It is often said, dear blog reader, that a week is a long time in politics. This also applies to football (that's 'socher-ball' for our American dear blog readers). But, even by their own - often unique - standards, this blogger's beloved (though, tragically unsellable) Magpies can seldom have had a more up-and-down week in their sometimes proud one hundred and thirty year history. It began with a frankly disgraceful, cowardly, piss-poor, surrender-before-kick-off performance in the FA Cup against Wolverhampton Wanderings and an all-too-predictable failure to make their first signing of the January transfer window when a deal to bring Lazio's Jordan Lukaku to St James' Park on loan fell through at the eleventh hour (the rumour being that the Belgian wing-back failed a medical). There was a sour, militant mood swirling around Tyneside which added to by events on Monday. In a press conference which, at times, resembled a wake, Rafa The Gaffer Benitez revealed for the first time that he 'cannot guarantee' he will still be in charge at Newcastle at the end of the season. The manager's contract at St James' Park ends this summer and Benitez can walk away for nothing, with a penalty clause which would have seen him having to pay six million knicker to get out of his contract having now expired. Rafa has refused any attempts at a renegotiation, including the possibility of a one-year extension, until he had seen how the club had strengthened (or, failed to strengthen) in the current transfer window. When asked if he could 'guarantee' to supporters that he would not walk out before the end of the season, Rafa The Gaffer replied: 'No, I cannot guarantee anything.' To be honest, few - if any - Toon fans would blame the guy if he did, given the shoddy and disgraceful way he has been belittled and lied to over his near three years in charge at the club by his employers. Benitez's fraught relationship with the club's controversial owner, Mike Ashley, has once more been stretched to breaking point following another transfer window in which his attempts to bolster the first team squad have been thwarted at every turn. Ashley reportedly went into Benitez's office at St James' after a rare home victory against Cardiff City earlier this month, but the Spaniard admitted that it was a fruitless visit and that 'nothing has changed.' He has clashed with the club over recruitment during three of the last four transfer windows and appeared to have effectively gagged himself from talking about the matter in his press conference despite, one imagines, a huge temptation to blow the lid. However, he spoke of his own future and then, pointedly, refused the opportunity of advising his - mostly adoring - supporters to renew their season tickets, with deadlines approaching. 'That is not my business,' he said. 'My business is to prepare the team against Manchester City and be sure they can compete until the end of the season.' Newcastle fans had already planned a series of demonstrations against Ashley at Tuesday's televised Premier League game with last year's champions. Against that backdrop, Benitez spoke of his impromptu meeting with the owner. 'It didn't change anything,' he said. 'You just have more ideas. It's exactly the same position. I had a conversation with Mike, Justin [Barnes], [Keith] Bishop and Lee [Charnley] the other day. We were talking about everything and now we will see where we are.' He was asked if his patience would break, and replied: 'I want to do things well. Again I will say, if I decide to stay in the Championship to do my job and to finish my job in the way that I like to do things. I have some principles and I will try to do things properly. Believe me, I can see where you are with your questions and I can see what is going around the fans, but still I have a cold mind, we have to stick together. We have to work hard together and it is the only way, and the best way, if we want to stay in the Premier League. What I have to give back to the fans is this: I am a professional, I will work hard and I will try to do my best.' Benitez was asked why Newcastle had reached 28 January, deep in a relegation fight and yet had still not strengthened their wafer-thin squad. 'It's not a question for me,' he replied, flatly. 'The way things are going on here, I can say yes or not to the proposals that I receive. I can give some names but I don't do any negotiations, anything. In the end I can say yes or not so you give me this or that I can choose one or the other one. That's it. I can say yes if we need that.' He was then asked if he would quit if no new players arrived. 'We will wait until Thursday and see what happens,' he said.
