NEWS – Page 83 – Football Flame

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Norwich Sporting director Stuart Webber want promotion scrapped if the season cannot finish

Norwich City manager Daniel Farke and Sporting Director Stuart Webber celebrate winning the Sky Bet Championship at Villa Park, Birmingham. Promotion to the Premier League should be scrapped if Championship clubs fail to complete their season, according to Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber. Webber insists the Canaries will not accept a scenario in which they finish the campaign and are relegated, only to be replaced by the likes of Leeds or West Brom whose season has been prematurely curtailed. While Premier League continue to discuss options for 'Project Restart', there is less clarity on the the prospect of a return for football in the Championship, League 1 and League 2. Webber told the Sky Sports Football Show: "What we could not accept is a situation where we play al...
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FIFA Announces New Dates For U-17 Women’s World Cup In India

The postponed FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in India was on Tuesday rescheduled to next year from February 17 to March 7 after the world body made a "thorough assessment" of the situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The tournament was originally scheduled to be held from November 2 to 21 this year but was postponed last month due to the coronavirus outbreak, which brought global sports activities to a grinding halt. FIFA announced that the tournament will keep its original eligibility criteria and allow "players born on or after January 1, 2003 and on or before December 31, 2005" to compete. "Following a and the subsequent recommendations made by the FIFA-Confederations COVID-19 Working Group, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has taken the decision to confirm the propo...
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Ajax coach Erik Ten Hag reveals Pep Guardiola mistake at Man City

Ajax trainer / coach Erik ten Hag during the Dutch Eredivisie match between sc Heerenveen and Ajax Amsterdam at Abe Lenstra Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Heerenveen, The Netherlands. Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag has identified the one mistake Pep Guardiola has made at Manchester City. The Spanish boss has guided the blue side of Manchester to two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three Carabao Cups. But they have been off the pace this year, sitting 25 points behind Liverpool in the league. And they are set to be kicked out of the Champions League after breaking financial fair play regulations. Ajax’s boss, though, who worked with Guardiola at Bayern Munich, suggested the 49-year-old made a mistake in the early days at the Etihad Stadium. Speaking to Voetbal International, Te...
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Robert Moreno : 'You are AS Monaco'

Monaco's Spanish coach Robert Moreno reacts at the end of the French L1 football match Monaco vs Reims on February 29, 2020 at the "Louis II Stadium" in Monaco.Robert Moreno spoke after the LFP's decision to end the 2019/2020 Ligue 1 Conforama season. He took the opportunity to deliver a message to all of the supporters of AS Monaco, as well as to all of the club's employees.“In the end we will not be able to finish this season, it’s a shame.We had a lot of hope for these last 10 matches that remained to be played. But the fight against this epidemic forced the League to end the league and we are in a place which is far from our objectives. We accept the decision with respect, knowing that health comes first. But that does not mean that we are satisfied.“We have already started working on ...
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Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad agree to postpone Copa del Rey final until Coronavirus pandemic end

Willian Jose of Real Sociedad during the Spanish Copa del Rey match.Spain's football association (RFEF) has said it would grant the request of Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad to reschedule the postponed Copa del Rey final for when the coronavirus is no longer a threat, so that the match can be played with spectators.The first final between the two prestigious Basque clubs was due to be held on April 18 in Seville until all organised football was indefinitely postponed in March as COVID-19 swept Spain.Stakeholders are confident the Spanish league season can resume in mid-June in closed stadiums without spectators, with fans not expected to be able to return to grounds until 2021.But the Copa finalists do not wish the showpiece match to take place in an empty stadium and are willing to wai...
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Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman underwent heart surgery

Head coach Ronald Koeman of Netherlands looks on prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifier between The Netherlands and Estonia on November 19, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman underwent a heart surgery Sunday at a hospital in Amsterdam after feeling pain in his chest, his management company said in a statement.The 57-year-old coach, who has also managed Premier League clubs Southampton and Everton, underwent a successful "heart catheterization" and will return home Monday, his management company Wasserman said. It did not elaborate on the nature of the procedure and nor did the Dutch soccer association.Dutch national broadcaster NOS cited Koeman's business manager, Rob Jansen, as saying that the former Barcelona player was hospitalized after feeling chest pain aft...
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Ex-Watford star Marvin Sordell appointed as FA board member

