Football News: Review Of The Day 18th December 2019

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Review of the Day

Contracts

Major League Soccer side Atlanta United have given their right-back Brooks Lennon a contract extension until 2023.

Left-back Donny Toia has signed a 1 year deal with Real Salt Lake.

Injury Round-Up

Hellas Verona's Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has been passed fit to return to full training after being hospitalised in August with blood clots in his lungs.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba's return from injury has been delayed after the French World Cup winner missed training with an illness over the last two days. Manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer said: "He's been struck down ill. He's been off two days, which is not beneficial. It's probably set him back quite a bit."

Lille's Nigerian international striker Victor Osimhen was taken to hospital after being taken off during their 3-0 win over AS Monaco in the Coupe de la Ligue. Osimhen scored the opener before being taken off and treated by emergency services at the ground before being taken to hospital for further medical aid.

On-loan winger Harry Wilson is to return to parent club Liverpool for treatment on a leg injury he received playing for Bournemouth. Cherries manager Eddie Howe said: "Harry's [injury] is a strange one. He suffered a knock on his leg, a dead leg, but it's swelled up and the swelling keeps returning. We are going to probably get him back to Liverpool this week and hope he can be back very soon."

Morelos Sets Record

Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos has set a new record of goals in the Europa League after he scored 14 goals as the Scottish side reached the last 32. That is the highest amount of goals for a single player in European competition before Christmas. The Colombian forward netted 8 goals in qualifying before adding a further 6 in the group stages to set the mark. He needs just 4 more this season to equal the overall record of 18 achieved by Falcao when he, and his then club Porto, won the Europa League in 2011.

Coughlan Quits Rovers

Graham Coughlan has walked out on League One side Bristol Rovers to take charge of League Two's Mansfield Town. Rovers had rejected two approaches, before finally "reluctantly" giving Mansfield permission to talk to him. Coughlan said: "I've been living in this part of the country for the best part of 20 years and it's an honest, hardworking area - that's what I am and that's the background I've come from. That's all we drummed into the players at Bristol Rovers. If you're not honest and you're not hardworking, you won't have any place at this football club. We will be honest, we will be hardworking and we will wear that jersey with pride. That's all I ask of the players."

No Ken Do

Bolton Wanderers have finally agreed a deal with Forest Green Rovers over the signing of Christian Doidge. The striker was on loan with Bolton last season, with the move intended to be made permanent in January, but the Trotters were unable to pay the £1m fee. Doidge has subsequently joined Hibernian for £250,000, but Bolton have agreed to pay an undisclosed fee to settle their differences. The collapse of the transfer had led to a very public war of words between the two clubs' chairmen, Dale Vince of Forest Green Rovers and Ken Anderson, then Bolton owner.

Motherwell Reveal Loss

Motherwell's accounts for the year up to May 2019 have revealed a loss of £436,000. The year before they made a £1.7m profit, with gate receipts down almost to half the previous year and broadcasting rights down around 25%.

Killie Sack Alessio

Kilmarnock have sacked their Italian manager Angelo Alessio after 22 games in charge of the SPFL side. Alessio took charge in place of Steve Clarke, when the former manager took charge of the Scottish national side in June. Alessio had been the assistant to Antonio Conte with Chelsea, Juventus and Italy.

St-Etienne Stadium Shut

The French football league (Ligue de Football Professionnel) has ordered Saint-Etienne's stadium to be closed until further notice. The closure was ordered due to a "massive use" of fireworks and flares in the stands during their 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

Italian Clubs Hit Out At Serie A's Monkey Posters

Two of Serie A's biggest clubs have condemned the use of 'No To Racism' posters by the league with three monkey's with painted faces. AC Milan have revealed they were not consulted and "strongly disagree" with the use of monkeys in the artwork. An AC Milan statement read: "Art can be powerful, but we strongly disagree with the use of monkeys as images in the fight against racism." Their chief executive Ivan Gazidis told the BBC: "It is quite obvious that those subtleties would be lost in the communication and it is a very clumsy way of trying to launch what is actually what we hope will prove to be an affective campaign to drive racism out of Italian football. There is a real lack of process around these images. I find it difficult to explain. It does speak to a lack of self awareness and awareness of the sensitivities of the history. The Italian league needs to listen to the victims of this behaviour, needs to listen to experts in this field and needs to understand that these are not answers that can be imposed from some kind of theoretical leadership in the sky that has no experience of them. You have to listen and understand and engage with others that are on the same journey." AS Roma said: "#ASRoma was very surprised to see what appears to be an anti-racist campaign from Serie A featuring painted monkeys on social media today. We understand the league wants to tackle racism but we don't believe this is the right way to do it." FARE described itself as "speechless" and the described the campaign as looking like a "sick joke". Serie A's CEO Luigi De Siervo has apologised for the image used saying: "What cannot be questioned is the strong and constant condemnation by Serie A against all forms of discrimination and racism, and we are committed to eradicate this from our beloved league. Serie A is working on its official anti-racism campaign, which cannot be identified with Simone Fugazzotto's work, and it will be presented by the end of February."

Bordeaux Stake Sold

King Street Capital Management have bought out GACP sports 14% stake in Girondins Bordeaux, giving them complete control of the French club. The two parties had been in dispute over the running of the club, with GACP have a veto right on any major decision the club had been in turmoil for months. A Bordeaux statement read: "King Street and the management of the club wish to take this opportunity to reassure all of the club's stakeholders, their collaborators, sports teams, supporters and institutions about their long-term commitment within the club and thank GACP for their contribution to the project during this first year. This agreement will allow FC Girondins de Bordeaux to guarantee stability and continue its ambitious path."

Kung Fu Kick Leads To Ban

Schalke 04's German international goalkeeper Alexander Nubel has been handed a four game suspension and fine of 12,000 euors for flying kick into the chest of Eintracht Frankfurt's Mijat Gacinovic. Nubel charged out of his game and leapt into the air with his leg outstretched, missed the ball and smashed into Gacinovic's chest, leaving the midfielder with bruised ribs and cuts on his chest. Unsurprisingly Nubel was sent off.

Written by Tris Burke December 17 2019 23:04:58