Corinthians forward Memphis Depay has hit out at the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) after it announced a ban on players standing on the ball during matches—a move the Dutch international recently performed. The CBF stated players will now receive a yellow card and opponents an indirect free-kick if a player stands on the ball with both feet, a decision triggered by Depay’s display in injury time of Corinthians’ Paulista A1 final victory over Palmeiras on March 28. Depay, 31, used the move near the corner flag, feigning a cross before stepping on the ball—an act that incited Palmeiras players and…
Author: Timi-Zacchaeus Oluwaferanmi
In a groundbreaking move aimed at increasing transparency and fan engagement, referees will wear bodycams during matches at this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. The decision, announced Tuesday, will see officials don the technology throughout the 32-team tournament, which runs from June 15 to July 13. For the first time in a FIFA competition, broadcasters will be granted access to footage captured directly from the referees’ perspective. Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, described the initiative as a “new experience” for viewers. “It’s a chance to offer images from an angle of vision which…
Manchester United are set to return to Hong Kong for the first time in 12 years as part of their post-season tour, the club announced on Tuesday. The Red Devils will play two friendly matches in Asia just three days after concluding what has been a challenging Premier League campaign. Ruben Amorim’s men will wrap up their domestic season at Old Trafford against Aston Villa on May 25 before heading east for a short tour that includes fixtures in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. United will take on an ASEAN All-Star XI in the Malaysian capital on May 28, followed…
Napoli’s hopes of closing the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan were dashed on Monday evening as Dan Ndoye’s audacious flick earned Bologna a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. With Inter having dropped points in a 2-2 draw against Parma over the weekend, the door was open for Napoli to move within just one point of the summit. And they looked to be taking full advantage when Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa opened the scoring with a solo stunner in the 18th minute, dancing through Bologna’s midfield and rounding goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski before slotting home. Napoli nearly extended their…
A 20-year-old man has been charged with assault after Manchester City midfielder Jack Grealish was allegedly slapped following Sunday’s tense 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Grealish, 29, had come on as a second-half substitute in the high-stakes derby. According to reports from the Daily Mail, he was approached and struck while leaving the pitch after full-time. Greater Manchester Police confirmed on Monday that Alfie Holt, of Haven Drive, Droylsden, has been charged in connection with the incident. He is scheduled to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court on 14 July. “This charge relates to an incident which took…
Saka Feels Mentally Refreshed After Injury as Arsenal Prepare for Real Madrid Showdown Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has described his recent injury layoff as a much-needed mental reset ahead of the Gunners’ Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid. The 23-year-old winger, who returned to action last week after 101 days out with a hamstring injury, says the break allowed him to reset after five intense years of non-stop football. “It was really tough initially,” Saka said. “But once the surgery was successful, I focused on coming back stronger. Mentally, it was really good for me. I got to do…
Liverpool’s historic unbeaten run has finally come to an end, but despite a 3-1 defeat at Fulham, their quest for a record-equalling 20th top-flight title remains very much on track. With just seven matches left to play, the Reds need a maximum of 11 points to secure the Premier League crown, which could be wrapped up as early as April 20 if results fall in their favor. Under head coach Arne Slot, Liverpool have dominated the league this season, leading second-placed Arsenal by a comfortable 11 points. Slot acknowledged that the defensive errors that led to their first away defeat…
Surprise turned to frustration as Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side were held to a goalless draw by Brentford on Sunday — a result that extended their winless away run to eight matches and left fans questioning their manager’s bold selection choices. With Champions League qualification hanging in the balance, Maresca opted to rest key figures including Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella, and Pedro Neto. In their place came Malo Gusto, Christopher Nkunku, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Noni Madueke — a quartet that struggled to impose themselves. Chelsea’s lack of firepower in the first half was glaring, registering just one shot on…
Southampton’s painful Premier League campaign has come to a premature but unsurprising end, with a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham confirming their relegation — a full seven matches before the season’s end. In doing so, the Saints have etched an unfortunate place in Premier League history: no team has ever been relegated this early. And now, with just 10 points from 31 games, they are in danger of surpassing Derby County’s infamous 2007-08 campaign as the worst in top-flight history. Manager Ivan Juric, who arrived in December to steady a sinking ship, now finds his own future uncertain. “We’ll see what…
Max Verstappen delivered a clinical and captivating performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, fending off the faster McLarens to claim his fourth consecutive victory at Suzuka — in what may go down as one of the finest weekends of his Formula 1 career. While McLaren had the faster car over race distance, it was Verstappen’s stunning pole lap on Saturday — a near-perfect effort described as “insane” by his engineer and “magical” by Fernando Alonso — that laid the groundwork for a victory carved from sheer brilliance and tactical precision. Starting ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris by just 0.012 seconds,…
