Football News: Review Of The Day 6th October 2018

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Review of the Day

England U-21s Call Up Foden

Manchester City's highly rated midfielder Phil Foden has ben called up for the first time by England's U21s. Reiss Nelson, the Arsenal flyer currently on loan with Hoffenheim, and Leicester City's Harvey Barnes, also on loan though with West Bromwich Albion, have also been given their first U21s call up. The trio were called up to replace Leicester's James Maddison and Chelsea's Mason Mount (another on loan, this time with Derby County), who were called up to the full side and Leicester's Demarai Gray, who is out with an ankle injury.
England U-21 Squad: Gunn (Southampton), Henderson (Sheffield United, on loan from Manchester United), Woodman (Newcastle), Chilwell (Leicester), Clarke-Salter (Vitesse Arnhem, on loan from Chelsea), Fry (Middlesbrough), Kenny (Everton), Konsa (Brentford), Tomori (Derby, on loan from Chelsea), Walker-Peters (Tottenham), Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace), Barnes (West Brom, on loan from Leicester), Cook (Bournemouth), Davies (Everton), Dowell (Everton), Onomah (Sheffield Wednesday, on loan from Tottenham), Abraham (Aston Villa, on loan from Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Foden (Manchester City), Lookman (Everton), Nelson (Hoffenheim, on loan from Arsenal), Sessegnon (Fulham), Solanke (Liverpool)

Brighton Pair Sign New Deals

Brighton & Hove Albion centre backs Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy have both signed new contracts ahead of last night's 1-0 win over West Ham United. The pair have both agreed new 5 year contracts, taking them through to 2023. Dunk came through the ranks at the club while Duffy was a club record signing when he arrived from Blackburn Rovers in 2016. Manager Chris Hughton said: "I am delighted for both Lewis and Shane. They have been terrific players for the club; helping us win promotion and establish ourselves in the Premier League last season. They have formed a very good central defensive partnership, and have played a really important role in what we've achieved. Both are vital members of the squad, and it's very pleasing that they've committed their long-term futures to the club." I am personally not convinced it is such good news, as they are very much a weak link in the team, too slow to push out, Duffy in particular is poor on the ball but believes he is Beckenbauer, and neither are as dominant in the air as they should be, which shows in the club's poor defensive record against set pieces and the lack of goals either adds despite a number of set pieces to attack.

Yorke Applies For Villa Job Again

Former Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke has applied for the role of manager at his old club. The 46 year old has often criticised the lack of black bosses in football and hinted at the colour of his skin being the reason he struggles to get an interview, rather than the fact he was known for having a problem lifestyle, an inability to get on with team-mates as a player and that he actually has no experience in the role, unless you count being an assistant with his native Trinidad and Tobago. His refusal to step outside of the big jobs and take on a smaller job for less money is stopping him gaining experience and proving those fears to be unfounded. Unless he is willing to do that, does he really even deserve a shot at a big job?

Sierra Leone Suspended

Sierra Leone has been suspended from international football by FIFA due to governmental interference in the running of the country's football association. The interference being 2 SLFA officials being suspended by the nation's anti-corruption commission.

Benitez Fined For Ref Comments

Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has been fined £60,000 by the FA for saying he had "confidence" in Andre Marriner ahead of their match with Crystal Palace, following Wilfred Zaha's whines that his diving is not getting him the free kicks he should have. Zaha had said he does not get protection from referees and that he would need to get his leg broken before an opponent was sent off for a foul on him. I wonder how the moany get would have coped in the past when it took a broken leg to get a foul, let alone a card! Benitez responded to Zaha's comments by saying, "I am surprised because normally the FA deal with these comments. I have a lot of confidence with Andre Marriner. He has a lot of experience, even if his record with our players is not that great in terms of red cards. He is an experienced referee. Zaha is a good player, no doubt about that, but I think the FA have to deal with his comments. I think Andre Marriner will not have this in the back of his head. The way that he [Zaha] plays, normally, he will receive more tackles than other players because he likes to run at players. It won't make any difference for our players." Which was enough for Benitez to fall afoul of the regulation which stops managers talking about specific referees prior to a game.

