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Daily Mirror
04-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Man City transfer spree speaks volumes about 115 Premier League charges
On Friday, June 6, it will be six months since the independent commission received the final submissions in the hearing into the 115 charges against Manchester City. Those charges were first laid in February, 2023. After the commission went away to consider its verdicts, City have - understandably - carried on regardless. Business as usual. In fact, it has been business as usual … and then some. With confirmation of a £46.3million deal for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, City's spending on new recruits in 2025 has gone past the £200million mark. When negotiating contracts for their clients, did the agents of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Reijnders ask about the impending verdicts on the allegations that City breached Premier League regulations? It is hard to think they did not. It is equally hard to believe the subject was not raised when Erling Haaland agreed a new nine-and-a-half year deal back in January. Presumably, the representatives of Rayan Cherki - Lyon's attacking midfielder - will mention the issue in the final stages of discussions over a big-money move to the Etihad. Ditto when it comes to the anticipated negotiations with Wolves wing-back Rayan Aït-Nouri. And it might even be raised when young, stellar talents - Sheffield Wednesday's 16-year-old striker Caelan Cadamarteri is the latest name to be linked - are being recruited for the academy this summer. Considering they are protesting their innocence on all charges, the City hierarchy was, of course, never going to do anything other than carry on regardless. But the longer the delay in announcing the independent commission's verdicts and the more business City conducts in the transfer market, it is hard to imagine any punishments coming their way having hugely significant consequences. Such was the number of charges, there was initial speculation that punishment could consist of a points deduction so severe that it would inevitably mean relegation. In the context of any outcome still being possible, that could still be the case. But the delay in reaching verdicts - verdicts that, presumably, could then be challenged - is only fuelling belief that an extreme sanction is unlikely. One thing about the verdicts, though, is that they have to come soon. Gary Neville labelled the delay a 'disgrace' and 'an absolute stain to the game' and while he is probably not giving enough consideration to the myriad legal complexities, he has a point. Pep Guardiola's City are about to travel to the Club World Cup - FIFA's new flagship version of the competition - as one of the two standard-bearers of the Premier League but with charges from that competition still hanging over them. The next Premier League season begins in just over a couple of months' time. Sure, the commission has a hugely difficult and complex task. We know how much legal might City have put into defending themselves. We also know the verdicts could have serious implications for the Premier League's system of financial governance. But if this delay goes on much longer - and if there is then an appeal by either side - the credibility of the whole process will be seriously questioned. And the Premier League cannot allow that to happen. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Premier League release statement on decision that denied Aston Villa goal vs Man Utd as club ready official complaint
Scroll down to watch the incident at Old Trafford VILLA VEXED Premier League release statement on decision that denied Aston Villa goal vs Man Utd as club ready official complaint Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Premier League have released a statement over Aston Villa's controversial disallowed goal. Villa thought they had gone in front in their crunch clash away at Manchester United on the final day of the season. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Morgan Rogers was penalised despite Altay Bayindir dropping the ball Credit: Getty 8 Rogers finished into the empty net for Aston Villa Credit: Reuters 8 The whistle had already gone too early Credit: PA 8 VAR were only able to confirm the mistake but not step in Credit: TNT Sports Morgan Rogers poked the ball away from United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir before finishing into an open net after Harry Maguire's header. But referee Thomas Bramall blew his whistle before the ball crossed the line. He thought Rogers had kicked the ball out of Bayindir's hands and therefore awarded a free-kick against the Villa man. However, replays showed Bayindir did not have the ball under control and the goal should have stood. READ MORE ON ASTON VILLA HAD A MAR Emi Martinez's Aston Villa 'farewell' ends in disgrace as he's SENT OFF However, the laws of the game state that a goal cannot be retrospectively awarded after the whistle has blown - even if done in error. VAR did take a brief look at the incident. But that was only to confirm the whistle had gone before the goal was scored - thus leaving the officials hamstrung. And the Premier League statement clarified the situation. