Manchester City are always active in the transfer market and are now reportedly confident of pulling off a triple swoop at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City continue title charge…

As per expectation, City are once again in the mix to win the Premier League title, having taken 30 points from their opening 14 fixtures in the division. Pep Guardiola's side have been over the course many times under his stewardship and rarely get flustered during mid-season even when they drop points, prioritising the season run-in as a key time to generate momentum and play their best football.

The Citizens have laid claim to the top prize in English football three times in a row and will be keen to ensure they keep pace at the summit to secure a record-breaking fourth league success, which has never been done in the history of English football.

Nevertheless, Guardiola and his side have copped criticism for the level of goals they have conceded this term in comparison to previous years. In his post-match press conference after the Sky Blues drew 3-3 with Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, the Catalan boss was defiant that their approach won't change as the campaign goes on, saying:

"After many years I know the players, they know me. I remember the first few games when everything was new. We don’t play with this consistency in the approach and defensive behaviour."

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"Opponents have two or three shots on target and it is goal, goal, goal. That is difficult. We have to be clear and insist. Anyway, we are not going to change. I don’t know how far we will go this season, but I am not going to change the approach. That’s for sure."

Looking ahead to January, the Citizens are now believed to be confident of bringing in three new arrivals to the Etihad Stadium as they seemingly look to the future.

Man City eye exciting triple swoop…

90min shared an exciting update, claiming Manchester City are confident they can sign River Plate trio Claudio Echeverri, Agustin Ruberto and Ian Subiabre, owing to their excellent relationship with the South American giants following the deal to take Julian Alvarez to the North West in 2022.

Echeverri, Ruberto and Subiabre statistics

Claudio Echeverri (Transfermarkt)

Agustin Ruberto (Transfermarkt)

Ian Subiabre (Transfermarkt)

Senior appearances – 4

Senior appearances: N/A

Senior appearances: N/A

Goals and assists – 1 assist

Goals and assists: N/A

Goals and assists: N/A

Argentina Under-17 record (captain) – 17 caps, 10 goals

Argentina Under-17 record – 23 caps, 13 goals

Argentina Under-17 record – 15 caps, 2 goals

The report states that Echeverri and Ruberto turn 18 later this year and will be eligible to move abroad in January. One other advantage of the Citizens' pursuit of the pair is that they would be open to allowing them to return to South America on loan after buying both players.

Chelsea also hold a strong interest in the trio who have impressed at the recent U17 World Cup and are willing to match any offers for their services, while a clutch of clubs from England and further afield have held talks regarding at least one of the prodigies, including Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

On the lookout for stars of the future, City could land three more exciting talents sooner rather than later to add to their star-studded squad, making this one to watch.

Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table as they secured a dramatic 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp's side were not at their best for much of the clash in London but were able to come away with all three points thanks to Harvey Elliott's stoppage-time goal.

They rode their luck in the first half as VAR had to intervene to overrule a penalty that was awarded to the hosts when Virgil van Dijk brought down Odsonne Edouard, due to a foul by Will Hughes in the build-up.

However, they were not as lucky the second time around as Jarell Quansah kicked through the back of Jean-Philippe Mateta, which caused VAR to send the referee to the monitor in order to award a penalty – which was stuck away by the French forward.

Goals from Mo Salah and Elliott completed the comeback but Klopp will surely be frustrated by the sloppy defensive errors at the back during the match, particularly after Joel Matip suffered a long-term injury blow this month.

The central defender is poised to miss a significant period of time and the German head coach could dip into the transfer market in January to find a replacement.

Latest Liverpool news – Joel Matip and Maxence Lacroix

Matip was substituted with 20 minutes to go of Liverpool's eventual 4-3 win over Fulham earlier this month and it has since been confirmed that the centre-back has ruptured his ACL.

This means that the Cameroon international is due to be out of action for the remainder of the season, which would also mean that he has played his last match for the club unless they decide to offer him a contract extension.

