Football News: Review Of The Day 6th May 2022

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Review of the Day

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Contracts

Cambridge United have given their captain Greg Taylor a new 1-year contract.

Tom Clarke and Ellis Harrison have signed 1-year deals with Fleetwood Town, while Toto Nsiala has a new 2-year deal with the club.

Newcastle United have given experienced defender Paul Dummett a new contract which will keep him at the club for next season.

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper John Pulskamp has signed a new deal which runs until 2025 with a club option for another year.

Transfers

Veteran defender Paul Huntington is to be released by Preston North End after 10 years at the club.

Accrington Stanley midfielder Matt Butcher is to leave the club on a free transfer after rejecting the club's final offer of a new contract. Stephen Sama, Lewis Mansell, Ben Pleavin, Luke Stowe and Kevin Spinelli have all been released by Stanley.

Orlando City of Major Soccer League have paid £1.8m to sign Argentine winger Gaston Gonzalez from CA Union de Santa Fe and £225,000 for Irish midfielder Jake Mulraney from fellow MLS side Atlanta United. Gonzalez was signed despite having an ACL injury which will rule him out of the entire forthcoming MLS season.

Inter Miami have taken Indiana Vassilev on loan from Aston Villa once more.

Injury Round Up

Managerial Changes

Just five months after the 43-year-old was appointed, Hartlepool United have sacked their manager Graeme Lee. They have won just once in their last 11 matches, though did manage to avoid relegation.

Disciplinary Charges

West Ham United manager David Moyes has tried to excuse his red card for booting the ball at a ball boy during his team's defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, which saw them crash out of the Europa League. Moyes said: "I have to apologise for kicking the ball... but he threw it back softly." Moyes later tried to make light of the incident, which saw his face screwed up in rage as he volleyed the ball at the boy with as much force as he could muster, luckily just missing the back of the boy's head.

There was more problems at the Europa League semi-final between Eintracht Frankfurt and West Ham as more than 30 people were arrested overnight after violent clashes between the two sets of fans. Two Hammers' fans were knocked unconscious and treated in hospital after an attack by Frankfurt fans and police were called in to break up a gathering of 800 West Ham fans at Frankfurt's main railway station. Police reported that "supporters of both teams sought confrontation".

Chile have sought FIFA intervention after claiming Ecuador fielded an ineligible player in World Cup qualifying matches. Chile claim that Byron Castillo is Colombian and used a false birth certificate (also falsifying his age in the process) and nationality to register as Ecuadorian. Ecuador finished 4th in CONMEBOL's World Cup qualifying, claiming an automatic place in Qatar, with Peru finishing 5th requiring them to face a play-off against either Australia or the UAE in June. Chile, who finished 7th, are asking for the 8 games Castillo played in to be forfeited, which would see them take the 4th automatice qualifying spot. A Chile statement read: "There are innumerable proofs that the player was born in Colombia, in the city of Tumaco, on July 25, 1995, and not on November 10, 1998, in the Ecuadorian city of General Villamil Playas. The world of football cannot close its eyes to so many tests. The practice of serious and conscious irregularities in the registration of players cannot be accepted. There must be fair play on and off the pitch." There is some credence to the claims as Ecuador took a number of years looking into the player before eventually allowing him to be called up to the national side last year.

The Football Association have given Gillingham boss Neil Harris a one-match touchline ban and £1,000 fine for being sent off as his team were beaten by Portsmouth.

Roman Denies Newspaper Claims

Claims in British newspapers that Roman Abramovich has asked for his £1.5bn loan to Chelsea to be repaid when the club is sold are false according to an Abramovich spokesperson. A statement read: "Mr Abramovich has not asked for any loan to be repaid to him - such suggestions are entirely false - as are suggestions that Mr Abramovich increased the price of the club last minute." It was also stated that Abramovich has encouraged bidders to "commit to investing in the club".

Swans Reports Losses

Swansea City's latest accounts reveal a pre-tax loss of £4.6m for the year ending 31st July 2021. They made a profit of £2.7m in the previous year, with most of the blame being laid at the door of the pandemic as turnover dropped from £50m to just £27.5m as the season was played behind closed doors. Swans chief executive Julian Winter said: "These accounts covered an extremely uncertain period for all clubs with the entirety of 2020-21 league season played behind closed doors. It was also our final year of receiving parachute payments following relegation from the Premier League, with the club continuing to commit to a long-term model of being financially stable. The club remains in a comparatively positive financial position within the Championship as we strive to be sustainable whilst ensuring we remain competitive on the pitch in order to achieve our long-term ambition of returning to the Premier League." The South Wales club did cut operating costs from £64.5m to £47.8m and staff costs were reduced to £27.7m from £40.2m and there were no dividends paid to shareholders during the year.

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Written by Tris Burke May 06 2022 09:32:49