Football News: Review Of The Day 30th April 2019

Image from: freelargeimages.com

Review of the Day

Contracts

Young Everton midfielder Tom Davies has signed a new deal which runs until 2023.

Brighton & Hove Albion forward Viktor Gyokeres has extended his deal until 2022.

Eintracht Frankfurt's veteran goalkeeper Jan Zimmermann has a new deal until 2021.

Transfers

VfL Wolfsburg have released veteran Dutch right back Paul Verhaegh.

Cambridge United defender Jake Carroll is to join Motherwell in the summer when his contract expires. The Irish full-back has agreed a 2 year deal with the SPFL club.

Cillessen Wants Out Of Barca

Barcelona's Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is looking for a move away from the Catalans as he is a fed up of being a back up. Cillessen told Ziggo Sport: "First I take a nice holiday and then I hope there is a beautiful, new club." Cillessen is fed up of being the back to first choice Marc-Andre ter Stegen and says he just "really wants to play".

Holtby Set To Leave Hamburg

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lewis Holtby is set to leave Hamburg SV in the summer. The 28 year old had asked coach Hannes Wolf if he could be left out of the squad to travel to Berlin at the weekend as he would not be starting. The club have now confirmed that Holtby will be dropped to the reserves and will be released in the summer when his contract expires.

Potter Confident Of Holding On To McBurnie

Manager Graham Potter expects to hold on to Scottish international striker Oli McBurnie in the summer, though he expects Swansea City to receive a number of offers for the 22 year old, who has scored 23 goals this season. Potter said: "People want to buy goals. Oli would be quite a certain, safe purchase really, but he knows he's in a good place here. I'm confident there will be interest because his goal scoring record speaks for itself. His career is just starting and he's still got a bit to do to get to where I think he can. He's in a good place to achieve that. While that's still the case, I am confident he will be here."

Another Lion Passes Away

Just a few days after the captain of Celtic's legendary Lisbon Lions, Billy McNeill, passed away, another member of the team, famous for being entirely made up of local players, has joined him. Stevie Chalmers, the scorer of the winning goal in the 1967 European Cup final, has died at the age of 83. Chalmers scored 236 goals in 12 seasons with the Glasgow giants and also played for Morton and Partick Thistle. Celtic chief executive Peter Lawell said: "Stevie was a much-loved husband, father and grandfather, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this desperately sad time. This is a particularly devastating time for the Celtic family, with the passing of Stevie Chalmers coming so soon after his friend and former team-mate, Billy McNeill. My condolences also go to the Lisbon Lions, already mourning the loss of their captain, and now grieving the death of another one of their own. Stevie Chalmers was a Celtic legend, and one of the greatest goalscorers this club has ever seen. Indeed, only three other legends in Jimmy McGrory, Henrik Larsson and Stevie's close friend, Bobby Lennox, have scored more goals. However, there is only one man who is able to lay claim to having scored the most important goal in Celtic's 131-year history, and that man is Stevie Chalmers. Like his team-mates, he remained a quiet, humble man, happiest in the company of his fellow Lions and his fellow Celtic supporters."

Potter Out Of Hospital

Brian Potter, the goalkeeping coach of Hamilton Academical who collapsed on the pitch before their game on Saturday, has been released from hospital. The kick-off had to be delayed as the former Hamilton player received treatment on the pitch before being taken off on a stretcher and then to hospital. It has not been confirmed what the issue was, just that Potter had been suffering chest pains prior to his collapse.

Vieira Rules Out Atal Sale

After Youcef Atal, usually a right back but playing in midfield on Sunday, became the first Algerian to score a hat-trick in Ligue 1 in over 30 years OGC Nice have ruled out a sale of the 22 year old. Nice's head coach Patrick Vieira said: "We are not sellers. Youcef will be here next year. Youcef is improving. He works a lot. If you look at his goals, you see the aggression he has to be in the right place to score. He is a positive character with good spirit. He was rewarded for his efforts. The team allowed him to express himself and to show his talent. We were good in possession and that allowed us to be dangerous. What Atal has over the others is his desire to get into the box. Youcef played in this position when he was younger, it gives us different options for this season and next. But yes, he will almost certainly move back to his position against Nantes."