What then happened, of course - because, this is Newcastle and nothing is ever straight-froward - was that amid scenes of delirious joy and almost disbelief in front of a crowd of over fifty thousand, Michael Owen's record as the last (alleged) Newcastle player to score a league winner against Shekih Yer Man City thirteen years ago was finally ended on Tuesday. And, to the utter consternation of Tyneside, The Little Shit's other claim-to-infamy as Th' Toon's costliest-ever signing also appeared set to be finally consigned to the dustbin of history. It was hard to suggest which of these looked two things seems the more unlikely before kick-off; taking three points from the defending champions after twenty two previous unsuccessful attempts in a decade-and-a-half, or spending around twenty million smackers on an incoming transfer. In keeping with the perpetual madness that is this daft, infuriating football club, the beleaguered garrison set their sights on goal for once - and only went hit the target. Twice. Pre-match talk of protests against the owner (who was not at the game) and songs of rancour and general dissatisfaction were quickly audible - especially when the visitors scored after a mere seconds. Pep Guardiola's side came to St James' Park on the back on a five-nil thrashing of Burnley in the cup and having put three goals past both Huddersfield and Wolves in their previous two league encounters. If United's plan was to park the bus, then it must have been the old one that Cliff Richard and his mates ended up driving to Greece in Summer Holiday. A cross by Raheem Sterling found David Silva sliding in at the far post to beat Martin Dubravka to the ball, heading back across goal for Sergio Aguero to expand his vast scoring total against The Magpies still further. The same player had the ball in the net again soon after, only for Kevin De Bruyne to be booked after taking the free kick which prompted Aguero's volley too quickly. Newcastle's spirited but a bit power-puff response consisted of shots by Ayoze Perez and Christian Atsu in quick succession, whilst The Citizens seemed to be firmly in their comfort zone and, frankly, strutting around the gaff like they owned the place. However, Guardiola's side rarely troubled Magpies keeper Dubravka thereafter and Benitez's men gradually grew in belief. With an hour gone and United still in the game, referee Paul Tierney incurred the wrath of the home crowd by failing to show De Bruyne a thoroughly deserved second yellow card for a bad challenge on Matt Ritchie which most observers felt certainly warranted a booking. With Rafa The Gaffer doing his absolute nut on the sidelines, the home side shared that sense of manifest injustice and their attacks soon had what turned out to be a vital extra yard of pace. Ritchie broke upfield on the left and his centre was headed out by Fernandinho but only to Isaac Hayden, who returned it goalwards for both Salomon Rondon and Atsu to pursue it through a crowd of defenders. The Venezuelan forward got to it first and his toe-poke into the ground from just outside the six yard box bounced up and eluded Sheikh Yer Man City keeper, Ederson. Better was to come with ten minutes of normal time remaining, when the outstanding Sean Longstaff was barged over in the area by Fernandinho and Tierney pointed to the spot. The agony was prolonged for the Black & Whites whilst Ederson received treatment by two physios for some - mysterious and possibly fictitious - ailment, but Matt Ritchie held his nerve and rattled a penalty kick into the Gallowgate End net before demolishing the corner flag as celebration inside the gaff (and, one presumes, on the Red-half of Merseyside) erupted. The remaining ten minutes - and then over five minutes of additional time - passed with relatively few moments of unease before an almighty roar signified the referee's final whistle. Just over twenty four hours after that pre-game press conference when he seemed more like a man about to go to the gallows, a much happier Rafa The Gaffer faced reporters afterwards to say: 'We had a game plan - it was not to concede a goal in the first minute. The reaction of the players was important. We said in the half-time to stay in the game. The fans appreciate how we played and the way we won against a very good team. We stuck with our game plan. We were good enough to score two and lucky enough not to concede. Overall we needed to win one of these games. I think they were surprised they scored so early and maybe they had more confidence they could win. There's pressure and I think that was another factor - a draw wasn't enough for them. I think they were defending in a way that wasn’t easy for them. We were trying to manage the situation. Give credit to the players.' And, whilst Rafa didn't actually name specific names, he confirmed that he 'expected' his squad to be reinforced over the coming days. Since that one-nil home win in September 2005, United had failed to beat City in all twenty two Premier League meetings, losing nineteen and drawing the other three. Newcastle came from behind to win in the Premier League for the first time this season, having last achieved such a feat against The Arse in April 2018. It was also widely reported that this was the first time United have trailed at half-time before recovering to win in the Premier League since December 2006, when they turned a two-one interval deficit into a three-two home success against Reading. Rondon scored his sixth Premier League goal of the season and seventh in all competitions and Ritchie doubled his goal tally for the season after scoring another spot-kick at the same end against Blackburn Vindaloos in the FA Cup.
