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  Manchester United and Crystal Palace have both been fined £55,000 for their parts in the brawl that saw Casemiro 'strangle' Will Hughes. The Brazilian midfielder was sent off and banned for three domestic games for his role in the melee – which happened in United's 2-1 home win over Palace on February 4 – as he appeared to grab Will Hughes by the throat. The Football Association (FA) have now confirmed both clubs have been fined for 'failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from provocative behaviour'. Regulation and Discipline update on @ManUtd and @CPFC : pic.twitter.com/8TEEF8AKOB — FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) February 28, 2023 The incident came about in the 67th minute of the game, at which stage United were 2-0 up and cruising. Palace reduced their arrears against Erik ten Hag's 10 men, who then clung on to the win. The FA statement reveals that United accepted the charge, whereas Palace denied thei...

  Any takeover of Manchester United looks set to be delayed until May as the Glazer family are reportedly holding out for a £6 billion ($7.2bn) offer. That's according to the latest information from The Guardian, who note that the two bids lodged by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe on 17 February were valued somewhere at a maximum of £4.5bn ($5.4bn). It is thought that there is still indecision among the Glazer family over the nature of the eventual sale, with each of the six siblings having their own views on an exit strategy. Nevertheless, it is reported that a bid closer to £6bn would be enough to satisfy all Glazers, who could even accept an offer placed somewhere between that and the £4.5bn bids already lodged. In any case, this indecision has put paid to the family's desire to have any takeover completed by the end of March, with The Guardian reporting that an end-of-season sale is now the most likely eventuality. The news is the latest in a host of ...

  Jose Mourinho was sent off for dissent yet again in tonight’s match with Cremonese and took a very old-fashioned method of communicating with his Roma staff. The Special One has never had a great rapport with referees and fourth officials, and it was his conversation with the latter that cost him a red card this time at the Stadio Zini. He was even more furious following the dismissal and protested loudly with referee Piccinini, pointing to fourth official Serra and insisting “it’s him, it’s him!” A minute into the second half and Jose Mourinho was sent off for the third time this season. 😅 pic.twitter.com/9zwVCwzSeM — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 28, 2023 Once he had left the touchline, Mourinho took some old-fashioned methods of communicating with his staff on the bench. Rather than get the phone out, he scribbled some notes and got his assistant Salvatore Foti to deliver it to their colleagues. As luck would have it, Foti was already in the stands sitti...

The Saudi Pro League have announced Cristiano Ronaldo as their player of the month winner for February.  The Portuguese, who joined Al-Nassr at the start of January, enjoyed a spectacular month in which he scored eight times and assisted a further two as they maintained their grip on the top of the league. Having endured something of a difficult start to life in the Middle East following the fallout from his acrimonious Manchester United exit and Portugal's World Cup quarter-final defeat to Morocco, Ronaldo has now acclimatised suitably. His month began with a strong showing against Al-Fateh, in which he scored a last-gasp penalty to save his side's blushes, despite Al-Nassr having gone down to 10 men.  Perhaps his piece de resistance in the Middle East so far, Ronaldo scored four times against Al-Wehda in a comprehensive victory for Rudi Garcia's team.  Having hit his stride, Ronaldo continued to perform for the Saudi outfit. Against fellow title challengers Al-Taawoun, ...

     The debate around which of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is better may finally have been solved following the former’s World Cup triumph. But, for those that still need convincing, we’ve had a look at how the pair’s ridiculously stacked trophy cabinets compare. Messi and Ronaldo are without doubt the two greatest players of their generation. Between them, they have scored over 1500 career goals and provided numerous moments of incredible skill or match-winning prowess. They have also picked up nine Champions Leagues, 17 domestic league titles, two senior international tournament crowns and dozens of other collective and individual accolades. Following his World Cup heroics, Messi recently collected his latest individual accolade as he beat the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to The Best FIFA Men’s Player award for 2022. There are plenty out there who would like to make the argument for one player over the other, but Messi and Ronaldo generally prefer to ...

  Toney was hit with over 260 charges by the Football Association at the end of last year. The charges are related to alleged breaches to betting rules under FA rule E8. SunSport revealed in November that Toney was at the centre of a match-betting probe. In a statement , the FA confirmed: "Ivan Toney has been charged with misconduct in relation to alleged breached of the FA's betting rules. "It is alleged that the Brentford FC forward breached FA Rule E8 232 times between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021. "Ivan Toney has until Thursday 24 November 2022 to provide a response." He was since whacked with another 32 charges. England star Kieran Trippier was penalised for breaking FA betting rules after telling a friend to "lump on" ahead of his transfer from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid in 2019. Trippier did not directly place a bet but following an investigation he was banned from football activity for ten weeks and fined £70,000. In 2016 Joey Barton ...

