TheNewsGuru

Tag: Premier League

  • Chelsea make contact with Antonio Conte’s agents

    Chelsea make contact with Antonio Conte’s agents

    Antonio Conte is being linked with a return to Chelsea.

    Just a fortnight after Conte left Tottenham by mutual consent, Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on Sunday night.

    The Blues are now in the process of hiring former manager Frank Lampard as caretaker to the end of the season.

    And The Independent reports Conte is among the managers the club’s owners wish to speak to.

    Conte guided Chelsea to the Premier League title in 2017 and contact has been made via his agents to sound him out about a return to Stamford Bridge.

    The Italian, however, is one of several candidates being considered by the board.

  • ‘I’m a better man’ – Ronaldo reflects on Man Utd exit

    ‘I’m a better man’ – Ronaldo reflects on Man Utd exit

    Cristiano Ronaldo has declared himself a “better man” for going through this season’s controversial departure from Manchester United.

    His final months at the club were filled with trouble as he struggled to star under new manager Erik ten Hag.

    Ronaldo even refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham before his appearance on Piers Morgan’s TalkTV show.

    In that he criticised the Dutch manager and the club’s Glazer ownership, leading to his contract being mutually terminated.

    He has since joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a staggering £173-million-a-year deal.

    During a Portugal press conference ahead of their international fixtures, Ronaldo said of his issues at the Red Devils: “Sometimes, you have to go through some things to see who is on my side.

    “I have no problem saying, I had a bad career run, but there’s no time for regrets.

    “Life goes on and, doing well or not, it was part of my growth.

    “When we are at the top of the mountain, we often cannot see what is below.

    “Now, I’m more prepared and learning that was important because I had never been through this, like in the last few months.

    “Now I’m a better man.”

  • REVEALED: The exact fee Chelsea paid to prise away Potter

    REVEALED: The exact fee Chelsea paid to prise away Potter

    Brighton’s financial records have revealed the massive fee Chelsea paid to prise Graham Potter away earlier this season.

    Their financial statements for the 2021-22 season, which were published on Wednesday, confirmed the exact number to be £21.5m.

    The £22m in compensation Bayern Munich paid RB Leipzig for manager Julian Nagelsmann in 2021 is the biggest ever fee paid for a boss, according to Planet Football.

    That makes the fee paid for Potter the highest amount spent on a manager in Premier League history.

    And it also makes it the second-highest compensation fee for a manager in football history.

    The Blues moved to appoint Potter in September after owner Todd Boehly axed Thomas Tuchel.

    But landing the club’s top target did not come cheap.

    As well as spending over £600m in the last two transfer windows on players, a staggering £21.5m was also shelled out in order to bring Potter to Stamford Bridge.

    Tribalfootball

  • Chelsea: Graham Potter admits death threats received

    Chelsea: Graham Potter admits death threats received

    Chelsea boss Graham Potter says he and his family have received anonymous death threats following the club’s poor run of form.

    The Blues have won just two of their past 14 games in all competitions and lost to Premier League strugglers Southampton on Saturday.

    Chelsea say they are offering their full support to Potter and his family.

    “I’ve had some not particularly nice emails come through, that want me to die,” Potter said.

    “That’s obviously not pleasant to receive.”

    The former Brighton boss said the anonymous emails had also referenced threats against his children.

    Under Potter, who was appointed in September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea have won just nine of their 25 games.

    “You could ask my family how life has been for me and for them. It’s been not pleasant at all,” Potter added.

    “If you go to work and somebody’s swearing abuse at you, it’s not going to be pleasant.

    “You can answer it two ways. I could say I don’t care, but you know I’m lying. Everyone cares what people think, because we’re hardwired to be socially connected.”

    Chelsea say they are offering Potter and his family whatever support they need but that it is a personal matter.

    The Blues are currently 10th in the league, 11 points off the Champions League places.

    Speaking before Sunday’s Premier League game against Tottenham, Potter said: “With the results as they are, you accept criticism.

    “That’s not to say it’s easy at all. Your family life suffers, your mental health suffers, your personality – it is hard.”

    Potter acknowledged that fans were “entitled to be angry” with recent results, but he said he would not be undone by the abuse.

    “Life is tough for lots of people,” he said.

    “You ask me is it hard, I say yes it is hard. You suffer. You get upset. When you’re in private, you show real emotion with your family.

    “But the world is tough. We’re going through an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis. People are striking every other week. No one wants to hear about the poor old Premier League manager.”

