Football News, Results & Other Worldwide Articles in General

Marc Overmars: Fifa extends ex-Netherlands winger's ban to global game..

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Overmars played for Ajax, Arsenal and Barcelona during his playing career

Ex-Netherlands winger Marc Overmars' suspension from holding a post in Dutch football has been extended to a global ban by world governing body Fifa.

An independent Dutch sports tribunal banned Overmars for two years - with one year suspended - in November 2023.

The punishment followed his sending a "series of inappropriate messages to several female colleagues" while he was director of football at Ajax.

Overmars, 50, left his role at Ajax in February 2022.

He is currently technical director at Belgian side Royal Antwerp.

"Fifa can confirm that following a request by the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), the Fifa Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the sanction imposed by KNVB on Mr Marc Overmars to have worldwide effect," read a Fifa statement.

Overmars made more than 130 appearances for Ajax between 1992 and 1997 and won three league titles, the Dutch cup and the Champions League before joining Arsenal, where he won the Double with the Gunners.

He later joined Barcelona, and following retirement he spent 10 years as director of football affairs at Ajax.

"I am ashamed," Overmars said in 2022 when he left Ajax because of his messages to female colleagues.

"Certainly for someone in my position this behaviour is unacceptable. I now see that but it is too late. I see no other option but to leave Ajax."

Sven-Goran Eriksson: Former England manager says he has cancer and 'best case a year' to live..

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Sven-Goran Eriksson led England to a 5-1 win over Germany in Munich during qualification for the 2002 World Cup

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson says he has "best case a year" to live after being diagnosed with cancer.

The 75-year-old Swede was the first foreign coach to manage England and led the side to the quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cup and 2004 Euros.

"I'm going to resist for as long as I can," Eriksson told Swedish Radio P1.

"I have an illness that's serious. Best case a year, I have worst case a lot less. It's impossible to say exactly, so it's better to not think about it."

Eriksson, who had a 42-year career in management, stood down from his most recent role as sporting director at Swedish club Karlstad 11 months ago because of health issues.

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He said he was trying to stay positive and "make something good" from his cancer diagnosis.

"You try to trick the brain, it's too easy to succumb and become negative and get stuck at home. Better to try and see positives and not give in during hard times," he said.

Eriksson began his managerial career with Degerfors in 1977 before joining fellow Swedish side Gothenburg, where he won the Swedish title, two Swedish cups and the 1981 Uefa Cup.

He then went on to enjoy two spells with Portuguese giants Benfica as well as Italian sides Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Lazio - where he won seven trophies including the Serie A title, two Italian Cups and the Uefa Cup Winners' Cup.

Eriksson resigned from his post at Lazio in January 2001 to succeed Kevin Keegan as England manager.

After a five year stint, it was announced in January 2006 that Eriksson was to leave his role following that summer's World Cup in Germany despite having two years left on his contract.

No official reason was given for his departure at the time, though the Swede had come under pressure after being caught in a newspaper sting by a tabloid journalist.

Eriksson went on to have a varied managerial career following his England departure, including spells with Manchester City and Leicester City, along with roles with national sides Mexico, Ivory Coast and the Philippines.

His final club jobs were with Chinese Super League sides Guangzhou R&F, Shanghai SIPG and Shenzhen between 2013 and 2017, while his final managerial position was a 10-game spell as Philippines boss between October 2018 and January 2019.

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Total Managerial Stats: Games 1,207, W629, D308, L270 = 52.11 Win % - Clubs: England, Manchester City, Leicester City, Benfica, Roma, Lazio + 10 others...

SUNDAY 14th JANUARY 2024 - AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS - GROUP B

Egypt 2 (Abdalla 2, Salah 90+7 pen) Mozambique 2 (Quembo 55, Palmirim David Baúque 58)

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Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has finished as a runner-up at the Africa Cup of Nations twice, at the 2017 and 2021 finals

Mohamed Salah's injury-time penalty spared Egypt's blushes against Mozambique in their Group B opener at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

A regulation victory looked on the cards when Mostafa Mohamed put the Pharaohs ahead after just 89 seconds.

Quickfire second-half goals from Witi and Clesio gave the Mambas hope of recording a first-ever Afcon win.

But their dreams were dashed at the death when Edmilson Macandza caught Mohamed, and Salah salvaged a draw.

The Video Assistant Referee had intervened to recommend that referee Dahane Beida go to the screen to review the challenge, and Salah kept his composure to net his spot-kick off the inside of the left-hand upright in the seventh minute of added time.


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Afcon 2023: Ghana boss Chris Hughton backed '100%' by Black Stars after fan hotel altercation..By Michael Beardmore, BBC Sport.

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Chris Hughton has reportedly 'been attacked at his team's hotel' by a fan after Ghana suffered a shock loss to Cape Verde

Ghana insist they are "100%" behind boss Chris Hughton after a row with a fan followed their shock Africa Cup of Nations defeat by Cape Verde.

