Mother of Spanish FA President Goes On Hunger Strike

Spanish FA President, Luis Rubiales has refused to step down after kissing Jenni Hermoso during the celebration at Spain's Women's World Cup final win over England.

He was widely expected to resign at a meeting on Friday but instead made a defiant speech, claiming he was the victim of a witch-hunt by "false feminists."

FIFA have suspended the Spanish FA chief for 90 days to conduct investigation into the incident.

However, in a new twist, Rubiales mother, Angeles Bejar, has now locked herself in a church and announced a hunger strike in protest at her son's treatment.

Bejar said her strike would last "until a solution is found to the inhumane and bloody hunt they are carrying out against my son with something he does not deserve".

She asked Hermoso to tell the truth and "stick to the version she gave at the beginning".

"There is no sexual abuse since there is consent on both sides, as the images prove".  "My son is incapable of hurting anyone," Bejar said.

Luis Rubiales has been defiant over the kiss which has been condemned as unwanted by Hermoso, her team-mates and the Spanish government, arguing it was consensual.

Hermoso said she did not consent to the kiss, adding she felt "vulnerable and the victim of an aggression".

Gender issues have become a prominent topic in Spain in recent years. Tens of thousands of women have taken part in street marches protesting against sexual abuse and violence.

Credit Sky sports 

I will not resign: 'I'm socially murdered by false feminism. The kiss was consensual'

Following Spain's triumph over England with a 1-0 win in Sydney, Spanish FA president,Luis Rubiales participated in the medal and trophy presentation. It was during this ceremony that he grabbed Barcelona's Jenni Hermoso and gave her a kiss on the lips, sparking controversy.

Rubiales said: "I have already apologised for an unfortunate gesture. I have already said about the kiss that it is mutual and consented and for which I have to apologise for the context."

"Was it serious enough for me to go? I will not resign. There must be a law for someone to leave a place. Is a consensual kiss enough to get me out of there? If someone wants to commit that atrocity, I can defend myself. I also hope that the law is complied with."

Rubiales added: "The kiss was consented. We had very affectionate moments. The moment Jenni appeared, she picked me up from the ground that we almost fell."

"And when she left me on the ground, we hugged. She took me up in her arms and we hugged. I told her that she will forget about the [missed] penalty. I told her that we had won the World Cup thanks to her"

"Whoever sees the video will understand that in front of millions of people on television, in front of all the people who were there, the desire that I could have in that kiss was the same that I could have kissing one of my daughters. That is understood by anyone and even those who are in the media."

"False feminism is a scourge. A social murder is being carried out. They are trying to kill me. As a Spaniard, I think we have to reflect on where we are going. Being a world champion is the greatest thing there is."

"For five years they have been going after me for everything - dozens of lawsuits, denunciations, requests for disqualification... They are always the same, we know who they are."

"They have referred to the kiss as vexation, sexual violence, without consent, assault... By God, what will women think who have really been sexually assaulted. To these people who want to murder me publicly, I am going to defend myself in court. I'm going to take action against them."

Meanwhile, Real Betis striker and Spain international, Borja Iglesias claims he will not return to the Spanish national team unless Luis Rubiales is punished.

Football governing ruling body, FIFA have suspended the Spanish FA president and lunched an investigation into the unfortunate incident that is rocking the football community.

Credit tribuna.com

Spanish FA President To Resign Today

President of the Spanish football Association (RFEF), Luis Rubialies will today announce his resignation. This is following a week of growing pressure after last Sunday’s women’s World Cup final.

The 45 year old was involved in several uncomfortable moments as Spain lifted the trophy, culminating in an awkward kiss on the lips of star player Jenni Hermoso.

Through the last few days there have been accusations and revelations on all sides about his past conduct, and once FIFA announced an investigation into his behaviour last night, it has always felt the jig was up.

Pressure from all sides – including Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez and dozens of coaches, players and administrators in football, has finally told.

Rubialies's resignation will end the ugly few days in Spanish football which has shrouded what should have been a glorious celebration of the rise of the women’s game to the very top.

