International Sports News (85)
Former Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has agreed to join Paris Saint Germain (PSG) on a two-year contract with the option of another year after leaving the Catalans.
The deal is worth £25m per year after tax with PSG.
The 34-year-old will receive a £25m signing-on fee;
Messi was set to sign a new five-year contract at Barcelona but the club was unable to complete the deal due to LaLiga financial fair play rules.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is travelling to Paris Tuesday afternoon to seal his move to the French club where he is likely to partner Neymar and Kylian Mbape in the attack.
The move puts Paul Pogba’s potential move to the French Ligue 1 giants in jeopardy considering that they also signed Sergio Ramos (former Real Madrid captain), Georginio Wijnaldum (former Liverpool midfielder), Gianluigi Donnarumma (former AC Milan goalkeeper), and Achraf Hakimi (former Real Madrid and Inter Milan defender).
While the transfers were free, PSG’s wage bill will be bloated.
Source: Sky Sports《》RT
World champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes until the end of 2023.
The Briton, 36, has won six of his seven world titles with the British-based German team since joining from McLaren in 2012.
This season Hamilton is contending for a record-breaking eighth championship but is currently second behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
"We still have a lot to achieve, both on and off the track," said Hamilton.
It is the earliest he has agreed a new deal with Mercedes for some years and will take his time at the team to at least 11 seasons and into the start of a major rules change next year.
The deal has come together quickly, in contrast to 2020, when the pandemic, a compressed season and then both Hamilton and team boss Toto Wolff contracting coronavirus delayed talks and Hamilton ended the year out of contract.
Hamilton did not agree a new one-year deal with the team for 2021 until February but has been saying since the start of this season that he expected to continue in F1 beyond this year, and began discussing the terms of his new contract with Wolff in May. The pair completed a deal within two months, underlining their desire to keep working together.
Hamilton has not taken a pay cut, contrary to some reports. After an adjustment in salary as a result of the pandemic this season, his earnings will be back to pre-Covid levels, when he was said to be earning as much as £40m a year.
The bond between the team and their driver has been strengthened by their support for his push for increased diversity and inclusion in the sport, which gathered momentum in the midst of the global outcry following the death of unarmed African-American George Floyd at the hands of US police last May.
Hamilton said: "I'm incredibly proud and grateful of how Mercedes has supported me in my drive to improve diversity and equality in our sport.
"They have held themselves accountable and made important strides in creating a more diverse team and inclusive environment."
Wolff said: "As we enter a new era of F1 from 2022 onwards, there can be no better driver to have in our team than Lewis.
"His achievements in this sport speak for themselves, and with his experience, speed and race-craft, he is at the peak of his powers.
"We are relishing the battle we have on our hands this year - and that's why we also wanted to agree this contract early, so we have no distractions from the competition on track.
"I have always said that as long as Lewis still possesses the fire for racing, he can continue as long as he wants."
Hamilton and Mercedes have dominated the sport since 2014 - his former team-mate Nico Rosberg is the only man to win a drivers' title other than the Briton since then.
Hamilton now has a record 100 pole positions and 98 grand prix wins but is facing a momentous challenge from Red Bull's Verstappen as he seeks to move himself clear of Michael Schumacher in terms of championship titles - Hamilton equalled the German's mark of seven last season.
There is no word from the team on the identity of his team-mate next season, with the seat between his current partner Valtteri Bottas and British rising star George Russell.
Wolff said he wanted to spend a bit more time observing the two drivers in F1 this season before making a final call.
Hamilton has said he sees no reason to change Bottas, but Russell starred on a one-off debut for Mercedes at the Sakhir Grand Prix last year when he stood in for Hamilton after the world champion contracted Covid-19.
Source: BBC《》RT
Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi is officially a free agent following the expiration of his contract.
The Catalans were hopeful of signing Messi to renewal before the June 30 deadline but the 34-year-old is now officially unattached.
It is strongly believed that the Argentinian international will sign an extension with Barca with reports suggesting contract negotiations have since started.
Messi becomes a free agent amid interest from a number of clubs including Manchester City, and Paris Saint Germain.
Meanwhile, a few clubs, including Barcelona, can afford his salary and still follow Financial Fair Play.
At the beginning of the 2020/21 season, Messi expressed his desire to leave the Catalans but they would not allow him to leave as he was not a free agent.