Antonio Conte is set to be nominated for the Manager of the Month award for February, despite the fact he's only been on the bench for one game, a big loss. It has not been a vintage campaign so far for Tottenham Hotspur, whose fans are no doubt getting a bit bored of the opening 45 minutes of their games being so dull. They are still well in the hunt to finish in the top four, and get Champions League football once again for next season, but Harry Kane's performances aside, there hadn't been too much to write home about. However, on Sunday, they dominated local rivals Chelsea, not that it's much of an achievement just now, to round off what's been a pretty successful February. The shortest month of the years has seen them beat fellow London rivals West Ham, a win over Premier League champions Manchester City, and earn the three points against Chelsea. And they've done it all without Conte on the bench, as the Italian has recently had gallbladder surgery, and be...

  Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate is expected to be available for Liverpool's clash against Wolves on Wednesday after recovering from a muscle injury. The Reds have been thin across the ground in defence following injuries to both Konate and Virgil van Dijk. However, both central defenders are now back fit and available for selection against Wolves. Konate's return has come at the perfect time after Joe Gomez limped off injured during Liverpool's 5-2 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. Supporters will hope Konate can bring some stability to the back four as the Reds seek revenge for their Premier League defeat to Wolves in early February. Klopp's side were taken apart 3-0 at Molineux courtesy of Craig Dawson, Ruben Neves and a Joel Matip own-goal. The defeat instigated a return to form as Liverpool beat Everton and Newcastle in consecutive matches. However, a 5-2 hammering to European Champions Real Madrid and a disappointing goalless draw against Crystal Palace ...

  Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui has hinted that Pedro Neto could be involved against Liverpool. The pair meet at Anfield on Wednesday evening as the Reds look to get revenge for their humiliating 3-0 defeat at Molineux in early February. Jurgen Klopp's side were played off the park, with goals from Craig Dawson, Ruben Neves and an own-goal from Joel Matip ensuring all three points for the relegation threatened side. But in a major boost for the West Midlands club, Neto could be available for the contest. Liverpool fans can't stand the sight of the winger after he looked to have thrown a spanner in the works of their late title charge last year. The 22-year-old scored inside three minutes on the final day of the season, striking fear into supporters who knew only a win could see them clinch the title. Fortunately for Reds fans, Sadio Mane was on target to level the scores before Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson secured the win late in the day. Just as it looked as though they m...

 Erik ten Hag has reportedly handed Manchester United a six-man transfer shortlist, with the Dutchman open to offers for several players from the current squad. On Sunday, Ten Hag got his hands on his first trophy as United boss after his side beat Newcastle United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final, thanks to goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford. Various reports have now stated that Ten Hag is targeting six players to improve his squad in the summer transfer window. According to the Manchester Evening News, the former Ajax manager wants United to go after Frenkie de Jong again after failing to secure a deal last summer. The Old Trafford club initially had a transfer fee of £56.2 million agreed with the Catalan club but the 25-year-old simply refused to move. Aside from De Jong, Ten Hag is reportedly a huge fan of Borussia Dortmund superstar Jude Bellingham. Many clubs are believed to be lining up to lure Bellingham away from Germany. The report also claims that Ten Hag will be lookin...

  Football royalty Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted at the Jake Paul and Tommy Fury fight on Sunday night wearing a rather lush looking watch worth over $1.5 million. The most followed person on Instagram was in attendance in Saudi Arabia to watch Tommy Fury defeat Jake Paul via split decision, and fans were quick to notice his shining Franck Muller watch. Priced at $1,500,000 USD (£1,236,855), the Cintree Curvex Tourbillon 0001 is just one in Ronaldo’s extremely expensive watch collection. Sima mp3 dede ❗️ Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted on Sunday at the Boxing Fight of Jake Paul and Tommy Fury wearing a Franck Muller Cintree Curvex Tourbillon 0001. The Watch’s Price is $1,500,000 USD. (19,227,090 gh) pic.twitter.com/G4yzIazWe1 — Fancy Di Maria (@FancyDiMaria_) February 28, 2023 Now playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia following his rather controversial and well documented departure from Premier League giants Manchester United, Ronaldo made the short journey from Riyadh to the Diriy...

