Month: February 2023

Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva has suffered damage to his knee ligaments, the club have confirmed.

Silva was substituted after just 19 minutes in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Tottenham.

The Blues did not commit to a timeframe of recovery, though reports have suggested the 38-year-old Brazilian could be absent for up to six weeks.

“Having sustained a knee injury during the first half of Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, Thiago underwent further assessment and a scan on his return to the training centre on Monday,” a club statement read.

“Scan results from those assessments have confirmed damage to Thiago’s knee ligaments and he will now work closely with the club’s medical department during his rehabilitation to return to action as soon as possible.”

It is the latest blow in a difficult period for Graham Potter’s side, who sit 10th in the Premier League having lost their last three games, not won in six and only triumphed in two of their last 15 outings.

Silva – who has made 109 appearances for Chelsea since arriving in 2020 – signed a new deal with the club earlier this month until the end of the 2023-24 season.

Noel Le Graet resigned as president of the French Football Federation at Tuesday’s executive committee meeting following recent allegations of moral and sexual harassment.

The 81-year-old firmly denied all accusations against him after prosecutors confirmed in January an investigation into his conduct had been opened.

He temporarily stepped back from his role as president after agent Sonia Souid made accusations against him, but now he has formally left the post.

In an RMC interview, Souid outlined how her belief was that in their dealings from 2013 to 2017, Le Graet saw her as an object of his sexual desire.

Le Graet has also been accused of improper conduct in relation to female employees. The FFF filed a defamation suit against So Foot magazine, the publication in which a number of allegations were made.

Confirming the anticipated departure of its president, the FFF said in a statement: “Noel Le Graet announced this Tuesday, February 28 to the executive committee of the French Football Federation his decision to leave office.

“Philippe Diallo, vice-president, will act as interim president of the FFF until June 10, 2023, the date of the next federal assembly.”

The FFF said it wished “to salute the remarkable sporting and economic results” achieved during Le Graet’s presidency, since he was elected to office on June 18, 2011.

It pointed to strong results on the pitch, which have included a 2018 World Cup triumph for Didier Deschamps’ men’s team, plus “an ambitious training policy”, and said there had been major growth on the participation side in the women’s game.

Le Graet departs with the FFF as “a solid institution”, the statement added, pointing to it having €56million in equity.

As well as the more serious claims made against him, Le Graet also came under fire after his bizarre comments about Zinedine Zidane in the wake of confirming Deschamps’ new contract.

Kylian Mbappe was among those to criticise Le Graet, who said he would not “give a toss” if Zidane called about the possibility of taking over Les Bleus.

Erik ten Hag is putting in the right building blocks to get Manchester United challenging for the biggest honours once again but it is too soon to declare the Red Devils are back, says Andrew Cole.

United earned their first piece of major silverware in six years by beating Newcastle 2-0 in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley, with first-half goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford enough to seal victory.

It is the latest tick in a first season of positives under Ten Hag, whose side still harbour trophy ambitions in the FA Cup and Europa League, while a Premier League title charge is not out of the question, albeit they trail leaders Arsenal by eight points.

Red Devils legend Cole, part of the famous 1999 treble-winning United side, acknowledged the upward trajectory Ten Hag has the club on but cautioned there is still a long way to go to bridge the gap to rivals Manchester City, who have won the title in four of the past five seasons and are only two points adrift of the Gunners this time around.

He said: “We need to remember a lot of teams [used to] disregard the League Cup, now the League Cup has become a big competition.

“I’m very, very happy obviously we won the League Cup and with Ten Hag, but let’s put things into perspective here, it’s his first season. We’ve got to be very honest, we know there’s a big gap between ourselves and Manchester City.

“We can talk about at the present moment there’s only five points difference but if we look at the whole of the last few seasons we’ve not been close. 

“So I’m not going to look at this year and say ‘we’re back’. It’s fantastic that we’ve had the opportunity to win the cup, but I think we’re still a little bit away. If we keep improving like we are at the moment it won’t be too much longer.”

Cole, who scored 121 goals in 275 appearances for United, believes the Carabao Cup triumph is only part of the process to getting the club challenging regularly for league titles once again.

He added: “I was sitting here watching the game and hoping that this is the start of something new.

“To win the league you’ve got to be the best team for 38 games. So that’s the process, that takes time, that’s not going to take you one or two years, it’s going to take a little bit longer. 

“If you look at for instance, Manchester City, they’ve won the League Cup numerous times, then they’ve gone on to win the league numerous times. 

“I think he’s [Ten Hag] building blocks. If you look at his building blocks, obviously Manchester United are in a position where they’ve won the League Cup. But let’s build on that. Get from now to the end of the season finished in the Champions League spot. And then you go next season. 

“I’m not going to sit and say Manchester United are going to win the league next season. 

“I know how difficult that’s going to be. Just because we won the League Cup this season I don’t believe we’re going to win the Premier League next season by 15 points. No, it doesn’t quite happen like that, everything is a process.”

