Blog – Page 54 – Football Flame

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Juventus and Pogba to part ways after doping ban cut
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SERIE A

Juventus and Pogba to part ways after doping ban cut

Paul Pogba's doping suspension was cut from four years to 18 months after experts supported the French international's claims of having unintentionally ingested a banned substance, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Monday. The France international was provisionally suspended by Italy's national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia) in September 2023 after testing positive for DHEA – a banned substance that raises levels of testosterone. CAS reduced the sentence last week, with Pogba saying his "nightmare is over". The 31-year-old, who has a contract with Italy's Juventus until June 2026, will be eligible to return to football in March. In a statement, CAS said Pogba had argued that his ingestion of DHEA was not intentional and had occurred after he consumed a supplement pre...
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Leroy Sané to stay at Bayern Munich at all costs
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BUNDESLIGA

Leroy Sané to stay at Bayern Munich at all costs

Leroy Sané’s contract at Bayern Munich is set to expire in June of 2025, but the club wants to keep him in Munich at all costs, but is it for the right reasons? Sané has had inconsistent seasons at Bayern Munich for the last couple of years, and it is no secret that the club is constantly monitoring his situation. However, according to a new report (via Matteo Moretto, captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern wants to avoid letting him go, no matter what. Since the German international’s contract is set to expire next year, chances are that, if he leaves, he will be leaving on a free transfer. The club wants to avoid this at all costs, and renew his contract at the earliest. However, this has not stopped interested clubs from monitoring his situation, including FC Barcelona. Hansi Flick would lo...
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Mbappe under fire for skipping France matches while fit to play for Real Madrid
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NEWS

Mbappe under fire for skipping France matches while fit to play for Real Madrid

LILLE, FRANCE - OCTOBER 2: Kylian Mbappe #9 of Real Madrid controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between LOSC Lille and Real Madrid C.F. at Stade Pierre Mauroy on October 2, 2024 in Lille, France. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images) France captain Kylian Mbappe is facing criticism in his home country for skipping Les Bleus’ Nations League games against Israel and Belgium while being available to play for Real Madrid. The forward picked up a muscle injury last month but made his return to the pitch in the Champions League last Wednesday. France coach Didier Deschamps left Mbappe out of the squad he announced on Thursday, saying the 25-year-old lacked preparation, having played too few matches.Mbappe started Real’s La Liga game a...
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Harry Kane given green light for England duty but injured trio pull out of squad
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NEWS

Harry Kane given green light for England duty but injured trio pull out of squad

Harry Kane has been given the green light to play for England following an injury scare but Ezri Konsa, Kobbie Mainoo and Morgan Gibbs-White have been ruled out of Nations League action. FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 06: Harry Kane of Bayern Munich receives medical treatment during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Bayern München at Deutsche Bank Park on October 06, 2024 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by M. Donato/FC Bayern via Getty Images) The England captain limped off and was substituted in the 72nd minute of Bayern Munich’s 3-3 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt, moments after requiring treatment following a clash with Brazilian defender Tuta. Kane travelled directly to St George’s Park and, after being examined by Football Association doctors, ...
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PSG’s Struggle in Draw Against Nice Emphasizes Absence of Messi and Mbappé, Pundit Claims
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Ligue 1

PSG’s Struggle in Draw Against Nice Emphasizes Absence of Messi and Mbappé, Pundit Claims

Paris Saint-Germain head into the FIFA international break on a two-match winless streak following their 1-1 draw to OGC Nice on Sunday night at Allianz Riviera. Nonetheless, one journalist believes that it’s matches like these that the Parisians miss their superstar players. Both teams took five shots each in the first half, but it was the home side that broke the deadlock when Ali Abdi scored in the 39th minute, marking his first goal for Les Aiglons. Nice went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, needing to hold onto that advantage for another 45 minutes to secure all three points. In the second half, PSG significantly outshot Nice, registering 14 shots in total compared to Nice’s four. Luis Enrique’s side equalized in the 52nd minute with a goal from Nuno Mendes. The match would stay 1-1, w...
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Eintracht Frankfurt salvages 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich in Bundesliga
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BUNDESLIGA

