireworks outside their hotel in the early hours of Tuesday in an attempt to deprive their rivals of precious sleep.

However, the atmosphere inside Marseille's raucous stadium was a little less boisterous than usual because the whole north end of the Velodrome was shut as a punishment by UEFA following trouble at their earlier group game against Frankfurt.

Real Madrid are playing for top spot in the Champions League group stage against Celtic. Toni Kross, Real Madrid midfielder, spoke to the media at a press conference. "If you can't win, the important thing is not to lose," he said.

The German international also gave a glimpse of what the team's objective is: "Our objective is to beat Celtic.

"We are motivated to win, to be first. We have to play a good game, as always in the Champions League, but I'm sure we're going to do it," he said of the match against Celtic.

Kroos, on the match against Girona: "It's better to draw than lose, we created enough chances to beat Girona but it happens, we're still at the top of the table".

The Teuton midfielder was asked about his retirement and, at the moment, the decision he has in mind is clear: "I'm going to retire at Real Madrid, what I don't know yet is when.

"Madrid are not going to tell me anything tomorrow, we are in contact and we know that we will talk next year, it's a special relationship over the last eight years and it will never change. We are going to talk calmly in January, February or March... don't get nervous. It's going to be fine," he added.

Barcelona's aim is to get players whose contracts expire in June 2023 on a free. Diogo Dalot is among their list of their targets. The Portuguese is a attacking minded right-back.

The current Man Utd footballer is a nailed on starter for Erik ten Hag and for Portugal under Fernando Santos. However, at Old Trafford they know that it is unlikely he will stay and they are already looking for a replacement for next year.

The Portuguese's contract ends in June 2023 and he would be a great signing for Xavi Hernandez. Therefore, 'The Sun' reports that the English club are weighing up several options and the man chosen is Max Aarons, a 22 year-old full-back for Norwich City.

He plays for England's age group category teams and, as well as growing in the Championship, he now appears on the horizon of the senior team. Without doubt, a promising signing to make them forget about a Dalot who would be happy to see them arrive at the Camp Nou.

"I don't think it's the time to think about my contract. We're in the process of improving our game as a team," the Portuguese said. He has made 17 appearances up to now and scored one goal as well as provided two assists.

After being knocked out of the Champions League group stages even ahead of their defeat to Bayern Munich, Barcelona will go into the final encounter with Viktoria Plzen with third place already assured.

Xavi Hernandez said in a press conference that he would choose an XI full of players who could not play so many minutes in the last five matches. Therefore, Inaki Pena and Pablo Torre will have a good opportunity to persuade the coach to select them for future matches.

In addition, Barcelona suffered the absences of Eric Garcia and Kounde at Valencia so Pique and Marcos Alonso are set to start as central defenders. Ferran Torres will want to put the team's poor form in recent matches to an end and will have a chance to shine as Lewandowski is not in the team.

On the other hand, Viktoria Plzen will also make some changes to the XI, although very few. Chory will be replaced by Bassey while Tijani will come in for Jemelka. However, Plzen could well field the same XI which faced Inter on matchday five.

Possible line-ups for Viktoria Plzen v Barcelona

Viktoria Plzen: Stanek; Hejda, Pernica, Tijani; Havel, Bucha, Kalvach, Mosquera; Jirka, Vlkanova; Bassey.

Barcelona: Inaki Pena; Bellerin, Pique, Marcos Alonso, Jordi Alba; Kessie, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri; Raphinha, Ansu Fati and Ferran.

Manchester United continue their good run of form. After taking all three points against Sheriff, the Mancunian club will fight to qualify as group leaders against Real Sociedad in a decisive match.

The Red Devils kept possession of the ball throughout the first half and created several chances. It seems that Ten Hag asked his players to try their luck from the edge of the box as there were several shots from 25 yards but they failed to beat the Sheriff goalkeeper in this way.

Burno Fernandes came close to scoring in the 26th minute with a great shot from the edge of the box but the ball went just wide of the post. Just five minutes later Eriksen tried to beat Koval from the same position but the Ukrainian managed to save.

However, despite a great performance from the visitors' keeper so far, he could do nothing to prevent the first goal of the game. Eriksen crossed from the corner to the near post, where Dalot headed the ball in to the long post to give the Red Devils the lead before the break.

The second half started with Lisandro and Antony being replaced by Rashford and Maguire, although the latter had received a lot of criticism at the start of the season and has been dropped to the bench due to the high level of the Varane-Lisandro duo.

Rashford extended the lead for the home side in the 65th minute. Eriksen found Shaw on the left flank. The England full-back fed Rashford with a lovely cross and the striker beat Koval with a near post header.

After having been trying to score all match, Ronaldo put the icing on the cake. Fernandes' cross from the right flank found the head of the Portuguese. The 14-time Ballon d'Or winner's header was saved by Koval, but the former Madrid man pounced on the rebound and beat the keeper with an effort to the near post.