He later resolved to stay albeit making a number of demands including beefing up the squad.
If Barca resign Messi, they will have to register him as a new signing and find a solution to fit him into the framework of La Liga’s financial regulations.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has already warned Barca that they must bring their wages down, or they won’t be able to register Messi ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Source: Pindula News; Goal.com《》RT
Everton have appointed former Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez as their new manager.
The 61-year-old Spaniard has signed a three-year deal and succeeds Carlo Ancelotti, who resigned in early June to return to Real Madrid.
Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri described Benitez as a proven winner with huge experience and has expressed confidence that he will take the club to the top end of the league. He said:
Rafa impressed us greatly with his knowledge and experience but, above all, the passion and hunger he showed to join our club.
We are appointing Rafa because we believe he will bring success to our club and to Evertonians.
To put it simply – we need to be competing at the top end of the league and to be winning trophies.
Rafa is a proven winner with huge experience in coaching internationally and we have secured the best man to achieve that for us.
Benitez has a hugely impressive track record with the clubs he has managed throughout his career, securing seven major honours including La Liga titles, the Coppa Italia, the FA Cup, the Europa League and the Champions League during managerial spells in Spain, England and Italy.
Benitez last managed in the Premier League at Newcastle United before leaving in June 2019.
He moved to China to coach Dalian Professional FC and left them in January after 18 months in charge. Benitez said:
I am delighted to be joining Everton. Throughout this process, I have been greatly impressed by the ambition shown by the senior representatives at the Club and their desire to bring success to this historic Club.
I believe this is a Club that is going places. I’m determined to play a big part in helping this great Club achieve its ambitions.
Source: Evertonfc BBC Sport《》RT
Manchester City dominate the PFA Premier League team of the year as six of their Premier League-winning squad, Ederson, Joao Cancelo, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan, make the team, which is voted for by fellow players.
Neighbors, Manchester United’s Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes are also in the team.
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Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah are in.
Despite winning the Champions League as well as reaching the FA Cup final and finishing fourth in the Premier League, no Chelsea players are included.
Source: Pindula News《》RT
Jamie O’Hara has slammed Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola for the Uefa Champions League final loss to Chelsea on Saturday 29 May 2021 saying he made poor team selection decisions.
O’Hara says Brazilian midfielder Fenandinho who was introduced late in the second half should have been brought in earlier to provide a shield to the backline while Phil Foden should have played in his regular position, either of the wings.
Chelsea scored their only goal in the first half when an unmarked Havertz dribbled past Ederson and kicked into an empty net.
Manchester City were favourites to winning the prestigious trophy but failed to rise to the occasion.
They were also a bit unlucky, as their talisman, Kevin De Bruyne was forced out early into the second half after sustaining an injury from colliding with Rudiger.
Last year, Guardiola was also accused of making poor decisions resulting in Manchester City losing to Lyon who were underdogs.
Source: Pindula News《》RT
Chelsea are facing the prospect of a points deduction after again being charged with failing to control their players towards the end of their 2-1 victory over Leicester at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
This is the seventh time in seven years Chelsea have been involved in mass indiscipline of their players.
Leicester have also been charged for their part in the fracas, which saw players and coaching staff clash on the touchline following Ricardo Pereira’s challenge on Ben Chilwell.
Chelsea have a poor record that they were warned in July 2016 that they faced a points deduction after appealing against a £375,000 fine levied against them for their part in a mass bust-up during a game with Tottenham two months earlier.
Since then, they have been charged twice more with failing to control their players but escaped with fines and warnings about their future conduct.
A former FA employee, with knowledge of the disciplinary process, said: “It seems there’s an issue within the club.”
Chelsea and Leicester have until Tuesday to respond to the charge.
Points deduction could have major implications for Chelsea who are heading into the final day of the campaign chasing a top-four spot.
Leicester of course are one of the clubs vying with the Blues for a place in the Champions League next season, while Liverpool sit between both sides in fourth.
A win at Aston Villa will be enough to secure Chelsea’s spot, and boss Thomas Tuchel has faith his players will thrive with everything at stake.
Chelsea will also soon face Manchester City in the Uefa Champions League Final.
Source: Pindula News; The Mirror《》RT
Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola has refused to comment on remarks by Tottenham Hotspur Harry Kane that gave an obvious hint that he would love to join the English Premier League Champions.