Klopp has suggested that Liverpool should provide him with a new deal in order to facilitate the rest of his recovery and ensure that the defender is not left in the lurch.

In the meantime, The Mirror have reported that the Reds have Wolfsburg central defender Maxence Lacroix on their radar ahead of the January window.

They have an eye on the French battler and the report stated that the club have been looking at long-term options in that position prior to Matip's injury.

The outlet has claimed that it would cost the Merseyside-based team a fee of at least £25m to secure the 23-year-old talent's signature ahead of the second half of the season.

It has also been reported that Liverpool are interested in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi but they face competition from Arsenal and the Eagles are prepared to demand a 'huge fee' for his services.

The Mirror added that Lacroix is a more likely immediate fix for the Reds as they look at who they could bring in next month to make up for the loss of Matip for the rest of the season.

Wolfsburg's star defender could be a dream replacement for the former Schalke man, who has been a reliable performer at the back this season.

Joel Matip's season in numbers

The 32-year-old enforcer has been an important player for Klopp so far this term as he has started nine Premier League matches and featured in ten.

Matip has showcased his quality in and out of possession with his dominant defensive play and ability to progress the ball forward to help his team in attack.

The veteran battler has made 2.1 tackles and interceptions and 5.8 ball recoveries – 1.1 more than van Dijk – per match in the top-flight to go along with a duel success rate of 61%.

This shows that the Reds star, who has not made a single error that has led to a goal or shot for the other team, has been able to get the better of opposition forwards far more often than not thanks to his impressive positioning and strength.

Matip has also made 3.92 progressive passes and 0.92 progressive carries per 90 in the Premier League this season, which ranks him within the top 48% of his positional peers.

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The towering defender, who has completed 88% of his attempted passes in the top-flight, has the ability and willingness to progress the ball through passes and dribbles in order to push his team up the pitch.

This places less of an emphasis on the midfielders needing to drop deep to collect the ball from the centre-backs, which then allows them to work their magic in more dangerous areas of the pitch.

Lacroix could now come in to provide similar qualities at the back if Liverpool are able to snap him up for £25m at the start of next year.

The statistics that show why Lacroix could replace Matip

The Wolfsburg colossus has been in impressive form for the German side and could offer Klopp another centre-back who can make an impact in and out of possession.

He produced solid defensive displays throughout the 2022/23 campaign for his club and has followed that up with superb performances this term.

Appearances

24

Pass accuracy

87%

Clearances

84

Ground duel success rate

56%

Aerial duel success rate

60%

Lacroix has made three tackles and interceptions combined and 5.2 ball recoveries per match across 13 Bundesliga appearances during the 2023/24 campaign so far.

The 23-year-old ace has also won 61% of his ground duels during that period as opposition players have found it difficult to get the better of him on the deck.

Transfermarkt's Tobias Kröger once described the French tank as an "elite" defensive talent but he also has quality in possession to go along with his defending.

Lacroix ranks within the top 15% of his positional peers across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for progressive passes (4.39) per 90 over the last 365 days, as well as being within the top 20% for successful take-ons (0.41) per 90.

These statistics show that the 6 foot 3 whiz, who has completed 87% of his attempted passes in the Bundesliga this season, has the ability to progress his team through the thirds with his passing.

Therefore, Lacroix, who is nine years younger than the injured Liverpool star, could be a dream replacement for Matip as he has the defensive and in-possession qualities to slot straight into his position in the squad.

We've all heard of the term 'Panenka', but do you know the meaning behind the word?

Nowadays, when a player chips a penalty down the centre of the goal, commentators will often describe the strike as a Panenka, named after Antonín Panenka – a retired Czechoslovakia footballer.

Today at Football FanCast, we've explored the story of Panenka – whose name skyrocketed to global fame due to his iconic winning penalty in the 1976 UEFA European Championship final against West Germany.

