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[MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION]


Which one is the bigger rivalry (across all sports)?

Ireland vs England

or

Ireland vs Northern Ireland
 
Syed1 said:
@<a href="http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/member.php?u=136108" target="_blank">Donal Cozzie</a>


Which one is the bigger rivalry (across all sports)?

Ireland vs England

or

Ireland vs Northern Ireland
Click to expand...

Definitely England.

We've not played NI too often and these friendlies are worthless games nobody really pays attention to.

We've played England in many major tournaments and actually have a very good record, so nothing will ever top the rivalry with the English. In rugby then its the marquee fixture of the season too.

That said both fixtures have an ugly history.

Northern Ireland is only a footballing rivalry anyway, as in the sports of hockey, rugby and cricket both Ireland and Northern Ireland play under a united team and banner.

So definitely England. Not to say NI isnt a tense affair either, infamously in a WC Qualifier in 1991 in Belfast there was a game played in arguably one of the most toxic and hostile atmospheres ever seen, but Ireland qualified ultimately so :P
 
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Donal Cozzie said:
Definitely England.

We've not played NI too often and these friendlies are worthless games nobody really pays attention to.

We've played England in many major tournaments and actually have a very good record, so nothing will ever top the rivalry with the English. In rugby then its the marquee fixture of the season too.

That said both fixtures have an ugly history.

Northern Ireland is only a footballing rivalry anyway, as in the sports of hockey, rugby and cricket both Ireland and Northern Ireland play under a united team and banner.

So definitely England. Not to say NI isnt a tense affair either, infamously in a WC Qualifier in 1991 in Belfast there was a game played in arguably one of the most toxic and hostile atmospheres ever seen, but Ireland qualified ultimately so :P
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Thanks... hugely surprising for me that Ire and N.Ire often compete in sports with the same team. Aren't the folks of N.Ire considered traitors for siding with the Brits?
 
Syed1 said:
Thanks... hugely surprising for me that Ire and N.Ire often compete in sports with the same team. Aren't the folks of N.Ire considered traitors for siding with the Brits?
Click to expand...

No, because many of original Irish population there were displaced and replaced by ethnic Scots centuries ago, hence why they wanted to remain united with the UK. They cant be traitors since they were technically never Irish to begin with, and never identified as it either. Obviously this is slowly but surely changing, hence why Unionism is dying and reunification slowly but surely eeks closer.

From a footballing perspective NI is hated here as they make no efforts to represent both of the communities who live there i.e Nationalist and Unionist. Instead, they play GSTQ, which isnt even NI's anthem, play in a stadium infamous for the sectarianism that went on in it and have a section of their fanbase who are cavemen, though to be fair every fanbase has an element of that. For those reasons the NI football team is historically seen as a unionist one, not a Northern Irish one proper, hence why nearly every Nationalist and/or Catholic player from NI plays for ROI instead (FIFA regulations allow this due to the technicalities of the Good Friday Agreement).
 
Five-time world champions Brazil were held to a surprise friendly draw by Panama, ranked just 76th in the world.

Brazil gave starts to Premier League players Ederson, Roberto Firmino and Richarlison, but it was AC Milan's Lucas Paqueta who scored the opener.

The lead only lasted four minutes, however, as Panama defender Adolfo Machado levelled in the first half.

Brazil, ranked third, hit the woodwork twice in the second half through Richarlison and Casemiro.

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus and West Ham winger Felipe Anderson both came on in the second half, but were unable to make an impact in the game, which was played in the Portuguese city of Porto.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47681728


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Argentina came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Germany in a friendly in Dortmund.

In a repeat of the 2014 World Cup final, the hosts raced into an early lead when Serge Gnabry poked home in the 15th minute before Kai Havertz side-footed in seven minutes later.

But Argentina fought back after the break as substitute Lucas Alario's header halved the deficit.

Debutant Lucas Ocampos secured the draw with a deflected strike late on.

It was an impressive fightback by Argentina in a game that was ultimately turned on its head by Lionel Scaloni's substitutions, with Ocampos coming on at half-time and Alario just after the hour mark.

It had been all Germany in a first half where Argentina failed to manage a single shot on target and when Gnabry grabbed his 10th goal in 11 international appearances, it looked like the hosts would go on to record a big win.

However, they took their foot off the pedal after the break, allowing Argentina to get back into the game.

By the end, 2014 World Cup winners Germany were perhaps fortunate not to finish on the losing side, with a last-minute panic in their penalty area only eased when Emre Can managed to scramble clear.

It could prove an important lesson in avoiding complacency for Joachim Low's side as they prepare to resume their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign this weekend.

Germany, who are top of Group C and level on 12 points with Northern Ireland, travel to Estonia on Sunday.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49994677
 
Paris St-Germain forward Neymar limped off after 12 minutes as Brazil were held to a 1-1 friendly draw by Nigeria.

The 27-year-old walked off holding his left thigh and could be a doubt for the Champions League game against Club Bruges on 22 October.

Rangers' Joe Aribo gave Nigeria the lead in the first half as he slotted past Manchester City's Ederson.

Real Madrid's Casemiro prodded in from close range to equalise just after half-time.

Despite having 70% possession in Singapore, Brazil were unable to find a winner to remain winless in this international break after drawing 1-1 with Senegal on Thursday.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50035030
 
SINGAPORE: Neymar went off injured 12 minutes into Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Nigeria in a friendly in Singapore on Sunday.

The Paris St Germain forward, making his 101st appearance for the national team, touched the back of his leg as he left the pitch and was replaced by Philippe Coutinho.

A team spokesman said Neymar “felt discomfort” in his left thigh and would be examined by PSG doctors once he was back in France.

Globoesporte.com cited the Brazilian team doctor as saying the player was not in pain.

The draw extended Brazil’s winless run to four games.

The Africans took the lead after 35 minutes when Joe Aribo found space in a packed penalty box to rifle in a low shot and grab his second goal in two international appearances.

Brazil equalised three minutes into the second half when Casemiro fired home from close range after he was quickest to react when a Marquinhos header came back off the woodwork.

Casemiro later smacked a header off the bar and Coutinho should have scored a cut back with five minutes remaining but the score remained at 1-1.

Since lifting the Copa America in July, Brazil have also drawn with Colombia and Senegal and lost to Peru.
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Link: https://www.dawn.com/news/1510668/neymar-injured-as-brazil-draw-1-1-with-nigeria.
 
ELCHE: Argentina produced one of their best performances in recent times on Sunday with six different scorers getting their name on the scoresheet in a comprehensive 6-1 friendly win over Ecuador in Spain despite the absence of suspended Lionel Messi and a number of other top stars.

Lucas Alario, Leandro Paredes, German Pezzella, Nicolas Dominguez and Lucas Ocampos scored for Argentina, which also got on the board with an own-goal by Ecuadorean defender Jhon Espinoza.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made six changes to the team that started Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Germany, but his side had Marcos Acuna in top form on the left flank and was particularly dominant in the first half.

Alario put them 1-0 ahead in 20 minutes with a powerful header from an Acuna corner, then seven minutes later Espinoza deflected a cross from Acuna past his own goalkeeper.

Paredes made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after Lautaro Martinez was brought down in front of goal.

There was a brief dispute before that goal. Martinez had the ball and wanted to take the penalty, but Paredes prevailed after a discussion between the two. Martinez left complaining but celebrated the goal along with his team-mates.

Substitute Angel Mena cut the deficit for Ecuador three minutes into the second half with a spectacular free kick but any hope of pulling back their rivals was short lived.

Pezzella made it 4-1 with a header in 66 minutes, Dominguez crashed home a fifth from long range a quarter of an hour later and then Ocampos finished off the scoring four minutes from time.

