Jota to miss World Cup with injury, says Liverpool’s Klopp
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022
Reuters
Portugal forward Diogo Jota has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a calf injury, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told reporters on Tuesday (October 18).
Jota, 25, was taken off on a stretcher deep into stoppage time during Liverpool’s 1-0 Premier League win against champions Manchester City at the weekend.
“Really not good news about Diego. I guess he will miss the World Cup,” Klopp said. “Pretty serious injury in the muscle, calf muscle, and now we have to recover. He starts all, the process starts let me say. That’s it pretty much, that’s the first diagnosis that’s pretty clear and all the rest will now follow in the next few days. Very sad news for the boy, for us of course as well, for Portugal for everybody.”
Jota, capped 29 times by Portugal, has scored 10 times for the national team.
Klopp also said he expected to be on the touchline against West Ham United in the Premier League at Anfield on Wednesday, despite being shown a red card in the feisty win over Liverpool on Sunday.
“I think I will be there tomorrow because nothing really happened yet. I don’t think something will happen tomorrow to be honest, a few hours before the game.”
Ten Hag defends United players’ behaviour despite FA charge
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022
Reuters
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has defended his players after they confronted the referee during Sunday’s goalless draw against Newcastle United, saying the reaction was not too strong despite the club being charged by the Football Association.
The FA charged United on Tuesday (October 18) for failing to control their players, who surrounded referee Craig Pawson after he disallowed a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo in the Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo claimed Newcastle had taken a free kick before he raced to take the ball away from goalkeeper Nick Pope and slotted it into an empty net, but Pawson disallowed the effort and booked the Portuguese forward as he led the players’ reaction.
“I must say I don’t think it was too strong, it wasn’t really aggressive but I don’t know what’s happening exactly on the pitch, I was too far away,” Ten Hag told reporters before United host Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
“I saw it back on the video… It was quite obvious the player touched the ball from Newcastle and our players took advantage of it.”
The incident was one of many involving match officials being confronted in the top flight at the weekend, with the FA also charging Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp with improper conduct for his outburst at an assistant referee.
Ten Hag said his players are role models for amateurs and youth players but as professionals, they should be allowed to question referees’ decisions.
“We are an example for amateurs, for youth, professional players. We have to know our role and it’s also about professional football,” Ten Hag added. “It is also quite normal you ask why in the moment.
“My view is, quite quickly, you have to accept the referee’s decision and move on.”
Ten Hag added Anthony Martial will not be available to face Tottenham but Christian Eriksen has returned to training and is in contention to feature against his former club.
United are fifth in the league with 16 points from nine games while Spurs are third, level on 23 points with Manchester City after 10 games.
adidas Honour Karim Benzema’s Ballon d’Or Win With Signature Boots
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2022
THE NATION
As is customary for a Ballon d’Or win these days, adidas have honoured Karim Benzema’s award with his very own pair of signature boots, presenting the X Speedportal in a regal look worthy of the win.
Karim Benzema has been head and shoulders above the competition over this last year, firing an amazing 15 goals in 12 appearances in the Champions League, and 27 in 32 in La Liga as Real Madrid went on to scoop both.
As a result, the Frenchman has rightly been awarded the 2022 Ballon d’Or, and in reaction to that and to commemorate the occasion, adidas have provided the striker with his very own signature edition X Speedportal.
The boots come with a luxurious look, with a white base playing host to an overlaid gold graphic that plays out across the upper. The gold continues on the underside, with a chrome finish transitioning from heel to forefoot, where the studs carry the golden hues. The heel then features a final sign off in the form of a stylised version of the name “Benzema”, with a golden ball that denotes the Ballon d’Or, sitting above.
It’s a fitting tribute, but it doesn’t stop there; as well as the boots, adidas have also provided Benzema with a golden version of the signature bandage that he wears on his right hand, and a special version of this season’s Real Madrid home kit, complete with a golden font for his name on the back and a special number nine that features a montage of his face.
