Latest news with #NewcastleUnited
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Walsall midfielder McEntee joins Hearts
Oisin McEntee scored six goals during his three-year stay with Walsall [Rex Features] Walsall defensive midfielder Oisin McEntee has agreed to join Scottish Premiership side Hearts on a three-year deal. Republic of Ireland under-21 international McEntee, 24, has made 79 appearances for the Saddlers across three seasons since joining from Newcastle United in 2022. Advertisement He was part of a Walsall side that led League Two for much of the past season but dropped off in the run-in and ended up losing the play-off final to AFC Wimbledon. McEntee, who played in the Scottish Championship with Morton in 2021-22 during a loan spell from Newcastle, will join the Tynecastle side on a free transfer when his Walsall deal expires this summer. "It became clear in our conversations Oisin is hungry, he wants to learn and improve, and be part of what we're trying to do here at Hearts," said new Hearts boss Derek McInnes. "He's played in defence and midfield, so to have options around his positioning is a big plus. Oisin's gained a lot of experience down south and he has knowledge of Scottish football too, which is a bonus." Advertisement McEntee is McInnes' third signing following the acquisition of Belgian forward Elton Kabangu and Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis. Saddlers release four, in talks with nine McEntee is among a number of out-of-contract players at Walsall, with the club in talks with nine others to extend their stays after the disappointing end to their season. The Saddlers are in discussions with goalkeeper Sam Hornby, defenders Liam Gordon, Harry Williams and Priestley Farquharson, midfielders Ryan Stirk and Ronan Maher and forwards Albert Adomah, Jamille Matt and Douglas James-Taylor. They have released four players - goalkeeper George Barrett, defender Donervon Daniels, midfielder Jack Earing and striker Danny Johnson - but have exercised options to extend the contracts of defenders Rico Browne and Evan Weir. Advertisement Another eight first-team regulars - Connor Barrett, Jamie Jellis, Josh Gordon, Charlie Lakin, Brandon Comley, Levi Amantchi, Taylor Allen and David Okagbue - remain under contract at the Bescot Stadium.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
PSG and Inter could thrill us in the Champions League final, but something has already been lost
Before this season's League Cup final between Newcastle United and Liverpool , the Times (London) interviewed Malcolm Macdonald, the former buccaneering Newcastle centre forward. Macdonald played for Newcastle in the 1974 FA Cup final and brought up the name of Keith Burkinshaw, who was a coach at St James' Park at the time. Burkinshaw moved to Tottenham Hotspur , where he became manager and won the 1984 Uefa Cup – Tottenham's last European trophy until 10 days ago. Burkinshaw walked out soon after a boardroom disagreement. In a famous exchange with the reporter Ken Jones, a former player and cousin of Spurs legend Cliff Jones, both looked back at old White Hart Lane and agreed: 'There used to be a football club over there.' It was actually Jones referencing a Frank Sinatra song, but the point was made. A year earlier Tottenham Hotspur had been repackaged into Tottenham Hotspur plc, which was subsequently floated on the London stock exchange. Others followed. Now shares in clubs, and clubs themselves, could be bought and sold in a way Football Association rules had previously forbidden. It was a historic moment of change; it continues to shape the present. As season 2024-25 reaches its European climax with the Champions League final in Munich between Internazionale and Paris Saint-Germain , the Burkinshaw remark feels as pertinent as ever – not just about Tottenham, but Newcastle, Manchester City and both of these finalists, among others. READ MORE Formed in 1908 via a schism inside AC Milan, Inter remained in Italian ownership until 2013 when a trio of Indonesian businessmen bought 70 per cent of its shares. In 2016 those were sold to Chinese group Suning, who then defaulted on a loan. It means US investors Oaktree today own a sporting institution 117 years old. United States ownership of Serie A clubs is up to eight. PSG were not formed until 1970, via a merger. The French capital did not have an elite football club and the newly renovated Parc des Princes required tenants. Originally fan-owned – annual subscription: six francs – the club moved, some would say stumbled, through various ownerships until 2011 when Qatari Sports Investment acquired them. Whether six-francs fans wanted it or not, PSG were now part of the Qatari regime's 'National Vision 2030″, a policy aimed at turning the Gulf city-state of Doha into an 'advanced, sustainable society'. Apparently European football was deemed essential to this vision. PSG had been champions of France twice until 2013. Between 2000 and 2012 seven different clubs had won Ligue 1. Now so much money has been ploughed in that PSG have been French champions 11 times in the past 13 seasons. Qatari-PSG eliminated variety. At Uefa they were worried