Shares In Juve Crash Following Ronaldo Allegations

Juventus have seen $100m wiped off their stock market valuation following the two rape allegations made against record signing Cristiano Ronaldo. The plunge followed Juventus' attempts to defend Ronaldo, which were seen as crass and disrespectful and sending out the wrong message, regardless of whether or not Ronaldo is innocent. Juve had tweeted: "Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus. The events allegedly dating back to almost 10 years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion." No mention of innocent until proven guilty, or anything of that kind, what they said was akin to saying 'we really do not care so long as he plays well'. Really not a good message to send out and you have to wonder who at the club thought that was the right thing to say. One of Ronaldo's chief sponsors, EA Sports, have also shown little thought with their reaction, which was to remove a number of images of Ronaldo from the home page of their website, in what feels like a reaction pre-judging the player.

Balotelli Dropped

Nice's head coach Patrick Vieira has dropped Mario Balotelli from the squad despite claiming that "I have no doubts about his desire". Balotelli returned to training noticeably out of shape following a transfer window where he was looking for a move away with Marseille involved in lengthy, and failed, negotiations to buy the Italian international. Vieira said: "I'm expecting a lot from him, just like Dante and Christophe [Jallet]. Mario is working well, he had a very good session this morning. I have no doubts about his desire. He has the means to get back to his level, but it won't happen overnight. I'll give him time, he knows himself very well and he's well aware of his performances. Why was he benched against Paris Saint-Germain? I don't have to explain my choices."

Ndombele Gets France Call-Up

Fresh from starring in Lyon's victory over Manchester City in the Champions League, midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has been called up by France for the first time. The 21 year old has been joined in the squad by Crystal Palace centre back Mamadhou Sakho, who has been recalled after over 2 years in the international wilderness. Everton pair Kurt Zouma (on loan from Chelsea) and Lucas Digne have also been recalled.
France Squad:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain)
Defenders: Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace), Kurt Zouma (Everton), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Lucas Digne (Everton)
Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Steven N'Zonzi (Roma), Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille)

PSG Denounce Their Fans

Following UEFA hitting Paris Saint-Germain with crowd disturbance charges, the club have hit out at their 'ultra' supporters for their actions. A club statement read: "Paris Saint-Germain condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable incidents that took place on the sidelines of the Champions League match played on Wednesday against Red Star Belgrade. The club also deplores and condemns the damage observed and the use of pyrotechnic devices at the end of the game. The club intends to exclude without delay the troublemakers identified and reaffirms its determination to act in close coordination with police prefecture, as well as all public authorities. Paris Saint-Germain reiterates its desire to fight against all risky behaviour, in accordance with its security policy in force for several years. Paris Saint-Germain deplores the non-respect by some individuals linking the club to Collectif Ultras Paris, and in particular the intangible principles of non-violence that have conditioned the return of the ultras to the Parc des Princes since October 2016. The club will take all the necessary action in liaison with the public authorities and UEFA."

Super Mario Also Left Out By Italy

Mario Balotelli has been left out of the Italy squad for the first time under Roberto Mancini, but PSG midfielder Marco Verratti has been given a recall.
Italy squad:
Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Mattia Perin (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Danilo D'Ambrosio (Inter Milan), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea/ENG), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Alessio Romagnoli (AC Milan);
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Cagliari), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Giacomo Bonaventura (AC Milan), Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan), Jorginho (Chelsea/ENG), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain/FRA);
Forwards: Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Gianluca Caprari (Sampdoria), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Patrick Cutrone (AC Milan), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC/CAN), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Simone Zaza (Torino).