Eintracht Frankfurt salvages 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich in Bundesliga

Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday required a late goal by Omar Marmoush to salvage a 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich in week six of the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich defender Min-Jae Kim opened the scoring in the 15th minute but Eintracht Frankfurt took the lead with goals from Omar Marmoush in the 22nd minute and Hugo Ekitike in the 35th minute at Deutsche Bank Park. After three minutes, Bayern Munich leveled the game with a close-range goal from Dayot Upamecano and retook the lead with a 53-minute goal from Michael Olise. Egyptian forward Marmoush netted a stoppage-time goal as the game ended in a 3-3 draw in Frankfurt. Boasting 14 points, Bayern Munich are the top of the league table on goal difference, ahead of RP Leipzig. With Sunday's match, Eintracht Frankfurt dropped to third place with 13 poi...
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AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea’s penalty heroics
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SERIE A

AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea’s penalty heroics

AC Milan slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Fiorentina on Sunday after having two penalties saved by star man David De Gea, while Juventus fell further behind Serie A leaders Napoli on a day of spot-kick drama. Albert Gudmundsson lashed home the decisive goal in the 73rd minute of a match in Florence which was packed with drama and featured three failed attempts from the penalty spot. The 27-year-old’s winner was made possible by De Gea pulling off two incredible stops to deny Theo Hernandez and then Tammy Abraham from scoring penalties in a superb display from the former Spain goalkeeper. Those saves contributed to Milan missing the chance to move second above champions Inter Milan and Juventus, with the latter held 1-1 by Cagliari due to Razvan Marin’s late penalty. “We need to work out why we p...
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Arne Slot ‘insists’ on shock move for ex-Man Utd star Greenwood as Liverpool ‘lead’ Barcelona
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TRANSFERS

Arne Slot ‘insists’ on shock move for ex-Man Utd star Greenwood as Liverpool ‘lead’ Barcelona

Liverpool boss Arne Slot believes former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood can ‘become one of the great players in the Premier League’ under his watch and ‘insists’ on a shock move for the 23-year-old. A case against Greenwood of alleged rape and assault was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service at the start of 2023 after the withdrawal of key witnesses significantly reduced the chance of conviction. Man Utd pulled the plug on his return ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and he joined La Liga side Getafe on loan, contributing eight goals and six assists, before moving to Marseille in a permanent £26m deal ahead of the current campaign. Greenwood is already being linked with another move after five goals and an assist in his first seven games for the Ligue 1 side, with Barcelona...
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Torres out of Spain squad with suspected hamstring tear
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NEWS

Torres out of Spain squad with suspected hamstring tear

Barcelona forward Ferran Torres has been ruled out of the Spain squad for Nations League fixtures against Denmark and Serbia. Torres was forced off in the early stages of Barcelona’s win over Alaves on Sunday and now looks set for a spell on the sidelines. The early prognosis seems to be that Torres has suffered a hamstring tear and will be out for several weeks. He will undergo tests on Monday to determine the severity of the problem. Hansi Flick admitted after the game that it’s a worrying injury for the Shark. “Ferran’s injury is worrying. We don’t have many options in attack, but we’ll see what happens.” La Liga is due to pause now for a couple of weeks for the international break with Barcelona expected to be boosted by the return of several players when domestic competition resumes. ...
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Manchester United’s worst start, Ten Hag walks on thin ice after draw against Aston Villa
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester United’s worst start, Ten Hag walks on thin ice after draw against Aston Villa

Manchester United ground out a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday in an English Premier League game steeped in speculation about the future of the visitors’ under-fire manager Erik ten Hag amid the team’s worst start in the Premier League era. The draw sends Unai Emery’s men into the international break in fifth in the table on 14 points after seven games, while United are languishing in 14th with eight points and still searching for their third win of the season. Their points tally is United’s lowest in their opening seven matches of a Premier League campaign and their lowest in any league season since 1989-90 (seven points), when they went on to finish 13th under Alex Ferguson — his lowest league finish. “It wasn’t perfect, we didn’t probably pass the ball as well as we would have liked t...
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First-half hat trick for Lewandowski as Barcelona top ahead of international break
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LALIGA