Then, on Transfer Deadline Thursday, Newcastle broke their transfer record in signing Paraguay playmaker Miguel Almiron from MLS side Atlanta United for around twenty one million knicker. It broke the previous record of sixteen million notes that was paid to Real Madrid for The Little Shit in 2005. And, what a waste of money that turned out to be. An official announcement from the club at 2.30pm on Thursday confirmed the permanent arrival of Paraguayan international forward. Almiron has put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half year deal keeping him at St James' Park until 2024. He takes squad number twenty four and becomes the second Paraguayan to join United following Diego Gavilan in January 2000. Interviewed after completing his move, Almiron required an interpreter as he answered questions in his native Spanish. He had travelled to Tyneside on Wednesday and was seen at the club's training ground earlier on Thursday. Almiron scored thirteen goals last season as Atlanta won the MLS Cup for the first time. The attacking midfielder previously played for Cerro Porteno in his home country and for Argentina's Lanus. 'I'm very happy and eager to start and to meet my new team-mates,' he said. 'The league is very competitive, this is a historic club, and Rafa Benitez himself were the main reasons why I am here now. I think it is a great responsibility, something beautiful for me, and I will try to offer the best I can to repay the trust the club put in me.' Rafa commented: 'We were following Miguel Almiron for a while and we saw a player with some pace in attack, who can play behind the striker. We have someone who can score goals and give assists. We know that MLS is a different challenge to the Premier League but he has the potential to do what we are expecting, and what we need. From talking to the lad, you can tell that he is really focused and wants to do well. He wants to be successful and he wants to help the team, to score goals and give assists if it is possible.' Lee Charnley was also emboldened enough to issue a statement: 'I'm delighted to bring Miguel to Newcastle United. He is a player who Rafa has wanted for a year and I appreciate he has had to wait longer than he would have liked. I would like to thank Rafa for his patience in waiting for a player he has coveted for so long. Given Miguel’s performances both in MLS and for his country, it was a question of when Atlanta United were prepared to sell him and, when they were, achieving a deal that made financial sense for us.' The Gruniad Morning Star reported that Almiron's deal consisted of sixteen million knicker up front, with an additional £4.7 million payment conditional on meeting various performance-related targets. Earlier, Newcastle had also signed defender Antonio Barreca on loan from Monaco until the end of the season with the option of a permanent deal. The twenty three-year-old former Italy under-twenty one international joined the French club last summer from Torino. 'I know that Newcastle is a big and historic club,' he said. Well, we used to be, anyway. 'I know that the people here really love football and that the fans are really behind the team.' An Italian journalist suggested that United will pay nine hundred thousand smackers as a loan fee and that there is a buyout clause fixed at just under eight million notes. Antonio becomes the third Italian-born player and fourth Italian-qualified to represent United competitively, after Alessandro Pistone and Davide Santon. Italian international Giuseppe Rossi was actually born in the USA.
Of course, this being this blogger's beloved (though, tragically, unsellable) Magpies, this oddest of odd weeks ended in more familiar style, with a one goal defeat against Stottingtot Hotshots at Wembley on Saturday. So, very much a case of 'as you were,' it would seem.
Black cats are meant to be good luck, yes? Try telling that to Everton, whose three-one Premier League defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderings was held up for several minutes by a feline pitch invader at Goodison Park. Final Score reporter John Acres filled nearly two minutes of prime-time television with a superb commentary of the cat's elegant movement across the Wolves penalty area, including the descriptive 'it looks like a fully grown cat. He drops a shoulder, jinks one way, goes another' and 'the steward's after the cat, but the cat knows it and puts in a turn of pace.' Eventually play was able to resume with referee Lee Mason adding seven minutes of injury time at the end of the game. More than one member of the crowd was heard to comment that if Everton manager Marco Silva gave the cat some boots and a blue shirt it would've got a game for his side.