Crystal Palace To Sign Eden Hazard

English Premier side, Crystal Palace are planning to gamble on Belgian free agent Eden Hazard, despite his injury problems. 

Eagles boss Steve Parish believes that Hazard still has something to offer, commercially and on the pitch. Head coach Roy Hodgson is also said to be keen for the move to happen.

At this stage in his career, this would not be a grand comeback to the Premier League.

Hazard would be offered a simple one-year deal with a pay-as-you-play structure. In other words, he would receive an inexpensive base salary but with the ability to augment his income through appearance and performance bonuses.

It will be up to the player to decide whether he still has enough left in the tank to perform at the Premier League level, but a return to London and joining an ambitious Palace project may be tempting to the Chelsea legend.

Manchester United lose a friendly match against Burnley

Manchester United lost a behind closed door friendly to Burnley on Wednesday day at the Carrington training ground. The game ended at 3-0 in favour of Burnley.

After two under performances in the season so far, this defeat at the hands of Burnley, be it a friendly, won't help quell the team's confidence.

Though fringe players such as Anthony Martial, Donny van de beek and Scott McTominay started the game, Eric ten Hag will have to look ahead and think how to improve the fortunes of the team.

Manchester United Urged To Bring In Lukaku

Manchester United legend, Dwight Yorke, has urged Erik ten Hag to consider bringing in Lukaku to fortify the team.

‘Romelu Lukaku is absolutely still good enough to play for a top-six club'. ‘As much as people say about Lukaku, he has a very impressive goalscoring record and he doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves.

Romelu Lukaku has reportedly been forced to train with Chelsea U21s and has not held a single conversation with head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea are desperate to sell Lukaku in the summer transfer window following his season-long loan at Inter Milan last term.

Lukaku rejected a move to Saudi Arabia earlier in the window and there is no other concrete interest in the Belgian, leaving the 30-year-old stuck in transfer limbo.

The Belgian hit man had been linked with a permanent move to Inter Milan earlier in the window but the Champions League runners-up were unable to meet his price tag.

Credit metro.co.uk

Spanish FA President Issues Apology For Kiss

The President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales issued a video statement through the RFEF in which he apologized for the kiss on the lips to Spanish female player, Jenni Hermoso.

"I have a magnificent relationship with Jenni, as with other players, and in a moment of maximum effusiveness without any bad faith, what happened happened , I think in a very spontaneous way. Surely I was wrong and I have to admit it, no there is another . Also, I must learn from this and understand that when you are president of an institution as important as the federation you have to be more careful , especially in ceremonies and in this type of matter."

For her part, Jenni Hermoso downplayed the incident which she described as a "totally spontaneous mutual gesture", "of friendship and gratitude."

Credit Marca Sport

Mason Greenwood To Leave Manchester United With Immediate Effect

Greenwood is expected to leave Manchester United with immediate effect. This is coming as the club have released an official statement on Greenwood.

"Our process commenced in February 2023, following all charges against Mason being dropped. Throughout, we have taken into account the wishes, rights and perspective of the alleged victim along with the club’s standards and values, and sought to collate as much information and context as possible. This has required us to proceed with sensitivity and care to obtain evidence not in the public domain, including from those with direct knowledge of the case.

Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged. That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he has made mistakes which he is taking responsibility for.

All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United. It has therefore been mutually agreed that it would be most appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that outcome."

Mason has been with Manchester United since the age of 7 years and had been in outstanding form before his travails.

FA President Kisses Female Player On Lips

Spanish FA president, Luis Rubiales is in the eye of the storm after kissing Spain's world star, Jenni Hermoso on the lips.

Hermoso, making her way onto the podium after receiving her World Cup winners medal after her side defeated England 1-0 in Sunday’s final was greeted by  a visibly delighted Rubiales, who gave her a strong hug, temporarily lifting her off her feet before briefly speaking to the player and then, when placing his hands on the back of her head, drew Hermoso in to kiss her on the lips. 

Footage of the incident have gone  viral on social media with supporters of the Spanish team and many others highlighting the actions of Rubiales and stating that they were inappropriate.

