English Premier League referees to halt matches for Muslim players to break their fast

English Premier League referees to halt matches for Muslim players to break their fast
Referees officiating England’s top four divisions during Ramadan have been asked to halt night games to allow fasting players, like Mohamed Salah and others, to break their fast. (Reuters/File)
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Updated 21 March 2023

English Premier League referees to halt matches for Muslim players to break their fast

English Premier League referees to halt matches for Muslim players to break their fast
  • Stars observing Ramadan to be given time to take on liquids, energy gels, supplements
  • Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly and others to benefit from decision during evening games

DUBAI: England’s top-flight referees have been asked to pause night matches to allow Muslim players to break their fast in Ramadan, which begins on Thursday in the UK.
Muslim footballers who observe the holy month, like Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City, and Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly, along with many others, will be granted short recesses to break their fast in after-sunset matches, The Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.
Referees officiating England’s top four divisions have been asked to halt night games to allow fasting players to take on liquids, energy gels and supplements, said Sky Sports.
Match officials are reported to have been advised to wait for a natural stoppage in the game, such as a corner or a free kick, before pausing the match.
Media reports said clubs have also been told to agree on the stoppage time with the referee before the start of the match.
Premier League games have been stopped before for the same reason, and in April 2022 Burnley’s match against Southampton was halted so Mohamed Elyounoussi and Yan Valery could break their fast.
Wesley Fofana was granted a short pause to break his fast when Leicester played Crystal Palace in April 2021.
Fofana took to his social media after the match to say “that’s what makes football wonderful,” after the cooperation of players and officials.
Clubs previously had to request a pause before the match, but this season referees have been given clear instructions to halt proceedings.
High-profile matches to be affected will be Leeds United’s clash with Liverpool on April 17, at which Salah is expected to feature, and Arsenal’s home game with Southampton four days later which kicks off at 8 p.m., with the sun expected to set six minutes later.
Elyounoussi could play in the match for the relegation-threatened Saints at the Emirates Stadium.


José Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final

José Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final
Updated 1 min 27 sec ago

José Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final

José Mourinho charged by UEFA for verbally abusing referee at Europa League final
  • UEFA said the Roma coach is charged for “insulting / abusive language against a match official” after Sevilla’s victory in Budapest this week
  • Footage circulated Thursday of Mourinho approaching referee Anthony Taylor in the garage and calling him a “disgrace” with an expletive

NYON, Switzerland: José Mourinho was charged by UEFA on Friday after being filmed aggressively cursing at the English match referee in a stadium garage after the Europa League final.
UEFA said the Roma coach is charged for “insulting / abusive language against a match official” after Sevilla’s victory in Budapest this week.
It was one of a slew of disciplinary charges UEFA opened into incidents at a testy, bad-tempered game that lasted more than three hours on Wednesday.
Footage circulated Thursday of Mourinho approaching referee Anthony Taylor in the garage and calling him a “disgrace” with an expletive.
Later Thursday, Taylor and his family were harassed and verbally abused by Roma fans at the airport in Budapest.
Roma lost to Sevilla in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw that saw players and officials clash on the field and in the technical area.
UEFA charged both teams with improper conduct – typically activated for at least five yellow cards shown – and Roma was charged over crowd disturbances and acts of damage.
Sevilla was also charged because dozens of its fans invaded the field after the match.
UEFA gave no timetable for its disciplinary panel to judge the cases.


Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan
Updated 02 June 2023

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr to take on PSG during summer friendly in Japan
  • The clash between Al-Nassr, who finished second in the Roshn Saudi League, and PSG will be held in Osaka on July 25
  • Messi was not among the players PSG used to illustrate the tour announcement on their website

JAPAN: Cristiano Ronaldo and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will take on Paris Saint-Germain during their summer friendlies in Japan.
The clash between Al-Nassr, who finished second in the Roshn Saudi League, and PSG will be held in Osaka on July 25.
However, there will be no head-to-head between Ronaldo and old rival Lionel Messi, with the Argentine set to leave PSG.
Messi was not among the players PSG used to illustrate the tour announcement on their website.
Last summer PSG traveled to Japan to play three local clubs and were greeted by sell-out crowds, even for their training sessions.
They round off their Japan visit against Inter, who play Manchester City in the Champions League final, at Tokyo’s National Stadium on August 1.
PSG clinched a record 11th French title last week as Messi scored in a 1-1 away draw at Strasbourg.
PSG are scheduled to play J-League club Cerezo Osaka on July 28.
City, Bayern Munich and Celtic have also announced tours to Japan this summer.
(With inputs from AFP)


Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar
Updated 02 June 2023

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar

Lebanon looking to make historic progress at 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar
  • Despite being placed in tough group with hosts Qatar, China and Tajikistan, the Cedars will look to reach the Round of 16 for the first time
  • Lebanon have a hectic schedule ahead in 2023 as they prepare for a tournament delayed after China pulled out of hosting

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup may be six months away, but preparations have already started for the 24 qualified nations.

Lebanon know that eyes will be on them from day one as they take on hosts Qatar in the opening fixture on Jan. 12, 2024.

Hassan Maatouk, the Cedars’ captain, has stressed the team’s strong spirits and continued preparations to reach their major objective of the quarterfinal, particularly given the considerable time they have set aside for camps and friendly matches in order to find harmony among the players.

In a group with the hosts, China and Tajikistan, it will not be easy, and history is against them.

The competition was moved to January of next year after China pulled out of hosting duties and will end on Feb. 10 with 10 Arab teams taking part, one fewer than the 11 that played in the 2019 edition in the UAE.

Following the curtain-raiser at Al-Bayt Stadium, Lebanon will play China on Jan. 17 and Tajikistan on Jan. 22, both at Al-Thumama Stadium.

They will be hoping for a big improvement in their results at the last edition of the tournament.

Lebanon won only one of its three 2019 matches — 4-1 against North Korea — before suffering losses to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both with a score of 0-2.

The opener against Qatar certainly looks the most challenging for the Lebanese, for several reasons.

For a start, the Maroons are the reigning champions and will be doing their utmost to retain the title they claimed in the UAE in 2019. Secondly, they will be keen to make amends to their fans after the massive disappointment of the 2022 World Cup.

More will be expected from Lebanon against the other two teams in the group.

Tajikistan are theoretically the easiest opponent and the only team in the group whose FIFA ranking of 109 is lower than Lebanon’s (99). Despite this, the team has managed to make it to the Asian Cup finals for the first time in their history under the leadership of Croatian coach Petar Segrt and should not be taken lightly.

Lebanon will hope that by the time they face China in their final group fixture their chances of progressing to the Round of 16 are still alive.

Since taking over the Cedars in August of last year, Serbian coach Aleksandar Ilic has overseen several poor results.

He has received significant backing from the Football Association in an effort to change the strategy and direction of the Lebanese national team by introducing young players who can keep up with the rapid development of other Asian teams. The team’s last three friendly matches have resulted in away losses to Kuwait in November (2-0), the UAE in December (1-0) and Oman in March (2-0).

Veterans such as Mohamad Haidar, Rabih Ataya, Omar Bugiel, Kassem El-Zein, and Mostafa Matar have been sidelined as younger players like Mohamed Sadek, Ali Tneich, Mohamad Baker El-Housseini, and Ali Al-Hajj have been drafted in.

However, 35-year-old captain Hassan Maatouk, goalkeeper Mehdi Khalil, and midfielder Nader Matar have retained their place in the squad.

The rest of 2023, and the buildup to the AFC Asian Cup, will be hectic as the team takes part in the Intercontinental Cup in India; the 2023 SAFF Championship also in India; the Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia; several friendlies and even the start of the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

As always, logistical and economic challenges abound for the team and its coach, while on the technical side, the players continue to play on artificial pitches at home.

