Erdogan says UEFA ban on Turkiye’s Demiral ‘political’

Erdogan says UEFA ban on Turkiye’s Demiral ‘political’
Demiral was suspended by UEFA for two matches after making a controversial salute associated with Turkish right-wing extremist group Grey Wolves. (AFP)
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Updated 08 July 2024
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Erdogan says UEFA ban on Turkiye’s Demiral ‘political’

Erdogan says UEFA ban on Turkiye’s Demiral ‘political’

ISTANBUL: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said UEFA’s two-game ban on Turkiye defender Merih Demiral for making a ultra-nationalist salute was “political” and overshadowed the championship.

The Turkish leader canceled his visit to Azerbaijan and traveled to Berlin on Saturday to watch the quarter-final at the Olympiastadion in the German capital, which tens of thousands of Turks attended.

The Netherlands came from behind to beat Turkiye 2-1 to reach the Euro 2024 semifinals.

Demiral, who scored twice against Austria, could not play Saturday after UEFA suspended him for two matches after making a controversial salute during celebrations, associated with Turkish right-wing extremist group Grey Wolves.

“To put it bluntly, UEFA’s two-match ban for Merih has cast a serious shadow over the championship,” Erdogan was quoted as telling journalists on a plane from Berlin, the official Anadolu news agency reported.

“This cannot be explained, it is a purely political decision,” he added.

Erdogan however said the decision did not affect the team’s motivation.

“Despite all the negatives... we watched a thrilling game,” Erdogan said.

Turkiye coach Vincenzo Montella said Friday that Demiral’s ban was “unfair.”


Injuries plague South American World Cup qualifying even though Messi is set to return

Injuries plague South American World Cup qualifying even though Messi is set to return
Updated 10 October 2024
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Injuries plague South American World Cup qualifying even though Messi is set to return

Injuries plague South American World Cup qualifying even though Messi is set to return
  • Brazil coach Dorival Junior: We all have this goal to reverse this momentary scenario (of being only in 5th place)
  • Despite Messi’s comeback, World Cup champion Argentina will be shorthanded for the matches against Venezuela and Bolivia

SAO PAULO: Lionel Messi will return from injury for Argentina in the next two rounds of South American World Cup qualifying, but several other top players will have to skip the upcoming matches.

Brazil, currently lagging in fifth place in the 10-team round robin competition with 10 points after eight games, will have to cope with the absence of injured forward Vinicius Junior, in addition to long-term absentee Neymar. Coach Dorival Junior, who is under pressure, said Wednesday that a little-known striker will take the place of the Real Madrid star in his starting lineup at Chile: 23-year-old Igor Jesus, who played most of his career at Al-Ahli in Dubai.

Brazil will also miss several other frequent starters in Santiago and on Tuesday against Peru. Goalkeeper Alisson, defenders Eder Militão, Guilherme Arana and Bremer are also out due to injury.

Junior said in a press conference on Wednesday in Sao Paulo that both Jesus and Abner, a left-back who will start his first match for the national team, are up to the challenge they will face.

“The training sessions showed good things. Everyone is very focused so we can play to matches in a different level from the one of the previous match, especially the first half,” Brazil’s coach said, in a reference to his team’s 1-0 defeat at Paraguay in October. “We all have this goal to reverse this momentary scenario (of being only in 5th place).”

Despite Messi’s comeback, World Cup champion Argentina will be shorthanded for the matches against Venezuela and Bolivia. The most recent problem came in Wednesday’s training, when 19-year-old midfielder Valentín Carboni injured his left knee.

Defender Marcos Acuña and strikers Paulo Dybala, Nico Gonzalez and Alejandro Garnacho had already been ruled out.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is suspended for the two matches due to his poor behavior in the two previous rounds. Argentina lead the standings with 18 points. Top six teams will secure automatic berths at the 2026 World Cup.

Second-placed Colombia, with 16 points, also have their share of injuries ahead of matches at Colombia and at home against Chile. First-choice defender Daniel Muñoz will not play.

The exception will be Uruguay, currently in third position with 15 points. Striker Darwin Nuñez will play after the Court for Arbitration of Sport accepted an appeal after his five-match suspension due to incidents with fans at the Copa America. Uruguay will take on Peru and Ecuador.

Bielsa under fire

Several Uruguay players, past and present, are unhappy with coach Marcelo Bielsa. Striker Luis Suarez said this week that the Argentine mistreated players and staffers at the national team training center, which was later confirmed by captain Federico Valverde and other players.