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Their Match Centre account tweeted during the United vs Villa match: "72' - The referee's call was a free kick to Manchester United with Bayindir deemed to be in control of the ball before Rogers gained possession. "The whistle was blown by the referee before the ball entered the goal, therefore the incident was not reviewable by the VAR." Ruben Amorim vows 'good days are coming' after 'disaster season' as Man Utd flops give him daggers during public apology To rub salt into the wounds for Villa - who were in fifth at the time of the referee controversy - United went up the other end and scored the opener through Amad Diallo. A Christian Eriksen penalty sealed a 2-0 home win as Villa had to settle for sixth and missed out on the Champions League on goal difference behind Newcastle - who lost at home to Everton. And the Premier League's statement did not do anything to tame ten-man Villa's fury - as SunSport understands the club will launch an official complaint over the appointment of an inexperienced ref for such an important match. Bramall has taken charge of league matches across the Premier League and Championship this term - with Sunday's Old Trafford game his 11th in the top flight. That took his Premier League tally to 30 - ironically, that is less than a third of the amount overseen by today's fourth official Bobby Madley. Captain John McGinn was raging after the game and said: "I think everyone wanted the correct decisions when the VAR was implemented. "You watch rugby, even if the referee has awarded a try and it's wrong, its overturned. "It's so so hard to take especially when the impact it has on us, as a club and a team, is so big. "It's really, really tough to take and handle. I don't think we deserved to win but if you were 1-0 up at that point and all you need is a point to get to the Champions League, it's costly. "Moving forward, the rule has to be looked at as the correct decisions were not getting made at the end of the day. I think [referee] Thomas [Bramall] knew. It probably wasn't fair on him at that moment either. The boys are gutted." Asked if the ref acknowledged his mistake, he said: "He didn't really know what to say. "Because of the impact it has on us as players and our careers, the club, you are obviously angry. I think he is a young referee who has progressed very quickly. "Maybe we could look at having more experienced referees. I don't know. It's just an incredible decision and makes today even worse than it should be." Villa manager Unai Emery added: "It was a mistake. A big mistake. "The match we played overall in 90 minutes with the red card and this goal disallowed, it was a key moment. But overall, they did more." Emery revealed he spoke with the referee after the game: "Yes, I told him but he knows it [he made a mistake]." 8 Replays showed Bayindir did not have the ball under control Credit: PA 8 Aston Villa raged at Thomas Bramall after his mistake Credit: Reuters 8 Unai Emery made his feelings and frustrations clear Credit: AFP
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Balestier Khalsa's departing coach Peter de Roo urges FAS to get out of comfort zone to improve SPL
Balestier Khalsa coach Peter de Roo says there is a lack of effort from the football authorities in making the game better. ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU SINGAPORE – For most of the last decade, Balestier Khalsa had become a team known for their defensive, uninspiring brand of football rather than flair or ambition. That perception has been turned on its head under Dutchman Peter de Roo, who became their full-time head coach in 2023. With one game left, Balestier are fourth on 45 points – three more than their next opponents, fifth-placed Albirex Niigata – and are just a point away from securing consecutive top-four finishes in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) – the first time the club has achieved this since 1997 and 1998. The 55-year-old has done this while having introduced a possession-based, attacking style of play that has won fans and plaudits alike. But the de Roo era will end on May 25, after their season finale against Albirex at Bishan Stadium (6pm), as he has informed the club that he will not be renewing his contract. His decision was prompted by several factors, including difficulties in taking the next step at a club that he felt has reached its maximum potential with 'limited resources'. De Roo said: 'We compete with clubs who have a much higher budget than us and in the top four, we are the only club that doesn't have national team players. 'When you are successful in a club like Balestier, the budget is not going to improve in the next season, but the players want to earn more money and the expectations go up. To stay at the same level or even improve in terms of the results, is going to be a massive challenge. 'Where I come from, if you do well, you generate more income, there are more people watching, you get more money from broadcast and commercial arms to improve the team and the salaries of players. Simply, if you do well, the budget goes up. At Balestier, it is not like that. I must accept that.' Noting that he has achieved his objective of making an impact at the club, he added: 'You better leave two months too early than stay for one day too long.' While he exits 'with pain in my heart, because I love these boys, I love the club', de Roo said he also felt the need to be honest as he felt there was so much untapped potential in football here. Without mincing his words, he added that the football authorities' lack of effort and innovation has also contributed to his decision to leave. 'I've been part of the SPL for three years and what I noticed is that there is a lack of effort from the people (in charge) in trying to make it better and more attractive. I see a lot of people who take things for granted here and are too comfortable,' said de Roo. He mentioned, for example, that on several occasions, he had raised the issue of time-wasting by SPL teams with FAS. This had contributed to dull matches and, by his own tabulation, a below average ball-in-play time of the 'low 40s'. The average ball-in-play time in the English Premier League is 57 mins. 