The match took place in Spain against the backdrop of violent unrest in Ecuador, with the country’s president Lenin Moreno ordering a curfew and military control in capital city Quito.

Six people have died and nearly 2,100 have been wounded or detained according to authorities after anti-austerity protests led by Ecuador’s indigenous population.

Messi was serving a three-month suspension from internationals because of comments he made against South American football body CONMEBOL during this year’s Copa Amrica in Brazil.

Argentina also were without players from Boca Juniors and River Plate because the teams are playing each other in the Copa Libertadores semifinal. Others missing from the squad were forwards Angel Di Mara and Sergio Aguero.

The result capped a positive few days for Argentina, who are now unbeaten in five games since losing the Copa America semi-final to Brazil in July.
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Link: https://www.dawn.com/news/1510940/argentina-hit-ecuador-for-six-without-suspended-messi.
 
Lionel Messi scored on his first Argentina appearance since July as they beat old rivals Brazil in Saudi Arabia.

Messi had a penalty saved by Alisson in the friendly, but scored the rebound for his 69th international goal.

Gabriel Jesus had earlier missed a penalty for Brazil.

Barcelona forward Messi was returning from a three-month ban for saying the Copa America was "fixed for Brazil", with the hosts beating Argentina in the semi-final and Peru in the July final.

Brazil - who handed a late debut to Aston Villa striker Wesley - have failed to win in the five games since winning the Copa America.

Argentina are due to face Uruguay in Tel Aviv on Monday (19:15 GMT) but the game could be cancelled due to fighting in Israel.

Brazil will play South Korea in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (13:30 GMT), their last game before the 2022 World Cup qualifiers begin in March.

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Lionel Messi scored an injury-time penalty as Argentina rescued a draw in their friendly with South American rivals Uruguay in Tel Aviv.

Messi's Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez had given Uruguay a second-half lead from a free-kick before Martin Caceres handled in the area.

The Argentina captain nonchalantly rolled in his second international goal in as many matches.

Edinson Cavani opened the scoring but Sergio Aguero levelled for Argentina.

Messi was in the mood from the outset as he rode four challenges in the first half before retaining possession and picking himself off the floor to spin the nearest defender and play the ball wide.

The forward, who scored on his first Argentina appearance since July in Friday's win over Brazil, had a hand in both of his side's goals in Israel.

First, his delicate free-kick was met by a glancing header from Manchester City's Aguero, and then he salvaged a draw from the spot with defeat looming after Argentina goalkeeper Esteban Andrada could only palm Suarez's set-piece into the top corner.
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50466381.
 
Brazil ended their five-game winless run with a comfortable victory over South Korea in Abu Dhabi.

Tite's side, who lost to Argentina on Friday, had not recorded a win since lifting the Copa America in July.

But Lucas Paqueta's early header and Philippe Coutinho's superb free-kick put the five-time World Cup winners in charge at the break.

Juventus full-back Danilo rounded off the scoring with a powerful drive from the edge of the penalty area.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and his club colleague Fabinho both appeared for the Selecao, with Everton's Richarlison and Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus also starting.

Tite added to his complement of Premier League players with the late introductions of Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz and Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, while Real Madrid's teenage forward Rodrygo also came on in the closing stages.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50478911
 
World Cup-winning coach Didier Deschamps has extended his France contract until the end of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Deschamps took over in 2012 and led France to the Euro 2016 final before their victory at the 2018 World Cup.

The extension means the 51-year-old will become France's longest-serving coach, surpassing Michel Hidalgo's eight years and six months in charge.

French football president Noel Le Graet called it "logical decision".

Le Graet previously said Deschamps' contract would be extended if France qualified for the 2020 European Championships.

Les Bleus achieved that goal in November and have been drawn in a group with 2014 world champions Germany, reigning European champions Portugal and an as yet unknown team who will qualify through the play-offs.

Deschamps, who was captain when France became world champions in 1998, previously had a contract that was due to expire after Euro 2020.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50731281
 
Tammy Abraham, Ben Chilwell and Jadon Sancho have been told to delay their arrival at England's training camp.

It is understood a group of more than six people, including Chilwell and Sancho, attended a surprise party for Abraham's 23rd birthday on Saturday.

Gatherings of more than six people are banned in England amid the coronavirus pandemic.

England say the move is a precaution while it is assessed if there is any risk to the wider group.

Chelsea forward Abraham said he was unaware the party was planned but "deeply regrets" it and has apologised for "the naivety shown".

Gareth Southgate's squad have arrived at St George's Park in preparation for games against Wales, Belgium and Denmark.

Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has been ruled out because of injury, with Chelsea full-back Reece James promoted to the senior squad from England Under-21s.

However, Abraham, Chelsea left-back Chilwell and Borussia Dortmund forward Sancho are not in attendance to allow the Football Association time to gather further information about the social gathering they attended over the weekend.

The party, which was first reported by the Sun, happened hours after Abraham played in Chelsea's 4-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Police have the power to break up groups larger than six and those who ignore officers could be fined £100 - doubling with each offence to a maximum of £3,200.

It is understood those at the party were close friends and family who had their temperatures checked on arrival.

"On Saturday evening I arrived home to find a small surprise gathering had been organised for me with family and close friends to celebrate my birthday," Abraham said.

"Although I was totally unaware this was planned, I would like to wholeheartedly apologise for the naivety shown by all for the organisation and attending of this gathering.

"I recognise that I have a responsibility both in my professional and personal life to honour and respect the guidelines and deeply regret that this took place.

"All I can do now is learn from it, apologise to everyone and ensure it never happens again."

Phil McNulty opinion: Foden and Greenwood omissions justified
Last month, Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden and Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood were dropped from an England squad after an "unacceptable" breach of Covid-19 quarantine guidelines in Iceland.

England manager Southgate was already planning to talk to his squad this week about "what it means to wear the shirt", following the incident involving Foden and Greenwood.

Southgate plans to give his players "some reminders on how we work".

"That's not a case of reading the riot act," he said last week. "That's a case of asking the players what sort of team they want to be involved in and be a part of."

England play a friendly against Wales on Thursday, plus Nations League fixtures against Belgium and Denmark on 11 and 14 October respectively. All three games will be played at Wembley.

Wales will be without Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey because the Serie A side have put their squad into a bubble after two non-playing staff members tested positive for Covid-19.

Full England squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley), Dean Henderson (Manchester United)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), *Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Reece James (Chelsea), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham)

Forwards: *Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Harvey Barnes (Leicester), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Danny Ings (Southampton), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), *Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
 
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Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has been recalled by England for November's matches against the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland.

There is no place for Mason Greenwood, who with Foden was omitted from last month's squad after being sent home from Iceland in September for breaching coronavirus quarantine guidelines.

Forward Danny Ings and midfielder Kalvin Phillips miss out with injuries.

Chelsea's Reece James is also included after being sent off against Denmark.

The Chelsea defender will only be available for the friendly against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday, 12 November before serving a two-game suspension.

Foden's club-mate Raheem Sterling is also given an expected recall after missing the last set of international fixtures with a minor hamstring injury.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire will be unavailable for the Nations League away game against Belgium on 15 November after also being dismissed against the Danes.

There is also no place in the 29-man squad for Leicester winger Harvey Barnes, who made his Three Lions debut as a 76th-minute substitute in October's 3-0 win over Wales.

England host Iceland in the Nations League on 18 November.

Foden back in the fold
Foden, who made his senior England debut in Iceland, has started the season in fine form for City.

With three goals in 11 appearances across all competitions, he has become increasingly influential for his club.