  Lionel Messi was once so annoyed by his neighbours making noise, that he bought their house off them to return peace to his neighbourhood. When you've played at the highest level for as long as Messi, you get to do things others could only dream of, like win a World Player of the Year award for a 10th time, as he did on Monday night. It literally has to be at his level because let's be honest, no one has come close in the history of the sport, as he picked up his second FIFA Best award this week. Of course it was down to his part in winning the World Cup for Argentina at the end of the year, and will likely lead to an eighth Ballon d'Or, and 11th equivalent title, come the end of 2023. The PSG forward's career has seen him earn a huge number of individual awards and a ludicrous amount of team awards, leagues and cups. Some even thought he'd 'completed football' after winning the World Cup in Qatar, although he shows no signs of retiring just yet. Of course...

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi’s top three picks for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award have been revealed after the ceremony in Paris, France. Messi took home the major honour of the night after he was crowned Best FIFA Men’s Player ahead of PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema. The 35-year-old Argentine forward collected his award on Monday after securing 52 points, with Mbappe and Benzema picking up 44 and 34 points respectively. Messi capped off a fine 2022 by leading Argentina to the World Cup trophy in Qatar, with the Barcelona legend’s inspiring form securing him the Golden Ball award. Journalists, captains and coaches cast their votes for a wide range of FIFA awards, including Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper and Best FIFA Women’s Player. Messi, who was named in the FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11, was eligible to cast votes for the awards ceremony due to his captain status for Argentina. Each captain could select up to three players to vote for in a ...

  Karim Benzema finished third in FIFA’s ‘The Best Men’s Player of the Year’ award on Monday. Lionel Messi ended up winning the award, with Kylian Mbappe finishing behind him. There were a lot of talks about which footballer voted for whom. David Alaba sparked a controversy by voting for Messi in first place rather than Benzema. Karim Benzema en story Instagram 😭 pic.twitter.com/z58szUh8wO — Real Madrid FR (@FranceRMCF) February 27, 2023 After the show, the French forward posted a rather bizarre video on his Instagram story. It shows a man speaking at the camera, saying in French ‘Liar, yes, you Liar.’ The video has a caption written ‘good night’ in it too. Karim appears to be disappointed with his finish in the awards show, but it’s unclear if that video is directed at someone like Alaba or not.

  Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is being investigated over allegations of 'kidnap and torture' in his homeland of Qatar. Three French judges have been appointed to launch an investigation into the PSG chief over the 'alleged kidnapping and torture' of Franco-Algerian lobbyist Tayeb Benabderrahmane, reports French outlet L'Equipe. Benabderrahmane, 42, has claimed he was subjected to 'kidnapping, confinement and torture' carried out over a six month period, allegedly in connection with being in possession of sensitive documents. Benabderrahmane is said to have been detained in Qatar from January 2020, some three months after settling in the country to carry out the lobbying. It is then alleged that the 42-year-old was imprisoned and tortured, before being placed under house arrest. He claims to have been allowed to leave in November only after signing a confidentiality agreement, which stipulated the non-disclosure of the 'sensitive'...

  Arsenal star Vivianne Miedema has responded to claims she was rude to Alexia Putellas during the Best FIFA Football Awards. The Dutch striker was in attendance with her teammate and partner Beth Mead, who was up against Putellas and Alex Morgan for The Best FIFA Women's Player Award. The accolade, which had an eligibility period of 7th August 2021 to 31st July 2022, went to Putellas. The 29-year-old helped Barcelona complete the domestic treble and reach the Women’s Champions League during the 2021-2022 season. She also scored 34 times in all competitions during the campaign, despite playing in midfield. Although Putellas missed Euro 2022 after rupturing her ACL on the eve of the tournament, her performances for Barcelona certainly made her a well-deserved winner of the The Best FIFA Women's Player Award. Putellas looked delighted as she stepped up to collect yet another individual accolade, showing her class by shaking the hands of Mead and Morgan. But a video of the moment ...

  Alexia Putellas earned The Best FIFA Women's Player Award for the second year in a row, beating Beth Mead and Alex Morgan to the accolade. With the eligibility period running from 7th August 2021 to 31st July 2022, Putellas was given the prestigious football award after helping Barcelona complete the domestic treble and reach the Women’s Champions League. The 29-year-old scored 34 times in all competitions during the 2021/2022 season, despite playing as a midfielder. An ACL injury prevented her from competing at Euro 2022, however. With Putellas receiving 50 points after votes from coaches, captains, journalists and fans, both Mead and Morgan finished with 37 points. Mead had enjoyed a brilliant 2021/2022 season with Arsenal, before earning the Golden Boot at Euro 2022 with six goals. Morgan was the NWSL’s 2022 Golden Boot winner, hitting the back of the net 15 times in 17 appearances for San Diego Wave. With all three players excelling during the eligibility period for The Best ...