    Tribalfootball

  • Arsene Wenger speaks on Arsenal’s chances of winning EPL title

    Arsene Wenger speaks on Arsenal’s chances of winning EPL title

    Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes they’re on track to win the Premier League title after victory at Aston Villa on Saturday.

    The dramatic win over Aston Villa has got them back on course and Wenger is backing them to end their long drought.

    “It was a good feeling to see what it is now and the crowd happy, the team is doing well. I like what I saw and I liked what I felt in the dressing room, the team spirit is great, the humility, the hunger of the young players is amazing,” he told beIN Sports.

    “They’ve hungry. They are good enough, there’s always a period when you have not won, where you have to deal with it. It’s now an opportunity where you can miss. The usual threats in the Premier League are all out of the race.

    “The only threat is City and even City is not as dominant as they were last year, two years before. Since the start of the season, City are more vulnerable defensively than they were the years before.”

    While City and Liverpool are nowhere near the standards they have been at in years gone by, Wenger believes the duo will bounce back. And he warned Arsenal that this will be their best chance to lift the title, an opportunity they cannot afford to throw away.

    “I feel that you win it when you can and you don’t care about all the rest of it, you let other people talk and you take the title. Personally, where I agree with you is the conditions next year,” he added.

    “They will not be as favourable as they are now, so let’s not miss this opportunity. Arsenal have 51 points, which is remarkable after 22 games. Liverpool not so long ago were running for four trophies.”

  • Son back to scoring form as Spurs beat West Ham

    Son back to scoring form as Spurs beat West Ham

    Son Heung-min returned to scoring form to help Tottenham claim a 2-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday, propelling them into the English Premier League’s top four.

    With Antonio Conte back in Italy recovering from emergency gallbladder surgery earlier this month, stand-in head coach Cristian Stellini was again charged with leading Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

    Stellini made it two wins from two games in temporary charge as substitute Son sealed the points with his first league goal since Jan. 4.

    This was after Emerson nosed Spurs ahead in the 56th minute.

    West Ham’s defeat leaves them in the bottom three.

    Spurs, who lost heavily to Leicester City last week and then went down to AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League, leapfrogged Newcastle United into fourth place.

    There were warning signs for Spurs when Jarrod Bowen blasted wide in the opening minute, though a refereeing decision was the main talking point from a sluggish first half.

    Eight days on from Tomas Soucek getting away with a similar incident against Chelsea, team-mate Thilo Kehrer was perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty kick.

    This was when Richarlison’s pass struck his outstretched arm.

    Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Richarlison were denied by Lukasz Fabianski before Cristian Romero headed over, with Spurs keeping up the pressure after the restart when Harry Kane went close.

    That pressure told before the hour —- Emerson coolly slotting into the bottom left corner after combining with fellow wing-back Ben Davies.

    Bowen almost found an immediate response for West Ham but Fraser Forster was equal to his snapshot.

    And West Ham’s hopes of a comeback were all but dashed when Son, who had lost his place in the starting team to Richarlison, finished calmly after linking up with Kane.

  • Arsenal defender sets unwanted EPL record

    Arsenal defender sets unwanted EPL record

    Arsenal defender William Saliba set an unwanted record during their 1-1 draw with Brentford.

    The Frenchman, 21, failed to win any of his 10 aerial duels against the Bees on Saturday afternoon as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates.

    WhoScored reports that is the most aerial duels a player has contested without winning one in a Premier League match this season.

    And it typified a difficult day for the Gunners centre-back.

    The statistics show Saliba was well off the pace in many areas as Arsenal were frustrated by Thomas Frank’s superb Brentford side.

    The defender lost 13 of his 14 duels during the match as Ivan Toney manhandled him for much of the game.

    He also failed to make a single tackle and was dispossessed on one occasion.

    Tribalfootball

  • Premier League charges Man City over alleged financial rule breaches

    Premier League charges Man City over alleged financial rule breaches

    The Premier League in England has referred defending English Premier League (EPL) champions Manchester City to an independent commission.

    The development is as a result of over more than 100 alleged breaches of finance rules since the club were acquired by the Abu Dhabi-based City Football Group.

    The referral came weeks before the expected publication of a government white paper set to recommend the establishment of an independent regulator in English soccer.

    The regulator is to deal with the game’s finances, club ownership and corporate governance.

    Manchester City are the world’s highest revenue-generating club last season, according to Deloitte.

    They are alleged to have committed multiple financial breaches between 2009 and 2018, according to the Premier League on Monday.

    League rules state that charges such as those faced by Manchester City could, if proved, result in a club being expelled from the EPL in the worst-case scenario.

