'Hand of Neymar' earns Brazilian red card in potential Santos send off
Neymar has spoken about the impact Diego Maradona had on his career after meeting him as a child but his bid to emulate the late Argentine great's 'Hand of God' goal backfired on Sunday when he was sent off in what could be his last game for Santos.
For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asharq Al-Awsat
7 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Inzaghi Leaves Inter After Champions League Final Defeat
Simone Inzaghi has left his position as manager of Inter Milan, the Serie A club said on Tuesday. The 49-year-old is departing just three days after a humiliating 5-0 loss in the Champions League final against Paris St Germain and will not lead Inter in the upcoming Club World Cup. Inzaghi and Inter ended the season on a disappointing note after finishing second in Serie A, one point behind champions Napoli, and were knocked out in the Coppa Italia semi-finals 4–1 on aggregate by city rivals AC Milan. "The time has come for me to say goodbye to this club after a four-year journey, during which I gave everything," Inzaghi said in a separate statement. Inzaghi's tenure ended having won six trophies in total, one Serie A Scudetto, two Coppa Italia triumphs and three Supercoppa Italia trophies. "I want to dedicate one last word to the millions of Nerazzurri (Inter) fans who cheered me on, cried and suffered in difficult moments and laughed and celebrated in the six triumphs we experienced together," he added. "I will never forget you."
Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
England coach Tuchel expects players to suffer in World Cup heat
LONDON: England coach Thomas Tuchel will attend FIFA's Club World Cup starting this month to observe how players cope with the expected hot and humid weather conditions. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
Asharq Al-Awsat
17 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
FIFA's Inaugural Club World Cup Set to Kick Off in the US Amid Challenges
FIFA's billion-dollar gamble to revolutionize club football begins a week on Sunday with plenty of cash up for grabs but questionable enthusiasm as 32 teams prepare to contest the expanded Club World Cup in 12 stadiums across the United States. The tournament, designed as a glittering showcase ahead of the 2026 World Cup, has had to contend with the prospect of empty seats along with controversial qualification rules and player welfare concerns after an exhausting European season. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami face Egypt's Al Ahly in the opening fixture on June 15 at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, with tickets still widely available days before kickoff. A glance at FIFA's website shows lots of tickets available, including for the July 13 final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Messi's presence underscores the tournament's contentious foundations. Inter Miami gained entry by topping Major League Soccer's regular season standings, despite losing in the first round of the playoffs, a decision critics say shows FIFA's desperation to have the Argentina great at their inaugural showpiece. FIFA's decision to give the host nation a spot and award it to Inter Miami underlined the opaque nature of the qualifying criteria for the tournament, which won't feature Liverpool, Barcelona or Napoli who have all just been crowned champions of three of the most prestigious leagues in Europe. Apart from the winners of each confederation's premier club competitions, teams qualified according to a ranking based on their performances over a four-year period. There is also the case of Club Leon, the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, who were excluded from the tournament just over a month ago due to having shared ownership with another qualifier. The spot has gone to MLS's Los Angeles FC. RIGHTS DEAL Nailing down a last-gasp $1 billion TV rights deal with sports streaming platform DAZN six months before the tournament means a total of $2 billion in expected revenues. That led FIFA to announce a total prize pot of $1 billion, with the winning club to receive up to $125 million. That figure represents 25% more than Paris St Germain earned from their entire 17-match Champions League campaign. But this largesse has not quelled concerns about player welfare, with the global players union FIFPro taking legal action against FIFA over a tournament that further compresses the precious recovery time between grueling seasons. Furthermore, there is still concern over the playing surfaces after last season's Copa America, when many headlines focused on the sub-par conditions and smaller pitch dimensions. Those pitches, measuring 100 by 64 meters, were 740 square meters smaller than FIFA's standard size, prompting widespread discontent among players and coaches. FIFA has given assurances that this time the NFL stadiums hosting the matches will meet their specifications, confirming that all venues will feature natural grass and adhere to the standard regulation dimensions of 105 by 68 meters. Divided into eight groups of four teams, top contenders include Real Madrid, winners of six of the last 12 Champions League titles, plus German champions Bayern Munich and 2023 Premier League and Champions League winners Manchester City. European champions Paris St Germain are the in-form team heading into the tournament after their historic 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday. But they must survive a tough Group B featuring South American and Brazilian champions Botafogo and 2024 CONCACAF winners Seattle Sounders plus Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. Whether you call it soccer or football, for FIFA the tournament represents a dress rehearsal and a referendum on America's appetite for the sport and on the world governing body's vision for its commercial future ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
