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Tag: England

  • World Cup: Maradona apologises for saying England ‘robbed’ Colombia

    World Cup: Maradona apologises for saying England ‘robbed’ Colombia

    Argentina legend Diego Maradona has apologised to Fifa for saying England committed a “monumental robbery” in beating Colombia in the World Cup last 16.

    Maradona accused referee Mark Geiger of bias towards England.

    Fifa said his comments were “entirely inappropriate” and insinuations about the referee “completely unfounded”.

    “I said a couple of things and, I admit, some of them are unacceptable,” said Maradona on social media.

    Maradona posted his message below a picture of himself and Fifa president Gianni Infantino, apologising to both the Swiss and football’s world governing body.

    “I have absolute respect for the work – which is not easy – that the institution and the referees do,” he added.

    Maradona, 57, felt Geiger should have penalised Harry Kane for a foul on Colombia’s Carlos Sanchez instead of awarding the penalty that allowed the England captain to open the scoring just before the hour mark in Moscow.

    “Here’s a gentleman who decides, a referee who, if you Google him, shouldn’t be given a match of this magnitude… Geiger, an American, what a coincidence,” Maradona had said on his nightly World Cup show for the Venezuela-based Telesur broadcaster.

    Maradona was pictured wearing a Colombia shirt prior to the game and TV images showed him celebrating Yerry Mina’s late equaliser.

    Fifa said it was “extremely sorry” to read the comments from “a player who has written the history of our game”.

    “Fifa strongly rebukes the criticism of the performance of the match officials which it considers to have been positive in a tough and highly emotional match,” it said.

  • World Cup: England win 4-3 on penalties

    England have secured a place in the quarter finals after beating Colombia on penalty shoot-outs thrilling fans with thier win after a tense night in Moscow.

    Two excellent saves from Jordan Pickford blocked efforts from Uribe and Bacca saw him to end England’s record of spot kick disasters and leave the path clear for Dier to score a winning penalty for the Three Lions.

    It followed a tense match in which Yerry Mina scored against Gareth Southgate’s team at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow, during injury time after a goalless first half.

    England fans had been relieved when Kane netted his sixth goal and his third from the penalty spot in the 58th minute after he was wrestled to the ground by Carol Sanchez.

  • English Premier League records profit for the 2016/2017 season

    The English Premier League clubs posted record profits last season, according to figures released by Deloitte.

    According to analysis of the clubs’ accounts for the 2016/17 season by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, the Premier League made a collective pre-tax profit of £0.5billion, almost three times the previous record of £0.2billion in 2013/14.

    The clubs also generated a record operating profit – total revenues minus wages and other business costs, apart from transfer fees – of £1billion, double the figure for the previous season.

    The figures are a reflection of strong broadcast revenues and Financial Fair Play rules keeping wage inflation under control.

    Wages did rise across the league by nine per cent to a new record of £2.5billion, but overall revenue rose 25 per cent.

    This means clubs spent only 23p of every additional £1 earned on wages – a degree of restraint that enabled all 20 clubs to make operating profits and 18 of 20 to record pre-tax profits.

    Overall, the earnings-to-wages ratio, a key indicator of a company’s financial viability, fell from 63 per cent to 55 per cent, the lowest for nearly 20 years.

    In a statement, Dan Jones, the head of Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said the increase in revenue was a result of last season being the first of the current three-year domestic deal with BT and Sky, which is worth more than £5.1billion.

    Jones said the increase in wages was “nowhere near the level of revenue growth” and this “reflects both the extent of [the Premier League’s] financial advantage over other leagues and the impact of domestic and European cost control measures”.

    Deloitte also noted that the clubs have made collective pre-tax profits in three of the last four years – a trend it believes will continue.

    The figures do not include transfer costs, which for accounting purposes are spread over the length of a player’s contract.

    The price of talent continues to rise but Deloitte believes Premier League clubs can afford it and are likely to spend heavily again.

    Sports Business Group senior consultant Tim Bridge said: “We have already seen some clubs utilising their significant revenue increases, with a record £1.9billion spent on transfers in the 2017/18 season.