Hermoso, when asked about the kiss on Instagram Live appeared to be embarrassed and uncomfortable with the subject, and replied: "Eh...yeah, I did not enjoy that."

Credit Mirror Football 

Manchester City's Laporte in advanced talks over Al Nassr move

There are strong indications that Manchester City's defender, Aymeric Laporte is in advanced talks with Al Nassr.

The Spain international is set to agree a three-year deal with the Saudi Pro League side, who will pay Manchester City more than €20m (£17.1m).

An endless amount of big names have completed big-money moves to the Middle East so far this summer and the Manchester City defender looks set to become the next arrival, following former teammate Riyad Mahrez.

Laporte has accepted the deal and will fly to the country on Monday to finalize the switch to Al Nassr.

Neymar's 10,000 jerseys in seven hours

Neymar's move to Saudi Arabia has ignited a fresh wave of enthusiasm for football in the Middle East.

The Brazilian departed Paris Saint-Germain to join Al-Hilal for a substantial sum, marking his presence in a league increasingly populated by international stars.

Notably, the jersey bearing the No.10 swiftly sold out within a matter of hours following his unveiling.

As reported by French publication L'Equipe, a staff member from Al-Hilal's official store in Riyadh, the capital city of the Arab nation, revealed that close to 10,000 jerseys were snapped up online in a mere seven-hour span, subsequent to the official announcement of Neymar's transfer.

"It's the first time I've seen that," said another shop employee, adding that the physical sale was similar, with all the available jerseys with Neymar's name on them selling out within minutes.

Fans really are delighted with the arrival of the Brazilian, and are looking forward to his debut.

"My son was following the news of his transfer on social media every day, we can't wait to see him on the pitch and hopefully he will be saved from injury," explained another Al-Hilal fan outside the shop.

Credit MARCA.com

Xavi suspended for insulting referees

Barcelona manager Xavi has found himself at the center of attention following his recent outburst against La Liga referees.

The former midfielder was in fact highly critical of the performances of the officials involved in Barcelona’s first match of the season with Getafe.

This outburst earned him a two-match suspension which will force him to skip the upcoming games with Cadiz and Villareal.

Xavi had infamously criticized Jose Mourinho’s outburst against Anthony Taylor after Roma’s loss in the Europa League final, saying in regards to the Special One’s behavior, “As we ask not to be insulted, we must be the first ones to lead by example. Conduct is very important, I hope I never offer such an image to the world of football.”

 Credit romapress.net

Barcelona Signs Deco As New Sporting Director

Former Barcelona icon Deco has signed a three year contract as the club's new sporting director.

Deco first joined Barcelona from Porto in 2004 and won La Liga twice in four seasons, as well as the 2006 Champions League.

Deco also played two seasons for Chelsea following his time in Spain before returning to Brazil and finishing his career at Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro.

Barca said Deco will be in charge of their "sporting philosophy" and work closely with manager Xavi and the rest of the coaching staff.

The club said they are planning a restructure behind the scenes, with details to be announced in the coming weeks. Former sporting director Jordi Cruyff left in May.

Mo Salah On Saudi Pro League Radar

Liverpool striker, Mo Salah is on the Saudi Arabian radar, just as Neymar completes his Middle East move for ridiculous money.

According to football sources, Mo Salah is not happy at Liverpool. This was evident in his reaction to being substituted during Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Chelsea in their opening Premier League game of the season.

Reacting, Manchester United icon Roy Keane said "I think it’s fine if a player comes off like that but don’t keep doing it on the bench." 

"You see him off the pitch with his arms in the air - just sit down and shut up."

"You have to take it. You can be upset, fine, but don’t drag it out. I’ve seen a lot more players that are better than Salah get taken off and they’ve been fine".

Though Liverpool's has poured cold water on the incident,  Mo Salah could join the league of big money done deals in the Saudi Pro League.