quickly. Having seen the inflationary effect of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea , then Abu Dhabi's purchase of City in 2008, Uefa began to formulate new financial regulations to prevent the 'financial doping' concern Arsène Wenger raised in 2009. That remark was about the new Chelsea, with the whiff of Lance Armstrong still in the air of sport. As Miguel Delaney notes in his valuable book on the subject of modern football, States of Play, PSG had an income of €398 million in 2012-13, but an estimated €200 million came from the Qatar Tourism Authority, which was convenient. Delaney quotes a then senior Uefa spokesman saying of PSG: 'They know the rules are that they have to generate revenues to cover their costs without cheating.' His name was Gianni Infantino . As president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino announced Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in 2034, 12 years after it was hosted by Qatar. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire Doping, cheating: those are quite the words. In May 2014 PSG's Qatari owners and Uefa reached a 'settlement'. There was a headline €60 million fine and a reduction in Champions League squad-size from 25 to 21 players. Later the same month Man City received the same sanction. [ Ken Early: Fifa president Gianni Infantino has relentlessly sucked up to Trump since 2017 Opens in new window ] The new men from the Gulf who ran both clubs were incensed by Uefa's language, but then these are men who are rarely challenged. The Qatari hierarchy in Doha had schemed to get the 2022 World Cup and in doing so had become close to French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Uefa's Michel Platini. They were good at manoeuvring. Even in their anger at Uefa, Delaney writes the situation can be seen as 'two clubs owned by autocracies pressurising a governing body into a secret deal'. As with Spurs in 1983, Delaney traces this compromise as a turning point. With €50 million raised in finger-clicks, the likes of David Luiz, Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler were added to PSG in the next transfer windows. Then in the summer of 2017 the world record transfer fee was obliterated as Neymar joined from Barcelona for €222 million. Not content with that PSG signed Kylian Mbappé on loan from AS Monaco. 'Loan' is a gentle way of putting it: Mbappé cost €180 million the following summer. Qatar splashed this €400 million, plus €1 million a week for Neymar and all the rest, shortly after they had been geographically isolated by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and others, who cut diplomatic ties. The projection of Vision 2030 was still working for Qatar, but it was alienating neighbours as well as having a numbing side effect on domestic French football's competitiveness. Having arranged to parade David Beckham for the last five months of his career in 2013, in August 2021 Qatar brought Lionel Messi from Barcelona to join Neymar. Qatar had already, controversially and undeservedly, been given the 2022 World Cup. The tournament climaxed with Argentina beating France in an unforgettable final; Messi was draped in a bisht over his Argentina colours as he lifted the trophy. Qatar, make no mistake, thought they owned football. Lionel Messi, then of PSG, gets his hand and lips on the World Cup after victory in Qatar in 2022. Photograph:Who could argue with them? Their ownership of PSG is 13 years old, indisputable, normalised. 'Ici c'est Paris' is PSG branding, a statement of geographical pride; yet when the club played the French Super Cup against Monaco in January, the game was staged in Doha, not France. As reported by Doha News, PSG head coach Luis Enrique said before the game: 'We're going to play this match as if it were at home, because we are at home.' Ici c'est Doha. Doha News, though, was focused on why so few locals stayed around to watch the trophy presentation. 'Why has Qatar's ownership of PSG not translated to fandom at home?' it asked. Maybe, we thought, because it's a manufactured enterprise in a city-state of 1.5 million people with no serious football culture? The bigger issue, of ownership, was not in debate. Burkinshaw had thoughts on all this 40 years ago. Now Tottenham Hotspur send out advisory notes to broadcasters to call them 'Spurs' or 'Tottenham Hotspur' but never simply 'Tottenham'. Even if it's to protect copyright, it's crass and a denial of origin. Such 'brand' policies help explain why six weeks before Tottenham won the Europa League, their fans were on the street protesting about the running of the club and what it has become, a sports company mes que un club. 'Built a business, killed a football club' read a banner. James Montague, in another recent book – Engulfed: how Saudi Arabia bought sport, and the world – notes that sports reporting in the Gulf can be curiously strong, given other criticism is not tolerated. Saudi Arabia came to sport's non-sport potential later than its much smaller competitors, Qatar and the UAE, but the Saudis have rushed to make up for that. They brought out their own Vision 2030 and it now directs much of global golf, e-sports and boxing – Saudi minister Turki Alalshikh bought The Ring magazine; plus football, via its Cristiano Ronaldo-led Saudi Pro League and the acquisition of Newcastle United. Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Al-Owais saves a shot from South Korea's Jae-Sung Lee during a friendly match at St James' Park, Newcastle in 2023. Photograph: Will Matthews/PA Wire Saudi Arabia has a long-standing football culture and connections – Saudi Telecom has sponsored Manchester United for years. Saudi Investment Bank SAIB started sponsoring Real Madrid two years ago. The country's right to hold a World Cup, which they will do in 2034, is more convincing than Qatar's. But how they got it – via the tricky chameleon Infantino – is less so, and Burkinshaw might question the Saudi Public Investment Fund's motivation in taking over at St James'. It was about influence and the hardening of soft power. It involved, as the Daily Mail reported in June 2020, direct contact between then UK prime minister Boris Johnson and Saudi's ultimate leader Mohammed Bin Salman. A purchase stalled suddenly changed gear. Public delight at St James' baffled and disturbed. But northeast England had long felt a geographic distance from political power, which fed Brexit sentiment. At Newcastle United the feeling was doubled by the deliberately hollow running of the club by previous owner Mike Ashley, for whom it became a commercial billboard. A club's identity is precious, but not impregnable. Those who disdain Newcastle since the Saudi takeover may be fed up hearing these explanations as to why there is almost no protest in the city – Montague did not find many dissenters; instead a big river of more than 200,000 people flowed through the streets in celebration at winning this season's League Cup. Equally, Newcastle fans are fed up with hearing about Saudi Arabia's human rights record, or having it pointed out that the League Cup could not have been won without Saudi money, or that the reserve team kit is Saudi green, training camps are held in Riyadh and in September 2023 Saudi Arabia staged two friendlies at St James'. Those of us there for the South Korea game heard the tannoy announce: 'It's been a pleasure to host Saudi Arabia here at St James' Park.' Everyone got the message. And as each match, each season passes, it all puts the norm in normalisation. Flowers of variety There never used to be a football club over there: so in Paris they created PSG. It was not for the same reason Viktor Orban, for example, has built his club, Puskas Akademia, in Hungary but like the former Felcsut FC, Qatari-PSG has been transformed into a different entity. PSG's identity has become increasingly blurred under in recent years. Photograph: David Davies/PA Wire And here they are in the last game of the season. We all admire this version of PSG, however – how could you not with talents such asKhvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué? [ In Orban's Hungary, football clubs like Robbie Keane's Ferencváros are no longer just teams Opens in new window ] It makes for a strange end to a curious season, which was somehow simultaneously dull and dazzling. The new Champions League format worked, mainly, and there were great nights for Celtic and Aston Villa. The incredible Inter-Barcelona semi-final made you smile out loud. In England Liverpool may have walked alone to the Premier League title, yet there were amazing scenes of jubilation at Crystal Palace, in Leeds, Newcastle and at 'Tottenham', in Tottenham. In Scotland 40 years of Old Firm league domination was offset by Aberdeen's Scottish Cup win. Flowers of variety have bloomed. On Saturday night we have an enticing climax. Qatar has its name literally written all over it – Qatar Airways' press release on Thursday revelled in their sponsorship of both finalists and the tournament itself. And it's not over. Six years after Jürgen Klopp sat in an Edinburgh hotel preseason and warned of player burnout, bureaucratic ego and sports politics – Infantino – bring us the needless, money-soaked Club World Cup, starting in Miami in a fortnight. Football in 2025. It never ends. Laugh and sigh.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Murphy 'over the moon' with Republic of Ireland winner
Republic of Ireland forward Emily Murphy said you "dream" of goals like her late winner over Turkey after her first international goal secured a dramatic comeback victory as the race for top spot in Group B2 goes down to the final was not going according to plan for Carla Ward's side, who needed three points to keep the pressure on group leaders Slovenia, with Kader Hancar's strike giving Turkey the lead early in the first an own goal from Busem Seker with 10 minutes to go and a composed finish from Murphy in the 89th minute meant that the away side were the victors."I am over the moon with the goal," Murphy told RTE."To be honest, I don't quite remember it [the goal], I just remember it coming to me and knowing I had a lot more time than I thought."The past version of myself would have hit it into Row Z, but I took a breath and composed myself and hit it as hard as I could."You dream of the game winners, but