A sublime goal by Fabian Schär helped to ease yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle United's relegation worries as Burnley's unbeaten eight-game Premier League run came to an end on Tuesday evening. Schär set Rafa The Gaffer's side on the way to a fourth win in six league games with an outstanding strike from around thirty yards which went in off the post at rockin' St James' Park. Burnley, who have picked up more points in 2019 than leaders Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws, fell further behind when they failed to clear Matt Ritchie's cross and twenty one-year-old academy graduate Sean Longstaff pounced for his first league goal for the club. James Tarkowski wasted Burnley's best chance when he fired over from inside the six-yard area. Newcastle's second successive win lifted them above Burnley into thirteenth in the table, seven points above the relegation zone. There is still work to do for Benitez's team to secure a third successive season in the top-tier but this was a performance full of positives. United's record signing Miguel Almirón was, again, the catalyst as he followed up his full debut against Huddersfield at the weekend with another dynamic display. His explosive pace caused Burnley's defence all sorts of problems and the Paraguayan forward is quickly being taken to by United fans who have been crying out for a new hero, with his attitude and never-say-die spirit. After he was thwarted by Tom Heaton after beating the off-side trap, he responded with a smile and was given a standing ovation when he was replaced by Paul Dummett towards the end after running himself into the ground. Longstaff, too, seemingly has a promising future at Newcastle. After Schär's exquisite finish set the hosts on their way, he showed great composure to double the lead from an acute angle. 'He is working hard, listening to staff and learning which is the main thing,' said Benitez about Longstaff. 'Having a young lad from the academy is a great example for people to follow. It is ideal for any club to have players through academy because they are cheaper and they give you more.' Newcastle were in the relegation zone as recently as 12 January following a defeat at Moscow Chelski FC left them third bottom. Almirón's mid-season arrival seems to have put a collective spring in the step on Tyneside, while the emergence of Longstaff and rediscovering the knack of winning at St James' have also elevated the mood significantly. They are slowly edging away from danger but Benitez knows that more performances like this one are needed before they can relax. This was Burnley's first league defeat since 26 December. Anchored in the relegation zone two months ago, Sean Dyche's side have transformed their season with eye-catching performances against Stottingtot Hotshots and The Scum. At St James' Park, however, they fell below the standards they have recently set.
Moscow Chelski FC goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has been fined a week's wages and has grovellingly apologised for refusing to be substituted during Sunday's Carabao Cup final defeat by Sheikh Yer Man City. The Spaniard refused to be replaced by Willy Caballero at Wembley which led to the extraordinary sight of Moscow Chelski FC manager Maurizio Sarri having a reet angry strop on the sidelines. 'Although there was a misunderstanding, on reflection, I made a big mistake with how I handled the situation,' Kepa claimed in a Moscow Chelski FC statement. One or two people even believed him. Sarri claimed that he and Kepa had, since, 'had a good conversation.' Sarri, who reacted furiously when Kepa refused to leave the field towards the end of extra-time, also claimed the incident had been 'a misunderstanding.' But he added: 'Kepa realises he made a big mistake in the way he reacted. He has apologised to me, his team-mates and the club. It is up to the club if they want to discipline him according to the club rules, but for me this matter is now closed. The team performance as a whole was extremely positive and it is a shame to see how this incident has overshadowed our efforts in what was a very competitive cup final.' Kepa, the club's record seventy one million knicker signing, defied Sarri's attempt to substitute him for Caballero before Sheikh Yer Man City eventually won the cup on penalties. The Italian appeared furious and, at one point, appeared to be in the process of walking down the tunnel before quickly returning. The twenty four-year-old former Atletico Bilbao player said: 'I wanted to take the time today to apologise fully and in person to the coach, to Willy, my team-mates and to the club. I have done this and now I want to offer the same apology to the fans. I will learn from this episode and will accept any punishment or discipline the club decides is appropriate.' The club will donate Kepa's fine to the Moscow Chelski FC Foundation. Subsequently, for all Sarri's claims that he and Kepa had, merely, had 'a misunderstanding,' Sarri made the goalkeeper 'pay' for his 'big mistake' by extremely dropping his ass to the bench before the team cast aside an air of crisis with a thoroughly deserved Premier League win over Stottingtot Hotshots on Wednesday.