Done deals 

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid to Al-Ittihad, free) – three-year contract worth £172m a year (£14.3m a month; £3.3m a week)

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City to Al-Ahli, £30m) – four-year contract worth £39m a year (£3.25m a month; £750,000 a week)

Jordan Henderson (Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq, £12m) – two-year contract worth £36m a year (£3m a month; £700,000 a week)

Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich to Al-Nassr, £24m) – three-year contract worth £34.3m a year (£2.85m a month; £650,000 a week)

Roberto Firmino (Liverpool to Al-Ahli, free) – three-year contract worth £17m a year (£1.42m a month; £326,923 a week)

Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea to Al-Hilal, £18m) – three-year contract worth £15.6m a year (£1.3m a month; £300,000 a week)

Steven Gerrard (appointed as Al-Ettifaq manager) – two-year contract worth £15.2m a year (£1.26m a month; £292,307 a week)

Ruben Neves (Wolves to Al-Hilal, £47m) – three-year contract worth £12m a year (£1m a month; £230,769 a week)

Edouard Mendy (Chelsea to Al-Ahli, £16m) – three-year contract worth £12m a year (£1m a month; £230,769 a week)

Alex Telles (Man Utd to Al-Nassr, £4m) – two-year contract worth £7m a year (£583,333 a month; £134,615 a week)

Credit football365.com 

DeGea Set To Sign For Al Nasser

De Gea is set to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nasser. The former Manchester United goalkeeper is a free agent after his contract expired in June. The club had been locked in discussions with the Spaniard an extended period but could not come to an agreement on terms.

United allowed his deal to run down before signing Andre Onana as their new No.1 goalkeeper.

Al Nassr are pushing hard for De Gea though and want him to be their first-choice 'keeper for the new season.

The transfer window for Saudi clubs is open until September 20, the final date for De Gea to commit to Nassr.

Al Nasser have brought in Sadio Mane and Marcelo Brozovic in a bid to win the SPL title.

They finished behind winners Al Ittihad last season but won the Arab Club Champions Cup trophy on Saturday thanks to a brace from Ronaldo in a 2-1 win over Al Hilal.

Credit: sportbible.com

Kylian Mpappe Set To Renew Contract With PSG

Kylian Mbappe may have started thinking about extending his stint with Paris Saint-Germain. This is after it was said the Frenchman has already agreed a deal with Real Madrid and will not extend his stay with PSG which is in its final year now.

This turn in Mbappe's tranfer saga is coming as the he returned to PSG's first team.

“After very constructive and positive discussions between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient match, the player was reinstated in the first training team this morning," PSG said in a statement.

Al Hilal back in the race for Neymar Jr

Saudi Pro League giants, Al Hilal have made a very significant financial offer to Neymar Jr, who is beginning to look favourably on a move to Saudi Arabian football.

According to the French media, "everything has gone quickly in the last few hours: PSG and Al Hilal have reached an agreement and Neymar is happy with the Saudi Pro League club".

Neymar's imminent departure from PSG was made inevitable after Luis Enrique and Luis Campos had a chat with the Brazilian superstar in which they explained to him that he would not be part of the new project.

If the offer made by the Arabian giants is accepted by the player, his departure would be a matter of little time and he would join Marco Verratti, who was also absent from Saturday's game, in the Asian country.

"Neymar Jr is recovering from a viral syndrome and is training in the gym today," explained the club's injury report.

EPL's Two Top August Matches

Aug. 13: Liverpool at Chelsea. 

Liverpool is in the middle of refreshing a stale midfield -- they've added Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig) and Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton) but probably need at least one more player after losing both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Saudi Pro League.

Chelsea is attempting an energy revitalization of its own under Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea thinned out a bloated squad this summer, but with three August signings already, they might be in the process of a re-bloat. Regardless, Pochettino should connect pretty well with a young and hungry squad, and it wouldn't surprise me if they began the season strong, even if sparkly new forward Christopher Nkunku is out for a bit.

Prediction: Win for Chelsea 

Aug. 19: Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur. 