Antonín Panenka's background

He began his professional career with Bohemians 1905 and made his international debut for Czechoslovakia in 1973, 10 weeks before his 25th birthday, so his arrival on the world stage was quite late, comparatively speaking.

Panenka, a creative playmaker, had established himself as a key player by the time EURO 1976 arrived and was hoping to be a part of unprecedented history – winning the nation's first major trophy.

Czechoslovakia had come close before, finishing third at the inaugural European Championship of 1960 and runners-up to Brazil in the 1962 World Cup but were still craving the illusive desired silverware to show.

The stage was set for Panenka to become an icon, and boy did he do just that…

Czechoslovakia

26th September 1973

62

21

Controversial semi-final June 16th 1976 – Czechoslovakia 3-1 Netherlands

Czechoslovakia defeated the favoured Netherlands in extra time to advance through to their first EURO final, but not without controversy.

The last four affair – which was played out in torrential downpour – will be largely remembered by Dutch fans for the referee's officiating.

Jaroslav Pollák and Johan Neeskens were both shown red cards, reducing the two sides to 10 men heading into extra time with the score one apiece.

But the major controversy came when Panenka clattered into the Netherlands' centre figure, Johan Cruyff. Quite remarkably, the referee Clive Thomas waved play on and swiftly after Czechoslovakia's Zdeněk Nehoda headed home to put his side 2-1 to the good six minutes from full time.

Netherlands midfielder Willem van Hanegem was so enraged at the decision, that he refused to take the kick-off and Thomas again drew a red card, reducing Oranje to nine men.

With the tie almost dead and buried, Panenka put through František Veselý to score the third and send Czechoslovakia through to the EURO final.

The historic final 20th June 1976 – Czechoslovakia 2-2 West Germany (5-3 on penalties)

In the wake of the chaos that unfolded against the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia's attention immediately turned towards reigning champions West Germany, who had just defeated Yugoslavia 3-2 in extra time, thanks to a Dieter Muller hat-trick on his international debut.

With the two finalists fatigued off the back of 120-minute matches in the semis, UEFA and the West German and Czechoslovakian FAs agreed to decide the final by a penalty shootout, if indeed it was a stalemate after extra time. Previous rules would've seen a replay ensue – much like the 1968 European Championship in Italy.

And that produced an underwhelming finale, as the hosts advanced through to the final by the toss of a coin before prevailing over Yugoslavia in a replay. So the revolutionary rule change was also to combat the events that unfolded at the 68' tournament.

But, from the off, Czechoslovakia raced away into a 2-0 lead and it looked as though a penalty shoot-out wouldn't be required, after all.

However, as the script goes, the semi-final hero, Muller, pulled one back for West Germany before Bernd Holzenbein headed in the equaliser in the dying embers of normal time.

Neither side could break extra time's deadlock and so, for the first time, a European Championship final was to be decided by a penalty shootout, with a moment of history about to transpire.

Though, incredibly, Czechoslovakia players began to depart the pitch as the whistle sounded, unaware that a replay had been scrapped before they were shepherded back on, minutes later, to resume the thrilling action.

It was a totally unfamiliar finale for the players, and the fans, who had never witnessed a major tournament fixture settled by such a method.

"We hadn’t decided beforehand who should take our penalties, so we weren’t really prepared. In the end five were picked, but everyone was really nervous about it," West Germany goalkeeper Sepp Maier said.

"I didn’t want to take a penalty actually because I felt really tired. We’d already twice played extra-time, in the semi-final and the final, and I was completely exhausted, and badly injured too," West Germany forward Uli Hoeneß reminisced.

"But Beckenbauer come up to me and said 'Uli, you have to take a penalty. If you don’t do it, the young ones will have to do it."

With the first seven penalties all successful and the score 4-3 to Czechoslovakia, Hoeneß stepped to level but in fact, blazed the ball some way over the crossbar.

It was then Panenka's turn to take centre stage, as he was given the opportunity to score the winning penalty to end his nation's long wait for a major trophy.

