Category: Football

The Football Association has condemned the actions of a fan at Wembley who wore a jersey referencing the Hillsborough disaster.

The Metropolitan Police Events Twitter account retweeted a picture on Saturday of a man wearing a Manchester United shirt that had the number 97 on the back and the words “Not Enough”.

Wembley was hosting the FA Cup final where Manchester City beat their rivals Manchester United.

Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and taken into custody.

On Sunday, the FA said in a statement: “The FA strongly condemns the actions of the individual who wore a shirt referencing the Hillsborough disaster ahead of the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

“We saw a photograph of the offensive shirt on social media and immediately started working to identify the perpetrator.

“Our security team were able to quickly locate the individual based on the image, and we welcome the swift action which was then taken by the police.

“We will not tolerate abuse relating to Hillsborough or any football tragedy at Wembley Stadium and we will continue to work with the authorities to ensure strong action is taken against perpetrators.”

Sharing a tweet which featured a photo of the man wearing the jersey, the Met’s events Twitter account said on Saturday: “We are aware of this and have worked proactively with officials at @wembleystadium to identify the individual.

“He has been arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and taken into custody.”

Ninety-seven football fans died as a result of a crush at a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield on April 15, 1989.

They were unlawfully killed amid a number of police errors, an inquest jury ruled in 2016.

A man has been charged after he was seen wearing a football shirt at Wembley which appeared to make an offensive reference to the Hillsborough disaster.

James White, 33, of Warwickshire, was charged on Sunday with displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, Scotland Yard said.

The Metropolitan Police Events Twitter account retweeted a picture on Saturday of a man wearing a Manchester United shirt that had the number 97 on the back and the words “Not Enough”.

Wembley was hosting the FA Cup final, where Manchester City beat local rivals Manchester United 2-1.

The Met said White was arrested “after being seen wearing a shirt which appeared to refer in offensive terms to those who died in the Hillsborough tragedy”.

He was bailed to appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on June 19.

Meanwhile, police said a further 22 people were arrested during the course of the policing operation for offences including assault, affray, possession of drugs, and drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Inquiries continue in respect of an item thrown on to the pitch shortly after the Manchester United goal, and there has been no arrest at this stage in relation to that matter.

On Sunday, the FA said in a statement: “The FA strongly condemns the actions of the individual who wore a shirt referencing the Hillsborough disaster ahead of the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

“We saw a photograph of the offensive shirt on social media and immediately started working to identify the perpetrator.

“Our security team were able to quickly locate the individual based on the image, and we welcome the swift action which was then taken by the police.

“We will not tolerate abuse relating to Hillsborough or any football tragedy at Wembley Stadium and we will continue to work with the authorities to ensure strong action is taken against perpetrators.”

Ninety-seven football fans died as a result of a crush at a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield on April 15, 1989.

An inquest jury ruled in 2016 that they were unlawfully killed amid a number of police errors.

Chelsea defender Maren Mjelde has signed a one-year contract extension that ties her to the Women’s Super League champions until the end of next season.

The Norway international joined the club from Avaldsnes in her home country in 2016 and has helped Emma Hayes’ side to five WSL titles in that time.

She scored a memorable last-ditch penalty with the final kick of extra-time to rescue Chelsea from elimination in their Champions League quarter-final against Lyon in April.

The 33-year-old told the club website: “I feel really happy, Chelsea is my club and it has been for six-and-a-half years.

“I’m happy to stay here, it’s been my home for a long time and I’m really excited for next season.”

Chelsea Women general manager Paul Green added: “We’re delighted that Maren has committed to the club for another season.

“She is one of our leaders both on and off the pitch. Her experience and quality within the group is really important.

“She’s been a big part of our success over the years and we’re looking forward to seeing her again next season.”

Chelsea wrapped up their fourth-consecutive Super League title with a 3-0 victory against Reading in May, completing the double, having already lifted the FA Cup by beating Manchester United at Wembley.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is relishing the chance to make football history in next weekend’s Champions League final.

