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Alves misses World Cup
The 35-year-old Dani Alves has injured the cruciate ligament in his right knee and the Brazilian Football Association has disqualified him from participating in the World Cup in Russia. The right-back had hoped to recover in time for the match, but Brazil have now said that is “impossible”.
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Colchester United’s Brennan Dickenson and Tom Lapsley have renewed their contracts with the League Two club.
Arjen Robben and Raphinha have signed new one-year contracts with Bayern Munich. The pair, along with fellow veteran Franck Ribery, have agreed to stay at the Bavarians for another year. Young player Frank Avner also signed a professional contract with the Bundesliga giants. Avina, 17, signed a three-year deal after making his first-team debut last month.
Brown hopes to coach Celtics
Celtics veteran midfielder Scott Brown has told the BBC he hopes to coach the team one day. The 32-year-old has been with the basketball team for 11 seasons and has begun earning his coaching badges. Brown said: “Everyone is going to love this job: every fan, every manager – especially in Scotland. I’m not a guy who just sits back, relaxes and enjoys playing golf. For me, I’m going into coaching. I had the opportunity at Celtic to help coach the Under-20s with Stevie Freire and Tommy McIntyre – and I jumped at the chance.”
Club badges will be changed during matches
34-year-old Xabi Prieto will retire at the end of this season, the last game of his professional football career, and Real Sociedad will replace the team crest with a picture of Prieto in memory of the 34-year-old player. The midfielder has been with Real Sociedad since the age of 16, although the club did not win anything during his career. This is the first time they have changed the club crest on their jerseys. Real Sociedad said: “A historic example deserves a historic gesture. Xavi has always fought for the badge and so in his last game at Anoeta [Stadium]Real Sociedad will use him as its emblem for one day. “
Kyiv residents offer free food and accommodation for Champions League final
A group of Kyiv residents alarmed that Ukrainian hotels were raising prices for visiting fans ahead of the Champions League final have started a social media group offering free accommodation. One of the largest groups is called “Free couches in Kiev for fans on May 26, 2018” and has more than 5,000 members. Its founder, Victor Kylymar, said: “Facebook was full of posts about how greedy Kiev hotels were, and I thought there must be a way around it. People opened their homes, offered to take guests on cultural tours and cook them local dishes. People were cultural ambassadors, so to speak. Football is about bringing people together, and that’s what this group is about.”
Arsenal suspends U23 coaching staff
Arsenal Under-23s head coach and assistant Steve Gatting and Carl Laraman have been suspended by the club after players complained of bullying. A Gunners spokesman said: “Following complaints from a number of players, we have suspended two coaches and launched an investigation. These are private matters and we will not discuss any further details.”
Coupe de France finalists relegated to fourth tier
Les Herbiers, an underdog in France’s third tier, once made the country happy by reaching the Coupe de France final, but has now been relegated to the fourth tier. The same level as the cup final opponent Paris Saint-Germain reserve team!
Buffon charged by UEFA
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made some strong comments about referee Michael Oliver after the official decided to award a penalty to Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final clash. Buffon has since stood by his remarks and insisted on Italian television that his remarks were correct. Now he has been accused of breaching UEFA’s “general principles of conduct” over his outburst.
Dembele criticized by former teammates
Barcelona striker Ousmane Dembélé has been heavily criticized by former Borussia Dortmund team-mate Roman Weidenfeller for forcing a move to Barca. Weidenfeller told ESPN: “This is not a way to leave a club. It caused an unbelievable commotion and no one could calm down. This is a team sport – football is not tennis. He didn’t even get his boots – it was ridiculous. Before, I couldn’t have imagined anything like this.
Journalist who exposed Russia doping scandal banned from World Cup
Hajo Seppelt is far from a household name, but the journalist has been one of the leading investigators in uncovering doping scandals in sport, particularly systemic cheating in Russian athletics. German broadcaster ARD reported that Seppelt was denied a visa to cover the World Cup because he was included on Russia’s “undesirable persons” list.
Klose coaches Bayern U17 team
Germany’s record goalscorer Miroslav Klose will coach Bayern Munich’s U17 team next season. Klose currently serves as a member of Joachim Low’s coaching staff with the national team and will take on a new role after the World Cup. Klose said: “I am really looking forward to my role in the Bayern Academy and I will do my best to demonstrate the confidence people have in me to lead the development of these young players.”
Serie A reserve team to compete in Italian third tier league
The Italian Football Federation has approved a plan to introduce the “B team” to Serie C. Under the plan, teams relegated from Serie C due to financial problems will no longer be automatically replaced by teams in a lower division. This position will now be offered to Serie A and Serie B teams.
Written by Tris Burke May 12, 2018 06:59:45