It's safe to say that whatever Spurs might end up becoming this season, they won't resemble that on Aug. 19. New manager Ange Postecoglu is attempting a pretty significant system change, and after working with the team in the preseason and in friendlies, Harry Kane appears to be officially leaving, as long rumored, for Bayern. There's still obvious talent in attack.

The adjustment period in Manchester. Erik Ten Hag's engineered a top-four finish despite not having what he needed, in terms of either style or talent (or both), at either goalkeeper or center-forward. He's now got André Onana in goal, Rasmus Hojlund (though already injured) up front, Mason Mount as an extra creative option, and all the guys who began to thrive under Ten Hag last year: Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, and others. This team should start quickly.

Prediction: Win for Manchester United

Credit ESPN

Jamie Carragher slams Guardiola for ruining Foden

Jamie Carragher thinks Phil Foden is falling behind other talented English players because he can’t get into the Manchester City starting XI.

The 23-year-old started the Citizen’s Community Shield clash against Arsenal on the bench, with Pep Guardiola opting to start Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Julian Alvarez instead.

Foden started 22 matches for Man City last season, scoring 11 goals and making five assists in the process.

Despite putting in some excellent performances and undoubtedly being a huge talent, his progress could be damaged by a lack of consistent playing time.

These sentiments are echoed by Carragher, who has fumed about Guardiola’s decision to start Alvarez over Foden on Sunday.

Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher said: “Phil Foden is not young anymore. Three or four years ago, we were saying he was going to be the best English player.

“We all know how good he is – what is it that’s stopping him? Pep played Alvaréz behind Haaland – that’s a position where Foden could play, but he still doesn’t play him.”

The departures of Gundogan and Mahrez should, in theory, afford Foden more playing time this season.

There is still plenty of other competition for starting places, however. Kevin de Bruyne, Cole Palmer, Alvarez, Silva and Grealish will all be competing with Foden.

Silva has been heavily linked with a departure from Man City for a number of months. Barcelona remains interested in signing the Portugal international, but it is unclear whether they can afford to match his price tag of approximately £70m.

If he does leave, Foden could see his minutes increase, but Guardiola would ideally prefer to keep him for another season.

Manchester City could, however, bring in another attacking player this summer. The Premier League champions are reportedly considering a move for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, who is also a target for Chelsea.

His arrival would only frustrate Foden further. Although, the Citizens are yet to make a concrete offer for the 21-year-old’s services.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Foden starts Man City’s Premier League opener against Burnley on Friday.

Credit Football365

Doubtful Verdict On Messi: Inter Miami Terminates Player's Contract

Inter Miami CF have announced that they have parted ways with Nick Marsman, a player who recently stated that the club was not ready for Lionel Messi's arrival.

"I personally think that this club is not ready for Messi’s arrival. We have a temporary stadium, people can just walk on the pitch, there are no gates. We also leave for the stadium without security. I think they aren't ready," he had told ESPN.

Inter Miami's decision to let go of Marsman will free up funds for signing another player in the future, with recent rumors suggesting a possible reunion between Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. The former Barcelona and Liverpool striker has recently announced that he will be leaving Brazilian club Gremio in December.

Lionel Messi has taken just four matches (293 minutes) to become Inter Miami's top goal-scorer in 2023.

 Credit Sportskeeda

Community Shield: Roy Keane Criticises Rice

Former Manchester United Captain, Roy Keane has criticised Arsenal’s summer signing Declan Rice, saying the midfielder isn’t worth over £100 million.

Keane spoke as Arsenal defeated Manchester City in Sunday’s FA Community Shield.

According to him, Arsenal overpaid for Rice’s signature.

Arsenal recently completed a club-record £105 million deal to sign Rice from West Ham.

“They have obviously paid way too much for him, he is certainly not worth over £100 million,” said Declan Rice.

“We can say that about lots of players, I agree. But again, we will find out in the next year or two how good Declan is.”

Credit Daily Post

Greatest Professional football scammer: Carlos Henrique Raposo

A 26-year professional footballing career is impressive for any player, especially one who never even played a match.

Carlos Henrique Raposo, more commonly known as Carlos Kaiser, had professional deals in Brazil, Mexico, the US and France in one of football’s greatest-ever scams.