Referring to both the recall of Foden and Greenwood's omission, England manager Southgate said: "They don't come as a pair, they are individual players with their own strengths and individual talents.

"We are looking at the balance of the squad positionally firstly. Phil has had a lot of football with his club most recently and Mason has had less game time with Manchester United.

"I have had a good chat with (Manchester United manager) Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) about his development and I feel it is better for him to stay at the club at the moment, to develop over the next few months.

"But they are both available, there was no carryover from September, that is done. Both are available for selection and are going to be very good players."

Pickford's place not under threat
Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson is the only uncapped player in Southgate's squad with fellow goalkeeper Jordan Pickford selected after being rested for Everton's Premier League defeat at Newcastle on Sunday.

But while Pickford's club form has come under scrutiny, the 26-year-old has retained Southgate's full confidence.

"When people say I have been loyal to him, he has deserved that," Southgate said.

"His performances have been excellent and that has not been a difficult decision for me.

"We have some competition for places, but I would have to say that there is nobody who I think is challenging at the moment to push him out of that position.

"In terms of how his club are looking after him, he has got a hugely experienced manager there and is in a very good place."

Full England squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley), Dean Henderson (Manchester United)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Reece James (Chelsea), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham)

Forwards: Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
 
Jude Bellingham has been called up to the senior England squad for the first time.

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder, 17, was promoted from the Under-21s after Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse withdrew through injury.

He joined Dortmund in the summer from Birmingham and has made 11 appearances.

England play the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Iceland between 12 and 18 November.

If Bellingham plays in any of those games he will become the third-youngest player to represent England - after Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney.

Jude Bellingham: Borussia Dortmund 'was the best place for me'
Bellingham only made his Birmingham debut in August 2019 but finished the season with 44 first-team appearances before earning a move to Dortmund in a deal that could eventually be worth over £30m.

He received his first call-up to England U21s in August, becoming their youngest ever player when he came on against Kosovo on 4 September.

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford will miss England's game against the Republic of Ireland as he will not report for duty until Thursday morning following an injury he suffered in Saturday's win at Everton.

After seeing Bellingham promoted from his squad, England U21 coach Aidy Boothroyd called up Everton pair Tom Davies and Ben Godfrey, although Norwich full-back Max Aarons has withdrawn for the games against Andorra and Albania on 13 and 17 November.
 
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Spain have had to pull out of their final Euro 2020 warm-up match due to Sergio Busquets' positive Covid test.
 
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Algeria has been very good since 2014 after underperforming for 2 long decades (90s and 00s).
They are very physical and pacey.
And they are also supported by many Arab countries for their political position
 
<b>England 2-1 Switzerland</b>

Harry Kane moved level with Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 England goals as they came from behind to beat Switzerland in a friendly at Wembley.

England were grateful to the excellence of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the first half but they still fell behind when Breel Embolo's header put Switzerland in front after 22 minutes.

Gareth Southgate's side were second best to the confident Swiss but were handed a route back into the game when Fabian Frei's error ended with Luke Shaw providing an emphatic finish for England's equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

England, who gave debuts to Marc Guehi, Kyle Walker-Peters and Tyrick Mitchell, completed the turnaround with 12 minutes left when Kane scored from the spot after VAR adjudged that Steven Zuber had handled from a corner.

Kane scored with his usual expertise and now stands just four goals behind England's record marksman Wayne Rooney.

England, perhaps understandably, struggled for any rhythm over long periods as manager Southgate gave his line-up an experimental appearance for the first of two Wembley friendlies in this international break.

It was only the fine work of Pickford that prevented Switzerland establishing a more decisive advantage before Frei's error gave England an equaliser they barely deserved in the closing moments of the first half.

Walker-Peters did well to stretch and intercept Frei's risky clearance, allowing the excellent Conor Gallagher to provide a pass that rolled into the path of Shaw, who made no mistake at the same end where he scored for England in the Euro 2020 Final against Italy at Wembley in the summer.

Under Southgate, England have developed a habit of getting the job done on many occasions when they have not been at their best and so it proved again as an improved second-half display ended with Kane's winner.

Kane has been approaching his best for Tottenham in recent weeks and he scored from the spot with power and precision as he took a step closer to the England record books.

He now stands just those four goals behind Rooney's record of 53 and it is only a matter of time before he takes top spot, currently standing on a highly impressive tally of 49 goals from 68 appearances.

England struggled in the opening 45 minutes, Southgate's plans disrupted in the moments before kick-off when John Stones was injured in the warm-up. He was replaced by Ben White, who saw Xherdan Shaqiri's cross float over his head for Embolo to score.

Gallagher pressed his claims with a fine performance, although Declan Rice's absence from the starting line-up, then his appearance as a substitute, only emphasised his crucial importance to every element of Southgate's plans in this World Cup year.

Southgate will enjoy another morale-boosting victory and he can experiment further when England meet Ivory Coast here at Wembley on Tuesday.
 
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England grinding out a result, not playing great but picking up a solid win.
 
France extended their winning run to seven matches as they thrashed South Africa 5-0 in a friendly in Lille.

England strolled to a 3-0 victory in their friendly against Ivory Coast at Wembley to complete a satisfactory international break for manager Gareth Southgate.

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke says his side can "look forward" after extending their unbeaten run to eight games, despite spurning a two-goal lead in a late friendly collapse in Austria.

Christian Eriksen called it a "lovely feeling" as he scored and captained Denmark to a 3-0 win over over Serbia at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium - where he suffered a cardiac arrest last year.

Germany's eight-match winning start under Hansi Flick came to an end as substitute Steven Bergwijn earned the Netherlands a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam.

Italy responded to the shock of failing to qualify for the Qatar World Cup by coming from behind to beat Turkey 3-2.
 
<b>Argentina 5-0 Estonia</b>

Lionel Messi scored all five of Argentina's goals as they continued their fine form by thrashing Estonia in a friendly in Pamplona, Spain.

The Argentines swept aside Italy 3-0 in the Finalissima - a game between the champions of Europe and South America - on Wednesday.

Messi provided two assists in that game and he was once again in vintage form.

He opened the scoring with a penalty and then struck two more goals in either half to complete the rout.

It is the first time the 34-year-old has scored five in a game for his country. In fact, he has only ever achieved the feat once before in his career, in a 7-1 win for Barcelona over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League in 2012.

His third against Estonia, two minutes after half-time, took him level on 84 goals with Ferenc Puskas as the fourth highest-scorer in the history of men's international football.

Fourteen minutes later, his fourth of the game meant he had surpassed the legendary Hungarian and now holds that position outright, behind only Malaysia's Mokhtar Dahari (89), Iran's Ali Daei (109) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (117).

He would have been closer still to Ronaldo, but the Portuguese scored twice in his country's Nations League win against Switzerland on Sunday.

Messi's goals in Pamplona demonstrated his vast array of skills.

He put Lionel Scaloni's team ahead with a calm penalty after eight minutes, then doubled the lead with a powerful side-footed effort into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

His third was a predatory finish, showing his trademark precision to direct Nahuel Molina's right-wing cross into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

His fourth owed much to his alertness. As other players stopped and anticipated a free-kick award that never came, Messi picked up a loose ball, drove into the box, produced a dummy which left the Estonia keeper and a defender lying on the ground and rolled the ball into the empty net.

He concluded his remarkable performance when he was again quickest to react to a loose ball and slotted in a low finish from next to the penalty spot with 14 minutes remaining.

While Estonia did not provide the sternest of tests, this result - coupled with the victory over Italy, their unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign and last year's Copa America triumph - suggests Messi could yet have a great chance of winning the World Cup, the one trophy that has eluded him in his glittering career.
 