'It is disrespectful to people who watch it, and it's certainly not what young players should be seeing. FAS can do a lot about these things as well. We must do better, and we owe it to the people who watch our games to address these things,' de Roo said, adding that more should also be done in terms of fan engagement. While admitting he did not have all the answers, he stressed the need for innovation. He said: 'We need to try to encourage and promote and make the competitions better, but I get the feeling that everybody is sort of being comfortable. Being comfortable isn't going to lead to anything. They need to think outside the box.' The departure of club vice-chairman Darwin Jalil in April had also played a part in his own exit. De Roo credited Darwin for raising the standard at the club and being a crucial figure behind the Tigers' growth in the last two years. De Roo, who served as technical director at the Football Association of Malaysia from 2017 until the end of 2020, had initially joined as Balestier's interim head coach for the last six matches of the 2022 season after Akbar Nawas left to join Thai second-tier side Udon Thani. But he eventually accepted an offer to stay on as permanent head coach for the 2023 season before agreeing to extend his contract again for the 2024-25 campaign. The Dutchman said he accepted the role even though the Tigers' best offer meant taking a pay cut of up to 60 per cent compared to his previous salaries. Since leaving his appointment in Malaysia, he has been based in Singapore, where his wife works at the Netherlands Embassy. For now, de Roo has not thought of the next step in his career, but reiterated that he has enjoyed being in the Republic and hopes to see changes to improve local football. He added: 'During my time here, I have studied the history of the country. Look at where Singapore was then in the 60s or in the 70s, and where they are now. You're so good at planning and building so many things. So to me, it is weird that we can't get football organised. 'If you can transfer that mindset of how the nation was built into football, things will improve.' Hougang United v Brunei DPMM (May 24, 6pm, Our Tampines Hub) While DPMM will be looking to finish the season and their Singapore sojourn with a sixth consecutive win in the league, the Cheetahs will be looking to end a five-game winless run. BG Tampines Rovers v Lion City Sailors (May 24, 6pm, Jalan Besar Stadium) The champions have a chance to assert their dominance over runners-up Tampines. Eight points separate the two sides, and their previous encounters this season have produced one win for each and a draw, setting the stage for a decisive showdown. Tanjong Pagar United v Geylang International (May 25, 6pm, Jurong East Stadium) The 2024-25 season's wooden spoonists have just three wins all season, but they can draw confidence from their lone victory in the past 14 matches – a 1-0 win over Geylang in the Singapore Cup group stage back in March. Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports journalist at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Manchester City working on ‘Plan B' option after withdrawing Florian Wirtz transfer interest
Hugo Viana and Manchester City officials are now working on their 'Plan B' option in the transfer market after withdrawing interest in Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz. The Etihad Stadium faithful bid farewell to Kevin De Bruyne on Tuesday night in an emotional affair that saw the iconic 33-year-old presented with a lifetime season ticket at the club, a mosaic at the training ground, and confirmed plans for a statue outside of the arena. Advertisement The 3-1 win over Bournemouth was not only De Bruyne's final home match for Manchester City, but also a mammoth victory in the context of the club's chase for UEFA Champions League football – a competition that could prove vital in attracting a certain calibre of player. And that is of the utmost importance as City bosses go in search of their best-possible replacement for the Belgium international, despite retracting from the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz this summer. Manchester City were long tied to links with the Germany international playmaker, alongside Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Real Madrid, but growing finances around a move ultimately proved too costly for Etihad decision makers. Advertisement As such, the likes of Hugo Viana and Txiki Begiristain are moving their attentions elsewhere in the transfer market and are looking at alternatives to take control of the creative weight from next season in Pep Guardiola's squad. According to the information of Sky Sport's Sacha Tavolieri, Manchester City have maintained 'regular contacts' with the entourage of Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo, knowing that the financial difficulties of the La Liga champions would make finding a transfer agreement easier. It is claimed that officials at the Etihad Stadium have already 'prepared the groundwork' for Pep Guardiola to have a new central creator in his squad 'capable of creating play, connecting different zones, generating chances, and converting actions into goals'. Should a transfer be completed for Olmo between Barcelona and City, the report reveals a €60 million fee could be on the cards. Advertisement Follow-up reporting from Tavolieri on his social media channels has further revealed that Florian Wirtz has chosen Bayern Munich as his next club, in a wish that has been confirmed to City officials. As for the work being conducted by incoming director of football Hugo Viana and his recruitment team, it is emphasised that they are now working on Dani Olmo as their 'Plan B', a player that has 'always been very appreciated' by manager Pep Guardiola. It also remains to be seen whether there are any names within the existing Manchester City squad that Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff feel can carry some of the creative responsibilities left behind by Kevin De Bruyne from this summer. Much has been made this season of Phil Foden's disappointing campaign, and so many will be hoping to see a much stronger return from the England international next season, particularly following his Premier League Player of the Season heroics across 2023/24. A number of alterations are expected to be made to the City squad over the course of the summer, with uncertainties still looming over the likes of James McAtee and Claudio Echeverri, with permanent and loan deals anticipated for both respectively.