United have had plenty of false dawns since legendary manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with the likes of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all ultimately falling short in their attempts to restore past glories – even though the two former coaches did win trophies.

Cole believes Ten Hag can lean on Ferguson for advice but ultimately step out of his shadow.

He said: “I think with Ten Hag we all know he’s got a pinch on the game and how he wants to run the football club, he’s very good with discipline.

“From the outside looking in, I could say possibly that’s what Ten Hag is doing at Manchester United – leaning on Sir Alex Ferguson for his knowledge. 

“But at some stage you’re going to look at things and address things in a totally different way. So, I think to take it on board that Sir Alex Ferguson is there and he’s going to be there period.

“There’s no point to try to fight against him because I think when people try and fight against it then it seems to cause more problems than anything else, it seems like they’ve got a very good relationship which is only a positive thing.”

Chelsea have continued to struggle in recent weeks despite their busy transfer activity during the January window.

The Blues have failed to score in their past three games, all defeats, and won only once in their past 11 games in all competitions.

Chelsea have only scored four goals in those 11 games this calendar year, with the situation putting pressure on new manager Graham Potter.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO TURN TO TAMMY

Chelsea could turn to former striker Tammy Abraham from Roma in the off-season, according to Football Insider.

There is a £70.5million (€80m) clause in Abraham’s Roma contract that would allow the Blues to bring him back to Stamford Bridge which they intend to trigger, according to the report.

Chelsea have struggled for goals lately and view Abraham as a cheaper alternative to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

ROUND-UP

– L’Equipe reports Kylian Mbappe will still leave Paris Saint-Germain in the near future even if he extends his contract. Mbappe’s deal expires next year, but there is talk that PSG are looking to seal an extension for financial purposes.

– Arsenal have submitted a £35m (€40m) bid to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio, claims Calciomercato. Fichajes says the Gunners are also interested in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta as another midfield option.

– Real Madrid will rival Barcelona and Chelsea in the pursuit to sign Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, reports Corriere dello Sport.

– Barcelona are interested in signing Julian Alvarez from Manchester City on loan, claims Mundo Deportivo, while the English champions have offered him a one-year contract extension until 2028 on improved terms, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Liverpool‘s plans to overhaul their midfield next season mean they have Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat and Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo in their sights, per Fichajes.

– Football Insider reports Liverpool are also monitoring N’Golo Kante‘s situation at Chelsea with talks ongoing over a contract extension.

Nick Bontis has resigned as president of Canada Soccer as the federation still has not secured a collective bargaining agreement with its national teams.

Canada Soccer has come under increasing pressure from its men’s and women’s sides amid a pay dispute.

The women’s team planned a strike earlier this month but backtracked following the threat of legal action.

They played instead “under protest” and openly discussed the possibility of boycotting an April camp if an agreement has not been reached by that stage.

Bontis’ departure perhaps hints at some form of progress, however, as both the men’s and women’s teams have asked for changes to Canada Soccer’s leadership.

As his exit – effectively immediately – was confirmed on Monday, Bontis said in a statement: “Canada Soccer and both of our national team programs have the real potential to sign a historic collective bargaining agreement.

“Once signed, it will be a landmark deal that will set our nation apart from virtually every other FIFA member association.

“While I have been one of the biggest proponents of equalising the competitive performance environment for our women’s national team, I will unfortunately not be leading this organisation when it happens. I acknowledge that this moment requires change.”

If Manchester United are not already back, they will be “sooner or later”, according to rival manager Pep Guardiola.

United beat Newcastle United 2-0 in Sunday’s EFL Cup final to win their first major honour in six years.

Victory at Wembley brought tangible reward for an impressive first season under Erik ten Hag, who has United third in the Premier League and still in the Europa League and FA Cup.

There have been false dawns for United previously in the post-Alex Ferguson era, but Guardiola, the Manchester City boss, was asked if they were now “back”.

“First and foremost, congratulations to United for the Carabao Cup, for the final – Newcastle as well, that the game was entertaining,” Guardiola said.

“Yes, sooner or later, it should happen, shouldn’t it? Couldn’t it? It should happen. Welcome.”

United, in the midst of a takeover saga, would be a more serious threat if they “spend a little bit more money” according to the City manager.

Assessing Ten Hag’s side, Guardiola added: “It’s normal, they are in the position they normally should be.

“But the reality, with those teams, especially Liverpool and Manchester United, in the last years what we have done is incredible, the numbers. Always when I landed here, I thought United always would be there for the history, for everything.

“So, Erik is doing incredible job. The players, you see how committed they are, how all together they try to do it.

“When you have many years, five, six years without winning one title, when you have that challenge… I remember when we won the first Carabao Cup, when we travelled to win the Carabao Cup, and everyone was so excited to do it.

“[For the] staff it was new, for the players it was new. The fourth time we travelled there to win the fourth Carabao Cup in a row, it was okay, it was another one and another day in the office. It’s normal, that is normal.