    “We may again see similar levels of spending in the coming season, with the World Cup providing the perfect shop window for talent, but expenditure remains well within the means of clubs.”

    Sky Sports

  • BREAKING: Former England captain Ray Wilkins dies at 61

    BREAKING: Former England captain Ray Wilkins dies at 61

    Former England and Chelsea midfielder, Ray Wilkins died on Wednesday at the age of 61, one week on from a heart attack.

    Wilkins, who also played for Manchester United, AC Milan, Rangers and QPR, was being treated at St George’s Hospital in London before his death.

    His family thanked “Ray’s friends, colleagues and members of the public” for the many messages of goodwill.

    Chelsea said they were “devastated to learn of the passing of our former player, captain and assistant coach”.

    The club added: “Rest in peace, Ray, you will be dreadfully missed.”

    Wilkins’ family said: “It is with great sadness we announce that Raymond Colin Wilkins passed away this morning.

    “Ray leaves behind his loving wife, Jackie, daughter Jade, son Ross, and his beautiful grandchildren, Oliver, Frankie, Ava, Freddie, Jake and Archie.

    “We are asking for privacy at this very difficult time.”

    Wilkins had been working as a TV and radio pundit.

    As a player, he won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 1983 and the Scottish league title with Rangers in 1989.

    He made 84 appearances for England and captained his country 10 times.

    Wilkins had spells as manager of QPR, Fulham and the Jordan national team.

    He was also Chelsea assistant coach from 1998-2000 and then 2008 until 2010, when he worked alongside Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti.

    BBC

  • Liverpool defender, Joe Gomez withdraws from England squad

    Liverpool’s Joe Gomez has withdrawn from the England squad and returned to his club for further assessment of the injury he suffered in Friday’s 1-0 friendly win over the Netherlands.

    The 20-year-old defender sustained an ankle injury about 10 minutes into his third senior national appearance.

    England have no plans to call up a replacement for their next friendly at home to Italy on Tuesday.

    Gomez has played 29 times for Liverpool in all competitions this season.

    The young defender was shocked to find Gareth Southgate sending him on from the bench against Germany in November but now he is firmly in World Cup squad contention

     

     

  • Mourinho concedes title to City rival says we have to finish second

    Mourinho concedes title to City rival says we have to finish second

    Jose Mourinho has admitted that Manchester United cannot win the Premier League title, insisting that they must now focus on finishing second.
    Manchester City currently lead the Premier League by 15 points, with 13 games of the season remaining.

    City have lost just once in 2017-18 – to Liverpool – and have drawn just twice, while United have suffered four defeats and recorded five draws.

    United face Huddersfield Town this weekend, while City take on Burnley, but Mourinho has now given up hope of overhauling Pep Guardiola’s side.

    “We need points to be the first of the last,” he told reporters.

    “We have to try to finish second, we are in this position all season, we were first for a few weeks and then we were always second.

    “The fight is open for second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth but is practically closed for the first.”

    Indeed, United have only a three-point lead over both Liverpool and Chelsea, in third and fourth, and are just five ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham.

    However, Mourinho says United have improved since the end of last season, and maintains that they are focused on silverware.

    “We’re doing better than last season and it’s very important for us to do better than last season,” he added.

    “We are trying to win something this season, and if not, we will try to be stronger for next season.”

  • Former England striker Regis dies at 59

    English football on Monday mourned former West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City and England striker Cyrille Regis who died at 59 as a role model and pioneer for the country’s black footballers.

    Local media said he died of a heart attack on Sunday.

    Born in French Guiana but moving to London as a boy, Regis joined West Brom in 1977 and scored 112 goals in 297 appearances for the club.

    He thereafter left for Coventry in 1984, where he won the FA Cup three years later.

    Regis went on to play for Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wycombe Wanderers and Chester City before hanging up his boots in 1996.

    Apart from being a powerful and talented striker, Regis inspired a generation of black players.

    This was at a time when they were a rarity in the top echelons of English soccer and were regularly subjected to racial abuse from crowds.

    “Devastated this morning my hero my pioneer the man behind the reason I wanted to play football has passed away,” former England striker Andy Cole said on Twitter.