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ByRobin Mumford Oct 18, 2023 The iconic penalty

Panenka wasn't always this penalty genius he's now cemented as. The attacking midfielder once missed two in one game for Bohemians 1905 against Plzeň in 1974, and it was thereafter that he started to practice with goalkeeper Zdeněk Hruška following training.

The pair would bet beer and chocolates on the shootout competitions they'd have and it would even consume Panenka's thoughts at night, as initially, it was Hruška who would often come out on top.

"I ended up lying awake at night thinking about how I could get the upper hand," Panenka told the Football Writers' Association in 2012.

"I eventually realised that the goalkeeper always waited until just before the last moment to try to anticipate where the ball was going and dived just before it was kicked so he could reach the shot in time. I decided that it was probably easier to score by feinting to shoot and then just gently tapping the ball into the middle of the goal."

He began to exhibit the audacious technique in the Czechoslovakian league and was finding great success, but across the continent, many were unaware of the ingenious strike.

Leading up to the historic final, Panenka told his roommate Ivo Viktor that he would attempt the technique if the opportunity arose.

Victor begged him not to try it as it was too risky, but Panenka was unmoved and confident in his newfound method.

And indeed, Panenka was born in the EURO 1976 final shootout, as he gracefully dinked the ball down the centre of the goal, sending Maier the wrong way to crown his nation champions of Europe for the first time.

Panenka's profile went global and little did he know, that his name would be uttered for decades to come.

Year

Winners

Runners-up

Host

1960

Soviet Union

Yugoslavia

France

1964

Spain

Soviet Union

Spain

1968

Italy

Yugoslavia

Italy

1972

West Germany

Soviet Union

Belgium

1976

Czechoslovakia

West Germany

Yugoslavia

How famous players reacted

Here's how some of the players reacted to the trailblazing moment – which inspired generations to try and replicate the audacious chip, with varying degrees of success.

Pelé, Brazil forward: "Anyone who takes a penalty like that must be either a genius or a madman."

Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany captain: "Only a true champion would come up with such a solution."

Ivo Viktor, Czechoslovakia goalkeeper: "I made a dreadful mistake in the last minute of regular time and we conceded a goal. When I meet Panenka now, I always tell him: 'Without me and my mistake, nobody would have heard of you!' I never believed he would try that penalty in the final – it still seems a bit cheeky to me, even after so many years."

Panenka's thoughts

Few players in football history have an action, or a skill, named after them. Cruyff immediately springs to mind for his famous 'Cruyff turn'.

It must be quite the honour for Panenka, so what does he make of it all? Well, he certainly didn't expect his spot-kick to transcend generations of football lingo.

"I have an advantage in my name. Panenka is pronounced the same way in all languages, so people remember it well. I must admit I never thought that my penalty from the European Championship final would become so famous. I definitely didn't kick it that way for that reason," Panenka said.

Many players have attempted the technique, with Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi's efforts perhaps the most memorable, but Antonín Panenka will always be the first.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face Fulham tonight in the Premier League, looking to put two consecutive wins together in the top flight for the first time this season, having put Tottenham Hotspur to the sword prior to the international break.

However, one of the stars of Wolves' showing against Spurs will be absent in London as Craig Dawson is suspended for the trip to Craven Cottage for picking up too many yellow cards this term.

In the short term, head coach Gary O'Neil could simply look to make a like-for-like replacement for the ex-West Ham United defender, but the manager could also choose to make a bold tactical decision which would affect the rest of the team.

Craig Dawson's stats this season

Losing Dawson through suspension is a big miss for O'Neil and for Wolves as a whole. The experienced centre-half moved to Molineux back in January for a nominal fee of £3.3m, after spending the last three years with West Ham in what was the most fruitful spell of the Hammers' history since the Premier League began.