Guardiola saw his Citizens down local rivals Manchester United 2-1 at Wembley yesterday to add an FA Cup triumph to their recent Premier League win.

Now, they can become only the second English side ever to win a perfect Treble by overcoming Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday evening.

United achieved the feat in 1999 but may soon be emulated by their noisy neighbours, with 52-year-old Guardiola urging his stars to refocus after another impressive victory in the capital.

Speaking after yesterday’s win, he explained: “What a privilege. We are one game away.

“For me, it’s incredible and remarkable to be in two finals of the Champions League and one semi-final [in the last three years].

“That is incredible. But at the end, we have to win it. I know this.

“We give more and more credit to what we have done in these many years. So far, we have done many, many good things.

“But I said to the players: ‘You have to put the pressure on yourself’. To be recognised for something good, you have to win Europe.”

Special win

Remarkably, yesterday was only the second time Guardiola has lifted the FA Cup trophy aloft.

The Catalonian coach led his side to victory in 2019 but confessed that beating the Red Devils gave him more satisfaction.

He said: “I like this competition, the FA Cup.

“We arrive many times in semi-finals and we won it years ago against Watford, but to win today is more special.

“The atmosphere was fantastic, such a lovely day and it finished perfect for us.

“The FA Cup is so nice. I remember in Spain and Germany, thinking this is a special competition.

“We now have one more to go and we feel it that we are in a position we probably will never be again.”

Ilkay Gundogan’s two sublime strikes at the start of each half were enough to cancel out Bruno Fernandes’ penalty in front of a crowd of 83,179.

Real Madrid have confirmed that Karim Benzema will leave the club this summer after 14 years at the Bernabeu.

The Frenchman’s imminent departure was confirmed by Los Blancos this morning in a statement amid reports of a big-money move to Saudi Arabia.

His contract in the Spanish capital expires at the end of the month, with Sunday’s home match against Athletic Bilbao set to be the club legend’s farewell to his adoring fans.

A statement read: “Real Madrid and our captain Karim Benzema have agreed to end his brilliant and unforgettable period as a player for our club. 

“Real Madrid wants to show its gratitude and all its affection for who is already one of our greatest legends.

“Karim’s career at Real Madrid has been an example of behavior and professionalism, and has represented the values ​​of our club. Karim  has earned the right to decide his future. 

“Madridistas and all the fans around the world have enjoyed his magical and unique football, which has made him one of the great myths of our club and one of the great legends of world football. 

“Real Madrid is and will always be his home, and he wishes him and all his family the best in this new phase of his life.”

Benzema, 35, joined Real from Lyon in 2009 and has played a key role in one of the club’s most successful periods in history.

His honours included five Champions League titles, four LaLiga crowns, three Copa del Rey trophies and the 2022 Ballon d’Or, cementing him as one of the game’s modern-day icons.

As well as Sunday’s LaLiga finale, a separate farewell event will be held next Tuesday, June 6, at Real Madrid City with club president Florentino Perez set to be in attendance.

Benzema is widely expected to join Saudi Pro League outift Al-Ittihad, where he would square off domestically against former Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Reports have suggested the Frenchman will put pen-to-paper on a deal worth over £340million.

Saturday’s Scottish Cup final ironed out the European qualifiers and plans for next season.

Celtic’s win over Inverness denied Caley Thistle a place in Europe and ensured Hibernian qualified through their fifth-placed finish in the cinch Premiership.

The result guaranteed group-stage football for Aberdeen and also gave Hearts a later start.

Here the PA new agency looks at Scotland’s five European qualifiers.

Entry: Champions League group stage
Draw date: August 31
First game: September 19-20

Possible opponents: Celtic will be in pot four, meaning they cannot draw Newcastle for example. Although the seeds have not been finalised, a worst-case draw could see the Hoops facing Manchester City, Real Madrid and Milan. A kinder draw could see them come up against Benfica, RB Leipzig and Red Star Belgrade.