‘Everyone will be welcome’: Infantino on Qatar World Cup
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2022
THE NATION
FIFA president Gianni Infantino re-iterated next month’s World Cup in Qatar will be for everyone, as some of the tournament’s top officials gathered in Doha on Monday (October 17).
Addressing a news conference in a recorded video, Infantino said the tournament can help “bring the world together” and that fans would be an important part of that process.
“Let me repeat it clearly, everyone will be welcomed to the tournament, regardless of their origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality,” he said.
“This FIFA World Cup, a tournament of peace and unity, will be the one that brings the world together after some difficult times. And, let me repeat it clearly, everyone will be welcomed to the tournament, regardless of their origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.”
Rights groups have previously called out Qatar for its stance against homosexuality, while Nasser Al Khater, the chief executive of the 2022 World Cup, has said LGBTQ+ fans coming into the country would not have to worry about “persecution of any sort”, describing Qatar as a “tolerant country”.
Qatar, the smallest country to have hosted soccer’s global showpiece tournament, is preparing to receive an estimated 1.2 million visitors during the World Cup.
Thousands of fans are expected to stay in neighbouring countries like tourism hub the United Arab Emirates and fly in to Doha for matches due to limited accommodation in Qatar.
The director general of Qatar’s World Cup organising committee, Yasir Al Jamal, told the news conference that two million room nights have been sold and that Qatar has added an additional 30,000 rooms to accommodate last-minute ticket sales.
Many hotel rooms in Doha will be occupied by soccer teams, their support staff and World Cup officials.
Japan will be the first team to arrive for the tournament on Nov. 7, Smith said.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) planned to use the ‘Ratchaburi Model’ as a sandbox for sports development in Thailand.
NSDF’s manager Supranee Guptasa and the staff recently visited the Sports Association of Ratchaburi to study obstacles in the provincial sports association to solve and develop the potential of sports in Thailand.
Supranee said that NSDF has 40 staff to organise a budget of 5 billion baht for sports associations in 77 provinces and 89 sports.
She said that NSDF aimed to bring the Muay Thai competition to be held in Ratchaburi in December as the budget has already been approved and is waiting for the provincial administration to provide the venue.
Supranee added that NSDF is ready to support the “Ratchaburi Model” to develop sports in 77 provinces to reach the international level.
Mason Greenwood: Manchester United forward denied bail
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2022
THE NATION
Greenwood confirmed his name, date of birth and address at Monday’s hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court; Greenwood remanded in custody until November 21
Sky Sports Report : Mason Greenwood has been remanded in custody after appearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault.
The 21-year-old looked at his family from the dock before he was taken down the steps at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
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 in the Trafford area on Saturday for an alleged breach of conditions.
Members of Greenwood’s family sat in a full public gallery in the small courtroom, along with members of the press.
Wearing a grey hooded Nike jumper and grey jogging bottoms and flanked by two dock officers, the footballer, of Bowdon, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
The attempted rape is alleged to have taken place in October 2021.
The controlling and coercive behaviour relates to a period between November 2018 and October this year, where he is alleged to have made threatening and derogatory comments towards the complainant, as well as accessing and monitoring her social media accounts.
The charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm is dated December 2021.
Within hours of the allegations surfacing online at the beginning of the year, the forward – 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 Greenwood, while Electronic Arts confirmed his removal from active squads on its FIFA 22 game.
Greenwood will appear before Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on November 21.
The defendant’s legal team told reporters they would be submitting a further bail application.
Benzema, Putellas win Ballon d’Or awards for best players in the world
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2022
Reuters
Real Madrid’s France forward Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d’Or award for the best men’s player in the world on Monday (October 17), while Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women’s award for a second time.
Benzema, who played a pivotal role in Real’s run to the Champions League title last season, is the first French player to win the trophy since Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and the fifth after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini and Jean-Pierre Papin.