Kane had said it is every striker’s dream to play alongside Belgian midfield maestro, Kevin Debruyne who plies his trade for Manchester City. Kane had said:
When I watch De Bruyne play he’s a special, special player. Some of the balls I see him put in for Manchester City are a striker’s dream if I’m honest. An outstanding player with the ball, pressing, his delivery is as good as I’ve ever seen.
Asked to comment on the remarks, Guardiola maintained that Kane was a Tottenham player therefore he would not like to talk about him. He said:
He’s a player for Tottenham, it’s not correct for me to talk about that.
Asked whether having players like De Bruyne is a big asset in terms of attracting other stars on the transfer market, Guardiola also refused to be dragged into the Kane discussion saying he was focusing on the Manchester City v Everton Sunday’s game. He said:
I know you are relating it but I don’t want to talk about it. It’s a game for Sergio, we want to respect the competition.
Everton are playing for Europe. Then we have the Champions League, so it’s not nice for me to talk about that right now
Manchester City are looking for a replacement for Sergio Aguero and Kane is one of the top strikers who have been reportedly on the Spanish coach’s radar although Guardiola has not admitted in the public, yet.
Source: Pindula News; Manchester Evening News《》RT
Manchester United striker, Edinson Cavani has signed for the Red Devils making a U-Turn on his previous pledge to join Boca Juniors at the end of the contract he signed with the Red Devils when he arrived from PSG.
Cavani had the option of the extension of his stay at Old Trafford but had reservations about staying indicating that he would join Boca Juniors, an Argentine sports club that was offering an enticing deal.
Cavani signed a one-year contract that will see him stay in the Premier League for one more season which ends in summer 2022.
It is expected that United will confirm the news imminently, ahead of their match with Leicester City on Tuesday evening.
The Uruguayan international has been in devastating form and has eight goals in seven games for the Red Devils prompting pundits to say he was rolling back his age.
Source: Pindula News; Daily Mail《》RT
Fútbol Club Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol have refused to abandon their European Super League (ESL) project despite the withdrawal of the other 9 founding clubs from the competition.
In a joint statement issued this Saturday in response to the statement released by UEFA on the 7 May (yesterday) in respect of the Super League, the three clubs said they continue to experience unacceptable third-party pressures and threats to force them to abandon the project.
The three clubs urged FIFA and UEFA to observe the rule of law by adhering to a court ruling that ordered them to, either directly or through their affiliated bodies, refrain from taking any action which may hinder the ESL in any way while court proceedings are pending.
The clubs insisted that the material issues that led the 12 founding clubs to announce the Super League weeks ago have not gone away. They wrote:
… we reiterate that to honour our history, to comply with our obligations towards our stakeholders and fans, for the good of football and for the financial sustainability of the sector, we have the duty to act in a responsible manner and persevere in the pursuit of adequate solutions, despite the unacceptable and ongoing pressures and threats received from UEFA.
Furthermore, we reiterate to FIFA, UEFA and all football stakeholders, as we have done on several occasions since the announcement of the Super League, our commitment and determination to discuss, with respect and without intolerable pressure and in accordance with the rule of law, the most appropriate solutions for the sustainability of the whole football family.
The statement comes after UEFA has fined nine out of twelve clubs that sought to join a breakaway European Super League last month.
The nine clubs involve six Premier League sides – Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur plus Italian pair of AC Milan and Inter Milan, and La Liga’s Atletico Madrid.
Source: FC Barcelona《》RT
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Manchester City are through to their first Uefa Champions League final after beating French giants 2-0 in the semifinal leg 2 last night at the Etihad stadium.
They won 4-1 on aggregate after they won the first leg of this level in France recently.
Manchester City got both goals from the Algerian international, Riyad Mahrez who scored in both halves of the match.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola ended a run of four consecutive UEFA Champions League semi-final eliminations, reaching the final for the first time since 2010-11 with Barcelona.
Manchester City have won their last seven UEFA Champions League matches; the longest ever winning run by an English team in European Cup/Champions League history.
The blues are also the first English side to win 11 games in a single European Cup/Champions League campaign.
They will face either Real Madrid or Chelsea in the final.
PSG were without their injured striker, Killian Mbappe and also lost Di Maria who was sent off for a kick out at Fernandinho.
The French giants didn’t manage a single shot on target in the game.