Prospects: Celtic will need to finish in the top three of their group to extend their European run beyond Christmas. A top-two finish would see them enter the Champions League knockout stages while third secures entry to the Europa League.

Entry: Champions League third-qualifying round
Draw date: July 24
First game: August 8-9

Possible first opponents: Michael Beale’s side have four possible opponents in the non-champions path, including Sturm Graz and Serbians TSC Backa Topola. Other potential opponents could be Servette, Panathinaikos or Belgian or Ukrainian sides.

Prospects: Rangers will be looking to make the Champions League group stages again and will need to win two ties to do so. Defeat at either stage would see them drop into the Europa League. They are guaranteed group-stage football whatever happens with two qualifying defeats sending them into the Europa Conference League.

Entry: Europa League play-offs
Draw date: August 7
First game: August 24

Possible first opponents: There are a host of variables before the Dons enter the fray but Swiss side Lugano will definitely be among their six possible opponents, while Slavia Prague and Olympiacos might also be on the list.

Prospects: The Dons will reach the Europa League group stage if they win their play-off and drop into the Conference groups if not.

Entry: Europa Conference League third-qualifying round
Draw date: July 24
First game: August 10

Prospects: Hearts will need to win two ties to secure a second consecutive season in the Conference League group stages.

Possible first opponents: Hearts will be unseeded and earlier rounds will determine the list of seeds but AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Kyiv, Partizan Belgrade and Rapid Vienna will be among them.

Entry: Europa Conference League second-qualifying round
Draw date: June 20-21
First game: July 27

Prospects: Hibs need to win three ties to make the group stages.

Possible first opponents: Hibs will be seeded and a list of 45 unseeded clubs will be split into groups nearer the draw date. UEFA normally uses a regional basis when formulating the groups so potential opponents could be Swedish sides Hammarby or Kalmar plus, depending on earlier results, Crusaders or Connah’s Quay.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has instructed the club’s board to bring Harry Kane to the Bernabeu.

Speculation is rife about the future of the England captain, 29, after Spurs finished a lowly eighth in the Premier League. 

That was despite their talisman netting 30 top-flight goals in a season for only the second time of his prolific career.

Failure to qualify for any continental competition has left Kane considering his options and the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Newcastle are all keen to pounce.

However, The Athletic claim Madrid are also ready to make their presence felt in the race after their own No9, Karim Benzema, finally confirmed his intention to explore pastures new.

The Frenchman, 35, has been strongly considering a lucrative offer from a Saudi Arabian club and Madrid announced his decision to move on from the Spanish capital in a statement on Sunday morning.

Now, Ancelotti has told Los Blancos president Florentino Perez that Kane would be the ideal replacement.

The Italian, 63, did not exactly pour cold water on speculation when asked about Kane yesterday.

He said: “I have always said that Kane is a great player, but he plays for Tottenham and we have to respect the player and Tottenham.”

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is not actively looking to sell his prized asset but is in danger of losing Kane for free next summer when his current deal expires. 

In other news

Reports in the Netherlands suggest Ryan Gravenberch, 21, could depart Bayern Munich only 12 months after joining, with Manchester United and Liverpool on red alert.

Chelsea will make Sporting’s Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte, 22, their first signing of the summer, according to Portuguese outlet Record.

The Leicester Mercury say the Foxes and Wolves will miss out on £10million-rated Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, 23, who is set to stay put at the Stadium of Light. 

Manchester City were greeted by singer Elton John as they touched down at Manchester Airport on their return from winning the FA Cup at Wembley.

The club posted videos of the squad posing for pictures with the 76-year-old on the tarmac as they disembarked from their plane late on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola said in advance of the final, which City won 2-1 against Manchester United to secure the second leg of a possible treble, that he had attended John’s concert in the city last week as he sought to take his mind off a defining period in the club’s history.