The Black Stars lost 2-1 to the minnows on Sunday and the loss was Hughton's fourth defeat in 11 games in charge.

Some reports suggested Hughton, 65, had been assaulted by a fan when the team returned to their hotel but Ghana said it was only a "verbal altercation".

"We've dealt with the issue internally," a Ghana spokesperson said.

Former Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Newcastle manager Hughton became Ghana coach in February 2022, having previously been a technical advisor in the Black Stars' set-up.

Four-time Afcon champions Ghana were unbeaten in their first five games under the former Tottenham full-back but have lost four of their past six.

Two of those defeats have been significant upsets, the loss to Cape Verde following on from a World Cup qualification shock at Comoros in November.

"We have had a meeting with the coach and gave him 100% assurance that we are solidly behind him," Ghana FA's spokesperson Henry Asante-Twum added to BBC Sport.

"We think it is possible for the team to win the two remaining matches to make it to the next round."

Asante-Twum said that security at Ghana's hotel had been "beefed up" after the incident that involved a single supporter who confronted Hughton about the team's under-performance.

"There was only a verbal confrontation," he added. "He was actually trying to get closer to the coach and then the security on duty intervened - there was no arrest but security took him away from the scene.

"Normally after games, tempers are high, emotions go up - we will try as much as possible to not allow this thing to repeat itself."

Jose Mourinho: Roma sack manager who brought them European success..By Jonty Colman, BBC Sport.

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Jose Mourinho leaves Roma with the club ninth in Serie A, out of Coppa Italia and with two red cards in his final three matches

After 929 days that included European glory, red cards and effervescent quotes, Jose Mourinho's Roma spell has come to an end.

In what was the 60-year-old's 10th full-time role as a manager, his time in the Italian capital saw him win the hearts of the Giallorossi.

However a faltering league campaign, poor discipline and another defeat by city rivals Lazio signalled the end of his spell in Rome.

How did it go so wrong for Mourinho after successive European finals which appeared to signal a resurgent Roma - and where does a manager who just days ago compared himself to Harry Potter go next?

It is often said about Mourinho that his third or fourth season in a job is where it starts to go downhill and the same could certainly be said for him at the Stadio Olimpico, with this being his fifth role to end within its third season.

Back-to-back sixth places finishes in Serie A going into this campaign were no more than satisfactory compared to seventh, fifth and sixth place finishes immediately prior to Mourinho's reign. It was through runs in Europe where Mourinho would find success and more importantly, win the hearts of the Roma faithful.

His appointment in the summer of 2021, just weeks after being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur, came with the chance to lead Serie A's first representatives in the inaugural Europa Conference League.

Among the bigger footballing nations, there was questioning of the need for a third-tier European competition. However, Roma's 1-0 win in the final over Feyenoord in Tirana, matched with post-match tears from the well-travelled and highly successful Mourinho gave the competition an immediate level of credence.

Having already won the Champions League, both formats of the Uefa Cup and Europa League and then the Europa Conference League, he marked the triple crown with a tattoo, which he says was partly because of the love he felt from the Roman public.

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Jose Mourinho in tears after winning the 2022 Europa Conference League final

Last season, Roma went all the way to a tournament final in Europe again, only this time in the Europa League - the sixth European final of Mourinho's managerial career, losing to Sevilla on penalties.

Heading into this season, there was some surprise Mourinho stayed at Roma after disagreements over what he was allowed to do in the transfer market and links to taking the Paris St-Germain job at the end of last season.

Finances were limited because of the risk of breaching Europe's Financial Fair Play regulations, meaning loan signings and free transfers were the maximum Roma could manage. That however did not stop them from signing big names such as Romelu Lukaku, Renato Sanches and Houssem Aouar.

Six games into this Serie A season, Roma were sat in 16th place with just five points.

At that point, Mourinho said that he wasn't the problem. "Three months ago the idea of me leaving was seen almost as a tragedy," he said.

"I received the biggest and craziest offer a coach has ever received in the history of football. And I turned it down.

"Three months later, it seems like I'm the problem. I can't accept that."

Their only win in that run had come in the form of a 7-0 victory over Empoli, the biggest win of any side in Serie A since 1961, properly fitting the chaos that often goes with a Mourinho managerial reign.

In a fluctuating season all-round, Europe was again a big boost for Roma and Mourinho's success. They finished second in their Europe League group, setting up a tie against Feyenoord for a third straight season, with a place in the round of 16 up for grabs.

Domestic results had started to pick up after a slow start. As recently as a month ago, Roma had been sat in fourth place and in contention for a place in next season's Champions League.

Even in that run of better form, Mourinho could not keep himself out of the headlines, getting sent off for making crying gestures at officials during a 1-0 win over 10-man Monza in October.

Then, after a run of one win in six matches that included dropping to ninth in the table, two red cards and a Coppa Italia exit to arch-rivals Lazio, a departure seemed an inevitability as opposed to a possibility.