    Offending clubs may alternatively be deducted points, fined or reprimanded.

    It remains to be seen what sanctions the commission imposes on Manchester City.

    But a stricter stance by the Premier League on club finances could deter potential investors in clubs like Manchester United, according to a sports finance lawyer.

    Both Manchester United and Liverpool are seeking new investors.

    This is in large part due to Middle Eastern investment in clubs such as Manchester City and Newcastle United and the collapse of a planned Super League, according to industry experts.

    Manchester City, who were acquired by City Football Group in 2008, are also charged with failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation, which was launched in December 2018.

    They are alleged to have breached rules relating to the provision of accurate financial information.

    “………in particular with respect to its revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs”, the league said.

    The club, who have won the Premier League title six times since the Abu Dhabi take-over, said they were surprised by the league’s “issuing of these alleged breaches”.

    “The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position,” Manchester City added.

    The charges stem from a Premier League investigation into Manchester City’s financial dealings launched four years ago.

    This was after the release of a tranche of “Football Leaks” documents obtained by the German publication Der Spiegel.

    Manchester City were subsequently banned from the European Champions League by European governing body UEFA for two years.

    But they successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which overturned the ban in 2020.

    The club were fined 30 million euros (32.28 million dollars) by UEFA, which CAS reduced to 10 million euros.

    In addition to the charges relating to the club’s revenue and operating costs, Manchester City are also alleged to have not fully disclosed managerial remuneration from 2009 to 2013.

    This was when Roberto Mancini was manager.

    The club are also charged with failing to comply with Premier League’s rules requiring clubs to follow UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) regulations from 2013 to 2018.

    They are also said to have failed to follow the Premier League’s rules on profit and sustainability from 2015 to 2018.

    FFP regulations are designed to stop clubs running up big losses through spending on players.

    They also ensure sponsorship deals are based on their real market value and are genuine commercial agreements.

    This is also to ensure they are not ways for owners to pump cash into a club to get around the rules.

    “The proceedings before the Commission will… be confidential and heard in private,” the Premier League said in a statement on Monday.

    “The Premier League will be making no further comment in respect of this matter until further notice.”

  • Gabriel Martinelli signs new Arsenal contract

    Gabriel Martinelli signs new Arsenal contract

    Gabriel Martinelli has reportedly signed a new Arsenal contract.

    The 21-year-old has penned a new four-and-a-half-year contract at the Emirates, according to The Athletic.

    He is now tied down until the summer of 2027.

    Martinelli’s previous deal expired in 2024, although the Gunners had the option to extend by a further two years.

    But the Brazilian ace has now committed his long-term future to the club.

    It’s claimed Martinelli has more than doubled his wages.

    Reports claim his weekly pay has gone up from £70,000 to £180,000.

    Martinelli’s deal is thought to include the option of a further 12 months on top of the four-and-a-half-year arrangement.

  • Arsenal sign midfielder Jorginho from Chelsea

    Arsenal sign midfielder Jorginho from Chelsea

    Premier League leaders Arsenal have signed experienced Italian midfielder Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea on an 18-month contract, the club said on Tuesday.

    Financial details of the transfer were not disclosed but British media reported the deal was worth 12 million pounds ($14.78 million).

    “Jorginho is a midfield player with intelligence, deep leadership skills and a huge amount of Premier League and international experience,” Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta told the club’s website.

    “Jorginho has won in his career but he still has the hunger and huge willingness to contribute here. We are so pleased to sign Jorginho and welcome him and his family to the club.”

    Arsenal, who are five points clear of champions Manchester City in the title race, needed midfield reinforcements especially with Mohamed Elneny ruled out with a knee injury which the club said required surgery that will keep him sidelined for “an extended period of time”.

    Brazilian-born Jorginho will provide Arsenal with significant experience in their title charge, having won the Champions League with Chelsea and the 2020 European Championship with Italy.

    The 31-year-old has been a key player for Chelsea this season, featuring 25 times in all competitions.

    Jorginho also won the Europa League, three FA Cups and two League Cups in more than 200 appearances for Chelsea since joining them in July 2018 from Serie A side Napoli.

    He spent 4-1/2 years at Napoli and enjoyed a breakthrough 2017-18 season, where he was integral to their title challenge as they finished second.

    Arsenal made a late bid for Jorginho after they reportedly had two offers for Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion.

    Arsenal return to league action on Saturday against 19th-placed Everton, who appointed Sean Dyche as manager on Monday in a bid to secure their top-flight survival.