Hotshots striker Harry Kane will not face any punishment following an incident with Moscow Chelski FC defender Cesar Azpilicueta on Wednesday. England captain Kane appeared to move his head towards the Spaniard in an incident during Chelsea's two-nil Premier League win at Torpedo Stamford Bridge. Kane was not punished by the referee at the time and, as the incident was seen by officials, no further action will be taken. Obviously, the fact that he is Harry Kane and not, say, Harry Smith of Rochdale, factors into the football authorities' decision to let him off with sticking his long face in where it shouldn't be. A bit like his tackle on Florian Lejeune in the opening game of last season that put the Newcastle defender out for six weeks but didn't even earn Kane a yellow card, it would appear that there is one rule for King Harry and another for everyone else.
FIFA is reportedly investigating the transfer payment for Emiliano Sala after Nantes made a claim against Cardiff City. Cardiff were due to pay the first of three instalments for the fifteen million quid striker on Wednesday. Sala, the Bluebirds' record signing, tragically died aged twenty eight in a plane crash in the English Channel on 21 January. 'We can confirm we have received a claim. We are looking into the matter,' said a spokesman for world football's governing body. As Sala's move was an international transfer, it had to go through FIFA's mandatory system. The International Transfer Certificate was completed but there were 'issues' with 'the separate matter of Premier League registration.' The ITC was registered with the Football Association of Wales and confirmed that Sala as a Cardiff player, which meant the Welsh club were liable to pay Nantes the transfer fee. A Cardiff spokesman said: 'Cardiff City remains committed to ensuring fairness and accountability with respect to the agreement between Cardiff City and FC Nantes but, first and foremost the relevant authorities must be allowed to determine the facts surrounding this tragedy. It is inappropriate to comment further at this stage.' Cardiff were due to make the first of three payments on 20 February, but they agreed with French Ligue Un side Nantes to extend the deadline by a week. Nantes wrote to Cardiff on 5 February requesting the first instalment. But Cardiff said they were withholding payment until crash investigations were complete and they were satisfied about 'anomalies' around the deal. What these 'anomalies' were and whether, had Sala not been tragically killed, Cardiff would now be whinging about these alleged 'anomalies' are not known. Chairman Mehmet Dalman claimed that Cardiff will be 'honourable' with Nantes if they are contractually obliged to pay. Which, it would appear, they most certainly are given that the transfer was completed. Bordeaux are due fifty per cent of the fee because of a sell-on clause when they sold Sala to Nantes in 2015. Sala's body was recovered from the plane wreckage but pilot David Ibbotson remains missing.
The Football Association is investigating claims that Sheikh Yer Man City made a banned payment of two hundred thousand knicker to Jadon Sancho's agent when the England winger was fourteen years old. The allegations were made in documents published by Der Spiegel. It is alleged that Sheikh Yer Man City paid Emeka Obasi when they signed Sancho, now at Borussia Dortmund, from Watford in March 2015. Young players cannot be represented by an agent until the year they turn sixteen. A Sheikh Yer Man City statement read: 'The attempt to damage the club's reputation is organised and clear. We will not be providing any comment on out of context materials purported to have been hacked or stolen from City Football Group and Manchester City personnel and associated people.' London-born Sancho joined City as a fourteen-year-old, when the Premier League champions paid sixty six grand in compensation to Watford. FA rules state that clubs are not permitted to offer financial inducements to a player under sixteen. Der Spiegel - which has published a series of revelations in recent months, including allegations Sheikh Yer Man City 'deceived' UEFA over financial fair play rules - claims the club wrote a letter to Sancho's father which outlined how much they were willing to pay the player once he turned professional. The German magazine also claims that a Sheikh Yer Man City lawyer was 'alarmed' that the letter 'could be deemed as a financial offer' and, therefore, breaking the rules about offering inducements. Der Spiegel alleges Sheikh Yer Man City paid two hundred thousand quid to Obasi as part of 'a scouting contract' to find players in Central and South America. It claims the payment was, in fact, in relation to Sancho's transfer from Watford. Sancho never made a first-team appearance for Sheikh Yer Man City before moving to German side Dortmund for eight million notes in August 2017. He has been one of the star players for the Bundesliga leaders this season, with the club describing him as 'one of the most exciting players in Europe' when they announced he had signed a new long-term contract in October. In April 2017, Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws were fined one hundred thousand smackers by the Premier League and handed a two-year ban on signing academy players from other clubs for offering inducements to a twelve-year-old academy player at Dirty Stoke.