Feeling really heart broken that Scotland won't b going to Qatar. If Wales can defeat Ukraine then we should have done so as well. Our national side can't be taken seriously anymore.
 
Defending champions are making a move here in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

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Argentina hands Brazil third straight loss after crowd violence delay in Rio

Nicolas Otamendi scored with a towering header to give Argentina a 1-0 away win over Brazil in a bad-tempered World Cup qualifier that was delayed by half an hour on Tuesday after police clashed with fans at a sold-out Maracana Stadium.

The longstanding sporting rivalry between two of the most successful teams in world football hit fever pitch after the Brazilian police charged Argentinian fans in response to fighting in the stands during the national anthems, who responded by ripping up and throwing seats at the officers. Fans near the trouble panicked and came on to the pitch to escape the fighting. At least one injured fan was taken from the stadium on a stretcher.

The world champions, led by captain Lionel Messi, went over to the terraces to try to calm the situation before leaving the pitch and returning to the dressing room for more than 10 minutes.

The players eventually returned and the match started in a tumult of noise as local fans roared their support of the five-times world champions, who were looking to get their campaign back on track after losing successive qualifiers for the first time.

Instead, they plunged to a third straight defeat, their first ever at home in a World Cup qualifier, to stand sixth in the standings, eight points behind leaders Argentina and in the last spot that guarantees a berth at the 2026 finals.

“The truth is that this group continues to achieve historic things, once again,” Argentina captain Lionel Messi said.

“Obviously, at the beginning it was bad because we saw how they were beating people. You think about the family, the people who are there, who don’t know what’s going on and we are more concerned about that than playing a match. At that point the match was secondary …

“After that, winning this game like this I think is one of the most important wins that this group has achieved. It is something very nice to be able to win here in Brazil, after how strong they have been at home throughout their history.”

After all the pre-match drama, it was a nervy first half with 22 fouls, three bookings and several skirmishes as rival players frequently faced off and the referee flashed cards in an attempt to calm the situation.

Brazil were arguably the better side and almost scored from a corner just before half-time through a Gabriel Martinelli strike that defender Christian Romero cleared off the goalline.

Despite being without key players like Vinicius Jr and Neymar because of injuries and losing their captain Marquinhos to a leg issue halfway throughout the game, Brazil kept up the pressure.

They wasted a golden opportunity to score in the 47th minute when Martinelli missed an absolute sitter, striking a close-range shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Argentina held on and made the most of one of the few chances they created in the 63rd minute, when defender Otamendi rose high to power home a Giovani Lo Celso corner.

It was Argentina’s only shot on target and Brazil’s misery was compounded when substitute midfielder Joelinton was sent off for hitting Rodrigo de Paul in the face in the 82nd minute, only three minutes after he came off the bench.

The world champions handed their fiercest rivals a third consecutive loss as Brazil came into the match having conceded back-to-back defeats in World Cup qualifiers for the first time in their history.

It was also Brazil’s first ever home loss in a World Cup qualifier. Argentina top the standings on 15 points with Brazil eight points behind in sixth place, the last spot that guarantees a berth at the 2026 finals.
​
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
 
Lionel Scaloni: Argentina's World Cup-winning boss says he may resign

Argentina's World Cup-winning boss Lionel Scaloni says he is considering resigning after five years in the role.

Scaloni made the surprise announcement after Argentina's 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.

The 45-year-old also led Argentina to the Copa America in 2021 before their World Cup triumph in Qatar last year.

"Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well," said Scaloni.

"I need to stop the ball and start thinking, I have a lot of things to think about during this time.

"It's not goodbye or anything, but I need to think because the bar is very high and it's complicated to keep going and it's complicated to keep winning.

"These guys are making it difficult, so I need to think about it for a while. I will talk to the FA president and the players afterwards."

Scaloni succeeded Jorge Sampaoli as Argentina boss in August 2018 after a brief spell in charge of the under-20 side.

Their 2021 Copa America win was Argentina's first major title for 28 years and meant they qualified for the Finalissima against European champions Italy in June 2022, which they won 3-0 at Wembley.

Their World Cup triumph in Qatar later that year was their third global title and first since 1986.

"We are sure and hope that Scaloni will continue," said Argentina and Tottenham defender Cristian Romero.

"Let's see now he will have time to think, he didn't say anything in the dressing room about it. We will try to convince him."

Tuesday's win over Brazil was Argentina's first-ever away win over their rivals in World Cup qualifying and moved them two points clear at the top of the table.

The game at Rio's Maracana stadium was delayed by 30 minutes after crowd trouble broke out during the national anthems.



BBC
 
The Republic of Ireland have confirmed that Stephen Kenny will not continue in his role as manager, following the expiration of his contract.

TSqQKO4.jpg
 
hassan918 said:
Moments before the start of the match between Brazil and Argentina yesterday in Word Cup 2026 Qualifiers, there were disturbances in the stands and even the players from Argentina got involved.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1727123693938090147
Click to expand...

FIFA has started disciplinary proceedings over the crowd disturbances that caused a delay in the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium on Thursday, according to media reports.

Brazil and Argentina fans started fighting behind one of the goals during the national anthems, prompting police to charge at the traveling contingent with batons drawn.
The visiting world champions, led by captain Lionel Messi, went over to the terraces to try and calm the situation before leaving the pitch for more than 10 minutes.

“FIFA can confirm that its Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA),” said a statement reported by the BBC.

Argentina face disciplinary action from soccer’s world governing body for the “crowd disturbance” and delayed kick-off.

FIFA added that Brazil are under investigation for potential violations of ‘Article 17’ of the disciplinary code, which relates to maintaining order and security during matches.

The game started after the long delay and Argentina won 1-0 with a 63rd-minute header from defender Nicolas Otamendi.

Source: Arab News

www.arabnews.pk

FIFA investigating crowd disruption in Brazil-Argentina clash

RIO DE JANIERO, Brazil: FIFA has started disciplinary proceedings over the crowd disturbances that caused a delay in the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium on Thursday, according to media reports. Brazil and Argentina fans started fighting behind one of the...
www.arabnews.pk www.arabnews.pk
 
Sports, it's all about emotions and passion, but such incidents are disgrace for sports spirit.
 

Fernando Diniz: Brazil part company with interim head coach and seek permanent replacement​

Brazil have parted company with interim head coach Fernando Diniz and are looking for a permanent replacement.

Diniz, who had a one-year contract, was in charge for six qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, losing three, drawing one and winning two.

Brazil are in the sixth and final automatic qualifying place in South America for the World Cup.

Diniz had been combining the position with his role at Fluminense, the current Copa Libertadores champions.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) released a statement confirming the decision.

"The CBF thanks Fernando Diniz for the work he has done, for all his dedication and seriousness, and for the challenge of renewing the Brazilian national team during his tenure," it said.

"We wish Fernando Diniz the best of luck."

CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues spoke to Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt on Thursday about the decision to hire a permanent head coach in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Brazil have been without a permanent head coach since the 2022 World Cup, when Tite resigned following their quarter-final defeat by Croatia, with under-20s coach Ramon Menezes taking charge before Diniz was appointed.

Rodrigues claimed last July that Carlo Ancelotti would take over from Diniz this summer, but the 64-year-old Italian signed a new deal with Real Madrid late last month to keep him at the club until June 2026.

The decision to part ways with Diniz comes a day after Rodrigues was reinstated to the helm of the CBF, following his removal in early December by the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice.

Source: BBC
 
It would surely be not an easy job to be a coach of Brazilian national football team with so much expectations from everyone.
 

Footballer Dani Alves's rape trial begins in Spain​

Former Barcelona and Brazil football player Dani Alves has gone on trial in Spain accused of raping a woman in a nightclub.