“United has to be there. [City are] always having big opponents that we were better than in previous seasons and now it’s close. And I thought that would happen in the Premier League.”

Reece James has vowed Chelsea will stick together no matter what as they battle to salvage their season. 

The Blues are on a miserable run and have not won since beating Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on January 15. 

Graham Potter’s beleaguered side have picked up just three points from their last five Premier League outings, while the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund saw the two-time winners slip to a 1-0 defeat. 

Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Tottenham ramped up the pressure on Potter but James insists everyone at the club is giving it their all to return to winning ways.

The England ace, who took the captain’s armband against Spurs when Thiago Silva was forced off by injury, said: “The media and everyone on the outside make a lot of noise about the form we’re in.

“We know where we are in the table and we know the results haven’t been up to standard.

“It’s something we are working on as a team and as a group. And as I said earlier, we’re sticking together to put this right.

“We’re not where we want to be and expectations at this club are very high. 

“A lot has happened this season. We’ve had the change of ownership, new coaching staff come in and we’ve got a lot of new players and it’s not always easy to adapt straight away.

“We have to buy into what we stand for. We’re all working hard and hopefully better times are around the corner.”

Goals from Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane saw 10th-placed Chelsea leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium empty-handed. 

And James was quick to admit that Skipp’s 46th-minute stunner was a bitter body blow. 

He added: “We knew coming to Tottenham would be a tough game and our aim coming into the game was to win.

“Conceding so early in the second half didn’t help with our confidence but all we can do is work through this.

“We’re sticking together, we’re working hard and hopefully with time we can get to where we need to be.”

Chelsea host relegation-haunted Leeds in a must-win contest on Saturday before taking on Dortmund in the return leg of their knockout tie at the Bridge next Tuesday.  

Lionel Messi thanked his Argentina team-mates for a “dream” year after winning the Best FIFA Men’s Player award for a second time.

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar pipped club-mate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to the top accolade at Monday’s ceremony in Paris.

Messi played a starring role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, finishing as Golden Ball winner after scoring seven goals and assisting three more.

He also impressed at club level in the first half of the 2022-23 season, which was taken into account in the voting, after scoring 11 goals and assisting 14 more in 18 games.

That equalled the 35-year-old’s tally in both categories across 34 matches in his maiden campaign at the Parc des Princes. 

Upon collecting his Best FIFA award, which he previously won in 2019, Messi said: “Wow, this is amazing. It’s been a tremendous year and it’s an honour to win this award.

“Without my team-mates, I wouldn’t be here. I achieved the dream I had been hoping for so long. Very few people can achieve that and I have been lucky to do so.

“It’s the most wonderful thing that’s happened to me in my career.”

Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski as two-time winners of the trophy, with Luka Modric the only other winner since the award was first handed out in 2016.

Lionel Scaloni was crowned the Best FIFA Men’s Coach, meanwhile, and Emiliano Martinez ensured it was a clean sweep for Argentina by taking the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper award.

In the women’s prizes, Sarina Wiegman took the Best FIFA Women’s Coach award for a third time and Alexia Putellas pipped Beth Mead to the Best FIFA Women’s Player accolade.

England and Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps was named the Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper.

Holders Chelsea will travel to Reading in the Women’s FA Cup quarter-finals on March 19. 

Emma Hayes’ side are targeting a third successive title and fifth overall having dispatched Arsenal 2-0 in the fifth round. 

Lewes, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, host Women’s Super League leaders Manchester United in what will be their first appearance in the quarters. 

Alongside Lewes, Birmingham City are the second Women’s Championship side still left in the tournament and they face Brighton at home. 

Completing the draw is Manchester City’s visit to Aston Villa. 

Women’s FA Cup quarter-final draw

Reading vs Chelsea 

Aston Villa vs Manchester City 

Lewes vs Manchester United

Birmingham City vs Brighton

All ties to be played on Sunday, March 19.

Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina forward Lionel Messi has won the Best FIFA Men’s Player award for a second time.

Messi saw off competition from club-mate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema to collect the award at Monday’s ceremony in Paris.

The award spans the period between the start of the 2021-22 season through to the end of the World Cup, which saw Messi end Argentina’s 36-year wait to win the competition.

Former Barcelona superstar Messi claimed the Golden Ball award in Qatar – given to the best player of the tournament – after scoring seven goals and assisting three more.

Those 10 direct goal involvements were matched by Mbappe, who finished as top scorer, but that was not enough to see the France forward win his first Best FIFA award.

Messi made a slow start to life at PSG by his own personal high standards, scoring 11 goals and assisting 14 in 34 games in his maiden campaign at the Parc des Princes.

However, the 35-year-old – who has also won a record seven Ballons d’Or – matched those figures in his first 18 games this season ahead of the World Cup.

Messi, who previously won the Best FIFA award in 2019, joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski as two-time winners, having also finished as a runner-up three times.