Suarez, who recently retired from the national team, told journalists that Bielsa “did not even say good morning” to his players. The 37-year-old striker also said the coach is mistreating staffers of Uruguay’s soccer federation and forbid players from greeting fans at the latest edition of the Copa América tournament.

“What Luis said is all true, he never lied, he did not exaggerate at any time, he said things as they are,” Valverde said.

Striker Agustin Canobbio, who will not be in Uruguay’s squad for the next two matches, added to the criticism against Bielsa.

“There was nonstop lack of respect. I am very respectful, but we reached a point in which I exploded,” Canobbio told Uruguayan radio Carve Deportiva. “I said it to his face that he was not being respectful.”

The coach is yet to respond.


Man City sink Barca in Women’s Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal

Man City sink Barca in Women’s Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal
Updated 10 October 2024
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Man City sink Barca in Women’s Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal

Man City sink Barca in Women’s Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal

PARIS: Manchester City made a spectacular return to the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday, defeating holders Barcelona 2-0 in the opening round of group stage matches as Bayern Munich downed Arsenal 5-2.
Both teams hit the woodwork in a lively start to the Group D clash at a sold-out Joie Stadium in Manchester, with City grabbing the lead when defender Naomi Layzell bravely scrambled home.
Vivianne Miedema headed smartly back across goal from a corner and a lunging Layzell reacted quickest to prod the ball past a crowd of Barcelona players.
Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati went close to an equalizer with a deflected effort, but Khadija Shaw grabbed a second for City to condemn Barcelona to a rare defeat.
Shaw beat the offside trap with a perfectly-timed run to latch onto Layzell’s pass and rounded goalkeeper Cata Coll to clinch a memorable win.
“It’s fantastic from Naomi and Bunny (Shaw) finishes it off. It gave the players a real lift and we have to remember who we’re playing against. It’s a step for us,” City manager Gareth Taylor told DAZN.
“I said in my press conference yesterday that I really admire Barcelona and what they’ve done and we try to replicate that.”
City are making their first group stage appearance, having last played in the Champions League proper in 2020-21 when Barcelona knocked them out in the quarter-finals.
The defeat is only Barcelona’s second in 19 games in the group stage since its introduction for the 2021-22 season. It is also the first time they have failed to score a goal.
Pernille Harder scored a second-half hat-trick as Bayern kicked off their Group C campaign with a convincing victory over Arsenal in Germany.
Arsenal led through Mariona Caldentey’s strike in Germany, but Bayern captain Glodis Viggosdottir brought the home side level before Sydney Lohmann put them ahead.
Laia Codina equalized for Arsenal midway through the second half only for Harder to find the net three times in the final 20 minutes to secure an impressive win for German champions Bayern.
“The last few years have been tough with injuries, so now I’m just happy to be back playing in the Champions League. I was happy with the goals and the win,” said Harder, who ended a two-year goal drought in the competition.
Juventus are level with Bayern on three points following a 1-0 win away to Norway’s Valerenga, with Sofia Cantore netting the only goal.
Swedish side Hammarby won their first ever group stage game 2-0 against Austrian champions St. Poelten, who are appearing in the group phase for the third season in a row.
Vilde Hasund’s long-range effort gave Hammarby the lead and Cathinka Tandberg followed up her late winner in qualifying by wrapping up the points with another goal two minutes from time.


Panathinaikos defender Baldock found dead in his Athens home

Panathinaikos defender Baldock found dead in his Athens home
Updated 10 October 2024
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Panathinaikos defender Baldock found dead in his Athens home

Panathinaikos defender Baldock found dead in his Athens home

ATHENS, Greece: Panathinaikos defender George Baldock, a former Greece international who also played for Sheffield United for seven seasons, has been found dead in his Athens home, Greek media reported. He was 31.
State-run ERT television said the body of Baldock was found late Wednesday in his swimming pool in the southern suburb of Glyfada. The cause of death was not immediately clear.
Britain-born Baldock was called up for Greece in 2022 and played 12 matches, the last in March in Greece’s loss on penalties to Georgia in the Euro 2024 playoffs.
He was not in Greece’s squad for Thursday’s UEFA Nations League game against England.
Baldock joined Sheffield United in 2017 and helped the club earn promotion to the Premier League twice, in 2019 and 2023. He joined Panathinaikos in May, on a three-year contract, after Sheffield United was again relegated to England’s second division.
“Sheffield United Football Club is shocked and extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player, George Baldock,” the English club said on social media. “The defender left the club in the summer after seven years at Bramall Lane and was extremely popular with supporters, staff and team-mates who pulled on a red and white shirt alongside him.”