The 40-year-old has been in prison without bail for more than a year since the alleged incident took place in December 2022.

Mr Alves could face up 12 years in prison if found guilty.

He first denied having met his accuser, but later said they had had consensual sex. His trial ends on Wednesday.

More than 30 people, including Dani Alves and his estranged wife, are expected to testify.

The Barcelona court on Monday denied his request to suspend the trial so that he could be given more time to prepare - rejecting his claim that he had suffered a trial by media.

Mr Alves's accuser was among those to give evidence on the first day of the trial - speaking from behind a screen to protect her identity.

She alleges he lured her into a toilet in the VIP section of a nightclub in Barcelona, and then forced her to have sex with him.

The woman's cousin and a friend, who were both with her on the night of the alleged assault, also testified on Monday. They said that Mr Alves had groped and flirted with them earlier in the evening.

They also said the woman had initially been unwilling to make a complaint because she feared she would not be believed.

In Spain, a claim of rape is investigated under the general accusation of sexual assault, and convictions can lead to prison sentences of four to 15 years.

The public prosecutor in the case is seeking a nine-year jail term for Mr Alves, and for him to pay damages of €150,000 (£128,000) to the woman.

His mother, Lucia Alves - who was at the court on Monday alongside her son - could face prosecution herself after she named her son's accuser in a social media post before the trial.

That was after a court had ruled that the woman could not be identified for her protection.

Mr Alves was formally charged in August and a court later decided that there was enough evidence to send him to trial.

Repeated requests for him to be released on bail have been denied because the courts considered the Brazilian national a flight risk.

Dani Alves is one of the most decorated footballers in history and has played for a host of top clubs including Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain.

He made more than 400 appearances for Barcelona, winning six league titles and three Champions Leagues across two spells, and was also part of Brazil's 2022 World Cup squad.

His most recent club, Mexican side Pumas UNAM, terminated the Brazilian's contract with immediate effect in January 2023.

Source: BBC
 
Football's rulemakers set to introduce blue cards for sin bins

Sin bins could be introduced in professional football if plans by the sport's rulemakers get the go-ahead.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will publish the detailed protocols for the trials on Friday, Sky News understands, with the new ruling expected to include blue cards.

In the trials, blue cards will give referees the power to send players off for 10 minutes for dissent or cynical fouls.

Two blue cards would result in a player's dismissal for the rest of the match, as would a blue and a yellow card.

The IFAB is set to give the go-ahead for the extended sin bin trial in senior levels of the game at its annual meeting on 2 March in Glasgow.

There have already been trials in amateur and youth football in both England and Wales and the sport's lawmaking body agreed in November last year that they should be implemented at higher levels of football.

Board members had also supported a proposed trial where only the team captain may approach the referee in certain major game situations.

The chief executive of the Football Association, Mark Bullingham, who is also a board member, said at the time the areas they are looking at are dissent and tactical fouls, among others.

The trial has worked "very, very well" regarding dissent in the grassroots game, he said.

"I think frustration for fans watching games when they see a promising counter-attack that's ruined by that and the question of whether a yellow card is sufficient for that has led to us looking at whether that should be involved in the protocol as well," he added.

"The starting point was looking at player behaviour and dissent - we're then looking at whether we should extend it into other areas, such as tactical fouls, as well."


news.sky.com

Football's rulemakers set to introduce blue cards for sin bins

Senior levels of football could see a sin bin brought into play that would dismiss a player for 10 minutes for dissent or tactical fouling. It could be trialled in the FA Cup.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
Chinese officials have cancelled two Argentina friendlies that were due to take place in the Asian country after Lionel Messi did not play for Inter Miami in a match in Hong Kong.

The world champions were set to face Nigeria in Hangzhou and Ivory Coast in Beijing in March.

BBC
 
Former Germany defender Andreas Brehme, who scored the winning goal in the 1990 World Cup final, has died aged 63.

Brehme converted a late penalty in the final of the 1990 tournament to secure victory against Argentina in Rome.

He earned 86 caps, including eight goals, for his country and won league titles while at Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

Brehme's partner Susanne Schaefer told German news agency DPA that he "died suddenly" from cardiac arrest.

Source: BBC
 
hassan918 said:

Footballer Dani Alves's rape trial begins in Spain​

Former Barcelona and Brazil football player Dani Alves has gone on trial in Spain accused of raping a woman in a nightclub.

The 40-year-old has been in prison without bail for more than a year since the alleged incident took place in December 2022.

Mr Alves could face up 12 years in prison if found guilty.

He first denied having met his accuser, but later said they had had consensual sex. His trial ends on Wednesday.

More than 30 people, including Dani Alves and his estranged wife, are expected to testify.

The Barcelona court on Monday denied his request to suspend the trial so that he could be given more time to prepare - rejecting his claim that he had suffered a trial by media.

Mr Alves's accuser was among those to give evidence on the first day of the trial - speaking from behind a screen to protect her identity.

She alleges he lured her into a toilet in the VIP section of a nightclub in Barcelona, and then forced her to have sex with him.

The woman's cousin and a friend, who were both with her on the night of the alleged assault, also testified on Monday. They said that Mr Alves had groped and flirted with them earlier in the evening.

They also said the woman had initially been unwilling to make a complaint because she feared she would not be believed.

In Spain, a claim of rape is investigated under the general accusation of sexual assault, and convictions can lead to prison sentences of four to 15 years.

The public prosecutor in the case is seeking a nine-year jail term for Mr Alves, and for him to pay damages of €150,000 (£128,000) to the woman.

His mother, Lucia Alves - who was at the court on Monday alongside her son - could face prosecution herself after she named her son's accuser in a social media post before the trial.

That was after a court had ruled that the woman could not be identified for her protection.

Mr Alves was formally charged in August and a court later decided that there was enough evidence to send him to trial.

Repeated requests for him to be released on bail have been denied because the courts considered the Brazilian national a flight risk.

Dani Alves is one of the most decorated footballers in history and has played for a host of top clubs including Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain.

He made more than 400 appearances for Barcelona, winning six league titles and three Champions Leagues across two spells, and was also part of Brazil's 2022 World Cup squad.

His most recent club, Mexican side Pumas UNAM, terminated the Brazilian's contract with immediate effect in January 2023.

Source: BBC
Click to expand...
He has now been proven guilty for that allegations.

---------------

Former Barcelona footballer Dani Alves sentenced to four and a half years in jail over sexual assault

Former Barcelona and Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault.

Catalonia's top court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

He was also ordered to pay 150,000 euros to the victim.

The 40-year-old ex-right-back was arrested in January 2023 on suspicion of touching a woman below her underwear without her consent.

Alves has been detained since his arrest and had requests for bail denied as the court considered him a flight risk. Brazil does not extradite its own citizens when they are sentenced in other countries.

He denied any wrongdoing during the trial. The courts decision can be appealed.

SOURCE: https://news.sky.com/story/brazilia...lf-years-in-jail-over-sexual-assault-13078089
 
Blue cards: Idea set to be scrapped, but sin-bin trials likely to be approved by football's lawmakers

Football's rule makers are set to approve sin-bin trials - but an idea to use blue cards is likely to be ditched.

The International Football Association Board (Ifab) will discuss the plans at its annual general meeting at Loch Lomond on Saturday.

Senior figures within the game were taken aback by the proposals of a blue card when it emerged last month.

A planned public announcement was scrapped and there has since been significant opposition.

World governing body Fifa said "reports of the so-called 'blue card' at elite levels of football are incorrect and premature".

Caution was also expressed at which levels of the game the sin-bin trials might be applied.