“This prize in front of me makes me really proud. When I was small, it was a childhood dream, I never gave up… Anything is possible,” Benzema said on stage at the ceremony.
Benzema beat Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane of Senegal and Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne after Argentina’s Lionel Messi won the award for a record seventh time last year.
Benzema had a stellar season with Real, scoring 44 goals in 46 games in all competitions as he helped guide them to a LaLiga and Champions League double. His 15 goals in the Champions League powered Real to a record-extending 14th title.
Real made remarkable comebacks from losing positions in the last-16, quarter-finals and semi-finals against Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City respectively, with Benzema scoring in each of the second legs.
The highlight of their European campaign was the 3-1 win in the second leg against PSG when the Spanish club were 2-0 down on aggregate, with Benzema grabbing a 17-minute hat-trick in the second half to stun the Ligue 1 side.
Spanish international Putellas won the women’s Ballon d’Or for a second straight year, beating England’s European Championship winner Beth Mead and Australia’s Sam Kerr.
Putellas, who was also named FIFA Best Women’s Player earlier this year, was top scorer in the Champions League last season with 11 goals and scored 18 in the Primera Division.
The 28-year-old missed the Euros for Spain, however, after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury on the eve of the tournament in England.
Real’s Thibaut Courtois won the Lev Yashin award for the best goalkeeper last season, with the towering shot stopper making nine saves in the final to keep a clean sheet against Liverpool in a 1-0 victory in Paris.
However, the teams in the Champions League final lost out on the Best Club award, which went to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City who won a fourth Premier League title in five years.
Barca’s 18-year-old midfielder Gavi picked up the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player, while Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane won the inaugural Socrates award, with the Senegal international recognised for his humanitarian efforts.
Lewandowski did not go home empty handed either as he picked up the Gerd Muller Trophy for the best striker after scoring 50 goals in all competitions for Bayern last season.
Pep Guardiola said coins were thrown at him during Manchester City’s 1-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday (October 16), a heated encounter in which home coach Juergen Klopp was sent to the stands.
The City bench celebrated vigorously as, after a poor first half, Phil Foden thought he had fired the champions into the lead in the 53rd minute, only for his strike to be ruled out after a VAR review.
Guardiola was furious with the decision, even before referee Anthony Taylor had finished viewing the pitch-side monitor, turning around to remonstrate with Liverpool fans in the stands.
In the aftermath, the City boss said the Liverpool supporters retaliated.
“Next time they will do it better, they didn’t get me,” Guardiola said. “They tried but didn’t get me. They got them (coins) on the coach years ago but not this time.”
Erling Haaland was penalised for a foul on Fabinho in the build-up to Foden’s finish from a tight angle, a decision Guardiola was still not happy with after the match.
“This is Anfield,” Guardiola added. “The referee spoke with my assistant and Juergen before the game and said ‘Today I won’t make fouls’ and all the game was play on, play on, play on, except the goal we scored.
“The crowd and everything, many years we come here. We lost because we made a mistake and play one of the best teams in the world. It is so tight and the margins are so fine.”
Klopp was sent to the stands after he was unhappy with the officials later in the second half, feeling match-winner Mohamed Salah was fouled by Bernardo Silva right in front of him.
He was nonetheless delighted to get a result that can kick-start his side’s stuttering season, having ended City’s unbeaten run.
“The red card is my fault, I went over the top in that moment,” Klopp said. “That’s not okay, but as little excuse I would like to mention how can you not whistle that as a foul?
“That (the result) felt good, very good. On a normal day you should not even try against City, you have to play to your limits. That’s what we did. It was a top performance from the boys.”
Liverpool later released a statement condemning some chants from City supporters during the match.
“We are deeply disappointed to hear vile chants relating to football stadium tragedies from the away section during today’s game at Anfield. The concourse in the away section was also vandalised with graffiti of a similar nature,” they said.
“We know the impact such behaviour has on the families, survivors and all those associated with such disasters.