Wolves "colossus" who won 100% duels was the hero alongside Lemina

Wolves roared home to a late win at Molineux yesterday, with this player standing out alongside goalscorer Lemina.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 12, 2023

In fact, Dawson even earned himself a Europa Conference League winner's medal in June despite the fact that he hadn't featured for the east London club for five months.

The 33-year-old has been a rock at the back over the past year for the Old Gold and ranks well above average in a whole host of key defensive metrics when compared to all other centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues.

Craig Dawson
Per 90 Metric	Percentile Ranking
Blocks	94
Shots Blocked	99
% of Dribblers Tackled	81
Clearances	75
Passes Blocked	80
Shots	83
Shots On Target	74
Stats via FBref.

Dawson is particularly efficient when defending in his own box, hence why he ranks in the top 6% for blocks per 90, the top 1% for shots blocked per 90 and the top 25% for clearances per 90.

Against Spurs a fortnight ago, the veteran completed two tackles, competed in four aerial duels and even blocked one of the opposition's six shots on goal as Wolves clinched the victory in the game's dying stages. Nevertheless, the Midlands club will have to make do away at Fulham without Dawson's defensive nous.

Pablo Sarabia's stats this season

Wolves deployed a 5-3-2 formation in the win over Tottenham two weeks ago, with Dawson employed in the centre of the back three, supported by Max Kilman and Toti Gomes either side of him.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, O'Neil admitted that the most like-for-like replacement for Dawson is £8.5m summer signing Santiago Bueno, who has yet to make a single start in the Premier League.

The Uruguayan defender has featured for just six minutes for Wolves this season, coming off the bench during a 1-1 draw away at Luton Town back in September and so it could be seen as a risk to throw the 25-year-old into the deep end this week. However, O'Neil also has the option to change the team's formation completely.

Wolves' 5-3-2 worked wonders against Spurs prior to the international break but O'Neil has also chosen to set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 this term. While the former Bournemouth boss may not want to change a winning team, the absence of Dawson could allow O'Neil to revert to a back four by shifting Toti alongside Kilman in the heart of the defence and dropping Rayan Ait Nouri deeper as a left-back, freeing up the wings for Pablo Sarabia.

Sarabia moved to Molineux in January for £4.4m, like Dawson, but has failed to become a regular in the first eleven, having made just two starts in the Premier League this term. Nevertheless, the Spanish playmaker has registered five assists this season in all competitions. Only Pedro Neto has boasted more for Wolves.

The 31-year-old changed the game for Wolves last time out, coming off the bench to score the equaliser and assist the winner, leading Joe Cole to label his leveller as "brilliant". Sarabia starting would also cause Hwang Hee-chan to push over to the right wing in O'Neil's 4-2-3-1, leaving Matheus Cunha alone up top, although this could offer a nice blend of goalscoring and playmaking brilliance on the flanks for the visitors.

While O'Neil may not be keen to change a winning side, it will be difficult for the coach to ignore Sarabia's calls to start after his heroic late display against Spurs.

Leeds United are back in Championship action on Tuesday night as they travel away to the Stadium of Light to take on managerless Sunderland.

The Black Cats are yet to appoint a permanent successor to Tony Mowbray on Wearside but they ran out 2-1 winners against West Bromwich Albion last time out.

Daniel Farke's side, on the other hand, were able to secure all three points at Ewood Park with a 2-0 win against Blackburn Rovers thanks to goals from Dan James and Crysencio Summerville.

The Whites are third in the Championship and hoping to close the gap on the automatic promotion places as they go in search of an instant return to the Premier League.

Another win on Tuesday would be another step in the right direction and here is FFC's predicted Leeds XI to take on the Black Cats…

1 Illan Meslier

In between the sticks, Farke could select Illan Meslier once again after his clean sheet against Rovers at the weekend. It was a much-needed one after the French stopper conceded two goals from four shots against Middlesbrough during the previous match.

