UEFA fines Roma $2.2m and warns Basaksehir of European ban in latest club finance rulings

UEFA fines Roma $2.2m and warns Basaksehir of European ban in latest club finance rulings
UEFA fined Roma 2 million euros ($2.22 million) and threatened Istanbul Basaksehir with a one-year ban from European competitions in the latest rulings by club finance investigators on Friday. (X/@UEFA)
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Updated 06 September 2024
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UEFA fines Roma $2.2m and warns Basaksehir of European ban in latest club finance rulings

UEFA fines Roma $2.2m and warns Basaksehir of European ban in latest club finance rulings
  • Basaksehir also were fined $111,000
  • Fines of $66,500 for Aston Villa and $22,100 for Marseille were imposed for late delivery of accounts for the monitoring system once known as “Financial Fair Play”

GENEVA: UEFA fined Roma 2 million euros ($2.22 million) and threatened Istanbul Basaksehir with a one-year ban from European competitions in the latest rulings by club finance investigators on Friday.
Basaksehir also were fined 100,000 euros ($111,000).
Fines of 60,000 euros ($66,500) for Aston Villa and 20,000 euros ($22,100) for Marseille were imposed for late delivery of accounts for the monitoring system once known as “Financial Fair Play.”
Villa will play in the Champions League this season, likely earning at least 40 million euros ($44 million) in UEFA prize money. Marseille, which were fined by UEFA in 2022, did not qualify for any UEFA competition after reaching the Europa League semifinals last season.
FFP was approved by UEFA in 2009 to promote financial stability in top-level European soccer by evaluating revenue and spending by clubs which qualify for its competitions. It was amended two years ago and rebranded as “Financial Sustainability.”
Critics of the system have said it tries to limit investment by wealthy owners of emerging teams trying to challenge the established elite, and also has not been a deterrent to state-backed clubs Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
UEFA required clubs last season to spend no more than 90 percent of revenue on wages and transfer fees. The so-called “squad cost rule” is being phased in over three seasons toward a 70 percent limit.
“All clubs reported a squad cost ratio within the 90 percent limit applicable for the 2023-24 season,” UEFA said.
PSG, Inter Milan and AC Milan were among clubs fined in previous years which met financial targets last season, UEFA said.
Roma “slightly exceeded the intermediate target” and were fined, UEFA said. Roma will play in the Europa League this season which can pay clubs tens of millions of euros in UEFA prize money.
UEFA’s club finance monitoring panel judged Basaksehir “slightly breached the final target foreseen” last season.
The Turkish club will be barred from the next UEFA competition they qualify for in the next three seasons unless they comply with fresh financial targets. Basaksehir also can register just 23 senior players instead of 25 in the third-tier Conference League this season.


Bangladesh fires cricket coach for allegedly assaulting a player at World Cup

Bangladesh fires cricket coach for allegedly assaulting a player at World Cup
Updated 10 sec ago
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Bangladesh fires cricket coach for allegedly assaulting a player at World Cup

Bangladesh fires cricket coach for allegedly assaulting a player at World Cup
  • The board has served notice to the Sri Lankan and suspended him for 48 hours after which his contract will be terminated
  • Hathurusinghe, who has made no public comment, will be replaced by former West Indies cricketer Phil Simmons as head coach

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board fired national team coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting one of his players during last year’s 50-over World Cup in India.
“Hathurusinghe has two counts of misconduct,” BCB president Faruque Ahmed said Tuesday. “First is about an assault on a player. Secondly, he took too many leaves, more than what was in his contract.”
Ahmed said the board served notice to the Sri Lankan and suspended him for 48 hours after which his contract will be terminated.
“His suspension is for a 48-hour notice period, which we are not bound to give him, but we did it out of courtesy as he is an international figure,” Ahmed said. “We have suspended him, and with immediate effect afterwards he will be terminated.”
Former West Indies cricketer Phil Simmons, who has led Zimbabwe, Ireland, West Indies and Afghanistan as head coach in the past, will replace Hathurusinghe until the Champions Trophy in February next year.
The board did not give details of the alleged assault with some media reports saying Hathurusinghe had hit the player in question.
“The victim is not very comfortable about it, I will not mention his name,” Ahmed said. “This incident shouldn’t have happened.”
Ahmed also said Hathurusinghe’s absences exceeded three months, which “is also large part of his misconduct.”
“He informed us in a scattered way, in one or two emails, that he has to go home,” Ahmed said. “It can’t be for more than three months … so there was a serious breach in that regard.”
Hathurusinghe was appointed Bangladesh coach last year. Bangladesh recorded its most significant away win in test history when it routed Pakistan 2-0 in the two-match series. But soon after Bangladesh crashed to a 2-0 test series defeat in India and also lost the T20 series 3-0 last month.
Hathurusinghe has made no public comment.


Kylian Mbappe’s representatives say reports footballer faces rape probe are ‘false’ and a ‘slanderous rumor’

Kylian Mbappe’s representatives say reports footballer faces rape probe are ‘false’ and a ‘slanderous rumor’
Updated 2 min 54 sec ago
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Kylian Mbappe’s representatives say reports footballer faces rape probe are ‘false’ and a ‘slanderous rumor’

Kylian Mbappe’s representatives say reports footballer faces rape probe are ‘false’ and a ‘slanderous rumor’
  • Swedish public broadcaster SVT and dailies Expressen and Aftonbladet, citing unnamed sources, reported that Mbappe, 25, was a suspect in the case
  • Mbappe’s representatives at PR firm Patricia Goldman said: “These accusations are totally false and irresponsible, and their propagation is unacceptable”