Although Barça had some doubts about whether or not Ruben Neves was the best option for their midfield, they have now cleared them all up: he is the best fit for the team's needs. The Catalan giants want the Wolves player in their ranks.

'Sport' claims that the Spaniards have already tied up Ruben Neves. The newspaper claims that there is already a "salary agreement" with his agent, Jorge Mendes, and also a transfer agreement with the club he belongs to.

Barça are clear that they want Ruben Neves in midfield, but not only him. According to the same source, the club would be open to signing another midfielder.

The 'Cules' are considering the option of bringing in a South American player for the other midfield position. They would be looking for a young, talented player with an affordable price tag and a low transfer fee.

The newspaper 'Sport' reports several names to the list of possible signings. Danilo, from Palmeiras, or Andrey Santos, from Vasco de Gama. Both give the profile of 'low cost' signings and, above all, of the future.

PSG have not taken long to question information which has been published about Mbappe. According to that, Mbappe earns the same as the sum of Leo Messi and Neymar's salaries.

"After the sensationalist article published yesterday about the club and one of its players, Paris Saint-Germain disagree on the allegedly story and the details included in it," the French club say in an official statement.

'Le Parisien' revealed in the last few hours that Mbappe would earn 636 million euros gross in three years "if he sticks to his word" after his recent renewal at the club. From then on, more rumours appeared, also about the salaries of Messi and Neymar in comparison to the Frenchman, although PSG have not referred to the Argentine or the Brazilian.

"PSG confirms that the story is completely false and that not a single detail is correct," the club says on 'Le Parisien's story.

At the Parc des Princes, they believe that it is a manouvre to destabilise Galtier's dressing room "just a few hours before an important Champions League game". They host Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday (21:00 CEST).

"PSG will not stoop down to give more comments," the statement reads, before adding: "Everyone at the club is focussed on the next Champions League game."

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the club presided by Nasser Al-Khelaifi are considering "all legal action" possible to them in order to reach the bottom of this harm which has added more fuel to the fire in the dressing room.

After dominating the first half from start to finish, Newcastle manage to hold on to their two goal advantage and avoid a Spurs comeback. Conte's men scored early on in the second half after Kane headed in an easy chance from a corner. However, this was not enough to overcome an inspired Magpies side, who remained firm and were not letting any Tottenham chance worry their defence. The win pushes them up into the Champions League spots, just two points and one place behind the Spurs.

Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron were on target for the Magpies, who have still only lost once this season. Harry Kane pulled a goal back for Tottenham, but a second damaging defeat for Antonio Conte's men in five days leaves them five points behind leaders Arsenal having played a game more. Conte rubbished suggestions his side could challenge for a first league title since 1961 after being thoroughly outplayed in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday.

Rather than looking up, third-placed Spurs may now be looking over their shoulder as Newcastle moved to within two points of their opponents. Eddie Howe's men also edged ahead of Chelsea and Manchester United, and with the chance for the Saudi-owned club to further strengthen in the January window, will pose a major threat to the traditional powers for a place in the top four.

Tottenham were left to rue Son Heung-min failing to open the scoring when the South Korean did not get enough purchase on an attempted chip over Nick Pope when one-on-one with the England goalkeeper early on. If it were not for the heroics of Spurs 'keeper Hugo Lloris, Conte's men would have been on the end of a humiliating scoreline at Old Trafford in midweek. But the France captain was culpable for both Newcastle's goals before the break.

After a dour first half the game burst into life in the second, with the hosts having a goal disallowed before Griezmann continued his excellent form with a double. Nabil Fekir pulled a goal back for Betis in the 84th minute with a sublime free-kick, creating a tense finale but Diego Simeone's side held out for the three points, moving third, while Betis are provisionally fifth.

Griezmann, who netted the winner against Athletic Bilbao and set up a goal for Alvaro Morata in his team's last two games, broke the deadlock in the 54th minute in spectacular fashion. The French forward, who recently made his loan move from Barcelona to Atletico permanent, whipped a corner in, narrowly over Saul's head, with the ball dipping in at the far post despite Betis defender German Pezzella's best efforts.

The second soon followed, teed up by substitute Matheus Cunha, Griezmann squeezed a strike past goalkeeper Rui Silva at his near post, who might have done more to keep it out. Luis Henrique fired over for Betis on the half-hour mark, in an opening period short on action, with Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak also denying Borja Iglesias and keeping out an Andres Guardado free-kick.

The second half was a different beast, with Henrique seeing an early strike disallowed for offside against Iglesias in the build-up, before Griezmann netted twice. Juan Cruz should have pulled one back for Betis but shot wildly over when the ball dropped to him in the box, before Fekir's succulent free-kick from the edge of the box gave his team a lifeline. Alex Moreno rattled Oblak's crossbar with a header in stoppage time and Atletico survived a penalty appeal immediately after against Reinildo Mandava as William Carvalho had fouled him.