Further discussion on the subject will take place at the meeting, although debate is more likely to centre around whether sin-bins should just be issued for dissent and not cynical fouls, which had been thought likely.

The Premier League has already distanced itself from any sin-bin trials with numerous managers, including Tottenham's Ange Postecoglou saying they were a terrible idea.


BBC
 

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti facing nearly five years in prison on tax-fraud charges​


Real Madrid football manager Carlo Ancelotti is facing nearly five years in prison after being accused of tax fraud in Spain.

Spanish state prosecutors are accusing the Italian coach of using a "confusing" system of shell companies to hide parts of his income during his first stint at the LaLiga club a decade ago.

The former Chelsea and Everton manager is accused of two counts of tax fraud, which is punishable by up to four years and nine months in prison.

They accuse the coach of having defrauded €1million (around £855,000) in 2014 and 2015.

The prosecutors claim that during the period in question, Ancelotti only declared the income he received from Real Madrid and did not declare income from image rights.

Ancelotti, 64, coached Real Madrid from 2013-2015 before rejoining the club in 2021.

He is one of football's most successful coaches, winning league titles in all five of Europe's top leagues and also securing four Champions League triumphs, two with AC Milan and two with Real Madrid.

Ancelotti also won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2010.

Before turning to management he had enjoyed a successful playing career, winning the European Cup twice as a midfielder for AC Milan and making 26 appearances for Italy.

They accuse him of allegedly setting up shell companies to hide his extra earnings.

news.sky.com

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti facing nearly five years in prison on tax-fraud charges

Spanish state prosecutors have accused the Italian coach, who has won the Champions League twice with Madrid, of using shell companies to hide parts of his income.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
There's something seriously wrong in Spain, how many football people are facing this problem...
 
Cameroonian club Victoria United has defended Wilfried Nathan Doualla after the midfielder was accused of age cheating.

The 17-year-old was a surprise inclusion in the Indomitable Lions squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Doualla is among 62 players who have been suspended from the domestic league by Cameroon's football federation (Fecafoot) for double identification or age fraud.


BBC
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Cameroonian club Victoria United has defended Wilfried Nathan Doualla after the midfielder was accused of age cheating.

The 17-year-old was a surprise inclusion in the Indomitable Lions squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Doualla is among 62 players who have been suspended from the domestic league by Cameroon's football federation (Fecafoot) for double identification or age fraud.


BBC
Click to expand...
I thought age fudging only happens in cricket but this one shows a massive cut on age as from nowhere he looks 17!
 
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has received his first call-up to the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.

Mainoo, 18, was originally named in the under-21s squad but has been promoted to Gareth Southgate's senior side.

England play Brazil on Saturday and Belgium on 26 March - both at Wembley - their final games before Southgate names his squad for Euro 2024.

The rest of the 26-man squad reported to St George's Park on Tuesday.

United academy graduate Mainoo has been capped by England at under-17s, under-18s and under-19s level.

The Stockport-born teenager made his first Manchester United start against Everton in November and has gone on to make a further 19 appearances.

He scored his first goal for the club in a FA Cup fourth-round win at Newport at the end of January, before netting a late winner against Wolves in the Premier League four days later.

'He gives me Seedorf vibes' - the rise of England's new kid Mainoo
Gordon and Branthwaite get first England call-ups
White 'made himself unavailable' - Southgate
Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite were among the players to arrive at St George's Park after earning their first senior call-ups.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney features for the first time since completing an eight-month ban for breaching Football Association (FA) betting rules in January.

England squad
Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), John Stones (Man City), Kyle Walker (Man City)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), James Maddison (Tottenham), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Man Utd)

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Phil Foden (Man City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Man United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Source: BBC
 
BouncerGuy said:
He has now been proven guilty for that allegations.

---------------

Former Barcelona footballer Dani Alves sentenced to four and a half years in jail over sexual assault

Former Barcelona and Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault.

Catalonia's top court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

He was also ordered to pay 150,000 euros to the victim.

The 40-year-old ex-right-back was arrested in January 2023 on suspicion of touching a woman below her underwear without her consent.

Alves has been detained since his arrest and had requests for bail denied as the court considered him a flight risk. Brazil does not extradite its own citizens when they are sentenced in other countries.

He denied any wrongdoing during the trial. The courts decision can be appealed.

SOURCE: https://news.sky.com/story/brazilia...lf-years-in-jail-over-sexual-assault-13078089
Click to expand...
A Spanish court has ruled that ex-Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves can be conditionally released from jail after serving about a quarter of his sentence for rape

Alves, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison last month, will be released on a €1m (£853,000) bail.

He had been held in pre-trial detention since January 2023.

The 40-year-old was found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.

The conditions for his release include turning over both his Brazilian and Spanish passports so he cannot leave Spain.

He must also appear before the court on a weekly basis.

The court additionally imposed a restraining order, preventing him from approaching the victim.

The ruling came a day after Alves' lawyer requested his release on the grounds that he had already served a quarter of his sentence in pre-trial detention following his arrest.

The decision, which was not unanimous due to a dissenting vote from one of the judges, can still be appealed.

During last month's trial, prosecutors said Alves and his friend had bought champagne for three young women before Alves lured one of them to a VIP area of the nightclub with a toilet which she had no knowledge of.

They argued that it was at this point he turned violent, forcing the woman to have sex despite her repeated requests to leave.

Alves had maintained she could have left "if she wanted to". However, the court found that she did not consent.

Spanish law was changed recently to enshrine the importance of consent under the so-called "Only Yes is Yes" principle.

In a statement, the court said there was evidence other than the victim's testimony that proved that she had been raped.

It said Alves had "abruptly grabbed the complainant" and thrown her to the ground. He had then raped her while preventing her from moving as "the complainant said no and wanted to leave", it added.

The woman said the rape had caused her "anguish and terror", and one of her friends who was with her on the night described how the 23-year-old had cried "uncontrollably" after leaving the bathroom.

Alves changed his testimony on a number of occasions.

He first denied knowing his accuser only to claim later that he had met her in the toilet but that nothing had happened between them.

He then changed his version of events again, saying that they had had consensual sex. "We were both enjoying ourselves," he alleged.

Alves played more than 400 times for Barcelona, winning six league titles and three Champions Leagues across two spells with the club. He was also part of Brazil's 2022 World Cup squad.

He has won trophies playing for Sevilla, Juventus and PSG and is among Brazil's most capped internationals, with 126 appearances.

www.bbc.com

Dani Alves: Ex-Brazil player to be freed on €1m bail after rape conviction

A court in Spain sentenced the former Brazil player to four and a half years in prison last month.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Former Arsenal winger Paul Merson says football is "ravaged" with gambling and the bans given to Ivan Toney and Sandro Tonali are a "disgrace".

Merson says he was a "compulsive gambler" during his playing days and that it is a "hidden addiction" because it is hard for people to spot.

Toney was banned for eight months for 232 breaches of betting rules while Tonali's 10-month ban ends in August.

"People have no respect for the gambling addiction," said Merson.

"We've seen that with the bans of Sandro Tonali at Newcastle and Ivan Toney at Brentford.

"To give people 10-month bans for an addiction that is ravaging football, with sponsorships all over the shirts... They needed help and I don't think 'help' is giving them 10-month bans.

"We underestimate this addiction. We need to show it some respect and not, 'oh, show a bit of willpower'. I would say to the people who make these rules up and ban people, 'next time you get diarrhoea, try and stop that with willpower'."

Source: BBC
 
Former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward Robinho must serve a nine-year rape sentence in his home country of Brazil, a court has ruled.

Robinho, 40, was found guilty by an Italian court in 2017 of taking part in the 2013 gang rape of a 22-year-old Albanian woman.