Fulham have extremely sacked their manager Claudio Ranieri after just one hundred and six days in charge at Craven Cottage, with Scott Parker taking caretaker charge of the club, who are currently nineteen in the Premier League. The Italian's last game was Wednesday's two-nil defeat by Southampton, which left The Cottagers ten points from safety with ten league games remaining. Ranieri took over in November after the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic. Ranieri won only three of his seventeen games as manager. It included a three-two victory over Southampton in his first game, but eleven defeats have followed including an FA Cup third-round exit against League Two Oldham. Fulham chairman Shahid Khan said in a statement: 'Claudio walked into a difficult situation, inheriting a side that gained only one point in its prior eight matches and he provided an immediate boost by leading our club to nine points in his first eight matches as manager. Though we were unable to maintain that pace thereafter, I am grateful for his effort. Claudio leaves Fulham as our friend and he will undoubtedly experience success again soon. Scott's immediate assignment is merely to help us stabilise, grow and rediscover ourselves as a football club. If Scott can answer that challenge and our players respond to the opportunity, perhaps victories will follow in the months ahead.' Former Moscow Chelski FC manager Ranieri, famously, led Leicester City to a miraculous Premier League title triumph in 2016, but was dismissed by The Foxes just nine months later and was in charge for a season at French Ligue Un sides Nantes. He took over on a 'multi-year' contract at Fulham when The Cottagers were bottom of the table with five points from their opening twelve matches, but failed to oversee a significant upturn in fortunes. Ranieri added: 'I am obviously disappointed with the recent results and that we could not build on the good start we made following my appointment. Finally, I would like to thank the club, the players and the fans for the support they have given me during my time at the club.'
Beth Mead's spectacular winner helped England ladies come from behind to beat Brazil two-one in the opening game of the SheBelieves Cup. The substitute's long-range goal capped a fine comeback after The Lionesses had gone behind early on in Philadelphia. Andressa Alves put Brazil ahead from a controversial penalty after sixteen minutes. But Ellen White levelled from a tight angle early in the second-half, before Mead's brilliant screamer gave Phil Neville's side victory. A year after taking the job, Neville has now won eight of his thirteen games in charge of The Lionesses. Speaking before the match, the former England international said that even though the SheBelieves Cup is an invitational event, the results were 'crucial' with the Women's World Cup only three months away. While it was not a vintage performance from start to finish, his side's second-half showing will give them huge confidence for tough games against World Cup holders USA and Japan, who are in their group at France 2019. England's first-half performance somewhat below-par. They had few clear-cut chances and looked laboured at times, but they may have had reason to feel hard done by after the shockingly poor penalty decision. Legendary Brazilian Marta went on a blistering run into the box and was forced off the ball by Lucy Bronze. And, while England felt it - and television replays subsequently appeared to prove - was a perfectly timed challenge, the referee pointed to the spot and Andressa scored. The second-half was a different story. Just three minutes after the restart, White latched on to a lovely through-ball from Fran Kirby and, even though she was off balance, she managed to find the bottom corner for her fifth goal in the competition. England's dominance continued and substitute Mead secured the win in style with her sensational cross-shot from the right.