First-half hat trick for Lewandowski as Barcelona top ahead of international break

Robert Lewandowski continued his impressive start to the season on Sunday, scoring a 25-minute hat trick as Barcelona beat Alaves 3-0 and went into the international break top of the Spanish league. Lewandowski scored in the seventh, 22nd and 32nd minutes to take his league tally to 10 goals in nine matches. He has a total of 12 goals in 11 games in all competitions, and has scored eight times in his last five matches. The Poland striker was coming off a brace in Barcelona's 5-0 rout of Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday. "We played a very good match from the first minute," Lewandowski said. "When you score three goals in the first half, it gives you the ability to be a lot more in control in the second." The victory moved Barcelona three points back in front of Real Madrid ahea...
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Aston Villa 0-0 Man United: Highlights, man of the match, stats from goalless draw
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa 0-0 Man United: Highlights, man of the match, stats from goalless draw

Aston Villa and Manchester United played out an uneventful goalless draw in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with both teams struggling in the final third of the field. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag (left) speaks with Marcus Rashford during a break in play during the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture date: Sunday October 6, 2024. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images) Man United started well, with Marcus Rashford drawing a smart save from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, while Morgan Rogers and Jaden Philogene had decent attempts for the hosts inside the first 20 minutes. It was much better from the Red Devils in possession of the ball, but there were still concerns through the middle, with Villa having a number of opportuniti...
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Man City working to sign Serie A midfielder
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Man City working to sign Serie A midfielder

Premier League champions Manchester City came from behind to beat Fulham 3-2 on Saturday afternoon. Andreas Pereira had given the Cottagers a surprise lead at The Etihad, before a Mateo Kovacic brace put the hosts in front. Jeremy Doku then added a third for the Citizens, before Rodrigo Muniz pulled another back for Marco Silva’s side. Fulham were unable to find an equaliser, though, and the victory puts City second in the table, behind leaders Liverpool. Kovacic is likely to be used regularly by manager Pep Guardiola with Rodri set to be sidelined for the remainder of the season, but in the meantime it appears City are attempting to sign a Serie A midfielder. As reported by Football Insider, City are laying the foundations to make a move for Atalanta’s Ederson. The Brazilian – who has bee...
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Juventus considering terminating Paul Pogba’s contract despite ban reduction
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TRANSFERS

Juventus considering terminating Paul Pogba’s contract despite ban reduction

According to Fabrizio Romano, Juventus could consider terminating Paul Pogba’s (31) contract at the club despite the player being cleared to play again. The France international midfielder has had a 4-year doping ban from football reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after 18 months. The former Manchester United midfielder tested positive for a banned substance after a match in which he was an unused substitute against Udinese. Following the decision of the CAS to reduce the midfielder’s ban, he would be able to return to Juventus training in January. In addition to a return to training in the new year, the 31-year-old could have been targeting a March return to football. However, it appears that the Serie A club could have other plans regarding Pogba’s future in Turin. The m...
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Scorer Balogun injured as Monaco top French league
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Ligue 1

Scorer Balogun injured as Monaco top French league

US striker Folarin Balogun has scored for the third game in a row then left the pitch injured as Monaco went clear atop the French league by winning at Rennes 2-1. Balogun netted the winner in the 22nd minute of Saturday's match but was forced off after the hour mark with an apparent shoulder injury. It was unclear whether he would be able to join the US squad ahead of matches against Panama and Mexico. Unbeaten Monaco battled throughout the second half but kept their small advantage intact to move to the top of the table. Lagging three points behind, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain can close the gap in Nice on Sunday. Thilo Kehrer put the visitors in front in the sixth minute and Ludovic Blas levelled for Rennes just five minutes later. Balogun was picked out by Eliesse Ben Seghir...
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Alonso slams Leverkusen ‘complacency’ after draw
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BUNDESLIGA