Eleven Sports, the self-styled 'Netflix for Sports' controlled by the Dirty Leeds owner, Andrea Radrizzani, has saved its UK and Ireland operation from closure after reaching deals to offload the rights to Italy's Serie A and continue coverage of Spain's La Liga. In December, it emerged that the service, which launched last summer, was facing the prospect of shutting its streaming operation in the UK and Ireland after being unable to attract enough subscribers. The company attempted to renegotiate rights deals at a much cheaper rate to try and avoid pulling the plug. Eleven Sports has now concluded talks with IMG, which acts as the agent for Serie A rights, with the UK and Ireland rights for the Italian league to move to pay-TV operator Premier Sports from March until 2021. Premier Sports also picked up the rights to the Dutch Eredivisie and Chinese Super League. Eleven Sports has also concluded a new agreement with La Liga giving it 'temporary breathing space' to keep broadcasting matches in the UK and Ireland until the end of the season. In the summer, Eleven Sports will have to negotiate another deal with La Liga. 'Our priorities lie with our subscribers who we hope will experience minimal disruption as a result of these developments,' said an Eleven Sports spokesman. 'The strategic direction we have chosen allows us to focus on La Liga which not only drives real value for us in the UK and Ireland but is also a property which we continue to have a valued partnership with in five markets globally.' Eleven Sports said that as a result of the cutback in sports offered on its service existing and new subscribers will automatically see the price of its monthly pass reduced to £4.99 from 1 March. The company, which is thought to have attracted about fifty thousand subscriptions since its UK and Ireland launch in August, was charging £5.99 a month. In November, Eleven Sports struck a deal with the Scottish broadcaster STV to show two live La Liga and Serie A matches a week through its online streaming service. In October, Eleven Sports had been forced to stop its controversial practice of broadcasting European games on Saturday afternoons after pressure from football stakeholders. Eleven Sports said that despite the 'setbacks' it is still looking for new sports rights deals. Endeavour, the Hollywood talent agency which owns Ultimate Fighting Championship, the popular mixed martial arts competition and IMG hold a minority stake in Eleven Sports UK & Ireland. Eleven Sports, which also operates in markets including Poland and Portugal, is controlled via the holding company Aser, which in turn is controlled by Radrizzani. Late last year, UFC opted to move back to previous rights holder BT with a new broadcast deal.
Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha has snivellingly apologised and claims that he will 'learn' from his sending off for applauding a referee in a draw at Southampton. Zaha was extremely dismissed for 'sarcastically clapping' the referee, Andre Marriner, moments after being cautioned for tangling with James Ward-Prowse. 'All I can do is apologise to the team and the fans for my red card because I could have cost us. I will learn from it for sure,' he said. One or two people even believed him.
Goalkeepers are used to putting their bodies on the line to keep the ball out of the old onion bag, but Forest Green Rovers' James Montgomery took that cliché to something of an extreme against Mansfield Town this week. The twenty four-year-old lost some teeth in his side's one-one draw in League Two on Tuesday after being on the receiving end of a boot to his face. 'That'll interfere with his good looks for a while,' Forest Green manager Mark Cooper said after the game. 'He's got a large facial wound, an horrendous cut on his lip and he's missing a few teeth. He'll need some work done and is off to hospital to get some treatment, so we'll see how he goes in terms of how long he'll be out of action.' Montgomery later tweeted a picture of his mush from the treatment room before heading to hospital, joking that he would be setting up a fundraising page to pay for his replacement teeth. The unfortunate collision came with Montgomery's side a goal behind midway through the second half at New Lawn when Mansfield loan signing Gethin Jones' right boot caught him in a - painful - goalmouth scramble. Montgomery was forced off on sixty one minutes with the injury, making way for Reading loanee Lewis Ward who now looks set for an extended spell as first choice. Fortunately for Forest Green, the change had a positive effect as Reuben Reid netted an equaliser nine minutes later which put them fourth in the table, just two points outside the automatic promotion places.
The Football Association is reported to be 'looking into' an alleged incident of a coin being thrown in The Arse's home defeat by The Scum in the FA Cup. The Scum's Ashley Young posted a tweet after the tie with him holding the coin towards Gunners fans and the message: 'Heads we win, tails you lose.' The defender picked up the object following a melee involving opposing players towards the end of the game. The Scum won the fourth-round match three-one at The Emirates Stadium. The spat started off with Gunners left-back Sead Kolasinac and Red Devils' striker Marcus Rashford squaring up on the touchline. Jesse Lingard and team-mate Young also got themselves involved along with several of The Arse's players before Kolasinac and Rashford were booked. FA investigations into incidents such as coin-throwing involve 'seeking observations from the clubs' and, if needed, the fuzz. The governing body is expected to work with The Arse to identify the culprit and make sure they are dealt with by the club - probably by cutting off their goolies. Or something. Disciplinary charges would only follow in serious cases if the FA determined that the club concerned did not do enough to prevent or deal with the misconduct.