Kaiser had contracts with most of Brazil's top teams, but he never played. It was mainly due to his ability to fake injuries.

Becoming a legend in South America for his party boy lifestyle that came with conning so many teams, Carlos Kaiser even had a documentary made about his astonishing life, called: ‘The Greatest Footballer to Never Play Football’.

The now 60-year-old himself lifted the lid on his incredible scam, and it featured insight from Brazilian World Cup winning legends Bebeto, Carlos Alberto and Zico.

Those greats were just as big a part of the scam as anyone else, as Kaiser explained: "The players knew it, but they were all my friends. 

“The journalists, whom I paid to publish reports... Nobody persecuted me.”

Going through extraordinary lengths to never play a match, the closest he came was against Cortiba, but he managed to get red carded for a fight with a fan during his substitution.

Even training was a step too much for the Rio de Janeiro native, who explained: "I cheated with the doctors. 

“There was a time in the team that I played for that really wanted me to play and I had a dentist friend. 

“The president of the club came up to me and said: 'You never play!' I said: ‘I have the medical report here and they finally figured out what my problem is. It's a dental problem’. It was a complete lie.

"At another club I played for, they brought in a black magic priest to perform rituals for me to heal my bruises. They were paying him well. 

“I went up to him and said, 'Take your money, mate. Nothing's wrong with me. Take your money and don't bother doing your work because I intend to stay injured for the rest of my life.”

Claiming that he went to orgies with Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, he said: “I am the best football player who has never played football... I slept with 1,000 women and pretended to be injured my entire career.

“Every night I was in nightclubs until the early hours of the morning, Monday to Monday. I was never in a condition to train or play in the morning

"I made sure I was seen with the best Brazilian football players. Just being a football player made me a magnet for women. 

“I was a sex addict, like Michael Douglas. I would sleep with at least three women a day." 

Kaiser’s main skill in getting new contracts was signing as part of a deal with his professional friends. He’d then win over the staff at the club with his charm, and manage to get a contract long enough to bring home a superstar's wage.

Once the teams grew tired of his non-stop injuries, he’d then move on with another friend and create a new scam, something he felt the clubs deserved.

"The clubs have deceived and continued to deceive footballers a lot,” he explained. “Someone had to take revenge for all of them.”

Credit TalkSPORT

Diego Simeone's son suffers broken leg in pre-season match

Diego Simeone's son, Giuliano Simeone suffered a very serious injury in the pre-season match between Alavés and Burgos and will be away from the pitch for several months.

Simeone left for the band and Matos arrives late, hunts him down and causes the injury. The referee, who showed a yellow card, quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and both he and the players came to his aid.

The game, which at that time was 2-1, was stopped for several minutes so that the medics could intervene and Simeone ended up leaving the pitch in an ambulance. After this serious situation, as there were only five minutes left to play, both parties decided that the match would not resume.

Giuliano Simeone arrived at Alavés this summer on loan from Atlético de Madrid. Last season he was the undisputed starter at Zaragoza, where he played a total of 36 games and scored 9 goals.

Credit MARCA

Community Shield: Arsenal v Man City

Just under one hour to go until kick off and Wembley is filling up nicely.

There's no doubt about who Arsenal fans are most excited to see today, with Declan Rice getting the biggest cheer when his name was read out.

The England midfielder joined the Gunners from West Ham in the summer for £100m and there's big expectations that he can help elevate his new side to the next level as they look to take the title race further this time.

Erling Haaland made his debut in the Community Shield last year, missing a sitter later on. He responded to that by scoring a frankly ridiculous 52 goals in all competitions.

Havertz starts in attack alongside Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, with striker Gabriel Jesus to miss the start of the season through injury.

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz.

Subs: Turner, Tierney, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Holding, Vieira, Trossard, Smith Rowe, Nketiah.

Midfielder Mateo Kovacic makes his Manchester City debut following his arrival from Chelsea but the game comes too soon for fellow new signing Josko Gvardiol after the defender completed his move yesterday.

