
🎧 'It was Bilbao or bust
An emergency The Devils' Advocate podcast has landed.BBC Radio Manchester's Gaz Drinkwater hosts following the Europa League final defeat in Bilbao.He is joined by fellow colleague Joe McGrath, live from the airport in Spain, who says fans are "tired and trying to get their heads around what they saw".This podcast does come with a full disclosure warning from Drinkwater though:"This is going to be one of the moodiest listens you have ever had."Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Annie Kilner puts on a brave face as she joins her sister Sian for dinner in Mayfair - after it was revealed her relationship with Kyle Walker is 'as bad as it's ever been'
Annie Kilner put on a brave face as she joined her sister Sian for dinner in Mayfair on Wednesday - after it was revealed her relationship with Kyle Walker is 'as bad as it's ever been'. The 33-year-old wife of the footballer headed to Sexy Fish in the fancy area of London and beamed while posing for some snaps. She cut a chic figure in an oversized black blazer which she teamed with wide leg jeans and a strapless top. The brunette beauty accessorised her look with large silver hoop earrings and dark shades. Sian meanwhile wore high-waisted jeans, a navy T-shirt and added to her look with a Louis Vuitton bag. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. It comes after it was revealed earlier this month that Annie and Kyle's relationship is 'as bad as it's ever been', as the England international ponders his next move following an unsuccessful spell at AC Milan. The full-back is back in the UK and according to pals is 'barely speaking' with Annie, who is still unable to forgive him and move on from the footballer's affairs with Lauryn Goodman, 34, the mother of two of his six children. Kyle hoped his stint in Italy with the seven-time Champions League winners would trigger a fresh start for himself and Annie. Being away from the 'noise' of his sex scandal was a major reason behind his hasty departure from Manchester City in January. But the Rossoneri have declined the opportunity to sign Kyle for an extra year, meaning he will now have to find another club with City boss Pep Guardiola indicating the defender has no future at the Etihad, despite having one year left on his contract. And insiders have told MailOnline his inner circle view his stint in Milan as a 'wasted opportunity', not only for his football career but getting his marriage back on track with Annie. A friend said: 'Kyle really enjoyed his time with Milan, especially off the pitch. The full-back, 34, is back in the UK and according to pals is 'barely speaking' with Annie, who is still unable to forgive him and move on from the footballer's affairs with Lauryn Goodman, 34 (pictured), the mother of two of his six children 'Having played under Guardiola for so long, which is exhausting having to meet his lofty standards, he felt the shackles were off when he joined Milan and made the most of his new lifestyle, perhaps eating and drinking what he wouldn't ordinarily consume, as well as socialising more. 'That impacted him on the pitch which is why he didn't perform to the levels he's become accustomed to over the years. 'That disappointed his parents who flew over to watch him for the last game of the season and he didn't even make the bench.


Times
29 minutes ago
- Times
Tired players face 100-minute games as Fifa ignores Club World Cup fears
Fifa has ignored pressure from players and unions and will use stoppage-time rules at the Club World Cup that are likely to make some games last more than 100 minutes. Pierluigi Collina, the Fifa referees' chief, said officials have been told to compensate for any time lost to injuries, goal celebrations, penalties or red cards. The same rules were in place at the 2022 World Cup, when England's game against Iran lasted 117 minutes. Collina also revealed that assistant referees have been told to be 'braver' in raising their flag for obvious offsides — and that a new semi-automated offside system will alert them when a player is ten centimetres or more offside. Players unions are already concerned about the demands on individuals of a big new summer tournament and Uefa took a more relaxed approach for Euro 2024. Former Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has been among those who criticised the longer matches. Collina said that match officials had been told to encourage games to restart quicker, which should reduce stoppage time, but that the strict approach would still be applied. 'This is the Laws of the Game, that there are losses of time that should be compensated at the end of the match,' Collina said. 'They are simply compensating for time when the ball was off. The objective is to make the game more enjoyable and entertaining. There is nothing entertaining with the ball not being on the field of play. So, certainly, the time loss will be compensated. 'By being proactive to restart play quicker at throw-ins, goal kicks, corners and free kicks, the time added would be reduced, probably.' The 2022 World Cup had an average stoppage time of a little more than 11min 30sec, more than double the previous tournament in Russia in 2018. Premier League matches were nearly two minutes shorter last season than the previous year after instructions to referees to be less strict on stoppage time, which was down from 11min 35sec to 9min 53sec for matches played between August and February. Collina also revealed that match officials should raise their flag if a player is 10cm or more offside rather than leave it to the VAR. It follows the Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi being injured when play was allowed to continue despite Anthony Elanga being clearly offside in the build-up. Awoniyi collided with the goalpost as he tried to reach Elanga's cross and had surgery on a serious abdominal rupture. At the Club World Cup, a new semi-automated offside system will send a message to the assistant referee when a player is 10cm offside or more so they can raise their flag immediately. 'We have encouraged our referees to be a bit braver with offside,' Collina said. The Club World Cup will also see referees wear body cameras for the first time as part of a trial. The footage will be available to broadcasters to use for goal replays and will also be available to VARs if required.


Daily Mirror
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Palace chief 'sets price' to sell stake as club sweat on Europa League fate
Crystal Palace shareholder John Textor is ready to offload his stake in the Londoners in order to ensure they are able to compete in the Europa League next season John Textor is said to be prepared to sell his stake in Crystal Palace for less than market value in a bid to ensure that the FA Cup winners are able to compete in the Europa League next season. The American, 59, holds a 43 per cent stake in Palace via Eagle Football Holdings but the company also holds a stake in Lyon, who have also qualified for Europe next term. Textor's involvement at both clubs has led to scrutiny from UEFA, who are set to rule on whether or not the Eagles can feature in the competition later this month. Textor and Steve Parish, the Palace chairman, met with Uefa officials last week in a bid to persuade them that the former's 25 per cent voting rights means he is not, in fact, a person of influence at Selhurst Park. But with Palace still facing the threat of missing out on Europe altogether it has now emerged that Textor is willing to offload his stake in the club for a lower price. The Times report that Textor offloading his stake is seen as the most viable way to resolve the matter with a potential sale to his Palace cohorts a possibility. American co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer have matching 18 per cent stakes and a sale to them, if viable, is seen as the 'simplest outcome' for all parties. The report adds that sources close to Textor feel the outlined price of £170million is significantly less than he would stand to recoup otherwise given the club's current market value. Textor's involvement at both Palace and Lyon has caused unrest in the Premier League, too, in light of Uefa's recent meeting over the former's Europa League fate. It emerged earlier this week that Nottingham Forest have written to the authorities to express concern given the multi-club ownership rules that are in place. Forest would stand to profit if Palace were expelled from the Europa League; they are currently set to participate in the Europa Conference League as a reward for their stellar 2024-25 campaign, where they finished seventh in the Premier League. Even if Textor is successful in selling his stake there are concerns that the case could make its way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, further muddying the waters surrounding Palace and their fate. Textor did attempt to put his shares into blind a trust to enable Palace to compete in Europe next season - an act other club chiefs have done - but Uefa ruled their attempts were too late, citing a deadline of March 1.