He has been living in Brazil, which does not extradite its nationals.

Judges in Brasilia ruled on Wednesday that he should serve his sentence in Brazil following a request from Italy.

He will remain free pending a possible appeal against the ruling, lawyers said.

The former Brazil international, who has 100 caps for his country, was playing for AC Milan at the time of the crime.

After being found guilty he lost an appeal in 2020 before Italy's highest court upheld his sentence in 2022.

Italian prosecutors then issued an international arrest warrant for him.

The footballer, who spent two years with Manchester City, told a Brazilian network on Sunday that the sex had been "consensual".


BBC
 
Ex-Liverpool prodigy Jamie Cassidy who won silverware with Premier League legends is jailed for 13 years after drug plot

Jamie Cassidy, now 46, helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup in 1996, when the reds beat a West Ham United team featuring Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand.

But he is now behind bars after being jailed for 13 years and three months after admitting his role in a multi-million pound drugs operation.

His brother Jonathan was also jailed.

Paul Greaney KC told Manchester Crown Court heard how Jamie was signed by Liverpool FC as a schoolboy and flourished within the club's youth set up.

During his teenage years he became one of the top goal scorers in the country and was hand picked along with Carragher to attend the FA's center of excellence at Lilleshaw.

The Liverpool man later left Liverpool for Cambridge United and drifted into non-league football.

The court heard how in his 2008 autobiography Carragher said Cassidy would have been a “certain Liverpool regular” but for the injuries that ended his career in top flight football.

Without football to fall back on, Cassidy spiraled into a life of crime alongside his old brother Jonathan, 50, who was locked up today for 21 years and nine months.

The pair used encrypted phones to import cocaine into the UK from South America to flood the streets of Liverpool with the drug.

The Sun
 
Bukayo Saka has withdrawn from the England squad for the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.

The Arsenal winger, 22, did not take part in group training on Wednesday.


BBC
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward Robinho must serve a nine-year rape sentence in his home country of Brazil, a court has ruled.

Robinho, 40, was found guilty by an Italian court in 2017 of taking part in the 2013 gang rape of a 22-year-old Albanian woman.

He has been living in Brazil, which does not extradite its nationals.

Judges in Brasilia ruled on Wednesday that he should serve his sentence in Brazil following a request from Italy.

He will remain free pending a possible appeal against the ruling, lawyers said.

The former Brazil international, who has 100 caps for his country, was playing for AC Milan at the time of the crime.

After being found guilty he lost an appeal in 2020 before Italy's highest court upheld his sentence in 2022.

Italian prosecutors then issued an international arrest warrant for him.

The footballer, who spent two years with Manchester City, told a Brazilian network on Sunday that the sex had been "consensual".


BBC
Click to expand...


Former Brazil international Robinho arrested to serve rape sentence

Former Brazil international football player Robinho has been arrested to serve a nine-year prison sentence for rape.

He was convicted two years ago in Italy for his part in the gang rape of an Albanian woman at a night club in Milan in 2013.

Robinho, 40, was arrested at his flat in his home city of Santos.

The Italian government had requested that he serve his sentence in Brazil after failing to get him extradited.

On Wednesday, a court in Brazil upheld the decision and also ruled that he should serve his time behind bars instead of under house arrest.

Earlier on Thursday, a Supreme Court judge rejected a request to halt his detention.

The decisive action taken by Brazil's justice system has been praised by many on local media, who feared that Robinho would evade justice thanks to his fame and his wealth.

The former Brazil international, who has 100 caps for his country, was playing for AC Milan at the time of the crime. After being found guilty, he lost an appeal in 2020 before Italy's highest court upheld his sentence in 2022.

Italian prosecutors then issued an international arrest warrant for him.

The footballer, who spent two years with Manchester City, told a Brazilian network on Sunday that the sex had been "consensual".

BBC
 
The FA has no intention of recalling the new England shirt, Sky Sports News has been told, despite the ongoing controversy brought about by the decision to change the colours of the St George’s Cross.
 
The German Football Association's (DFB) decision to switch the supplier of the national team's kit away from Adidas has been blasted by politicians.

The contract will pass from the German company to US firm Nike from 2027.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said he would have "liked a bit more local patriotism", while Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the decision "wrong".

The DFB said the deal made financial sense and would support grassroots German football.

Adidas has supplied the kit for the German national football team for more than 70 years.

However, according to reports in the German press, Nike agreed to pay about €100m (£86m; $108m) per year to supply the kit, doubling Adidas's payment of €50m.

The deal, announced on Thursday, was greeted with dismay by German politicians on the left and right.

"I can hardly imagine the German jersey without the three stripes," Mr Habeck said. "For me, Adidas and black-red-gold always belonged together. A piece of German identity."

Mr Lauterbach said on X, formerly Twitter, it was "a wrong decision where commerce destroys a tradition and a piece of home".

And Bavarian premier Markus Soeder said the national team always plays in the three stripes of Adidas. "That was as clear as the fact that the ball is round and a game lasts 90 minutes," he said.

"The success story began in 1954 with the unforgettable World Cup victory, which gave our country self-confidence again. That's why it's wrong, a shame and also incomprehensible that this story should end now."

He said German football should not be "a pawn in international corporate battles" and that "commerce isn't everything".

The DFB said on X that it understood the emotional reaction to its decision, saying switching supplier after 70 years was a "drastic event" that "doesn't leave us cold".

However, it said the grassroots of German football, with "more than 24,000 football clubs, 2.2 million active players, the numerous volunteers and almost 55,000 referees", is financed by the DFB.

"Against this background, the DFB has to make economic decisions," it said. "Nike made by far the best financial offer in the transparent and non-discriminatory tender process."

"The future partnership with Nike ensures that we can continue to carry out our central tasks for football in the coming decade," it added.

The announcement of the Nike deal comes just months ahead of Euro 2024. Germany's men's team is using Adidas's headquarters in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg, as its base for the tournament, which Germany is hosting.

Adidas said it would not comment on contractual details.

The row over the German kit comes as politicians in England criticise a Nike design for the England team kit.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the St George's Cross should not be "messed with" after Nike used different colours, adding navy, light blue and purple to the traditional red.

The FA has defended the design, saying "it is not the first time" different colours have been used.

Source: BBC
 

England: Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire ruled out of friendly against Belgium​


England defenders Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire, and back-up goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, have been ruled out of Tuesday's friendly with Belgium.

Burnley keeper James Trafford and Manchester City defender Rico Lewis, who were with the England Under-21s, have been promoted to the senior squad.

Trafford, 21, helped England win the Euro Under-21 last summer and this is his first senior call-up.

Lewis, 19, made his Three Lions debut in November against North Macedonia.

His City team-mate Walker was injured in the first half of Saturday's 1-0 friendly defeat by Brazil at Wembley.

Manchester United's Maguire, who replaced Walker as captain when he was substituted, came off in the 67th minute.

Maguire, Walker and Crystal Palace's Johnstone, who did not feature on Saturday, have returned to their clubs.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka have already been ruled out.


BBC
 

USA 2-0 Mexico: Tyler Adams & Giovanni Reyna goals seal Concacaf Nations League title​

Tyler Adams and Giovanni Reyna scored as the United States beat Mexico to win the Concacaf Nations League.

The game in Arlington, Texas, was paused three times because of homophobic chanting from fans.

Concacaf, the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Carribbean, condemned the chanting and said a "significant number" of supporters were ejected.

The US, Mexico and Canada are joint hosts for the 2026 World Cup.

Play was stopped in the 86th minute and twice in injury time because of discriminatory chanting from the crowd when USA keeper Matt Turner took his goal-kicks.

