Sports

Three Valencia fans jailed for racist attack on Real Madrid’s Vinicius

Published

3 weeks ago

June 11, 2024

Three Valencia fans jailed for racist attack on Real Madrid’s Vinicius

Three Valencia fans have been handed eight-month jail terms for racist abuse towards Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, in what Spain’s La Liga said was the first such conviction in Spain.

The defendants, who were not identified, were convicted of an offence against moral integrity with the aggravating factor of racially motivated discrimination, Valencia court said.

They were also slapped with a two-year match ban. With no previous criminal record, none will serve jail time as judges habitually suspend prison sentences of less than two years for first-time offenders.

La Liga hailed the ruling as “the first sentence handed down for racist insults in a Spanish football stadium”.

“This sentence is very good news for the fight against racism in Spain,” said La Liga president Javier Tebas.

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“It sends a clear message to anyone who goes to a football stadium to hurl insults that La Liga will find and prosecute them and that they will face criminal consequences.”

The incident took place on May 21, 2023, when Real Madrid played away to Valencia at the Mestalla stadium during a match that saw home fans hurling abuse and chanting monkey noises at the Brazilian forward.

The play was halted as Vinicius stood in front of fans and pointed at those responsible, prompting stadium officials to demand an end to racist insults before the match could resume.

All three “shouted and chanted at the player with… evident contempt for the colour of his skin… making racist gestures of contempt and causing him to feel frustration, shame and humiliation”, court documents showed.

It said they were “simulating the gestures made by primates and repeatedly making… the sound made by monkeys” in front of a full stadium and a “massive” TV, radio, and media audience.

In a statement, Real Madrid said the trio had admitted their wrongdoing and sent a letter apologising to Vinicius, the club and to everyone else “who felt belittled or offended by their behaviour”, urging fans to avoid all expressions of “racism and intolerance”.

Three Valencia fans jailed for racist attack on Real Madrid’s Vinicius

Sports

Saudi club Al-Ittihad woo Ademola Lookman with €11m salary

Published

9 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Trends Admin

Ademola Lookman

Saudi club Al-Ittihad woo Ademola Lookman with €11m salary

Saudi club Al-Ittihad has made a generous offer to Atalanta for forward Ademola Lookman, proposing an annual salary of nearly €11 million, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

According to transfer expert, Rudy Galetti, the Saudi club have also offered Atalanta €30m for the transfer, with negotiations between the clubs ongoing.

Lookman recently won his team’s first European trophy in the UEFA Europa League final, scoring three goals against previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen and becoming the match’s hero.

Despite his success, the forward is not in a rush to leave La Dea or European football just yet, but Al-Ittihad is attempting to lure him with substantial financial incentives.

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Lookman has been playing for Atalanta since the summer of 2022, joining from Leipzig for €9.35m. Last season, he scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists in 45 matches for the Italian club.

The 26-year-old’s performances have attracted interest from several top clubs across Europe. Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Serie A side Juventus are reportedly keen on acquiring Lookman, alongside several top Premier League clubs.

Since making the switch from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig to the Italians, Lookman has scored 32 times in 78 matches across all competitions for La Dea. His current contract with Atalanta expires in 2026, and while he is content at the club, he is keeping his options open ahead of the pre-season.

Saudi club Al-Ittihad woo Ademola Lookman with €11m salary

Sports

Man United keen on getting Osimhen, offer Hojlund plus cash

Published

9 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Trends Admin

Victor Osimhen

Man United keen on getting Osimhen, offer Hojlund plus cash

Manchester United are keen on signing Victor Osimhen with the Red Devils reportedly plotting a player plus cash deal to sign the 25-year-old Napoli striker.

The Nigerian has been linked with clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG but a report from CalcioNapoli24 states that United are very much in the race as well.

According to the report, the Red Devils have offered cash plus striker Rasmus Hojlund in a deal for the Napoli man, and it will be interesting to see if the Italian giants are willing to accept such an offer.

Hojlund joined United last season and was quite impressive in his debut campaign in England. It would be quite surprising if they decided to sanction his departure. The Denmark international is a prodigious talent with a bright future, and he could develop into a key player for the club.

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Napoli are prepared to cash in on Osimhen this summer despite being their leading top scorer for the past two seasons, including the Scudetto-winning 2022/23 campaign.

Having proven himself in Italian football, he could look to test himself at another league with the Premier League touted as his next destination.

After signing a contract extension with Napoli, the Nigerian’s release clause was pegged between €120m and €130m but that amount has been a problem for suitors, forcing the club to reduce Osimhen’s asking price to €100m

Napoli have been anticipating offers from the likes of Chelsea, United and PSG, but according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, no official approach has been made.

The club also refused an offer of more than €200m for Osimhen from a team in Saudi Arabia last summer.

Osimhen was signed from Lille in 2020 for a fee of around €75m and the Nigeria international has gone on to establish himself as one of the most exciting strikers in world football.

Man United keen on getting Osimhen, offer Hojlund plus cash

Sports

Joshua moves out of mom’s £175k house ahead Dubois fight

Published

9 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Trends Admin

Former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua

Joshua moves out of mom’s £175k house ahead Dubois fight

Former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua recently moved out of his mother’s north London flat into a new mansion.

The 2012 Olympic champion with nearly £100 million in the bank, revealed that he recently moved out and praised his mother, Yeta, adding that he stayed in his mother’s flat to ensure her well-being.

“I didn’t want to leave my mom alone,” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.

“I wanted to make sure that her foundations were strong—the nest was strong—so that when I leave, mom’s good. For me, that’s freedom. Knowing no matter where I am in the world, mom’s happy and taken care of.”

The British-Nigerian fighter will face fellow Brit Daniel Dubois on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London for the IBF belt. This bout was arranged following the confirmation by current titleholder Oleksandr Usyk that he would vacate the world title.

Usyk became the first heavyweight to hold the IBF, WBO, WBA, and WBC belts when he defeated Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia last month. However, he was set to be stripped of the IBF title, with the body stipulating he must face its mandatory challenger, Dubois, to retain it.

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Dubois, who beat Filip Hrgovic to become interim IBF champion earlier in June, said he is determined to dethrone the two-time world champion, Joshua. “That’s just what I’m aiming for—to be the best,” Dubois said.