The club’s Twitter feed headed one of the videos “you can tell everybody we have won the FA Cup”, a reference to a line from the 1971 hit Your Song.

City were victorious at Wembley thanks to a goal in either half from Ilkay Gundogan – his first the fastest in FA Cup final history – as they added the trophy to the Premier League title they won in May.

They face Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday seeking to become only the second English club after Manchester United to have won all three major trophies in a single season.

Roddy MacGregor believes Inverness’ performance in the 3-1 Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic can boost their promotion confidence for next season.

The Championship side had beaten cinch Premiership outfits Livingston and Kilmarnock on their way to Saturday’s Hampden Park showpiece but had finished sixth in the league.

Celtic proved too tough an opponent as goals from attackers Kyogo Furuhashi, substitute Liel Abada and Jota completed the domestic treble with Caley Thistle replacement Dan MacKay’s header a consolation.

However, MacGregor – a late second-half substitute for Scott Allardice – insists positives can be taken from the performance going into next season.

The 21-year-old midfielder said: “We went toe-to-toe with the best team in the country at the moment and in previous rounds we had beaten Premiership teams.

“It just shows that when we are on our game we can give any team a game and that definitely gives us confidence going into next season.

“We were disappointed obviously, it is never nice to lose in such a big game. It is not a nice feeling.

“Up against a team like Celtic it is always going to be tricky but I think we did reasonably well and limited their chances.

“We genuinely thought we could win the game and that’s the sign of a good dressing room and we are looking to go again next season and hopefully we have a fully-fit squad.”

MacKay, on loan from Hibernian, was pleased that Inverness proved the doom-mongers wrong with their spirited performance.

The 22-year-old winger said: “The boys can be proud of themselves. We put up a really good battle.

“Everyone doubted us and said it would be six or seven nil but we proved them wrong and showed that a Championship team that was midtable was more than a match at times for Celtic but they were clinical at the end of the day.

“If you get a goal you never know what can happen in these games. Pressure happens and chances come and go in games.

“We took our chance but unfortunately we never got another chance and Celtic were clinical.

“But we need to be proud, it was an achievement getting there.”

Asked about his future with Hibs, he said: “I don’t know yet. I wait to see what happens.”

Carl Starfelt believes he has taken “very big steps” under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou as speculation about the Celtic boss’ future continues apace.

The backdrop to the Hoops’ 3-1 Scottish Cup final win over Championship side Inverness at Hampden Park on Saturday was the link between the former Australia manager and Tottenham.

Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada and Jota rendered Dan MacKay’s header a consolation as the Parkhead club completed their eighth domestic treble – a world record.

Fans hero Postecoglou arrived at Parkhead in June 2021 and brought in the Sweden centre-back from Rubin Kazan the following month and Starfelt – who insisted that he had no knowledge of what his boss intended to do – has enjoyed his development as a player in that period.

He said: “Obviously, he brought me here. I was one of the first signings he made and he has given me a lot of trust.

“He has been really good for me and my development, also the way he wants centre-backs to play is really developing.

“I feel that I have been taking very big steps and also he demands the very best from every player which makes us better.

“So, obviously he has been really good for me and a lot of the players.”

Starfelt acknowledged the widespread influence of Postecoglou at Celtic, where he arrived after the league title had decanted to Rangers, wresting it back to the east end of Glasgow at the first attempt.

He said: “It is really important for the club – everyone can see that.

“He came in when it was a really tough period and has done this rebuild. He is just a really good manager and everyone knows he is really important for the club but we will have to wait and see what happens, I don’t know.

“After the game he said that he was really proud of everyone.

“He knows how hard we have been working all season, not only in the games, coming into training every day with 100 per cent focus, which is what is needed to achieve this kind of thing as it is not easy. It took a lot to get us to this place.

“We have been working really hard all season. I am really happy, delighted, happy and proud of the boys and the staff.

“We worked so hard and the treble is not an easy thing to achieve so I’m really happy.”