Earlier, bottom of the table Elche rescued a point at Espanyol in a 2-2 draw thanks to a late strike from Gonzalo Verdu. The visitors had gone ahead through a fine Pere Milla header but Javi Puado levelled and former Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite sent Espanyol ahead. Verdu's 82nd-minute goal salvaged a point for Jorge Almiron's side but they remain without a victory from the first 11 games, with only four points.

Later on Sunday, Barcelona host Athletic Bilbao as they look to keep pressure on league leaders Real Madrid, who beat Sevilla on Saturday, among other games.

Victor Osimhen's current form is making the top teams with money in the bank interested in the Napoli striker.

In 2020, the Italian club paid 70 million euros for him and slowly but surely put an end to the criticism. Many fans criticised the club for paying a lot of money for the player, but the Nigerian has taken it upon himself to clear up the doubts match by match.

Arsenal and Manchester United have joined Chelsea's interest, according to 'Sky Sports'. The Italian club's board set a €100m price-tag to begin talks.

At the start of the season, he has once again proved that he is an important player for Napoli, scoring four goals and providing one assist. Between now and the end of the season, three Premier League clubs will be fighting for the striker's signing for next season.

Man Utd recorded a comfortable victory over Tottenham in the Premier League. After a goalless first half which saw Hugo Lloris pull off several terrific saves, Fred put the home side ahead in the 47th minute. The hosts were comfortable against a Spurs side who posed very little attacking threat and Bruno Fernandes secured the points when he netted just over 20 minutes from time.

The hosts were very quick out the blocks and Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was kept busy very early on. After spilling a routine Dalot shot after seven minutes, he tipped over a long range effort from Fred moments later. United continued to pepper the Tottenham goal and Antony was denied by the base of the far post moments later.

Despite the odd Tottenham attack, they rarely threatened De Gea's goal and Lloris had to deny Rashford from point blank range after a brilliant Fred pass. The Frenchman was the hero of the first half and he showed his quality again in the 24th minute when he knocked over a powerful Luke Shaw volley. Ten Hag's men enjoyed 73% of the possession during a 10 minute period in the first half, but Tottenham nearly hit the front right on half-time through Harry Kane. However, De Gea was up to the task.

The second half saw United start strongly and they took the lead in the 47th minute when Fred's strike took a deflection off Davies' foot and left Lloris wrong footed. The goalkeeper made another stop to deny Rashford and the hosts were comfortable. Spurs never really looked like getting back into the contest and any hopes of them getting a draw from the contest were dashed in the 69th minute.

United broke, the ball fell fortuitously for Fred, his effort was blocked by Eric Dier and then Bruno Fernandes hit one into the corner. It could have been even more than 2-0 as Lloris had to save from Rashford in the closing stages while Bruno Fernandes had a goal rightly chalked off for offside.

The result sees United go into 5th, one point behind Chelsea, while Tottenham are 3rd and four points off pacesetters Arsenal.

The Mbappe renewal for PSG in summer was one of the triggers in Mbappe and the Parisian club's bad relationship. They are not going through their best moments.

According to 'El Pais', Mbappe asked for Neymar's dismissal for next season in order to continue his contract until 2025. Otherwise, Mbappe will try to force his departure... and Real Madrid are targeting him.

The French player demands "a management model based on rigour" and this will only happen with Neymar's dismissal, who was renewed a few months ago when he almost left.

In the last few weeks, the French striker asked PSG to sell him in January. Recently, there is a reconciliation between the two parties. For that reason, Mbappe tried to calm the press after their victory against Olympique Marseille.

During summer, the Brazilian player could be sold to another European team but he decided to stay at Galtier's side after rejecting Newcastle's offer. Neymar has had a bright start to the season at PSG, which makes the situation more complicated.

Mbappe wants a project that revolves around him and he thinks that Neymar should leave the Parc des Princes. These rumours could create a bad environment in the dressing room because Messi is a close friend of the Brazilian player.

In addition to Tuesday's Cup exit, Schalke have won just once in 10 games and sit in 17th place following their return to the Bundesliga after winning the second division last season.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the club thanked Kramer "for his professional and dedicated work". Sporting director Rouven Schroeder said action needed to be taken when it became clear Schalke's position in the top division was under threat.

"After promotion, we all committed to one goal - staying up in the Bundesliga. Right up until the end, we were convinced we could turn the tide in the current situation".

Board member Peter Knaebel said the club's recent away performances "were not worthy of FC Schalke". "We have to improve significantly in all areas in order to be able to achieve our main goal - staying up in the league".

Traditionally one of the Bundesliga's heavyweights, Schalke have been no strangers to coaching changes in recent seasons.

Since Domenico Tedesco, who had taken Schalke to the Champions League, was sacked in March 2019, the five-time German Cup winners have had eight different coaches in charge.

Kramer was appointed in summer, taking over from interim coach Mike Bueskens, who won eight of his nine games in charge to secure promotion after just one year in the second tier.

Kramer was previously in charge of Arminia Bielefeld, but was sacked when they were relegated from the Bundesliga last season.

