Manchester United forward Robin van Persie has blasted UEFA as cowardly following their decision to stand by referee Cuneyt Cakir.
The Turkish official controversially sent off Nani in the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Real Madrid, a game which Sir Alex Ferguson s men went on to lose, having led at the time of the red card.
That red card was heavily unjustified, van Persie told reporters.
It was not even a yellow card or a free-kick. Nani couldn t do anything about it, he hardly touched (Alvaro) Arbeloa.
The worst thing is that UEFA supports him. That s cowardly, because I really don t understand it.
Why don t they just be honest and say: He hasn t seen it?
I didn t understand before the game that this man woul…
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will not be replacing Laurent Blanc as France coach.
The Gunners boss was linked as a potential candidate to take over from Blanc after the former Bordeaux coach stepped down following their disappointing Euro 2012 campaign.
There are a lot of names, Wenger told Telefoot.
But me, I will be very busy with Arsenal where my contract still runs for two years.
France improved on their group stage elimination at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa making the quarter-finals, but the in-fighting so prevalent two years ago reared its head once more and disrupted preparations ahead of the loss to Spain.
Among the top names linked to the job are Paul Le Guen and Luis Fernandez, with Marseille coach Didier Deschamps the favour…
Market: Sweden win
Odds: 7/5 @
With a spot in the quarter-finals of this year s European Championships up for grabs on Tuesday night, Sweden will face off against Ukraine at Hampden this week.
Starting with The Swedes, managing to open up this summer s delayed European Championships with an eye-catching 0-0 stalemate against former world champions Spain, the mood in Sweden s camp should be at a real high. Building off of that 1-0 victory against Slovakia on June 18th, The Yellows wrapped up their Group E campaign in some style. Signing off their run with an action-packed 3-2 victory against Poland in Saint Petersburg last week, Head Coach Janne Andersson also saw his side book their knockout spot as Group E winners. Impressing many across the continent and recei…
Stefano Pioli feels Milan had chances to alter the course of their 2-2 draw against Genoa after missing first-half chances but believes his team are conceding too many goals in Serie A.
The Rossoneri drew 2-2 for the second match running as Davide Calabria and Pierre Kalulu each replied to goals from Mattia Destro in an exciting second half that was the antithesis of a lacklustre opening period.
Milan have conceded only 13 times in Serie A this season, tied for the fourth-best record in the league, while their four clean sheets are bettered only by three teams and just four have faced fewer shots on target.
But only one of those clean sheets has come in Milan s past nine Serie A games, conceding two or more in four of these matches, drawing on each occasion.…
All Whites fans will have a taste of the future when New Zealand travel to Seoul for Tuesday s international friendly against Asian Cup runners-up South Korea.
New Zealand coach Anthony Hudson has cast his net far and wide in attempt to build the foundations for the nation s upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, with 10 uncapped players included in the latest squad.
Ryan de Vries, Clayton Lewis, Moses Dyer, Sam Burfoot, Adam Mitchell and Sam Brotherton, who all ply their trade in the ASB Premiership a semi-professional league in New Zealand have been included.
Overseas-based quartet Benjamin van den Broek, Themistoklis Tzimopoulos, Stefan Marinovic and Max Crocombe are also in line for debuts.
Along with the debutants, there are eight players in th…
Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu has joined Bundesliga side Stuttgart on a season-long loan.
The 22-year-old, who made 16 Premier League appearances in his first season at Chelsea, signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge last month.
A knee injury has hampered Romeu s development and he will now look to gain further first-team experience with a side who finished 15th in the German top flight last term.
I look forward to the challenge, to a new country and new people, too, which brings me further in my development, Romeu told Stuttgart s official website.
Stuttgart coach Armin Veh, who returned to the club for a second spell in May, also signed forward Daniel Ginczek and midfielder Adam Hlousek from Nuremberg in June.
Romeu has represented Sp…
One of football’s characters and, on his day, a very fine footballer indeed, announced his retirement from the game yesterday at the age of just thirty-two.
httpv://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6lBe84Q-4F8
Danish international midfielder Thomas Gravesen has had a career lasting more than thirteen years and has played for Vejle BK, Hamburg, Everton, Real Madrid and Celtic.
On announcing his retirement Gravesen said,
I have spent some extraordinary years abroad, I have played and lived in four countries. But I m 33 in March, so before age and health force my hand I have opted to take the decision to stop myself.
He spent three years with Danish club Vejle BK before moving to Germany to play for Hamburg. After three years in the Bundes…
Kelly Smith, the England forward who was a finalist for FIFA Women s Player of the Year in 2008, signed a multi-year contract on Wednesday with the Boston Breakers of Women s Pro Soccer.
The seven-team US league will open its inaugural season in April with US rosters joined by top international talent such as Smith, who has 33 goals in 76 matches over a 14-year career with England s national squad.
We are delighted to have signed such a world-class, creative attacking talent, Breakers president Joe Cummings said.
Kelly has been playing at the top level for a long time, and I feel she will have a tremendous impact, not only on our team, but also the league.
Smith has scored 100 goals in 112 matches for Arsenal Ladies, which in 2007 won the English Wome…
Barcelona are still working hard to solve the financial problems which have been preventing them from signing captain Lionel Messi to a new contract. The Argentinian superstar has been a free agent since the end of last month, but he reportedly wants to stay at the Camp Nou despite interest from the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi is currently on holiday, having just won the 2021 Copa America with Argentina, his first-ever international trophy.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team have already started pre-season training.
Saturday s Workout Highlights
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)
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Wolves players have been blocked from going to the supermarket as the club aims to limit their risk of contracting coronavirus.
Some Premier League clubs have been allowed to welcome fans back to grounds over recent weeks, as the United Kingdom government moved to a tier system .
However, with large swathes of the country now back under stricter restrictions as infection rates rise, only Liverpool and Everton are allowed to welcome home fans to their matches.
Only one Premier League match this season has had to be postponed due to COVID-19, with Newcastle United s squad having been unable to attend their training ground ahead of a clash with Aston Villa due to an outbreak within the group.
Festive training.
— Wolves (@Wolves)
T…