Kevin de Bruyne, a fitness doubt before the game, is on the bench while Nathan Ake misses out after picking up an injury in the friendly against Bayern Munich.

Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland leads the line for City.

Manchester City XI: Ortega, Walker, Dias, Stones, Akanji, Kovacic, Rodrigo, Silva, Grealish, Alvarez, Haaland.

Subs: Ederson, Lewis, Gomez, Laporte, Phillips, McAtee, De Bruyne, Foden, Palmer

Credit BBC Sports

History Makers Banyana Bow Out Of Women’s World Cup

South Africa’s courageous 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup run came to end after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands in the last 16 round in Sidney on Sunday.

Jill Roord’s ninth minute header from a corner and Lineth Beerensteyn second half goal were enough to see the 2019 finalists through in a tightly contested affair.

The first half was a costly one to the African champions, who were already without captain Refiloe Jane and now also lost midfielder Jermaine Seoposenwe and defender Bambanani “Juice” Mbane to injury.

Youngster Wendy Shongwe was brought in as Seoposenwe’s replacement and Tiisetso Makhubela for her club teammate.

The Dutch’s lead did not rattle South Africa with Kaylin Swart called to make a couple of key saves keeping Esmee Rugts and Sherida Spitse at bay. Thembi Kgatlana’s pace was a thorn in the Dutch defense, however, she missed chances to level for Banyana with a wide shot in the 35th minute and even twice in injury time of the first half.

There were no changes in the second half from both sides but the Dutch were in much more control of the game after the break and Beerensteyn could have extended the lead for Holland.

In the 54th minute Beerensteyn found Lieke Martens who netted but the goal was ruled offside by VAR.

Beerensteyn’s persistence was rewarded in the 67th minute when Swart conceded a howler as Netherlands extended the lead to 2-0. Linda Motlhalo could have pulled one back five minutes later but the Dutch keeper made a save.

Banyana bow out of the tournament, having collected their first-ever point, first-ever win and making the knockout stages for the first time.

Credit IDISKI TIMES

Bayern make new €100m+ bid for Tottenham's Kane

Bayern Munich have set Tottenham a deadline of midnight on Friday to accept a club-record offer in excess of €100 million ($110m) for striker Harry Kane.

Kane, 30, is in the final 12 months of his contract but Bayern are prepared to shatter their previous highest transfer -- the €80m paid to Atletico Madrid for defender Lucas Hernandez -- to land the England international.

Bayern are now awaiting an answer from Spurs and have threatened to move onto other targets if the bid is not successful.

Kane has no interest in signing a new deal with Spurs this summer, leaving the club to make a decision as to whether they cash in now or risk losing their prized asset for nothing at the end of the season.

Bayern are now awaiting an answer from Spurs and have threatened to move onto other targets if the bid is not successful.

Kane has been Bayern's top target all summer but there is a desire on all sides to reach a conclusion as soon as possible rather than allow the situation to drag on into the start of the season.

Harry Kane is not expected to sign a new contract at Tottenham, with his existing deal set to expire next summer.

Kane has scored 212 Premier League goals and is within touching distance of Alan Shearer's all-time record (260), but is motivated by winning silverware having never lifted a trophy with Tottenham or England.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs are prepared to lose their talisman, however, as new coach Ange Postecoglou looks to improve on last season's eighth-place finish.

Credit: ESPN

Son scores hat-trick against father's team

18-year old Orri Òskarsson scored a hat-trick in a UEFA champions league qualifier yesterday to eliminate a team that has his father as the coach🙆🙆.

Orri Òskarsson plays for Copenhagen FC while his father is the coach of Breidablik FC.

The game ended 6 goals to 3 in favour of Copenhagen FC.

FIFA investigates Zambia coach for touching player's breasts

FIFA has opened an investigation into a complaint received against Zambia coach Bruce Mwape for touching one of his players.

Several players witnessed how Mwape touched the chest of one of her teammates last Friday after training. The intention was to report the incident immediately, but they decided to wait until the last game was played to avoid reprisals from the coach.