Alonso slams Leverkusen ‘complacency’ after draw

Hosts Bayer Leverkusen paid the price for being complacent after squandering a two-goal lead and losing control of the game before drawing 2-2 against promoted Holstein Kiel in the German Bundesliga on Saturday. Champions Leverkusen scored twice in the opening eight minutes but wasted a two-goal advantage for the third time in six Bundesliga matches this season. "I am not satisfied with our performance. It was our own fault. We did not play intelligently and we thought the game was done but in football you have to keep going always with the same intensity," Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso told reporters. "We were far too passive. After a big game in the Champions League we did not have the right mentality for this game." Last season's domestic league and cup winners, who beat AC Milan 1-0 in ...
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Thuram hat-trick fires Inter to victory over 10-man Torino
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SERIE A

Thuram hat-trick fires Inter to victory over 10-man Torino

A hat-trick from Marcus Thuram gave Inter Milan a 3-2 victory over 10-man Torino at home in Serie A after an early red card for visiting defender Guillermo Maripan. Inter are second in the league standings with 14 points, two behind Napoli. Torino are sixth with 11 points. The breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Inter capitalised on Maripan’s dismissal, with Thuram heading in from close range five minutes after the defender was sent off for a late challenge on the French forward. Thuram doubled Inter’s lead in the 35th minute with another header from close range. However, Torino pulled one back a minute later, with Duvan Zapata taking advantage of a defensive error to finish from inside the box. Thuram completed his hat-trick on the hour mark, being in the right place to tap in a reb...
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Real flirts with winning ways again with victory over Villareal
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LALIGA

Real flirts with winning ways again with victory over Villareal

An early Federico Valverde strike helped Real Madrid to a 2-0 home win against Villarreal in LaLiga on Saturday as Carlo Ancelotti’s men returned to winning ways after two games without a victory. Real took the lead in the 14th minute with a stunning long-range shot by Valverde following a Luka Modric corner, before Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr sealed the win in the 73rd with an unstoppable strike into the top corner from outside the box. The defending champions were in need of a positive performance after losing 1-0 at Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday and being held to a 1-1 stalemate at Atletico Madrid in their previous LaLiga game. Real, second in the standings, provisionally moved level with Barcelona on 21 points before the LaLiga leaders visit 11th-placed Alaves on Sunday....
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Brentford 5-3 Wolves: Bees score early yet again in goal fest as winless visitors stay bottom
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Brentford 5-3 Wolves: Bees score early yet again in goal fest as winless visitors stay bottom

Wolves' wait for a Premier League win this season went on as they slumped to a 5-3 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Stadium to stay rooted to the foot of the table. Brentford's Fabio Carvalho scores their side's fifth goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday October 5, 2024. (Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images) A thrilling first half in west London saw six goals scored before the break with Brentford falling agonisingly short in their bid for the unprecedented feat of notching in the first minute of four consecutive league matches. There was one minute and 15 seconds on the clock when Nathan Collins headed Thomas Frank's team in front, but Brentford had dropped 38 points from winning positions ...
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Kovacic at the double as Man City edge Fulham
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Kovacic at the double as Man City edge Fulham

Mateo Kovacic staked his claim to fill the void left by Rodri with two goals as Manchester City came from behind to beat Fulham 3-2.   The champions were stunned as Andreas Pereira fired Fulham ahead after 26 minutes of Saturday's Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium and the visitors should have had more. Past tormentor Adama Traore, scorer of three goals when Wolves did the double over City five seasons ago, was the guilty party, spurning a hatful of gilt-edged chances. Kovacic, filling in for the injured Rodri, made them pay with a double either side of half-time and substitute Jeremy Doku secured victory with a stunning strike before a Rodrigo Muniz consolation. Questions have been asked over how City will cope without the influential Rodri in midfiel...
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