Picture from: freelargeimages.com
Review of the day
Investigating allegations of racist abuse
England’s second tier is investigating several alleged incidents of racial abuse following Saturday’s match. A Brentford season ticket holder was arrested after Duane Holmes was abused on the dugout during Derby County’s 3-3 draw. According to head coach Frank Lampard, a fan came to the side of the dugout and insulted Holmes after he was substituted late in the game. Other players and fans near the dugout reported the abuse and Brentford said the supporter “was identified, removed from the ground and subsequently arrested”. Wigan Athletic reported the abusive messages defender Nathan Byrne received on social media following their 2-2 draw with Bristol City. Wigan said it had “reported the abuse as a hate crime and will work with the relevant authorities to ensure the actions of those responsible are dealt with appropriately”. The abuse is not limited to the Championship, with Crystal Palace striker Wilfried Zaha also being called a “diving monkey” on social media. Northampton Town also said their players suffered “shocking” abuse outside a hotel in Nottingham ahead of their League Two match against Notts County. Midfielder Timmy Elsnick (on loan from Derby County) wrote on social media: “While on a pre-match walk with the team in Nottingham this young man outside the hotel started racially abusing some of our lads. This is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen and heard! He did it in front of his daughter too and had no shame so he has to keep doing it. Absolute idiot!”
Lennon wants to keep Boyata
Celtic caretaker manager Neil Lennon hopes he can convince Belgian defender Dedric Boyata to sign a new contract with the club despite rumors linking him with a move to Hertha Berlin. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there was interest in him but we still hope we can convince him to stay,” Lennon said, adding that he was unaware of any deal being struck with Berlin. Boyata has been playing for Celtic since being released by Manchester City in 2015.
Yarmolenko out for the season
Ukraine international winger Andrei Yarmolenko has been ruled out of the final weeks of the season. The 29-year-old suffered a torn Achilles tendon against Tottenham Hotspur in October and had to undergo surgery and was expected to return for the final few games, but manager Manuel Pellegrini decided to leave him out of the run-in squad so that he could be fully fit for next season. Pellegrini said: “Yarmolenko is working well, he is not in pain. But maybe it is too early to play him before we finish. I don’t think it will be good for him this season. It would be better to have a good pre-season. He has to stay calm and wait for next season to work hard and we will see the player we bought because he is a very good player.
Keats gets Heave Ho
Walsall sacked manager Dean Keates after a defeat to Oxford United at the weekend left them just one point away from safety with five league games remaining. Walsall lost five games in a row which led to Kitts being sacked. A statement from Walsall read: “Walsall Football Club have tonight parted ways with head coach Dean Keates with immediate effect. The club would like to express its gratitude to Dean for his hard work and dedication during his time at the Saddles and wish him all the best for the future.”
Former Forest defender gets new role
Former Nottingham Forest defender Mathieu Louis-Jean has resigned from his role as a Manchester United scout. The 43-year-old has been scouting talent for clubs in the French league since 2016 but has now been promoted to head of recruitment at Ligue 1 side OGC Nice. Former Arsenal player Gilles Grimandi first appointed him as the club’s technical director.
Ratcliffe no longer pays attention to England
Britain’s richest man Jim Ratcliffe is now looking for clubs outside the English league pyramid to buy after failing to convince Roman Abramovich to sell him Chelsea. His brother Robert, who has been in the south of France and is believed to be considering buying Nice, told a local newspaper: “We looked at quite a few clubs. It’s a rumor that has caused a lot of controversy. There are six top clubs in the Premier League worth billions of pounds. That’s huge relative to the commercial value. Big swell. There are sellers in England but far fewer buyers. The fake prices we have for buying England also show that he is not interested in fake prices in England. Surely if there was a club of Newcastle’s size, as long as the price was reasonable, it would be a good choice?
Fekir’s agent confirms the photo was taken with LFC
Lyon striker Nabil Fekir’s agent has finally confirmed that the player underwent a medical and was photographed with a Liverpool shirt in the summer before his move to the Reds fell through. The 25-year-old has just one season left on his contract and is expected to leave this summer, with his agent Jean-Pierre Bernays making no secret of his client’s move away from Lyon. Burnays said: “It’s not about staying here. We may know the real situation that prevented Fekir from moving to Liverpool. The knee was part of it, but it’s not just that. He has passed the medical and had his photo taken with the Reds jersey…”
Adriano claims Neymar regrets move to PSG
There is another theory that Neymar regrets leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazil captain’s time in France has been “plagued by injuries” as the attacker has spent much of his time back home in Brazil “injured”. Now, former Barcelona team-mate Adriano claims he recently spoke to Neymar and his former team-mate told him he regretted leaving the Catalan club. Adriano told Cadena SER: “About three weeks ago I had a conversation with Neymar and all of us who were at Barcelona and left were remorseful and he believed it even more.”
Thauvin slams his team
Former Newcastle United winger Florin Thauvin branded his current team “rubbish” in his post-match interview. The French striker, who currently plays for French Ligue 1 side Marseille, was left frustrated after yet another defeat to Bordeaux. Thauvin told reporters: “I’m talking shit, I’m tired, but we’ve been terrible this season. It’s the same story every season. I’m fed up. It’s all over for the top three. Even if we get to the Champions League, what’s the point? We’re rubbish.” Talk about winning friends and influencing people!
Garde denies Lyon talks
Montreal Impact head coach Remy Garde has denied talks with Lyon about a head coaching job as Lyon lost again to Dijon. Former Lyon player Gade said simply “no” when asked if Lyon had contacted him, telling a press conference: “It’s taken me so long.” [much] Time, being at that club for so many years, maybe people will talk. But I just focus on what I have to do, and I’ve talked about that. “For my part, I deny recent contact with Lyon regarding the issues raised. I have the feeling that this was a message made out of nowhere,” Garde said in March when rumors first circulated that he would return to Lyon.
Diego Costa gets red card for insulting referee
Or is it better to say that Atletico forward Diego Costa saw the red card and then insulted the referee, who showed him the red card? Only the fiery striker had a clear view of the red mist as he leaned into referee Gil Manzano’s face, fist clenched between the two, and yelled “Fuck you mother” just inches from the referee. While I’m not sure if this was a regular arrangement between him and the referee’s mother, I’m assuming it wasn’t. The referee confirmed the incident in the match report: “In the 28th minute, the player Diego da Silva Costa was sent off for the following reason: he shouted to me: ‘I fuck you, I fuck you.'” After the red card was shown, his teammates had to restrain the Brazilian-born striker.
Written by Tris Burke April 7, 2019 06:15:27