  Chelsea have confirmed the severity of the knee injury Thiago Silva picked up in the match against Spurs. The club released the following statement about the defender: "Having sustained a knee injury during the first half of Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, Thiago underwent further assessment and a scan on his return to the training centre on Monday. "Scan results from those assessments have confirmed damage to Thiago’s knee ligaments and he will now work closely with the club’s medical department during his rehabilitation to return to action as soon as possible." Considering it is a ligament injury, reports suggest he is expected be out for six weeks. Things going from bad to worse for Graham Potter.

  Fabrizio Romano has opened up on how Erik ten Hag was crucial in pulling off Casemiro's move to Manchester United. Speaking to Caught Offside, the reputed journalist explained: "What a season Casemiro is having! "Despite the pursuit of Frenkie de Jong and Adrien Rabiot earlier in the summer, Casemiro has always been on the list for Manchester United, but he wasn’t available in June or July. "When the situation changed in August, Manchester United decided to proceed and Erik ten Hag was crucial as he spoke directly to the player. It was a difficult signing but an excellent one." Romano continued: "There was nothing concrete with other clubs, despite links with Chelsea. "Real Madrid wanted to keep the player, but when Manchester United called, Casemiro decided to accept and force his exit from him. He was not close to joining anyone else." Casemiro was arguably the signing of the year for United last summer, considering his insane skills in a hold...

  “The lads who are playing and starting, Rapha (Varane) is playing really well, and we have seen his ideas, the manager, what he wants, and he does like a left-footed centre-back playing,” explained Harry Maguire in an interview with The Athletic. “It’s high competition for places. This is Manchester United. We want to win trophies, and big trophies and to do that you need competition for places and the manager speaks to me daily. “He really respects me and believes that I am a top centre-half with all the attributes to play in his team but also he understands that the players who are playing – and I understand that the players who are playing – are playing very well.” Maguire has fallen down the pecking order, with Erik ten Hag preferring Varane and Lisandro Martinez in starting roles at centre-back. However, it looks like the Englishman is willing to accept the situation and work harder - which is the right attitude. If Maguire is able to fight for a spot in the starting XI, it ...

  "Let's make myself clear, we didn't win with 11 players, we did win with a squad and I think the squad is already, the whole season, so important," Erik ten Hag told a press conference when asked if he planned to rotate his 'strongest team' for the FA Cup clash with West Ham. "Every time players are coming in, if it's for the whole game, for minutes or a couple of games, I think also during games, we can change the dynamics. "We do it with many more than 11 players, so I count on them and I know they will be ready because every time players play games, they take responsibility and it's about that. "Take responsibility, but also you have to fight for your position. "We have great months ahead of us, also great games, and I think everyone wants to play games. The players who form the best teams will play." With an exception of a couple of positions up front, every Man United fan will name the same players in their version of th...

  After Barcelona president Joan Laporta slammed him as ‘Anti Barca’ earlier this month, La Liga chief Javier Tebas said: “Joan Laporta cannot say that there is someone in charge of financial control to whom I have told that he has to do something because I don't like Barcelona, no. “I don't have it in for the club and he knows it, the rules are not from Tebas, but of all LaLiga's departments. It's only a matter of complying with them.” He also opened up on the referee scandal around Barca, adding: “The reputational damage that is being done to Spanish and international football is already irreparable. “An investigation process has begun, because an explanation is required not only for the president of LaLiga, but for all of world football. We must seek clarification, the reasons for those payments, and [find] the responsible parties.” It’s quite clear that Tebas clearly doesn’t like Barca and his hate for the club has only grown since they refused to sign the CVC deal....

  A footage of Ronaldo Nazario bumping into Leo Messi at the FIFA's Best ceremony in Paris is making rounds on social media. While the Brazil - Argentina rivalry may have prevented some players from congratulating Messi for his Qatar heroics, that was never going to be the case with the Ronaldo. "Congratulations for the World Cup, how beautiful, eh? You deserve it. I’m very happy for you", the Brazilian said. Ronaldo: “Congratulations for the World Cup, how beautiful, eh? You deserve it. I’m very happy for you….” Messi: “It was crazy…” pic.twitter.com/Ge50w1VgA1 — All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) February 28, 2023 Greatness recognizes greatness. You’d expect nothing less from El Fenomeno.

  Manchester City are interested in Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, as per Matt Law, an extremely reliable journalist for Chelsea news. Kovacic is entering the final year of his contract this summer, with his current deal expiring in June 2024. City boss Pep Guardiola has been alerted of Kovacic's situation and is said to be a big admirer of the player. Pep wants to bolster his midfield in the summer and should Kovacic's contract extension not happen, he is seen as a relatively cheap top-class option.