STOCKHOLM/PARIS: Allegations of rape against French footballer Kylian Mbappe are “totally false” and “a slanderous rumor,” his representatives said on Tuesday, following media reports that he was the subject of an investigation over an incident in a Stockholm hotel on Oct. 10.
Swedish prosecutors confirmed in a statement in response to the media coverage that a probe into an alleged rape at a hotel in central Stockholm had been opened, but did not identify a suspect.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT and dailies Expressen and Aftonbladet, citing unnamed sources, reported that Mbappe, 25, was a suspect in the case.
“A new slanderous rumor is starting to ignite the web,” a statement sent to Reuters by Mbappe’s representatives at PR firm Patricia Goldman said. “These accusations are totally false and irresponsible, and their propagation is unacceptable.
“Kylian Mbappe will under no circumstances tolerate his integrity, reputation and honor being sullied by unfounded insinuations.”
Mbappe posted a link to a French media story on the matter on X and wrote: “Fake News!!!!“
The France national team captain and Real Madrid forward had been on a private trip to the Nordic country’s capital last week with a group of friends, Swedish media reported.
Mbappe and his friends left Sweden on Friday Oct. 11. A report of the allegations against Mbappe was made to police by an unidentified victim the following day, Expressen and daily Aftonbladet reported.
“In response to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police,” the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement on Tuesday.
Reuters could not independently confirm the identity of the alleged victim or the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault.
Senior Prosecutor Marina Chirakova declined to comment further when reached by Reuters.
SVT and tabloid Expressen, citing unnamed sources, reported that the level of suspicion directed at Mbappe by investigators was “reasonable” — the lower of the two levels in the Swedish legal system. The higher level, “probable suspicion,” is usually required to have a suspect remanded in custody.
Mbappe trained with his Real Madrid teammates on Tuesday. The club did not immediately respond when asked if they were aware of the investigation and whether it had been contacted by the Swedish authorities.


France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say

France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say
Updated 15 October 2024
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France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say

France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say
  • The match at the Stade de France on Nov. 14 will be played “under the usual conditions for a Nations League match and will of course be open to the public”
  • Italy beat Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday

PARIS: Israel’s Nations League soccer match against host France next month will take place in “usual conditions,” French authorities said Tuesday, a day after Italy hosted Israel in the same competition without incident despite security concerns.
Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police prefect, said in a statement that the match at the Stade de France on Nov. 14 will be played “under the usual conditions for a Nations League match and will of course be open to the public.”
Italy beat Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday, with the game being played against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war in Gaza.
It was the first match Israel have played outside neutral Hungary this year. After the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7 last year, the national soccer team played in Kosovo and Andorra last November.
All Israel matches since then have been in Hungary, including last month’s game against Belgium in the Nations League after the Belgian Football Association refused to host the game for security reasons.


Tuchel ‘in talks with FA’ over England manager’s job

Tuchel ‘in talks with FA’ over England manager’s job
Updated 15 October 2024
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Tuchel ‘in talks with FA’ over England manager’s job

Tuchel ‘in talks with FA’ over England manager’s job
  • It follows reports that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has been asked about his interest in the role
  • Tuchel, 51, led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 but was sacked the following year

LONDON: Thomas Tuchel is in talks with the Football Association about becoming England’s next manager, according to reports on Tuesday.
It follows reports that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has been asked about his interest in the role.
Tuchel, 51, led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 but was sacked the following year.
He has been among the bookmakers’ favorites for the England job since Gareth Southgate stood down after England lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
Sky Sports said the German, who left Bayern Munich at the end of last season, was in “pole position” to become Southgate’s long-term replacement.
The Football Association declined to comment on the reports.
Lee Carsley was appointed as Southgate’s successor on a temporary basis in August, initially for the Nations League campaign over three international windows.
However, the 50-year-old, who stepped up from his role as under-21s manager, has since given mixed messages about whether he wants the job on a permanent basis.
Carsley, who has overseen three wins and a defeat, believes the job should go to the best candidate, regardless of nationality.
England have twice before been managed by foreign coaches, with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello taking charge.
Carsley’s own chances of landing the job full time were severely dented by a 2-1 defeat at home to Greece last week after he named an experimental line-up.
“We’ve seen in the past that we’ve had different nationalities coach the team. The best candidate should get the job,” said the interim boss.
“I think we’d be putting ourselves in a corner if we didn’t, and we didn’t open our minds a bit.”


Crown Jewel and WWE Raw tickets on sale

Crown Jewel and WWE Raw tickets on sale
Updated 15 October 2024
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Crown Jewel and WWE Raw tickets on sale

Crown Jewel and WWE Raw tickets on sale
  • Crown Jewel takes place at Mohammed Abdo arena in Riyadh on Saturday, Nov. 2
  • WWE Raw to debut in Saudia Arabia for the first time on Sunday, Nov. 3

RIYADH: The General Entertainment Authority announced on Tuesday the release of tickets for Crown Jewel and WWE Raw to be held at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

History will be made at Crown Jewel as this year’s event starts an annual match pitting the WWE Champion against the World Champion for both the men and the women to determine the first-ever Crown Jewel Champion, a title made up of 50 carats of diamonds that will signify the best of the best.

Aiming to become Crown Jewel Champion on Saturday, Nov. 2 will be WWE Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, plus WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax and Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan.

Fans will see their favorite WWE Superstars in action across the weekend, including Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, “Main Event” Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre, The New Day and many more.

The arrival of WWE Raw marks the first time that the show will be held Saudi Arabia. Taking place at the Mohammed Abdo Arena the night after Crown Jewel on Sunday, Nov. 3, the episode will broadcast internationally on Monday, Nov. 4.

Tickets for Crown Jewel and WWE Raw in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, can be purchased at https://webook.com.