Despite this, Lebanon still have a good chance of making it out of the group stage as the tournament system allows the top two teams in each group, along with the best third-place teams, to advance to the Round of 16.

Such an achievement might seem modest from the outside, but it would be a historic first for the Cedars and will bring a sense of joy and pride to the long-suffering people of Lebanon.


For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again
Updated 02 June 2023

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again

For club, country, Bounou proves hero time and again
  • Moroccan goalkeeper named man of match after 2 penalty saves helped Sevilla beat Roma in Europa League final
  • Shotstopper played pivotal role in Morocco’s march to semi-finals of 2022 World Cup in Qatar

RIYADH: Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Hakim Ziyech, and Achraf Hakimi are probably the best-known Arab stars active in Europe.

Whether it is for winning trophies, scoring goals, or earning plaudits, they have made plenty of headlines over the years as they play for some of the biggest clubs in the world.

Now, there is another name that has to be mentioned in the same breath and that is Yassine Bounou.

The Moroccan goalkeeper has had quite a few months, and just this week was the toast of Sevilla after helping his team win the Europa League title on Wednesday. In a penalty shootout against Roma in Budapest, Bounou saved penalties from Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez as the Spaniards lifted the trophy for a magnificent seventh time.

The first save from Mancini proved a turning point. After 120 minutes of fractious football ended 1-1, the shootout stood at 2-1 for Sevilla as the Roma captain stepped up. The goalkeeper flung himself to the left, the defender went down the middle, but Bounou somehow got his feet to the ball. As well as a big save, it was an impressive one.

The second from Ibanez was even more impressive, the slight touch that diverted the ball onto the post almost imperceptible at first viewing.

In the chaos of the madcap game, the man known as Bono kept his cool, perhaps helped by football education as a kid on the streets of Casablanca.

“I have already lived moments like this, and I understood that I needed to stay calm today,” he said after the game and a second individual Europa League prize.

“It’s been a year with a lot of emotions, with the World Cup, then Sevilla, and I needed to take it easy for that.”

It was not just about the shootout. Throughout the game he was operating at the highest level and was named man of the match for his heroics. He follows such names as the original Ronaldo, Hernan Crespo, and Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel in that particular individual prize.

It was not the first time that he had been named the best player in a high-profile game and, as the 32-year-old pointed out, not the first time he had been saving penalties in high-pressure situations. The last time he did it was against the Spanish, not for them.

After the North Africans topped a tough 2022 World Cup group containing Croatia, Belgium, and Canada they were rewarded with a second-round clash with Spain. Most expected that the run would end there.

Yet Morocco went toe-to-toe with the 2010 champions with a place in the last eight at stake in the knowledge that they had a top-class goalkeeper at the back. After 120 minutes of intense football and no goals, there was a shootout. This time Bounou made two saves, first from Carlos Soler and then from Sergio Busquets.

In the quarterfinals, he starred once again, keeping another clean sheet as the Atlas Lions defeated Portugal 1-0 to become the talk of the World Cup. He was named the man of the match by FIFA.

“Pinch me, I think I’m dreaming,” he said after the game as he looked forward to being part of the first Arab team to reach the last four of the biggest sporting event in the world.

Morocco had become the story of the World Cup, and not just the team but the fans who took over stadiums in Qatar to make every game feel like a home one.

The miracle came to an end against France, but it was another hard-fought game and added to the respect and affection felt for the Moroccans.

The likes of Ziyech and Hakimi, with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, played their part but so did the Canadian-born shotstopper.

Bounou was aware of what had been achieved and knew that it was important that the national team built on that success.

“These moments are great, but we’re here to change the mentality. With this feeling of inferiority, we have to get rid of it. The Moroccan player can face any in the world. The generation coming after us will know we can create miracles,” he added.

That is the mentality of a winner and what he said about Morocco could also apply to the Arab world. It is clearly a matter important to the player. At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, that took place in early 2022, Bounou spoke Arabic even when organizers in Cameroon asked for English and French only as they did not have Arabic translators available.