  When asked how Arsenal are preparing to face Everton in a mid-week fixture, Mikel Arteta told reporters: “We have to look at certain matches, what they do and try to get the right tactics to beat them - and as well the same mentality and expectation of what we demand in the game. “We can’t control how the opponents are feeling or how they prepare for the games. What we have to do is tomorrow in front of our crowd go full tilt, go to win the game, play well and compete really well against this team. “Tomorrow we expect to have the same support because with that, we’re going to be closer to winning the game for sure.” The Gunners will be hoping to extend their lead at the top of the table by beating Everton at the Emirates. Having the support of the Emirates faithful would be a huge advantage like always. The Toffees are currently in the relegation zone, with new manager Sean Dyche working to cause an upset.

                                      A compilation has emerged of Cristiano Ronaldo speaking in five different languages, and his limited proficiency in one language caught some fans by complete surprise. Ronaldo, a Portugal native, is fluent in his mother tongue of Portuguese and effectively built on his English-speaking skills during his first spell at Manchester United. The 38-year-old forward enjoyed incredible success under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, which included three Premier League titles and a Champions League. Ronaldo completed a then-world-record move to Real Madrid in 2009 for £80m, with the Portuguese star hoovering up major silverware at the La Liga club. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner became well-versed in Spanish during his time in the capital before his blockbuster £99.2m transfer to Juventus. Ronaldo lifted a Coppa Italia and two Serie A titles with the Old Lady b...

  With the departure of Danilo and Gustavo Scarpa, Gabriel Menino gained space in Abel Ferreira’s accounts and has been a regular bet in Palmeiras’ midfield, alongside Zé Rafael. But until recently, the Brazilian did not have this regularity and at the beginning of 2021 he really went through difficulties. The midfielder admitted that he was “with his head in the clouds”, having lost space in the squad. So much so that he was put on the market by Verdão. At that time, Gabriel Menino, believing that the drop in performance was the result of a physical issue and not a mental one, opted for a diet that he says was identical to that of Cristiano Ronaldo, but the process was not positive. “I was at my weight, but I wanted to change. I called Mirtes, Palmeiras’ nutritionist, and asked her to make me a Cristiano Ronaldo diet. I wanted to look like Cristiano Ronaldo. The team was formed and I was the third option. The diet was like this: breakfast was an egg and supplements. Pre-workout wa...

  Piers Morgan stooped to a new low when he called Manchester United's Carabao Cup celebrations an 'embarrassment'. To any fan who has followed the club through all of the lows over the past few years, that statement is an insult. And Mark Goldbridge, host of The United Stand, has given it back to Morgan. Responding to Morgan's now-viral tweet, Goldbridge replied: "You celebrated Ronaldo scoring a penalty in the Saudi League last week." You celebrated Ronaldo scoring a penalty in the Saudi League last week https://t.co/15aTn11a4q — Mark Goldbridge (@markgoldbridge) February 26, 2023 Ouch. Not even Ronaldo will be able to come back from that one! The 38-year-old has scored eight goals so far in the Saudi league but no matter what, that's not even half as intense as the competition in England.

  Liverpool have revealed the details of their financial accounts for the first season post-pandemic until May 31, 2022. Here are some of the key points from the information released by the club: Media revenue fell by £5m to £261m Matchday revenue rose by £83m to £86m Commercial revenue rose by £29m to £247m Administrative costs rose by £69m to £545m Overall revenue rose by £107m to £594m Profit before tax was £7.5m James Pearce also reports that the club's wage bill rose from £314 million to £366 million, a 17% increase. This was largely in part due to performance related bonuses, with the Reds winning both domestic cups as well as reaching the Champions League final. Another reason was the contract extension of 22 players during that year. The club's managing director Andy Hughes said: “Some of the numbers in these latest accounts look slightly skewed as a result of the previous reporting period being impacted by the global pandemic. However, the underlying strength of ...

  "We know Arsenal and [Manchester] City are great teams, but we have our means to fight for it [the Premier League]," said Fred in an interview with ESPN Brazil. "Our momentum is very good, so why not? We have three competitions left and will fight for each one of them. "We are extremely happy today, it’s my fifth season here and this title means a lot to me and to the club’s way back to the top. We have a lot to fight for this season yet." Manchester United won the Carabao Cup recently but that's hardly a reason to believe they can win the Premier League too. Arsenal maintain a healthy eight-point lead over them. And our only real competition for the title is Manchester City.