Kramer is the third Bundesliga coach to be sacked this season, after Bochum's Thomas Reis and Stuttgart's Pellegrino Matarazzo. Schalke play away at 15th-placed Hertha Berlin on Sunday.

The 2004 Ballon D'Or winner said he was overwhelmed by the youngsters' determination to play football despite the carnage around them.

Shevchenko, 46, the son of "a military man" who despite his upbringing "stood against wars all his life", was so angry at the Russian invasion in February he "felt such excruciating pain I couldn't even breathe".

"I couldn't comprehend the fact that bombs are falling and rockets are flying in the centre of democratic Europe now," he said, speaking this week.

"They fly towards my home, towards everything I love. I had to decide on what I should do to help my country quickly. "I thought about everything I'm capable of and where I can be most effective.

"And I realised that I have to use the power of my name, to fight for Ukraine publicly". Shevchenko, unlike some Ukrainian sports stars who took up arms, chose an ambassadorial role to showcase his country's plight.

The 2003 Champions League winner with AC Milan and top tennis player Elina Svitolina "immediately" accepted an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to become ambassadors for a charity called United24.

He met the president in Kyiv on May 18. "It was the first time I came to Ukraine since February 24, the war had been going on for two and a half months already, and Russian troops had only just retreated from the city".

"I saw an empty, and yet indomitable, Kyiv. It was a very emotional moment for me, as well as my meeting with the president".

The charity was launched by Zelensky to collect donations to cover Ukraine's most pressing needs: Defence and de-mining, medical aid and to rebuild the country which has been devastated since Vladimir Putin launched the invasion.

The 21-year-old forward was also charged with controlling and coercive behaviour and assault at the weekend. He appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Monday and was remanded in custody.

A bail application was held in private at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday.

Following the hearing, a spokesman for the court said bail had been granted, with conditions not to contact witnesses, including the complainant, and to reside at a specified address.

Greenwood, who did not appear for the short hearing, is due to appear in court again on November 21. All three charges relate to the same woman.

The player was first held in January over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

He had been on bail since but was arrested on Saturday for an alleged breach of conditions.

Within hours of the allegations surfacing online at the beginning of the year, Greenwood, who has made one appearance for England, was suspended from playing or training with the Old Trafford club.

Nike suspended and later terminated its sponsorship deal with the player, while Electronic Arts confirmed his removal from active squads on its FIFA 22 game.

A product of the United academy, Greenwood has played 129 times for Manchester United, scoring 35 goals. He signed a new deal in February 2021, keeping him at Old Trafford until at least 2025.

He made his England debut against Iceland in September 2020, but he and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden were sent home after a breach of the team's coronavirus guidelines.

Diogo Dalot is one of the right-backs who has been linked with Barcelona for some time and, this Tuesday, there has been news over Barcelona possibly signing him. According to 'ESPN', even though Man Utd can renew him automatically, they will respect the player's decision. He has told the board to wait.

The reason is that he would rather decide later on what to do with his career next season. Leaving to play under Xavi Hernandez in La Liga is an option which attracts him, but he also has to realise that he is an important player at Old Trafford, where he has made important steps forward to become more important.

It would suit Barcelona perfectly if the Portuguese did not negotiate with the owners because, as he would become a free agent in 2023, the Catalan side would only have to reach an agreement with him to increase their ranks. Not paying for his transfer is their preferred option given the club's financial difficulties.

At the age of 23, Diogo Dalot would be a very interesting signing for Barcelona and he has a bright future. 'Sport' report that possible modifications to the squad for the second half of the season will be made in January. That could also see them preparing to sell Sergi Roberto, Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay and Hector Bellerin.

The striker, who joined Real Madrid in 2009, has developed into the side's figurehead since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018. Benzema won his first Ballon d'Or trophy on Monday night, celebrating his performances as he fired Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double with 44 goals in 46 games.

"He's a player who has a lot more responsibility, he feels much more of a leader," Ancelotti told a press conference. "His quality has not changed, it's the same as it was eight years ago. But his responsibility to the team has changed, and his attitude. He's much more of a leader." Portugal striker Ronaldo won the trophy four times while at Real Madrid, becoming the club's all-time top goalscorer, with Benzema feeding him in a secondary role.

Manchester City, whom Real Madrid beat in the Champions League semi-finals, were given an award for being club of the year. "The best team was Real Madrid, and they got the prize for that, which is the Champions League," said Ancelotti. "A lot of respect to (City), of course, but for us, the biggest prize -- we received it in May."

Real Madrid beat Barcelona in the Clasico on Sunday and take on Elche as league leaders on Wednesday, with the Italian coach encouraging his team to focus. "We have to push a bit harder," added Ancelotti. "It's normal to have more concentration in top level games, but it's a bit harder to have maximum concentration after a game which cost you so much on a mental and physical level."

Thibaut Courtois, who won the Yashin Trophy on Monday for the best goalkeeper of the year, will not be available after suffering sciatica and Andriy Lunin will continue to stand in.