FIFA has taken action on the matter and has confirmed that the investigation is ongoing. "FIFA takes any allegation of misconduct very seriously and has a clear process for anyone in football who wants to report an incident. We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambia women's national team and that it is currently is being investigated. We cannot provide further details about an ongoing investigation for obvious confidentiality reasons," a FIFA spokesperson told The Guardian.

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) already reported in September 2022 that it had sent an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Bruce Mwape. "If he wants to sleep with someone, you have to say yes ," a Zambian national team player told The Guardian at the time. "It's normal for the coach to sleep with players from our team," she added.

Credit: marca.com

Barcelona Xavi: I'm disappointed with Dembele

Barcelona's Xavi admitted to being disappointed with the departure of Ousmane Dembele to PSG. Although it is not yet official, it is already a done deal and should materialise before the end of the week.

"I am disappointed. We couldn't compete with PSG's proposal. I tried to keep him, but he told me that he had already spoken to [PSG president] Nasser and [PSG coach] Luis Enrique and that there was no going back. It is the law of the market. The proposal they are making to him is totally out of our hands. We can't compete with it right now. It's a pity. Good luck to him.

"We asked him why and he didn't know how to answer. I guess it's something personal. 

Disappointed? Yes. The important thing is that he has been clear. I wish him luck."

"He knew everything. About the clause and everything. I am in contact with him. On the tour, all day. I knew there was a possibility. I saw him very happy, I didn't expect it. It's the market. If you don't want to be at Barcelona, you have to let him go."

"The loss of Ousmane weakens us."

Culled from marca.com

Man City agree €90m deal to sign Josko Gvardiol

English Premier League Champions, Manchester City have agreed to a deal with RB Leipzig to sign defender Josko Gvardiol.

The EPL champions are set to pay a straight €90 million ($98 million) fee and the agreement does not include add-ons.

Gvardiol, 21, will next undergo a medical and is set to travel to England imminently. 

He is unlikely to make his debut in Sunday's Community Shield clash with Arsenal at Wembley but should be signed in time to be available for City's league opener against Burnley at Turf Moor on Aug. 11.

Gvardiol will become Pep Guardiola's second summer signing after the arrival of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.

Culled from ESPN

Real Madrid legend Marcelo leaves pitch in tears after being shown red card for leg-breaking challenge

Real Madrid legend Marcelo was shown a straight red card for leg-breaking challenge on Luciano Sanchez during Fluminense's Copa Libertadores clash with Argentinos Juniors.

The Real Madrid legend inadvertently stepped down on Sanchez's shin while trying to dribble the ball past him, and the defender was left screaming in agony after the challenge. The match was halted as Argentinos' medical staff attempted to treat Sanchez on the pitch before he was eventually carried off on a stretcher, and the referee showed Marcelo a red card. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Marcelo could not hold back his tears as he walked towards the tunnel, and players from both teams consoled the distraught wing-back.

After the match, Marcelo took to social media to wish Sanchez a speedy recovery. He wrote: "Today I have had to live through a very difficult moment on the pitch. I have inadvertently injured a colleague. I want to wish you the best possible recovery, Luciano Sánchez. All the strength in the world!"

FIFA to pay World Cup prize money directly to players

World football governing body, FIFA says the 2023 World Cup prize money will be paid directly to the players without interference from a third party.

FIFA Secretary-General, Fatma Samoura made the disclosure in a viral video, noted that the decision is due to unpaid allowance issues involving the Super Falcons of Nigeria.

Samoura, in the video, acknowledged that “things have been tough” for the Falcons, adding that FIFA will for the first time monitor that match bonuses get to the players directly.

“I know that things have been tough. We have to face the realities of Nigeria. It pains me a lot. It is because of you [the Super Falcons] that, for the first time, the prize money has been ring-fenced in the history of FIFA to ensure that it goes to you,” the FIFA secretary-general said.

The Falcons have qualified for the round of 16 after finishing second in group B. Every team player will earn at least $60,000 for the feat.

Nigeria is billed to take on England in the second-round contest on Monday.