Picture from: freelargeimages.com
Review of the day
Lincoln wins League Two
The Cowley brothers continued their success at Lincoln City, this time lifting the League Two trophy to add to the EFL trophy they won last season. They are the first club to win the EFL Championship this season.
Villa sets club record
Aston Villa have secured a place in the Championship play-offs with a record-breaking tenth consecutive win. Villa are now no lower than sixth. Villa beat Millwall 1-0 thanks to a goal from Jonathan Kodja to reach the play-offs.
Wigan Survival
Wigan Athletic secured their Championship avoidance with a win over Preston North End. After defeating Preston 2-0, the team was reduced to 10 men, ending the North’s hopes of advancing to the play-offs.
bloom safe
Birmingham City defeated Rotherham United 3-1 to secure promotion to the Championship again. Miller remain at the bottom of the relegation zone and are in danger of falling back to the top of the league.
Kangaroos secure play-off spot
West Bromwich Albion are expected to participate in the Championship play-offs and have a chance to quickly return to the Premier League after drawing 0-0 with Reading.
Lampard faces misconduct charges
New head coach Frank Lampard was charged by the Football Association after Derby County’s 2-2 draw with Birmingham City. An FA spokesman said: “It is alleged that his language and/or behavior on the field [the game ended] Lampard was fined £2,000 in September after accepting previous misconduct charges.
Championship clubs vote against transparency
Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson had proposed that the club’s finances in the Championship should be opened to scrutiny by external accountants, but his proposal was rejected by EFL board members. Questions have recently been raised over the financial conduct of clubs including QPR, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Wolves.
championship team of the year
The Professional Footballers’ Association announced the championship squad for the 2018/19 season, consisting of 3 players each from Norwich City and Leeds United.
Annual Champion Team:
Darren Randolph – Middlesbrough
Max Aarons – Norwich City
Pontus Janssen – Leeds United
Liam Cooper – Leeds United
Jamal Lewis – Norwich City
Jack Grealish – Aston Villa
Oliver Norwood – Sheffield United
Pablo Hernandez – Leeds United
Tammy Abraham – Aston Villa
Timpuke – Norwich City
Billy Sharp – Sheffield United
FIFA issues match-fixing ban
FIFA announced the ban of five African players, and former players from Afghanistan, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago were also banned for life. Four Africans were banned for life and one was banned for ten years. Former Kenyan international George Owino Odi was sentenced to a 10-year ban, while former Sierra Leone captain Ibrahim Kargbo, former Benin international Thedas Chomongo, former Malawi international Herins Mwakasongula and Zimbabwean agent Kuldzanai Sabah were all banned for life. A statement from FIFA said: “The formal disciplinary action against the above-mentioned individual stems from an extensive investigation into Mr Wilson Raj Perumal’s attempts to rig a number of international matches for betting purposes. This large-scale investigation is the result of FIFA, through its Integrity Unit and in partnership with relevant stakeholders and authorities. The bureau has been cooperating for several years. These decisions were notified to the relevant countries today (Wednesday, April 24) of the individual dates on which the relevant bans came into effect, but he has denied the individual dates of the meeting in the Netherlands.
Russell’s accusations are unsubstantiated
Former Barcelona chairman Sandro Rosell has escaped money laundering charges after the charges could not be proven in court. Russell, along with his wife and four others, are accused of laundering money for broadcast rights to Brazil’s national team matches and sponsorship deals with Nike. Rosell resigned as Barca president following an investigation into Neymar’s signing.
Almiron ruled out
Newcastle United’s January signing Miguel Almiron will miss the final three games of the season after he picked up a hamstring injury. Paraguay remain hopeful that the 25-year-old will be fit enough to compete in the Copa America in the summer. Newcastle said: “The club has communicated with the Paraguayan Football Federation ahead of this summer’s Copa America and will continue to be in contact with the Paraguayan Football Federation. Subject to his recovery, the player can still participate in the competition.”
Sarri accused of misconduct
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has been accused of inappropriate behavior after being sent to the stands during the 2-2 draw with Burnley. His assistant Gianfranco Zola claimed Sarri was upset and offended by comments made by the Burnley coaching staff.
Ligue 1 will have its first female referee
French Ligue 1 will have its first female referee on Sunday, with Stephanie Frappart taking charge of Amiens’ match against Strasbourg. Previously, only the top five Bundesliga leagues had female referees like Bibiana Steinhaus. Frappart is preparing to referee the Women’s World Cup this year.
Anderlecht and Belgian Football Association raided by police
Belgian police have raided the national football federation and major club Anderlecht in connection with a money laundering investigation. The raid is unrelated to a 2018 investigation into match-fixing and fraud. Anderlecht said they were cooperating with the investigation.
Written by Tris Burke April 25, 2019 06:38:21