“This is your problem, not mine,” he said.

The same could be said for opponent players who are facing Bounou from the spot in the latter stages of a major international tournament. In the past few months, he has come to be seen as a leading goalkeeper and there is surely more to come.


Thuram, Wahi, David: Ligue 1 stars set for big summer transfers

Thuram, Wahi, David: Ligue 1 stars set for big summer transfers
Updated 02 June 2023

Thuram, Wahi, David: Ligue 1 stars set for big summer transfers

Thuram, Wahi, David: Ligue 1 stars set for big summer transfers
  • Thuram has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain but looks destined to eventually move to the Premier League
  • Wahi was nominated for the Ligue 1 young player of the year prize after an outstanding season at Montpellier

PARIS: As the Ligue 1 season comes to an end this weekend, AFP Sport looks at five stars of the French top flight who could make big-money moves when the transfer window opens:

The 22-year-old comes from the highest footballing stock, as the son of France 1998 World Cup hero Lilian Thuram and the younger brother of Marcus, who appeared for Les Bleus in their defeat by Argentina in the recent World Cup final.

Khephren Thuram is a bounding midfielder who has been a shining light for Nice in a difficult season for the club owned by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group. His performances led to him being named in the Ligue 1 team of the season, and he made his full France debut in March. Thuram, who started his career at Monaco where he was given his debut by Thierry Henry, will play for France at the upcoming Under-21 Euro.

Nice will not want to sell a player who is under contract until 2025, but they may struggle to resist a big offer. Thuram has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain but looks destined to eventually move to the Premier League. Liverpool are the latest club rumored to be lining up a bid.

The 20-year-old striker was nominated for the Ligue 1 young player of the year prize after an outstanding season at Montpellier, for whom he has scored 17 league goals. The France Under-21 international also won the goal of the season award for one outrageous overhead kick against Lyon.

Under contract for two more years, Montpellier will be able to command a huge fee for a player who reportedly has a preference to remain in France for now even if he does depart his current club.

“We will see what the future holds. At the end of the season we will talk about it with the people involved,” the ambitious Wahi told L’Equipe earlier this year. “If I can follow in the footsteps of (Kylian) Mbappe, that would be great,” he added.

The midfielder, 24, is hardly a raw young prospect. Fofana played for France at the World Cup, coming off the bench in the final. Full international recognition for the Parisian was the reward for his impressive form at Monaco, where he enjoyed a superb partnership with Aurelien Tchouameni before the latter joined Real Madrid last year.

Fofana went from France’s national youth academy at Clairefontaine to delivering pizzas before getting his breakthrough at Strasbourg and then joining Monaco in 2020. Out of contract next year, Monaco are expected to cash in on a player who recently indicated that playing for hometown team PSG was something he “dreamed of.”

In recent years Lille have made huge profits selling their best attacking players abroad, from Eden Hazard to Nicolas Pepe and Victor Osimhen. Canada forward David is likely to be the next to be sold by the northern side, who paid a reported €27 million plus bonuses to Belgian club Gent for his services in 2020.

The 23-year-old has become Lille’s top scorer this century, helping fire them to the title in his first season and netting 26 goals in this campaign.

Fast and strong, the Brooklyn-born star did not enjoy a successful World Cup with Canada but that is unlikely to put off suitors and the Premier League appears his most likely destination.

Lens have been the sensation of the French season, securing second place behind PSG. Their success has been first and foremost collective, but several individuals have stood out. The club will hope to keep most of their squad together for an assault on the Champions League, but the team with the best defensive record in France are likely to receive offers for their standout center-backs.

The 24-year-old Danso is one of them, and the Austrian international — named in the Ligue 1 team of the year — could be keen on a move to England, After all, he was brought up there after moving to Milton Keynes aged six. He spent time in the academies at Reading and MK Dons, and had a loan spell at Southampton in 2019/20.