2 Archie Gray

Archie Gray could line up at right-back after another impressive showing on Saturday. The 17-year-old, who is a natural midfielder, came into a central position to slide the ball through to Summerville for the second goal at Ewood Park.

He also made two tackles to win possession back for his side and completed 88% of his attempted passes in what was his 19th league appearance of the campaign for Leeds.

3 Joe Rodon

At the heart of the defence, the Wales international Joe Rodon could start once again. He won all four of his ground duels and made seven clearances to keep a clean sheet against Blackburn.

4 Pascal Struijk

Pascal Struijk bounced back from his disappointing performance against Middlesbrough to put in a commanding display against Blackburn.

The Dutch colossus won 100% (2/2) of his duels and made six clearances, two tackles, and two interceptions across the 90 minutes at Ewood Park.

5 Djed Spence

Sam Byram could drop out of the XI for Djed Spence after the right-footed defender came off injured with 20 minutes to go in Lancashire, and he is now set for three weeks on the sidelines.

The English full-back has made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match and registered one goal and one assist in 18 Championship matches since his move from Norwich on a free transfer.

It will, therefore, be a blow to lose him for this clash but it could open the door for Spence to finally be unleashed, albeit not in his natural position.

The right-back is yet to start a match for Leeds since his loan move from Tottenham Hotspur but his return of two goals, four assists, and six 'big chances' created in 42 Championship outings for Nottingham Forest during the 2021/22 campaign suggests that he could add an attacking thrust from the full-back position.

6 Ethan Ampadu

At the base of the midfield, Wales international Ethan Amapdu could be tasked with winning the battle in the middle of the park against the Black Cats.

The former Chelsea prospect has caught the eye with 3.7 tackles and interceptions combined and 7.7 ball recoveries per match across 20 league starts.

7 Glen Kamara

Glen Kamara has been a superb addition to the squad since his permanent move from Scottish giants Rangers during the summer transfer window.

He has started 11 league matches and showcased his dominance with a duel success rate of 69% so far, which shows that opposition players have found it difficult to get the better of him in physical contests.

8 Wilfried Gnonto

The second change to the XI could be Wilfried Gnonto being unleashed on the right side of the attack in place of the electric Dan James.

With games coming thick and fast as Leeds head into the international break, Farke may look to rotate his squad at times in order to avoid burnout and muscle injury.

Appearances

18

Sofascore rating

7.42

Goals

Seven

Assists

Four

Big chances created

Eight

James is a high-energy player who utilises his pace to cause teams problems and that means that he has a significant workload each match, which is why he could benefit from the rest ahead of the clash with Coventry at the weekend.

This would then open up the door for Gnonto, who has contributed with one goal and one assist in six league starts this season, to convince the head coach that he deserves more time on the pitch moving forward.

9 Joel Piroe

In the number ten position, Joel Piroe could go in search of his ninth Championship goal of the season. The Dutch forward has scored three goals in his last five matches for the club.

He has been a terrific signing from league rivals Swansea City and has proven himself to be a big goal threat from the attacking midfield role behind the starting number nine.

10 Crysencio Summerville

On the left side of the attack, Crysencio Summerville could look to add to his already impressive collection of goals and assists this season.

The right-footed whiz has contributed with nine goals and six assists in 15 Championship starts, including a goal or an assist in each of his last five appearances.

Alan Shearer responded to legendary singer and Manchester City fan Liam Gallagher after being told to 'f*ck off' over Pep Guardiola criticism.

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• Shearer responds to Gallagher's attack
• Gallagher told the legendary player to 'f*ck off'
• Ex-Newcastle striker questioned Guardiola after FA Cup semi

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The ex-Oasis frontman, who is known to be a fan of the Cityzens, had hit out at Shearer after the England legend questioned Pep Guardiola over his rant against the FA regarding the scheduling of their FA Cup semi-final clash against Chelsea just three days after their Champions League fixture against Real Madrid.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former Newcastle star asked Guardiola if he should have made more changes in the lineup against the Blues to counter fatigue. The question did not go down well with the celebrity City fan who told the pundit to 'f*ck off' while replying to a user's X post.