The trial, which is set to open at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) at the Provincial Court of Barcelona, is the culmination of a years-long legal saga over his 2013 transfer from the Brazilian club Santos.

Neymar is one of nine defendants on trial on corruption-related charges, among them his parents and their N&N company, which manages his affairs. All three are facing charges of business corruption.

Investigators began probing the transfer after a 2015 complaint filed by DIS, a Brazilian company that owned 40 percent of the player's sporting rights when he was at Santos.

Barcelona said the transfer cost 57.1 million euros, but prosecutors believe it was at least 83 million euros.

The club said it paid 40 million euros to N&N and 17.1 million to Santos, of which 6.8 million was given to DIS.

But DIS alleges that Neymar, Barcelona and the Brazilian club colluded to mask the true cost of the deal.

Among the other defendants are two former Barca presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, and ex-Santos boss Odilio Rodrigues Filho.

Neymar, now with Paris Saint-Germain, is expected in court on the first day, although that has not been officially confirmed.

He will testify on either October 21 or October 28, but it is not known if he will have to be physically present. The trial is due to end on October 31.

If convicted, he could face two years in jail and a 10-million-euro ($9.7 million) fine.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will take the stand on Tuesday by videoconference to explain how a 2011 secret pre-contract deal between Barca and Neymar influenced the market.

"Neymar Junior, with the complicity of his parents and FC Barcelona and its directors at the time, and Santos FC at a later stage, defrauded DIS of its legitimate financial interests," said DIS lawyer Paulo Nasser on Thursday.

DIS is seeking to recover 35 million euros.

Neymar's lawyers insist their client is innocent, saying the 40 million euros was a "legal signing bonus which is normal in the football transfer market".

The footballer is having one of his best seasons since he joined PSG following a world record 222-million-euro transfer in 2017.

He scored the only goal in Sunday's 1-0 victory over bitter rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Neymar has nine goals and seven assists in 11 matches in Ligue 1.

But his relations with France international superstar Kylian Mbappe appear to be strained, with the 23-year-old reportedly demanding PSG sell the Brazilian.

Neymar is also expected to play a key role for Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar, as the South American giants seek to win the trophy for the first time since 2002, and the sixth in total.

He will lead the Selecao into their Group G opener against Serbia on November 24.

World Cup hosts Qatar will stage the 2023 Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation said on Monday, after China withdrew earlier this year because of Covid.
China pulled out in May because of its "zero-Covid" policy, leaving the AFC scrambling to find a new host for its flagship men's 24-team football tournament. The tournament had been due to be held in 10 Chinese cities from June 16 to July 16 next year.

The AFC did not say in its statement when the Asian Cup would now take place, but secretary-general Windsor John told AFP it will likely be in January 2024 because of the cooler weather in Qatar at that time of year.

South Korea and Indonesia were the other two countries in the running after China's withdrawal, but Qatar got the nod. "The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee has today confirmed the Qatar Football Association (QFA) as the host association for the AFC Asian Cup 2023," the Malaysia-based AFC said in a statement.

AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said Qatar is ready to put on the event despite the short lead time to prepare. It will also host the World Cup starting next month.

The AFC chief hailed Qatar's "existing world-class infrastructure and unrivalled hosting capabilities". "Qatar's capabilities and track record in hosting major international sporting events and their meticulous attention to detail are well admired throughout the globe," he said.

"I must also commend the AFC for showcasing utmost professionalism in conducting a fair and transparent expedited bidding process and I thank all our commercial partners and sponsors for their patience during these unprecedented times."

The AFC also said its executive committee has shortlisted India and Saudi Arabia for the 2027 Asian Cup. Qatar has come under fire from human rights groups as hosts of the World Cup over the country's treatment of migrant workers who built the tournament's venues.

Qatar, however, has said it has undertaken reforms in its labour practices. The Asian Cup is staged every four years. Qatar won the tournament's last edition, in 2019, which was hosted by the United Arab Emirates.

Qatar hosted the 1988 and 2011 editions
South Korea jointly held the men's 2002 World Cup with Japan, but has not staged the Asian Cup since 1960. Indonesia held matches at the 2007 Asian Cup along with Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

But earlier this month Indonesia was struck by a deadly football tragedy that has become one of the world's worst stadium disasters, with experts raising doubts about its capability to host major international events.

16 Oct 2022
After an even first half devoid of clear goalscoring chances, the second period was much more open and Salah's 76th minute goal after Allison's long kick forward proved to be the difference. Man City had a Phil Foden goal disallowed in the 55th minute after a foul by Haaland on Fabinho in the build-up and a draw would probably have been fair. The result sees Liverpool move into 8th while Man City remain second, but have lost ground on Arsenal after their win over Leeds.

Jurgen Klopp's men are still 10 points behind City and 14 adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal after just a third league win of the season. Klopp was sent off in the closing stages as he lost the plot with the officials for refusing to award Salah a free-kick. But City were also left fuming at referee Anthony Taylor after he disallowed Phil Foden's strike early in the second half after a VAR review.