ultimately we should have been better and didn't want it to get to that point."Fellow substitute Megan Campbell's throw-in led to the leveller for the Republic of Ireland with Murphy adding that she was proud that 'everyone that came on made an impact'."There is a reason you have substitutes. We need those game changers, and you might need fresh legs or tactics," the Newcastle United striker continued."Thankfully the right decisions were made and everyone who came on made an impact."The result means that the Republic of Ireland have guaranteed second position in Group B2, but they can still clinch top spot on Tuesday night when they welcome Slovenia to Pairc Ui Slovenians come to Cork unbeaten so far in the group and the home side will have to win by at least a five-goal margin after Slovenia were 4-0 victors in the reverse fixture in February.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bruno Guimaraes opens up on what it was like to captain Newcastle United to their first domestic trophy triumph in 70 years
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Bruno Guimaraes celebrates with the Carabao Cup. | Credit: Getty Images Unless you were a Sunderland or Liverpool fan, it would have been hard not to have been moved by the scenes that greeted Newcastle United's Carabao Cup victory earlier this season. Advertisement The Magpies' 2-1 win over Arne Slot's Premier League champions-in-waiting back in March was the first time that the team had got their hands on a piece of domestic silverware since they beat Manchester City 3-1 in the 1955 FA Cup final. An estimated 300,000 Newcastle supporters poured onto the streets for the team's open-top bus parade as one of English football's more notable trophy droughts was ended. Bruno Guimaraes on captaining Newcastle to a major trophy Burno leads the Newcastle United trophy lift at Wembley | Credit: Getty Images Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was the player tasked with captaining the Magpies at Wembley and responded by putting in his usual all-action display as goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sealed the trophy. Advertisement So how did it feel to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy Scoular, the Toon skipper way back in 1955 and lead the Magpies to a domestic trophy? Newcastle's previous domestic honour came in 1955 | Credit: Getty Images 'It's tough to find the best words to describe this dream I've been living,' Guimaraes tells FourFourTwo. 'Given Newcastle's history, tradition and passionate fanbase, 70 years without a domestic trophy was such a long time. 'I think the penny will fully drop when I retire. I've been walking on clouds, making the most of this honeymoon with the fans. 'I've felt like that since day one at Newcastle, but to become the first captain in 70 years to lift a [domestic] trophy meant the world to me.' Advertisement 'The parade was mind-blowing: I saw everything from eight-year-old kids to 80-year-olds sobbing, because of what this amazing club gave to them. I saw four people on top of a tree–I was afraid it would come down with them! [Laughs] Guimaraes has a strong bond with the St James' Park faithful | Credit: Getty Images 'We wanted to win that trophy so much. We really pushed ourselves.' Guimaraes - who was ranked at no.12 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League players this season - will be hoping to end the campaign with another celebration, with Newcastle going into the final weekend of the Premier League season knowing that a win over Everton in Sunday afternoon will be enough to secure a Champions League place.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Dan Burn receives Freedom of Northumberland honour
Newcastle United's Dan Burn was hailed a "Northumberland legend" as he collected his home county's highest Blyth-born defender, whose towering header helped the Magpies to a historic Carabao Cup win in March, has been presented with the Freedom of said he was "quite emotional" after receiving an ornate scroll, medal and tie decorated with the Northumberland flag, in a special ceremony at County Hall."It's a real honour, especially for just playing football," he said. The award caps a remarkable few months for the 33-year-old, who also made his first England appearance in March and has recently signed a new contract to keep him at Newcastle until 2027."It is always nice to get footballing achievements, but to be given this away from football as well is a real privilege and quite emotional," Burn told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The Freedom of Northumberland is a symbolic status bestowed upon individuals to recognise their services to the Lioness Lucy Bronze is a former leader Glen Sanderson, who nominated Burn for the honour, said the defender was "someone with a proud Blyth history"."He is a very good man and also a hero to many for what he has achieved on and off the pitch- a real Northumberland legend," he Howe has also been awarded the Freedom of Newcastle this week, an honour held by club legends such as Alan Shearer, Jackie Milburn and Sir Bobby Robson. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
