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Football News: Review Of The Day 20th April 2021

Review Of The Day 20th April 2021
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Review of the Day

 

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Contracts

 

 

Transfers

Los Angeles FC have released veteran goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer.

 


Injury Round-Up

While not strictly speaking an injury, St Mirren's teenage midfielder Dylan Reid has been ruled out for the next two weeks due to school work. The 16 year old is the youngest player in the Scottish Premiership.

Manchester City are awaiting the results of a scan on Kevin de Bruyne's ankle injury.

 


Managerial Changes

Manager John Sheridan has left Swindon Town. The Robins lost 4-1 on Saturday, their ninth defeat in eleven matches, and deep in a relegation battle with four games left to play in League One.

Uganda's Northern Irish head coach Johnny McKinstry has quit after being asked to step aside from his role in March.

Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur, who were at great pains to point out it was nothing to do with their decision to sign up for the ESL.

Bayern Munich's Champions League winning head coach Hansi Flick is to leave at the end of the season.

 


Disciplinary Charges

 

 

ESL Round Up

The Scottish Professional Football League has condemned the idea of a European Super League. SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "The SPFL stands alongside Uefa, the European leagues, the English Premier League and the overwhelming majority of the game's stakeholders in vehemently opposing the proposed ESL. These proposals, or any like them, would have an enormously damaging impact on the very fabric of our sport at all levels. It is no surprise they have been so swiftly and overwhelmingly condemned by fans the world over. We believe that any such 'competition' would dramatically undermine the global appeal of football and would be financially catastrophic for all but a very tiny minority. The proposals we have seen, assembled by a small, self-selected group of very wealthy clubs, appear to be a cynical and very worrying attempt to thwart the core principle of sporting merit which rightly underpins European football. They represent a clear and present danger to the sport we all love. Now, more than ever, given what we have all been through over the past year, governments, together with the game's governing bodies and leagues, need to work together to do what is right and protect the very essence of the game." The Scottish FA have also voiced their opposition.

Also standing against the ESL is the English Premier League, who have condemned all twelve clubs, including the six from England, who signed up to the European Super League.

UEFA used the furore to sneak out the announcement of the controversial plans for a new 36-team Champions League, which was set up to mollify the big clubs that have gone and stuck their middle finger up to it all anyway. It is not much better than the ESL plan and shows how much power the big clubs wield.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who had already said in 2019 that he was against the idea of a European Super League, has reiterated his opposition to the proposals, despite his employers being one of the prime movers. Klopp said before the draw with Leeds: "My feelings didn't change. My opinion didn't change. People are not happy with it, I can understand it. I can't say a lot more because we were not involved in the process - not the players, not me - we didn't know about it. We will have to wait how it develops. I like the competitive aspect of football. I like that West Ham might play in the Champions League. I don't want them to, because we want to, but I like they have the chance."

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa spoke at length of his disapproval of the ESL plan: "The fundamental problem is the rich always aspire to be more rich without considering the consequences for the rest. As they gain more power they start demanding more privilege over the rest. What makes competition great is the possibility for one of those weak teams to develop, not the big teams playing each other." His players warmed up for the game against Liverpool wearing T-shirts that read "Earn It" on the front and "Football is for the fans" on the back.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has termed the ESL plan a "spit in the face of football lovers". Ceferin confirmed that all players who took part in it would be banned from the European championships.

 


Social Media Blackout

After finally tiring of the constant racist abuse directed at players on social media, the Premier League is planning to hold a social media blackout around matches next month. The plan is for teams to boycott for 24 hours, while the league itself shuts down its social media accounts for the whole 3-day match weekend. Another token gesture aimed at showing they are doing something, rather than actually doing something.

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Written by Tris Burke April 20 2021 07:10:43

 

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