For all their achievements under Pep Guardiola, City are still to master Anfield in front of a crowd as Liverpool's proud unbeaten home league record with fans in attendance dating back to 2017 goes on. Klopp claimed in his pre-match press conference that no one can compete with the wealth of resources at City's disposal after adding Haaland to a squad filled with seasoned Premier League winners. But the Norwegian's 10-game scoring streak at club level came to an end on an afternoon Liverpool will hope gives their season lift-off.

Liverpool have caused City more problems than anyone else in England over the past five years and belied the form of both sides heading into the game to inflict the champions' first league defeat since February. Even in a cagey first 45 minutes, Haaland remained a major threat and will believe he should have opened the scoring before the break.

A lacklustre first half was followed by an explosive second period. Salah should have opened the scoring when he latched onto Roberto Firmino's through ball and Ederson made a brilliant save low to his right. Seconds later the ball was in the Liverpool net as Foden swept home the loose ball after Alisson Becker bravely saved at Haaland's feet. However, the goal was ruled out after a VAR check for a foul by Haaland on Fabinho in the build-up.

Guardiola was still furiously remonstrating with the officials on the touchline when the home side missed another huge chance to break the deadlock. Salah's cross picked out Jota at the far post, who headed against the post when it seemed easier to score. Haaland was next to be denied as the game raged from one end to the other as his low effort was palmed away by Alisson.

But it was Liverpool's star marksman who finally found his range. Salah bent another effort inches wide after turning Ruben Dias. But the Egyptian did not spare City at the third time of asking as he outmuscled Joao Cancelo to latch onto Alisson's long ball and kept his cool to slot past Ederson.

Virgil van Dijk's dip in form has been one of the key factors in Liverpool's slow start to the season. The Dutchman, though, rose to the challenge of stopping Haaland and made one vital intervention to turn Cancelo's cross away from the City number nine.

Klopp was given his marching orders for coming face-to-face with the assistant referee after Salah appeared to have been hauled back by Bernardo Silva. But City were also lacking in composure to make their possession count on the field as Liverpool held out.

The 23-year-old France superstar was speaking in the wake of PSG's 1-0 win over Marseille, in which he set up Neymar for the only goal as his side moved three points clear at the top of Ligue 1.

"I am very happy. I have never asked to leave in January," he said while insisting that he was not "implicated directly or indirectly" in the rumours about his future.

The story emerged on Tuesday, hours before PSG's 1-1 Champions League draw with Benfica in which he scored.

"I didn't understand why the story came out on the day of a game. I was as shocked as everyone," Mbappe claimed. "People can think I was involved but I wasn't at all."

Several sources assure that the noise about Mbappe wanting to leave PSG -despite only signing a new three-year contract in May after lengthy negotiations- came from the entourage of the player himself.

Mbappe has openly admitted that he has not enjoyed his position in the Paris attack this season, saying he plays with "more freedom" when on international duty.

But he insisted that there was no truth that he wanted to leave Paris, saying: "It is completely false. I am very happy."

Neymar's goal against Marseille came in first-half stoppage time as PSG beat their bitter rivals at the Parc des Princes to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

The game also featured a red card for Marseille defender Samuel Gigot, who was dismissed in the second half for scything down Neymar.

It was a welcome return to winning ways for PSG after three straight draws and a week overshadowed by the doubts about Mbappe's future.

PSG are three points clear of surprise package Lorient, who drew 0-0 on Saturday with Reims.

Lens are five points behind the leaders in third, with Marseille another point adrift now in fourth.

Mbappe lined up for the Parisians alongside Neymar and the returning Lionel Messi in attack and was twice denied by fine Pau Lopez saves in the first half.

"He created lots of chances. He was in his favourite position most of the time. He just lacked a bit of luck and came up against a good goalkeeper," coach Christophe Galtier told broadcaster Amazon Prime.

"Obviously I have understood Kylian and that he wants to be in his favourite position," said Galtier, who switched from a back three to a back four against Marseille.

"That is also why we tried to play with a different system, but believe me when I say everything is fine in the dressing room.

"I have players with big characters but they are great professionals."

Messi hit the underside of the crossbar from a first-half free-kick for PSG, who lost Danilo Pereira to injury in the first half.

Marseille, who beat Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League in midweek, were a threat when they got forward but could not find a response to Neymar's goal.

"I am not frustrated," their coach, Igor Tudor, told Amazon Prime.

781853 - 4.39
781855 - 2.92

Sampdoria(5.14) vs AS Roma(1.80)

Draw: 3.98


Away + Ov 1.5 @ 1.94
☞781856

Goals both halves @ 1.64
☞781857



CF Villarreal(1.75) vs Osasuna(5.35)

Draw: 4.13


Ov 2.5 @ 1.83
☞781858

@ 1.66
☞781860

Goals both halves @ 1.59
☞781861

No acct?
http:///36IpM50

Griezmann has been on loan at Atletico since August 2021 after a difficult spell at Camp Nou, following his 120 million euro (116.5 million dollar) move in 2019.