• WHAT ALAN SHEARER SAID

  Responding to the singer's attack, Shearer quoted his post and wrote on X, "Oh come on Liam. Don’t look back in anger man!"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  The reigning champions will be back in action in the Premier League on Thursday as they take on Brighton in a difficult away fixture.

Athletic Club's Nico Williams says he heard 'monkey chants' at the Metropolitano Stadium during his team's La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid.

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Williams called racists 'dumb people'Heard monkey chants during matchAtletico beat Athletic Club 3-1WHAT HAPPENED?

The Spain international alleged he heard monkey chants from a section of the home fans and he went on to describe them as "dumb people". The match – which Atletico Madrid won 3-1 – had to be temporarily halted owing to the racist attacks before resuming action a couple of minutes later.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Williams came up with a perfect statement to combat racism as he scored the equaliser at the stroke of half-time – thereby cancelling out Rodrigo De Paul's 15th-minute strike – and celebrated by pointing his finger at his skin.

WHAT NICO WILLIAMS SAID

Speaking to after the match, Williams said: "I went to take the corner and I heard monkey sounds. There was a few of them. These dumb people are everywhere. I hope that this will change little by little. I celebrated like that with anger. It’s not normal to be insulted because of your skin colour."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Racism has been a serious problem in La Liga over the last few years with several players being targeted. Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior is among those to have been deeply affected by the issue and even broke down while speaking about countering racism during a press conference last month.

MatériaMais Notícias

A equipe do CRB atropelou o Figueirense na última terça-feira (19) quando aplicou uma sonora goleada por 5 a 1 em partida válida pela 36ª rodada da Série B. Além dos três pontos, o placar elástico teve um sabor especial para o volante Olívio.

RelacionadasCRBTitular absoluto do CRB, Claudinei quer terminar bem a Série B no clubeCRB20/01/2021Futebol NacionalAtropelamento! CRB tem noite brilhante e goleia o FigueirenseFutebol Nacional19/01/2021CRBLucão revela meta do CRB nas rodadas finais da Série BCRB12/01/2021

Isso porque, retornando aos gramados, o atleta do Galo da Pajuçara entrou na etapa complementar e pode retornar ao estádio Rei Pelé depois de dois anos enfrentando problemas físicos:

– Agradeço a confiança do Roberto Fernandes, que vem dando oportunidade para que eu possa estar retornando, quero aproveitar ao máximo e ajudar o clube dentro de campo.

– Foi uma grande vitória em casa, nosso time fez uma partida impecável, todos desempenharam um ótimo futebol. Agora é focar nas duas últimas rodadas da Série B e terminar a competição em grande estilo – acrescentou o volante.

Com a vitória em casa, o CRB chegou aos 49 pontos e se colocou em 10° na tabela de classificação, livre de qualquer risco de rebaixamento. Na próxima rodada, o CRB vai enfrentar a Ponte Preta no domingo, às 18h15 (horário de Brasília) no Moisés Lucarelli, em Campinas.

يرتبط النادي الأهلي بالتعاقد مع المغربي أشرف داري من صفوف بريست الفرنسي، بحسب التقارير الواردة.

ويبحث الأهلي عن فرص تعزيز خطوطه الدفاعية في السوق الصيفي، مع اقتراب محمد عبد المنعم من الانضمام إلى نيس الفرنسي.

اقرأ أيضًا | ليكيب: خطوة تعطل إعلان انتقال محمد عبد المنعم إلى نيس

وكشفت شبكة “فوت ميركاتو” عن التطورات المتعلقة بصفقة انتقال أشرف داري من بريست إلى الأهلي.

وبحسب التقرير أصبحت الصفقة الآن قريبة جدًا، حيث أن المدافع البالغ من العمر 25 عامًا لديه اتفاق شفهي مع الأهلي.

