Sports
UEFA: We’ll ban players in Super League from World Cup, others
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says all players that play in the Super League will be banned from the World Cup, European competitions and other global football events.
The threat followed the decision by 12 top European football clubs to found a Super League, which was announced in a joint statement late on Sunday.
The founding clubs of the mid-week league were listed as English Premier League clubs Manchester United and Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea. The others are Italy’s Juventus and Milan clubs AC and Inter, and the Spanish trio of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
“It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable,” the 12 clubs said in the statement.
Reported to be financially very lucrative, the project does not have the support of football’s governing bodies.
UEFA and football leagues and federations from England, Italy and Spain described it as “a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.”
Fifteen of the 20 participating clubs are to be permanent members, and the remaining five will “qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season,” the statement said the 12 clubs involved in the Super League had “spat in the face of football.
“The players that play in the Super League will be banned from playing in the World Cup and Euros.”
He also said, “We will take all the sanctions that we can. I cannot stress more strongly how everyone is united against this disgraceful, self-serving proposals, fuelled by greed above all else.
“We urge everyone to stand tall with us as we do everything in our power to ensure this never ends up in fruition.”
According to the New York Times the new league would “generate hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue for the participating teams.”
The club’s are already the richest clubs in the sport.
It was however reported that 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League winners Bayern Munich and finalists Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) were not among the clubs that had signed up or expressed interest.
In a statement UEFA and football leagues and federations from England, Italy and Spain said, “As previously announced by FIFA and the six federations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level.
“Their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.
“We thank those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up to this.”
Before the announcement the Premier League in England said it “condemns any proposal that attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit. These are at the heart of the domestic and European football pyramid.”
German Football League chief Christian Seifert spoke of his body’s opposition, saying, “We reject any kind of European Super League concept” which would “irreparably damage the national leagues as the basis of European professional football.”
The latest development comes on the eve of a UEFA executive committee meeting.
The meeting, apart from finalising the host cities for the summer’s Euro tournament, is also to approve a Champions League reform from 2024 onwards.
The powerful European Club Association (ECA) and UEFA’s club competitions committee were reportedly in agreement Friday about the reform.
Under this, the elite event is to be increased from 32 to 36 teams and each team plays 10 instead of six group games in what is known as “the Swiss model.”
Two of the additional four clubs are to controversially come via historic results not through qualification via domestic action.
The large number of additional matches is a threat to domestic competitions.
Fan groups have also voiced their dissent, with an even bigger outcry expected if a Super League becomes reality.
The reports said that European officials were discussing counter measures which could include banning Super League clubs from next season’s Champions League.
Sports
Real Madrid demand referee change, could boycott Copa Del Rey final
Real Madrid demand referee change, could boycott Copa Del Rey final
Real Madrid refused to partake in planned Copa del Rey final related activities on Friday because they were angry at complaints made by the match officials earlier in the day, the club told media in Seville.
The referee for Saturday’s match against rivals Barcelona, Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, welled up when speaking about pressure officials have faced from Real Madrid TV this season.
Spanish champions Real Madrid boycotted the press conference, the open training in front of media, the traditional presidents’ dinner and a pre-match photo-call.
“Real Madrid told the RFEF they will not take part in the press conference or the official training session looking forward to the (final),” said the Spanish football federation.
This week the club’s television channel launched a new video attacking the referee for the final, something they have done to various officials this season.
Los Blancos also published an open letter in February claiming Spanish refereeing was “rigged” and “completely discredited”.
Real Madrid have form when it comes to boycotts: in October they stayed away from the Ballon d’Or ceremony because their winger Vinicius Junior was not named the best player in the world.
“Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected,” the club said at the time.
De Burgos Bengoetxea had spoken about the effect criticism from Real Madrid’s television channel was having on his family life.
“When a child of yours goes to school and there are kids telling him that his father is a ‘thief’ and comes home crying, it’s totally messed up,” De Burgos Bengoetxea told a news conference.
“What I do is try to educate my son, to say that his father is honest, above all honest, who can make mistakes, like any sportsperson,” he continued, becoming emotional.