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Mikel Arteta admits he knew before the season started that his Arsenal squad wasn't good enough
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MIKEL ARTETA admits his Arsenal squad was too small to challenge Liverpool for the Prem title. Arteta promising fans a major summer spending spree. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Mikel Arteta admits his squad needs improving Credit: Rex 6 Injury to Kai Havertz didn't help as the Gunners suffered injuries Credit: Getty 6 Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka reflect on Arsenal's Champions League exit Credit: Rex Arsenal are set to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, a new No 9 - with Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres and Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko the prime candidates - and are targeting a massive push for Bilbao's left-sided Spain star Nico Williams. Boss Arteta said: 'There are a lot of factors. We knew from the beginning of the season that our squad was super short. 'Being super short we had some players that had a high probability of getting injured, because that's what they had in the last few seasons. 'So we knew that and we cannot do anything about it. "But we will do everything that we can to improve the team and especially improve the players that we already have. 'That is not something we have just started to talk about now. If we were only having those meetings now we would be doing it very late. 6 Real Sociedad playmaker Martin Zubimendi is certain Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 'Whatever the market offers to give us a better chance to win for sure we will try to do it. 'Over the season there are many things you need to go your way. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 'In the clinical moments, does the ball hit the post and come out, or go in? That's the fine margins. 'What we have to try to do is to amplify the margins. The bigger the margins are, even if those things happen, then it will be very difficult for the opposition. This week's title: How 'brave' Arsenal were denied by PSG in Champions League semi-final 'We have to do it our way. We have to be authentic with ourselves and what we believe, what we can do and what we've been doing. That's it.' The impact of absences has been evident for Arsenal throughout the campaign. Only William Saliba and Declan Rice have started more than 30 Prem games this season, with another quartet - Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard over the 30-mark in total league appearances. By contrast, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Mo Salah have started 104 out of 105 times between them, with another seven players having featured 30 or more times. Arteta agreed: 'That's a big thing to win trophies, you know, and they did that extremely well. 6 Arsenal will go all out for Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams Credit: Rex 'They managed to maintain that consistency, that level of players, a system, a coach, a stadium that has created again, and consistently, an incredible atmosphere for them. 'So you need a lot of ingredients or you don't win the Premier League. 'That's the difficulty of it, and it's true that this season we never found that consistently because of the issues that we had. 'I don't want to use it as an excuse. 'We have the best League in the world, yes? We all agree. We knew from the beginning of the season that our squad was super short. Mikel Arteta 'But we were the only team from this League on the park in the semi-finals of the Champions League. That's the level.' Arteta dismissed any interest in the suggestion that, if they win the Europa League, Spurs might argue they have had a more successful season despite flirting with the drop zone. He joked: 'I am only looking at my own garden.' But it is the Liverpool garden that he will be looking at this afternoon and Arteta conceded: 'What Arne did was very intelligent. 6 'He had all the platform - a team that has been competing and winning trophies throughout the last 10 years. So he had to do nothing new. 'He's added his values, and he maintained a lot of the things. He's obviously given his fingerprints to a lot of things that are very, very good as well. 'The most important thing is he got the best out of the players. I really want it because that is what this club needs and has been so close to achieving. Now we need to make it happen. Mikel Arteta on winning trophies 'And the players that have to make the difference, they were there constantly, making the difference for them. That's capital to win any major trophy. 'But we want to have the sort of celebrations they are having now, big-time. Watching that will show that we have not won a competition we wanted to win. 'I really want it because that is what this club needs and has been so close to achieving. 'Now we need to make it happen. We have talked about it many times and will continue for sure with the same drive - or more - until we achieve it.'