“We are working with the relevant authorities and we will also work with Manchester City in order to do our utmost to ensure these chants are eradicated from football altogether.”
U18 world record holder Puripol snatches 100m gold at Asian Youth Athletics
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson won the 100 metres gold medal at the Asian Youth Athletics Championships on Friday in Kuwait.
Puripol, 16, exploded out of the blocks to easily outpace his rivals and cross the finish line in a time of 10.33 seconds. Taiwan’s Po-jui Lee took the silver with a run of 10.73s while South Korea’s Nwamadi Joeljin grabbed bronze with 10.77s.
Puripol smashed the under-18 world record for the 100 metres with a time of 10.09 seconds in the semi-finals of this year’s World Athletics U20 championships in Cali, Colombia on August 2. His injury two days later in the 4x100m relay meant the Thai team finished the preliminary round in fourth and failed to qualify for the final.
Thailand scored more success in Kuwait when Athicha Phetkun ran 12.01s in the women’s 100 metres to snatch the silver in a race won by Indonesia’s Valentin Vanesa Lonteng in 11.69s.
Fellow Thai Piyapat Pongsapan also won silver in the women’s 1,500 metres, timing 4:58.82s for second place on the podium behind Nguyen Khanh Linh of Vietnam in 4:51.61s.
Liverpool’s Klopp hails world’s best Haaland as perfect for Man City
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
Reuters
Norway striker Erling Haaland is a “perfect fit” for Manchester City and Liverpool will have to find ways to limit his threat in attack in Sunday’s (October 16) Premier League game at Anfield, manager Juergen Klopp said.
Haaland has made a sensational start at City, scoring 20 goals in 13 matches in all competitions for the league champions since joining them from Borussia Dortmund in the close season.
“When you play against somebody at the moment who is the best striker in the world you have to make sure he doesn’t get that many balls,” Klopp told reporters on Friday.
“That’s what we will try but obviously against City the problem is if you close Haaland down with too many players you open up gaps for all the other world-class players.
“So that will not make life easier, it’s a challenge, it’s a football problem and we will try to find a solution.”
Klopp heaped praise on Haaland, saying the 22-year-old boasts an enviable combination of physical and technical skills.
“His finishing skills are exceptional but he moves really smart,” Klopp said. “You can only use speed if you use it in a smart way. His whole package makes it special.”
The Liverpool manager added: “So many things to make a striker, and at City he has some of the best players around him setting up goals. It’s a perfect fit.”
Liverpool are 10th in the league on 10 points after eight games, 13 points behind City who are second after nine games.
Klopp’s side go into Sunday’s game on the back of a 7-1 thumping of Rangers in the Champions League, in which Mohamed Salah scored the fastest hat-trick in the competition’s history.
Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Liverpool are their “biggest challengers” for the Premier League title despite the Merseyside team trailing his side by 13 points ahead of Sunday’s (October 16) game at Anfield.
City, who have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, are second in the league table on 23 points after nine games, one point behind leaders Arsenal.
Liverpool have won only two of their eight league games and are 10th, but Guardiola said his opinion about them has not been changed by their league position.
“I know the quality they have, they know the quality we have. If this was with five or ten games left, I would say they could not catch top of the league but, with so long left plus a World Cup, anything can happen,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
City have been one of the most consistent teams in world football this season, with the team yet to lose a game in any competition.
“This is our biggest achievement as a team,” Guardiola said.
“Everything can change. A few months ago Liverpool were competing for a prestigious situation in English football, four titles, they had more shots, possession, everything in the final and they lost.
“This is the same team, same manager, things can happen. It’s part of the nature of the competition. I don’t look at good moments or bad moments I analyse as a team always expecting the best of them.”
Guardiola said that Kyle Walker (groin), Kalvin Phillips (shoulder) and John Stones (thigh) are still sidelined and he does not know if they would be fit to play for England at the World Cup.
He added that striker Erling Haaland will play in Sunday’s game after he was an unused substitute in their Champions League match in midweek.
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