    Together with Brendon Batson and the late Laurie Cunningham, Regis formed part of a West Brom trio nicknamed “The Three Degrees” by manager Ron Atkinson.

    He was nicknamed after the American female singers who visited The Hawthorns.

    “Regis got five international caps but today he would get 60 or 70 at least,” Atkinson said.

    “I think he was the best centre forward I’ve ever had and I’ve had some top players. But I also think he was a better bloke than a player. He was an unbelievable guy.”

    Regis quickly became a fan favourite and scourge of rival defences as an explosive striker with a powerful physical presence.

    His spectacular strike against Norwich City in the FA Cup won Match of the Day’s Goal of the Season award for 1981-82.

    “What a man. What a centre forward! One of my earliest football memories was walking into WBA for a trial as a 13-year-old kid, seeing Cyrille Regis and being in awe of him. RIP big man,” former England striker Alan Shearer said on Twitter.

    Known to the fans as “Smokin’ Joe” and “The Big C”, Regis encountered more racism as he moved into international contention.

     

    (Reuters/NAN)

  • England may play final World Cup warm-up match at Elland Road

    England are considering playing their final World Cup warm-up game at Leeds’ 37,890-capacity Elland Road ground.

    Manager Gareth Southgate wants to play two matches, against as yet unnamed opposition, as final preparation for the summer tournament in Russia.

    The first will be at Wembley but the second is set to be played away from the national stadium.

    England last played at Elland Road in March 2002, when they were beaten 2-1 in a friendly by Italy.

    They also drew 3-3 against Sweden there in June 1995 and the stadium was used for three group matches at Euro 96.

    Friendly matches against Netherlands in Amsterdam and Italy at Wembley have already been arranged for 23 March and 27 March respectively.

    England’s Russia 2018 campaign begins against Tunisia on Monday, 18 June (19:00 BST) in Volgograd.

    They will then face World Cup debutants Panama in Nizhny Novgorod on 24 June (13:00 BST) before playing Belgium four days later in Kaliningrad (19:00 BST).

  • England to play Nigeria in Pre-World Cup Friendly- NFF general secretary

    England are set to play Nigeria in a World Cup warm-up game in June, according to the general secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Mohammed Sanusi.

    Both nations will feature at next year’s World Cup in Russia, with Nigeria drawn in Group D along with Argentina, Croatia and Iceland, while Gareth Southgate’s side will play Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in Group G.

    England are scheduled to play the Netherlands in a friendly on March 23 before hosting Italy four days later. They will meet Tunisia in their World Cup opener at the Volgograd Arena on June 18.

    “We plan to play a friendly against England in June, before the World Cup,” Sanusi said, adding that the venue and other details of the match were still to be worked out.

    There has been no confirmation from the Football Association on pre-World Cup friendlies

    The two countries met in a friendly in November 1994, which England won 1-0 at Wembley courtesy of a David Platt goal.

    They then played out a 0-0 draw in the group stages of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, with the point helping England advance from Group F.

    skysports

  • Dele Alli, banned for one England game following gesture

    Dele Alli, banned for one England game following gesture.

     

    England midfielder, Dele Alli, has been banned for one international match following his middle-finger gesture during the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia.

     

    The Tottenham player was also fined 5,000 Swiss francs (£3,852) by Fédération Internationale de Football Association, Fifa, who says the incident on 4 September was “offensive and unsporting”.

     

    The midfielder will miss Thursday’s World Cup qualifier at home to Slovenia.

     

    The 21-year-old, Alli, will be available for the game against Lithuania on Sunday.

     

    Alli said his gesture was aimed at former Spurs team-mate Kyle Walker during the 77th minute of the 2-1 win in Group F.

     

    The incident occurred after Alli was body-checked by Slovakia defender Martin Skrtel, and referee Clement Turpin waved play on.

     

    It initially appeared that Alli gestured towards the official, with whom he also had words when he was substituted in the 93rd minute.

     

    A Fifa statement said: “Although the disciplinary committee was not convinced that the player directed the gesture at the referee, and regardless of whether it was allegedly directed at a team-mate, it did consider such gesture to be offensive and unsporting. Therefore it amounted to a violation of article 57 of the Fifa disciplinary code.”