Marseille will play their upcoming home fixtures behind closed doors while French football's governing body investigates the events of their league defeat by Lille on Saturday. The match was held up for thirty minutes in the second half after a firework thrown by a fan exploded close to two players. A statement from the Ligue de Football Professionnel said that it had taken the decision 'as a safety measure.' Marseille's next home match is against Bordeaux on 5 February. 'Because of the nature and gravity of the facts, the committee has decided to investigate the case and during this process, as a safety measure, to play all games at the Orange Velodrome behind closed doors,' the LFP statement said. The LFP had previously ordered Marseille to close the North corner of the Orange Velodrome for the Lille and Bordeaux games 'following the use of pyrotechnic devices and the use of laser.' Marseille's Kevin Strootman and Jordan Amavi escaped unhurt from the incident and the referee took both sets of players off the field. The match had started with a ten-minute strike from home supporters in protest at the club's owners and coach. The eventful Ligue Un clash also saw nine yellow cards and one red - with former Newcastle United midfielder Florian Thauvin sent off for the hosts for two bookable offences. Which, to be fair, is two moments of action more than he ever produced at St James' Park. Lille won two-one with Pepe scoring both their goals and Mario Balotelli getting a consolation for Marseille on his debut. Marseille have won but once since late November. In that time, they have been eliminated from three cup competitions and dropped to seventh in the league.
Neil Lennon has left Hibernian but the head coach has 'not been dismissed' and has 'not resigned,' the Scottish Premiership club have said. Lennon was suspended by the club on Friday following 'an exchange' between himself and 'several club employees.' It has been reported that Lennon and his assistant, Garry Parker, were told to 'stay away' after striker Florian Kamberi was criticised at a team meeting. Hibs would only comment that the duo had left their positions 'by mutual consent.' 'Despite widespread speculation, the club confirms that neither Neil nor Garry has been guilty of any misconduct or wrongdoing and no disciplinary process has been commenced,' the statement read. 'The suspension, put in place to allow an internal review, was lifted by the club as part of this agreement.' The statement added that both Lennon and Parker 'consider that it would be in the best interests of all parties to part amicably' and 'thanked them for their efforts.' Lennon also offered his thanks to 'the board, the coaching staff, the players and all the fans for making the last two-and-a-half years so enjoyable.' He added: 'It has been my privilege to serve the club and I wish it every success in the future.' Former Glasgow Celtic and Notlob Wanderings boss Lennon took over at Easter Road in the summer of 2016 and lost just three league matches in his first season as Hibs ended a three-year period in The Championship. On their return to the top flight, the Edinburgh side finished fourth with a record points tally. This term also started well, with Hibs sitting second after eight games, but Sunday's victory at St Mirren - under the stewardship of Eddie May and Grant Murray - ended a run of five league games without a win. It lifted them up to seventh place - five points behind St Johnstone in sixth and seven behind city rivals Hearts. Hibs have also reached the Scottish Cup last sixteen and will host Raith Rovers next month. Head of academy coaching May said on Sunday that he does not want to succeed Lennon, while former Hearts player Murray has been coaching with the club since 2015.