PVA Gets Dutch Call

Netherlands have included a few new faces for their games against rivals Germany and Belgium this month. PSV Eindhoven trio Steven Bergwijn, Denzel Dumfries and Pablo Rosario along with Club Brugge's Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld, who came through the youth system with PSV, have all received their first call ups. Crystal Palace wing back Patrick van Aanholt has also kept his place and will be looking to add to his 8 caps so far.
Holland squad:
Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Barcelona), Jeroen Zoet (PSV), Marco Bizot (AZ)
Defenders: Hans Hateboer (Atalanta), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax), Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan), Daley Blind (Ajax), Nathan Aké (Bournemouth), Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace), Denzel Dumfries (PSV)
Midfielders: Pablo Rosario (PSV), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Tonny Vilhena (Feyenoord), Kevin Strootman (Marseille), Frenkie de Jong (Ajax), Davy Pröpper (Brighton), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Ajax)
Attackers: Quincy Promes (Sevilla), Luuk de Jong (PSV), Memphis Depay (Lyon), Ryan Babel (Besiktas), Steven Bergwijn (PSV), Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld (Brugges)

Algeria Pair Get Recall

Algeria have recalled Hoffenheim forward Ishak Belfodil and Napoli's Adam Ounas for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Algeria squad:
Goalkeepers: Rais M'Bolhi (Al-Ettifaq, Saudi Arabia), Moustapha Zeghba (Entente Setif), Azzedine Doukha (Al-Raed FC, Saudi Arabia)
Defenders: Aissa Mandi (Real Betis, Spain), Ramy Bensebaini (Rennes, France), Rafik Halliche (Moreirense, Portugal), Mehdi Tahart (RC Lens, France), Djamel Benlamri (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Youcef Attal (Nice, France), Mohamed Fares (SPAL, Italy)
Midfielders: Nabil Bentaleb (Schalke 04, Germany), Saphir Taider (Montreal Impact, MLS), Adam Ouanas (Napoli, Itlay), Adlene Guedioura (Nottingham Forest, England), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray. Turkey), Rachid Ghezzal (Leicester City, England), Ryad Mahrez (Manchester City, England)
Forwards: Ismail Bennacer (Empoli, Italy), Yacine Brahimi (Porto, Portugal), Yassine Benzia (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Ishak Belfodil (Hoffenheim, Germany), Islam Slimani (Fenerbahe, Turkey), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al-Sadd, Qatar)

Sane Holds On To Germany Place

Manchester City winger Leroy Sane has kept his place in the Germany squad for the next set of fixtures despite international team-mate Toni Kroos saying he needs to improve his attitude, while Schalke's Mark Uth gets his first-ever call-up.
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Thilo Kehrer (Paris St Germain), Antonio Ruediger (Chelsea), Nico Schulz (Hoffenheim), Niklas Suele (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders/Forwards: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Paris St Germain), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Mark Uth (Schalke 04), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Rudy (Schalke 04), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)

Berlusconi Bans Beards And Tattoos

In what could be seen as a throwback to the Clough-era, new Monza owner Silvio Berlusconi has outlined his vision for the Serie C club which includes a strict code of appearance banning beards and tattoos. The former AC Milan owner, and Bunga Bunga party specialist, told reporters: "It will be a young team made up entirely of Italian players. They'll have their hair in order, we've already found a hairdresser in Monza who said they would cut their hair for free. No beards, no tattoos, and they won't be able to proudly wear loads of earrings. They will be an example of fairness on the pitch, they'll apologise to their opponents in the case of a foul, they'll treat the referee like a gentleman. If they are asked for an autograph they'll write their name and surname out well, no scrawling, and they'll always go out dressed soberly and fashionably. I want something different to modern football." It is an ideal that would never work in British football, after all most British footballers would struggle to spell their own names, let alone write them well without scrawling!

La Liga President Says He would Bet $10,000 That USA Game Will Happen

Javier Tebas is willing to put up $10,000 that an official Spanish league match will be played in the United States this season. CNN asked the La Liga president if he would be willing to bet $1 that the game between Barcelona and Girona would take place in Miami in January and Tebas replied: "I wouldn't bet one dollar, I would bet $10,000." Makes you wonder how much he is making from this if he can afford to gamble $10,000....

Written by Tris Burke October 06 2018 06:36:45