Aberdeen's Europa League opponents in chaos as FCSB trio held at airport and ruled out of play-off at Pittodrie
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
ABERDEEN'S European opponents FCSB have been dealt a huge blow ahead of Thursday night's clash at Pittodrie.
The pair go head to head for a place in this season's Europa League, with the first leg in the Granite City tonight.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
1
FCSB players celebrate victory over Drita in last round
Credit: Getty
But THREE players from FCSB - formerly Steaua Bucharest - have been ruled out of the massive clash because they've not been granted visas.
Two are defenders - Montenegrin left-back Risto Radunovic and South African centre-back Siyabonga Ngezana.
The other is Ghanaian midfielder Baba Alhassan.
All three travelled to Scotland for the game with reports in Romania they were held at Aberdeen airport for four hours.
They then had to stay at the team hotel under surveillance and they weren't allowed to train with the team.
According to Romanian journalist Emanuel Rosu on X - the visa request was unsuccessful and they won't be available for tonight's game.
MORE TO FOLLOW....
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
5 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Arsenal edging closer to completing £60million move for Eberechi Eze
It is believed the finishing touches on a deal to sign the 27-year-old, which catapults Arsenal's spending to beyond £250m, are all but completed. Palace boss Oliver Glasner revealed Eze, who was missing from his squad for their Conference League play-off at Selhurst Park, rang his manager on Thursday morning to say he could not play. Eze played in Palace's Community Shield victory and their Premier League opener at Chelsea (John Walton/PA) 'Honestly I expected that he will start today for us, but he called me this morning and said he doesn't feel well to play in the evening, and of course I have to accept it, and everything else you have to ask the chairman,' said Glasner, speaking to Channel 5 ahead of their meeting with Fredrikstad – the Eagles' first ever European tie. 'I have to accept it. If a player tells me he is not ready to play, then of course we had to (accept it). I called the player who starts instead, Justin Devenny, and that he is ready, because it's my responsibility to prepare the players to play for us in the best way. 'And so it was quite busy. You don't like to change your starting 11 on matchday, especially in this situation. It's the first time in European football for Crystal Palace, but again, we have to deal with it, and so this is what we do in the best way.' Eze is set to become Arsenal's seventh signing of the summer after they moved to hijack Tottenham's bid for the England international. His stunning move to the Emirates accelerated this week following a knee injury sustained by Kai Havertz. The Germany international came on as a second-half substitute in Arsenal's 1-0 win at Manchester United, and completed the game, but he did not participate in the club's open training session at the Emirates on Wednesday. It is unclear how long Havertz, who is still being assessed, will face on the sidelines. But the hastiness to swoop for Eze is evidence Arsenal did not want to take any chances as Mikel Arteta – backed by sporting director Andrea Berta – bids to lead the north Londoners to their first Premier League title in 22 years. Mikel Arteta is targeting Arsenal's first league title in 22 years (Nick Potts/PA) Eze is now poised to follow striker Viktor Gyokeres (£55m), defender Cristhian Mosquera (£13m), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), midfielder Christian Norgaard (£10m) and forward Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in making the switch to the Emirates. Arteta will face the media at the club's training ground on Friday to preview his side's second match of the campaign, at home to Leeds on Saturday evening.
The National
9 minutes ago
- The National
Arsenal edge closer to completing £60m Eberechi Eze move
It is believed the finishing touches on a deal to sign the 27-year-old, which catapults Arsenal's spending to beyond £250m, are all but completed. Palace boss Oliver Glasner revealed Eze, who was missing from his squad for their Conference League play-off at Selhurst Park, rang his manager on Thursday morning to say he could not play. Eze played in Palace's Community Shield victory and their Premier League opener at Chelsea (John Walton/PA) 'Honestly I expected that he will start today for us, but he called me this morning and said he doesn't feel well to play in the evening, and of course I have to accept it, and everything else you have to ask the chairman,' said Glasner, speaking to Channel 5 ahead of their meeting with Fredrikstad – the Eagles' first ever European tie. 'I have to accept it. If a player tells me he is not ready to play, then of course we had to (accept it). I called the player who starts instead, Justin Devenny, and that he is ready, because it's my responsibility to prepare the players to play for us in the best way. 'And so it was quite busy. You don't like to change your starting 11 on matchday, especially in this situation. It's the first time in European football for Crystal Palace, but again, we have to deal with it, and so this is what we do in the best way.' Eze is set to become Arsenal's seventh signing of the summer after they moved to hijack Tottenham's bid for the England international. His stunning move to the Emirates accelerated this week following a knee injury sustained by Kai Havertz. The Germany international came on as a second-half substitute in Arsenal's 1-0 win at Manchester United, and completed the game, but he did not participate in the club's open training session at the Emirates on Wednesday. It is unclear how long Havertz, who is still being assessed, will face on the sidelines. But the hastiness to swoop for Eze is evidence Arsenal did not want to take any chances as Mikel Arteta – backed by sporting director Andrea Berta – bids to lead the north Londoners to their first Premier League title in 22 years. Mikel Arteta is targeting Arsenal's first league title in 22 years (Nick Potts/PA) Eze is now poised to follow striker Viktor Gyokeres (£55m), defender Cristhian Mosquera (£13m), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), midfielder Christian Norgaard (£10m) and forward Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in making the switch to the Emirates. Arteta will face the media at the club's training ground on Friday to preview his side's second match of the campaign, at home to Leeds on Saturday evening.