Dirty Leeds and the Football Association are investigating after a fan was filmed allegedly using sick racist language and gestures towards Queens Park Strangers supporters on Tuesday. A statement from the Championship club said that it was 'aware' of 'a video circulating on social media.' It continued: 'Racism will absolutely not be tolerated by Leeds United and anyone found to be racially abusive will be banned from attending all games indefinitely.' If not sooner. The Leeds United Supporters' Trust posted on social media: 'We are disappointed to see allegations of racism by a Leeds fan at the QPR game, there is no place for racism on or off the field. This is not a representation of our support base and we will ensure the club are made aware.' Queens Park Strangers said they 'take all accusations of racial abuse very seriously' and that anyone found to be guilty of such abuse will be banned from Loftus Road for life. A statement added: 'The club also received a number of videos showing the alleged offences. These videos have been passed over to the club's dedicated football officer, who will in turn forward them to his counterpart in Leeds. QPR is a family club and will not tolerate such abuse at Loftus Road.' Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out added that it had contacted both clubs and the FA and 'offered support in any potential investigation.' Dirty Leeds lost the game at Loftus Road one-nil. They would have gone top of the Championship with a victory but instead they are third in the table, two points behind leaders Norwich City with twelve games of the season remaining.
The fuzz in Scotland are investigating reports of sectarian singing at Tynecastle, as well as coin-throwing from Glasgow Celtic fans, during the league leaders' Scottish Premiership win on Wednesday. Footage showed what appeared to be 'an object' almost hitting Hearts goalkeeper Zdenek Zlamal during the game, which finished two-one to the league leaders. Police have not confirmed in what area of the ground the singing was reported. But, they have urged anyone with 'information' to contact them. Presumably, that's information related to incident in question not just, general, information - you know, like the fact that La Paz in the capital of Bolivia, for instance? It comes as Police Scotland have warned of a rise in 'sectarianism and consistently thuggish behaviour' at Scottish football. Earlier this month, Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd criticised Glasgow Celtic fans after being hit by a coin and subjected to sectarian abuse while warming up as substitute during the sides' meeting at Rugby Park. 'It's going to take someone losing an eye or somebody being seriously injured before they do something,' Boyd told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. 'Why not address it before it actually happens. There's an opportunity right now to go in and fix the problem. How we do it? I don't know. I do take that into consideration that it isn't easy to fix.' Glasgow Celtic's victory at Tynecastle, in the first game of Neil Lennon's second stint as manager, was secured thanks to a stoppage-time Odsonne Edouard goal against the ten-man hosts.
Scottish football should lift the alcohol ban at games, says Dundee United's new American owner Mark Ogren. Serious, sick disorder at the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic led to the introduction of the ban. But the Scottish FA, Scottish Government and Police Scotland are all said to be 'considering' a pilot using Euro 2020 games at Hampden. 'It would be nice if the fans could have a beer. In the States, that's part of the entertainment,' Ogren said. 'They socialise, you go out with your friends, and it would be nice for people to have a pint or two because that would enhance the entertainment value.' As it stands, Glasgow would be the only one of twelve Euro 2020 host cities where fans can not buy alcohol in the stadium.
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has been given a two-game European ban by UEFA for 'clearly receiving a yellow card on purpose.' Ramos fouled Kasper Dolberg in the eighty ninth minute with Real leading two-one, meaning he is suspended for the second leg. The Spain defender told reporters afterwards that he would be 'lying if I said I didn't force [the booking].' UEFA opened an investigation and gave him with an additional one-match ban for obtained a booking deliberately.
La Liga games will no longer take place on Mondays, says the Spanish FA's president Luis Rubiales. Alaves supporters held a mock funeral during their win over Levante in protest at the match being switched to Monday night for live TV coverage. Alaves fans also protested about fixture changes during their game against Atletico Bilbao, held on a Monday in December. 'Business is important, but fans more so,' Rubiales said on Twitter. He added: 'There will be no more football on Mondays. From next season in La Liga, there will be football on Saturdays and Sundays. We will see what happens on Fridays, if we reach a good agreement for all.' Spanish top-flight games have been played on Mondays since 2010 and while the league's organising body says the matches have 'large television audiences,' they have led to a fall in attendances at the grounds.
How's this for - perhaps, foolish - confidence, dear blog reader? The Russian Premier League side FC Ufa are so confident that they will win their home game against Dynamo Moscow on Sunday, they have offered to refund fans' their ticket prices if they lose. And, 'as a bonus' the club will offer free tickets to their next home game. 'This suggests that the guys are confident in their abilities,' Ufa general director Shamil Gazizov said. Ufa are currently third from bottom in the league in fourteenth, two places below Dynamo.
