February 2021 – Football Flame

28Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

Facing relegation, Schalke fires coach Gross and top staff

Head coach Christian Gross of Schalke looks on prior to the Bundesliga match between VfB Stuttgart and FC Schalke 04 at Mercedes-Benz Arena on February 27, 2021 in Stuttgart, Germany.Schalke fired coach Christian Gross on Sunday after two months in charge along with three senior club staff in a desperate bid to avoid Bundesliga relegation.The Gelsenkirchen-based club is last in the league and nine points from safety with 11 rounds remaining. Gross was fired a day after a 5-1 loss at Stuttgart, leaving Schalke looking for its fifth coach of a turbulent season.The 66-year-old Swiss coach arrived in December with more than 30 years of coaching experience around the world, including a spell with Tottenham in 1997 and 1998, but hadn’t coached in Europe since 2012. #S04 relieve sporting ma...

26Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

NEWS

Henry steps down as Montreal manager

Thierry Henry of the Montreal Impact walks off the field during a game between Montreal Impact and D.C. United at Audi Field on November 8, 2020 in Washington, DC.Former Arsenal, Barcelona and France striker Thierry Henry has stepped down as manager of Major League Soccer side CF Montreal for personal reasons.The 43-year-old, who was recently on the shortlist to become the new manager of Championship club Bournemouth, had been in charge since November 2019.Henry said it was "with a heavy heart" that he was leaving after "an extremely difficult" period away from his family."Due to the worldwide pandemic I was unable to see my children," he said ."Unfortunately due to the ongoing restrictions and the fact that we will have to relocate to the US again for several months (at least) [the situat...

25Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Moise Kean’s Everton future ‘complicated’ says Paris Saint Germain chief

Moise Kean of Paris Saint-Germain looks on during the Ligue 1 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco at Parc des Princes on February 21, 2021 in Paris, France.Paris Saint Germain's transfer chief has described their hopes of signing Moise Kean on a permanent basis as "complicated".Kean is spending the season on loan in the French capital and has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances, including three strikes in the Champions League.Everton refused to agree to an option which would have allowed PSG to buy Kean at the end of his loan for a set fee and are, at this stage, expecting the 20-year-old back at the club to begin pre-season training in July.Carlo Ancelotti has, however, recently hinted that the Blues would be prepared to listen to offers from PSG but sporting director Lea...

25Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

NEWS

Father of Liverpool’s Alisson drowns in Brazil

Alisson of Liverpool warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between RB Leipzig and Liverpool FC at Puskas Arena on February 16, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary.The father of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker drowned in a lake near his holiday home in southern Brazil on Wednesday, local police said.Jose Becker, 57, had been swimming at a dam on his property near the town of Rincao do Inferno and was declared missing around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.The Fire Department of Cacapava do Sul sent a team to assist in the search and it located the body at 11:59 p.m., authorities told ESPN Brazil. No foul play was suspected.Alisson joined Liverpool in 2018 from Roma and was voted FIFA Best Men's Goalkeeper in 2019. His younger brother Muriel is a goalkeeper for Brazilian side Fluminens...

24Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

LALIGA

Messi gets Barcelona back to winning ways against Elche

Players of FC Barcelona celebrating after scoring their team's opening goal during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona and Elche CF at Camp Nou on February 24, 2021 in Barcelona, Spain.Lionel Messi scored twice to help Barcelona overcome an uninspiring first half and beat Elche 3-0 at home in La Liga on Wednesday.The Catalans created little in one of their worst first-half displays at the Camp Nou this season but found a breakthrough early in the second when Martin Braithwaite released Messi with a classy backheel and the Argentine did the rest.Barca, who failed to hold onto a narrow lead in Sunday's 1-1 draw at home to Cadiz, got an all-important second goal in the 69th when Frenkie de Jong burst through the middle and laid the ball off for Messi to dribble into the net for a...

23Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Late Benteke winner stuns Brighton

Crystal Palace's French-born striker Jean-Philippe Mateta (2R) celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on February 22, 2021.Brighton defender Joel Veltman says the manner of their Premier League defeat by Crystal Palace felt like "a robbery" that has pushed them towards the "danger zone".The Netherlands international swept in an equaliser for the Seagulls after Jean-Philippe Mateta had earlier backheeled Palace in front from their first real attack.But while Graham Potter's side dominated possession and had 25 shots on goal, a remarkable conclusion saw Christian Benteke volley a dramatic winner for Palace deep into added ti...

22Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

BUNDESLIGA

Dortmund fined for mask-free players party after derby win

The scoreboard is seen inside the stadium during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund at Veltins-Arena on February 20, 2021 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.Borussia Dortmund on Monday accepted a fine of 75,000 euros ($91,260) after their players broke the German league's hygiene rules with an impromptu victory celebration on the team bus after last weekend's derby win against Schalke.The German Football League (DFL) issued the fine after footage emerged of Dortmund players celebrating Saturday on the team bus without masks and without observing social distancing rules.The club quickly accepted the fine having issued an apology on Sunday as Germany has been in lockdown since November amid the coronavirus pandemic.The DFL took a dim view of the incident after around 200...

22Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Premier League could welcome back fans into stadiums for final weekend

Referee Paul Tierney gestures during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Newcastle at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on February 21, 2021.The final weekend of the Premier League season could see as many as 10,000 spectators at stadiums under the government's new lockdown measures.The news comes as part prime minister Boris Johnson’s latest roadmap for the easing of lockdown restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus, which was announced in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon.English stadiums with 40,000 seat capacity will be allowed 10,000 fans and smaller ones will be allowed to be at 25 per cent capacity from 17 May at the earliest.The final weekend of the 2020/21 Premier League season is scheduled for 23 May.The announcement...

22Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Brendan Rodgers provides fitness update on Leicester City’s James Maddison

James Maddison of Leicester City goes down injured during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Leicester City at Villa Park on February 21, 2021 in Birmingham, England.Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers provided a fitness update on James Maddison following the club’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa in the Premier Leagueyesterday.Maddison has been in fine form for the Foxes over the course of the season and he registered his 11th goal of the campaign to open the scoring against the Villans.Unfortunately, he could not last the entire 90 minutes and was substituted shortly after the hour mark with a concern around the hip region.Speaking after the game, Rodgers confirmed that Maddison was taken off as a precaution after sustaining a knock on his hip.“It’s just his hip. He had an issu...

22Feb

By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Spurs have problems ‘I cannot resolve’ but are not in crisis – Mourinho

Tottenham Hotspur's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at The London Stadium, in east London on February 21, 2021.Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says his side "have problems I cannot resolve myself" but does not believe Spurs are in crisis after losing at West Ham - their fifth defeat in six league games.The 2-1 reverse leaves Tottenham in ninth place, nine points behind the fourth-placed Hammers.Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard scored for the hosts before Lucas Moura pulled one back."I wouldn't say crisis," said Mourinho when questioned about Spurs' form."I would say a bad, a really bad, run of results. That is obvious. We're losing too many matches."Newspaper reports o...