Macclesfield Town manager Big Sol Campbell says that he has been 'surprised' by a 'really sad underbelly of abuse in football that has been left for far too long.' The Football Association is currently investigating claims that the forty four-year-old was subjected to alleged 'homophobic abuse' during The Silkmen's visit to Cheltenham on Saturday. Eleven games into his first job as manager, Campbell says that he has faced abuse from opposing supporters on the terraces and at railway stations on his way home from games. 'I'm not even playing any more. I'm a manager. It's not like I've got anything against whoever I'm playing. I don't understand why there is animosity towards a manager who has got nothing to do with their club other than being the opposition,' he said. 'I've just been a manager and I want to do my job.' Campbell played seventy three times for England and won the Premier League twice with The Arse, one of which was with The Invincibles team of 2003-04. In his 2014 autobiography, Campbell claimed to have been subjected to monkey chants by fans as a young player. Fans have often targeted Campbell with homophobic abuse. Which is apart from being sick and wrong on just about every level - also utterly bizarre as he is married and has three children. In 2014 he told the BBC: 'It's archaic. They've almost got a blueprint of a 1970s footballer and if it deviates from that in any way, that's it.' When Campbell was appointed Macclesfield manager in November, they were bottom of League Two, seven points from safety with just two wins from nineteen league games. Since then, they have won five of Campbell's eleven EFL games in charge and, while they are still in the relegation zone, they are now just two points from safety. 'I had to change nearly everything. It's important to be open and honest and a lot of the guys had to get a reality check on a lot of things. At the beginning there was no anchor and they were drifting out to sea and not knowing where they'd end up. There were fall outs. Some people like it, some people don't like it but for me, I had to get the quickest way up the mountain. We were bottom of the league, all those points adrift and regardless of what they thought of me, I really haven't got time for that. I'm here to win games and they will see how I run the show and how I carry myself. I haven't proved anyone wrong. I haven't proved anyone right. Until the end of the season I haven't proved anything but the main thing is that we stay up. I'm really fighting to make that happen.' Campbell says he is putting 'absolutely everything' into his first managerial role, whilst balancing time with his family who are still in London. Though Campbell jokes that his children had never heard of Macclesfield before he took the job, he claims that he is not planning on leaving Cheshire any time soon. 'The kids are really happy and they've come to a couple of games already. They've seen where daddy works and it's just about getting a place so they can spend more time up here.' Campbell, who also played for Sottingtot Hotshots, Portsmouth, Notts County and (very briefly) this blogger's beloved - though unsellable - Newcastle, has a UEFA Pro Licence, the highest coaching qualification available, which is mandatory for all first-team managers wishing to work in the Premier League, but Campbell isn't looking that far ahead. When he was appointed at Macclesfield he said he submitted 'at least twelve to fifteen applications' as he sought that first role. 'It's all about getting this job done right and I want to stay here as long as possible. I'm totally focused and invested in this club,' he said. 'I like where I'm living, I like the club, I like the owners, I like the people who are part of the club. I'm happy that the owner gave me a wonderful chance to manage his team and I'm eternally grateful for that and also the Macclesfield fans. I'm going to work my rear end off to really keep these guys up and at the same time enjoy it and play some good football. I've got to fight tooth and nail for my career, I have to work hard every day and that's what I'm doing here. This is my passion and people can't begrudge me fulfilling my passion.'
Italy's football federation is investigating claims that a referee racially abused a player in a non-league game between Serino and Real Sarno. The alleged incident allegedly involved Serino's Senegalese goalkeeper Gueye Ass Dia and allegedly led to his team walking off in alleged protest. The FIGC said that its investigation will 'consider reports' from the referee as well as from both clubs. Anti-discrimination group FARE condemned the alleged abuse as 'a shameful incident.' It added: 'Our message to Italian football on the alarming rise in racist incidents is simple. Enough is enough.' The alleged incident follows the alleged racist abuse of Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly in a game against Inter Milan. The game wasn't alleged, it definitely happened. Inter were subsequently ordered to play two home league games behind closed doors and a third match without opening the 'curva' section, which is popular with fans known as 'ultras'.
A team which lost a cup quarter-final thirty one-nil 'played well' despite the emphatic scoreline, the managers of both sides involved have claimed. Rayleigh Town Ladies were beaten by Billericay Town Ladies in the BBC Essex Women's Cup on Sunday. They went in at half-time fifteen-nil down and Rayleigh boss Paul MacDonald praised his team for 'not giving up.' Despite them conceding sixteen goals in the second-half. Billericay's manager, Kim Coster, said the final result 'did not reflect Rayleigh's performance.' Rayleigh play four divisions below their opponents and MacDonald said he was 'proud' of his side's efforts. He said: 'They are four leagues above us and we did really well to get there in the first place. The girls ended up a couple of goals down early on but they put a shift in. I am pleased, not at the result, but with the effort the ladies put in.' Coster said: 'Anyone at the game would have seen a really good game of football from both teams. There was some quality football played by both sides. Rayleigh have a lot of good players, they are a good young side and have a lot of potential. They came, were competitive and never gave up.' The result falls some way short of Arbroath's infamous thirty six-nil win over Bon Accord in the Scottish Cup in 1885. That was the highest margin of victory in a professional game, until a 'thrown' game between As Adema and SO l'Emyrne ended one hundred and forty nine-nil in Madagascar. Earlier this season Benfica Women twice won twenty eight-nil in their inaugural season in the Portuguese Women's League.