Watford's Marvin Sordell celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the npower Championship match at Ashton Gate, Bristol.Former Watford player Marvin Sordell has been appointed to the FA's Inclusion Advisory Board [IAB].Sordell was one of seven new appointments to the board, along with other former professional Liam Rosenior.The former Hornets striker retired last year, aged just 28, citing his mental health as the main reason.The IAB is a sub-committee of, and reports into, the main FA Board and was formed in 2013 following the introduction of the cross-football inclusion and anti discrimination programme.Its targets include increasing diversity at the FA, having the smallest gender pay gap of any major sports governing body in England and providing support for the LGBT+ community, a...
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Paris Saint-Germain to be declared Ligue 1 champions

Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain celebrate victory 2-0 over Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes on March 11, 2020 in Paris, France. The match is played behind closed doors as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).Paris Saint-Germain are set to be awarded the Ligue 1 title, according to reports in France, in a move that could pave the way for Liverpool to lift their first ever Premier League title - even if they do not play their last nine games.The Premier League and Ligue 1 were both suspended on 13 March due to the coronavirus outbreak. French clubs had hoped to return to training in May when president Emmanuel Macron is aiming to reopen ...
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French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe says Ligue 1 Season will not resume Until September

Juan Bernat, Idrissa Gueye, Neymar Jr, Presnel Kimpembe and Mauro Icardi of Paris Saint-Germain celebrate victory 2-0 over Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes on March 11, 2020 in Paris, France. The match is played behind closed doors as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).The French football season is over after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe declared no team sports will be played before September. It means Ligue 1 follows the Netherlands as the second league to end their season due to the pandemic.The French Professional Football League had been hopeful teams could resume training within a fortnight after plans emerged earlier this month for the le...
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Former Barcelona boss Valverde explains why it's “very easy” to coach Messi

(L-R) Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, coach Ernesto Valverde of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona at at the BVB stadium on September 17, 2019 in Dortmund, Germany.Former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has been talking about what it’s like to manage Lionel Messi and how easy it is to coach the Argentina international.Valverde was fired in January after two-and-a-half years at the club where he won two league titles and the Copa del Rey but oversaw some painful Champions League exits.The 56-year-old has now been speaking about the Barcelona captain and what it’s like to work with him at the Camp Nou.“Messi can’t be compared with anyone,” said Valverde, via Goal.“It’s very difficult to tell him if you’ve seen this or anoth...
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FIFA to give members $150m of virus relief funds

FIFA President Gianni Infantino listens during a public debate with members of the Association of International Sports Press (AIPS).FIFA will release 150 million U.S. dollars  (139 million euros) to its member football associations to help handle financial troubles caused by the coronavirus, the global governing body said on Friday. FIFA said that "all operational funding" for 2019 and 2020 would be distributed amongst the 211 member associations in the next few days "as the first step of a relief plan to assist the football community impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic."Each national governing body will receive 500,000 U.S. dollars, that FIFA says would normally be delivered "upon fulfillment of specific criteria," but will release those funds and any "remaining entitlement for 20...
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Real Madrid star Gareth Bale donating €1m to hospitals in Wales and Spain

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid.Gareth Bale is donating over €1 million to hospitals in Wales and Spain to help fight COVID-19.The Real Madrid forward has given £500,000 to a charity connected to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where he was born, to help patients and staff.similar figure to those gifted by Lionel Messi -- who contributed to hospitals in Barcelona and Argentina -- Cristiano Ronaldo and Pep Guardiola in recent weeks."The University Hospital of Wales holds a special place in my heart," Bale said in a video published on social media."It's where I was born and it has provided great support to my friends, my family and the wider community, so me and my family would like to show our support. Keep up the good work, you're doing an amazing job."The donation is via the Cardi...
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Cesc Fabregas names former Chelsea star among best players he has played with

Eden Hazard of Real Madrid.Cesc Fabregas has revealed that he rates former Chelsea star Eden Hazard as the best player he played with during his time at Chelsea FC.Fabregas spent a successful spell with the west London club after having signed for the Blues from FC Barcelona back in the summer of 2014.The former Arsenal captain won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and League Cup during his spell with the Blues before leaving to join AS Monaco in January 2019.Spanish midfielder Fabregas lined up alongside Hazard during his spell at Stamford Bridge, and the ex-Arsenal star has now revealed that he rates him as the best Chelsea player he played with.Fabregas also revealed that Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Radamel Falcao are the three top players he’s featured with at his other clubs.A...
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UEFA president says leagues across Europe ready to play behind closed doors

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Monday that leagues across Europe were ready to return to action behind closed doors in a bid to limit the damage caused by coronavirus.Football leagues have been suspended since mid-March due to the pandemic which has claimed more than 100,000 lives throughout the continent. But the head of European football believes that playing would be an important step towards a return to normal life and avoid heavy financial losses for leagues.“I believe there are options that can allow us to restart cup championships and to complete them,” Ceferin said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “We may have to resume without spectators, but the most important thing, I think, is playing games.“It is early to say ...
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Ligue 1 : Angers ready to sell Tottenham target for £13m