Delort Changes Allegiance

Former France youth international Andy Delort has transferred his allegiance to Algeria. The 27 year old Montpellier striker has played for France at Under-20 level and in beach football, but now the former Wigan Athletic forward will swap to play for his mother's country. Delort said: "It's true, it has surprised everyone, but it's a thoughtful process. My mother is Algerian, as well as my grandfather and my great-grandfather. I have been thinking about it for a while. I've made my decision and we're taking the steps to be able to play for Algeria one day."

Sterling Beats Van Dijk To Award

Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has beat Virgil van Dijk to the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award. Sterling lost out to van Dijk for the PFA Player of the Year award.

Foxes Youngster Apologises

Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury at the age of 21 has apologised for tweets he made while still a teenager. Choudhury wrote some offensive messages in 2013 and 2014 and has now said: "They do not represent my true beliefs. I've learned a lot as a person in my early years as a professional - certainly enough to know that some of the thoughtless comments I have made in the past are both hurtful and offensive. I'm deeply sorry to anyone I have offended - both at the time and since they've been recirculated."

Argyle Sack Manager

Plymouth Argyle have sacked manager Derek Adams after they dropped into the relegation zone in League One after five successive defeats. Assistant manager Paul Wotton has also been sacked. First team coach Kevin Nancekivell will be in caretaker charge of the team for the match on Saturday.

Basel Fans Protest Prices

FC Basel fans have come up with a creative way to protest against overpriced tickets for the Swiss Cup final on 19th May. They have issued their own tickets, priced at half as much as the Swiss FA are charging. They plan to turn up on the day and offer to pay the price on their self-issued tickets. If the FA turn down the offer, then they will be facing the prospect of an empty stadium and no ticket revenue.

Bailly Out Of AFCON

Cote D'Ivoire will have to make do without Manchester United defender Eric Bailly in the summer's Africa Cup of Nations after sustaining an MCL injury in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday. The 25 year old collided with Mateo Kovacic in his first game for over a month.

Bus Crash Hits Alanyaspor

Aytemiz Alanyaspor have been hit by the loss of Czech Republic international striker Josef Sural when a bis carrying a number of their players crashed. Six other Alanyaspor players were taken to hospital. Former Cardiff, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and QPR defender Steven Caulker was on the bus but unhurt. The minibus had been rented by seven of the club's players while the rest of the club's staff made other arrangements or travelled on the team coach. According to Alanyaspor chairman Hasan Cavusoglu claimed that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel causing the bus to crash.

Onouha Criticises Zlatan

Real Salt Lake's former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha has hit out at the "very arrogant" Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he claims the former Barcelona, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain striker threatened him. Onouha said: "Over here it is just a show for him. A lot of people are scared of him - but he is just a mere mortal. First, he was very arrogant. Secondly, I thought: 'What is this guy playing at?' This is not the way you are supposed to do it, especially someone who is meant to be the face of the game here and the game globally. I wasn't a fan before - and I'm definitely not a fan now. This time he hit me on top of head. I was again thinking: 'What is going on here?' He kept saying: 'You know what? I am going to hurt you. I am going to do you. You just watch, there is enough time, I am going to do you.'" Zlatan was booked for dragging Onuoha to the ground by his neck off the ball and celebrated in the defender's face after scoring.

Tuchel Criticises Neymar

Thomas Tuchel has obviously had enough of managing Paris Saint-Germain, as he has criticised the untouchable Neymar Jr after the Brazilian bell-end threw a punch at a Rennes fan after the cup final defeat. Tuchel said: "You can't get into a fight with a spectator. You just can't do that. It's not easy to go up the steps after a defeat. It's very difficult for me, for everybody - but we have to accept it. If we lose, we have to show respect." Neymar said on social media about the incident: "Did I act badly? Yes. But no-one can stay indifferent." In another post Neymar said "nobody likes to lose, so I ..." Then a further one which is still lacking an apology: "Anyone who knows me knows how competitive I am and how much defeat shakes me. But losing is part of an athlete's life, makes us grow, makes us think, makes us better. Happy to be able to play again, to score again and feel good on the pitch, but the biggest feeling today is one of sadness." Is it too much to ask that he at least apologises for his conduct? Shows how little contrition he has that he fails miserably to apologise, instead just makes excuses for being a complete ****.

Written by Tris Burke April 30 2019 06:47:22