وذكر التقرير أن بريست لديه أيضًا اتفاق شفهي مع الأهلي، ولا تزال هناك تفاصيل لم يتم حسمها، لكن اللاعب يجب أن يغادر قبل نهاية الأسبوع إلى مصر ليوقع عقده مع فريقه الجديد.

وبعد موسمين في أوروبا، يمكن لأشرف داري العودة إلى إفريقيا التي غادرها منذ رحيله عن الوداد البيضاوي في عام 2022.

Comments made by Pandya and team-mate KL Rahul on TV attracted widespread social media backlash for their perceived misogyny, sexism and racism

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jan-2019

KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya have a chat after the game•BCCI

Hardik Pandya has apologised for comments made on a talk show in India, which he’d been asked to explain by the BCCI after it was met with widespread social media backlash over its perceived misogyny, sexism and racism.The BCCI, on Wednesday, issued showcause notices to Pandya, and KL Rahul, who had been the other guest on the episode of ” aired January 6, to explain their behaviour.”You have made a few statements during your appearance that have not been well received in the media and within the BCCI,” the board’s CEO Rahul Johri wrote in an email to both players. “You will appreciate that being a BCCI contracted player, such statements on your part also reflect poorly on BCCI.”Pandya was the first to reply. His email, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, said: “As you are aware, I made an appearance on the chat show where I have made certain statements without realising that these could be disrespectful and offend sensitivities of viewers for which I am sincerely regretful.”I would like to assure you that there was no malice or any sort of ill-intent on my part to offend anyone or portray any section of the society in bad light. I made these statements in the flow of the show and had not comprehended the extent to which my statements would be found offensive.”Pandya and Rahul appeared on a popular talk show hosted by the Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar earlier this week. In it, the two cricketers were asked several questions about their personal lives and relationships.Having mentioned that he felt West Indian in spirit earlier on the programme, Pandya answered a question about he approached women in night clubs in this way: “I like to watch and observe how they move. I’m little from the black side so I need to see how they move.”There was another anecdote as well. “The other day there was a party,” Pandya said, “My parents are sitting there and (referring to the female guests) they’re like “Which one is yours?” and I sat with them and said “This, this this, everyone’s got something with me.”These replies came in for plenty of condemnation on social media.”… the sheer disrespect and sexist way these guys discussed women and relationships made me cringe,” was one response on Twitter. “Cricket is a religion in this country and young boys watching the show are going to follow in the footsteps of their heroes. Do they not have any social responsibility?”Ratnakar Shetty, the former BCCI general manager of cricket administration, also had his say, as did the commentator Harsha Bhogle.As the backlash began to mount, Pandya issued an apology on his Instagram feed. “After reflecting on my comments on Koffee with Karan, I would like to apologise to everyone concerned who I may have hurt in any way. Honestly, I got a bit carried away with the nature of the show. In no way did I mean to disrespect or hurt anyone’s sentiments. Respect.”But the Committee of Administrators, which is overseeing the functioning of the BCCI, decided to pull him and Rahul up as contractual obligations include the players safe-guarding BCCI’s reputation.Pandya’s father Himanshu defended his son saying he was “innocent” and the comments on the show should not be taken “seriously”.”I don’t think people should read too much into his comments,” Himanshu told the newspaper. “It was an entertainment show and his comments were made in a light- hearted manner. he was only looking to entertain the audience. So, it [his comments] should not be viewed very seriously or negatively. He is an innocent boy with a very fun- loving nature.”This episode puts the BCCI and its attitude towards women in the spotlight once again, soon after its CEO Johri was given a contentious “clean chit” by a three-member independent inquiry committee that looked into allegations of sexual harrassment levelled against him by two women. Though the committee did not find Johri guilty, one of its members, the women’s rights lawyer Veena Gowda, said it was “essential that… [Johri] undergo some form of gender sensitivity counselling/training.”