Striker Firas Al-Buraikan resumes training with Saudi national team ahead of World Cup qualifier

Striker Firas Al-Buraikan resumes training with Saudi national team ahead of World Cup qualifier
Updated 09 October 2024
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Striker Firas Al-Buraikan resumes training with Saudi national team ahead of World Cup qualifier

Striker Firas Al-Buraikan resumes training with Saudi national team ahead of World Cup qualifier
  • Green Falcons take on group leaders Japan at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday in the 3rd round of the Asian qualifiers

JEDDAH: Firas Al-Buraikan took part in a training session with the Saudi national football team on Wednesday ahead of their match against Japan in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. The Al-Ahli striker recently recovered from a muscle injury.
Thamer Al-Khaibari also trained after joining the Green Falcons at the training camp, as head coach Roberto Mancini oversaw the final preparations for Thursday’s game at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
The session began with warm-up exercises, followed by passing practice and tactical training, before concluding with half-pitch mini matches followed by stretching.
Saudi Arabia are in second place in Group C of the Asian World Cup qualifiers with 4 points from two games. Japan lead the group with a maximum 6 points, Bahrain are third with 3 points, followed by Indonesia on 2 points, Australia with 1 point, and China who have yet to claim a point. The top two teams from each of the three groups will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the teams who finish third and fourth will advance to the fourth round of qualification.


Tchouaméni’s proud to lead France against Israel in Nations League in Mbappé’s absence

Tchouaméni’s proud to lead France against Israel in Nations League in Mbappé’s absence
Updated 09 October 2024
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Tchouaméni’s proud to lead France against Israel in Nations League in Mbappé’s absence

Tchouaméni’s proud to lead France against Israel in Nations League in Mbappé’s absence
  • The 24-year-old Tchouaméni wants to be a leader “who brings people together” but is not interested in turning the captaincy into a popularity contest
  • “Obviously within teams there are some people you get on better with others, the important thing is to respect each other,” he said

BUDAPEST: Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni said he will captain France “with a lot of pride” in their Nations League game against Israel in the absence of Kylian Mbappé.
The 24-year-old Tchouaméni wants to be a leader “who brings people together” but is not interested in turning the captaincy into a popularity contest.
“To be approved by everyone. What does that mean? Obviously within teams there are some people you get on better with others, the important thing is to respect each other,” he said at a pre-match news conference in Budapest. “Some people are liked by everyone in a dressing room, some are less popular. It’s the same as in any business.”
Tchouaméni has made 36 appearances for France and brings his experience to a team lacking their biggest star.
“I chose him because I think he has the profile to handle this responsibility,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “Even though he’s still young, he took part in the last World Cup and the last European Championship.”
Mbappé, France’s usual captain, is nursing a minor thigh injury in Madrid.
“I spoke with Kylian last night, but we didn’t really talk much about the captaincy,” Tchouaméni said. “We spoke more about other things.”
Mbappé’s absence from the France team raised questions since he still played for Madrid last weekend. Deschamps accepted the situation given that the club is Mbappé’s employer.
“Clubs have always had this power,” Deschamps said, adding that clubs in general are becoming more “attentive,” given the volume of games that their players must play.
“I don’t want to put players in conflict with their clubs,” Deschamps added.
When asked, Tchouaméni assured that Madrid did not ask him to pull out of playing for France.
“That’s not the case,” he said. “People can interpret things how they like, but all I can say is that there is not a form of pressure from within the club.”
France are also without vice-captain Antoine Griezmann, who surprisingly announced the end of his international career last month after scoring 44 goals in 137 matches.
Griezmann and Mbappé helped lead France to the 2018 World Cup title and were coach Deschamps’ most influential players in recent years, along with midfielder Paul Pogba, central defender Raphaël Varane and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Varane, Lloris and Olivier Giroud — France’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals — have all retired from the national team. Tchouaméni compared it to a generation ending but said the time was ripe for “a new generation to emerge.”
Italy have a three-point lead over France and Belgium in their Nations League group after two rounds. France play Israel on Thursday and travel to Belgium four days later.
A young Deschamps played in midfield when France lost a World Cup qualifier 3-2 at home to Israel in 1993 and subsequently failed to qualify for the World Cup.
A reporter asked Deschamps what he remembered about the match, which he also reminded Deschamps was Israel’s finest moment in soccer.
“Thank you,” Deschamps responded dryly, before adding that “it was far from the happiest” moment in his career as he watched the 1994 World Cup from his living room.