Homophobic chanting also caused the last meeting between the sides to be paused in June 2023.

"It is extremely disappointing that this matter continues to be an issue at some matches, particularly in the context of the next two years presenting such a tremendous opportunity to grow the sport in our region," Concacaf said.

"We will continue to urge fans to support their teams positively and with respect for the opposition and all participants in the game."

The US have won all three Concacaf Nations League titles since its inception in 2019-20.

Midfielder Adams has spent the majority of the season on the sidelines since signing for Bournemouth in the summer after two surgeries on his hamstring.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring in just his fourth appearance this campaign but was withdrawn at half-time.

Reyna, who joined Nottingham Forest on loan from Borussia Dortmund in January, wrapped up the win with his eighth goal for the national side.

"It never gets old winning titles for your country. I'll never take any of them for granted," midfielder Reyna said.

"The group of guys and the energy we have, I always love coming to camp. I'm at a loss for words right now."

Source: BBC
 
Argentina forward Angel Di Maria received a threat at his family home on the outskirts of Rosario early Monday morning, local media reported, amid a wave of drug-related violence in the city where Lionel Messi also hails from.

The message comes a week after Di Maria, currently playing for Portuguese champions Benfica, said he would like to end his career at his boyhood club Rosario Central.

Local media reports said a car left a sign in front of the private neighborhood where the 36-year-old usually stays addressed to the Di Maria family saying not even the provincial governor Maximiliano Pullaro could guarantee their safety if he returns to the city.


Reuters
 
China’s former football chief sentenced to life in prison over corruption

The former chief of China’s national football association Chen Xuyuan has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes, state media has reported, following one of the biggest anticorruption probes in the sport in years.

A court in central Hubei province found that Chen took advantage of his various posts from 2010 to 2023, including those linked to the Chinese Football Association (CFA), to aid others in matters regarding project contracting, investment operations and sport events arrangements, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

In return, Chen accepted money and valuables worth more than 81 million yuan ($11m).

Chen has brought “tremendous damage” to China’s football cause, Xinhua cited the court ruling as saying.

The severe sentence for Chen, 67, concludes a probe into high-level football officials in China in a sport that has long grappled with corruption, which fans have blamed for the perpetual underperformance of the national team.

In the last episode of a four-part documentary series on corruption aired on national television in January, Chen said the night before he became the chairman of the CFA in 2019 he had received backpacks each containing 300,000 yuan ($41,562) from two local football officials who wanted him to “take care of them”.

Confessions of corruption have become a common feature on national television since President Xi Jinping came to power and unleashed a sweeping anticorruption campaign that has also ensnared football.

Xi is a self-confessed football fanatic who has said he dreams of his country hosting and winning the World Cup.

That ambition appears further away than ever after the corruption probe and years of disappointing results on the pitch.

National skipper Zhang Linpeng last week quit international football over the “disgrace” of a World Cup qualifying draw with Singapore, before reversing his decision.

Other football officials probed for corruption included Chen Yongliang, former CFA executive deputy secretary-general, Liu Lei, a former director at the Wuhan Football Management Centre, Yu Hongchen, a former vice head of the CFA, and Dong Zheng, a former general manager of the Chinese Super League.

Chen has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, Yu 13 years, and Dong eight years, according to state media.

In 2012, former CFA chairman Xie Yalong and his successor Nan Yong were each sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail for accepting bribes in the last big football corruption dragnet in China.


www.aljazeera.com

Former China football chief given life sentence for ‘huge’ bribery

Chen Xuyuan's sentencing concludes a wide-ranging anticorruption probe involving top football officials in China.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
Cricket Warrior said:
China’s former football chief sentenced to life in prison over corruption

The former chief of China’s national football association Chen Xuyuan has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes, state media has reported, following one of the biggest anticorruption probes in the sport in years.

A court in central Hubei province found that Chen took advantage of his various posts from 2010 to 2023, including those linked to the Chinese Football Association (CFA), to aid others in matters regarding project contracting, investment operations and sport events arrangements, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

In return, Chen accepted money and valuables worth more than 81 million yuan ($11m).

Chen has brought “tremendous damage” to China’s football cause, Xinhua cited the court ruling as saying.

The severe sentence for Chen, 67, concludes a probe into high-level football officials in China in a sport that has long grappled with corruption, which fans have blamed for the perpetual underperformance of the national team.

In the last episode of a four-part documentary series on corruption aired on national television in January, Chen said the night before he became the chairman of the CFA in 2019 he had received backpacks each containing 300,000 yuan ($41,562) from two local football officials who wanted him to “take care of them”.

Confessions of corruption have become a common feature on national television since President Xi Jinping came to power and unleashed a sweeping anticorruption campaign that has also ensnared football.

Xi is a self-confessed football fanatic who has said he dreams of his country hosting and winning the World Cup.

That ambition appears further away than ever after the corruption probe and years of disappointing results on the pitch.

National skipper Zhang Linpeng last week quit international football over the “disgrace” of a World Cup qualifying draw with Singapore, before reversing his decision.

Other football officials probed for corruption included Chen Yongliang, former CFA executive deputy secretary-general, Liu Lei, a former director at the Wuhan Football Management Centre, Yu Hongchen, a former vice head of the CFA, and Dong Zheng, a former general manager of the Chinese Super League.

Chen has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, Yu 13 years, and Dong eight years, according to state media.

In 2012, former CFA chairman Xie Yalong and his successor Nan Yong were each sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail for accepting bribes in the last big football corruption dragnet in China.


www.aljazeera.com

Former China football chief given life sentence for ‘huge’ bribery

Chen Xuyuan's sentencing concludes a wide-ranging anticorruption probe involving top football officials in China.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
Click to expand...
That's the kind of measures every sporting country should take to eliminate corruption.
 

Gabriel Barbosa: Flamengo striker suspended for two years for attempted anti-doping fraud​

Flamengo and Brazil striker Gabriel Barbosa has been suspended for two years for attempted anti-doping fraud.

Local media have reported that the 27-year-old, known as 'Gabigol', made it difficult to carry out an anti-doping test the day before a game.

Barbosa, who has played 18 times for his country, denies the allegations.

"I have never attempted to obstruct or defraud any test, and I trust that I will be cleared by the higher court," he said in a post on X.

"Since the beginning of my career as a footballer, I have always followed the rules of the game and never used banned substances. I have been subjected to dozens of tests, all of which have always been negative.

"I am disappointed with the outcome of the judgement, but I will continue co-operating with the sporting authorities and trust that my innocence will be proven and re-established by the higher court."

Barbosa, who was part of Brazil's gold medal-winning squad at the 2016 Rio Olympics, can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The Brazilian Doping Control Authority said: "The aforementioned athlete was judged by the Anti-Doping Sports Court of Justice and, by a majority vote, it was decided that a violation of the anti-doping rule of attempted fraud had occurred."

The two-year ban starts from the date of violation, which occurred on 8 April 2023.

The Brazilian Serie A season starts on 14 April and runs until 8 December meaning Barbosa will miss the full season, but should be available for the start of the 2025 campaign.

Flamengo said they were surprised by the verdict and would help the player with an appeal.

"(The club) will assist the athlete in presenting an appeal to CAS, since it understands that there was no fraud, not even an attempt, to justify the punishment applied," they said in a statement.

Barbosa signed for Flamengo on a permanent deal in 2020 after a successful loan spell from Inter Milan, where he only played nine times in four years.

The forward scored the winning goal in the 2022 Copa Libertadores final - South America's version of the Champions League - in a 1-0 win over fellow Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense.

Barbosa made his Brazil debut in a 2-0 friendly win over Panama in May 2016 and has scored five international goals.

Source: BBC
 
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