March 2021 – Page 2 – Football Flame

8Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

UCL

Champions League inter-club transfer ban discussed

CEO Andrea Agnelli of Juventus FC and Andrea Pirlo of Juventus FC look on ahead of the UEFA Champions League Group G stage match between Juventus and FC Barcelona at Juventus Stadium on October 27, 2020 in Turin, Italy.Plans are being discussed that would prevent Champions League clubs from buying players from each other, the European Club Association (ECA) president has revealed.Andrea Agnelli told the press of a number of ideas that were on the table as 184 of Europe’s top clubs gathered at the ECA’s 25th general assembly, reports Matt Slater of The Athletic.The major talking point was the revised structure of the Champions League to be put in place post-2024 which will apparently see a return to the ‘Swiss model’ and four more teams added to the competition. 5) and here’s one I hadn’t h...

7Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Strugglers West Brom and Newcastle share goalless draw

Newcastle United's Irish defender Ciaran Clark (L) vies with West Bromwich Albion's Senegalese striker Mbaye Diagne (R) during the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, central England, on March 7, 2021.West Brom and Newcastle battled to a goalless draw at the Hawthorns that will do little to ease either side's Premier League relegation fears.The Magpies had the better opportunities in a game lacking attacking fluency, but West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was alert to deny Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock either side of half-time.Mbaye Diagne had the best chance for the Baggies when his header was tipped behind by Martin Dubravka, while Matt Phillips fired over when well placed early in the second h...

4Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Mount gives Chelsea big win at Liverpool

Liverpool's Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (L) takes on Chelsea's English midfielder Mason Mount (R) during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on March 4, 2021.Liverpool suffered a fifth successive competitive home defeat for the first time in their history as Chelsea made it 10 games unbeaten under new manager Thomas Tuchel with victory at Anfield.Mason Mount's superb individual strike three minutes before half-time gave the visitors a deserved win and moved them into the top four, while Liverpool are now in seventh place and in a serious dogfight for the Champions League places.Mount scored brilliantly when he cut inside to fire a low shot past Liverpool keeper Alisson, reward for a first half dominated b...

4Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Chelsea set to profit as Arsenal target Lamptey

Tariq Lamptey of Brighton and Hove Albion in action during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton at American Express Community Stadium on December 07, 2020 in Brighton, England.Chelsea will benefit from any sale of Tariq Lamptey, as they have a sell-on clause for the Brighton man. Arsenal are interested in the defender, according to reports.The defender came through the ranks with Chelsea and he made his senior debut for them in December 2019. He came off the bench against Arsenal with the Blues 1-0 down.Lamptey made a great impression on the game as his side fought back to win 2-1.This turned out to be his only first team appearance for Chelsea, as he joined Brighton on loan in January.Lamptey made eight appearances for the Seagulls before the end of ...

4Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

FC Barcelona loses EU bid to overturn state aid claim

Barcelona football club on Thursday lost a bid before the EU's top court to overturn a claim it received unfair state aid through tax breaks.The EU's Court of Justice dismissed an appeal lodged by FC Barcelona over a February 2019 ruling that found its status as a non-profit organisation gave it an unfair lower tax rate than that applied to most other Spanish clubs.Under a Spanish law dating back three decades, only Barcelona, Pamplona, Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid were granted the non-profit status, and all other professional clubs had to register as limited sports companies subject to higher taxes.Hit by a European Commission claim that it was, in effect, receiving state aid, FC Barcelona argued that there was no legal proof of an economic advantage.But the EU court sided with the com...

4Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

German Cup: RB Leipzig through to semis with victory over Wolfsburg; Holstein Kiel also reach last-four

Yussuf Poulsen of RB Leipzig is challenged by Xaver Schlager of VfL Wolfsburg during the DFB Cup quarter final match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg at Red Bull Arena on March 03, 2021 in Leipzig, Germany.Berlin: Yussuf Poulsen and Hwang Hee-chan netted second-half goals as RB Leipzig beat Wolfsburg 2-0 in the German Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, while second-tier Holstein Kiel also reached the last four.After Poulsen opened the scoring, South Korea striker Hwang came off the bench to hit a late second goal and seal a semi-final berth alongside Borussia Dortmund and Kiel.The other quarter-final tie was postponed on Tuesday as Bundesliga 2 club Jahn Regensburg were quarantined after a COVID-19 outbreak before their home tie against Werder Bremen.Hosts Leipzig, who are second in the ...

3Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Juventus exercise option on Weston McKennie

Weston McKennie of Juventus in action during the Serie A match between Juventus and Spezia Calcio at Allianz Stadium on March 02, 2021 in Turin, Italy.Juventus officially announced that they had exercised their option to sign Weston McKennie outright from Schalke 04.The midfielder was a surprise signing over the summer transfer window, acquired on a loan with an option to buy. The first American man to play for Juventus, at the time he was considered a low-risk, potentially high-reward signing that would at the very least provide a valuable squad player for the 2020-21 season.No one at the time could have predicted how good, and how important, he would become in such a short amount of time. McKennie has been one of the keys to the midfield. When healthy—which he unfortunately hasn’t been f...

2Mar

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Ex-Barcelona president released from custody after ‘Barcagate’ arrest

Josep Maria Bartomeu, Former Barcelona President, during the match between FC Barcelona and CSKA Moscow, corresponding to the week 1 of the Euroleague, played at the Palau Blaugrana, on 01st October 2020, in Barcelona, Spain.Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was conditionally released on Tuesday after appearing before a judge looking into last year's "Barcagate" scandal, just days before the club holds presidential elections.Bartomeu and his former advisor Jaume Masferrer exercised their right not to speak when they were questioned by the judge following a night in jail, the Barcelona court said in a statement.Police arrested the pair along with two other club officials, and searched Barcelona's stadium, on Monday as part of a probe into allegations the club carried out a def...