Baptiste SANTAMARIA of Angers during the Ligue 1 match between Angers and Nantes at Stade Raymond Kopa on March 7, 2020 in Angers, France.Angers midfielder, Baptiste Santamaria, who is reportedly on Tottenham’s radar this summer, could be available for just £13 million according to reports from Italy.The 25-year-old has been a late bloomer but established a reputation as one of the best defensive midfielders in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons.His ability to cover vast amounts of ground and to win the ball back consistently has seen him dubbed ‘the next Kante’.The Express reported at the start of the month that Tottenham had sent their scouts to watch the Frenchman on multiple occasions this season.However, they installed Leicester City as the favourites to land the Angers star while reve...
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Italian FA plan to test players before re-opening season in May

FA president Gabriele Gravina.The Italian FA intends to test all players for coronavirus by the end of April or the start of May, paving the way for a return to training — and eventually competitive games — sometime in May.FA president Gabriele Gravina outlined this tentative plan in an interview with Sky Sports Italia, re-emphasizing the importance that the 2019-20 season be completed before the 2020-21 campaign can begin.With nearly 20,000 deaths and over 150,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Italy has thus far been one of the hardest hit countries in the world. The Serie A season has been suspended indefinitely since March 9.There is currently no set date for a return to anything resembling the regular schedule of training and competitive fixtures, but Gravina seemed to indicate that sec...
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UEFA proposal leaves door open for season to resume in June

In this photo illustration the top level of the English football league Premier League logo seen displayed on a smartphone with a computer model of the COVID-19 coronavirus on the background.UEFA are considering a plan to hold the final stages of European competition in August - paving the way for the Premier League to complete their current season.The top flight has been suspended since March 13 due to the coronavirus outbreak, with clubs having committed to resume the campaign once it is safe to do so.Liverpool stand a record 25 points clear at the summit and need to win only two of their remaining nine games to lift the title for the first time since 1990.Everton, meanwhile, are in 12th place but stand only six points adrift of European qualification.Players would then be given a few we...
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Ex-Chelsea star Drogba offers hospital in coronavirus fight

Ivorian retired professional football player Didier Drogba.Former Chelsea star Didier Drogba has offered his hospital in his native Ivory Coast as a treatment centre for COVID-19 patients, Anadolu Agency reported according to local media.The hospital, located in the city of Abidjan, is named after Ivory Coast footballer Laurent Pokou, who died in 2016. The head of Abidjan's regional council, Vincent Toh Bi Irie, thanked Drogba for the patriotic move and said the hospital will be very useful in the fight against the virus once it is functional.The government recently announced that 13 hospitals in Abidjan and 45 in the country will be used as COVID-19 centres.Since March 11, when the first coronavirus case was reported in the country, 574 people have been diagnosed with the illness, 85...
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Former Chelsea Goalkeeper Peter Bonetti Passes Away Aged 78

Former Chelsea player Peter Bonetti.Former Chelsea and England goalkeeper Peter Bonetti has died at the age of 78 after a long battle with illness, the Premier League club announced on Sunday.Nicknamed “The Cat” for his quick reflexes in goal, Bonetti made 729 appearances for the London club in two stints between 1960 and 1979 — second on the club’s all-time appearances list behind former defender Ron Harris."Chelsea Football Club is hugely saddened to announce the passing today of one of our indisputably all-time great players, Peter Bonetti," the club said in a statement here“Our former goalkeeper had been suffering from long-term illness. All at Chelsea wish to send our heartfelt and deepest condolences to Peter’s family and friends.”Bonetti kept over 200 clean sheets for the club over ...
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Beating virus would be ‘real’ victory, says PSG’s Sarabia

Pablo SARABIA of PSG celebrates after putting his side 4-1 ahead during the French Cup semi-final between Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint Germain on March 4, 2020 in Lyon, France.Paris Saint-Germain winger Pablo Sarabia says that beating the coronavirus would be the “real victory of the season”, with most professional football shut down due to the pandemic.France’s Ligue 1 was suspended on March 13, with PSG sitting 12 points clear of Marseille at the top of the table, while having also reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2016.But Spanish international Sarabia says public health has to come first ahead of getting back onto the pitch.“No, I’m not afraid about that (the season not restarting), it’s not the thing I am worrying about,” he told AFP.“I am thin...
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