Manchester City are the ninth different English team to reach the European Cup/Champions League final; three more than any other nation (Germany and Italy – 6 sides).
Source: Pindula News《》RT
Jose Mourinho has been appointed the new coach by Serie A giants, Roma, and will take over the club starting from the 2021-22 season.
Mourinho was announced Roma coach hours after his predecessor, Paolo Fonseca, was said to be leaving the club at the end of the season.
The deal ushers in a return for Mourinho to Serie A where he won the treble with Inter Milan in a two-year spell at the San Siro from 2008 until 2010.
Speaking after his appointment, Mourinho thanked the Friedkin family (Roma’s owners) for choosing him to lead “this great club and to be part of their vision.” He added:
After meetings with the ownership and Tiago Pinto (Roma’s general manager), I immediately understood the full extent of their ambitions for AS Roma. It is the same ambition and drive that has always motivated me and together we want to build a winning project over the upcoming years.
The incredible passion of the Roma fans convinced me to accept the job and I cannot wait to start next season.
In the meantime, I wish Paulo Fonseca all the best and I hope the media appreciate that I will only speak further in due course. Daje Roma!
Roma president Dan Friedkin and vice-president Ryan Friedkin said they were “thrilled and delighted to welcome Jose Mourinho” whom they described as a “great champion who has won trophies at every level.”
In the meantime, Mourinho will be working for radio station talkSPORT across the summer with their coverage of Euro 2020.
Roma sit seventh in the Serie A standings at present and were thrashed 6-2 by Manchester United in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final at Old Trafford last Thursday. The return leg in Italy is on Thursday.
There are fears that his rejects at Manchester United, Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan who now ply their trade for Roma might have a difficult time with the new coach.
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Source: Pindula News; Daily Mail《》RT
Former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United coach, Jose Mourinho has found a new job following his recent expulsion from Tottenham Hotspur.
The former Porto coach landed a punditry role with radio station talkSPORT barely two weeks after his sack by Spurs for producing undesirable results.
The former Milan boss takes up the punditry duties for this summer’s Euros.
The 58-year-old Portuguese international’s arrival was unveiled by Alan Brazil on the breakfast show on Friday morning. Speaking on his new job, Mourinho said:
Hello to everyone at talkSPORT, this is Jose Mourinho. Delighted to say I will be joining the talkSPORT team for the Euros this summer. I will be joining the likes of Laura Woods, Ally McCoist and Alan Brazil to give my views on all of the action.
Good luck to England, good luck to Scotland and of course good luck to Portugal.
Meanwhile, Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is a frontrunner to replace Mourinho at Spurs while super-agent Jorge Mendes is reportedly pushing Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo in the club’s direction.
Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is understood to have snubbed Levy’s advances to take over.
Levy described Mourinho as ‘a true professional’ following his sacking, ending the Portuguese’s 17-month stay with the club after taking over from Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019.
Mourinho pocketed £20m in compensation from Spurs for the dismissal.
Source: Pindula News; Daily Mail《》RT
French giants, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) are reportedly leading the race to signing Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo amid reports that Manchester United are interested in bringing the 35-year-old back to Old Trafford.
BBC Sports posted on Twitter this Tuesday saying that PSG are reportedly beating Manchester United to signing Ronaldo who currently plies his trade for Italian giants, Juventus.
The reports come after it had also been alleged that the French club is interested in signing Barcelona skipper, Lionel Messi whose future with the Catalans is uncertain.
Meanwhile, Manchester United, have reportedly been in touch with Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent over a possible return to the Premier League for the Portuguese international.
Ronaldo’s future at Juventus has been in doubt ever since their shock Champions League exit at the hands of Porto last month.
Juventus’ nine-year Serie A dominance also appears likely to be coming to an end as they sit 11 points behind leaders Inter Milan with just six games remaining.
Ronaldo previously indicated his desire to retire at Sporting Lisbon, the club that identified him when he was still a nobody.
CR7’s professional journey began at Jose Alvalade Stadium way back in 2002, as he quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young players in the Primeira Liga.
He would later join Manchester United where he partnered with the likes of Wayne Rooney to form a deadly strike force.
Ronaldo’s brilliance attracted the interest of La Liga giants, Real Madrid where he was polished into a complete striker and won several silverware including Champions League titles.
Source: Pindula News; BBC Sport《》RT
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