Football News: Review Of The Day 26th April 2019
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Review of the Day
Lampard Wants VAR In Championship
The rookie manager of Derby County Frank Lampard has called for VAR to be brought in at Championship level. Lampard is disappointed following being charged with improper conduct by the FA for comments he made to referee Simon Hooper after Friday's draw with Birmingham City. He has asked for VAR to be brought in, saying: "It will come, it's just a matter of when. VAR is coming to the Premier League and it has to come to the Championship because it's very difficult for referees. I actually want dialogue with referees and I want to understand their decisions. I understand they're human and make mistakes, as I do as a manager and as the players do. So I think VAR at its best - and it still needs to be honed to make sure it's at its best and that might take a period of time - to give the referees more eyes to get decisions right is a no-brainer."
Killie Win One Lose One
Kilmarnock's appeal against Kirk Broadfoot's red card in the match against Aberdeen on Saturday has failed but the appeal against Rory McKenzie's red has been upheld and the dismissal has been reduced to a yellow. Broadfoot will now miss the end of the season. Killie manager Steve Clarke has also been charged with indicating "bias or incompetence" by an official over comments he made about the referee in this game, Steven McLean. Clarke described it as the "worst refereeing performance I've ever seen" and suggested McLean could not handle the pressure of officiating on games involving the club his father played over 500 appearances for.
Morocco Return To U-23 Qualifiers
The Democratic Republic of Congo's use of defender Arsene Zola in under-23 competition has cost them a place in the final round of qualifiers for the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations. CAF have ruled that Zola was above the age limit for qualifying games and have awarded their place in the final round to Morocco, who they had beaten 2-1 on aggregate last month to reach this stage. Morocco had sacked the boss of their Under-23s, former Southampton manager Mark Wotte, following the defeat.
Lennon Calls For 5 To Be Retired
Celtic's caretaker manager Neil Lennon has called for the club to retire the number 5 shirt in tribute to legend Billy McNeill, who died on Monday. He also hopes the players will raise their game to ensure they lift the domestic treble once more in honour of his memory. Lennon said: "With this in the background, it makes it even more significant. The players will be highly motivated on two fronts now. We're a club in mourning. Billy McNeill was Celtic. He was an icon, a hero. My image of Billy will always be him stood on that podium in Lisbon, this Adonis in a green and white shirt holding the cup. I can't put into words how big a loss he is for this club. When I first got the job he was a tremendous support to me. Not only during the good times, but more importantly during tough times. He would come in to see me after games and give me a lot of good advice on what I was doing right and wrong. I can't thank him enough for that."
Bentaleb Dropped Back To Under-23s
Schalke 04's Algerian midfielder Nabil Bentaleb has been returned to the under-23 squad for the second time this season. Bentaleb had only been restored to the first team squad a couple of weeks ago, after being dropped to the under-23s as a punishment. A Schalke statement read: "Head coach Huub Stevens dropped the 24-year-old to the Under-23s on Wednesday 24 April due to another disciplinary reason."
Trio Punished
Hearts, Aberdeen and Hearts manager Craig Levein have all been found guilty by the SFA. Hearts and Aberdeen were fined £500 each over a mass brawl between their players in a Scottish Premiership match between the two teams. Levein was found guilty of misconduct during an under-18 game he attended.
Sarri Fined
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has been hit with an £8,000 fine for misconduct after being sent to the stands at the end of a 2-2 draw with Burnley. Sarri had admitted the charge and accepted the standard penalty, according to the FA.
Police Investigate Tavernier Abuse
Police in Scotland are investigating after Rangers captain James Tavernier was racially abused on social media. The 27 year old was sent a direct message on Instagram which he posted up with a shoulder-shrugging emoji. Tavernier was one of the players to take part in the PFA's 24 hour boycott of social media in protest at the way racist abuse is managed on the platforms. Clear to see it had no effect.
European Clubs To Discuss Promotion And Relegation
The European Club Association (ECA) are to push the next step towards a European super league by discussing promotion and relegation to the Champions League. The ECA said they want to look towards the creation of a "pyramidal Pan-European league system with continuity and opportunity to grow from within".
PFA To Collate Racist Abuse Cases
The Professional Footballers' Association has asked its members to send them any evidence of racist abuse they receive online as they look to catalogue incidences of abuse to highlight the severity of the problem. The PFA are to present the evidence to the sports minister and footballing bodies at a meeting in May.
PFA Team Of The Year Announced
The PFA Team of the Year, voted for by the players themselves, has been revealed:
Ederson - Manchester City
Trent Alexander-Aronold - Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool
Yoann Laaporte - Manchester City
Andrew Robertson - Liverpool
Bernardo Silva - Manchester City
Fernandinho - Manchester City
Paul Pogba - Manchester United
Raheem Sterling - Manchester City
Sergio Aguero - Manchester City
Sadio Mane - Liverpool
The big surprise being Paul Pogba being the only player not from either of the two teams challenging for the title, despite turning up for just a few seconds a game all year.
Sterling Receives Award For His Stance Against Racism
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has been given an award at the Sport Industry Awards for his stance against racism. The England international has criticised newspapers for their portrayal of black players and has called for stronger punishments for fans who racially abuse players. Sterling said: "When the next generation come through, you have to set the example. Coming through at Liverpool I had people around me like Steven Gerrard I looked up to. Looking at him I thought what can I do within myself to be half the person and player he was. You take little things and each year, try and develop not just on the field but off it. I was just speaking about my personal experiences, I didn't expect it to get so much attention. I just wanted to bring it to the attention of my audience on Instagram. It's been really pleasing to see people listening and trying and do better."
Written by Tris Burke April 26 2019 06:55:42
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