"Griezmann has signed a deal that links him to our club until June 30, 2026," said Atletico in a statement on Monday.

The 2018 World Cup winner was a key figure in coach Diego Simeone's plans last season but has largely been reduced to substitute appearances in the current campaign as Atletico tried to escape paying a reported obligatory 40 million euro purchase fee if he played over a certain number of games.

With the World Cup approaching and Griezmann keen to feature more, Atletico and Barcelona negotiated a new deal, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirming the fee during the club's members assembly on Sunday.

"It is for 20 million euros plus four more in variables," said Laporta.

"There is another clause in the deal to sell the player, which is that if Atletico decide to sell him in the future they will have to pay us the difference that remains, up to the value of the 40 million which was agreed before."

Atletico did not disclose the value of the new agreement.

Griezmann has played 303 times for the club, scoring 144 goals, across his two stints in the capital.

He netted 35 goals in 102 appearances for Barcelona, winning the Copa del Rey there in 2021.

In club football his biggest success has come at Atletico, winning the Europa League in 2018, as well as the UEFA Super Cup in the same year.

Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire at the age of 24 after being diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition.

The Zambia captain fell ill while on a flight to join up with his national side during the recent international break and spent a period of time in hospital in Mali.

After undergoing further tests, it was discovered Mwepu's illness was down to a heart condition, which can worsen over time and be exacerbated by playing sport.

Brighton confirmed on Monday that Mwepu has called time on his career, as he would have an extremely high risk of suffering a cardiac arrest should he continue playing.

In a statement on the club's official website, Mwepu said he intends to stay involved in football in some capacity.

"A boy from a small Zambian township called Chambishi has some news to share," the former Salzburg midfielder said.

"He stood strong to follow his dream of playing football at the highest level, and by the grace of God he lived his dream by reaching the Premier League.

"Some dreams, however, come to an end so it is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up my boots because of the medical advice I have received.

"This is, however, not the end of my involvement with football. I plan to stay involved in some capacity.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that supported me in my football journey, including my wife and family, my agent 12MAN, the Zambian FA, all my previous clubs, team-mates and coaches and especially everyone at Brighton & Hove Albion."

"He stood strong to follow his dream of playing football at the highest level, and by the grace of God he lived his dream by reaching the Premier League."

The Super League was scuppered before it had even begun. Threats from UEFA led clubs to withdraw their support from the founders of the competition: Barça, Madrid and Juventus. They are the only three that are still involved in the future tournament.

Joan Laporta, in an interview with the 'Sonora' project, spoke about the Super League. He made it clear that the leagues have nothing to fear. "I entered the project as Barça's representative with everything well underway. I said that we had to have an open competition, in which meritocracy reigns. We have to combine it with the leagues of each country. It would be a mistake for the Superliga to replace them," he commented.

The Barcelona president believes that the beauty of domestic tournaments is to see very different teams fighting each other: "I think that playing the big clubs against each other would always end up tiring. It's nice and healthy for a smaller team to beat the big team. It's nice to support the weaker team, like when Greece won the European Championship or when Leicester won in England, how special. This is football.

Laporta detailed the competition that Barça, Madrid and Juve have in mind. "The Super League will be an improved Champions League, with a very good competition format. It will surely be the most attractive tournament in the world, but at the same time we have to be skilful to maintain the leagues, this is fundamental," he concluded.

Jude Bellingham has a Borussia Dortmund contract until 2025. However, everything seems to indicate that he could leave a long time before that time. The English international is going to be one of the players to headline the summer transfer window.

Real Madrid are desperate to get hold of his services. 'Marca' had already revealed this and 'The Sun' says the same this Saturday. They say that 'Los Blancos' are preparing an offer of around 100 million euros.

The newspaper reports that Real Madrid have reportedly made the first steps towards signing Bellingham. And it seems like they are in a good position to get ahead of Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea, three Premier League teams that are following the midfielder closely.

Talks between Dortmund and Real Madrid, according to 'The Sun', have already started. The Spanish club are reportedly in the lead to get the Dortmund star.

If Liverpool, Chelsea or Man Utd want to overtake them, they will find it difficult. Firstly, they will have to persuade Bellingham to move to the Premier League, not La Liga. As for Real Madrid, they are working on having him at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 2023-24 season.

Despite the fact Borussia Dortmund, up to now, have put a price tag of 150 million euros on him, if they receive an offer of around 100, they could decide to let Bellingham leave. He certainly will not be short of suitors or offers.

same as he gets now. But the star is not sure about it.

'Sport' says that Messi, as well as PSG's offer, has two other options which take his fancy. Barca want him back and the MLS is a league which entices him.

The Catalan paper claims that Barca president Joan Laporta is already pulling strings to get him back to the Camp Nou. Eduard Romeu, Barcelona's economic vice president, has already revealed that they could afford him. ¨We know how to work miracles¨, he said on Thursday when talking about it.