Scottish Sun
27 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Premier League clubs copying RUGBY tactics after PSG success with bizarre new kick-off routine
The numbers behind the revelation have been revealed Under the rug Premier League clubs copying RUGBY tactics after PSG success with bizarre new kick-off routine Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PREMIER LEAGUE football clubs have been spotted copying a rugby tactic in the latest stunning move to allow teams to get the upper hand over their opponents. English football saw Pep-ball sweep across the country after the arrival of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Premier League clubs have been copying rugby tactics Credit: TNT Sport 5 They have been seen booting the ball forward to the corner flag Credit: Sky Sports 5 It comes straight after kick-off as a way to gain ground quickly Credit: TNT Sport 5 It's a tactic straight out of the rugby tactics handbook Credit: AFP Gone were the more traditional and direct methods of scoring goals, and in came the fluid passing and positional acuity needed to interpret space and the half spaces. However, at the top level, football is, if nothing else, an arms race of multi-million pound signings and tactical tweaks to gain leverage over rivals. And one trend which has crept back into the Premier League has been the return of massive physical monsters to accommodate a more direct style. Even Guardiola himself has not been immune to this, adapting his football to at times use five centre-backs in his teams to ensure physical domination over a rival. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL SPURRED ON Spurs 'decide to make club record bid for new target after Eze deal hijacked' However, the latest tactical trend that teams have picked up does not come from football, but rather rugby. European Champions Paris Saint-Germain used this tactic against Tottenham in the Uefa Super Cup last week. During their kick-off for the game, PSG midfielder Vitinha left commentators baffled as he booted the ball towards the corner flag and out for a goal kick. One commentator said: "Not one we've seen before. Not one you'll see again, I wouldn't have thought." BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Yet just three days later, the same tactic was used by numerous clubs in the Premier League, with Newcastle and Crystal Palace both using it against Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively. But rather than these long balls going out for a goal kick, they went out for throw-ins by the corner flag, and this is where the method behind the madness was revealed. How Arsenal survived Man Utd's attacks with 'forcefield defence' As soon as the throw-in taker was positioned, the teams immediately squeezed up the pitch to press the ball in an attempt to win it high in the opposition's half. PSG boss Enrique revealed he had borrowed the idea from Lyon as a way of putting pressure on opponents immediately. Indeed, the commentators for the Super Cup had remarked: "I think Vitinha thought he was playing the wrong sport there because that was more of a rugby union restart." And as revealed by the Daily Mail, this long ball tactic was used a staggering 31 times out of 44 restarts, or 70 per cent of the time, over the opening weekend. This included Arsenal, Manchester United and Man City all deploying it, while only four teams - Chelsea, Aston Villa, Wolves and Leeds - did not lump the ball forwards at a kick-off at all. But even when the ball was passed back to goalkeepers or defenders on a restart, it was then thumped out high up and wide to a flying winger or bombing full-back. Going back just two seasons, the number of long balls at the start of play - which in years gone by was always customary - was down at just 55 per cent. Last season, Brentford were the masters of it as they managed to score goals in the opening 40 seconds three matches in a row. Yet the principles behind it are frighteningly simple: gain territory and hope to catch your opponent sleeping early on as you swarm all over them in a high-intensity press - which Prem sides are better than ever at now - and if they hoof it clear, you win possession back anyway. We can only guess at how long this trend will stay around, but one thing to be sure of is that the tactical masterminds in every Premier League dressing room are drawing up moves and counter-moves to gain an advantage like a very complicated game of chess. With that in mind, Arsenal may have pulled a double blinder by hijacking the transfer of chess guru Eberechi Eze, who is now set to join the Gunners in a £68million move. 5 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