Real Madrid demand referee change, could boycott Copa Del Rey final
Sports
Pep Guardiola, wife to ‘give marriage a second chance’ after Barcelona reconciliation meeting
Pep Guardiola, wife to ‘give marriage a second chance’ after Barcelona reconciliation meeting
Pep Guardiola and his wife Cristina Serra are reportedly trying to reconcile their marriage, after the Man City boss spent three days with her in Barcelona over Easter.
Guardiola and Serra, a fashion entrepreneur, met back in 1994 and married in 2014.
News of their shock split became public in January, with reports the following month that the couple had begun divorce proceedings.
According to Catalan newspaper El Nacional, Guardiola and Serra are reportedly prepared to ‘give each other another chance’ and state that ‘all is not lost in their marriage.’
The report claims the Man City boss had returned to Barcelona over Easter and stayed in the family’s mansion in the city.
Previous reports have claimed Guardiola’s unexpected decision last November to renew his contract with the Premier League club for another two years had been a key factor in the split.
Pep Guardiola reportedly made a commitment to Cristina Serra in a bid to save their marriage
Guardiola’s decision to sign an two-year deal at Man City reportedly contributed to the split
Guardiola reportedly spent three days in Barcelona over Easter in a bid to reconcile with Serra
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Serra returned to Barcelona with their youngest child in 2019 to focus on her business interests and was reportedly to have decided to split with Guardiola after learning of his decision to stay in the UK until 2027.
The latest report claims Guardiola has pledge to visit Barcelona once a week, then leave again due to his role as Man City head coach.
Maria Lapiedra, who is married to Barcelona based journalist Gustavo Gonzalez, told the outlet that Guardiola had made the commitment to prevent the couple going weeks without seeing each other.
The report also claims both Guardiola and Serra continue to wear their wedding rings, an apparent display that the couple of 30 years are seeking to reconcile.
Guardiola and Serra married in an intimate ceremony on the outskirts of Barcelona in 2014 but decided to part ways in December.
The couple, who met in 1994, had been living apart for more than five years after Serra moved back to Barcelona with one of their three daughters, Valentina, 17, while Guardiola remained in Manchester.
They have two other children together: Maria, 24 and Marius, 22.
Guardiola and Serra had remained a couple despite not living in the same city and have regularly been pictured together in the years since.
Serra, who had been with Guardiola for 30 years, had been living away from her husband
Guardiola reportedly made the commitment to fly back to Barcelona once a week to see Serra
Spanish outlet Sport reported earlier this year that the decision to end their marriage was made in December, with only members of their inner circle aware of the split. Their trusted friends and family have also been told not to disclose any further information, according to the publication.
Serra decided to leave Manchester in 2019 to help oversee the fashion company owned by her family, Serra Claret, which stocks several brands the City manager is often seen wearing.
Guardiola and Serra met while the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was modelling for designer Antonio Miro in the shop in the Spanish city.
They began a long-distance relationship when Guardiola was a footballer, before they bought a home together in Barcelona. The couple later moved to Germany when Guardiola was manager of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Pep Guardiola, wife to ‘give marriage a second chance’ after Barcelona reconciliation meeting
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Sports
Flying Eagles beat Egypt 2-1 in U-20 AFCON warm-up
Flying Eagles beat Egypt 2-1 in U-20 AFCON warm-up
Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, defeated their Egyptian counterparts 2-1 in a friendly match on Tuesday in Cairo, ahead of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tournament will take place in Egypt from April 27 to May 18.
Kparobo Arierhi gave Nigeria the lead in the 10th minute after receiving a fine pass from Bidemi Amole and coolly slotting it home.
Egypt equalised in the 65th minute through Ahmed Kaabaka, but Nigeria regained the lead in the 83rd minute when Precious Benjamin scored from the penalty spot.
The penalty came after Divine Oliseh was fouled in the box.
The win is a big boost for Nigeria, who arrived in Egypt on Sunday for the 17th U-20 AFCON.
Nigeria, the seven-time champions, is in Group B and will play its first match against Tunisia on Thursday. It will also face Morocco and Kenya in the group stage.
NAN reports that the top four teams from the tournament will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile slated for Sept. 27 to October 19. (NAN)
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