ADVERTISING

The Argentine has also been linked with the MLS, and it seems Messi would love to try out this league. It has also been speculated him linking up with with Busquets and Luis Suarez at David Beckham's Inter Miami.

For now, Leo Messi is very calm about it all. There is still time left to decide and he does not want to hurry. He will not make his choice until after the World Cup in Qatar, which he revealed will be his last. He wants to finish off with the trophy under his arm before deciding where he will end up in the 2023-24 season.

The magazine noted Mbappe crossed the $100 million milestone at age 23 while such legends as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in their 30s and at the peak of their careers when crossing that money mark for the first time.

Mbappe signed a three-year contract extension in May to remain with dominant Ligue 1 side Paris-Saint Germain.

Forbes reported the deal will bring Mbappe about $110 million for his salary and season share of a signing bonus plus an estimated $18 million in annual endorsement income from such companies as Nike, Dior, Hublot and Oakley.

Mbappe was on the cover of the EA Sports FIFA video game, founded the production company Zebra Valley and is an investor in fantasy NFT platform Sorare.

"He's a global icon already," Sorare co-founder Nicolas Julia told Forbes. "He wants to aid the world and show, also, that huge things can be built out of France."

PSG teammate Messi, 35, ranks second at $120 million with Manchester United's Ronaldo, 37, third on $100 million. They had shared the top two spots since 2014 and still set the endorsements pace, Ronaldo at $60 million and Messi at $55 million.

In all, the top top-10 players will collect $652 million this season, an 11% jump from last year's $585 million figure. Mbappe, Messi and Portugal's Ronaldo together account from more than half of that money total.

PSG forward Neymar of Brazil ranked fourth on $87 million followed in order by Mohamed Salah, on $53 million, Erling Haaland on $39 million, Robert Lewandowski at $35 million, Eden Hazard at $31 million, Andres Iniesta at $30 million and Kevin De Bruyne at $29 million.

According to the latest reports, Barca have assured the signing of Inigo Martinez for the 2023-24 season. They have reportedly got an agreement in principle with the Athletic Bilbao player.

'Mundo Deportivo' says that he could arrive at the Camp Nou earlier than expected. And the thing is, according to this source, Barca are considering making an offer to the Basques for him as soon as the January window opens.

The large number of injuries in defence has made Xavi think that he might need another option. Therefore, the club have thought about Inigo Martinez.

The central defender's contract at Athletic expires in 2023. As a result, he would leave on a free ahead of next season. However, the fear of another injury crisis like the one Xavi is suffering right now (ahead of the World Cup), has made Barcelona think about signing him for the second half of this season.

Barca, that said, will not go mad. They will only accept a transfer in January if Bilbao ask for a reasonable fee. Otherwise, they would wait for a few more months.

Another requirement Barca have if they are to sign Inigo Martinez in January is for the footballer to be fully fit. This season, he has missed several matches because of a left knee injury. If he is going to end up at the Camp Nou, the Catalans want to make sure everything is in the past and that he is in perfect shape to join Xavi's team.

Arteta's side have been in fine form since the start of the season and are proving it. The Gunners have taken six points from their first two games in the UEFA Europa League and already find themselves top of Group A two points clear of PSV.

The first half was like most Arsenal have played this season. The Londoners controlled the game by keeping possession of the ball and were clinical in converting the chances they created.

Nketiah gave England the lead in the 23rd minute. The striker, who despite his renewal was frustrated by the few playing time he was getting, started for the Gunners and managed to convert his first chance. Through a good counter, Martinelli drove the ball and fed Tierney on the edge of the box. The full-back's shot hit the post, but the rebound was picked out by Nketiah who only had to push the ball into the net.

Xhaka extended the lead for Arteta's side just five minutes later when Martinelli crossed from the right flank and Holding headed the ball to the far post beating Khaikin.

The Londoners put the icing on the cake after a great play by Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian received the ball on the byline, dribbled past two players and fed Vieira, who was on the penalty spot to push the ball into the net.

Leo Messi is looking forward to the World Cup in Qatar with Argentina. The striker spoke to 'Star+ Latin America' and spoke about his current physical condition, PSG and his future with the Argentina national team.

Messi made clear what many don't want to hear. The World Cup in Qatar will be the last for the '10': "Yes, it will probably be my last World Cup. Surely, yes.

In the latest interview with Argentina's internationals, this time it was the turn of the PSG player, who also spoke about how Argentina will be preparing for the big event in Qatar.

"We arrived in a very good moment because of the way things happened, with a very strong squad, but anything can happen in a World Cup. All the matches are very difficult, so that's why a World Cup is so special because it's not always the favourites who end up winning or going the way you expected," he said.

For Messi, Argentina are already "candidates because of their history and what they mean", above all because of the moment in which they have arrived: "We are not the favourites. There are other teams that are ahead of us, but we are very close".

As for his start to the season at PSG, Messi said he feels "good physically" after having been able to do "a very good pre-season" which he was unable to do last season.