Mourinho's discipline, getting sent off in back-to-back defeats, in the build-up to Sunday's 3-1 defeat by AC Milan meant that his final match as Roma's manager was one that he could only watch from the stands.

As Roma manager, Mourinho's win percentage of 49% was his lowest for two decades. In Serie A, his win percentage of 45.8% was eclipsed by form in Europe with just three defeats in 36 and a 58.3% win rate and triumphs including the club's first major honour in 14 years.

Last Thursday's Coppa Italia exit to arch-rivals Lazio was Roma's fourth defeat in six against their rivals since Mourinho's arrival.

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Jose Mourinho was sent off in back-to-back matches against Atalanta and Lazio earlier this month

Mourinho's support from Roma fans was shown by a run of more that 40 straight sell-out Stadio Olimpico crowds during his tenure, but the latest loss to Lazio and a Coppa Italia exit marked the beginning of the end.

In the statement announcing his departure, Roma said: "We thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for the passion and commitment he has shown since his arrival in the Giallorossi,

"We will always have great memories of his stewardship, but we believe that, in the best interests of the club, immediate change is necessary."

If ever there was a statement that showed its gratitude but also unwanted reality it was this.

Changing fortunes was a must, but the memories will simply last a lifetime for Mourinho, his Roma players and the club's fan base.

Man City 'will be relegated from Premier League' if found guilty of 115 financial charges..by Daniel Orme.

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Manchester City will face relegation from the Premier League if they are found guilty of their 115 charges, one of the club’s former financial advisors has claimed.

The reigning champions are currently facing a host of accusations regarding their finances between 2009 and 2018. It is also suggested that Man City failed to co-operate with resultant investigations.

The club have moved to deny those claims, while the Premier League's chief executive Richard Masters has confirmed that a date has been set for a hearing. Now former financial advisor to the club Stefan Borson has claimed that City could drop out of the top-flight entirely should they be found guilty.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “The scale is on a completely different level [to Everton and Forest]. There can be no question that this will end in at least relegation - that’s no question, if those charges are proven.
“There's a suggestion of conspiracy over effectively a 10-year period. They [ Premier League ] are suggesting that City’s main sponsorship agreements are not for £50-60m but are actually for £8m and the whole thing was a sham.

“That a whole load of people lied and a whole load of executives from multiple companies were in on it and that the club also lied to multiple other parties. Professionals, people doing due diligence on the company, the league, UEFA, the FA.”

He added: “If proven, this is super serious. Nobody would argue with that. City themselves in their submission - I promise you, because they’ve said it to CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] - will say this is an allegation of the most serious nature.”

Man City have been a Premier League club since the 2002-03 season after last earning promotion from the second tier. While Borson believes that City could be hit with some severe sanctions, the likelihood of the club being guilty is not very high in his opinion. That is due to the amount of individuals being investigated in such a long-running case.

“I think they [City] will clear their name because I think a case of this nature has to have a level of cogent proof, which seems to me to be impossible to present to an independent commission,” he claimed.

“And furthermore, it seems highly unlikely that the conduct that is alleged has taken place over a 10-year period with the sorts of individuals who are involved in the club and in the companies involved.

“It seems highly unlikely and that will be the starting point of any independent commission. It will be a very big call for any quasi court or tribunal to suggest that this number of people have been dishonest and have perjured themselves.”

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Such is James Milner's longevity that both Brighton and Wolves have played in League One more recently than the midfielder's Premier League debut for Leeds on 10th November, 2002

Monday's match was significant for 38-year-old Brighton midfielder James Milner, who overtook Ryan Giggs to go second outright on the Premier League's all-time appearance list.

The former Manchester City and Liverpool star has played 633 top-flight matches, 20 short of record holder Gareth Barry.

Udinese fan banned for life for racist abuse towards AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan..

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Mike Maignan told the referee that he heard racist chants before leaving the pitch

Udinese have banned a fan for life for racist abuse towards AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Play was briefly suspended in the Serie A match on 20th January as Maignan and his team-mates left the pitch after alerting the referee to the abuse.

The individual banned was found by staff and police by using security cameras, with Udinese saying they are working to identify further offenders.

They added that the ban takes immediate effect.

"We believe that such strong measures are necessary to send a clear message that racism has no place in football or society," the club said in a statement.

"We thank the authorities for their co-operation and together we will continue to work tirelessly in order to identify and punish other individuals who were involved in this incident and that tarnish the sporting ethics of the club, the region, the city of Udine and a fan base that has always been a model of integration and respect.

"We want to ensure that our stadium remains a space where everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, background, culture, and language is able to enjoy the beautiful game without fear of discrimination."

Maignan told Sky Sports Italy that he could hear "monkey noises" and called for "very strong sanctions" for offenders.

Also on Saturday, Coventry City's Kasey Palmer also suffered racist abuse during their Championship encounter with Sheffield Wednesday.

Coventry said they were "shocked and saddened" by the incident while the Professional Footballers' Association chair Omar Beckles said that members do not believe there are "real, consistent and significant consequences" for racism.